Song Xiu

Chapter 95 The commander reports a victory; this is the grandeur of the crown prince!

After accepting the surrender of Li Shoujie and others, Zhao Dexiu ordered them to be taken away to change their clothes.

The freshly picked brambles were covered in mud, making Li Shoujie and the others filthy.

After Li Shoujie and the others left, Zhao Dexiu ordered people to prepare a banquet outside the city.

It is common practice to host a banquet for a newly appointed general to further encourage and reward him.

After Zhao Dexiu finished giving the order, Cao Bin, who was standing behind him, stepped forward and offered a suggestion:
“Shangdang is the foundation of Li Jun.”

Although Li Shoujie has surrendered, it is hard to guarantee that there are still loyal followers of Li Jun within the city. The people in the city cannot be trusted entirely.

Those in Shangdang who were willing to submit to the Song Dynasty were all outside the city.

The soldiers inside the city were temporarily without a leader.

If there are one or two treacherous individuals within the city who take advantage of the city's vulnerability to incite the soldiers, the situation in Shangdang City will inevitably fluctuate.

The prefect can send someone with elite troops into the city first, seize control, and stabilize the situation.

Previously, Cao Bin was left behind by Zhao Dexiu to complete the steps of his feint attack plan.

After Zhao Dexiu led his troops back from Funiu Mountain, Cao Bin returned to Zhao Dexiu's side to report back.

Zhao Dexiu wholeheartedly agreed with Cao Bin's words.

The importance of Shangdang is self-evident; caution is always the best policy.

"What you say is very true."

After affirming Cao Bin's suggestion, Zhao Dexiu turned to Tian Chongjin and said:

"General Tian, ​​you will lead a thousand soldiers into the city."

First, seize control of the city's armory and granaries.

To prevent the situation in the city from fluctuating, the first thing to do is to control these two places.

After receiving Zhao Dexiu's order, Tian Chongjin clasped his hands in acceptance and left.

After Tian Chongjin left, Zhao Dexiu looked at Cao Bin with a smile in her eyes.

What Cao Bin said was something that others might not have thought of.

In the past, Cao Bin always answered questions, but never answered anything else.

Zhao Dexiu was very happy that Cao Bin, who had such an attitude, would take the initiative to offer advice today.

This means that Cao Bin has gradually come to regard himself as a member of the Chanzhou army.

After observing Cao Bin for a while, Zhao Dexiu, thinking it best to strike while the iron was hot, took the initiative to speak:

"Are you interested in the position of Deputy Defense Commissioner of Chanzhou?"

The Deputy Defense Envoy, as the name suggests, is the deputy to the Defense Envoy in military affairs.

It is the highest commander who leads the army when the defense commissioner is too busy to personally lead the expedition.

The fact that Zhao Dexiu was able to recruit Cao Bin with this position is enough to prove how much he values ​​Cao Bin.

In addition, Cao Bin was well-versed in military strategy and had a meticulous mind, making him an excellent commander.

Appointing Cao Bin as the Deputy Commissioner for Defense of Chanzhou was a very appropriate arrangement.

Upon hearing Zhao Dexiu's question, the usually cautious Cao Bin made a decision that would affect his entire life:

"Bin is willing to serve the Marquis."

Cao Bin would no longer hesitate, mainly because, based on his observations, he believed that Zhao Dexiu was a wise ruler worthy of his service.

As for the direct cause: given Cao Bin's recent understanding of Zhao Dexiu, his name would certainly appear in the military reports submitted to the court.

If we can't avoid it anyway, why bother trying?

Time is also destiny.

Let him follow the Marquis of Taiyuan and make his mark in the world!
After the banquet ended and the guests and hosts had enjoyed themselves, Zhao Dexiu returned to his command tent, slightly tipsy.

Lü Duan, who disliked drinking, was already waiting for Zhao Dexiu inside the tent.

Upon seeing Zhao Dexiu, Lü Duan attempted to rise and pay his respects, but Zhao Dexiu waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down.

"How are the preparations going for the things I asked you to arrange?"

Upon hearing Zhao Dexiu's question, Lü Duan cupped his hands and replied:
"I have secretly recruited over a hundred orphans. Once we return to Bianjing, I will find Confucian scholars to teach them to read and write."

Zhao Dexiu nodded in satisfaction at Lü Duan's report.

Several months ago, Zhao Dexiu had wanted to build his own intelligence team.

This idea has grown stronger since the start of the campaign.

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated" is an eternal truth in military strategy.

Although Zhao Dexiu was a time traveler, he had never heard of any of the names Zhao Hua, Liu Ji'en, Lu Zan, etc. in his previous life before he came to Luzhou.

To achieve greater success in one's own time, relying solely on fragmented knowledge from later generations is far from sufficient.

If one could have a group of skilled intelligence personnel, they could be used not only as scouts but also as spies.

Historically, when the Ming army fought against Japanese pirates and aided Korea, the Embroidered Uniform Guard played a significant role in that battle.

Due to his position, Zhao Dexiu cannot currently build a large intelligence team.

However, this point is not a major problem.

The basic idea behind building an efficient intelligence team is the same as building a strong military.

The first step is to cultivate key personnel to form a basic organizational framework.

Once the organizational framework is established, the next step is to continuously add fresh blood and flesh.

From the specific to the general, one can eventually achieve great things.

In Zhao Dexiu's mind, the best candidate to lead his intelligence team was not Lü Duan, but Lü Qiu Zhongqing.

However, since Lü Qiu Zhongqing was still in the Northern Han, some matters were temporarily handled by Lü Duan.

After learning about the progress of the intelligence team's formation, Zhao Dexiu said to Lü Duan:
"There's one more thing I need you to do."

Upon hearing this, Lü Duan had some guesses:

"Lord, do you wish for me to deliver the military report again?"

Given Ludosen's talent, he could write a new military report in two days at most.

Lü Duan's guess made Zhao Dexiu smile.

"You guessed half right."

Zhao Dexiu's words, coupled with his mysterious smile, made Lü Duan straighten his body.

The credit is in!

I still remember that when Zhao Dexiu sent Lu Duoxun to Funiu Mountain, he smiled at Lu Duoxun in the same way.

Late June of the first year of the Jianlong era of the Song Dynasty.

As we approach July, the situation in Zezhou has taken another turn.

For some unknown reason, the Song army has recently changed its stance of stalemate and launched several fierce attacks on Gaoping City.

The fierce attacks came wave after wave, causing Li Jun to complain endlessly.

Fortunately, Gaoping City was high and well-fortified, and together with Li Jun's main camp outside the city, they formed a pincer movement, which allowed Li Jun to successfully resist several fierce attacks by the Song army.

The fierce attack of the day had just ended. As Shi Shouxin led his troops back to camp, he saw Murong Yanzhao walking towards him as soon as he stepped into the camp.

After Murong Yanzhao stood still in front of him, Shi Shouxin took off his helmet, revealing his cheek that had been slashed by a stray arrow a few days earlier.

Shi Shouxin's rise to the position of Deputy Commander of the Palace Guards was not solely due to his deep understanding of the emperor's intentions.

As early as the reign of Emperor Taizu of Zhou, Shi Shouxin was known in the Central Plains for his bravery and skill in battle.

After Zhao Kuangyin issued the order to attack, Shi Shouxin volunteered and personally led the army to launch several attacks.

"Damn it, this turtle shell is really hard!"

In front of his good brother, Shi Shouxin directly cursed.

Murong Yanzhao could understand Shi Shouxin's feelings.

Gaoping was the most fortified city among all the counties in Zezhou.

Because Gaoping is located in the middle reaches of the Dan River, it is the most important grain route from Hedong to the Central Plains, making it a strategic location that military strategists must fight for.

When Liu Min invaded the Central Plains, this city was his first priority to capture.

After understanding Shi Shouxin's situation, Murong Yanzhao said, "Why don't we have Wang Quanbin lead the troops tomorrow? You can have a good rest for a day."

Wang Quanbin is a highly renowned general in the Imperial Guard in recent years.

Murong Yanzhao meant well, but Shi Shouxin was displeased after hearing his story.

"If it were him, he'd know how to fawn over everyone."

Realizing that the person was no ordinary person, Shi Shouxin quickly stopped himself from saying the rest of his sentence.

After smacking his lips a few times, Shi Shouxin turned indignant and said:

"It's all that scoundrel Liu Jun's fault."

When our army was suppressing the rebels, he insisted on sending Liu Jiye to interfere.

"If it weren't for his tens of thousands of Han troops coming to the rescue, the Marquis might have already captured Shangdang."

While others might not know why Zhao Kuangyin changed his tactics, how could Shi Shouxin not know?
After learning that Liu Jiye had led his army south, Zhao Kuangyin believed that it was unlikely that Zhao Dexiu would be able to take Shangdang.

Based on this judgment, Zhao Kuangyin's decision to order a large-scale attack was a perfectly normal choice.

Compared to Shi Shouxin's indignation, Murong Yanzhao appeared much calmer.

"Although the Marquis has a talent for military strategy, he is still young."

It is truly remarkable that the Marquis was able to hold off the Northern Han reinforcements for us.

Despite the relentless attacks that have yielded no progress, even the most fortified city will eventually crumble.

Our army is stronger than the rebels; taking Cao Bang is only a matter of time.

Shi Shouxin agreed with Murong Yanzhao's judgment.

However, Shi Shouxin was still somewhat unwilling:
"If only the Marquis could take Shangdang."

Among Zhao Kuangyin's many imperial guard brothers, Shi Shouxin's support for Zhao Dexiu was the most undisguised.

This attitude stemmed from Shi Shouxin's understanding of Zhao Kuangyin, as well as from the friendship between Zhao Dexiu and Shi Baoxing.

Shi Baoxing was Shi Shouxin's eldest son, and he and Zhao Dexiu grew up together.

Shi Shouxin's sigh prompted Murong Yanzhao to reach out and shake his expectant eyes.

"Big Mouth Shi, don't even think about it."

"and many more."

The two were like brothers, and since there were no outsiders present, Murong Yanzhao called Shi Shouxin by his nickname.

In the Five Dynasties period, it was common for generals to have nicknames.

Before Murong Yanzhao could utter the words "overthinking," Shi Shouxin stopped him.

Standing at the camp gate, Shi Shouxin saw a man walking into the camp led by a scout.

The sharp-eyed Shi Shouxin recognized the man as Lü Duan, who had delivered military reports to Zhao Dexiu last time.

After recognizing the person, Shi Shouxin immediately ordered the scout captain to bring Lü Duanxian over.

Seeing that the two supreme commanders of the Imperial Guards were there, the scout captain dared not hesitate.

Then, after bringing Lü Duan to Shi Shouxin's side, the scout captain was dismissed.

Once everyone was alone, Shi Shouxin quickly asked Lü Duan:
"Has there been a new development in the battle situation at Luzhou?"

Shi Shouxin believed that if there were no further changes in the situation in Luzhou, Zhao Dexiu would not need to send Lü Duan again.

Shi Shouxin's eyes were full of anticipation.

Lü Duan knew Shi Shouxin and Murong Yanzhao.

Meeting Shi Shouxin's expectant gaze, Lü Duan couldn't hide his smile and said loudly:

"Tens of thousands of Han soldiers were wiped out, and the entire territory of Luzhou has been recovered by the Marquis."

Upon hearing this news, Murong Yanzhao, who was stroking his beard, accidentally grabbed his thick beard hard.

Shi Shouxin, after being shocked, quickly came to his senses.

"Are you telling the truth?"

Because what Lü Duan said was too astonishing, Shi Shouxin decided to confirm it again before the outburst.

Faced with Shi Shouxin's doubts, Lü Duan confidently declared:
"To falsely report military intelligence is a crime punishable by the extermination of one's entire clan; how could I dare to commit such a crime!"

Seeing that Lü Duan had presented his entire family as collateral, Shi Shouxin had no further doubts.

The next moment, a hearty laugh erupted from Shi Shouxin's mouth:

"Hahaha!

"One battle to secure the Taihang Mountains! One battle to secure the Taihang Mountains!"

Shi Shouxin laughed loudly as he stretched out his hand, just as Murong Yanzhao had done earlier, and waved it in front of his astonished eyes.

"The Marquis has won a great victory! The Marquis has won a great victory!"

Shi Shouxin kept repeating this sentence as he swayed.

Shi Shouxin's behavior was full of smugness.

But who told him to bet on the right horse?
Soon, Shi Shouxin realized that it wasn't enough to just show off in front of Murong Yanzhao.

Before Lü Duan could react, a pair of large hands suddenly grabbed him and rushed him toward Zhao Kuangyin's imperial tent.

As Shi Shouxin ran, he shouted loudly:

"The Han army was completely annihilated, and the Marquis achieved a great victory!"

"Luzhou has all submitted; Li Jun's death is imminent!"

Shi Shouxin's shouts along the way gradually alarmed the entire Song army camp.

Shi Shouxin's nickname is "Big Mouth Shi" because he has a loud voice!

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(End of this chapter)