Outlaws of the Marsh

Chapter 591 The Lion's Big Opening (Please Subscribe!)

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The news that the Jin army had crossed the Yellow River and was approaching the capital spread like wildfire, and the city of Bianliang was in a state of panic. Many powerful families began to leave Tokyo for refuge, while ordinary people were panicked, worried, and at a loss.

After Zhao Huan ordered to punish Zhu Man, Wang Fu and Li Yan who fled Beijing without permission, he issued a series of personnel appointments: appointed Wu Minzhi as a member of the Privy Council, appointed Tang Ke as Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and appointed Li Wei as a member of the Privy Council. , Li Gang was appointed Minister of War, He Li was appointed Yushi Zhongcheng, and so on.

On the same day, the imperial court arranged for relevant personnel to distribute small bulletins in the streets and alleys of Bianliang City to recruit brave dead men and form a vanguard death squad.

The people responded one after another and actively signed up to participate.

There are also some public officials from the enemy-occupied areas and scattered soldiers who also came to apply for the recruitment, hoping to avenge their shame.

Even, many rich families also spread the list saying that they should prepare their own money and rice, and recruit brave men to help the country fight against the enemy and guard the capital.

In short, the will of the people to resist is still very strong.

But it was useless, because most of the ministers in the court didn't want to fight this battle, and even Zhao Huan's few ministers tried their best to avoid it.

Bai Shizhong and Zhang Bangchang believed that the Jin army was coming aggressively and with a clear goal, which was heading towards Bianliang City, but the defense forces in the capital were insufficient, and the Qin King's division did not know when they would arrive, so they tried their best to Advise Zhao Huan to go out of the city to avoid the war, and go to Xiangyang in the south or Luoyang in the west.

Zhao Huan himself had a lot of worries about whether to defend the city or leave the city. Because of the infamy of the people, he stayed in Bianliang City, and there were many ministers around him, and the imperial prestige could be maintained. However, he was afraid that Bianliang City would fall and the country would fall into his own hands.

Under Zhao Huan's worries about gains and losses, the Jin army came to Tokyo, and Zhao Huan had no possibility of escaping.

Zhao Huan could only appoint Li Gang, who had always been in charge of the battle, as Shangshu Youcheng, and appointed Li Gang as the personal envoy to take charge of the military command of the anti-golden army. Set up officials, give millions of dollars each, give court councilors, martial arts doctors and below, and post [-] orders for school officials to allow cheap work.

Li Gang led the order, and immediately recruited brave people to fight against the gold, and temporarily did not hold Liang Fangping and He Guan accountable for throwing the Yellow River without a fight. Prepare for battle, repair buildings and sculls, hang felt curtains, install gun mounts, set up crossbow beds, transport bricks and stones, set fire torches, weep wood, prepare fire oil, and all equipment needed for defense have been fully prepared.

In the end, Li Gang got 8000 soldiers, and then divided them into five armies, front, back, left, and middle, each with [-] soldiers, and established organizational systems such as command, command, generals, and team generals, and conducted military training every day to improve their military quality and ability. fighting power.

Li Gang arranged for the former army to be stationed outside Tongjin Gate to protect the granary in the city.

At this time, there were more than [-] shi of soybeans and millet in the warehouse of Bianliang City. Later, King Qin's division gathered outside Tokyo, thanks to this batch of grain as military rations.

The rear army was stationed outside Chaoyang Gate and controlled the shallow Hao River in Fanjiagang, so that the enemy cavalry did not dare to approach the city wall.

The left, right, and central armies are all stationed in the city as a strategic reserve for emergency use.

Bianliang City is composed of three parts: outer city, inner city and palace city.

The fortifications of the city are mainly distributed in the outer city, and they are well built.

There are fourteen gates in the outer city, including seven water gates.

Each city gate is equipped with a round or square urn to strengthen the protection of the gate entrance.

There is a battle shed on the urn for the defense and rest of the soldiers defending the city.

There is a horse face every sixty or seventy steps on the outer city wall. The horse face protrudes outside the city wall and can be used for cross-shooting to protect the city wall from enemy damage.

There is a warehouse about every 200 meters, which contains various weapons and military supplies.

In order to strengthen the city defense, a moat was excavated around the outer city, and elms and willows were planted on both sides of the river-this can also pose a big obstacle to the enemy attacking the city.

It can be said that the strength of Bianliang City is rare in the world. With [-] troops, more than one million people in the city, and enough food and supplies, as long as the Song army sticks to it, the Jin army will never capture Bianliang City.

After the Jin army crossed the flood water, they marched vigorously with drums, mighty and powerful, and a large cavalry force rushed towards Bianliang City.

After Zhao Huan learned the news, in response to the extraordinary changes, he made adjustments to the leadership organization—first, Li Gang was revoked from the post of envoy of the camp, and Li Gang was appointed as the envoy of the four walls of the imperial camp, and then Bai Shizhong was dismissed. Dazai position, appointed Li Bangyan as Dazai and Minister of the Menxia, ​​Zhang Bangchang as the Shaozai and Minister of the Zhongshu, Zhao Ye as the Minister of the Door, Wang Xiaodi as the Minister of the Zhongshu, Cai Mao as the Minister Zuo Cheng and the Privy Councilor of Tongzhi, and Wu Min continued to serve as the Privy Council Envoy, Geng Nanzhong was promoted from signing a letter to the Privy Council to Minister Zuo Cheng.

At the same time, Zhao Huan sent a personal attendant to each of the various roads across the country, asking them to urge the handsome officials of all roads to quickly lead the king's soldiers to Beijing for reinforcements on behalf of the imperial court.

On the seventh day of the first lunar month, Wanyan Zongwang led the cavalry of the Jin Army to the outside of Bianliang City.

but--

The Jin army did not attack the city immediately, but went straight to the northwest suburbs of the capital, and then seized Moutuogang and set up camp there.

This Moutuogang is Tiansijian (that is, a place where horses are raised) in the Northern Song Dynasty.

At this time, there were more than [-] war horses in Moutuogang, and the grain, grass and fodder in the warehouse were piled up like mountains.

Moreover, the terrain of Moutuogang is precipitous, surrounded by water on three sides, like a sandbar.

It is obvious that Guo Yaoshi suggested and led the way to seize Moutuogang.

A few years ago, when Guo Yaoshi came to Tokyo to meet Zhao Ji, Zhao Ji arranged for someone to accompany Guo Yaoshi to play a few polo games here, so Guo Yaoshi is quite familiar with the situation here.

The Jin army's occupation of this place can be said to kill two birds with one stone, gaining geographical advantage and military supplies, which laid a good material foundation for the upcoming siege.

Soon, the Jin army launched an attack on Bianliang City.

Li Gang came to the scene to command the battle in person, defeated the Jin army at Xishuimen, and captured more than 100 Jin soldiers.

Wanyan Zongwang felt that the Song army was not completely powerless, so he sent Wu Xiaomin and other Jin envoys to see Zhao Huan.

Wanyan Zongwang's move was to test the attitude of the Song people on the one hand, and to investigate the military strength in Bianliang City on the other hand.

After Wu Xiaomin saw Zhao Huan, he said: "Prince Langjun intercepted the letter of pardon on the way, and then we know that the emperor has ascended the throne, and the emperor has already taken the throne. Now he wants to negotiate peace. Prince Langjun wants a minister to come over."

Zhao Huan was overjoyed when he heard that the Jin people wanted to negotiate a peace, and then he looked at Li Bangyan, Zhang Bangchang and other ministers and asked, "Who can go to Jinying to negotiate a peace?"

The Zaizhi were all silent, and no one was willing to stand up.

Seeing this, Li Gang stepped forward and said, "I request you to go."

Zhao Huan disagreed, saying: "Qing Fang can't manage the army."

Seeing that no one except Li Gang was willing to take the initiative to ask for orders, Zhao Huan ordered Li Wei, a fellow clerk of the Privy Council, to serve as an envoy, and Zheng Wangzhi and Gao Shi to be deputy.

After retiring from the court, Li Gang stayed behind. He asked Zhao Huan why he didn't send himself to Jinying to negotiate peace?

Zhao Huan replied: "Qing's character is too strong, you can't go there."

Li Gang analyzed and said: "The enemy is powerful now, and our army has not yet assembled, so we cannot discord. However, there must be a strategy for peace. If there is a strategy, the situation in China will be safe. I am worried that Li Yan is soft and cowardly, and I am afraid that he will misuse the state affairs."

Li Gang further analyzed: "The people of Jin are greedy by nature, and the people of Yan are planning for them, and the people of Yan are always cunning. They will make a big noise and make excessive demands in order to spy on our China's reaction. If the imperial court does not move, measures will be taken to deal with it." If it is appropriate, they should hold back and retreat; if the imperial court is terrified and everything they ask for is granted, they will know that there is no one in China, and they will covet it even more. If this is the case, there will be no worries..."

Regarding Li Gang's analysis, Zhao Huan fully agreed, but turned around and said to Li Di: "Aiqing will try her best to facilitate a peace negotiation."

Li Xun was really cowardly. After he arrived at Jinying, he didn't dare to say a word. The Jinren laughed at him and said, "This is a woman's ear."

Fortunately, Zheng Wangzhi, the deputy envoy, argued hard.

however--

No matter how Zheng Wangzhi fights, Wanyan Zongwang still follows Guo Yaoshi's plan, asking Song State for 500 million taels of gold, 5000 million taels of silver, 100 cattle and horses, and [-] million pieces of satin. Only with the prince and prime minister as a pledge can he withdraw from the teacher.

During this process, the Jin army attacked Bianliang City again, trying to deter Song State with force.

But Li Gang and several subordinate officials braved the rain of arrows to go to the city to supervise the battle and motivate the soldiers.

Many soldiers were injured, and Li Gang rewarded them generously.

Zhao Huan also saw that the situation was critical and sent some servants to come to condolences.

Holding imperial pens, the servants read Zhao Huan's commendation to the officers and soldiers, and brought precious items such as fine wine, silver bowls, and silk from the palace treasury, and presented them to the officers and soldiers one by one.

The soldiers were all enthusiastic and cheered thunderously.

The two sides fought fiercely from Maoshi to Shenshi.

The soldiers of the Song Army have been sticking to the city wall and killing thousands of enemies.

Seeing that the city was well-prepared, the soldiers of the Song Dynasty had a strong will to fight, and the city of Bianliang was tall and strong, making it difficult to break through, so they had no choice but to retreat.

He Guan and Liang Fangping, who lost the natural danger of the Yellow River, also participated in the battle this time.

However, the performance of the two is completely opposite.

He Guan led an army to defend the northern city wall. He fought so bravely that he was seriously injured and died for his country.

Liang Fangping led the army to defend the western city wall. He ordered the sergeants to shoot all arrows and wait for the enemy to approach before shooting.

Seeing Liang Fangping's strange orders, the people participating in the defense of the city thought that Liang Fangping had defected to the enemy.

As a result, thousands of people arrested Liang Fangping amidst the noise, and sent him to Kaifeng Mansion to be imprisoned.

Later, the common people said that Liang Fangping's house was hiding a golden man, so they all ran to Liang Fangping's house to catch the golden man. As a result, some rogues ransacked Liang Fangping's house.

Soon, Jin Jun's conditions were sent to Zhao Huan.

After Zhao Huan looked at it, he called the ministers together and asked their opinions.

During the incident, Li Ye went to Jinying with gold to ask for peace, and that was before Zhao Ji took the throne, he took the initiative to invite Ying to go.

Zhao Huan felt that Li Ye was the first person to contact the Jin people and probably learned the most about the situation, so he asked him to talk about his own opinions first.

Li Ye said: "The Jin army is strong and powerful. The enemy is strong and we are weak. We can only negotiate peace. They are like tigers, horses like dragons, climb mountains like apes, enter water like otters, their momentum is like Mount Tai, and China is like eggs. The court should make peace quickly!" "

Li Ye's words spread outside the palace somehow, and then spread widely in Bianliang City. People gave him a nickname: "Liu Ru Gives Things".

When Li Ye sent an envoy to negotiate a peace, it can be said that the achievements were not enough and the failures were more than failures.

When the Jin army first entered the Hebei border, they were greedy and fearful, and they did not travel more than one house a day, so they moved forward completely tentatively.

After meeting Li Ye, the Jin people knew that Zhao Ji had the intention of seeking peace.

Moreover, Li Ye mentioned in his speech that the Song State's military was relaxed.

Only then did the Jinren dare to go south boldly, and only then did Guo Yaoshi dare to rush 150 miles day and night to raid the Junzhou Yellow River Bridge.

After hearing Li Ye's words, all the ministers of the Song Kingdom were shocked.
Li Yan supported Li Ye's opinion. He said: "The Jin army is indeed powerful, and it cannot be easily resisted. It is better to promise it quickly and not delay it."

Zheng Wangzhi reported truthfully: "The gold man asked for a huge amount, including 500 million taels of gold, 5000 million taels of silver, 100 horses and oxen, and [-] million pieces of satin. As a quality, you can quit the teacher."

Zhao Ji asked Prime Minister Li Bangyan: "What should I do?"

Li Bangyan was convinced of what Li Ye and Li Yan said, so he replied: "The Jin army is approaching the city, but the defenders in my city are not enough. Only by negotiating peace can we protect the country. It is better to agree to them first, but the number is too large. Consider promising 80 taels of gold, 200 million taels of silver, as much satin as silver, [-] heads of cattle and [-] horses each, and [-] sheep."

Zhao Huan nodded, he was unwilling and did not dare to risk resistance, he just wanted to keep the country, the Zhao family, and his own life.

……

(End of this chapter)