Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 292: The South and the North are splitting

Although the timeline has undergone major changes, there will be no passionate background music or deafening prompt sounds in the real world, so Liu Huai, who is in Shandong, is still inspecting the situation on the front line.

After several days of investigation, on October 11, Liu Huai finally returned to Linyi with accurate intelligence.

At this time, Wei Sheng had relied on his prestige to gather together the heroes of Shandong and convene a meeting.

Liu Huai's first impression when he arrived in Linyi was that it was a mixed place.

It's really a mixed bag.

Among them were great generals of the Song Dynasty like Li Bao, generals of the Jin army who surrendered like Huyan Nanxian, scholars and officials of the Song Dynasty like Lu You, local tyrants of Shandong like He Boqiu, and leaders of the peasant uprising army like Geng Jing.

Of course, there are even more people with complicated identities, such as Wang Youzhi, who had just escaped back to Shandong from Daming Prefecture. He came from a powerful family, but became the leader of a peasant uprising.

For example, Zhang Rong. When Li Bao went north, he brought his certificate of identity with him. At this time, Zhang Rong was not only the commander-in-chief of the Dongping Army, but also the deputy chief of Huaidong. It was really laughable.

It was impossible to expect such a complex group of people to remain calm and collected. The fact that they didn't draw their swords and chop each other was a testament to Wei Sheng's impressive prestige.

"He Erlang, what happened to your father?" Seeing He Boqiu walk away angrily, Liu Huai, who was eating a bowl of soup noodles outside the tent, grabbed He Zizhen and asked in a low voice, "Did he have a conflict with someone?"

He Zizhen sighed and said, "Isn't it that Li Bao? Twenty years ago, he came to Shandong just like today, saying he was going to recover the Central Plains in one fell swoop. If he was rebelling against the Jin, it would be fine, but he just said nice things, saying he would live and die with his fellow countrymen. But in the end, he went back to Jiangnan to enjoy the good life, leaving us to suffer in Shandong. Now he's here again, talking about the strategy of resisting the Jin. Pah, what a piece of shit, who wants to be his ally?"

At the end of the conversation, He Zizhen also seemed a little angry.

However, things are not over yet.

Liu Huai was just about to say a few words of comfort, but He Zizhen's last few words were a little loud, which attracted the attention of others.

Jia Rui, a member of the Tianping Army who was eating at two tables across from him, scoffed at this. "Even if General Li Bao had a thousand faults and made countless mistakes, he ultimately fought against the Jin army from beginning to end. Unlike some people, who served as dogs for the Jin people."

The Tianping Army and He Boqiu had a grudge against each other, and this grudge was far from being resolved by standing in the same trench at this moment.

Du Shiba, Ye Shichan, Liang Atai and others were all severely beaten by He Boqiu. If Liu Huai and Xin Qiji had not withstood the most fatal blow, the Tianping Army might have been completely defeated.

"Are you fucking eating shit?" He Zizhen immediately slammed the table and stood up.

Jia Rui threw the pancake away, tightened his sleeves, and said with a sly grin, "Some people really get it right the moment they say it. It's so damn accurate. I'm going to teach you a lesson today, you little dog!"

Both of them had some friends and comrades in the army. When they saw that the two sides were about to clash, they immediately stood up and started to fight.

"What's the fuss?" Liu Huai shouted, holding the bowl in his hand. "Are you going to draw your swords and start a fight now?"

Xin Qiji walked out of the tent at this time. Seeing this, he patted Jia Rui's shoulder and said, "Jia Hulu, what's wrong with you? Get back to the rear camp!"

Jia Rui had always been very impressed by Xin Qiji. Upon hearing this, he shrank his neck, turned around and took two steps, then picked up the pancake he had just thrown on the ground, stuffed it into his arms, and walked away dejectedly.

"He Erlang, go find your father first and try to persuade him on my behalf. Tell him that we should still tolerate each other for the sake of the country." Liu Huai looked around and saw that the people in the confrontation were all embarrassed and went back to their work. After sending He Zizhen away, he looked at Xin Qiji again and said, "Wulang, how have the talks been these days?"

Xin Qiji sighed and sat down on a bench. "I've heard a lot about the war between Song and Huai, but it doesn't seem that serious. So many people are waiting to see what happens."

Liu Huai opened his mouth, but found that he had nothing to say.

Because the Jin army attacking Lianghuai now has a total of 70,000 regular troops, and the Song State has the famous general Liu Qi guarding the country. No matter what, they can't hold out in less than a month, right?

Although Huaixi suffered a defeat, as long as Luzhou and Hefei were in their hands, the Jin army's only strategic fulcrum in the two Huai regions was Shouchun, and there was no way to encircle Liu Qi.

As long as Liu Qi and others can hold off Tu Shanzhen's 30,000 troops head-on in Chuzhou, the situation in Lianghuai can be maintained and there is no need to be so anxious.

What is imminent is that Shizhanxie, the commander of the Jin Dynasty's Weiyi Army, has already led his troops to station in Dongping Prefecture and is chasing the Tianxiong Army to Shandong.

The Tianping Army was already on high alert at this time, and Geng Jing even hoped that the Zhongyi Army would come to support him in advancing to Yanzhou and Dongping Prefecture.

But Liu Huai knew that Wang Quan, the commander of Huaixi, was most likely a complete idiot. Could he really hold on and save Luzhou against the 40,000-strong army led by Wanyan Liang?

It's hard to say. If Wang Quan is defeated and the Huaixi troops are completely wiped out, then the 40,000 Jin troops will be free to cut off Liu Qi's retreat and completely encircle the main force of the Song army in Huaidong.

Not to mention that now, there are tens of thousands of Jin navy troops heading south. When they all rush into the mouth of the Yangtze River, Liu Qi may not even be able to retreat to Jiankang.

But these are the results Liu Huai obtained through history in later generations, and they cannot be used to convince people at all.

You said Wang Quan would abandon his land and flee. Why? Can you predict the future?

"What else did anyone say?" Liu Huai pondered for a moment and continued to ask.

Xin Qiji said: "In fact, the main intention is to fight against the Jin bandits, but Zhang Rong and Li Bao intend to send the entire army south to assist in the battle in Lianghuai.

Our leader Geng's intentions were somewhat ambiguous. He was indeed reluctant to give up the rewards from the Song State, but he also felt that if he left Shandong, he might be bullied at will. He simply said that the entire army could not march south and that they had to protect their home in Shandong. Otherwise, the morale of the Shandong soldiers who had already settled there would likely collapse.

As for Wang Youzhi and Wang Jiulang of the Tianxiong Army, I also met them. They just boasted about how many connections they had in Bozhou and Dongping Prefecture, and said how brutal and vicious Shizhanxie was, and how they always wanted to fight back to their hometown.

However, I always feel that this person is a little discouraged, because he is always asking whether our army has contacted the Song State and what rewards he has received. I think that this person wants to go south in his heart."

Xin Qiji was a meticulous person. He told Liu Huai everything he had seen and heard in the past few days in detail, and Liu Huai nodded repeatedly after hearing it.

However, he waited for a long time, but Xin Qiji did not say anything about the situation of the Loyal Army. He looked up in surprise and asked, "What did my father say?"

Xin Qiji gave a bitter laugh. "Your Loyalty Army has a system of open military discussions, and you don't treat us three members of the Tianping Army as outsiders. How could you not know? It's just that I really don't know what Marshal Wei is thinking."

"The situation with the Loyalty Army is extremely complicated. During your absence, the two factions have become almost completely antagonistic. Those present have directly expressed their stances, and those absent have also sent letters."

Xin Qiji counted on his fingers and explained, "One faction is led by He Boqiu, and includes powerful generals whose hometowns are in Shandong, such as Wang Shilong, Shi Qilang, Luo Shenyan under your command, and Wang Xiongyi of the central army.

Their point was that they had no intention of risking their lives for the Song in Huaibei and Huaibei. At best, they would accept attacking the Jin thieves' rear in Shandong, employing the strategy of "encircling Wei to save Zhao." Honestly, these people hated the Song just as much as the Jin. Feigning submission was one thing, but risking their lives for the Song was another.

After Xin Qiji finished speaking, he picked up his teacup and moistened his throat. "The other faction is led by Mr. Lu You, including Yu Yuan, who is still in Yishui County facing the Wuxing Army, and your former deputy commander Li Huoer, as well as Zhang Baiyu, Lei Ben, Zhou Xinglie and others... Oh, and Pang Rugui.

About two-thirds of them are truly loyal to the Song State. As for the remaining one-third, I don't think they are truly devoted to the Song State. But their families are in Jiangnan or even in the Lianghuai war zone. How can they not be anxious? "

Liu Huai nodded repeatedly.

Among the 300 brave men recruited by Wei Sheng at the beginning of the Northern Expedition, many were low-ranking officers of the Song State who had settled in Lianghuai. They had made many military achievements during the Northern Expedition, and many of them were qualified to be the leaders of the troops.

The more senior ones like Yu Yuan and Li Huoer are both command-level officers.

They are the backbone of the Loyal Army. Even if they do not participate in military discussions, they always influence the military decisions of the commanders.

Xin Qiji paused and continued, "Under such circumstances, Marshal Wei dared not express his views at all, fearing that this would directly lead to a split in the Loyalty Army. During every military meeting, he acted like a clay puppet, merely maintaining order.

Dalang, I'm glad you're back. At least as long as you and Marshal Wei are of the same mind, you can calm the entire army."

Liu Huai ate the soup noodles and shook his head with a wry smile: "How can it be so simple?"

Xin Qiji also shook his head, then remembered something: "Oh, aren't you investigating the Jin navy? How is it going?"

Liu Huai wiped his mouth and said, "This is what I came back to say. The Jin bandits only have 5,000 soldiers and horses stationed at the Chenjia Island naval base, but they also have ships. Lots of ships! Enough ships to accommodate the entire Loyalty Army!"

Xin Qiji's eyes lit up, and he stroked his chin and said, "You mean..."

Liu Huai nodded: "Exactly!"

Xin Qiji slammed the table and said, "Then take a boat north and follow the coastal route straight to Yanjing. Let me tell you, when I was a teenager, I worked as a clerk, accompanying the grain transport team to map the mountains and rivers. I know the land and water routes to Yanjing... Dalang, what's wrong with you?"

After hearing about taking Yanjing directly, Liu Huai choked on the soup and noodles in his bowl and started coughing violently before Xin Qiji finished speaking.

After the situation finally calmed down, Liu Huai gave Xin Qiji a cold look and completely didn't want to pay any attention to him.

Go straight to Yanjing, wow, he was the one who came up with that?!
All tactical conversions?
(End of this chapter)