Chapter 1 Decisive Battle in Quarry Gorge
Volume 4. "Six Etiquette Strikes and Suppressions"
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The fifth day of the fifth month is the day when my daughter returns to her parents' home, and it is also the day when she travels to all kinds of diseases and welcomes the ghost ship.
In the customs of many places, on this day, they will use papyrus to make dry boats, and take them to climb high and parade the streets. According to legend, most of the ghosts wandering in the world are lazy ghosts. In their daily life, they live in strangers and are the source of all diseases. On this day, the weather is hot. When they see dry boats, they will board the boat to rest and enjoy the cool air. After the people have finished traveling the streets, they will take the dry boats outside the village to burn them so that they will no longer harm the world.
However, on the Dragon Boat Festival this year, people had not had time to send away the ghosts, but the war came. Starting from the end of March, the barbarian invasion of China, north of the Huanghe River, Jingzhou and Xuzhou were successively lost. Immediately afterwards, Lu Chang, the governor of Luzhou Prefecture, and Liao Jinji, the confucian general of Shizhou, gathered 500,000 soldiers and civilians, attacked on both sides, intending to recover Jingzhou. The barbarian general Meng Yuxian led 10,000 iron cavalry and attacked thousands of miles, defeating the 200,000 army of Shizhou. Then, through interweaving tactics, he defeated nearly 300,000 Luzhou soldiers with 70,000 troops. Lu Chang, the governor of Luzhou Prefecture, was killed in battle, the army collapsed, and Luzhou fell.
Immediately afterwards, Meng Yu divided his troops, took Weizhou and Jingzhou, and he was invincible and defeated all the troops. The Chinese military and civilians were defeated one after another.
At the same time, Xie Zhanlu, the powerful general under the rear of the Falcons of Chunxin, defeated many counties in Xuzhou in a row, and swept across Xuzhou. The prefect of Xuzhou, Wang Wenchun, gathered 100,000 elite troops and fought with Xie Zhanlu in Quye. He was defeated at once. One touch was found. Ten thousand people were chased by the barbarians, and there were only a few thousand when they fled back to Xuzhou.
In desperation, Wang Wenchun could not stand firm and allowed the counties of this prefecture to fall. Xia Zhanlu drove the people to attack the city. Tens of thousands of Chinese people died at the city of Xuzhou, with corpses everywhere, and it was terrible. However, Xuzhou City was a barrier to the north of China, which was indestructible. Wang Wenchun was determined to let the people die at the city, which made the barbarians' strategy fail to work. Unexpectedly, that night, there were hundreds of strange surprise soldiers who took advantage of the fatigue of the guards and climbed up the city. The sword could not be cut by the sword and stabbed the gun. These strange surprise soldiers with pale skin robbed the city gate. Xie Zhanlu personally led the barbarians to enter, and Wang Wenchun destroyed the city and committed suicide.
Later, Xie Zhanlu massacred the city for three days. After resting, he continued to go south. The prefect of Yizhou fled before the battle. Yizhou fell. The military general Xia Delin of Luzhou wanted to use the benefits of mountains and rivers to block the enemy from the front wall. The prefect of Luzhou was afraid that he would lose. Xia Delin asked for the battle to the death, but he failed to make a move. Xie Zhanlu soldiers forced Luzhou City, used their old tricks to drive the people to attack the city. Xia Delin opened the city gate without permission and wanted to save the people into the city, but was killed by a strange surprise soldier who mingled among the people. The city of Luzhou was destroyed.
At this point, the "Agu soldiers" of the barbarians began to be known to the world, and Xiezhan Lu and Mengyu also formed a united force. In just over a month, Shizhou, Jizhou, Bingzhou, and Luzhou were lost to the north of the Huanghe River. The barbarian tribes massacred the Chinese people in large numbers. The bodies blocked the river and tears flowed all over the fields.
At the end of April, the tiger general Mu Bugu led his troops from the upper reaches of the long river to cross the river. The prefect of Xingyangzhou was frightened to surrender to the enemy. The court and the country were shocked. In the past year, another name, which had begun to be considered a rebellious, once again entered the sight of everyone.
On the day of Dragon Boat Festival, Emperor Song Shao was sick and summoned the Shangshu Youpu She and the Minister of the Central Secretariat Pingzhang to serve Han Xi, the Shangshu Left Pushe Lu Zhisi, Pingzhang was responsible for military and national affairs, Xu Xiusheng Xu Lao, Shangshu Left Prime Minister, Shangshu Right Prime Minister, etc., and discussed affairs in the hall.
At this time, Song Shao had a serious illness since the Fengshan Mountains of Mount Tai, and he was even unable to get out of bed. At this moment, he was carried into the hall with a dragon bed. He looked at the minister in front of him and sighed: "How is the war?"
The right servant Han Xi pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty is just lenient. The enemy in the north has been temporarily restrained and cannot cross the river. The barbarians in Xingyangzhou in the west have been blocked by Ningjiang and cannot cross Caishi Gorge. Haojing is not at present. I think that those barbarians have captured so many prefectures in one go, and it is difficult for them to control them. If the stalemate continues, they will eventually retreat."
At this time, the left guard general Qiu De had already led a large army to cross the Huanghe River, using the strategy of Gan Yushu, the sanqi Changshu, and built defensive fortifications and used the rain in April and May to block the main force of Xie Zhanlu, and only defended but not attacked. While relying on his superiority in military strength, he sent cavalry to attack the enemy's rear. Xie Zhanlu attacked the city and camp all the way. After all, the rear was not stable and was forced to shrink. The defense line was temporarily stabilized north of the Huanghe River.
The situation in Xingyang Prefecture on the west was also bad. Bashu had already been occupied by Xiling Brother Mu. Sibi Cave Pacification Department barely blocked Brother Mu and was unable to recover Bashu. Guangzhou's troops had long been drained, and even the civilians were forced to conquer. Xingyang Prefecture had originally had a dangerous place to be advantageous. The court originally hoped that the troops of Xingyang Prefecture could be blocked at least for one or two months. Unexpectedly, the prefect of Xingyang Prefecture, who had lost his literary power, had no courage to fight with the barbarians. He opened the city to capture the enemy, and Mu Bugu's soldiers could seize Xingyang Prefecture without bloodshed.
The troops in Chengzhou and Suizhou were long been taken away by Qiu De, the general of the left guard. Mu Bugu, who occupied Xingyangzhou, went to Chengzhou to set off, and the court was at a loss. Once the barbarians occupied Chengzhou, they would either advance to Haojing, or cut off Qiu De's rear food route to support Lu. At this moment, the army led by Qiu De was already the only defense line north of the Huanghe River. Even so, they would only support it. If they retreated, the entire Central Plains would completely fall and Haojing would be in danger.
At this time, last year's top scholar Ning Jiang and Tan Ruhai, the head of Hengyue Sword Sect, jointly issued a hero order, calling on people in the martial arts world to save the country and protect the family. Ning Jiang led a large number of people in the martial arts world to travel through the long river. With his name as the top scholar and the leader of the Southeast martial arts world, he gathered defeated officers and soldiers from the north, and used the dangers of mountains and rivers to forcibly block tens of thousands of powerful soldiers and generals of Mu Bugu. The people in the Jianghu who fell to the north of the Huanghe River were also inspired by the hero order and rushed to Caishi Gorge to support him.
As for Ningjiang, when he just passed the top scorer last year, he was well-known in the capital. However, afterwards, he resigned and left, causing trouble in Longhu Mountain, and published the Nine Yin Scriptures, becoming the so-called leader of the martial arts world. In the court, he began to believe that this person was a rebellious person, not a serious Confucian student. Some even proposed to deprive him of his fame. However, after the Fengshan Mountains, the world changed, and no one had time to pay attention to this matter.
Hearing that Ning Jiang led a large number of people from the world gathered the remnants of defeated soldiers who fled from the north, he could really block the tens of thousands of barbarian soldiers from Mu Bugu. Song Shao lay on the dragon bed and his eyebrows finally relaxed a little.
Song Shao still has a very good impression of this young man who won three yuan in a row but resigned from his official position because of Luanmei's death. Although he had done some discussions, it was normal for young people to think about it one after another, and it was normal for them to not think carefully. Now that the capital is in crisis and the world is changing, he can stand up for the country and the king, which is also a great loyalty and righteousness, and young people have a purpose.
He said: "It is rare for Ningjiang to protect the country and the people in this time of national crisis. I want to issue an imperial edict to award him a medal to the guardian, and to order him to recruit officers and soldiers on the spot to resist the barbarians..."
Han Xi bowed suddenly and said, "Your Majesty, this matter is absolutely impossible! Although Ning Jiang has made contributions, he has been scattered and made friends with bandits in the world. At this time, he has not been summoned by the court, so he arbitrarily recruited the remaining soldiers, gathered bandits in the world, gangs, held troops and respected the law and laws as if nothing had happened. Although it was due to the situation, it was a taboo thing. It would be fine if the court did not punish him. If he had added his martial arts honor, wouldn't it be possible for everyone to follow his example? If everyone learns from him, recruited bandits in the world, and waited for the court to enthrone the title, how could it be?"
Song Shao said: "This..."
Zuo Pushe Lu Zhisi said, "Han Xiang, I think everything varies from person to person, and things are urgently followed. Ning Jiang's move is always to defend the enemy for the country, or can he be compatible?"
Han Xi said boldly: "How can the laws and regulations of the country be harmonious? What's more, it's such a big thing? If Ningjiang can be harmonious with troops privately, what will the bandits in the southwest do? What should someone take this as an example in the future?"
To Song Shaoli, he said: "Your Majesty, the barbarian soldiers are just a temporary problem. The law and discipline are corrupt, and everyone has landed troops to support the country is the fundamental event that shakes the country. Your Majesty wants to enthrone Ningjiang, but I cannot obey the imperial edict anyway. This is for our Great Zhou Dynasty's plan for the past generations and for the foundation of your Majesty for thousands of years."
The Left Chief of Shangshu, the Right Chief of Shangshu, and several other officials also advised: "Your Majesty, what Han Prime Minister said is reasonable, and this matter must not be set for a precedent. Not only must the precedent be set, Ning Jiang has no authorization to recruit troops and horses, and he also needs to be punished afterwards."...
Emperor Song Shao coughed anxiously, thinking that no matter what, it would be too much to ask for the crime. Behind him, two eunuchs quickly massaged his back. He took a breath and said, "But the situation is not yet determined. On the Xingyangzhou side, he still relies on Ning Qing..."
The right counselor said, "I think it may not be. Your Majesty just imagine that the elite soldiers of each state have not been able to stop the barbarians. Then Ningjiang is just a teenager in his teens. He gathers some bandits in the rivers and lakes, as well as the remnants and defeated soldiers and generals who have been defeated from the north. They are probably mobs. How can we accomplish things? It is because the barbarian soldiers entering Xingyangzhou were just at the end of their strength and came across the Huanghe River. They were originally for intimidation. The reason for this crisis was purely because Xingyang too
If he is brave enough to defend himself, he will be able to surrender. If he is braver, even Ningjiang and those mobs can defend him, how can he not? From this we can see that choosing a general is far more important than others. Ningjiang's achievements are only accomplished by the situation, but it is inappropriate to place such a major event on his son-in-law. However, it is better to choose a good general, take the emperor's edict to replace him, and then rectify his troops, and will surely wipe out the enemy."
Lu Zhisi hesitated and said, "Those people in the martial arts world came to Ningjiang's heroic order. If they replaced him, how could those people remain willing to serve?"
Han Xi resolutely said: "If he is sincere in his country, he will cooperate. If he has ambitions, how can we use it more? If he is willing to listen to the court's dispatch, he will be united in his heart and can expel the barbarian soldiers. If he does not obey the court, then what is the difference between him and those barbarian soldiers? Are we raising tigers to drive away wolves?"
The emperor coughed anxiously: "This..." He didn't know what to do for a moment, so he looked at Xu Xiusheng, who was sitting on the other side and never spoke. Pingzhang's military and national affairs were important. Although Pingzhang's military and national affairs were of high status, he actually had no real power. He was to provide old veterans with great fame to support their old age and show their glorious position.
The veteran Xu Xiusheng often went to and from Helan Mountain when he was young to fight against the barbarians. During this extraordinary period, Song Shao naturally wanted to hear his opinions.
Under his gaze, Xu Xiusheng pretended not to see it, lowered his head and did not see it at all.
Emperor Song Shao was disappointed...
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The sun was hanging high in the air, and a barbarian general sat on the horse, looking at the mountain gorge ahead with a gloomy look.
This barbarian general has a burly figure, a scattered head and a strange bulge on the back of his neck for Chinese people.
Compared with the Chinese, the barbarians are generally taller than the Chinese, and their figures are generally similar to those of the Chinese. Although this is the case, there are always some barbarians who develop some strange characteristics. It is difficult to tell what kind of bloodline this characteristic originates from. In fact, most people generally believe that the barbarians and Chinese are both descendants of Yan and Huang, but their ancestors are the legendary "four evil spirits".
These four evil spirits are Huangdi's ingenious son Hundu, Shaohao's ingenious son Qiongqi, Yao's ingenious son Huandu, and Yandi's ingenious son Taotie. Although in some biography, they are recorded as ferocious beasts, they are actually four defeated tribes, exiled to the barren land in the north, and are stained with the evil spirits of the snow and ice in the north. After two or three thousand years, they gradually become different from the Chinese.
Of course, whether the truth of history is really like this is actually not something we can do now. But it is undeniable that they live in the bitter and cold land in the north, and always peek at the wo lao land in the Central Plains. However, in these eight hundred years, China, which has literary spirit, is almost invincible, and they can only keep huddling among the poor mountains and rivers, raising their energy and waiting for the opportunity to come.
This barbarian general is Mu Bugu, a powerful general under Chunqin's army, Xie Zhanlu.
In fact, this time, the only ones sent by Hu Zun were Xie Zhanlu, the powerful general under the back of the Chunqin Falcon, and Meng Yu, the adopted son of the "Shencai" Zongbei, were led by 100,000 troops, who were more tentative. However, the Great Zhou Dynasty, which had basically lost its literary power, was too weak, unexpectedly weak. The 200,000 barbarians alone had already captured a large area of land north of the Huanghe River. This huge giant was far more fragile than they thought.
But now, Mu Bugu finally met his first opponent since he went south. He licked the corner of his mouth, as if he had already smelled the other party's blood.
He knew very clearly that the kid was on the opposite mountain, just the mountain gorge in front of him, like a beast with a huge mouth open, waiting for him to automatically send it into the tiger's mouth. This feeling made him very uncomfortable, and it was something he had never seen since he headed south.
Chapter completed!