The prince is more stable

Chapter 806 The Army is Approaching
The army set off, and a storm was brewing.

Zhao Xiaoqian, along with 80,000 soldiers, took this step.

The soldiers' initial motivations were complex. Some were after their own wealth and status, believing that following Zhao Xiaoqian would surely bring them advancement. Others were concerned for the Song Dynasty; in their simple hearts, they felt that the Song Dynasty had no hope if it were handed over to Zhao Xiaoqian.

Some people are clueless and do nothing, just doing whatever the general tells them to do, as long as they are fed, watered and paid.

Perhaps most people were clueless. After all, in ancient times, ordinary soldiers could not have such high awareness. They did not understand or like such grand principles as serving the country and the people.

"Serving in the army means getting paid" is the mindset of most people.

But the soldiers of Yanyun were different from other armies in one respect: they knew who they should be loyal to.

Although the army could still eat and drink even if someone else were in command, the soldiers would eat even better if Zhao Xiaoqian were in command.

The 80,000-strong army marched straight towards Bianjing, and the soldiers showed no fear.

Over the years, the soldiers have won many battles against the Liao Kingdom, and they have developed confidence and arrogance. In their eyes, they are invincible and no enemy is qualified to be their opponent, not even the imperial guards of Bianjing.

This journey brought about a complete transformation.

In the backyard of the Youzhou government office, Chen Songling and Xu Jiang, who were imprisoned, sat in the courtyard.

Xu Jiang stroked his beard expressionlessly and remained silent, while Chen Songling beat his chest and stamped his feet, letting out a long, sorrowful howl.

"Traitorous minister! Traitorous minister! Why didn't the late emperor see his true colors! The late emperor was foolish; he shouldn't have granted him military power back then!" Chen Songling wailed.

"Military generals and warriors are truly opportunistic and treacherous, with wolfish ambitions. No wonder Emperor Taizu emphasized civil affairs and suppressed military power when he established the nation. Seeing them today, we can see that Emperor Taizu was indeed farsighted. It's just a pity that the traitor still found an opportunity! The Great Song Dynasty is doomed!"

Xu frowned slightly and sighed, "Commander Chen's words are a bit harsh, but it's not that serious."

“Why isn’t it serious? Eighty thousand troops have already marched south to Bianjing. They are plotting a rebellion and want to storm Bianjing. Isn’t that serious?” Chen Songling stared at him with bloodshot eyes.

Xu Jiang stroked his beard and said slowly, "Zhao Xiaoqian, he also has the surname Zhao, and he is the grandson of the late Emperor Yingzong. This time, the emperor may be replaced, but the Song Dynasty will not perish."

Chen Songling angrily said, "Zhao Xiaoqian is a member of the imperial family and has no right to inherit the throne. He is usurping the country!"

Xu Jiang smiled faintly: "Emperor Taizong of Tang was the second son, so he was not qualified to inherit the throne."

Chen Songling paused for a moment, then angrily retorted, "How can that scoundrel Zhao Xiaoqian be compared to the brilliant and ambitious Emperor Taizong of Tang?"

Xu Jiang smiled with great interest: "Then let's have a competition?"

"In terms of lineage, the late emperor's generation were all born out of wedlock to Emperor Shenzong. So, fundamentally speaking, after the late emperor's death, none of the princes were actually qualified to inherit the throne. The so-called 'eldest legitimate son' discussed in the court was a joke. What difference would it make if there were one more Zhao Xiaoqian?"

"In terms of merit, Zhao Xiaoqian invented firearms and has led the Song army to defeat the Western Xia and Liao dynasties many times over the years. Since the day he took command of the army, our Song Dynasty has never lost a war against foreign powers."

"He conquered the capital of Western Xia, and the Liao Kingdom was defeated one after another. He annihilated more than 100,000 enemies. The Liao Kingdom's national fortune was almost destroyed by him. Therefore, he had no choice but to obediently return the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, so that the emperor, ministers and people of our Great Song Dynasty could hold their heads high and comfort the spirits of our ancestors."

"Zhao Xiaoqian is only in his early twenties. At such a young age, he has already made so many remarkable achievements. What about ten years later, or twenty years later? Can you imagine what level the Song Dynasty will reach under his rule? Is he inferior to Emperor Taizong of Tang?"

Xu Jiang looked at Chen Songling and said leisurely, "This kind of world-shaking feat, I would like to ask, which of the princes of Bianjing can do it? Which of them has the courage and ability of Zhao Xiaoqian? If you can give me an example, I will not hold back my words today and join you in cursing Zhao Xiaoqian."

Chen Songling opened his mouth, only to find that he couldn't refute it, let alone give a single example.

Chen Songling, having served as an official in the capital for a long time, was well aware of the moral character of the princes of Bianjing. They were indeed far inferior to Zhao Xiaoqian. To compare them with Zhao Xiaoqian was simply an insult to him.

Unable to refute, Chen Songling immediately changed the subject, glaring at Xu Jiang and saying, "You seem to quite approve of Zhao Xiaoqian's treasonous actions?"

Xu Jiang said calmly, "If I agreed, I should have marched south with the army by now. Why would I have voluntarily requested to be imprisoned?"

“I only agree that Zhao Xiaoqian should compete for the throne, but I do not agree that it should escalate to the point of raising an army to seize the throne. Therefore, I will not conspire with him and request to be imprisoned.”

Xu Jiang then looked at Chen Songling and said, "Tell me honestly, if Zhao Xiaoqian had the support of the Empress Dowager and the court officials in a normal way and had sat on the throne honorably, would you have recognized him as emperor?"

"Could you even secretly rejoice that the Song Dynasty has finally welcomed a wise and brilliant ruler, a ruler of great talent and ambition?"

"General Chen, looking across the world and discussing all the heroes, the only one who can truly lead the Song Dynasty to destroy the Liao, Xia, and Tubo and unify the land of China is Zhao Xiaoqian. Others cannot do it. The princes of Bianjing are all weak and extravagant, so they are even less capable."

"Zhao Xiaoqian becoming emperor was not a bad thing for the Song Dynasty."

Chen Songling calmed down and fell into deep thought.

Loyalty to the country and loyalty to the ruler can sometimes conflict, as is the case right now.

…………

The army marched south, passing through Yan and Yun, and entered Zhen Ding.

The garrison of Zhending Prefecture consisted of Generals Feng Sheng and Shao Jing, along with 20,000 local troops. When Zhong Jianzhong's army arrived, Feng Sheng and Shao Jing immediately went out of the city to welcome them. The two were somewhat puzzled, wondering why the court had mobilized such a large force, even sending the Yan-Yun army to the capital.

However, the two generals did not have much doubt, because strictly speaking, they were also Zhao Xiaoqian's old subordinates. It was just that the Imperial Guard and the Xiang Army were not the same system, and the two generals did not have much contact with the generals of Yanyun.

Faced with Zhao Xiaoqian's old subordinates, Zhong Jianzhong was in a dilemma. He could not come up with an excuse to fob them off. The troop transfer documents from the Privy Council and the Ministry of War were for outsiders to see. After hesitating for a long time, Zhong Jianzhong decided to tell the truth to Feng Sheng and Shao Jing.

This trip south is under the guise of serving the king, to help His Highness Prince Cheng seize the throne.

The court has decided that Prince Duan will ascend the throne, but Prince Duan and Prince Cheng have a long-standing feud. After ascending the throne, Prince Duan will not let Prince Cheng off the hook, nor will he let his former generals off the hook. Therefore, everyone decided to help Prince Cheng seize the throne.

The two of them naturally understood the principle of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold," and they understood it immediately upon hearing it.

Zhong Jianzhong bluntly told the two generals that if they were loyal to the new emperor and vowed to stop the Yan Yun army, he would give them two hours to reorganize their troops and the two armies would go out of the city for a battle.

If the two generals still have some affection for their former lord, then they should pretend not to see anything and let the army pass through. Regardless of the outcome, the 100,000 soldiers of Yanyun will remember this favor.

After Zhong Jianzhong finished speaking frankly, Feng Sheng and Shao Jing immediately struggled with their feelings.

Faced with the situation and the pros and cons, any choice made today would be an extremely risky undertaking.

If we turn a blind eye and let the army pass through, won't the court hold us accountable later? In addition, given my past as a subordinate of Zhao Xiaoqian, the court's punishment will likely be even more severe.

If they were to fight to the death to stop them, let's not even talk about how 20,000 Xiangjun could defeat 80,000 elite Imperial Guards. Just consider their loyalty to the new emperor and the court. How much favor has the Zhengding Xiangjun received from the court in recent years?

Even the armor, weapons, and provisions of the Xiang Army were supplied by Zhao Xiaoqian. In other words, although Zhao Xiaoqian had not used the Xiang Army of Zhending Prefecture in recent years, he had actually been supporting 20,000 Xiang Army soldiers.

After comparing the two, the two generals gradually made up their minds.

Since both options involve huge risks, why not take a gamble?
Given His Highness Prince Cheng's undefeated record, the success rate of what he's about to do is at least 80%. Isn't it worth taking the gamble? If he wins, his descendants will enjoy wealth and honor for generations to come!

Zhong Jianzhong didn't try to persuade or threaten them much, and it wasn't long before the two of them came to their senses.

I am willing to lead my 20,000 troops south to Bianjing with the main army to serve the emperor.

Zhong Jianzhong was very pleased. In recent years, Zhao Xiaoqian had not paid much attention to the specific affairs of the army. Every month, the grain and fodder for the 20,000 garrison troops of Zhending Prefecture were sent by Zhong Jianzhong with his personal approval.

Zhong Jianzhong had initially opposed Zhao Xiaoqian's decision, since the Imperial Guard and the Xiang Army were not part of the same system. The imperial court would allocate armor, weapons, and provisions for the Xiang Army separately, so why should we take on this burden ourselves?

However, Zhao Xiaoqian still insisted on allocating food and weapons, because the imperial court was so ungrateful to the Xiang Army. The meager amount of food allocated each year was simply not enough to feed the Xiang Army soldiers.

In retrospect, Zhao Xiaoqian's decision was correct.

Without the grain and fodder allocations over the past few years, Feng Sheng and Shao Jing would not have remembered this kindness, and they would not have unexpectedly gained the allegiance of 20,000 Xiangjun soldiers.

After passing Zhen Ding Prefecture, the 80,000 soldiers grew to 100,000, and the army expanded again.

Next, we passed through Xingzhou, Xiangzhou, and Damingfu, before crossing the Yellow River.

The army marched day and night at breakneck speed, and Zhong Jianzhong issued a strict order that they must reach the walls of Bianjing within four days.

After passing through Zhengding Prefecture, the troop mobilization documents from the Privy Council and the Ministry of War came in handy.

In almost every place they passed through, they were approached by government officials and military garrisons for questioning.

The procedures for mobilizing troops in the Song Dynasty were extremely strict, and such a large-scale troop movement could not have been kept secret from the government and the garrison.

Fortunately, Zhao Xiaoqian had sent the troop mobilization documents from the Privy Council and the Ministry of War in advance, which saved a lot of trouble.

Of course, there were also skeptics along the way. They couldn't understand why the court would mobilize troops from the north to go south for no reason, unless something major had happened in Bianjing.

But questioning is useless, after all, Zhong Jianzhong was just ordered to mobilize troops, and you can ask the court any questions you have.

As for whether the imperial court will answer you...

I'm sorry, but from the day the army arrives at the gates of Bianjing, the court will probably not respond. By then, the truth will be out in the open, and there will be no need to hide our intentions and schemes.

The army of 100,000 passed through Daming Prefecture and crossed the Yellow River.

Three days had passed since the day of departure, and the remaining hundreds of miles had to be covered within a single day.

Zhong Jianzhong was lagging behind the rear guard, looking somewhat anxious as he gazed up at the sky, calculating the time.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe this as a race against time. Zhao Xiaoqian's military order was to arrive within four days. Right now, Zhe Keshi's 20,000 vanguard troops might be almost at Bianjing, but the central and rear armies were lagging behind.

"The entire army must accelerate and reach Bianjing within a day. Send a fast horse to Bianjing to inform His Highness that my 100,000 troops will arrive in a day," Zhong Jianzhong ordered.

(End of this chapter)