On the shore of Huishui, a small group of Xue Cheng's soldiers and horses were surveying the terrain. Suddenly ten or twenty horses rushed from behind the mountain and stopped on the other side of the river. The team stopped their horses, looked at Xue Cheng's people, and kept whispering to each other.
Li Qing, who was leading the team, felt strange and was a little surprised to see that those people were not dressed as gold men. Hedong has been occupied for a long time, and many places have shaved off their hair and changed their clothes under the strict orders of the Jin army, and their attire no longer resembles that of the Central Plains people.
Leading the horse forward, Li Qing shouted loudly across the river: "Who is coming? Dare to offend Wang Shi's military power!"
A big man stepped forward and said: "I am Li Songchen, the commander of the army and horse headquarters of Hedong Road in the Song Dynasty. Are you really the imperial army?"
Li Qing was startled, and hurriedly crossed his hands and said: "It turns out to be Li Dutong. I am Li Qing, the general under the command of Xue Qing, the subordinate of Dengzhou Wang Zhenfu, was ordered to come here to survey the terrain. Since Dutong is here, please also invite the camp See you."
Li Songchen nodded and said: "I heard from people that a large army from the imperial court came to Jiangzhou and came specifically to meet them."
After saying that, he discussed with the people around him for a while before wading across the ice and crossing the river to the other side. Li Qing took over early, and both parties dismounted and saluted.
Li Songchen said: "I was in Hedong and heard the name of Taiwei Wang. At the beginning of the year, when Shaanzhou was rescued and Hedong was shaken, who among the people around him didn't know about it? I didn't expect that at the end of the year, the Taiwei army came again. I wonder where the Taiwei is? I'll go Pay your respects."
Li Qingdao: "To be fair to the capital, the governor is of high status and he is in Guozhou with Li Jinglue of Shaanxi Province. We have come to Jiangzhou specially under the orders of the governor and governor."
After speaking, he asked Li Songchen about the situation around him and hurriedly took him back to the military camp.
After receiving the report, Xue Cheng did not dare to neglect and welcomed him out of the military camp. After exchanging greetings with Li Songchen, he invited him into the commander's tent.
Li Songchen named himself Li Wugong and called himself Songchen to show his determination not to invest money. He was originally a captain of Lingshi County. After the fall of Hedong Road, he gathered people on Mianshan Mountain in Lingshi County to resist the Jin Dynasty. He was a relatively large rebel force nearby. In the past, the Guiboyan Road Economic and Strategic Envoy Division was under the jurisdiction of the Hedong-Shaanxi Road Economic Envoy Division. Li Wugong was granted the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Military and Horse Capital of Hedong Road in the second year of Jianyan because of his meritorious service.
The official title of the rebel army cannot be taken seriously. If he left Hedong and headed south, Li Wugong would probably not even be able to serve as a commander, but would only be a middle-level or lower-ranking officer. But here on Hedong Road, he has a strong appeal.
After inviting tea, Xue Cheng said: "I've heard about Dutong's name for a long time, and I've always wanted to pay him a visit, but I just can't do it. I wonder what's going on with Dutong going south this time?"
Li Songchen said: "Since the fall of Fuyan, there has been no news from the imperial court for a long time. When I heard that the imperial army was coming, I burst into tears with joy. I came here from Lingshi specially to see Master Wang, knowing that the imperial court has not forgotten us. .”
Xue Chengdao: "Du Tong fought against the Jin Dynasty in Hedong and was a hero of the country. How could the imperial court forget it? This time I came to Jiangzhou with the command of the town. I originally wanted to contact you. But most of the rebels were fortified in the mountains, so it was not easy to visit them at once. .”
Li Songchen nodded. After being silent for a while, he suddenly asked: "There used to be two people, Jia He and Feng Sai, who formed a stronghold nearby. Later, they crossed the river and defected to Li Zhizhou, Shaanxi Province. May I ask the commander, do you know these two people?"
Xue Cheng laughed and said, "How come you don't know? The people who led the army to retake Shaanzhou this time are Jia He and Feng Sai. Do you all know these two people?"
Li Songchen said: "Of course we know each other. When they formed a stronghold nearby, they had many contacts. But after the two of them crossed the river, the road was blocked, and there was no news about them for a long time. Alas, these two years have been really difficult!"
After speaking, he shook his head.
Seeing Li Songchen's somewhat lonely expression, Xue Cheng suddenly felt sad. Two years ago, Lou Su broke through Yanyan Road and marched across Shaanxi. Li Songchen and others lost contact with the imperial court. Those who were close to the Yellow River, such as Jia He, Feng Sai and others, found it difficult to hold on and crossed the river to join Li Yanxian. Li Songchen and others stuck to the stronghold and attacked the Jin army from time to time. Of course, they often faced encirclement and suppression by the Jin people, which was not easy.
Xue Chengdao: "A few days ago in Fuping, the Jin army won a great victory and ravaged Shaanxi. Not long ago, Wushu, the fourth prince of the Jin Kingdom, attacked Guozhou, and the governor led troops to help. The attack has continued until now. We are about to occupy Jiangzhou, and together we Guard Shaanzhou."
Li Songchen said: "We can't sleep at night after hearing the news about the Battle of Fuping. If Fuping is defeated, the whole of Shaanxi will be in danger. How should we deal with the rebels waiting on Hedong Road? For two years, we have not heard from the imperial court. The will seems to have been forgotten by this world.”
Xue Cheng hurriedly said: "How could I forget! In the west of Jingxi, Shaanxi Province, the name of the capital is spread everywhere. This time when our army comes, the governor specially ordered to contact you rebels behind enemy lines. Also, the governor ordered If I meet you, I will give you some gold and silk as a token of my appreciation."
After saying that, he ordered his soldiers to fetch the prepared gold and silk and handed it to Li Songchen with both hands.
Li Songchen looked at Jin Bo and didn't speak for a long time. Finally, he said: "We are surrounded by gold soldiers and we farm and feed ourselves. How much use do we need these gold and silk? What the soldiers are thinking about is to get the imperial court's will and know that the imperial court has not given up on us."
Xue Chengdao: "There were many inconveniences in the past, but it will be different after the road is opened. Although the Jin army occupied Shaanzhou, there are still many places to pass north and south of the river. If the imperial court has a decree, it will naturally be sent to the capital."
In fact, Zhao Gou's attitude towards the rebels in Hedong and Hebei was not good. It was not that he had no means, and there was no edict for them at all. After the fall of Yanyan Road, the imperial court ignored the Hedong Rebels. The contact with the Hedong Rebel Army mainly relies on Li Yanxian, Zhai Xing and others. How can you say this to Li Songchen and others? If the court is like this, it will be difficult for the generals to deal with it.
Li Songchen nodded. Said: "I think the commander's army is extremely powerful, unmatched by other armies. If you go deep alone, you must have a big plan. There are not many Jin soldiers on Hedong Road now. If the commander is willing, we can lead you to attack the city and plunder the territory. Attack Taiyuan Prefecture It may be more difficult, but in other cities, it shouldn’t be a big problem. At this time, Hedong Road only has Wanyan Yinshu, but there are less than 10,000 people, and they are guarding dozens of states and counties, how can they defend it? "
Xue Chengdao: "How can we defend the city after we have conquered it? If we cannot defeat the large army of the Jin Army in the front, it will be useless to occupy the city in the rear. The governor ordered us not to attack the Jin Army's city unless necessary for combat, in order to avoid It's a waste of troops. This time when our army came north, after occupying Jiangzhou, we wanted to cross the river south to echo the army in Shaanzhou and delay Wushu's army."
"What a pity!" Li Songchen felt a little regretful. "If you want to cross the river south, you just need to pass through the Wangwu and Taihang mountains, or take the Yuanqu route, or go east and take the Zending Pass to Jiyuan. Most of the rebels in the Wangwu area went south and defected to Li Zhizhou. The Taihang rebels are now He is a subordinate of Liang Xing in the Taihang Zhongyi Army. Liang Xing was originally from Zezhou, and the Jin captives came from the south. He gathered the villagers to fight against the Jin. He was known as Taihang Liang Xiaoge and gathered many soldiers and horses. After the control wanted to cross the river to attack Wu Shu, it was best It’s Ju who contacted Liang Xing. There is a big river between the north and the south, and Liang Xing’s travel is like a flat land, which makes it much more convenient.”
Liang Xing was the leader of the rebel army in the Taihang Mountains after Wang Yan went south. He rose up later and was less famous than Li Songchen at this time. However, Liang Xing was loved by the people and had more troops. He constantly attacked the Jin army and gradually became a rising star.
Xue Cheng had already known about the anti-Jin rebels in this area. Although he didn't know the details enough, he still knew the general situation. After hearing what Li Songchen said, he hurriedly raised his hands and said: "You are the leader of the Hedong Rebel Army. If you can help me, I will naturally be grateful!"
Li Songchen said: "In the past two years, many rebels have been attacked and destroyed by the Jinlu, and there has been less contact. But since the king's army is coming from the north, I have to serve. If the commander agrees, I will use the name of Hedong Road Soldiers and Horses to appease the envoy. , send a message to all the rebels, asking them to come to help."
"This is the best!" Xue Cheng punched excitedly. With the help of these local volunteers, they have a good understanding of the geography and culture of this area, making it much easier to fight. Not to mention that the rebel army has a large number of people and can play an unexpected role.
Wang Xiaolie was not clear about the current situation of the anti-Jin rebels on Hedong Road, and did not specifically tell Xue Cheng what to do, letting him wait for the opportunity to act. Xue Cheng didn't expect that this matter would be so easy.
