Chapter 528: Loyalty Shines Through History
Zhao Yulin did not comment on the review, he believed that it was all chance.
It is true that Cao started the battle early, which made the battle line between them too long and unable to take care of both sides. However, without Cao holding back Guiyou's army, the Shenwei Army might not be able to catch the Mongolian Army and fight to the death, and finally destroy the Kuoduan Group.
He smiled and said: This is because our king is blessed with great fortune. He took the initiative to show up and delay the Mongolian army in the decisive battle, creating an opportunity to annihilate the enemy. Now the military group of the grassland empire in Hetao is close to being wiped out, and the vast Hetao grassland will be completely under the control of our Shenwei Army. It's a great blessing.
Lao Cao smiled happily.
This was the biggest gain of this battle. From now on, it would be impossible for the Mongolian army to roam the grasslands and threaten the northwest and Guanzhong at will.
Later, Lao Cao said with a heavy heart: Let's go and see Hua Cai, I'm afraid Hua Cai is not doing well.
Only then did Zhao Yulin realize that Lu Huacai was seriously injured.
He immediately grabbed Lao Cao's hand and told him to hurry up, and the two of them hurried to the tent where Lu Huacai was recuperating.
As soon as Zhao Yulin walked in and sat down, Lao Cao immediately said: Huacai, Yulin is here, the third young master is here.
Lu Huacai was wrapped in bandages all over his body and was trying hard to raise his right hand.
Zhao Yulin immediately held Hua Cai's hand and lowered his head to listen to him.
This man, who was nine feet tall, knew that he was nearing the end of his life, and he only talked about two things in a sporadic manner: one was to help him take care of his two children, and the other was to send him back to Yibin.
Lao Cao said: Hua Cai is loyal and brave, he knows that only by defeating your friend can he go south to rescue my brother, so he rushed to the front with his guards, but there were too many enemies.
Hua Cai's left arm was broken while he was fighting with the enemy general. He fell off his horse and was trampled by the warhorse, seriously injured. His internal organs were damaged and even the military doctors were unable to save him.
As Lao Cao spoke, he couldn't help but burst into tears.
Zhao Yulin held Hua Cai's hand and kept crying. He felt his tears were cold and Hua Cai's hands were also cold.
After a long time, the guards helped Zhao Yulin up and went out, and the group came to Lao Cao's tent to rest.
The two had just taken a sip of hot water when the military report arrived: Miao Gui sent a message that the Shenwei Army had recaptured Linzhou City and invited Lord Cao and the commander-in-chief to station in Linzhou.
Guiyou and Kuoduan fled for their lives. Their third son Hehe advised them not to go to Linzhou, because the Shenwei Army was chasing them like a tide and they were sure to attack Linzhou. How could Linzhou, whose walls were as thin as paper, withstand the attack of the Shenwei Army?
Damn, that's the truth.
Kuanduan was awakened by this and asked his nephew where to hide.
It stands to reason that we have to listen to our uncle, because he is the king of this prairie.
A feeling of deep sorrow came over him, and he let out a miserable laugh and said, "What king?" He was as frightened as a dog that had lost its home, so what kind of king is he?
However, this guy already had an idea in his mind.
Kuangduan ordered the guards to gradually distance themselves from the fleeing soldiers, leaving the wounded behind and running towards Boer Lake in the northwest direction.
Miao Gui and Gao Jin were leading their troops in pursuit when they were stopped by Wu Jie who was standing at a fork in the road. Wu Jie told them that a wounded Northern Barbarian soldier had just reported an important situation: your friend had escaped this way and had not gone to Linzhou at all.
Miao Gui didn't believe it and said that there were people in Linzhou who had food, so why didn't that guy go?
Wu Jie said that he had made a careful investigation and found out that the wounded soldier was Kuochuan's guard. They abandoned the wounded soldier and fled. The leader of the Wanggu tribe was at Boerhaizi in the northwest. Kuochuan and Guiyou must have wanted to find a ferry to cross the river from there.
Gao Jin was worried that the two big fish would slip away, so he immediately called on his men to chase them.
The next day, Zhao Yulin and Cao Youwen arrived at Linzhou City. This was the first time for them to enter this ancient city, and even Cao Youwen didn't know when this dilapidated city was built.
The Mongolian army galloped across the grasslands, liked to use tents as homes and moved around freely. Unlike the Han people who were keen on building cities, their awareness and level of managing cities were weak.
Zhao Yulin saw the dilapidated city walls and the streets full of sewage that looked like slums. Only the residences of the princes and seal officials of the grassland empire looked decent.
Miao Gui excitedly welcomed the two officers into the city and told them: This is the largest city on the grassland, and Kuang Duan has lived here for the past few years. There is a bigger one, and we need to cross the river to the Jiuyuan City on the opposite side.
Zhao Yulin smiled faintly and said: I will go sooner or later.
The generals drank together with the tender lamb meat, and after a hearty meal they went to sleep peacefully.
Cao Youwen, however, was unable to sleep as he was burdened with worries, so he went to find Miao Gui to continue drinking and chatting.
In this battle, the Shenwei Army suffered tens of thousands of loyal and brave casualties, and the main column also suffered heavy casualties. The Qinzhidao commander Lu Huacai died after being seriously injured, which made him feel very resentful.
Miao Gui also felt very guilty, thinking that his detachment got lost and missed the opportunity to fight, which was the main cause of the huge casualties in this battle, and he could not escape blame.
Lao Cao said to him: The battlefield is changing rapidly. Brother Yulin is right. It is all about chance. It is precisely because of this that we have the opportunity to annihilate the main force of the Northern Barbarians.
But the price is too high.
He asked Miao Gui: Has the Ministry of War made its plan? Who will guard Linzhou and look after this hard-won grassland?
Miao Gui shook his head and said no, the staff officers were working on the map, mapping out the ferry crossings and passes along the river and the border to determine the defense strategy.
Lao Cao nodded, and when he saw the guard coming in to add charcoal to the stove, he told him not to do so and to just take a rest.
On the east bank of the Yellow River, Meng Gong and Lai Chuanfang were besieging Shizhou.
The Shenwei Army suddenly crossed the Yellow River and attacked Hedong, instantly disrupting the Mongolian army's deployment. The already panic-stricken officials and merchants in Hedong became like frightened birds and fled to Shizhou City, the capital of Pingyang.
This city has a long history. After being repaired, many passes were built along the mountains and rivers. The defenders thought it was easy to defend and difficult to attack, so they could hold on and wait for help.
However, these could not stop General Meng, an expert in mountain warfare and urban siege. The Shenwei Army's Eastern Expedition Corps quickly swept the pass on Han Xin Ridge and headed south. They joined forces with Lai Chuanfang's group heading north and surrounded Shizhou City tightly .
Du Baiyue asked Lai Chuanfang with a smile: Shizhou City is a stone city, but it is just a lump of iron. What should we do?
Lai Chuanfang said happily that the third young master had already taught him a trick, and we should ask everyone in the city to ride on a homemade plane and have some fun.
The guy said proudly: There are many ancient tombs around Luoyang, which have trained a large number of tomb raiders. Even the special tool for tomb robbers is called Luoyang shovel.
This general has gathered a group of experts who specialize in tomb robbing. Let's watch them.
While they were still talking, the military camp had already started digging a tunnel towards Shizhou.
These high-ranking tomb raiders who specialized in tomb robbing were simply wasting their talents on the job of digging tunnels. They commanded their strong brothers to extend the tunnels forward quickly like pangolins. In three days, they had dug the tunnels, filled them with explosives, and blew up a 20-zhang-wide section of the city wall in the north.
The generals and officials in the city were so shocked when they heard the thunder exploding above their heads that they thought it was the thunder god who had caught them and was roaring at them.
The Shenwei Army easily entered Shizhou City and captured hundreds of officials and wealthy businessmen of the grassland empire, both large and small. The gold and silver they seized piled up into a small mountain, which made Meng Gong very happy.
Meng Gong summoned all the generals to discuss matters and told them that the battle of Linzhou had ended with a great victory. The mission of the Eastward Army had also been successfully completed. We should stop while we are ahead He ordered all the troops to switch to defense on the spot and conduct drills close to Bingzhou.
He handed over the team to Lai Chuanfang for unified command and then returned to Chang'an.
At the government office of Linzhou, Gao Jin, who was chasing Guiyou and Kuo Duan, has returned.
In order to avenge Zhao Yulin, this guy fiercely pursued the remnants of the Mongolian army and swept through the Wanggu tribe in Boerhaizi. Guiyou's eldest son Hecha was responsible for covering the rear, but was shot into a hedgehog by Gao Jin's guards with a crossbow.
In the panic, the shortened warhorse was injured and rolled three times on the slope. The person it crushed cried out in pain and was only able to climb onto another warhorse and escape with the help of the guards who came up from behind.
When your friend saw such a defeat, he went crazy and crossed the Yellow River at all costs, and luckily escaped with less than 5,000 troops.
In Linzhou, Miao Gui, Zhao Yulin and Lao Cao discussed and made the following decisions: First, expand Linzhou City and establish Linzhou Prefecture to manage the grassland. The Ministry of War will set up camps and counties based on the dangerous terrain and population concentration, and after approval by the Ministry of Households, they will be under the jurisdiction of Linzhou Prefecture.
The second is to establish unobstructed post stations and military outposts along the Qin Straight Road, and to fully repair the Qin Straight Road, extending it all the way to the Yellow River ferry.
The third was to set up the General's Office in Linzhou, appoint Baturu as the commander-in-chief, Wu Jie and Li Shichang as deputy commanders, to coordinate the defense along the Yellow River and plan to recapture Jiuyuan.
Fourth, a martyrs' park should be built in Linzhou City, and a memorial tower should be built in the park to bury the ashes of all the soldiers who died in this battle.
Fifth, the tribes on the grasslands were notified to completely abolish slavery in the grassland empire. Those grassland people who were willing to be slaves could go to the desert, and those who were willing to stay must be loyal to the new Song Dynasty. Gradually, villages were established based on tribes, and solid management was implemented.
Sixth, Hao Xiaoming was appointed as the commander of the Qinzhidao Army to coordinate the actions of the Northwest Garrison. The main camp was moved to Yulin Village.
Seventh, Gao Jin was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Gansu Road garrison.
After arranging and dispatching the military affairs of the various generals, Zhao Yulin asked Lao Cao to write inscriptions for the Linzhou Martyrs' Park and the Memorial Tower. Lao Cao asked him to write, and also praised Commander Zhao's handwriting as "unparalleled and imaginative."
Zhao Yulin laughed at Lao Cao and thought he was joking. He winked at his brothers, and they all shouted: Please ask Lord Cao to give us a calligraphy.
Lao Cao is happy. Ask him what he wrote?
He said: Just write "Linzhou Loyal Martyrs' Park" and write "Linzhou Liberation Monument" on the memorial tower to commemorate the brothers who sacrificed their lives to overthrow the slave-owning rule of Linzhou.
Everyone suddenly became quiet.
After Cao Youwen finished writing the title, Miao Gui asked him to write a few words for us brothers as well.
Zhao Yulin had thought of it long ago, and he wrote down two lines of poetry: "Since ancient times, everyone has to die, but I will leave my loyalty to shine in history" and "Loyal bones are buried everywhere in the green mountains, so why should I return home wrapped in my horse's hide?"
All the generals stood in silence on the spot, and Lao Cao recited his "Man Jiang Hong" again. Everyone followed Lord Cao and recited word by word.
After the brothers left, Zhao Yulin asked Gao Jin to accompany him and Lao Cao for a drink.
He asked Gao Jin: Do you have any ideas about going to Lanzhou?
Gao Jin said he had no idea. He would absolutely obey the Third Young Master's orders and had no other ideas.
