Liu Zhiyuan decided to go on a personal expedition, and he acted arbitrarily without even considering the opinions of important ministers like Yang Bin, and his tone was unquestionable. It seems, even a little sloppy.
Of course, Liu Zhiyuan could not really be easily persuaded by Liu Chengyou's few words. In fact, he had already had the idea of conquest personally, and he had it when the war in Yedu was not going well.
Although Liu Zhiyuan was not qualified to be an emperor, his vision and insight were still there. Putting aside his selfish thoughts and looking at the war in Yedu objectively, Liu Zhiyuan certainly knew that Gao Xingzhou was not at fault. In fact, he himself knew clearly what was the root cause of the current sluggish progress in the counter-insurgency war. Discord between generals has always been a big taboo, let alone Murong Yanchao, a "supervisor" with a special status.
In the past two days, Liu Zhiyuan promoted two old ministers of the previous dynasty to prime ministers. Dou Zhengu became the minister of Sikong, the minister of the family, Ping Zhangshi, and the bachelor of Hongwenguan. Li Tao was the minister of Zhongshu and the minister of household affairs and Ping Zhangshi.
Since entering Bian, there have been constant turmoils in the court, with various people competing for power, which has led to the decline of the government. Liu Zhiyuan also couldn't stand the wantonness of these Yuan Cong heroes, so he promoted Dou Zhengu and Li Tao, which immediately broke the monopoly of the old officials in Hedong on the court. At the same time, it was also a warning for Liu Zhiyuan to the Yuan officials. .
Of course, Liu Zhiyuan did not promote the two selected people casually. Dou Zhengu had an old relationship with Liu Zhiyuan. They worked together under Shi Jingtang. They had a compatible temperament and had a passionate relationship. Because of their poise and reputation, they worshiped him as prime minister.
As for Li Tao, he was appreciated by Liu Zhiyuan for his real talents. Previously, he secretly reported to Liu Zhiyuan, analyzing the situation in Yedu, analyzing it piece by piece, and penetrating into the details. Liu Zhiyuan was very interested, and he also suggested that Liu Zhiyuan go on a personal expedition, which would be more in line with his wishes. In addition, he had the merit of being welcomed into Tokyo before, so he was able to suddenly become the prime minister and became a popular person in front of the emperor.
Therefore, Liu Zhiyuan did not just accept Liu Chengyou's request on a whim, but had already considered it carefully.
Liu Zhiyuan's arrival in the Han Dynasty was a bit lucky, but the hardships and sufferings he experienced from a horseman to an emperor could not be fully explained by the word "lucky". Although Liu suffers from old age, repeated hidden injuries, and his body is getting weaker and weaker, he is still an emperor on horseback. When he really wants to stand up and go to the battlefield, he will never be vague.
As soon as the edict was issued, the military and administrative offices of the imperial court began to make preparations immediately. The busiest ones have to be the Privy Council and the Third Division, allocating troops and horses and supplying military supplies. After discussion, Liu Zhiyuan had to take away more than half of the remaining imperial troops in Kaifeng City. All the troops in Da Nei were deployed directly, and the crane-controlling army was a close-quarters army, with all the scattered soldiers in line. The bodyguard department was under the jurisdiction of all the armies, and the two armies of Xiaodi and Longqi were accompanied by the two-sided horse army guarding the saint. The more than 50,000 troops can be said to be all elite troops. Judging from the scale and movement, it can be seen that Liu Zhiyuan was determined to capture Yedu and put down the rebellion on this trip.
A formal edict was issued on the 7th, and preparations were made on the 8th and 9th. On the 10th, Liu Zhiyuan led his army out of Tokyo and headed north.
In Tokyo, Liu Zhiyuan also made a relatively appropriate arrangement, with Wei King Liu Chengxun supervising the country, and Yang Bin, Wang Zhang, Shi Hongzhao and other civil and military assistants. In order to avoid any trouble in the court during his absence, Su Fengji was directly given to Su Fengji. Brought it with me. Liu Zhiyuan seemed to have a "special" love for Su Fengji and was extremely tolerant.
As for Liu Chengyou, just as he expected, he was successfully recruited by Liu Zhiyuan to be the general of the expedition and the governor of the camp.
In addition to the necessary food supplies, armor and weapons, and military tents and quilts for the soldiers to march, the imperial army in the north was also lightly armed and simple. They also recruited many men and mules from the civilian population to accompany them, which also saved a lot of energy of the soldiers.
Liu Zhiyuan was in the middle army. He did not rush the troops and was not impatient at all. If the emperor was like this, the entire army marched very calmly. Marching at a speed of eighty miles a day, it took two days to reach Huazhou, rested overnight, and arrived at Chanzhou on the third day.
Regarding Chanzhou, the most famous event in history is undoubtedly the "Chanyuan Alliance". However, during the "Five Dynasties" period, it has always been a battleground for military strategists (there are so many battlegrounds for military strategists...). In the middle and late stages, its importance became increasingly prominent, especially in its role in defending Kaifeng. When Zhuangzong destroyed Liang, the two sides faced off across the river. The Yellow River line was basically fought in the area of Wei and Chan. Around Desheng Ferry, the two sides repeatedly saw each other, and there were more than a hundred battles between large and small.
The core of it is Desheng Ferry, an important ferry connecting the north and south of the river. The name of the state city is Desheng City, which is divided into north and south cities. It was originally built by Fu Cunshen (Fu Yanqing Laozi) under the orders of the Yellow River.
Being able to serve as a hub for a large river, it is naturally a suitable place for fording, especially for large-scale transfer operations. In the Yellow River Basin, wherever it passes, the terrain is undulating and the water is turbulent. In this era, you can find only a few strategic points along the river.
The army has been stationed in the southern city. There are already garrison barracks outside the city fortress. Although it is not enough to accommodate so many people, it saves the pain of setting up a new one. Expanding the camp step by step, making food from the pot, after all, they are the most elite forbidden army of the Han Dynasty. After reorganization, although the running-in time is still short and the combat power has not reached its peak, the basic quality is still there. When going out to fight, the discipline of the army is emphasized, and the generals and generals strictly control everything, so everything is in order.
As night fell, the densely packed Han army camp in front of Desheng Crossing slowly fell into silence. The soldiers rested and rested to relieve the exhaustion of days of marching. All around, the sounds of wind, water, and animals became clearer.
After patrolling among the armies and showing off the presence of His Royal Highness the King of Zhou, Liu Chengyou led a group of people and headed towards the ferry. He was appointed as the Superintendent of the Army and Camps, supervising the entire army. He had great power and could oversee everything from marching, garrisoning, and training... to the army. Of course, Liu Chengyou, as always, focused on military discipline regulations. In just two or three days, his nickname of "Jun Yan Luo" was spreading again. In the past, it was only in the Longqi Army, but now, it is the entire Forbidden Army.
The winter dry season has not yet come, the water level is not low, the terrain is flat and slippery, and the river is no longer so fast. Standing down from a high place, you can watch the river. In the night sky, the moonlight is dim, and you can see the mist on the water, which is crisscrossed and lingering in all directions. You can feel its coldness from a distance.
On the ferry, hundreds of large and small boats collected by the imperial court were docked, with fishermen and boatmen living on them. In the thatched cottages and sheds along the tidal flats, three to four thousand young men and women huddled inside, hiding from the autumn wind and spending the night. It is said that in order to support the war, more than half of the young men and women in Chanzhou were recruited.
On the shore, soldiers and escorts were constantly patrolling by, scanning the laborers with a fierce look to prevent unrest.
At the port near the water, a general, surrounded by generals, was pointing and discussing something. Liu Chengyou walked up slowly and said hello: "General Wang."
The general is Wang Jun, who was appointed by Liu Zhiyuan to conduct land and water deployment during this expedition. Speaking of Wang Jun, before and after the founding of the Han Dynasty, he also actively worked for it and tried his best to advocate and build momentum for Liu Zhiyuan to become emperor. He was also regarded as a founding hero and worked a lot. After arriving in Tokyo, Liu Zhiyuan was very kind to him. He was appointed Minister of War, reorganized the imperial army, commanded the scattered members, and led the governor of Bazhou from afar.
However, Wang Jun's ambition obviously goes beyond this, and he is somewhat dissatisfied. However, he wants to climb up, but the upper space is firmly controlled by Yang, Shi and other civil and military officials. I was lucky enough to accompany him this time, so I worked hard and performed well. I worked very hard in preparing the camp and tried to make sure there were no omissions. If my subordinates made mistakes, they would be punished more severely than Liu Chengyou. The whipping and cane punishments were all light. of.
There was some friendship between the two people. When they were in Jinyang, Wang Jun returned as an envoy to the Khitan, and Liu Chengyou also consulted him about the Central Plains affairs, and gained a lot. Although there were fewer contacts afterwards, they were still maintained. Wang Jun was one of the few people who spoke out in support of Gao Xingzhou and Liu Chengyou.
"Your Highness." Seeing that it was Liu Chengyou, Wang Jun's originally serious expression softened immediately and he returned the salute. The generals around him also hurriedly followed and saluted.
"You retreat first, prepare according to my order, and cross the river tomorrow without any mistakes!" Wang Jun sternly ordered his subordinates to retreat, which was very powerful.
"General, you are really responsible!" Liu Chengyou praised him while standing on the river bank, feeling the vibration of the rushing water.
Hearing this, Wang Jun had a self-satisfied smile on his lips and spoke quite modestly: "The general is just doing his job."
Hearing this, Liu Chengyou sighed: "In today's world, how many of the Daozhou Jiedu generals and officials are able to perform their duties?"
It was windy and noisy by the river, and I had to strain my throat to speak. The two walked to a hut in the rear to talk. Liu Chengyou asked, "With the general here, there is nothing to worry about crossing the river, right?"
Mentioning this, Wang Jun sounded very sure: "There are no heavy weapons in the army. As long as God is good, we can cross tomorrow!"
"The general is so talented!"
"Your Highness is so complimentary."
Looking to the north through the straw mat curtain, even if the vision is dim, the outline of Desheng North City on the other side is vaguely visible. Wang Jun said: "The adopted son of the Guo family has made a great contribution to saving Deshengkou. Otherwise, the counterinsurgency war will inevitably be ruined, and it will not With our army now we can cross the river calmly."
Hearing this, Liu Chengyou followed his gaze and looked north, thought for a moment, and said, "The general has always been very knowledgeable about military affairs. I wonder what your opinion is on the battle situation in Yedu?"
"Is Your Highness taking the final test?" Wang Jun turned to look at Liu Chengyou and asked with a smile.
"I want to hear the general's opinion."
"With your highness's wisdom, I am afraid that you have already seen the situation in Yedu very clearly and are familiar with it." Wang Jun first praised Liu Chengyou, and then said firmly: "Du rebellion is at the end of the road, and the officials personally recommend the elite of the country. Go north, once the troops arrive, we can leave Yedu in the blink of an eye!"
"Why is the general so sure?"
Wang Jun replied directly: "The imperial court has to win!"
