Five Dynasties River Mountains Fengyue

Chapter 158 Pride!

"I will return to Beijing in five days."

Guo Rong stood under an old willow tree by the Feishui River, with his back to Shi Congyun.

"What do you think about the situation in Huainan?"

Shi Congyun was a few steps behind Guo Rong, lowered his head slightly, and agreed: "The officials, the general thinks that the general situation in Huainan is clear, as long as Chuzhou is taken again, the overall situation will be settled."

"What if we go further south?"

Shi Congyun hesitated for a moment.

Guo Rong looked back at him, and Shi Congyun went on to say: "I think it's very difficult for me to cross the river now, and I can't stand up if I cross the river. The national power of the Southern Tang Dynasty is not weak, but the ruler is incompetent. Without the courage of the officials, it is impossible." There is no official such determination and vision.

If the officials switch places with him, we won't be able to get along well. "

Shi Congyun patted the horse indiscriminately, and flattered him in his answer. The key point was that what he said was indeed reasonable.

Historically, it took Hou Zhou more than three years to win Huainan, and the fight was full of twists and turns. It was because the high-level officials in the Southern Tang Dynasty were cowardly, seeking peace while fighting, and many places did not dare to kill them. Competed with the Zhou Dynasty.

A smile appeared on the official's face when he heard this, and he nodded, "That's right, what you said makes sense."

"I heard that you had spent a lot of your own money in attacking the Tang army's camp in Zijin Mountain and rebelling against the Southern Tang army by the Huaihe River." Guo Rong said suddenly, without emotion in his words.

There was a gentle breeze on the banks of the Feishui River, and Shi Congyun cupped his hands in an instant and said, "It's nothing to report back to the officials, the money of the last general was rewarded by the officials, and it should be used to do great things for the officials!

Besides, money is something outside of the body. If the official's great achievements are made, sooner or later a certain woman will have endless money, endless wealth, and endless entertainment by the official's side. "

Guo Rong nodded in satisfaction, "You have this heart, I will keep it in my heart, but you are smart, use this to tell me what you want."

Shi Congyun smiled "simply and honestly", "The officials' eyes are as bright as a torch, and they can't hide anything."

"Money, wealth, women." Guo Rong nodded, and said with a rare smile: "When you take Huainan, you can have whatever you want.

It's also the first time I've seen your real ability. In just one month after taking command, the situation in Huainan has been turned upside down. I see your ability and will use it again. Don't let me down. "

Shi Congyun said: "A minister's meritorious service is not a meritorious service, it is a kindness of the monarch, and the general is still young at the end, if the officials did not give him the opportunity to make contributions, how could he be able to achieve today's achievements.

At my age, my father still doesn't trust me to do things, not to mention the [-] army that is the lifeline of a country. The trust of the officials is the root of a certain achievement today.

Just like how Huo Qubing was able to make great achievements back then, it was all because of Han Wu's unique vision and courage in doing things. Giving him military power and letting him take charge of major affairs alone, many people must be talking behind his back, and the officials should also bear the same pressure. "Shi Congyun is also a veteran in the workplace. If you want to say good things and flatter your boss without embarrassing the leader, the most important thing is to "put yourself in the shoes of others".

Guo Rong sighed after hearing this, and his expression changed. Although he didn't speak, he nodded with emotion. It seems that he has gone to the official's heart.

Guo Rong stretched out his hand and patted him on the shoulder, "Huainan is handed over to you, roughly how long the fight will last."

"One year at most." Shi Congyun said a conservative time.

The official shook his head: "I promise you half a year."

Shi Congyun nodded, he didn't dare to bargain with Guo Rong, "The final general will obey the order, and the whole territory of Huainan will be taken within half a year."

Only then was Guo Rong satisfied, as if thinking of something, he asked him not so seriously: "Li Chongjin said that you wanted to avenge yourself, so let him guard the pontoon bridge."

"The last general has absolutely no such intentions. Someone values ​​him. The possibility of Nantang reversing the overall situation is very slim. We can only start from the pontoon bridge, not to retaliate against him." Shi Congyun explained.

"Where did your hatred come from?" Guo Rong asked casually.

Shi Congyun immediately understood that Guo Rong didn't believe what he said, and he quickly thought that maybe letting Guo Rong know that he and Li Chongjin didn't have a good relationship would do him no harm: "He bullies others!"

Shi Congyun angrily told the officials about the conflict between the two for the vanguard before the Battle of Zhengyang, and also sued Li Chongjin for his tricks.

The official nodded after hearing this, and his expression became more relaxed. Finally, he untied a jade belt around his waist and handed it to him. Shi Congyun quickly knelt down and took it with both hands.

"Don't let me down." Guo Rong said solemnly.

Shi Congyun nodded in agreement, reassuring.

When he finally left the camp, Guo Rong verbally promised to add him as the inspector Taiwei, and he will be rewarded when he succeeds.

It wasn't until he left Guo Rong's camp that Shi Congyun heaved a sigh of relief. Maybe he was guilty, but he couldn't explain why he was guilty.

As soon as Guo Rong left, he was the supreme commander of Huainan.

At the beginning of May, the official royal driver went down the Huaihe River, then went north from the vortex and returned to Daliang.

This time the only military commander accompanying him was Xiang Xun. He had originally besieged Haozhou, and the officials wanted him to accompany him back to Beijing, so Shi Congyun sent Wang Zhong to replace Xiang Xun.

There are more than [-] soldiers from the Inner Hall Zhi and the East and West Bans.

Before the official left, Li Gu was asked to judge the government affairs of Shouzhou, Haozhou, Sizhou, Chuzhou and other Huainan states. To put it bluntly, the military was handed over to him, and the internal affairs of Huainan were handed over to Li Gu.

In fact, Li Gu was very unwilling. He wanted to retire a long time ago. He wrote two letters requesting to be appointed as an official but was rejected by the officials. Now he has entrusted the important affairs of Huainan to him.

After Guo Rong left, Shi Congyun moved the large tent of the Chinese army from Shouzhou to Tushan on the front line, shortening the distance between him and the other armies so that he could continue to command the battle.

On May [-], several consecutive summer rainstorms caused the water level of the Huaihe River to rise sharply.

In the middle of the night, the Weikou opposite Tushan suddenly shouted and killed, and the flames shot into the sky. Shi Congyun was awakened from his spring dream, and soon the soldiers from the other side came to report. .

Shi Congyun was shocked, he didn't expect him to guess it!

So he ordered Shao Ji to lead the troops to support Li Chongjin immediately!

The battle lasted all night, and there was constant shouting and killing. Shi Congyun stood by the Huaihe River all night, watching the fire on the Huaihe River in the distance, and there was an endless stream of messengers reporting the situation.

Until the sky was about to light up, news came from downstream that the Southern Tang army that attacked the pontoon bridge last night failed, and was blocked downstream by the Haozhou fleet, capturing more than 30 ships and hundreds of Tang troops, including the Southern Tang general who led the team out of the city to attack this time. .

It was Guo Tingwei, the supervisor of Haozhou in the Southern Tang Dynasty who led the attack on the pontoon bridge. He actually fought back when Haozhou was surrounded by four sides.

Shi Congyun was a little surprised when the embarrassed Guo Tingwei was brought back to him, because the opposite was not a tall and thick man, but a thin 30-year-old scholar.

Seeing his appearance, Shi Congyun didn't worry about anything at all. He was in a big house in Tushan Town, so he ordered the soldiers to untie him, give him a seat, and give him drinks to calm him down.

The other party didn't refuse, just like in his own home, he tidied up his clothes calmly, then sat down with a drink, not afraid of him being poisoned.

Shi Congyun was surprised by this demeanor, felt that he had some skills, so he asked, "Do you know who XX is?"

"It must be Zhou Jun recruiting envoy Shi Congyun."

Shi Congyun nodded, looking discerning, "You've heard of me."

"The general's name is known to everyone in the world. In Huainan and Huaibei in the Central Plains, the two sides of the river are like thunder. I don't know about An Neng. I have heard of it for a long time, but I haven't seen it before. Today, I am a prisoner. carry on."

This made Shi Congyun very comfortable, so he asked with a smile, "Why did you think of attacking the pontoon bridge at the mouth of the vortex? You are a scholar in the army, and you are quite courageous."

"I'm just good at reading, and I'm also good at riding and shooting." Guo Ting said, clasping his hands: "Your master is good at fighting on foot and cavalry. Our army is good at water warfare. Foot cavalry is no match for your teacher. If you don't dare to fight on the water, then just go straight to the white horse." Su Yi bowed to the north and surrendered, so why use swords.

Now that the general is using his troops like a god, the general trend has been established. If he wants to shake it, he can only make some fuss about the vortex floating bridge. What choice do we have next? "

When he said such words, Shi Congyun was even more surprised, and asked curiously, "Where is the ancestral home of the military supervisor?"

"Xuzhou Pengcheng."

Shi Congyun nodded: "I see that you are quite strategic and courageous. How about surrendering to our army? We need talents like you to expand our territory in the Great Zhou Dynasty. I also hope to have people like you to help."

Guo Ting said that he dared to fight a near-death battle, and dared to lead a small number of people to attack the vortex. Fortunately, he let Li Chongjin garrison him, otherwise he might have succeeded.

Such a person should be similar to Liu Renshan, very upright and tough, so Shi Congyun just asked.

Unexpectedly, Guo Tingwei cupped his hands and said: "I wish to surrender and serve the commander in chief."

This confused Shi Congyun, and asked him curiously, "Why did you surrender so simply?"

"After the commander-in-chief made an emergency landing on Zhu Yuan and others, Li Jingda, king of Qi in Haozhou, and Chen Jue, the superintendent of the army, had already abandoned the city and fled back to Jinling.

The minister's festival is over, and the loyalty I can do for the lord ends here. Now that I am imprisoned, the family is still in Haozhou, so what if I don't surrender. " Guo Ting said with a wry smile.

Shi Congyun admired this person quite a lot, "That's what a man should do, and now he should consider his family. You are from Xuzhou, and Beijiangzhong is justified.

You stay with a certain person first as an officer, and I will write a letter to His Majesty immediately, and I will arrange another appointment after the reward is awarded. "

"Thank you, Marshal." Guo Ting said cupped his hands.

On May [-]th, Shi Congyun visited the city of Haozhou in person. Haozhou's counterattack was defeated, and he saw the legendary Zhou army commander Shi Congyun visit the city in person.

Wang Zhong and Si Chao organized troops to attack the city, and quickly broke through Yangma City. After that, the defenders in the city took the initiative to open the city and surrender.

Shi Congyun distributed money to reward the siege soldiers, and at the same time ordered not to disturb the people, otherwise he would be dealt with by military law. Until now, his prestige in the army is very high, and the military order almost prohibits it.

However, there were still a small number of soldiers who disobeyed military orders and looted the people. After being caught, Shi Congyun directly ordered beheading for public display to deter others.

Afterwards, Shen Zhiyi stayed to guard Haozhou, and Wang Zhong, Shao Ji, and Si Chao continued to lead the army eastward with him, heading towards Chuzhou.

At the beginning of June, Li Chuyun, Si Chao, Wang Shenqi, Shao Ji, Wang Zhong, Zhao Kuangyin, Shi Yanchao, Murong Yanzhao and other troops joined Shi Congyun in the northwest of Chuzhou City.

The total strength of the Zhou army gathered under the city of Chuzhou exceeded [-]!
The ships in the waterway are connected end to end, stretching for dozens of miles. The land is full of flags and flags, and the mountains and plains are covered with people and horses. The display in the wilderness between heaven and earth is full of oppression.

More than 300 ships and more than [-] men and horses supported by the Southern Tang Army from Jinling were in the north of the city. Under the personal command of Shi Congyun, the two sides launched a major battle in the south of Chuzhou City.

The battle broke out on land and water at the same time, and the shouts of killing pierced through the wilderness, and the sound was like thunder, which could be heard more than ten miles away.

Under Shi Congyun's command and dispatch, Murong Yanzhao, Zhao Kuangyin, Shi Yanchao, Wang Shenqi, Shao Ji, Wang Zhong and other soldiers and horses from all walks of life of the Zhou army marched out together, taking advantage of the numerical advantage and encircling the Southern Tang army on three sides. They rushed towards Chuzhou City.

I want the guards in Chuzhou city to open the door to save their own people, and take the opportunity to attack the city in one fell swoop and take Chuzhou.

The two fleets of Sichao and Li Chuyun joined forces to fight fiercely with the Southern Tang navy.

As a result, the Chuzhou guards were extremely resolute and had no intention of opening the city gate at all. Many Southern Tang soldiers were besieged outside the city. After fighting for more than an hour, most of them were killed.

In the face of absolute superiority in military strength, the Southern Tang army could not resist, and the same was true for the water battle. By the afternoon, the Southern Tang navy was also completely defeated.

The waterways near Chuzhou were complicated, so many warships of the Southern Tang Dynasty had no time to escape and were blocked in the riverway. Si Chao and Li Chuyun combined captured more than [-] large and small ships.

After this battle, the last counterattack force of the Southern Tang Dynasty was completely defeated outside Chuzhou City.

The morale of tens of thousands of Zhou troops was high. Under the leadership of Shi Congyun, they sang in unison.

And this horror must not only stay in Chuzhou, it will soon sweep across the north and south of the river with the scorching summer wind, impacting the hearts of countless people.

At this time, the morale of the generals was high, and they all asked for a battle to capture Chuzhou.

There are only more than 1000 soldiers and the guard Zhang Yanqing in Chuzhou City, so there is nothing to fear.

Shi Congyun did not agree to this request, and sent someone to persuade him to surrender, but Zhang Yanqing ignored it at all, so he ordered Shao Ji to lead his troops to besiege the city, but did not attack by force.

At the same time, Commander Si Chao and Li Chuyun led more than [-] water troops and [-] warships, entered the canal from Chuzhou, and directly went south from the waters of the Huaihe River to the waters of the Yangtze River, deterring the Southern Tang Dynasty.

Jinling, the capital of the Southern Tang Dynasty, is on the banks of the Yangtze River!

At the same time, Zhao Kuangyin, Shi Yanchao, Wang Shenqi, Wang Zhong, and Murong Yanzhao were ordered to march south.

Zhao Kuangyin and Wang Zhong went to attack Taizhou in the south.

Shi Yanchao attacked Yangzhou.

Wang Shenqi attacked Liuhe and then marched into Chuzhou.

Murong Yanzhao attacked Chuzhou from behind and cleared Liuguan.

Now that the war has been fought, all the resistance forces of the Southern Tang Dynasty in Huainan have been almost destroyed. Shi Congyun dared to march boldly and asked the generals to enclose and occupy land.

As for why Chuzhou didn't fight, it was because he had the advantage of foresight and knew that Zhang Yanqing was not an ordinary person.

Although the Battle of Huainan and the Battle of Chuzhou in the history of more than three years were short in general, Shi Congyun was deeply impressed, no less than the Battle of Shouzhou.

Zhang Yanqing led a thousand defenders to defend the isolated city of Chuzhou, and fought with tens of thousands of Zhou Jun's army for forty days!

The Zhou army suffered heavy casualties and suffered huge losses. After the fall of Chuzhou City, Zhang Yanqing committed suicide, and none of the thousand defenders surrendered.

Zhou Shizong was furious. After the fall of Chuzhou, all the men, women, old and children in the city were massacred and all the houses were burned to the ground.

It's not that the soldiers in the south can't fight, but that the top brass are too weak.

Liu Renshan, Lin Renzhao, Zhu Yuan, Guo Tingwei, Zhang Yanqing and others were all capable of fighting. If they hadn't fought hard there, it would have been impossible for the Southern Tang Dynasty to survive for three years. And, Shouzhou was besieged and they went to reward the besieging Zhou army. When the Zhou army retreated in the south, they were afraid of offending Da Zhou's order not to pursue and so on. It was useless for the frontline soldiers to fight.

But this time Nantang couldn't last for three years, because Shi Congyun was in charge!
Thinking of this, Shi Congyun suddenly felt a surge of pride. In the fourth year after he came to this world, he finally did a major event that would affect the structure of the world and greatly changed the course of history!
(End of this chapter)