It is true that Zhang Zhao had not crossed the river in Hezhou, and his 35,000-strong army had only crossed the 500 cavalry led by Zhao Kuangyin and the 2,000 Wuning army led by Hu Guang and a small naval force.
This was because there were insufficient ships crossing the river. At that time, in order to confuse the Southern Tang Dynasty, the naval warships in the Guabu area did not move.
What we have now are only fishing boats seized along the way and some found by Hezhou.
Of course, the biggest reason is because Zhang Zhao did not completely win over the Southern Tang Dynasty.
And this also feels a bit forced.
It had been almost five months since he went on the expedition. The soldiers and horses Zhang Zhao brought, especially the elite troops from Hexi, were not used to the heat and humidity in Jiangnan.
More importantly, the Hexi soldiers and horses have not returned to Hexi for more than a year since they left Hexi and entered the Central Plains. The homesickness in the army is very serious.
It can be said that it is imminent to give them a holiday and let them go back to Longyou, Hexi Province.
And Liu Zhiyuan has not yet been solved, Zhang Zhao can no longer waste his remaining fighting spirit in Jiangnan.
After a whole night of discussions last night, Zhang Zhao had actually made a decision in his heart to unify the situation of the various armies.
If he tried to cross Caishiji and the Southern Tang court still didn't respond, he would simply not cross the river.
It's just that this will definitely damage his reputation. The soldiers who traveled hundreds of miles below got nothing, and there must be resentment in their hearts, so they must use their own prestige to suppress their dissatisfaction.
But this is not a long-term solution, and it cannot always be used.
Zhang Zhao clenched his fist. Perhaps if he had no other choice, he would have to loot all the wealthy households in the Southern Tang Dynasty in Jiangbei, then take away all the residents of Yang, Tai, Chu and other prefectures and counties, and then burn down Yang, Tai and other counties. The state capital of other states.
Only in this way can he have enough wealth to feed his soldiers, and then severely damage the economy of Southern Tang Dynasty, and make him look more like a winner.
If we only get to this point, the effectiveness of this trip south will be reduced by half.
He was able to win the hearts and minds of Chuzhou and other places and even Huainan, but he would lose the hearts and minds of Jiangnan. The next time he came again, Southern Tang's resistance would be even more resolute.
I hope Li Jing can be smarter and come over quickly to kowtow and beg for mercy, so as to avoid a lose-lose result.
Therefore, what Zhang Zhao is struggling with now is not whether to cross the river, but whether to do it so decisively, and whether to lose the benevolence and righteousness that Zhou Jun, who has worked so hard to cultivate, with the Guiyi Army as his base.
Is this worth it?
Of course, there is also a small worry, that is, Ma Shacai, who was guarding Chuzhou, came to report, and Liu Renzhan, the governor of the Qinghuai Army in Shouzhou of the Southern Tang Dynasty, came over secretly.
The 15,000-strong Huai army of the Qing Dynasty once again set up camp in Jiangjun Ridge in the northwest of Chuzhou, and also captured part of the Haozhou Dingyuan army that had fled into the mountains.
Ma Shacai sent more than a thousand cavalry to attack. He found that Liu Renzhan was frantically cutting wood and building a stronghold in Jiangjun Ridge, and the layout was very organized.
Except for Ma Shacai, who killed hundreds of Qing and Huai soldiers in his first raid, he could not find any flaws after that.
These 20,000 people seemed to want to settle down in the mountains. They did not attack and just huddled in the mountains. They had no choice but to send You Yiqi to monitor them at any time.
Bai Congxin frowned beside Zhang Zhao, "Sage, why don't you let me have 10,000 fine cavalry to go and cooperate with the horse to kill these Shouzhou troops?"
Zhang Zhao touched his chin, "If we really go to fight them, we will fall into the trap. Unexpectedly! Liu Renzhan's brother is Yang Xingmi's son-in-law, but he is so loyal to Li Jing.
This guy knew we were about to cross the river, so he surrendered to the tiger physically.
It's just that we are not timid tigers, but tigers that are about to be full. If we try our best to capture the 20,000 people Liu Renzhan stood at Jiangjunling, we will no longer have the energy or thought to cross the river. "
Bai Congxin was startled when he heard this, and after a while he sighed and said, "This is a loyal minister! I didn't expect that the Lord of Southern Wu had such a loyal minister despite his lack of virtue."
Zhang Zhao was not surprised by Bai Congxin's sigh. The Bai family was moved to the Qingtang Plateau by the Tubo people and lived in a circle of horse thieves since childhood. In fact, in the northwest, it cannot be said that there are no loyal ministers. It can only be said that because of the cruel natural conditions, things It is very normal for Yamato to hug the strong man's thigh.
After following Zhang Zhao, although he knew his loyalty, all along the way he saw Shi Jingtang's betrayal, Du Chongwei's surrender, and Hu Zhule's betrayal happening all around him.
So much so that in Bai Congxin's heart, he just felt that he should be loyal, but he didn't have a concrete feeling about what loyalty looked like.
Only after the city of Chuzhou was destroyed and everyone surrendered, even the governor Guo Tingwei surrendered, but Li Yanzou, a small official who joined the army, jumped from the city wall and committed suicide, did he finally understand.
Of course, Zhang Zhao would not let go of this opportunity to educate everyone. He pointed to the broad Yangtze River and said to the surrounding generals.
"Jiangnan is a prosperous land with outstanding people and many loyal people. It's a pity that Wu Lord Li Jing can't use it. If I have Jiangnan in the future, I will definitely use it!"
However, just when Zhang Zhao was preparing for some loyalty education, the good news finally came.
He didn't have to worry anymore. Zhao Kuangyin sent news that the Southern Tang Dynasty was led by Shangshu's right servant She Sun, with Feng Yanlu and Han Xizai as deputy, and they had arrived at Caishiji on the other side of the river.
Zhang Shengren breathed a sigh of relief, and there happened to be all the civil servants and generals around him, so he waved his hand.
"All the ministers and workers returned to their camps and ordered all the guards to wear iron armor and ride horses, so that these Nanwu people can see the majesty of our Zhou soldiers."
.
.
Although Sun Cheng is from the north, he is not tall. He is about the same height as Feng Yanlu, about 1.65 meters tall.
However, Han Xizai, a big man from Shandong Province, lived up to this title and was at least over 1.75 meters tall.
However, among the three, in terms of understanding of military affairs, Sun Cheng was far superior to Han Xizai and Feng Yanlu, who had no experience at all.
When they disembarked from Hezhou Pier, they saw that along the way from the pier to Hezhou City, there were many soldiers wearing red, white, and green cloth-covered armor, holding long spears and swords. They stood like mountains, towering, motionless and silent. Thousands of people seemed to Generally made of iron.
During this period, we saw thousands of fine cavalry. The horses and men marched in unison. The horses were decorated with gold, silver, brocade and silk. They jingled with every step. The horses' shoulders were higher than those of humans. They were not wearing bridles, but they did not bark or run around.
Feng Yanlu, Han Xizai and others led the envoys and passed by thousands of troops. They were so frightened that they couldn't speak, sweating profusely, and their legs were trembling. Only Sun Cheng looked calm.
When they entered Hezhou City, Barbarian Xiong was ordered to greet the Southern Tang Dynasty delegation at the door. Behind him were dozens of soldiers from Shandu. His face turned pale with fear.
When they arrived at the Hezhou Office, the Southern Tang Dynasty talents seemed to see the sun through the clouds, and the murderous aura that kept them from walking had also dissipated a lot.
At the entrance of the office, the guards were all attendants in brocade robes and personal guards in golden armor. Sun Cheng knew that these were the Jinyi guards of Emperor Shaoming of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The three of them were waiting for the summons outside the door. It had just been tea time, but they felt like they had been through hell. Sun Cheng couldn't help but sigh.
"In the past, when I was under the command of Zhu Gongshou Yin, I saw that Li Yazi of Zhuang Temple was invincible with the heavenly soldiers, but it was nothing more than this.
When the Central Plains was in chaos, although the Tang and Jin imperial guards were brave, they were not as good as those of the Zhou army. "
Han Xizai was so frightened that he broke into a cold sweat and nodded, "We, the Sixth Army of the Imperial Guard of the Tang Dynasty, are not as good as Zhou Shiyuan. From now on, we should serve the country in a humble manner and avoid causing trouble."
Feng Yanlu nodded with concern. He had deeply experienced how powerful Master Zhou was, as he was captured twice.
Not long after, Zhang Zhao ordered the summons, and the three of them quickly followed into the office.
This was not as big as the state office, and Zhang Zhao was not in the mood to transform it into a palace or anything like that. He just occupied the state office and used the lobby of the state office as a place for discussion.
Sun Cheng took the lead, and the three of them prostrated themselves on the ground. No one dared to act like not kneeling to the master of another country, and no one even dared to look directly at Zhang Zhao.
"The foreign minister, the right servant of the Minister of the State of Tang Dynasty, shot Sun Cheng. On the order of the Emperor of the Tang State, he paid homage to the Emperor of Zhou Dynasty and wished the Emperor long life!"
Zhang Zhao gently stepped down from his seat, came to the front of Sun Cheng, and asked indifferently: "I, the great Zhou Dynasty, have been elected by the clans of the great dynasty and the later dynasties, and have won the support of all the people in Guanzhong and the capital. I have taken the restoration of the country as my own responsibility. How can I do that?" Only then can he inherit the virtues of the Tang Dynasty.
Your Lord lives in a corner and acts boldly. Where does the name Tang come from? "
Sun Cheng put his head on the ground and replied loudly: "The emperor upholds righteousness and inherits the virtues of the Tang Dynasty. I, the descendants of the Tang Dynasty, inherit the virtues of our ancestors."
"There is some quick wit, but I heard that Li Min claimed to be a descendant of King Jian Ke. King Jian Ke was just the tenth son of Xianmiao and did not claim the title of emperor. How can Li Min and Li Jing, father and son, be called emperors?"
Cold sweat rolled down Sun Cheng's face, but he still tried his best to argue: "Since the fall of the great dynasty Zuo, all the people in the world, such as Wang Min, Nan Han, and Ma Chu, can call themselves emperors. After I take charge of the clan, it is not arrogant to call me emperor." .”
"Okay!" Zhang Zhao immediately grasped Sun Cheng's excuse, "Since the great dynasty Zuo fell, the clan reluctantly claimed the title of emperor, but now I will inherit the great dynasty's virtues. Are you willing to give up the title of emperor and return to the country? ?”
Sun Chengcheng couldn't answer this, because when he left, Li Jing's intention was that it didn't matter whether he had to cede land or pay compensation, but he still tried his best to keep his position as emperor.
Seeing that Sun Cheng was speechless, Han Xizai hurriedly bowed and replied: "The virtue of the emperor and the ownership of the artifact are the exclusive rights of the emperor. It can be discussed by non-human ministers. It should be decided by my lord."
Zhang Zhao narrowed his eyes. This time Sun Cheng and the others arrived quickly. They must have seen that he only deployed a few thousand troops in Caishiji and had no intention of crossing the river in large numbers for the time being.
This side will increase their sense of urgency and make these people want to reach an agreement with Zhang Zhao before their troops reach the city.
On the other hand, it will definitely increase their confidence. After all, the Zhou army that did not cross the river in large numbers and approached the Qinhuai River seems to be easier to deal with.
Thinking of this, Zhang Shengren became furious and pointed his halberd at Han Xizai, "You three are envoys, but you didn't even ask for instructions on important matters of national morality. It can be seen that Li Jing has no intention of peace talks and is still as rebellious as ever.
If that's the case, there's nothing left to talk about. Let's go back and ask for clarification before coming back. "
As soon as Zhang Zhao finished speaking, before Sun Cheng and the others could plead for mercy, Murong Nobunaga, who had been arranged long ago, jumped out.
"Everyone, this person is the Prime Minister of Southern Wu, and he must know the inside story of Jiangning City. It is better to keep this person and ask Jiangning what is true.
It's hard to say that Lord Wu had escaped long ago and was no longer in Jiangning City. "
"That's right! Sun Cheng, let me ask you, how many soldiers are there in Jiangning City that can fight? Is Li Jing in the city?" Zhang Zhao immediately pointed at Sun Cheng and started asking loudly.
Sun Cheng felt dizzy for a while and felt that the situation was changing too fast. He was obviously here as an envoy, so why did he become a traitor to his country now?
At the moment, Sun Cheng was anxious and regretful, "I am the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, how can I betray my master and seek glory? A saint has to cross the river to win Yangzhou. How is it different from the violent Qin Dynasty?"
Zhang Zhao pretended to be furious at the moment, "I will take Sun Cheng and Han Xizai to prison if you don't tell me, but I insist on you."
After finishing speaking, Zhang Zhao pointed at Li Cunhui again and said, "Cun Hui'er, expel Feng Yanlu and ask him to go back and tell Li Jing, and choose someone who can make the decision."
Li Cunhui understood this and immediately picked up Feng Yanlu himself and walked out.
