I am Emperor Shizu of Song

Chapter 90 Tong Guan Comes to Help
"Brother Zhao is a man of both civil and military talents. He is truly... I have been an official for twenty years and have seen a lot of things in the world, but I have never seen such a man in our dynasty. I admire him! I admire him!"

Half an hour later, as the battlefield outside Huzhou city was cleared, Huzhou governor Wei Xian personally went out of the city to welcome the troops, and asked the wealthy families in the city to prepare hundreds of jars of fine wine to reward the troops.

As soon as he saw Zhao Zicheng riding towards him, Wei Xian excitedly went to meet him, personally poured a large bowl full of fine wine, and praised Zhao Zicheng highly.

Several other Huzhou local officials beside Wei Xian, including the prefect, militia, and magistrate of Wuxing, also bowed to Zhao Zicheng and did not dare to judge him by his official position.

It was really because Zhao Zicheng's performance today was too explosive that all these civil servants and military generals were stunned.

A day ago, these people were still worried that "the bandits were getting stronger day by day, and they didn't know whether the soldiers and civilians in Huzhou could escape this disaster." Just one day later, reinforcements came like gods descending from the sky and saved the soldiers and civilians in the entire city and state.

Zhao Zicheng's heroic figure in a brocade robe and jade belt, holding a spear and riding a horse, almost immediately became the focus of discussion in the whole city.

Two thousand men charged at ten thousand men, and the battle was decided in one go. Right from the start, they took the enemy commander's head amidst the vast army - even though it was the enemy commander who underestimated the enemy and wanted to shout and curse, and thus offered himself up, there was no need to charge into the depths of the vast army to kill him.

But the fact that a civil official's martial arts skills allowed him to kill Deng Yuanjue by chance was enough to shock the world and boost the morale of the people in the state.

Moreover, anyone who knew the matter could see that Zhao Zicheng had done a good job in everything from military management to strategy and tactics, at least much better than the original southern military officers of the weak Song Dynasty.

Zhao Zi said that he was surrounded by a group of civil and military officials and was toasted with several bowls of wine. He looked a little tired, and then he said that he was exhausted.

Wei Xian quickly said, "It's all our fault. My dear brother, please go into the city and rest up. Come, give the soldiers some wine and meat!"

Wei Xian led Zhao Zicheng into the city to rest and held a celebration banquet for him. After a feast of wine and meat, he quickly asked Zhao Zicheng about his next plan:

"I heard that the main force of Fang La's bandit army is still gathering in Hangzhou and has laid siege to it. We don't even know if the city has been breached. Do you plan to lead your troops south to rescue Hangzhou?"

Zhao Zicheng put down his wine glass and said, "Our army has been fighting in Suzhou and Huzhou for a long time and has been exhausted. The victory of today's battle is entirely due to the last breath. My soldiers have not had a rest for many days. How can we fight again?

"But if we rest for a few days before advancing, it would be against the will of the court. I am only acting prefect of Suzhou, and I have already come to Huzhou under the pretext of 'hunting down the remnants of Shi Bao's army.' Once the remnants of Deng Yuanjue have completely withdrawn to Hangzhou and joined Fang La, I will have no reason to pursue them outside the country. Any rash use of force will only lead to punishment under the will of the court."

Wei Xian was also very clear about the laws of the Song Dynasty. He was just excited and didn't think much about it just now, but when Zhao Zicheng mentioned it, he immediately remembered it, so he immediately stopped trying to persuade Zhao Zicheng to use troops, and just sighed:
"Not only does the imperial court maintain strict control over military personnel, but even a civil servant like you, a man of both civil and military talents, is hampered at every turn.

Alas, there is nothing we can do. Since the An-Shi Rebellion in the early Tang Dynasty, the separatist regimes and military rebellions have been too brutal. It took our Song Dynasty more than a hundred years to pay for these lessons, and our military strength has become so weak.

Besides, you are a member of the royal family, and your status is very sensitive. I just made a mistake and shouldn't have encouraged you to fall into suspicion."

Wei Xian was well versed in history. He knew that the current institutional choice of the Song Dynasty was forced, but personally, he hoped that there would be more heroes like Zhao Zicheng who were selfless and put their country and the world first.

At this moment, Wei Xian sincerely felt that Zhao Zicheng might be a hero like Liu Xuande, and his sincerity in supporting the Song Dynasty was definitely comparable to Liu Xuande's support for the Han Dynasty.

Seeing Wei Xian's depression, Zhao Zicheng comforted him, "Brother Wei, don't worry. We can't change the situation. We can only do our job well. As for whether to save Hangzhou, I think we have to wait for news from General Tong."

When the imperial decree arrived a while ago, it mentioned that the emperor had ordered General Tong to lead 150,000 Western and Imperial Guard troops south. Considering the length of time, the army's march was difficult, and the main force should not have reached Jiangnan yet. But who knows whether the cavalry vanguard, or General Tong himself, has arrived in Jiangnan beforehand to take charge?

We should inquire more and ask for instructions to see if there is any news from Zhenjiang and Jinling. The army will definitely have to take the Grand Canal to move south. When General Tong arrives in Jiangnan, his first stop will definitely be to cross the river in Zhenjiang."

Wei Xian nodded. "Brother, you're right. Let's wait for news. By the way, I heard that you previously exceeded your authority... I mean, you used the official authority of 'acting at your own convenience' to kill Zhu Jie? While this was a great relief and a boost to morale, the court will surely punish you. Now that General Tong is coming soon, you need to think of an excuse first."

Zhao Zi, who said a man of integrity fears no shadow, spoke proudly, "I am concerned for the well-being of the people of the world. Why should I care about my own personal gain or the honor or disgrace of my career? If I hadn't killed Zhu Jie on the battlefield and boosted the morale of the people in the surrounding states, would Suzhou, Huzhou, Xiuzhou, and other places have been able to stop Fang La? Perhaps all three states would have fallen into the hands of the enemy! The clear and the turbid, the loyal and the treacherous, the right and the wrong, will be judged by future generations."

After Zhao Zicheng finished speaking, he stood up and shook his sleeves with a righteous look, looking generous, calm and fearless.

Wei Xian was filled with awe, tears welling in his eyes. "We are fortunate to have such a loyal and righteous man like you, my brother, among the royal family of the Great Song, who cares deeply about the people of the world. I will naturally speak impartially and frankly, and write a letter to the emperor and explain the sentiments of the people of Jiangnan to General Tong!"

……

A few days later, Zhao Zicheng took Lin Chong and others to Huzhou to rest and recuperate the troops, treat the wounded, reorganize and collect the prisoners. There is no need to elaborate on everything.

It wasn't that he didn't want to save Hangzhou immediately, but firstly, he simply didn't have the energy to do so, and secondly, the imperial system restricted him, so he didn't have the power to do so. It was a taboo for members of the imperial family to lead troops. Unless it was to protect their own garrisons or be forced to defend and counterattack, under normal circumstances, Zhao Zicheng's sensitive status would never be allowed to be involved in the military.

On a separate note, one day in late September, a few days after Zhao Zicheng won the battles of Suzhou and Huzhou, Zhenjiang Prefecture, at the northern entrance of the Jiangnan Canal, finally welcomed a team of imperial reinforcements.

This reinforcement force was none other than the cavalry under the command of Grand Marshal Tong Guan. Even Tong Guan himself, despite the exhausting journey, joined this force and rushed to Zhenjiang. However, the reinforcements currently arriving in Jiangnan were very small, consisting of only about one corps of light cavalry, as this type of force was highly mobile. As for the subsequent heavy cavalry and main infantry, it would take at least seven or eight days, or even more than half a month, to reach Zhenjiang.

The marching speed of an army of over one hundred thousand is so slow that there is no way to rush it.

On the day Tong Guan arrived, all the civil and military officials of Zhenjiang Prefecture naturally came out to greet him, and even most of the officials from neighboring Jinling and Changzhou came.

"The Grand Marshal is devoted to state affairs, regardless of the fatigue of traveling. He is truly a role model for our generation." All the civil and military officials bowed deeply to Tong Guan in unison.

Tong Guan looked very tired, and even his iconic beard had lost a lot of strands recently, which made him feel very distressed.

Therefore, Tong Guan had no mood to deal with those red tapes. He just said "I'm tired" and asked those flatterers to get out of here quickly so that he could have some peace and quiet.

No local Jiangnan official dared to disobey Tong Guan, so they could only hastily send a prepared banquet for Tong to enjoy at his lodgings. Only a few officials with urgent military or political matters to report risked the Taiwei's bad mood and forced an audience.

"Grand Marshal, during the time that the imperial army has been arriving, the rebels in Jiangnan have become increasingly corrupt, and some officials have been seriously derelict in their duties. Song Zhaonian, the Chief Justice of Liangzhe, has summarized the crimes of the main officials and submitted the following impeachment memorial. Would you like to take a look?"

Tong Guan's close followers first brought up a list of the most incompetent officials in Jiangnan during the early days of Fang La's rebellion, especially during the period when the army was still on the way, and asked Tong Guan for his approval.

Emperor Zhao Ji gave Tong Guan great discretionary power during his absence from the capital. If he encountered a local official below the rank of prefecture-level official who committed serious dereliction of duty, leading to loss of territory or defeat, Tong Guan could directly enforce military law and bring them to justice according to simplified procedures! If a military general committed a crime, he could even behead him!

For example, in the original history, Liang Hongyu's grandfather and father were both executed by Tong Guan for their poor performance in battle, and then Liang Hongyu became a prostitute in the Jingkou camp.

Tong Guan was still on the road, and killing people indiscriminately could easily exacerbate local chaos. If the river defense collapsed, allowing Fang La to directly occupy the south bank of the Yangtze River and confront the imperial court across the river, then things would be troublesome.

Therefore, before Tong Guan himself and his main force crossed the river, the imperial court did not dare to kill people indiscriminately. No matter how serious the crime was, they had to stabilize the situation first.

But now, the situation was completely different. Tong Guan had already hurried and successfully crossed the Yangtze River. As long as they could gain a foothold on the south bank of the Yangtze River, there would be no possibility for Fang La to divide the river and rule separately.

Tong Guan asked himself that it was only a matter of time before he could wipe out the Pingfang La. In that case, now was a good time to kill a few criminals and establish his authority! Otherwise, how could he enforce the military law and make the soldiers obey orders and fight to the death?

Before a war, people would kill people to establish authority and enforce the law. This has been a tradition for thousands of years.

"Just read it out. Who did Song Zhaonian mention and what were their crimes?" Tong Guan was very tired and too lazy to read it himself, so he asked his attendant to read it out loud.

The attendant did not dare to neglect and read out the main impeached persons word for word: "...Zhang Yuan, the governor of Muzhou, and Zhao Ting, the governor of Hangzhou, both abandoned the soldiers and civilians under their jurisdiction and fled before the city was captured. They were later captured by the government troops of the neighboring state.

Especially Zhao Ting, the prefect of Hangzhou. Hangzhou was now under great siege by Fang La, and its survival was uncertain. However, Zhao Ting, afraid of death, escaped from the city walls before Fang La could completely encircle him. When he fled to Huzhou and Xiuzhou, he was captured by patrolling soldiers and reported to the police.

Tong Guan's facial wrinkles twitched as he heard this. He pronounced his verdict in a sinister tone, "This kind of scum should be executed by military law! Quickly have Song Zhaonian bring Zhao Ting here! After a thorough examination, confirm that he's completely innocent, then we'll execute him in a formal ceremony!"

The attendant was a little embarrassed and reminded: "But this dynasty does not kill scholars and officials..."

Tong Guan was so angry that he smashed a wine pot. "My subordinates are still defending the city, but he abandoned it first. What's the point of keeping such a pig and dog! Well, after investigating, he will be punished and then let him commit suicide in prison out of fear of punishment! But after he commits suicide, he must still be beheaded and used as a sacrifice on the day when the army sets out to counterattack!"

This time, the close followers finally did not object to this opinion.

Afterwards, the attendant continued to read out another impeachment from Song Zhaonian, the Chief Justice of Liangzhe Road - in fact, it was not an impeachment, it was just an explanation of the situation.

"Taiwei, here's another memorial from Song Tixing. It also mentions some things, but it's quite complicated. In Suzhou, someone killed Zhu Jie of the Yingfeng Bureau, claiming it was to defend Suzhou and Lake Suzhou and to act for their own convenience."

Tong Guan's pupils couldn't help but shrink rapidly several times, and he subconsciously took a breath of cold air.

He had been marching rapidly all the way and had not seen the memorial sent from Jiangnan to Bian Jing, so it was not until this moment that he knew that Zhao Zicheng had killed Zhu Jie.

In comparison, many of Zhao Zicheng's later deeds, merits and demerits were not reported to Tong Guan until today.

Tong Guan is like a player who has been offline for a long time due to poor signal. After suddenly reconnecting, he is overloaded with information and can hardly cope with it.

(End of this chapter)