At three quarters of noon the next day, Zhang Kai finally received a good news from the 10,000 cavalry chasing the enemy: more than 5,000 enemies were killed and countless wounded. Then he received a good news from Yao Xiong's front and rear legs: Yao Xiong The two brothers Xiong and Yao Gu led 20,000 Song troops to set up an ambush and ambushed Dangxiang's army. They won a great victory, killing more than 10,000 enemies and injuring countless others. Empress Dowager Xiaoliang and Li Qianshun led the remaining soldiers and the defeated generals to flee in haste.
Zhang Kai looked at the two victory reports in his hand. It was indeed a victory, especially the ambush of the two brothers Yao Xiong and Yao Gu. It was a great victory, but Zhang Kai couldn't be happy in his heart. The worry became a reality. Empress Dowager Xiao Liang and Li Qianshun After all, they managed to escape with most of the Dangxiang army. When they make a comeback, they will be a major worry for the Song Dynasty again!
At Shen hour that day, Zhang Kai was sitting in the lobby of the Jingyuan Road Department Office, looking at the sand table in a daze. He was still regretting that he had missed the opportunity. Suddenly, there was a rush of footsteps outside the hall, and a dusty man came from outside the hall. The sweaty scout hurried into the hall while holding the objects in his hands high, shouting breathlessly: "Commander! Marshal! Great victory! Great victory!"
"What kind of great victory? Where did this great victory come from? Stop talking nonsense!" Zhang Kai glared at the scout angrily and scolded him. He thought that the battle was over, so how could there be any great victory?
"No! Marshal! Subordinates..." The scout was shuddered by his sharp scolding, and quickly fell silent, timidly holding up the object in his hand, but then he muttered unconvincingly: "It is indeed a great victory. ah!"
Zhang Kai's face brightened slightly when he saw this, and he took the object from the scout's hand doubtfully. When he took it, he found that it was a good news from Yifen Wu Zhi. Zhang Kai opened it casually, took a casual look, and suddenly jumped up in shock. When he got up, he didn't care about the chair that he knocked over to the ground. He opened his eyes and read the good news quickly, and then read it again carefully. Instantly, his blood surged up, his heart beat faster, and his whole body trembled. The good news in his hand was like thunder on the ground, shocking him so much that he almost stopped breathing and couldn't believe his eyes. After a moment, Zhang Kai recovered from the shock, and then a burst of ecstasy came to his heart, and he burst out laughing. , kept shouting: "Great! Great!"
The subordinate officers next to them looked at each other, wondering how the coach could be so ecstatic. When Zhang Kai threw the good news in his hand to them to circulate, everyone stood on the spot as if they were struck by thunder, and then they burst out like thunder. The whole office hall was filled with cheers and joy.
Wu Zhi wrote in the victory report: "Wu Zhi, Liu Zhongwu, Zhong Pu, Wang Shunchen, Lin Chong and Wang Jin led the left route army to set up an ambush in Wuyan Gorge. On October 28, they were defeated and retreated to Xixia. The party's army wounded countless enemies, killed more than 80,000 of them, and captured more than 5,000. The enemy troops were dispersed. Empress Dowager Xiaoliang died on the spot. Li Qianshun, the leader of the Xixia Kingdom, was captured. More than 20,000 horses and countless cattle and sheep were captured. "The Northwest Forbidden Army killed more than 500 people, injured more than 1,000 people, and lost more than 300 horses!"
The reason why Zhang Kai and other officials were so shocked was that they were completely unexpected and happy! Wu Zhi's unauthorized actions were a stroke of genius, and the left route army's bravery was astonishing. They solved all of Zhang Kai's worst worries. Well, killing the Empress Dowager Xiaoliang and capturing the leader of the Xixia Kingdom Li Qianshun alive, this is a great achievement!
Zhang Kai was so excited that he picked up a big red flag and placed it on the sand table with his own hands on the sand path representing the Meowen Canyon Road. Then he looked at it intently, smiling happily.
Subsequent letters from Liu Zhongwu, Zhong Pu, Wang Shunchen and other generals also confirmed the authenticity of the victory at Wuyanxia. So Zhang Kai praised and rewarded the scout heavily, and decided that he and another scout should continue to take charge.
The four reports of success were sent to the capital together with the letters from the generals, promising that they would be promoted and appointed after completing the mission. The two scouts happily accepted the order and left.
Wu Zhi's unpredictable ambush in Wuyan Gorge truly determined the war between Song and Xia. It is no exaggeration to say that it has broken the backbone of the party members and basically eliminated them.
The threat to the Song Dynasty solved a major concern of the Song Dynasty in the past sixty years, which was a great contribution. At the same time, it helped Zhang Kai fulfill his lifelong wish.
After calming down for a while, Zhang Kai finally truly regarded Wu Zhi as a friend of his peers. At first, he may have just thought he was a snake, but now he is sincerely convinced.
At the beginning of the next day, Zhang Kai was sitting in front of the sand table in the office hall, thinking about how to operate next. He received the military merit list and a letter from Wu Zhi sent by the scout. When he took the letter with doubts, he opened it
After seeing it, I couldn't help but applaud and applaud Wu Zhi's thinking and planning. Yes, according to Wu Zhi's plan, now he is taking advantage of the empty Xixia troops to take over Tiandu Mountain, Yanzi Mountain, and Wuyan Gorge, and then send his troops to the west.
It is really effortless to advance, pacify the Hehuang area, connect these areas together, and gain tens of thousands of miles of land for the Song Dynasty, and the timing is just right. If successful, it will be a great achievement!
After reading Wu Zhi's letter, Zhang Kai was very moved. He thought over and over again and decided to act according to Wu Zhi's plan. He especially agreed with the meaning of the four characters "Behead first and then report later" written by Wu Zhi at the end of the letter. This is exactly what Wu Zhi said.
His wishes will not be accepted by the emperor, and the opportunity will be fleeting. He is now the commander-in-chief of the four armies of Xihe Road, Jingyuan Road, Huanqing Road, and Yanyan Road. He can act arbitrarily and decide the world by himself.
Therefore, Zhang Kai issued a series of instructions.
First, Liu Zhongwu of the Left Route Army was ordered to lead nearly 5,000 cavalrymen to immediately go north to defend Tiandu Mountain, set up camp, and build castles and military forts. He also ordered more than 10,000 infantrymen from Pingxia City to go north to station in Tiandu Mountain. All the troops and horses in Tiandu Mountain were under the command of Liu Zhongwu.
In the vast area to the west of Dushan, Zhong Pu and Wang Shunchen led the Xihe Road cavalry to attack and garrison, and Xihe Road commander Wang Wenyu added troops to garrison.
Secondly, Zhong Fu and Miao Lu of the Right Route Army were ordered to lead their cavalry to guard Yanzi Mountain on the spot, build cities and forts, and draw more than 12,000 infantrymen from the Suppressing Army to go north and garrison Yanzi Mountain.
All the troops were under the command of Zhong Fu. The area around the east side of Shanzi Mountain was conquered and then defended by Wang Min and You Shixiong of Fuyan Road. The commander of Fuyan Road, Lu Huiqing, deployed sufficient troops to garrison.
Third, Zhe Keshi was ordered to lead the three thousand soldiers and horses of Pingxia City to cross the Wuyan Gorge first, stationed in the north of the Wuyan Gorge, and began to build castles and military strongholds in the north area of the Wuyan Gorge. He also ordered Yang Weizhong to rush back to the Deshun Army immediately.
Wang Enchu, leading 2,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry, rushed to Moyan Gorge to assist Zhe Keshi in garrisoning, while Guo Cheng led the remaining 6,000 people to garrison Pingxia City.
Finally, Wang Fan and Wei Zhao of Huanqing Road were ordered to lead the cavalry of their headquarters to march westward to the area close to Xihe. They cooperated with Wang Wenyu, the commander of Xihe Road, to attack and pacify the Hehuang area, and then to advance eastward, they must control the Hehuang area and Tiandu Mountain is connected into one piece.
In his instructions, Zhang Kai asked several armies to advance together, and they must use their troops quickly to pacify and occupy these areas quickly, and also to hold them.
As for the Tibetan general Li Zhongjie who had made meritorious service, Zhang Kai ordered him to return to the vassal army station immediately and wait for the imperial court to discuss his merits and reward him before making arrangements. Wu Zhi and the officers and soldiers of the Chiwei camp were ordered to return to Weizhou and wait for further orders from the imperial court.
Just when the northwest border was in the midst of the excitement of victory, Xingqing Mansion, the capital of the Western Xia Kingdom, was in a gloomy and bleak scene, with mourners everywhere and panic.
The Xixia people had learned that the war between their country and the Song Dynasty was over, and they returned with a huge defeat. More than half of the 400,000-strong army was killed or injured, and the army was dispersed. Empress Dowager Xiaoliang died, and even the country's leader became a prisoner of others! Xixia people In the palace, there was even more turmoil and chaos. All parties were playing games, and bloody conflicts continued. In the end, Li Qianshun's younger brother, King Richard of Jin, won. With the support of Nian Yu and others, he ascended the throne with difficulty and took control of Xixia. But now Xixia's vitality has been severely damaged, and it is estimated that he will not be able to recover for more than ten years. It has lost the edge and vigor to compete with the Song Dynasty.
Bianliang, the capital city, was still in a state of excitement for more than ten days after the victory at Tiandu Mountain. The literati, officials, gentry, merchants and ordinary people in Bianliang City were all still discussing it heatedly, and everyone in the restaurants and tea shops There are still people serving wine to celebrate, and everyone is still praising the names of Wu Zhi and Chiweiying, and even the No. 1 Scholar series wine has become more in demand. In the palace, the official Zhao Xu is still thinking about how to reward him. Wu Zhi and all the officers and soldiers.
At the beginning of November, the weather was getting cooler. That morning, before dawn, at the west gate of Bianliang City, while the gatekeepers were sprinkling water to clear the streets to avoid dust, two fast horses carrying red flags came galloping all the way and rushed straight into the city gate. , causing the pedestrians on both sides of the road to curse.
These two riders were the scouts sent by Zhang Kai to deliver the victory report. When they rushed to Zuoye Gate, they quickly dismounted, held up the briefcase in their hands, and shouted breathlessly: "Good news! Great victory in the northwest!" "
Upon seeing this, the imperial guards stationed at the city gate immediately stepped forward to take the briefcases from the two men's hands, turned around and ran into the palace.
A moment later, Zhao Xu, who was going to court, received the four good news and letters sent by Zhang Kai. Interestingly, the four good news and letters were stacked on top of each other in chronological order. The first thing Zhao Xu picked up was the clock. After reading the good news sent by Fu, which was the great victory at Yanzi Mountain, Zhao Xu was very happy to see the huge gains. Then came the good news of the pursuit of 10,000 pursuers. The results were also good, and Zhao Xu was also happy. Followed by Yao Xiong and Yao Xiong The good news of the ambush along the way was also very fruitful, and Zhao Xu was even more happy. Finally, when he picked up the good news and saw that it was from Wu Zhi, he became even more interested. But when he opened the good news and read it, he became more and more upset as he read it. I was shocked. The more I watched, the more excited I became. When I saw the words "Empress Dowager Xiaoliang died on the spot and Li Qianshun was captured", I screamed "ah". I was so shocked that I jumped up. My face turned red and my breathing was rapid, like a thunderbolt. He stood there dumbfounded.
All the civil and military officials of His Majesty Dan were shocked when they saw this. Looking at Zhao Xu standing on the spot, everyone was confused and frightened. They thought something was wrong with this official.
A moment later, Zhao Xu, who was holding the good news in his hand, suddenly burst into laughter, and his laughter was so exciting that it filled his heart. Everyone looked at his surprised look and felt even more confused. They looked at each other and became even more worried.
"What a great Wu Zhi! What a great Red Guard camp! God bless me in the Song Dynasty!" Zhao Xu was still immersed in the surprise and praised him repeatedly. He was so excited that he could hardly find the north.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Zhang Chun was also frightened and shouted loudly to Zhao Xu. He was really afraid that something might happen to Zhao Xu.
"Oh!" Zhao Xu, who was still immersed in ecstasy, was suddenly awakened by Zhang Chun. Looking at the surprised and worried expressions of everyone below, he suddenly realized and hurriedly explained: "You don't need to worry, I'm fine!"
After everyone heard this, they breathed a sigh of relief and felt relieved, but they still had doubts in their hearts. What kind of good news could make the emperor so surprised and baffled?
Zhao Xu looked at everyone's puzzled look, and then ordered Hao Sui to read the victory reports to them one by one. However, after listening to the previous three victory reports, everyone was also happy that the three Song Dynasty had won the battle.
, but the doubts in my heart still cannot be solved: Wouldn't such a good news turn the official family into this?
But as the fourth good news was read slowly, everyone became more and more excited and frightened. When they heard "Empress Dowager Xiaoliang died on the spot and Li Qianshun was captured", the Chui Gong Hall suddenly felt like an explosion.
There was a thunder, and everyone was stunned at first, and then exclaimed, "Ah?" "What?" "No way?" All kinds of exclamations and questions came one after another, and the whole hall fell into chaos and noise.
, so that everyone could hardly hear what Hao Sui read.
All the civil and military officials were also extremely shocked by the news of the victory at Wuyan Gorge sent by Wu Zhi. This was too unbelievable and unbelievable!
In desperation, Hao Sui had to read Wu Zhi's victory message again, and everyone gradually recovered from the shock. They let out thunderous cheers, beamed with joy, and congratulated Zhao Xu one after another. They finally
I understand why Zhao Xu was so out of control just now!
Scattered and defeated the Xixia army, killed the Empress Dowager Xiao Liang, and captured Li Qianshun alive. This was a great thing. As a Song Dynasty person, could we not be excited or lose our composure?
The ensuing letters from the northwest generals and secret reports from the Jingyuan Route Army Central Supervisor also confirmed the authenticity of the four victory reports.
The Northwest Forbidden Army made great contributions to the Song Dynasty, especially Wu Zhi and the soldiers of the Red Guard Battalion. Their contribution is so great that it cannot be added.
Therefore, Zhao Xu drafted an edict and ordered Zhang Kai, Wu Zhi and others, as well as all the officers and soldiers of the Red Guard Battalion, to return to the court. When he received the edict, he set off immediately and escorted Li Qianshun and other important prisoners to Beijing to select a day to discuss their merits.
reward.
As the four winning reports were announced to the public, Bianliang, the capital city, was instantly detonated by surprise, and the entire city of Bianliang turned into a sea of joy. The city was decorated with lights and colorful decorations to celebrate, and the restaurants and tea shops were packed with everyone, including the number one winner.
More than 500 bottles of the series of wines were sold in one day, and the names of Wu Zhi and Chiweiying were once again praised throughout the city.
Wu Xiu, Feng Niang, Jin Lian, Xiao'e, Suo Yanqing, Li Wanchun and others were all very happy when they heard that Wu Zhi and the others were not only safe but also had made great achievements again, and they celebrated lively at home.