Prime Minister

Chapter 724
As night fell, there was solitude near Anjiang Village.

Sitting alone on the tiger leather chair, Mu Zheng couldn't help but think of his wife and children who were trapped in Hezhou City.

Mu Zheng remembered Wang Shaochu's humiliation when he occupied Weiyuan Fort. At that time, his clansmen persuaded him that Song people had the intention to forge ahead in Xizhou, otherwise they would not have established a fortress in Weiyuan.

At that time, Mu Zheng was rewarded very generously by the Song Dynasty, and he also swore an alliance with Wang Shao. He felt that he had always been obedient to the Song Dynasty, and he expected that the Song people would not even want to get rid of himself, so he disregarded the opposition of his tribe and asked Wang Shao to build Weiyuan. Fort, stand here.

In fact, when the Song army built Weiyuan Fort, when Zhang Yue Wang Shao sent troops to Huizhou, Lanzhou, Mu Zheng realized that he had been fooled and wanted to recapture Weiyuan Fort, but in the end he did not raise troops.

Xizhou and Hezhou are the root of Qingtang Qiang. After it was seized from the Han people, it was separated here for hundreds of years. How can it be willing to surrender to the Song people now?
But Zhang Yue not only dug salt wells, but also continued to lure and seduce the leaders of the Xizhou Fan tribe in the Weihe River. Mu Zheng knew that the Song people would attack him sooner or later. Felt, the various ministries of the party formally resisted the aggression of the Song people.

Xizhou was defeated in the first battle, Hezhou was defeated in the first battle, and even his wife was lost. Xiangzi City and Niujinggu were defeated again. Mu Zheng has never suffered such a setback since he became a leader when he was young.

In the past six months, his hair has turned gray with worry, his younger brother died in battle, his wife and children were captured, and his tribe was wiped out. Even when he was in the most embarrassing situation with only a few dozen horsemen around him, he still ran around contacting various tribes to resist the invasion of the Song people. .

Now he retreated to Anjiang Fort in Huangzhou, raised a banner and once again gathered his tribe to resist the aggression of the Song people.

Mu Zheng raised the golden cup and drank heavily, he suddenly thought that this wine was also exchanged from the Shiyi Division with the people of Song Dynasty.

Mu Zheng stopped drinking at the moment, and his two younger brothers, Ba Zhanjiao and Ba Zhanmo, happened to lift up the tent and enter the room.Seeing his elder brother drinking, Ba Zhanjiao tried to persuade him, "Brother, our sons and daughters are all trying their best to fight to this point, so we'll make it back when the time comes."

"What do the patriarchs mean now?"

Ba Zhanmo said: "They are not willing to fight, they are greedy for the profits from the Song people's trade. Speaking of the soldiers' attack on the Song Dynasty, the people's life has been very difficult."

In the early spring of Hezhou, there was a heavy snowstorm. The ground was covered with snow five feet deep, and countless cattle and sheep died of starvation without grass.

Thinking of this, Mu Zheng took out ice from the ice box beside him and put it in the wine, then took another sip of the wine.

The Song craftsmen under Muzheng can use a first-class saltpeter to make ice in summer, so Muzheng can use ice to chill wine even in summer.

At this moment, he thought of the dead cattle and sheep and the people of the tribe in half-clothes.

Mu Zheng played with the wine glass and said: "Song people are really ingenious, they can come up with such a way to get ice in summer. You say that we don't have Song people, but drinking is a bit less delicious, but if we surrender Song people, we will live forever For cattle and horses."

Ba Zhanmo said: "Brother heard that Song Jun was very comfortable with his sisters-in-law and nephews. He said that as long as we subdue the hearts of our clan, we will not kill our clan..."

Mu Zheng waved his hand and said: "Song people are cunning and repeat their words. Although I, Mu Zheng, have no skills, my family has been a separate party for generations, and there is no reason to surrender. You must remember that you must never surrender to Song, even if I die , Bazenjiao, you will succeed me and fight Song, and if Bazenjiao is dead, then Bazenmo will take down him, as long as you have one breath, you will not surrender."

Although Mu Zheng was in a difficult time, his heroic spirit was still there.

After a pause, Muzheng said to his two younger brothers: "Don't worry, everyone. Although the Song people are winning now, how much food and grass do they have, and how long can they last when the army penetrates into my hinterland? The more polite they are to me, the more they will know." The more guilty they are, you see that Song people can't survive the winter in Hezhou, as long as I don't surrender, Song people dare not touch my wife and children, if I surrender, my life will be lost."

While speaking, someone suddenly came to report: "My lord, Dong Yu and Jie Wu Chila are back!"

"Oh?"

Mu Zheng was a little surprised, Dong Yu and Jie Wu Chila should have died in Jingniu Valley.

"The leader and the others still came back with soldiers and horses."

Mu Zheng couldn't help but immediately ordered his two younger brothers: "You order your subordinates to be careful."

Not long after, Mu Zheng welcomed Dong Yu, who had escaped from Jingniu Valley, and married Wu Chila, and the three of them cried after meeting each other.

When Mu Zheng learned of Jingniu Valley's defeat, he was very dissatisfied with the Song army's power after hearing what the two said: "Xizhou and Hezhou are all ancestral lands. Now the Song people want to take it by force, and I, Mu Zheng, have no choice but to fight to the death."

Dong Yudao: "I also thought the same way before, but Zhang Longtu was strict in governing the army, and Qiu did not commit any crimes. According to Xizhou and Hezhou, he spread benevolence and virtue. Many Tibetan leaders were greedy for Song people's good things, and most of them have returned their hearts..."

Mu Zheng said: "Did you all be bought by mere good things? Are you still a descendant of Zanpu with such ambition?"

Dong Yu said: "The king will follow us if he wants to attack us, but I think the emperor of the Song Dynasty has great ambitions, so I'm afraid he won't give up."

Jie Wu Chila said: "Your Majesty, your wife and children are still in the hands of the Song people. It is better to make peace for now. In the future, there will be a war between Dang Xiang and the Han people. At that time, we will regain Xizhou and Hezhou."

Mu Zheng sneered and said, "Didn't you take advantage of the Song people?"

……

At the turn of May and June, a group of Song army elites were trekking among the high mountains, and Li Kui was among them. When they turned around a mountain pass, they seemed to have returned to the original road.

Wang Junwan scolded: "Did the barbarian guide do this on purpose to amuse me?"

Li Kui said: "I think it looks the same everywhere here, maybe we went wrong, besides, we also came here with Dong Yu and Wu Chila's men."

Wang Junwan nodded, and then looked at Li Kui: "Mr. Xiucai, I didn't expect you to be a scholar, but you have some skills. You came here with the army and didn't cry out."

Li Kui said: "The general beat me to death. I was so frightened that my legs were weak when I was going into battle."

Wang Junwan said: "You are a scholar, you still have to be a Jinshi to be serious. Why don't you go to study and come here to join the army instead."

Li Kui said: "Scholars can also serve the country. I want to do my best for the court."

Wang Junwan slapped his legs and laughed loudly: "It's up to you? What can you do? It's not as useful as a soldier of mine. What are you talking about serving the country?"

"What's the use?" Li Kui smiled self-deprecatingly: "But the general doesn't know something. The so-called humble one dare not forget to worry about the country. This is what the teacher taught!"

Wang Junwan stroked his beard and said: "As expected of being a disciple of Jinglue, he really has some famous names."

Just as he was speaking, someone suddenly said in front of him: "Fan people's fortress!"

Wang Junwan and Li Kui rushed forward, but saw that the front was a river valley, surrounded by mountains on all sides, only in the center was a palm-sized plain.

The middle of the plain is divided into two halves by a river, and on the bank of the torrent, there is a fortress standing!
Seeing this valley, Wang Junwan laughed loudly and said, "Mu Zheng found a good place, it really took me a long time to find it!"

"The time has come for you guys to make meritorious deeds. If you capture the wood conscript alive, you will be rewarded with millions of dollars!"

Ps: Anjiang Village is in Xunhua County.

(End of this chapter)