Volume 6 Chapter 2: Staying
"Quick! Quick! Quick!"
"The whole army follows!"
"Don't wait for the infantry. Bring your food, mount your horses, find a poor horse to load your armor, and march north with your whole army!"
"Throw down those pots and ladles! Once we enter Taihangxing, Zezhou is so big that we don't need a ladle like you!"
On the afternoon of the fourth day of the first lunar month, the tenth year of Jianyan had just arrived a few days ago. The ice and snow had not melted, the rivers were not open, and on the plains on the north bank of the Yellow River, the east of Wangwu Mountain, and the south of Taihang Mountain, countless cavalry were marching hurriedly eastward, and the scene was in chaos.
"I wonder what year it is in the palace of heaven?"
In this chaotic scene, surrounded by several knights, on a hillside somewhere in the north, there was a sturdy armored general astride an exceptionally strong warhorse, uttering absurd words.
Of course it is a ridiculous statement.
After all, at this moment, it is the New Year's Day, and the situation and scene are clearly one of war and chaos. This place and division are obviously the former Hanoi, the current Meng and Huai areas.
From any perspective, this poem is totally inappropriate.
However, many senior officers around the general seemed to understand the deep meaning of their commander-in-chief's poem... Now, most of the imperial cavalry were in a state of 'not knowing what year it is in the palace in heaven'?
That's right, the one who recited this poem was Qu Duan, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Cavalry, and many of the people around him who echoed him were also officers of the Imperial Cavalry. The reason why these Imperial Cavalry generals, who were known for being both civil and military, approved of this poem was that the situation of the Imperial Cavalry at the moment really fits the artistic conception of this poem by scholar Su Shi.
In order to prevent the main force of the Jin army from crossing the Yellow River from Hunan, the heavy cavalry in the Imperial Camp Cavalry and a part of the Eight Character Army under Li Qiong, totaling more than 30,000 people, were thrown on both sides of the Chenguan Pass for defense. They did not participate in the crucial battles in Daming Prefecture and Taiyuan Prefecture. At that time, the Imperial Camp Cavalry was very dissatisfied.
But now, with the two loud noises before the New Year, Daming Prefecture and Taiyuan Prefecture opened their cities together, and the situation changed completely. Within a few days, good news came in from the north like a stream, and the imperial cavalry received the news passively, so they were naturally even more dissatisfied.
It was as if someone had forgotten about me, or as if I had been isolated from the core war. Anyway, I felt a sense of panic of being abandoned.
As mentioned before, the high-ranking officers of the Imperial Cavalry were both civil and military. How could they not know what the change of hands between Taiyuan Prefecture and Daming Prefecture meant in terms of military and political aspects? How could they not know how the Jinshi who followed the army under Taiyuan City, the "for consultation" who stayed in Queshu Valley, and the ministers, secret councils, and public councils in Tokyo would exaggerate these two great victories in the official newspapers?
But then what?
Then this big victory has nothing to do with them!
The Daming Prefecture was commanded by Yue Fei alone, and Zhang Rong and Tian Shizhong were all hiding in that big camp, so they couldn't hide from the merits, and others couldn't take advantage of them. When Taiyuan City was captured, everyone was there, but your Imperial Camp Cavalry was hundreds of miles away, so you couldn't get in even if you wanted to!
At this time, isn’t this poem by the great scholar Su Shi very appropriate?
However, no matter how dissatisfied everyone was, they could not complain about the government and the central government's arrangements, so they could only make a brief comment through poetry and then quickly change the subject.
"Is it too late?" After a moment of silence, Liu Qi, deputy commander of the Imperial Cavalry, looked at the army rushing forward down the hillside, and was obviously a little uneasy.
"It's hard to say." Commander Zhang Zhongfu frowned. "It's true that we are cavalry, but the north knew it almost two days earlier than us. Zezhou is definitely ours, but it's hard to say about Longde Prefecture."
"If that's the case, wouldn't this battle be in vain?" When Liu Qi heard this, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
"What do you mean, Vice Governor?" Zhang Zhongfu obviously misunderstood and tried to comfort him. "We are cavalry, and we should be used in field battles, capturing cities, etc. It's good to have merit, but why should we care too much if we suffer losses in seizing these free lands? We will start the decisive battle in Hebei soon!"
"It may not be possible to fight a field battle." Liu Qi whispered a piece of news that only a general knew. "The logistics cost is much higher than previously planned, and it can only last for three months at most... This is why General He Qu was willing to be whipped by the emperor to give it a try... You say, if the Jin army retreats decisively, giving up all the land in Hedong and Hebei, and retreating to the city of Yanjing, then considering the spring plowing, what if the emperor takes advantage of the situation and stops the war for a while?"
Zhang Zhongfu's expression remained unchanged when he heard this, but he was shocked in his heart. He then reined in his horse and took a few steps forward, came to Qu Duan's side, and looked at him, as if to confirm.
After all, he was his own trusted confidant. Riding on the new Iron Elephant, Qu Duan could only nod his head helplessly: "Vice-Commander Liu is telling the truth... But in my opinion, a decisive battle must still be fought... Because the war has come to this point, there is no reason for the government to stop. If we stop and let the Jin army go, and then send troops again in two years, it will be a waste of military resources and manpower."
Zhang Zhongfu nodded slightly, but after a moment's thought, he made a solemn request: "General, no matter what , it's always right to rush to Longde Prefecture... The Jin army has lost Daming Prefecture and Taiyuan Prefecture, and Longde Prefecture is already a dead end. There is absolutely no reason to hold on. If we can seize it, it will be a credit... How about I personally lead the army?"
Qu Duan thought about it and couldn't refuse, so he nodded immediately: "Go...you can go quickly, but be careful!"
Zhang Zhongfu responded immediately, but rode his horse down the hill and galloped away with a few trusted officers.
After they left, Qu Da was left with only Liu Qi and Xiahou Yuan and a few other guards beside him. He couldn't help but turn around and complain, "Why bother telling these people... They were already in a mess, and now it's even more chaotic. Besides, the Jin army didn't lose its fighting power just because they lost two cities. If they run into one or two crazy people and lose another battle, who will be responsible?"
"Why should the commander-in-chief blame me?" Liu Qi shook his head repeatedly. "With the current situation, if I don't say anything, will there be no chaos? Besides..."
"What's more?" Qu Duan stared at the chaotic army below and responded perfunctorily.
"Besides..." Liu Qi sighed in the back. "General, let's be honest. Based on what happened in Guanxi that day, it's really hard for you to ask for a big banner, but you can't stop the people below from going further, right? Even for me, although I don't expect to be a governor, how can I not want to establish merits and ask for grace from the emperor so that my brother can have a good result? He is just a pardoned civilian now, and he feels that he is a shame to our family. Moreover, is it only our cavalry that is like this? I don't believe that Wang De doesn't want his eldest son to have a bright future, and doesn't want his second son to return to the army and get a favor! Although it's difficult for you, we are all the same!"
Qu Duan sighed when he heard the words, knowing that the other party was telling the truth, and said no more. The cavalry below continued to advance in chaos.
Not to mention Qu Duan who rushed to send troops thousands of miles away after receiving the news, let's just talk about Emperor Zhao in Taiyuan City. Although he was relieved of his military responsibilities due to Wu Jie's arrival, he was still very busy in the few days after the New Year.
First of all, you still have to participate in military meetings and talk about military affairs on paper.
Secondly, in addition to military discussions, Emperor Zhao has been traveling around with his close ministers and consultants these days to comfort the troops.
For example, on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Emperor Zhao had a meal with the wounded soldiers who were placed in the city after washing his hands. Not only that, in the afternoon, after he sent Wang De to lead his troops to attack Dingxiang and Yanmen in the north, he gave up the inner city and returned to the camp outside the city.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, he went up to the city again and participated in the city defense repair activities, carrying soil and repairing the city with Yang Yizhong.
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, he personally inspected the laborers' camp, comforted the laborers who were supporting the front, and even wrote a Chinese letter for an old Dangxiang soldier, reminding the soldier's wife to be careful of the calf in the cow's belly at home.
There are many different actions.
Of course, all of this was accomplished under the watchful eyes of countless close ministers, guards, and many Southeastern consultants who were good at writing stories... Wherever he went, he was accompanied by more people than a full command camp.
All I can say is that as long as Emperor Zhao himself is not embarrassed, then it will be others who will be embarrassed.
"To lose the battle."
Back to the present, on the afternoon of the fourth day of the first lunar month, after a tour of the military camp, Zhao Jiu, who received the news, entered the city to attend the military meeting. When he saw Wu Jie, Han Shizhong and others, he blurted out something shocking.
"Why do officials say this?"
After a strange silence, Wu Da, with a yellow face, took the initiative to talk to the official.
"Taiyuan City was captured too easily, and the soldiers are arrogant." Zhao Jiu avoided the main seat and sat aside, speaking calmly.
"I do have this concern." Wu Jie laughed when he heard this. "But please judge wisely... I am arrogant, but it is also true that Taiyuan City was captured so easily and the overall situation is in your hands. There is a reason for my arrogance... Besides, in a war like this, victory or defeat is common. As long as it does not affect the overall situation, some things are just like that."
Zhao Jiu thought about it and found nothing to refute. Moreover, he always trusted Wu Jie and his generals in military matters. So he did not say more about the matter and just asked about the military situation seriously: "I heard that Yelu Ma Wu was unwilling to surrender even if he was offered a head in exchange for his life?"
"So that the emperor will know." Wang Yan came out from the side and replied sternly. "Not only did they not want to surrender, they also sent back the envoy's head instead of the equivalent head."
"What on earth does he want as a Khitan?" Zhao Jiu sneered. "With the capital he has, if he goes to Western Liao, Yelu Dashi can make him the King of the Northern Courtyard, which is only a little lower than some people with the surname Xiao, and stronger than Yelu Yudu! On the contrary, if he stays in Jin, will the Jurchens treat him sincerely?"
"It's hard to say about this kind of thing. As long as you can hold on, you don't care about life or death." Li Yanxian, who was standing by with his hands behind his back, couldn't help but interrupt. "War is like a tide, with huge waves and mud and sand all over the place. The difference between people is this breath..."
"That makes sense." Zhao Jiu was also thinking about it, but for some reason, he only said this and didn't say anything more.
In addition, Wang De led an army of 20,000 to the north to attack Dingxiang and Yanmen, while Han Shizhong, Prince of Yan'an, and Li Yanxian, Ma Kuo, Wu Jie, and Wang Yan all stayed in Taiyuan City to take charge. At this time, they were all in front of the emperor, and they could see that the emperor was speechless. Although the hall was full of people, they didn't know how to respond for a while.
After a moment, Zhao Jiu realized that he had affected the atmosphere and shook his head. He stopped expressing his feelings and continued to ask about the military situation: "Yelü Ma Wu is unwilling to give way, so what about Salihe who is trapped in a dead end?"
"Reporting to the emperor." This time it was Li Yanxian who reported... Obviously, these generals had a tacit understanding, and each had their own responsibilities and division of labor in front of the emperor. "Sa Lihe remained silent and closed the city to defend it."
"He doesn't believe that Taiyuan has already fallen?" Zhao Jiu frowned.
"There is no reason not to believe it." Li Yanxian said sternly. "The heads of several Meng'an and dozens of Mouke in Taiyuan City were sent to him, and there were also reinforcements sent to replace Deputy Commander Li to lead the Tangut Light Cavalry to besiege the city. He should not have believed it..."
"That's just pretending to be dead." Zhao Jiu didn't know whether to laugh or get angry. "This kind of person is common... blocking his ears, not surrendering or fighting, sitting and waiting to die... knowing that if he continues like this, no matter what the result, I can't forgive him, and Wushu can't forgive him either, but he still dares not move... Is that what you mean?"
"I'm afraid that's the case." Li Yanxian said concisely.
"It's also a problem." Zhao Jiu was also somewhat helpless. "What else? East, west, south, north, so what?"
"The Longde Prefecture in the south has already asked Deputy Governor Li to send troops to advance carefully..." This time it was Ma Kuo who answered.
"Is it to save face for Qu Duan and the Imperial Camp Cavalry?" Zhao Jiu shook his head, but was too lazy to say more. "How about the north?"
"So that the emperor knows that the Xinzhou defenders in the north do not believe that Taiyuan has fallen, and they are resisting tightly. However, Wang De is still a brave man after all. After leading his troops forward, he fought five fierce battles in two days and won one after another. Baijingzhai, Chitangguan, and Shilingguan have all been captured. Now we should be close to Xiurong, the capital of Xinzhou. If Xiurong is captured, Dingxiang will be in sight..." This time it was Han Shizhong who came to report. "After taking Dingxiang, we can advance to Yanmen and threaten Datong."
"In that case, the progress is smooth." Zhao Jiu nodded, without commenting, but looked at Wu Jie with some confusion.
There is no other reason. Taiyuan City has been taken. According to the current progress, all directions are in a state of sweeping, and this sweeping cannot be completed in a short time. As for the attitudes of Wanyan Salihe and Yelu Mawu, although they are a bit unexpected, they are not surprising in the war years. Just say it... So, this time, they specially called him to the city for military discussion. What exactly do they want to say?
Wu Da certainly understood, and immediately bowed and stepped forward, stating the fundamental reason for inviting Emperor Zhao to attend this military meeting: "So that the Emperor knows, there is a discussion among the generals... Yanmen and Datong must be taken, but since Xinzhou is advancing smoothly, and Yelu Ma Wu in Jingxing is unwilling to surrender, can we send an army from the north of Wutai Mountain, through Puyinxing, and out of Pingxingzhai (Pingxingguan)... If this is possible, the Jin army will certainly be in chaos, and Jingxing must be surrendered immediately... Besides, our army is gathered in Taiyuan, and we already have a lot of military strength. There is no reason to throw military supplies here."
Zhao Jiu was silent for a moment, then asked, "Who exactly is this 'general'?"
"It's Wang Sheng, deputy commander of the left army of the imperial camp." Wu Jie did not dare to hide it.
Zhao Jiu nodded. It was natural for this person to ask for a fight, but he still did not comment: "Then do you think this is feasible?"
This sentence is still nonsense. If these people think it is not feasible, they would not have called him.
"After discussion, we believe it is feasible." Sure enough, Wu Jie nodded his head and replied, just as expected.
"In that case, let the scholars issue the decree." Zhao Jiu's expression remained unchanged, and he nodded in agreement, but he said a few words. "Whether Wang Sheng or someone else will go, and how many people will they lead, you can discuss it among yourselves, Wu Jie will summarize the decision and report to me... However, just like I entrusted the rear to you gentlemen because you gentlemen were willing to put personal interests above public interests, you must also put military affairs first and not delay military strategies."
This was not a serious statement, and could not even be considered a warning, but Wu Da still quickly agreed, and the other governors also expressed their opinions one after another.
But Emperor Zhao just smiled and didn't care. Then, when the military meeting was over, he left calmly.
However, after leaving the inner city of Taiyuan, Zhao Jiu did not head all the way south to enter the camp in the south of the city. Instead, he asked most of his close ministers and followers to go back directly. He, Yang Yi Zhong, Liu Yan and some of the imperial guards rode out of the west gate, and when they reached the bank of the Fen River, they slowly rode south.
It is already after the New Year, and the freezing period should have ended at any time, but this matter still depends on God's will. In fact, the Fenshui River is still frozen, as if waiting for a special spring breeze.
Zhao Jiu walked southward along the river bank. He could see many soldiers busy coming and going on the shore... they were fetching water, fishing, communicating across the river, transporting supplies, etc. So, when he reached the southwest of the city, which was the gap left after the explosion a few days ago, the official dismounted again and had a brief chat with the soldiers who were fetching water. Upon learning that the ice layer had indeed become thinner, he gave some instructions, asking these people to be careful about melting the ice.
It seems that he is not tired of it.
After the conversation, they walked further north and came to the place where they had stopped their horses when they arrived at the city of Taiyuan that day. Seeing the main camp in front of them, Zhao Jiu sighed slightly on his horse for some reason, and then stopped his horse on the shore like he did that day, without moving... Only this time, he had his back to the city, looking at the glacier and the military camp, in the opposite direction.
Of course, they can meet each other, no matter which way they face. This time, there should be no Jurchen cavalry coming to break through the formation.
Yang Yi Zhong and Liu Yan knew Emperor Zhao's temperament, so they did not take it seriously at first . They both stopped their horses and followed him without saying anything extra.
However, as the sun set in the west, leaving only the afterglow, Emperor Zhao remained motionless... Moreover, the two could see clearly that the emperor had no intention of watching the sunset... so they felt somewhat helpless.
So after waiting for a while, Yang Yi Zhong and Liu Yan looked at each other and then divided the work tacitly - Liu Yan turned around and rode away on his horse, going into the camp to find more people to make necessary preparations, while Yang Yi Zhong, after hesitating for a moment, took the initiative to step forward and ask a few questions.
"Nothing... I just don't want to enter the camp." Zhao Jiu was honest. "I don't like the atmosphere in the camp these days."
Yang Yizhong, who had noticed something from the subtle details, was not surprised: "The emperor is still worried that because the city was too easy to capture, the army would be too arrogant and impatient to hide. Will there be a defeat?"
"That's about right!" Zhao Jiu finally turned around and laughed in the sunset. "But the atmosphere in the army is not just about arrogance, and what I am worried about is not just the defeat of arrogant soldiers."
Yang Yizhong thought about it for a moment and said, "Forgive me for being slow-witted. I can only see that the atmosphere in the army is not simply high morale. In addition to the troops asking for battle, they also tend to be blindly relaxed because the situation is good... I can't think of anything else. "
"Of course you can't notice it." Zhao Jiu smiled. "The extra part of the bad atmosphere I mentioned actually refers to the fact that after the city was captured that day, everyone in the city showed a bit more blind respect for me... I'm afraid that only I can sense this atmosphere more clearly."
"Isn't it a good thing that everyone, from top to bottom, fears and obeys the government?" Yang Yizhong hesitated and asked in a low voice.
"I can't tell whether it's a good thing or a bad thing." Zhao Jiu turned his gaze back to the military camp under the setting sun, and then sighed slightly. "Logically speaking, whether the Northern Expedition succeeds or fails, after the war, I still need prestige to do great things. At this time, the army is in awe of me, which is of course a good thing. Even my behavior when I broke into the city that day was a bit of a connivance, and I was intentionally or unintentionally using the incident to establish my authority... But the awe I want is not this kind of superstitious awe!"
"I am stupid." Yang Yizhong seemed to understand, but not quite. He understood a little bit in his heart, but he didn't know how to express it in appropriate words.
"What do you mean stupid?" Zhao Jiu laughed again. "If even you don't know what I'm thinking, then I'm really alone... I want them to know that it's gunpowder, but also understand that it's the best formula of gunpowder obtained after hundreds or thousands of experiments, and know that it took four or five years of accumulation and forbearance to make this move, so that they can be in awe!"
At this point, seeing Liu Yan rushing over with a few close officials and a group of civilians carrying torches, the official paused for a moment, then turned back and added, "To put it bluntly, I want them to respect me as a human being, not as a god."
Yang Yi suddenly realized... this was exactly what he thought.
Only in this way, it is difficult to say this... It is difficult to say for a minister, and it is difficult to say for an official.
"Let's go. It's so cold. Don't let so many people freeze by the river." Zhao Jiu said a few words, then went to meet Liu Yan and rode back to the camp.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, Yang Yizhong hurried to catch up.
It can only be said that no matter what the overall situation is, the ninth year of Jianyan has passed, and Emperor Zhao does not miss it, and the tenth year of Jianyan has arrived, and Emperor Zhao does not particularly welcome it.
