The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 146: The halberd is broken but the iron remains
The fog was thick and the mountains were hidden.

Hills, gullies, bushes, and plains were hazy and chaotic. Fog, like a white dome, covered Shouyang Mountain. The steaming mist lingered around the warriors. Their comrades were close at hand, but they could only hear their voices but not see them. The enemy was looming, like a mirage.

The morning breeze blew, and in the fog, I suddenly saw a number of dull faces with wooden expressions.

"Cai Kou!" The king's army shouted.

The Cai people, or the Cai Kou, are a prominent figure in medieval history.

When the Anshi Rebellion broke out, the imperial court feared the loss of the southeast and thus established the Huaixi Jiedushi.

The first General Cai was Lai Chen, who came from the Anxi Army.

The next in line was Lu Jiong, a general under Geshu Han. During the siege of Nanyang by Tian Chengsi, he pioneered the slaughter of soldiers and emptied a city.

The third one, Wang Zhongsheng, defeated Liu Zhan, who was proposing the "Golden Knife Prophecy and the rise of the Han Dynasty".

The fourth Li Zhongchen was a general under An Lushan. When An rebelled, he led the Pinglu Army across the sea and returned to Huaixi. The next few were all from his circle.

Let's not talk about Li Xilie, the famous King of Chu, who was poisoned by his subordinates before he started his business. Then the Cai army publicly recommended Chen Xianqi. Xianqi was very respectful to the court, so he was soon killed by Wu Shaocheng. From then on, Huaixi entered the terrifying rule of the Three Wus.

Under the rule of the Three Wus, in the prefectures and counties of Huaixi, no matter whether they were high-ranking officials or peddlers, as long as they were alive, they were not allowed to gather and talk! They were not allowed to look around when walking on the road. They did not light lights at night and went to bed when it got dark. Weddings and funerals were strictly prohibited, and dinners were not allowed on ordinary days; violators would be beheaded.

As a result, the festivals and entertainments such as outings, winter solstice, and New Year's Eve were also gone. The Huai people returned to the simple life of sitting and working at sunrise and resting at sunset. The heaven, earth, monarch, parents, and teachers, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness disappeared.

The world therefore called it the Huaiyi with Border Miasma.

The Hu people who were settled here before the middle Tang Dynasty and the Youzhou warriors who came with Li Zhongchen were not the root cause of the Cai bandit's spread. The fault lies with the Three Wus.

What kind of people are the Cai people who are educated in this way?

"The enemy took Huoqiu and slaughtered Matang." Soldiers are bound by orders, and they obey whatever their superiors say. Fellow villagers? Fellow villagers can also be slaughtered.

"When Yuanji ran out of food, the soldiers had to eat water chestnuts, lotus seeds, fish and turtles, but all were gone. They even had to cut grass roots to feed the soldiers." No food to eat? They had to eat tree bark to continue the war.

"Zhang Boliang led 30,000 soldiers to fight Guangyan in Yancheng and was defeated. He captured 1,000 horses and 30,000 armors. Boliang fled back to Cai."

Any army, everyone is wearing armor. Fighting to the death, no one surrenders. Fear? Not true. A scar as big as a bowl on the head is no big deal, just do it.

During the Yuanhe Campaign, hundreds of thousands of troops besieged the southeast, northwest, and northeast for three years before they captured two counties, forcing Emperor Xianzong to "be angry at the lack of success of the troops, and ordered the eunuchs to supervise the battle and spend money to recruit soldiers to die."

But then again.

Under the ignorant and enslaving rule of the Three Wus, the Cai people are as pure as a blank sheet of paper. Under the leadership of bad people, they are pure bad. Under the leadership of good people, they can also be pure good. In a word, they are easy to deceive. And they have high military literacy. Training? No need, we have trained ourselves. And their professional ethics are unparalleled in the world, and they will never rebel unless they have no choice.

What ordinary generals worry about - running out of food, too many casualties, about to lose the battle, unable to give out rewards... What to do? Will the soldiers rebel? Well, generally speaking, as long as you share the joys and sorrows with the Cai people, they would rather suffer themselves than let you embarrass them.

Let them farm, they can.

Cai Kou, who followed Xiao Ma to Hunan, was very happy farming and he also thought that the tea industry should be developed according to local conditions.

After the collapse of Sun Ru's group, Yang Xingmi, Qian Liu and other southern commanders all obtained a batch of Cai Bao.

Loyal to the point of purple!

Your orders, Jiedushi, are our will!

However, at this time, the world was in chaos and ambitious people emerged one after another. It was hard to say whether the Cai people were still innocent enough, and they might have been affected a lot.

"This day has finally come." On the watchtower to the left of the camp gate, the saint stood with his hands behind his back, observing the terrifying scene in the fog.

“… Owl ah… Owl…” The weird and hoarse chanting suddenly accelerated, and the thief Cai began to make pre-war mobilization.

"Hahaha!" The dense shouting that sounded like crying and laughing made the soldiers frown.

"Oh oh oh oh..." As the strange shout filled with evil aura became louder, the sound of neat footsteps treading on the ground was heard, followed by the rapid and low sound of blades hitting shields and everyone shouting at the same time.

Although the fog obscured his vision, the saint could still immediately picture a group of people singing and dancing around the altar when he heard the voice. Damn, was he possessed by the Tibetans? Did the imperial court resettle the Tibetans in Huaixi?

"Fight, fight, fight!"

When the first drum beat sounded, the Cai people in the fog advanced in unison: "Roar, roar, roar..."

A chill ran up Wang Gong's spine and rushed to his head, leaving his mind blank. He regretted inviting the Bian bandits to help him. It was easier to invite a god than to send him away. If he defeated Li Ni, would Yin Tielin still leave?

Hiss... The saint only now understands what the feeling of oppression from the Cai people means.

No wonder Emperor Dezong united the troops of Bian, Lu, Hua, Pu, Chen, Xia and other 16 routes to attack at Xiaomeng River, and waited for the Cai people to form a battle array - the troops of the routes were defeated before they could even fight, leaving behind a lot of baggage and staff. They were scared away after just one look.

The power of the traitor Cai has reached this extent!
The sage couldn't help but wonder, how did Zhu Wen defeat Qin Zongquan?

Probably lost because of arrogance.

In the Battle of Banqiao in the third year of Guangqi, Zhang Zhi and Qin Xian set up camps for 20 miles, but Qin and Zhang did not set up defenses, nor did they send out scouts and cavalry. Zhu Wen was determined to lead his troops to attack and kill more than 10,000 enemies. The Bian army itself did not believe that it could win, and thought that there was a god helping it.

During the Battle of Wansheng Fortress, Lu Tang camped on both sides of the Bian River. It was foggy, and Zhu Wen took the opportunity to risk his life to sneak into the camp. As a result, the Bian army sneaked into the fortress, and Cai Ren discovered...

He is so crazy that he treats his opponent as a dead person. It would be strange if he doesn't lose.

"Boom, boom, boom..." At the same time, the war drums sounded here. Soldiers rushed out of the camp in a chaotic manner, shouting "Kill, kill, kill!" The sound shook the sky and was imposing. They were all desperate people, who was afraid of who?

"Very good, I'm not scared." The saint picked up the bow and arrow, ready to steal the person.

Today's field battle is completely different from the previous ones.

The Danfeng Gate strangled the rebellious Shence Army by having the Shatuo people disrupt the formation of that bunch of rubbish and then slaughtering them one-sidedly with their infantry.

In the Battle of Meibize, he led the Longjie Army to take a detour and attack the Qi bandits on the march.

In the Battle of Changchun Palace, the cavalry blocked the Tongzhou army's attempt to break out halfway, and exhausted the enemy's physical strength in a way like peeling an onion.

Both the Chongyang Valley and Jincheng Sweeping the Enemy Army used frontal strikes with spears to knock down the enemy.

The Battle of Tongguan was fought by relying on the strong fortress and extremely low casualty exchange ratio, forcing Zhu Wen to give up.

But at this moment, the Shouyang Mountain area was not flat, with many hills, earth mounds, gullies, and bushes. The two sides could not fight with spears in a formal battle formation, but could only engage in hand-to-hand combat. The warriors' will, martial arts, psychological quality, physical strength, and equipment were tested, and the most beastly instincts were brought into play. Military tactics, battle formations, and strategies were all ineffective.

"Wearing Wu spears and wearing rhinoceros armor, the chariots are in a mess and short weapons are fighting. The flags block out the sun and the enemies are like clouds, arrows fly and the soldiers compete for the first place." This is probably the picture.

"Woo..." The horns from both sides sounded almost at the same time.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, the two armies fired the first wave of arrows at each other before the close combat.

Everyone was very angry.

"The Jincheng barbarians were scared after the fight with us! What a bullshit tribal envoy, I'll kill a chicken! Who dares to challenge us? If you don't fight with me, I'll skin you alive!"

"Where is Zhu Wen? I asked you to call Zhu Wen over!"

"My men, Chang'an is right behind us. If you don't want your wives and children to be eaten by others, then fight for your lives." "I, Xue Sanlang, don't seek rewards, but I can't stand the arrogance of the Bian bandits who are shitting on my neck. I wanted to fight my way out of Tongguan, but it was the saint who didn't let us fight."

"Kill!!!"

"I'm going to kill you, you donkey!" Li Zan screamed with his hair disheveled.

“The time to achieve great things is now!” Sima Kanwu, the military commander of the Overlord Capital, rushed into the fog with his upper body naked.

Oh my god, the noise scared the saint.

It feels like a pitiful soldier.

That's about right. If Shouyang Mountain cannot be defended, then retreat to Hedong County. If Hedong County falls again, then hold the iron chain bridge across the Yellow River. If it still cannot be held, then only Fengyi and Chaoyi can be defended. The war has been lost at this point.

The saint reached out and caught a falling leaf.

The fallen leaves leave the tree and drift with the wind. The guest has no one to rely on, and he shares the same sorrow. This poem is so well written that he remembered it instantly. I don’t know what He Yuqing is doing, maybe he is favoring Jingshen again. Ruxin should have just finished washing and went to the Privy Council to report for duty, and Rounu is probably in the forbidden courtyard to watch the orchard farm. She has been tidying up for half a year, and it is almost the season for eating oranges. Damn it, according to the routine of the TV series, am I going to get a box lunch?
With the words "hard work and long spear", the saint drew the bow and took aim with narrowed eyes.

"Hoohoho!"

The roars were approaching each other.

Large areas of blood mist began to splatter in the white mist.

The close combat at the front line was brutal and invisible. Many warriors abandoned their swords and spears, and fought and rolled on the ground, digging out eyeballs, biting ears, kicking crotches, elbowing, and kneeing. Heads flew everywhere, and the small ditch was filled with human heads. Pink hands and feet were everywhere.

The first wave of Cai's army attacked the stronghold, but the royal army did not move.

"It's difficult!" Yin Tielin was a little anxious when he saw the soldiers who were stuck behind him and couldn't get in. He thought he could defeat Li Ni in one go, but he didn't expect that this guy was so difficult to deal with.

"I don't know where the saint is." Yin Tielin subconsciously looked to the east.

Oh, Li Ni!
You are so brave that you dare to guard Shouyang Mountain yourself, waiting for the saint to come from the west to surround this broken place and let you "return your body" to Guanzhong!
……

"The broken halberds sank into the sand, but the iron remains intact. They will be polished and recognized as the previous dynasty. How many times have we been sad about the past, but the mountains are still as cold as before." Walking on the Puguan Road again, Zhu Wen was filled with emotion.

In the second year of Zhonghe, the power of the Great Qi was declining. At that time, Zhu had just surrendered and took the remnants of his army to serve as a scapegoat for Wang Chongrong, and his future was in danger.

In the fleeting autumn, the flowers withered. He was no longer a lackey who depended on others’ favors, but the emperor who dominated the Central Plains. Wherever he swung his whip, everyone was defeated. Wherever his swords and spears went, he slaughtered pigs and dogs like a butcher. Zhu Sheng’s reputation spread far and wide.

"This road is so rotten." Zhu Wen, who was tossed up and down by the bumpy post road, sneered, "I don't know what the Wang father and son are doing. They are so stupid, how can they keep their foundation?"

"This is probably what Heaven has gifted Your Majesty." Jing Xiang licked the words indifferently.

Zhu Wen smiled but said nothing.

As they walked, they caught a glimpse of a manor. Zhu Wen pointed with his whip, his eyes filled with reminiscence: "I see an old friend again. This family's surname is Linghu. The Queen and I lived in their manor. In late spring, peach blossoms bloomed all over the fields and butterflies fluttered. It was also here that Master Linghu held a wedding for me to marry the Queen... but now the manor is empty."

"If it weren't for Your Majesty, who knows how many people would claim to be emperors, how many would claim to be kings, and how many lives would be lost." Jing Xiang complimented without losing any opportunity.

Zhu Wen's face flushed and he asked, "How is thief Li?"

If I don't kill this guy, I won't be able to sleep or eat. Last time he stopped us at Tongguan, we lost more than 10,000 elite soldiers in vain. How painful!
"Yin Tielin, Wang Gong and Wang Yao jointly attacked Shouyang Mountain. The bandit generals He Chuyu, Cui Yi, Wang Ke and others guarded Hedong County. The rest of the people were stationed in Huayin, Fengyi and Chaoyi. The bandit Li made such arrangements, he must have made plans to retreat to Pubanjin if Hezhong Prefecture could not be defended." Jing Xiang added all the details.

"How are Xiazhou Tuoba Sigong and Linzhou Zhe Silun?"

"They want to attack Shizhou, but they haven't heard anything yet. They must be observing their strength."

"The Tanguts have always been indecisive and untrustworthy... It's just wishful thinking for Li to rely on them." Zhu Wen thought about it and came up with a plan: "Why not send two envoys to humbly offer a generous reward in exchange for their surrender or withdrawal. If they don't trust me, we can still arrange marriages for our children. My nieces are beautiful, and my nephews are also handsome."

"The time is not right yet." Jing Xiang frowned.

Tuoba and Zheju are geographically close to Li and far from Daliang. If they cannot defeat Li this time, they dare not surrender. For Pingxia Dangxiang, Daliang is indeed scary, but the pseudo-Tang next to their bed is an iron fist that can destroy them at any time. Li Ni can't take Daliang, but is it difficult to raise Dangxiang?

Once the thief Li is severely damaged, these two families will naturally turn to Daliang.

"Don't worry." Zhu Sheng narrowed his eyes and suddenly said, "If we can't destroy Li the thief this time..."

"Retreat to Bianzhou. Destroy Xuan and Jin, and then take Zibo and Qingzhou." Li Zhen was very disgusted with the Pseudo-Tang, and said impatiently: "After pacifying Qi and Lu, retake Weizhou. Then follow Liu Yu's example to attack Qin and destroy the Tang Dynasty with three routes."

Zhu Xuan and Zhu Jin were beaten to the point of being on the verge of death, and they should have stepped up their efforts to kill them as quickly as they did with Shi Pu. Now Xuan and Jin have a chance to catch their breath, and it will be more difficult to conquer them later.

Zhu Wen did not care about how to conquer Qi and Lu, but asked: "How do you destroy the Tang Dynasty in three ways?"

Li Zhen gave him a strange look.

You didn’t even know that Liu Yu destroyed Qin?

In the middle, Tongguan is used to store heavy troops to attract the enemy's main force to confront it. Puguan in the north and Wuguan in the south are attacked at the same time. If the weather is suitable, you can also imitate Wang Zhen'e and flow upstream into the Wei River.

But Li Ni is not Yao Hong, he is not that confused, so this trick may not work.

Moreover, the entrance to Wuguan Road is still in the hands of Feng Xingxi.

If we don't take this thief in, how can we destroy the Tang Dynasty from three directions?
"Difficult." Zhu Sheng stroked his beard and said, "Li has recovered Guanxi, and I heard that the rebellion in Shu has also subsided. His power is no longer what it used to be. With the pseudo-Tang as a signboard, if he wants, he can even call on the miscellaneous Hu, Uighurs, and Turks to come to the king's defense. When I have time and can spare the troops and food to destroy the Tang in three directions, I'm afraid he will also have the strength to attack Liang in three directions."

If only I were ten years younger.

Time is the most unforgiving. I am over forty, while Li Ni is only in his twenties.

If we cannot see him die in our lifetime, how can Daliang have long-term stability?

If my sons could have half the ability of Li Ni...

Shaking his head, Zhu Sheng stopped thinking about these troubles and asked again, "Is there any new news about the war in Henan Prefecture?"

It is no secret that Zhang Quanyi was defeated and more than 40,000 soldiers from Shannan marched to Luoyang.

There were also bandits causing chaos in Zheng and Ru states, and the people were suffering terribly from the disaster.

It's like a toad lying on the back of your foot. It can't kill you but it's disgusting.

"The Queen Mother has not sent any letter yet." Jing Xiang confirmed it before replying.

"Hateful." Zhu Wen clenched his left hand and hammered his thigh lightly: "We must defeat Li Ni as soon as possible and return to Daliang. The Queen Mother is alone at home, and I am worried."

Yes, he was doubting the Queen's mood again.

Ah Hui had woken up from her dreams several times in the middle of the night, screaming and crying, looking so haggard and exhausted, but the saint still doesn't want to recall it.

"This is the situation. If we can defeat Li Ni, the world will be blessed. If not, go back and deal with Yang Shouliang and the bandits in Xiama, and then make plans. Take your time, don't rush." Zhu Wen turned over and dismounted, looking at the soldiers passing by, and said: "Send another letter to Wang Rong and Li Kuangchou, with humble words, asking them to intensify the attack on Wei and Xing to contain Ke Yong. Wei Bo should also send someone to talk to them. If it can be exchanged for the withdrawal of troops from Huazhou, we can discuss it."

"As ordered."

"Notify all the troops to move quickly. I want to see Mount Shouyang tonight. Wait, I will draft another edict to confer the title of Jiedushi of Ci, Xi, Shi, Lan, and Fen states on Sima Le."

(End of this chapter)