I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 483: The army is assembled! Su Liang has set up the stage, it is Di Qing's turn to perform

The Silk Road.

It is not only a trade route, but also a cultural route and a peace route.

When the passage between the Song Dynasty and the countries in the Western Regions was opened again.

Commercial transactions, cultural sharing, new things are constantly emerging, and even multi-ethnic integration occurs in marriages.

Things can be easily shared to form a new order.

When multiple countries and tribes become a mutually beneficial and win-win community, bloody violence and injustice will be reduced a lot, and the lives of the lower-class people will be able to get better.

For the Song Dynasty.

Allowing trade and culture to go global will make the financial circulation of the Song Dynasty healthier and make the country more stable.

Su Liang looked at this man who looked sincere and wanted to go to the Western Regions to seek the qualification to return to Song Dynasty, and asked with a smile: "My name is Su Liang, and my courtesy name is Jingming. What's your name?"

"Wang Qiao, courtesy name Muzhi." After the man answered, he was stunned for a moment, then said in surprise and joy: "You...you...you are Su Jingming?"

"We are blind and don't recognize the great man. Please see Su Zhongcheng!"

"Meet Su Zhongcheng!"

The men behind were also very excited when they heard Su Liang's name, and they all bowed and shouted.

Su Liang's act of chasing down and beheading a murderer in front of Zhuola City in Western Xia made him famous in the northwest, Hehuang and most areas of the Tibetan tribes.

He is a big man from the northwest.

Everyone thinks that Su Liang is tough enough and is truly a hero of the country.

"Wang Qiao, your ancestors have a stain, so it is normal for you to be rejected by Xihe Town, but I really admire your courage to return to the Song Dynasty by venturing into the Western Regions."

"I can write you a letter of certification with an official seal, allowing you to temporarily travel to the Western Regions as 'Song Dynasty merchants'. On the way, you can fight back against bandits and evildoers, but when facing ordinary people and kind merchants, you are not allowed to steal or rob, and can only do normal business."

"Once you have cleared this road, you can go to Xihe Town. Then I will make an exception and allow you and your families to return to Song."

"I understand, I understand. We can definitely do it. Thank you, Mr. Su Zhongcheng!" Wang Qiao said gratefully.

They had Su Liang's letter of recommendation, which could reduce the risk by at least half.

Away from home.

The identity of a Song Dynasty merchant is very useful.

Some countries and tribes in the Western Regions.

Even if we don't give face to the Liao Dynasty and the Western Xia, we will give face to the Song Dynasty.

Because the Song Dynasty's exports of culture and goods were far superior to other countries.

Many people in the Western Regions who have used Song Dynasty porcelain, silk, medicinal materials, farm tools, books and other items have a high sense of identification with the Song Dynasty.

soon.

Su Liang wrote a letter of certification for them.

These men bowed to Su Liang again, and then ran towards the west.

Su Liang and others also headed towards the northeast.

……

June 15th.

Su Liang and others came to the bank of the Yellow River.

The Yellow River in this section is winding, narrow and long, and the water is relatively clear. There are many river valleys and gorges around it, and green slopes and grasslands can be seen everywhere.

It is suitable not only for grazing, but also for farming.

Unfortunately, the area is sparsely populated and undeveloped, with no one to be seen within a radius of dozens of miles.

After the Song Dynasty completes its border expansion, Su Liang will definitely send people here to reclaim the wasteland and turn this wasteland into a treasure land.

Here.

It is also getting closer and closer to the Western Xia border.

According to the planned route, Su Liang persuaded several tribes to surrender.

He originally thought that since this place was close to Western Xia, it would be more difficult to persuade them to surrender.

Never thought about it.

The current Song Dynasty had a very good reputation, and with the blessing of Su Liang's name, it was almost effortless for them to sign the contract to return to the Song Dynasty.

Of course, Su Liang will fulfill his promise and ensure that they can live a stable and prosperous life.

……

June 27th, near dusk.

Next to a river valley with lush grass and water, Su Liang rode on his horse and looked forward.

The Longyu Army soldiers behind were also looking forward excitedly.

Five miles ahead.

There was a small tribe of more than 300 people.

This tribe is the last one that everyone in Hehuang wants to persuade to surrender. After completing the task, Su Liang can inform Di Qing that the Western Army of the Song Dynasty can officially go deep into Hehuang to expand the border.

More than an hour ago.

One-armed Old Joe and four other veterans entered the tribe with several Dragon Feather Army soldiers.

It's almost time to come out now.

After a while.

The figures of One-armed Old Joe and others appeared in front. Looking at the smiles on their faces, it was known that this tribe had already agreed to return to Song.

tread!tread!tread!
The sound of horse hooves became louder and louder.

The one-armed Old Qiao was running in the front. When he was nearly three feet away from Su Liang, he pulled the reins and dismounted.

"Zhongcheng, we have fulfilled our mission and completed the task successfully!" said the one-armed Old Qiao loudly.

"Okay!" Su Liang shouted.

The Longyu Army soldiers behind were also very excited.

When they first went deep into Hehuang, everyone came with the thought of dying, but they didn't expect that it could be accomplished so smoothly.

at this time.

One-armed Old Joe suddenly collapsed to the ground.

Su Liang quickly dismounted, and the veterans behind him also dismounted and walked in front of him.

Just when everyone was about to help him.

One-armed Old Joe shook his head and said, "I...I'm fine."

immediately.

One-armed Old Joe actually began to sob and then burst into tears.

While crying, he murmured, "It's not easy, it's too difficult! Su Zhongcheng, all the soldiers of the Longyu Army who sacrificed their lives, the people of Hehuang all want to thank you..."

As one-armed Old Joe burst into tears, several veterans nearby couldn't help but cry.

Everyone understood what the successful surrender of Hehuang meant.

It means that hundreds of thousands of Hehuang people will be free from war, it means that the sacrifices of the Song Dynasty's imperial army will be greatly reduced, and it means that this land will soon become the territory of the Song Dynasty...

Expanding the border by one foot would be considered an unprecedented achievement, let alone thousands of miles.

Although there was no major battle, they went deep into the Hehuang area, traveled thousands of miles, and persuaded dozens of tribes to surrender.

They can definitely be called the vanguard of Xihe's border expansion.

The achievement is great.

At this time.

The one-armed Old Qiao stood up, looked at Su Liang, and said, "Central Prime Minister Su, on behalf of all the people of Hehuang and the soldiers who were spared from war because of your strategy, I would like to express my gratitude to you. You are a great hero and the savior of the people of Xihe!"

Su Liang's strategy of persuading the people in Hehuang to surrender can be said to have saved the lives of tens of thousands of people.

Swish!Swish!Swish!
After One-Armed Old Joe finished speaking, several veterans bowed at the same time, and Liu Sandao also bowed solemnly.

All the soldiers of the Longyu Army dismounted and bowed.

The reason why they respected Su Liang so much was that Su Liang valued the lives of the people more than his own life.

With the military strength of the Song Dynasty, it could have expanded its borders by force.

The Western Army of the Song Dynasty penetrated deep into Hehuang and completely crushed it. No tribe in Hehuang could defeat them.

But Su Liang chose the most risky way, putting his own life at risk.

How can one not admire such courage?

This advance into Hehuang seemed to be going smoothly, but if it weren't for Su Liang's reputation, his ability to persuade people to surrender would have been superb.

It is very likely that these two hundred people died here.

If it were an ordinary scholar-official.

Even if the emperor promised that he would become prime minister if he successfully persuaded people to surrender, he might not have the courage to do so.

But Su Liang is not only the person who comes up with the idea, but also the executor. Such courage and righteousness are naturally admirable.

Su Liang saw that everyone was thanking him, and he couldn't help but laugh and cry. "What are you doing? Was it me alone who succeeded in persuading Hehuang to surrender? We did it together."

"Of course, it's not just us who are relying on this. It's also the reputation of our Song Dynasty, the reputation of Xihe Town, and the support of the emperor and the gentlemen behind the scenes. This is definitely not just my own achievement!"

Wait until everyone stops bowing.

Su Liang straightened his chest and said loudly: "I declare that the strategy of persuading Hehuang to surrender has been successfully completed!"

"Sandao, you must immediately send a message to Prime Minister Di Shu, telling him that the army can go deep into Hehuang and march forward in full force. Also, report the progress to Bianjing City."

"Yes." Liu Sandao bowed and said that he had written this information yesterday.

Su Liang thought for a moment and said, "Next, let's find a good place, have a meal, and then rest for two or three days, enjoy the scenery, and then move westward."

"Yes." Everyone said in unison.

It would take at least ten days to get the message from here to Di Qing in Qinzhou.

By the time Di Qing received the news and led his army to expand the border, it would take at least seven or eight days for the news to reach the Zuosiluo tribe and Western Xia.

Su Liang then prepared to go to Zuo Siluo's territory.

But he is not in a hurry.

He needed to see Zuo Si Luo's reaction after learning that the Song Dynasty was expanding its borders.

If Zuo Siluo was preparing to send troops to stop the Song Dynasty, Su Liang would join forces with Di Qing and destroy or drive Zuo Siluo away along the way.

If Zuo Siluo is still willing to obey the Song Dynasty, Su Liang plans to go talk to Zuo Siluo and try to persuade him.

Of course, in order to persuade Zuo Siluo, Su Liang would use the method of sending letters or passing messages.

He would not talk to the other party directly, but Zuo Siluo really dared to capture Su Liang as a hostage.

There was no need for Su Liang to take this risk.

If the other party expressed friendliness, Su Liang would chat with them; if the other party wanted to resist, Su Liang would wait for Di Qing to beat them.

As for Xixia.

If they dare to send troops into Hehuang, we will beat them in the Hehuang area and drive them back.

At present, no one can stop the Song Dynasty from expanding its border in Hehuang.

Su Liang and his companions were currently about 500 miles away from the Zuosiluo tribe, which could be reached in five or six days. Su Liang planned to arrive near the Zuosiluo tribe after July 15th.

There is no point in going too early.

At present, Su Liang and others can complete a five-day journey in fifteen days, which is very easy.

We are all tired after running around these days.

Su Liang planned to take everyone to appreciate the beautiful scenery of the Hehuang area and find a place suitable for growing cotton.

……

July 8th, afternoon, Qinzhou City.

Di Qing sat on the city wall and looked into the distance. Based on the information conveyed by Xu Mang, he felt that good news was about to come.

He didn't want to waste any time.

This situation was achieved by Su Liang and more than 200 soldiers risking their lives.

If good news came today.

Tomorrow he will be able to lead 50,000 elite troops and advance into the Hehuang area in three routes.

at this time.

A dark shadow appeared in his sight.

He stood up quickly and murmured, "It must be news from Jingming, it must be news from Jingming!"

Di Qing ran down the city wall excitedly, then rode a war horse to meet the post soldier in person.

soon.

Di Qing came to the post soldier and took the letter from Su Liang.

After reading it, Di Qing's eyes turned red. He bowed solemnly towards the northwest and murmured, "Jingming, the people of Hehuang should thank you, and the entire Song Dynasty should thank you!"

After saying this, Di Qing jumped on his horse and ran towards the city excitedly.

……

The next day.

The 50,000 Western Army, together with the 300-man Longyu Army led by Xu Mang, divided into three routes and rushed towards Hehuang.

at the same time.

The news that Su Liang and He Huang had successfully persuaded the enemy to surrender had also spread to the city of Bian Jing.

……

The tenth day of July, afternoon.

Di Qing led a vanguard army of 10,000 and left Xihe Town.

This was the first time that the Song Dynasty's imperial army had gone abroad in large numbers since the great war with Western Xia during the Qingli period.

For a while.

Many people were confused. They had no idea what the Western Army of the Song Dynasty was going to do.

If we want to attack Western Xia, we can just start from Qinzhou and head north, but heading northwest is obviously a long way around.

But there are also many smart people among the people.

Soon, people guessed that the Song Dynasty wanted to expand its borders and occupy Hehuang, first to gain advantageous terrain, and then to destroy Western Xia.

The news spread quickly.

Some tribes that were persuaded to surrender by Su Liang also understood it instantly.

It turns out that this was the plan of the Song Dynasty.

At this moment, they felt that it was right for them to submit to the Song Dynasty, otherwise they would have been conquered by force of the Song Dynasty's Western Army.

……

July 13th, near dusk.

Inside the Chui Gong Hall.

Zhao Zhen sat on the throne, frowning as he looked at the ministers in front of him.

"What's going on? Su Qing entered Hehuang on the first day of May. Ten days ago, news came that the plan to persuade Xihe to surrender was about to be completed. Why is there no news now?"

Zhao Zhen was a little anxious.

If anything happened to Su Liang, he would definitely lead the army in person and do his best to destroy Western Xia.

The ministers in the Secretariat were also a little anxious.

The further Su Liang and his companions go, the more dangerous it becomes. Whether Su Liang can succeed or not determines whether the expansion of Xihe can proceed normally.

These two days.

They were also not in the mood to deal with government affairs, and would often ask whether there was any urgent news from the northwest to be sent to Beijing.

at this time.

A loud voice came from outside the hall.

"Urgent report of Northwest military situation! Urgent report of Northwest military situation! Urgent report of Northwest military situation!"

Hearing this voice, Zhao Zhen immediately became excited.

He stood up and ran out of the hall, and the officials followed him, holding their official robes.

Lean slightly.

A eunuch quickly opened the military intelligence report and handed it to Zhao Zhen.

Zhao Zhen's hands were shaking as he unfolded the paper and began to read it carefully.

aside.

The hearts of the ministers in the Secretariat were pounding and they were very nervous.

Soon, Zhao Zhen finished reading the urgent report. Then his eyes turned red and he looked towards the northwest, a little dazed.

When Ouyang Xiu saw tears welling up in Zhao Zhen's eyes, he couldn't help but panic. He didn't care about the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects, and reached out to grab the urgent report in Zhao Zhen's hand.

Only then did Zhao Zhen come to his senses.

After handing the urgent report to Ouyang Xiu, he smiled and said, "Jingming, it's done!"

Wen Yanbo and other ministers breathed a sigh of relief, then gathered around Ouyang Xiu to read the urgent report. After reading it, all the ministers looked towards the northwest sky, feeling filled with emotion.

Fu Bi's eyes were filled with tears as he murmured, "It's not easy for Jingming. It's really not easy for Jingming!"

"Yes! It is my fortune, the fortune of all the ministers, and the fortune of the people of the world that the Song Dynasty is prosperous and bright!" Zhao Zhen also murmured.

All the ministers nodded.

They knew very well how difficult Su Liang's move was.

If it were them, even if they had the courage, they might not have the ability.

(End of this chapter)