Jingxing, the Taihang fortress and the thoroughfare between Hebei and Jin Dynasty, was no longer occupied by the Hu people after Liu Chengyou stationed in Zhending and occupied Zhenzhou. Some local heroes, prisoners and surrendered soldiers in the pass united and drove away the stationed Hu generals and Khitan troops. Later, he sent money to surrender and was appointed as guard general by Liu Chengyou.
Under the scorching sun, large groups of horsemen came galloping from east to west, fully armed and with clear flags, exuding an elite temperament that people would recognize at a glance. The "Liu" flag was fluttering wantonly, and even the shadows shaking on the ground looked high-spirited.
A battalion of horse troops, plus a battalion of guards, and more than a thousand horses, escorted Liu Chengyou to the west. However, the distance of sixty miles took no more than an hour even if one was considerate of the horsepower.
The news that the second prince was coming was received early. When Liu Chengyou arrived, the garrison in the pass had already made preparations in advance to welcome him. There were no disturbances on the way, and Liu Chengyou arrived at Guanxia smoothly.
What surprised him a little was that there was a small army in the welcoming team, more than 20 miles southwest of Jingxing, a subordinate unit of the Chengtian Army stationed there.
Speaking of the Chengtian Army, Liu Zhiyuan tried his best to put on a show and led the army eastward to rescue Jin Emperor Shi Chonggui. But in fact, it stopped when it reached Shouyang, and then sent the army eastward to attack the intruding Khitan army.
They fought with the Khitan army several times between Pingding and Jingxing, and defeated them. The Chengtian Army was established, and soldiers and horses were left to guard the Chengtian Army stronghold. This expanded the depth of defense in the east of Taiyuan and provided more space to the eastern front of Hedong. An added layer of insurance for defense.
Obviously, this was the real purpose of leading his army eastward. As for rescuing Shi Chonggui, it was just a political slogan. He had already proclaimed himself emperor at that time. Even if he really rescued Shi Chonggui, he would probably have to die suddenly.
Regarding Sergeant Chengtian's arrival, Liu Chengyou asked a question. According to the answer from the leading colonel, he was following the orders of his brother Liu Chengxun to lead the way and clear the road. As expected, Liu Chengyou came to Jingxing to meet his eldest brother.
"Where is my eldest brother?" Liu Chengyou asked.
"Back to Your Highness, when we finally set out, the eldest prince was still in Pingding City. Marching on the mountain road is not easy. We are still in the mountains. I am afraid it will take some time to reach Jingxing!"
Liu Chengyou nodded. Calculating, his eldest brother's speed in coming east was not too slow.
After giving a few casual instructions, Liu Chengyou ordered his men to go to the city to rest. Looking up at the Chengtian military flags and Jin flags blowing in the summer wind on Guancheng, Liu Chengyou suddenly felt that the row of "Jin" flags was a bit dazzling. It is estimated that as they get closer to Tokyo, Liu Zhiyuan's side should have a similar mentality.
Inside Jingxing City Pass, in addition to a few defenders, there were actually some business travelers. You must know that although the situation in the surrounding prefectures and counties has eased, it is still far from stable. Not to mention military disasters, bandits hiding in the mountains are a huge risk for value business. However, no matter what the conditions are, there is no shortage of people who take risks and seek profit.
Liu Chengyou sent people to ask, and most of them were "Shanxi merchants", talking about doing some grain business. However, it is probably not that simple, but Liu Chengyou has no intention of paying attention to the business and travel business of these people.
After such a long period of training, Liu Chengyou's first reaction was to inspect the surrounding area, check the terrain, and understand the people's sentiments whenever he arrived. In a military important place like Jingxing, inspections are naturally inevitable.
Tao Gu followed Liu Chengyou and introduced Jing Xing to him as if he was dropping his book bag. This man had read a lot of books, and his expressions even seemed a bit showy. Quoting the narrative notes from ancient books such as "Yu Gong" and "Shui Jing Zhu", and then interspersing it with his own armchair understanding, he described it with a familiar saying: Military strategists must fight for the ground.
Liu Chengyou has heard this sentence quite a lot, and he feels like he can describe it at any level. Why are there so many battlegrounds? It all depends on the war situation and specific situation.
...
Liu Chengyou was not made to wait too long, and he avoided the hottest period around noon. Following the mountain road, under the guidance of his guides, Liu Chengxun led his troops and horses to the west of Jingxing. Liu Chengyou personally took people out of the customs to greet him, showing his "respect" as a younger brother.
After not seeing each other for several months, the eldest brother Liu Chengxun still looks like a gentle gentleman. Even if he is wrapped in military armor, he still has no loss of Confucianism in the killing army. It just seemed that marching all the way was very hard, my face was red from the pain, and I was sweating.
At the foot of Guancheng, Liu Chengxun seemed a little surprised to see Liu Chengyou coming to greet him in person. He stepped forward a little excited and took his hand: "Erlang, why are you here in person?"
"The eldest brother is leading the army to the east, and I, as the younger brother, should personally welcome him!" Liu Chengyou said softly. Compared with when he was in Jinyang, Liu Chengyou seemed less cold, and his face seemed softer.
Liu Chengxun also looked at Liu Chengyou and said with some concern: "You have lost weight and become darker. But as long as you are fine, you don't know. My mother is in Taiyuan, but she is always worried. I pray for you!"
For some reason, Liu Chengxun's concerned face made Liu Chengyou feel quite uncomfortable. However, thinking of Mrs. Li, Liu Chengyou showed a bit of reserved emotion, and asked with a bit of emotion: "How is mother's health?"
"It's very good. I just keep it in mind. Now, the three of us, father and son, are in the army. Alas..." Liu Chengxun said, "Fortunately, we still have Sanlang waiting for us."
Listening to what Liu Chengxun said, Liu Chengyou had no special feelings in his heart. In his impression, Mrs. Li was not a weak, weak, short-sighted woman, so she was not like that.
Liu Chengxun was in a bad state and looked like he was out of breath due to lack of water. Liu Chengyou quickly called him to the city to rest. Seeing his frail body, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but express concern, but he still felt a little relaxed in his heart.
"I heard that you led the army in Luan City and defeated hundreds of thousands of Khitan troops, and also took the life of the Lord of Liao? Now, you are famous all over the world!" Walking to the city gate, I felt a lot better in the shade. Liu Chengxun's The chatter box is open.
Liu Chengyou expressed his modesty: "The rumors are wrong. The Khitan army plus the Zahu army only numbered about 100,000 people. They also had the help of Yan soldiers and Jin soldiers, and the death of the Lord of Liao was the only way to achieve this victory. Also, the life of the Lord of Liao was It was not taken by our army. However, if he had not died, I would not have dared to lead the army in a night attack..."
Hearing what Liu Chengyou said, Liu Chengxun was still praising him, full of words of praise, but he couldn't hide the hidden envy in his eyes at all.
"How is Jinyang doing now?"
Along the way, not only Liu Chengxun was testing, but Liu Chengyou was also concerned about the situation in Hedong.
There were less than 3,000 troops who came east with Liu Chengxun, and they also transferred a group of troops from Jinyang. Counting these people, it can be imagined that Taiyuan's military strength was already extremely weak.
Uncle Liu Chong completely took over Taiyuan and stayed in Beijing. In the future, the Hedong Jiedushi will basically not be able to escape.
However, after Liu Zhiyuan's all-out march, he will later migrate the soldiers' relatives to the Central Plains, causing population loss, and Hedong will be drained of blood again...
