Song Xiu

Chapter 122 Wuping's Three Policies: Unhealthy Practices (Bonus Chapter!)

After spitting out the tea, Yang Shifan stood up from his seat.

He stormed up to the scout, stared at him, and asked:
"Jiangling is a fortified city; how could the Song army take it in just a few days?"

This is the biggest question in Yang Shifan's mind right now.

The previous intelligence report was from a few days ago, and at that time it said that "the Song army is safe and sound in Nanping".

The intelligence that came back today is that Nanping and the entire country have been conquered.
The time frame was too short and the changes too drastic, making it difficult for Yang Shifan, who prided himself on his extensive knowledge of military strategy, to accept.

The scout was terrified when Yang Shifan glared at him fiercely.

But how could something I saw with my own eyes be wrong?

“All the cities in Nanping have been covered with Song army flags.”

After the scout uttered those words, Yang Shifan could no longer question them.

How did the Song army manage to do that?

When Yang Shifan asked this question, he was so surprised that he instinctively grabbed the scout's arm.

Yang Shifan's behavior left Li Guanxiang speechless.

He's a high-ranking official in this field, yet he doesn't care about his image at all.

The scout's arm was gripped painfully by Yang Shifan, so he quickly recounted the Song army's surprise attack on Jiangling.

After hearing about Zhao Dexiu's methods for seizing the entire Nanping region, Yang Shifan said in a daze:
No wonder, no wonder.

If that's the case, then the fall of the Nanping Kingdom was not unjust.

Seeing Yang Shifan engrossed in Zhao Dexiu's schemes, Li Guanxiang became increasingly speechless.

Li Guanxiang stepped forward and freed the scout from Yang Shifan's grasp.

The scout was extremely grateful to Li Guanxiang for rescuing him.

Temporarily disregarding the need to wake Yang Shifan, Li Guanxiang recalled what Yang Shifan had just said and asked the scout:

"Are the people of the three prefectures of Nanping feeling uneasy?"

Under Li Guanxiang's questioning, the scout answered truthfully:
"No!"

"Not at all?"

Upon hearing this, it was Li Guanxiang's turn to panic.

Li Guanxiang's first reaction was that something was wrong.

In a moment of urgency, Li Guanxiang also reached out and grabbed the scout's arm.

As he continued to exert force, Li Guanxiang angrily asked:
"Nanping has been established for decades, yet there are not a single loyal and righteous person in the country?"

Even if there were no loyal and righteous individuals, with the royal family and high-ranking officials of Nanping suffering such a brutal fate, how could the people of Nanping not feel insecure?

You can't blame Li Guanxiang for being anxious.

Hoping that the unrest among the people of the three prefectures of Nanping would be the last line of defense for the Wuping Kingdom.

In his anxiety, Li Guanxiang no longer cared about his image.

Li Guanxiang kept shaking the scout's body until the scout became dizzy.

At this moment, Yang Shifan had snapped out of his tasting and witnessed this scene.

"Hey, hey, stop shaking!"

Yang Shifan spoke up to stop Li Guanxiang while pulling him away.

After escaping Li Guanxiang's clutches, the scout was left speechless with despair.

Fearing being shaken again, the scout hurriedly spoke up:
"Not a single member of the royal family, ministers, or Song soldiers of Nanping was killed."

Only Gao Baoxu was sent to Bianjing by the Song army to await the Song emperor's decision.

Upon learning this news, Yang Shifan and Li Guanxiang were both shocked.

Is the King of Taiyuan really so benevolent?
In the wars of national annihilation of the world, killing even a thousand people was a rare occurrence.

In the past, not killing a single one would have been an unthinkable fantasy.

Now Yang Shifan and Li Guanxiang finally understood why the people of the three prefectures of Nanping were able to maintain peace of mind.

After a brief moment of shock, Yang Shifan was the first to react, and he uttered a heavy sentence:

"With the Song army now invading our territory, our country has no more defenses!"

Yang Shifan's words made Li Guanxiang take a deep breath.

After making eye contact with Yang Shifan, Li Guanxiang said:

"This matter must be reported to the King immediately!"

Previously, the two of them felt that with the Nanping Kingdom blocking their way, the danger of the Song army rashly entering the country was not great.

However, things change too quickly, and the current situation is no longer something that the two of them can handle.

Li Guanxiang and Yang Shifan quickly reached a consensus, and then the two hurriedly headed towards Zhou Xingfeng's bedroom.

To outsiders, Zhou Xingfeng's residence was just a general's mansion.

However, in the eyes of insiders, the General's Mansion covers a vast area, with numerous pavilions and towers, and is decorated in a magnificent manner, no different from an imperial palace.

Upon arriving at the entrance to Zhou Xingfeng's sleeping quarters, Li Guanxiang stepped forward first, allowing the eunuchs outside the gate to enter and report.

Soon after, the eunuch came out of the palace gate and led Li Guanxiang and Yang Shifan into the palace.

Upon entering the hall, Li Guanxiang and Yang Shifan smelled a strong medicinal odor.

Zhou Xingfeng's bed was hidden behind a screen, making it impossible to see his expression.

After Li Guanxiang and Yang Shifan finished their greetings, Zhou Xingfeng's weary voice came from behind the screen:
What happened?
Was it because the Song army attacked Jiangling that Gao Baoxu sent an envoy to ask for help?

Based on the intelligence he had previously obtained, Zhou Xingfeng made a reasonable deduction.

Before today, Zhou Xingfeng was not particularly worried about the Song army's southern expedition.

In the past, it wasn't just the Song army that coveted Wuping's territory.
Even today, the Kingdom of Wuping still stands tall in the world.

Upon hearing Zhou Xingfeng's inquiry, Li Guanxiang stepped forward and explained in detail the intelligence he had just received.

No sooner had Li Guanxiang finished speaking than a sharp sound of a medicine bowl shattering came from behind the screen.

As Li Guanxiang and Yang Shifan looked worried, wondering whether they should inquire about Zhou Xingfeng's well-being, Zhou Xingfeng, a tall man with tattoos on his face, stepped out from behind the screen.

When Zhou Xingfeng appeared before Li Guanxiang and Yang Shifan, his face showed a look of apprehension.

Zhou Xingfeng held a soft handkerchief in his hand. He originally used this handkerchief to wipe the medicine stains from his mouth, but now he used it to wipe the cold sweat that had broken out on his forehead.

After wiping the sweat from his forehead, Zhou Xingfeng looked at the soft handkerchief in his hand and said:
"I have long heard of the King of Taiyuan's reputation."

Hearing it again today, it is indeed extraordinary.

Using a pretext to conquer Guo, employing both kindness and force, and launching a hundred-mile raid, they seized Jiangling.
He forced out the excessive sweating that many physicians had been unable to induce despite using medication for days.

To conquer a country in half a month—what a display of power!

The more Zhou Xingfeng spoke, the stronger the sense of apprehension in his words became.

But no matter how wary he was, Zhou Xingfeng was not at a loss.

Zhou Xingfeng noticed the worried expressions on the faces of his two trusted confidants, and he spoke up sharply:

"I'm still here, what's the panic?"

As soon as Zhou Xingfeng shouted, the worry on Yang Shifan and Li Guanxiang's faces vanished.

Zhou Xingfeng is not Gao Baoxu.

Zhou Xingfeng was a local rogue in his youth, but later, through his bravery in battle, he gradually became a famous general in the Hunan region.

Many years ago, taking advantage of the internal strife in Chu, Zhou Xingfeng rose through the ranks step by step, eventually becoming the military governor of Wuping.

Since taking office in Wuping, Zhou Xingfeng has worked diligently, cherished the people's strength, severely punished corruption, and never acted out of personal favoritism. He enjoys considerable prestige in Wuping.

Furthermore, Wuping Kingdom is not Nanping Kingdom.

Under Zhou Xingfeng's rule, Wuping Kingdom enjoyed social stability and abundant granaries for several years. In addition, the Wuping army was quite powerful due to its frequent battles with the barbarian tribes within its borders.

Wuping Kingdom governs ten prefectures, and its national strength is more than three times that of Nanping.

From any perspective, the Wuping army was a match for the Song army.

After calming down, Li Guanxiang cupped his hands and asked Zhou Xingfeng:

"Your Majesty, what should our army do now?"

Wuping is different from Nanping; the Song Dynasty never formally conferred the title of King upon Zhou Xingfeng.

However, as the de facto ruler of Wuping, Zhou Xingfeng preferred his subjects to address him as "King." Furthermore, Zhou Xingfeng also liked to bestow high titles such as Grand Protector, Minister of Works, and Grand Commandant upon his subjects.

Upon hearing Li Guanxiang's question, Zhou Xingfeng threw the handkerchief in his hand to the ground:

"there is always a solution to a problem.

There are two prefectures in the northern part of our country: Lizhou and Yuezhou.

I predict that the Song army's next main attack will be on Yuezhou.

Our army should consolidate its forces and focus primarily on defending Yuezhou.

Zhou Xingfeng's words were met with considerable approval from Yang Shifan.

Yuezhou is strategically located. If the Song army were to occupy Yuezhou, their forces could directly advance towards Langzhou, Tanzhou, and other areas in the heart of Wuping.

The original administrative center of Wuping Army was Langzhou, but Zhou Xingfeng moved it to Tanzhou after considering the threat from the Southern Tang Dynasty.

Nevertheless, Langzhou held a relatively high political status within Wuping, and Zhou Xingfeng often expressed his intention to move the administrative center back to Langzhou.

After explaining the first step, Zhou Xingfeng continued:

"To repel external aggression, we must first secure internal stability."

Zhang Wenbiao, the governor of Hengzhou, has long harbored rebellious intentions towards me. Now that a formidable enemy is approaching, I cannot allow him to remain in this position any longer.

Shi Fan, you will lead an army south at full speed to join forces with your inside agents to capture Zhang Wenbiao.

In his early years, when Zhou Xingfeng was still a commander, he had a close friendship with the other nine commanders and considered them allies.

After Zhou Xingfeng became the military governor of Wuping, he was always uneasy about the generals who held military power in the country, so he used various pretexts to carry out large-scale purges of his political opponents.

Of the former "Ten Commanders of Hunan", only Zhou Xingfeng and Zhang Wenbiao remain.

After speaking, Zhou Xingfeng took out a tiger tally from his pocket and handed it to Yang Shifan.

After receiving the tiger tally, Yang Shifan immediately turned and left.

After Yang Shifan left, Zhou Xingfeng said to Li Guanxiang:
"Zhao Dexiu is good at planning, and the Song army is good at fighting. The combination of the two should not be underestimated."

With a formidable enemy approaching, the only way to ensure the stability of the nation is to seek foreign aid once again.

The Southern Tang, Southern Han, and Western Shu are all powerful allies. You should quickly send envoys to visit the rulers of these three kingdoms respectively.

Explain the advantages and disadvantages to them and request their reinforcements.

Zhou Xingfeng's move made Li Guanxiang look hesitant.

Li Guanxiang cupped his hands and addressed Zhou Xingfeng, saying:
"This could be like inviting a wolf into the house."

Li Guanxiang's concern is valid.

The establishment of the Wuping Kingdom stemmed from the collapse of the Southern Chu Kingdom.

The internal strife in Southern Chu attracted the attention of Southern Tang and Southern Han. After a series of battles, both kingdoms seized a considerable amount of territory from the corpses of Southern Chu.

In that chaotic battle, the Wuping army incurred no less enmity than the two countries.

With old grudges still unresolved, if the Song army were likened to a fierce tiger, then the Southern Tang and Southern Han would be like hungry wolves.

If the Southern Tang and Southern Han could seize the territory of the Southern Chu back then, they can seize the territory of the Wuping Kingdom today.

How could Zhou Xingfeng not know Li Guanxiang's concerns?
Having climbed his way up from the bottom of society, Zhou Xingfeng has never lacked the courage to take big gambles.

Looking at Li Guanxiang, Zhou Xingfeng said:
"There are priorities in everything. The Song army is like a tiger, and only when the pack of wolves joins forces can we increase our chances of victory."

"If our army can defeat the Song army, then the Southern Tang and Southern Han are not a threat."

As Zhou Xingfeng said this, a confident expression appeared on his face.

In the past, the Southern Tang and Southern Han armies had also harassed the area from time to time, but they were all repelled by Zhou Xingfeng.

In Zhou Xingfeng's view, the Southern Tang army and the Southern Han army were not a concern. The only real threat to Wuping's foundation was the Song army led by Zhao Dexiu!
Furthermore, even if he did not seek help, once he learned that Wuping Kingdom was in danger of destruction, it was hard to guarantee that neighboring countries would not take advantage of the chaos to plunder.

Zhou Xingfeng vividly remembers how the Southern Chu was gradually divided up.

"Do as I command."

If Wuping's foundation ultimately falls, what difference does it make who takes it from him?

Seeing that Zhou Xingfeng had made up his mind, Li Guanxiang put aside his worries.

"I accept your order!"

"Zhou Xingfeng is not a ruler who does nothing!"
The national strength of Wuping is far superior to that of Nanping!

Looking at the generals in the hall, Zhao Dexiu spoke sternly.

Two sharp shouts caused the faces of the generals in the hall to change.

Recently, Zhao Dexiu has been focusing on pacifying the people of the three prefectures of Nanping.

The three prefectures of Nanping are crucial to the Song army's supply lines, and Zhao Dexiu cannot afford to be careless in the slightest.

However, while Zhao Dexiu was trying to reassure the troops, he gradually noticed a worrying trend emerging within the Song army:

underestimate the enemy!

It is not unfounded that the Song army might underestimate their enemy.

Under Zhao Dexiu's leadership, the Song army won two major victories within two months, and both victories came relatively easily.

Consequently, talk of underestimating the enemy gradually began to circulate among the Song army.

"Nanping was pacified in half a month, and Wuping was destroyed in two months."

"We should lead our troops straight to Tanzhou."

"I'll be spending New Year's Day in Tanzhou City this year!"
Upon hearing those dismissive remarks, Zhao Dexiu was furious.

Despite her anger, Zhao Dexiu took the matter very seriously.

Zhao Dexiu convened this meeting of generals today to first curb this unhealthy trend.

"The spies sent by the Gu faction entered the country with the intention of bribing the powerful local families in Lizhou, but this did not succeed."

Do you know what this means?

"This means that Zhou Xingfeng is very popular in Wuping!"

"How could someone who truly wins the hearts of the people be compared to the likes of Gao Baoxu?"

In his daily life in the army, Zhao Dexiu usually treated people with a gentle attitude and often referred to himself as "I" or "I".

Once he refers to himself as "I'm alone," it means he's angry.

As Zhao Dexiu said this, his tone became increasingly stern.

Arrogant soldiers will be defeated!

War is a matter of life and death.

As the responsibilities entrusted to him by Zhao Kuangyin grew heavier, the pressure on Zhao Dexiu also increased.

"Someone is even saying they want to lead an army to launch a surprise attack on Tanzhou?"

"Who the hell said that?!"

Upon noticing Zhao Dexiu's stern tone, Li Hanqiong, who was in the crowd, quickly shrank back.

Not me!
May the Bodhisattva protect me and not let me see!
Seeing that no one dared to come forward and admit it, Zhao Dexiu turned his gaze directly to Tian Chongjin and Wang Quanbin.

"His Majesty ordered you two to assist me, and this is how you two have assisted me?"

As a deputy general in an army, it is their duty to wholeheartedly assist their commander.

Tian Chongjin and Wang Quanbin were veteran generals. If they had been diligent, how could they not have noticed the "arrogant soldiers" in the army?
The fact that they noticed but didn't suppress it beforehand shows that these two were also among the arrogant soldiers.

Under Zhao Dexiu's questioning, Tian Chongjin and Wang Quanbin lowered their heads and dared not argue at all.

"After the meeting, go out and find the military commanders and each receive ten strokes of the military rod."

Zhao Dexiu immediately issued punishments for the two deputy generals.

But Zhao Dexiu's purpose today is to deter more than just that.

Zhao Dexiu looked at the generals again and said loudly:

"I will not pursue the past any further."

However, starting from this day forward, I will send judges to inspect all the armies.

If any camp dares to speak of underestimating the enemy, regardless of the reason, I will first execute the commander of that camp!

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the Song generals present all turned serious.

"The last general takes command!"

(End of this chapter)