Prime Minister

Bianjing.

The early morning mist lingers in Jinming Pond, maids carrying utensils walk across the embankment, and the drooping willows are immersed in the water like a brush dipped in ink.

The hall in the center of the Jinming Pond is full of royals dressed in gold thread gowns and gold belts.

The official family leaned on the vermilion lacquered golden dragon bed in the hall, and the original dragon screen behind it was replaced with a map of Xihe. No matter when and where, the official family did not forget to bring this map with them.

Not long ago, someone came to report that Li Xian, who was acting as the Secretary of the Imperial City, wanted to meet the saint.

When the officials heard that it was not civil servants who arrived here, they put their feet on the couch again.

The Imperial City Division has the function of spying on the speech in Beijing. The officials heard Li Xian's report, which was probably the aftermath of Wang Anshi's horse riding into the palace during the Lantern Festival this year, when he was stopped by the Imperial City Division's marriage officer to hammer the horse.

From last year's impeachment in the Tang Dynasty, to this year's hammering, Wang Anshi is very unpopular.

Wang Anshi resigned in anger.

In order to appease Wang Anshi, the officials replaced Li Xianguan Gouhuangcheng Secretary.

After talking about other things for a while, the official said to Li Xian: "Wang Zhongzheng said that the strategy of shallower and more advanced skills is feasible?"

Li Xiandao: "Reporting to Your Majesty, since Qingli, every time our dynasty has fought against the Xia Kingdom, we have made shallow attacks and advances. Otherwise, we will lose."

"Zhang Yue stationed troops in Hezhou, and built Konuo City between Xizhou and Xizhou in Hezhou to protect the grain road from Xizhou to Hezhou. It is a prudent way."

"Now it is built in Hezhou City. Our army can gain a foothold in Hezhou City, so we don't need to supply supplies from Qinzhou and call for civilian service."

The officials remembered that when Zhang Yue first went to Beijing, he proposed to build Kono City between Hezhou City and Xizhou City, but now he is building Hezhou City forward to make the foothold more forward.

The official said: "I am five thousand miles away from Hezhou, so it is inevitable that I don't know the borderlines. The only way is to let my ministers go out to visit the body or call the ministers who know the feelings of Xihe. I am afraid that someone will cover it up, and I am afraid that I will be content with what I see. But don’t know what you see.”

Li Xiandao: "Your Majesty, I believe that we should make a big plan first to implement border defense, and we should not invite people to discuss it temporarily... But if you let the generals do what they want, the court has no final plan."

The official said happily: "That's exactly the case. Now that Qin Fenglu's financial resources are hard to support, how do you think we should urge Zhang Yue to enter the army?"

Li Xiandao: "Your Majesty, the general will make a decision in front of the battle, and urging him will make the commander incapable of specialization. Besides, Wang Zhong is supervising the military. I think it is not as good as this..."

Li Xian said a few words to the official, the official nodded slowly and immediately said: "As you said, I will immediately issue an imperial edict to Zhang Yue!"

……

At this moment in the city of Hezhou.

Veteran Zhang Shouyue led the generals to the Jinglue Mansion to look for Zhang Yue, but on the way, he heard someone say: "Qian Ju, the scholar leading the army is Moji, it makes us very happy."

"When will I be able to take this Tabai City? When will I have to wait?"

"Whether Qian Jue can convince the commander-in-chief this time is up to you."

Zhang Shouyue nodded, and led the generals straight to Jinglue Mansion.

Manage slightly Fuchu.

Zhang Yuezheng chatted with Wang Zhongzheng, and Wang Zhongzheng went to Hezhou City to speak for him, which meant that he was betting on the other party, but he still tried his best to persuade Zhang Yue to send troops.

Wang Zhongzheng said: "Before, the court objected to the army because of the defeat in Tabai City, but now it is urging the army to advance because of the victory in Minzhou and Hezhou. This is indeed a repeated statement."

"But no matter how we seize Xihe, cutting off Xixia's right arm is a national policy. The first person I entered the palace to serve was Emperor Renzong."

"Renzong's benevolence can be said to be profound among the officials. Xia Guo bullied Renzong very much. Therefore, to repay Emperor Renzong and humiliate Xia Guo is the way to wash away the shame of Emperor Renzong. Such a great achievement lies in the strategy in front of my eyes."

Zhang Yue praised: "The envoy's loyalty to Emperor Renzong is really touching."

At this time, Zhang Yue couldn't help frowning when Zhang Shouyue led the generals to ask for an audience. Wang Zhongzheng, who was at the side, also saw Zhang Yue's subtle expression, and he was very understanding and silent.

After a while, Zhang Shouyue led the generals into the White Tiger Hall.

Zhang Shouyue said in a low voice: "Commander Qi, now is the time for our Xihe army to send troops to step into Baicheng."

Zhang Yue glanced at Zhang Shouyue, pondered in front of the map of Hezhou, and said after a while: "Xia Guo's reinforcements have just crossed the Yellow River and deployed on the front line of Jiechuan. Now that we are sending troops, our army is in danger of being attacked by the enemy."

There was a commotion among the generals when they heard the words, because Zhang Yue was going to drag for nearly two months under the city of Hezhou, and finally waited for reinforcements from Xixia.

In fact, many generals asked for orders because they were looking for an opportunity. Zhang Yue was an envoy before, so they definitely would not do this, but now that Wang Zhongzheng has come to bring the official's intentions, it has given them a chance to express their loyalty.

However, Zhang Shouyue thought that the attack on Tabai City would not be easy to procrastinate, and said, "Commander, at this critical moment, we should make a decision."

Zhang Yue said: "At this moment, it is not appropriate to take such a risk, and you should restrain your troops and horses and don't act rashly."

Zhang Shouyue said: "Commander, the general will definitely lead 3000 troops from his troops to march on Baicheng alone. If he fails, the general will be willing to serve as a military law."

Zhang Yue glanced at Zhang Shouyue and said: "When the old general is not acting on his own will, your 3000-horse army marching alone is almost the same as dying."

All the generals looked at each other when they heard the words.

Zhang Shouyue said: "Commander, the last general has been in the army for more than [-] years, and has experienced more than a hundred battles, big and small. I will tell you that the morale of the army is now high, and it is the most appropriate time to attack. If you continue to waste time in Hezhou City , I am afraid that the soldiers will be hard to use, and there will be chaos in the army."

Zhang Yue said: "I know."

Wang Zhongzheng said: "Zhang Jinglue, now that the general is using his life, it is the time when our army is advancing. I heard that after Guizhang killed Master Zhiyuan, the generals under Mu Zheng turned against him. At this time, the chances of attacking are great.”

All the generals nodded their heads one after another. In fact, there was no need for Mu Zheng, and there was more than [-]% chance of the Song army's victory in sending troops to the Baicheng.

But no matter what everyone said, Zhang Yue didn't agree.

As a result, the generals of the Xihe army broke up unhappy.

But at the moment, under the naked mountain, a group of cavalry from the Song army is arriving.

The leader of this team of Song Army cavalry is Zhong Shidao.

Zhong Shidao raised his head and looked at the stretch of the mountain, towering into the clouds, and said: "Bring the picture!"

One of the soldiers took out the map, and the other turned his back as a table for the map.

Zhong Shidao looked at the picture and said: "There is no mistake. Our army sent troops from Nanguanzhai, walked along the upper reaches of the Daxia River, and arrived at the foot of Nanshan Mountain. The wrong city is in sight."

The Guizhang Department is located in Hezhou and Nanshan, and Xishan occupies four villages, namely Jiamuzhuo, Yigong, and wrongly chiseled four cities.

Yigong City was called Bajiao City in the Han Dynasty, Diaowo City in the Tang Dynasty, and is now the headquarters of the Guizhang Department.

And Cuogou City is tens of miles northeast of Yigong City.

When it was almost night, a large number of Song troops appeared on the horizon, and the soldiers and horses of the Song army marching side by side on the wide grassy beach rushed out like a red tide.

The dusty general Zhang Yu jumped off his horse, his vision was blocked by the tall exposed mountain, and half of the exposed valley was shrouded in a huge shadow in the setting sun.

The wide valley in front of it is full of various reeds and red willows, and the streams in the valley flow vertically and horizontally. People and horses who have been traveling for half a day are drinking water from the nearby stream.

Zhang Wei breathed a sigh of relief and said, "This is it."

Not long ago, a cavalryman came to report: "General Zhong has decided to attack the city at night at midnight!"

Zhang Yu said: "Don't worry, our army is going to cut off Guizhang's way back to Nanshan. Now that we have captured Cuogou City, Guizhang will fight us to the death."

Speaking of this, Zhang Wei held the horsewhip tightly, pondered for a moment and then said aside: "Immediately send someone to Hezhou to report to the commander-in-chief, our army has reached the wrong city, and we can cut off the ghost Zhang's way back at any time!"

Immediately after the official document was written and sealed by the Chinese military secretary, more than a dozen cavalry galloped towards Hezhou City.

The next day, all the generals in the Jinglue Mansion gathered to discuss.

Zhang Shouyue and the generals raised objections again. They led half of their troops to attack Tabai City head-on, while Zhang Yue and Wang Junwan stayed behind in Hezhou.

Zhang Yue's expression moved slightly when he heard the words, and all the generals felt that Zhang Yue was in between sending troops or not, but for some reason they took them back at the end.

The debate continued until noon, when a clerk rushed into the interior and whispered a few words next to Zhang Yue, but Zhang Yue's brow suddenly brightened.

Zhang Yue looked at the White Tiger Hall, and all the buzzing noises stopped at once.

Zhang Yue's heart was pounding, he knew that the time had come to decide the entire situation in the Northwest War, and the hard work of the past few months was waiting for now.

Zhang Yue took out the document and said to the generals: "Our army's partial division has surrounded Cuochicheng, cutting off Guizhang's way back to Nanshan!"

Wang Zhongzheng was surprised and delighted when he heard this, Zhang Shouyue and other generals also changed their expressions.

At this moment, Zhang Yue said in a calm voice: "The three-month sharpening of the sword is for today! Gui Zhang knew that his way back was intercepted, so he must fight to the death to break through. You must have heard about the battle of trapped beasts, and the next battle must be extremely dangerous. , but if we can capture and kill Mu Zheng Guizhang in one battle, then He and Tao can be settled, and our army can collect all the people from Nanshan!"

Baihutang seems to be calm, but an extremely suppressed force is brewing.

Seeing that the generals were in a commotion and seemed to say something, Zhang Yue stretched out his hand and pressed it at this moment, as if the turbulent sea was forcibly pressed to be calm.

"Before sending troops, I will make three chapters with you!"

"As soon as the troops are dispatched and the soldiers die, the military salary will be paid according to the upper-ranking forbidden army. The monthly payment is the same, and there are four bolts of plain silk."

"Those who enter twice will be rewarded, those who retreat will be beheaded."

"Three, you must not harass the people of the Tibetan tribe, and those who violate it will be beheaded."

"Military law is strict, don't blame me for not thinking about old feelings!"

All the generals were silent when they heard the words, but at the same time, they thought that the soldiers who could participate in today's battle would be banned one by one in the future, that is to say, they would wait for the treatment of the fourth army. This moment is like a dream.

Can this be taken seriously?
At this moment, he said outside: "Your Majesty's order is here!"

Zhang Yue accepted the imperial decree and said: "Your Majesty's royal letter has only seven characters, and those who use their lives to destroy the thief will be rewarded!"

"Yes!" Zhang Shouyue and the generals suddenly accepted the order.

If it is true that the emperor's edict is consistent with the reward Zhang Yue said, what else can I say, let's fight for it!

Zhang Yue immediately said: "Pass down my commander-in-chief, Wang Junwan will lead his troops to attack the river and prevent Xia's army from crossing the river!"

"Zhang Yu, Zhong Shidao led his troops to attack the wrong city and cut off Gui Zhang's way back from Nanshan!"

"The main force of our army left Hezhou City. Zhang Shouyue, Wang Hou and other generals followed the army to obey orders. The rest of the ministries must arrive at the foot of Tabai City on February 27th to encircle Muzheng and Guizhang's troops!"