"It's been so hard for you to run all the way from Xuzhou to Qingfu... Someone, go get a bowl of ginseng soup and take Cao Liu down to have a rest."
"Thank you, magistrate." Cao Liu was flattered and hurriedly saluted Jiang Chun before leaving.
Jiang Chun nodded, twirling his long beard and thinking.
He hadn't figured it out for a while, so he pretended to be considerate but didn't open his mouth to express his opinion.
Fang Yankai and Li Xia were staring at the map, thinking deeply.
"What do the county captains think?" Fang Yankai asked, "Have you ever thought that the magistrate would attack Wulianghetai?"
"I didn't expect that." Li Xia said.
He was still preparing to expand the army today, but he did not expect Shi Jun to make this decision directly.
This battle was fought so hard that there was no time to breathe.
Fang Yankai sighed and said, "It's too risky."
"It's not like there's no chance. After all, we're going with the flow."
"Leaving tomorrow morning?"
"Yeah." Li Xia raised his eyes from the map and looked out the window, not knowing what he was thinking.
Fang Yankai suddenly said, "I'll go with you."
"Are you also going to the landlord's book?"
"Marching operations are no better than relying on city walls for defense. How to arrange baggage and how to cooperate with friendly forces... I'm afraid the county captain doesn't have much experience."
"Indeed not." Li Xia said.
Although he took 200 people to Wuchidao, he suffered from insufficient luggage at that time, and 500 people were different from 200 people.
His subordinates, including the Han family and his son, did not have the talent to manage military operations and logistics.
Fang Yankai said: "That's it, let me arrange this, right?"
"What about county affairs?"
Fang Yankai turned his head and glanced at Jiang Chun.
Li Xia then understood that Jiang Chun didn't like to do things, but it wasn't that he really didn't know how to do things.
"Okay, then I'll do the hard work of keeping the landlord's account."
They had been getting along with each other for two and a half months. Fang Yankai didn't even ask Li Xia if he could trust me. He stood up and said, "I have a lot of work to do tonight."
…
Fang Yankai and Li Xia left the public house, and soon the county government office became busy.
Jiang Chun was still sitting there alone, and finally expressed his opinion.
"It's too risky, it's too risky..."
But he can say that Li Xia is a madman, but he can not say that Shi Jun is a madman...
Qingfu County and Xunjiang Yingpan were very busy all night.
At dawn, four large ships and a dozen small boats carrying 500 river patrolmen sailed down the river.
It was very rushed, but Fang Yankai did a good job. He brought all the dry food, arrows, wound medicine and other items that he should bring, and placed them in an orderly manner.
He and Li Xia stood on the bow of the ship, watching the peaks on both sides of the river retreat quickly, and said, "This battle was rushed. In fact, we didn't have time to get to Xuzhou, and the governor won't blame us."
Fang Yankai was not trying to avoid a fight, otherwise he wouldn't have said this until now.
Li Xia said: "We came not to avoid being blamed by Zhizhou, but to defeat the Mongolian army."
"Are you confident?"
Li Xia said: "If Shi Zhizhou had not attacked, I would never have dared to lead only 500 men to fight; but if I were Zhizhou this time, I would also choose to pursue the Mongolian army."
"Why?"
"Because I don't dare to be weak." Li Xia said, "I have lost too many things, so I don't dare to be weak."
Fang Yankai didn't understand.
Li Xia, on the other hand, had already lost his entire life and knew that he had to lose this Southern Song Dynasty. There was determination in his eyes.
On top of Xuzhou City, Shi Jun looked around and seemed to see numerous bones outside the city.
He saved the people in the city, but this time the people who were massacred outside the city were also the people under his rule.
This is not his fault.
He could even let Wu Liang Hetai's army go eastward and still have a share of the credit for defending Xuzhou City.
But what he had already lost and the tens of thousands of lives he didn't want to lose anymore made him more determined.
It was nearly dusk.
The Mongolian army moved eastward yesterday. At this time, no Mongolian ships could be seen on the river. Only the Xuzhou garrison was preparing intensively...
"Zhizhou, the boat has been pulled back."
"Loading supplies overnight, making meals at the third watch, and setting off at the fifth watch."
"yes……"
Li Tonghe stood behind Shi Jun, looked at the river at dusk, and sighed: "No reinforcements from all counties have come."
"I sent a message yesterday and arrived today... I'm afraid I can't even do it."
The person who spoke was the commander of the Xuzhou garrison, named "Lou Yan". He was tall and thick. After finishing one sentence, he said: "But there are not many people in those villages and counties. If they don't come, they won't come."
Shi Jun didn't care much about this matter. He stared at the river for a while, then turned to walk down the city.
Suddenly, Li Tonghe shouted: "Look, what is that?"
Lou Yan was very surprised and murmured: "Someone actually came..."
Shi Jun turned around and saw a few small dots on the other side.
They were four large ships and more than a dozen small boats that were struggling up the river, heading towards Sanjiangkou...
There is a map in a lobby.
Someone clicked on Xuzhou on the map, pointed eastward along the Yangtze River, and finally landed at the junction of Xuzhou and Nanxi County.
The river formed a big bend here.
"Wulianghetai is both land and water, and its marching speed is not as fast as ours. We set out tomorrow and can catch up with the Mongolian army in front of this big bay..."
Shi Jun did not explain the strategy in detail, but only gave a general layout, followed by some words of encouragement for the troops.
Zhang Shi seemed very silent and basically didn't speak.
Li Xia was a civil servant. He stood in front of several generals and was not taken seriously and did not make things difficult for him.
After Shi Jun finished speaking, he roughly understood the idea of this battle, and after the military meeting, he retreated with the generals.
Fang Yankai was left behind, presumably to know more confidential military information.
Li Xia returned to the camp and inspected the status of the five hundred river patrolmen.
After a long time, Fang Yankai came back and sat down in Li Xia's tent. After hesitating for a long time, he said, "Why doesn't Feiyu take the imperial examination?"
Li Xia said: "I can't pass the exam."
Fang Yankai looked very melancholy and embarrassed, and said: "For tomorrow's battle, Zhizhou has just told me about the specific tactics, allowing me to take full command. But this is not my original intention."
Without waiting for Li Xia's reply, he added: "I know it's hard for you to believe it, but I really have never thought about taking away your power at this juncture. And I really told the magistrate that all the five hundred patrols on the river are yours."
It is more suitable for you to command it since it is first-hand training. The defeat of the Mongolian army last time was your credit. I also tell the truth about this matter and there is absolutely no criticism."
"Householder's book..."
"I speak from the bottom of my heart..."
Li Xia waved his hand and said: "Housekeeper, there's no need to be like this. I know it, and I believe you. Shi Zhizhou doesn't want me to lead the army. I thought of it before setting off."
Fang Yankai was silent for a moment and asked, "In that case, why did Feiyu let me come?"
"Without the owner's book, Shi Zhizhou would have let others take over the five hundred people."
"Feiyu knows, so why don't you go and explain to Zhizhou?"
Li Xia shook his head and said: "He won't change his mind even if I explain it. This matter is not only a prejudice, not to mention that I am a traitor, have no reputation, and am too young. Put aside all these reasons, just say that I compiled these five hundred
Shi Zhizhou doesn't want to see me continue to lead troops after this battle, right?"
"Yes." Fang Yankai nodded and sighed: "If we only brought more than a hundred people, maybe the situation would be a little different. Five hundred people, and five hundred people with such vigor, would be a bit... too much."
"I see."
Li Xia actually understood Shi Jun's approach very well.
He even felt that if he looked at it from Shi Jun's point of view, it would be the right thing to do.
Because the Song Dynasty pursued a policy of "strengthening the trunk and weak branches". To put it simply, local finances had to be sent to the central government through various channels, which deliberately weakened local strength.
Then it is impossible to allow a lower county to train five hundred elite rural warriors.
Although it was Shi Jun who saw that war was imminent, he authorized Qingfu County to intercept the autumn tax and train the township to defend the city bravely.
Of course Shi Jun had the heart to defend his country, otherwise he would not have done this, otherwise he would not have decided to attack Wu Lianghetai.
But Li Xia went too far. After defending the county seat, he could still lead 500 people to fight... Apparently he had broken the rules too much.
Shi Jun had tried his best within the rules and regulations of the Song Dynasty. If he dared to tolerate it any more, he would not be a loyal minister, but a treacherous minister.
It was impossible for a loyal minister to turn a blind eye when he saw that a low-level official with a traitorous background dared to touch the Song Dynasty's country-building strategy.
Li Xia was not punished, and he did not even say a harsh word. This was because he put the overall situation first.
Shi Jun certainly didn't think that a small county captain wanted to rebel, he just instinctively rejected such behavior.
Li Xia somewhat admired Shi Jun's keenness. He thought that Shi Jun was right, but that the Song Dynasty's system was like this. It was more defensive about internal thieves than foreign invaders.
But he also knew that he was the traitor and wanted to rebel.
…
"Since Feiyu understands, he must not be resentful. Zhizhou still has considerations. We are not the main force in this battle. We are arranged on the rear wing. It doesn't matter whether I command or you command."
"Yes. If I am willing to cooperate, the landlord can indeed command the river patrolmen. After all, Bao San, Jiang Fan, Lou Hu and others all obey you. Shi Zhizhou has weighed all these things, and it is true that the war is the most important thing.
"
Fang Yankai, feeling very excited, sighed and asked, "So Feiyu agreed?"
"No." Li Xia said simply.
Fang Yankai was stunned.
Li Xia said: "I understand and agree with Shi Zhizhou's position. But my troops will not be handed over to your command."
"But this... the war is tomorrow..."
"It's not my choice tonight, it's your choice as the landlord. Should you cooperate with me, or should I lead the troops and leave overnight?"
"what for?"
"I will take command, you cooperate with me and hide it from Shi Zhizhou."
"Li Feiyu, you are too conceited!"
"If I am not conceited, can I bring people here? Open your eyes and see, who else will come besides us?"
"You...are you forcing me?" Fang Yankai was furious and lowered his voice and said, "Are you forcing me?"
"Okay, then I will take people back to Qingfu and continue to divide the Zhang family's property."
"you……"
Fang Yankai was completely stunned.
He didn't expect... Li Xia came over without hesitation after hearing the order, looking like he was zealously serving the country, and could actually say such a thing.
Li Xia was always calm.
He is here to fight, but he will not be a loyal minister of the Song Dynasty like Fang Yankai and Shi Jun. The Song Dynasty has never lacked loyal ministers...