Volume 2 Chapter 21 Out of Control
After Dengzhou was destroyed, the rain began to fall intermittently again.
There was no other way. The weather in the Jianghan area was like this at this time of year. It would be a bit difficult to forcefully cross the Han River in this weather and then face Xiangyang City alone.
Fortunately, although Emperor Zhao was embarrassed many times this time, which made Wang De and other generals in the imperial camp nervous throughout the whole process, he did not give blind orders and asked all troops to fight by force.
Of course, even so, as the main force of the imperial army quickly captured Dengzhou City, and then the tall dragon flag appeared on the north bank of the Han River, Xiangyang City on the south bank of the Han River also fell into a state of panic under high tension... Because no matter what, it was the government after all.
Speaking of which, the word "guanjia" was used by everyone from the prime minister and the empress dowager to the common people. The widespread use of this word itself seemed to represent a certain relaxed political environment in the Song Dynasty, and also explained the vitality of market culture in the context of population explosion.
However, this was after all 1128 AD, the second year of Jianyan in the Song Dynasty, nearly eight hundred years away from the demise of the Qing Dynasty and the New Culture Movement... There is no doubt that this era was still an era of family rule, and the so-called "officials" of this era were still the dictator emperors of the Han and Tang dynasties and the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Confucian officials still regarded this individual as the emperor and father, and the people still regarded this individual as the legal owner of the entire Song Dynasty.
Therefore, these two words and the dragon banner are enough to shake people's hearts.
Especially at this time, the Jin army had just retreated, and the official on the opposite side had also demonstrated a certain ability through a series of defensive victories against the Jin army and proactive internal cleansing, telling the world that he was at least an official capable of holding half of the country, and was not a waste... At least he looked a little stronger than the previous two.
The Song Dynasty was about to fall, but now it seems that it was just an appearance.
Of course, after Jing Kang, there were people who had ambitions to replace the emperor, and there were people who began to doubt the legitimacy of the Zhao Song government, but at least it was not the people in Xiangyang City, nor the people in Dengzhou City before.
This is why, although the rebel forces in Xiangzhou had so many troops, they became frustrated and exhausted after an order from Emperor Zhao. From the Nanyang side to the passers-by, even they themselves felt that they had no way out on their own.
After Dengzhou, Zhao Jiu even had some absurd thoughts of feeling sorry for their misfortune and being angry at their lack of resistance... It was indeed absurd. After all, those people were traitors who surrendered to the Jin Dynasty. At most, the leaders among them could be said to be responsible. If they were respected for this, then where would those who rose up to resist, like Yan Xiaozhong and Liu Ji, be placed?
However, when I thought about the fact that family and country were inseparable at that time, and that the country and nation in the eyes of most people was just the word Zhao, I really couldn't get angry.
This also shows that some people have a long way to go and are destined to be alone.
"Mr. Lin, how long will the emperor wait?" In the backyard of a mansion in Xiangyang City, across the river, Wang Jun, the commander of the right army under Fan Qiong, paced back and forth in the gloomy weather, becoming increasingly uneasy. "Does the emperor still suspect us? Even if he suspects me, he won't suspect Mr. Lin, right?"
"Why do you doubt me?"
Scholar Xiaolin, who had come out to bask in the sun but failed, sat on a chair in the courtyard, looking at the gloomy clouds above his head, and seemed a little annoyed, but when he heard this, he was dismissive. "The emperor used to be able to cross the river alone on the Huai River to Xiacai to meet General Zhang, and he could go out of the city of Ruyang to meet General Zhai. Now he is just sending an army across the river to attack... Why should he be suspicious? You, me, and Fan Qiong are tied together, so is it worth his suspicion?"
"That……"
"The government must have other arrangements." Scholar Kobayashi took a few deep breaths and then opened the book that he had almost memorized. "And that arrangement is not in front of Hanjiang."
"That's what I thought."
Without waiting for Xiao Lin to open the book, Wang Jun hurried to him with a panicked look on his face. "Lin, have you ever thought about this? Ever since the emperor's dragon flag came to the river bank, Fan Qiong has gradually lost his mind and has been killing people and drinking every day... People in the city have long been uneasy. I'm afraid there are more smart people who have a way out than you and me, right?"
"I haven't heard of other ministers coming to Xiangzhou." Scholar Xiaolin frowned slightly. "But Xiangzhou is too close to Nanyang, so it's not unusual for someone to see the opportunity quickly... But, so what?"
"No, I'm just afraid that someone will get there first." Wang Jun couldn't hide his worry, and his gap teeth were revealed.
"So what if I got there first?" Scholar Kobayashi continued to ask with a frown. "Do you think I can't keep my promise and save your life?"
"Of course I can trust Master Lin for this." Wang Jun pursed his lips and tried to speak. "But as the saying goes, if a man does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth... Since I control one third of the soldiers in the city, how can I really just save my life? I also want to make a contribution in front of the emperor!"
Lin Jingmo felt that this person was more and more sinister, and he didn't want to pay attention to him anymore. He simply gave him a cold look and opened the book.
Wang Jun was completely disheartened upon seeing this.
However, just as Mr. Kobayashi picked up the book, there was a slight thunder above his head and he sighed again.
Speaking of which, Lin Jingmo really had a lot of emotions when he came out this time.
Looking back on his official career, not to mention the prosperous times, even during the Jing Kang period, he was far away in the comfortable nest of Shouzhou, avoiding the mountains of corpses and seas of blood. However, as soon as there was movement in Shouzhou, he became the highest-ranking attendant and close minister of the emperor by chance, a scholar of the Jade Hall, a so-called well-educated poet.
This job is always easy, even if it means wandering around in a difficult situation, because there is really no responsibility or pressure.
Before that, even if he was determined to do something because of some ideas, he just thought that as long as he followed the elegant manners of the famous officials in ancient literature, plucked up his courage, thought carefully, and said a few words in the name of the official, he would be able to survive and establish a career in the troubled times.
However, the previous two failures and this success gradually made the Yutang scholar realize his own immaturity. Especially this success, it made him thoroughly understand the difficulty of the word responsibility.
You know, ever since the emperor's dragon flag appeared on the north bank of the Han River, Xiangyang City has been unstable, and undercurrents have gradually surged. And Fan Qiong ventured out of the city two days ago to see the dragon flag with his own eyes. After confirming that the emperor was personally leading the army, he basically lost his spirit and ability to act, hiding in his mansion all day, which further fueled the chaos in the city.
Otherwise, Bachelor Kobayashi would not be qualified to come out and 'bask in the sun'.
So at this time, facing such a chaotic situation, as a close official sent to Xiangzhou by the government, should he just leave it alone? What if there was a riot, a fight in the whole city, causing countless casualties, and implicated innocent people around, how could he bear it?
Besides, with such a despicable "teammate" by your side, doesn't he need to be restrained? But can he be restrained?
If he fails to restrain this military leader and lets him act recklessly, Lin Jingmo will not only feel sorry for him, but will also have to bear the responsibility?
If it's so difficult for just one city, how difficult would it be for the government to deal with the entire world which is actually in a state of chaos?
"Come here."
Thinking of this, Xiaolin suppressed his emotion and respect for the government, but decided to take responsibility. "If I ask you to do it, how are you going to do it?"
Wang Jun was about to stamp his feet and leave, but when he heard this he was overjoyed and turned around to talk about his plan.
After hearing this, Xiaolin was also confused for a moment, but he did not try to hide it. Instead, he just imitated the official tone and said a few words: "I don't understand military affairs, and I don't intend to interfere, but there are two things you must do with me!"
"I am willing to follow the scholar's orders!" Wang Jun was so surprised that he simply kowtowed in the courtyard without caring about the wet ground.
"The first rule is that we can only succeed and not fail. The plan must be truly sound before we can proceed." Scholar Kobayashi looked at him solemnly. "Otherwise, it will only affect the overall situation!"
“It’s natural.”
"Second, I know you want to gain merit in front of the emperor, but if so, I would like to remind you that the emperor has always been very strict about military discipline. He is in Jiangbei right now. Once the plan is successful, the imperial army will naturally come to the city suddenly. You must strictly enforce military discipline and control the city defense. After the plan is successful, you must not cause chaos in the city... Otherwise, you will be guilty without merit!"
"I understand the pros and cons! Even if I am a thief, I must not steal from the government. The city of Xiangyang is so close to Nanyang, how dare I let my men do whatever they want? If Scholar Lin doesn't believe me, I will swear an oath..." Wang Jun almost wanted to swear, but he was helpless when he saw Scholar Lin picked up the book and left after he finished speaking.
But no matter what, since he had received the promise, Wang Jun, who had been unable to hold back for a long time, took action immediately without any delay. That evening, with everything ready, he took the initiative to go to the Xiangyang City Prefecture Office, which many people simply avoided, and then asked to see his benefactor Fan Qiong.
As a general who holds military power in the city and a confidant promoted by himself, there is no reason for Fan Qiong not to meet him even if he is confused.
Therefore, after a moment, Wang Tongzhi, who was wearing silk clothes, came to the back hall with bare hands.
However, to his surprise, when Wang Jun arrived at the back hall, he did not see a drunkard in a disheveled state, nor did he see a mess on the ground. He did not know if it was an illusion, but Commander Wang even felt that the smell of this "General Fan" was much less... This made him quite panicked, so he kowtowed to the ground as soon as he entered the door.
Of course, after kneeling and kowtowed in the hall, Wang Jun stood up and sat down, and met Fan Qiong's almost red eyes, he felt a little more at ease.
"Why did you come to me instead of guarding the city?" Fan Qiong, wearing bright armor and with neat posture, opened his mouth with a slightly hoarse voice.
"Reporting to the commander, I am here for the city defense." Wang Jun was also used to big scenes, and knew that the so-called strategy was to go straight to the point and never expect anything perfect, so he simply spoke directly according to the original plan. "Commander, to be honest, the city is about to become unstable. If this continues, I don't know what will happen to Old Han, and the West City I lead will definitely not be able to hold on!"
Fan Qiong was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "It's rare that you still remember to tell me."
"All my wealth and glory were given to me by the Grand Commandant. I have to come even if others don't come." Wang Jun said solemnly, wrapped in a silk robe. "But this time I'm not here just for the city. The Grand Commandant must know about the city's affairs. I heard that the guards sent by the Grand Commandant at the ferry are actually a little unstable... Grand Commandant, I'm not here to be a villain. Logically speaking, the guards are absolutely reliable, but they have three shortcomings at the ferry. One is that they can't enter the city, so they are naturally wild; one is that there is no general to lead them. Several guards are fighting on their own. If one fails, the entire river defense will fail; and another is that they can see the dragon flag of the government all day long. After a few days, they basically lose their fighting spirit! In my opinion, I'm afraid that after two days, the water level will go down and the government will cross the river and they will surrender directly."
"What you said is absolutely right. I believe it too."
After listening to this, Fan Qiong sighed, then propped up his chin with one hand and supported the table with his elbow, as if thinking about something, while his other hand secretly supported the knife handle under the table. "But if that's the case, how do you think you should deal with this desperate situation?"
"The emperor is unwilling to pardon the general, so he cannot surrender." Wang Jun sat behind the desk, his copybook hanging on the desk, answering freely, as if he did not notice the other party's actions. "But the general thinks we can leave? Abandoning Xiangyang and most of the troops, we, the confidants, take care of the general and his family and go to Jinghu to seek refuge with Prime Minister Zhong? He is ambitious, on the one hand he wants to equalize the rich and the poor, on the other hand he wants to be the King of Chu."
"I can't go." Fan Qiong put down the knife handle and sighed even more. "I've thought about this before. Not to mention that we are nothing without the city and soldiers, and there are horses blocking the way along the way. Even if we can really get to Jinghu, there is no way out!"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't forget, besides Prime Minister Zhong, there is also Li Xiaoyi who has a grudge against us for killing our brother. And Zhong Xiang is just like what you said, he is ambitious and wants to be the only one... Let me ask you, Li Xiaoyi still has 5,000 to 6,000 people, and we have hundreds or even dozens of people escaping. If you were Prime Minister Zhong, would you keep us and fight Li Xiaoyi to the death, or would you use us to curry favor with Li Xiaoyi and see if you can gather Li Xiaoyi's troops?"
"What the commander said is right, that's the truth." Wang Jun also sighed. "But if that's the case, we can only hold on for one day at a time... Commander, if the guards are placed outside the city, they will naturally be unstable without a general leading them, and the city will also be unstable. In my opinion, why not call them back? If you put them in front of you, you can control them and stabilize the city defense!"
"That's right, but are we just going to ignore the Han River?" Fan Qiong still shook his head. "It would be even more unsafe to let Emperor Zhao cross the river for nothing."
"I have received great favor from the Grand Marshal. I am willing to go out and guard the Han River for him. I will risk my life to stop Emperor Zhao for him!" Wang Jun took the opportunity to kneel down, revealing his true intentions.
Fan Qiong was slightly startled, then reached for the knife handle under the table.
"In this situation, if the general doesn't trust me, I have nothing to say, but I am absolutely sincere." Wang Jun was lying on the ground, but he raised his head and continued to speak without hesitation. "At worst, I can send my family to the state capital... As long as I can save the general, everything is worth it!"
Fan Qiong smiled slightly, but raised his hand and said: "It's not that I don't trust you, but at this point, I don't know if this action will be useful... Go back and let me think about it."
Wang Jun said no more. He kowtowed three times on the hard stone slabs in the hall and walked out.
After coming out of the door, the man returned to the mansion without stopping. He did not go to the backyard to see Master Lin, but put on his armor in the front yard, and then sat in the drizzle and waited for an opportunity.
In the afternoon, a man came into Wang Jun's house. It was the tooth general who skinned the man that day. When he saw Wang Jun, he bowed to him.
"What's wrong?" Wang Jun turned his head and asked. The gap in his tooth was really eye-catching.
"The Grand Commandant has issued an order, asking Commander Han to lead his troops out of the city to replace the Ya general!" The man bowed his head.
"Sure enough, he still doubts me." Wang Jun sighed. "I have tried my best to serve him in the past few years, but he still doesn't believe me."
The soldiers around were speechless.
"Oh, by the way, let me ask you one more thing." Wang Junfu asked again out of curiosity. "Didn't you say yesterday that the general was no longer a human being in the mansion? Why is he so capable today? Did he deliberately lie to you and lure us out together?"
The general shook his head repeatedly: "Commander, you think too much... Miss Xiu finally persuaded the general today and gave him a good beating."
Wang Jun was slightly startled, then his heart was moved, but he nodded repeatedly: "No matter what, since this thief has fallen into the trap, the credit for Xiangyang is in our hands. You don't have to panic that there will be no result after the city is captured... Eat your fill, follow me and wait for Old Han to leave the city, there is no need to wait until dark!"
Hearing this, the general and Wang Jun's subordinates around him were all relieved, as if a heavy stone had fallen from their chest.
The rain gradually got heavier and the sky got darker. In the afternoon, Han Li, the commander of the left army in the city, led 3,000 soldiers out of the city and went to the riverside to replace the soldiers guarding the river.
However, as soon as they left the city, they heard constant noise inside and the drawbridge was hastily taken down.
The soldiers of the left army around were in a panic and naturally looked at the commander Han Li.
Han Li, standing on horseback in the rain, sighed as well, then looked around at his trusted generals: "I knew it was Wang Huozi who did this today, and I was greatly favored by the Grand Marshal, so I should have stayed in the city and carefully dealt with the situation... But the situation has come to this point, and the Grand Marshal shouldn't have taken all the men in the city to die together. All of you should follow my orders, and you should continue to go to the riverside to replace the guards, and then directly cross the river to surrender! You are of low rank, and the government won't blame you if it blames you."
Perhaps because Han Li was popular among the army, many officers around him were relieved but still remembered him. Someone asked, "But what about the commander? If the government blames him, can he be pardoned?"
"I don't know, so I have some plans." Han Li sighed. "Today you go to the river, surrender and plead for my family who are still in the city, and I will escape from now on, become a wanderer in the mountains, and never show up again."
Having said that, the man reined in his horse and rode away to the west without even looking back.
The soldiers around looked at each other, but followed the last order of this mountain hermit, no longer paying attention to what was happening in the city, and headed directly towards the Han River.
Not to mention, Commander Han saw through the world and became Mr. Han. On the other side, there was a commotion in the city, and Fan Qiong suddenly realized that he had fallen into Wang Jun's simple plan of luring the tiger away from the mountain.
However, since he had fallen into the trap, when he called out to the generals and soldiers around the government office but no one responded, he finally realized that he was at the end of his rope and became even more desperate.
However, in despair, knowing that he could not escape, he suddenly remembered something, and suddenly stood up, picked up the knife and ran to the back house which was also in a mess.
“Daddy!”
The sixteen-year-old Fan Xiuniang was in tears, her face was full of tears, and she was not sure whether it was rain or tears. When she saw her father coming, she was also in a panic to greet him. "Has the city been breached? Madam Zhang just ran away from the back door with her jewelry and a group of soldiers..."
Before he finished speaking, Fan Baochen's face turned ferocious. He gritted his teeth and slashed forward with his knife, but he stumbled and missed.
How could Fan Xiuniang handle this? She fled in terror, but she didn't know where to go without her father. She could only hide behind the well in the courtyard, crying and begging for mercy: "Daddy, why do you want to kill me? Have I done anything wrong?"
"You are wrong for my daughter!" In the drizzle, Fan Qiong was also furious. "That guy Wang Jun, I know what he will do with my eyes closed... He will definitely take my wife and concubines. If you don't fall into his hands, he will offer you to the Zhao emperor as a stepping stone! You are a bastard, a dog-like thing, even if there is a one-in-a-million chance, how can I let him succeed?!"
Fan Xiuniang was startled for a moment, but she had already been caught up by Fan Qiong. First, she was slashed on the shoulder with a knife, and then stabbed in the abdomen with a knife. The pain was unbearable, and she no longer looked delicate as usual. However, she still hugged her father and cried for mercy in pain: "Father, your daughter is in great pain, and your daughter just wants to live!"
When Fan Qiong heard this, his heart softened, but he had already drawn his sword to kill her, so what could he do? It was too late to regret, so he stabbed his daughter to death in the yard again, saving her from suffering.
Then, the man pushed his daughter away, with disheveled hair and a ferocious face, as if he was crazy, and staggered into the backyard, killing everyone he met.
After a while of hacking, he didn't know how many people were killed and how many escaped. However, after just a moment, he heard the armor leaves around him perk up, as if countless armored soldiers were surrounding him.
Fan Qiongqing knew that he would soon see Wang Jun in the battlefield with a cowhide mouth guard, and his heart lost control. He fell down on the steps, ready to commit suicide among the corpses of concubines in the backyard.
However, this man who claimed that he did not want his wife and daughter to be humiliated and killed them wantonly, was too greedy to do anything at this moment... Not only that, in a trance, he suddenly remembered what the old things were that kept repeating in his dreams these days but he could never remember clearly.
That was when the Jin people left Tokyo and Zhang Bangchang proclaimed himself emperor. His attendant Wu Ge was unwilling to submit to a foreign race, so he contacted more than a hundred people and prepared to start an uprising. In order to prevent the secret from being leaked, he even took extreme measures and killed all his wives and daughters.
However, Fan Qiong pretended to be in collusion with them, but he captured these people before they killed their wives and daughters and prepared to start a rebellion, and then killed them all. Afterwards, he mocked these people for not knowing the will of heaven and recklessly sending himself and his wife and daughter to their deaths.
Suddenly, it seemed like a whole year had passed.
