After deciding to sue for peace, Li Jing breathed a sigh of relief, as if a barrier in his heart had been lifted. Seeing Han Xizai and others looking like they were still trying to persuade him, Li Jing announced the dismissal of the court first, turned around and walked down the steps towards the inner hall.
And left without giving the other generation a chance to speak.
Li Hongji looked unwilling and followed Li Jing to meet him. In the inner hall, Li Jing sat at the table and drank a few sips of tea, looking exhausted both physically and mentally.
Li Hongji stepped forward and squatted beside him, grabbing Nai's father's hand, and asked urgently: "Does father really want to negotiate peace with the Northern Han Dynasty?"
"If we don't negotiate for peace, what else can we do?" Li Jing sighed sadly: "We can't continue fighting. If we continue to fight with the Northern Han Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty will perish! As a father, I cannot let the foundation created by the late emperor be defeated in my hands!
"
"Huainan is also the foundation of the late emperor, how can we let Han thieves plunder it! Our dynasty still has a hundred thousand troops, crossing the river, enough to resist it!" Li Hongji was a little excited.
Seeing this, Li Jing couldn't help raising her hand, caressing the top of her eldest son's head, and said softly: "Hongji, I know you have great ambitions and a strong spirit. However, the Han army is so powerful that you cannot defeat it. You have to take the overall situation into consideration.
Jiangbei has become corrupt and difficult to control, but Jiangdong and Jiangxi cannot have any more problems.
Sending an envoy to sue for peace was a desperate move, and it was for the continuation of the Tang Dynasty. However, the outcome depended on the attitude of the Han emperor. Before the envoy returned south, the Tang Dynasty had to be prepared.
The generals of the outer court are ultimately useless. I have King Jingda of Qi as my commander, commanding the Dangtu camp and the land and water armies along the river, to consolidate the river defense. You are my deputy, and you should restrain your temper, so that you can assist your uncle and ensure the safety of the river defense.
Once the Han Emperor refuses to make peace, the rolling Yangtze River will be our greatest support!"
"Yes!" Facing Li Jing's gaze, Li Hongji nodded in agreement no matter how unwilling he was.
For the foreign ministers of the Southern Tang Dynasty, after leaving the palace, Feng Yansi followed Song Qiqiu, rode in the same car with him, and asked: "Song Gong, what do you think of the peace negotiation?"
"What kind of peace? It's just a peace!" Song Qiqiu closed his eyes slightly, his body swayed slightly as the vehicle moved, and said directly: "But it's just a way to quench thirst by drinking poison!"
Feng Yansi was a little embarrassed. After all, he also supported the peace talks. He turned his head away with a guilty conscience and looked at the streets, which were full of desolation and depression. He sighed: "In order to deal with the invasion of the Northern Han Dynasty, the imperial court has exhausted all its military, financial and civilian resources."
, if the fight continues, there may be civil unrest!"
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"You didn't listen to me that day, and you regret it now!" Song Qiqiu said: "Your Majesty has a mediocre temperament, is hesitant and difficult to make decisions when encountering problems, uses people with doubts, and changes orders in the morning and overnight. How can he be undefeated? He has just completed the dynasty.
Among the Gong Gong lords, Han Xizai was the only one who was unswervingly determined and had some insights.
Is it true that the Tang Dynasty cannot be defeated? After more than ten years of accumulation, once there is no remaining strength left? From what I see, what King Yan said is right, you are just afraid of being beaten by the Han army!
Negotiating peace, huh, if we don't cede all the fourteen states north of the Yangtze River, how can the Han emperor retreat? Huainan is completely lost, and only half of the south of the Yangtze River is left. How can we defend it?"
After listening to Song Qiqiu's words, Feng Yansi's face changed for a moment, but he did not dare to refute in the face of this veteran minister. After thinking about it, he sighed: "It seems that Song Gong disagrees with the peace negotiation, why don't you ask
Your Majesty, do you have any advice?"
"Is there any room for me to speak in this court? Even if I make suggestions, will Your Majesty listen?" Song Qiqiu's breath became more urgent. He took two deep breaths before calming down and said bitterly: "I will follow the late Emperor. I established a foundation and shocked the southern country. I never thought that I would actually experience such results when I grow old. The sun is setting on the west mountain, the sun is setting on the west mountain..."
Song Qiqiu's sigh was vaguely lamenting the passing of the country's fate in the Southern Tang Dynasty. The decline of the country's power was almost irreversible, like falling into an abyss...
When the state was in crisis, the party disputes in the Southern Tang Dynasty eased unconsciously. There were divergent opinions between the two parties and within the two parties, and there were countless people who disagreed. Looking at Feng Yansi and Song Qiqiu, Sun Sheng and Han Xizai, they It can be seen that if Guo Zuo of the Southern Tang Dynasty continued for a few more years, it would probably transform into a war faction and a surrender faction.
In Yanziji, Sun Sheng was worshiped as Sikong, and he went to Shouchun with his credentials to present to Han Emperor Liu Chengyou to discuss peace. Han Xizai came to see him off in person, and the two argued again, but the result was that they neither speculated nor conspired with each other. .
After Sun Sheng took the mission and went north by boat, urgent news came from the north again. After three months of siege, Shouchun was finally defeated by the Han army. This once again frightened the Tang court. Even a stupid person could see that, In the spring of Shouchun, the Han army marched to the south, and there was no longer any obstacle.
As for Sizhou, it was difficult to support it alone, and no one believed that Guo Tingwei could hold it. And with the current empty situation in Huainan, it would be difficult to stop the Han army. Therefore, the leader of the Tang Dynasty, Li Jing, became more determined to negotiate peace.
...
Yangzhou, Jiangducheng.
For about thirty years since Yang Wu, this famous city in Huainan has not experienced a war. Even in the past few months during the Han army's southern expedition, the two sides fought in the towns and states along the Huaihe River.
However, since the beginning of spring, the army of the Southern Tang Dynasty has been marching northward. In just over half a month, the situation took a turn for the worse, and the Han army came like a wind and a lingering cloud. At this time, the Tang flag at the top of Jiangdu City had been folded, and what was re-erected was a face-to-face flag. Han Banner.
Zhao Kuangyin and Chen Sirang joined forces and led an army of 4,500 people. They quickly headed south by boat, heading towards Gaoyou. Early the next morning, they launched a surprise attack on the Tang army. The newly defeated Tang army was unprepared and took advantage of them.
The Han army was fierce and the Tang army, which had lost morale and morale, was completely unable to stop it. Yao Feng abandoned the army and fled. He was captured by his subordinates and surrendered to the Han army. And this time, the Tang army's navy failed to escape and was intercepted in the water. In the stronghold, after an attack and killing, they were all captured by Zhao Kuangyin.
Now that the battle has reached this point, the Tang army in Huainan has basically lost its ambition. Facing the Han army, the resistance is getting weaker and weaker. The defeat is like a mountain. Therefore, the Han army's victory is becoming easier and easier, and the results are also Getting bigger and bigger. After the Battle of Gaoyou, the biggest trouble for Zhao Kuangyin was that there were too many prisoners...
After defeating Yao Feng's army in Gaoyou, Zhao Kuangyin and Chen Sirang took a short break and led only 2,500 soldiers, heading south along the canal, under the banner of the Tang army, to attack Yangzhou.
Arriving at Yangzhou, there was no resistance when entering the city. With almost no effort, the city was full of soldiers and civilians, and they all took advantage of it.
On the bank of the canal, at the head of Jiangdu City, Zhao Kuangyin stood looking south, his eyes red and his expression tired, but his mood was completely relaxed and he wished he could roar loudly or laugh wildly.
"Jing Lue Envoy!" Dang Jin ran up to the city head and stood beside him: "What are you looking at?"
After hearing the question, Zhao Kuangyin raised his hand to point in the direction and said: "The canal flows into the Yangtze River, crossing the Yangtze River, which is the land east of the Yangtze River. It's a pity that our army's frontline has not been able to compete for the full merits and destroy the Tang Dynasty in one fell swoop.
What a pity!"
Dang Jin didn't think so much. He just listened to the military orders. At this time, with a smile on his face, he reported: "The city has been completely controlled. The city is really empty, but these guards are too useless. They actually left without fighting at all.
Surrender. I made some inquiries and found that most of Yangzhou's defenses have not fought in more than ten years. They are really useless!"
"I didn't expect to capture the whole city!" Zhao Kuangyin also laughed and said: "However, as the war has progressed to this point, do you feel that our war is getting smoother and easier? You know this
What does it mean?"
"What does it mean?" Dang Jin asked.
"The puppet Tang army has been defeated and the people's morale has been dispersed. Facing our army's invasion, they are no longer able to resist. Our Han army can officially annex Huainan!" Zhao Kuangyin said.
Dang Jin nodded, but in fact his head was a little confused and he did not fully understand what Zhao Kuangyin said.
Mentioning this, Zhao Kuangyin thought of something and immediately ordered: "Yangzhou is the most prosperous state in Huainan. It is rich in products and has countless goods. It is inevitable that some of the officers and soldiers below will be motivated by wealth. Pass the order and order the officers of the battalions to strictly restrain them.
Soldiers must not harass the people or plunder money or goods. All government offices and treasuries must be strictly guarded and no mistakes can be allowed.
Now that Yangzhou is here, every plant, tree, brick and tile here belongs to the country. It should be reported to the government and left to the disposal of your majesty and the imperial court. No one can touch it lightly!"
The fact that Zhao Kuangyin could say these words shows that his ideological consciousness is still very high, or that he has lofty aspirations. Even if he is as wealthy as Yangzhou, it is difficult to move his heart.
When Dang Jin heard this, he couldn't help but muttered: "Brothers have fought hard and fought several bloody battles before we entered this big city. It's understandable to let off some steam and get some money!"