The reason why Lin Jue assisted Ma Qingshan and Han Gang in capturing Zhuozhou and Xijin Prefecture was of course to sabotage the peace talks between the Zhou Dynasty and the Liao people. On the other hand, it also left Han Gang and Ma Qingshan with no way out. Because
Lin Jue knew that the imperial court would never be happy because of the capture of Xijin Mansion and Zhuozhou. On the contrary, under the current situation, they would be even more angry. The agreement that was finally reached was broken, and the imperial court would definitely hold him accountable. Then Guo
What Xu and Lu Zhongtian want is a compromise peace. They will only try their best to explain and apologize to the Liao people, but will never be happy and inspired by Han Gang's actions. Han Gang is too naive, too upright, and wants to do things too much for himself.
Luo Yanjun also had too deep prejudices. He was completely contrary to his own judgment of the court. He wanted to force him to have no way out, but he regarded it as a turning point.
"General Han, although we don't have a close relationship, based on my understanding of you, I know that you want to do something. And you have no bad deeds. I have investigated your deeds and you were appointed as the commander of the Ansu Army.
Over the past few years, you have been upright and honest, and have done a lot of good things for the local area. In addition, in order to deal with the Liao people's cavalry, you also trained the hook-and-scythe spear formation, which was promoted by all the armies of the Zhou Dynasty. It can be said that you have quite a lot of achievements and ideas.
Official. That's why I'm here to help you. I dare not say how big an effect my arrival has had, but I dare say that without my plan, you may be able to capture Zhuozhou, but you will definitely not be able to.
Standing at the top of the city of Xijin Mansion. This is the self-confidence of me, Lin. You can think that I am bragging, but I will not argue with you, because I am here to help you to save you, because you are worthy of me.
Save you. Because you are one of the few people in Dazhou who is worthy of my rescue, and I cannot let you die inexplicably."
Lin Jue looked at Han Gang's eyes and spoke slowly, his eyes sincere and sincere. Indeed, Xuanyi Guards checked Han Gang's background. He was born into a poor family, followed Yang Jun to make achievements in Xixia, and then stationed in Baozhou. This man was in the local area
He has a good reputation and has done a lot of good things for the people. He also invented the nine-turn hook and sickle chain formation, a method of dealing with Liao cavalry, which was popularized by the Zhou army. He is indeed a thoughtful general. Although he sometimes acts a little recklessly
, lacked some careful consideration, and acted a little aggressively. But overall, this person was a talented general and a person without any stain. Therefore, Lin Jue did not want to give up on Han Gang, but still wanted to persuade him to change his mind.
"Thank you for your respect, Mr. Lin. Han Gang dare not boast, but he thinks that what he has done in this life is worthy of the conscience of heaven and earth." Han Gang said solemnly.
Lin Jue nodded and said: "Master Han, I am definitely not flattering you by saying this, nor are I saying anything against your will to get you to join our Luoyan Army. In fact, there are many talents in our Luoyan Army.
It's not to the point where we can't do great things without anyone. I must sincerely remind you, don't be too naive. The court will not change its attitude just because you captured the Xijin Mansion. If you think so, you will be in trouble.
It's so wrong. You're going to fall into this."
Han Gang looked at Lin Jue, slowly cupped his fists and said, "Mr. Lin, Han is full of gratitude and admiration for you. Han believes that what you said comes from the bottom of his heart. However, Han is still willing to stick to his own opinion this time.
I also know that Lord Lin is not against the imperial court out of selfish motives. I also know that Lord Lin wants to destroy the great empire and rebuild the Zhou Dynasty. Ma Qingshan has told me very clearly before. I know that it is you, Lord Lin, who calls
He told me. You may be able to convince Mr. Ma, but I, Han Gang, and Mr. Lin have different opinions. Mr. Lin wants to burn down this dilapidated house in Dazhou, but I, Han Gang, have different ideas.
Han was deeply favored by the imperial court and cultivated by Mr. Yang, and he grew up from a poor boy to what he is today. Han must not be ashamed of the emperor's favor and the people who supported him. Everyone has their own ideas, and my idea is to complete Yang's life.
Your Excellency has not completed the Northern Expedition, but has contributed the greatest strength to the imperial court and repaid the kindness of the imperial court and Mr. Yang. Besides, as a minister of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the building will collapse and everyone will flee, so how can he be the mainstay? Is Han doing such a thing?
Can't come out. Therefore, I forgive Han for not being able to do as you wish. You are my savior, Han Gang. Personally, I can't thank you enough. But publicly, Han Gang cannot agree with your idea. I can't give up for personal reasons.
Sir, I also hope that Mr. Lin will be honest."
Lin Jue frowned and looked at Han Gang. He no longer knew what words to use to persuade this person. Han Gang's thoughts had entered a dead end. He seemed unwilling to look back at all and just followed his own way to the dark side. His own
Instead, the persuasion became the whip that drove him towards the dead end of the alley, making him even more determined to do so. In this situation, Lin Jue felt powerless.
Ma Qingshan tried to persuade Han Gang again and said: "Master Han, think about it carefully and don't make a decision easily? Master Lin's words are very reasonable. Don't think wrongly."
Han Gang glared at Ma Qingshan and said: "Brother Qingshan, I will call you brother one last time. If you are willing to follow me, Mr. Han, to contribute to important affairs of the court, you will still be my brother from now on. You and I can do something together. If you
If you try to persuade me to join the Luoyan Army again, you are no longer my brother. You have already done some things without telling me, and I don’t need to pursue them, but you can no longer gain my trust."
Ma Qingshan was stunned and speechless, looked at Lin Jue and sighed. Lin Jue smiled and said: "Brother Ma, you can never wake up someone who is pretending to sleep. We have tried our best. General Han can do whatever he wants, unless you, General Ma, also follow
He thought the same thing."
Ma Qingshan smiled bitterly and said: "I will not believe the imperial court. I have said before that I, Ma Qingshan, have decided to join the Luoyan Army and open up a new situation. I will never fight for this decadent man who is about to fall."
I work hard to build the building. I believe Master Lin will lead us to rebuild the Great Zhou Dynasty."
Lin Jue laughed and said: "Let's just say that a wise man like Brother Ma will naturally not be so confused and should see the key to the situation."
Han Gang sneered as he watched Lin Jue and Ma Qingshan talking. In his mind, he regarded the conversation between Lin Jue and Ma Qingshan as a show and was not touched at all.
Lin Jue turned to Han Gang and said: "In this case, I won't persuade General Han anymore. We will lead the army to leave Xijin Mansion tonight. Brother Ma will naturally follow me. I hope General Han will not stop the brothers who are willing to join the Luoyan Army.
Don't interfere with their choices. We let nature take its course, respect the soldiers' choices, and no one should influence them. What do you think?"
Han Gang nodded and said, "Of course, people of different ways do not want to conspire against each other, but after all, we are brothers fighting side by side, and we will not turn against each other. If they are willing to follow you, I will not stop them. Everyone has his own ambitions, and you cannot force them."
Lin Jue cupped his hands and said: "General Han is indeed a straightforward person, that's it. We will announce the matter later and let the soldiers make their own decisions. Hey, I am actually very conflicted in my heart and have a lot to say, but I know
General Han will definitely not listen. But I would like to give General Han one last piece of advice. Never trust the court easily, be wary, and make a decision immediately if you feel something is wrong. The door of my Luoyan Army is open to you at any time, as long as you
If you want to come, we will accept you anytime."
Han Gang chuckled and said, "Thank you very much."
Lin Jue heard that there was no real meaning in his words and knew that he was just perfunctory, but there was no need to say more. Han Gang didn't want to stay for a long time, so he gave up his words and left.
After Han Gang left, Ma Bin, Liang Qi and others were scolded. Ma Bin said in a low voice: "Brother Lin, this person is so ignorant of promotion, let's just take him and seize the command."
Ma Qingshan's face changed slightly. Lin Jue waved his hand and said: "We cannot make up our minds. General Han is a friend, not an enemy. How can we do this? Furthermore, I, the Luoyan Army, are a benevolent and righteous army. How can we do such a thing? Doing this will make us
Criticism by others will chill the hearts of the soldiers."
Ma Bin smacked his lips and said, "Okay, pretend I didn't say it, and I was just saying it out of anger. This really can't be done."
Ma Qingshan's face returned to calm. From this moment on, he was finally 100% convinced by Lin Jue. If Lin Jue decided to do that, Ma Qingshan would be the first to disagree. Although he and Han Gang made different choices
, but he would never agree to attack Han Gang. It would be an immoral move. Master Lin obviously thought so too, which made Ma Qingshan more determined in his choice.
"It's a pity... General Han may be in trouble later." Lin Jue sighed.
Sun Dayong asked: "What do you think Han Gang will do next?"
Lin Jue said slowly: "He should report to the court and take this opportunity to ask the court to march north again."
"It's so stupid. How could the imperial court agree to him? Is this man out of his mind?" Sun Dayong sneered.
Lin Jue shook his head and said: "No, the court will definitely agree to him."
"What? Will the court agree to him? Why?" Everyone asked in shock.
"Because he will still have many soldiers and horses in his hands, the imperial court will definitely not want to fight with him. The imperial court will agree to him, trick him into believing, then kill him and take his head to offer to the Liao people to ask for their forgiveness.
." Lin Jue said in a deep voice.
Everyone was stunned and speechless. Ma Qingshan said in shock: "Since Mr. Lin knew this would be the result, why didn't he tell him?"
Lin Jue smiled bitterly and said: "Brother Ma, do you think he will believe it? Am I not sincere enough? The more you persuade him, the more he suspects that I want to get him to join the gang. As the saying goes, good words can't persuade a damned person, but I can't do anything about it.
.Whether he can wake up can only depend on himself. Everyone, we should prepare to leave. This is not a place to stay for a long time. I guess soldiers and horses will arrive soon."
"Sir, are you saying that the Liao people will counterattack?" Sun Dayong said.
Lin Jue sneered and said: "It would be great if they are from Liao. I'm afraid those who come back this time are not Liao people, but soldiers and horses from Zhou Dynasty. Time is tight, so hurry up and prepare. Master Ma will go and gather those who are willing to follow us. We have to
Leave quickly."
The soldiers who were immersed in the joy of victory were suddenly poured cold water on them. The two leading generals suddenly announced that they were going their separate ways. One wanted to stay in Xijin Mansion, and the other wanted to defect to the Luoyan Army. The soldiers had to make a choice.
Facts have proved that Han Gang's prestige in the army is much greater than that of Ma Qingshan. Or maybe many people think that the Luoyan Army is a rebel force of the imperial court. Following the Luoyan Army may not lead to a good end, and General Han Gang is going to return to the imperial court.
, this is also in line with the wishes of many people. Therefore, most people chose to stay with Han Gang. Among the nearly 26,000 people, only more than 5,000 chose to follow Ma Qingshan and defect to the Luoyan Army.
Lin Jue was not surprised by this result. After all, Ma Qingshan did not have high qualifications in the Zhou army. His rise was only a matter of a few months. He had no real support from his trusted generals and his prestige among the soldiers was not high.
Compared with Han Gang, his prestige is obviously not enough. In fact, more than 5,000 people are willing to follow Ma Qingshan and defect to the Luoyan Army, which is beyond Lin Jue's expectation. Lin Jue originally thought that one or two thousand people would be enough.
Not bad, it turns out that Ma Qingshan has been recognized by many people in the past few months. Those who are willing to follow Ma Qingshan are basically because of Ma Qingshan’s talent and knowledge.
, I believe his choice will not be wrong.
It seems that Lin Jue has not gained much from this trip. If all the more than 20,000 people can be included in the Luoyan Army's establishment, the strength of the Luoyan Army will be greatly increased, and it will reach a scale of nearly 90,000 people. That is already a large number of people.
We can only have an army that can do big things and fight big battles. Unfortunately, good things come in a long way, and Han Gang's stubbornness made Lin Jue's wish come true.
However, Lin Jue was not too disappointed. Although it seemed that the main purpose had not been achieved, the peace negotiation between the Liao and the Zhou Dynasty had suffered a blow. Even if the Zhou Dynasty court would bow down and explain, I am afraid that the relationship between the two sides
The trust can no longer be completely restored. As long as the Liao people's energy can be restrained from looking southward and they can't concentrate on encircling and suppressing the Jurchens, it will be good for the overall situation.
Not to mention that this time they captured two cities in a row and annihilated more than 40,000 Liao soldiers and horses, giving the Liao people a head-on blow. And the significance of this battle is far more than that. This battle to capture Xijin Prefecture and Zhuozhou
It will play a role in the Zhou army. After the failure of the Northern Expedition, the morale of the Zhou army was low and they were as afraid of the Liao as a tiger. After this battle, they will regain their confidence, which is potentially beneficial to resisting the Liao's attack in the future. Although these things are not
It is something that can be seen, but it is an extremely important factor that affects combat effectiveness and cannot be ignored.
However, this trip could not be considered a success, especially the fact that he could not convince Han Gang. Lin Jue felt quite regretful. If Han Gang insisted on his opinion, he would probably end badly, and his more than 20,000 men would also be afraid.
Lin Jue did not want to see a good ending. However, everyone must be responsible for their own choices. Since Han Gang made such a choice, he would naturally have to bear the consequences.
Lin Jue knew very well the importance of choices, especially in decisions related to fate. A wrong choice would ruin everything and lead to lifelong regret. All Lin Jue could do was to feel sorry for Han Gang's wrong choice. He
We must not force Han Gang to seize the leadership of the entire army as suggested by Ma Bin and others. That is definitely not a good idea, and that is not the way Lin Jue behaves. Doing so will only intensify conflicts.
, and may even trigger a mutiny among most of the generals and soldiers loyal to Han Gang, causing the situation to get out of hand.
All in all, this trip north had both gains and losses. It saved the lives of Ma Qingshan and others, ruined the peace negotiation between the Zhou Dynasty and the Liao Kingdom to a certain extent, and gave the Liao people a head-on blow. It also gained Ma Qingshan and more than 5,000 soldiers and horses.
, the gains are not small. Lin Jueben is an optimistic person. He knows that things can never be smooth sailing, and life is full of regrets. What he has to do is to face it head-on, not shrink back, and find a relatively perfect one.
That's the solution.
…
The sun sets in the west. In the evening of late autumn, the sun does not have much heat. The autumn wind in the evening is already very cold, the jackdaws return to their nests, and when dusk gradually rises in the surrounding fields, the scenery is quite desolate and desolate.
At this time, Lin Jue and others led thousands of soldiers and horses and left from the west gate of Xijin Mansion. Han Gang personally sent them outside the west gate and said goodbye to Lin Jue and others by the moat outside the city.
"Master Lin, I wanted to keep you in the city overnight and leave tomorrow. But I'm afraid you'll be too worried. Although you and I don't have a close relationship, Han knows that you, Master Lin, are a humble gentleman and a very capable and capable person.
Mr. Lin can be said to be my savior, Han Gang. I, Han Gang, am not an ungrateful person. Naturally, I keep my gratitude in my heart. However, Han cannot go against his own will and do things against his will, so I cannot agree to you.
"Master Lin should understand and forgive me for this." Han Gang stared at Lin Jue and said softly.
Lin Jue smiled and nodded: "General Han, there is no need to explain, I understand your difficulties. The most difficult thing in life is to do things against your heart. Although I really want General Han to join our Luoyan Army, but things that go against General Han's heart,
I will not do anything to force your will. As the saying goes, only if you are like-minded can you conspire for great things. If you have different wills and different ways, you cannot conspire for great things. You don't need to take these things to heart. Although it is not appropriate for me to talk to General Han at this moment.
I will give you some pointers on the subsequent actions, but I still want to give General Han a piece of advice, that is, the court cannot be trusted, and General Han must be cautious."
Han Gang smiled and nodded and said, "Thank you for your understanding, sir. Han has his own way of doing things, but I still want to thank you for your advice. Mr. Lin, General Ma, and all the generals of the Luoyan Army, I hope you have a smooth journey. If there is a chance in the future, we will
goodbye."
Everyone bowed their hands in return, and Lin Jue smiled and said: "General Han, please take care of me. See you later. Let's go."
After saying that, Lin Jue turned his horse's head and whipped away amidst the neighing of the war horse. Everyone also turned their horse's head and whipped their horses, and galloped away closely behind Lin Jue.
Ma Qingshan did not leave immediately, but took a step forward and tried to persuade him one last time: "Master Han, you should think twice..."
Han Gang interrupted him and said with a smile, "General Ma, it's getting late. Let's say goodbye. See you later."
Ma Qingshan sighed and said in a hoarse voice: "Master Han, you take this very seriously."
After saying that, he gritted his teeth, pulled the reins, turned around, and rode off with his horse whipped. Han Gang sat on the horse and kept his arms folded, watching Lin Jue, Ma Qingshan and others drifting away, with a lonely expression on his face.
The setting sun was like blood, and the autumn wind was desolate. The sky became solemn and high, and a row of wild geese heading south slowly flew across the sky in a human shape. They should be the last batch of wild geese returning south this year.
