Across the Water Margin: Officials of Ximen

Page 510

After Yang Zhi led a new force, he galloped on horseback, bowed his bow and set up an arrow, and shot and killed several Khitan generals who were the most eager to pursue, which weakened the momentum of the pursuers a lot.

Under the rescue of the Xuanfeng Army, the remnants of Yang Keshi's former army finally broke through the encirclement and fled back to the Song Army's camp in the dark.

That night, Yelu Dashi led the Liao army to chase outside the Song army's camp, preparing to take advantage of the new defeat of the Song army to launch a surprise attack on the Song army's camp, scaring the Song army into fleeing overnight.

If the Song army fled and retreated at night, Yelu Dashi could just lead the troops to pursue and expand the results of the battle.

When he came outside the camp of the Song Army, Yelu Dashi could hear the continuous sound of drums in the camp of the Song Army. It seemed that the morale of the Song Army was high and they were about to attack the Liao Army for a decisive battle.

In the night, Yelu Dashi didn't know the reality. Seeing that the Song army showed no signs of retreating, he stopped the attack, led the army back to the south bank of the Juma River, and set up camp in the south of Jieqiao.

It was night, under the arrangement of Dutong Zhongshidao, the army drums were beating around the camp of the Song army all night, so that the Liao army entered without knowing it, and covered up the truth that the soldiers of the Song army were shaken after the defeat.

After daylight the next day, the scouts of the Liao Army discovered that the Song Army's camp was closed for strict protection, and immediately reported it to Yelu Dashi.

Only then did Yelu Dashi know that he had been tricked by the Song army last night, and missed an opportunity to take advantage of the chaos to defeat the Song army.

Chapter 793 I Don’t Want to Fight Anymore

The day after the Song Army on the East Road was defeated at Baigou Station, Xin Xingzong, the coach of the Song Army on the West Road, heard that the main force of the Liao Army was confronting Zhongshidao at Baigou Station, and decided to lead the West Route Army to attack eastward along the Juma River. The Liao army, which flanked the Yelu Dashi with the Eastern Route Army, made it impossible for the Liao army to look at each other from head to toe.

How did Xin Xingzong know that his opponent was Xiao Qian, the privy envoy of the North Court of the Liao Kingdom who was even more difficult to deal with than Yelu Dashi, who was also the commander of all armies and the king of the Fourth Army.

When Yelu Dashi launched an attack on the Song Army's East Route Army, he flew a horse to report to the Xiao Qian Army stationed in Yizhou, asking King Xiao to cooperate in the battle.

After Xiao Qian received the military report, he led his troops to ambush near Fan Village overnight, preparing to launch a surprise attack when the West Route Army of the Song Army left the camp to support the East Route Army.

At dawn, Xiao Qian, surrounded by guards, climbed to the isolated mountain north of Fancun. By the morning light, he saw with his own eyes the reality of the Song Army's West Route Army and monitored Xin Xingzong's West Route Army's every move.

Seeing the West Route Army marching towards Baigouyi, Xiao Qian immediately went down the mountain and sent a cavalry to march in front of the Song Army's West Route Army.

Xin Xingzong didn't know that he was being watched by Xiao Qian, the famous general of the Liao Kingdom. He heard that there were cavalry from the Liao Army in front of him, and he mistook it for the guard force sent by Yelu Dashi to the west.

Xin Xingzong was determined to wipe out the Liao army of more than [-] men, and avenge the defeat of Yang Keshi's army yesterday.Therefore, Xin Xingzong ordered Wang Yuan, the former army of the West Route Army, Liu Guangguo and Ji Jing of the right army, and Liu Guangshi of the forward army to fight against it, hoping to encircle and annihilate the Liao army by relying on a large number of people.

Among the four generals, Liu Guangguo and Liu Guangshi are two brothers, and they are the sons of Liu Yanqing, the Jiedu envoy of Baoxin Army.

The cavalry of the Liao army came and went quickly and were familiar with the local terrain. They fought endlessly with the Fourth Route Army of the Song Army, but the Song Army was still unable to encircle them.

The four generals Wang Yuan, Liu Guangguo, Ji Jing, and Liu Guangshi were furious and chased after this Liao army.Unknowingly, Song Jun was led into the road at the foot of Gushan Mountain by Liao Jun.

Only the sound of horns sounded suddenly. Under Xiao Qian's command, the Liao army ambushed everywhere, trapping the army led by four generals Wang Yuan, Liu Guangguo, Ji Jing, and Liu Guangshi in the valley.

Xin Xingzong was shocked when he learned that the front four troops were besieged, and hurriedly ordered the front army Wang Zhi, the left army Jiao Anjie, the rear army Qu Qi, Wang Yu, and the front army Wu Zihou to rescue Wang Yuan and other four armies. .

The two armies of Song and Liao fought bloody battles in Gushan south of Yishui for more than half a day. After Xin Xingzong's West Route Army lost 6000 troops, they rescued four generals Wang Yuan, Liu Guangguo, Ji Jing, and Liu Guangshi, and retreated back to Fancun in defeat. camp.

The former general Wang Yuan was stabbed off his horse by the Liao army in the melee and almost died. Fortunately, Wang Ting bravely killed the Liao army and rescued him from the dead, saving his life.

Xin Xingzong's West Route Army retreated to Fancun, and was forced by Xiao Qianjun to be overwhelmed. Naturally, his plan to aid the East Route Army was shattered.

In the camp of the East Route Army of the Song Army in Baigouyi, the Duguan Zhongshidao, who originally had objections to sending troops to attack the Liao Dynasty, thought of withdrawing after suffering a defeat.

But the Yelu Dashi Army was nearby, and Zhong Shidao did not dare to act rashly.Therefore, Zhong Shidao counted on Xin Xingzong's West Route Army to come to join him.After the two armies join forces, their strength is far greater than that of Yelu Dashi. At that time, they may be able to advance and retreat freely, and withdraw their troops safely.

However, Zhong Shidao waited hard for a day, but he waited for the news that Xin Xingzong's West Route Army was defeated by Xiao Qian of the Liao Kingdom.

Hearing that Xin Xingzong of the Western Army was also defeated, Zhong Shidao couldn't sit still, and immediately summoned all the generals in the tent of the Chinese Army to discuss the next move of the Western Army.The meaning of this kind of teacher's way is to ask the generals whether they should withdraw to Xiongzhou to preserve their strength and discuss it in the long run.

During the collegial meeting, most of the generals of the Western Army believed that the Song Army was defeated in several battles. From this, it can be seen that the combat effectiveness of the Liao Army is still very strong, and the information about the Yanjing Liao Army in the past was wrong.Now that the morale of the Liao army is high, it is not easy to win. It is safer to retreat back to Xiongzhou to defend first.

In Taiwei Tongguan's Xuanfu Division yamen, the bulletins were distributed everywhere, and when the high-ranking officials and rich lures lured the Han people in Yandi to vote, there really was a big local tyrant in Zhuozhou, Liu Zongji, who secretly sent someone to contact the Song Army and provided the Song Army with Information about Yanjing in the Liao Kingdom.

According to Liu Zhongji, there are basically no soldiers and horses in the city of Yanjing. Only the general Xiao Qian has more than 200 cavalry brought back from Zhongjing Road. The remaining cavalry has six or seven hundred cavalry, all of whom have never been on the battlefield. Composed of Khitan noble children on the battlefield.

The Liao defenders stationed on the north bank of Baigou, Zhuo and Yi prefectures drank at night and slept during the day, and their horses were scattered, so they had no combat effectiveness at all.

Liu Zhongji once said that if the Song army suddenly attacked Baigou, the Liao army would definitely flee.As long as the Song army can approach Zhuozhou, he will be able to rise up in the city and open the city gate to welcome the king's division.

When the Song army arrived at the Song-Liao border, it was true that there were not many Liao troops patrolling the border.There was no hindrance when the Song Army's probing horses crossed the border to distribute the announcements.

All these signs convinced Taiwei Tongguan and the staff in the Xuanfu Department's Yamen that the city of Yanjing was empty and the Liao army had no combat effectiveness.Relying on a [-] army to suppress the territory, it was enough for the old man Yeluchun in Yanjing to bow his head to the Song Dynasty.

However, after several defeats, Zhong Shidao and the generals in the army suspected that Liu Zhongji, a local tyrant in Zhuozhou, was probably a spy sent by the Liao Kingdom.Liu Zhongji falsely surrendered to the Song Army and provided false information to the Song Army in order to make the Song Army paralyzed and fall into the trap of the Liao Army.

Obviously, Liu Zhongji's intelligence was wrong.He said that there were only less than a thousand cavalry in Yanjing City, but where did the cavalry of the Liao army camping on the south bank of the Juma River come from?

The former army Yang Keshi dared to go straight to Zhuozhou with five thousand Qingqi at the beginning because he believed Liu Zhongji's information.How did you know that Yang Keshi's cavalry unit was disabled in the battle of Langoudian, and the Song army knew that the Liao army still had tens of thousands of fine cavalry.

The Liao army was unexpectedly strong, and the generals of the Western Army were a little afraid of fighting.

However, He Shen, the prefect of Xiongzhou, who was personally appointed by Taiwei Tongguan as the deputy governor, opposed the withdrawal of troops.

He Shen said: "The imperial court only wants our army to patrol the border. Our army and the Liao army originally lived in peace with each other and had no intention of fighting.

It was only when General Yang Keshi of the former army was eager for success and led his troops across the Juma River that the Liao army counterattacked.

Now that the two armies are at war, our army cannot withdraw easily.

If our army retreats at this time, it will be tantamount to showing weakness to the Liao army and exposing the falsehood of our army.

The Liao army was still worried that our army would enter Yan in a large scale. When they learned that our army was retreating, they would definitely take the opportunity to cover up and kill them, which would be very disadvantageous to our army.

The Taiwei is still in Xiongzhou City, don't let the Liao army approach Xiongzhou City, and put the Taiwei in danger! "

He Shen wanted to make meritorious service in the battle against Liao, so how could it end so hastily.

Furthermore, the Song Army judged that the Liao Army's combat effectiveness was not strong. Although it received information from Liu Zhongji, He Shen also said similar things to the Taiwei Tong Guan and the generals in the army.Now that the Song army is defeated and returning, I am afraid that He Shen will not be able to escape the relationship of lying about the military situation.

Only by defeating the Liao army can he save himself, and of course He Shen must oppose the withdrawal of the army.

Chapter 794 King Xiao's Pursuit Art

Among the generals of the Western Army, Zhong Shidao, Xin Xingzong and other generals all wanted to withdraw their troops, but He Shen and Yang Keshi opposed the retreat.

As for generals such as Lu Zhishen, Yang Zhi, and Han Shizhong, they were either inexperienced or had low official positions, so they couldn't get involved in this kind of military discussion that determined the fate of the entire army.

But Lu Zhishen didn't worry about these things, he just followed the two brothers of Zhongshi Dao and Zhongshizhong.

Little Zhong Jinglue wanted to fight, so Lu Zhishen went to battle and split the Liao people in two with a Zen staff. Killing and setting fire was absolutely unambiguous; Meat is free and happy.

In the Chinese army's tent, Zhong Shi Daojian He Shen and Yang Keshi, the two Tong Taiwei's important people, did not support the withdrawal of troops, and did not dare to make arbitrarily decided decisions.

Therefore, Zhong Shidao ordered He Shen to write his opinion of not withdrawing troops into a form, and he himself also wrote his opinion of withdrawing troops into a form.

Afterwards, Zhong Shidao sent Pegasus to send both forms back to Xiongzhou City, and handed them over to Tong Taiwei, the Xuanfu envoy in the city.

Whether to go or stay, whether to fight or fight, let Taiwei Tong decide.