Fifteen. Sutra

25. Six major events

There is a proverb in Huanzhou: "Wear a leather jacket in the morning and yarn at noon, and eat watermelon with a stove"

The closer to the foot of Hengshan Mountain, the more obvious this feeling is.

Since the beginning of winter, Zhao Ze has done several major events in Huanzhou.

First, Zhao Ze sent people to find a large amount of shallow coal buried in the middle of Hengshan in Huanzhou. In this way, the problem of winter heating of the Huanzhou army was solved. Subsequently, Zhao Ze united the three tribes of Mingzhu, Niujia and Dangxiang, plus the Huanzhou garrison, a total of more than 10,000 people went into the mountain to cut wood day and night. Excavate coal.

After fighting for more than 20 consecutive days, he got more than 300,000 loads of coal and dug a huge hole in Hengshan Mountain. Later, the mountain shook the underground spring water and overflowed the area, forming a hot spring lake in the future. It was loved by later generations of literati and local people, so that the later General Xin Qiji passed through the ring. During the state, he also specially built a pavilion here to pay tribute to the achievements of Old Marshal Zhao Ze, and at the same time commemorated the deep feelings of the military and civilians in Huanzhou.

In the second piece, Su Su secretly sent 200 heavy machine guns, more than 200,000 rounds of projectiles, and a batch of explosive bags and gun ammunition to Zhao Ze within three months. These were secretly transported by Su Su Su's airship in Ryukyu and unloaded goods in the outer military camp of Mubo Town, where Chaofang was stationed.

Zhao Ze was also there that day. Su Su also gave him a high-power communicator on the spot and told Zhao Ze that in case he was in trouble and could call her with this communicator, she would immediately lead the army from the air to support. However, don't call often. There is not much fuel left in her airship, and she has to keep it to deal with the attack of Daliao.

Zhao Ze promised that he would not call for airship support in the Xixia Campaign. Su Su said to try his best. Don't hold on. I don't want future children to have no fathers. Zhao Ze told her with a smile that he was relieved that he had a chance of winning against Xixia.

In the afternoon of the same day, Zhao Ze led the army to transport new military weapons back to Tongyuan City, and then explained the matter to Sima Guang, the general judge and transshipment envoy.

Sima Guang replied, "Your Excellency, no matter what Lord Su sends, as long as you get the permission of the court, don't misunderstand, just say that we are plotting."

Zhao Ze smiled and said, "You don't have to worry. I have the documents issued by Lord Fan Zhongyan of the imperial court, and all the procedures are not missing!"

"Oh, it's good if it's not lacking, it's good if it's not lacking." Sima Guang nodded, and then asked, "Your Excellency, what are the procedures?"

In the third case, after digging coal in Hengshan, Zhao Ze began winter training, allowing all the leading generals to train for two months in their station. The content includes the use of muskets, unarm combat, long-distance marches, identification of terrain, and matters that need to be paid attention to when fighting with muskets. What should the low-level generals of the headquarters be killed? Zhao Ze lit up the lamp and stayed up late, struggled for several nights, and finally completed the writing of the 30,000-word "Huanzhou Winter Training Experience".

Then, he immediately asked the libriff of the government office to print, and the total number of 300 manuscripts were printed. Zhao Ze paid out his own pocket. Kong De, a businessman from Huanzhou Printing Workshop, made a lot of money and almost was happy. Later, in order to express his gratitude and support to Zhao Ze, Kong De hired Han Mingshi, the first skillful man in Huanzhou, to put a gold plaque. For Zhao Ze to be sent to the house, the plaque says: Huanzhou's parents.

The plaque is not mentioned for the time being. From February to April of the seventh year of the Qing calendar, the garrison of Huanzhou trained for two consecutive months. In these two months, the army of Huanzhou walked hundreds of miles and almost walked all the mountains and rivers of Huanzhou, east to the border of the Dingbian army, west to Yuanzhou, and south to Qingzhou, Maling Town. Boundary, north to the Songxia border of Qinggang Gorge.

After two months of simple intensive training, Zhongjiajun has mastered the shooting essentials of muskets very skillfully, and basically completed the content of the "Huanzhou Winter Training Experience" written by Zhao Ze. In order to encourage Zhao Ze to give each kind of army a heavy machine gun, and taught the operation method of heavy machine guns and According to the application principle in the battle, the six-way army quickly accepted this new military weapon, and under the lead of He Lin, he conducted a cooperative drill with Zhao Ze's army. The goal was to imagine how the Xixia army once again invaded the seed army and how to deploy, how to mobilize, and how to use the new military weapon. Fight against the enemy, counterattack, and seize important targets.

The result of the training made Zhao Ze quite satisfied. The strength of the elite army was indeed not blown out. You can know from the more than 1,000 horses in Helin Hongdezhai. It really responded to the sentence in Sun Zi's Art of War: Fast as the wind, Xu Rulin, plundering like fire, motionless as a mountain.

More than 50,000 horses took turns, which was thrilling and stunned.

Although Sima Guang doesn't know much about the military, from the neat pace, consistent movements, and strict military discipline, the strength of the Huanzhou garrison has indeed reached a higher level.

Through this cooperative drill between the two armies, the relationship between the Zhongjia Army and Zhao Ze's army has been closer to each other. In addition to Hongdezhai Helin and Qingpingguan Feng Dazhong, the other three generals of the Zhongjia have also expressed their feelings to Zhao Ze one after another. These three people are: Papayabao Jiangdonghou, Huidingbao Fayan, and Ansaizhai Yuming.

Since April of the seventh year of the Qing calendar, the family army and Zhao Ze's army have really merged into one. They no longer have grudges about each other, but are ready to join hands to fight against the summer and ensure the safety of the Song Dynasty.

However, the plot of Liao and the dispute in Xixia will soon ignite a border war. At that time, how many of these brotherly generals can laugh to the end? No one can predict. Even Zhao Ze does not know what will happen in the future. He just tries his best.

The fourth case, the soldiers of Shuiluo City refused to stop building the city gate in Weizhou on Qinfeng Road. The commanders Liu Lu and Zhao Shilian openly resisted the order of Lord Yin Zhuyin of Zhiweizhou to continue building the city. The reason was that Shuiluo City is located in the key places of Qinzhou and Weizhou. There are often barbarian tribes rebellions, which have subjugated to the two tribes of the Song Dynasty. People and horses are often disturbed by other tribes. Another point is that once the Xixia army invades the border, they are unable to resist and must defend the city. The two leaders of the two tribes want to protect their territory with the help of Shuiluo City and the Song army.

Lord Yin Zhu Yin of Weizhou thought that it was very expensive to build Shuiluo City, which was unbearable for Weizhou. The court no longer allocated silver liang, so it must stop.

Later, the commanders Liu Lu and Zhao Shilian conveyed the matter to the leaders of the Tibet and Di tribes to explain their grievances, but the leaders of the Tibet and Di tribes told the commanders Liu Lu and Zhao Shilian that if the court did not have the money to build the city, they were willing to bring their own property to build the city, which was of great importance. Soon after, the commanders Liu Yu and Zhao Shilian felt that it was impossible for the leaders of the two tribes of Tibet and Dian to pay for the construction of the city, so they began to build Shuiluo City again.

Lord Yin Zhu of Zhizhou, Weizhou, three times sent people to call the commanders Liu Lu and Zhao Shilian to stop building the city, but they turned a deaf ear and ignored it. In desperation, Yin Zhu used two tricks. One was to report the matter to the capital for special personnel to investigate and coordinate. The other was that Yin Zhu ordered the deputy capital of Jingyuan Road to deploy Di Qing to quickly lead troops to surround Shuiluo City, arrest Liu Hu and Zhao Shilian, the commanders who were leading the army to build the city. Then they were imprisoned in the Deshun army and waited for their release.

After Beijing Shi received the news, in the middle of February of the seventh year of the Qing calendar, he sent Yushi Yu Zhou Xun to Weizhou for investigation, and then immediately went to Shuiluo City. The honor guard did not go with him. If he looked at it from the roadside, he thought it was an ordinary official passing by Weizhou, so he was robbed and killed by the barbarians of the leaders of the tribes of the Tibet and Yan tribes. More than 100 guards were killed and injured. Yu Zhou Xun fled back to Weizhou Prefecture in panic.

After this battle, the court ordered Weizhou to severely punish the rebel tribes of Tibet and Yan. At the same time, it ordered the unfavorable commanders Liu Lu and Zhao Shilian to be severely punished, and ordered the deployment of Huanzhou to serve the army.

At the end of April, Zhao Ze received an official document from Weizhou, and also accepted Liu Lu and Zhao Shilian, who were sent to Huanzhou Prison City Camp.

After sending away the officials from Weizhou, Zhao Ze warmly entertained Liu Lu and Zhao Shilian, and said to them, "I don't care about the past, and I plan to re-uple and re-use you two. I don't know what you think!"

Liu Yu and Zhao Shilian quickly kowtowed their heads and said, "Well, thank you, Lord Zhao. If we can get Zhao Ze's promotion again, I would like to be an ox and a horse, and I will do it!"

Zhao Ze asked them to sit down again. After watching the tea, he said to them, "Now the prison city camp in Huanzhou is overcrowded. I want to ask you two to choose the fearless dead to join the army in the prison camp, and then train these people into a border army. Be sure to turn them into loyal subordinates within two months, and never turn them off."

Liu Yu promised, "It's not difficult. The two of us have the best way to train the army, but I don't know why the adults have increased their troops. In case the court knows it, it's not that we are afraid, but we are worried that the adults will be implicated."

Zhao Shilian also means that.

Zhao Ze told them: "My agent heard in Xixia that Xixia will commit a big crime in the near future. Huanzhou is the first to bear the brunt. I don't want to lose my feet when I take office. If you want to rise again, you have to see this battle. If I win, everyone will be an official. If I lose, we will all have to be changed by the imperial court. Job, maybe I will die on the battlefield, so I have to make this strategy. It's up to you to the people in the prison camp. If you want anything, ask me, I will solve it for you!"

As soon as Liu Lu and Zhao Shilian heard this, they immediately understood. They quickly hugged their fists and promised to train a border army that was not afraid of death in the prison camp in the shortest time.

The fifth case, in August last year, a mutiny occurred in Baozhou. Two thousand cloudy wing soldiers led by inspector Wei Gui were assigned to the army. Among them, 300 people arrived in Tongyuan City, Huanzhou in May of the seventh year of the lunar calendar, where there was inspector Wei Gui.

Although Zhao Ze didn't know much about Wei Gui, he transferred his military experience to Yang Wenguang's account and asked him to listen to Yang Wenguang's dispatch.

So far, the Huanzhou Army has three more generals.

The sixth one also happened in May. Brother Ning Ling, the prince of Xixia, took three confidants to visit Zhao Ze in Tongyuan City, Huanzhou, and explained his intention.

Zhao Ze saw that Brother Ning Ling was just a hairy child under the age of 20. When he said that he was 17 years old, he said to him with tears and laughter, "Your Highness Brother Ning Ling, your proposal is very good, but the court will not necessarily send troops to help you. Even if you cut the land, our country may not be moved."

Brother Ning Ling said, "At worst, I won't sit on the Lord of Xixia, just learn from the late Lord Liu Chan."

Zhao Ze laughed even more when he heard this. Ning Ling jumped up angrily and shouted, "Lord Zhao, you are too rude. Anyway, I'm still the crown prince of Xixia!"

As soon as Zhao Ze heard that Brother Ning Ling was angry, he quickly closed his smile and told him seriously, "I haven't read the book for a few days, so I always look at those who speak amazingly with amazing words. Please don't mind."

Ningling thought about Zhao Ze's words, sat down slowly, and asked, "What is amazing? Are my words ridiculous? I had no choice but to do it."

Zhao Ze sighed and said, "Your Highness, Brother Ning Ling, do you know that even if our country is a country of etiquette, it is impossible to send tens of thousands of troops to Xixia to help you restore the country for no reason. You know how many people have to die in the war, and food and money. It will cost a lot. My country can't afford it. I'm afraid it will help you recover. China, our country's vitality is also greatly damaged. Maybe it will be depressed from now on. Do you know who will benefit from this?"

"The fisherman makes a profit?" Brother Ning Ling was also quite knowledgeable. As soon as he heard Zhao Ze's words, he immediately understood and replied, "Isn't it that I'm afraid of raising tigers? I, Xixia, will..."

"It doesn't mean that"

"What does that mean? Do you mean Liao!"

"Of course, in addition to the Central Plains in Liaoning, which country has the strength to fight with the Song Dynasty, which country has the strength to attack the hinterland of the Song Dynasty!"

Zhao Ze's words stimulated Brother Ning Ling. He immediately counterattacked and said, "Lord Zhao, don't look at Liao too highly. They were still beaten by my Xixia warriors at the border a few years ago. There are countless deaths and injuries. My Xixia's strength is not weak!"

The implication is that Xixia can also attack the Central Plains of the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Ze laughed again and comforted him, "Your Highness Ning Ling, it's not that I'm angry with you. If you go to Bianliang and the important ministers of our country to ask for troops to attack Xixia in such a tone, I'm afraid you will be kicked out of the capital before the discussion is over!"

"You, you lie, I'm the prince of Xixia!" Brother Ning Ling stood up excitedly again.

"Well, to tell you the truth, in the past, Dali, Jiaozhi, and other surrounding small countries have similar situations in your country. Their princes also went to Bianliang to ask for help, but there are almost no real troops in our country. Do you know why?"

"Why?" Brother Ning Ling was scared by Zhao Ze's words and slowly calmed down.

"First, you are too arrogant. Second, who will do things without profit? Third, war is not a child's play. If you defeat it, you have to lose your head. You know, otherwise, Your Highness Ning Ling won't have to escape from Xingqing Mansion and fall into such a field."

Before Zhao Ze finished his words, Brother Ning Ling suddenly lowered his head and stared at the ground in a daze. After a long time, he sighed and said, "It seems that my prince is destined to die in a foreign country."

At this time, Zhe Xiaolan came to the door to report something, and Zhao Ze did not let Brother Ning Ling avoid and directly send Zhe Xiaolan in to speak.

Unexpectedly, when Brother Ning Ling saw Zhe Xiaolan at the first glance, he fell in love with her and stared at Zhe Xiaolan until she walked out of the lobby and looked out of the window.

Can Zhao Ze not see? After clearing his throat, he asked Brother Ning Ling, "Your Highness Brother Ning Ling, Your Highness Brother Ning Ling, you? What are you doing?"

Brother Ning Ling was asked by Zhao Ze, and his face became hot. He couldn't wait to find a seam to get in. He was embarrassed for a long time before he said, "Well, Lord Zhao, I don't want to go back to Xixia now. What's the name of that woman and general just now?"

As soon as Zhao Ze heard Ning Ling's stammer tone, he knew that the child was in love for the beginning, so he told him, "That's a female general in my army named Zhe Xiaolan. If you see her call her Zhe General!"

"Oh, it turned out to be General Zhe." Brother Ning Ling looked at the sky and thought about it, and asked again, "Lord Zhao, do you think I live in Huanzhou? I really don't have the mood to go to Bianliang. When I'm in a good mood, I'll go there. During this period, you can write a letter for me to tell your majesty of your country, saying that Brother Ning Ling, the crown prince of Xixia, has something to find him. I want to Ask him for help. As for anything else, please write it for me. By the way, write down all the requirements that I am willing to agree to you. If your majesty agrees, say that I am willing to be a minister, symmetrical minister."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, that's all"

"Well, I'll do you this favor, but the ugly words are first. If the capital doesn't agree, don't expect anything. You'd better think about where to go for the rest of your life!"

"Okay, I'll listen to you. You can do whatever you want. By the way, Lord Zhao, where do I live?"

"Ah" Zhao Ze was stunned for a moment, and then understood. He called Xu Zhu, who was standing guard outside the door, into the lobby and told him, "Xu Zhu, you take His Royal Highness Xixia Ning Ling to Zhang Zai's place, and say that he will arrange an accommodation for His Royal Highness Ning Ling. He will live in Huanzhou for a period of time and wait for the news from Beijing!"

Xu Zhu held his fist and said, "Yes, my lord, I know!"

Next, Zhao Ze sent Brother Ning Ling out of the house. He looked at him go far away before he breathed. He was about to turn around when he suddenly heard someone behind him whisper, "Your Excellency, are you free?"

As soon as Zhao Ze heard this delicate tone, he knew who it was. He immediately turned around and changed his gentle expression and replied, "Baihua, I'm free. Of course I'm free. What's the matter with you?"

Baihua wore an emerald green slanted skirt today, with crisp breasts slightly exposed, put her hands behind her back, and asked shyly, "Come on, I have something to say to you."

Zhao Ze quickly returned to the house and went with the empty pavilion beside Baihuawang.