Chapter 305 The Buddha's Principles of the Wheel-turning King
The wind and snow were still there on Hongchi Ridge, and Jia Yanchang braved the biting wind and snow to climb this majestic mountain ridge again.
Behind him were a thousand elites led by Ma Shacai, including his nephew Wang Zongxin and the three most resentful generals under his command.
Among them, Zhang Zhao brought back less than 200 elite soldiers from Hanhai Town from Anxi, and the remaining more than 800 cavalrymen were composed of six warriors.
Almost all of these thousand men were cavalry, while the elite heavy infantry was composed of the Yucheng Town infantry given to Zhang Zhao by Li Shengtian, and was commanded by the battalion commander Er Zhujing.
Of course, Zhang Zhao would not wait for the outcome of Su Lunjia's discussion before preparing to attack various ministries in Lanzhou.
If that were the case, Zhang Sikong would give the impression that he relied on Su Lunjia to pacify Lanzhou, so how could he establish his authority?
Therefore, Zhang Zhao did not expect the Su Lunjia to play much role at all. They were simply a cover. The real killing move was Zhang Zhao's own fifteen hundred elite soldiers commanded by Ma Shacai.
At the foot of Hongchi Ridge, we headed straight against the river towards Lanzhou, but now it is the dry season, the river water volume is not large, and many river sections are even frozen.
After Ma Shacai led 1,500 people down from Hongchi Ridge, only more than 1,200 people were left.
Most of them are stragglers. Soldiers are very fast. It is enough to leave a general to organize these soldiers. It is impossible for the large army to wait for them.
At the same time, more than 20 people died and were injured. Crossing the Hongchi Ridge in winter is definitely not a good choice. This is the result of someone like Jia Yanchang, who has experienced crossing the Hongchi Ridge more than a dozen times, leading the way.
Before reaching the foot of the mountain, Jia Yanchang pointed to the lower reaches of the river and said: "About fifty miles down the river, there is a small city where the county seat of Jincheng County is. It was built in the Han Dynasty and is stuck in the most critical position.
But when I passed by here three months ago, Jincheng County was already in dilapidated condition, with only a few small tribes nomadic and farming here."
Nishui is the Zhuanglang River in Gansu Province in later generations, and Jincheng is roughly where Yongdeng County, Lanzhou City is located.
Ma Shacai took out the map and looked at it carefully. This map was a copy left by Zhang Yichao after he returned the territory of the eleven states of Hexi to the Tang Dynasty. It was considered quite reliable.
"I would like to ask Jia Dutou, has the river section where Jincheng County is located ever frozen? Is it really 200 miles from Jincheng County to Lanzhou? How is the road condition?"
Jia Yanchang glanced at Ma Shacai without any trace. This man was the battalion commander of Hanhai Town of the Guiyi Army. It was said that he was just a horse thief in the past.
He looks like a cruel and easy-to-kill warrior, but he is actually proficient in arranging troops, can read, and can even understand maps.
This is all the result of Zhang Sikong's teachings! Not only is he good at fighting, he is also good at training his generals.
The Guiyi Army has had this ability for decades, that is, the Taibao Gong back then. It seems that the rumors in the past that the Taibao Gong appeared and taught the Dharma are not necessarily lies.
"It was indeed frozen before March. The river five miles north of the county seat in Jincheng County is the shortest and should be passable.
If you take the main road from Jincheng County to Lanzhou, it is still more than 200 miles away, but if you take the small road east of Jincheng County, it will only be about 180 miles away.
The road is quite muddy, but now that the ice and snow have not melted, it is easier to walk. From now on, we can quickly march on the trail to the foot of Lanzhou City in five days."
Ma Shacai nodded and summoned Er Zhujing, Wang Tongtong, Cui Huxin, Du Yunchixin and other officers over. He pointed at the locations of Jincheng County and Lanzhou on the map and said.
"Half a month ago, Li Cunhui deliberately let Su Lunlu go back to Lanzhou. I believe that all the ministries in Lanzhou, especially the Wang family, must have known about it.
All of them thought that we would wait until Su Lunjia surrendered and the ice and snow melted before attacking.
Then we will give them a big surprise. I would like to skip Jincheng County, cross the river from Jincheng County to the north, and then take a small road directly to the foot of Lanzhou City.
In ancient times, Li Su went to Caizhou on a snowy night. Today, I will cross the Hongchi Mountains with you, and rush to Lanzhou on a snowy night. The battle will be decided!"
"I agree with Commander Ma. In the battle of Lanzhou, we must not fight. If we fight, we must strike with thunder to show off the might of our rebel army and frighten the people of Lanzhou and other states. This is also the king's order!"
The one who agreed was Er Zhujing, who still called Zhang Zhao the Great King. His ancestor was the former Grand Protector of Guo Xin, the last Protector of Anxi, and later lived in Khotan to serve the Khotan royal family.
Although the Erzhu family was born in Qihu, a Xiongnu family, after hundreds of years of integration, they have become no different from the Han people.
Zhang Zhao promoted a certain degree of military democracy in the army and mobilized the initiative of middle and low-level officers and soldiers, which still had some effects.
At least in the military, mid-level officers still have a certain say when making major decisions.
Among these 1,500 people, apart from Ma Shacai, who had the title of Gui Yilang as the commander, Er Zhujing, the commander, had the highest official position. They both agreed, and the matter was basically settled.
Wang Tongtong immediately stepped forward to ask for orders, "Commander Ma, Commander Erzhu, and the three hundred cavalry under a certain command can be the vanguard to cover the advance of the army!"
"Okay! Let's take your department as the vanguard!" As someone who came from Shandu together, Ma Shacai certainly knew that although Wang Tongtong had some problems with his life style, he was still trustworthy in the military.
Moreover, he once fought alongside Zhang Zhao, and was snatched back from the brink of death twice by Zhang Zhao.
Those who are appointed by the Savior are great heroes, and those who are saved by the Lord are also a kind of closeness, aren't they?
"Three masters, if I give them one person and two horses, they will have to go to the city to contact the Majestic Temple, and it will be the work of the three of them!"
After agreeing to Wang Tongtong's request, Ma Shacai ordered the three monks around him holding swords and guns.
This is a warrior monk from the Liangzhou Great Buddha Temple. Since Zhang Zhao is the Yinlun Dharma King of Buddhism, he will not let go of the elite warrior monks in the temple.
These guys can be said to be the special forces of this era. They have a religious identity as a cover, which allows them to travel around and investigate. They are all good at maneuvering in street fights and group fights.
With both tradition and year-round training, fighting in formation may not be possible, but small group encounters and urban street fighting are more fierce than ordinary soldiers.
"Namo Chakravartin Bodhisattva!" The leading monk announced the Buddha's name and waved a stick-like thing in his hand.
"Commander Ma, don't worry. We have King Chakravartin giving us three divine fire thunders. I believe that the chief Dinghui of the Majestic Temple will understand the meaning of the Buddha.
There are two hundred monks and soldiers who are all trained with spears and sticks to help. At that time, we will only listen to the command and make three fire thunders, and then fight out from the majestic temple, seize the Yongning Gate and let the army enter the city!"
Cui Huxin wiped the cold sweat from his head and unconsciously moved a little further away from the wooden stick in the monk's hand.
That thing is filled with divine fire thunder, and with just one blast, several strong men can be blown into bloody holes.
Master Dinghui of the Majestic Temple certainly understands the 'Buddhist principles' contained in this. If he didn't understand, he would probably go directly to see the Buddha.
Damn it! What kind of world is this? Even these great monks come to rob warriors of their food, and they are all involved!
Yongning Gate is the west gate of Lanzhou and is also the main direction of Ma Shacai's attack on Lanzhou.
The Lanzhou City Wall also collapsed to varying degrees due to force repairs by various ministries, with Yongning Gate being the most severely damaged area.
He also understood why some temple monks and soldiers were so fanatical. That was because Zhang Zhao's identity as a reincarnating holy king, as explained by the monks from Tianzhu, could instill a diamond and a small amount of military weapons to protect the Dharma King.
The Yan'en Temple currently under construction in Dunhuang and the Angry-Eye Vajra Protector Hall under construction in Dayun Temple in Liangzhou are all Jialan belonging to the Wheel-turning Holy King.
Zhang Zhao even made a special borderline. The Vajra and Dianbingbao belonging to the Holy King of Chaos can be carved into life-size statues according to the original images of virtuous monks and put into temples for sacrifice.
As for who is virtuous, that is not decided by Zhang Zhao, so some monks who are interested in letting him enter the temple to offer sacrifices are very fanatical and willing to fight for Zhang Zhao.
Their Buddhist teachings were not very intensive to begin with, but now that they are tempted by the shortcut of being able to fight and enjoy wealth while alive, and to enter the temple and become a Vajra after death, of course they are willing to go out and do something.
"Master, wait a minute!" Seeing that the three great monks were about to leave with the divine fire thunder, Jia Yanchang immediately called them. After the three great monks stopped, Jia Yanchang turned to Ma Shacai and said.
"According to my estimate, Master Long Bian, a monk from the capital of Hexi Province, has probably arrived in Lanzhou. He came from Luoyang, the eastern capital, to invite the Jade Girl Treasure for Sikong, and he has nearly a hundred followers under his command.
Commander Ma, why don't you take thirty more elite troops and go with the three masters? Don't enter Lanzhou City first, wait until you find Master Long Bian, and then follow the team into the Majestic Temple, which will definitely make it more difficult for the people of Lanzhou to defend themselves!"
Ma Shacai's eyes lit up, and with the protection of Tong Longbian, a monk from the capital of Hexi Province, if more than a hundred people could enter the Weiyan Temple, things would be easier to handle.
"Wen Chongle, recruit thirty of our elite troops from under your command, follow the three masters to find Master Long Bian, and enter Lanzhou City together."
Compared with Cui Huxin, Du Lunchixin and others who are relatively well-known in the Liugu tribe, it is easier for Wen Chongle, who comes from a small family, to hide his identity because no one knows him.
Wen Chongle was refreshed. In Zhang Zhao's case, only by fighting in battles can one make meritorious service and get rewards. Yue Saonu, a friend and friend, also immediately looked at Wen Chongle, his eyes full of desire.
"Follow your orders! Thirty of the general's subordinates, including Yue Saonu, come from Guzang Nanshan. They are skilled in hand-to-hand combat and will definitely be able to fulfill the important task of commanding and envoys!"
....
Jia Yanchang's estimate was correct. After waiting for the three great monks to go to the south of Lanzhou City, they only waited for two days. As expected, they happened to meet the Hexi capital monks Tong Longbian and Yelu Beinian who came from Luoyang, the eastern capital.
The nine-year-old girl Yelu Abli.
Among them, in addition to the more than sixty guards of the Suzhou Long family brought by Long Bian himself, there was also a group of fifty Khitan warriors.
The leader's Han name was Mu Shunyi, and the Khitan name was Mu Ge. He was originally a personal guard of King Yelubei of Dongdan.
After Yelvbei crossed the sea and came to the Later Tang Dynasty, the hundreds of warriors who followed him were all given Han names by Emperor Mingzong of the Tang Dynasty and became Yelvbei's bodyguards, called Khitan Zhi.
In fact, Yelvbei was slightly tricked by Zhang Zhao. Historically, Li Congke sent people to kill Yelvbei, but the Khitans resisted bravely and almost allowed Yelvbei to escape.
In this time and space, in order to save face, Yelu Bei ordered Yelu Abri to take away more than 50 people from the Khitan, which already had only about 200 people. As a result, they died in embarrassment in the mansion due to lack of guards.
Although they both died, the latter method of death was really aggrieved, but Mu Shunyi and others were spared the end of being hacked to death with random knives.
