Meishan Su family, Su Yun is the most virtuous

Chapter 417 Layout!

It’s a long story, but the drastic changes in the Song Dynasty court were completed very quickly, so quickly that Wen Yanbo, who was trapped in Chang’an City, couldn’t help but be stunned after hearing the news.

During this period, Wen Yanbo stayed in Chang'an to deal with the attack of Jingsai Army. When he received new orders from the court, he found that the rule of Empress Dowager Gao had ended, and the young official Zhao Xu had become the real leader of the Song Dynasty.

Wen Yanbo received encouragement from the emperor Zhao Xu, who encouraged him to defend Chang'an with all his strength. The emperor would make plans for him in the rear. As long as Chang'an was defended, the Wen family would be able to maintain its prosperity and wealth forever.

Wen Yanbo took a look at the letter in his hand. It was written on bright yellow rice paper with strong and powerful handwriting. It was obvious that it was written by Zhao Xu himself:
"I know very well that it is extremely difficult for you to defend Chang'an against the enemy.

The Jingsai army is coming with great force, but the old lord has always been famous and I have full confidence in his ability.

Chang'an is an important place in the northwest of our Song Dynasty. It is related to the safety of the country and the foundation of our ancestors, and it cannot be lost.

My lord, please defend the city with all your strength. I will be in the rear, planning food and fodder, deploying troops for you, and be your strongest backing.

If you can defend Chang'an and repel the bandits, the Wen family will prosper for generations, and I will not let them down!
Moreover, now that the court is being reformed and I am in power, I am about to carry out grand plans. The old minister's contribution is of vital importance to my cause.

I hope you will move forward bravely and live up to my expectations."

After reading it, Wen Yanbo sighed and placed the letter on the desk.

He knew clearly that Zhao Xu's move was both encouragement and pressure.

Now that the imperial court has undergone major changes, Zhao Xu urgently needs a victory to consolidate his rule, and defending Chang'an is the achievement he desires most at the moment.

The victory in the Battle of Chang'an helped consolidate Zhao Xu's ruling position.

Victory in a key battle will weaken the opposition voices within the court and make the subjects full of confidence in the leadership ability of the new monarch, thereby strengthening Zhao Xu's control over the government and stabilizing the political situation of the Song Dynasty.

On the contrary, failure might trigger political turmoil within the court. The forces of Empress Dowager Gao's old party might take this opportunity to question and attack Zhao Xu's rule, leading to intensified party struggles within the court and a more complicated and unstable political situation.

Chang'an was very important to the Song Dynasty.

If the Song army wins the Battle of Chang'an, it will consolidate the Song Dynasty's defense line in the northwest, making Chang'an, a strategic location, a solid fortress against foreign enemies and enhancing the Song Dynasty's military deterrence on the northwest border.

On the contrary, if the war was lost and Chang'an fell, there would be a major gap in the Song Dynasty's northwest defense line, and the enemy could march straight in, threatening the security of Guanzhong and even wider areas, forcing the Song army to readjust its defense line, shrink its forces, and put itself in a passive defensive state.

A victory in the Battle of Chang'an would certainly boost the morale and confidence of the Song army and enhance the cohesion of the army. It would also enable the Song Dynasty to be more proactive in subsequent military operations and have the opportunity to further expand its territory or consolidate its borders.

If it fails, it will weaken the strength of the Song army, resulting in loss of manpower and damage to equipment, putting the Song Dynasty at a disadvantage in the comparison of military power with the enemy. It may take a lot of time and resources to rebuild the army and restore the military balance.

In addition to these two influences, the far-reaching impact of the victory or defeat of the Battle of Chang'an is difficult to estimate.

Once Chang'an fell, the economy of the northwestern border area would suffer severe damage, and a large number of people would migrate south or inland, causing the economic center of gravity to shift further south or inward.

The loss of Chang'an would result in casualties and displacement of the population.

If victory is achieved, social order and people's livelihood can be gradually restored through measures such as properly resettling refugees and resuming production.

But if we lose the war, a large number of refugees will flood into the mainland, and even the mainland will be in chaos!
Wen Yanbo understood this very well, and therefore he also understood why Zhao Xu was willing to keep him after eliminating the core members of the rear party such as Lu Dafang, and even used the wealth and glory of the Wen family to motivate him.

There is no other reason, Chang'an is too important!

Just as Wen Yanbo was thinking, footsteps were heard outside the tent. A lieutenant hurried into the tent and knelt on one knee: "My old sir, there is a battle report from the front. The Jingsai Army has sent more troops today and launched a more fierce attack on our defense line."

Wen Yanbo frowned and asked, "How many casualties have we suffered? Is the defense line still stable?"

The lieutenant general replied: "Our soldiers fought desperately, and suffered heavy casualties, but we can still hold our line of defense for the time being. However, the enemy's offensive is too fierce, and we may not be able to hold out if it continues like this."

Wen Yanbo stood up and paced back and forth in the tent.

He knew very well that the battle of Chang'an had reached a critical moment.

If he could hold on, not only would he be able to save the court from danger, but he would also be able to establish an unparalleled merit in front of the new emperor.

But if he fails to hold on, not only will his reputation be ruined, but he will also become a sinner of the Song Dynasty.

Thinking of this, Wen Yanbo gritted his teeth and said to the lieutenant general: "Pass the order down, all soldiers must defend the line to the death, and no one is allowed to retreat a single step.

If anyone deserts the battlefield, he will be punished by military law! Send people to the surrounding counties and cities to recruit civilians to replenish the troops, and at the same time urge the transportation of food and fodder to the front line as soon as possible. "

The lieutenant general took the order and left the tent quickly.

Wen Yanbo walked to the door of the tent, looked at the smoke-filled battlefield in the distance, and muttered to himself: "My lord, my lord, for the sake of the Song Dynasty and for you, I can only risk my old bones..."

……

Outside the city of Chang'an, the tents of the Jingsai Army were scattered around, and their flags fluttered in the wind.

Su Yun sat upright in the commander-in-chief's tent. The interior of the tent was simply decorated, with a large desk piled with military documents and maps.

He was dressed in black, his eyes beneath his sword-like brows were cold and deep, and he was waiting for the messenger sent by Zheng Chaozong.

Soon, a dusty messenger was led into the tent.

He knelt on one knee and saluted: "Sir, General Zheng sent me to report the military situation to you."

Su Yun nodded slightly, looked at the messenger with a sharp gaze, and said in a deep voice: "Stand up and talk.

How is the task I assigned to you going?

Let's talk about the Wei River bridge first. Did the light cavalry we sent out destroy it?"

The messenger quickly stood up and replied respectfully: "Sir, General Zheng has selected 500 elite light cavalry according to your instructions.

They took advantage of the cover of night and quietly moved towards the Wei River Bridge.

The Song army guarding the bridge was already lax, so our cavalry suddenly rushed in and launched a fierce attack.

Before the Song army could react, our army had already placed gunpowder in many places on the bridge.

With several loud noises, the middle section of the Wei River Bridge collapsed and became completely unusable.

It is now impossible for the Song army to transport its food and fodder supplies to Chang'an via the Wei River."

Su Yun heard this, a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes, and then asked: "What about digging trenches and setting up stakes outside Chang'an City to prevent the defenders from breaking out? How is it going?"

The messenger looked excited and continued, “Don’t worry sir, this mission was also successfully completed.

General Zheng arranged a large number of soldiers to dig trenches day and night.

The trench was dug wide and deep, with the widest part being two zhang and the deepest being more than ten zhang.

The excavated soil was piled up near our army, and a simple earth wall was built.

Along the outer edge of the trench, our troops set up densely packed stakes in accordance with your instructions.

Those stakes were made of sharp wooden stakes, buried deep in the ground with the pointed ends facing upwards.

If the Song army tried to break through, they would be stabbed to pieces.

Now Chang'an City is surrounded, and the Song army can't escape even if they have wings." Su Yun leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

He knew clearly that it was these careful arrangements that caused dramatic changes within the Song Dynasty, while the war in the northwest remained unmoved.

He needed time to complete these deployments, and now his goal has been achieved.

After opening his eyes, Su Yun looked at the messenger and said slowly: "Very good, go back and tell Hai Fu that he did a good job.

Next, proceed according to the plan without any slackness. "

The messenger hurriedly said, "Use part of the troops to feint an attack on Chang'an to consume the arrows and food of the defenders. General Zheng has also implemented this plan according to your order.

Every morning, our army would send out more than a thousand strong men, divided into several teams, pushing siege vehicles and carrying ladders, preparing to forcibly attack the city.

Upon seeing this, the Song army on top of Chang'an City shot thousands of arrows and threw down many stones and logs.

When their firepower decreased a little, our army pretended to be defeated and withdrew to the camp.

This went on for a few days, and the Song army consumed a large amount of arrows and stones. I guess the food reserves were also reduced due to the frequent vigilance. "

Su Yun nodded slightly, tapping his fingers on the table, and asked, "Did the Song army go out of the city to fight back? How is the morale in the city?"

The messenger's face turned stern, and he replied seriously: "At first, the Song army tried to go out of the city to counterattack, trying to disperse our feint attack team.

But General Zheng had been prepared and had set up several ambushes outside the city.

As soon as the Song army showed up, they were defeated and retreated back into the city in a panic, leaving their weapons and armor behind.

After these lessons, the Song army no longer dares to leave the city easily.

As for the morale in the city, according to our spies, due to the long-term siege and the dwindling supplies, the soldiers' faces are full of fatigue and worry, and their morale is unstable, and they no longer have the high fighting spirit they once had. "

Su Yun nodded after hearing this: "Very good, continue to apply pressure like this.

However, you must be careful when making a feint attack and not let your brothers die in vain."

He walked to the entrance of the tent and looked at the faintly visible Chang'an city wall in the distance, his eyes as cold as frost, "The Song army in the city has become a turtle in a jar. Next, we have to wait for the reinforcements of the Song army to fall into the trap."

After saying this, he turned to look at the messenger and ordered solemnly: "You return immediately and inform Zheng Chaozong to pay close attention to the movements around Chang'an. Once you find any trace of the Song army's reinforcements, you must report it as soon as possible.

In addition, he must continue to consolidate the siege defense line and must not slack off in the slightest.

I will also be ready to surround and attack the reinforcements, and give the Song army a head-on blow."

The messenger took the order, then quickly walked out of the tent, jumped on his horse, and galloped towards Chang'an.

Su Yunze stood at the door of the tent, staring at the direction of Chang'an for a long time, and constantly deducing the upcoming battle with the Song army reinforcements in his mind.

Ping Zicheng walked quickly into the commander's tent, his usually calm face now showing a hint of surprise.

Su Yun was suddenly startled: "Qinglan, what happened?"

Ping Zicheng also said with a stern look: "Sir, the Song court has undergone a dramatic change!"

Ping Zicheng gave a complete description of how Zhao Xu and Fan Chunren forcibly removed the curtain at the court meeting, and even described Zhao Xu's specific actions.

After hearing this, Su Yun's expression became somewhat appreciative, but also somewhat regretful.

Ping Zicheng certainly didn't know what Su Yun was thinking at the moment.

What Su Yun was thinking at this moment was:

In fact, if Zhao Xu was a long-lived monarch, he would not have to rebel. After all, Zhao Xu was really capable. This time it was not like the Queen Mother Gao died of old age as in history, and Zhao Xu naturally took over the government. Instead, he personally brought down the Queen Mother Gao.

This operation was a Jedi counterattack, directly pulling in Dianqiansi and Fan Chunren, completing a reversal that would make everyone applaud!

Afterwards, he cleared out the court's party like a whirlwind and quickly consolidated his own power. This was truly amazing for a teenager!

But then Su Yun shook his head again.

It is actually wrong to think this way. No matter how long Zhao Xu can live, it is meaningless. The official system and army of the Song Dynasty were set up from the very beginning to maintain the power of the Song court.

Even if Zhao Xu had the ability, without natural talent, it would be difficult for him to break out of the Zhao family's rut, and he would still find it difficult to cope with the rise of the Jin Dynasty, and even the Mongols later.

Therefore, it is better to leave this world to yourself to save it.

Su Yun put aside these fantasies, looked at Ping Zicheng and asked, "Have the people we arranged gone up yet?"

Ping Zicheng quickly dismissed his attendants, and then whispered: "Ni Yongzhi was appointed as the Chief Affairs Officer of the Privy Council, responsible for the transmission of military and political confidential documents, coordination between the inside and outside, and often involved in military decision-making. He directly connects with the Privy Envoy, masters military secrets, and controls the Privy Council for Zhao Xu;

Xue Jiayi was appointed as the judge of the Three Departments, in charge of the specific affairs of the Three Departments, and actually controlled the financial revenue and expenditure and taxation policies.

Yin Zhixian was appointed as the prosecutor of Kaifeng Prefecture in the capital, in charge of the judicial and administrative deputy of Kaifeng Prefecture, trying important cases and managing the affairs of the capital.

Several people were also appointed as imperial censors and officials, and all of them were given important positions!"

Su Yun smiled upon hearing this and nodded, "Very good, protect them well. Master Cheng, you are indeed a good helper to us."

Ping Zicheng's eyes were full of admiration, and he lowered his voice and said, "Mr. Cheng predicted the changes in the court three years ago and asked more than 20 students from Su's school to switch to Cheng's school.

Now it seems that this hidden move is the key.

Ni Yongzhi was able to gain a firm foothold in the Privy Council thanks to the recommendation of Cheng Yi, the "orthodox Neo-Confucianist"; Xue Jiayi's promotion of new policies in the Three Departments was also supported by Cheng Yi's "Qingyi".

He pulled out a scroll of secret reports from his sleeve, the candlelight making the handwriting flicker: "The most amazing one is Yin Zhixian, who was originally a student of the art of war taught by the teacher himself, but he borrowed the name of Cheng Hao's "investigation of things to gain knowledge" to enter Kaifeng Prefecture.

When the imperial guards corruption case was tried last month, it was he who suppressed the report of Wen Yanbo's private transfer of grain and grass for ten days - otherwise the reinforcements from Chang'an should have arrived long ago."

Su Yun clapped his hands and laughed, and the military map on the table trembled slightly: "Master Cheng thought he was accepting a scholar seeking the truth, but he didn't know that our pieces had already been placed on the chessboard."

He suddenly stopped smiling and pointed at the Chang'an sign. "But Wen Yanbo is getting stronger with age. If the Weihe grain route had not been cut off in advance, these secret agents alone would not have been able to cause any trouble."

Ping Zicheng bowed and said, "The master observed the stars that night and predicted that 'there will be unusual movements in the northwest', so he began to make plans.

Now it seems that the siege of the city by the Jingsai Army and the change of ownership of the Song court were all within your deduction."

The sound of the night watchman's clappers could be heard outside the tent. Su Yun looked at the flickering candlelight, his eyes piercing through the tent and looking towards the direction of Chang'an: "Although this young man Zhao Xu has thunderous means, he is ultimately trapped in the laws of his ancestors.

It is simply the result of the general trend - if the military system is not reformed, even if there are ten Wen Yanbo guarding Chang'an, they will not be able to stop the war."

Ping Zicheng was about to reply when a secret guard rushed in and presented him with a blood-stained secret letter.

Su Yun opened his eyes as a cold light flashed: "The Zhe family army has changed its route to Ziwu Valley... Tell Zheng Chaozong to retract his fangs - we don't want to annihilate them, we want to set bait."

The night wind blew gunpowder smoke into the tent. Ping Zicheng looked at the ambush route that Su Yun had re-marked on the map, and suddenly remembered the rainy night three years ago.

At that time, the master wrote down 20 names on the star map as a letter of apprenticeship to Cheng Men. Before the ink was dry, he said: "Ten years later, these names will change the appearance of the Song Dynasty."

(End of this chapter)