When Zhao Zicheng, who had become the emperor in a muddle, convened the civil and military forces of the Southern Song Dynasty to discuss how to resist Daliang, some people even directly suggested surrendering to Daliang to avoid fighting and save Zhao Zicheng's life. After all, the prince of Daliang had the precedent of killing Li Qianshun, the leader of the Xixia Kingdom. Once the war started, the prince of Daliang would be killed. After winning, he may not be able to kill Zhao Zichen.
Zhao Zicheng was really moved. Although he was a direct descendant of Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin, he was just an idle clan member before. He was even driven to Yingtian Mansion in Nanjing by the descendants of Song Taizong Zhao Guangyi, living off the income from the clan land.
At first, the emperor allocated a lot of land to the clan in Nanjing and Xijing. However, as the clans in Nanjing and Xijing had a large number of children, more and more people had to support these lands, and many royal families who had no other sources of income fell into despair. Earlier In 2007, the royal family could not become an official, and the royal family with no future could only concentrate on creating people behind closed doors. A large number of royal families were born every year. The royal family in Tokyo had to marry businessmen for money, and the royal family in Nanjing and Xijing were even less valuable and were willing to pay high prices. There are very few businessmen who are married to them.
Zhao Zicheng was one of the royal families who could barely make ends meet. Therefore, Zhao Zicheng did not have much affection for the Song Dynasty because he did not enjoy any privileges of the royal family and was instead bound by many rules of the royal family. Many times, he envied the lives of ordinary people.
Nanjing Yingtian Mansion announced its submission to Daliang and sent troops to arrest the Nanjing royal family. However, Zhao Zicheng was not an important figure. He escaped from the city by chance and went south. He originally wanted to escape from the butcher's knife of Daliang and live incognito in the future. However, he ran out of money when he fled to Jiangnan. It happened that Tong Guan posted a list to look for the clan going south. Zhao Zicheng took the initiative to find him, but unexpectedly he became the emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty.
At first, Zhao Zicheng thought that it was Song Taizu who blessed him and made him the emperor. But soon, he discovered that he was just a puppet, and all political affairs in the court were decided by Tong Guan. Afraid of Tong Guan's power, he could only be honest. Later, Tong Guan's pro-army collapsed, and Zhao Zisong of the same clan went south to invite Zongze and Jiang You to serve as officials. Forced by the situation, Tong Guan could only agree to give part of his rights to Zongze and Jiang You. .With the efforts of Zongze and Jiang You, the Southern Song Dynasty quickly gathered some people's support. Just when Zhao Zicheng felt that Song Taizu was still blessing him, the Western Army surrendered to Daliang, and news came one after another that Daliang had wiped out Xixia. Zhao Zicheng then It felt like he was sitting on the crater of a volcano. The volcano below might erupt at any time and burn him to ashes.
Zhao Zicheng also found out that Daliang had made Zhao Ji a virtuous duke, with no worries about food and clothing. This was exactly the life he wanted to live before. In troubled times, being a royal family is the most likely to bring disaster. Those who can live without worries about food and clothing The second half of life is already very rare. So I was particularly moved when I heard that some courtiers suggested surrendering.
However, Zongze, Jiang You and others immediately came forward to refute the capitulationists and demanded that the Southern Song Dynasty resist Daliang with all their strength.
Zhao Zisong was not willing to let his ancestor's legacy be ruined like this, so he supported Zongze and others.
The only one who could compete with them was Tong Guan. Although most of Tong Guan's army was dispersed, before Zhao Zisong went south, he had cultivated many party members in Jiangnan. If Zongze and others hadn't taken the opportunity to recruit new soldiers later. After seizing a lot of military power, I'm afraid Tong Guan can still cover the sky with only one hand.
In the face of a formidable enemy, Zongze and others could not just fight among themselves with Tong Guan, so the Southern Song Dynasty was divided into two factions. One faction was headed by Zhao Zisong, Zongze, and Jiang You, who could be said to be loyal ministers and good generals of the Song Dynasty; Led by Tong Guan, they can be said to be the treacherous ministers of the Song Dynasty. However, both factions have the same goal. That is to preserve the Southern Song Dynasty. Loyal ministers and good generals are to be loyal, while treacherous ministers are to preserve their rights. Although Daliang pardoned their sins, It is impossible to appoint them as officials anymore, which is difficult for people who have tasted power to accept. Therefore, the two groups of people work together for the same goal.
Tong Guan had led the army for more than ten years and was unwilling to give up his power easily. He did not speak out against Zongze and others' proposal to resist the war.
Although Zhao Zicheng wanted to surrender, he had no one to support him and would be rejected if he tried, so he agreed to the request to resist the war.
In terms of experience and power, the person most qualified to lead the troops in the Southern Song Dynasty was undoubtedly Tong Guan, but Tong Guan was unwilling to lead the troops to the front line.
In the end, Zongze volunteered to lead troops to Runzhou to fight against the Daliang soldiers.
Although Tong Guan was unwilling to lead the army, he did not be stingy with the troops he had and agreed to let Zongze lead 150,000 troops to Runzhou.
The total number of soldiers and horses in the Southern Song Dynasty was only 200,000, and they had to defend Lu Shinang in the south. The 150,000 soldiers and horses could be said to be all the troops and horses that the Southern Song Dynasty could mobilize.
As soon as Zongze led his troops on the expedition, some soldiers began to flee, and some of the organized troops even disappeared.
When 150,000 troops arrived in Runzhou, there were already less than 100,000.
Zongze also knew that the city could not stop the Daliang army, so he led his troops to camp at the foot of Beigu Mountain on the bank of the Yangtze River, hoping to prevent the Daliang army from crossing the river.
Beigu Mountain is located on the bank of the river. The mountain wall is steep, and the three mountains of Jinshan and Jiaoshan stand in the middle of the river, controlling the river. However, Zongze did not send troops to Jinshan and Jiaoshan. The newly trained 10,000 navy troops were stationed in Zongze.
Most of the troops had already fled before the leader arrived. Zongze had no choice but to gather all the remaining naval forces to the south bank to prevent them from being completely dispersed when the Daliang army arrived.
The river is thousands of miles long and there are many sections that can be crossed, but Chao Yong still led his troops to go straight to the section of the river where Zongze was guarding.
In less than a month, the army arrived at Guazhou Ferry on the other side of Beigu Mountain.
The army set up camp, and Chao Yong summoned the generals to discuss matters, as well as Li Li, the urging judge in charge of Jiangnan intelligence.
After Li Li went up the mountain, he opened a hotel outside the water park, welcomed and sent guests to the village, and gathered information.
After the establishment of Daliang, the four leaders responsible for gathering intelligence also formed the Intelligence Department, specifically to gather intelligence for the imperial court, and their power also expanded rapidly.
Li Li was born on the banks of the Yangtze River, and it was difficult to open up a situation in the north, so he simply went south to the Yangtze River and established an intelligence agency all over the Yangtze River.
People came one after another. Chao Yong saw that Li Li had brought a lean young man with him and said with a smile: "What kind of hero is this?"
The lean young man hurriedly clasped his fists and said: "The villain Wang Dingliu, please see the prince."
Li Li introduced: "Wang Dingliu is good at using sticks in the water. He can walk and jump very fast. People in the world call him a living flash woman. He is a good spy in my Jiangnan Bureau. He just came from the other side and got a lot of information, so I
Bring him to see the prince."
It turns out that after Li Li went to Jiangnan, most of the people he recruited were smugglers on the river and people who opened hotels on both sides of the river.
Because the price of official salt is high, many hotels will buy private salt from some people who sell private salt, and hotels are places where it is easy to get information when traveling from north to south. Therefore, Li Li quickly opened up the situation after going south.
Wang Dingliu was recruited into the Jiangnan Bureau by a smuggler of salt. After entering the Jiangnan Bureau, Wang Dingliu did not sit and guard the small hotel in the village. Instead, he ran around to inquire about information, and soon became Li Li's subordinate.
Officers and generals.
Chao Yong heard that it was Wang Dingliu. In Water Margin, Wang Dingliu met Zhang Shun by chance and went to Liangshan together when he went to invite An Daoquan. However, when Zhang Shun went to invite An Daoquan the previous time, he did not meet Wang Dingliu. Chao Yong originally
I thought that Wang Dingliu might be buried in the world, but I didn't expect that he would be under Li Li's command again.
"You look like a good man at first sight. If you don't want to be in the Intelligence Bureau, you can serve in the army."
Li Li, the urging judge, heard this and said hurriedly: "There are many powerful generals in the army, and I don't have many capable people in the Jiangnan Bureau. The prince should not poach my corner."
Chao Yong said with a smile: "In that case, forget it. Everyone is here, please tell the six brothers Wang Ding about the situation on the other side."
"The prince wiped out Xixia and built a spaceship. The news spread throughout the south of the Yangtze River. The prince led the troops south, and the soldiers and civilians in the south of the Yangtze River wanted to surrender. Zongze led 150,000 troops to resist the prince. By the time they reached Dajiang, there were already less than 100,000.
After the army was stationed at the foot of Beigu Mountain, the soldiers kept running away. If Zongze hadn't closed the camp tightly later, I'm afraid there would have been no soldiers and horses at the foot of Beigu Mountain. Behind him
In Runzhou, Zongze's son Zong Ying led the troops to guard it. Every five days, grain and grass were transported from Runzhou to Beigushan University. Most of Runzhou's soldiers and horses also fled. Now there are at most 3,000 soldiers and horses in the city. Beigushan University
The camp is tightly guarded and cannot be penetrated, and the food and fodder transported have not changed. It is impossible to estimate how many soldiers and horses there are now. However, a large number of soldiers did flee in the past few days."
Chao Yong smiled and said: "Zongze really deserves his reputation."
Although Zongze's official position was not high, he had a good reputation. Everyone thought that Chao Yong was talking about Zongze's good name. But they didn't know that Chao Yong was talking about Zongze's later reputation.
When the Jin Dynasty invaded the south for the second time, Zongze advocated the war of resistance. The Song Dynasty gave Zongze an empty title as the general manager of the Hebei Volunteer Army, and then asked Zongze to go to Hebei to resist the Jin soldiers.
Zongze was not afraid, and took a dozen guards to Hebei to take up his post, and summoned the Hebei rebel army to resist the Jin Kingdom, and achieved many victories. It was under Zongze's command that Yue Fei gained fame and was promoted to a general in the Song Dynasty.
Xu Guanzhong said: "Zongze can also be said to know the soldiers, but the prince's reputation was too great and the soldiers of the Southern Song Dynasty had no intention of resisting. He locked up the soldiers in the camp. Although the number of deserters was reduced, it fermented the fear in the hearts of those soldiers even more.
It's awesome. We only need to give them a thunder blow to make those frightened birds collapse, and then the whole army will be defeated."
Hu Yanzhuo smiled and said: "If he doesn't close the camp gate, I'm afraid the prince's army has not crossed the river, and there will be no one on the other side."
Chao Yong nodded and said: "When I led the troops to drive directly to Runzhou, I wanted to defeat the Southern Song Dynasty troops in one battle and conquer Jiangnan. Looking at the current situation, I'm afraid this battle will be very easy."
Li Kui shouted: "The southerners are too damn cowardly. I wanted to cut off thousands of their heads, but most of them ran away first. Otherwise, we will kill them today and save the rest."
Ran away."
Li Jun also said: "The navy is familiar with the water conditions on both sides of the river and can cross the river at any time."
However, the 10,000 navy troops were faster than the horse and infantry troops. They arrived in the river a few days earlier and blocked the puppet Song Dynasty warships on the south bank. If Chao Yong had not strictly ordered the navy troops not to cross the river first, a group of navy generals would have led their troops ashore.
Attacked Zongze Dazhai. Although the navy did not attack Zongze Dazhai, they also investigated the water conditions of the river.
After Zongze saw hundreds of warships heading south from Daliang, he strictly ordered the Southern Song Dynasty navy not to leave the shore. Of course, no navy officer dared to go to the river to stroke the tiger's beard.
Chao Yong smiled and said: "Don't worry, the army will rest for a day and then cross the river."
Everyone discussed for a while and then went to recharge their batteries.
"Dong dong dong"
The sound of powerful war drums spread across both sides of the river. This year, drought locusts are everywhere on all roads. The drought in the south of the Yangtze River is more serious. The water surface of the river is much narrower. There are only less than two miles of the river that is several miles wide. Standing on the riverside
You can vaguely see the situation on the other side.
Zongze saw the soldiers and horses of Daliang in the north of the Yangtze River gathering on Beigu Mountain, so he arranged his troops and horses on the river bank, hoping to attack the Daliang army when they came ashore.
"Spaceship, spaceship."
When Zongze was looking at Beigu Mountain, he suddenly saw a huge spherical object on the other side slowly rising into the sky, and then heading south.
Hundreds of warships on the river also crossed the river together.
As the spacecraft approaches, the four-clawed golden dragon painted on it becomes even more vivid.
People in the south of the Yangtze River also knew that Prince Daliang had made a spaceship, but when they saw the spaceship the size of a house flying in the sky, everyone forgot that the warship behind them was carrying enemies. They just looked at the spaceship in the sky stupidly.
Many people knelt on the ground and worshiped.
Zongze looked at the situation on the riverside and hurriedly sent his soldiers down to urge the soldiers to prepare to meet the enemy. He wanted to shoot the spaceship with his crossbow, but the spacecraft did not come towards Beigu Mountain, but away from Beigu Mountain.
, headed towards the riverside flat beach.
The wind on the river was stronger. Hou Jian drove the spaceship to the south bank first and shouted down with a loudspeaker made of copper: "Everyone should step back a hundred feet. Anyone who violates this will be killed without mercy."
Although there is no advanced equipment, it can still achieve a good sound amplification effect after being wrapped in a copper sheet into a speaker shape.
Some soldiers kneeling on the ground immediately stepped back when they heard the shouts from the people above.
"Those who retreat without permission will be killed."
Zongze's personal soldiers who were supervising the formation saw that some people were about to retreat, so they drew their swords and cut down the first few people who fled.
Under the pressure of Zongze's soldiers, the soldiers of the Southern Song Dynasty stopped again.
"boom"
"boom"
"boom"
Hou Jian saw the soldiers and horses below were hesitant. He immediately threw fire thunders down from the spaceship. Fire thunders hit the heads of the Southern Song soldiers or exploded around them, and the huge explosions immediately spread across the battlefield.
The injured people screamed in agony. The soldiers of the Southern Song Dynasty collapsed immediately when they saw fire thunder being thrown from the spaceship.
"kill"
A new recruit, with red eyes, drew his sword and rushed towards Zongze's soldiers who were blocking the way.
A Xizuo from the Jiangnan Bureau who had infiltrated the Southern Song army earlier shouted: "Kill them. We can run away."
Under the shouts of Xiao Zuo, the recruits who were frightened by the spaceship, fire and thunder immediately turned their guns and rushed towards those who blocked their escape.
When the Daliang soldiers and horses arrived at the shore, the Southern Song Dynasty soldiers and horses on the riverside were already fighting together.
Zongze saw the scene on the riverside on Beigu Mountain and said sadly: "The Song Dynasty is dead."
Family members around him advised: "My master has been loyal to the Song Dynasty, and no matter what he does, he will be worthy of the Song Dynasty."
Zongze naturally knew what his family meant, so he shook his head and said: "I have lived under Song Lu for thirty years. And I have been entrusted by your superiors to lead troops to fight against the enemy. At this time and place, all I can do is die. Bring my war horse."
Seeing Zongze's determined face, the family members did not dare to say anything and silently brought in the war horses.
Zongze got on his horse and shouted to the soldiers on Beigu Mountain: "Those who are willing to fight to the death with me, come down the mountain together."
After saying that, he hit the horse and walked down the mountain.
At this time, Zongze was already sixty-one years old. Although his head was full of white hair, his waist was still as straight as a steel gun in his hand.
All the soldiers on the mountain followed Zongze down the mountain, but most of them fled back.
Only a few hundred soldiers trained by Zongze himself were still following Zongze.
Zongze looked back at these young faces, hesitated for a moment, and said: "I have lived under Song Lu for thirty years, so I have to be loyal to the Song Dynasty. You have only been soldiers for a few months, and now the situation is over. Go and escape for your lives."
A scholar who threw his pen and joined the army immediately shouted: "We are willing to sacrifice our lives for righteousness with the general."
"Sacrificing one's life for righteousness."
"Sacrificing one's life for righteousness."
Someone took the lead, and the other soldiers immediately followed and shouted.
After recruiting new soldiers in the Southern Song Dynasty, in order to control the military power, Zongze and others personally trained the troops.
Although Zongze was very strict in his daily life, he often drilled with the soldiers regardless of his sixty-year-old age, so he was highly respected by the soldiers. If he had not sent many personal soldiers to restrain the soldiers and horses by the river, there would have been more than 100 soldiers and horses behind him at this time.
These.
"kill"
The unbearable feeling in Zongze's heart was also driven away by the roars of the soldiers. Although he was already over 60 years old at this time, his blood was aroused by the bloody roars. With a loud roar, he rode towards the river to fight.
Although Zongze was a Jinshi, he was good at both civil and military affairs. Especially after Zhao Ji decided to join forces with the Jin Dynasty to destroy the Liao Dynasty, he felt that chaos was not far away, so he practiced martial arts diligently. He led hundreds of soldiers and horses to the riverside, and he was really invincible.
momentum.
The new soldiers who had just landed ashore were rushed by Zong Ze, and many of them retreated into the water again.
Zongze did not chase the Daliang soldiers and horses, but fought close to the river, hoping to kill several times at the place where the Daliang soldiers and horses landed.
He also knew that today's defeat was certain, and the force of Daliang's troops heading south could no longer be stopped. It was just that I was going crazy and wanted to imitate Zhao Zilong's seven-in and seven-out approach.
Chao Yong led his troops south this time. Although there were 50,000 veterans and 50,000 recruits, Chao Yong decided to use the veterans as the lead and the recruits as the vanguard.
This batch of recruits has been training for half a year. Under Wang Jin's supervision, these recruits can be said to be well-trained, and their combat power in the school field exceeds all the recruits in the past. Of course, they cannot defeat the elite veterans in the school field, but what they lack is
Because of his battle experience, Chao Yong also wanted to train his troops when he went south this time. Otherwise, after the world is unified, there will be fewer and fewer opportunities for actual combat.
Chao Yong watched from the river that the new recruits who had just landed were killed by Zongze and then retreated into the water, and he couldn't help but shake his head.
Li Kui shouted: "These new soldiers are useless. Before the enemy chased them, they were so scared that they retreated into the water. Prince, let them reach the shore, and I will kill the old man."
Chao Yong shook his head and said: "Since I said this is a military training, we must let the new recruits handle the battle. Send my order to the general, and those who retreat without permission will be killed."
"The Crown Prince has an order to kill anyone who retreats without permission."
"The Crown Prince has an order to kill anyone who retreats without permission."
The messengers on the fast boat arrived at the riverside like arrows, shouting loudly.
The generals on the front line immediately rushed to the shore with their new recruits, their faces red and red.
The prince led the army and won every battle, annihilating the Southern Song Dynasty, and even caused the army of 150,000 to collapse without a fight. This was a battle that will go down in history, but they were stopped by the river by a veteran general with hundreds of soldiers and horses.
, although the main reason was that he was not on a stable footing and was killed by surprise, but it would undoubtedly bring shame to this glorious battle.