Chapter 736: North-South Confrontation

Chapter 736: North-South Confrontation

Chapter 736: North-South Confrontation (Part )

After Wang Mi fled into Hebei, he was not able to completely escape the pursuit.

On the afternoon of the ninth day, Shao Shen led more than 2,000 infantry and cavalry across the river and pursued the enemy all the way.

Wang Mi was so panicked that he ran towards Dianzhenban. On the way, he met Wei's soldiers and ran back in panic.

Above the withered yellow grass, arrows flew through the air and shouts continued.

At the bank of Shajian River, Wang Mi, who was the last of the few riders, accidentally fell into the river when crossing the wooden bridge. Because he had fought hard against the pursuers and was wearing armor, he never floated up after falling into the water.

Wang Feibao, who had been active in Henan and Hebei for more than ten years, came to an end.

In Wangwu Mountain, the Jin army, with the Heiliang Army as its main force, swarmed in, and the Xiongnu captives were moved to Henan and dispersed and resettled.

Shi Fuhou used his own Jie infantry and cavalry as the vanguard and spent two or three days defeating the remaining troops of Shi Sheng and Zhao Lu, beheading several thousand people.

Zhao Lu was shot by an arrow when he attacked Hankou and died a day later.

Shi Sheng died in the chaos of war.

Of course, there are also rumors that Shi Sheng was a Jie and Marquis Shi Fu was afraid that Madam Liu would plead for him and allow him to be spared, and that Shi Sheng would in turn get his hands on the Jie military power, so he killed him.

In short, after the battles of Chenguan and Shancheng, the Huns lost three generals, the gate to the south was wide open, and they had no power to turn the tide.

The news soon reached Pingyang. It was already November 12th, and heavy snow was falling from the sky, heralding the arrival of the cold winter.

Liu Cong was discussing the war in Luliang Mountains with his court officials.

"The day before yesterday, Chihongling reported that the Shao bandits sent their generals to attack the camp at night and destroyed it. My son was captured accidentally, and the remaining thousand imperial guards retreated to Zuoguo City." Liu Cong sighed and said, "At this point in the battle, the morale of the camps is low. I can't sit in Pingyang anymore. I have to lead the army myself."

It seemed unexpected, yet reasonable. Only a few court officials showed hesitation, as if they wanted to speak out to dissuade him. Most people looked calm, because this was what should be done.

Is it reasonable for the first or second generation of monarchs to sit quietly in the palace and order civil and military officials to pacify the local areas and lead troops to fight for them?

It's fine in normal times, but when something goes wrong, shouldn't the monarch take charge?

Since the Spring and Autumn Period, monarchs have had the obligation to lead troops into battle; this is a tradition.

Many people seem to have forgotten that a monarch is first a military aristocrat and only then has other identities.

The Huns originated from the grasslands and have many remnant customs. At critical moments, the monarch must lead his troops to fight.

Otherwise, you are weak, irresponsible, unfit to be a king, and rebellion is imminent.

"Your Majesty, where do you want to conquer? The north? The south?" Sikong Zhu Ji bowed and asked.

"What do you think, Mr. Zhu?" Liu Cong looked at him and asked.

Zhu Ji looked up and found that Liu Cong's eyes were bloodshot and his face was dull. He sighed and said, "Your Majesty, I think I have to lead the army in person, otherwise I can't boost morale. Although the northern border is at a disadvantage, it can still resist. Hedong is in a mess. Hongnong Wang Mi was defeated again, and Pu Hong returned to Hucheng without firing a single arrow. The situation here is much more dangerous than Xihe. I think we can go south to Hedong to fight the bandits, and then return to the north after clearing this road. It's still in time."

Something called hope ignited in Liu Cong's eyes. He took two quick steps to Zhu Ji and asked, "Mr. Zhu, do you think it is the best strategy to first conquer Hedong and then go north to fight the bandits?"

Zhu Ji nodded and said, "Your Majesty, most of the rebels in Hedong are just young men from the fortresses and servants of the nobles. They cannot withstand the attack of the imperial army. There are also tribes of Chinese people around Pingyang. We can send all the young men over the age of twelve to attack them with great force. We can wipe out the rebels as soon as possible and then turn back to fight the enemy. It is not too late."

Liu Cong relaxed.

Those who knew him well knew that the decision had already been made. At the same time, they were relieved that at the critical moment, the emperor who had once indulged in wine and sex could still take risks and not hide in the capital, but lead the army to fight for the world.

This is what an emperor should look like!

"Your Majesty." The old minister Fan Long coughed lightly and said, "At this moment, I think people's hearts are everything. Wherever Your Majesty goes, the people are more at ease, and the soldiers are brave, which may slightly reverse the decline. In Hedong, there must still be people who are loyal to the court, but they are forced to bow down and endure the enemy due to the situation. Once the royal army arrives, these people will definitely lead their troops to surrender, and there may be hope of pacifying Hedong."

Liu Cong glanced at Fan Long and nodded again.

He still remembered the time when Fan Long went south to persuade Shao Xun to surrender.

My father really admired this man and wanted him to come north to join us. He even planned to marry his sister to him as a pillar of the country.

"Your Majesty." Liu Yannian, King of Jiangdu, said, "If you don't make a decision, you will suffer the consequences. If you think the troops are insufficient, I will call the troops from Guanzhong to fight for your majesty."

Liu Yannian was an elder of the royal family and the brother of Liu Yuan.

After Liu Yuan succeeded, he built Dagan City (located ten miles southwest of Wenshui County today) in Taiyuan for him to live in.

On the one hand, this was to use the royal family to suppress the external vassal states and protect the Liu family's kingdom. On the other hand, it was also to surround Jinyang from the south, compress Liu Kun's range of activities, and trap him in an isolated city.

However, starting three years ago, Liu Yannian's tribe gradually withdrew from Dagancheng and moved to Guanxi to settle down.

At first they were in Anding County, but later Liu Cong felt that life there was too hard, so he asked them to move to a place near Chang'an and allocated some good farmland with abundant grass and water for them to farm and graze.

The tribe is currently led by Liu Yannian's sons, while he himself serves as an official in the court, holding the position of Prime Minister.

Liu Cong was quite moved when he heard Liu Yannian's words at this moment.

At critical moments, the royal family and the Tuge clan are still reliable.

But he refused.

"I appreciate your kindness, Grand Chancellor." Liu Cong looked at him and shook his head, saying, "Chang'an is far away from here, and it's too late to help in an emergency. I will lead 6,000 imperial soldiers, more than 10,000 troops from various departments, and more than 10,000 young men to the south to quell the rebellion. If we win the battle, there is still room for recovery. If not, you should make plans early."

Everyone sighed when they heard this.

Plan? What else can we plan? If the emperor's personal expedition fails, how can we have the courage to resist? It is better to pack up our belongings quickly, cross the river to the west, and seek refuge with the prince.

I heard that the prince has 30,000 soldiers stationed in Hexi, ready to move eastward to provide support at any time. Perhaps this is the only hope.

******
When Shao Xun received the news, he was on his way to Zuoguo City. The road ahead was seventy or eighty miles long, all along the river valley, and it should have been easy to walk, but it started snowing.

It was already cold in the mountains, and the wind and snow were even stronger, making it impossible to open one's eyes.

When the Luoyan Army was acting as the vanguard, a troop of hundreds of people was ambushed by the Xiongnu tribe. The entire army was wiped out and not a single horse returned.

As a last resort, they had to slow down their march, and when they arrived outside Zuoguo City, it was already the night of the 15th.

A bonfire was lit in the sheltered area of ​​the mountains.

Shao Xun and his two sons sat around the fire.

"Is it painful?" Shao Xun checked his two sons' hands and found that they had frostbite, so he asked.

"It's bitter." The two children nodded obediently.

"After enduring this hardship, the fruits will taste sweeter when you enjoy them later." Shao Xun said with a smile.

Jin Dao and Hu 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 must have been very happy.

"Grandpa, now - have we won?" Jin Dao couldn't help but ask.

"What do you think?" Shao Xun asked back.

"The Huns have been defeated in battle after battle, and their morale is low." Jin Dao said, "When we first sent troops this year, the Huns still dared to fight and charged without regard for their lives. But after fighting for more than half a year, they don't seem to be that strong anymore. Whether they can fight depends entirely on how well the generals lead them. Even if they lead the best, their combat effectiveness is about the same as at the beginning of the year."

"Not only has the Xiongnu's fighting power declined, but ours has also increased. Warfare is all about courage. Our army's morale has risen, while the Xiongnu's has declined. As one grows, the other shrinks, so we are invincible and unstoppable." Shao Xun said, "Wang Mi is an example. When we first attacked Xin'an, the imperial army was even defeated several times. The two sides fought bloody battles for a long time. In the end, more than 15,000 soldiers in the central army of Luoyang were killed or wounded, 10,000 men in Luonan were killed or wounded, and hundreds of soldiers in the government were also killed or wounded. Finally, we managed to capture Xin'an."

"When we attacked Baichaowu, it was easier. But Wang Mi still launched a sharp counterattack. More than 10,000 imperial soldiers were killed or wounded, and thousands of men in Henanwubao were also killed or wounded. It was only with great difficulty that we recovered the city."

"The battle of Xishibao was suddenly much easier. The battle of Minchi was a crushing defeat. The battle of Shancheng was a pursuit of the enemy."

"Military spirit, morale and combat effectiveness are closely related. If my son leads an army in the future, he must pay attention to morale and do everything he can to maintain or even improve it."

"Got it." They said in unison.

"Let me ask you one more question, did you win?" Shao Xun held his two sons in his arms, one on each side, and asked with a smile.

"We won." They said one after another.

"Are you all stubborn?" Shao Xun said with a smile, "You just think according to the current situation and don't consider unexpected situations?"

The two were stunned, and then they understood where the only variable came from.

"Are you worried about this?" Shao Xun laughed again, tapped his two sons' heads respectively, and said: "As a general, you should be indomitable. Even if you are in a desperate situation, you must find a ray of hope. Even if it is proven that everything is in vain and useless in the end, you must do it. It has nothing to do with other things, it's just an attitude. My sons should not be discouraged, surrender, depressed and listless. You are my children, so you should be ruthless and fierce, and never give up easily."

"In the end, we are in a great advantage now, there is nothing to worry about." Shao Xun continued: "If Liu Can jumps out, we will deal with him together. Don't be upset, stay calm, is there anything easy in the world?"

"Now let me ask you one more question, did you win?"

"We won!" The two children mustered up their courage, raised their voices, and answered in unison.

Shao Xun laughed out loud.

The father and his two sons sat in the tent, looking at the heavy snow outside.

Jin Dao couldn't help but look at his father.

His mother had always been gentle and graceful, and what she taught him seemed to be different from what his father taught him.

Maybe it's the difference between men and women.

My father is always calm, as if nothing can defeat him. But at critical moments he can be ferocious and violent. He really dares to chop down your entire family, but it depends on whether he is willing to do so.

He still has a lot to learn.

Hulang looked at his father and brother.

Outside, the north wind was howling and snowflakes were flying everywhere, but the dim oil lamp inside the tent actually cast a warm glow.

If he and his brother were still serving their father when he was old, that would be the best thing in the world.

On the 17th, the army attacked Zuoguo City and captured it in one day.

The young commander Lu Ya came to the front of the battle line to supervise the battle, but was shot dead by a powerful crossbow.

On the 19th, the troops surrounded Li Shi.

Liu Chang, Duke of Xihe County of the Xiongnu, spent money to boost morale and fight to the death.

The army attacked for three days in a row but failed to conquer the city, so it divided its forces into groups to plunder the villages and obtain supplies locally to reduce the pressure of transportation during the snowy weather.

It was also on this day that Liu Cong recruited all the young men and led his army out of Pingyang and headed south to suppress the rebellion.

Before the Yellow River froze, Liu Can led more than 10,000 troops across to the east bank.

People are still passing through the three cities of Puzhou Pass in an endless stream.

Everyone had a vague idea in their mind: if we don’t hurry to cross the river, it might be too late.

(End of this chapter)