Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 482: One Evil and One Righteous
Liu Huai quickly returned to his own camp, then summoned all the commanders to start a military meeting.

There is no way around it.

Especially after the war, casualties from all sides were still being counted. Which part of the Jingnan Army could be mobilized, which part had the highest morale, and which part suffered the heaviest casualties, all required a military meeting to discuss these in detail.

In this battle, although the Jingnan Army was the most intact, there were still many casualties.

Including the almost crippled enemy troops, the Jingnan Army suffered more than 3,000 casualties, nearly 1,000 of whom died in battle, and more than 700 were seriously injured and lost their combat effectiveness. Even many generals who came to attend the military meeting were injured.

The Battle of Chao County can be described as a truly tragic victory.

And the corresponding rewards are also enormous.

After the spoils were hastily distributed, more than 5,000 horses were distributed, all of which were strong war horses, and more than 6,000 sets of full infantry armor were obtained. As for other military weapons, gold, silver and treasures, there were countless of them.

In fact, the entire Jingnan Army had already received two rounds of rewards at this time. In the past few days, they had been fed with horse meat.

Lu You was worthy of being the steward of the Jingnan Army. After following Liu Huai back to the army, he quickly took charge of all the logistical affairs of the army and quickly put them in order.

After Liu Huai saw the generals take their seats and each of them explained the situation of the troops under their charge, he stopped talking nonsense and directly stated the current strategic situation, which immediately excited everyone.

However, the first person to react violently was not Lu You or Xin Qiji, but Jia Rui of the Tianping Army.

This Tianping general, who had long admired Emperor Zhao, was now flushed with pent-up anger. He stood up and wanted to say something, but stamped his feet instead. He sat down and sighed, mumbling for a long time before finally saying, "This must be the work of a villain in the court, deceiving the emperor!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the civil and military officials in the tent, who were originally a little angry, were all speechless, their emotions were completely interrupted.

But they were all comrades in the same boat, and almost everyone understood what Jia Rui was thinking.

In the mind of this warrior, only two people are the most sacred. One is his immediate superior, Geng Jing, the governor of Tianping Army; the other is Zhao Gou, the emperor of the Song Dynasty.

Tushan Zhen's 30,000 households are not made of clay. On the one hand, the Loyal Army will bear the brunt of the attack. If Wei Sheng cannot stop them in Pizhou... in fact, the Loyal Army's few thousand soldiers will not be able to stop them, then the next to be beaten will be the Tianping Army.

If the State of Song did not send troops to pursue and kill Tushan Zhen, it would be equivalent to letting Tushan Zhen return to Shandong in the Central Plains, which would be equivalent to selling out all the Shandong volunteers.

The Shandong volunteers marched south together and fought hard, suffering heavy casualties, and this is the result they got?
Liu Huai waved his hand to stop the generals from chattering in the tent, then said, "I've already sent military envoys to alert my father and Geng Jiedu. Sending another group today is just too far away. After all, we can't control things that far away. Let's focus on the present first."

"Forty thousand Jiankang troops, including cavalry, infantry, and navy, are about to arrive in Chao County. What do you have to say?"

The generals immediately started clamoring again.

"What can I say? Didn't the commander-in-chief say it? Stretch out your hands and chop them off, stretch out your feet and chop them off!"

"Navy? Yuxi River is blocked. How are the Jiankang navy going to get here? Are they going to fly over?"

"What kind of filthy bitch, son of a bitch, dares to take advantage of us?"

"If you ask me, these 40,000 soldiers are all armed with silver spears and tin-plated tips. If they were really capable of fighting, why wouldn't they join us in encircling and killing the Jin thieves?"

Liu Huai did not look at the Shandong generals who were shouting for war and killing, but turned his attention to officials from the Song Dynasty such as Lu You.

Originally, Liu Huai thought that they would use some conciliatory tactics, but he didn't expect that they were also very angry and cursed loudly.

Lu You was relatively polite, but Xu Zongyan jumped up and down and cursed, saying that all the ancestors of the Jiankang army generals from Ye Yiwen on down were not spared.

The so-called big pot meal also needs to be eaten in different bowls. It does not mean that all ministers from the Song Dynasty will definitely stand on the united front.

Those who participated in the military meeting at this time were all die-hard war advocates. It would be a miracle if they looked down on these cowards who were afraid of war.

In the end, everyone in the Jingnan Army reached a consensus.

Under the command of Feihu Langjun, fuck him hard!
If we don’t teach the Jiankang army a lesson, these thieves won’t know why the flowers are so red!

Liu Huai had not expected that the thoughts in the army would be unified so quickly. He could only sigh that victory on the battlefield was indeed the best catalyst for power. If he won a few more large-scale battles, perhaps many people would worship him as a god.

Of course, Liu Huai still had an idea in his mind. After all, he was not a god, so he told Yu Yunwen the rough plan he had just discussed with him and discussed it together in the military meeting.

Sure enough, with everyone's thinking and discussion, this plan, which could only be regarded as a skeleton, was quickly filled with flesh and blood and became fuller.

"Da Lang, since the entire army isn't stationed at Dongguan, we should also allocate troops to recapture Huaixi and stabilize the people." Xin Qiji stood up and spoke, then looked around at the generals in the tent. "This will also help stabilize the morale of the army. You must know that there are many Huaixi soldiers in each army. We have promised to lead them back to their hometown. How can we go back on our promise?"

Xin Qiji also gained experience in these battles and accumulated some prestige. He was the second-in-command of the Jingnan Army. His words were still very effective and soon received a lot of response.

Just because the Jiankang army is unreliable doesn’t mean the rest of the Song army can be relied upon!

Cheng Min, Li Xianzhong, and even Yang Chun all seem to be seasoned feudal warriors, but isn't this the Song Dynasty's short-sighted strategic mistakes still happening? It's normal for everyone to have doubts.

Liu Huai nodded, then looked at Lu You: "Mr. Lu, why are you frowning? Are you confused?"

Lu You stood up and said, "I have been talking about military affairs so I didn't want to interrupt, but now we are talking about people's livelihood, so I still have a few words to say."

Liu Huai gestured with his hand: "Please continue speaking, Mr. Lu."

Lu You first looked around at the generals of the Jingnan Army and said: "When it comes to saving the people, it is better to do it sooner rather than later, and it is better to be urgent rather than slow.

The war is one thing, but the most important thing is this heavy snow. The people who originally hid in the mountains may not be able to survive, and they will gather together to become rebels and loot houses. By then, those who could have survived will not be able to survive, and the two Huai regions will be completely out of control.

Lu You paused for a moment, then said, as if he was having difficulty speaking, "If we talk about the current situation, the most pressing one is the group of women who were abducted."

As soon as these words were spoken, most of the people in the tent fell silent, but a few of them were quite excited, and then they were kicked by their superiors or comrades beside them.

Liu Huai glared at those smiling faces, then looked at Lu You and said sincerely, "Mr. Lu, please continue."

Lu You took a deep breath. "What I'm about to say might seem like taking advantage of someone's misfortune, but I have to say it. There are 3,232 women in all. I want to match them up with the Jingnan Army, so they can serve as military families and return to Shandong with the soldiers to settle down."

You must know that all the soldiers of the Jingnan Army have made great contributions this time. When they return to Shandong, they will be granted land. Each of them will be a middle-class family with a small fortune, and it is time for them to find a wife to live with.

There was silence in the tent, and then a hoarse voice said: "This... this, this, how can this be done? This..."

When everyone looked over, they saw the young boy Bi Zaiyu standing up, waving his hands wildly, his face flushed.

When Bi Zaiyu collected his father's body after the war, he immediately had several places to go.

All parties extended olive branches to recruit a young hero who was only fourteen years old but could kill a general in battle and successively won a Meng'an flag and a Zongguan flag, and was a future famous general.

But in the end, Bi Zaiyu chose to join the Jingnan Army.

The reason was simple: he wanted to bring Bi Jin's ashes back to his hometown of Yanzhou for burial. However, it wasn't just a matter of finding a plot of land and burying them. He needed to search for his ancestral home, identify his ancestors, and bury him in the ancestral tomb. If he couldn't find them, he would have to build a tomb and settle down his family in his hometown. It was a very troublesome task, but it had to be done.

Now, in terms of fighting will and combat results, only the Jingnan Army can fight back to Yanzhou, no matter how famous the others are.

At this time, Bi Zaiyou was serving as Liu Huai's personal guard in the Flying Tiger Army. He was temporarily under Yao Buping, learning civil and military strategies. When he heard what Lu You said, he finally couldn't bear it anymore. Regardless of the fact that he had no right to speak, he immediately stood up and spoke.

Lu You was not so angry as to say to a junior: "Bi Dalang, I also know that this matter is really hard to talk about, but think about it carefully, is there any other way?" Bi Zaiyu glanced at Liu Huai, then looked at the others with different expressions, and finally looked at Luo Huaiyan who was acting as a clerk, but saw that this very smart friend also sighed and shook his head.

"How about letting them...letting them go home separately?" Bi Zaiyou held it in for a long time before finally saying this.

Lu You sighed again, "Where is their home? Bi Dalang, where is their home? Do you think these women all followed the Jin army voluntarily?"

Bi Zaiyou was speechless, lowered his head and thought for a moment, and could only return to his seat in disappointment.

However, Liu Huai said sternly, "Mr. Lu, this matter needs to be handled quickly, but it must be done with extreme caution. Because many women, even if their families are gone, their clans are still there. They will always have a life after returning to their hometowns.

Even if their families are destroyed and they want to return home, we can only explain the pros and cons clearly and never force them. We can't say I'm doing this for your own good, you'll die if you go back, I'm saving your life, so I can force you to do something. Otherwise, how are we any different from the Jin thieves?

Moreover, marriage is based on mutual affection, a matchmaking meeting. Not only do men choose women, but women also choose men.

Liu Huai said, looking at the other generals: "I know that some of you really pity them, but some of you think this is a big piece of fat meat and want to find a few maids and concubines.

I understand this and tell you this: you will always have a future of wealth and honor, and I will not withhold land, gold, or silver. But I will never allow you to possess this kind of unscrupulous wealth!
If we were to discuss morality and law, I could spend the entire night with you. But I don't want to waste time on people like us who are lawless. Just treat it as my quirk, like the saying goes, "The King of Chu loves thin waists, so many people in the palace starve to death." I now favor loyal, righteous, and honest people. If you still recognize me as your general, you should follow my wishes!

Those who were laughing and joking were all sweating profusely. Then everyone stood up, bowed, and responded loudly.

Liu Huai's prestige had already been established at this time. In theory, he was the lord of everyone in the Jingnan Army. Once he really got angry, no one would not be afraid.

Liu Huai waved his hand for everyone to take a seat, and then said, "This matter will be presided over by He Daguan."

He Boqiu stood up and agreed.

"The main force will march north to reclaim lost territory, all the way to the Huai River." Liu Huai pointed out two people: "Xin Wulang will be the commander, and Mr. Lu will be in charge of all miscellaneous matters. Make sure to resettle the civilians as much as possible."

Xin Qiji and Lu You, two great poets of the Song Dynasty, were forcibly tied together by Liu Huai to preside over important events along the way.

Thinking of this, Liu Huai couldn't help but frown.

I have been with these two people for such a long time and see them busy every day, so why haven't I seen them write any poetry?

If they don't write, won't future Chinese textbooks be missing a large part? Won't elementary and middle school students be unhappy?
Could it be that this heavy responsibility will fall on my shoulders?
Liu Huai's thoughts were confused for a moment, and he shook his head to throw away the messy thoughts in his head, and continued to give orders: "Zhang Silang will lead the Flying Tiger Army, Lei Shu will lead the Selected Vanguard Army, Shi Qilang will lead the Vanguard Army, select a few elite soldiers and horses, not too many, and follow me to the East Gate to discuss the pros and cons with those bastards!
Xu Dapan, you come and organize the laborers and go to Dongguan to set up camp!"

"Here!"

After everyone left, Liu Huai called Shen Longzi and said, "Go to the prison and take Li Tong out. Keep it secret. Find the body of a Jin thief with all his hair intact, slash his face and chop it into pieces to replace Li Tong. Keep it secret."

Shen Longzi's position at this time is a military judge, but he is not only monitoring the laws in the army, but also training spies to organize an intelligence department belonging only to Liu Huai. It is just the right time to do this.

Shen Longzi nodded in agreement without asking any questions.

In the second half of the night, the sky was dark and Li Tong in prison was having a dream.

This guy was not at peace in his dream. It seemed that he had returned to the day when Xuanma was appointed as prime minister. However, the person sitting on the dragon throne was not Wanyan Liang or Wanyan Yong, but Liu Huai dressed as the emperor of the Han Dynasty.

Li Tong knelt on the ground, looking at a piece of white linen paper in front of him, and couldn't help feeling a lot of emotions.

Unexpectedly, he was appointed as prime minister twice by two dynasties. What's even more strange is that he was appointed as a flatterer once and as a capable minister the second time.

"The country has been established and the world is at peace. Prime Minister Li has made great contributions and is appointed as the right prime minister!" Liu Huai, who was sitting on the dragon throne, laughed out loud, stood up and helped Li Tong up.

Li Tong acted like he was filled with gratitude and was about to say a few polite words when he heard Liu Huai continue.

"It is a pity that the State of Song has not been pacified. Today I will gather an army of 300,000 men, the men to fight and the women to transport, and launch an attack on Song."

enter!
Li Tong cursed loudly and then woke up. In the darkness, he saw a big bearded face approaching him.

enter!
Li Tong was really frightened this time and cursed loudly. Then a ball of sackcloth was stuffed into his mouth and a huge sack was put over his head.

"This is the man, let's go!" Shen Longzi said coldly, and then a soldier threw a similar corpse into the cell.

Two more people rushed into the cell and began to chop the body with knives. For a while, the sound of chopping was endless.

Li Tong struggled for a few times, and then found that he was not attacked by any sword or gun, so he stopped struggling.

When he was almost vomiting from being shaken on horseback, Li Tong finally saw the light again. The sack was opened and the sackcloth in his mouth was torn off.

Shen Longzi said with a cold face: "The general is resting now. Let me take you to wash up, change clothes, eat something, and rest for the night. I will discuss the rest with you in detail tomorrow."

Li Tong looked around in a panic and found that this place was just in front of the general's tent, and the direction Shen Longzi pointed to was a tent next to the general's tent.

Li Tong simply shook his head and used his saliva to smooth out his beard and messy hair: "No need, I'll just wait here."

Afterwards, Li Tong said nothing more and knelt down on the ground facing the general's tent in the cold wind.

Shen Longzi said coldly, "It's up to you, but don't make too much noise. The commander-in-chief has been very tired these past few days."

Having said that, Shen Longzi turned around and left, ordering his scouts to disperse in all directions to investigate the military situation and public sentiment.

It was not until dawn that Shen Longzi returned, yawning. Seeing Li Tong still kneeling there, his body covered in a layer of white frost, he said to the guards at the entrance of the general's tent, "Has he been kneeling here all this time?"

The guard exhaled white air and said, "That's right."

Shen Longzi looked up and thought for a while, then turned around to warm up a pot of wine from his tent and walked out holding his robe.

"Wake up." Shen Longzi patted Li Tong awake, put his robe on him, and then stuffed a wine gourd into Li Tong's hand: "Hot wine, drink it to warm your body."

Li Tong's lips were trembling. He was actually very cold. Not only were his legs and feet numb, but his whole body became stiff. After taking the wine jug, he gulped down a few mouthfuls and finally came back to life.

"Thank...thank you very much." Li Tong said tremblingly.

Shen Longzi's face darkened as he said coldly, "Don't thank me. My whole family was killed by the Jin bandits. As the leader of the Jin bandits, you must have a blood debt against my family. I wish I could peel off your skin.

However, the General has been very kind to me and a great benefactor to the men of Shandong. Since he feels you should be spared, I will spare your life. This has nothing to do with how I view you; it is simply my duty.

Li Tong looked at Shen Longzi in surprise. He didn't expect that this cold-faced man would talk so much.

As a prime minister who could be described as someone who hated the emperor, this guy had already mastered the skill of observing people's words and expressions to perfection. He immediately knew that Shen Longzi was a person with a cold appearance but a warm heart.

However, Li Tong said nothing, but kept this in mind and nodded tremblingly: "You who only know about the General, but don't know about the Emperor of Song and Jin, are the foundation for achieving great things."

When Shen Longzi heard this, his expression did not change. He just sneered twice and turned away.

Li Tong was not surprised. He drank the wine while it was still hot and continued to kneel on the ground.

(End of this chapter)