Across the Water Margin: Officials of Ximen

This matter requires a confidant to handle it secretly for him, so Ximenqing chose Ximenping, the grandson of the old servant Ximenzhong.

Ximen Qing and the others wandered all the way to a teahouse outside the Dengzhou Harbor Wharf. They saw people of all ethnic groups gathered there, whispering about Liaodong affairs, so they walked in, occupied a table, ordered tea, and listened to the teahouse. Everyone in the teahouse was discussing.

There are many Han Chinese and Bohai people who escaped from Liaodong across the sea in the tea shop on the wharf. They sighed and said that the states on Liaodong Road are now in chaos, and they are plundering people for food.

It turned out that the roads in front of the Liaoshan Mountains were famished, and the roads of Gan and Xian were worth a few grains of millet. The people ate the bark of trees, and everyone ate each other.Uprisings broke out everywhere in the eastern states.An Shenger and Zhang Gaoer of the Han Dynasty gathered 20 people to revolt, and all the hungry people joined the uprising team.

An Sheng'er led his troops to fight against the Liao general Yelu Mage in Longhua Prefecture, but was defeated and killed.Zhang Gaoer led the remnant soldiers to Yizhou to join the uprising of Huo Liuge.In June, Sixth Brother Huo captured Haibei Prefecture, and then went to Yizhou, where he was defeated and suppressed by Xiao Qian, King Xi of Liao.

When the famine spread in the Liao Kingdom and the uprisings continued, the Liao Army and the Jin Army launched a war in Liaodong.

In the first month of this year, Yeluchun, the Marshal of Nanjing, who was left behind in the Liao Kingdom, and the king of Qin and Jin led the resentful army to launch a counterattack against the Jin army, and stationed troops under the city of Shenzhou, which the Jin army had already occupied, forming a situation of "soldiers approaching the city".

Seeing that the battle was in danger, Wanyan Aguda immediately appointed strong generals such as Wanyan Digunai, Wanyan Loushi, and Wanyan Poluhuo to lead an army of [-] gold to quickly reinforce them.

The resentment army of the Liao State could not withstand the fierce offensive of the Jin army, and was immediately defeated.Yeluchun had no choice but to return home without success, and retreated the resentful army of the Liao Kingdom to station along the Liao River.

At that time, the resentful army of the Liao State was resting in the base camp, waiting for the distribution of military rations from the rear.Taking advantage of this gap, Yeluchun led two thousand light cavalry to Xianzhou to punish the rebellious army.When Yeluchun arrived in Yizhou, the forward of the Jin army had already arrived.Yeluchun hurriedly ordered the main force of Liao's resentful army to join him in Huizhou.

In the east of Huizhou, the main force of the resentment army met the Jin army.However, after seeing the Jin army, the resentful army of the Liao Kingdom had lost their fighting spirit, and it was too late to line up, so they dispersed.Yeluchun escaped with only [-] cavalry and his own army.

The Jin army took advantage of the victory to attack the resentful army in Xianzhou, causing the resentful army to be defeated.Officials of the Liao Kingdom in Xianzhou, Yizhou and other four states surrendered and offered their cities one after another.

As a result, Yeluchun was unable to recover, failed to counterattack the Kingdom of Jin, and lost the land of the four states.

Ximenqing heard the chaos in Liaodong, and turned his eyes to the north of the sea, frowning slightly, thoughtful.

Chapter 4 Thirteen: Meeting Zongze for the First Time

In Dengzhou city, in Tongpan Zongze's mansion, Ximen Qing, led by Ma Kuo, came to visit Dengzhou Tongpan Zongze.

Looking at the elegant and simple decoration of Zongze's mansion, Ximenqing thought to himself, this old Zongze really looks like a clean and honest official.

At this time, Zong Ze was 58 years old. Because of his straight personality, although he was diligent and caring for the people, he had a good official reputation in Hebei and Shandong, but now his hair is graying, and he has only achieved one state. General judgment.If it weren't for the big change a few years later, Zong Ze might have achieved the position of general judge in the officialdom of the Song Dynasty in his life, and even the magistrate might not be able to hold the position.

Of course, Lao Zongze didn't know that he would have some chances in the future that would make his name immortal. At this time, he only knew that he would be dedicated to his position as a general judge, sharing the worries of the court and benefiting the people of Dengzhou.

Not long ago, Zong Ze just wrote to the imperial court, waiving a sum of exorbitant and miscellaneous taxes that should not be paid by the people of Dengzhou, which made the people of Dengzhou praise.However, Zong Ze has been worrying about something recently, and he is a little unhappy.

When Zongze heard that Ma Kuo returned to Dengzhou from Bianliang, Tokyo, and was going to bring Ximen Qing, a hero from Yanggu County, to visit him today, his spirits were lifted, and he rarely arranged a table of sumptuous but not extravagant food and drinks at home. , used to entertain Ximen Qing and Ma Kuo.

When Ximen Qing saw the future famous official Zong Ze for the first time, he couldn't hide his excitement.Did God arrange it long ago, as Yue Fei and Han Shizhong's two left-behind bosses in Tokyo, after seeing the treacherous minister Du Chong, should they finally meet the loyal minister Zong Ze?

I saw that Zongze's figure was seven feet five six, with a resolute complexion and piercing eyes. Although his beard and hair were white, his spirit was hale and hearty, and he did not appear old at all.From Ximenqing's point of view, this Zongze is indeed not like an ordinary civil servant, but has the style of a general.Thinking of Ma Kuo saying that his teacher Zong Ze also practiced martial arts when he was young and traveled around the world, Ximen Qing understood where Zong Ze's temperament came from.

If it weren't for the Song Dynasty's emphasis on literature over martial arts, perhaps Zong Ze would have joined the army as a general when he was young?

Ximenqing thought of Du Chong, the prefect in Cangzhou who personally led troops to hunt down the robbers, and sighed in his heart, they are indeed different characters!It's no wonder that these two were able to stand out in the troubled times and become the commanders-in-chief of the army.

After seeing Ma Kuo and Ximen Qing, Zong Ze showed a sincere smile to them, and walked out like a kind elder.

Ma Kuo hastily stepped forward and bowed in salute: "Teacher, the disciple is back!"

Zongze has always loved this disciple Ma Kuo who had obtained the true biography of his array map and saved himself and Wang Zhifu when Sun Li and others rebelled at the beginning of the year.He helped Ma Kuo up, stared at Ma Kuo's face lovingly and said, "Zicong, you've lost weight! I heard you went to Xining Prefecture? It's been a hard journey. I'll tell the teacher about my experience in Northwest China later! "

After Zong Ze finished speaking to Ma Kuo, he turned his head to Ximen Qing and asked, "Zicong, is the official from Ximen County, Yanggu County, who came with you the one who broke the Liangshan bandits?"

Ma Kuo replied: "Teacher, he is the brother Ximenqing who defeated the bandits in Liangshan and captured Sun Li's gang alive."

Seeing this, Ximenqing hurried forward to salute, and said to Zongze: "In Ximenqing, Xiayanggu County, I met Zong Tongjue. I take the liberty to visit and pray for forgiveness if I disturb you."

Zong Ze enthusiastically took Ximen Qing's hand, and said with a hearty smile: "Hahaha~ Ximen official is my distinguished guest of Zongze, why bother? He has long heard that Ximen official is capable of both civil and military skills. I met you today , It’s really a hero born from a young man, so we know that the rumors are true! The old man has long wanted to see you, a young hero, but it’s a pity that you are too busy with mundane affairs to meet. Please come in, Ximen officials. I will prepare a little wine for you and your son. Take the wind."

After Zong Ze finished speaking, he dragged Ximen Qing and Ma Kuo into the house and sat down at the banquet.

After the three sat down, because Ximen Qing was a guest, Zong Ze first talked with him about Sun Li and others' riots in Dengzhou, killing many people and officials, and almost harming his relationship with Wang Zhifu.It is said that Sun Li's defection made Dengzhou officials lose face. If they can't kill this group of criminals, both themselves, Tong San and Ma Kuo's father, Ma Zheng, will take the blame and resign.Fortunately, Ximenqing captured and killed all of Sun Li's gang in Yanggu County, which relieved the hatred of everyone in Dengzhou.Therefore, Zong Ze himself, Wang Zhifu, Ma Jinha and others all admire Ximen Qinghao.

Because Zongze was curious, Ximen Qing also narrated to him how he cleverly set up a maze in Dulonggang, so that Sun Li and others fell into the trap.Of course, Ximen Qing would not be so foolish as to say that he was a prophet. He had expected that Sun Li and others would go to Zhujiazhuang to serve as internal support for the Liangshan bandits.What he told Zong Ze was that in order to protect the environment and the people, he had already bought spies from Liangshan bandits, so he knew in advance that Sun Li and others had defected to Liangshan.

After listening to Zong Ze, he laughed and said, "As expected of a high official from Ximen who wrote poems like "The Green Jade Case? You were the one who helped Governor Murong plan to wipe out the bandits on the mountain. What a rare talent! If there were more young talents like you in the Great Song Dynasty, why worry about Xixia being immortal! Sir Ximen, I would like to offer you a toast!"

Ximen Qing hastily said humbly that he didn't dare to take it, and drank a glass of wine with Zong Zeman.

Now that Zong Ze mentioned the matter of Xixia, Ma Kuo naturally wanted to talk about his travels to the west.In the past few years, the Great Song Dynasty and the Western Xia Dynasty have been fighting for years, and Zong Ze, who has always regarded loyalty to the emperor and patriotism as his credo in life, is not concerned about it.

Although Ma Kuo was not yet a member of the Western Army at this time, he didn't know much about the specific offensive and defensive actions of the Song and Xia armies, but after all, he walked around the northwest border and knew some general battle conditions.

In general, the Western Army under the command of Taiwei Tong Guan this time took advantage of the national strength of the Song Dynasty far surpassing that of Xixia, and used the strategy of building fortresses and gradually advancing to gradually erode the territory of Xixia, occupying a certain advantage in the war.It's just that this method of combat also consumes a lot of manpower and material resources, and it is also a great burden on the court.Whether the final battle will be a complete victory is still unknown.

After listening to Ma Kuo's words, Zong Ze sighed, and suddenly asked Ximen Qing, "I don't know if the high officials of Ximen think that the Northwest War will wipe out Xixia once and for all?"

Ximenqing, who knew the history, replied to Zongze affirmatively, saying that the imperial court may be able to win some despicable lands in the northwest by working hard, but it will not hurt the foundation of Xixia, let alone destroy Xixia.

Zong Ze asked Ximen Qing why he was so sure.Ximenqing answered him, not to mention the difficulties caused by the vast desert and sea in Xixia to the Song army's attack, the Xia army could escape quickly if they lost the battle, and if the Song army pursued them, it would be difficult to supply food, grass and supplies.Therefore, it may be possible to win against Xixia, but it is difficult to eliminate.Furthermore, Xixia and Liao are allies, and as long as Liao survives, Song will not destroy Xixia.

Ximen Qing eloquently expressed his views on the Song-Xia War, which deeply impressed Zong Ze.Concerned about the country and the people, Zong Ze let out a long sigh and drank the wine in his glass.

Chapter 4 Zongze's troubles

"Does the judge have troubles in his heart?" Ximen Qing saw Zong Ze's expression and asked him.

Zong Ze looked at Ma Kuo, then at Ximen Qing, and did not answer Ximen Qing, but instead asked: "The officials of Ximen have a lot of insight into the war in Xixia. Now in the land of Liaodong in the north, the Liao Kingdom and the Jurchens are constantly fighting. , I don’t know if the senior officials of Ximen have a good opinion?”

What does Zong Ze mean?Is he going to test me?Ximen Qing pondered for a while and said, "How dare a person in the countryside pretend to be a high opinion? If the judge decides to ask me, I can see from my humble opinion that the rise of the Jurchen is already unstoppable with the decline of the Liao Kingdom."

After hearing this, Zong Ze closed his eyes slightly, thoughtful, and then opened his eyes to Ximen Qing and asked, "Your official Ximen, the Khitan has ruled the north for hundreds of years, is it really going to be defeated by Jurchen this time? Senior official Why are you so sure, the old man would like to hear the details."

Ximen Qing can't say that I am familiar with history and can predict the future!He had no choice but to tell Zongze what he had seen and heard at the Dengzhou Wharf. He said that people of all ethnic groups who had fled said that Liao's internal affairs were chaotic, and that when they encountered natural disasters, they imposed excessive taxes and extorted money, forcing the people in the territory to revolt continuously, and his effective rule in Liaodong had collapsed. .In the mouths of these refugees, it was said that the Jin army was extremely elite, and the Liao army was defeated again and again, and they had long since dared not confront the Jin army.If things continue like this, the general situation in the north will only become more and more difficult and unfavorable for the Liao Kingdom.Although the Liao Kingdom has a territory of thousands of miles, it is difficult to escape the fate of the country in the end.

Ximen Qing asserted confidently that the Liao Kingdom would be defeated, which shocked Zong Ze and Ma Kuo, and they sat there thinking about their own thoughts.

You must know that the Liao Kingdom has ruled the roost in Northeast Asia for hundreds of years, and it is an invincible behemoth for the Song Dynasty.Although the Jurchens have been on the rise in the past few years, for the Song people who are afraid of Liao, few people dare to think with certainty that the Liao Kingdom will die.

Zong Ze looked at Ximen Qing with a complicated expression. He didn't know where he came from when he said so firmly that the Liao Kingdom must perish and the Jin Kingdom must prosper.However, looking at Ximen Qing's confident face, Zong Ze always felt that what the young man said was very reasonable, and that the situation in the north might deteriorate as the young man said.Hey~ There really will be a day when the Great Song Dynasty will be in danger!

Ever since Tong Guan went to Liao in the first year of Zhenghe, brought Zhao Liangsi from Yanjing back to Song Huizong, and offered Song Huizong the strategy of marrying Jurchen to attack Liao and take Yan, Song Huizong and the important court officials around him began to fantasize about uniting Jurchen destroyed the Liao Kingdom and took the opportunity to attack the land of Yanyun.

For Song Huizong and others, they were looking forward to the defeat of the Liao Kingdom, but they still couldn't believe that the powerful neighbor in the north, the Liao Dynasty, would soon fall.Seven years after Zhao Liangsi offered his advice, news of Jurchen's victory over the Liao Kingdom came from the north one after another, and the Song Dynasty sent Ma Zheng to secretly cross the sea to the Jin Kingdom to unite with the Jin Kingdom to destroy the Liao Kingdom.

Among the important ministers around Song Huizong, only Dazai Zheng Juzhong opposed the alliance with the Jin Dynasty and defeated the Liao Dynasty.

Among the local officials, Zong Ze was also an opponent of the strategy of marrying Jurchen to attack Liao and take Yan.

In Zongze's view, since the Liao Kingdom signed the Chanyuan Alliance with the Song Dynasty, there has been no southward invasion for more than a hundred years, so that the Hebei Forbidden Army used to guard against the Liao Kingdom has degenerated to the point where even robbers were attacked due to the long-term peace. But that's all.Although the Liao Kingdom is a powerful neighbor, it is also a trustworthy neighbor.

However, the Kingdom of Jin was different. The refugees who fled to Dengzhou all said that the Jurchens were barbaric masters of tigers and wolves.The Goryeo people from Goryeo also commented that the Jurchens were rude and rude barbarians.

It is not a good thing to replace a civilized and trustworthy neighbor with a brutal and violent neighbor.Therefore, Zong Ze had a lot of things on his mind. Ever since Ma Zheng crossed the sea, he had been worrying about this matter.Zong Ze didn't want his friend Ma Zheng to have an accident in the Kingdom of Jin, nor did he want him to succeed in his mission and reach an agreement with the Kingdom of Jin, so he was conflicted.