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

Chapter 992 Sword Slashes at the Head of the Treacherous Minister (Part 2)
Although the great battle known in history as the Battle of Lüliang has ended, even the victorious Han army is far from being able to rest easy.

For Li Xianzong, how to lead these remaining soldiers safely back to Lianghuai was an extremely difficult task, but one that he had to accomplish at all costs.

At this time, the main force of the Song army, including the rear guard brought back by Li Xianzong, the defeated troops gathered together, and the troops besieging Xiapi and Suqian, totaled more than 20,000.

These soldiers were the last remaining blood and bones of the Lianghuai army. If even these soldiers could not be brought back, then the northern gate of Jiangnan would truly be completely destroyed.

The same principle applies to Xin Qiji.

These 20,000 troops were in a desperate situation in Huaibei. Xin Qiji didn't even need to launch an attack. As long as he pursued them relentlessly, these remnants of the army would fall apart by the time they reached the banks of the Huai River.

However, if the Song army were to return to the water-rich Huainan region, it would be ten times more difficult to annihilate them.
Both of these key players also face their own difficulties.

Li Xianzong goes without saying; his army had been routed, and even if he still retained some fresh troops, how could he retreat so easily?
Do we still need the baggage?

Do we still need laborers?

If we don't need supplies, where will we get our next meal?
If we need supplies, wouldn't we have to drive large carts on the march?
The merchant ships that had been hastily organized to transport grain were stuck near Xiapi and could not move for a while.

Furthermore, many of the laborers were skilled soldiers, essentially auxiliary troops. Abandoning them would significantly reduce the Song army's combat effectiveness.

Xin Qiji's difficulties were much simpler and more straightforward.

He doesn't have enough troops at his disposal.

After achieving the military miracle of defeating tens of thousands of Song troops, the thousand Flying Tiger cavalry suffered casualties and various non-combat losses, with a total of more than two hundred riders lying dead.

The remaining seven hundred or so riders were all exhausted.

Because the Song army's deployment was so swift, almost like a whirlwind, the garrison troops and militia in Xuzhou were not mobilized.

At this point, it would be too late to mobilize the militia. By the time Xin Qiji sent the militia from various parts of Xuzhou to the front lines, the Song army could have crossed the Huai River even if they had to crawl.

Of course, for Xin Qiji, the most difficult situation had already passed, and the only remaining question was whether he would win more or less.

On December 7th, the second day of the Battle of Lüliang, Xin Qiji led the Flying Tiger Army to the city of Xiapi.

The Song army had already withdrawn overnight, leaving behind only a scene of devastation.

After crossing the Yi River and passing the besieging and attacking camps, Xin Qiji arrived outside the moat and shouted at the city walls, "Open the gate!"

In response to him, besides the clamorous shouts from the city walls, came several arrows.

Xin Qiji stared in disbelief at the arrow fletching embedded in the mud before him, then looked up and roared angrily, "Who's that on the city wall?! Someone from the Taiping Army, dares to shoot an arrow at me, Xin Wu?!"

"Brother Xin Wu! It really is Brother Xin Wu!"

"Old Zheng, what are you doing?!"

"You're crazy..."

"...These are all thieves! Kill the thieves with me!"

The commotion on the city wall instantly grew louder, followed by shouts and the clash of weapons.

However, in just a short while, the city walls calmed down, and after a while, the drawbridge over the moat was lowered and the gates slowly opened.

Several blood-stained generals strode out and, upon seeing Xin Qiji, immediately knelt down: "Fifth Brother... Commander! Those traitors have been dealt with by us!"

Xin Qiji tilted his head, and the Flying Tiger Cavalry immediately swarmed into the city, occupied key positions on the city walls, and spread out along the streets, searching for any possible ambushes.

The generals who had left the city were even more flustered, but not from having their thoughts exposed. The leader looked up and said, "Fifth Brother, it's me, Zong Er. Don't you recognize me?"

Xin Qiji looked the man up and down and said, "Zongxiong, Zong Erlang, how could I not recognize you?! I was the one who poured you your first cup of wine when you joined the Tianping Army."

"I just don't understand why you betrayed the King of Han and sold me out in the process. Was it because the King of Han wasn't kind enough to you, or because I lacked virtue?"

Zongxiong was stunned. After a long while, he said in a trembling voice, "Fifth Brother... the ones who shot arrows at you just now were Old Zheng and his men. These scoundrels have gone mad and have already been dealt with by us."

We...we're just a few law-abiding people, how could we have uttered any rebellious words?!

Xin Qiji's face remained grim: "Whose idea was it to let 100,000 Song troops pass through Xiapi? Behind them are Pengcheng and Xuzhou! Do you know how much trouble it would be if Xuzhou were lost?! You dare to disobey my orders? You are incredibly audacious!"

Zongxiong panicked even more, almost sweating profusely: "Commander, the military order clearly ordered us to defend Xiapi! We also volunteered to fight a couple of days ago, but the commander ordered us to hold our ground and wait for reinforcements, saying that the commander had his own arrangements."

"When did you see this military order?!"

"January... January before!"

"I issued another military order ten days ago. Didn't that scoundrel Zhang Anguo tell you all about it?!"

Zongxiong was speechless.

Xin Qiji nodded: "I understand. Where is Zhang Anguo? Is he at the prefectural office?"

Zong Xiong dared not delay and led the way. A moment later, Xin Qiji arrived at the prefectural government office and, ignoring the other soldiers in the office, rushed directly to the back hall.

"Fifth Brother is here."

Zhang Anguo sat at a large table, his belly bulging, the table laden with meat and wine. He held a pork hock in his hand, as if he had just finished eating it.

His posture at this moment was as if he were greeting a friend who had come from afar, smiling like a Maitreya Buddha.

Although Xin Qiji still kept a stern face, he did not immediately get angry. He waved for his guards to wait outside the door, while he himself, carrying two heavy swords, sat down across the table opposite Zhang Anguo.

Amidst the rustling sound of armor plates rubbing against each other, Xin Qiji put down his heavy sword, stared intently at Zhang Anguo, and after a long while asked, "Why?"

Zhang Anguo wasn't surprised. He poured himself another glass of wine before saying, his face trembling with fat, "It's naturally because I'm disheartened, and also because I'm afraid."

Upon hearing this, Xin Qiji simply shook his head: "Didn't my eldest brother give you a high-ranking official position and title? Isn't the military of Pizhou under your control? My eldest brother has never reprimanded you, so why are you feeling disheartened and afraid?"

Zhang Anguo tilted his head back and drank a glass of wine. Whether it was from excitement or the effects of the alcohol, his face instantly turned flushed.

“Pizhou military commander, ah, a high-ranking official…” Zhang Anguo shook his head and laughed at himself twice before asking Xin Qiji seriously, “Fifth brother, back then we were only a hair’s breadth apart in the Tianping Army, what is your position now?”
Prefect of Xuzhou, Grand General of Henan, and Acting Military Governor of the Jingnan Army.

But what about me? Just a mere military commander of Pizhou…”

At this point, Zhang Anguo slammed his wine glass to the ground, his fat face trembling uncontrollably: "Now that scoundrel Li Tieqiang is the commander-in-chief of the Taiping Army, leading tens of thousands of troops to roam the world, but what about me? What future do I have in Shandong?!"

Xin Qiji sighed, wiping away a smear of blood from the spilled wine on his armor. He didn't judge Zhang Anguo's thoughts much, but instead asked, "Now that we know your resentment, what are you afraid of? Is it because you've committed crimes and are worried about being discovered?"

Zhang Anguo shook his head repeatedly: "He may be a bit ruthless and greedy for a little money, but how can that justify committing crimes? What I'm afraid of is..."

At this point, Zhang Anguo's face showed a mixture of anger and sorrow, and his lips trembled involuntarily: "Duke Wei died in Qixian, and the King of Han took his anger out on me for it. I think about this day and night, and I can't eat or sleep properly. If I can't numb my mind with good food and wine, I'm afraid I'll die of worry and fear..."

Xin Qiji was slightly taken aback: "What nonsense are you talking about? Why is Dalang taking his anger out on you?"

Zhang Anguo slammed his fist on the table: "It's one thing for the Prince of Han to sweep me out of the army these past few years, but after the Battle of Huaibei, despite my merits and hard work, I only received rewards and no promotion!"
Afterwards, the King of Han, on charges of corruption, killed several of my trusted subordinates. Now, he has placed me in Xiapi, directly facing the State of Song!

Though the State of Song is weak, it is still a great nation spanning thousands of miles! The King of Han wants me dead! I don't want to die! But what can I do? Tell me, besides rebelling, what else can I do?

Xin Qiji was stunned halfway through the conversation, and finally shook his head with a sigh: "Zhang Laoqi, why are you so stupid?"
The reason why the King of Han placed us in Huaibei is to be the vanguard in attacking Song!
The Han dynasty has its own laws and regulations; how can one be promoted without merit? And the King of Han has placed us in the positions where it's easiest to earn merit—don't you see this as compensation? Besides…”

Xin Qiji stood up, finally bursting into anger: "Besides, you're just a Shandong rascal, yet you've become a high-ranking official in just five years. How dare you harbor any resentment?"

Zhang Anguo sneered upon hearing this: "Fifth Brother, you speak kindly, but I'm afraid I don't believe you."

Xin Qiji shook his head repeatedly, then leaned on his sword, looked up at the roof, and sighed, "Do you still remember Geng Jiedu?"

Zhang Anguo's eyes widened, and with a flick of his sleeve, he swept all the wine jars and bowls in front of him to the ground, instantly displaying a furious expression: "Geng Xing?! That scoundrel Geng Xing can actually become a military governor?!"

Xin Qiji was dumbfounded.

Zhang Anguo, who had just roared, was also stunned upon seeing this. His anger vanished instantly, and he frantically rubbed his hands on the table, clearly at a loss.

Xin Qiji stared blankly for a long time before bursting into laughter, tears streaming down his face: "Hahaha, I originally wanted to use the consequences of Geng Jiedu's unclear rewards and punishments and incomplete systems to reason with you. But who would have thought..."

Xin Qiji looked incredulous: "Who would have thought that in just three short years, you would be so preoccupied with fame and fortune that you have even forgotten about Geng Jiedu?"

Zhang Anguo was extremely flustered, waving his greasy hands repeatedly: "Fifth Brother, I thought you were talking about that scoundrel Geng Xing, it's been so many years... How could I forget, Eldest Brother... I..."

Zhang Anguo's voice grew softer and softer. After a moment, he lowered his head, as if he had just woken up from a nightmare, and looked himself up and down at his obese body, muttering to himself, "How did I become like this?"

Xin Qiji sighed repeatedly: "Yes, how did Zhang Qi, who was once as agile as a tiger and leopard, become like this?"

After saying that, he turned and walked away.

"Fifth Brother, please tell Lao Dan for me that I tricked him this time, and I will atone for my sins by serving him like a cow or a horse in my next life!"

Xin Qiji paused, then left without a word.

After seeing Xin Qiji turn around the screen wall, Zhang Anguo decisively picked up the dagger used for cutting meat on the table and stabbed it into his heart.

To his embarrassment, the dagger was too short, and the flesh on his chest was too thick. Although the stab was excruciatingly painful, it did not kill him immediately.

Zhang Anguo was filled with fear and shame. In his current terrible state, he couldn't even commit suicide with composure?
He pulled out the dagger, turned it around, and stabbed it into the neck again with all his might.

This time, the dagger finally lived up to his expectations.

Zhang Anguo's obese body slumped onto the table, blood gushing from his neck. His consciousness gradually faded.

I... have become a traitor just like Shao Jin?
Will he really have the face to meet his elder brother when he gets down there?

These muttered words went unanswered.

(End of this chapter)