Son of Song Dynasty

Chapter 129 The Lobbyist
Zhao Dezhao was stunned for a moment when he heard the words, and then burst out laughing.

Pan Mei couldn't help laughing. Since the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, every time there was a war, there would always be looting. When Guo Wei took Kaifeng in the Han Dynasty, he still allowed the soldiers to plunder the whole city for three days. After the Zhou Dynasty, the generals were still able to be restrained. Although there were many battles after that, the military disasters were much less serious than those of the previous generation. The soldiers stripped the captives for their own use. Laugh it off.

Zhao Dezhao originally planned to send an order to prohibit the Song soldiers from doing such an act, but then he thought, if the Song army suffered a defeat, then it would be the Song soldiers who were naked. Earlier, the Southern Han defenders mocked Song Junguang at the city gate. Ass, it is quite reasonable to be ridiculed now, so I stopped asking.

In the afternoon of the same day, the Song army completed the clean-up and search of the entire Guancheng, and all the officers, soldiers and artisans accompanying the army inside the city wall were moved out of the city.

Teams of naked Southern Han defenders were escorted out and sent to the Song army camp outside the city for temporary custody, while the Song army settled in Guancheng.

The battle to break through the pass was extremely short. The Song army broke through the pass quickly, and the Southern Han defenders also dropped quickly after the pass. The casualties on both sides were very limited. As a result, the number of prisoners remained high, more than [-] people.

North City Gate.Pan Mei and Zhao Dezhao rode on horseback, and they stood side by side, watching the long procession of captives move out of Guancheng with their own eyes.

Pan Mei's horse was half a body behind. He leaned forward slightly, and respectfully said to Zhao Dezhao: "Your Highness has a clever plan to conquer Xiongguan in one fell swoop, and he will not admit defeat." It means to admit defeat.

Zhao Dezhao laughed loudly, waved his hands and said, "This king made a bet with you that this king can break through the pass city without a single soldier. Although the pass city is broken now, there are still some casualties. General Pan I didn’t lose, and this king didn’t win either.”

Pan Mei knew that Zhao Dezhao deliberately spoke like this to save face for himself. He was grateful in his heart and said sincerely: "His Royal Highness is versatile in civil and military affairs, and is a hundred times better than Wei Jiang. Wei Jiang is convinced. From now on, Wei Jiang will only obey His Highness." .”

Speaking like this is tantamount to expressing his sincerity to Zhao Dezhao, which has two completely different meanings compared to just admitting defeat.

Although it is a good thing to win a big victory and break through the barrier, Pan Mei looks a little unhappy. This victory was arranged by Zhao Dezhao, a young palace king who has never experienced war from the beginning to the end. To play any role in it, as early as the beginning of the expedition, he made up his mind to treat Zhao Dezhao as a decoration on the shrine, but he never thought that he would become a decoration instead.

Seeing what Pan Mei was thinking, Zhao Dezhao smiled and comforted him: "General Pan, don't need to be depressed. There are still many places where you need to use generals in Lingnan this time. You don't need to worry about not being able to use them."

Pan Mei raised her head to look at Zhao Dezhao, her eyes changed a little, and she asked, "You mean, Anxiong Pass next?"

After the strict pass, along the Qinshui River to the south for more than a hundred miles, there is another majestic and dangerous pass, which is Anxiong Pass.The garrison of Anxiongguan is an elite army of the Southern Han Dynasty, more than [-]. The leading garrison general is a general named Xu Fengzhi.

Anxiong Pass is also on the side of Qinshui, its dangerous situation is not under strict pass, and the strength of the guards is far lower than strict pass, and it will take a lot of time to fully Stay prepared.

No matter which aspect is considered, Anxiongguan is bound to be far more difficult to beat than Yanguan. If Yanguan is just an appetizer, then Anxiongguan can be regarded as the main course of the table.

But on the other hand, if Anxiongguan can be captured in one fell swoop, then it will be regarded as a complete breakthrough of the barrier of Wuling, entering the undefended Pearl River Delta. At that time, the small court of the Southern Han Dynasty with its capital in Panyu must be a watch Fearless, the next battle at Anxiong Pass will be the most important battle of this Southern Expedition.

Thinking of this, Pan Mei couldn't help being a little excited, with a smug look on her face.

But Zhao Dezhao just laughed and patted him on the shoulder: "General Pan, don't be impatient, Anxiong Pass is very easy to pass, so don't bother the general to make a move."

Pan Mei opened her mouth in astonishment, regardless of the danger of the terrain or the strength of the guarding generals, An Xiong can't be called "very easy to attack" anyway, right?Could it be that His Highness swelled up because of a small win?

……

"General Fang, this time my Great Song Dynasty was able to conquer Yanguan, you did your best, and you should continue to work hard."

That night, in the tent of the Chinese army commander, Zhao Dezhao called Fang Zhengqi and said to him meaningfully.

Fang Zhengqi's complexion was a little gloomy, and he knew very well that this time following Zhao Dezhao's southern expedition and waiting for the opportunity to make great achievements was his only chance to stand up.

But so far, apart from preparing for consultation, he has not played any substantial role, let alone established great achievements. As Zhao Dezhao said, he has contributed, but it has not been of any use. Just some hard work.

Thinking of this, Fang Zhengqi gritted his teeth, cupped his hands to Zhao Dezhao, and said, "Your Highness, attack Anxiong Pass in a few days, and you will not be willing to be the vanguard, and go to the city to break through the pass in person!"

Zhao Dezhao laughed and shook his hands and said, "General Fang is very courageous, but the general is a wise general, not a brave man. If this king uses you to climb the city, wouldn't it be a wrong use? Think about it. Breaking through the gates and taking the city does not necessarily require swordsmen, that is why this king summoned you alone today."

After thinking for a while, Fang Zhengqi understood what Zhao Dezhao meant, and asked tentatively, "Then what does His Highness mean, let Wei Jiang go to Anxiong Pass to talk about surrendering general Xu Fengzhi?"

This is a matter of course. Fang Zhengqi escaped from the Southern Han Dynasty, and he has a lot of acquaintances in the Southern Han army. It is natural for him to go to persuade him to surrender. When the Song army was about to pass, Fang Zhengqi himself also asked Zhao Dezhao for orders. , willing to enter the customs alone, and went to persuade Liu De to surrender.

However, Zhao Dezhao considered that Liu De belonged to the clan of the Southern Han Dynasty, and it was not easy to persuade him to surrender before the battle. It was not worth letting Fang Zhengqi risk his life for this little hope. This leading party came in handy.

"General Fang." Zhao Dezhao raised his hand and pressed it falsely, signaling Fang Zhengqi to sit down and talk, not to be too impatient, and then said slowly: "Since you have served in the Southern Han army for many years, you are a general who can lead the army in the small country of Cuoer in the Southern Han Dynasty." There are only a handful of them, presumably the general and the Anxiong Gate guard should have some friendship, and he is quite sure to go and say surrender, right?"

(End of this chapter)