On the twenty-second day of the first lunar month of the fifth year of Emperor Qianyou's reign in the Northern Han Dynasty, he went south to meet the reinforcements from the West Route of the Southern Tang Dynasty. After annihilating the Xu Wenzhen and Chen Jun divisions, Han Emperor Liu Chengyou led his troops back to the Shouchun camp. The Han generals who stayed behind, led by Xiang Xun, paid homage to Feishui Fuliang.
"The last general is waiting. We sincerely welcome your Majesty. We will return to camp after victory!" He bowed to Xun in front of Fuliang.
"Excuse me!" Liu Chengyou sat high on his horse, with a calm face and no arrogance. He led his troops to welcome the Southern Tang reinforcements. The victory did not seem to cause much disturbance in his heart.
A large number of boats, escorted by naval forces, came from the south to the north of Feishui River. Each boat had an extremely deep draft and almost exhausted its load. Regarding the annihilation of Chen and Xu armies, the Han army's gains can be described as huge.
In addition to killing and wounding 20,000 people before and after, and capturing more than 40,000 people, they were the food, ordnance, pack horses and other baggage that accompanied the army to transport north. Even though more than 30% of the items were consumed or damaged due to the war, Liu Chengyou still mobilized a full 150 ships to load the remaining captured items. A rough estimate shows that if they are used sparingly, the proceeds from this seizure can be used by the more than 200,000 soldiers and civilians of the Northern Han Dynasty in the Huaihe River for at least one month.
Therefore, Liu Chengyou almost gave the captured Chen Jue the official position of "Huainan Camp Food and Equipment Envoy" to capitalize on his transshipment. Of course, this was just the last bit of evil Liu Chengyou had left. He did not deliberately humiliate Chen Jue, but instead released him. He wrote a handwritten letter asking him to be a messenger and return it to Jinling to give to Li Jing.
As the victorious troops returned and the emperor returned to camp, fierce cheers of "Long live" broke out in several Han army strongholds. The sound was like thunder in the sky, shaking the heaven and the earth, and lasted for a long time.
Of course, the one who was most affected by the cheers of the Han army was the besieged Tang army in Shouchun. Hearing the roar of the cheers, the soldiers and civilians in the city were all shocked. Because after the shouts of long live, there were bursts of announcements of "the reinforcements have been destroyed."
After hearing this, the main generals of the Shouchun garrison, He Jingzhu, Zhang Quanyue, Xu Xiang and others, all came to the north city head. On the ground outside the city that had been plowed by the Han army, there were a large number of captured Tang army flags, armor and uniforms, clearly proving something.
"He Gong, are the reinforcements really wiped out?" Zhang Quanyue looked horrified and looked at He Jingzhu: "The Emperor of Han did not lead many troops south! How many days has it been?"
He Jingzhu's figure was numb, and the wound on his left hand was far from healed. Fortunately, it was early spring and the weather was not so hot. He was actually trembling a little at this time, and there was a faint hint of illness in his old face. In fact, not only was Shouchun City on the verge of collapse, but He Jingzhu, as the commander-in-chief, was also about to run out of gas. The long period of defending the army and besieging the city was really not easy for this veteran who was over sixty years old.
When Liu Chengyou went south to fight Chen and Xu's armies, He Jingzhu, who was holding the city firmly and waiting for action, did not sit back and watch. Instead, he led his army to attack decisively. He wanted to take advantage of the lack of Han troops outside the city and launch a counterattack against the Han army. Not only to completely break the situation, but also to delay the Han army's efforts to station troops and attack the city, and give Shouchun a breather. , giving the Southern Tang court more time to prepare.
His goal was also very clear. He did not intend to cause much damage to the Han army, but pointed directly at the logistics camp in the northeast of the Han army. This was something he had figured out early on. To this end, He Jingzhu also played a trick. Zhang Quanyue led the army to attack the Han army's west stronghold, and Xu Xiang led the army to attack the north stronghold to attract attention. Then he selected the most elite five thousand troops in Shouchun City and prepared to draw fire. The thing goes straight to the northeast supply camp.
He Jingzhu's operation still caused a lot of trouble for the Han army. After all, the weakening of elite troops meant that for the Han army, which was more adventurous in setting up a stronghold in a trapped city, there would inevitably be some omissions in defense, and it would not be possible like the previous one. Everything is covered.
If the Tang army really succeeds and destroys the grain and grass camp, then the Han army in Shouchun will not only collapse immediately, but the siege will be broken, and they may even have no choice but to retreat and rest. After all, when marching and fighting, food supplies are the lifeblood.
It is a pity that He Jingzhu's opponent is Xiang Xun. He was ordered to guard the stronghold. He felt that he had a heavy responsibility and also knew the importance of the supply camp. When He Jingzhu showed his fangs, he decisively increased his troops, strengthened protection, and personally took charge. For this reason, he did not hesitate to mobilize troops from other camps.
He Jingzhu wanted to hit the Han army seven inches, and Xiang Xun also knew the importance. He had a very clear understanding in his mind that even if the other four villages were destroyed, as long as the food was still there, they could be restored sooner or later. Furthermore, the Tang army had not yet completely defeated the Han stronghold.
Under Xiang Xun's calm command and control, He Jingzhu's plan finally came to nothing. Sun Li, Li Chongjin, Wang Yansheng, Gao Huaide and other generals fought hard, and the Tang army was defeated and returned to the city.
After a confrontation, the Han army and civilians suffered nearly three thousand casualties, while the Tang army that left the city suffered more than half of its casualties. In terms of field battles, the Tang army was far from the Han army's opponent. After this battle, the Shouchun defenders were again weakened and no longer had the ability to take the initiative.
At this time, He Jingzhu felt the gentle breeze of early spring for the first time. It was so bleak and cold both physically and mentally. You can feel the doubts and fears of the generals around you.
He Jingzhu did not directly answer Zhang Quanyue's question. He Jingzhu just said extremely calmly: "Get ready. The final battle is coming. It's time to be loyal to the country..."
After saying that, he turned around and slowly, step by step, walked down the city wall. He Jingzhu clearly knew in his heart that Shouchun City could not be defended. With the current situation in the city, it was impossible to hold on until the next wave of reinforcements arrived. Furthermore, whether the Southern Tang court could organize another reinforcement army, He Jingzhu himself Neither has confidence.
He even stopped talking to his subordinate generals about guarding the city. He is old and not stupid. It is questionable how many of the military envoys and generals below him are of the same mind as him, and He Jingzhu himself does not care anymore. But no matter what,
As far as he is concerned, he is mentally prepared to face everything, and he is willing to die for his country. Surrender, He Jingzhu did not have that idea in his mind at all. It was not that he was very loyal to the Southern Tang Dynasty. At least before the Northern Han Dynasty invaded the south, the Southern Tang court did not treat him very favorably. However, after going through troubled times, in his sixtieth year, he has his own persistence. His bones are buried in the green mountains and his body is wrapped in horse leather, which is a good ending.
Looking at He Jingzhu's desolate and determined back, the several generals looked at each other, but they were speechless, each with their own thoughts, and dispersed.
Xu Xiang, the commander of the Left Divine Guards, returned to his camp in Beichengxiang with a heavy heart, frowning deeply. There was a sound of footsteps, and when he looked up, he saw that it was the commander of the next battalion of the Divine Guards, and he felt his heart tremble.
"General, since the reinforcements are dead, Shouchun has no one to rely on. The Han army's general attack is imminent. At present, the people in the city are unstable and it is difficult to defend it. Do we really want to be buried with this city?" There was a deep voice in the junior high school. A little excited.
Xu Xiang concentrated and asked him: "What do you think Ben should do?"
After hearing this, Xiao Xiao approached Xu Xiang and said: "With the strength and attack power of the Han army, once a general attack is launched, the city will be defeated in a matter of seconds. Since the Northern Han Dynasty's Southern Expedition, the imperial court has not treated people well and made unclear decisions. , the emperor only sat on the dragon bed and controlled the troops, causing our army to lose consecutive battles. In the current situation, the Huainan states will not be able to defend it, and the country will not be safe.
In the opinion of my subordinates, it is better to surrender the city and save my life. After several battles, our Divine Guards have been reduced to less than three thousand. If we can offer them to the Emperor of Han to obtain official positions and honors, it is also unknown! "
"You are trying to make me betray the emperor and the country!" Xu Xiang said angrily, casting his sharp eyes on the principal.
"The generals are referring to which monarch and which country?" Seeing this, the colonel also let go: "The Xu family was originally a subject of the King of Wu. In fact, it is nothing more than a separatist feudal lord. If we talk about Zhengshuo, he must be a strong Han from the Central Plains! We have all seen how powerful the Han army is this time. It cannot be matched by the Southern Tang Dynasty. Our surrender is also a surrender to the imperial dynasty. Orthodoxy, how can we talk about betrayal?”
If Liu Chengyou knew that an unlettered little commander in the Tang army had such insight and eloquence, perhaps he would have developed a love for talents.
Hearing what he said, Xu Xiang's eyes flickered and he said: "You, me, and even the officers and soldiers of the Divine Guards are all from Jiangdong. If you defect before the battle and harm your family, what should you do?"
Noticing the look in Xu Xiang's eyes, the schoolmaster knew that the commander of Xu Du was actually tempted, and said: "The Lord of the Tang Dynasty always showed his kindness to others, how could he do something implicated with three thousand soldiers."
"What's more!" As he said this, there was a hint of cruelty in the Xiao Xiao's eyes: "If the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty implicates the family, then we can surrender with confidence, and the Emperor of the Han Dynasty can also feel at ease. A real man, there is no need to worry about having a wife, as long as the name is Lu Jiajia. By then, when the Northern Han Dynasty destroys the Tang Dynasty, we can then counterattack, break Jinling, avenge our family, and comfort them under Jiuquan!"
Xu Xiang couldn't help but look at this song that had followed him for many years. He had never noticed that it had such "measurement", which made him feel chilled.
However, when I think about it carefully, I can't help but feel moved. Xu Xiang is only in his thirties now and is in his prime. He doesn't want to live and die with Shouchun, so he just leaves it like this. As for the betrayal of the Southern Tang Dynasty, there really will be no psychological pressure. The integrity of the monarch and his ministers has been a long-standing situation in this era, and there will be no moral condemnation. At most, if the family is harmed because of this, they will feel a little guilty.
"Hey, this really puts me in a dilemma!" After thinking for a moment, Xu Xiang couldn't help but sigh, and then suddenly turned his head and looked at Bu Qu: "Would you be willing to act as my envoy to contact the Han camp to express my intention to surrender?"
The principal responded directly: "I am willing to go!"
"Tonight, I will arrange for you to descend from the north gate. The lives of the soldiers of the Divine Guard are entrusted to you!"
