Chapter 653 Hymn
The carriages and horses were sparkling, the armor was shining brightly, and inside the carriage, Zhang Chongzheng and Xun You were checking the sequence of this expedition.
From Taiyuan to Shangdang, you must first go south to the Qixian area, and then go east through Jianggu Avenue and Xuancheling to enter Wuxiang, the northwest gate of Shangdang area.
This section of the road is actually not long. From the southwest of Taiyuan to Dang, it is more than 200 miles. During this period, there is a post station every thirty miles. The roads are very developed.
In fact, when Zhang Chong's carriage left Taiyuan Gate, his leading troops had already arrived at Tuanbai Valley at the mouth of the valley outside Jianggu Avenue.
Originally, Zhang Chong did not want to take this slow carriage, but in order to facilitate the exchange of military information with the shogunate officials, he was not allowed to take this big carriage.
Originally, the army did not have this cumbersome item. This was still in the Taiyuan treasury. It was said to be Ding Yuan's bicycle frame, but now it is cheaper for Zhang Chong.
At this time, in this huge Xuan chariot, Zhang Chongjuzui, Xunyou, Dong Zhao, and Mengju were sitting on the left and right respectively, reporting to Zhang Chong the marching status of each army.
This time in Shangluo, Taishan's army was actually divided into three groups.
The main road is the 50,000-strong army proposed by Zhang Chong. They will go south along the Taiyuan Road, and then cross the Taiyue Mountain at Tuanbai Valley and enter the Shangdang Basin.
On the other side, Xie Bi, the prefect of Zhao County, led 5,000 troops and entered the Shangdang area along Fukouxing. Together with Zhang Chong's main army, they attacked Shangdang from left to right.
The third army left Zhang Dan in Yecheng, commanding 20,000 troops, and marched south along the northern foot of the Taihang Mountains to Hanoi. Then the three armies were killed in the wilds of Hanoi and joined forces, and the troops entered Luo.
This military strategy was proposed by Xun You. He said that Kyoto is in the world, extending in all directions, and everyone can go to Luo from the southeast, northwest and northwest. However, our army has actually surrounded Luo from three sides, whether from the north, east or west.
To the east, there is the Heifuzhiheji Army Corps, which can go west along the Yellow River from Puyang to Hulao. However, there is Zhang Miao's force entrenched in the Chenliu area on this road. If Heifu takes this road, the two armies will fight.
Zhang Miao of Chenliu and Yuan Shao of Yuzhou are allies. Once war breaks out in the Chenliu area, Yuan Shao will definitely participate.
At present, the Taishan Army has no preparations for a decisive battle in the Central Plains, so the Heifuzhiheji Army can play a role in containing Chen Liu's enemy forces.
And because Heifu tribe has firmly occupied Baimadu, the ferry crossing of Dahe, Yecheng will go south to support Heji if necessary.
But generally speaking, the Taishan Army and the Heji side mainly adopted containment tactics in this battle, instead of taking the initiative to move westward, so as to prevent the war from expanding and causing unpredictable results.
The Heifuzhiheji Army was like this, and the Taishan Army did the same to the west of Luoyang.
Now, after occupying the entire Bingzhou, the Taishan Army has been confronting the Han Dynasty in Guanxi in the Hedong area. According to the general tactics, when the Taishan Army goes south to Shangluo at this time, it will mostly take the road east of Hedong.
In fact, the top brass of the Taishan Army did think so at the beginning.
Because if we attack Hedong from Taiyuan Road southward, we will be able to penetrate directly between Luoyang and Chang'an like an awl.
From Linfen, you can take the Fen River to Longmen Crossing and occupy the gateway into Guanzhong. From Wenxi through the valley entrance, you can enter Anyi, the hinterland of the river east, and occupy the rich salt pond.
Once the east of the river is occupied, they can directly cross the river from Maojin Ferry, enter Hongnong Shaanxi County, and then go east along the Xiaohan Road to threaten Luoyang from the west.
This road was also a road often taken by military strategists in the past dynasties. In the future, Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty also took this road when he returned to Kyoto from Hedong.
But later, after careful discussion with many staff, Zhang Chong gave up this path.
The first one is that the Han Dynasty in Kansai has really made great efforts in Hedong.
They built a line of defense along the Fen River and the Emei Platform, the most important of which was jade.
Previously, the flying troops of the Taishan Army had gone deep into Hedong with the help of secret spies from Hedong. They had also seen this barrier from a distance, which was very dangerous.
If the Taishan Army takes this route to Hedong, even if they finally capture the jade, it will be a huge setback for the army and the gain will outweigh the loss.
Another reason is that taking this path will force Kansai and Kanto to unite. Xiaohandao was originally located between the two capitals, and once Zhang Chong barged in, no one could guarantee that the two capitals would not abandon their past grievances and join forces to attack the Taishan Army.
When the time comes, the Kwansi Army is at Hangu Pass and the Kwantung Army is at Mianchi. They will attack from both front and back, and with the river behind them, they will surely be surrounded on all sides.
Therefore, after many considerations, Zhang Chong gave up his plan to attack Luoyang from the west.
But there was an ancient road that was used by Zhang Chong, and that was Wangwu Road.
This road actually goes from the upper reaches of the Sushui River outside Wenxikou to the southeast, passes Hengling Pass, passes Gaoluo, passes through Wangwu Mountain District and arrives at Yuanqu County. After that, it can enter Hanoi County via Qiziling and Zhiguan. , and then cross Mengjin south from here to enter Kyoto.
This road was opened very early. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the Jin people deliberately attacked Chidi in Wangwu Mountain in order to open up the road to the Central Plains.
Since then, the Jin people have followed this path many times, competing with Qi and Chu for hegemony in the Central Plains.
This road is also the closest road from the Hedong area to Heluo. However, unfortunately, the Taishan Army does not have complete control of this road and can only allow the sentry riders and You Yi of the Fei Army to pass through it.
Today, the first line of confrontation between the Taishan Army and the Guanxi Army is still near Queshu Road. Although after the Battle of Jiexiu, the Guanxi Army withdrew all the troops in the valley to the back of the valley, they still built barriers in the valley to stop the Taishan Army.
Therefore, the Taishan Army and the Guanxi Army still faced each other at the northernmost edge of the Linfen Basin, but the entrance to Wangwu Road was at the southernmost end of the Linfen Basin, so it was difficult for the Taishan Army to pass.
The reason why he is still able to spy on You Yi now is because Dong Zhao got through the relationship with the Wenxi Pei family. It is with the help of this local snake that the Taishan Army can move around in small groups to provide Zhang Chong with the latest news in Heluo. dynamic.
Therefore, the only way left that can pass the army is the north.
And if you want to attack Luoyang from the north, you actually need one area and one ferry.
The area is Hanoi, and the ferry is Mengjin Ferry.
Starting from the upper east gate of Kyoto, we turned north for more than sixty miles and arrived at Mengjin Ferry. After crossing the river, we entered Hanoi.
Hanoi can be said to be the most important area in the north of Ha Loc region. From the southern foot of Taihang Mountain to the river, from Wangwu Mountain to Ji County, this small area can be said to be a battleground for military strategists.
This place used to be called Nanyang, which means south of the Taihang Mountains. In the past, the Jin people obtained it and became hegemonic, and the Qin people obtained it and were able to compete with the three Jins. When the former Han Dynasty fought for the Central Plains, they first settled on Hanoi. In the current dynasty, when Guangwu was running Hebei, he used Hanoi as a solid foundation and then restored Luoyang.
It can be said that this area of Hanoi is the core of Luoyang's northern defense. Therefore, the Kwantung court's defense in Hanoi was very tight.
However, although there is only one road from Hanoi to Luoyang from the north, there are three roads into Hanoi.
One is to go south from Hebei along the eastern foot of Taihang Mountain. For example, Zhang Chong asked Zhang Dan to lead an army of 20,000 people from Yecheng, and they took this route.
This road is also the most convenient way from Hebei to Heluo, and is the first choice for those who use troops in Heluo. In later generations, Shi Le took this road to attack Luoyang.
The second way is from Taihangxing.
Taihangxing is located 30 miles northwest of Huai County, Hanoi. It is the second interrupted pass in Taihang Mountain.
From here, you can cross the foothills of the Taihang Mountains, pass through Changping and Shangdang, and then enter the Taiyuan Basin along many waterways.
Now, the main force led by Zhang Chong is taking this road.
It can be said that this road is also the main channel from Bingzhou area to Luoyang. In the past, when Ding Yuan of Bingzhou led his border troops southward, he took this road.
From Taiyuan, via Shangdang, Hanoi, and Heyang, we drove long distance to Luo and arrived in five days.
Therefore, it is for this reason that many powerful ministers have set up their tyrants in Taiyuan since then. Once there is police in Luoyang, Jinyang troops can reach the other side of Luoyang in five days.
The third way is the Wangwu Road just mentioned.
From Taiyuan, go all the way south along the Fen River, then enter Hankou eastward in the Linfen and Wenxi areas, then cross Wangwu Mountain and enter Yuanxian County, then go eastward through Qiziling and Zhiguan and then to Heyang.
It's just that this road is now blocked by the Kansai Army, and it is a pity that the army cannot pass through.
Otherwise, if the Taishan Army attacks Hanoi from these three routes, it will be more certain of victory, unlike now where the main force has to conquer Shangdang first.
Shangdang, Shangdang, and the same party as the sky, you can see Gao Wei.
This area is a basin between the Taihang and Taiyue Mountains. With the eldest son as the core, it is rich in products and has convenient transportation.
But he disagrees with taking down Shangdang. There are many terraces and broken mountains here, making marching difficult. On the contrary, it is more advantageous for the defending side.
It was precisely because of the dangerous geography of Shangdang Highlands that Zhang Chong ordered Handan and Yecheng to attack Shangdang on the east side of Taihang Mountain.
In this way, once Zhang Chong's army is blocked by Shangdang, Xie Bi and Zhang Dan's armies can attack Shangdang from the east and south from Fukou and Taihangxing.
It can be said that the military strategy laid out by Xun You was very much in line with Zhang Chong's wishes.
On the one hand, we must gather as many troops as possible to attack one enemy; on the other hand, we have multiple ways of coordinating, so that we can both advance in unison and conduct pincer attacks on the left and right to reduce pressure on each other.
But Zhang Chong's offensive was so massive that Luoyang was not all fools.
In fact, their own defense in the north of Luoyang is very complete.
First, the most important Mengjin Crossing, the Kwantung Army established Santiao City. Three strong walls were built on the north bank, the sandbank in the middle of the river, and the south bank, respectively, and were named "Three Cities of Heyang".
After the construction of the three cities was completed, General He Jin inspected the three cities and commented directly:
"There are no man-made dangers like these three cities since ancient times. It takes thirty years to store grain in Xiangshi City, and it will succeed, and it will dominate the world. If it fails, it will be enough to stay here until you are old."
The wise people in the capital all say that these words of the general are the words of success or failure.
But He Jin was unmoved, and instead vigorously managed the three cities of Heyang. He not only built the Heyin warehouse south of the Heqiao, but also stocked millions of stones in grain. He also promoted his brother He Rong to the rank of captain of Heyang, with authority over the defense of the three cities of Heyang.
In addition to the expansion of Mengjin, the Kanto side is also expanding the Yewang City in Hanoi.
Yewang is the seat of Hanoi County. It is the intersection of three roads and the hub of Hanoi. The current governor of Hanoi is Xue Hong, who is stationed in Yewang City.
In addition to Yewang City, Kyoto's important towns in Hanoi include Ji County, Zhiguan, and Tianjingguan, all of which were difficulties for Taishan's army on the way to Luo.
Especially that Jingguan Pass, where the Yangchang Sakamori Road is talking about.
Now in the car, Zhang Chong was listening to Meng Ju's information about these areas, so as to know himself and the enemy.
The carriage and horse were still moving, and the person was a little drowsy. Suddenly, Meng Ju told a message, which cheered up Zhang Chong, but he heard Meng Ju say:
"Information from Kyoto has been sent, and the person suspected of Zhu Jun has returned to the capital."
Zhang Chong immediately ordered:
"Send someone to investigate immediately. Be sure to obtain accurate information."
Meng Ju hurriedly wrote it down.
Zhang Chong cannot be cautious, because the last pillar of Guandong is Zhu Jun. Since Huangfu Song committed suicide, Zhu Jun has been the only commander-in-chief of the Kanto court. If he comes to Kyoto, he will obviously make a series of arrangements for the Taishan Army's southward march.
After that, the four of them chatted for a while, and after sorting out the dynamics of the three armies, Zhang Chong ended the meeting:
"Let everything be done according to my arrangements. Everyone, let me get out of the car and walk around. My legs are still not suitable for riding in this carriage."
So, Zhang rushed out of the carriage and walked to a slope on the side of the road, followed by a group of civil servants and generals.
At this time, he looked at the flags blocking the road and the armored cavalry under his feet, and he felt heroic in his heart. He said to everyone:
"This time we go to Luoyang, we must win the battle. Not only must we win Luoyang, but we must also win the hearts and minds of the people and win the general trend."
Everyone was busy shouting and singing.
At this time, Linghu Shao in the crowd saw that King Zhang was in such a good mood, and felt that the opportunity had come, so he hurriedly walked out:
"Your Majesty, now there are hundreds of thousands of tigers swaying up to Luo. In this situation, I cannot help but sing a song."
Zhang Chong turned around and took a look, recognizing that Linghu Shao was a member of Taiyuan's surrender. He secretly sneered in his heart that the scholar was just a chicken. If you ignore him, he will be tough. If you ignore him, he will become weak.
Although he was disdainful, Zhang Chong still smiled and nodded.
So, Linghu Shao sang excitedly:
"Nine flags rise from the clouds, and thousands of horses come from the valley. The stone road is about to end, and the smoke in the suburbs suddenly opens."
To be honest, this poem is okay. In addition, Linghu Shao has a good voice, pure and magnetic, so he can still sing this little poem with flavor.
In fact, there were quite a few people in the crowd who had Linghu Shao's thoughts. Of course they knew what it was, which was to praise virtues.
To be honest, most civil servants with a bottom line are not willing to sing praises like this. After all, it is a bit shameful. But when the people present saw how decisive Linghu Shao was, they also reacted.
What do they have? Without military merit, no planning, no economy, and no more singing praises to the king, what value do they have?
These people were originally the surrender faction of Bingzhou. After being taken into the shogunate by the Taishan Army, they had been worried.
They understand to some extent that people like them are actually worth a thousand pieces of gold and horse bones. When the Taishan Army conquers the world, they will probably have a leisurely position.
However, few people were willing to say so. These people were somewhat arrogant about their talents and thought that they had the world at their disposal. How could they be willing to take a leisurely life? When they saw such an opportunity presented themselves, they did not care about shame and began to go out and sing praises.
Under the leadership of Linghu Shao, many Bingzhou scholars later gave speeches one after another, but the overall level was average, and some even stumbled because of nervousness.
It wasn't until Wen Hui, another famous Taiyuan scholar, came on the scene that the entire writing style rose to a higher level. I saw this eight-foot-tall, gentle scholar singing in the wind on the loess slope:
"The bells and drums are at dawn, and the mountains and rivers are open to the sky. The ringing cypresses are flying down the cypress, and they are flying into Changping. The land is dangerous and the passes are strong, and the Shangdang town is still strong. When spring comes, the trees close together, and the moon sets and the garrison towers are empty."
As soon as this song came out, people with a certain degree of literary accomplishment nodded secretly, and senior staff such as Xun You couldn't help but look at the eight-foot Bingzhou scholar.
But in this harmony, one person sighed:
"King Zhang, I also have a poem to offer."
Zhang Chong looked over and saw that it was the man named Wang Ji, who was said to be the son of Wang Rou, the unlucky general who protected the Huns.
Then, without waiting for Zhang Chong's consent, Wang Ji lined up the crowd, looked around, and hummed:
"As far as Kyoto is concerned, you look towards the wilderness. How desolate it is for thousands of miles, the vegetation is desolate."
After Wang Ji finished speaking, the entire audience was silent. Just now Wen Hui's face was flushed and he felt ashamed:
"Compared with Wang Jun, I am really a person like mud. How can we, the literati, bow down like this?"
The word "Wang Ji" does not have much literary character, but the pattern and vision are higher, and the style of its presentation makes all the Bingzhou scholars feel ashamed.
But it was different when the word fell on the ears of the Taishan Army shogunate.
Na Guo Tu stood up directly and angrily said:
"You're such a scheming kid, but you want to take advantage of my Taishan Army to win the title? Come here, take down this king's machine."
It turned out that Guo Tu himself was He Jixin's man, so he could naturally see the bad intentions behind Wang Ji's words at a glance.
When our Taishan army went out to fight, you talked about the depression of thousands of miles and the desolation of the grass and trees. Who are you scolding?
Sure enough, bad seeds know best.
Just when Hengzhuang was about to win the king's machine, Zhang Chong waved his hand and said to Guo Tu with a smile:
"Lao Guo, what's the rush? Our Taishan Army allows people to speak."
After speaking, Zhang Chong glanced at Wang Ji, then smiled at everyone:
"I also have a poem, which was written by others. What is your taste?"
After speaking, Zhang Chong sang:
"The peaks and ridges are like clusters, the waves are like raging, the mountains and rivers are inside and outside the Taiyuan Road. Looking at the Eastern Capital, I hesitate. I am sad. Wherever the Qin and Han Dynasties traveled, thousands of palaces and palaces were turned into dirt. When they prosper, the people suffer; when they die, the people suffer."
After the words were finished, the entire audience was silent, and everyone secretly savored the artistic conception of this poem. It was truly a masterpiece.
Zhang Chong asked Guo Tu:
"Lao Guo, what do you think of this word?"
Guo Tu was respectful and flattering, saying:
"Your Majesty, I, Guo Tu, call myself Fengya. I have heard many famous Yuefu poems and rural ditties, but I have never heard such lyrics about worrying about the world. If Your Majesty hadn't said that this was written by someone else, I would definitely I thought it was the king’s handiwork. After all, who in the world is more worried about the people than your majesty?”
Zhang Chong stroked his beard and smiled without saying a word.
Over there, although Xun You had always looked down on Guo Tu's flattery, he agreed:
"Your Majesty, this is indeed a good word. Not to mention the perfect rhythm and rhythm, its pattern is far superior to that of its peers. It is a first-class good word."
That Wang Ji showed off his cleverness and escaped, so he took the opportunity to praise:
"Wang Zhang's words are more majestic and majestic than humble words. When humble people are sad in spring and autumn, the author of this word has already sympathized with people's hearts. How can he write this word unless he is a great hero who cares about the people's hearts?"
Wang Ji here praised Zhang Chong in a roundabout way, but it didn't matter. Zhang Chong asked directly:
"What you sing is about the sorrow of spring and the sorrow of autumn. Isn't this the same word?"
Not only was Wang Ji stunned for a moment by these words, but none of the literati and staff present responded.
It was not until this moment that Zhang Chong said to everyone seriously:
"You think those words are good for compassion, but what the people in this world want is not compassion, but change. Let me tell you what a hymn is!"
So, Zhang Chong stood up on the high slope, his anger filled his Dantian, and then he sang loudly:
"Raise swords and soldiers, exchange for peace, and restore the Qingming Dynasty to the world."
When this sound came out, the whole place was silent at first, and then countless military officials began to cheer as the carriages and horses on the road below shimmered.
This hymn came one after another along the march for dozens of miles, and then became the same sentence:
"Raise swords and soldiers, exchange for peace, and restore the Qingming Dynasty to the world."
Tens of thousands of people were singing loudly. This song was like thunder, which was the will of heaven and earth. This song is like a tsunami, the voice of humanity.
While Zhang Chong was singing, the shogunate officials such as Xun You, Guo Tu, Zhao Jun, Chen Qiao, etc. all clenched their fists and shouted loudly.
Under the pale faces of the Bingzhou soldiers, they sang their hymns without any scruples.
Under the apricot-yellow flag, this song is so loud. It crosses the mountains, crosses the plains, breaks through the rivers, and can be heard by everyone in the world.
This is the hymn of peace for all eternity.
How loud is this victory song! This is a hymn that belongs to the people!