In mid-October of the third year of the establishment of the military, the wolf smoke of the Xianghan War Zone, which had been silent for a while, rose again. The Xuanfu envoy of the Jiangnan West Road of the Great Song Dynasty personally commanded the Zhejia Army and the Jinghu Xuanfu Division He Ji to attack Xiangyang, and Yue Fei of Tangzhou also set off with the main force to attack Dengzhou, which opened the prelude to the counterattack on Xiangyang.

In this battle, not only did Zhi Yanzhi and He Guan attach great importance to it, but even the central authorities believe that there is no room for failure. In addition to trying his best to ensure the logistics supply of the army, Xu Shao also tried his best to defy public opinion, and resolutely asked the imperial court to grant the front-line marshals the power of arbitrariness and integration of military and government!

In other words, Zhi Yanzhi and He Guan, in case of major emergencies, do not need to report to the imperial court for instructions, and can cut them by themselves. In addition, these two Xuanfu envoys not only manage the army, but also manage the people, and they have the right to dispose of the civilian and military generals in the defense area! This can be said to be contrary to the ancestral family law of the Great Song Dynasty.

After the founding of the Zhao and Song dynasties, they attracted the lessons of the former dynasties' feudal towns and the dictatorship of the warriors, and tried their best to limit the power of the generals who led the troops. And now, what is the difference between the power of Zhi Yanzhi and He Guan and the feudal envoys from the Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties? But why can it be passed in the imperial court? It's not because Xu Shao's prestige is too high and his power is too great. No matter how high your prestige is, can you be higher than the emperor? No matter how great the power is, isn't it a word from the official family to take it back?

Zhao Huan, Zhao Chen, father and son, as well as the courtiers can agree, because Xiangyang is too important. As long as it is conducive to the recapture of Xiangyang, it can be discussed and compromised. In other words, it is forced by the situation.

And the two of them took over this power, naturally like a fish in water, and there was room to give full play. At the same time, they also knew that the imperial court had given such great authority that it would be difficult to account for if things went wrong. Therefore, both of them were exhausted and did not dare to be careless.

The sound of killing in Xiangyang was everywhere, and in Tokyo, which was more than 900 miles away, it was also cloudy and thundery.

Since the Western Army garrisoned Mu Huogang, Saili has been closed to martial law and is strictly forbidden to enter and exit. And Xu Wei didn't seem to make much action, only occasionally sent a team of rangers to the outskirts of Tokyo for a turn, and he didn't seem to have the intention of attacking the city. At this time, Wushu was personally leading 70,000 steps to ride, non-stop, and people rushed to Tokyo without stopping.

There were less than 10,000 Jin soldiers left behind in Tokyo, and it was really difficult to defend this large city that was second to none. Wushu was worried, what he was most afraid of was that before he arrived, Tokyo would be broken by Xu Wei. I hope that the Pucha Shi slave who is one step ahead can live up to expectations.

In mid-October, the Shijia slave soldiers arrived in Tokyo, and after entering the city, he was relieved when he learned that the Western army had not seized the city in a big way. Because Wushu said first, if the western army did not attack the city, he could not persuade him lightly, so Shi Jianu only sent rangers to reconnoitre, and did not go to meet the enemy.

And Xu Wei also detected the arrival of the Jin army's reinforcements in Tokyo, and he consulted with the generals, generally believing that this was the vanguard of the Jin army, and the main force should arrive later. Xu Wei ordered the whole army to get ready.

On October 21, the weather was cold, Xu Wei put wine and meat in the tent, and invited his cousin Xu Hong and the main generals of the two Xing Army, as well as the five generals of Qin Fengjun, to drink bitterly.

Before the Purple Gold Tiger became an army, he knew a truth, throughout the ages, the famous generals of the past dynasties must conquer and conquer, and their armies are all "strictly disciplined" without exception. Therefore, from the Jingsui Battalion, to the Hujie Army, and now to the Qin Feng Army, his troops are all in the same line, and the orders and prohibitions are not ambiguous at all. Among them, it is an iron law that officers and men are strictly forbidden to drink alcohol while they are fighting abroad. Anyone who violates this military law will be punished with 20 rods or 20 rods if the consequences are caused, and even capital punishment will be imposed if the consequences are caused.

But today, he made an exception, and it was when the army of the Jin Kingdom was about to return to Tokyo, somehow?

There was a whole sheep roasted in the tent, and with the sizzling sound, the fat sheep kept dripping with oil. Two soldiers were cutting the cooked meat with sharp knives and bringing it to the commanders in turn.

Xu Wei's face was ruddy, it seemed that he had drunk a few bowls, and when the mutton was served, he took a piece and put it in his mouth to chew.

Below, all the generals ate happily, Wu Lan flicked off a bit of meat scrap on his beard, and said loudly: "Notice no, this time our army entered Henan, and until now, there is no opponent who can last a whole day." ”

"Yes, from Luoyang to Zhengzhou, most of the battles are solved in half a day, and our army has never fought so smoothly. It seems that the Jurchens are no longer good! Li Chengwei laughed.

"Well, in the past, although there were victories and defeats, the tenacity and fierceness of the Jin army were really impressive. But this time, it's really unbearable and unpleasant! It's only been a few years, and it's going downhill! "A Liangxing pacification department commander said.

Xu Hong glanced at the generals, took a sip of wine, and refuted: "What you see is all appearances. ”

"Oh? What is Xu Dutong's opinion? Zhang Xian picked up the wine bowl and asked with a smile. You say that this general who leads troops to fight, which one is not a rough and arrogant iron man? And who doesn't like two sips? It's just that the military law is strict on weekdays, and there is no chance, and it is rare for the marshal to break an example today, and he must drink two more bowls.

"Zhang Zongben, let me ask you, starting from Luoyang and going all the way to Tokyo, is it the Jin Army who fought against our army?" Xu Hong asked a clueless question.

"I said Xu Dutong, this ......" Zhang Xian couldn't cry or laugh. If it's not Jin Jun, then what should it be? ”

Xu Hong's face did not change, and he shook his head and said, "I don't think so." Although many of the people defeated by our army were bald and left-headed, they were not Jurchens, but Han Chinese. You will know this as soon as you ask the troops. In my opinion, after more than ten years of fighting, the Jurchens were a little unbearable, so this drove the Han people to be pawns in front of the horse. But this does not mean that the Jurchen army will not work. ”

Xu Wei patted the handsome case: "Come, fifth brother, just rely on these words, drink one." ”

The two brothers drank a bowl, and Zijin Tiger admonished the generals: "What Xu Dutong said is not bad, this time our army is like a bamboo, mainly because the opponent is too second. Most of the soldiers from the Jin people are rabble left by the previous high world. We must not take it lightly, the matter of Dunzhou is not far away! ”

All the generals should go down, and after talking for a while, Du Feihu asked a question: "Ladies and gentlemen, if this time, we dispatch half of the Western Army and leave half of Shaanxi to defend Shaanxi, can we recover Tokyo and pacify the Central Plains?" ”

Although this was a hypothesis, it aroused great interest among the generals. Yes, now there are less than 30,000 troops in Mu Huogang, not to mention much, if we dispatch 60,000 regular troops, accompanied by a certain number of volunteer soldiers, can we shake the north and the south?

"This soldier is noble, but not expensive, and fighting a war is not a comparison of troops, it is difficult to say." Yang Zaixing shook his head and said.

Du Feihu glanced at him: "Isn't this a hypothesis?" It's hard to say, and I didn't let you say it. ”

Zhang Xian is an all-rounder, field battles, offense and defense, all of them, pondered for a while, and said: "It's really hard to say." If we send a large army, it will definitely be very easy to fight Luoyang, Tiger Prison, and Zhengzhou. But it will not be easy to attack Tokyo. Not to mention the majesty and solidity of Tokyo, only to say that the Jin army is in the Central Plains, not to mention that more than 100,000 or 200,000 steps cannot be run, and Zong Bi himself is in charge, which is difficult. ”

"Not necessarily." As soon as Xu Hong spoke, everyone turned their eyes to him.

"If the imperial court can have a unified deployment, it will not be difficult to seek Tokyo. The Western Army went out of Tongguan, took Luoyang, and approached Zhengzhou. The troops of Jinghu Jiangxi went out of Xianghan, occupied Deng Tang Yingchang, and then joined the army under the city. It is not impossible to say that if you take Tokyo, it is not impossible to sweep the Yellow River to the north. Of course, if the Jin people throw soldiers to fight back, it's a different matter. ”

As soon as his topic began, the generals expressed their opinions one after another, and with the strength of wine, they fought for red-faced red ears, and Duxu Wei did not say a word. Because in his opinion, this topic is just idle and nothing, and it is just nonsense, and it has no practical significance.

First of all, as Xu Wu said, this must be made by the central government on a national scale. However, when it really comes to that point, it means that the Great Song Dynasty has started a strategic counteroffensive, is there such a condition now? Even if those of us who lead the troops are ready, what about the imperial court?

Secondly, if you really want to recover the Central Plains, it is also the business of Zhe Yanzhi, He Guan, and Zhao Ding, and it is not the turn of the Western Army to manage. This time, I went out of Tongguan to fight in Henan, but I was forced to have no choice, and I had to help Xianghan reduce the pressure. If it was really a counteroffensive, the western army would of course recover all of Shaanxi, and then cross the Yellow River and attack Hedong. Only in this way can the threat of the Jin people to Shaanxi be lifted.

Finally, and most importantly. Throughout history, there has been a process between the two countries in which their strength has risen and fallen. From overwhelming superiority at the beginning, to parity, to reversal. At the beginning of the Song and Jin wars, during the Xuanhe period, the Jin people were overwhelmingly dominant, and more than ten years have passed, and the Jin people have begun to show signs of decline, and now it can basically be said that they have entered the stage of stalemate. The Jin people can't destroy us, and we can't get rid of it. But to reverse, I'm afraid there will be some time.

"The heir is here, just right, drink a bowl for your father!" Zhang Xian caught a glimpse of Yang Zaixing's son Yang Jihei entering the account and smiled.

Yang Jihei saluted him, and then hurried to the tent and said to Xu Wei: "Dashuai, the main force of the Jin army, has entered Yingchang!" ”

All the generals in the tent stopped eating and drinking, and looked at the commander. Xu Wei also put down the wine bowl, his expression was calm, and after a while, he took a breath, got up slowly, and passed a military order.

On October 22, the former army of Wushu arrived in the territory of Kaifeng Prefecture. When Wushu came to Tokyo, Wanyan Saili reported something to him, which made the fourth prince furious!

Yesterday, just yesterday, the Western Army, which had been stationed in Mutuogang for many days, suddenly withdrew its camp and headed for Zhengzhou. After hearing the news, Wushu realized that Xu Wei was playing with him! Immediately ordered Pucha Shijia slave to lead the sperm to chase after him! and led the main force to tail, vowing to take a picture with Xu Wei!

But when Jin Jun chased to Zhengzhou, he found out! There is no trace of the Western Army here! Not only that, inside and outside Zhengzhou, the household registration has been greatly reduced, and it is only known after a check. After the Western Army captured Zhengzhou, they began to appease the people, and many of them moved west under the arrangement of the army and went to Henan Mansion, where Luoyang was located.

Wushu was furious, and then waved his army to chase west, and found that the people in Xingyang and other counties were also empty. When he chased to the Tiger Prison, he finally caught up with the Western Army. However, at this time, the defense of this Xiongguan has been greatly strengthened in a very short period of time. All kinds of equipment transported from Shaanxi have been displayed and closed, and the fierce soldiers stand in the city, defying the enemy who is coming from the wilderness under the fluttering Purple Tiger Army.

When the Jin army's rangers approached Guancheng to spy on the army, the defenders of the city set off flying artillery and warned the Jin army not to move forward with an earth-shattering roar.

At this point, Wanyan Zongbi completely understood Xu Wei's intentions. This dispatch of the partial division was only to relieve the pressure of the Xianghan Theater, and there was no intention of recovering the Central Plains. Otherwise, Xu Wei would not have retreated west as soon as he learned that the main force of the Jin army had rushed back, leaving the Jin army exhausted.

In fact, at the beginning, everyone knew this. But the problem is that the Western Army is attacking too fiercely, and it has reached the city of Tokyo! forced the Jin army to retreat. If he was a little more angry, even if Xu Hu'er was blocked in Zhengzhou, Wushu would not have to ride back with 70,000 steps in person. Now you don't have to guess to know that the Song army in the Xianghan theater is determined to launch a counterattack! Xu Wei's goal has been completely achieved, and he even piggybacked, and he also got a Henan Mansion. He is now based on the Tiger Prison Pass, and he has moved the people westward, obviously, to swallow the Luoyang Basin.

Now, Wushu can take advantage of its unstable foothold, storm the Tiger Pass, and then take Henan Mansion back. With the strength he has in his hands now, it is not impossible. But would a vulture do that? Of course not! The use of soldiers on both fronts is a taboo for soldiers, and he can only take care of Xianghan now, if he takes care of Henan, then the result will be to pick up sesame seeds, throw watermelons, and finally get the same sesame watermelons.

Wushu is resolute and resolute, although he is so angry that he can't wait to fight Xu Wei to the death! However, on the second day after he arrived at the Tiger Prison Pass, he ordered the withdrawal of his troops, because he had to rush back to Xiangyang immediately! Before leaving, Wushu Xing was at the end of the whole army, staring at Xu Wei's military flag closed in the tiger prison for a long time, and with a look of resentment on his face, he turned his horse's head and marched eastward.

In fact, when Wushu was staring at Guan Cheng, Xu Wei stood under the military flag and watched him leave. It's just that neither of these two commanders knows where the other is. Otherwise, it is really time to see each other.

After the Jin army withdrew, Xu Weiliu's general Yang Congyi guarded the Tiger Pass, that is, the one who led his troops to hold the eastern plateau during the Battle of Qishan, and finally repelled the Korean army, causing them to disrupt their own positions.

Because Xu Wei did not have the power to take charge of local administration, it was impossible for him to appoint a prefect of Henan, so he left the cadres in the army to assist Yang Congyi, initially restore order in Henan Prefecture, resettle the people, and resume production, because it was about to be the season for wheat sowing.

After the arrangements were completed, Xu Wei ordered the squad to return to Shaanxi and completed the Eastern Crusade. As for how the Xianghan battle situation develops, it depends on Zhe Yan's ability to improve He Guan, and he can't help anymore.

This time, the western army went out of Tongguan and achieved brilliant results. Successively broke through Luoyang, Tiger Pass, Zhengzhou, and the soldiers arrived in Tokyo! It greatly shook the rule of the Jin Kingdom in the Central Plains! Although, because of the strategic arrangement, the Western Army finally gave up the Zhengzhou area and retreated to the Tiger Pass, but this time, the Western Army really injured the Jin Army a lot.

From Luoyang to Zhengzhou, the Jin army had 60,000 foot riders. However, under the fierce blows of the Qin Feng army led by Xu Wei and the Liangxing army led by Xu Hong, and the elite of the two Western armies, the 60,000 Jin army was almost wiped out except for the thousands of Jurchen troops who fled back to Tokyo with Sali! And the harvest of the Western Army is far more than that!

In this battle, the Western army killed nearly 30,000 enemies and captured more than 10,000 Jin troops, although most of them were former Korean troops. It is worth mentioning the huge amount of property collected from Yin Mengbangxiong of Jinhenan Prefecture and more than 6,000 good horses from the Jin Camel Gang Jin Ren and Horse Supervisor! It is bound to greatly enrich the strength of the Western Army! The Western Army has sufficient food and salary, and the scene of 10,000 horsemen rushing forward will inevitably appear in the near future!

More importantly, the recovery of Henan Province has completely opened up the connection between Shaanxi and the Central Plains. The Western Army will always threaten the Central Plains, although Xu Wei does not intend for the Western Army to take on the responsibility of recovering the Central Plains.

At the end of October, the Western Army passed through Shaanzhou, entered Tongguan, and returned to Chang'an. The good news of the victory had already spread in Sichuan and Shaanxi, and as soon as the Western Army entered Tongguan, it was welcomed by the Shaanxi military and civilians as if they were receiving heroes. Yang Yan, the commander of the army of Quan Yongxing, personally went to Tongguan to greet Xu Wei, and when he heard the brilliant results of this battle, Yang Da's eyes were red with envy. On the way to accompany Xu Wei all the way to Chang'an, he grinded hard and finally made Xu Wei nod and promised to allocate him 2,000 horses.

And Yang Yan also reported to Xu Wei that the Sichuan-Shaanxi Xuanfu Disposal Division sent Xuanfu Judge Xu Liang to represent the Division, and he was already waiting in Qinzhou, ready to celebrate the achievements of the Western Army.

Xu Wei was concerned about the situation in Shaanxi, but he was unexpectedly informed that after he and Xu Hongbing left Tongguan, the Shaanxi Jin Army did not dare to act rashly at all, and did not take any other actions except for the obvious increase in scouts and rangers coming to reconnoitre. It seems that Han Chang is determined to only defend and not attack.

Xu Jiu and Xu Wu did not stay in Chang'an, after entering Fengxiang Mansion, Xu Hong led his troops back to Fengzhou, Fengxiang soldiers and horses chief Zhang Xian led his troops to Fengxiang, and Xu Wei went back to his home and went to Qinzhou.

On the sixth day of November, Qinzhou City.

Since the morning, the officials of the Shaanxi Preparation Division and Qin Feng Jingluo Pacification Division have been busy, because Xu Liang, the Xuanfu judge, will lead the three divisions of civil and military to meet Xu Wei outside the city.

At the time of the third pole of the sun, from Xu Liu and below, dozens of officials lined up outside the east gate of Qinzhou City. Thousands of ordinary people came unexpectedly to see the excitement or to participate in the grand event, all of whom were jubilant and jubilant.

Xu Liuyi was dressed in a purple robe, with a shining gold belt around his waist, looked at the sun with a pergola in his hand, and said to Liu Ziyu beside him: "Why hasn't the prince of the system been set yet?" Is the message accurate? ”

"It's true! Must be there in the morning! Liu Ziyu replied without question.

Xu Liu snorted, no extra words. In fact, with his identity, or the position of the Sichuan and Shaanxi Xuanfu Division, there is no need to make such a big pomp to welcome Xu Wei. It's just that Xu Churen thinks that Zijin Tiger was reluctant to use soldiers at this time, and he also wanted to recuperate for a few more years. But at his own insistence, he still sent troops, and now that he has won the battle, the Xuanfu Disposal Division should show courtesy to him, so he ordered Xu Jiu's cousin Xu Liu to come to Qinzhou, specifically to celebrate the achievements of the Western Army. What's more, this time the troops were dispatched, and the gains were too big, when Zhao Bin reported the huge amount of money to Xu Churen, Xu Churen, who was distressed by the lack of money, was overjoyed!