I am Emperor Shizu of Song

Chapter 30 Arrival in Bianjing
When Zhao Zicheng saw the flag of "Hu Yan, the Military Commander of Caizhou", he immediately realized that the person opposite him was Hu Yanzhuo.

In "Water Margin", Hu Yanzhuo's official position was "commander". Not only Hu Yanzhuo, but also many military officers such as Qin Ming were commanders before they were forced to join the bandits.

However, the position of Tongzhi was actually established during the Southern Song Dynasty, and later also existed during the Yuan Dynasty. This was also because in times of war, in order to coordinate the military forces of various states, it had to be added. Shi Naian was a Yuan Dynasty person, so he wrote based on later experience.

There was no such position as commander in chief during the Northern Song Dynasty, but there were many military commanders of different levels.

If the word "camp" is added before the title of Bingma Dujian, then his powers would be similar to those of the later commander.

The military commander of the field camps can control the imperial guards of multiple states, unify military orders and coordinate operations, and will not be governed and controlled by local civil officials. Only the central government of the imperial court, including the Privy Council and the Ministry of War, can issue orders to them.

Without the word "camp", it would be an ordinary military commander in charge of the imperial guards of a certain state or prefecture, and be considered "deputy state level". In theory, they should be separate from the local prefects and governors, with no subordinate relationship between them.

In fact, because the Song Dynasty emphasized culture over military power, the prefect could often assign tasks to the provincial military commander, but would rarely interfere with specific military command.

In "Water Margin", Qin Ming's status in Qingzhou was relatively low, and the prefect Murong Yanda could give him whatever orders he wanted.

Generally speaking, the prefecture governor supervised the prefecture's imperial guards, while the prefecture militia commanded the prefecture's garrison troops. By analogy, when Wu Song later murdered both Zhang Dujian and Zhang Tuanlian in the Mandarin Duck Tower, he effectively took down both the prefecture's imperial guards and garrison commanders simultaneously, a truly monstrous crime.

Today, Hu Yanzhuo's title and position do not include the word "field camp", which means he is only in charge of the defense of the imperial guards in Caizhou.

This status is higher than that of the Liang family and other military figures that Zhao Zicheng had met before.

Previously, Zhao Zi said that he had only dealt with the chief and deputy chiefs of the provincial military training system, but had never interacted with the chief of the provincial imperial guards.

Given his current status, it is definitely impossible to expect to win over Hu Yanzhuo, and it is also difficult to make him a partner.

We can only treat each other with courtesy and establish a good relationship with each other.

……

After determining the tone of negotiations with Hu Yanzhuo, Zhao Zicheng temporarily tightened his belt, increased the gifts for rewarding the troops, and then met with Hu Yanzhuo.

The situation this time was completely different from when they were in Zhenjiang. Back then, the Liang family's responsibility was to patrol the river defenses, and the pirate robberies at the ferry crossings of the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal were originally due to the Liang family's failure to do their job properly.

In contrast, Hu Yanzhuo's duty was simply to ensure peace in Caizhou. He considered himself fulfilling his duty by repelling small bands of bandits who were marauding through the countryside. Furthermore, this time, it was Hu Yanzhuo who ultimately delivered the fatal blow, unlike the Liang family who arrived late, like the cops in Hong Kong films.

Therefore, Hu Yanzhuo owed Zhao Zicheng and Yang Zhi nothing at all.

Zhao Zicheng was very polite. As soon as they met, he asked the Murong family servants around him to present gifts and they also praised each other's business.

"Thanks to General Huyan's timely arrival, these few bandits were prevented from causing serious harm. We have an errand. This Yang Zhishi is to escort the flower and stone tribute to the capital. We are not prepared at the moment, so this small gift is a reward for the brothers' meritorious service. Don't think it is too little."

A servant of the Murong family handed Hu Yanzhuo a tray containing twenty silver ingots and a small bag of pearls.

While giving gifts to express gratitude, Zhao Zicheng also took the opportunity to observe the other person's appearance and expression.

Hu Yanzhuo was in his thirties, with a thick beard and dense hair.

The short beard on his cheeks and lips resembled Zhang Fei's, each one as sharp as a steel needle. But the beard on his chin was bloated and cumbersome, densely packed and curled into a massive mass. While somewhat unsightly, it certainly looked majestic.

The surname Huyan has certain Southern Xiongnu and Xianbei ancestry, so it is no wonder that he has a big beard similar to that of white people and Russians in Asia.

Hu Yanzhuo took the silver and was a little impressed by Zhao Zicheng, a scholar, who was so polite. He asked about his identity.

Zhao Zicheng also told the truth, his words were very humble, without exaggeration, and he never mentioned "I will be given an official position soon when I go to Bian Jing this time."

Hu Yanzhuo, at first, didn't realize the significance of Zhao Zicheng's status. He simply assumed he was a member of the imperial clan who had achieved some success in Imperial College, relying on his bloodline. So, he simply treated him with respect, as if it were official business.

However, Yang Zhi, who was standing by, was not as modest as Zhao Zicheng. He spoke for Zhao Zicheng about all the things he was not willing to show off.

"General Huyan, although Young Master Zhao is a scholar, he is also a warrior, knowledgeable, and loyal. Along the way, he has personally killed at least seven or eight bandits, if not a dozen. He remained calm in the face of danger and commanded the troops with confidence. If he hadn't seen the opportunity last night and decisively ordered us to retreat to the surface of the Huai River to avoid being besieged by the bandits, we probably wouldn't have survived until your reinforcements arrived."

Hu Yanzhuo's eyes flashed at this moment, and he no longer regarded Zhao Zicheng as an ordinary scholar.

"I didn't expect that Mr. Zhao is a man of both civil and military talents. How rare!"

Zhao Zicheng waved his hand gently, unconcerned. "It's just a small matter, nothing to worry about. General Huyan probably killed hundreds of bandits in the battle last night. Our fleet has two or three hundred men in total, no fewer than General Huyan's troops. We've killed more in a month than you did in a single night."

Hu Yanzhuo, seldom respected by scholars, felt a touch of pride. "That was simply because I had the advantage of cavalry. Furthermore, when I arrived, the bandits had already been engaged in a bloody battle for a long time, their morale was low. Furthermore, they didn't know my strength, so they were overwhelmed. Young Master Zhao and General Yang were the ones who put up a tough fight."

Zhao Zi said he was curious about Hu Yanzhuo's cavalry and took the opportunity to change the subject: "May I observe the general's cavalry? I am grateful for your help and would like to express my gratitude to the soldiers."

Hu Yanzhuo quickly said, "Feel free to do as you please."

Zhao Zicheng then had someone bring a few jars of wine stored in the boat and some large bowls. He personally talked with the group of officers and cavalry led by Hu Yanzhuo for a while, and personally poured three bowls of wine for each cavalry officer above the rank of team leader, and said some words of praise.

The officers, judging by his demeanor, knew he was a respectable scholar, undoubtedly a man of distinction, even though he had never worn official uniform. Later, upon learning he was a member of the Zhao royal family, they felt even more proud. As they accepted the wine from Zhao Zicheng, their chests puffed out, their lungs filled.

"You are all excellent. If the cavalry of our Great Song Dynasty can all train with such dedication and lead the charge when encountering the enemy, we will have no need to worry about the Western bandits and Liao dogs!"

However, during the toast, Zhao Zicheng also discovered some things that disappointed him. Although Hu Yanzhuo's cavalry was relatively elite, it was not something that could defy the heavens. Moreover, there was no "linked horses" as described in the novel. They were just some heavily armored cavalry with fairly good equipment.

Shi Nai'an's writing of linked horses was probably influenced by the later Jin Dynasty's Iron Pagoda. At that time, the Jin Dynasty's Iron Pagoda had not yet spread, and the Central Plains regime would not choose linked heavy cavalry. That thing was expensive, and its efficiency and flexibility were also problematic. Considering the riding skills and technical and tactical level of the Han cavalry, forcing linked horses might not be a good thing.

In addition, after just a few words of conversation, Zhao Zicheng discovered another fact that made him sigh, that is, even a military general like Hu Yanzhuo was also drawing a salary without working, and his situation was even worse.

He had originally thought that the one or two hundred cavalrymen who had arrived today were at most a battalion, commanded by a single commander. After asking, he learned that there were actually two battalions, totaling only about one hundred and fifty or sixty cavalrymen, meaning each battalion had only about eighty cavalrymen.

The Song Dynasty's designated cavalry battalion consisted of 400 men. With 80 cavalrymen, this meant 80% of the pay was for nothing, leaving only 20% of the actual strength. In comparison, the Liang family from Zhenjiang were considered mediocre commanders, and their character was far from avarice. At best, they collected 70% of the pay, leaving only 30% of the actual strength.

Zhao Zi said that he didn't want to offend Hu Yanzhuo directly, so he gave him some face and found an opportunity to pull him aside and asked him indirectly:
"General Huyan, forgive my bluntness, but Caizhou has been known for its fierce and unruly people since the pre-Tang Dynasty. Even though Wang Qing has only just emerged, it's easy for him to spread in a place like this. Since you're in charge of the local imperial guards, you should focus on replenishing the troops..."

Zhao Zicheng spoke very tactfully, and any normal person could see that he had no ill intentions and was simply sticking to the facts.

Hu Yanzhuo could naturally hear it, so he didn't get angry. Instead, he said helplessly: "My dear brother, you are a sincere person. What you said hits the nail on the head about the shortcomings of our army. How could I not know it?

Since you're so frank, I won't hide it from you. I certainly want to expand my army as much as possible. But when I train soldiers, I always pursue the best. Look at these cavalrymen's horses and armor. Which one is not of excellent quality?
I have also provided the soldiers with enough rice and horses with enough beans. If we expect to refine it this way, we can only reduce the number of people."

Zhao Zicheng listened to Hu Yanzhuo's explanation and looked carefully, and found that although Hu Yanzhuo's cavalry was small, they were indeed elite.

The weapons and armor were well-maintained, and the soldiers were tall and strong, showing that they were well-fed. The war horses were also fatter and stronger than those seen elsewhere, so they could carry the heavily armored cavalry.

It is estimated that the money and food spent on his side to support 20% of the quota of soldiers may be more than the Liang family's spending on supporting 30% of the quota of soldiers.

"It seems that Hu Yanzhuo has some talent for training cavalry, and he's not greedy. He's mainly limited by money and supplies, which prevents him from expanding his army. If we can protect someone like him, we can use him as an aid in the future. As long as the money and food issues are resolved, he will be able to unleash his combat effectiveness."

Zhao Zicheng thought to himself that Hu Yanzhuo was quite suitable for his ability structure.

As a time traveler, Zhao Zi said that the relatively easy problem to solve was money. He could find more ways to make money in the future.

In fact, even in its later period, the Northern Song Dynasty was not short of money.

During the Jingkang Incident, the city of Bianjing was conquered by the Jin Kingdom. In the end, so much gold, silver, money, food, weapons and equipment were looted by the Jin Kingdom. It makes people sigh with regret when they think about it.

The Song Dynasty was richer than any other dynasty in terms of wealth and fiscal revenue. However, there were too many redundant officials, too many soldiers, and too many miscellaneous expenses, resulting in great losses and low utilization of funds.

Take the present for example. If the emperor did not repair Genyue, build gardens and Taoist temples, and have a lot of fancy political achievements, the money saved would be enough to train many elite soldiers.

When it comes to the issue of waste in building gardens, the shamefulness of the old thief Zhao Ji is no less than that of Cixi when she built the Summer Palace.

After this trip to Beijing, Zhao Zi suggested that perhaps he should find an opportunity to do something about the emperor's extravagant garden construction. Even if he couldn't stop it, it would be helpful to leverage modern man's strengths and secretly reduce costs. How to do this specifically would depend on the time and effort.

……

Zhao Zi said that he could not come up with any way to befriend Hu Yanzhuo for the time being, so he could only provide verbal support and make friends with him.

After inviting Hu Yanzhuo to drink a rewarding drink and giving him a thank you gift, Zhao Zi said that it was just out of kindness, and then reminded him:

"Although General Huyan is a renowned commander of skilled cavalry, we must not take Wang Qing lightly. I believe he has the potential to become a powerful figure in the future, and it's a shame we weren't able to stop him this morning. I wonder where Wang Qing will flee after his defeat."

Zhao Zicheng knew that the history books did not mention Hu Yanzhuo's fate. "Water Margin" said that after he conquered Fang La, he returned to Huaixi and was eventually killed in battle in Huaixi.

No matter who Hu Yanzhuo was defeated in the end in Huaixi, it would certainly not be beneficial to underestimate Wang Qing, a major bandit in Huaixi, in his early stages.

Hu Yanzhuo had indeed not yet realized the seriousness of the problem, and only explained the matter as it happened: "Among that group of thieves, the leader is said to have come from Bian Jing, but most of the thieves under him are locals in Huaixi and are very familiar with the geography of this area, so it is difficult to wipe them out immediately.

After they dispersed this morning, they should have broken up into smaller groups and hidden among the people. They'll then find another way, either by boat or by swimming upstream to shallower waters, back to Huainan and hide deep in the Yinghuo Mountains. Chasing them into the mountains and completely destroying them will be difficult, but as long as I'm in Caizhou City, they'll be killed every time they dare to commit crimes along the Huaibei Grand Canal!

The Yinghuo Mountain area is the Dabie Mountains in later generations. It is mainly located on the south bank of this section of the Huai River. The terrain is complex. It was difficult to completely wipe out the bandits who fled into the Dabie Mountains with the transportation and communication conditions of the Song Dynasty.

Hu Yanzhuo's analysis was based on local conditions. The area north of the Huai River was relatively less hilly and mountainous, making it suitable for cavalry warfare. With elite cavalry at his disposal, he could still hold his own even with fewer men.

The fear is that the bandits will accumulate strength in Huainan, and then find the right opportunity to secretly cross to the north bank to commit a big crime. After the government troops react, they will break up and escape into the mountains of Huainan, making it difficult to deal with them.

Zhao Zicheng touched his chin and thought for a while. With Hu Yanzhuo's current combat capability, he did have an advantage in the relatively flat areas of Huaibei. He might as well think about whether there was any way to help Hu Yanzhuo make up for his disadvantage in mountain warfare. If he could help him achieve success, it would be a great favor.

However, this matter cannot be rushed, and I really have no idea for the time being. I can only go to Bian Jing and then slowly think of a solution when I have time.

"Since the general has such a clear understanding of the enemy's situation, I, a mere scholar, will not engage in empty talk. I hope the general will be more cautious and not pursue them too far into Huainan or advance too far alone.

"It is a great pleasure to have made the acquaintance of the General today. I, Zhao, have business to attend to and cannot stay long, so I bid you farewell. The mountains remain unchanged, the rivers flow on forever. When I have finished my work in Bianjing, if the opportunity arises, I will return to discuss matters with the General."

"Young Master Zhao, please do as you please. I have never seen a scholar as open-minded and martial as you.

As for underestimating the enemy and advancing rashly, you are worrying too much, my lord. Even if I wanted to underestimate the enemy and advance rashly, Caizhou's defense zone is in Huaibei. If I go to Huainan to pursue them, even if it is beyond the border, the Privy Council will not tolerate me. "

The Song Dynasty was well aware of how strictly it guarded the power of its military commanders, so this situation was impossible. As long as they fought north of the Huai River and played it safe, they would be fine.

Afterwards, Hu Yanzhuo led the cavalry and set out again back to Caizhou City, and also escorted Zhao Zicheng's fleet for a while.

The spoils obtained from cleaning up the battlefield were also taken away by Hu Yanzhuo.

Along the way, out of curiosity, Hu Yanzhuo also found an opportunity to exchange martial arts with Yang Zhi. As a result, the two fought on foot for more than a hundred rounds, but there was no clear winner.

But in a high-speed, ramming-and-pulling battle on horseback, Yang Zhi was slightly inferior. And if the two rode side by side, purely sparring with their spears, Yang Zhi, unleashing his Yang family spear techniques, could gain a slight advantage. Ultimately, the two men's martial arts skills could only be described as each excelling in their own areas.

Zhao Zi said that he watched the two men's martial arts performance throughout the whole process, and also took the opportunity to ask them for some practical experience in cavalry combat, which was quite rewarding.

Before they parted, Hu Yanzhuo reassured him, saying that after passing Caizhou, the entire journey along the Bian River would be very safe, as they were getting closer to Bianjing, the river was very calm, and the area was all fertile plains.

Zhao Zi thanked him for the reminder and sailed for more than ten days before finally arriving safely in Bianjing City.

The flower and stone tribute was finally delivered safely, and Zhao Zicheng could finally put aside his relationship with Zhu Jie.

(End of this chapter)