Not long after Zuo Wen came out of the mountain, Wei Hua in Bingzhou openly rebelled, proclaimed himself "Emperor of the Jin Dynasty", and appointed hundreds of civil and military officials. At the same time, "General Zhengnan" Zhang Zijian was dispatched with 10,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry to suddenly attack Tongxu, an important town in the north of the capital. Gao Yu, the governor of Tongxu at the time, resisted desperately and sent an envoy to the capital at night to report to the court. After hearing the news, the government and the public were in an uproar.
After Zhang Qingmeng heard the news, he was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night, and kept saying to himself: "With this, the unification of the north will be just around the corner!"
Deputy Wei Jiu, the elder of the Wei family, made a decisive decision and cut off all ties with Wei Hua, claiming that he was incompatible with the rebels and removed him from the family tree. Their methods were so fast that Zhang Qingmeng could not find an excuse, and the entire family had not said a word to protect Wei Hua in the previous debate. Zhang Qingmeng could only sigh secretly for his cleverness and hold off on taking action.
At the same time, under the control of Shangguan Qing, the imperial censor, Li Bin, the Minister of Household Affairs, and Lu Qu, the Minister of War, were dismissed one after another, and the young emperor ordered the family properties to be confiscated. Including houses, land, various restaurants and existing silver taels, the total total is 30,000 taels of silver, which is equivalent to the current income of the imperial court for five or six years. Zeng Shilu escaped the disaster because he jumped out of stock early and spit out all the money he had embezzled.
It was only a matter of time before Wei Hua rebelled, but no one expected it to happen so quickly. This time, no one in the imperial court dared to raise any objection to sending troops. The Ministry of War began to reorganize its military equipment and prepare for the Northern Expedition to completely regain Bingzhou.
Soon, the little emperor issued an edict under the instruction of Zhang Qingmeng, appointing Gao Yu as the general of chariots and cavalry and the general of the conquest army. Yu Jitao was granted the title of Military Advisor General. Zuowen was appointed as the marching staff officer. Duan Chongwen and Wei Hanlin were the marching generals. Shangguan Qing and Gao Chou were responsible for the supply of military rations to the rear. Zhao Fuli, Guan Lang, Yuan Hang, and Zhang Batian are deputy generals. A total of 50,000 infantry, 20,000 cavalry, and 100 artillery pieces were mobilized. Yu Jitao served as acting general and led the army to the front line to join the general Gao Yu.
Jin military camp on the outskirts of Tongxucheng
The news of Zhang Qingmeng's decision to send troops reached the front line, which made Zhang Zijian, who had been unable to attack the city for a long time, even more anxious. It had been half a month since he forced the city to attack, and his side suffered heavy casualties, but Tongxu was like an iron wall and could not be shaken in the slightest. At this critical moment, he finally put aside his arbitrary character and began to discuss with the generals.
"Tongxu has been unable to be captured for a long time. Zhang Qingmeng has sent reinforcements to the front line. The situation is extremely critical. I hope you generals can come up with good strategies to repay the kindness of the Emperor of Jin Dynasty!" Zhang Zijian raised his hands to the north and asked everyone.
At this time, Ren Lian, the governor of Jiangli who was accompanying the army, stood up and analyzed: "Back to the general, Tongxu City cannot be attacked by force. If you want to win, you need to lure the wolf out of the cave."
"tell me the story."
"Gao Yu can't hold on. If things continue like this, our army will be short of food and grass and will inevitably be defeated without a fight. I have a plan to lure the soldiers and horses in the city to come to fight."
Hearing this, Zhang Zijian was overjoyed and quickly ordered someone to pour wine and motioned for him to continue talking.
Ren Liang's eyes shone brightly and his voice was loud: "The general can order people to go to the city to spread the news: 'The Jin army's chief and deputy generals are at odds, lack of food and grass, and the soldiers are scattered.' After a few days, the general can abandon the camp and retreat, showing that our side 'Panic'. Gaoyu's prestige is still low, not enough to convince the generals in the city. Even if his plan is defeated, the generals will leave the city privately to pursue him. The general can lure him to the north valley, and then send General Ran Shu to intercept his retreat. If you attack from both sides, you can win a great victory!"
"Okay!" Zhang Zijian slammed the table: "Where is General Ran Su?"
A young general in silver armor came out: "The last general is here!"
"Just follow the instructions of the prefect and prepare quickly, without making any mistakes!"
"I will obey your orders!"
Zhang Zijian looked carefully at the man offering advice in front of him. He looked elegant and had the demeanor of an elder. However, when he put on military uniform, he had the air of a Confucian general. He possesses both schools of thought and at the same time is powerful in martial arts. He is a typical example of "both civil and military"
"Are you Fourth Brother's subordinate?" Zhang Zijian asked.
"I am currently the prefect of Jiangli, and I will fief the land for the fourth master."
"You are from Fourth Brother, why do you serve as a general in my camp?"
Ren Lian replied loudly: "Both the Fourth Master and the Fifth Master are all ministers of our Emperor of the Jin Dynasty. The power of the Taiwei Empire has been exhausted, and it cannot be replaced by the heroes of the world. I will serve your Majesty and do my little bit to the Fifth Master. The wish to let the curtain go is enough."
After Zhang Zijian smiled faintly, he ordered Mr. Ren to plan the operation, and he consciously retreated behind the scenes. In the end, it was discovered that Ren Liang did not understand the world. Despite his superior abilities, he completely overshadowed the so-called "General Conquering the South", which planted the seeds of hatred in Zhang Zijian's heart.
a few days later
After receiving the news in the city, the Jin army suddenly abandoned the camp and retreated. The scene was chaotic and embarrassing. This also corresponds to the rumors a few days ago. The generals in the city cheered and asked to seize this opportunity and send troops to defeat him.
Gao Yu was a little worried at first and asked the generals: "Zhang Zijian attacked Ban Yue, why did he suddenly retreat today?"
Shi Xuan, the son of Shi Kai, the Marquis of Wei State, was full of pride: "When we return to the prefecture, we will be in a bitter cold place in Bingzhou. Moreover, we have come all the way. If we hold on to the city for half a month, the bandit army will definitely run out of food and grass and lose morale. If we take advantage of the victory and pursue it, we will surely capture the thieves alive." General!" The young Shi Xuan was full of enthusiasm and could not wait to make military exploits and leave his name forever.
Listening to the analysis of the generals, Gao Yu's worries had long since disappeared. Just when he was about to give an order for this, Zhao Fuli quickly stopped him: "Prefect, I think this is impossible."
This simple and concise sentence made all the generals present fall silent.
"What's General Zhao's opinion?" Gao Yu asked.
"The rebel army has only been at a stalemate with us for half a month. How can there be any reason to cut off food and grass? Although it has already entered winter, according to detailed investigation, the rebel army has enough food for at least three months. Zhang Zijian will not retreat on this reason."
Gao Yu thought about what he just said, and it did make some sense. But Shi Xuan, who was full of enthusiasm, was not happy: "The root cause is no longer food and grass, but the fact that they are at odds with each other and retreated timidly. If we don't pursue them now, when will we wait?"
"If something goes wrong, there must be a monster. In the end, there will still be concerns about the retreat of the bandit army..."
After careful consideration, Gao Yu decided to stand still and wait for reinforcements to arrive. But Shi Xuan acted like a child, angrily denounced Zhao Fuli's remarks as "concubine's short-sightedness", and stormed out angrily. The generals were dissatisfied and followed Shi Xuan away with a slight hum.
As soon as these people left the prefect's house, they dragged young Shi Xuan to a wine shop. Under the anesthesia stimulated by alcohol, everyone dug out all the anger in their hearts and cursed the prefect for his incompetence.
Shi Xuan felt very friendly when facing this group of rough men in their forties. After drinking bowls of wine, he became drunk.
"Prefect Gao is too soft-hearted and a useless person! I really can't understand why the king would reuse such a person?"
The group of generals yelled, "We men have turned into cowards today!?"
After hearing this, Shi Xuanteng, who couldn't control his temper, stood up and broke the wine vat with his hand: "Do you dare to go out and kill the enemy and perform meritorious service?"
"Oh, little brother! You might be beheaded!"
Shi Xuan's eyes turned red: "You are a man and you are not afraid of death! Who dares to lead troops out of the city with me?"
"Okay! You are brave! Follow Brother Shi Xuan out of the city!"
Everyone went step by step, led their own troops and horses, and recommended Shi Xuan as the vanguard. The cavalry of 5,000 people swarmed towards the city gate in a mighty manner. Seeing that there were many generals, the guards did not dare to stop them, so they quickly opened the city gate and lowered the drawbridge. Eight thousand cavalrymen galloped forward, the ground trembled, and the snow on the eaves of the house fell down.
After the army traveled dozens of miles, they could vaguely see the army flying the rebel flag. Shi Xuan picked up the spear and shouted loudly: "Brothers, the opportunity to make a great contribution is right in front of you, follow me and kill!"
Shi Xuan took the lead, riding a horse and holding a long spear, flying on the ground like a cluster of shooting stars. The generals and troops followed closely behind, and the sound of horse hooves on the snow became more intense.
Suddenly, the army turned around, with a long-awaited murderous look in their eyes. Ren Lian was dressed in military uniform and riding a bloody horse. His swords were sharp and chilling, as if he was thirsting for blood.
Before Shi Xuan had time to react, there were already sounds of killing and blood flowing everywhere in the rear. The cavalry led by Ran Shu defeated the eight thousand cavalry under his command and were completely defeated.
Ren Lian brandished his two swords and ran towards him with a roar. Shi Xuan was still drunk, so he clumsily picked up the spear and stabbed him. Unexpectedly, Ren Lian easily dodged and missed. The two of them tried to attack on horseback, letting the curtain catch the flaw. Suddenly, the sharp sword tip reached Shi Xuan's Adam's apple. Shi Xuan suddenly felt cold sweat, and his hands and feet were paralyzed with fear. However, the generals who were shouting to protect them had already forgotten about it and fled for their lives.
"Little boy, please dismount quickly and surrender!"
Shi Xuan's liver and gallbladder were already broken. He hurriedly knelt down on the ground, raised his hands high, and cried for mercy. Ren Lian tied one end of the thick rope to his feet and held the other end in his hands. Riding the horse with one hand and galloping wildly, Shi Xuan was dragged humiliatingly in the snow like a bug. The horse's hoof almost crushed his head several times, and his crotch was so frightened that his crotch was frozen with urine. When the soldiers and horses in the city saw that their general had been captured, they all turned their sides and surrendered.
"This kid must have left the city privately. I expect that Gao Yu's fellow will definitely send troops to assist. General Ran Su will cut off the rear and the rest will retreat thirty miles to set up camp!"
Ren Lian's judgment was extremely accurate. Zhao Fuli almost immediately sent troops to meet Shi Xuan as soon as he left the city, but he set off in a hurry and only brought a thousand cavalry with him. As soon as they arrived at the battlefield, they started fighting with Ran Shu's army. Ran Shu had the advantage and almost wiped out the enemy. Zhao Fuli knew he was defeated, so he returned to his horse and galloped back. Ran Li didn't know why, but he felt a fire burning in his heart. Seeing that Zhao Fuli was alone and weak, he raised his long sword and rode after him.
This is a prey that comes to your door! Zhao Fuli was secretly happy in his heart and gradually slowed down his horse. However, Ran Su was eager to make great achievements and rushed straight ahead. Zhao Fuli hugged the horse's neck tightly, quickly leaned over and grabbed a pebble, and shouted: "Hi!"
There was a whooshing sound, and the stone hit Ran Shui's left eye like a locust, causing him to turn over and fall off his horse in pain. Zhao Fuli seized the opportunity, captured him and rushed back to the city. However, the pursuing army withdrew without permission due to a moment of confusion.
At night, Ren Lian had already set up an ambush inside and outside the military camp. He expected that Gao Yu would come to rob the camp tonight. Zhang Zijian followed his orders with suspicion and set up an ambush in the valley. The whole battalion of soldiers was ready, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense as the snowy winter night passed.
Sure enough, after Gao Yu learned that Shi Xuan had been captured, he personally led 6,000 soldiers and horses to rob the camp with great fanfare. The Dawan horses under their crotches had condensed manes and their hoofs were wrapped in gauze, and he led the army into the camp.
Suddenly, the Jin army rushed out from around the camp. The oiled straw bundles were set on fire, and the carts rushed straight along the smooth ice. Fires were everywhere, the sky was full of killing sounds, and arrows rained down. Gao Yu knew that he had been tricked, so he broke out frantically with a bamboo trident. Unexpectedly, Zhang Zijian blocked his retreat. Gao Yu's eyes were determined, he held the trident tightly and pulled on the reins.
The weapon in Zhang Zijian's hand is a golden-faced goose-beaked goose. The head of the goose-beak is divided into three prongs. The middle fork is shaped like a sword, and the two wing forks are shaped like a goose's beak. Each fork has blades on both sides. With it in his hand, it looks even more majestic.
"If you meet me, Zhang Zijian, today, it will be your death!"
"Rebellious ministers and traitors! Wait for my head to be taken away by this prefect!"
The horse came galloping, Zhang Zijian vigorously waved the golden-faced goose with a beak, and hooked it towards Gao Yu's neck.
"Whoa!" A gust of cold wind passed by, and the air seemed to be torn open. Gao Yu luckily dodged, and he could feel that this opponent was by no means an ordinary person.
He was constantly adjusting his breathing, trying to calm down.
Zhang Zijian never gave him this chance. He held the golden-faced goose with both hands and stabbed it straight into the chest of the tall fish like a swimming golden dragon. Gao Yu hurriedly fought, and the two weapons made a violent collision of iron, and then they fell into a stalemate.
For a long time, the strength of both sides continued unabated, and Zhang Zijian also secretly admired his opponent. Gao Yu clamped his weapon tightly, which made him a little helpless.
The stalemate must not continue! Gao Yu heard the sound of pursuit approaching, so he pushed forward suddenly, stabbed his halberd in the air, and took advantage of this opportunity to retreat on his horse. But the strange thing is that Zhang Zijian did not continue to pursue him, and seemed to let him go intentionally. By the time Ren Lian led his troops in pursuit, Gao Yu and the remaining troops had already retreated to the city.
A few days later, the two sides sent envoys to each other and decided to exchange one general for another, and exchange Ran Shu for General Shi Xuan. Regarding the Jin army, Ren Liang strongly opposed it. He said that Shi Xuan's position was important and could not be easily exchanged.
In the city, Zhao Fuli also had questions. Gao Yu explained: "When the king raised troops from Haibo, Shi Xuan's father, Shi Kai, was alone in Yongzhou and would rather die than surrender. The king lamented and cried for several days, made him a Marquis of Wei, and accepted Shi Xuan as his adopted son. If there is any mistake, The king will surely blame you.”
Zhang Zijian was extremely disgusted with Ren Lian's unauthorized use of power. When Ren Lian stated his interests, he mocked in a sinister manner: "Sixth Master, the entire army must rely on you to make progress!" Ren Lian was so frightened that he froze on the spot and kowtowed repeatedly to apologize. , Zhang Zijian laughed it off.
The next day, armies from both sides gathered at the foot of Tongxu City, with trumpets and drums beating. As for the Jin army, Zhang Zijian walked in front, while Ren Lian followed behind, leading Shi Xuan, who looked like an animal. Not knowing who was making the noise, the Jin army began to laugh and taunt. Zhao Fuli couldn't hold back his anger and threw Ran Shui to the ground roughly, knocking out his teeth. Now it was the turn of the city's army and horses to show off their power.
Both sides untied the ropes at the same time, and seeing that there was no restraint on their bodies, they ran towards their own military camp almost at the same time. Seeing the opportunity, Ren Lian bent his bow and arrow, aimed it at Shi Xuan's back, and then let go.
"The thief will not let go!" Zhao Fuli quickly took out the pebbles from his pocket and threw them with a bang. "Bang!" The blow made Ren Lian's right hand red, swollen and numb, and he retreated behind the scenes in embarrassment. The soldiers on the city laughed even louder now, mocking the Jin army for being shameless and stupid. The morale of the Jin army was greatly reduced. They fled in despair under Zhang Zijian's order. Unfriendly shouts could still be heard after two or three miles.
To make matters worse, on the night when the Jin army discovered that the camp had been hijacked, a straw cart full of flames rushed into the barn. No one in the army dared to stop it, and three months of rations were burned. Who could have expected that the Jin army would end in such a dramatic ending. Zhang Zijian and Ren Liang retreated at night, and countless soldiers froze to death and starved to death. It was not until mid-January of the following year that they all retreated to Jiangli City. At this time, the army marching north had met in Tongxu City.
Zuo Wen analyzed to the generals: "Now that the mountains are blocked by heavy snow, there is only one way to Xinzhuang City - first cross Hulangling and capture Mengqing City. Use this as a springboard to besiege Jiangli City. Once Jiangli is under our control, Xinzhuang City will be It will be at your fingertips. At that time, the troops will be divided into two groups, one group will regain the western part of Bingzhou, and the other group will gather elites to penetrate the heart of the rebels! "
"In addition to strategic issues, I think there are other factors to consider..." Yu Jitao pointed to the map of the entire state of Bingzhou on the wall: "Wei Hua has been in business for many years and has a huge root system. Wherever our army goes, we must not burn, kill or loot. Secondly. , we need to send envoys to make good friends with the tribes in all four directions, so that they can be used as foreign aid. Third, we must make full use of the gaps between the 'five tigers' to make them kill each other, and only then can we have an opportunity."
Guan Lang asked: "Old General, considering the current situation in Jiangli City, what's the importance?"
"There is heavy snow in Bingzhou and the four roads are blocked. Only this one is feasible. It is no less important than Jianmen Pass in Shu." Zuo Wen replied.
Gao Yu paced up and said: "Zhang Zijian and his troops are stationed in Jiangli. According to the information discovered by the Longyun Department, the prefect of Jiangli is Ren Lian, who is Hu Xiongying's staff. This man is good at planning and has superb martial arts. He is by no means ordinary. generation."
Everything was arranged, and the next day, Gao Yu led the army to conquer the north in a mighty way. In the severe winter of the sixth year of Zhaode, the clouds were dense and the sky was covered with snowflakes. The flag fluttered stubbornly in the cold wind. What will be the outcome of this war? No one is sure.
All that came to my ears was the crunching sound of snow.
…
