"Li Guochang has been in charge of Zhenwu for eight years, and it is deeply rooted. All the Zhenwu soldiers are in the city, and there are also Shatuo cavalry to suppress them. I am afraid that they will not surrender lightly. If you have any suggestions, please tell me. I am currently unable to do so.
I have no idea." Hao Zhenwei sat at the top with a carefree attitude and looked around at the generals.
Qiu Weidao, the supervisor of the army, sat under him. Several generals and deputy generals from Xicheng, Zhoucheng and Beicheng stood on both sides. Everyone frowned, as if they had some unsolved problems. At this time, when they heard Hao Zhenwei's question, everyone
They all knew it in their hearts. Soon, they saw someone saying: "Zhenwu Military City has been in operation for many years. The city has high walls and thick moats, so it is difficult to fight. Our army only has more than 2,000 soldiers. It is not very clear what is going on in the city, but the garrison stationed in it is not very clear.
There must be more than a thousand soldiers. I don't agree with wasting the lives of soldiers. In the end, they often fail to defeat them and lose their capital in vain."
"Can you order the Fengzhou party members who are accompanying the army to attack the city? There are three thousand of them. As long as they promise a reward, we are not afraid that the poor devils will not take the bait." Someone said.
"The barbarians are not stupid! How can they not know what the situation of siege is? If you have the life to take the money, but if you don't have the life to spend the money, who will do this?" Someone was not happy and said.
"Disobeying orders before the battle is a capital crime. We can implement military law and cut off a few thorn heads first, and then increase the reward, so we are not afraid of their disobedience."
"Hold on!" Hao Zhenwei forcefully patted the armrest of the bed and said, "The party is not trustworthy, so sending them to attack the city is a bad idea."
Hao Zhenwei had a headache. These warriors were all idiots, and they were seriously discussing how to attack the city. This had gone against his original intention, so he hurriedly interrupted. Zhenwu Army City is a big city, even if Li Guochang led
Without the main force, their small force cannot defeat them. The current situation in the state is strange and undercurrents are surging. It would be foolish to spend all the troops here.
"It's better to send someone to the military city to ask about the situation." A middle-aged man in a long robe said: "The people who are determined to rebel against Li Guochang have already gone to Hedong. Most of the people left in the city are loyal to the imperial court. As long as the envoy Xiao is sent to show his righteousness,
We can definitely persuade them to open the city gate and show their intentions. The rebels still in the east of the river will definitely be frightened after hearing the news and will not dare to fight anymore."
"Haha, a scholar's opinion. The people in Zhenwu Army City are not fools, and some may be loyal to the court, but what will happen if you open the city gate? Aren't you afraid that we will make money and go on a killing spree? I can't guarantee that I will enter.
How can we stay in the city without committing any crime?" Someone laughed again, and his words were full of sarcasm, without giving him any face.
“You—it’s you people who have corrupted the country’s major affairs!”
"His grandma's! If it weren't for the general's residence, I would have chopped you off long ago."
"I'm most annoyed by your sour and noisy attitude. Last time I went to get spring clothes, one of them was in trouble and the other was evasive. I wanted to kill you at that time. I heard that your little lady is quite beautiful, but I didn't know that you were killed.
Who will be better off in the future, hahaha!"
"General, this man is very rude, I will lower my rank——"
"Shut the hell up, General!" Hao Zhen stood up with a roar, his armor leaves clanging, and he said angrily with a livid face: "Military and national affairs, how important they are! You guys are making noises here.
, as straight as a vegetable market, what kind of style is it? I am looking for you to ask for advice. I am really asking for fish in a tree. That's it, that's it! I have made up my mind to go east along the Yellow River and capture the East City first (note 1). In this way, go ahead
You can attack, retreat or defend, so you have a lot more room."
"The generals are wise!" "Obey the generals' orders!"
**********
Shao Shude stood outside the door for a long time, listening to a group of soldiers and guards chatting and talking nonsense. The warriors who serve as soldiers these days are, to a certain extent, frightening. As long as there is no one around, they are really good.
Dare to say anything. This is naturally related to the "warrior populism" that continues to this day after the Middle Tang Dynasty. In a vassal town, whoever wants to come to power must please the warriors and promise various benefits and welfare. And this kind of welfare is only limited to
It can be increased but not subtracted. If those who come to power later want to gain the support of warriors, they have to write bigger checks and better benefits. Over time, the warriors have become accustomed to their status and speak a little casually.
Shao Shude chatted with them for about half an hour, and learned a lot of important information from these big mouths, and gained a deeper understanding of the campaign to send troops to attack the Zhenwu Army. It was more of a performance than a war.
There were very few people in the entire army who were willing to risk their lives for the so-called imperial edict.
Soon, the military meeting chaired by Hao Zhenwei adjourned. Qiu Weidao walked out silently, and Shao Shude immediately stepped forward to salute: "Qiu Shijun."
"We'll talk about it when we get back." Qiu Weidao waved his hand and got on the war horse brought by San Lang. Shao Shude responded and called to Brother Yihuo who was following him. With a sword and a bow, he carefully escorted Qiu Weidao back to the Temporary Military Supervisory Courtyard.
The area of Zhongcheng is not small, but because it is a military fortress, it is not a normal city in terms of structure. There is only one street, two to three hundred households, and a few shops. The layout is the same as that of West City, or even worse.
The buildings on both sides of the street were all closed, and no one could be seen. This shows the fierceness and reputation of the warriors.
After the Temporary Military Supervisory Academy arrived, Qiu Weidao immediately asked people to close the door tightly. At the same time, he called Song Le, the judge who was accompanying the army, and the leader of the team, and the four of them worked together to figure out the next move.
"General Hao Du was uneasy and hesitant. I am afraid that this eastern expedition will not achieve much results." Qiu Weidao asked someone to make a pot of tea. While he drank it, he shook his head and said: "The Zhenwu Army Envoy appointed by the imperial court will
Lu Taiqing died of illness on the road, and the two states and three cities are leaderless, each with their own thoughts. If there is one person to take charge of the overall situation and support the various kings' divisions, the situation will probably be much better."
"Lord, this may not be a bad thing." After a short moment of silence, Song Le, who was a branch judge of the Military Supervisory Academy, spoke up. He was only heard to say: "Guochang and his son are fierce and stubborn, and the Zhenwu Army has always been good at fighting.
We are famous, and our troops are twice as powerful as Tiande. If we really fight, we will definitely not get any benefits. Now that the main force of the rebels is going east, and Zhenwu Army City is their home base, there must be a considerable number of troops left to defend them, so it is a bad idea to attack them."
"What Judge Song said deeply touched my heart." Qiu Weidao nodded and said: "Guan Dutou, how much do you know about Zhenwu Army?"
"The Zhenwu Army is good at fighting. In the past, it was... once..." Guan Kaiyun was a little confused. He squatted in the Military Supervisory Court all year round and had little contact with foreign troops. He was not a local soldier in Fengzhou, so he could get a lot of information.
I was stuck for a while and didn't know how to continue.
"Captain Shao, tell me." Qiu Weidao frowned and glared at Guan Kairun, then asked about Shao Shude.
"I report to you that the Zhenwu Army has more than 5,000 infantry and 3,000 horsemen. They are mainly stationed in Dongcheng, Military City and Shengzhou. Linzhou (Note 2) is located in the rear, so there is no way to suppress the troops.
Most of them were mainly defended by local villagers from the local wealthy families, such as the Zhejia and the Yang family. During the Huichang period of Wuzong, Liu Mian and Liu Taifu led the Hedong Army and combined with Qixin, Tuoba, Shatuo and other Tibetan troops to defeat the Uighur Wu Jieke
Khan, rebuilt the Tiande Army, and at that time transferred a large number of Zhenwu officers and soldiers to Fengzhou to serve as officers at all levels. In the past thirty years, the Zhenwu Army held Dangxiang in the south and marched north to the grassland. It was famous for its powerful combat power, and all the armies in Fengzhou were
They all worshiped him." Shao Shude ignored the situation and said directly: "After Li Guochang entered the town, the Zhenwu Army's strength expanded, mainly due to the addition of Shatuo, Dangxiang and other vassal troops, about two thousand people, all cavalry.
Also, the combat power is quite impressive.”
"It's really a collection of family treasures." Qiu Weidao praised: "How much do you know about the Zhe family and the Yang family in Linzhou?"
"The Zhe family is from Dangxiang. The head of the family, Zhe Zongben, has served as a general in the Zhenwu Army for many years. He has served successively as deputy general, tenth general, commanding envoy, and military and horse envoy for suppressing soldiers and horses. The five towns along the river are known as military envoys. After Li Guochang rebelled, Zhe Zong I led my troops back to Linzhou to protect the environment and the people. I have a strong intention to wait and see." Shao Shude continued to introduce: "The Yang family is a wealthy family in Linzhou. After the Hongnong Yang family, I came to Linzhou about two or three generations ago. The current head of the family is Yang Yao. (yuè), his great-grandfather Yang Sun was an imperial censor and an envoy to Ziqing. The three generations of the Yang family did not serve as officials, but they bought land and property in Linzhou, managed the business well, and had many tribes, making them a wealthy family. .”
"After hearing what Captain Shao said, I calculated that the troops Li Guochang brought to Hedong were estimated to be six to seven thousand. Including the thousands of soldiers used by his son Li Ke, the total number was only more than ten thousand. .Even if Han and Tibetan soldiers were recruited temporarily, the number would definitely not exceed 20,000. No matter how brave and good at fighting, there would be no way to survive under the siege of the imperial towns. Unfortunately, the towns could not work together as one, and to this day What a shame, what a shame!" Qiu Weidao stood up and sighed repeatedly.
Shao Shude remained silent. He already knew what Hao Zhenwei had planned, and he didn't believe that Qiu Weidao didn't know. Fengzhou's undercurrents were surging, and it was indeed a very dangerous time. If there was something wrong with Li Yan, the defense history, how many people in the state would be there? A general can compete for the throne. Now Hao Zhenwei is leading a large army outside. As long as he is not stupid and is not in a hurry to return to hand over military power. When news comes from the state, he can reward the troops, promise a lot of things, and then rely on the support of the warriors. The momentum has directly returned to Zhen Zili as a history of defense. Can the court still refuse to recognize it?
Of course, there is another problem here, that is, if Li Xun is fine and recovers, then all Hao Zhenwei's plans will come to nothing. Li Xun has been ruling the German army for many years and still has some prestige. Hao Zhenwei is not sure that he can seize power while he is still alive. .Furthermore, even if Li Jue is really dead, there are still enough competitors in the state. If they gather the remaining troops and recruit some temporarily, it will not be a problem to gather three or four thousand troops. Do you, Hao Zhenwei, still want to go back and fight with them first? Will they succeed in a fierce fight? Therefore, whether Hao Dujiang's plan will succeed or not is actually between two and no one dares to guarantee it. It's just that warriors like to take a gamble whenever they have a certain chance.
"That's it, that's it! Hao Zhenwei wants to act, so I'll accompany him in this act. It just delays state affairs, and I'm worried." Qiu Weidao waved his sleeves and sat back on the bed, with a tangled expression. The pain is as if it is absolutely necessary.
Note 1: Dongcheng, that is, Dongshoujiang City, is located outside the Yellow River in Tuoketuo County, Inner Mongolia today. During the Tianbao period, it had 7,000 soldiers and 1,700 horses. It is only ten miles from the southwest of Dongcheng to Shengzhou City across the river, and 120 miles from Zhenwu Military City to the northeast. The situation is critical.
Note 2: Linzhou has jurisdiction over three counties: Xinqin, Liangu and Yincheng. Forty miles to the north, Yincheng County is forty miles to the south of Zhoucheng.