King of Song

Chapter 648 Chapter [-] The Disaster of Subjugation
Lingzhou has fallen!
For Liang Yibu, this was a bolt from the blue.

When I received the news, Xiazhou had already been breached, and Zhong Er had only brought thousands of remnants to break out; Yinzhou and Suizhou were also in jeopardy, and Zhekexing was almost unable to withstand it; the cavalry of the Xixia forward had even reached the Yanzhou area. The soldiers and civilians of the Song Dynasty in the area of ​​Yanyan Road were panicked.

Seeing that the counterattack on the East Road was about to succeed, but at this moment, the bad news came that Lingzhou fell!

How could this be?
Immediately, Liang Yibu's reaction was disbelief. He felt that his arrangements on the periphery were quite in place and that Lingzhou was safe.

But when he learned that Zhao Zhao, the King of Qin, went north from Xiaoguan, crossed the desert, and raided Lingzhou, Liang Yibu had nothing to say.

Isn't he in Weizhou?
Liang Yibu didn't ask such a question. Since Zhao Zhao appeared in Lingzhou, it meant that this was a cover-up.It's a pity that I didn't see it, and I didn't have enough precautions.

After all, it was my own carelessness!

However, Lingzhou has [-] troops stationed at any rate, and the city is so tall and strong that it was easily breached. There is really nothing to say.There is an internal response, but I didn't realize it, who can be blamed?
Zhao Zhao issued a proclamation calling on the Qiang people early in the morning, but he didn't take it too seriously. Now it seems that it is still very attractive to the Hengshan Qiang.

Of course, there are also elements of self-inflicted evil.If the Xiluo tribe hadn't forcibly occupied the Qiang people's pastures, Wu Hei might not have turned against each other.It's really helpless to think about it, the party nobles of Xingqing Mansion complain all day long that they are not good at resisting, but if they didn't go against the law, why would the situation be so bad?

It's too late to say anything now, what to do is the top priority.

Lingzhou fell, and even if there was a huge advantage in the counterattack on the eastern front, it was meaningless.Zhao Zhao's move was a risky act of taking a chest out of the fire, and now that he succeeded, it was a drastic move for him.

Withdrawal of troops is inevitable, otherwise, if there is any accident along the Yellow River, hundreds of thousands of Xixia troops will be cut off from their way back, and the consequences will be disastrous.

What's even more frightening is that there is only a Yellow River between Lingzhou and the capital Xingqing Mansion, as well as the core and most fertile Ning/Xia Plain in Xixia.The Song army in Lingzhou is like a sharp knife, threatening the throat of Xixia at all times.

Although Liang Yibu believed that it was currently impossible for the Song army to cross the river to attack Xingqing Mansion, and it was impossible for them to do so.But how can it be child's play when it comes to the security of the country's capital?I'm afraid it's time for Xingqing Mansion to explode.Those party aristocrats, and even ordinary people, will be restless.These are heavy pressures, almost making it difficult for Liang Yibu to breathe.

Now that the troops are withdrawn in time, if they can counterattack and regain Lingzhou, there is still room for recovery, and an explanation to the Xingqing Mansion will be beneficial to the overall situation.

At this moment, there are only 2 Song troops stationed in Lingzhou, and Zhao Zhao himself is there.There is a saying in the Song Dynasty that when you capture a thief, you first capture the king, and if you capture the king of Qin, all problems will be solved easily.

Withdraw the troops and counterattack Lingzhou!
Liang Yi gave the order sadly, looking at the precarious Yinzhou City, who was already acting like a bereaved dog, turned around and left helplessly.

In addition to strategic needs, it is impossible not to withdraw troops.The news of Lingzhou's fall was not completely blocked, and soon spread among the soldiers.

Ordinary soldiers may not have such long-term insights and firm psychological qualities.In their view, Lingzhou is the rear, their retreat.

Now that Lingzhou has been captured, doesn't it mean that the escape route has been cut off?Lingzhou is gone, so wouldn't all Xixia's land east of the Yellow River be lost?

In this way, they were surrounded by the Song army. If they wanted to be safe, they could only cross the Yellow River and return to the west bank of the Yellow River.

Come back home!

Soldiers generally have this mentality under the dual effects of panic and desire to survive.

Fast, must be fast!

The soldiers knew that they had to cross the Yellow River first, otherwise, once the Song army blocked the ferry along the Yellow River, they would be vulnerable.Of course, it is also possible to go back north by detouring the desert, the Heshuo Plateau or the Hetao Plain.Just going around thousands of miles is enough to drag the army to death, especially when people's hearts are scattered like this.What's more, most of those areas are under the control of the Liao Kingdom, and it is not easy to pass through.

The Yellow River, crossing the Yellow River, this is their only hope.As a result, the Xixia soldiers were in a state of panic, and all kinds of rumors were based on rumors, and the morale of the army became even more scattered. The soldiers of the three armies were shrouded in panic.

Liang Yibu soon discovered these problems, and he was also worried. What he fears most now is the confusion of the army.Otherwise, it would be a complete failure.

Therefore, I had to order the generals of the armies to try their best to appease the emotions of the soldiers, ensure that the army is not chaotic, and the morale of the army is stable, so as to counterattack Lingzhou.

Because the Prime Minister personally sits in charge, the situation of the army on the Eastern Front is not bad.

But on the Weizhou side of the middle road, the situation is very bad.

Lingzhou fell suddenly, and when the guards were at a loss, they were even more frightened.Lingzhou is gone, and if Weizhou becomes a lonely city with no village in front and no shop in the back, it will fall into the encirclement of the Song army.

What can I do?Weizhou existed as the outer barrier of Lingzhou. Now Lingzhou as the core is gone. Is it meaningful to stick to Weizhou?
Retreating and returning to the west bank of the Yellow River, Weizhou generals also had this understanding.The fall of Lingzhou and the bottom line meant that Xixia's land on the east bank of the Yellow River was completely lost, at least temporarily falling into the hands of the Song army.At this time, whether it is to preserve strength or preserve the core foundation of Xixia, it is time to return to the west bank of the Yellow River.

And they have more convenient conditions and are closer to the Yellow River.It only takes a few days to reach Mingsha (place name, Jinzhong/Weimingsha Mountain) on the bank of the Yellow River, and cross the Yellow River from there, and it will be safe for the time being.

However, the guard also knew that a hasty evacuation would easily give the Song army an opportunity to take advantage of it.Furthermore, loyalty is still required, so I chose not to announce it temporarily, to see if the Prime Minister Liang Yibu has any orders.After all, Xixia still has more than 20 troops on the other side of the Yellow River, so it is not completely powerless to deal with it.If the prime minister has any strategies, it is possible to turn defeat into victory.

The guard also thought that although he could not go to rescue Lingzhou.But Liu Changzuo's troops were held back, and they could not rush to rescue in time.The Song army did not have many troops in Lingzhou, and Liang Guoxiang might have a chance to counterattack and take back the city.Therefore, there are still objections to sticking to Weizhou for the time being.

It's hard to defend the general, but he just stayed in Chicheng, did not abandon the city and fled, and concealed the news so as not to shake the morale of the army.Unfortunately, the news eventually spread.

Song Jun was outside the city, throwing a lot of packages with a trebuchet, racing them in the air, and falling a lot of paper.It is written in Xixia script: Lingzhou fell, Liang Yibu's entire army was wiped out, etc.Although most of the soldiers in the army came from civilian backgrounds and had no education, there were always people who could read and write. What's more, Xixia script was very popular in the Northwest at one time, and many people knew it.

The news spread like wildfire in an instant, the whereabouts of Lingzhou, and the defeat of Liang Guoxiang, it was like the sky falling.The Xixia soldiers were terrified immediately. The general heard the news and repeatedly claimed that it was a rumor from the Song Dynasty.

But there is a saying that three people become tigers, the news is both true and false, and now it is spread, there is no room for people not to believe it.One or two days can be said to be rumors, but if it takes too long, problems will arise.These news continued to ferment in the hearts of the soldiers, and their suspicion and fear became more and more intense.

Under such circumstances, the morale of the army is slackened, the combat effectiveness is greatly reduced, and Weizhou's defense situation is not as good as before.The guard originally wanted to stick to it, but under such circumstances, how could he keep it?
The Song army immediately stepped up its offensive, but Weizhou's originally firm defense was shaken, and the impregnable city defense was shaken.If this continues, it won't be long before the city is destroyed.

At that time, the city will be destroyed and people will die, and they will not be able to leave even if they want to.Now that we evacuate earlier, we can preserve some strength.The guard had nothing to do, although he wanted to buy time for the Prime Minister, but the Song Army was too cunning and the situation was too unfavorable, so it still failed, what a pity!

That night, the Weizhou defenders withdrew overnight and rushed to Mingsha, where there was the nearest ferry.The Weizhou defender's original intention was to stick to Mingsha, and the hope of regaining Lingzhou was already slim.If the prime minister can withdraw in time, he can also cross the river from here, which can keep the army safe.

As soon as Naihe retreated, a rout situation was formed, and the soldiers scrambled to leave.In addition, the Song army was chasing after them, so they looked for ferries, sheepskin rafts, etc. to cross the river wherever they still wanted to stay.In the most urgent time, all objects that can float have been used.

In October, people in Xixia know the fact that the Yellow River will freeze.Although snowflakes were falling at this time, the Yellow River was not yet frozen, and it happened to be possible to cross the river by boat.After a while, the river was frozen and not suitable for boats, and the ice was not thick enough for people and horses to pass by.

At that time, even if you reach the bank of the Yellow River, you will just look at the river and sigh, and there will be a dead end.Therefore, no one is willing to wait in sincerity, and only standing on the land on the west bank of the Yellow River can be at ease.

Seeing that the Xixia defenders in Weizhou crossed the river in such a hurry, although the Song army pursued them, they were only bluffing.After all, Weizhou is only a part of the soldiers and horses, and it is not very critical.

For Liu Changzuo, his first priority is to rush to Lingzhou.His Royal Highness the King of Qin only brought [-] troops to station there. Once Liang Yibu returned to his army, or the Xixia people from Xingqing Mansion crossed the river, it would be very dangerous.How can His Royal Highness King Qin be put in danger?Only by leading troops in this way and consolidating Lingzhou's city defense can it be considered a success.

More importantly, firmly grasp Lingzhou, and if Liang Yibu's way back is cut off, he will be a turtle in the urn.As a result, half of Xixia's country on the east bank of the Yellow River will truly fall into the hands of the Song army.

This is the purpose of this battle, so you can be done.

Liu Changzuo left Jing Siyi to garrison Weizhou, and rushed to Lingzhou with [-] troops.Relying on the fortified city, the [-] Song army, plus the surrendered Qiang people, has at least [-] troops, which is enough to hold on to the city.

With the fall of Lingzhou, the Weizhou army was crossing the river in Mingsha, and the reasonable Xixia soldiers and horses were also panicked, unable to continue, and began to withdraw.The West Route Army, which had been blocked for a long time, finally had a chance to move forward.

Zhong Shidao acted decisively, along the Yellow River, wiped out the remaining Xixia enemies, and immediately reinforced Lingzhou.

As a result, Liang Yibu was a little desperate!

On the way back to the teacher, when he heard that Weizhou had fallen, Liang Yibu let out a long sigh, and there was no possibility of counterattacking Lingzhou.Liu Changzuo's Central Route Army will definitely arrive at Lingzhou in time to make preparations before his own counterattack.

Although I have 10,000+ soldiers and horses in my hands, it is not easy to capture Lingzhou in a short time.

Most importantly, almost all of the east bank of the Yellow River fell into the hands of the Song army, and they could mobilize a large number of reinforcements.But myself and the more than [-] troops have no way out.

If Lingzhou cannot be captured quickly, they will be dragged to death, and eventually the entire army will be wiped out.

Withdraw!

For the current plan, the only way is to return to Hexi and make another plan.At that time, taking advantage of the Song Army's unstable foothold, a counterattack is also possible.The 10,000+ army is the capital, and the last thing to waste at this time is the vitality.

It's just that there is still a long way to go from Yanzhou to the Yellow River, and the Song army is likely to be attacked and intercepted on the way.Even the Hengshan Qiang people kept coming to harass them, and the situation was very bad.

The two cities along the river, Yingli and Mingsha, were conquered, and the Zhongshi Daoist Department went up the river to hear the news.Liang Yibu knew that there was little hope of crossing the river and returning west.

What's worse is that the weather is getting colder and colder, and the rivers passing by on the way have gradually frozen over.When he arrived at the bank of the Yellow River, it might have been frozen.Before the twelfth lunar month of winter, it is basically impossible to walk on ice.

So, for the current plan, there is only one way to go—by way of Heshuo and Hetao!
Although they were all under the control of the Liao Kingdom, Liang Yibu felt that it was not impossible.Xixia suffered the worst defeat since the era of Li Jiqian, the country declined, and there were even signs of subjugation.

Xixia is gone, what good is it for the Liao Kingdom?Once the Song Dynasty seized the northwest land, the nightmare of the Liao Kingdom began.

I heard that because of the entanglement of Jurchen, Shiwei and Goryeo in the east, the Liao Kingdom is temporarily unable to escape.Asking them for help at this moment may not be able to send troops to help Xixia.But if it is just to pass by, preserve power, and contain the Song army, I believe the Liao people will not object.

After all, Xixia at this time has no possibility of being unfavorable to the Liao State. After preserving its strength, it can still contain the Song Dynasty and buy time for the Liao State.I believe that the Liao people would be happy to see such a scene.

Liang Yibu immediately sent someone to contact the defenders of the Liao army in the west, trying to get through as soon as possible.Now if you stay here for a day, you will be in danger for a day, and you must escape before the Song army intercepts it.

well!Once upon a time, Xixia ended up in such a situation, Liang Yi felt very uncomfortable!

Half of the country has been lost, although the foundation of the core is still there, but when it comes to counterattack...

If it was the past, Liang Yibu is confident of making a comeback.But now, the enemy he was facing was Zhao Zhao, so he felt a little uneasy.There may not be hope for a counterattack. If it is not done well, Xixia may still suffer the disaster of subjugation.

For today's plan, Xixia's own strength alone can no longer withstand the powerful front of the Song army, so it can only ask for foreign aid!

Liang Yibu's eyes fell to the northeast direction, if he could get help from the Liao Kingdom, there might be a turning point, otherwise, I'm afraid - there will be a catastrophe of national subjugation!

(End of this chapter)