Northern Song Dynasty: Starting from the son of Song Renzong

Chapter 226 Winter, Great Epidemic
In fact, the war in the northwest is not just a matter of one route.

The reason why Zhao Xin chose Jingyuan Road as his base camp at the beginning was that Jingyuan Road was a must-pass place on the Silk Road. The ancients had been walking here for at least hundreds of years, so the transportation of materials was relatively mature.

However, after inspecting the situation on Jingyuan Road, Zhao Xin couldn't help but feel a little shaken.

The main reason is that the roads here are so easy to walk on, and there are many small paths. Once you leave the Zhenrong Army, the Western Xia army can either come out of Yanxia from Tiandu Mountain and fight you head-on, or they can go south along the Hulu River, then east, through those small passages, and then go around behind you.

Although in recent years, Zhao Xin has been able to form a cavalry unit of no less than 15,000 people by continuously purchasing horses from Qingtang Tubo.

But compared to the hundreds of thousands of soldiers they have, it still feels a bit too few.

It is actually not very suitable for them to fight on such a vast battlefield.

Then Zhao Xin turned his gaze towards Hengshan and asked Zhang Kang and Zhong Yi who had just returned, "What's the situation here?"

Zhao Xin pointed in the direction of Fuyan Road on the map.

Of the four routes of the Song Dynasty, the westernmost is Qinfeng Road, which mainly covers Qinzhou and Fengzhou. Further west is the territory of Qingtang Tubo, where many Tubo people live. Qinfeng Road turns 30 degrees clockwise to the north. Jingyuan Road mainly covers Jingzhou and Yuanzhou. Jingyuan Road turns north about 30 degrees clockwise. Huanqing Road mainly covers Huanzhou and Qingzhou. The last one is Fuyan Road, which is located in the north. However, Qizhou and Fuzhou are actually the northernmost.

But that is beyond the scope of Shaanxi's four routes.

Zhang Kang said, "The situation here is better. Due to the many ravines, it is not suitable for a large number of cavalry to pass through. It is a good place to set up an ambush, and... Zhong Shiheng of the Zhong family trained a large number of cavalry there in the past, so everyone there is good at riding and shooting."

Zhao Xin looked at Zhong Yi and asked, "It seems your brothers are also serving in the army along the way?"

Zhong Yi: “Yes.”

Zhang Kang added: "On the Fuyan Road, go out of Qingjian City and go north for 70 miles. There is Huaining Village, which was rebuilt in recent years. Forty miles east of Huaining Village is Suizhou in the Tang Dynasty. Now it has fallen into the hands of Western Xia. And north of Suizhou, it is all Western Xia territory."

"If you want to attack Hengshan, I suggest that you should attack from east to west step by step. After all, the east is the territory of our Hedong Road. This will prevent us from being attacked from both sides."

Zhao Xin then asked, "How many people are there in these villages?"

Zhang Kang said, "There could be a few hundred people at least, or a few thousand at most."

After visiting these places, Zhao Xin found that they were extremely suitable for combat for a musket unit like his.

We just need to attack the city, which is a bit troublesome.

But they can surround the enemy without attacking, and attack the reinforcements by surrounding the enemy.

Yes!

A village, at most, has only a few thousand people. How could Zhao Xin be interested in just a few thousand people?

What he was eyeing was actually the main force and elite of Western Xia.

Zhao Xin wanted to wipe out all of Xixia's main forces and make it unable to raise its head for at least twenty years.

otherwise……

If the Liao Kingdom also interfered in the affairs of Western Xia, he would be in trouble.

Zhao Xin then asked Zhang Kang, "If we leave Huaining Village and attack Suizhou, do you think Xixia will come out in full force? To fight us?"

Based on past experience, Zhang Kang also replied: "Suizhou is located on the main road to Xixia. If we really want to attack, Xixia will definitely come to rescue us."

Zhao Xin said, "Then leave Zhao Xun here. I will lead 3,000 Li Yuan troops to fight in Fuyan Road. This battle will surely affect the whole body."

"Once fighting breaks out on Fuyan Road, Qinfeng Road, Jingyuan Road, and Huanqing Road may not be spared."

Wang Shao just followed Zhao Xin and was fortunate enough to attend this meeting.

And you won’t know unless you participate, good guy!
His Royal Highness Prince Yu actually planned to attack Xixia.

How reckless this is!
Immediately afterwards...

Wang Shao then heard Zhao Xin say, "But what I am most worried about now is the defense of Qinfeng Road and Huanqing Road. Is there anyone among you who is willing to stay and defend like Zhao Xun did?"

Zhao Xun thought to himself, I haven’t agreed yet!
and……

He really doesn't want to leave Li Yuan Army.

After all, the Li Yuan Army is an army, and no one who leads troops would dislike the Li Yuan Army.

of course!

After all, war is no joke, and Zhao Xun knows very well that he must put the overall situation first.

Therefore, when Zhao Xin asked him to stay, he did not object.

When Zhao Xin asked this, everyone looked at each other in confusion.

because……

In fact, probably no one here has the experience of being in charge of a group.

At the beginning, they were just soldiers that Zhao Xin picked up at random.

Even if he led and trained the troops later, he could only lead the Li Yuan army to kill at most 3,000 people.

You have to let them take charge at this moment.

No matter how shameless a person is, he wouldn't dare to do this.

Zhao Xin saw that everyone was looking at each other in bewilderment.

He also said: "You have all been trained by me. Only you can remain calm in the face of praise or criticism."

"Actually... there's no need to worry too much, because Xixia's attention will definitely be on Suizhou at the beginning."

"It's impossible that they heard that I was going to attack Suizhou and ended up running to Qinfeng Road and Huanqing Road."

"Their main force will inevitably be pinned down on Fuyan Road."

"As for you, just order the guards of your forts and cities to defend their respective areas and do not rashly leave the city to fight."

"Everyone has a first time. This is also my first time leading troops."

Wang Shao also asked at this time: "Your Highness, can I do the same?"

Zhao Xin looked at Wang Shao and said, "Look, he is thirty years younger than you, but he is so brave!"

"When you followed me, I was not even as tall as a table."

"Now...isn't it the time to realize your original ambitions?"

"How come today, I am actually afraid?"

"Besides, we have read a lot of military books before."

"I thought you already had the ability to stand on your own."

"I plan to postpone this battle to next autumn."

"It's still at least seven or eight months from now."

"It can also give you more time to adapt."

"Each team should have three people, one chief and two vice-chiefs. If you really can't make up your mind, just vote!"

Zhao Xun also said: "But we have all left, Your Highness, can you do it?"

Zhao Xin said, "The Xixia army doesn't know our strength, so I'm sure there won't be any problems. And there's a family in Qingjian City who has been dealing with wars all their lives and is very experienced, so there will definitely be no problem."

Zhao Xin then continued, "You all started out as low-level soldiers. You must understand best what the low-level soldiers want the most. Of course, the Song Dynasty's imperial guards are different from our Li Yuan army, so we can't be too harsh on them. In short... you have to grasp the right balance. I also believe that when the soldiers see you, they will be very excited!"

"After all, you were their predecessors in the past. And who knows, there may still be old friends of yours in the army now."

This is quite true.

After hearing this, everyone in the group couldn't help but wipe away their tears quietly.

did not expect……

These ten years have passed just like that.

Then someone said, "I'll go. It's a pity that I won't be able to see the Li Yuan army and the Xixia army fighting each other."

"Count me in too!"

Wang Shao was also wondering whether he should go with them.

But it seems that it is better to follow His Highness.

But it is not easy to stand out when following His Highness.

After struggling for a while, Wang Shao still thought, forget it, just stay with His Royal Highness Prince Yu. At the same time...

I also thought that I had to study military books and strategies harder.

in fact……

Zhao Xin wanted to start the war next spring.

However, considering that spring farming is likely to be disrupted, and if the war drags on into summer, which is hot, it is more appropriate to fight in autumn.

Of course!
The soldiers of the Song Dynasty thought it was appropriate, and in fact, the army of Western Xia also thought it was appropriate.

At the same time, Zhang Kang was also asked to look for Qingtang Tubo to see if Qingtang Tubo could help when the time came.

The Song Dynasty imported at least 20,000 war horses from Qingtang Tubo every year, and all trades within Qingtang Tubo also required the cooperation of the Song Dynasty.

The interests of the two countries are consistent. I believe that it won't take much effort to ask for help from the other side.

……

Wait until everything is arranged.

It is already winter this year.

This year, I can’t go back to Tokyo.

It was over. He could only write letters to Chen Yuanyuan and the others, as well as his father.

Everything is fine, don't worry.

As for the Western Xia, it has been mentioned before that the Western Xia occupied the farmland of Qizhou in the Song Dynasty.

After investigation by Xixia itself, it was found that this was purely the personal behavior of the king's uncle, Mo Zang Epang. The Queen Mother Mo Zang had ordered Mo Zang Epang to return the occupied land.

only……

How could Mei Zang Epang surrender so easily?

It seemed that he had gradually come to resent his sister and was thinking about what method he could use to get rid of her.

of course!

If you do it yourself, it will be too easy to give others an advantage.

only……

His sister is extremely promiscuous and has had many adulterers, so he could try to solve the problem from this perspective.

The final result was that although Mei Zang Epang was forced to pay back some of the money, the Song Dynasty...

Zhao Xin directly told his father that he did not accept it.

If he accepted it, what excuse would he have to attack Xixia next year?

It's very troublesome to come up with excuses by yourself.

In the sixth year of Huangyou, at the beginning of spring, the capital was hit by a severe cold weather, and an epidemic broke out.

This point was mentioned in both the letters written by Chen Yuanyuan and his father.

Based on past experience, Zhao Xin told Chen Yuanyuan not to go to crowded places, and asked everyone in the mansion to stay at home as much as possible, and not to drink the city's water raw.

As his father mentioned, and Ouyang Xiu also mentioned in his letter, many people froze to death in the capital.

Zhao Xin also asked Ouyang Xiu to preside over the fire.

It's not that you are disrespectful to the corpses, but you bury them carelessly like this, and some people are lazy and want to save trouble, and officials do nothing and just throw them somewhere and leave them there. Isn't this the source of the epidemic?

What Zhao Xin didn't expect the most was that Madam Zhang died suddenly.

This wasn't done by him!
However, this makes people wonder whether Madam Zhang often interacts with people outside, such as this mother-in-law, that mother-in-law, and some princess, and then spread the epidemic into the palace.

When he learned that his brother whom he had never met also died...

Zhao Xin knew that this must be the case.

The essential……

The population density of Kaifeng city is still so high.

This also made Zhao Xin worry, maybe his son would be wiped out all at once?
I had to write letters, repeatedly reminding them not to contact people from outside, even those in the house. After going out, it is best to isolate themselves and wash their hands frequently after returning.

If you have anything to say or need to communicate, just pass the message across the air outside the yard.

After receiving Zhao Xin's letter, Ouyang Xiu also acted quickly, not daring to delay in the slightest. He conducted a thorough search inside and outside the city, cleared out all the frozen bodies, and burned them all.

When this tragedy happened, Xia Song was so angry that he vomited blood.

If he were ten years younger, maybe he would still have a chance.

nowadays……

There is no chance of this at all.

He could only tell his family that the biggest regret in his life was that he could not become prime minister.

After I die, you must study hard.

I originally wanted to say something more to my eldest son.

But after thinking about it, I decided to forget it.

Because Xia Song already had a premonition that their Xia family, at least in the next two generations, would be unlikely to be valued by the Song Dynasty government.

After all, the person who will inherit this official position in the future will definitely be Zhao Xin.

of course!

Fortunately, there are hundreds of descendants in their Xia family, and there are more than a dozen granddaughters who married defense envoys, training envoys, commanders, right guard generals and so on.

Even within two generations, there is no way for him to become prime minister.

The relationship has been strained.

It cannot be said that there is absolutely no possibility of resurgence.

The key is that the Xia family has extensive connections!
and……

In consideration of Xia Song's hard work and great contributions, the emperor will probably appropriately promote his eldest son Xia Anqi, at least before His Royal Highness Prince Yu ascends the throne.

Xia Song was not a good person. He even made a tablet in his home. In the secret compartment on the back of the tablet, he wrote Zhao Xin's date of birth and birth date, and then wrote something like "sudden death" at the end.

Unfortunately!
Zhao Xin was not cursed to death by him, but he died first.

Two months after Xia Song's death, the matter was exposed because a maid accidentally opened the secret compartment while cleaning.

But in fact, at the beginning, no one knew who this person was, after all, there was no name written.

Until the matter spread more and more widely and was heard by the censor, and when Zhao Zhen heard the birth date and horoscope, he thought it sounded so familiar.

Isn’t this the most exciting thing!?
When he thought of Xia Song, that Grandma Jia, and his own concubines in the harem, he became furious!
He even wanted to make Madam Zhang a noble concubine or even a queen.

Now everyone has changed their minds.

Zhao Xin did nothing on his part.

By the time he found out about this, Xia Song's entire family had been ransacked and exterminated.

Yanzhou.

After receiving Ouyang Xiu's letter, Zhao Xin could only express his

really!

The literati of the Song Dynasty are not good at governing the country!
There are too many little tricks.

The key is that she is just like a woman.

But the question is, what did Zhao Xin do to make Xia Song so hateful? This is another bizarre case in Tokyo City.

Zhao Xin thought to himself that he had just prevented the other party from becoming prime minister.

What a petty person!

(End of this chapter)