The prince is more stable

Chapter 1049 Unexpected Trouble
Having witnessed how bosses operate in his past life, Zhao Xiaoqian naturally wanted to emulate it in this one.

Question your boss, understand your boss, become your boss, and surpass your boss.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't feel too guilty about using a group of cattle as livestock to pull millstones.

After all, even an emperor like him was a beast of burden, often reviewing memorials until late at night, which seriously affected his sleep time and quality.

If even the emperor is treated like livestock, why should the prime minister enjoy a peaceful life?

So, he summoned all the prime ministers for a meeting in the middle of the night. The content of the meeting was secondary; the main reason was that Zhao Xiaoqian wanted to experience what it was like to be a boss, the kind of exhilarating feeling of having to reply with "received" in the middle of the night, regardless of the lives of others. To be honest, it was quite addictive.

No wonder my bosses in my past life were mostly inhumane. They only pleased me to disgust the whole company. They took my money and had to work the world for me in the middle of the night.

“Zhong Jianzhong has once again reported a victory, this time annihilating the Liao army. Now, a problem has arisen: from this moment on, the alliance between the Song and Liao dynasties has completely broken down, and they are now facing each other with swords drawn,” Zhao Xiaoqian said slowly.

Su Zhe, the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, frowned: "Your Majesty, I believe that Zhong Jianzhong's actions are highly inappropriate. The alliance between the two countries was made in the first place, and the initial intention was to destroy Xia. Now, however, they are turning against each other with weapons, which will bring many unpredictable variables to the Northwest battlefield. In the end, we may fail."

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him.

Su Zhe, one of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, is undoubtedly a man of great literary talent and high social standing.

However, Su Zhe was the leader of the old party, and the old party was rather weak in its diplomatic and military stances.

Many years ago, the Western Xia army was powerful and frequently invaded and plundered the northwest of the Song Dynasty. At that time, most of the old party officials, led by Su Zhe, proposed to give up part of the northwest territory and take the initiative to compromise with the Western Xia in an attempt to exchange for peace on the border and the withdrawal of the Western Xia troops.

It must be said that the idea was quite naive. Fortunately, Zhao Xu did not adopt the suggestion of the old party officials, but instead ordered Zhang Jie, the commander of the northwest border, to lead his troops to fight back. Otherwise, it would have been another disgrace to the Song Dynasty.

Su Zhe still holds the old ideas of the old party. Although he is more assertive towards foreign countries than before, he still retains a hint of weakness in his heart.

Out of respect for Su Shi and the Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song Dynasties, Zhao Xiaoqian decided not to embarrass Su Zhe. Of course, Su Zhe's words were also decisively ignored by Zhao Xiaoqian.

Cai Jing, who was present, kept a close eye on Zhao Xiaoqian's expression. Although Zhao Xiaoqian did not comment on Su Zhe's views, Cai Jing accurately captured the fleeting moment of disdain on Zhao Xiaoqian's face.

Cai Jing immediately had a plan.

"While Mr. Ziyou's theories on governing the country are certainly admirable, I believe they are inappropriate."

As Cai Jing spoke, he gave Su Zhe an apologetic smile and said, “General Zhong’s memorial clearly states that the breakdown of the Song-Liao alliance was due to the Liao Kingdom’s intention to occupy Xingqing Prefecture and attempt to steal the fruits of victory that our Song soldiers had won with their lives and blood.”

"After General Zhong refused the Liao army's unreasonable demands, the Liao army's commander-in-chief, Yelü Chun, was furious and brazenly ordered the Liao army to attack the city. It can be said that the responsibility for the breakdown of the Song-Liao alliance lies with the Liao army, not with our Song army."

Cai Jing emphasized, "It was the Liao army that first brandished their weapons and provoked the conflict. In order to preserve the fruits of victory, our Great Song army was forced to retaliate, which led to the Liao army's defeat and escape. Therefore, the responsibility lies with the Liao army from beginning to end. What has our Great Song army done wrong?"

Su Zhe stroked his beard and remained silent, his expression somewhat grim.

He understood the reasoning, but the mindset of the old party had become ingrained. Even if the Song army had the upper hand and the initiative, and even defeated the Liao army, Su Zhe would still involuntarily advocate for compromise with foreign powers.

Cai Jing's rebuttal was reasonable and well-founded, and Su Zhe, unable to find a reason to refute it, could only remain silent.

Despite Su Zhe's pivotal leadership position in both the court and the literary world, Cai Jing was not afraid of offending him at all.

Cai Jing only cared about the emperor's likes and dislikes, and didn't care how many court colleagues he offended. As long as he clung to the emperor's coattails, even if he had enemies all over the world in the future, he would be safe and sound, and no one could shake him.

As long as he performs well in front of the emperor, the position of prime minister of the Song Dynasty will soon be his, one rank higher than Su Zhe. Why should he be afraid of offending him?

It's unclear when this old fox Zhang Dun will realize his mistake and voluntarily submit a memorial to resign. Cai Jing is getting anxious and suddenly has a strong urge to help Zhang Dun. He might as well not bother with the illness claim and just kill him and put him in his coffin to end it all...

Cai Jing, who harbored all sorts of wicked schemes, wore a righteous and awe-inspiring expression on his face, appearing every inch the loyal subject of the nation.

If Zhao Xiaoqian knew Cai Jing's thoughts at this moment, he would probably be overjoyed and share a drink with him.

That hit the nail on the head! I really want to kill that old bastard Zhang Dun...

"I agree with what Mr. Yuanchang said. I wonder what you gentlemen think?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked with a smile.

The officials have already made their stance clear, so the rest of us can only agree. What else can we do? What's the point of going against the officials on this matter?

Zhao Xiaoqian paused for a moment, then continued, "Zhong Jianzhong's memorial clearly states that the main responsibility for the breakdown of the Song-Liao alliance lies with the Liao Kingdom. This matter must be addressed immediately. Our Great Song should first seize the high ground of public opinion and, in the name of the victims and betrayers, express our indignation to the Liao Kingdom."

Zhao Xiaoqian curled his lips and said, "My Great Song has suffered too much. For a hundred years since its founding, it has been bullied everywhere. It is truly a bitter story. Now that the two countries are in good alliance, we have been betrayed by the Liao Kingdom. When will my Great Song be able to stand up again? I am so angry and cold!"

"Yes, the Ministry of Rites has drafted a document, and that's roughly the gist of it. The Court of State Ceremonial will immediately summon the Liao envoy to express a strong protest."

"As for the Northwest battlefield..." Zhao Xiaoqian's tone gradually turned cold and stern, each word icy: "Then let Zhong Jianzhong and Zhang Jie cooperate to annihilate this Liao army within the territory of Western Xia, and not allow a single one to escape."

"For a hundred years, the Great Song Dynasty has been bullied, but the Great Song Dynasty is different now. I am just like the Great Song Dynasty, and I cannot tolerate the slightest humiliation."

…………

On the northwestern battlefield, the Battle of Zhuolu took place. Yelü Chun still had more than 50,000 Liao troops under his command, but they were pursued by Zhong Jianzhong and his troops for two days and two nights.

The way the Song army pursued them showed that they were determined to beat the Liao army to a pulp, leaving no one alive.

The Song army relentlessly pursued the Liao army, but the Liao army suffered heavy losses along the way. Some were caught and killed by the Song army, some died from exhaustion as their horses collapsed, and others simply broke away from the main force and fled in a panic in another direction.

In short, the Liao army exerted every ounce of their strength to survive, disregarding everything else.

In this situation where the two armies were chasing and being chased, Yelü Chun's original plan to capture Xiliang Prefecture seemed very inappropriate.

There was no time to attack the city. The Song army was close behind, and any lapse in concentration resulted in heavy losses.

Yelü Chun rode his horse in a panic, his heart filled with grief and indignation.

Clearly, the Song army gave the Liao army no chance. They not only captured Xingqing Prefecture, but also Xiliang Prefecture, the second largest prefecture of Western Xia, and did not want the Liao army to gain an advantage.

Oh my god, oh my god, haha, it's oh my god.

The two armies were about a hundred miles apart, and neither dared to relax their guard. By the next day, both the Song and Liao armies were exhausted.

Not only were the soldiers on both sides exhausted, but more importantly, the warhorses were foaming at the mouth and simply could not run anymore. If this continued, the number of non-combat casualties on both sides would be staggering.

As if by unspoken agreement, the two commanders-in-chief ordered a halt and their troops to set up camp and rest almost simultaneously.

The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, but the scouts of both armies did not stop. Scouts from both sides were sent out to spy on each other, and close combat ensued, with fierce battles taking place between the two armies within a hundred miles of each other.

After a full night of rest, early the next morning, Zhong Jianzhong ordered the pursuit of the Liao army to continue.

By this time, the Liao army had recovered and resigned themselves to their fate, mounting their warhorses and continuing their northward retreat.

The army continued its march. Zhong Jianzhong, mounted on his warhorse, watched as the Song soldiers still looked exhausted. Clearly, a night's rest had not allowed them to fully relax.

Zhong Jianzhong was extremely strict in disciplining his troops, but he also loved them like his own children. Seeing how exhausted his soldiers were, he felt a pang of heartache, but there was nothing he could do. Speed ​​was of the essence in war, and the Liao army ahead had to be completely annihilated, as it concerned the future strategy of the Song Dynasty.

A merciful general cannot command an army. A qualified commander must always be as hard as iron. Even though many Song soldiers died of exhaustion on the way, the pursuit of the Liao army must continue.

"Reporting to Commander Zhong, the soldiers have set off and are continuing westward. The distance to Xiliang Prefecture is about two hundred li ahead, and the Liao army is about one hundred li away. We may reach Xiliang Prefecture before sunset. Should we continue to pursue the Liao army or change course and attack Xiliang Prefecture? Please decide, Commander Zhong."

Zhong Jianzhong said without hesitation, "Continue to pursue the Liao army. Leave Xiliang Prefecture for now; it can't escape. But the Liao army must be completely annihilated!"

"Yes!"

Just as Dajun mounted his warhorse, Zhong Jianzhong's ears suddenly twitched.

He heard an unusual sound, somewhat like muffled thunder, which was rapid and growing louder.

Zhong Jianzhong turned his head to look west; the sound was coming from there.

A sudden chill ran through him; his years of experience in battle told him that unexpected trouble was brewing.

Just then, a scout, lying prone on his warhorse with two arrows in his back, galloped toward the main force at breakneck speed.

Zhong Jianzhong glared and shouted, "All troops halt! Be on alert!"

The Song army halted completely, and the scout who had been shot by an arrow ran up to Zhong Jianzhong. His personal guards rushed over and helped him off his horse.

The scout lay on his back on the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He was barely breathing, but he struggled to his feet and said in broken sentences, "Reporting to Commander Zhong, to the west, to the west... there are troops appearing and ambushing our scouts."

"Our scout squad of over ten men was all killed in battle, leaving only me..."

Zhong Jianzhong squatted down in front of the scout and asked in a deep voice, "How many troops are there to the west, and what is their origin?"

"The troops... about forty thousand, yes, yes..." Before the scout could finish speaking, he vomited a large amount of blood, and his body began to convulse uncontrollably. A moment later, the scout died.

Zhong Jianzhong sighed, and before he could even feel sorry for the enemy, he stood up and shouted, "All troops, face west and prepare to annihilate them!"

No sooner had the words been spoken than a muffled thunderous sound came from afar, and several cavalry figures appeared on the distant horizon.

More and more figures appeared, eventually forming a black tide, densely packed together, assuming an attacking and charging posture.

Zhong Jianzhong squinted and observed for a long time. From the clothing of the army in the distance, he finally determined the origin of this troop.

"It's Tibet! Troops from various Tibetan tribes!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a long, mournful horn sounded in the distance, and then the Tibetan troops began their charge.

(End of this chapter)