The white troops marched on the yellow land. From the moment they crossed the Yellow River and entered Shaanxi, the Tiance Army never stopped advancing. The route chosen by the "Caotai Privy Council" for Zhao Kai to pacify Shaanxi, controlled by Chen Ji, Tong Guan, Liu Yan, Yang Weizhong, Du Chong, etc., started from the Suide Army and passed through Yan'an Prefecture, Bao'an Army, Qingzhou, and Yuanzhou , Zhou, Fengxiang Prefecture, then turn back eastward and go straight to Jingzhao Prefecture. While the army swept through the territory of Fuyan Road, Huanqing Road, Qinfeng Road, and Jingyuan Road, Zhao Kai continued to recruit people to join the army, and continued to divide his troops to occupy the state army that he had no time to deal with... .Don’t let Xixia take advantage of the situation!
At the same time, Zhao Kai could not ignore the Xihe Road in the west. More than 10,000 soldiers and horses (most of them were on the Xihe Road) led by Liu Qi, Zhang Jun, Tong Guan, and Zhe Yanwen (Zhe Keqiu's son) Those who joined the group from Shaanxi) separated when Zhao Kai arrived in Jingzhou and went all the way west to take over Xihe Road.
In addition, Zhao Kai also sent Yelu Yujian to go to Xiazhou City in Western Xia to meet Xiao Heda, the commander of Xiazhou, with his own letter and a generous gift. Zhao Kai had nothing to talk about with Qian Shun, who had knelt down in the Kingdom of Jin. , but they have something in common with Xiao Heda, the legacy of the Liao Dynasty...
Although this route to sweep Shaanxi is a bit roundabout, the effect is better than attacking Jingzhao Mansion directly. It can let the Yingwu family and Yingtian archers along the border of Shaanxi know how powerful Zhao Kai is - what they hear is false, and what they see is false. Be true! We have to let this group of warriors in the northwest know that this new official of the Song Dynasty is really capable of killing thieves in battle! If they dare not accept it, they can give Tianwei a try!
Under the sunshine of early autumn, the army led by Zhao Kai moved forward like flying, rolling up smoke and dust all over the sky on the dry loess road. The official road from Fengxiang Mansion to Jingzhao Mansion was built on the bank of the Wei River. I don't know what era it was left over? Go straight forward without any turns!
Behind the horse infantry, there was also a team of mules, horses and carts that almost filled the road. The luxurious families among the military families who had taken refuge in Zhao Kai were doing their best this time, not only sending their children to prepare their own war horses and equipment for the expedition , also provided a lot of food and grass supplies and the civilians who transported these supplies followed the army.
In the fields on one side of the road, there are many farmers driving mules, horses or other plows to turn over the soil - it is early autumn, and the winter wheat sowing season is coming. Although the land in Shaanxi is not fertile, agricultural production has not been delayed due to Zhao Kai's use of troops. It is much better than the desolate scenes in Northeast Hebei, Hebei West Road and Gyeonggi Road.
It seems that the strategy of calling Shaanxi home is very successful!
After marching on the Guanzhong Plain for two days, Zhao Kai's army had passed the boundary between Fengxiang Prefecture and Jingzhao Prefecture. Chang'an, the former capital of the powerful Han Dynasty and the Xiong Tang Dynasty, was just ahead!
...
"Officials, the Jingzhao Mansion has sent ministers to welcome you, and the leader claims to be Zongze, who has the power to dispatch affairs in Cizhou..."
Zhao Kai was sitting in his tent, letting Guo Tiannu squeeze his shoulders and pat his back. He was a handsome prodigy, and his skills on horseback were also good. He also followed the troops on their expeditions in the north and south for more than half a year. But marching for days is still hard work for him...especially since he also likes to boast that he shares the joys and sorrows with the soldiers, and sometimes he will march on foot with the soldiers. The result is a sore back and legs, and exhaustion. When you get to the place, you have to continue to stretch, either patrolling the camp, or consulting with the generals below, without even a moment's rest!
The emperor on horseback is really not that easy to be!
And where did Zhao Kai go now?
The real life-and-death battle with the Kingdom of Jin has not yet begun!
Not to mention going straight to Huanglong, sweeping the grasslands, and colonizing the world... I don't know if I will have a happy life in this life?
Fortunately, Zhao Kai got a Guo Tiannu before. This girl has been used to running on horseback since she was a child, and her endurance is much stronger than that of a big man like Zhao Kai. Just like marching, she can still serve Zhao Kai when she gets there, and she is full of energy... You can serve her like this if you want!
Is this considered a benefit of being an emperor?
But the only thing that is regrettable is that Guo Tiannu doesn't seem to be able to give birth to children. After sleeping for so long, her belly didn't react at all.
However, Zhu Fengying and Pan Cailian, who did not accompany Zhao Kai very much, took advantage of the tenderness of Zhao Kai before he left Taiyuan on his expedition (Zhao Kai was still observing filial piety at that time), and actually found time to work hard for the Zhao family to reproduce their descendants. They were so filial. ), she is already pregnant with a dragon...I don’t know if she will give birth to a son?
Hearing Dong Jingang's voice, Zhao Kai immediately put his thoughts back and asked, "Who is here?"
"Zongze...do you want to pass it on?"
"who?"
"Zongze... is the former Bazhou Tongpan, and the current Quancizhou is Zongze."
Zhao Kai couldn't sit still anymore and stood up suddenly. Just as he was about to go out of the camp to pick him up, he suddenly remembered that he was already an official and it would be a bit cheap to greet a prefect, so he ordered: "King Kong, you Go and invite Zongze in person...remember, be polite."
Dong Jingang was one of the twelve brothers, and he was the deputy commander of the imperial army, and was the leader of Zhao Kai's personal soldiers. The official rank is also high, and now he is the rampant official of Jiayao County. If he is put in charge of a state capital at a local level, it is not "power", but "knowledge".
If we put aside the past when civil servants were valued over military officers, it would have been easy for military attache Dong Jingang to respect Zongze, an old civil servant. But now Zhao Kai has no rule of prioritizing civil servants over military officers. However, with Zhao Kai's special care, Dong Jinjiang would still be quite respectful to Zong Ze - this vulgar man could become Zhao Kai's big follower not only because of Guo Tiannu's promotion, but also because of his more "obedient" personality.
If he was disobedient, Guo Tiannu, a female prostitute, would not promote him to be her assistant.
Dong Jingang left with the order, and soon brought in a short old man with a long face, solemn features, and a long gray beard. He looked like a virtuous old minister.
The old man also wore a white shirt over the official uniform collared by Fang Xinqu, and on his head was a long-winged black gauze hat of a civil servant. He glanced at Zhao Kai who was sitting there, and immediately stepped forward to pay homage, saying: "Old man Zhuo Zongze paid homage to the officials."
This is Zongze! I have long wanted to see you, and today I finally got my wish!
Zhao Kai said in a deep voice: "Ping Shen." Then he said to a Xiao Huangmen who was accompanying the army: "Prefect Zong has come a long way to work hard, please give me a seat!"
Zongze was not polite, thanked him, and sat down in a grand manner. After sitting down, he did not forget to look at Zhao Kai secretly.
Because Zongze's official career was quite poor, this was the first time he met Zhao Kai. He was quite interested in this king who reopened the Song Dynasty - how could the Song Dynasty produce such a great king? How was it taught?
Zhao Kai was also sizing up Zong Ze - this little old man was "Grandpa Zong"!
It's up to you to regain Kaifeng Mansion!
Thinking of this, Zhao Kai smiled and asked Zong Ze, "Does Zong Zong know the soldiers?"
"Know a thing or two."
In front of Zhao Kai, Zongze didn't dare to say that he "knows soldiers"... In fact, he didn't know how well he knew soldiers!
Zhao Kai smiled and said: "Prefect Zong, are you afraid of death?"
"Don't be afraid!" Zongze shook his head and stroked his beard and said, "Old Zhuo is over sixty years old this year. He can be called an advanced age. He can die at any time, so why should he be afraid?"
The old man has had enough?
"Okay," Zhao Kai nodded with a smile, "Then I want you to serve as a guard in Tokyo to regain Kaifeng Mansion... Do you dare to go?"
Recovering Kaifeng Mansion is of great significance to Zhao Kai!
Although Kaifeng Mansion is an empty city, it was once the residence of the emperors of the Song Dynasty for more than 160 years. In the eyes of the people of the world, it still symbolizes the supreme imperial power.
If Zhao Kai could plant his flag on the city walls of Kaifeng Mansion, even if it was only temporary, he would be able to gain a large territory without losing any blood.
And Zhao Huan, who had slipped away to nowhere, no longer had any appeal in the Central Plains.
But going to Kaifeng Mansion to plant the flag... is not easy!
If you send soldiers there, they will be treated as valuable targets by the gold thieves and eliminated... If the gold thieves cannot be eliminated, they may be flooded with water!
If you send too few troops...on the one hand, no one will dare to go, and on the other hand, they may be destroyed.
Therefore, Zhao Kai has been in a very difficult situation. He wants Kaifeng Mansion, but he does not dare to let He Guan and Wang Yuan send troops.
In addition, there are still tens of thousands of Yuwen Xuzhong and Yao Gu who are loyal to Zhao Huan in the Henan Prefecture east of Shaanzhou, the south part of the Yellow River in Mengzhou, and on the ground in Zhengzhou.
Zhao Kai didn't want to go to war with them, he just wanted to recruit them directly after he regained Kaifeng Mansion.
As for the task of regaining Kaifeng Mansion, after Zhao Kai thought about it, it seemed that only Zongze would be more suitable!
In history, it was he who regained Kaifeng Mansion!
But Zongze was not mentally prepared for such a sudden order... He didn't know how to lead troops, and he wasn't a general, so why was he sent to recapture Kaifeng Mansion? And wasn’t Kaifeng Mansion “flooded” by the flood? Has the water "receded" now?
Zongze shook his head quickly: "I am an official, I am a scholar... I am not a general, I don't know how to lead troops!"
Zhao Kai thought: Grandpa Zong, you are too humble...How could you not lead troops? You just didn’t know you would! But I know!
Thinking of this, Zhao Kai smiled and said: "Don't be humble, Mr. Zong. I know that you have the style of a general and you are not afraid of difficulties, which is enough to achieve your career. I can let you stay in Tokyo and give you a general's troops, 100,000 strings." The copper coins allow you to recruit soldiers and horses on your own, recruit subordinates, and collect taxes from the fields near Kaifeng Prefecture to raise soldiers and horses... Are you willing to give it a try?"
The meaning of giving it a try is...if you succeed, you'll be lucky! If you don’t succeed, you can still afford the compensation!
Zongze was speechless, his eyebrows furrowed, as if he was deep in thought... Should he go, or not?
Zhao Kai saw that Zongze was silent and encouraged him: "Go with confidence... It doesn't matter if you don't succeed. Just be careful and come back. But I estimate that the probability of success is not small, because the gold thieves have occupied the dam." If you don't enter Kaifeng Mansion, you must want to catch a big fish. I sent you to test it. Most of the gold thieves will not take action, but will wait for the opportunity.
And Qing just happened to achieve great fame and will go down in history forever! "
