Lanzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years since the Qin Dynasty. Since ancient times, it has been a transportation hub and military fortress that "connects the four regions and connects thousands of miles." It is named Jincheng with the meaning of "Jincheng Tangchi" and is known as the "Pearl of the Yellow River" ” the reputation. Thanks to the Silk Road, Lanzhou has become an important transportation thoroughfare and commercial port.
In the fourth year of Yuanfeng (1081), the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty, the Northern Song Dynasty took advantage of the civil strife in the Western Xia court, mobilized troops to attack Xia, and regained Lanzhou. After that, Song and Xia faced each other across the river and attacked each other.
In the first year of Shaoxing (1131), the first year of Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty, Lanzhou was captured by the Jin general Wanyan Zongbi after half a century of rule by the Song court. Since then, Lanzhou has entered a new round of competition between Jin and Xixia.
Genghis Khan's battle to destroy Xia, because of Zhao Hong's sudden emergence, Xixia was not destroyed. Lanzhou, Lintao Prefecture, Taozhou and other places that had been conquered and abandoned by the Mongolian army were occupied by the Southern Song army.
Moreover, looking at this posture, these "robbers" in the Southern Song Dynasty have no intention of giving up. Instead, they seem to be expanding outward through Lanzhou.
Zhao Hong stood on the shore, watching the Yellow River rolling away, with a lot of thoughts.
the river is long and tempestuous, it was like a hero. Compared with the south, where the war is relatively peaceful, the Yellow River has experienced more changes in dynasties, grand plans, and vicissitudes of life.
The eagle strikes the sky, soars freely in the blue sky, overlooking the vast earth and everything in the world. But the ones who can rebuke Fang Qiu and change the world are still human beings.
He came to the Yellow River instead of staying in Lanzhou City to welcome the soldiers returning from Xixia. The reason why he left the city was to show his kindness to the heroes. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is to win over the morale of the military.
Speaking of military morale, he gave the soldiers enough respect and improved their social status. The soldiers should respect him deeply.
"Your Majesty, it's too hot. Why don't you go down and take a rest?"
Fan Zhong and Cao Youwen, heads of the Sichuan Anti-Corruption Division, walked up and looked at each other. Cao Youwen whispered beside Zhao Hong.
In fact, it was early morning, and although it was summer, the mountain breeze was gentle, the river was surging, and it was not very hot. However, as the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Hong has been waiting here for the returning soldiers, which seems to be a bit too much.
"Have all the Tatar armies retreated?"
Zhao Hong looked into the distance and asked softly.
"Returning to Your Majesty, the rangers have spread out for more than two hundred miles, all the way to the north of Zhongxing Mansion, and the entire Hexi area has been included. The Mongolian army has all retreated."
Cao Youwen replied softly, and Zhao Hong nodded slightly.
As in history, the Mongolian army transported Genghis Khan's coffin back to the Mongolian grasslands, and will not come back for a while.
"How is the situation in Hexi?"
Zhao Hong continued to ask, with a sigh in his voice.
"Your Majesty, the Mongol army has retreated, and Hexi is deserted for thousands of miles. There are corpses and bones everywhere, and wild dogs and ferocious beasts are rampant. There are only a few surrendered soldiers guarding the cities in each state, and the defense is ineffective."
Cao Youwen frowned and spoke carefully.
"Baershu, the fifth son of Genghis Khan and leader of the Gaochang Uighurs, retreated from Hexi and is still staying in Hexi. Do you want to intercept him halfway and destroy him?"
There are not even one out of ten Xixia soldiers and civilians in the Hexi Corridor. Baershu's Gaochang Kingdom is adjacent to Hexi. Once the Song army enters Hexi, a conflict with Baershu's tribe is inevitable.
Baershu's Gaochang Uighur territory was close to Hexi. Zhao Hong was a little moved, but he still shook his head.
"Although our army has more than 10,000 horses, it lacks experience in cavalry combat. The Gaochang Uighurs are all cavalry, and if they miss a single hit, they may cause trouble. When Baershu's army withdraws from Hexi, we will immediately send troops to occupy it. When Baershu comes again , just hit it head-on."
The Gaochang Uighurs were in the Western Regions, and in the Urumqi and Hami areas in later generations. If the Song Dynasty was to become a truly powerful country, the Western Regions must be restored. The Gaochang Uighurs, the homeland of the Han and Tang Dynasties, were bound to be won.
Moreover, if the interception of Baershu now triggers a counterattack by the Mongolian army in Wokuotai, it will be detrimental to the army's recovery of Hexi. Use every opportunity to hit every opportunity, and this is the result he wants.
"I obey the order and accept the order!"
Cao Youwen was unwilling to accept the news and accepted the decree angrily.
It's really a bit unwilling to be able to beat the drowned dog and eliminate the hidden dangers.
"Cao You heard that the Gaochang Uighurs only have 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers. If you want to destroy them, it will only take a long time, so there is no need to rush. You must have the minimum confidence in the strength of our Song Dynasty border army."
Zhao Hong said softly, Cao Youwen nodded repeatedly and accepted the order, his old face turned dark red.
In the Song Dynasty, Sichuan could train tens of thousands of elite soldiers in one year, which was not comparable to these small countries in the Western Regions with sparse populations.
"Cao Youwen, after the battle in Mianzhou City, the word "quan" can be removed from both you and Yu Jie."
Zhao Hong didn't reply a word, but Cao Youwen was solemn and quickly knelt down and kowtowed to thank him.
"I thank your Majesty for your kindness in knowing me! Thank you for your trust. I will repay your Majesty with all my heart and soul!"
When Jiezhou fell, the emperor did not blame him. Instead, because of his small military exploits, he allowed himself to "turn to the right side" and show his great grace.
\"Get up! In the future, you must be bolder and more careful when doing things! After all, a single negligence may very well cost the lives of thousands of people.\"
Zhao Hong turned his head, waited for Cao Youwen to get up, and then looked at the generals, filled with emotion, but changed the topic.
"Since the founding of our country, our dynasty has been plagued by constant border troubles. First it was the Liao Dynasty, then the Xixia Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty, and then the Tatar Empire. The court governed military affairs with culture and built the country with Confucianism. It focused on internal affairs over external affairs, strengthened the weak branches, and filled the gaps in the vassal and town with civil servants. The various states strengthened their troops to collect all the Imperial Guards and placed them directly under the control of the Three Government Offices. However, the armed forces in the border areas were slackened, and the Imperial Guards were ineffective. They were defeated again and again, and fled to the south of the Yangtze River in embarrassment like a bereaved dog."
Zhao Hong said softly, all the generals and ministers were respectful and everyone was in awe.
"Fleeing to the south of the Yangtze River, instead of trying to survive and wash away the national humiliation, he killed the war ministers and lived in peace in a corner of the southeast. It can be said that he was groveling, shameless and shameful, and lost the face of my Han ancestors. Let's just say that the Yellow River, the people of the Song Dynasty, how many people Haven’t seen you for years?”
All the generals and ministers bowed their heads to listen. Everyone was delighted, but no one dared to say a word.
As a king, Zhao Hong scolded his ancestors and his ancestors, but these ministers did not dare to express their opinions.
Even though they were happy to hear it, they all agreed.
In fact, they didn't know that Zhao Hong had no relationship with the royal family of Zhao and Song Dynasty. Not to mention scolding him in front of them, he was also unambiguous in front of the people of the world.
"Back to Your Majesty, it has been nearly a hundred years since I crossed to the south during the Song Dynasty and Master Wang suffered a disastrous defeat in the battle of Fuping, Shaanxi Province!"
Cao Youwen calmed down and replied loudly.
"Nearly a hundred years ago! What a shame! How absurd! How ridiculous!"
Zhao Hong pointed to the surging river, his expression ugly and his mood even worse.
"The Yellow River, the mother river of my Chinese civilization, is just an inland river, and now I can't even see it. The country has been lost, and it is a corner of peace, and there is no blood and blood. The ministers only know how to make money and sensuality. When it comes to going north to recover the lost land, Everyone is trembling with fear, fearing the enemy like a tiger. But they don’t know that today’s era of great strife is more dangerous than the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. If you want to be comfortable and safe, others are already looking at you. For example, this time the Tatar cavalry invasion is bloody. The lesson! You must remember it!”
"I will obey His Majesty's teachings!"
The ministers all bowed and saluted, and some thought that thanks to the emperor's preparedness and early deployment at the northwest frontier, unnecessary disasters were avoided. Some people secretly wondered whether the news of the Song army's rescue of Xixia was leaked, which triggered the retaliation of the Mongolian army.
Everyone had different thoughts, but the generals were very excited. Many people were excited and eager to try.
"Your Majesty, don't worry! If the Tatar army dares to come again, there will be no return if the Tatar army comes back, and blood will flow like a river!"
"Your Majesty, if a Tatar dares to invade the country again, he will be pissed off. He knows how powerful our Song Dynasty border army is!"
The generals spoke one after another, and everyone was generous and heroic.
"Okay! Well said! Do you know what kind of Song Dynasty I need?"
Zhao Hong looked at the generals and ministers in front of him, and his eyes swept over them. The generals were excited, but the civil servants were relatively silent.
"The horse tramples the swallows, seals the wolf as a slave, and restores the glory of the Han and Tang Dynasties!"
Wang Jian couldn't help it and said it loudly.
"That's right! The horse will step on Yanran, the wolf will be banished to Xu, and the old glory of our Central Plains dynasty will be restored!"
Zhao Hong said decisively, half of his face turned red.
"What Your Majesty wants is a majestic and proud empire like the Han and Tang Dynasties, rather than a small, weak and bloodless country that lives in a corner. What I want is a great country where all nations come to court, where all barbarian guests are subdued, and where troops conquer the world! The country! Splendid, the army is over the world, the people live and work in peace and contentment, and the Han style is everywhere!"
"I am willing to share your worries for Your Majesty!"
Wang Jian was extremely solemn and immediately came out to report.
"I am willing to fight on the battlefield for His Majesty, to go through fire and water, even to the death!"
"I am willing to share your worries for Your Majesty, work hard and die!"
All the generals and ministers clasped their fists in salute and made impassioned speeches.
The vast empire like the Han and Tang Dynasties, even though it lasted for eternity, had eight wildernesses, all the people in the hall, the descendants of Yan and Huang, which son of the Han family would not want to?
"The great cause of liberation cannot be accomplished overnight, nor can it be accomplished by a few people. It requires the joint efforts of you and me, the monarchs and ministers, the dedication of the six armies, and the support of the people of the world to achieve results."
The crowd was furious, and Zhao Hong nodded with satisfaction.
Compared with the submissiveness of the southeastern generals, Sichuan's military and political officials were much more radical.
"Your Majesty is working hard to govern, and the 70 million people of our Song Dynasty will only obey your Majesty's leadership. In a few years, both the Central Plains and the Western Regions will be under the rule of our Song Dynasty. The Yellow River will definitely become the inland river of our Song Dynasty!"
Cao Youwen cupped his fists and played the Tao, with a solemn look on his face.
"General Cao is right! Your Majesty, if you occupy Hexi first and then restore the Central Plains, your country will be prosperous and your army will be powerful. You can win the Western Region in one fell swoop! I am willing to be the vanguard!"
Wang Jian immediately stepped forward to ask for orders.
"Please give me your orders!"
"I am willing to be the vanguard!"
The generals couldn't wait and stepped forward to ask for orders.
The horse trampled on the swallows, and the wolf was sealed in Xu. The Yellow River became the inland river of our Song Dynasty. All the generals are excited about these unfinished and upcoming feats.
Especially after fighting against the Mongolian cavalry, I felt that the opponent was not so scary, and the generals were more energetic.
