After Qiao Zong met Zhang Yue, Cai Jing took him to a place where he met Mu Zheng's wife and children. When the Song army first attacked Hezhou, Mu Zheng's wife and children fell into the hands of the Song people.
However, Zhang Yue has always taken good care of them and hired a Chinese teacher to teach Mu Zheng's son Chinese.
Cai Jing told Qiao Zong that Zhang Longtu's promise to Mu Zheng remained unchanged. As long as he was willing to surrender, his treatment would remain the same.
While Cai Jing was talking, he also spoke a few words to Mu Zheng's son very familiarly. Qiao Zong could see that Mu Zheng's son was very close to Cai Jing.
Cai Jing handed a Chinese letter newly copied by Mu Zheng's son to Qiao Zong.
Qiao Zong looked at the Chinese name of Peacock Flying Southeast.
Qiao Zong didn't know that this was a Yuefu poem.
Before Qiao Zong left Hezhou City, he saw the army of the Song Dynasty arriving continuously on the ramp from the west, with countless red flags and horse hooves trampling through the white snow, as if fire was burning on the frost.
It can be seen that the marching soldiers are all tough and brave men, and they are definitely elite soldiers.
Qiao Zong deliberately delayed the time to chat with Cai Jing, Xu Xi, Su Zhe and other soldiers who were seeing him off, because he also wanted to see the appearance of the Song army.
Cai Jing looked unhappy and urged him repeatedly, but Qiao Zong just delayed.
At this time, the baggage carriages of the Song Army, transporting grain, grass and horse materials, arrived from the west. The honest-looking civilian horsemen pushed the carts and transported the carriages filled with bags of grain and grass to the Hezhou Army.
Qiao Zong saw so many soldiers, horses and countless grains being mobilized to Hezhou City, and couldn't help but ask: "Is this coming from Xizhou or Qinzhou?"
Cai Jing smiled but did not answer.
Qiao Zong thought to himself, so many elite soldiers and so much food and fodder are not something that a small tribe in a land of a hundred miles can deploy, but are the strength that only a country of thousands of miles can have.
Not to mention Guizhang, even Dong Fei is beyond his reach.
It is indeed unwise for a small country to compete with a large country.
Qiao Zong wanted to say something, but he still sighed, and he immediately rode away with his entourage. He walked slowly and turned back three times. When he rode to the mountain pass, Qiao Zong finally looked back and looked at the mountains and rivers towering in the distance.
Hezhou City.
But the troops and supplies of the Song army were still entering the city, and there was no end to them.
"No matter how brave you are, so what? Our people will fight more and more, and your people will fight less and less."
"As long as you don't accept it, we will keep beating until you accept it!"
"Even if the fight lasts for several years, decades, or even a hundred years, as long as we Song people are alive, we will fight to the end!"
Qiao Zong looked at this scene, remembered what Zhang Yue said before, and finally understood what he meant.
After Qiao Zong returned to Tabaicheng, he reported the news of Zhang Yue's refusal to negotiate to Gui Zhang and Mu Zheng.
The leaders of the Tibetan tribe below were all furious. They thought Zhang Yue was arrogant and claimed that as long as he came to attack Baicheng, they would make it impossible for the Song army to come back.
However, after Qiao Zong relayed Zhang Yue's original words, all the Tibetan leaders fell silent.
Gui Zhang smiled and didn't care, while Mu Zheng's expression became more and more serious. What he was most worried about finally happened.
The Song Dynasty is a big country. It could provoke you before because the Song Dynasty did not really regard you as an opponent. Once the Song Dynasty takes you seriously and confirms that you are its enemy, then the next step is to fight to the death.
Guizhang saw Mu Zheng's expression and asked, "Look at this, the Song army is definitely going to attack Baicheng. Should we retreat to Anhua City first?"
Anhua City?
Mu Zheng was unhappy after hearing this and retreated to Anhua City. He had completely lost Xizhou and Hezhou, and had no fundamental place. In the future, he had to listen to Dong Felt's words. In this way, he would completely change from a vassal of the Song Dynasty to a
He became a vassal of Dong Fei and even Gui Zhang.
But who is Gui Zhang? He is not from the Qing and Tang Dynasties. In other words, he comes from a poor family.
How could Mu Zheng succumb to Guizhang?
Mu Zheng immediately refused and said: "If you want to fight, fight here in Tabaicheng. I won't go anywhere but here!"
Gui Zhang laughed and said, "That's up to you. If you want to fight, I will fight with you to the end!"
After Mu Zheng returned to his account, Qiao Zong went to Mu Zheng alone and told him that his wife and children were taken very good care of by Zhang Yue. He also told him that the emperor of the Song Dynasty had promised to leave Mu Zheng alone.
Mu Zheng looked at the Chinese text written by Qiao Zong and handed it to his son. The peacock flying southeast was quite meaningful. Thinking of his wife and children who had fallen into the hands of the Song Dynasty, even a hard-hearted man like Mu Zheng let out a long sigh.
Qiao Zong looked at Mu Zheng and said after being silent for a long time: "I treat Song like this, but Song always treats me well."
After a pause, Mu Zheng said: "But I, Mu Zheng, are not attacking the Song Dynasty for my own wealth, but for the tribe that has followed me for many years. Unless the Song people are willing to withdraw from Xizhou and Hezhou, I, Mu Zheng, will never surrender to the Song Dynasty."
When Qiao Zong heard this, he left with emotion. The scene of Qiao Zong entering Mu Zheng's tent was caught by Gui Zhang's detailed work, and he reported it to Gui Zhang.
In the city of Hezhou, supplies and supplies were piled up like mountains.
After Gao Zunyu defeated the Xia army at the foot of Dingxi City and relieved the Song army's worries, Cai Yanqing, the transshipment envoy of Qinfeng Road, and Zhang Shen, the strategic envoy of Qinfeng Road, rushed to Hezhou City with a large number of baggage and troops.
With this batch of reinforcements, the Song army gained more confidence to pacify the entire Hezhou.
Zhang Yue knew that he was not good at using troops, so he learned Zeng Guofan's secrets of using troops to build a stronghold and fight in vain.
Don’t covet big wins, but seek to accumulate small wins.
There is no saying that failure is the mother of success. The so-called success is a small success that finally turns into a success.
When used on the battlefield, one small victory after another will eventually accumulate into a big victory, and small victories will accumulate into a big victory. The quantitative change will eventually lead to a qualitative change.
Therefore, no matter how Guizhang tried to seduce and show weakness, or how he invited peace and pretended to be defeated, Zhang Yue ignored him. If he didn't have enough troops, he would defend the city, and if he didn't have enough food supplies, he wouldn't attack.
With my unlimited manpower and material resources, I can overcome your recklessness and cleverness.
The reason why a big country is against a small country lies in the word "power". As long as the word "power" is with me, don't worry. I'll hit you a little today, hit you a little tomorrow, grind you down slowly, and keep accumulating small wins as a psychological advantage. The longer it goes on, the more time goes by.
The greater my advantage.
Never make rash advances easily, wait until the situation changes, and then finish the work in one battle.
So as the army gathered, the generals kept asking Zhang Yue for a decisive battle. The generals believed that the time had come, but Zhang Yue ignored them.
Taking advantage of Mu Zheng, Guizhang also gathered his troops under Tabai City, waiting for him to send troops from Hezhou City for a decisive battle.
Zhang Yue continued to let Zhang Kai, Zhongshi Dao, and Wang Junwan continued their raids, sweeping across the entire Hezhou. The Tibetan tribes who had followed Mu Zheng in rebellion were continued to be pacified.
For the Tibetan tribe that had been pacified, Zhang Yue also increased the conditions. From the original withdrawal of strong men to join the Song army, to the need to hand over protons and provide military rations and horse materials, the conditions were increased step by step.
Tribes that have already paid before will grit their teeth and continue to obey the Song Dynasty's requirements due to the cost of their previous investment.
The unwilling tribes would refuse to delay or even resist, and Zhang Yue's treatment was simple. Anyone who resisted would be regarded as dissatisfied, and the only thing waiting for them was the iron cavalry of the Song Army.
Until February of the sixth year of Xining.
Spring has gradually warmed and flowers are blooming in Hezhou, and two-thirds of the tribes in Hezhou have completely surrendered to the Song Dynasty.
As for Guizhang and Mu Zheng, the situation in Tabaicheng was even more difficult, and it became increasingly difficult to collect military supplies and soldiers on the spot. However, Zhang Yue continued to station troops and supplies in Hezhou City calmly.
Gui Zhang and Mu Zheng didn't know when the Song army would send troops from Hezhou City. Now they were all tempered by Zhang Yue's slowness. However, the officials who were more anxious than Gui Zhang and Mu Zheng were the officials.
In fact, not only Mu Zheng and Guizhang can't bear it, but the official family can't bear it either.
In Bianjing City.
The officials looked at the location of Hezhou on the northwest map and frowned.
On the side were Wang Anshi, Wu Chong, Wen Yanbo, Feng Jing, and officials from the three divisions, all standing around the official family.
"Your Majesty, tens of thousands of troops have gathered in Hezhou City. It costs countless people to eat and chew horses every day. Furthermore, transporting grain from Qinzhou to Hezhou is such a long way, and the manpower and material resources consumed are not sustainable for a long time.
"
The official frowned. Although he had just given Zhang Yue 15 million yuan before, he still couldn't bear him spending it like this.
Now Zhang Yue must either withdraw his troops or immediately send troops to attack Baicheng. Otherwise, before Mu Zheng and Gui Zhang collapse, the finances of the entire Qin Feng Transport Department will collapse first.
Previously, the officials couldn't help but issue an edict asking Zhang Yue about when he would march into the army. However, Zhang Yue wrote a lot of words in the memorial. Even if Zhang Yue's words are more embarrassing than mine, I can still stand it.
Why be anxious.
All in all, Zhang Yue's answer was full of nonsense, which can be summed up in two words: "no rush".
This made the official, who was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, almost vomit blood.
"Your Majesty, it is already the beginning of spring, but mobilizing so many manpower and material resources on Qinfeng Road to transport grain and grass to the front line will inevitably delay this year's spring plowing. Once spring plowing is delayed, I am afraid there will be a big famine on Qinfeng Road after autumn... By then
Millions of hungry people...the entire Qinfeng Road, and even the entire northwest will be in chaos, Your Majesty!"
"Now the soldiers and horses of Xihe Road are stationed in Hezhou. They can't advance, but can't retreat... Even if they really win this battle, Qin Fenglu will be disabled."
Wu Chong said: "Your Majesty, this is a war to destroy the country. How can it be a child's play? Thousands of pounds of heavy burdens are placed here, and the lives of millions of people and soldiers depend on it. No matter how cautious you are, you can't be too cautious."
"As Zhang Yue said before, we are struggling now, but aren't Gui Zhang and Mu Zheng also struggling? Isn't their situation more difficult than mine?"
"Now it depends on who loses his composure first. Your Majesty, please think twice."
After listening to Wu Chong's words, the official finally said: "Immediately inform Wang Zhongzheng to go to Hezhou and ask him to take the camera to urge Zhang Yue to advance the army!"
Wang Zhongzheng, who was in Qinzhou, received the official order.
Wang Zhongzheng, who was originally ordered to be a walking horse, stopped when he reached Qinzhou City. Because the officials had withdrawn the order and granted Zhang Yue the power to make arbitrary decisions based on the situation, he changed his position to Qin Feng's Jinglue Division.
But now he was transferred back to Xihe to take charge of the administration, and he was urged by officials to go to Hezhou City to see what Zhang Yue was up to.
This made Wang Zhongzheng unable to help but have one head and two heads.
Wang Zhongzheng looked up to the sky and sighed, this is not a good job.
But now Wang Zhongzheng had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to Hezhou.
