Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 784 The bandits can go, and I can go too
Yang Yuan put on armor and beat the drum to gather his generals.

When he came out from behind the screen, he walked slowly to the commander's desk and stood still. All the civil and military officials present bowed to him.

The civil and military officials performed their respective formalities and shouted, "We pay our respects to the commander-in-chief!"

The sound is like shaking roof tiles.

Yang Yuan stood behind the commander's desk and watched. After all, this trip was for war, so there were more warriors than scholars in the hall.

On the side of the military generals, the armored generals were headed by Shi Han, the commander-in-chief of the imperial army stationed in the central route of Lizhou, Guo Di, the deputy commander-in-chief of the imperial army, and Zhou Cheng, the deputy commander-in-chief of Tongchuan Road.

Following them were Yang Shou, the commander of the Crazy Army who had just been appointed by Yang Yuan, Gan Quan, the commander of the Firearms Army, and Gao Gan, the commander of the Cavalry Army.

In addition, there are Zhou Wuyi, Liu Ruxi, Han Jinxun, He Jinyun, He Yunsheng, Chen Songqing, Lin Shiqi, Murong Qianyu, Dasanguan Guardian Tang Xian, etc.

More than ten generals stood in armor, like a solid wall of steel.

The civilian and guards were led by three people: the one-armed hero Chen Zhuoguang, the military advisor of the Lizhou Central Route Imperial Army Command, Kong Jitao, the former prefect of Nanzheng, and Chen Shijie, the prefect of Pengzhou.

Among them, Kong Jitao and Chen Shijie served as military counselors respectively, responsible for military administration, logistics, supplies, military discipline, performance appraisal, intelligence and other affairs.

Under him were Lu You, the secretary of the Imperial Army Command Office stationed in the central route of Lizhou, and Chen Lijia, Fan Jiang, Wang Yeran and others from the Tongchuan Economic and Pacification Office.

Yang Wanli was the commander of the camp guards of Yang Yuan’s garrison troops.

Yang Yuan stood behind the commander's desk, looking at the room full of civil and military officials, feeling filled with emotion.

Once upon a time, he was still a idler who ran around the streets of Lin'an, wearing a pair of straw sandals and carrying a lunch box.

Today, he has become a prominent figure who can play an important role in the future survival of all nations.

……

Chang'an, Changlefang.

What a large courtyard, with lush flowers and trees, flowing water and winding corridors.

There are several protruding rocks in the pond, sparsely arranged, with blue brick roads in between, winding through the depths of flowers and plants.

There are several old willow trees by the water, as if they are reflecting themselves in the water. The swaying willow branches create ripples on the water from time to time.

"Qinglu, our teacher's troops have arrived at Dasan Pass."

Wanyan Ping smiled and hurried to a small building beside the pond with the latest information in her hand.

A beautiful woman suddenly appeared in the round window. It was Li Qinglu, who had grown into a beautiful girl of about sixteen or seventeen years old.

She has picturesque eyebrows, a slender figure, and a soft neck, just like a swan.

When people look through the garden window, they become a picture of beautiful scenery.

Qinglu is as her name suggests, graceful and elegant, just like a lily bud about to bloom, with fair skin and a crystal clear complexion like a pearl or jade.

Wanyan Ping is also pretty, but her temperament is very different from Li Qinglu's.

Wanyan Ping has sweet almond eyes, a round face, and a delicate and beautiful appearance, and is particularly sweet.

Unlike Li Qinglu's long legs and thin waist, Wanyan Ping is petite and exquisite, with long curved eyelashes and a pair of distinct black and white almond-shaped eyes.

Petite, sweet, light, and suitable for dancing on the palm, this is the feeling Wanyan Ping gives people.

Wanyan Ping was in charge of the "Hu Zi Tang", which mainly focused on intelligence gathering.

Li Qinglu was in charge of the "Hedgehog Hall" and was mainly responsible for division, alienation, assassination and kidnapping.

The two little princesses, Wanyan Ping and Li Qinglu, were responsible for managing the Xinjin's intelligence organization in Chang'an.

"There's news from the teacher. Let me see it."

Li Qinglu has a beautiful face, and seems a little cold.

But when she heard the news from Yang Yuan, her eyebrows and eyes immediately curved, revealing a bit of sweetness.

Wanyan Ping first handed the secret letter through the window, and without going through the door, she lightly jumped with her hands and jumped in through the round window.

Li Qinglu ignored her. After receiving the secret letter, she ran to the table, sat on the chair and started reading.

As she watched, Li Qinglu's red lips slightly parted, revealing her crystal clear teeth, and she was obviously in a very happy mood.

"Ping'er, do you think the teacher will come to Chang'an to fight?"

"Will...?"

Wanyan Ping blinked, actually a little unsure.

The Song Dynasty clearly wanted to deal a heavy blow to Western Xia. Even if it could not destroy the country, it would at least severely damage its vitality.

Otherwise, Western Xia, which would once again border the Song Dynasty, would become a huge obstacle to the Song Dynasty's Northern Expedition.

Therefore, it is obvious that the main attack direction of the Song Dynasty was Western Xia.

Yang Yuan stationed a large number of troops at Dasan Pass, not necessarily with the intention of marching north, but most likely to intimidate the Jin Kingdom.

At the same time, as the reserve force of the Wu family army, it was ready to be deployed to the Western Xia battlefield at any time.

However, she really hoped that the teacher could come to Chang'an. She hadn't seen him for several years.

If I had never met her, she wouldn't be who she is now.

She would not become a princess of the New Jin Empire, nor would she have such a colorful life as she has now.

All she could see was the embroidered building and the garden in her home.

Now, perhaps, as arranged by her family, she has married the son of a tribal chief, holding her child, embroidering handkerchiefs, and chatting with others about family matters.

It was Yang Yuan who changed her life. She used to be the class monitor and now she is the leader of that group of girls.

The man who once left a deep impression on the girl's heart has now become the white moonlight in her heart.

Li Qinglu couldn't help but smile as she looked at Wanyan Ping's hopeful yet fearless expression.

"Look, from the intelligence, the teacher has sent out all his best troops this time."

Li Qinglu said with a smile: "You know the teacher's temper. Is he such a law-abiding person? Ask him to quietly be the man behind old man Wu Lin? It would be strange if he is willing to do that."

Li Qinglu curled her lips, and a playful arc appeared at the corner of her lips.

"If you don't believe me, let's make a bet. Teacher, when you deploy troops to the Great San Pass, it's definitely not a bluff."

When Wanyan Ping heard this, her almond-shaped eyes suddenly lit up.

"You mean, teacher, you will definitely send troops out of Dasan Pass to attack Shaanxi?"

Li Qinglu was full of confidence: "According to the intelligence, the teacher has mobilized a total of more than 30,000 infantry and cavalry from Tongchuan Road, and more than 20,000 infantry and cavalry from Lizhou Central Road, a total of 60,000 troops, stationed in Dasan Pass on four wings..."

Li Qinglu narrowed her eyes slightly, which made her beautiful and noble face reveal a bit of cute cunning: "Based on my understanding of the teacher, he will definitely not be satisfied with making wedding dresses for Wu Lin after making such a big fuss."

Li Qinglu pulled out a painting from the painting table, threw it to the ground, and spread it out on the table. It turned out to be a map.

Li Qinglu pointed at the map and said, "Look, look at the deployment of the Jin army."

Wanyan Ping came closer and looked at the map side by side with Li Qinglu.

Li Qinglu pointed at the map with her slender jade finger: "Wanyan Liang sent Tangkuo Wuye to guard Baoji, Nahe Wulu to guard Jianxu Pass, and Tudan Shousu to guard Fengxiang Prefecture. Three passes, three routes of heavy troops."

Wanyan Ping asked: "So, the Jin army wants to take a defensive stance?"

Li Qinglu nodded, then shook her head: "Yes, and no. Look here again."

Li Qinglu's fingers moved quickly, pointing from the vast mountains of Qinling Mountains to Qinzhou (Tianshui) among the mountains.

"Qinzhou garrison commander Wang He!"

Wanyan Ping understood: "Wang He plans to attack Chencang Ancient Road from Qinzhou, deploy troops at Heshangyuan, and attack Dasan Pass?"

In the past, three famous generals, Wu Jie, Wu Lin and Yang Zheng, fought against the Jin soldiers and defended Dasan Pass to the death.

The Jin Kingdom led the army out of Fengxiang and into Baoji. The armies of Zhehe and Wulu went out of Qinzhou and divided their troops from the main road into Shu from Qinzhou. Zhehe attacked Fengzhou and cut off the food supply of the Song army. The army of Wulu went north to attack Heshangyuan.

Wanyan Ping is now focusing on the Song-Jin War in Sichuan and Shaanxi, so he is naturally clear about this battle.

Wanyan Ping asked: "So, the Jin Kingdom once acted out stories from the past?"

Li Qinglu said: "If the Jin Kingdom wants to rescue Xixia, it must resort to the strategy of besieging Wei to save Zhao.

If the teacher fails, then the strategy of "Besieging Wei to Save Zhao" will change from a feint to a real attack, and the teacher's troops will be eaten up in one bite."

There was a hint of coldness in Wanyan Ping's beautiful eyes: "I understand. The Jin army has made two preparations, and so has the teacher."

Li Qinglu nodded: "Yes, so, the teacher may go straight to Baoji, or he may just attract the Jin soldiers and wait for an opportunity to help the Wu family army invade Xixia. He has also made preparations for both situations."

Wanyan Ping's lacquer-like eyes flickered twice, and she said, "I can help the teacher create some trouble for the Jin army."

Wanyan Ping pointed at the name of "Jianxu Pass" on the map and said, "This way, it will be much easier for the teacher to come in."

Li Qinglu smiled: "This time, I'll go with you!"

……

The Song Dynasty officially launched a war against Western Xia, and the Jin Kingdom was sharpening its knives, intending to join the war.

However, before the Song State officially took action, they had already discovered through Jin State's spies that the Song State was mobilizing for war.

But, it was too late after all.

Moreover, not only was Jin late in action, its war mobilization capabilities were also inferior to those of Song.

Therefore, the Jin Kingdom could only actively mobilize for war, endure it on the surface, and quickly adjust its strategy toward the New Jin.

The war between Jin and New Jin has never stopped, and Jin has always been the main attacker while New Jin has been mainly defensive.

Now the Jin Kingdom quickly withdrew its troops and turned from defense to offense.

In this way, the Jin Kingdom could withdraw its troops to deal with the war crises on the southern and western fronts.

However, the State of Song was not idle either.

Military is military, economy is economics, and politics is politics.

The Song-Jin trade market was ready to be closed at any time, and the navy was preparing to completely cut off the maritime trade channels with the Jin Dynasty.

At the same time, Fan Chengda, the storyteller in Chongzheng Hall, was given the title of Hanlin scholar and sent as an envoy to the Kingdom of Jin.

As we went along, we saw young and strong men being tied up to join the army, and all kinds of mules, horses and vehicles being forcibly requisitioned.

The Jin Dynasty's war mobilization was crude and simple.

The Jin Kingdom obviously did not want the Song Kingdom envoys to see these things, but it could not completely avoid it.

It can be imagined that the situation would only be more serious in places that the Song Dynasty delegation did not see.

Fan Chengda rushed to Yanjing City and proposed two important state negotiations to the Jin Emperor.

First, since the Jin Kingdom had already pledged allegiance to the Song Kingdom, from then on, in all state exchanges between the two countries, the Jin Emperor should stand solemnly and accept the Song Kingdom’s letter.

This is clearly revenge.

Because this was the rule that Zhao Gou used against the Jin Kingdom before.

When the Jin envoy presented his credentials, the Song emperor had to stand up to receive them.

But the problem was that Jin's submission to Song was coy, and the two countries changed from uncle-nephew countries to brothers, with Song as the elder brother and Jin as the younger brother.

In this case, it makes sense that the Jin emperor did not have to stand solemnly like his subjects to receive the emperor's orders.

The second request that Fan Chengda made was even more outrageous to Wanyan Liang.

The State of Song actually proposed that the burial site of the ancestors of the Zhao Song royal family should not be placed in another country?

Therefore, the State of Song requested that the site of the Zhao Song royal mausoleum in Henan be returned to the State of Song as its territory.

This...how can I return it?

Give the Song State an "enclave?"

It's simply unreasonable.

Of course, Wanyan Liang would never accept this.

During the negotiations, Fan Chengda sometimes pointed at the Jin ambassador's nose and spitted, and sometimes slammed the table and cursed, being extremely arrogant and conceited.

Looking at his expression, it was as if he was saying: Can't stand it anymore? Then kill me, kill me, quickly, quickly, and make my name go down in history.

The arrogant and invincible Wanyan Liang actually endured it with his nose pinched.

He refused to help Fan Chengda.

He could only vent his anger on the beauties in the harem, such as his nieces and aunts.

The Song State was clearly looking for an excuse to start a war. Its war mobilization had not yet been completed. How could it possibly fulfill the wishes of the Song Dynasty court?

As a result, the negotiations broke down.

But Fan Chengda did not die.

He was forcibly expelled from the Jin Kingdom and sent back to the Song Dynasty.

The Song Dynasty court in Lin'an was quite disappointed when it learned of the Jin Dynasty's reaction.

They wanted the Jin Dynasty to "fire the first shot" and thus disrupt the Jin Dynasty's war mobilization process.

This will undoubtedly have a very good effect on the Song Dynasty in the next confrontation between the two sides.

However, Wanyan Liang, who had always been arrogant, actually endured such overbearing conditions and such overbearing envoys from the Song Dynasty.

At this time, Yang Yuan had quietly left Dasan Pass.

His general flag was still planted on the top of the Dasan Pass city wall, but he had already led the main force of the army through the mountains of the Qinling Mountains and headed towards Qinzhou.

Let the enemy fire the first shot and occupy the moral high ground?

Yang Yuan also agreed that this kind of behavior might cause more losses at the beginning of the war.

However, as for the war process, war consequences, and the impact of the war on neighboring countries, suffering a small loss first will have consequences later.

However, for Yang Yuan, no system or method is always the most correct way to deal with all problems.

Whether it is a war for national destiny or a war to destroy a country, all means of warfare must be used. Who would want to play tricks on you with benevolence, righteousness, and morality?

The ministers in the imperial court clung to dogma and insisted on using courtesy before force at all times and on occupying the moral position.

But Yang Yuan doesn't care.

He has always been a consequentialist.

The bandits can go, and so can I.

Do I have to wait for the Jin Kingdom to send out troops first and then cut off my retreat?
You can come from Qinzhou, so why can't I go to Qinzhou?
It is June now, but for this mountainous area, the average daytime temperature is still cool and pleasant. You even need to wrap yourself in a sleeping bag or light a bonfire at night to avoid feeling cold.

The only trouble is the frequent heavy rain and rainstorms in this season, which lead to frequent mountain torrents, landslides and mud-rock flows.

Even though the mountains and rivers of this era are very lush with vegetation, these are still unavoidable.

Today, it rained heavily, and the army led by Yang Yuan could only disperse into the dense forests on both sides of the ancient mountain road to take shelter from the rain.

More than 40 miles ahead, the Jin Dynasty's Qinzhou garrison commander Wang He and deputy commander Zhang Boya, led 15,000 elite Jin troops, mainly cavalry, and were dispersing to the woods on both sides to take shelter from the rain.

They only left less than three thousand people to guard Qinzhou, basically all of them went out.

(End of this chapter)