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Chapter 110: Attacking Shu and the Wedding (Two in One)

While Li Yi was busy preparing for the wedding.

The Later Zhou court also quickly put the issue of conquering Shu on the agenda.

end of February.

Emperor Chai Rong ordered Fengxiang Jiedushi Wang Jing to use the troops of his town as the main force and prepare to march into the Kingdom of Shu.

However, Fengxiang Prefecture is more than a thousand miles away from Tokyo. By the time the imperial edict reached Wang Jing, he still had to prepare for sending troops. Due to a delay, the war had not officially started until early March.

During this period, the Later Zhou court was also discussing which imperial guard general to send to assist in the attack on Shu.

Finally, with the recommendation of the Minister of Rites and Prime Minister Wang Pu, the candidate was determined to be Xiang Xun, the Envoy of the Southern Court of Xuanhui and the Jiedushi of Zhen'an Army.

At the same time, Zan Jurun, the guest minister, was appointed as the military supervisor, and the two of them led the imperial troops to Fengxiang.

However, the focus of this battle was to win quickly and decisively, striving to capture the four states of Qin, Feng and others as soon as possible, so Xiang Xun and Zan Jurun set out with only a thousand light cavalry.

According to the court's strategy, the purpose of this war was not to start a full-scale war with the Kingdom of Shu, and the main force of the imperial guards could not be mobilized.

Moreover, Shu is blocked by natural barriers, and it is extremely difficult to ensure the logistics of the army. Bringing too many troops there would be a burden.

Furthermore, attacking Shu Kingdom only paves the way for conquering Southern Tang. Once the four states of Qin, Feng and others are captured, the imperial army will immediately prepare for the next war.

In short, the main force of the advance was the vassal troops of Fengxiang Jiedu, and their main strategy was to take the enemy by surprise, while also making the actions clean and efficient.

This is also what Emperor Chai Rong meant.

On the second day of March, Xiang Xun, the Jiedushi of Zhen'an, and Zan Jurun, the Keshengshi, led a thousand light cavalry of the Longjie Army under the Imperial Guard to leave Tokyo.

Li Yi and Xiang Xun had a close personal relationship, so Li Yi arrived early that day to wait for him outside Xinzheng Gate.

In fact, when the army went to war, the Privy Council would also arrange a ceremony just as a formality.

But in that kind of situation, there were many people talking, and as a general of the Palace Front Division, Li Yi couldn't go and say anything to Xiang Xun.

He simply took half a day off and waited outside the city in advance to bid farewell to Xiang Xun as a personal matter... After all, in history, the other party was one of the important generals who supported Zhao Kuangyin in "wearing the yellow robe".

Moreover, among the military generals that Li Yi is on good terms with, apart from his immediate superior Zhang Yongde, only Xiang Xun has been given the title of Jiedushi, so his importance is self-evident.

It's worth putting in the effort to maintain a good relationship with the other person.

"Uu——"

Probably due to the requirements of the expedition ceremony, Xiang Xun wore a complete set of armor. He had a majestic appearance, and the outfit made him look like a great general.

When he saw Li Yi standing by the road, he immediately tightened the reins and dismounted.

Li Yi walked over quickly and took the initiative to say, "I heard that Brother Xiang was going to attack Shu, so I came here to support him."

As he spoke, he subconsciously held Xiang Xun's arm, and his words and actions showed his intimacy.

It is said that people are influenced by their environment, and it is true.

When he was just a lieutenant, he was surrounded by some rough soldiers, and they didn't speak or act very politely.

However, Li Yi's status is now gradually increasing, and he comes into contact with middle and high-level military generals. He has learned some things from them and naturally puts what he has learned into practice.

In later generations, if two grown men were to pull each other, they would definitely be looked at strangely by others, but in this era, it was a sign of a good relationship.

Xiang Xun smiled brightly and said, "Brother, you took the time out of your busy schedule to come here and see me off. I'm at a loss for words."

Li Yi shook his head and said, "Given the friendship between me and Brother Xiang, there's no need for such polite words."

After saying this, he waved behind him, and immediately a personal soldier came forward with tea.

Li Yi took the tea bowl and handed one to Xiang Xun: "Brother Xiang has military duties and is not able to drink. I will use tea instead of wine to toast you. I hope you can win this battle!"

Xiang Xun laughed heartily and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll take your kind words!"

The two men raised their tea bowls and toasted each other, then both raised their heads and drank it all in one gulp.

After the guard took the empty bowl and left, Xiang Xun suddenly became emotional and said, "I'm ashamed to say that when I followed the emperor to personally lead the army against the Han people, I only made a small contribution in the battle of Gaoping. It's far less than your great contribution."

"However, the emperor never thought I was mediocre. After I returned, he promoted me to Jiedushi. I am deeply grateful for the emperor's kindness, but I am afraid to disappoint the emperor's trust."

"Alas, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, my brother. I've been in Tokyo for more than half a year, with the title of general but no orders. I've seen you busying yourself for the emperor, reorganizing the imperial guards, and doing a great job."

"I am truly ashamed of my brother's abilities!"

In terms of age and status, Xiang Xun is slightly better than Li Yi.

Moreover, he also served as the envoy of the Southern Court of Xuanhui, the general manager of the various internal departments and the list of the three classes of eunuchs. Although it was only a nominal position, he often walked around the inner court of the imperial city. He was a close minister of the emperor and was quite trusted by the emperor.

But Xiang Xun did not take advantage of these to put on airs in front of Li Yi. Instead, he praised Li Yi highly in his words, behaved in a very friendly manner, and did not beat around the bush when speaking.

It seemed that he treated Li Yi as his own in his words and deeds.

As for the reason, Li Yi naturally knew it well.

One reason is that his status has soared now. Compared horizontally, he is not much worse than Xiang Xun, and he even has more say in the imperial guards than him.

Secondly, it was probably because he and Xiang Xun had fought side by side in Xinkou.

If we look at it from the perspective of later generations, this means having worked together and fought together, which means that they have barely achieved two of the four irons of life.

The friendship between men is sometimes so simple. After experiencing life and death together, they can naturally become close... But Shi Yanchao is a special case. There are many generals who have cooperated with him in battle, but none of them has a good impression of him. His stinky mouth is simply a manure-making machine.

Li Yi seriously suspected that this guy was killed by the Liao army in history because he offended too many people and no one was willing to go to great lengths to rescue him.

Thoughts flashed through his mind, and Li Yi quickly said modestly: "How can I deserve such praise from Brother Xiang? When Brother Xiang was galloping on the battlefield, I was still an ignorant child."

His words were not just a compliment. Long before Emperor Gaozu of the Later Han Dynasty, Liu Zhiyuan, founded the country, Xiang Xun had already defected to Guo Wei's camp. After Emperor Shizong Chai Rong ascended the throne, his favor with the emperor increased instead of decreasing.

In history, when Chai Rong personally led the expedition to Huainan, he appointed Xiang Xun as the governor of Tokyo and the judge of Kaifeng Prefecture, which shows Chai Rong's trust in him.

Xiang Xun chuckled and said, "My dear brother, you are too modest. At your age, you have already reached the rank of general of the Imperial Guard. Your future achievements are limitless... Haha, forget it, let's not talk about this anymore."

He spoke from the bottom of his heart, but finally realized that he had gone off track and changed the subject again.

"Fortunately, with the strong recommendation of Lord Wang, I finally have the opportunity to help the emperor..."

After a pause, Xiang Xun sighed, "However, the attack on Shu is of great importance. It affects the overall situation of the subsequent conquest of Jiangnan. I am inevitably worried, fearing that I will mess up this mission."

As a close minister to the emperor, he naturally knew the real purpose of attacking Shu. It was a good thing to have the opportunity to make merit, but the pressure on his shoulders was also very great.

After hearing this, Li Yi suddenly remembered that the attack on Shu was not smooth in history. The progress in the early stage was very slow. Prime Minister Li Gu even advised the emperor to withdraw the troops.

However, Chai Rong was very unwilling to accept this and specially sent Zhao Kuangyin to the front to inspect the battle situation. Fortunately, Zhao Kuangyin understood the emperor's intentions and insisted that Qin and Feng provinces could be seized after returning. Chai Rong "accepted" his opinion and continued to use troops against Hou Shu.

Li Yi didn't know whether there would be any twists and turns in the attack on Shu in this life... Although he was hoping for some accidents, it would be best if it was delayed until he married Fu Er Niang, so that he could find an opportunity to participate in the attack on Shu.

But he could only think about these words in his heart. Instead, he comforted him, "Brother Xiang, don't worry too much. The Shu Kingdom hasn't fought a war in decades. How can they withstand the attack of the Great Zhou?"

"Besides, with Brother Xiang in command of this battle, the four states of Qin and Feng will be easily captured."

The nice words were pleasant to the ears, and Xiang Xun was happy to hear them. The two of them talked happily together.

However, at this moment, a discordant voice sounded: "General Xiang, it's getting late. If we delay any longer, I'm afraid we won't be able to reach the post station before dark."

Li Yi looked in the direction of the voice and saw a civil servant in his forties or fifties sitting on his horse and bowing to the two of them.

He was stunned for a moment, then he suddenly remembered that Zan Jurun, the guest envoy who served as the military supervisor, was also accompanying Xiang Xun on the expedition.

Li Yi immediately smiled and bowed, saying, "It is I who have delayed things. I hope Mr. Zan will not blame me."

Zan Jurun had never dealt with Li Yi before, but his rank and status were lower than Li Yi's, and the other party was quite polite, so he could only respond with a polite remark: "This is my duty, Li Du Yu Hou, please forgive me."

……

Farewell to Xiang Xun.

Li Yi did not go home, but took his men directly to the Dianqiansi Yamen.

Although he took half a day off, it was mainly to send Xiang Xun off, so there was no need to waste time since his goal had been achieved.

the following few days.

Li Yi was on duty as usual while busy arranging the wedding.

On the fifth day of March, the eunuch Qu Tai went to Daming Prefecture to deliver the betrothal gifts and returned to Tokyo, bringing with him a message from the King of Wei agreeing to set the wedding date for the eighth day of May.

There is definitely no problem with the wedding date. Li Yi marrying the daughter of King Wei is a foregone conclusion. It doesn't matter whether it's earlier or later.

In this way, time passes day by day.

In the blink of an eye, another half month passed, and news finally came from Fengxiang Prefecture that Fengxiang Jiedushi Wang Jing, Zhen'an Jiedushi Xiang Xun, and Keshengshi Zan Jurun, led their troops from Dasan Pass to Qin and Feng.

The battle to attack Shu officially began——

"The army won the first battle, destroying eight camps of Shu, including Huangniu, and marching straight to the city of Weiwu..."

"The army will split up and cross the Huanghua Valley, accelerating its march to attack Tangcang Town..."

"..."

Battle reports were sent back to Tokyo one after another. The army of the Later Zhou Dynasty was unstoppable and broke through the outer defense line of Fengzhou in just a few days.

Several garrisons set up by the Shu Kingdom along the way were destroyed without any resistance.

The army of the Later Zhou Dynasty soon arrived at the foot of Weiwu City, which was a barrier to the northeast of Fengzhou. Once this city fell into the hands of the Zhou army, the fall of Fengzhou would be inevitable.

If Fengzhou is taken, Qinzhou will naturally be unable to hold on alone, and the remaining Chengzhou and Jiezhou will be in our pockets.

However, just when the situation of attacking Shu was looking very good and everyone in the court felt that it was stable.

Early April.

Suddenly, an urgent report came back from the front line: the Later Zhou army was defeated by the Shu army in a hard battle under the Weiwu city, and the vanguard commander, Puzhou governor Hu Li and other generals were captured on the spot.

The army had to hastily evacuate Weiwu City and retreat to Huanghua Valley.

Perhaps the sudden defeat dealt a heavy blow to the army's morale, and the stalemate in the war led to a sharp increase in logistical pressure.

Ever since the defeat in the attack on Shu at the gates of Weiwu City, bad news from the front lines has been reported back to Kaifeng one after another.

The Later Zhou army, which first retreated to Huanghua Valley, was again blocked by the Shu army. After several days of hard fighting, it was finally defeated and retreated from Huanghua Valley to the Huangniu and other camps that it had captured before.

Next came Gao Yanchou, the commander-in-chief of the Left Guard Holy Infantry of Shu, who led reinforcements to cut off the food supply of the Later Zhou army.

As a result, the Zhou army that retreated to Huangniu and other camps could only watch their food and grass run out, and there was not much point in continuing to be trapped.

There was no other way, so Emperor Chai Rong could only order the army to abandon Huangniu and other camps and withdraw to the vicinity of Dasan Pass to wait for orders.

After all, at this point, although the Later Zhou army suffered two defeats, the loss of troops was actually not too great.

But if we drag it on any longer, once the army suffers a large-scale retreat, the consequences will be unimaginable.

When the Later Zhou army voluntarily withdrew, the Later Shu did not send anyone to pursue them. However, it would have been impossible to pursue them. Firstly, the Shu roads were difficult to travel on, and secondly, the Shu army itself was under great logistical pressure.

Geographical constraints apply equally to both parties.

Of course, for Hou Shu, successfully repelling the invasion of Hou Zhou and preserving the four states of Qin, Feng, etc. was enough, and there was no need to take risks and do stupid things.

After all, Hou Shu did not have the ability to take advantage of the opportunity to counterattack Hou Zhou. Relying on the geographical advantage, the Shu army could still fight with the Zhou army, but if it went east to fight Hou Zhou to the death, it would simply be courting death.

"This isn't right... There's nothing like this in history."

Li Yi also pays close attention to the situation of attacking Shu on a daily basis.

The war had been progressing rapidly some time ago, and he was secretly wondering whether his appearance had affected the attack on Shu.

Perhaps the Later Zhou Dynasty could take over the four states of Qin and Feng in one fell swoop, and there would be no more twists and turns like in history?

He was a little unhappy about this...his plan to gain credit from this battle was ruined!

However, as the war against Shu progressed, Li Yi was suddenly surprised to find that the trajectory of history had indeed changed, but it was clearly heading in a bad direction.

Historically, the Later Zhou army was indeed defeated at the city of Weiwu.

But in the end, the war situation was stabilized, and after more than two months of stalemate, the Hou Shu army was defeated in Huanghua Valley, and then it was a unilateral crushing victory.

But what about now?
You tell me that the Later Zhou army retreated to Dasan Pass and directly returned to the situation before the war, which means that the previous month's battle was in vain?
Li Yi found this outrageous and couldn't help but go to Zhang Yongde to ask, "Brother Zhang, should we put the attack on Shu on hold for now?"

Zhang Yongde had just returned from the inner court, his brow furrowed in worry. He sighed, "I'm not sure what Your Majesty means... But Your Majesty has been in a bad mood these past few days. He even had a maid executed yesterday. You and I should be more careful with our words and actions."

Seeing that Zhang Yongde had already said this, Li Yi didn't dare to ask any more questions.

However, he felt that Chai Rong would not give up so easily... Subsequent wars could only be launched after taking over Qin, Feng and other four states. Would the ambitious Zhou Shizong be willing to be just an emperor who ruled a certain area?

At this time, Zhang Yongde chuckled and said, "My dear brother, your wedding is coming soon. Don't worry about these troubles for the time being. Getting married is your top priority right now!"

Hearing this, Li Yi sighed: Yes, I am going to get married... What a fucking bullshit!

(End of this chapter)