Liu Zhiyuan decided to go on a personal expedition, and acted arbitrarily without even considering the opinions of important ministers like Yang Bin. His tone was unquestionable. It seemed even a little hasty.
Of course, Liu Zhiyuan could not really be easily persuaded by Liu Chengyou's few words. In fact, he had already had the idea of a personal expedition when the war in Yedu was not going well.
Although Liu Zhiyuan was not qualified to be the emperor, he still had vision and insight. Putting aside his selfish thoughts and looking at the war in Yedu objectively, Liu Zhiyuan certainly knew that Gao Xingzhou was not at fault. In fact, he knew it in his heart. , what is the root cause of the current sluggish progress in the counter-insurgency war? Discord between generals has always been a taboo, let alone Murong Yanchao, a "supervisor" with a special status.
Two days ago, Liu Zhiyuan promoted two old ministers from the previous dynasty to prime ministers. Dou Zhengu was worshiped as Sikong, a minister under the family, Ping Zhangshi, and a bachelor of Hongwenguan. Li Tao was appointed as a minister of Zhongshu and the minister of household affairs, Ping Zhangshi.
After entering Bian, there were constant turmoils in the court and quarrels for power, which led to the decline of the government. Liu Zhiyuan could not bear the wantonness of these Yuan Cong heroes, so he promoted Dou Zhengu and Li Tao, which suddenly made the old officials of Hedong The monopoly on the court was broken, and at the same time, it was also a warning for Liu Zhiyuan to the ministers.
Of course, Liu Zhiyuan did not promote the two people selected casually. Dou Zhengu and Liu Zhiyuan had an old relationship. They had worked together under Shi Jingtang. They had a compatible temperament and had a passionate relationship. Because of their poise and reputation, they were worshiped as prime ministers.
As for Li Tao, he was appreciated by Liu Zhiyuan because of his actual talents. Before that, he secretly told Liu Zhiyuan to analyze the situation in Yedu, analyze it piece by piece, and get into the details. Previously, he had the merit of being welcomed into Tokyo, and he was able to suddenly become a minister and became a popular figure in front of the emperor.
Therefore, Liu Zhiyuan did not just accept Liu Chengyou's request on a whim, but had already considered it carefully.
Liu Zhiyuan's arrival in the Han Dynasty was a bit lucky, but the hardships and sufferings during his rise from a horseman to an emperor cannot be fully explained by the word "lucky". Although Liu suffered from old age, repeated secret injuries, and his body was getting weaker and weaker. , but after all, he is an emperor on horseback. When he really wants to stand up and go to the battlefield, he will never be ambiguous.
As soon as the edict was issued, the military and administrative offices of the imperial court began to make preparations immediately. The busiest ones were the Privy Council and the Third Division, allocating troops and horses, and supplying military supplies. After discussion, Liu Zhiyuan left, and the remaining imperial troops in Kaifeng City , you have to take away more than half of them. All the troops in the army are deployed directly, the crane-controlling army is a close-quarters soldier, and all the scattered soldiers are in line. The bodyguard department is under the jurisdiction of the armies, the two armies of Xiaodi and Longqi, and the two-chambered horse guard The army followed the expedition. More than 50,000 troops, which can be said to be all elites, came out together. From this scale and movement, we can see that Liu Zhiyuan was determined to capture Yedu and put down the rebellion on this trip.
A formal edict was issued on the 7th, and preparations were made on the 8th and 9th. On the 10th, Liu Zhiyuan led his army out of Tokyo and headed north.
In Tokyo, Liu Zhiyuan also made a relatively appropriate arrangement, with Wei King Liu Chengxun supervising the country, Yang Bin, Wang Zhang, Shi Hongzhao and other civil and military assistants. In order to avoid any trouble in the court during his absence, Su Fengji was directly given to Su Fengji. He took it with him. Liu Zhiyuan seemed to have a "special" love for Su Fengji and was extremely tolerant.
As for Liu Chengyou, just as he expected, he was successfully recruited by Liu Zhiyuan from the expedition and appointed as the governor of the camp.
In addition to the necessary food supplies, armor and weapons, and military tents and quilts for the soldiers to march, the imperial army in the north was also lightly armed and simple. They also recruited many men and mules from the civilian population to accompany them, which also saved a lot of energy of the soldiers.
Liu Zhiyuan was in the middle army. He did not rush the troops and was not impatient at all. If the emperor was like this, the entire army marched very calmly. They marched at a speed of eighty miles a day and took two days to reach Huazhou. They rested overnight. We will arrive in Chanzhou in three days.
Regarding Chanzhou, the most famous event in history is undoubtedly the "Chanyuan Alliance". However, during the "Five Dynasties" period, it has always been a battleground for military strategists (there are really many battlegrounds for military strategists... ....), in the middle and late period, its importance became increasingly prominent, especially in its role in defending Kaifeng. When Zhuangzong destroyed Liang, the two sides faced off across the river, and the Yellow River line was basically carried out in the Wei and Chan areas. Around Deshengdu, the two sides repeatedly saw each other, and there were more than a hundred battles between the big and small.
The core of it is Desheng Ferry, an important ferry connecting the north and south of the river. The state city is called Desheng City, which is divided into north and south cities. Fu Cunshen (Fu Yanqing Laozi) was ordered to build it across the Yellow River.
Being a hub of a large river, it is naturally a suitable place for fording, especially for large-scale transfer operations. In the Yellow River Basin, wherever it passes, the terrain is tortuous and the water is turbulent. In this era, along the river, you can also find With so many needs.
The army has been stationed in the south city. There are already garrison barracks outside the city fortress. Although it is not enough to accommodate so many people, it saves the pain of setting up a new one. Expanding the camp step by step and making rice with pots are after all the most elite of the Han Dynasty. After the Forbidden Army has been reorganized, although the running-in time is still short and the combat power has not reached its peak, the basic quality is still there. When going out to fight, the discipline of the army is emphasized, coupled with the strict restraint of the military generals, everything is in order. of.
As night fell, the densely packed Han army camp in front of Desheng Crossing slowly fell into silence. The soldiers rested and recuperated to relieve the fatigue of the days of marching. The sounds of wind, water and animals all around became clearer.
After patrolling among the armies and showing off the presence of His Royal Highness the King of Zhou, Liu Chengyou led a group of people and headed to the ferry. He was appointed as the camp supervisor, supervising the entire army. He had great power, marching, and stationing. Stationed, drilled... everything about the military affairs was monitored. Of course, Liu Chengyou, as always, focused on military discipline and regulations. In just two or three days, his nickname of "Jun Yan Luo" spread again .In the past, it was only in the Longqi Army, but now, it is the entire Forbidden Army.
The dry season in winter has not yet come, and the water level is not low. It is a slippery and wet land, and the terrain is flat. The river is no longer so turbulent at this point. Looking down at the river, in the night sky, the moonlight is dim, and I can see mist on the water in the distance. It is overflowing and its coldness can be felt from a distance.
On the ferry, hundreds of large and small boats collected by the imperial court were parked, with fishermen and boatmen living on them. In the thatched cottages and shacks along the tidal flats, three to four thousand strong laborers huddled inside, hiding from the autumn wind and spending the night. It is said that, In order to support the war effort, more than half of the young people in Chanzhou were recruited.
On the shore, there were constantly soldiers and escorts patrolling by, scanning the laborers with a fierce look to prevent unrest.
At the port near the water, a general, surrounded by generals, was pointing and discussing something. Liu Chengyou walked up slowly and said hello: "General Wang."
The general is Wang Jun. During this expedition, he was appointed by Liu Zhiyuan to conduct military and land deployment. Speaking of this Wang Jun, before and after the founding of the Han Dynasty, he also actively worked for it and tried his best to advocate for Liu Zhiyuan to become emperor. He can be regarded as a founding hero and worked very hard. Duo. After arriving in Tokyo, Liu Zhiyuan was very kind to him. He was appointed Minister of War, reorganized the imperial army, commanded the scattered troops, and led the governor of Bazhou from afar.
However, Wang Jun's ambition obviously does not stop there, and he is somewhat dissatisfied. However, he wants to climb up, but the upper space is firmly controlled by Yang, Shi and other civil and military officials. This time he is lucky enough to accompany him. Jing'er, you have to perform well, and work very hard in preparing the camp, and try to make sure there are no omissions. If your subordinates make mistakes, they will be punished more severely than Liu Chengyou, and the whipping and cane are light.
There was some friendship between the two people. When they were in Jinyang, Wang Jun returned from his mission to Khitan, and Liu Chengyou also consulted him about the Central Plains affairs, and gained a lot. Although the contact was less after that, they still maintained it. Wang Jun is one of the few people who has spoken out in support of Gao Xingzhou in the past and stands with Liu Chengyou.
"Your Highness." Seeing that it was Liu Chengyou, Wang Jun's originally serious expression softened immediately and he returned the salute. The generals around him also hurriedly followed suit and saluted.
"You guys retreat first and prepare according to my order to cross the river tomorrow without making any mistakes!" Wang Jun said sternly as he pushed his subordinates back, which was very powerful.
"General, you are really responsible!" Liu Chengyou praised him as he stood on the river bank and could feel the vibration of the rushing water.
Hearing this, Wang Jun had a self-satisfied smile on his lips, and he spoke quite humbly: "The general is just doing his job."
Hearing this, Liu Chengyou sighed: "In today's world, how many of the Daozhou Jiedu generals and officials are able to perform their duties?"
The wind was strong by the river, and there was a lot of noise. It was necessary to speak at the top of one's voice. The two walked to a hut in the back to talk. Liu Chengyou asked: "With the general here, crossing the river is expected to be safe, right?"
Mentioning this, Wang Jun sounded very certain: "There are no heavy weapons in the army. As long as God is good, we can cross tomorrow!"
"The general is so talented!"
"Your Highness is so complimentary."
Looking to the north through the straw mat curtain, even if the vision is dim, the outline of Desheng North City on the other side is vaguely visible. Wang Jun said: "The adopted son of the Guo family has made a great contribution to saving Deshengkou. Otherwise, the counterinsurgency war will inevitably deteriorate, and it will not With our army now we can cross the river calmly."
Hearing this, Liu Chengyou followed his gaze and looked north, thought for a moment, and said, "The general has always had a lot of insights into military aircraft affairs. I wonder what your views are on the battle situation in Yedu?"
"Is Your Highness taking the final test?" Wang Jun turned to look at Liu Chengyou and asked with a smile.
"I would like to hear the general's opinion."
"With your highness's wisdom, I am afraid that you have already seen the situation in Yedu very clearly and are familiar with it." Wang Jun first complimented Liu Chengyou, and then said firmly: "Du rebellion is at the end of the road, and the officials personally recommend the elite of the country. Go north, once the troops arrive, we can attack Yedu in the blink of an eye!"
"Why is the general so sure?"
Wang Jun replied directly: "The imperial court has to win!"