Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 748: Carrying it alone

The Song army's sudden attack on Hou Shu was like a violent storm, sweeping across the entire land of Shu in an instant. The originally peaceful and peaceful life was broken and replaced by chaos and panic.

When the news came, people were still immersed in daily busyness and dullness, and the sudden war caught them off guard. There was a lot of discussion in the streets and people were panicking.

Some dignitaries and people were worried, but some squires and people even welcomed the Song army in their hearts, because they felt that life in Shu was more difficult because the Shu regime and the court were too corrupt.

After Meng Chang ascended the throne, he did not insist on working hard to govern and strive to be stronger. Instead, he suffered a political decline, improper employment, extravagance and laziness, corruption of officials, and excessive enrichment of the people, which led to the decline of the rule of Later Shu.

Li Renhan, Zhang Ye, Zhao Tingyin, Wang Chuhui, Zhang Gongduo, and other generals and ministers in the court were all old friends of Meng Zhixiang. They looked down upon Meng Chang, the empress of Shu who ascended the throne at a young age. They felt that he was still young and lacked dignity. Therefore, They are arrogant and arrogant, lawless, seizing people's farmland, digging people's graves, and doing whatever they want.

Meng Chang held a grudge. Even though he had a weaker personality, he was still an emperor after all. He had imperial scheming and ruthlessness. He took advantage of the conflicts among the generals of the Forbidden Army and executed Li Renhan and Zhang Ye. He also removed Zhao Tingyin, Wang Chuhui and other military positions, and ordered retire.

When Meng Chang eliminated a group of stubborn and conservative elders and ministers, he reused some people to hold power based on personal preference and affection.

For example, Wang Zhaoyuan, who was born as a monk, served Meng Chang in the East Palace and was highly trusted. Yi Shenzheng, the son of Princess Chonghua, and Meng Chang were intimate with each other when they were young. The two men were appointed by Meng Chang to serve as privy councilors.

The Queen of Shu authorized them to handle all matters in the court, no matter how big or small. The treasury's gold, silk, and goods were allowed to be taken by Wang Zhaoyuan at will without questioning.

No wonder Wu Renchen, the author of "Ten Kingdoms Spring and Autumn", commented that Meng Chang misemployed people and led to his defeat, which is very reasonable.

In the early days of the founding of the Later Shu Dynasty, many generals and privy envoys of the central imperial army were also in charge of important towns, such as Zhao Tingyin who was also the envoy of Wude Jiedushi, Wang Chuhui who was also the envoy of Wuxin Jiedu, and Zhang Gongduo who was also the envoy of Baoning Jiedu. Most of these Jiedu envoys served in Chengdu and entrusted their assistants to take charge of the military and political affairs of the feudal towns. Without the supervision of the commander-in-chief, officials in various places acted even more recklessly and imposed arbitrary taxes.

The Queen of Shu gradually became disinterested in political affairs and pursued luxury and enjoyment. In the sixth year of Guangzheng (943), various places were ordered to recruit girls aged 13 to 20 to prepare for the harem, which caused turmoil in the prefectures and counties. Many people married off their daughters, which was called "surprise marriage".

Later, the magistrate of Xinjin County, Chen Jishang, gave his advice. Although Meng Chang commended him and gave him a hundred taels of platinum, he still continued to recruit girls from good families. The kings and ministers competed for luxury, and their vessels were mostly decorated with jewels.

In the middle of Sichuan, noble relatives and high-ranking officials from the Jiu'an clan lived in Jinguan City, and Yan Le lived in luxury, which became the custom. Such a group of dandy boys and spoiled youths are all part of the defeated generation.

Therefore, Hou Shu had rotted to its foundation and was unable to resist the sudden attack of the Northern Song army.

The last time they had a brief glimmer of hope, they were able to strike the Song army without knowing the attack route of the Song army because of Su Chen's participation and cooperation with the "Prince" Meng Xuanyu.

This time without Su Chen's participation, the armies on both fronts had been complacent for more than half a year. They had lost their combat effectiveness and vigor and were almost defeated in one battle.

After hearing the news, Meng Chang paced back and forth in the imperial study room anxiously like an ant on a hot pot. He frowned and clenched his hands, obviously filled with uneasiness and fear. From time to time, he looked at Yi Shenzheng, the envoy of the Privy Council, with expectation and eagerness in his eyes.

"What should I do?" Meng Chang finally couldn't help but speak, his voice trembling.

Yi Shenzheng knew the king's mood at the moment. He quickly organized his thoughts and said in a deep voice: "Master, the top priority is that we must immediately organize troops and resist. Otherwise, the country will be in danger!"

Meng Chang's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he asked eagerly: "Who can resist?" Yi Shenzheng thought for a moment and replied: "To the north, we can use the general Quan Shixiong, and to the south there are Gao Yanchou and Zhao Chongji, both of whom are good at leading troops. They can resist the fighting tiger generals. In addition, Han Baozheng and Li Jin can mobilize 100,000 troops near the capital to defend the Shu capital and resist the Song army!"

After hearing this, Meng Chang's frown relaxed slightly, and he nodded in agreement: "This is the only way we can do it." After saying that, he seemed to have regained some confidence.

Meng Chang was discussing military deployment with Yi Shenzheng, and the atmosphere was tense and solemn. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sarcastic voice of the Tai Fuqing. He stepped forward and said solemnly: "His Royal Highness Meng Xuanyu, the third prince, should be reused. Last time, thanks to him leading people to fight against the Song Dynasty, we succeeded." The country was saved.”

When Meng Chang heard this, a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes. He recalled Meng Xuanyu's heroic performance last time, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of trust and expectation in his heart. He nodded and said decisively: "Yes, Xuan Yu is my Qilin'er. He will be recruited into the palace immediately for discussion."

At this moment, a eunuch hurriedly came in and reported: "To inform the Lord, His Highness the Third Prince has entered the palace to pay an audience."

"The Third Highness is here!" Upon hearing this, Gao Xi, the Imperial Highness, and Jia E, the admonishing doctor, and others showed joy on their faces.

They are well aware of Meng Xuanyu's talent and courage. In the last war against the Song Dynasty, he showed outstanding military talents and leadership skills, successfully resisted the Song army's attack, and repeatedly defeated the enemy, saving the Shu Kingdom. Lost face.

They are looking forward to this time, Meng Xuanyu can step forward again, as calm as ever, save Shu from falling, and lead Shu through this crisis.

"Summon into the palace!" Meng Chang ordered eagerly. His heart was full of expectation and anxiety, and he urgently needed to discuss countermeasures with Meng Xuanyu.

A moment later, Meng Xuanyu walked in calmly, wearing a light blue knight uniform. His appearance seemed to bring a bright color to this tense and solemn atmosphere. His facial features are exquisite and picturesque, and there is a heroic spirit between his brows. His beauty even surpasses that of ordinary women, and people can't help but marvel.

Although he is not tall, his medium height makes him appear well-proportioned and powerful. The legs are long and plump, full of beauty, and they look even more graceful when walking. If viewed from behind, his figure is even somewhat feminine and elegant.

When Meng Chang saw Meng Xuanyu's arrival, a hint of appreciation and relief flashed in his eyes. He knew that the third prince not only had outstanding appearance, but also had extraordinary intelligence and courage. In the last war against the Song Dynasty, Meng Xuanyu had already demonstrated his military talents and leadership abilities, and made great military exploits for the Shu Kingdom.

"Meet my father!" Meng Xuanyu saluted with his hands raised, showing a calmness and confidence in his demeanor.

Meng Chang looked at the third prince in front of him, his heart full of expectation and trust. He was well aware of Meng Xuanyu's outstanding performance in the last war against the Song Dynasty, so he asked eagerly: "Xuanyu, the Song army attacked our Shu border again, and our army was retreating steadily. Do you have any good strategies to retreat from the enemy? "

When Meng Xuanyu heard this, he couldn't help but feel bitter in his heart. He clearly remembered that the last time he was able to defeat the Song Army was all because of Su Chen's advice, and he only acted according to Su Chen's instructions. It was all because of Su Chen's unpredictable judgment and precise decision-making that the Kingdom of Shu was preserved in the crisis.

However, this time, Su Chen was not around, and all the pressure and responsibility fell on his shoulders alone.

Meng Xuanyu took a deep breath, calmed down, and then said in a deep voice: "Father, I understand the seriousness of the current situation. Although I don't have a good strategy to retreat from the enemy, I am willing to do my best to fight with the soldiers. Let’s fight against the enemy together and defend our country.”

After hearing this, Meng Chang felt a little disappointed, but he also understood Meng Xuanyu's situation.

He knew that the outcome in a war was often unpredictable, not to mention that Shu was now at a disadvantage. However, he still had hope in Meng Xuanyu, hoping that he could display his military talents and wisdom at critical moments.