The prince is more stable

Chapter 203 First Encounter with a Famous General
Zhang Yu has a lot of experience. He is a celebrity in the Song Dynasty and has a very high prestige and reputation both in the court and the country.

As expected, Zhang Qie was a man of letters.

He was a Jinshi during the reign of Emperor Yingzong, and served as a county magistrate, judge, and transport envoy. It can be said that he had a smooth career in the officialdom of the Song Dynasty, from small to large positions.

During the Yuanyou period, Zhang Yu was ordered to serve as the governor of Huanqing Road. This scholar, who was a Jinshi, became the commander-in-chief of the border defense. He fought openly and secretly with the Western Xia for many years and made many contributions to resisting the Western Xia's border invasion.

Zhang Yu's reputation in the court and the country was accumulated through his heroic fight against the Western Xia over the years.

Such a person, today, braved the heavy snow and stood outside the city gate, quietly waiting for Zhao Xiaoqian's arrival.

Zhe Keshi has always admired Zhang Qie. As a general under his command, he is well aware of the character and ability of Zhang Qie, the border guard commander. It is not an exaggeration to say that Zhang Qie is his idol.

Seeing that Zhang Qie was waiting for Zhao Xiaoqian without complaint, Zhe Keshi also restrained his temper and stood obediently behind Zhang Qie.

After waiting for another half an hour, the scouts of the Northwest Army rode their horses through the snow with difficulty and arrived outside the city gate to report that the 30,000 troops under the command of Deputy Envoy Zhao Xiaoqian were about to arrive at Weizhou City.

Zhang Qie then straightened his clothes, and the civil and military officials behind him also got ready and put on their best spirits.

After a long time, a huge black flag with gold edges finally appeared in the distance, waving in the wind amidst the heavy snow.

Immediately afterwards, a dense army appeared behind the flags. In front of the army, more than ten scouts rode back and forth, constantly patrolling the flanks of the army.

Three miles away from the city gate, the army moved in unison and suddenly stopped.

Dozens of imperial guards escorted one man and one horse as they galloped towards the city gate.

When he was about a hundred steps ahead of Zhang Qie, he dismounted, threw the reins to the guard, and then walked forward alone.

There was a look of joy in Zhang Qie's eyes.

Dismounting and walking a hundred steps ahead is a courtesy and a sign of respect. This legendary prince of Chu is indeed a young man who knows etiquette.

Zhao Xiaoqian walked up to Zhang Yu, took a look at him, and then took the initiative to bow and salute: "Junior Zhao Xiaoqian, greetings to General Zhang."

Zhang Qie quickly supported his arms with both hands before he bent down.

"Haha, what a young hero! I've heard of your fame for a long time. Meeting you today, you're indeed extraordinary and a rare talent." Zhang Qi laughed heartily.

"General Zhang, thank you for your compliment. I am uneducated and always get into trouble. The emperor ordered me to lead the troops this time, and I am just filling in the numbers. If I have said or done anything wrong, I hope General Zhang will not hold it against me."

They spoke very politely, and every sentence was humble and courteous. When the two first met, they both left a good impression on each other.

Seeing Zhao Xiaoqian's tactful speech, Zhang Qie finally let go of his long-hanging heart.

Ever since receiving the imperial edict, Zhang Yu had been feeling somewhat uneasy, especially when he heard that the person leading the troops was an eighteen-year-old prince, which made him feel even more depressed.

What he feared most was that the government would send a bastard official who would not only be of no help but would cause trouble everywhere, and would arbitrarily interfere in the command of the war, leading to failure.

Others could just pat their butts and return to Bian Jing, and at most they would be scolded. But Zhang Qie would inevitably have to take the blame, and his name would be recorded in history books, and he would be nailed to the pillar of shame for generations to come.

Seeing Zhao Xiaoqian at this moment, regardless of his character, at least he looks gentle and polite, and speaks modestly. More importantly, his mental state is very stable, and he is obviously a reasonable person.

that's enough.

Zhang Qie felt like crying, as he felt an unexpected surprise.

Thank you for the gift of nature!

Friends who often guard the border know how happy it is for the commander-in-chief when the court sends him a deputy commander who also serves as a military supervisor and does not cause trouble.

Zhang Yu's only hope for Zhao Xiaoqian was that he wouldn't cause trouble. Even if he spent his days hiding in the rear, enjoying himself, or even shamelessly sharing the credit after a victory, Zhang Yu would be happy to do so. This was how humble the commander-in-chief of the frontier army treated the men sent from the capital.

In this era where civil officials are respected and military officials are despised, those who hold military power are actually holding a hot potato and have to be humble.

After greeting Zhang Qie, Zhao Xiaoqian's gaze naturally fell on Zhe Keshi behind him.

Zhang Yu then took the initiative to introduce him, and Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes lit up, and he bowed hastily: "So you are the brave general of the Zhe family army. I am honored to meet you."

Seeing Zhao Xiaoqian so humble, Zhe Keshi's annoyance after waiting for half a day was instantly swept away. He hurriedly and nervously clasped his fists in return and said, "I am General Zhe Keshi, the military commander of Huanqing Road, and I am honored to meet Deputy Commander Zhao."

It is suitable for folding in half, and Zhao Xiaoqian really appreciates it.

This was a fierce general whose name was recorded in history books. To be more precise, his entire family was famous, especially the Zhe family army, which was extremely famous in the northwest. The court was particularly kind to the Zhe family and relied on them.

Speaking of the characters of the Zhe family, not many are known to the descendants a thousand years later, but there is one who is the most famous, and that is Lady She in the famous Generals of the Yang Family.

What is the relationship between Old Lady She and the Zhe family?
It's a big deal, they are biological children.

Old Lady She was originally a daughter of the Zhe family. Strictly speaking, she should have been called "Old Lady Zhe (she)". However, there were different versions of folk legends and different accents in different places. As the name was passed around, it gradually became "Old Lady She".

The Zhe Keshi in front of us should be the great-grandson of Old Lady She according to his generation.

Zhao Xiaoqian always respected the generals guarding the border, so he was absolutely considerate and humble in his etiquette when meeting them.

Then Zhao Xiaoqian introduced Zhong Jianzhong and Zong Ze, as well as the 30,000 soldiers of the Dragon Guard Camp, whom he brought with him.

The Dragon Guard Battalion, one of the four upper armies guarding the capital, went to the border to provide assistance. Zhang Yu was extremely happy. Looking at the neatly-dressed soldiers of the Dragon Guard Battalion three miles away, Zhang Yu's eyes narrowed into slits with joy.

Now is the time when the war is at its most critical. After the Western Xia army occupied more than 20 forts in the territory of the Song Dynasty, the Song army fought back step by step, but also retreated step by step. It was really unable to withstand the offensive of the Western Xia army.

After carefully examining it for a long time, Zhang Yu tentatively said, "I've heard that the marquis is incredibly talented and has created a very powerful firearm, which has been deployed to the Dragon Guard Battalion. The emperor's decree states that this weapon is capable of defeating an army of 100,000 men..."

"I wonder if the Marquis would allow me to wait and see what happens?"

Zhao Xiaoqian gladly obeyed the order. As a general, one should know both himself and the enemy. It was indeed necessary to demonstrate the power of the flintlock rifle to Zhang Qie.

So he ordered Zhong Jianzhong to select a hundred musketeers from the Dragon Guard Camp and line them up outside the city gate. They still used the three-stage shooting method. After a burst of gunfire, the straw targets hundreds of steps away fell down.

Zhang Qie and the civil and military officials were shocked and looked at each other in disbelief.

The emperor only talked about how powerful this firearm was in the imperial edict, but before seeing it with their own eyes, everyone, including Zhang Qie, thought that the emperor was exaggerating and that bragging about the power of the firearm was just a means to boost military morale.

Unexpectedly, after seeing it with their own eyes, Zhang Qie and others found that the official was not bragging at all. He was a kind man and was telling the truth.

"So... powerful?" Zhang Qie's hand stroking his beard trembled slightly, and his expression changed constantly.

"If two armies faced each other, even if we only had five thousand muskets, it would be enough to annihilate the enemy at a distance of a hundred paces. With this magical weapon, why should we fear the Xixia bandits attacking and plundering our city?"

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed, "It's a pity that the war came too hastily. Five thousand firearms are still insufficient. If we had ten thousand muskets, our counterattack on Xixia would not be a foolish dream."

Zhang Qie's expression became serious. After witnessing the power of the flintlock rifle with his own eyes, Zhang Qie thought that some strategies and tactics should be changed.

With the magic weapon in hand, you will not recognize any relatives.

Originally, only passive defense was considered, but now that there are 5,000 more flintlock rifles, the situation on the entire battlefield is completely different, and the Song army can resist more actively.

It should not be difficult to turn from defense to offense and recapture the fortress occupied by the Western Xia army.

(End of this chapter)