HLnovel Chapter 227: Defeat at Qigou Pass
Chapter 227: Defeat at Qigou Pass
The Spring Festival is the most important festival of the year. People worship their ancestors, get rid of the old and welcome the new, and pray for a good harvest. They put up Spring Festival couplets, cut New Year pictures, set off firecrackers, make dumplings and rice cakes, and the whole family sits together to eat a sumptuous reunion dinner.
There is no festive atmosphere this year. Yunzhou City has just experienced war, and all its silver, money, food and other supplies have been looted by the Liao army. It is good enough to have a hot New Year's Eve dinner.
Luo Li took the letters that her father and mother sent from Chengdu Prefecture to the capital, and then forwarded to Yunzhou City. She felt a pang in her heart, her nose ached, and tears welled up in her red eyes.
The concern and earnest advice between the lines made her miss her relatives overwhelmingly.
After arranging to use the supplies shipped from Huanzhou to provide porridge and grain to the people in the city, Prince Qin Zhao Defang returned to the government office and found the princess sitting in a daze in the study.
Seeing Luo Li's red eyes and the letters on the desk, King Qin stepped forward and hugged her in his arms.
The voice was low but extremely gentle: "Li'er, it won't take too long, you will be able to reunite with your parents and family.
I had originally planned to take Sichuan and Shu before the New Year, but with the sudden Northern Expedition, I had no choice but to put it on hold to avoid shaking the morale of the Northern Expedition Army and allowing the Liao army to take advantage of the opportunity to counterattack and invade the Song Dynasty. "
Luo Li leaned her head against him. Behind the hard and cold armor, his heartbeat was strong and powerful.
"Zhao Defang, no need to explain. I know that you are a patriot who loves the people first, and then a traitor who fights for survival."
The corners of Qin Wang Zhao Defang's lips curled up, and he stroked her black hair lovingly, "Li'er, no one knows a husband better than his wife. You are simply a worm in my husband's stomach. I think..."
Luo Li pushed him away angrily, "How disgusting! You are the disgusting worm!"
Qin Wang Zhao Defang smiled evilly and apologized quickly, "I said the wrong thing. You, a naughty boy who always likes to express elegance in a rude way, led me astray. We are not the worms that disgust each other. We are husband and wife and understand each other very well."
Luo Li was amused and burst out laughing, and her depressed mood suddenly became cheerful.
"Zhao Defang, if the Eastern Army is defeated, what good strategy do you have for dealing with it?"
The King of Qin squatted down, looked at Luo Li with his eyes level, and asked, "The commander of the Eastern Army, Cao Bin, and the deputy commander, Gao Huaide, are both veterans who are experienced in fighting. They are brave, resourceful, and steady. Will they really be defeated so quickly?"
Luo Li's guilty look was a little flustered, and her eyes wandered to the window next to her. "I'm talking about if, if! Did you understand, you idiot? If means if."
The King of Qin still had a sly smile on his lips, "I understand, if is if, if is inevitable." He held Luo Li's hand tightly, "I will try my best to take all the Han people in these four states away and let them return to their own land to live.
The lives of the soldiers cannot be sacrificed in vain. Even if we are defeated, I will let the soldiers of the Song Dynasty have the pride of a soldier."
Luo Li looked at his determined eyes and couldn't say anything else, "As long as you and the Yang family's father and son can save their lives, nothing else matters." Only when you are in the situation yourself can you understand why some people are willing to sacrifice their lives and shed their blood to be heroes.
"Report! ... Your Majesty, the Eastern Army's food supply route was cut off. They were defeated at Qigou Pass and retreated to Yizhou City, but were broken by the Liao Army. The 60,000 Song Army was defeated and was hunted down and encircled by the Liao Army! Cao Bin broke out with several thousand soldiers. Gao Huaide, who was attacking Mozhou, had no choice but to retreat. The Eastern Army's commander, Yelu Xiu'ge, led a large army from the Song Dynasty to Daizhou. The Liao Empress Dowager Xiao personally led a large army to the direction of Weizhou City!"
Yun Yi, who was usually calm, had a voice full of anxiety and urgency.
Qin Wang Zhao Defang stood up with a stern look on his face, but his voice was still steady and calm, "Quickly invite Yang Ye and his son to the government office to discuss military affairs."
"General Yang is here, and General Yang's subordinates have also sent people to notify him." Yun Yi's voice also calmed down.
Luo Li's heart was beating hard. She only knew that the Eastern Army would be defeated, but she didn't remember the details. Now it seemed that the defeat was really tragic. The situation where the Song Army had the upper hand changed in an instant, and the situation was critical!
[Oh my god! Will history repeat itself as it was originally planned? Can Yang Ye's fate of dying in Chenjiagu be reversed? ]
Luo Li was panicking, and shouted anxiously to the back of Qin Wang Zhao Defang, "Zhao Defang, pay attention to Chenjiagu!"
King Qin Zhao Defang paused, turned around and looked at Luo Li, nodded solemnly, then turned and left, his steps quick but firm and calm.
When the King of Qin came to the study, Yang Yanzhao also arrived.
The father and son stood up to greet each other. The King of Qin waved his hand and said, "No need to be polite. Let's talk business!"
"Your Highness, the Eastern Army was defeated at Qigou Pass, and the Western Army's rear is in danger. Yelu Xiu'ge is going straight from Yizhou to Daizhou. If Marshal Pan can't hold on and Yanmen Pass is captured by the enemy, we will be trapped. Should we withdraw to Yanmen Pass quickly?" Yang Yanzhao was a little anxious.
Yang Ye said calmly: "Even if Yelu Xiuge goes straight from Yizhou to Daizhou, he will encounter stubborn resistance from our army along the way. We still have time, and even if we retreat to Yanmen Pass, we can do it calmly. Besides, we need to wait and see what the emperor's will is."
Yang Ye had some concerns. The imperial edicts kept coming one after another urging him to fight. If he was accused of disobeying the imperial edict and retreating without fighting, the officials in the court would drown him with their spit. Besides, there was also the military supervisor Wang Quan watching over him in Shuozhou.
Qin Wang Zhao Defang still looked calm and composed. "This Northern Expedition will definitely end in vain. The Eastern Route Army was defeated at Qigou Pass, and the situation is worse than we expected. If we wait until the imperial edict of retreat arrives, we don't know how the situation will develop. We should make plans early and act early.
There are as many as 300,000 Han people in Yun, Ying, Huan, and Shuo. They have lived a life worse than dogs under the rule of foreign races for decades. This king plans to move these Han people to the territory of Song Dynasty, and General Yang will write the memorial to the emperor on this matter.
Old General, you and Yan Zhao, immediately take evacuation action and start moving the Han people from Yunzhou and Yingzhou to Yanmen Pass."
"What about you?" Yang Yanzhao interrupted.
"As for me? I will stay here with two thousand elite Moyun cavalrymen to fight guerrilla warfare with the Liao army and cover your retreat with the people."
"Your Highness, no! It is better for us, father and son, to stay here to resist the Liao army, and you lead the people to retreat." Yang Ye objected.
Qin Wang Zhao Defang smiled faintly, "It would be fine if you withdrew early, but if I withdrew early, the emperor would punish me.
Besides, if we stay behind enemy lines and fight a guerrilla war against the Liao army, my two thousand elite Moyun cavalrymen will be more capable of the task."
Yang Ye was in a heavy mood. His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin was right. If he retreated early with the Mo Yunqi, the Emperor would be worried about not finding an excuse. He would definitely be charged with disobeying the Emperor's order and fleeing because of fear of battle.
"Your Highness, my father is leading 20,000 vanguard troops to protect the people and retreat. I will stay with 3,000 elite cavalrymen of the Huoshan Army to block the Liao army together with your Moyun Cavalry."
"That's feasible! Your Majesty, your Moyun Cavalry and Yan Zhao's Huoshan Army Cavalry are both elite light-armored cavalry. The two cavalry can echo and support each other."
"Your Majesty, my injury has healed. I have no problem mounting a horse and killing the enemy. Let's decide it this way!" Seeing that the King of Qin was silent, Yang Yanzhao stood up anxiously.
The King of Qin smiled and said, "Okay! Yan Zhao, our two elite cavalry units will wreak havoc in the enemy's territory."
Yang Yanzhao's blood boiled, and he was full of heroic spirit. "Okay! I will fight side by side with Your Majesty to scare the enemy into submission."……………………
Qin Wang Zhao Defang handed Yun Yi a secret letter written with onion juice, "Send someone to deliver this letter to Shu quickly, and give it to Sima Qingyun and Yun Fei. The Northern Expedition is over, and there is no need to worry about anything. I order them to act immediately. After taking Sichuan and Shu, I will let Yun Fei lead 5,000 elite Feiyun cavalry out of Jianmen Pass, rush to Qinfeng Road to attack Lanzhou, and deter the restless Dangxiang people from the flank."
The prince finally took action. Yun Yi's heart surged and his blood boiled. "As you command!"