The Beacon of Kyushu

Chapter81

A few days later, 20 Song troops crossed the Taihang Baxing, took advantage of Liao's unpreparedness and easily captured its border town of Dingzhou, and then continued to march north.Late at night the next day, the army passed through a jungle, and saw Yizhou, an important town in the northeast of Dingzhou, not far away.

Sitting on the horseback, Zhao Guangyi sighed slightly as he looked at the tall and sturdy Yizhou City in the distance under the hazy moonlight.Zhao Dezhao was beside Zhao Guangyi at the moment. Hearing him sigh, he hurriedly asked, "Guan, what's wrong with you?"

"Nephew, look." Zhao Guangyi said, pointing to Yizhou, and said: "Yizhou's city is strong, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and there is Yelu Xidi, the king of the North Court of Liao Dynasty, to support him, I'm afraid it will be another fierce battle. !"

Zhao Dezhao speculated: "Officials, do you want the teacher to return to Beijing and stop continuing the Northern Expedition?"

Zhao Guangyi smiled, "Nephew, I meant that this battle may not be easy, but I have no intention of backing down! There are countless strong generals in the Song Dynasty who are accustomed to fighting, how can a small Yizhou City stop us from advancing?" Not to mention the defender Liu Yu in the city and his foreign aid Yelu Xidi, even if the strongest generals of the Liao Kingdom Yelu Xiu and Yelu Xiezhen are coming, I will not be afraid!"

Zhao Dezhao raised his thumb and said in admiration: "The officials are indeed wise and powerful, and my nephew admires them! I wonder if you plan to attack Yizhou by force, or send lobbyists to talk about surrender?"

Zhao Guangyi thought for a while, and said: "In the Song Dynasty, I have always paid respects before soldiers. I should send people to say surrender first, and then send troops to attack if it fails. I think Liu Yu is a Han, and he will not be an enemy of me for the sake of Liao Kingdom." He said. Wan turned his head and said to Pan Mei who was following him: "Pan Qing's family, go and call Yun Tong to me."

Pan Mei responded, and quickly brought Yun Zixiao over.When Yun Zixiao saw Zhao Guangyi, he hurriedly got off his horse, bowed deeply and said, "Official, I don't know why you are looking for this humble minister?"

Zhao Guangyi said: "Yun Tongjuan, you are eloquent and have made great achievements repeatedly. I intend to send you to persuade Yizhou guard Liu Yu to surrender. I wonder if you are willing to go?"

Yun Zixiao thought for a moment, and smiled shyly: "Officials, although I want to share your worries, if the limelight is all taken by me alone, I am afraid that all my colleagues will not accept it. Why don't you persuade Liu Yu to surrender this time? Leave it to someone else."

Zhao Guangyi was slightly surprised, and said: "Yun Tongpan, are you trying to learn from Zhang Liang and retreat bravely? But what you said also makes sense, so who do you think I should send there?"

Yun Zixiao thought for a long time before saying: "Officials, I heard that Kong Shouzheng, the commander of the East and West Riding Squad, is capable of writing and martial arts, and has made great contributions to the Song Dynasty. Why don't you send him to persuade Liu Yu?"

Zhao Guangyi nodded, "Well, Kong Shouzheng? Although he is a bit older, he is still a useful person." After he finished speaking, he looked at Pan Mei and said, "Pan Qing's family, please make another trip and call Kong Shouzheng to me. Come."

Pan Mei nodded, and rode her horse against the current again, and soon returned with a refined and dignified old man.When the old man saw Zhao Guangyi, he hurriedly bowed deeply and said, "Official, I don't know why you are looking for this humble minister? It is an honor for this humble official to share the worries of the official."

Zhao Guangyi pointed to Yizhou City in the distance, and said: "Kong Qing's family, Yun Tong judge recommended you to surrender Liu Yu, I wonder if you would like to go?"

Kong Shouzheng hurriedly said: "Is there any reason for me not to go when sent by the official? It's just that I'm old and the incident happened suddenly, please let the official let me make some calculations before going." After he finished speaking, he lowered his head , looking anxious and lost in thought.

Zhao Guangyi waited patiently for a long while, but seeing that Kong Shouzheng was still bowing his head in thought, he sighed impatiently, "Oh, Kong Qing's family, I don't blame you, look at Yun Tongjuan, who has been on mission many times, which time is like yours?" So hesitant to move forward? What is the difference between your behavior and running away! If you don't go again, I will punish you for your crime!"

Kong Shouzheng recovered quickly when he heard the words, and said embarrassingly: "Officials, humble ministers will never dare to resist the order! Although Liu Yu is a Han, he has been in Liao for a long time, and Yelu Xidi is there to support him. It is really not just a few words I can persuade you to surrender. If you go there rashly without careful consideration, it is a small thing to lose your life, but it is a big thing to insult Song's reputation!"

Zhao Guangyi said in a deep voice: "Then how long do you have to think about it? I originally wanted to enter Yizhou tonight, so the army has not set up camp until now. Is it because of your incompetence that you want everyone to spend the night with you like this?"

"But..." Kong Shouzheng still wanted to explain a few words, but suddenly felt someone pulling his clothes from behind, he turned around and saw that it was Yun Zixiao, he was a little surprised.Yun Zixiao smiled slightly, and whispered in Kong Shouzheng's ear: "Master Kong, this matter is easy to handle."

Kong Shouzheng was taken aback for a moment, and hurriedly whispered: "What is Yun Tong's plan?"

Yunzi said confidently: "You only need to ask General Pan to send three troops. The first team will bypass Yizhou and attack Zhuozhou to the north to attract Yelu Xidi's army. At this time, send out the second army. Create an army, create momentum, let Liu Yu think that our army is going to forcibly attack the city. Then send a third army, disguised as Yelu Xidi's troops, to reinforce, just pretend to fight and fight, and you will be defeated at the touch of a touch. Imagine Liu Yu In my eyes, even a powerful reinforcement army like Yelu Xidi was defeated in an instant, so would he dare to fight against the army by himself?"

Kong Shouzheng didn't understand why at first, but when Yun Zixiao finished speaking, a smile appeared on his face.Immediately afterwards, he and Pan Mei whispered a few words, and then bowed deeply to Zhao Guangyi again, saying: "The official, I have figured out a way, as long as General Pan follows the plan, the official will be stationed in Yizhou tonight !"

Zhao Guangyi said suspiciously: "Go, I really want to see the clever plan of Kong Qing's family!"

Kong Shouzheng carefully climbed over the antlers in front of the city wall, walked quickly to the city of Yizhou, and shouted loudly towards the top of the city: "Listen, Liao army on the city, I am Kong Shouzheng, the commander of the Eastern and Western Riding Squad of the Great Song Dynasty. I was ordered by the officials to see Liu Yu, the guard general of Yizhou, so hurry up and call him to see me!"

The Liao army on the city was a little sleepy, and they were refreshed when they heard Kong Shouzheng's words. The leader of the soldiers hurriedly ordered his men to go down and inform the guard general Liu Yu.Not long after, a general wearing iron armor and a blue robe walked up to the top of the city. It was Liu Yu, the guard of Yizhou, who came.

Kong Shouzheng saw Liu Yu coming, and shouted loudly again: "General Liu, I am here to meet you on the order of the official family, and quickly ask your soldiers to open the city gate!"

Liu Yu had long heard that there was a handsome envoy in the State of Song who looked like a banished immortal, and he wanted to see him.However, he saw an old man with half a book standing under the city, so he murmured confidently: "If you open the city, you will open the city. Anyway, General Yelu's team is not far from here. What kind of disturbance can you, an old envoy, cause?" .” He said and ordered his men to open the city gate.

Kong Shouzheng saw the city gate opened, and walked in quickly, and then the city gate slowly closed again, cutting off his escape route.Kong Shouzheng was confident at this time, so he naturally had no fear. He bowed slightly to Liu Yu who was walking down from the top of the city, and said, "General Liu, the officials personally led an army of 20 to conquer Yanyun. Yizhou, can you resist the Song army? Listen to my advice, it is better to surrender as soon as possible, and still not lose your glory and wealth, otherwise once the war starts, you and Yizhou city will be turned into ashes!"

Liu Yu sneered, "Kong Shouzheng, you are straight to the point. You dare to say such nonsense just after entering Yizhou City. Are you scared of being a general? Let me tell you the truth. Yelu Xidi is patrolling around Yizhou, and when the time comes we will be each other's horns, and even if we can't capture Zhao Guangyi alive, we can still teach you a lesson, Song soldiers who don't know the heights of heaven and earth!"

Kong Shouzheng said: "Really? Why don't I go back to the mansion with you and stay for half a day, then you will know what kind of Yelv Xidi you rely on!"

Liu Yu pursed his lips, and said disapprovingly: "Okay, according to what you said, this general really wants to learn how powerful the Song army is!" The two of them talked one after the other, and they actually came to Liu Yu's mansion. Come.

Soon, the two sat down in the living room of the Liu Mansion.Just as Liu Yu was about to order the servants to serve tea, he heard shouts of killing coming from the southwest. It seemed that the Song Army brigade had arrived and was attacking Yizhou City.

Liu Yu hurriedly stood up from the chair, looked at Kong Shouzheng, and said, "Didn't you say that you would have to wait for half a day? Why did the Song army approach the city so soon!"

Kong Shouzheng also got up slowly, and said: "I mean at the latest half a day, the officials and the army will arrive, but it's better to come early than late. As for whether my next words can make sense, why don't you and I come together?" Go to the top of the city to have a look?"

Liu Yu couldn't care about Kong Shouzheng at this time, and ran quickly towards the southwest wall alone.The closer he got, the more clearly he heard the shouts of killing and the sound of horns. He thought to himself, "It seems that Song Jun sent such an inconspicuous person here, it must be their strategy to stabilize the army, so that I can relax my vigilance , they took the opportunity to sneak attack Yizhou, the people of Song Dynasty are really hateful!"

While he was thinking wildly, he had already arrived at the base of the city.He quickly ran up the steps to the top of the city, looked out of the city, and sure enough, he saw countless torches illuminating the city like daylight, and his eyes were full of soldiers of the Song army in uniform and holding banners, and he couldn't see clearly for a while How many people came.

Liu Yu felt flustered when he saw this, and when he was at a loss, he suddenly saw a group of Liao soldiers killing him not far away, and by the light of the fire, he clearly saw that the leader was a middle-aged general riding a fine horse and holding a big axe , behind him is a blue flag, and there are a few big gold letters in the letter - Yelu Xidi, the king of the North Court of the Liao Kingdom.

"Great, General Yelu is here!" Liu Yu saw the majestic general under the King of Cyan, as if he had seen a savior, and hurriedly shouted: "General Yelu, you must block these Song troops, don't let them Siege!"

Before Liu Yu finished speaking, the Liao army was already fighting with the Song army.Liu Yu saw that the two sides were evenly matched, so he hurriedly ordered: "Come here, prepare the horse and carry the sword for the general. I will go out of the city to help General Yelu!"

Several soldiers around him responded, and hurried down to the city to prepare for Liu Yu.But before his sword and horse arrived, Liu Yu witnessed an unbelievable scene with his own eyes. The Liao army, which has always been strong, had only fought with the Song army for a moment, and was beaten to the ground and fled to the northeast in embarrassment. .

Liu Yu's whole body trembled violently, and cold sweat dripped down his forehead. He never imagined that Song Jun could be so brave, but the facts were right in front of him, and he couldn't help but believe it.

At this time, Kong Shouzheng also climbed the steps to the top of the city, looked at the fleeing Liao army, and said with a smile: "General Liu, even Yelu Xidi, the king of the Northern Academy, is no match for the Song army. Do you live in the Song army? I advise you to return to the Song Dynasty as soon as possible."

Liu Yu sighed helplessly, stomped his feet fiercely, and said, "Master Kong's words are true. I, Liu Yu, am originally a Han. Today I recognize my ancestors and return to my ancestors. I am willing to submit to the Song army!" Then, he said to his soldiers: "What are you still doing in a daze? Open the city gate quickly and welcome the Song army into the city!"

Following his words, the gate of Yizhou City slowly opened, and a group of soldiers poured out of the city, cleared the antlers under the city, and opened a road for the Song army to enter the city.At this time, a team of tens of thousands of people appeared from the southwest, and the leader was Zhao Guangyi, the emperor of Song Dynasty.Seeing that the gate of Yizhou city had been opened, Zhao Guangyi clapped his palms and laughed, and led the army into Yizhou city like a tide.

(End of this chapter)