Chapter 650: The Disaster of the Lost Country

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Lingzhou is lost!

This is a bolt from the blue for Liang Yiburi. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

When the news was received, Xiazhou had already been breached, and the cultivators had only broken out with thousands of remnants; Yinzhou and Suizhou are also in danger, and Zhekexing is about to be unable to withstand it; The cavalry of the Western Xia vanguard had even reached the Yanzhou area, and the soldiers and civilians of the Song Dynasty in the area of Yanyan Road were panicked.

Seeing that the counteroffensive on the East Road was about to succeed, but at this time, the bad news came, Lingzhou fell!

How so?

At the first time, Liang Yi's reaction was disbelief, he felt that his arrangement on the periphery was quite in place, and Lingzhou was safe.

But when he learned that it was Zhao Zhao, the king of Qin, who personally went out to the north from Xiaoguan, crossed the desert, and raided Lingzhou, Liang Yi buried him and had nothing to say.

Isn't he in the state of Weizhou?

Liang Yibury didn't ask such a thing, since Zhao Zhao appeared in Lingzhou, it meant that this was a trick. It's a pity that I didn't see it, and I didn't have enough vigilance.

After all, it's my own carelessness!

However, there are 30,000 troops stationed in Lingzhou, and the city is tall and strong, and it was easily breached, so there is really nothing to say. There is an internal response, but I didn't even notice it, who can blame it?

Zhao Zhao issued a proclamation calling on the Qiang people early in the morning, but he didn't pay much attention to it, and now it seems that he is still very attractive to Hengshan Qiang.

Of course, there is also an element of self-inflicted sin. If it weren't for the Xiluo tribe forcibly occupying the Qiang pasture, Wu Hei might not have turned against him. It's really helpless to think about it, the party nobles in Xingqing Mansion complain all day long that their resistance is unfavorable, but if it weren't for their perverse actions, why would the situation be so bad?

It's too late to say anything, and what to do is the priority.

Lingzhou fell, and the counteroffensive on the Eastern Front over there, even if it had a huge advantage, was meaningless. Zhao Zhao's move. It's a risky act in the fire, and now it's successful, and it's a draw from the bottom of the kettle for itself.

The withdrawal of troops is inevitable. Otherwise, if there is any mistake along the Yellow River, hundreds of thousands of Western Xia troops will be cut off from returning. The consequences are unimaginable.

What's even more terrifying is that Lingzhou and the capital Xingqing Mansion, as well as the Ning/Xia Plain, the core and richest of Western Xia, are separated by only a Yellow River. The Song army in Lingzhou is like a sharp knife, threatening the throat of Western Xia at all times.

Although Liang Yi buried identified. At present, the Song army has no possibility of crossing the river to attack Xingqing Mansion, and it cannot do so. But when it comes to the security of the national capital, how can it be a child's play? I'm afraid it's time for Xingqing Mansion to explode now. Those party nobles, even ordinary people. will be restless. These are all heavy pressures, which almost make it difficult for Liang Yifu to breathe.

Now withdraw the troops in time, if you can counterattack and recapture Lingzhou, there is still room for redemption in the situation, and there is an explanation for Xingqing Mansion. It's also good for the big picture.

At this moment, there were only 20,000 Song troops stationed in Lingzhou, and Zhao Zhao himself was there. The Song people have a saying that the thief captures the king first, and if he catches the king of Qin, he will win. All problems are solved.

Withdraw the army and counterattack Lingzhou!

Liang Yi gave the order in pain, looking at the precarious Yinzhou City, which was already like a lost dog, and had no choice but to turn around and leave.

In addition to strategic needs, it is not possible to withdraw troops. The news of the fall of Lingzhou was not completely blocked, and soon spread among the soldiers.

Ordinary soldiers do not necessarily have such long-term insight and firm psychological qualities. In their view, Lingzhou is the rear, their retreat.

Now that Lingzhou has been captured, doesn't it mean that the retreat route has been cut off? Lingzhou is gone, so wouldn't all the land east of the Yellow River in Western Xia be lost?

In this way, they were also surrounded by the Song army, and if they wanted to be safe, they could only cross the Yellow River and return to the west bank of the Yellow River.

Go home!

Under the dual effect of panic and survival, soldiers generally have such a mentality.

Hurry, it has to be fast!

The soldiers knew that they had to cross the Yellow River first, otherwise once the Song army blocked the ferries along the Yellow River, they would be turtles in the urn. Of course, it is also possible to go back by detouring north to the desert, the Heshuo Plateau or the Hetao Plain. Just going around thousands of miles is enough to drag the army to death, especially when such people are disheartened. What's more, most of those areas are under the control of the Liao State, and it is not easy to pass.

The Yellow River, crossing the Yellow River, this is their only hope. It was the panic of the soldiers of the Western Xia, and all kinds of news were chasing after the wind and shadows to spread false rumors, and the morale of the army was even more disheartened, and the officers and men of the three armies were shrouded in panic.

Liang Yibury soon discovered these problems, and he was also worried, and now what he was most afraid of was that the army was in turmoil. Otherwise, it's a real failure.

Therefore, he had to order the generals of all armies to make every effort to appease the emotions of the soldiers and soldiers, ensure that the army was not chaotic, the morale of the army was stable, and counterattack Lingzhou.

Because the prime minister is in charge himself, the situation of the army on the Eastern Front is not bad.

But on the Weizhou side in the middle, the situation is very bad.

Lingzhou suddenly fell, and the guards were confused, and they were more frightened. Lingzhou is gone, and when Weizhou becomes a lonely city with no village in front and no store in the back, it will fall into the encirclement of the Song army.

How good is that? Weizhou exists as the outer barrier of Lingzhou, and now that Lingzhou is no longer the core, is there any point in sticking to Weizhou?

Retreat and return to the west bank of the Yellow River, the Weizhou generals also have this understanding. The fall of Lingzhou and the withdrawal of wages from the bottom of the kettle meant that all the land of Western Xia on the east bank of the Yellow River was lost, at least temporarily, in the hands of the Song army. At this time, whether it is to preserve the strength or preserve the foundation of the core of the Western Xia, it is time to return to the west bank of the Yellow River.

And they have more convenient conditions, closer to the Yellow River. In just a few days, you can go to Mingsha (place name, now Zhong/Weimingsha Mountain) on the bank of the Yellow River, and from there you will be safe to cross the Yellow River for the time being.

However, the guards also knew that a hasty withdrawal would easily allow the Song army to take advantage of it. Moreover, loyalty still needs to be had, so I chose to temporarily lead it and not to see if there was any order from Minister Liang Yiburi. After all, the Western Xia still had more than 200,000 troops on the other side of the Yellow River, and it was not completely powerless to deal with it. If there is any strategy on the side of the prime minister, it is possible to turn defeat into victory.

The guard also thought that although he couldn't go to rescue Lingzhou. But dragging Liu Changzuo's subordinates, they couldn't rush to the rescue in time. The Song army did not have many men and horses in Lingzhou, and Liang Guoxiang might have a chance to counterattack and recapture the city. Therefore, there are still objections to holding on to Weizhou for the time being.

It's hard to defend the generals, but it's a red city. did not abandon the city and flee, and concealed the news, so as not to shake the morale of the army. It's a pity. Eventually, word spread.

The Song army was outside the city, throwing many packages with a stone thrower. Racing in the air, a lot of paper fell. It is written in Western Xia script: Lingzhou fell, Liang Yi buried the whole army and other contents. Although most of the officers and men in the army were born civilians and had no knowledge, there were always people who could read and break words, not to mention that the Western Xia script was once very popular in the northwest, and there were many people who knew it.

The news spread in an instant. The whereabouts of Lingzhou and the defeat of Liang Guoxiang are simply the sky falling. The Western Xia soldiers were immediately panicked, and the main general heard the news. Rumors repeatedly claimed to be from the Song Dynasty.

But there is a way that three people become tigers, and the news is both true and false, and it is spreading at this moment, and no one can not believe it. One day or two days can be said to be a rumor, but after a long time, something goes wrong. These news continued to ferment in the hearts of the soldiers. Suspicion and trepidation also intensified.

Under such circumstances, the morale of the army was weakened, the combat effectiveness was greatly reduced, and the defensive situation of Weizhou was much worse than before. The defender was originally willing to hold on, but in this case. How do you keep it?

The Song army immediately strengthened the offensive, but Weizhou's originally firm defense was shaking, and the impregnable city defense was shaking. If it goes on like this, it won't be long before the city will be broken.

At that time, the city was ruined, and people couldn't leave if they wanted to. If you evacuate earlier, you can still save some strength. The guards are helpless, although they have the heart to buy time for the prime minister, but the Song army is too cunning, the situation is too unfavorable, after all, it still doesn't work, it's a pity!

That night, the defenders of Weizhou withdrew overnight and rushed to Mingsha, where the nearest ferry port was located. The original intention of the Weizhou guards was to hold on to Mingsha, and the hope of regaining Lingzhou was not great. If the prime minister can withdraw in time, he can also cross the river from here, which can keep the army safe.

However, as soon as they retreated, a situation of rout and flight was formed, and the soldiers scrambled to leave. In addition, the Song army was chasing behind, where there was still the heart to stay, and they were looking for ferries, sheepskin rafts, etc. to cross the river. In the most urgent time, all the objects that could float were used.

In October, the Tangut people knew the fact that the Yellow River would freeze. At this time, although the snow is falling, the Yellow River is not yet frozen, and it is just right to cross the river by boat. After a while, the river was frozen and not suitable for boats, and the ice was not thick enough for people to pass through.

At that time, even if you reach the bank of the Yellow River, you will look at the river and sigh, and you will be dead. Therefore, no one is willing to wait, and only by standing on the land on the west bank of the Yellow River can we feel at ease.

Seeing that the Western Xia defenders of Weizhou crossed the river in such a hurry, although the Song army pursued, it was only bluffing. After all, Weizhou is only a part of the soldiers and horses, and it is not very critical.

For Liu Changzuo, his top priority is to rush to Lingzhou. His Royal Highness the King of Qin only brought 20,000 soldiers and horses to be stationed there, and once Liang Yi buried himself back in the division, or the Xixia people from Xingqing Mansion crossed the river and marched eastward, it would be very dangerous. How could His Royal Highness King Qin be put in danger? Only by rushing in this way to consolidate the city defense of Lingzhou can it be regarded as a success.

More importantly, firmly grasp Lingzhou, and if Liang Yi's way back is broken, he can be a turtle in the urn. As a result, half of the Western Xia on the east bank of the Yellow River would truly fall into the hands of the Song army.

That's the purpose of this battle, and that's it.

Liu Changzuo left Jing Siyi to garrison Weizhou and rushed to Lingzhou with 50,000 soldiers and horses. With a strong city, 70,000 Song troops, plus the Qiang people who surrendered, there were at least 80,000 troops, which was enough to hold the city.

With the fall of Lingzhou, the Weizhou army crossed the river in Mingsha, and the Western Xia soldiers and horses who should be taken for granted were also panicked and unsustainable, and began to evacuate. The Western Route Army, which had been blocked for a long time, finally had a chance to advance.

The seed master Dao immediately made a decision, along the Yellow River, swept away the remnants of the Western Xia enemy, and immediately reinforced Lingzhou.

As a result, Liang Yi was a little desperate!

On the way back to the division, when he heard that Weizhou had fallen, Liang Yizhu sighed, and there was no possibility of counterattacking Lingzhou. Liu Changzuo's Central Route Army would definitely arrive in Lingzhou in time to prepare for his own counterattack.

Although he has more than 100,000 soldiers and horses in his hands, it is not easy to capture Lingzhou in a short time.

On top of that, the east bank of the Yellow River fell almost entirely into the hands of the Song army, who could mobilize a large number of reinforcements. And he and the army of more than 100,000 people have no way to retreat.

Once Lingzhou cannot be captured quickly, it will inevitably be dragged to death, and eventually the whole army will be annihilated.

Withdraw!

For now, the only way to do this is to return to Hexi and make another plot. At that time, taking advantage of the unstable foothold of the Song army, a counteroffensive is also possible. The capital of these hundreds of thousands of troops is the capital, and the most important thing that cannot be wasted at this time is the living force.

It's just that there is still a long way to go from Yanzhou to the Yellow River, and it is likely to be attacked and intercepted by the Song army on the way. Even the Hengshan Qiang people kept coming to harass them, and the situation was very bad.

The two riverside cities of Yingli and Mingsha were conquered, and the head of the Seed Master Dao went north along the river to hear the news. Liang Yibury knew that there was little hope of crossing the river and returning to the west.

To make matters worse, the weather is getting colder and colder, and the rivers you pass along the way are gradually freezing. By the time he reached the bank of the Yellow River, it might have been frozen. If you want to walk on the ice until the cold winter wax moon, it is basically impossible.

Then, for the sake of today, there is only one way to go - to take the Heshuo and the Hetao!

Although they are all under the control of the Liao State, Liang Yibury feels that it is not impossible. Western Xia suffered the worst defeat since the era of Li Jiqian, and the country was weakened, and there were even hints of the country's demise.

Western Xia perished, what good did it do to the Liao State? Once the Song Dynasty seized the Northwest Land, the nightmare of the Liao State began.

I heard that the Liao State was temporarily unable to get away because of the entanglement of the Jurchens, Murowei and Goryeo in the east. Asking them for help at this moment may not be able to send troops to help Western Xia. But if it is just a passing pass, preserving power, and containing the Song army, I believe that the people of Liao will not object.

After all, at this time, Western Xia had no possibility of being unfavorable to the Liao State, and after preserving its strength, it could still contain the Song Dynasty and win time for the Liao State. I believe that the people of Liao will be happy to see such a scene.

Liang Yishu immediately sent people to contact the Liao army's defenders in the west, and strive to borrow the road as soon as possible. Now that you stay here for a day, you will be in danger for a day, and you must escape before the Song army intercepts it.

Alas! Once upon a time, Western Xia ended up in such a situation, and Liang Yi buried it in his heart!

Half of the country has been lost, although the core foundation is still there, but it is necessary to talk about the counteroffensive......

If it was in the past, Liang Yibury was confident of making a comeback. But now, the enemy he is facing is Zhao Zhao, and he is a little apprehensive in his heart. There may not be hope for a counteroffensive, and if it is not done well, there may be a disaster of the destruction of the country in Western Xia.

For today's plan, with the strength of Western Xia alone, it can no longer resist the powerful soldiers of the Song army, so it can only ask for foreign aid!

Liang Yiburi's eyes fell to the northeast, if he could ask for the help of Liao, maybe there would be a turnaround, otherwise I am afraid that there will really be a disaster of losing the country!