Zhang Xian and Tian Shizhong each led Yue Fei and Zhang Jun's Beiwei Army from the small path south of Luo River, which really shocked the entire Chang'an.
There are not many soldiers, the two families together have no more than six or seven thousand, which cannot be too many, otherwise the eastern front will be in danger of serious damage, and it will be difficult not to attract the attention of the Jin army across the river, not to mention that Yue Fei is planning to cross the river directly to Xiangzhou in the near future.
But in any case, the significance of the appearance of these two troops in Chang'an is self-evident.
First of all, at this sensitive moment, when everyone is settling accounts for the "showdown", any increase or decrease in troops on both sides will cause the strategic balance to shake, and these six or seven thousand people are enough to make many people increase their bets on a certain trend in their hearts.
Secondly, the name Beiwei Army itself originated in Western Xia and was widely used in the Western Army. It was not until the reorganization of the Imperial Camp that it was promoted to the Central Plains by Han Shizhong. Therefore, here in Guanxi, almost everyone understands the combat capabilities and political significance of these two troops, and also understands the political declaration their appearance here represents - this is the absolute obedience and support of the two generals Yue Fei and Zhang Jun to the government.
In the end, everyone had to re-evaluate and guess about the young official hiding in the Prime Minister's residence.
After all, for most of the Western Army leaders, before this meeting in Chang'an, Emperor Zhao had always been a political symbol existing in legends, and these people's attitudes towards this emperor could be seen from Qu Duan's previous experience. But now, this emperor demonstrated his authority in a straightforward way.
At the same time, although Emperor Zhao had made strategic responses by entrusting his son to someone else and sneaking to Chang'an, he always maintained a strange balance in Guanxi, whether to passively defend or actively attack... When everyone said to defend, he asked if he could attack, and how many soldiers would be needed? When most people tried to attack, he began to suppress the voices of going to war.
Compared with statements, we have to look at what this official has done. With the increasing number of troops in Chang'an City and the arrival of the two Beiwei armies today, everyone has undoubtedly had a new assessment of the official's determination to fight this battle.
In early May, the heat was getting stronger, and the city of Chang'an also became increasingly restless as the heat was lingering. After the Dragon Boat Festival, military situations had emerged one after another, and people's hearts were unable to remain calm.
"According to the reports from Qu Duan and Wu Lin, Wu Lin found 4,000 to 5,000 people in Huanqing and Qingzhou, and Qu Duan found 10,000 people in Jingyuan Road... But where did so many soldiers come from?" On the evening of May 7, Zhao Jiu looked at the urgent report in his hand and frowned and asked. "The three routes in northern Shaanxi are so poor, the population is so small, they have been defeated so many times, and so many people have died, how can they still find soldiers? And if they are recruited temporarily, how can they be used?"
"I would venture to make a guess. If you say four or five thousand, they are probably the soldiers of the city."
Liu Xi, the commander-in-chief of the Western Three Routes, who has been much more active recently, quickly stood up and answered seriously. "Since the rise of Western Xia, the imperial court has built many forts along the border as a strategy for advancement and defense because Western Xia is separated by the desert and has been harassed endlessly. Among them, the most military camps and military cities are located in Huanqing Road and Jingyuan Road... As far as I know, when Qu Duan went to Yanfu Road to fight the enemy, he left Zhang Zhongfu to command the military camp of Jingyuan Road and Zhang Zhongyan to command the military camps along the border of Huanqing Road. These should be the troops. In fact, even after the traitor Wang Xie was executed, Prime Minister Yuwen also dispatched many city lords and fort lords to strengthen the generals, such as Qinfeng Road Military Supervisor Murong Wei, Xingyuan Prefecture Military Supervisor Zhang Zhong, Li Yanqi, the military supervisor under my command, General Qiao Ze, and the commanders of the Imperial Camp Central Army Qiao Zhongfu and Zhang Jing, all of whom were the city lords of these two border cities."
In fact, Zhao Jiu had already come to his senses when he was halfway through listening... Historically, the fortress on the border of the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia was quite famous. This was mainly because most of the wars between the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia took place during the reigns of Emperor Renzong and Emperor Shenzong, and there were not too many historical celebrities in these two eras... But regardless of this, Liu Xi's rambling made it very clear that Qu Duan and Wu Lin had withdrawn all the border defense troops.
This is certainly a very feasible solution. Not to mention that if Xixia had any brains, they should not help the stronger Jurchens at this time. Even if they really did so, they would not care about much.
Don't be too clear about priorities.
"What is the relationship between Qiao Ze and Qiao Zhongfu?" Zhao Jiu asked a strange question while listening.
"They are uncle and nephew from the same clan." Liu Xi responded quickly.
"You said that the four to five thousand people were probably soldiers in the city, so where did Qu Duan's ten thousand people come from?" Zhao Jiu kept asking.
"I'm sorry to be so presumptuous. The remaining several thousand people are probably foreign soldiers." After all, Liu Xi was born into a family of generals in the Western Army and was well aware of the military affairs of Guanxi.
"Tibetans?" Zhao Jiu seemed to be thinking. "Tibetans or Tanguts?"
"If it is Xihe Road where I am stationed, there are naturally more Tibetans, but in Huanqing and Jingyuan Roads, there are naturally Dangxiang people." At this point, Liu Xi glanced at his immediate superior Zhang Jun who had been silent, and considered his words for a while before continuing. "To be honest, the Tibetans are wild and difficult to tame, and the Qingtang area in the west is vast and sparsely populated, which is quite difficult to control, so it has always been easy to trade but difficult to recruit. On the other hand, in the north of Huanqing Road, Yanfu Road, and Jingyuan Road, because of the long-term war with the Xixia people, the Dangxiang tribe lives in them, and it is difficult to sway between either Xixia or the Song Dynasty, so most of the Tibetan soldiers there admire the king's rule. And Qu Jinglue has been operating there for 20 years and has a good reputation. It is not unusual for him to find some Tibetan tribes to live at the foot of Hengshan... This is a great thing, and it is really a wise decision made by the emperor before."
Zhao Jiu nodded... not to express his agreement with the "wise decision", but to approve of the explanation of the Fanbu, because he just remembered that Yang Weizhong, the old Taiwei who should be leading the rear army of the imperial camp to the north, is the most senior commander of the Western Army today. It is said that he was born in the border area of ​​Huanqing Road and changed his Chinese name.
How should I put it? From this perspective, the Song Dynasty still has some war potential, provided that you try your best to squeeze out these last forces.
"Your Majesty." Seeing that Zhao Jiu was only asking about minor details, Zhang Jun could not help himself. "Your Majesty has gathered elite troops from various units along the way and combined them. In addition, the imperial guards have already gathered 6,000 people. Now that the two Beiwei armies have arrived, there are already 12,000 elite troops in Chang'an City. These are soldiers and horses that can match the Jin army. In addition, Qu Duan has recruited 10,000 people, and Wu Lin can replace Wu Jie to guard Fangzhou. Let Wu Jie go south, which is another 4,000 or 5,000... Here in Guanxi, 100,000 people are far more than that!"
"So we should go out and fight in the field?" Zhao Jiu glanced at Zhang Jun, still showing no emotion.
"Yes!" Under the lights, Zhang Junzhan stood up and said earnestly. "I think we can and should go to war. Moreover, as the transport envoy of the five routes of Bashu, I must remind you that it takes time to gather troops and horses, and it also takes time to transfer logistics. The opportunity for war is fleeting... And Qu Duan and Wu Lin's report at this time is of course a routine daily report after contact, and it is also a request for instructions. If you want them to go south to gather the army, you should make a quick decision."
"I agree with Zhang Yunshi's analysis." Before Zhao Jiu could speak, Liu Ziyu stood up. "Qu Duan and Wu Lin's actions are to ask the emperor how to use the army, and the emperor should make a quick decision. But I think the emperor should issue an order to let them go east along the Beiluo River from Bao'an Army (Zhidan County in later generations), and go out of Diaoyin Pass to try to disturb the Loushi army from behind!"
The two had clear positions, and Zhao Jiu did not express his opinion for a while.
"Your Majesty." At this time, Wang Yuan, the commander of the Imperial Camp, also spoke up. "I think it is the right time to send troops. Yesterday, Deputy Commander Wang reported that Lou Shi led the army across Baishui on the Dragon Boat Festival, but stopped to camp by the lake between Pucheng and Meiyuan. It seems that he was afraid of the heat and wanted to escape the heat by the lake. Now, while the enemy is unprepared and has separated from the Huo Nu tribe, we should quickly surround them and block the Jin army by the lake!"
"I just thought that the Jin army was not just trying to escape the summer heat, but was trying to lure us." Liu Ziyu repeated his position yesterday without hesitation.
"So what if we lure them?" Wang Yuan responded immediately. "How could the Jin army have expected that we had so many soldiers? Of their 30,000 men, only 20,000 are real captives. With our combined 100,000, we can easily defeat them in one battle. As for harassing Loushi again, it is useless. Because Danzhou has been captured by Huo Nu, and is separated from it by Longmen Ferry to the north of Liangshan, just like the fallen Baishui City, it is actually very difficult to defend. If the Beiluoshui channel is cut off, Loushi can also take the Longmen Ferry upstream as a grain route. Besides, with Loushi's talent, it may not be possible to harass the rear."
Liu Ziyu did not hesitate and immediately refuted again: "If it fails to disrupt the rear, how about swallowing up the front army?"
At this point, Liu Ziyu bowed to Emperor Zhao again and said, "Emperor, don't forget what Qu Duan said before he left. He was sent north to disturb the Lou family."
"Did you ever think that Wu Jie would be so useful?" Wang Yuan was not polite. "Liu Canjun, the situation changes every day, and we should adapt to it. Sticking to the old strategy may not guarantee stability! We really have the strength to fight now!"
Liu Ziyu was silent for a moment, but soon shook his head: "The Jin army has come from afar and cannot last long. After the summer heat, followed by the autumn rain, they will definitely retreat."
"How do you know he will definitely retreat?" Wang Yuan was a general with many years of experience, but he pressed on. "If he rested for a while and slowly forced Han Liangchen of Tongzhou to retreat, and then gathered the Jin army in Hedong to break through the Weishui River, and then knew that the emperor was in Chang'an, he would take Chang'an at the cost of 100,000 lives of the Jin army, and end the future of the Song Dynasty? How do you know that Lou Shi was luring the enemy? You know that the Jin army can't last? You say we are gambling, but you are defending like this and watching the Jin army come and go calmly, aren't you gambling?"
Liu Ziyu's expression changed slightly, but he still shook his head slowly: "You and I really don't know the strength of the Jin army and Lou Shi's thoughts. We are really just guessing... Using this to argue, I can't convince Wang Dutong, and Wang Dutong can't convince me either."
"So, no matter what, you don't agree to go to war?" Wang Yuan asked coldly.
"That's right." Liu Ziyu shook his head. His tense body seemed to relax suddenly. He raised his head again, turned around and looked at the powerful civil and military officials in Chang'an who came to listen to the daily report tonight. Finally, he turned back to Zhao Jiu and bowed his hands. He looked at Zhao Jiu seriously. "Your Majesty, I am the chief of the Privy Council and I am appointed as the military advisor in front of the emperor. I should do my best. What I think is to stick to the four words... Your Majesty is in charge of all the officials and people. Maybe you have some decisions to make, but no matter what, I will honestly offer my opinions. That's all!"
Zhao Jiu nodded slightly and was about to speak.
At this time, Liu Qi, who had seldom spoken for a long time, suddenly stood up because his brothers were all seated, and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to say that may help resolve the current difficulties."
"Tell me." Zhao Jiu raised his hand.
"You can ask Qu Jinglüe and Wu Dujian (Wu Lin) to gather in Ningzhou temporarily, then go through Ziwu Mountain, pass through Jushui and leave Fangzhou, and join forces with Wu Jinglüe (Wu Jie). In this way, if the emperor wants to send a large army to fight on the Baihe River, they can also go south from the southern part of Fangzhou to support. If the emperor wants to harass the enemy, they can also join forces to attack the Jin army's camp at the mouth of the Beiluo River... Even if Huo Nu occupies Danzhou, the road will be dangerous, and Lou Shi will have to retreat." Liu Qi spoke slowly, but gave a purely military opinion that sounded good. "And the emperor can also take this opportunity to issue an order to ask Qu Jinglüe and Wu Jinglüe about fighting and defending."
Besides, Zhao Jiu and the others in the hall heard it clearly and naturally knew the real intention of Liu Qi's strategy... to continue to smooth things over by delaying giving orders to Qu Duan.
Of course, for many shrewd political animals in the hall, Liu Qi's attempt to smooth things over may also be due to his consideration of the position of commander.
Regardless of whether Emperor Zhao personally went to the frontline once he decided to go to war as rumored, or whether he would let Yuwen Xuzhong take command, in any case, just as Yue Fei had to take command in Yanling before, the frontline always needed a general to actually take charge of the command, and the importance of this position of general was self-evident, and it was very likely that he would be promoted to Jiedushi if the battle was successful.
Well, in the case that Han Shizhong cannot leave Tongzhou easily, Liu Qi's elder brother Liu Xi, Qu Duan, and Wang Yuan are theoretically the three candidates for the actual commander-in-chief... Today, Wang Yuan performed outstandingly and almost overwhelmed the only opposition Liu Ziyu. As Liu Xi's younger brother, Qu Duan's heading south at this time naturally aroused people's speculation.
But then again, apart from Liu Ziyu who would generally be ruthless, no one would directly point out these things that were not to be put on the table. Moreover, it was indeed necessary to use means of smoothing things over at this time. Liu Qi's idea was a good idea from a military point of view, so even Liu Ziyu surprisingly did not say anything. Zhao Jiu also immediately followed suit and directly asked Scholar Xiao Lin to write several "envoys' orders" to Qu Duan and the Wu brothers on the spot.
Just as Mr. Kobayashi was writing and reporting the "Daily Military Meeting", there was a commotion outside the hall.
No one cared about this , as if they had gotten used to it.
After all, it was already quite late, and Chang'an City was crowded with soldiers and horses inside and outside, with tight defenses and a curfew at night. The only possible reason for the commotion at this time was urgent military intelligence. In fact, similar situations had occurred many times before. For example, after the Dragon Boat Festival, the main force of the Jin army left Baishui City and crossed Xiaobaishui to the south. At that time, officers from all over the front line were busy sending messages.
Therefore, everyone was silent, except for Scholar Kobayashi who continued to write, and they all waited for Yang Yi Zhong to go out and hand over the documents in person.
A moment later, Yang Yizhong hurried back and brought a document. Zhao Jiu took it and opened it. He was moved, but laughed on the spot and spoke directly:
"Does anyone of you recognize Li Yongqi?"
Many people at the table looked at each other in bewilderment, and then almost all the people with a Western Army background, from the brothers Liu Xi and Liu Qi, to Tian Shizhong who was sitting inside the door, to Yang Yizhong who was standing next to Zhao Jiu, almost all bowed and spoke.
Even Yuwen Xuzhong was beside him, twirling his beard and saying, "I also know this man. He was born in the Suide Army and is a local Tangut noble. After Loushi occupied Yan'an last time, his entire clan was isolated in the rear, so he led his people to surrender to Xixia. Because he was a famous Tangut, he was highly valued. Loushi also did not pursue the matter because of the ambiguous relationship between Nianhan and Xixia. However, not long after that, Li Yongqi sent someone to send a document to me in a wax ball hidden in silk, saying that he cared about the country, but because the emperor had an order not to surrender to Jin, he was afraid that he would not be able to meet in the future, so he followed Huang Quan's example and surrendered to Wei... I had asked Xixia to send troops through him before, but Xixia did not agree."
Zhao Jiu nodded slightly and asked Yang Yizhong to hand the document to Yuwen Xuzhong, who was the first on his left hand, but he said with emotion:
"Since Xixia didn't agree, he agreed on his own. Here is Hu Yin's urgent document, saying that Li Yongqi saw that Xixia had no intention of sending troops to attack Jin, so he simply pretended to convey the will of the Xixia king, took more than 4,000 local war horses, took more than 2,000 subordinates from his own army, and then went west along Hengshan and headed south. They spent all their wealth along the way, recruited Hengshan tribesmen, and resisted the pursuers. When Qingzhou was supported by Wu Lin's troops, the number of soldiers and horses had reached the full quota of 4,000, and they were all cavalry... Do you think this person can be trusted?"
The whole room was silent.
On one hand there was astonishment, on the other hand there was suspicion.
Of course, the astonishment is understandable. This kind of story of returning home is almost a plot in history books. It always seems absurd and unbelievable when it happens to someone I know. And the suspicion is also understandable. The Dangxiang people surrendered to the Western Xia and were spared from death by the Loushi. How could they suddenly return at such a critical juncture? What if they were spies? Who would be held responsible?
In fact, Li Yanxian had done something similar in Shanzhou that day. When he was sweeping Shanzhou in Loushi, he asked some of the Song troops who were ready to go into the mountains with him to fight guerrilla warfare to surrender to Jin. Then this group of people really became the defenders of Shanzhou. As a result, as soon as Loushi moved into Guanxi, Li Yanxian directly entered the city with the help of an insider.
So if Li Yongqi is a spy arranged by Lou Shi, who is responsible?
But if not, can the math problem of the Song-Jin decisive battle in Guanxi be recalculated again?
"I think it's credible." After a while, Liu Ziyu was the first to speak up to guarantee it. "And when you employ people, you should reward them well and use them boldly, just like buying bones with a thousand gold coins."
"Why is Yan Xiu so confident?" Zhang Jun asked his good friend seriously.
"Two reasons." Liu Ziyu responded seriously. "First, the Jin army surrendered to Zhe Keqiu with the intention of establishing a vassal state in Guanxi. Zhe Keqiu was able to preserve the military power of the three states because of this. However after the battle of Yanling, Talan fled north, and only the pseudo-Qi was established... May I ask, given the situation at that time, if Li Yongqi really wanted to surrender to the Jin, the Jin people would have given him the entire Suide Army, so why did he have to flee north to join the Western Xia? And is Lou Shi a god? At that time, it was considered that the Yanling army was defeated and the last invasion ended in vain?"
This analysis is well-founded and convincing. In fact, from a rational point of view, Zhao Jiu and many people present have already believed it.
However, Liu Ziyu did not stop just because everyone nodded in approval. Instead, he continued to speak with some difficulty: "Secondly, the actions of the Li father and son may seem shocking, but how can there really be no loyal ministers and generals who are dedicated to serving the country? Think about that Ma Kuo, who was imprisoned for his father and son, but was released by the Jin people and became friends with the nobles of the Jin Kingdom. He could have been rich and prosperous and enjoyed peace and prosperity, but he abandoned his family and children and went to Wuma Mountain to fight against the Jin for five or six years without changing his heart... Compared with this, isn't the behavior of the Li father and son ordinary? Besides, since ancient times, hardship has only led to death. Compared with the martyrs of Jingkang, Taiyuan, Huaishang, Nanyang Baihe, and Yanling, what is there to be surprised about the actions of the Li father and son?"
Zhang Jun was about to speak but stopped himself. Many civil and military officials in the hall who had experienced those events were also in awe. Even the generals from Guanxi were silent.
Even Zhao Jiu stared at Liu Ziyu and nodded slowly:
"Then let's do it this way. Let Li Yongqi act with Wu Lin. Lord Lin, add an imperial decree to promote Li Yongqi's military rank by three levels, and make him a commander and governor of the Baoan Army."
Naturally, everyone was silent, and Scholar Kobayashi kept writing... In order to minimize the possibility of the fact that Emperor Zhao had come to Chang'an in person being exposed, daily newspaper meetings of this level were usually not attended by the attendant, so Scholar Kobayashi had to do the hard work alone.
However, despite the hard work, after Wu Jie's great victory, most of the news around was good news, and people gradually lost the strong sense of tragedy that they had at the beginning because of the government's entrustment of the orphan, and the panic that they had felt because of the approaching Jin army. It is also a fact.
In a word, no matter what, compared with the original pessimistic premonition, the situation is always improving, otherwise most people would not gradually be inclined to send troops, and only Liu Ziyu, an important official, would still insist on a conservative strategy.
And it was in such an atmosphere that everyone gradually realized that the attitude of the emperor was the final decision, and a few of them even realized that the emperor had actually made the decision long ago and was just waiting for something other than the two Beiwei armies.
Before that, it seems difficult to get this official to make a final statement.
Of course, there were still a few people in the hall today who understood what Emperor Zhao was waiting for. Yang Yizhong and Zhang Xian, who had just arrived, both knew that the emperor was waiting for the result of Yue Fei crossing the river, and Zhang Xian even knew that his brother had been planning to cross the river in the next few days.
"What happened today?" Just when everyone was about to end this ordinary 'daily military meeting', there was another noise in the Prime Minister's residence. Yang Yizhong also went out to deal with the situation. Seeing this, Yuwen Xianggong laughed first. "Could it be that there are thousands more soldiers from somewhere?"
Before they could even smile apologetically, they saw Yang Yi Zhong hurriedly bringing in a document stained with sweat, and they waited in awe once again.
This time, in front of everyone, Zhao Jiu took it and opened it. After just one look, his expression changed. When his expression returned to normal and he tried to adjust his posture to look at it carefully under the light, he lost his grip on the letter in his hand and it fell to the ground.
The letter paper was thin and swayed slightly in the air, but it floated to one side. Zhang Jun took a step ahead and picked it up before Yang Yizhong. He took a look at it and his face changed immediately.
All the civil and military officials in the room were already frightened by the emperor's behavior, which was difficult to conceal. Seeing Zhang Jun lose his composure, they became even more panicked.
"I lost my composure." At this moment, Zhao Jiu sighed before Zhang Jun could. "In fact, I should have expected this... To be honest, this is Li Yanxian's urgent report. Pinglu was just lost today."
The civil and military officials in the hall sighed, but also felt relieved:
The fall of Pinglu meant that the only large stronghold of the Song army on the north bank of the Yellow River had disappeared. It also meant that the main force of the Jin army in Hedong, numbering more than 100,000, had completely cleared the road behind them and would soon be able to advance westward. Since ancient times, the advance from Hedong into Guanzhong has been unstoppable, and Han Shizhong could only delay it for a while.
However, the fall of Pinglu was within expectations, except that Hedong, which had been patient before, suddenly made a strong effort and broke through in one battle, which made people have to face up to the level of the third prince Erlido.
Yang Yizhong took the letter from the silent Zhang Jun and carefully handed it back to the gradually calmed Emperor Zhao. The latter took the letter and clenched it without reading it. He just shook his head repeatedly, as if he was unwilling.
"I thought Pinglu could hold out for a few more days... but now that Pinglu has been lost, the Hedong army could cross the river at any time, so we have to make plans early... Even Loushi seems to be waiting for reinforcements. If we delay any further, something bad will happen."
Everyone's hearts were slightly moved, and many people wanted to take the opportunity to speak out. Liu Ziyu was about to speak as well, but as if possessed by a ghost, he actually looked at Zhang Jun first, while Zhang Deyuan just returned to his seat and was in a daze. This made Liu Yanxiu stunned for a moment, and then he seemed to be thinking about something.
"That's it!" At this moment, Emperor Zhao obviously lost his patience, but he raised his hand and waved everyone away. "That's all for today... Lin Qing, bring me the decree! Zhengfu (Yang Yizhong) go find the messenger and tell him to settle down and not spread the news of the defeat at the front."
The defeat at the front made the emperor in a bad mood, and everyone had no choice but to say goodbye. Yang Yi Zhong even went out early to look for the messenger.
However, when everyone left, Xiao Lin, a scholar, came forward with the imperial edict. Zhao Jiu's expression remained unchanged, but he said something shocking: "Mr. Lin, tear up the imperial edict and rewrite it a few times. It is to let Hu Yantong stationed in Weiqiao go south to Lantian overnight! Send another edict to Li Yanxian, telling him that I know Pinglu has been lost, and let him deal with it himself, but he must be careful about what he says to Guanxi in the future!"
Lin Jing remained silent, tore up the paper in front of him immediately, then sat back in his seat to write a new decree. At this time, Yang Yi Zhong also hurried back.
"Wait a quarter of an hour and call back Prime Minister Yuwen and Zhang Xian. If those who went out before come back, let them in directly without making any noise! ​​Send a qualified officer to Lantian to find Hu Yantong, and have him take over all the documents from Guandong there and then forward them over." Zhao Jiu responded bluntly, shocking Yang Yi Zhong so much that he didn't even dare to respond and turned around and left.
Just like that, Zhao Jiu sat there for a while, but someone really came back in a hurry. It was Zhang Jun, the transport envoy of the five routes of Bashu, who had accidentally seen the contents of the letter before.
"Your Majesty, what shall we do?" Zhang Jun was still in a state of panic after re-entering the palace.
"You're just making people laugh." Zhao Jiu said sternly. "Old Su said that if Mount Tai collapses in front of you and you don't change your expression, or if a deer appears on your left and you don't blink, almost no one can do this. But since you are a minister of state, it's okay for you to be a little panicked when you first heard the news, but the matter is done, why are you still panicking now? If the generals below see this, they will be even more panicked."
Zhang Jun's face immediately turned red, but he tried to calm down. After taking a few deep breaths, he bowed again in the empty hall: "Your Majesty, may I ask how I should respond? I will not refuse even if I die!"
"I don't want you to die," Zhao Jiu shook his head. "As for how to deal with it, I have one more thing to confirm before I can tell you."
Zhang Jun was slightly startled and confused for a moment. Just as he was about to ask again, he heard a slight movement behind him. Turning back, he saw that it was Yang Yizhong who had returned with his good friend Liu Ziyu.
"Your Majesty!" Liu Ziyu bowed as soon as he returned. "I am acquainted with Deyuan. I saw him lose his composure just now and I had some suspicions. Please tell me frankly, what is the military situation?"
"Let's wait for Prime Minister Yuwen and Zhang Xian." Zhao Jiu shook his head again.
Liu Ziyu had no choice but to look at Zhang Jun and pretend to be patient.
But just as the two were about to take their seats, Yang Yizhong brought in a third person, and this person really surprised Zhao Jiu.
"His Majesty!"
Liu Qi, the governor of Lizhou Road, knelt on one knee and paid homage. "I'm sorry... but if there is anything wrong with the situation, as a military official, I should die for the country and your majesty!"
After saying that, without waiting for Zhao Jiu to speak, the man stood up and walked back, then walked out of the hall... Obviously, he knew that he had no need and no qualifications to participate in the final decision.
Seeing this, Zhao Jiu sighed.
After waiting for a while, Yang Yi Zhong finally brought back Yuwen Xu Zhong and Zhang Xian.
"Zhang Xian." Zhao Jiu was very straightforward. "I only want to ask you one question, and you try your best to answer it. Do you think Yue Pengju has crossed the river by now?"
Upon hearing this, everyone except Yang Yi Zhong, Xiao Lin, and Zhang Xian himself changed color.
"Good instructor, I know..." Zhang Xian took a deep breath and reluctantly replied, obviously a little unprepared by the suddenness of the question. "I roughly guess that they should have crossed the river!"
"What do you mean?" Zhao Jiu kept asking.
"I don't know the details, but he mentioned before we set out that we would cross the river in early May..."
"The note he gave me said early May."
"That means we have to cross the river to Xiangzhou in the first half of this month and launch an attack." Zhang Xian was suddenly excited when he heard this. "Because my brother... because General Yue never wastes time when deploying troops, never does unnecessary things, and never acts vaguely."
"But today is May 7th..." Zhao Jiu couldn't help but hold his forehead. "Tomorrow morning is May 8th."
"If you insist, I think he would cross the river more often on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the Dragon Boat Festival." Zhang Xian also seemed helpless. "But if the emperor really wants to ask, I can only make a rough guess."
"Go!" Zhao Jiu raised his hand. "Don't tell anyone about what happened today, and keep a low profile on the way back to the military camp."
Zhang Xian immediately understood and said goodbye.
"Your Majesty!" Liu Ziyu was extremely serious. "What happened? What happened to Yue Fei's troops crossing the river?"
Zhao Jiu, who did not get a definite answer, held his forehead with his hand and said nothing.
Zhang Jun, who had gradually calmed down, stood up reluctantly and said something to the puzzled Yuwen Xuzhong and the serious Liu Ziyu:
"The Jin army did not capture Pinglu, but succeeded in sneaking across Changquan!"
"Where is Changquan?" Liu Ziyu didn't react for a moment.
"Northwest of Luoyang, south of Wangwu Mountain, at the Yellow River ferry." Yuwen Xuzhong, who had been wandering between the two capitals for decades, turned pale and blurted out. "Luoyang is in danger!"
Liu Ziyu's figure swayed, and his face turned pale. After half a day, he finally spoke in a lost voice: "No wonder hundreds of thousands of troops gathered in Hedong, but couldn't even take Pinglu in one go, and there was no large-scale reinforcement from Longmen. I'm afraid they have been lurking at the foot of Wangwu Mountain..."
"They saw the dragon banner and thought I was there." Zhao Jiu, who had not responded for a long time, suddenly spoke with his eyes closed. "Everyone in the world also thought I was there!"
"The key is how to respond?" Yu Wenxu suppressed his inner panic and looked at him seriously.
"There are only two options." Liu Ziyu calmed down. "One is to send a large army to rescue Luoyang; the other is to pretend to be ignorant and go to Baishui to find an opportunity for a decisive battle... Your Majesty!"
"What do you think?" Zhao Jiu responded simply.
"In fact, the Jin army may not be able to cross many soldiers." Liu Ziyu thought for a moment and then advised again. "Because they are short of ships! Why not send troops to rescue them! But Yue Pengju..."
"If the enemy has few soldiers, the Zhai brothers can resist. If the enemy has many soldiers, the Mianchi Pass is narrow. Once the Jin army blocks it, it will be impossible to send troops from Shanzhou in time. So we can only hope that the troops around Tokyo will come to rescue from Sishui Pass." Zhao Jiu looked up. "But the question is, has Yue Pengju crossed it at this time? How many soldiers are left?"
"If we cross it, we won't lose anything!" Zhang Jun gritted his teeth and said, "Most of the Eastern Route Army came from Hebei. If they knew that Hebei was attacked, they would be as panicked as we are..."
"No." Yuwen Xuzhong shook his head. "If Yue Fei crossed the river, Tokyo would be empty."
"Your Majesty, what exactly happened with Yue Pengju crossing the river?" Liu Ziyu also thought of the key.
"It's not that he was hasty and sent troops without authorization. It's that the last time Zhang Rong burned Xiaowusha, before Lou Shi went south, I had some discussions with him about taking the initiative to cross the river." Zhao Jiu said frankly. "Before leaving this time, I was determined to defend Guanxi to the death, and I even talked to him. At that time, I thought that if he succeeded in leaving Hebei, he could work with Han Shizhong, Li Yanxian, and Ma Kuo to contain the Jin army in Hedong from three sides, and if I could gather strong troops in Guanxi, I would simply win the battle; even if Guanxi couldn't fight here, his leaving Hebei would be enough to shock the Jin army and cause the Jin army in Hedong to split up and fight... Just like the Beiwei Army, I have never told anyone about this matter. He mentioned it in the daily newspaper before, but I kept it all privately."
Liu Ziyu didn't know what to say for a moment... Because this plan certainly didn't fit his stubborn mind, and Zhao Guanjia's hiding many things from his subordinates was also unsatisfactory, but he had to admit that this was really a good plan. Because once successful, it would indeed be enough to share the pressure here in Guanxi, and it would also make the most of Zhang Rong's water advantage.
"Excuse me," said Xiaolin, who had been writing an imperial edict with his head down, suddenly standing up. "I thought General Yue might have already crossed the river."
Zhao Jiu and the others looked at each other in shock:
"How did you know?"
"Your Majesty, I would like to make a presumptuous guess." Scholar Xiaolin bowed. "After Xiaowusha, the Jin army was short of boats, and Changquan Ferry is the westernmost part of Xijing, right on the edge of the Imperial Camp Navy's patrol. I'm afraid that they were able to sneak across the river this time because General Yue was using General Zhang's boat to cross the river."
Everyone was silent for a moment, but no one could refute it.
Zhao Jiu even felt a sense of absurdity. The enemy's plan was successful because his own plan was successful. What was this? Were they just stabbing each other in the foot?
And they all hit the vital points.
Everyone gradually calmed down and focused their attention on Emperor Zhao.
"In that case, this matter cannot be considered a gain or loss. It's just that the battle situation is gradually becoming more intense and is beyond human control?" Zhao Jiu thought for a long time and could only stand up from his seat and sigh slightly, then walked out of the hall with his hands behind his back.
Several ministers who could be considered the real decision-makers in Kansai at the moment quickly followed.
Zhao Jiu walked out of the hall with his hands behind his back and walked towards the courtyard. He looked up and saw the Milky Way and stars in the night sky. The summer evening breeze was much more comfortable than indoors... He was mesmerized by the sight.
The official blew the wind for a while, looked at the Milky Way for a long time, and finally sighed at the sky after half a day: "This is Chang'an, this is Guanzhong. Since ancient times, whoever controls Guanzhong controls the Central Plains, and then controls the world! Therefore, Guanzhong cannot be lost. So after I arrived in Chang'an, although I secretly deployed troops and generals, it seemed that I was going to do this and that, but it was just a preparation for the necessary time. In fact, I really had the same idea as Yan Xiu, ready to waste time and drag on with the Jin army, to compete with each other to see who can't hold on first..."
"Your Majesty." Liu Ziyu was not happy but surprised when he heard this.
"But what happened today made me realize that this is a national war, and both sides have already put all their efforts into it. Although both sides have not yet engaged in a full-scale battle and are still being cautious, the slightest movement will inevitably lead to mutual involvement and a mess..." Zhao Jiu continued to look up at the sky and said, "My lords, some things follow a pattern, just like the falling of a seed and the changing of the sun and the moon. We can't avoid it!"
"His Majesty."
Liu Ziyu's expression became increasingly serious. At the same time, Yuwen Xuzhong, Zhang Jun, Lin Jingmo, and Yang Yizhong were all silent. They just stared at the back of the young official and listened attentively.
"I have said more than once before that if you want to defeat the Jin people, you must be prepared for a protracted war." Zhao Jiu ignored Liu Ziyu and finally turned back to look at several important officials. "I still think so today. But the problem is that time and again, the Jin army came to us, and we were never able to outlast them? Outlasting is a national strategy, not an option during a war... At this point in the war, we have some assets and some troops that dare to fight, so why do we think we should just hold on and wait it out?"
Liu Ziyu was no longer talking. He had said everything he could say. The other people had already looked serious. Only Zhao Jiu kept chattering:
"The current situation is that Luoyang, as the middle section of the defense line, may have been breached by the Jin army, and Guandong will inevitably be shaken. But Yue Pengju may have successfully crossed the river to Hebei, forming a strategic clamp on the main force of the Jin Kingdom in Hedong. And here in Guanxi, we have a temporary advantage in manpower... So if the local battlefield is advantageous, why should we waste time and passively wait? What are we waiting for? Wait until the situation becomes bad and Lou Shi actively leads the army to attack the city, or wait for Lou Shi to suddenly die like Zhuge Liang?"
At this point, Zhao Jiu laughed, but the laughter stopped immediately:
"Wang Yuan is determined to become a marshal. His words actually make sense. Yan Xiu's words also make sense. Everyone is just guessing. No one knows what the other party can do. So, as Yan Xiu has repeatedly said, field battles are a gamble on the fate of the country. I think it is absolutely correct. It is a gamble, a gamble on the fate of the country and our own lives! But the problem is, can we not afford to gamble? Or do we dare not gamble? We shouldn't gamble? What if we lose the bet, die?"
"Others may not know, but this time , I am not afraid of death, and I am even less afraid of gambling!"
"You are all settling accounts with me, each with his own calculations, but are we the only ones who deserve to keep an account in our hearts? These days, we always talk about strategy and military strength, but have you ever asked the people of Guanxi, the Guanxi children in their troops, the Hebei refugees in their troops, and the wronged ghosts in the Central Plains who were massacred, whether they are willing to wait any longer? Do they want to see us gamble?!"
"You always want to know how I calculate the accounts in my heart, and you always feel that the accounts in my heart should include the people of the world, how sophisticated, how righteous, and how concerned about the overall situation..."
"Not so much! I have already made this account clear in my mind in Tokyo... that is, for a mere person like me, what kind of Song Dynasty should I leave for future generations? What kind of image should I leave for my descendants? That's all!"
"I'll be frank. My feelings today are the same as they were when I fled... I'd rather die with the name Zhaolie than live with the name Gaozong... I hope you'll be the same as I was back then."
Hearing this, Liu Ziyu, Yuwen Xuzhong, Zhang Jun, Lin Jingmo, Yang Yizhong and others all wanted to speak.
But Zhao Jiu had already stopped for a moment and continued to speak sternly:
"I have made up my mind. I will send troops to fight today!"
After saying this, he turned around, walked through several trusted ministers who had already fallen silent, and tried to go back to the back hall.
But at this moment, a gust of summer wind blew, and Emperor Zhao, who had been confused by what he said, suddenly sobered up a little, and seemed to suddenly think of something. He sneered, turned around and added to the ministers: "No matter what, in this battle, our army has more than 100,000 soldiers, and the Jin army plus the Huonu army has only 40,000 soldiers. The advantage is on my side!"