In mid-November, Huaibei was also covered with heavy snow.
Although the Hehuai River was frozen after winter, the world was dominated by Yanhu cavalry. However, after the setback in the Battle of Jingxiang, Yanhu had the opportunity to recuperate in the past two years, but in the Hehuai area, Yanhu has not been able to recover.
Due to the superiority in military strength, Huaibei's defense situation is far from serious after winter.
In the heavy snow, people stayed in the villages. In the ice and snow, not a soul was seen for a long time. The Chenjiatang sentry fort stood on the west bank of Surabaya, guarding the Chenjiatang floating bridge.
The Chenjiatang Floating Bridge is more than 560 meters wide. Thirty-one floating boats are connected with iron cables and paved with pallets. It is the most important crossing bridge over the Bian River in the south of Suyu. Although it is already the hinterland of Xusi, to the south
It is an important town in Siyang, but in addition to Chenjiatang Township Secretary, Huaiyang also has a sentry stationed here all year round.
Surabaya freezes over in November, and river ice blocks the pontoons. Cars and horses on the bridge at this time will cause great damage to the pontoon bridge. Normally, the pontoons will be removed after winter, but in order to protect the safety of both sides of Surabaya,
The land route is smooth, and even though the wear and tear of the boat bridge is so high that it needs to be replaced once a year, the Chenjiatang pontoon bridge was not removed after the Bianshui River froze, and it still spans the river ice.
A group of carriages and horses emerged from the horizon, and six carriages were gradually approaching, escorted by more than a hundred cavalry.
When merchants and civilians cross the bridge, they are inspected by the township secretary; those who carry troops and warriors are inspected by the garrison. Watching more than a hundred cavalry approaching from a distance, the alert bell rings from the outpost, and at the same time, two more cavalry come out of the outpost to greet them.
, and soon came back with the passage letter for the passing soldiers and horses.
Yue Zhou opened the curtain of the car from the outside, and the biting cold wind rushed in from outside the car. Yue Lengqiu shrank his shoulders, narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at the heavily guarded fort, and waited patiently for the flag to let him go.
Yue Zhi, who was sitting on the side, also raised his eyes to look at the situation on the left and right of the pontoon bridge, and said: "It is said that Duke Chongguo lives in Haizhou and looks at Jiangning, but the rut in Xusi has not stopped!"
Yue Lengqiu looked at the ruts in front of the carriage, crushing the snow on the road to pieces. Looking at the traces of the ruts, it seemed that there were quite a few heavy-duty carriages passing here in the past two days.
"How could the little actions of Xuchang and Yuzhou be hidden from Jiang Ning?" Yue Lengqiu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's just that Duke Chong has spent most of the year in Haizhou reorganizing his armaments, so people can't see through him.
What are you thinking in your heart!"
"From what my uncle has seen, how long can the emperor's body last?" Yue Zhi asked in a suppressed voice.
How the situation will develop next, the life and death of Emperor Yongxing is the most critical fork; in the eyes of outsiders, Lin Fu's delay in the Northern Expedition is also this key factor.
Emperor Yongxing died of illness, which was undoubtedly the best time for Lin Fu to proclaim himself emperor. It was as simple as forging a posthumous edict. Of course, this required Lin Fu to stay in Jiangning, or to be able to return to Jiangning at any time to control the situation.
If Emperor Yongxing died of illness while Lin Fu was leading his army in the Northern Expedition, things would obviously be much more troublesome and complicated.
Lin Fu delayed the Northern Expedition. Cheng Yuqian resigned as prime minister at the beginning of the year. In the middle of the year, the Cao family killed Qin Zongyuan, the Xuanfu envoy in both Sichuan. Lin Fu ignored it, and ordered the towns in Henan to reduce their troops. All signs indicate that Lin Fu
He was waiting for Emperor Yongxing to die of illness.
At the beginning of the year, there were rumors that Emperor Yongxing's body could not last more than three to five months. However, it was delayed for more than half a year and Emperor Yongxing did not die, which can be regarded as a miracle. At this time, Yue Zhi even suspected
How much patience does Qi Linfu have left?
"You should be suspended with medicine at this time!" Yue Lengqiu said. He returned to Jiangning at the beginning of the year to meet Emperor Yongxing. At that time, Emperor Yongxing had difficulty even sitting on the dragon chair. Of course, it was normal for him to be dragged to death.
Think about the emperors of the Fourteenth Dynasty of Yuan Yue, the longest age was only fifty-nine; Emperor Yongxing was already forty-four this year, so even if he died of illness, it would not be considered an early death.
To be honest, Lin Fu summoned Yue Lengqiu to Haizhou to discuss the Northern Expedition this time, but Yue Lengqiu still couldn't figure out Lin Fu's thoughts. Maybe this was Lin Fu's last attempt to test his mind...
After all, no one wants to leave the name of "Second Minister" in the history books. Yue Lengqiu hopes that Lin Fu will have the patience to wait until Emperor Yongxing dies of illness and then abdicates and establishes a new dynasty. However, if Lin Fu is impatient, Yue Lengqiu also knows it.
He knew that the actual situation did not allow him to have more choices.
After the Battle of Jingxiang, Dong Yuan had no other choice but to disband his armor and return to his fields. How could a man like Dong Yuan be willing to disband his armor, return to his army and become a mediocre farmer until the end of his life?
Yue Lengqiu knew that he was different from Dong Yuan. Even if he attached himself to Huaidong and knew how to advance and retreat, Lin Fu should be able to protect the wealth of his descendants - but it was hard to say. The precedent of cunning rabbits dying and being cooked by lackeys was too great.
There are too many, and history is endless. Once he gives up military power, who knows whether Lin Fu will fall out of favor?
During this trip to Haizhou, Yue Lengqiu also had a very complicated mood - when Lin Fu summoned him in Haizhou to discuss the Northern Expedition, he almost believed that this was Lin Fu testing the attitude of the soldiers and horses in Guoyang and Zhengyang. Yue Lengqiu also felt very complicated.
Leng Qiu, Deng Yu, Yue Zhi and Tao Chun discussed for a long time in Guoyang, and finally decided to take Yue Zhi with them, because they planned to keep Yue Zhi in Haizhou as a hostage if they had to gain Lin Fu's trust.
Dong Yuan had to make the final struggle, Liu Tingzhou, Yuan returned to power and was a lone loyal minister of Yuan Yue. The Cao family had greater ambitions to cut Sichuan and Shu, but it was obvious that Lin Fu could only wait until he became emperor before he could gradually solve Henan.
The remaining issues of Zhuzhen and Sichuan and Shu. The soldiers and horses of Wuyang and Zhengyang towns bear the important task of defending the middle section of the Hehuai defense line and monitoring Xuchang.
Just heading eastward gradually entered the hinterland of the defense zone controlled by the Huaiyang Army, and further east was the Yihai War Zone controlled by the Fengli Army. Various signs seen along the way seemed to indicate that the Huaidong Army had been preparing for the Northern Expedition, otherwise it would not have started from Xu.
Si to Yihai will not have such frequent material transportation after winter.
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It was also snowing heavily in Haizhou City, and the camp was next to the courtyard of the Northern Army Staff Headquarters, making it easy for Lin Fu to enter and exit, and to keep abreast of the staff's operations at any time.
At dusk, Lin Fu stood in the atrium, looking at the withered plum branches in the corner of the yard. Under the falling snowflakes, the buds of the flowers had not yet bloomed, like waxy yellow rice grains.
Gao Zongting came from the other courtyard and reported: "A message came from Sikou. Yue Lengqiu and Yue Zhi have passed through Sishui. They should rest in Guanyun tonight, and they will arrive in Haizhou tomorrow..."
"Don't worry too much about Guoyang, the western front will be stable!" Lin Fu turned around and said, he was quite satisfied with Yue Lengqiu and Yue Zhi coming to Haizhou personally after receiving the order.
Gao Zongting nodded and said: "In the early days of the month, Chen Zhihu withdrew the troops stationed in Tianshui and allowed the Qiang and Hu to move eastward. This should be the condition negotiated between the Cao family and the Yanhu. She Yuan led his troops to the northwest, presumably because he had no intention of participating in the Central Plains anymore.
The situation of the war; and the Cao family's soldiers and horses who had stayed in Funiu Mountain earlier have been approaching Ruyang where Liang Chengdong is stationed this month. It seems that Xuchang is determined to go its own way..."
"He didn't take the road to heaven, but he broke in when there was no door to hell." Lin Fu stood with his hands on his sleeves, looking at the falling snowflakes in the atrium with sharp eyes, and said, "I originally thought that Dong Yuan should also be a hero who understands current affairs, but I didn't
To think that he can’t clearly see the situation!”
"Dong Yuan is not the Dong Yuan of old. He was completely blinded by ambition and lust for power, and he has long been unable to see the reality clearly..." Gao Zongting was also silent about Dong Yuan's choice. Although the focus of the Northern Expedition was on the eastern front, the staff army was still focused on the western front.
Military affairs on the front line have never been relaxed.
"That's fine," Lin Fu said, "you pass the order for me, asking Ao Canghai, Ning Zechen to slightly open the entrance to the upper reaches of the Huai River to Xuchang, and asking Zhou Tong to slightly open the entrance to the west from Xiajiang River. Some people are clinging to their old ways.
, regard the New Deal as a scourge, and forcing them to stay in the south is a bitter and unsweet melon. If they want to go to Xuchang or Yuzhou, let them go. Wait three to five years, and then settle the accounts with them.
…”
"If that's the case, Jiang Ning's rumors need to be tighter to scare some people away..." Gao Zongting said.
"You and Wu Qi can make arrangements and just tell me. Yuzhou doesn't have enough bargaining chips, so why don't you ask Liu Zhi to throw a few royal seals secretly and let them have a hard time..." Lin Fu said.
Gao Zongting heard the endless murderous intent hidden in Lin Fu's words, and gradually lost patience with Liangchuan and Xuchang. He deliberately asked Cao Yiqu and Dong Yuan to take the initiative to intensify the conflict between them, so as to have a chance to cut through the mess quickly.
The rumors about seeking power and usurping the throne in Jiangning are getting tighter. Those who are worried that Lin Fu will be purged after he becomes emperor are in panic day and night. Rather than leaving them in the country to become unstable and a factor that hinders the New Deal, they would rather go to Xuchang or Yuzhou.
.
Lin Fu's delay in not going to the Northern Expedition is nothing else. In fact, the New Deal needs to lay the foundation for a relatively stable external environment. Unfortunately, others regard Lin Fu's delay in not going to the Northern Expedition as preparation for usurping the throne.
, Empress Dowager Liang even did not hesitate to use Princess Yangxin’s marriage to stimulate the nerves here.
Two years have passed. Although the New Deal cannot be said to have completely taken root, it has been generally implemented in various places, and local governments have gradually seen the benefits of the New Deal. It is also time to start the Northern Expedition.
However, before the Northern Expedition, it was necessary to stabilize the Western Front. Obviously, Cao Yiqu and Dong Yuan would not be comfortable watching Lin Fu raise troops from the Eastern Front for the Northern Expedition. In order to stabilize the Western Front, Lin Fu not only established troops in Jingzhou and Nanyang,
In addition to the 120,000 heavy troops prepared in Jiangxia and other places, Yue Lengqiu is also a key factor related to the stability of the Western Front.
As long as Yue Lengqiu does not want to change, Cao Yiqu is in Yuzhou, and Dong Yuan is in Xuchang, no matter how much troubles are made, the overall situation cannot be overturned. The fact that Yue Lengqiu and Yue Zhi can come to Haizhou to meet as scheduled also shows that Guoyang and Zhengyang are two
The attitude of suppressing soldiers and horses.
At this time Wu Qi came in and said: "Wu Jingze and the others have arrived in Haizhou. I have arranged for them to stay in the post house. My lord, will you find time to meet them..."
"They are taking a lot of risks when they go north. How can I not see them at all?" Lin Fu smiled and said to Gao Zongting, "You and Mr. Crow will accompany me to see Jingze and the others; I really can't spare the time.
We have enough manpower to transfer Jingze from Yuanzhou..."
In the Battle of Shangrao and the following battles to recover the entire territory of Jiangxi and the Battle of Yuanzhou, Wu Jingze, a former captain of the East Fujian Army, had military exploits. After the Battle of Yuanzhou, he served as Yuanzhou's military commander and general judge.
Before the start of the Northern Expedition, Lin Fu needed someone who was familiar with military affairs and military affairs to sneak into the north to take charge of many affairs. After much deliberation, Lin Fu could only transfer Wu Jingze from Jiangxi.