Became a feudal lord in the late Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 156 I, Zongze, want to surrender

An early autumn rain soon brought down the curtain of summer, vividly spilling out the chill that Song people had suppressed in their hearts.

It’s impossible to feel good about a season when cold rain comes in the morning and wind comes in the evening.

Young people in later generations who have to go home to celebrate the New Year often face pressure from their parents and elders.

Are you in love?

Did you make money?

The common people in this era often have to face some more serious problems.

How much food is left at home? The winter coat was worn out last year, and I will definitely have to mend it this year to continue wearing it. Maybe I will have to give my clothes to my parents, wife and children. It's okay if I feel aggrieved, as long as no one in the family is killed.

And, what should we do with the government’s assessments and corvee?

Fortunately, Liu Ling never needed to operate on the common people. The government treasury and the "shuo rats" that had been raised in the Song Dynasty for many years were enough to eat him and the more than 30,000 soldiers who accompanied him to death. As for Liu Sichu and the more than 2,000 Song troops who surrendered with him tried their best to shoulder the responsibility of "leading the party".

They grabbed whatever the Yanyun Army didn't take, and they killed whatever the Yanyun Army didn't kill.

If these sins are like excrement poured on Liu Sichu's head, then he will indeed be infamy for thousands of years.

Kang Gongbi was a civilian official in the army and was also responsible for counting and distributing the spoils of war. However, every time he saw Liu Sichu's generals coming over to present the books of seized spoils of war, after they left, he couldn't help but look at Han Fang next to him.

"This person has a wolfish character and really needs to be careful."

"The King of Han should understand." Han Fang knew what Kang Gongbi meant, put down his brush and said softly:

"I can feel that no one knows better than the King of Han in leading troops, making plans, governing the territory, and envoying the country. Who doesn't understand him? Let alone employing people. Liu Sichu's generation is just a toilet. If you can use it smoothly, then Just use it next time, if it doesn’t work, just throw it away.”

Han Fang felt that there was no need to remind King Han. He picked up the pen again, his voice showing a suppressed tone.

"Even if the artillery that the King of Han told us in the commander's tent a few days ago seems to be a magical and impossible thing, if it is really made, let alone the Song Dynasty, it will be a gold mine. People, it’s possible to beat them to the point of annihilation of their country!”

"Then why is our army rushing to attack the Song Dynasty now? If we develop such magical weapons, we can deter the Song and Jin Dynasties."

“Because you can’t build something like this from scratch right away.”

Han Fang lowered his head and replied while writing: "I also asked the king. He pointed to the ground and said that we can easily crush an ant, but it is impossible for us to teach an ant to make tools, because it is impossible for an ant to make tools. Understand what's going on in people's minds.

What's more, the gap between people is often greater than the gap between people and ants. If you ask a person to spend ten years developing an artifact, and if he can't develop it, he will die, that may be okay, but if you ask him to develop it tomorrow, he will have to fight you on the spot if he can't.

Furthermore,"

Han Fang paused his writing and blew on the still-dry ink on the document. He then handed it to the clerk in front of him and asked him to deliver the document. Then he turned to Kang Gongbi and said with a smile:

"Does the Song people we are attacking now need us to use that kind of magic weapon?"

Liu Ling took the document from the clerk's hand, then asked a few questions and nodded to signal the clerk to leave.

He coughed, and immediately, the generals gathered in front of the sand table in the handsome tent all turned to look at him.

"The Song people's peace envoys were delayed in Jizhou. They said they were recovering from illness, but in fact they were still gathering the defeated soldiers on the front line."

Zongze was not a fool. If he raised his flag to resist the imperial order, the Song Dynasty imperial court behind him would have to find a way to kill him first.

So he falsely claimed that he was seriously ill and had to be detained in Jizhou to recuperate.

The imperial court must have known about it, but they almost acquiesced to this behavior, otherwise the source of Zongze's army's money and food would not be explained at all.

"He is not recuperating from illness, he is clearly recuperating his troops!"

Liu Ling's face obviously turned gloomy, and what followed was the raging anger of the generals in the tent.

If you want to fight, come here; if you want to surrender, hurry up.

Nowadays, people in the Song Dynasty are clamoring for peace while secretly supporting Zongze. It is understandable, but in other words, after becoming a prostitute, you still have to build a chastity memorial.

What's more, why should I understand you?

The purpose of Liu Ling's trip was to hurt and cry the Song people, not to wake them up!

"Have you rested enough in Hejian Mansion?" Liu Ling looked at the generals and said coldly: "Pass this king's order, beat the drums, order the troops, and gather the generals!"

The drums in the army were beating loudly. The soldiers who had finished their training and were resting in the camp raised their heads one after another, and then quickly started to line up under the orders of the officers.

The curtain of the commander's tent was raised, and he walked out in a black royal uniform. Liu Ling looked around at the soldiers waiting in line, and shouted: "Where is Liang Zhe?"

Liang Zhe immediately walked out of the formation of soldiers and bowed to Liu Ling.

"The general is here!"

"Return to your victorious army and respond on the flanks of our army."

"Here!"

Liang Zhe bowed and saluted again, and when he raised his head, he deliberately looked very happy, like a vicious dog that had been loosened from its chain.

"The Yan thieves marched into Shenzhou! All three counties, Hengshui, Wuyi and Fucheng, surrendered!"

When the military report came, everyone present except Zongze either stood up in shock or turned to look at him.

The magistrate of Jizhou had already escaped on the pretext of "transporting grain" to the rear. There were also people present who were older than Zong Ze, but the imperial court in the rear sent an appointment almost immediately, appointing Zong Ze as the peace envoy, "concurrently" "Jizhou magistrate and defense envoy.

Zongze nodded slightly and gave an order. Immediately, soldiers came in from outside, took out a huge map, and slowly unfolded it in front of everyone.

Soon, Zongze spoke with a hoarse voice: "Everyone, please see, according to the battle report, all three counties north of Jizhou City have been lost."

Apart from fear, everyone had no objections. After all, when the Han army went south, they "beaten" Hejianfu, an important town in Hebei, in two days.

"The Yan thieves are marching so fast." Zongze looked at everyone's expressions in turn, turned his head with some disappointment, and said softly: "Liu Ling is not Fang La, let alone Song Jiang. Yan Yun was originally the place of the Fourth War. Can you follow him all the way south?" The Zhenyuan Army who came from the Northern Campaign are naturally not rogue bandits."

The imperial court's estimate of Yanyun's army was so optimistic that Zongze once believed it to be true. However, after coming to the front line in person, countless battle reports and numerous defeats every day made him realize more and more clearly the fact that Tong Guan had deployed too many troops. The Hebei two routes are indeed unable to engage in a field battle with Yanyun's army now.

Therefore, he can only rely on the strong city to continue to resist. As for how the north will become corrupted and how much food and people will be robbed, Zongze is powerless and can't control it.

He leaned back on the chair and was silent for a while, then said softly: "Bring over the women's clothes that the King of Han gave to me a few days ago."

"Zonggong?"

"Zong Gong, no!"

Several officials present looked at him in astonishment.

The king of Han gave Zongze women clothes, obviously for the purpose of humiliating her, and moreover, it was also to encourage Zongze to lead his army out of the city to fight with him in the field.

As for how Zongze should respond?

If he puts on women's clothes, he will not only make people laugh, but will also be used as evidence of a huge crime by those who are interested.

The gift of clothes to women before the army is a story about Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi. Who is Sima Yi and who are you, Zongze?

Do you want to learn from him?

Just in case someone in the court in the future says that Sima Yi lived for so long just to seek the throne and usurp the throne, Zongze has also lived a long time.

you,

Why aren't you dead yet? ,

You are still alive now. You have imitated Sima Yi in wearing women’s clothes. Do you still want to imitate him?

Even without clothes, Zongze's face has been lost.

Therefore, in the eyes of the officials who stayed behind in Jizhou, Yan Thief's gift of clothes was really disgusting.

But after getting the women's clothes, Zongze stood up, put on the women's clothes without hesitation, and said softly: "Everyone, look at me, do you look pretty in this women's clothes?"

Several officials present were stunned, and two of them had red eyes.

Zongze felt a little ridiculed in his heart. Not only did he not take off his clothes, but he walked outside so that the soldiers outside could see it.

It can be expected that the morale of the Jizhou defenders will be lower, and they will soon attract criticism in the court.

Historically, Sima Yi had already accumulated connections and power in his middle and later years, but Zongze was an old man with nothing to gain.

After returning to sit down in the lobby, he actually smiled.

"You don't need to be a woman of sorrow. If Liu Ling knew that I was patrolling the city in women's clothes, he would be very happy and relax his vigilance. I think he will pretend to attack Jizhou next, but in fact he will attack Jizhou. Attack in the west, rush all the way west to conquer Jingxing, seize Wangjia Valley, and block the reinforcements from Hedong."

Everyone looked confused at first, but when they saw the map, they thought about it silently for a while, and then they understood.

If the area from Hejian Prefecture to the west to Jingxing falls to the enemy, it means that Liu Ling has opened the road between Hebei and Yunzhong. Even if Tong Guan's 300,000-strong army retreats from Yan, it will not be able to block it. Liu Ling's escape route.

Liu Lingda could judge based on the situation whether to continue southward or to retreat calmly.

but.

But even if he sees it, is it possible to go out of the city to stop him?

"I have been reading records about Liu Ling these past few days."

Zongze said calmly: "Go north to attack Yanjing, go to the desert alone, defeat the Jin Dynasty at Ningyuanpo, and attack the Song Dynasty this year. What Liu Ling is good at is taking chestnuts from the fire. He dares to do it and fight. After the fall of Hejian Prefecture, north of Hebei It almost collapsed because the Yan people came too fast and too hard.

I have gathered a large number of defeated soldiers in the Jizhou area, and it seems that I still have stamina. In fact, if I collapse here, there will be no organized officers and soldiers in the entire Hebei Province!

What are the interests of several prefectures and the whole of Hebei?

Everyone, this is what I want to show Liu Ling. We cannot let him go south to plunder and then return with a full load. The army of King Guangyang has begun to return for reinforcements. We will attract the Han army to the front of Jizhou City, and then defend the city to delay the return of reinforcements. "

"But..." Someone immediately said: "All the discussions and transfers in the middle are probably against the orders of the imperial court. Besides, why would Liu Ling take the risk?"

"He will definitely take the risk."

Zongze said coldly: "After the meeting, I will write a personal letter to Liu Ling and tell him that I want to surrender. For Liu Ling, if Jizhou is defeated, he may swallow up Hebei. , so he will definitely not let it go.”

Looking at the people with different expressions, Zongze couldn't see through his heart. He paused and said directly: "The court gave me a chance, and I am willing to make this dirty and smelly rag.

If we win after the war, you can blame me for disobedience. I am alone, so I can. "

After saying a few words, the eyes of all the officials present were red, and some of them choked up.

How many of these people can be sincere?

Zongze didn't know, but he knew very well that after the war, some of these people would definitely add insult to injury, and they would even be more ruthless than others.

"We have received the favor of the country, devoured the Song dynasty, and served as officials of the Song Dynasty. The northern invaders invaded the south like fire, and the country was unstable. This is the fault of the officials! I beg you. No, I beg you, look at the big clothes you are wearing. Song Yiguan, next, please do your best to defend the city and consolidate the territory. If you have any guilt after the war, I can shoulder it together."

"The noble Lord is righteous!"

"Mr. Zong, why is this happening?"

"I will never end well."

Zongze sat back on the chair, slowly unbuttoned the woman's clothes, revealed his purple official robe again, and chuckled as if he was self-deprecating.

"Now that everyone is in power, they will always wake up. Stabilizing the country can start from today."

Immediately afterwards, he said again in his heart:

Serving the country with death can start with me, Zongze.

(End of this chapter)