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

Chapter 763 Those Who Walk Different Paths Cannot Make Plans Together (Part 2)

Since Heshi Lieliangbi had already made his move, he was naturally going to pursue him relentlessly and beat him to death.

From both a military and political perspective, Heshi Lieliangbi's offensive was fierce.

After Shi Ju and the others returned to the camp unharmed, Zhang Shu and the others rushed over in a hurry, each presenting a stack of papers.

"Lord Shi, after you went to attend the military council, we guarded the camp carefully. However, many Jurchen cavalry came from upstream, surrounded the camp, and shot these documents into it."

"Lord Shi, is it true that the imperial court is going to establish a regional military governorship in Henan?"

"Lord Shi, the court is saying they're going to conscript soldiers to replenish our ranks. Is that true?"

"Master Shi..."

Almost all the Han Chinese generals gathered around, each holding a lot of letters, and started asking questions all at once.

Shi Ju smiled and said, "Of course it's true. This military meeting was also about these things."

The Han generals looked at each other, some with excitement, some with extreme panic, and others with pale and uncertain faces, as if they were having an internal struggle.

Shi Ju took in everyone's expressions, but his own expression remained unchanged. Instead, he continued, "This military meeting also discussed another matter, which is to agree on a date for attacking Xia Cai City."

Before the generals could speak, Shi Ju continued, "It's not like we're the ones leading the charge, nor do we need to wait for the conscripts from the other prefectures to arrive. The able-bodied men of Shouzhou will be the first to rush to attack the city. With so many conscripts, we can grind down Xia Cai."

This made even more people pale with fear.

However, at this moment, someone spoke up again, but instead of asking about the issue of signing soldiers, they continued to discuss the matter of the regional military governors: "Lord Shi, I saw in this letter that it says that Elder Du has become the military governor of Zhenning Army. He will be stationed in Shouzhou, which is equivalent to a local emperor."

"Who will govern the remaining regional military governorships? Have the ministers and the Grand Marshal discussed this?"

Upon hearing this, several people were intrigued and looked at Shi Ju with expectant expressions.

The rest of the people were somewhat indignant. Most of them glared at the person who had spoken, while a few glared at Du Wuji.

Du Wuji felt as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly, but this was He Shilie Liangbi's open scheme, and he couldn't refute it in public at all.

Shi Ju also looked at the person who spoke, but he wasn't surprised.

This man was named Shawei, and he was from Dengzhou.

Although Shawei also came from a powerful family, he was different from local strongmen like Du Wuji. He combined the businesses of mountain bandits and powerful families, and sometimes even acted as a horse bandit and a roving bandit.

It can be said that this person's personality is that of someone who thrives on chaos; neither his fellow villagers nor the elders of Henan are as important as his own pleasure.

Du Wuji, Xie Fuyao, and the others naturally disliked Sha Wei, because, in any case, they were people who craved order and benefited from it.

Javert, on the other hand, is a disruptor of order.

When Shi Ju formed the Chenzhou Army, Sha Wei led several hundred mountain bandits to join him. He stood out in the army because of his ruthlessness and decisiveness. At this time, he had more than 1,500 men under his command and was considered a relatively powerful commander.

Of course, Javert wasn't alone in the army. The Chenzhou army was a mixed bag, and naturally there were also those with unruly personalities like Javert.

Shi Ju said solemnly, "Lord Liangbi didn't say much, but I suppose he wants to see the merits of this great battle before deciding on the ownership of these eight military prefectures."

Upon hearing this, Shawei was overjoyed and burst into laughter: "Lord Shi, it is only right that I should take the position of Jiedushi this time. When the time comes, I ask Lord Shi to give the order so that I can lead the charge and fight against the Song traitors!"

Shi Ju stroked his beard and laughed, "Of course, we'll see what you, Sha Erlang, are capable of then."

Alright, that's all for these minor matters. Now, everyone, quickly return to camp and rest. A major battle is imminent, so don't delay the fighting!

The generals responded enthusiastically. Some were excited and excited, some were uneasy and anxious, and some hesitated to say something to Shi Ju, but in the end they remained silent and turned to leave.

Once only Shi Ju and Du Wuji remained in the tent, Du Wuji collapsed to the ground, somewhat distraught, and asked, "Lord Shi, is our army going to split up so easily?"

Yes, even Du Wuji has figured it out now.

Heshi Lieliangbi's series of moves were not intended to win over the entire Han army, but rather to create a group within the Han army to compete against the other half, thereby causing a split within the Han army.

It should be noted that after a period of rest and reorganization, and another round of troop replenishment and rotation, the Chenzhou Army and the Wujie Army, both Han Chinese militia, now together number 23,000 men. Moreover, they possess both infantry and cavalry, making them capable of fighting tough battles.

If the Song army were to rely on force to forcibly quell the Han Chinese army, then the main force of the Jurchens would inevitably suffer heavy losses. The Song army would be overjoyed at that point.

As for political oppression, not to mention Shi Ju, the Henan Han people were already in a semi-independent state, and whether they would still obey military orders was unknown. The best method, which was what He Shi Lie Liangbi used at this time, was to use heroes against heroes, and good men against good men, using interests to instigate infighting within the Han army.

Shi Ju had enough prestige, but he never led the Chenzhou army in any bloody battles or presided over any regional conquests. The Han generals only feared and respected Shi Ju, but they could not be as loyal and devoted to him as the Han army was to Liu Huai.

Take Javert, for example. When the opportunity to divide up the provinces and counties came his way, how could he possibly resist?
Once the soldiers from Shouzhou arrive, this man might very well lead the charge and attack Xia Cai.

They might not necessarily believe all of Heshi Lieliangbi's nonsense about the regional military governors, but this was a good opportunity to gather conscripted soldiers, merge troops, and expand their own power.

The Chenzhou army numbered over 20,000. If even a few thousand regular soldiers were to be combined with over 10,000 conscripted soldiers to cooperate with the main Jin army's attack, the remaining troops would also be drawn into the fray.

Faced with the de facto split within the Han army and the potential for dire consequences, Du Wuji felt somewhat desperate.

Shi Ju, however, calmly sat down behind the table: "Go to the back tent first. There are still many things to do tonight, so be prepared."

Helpless, Du Wuji could only stride over to a small tent behind the general's tent.

This was probably where Shi Ju rested. It was only five or six steps long and wide, with a bed and a desk, and was separated from the commander's tent by just a few curtains.

Du Wuji was naturally in no mood to look through the documents. He was just wondering why Shi Ju was reacting this way today. His calmness was too unusual.

However, Du Wuji soon heard someone call out his name and enter; the speaker was Zhang Shu.

"Lord Shi, I have come to say goodbye." Zhang Shu spoke first, making his intentions clear from the outset, which was exactly what Shi Ju had expected.

Shi Ju took another sip of tea, then asked curiously, "Is it just you who thinks this way, or do others also think so?"

Zhang Shu knelt down and kowtowed: "This is what all of us think. Cheng Yu, Guo Haoran, Liang Bin and the others also think so."

These men were all from Hebei and were previously legitimate officers in the Jin army. When Shi Ju marched south, they followed him and established the basic framework of the Chenzhou army.

Shi Ju drank his tea again, then slowly said, "Are you going to seek refuge with Prime Minister Liangbi?"

Zhang Shu shook his head firmly: "Of course not. We've heard that Liu Dalang from Shandong is going to dominate the north, and our wives, children, and old friends are all in Hebei. If we go back now, we might be able to help Liu Dalang. Even if we don't achieve great feats, becoming a wealthy man won't be a problem."

These men were also selected by Heshi Lieliangbi. Originally, he wanted to place them under Shi Ju's protection. However, things change, and nothing in the world is static. These Hebei officers found their place in the Chenzhou army and gained close comrades. How could they still be devoted to Heshi Lieliangbi?

Especially after the Battle of Damingfu, the Jin army was clearly crushed by Liu Huai in a head-on battle. Under such circumstances, it would be strange if these Hebei men still wanted to fight for Heshi Lie Liangbi.

Shi Ju narrowed his eyes: "How did you know about the military situation in Hebei?"

Zhang Shu had already prepared an explanation: "Reporting to the sir, my family is in Hebei, and my military connections are also in Hebei, so naturally, close brothers have come to deliver the message."

Shi Ju nodded in agreement, indicating his acceptance of the statement: "Has this news already spread within the army?"

Zhang Shu quickly shook his head: "Lord Shi, we have been in the army for a long time, how could we not know the risks? This news is only passed on among us by word of mouth, it will not be spread outside."

Shi Ju didn't believe this at all, but he didn't show it. Instead, he slowly said, "Since you know, it saves me from having to say anything more. Don't mention returning to Hebei anymore. I don't believe that you have no other intentions now that you hold military power."

These sudden, blunt words took Zhang Shu somewhat by surprise.

Shouldn't they test each other for a while, exchange some subtle hints, and then reveal everything?

Why the rush?

Shi Ju chuckled and said, "Commander Zhang, you have people waiting for you. Speak up if you have something to say."

Zhang Shu wiped the sweat from his face, stood up, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Now, while our army can still hold together, we should cross the Fei River directly and attack that scoundrel Pusan ​​Zhongyi's camp. As long as we can drive him back, our army can immediately retreat to Chenzhou, cutting off the Jin army's main force's retreat. With such merit, Lord Shi can certainly get a position under Liu Dalang, and we can continue to be generals. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"

Shi Ju remained noncommittal, simply nodding: "You may leave now. Tell Cheng Yu and the others to remain calm and await my orders."

Zhang Shu wanted to persuade him further, but he understood that Shi Ju had some overall plans, so he could only nod hesitantly.

However, when he reached the tent entrance, Zhang Shu turned around and said, "Lord Shi, I have something to say from the bottom of my heart, and I hope you will not take offense."

"After all, Lord Shi is a man from Hebei, and now he must make a decision."

Upon hearing this, Shi Ju's expression softened slightly, but he only nodded haphazardly.

(End of this chapter)