After a moment of daze, Meng Chang said with a sad look on his face: "I will be satisfied if I can retreat the Han army!"
It seems that the emperor of Shu does not have any grand plans now. Wang Zhaoyuan was quite embarrassed. After all, he had spent so much words and talked so eloquently that he got such a dull reaction.
Perhaps in recent years, self-proclaimed contemporary Zhuge, shouting slogans about sending troops to the Northern Expedition has become a habit, and Wang Zhaoyuan still takes it seriously, taking "entering the Central Plains and competing for the world" as his life ambition and political appeal.
"Let Wang Qing arrange this matter! The Privy Council issued orders to Fengzhou and let Li Tinggui and others choose the opportunity to act. Well, don't force it. As long as the Han army can be kept out, that's fine!" Meng Chang waved his hand and ordered. With.
"Yes!" Wang Zhaoyuan responded.
Although the description was somewhat relaxed, Meng Chang's doubts were obviously not eliminated. He pondered for a while and then said to Wang Zhaoyuan: "I think, Fengzhou and Chengdu are blocked by mountains and rivers, and the winding plank road is more than a thousand miles long. I can read the battle situation from the military newspaper." , I am always uneasy. I intend to send an envoy north to express condolences and reward the soldiers, and by the way, I can see the battle situation and situation with my own eyes!"
"Your Majesty is wise and thoughtful!" Wang Zhaoyuan complimented and seemed to agree: "May I ask, Your Majesty, who do you want to send north?"
"Zhao Chongtao, the envoy of the guest province!" Meng Chang said.
Turning his eyes slightly, Wang Zhaoyuan nodded and said: "Zhao Chongtao is brave and good at fighting, and he is a minister of the Yuan Dynasty, so he can be entrusted with this task!"
Meng Chang sighed and said: "When the country is in crisis, we miss our good generals!"
"By the way, I read the military reports. They are all from Fengzhou. Why don't I see the Qinzhou battle reports?" Meng Chang suddenly changed the subject and asked.
After hearing the question, Wang Zhaoyuan accompanied him carefully and explained: "Since the Han army broke through Longcheng and took Tianshui, they divided their troops and cut off the contact between Qin and Feng. According to reports from spies who sneaked through the Han army's blockade, Zhao Jizha is now defending Cheng Ji, for the imperial court, hold back Wang Jing's Han army and let Li Tinggui deal with the Han army in Fengzhou!"
The Han army attacked from two sides, and the Fengzhou front line was delayed for a long time, but the Qinzhou side made a considerable breakthrough. Zhao Jizha was indeed defeated. He was timid in the face of battle and his command was chaotic. In early July, Longcheng was captured by Wang Jing, killing and capturing more than 3,000 Shu troops.
Zhao Jizha gathered the defeated troops and retreated to Chengji. The Han army, led by Wang Jing, took the opportunity to advance and suppressed Chengji. They also divided their troops to capture Tianshui County in the south and sealed the pass.
Zhao Jizha, however, still had tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, but he could only defend Chou City and do nothing. On the surface, Yu Shuyan said that the war situation in Qinzhou was terrible.
"Zhao Jizha has failed me!" Meng Chang said with a little dissatisfaction in his tone: "The main force of the Han army is in the south. He has not reduced his troops and horses, and he has not been short of food and equipment. How can this battle be fought like this? Waiting for the situation? I shouldn’t have replaced Han Baozhen in the first place and replaced him with Zhao Jizha!”
"Wang Qing, what do you think of me reinstating Han Baozhen's post and letting him return to Qinzhou to take over the overall situation?" Meng Chang asked Wang Zhaoyuan for advice.
Wang Zhaoyuan shook his head decisively and responded: "Your Majesty, when we replaced Han Baozhen, it was already a taboo for military strategists to change commanders before the battle. Now that we have engaged the enemy, if we replace him with Zhao Jizha, it will be even more taboo and undesirable!"
"What you said makes sense!" Meng Chang looked regretful.
"Zhao Jizha is unlikely to be in a big position. What will happen if Qinzhou falls?" Meng Chang said.
"If your Majesty is worried, you can take Han Baozhen and garrison Chengzhou to strengthen defenses to prevent the Han army in Qinzhou from attacking from behind!" Wang Zhaoyuan suggested.
"Do it like this!" Meng Chang waved his hand.
After Meng Chang left the Privy Council, Wang Zhaoyuan suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. The emperor came in person today and suddenly paid such close attention to the war, which made him a little uncomfortable.
Meng Chang returned to the palace, feeling a little tired. Almost without thinking, he ordered someone to lead the way to the Peony Garden, preparing to enjoy the tenderness and charm of Concubine Xu Hui.
"I've met the Prime Minister Wang!" In the Privy Council, a tall, middle-aged general with a square face saluted Wang Zhaoyuan, who was sitting at the table in the hall.
This person was Shu general Zhao Chongtao, who was transferred to the Fengzhou front line to serve as the camp's prefect. Before leaving Beijing and heading north, he was summoned by Wang Zhaoyuan.
Wang Zhaoyuan was sitting at the table in the courtroom, with a graceful and elegant demeanor. He was stroking his beard and looking at Zhao Chongtao: "Prisoner Zhao is exempt from courtesy!"
"Please sit down!" Wang Zhaoyuan extended his hand to signal again.
Zhao Chongtao bowed slightly, lifted his robe and sat down expressionlessly, without moving his eyes. In fact, Wang Zhaoyuan was promoted to a high position because of his flattery. Many people in the Shu Kingdom looked down upon him, thinking that he was flashy and could only talk. Including Zhao Chongtao in front of him, he despised him very much, but he was frightened by the power in his hands.
Wang Zhaoyuan didn't seem to know it, and he enjoyed the feeling of overpowering his colleagues. Looking at Zhao Chongtao, he asked calmly: "Is it alright for the governor to enter the palace and say goodbye to His Majesty?"
"Exactly! The military situation is urgent, I dare not neglect it!" Zhao Chongtao responded.
"Do you know why your Majesty sent you north?" Wang Zhaoyuan continued to ask.
His eyebrows narrowed slightly, and a suspicion flashed in his eyes. Zhao Chongtao said: "Condolences to the soldiers, rewards to the generals, inspection of the military situation, and understanding of the battle situation!"
After hearing what he said, Wang Zhaoyuan smiled.
Seeing his pretentiousness, Zhao Chongtao couldn't hold back. He cupped his hands and said solemnly: "The general is about to set off. May I ask the Prime Minister, what are your orders when you call me?"
Only then did Wang Zhaoyuan regain his seriousness and said to him solemnly: "According to His Majesty's wishes, the Privy Council has issued an order, ordering General Fengzhou to choose the opportunity to dispatch to intercept the Han army's food routes and retreat routes. The governor is also a man who knows the military. You should know that this matter is important, it is related to the strategy of defeating the Han army, and it is related to my plan to go north!
Your Majesty has sent you northward, in the name of comfort patrol, but actually to supervise the army. After you arrive in Fengzhou, you should carefully supervise this matter. When you defeat the Han army, command our Shu army, and advance into Guanzhong, you may not be your Zhao Dujian! "
After hearing Wang Zhaoyuan's instructions, Zhao Chongtao suddenly understood. After thinking for a while, he cupped his hands and said, "I understand what the Prime Minister meant!"
"That's good!" Wang Zhaoyuan smiled slightly and nodded: "I won't keep you here either. I'll prepare a small glass of wine to bid farewell to the governor!"
"Thank you!"
Wang Zhaoyuan was in a good mood, but Zhao Chongtao, who walked out of the Privy Council, was secretly disdainful and muttered to himself: "This Wang Zhaoyuan really thinks of himself as a Wuhou? He is arrogant and talks on paper, and he actually intends to control and direct the frontline war thousands of miles away. ....."
"Alas..." Sighing heavily, Zhao Chongtao looked worried, so he could only mount his horse with his whip, take Yuan Sui with him, and embark on the journey north.
...
In Fengzhou, in front of the mighty city, along the two directions in the northeast, between the mountains, more than 20 Han army forts are still located. None of the forts were damaged, but became stronger. In the Han camp that stretched for more than ten miles, the sound of drills was endless. Listening to the sound of their voices, they were loud and generous, but they did not show much fatigue.
Autumn has entered, and the forests in the mountains are still lush and dense. However, wherever the autumn wind blows, yellow leaves are inevitably falling, and dead trees and hay are inevitable all over the mountains and fields. Especially the large defensive forest formation in front of the city gate.
Connecting the wooden gates of the outer city, there is a forest of dry trees, and a thick layer of yellow-leafed grass has accumulated on the ground. Two miles apart, Xiang Xun, Song Yanwo, Gao Huaide, Wang Quanbin and other generals stood and looked into the distance.
The autumn wind brought coolness and penetrated into the armor, but it could not cool down the generals' still burning desire to make achievements. As for Xiang Xun, his face could not hide his fatigue, but there was finally a smile on his face.
"Commander, the weather is getting colder and colder. Winter is about to come. How long do you plan to delay it?" Wang Quanbin stood with a knife on his shoulder and pointed at the mighty city pass in the distance: "Although this pass is strong and dangerous, it is still difficult to stop our army. It’s not that easy!”
"You've almost gone through the whole autumn, can't you bear this little time?" Xiang Xun didn't think it was strange. He stared at Shuguan with bright eyes: "The opportunity we have been waiting for has arrived!"
"Then Dushuai needs to hurry up!" Gao Huaide said, with a clear meaning: "When autumn and winter come together, the continuous rain will not be conducive to our army's combat!"
"After General Gao Du is worthy of being a famous general, does this mean you have an insight into my plan?" Xiang Xun said to Gao Huaide with a smile on his lips.
Raising his finger to Mighty City, Gao Huaide said: "This Guancheng is made of wood, with dense forests, and now the vegetation is dry. It is just a pile of naturally erected firewood. As long as the commander gives the order, it will be ignited!"
"I have been worried that the Shu army would be alert, so I didn't dare to move lightly and startle them!" Xiang Xun said firmly: "There should be an outcome after such a long confrontation. Otherwise, if we drag it on, even if your Majesty If you believe that we can suppress the criticism between North Korea and China, how can we feel at ease!"
