After Jiangyuan County was captured by the rebels, several prefectures and counties in Xichuan were all captured, and their forces became one. The scale of the rebels became unprecedentedly large, and they had already formed an encirclement on Chengdu Prefecture. After Wang Xiaobo died in battle, the rebel leaders followed his last wishes and elected Li Shun as the leader to continue the rebellion.
Lu Bin, who had escaped from the city, led hundreds of troops to rush towards Chengdu without stopping. The rebel army was unstoppable and formed a prairie fire. He and Chengdu prefect Wu Yuanzai did not dare to hide it anymore, so they rushed to report Xichuan's attack to the court eight hundred miles away that day. Rebellion.
Yang Yunfan, Ye Li and others also took advantage of the chaos in the city to escape. The situation was over and there was only one way to die if they stayed in the city. Tang Yu, who fled with them, got separated from everyone after escaping from the city together. In the crowded flow of fleeing people, he didn't know which team he followed out of the city.
There were groups of people fleeing along the way. Different from the heroic and passionate people who went to Jiangyuan to support some time ago, now people on the road were walking in a hurry and looking worried, heading towards Chengdu. There was oppressive silence all the way.
In Bianjing City, in the Wende Hall of the Imperial Palace, Emperor Zhao Guangyi of the Song Dynasty, who had just returned from the imperial dynasty, sat on his throne and read the memorials sent from various places.
When he put down one memorial in his hand and picked up the other, he was stunned for a moment when he saw the first line, and then continued to look at the memorial in his hand with a livid face, his expression getting increasingly uglier. After reading it, I threw it to the ground angrily, and my hands were trembling with anger.
The eunuchs and maids on the side were too frightened to speak. They didn't know what was happening, and they were so angry that the gentle and elegant emperor was so angry.
Wang Jien, the eunuch who was ordering breakfast outside the main hall, was stunned when he heard the situation. He quickly walked into the Wende Hall, bowed and said to Zhao Guangyi: "Guan, don't be angry. Your old illness has just improved, but you can't." I'm so angry that I'm so angry. The Miao doctor told me not to get angry within half a year, otherwise it will affect the healing of the wound."
Zhao Guangyi was still furious after hearing this. He pointed to the memorial on the ground and said, "Look at what my ministers have done to Shu."
Wang Jien hesitated for a moment, then picked up the memorial that was thrown on the ground. The memorial was sent by Wu Yuanzai, the prefect of Chengdu, and Lu Bin, the inspection envoy of the capital. The memorial stated that the unruly people in Qingcheng County were rioting in large numbers, and had captured several states and counties, forming a siege of Chengdu. The center of Shu was in danger, and they begged the imperial court to send troops to suppress it...
I also frowned after reading it. Zhao Guangyi opened his mouth and said to the small yellow gate at the door: "I have sent you a message to summon all the ministers to come to the Wende Hall to discuss matters." Zhao Guangyi calmed down and began to think about countermeasures to deal with the Xichuan rebellion.
In less than a moment, the princes of the East and West mansions who had just dispersed from the morning dynasty hurriedly returned to Wende Hall. Lv Mengzheng, the Pingzhangshi under Tongzhongshu, was the leader, followed by Zhang Qixian, the counselor and political officer, Lu Duan, the minister and minister of the Ministry of War, Cao Bin, the privy envoy, Wang Qinruo, the deputy privy envoy, and others.
When Zhao Guangyi saw everyone gathered, he asked Wang Jien to pass on the eight hundred miles urgent memorial from Chengdu Prefecture to everyone.
After circulating the memorial, all the ministers looked at each other in shock. They did not expect that the rebellion in Shu could reach this level. Zhao Guangyi glanced at the ministers and said, "How should you deal with the current rebellion in Shu?"
Lu Mengzheng, the leader of all the ministers, first bowed and said: "Shu is a country of abundance, and the lifeline of the imperial court must not be lost. However, there are few soldiers in Shu, and the rebel bandits have become a prairie fire. We must quickly Quickly send the Imperial Army to quell the rebellion and secure the foundation of the country."
Zhao Guangyi nodded when he heard this, and then looked at Lu Duan, the minister and minister of the Ministry of War. After thinking for a while, Zhao Guangyi said: "Lv Shangshu once served in Chengdu Mansion and is familiar with the situation there. I wonder if Lu Qing has any good strategies to quell the chaos?" ?”
Seeing the official asking about himself, Lu Duan, who was covered in fat, arched his fat body, stepped forward and said: "Reporting to the official, as far as I know, since I pacified Later Shu in the Song Dynasty, the taxes of Shu It is very serious, much higher than other places."
"And this year there was a severe drought in Xichuan. Instead of reducing or reducing taxes, local officials increased various taxes and annexed land in disguise for political achievements, resulting in many people becoming victims of the disaster. Under the instigation of the rebels, many victims turned to the rebels. Bandits. In my humble opinion, when Your Majesty sends the imperial army to Shu to quell the rebellion, he should issue an edict to calm the people at the same time, opening warehouses to release grain, punishing officials who have neglected their duties, exempting victims from taxes, and quelling people's grievances, so that the rebellion can be stopped in a short time."
Zhao Guangyi nodded when he heard this, and then said: "Who do you think is the most suitable person to send to command the imperial army to quell the chaos in Shu?" After saying that, Zhao Guangyi looked at the privy councilors in charge of military affairs, Cao Bin and Zhang Qixian.
Cao Bin took a step forward and bowed and said: "The capital and Shu are thousands of miles apart. It will take more than a month for the army to go south to reach Shu. It is necessary to send a person who knows military skills to command a small number of elite forbidden troops to set off in advance, enter Shu and control the Sword Gate. Pass. The army will move later, and we will have a complete strategy."
Cao Bin is indeed a famous general in the world, and he can see through the key point of this battle at a glance - Jianmen Pass. Jianmen Pass guards the natural barrier. One man can guard the pass and no one can open it. If the rebels take the lead in capturing Jianmen Pass, then the imperial army will have to pay a very high price and take more time to enter Shu.
Lu Mengzheng on the side spoke again: "We can't just focus on the war in Shu, but also consider the Khitan in the north and the Dangxiang people in the northwest. If we cannot quickly put down the rebellion in Shu, we may face a three-sided attack by the Khitan and Dangxiang people. Danger."
After Zhao Guangyi listened to the remarks of the ministers, his face turned livid, he frowned and said, "Do you have any candidates to lead the troops? This matter should be decided quickly and should not be delayed for a long time."
"I think Shi Baoji can take this position. This person is the general's general, has been in battle for a long time, and has a reputation. Moreover, this person is currently in the capital to report on his duties, and he can lead the army south immediately." Cao Bin thought for a moment and said.
Zhang Qixian also said: "Ma Zhijie, the envoy of the Xijing Workshop, is a descendant of the Ma family in Fufeng. He is a good leader of troops, strict in running the army, and an upright man. He can be sent to accompany the army to quell the rebellion in Shu."
Seeing the two ministers in charge of the military recommending generals, Zhao Guangyi nodded slightly and was about to agree. At this moment, Wang Qinruo, the deputy privy envoy who had been silent for a long time, suddenly said: "Although these two are good generals, they cannot Sent to Sichuan to quell the rebellion."
Cao Bin and Zhang Qixian were stunned when they heard this, wondering what Wang Qinruo meant by this. Emperor Zhao Guangyi also frowned and looked at Wang Qinruo. He was anxious and a little annoyed and asked: "Why did Wang Qing say this? Why can't these two people be sent to Shu to suppress the rebellion? Doesn't Wang Qing have a more suitable candidate?"
Cao Bin also looked at this subordinate with some displeasure and said: "These two generals are men who have experienced battles for a long time and have a long history of prestige. Mr. Wang said that they are not suitable, so who else is more qualified?"
Seeing that the emperor and his immediate superior, Cao Bin, were a little angry, Wang Qinruo did not dare to sell out any more, and said to the ministers in the hall: "It is precisely because these two people are "prestige" that they cannot be allowed to command the army. Have you forgotten? How did Meng Zhixiang establish Hou Shu?"
Everyone was startled when they heard this, then took a breath of cold air, shuddered, and stopped talking. Zhao Guangyi also instantly understood what Wang Qinruo meant and nodded secretly.
