Miaochuan City is surrounded by mountains to the east, Zonghe Bridge to the west, and Huangshui River below the city.
Mochuan City and Qingtang City are generally two-city structures. The northeast is a military city, which is surrounded by mountains and rivers and the terrain is extremely dangerous. The southwest is a commercial city, where merchants are stationed.
But unlike Qingtang City, the nobles of the Qingtang tribe in Miaochuan City were greedy for comfort and enjoyment, and did not like to live in military cities, but preferred to live in shopping malls.
When the Song army disguised itself as a caravan and entered the mall, the Qing and Tang troops saw through it and failed to seize the city halfway. Dozens of Song soldiers were killed and the angry defenders threw the bodies of the Song soldiers into the Huangshui River.
Before Zhang Kai left the army, all the generals discussed it carefully.
Zhong Shidao suggested: "If our army attacks Mochuan City, Ali Gu from the west will lead the Qing and Tang tribes to come to the rescue. If we cannot attack for a long time, the Xia bandits east of the river will start again. This is no small enemy!"
"The best strategy now is to divide the troops into two groups and attack Fange City all the way to eliminate the help of the Xia thieves. The main force will leave Yujing Pass and attack Miaochuan City in one battle. If it is too late, things will change!"
After Master Zhong finished speaking, everyone said that if Ali Gu sends troops from Qingtang City and fails to capture Miaochuan City, he will be attacked from both sides.
Zhang Kai was hesitant when he heard this, but Wang Hou said: "Now that we have been thinking about it for a long time, it is better to wait until we send out troops. When the troops arrive at the city, everything will fall into place."
After Wang Hou said this, Zhang Kai made his decision.
Li Xian led his troops to camp in Xizhou and Hezhou to monitor the enemies of Xixia in Lanzhou.
Zhang Kai ordered the Han and Tibetan troops in Xizhou, Hezhou, Taocheng, Minzhou, and Tongyuan, including 10,000 Song troops and 25,000 Tibetan troops.
Zhang Kai ordered Zhongshi Dao to lead 20,000 soldiers and horses to break through Jingyuguan and reach the gate of Miaochuan City.
However, Zhang Kai led Wang Hou, Mu Zheng, Bao Shun, and Tong Guan led 150,000 soldiers and horses to break through Jiange City first, and after capturing Doropa and his son, the nearby Tibetan tribes rushed to surrender.
Zhang Kai captured hundreds of nearby powerful Tibetan leaders and took them hostage, and sent troops to garrison the city of Jiange. He then led more than 10,000 troops to Miaochuan City to join forces with Zhongshi Dao.
Zhongshidao had been sieging the city for several days. The leaders of the Qing and Tang tribes in Miaochuan City who were close to the Song Dynasty wanted to surrender to the Song Dynasty when they saw the reinforcements of the Song Dynasty. However, the city lord refused to surrender.
Zhang Kai, Zhongshi Taoist General, stationed his army on the mountain, and could clearly see all the movement in the southwest city of Miaochuan City.
At this time, the generals on the mountain were watching the new Tibetan troops from the Northeast City entering the Southwest City through the Zonghe Bridge.
All the generals were shocked and said to Zhang Kai: "The traitors and reinforcements are constantly coming. Our army is under the old city, so it is better to postpone the plan."
Zhang Kai, who had been hesitant before and repeatedly hesitated to send troops to the Qing Tang Dynasty, said to the generals: "If the army penetrates deep here, it is already a dead end. If we don't break the city quickly, once Ali Gu leads his army to help, all our troops will be killed below the city."
! Anyone who dares to retreat will be killed!"
After hearing Zhang Kai's words, all the generals tried their best to attack the city.
The Song army surrounded the city on three sides, and the generals recruited dead soldiers with heavy sums of money to climb the city first, while the Qing and Tang defenders threw stones at the Song army who climbed the city.
Countless Song troops fell into the city, but there were still Song troops who continued to climb up the city, risking their lives. Arrows rained down from the top of the city and below. Both the Song troops and the Tibetan troops below the city set up huge shields to resist them.
All the generals who had been marching for half their lives were dumbfounded when they saw this fierce battle.
Several leaders in Miaochuan City had already agreed with Zhang Kai to serve as internal responders, but when the incident happened, they were reported and they, along with their clan members, were beheaded by the guard.
When the defender hung Nei Ying's head on the city wall, the Song army knew that the strategy of combining inside and outside had failed, so they attacked the city more urgently.
At this time, Ali Gu had already sent troops from Qingtang City.
Originally, Wen Xixin, Wen Nezhi Yingcheng and other Tibetan leaders who were close to the Song Dynasty were procrastinating and refused to send troops for various reasons.
Ali Gu was extremely anxious, knowing that once Miaochuan fell, the Song army would inevitably sweep westward, and Qingtang City would not be safe by then.
Ali Gu first cried for the Khitan Princess, and then carried Dong Fei out before he could order the princes, mobilize Wen Xixin and other tribes, and gathered an army of 70,000 to 80,000 people to go to Miaochuan City for rescue.
…
The first month of the first year of Yuanfeng.
The Xixia envoy Li Qing came to the Song Dynasty to congratulate him, and later presented his credentials to accuse the Song Dynasty of betrayal and undeclared war, and suddenly attacked Huangzhou in the Qingtang Dynasty.
Li Bingchang, the leader of the Xixia Kingdom, was furious and wanted to raise an army of 300,000 to attack the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty was wrong about this, so the officials had to use gentle words to appease Li Qing.
After Li Qing left, the officials looked embarrassed and sighed.
At this time, the chamberlain on the side held a fire-lacquered bamboo tube and said: "Your Majesty, urgent report from the northwest!"
The official couldn't wait to order someone to cut open the bamboo tube, and then looked at it. It was better not to look at it, but as soon as he looked at it, the official fell down on the throne.
The officials couldn't help but said: "Miaochuan City has been unable to be captured for a long time, and Ali Gu led a large army to help. Since ancient times, heavy troops have been stationed under the fortified city. Isn't it a dead end!"
Seeing that the officials were like this, Shi De and other servants on the left and right advised him: "Your Majesty, Zhang Kai, as a general who knows all the skills of a teacher, he will not have such a disaster."
After hearing this, the official's expression calmed down.
On one side is a list of ministers who have returned to Beijing to report on their duties.
When he first came into power, officials paid great attention to such occasions. He liked to hear different content from the mouths of the prime ministers from the mouths of these ministers who returned to Beijing to report on their duties.
However, it was later learned that Zhongshu had been strictly guarding against this situation for a long time. No minister who faced the emperor could lightly express any dissatisfaction with Zhongshu's policies.
Once they say it, there will be no future for this official's official career.
Therefore, the emperor is not as enthusiastic as before.
The official was not in the mood today, but when he glanced at the list, there was a familiar name.
…
At the pavilion gate outside the Golden Palace.
A purple-robed official was standing with his hands behind his back.
Being able to obey the purple color after being over forty is not something that ordinary officials can achieve.
This man was looking at the palace, as if he was in a trance. He was not at all as nervous and uneasy as other officials who were waiting for the emperor to meet him.
Some ministers knew about this official's deeds and couldn't help but point fingers at him secretly, with expressions of fear and admiration on their faces.
At this time, the official coughed slightly, and the officials on the left and right all looked away, for fear of looking at each other.
Soon a valet came out, and everyone on the left and right saluted him and called him the head of the cabinet.
The attendant nodded to the officials and went straight to the purple-robed official to salute. With a smile on his face, he said: "Your Majesty has given me a seal to serve as the governor of Yueci. I'm here to invite you."
None of the officials dared to object after hearing this, as if they should be doing so.
This purple-robed official was Zhang Dun, who had just put down the Dong rebellion in Xiazhou, Chenzhou and Yuanzhou.
In the fifth year of Zhang Dun Xining's reign, the barbarians of Ping Meishan were known to the emperor. However, Zhang Dun killed too many people when he Ping Meishan. In the end, the local people agreed that "the Han will not surrender to the Yao, the men will not surrender to the Yao, the men will not surrender to the women, and the living will not surrender to the dead." From then on, Meishan
The barbarians are no longer a problem.
This time, Zhang Dun expanded his territory and built Yuanzhou and several other prefectures. He expanded the territory twice by hundreds of miles and built dozens of prefectures.
Su Shi wrote a letter and praised him, "Who can achieve three consecutive victories in fame and fame? How can one forget two things about his life experience?"
Now Zhang Dun was full of murderous intent and carried countless heads to the capital. Officials of the old opposition party criticized him for being cruel and easy to kill, but it also made many people see the phenomenon of scholars in the Han and Tang Dynasties who worshiped the marquis of ten thousand households with military merit.
It was also because of his merits as a barbarian twice that Zhang Dun was promoted to the post of magistrate of Hangzhou and returned to Beijing to report on his duties.
The officials called for the right one more and more times. The servant on the side whispered to Zhang Dun: "At the moment, the officials are worried about the unfavorable things in the attack on Huangzhou. Zhang Gong can take advantage of the situation and say it."
Zhang Dun nodded and said, "Thank you very much. I don't know what to call you?"
The other party smiled and said: "I'm Huang Chip, Mr. Lu was very kind to me in the past."
Zhang Dun heard that the other party was Lu Huiqing's friend and said: "That's one of his own too."
After a while, Zhang Dun came to the palace to see his majesty. As soon as the officials saw Zhang Dun, they immediately ordered him to sit down.
After Zhang Dun sat down, the officials heard about Zhang Dun's plan to pacify the barbarians in Meishan.
Zhang Dun said: "There is no other skill, just don't talk about the benevolence of women. Just use your troops to kill more! After killing, just reward them heavily. In this way, all soldiers will use their lives and be willing to fight and die!"
The officials laughed when they heard this, and the censors criticized Zhang Dun for killing too many people, but he actually admitted it directly.
The official said: "You are straight to your heart and don't worry about others, so you can defeat the enemy successfully!"
Zhang Dun said without any humility: "This is where I gained my skills."
The official said: "I have gained something, no wonder you can make great achievements."
The official thought to himself that he had always had a bad impression of Zhang Dun in the past, thinking that he was too reckless in his actions. Later, when he saw him saving the three divisions, he realized that this man had outstanding talents.
Now he has defeated the barbarians in Meishan twice and expanded the territory of Song Dynasty to more than ten states. I suddenly feel that this person is really a talent that can be made.
The official said to Zhang Dun: "In this dynasty's martial arts, Zhang Yue, Zhang Kai, Wang Shao entered with the Xihe River, Qing used the Wuxi River, Xiong Ben used the Luyi to fight, and down came Shenqi, Liu Yi, and Zhonge."
"It is not easy for you to achieve this great feat with one person's efforts."
Although Xihe Road's military exploits were great, they were divided among Zhang Yue, Zhang Kai, and Wang Shao. Zhang Dun alone achieved the second military exploit in the Xining year, which can be regarded as a great achievement. Even the official implication is that you are better than the previous ones.
Three people.
When Zhang Dun heard the emperor's praise, he was both humble and arrogant and said: "It all depends on your majesty knowing people and making good use of them, so that I can make great achievements!"
After listening to Zhang Dun's memorial, the officials couldn't help but feel happy. They felt more and more that this man's words and temperament were right, and they immediately said: "You don't have to go to Hangzhou. You are a Hanlin scholar and stay with me to advise me."
After hearing this, Zhang Dun said calmly: "I obey the decree."
Zhang Dun became a Hanlin bachelor, which was equivalent to returning to the ranks of the "four seniors" and once again qualified to "become a prime minister". But Zhang Dun was not surprised at all.
The official said to Zhang Dun: "Now that the imperial army is trapped under Miaochuan City, Ali Gu leads an army to come to the rescue. What do you think?"
Zhang Dun said: "I have not experienced anything in the northwest and dare not speak nonsense."
It was Zhongshu's decision to send troops from Huangzhou. Zhang Dun maintained a tacit understanding that he would not judge Zhongshu's actions easily.
The official said: "I want you to speak nonsense, but it doesn't matter! If you say something wrong, I won't blame you! Is it because Zhang Shengzheng and the minister dare not say anything about it?"
Zhang Dun couldn't stand anyone provoking him the most in his life.
Now that he heard what the official said, Zhang Dun immediately said: "This time I met Wang Shao, the barbarian queen of Pingmei Mountain. I asked Wang Shao what Zhang Yue's talent was like. Wang Shao said that he was talented in peace, and he was especially bad at military affairs.
!”
"I know that Zhang Yue is responsible for pacifying the Huangzhou Temple this time, but he has always been slow in using troops and is not good at adapting to changes. Now that the court can open up the Xihe River, Zhang Yue can only be the first to pacify the Xihe River. As for pacifying the Xihe River, it can be replaced by someone else.
"
The officials were very happy to hear this. They thought that Zhang Dun was more interested in the country than his own life, so he was easier to control than Zhang Yue.
The official said: "Zhang Shen's political skills should only be shallow, not deep. This is something you don't know!"
