Chapter 736: North-South Advance (Part 1)
After Wang Mi collapsed into Hebei, he was unable to completely escape the pursuit.
On the afternoon of the ninth day of the lunar month, Shao Shen led more than 2,000 people on foot and horse across the river, chasing them all the way.
Wang Mi panicked and didn't choose his way, so he ran towards Dianshan Ban. On the way, he met the soldiers of the Wei family and rushed back in a hurry.
On the withered yellow grass, arrows shot through the air, and shouts continued.
On the bank of the Shajian River, Wang Mi, the last rider left, accidentally fell into the river when he was crossing the wooden bridge. Because he had fought hard against his pursuers and was wearing armor, he fell into the water and never floated again.
Wang Feibao, who has been in Henan and Hebei for more than ten years, has come to an end.
In Wangwu Mountain, the Jin army, with the Heiji army as the main force, swarmed in, and the Huns captives were unified and moved to Henan, where they were dispersed and resettled.
Qi Fuhou took the Jie people's infantry and cavalry as the vanguard and spent two or three days to defeat the remaining troops of Shi Sheng and Zhao Lu, beheading thousands of people.
Zhao Lu was wounded by an arrow while attacking Han Mou and died a day later.
Shi Sheng died in the rebellion.
Of course, there are also rumors that Hou Fu thought that Shi Sheng was a Jie man, and he was worried that Mrs. Liu would be spared from interceding for mercy, and in turn get involved in the military power of the Jie tribe, so he killed her.
In short, after the battles of Zhiguan and Shaanxi, the Xiongnu lost three generals, the southern front door was opened, and there was no way to recover.
The news quickly spread to Pingyang. It was already November 12th, and heavy snow fell from the sky, signaling the arrival of the deep winter.
Liu Cong was discussing the war in the Luliang Mountains with the courtiers.
"Chihongling came to report the day before yesterday. Shao sent generals to attack the camp at night and break it. My son was accidentally captured, and the remaining soldiers of the imperial army retreated to Zuoguocheng with thousands of people." Liu Cong sighed and said: " At this point in the war, the morale of all the camps is low, and I can no longer sit still in Pingyang. I have to fight in person. "
It seems unexpected, but it is reasonable. Only a few courtiers seemed to hesitate. When it comes to speaking out, most people look calm, because this is the natural thing to do.
The monarchs of the first or second generation after the founding of the country wanted to sit in the palace, command civil servants and military generals to pacify the place, and raise troops to fight. Is it ridiculous?
That's all for normal times. If something goes wrong, shouldn't the monarch be the one to take charge?
Since the Spring and Autumn Period, the monarch has been obliged to lead troops into battle. This is a tradition.
Many people seem to have forgotten that the king is a military noble first and then other identities.
The Xiongnu originated from the grassland, and there are many residual customs. At critical moments, the king must lead his troops to fight.
Otherwise, you are weak, have no responsibility, and are not worthy of being a king. You will be able to defeat your superiors right before your eyes.
"Where does Your Majesty want to conquer? North Ye? South Ye?" Sikong Zhuji bowed and asked.
"What do Zhu Qing think?" Liu Cong looked at him and asked.
Zhu Ji raised his head and found that Liu Cong's eyes were bloodshot and his face was dull. He sighed in his heart and said: "Your Majesty, to this day, I believe that I have to fight in person, otherwise I will not be able to boost morale. Although the north is at a disadvantage, it can still resist. The east of the river is in a state of erosion. Hongnong Wangmi is defeated again. Pu Hong has not fired a single shot. The situation here is much more dangerous than that of the west river. I think it may be possible to go south. Attack the thieves in the east of the river. After clearing this road, it is still too late to return to the army and go north."
Liu Cong's eyes lit up with something called hope. He took two quick steps to Zhu Ji and asked: " Zhu Qing thinks it is better to first attack the east of Hedong and then go north to fight against the thieves?"
Zhu Ji nodded and said: "Your Majesty, most of the thieves in Hedong are just young men from Wubao and young servants of the gentry. They cannot be stopped. The soldiers struck. There were also tribes of Chinese people around Pingyang, all of whom were strong and strong, over the age of twelve. They pressed forward with great force, extinguished the thieves as soon as possible, and then turned back to defend the enemy before it was too late. "
Liu Cong's body relaxed.
Everyone who is familiar with him knows that this decision has been made. At the same time, I felt happy that at the critical moment, the emperor, who was once indulged in wine and sex, was still able to take the risk. Instead of hiding in the capital, he took the lead and led the army to fight for the sake of the world.
This is what an emperor should look like!
"Your Majesty." The old minister Fan Long coughed lightly and said: "On this occasion, I believe that people's hearts are everything. Wherever Your Majesty goes, the people's sentiments are slightly calmer, the soldiers are brave, and the decline may be slightly reversed. . There must still be people who are loyal to the imperial court in Hedong, but due to the situation and the enemy's forces, they have to bow down and endure. When Wang Shi arrives, he will definitely lead his army to surrender, and there may not be any hope of pacifying Hedong. "
Liu Cong glanced at Fan Long and nodded again.
He still remembered when Fan Long went south to recruit Shao Xun.
My father really admired this man and wanted him to come north to join him. He even planned to marry his sister to him and make him the pillar of the country.
"Your Majesty." Liu Yannian, King of Jiangdu, said: "If we continue to stop, we will suffer chaos. If we think that the troops are insufficient, I will call soldiers and horses from the pass to fight for Your Majesty."
Liu Yannian is the elder of the clan and the brother of Liu Yuan.
After Liu Yuancheng became an emperor, he built Dagancheng (located ten miles southwest of today's Wenshui County) in Taiyuan for his residence.
On the one hand, this was to use the clan to control the outer vassals and protect the Liu family. On the other hand, it was also to surround Jinyang from the south, compress Liu Kun's scope of activities, and trap him in the isolated city.
However, starting from three years ago, Liu Yannian's tribe gradually withdrew from Daqian City and moved to Guanxi to settle.
At first they were in Anding County, but later Liu Cong felt that the place was too harsh, so he asked them to move to the vicinity of Chang'an and allocated good fields with rich water and grass for them to farm and pasture.
The tribe is currently led by Liu Yannian's sons, who himself entered the court as an official and held the position of Dazai.
Liu Cong was quite moved when he heard Liu Yannian's words.
At the critical moment, the clan is more reliable, or the Tuge clan is more reliable.
But he refused.
"I have accepted Dazai's kindness." Liu Cong looked at him, shook his head and said: "It's a long way from Chang'an, and it's too late to help. I myself have led six thousand forbidden soldiers, and sent more than ten thousand troops from various departments. There are more than 10,000 young men going south to fight the rebellion. If we win, there is still room for redemption. If not, please make plans early."
Everyone sighed after hearing this.
Planning? What else can you plan? If the emperor's personal conquest fails, how will everyone have the courage to resist? It's better to pack up your belongings quickly, cross the river to the west, and join the prince.
I heard that the prince has 30,000 troops stationed in Hexi and can march eastward to support at any time. Perhaps this is the only hope.
******
When Shao Xun received the news, he was on his way into Zuoguocheng. The journey for seventy or eighty miles was all along river valleys and flat roads, which were supposed to be easier to walk on, but unfortunately it started to snow.
It is already cold in the mountains, and the wind and snow are even worse, making people unable to open their eyes.
When the Luoyan Army acted as the vanguard, there was even an army of hundreds of people ambushed by the Xiongnu tribe. The entire army was wiped out and their horses were not returned.
As a last resort, they could only slow down their marching speed. When they arrived outside Zuoguo City, it was already the night of the 15th.
A bonfire was lit in the lee of the mountains.
Shao Xun and his son sat around the fire to warm themselves.
"Is it painful?" Shao Xun checked the hands of his two sons and found that they had frostbite, so he asked.
“Bitter.” The two children nodded honestly.
“After eating so hard, you will feel even sweeter when you enjoy the fruit later.” Shao Xun said with a smile.
Jin Dao and Badger Lang looked at their father and seemed to understand a little.
When they arrived in Pingyang with their father and saw the Xiongnu nobles kneeling on the ground, they would be very happy.
"Grandpa, have you won now?" Jin Dao couldn't help but ask.
"What do you think?" Shao Xun asked.
“The Huns were defeated in consecutive battles and their morale was low.” Jin Dao said: “When we first sent out troops this year, the Huns still dared to make a few gestures and charged without risking their lives. But after fighting for more than half a year, it seems that It's not that powerful anymore. Whether you can fight or not depends entirely on how well the general leads it. The one who leads it the best will have the same combat power as at the beginning of the year."
"It's not just that the Xiongnu's combat power has declined. The strength of our army has also increased. The morale of our army has increased, while the morale of the Xiongnu has declined. Therefore, every battle is invincible and every attack is invincible. "Shao Xun said: "Wang Mi is an example. When they first attacked Xin'an, the imperial army was defeated several times. The two sides fought bloody battles. In the end, the Luoyang Chinese army suffered more than 15,000 casualties, Luonan Dingzhuang suffered 10,000 casualties, and the government soldiers also suffered hundreds of casualties, and finally it was possible to capture it. "< br>
“It was easier when we fought against Baichaowu. But at that time, Wang Mi still launched a sharp counterattack. The Forbidden Army suffered more than 10,000 casualties, and Henan Wubao Ding Zhuang also killed and injured thousands of people, and it was difficult to recover. This city. "
"The battle of Xiashibao suddenly became much easier. The battle of Shaanxi City was overwhelming. It is closely related to combat power. If my son leads the army in the future, he must pay attention to morale and do everything possible to maintain or even improve morale. "
" Got it," the two said in unison.
"As a father, I want to ask you again, have you won?" Shao Xun held his two sons in his arms, one on the left and the other on the right, and asked with a smile.
"We won." The two of them said one after another.
“Are you all blind?” Shao Xun said with a smile: “Just think according to the situation at hand and not consider the accident?”
The two of them were stunned for a moment, and then they realized something. The only variable is where it comes from.
"Are you worried about this?" Shao Xun laughed again, knocked his two sons on the head respectively, and said: "As a general, you must be indomitable. Even if you are in a desperate situation, you must look for that glimmer of hope. Even if it turns out that everything is in vain, everything is useless, then you have to do it. It has nothing to do with anything else, it is just an attitude. You are my son. You are my son. , you should be fierce and fierce, and never give up easily."
"After all, it is a great situation now, there is nothing to worry about," Shao Xun continued: "Liu Canruo jumped out. , then deal with him together. Don’t be upset, calm down, what is easy in the world?”
“Now let me ask you, did you win?”
“Win? Yes!" The two children gathered up their courage, raised their voices, and replied in unison.
Shao Xun laughed.
The father and son were sitting in the tent, looking at the heavy snowfall outside.
Jin Dao couldn't help but look at his father.
My mother has always been gentle and elegant, and the things she taught him seem to be different from those of my father.
Maybe it’s the difference between men and women.
My father is always very calm, as if nothing can bring him down. At critical moments, he can be fierce and violent. If he really dares to chop down your whole family, it depends on whether he is willing.
He still has a lot to learn.
Badger Lang looked at his father and brother.
The north wind is howling outside and the sky is covered with snowflakes. The dim yellow oil lamp in the tent actually illuminated a warm halo.
When my father is old, if he and his brother are still by his side, it will be the best thing in the world.
On the 17th, the army attacked Zuoguocheng and destroyed it in one day.
The small governor Lu Ya went to the front of the formation to supervise the battle and was shot with a powerful crossbow.
On the 19th, soldiers surrounded Lishi.
Liu Chang, the Duke of Xihe County, the Xiongnu, dispersed his wealth to boost morale and resisted to the death.
The army attacked for three days and was unable to defeat them, so they divided their forces and raided the countryside to obtain supplies on the spot and reduce the pressure of transportation in the wind and snow.
It was also on this day that Liu Cong finished recruiting young men and led his army to leave Pingyang and go south to suppress the rebellion.
Liu Can rushed more than 10,000 soldiers and horses to the east bank before the Yellow River froze.
The three cities of Pujin Pass are still passing by people in an endless stream.
Everyone had a vague thought in their hearts: If we don’t hurry up to cross the river, it might be too late.
(End of this chapter)