Wang Kuo followed his father on Xihe Road since he was a child, while Zhang Yue practiced in Fang Mu when he was on Xihe Road.
After Zhang Yue returned to the court, he stayed at Xihe Road. Zhang Yue returned to the court for a year after paying homage to the prime minister.
Zhang Yue always regarded Wang Kuo as his nephew.
Wang Kuo knew everything about the dispute between his father Wang Shao and Zhang Yue, and he made a fair comment in his heart.
In his eyes, his father, Wang Shao, was an authoritative figure. He told his soldiers to die for him wholeheartedly. If they obeyed his words, they would be rewarded. If they did not, they would be severely punished or even executed.
He once saw with his own eyes that Wang Shao ordered a dozen soldiers who had been with him for many years to cut off their wrists for some minor mistakes. Over the years, he had not even had a moment of doubt and cut off their wrists on the spot without saying a word.
The sight of more than a dozen hands being chopped off shocked Wang Kuo, but his father Wang Shao was talking and laughing calmly.
But Zhang Yue is approachable and approachable. He often allows the people below to show their talents and gives them space to perform. Even going against his will to a certain extent is allowed. But the premise is that you have to get things done.
When it comes to generals, Wang Shao is definitely above Zhang Yue, but when it comes to who he works for, the people below him are definitely leaning towards Zhang Yue's side.
If you do work for Zhang Yue, the people below will have more autonomy.
There is a sentence in Zhang Yue's edict to Wang Kuo, which states that he will end his own affairs.
Therefore, Wang Kuo decided to follow his own ideas. The news that the soldiers who returned to the rebel army were massacred by Dangxiang was somewhat repelled. He even felt that the explanation from above had been completed and he could now hand over the task.
However, Wang Kuo did not do this. He personally led his army to search northward.
At this time, the navy told Wang Kuo good news. It turned out that they found a living person among the corpses drifting from the upper reaches to the lower reaches. The person claimed to be Cao Zhongshou, the current leader of the Guiyi Army.
Wang Kuo was overjoyed and immediately returned to the navy camp to see Cao Zhongshou, who had narrowly escaped death.
In fact, Cao Zhongshou was also very lucky. After the party members shot him and his men to death with random arrows, they threw the bodies into the river without inspecting them.
Although Cao Zhongshou survived his injuries due to the cover of his chain armor. After his chain armor was removed by party members, he was thrown into the river and stimulated by the cold water. Cao Zhongshou woke up immediately. Fortunately, the armor was removed, otherwise
Cao Zhongshou was about to drown in the river.
Cao Zhongshou, who had drunk a lot of river water, was floating in the river. He was seriously injured and could not escape death. However, at this time, he encountered the Xihe Navy who was anchored downstream. They fished Cao Zhongshou out and reported it to Wang Kuo.
Wang Kuo was overjoyed after seeing Cao Zhongshou. He knew that half of the mission of this trip was completed.
Cao Zhongshou, who was seriously injured and suffering from a high fever, insisted on getting up from the bed and bowing down after seeing Wang Kuo and said: "Thank you, General, for saving your life!"
Wang Kuo helped the other party up and said: "I am here to support you on the orders of the imperial court. I dare not say that I have any kindness."
Cao Zhongshou bowed again and said: "I request to return to my motherland this time and be loyal to the Emperor of the Song Dynasty forever. I also ask the general to save my people."
Wang Kuo helped Cao Zhongshou up and said: "Brother Cao, the imperial court ordered me to support the rebel army. Now that I have arrived here, I will not sit idly by."
"No matter how difficult it is, there is no reason to return empty-handed."
"Thank you, General!"
After Wang Kuo appeased Cao Zhongshou, he returned to the cabin and complained to the people around him: "I thought the Guiyi army was brave and good at fighting, but now it seems that they are still outnumbered by Dang Xiang's army."
The generals have also learned the news of the defeat of the Guiyi Army. One general said: "I thought I could accept an elite army for the imperial court, but now it seems that the strength of the Guiyi Army is not outstanding. We can't save them from Ren Duo Baozhong's pursuit.
Meaningless."
"If we force the transfer to Lanzhou, it will not only offend the party, but it will even cause our army to die here."
Wang Kuo said: "No, we should immediately prepare to go north to meet the rebels."
The generals on the left and right all expressed doubts: "The general is still worried. Even if the Guiyi army is rescued and resettled, will the court be worried that it will not repeat itself? How many troops and horses will be used to prevent him from rebelling?"
Wang Kuo said to everyone: "You are wrong. This matter is not about how many people were rescued, nor about the return of the Yijun army. It is about the court's response to the Han people in the northwest. As long as you are determined to return to the Han, the court will live up to you.
."
"The emperor and Zhang Gong have settled this account!"
After saying this, Wang Kuo asked the navy to go two miles north and set up camp, while he led 500 navy troops to walk to the place mentioned by Cao Zhongshou to meet the rebels and the tribes of the Long family.
When Wang Kuo arrived here, he saw the old, weak, women and children of the two tribes who had retreated, and there were very few strong men among them.
When the other party learned that they were Song soldiers, they all fell to the ground and cried loudly. Seeing them lying on the ground asking for help, Wang Kuo and the other five hundred Song soldiers saw this scene with pity.
"Please general, take us back to Han State!"
To be honest, Wang Kuo had more interests considerations before, but after seeing the tragic situation of the Guiyi Army, he immediately put all these things behind him.
In particular, Wang Kuo saw a woman and child with injured legs and feet holding an infant child. After begging Wang Kuo to accept it, he committed suicide on the spot.
Wang Kuo made a decision. He immediately led all the women, children, and injured people to the station where the navy was stationed, and helped them board the ship.
Although there are many military ships in the Xihe River, they are all small boats and cannot carry too many people.
Therefore, we can only allow the elderly, weak, women, children, and injured people to board the ship as much as possible.
At this moment, human nature is both glorious and despicable.
After carrying nearly 10,000 people in one breath, the Song Dynasty navy was not full of passengers, and it was almost difficult to sail.
Immediately, the Xihe navy pulled up the sail, rowed the extremely deep-draft ship, and began to slowly leave the shore, embarking on the journey back east. These people were able to board the navy's ship and return to the Han Dynasty alive, and they all cried with joy.
There were tens of thousands of people left who were both happy and sad to see their loved ones boarding the boats and returning home.
The fate of two different classes separates them. Many people know that this side may be the last side in their lives. They kowtow to each other and worship each other. The scene of a son bidding farewell to his father, a wife bidding farewell to her husband, and a brother bidding farewell to a brother is unfolding.
Suddenly there was a cry on the shore.
When Wang Kuo and 500 Song troops saw this scene on the shore, he didn't want to do anything famous in history, and he didn't even know why he did it.
But Wang Kuo did not choose to get on the boat. He looked at the infant baby in the armor in front of his pocket, and then started to return eastward by land with the people on the shore.
Not counting the 10,000 people who had just left on the ship, more than 60,000 people returned eastward, and in the end only less than 10,000 people were left.
Most of the people left were young and strong, so the journey was much faster.
However, when they arrived at the Yellow River after traveling day and night, smoke and dust suddenly billowed behind them. It turned out that the party's army had arrived.
The Yellow River is surging beside you, there is a vast wilderness here, and on the opposite side are high loess slopes.
Under the setting sun, Wang Kuo led five hundred naval troops and two troops who were capable of fighting in an array back to the river. The leader of the Long family on the side said to Wang Kuo: "We can't win."
Wang Kuo nodded and said to his left and right: "If we fight our last, we may not have no chance. Is there any brave man who will die with me?"
The leader of the Long family drew his sword and was willing to follow.
Seeing the smoke and dust in the distance stop, Wang Kuo and 300 elite soldiers left the formation and shouted loudly: "Are there any fighting generals or fighting armies?"
A group of more than ten riders galloped in from a distance.
But seeing these ten or so cavalrymen stopped far away, they abandoned their weapons and fell to the ground, then moved forward for more than a hundred steps.
He stopped more than a hundred steps in front of Wang Kuo's formation.
The leader of the cavalry asked: "Is this General Song across from you? Can you tell me your name?"
Wang Kuo left the formation and said: "General Wang Kuo, who is your Excellency?"
The other party was very familiar and said: "It turns out he is Wang Chunyang's son. It is a pity that your father and I could not fight."
"I am Nendo Baozhong!"
Hearing this name, everyone in the rear became agitated. It was this man who massacred tens of thousands of his own people.
Everyone hates and fears Ren Duo Baozhong.
Wang Kuo looked at each other, Ren Duo Baozhong and his father Ren Duo Yading were both famous Xixia generals. Xixia had been unable to attack Mingsha City for a long time. The Xixia leader Li Bingchang changed generals and asked Ren Duo and his son to preside over the battle, and finally captured Mingsha City.
After the last defeat of Dangxiang in Lanzhou, Li Bingchang lamented that it was the lack of participation of his father and son that led to the defeat of Dangxiang.
Liang Yimi had always regarded the father and son as a thorn in his side, and tried his best to squeeze each other out. Now that Liang Yimi was dead, Li Bingchang was not confused and entrusted them with important tasks. Wang Kuo knew that his emperor also valued them very much and thought that the other party was important.
The decisive figure related to the success or failure of the Liangzhou Campaign.
Renduobao Zhong said: "After my lord negotiated peace with Song Dynasty, the two families have always refrained from infringing each other and lived in harmony. What do you mean by leading an army into my territory and kidnapping my people?"
Wang Kuo said: "These people have voluntarily returned to our dynasty, so the imperial court sent me to take them back. I have no intention of offending you. As for the incident, the imperial court will give you an explanation!"
Ren Duo Baozhong said: "How can we not offend if we invade my territory? If we let these people go back, how will the world view Ren Duo Baozhong?"
Wang Kuo said: "They will praise your kindness."
Renduo Baozhong said: "What if I don't want you to take them away?"
Wang Kuo said: "The only option is to fight at all costs."
After hearing this, Nendo Baozhong pondered for a moment and said, "Well, I promise you. Let them live."
Wang Kuo was stunned. He didn't expect Nendo Baozhong to agree so readily. He said: "The imperial court will reply to you as soon as possible."
Nendo Baozhong nodded and rode away. Then he stretched out his hand and suddenly many cavalry appeared all over the mountains and fields. Their armor reflected the sunlight. It was unknown how many soldiers and horses followed the other party here.
Wang Kuo was shocked by the scene where the party's soldiers and horses seemed to suddenly emerge from the ground.
Dangxiang's cavalry circled around Wang Kuo's troops for half a circle and then left.
Wang Kuo knew very well that if the opponent picked up arrows and fired at them, his three hundred elite soldiers would be buried here immediately. Unfortunately for him, he was so bold that he wanted to fight to the death with Nindaho Chu.
Wang Kuo watched Ren Duo Baozhong leave with sweat all over his head. He thought it would be easy to take Liangzhou before, but now that Ren Duo and his son are not eliminated, it will be very difficult.
Just as Wang Kuo was thinking this, smoke and dust suddenly rose in the south.
It turned out that the Song army had left Lanzhou and crossed the Yellow River to meet the troops returning from the east. It is no wonder why Renduo Baozhong showed mercy. He did not want to fight the Song army in Lanzhou city after annihilating this Song army.
It was five thousand light cavalry led by the fierce general Wang Wenyu who came to the rescue.
Wang Kuo watched Wang Wenyu arrive at this scene with his own eyes and felt relieved.