Volume 4 Chapter 73 Chain
On April 14, the Song army suddenly launched a large-scale attack, first eliminating the Xixia strongholds at the various mountain passes of Hengshan, and then directly crossed Hengshan in two groups. On the 15th, the main force of the imperial camp began to engage in full-scale battle with the hastily-armed Xixia troops. Fights broke out in Longzhou, Hongzhou, and Yanzhou. On the same day, there were seven battlefields where the number of people on both sides exceeded a thousand.
But to be honest, the war was not as devastating as imagined.
In fact, here in the rear of the Imperial Camp, the middle and lower-level Song army officers and soldiers were very surprised about suddenly crossing Hengshan. The officers probably knew that they had no preparation for a real war before, and the soldiers were also somewhat reluctant to leave the fort and abandon the Jurchens on the flank to attack the Western Xia people... Relatively speaking, the Dangxiang people fought very bravely. Although they were caught off guard and the front-line forces were obviously insufficient, they still tried their best to defend each stronghold, and orderly cover the retreat, gathering in large towns and strongholds to resist step by step.
As for the Dangxiang tribes on both sides of Hengshan, they were not very optimistic... Although they made a choice under the rare strong words of the Song army, most of them were very perfunctory. Many tribes simply only sent dozens or even a dozen people to respond to the call, and it did not delay them from privately informing the Xixia people.
At the same time, just from the progress of the war, it can be seen that the Hengshan Dangxiang tribe, who stood on the side of their Xixia compatriots without hesitation, actually had more numbers and worked harder.
The reason for all this is self-evident - the information gap is too big!
At this time on the Hengshan front, all the people on both sides of the enemy, except Wu Jie, the commander of the Song army, who guessed that possibility, no one knew or dared to think that Xingqing Prefecture had fallen, that the heart of Western Xia had been pierced by a knife, and that the Dangxiang people were about to reach the end of their road... Isn't this nonsense?
On the Western Xia side, except for a very small number of high-ranking officials such as Weiming Chage, Weiming Renli and the heads of the five states of Hengshan, the rest of the people did not know that Xingqing Prefecture "might be in great danger". In fact, only Chage knew the exact date when the Song army appeared at the gorge. The military supervisor Weiming Renli thought it was three or four days ago, and that there were only 10,000 or 20,000 Song troops, and that there was still plenty of time... It was not Chage's fault. He had to block the news and even lied to reduce panic.
Just look at Xiao Heda to understand this. What Cha Ge did was absolutely right, and it was not even enough.
Therefore, beyond the level of the military inspector Weiming Renli, the defender of Hongzhou Weiming Yunge, and the commander-in-chief of Xiazhou Xiao Heda, many Western Xia officials and soldiers, including the local Dangxiang tribal leaders, were shocked by Wu Jie's sudden and reckless attack. At most, they thought that Cha Ge's retreat had attracted the attention of the Song army, and the opposing Song army thought they could take advantage.
It's not even an attempt to gain an advantage, he just wanted to slow down Cha Ge's pace of returning to the army.
Even the few high-ranking officials who were more careful only focused on the fact that the Khitans colluded with the Mongols to cause unrest in the Yinshan Mountains in the north, which led to the court placing Xiazhou Governor Xiao Heda under house arrest.
As for what happened next, most of the warring parties generally believed that at this time in Hengshan, the strength of the Dangxiang people exceeded that of the Song army, and it was not a wise move for the Song army to cross Hengshan when they were not strong enough, and then take the initiative to attack when the logistics line was not safe. It was even possible that the long and fruitless battle caused the wrath of the Emperor of the Song Dynasty behind them, and just like the dramas of the Western Army in previous years, they were forced to send troops... Therefore, many grassroots officers and tribal leaders easily inferred based on their own experience that this time the Song Dynasty might return empty-handed again.
Of course, there seems to be a chance of victory, that is, unless the Song army can break through Yan'an in a short period of time and follow the Suide army to take Yinzhou, forming a multi-pronged attack.
There is no way. Different amounts and levels of information lead to different judgments and even different ways of thinking. It is no wonder that these people do this. However, what really determines the direction of the battle is definitely the reality behind the information... So what is reality?
On April 16, Weiming Chago, who had already reached Tiemenguan behind Yanzhou, received dozens of intensive military reports in one day. He felt dizzy and fell into extreme panic... Because on this day, he not only received the emergency documents behind him, but also finally met the officials who fled from the desert and the other side of the Yellow River, saw the latest request for help from Lingzhou, learned the reality of the loss of Xingqing Prefecture, and even learned the news that the king and the prince were missing.
For a time, Western Xia Jin Wang Weiming Chage was in a dilemma!
It was really a dilemma. He was not an emperor, but just a general leading troops. He had no power at all and had never thought that he would have to choose between the two largest and most prosperous territories in the country... On one side was the Seven Prefectures of Hengshan, where his ancestors had built their fortune, with salt ponds , the Hengshan defense line, and the area controlled by the Jurchens; on the other side was Xingling, where his ancestors had moved immediately after acquiring the land, and where he grew up, with the Helan Mountains and the Yellow River, the Tang Canal, and millions of acres of fertile farmland.
In terms of value, whether it is economic value, military value, or political value, Xingling is definitely better than Hengshan, and it is far better. But the problem is that Hengshan is completely in the hands of the Dangxiang people at this time. As long as he turns back, I believe that Wu Jie's offensive will be curbed to a large extent. At the same time, the rich Xingling land has been occupied by the Song army for more than half.
Throughout the afternoon, Weiming Chago kept telling himself that no matter what, he must make a quick decision, because the fate of the country was in his hands... Compared to advancing or retreating, the only thing he was sure of was that staying in Tiemenguan would be the most troublesome, because he had already sent out 6,000 Iron Harriers and 8,000 subordinates previously deployed in Yanzhou, who were estimated to have reached Lingzhou by now. His troops were divided into two by the desert... However, the more this happened, the more panicked he became, and the more difficult it was for him to make a decision.
In a word, Cha Ge was also a little stunned by the shock of this news.
But it doesn’t matter, Cha Ge soon realized that he no longer had to make decisions.
"What do you mean?"
In the evening, Cha Ge, who was almost having a splitting headache, was asked by his trusted subordinates to leave the best house in Tiemenguan, but he was immediately furious because no less than a hundred officers had gathered in the yard in front of his residence. "Want to rebel?"
"Prince Jin, no one wants to rebel!" An old general who was obviously elected led everyone to kneel down, then he knelt forward, hugged Cha Ge's legs and spoke earnestly. "Prince Jin, we just want to ask, since Xingqing Prefecture has been occupied by the Song people, why do we have to stay here? Shouldn't we go back to rescue the emperor?! Our tribe, children, savings, and property are all in our hometown! Even if the king and the prince are not here, shouldn't they be in the west?"
At the end of his words, his eyes were red, tears were starting to fall from his eyes, his voice became sobbing, and he rubbed his body against Cha Ge's legs.
Cha Ge stared at this person in a daze, his heart was churning for a moment, but he suddenly realized:
The man who was holding his legs was in his fifties. Although he was older, he was promoted by himself, so his loyalty was of course not a problem. However, at the same time, this man who was the commander of Jingzhou was also the "Zu Ru (big leader)" in the local Fanguan system of Jingzhou. His tribe was in Jingzhou next to Xingqing Prefecture!
This man and his tribe had land awarded to them in Jingzhou, a Buddhist temple that the tribe had long worshipped, a large house belonging to his tribe in Xingqing Prefecture, and a cemetery exclusively for his tribe at the foot of the Helan Mountains... How could such a man, such a core backbone of the army, agree to let himself stay in Hengshan?
And if even this kind of person is unwilling to stay in Hengshan with me, what about others?
Thinking of this, Cha Ge could not help but glance around the yard, and he had an idea in his mind - there was no other reason. Among the 30,000 Tangut troops at Tiemenguan at this time, more than 20,000 were brought from Xingling. Most of them were from Xingling, and a few were even from Hexi and Yinshan. There were also thousands of troops from Hengshan, but they were undoubtedly a minority.
"Prince of Jin." Just when Cha Ge was relaxed, the general looked up at Cha Ge's silence and looked at him with tears in his eyes. "Let me say this again. You must not make a fool of yourself at this moment... We have just discussed that the king has been in office for nearly fifty years and people are attached to him. If you think about the position of king at this moment, it will only make people lose heart. But then again, if something really happens to the king and the prince, even if you don't take this position, we will definitely not be convinced! As for the fact that only the prince or the king of Yue is still alive, isn't it inevitable that you will be the Shangfu or the Grand Tutor? What is there to hesitate about?"
Hearing this, Cha Ge completely relaxed... Isn't it? At this time, the officials who fled to the west and the frightened refugees had already appeared in large numbers, and the news could not be concealed at all. Since the news could not be concealed, with people's hearts in turmoil, how could he have the final say?
He is not some powerful official! He is just a general from the royal family who is good at fighting and a bit greedy and lustful!
Although Cha Ge had his confidants in the army, confidants were not good enough. Just like the man under his feet, on the one hand, he was his confidant, but on the other hand, he was also the direct confidant of Li Qianshun, the ruler of Xixia who had been in power for nearly fifty years, okay... Even Cha Ge was Li Qianshun's confidant, okay?
You have to know that the army is a living thing. It has 30,000 people, with layers of organization, and everyone has his or her own ideas!
Of course, the more important point is that Wei Mingcha Ge himself grew up in Xingqing Prefecture and was loyal to his brother, so he was in a dilemma.
At this point, it would be more accurate to say that it was going with the flow rather than being coerced.
Thinking of this, Cha Ge no longer hesitated, wiped his tears and sighed: "What are you thinking about? When has my loyalty to the king changed? I was worried about my brother's whereabouts, and I was worried that you would have second thoughts after knowing the news, so I was scared and dared not come out... Now Lingzhou is still in our hands, and you are all so loyal, so let's not wait any longer, and set off quickly, according to the original plan, go to Lingzhou, then cross the river to recapture Xingqing Prefecture, and then find the king and the prince! Drive all the Song dogs out!"
Everyone was in an uproar and cheered in unison, showing an attitude of returning to their teacher.
However, things could not end like this. Cha Ge reached an agreement with most of the army and walked out of the yard. However, he saw more than a dozen officers who looked terrified but had not dared to enter the yard before. He felt helpless.
After Weiming Chage learned the news, in order to increase the efficiency of the rescue, he ordered the nearest Yanzhou Army to rush west, and then ordered the Iron Harriers to follow quickly, but at the same time he forced several thousand troops out from the Hengshan front. Otherwise, how could he gather 30,000 people so quickly?
The small group of officers outside the yard were the leaders of the local troops in Hengshan.
"I won't make it difficult for you." Cha Ge gritted his teeth. "It's difficult here in Hengshan too, so don't go there. Go to the front line in Yanzhou first to support, and then listen to the orders of Renli, the military supervisor of Yuzhou, and listen to his unified dispatch... Before I left yesterday, I had him recruit civilians over 16 and under 60 from the seven states... You try your best to hold on, and I will come back to rescue you when I recapture Xingqing Prefecture."
These officers also felt relieved for a moment, just like Cha Ge.
After sending these officers away, Cha Ge knew that if the news continued to spread, it would inevitably cause turmoil in Hengshan. However, since he had made up his mind, he could not change it. He had to write a special military order to the military supervisor Weiming Renli who stayed in Youzhou, explaining the situation in advance so that the other party could calm the people, especially control Weiming Heda... This man was too dangerous at this time.
After writing the last letter, Cha Ge, the great general of the Xixia royal family, finally felt completely relieved. He packed up his things, led an army of more than 20,000 troops coming from the direction of Xingqing Prefecture, and marched westward overnight. He gathered displaced officials and civilians along the way, preparing to join the army in Lingzhou and then retake Xingqing Prefecture.
Not to mention that Cha Ge was not a hero after all but a loyal royal general. Just say that he was determined to return to the west. However, six of the seven states of Hengshan who came to ask for reinforcements were in a state of complete collapse... They were here during the day and had already known the news of the fall of Xingqing Prefecture and the whereabouts of the king and his son. Their minds were blank at that time. At this time, they saw Cha Ge leading the main force westward overnight, leaving only a few thousand local troops temporarily transferred to guard Yanzhou. It was obvious that he intended to preserve the passage between Hengshan and Xingling areas, and they could not be easily dispatched. But how could they not know that Hengshan had no reinforcements at all?
The rear army of the Song Dynasty's imperial camp on the opposite side probably anticipated this situation and took advantage of it?
In desperation, the envoys turned back. There is no need to mention the envoys who were in Yanzhou, and the rest of the envoys who returned to the front lines. It was only said that the envoy of the temporary military commander sent by Youzhou Weiming Renli not only failed to ask for reinforcements, but instead received a military order. He had to travel west overnight to return to Youzhou, preparing to meet the military supervisor who was in charge at the time, Shu Wang Weiming Renli.
However, this man, accompanied by several soldiers and showing King Shu's silver military command badge, entered the city. Before he could report, he was shocked to find that Youzhou City had been in chaos early in the morning... There were soldiers and messengers like himself .
At first he thought that some fleeing officials had come here and reported the fall of Xingqing Prefecture, causing chaos.
However, after walking a few steps, he met a familiar military colleague and could not help but take the initiative to communicate with him. Then, it was like a bolt from the blue, and he was shocked on the spot.
It turned out that after the two sons of Xiazhou Governor Xiao Heda returned to Xiazhou, they took advantage of the opportunity when the local tribes and people were mobilized to contact and incite the local exiled Khitan tribes and many subordinates loyal to Xiao Heda. They took advantage of the opportunity when Wei Ming Yun Ge hurriedly returned to Longzhou because of an attack on the front line, and directly raised troops, claiming that their own father had been detained for no reason and they wanted to rescue their father.
The city is in turmoil now, and we must be on guard against the Xiazhou troops, because after the other side gathered thousands of people, they headed straight here. It is possible that they will engage in fighting outside the city tonight.
The messenger had no idea how he entered Weiming Renli's office. He just went in to greet him blankly, explained the situation, and then presented Cha Ge's military order... Poor Weiming Renli, a Confucian scholar from the royal family who has left his name in history, heard a thunderbolt the day before yesterday, another thunderbolt last night, and another thunderbolt early this morning. After summarizing the information, he was completely out of control.
That was not all. Perhaps because Xiao Heda had commanded the army in Xiazhou for nearly twenty years and had been in charge of the military for five or six years, he had a deep foundation. Before Renli could regain his senses, someone else took the initiative to ask for a meeting early in the morning, and it was actually to deliver a message for Xiao Heda who was under house arrest.
"Your Majesty (Weiming Renli is the Shu King of Western Xia)." The latter was a local coach in Youzhou, a mid-level military officer, and also a Lü Ze (mid-level tribal leader). He was someone the envoy knew, and this person was summoned, bowed his head, and then spoke earnestly. "General Heda said that his sons and subordinates were just dissatisfied with his imprisonment and made trouble for a while, and now the country is in danger. If he can be released, he is willing to come forward to appease his sons and subordinates, and then take them to the front line of Longzhou to support... In this way, wouldn't it be the best of both worlds?"
After hearing this, Weiming Renli felt his mind go blank and he remained silent for a long while.
After a while, the man was desperate and asked the envoy on the other side: "Ahua, what do you think we should do? The King of Jin asked me to take good care of Heda, and Heda and his son are in such a state, what should I do?"
The messenger named Ahua was speechless for a moment.
Firstly, he was born in a small tribe in Longzhou, and was in charge of horse breeding in the Youzhou branch of Feilongyuan. It was only because of the fighting in the front that there was no one available, so he temporarily served as an envoy in the military department. How could he know about such important military and national affairs?
Of course, under normal circumstances, he would be happy to curry favor with Wei Ming Renli, but what about now?
Secondly, since this coach came to pass on the message for Heda, he must be related to Heda... Of course, there are probably few people in the seven states of Hengshan who are not related to Heda. Even he, the head of Feilongyuan in Youzhou, has some connection with Heda's eldest son... But the problem is, how could His Royal Highness Prince Shu tell the other party about Cha Ge's military order regarding Heda?
Since the envoy was silent, the coach beside him was shocked and kowtowed on the ground in the office hall: "I was just a subordinate of Heda for many years. I happened to be on duty last night and was called by him to pass on a message. I didn't know that the King of Jin had a military order..."
Wei Ming Renli was slightly relieved to see that this man not only did not force him but instead took the initiative to give in. However, he was also extremely anxious, frightened and sad because of all the news, so he simply waved his hand to signal the man to go away.
The man stood up and left. The messenger looked at his back, but his heart suddenly started beating wildly.
There was no other reason. At this moment, the envoy just came to his senses and suddenly realized that the reason why the coach was so honest was because he did not know that Xingqing Prefecture had been captured by the Song people, nor did he know that the king and his son had lost news, and he did not even know that Weiming Cha Ge had led the main force to Lingzhou.
Otherwise, why would he be so frightened?
In fact, at this time, east of Youzhou City, only he and Shu Wang Weiming Renli in front of him knew this information... This was an advantage, but this advantage would probably be gone tomorrow, and he would have to become the Bi Ma Wen in the Song Dynasty drama, and he might not even be able to be the Bi Ma Wen.
Because by this time tomorrow, everyone will know all the news, and by then will the overall situation of Western Xia be able to hold on?
Now the news of Xingqing Prefecture has not spread, and the king's majesty still covers everyone. Xiao Heda's son dared to rebel. Then when the news spreads, will the leaders of the Hengshan tribe and the commander in front of him still hesitate?
So, as if by magic, when Wei Ming Renli turned around, Ahua did not return the token. Instead, he bowed and retreated with the coach and left the hall.
And just as Ah Hua thought, Wei Ming Renli, who usually seldom participated in military affairs, was already confused. Moreover, the government office was in chaos at the time, and he did not pay any attention to this matter when he was hastily summoned.
After leaving the hall, Ah Hua bowed and said goodbye to the commander calmly, then hurried out of the office. When he saw the soldiers waiting for him to leave, he actually took out the general's command card from his pocket again, and said to them sternly: "The king has ordered that you still follow my guard orders."
Of course, the soldiers had nothing to say.
Then, Ahua mounted his horse and led several soldiers to gallop directly to a temple in the city, and arrived at the place where Xiao Heda was imprisoned before the commander.
He showed the silver token representing the identity of King Shu. Moreover, Ah Hua was the manager of Feilongyuan directly under the Military Department, and he was well-known in the local area. Therefore, after a brief confirmation, the guards lifted the ban. Ah Hua entered the temple openly, but he pretended to be calm. He simply called Xiao Heda in front of the guards, and then showed Xiao Heda the silver medal of the Military Department and the military document that served as proof of his identity as an envoy in public, and said seriously:
"Commander Heda, King Shu knows that you asked the on-duty coach to pass on a message last night, and he is going to summon you in person for questioning."
Xiao Heda is over 40 years old this year, in the prime of his life. He first served as the commander-in-chief of Xiazhou (equivalent to the commander-in-chief), and served as the commander-in-chief of the Hengshan front several times. Unlike Wei Mingrenli, he was under house arrest and even asked for a pair of leather armor. However, he could see a little problem from the document... But the more problems there were, the happier he was.
As for the soldiers guarding nearby, they actually had no doubts, because they knew about this matter.
Just like this, in the midst of chaos and war in the city, a leader of Feilongyuan who had a sudden impulse actually took control of a key figure who was related to the safety of the entire Hengshan.
After going out, Ah Hua mustered up his courage and made the final arrangements... First, he borrowed a leather helmet with a cowhide mask from the garrison on the grounds that Xiao Heda was not convenient to show up on the street, and then he set off and actually went to the government office.
To be honest, at this moment Xiao Heda almost thought he had misunderstood.
But soon, the group returned to the government office. Several guards stayed outside, but Ah Hua took Xiao Heda, who was dressed as an ordinary soldier, directly into his public room, then bowed his head and kowtowed... and then stood up and whispered to each other. With just a few simple words, the other party, a Khitan general who had commanded the army for twenty years, was stunned on the spot:
"Commander-in-chief, Xingqing Prefecture has been lost, the father and son of the king have lost their traces, Jin Wang Cha Ge led the army back to Lingzhou, Shu Wang Renli has lost his composure, Song Army Commander Wu Jie is at the gate of Hongzhou, Commander Guo Hao is at the gate of Longzhou, and your two sons have already raised an army... Don't say a word now, follow me out of the side door, and go directly to my Feilong Court to get a horse, and I will take you out of the city!"
After a few words, Ah Hua was already sweating all over, and wasn't Xiao Heda the same?
The two men almost forced their bodies to turn around and go out. As expected, they went out from the side door, entered Feilongyuan to get their horses, and then easily passed through the city gate with the silver medal, but went straight to Xiazhou in the northeast. When they reached the fork in the road, they encountered the chaotic army of Xiazhou.
At this point, Xiao Heda took off his helmet and threw it on the ground, then proudly joined the army. He first rewarded Ahua with all the army's wealth, and then ordered his troops to return to Xiazhou!
It's not that he didn't want to attack Youzhou, but with the thousands of troops mobilized by his sons, they could not conquer Youzhou, which was already prepared. But if he, Xiao Heda, personally went back to Xiazhou to summon all the troops, he could gather an army of over ten thousand people in a short time, which could be considered a real army.
At that time, he still will not attack Youzhou, he will attack Longzhou and Hongzhou!
The day was April 17th.
On that day, the Song army still had a difficult time making progress.
On April 18th, the Song army was still defeated in the heartland of Western Xia... The Yanzhou direction even encountered a large-scale counterattack, forcing Huanzhou governor Yang Zheng to retreat hastily. The Hongzhou area, which was originally supervised by Wu Jie and had made the fastest progress, also became less smooth due to the return of the defending general Weiming Yun Ge.
But on April 19, the Song army suddenly received strong support from many Hengshan barbarian tribes. The support that had been perfunctory was no longer perfunctory. Many tribes that had originally followed the Western Xia also intended to withdraw back to the mountains. The resistance faced by the Song army suddenly loosened.
Of course Wu Jie knew what was going on. The day before, he had verified his thoughts from the accurate military reports behind him, and then he slept more soundly.
On the 20th, more foreign tribes chose to follow the Song army. As soon as these people returned to the mountains, they wiped the blood off their weapons, took their stored food, war horses, and equipment, and went to the Song army camp, as if they were not the ones who had fought bravely with the Song army in the past few days.
In this regard, Wu Jie accepted all offers.
And that evening, Longzhou suddenly fell... The insider arranged by Xiao Heda several months ago opened the city gate, and then Guo Hao and Xiao Heda joined forces in the city, and then without stopping, they headed towards Hongzhou in the southwest.
Brother Wei Mingyun, who had just returned two days ago, was in a state of disgrace and had no choice but to abandon the city and leave.
So far, of the seven prefectures in Hengshan, the central ones of Hongzhou, Longzhou and Xiazhou were completely lost, as if their hearts were cut open and their abdomens were ripped out, and the Hengshan defense line, which the Western Xia people had managed for more than a hundred years, fell into a state of collapse at an increasingly rapid speed with the loss of Xingqing Prefecture.
The ancestors were in turmoil, then the troops were transferred, followed by the invasion of the old enemy, which exposed internal hidden dangers, and finally turned into the real fall of the city and the collapse of the defense line.
All this happened in just five days.
Back to the present, since Wu Jie has joined forces with Guo Hao, Xiao Heda and other armies, plus countless defected foreign tribes, totaling no less than 40,000 people, he will naturally launch a large-scale march towards Youzhou and Yanzhou.
But at this time, he heard a piece of news that made him a little panicked - the emperor brought his own imperial guards, plus the two divisions of Jie Yuan and Yue Chao of the left army of the imperial camp, a total of 7,000 people, and went northward against the Beiluo River. They passed Fuzhou the day before and continued to go north, but turned west from the Diaoyin Mountain camp and were almost reaching Bao'an Army.
At the same time, behind the emperor were Hu Yantong's troops, as well as Zhai Cong and Dong Xian's troops supported by Li Yanxian, totaling 7,000 people, who were heading here.
This official had obviously finally learned about the news of Xingqing Prefecture, and he was very confident in himself and Yue Fei, and was also very concerned about him... Wu Jie was of course grateful for this, but he was still a little flustered. But after all, Wu Jie had to admit that with the arrival of this news, the various tribes in Hengshan surrendered even faster.
Xiao Heda, who had been somewhat rebellious, instantly became obedient - this was the power and influence of the emperor.
"General Xiao has made great contributions. The emperor has summoned him and wants to reward him in person." After a brief thought, Wu Jie convened all the generals in the city of Hongzhou the next morning, and then falsely conveyed an imperial decree to Xiao Heda in public. "The dragon flag is in Bao'an Army, and it will be there in one day... Youzhou is already in a state of panic. Just let your sons lead the troops and go with our town. General, go and receive the reward."
Xiao Heda, who had just ended his house arrest three days ago, wanted to refuse, but he didn't know how to refuse.
