In early October of the 20th year of Yan Ping, starting from the design of the Shenglong paddock in March of Yehuxian, the Yelu tribe had been preparing for war for more than seven months. Excluding the 100,000 casualties in the battle of Kyoto, plus those lost in the battles of Jinyang and Dingbei, the remaining combat strength of the Luo tribe is at least 650,000.
There are so many troops to support, and there are many unarmed orphans, widows, old and weak people in the rear. When the weather is warm, these pressures are not prominent. They have to fight to support the war, and these soldiers can still be self-sufficient. But as time went by, the weather gradually became colder, and after the ice and snow covered it, even hunting became difficult.
After weighing the pros and cons, Yehu decided to let Yeliqing withdraw his troops from Dingbei first, and at the same time go east to Zhongdu and settle down in the city, waiting for further orders.
When the order to withdraw troops was given, all the soldiers in the military camp celebrated. Trapped under the city for more than seven months, these free-spirited shepherds have long been tired of it. After the ice and snow covered the grassland, their families did not know where they had migrated, and only the lonely, old and weak tribes did not know how to survive the winter.
The soldiers were eager to return home and packed up their gear overnight to prepare for retreat. In just three days, the 200,000-strong army was packed up and set off for Zhongdu Luocheng under Ye Liqing's order.
After receiving the news, Yang Zhuming sent people to continue to keep an eye on Ye Liqing's movements, and at the same time sent people to step up reports to Kyoto.
Five days later, before Emperor Yan Ping's edict was issued, Yang Zhuming first received a family letter sent to him by Princess Li Hao of Xinyuan. The letters home were intermittent and the sentences were inconsistent. After careful study, Yang Zhuming discovered that what Li Hao was telling him was the edict that Emperor Yan Ping was about to issue.
"The Holy One wants to call me and Uncle An back to Beijing to replace General Pingbei to take over the Northern Army."
Wang Zhaoan was surprised and asked: "What about Yang Shuai's revenge? ? Let Yeli Qing go just like that? "
"The Holy One does not plan to send troops to pursue him. Hao'er wrote in a letter that there have been changes in Kyoto, and the Holy One plans to use this opportunity to purge the Northern Expeditionary Army. She asked me to find a way quickly. , the edict will arrive soon."
Wang Zhaoan has been in the military camp for a long time, and has been an old acquaintance with Yang Zhong for decades, so he naturally knows that Emperor Yan Ping is afraid of the Yang family.
"Lieutenant Yang and Marshal Yang died one after another. The Holy Father still refused to let go of the Yang family. Do you have to kill them all? Wang has been in the military camp for a long time and has no children. If he dies, he will die. But the wise nephew I'm still young, I'm afraid it will be difficult to come out this time."
This confinement is still good. With Emperor Yan Ping's personality, he will probably find ways to get rid of him. Yang Zhuming paced for a long time, and suddenly said with a cruel heart: "Uncle An, I plan to lead the Northern Expedition Army to set off today to hunt down Yeli Qing."
"Sending troops without an imperial edict is a capital crime!" < /p>
"We can't control that much anymore. Once the edict comes, it will be difficult to stand up. Moreover, the scouts have been monitoring all the way and are sure that Ye Liqing has really retreated. We chase them from behind, wait for the opportunity, and defeat them in one fell swoop. ”
Wang Zhaoan thought about it carefully and felt that although this was a bit risky, the fighter plane was fleeting and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity must be seized. Otherwise, if he retreats this year, he can come back next year.
It is easy to be a thief for a thousand days, but it is difficult to guard against a thief for a thousand days.
"Okay, you lead the troops and go out, I will stay to delay your time and guard your retreat."
"Thank you, Uncle An."
After the discussion is complete , Wang Zhaoan went to the prefect's mansion and invited the newly appointed prefect Hou Ying to drink. At this time, Hou Ying had not received the imperial order, and he did not dare to treat this military commander who was much higher than himself lightly, but Wang Zhaoan convinced him.
While it was still light, the prepared Northern Expeditionary Army, led by Yang Zhuming, left Dingbei City and pursued Ye Liqing in the direction of his retreat.
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It was not until Shenshi four days later that the belated imperial envoy came to Dingbeicheng with Emperor Yan Ping's imperial edict. After learning that Yang Zhuming's army had been gone for four or five days, his expression immediately changed.
"Wang Zhaoan, you are openly resisting the order. You dare to send troops privately without receiving the order to go out. If the army fails, who will bear the responsibility?"
On the side Hou Ying had long understood Wang Zhaoan's intention of entertaining him every day. As a scholar, he did not understand marching and fighting, but as an official, he could distinguish right from wrong.
"Sir, please calm down. Haha, the opportunity on this battlefield is fleeting. If you catch it, you can achieve great things. If you don't catch it, you may lose the city and the ground. The emperor once said However, the general's rejection of the emperor's orders shows the importance of the war machine. Yang Shuai's expedition took place four or five days ago. How can it be said that the victory has not yet been decided? "It's too early."
"Why, Mr. Hou wants to protect him?"
"Haha, the imperial envoy has said this. Yang Shuai has never made a mistake, so why should Mr. Hou protect him?" ? "
"Humph, I won't tell you this, so you should send someone to recover him quickly, otherwise you won't blame me for taking part in it!"
Wang Zhaoan! He said angrily: "You young man..."
Hou Ying stopped the impulsive Wang Zhaoan and continued to say pleasantly: "My lord, I have an order, and the subordinates will definitely obey it. But this matter is of great importance and it cannot be said easily. It will hurt the hearts of the soldiers on the front line, so I hope this official document will be stamped with the seal of the imperial envoy."
There is a difference between the imperial envoy who delivers the order and the imperial envoy who patrols.
"I am only responsible for delivering the decree, where did the seal come from?"
"The imperial edict in the master's hand may be borrowed from the official as a certificate."
"This..."
The imperial envoy must ensure that the imperial edict reaches the recipient safely. If the imperial envoy does not see Yang Zhuming, this task is not completed. There is no such truth in lending by imperial decree. Because the responsibility for losing the imperial edict is borne by the imperial envoy himself, even if others are at fault, he, as the main person responsible, cannot escape the blame.
"This is against the rules."
"This gentleman has no seal of approval and is unwilling to hand over the imperial edict. He wants to mobilize three hundred thousand people just based on a letter from his subordinate. Isn't it a bit of a joke for the army to return to the city? And things have changed here. Logically speaking, you should report it to the Holy One and wait for the Holy One to make a decision before acting. It is not a wise move to call the army back rashly."
The imperial envoy thought for a while and felt that what Hou Ying said made sense. He is just a messenger, so why should he be at odds with the Yang family? Besides, Yang Zhuming is the husband of Princess Xinyuan and a major member of the Jin Dynasty. There is really no need to offend him. After thinking about it, he said: "In that case, I will go back to Beijing to report to the Holy One and ask the Holy One to make a decision."
"My lord, I have come all the way. It is getting late now. I am afraid of leaving the city at this time." I will miss the inn, so I might as well spend the night in the Xiaguan Mansion. After the city gate opens tomorrow, I will see you off."
"In this case, it's better to be respectful than to obey, haha."