The new era of chaos begins in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 335 Stationed in Qishan
Everyone had different opinions on Ergou's proposal.

Jia Gan and others naturally agreed with both hands and feet. After all, they had suffered so many grievances while marching with the Forbidden Army, and now that they had such a conflict and were entangled with them again, it was really unreasonable.

But there are also some who are hesitant, such as Han Cunbao who asked: "Brother Ergou, I am afraid of being blamed by the superior officer for splitting up troops with the Imperial Army without authorization, and we, the newly surrendered people, may have some scruples."

Ergou laughed loudly and said: "Brother Han, I don't know what you are worried about?! You said that the court tolerates you, what do you mean? Is it your loyalty?"

Wang Huan couldn't help but ask: "Isn't it?!"

Ergou couldn't help but burst out laughing, and then said: "To the kings and ministers of the Song Dynasty, you have already rebelled once, so how can you be loyal at all? They use their glory and wealth to win over you, but they are just worried about your control." This elite force of 30,000 people.

Now that you have received the imperial edict, you have already come under the control of the officialdom of the Song Dynasty. All you have to do is divide and win over your troops.

This provocation by the Forbidden Army is the first step in dividing the military power in your hands - disrupting the morale of your military.

I think if the situation develops according to the expectations of the people behind the Forbidden Army, then the rebel army will either run out of food and collapse, looting the place, or the advance will be delayed and be blamed. You will inevitably be blamed at that time.

It's better if the army fails. If it's the former, the imperial army, which has been prepared in advance, will definitely send troops to encircle and suppress them, and ask you to gather the rebels and annihilate the disobedient forces together. How can you still gain a foothold in the military when your hands are stained with the blood of your brothers? !

I'm afraid that a small official can treat you to death! "

When everyone thought about it carefully, even the most brainless person was horrified, because what Ergou said was true, but such a conspiracy was inevitable.

If something goes wrong, he will either massacre his brothers to prove his loyalty, or he will rebel again and cut off his escape route.

But this Jingzhao Mansion is not a place in the south of the Yangtze River.

Jiangnan has been at peace for a long time. The army cannot be said to be depleted, but it is not very elite. However, this is not the case in the northwest.

Not to mention that the most powerful strategic legion in the Song Dynasty today is in the northwest area. The people here are strong and brave, and the people have always dared to fight, so they are very unfriendly to these rebels who came from their hometown.

When the time comes, it will probably be ten times easier to exterminate than in the Jiangnan area.

And this is the fundamental reason why Cao Ping and others dared to provoke in the first place, because they were not afraid of rebellion by these Zhao'an thieves.

Of course, there is no fear of return, but for the monarchs and ministers of the Song Dynasty, it is best to solve the problem at a small cost.

And this also gave Ergou and others a chance to play.

However, if they want to fight with the kings and ministers of the Song Dynasty, Ergou must first unify the thoughts of the leaders of the rebel army, lest they wait for the critical moment to be on both ends, hesitate, or even cheat, which would be really bad.

What? You ask why Ergou wanted to rebel against the Song Dynasty?
The stench of evil fills the sky over the Song Dynasty. How can a ghost from another world choose to settle down if he wants to regain the glory of mankind? !
Not to mention the Song Dynasty, which did not have extraordinary existence, under the influence of extraordinary factors, the difference in strength between the Song Dynasty and the surrounding forces was simply visible to the naked eye.

However, the Song Dynasty failed to complete the great cause of sweeping Liuhe and unifying the world. It was not because of their lack of strength, but because there was a problem with the leader who controlled the Song Dynasty's chariot.

The royal family of Zhao and Song Dynasties took the wrong path from the beginning.
Of course, it’s not that Song Taizu made a mistake in seeking to usurp the throne, but that he cooperated on some level with beings he shouldn’t have had contact with during the process. This resulted in every emperor of Zhao and Song being castrated innately by terrible beings. Soul Essence.

So much so that no matter how wise the emperor is, he can hardly achieve great things.

As wise and kind as Song Renzong, the Demon Suppressor who has seen the world can't help but come to protect him, but in the end he is inevitably tempted by the evil spirit, forcing the Demon Suppressor to cut out the flesh and cut the sores to eliminate the distortion.

It is precisely because of the example of Emperor Renzong in front of them that even though the later Zhezong was so wise and wise, the demon-suppressing people could not tolerate it and only waited for Zhezong to make his own choice.

This is the so-called "it is better to take the direct answer than to seek it from the wrong answer".

There is precedent for this in past history.

In the late Shang Dynasty, Xiqi quickly rose up with the help of mysterious forces and became the most powerful among the four princes. However, this borrowing also caused extremely serious consequences. Xuanmen, which represented the highest level of human civilization at that time, He was dismissive and even had the idea of ​​destroying Xiqi.

At this time, Xiqi is faced with two choices, either completely degenerating into a mysterious force and becoming the vanguard of evil corrupting reality. Either completely separate from the evil spirits and complete self-salvation as a human being.

At that time, the most far-sighted Bohou in the history of Xiqi—the later King Wen of Zhou, Jichang—resolutely chose the second path.

He first went alone to Chaoge, the capital of the Yin and Shang Dynasties, the social center of mankind at that time, and asked himself to be imprisoned in Youli for seven years, proving his repentance to Xuanmen.

After returning to Xiqi, Ji Chang used the national gift to recruit the great sage Taigongwang of the Wei River, and introduced the elite Xuanmen who were the predecessors of the demons to Xiqi to eliminate the source of corruption.

After that, Ji Chang worked hard to govern, and finally Fengming Qishan completed the great cause of the Shang Dynasty in the Western Zhou Dynasty.

Just like Xiqi back then, the Song Dynasty today is also facing this situation.

Renzong's ending proves that the Demon Suppressor cannot save the Song Dynasty by taking the initiative to interfere. This requires the leader of the Song Dynasty to make his own choice.

It's a pity that Zhezong, who had the most hope of achieving this, failed to take that step in the end. Perhaps he held on to his heart and was not tempted by the devil, but he also did not dare to take the right step.

This is why the Demon Suppressor clearly knew that Ergou was capable of saving Zhe Zong, the wise master of the Song Dynasty, but he never took the initiative to let Ergou take action.

Ergou has knowledge from his past life, and he knows very well that relying on some wise emperors, demon-suppressing people may be able to cheer up for a while, but fighting against evil is an almost eternal undertaking.

Therefore, he would rather build a better team in his own way than relying on the unreliable Zhao Song royal family.

That's why Ergou wanted to ask the leaders of the rebels what was the foundation of their Zhao'an rebels.

This is very clear to Ergou, a time traveler who has been baptized by the education and information explosion of later generations, and even to scholars of the Song Dynasty who have read some books.

Son of Heaven, those who have strong soldiers and horses should do it. I would rather have the seed!
When An Chongrong, the Chengde Jiedushi of the Later Jin Dynasty, said this sentence, he basically revealed an irrefutable truth.

That's right! The army is the true foundation of these Zhao'an rebels.

Ergou knew this very well, but except for a few people with special backgrounds among the rebel leaders, most of them came from humble backgrounds. They were mostly induced by the orthodox public opinion of the Song Dynasty, but they did not have this understanding. Therefore, Ergou wants to break this point so that the rebel leaders can have a clear understanding of themselves to ensure that they will not be easily won over by the officials of the Song Dynasty in the future.

Even if someone wants to sell it, it must be at a good price.

So Ergou briefly analyzed to everyone the general process of the separatist regimes in the late Tang Dynasty and even the Five Dynasties, as well as the truth about the Song Dynasty's use of literature to control military affairs and suppress the warriors.

Everyone suddenly understood after hearing Ergou's analysis. Even Wang Huan and other people who had known about it for a long time were amazed by Ergou's explanation that went straight to the fundamentals.

Wang Huan admired him and said: "Mr. Chen is really a great talent! The ancestor of the former family, Duke Xiangmin (Wang Shao's posthumous name is Xiangmin), also analyzed this principle with his descendants, and it was quite similar to what Mr. Chen said! At that time, Wang Huan I was still young and didn’t understand the true meaning, but now that I heard your words, I realized the painstaking efforts of our ancestors!”

Some of the more impatient leaders said with a smile: "It is said that the emperor will be the one with strong soldiers and horses. We have some soldiers and horses at hand. Even if we cannot be the emperor, it would be good to become a prince!"

Ergou smiled and said: "The sage said that if virtue is not matched, you will suffer disaster. If you want to gain some good fortune, you can't just have an army, but you need to learn more skills and develop more virtues."

At this time, Kaifeng said: "Mr. Chen, you mentioned the importance of soldiers and horses, and now you talk about virtue. Aren't the two contradictory?"

Ergou replied: "There is no contradiction! Since ancient times, the world has been in chaos and dynasties have changed. During this period, there have been many people with strong soldiers and horses, but only a few can conquer the world and achieve great achievements.

Why? Come to those who have strong soldiers and strong horses and are virtuous! Such as the First Emperor of Qin, Gaozu of Han, and Taizong of Tang, all were like this. "

Han Cunbao asked curiously: "Brother Chen, we have always known that the First Emperor was tyrannical, so how can we say he was virtuous?"

Ergou laughed and said: "Brother Han is not good at reading history books! Not to mention the achievements of the First Emperor who unified the world, wrote books with the same text, and drove cars with the same track to open up new territories. Compared with the other kings and ministers of the six countries at that time, he was already considered a leader. A benevolent and virtuous lord. Although he is tyrannical, the other kings of the six kingdoms are even more stupid and cruel. In comparison, isn't the First Emperor more virtuous?!"

Li Congji, who was relatively witty, laughed and said: "I don't know what the emperor's destiny is. It turns out that this emperor is chosen to be taller among the short ones!"

Ergou said with a smile: "Brother Ji's words make sense. Isn't it the best among the dwarfs to choose the emperor? If you get some opportunities in the future, you must not forget the truth behind this, and you must not rely on it. If you act recklessly due to your status, you will lose your position!"

When Wang Huan heard this, his expression changed and he asked anxiously: "What do you mean by this, sir?"

Ergou said seriously: "Earlier when we were in the south of the Yangtze River, I told you that I would conquer the country of Guifang and rescue some lost women. But have you ever thought that this expedition to Guifang will definitely endanger them? They occupy land and seize people, but their land is far away in a foreign land and it is difficult to integrate with the Song Dynasty. After taking away their land and people, what should we do with them?"

Everyone was not a fool. How could they not understand the meaning of Ergou's words at this moment? Even some of them were slow to respond. After being reminded by some of their partners, they suddenly realized that everyone's thoughts immediately became heated. stand up.

Ergou said: "Since ancient times, when emperors took over the world, they would definitely reward their meritorious officials and soldiers based on their merits, and give them wives and children. Now we are attacking foreign lands, and if we can succeed, we should follow our example. Only ghosts are the country of Di Yi. , if education is not enough, it is difficult for the people to govern. If you want to govern others, you must learn the ways of the Shang and Zhou dynasties and implement enfeoffments.

When it's time to conquer the ghost side, you all just move forward bravely. The one with the highest merit gets a city, the one with the lowest merit gets a town, and the one with the lowest merit gets a village, that's all. "

The more prudent Xu Jing said: "Sir, we haven't seen the Guifang Kingdom yet. Isn't it too early to talk about profit sharing at this time?!"

Ergou said: "It's not too early! After passing Jingzhao Mansion, a hundred miles further west is Qishan Mountain. There is a door leading directly to Guifang. The conquest is about to begin. If we don't agree on rewards and punishments in advance, how can we do it? Let everyone work together to defeat a country!"

But everyone thought it was reasonable. If we mobilized before the war, if we didn't agree on the benefits in advance, who would be willing to die? At the turn of the Qin and Han Dynasties, King Xiang rebelled against his relatives. Wasn't he too stingy with the rewards of wealth and honor?

At this time, someone asked again: "May I ask, sir, how big is the city and the military strength of Guifang's country?"

Ergou laughed and said: "That ghost land has thirty-six large cities, seventy-two small cities, and nearly ten thousand villages. Although it is called a country, it does not have a system of prefectures and counties like the Song Dynasty, but is based on the feudal system of princes. . One city constitutes one country, one village constitutes one state, and the states are not subordinate to each other, but only superficially submit to the common master of the ghost party, just like Zongzhou in the past."

What is Zong Zhou?
Many of the rebel leaders were illiterate and had never read any history books, so some enthusiastic companions told stories about the feudal princes fighting for hegemony in the Spring and Autumn Period and the merger of the seven heroes in the Warring States Period.

So everyone became even more excited.

Only a relatively straightforward lieutenant leader said: "We are brothers and we are sworn brothers. If we start fighting among ourselves in the future over the trivial matter of fighting for hegemony and annexation, wouldn't it be a great loss of loyalty?!"

But everyone stared at this idiot as if he were a fool.

Ergou also lamented that there was such a simple guy among the leaders of the rebel army.

But he couldn't ignore it, and just smiled and said: "Brother, don't worry, we are newly arrived foreigners, how can we quarrel among ourselves? We must make a covenant and oath, watch and help each other, recuperate, and fight for hegemony and annexation , that is all a matter for future generations.

As the saying goes, children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. In the future, if some unscrupulous descendants have to cause trouble, will you still have to climb out of the grave to take care of it? ! "

Everyone couldn't help laughing after hearing Ergou's words.

What Ergou said makes sense.

If he were to become prosperous, he would have to give birth to ten or eight cubs, and it would be completely normal to have one or two unworthy descendants.

Everyone said some more words, but then they began to discuss what they needed to do next.

If a large army marches to attack Guifang, it will definitely not be a matter of hot-headedness, banging the table, and rushing over with the large army. That requires a lot of preparation.

Such as the storage of grain, grass and baggage, the recruitment of craftsmen and civilians, the acquisition of talents, etc., there are so many things that are difficult to handle well.

Any rebel leader who is not stupid knows one thing. They are not afraid of leading troops to fight, but when it comes to governing the place and taking charge of government affairs, they have to be literati wearing big turbans, even if they are a down-and-out scholar. It is also much better than others.

As a result, although the Zhao'an rebels continued to march westward after that meeting, they did many things to disturb the people along the way, such as buying and selling civilian supplies, forcibly recruiting civilians, and even kidnapping some unhappy people. There are scholars and literati.

Nine battalions of the 10th Battalion Zhao'an Rebel Army were doing this, which frightened Jingzhao Prefecture and its surrounding prefectures and counties, and almost scared the only one of the 10th Battalion Rebel Army who didn't know the inside story out of his wits.

That's right! It was Gu Zhengxi's battalion who served as the vanguard of the army.

Poor Gu Zhengxi didn't know what was going on, and was immediately captured by the Song Dynasty's imperial army. His two lieutenants, Jing Zhong and Fushun, also immediately rebelled and helped the court disarm and take custody of the battalion.

The remaining nine battalions of the Zhao'an Rebel Army, after learning about this incident, did not take too drastic actions. Instead, they crossed Jingzhao Mansion in an orderly manner, arrived at the border of Qishan one after another, and then selected a location to camp.

(End of this chapter)