King of Song

Chapter 590 Spring Comes Early

Maxian Mountain is more than 3000 meters above sea level, with complex terrain. It is covered with frost and snow for most of the year and has a changeable climate. It is a watershed between the Tao River and the Yellow River.

Not far to the north is Lanzhou City on the bank of the Yellow River, and to the south is Taozhou under the control of the Song Army.Jing Sili led an army of 7000 to wait here for a long time, and now Lin Zhao led [-] cavalry, totaling [-].

After resting for a day, the army crossed the complex terrain and extremely cold Maxian Mountain, and suddenly rushed towards Lanzhou.

Since the third year of Renzong Jingyou, Lanzhou has been in the hands of Xixia for almost 50 years. For 50 years, the Xixia people relied on this city to expand outwards, defeated the Uighurs, suppressed Tubo, and stabilized the rear.

In the past, when there was hostility with Tubo, there were many troops stationed in Lanzhou and the defense was tight.But recently, Lanzhou's military strength is not very sufficient.Most of Xixia's troops were assembled by Li Bingchang to Dongfang Yanyan Road and Huanqing Road. After Liang Yibu took over, he was tightly entangled by the Song Army, and it was too late to call back, so Lanzhou's defense was relatively empty.

Even so, the Xixia people didn't care about this issue.After all, Lanzhou is mainly facing the Tubo people, who are now fighting against the Song army. They are allies, and the Tubo people will not threaten Lanzhou.With the natural barrier of Maxian Mountain, it would be even more difficult for the Song army to attack from the Taozhou area.It is precisely because of this consideration that the Xixia side is a little neglected and does not attach great importance to Lanzhou's defense.

The Tubo people really wouldn't attack them at this time, but after the Song army occupied Tubo, they turned their guns around and didn't even need to make excuses.As for Maxian Mountain, the terrain is complex and rugged, and it is indeed not easy for large troops to pass through, especially in winter.But in fact, the real obstacle is the transportation of luggage. It is not difficult for the light cavalry to pass through as long as they work hard.

Lin Zhao's 3-strong army was indeed lightly packed, and only brought a part of food and grass for temporary use. The logistics supplies and siege equipment were detoured on sleds, and they could feel the city of Lanzhou a little later.

The Song army appeared very suddenly, and the cavalry suddenly rushed to the city of Lanzhou, but the Xixia defenders were unprepared and were caught off guard.In just one battle, the Xixia troops on the outskirts of Lanzhou were wiped out, and the time was even faster, only two days before and after.

When the Xixia people reacted, there was only Lanzhou, an isolated city left.Ma Qige, the general guard of Lanzhou in Xixia, panicked immediately, and hurriedly asked for help from Zhuoluo Army Commander in the north of the Yellow River, and flew to report to Xingqing Mansion.

Zhuoluo Army Division is an important military town of Xixia on the north bank of the Yellow River. Before acquiring Lanzhou, it was the western barrier of Xixia.Now it is the horns of each other with Lanzhou, echoing each other.

Ma Qige asked for help, hoping that the reinforcements would come in time to break the siege of Lanzhou, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.

It's just that the Song army didn't give him this opportunity at all. Lin Zhao's goal was only Lanzhou City, and he had no plans for the Xixia territory on the other side of the Yellow River.As long as there is Lanzhou, it will be an excellent springboard. In the future battle against Xixia, the situation will completely change.

If you want a quick battle, you naturally don't want to attract Xixia reinforcements to come and waste time fighting in the city.The longer the delay, in case Xingqing Mansion or Liang Yibu got the news, reinforcements would arrive in time.The situation will be very troublesome, and even all previous efforts will be wasted.

Therefore, after clearing the troops outside Lanzhou, Lin Zhao immediately sent troops to block the banks of the Yellow River and quickly besieged the city.Complete the siege before the Xixia messengers cross the Yellow River, and block the news to the south of the Yellow River.

Ma Qige looked at the Song army densely packed under the city, feeling a sense of despair spontaneously.The request for help failed, which meant that Lanzhou became an isolated city.

There are no more than 1 defenders in the city, and some of them are old, weak, sick and disabled. Even if civilians are recruited from the city to help guard the city, it seems that there is a serious shortage of troops.The most important thing is confidence. After learning that the isolated city was under heavy siege, even he, the general, was a little flustered, let alone the defenders in the city.

You must know that Lanzhou belonged to the Song Dynasty in the early days, and there were many Han people in the city. They still had a strong sense of belonging to the Song Dynasty, so how could they be willing to fight hard?

The Song army had already blocked the Yellow River, and Zhuo Luo's military commander hadn't received any news for the time being. Even if a problem was discovered later, there would be nothing he could do.After all, it is already February, and the weather this year is relatively warm. Once the Yellow River freezes, even if the reinforcements come, they can only sigh across the river.

This is true for reinforcements, and so is myself!Ma Qige was thinking whether he should persevere.He had a feeling that sooner or later Lanzhou would lose its hold.If the city is breached in the end, will they still have a way out?At that time, even if the breakthrough is successful, if the Yellow River thaws, there will be no chance of escape.

Do you want to abandon the city now?
Ma Qige shook his head. Although his determination to resist was not firm, he also knew that Lanzhou was extremely important.If I left without fighting, it would definitely be a great crime, and neither the king nor Prime Minister Liang would forgive me after returning.Of course, you can't continue to stay in Lanzhou and wait to die.

Ma Qige decided to wait and see first, maybe he could be lucky enough to hold on.Even if you can't keep it, you have to make a show. It is necessary to break through and preserve your strength. It is good to have an explanation to Xingqing Mansion.

Lin Zhao didn't know that Lanzhou's Xixia defender had no intention of fighting, but he was certain that Lanzhou was determined to win.

Although it is a siege, in fact, it is only necessary to guard against the banks of the Yellow River, and then concentrate on attacking a little bit.It has been almost 50 years since Lanzhou City fell into the hands of the Xixia people. Perhaps it is the nature of nomads. They pay limited attention to the city. The city wall of Lanzhou has been damaged. They only repair it and have not carried out large-scale renovations. , the degree of dilapidation can be imagined.Relying on such a degree, how easy is it to hold on and resist the attack of the Song army?
Lin Zhao made a tentative attack first, and watched the soldiers bravely climbed to the top of the city, but were smashed down by the Xixia people's rolling logs and rocks, and hundreds of people were lost in the first battle.

Although returning without success, it is not without gains.The northwest is so cold that even the Yellow River is frozen, not to mention the moat.With this convenience, Song Jun can directly set up the ladder and climb the city.

It was the first time to attack, and several times, some soldiers were about to climb to the top of the city.Although they were repulsed in the end, it can be seen that Xixia's defense is not very strict, and it even feels a bit negative.

This is a good sign, Lin Zhao is a little more relaxed, and taking Lanzhou is not as difficult as imagined.It's just that after all, Xixia has been operating here for four or fifty years, and it has some foundations. Although the Song army launched continuous attacks, they always returned without success.

It was not until a few days later that the bed crossbows and the improved catapults of Lin Zhao and Shen Kuo arrived and bombarded the city walls of Lanzhou continuously.The thick rammed earth began to crack and even break.Only then did Song Jun gradually gain the upper hand. Even so, it was not easy to break through the city.

As everyone knows, Ma Qige in the city is even more flustered.

The Song army's weapons were very powerful. Stones fell from the sky, and the city walls continued to be damaged and cracked, and even collapsed more and more.The most terrible thing is to deter the soldiers and the people. Near the city wall, there are many houses that have been smashed out of holes by stones.

The civilian husband who was carrying weapons on the city wall was suddenly pierced through the chest by the bed crossbow of the Song army. The rest of the civilian husbands were shocked and terrified when they saw this.Ma Qige didn't know why the Song Army's bed crossbow had such a long range and such a strong penetrating power?Seeing the civilian husband's body being directly pierced by the crossbow arrows, and then flying out and falling on the tower, he knew that this was a terrible shock to the civilian husband who had never seen blood and battle, and they had no desire to fight.

Without the support of civilian husbands, it is definitely not enough to rely on the strength of this idea in hand, but the current state...

Ma Qige sighed, Lanzhou City has already started to be riddled with holes, the weather is getting warmer, and the ice on the Yellow River has begun to loosen a little, if you still don't make a decision, it may also be riddled with holes, and you will cry at that time Too late!

Lin Zhao didn't know the situation in Lanzhou City, and could only detect bits and pieces from the daily battles.Apart from stepping up the siege, there is nothing else to say.

But I didn't expect that sometimes, happiness comes suddenly, and it will surprise people inadvertently.

The attack was launched again today. A section of the city wall in the south city collapsed, and it was easy to attack.Lin Zhao was overwhelmed with surprise, and immediately sent additional troops to use this as a gap to enter the city, and was ready for street fighting.

But soon the vanguard soldiers came back to report that there were only panicked peasants in the city, and most of the Xixia soldiers had disappeared.How is this going?Lin Zhao was wondering, so he received the news that the Xixia army had rushed out from the north gate, broke through the siege, and headed towards the Yellow River.

Abandoned the city and fled?

Lin Zhao laughed, he didn't expect such a bargain, and the Xixia defenders were so helpless that they became cowardly deserters.That's good, I just picked up this great bargain.Lanzhou is extremely important, as long as it can be obtained, the method is not important, let alone Xixia gave it for nothing.

As for the Xixia soldiers who broke through the siege, Lin Zhao issued an order that they could pursue them, but with the Yellow River as the boundary, once the Xixia soldiers crossed the Yellow River, they gave up their pursuit.After all, if the Xixia army breaks through the siege, Zhuo Luo's military commander will receive news. At that time, the Xixia people will join forces and counterattack Lanzhou.

The most urgent task is to take over Lanzhou City, repair the city walls, and strengthen defense.

Lin Zhao never expected that when luck is good, good things happen one after another!
The spring of Xining Six Years came very early, even in the northwest, the weather was warmer than usual.Although the Yellow River has not yet thawed, the ice layer has begun to thin.

Galloping across on horseback could have been supported, but in a hurry, [-] soldiers rushed to cross the river first.The Song army chased after them, and the already anxious Xixia soldiers scrambled to cross the river, and the places to cross the river were relatively concentrated.

As a result, the weight on the ice surface of the Yellow River has greatly increased, and cracks have actually appeared in the ice layer.Coupled with the fast running of the horses and soldiers, the shock generated was so great, how could the cracked ice layer bear it?
Therefore, during the crossing process of Xixia soldiers, many ice sheets in the Yellow River broke.As you can imagine, countless people fell into the ice cave.For a moment, the scene was horrible, and the cries for help and cries were chaotic and intertwined, making the already chaotic situation even more unbearable.

Seeing someone falling into the ice cave, the temporarily safe people realized the danger, and were even more anxious to get out of the dangerous ice surface, running faster and shaking more.There is no orderly organization, the scene is more chaotic, more ice is broken, and the number of Xixia soldiers falling into the Yellow River is also increasing.

Seeing this situation, Li Cheng, who was in charge of the pursuit, immediately dispatched all the catapults to throw large stones on the ice of the Yellow River.The vibration became more violent, and the speed at which the ice shattered was doubled.The shattered pieces gradually joined together, and the entire ice layer could no longer support it, forming floating slush.

The Xixia soldiers who were crossing the river froze to death, countless drowned, and less than [-]% of them fled to the other side.For a time, the bodies of Xixia soldiers and horses were everywhere in the Yellow River.The corpses froze in the water, and some of them were stuck together with ice cubes and floated on the surface of the water, which was horrible.

Zhuo Luo Junsi on the other side of the Yellow River received the news and hurried over with his troops. The only thing he could do was to meet those fellow soldiers who escaped from death and climbed ashore.Want to cross the river to counterattack Lanzhou?Not to mention the number of their soldiers and horses, and their combat effectiveness, they have no chance, at least no chance before the cold winter comes.

After Xixia soldiers scrambled to cross the river and shattered the ice surface, and the weather gradually warmed up, the ice surface of the Yellow River disintegrated and formed Liuling.There are large and small ice blocks floating on the water, flowing quickly.In this case, it is impossible to cross the river on ice.The ferry boat is even more undesirable, and the Xixia people can only look at it and sigh.

The thawed Yellow River is like a natural barrier, making Lanzhou City, which has just been controlled by the Song Army, safe and sound!

It’s really God’s help. Standing by the Yellow River, Lin Zhao couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.

The area of ​​floating ice on the Yellow River is constantly decreasing, and the speed of the flow is also faster. Xixia will not be able to get through.Looking at each other across the river, you can even see their angry but helpless expressions from a distance.

There is no doubt that Lanzhou has returned to the embrace of Song Dynasty.At least it will be safe until winter comes, which is not enough. Lin Zhao hopes to build Lanzhou City into a strong fortress of the Song Dynasty in the west.

Taking advantage of the safety time of nearly a year, the city must be reinforced. This time, the damage of Lanzhou City is too serious, and the city wall must be renovated and strengthened.

Furthermore, to stabilize the rule of the Song Dynasty here, the situation of the residents in Lanzhou City is very complicated, including Han Chinese, Dangxiang people, Qiang people, Uighurs, Tubo people, and people from other places in the Western Regions, which is quite complicated.

Lin Zhao clearly ordered that all ethnic groups should be treated equally, and that the imperial court would garrison fields near Lanzhou.At the same time, the commercial roads will be restored, and all the waste is waiting for prosperity, gradually restoring the prosperity of Ganliang in the past, so that the people here can live and work in peace and contentment.After the Song army entered the city, the military discipline was also strict, and Qiu did not commit any crimes.

Lin Zhao is relatively tolerant of the people here. After all, it has been occupied by Xixia for 50 years. The sense of belonging and identity of the people is difficult to say, and needs to be gradually changed and improved.

Of course, complete tolerance is not enough. At any time, the strategy of adding sugar to the stick is more obvious.

Even though the policies of the Song Dynasty were so loose, most of them worked for the well-being of the people, but they were always excellent and stubborn young people.There have been disturbances in the city for several days in a row, with evil intentions.

Lin Zhao was not polite, and immediately ordered to be strangled!

Therefore, for several nights, the people of Lanzhou, who dared not go out behind closed doors, heard the sound of fighting and screams outside, one after another.In the early morning of the second day, the bloodstains on the street were still there and had not been cleaned up.Hundreds of heads were hung in front of the city gate, which made people shudder at a glance, which played a particularly good deterrent effect.

Lanzhou City quickly settled down, the order gradually returned to normal, and it reintegrated into the Song Dynasty step by step.

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The news of the Song army's capture of Lanzhou spread, and Qing Yijie Guizhang finally understood what Lin Zhao's real intention was to end the war with Tubo in his eagerness for peace talks.

I didn't expect him to have such a big arm, and he took down Lanzhou City in an instant. It was really unexpected.The situation in Xixia will also get worse and worse. Maybe one day, their situation may not be as good as that of Tubo.

Dong felt helplessly thankful, the Song army was too scary, Lin Zhao was too scary, it might be right to end the war with the Song Dynasty earlier.After Lanzhou fell into the hands of the Song army, it was time for the people of the Song Dynasty to speak in the western sky, and Lin Zhao was in charge.

As for making a comeback and regaining Qingtang City?Dong felt lightly shook his head, Lanzhou Yaozhi Qingtang, there will never be another chance in the future.Maybe Lin Zhao is right, we should look at it from a different angle and direction, at least the future direction of Tubo is neither the east nor the north!

Aligu is the most painful, this move is tantamount to completely cutting off the possibility of his revenge and comeback.The oath I made when I left Qingtang City is destined to become an eternal regret, and I will never go back.This fact was a bit painful, almost unacceptable to him.

As for Lin Bubi who returned from Dongxia, he was ashamed, but he never gave up his obsession with being the crown prince of Tubo.Although Tubo is different from the past, at any rate there is still half of the country, and all this is because of him.Lin Bubi blamed himself, but he didn't thoroughly reflect on himself.

He knew that if he still had a chance, he could only rely on his wife's mother's family, Xixia Kingdom.But Lanzhou fell, and the situation in Xixia was deteriorating. Lin Bubi suddenly felt that the future was bleak.

The hardest hit is definitely not the Tubo people, but the Xixia people!
In Xingqing Mansion, Li Bingchang was shocked when he received the news, and fell directly from the throne.The defeat of Yanyan Road and Huanqing Road already made him worried, and he felt very uncomfortable.When he suffered such a heavy blow, how could he bear it at such a young age, and he fell ill directly.

Liang Yi felt even more uncomfortable, he always felt that something was wrong, and now he finally knew the answer.It's a pity that it's too late, Lanzhou has already fallen into the hands of the people of the Song Dynasty. With this springboard, the balance of the future Song Xia battle will continue to tilt.

Although spring has arrived, Liang Yibu's body is icy cold, even more bone-chilling than winter!
(End of this chapter)