Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

Chapter 467 Once and for all

"Brother, Sun Ru has been defeated." In the Hanyin Station, the second younger brother Zhao Kuangming came in a hurry and reported an important news.

"Oh? How did you lose?" Zhao Kuangning asked in surprise.

The news I got last time was that Sun Ru led the army to repeatedly break Yang Xingmi.Yang Xingmi was so anxious that he was about to give up Xuanzhou and run away, but was persuaded by his subordinates, and Qian Liu sent charcoal in the snow to subsidize his army rations, so he decided to stick to Xuanzhou City.

Sun Rujun surrounded Xuanzhou tightly, and Yang Xingmi sent people to fight several times, but they all returned in disastrous defeats. Why did they suddenly lose?
"Sun Ru's army was short of rations, and he traveled densely, with strong walls and clear fields, without looting, and his soldiers were hungry and tired. The summer was cloudy and rainy, and there was a severe epidemic in the Confucian army, and many people died of the disease. Sun Ru himself had malaria and could not move. Hearing about it, he was delighted. Ruokang went out of the city to fight. At the beginning, the battle was unfavorable and he was about to lose. Suddenly, it rained heavily, the sky was dark, and the water was raging. Heart, lost more than fifty villages, Confucianism lying in the tent, unable to move the body, only able to speak, was held by his subordinates, dedicated to Xingmi." Zhao Kuangming said.

Zhao Kuangning was dumbfounded.

Fighting, can you still win like this?

Counting the history of the battle between Sun Ru and Yang Xingmi, it was a great victory all the way. Yang Xingmi was beaten like a bereaved dog, and he had never won a serious battle.

The first time I was besieged by Sun Ru was in May, and it was also because of God's power that the flood surged and flooded Sun Ru's camp, forcing him to retreat.

Xuanzhou was besieged this time. I heard that Sun Ru had learned his lesson and set up a stronghold on a high place, but it was still flooded.Moreover, there was a sudden heavy rain, the sky was dark, and the Xuanzhou army who went out to fight in the city turned defeat into victory.However, Sun Ru also suffered from malaria, unable to move, and was captured helplessly.

God is too partial, right?
It's enough once, and "sent" Flood to help the battle twice, is there a third time?

"Such a great fortune is not the blessing of the descendants." Zhao Kuangning said jealously: "There must be a secret method that overdraws the luck of the descendants to win this victory."

Zhao Kuangming was also stunned when he heard this. After thinking about it carefully, he had to admit that Yang Xingmi's luck was really good.

This person was born in the army of Luzhou Town, and once served as an autumn guard in Lingzhou.To be honest, martial arts and military strategy are not his strong points. Such a person may not be as good as Qian Liu in marching and fighting, but he can win when he loses. , whom to reason with?
Could it be that God couldn't stand Sun Ru's actions anymore and couldn't help but help?

"Brother, I heard that the imperial court has appointed Xingmi as the governor of Huainan. The situation between Jianghuai and Huaihe River has changed a lot. We must prepare early." Zhao Kuangming reminded.

"I heard that Du Hongyin of E Yue is all loyal, but I don't know if it's true or not." Zhao Kuangning sat back again, worried.

"Nine times out of ten." Zhao Kuangming ordered the postman to serve some melons, fruits and drinks, and then sat opposite his brother.

Hanyin Station is located in the west of Xiangyang City, on the south bank of the Han River. It has a very large scale, including both a land station and a river pavilion, integrating land and water.

Bai Juyi once wrote in a poem: "Get off the horse to Xiangyang Guo, and move the boat to the Hanyin post." It is this post.

Zhao Kuangning glanced at her younger brother, sighed, and said: "Brother wanted to send troops south to attack Jiangling, and give my younger brother a foundation. From now on, my two brothers will watch over and help each other, but I will lose my family and go eastward, but this opportunity is gone."

Zhao Kuangming was moved by his elder brother's heart-to-heart confession, and said, "Elder brother, don't be discouraged. Zhezong's own troops are small. After gathering a large army, we will attack them and then attack Jiangling in the south with the momentum of great victory. Quanzhong will attack Erzhu, At that time, Pu was limited by restraint and morality, so he might not have time to go south, and this is a golden opportunity.”

The Zhao brothers, the relationship is still very good, at least there is no problem on the scene.

The elder brother became the commander-in-chief, and the younger brother felt disappointed, but he didn't have the idea of ​​robbing the elder brother's foundation.We are all a family, why do you have to fight to the death?Besides, my elder brother is also a good person, and the relationship between the whole family is very harmonious, there is really no need to take advantage of outsiders.

"Xiangyang only has thousands of government soldiers and thousands of prefectural soldiers, which is not enough." Zhao Kuangning said: "Zhezong must have seen through this festival. There was an army report yesterday, and he led more than two thousand troops to plunder along the Han River. It's arrogant."

The troops of Shannan Dongdao were mainly deployed in Tang, Deng, and Sui prefectures, with a total of [-] infantry and [-] cavalry.

To put it bluntly, guard against Zhu Quanzhong.

Before Zhao Dezhen passed away, Zhao Kuangning's position was the governor of Tangzhou, and also the Marquis of Mabu Capital of the Seven States.It can be seen that Tangzhou, which is next to Cai and Xu, is an important military area of ​​Xiangzhen, and it is not safe to ask the heir of his own son to lead it.

A few months ago, Xiangyang mobilized thousands of government troops, plus tens of thousands of soldiers from Xiang, Sui, Ying, Deng, and Tang states, to besiege Zhezongben.However, Zhao Dechen died suddenly and had to retreat.

Zhe Zongben took the opportunity to go east, and in several small-scale battles, the local soldiers in Xiangzhou were no match, which made Zhao Kuangning think highly of the combat effectiveness of Zhe's army.

Perhaps, it is necessary to gather the elite main force, and the world will be settled in one battle.

"Brother, long-term pain is worse than short-term pain. When Quanzhong has no time to go south and the secret line is unable to go west, first call in Tang and Deng's elite troops to smash Zhezong with a thunderous force, and then return to Honzhou. It's too late." Zhao Kuangming suggested.

Crossing the Han River twenty miles north from Xiangyang is Dengcheng County.

The original name was Anyang County, but it was renamed Linhan County during the Tianbao period, and Dengcheng in the 21st year of Zhenyuan, that is, the ancient Fancheng.

Twenty miles north of Dengcheng is old Dengcheng, and another 140 miles is Dengzhou.

Deng was the leader of the world (jiōng) and the southern cover of the two capitals, controlling the vastness of the two capitals, and the numerous meetings of Dao Baiyue.

For Henan forces, Dengzhou is actually a very deadly threat. Once it is occupied by the enemy, it will be very troublesome.

It is of course possible to transfer Tang and Deng's elite soldiers to the south, but they cannot spend too long in the south, otherwise accidents may happen.

A quick decision is not conducive to a long battle, which is basically the case.

Of course Zhao Kuangning understood this point. In fact, he already had this idea in his heart. When his younger brother said it, he had basically made up his mind.

"Then draw Tang, Sui, and Deng soldiers to go south and west. Dengzhou only draws [-], and guards against the direction of Wuguan. Then search for some state soldiers, gather [-] troops, and try to solve this problem once and for all. Bring back Junzhou, which has been invaded and occupied for many years." Zhao Kuangning said: "Quick battle and quick decision, we can't delay it for a long time, after the battle, all ministries will return to construction immediately."

……

The situation on the Central Plains battlefield is sent to Lingzhou by Kuaima every day.

Marshal Shao took the Feng sisters north to Fengzhou these days.

Xiaofeng's second daughter, Shao Yu, died of illness, so the commander-in-chief took the two sisters out to relax, and inspected the water conservancy construction in Fengzhou by the way—mainly water tankers.

The daily affairs of the shogunate are temporarily managed by Chen Cheng.As for major matters, he still can't manage them, and he dare not.

Chen Cheng's mansion was in Huaiyuan North City, and it was not yet dark at this time, so the inside and outside of Chen's mansion were brightly lit.

Fresh clothes servants yelled loudly outside, instructing everyone to pull over and stop, so as not to block the avenue.

The sound of silk and bamboo in the mansion curls up, obviously the host is enjoying singing and dancing, or entertaining guests.

As a celebrity in front of the commander in chief, Fushi Chen has never had guests at home, and all kinds of clinging people have sharpened their heads and wanted to see each other, but they often couldn't get them.

In comparison, Zuo Song Le, another highly trusted civil servant, was much simpler.

Generally, they do not entertain guests, nor make friends with all kinds of people, and live a simple life.I heard that in Shengzhou, I often go to the fields to encourage farming and animal husbandry, and the reputation is very good.

Most of the people who came to Chen's residence were civilian officials, and very few generals.

In fact, most of the core military officers in the town are the old man Yuan Cong of the Marshal, so there is no need for them to curry favor with Chen Cheng.As for the warriors who defected from outside, uh, not many.

The reason is also very simple, Marshal Shao is too harsh on warriors, he only gives wealth and no power.It would be fine if the whole world was like this, but there is Li Keyong and the like for comparison, which is too harsh and not very attractive to Wu Fu.

Don't talk about the general trend of the world, warriors don't want to hear this, and don't bother to watch it.At worst, if I fight against the whole world with one corner, what can I do?The worst result is that the whole family sets themselves on fire. How big a deal can it be?

In Chen's mansion, the Sogdian orchids danced to a song, which won applause from all the halls.

Chen Cheng was wearing a loose robe, leaning on the back of the bed, holding up the wine bottle, laughing loudly.

Sitting below him was former shogunate construction judge Xiao Mao, who whispered in Chen Cheng's ear, and Chen Cheng laughed again.With a casual move, a dancer stepped forward, and Chen Cheng pushed her into Xiao Mao's arms.

"If Wulang likes it, then this beautiful girl will be yours. I have used it a few times as it was sent by Kangfu Gold, and the beauty of it can only be understood and cannot be expressed in words." Chen Cheng laughed.

In today's world, whoever has a certain status, which family does not have a group of wives and concubines?But orchids in the Western Regions are still rare, not as many as they were in the heyday of the country.

I heard that Huazhou Hu Zhen likes Meiji from the Western Regions, and has been asking for a lot of money to buy her.

Ding Hui, the general of Bianzhou, also liked to sing and dance, and had a fight with Hu Zhen, which led to a rift.

"How dare you take away the love of Deputy Envoy Chen." Xiao Mao smiled wryly, then gestured with his eyes, as if he had something to say.

Chen Cheng glanced at him, put down the wine bottle, pretended to be overwhelmed with alcohol, apologized, and went to the back to change clothes.

Xiao Mao took a few steps back and followed.

He was still a little afraid of Fushi Chen.

This person seems to be inconspicuous and lives a luxurious life, but he is increasingly trusted by the handsome man, and he is so popular that it is outrageous.

But after thinking about it, I understand.If you are very talented, have a lot of friends, are strict with yourself, and have a good reputation, you are worried about the handsome.

"Well, I'm still a grass-roots team, and I can't get into the elegant hall." Chen Cheng sat down on a bed, and sighed: "Back then, the Eight-Pillar Kingdom of the Western Wei Dynasty had rich clothes and fine food, and there were hundreds of dancers in the family. But it’s not good to compare with them.”

Xiao Mao remained silent.

This is comparing the Shuofang Army to the Western Wei Dynasty.

Who is the Eastern Wei Dynasty?Zhu Quanzhong?I'm afraid it's still a lot worse.

He didn't even occupy the entire Henan Province, and there was only one Wei Bo minister in Hebei who paid tribute, but his military strength was very strong, not comparable to that of the Eastern Wei Dynasty.

Overall, it is still not as good as the Eastern Wei Dynasty.

"Vice Envoy Chen, there is a response from Xiao Fu in Bianzhou." Xiao Mao walked a few steps closer and said in a low voice: "This matter has been reported to the Marshal, and the Marshal heard about it and said, 'Xiao Fu is still cautious. It will drop', and continue to contact."

After the construction of Huaiyuan New City was completed, Xiao Mao worked in the local area for two years, and then he was transferred to the right marching army Sima of the shogunate.

The Department of Auditing and Watching is nominally under the jurisdiction of Sima Youxingjun, although they can send important information directly to Shao Shude's desk.

Chen Cheng smiled when he heard the words, and said: "Xiao Fu is the food envoy of the Bian army. The wealth of the family depends on Quan Zhong. How can he sincerely surrender until the overall situation is clear?"

Xia Jun's offensive against Zhu Quanzhong is basically clear now, that is, the two directions of northwest and southwest.

The situation is similar to that of the Western Wei, Eastern Wei, Northern Zhou, and Northern Qi.

In Luoyang, it is difficult to make any progress.

Northern Zhou's territory was larger than Marshal Shao's, and he controlled more Fan tribes, and he couldn't make a breakthrough on the front line of Luoyang, because he couldn't invest too much troops in that area.

The real break has to fall on Shannan Dongdao.A breakthrough has been made here, but it can promote a breakthrough in the front line of Luoyang. This is a complementary relationship.

"But Xiao Fu is also a smart person, and he is not completely loyal to Zhu Quanzhong. He has eyes and can see the current situation. It is not so easy to get rid of this disadvantage in the place where the Central Plains has fought four times." Chen Cheng said: "The commander said That's right, this is hard work, keep getting in touch. Zhu Quanzhong still has skills, so don't be careless."

"Zhu Wen is in the place of the Four Wars. He is similar to Cao Cao, but more cunning." This evaluation really couldn't be more appropriate.

He is capable of fighting, good at running the army, has a charismatic personality, and can win over people.The most important thing is to care about the people's livelihood and treat the people well. They conquered Huainan and got 10,000+ cattle, all of which were rented to the people at a low price.Taxation in the ruled area is also light, of course compared to other warlords and even the Five Dynasties and the Northern Song Dynasty.

However, no matter how strong the individual ability is, no matter how capable the army is, it is still difficult to face geographical disadvantages.

This is the Achilles' heel of the warlords who started in the Central Plains, although it is often covered up by their powerful strength.

"Shangzhi tomorrow, I will discuss it with the people in the Department of Watching. You are the Sima of the Marching Army, so come here too. The line of Xiaofu cannot be broken." Chen Cheng said: "Over there, the battles are very serious these days. It's fierce. If we can withstand the Bian army's offensive, I will share the danger of Luoyang with the bandits, which is of great significance."

"Although Xiao Fu did not surrender to me, he inadvertently revealed something. Ke Yong attacked Chengde last year, captured and beheaded ten thousand people, and attacked again this year. The envoy sent a thousand horses and some gold and silk to ask Quanzhong for help." Xiao Mao said again: "Wei Bo has surrendered to Quanzhong, if he is allowed to become virtuous again, I am afraid that the commander's plan will be ruined."

If you want to say what the feudal towns in the world are best at today, it must be to follow the wind and move towards Qin Muchu.

Zhu Quanzhong attacked Li Keyong, and the towns in Hebei rejoiced, but if you beat Hedong to death, they will join forces with Hedong to beat you again.

"Using the east of the river as a screen" is a major consensus among towns in Hebei today.

There are both confrontation and cooperation, and the world is never static. The towns in Hebei fully interpret the fickle nature.

In fact, why not the towns in Henan?Zhu Xuan, Zhu Jin, and Shi Pu were not in harmony with each other, but in the face of a common enemy, they resolutely rescued each other. This strategic quality is much better than those warlords who were defeated by each other in ancient times.

Over a hundred years of feudal separatist rule, I attack you, you attack me, the towns have long played tricks such as vertical and horizontal alliances and alliances over and over again, and their sense of "diplomatic" is generally good.

If Commander Shao really wins a big victory over Zhu Quanzhong in Huaixi, he will severely damage his main force.Believe it or not, Zhu Xuan, Zhu Jin, Shi Pu and others immediately withdrew their troops and went home, and stopped harassing Quanzhong, although they don't have much ability to harass now.

Even Li Keyong of Hedong, who has a great enmity with Quanzhong, is afraid that his subordinates will have to take it easy, and no longer have to make trouble with Zhu Quanzhong.

For someone who is more ruthless, maybe they will join forces with Zhu Quanzhong to beat you.

The same is true for Yang Xingmi in Huainan.

Do you really think that people must have trouble with Zhu Quanzhong?

The towns in Hebei use Hedong as a screen. If Xuanwu is weak, can't they be used as a screen for Huainan?Maybe Yang Xingmi will also subsidize Zhu Quanzhong's money to fight against Shao Dashuai.

His level of combat is average, but he still has vision and insight.

"Chengde is a wall of grass." Chen Cheng said: "Although Wei Bo has surrendered to Quanzhong, he donates millions of money and silk and hundreds of thousands of grain every year, but he may not be sincere. The towns in Hebei will not sincerely surrender to anyone. It's cheap to help kill. Let's do this. After the shogunate discusses tomorrow, I will send someone to report to the commander-in-chief, or I will send someone to Jinyang. Li Ke used to attack Chengde in a hurry, and every time he plundered and returned , but they haven’t got an inch of land, and I don’t know what they are trying to do. Chengde has a lot of horses, so they can’t be hooked up with Zhu Quanzhong. By the way, Quanzhong has been in charge of horse affairs for some years. Did Xiao Fu reveal how many horses he had? ?”

"No." Xiao Mao replied.

"This person is still optimistic about Quanzhong. He thinks that if he unifies Henan and Hebei, he will be the trend of the Northern Qi Dynasty, and the unification of the world can be expected." Chen Cheng cursed in a low voice.

Western Wei and Eastern Wei, Northern Zhou and Northern Qi, the strengths between the two were seriously unequal.

Northern Zhou had only a few million people, while Northern Qi had 2000 million people. The gap in economic strength was even greater than the population gap. In the end, Northern Zhou could destroy Northern Qi, which was outrageous.

Xiao Fu is optimistic about Zhu Quanzhong, in fact, it is understandable.

Just wait and see!

(End of this chapter)