I became a saint by picking up corpses in Water Margin

Chapter 398: The Three-legged Tripod of the Central Plains

Because Yang Chang had to rush back to Hedong, he still appointed Zheng Jianchong as the prefect of Yan'an, and appointed Xiao Gong as the commander of the army, with more than a thousand Xi people to assist in defending the city.

Zhang Qing arrived with the Xixia royal family. After resting and replenishing supplies in Yan'an Prefecture for half a day, they continued their march towards Hedong.

There are two roads from Yan'an Prefecture to Hedong.

One route goes south along the Luoshui official road, enters the Guanzhong Plain, then goes east, and finally crosses the Yellow River to enter Jiezhou in Hedong; the other route is to go east from Yan'an Prefecture, follow Qingshui (Yanhe River) to the Yellow River, and cross the river to reach Xizhou in Hedong.

The former has wide roads suitable for horses and carriages, and there are many cities and towns along the way, but the overall route is "L" shaped, and the journey is much longer. The latter is mostly narrow roads in river valleys, and some sections require climbing mountains, which is relatively difficult to travel.

If we ignore the possibility of enemy interception, the former will march faster due to its longer distance, but if it encounters the Western Xia defenders, it may attract more enemies.

Yang Chang led two thousand people. Even if they passed every city smoothly, they still needed to stop and comfort them. He didn't want to waste time on the road, so he took the prisoners and took the difficult eastern route.

It was the end of the year and the weather was freezing cold, making it difficult to supply fodder along the eastern line. It was precisely because of this concern that Yang Changcai left Xiao Gong, who was mainly a cavalryman, behind and led nearly a thousand infantrymen across mountains and ridges.

Fortunately, there was no snow in this area at that time. After half a month of hard march in the mountains with his soldiers and captives, he arrived in Linfen, Jinzhou, in the first month of the following year (1131).

Li Qianshun and more than a hundred members of the royal family were temporarily settled in Linfen.

Yang Chang has not come to Jinzhou for inspection for nearly two years. This time he will transfer Zhu Tong to Xixia to take charge.

He was concerned about the situation in Hebei, so he asked Zhao Fujin to take Qiu Qiongying back first, while he stayed behind to handle the handover matters.

Hedong is Yang Chang's base, and Jinzhou is the base of the base, with two trusted men, Zhu Tong and Xiao Rang, in charge of military and political affairs.

Welcoming banquet on the day.

When Zhu Tong heard that Yang Chang wanted him to go to Xixia to take charge, he immediately stood up and patted his chest to express his opinion: "The King of Jin conquered Xixia and made great contributions to the world, but he wants me to sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor. How can I refuse as a brother? Just tell me when you are leaving?"

"It's only a few days until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. It won't be too late for you to leave after the Lantern Festival. Spend more time with your wife, children and mother these days, and hand over military duties."

Yang Chang held Zhu Tong's hands. They had been brothers for so many years, so there was no need to express gratitude.

When they defeated Loushi and recovered Fenzhou, Jinzhou suddenly changed from an important defense area to a state for exporting soldiers and military supplies. Seeing that Zhu Tong had not yet married, Yang Chang and Hu Sanniang personally acted as matchmakers and betrothed a niece of Hu Cheng's wife, so the two brothers became relatives.

After listening to the conversation between Zhu Tong and Yang Chang, Xiao Rang also reminded Zhu Tong, "Brother, you are going to Xixia and it is estimated that you will not be able to come back in a short time. Do you want to take your family with you?"

"this one"

Zhu Tong saw Yang Chang frowning, and immediately said in a sonorous voice: "They are used to living in Linfen, I think it is better not to take them with you. Besides, the King of Jin asked me to go there, definitely not to enjoy myself."

"Brother is right."

Yang Chang nodded solemnly and said, "Just now, brother said that we can sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor. The actual situation is not like that at all. As the saying goes, it is easy to conquer an empire but difficult to rule it. The situation in Xixia is still very complicated. Brother, you really have to be prepared to endure hardships. Over there now."

"So the situation in Xixia is so serious? Then it was right not to bring my family with me."

After hearing Yang Chang's description, Xiao Rang's originally relaxed face also showed solemnity, and at the same time he did not forget to comfort Zhu Tong, "Brother, don't worry, I will definitely take care of your family, and I will concentrate on helping King Jin guard the border."

"I saved it."

Zhu Tong stroked his beautiful beard, his tone was very firm, and then asked: "Prince Jin, do I only need to maintain the current status quo and not recover the confiscated prefectures and counties?"

"Forget it." Yang Chang waved his hand and said, "At this moment, the Xixia garrison is too small. Try not to start a war easily. Use more conciliatory policies to appease the surrounding areas. Just delay for half a year until I take Hebei. Then I can draw troops to reinforce and deal with the remaining problems at that time."

"understood"

"In fact, it's not even half a year. There are still two months between winter and spring. Even if the Xixia army in Guanzhong wants to counterattack, or Tubo wants to take advantage of the chaos, they have to wait until around March or April, so don't be too stressed."

"What kind of pressure can I have working under you? Don't worry, my king. I'm fine."

Seeing Zhu Tong say this, Yang Chang nodded in satisfaction, then invited everyone to have a round of drinks.

When Xiao Rang was in high spirits after drinking, he took the opportunity to ask:

"My king, I will follow your instructions and temporarily settle Li Qianshun and other members of the Xixia royal family in Linfen. If the Western Court does not accept them, I will disperse them to prevent them from gathering together and causing trouble."

"Wait a moment. Zheng Jianchong has sent people to Bianliang. I think there will be news soon. But you should also be prepared. Remember not to treat them too badly, and don't send them to a barren land. After all, they surrendered voluntarily. You need to set an example for those who come after them."

"I saved it."

As soon as Xiao Rang finished speaking, Zhu Tong added: "Your Majesty, since Xixia still has hidden dangers and Guanzhong still has 200,000 soldiers, wouldn't it be better to hold these people as hostages? Why do you still want to send them to the Western Court? The question is, will the Western Court accept them?"

"hehe."

Yang Chang shook his head and smiled, "How can there be family affection under power? Brother, why don't you take a look at the Eastern and Western courts? Do you think they will pay a price to bring back the emperor? Those captives captured by the Jin Kingdom will become the weakness of these two brothers?"

"this."

"As for whether to take prisoners, a normal person would definitely do so. After all, it only costs a little money to resettle them, and you can get the reputation of destroying a country. Which emperor wouldn't be tempted?"

"Haha, drink, drink."

Xiao Rang picked up the wine bowl, interrupted the two men with a smile, and said, "I understand what Brother Zhu means. He knows that the king is a frugal person and doesn't want to support a bunch of idle people. In fact, he wants to take over the Western Court."

"Frugality is a virtue, but being too frugal is stingy. They have forgotten their country, and it is our duty to ensure that their families have enough food and clothing. Okay, today we brothers have a rare gathering, so let's not talk about military affairs all the time, and have a good drink."

"Okay, let's drink together like this next time. I don't know when we'll have to wait."

Zhu Tong couldn't help but say something sad when he thought about his long journey. Yang Chang said that he would stay for a few more days so that such gatherings could be held every day.

In this way, Yang Chang stayed in Linfen for three days, and had banquets and reunions with his family almost every day.

It was not until the twelfth day of the first lunar month, when the Lantern Festival was approaching, that Yang Chang, who rarely went home all day, prepared to rush back to Yangqu to reunite with his wife and children to celebrate the festival.

However, at this time, Yang Chang was no longer an insignificant person, and he shouldered the responsibility of hundreds of millions of people, so his time no longer belonged entirely to him.

Wu Song was temporarily watching over Western Xia, and the handover of Jinzhou was also very smooth. However, what Yang Chang never expected was that Zheng Jianchong's people submitted memorials quickly, and Zhao Huan's response was also astonishingly fast.

Less than twenty days had passed since Zhao Huan left Yan'an Prefecture, and he sent people to Linfen.

Just as Yang Chang analyzed, Zhao Huan felt frustrated as an emperor and knew that Yang Chang was out of his control. But after all, as the King of Jin of the Song Dynasty, he conquered the Song Dynasty's old rival in the northwest, the Western Xia, which had a history of more than a hundred years.

Although the credit for destroying the country went to Yang Chang, it can also be considered a historical achievement of Zhao Huan.

So when he received Yang Chang's memorial, he was as excited as if he had taken Viagra. Not only did he send Su Yuanjing to Linfen to pick him up, he also visited several concubines that day. Queen Zhu was so scared that she thought he was ill and summoned the imperial physician to take his pulse in detail.

Su Yuanjing was the Grand Marshal of the Palace during the reign of Emperor Zhao Ji. Before the Jing Kang period, there were frequent power struggles and he had been pushed to the margins of the court. When Emperor Zhao Huan came to power, he did not care about any of these old ministers at all and finally dismissed them from office and left them at home idle.

But fate is so wonderful that when the Jin army invaded, the Liangshan Army was even more dazzling than the Song Dynasty's imperial guards. Zhao Huan also hoped that Yang Chang and Song Jiang would return to his loyalty, so Su Yuanjing re-entered the emperor's vision.

Later, Song Jiang sided with Zhao Gou, but Yang Chang, under the "maneuvering" of Su Yuanjing, was still able to understand the orders of the Western Court. Therefore, he made great progress and was promoted by Zhao Huan to the positions of Shao Zai and Deputy Privy Envoy, gaining real power that he had never had before.

It's a pity that Zhao Huan's attention came too late. Su Yuanjing had already become Yang Chang's man by then, and he also knew that he was valued because of Yang Chang's strong strength.

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So when Su Yuanjing met Yang Chang in Linfen, he avoided outsiders and used the etiquette between the monarch and his subject.

Seeing this, Yang Chang hurriedly helped him up and said sternly, "Sir, please don't be so polite. Not only are you my senior, but you also guided me down the mountain and helped me a lot. I didn't even return the respect of a teacher, so how can I ask you to kowtow to me?"

"Yes, yes."

Su Yuanjing sat beside Yang Chang and said solemnly, "Your Majesty will rule the world sooner or later. Besides, you have swept through Xixia in a month, which is stronger than any founding emperor in history. If you continue to fight like this, it is very likely that the Han and Tang dynasties will be restored. By then, you will be the greatest emperor in history. It is a blessing for me to pay homage to you up close. Just accept it calmly."

"Forget it, since Prime Minister Su is so determined, I can't refuse your wishes, but I'm not interested in being the emperor."

Yang Chang accidentally spoke his true feelings, shocking Su Yuanjing who was sitting down and standing up again. He said sternly: "Your Majesty, you don't want to be the emperor? Are you afraid of being accused of usurping the throne? Or do you want to continue to prolong the life of the Zhao family because of the princess?"

"Ah."

"Every inch of the country was conquered by you and your people. Even if you really become the emperor, who would scold you? I think the princess is reasonable and seems to support you becoming the emperor."

"No."

Before Su Yuanjing could finish his words, he was interrupted by Yang Chang and asked, "Zhao has ruined the country like this, why should I help him prolong his life? I just said that I don't want to be the emperor, but I didn't say that I want to hand over the country to others. Not wanting to be the emperor and not wanting to be the emperor are not the same thing."

"I see. I was afraid you might have reservations."

"Tell me why you're here. What does the Western Court mean now?"

"What else can it mean?" Su Yuanjing stroked his beard and laughed, "Which emperor wouldn't want the credit for destroying a country? Now the city of Bianjing is full of jubilation. Didn't Your Majesty send me to pick someone up?"

Yang Chang nodded slightly and asked, "What about what I requested in the memorial?"

"Don't worry about this. Xixia was conquered by the king. His Majesty has given you nothing more to offer you. Everything about Xixia will be left to you to decide. Whether it's rewards or appointments, you don't need to report it to the court."

"Zhao Huan is quite a good person. What is the current situation of the Western Court?"

Su Yuanjing wanted to talk about something else, but when he heard Yang Chang's question, he answered in detail:
"Originally, the court was suppressed by Zhao Gou on the eastern front, and the Western Xia took advantage of the chaos to seize Guanzhong. The atmosphere of national destruction was everywhere in the court. Who would have thought that in just a few months, Zhao Gou would seek his own death by attacking Hebei.
We took the opportunity to persuade the defending general Miao Fu to rebel. If he hadn't wanted to hold the emperor hostage to control the princes, he would have almost destroyed Yingtian. However, Zhao Gou has now moved the capital to Hangzhou, and his strength is no longer as strong as before.
The other is you, the king. You wiped out Xixia in a short time, leaving the Xia army in Guanzhong like a headless snake. If you can bring back the Xixia royal family, maybe there is hope to recover Guanzhong."

"Haha, he actually feels better."

Yang Chang started laughing halfway through, and Su Yuanjing asked in confusion: "Why are you laughing, Your Majesty? This is the truth. The situation in the Western Court is really good now. I suggest you find an excuse to detain the prisoners, especially the Western Xia Emperor Li Qianshun!"

"No, no, no, since Zhao Huan wants it, I'd love to have it."

"Can"

"Prime Minister Su, rest assured. Even if the Western Court gets the prisoners, it may not be able to retake Guanzhong. Does Zhao Huan still have generals available now?"

Su Yuanjing nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, "Liu Yanqing and Liu Guangshi are still alive. Although they did not fight well before, they are veterans of the Western Army after all. They are very familiar with the situation in Guanzhong, so maybe they can take it back."

"Okay, okay."

When Yang Chang heard these two names, he thought that the father was not a very good person in history, but the son was doing well under Zhao Gou, so he should be a good fighter.

Su Yuanjing was surprised when he heard this.

Just as he was about to ask, Yang Chang added, "When Prime Minister Su returns this time, he will definitely prompt the Western Court to send troops to Guanzhong. My plan is to take Hebei first, and then go back to eliminate the remaining forces of Western Xia. At this time, even if Western Xia is destroyed, it will not be stable, and there is not enough military force to deter, so we need external containment."

"I see."

Su Yuanjing nodded suddenly, and then asked curiously: "Your Majesty, are you going to recapture Hebei? Are you planning to drive the Jin army back north of the Great Wall?"

"Yes, with a complete Great Wall defense line, I can spare some troops."

"But Zhao Gou has just made enemies with the Jin people, and they will definitely fight each other. Once you drive the Jin army away, won't you be the only one to fight against the Jin people? At that time, the entire Central Plains will become a poisonous pot, and the Eastern and Western courts and you will become a three-way confrontation. The three parties will inevitably fall into fighting in the end, and the outsiders will take the opportunity to enter. It is better to leave the door of Hebei, so that you can sit back and reap the benefits."

"If we delay like that, the people will suffer. Besides, the Jin people and Zhao Gou are not stupid. They know who the real threat is. Leaving the door open is giving them a chance. Even though the two sides are at odds now, it is easy for them to get back together again."

Yang Chang spoke in a deep tone, and when he spoke of this, he slammed the table and stood up, adding seriously: "Family matters should be resolved by the family, and I will resist foreign enemies with all my strength."

"My lord, you are truly great and heroic!"

Su Yuanjing couldn't help but stand up and praise him. Yang Changze turned around and reminded him, "Go back and remind Zhao Huan not to be complacent with Zhao Gou. Although he suffered a defeat in Hebei, he subdued Fang La's forces and his strength didn't suffer much. Moreover, moving the capital to Hangzhou to avoid disaster was a deliberate show of weakness. Deliberate weakness is more powerful than competing for strength everywhere!"

"Okay, I'll follow your instructions. I'll make a note of it."

(End of this chapter)