Prime Minister

In February of the seventh year of Xining.

Spring is warm and flowers are blooming. The snow from Jishi Mountain and Lugu Mountain has begun to melt, and the people of Xizhou and Hezhou have started spring plowing on the land that was frozen last year.

On the dirt road where the slush had first melted, the soldiers and horses of the four strategic envoys that originally belonged to the Shaanxi Transit Envoy Road were marching from Qinzhou to Xizhou in an endless stream.

Soldiers from Qinfeng Road, Yanyan Road, Huanqing Road, and Jingyuan Road filed in. The newly recruited soldiers set foot on Xihe Road for the first time and looked at the land with ignorant eyes. Familiar with the road.

The heyday and scale of this army is even greater than when the Song army attacked Baicheng last year. In addition, there are countless food, grass and supplies accompanying the caravans that arrived at Hezhou, Xizhou after the spring, on the road. keep going.

At the same time, Lingqi rushed to Xizhou, Hezhou, Huizhou, Minzhou, and the Fan Department of the Tongyuan Army to pass on the arrow.

Immediately, horns sounded on the Wubao next to the reclamation land, and the soldiers in the field put down their hoes and rushed back to the Wubao.

Soon after, a group of neatly dressed Tibetan soldiers left Wubao, leaving their family members who were sending them off, and then headed for the main road.

In the upper reaches of the Yellow River where Xizhou Hezhou is located, the glaciers that used to fill up the entire long river began to melt and rupture. The glaciers collided with each other and made earth-shattering sounds, and the hundreds of miles of river banks made a sound like rumbling war drums.

This time, there were [-] troops sent from Shaanxi Fourth Road and Xihe Road. Mu Zheng, Bao Shun and others led the Fuyi Fan tribe to another [-], and more than [-] civilians accompanied the army.

In the past, hundreds of thousands of troops were sent out in ancient times, so it is true.

This is also the first time Zhang Yue has commanded so many soldiers and horses.

However, such a large-scale mobilization of soldiers and horses cannot be concealed from everyone, and the country of Xixia is full of panic, and the defense of Lanzhou, Liangzhou and other cities has been strengthened.

And Qingtang sent monks to Xizhou to meet Zhang Yue and asked, "Where are the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses going?"

Zhang Yue said: "Practice!"

The other party was stunned for a long time and then said: "Why did Jinglue lie in front of the monks? This is to attack Taozhou. The Song Dynasty has occupied the land of six states on Xihe Road. Why is it still not enough and wants to kill again? "

Zhang Yue said: "Last year in Minzhou, the Taozhou Fan tribe first killed the Fan tribe who was attached to me. Buddhism doesn't just talk about stopping killing, it also talks about defending the Tao."

The monk's words failed to persuade Zhang Yue, so he could only return in vain.

But Bian Sibojie was also afraid when he knew that the Song Army had dispatched so many soldiers and horses, and immediately sent envoys to Xizhou City to plead with Zhang Yue to make peace. And more than a dozen Fan soldiers who committed blood debts in Minzhou were presented.

At the same time, Bian Sibo wrote a letter to Zhang Yue with humble words, which was written by the other party's Han counselor.

The other party first weakly accused Xia Zhangyue of why he ignored the previous decision to negotiate a peace, and hastily tore up the agreement between the two countries. They are willing to donate their protons, at the same time offer a thousand coins, and at the same time cede Zhuangzhu City.

They also said that Taozhou has dangerous mountains and rivers, favorable geography, and the people are attached to it. Even if the Song army goes deep in rashly, it will definitely not be able to please.

This Han counselor wrote thousands of words eloquently, and he seemed to retreat a million soldiers with one book, but he turned into a show of literary talent.Zhang Yue looked at it carefully for a long time, and finally said to the left and right: "With such a literary talent, it's no wonder why he couldn't pass the Jinshi exam for decades!"

Seeing that Zhang Yue didn't reply, Bian Si Bojie sent another envoy, promising more favorable conditions, but it was no longer important to Zhang Yue.

By mid-February, the army had assembled.

After Zhang Yue sacrificed the flag, he immediately led his army out of Xizhou.

Zhang Yue divided his soldiers and horses into five armies to attack Liubuzong, Daozhu and other cities. Yao Lin and Yao Si took Jingyuan soldiers as the vanguard, Xia Yuanxiang and Liu Changzuo took Qin Fengbing as the rear, Gao Zunyu and Miao Shou led Huizhou soldiers, Wang Hou led Xizhou soldiers as the central army, Zhong Shidao took Hezhou soldiers as the right army, You Shixiong, and Zhong Er led the Minzhou soldiers as the left army.

And Mu Zheng, Bao Shun and others led the main force of the Fan army, and the soldiers and horses from Fuyan Road and Huanqing Road crossed the bare bones again and intercepted from the direction of Taoyang.

Xibawen's [-] Tibetan cavalry acted as a guide, and with his appearance, all the troops in Taozhou surrendered in anticipation, including Zhuozhu City and Liubu Zongcheng without a fight.

When the Song army who marched afterward arrived with a murderous look, all the tribes along the way knelt down beside the road.

Unexpectedly, Xibawen became the number one general of the Song army, and recruited tens of thousands of people from the Abbes along the way. The elders of Guizhangbu and tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians surrendered to the Song army.

After arriving in Yigong City, Song General Yao Lin asked Biansi Bojie's whereabouts face to face, and learned that no one in the Taozhou tribe dared to follow Biansi Bojie, so Biansi Bojie only followed him with less than a thousand troops. He was heading towards Jishi Mountain, seeking protection from Longjipu.

After learning of this, the Song army immediately continued to pursue and went deep into Taozhou before encountering sporadic resistance, but most of the Fan tribes along the way surrendered without a fight.

After Muzheng and Baoshun's main force of the Fan army also arrived in the abdomen of Taozhou, after joining forces with the main force of the Song army, they passed the entire Taozhou like a comb.

Under the influence of Xi Bawen, the leading party, the tribesmen were taken from the deep mountains and valleys, and the entire tribe surrendered to accept the Song army's point collection.

After Lengjipu and Biansi Bojie joined together, they retreated to the bank of the Longnu River.

Knowing this, the soldiers and horses of the Song army rushed forward, and Yao Lin, Zhong Er, and Zhong Shidao led their troops to rush forward.

Zhong Shi Daojun first confronted Leng Jipu's men and horses at the mountain pass.

Leng Ji Pu Nai is as famous as Gui Zhang, and his power is known to everyone in the whole Hehuang.

The mountain pass where the two armies fought was also easy to defend and difficult to attack. After Zhong Shidao met Leng Jipu, the arrows of the two sides met.

Zhang Yue just arrived at Lizhai at the Central Army Department.

Looking at the continuous high mountains in front of him, Zhang Yue's confusion and struggle lingered in his heart.

Since he entered the army this time, although everything went well, his heart has always been uneasy, and he always feels like walking on thin ice, lying on the edge of the abyss.

The trust of the emperor, the pressure from the two governments, the expectations of thousands of soldiers, and the desire to make contributions are all firmly pressed on my heart at this moment like a huge boulder.

But as a general and the commander-in-chief, the lives of 30 soldiers are at stake, so he can't show any emotional fluctuations in front of outsiders, and he can't even confide in others.

Zhang Yueshi had already lost a lot of hair after returning from the last expedition without success, but now under the weight of ten thousand catties, he had to grit his teeth and stand up.

Only those who can withstand all kinds of trials can be a real man!

At this moment, Zhong Shidao sent people to the Chinese army to ask for help, Zhang Yue thought to himself that the troops under Zhong Shidao's command were the most elite soldiers on Xihe Road, if he lost, which other troops could take the mountain pass.

Zhang Yue rebuffed flatly: "Tell Master Zhong that the brave will win when we meet on a narrow road. If he dares to retreat, he will be dealt with by the military law!"