novelhk Page 1427
Page 1427
This would likely lead to a mutiny among the Song soldiers.
Zhao Yuan nodded and said, "General Lin is right."
"Our Great Liang's foundation is not deep; if we are not careful, we will be submerged under the banners of the Song Dynasty."
"Let the army still fly under the banner of my Great Liang,"
"If there is stubborn resistance, gunpowder can be used to breach the city."
"The Song Dynasty is already corrupt and decadent. Our Great Liang will surely be able to sweep away the Song Dynasty with overwhelming force."
"Lu Junyi, Guan Sheng, Zhang Qing, Zhang Kai, and Han Cunbao, a total of 50,000 men, went to Hebei,"
"Luan Tingyu and Qin Ming led 20,000 troops to attack Jingdong."
"Many of our Liang troops have fought on these two fronts,"
"Every prefecture and state knows the might of our Great Liang,"
"These should be the two easiest routes to conquer."
Huyan Zhuo, not to be outdone, said, "When Gao Qiu attacked us last time,"
"Draw all the imperial guards from the capital region,"
"This humble general can lead a contingent of troops to seize the prefectures surrounding the capital."
After thinking for a moment, Zhao Yuan said, "Then please ask Generals Shi Wengong and Huyan Zhuo to attack the prefectures around the capital."
Lu Zhishen stroked his bald head and said, "Now only Instructor Lin, General Li Congji, and I are left."
"Doesn't that mean we have to defend the city?"
Zhao Yuan laughed and said, "This Tokyo always needs someone to guard it."
"The master then recuperated and recharged his energy in Tokyo,"
"Once Instructor Lin has reorganized the Imperial Guards,"
"Then we'll go out and fight together."
Lu Zhishen shook his head and said, "They attacked from the east, south, and north in three separate routes."
"The Western Army has now marched all over Jiangnan,"
"There are definitely no troops to attack Tokyo in the short term."
Chapter 1720 Old Master Zhong
Lin Chong shouted, "Wang Jin's martial arts skills are no less than mine!"
"What's even more impressive is his ability to train his apprentices,"
"It's a pity that Gao Qiu forced us to leave Tokyo back then."
"If we could get him to train the new army,"
"The combat effectiveness of the new army can also be improved significantly."
Lu Zhishen shook his head and said, "I only heard that he once worked for General Zhong in Yan'an Prefecture."
"Later, Shi Jin also went to Yan'an Prefecture to look for him,"
"But we haven't found him yet, and it might not be easy to find him."
Zhao Yuan suddenly had a thought and said, "Master Zhishen, you also served under General Zhong, didn't you?"
Lu Zhishen still took pride in having served under General Zhong.
He said with a proud look on his face.
"Back in the day, I was the most valiant general under General Zhong."
"If it weren't for later beating up Tong Guan's men,"
"Perhaps he's still serving under General Zhong."
"No, even the old General Zhong has been dismissed from his post."
"He's no longer in the army,"
"I won't stay here either."
Seeing Lu Zhishen like this, Zhao Yuan laughed.
"So, General Zhong has a very high reputation in the Western Army?"
Lu Zhishen nodded and said, "General Zhong can be considered the foremost commander of the Western Army."
"Tong Guan repeatedly waged war against the Western Xia,"
"All the generals are traveling generals,"
"Only the old General Zhong bowed deeply."
Zhao Yuan laughed and said, "Since that's the case, then if we can say that he has come to submit to our dynasty,"
"Wouldn't it be much easier to pacify the western routes then?"
Lu Zhishen nodded and said, "General Zhong has served as the prefect of many prefectures and counties."
"In the past, Tong Guan used troops against the Western Xia,"
"Most of them are old generals who serve as commanders-in-chief,"
"He controlled all the troops, and it can be said that the Western Army had all heard his orders."
"If we can convince him to surrender,"
"Then most of the western routes have been pacified."
Zhao Yuan laughed and said, "Alright, since that's the case, I'll go with you."
"How about we pay a visit to General Zhong?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Chong hurriedly replied, "Our Great Liang is no longer what it used to be."
"This is the crucial moment for unifying the world,"
"Your Majesty alone can influence the course of the world; how can you risk your life so lightly?"
"Besides, we've just occupied Tokyo,"
"If Your Majesty does not stay in Tokyo, I fear that someone will take the opportunity to cause trouble."
"In my opinion, it would be better to have Xiao Yi and Master Zhishen go and invite General Zhong, the old strategist,"
"Xiao Yi is eloquent and persuasive,"
"He's the one who can persuade General Zhong."
Zhao Yuan shook his head and said, "After I leave, you will be in charge of Tokyo."
"One can make one's own decisions in all matters."
"General Zhong, the old strategist, is highly respected and virtuous."
"I'll go myself."
Lin Chong hurriedly replied, "Lin Chong only knows how to train troops and fight on the battlefield."
"Your Majesty has entrusted me with such a vast capital city,"
"I absolutely cannot handle this."
Zhao Yuan laughed and said, "I'm just like you."
"Just ask the officials if you don't understand anything,"
"My father has already led his men on horseback to this place,"
"You handle it for a few days, then my father will take care of it."
"Okay, it's settled."
Zhao Yuan decided to launch an attack from all sides.
Everyone was worried about Zhao Yuan's safety.
He then assigned Wu Song and Shi Xiu to protect Zhao Yuan closely.
Then they each went to make their preparations.
Zhao Yuan and his three companions immediately packed their belongings.
They came from the city, heading west.
On the way, the group discussed the purpose of their trip.
"Your Majesty, Lord Zhong is stubborn, I'm afraid..."
Lu Zhishen said with concern.
Zhao Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "Our Great Liang has captured Tokyo, and the entire Song Dynasty royal family has been captured."
"The Song Dynasty can be said to have perished,"
"These two, Wang Qing and Tian Hu, are nothing more than notorious bandits in the area,"
"Fang La was once again defeated by the Western Army,"
"It can be said that the unification of the world by our Great Liang is just around the corner."
"The remaining troops of the Song Dynasty are not worth worrying about."
"Only the Western Army should not be underestimated,"
"Therefore, I've come to see if I can persuade General Zhong, the old strategist."
"Peaceful incorporation of the Western Army."
Lu Zhishen thought for a moment,
"Many of the Western Army's generals came from successive generations,"
"Mainly the Zhong family, the Zhe family, the Yao family, and the Liu family,"
"The soldiers of the Western Army only recognize these military families,"
"Even the imperial court's military orders are less effective than the general's orders in the Western Army."
"The Western Xia and Qiang peoples have been quite troublesome in recent years,"
"The imperial court needs these native-born military families to lead troops,"
Therefore, they dared not take action against these military families.
"If we can truly persuade General Zhong,"
"This would influence other military families,"
"and thus control the Western Army."
Lu Zhishen pondered,
"Then let's get to the point."
"These military families are rooted in the Northwest,"
"The soldiers of the Western Army were all able-bodied men from various northwestern states,"
"They join the army primarily to protect their homes."
"If the Western Xia invades the border, the families of the Western Army will be threatened,"
"The Western Army soldiers could only hold their ground in the Northwest."
Chapter 1721 Persuading
"If it weren't for the Western Army's repeated victories over the Western Xia forces in recent years,"
"The Western Xia have become much more disciplined,"
"This time, the Western Army also dared not go south to annihilate Fang La."