"Reporting to the Capital Supervisor Army is the news from twenty days ago."
"Twenty days ago!"
Wan Yanchang sneered, "I'll tell you a piece of news from Wuhu five days ago. Five days ago, Yang Yao's fleet was escorted from Wuhu into Lishui."
"ah!"
Dong Xian and Kong Yanzhou were both shocked, "Has Yang Yao been destroyed? So quickly?"
Wanyanchang shook his head, "Do you think that the powerful general of the Western Army who was able to kill Wanyan Lou and also beat Wanyan Wushu to pieces would be like the other Song armies in the east?
In order to transfer him out of the northwest, we did not hesitate to build fighter planes in Yangzhou to lure the Song army into a trap. Even the Emperor of the Jin Kingdom is always paying attention to the Song general. You actually don't take it seriously and don't send spies to Dongting Lake to understand the situation at all times? Dong Shangshu
, do you think not enough people from the Qi army died at his hands?"
Wan Yanchang's questioning was very severe, and Dong Xian said with shame on his face: "I know my fault for my humble position!"
Wan Yanchang softened his tone slightly and said: "Wang Yan is killed, Chen Qing will definitely lead his army northward in person, you immediately shrink the front line and stabilize the defense!"
Dong Xian quickly explained: "Beizhi has deployed three lines in total. The first is 8,000 people in the direction of Xiazhou. The general will control Jingchao and prepare to attack Yiling. The second line is 30,000 people deployed by Lin County, the commander of Jingmen Army.
The people were led by Jiang Yanxian, the commander of the capital. The third line was a hidden line. Li Xiu, a low-ranking naval force, led 5,000 troops and 300 warships along the Han River to Hanyang and attacked the old nest of the Xuanfu envoy in Huguang. There was a lot of money and food there.
Military resources and troops are empty, so we must seize this opportunity."
Wan Yanchang suddenly became interested and asked, "How much food and supplies are there in Hanyang?"
Kong Yanzhou said: "Reporting to the capital supervisor, I know that the money alone is 300,000 guan, the food is no less than 300,000 dan, and there are also a large number of armor, crossbows, kerosene and other materials, just in the warehouse.
There are two hundred buildings, but the defenders only have two thousand people."
Wan Yanchang frowned, "How could Li Gang make this mistake and only send two thousand people to guard Hanyang?"
"Reporting to the Capital Supervisor, Li Gang originally ordered three thousand troops to defend Hanyang. It was a warehouse city, not in the county. It was built at the confluence of the Yangtze River and the Han River. The city wall was very high, and five thousand men were enough to guard it.
.”
"Forget it, immediately order the troops from Yiling and Changlin to withdraw to Changshou County in Yingzhou to meet Li Xiu's fleet."
Dong Xian nodded, "I am humble enough to give the order immediately!"
Wan Yanchang was the Supreme Emperor of Qi, and Dong Xian did not dare to disobey his orders.
.........
Changlin County is a large county with tall and wide city walls. Li Gang led his army to rescue Wang Yan. When he was approaching Xiangyang Prefecture, he encountered some remnants of the army that had broken out. When he learned that Wang Yan had been killed in battle, Jiang Yanxian, the puppet Qi capital commander,
Li Gang led an army of 50,000 to pursue him. Li Gang was unsuccessful in the first battle and had to withdraw to Changlin County, where he was suppressed by Jiang Yanxian's army.
On the one hand, Li Gang sent people to Baling County to ask for help from Chen Qing, and on the other hand, he trained militia soldiers in the city to prepare for a decisive battle with the puppet Qi army.
That night, after Li Gang washed his feet and was about to rest, Han Zhao, the general on duty, came to report, "Inform the Xuanfu Envoy that the messenger who went to deliver a message to Chen Dutong has returned. The humble official has taken the person into the city!"
Li Gang was overjoyed, "Where is the messenger? Bring him to see me quickly."
Li Gang put on his shoes and came to the front hall. A soldier who delivered the letter knelt down on one knee and saluted: "I am reporting to the Xuanfu Envoy. I have already met with Chen Dutong, and Chen Dutong replied to the Xuanfu Envoy!"
"
After delivering the letter, he took out Chen Qing's reply and presented it to Li Gang. Li Gang quickly took it and read it carefully.
Chen Qing's letter mentioned that he had sent an army to Hanyang, which made Li Gang relieved. Before he wrote to Chen Qing, he had already sent an army to Hanyang. Unexpectedly, the army retreated defeated a few days later, and Li Gang realized
When he arrived in Hanyang, he was targeted by the puppet Qi army, which really worried him.
Unexpectedly, Chen Qing took the initiative to send troops to rescue Hanyang. Li Gang secretly praised that Chen Qing was indeed worthy of his reputation. He defeated Yang Yao in a month, and his thinking was meticulous and flawless. He actually thought of defending Hanyang, which was really not easy.
"What other news?" Li Gang asked again.
"Jianzhi crossed the Yangtze River with Chen Dutong's army. He probably commanded 10,000 cavalry and headed towards Yiling!"
Li Gang suddenly realized that Chen Qing wanted to attack the puppet Qi army in Yiling first to break the siege of Yiling. There were only three thousand Song troops in Yiling County, and the situation was actually more critical. If Yiling fell, the most important enemy of Bashu would be defeated.
The door opened.
Chen Qing is a general of the Western Army, so he is naturally more concerned about the safety of Sichuan and Shaanxi.
Li Gang was relieved. As long as Chen Qing sent troops, he might not lose this battle between Jingxiang and Jingxiang.
Two days after crossing the Yangtze River, in the afternoon, Chen Qing led 10,000 cavalry and arrived near Baolun Temple, about fifty miles south of Yiling County.
Baolun Temple is a large temple that has not been damaged by war. It still maintains a constant fragrance. There are hundreds of monks in the temple. When they heard that the Song Army cavalry arrived, the temple donated all the fodder, which was just dried in the temple.
Forage is prepared to be given to pilgrims and donors in winter.
This fodder was a real help to the Song cavalry. Although the quantity was not large, it could support the horses for at least two days.
Chen Qing personally came to Baolun Temple to express his gratitude.
"Amitabha, we are also very happy that the temple can do something for Song Jun."
The abbot, Zen Master Yonglin, personally welcomed him out.
"The fodder arrived in time. Originally we were going to look for pasture grass, but now it is no longer needed and the soldiers can rest early."
Chen Qing's 10,000 cavalry were stationed in a bamboo forest behind the temple. They ate dry food, drank water, and provided fodder for their horses. Everyone rested early, which created conditions for the night's battle.
"Chen Dutong is very polite. Please come to the meditation room to sit down and drink a cup of tea."
At this moment, a young monk ran up and said a few words to the abbot. Zen Master Yonglin looked shocked and said for a long time: "It's really strange!"
"Excuse me, abbot, what happened?" Chen Qingxiao asked.
"My master wants to see Chen Dutong. He has been in seclusion for twenty years, and he actually broke his precepts today."
Chen Qing saw that the abbot, who was nearly seventy years old, still had a master. He asked curiously: "How long will your master live this year?"
"He just turned ninety at the beginning of the year!"
There were actually ninety-year-old people in the Song Dynasty. It was rare! It was really rare!
At this time, a thin old monk came tremblingly holding a bamboo staff.
This is Zen Master Huitong, the former abbot who has been in seclusion for twenty years. He is over ninety years old and is a very thin and dry old monk.
He put his palms together and saluted Chen Qing, pointing to his mouth. Zen Master Yonglin explained at the side: "My master has been practicing closed-mouth meditation for twenty years. He once said twenty years ago that only extraordinary people will alarm him."
The old monk's eyes were very pure and he stared at Chen Qing without blinking. Although it was a bit difficult for him to walk, he did not let his disciples and grandchildren support him and leaned on a bamboo stick by himself.
"Is there such a magical thing?"
Chen Qing obviously didn't believe it. He smiled slightly and said, "I'm actually just a mortal!"
The old monk handed him a note. Chen Qing opened the note. The ink had turned yellow. It was obviously written many years ago, and there was only one sentence on it.
"After twenty years of seclusion, how can a mortal shake my Zen mind?"
Chen Qing's heart skipped a beat. Did he know that he had traveled through time? His heart suddenly became extremely full of anticipation. People were searching for him a thousand times. When he suddenly looked back, he saw that person in a dimly lit place. Could it be that this old monk he met unexpectedly
, can give him the answers he has been searching for for many years.
The old monk made a gesture of invitation, then turned around and walked slowly towards the depths of the temple.
Chen Qing glanced at the abbot, and Zen Master Yonglin shook his head, "Master only invites generals. We can't trespass. Please invite generals!"
Chen Qing thought for a while, stopped the soldiers who wanted to follow him in, and followed the old Zen master deep into the temple from a distance.
Under the gaze of countless pairs of eyes, an old man and a young man were seen disappearing among the bleak fallen leaves.
