Zhao Defang's road to the virtuous king

"Okay, let's go." Defang turned around and got on the horse. Lin Yanshou and the others quickly climbed onto the horse. The group continued on their way and arrived at the Dingzhou camp in just over a day. Li Jilong and Yuan Jizhong brought a team of horses. Jia Junle immediately stepped forward and shouted, "Who is here?"

"Li Jilong is deployed in the Dingzhou camp, and Yuan Jizhong, who supervises the army and knows the affairs of the Sifang Museum."

Jia Jun jumped off his horse and cupped his hands, "Two generals! The Eight Wise Kings are here!"

Li Jilong and Yuan Jizhong hurriedly got off their horses and came to Defang, "The last general kowtows to the eight virtuous kings, thousand years old, thousand years old!"

Defang dismounted and helped the two of them up, "Don't be polite, the two generals, please get up quickly."

"My lord, you came so fast."

"General Li, how long have you been here?"

"I just arrived yesterday, my lord, is the holy decree really like this?"

Defang nodded, "Your Majesty sent five people from the Zhonghuang Sect to read the edict."

"My lord," said Yuan Jizhong, "there may be Liao troops nearby, so let's go back to the camp first."

"Okay." Defang nodded, and everyone mounted their horses and returned to the Dingzhou camp. When they came to the hall, Lin Yanshou said, "My lord, I'm about to read out the imperial edict."

"Well, the emperor's order must not be delayed, Mr. Lin, please."

Lin Yanshou clasped his hands, and walked to the front with the edict, "Li Jilong will be deployed in the Dingzhou camp, and Yuan Jizhong, who supervises the army and knows the affairs of the Sifang Museum, will receive the edict."

Li Jilong and Yuan Jizhong knelt and bowed their hands "the last general will take orders"

"The holy imperial edict: The generals of the camps of all ministries will strengthen the walls and clear the fields, and they are not allowed to go to war without authorization. Now five people from the Zhonghuangmen, Lin Yanshou, are sent to supervise the orders. The imperial court can punish severely with military law."

"Long live my emperor!" Li Jilong took the edict and stood up. Defang said, "General Li, this king has been out of Beijing for four days. I wonder how the battle is going?"

Yuan Jizhong stepped forward and said, "My lord! The Great Song Dynasty has lost three cities in a row for four years!"

Defang and everyone were shocked, "What! Lost three cities in a row? What's going on?"

"After the Liao army broke through the city, it went straight to Qizhou, but one day Qizhou was broken, and the Liao army indulged in burning, killing and looting, and Qizhou was in flames. , Going straight to Xiaolang Village, the surrounding guards were going to rush to help, but unexpectedly, the soldiers arrived at the camps of various camps. After the holy order, the generals did not dare to send out a single soldier, and Xiaolang Village was broken by the Liao people in just an hour. . . ”

"Then...then the Liao army is close at hand now."

"Yes, my lord, most of the Liao army has assembled in Tanghe, and it will take less than three or two days to launch an offensive against Dingzhou, but... now that the edict has been issued, it is tantamount to binding hands and feet. Once the Liao people launch Attack, we will all become ghosts under the knife of the Liao people, let others slaughter us!"

"Report!" A sergeant ran into the main hall, "General Li, Yizhou City was captured by the Liao army!"

"What!" Li Jilong pulled up the sergeant, "What's going on!"

"Returning to the general, Liu Chi, the Zhizhou of Yizhou, held on to the city for more than ten days. Suicheng also sent reinforcements, but was defeated by the cavalry army of Liao. .”

Li Jilong let go of the sergeant, turned around and said, "My lord, if you don't send troops, you may fall into the hands of Liao people outside the pass."

"Prince" Yuan Jizhong also said, "If each city and each battalion closed their doors and defended themselves, once the Liao people besieged the city, we would all die without a place to bury them!"

Lin Yanshou and others on the side were very unhappy when they heard this, "Hey! Are you crazy! Your majesty's edict has just been read out, and you dare to resist it! This is a crime of deceiving the emperor! Can you bear it!"