Chapter 288 The Three Armed Forces Work Together to Determine the Central Plains

In the spring of the fourth year of the Great Song Dynasty, the situation in the Central Plains underwent dramatic changes.

Originally, Jin and Meng Yuan joined forces to attack Xuzhou, but as their offensive was broken under the city of Xuzhou, the alliance between the two countries was gone, and Wo Kotai, who belonged to Menghu with Da Yuan, also inserted a knife from behind, forcing Jin Guo to send a letter to Pingzhang Wanyan Heda's first achievement to Lin'an to sue for peace, and the gold lord Wanyan Shouxu from Bianliang Nan Hunt to Caizhou, brought out the escort soldiers in the middle of the camp when they were camping, all scattered, Wanyan Shouxu fled to Yanling for Mengyuan to catch up, Wanyan Shouxu only took more than 100 ministers of the clan to get out of trouble, Along the way, they recruited militias from various states and gathered 30,000 people to flee into Caizhou City.

But at this time, Meng Heng, the vanguard of the Jingxiang Military Region of the Song State, personally led the elite cavalry and stepped on the spring snow soldiers to Caizhou.

Looking at Caizhou City, Meng Heng sighed at his hand, with a complicated expression on his face. He always felt that he was very familiar with Caizhou City, as if he had the experience of attacking Caizhou City in his childhood dream.

"It's a weird thing." He thought to himself.

"What is Brother Puyu thinking?" Zhao Jingyun asked on the side.

"I'm thinking...... Although this Caizhou is small, it is also strong, and the owner of the money is stubbornly resisting here, if it is delayed for a long time, I am afraid that it will not be conducive to His Majesty's policy of recovering the Central Plains. ”

Meng Hui didn't mention his strange dream, he replied affectionately stroking his horse's neck. Although the main force of Meng Yuan was not eliminated in the Battle of Xuzhou, Polu saw the opportunity early, and the situation was not right, so he withdrew his troops and returned to the north, and also took away a lot of money and silk children from the Jin State, but the other main purpose was to force the Jin State Lord Wanyan Shouxu out of Bianliang.

Now the Central Plains is a ripe fruit, but there is still a ferocious wolf peeking around, and the next thing Song Jun has to do is to drive away the wolf and take the ripe fruit into his arms.

"Fire two more shots at the city, let them surrender quickly." Zhao Jingyun sighed: "I originally thought that the war would be so tragic, but now it seems that with the appearance of artillery, there will be no more heroes in the war." ”

"Not necessarily." Meng Hui smiled: "I hope that there will be no heroes in our army, if there are heroes, let's let the enemy army appear." ”

Zhao Jingyun's sigh is reasonable, the appearance of firearms makes personal bravery not worth mentioning on the battlefield, and there is less of the kind of heroes who are invincible to 10,000 people. Meng Hui's laughter is from the perspective of a main general, heroes generally only appear when they are most dangerous, as long as the Great Song Dynasty maintains its advantage over these countries, then the hero has no meaning to the Great Song Dynasty.

The Great Song Dynasty, which entered industrialization, was like a tireless machine, mercilessly twisting to pieces any enemy who dared to stop his rise, and in the process, all personal heroism, whether it was enemy or ours, seemed meaningless.

"Your Majesty, the Song people fired a few more shots and blew up the South Gate Gatehouse......"

Wanyan Shouxu sat like a dead tree, staring blankly at the ministers, and the ministers did not dare to meet his eyes.

At present, the commander of the battle in the city is Yilahab, he is lucky, because he is to be imprisoned, he was taken to Bianliang for trial, halfway through the Jinmeng Alliance, he was also released, gathered an army of thousands of people and rushed to Caizhou, becoming the general with the largest number of troops under Wanyan Shouxu. Now there are nearly 80,000 soldiers and civilians in Caizhou City, but there is not much food, and the equipment to defend the city is also seriously insufficient.

"Really, did you shoot arrows again to persuade you to surrender?" After being silent for a while, Wan Yan Shouxu asked slowly.

"Yes, this is the letter of the Song people." Irabuha presented an origami paper.

The chamberlain took the letter, but he didn't dare to hand it over to Wanyan Shouxu, but put it on the desk in front of him. Wanyan Shouxu didn't dismantle it, but just looked at Ilabha woodenly: "What are the conditions?" ”

"I want Dajin to surrender unconditionally." Irabuha did not mince words.

"It should be so, the emperor of the Song Kingdom is not like me, he doesn't know the general trend of the world, and he still goes against the trend...... Wanyan Shouxu said lightly.

"Your Majesty!" Ilabha thought of Wanyan Heda, and couldn't help but call: "Your Majesty is the hope of the whole country, the safety of the world, the rise and fall of Dajin, all depend on Your Majesty, Your Majesty is so depressed, how can you be worthy of Heda Pingzhang?" ”

"Heda is wrong...... The general trend has gone, even Zhang Liang and Wang Meng have no chance to turn the tide. Wanyan Shouxu let out a long sigh, and his eyes swept over the ministers: "I don't have to read what the Song people said in their letters, it's nothing more than that I want to be the king of the dead country." Since I ascended the throne, I dare not say that I am far superior to my ancestors and ancestors, but I have also been conscientious and have never lost virtue. Dajin's death is the will of heaven, not caused by my incompetence......"

This temporary palace of the Son of Heaven was originally the residence of the governor of Caizhou, which was naturally cramped and narrow compared to the main hall in Bianliang City. Because the ministers were silent, when Yan Shouxu spoke, there was a faint echo.

The ministers didn't know what he meant, but they all listened quietly.

"I am in a hurry, and the prince is too young to be used...... Wanyan Zonglin. ”

Wanyan Zonglin is a clan, he was named the marshal of the east, he is strong and brave, he can hear Wanyan Shouxu call himself, he doesn't know what he means, but he still came out to worship: "The minister is here." ”

"I have made you the crown prince and passed the throne to you......" Wanyan Shouxu said calmly.

There was a deathly silence in the room at first, and after a while, Wan Yan Zonglin's exclamation came: "Your Majesty, by all means, minister...... Who are the ministers, how dare to covet the position of the supreme sect? ”

"Your Majesty, never!" Only then did the rest of the ministers react, and under the leadership of Irabuha, they bowed down and mourned: "Although the country is in decline, there are still 200,000 troops in Wuxian, and my Dajin loyal ministers and good generals are still there, although Bianliang is lost, but Menghu is just here for plundering, and after the plundering is completed, it will naturally retreat, and there is still something to be done in state affairs, why did Your Majesty say this?" ”

"Gentlemen!"

Wanyan Shouxu shouted twice, but the room still didn't calm down, he was furious, and kicked over the table, which made these courtiers look up at him.

"I just don't want to be the king of the country, I have this selfishness, and the ministers don't want me to do it?" Wanyan Shouxu asked.

The ministers looked at each other, and then they all looked at Wanyan Zonglin, after all, he was the person concerned.

"Your Majesty, the ministers are really unbearable...... Without talent and virtue, how dare you ......" Wanyan Zonglin was so nervous that his head was covered with sweat, and he couldn't even speak neatly, he muttered, still desperately refusing.

"Get up, get up." Wanyan Shouxu helped him up and smiled slightly: "I chose you as the heir, but I didn't want you to be the king of the dead country. What the ministers said is very true, after the captivity of Menghu, they will retreat, and there is still something to be done in the affairs of the state. It's just that now the Song people are surrounding Caizhou, my body is fat, and it is not easy to get out, Qing has always been brave and agile, or can break through on horseback...... It's ...... like this."

He was calm at first, apparently thoughtful, but when it came to the end, he still couldn't help but choke up. Wanyan Zonglin hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, I am willing to protect Your Majesty to fight your way out of the encirclement!" ”

"I ...... The Song people are not allowed to die, how can they be willing to give up? Wanyan Shouxu sighed, and tears couldn't help but flow out: "It was wrong at the beginning, originally Heda Pingzhang should have stayed, and it was ......right for me to appease Song Guofang."

Wanyan Zonglin was still about to speak, but was led by Wanyan Shouxu to the throne, Wanyan Shouxu pushed him into the throne, and untied the dragon robe from his own body and tied it around his neck, he was still about to get up and excuse himself, but Wanyan Shouxu forced him, and then shouted to the ministers: "The new emperor is established, why don't you congratulate him?" ”

Seeing that the matter had come to this, the ministers could only bow down and congratulate, and Wanyan Zonglin sat on the throne trembling, not knowing what to do for a while. Wanyan Shouxu quietly retreated, turned around and walked out of the house through the small door, and the voice of the ministers asking Wanyan Zonglin about the strategy of defending the battle was already heard in the house.

He stood in the doorway for a moment, then let out a long breath.

When he returned to his "dormitory," he ordered firewood and grass to be brought in, to surround the dormitory, and to pour grease on him. He did the grease himself, and when he did it, his face was calm and unwavering. Holding a box of matches bought from the Song people, he sat on the edge of the firewood and grass, muttered for a while, and then struck the match.

"I am not the king of the dead country...... he thought to himself, and then he threw the match at the hay that was used to make the fire.

But halfway through his hand, he stopped again, looking at the beating fire, and finally did not throw it down. Seeing that the fire was about to burn his hands, he threw the match on the ground, extinguished it with his foot, and gave it to one of his attendants.

"When the city is broken, light the firewood and grass for me, and then you ...... Disperse by yourself, I'm going to die, what's the use of dragging you with me? ”

"Your Majesty!" The chamberlain received the generous grace of the gold lord, and bowed down when he heard the words: "Your Majesty, it is better for Your Majesty to change clothes with the slave maid, Your Majesty took advantage of the chaos to go out of the city, and the slave and maid lit this fire, and then others thought that it was Your Majesty who died......"

"Even if I leave Caizhou, where can I flee to?" Hearing that this loyal inner servant was willing to die instead of his body, Wanyan Shouxu was a little moved, but he still shook his head resolutely: "It's still ......."

Before he finished speaking, he heard a series of loud noises, followed by endless noises, and he was taken aback: "Are the Song people starting to attack the city?" ”

"Slave maid go to investigate, maybe our reinforcements are coming!" The chamberlain ran over in a panic.

Wanyan Shouxu sat down slowly, he had completely lost the confidence and courage to confront Zhao and Ju. Wanyan Heda's last words asked him to serve Zhao and Ju like his father, and he thought so in his heart, but now in this situation, the emperor of the Song State clearly wanted to kill him and not give him the slightest respite.

If it weren't for the four generals of Zhongxing in the Song Kingdom, where would there be a chance to breathe, but where is his Zhongxing celebrity now?

After waiting for a while, the chamberlain had not yet returned, and Wanyan Shouxu heard the noise getting closer and closer to him, and then stood up, and saw the chamberlain crawling back with a belt: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, our army...... Our army has sacrificed the city! ”

Wanyan Shouxu only felt that his eyes were dark, and blood rushed to his head at the same time, causing him to fall straight into the firewood.

The end of the Battle of Caizhou was extremely dramatic, the Song army only fired dozens of cannons, fired dozens of letters, and the Jin soldiers defending the city opened the door to offer the city. At this time, the gold lord Wanyan Shouxu passed the throne to the eastern marshal Wanyan Zonglin, and he wanted to self-immolate. When the Song army invaded the city, Wanyan Shouxu fainted in the firewood and grass, and Wanyan Zonglin was congratulated by the hundred officials, he hurriedly went out to fight with the Song army, but was captured alive, and Wanyan Shouxu was also found, these two last monarchs of the Jin State, together became Meng Hui's prisoners.

How to deal with them, Meng Hui did not dare to be arbitrary, sent people to guard them strictly, and sent them to Lin'an with the ministers of the Jin State.

"Your Majesty is overjoyed, Your Majesty is overjoyed!"

On February 12 of the fourth year of Yanhuang, the battle report reached Lin'an, and Zhao Heju did not keep it secret this time, and immediately gathered his ministers and told them the news that Wanyan Shouxu was captured alive. The ministers were as happy as he was, and congratulated him, and he accepted it with a smile.

This is indeed happy news for everyone, there is no need to pour cold water on the ministers in order to show their differences, the ministers in the Daqing Palace, all of them are thoughtful people, after the excitement passes, some of them will naturally come out.

Zhao Youju's gaze swept over everyone's faces one by one, and stopped in Wei Liaoweng's face, the first to come out, I'm afraid it was him.

Sure enough, as Zhao and Ju expected, after a congratulation, Wei Liaoweng came out of the class and said: "Your Majesty, although the gold lord has been captured, the Central Plains has not yet been pacified, and this is not the time to celebrate the achievements and lie down." ”

Zhao Youju smiled and nodded slightly.

Zhao Shanxiang, the secretary of the Ministry of War, also came out and said: "Your Majesty, since the gold lord has been captured, he should use this to force the martial immortals to surrender, and the 200,000 gold soldiers in his hands must not be caused to collapse and harm the people." ”

This is an important issue, although the Jin State is dead, but there are still 200,000 soldiers in the hands of Wuxian, if these 200,000 people are allowed to collapse, not only will they harm the people, but also inevitably produce some strong gangsters who gather in the mountains and forests, which will not be beneficial to the stable and restored territory of the Great Song Dynasty to rebuild the Central Plains.

"The minister has a suggestion for this...... "Chen Guiyi, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, said: "Your Majesty, the Central Plains has been in the hands of the enemy for a long time, and the Jin Yu does not know how to govern the country, resulting in serious damage to the water conservancy roads in the Central Plains. Your Majesty can break up these 200,000 people, divide them into four or five branches, and under the supervision of the forbidden army, build roads and water conservancy in various parts of the Central Plains, and the state treasury can only feed them, and then give them a little money to support their families, so that in four to five years, the roads in the Central Plains can be smooth, and these defeated soldiers can also learn a skill, and they can have a way to make a living. ”

This coincides with what Zhao and Ju thought, Qin Dashi and Li Ye surrounded Yongzhou, and 200,000 people were like turtles in an urn, but Zhao and Ju were strictly ordered not to take the initiative to attack, in order to save the 200,000 laborers. Therefore, after Chen Guiyi finished speaking, Zhao Heju looked at Wei Liaoweng again: "Wei Qing, can the household department get this money, I really don't have any money to use in the Inner Mansion this year." ”

Wei Liaoweng said solemnly: "This is a major matter of the country, naturally not let His Majesty's treasury pay money, last year's income and expenditure, the minister has been in the household department colleagues in the overall calculation, it is estimated that the savings are not less than the year before last, if so, this money should be no problem." ”

"If the treasury is rich, treat them more generously, and ...... Zou Qing. Zhao Heju said to Zou Yinglong: "Since ancient times, good governance and disaster to the country are often caused by villains taking power, and the criminal department is in charge of justice. ”

This is a problem that Zhao Youju is very worried about, the hundreds of thousands of people, the families related to them are hundreds of thousands, if the money and food distributed are not in place, if they are deducted ruthlessly, and they are forced to rebel, then their plan to retain the vitality of the Central Plains as much as possible will be in vain.

Zou Yinglong replied yes and stopped talking, and Zhao Heju turned to Zhao Shanxiang, the secretary of the Ministry of War: "Zhao Qing, has the follow-up strategy of the Military Counselor's Office been sent to the front line?" ”

Before the war, the Military Counsellor's Office had drawn up the possible development trend of the war situation and the response measures of the armies, but now that the war situation has been decided, the Jin State has been in fact destroyed, so whether the original measures should be revised, Zhao Heju completely handed over the matter to the Military Counsellor's Office.

"Today, our army has two major objectives in the Central Plains, the first is to quickly advance the recovery of the homeland, and the second is to strike at Menghu so that Menghu will take away the people and wealth he has plundered." Zhao Shanxiang said: "The minister has ordered Qin Dashi to force him to surrender Wuxian as soon as possible, and at the same time, Li Ye and Wang Qinian's troops have rushed to Bianliang, Zhen Dexiu and Hu Shida have gone out of Chuzhou to take over Zhao Kui and Meng Heng's defense, and Zhao Kui and Meng Heng's troops are divided into two routes, Zhao Kui rushed to Bianliang and Li Ye Wang Qinian's troops, and Meng Hui led the elite troops to rush to Tongguan, striving to capture Tongguan and block Menghu's return. ”

Zhao Heju nodded slightly, Zhao Shanxiang's arrangement was a little selfish, that is, he would not let the guards of the Liuqiu system take all the credit, but it didn't matter, balance was the way of government, and he was biased towards the Liuqiu system, and he had to consider that there were other forces to balance it.

"That's it, Zheng Qing, you are ready to sacrifice the prisoners, and after the Central Plains is pacified, you will sacrifice the prisoners to the Taimiao." He stood up: "The recovery of the Central Plains is just the beginning, you must not be complacent, you should make persistent efforts, I must not slack off, I will encourage you together!" ”

The ministers raised their eyes and looked at Zhao Heju who was standing in front of the throne, and responded "yes" in unison.