end song

Chapter 236
County government.

"It was really hard for you to run all the way from Xuzhou to Qingfu...Come here, go hang a bowl of ginseng soup, and take Cao Liu down to have a rest."

"Thank you county magistrate." Cao Liu was overwhelmed by the flattery, and hurriedly bowed to Jiang Chun before leaving.

Jiang Chun nodded, twirling his long beard in thought.

He didn't think about it for a while, so he pretended to be considerate, but he didn't open his mouth to express his opinion.

Fang Yankai and Li Xia stared at the map, thinking.

"What do you think of the county lieutenant?" Fang Yankai said, "Did you ever think that Zhizhou would attack Wuliang Hetai?"

"I didn't expect that." Li Xia said.

He was still preparing to expand his army today, but he never expected that Shi Jun would directly make this decision.

This battle was fought, and there was no time for people to catch their breath.

Fang Yankai sighed, "It's too risky."

"It's not that there is no chance, after all, it is going downstream."

"Leaving tomorrow morning?"

"Hmm." Li Xia raised his eyes from the map, looked out the window, and didn't know what he was thinking.

Fang Yankai suddenly said, "I'll go with you."

"The owner of the house is also going?"

"Marching and fighting is no different than relying on the defense of the city wall. How to arrange the luggage and how to cooperate with the friendly army... The county lieutenant probably doesn't have much experience."

"Indeed not." Li Xia said.

Although he took 200 people to Wuchidao, he suffered from insufficient luggage at that time, and 500 people were different from 200 people.

His subordinates, including the father and son of the Han family, did not have the talents for marching, fighting and managing logistics.

Fang Yankai said: "That's it, let me arrange these?"

"What about county affairs?"

Fang Yankai turned to look at Jiang Chun.

Then Li Xia understood that Jiang Chun usually didn't like to do things, not that he really didn't know how to do things.

"Okay, then I will work hard on the homeowner's book."

They also got along with each other for two and a half months, and Fang Yankai didn't ask Li Xia whether he could trust me or not, but got up and said, "I'm still busy tonight."

……

Fang Yankai and Li Xia left the public house, and soon the county government became busy.

Jiang Chun was still sitting there alone, and finally spoke his mind.

"Too risky, too risky..."

But he can say that Li Xia is a lunatic, but he cannot say that Shi Jun is a lunatic...

~~
All night, Qingfu County and Xunjiang Yingpan were very busy.

At dawn, four large boats and more than ten small boats carried five hundred river patrolmen down the river.

It was in a hurry, but Fang Yankai did a good job. He brought all the dry food, arrows, wound medicine and other things that should be brought, and they were arranged in an orderly manner.

He and Li Xia stood at the bow of the boat, watching the mountains on both sides of the strait retreat quickly, and said: "This battle is hasty. In fact, we didn't have time to reach Syria, and the governor will not blame us."

Fang Yankai didn't want to avoid the battle, otherwise he wouldn't have said this until now.

Li Xia said: "We came here not to avoid being blamed by Zhizhou, but to defeat the Mongolian army."

"Are you confident?"

Li Xia said: "If Shi Zhizhou didn't attack, I would never dare to lead 500 people to fight; but this time if I knew Zhou, I would choose to pursue the Mongolian army."

"Why?"

"Because I dare not be weak." Li Xia said: "I have lost too many things, so I dare not be weak."

Fang Yankai didn't understand.

And Li Xia had already lost his entire life, and knowing that he had to lose the Southern Song Dynasty, his eyes were always determined.

~~
On the top of Xuzhou City, Shi Jun looked around, as if he saw the bones outside the city.

He kept the people in the city, but the people who were massacred outside the city this time were also the people under his rule.

It's not his fault.

He could even allow Wulianghetai's army to go east, and still have the credit for defending the city of Xuzhou.

But the tens of thousands of souls he had already lost, and the tens of thousands of souls he did not want to lose, made him more determined.

It's almost dusk.

Because the Mongolian army pulled out their camp yesterday and headed east, there were no Mongolian army ships on the river at this time, only the defenders in Syria were preparing intensively...

"Zhizhou, the boat has been pulled back."

"Load supplies overnight, make meals in the third shift, and set off at the fifth shift."

"Yes……"

Standing behind Shi Jun, Li Tonghe looked at the river at dusk and sighed, "The reinforcements from all the counties haven't come yet."

"I sent a letter yesterday, and arrived today...I'm afraid I can't even do it."

The person who spoke was the commander of the garrison in Syria, named "Lou Yan".

Shi Jun didn't pay much attention to this matter, and stared at the river for a while, then turned around and walked down the wall.

Suddenly, Li Tonghe shouted: "Look, what is that?"

Lou Yan was very surprised, and murmured: "Someone really came?"

Shi Jun turned his head and saw a few small dots on the opposite bank.

It was four big ships and more than a dozen small boats going up the river with difficulty, heading towards Sanjiang Estuary...

~~
There is a map in one of the lobby.

Someone clicked on Xuzhou on the map, pointed eastward along the Yangtze River, and finally landed at the junction of Xuzhou and Nanxi County.

The river forms a big bend here, which is called "the first bay of the Yangtze River in Nanxi".

"Wuliang and Taiwan are running parallel by land and water, and the marching speed is not as fast as ours. We will set off tomorrow, and we can catch up with the Mongolian army in front of this big bay. This is the most favorable terrain..."

Shi Jun didn't explain the strategy in great detail, but only gave a rough outline, and then some words of encouragement to the troops.

Zhang Shi seemed very silent and basically didn't speak.

Li Xia was a civil servant, standing in front of several generals, he was not taken seriously, nor was he made things difficult for him.

After listening for a while, he probably understood the idea of ​​this battle.Then, after the military discussion was over, he withdrew with the generals.

Fang Yankai was retained, presumably because he could be informed of some more confidential and specific military information.

Li Xia returned to the camp and inspected the five hundred patrolmen.After a long time, Fang Yankai came back and sat down with him in the tent.

Fang Yankai hesitated for a long time before asking, "Why doesn't Feiyu take the imperial examination?"

"I can't pass the exam."

Fang Yankai also seemed very embarrassed, and said: "Tomorrow's battle...just now Zhizhou told me the specific arrangement, and gave me full authority to command the patrolmen, but this is not my original intention."

Before Li Xia could answer, he said again: "I know you will find it hard to believe it, but I really never thought of taking your power at this juncture... I and the Zhizhou informed that the five hundred river cruisers are all in your hands. It is more suitable for you to command the choreography. The defeat of the Mongolian army last time is your credit, and I will speak truthfully about this matter, and I have absolutely no criticism."

"The owner's book..."

"From the bottom of my heart, I..."

Li Xia waved his hand and said, "The house owner doesn't have to be like this, I know, and I believe you too. Shi Zhizhou doesn't want me to lead the army, I thought of it before I set off."

Fang Yankai was silent for a moment, and asked, "Since that's the case, why did Feiyu let me come?"

"If you don't bring the owner's book, Shi Zhizhou will let others take over the 500 people."

"Feiyu knew it, so should I explain it to Zhizhou?"

Li Xia shook his head and said: "He won't change his mind even if he explained it. This matter is not only a prejudice, not to mention that I am a traitor, have no fame, and am too young, put aside all these reasons, just say that I programmed these 500 people Shi Zhizhou doesn’t want to see me continue to lead the army after this battle, does he?”

"Yes." Fang Yankai nodded, and sighed: "If we only brought more than a hundred people, maybe the situation would be a little different. 500 people, and 500 people with such vigor, some... passed."

"I see."

Li Xia actually understood Shi Jun's approach very well.

He even felt that from Shi Jun's standpoint, it was indeed right to do so.

Because the Song Dynasty pursued the policy of "strong stems and weak branches", in simple terms, local finances had to be transferred to the central government in various ways to deliberately weaken local strength.

Then it is impossible to allow a lower county to train five hundred elite Xiangyong.

Although it was Shi Jun who saw that the war was imminent, he licensed Qingfu County to intercept Qiushui and Lianlian Township to defend the city bravely.

Of course Shi Jun has the heart to defend the country, otherwise he would not do this, otherwise he would not be determined to attack Wulianghetai.

But Li Xia has gone too far. After defending the county seat, he can still lead 500 people to fight... Obviously he has broken the rules too much.

Shi Jun has tried his best to do his best within the rules and regulations of the Song Dynasty, if he dares to tolerate a little more, he will not be a loyal minister, but a treacherous minister.

A loyal minister can't turn a blind eye when he sees that a small official from a treacherous party dares to touch the Song Dynasty's national policy.

He didn't punish Li Xia, and he didn't even say a single serious word, which was the overall situation.

Of course, Shi Jun certainly didn't think that a small county captain would rebel, but just instinctively rejected such an approach.

Li Xia somewhat admired Shi Jun's sensitivity.He thinks that Shi Jun is right, but that the Song system is like this, and it is more guarding against internal thieves than foreign invaders.

But he also knew that he was the inner thief and wanted to rebel.

……

"Feiyu can understand, but don't feel resentful. Zhizhou has some considerations. We are not the main force in this battle. We are arranged on the rear wing. It is the same whether I command or you command." Fang Yan Kaidao.

"Yes, if I'm willing to cooperate, the owner of the house will indeed be able to command the patrolmen. After all, Bao San, Jiang Fan, Lu Hu and others will obey you. Shi Zhizhou has weighed all these, and he really puts the war first. "

Fang Yankai felt quite pleased with Wei, sighed, and asked, "Then Feiyu agreed?"

"No." Li Xia was very straightforward.

Fang Yankai was taken aback.

Li Xia said: "I understand and agree with Shi Zhizhou's position. But my soldiers will not be handed over to you to command."

"But this... the battle is tomorrow..."

"Tonight is not how I choose, but how you choose the owner of the house. Do you cooperate with me, or should I lead the army overnight?"

"what for?"

"I'll be in charge, you cooperate with me to hide it from Shi Zhizhou."

"Li Feiyu, you are too conceited!"

"If I'm not conceited, can I bring people here? The owner of the house, please open your eyes and see, who else will come to Xuzhou tonight besides us?"

"You...are you forcing me?" Fang Yankai was furious, and said with a suppressed voice, "Are you...using the situation of war to force me?"

"I can also take people back to Qingfu and continue to divide the Zhang family's property."

"you……"

Fang Yankai was completely stunned.

He didn't expect... Li Xia came here without hesitation after hearing the transfer order, and he could say such a thing with a look of enthusiasm for serving the country.

Li Xia looked at Fang Yankai with calm eyes.

He is here to fight, but he will not be a loyal minister of the Song Dynasty like Fang Yankai and Shi Jun. The Song Dynasty has never lacked loyal ministers...

(End of this chapter)