Chapter 202 The beginning of the new year
Shouyang County is not far away, and it feels very uncomfortable to break the dike.
Although Mozhe Dati estimated that the cavalry force had a size of only a thousand men by interrogating deserters from the battlefield, his men were already frightened out of their wits.
Soon after, news came from the rear that the government troops from Xiangwu County also began to attack the rear of the army and intercepted and killed the messengers of the rebels traveling to and from Qinzhou.
Just when Mozhe Dati was hesitating, God gave him the final blow.
Amid the howling north wind and snowflakes falling from the sky, Mozhe Dike finally made up his mind to retreat!
Once it snows in Longxi area, the temperature will drop drastically. The army at Mozhe Dike did not prepare many winter clothes, and the cannon fodder they brought in would probably all freeze to death.
The performance of Shouyang and Xiangwu showed that the government troops guarding Longxi County were elite, so the rebels had no chance of winning.
It can only be said that Mozhe Dadi was also a hero. He was very decisive after deciding to withdraw his troops.
War is not a real-time strategy game where you can just drag out soldiers and click the mouse. When the army is dispatched, there will be losses, and retreat is an extremely risky thing.
Zhuge Liang and Jiang Wei both led northern expeditions. Why did the people of Shu support Zhuge Liang when he led six expeditions to Qishan? Why did the people of Shu rebel after Jiang Wei led only a few expeditions?
In addition to Zhuge Liang's own prestige, Zhuge Liang was able to bring back most of the troops after several expeditions.
During Jiang Wei's several northern expeditions, the Shu Han army suffered heavy losses even when they won the battles.
There is nothing shameful in retreating, but it is a skill to bring back the troops as safely as possible.
But Mozhe Dati obviously didn't have this ability, or he had no such plan.
Mozhe Dati was leading a rebel coalition with complex composition. He would have achieved his goal as long as he could bring his own troops back to Qinzhou.
As for the cannon fodder and other military leaders, leaving them in Longxi County was not a bad option.
Since he had decided to moisten the levee, Mo Zhe was also decisive.
He ordered his army to take the looted people and livestock and turn around to flee towards Qinzhou.
Hou Jing seized the opportunity and sent troops to pursue again, biting off another piece of meat from Mozhe Dati and rescuing some of the people and livestock that Mozhe Dati had robbed.
Mozhe Dati's army was even more frightened. Mozhe Dati made up his mind and simply abandoned even the cannon fodder and fled to Qinzhou with the remaining regular soldiers.
Murong Shaozong came out of Xiangwu City to intercept. This time, Mozhe Dati took out all his resources and led his troops to charge personally. Murong Shaozong was worried that Xiangwu would be lost, so he finally retreated back to the city, allowing Mozhe Dati's army to escape back to Qinzhou.
When the news reached Didao City, people in the city cheered, but Su Ze was very calm, as this result was expected.
I have accumulated so much experience for a long time, but if I can't even deal with these rebels, then all my efforts would be in vain.
However, Su Ze still said seriously:
"Although the bandits have retreated, there are still many of them who have fled and become bandits in Longxi County, causing trouble for the people there. Therefore, the soldiers sent by various families should continue to stay in Didao and follow this general to suppress the bandits in Longxi County."
When everyone heard this, they also felt that what Su Ze said made sense. The Mozhe Dike army retreated, but there were also many fleeing soldiers left behind.
These soldiers formed groups and turned into bandits, scattered among the thousands of ravines and gullies in Longxi, and posed a considerable threat to their own villages.
Moreover, Su Ze's army defeated Mozhe Dati's army and had established prestige in Longxi County.
If it weren't for Su Ze, Longxi County would have fallen into the hands of the enemy army, and his family would not have been able to simply provide some soldiers and food.
Thinking of this, everyone could only say: "Yes!"
Su Ze did not expect that the march into Longxi County would be so smooth. Looking at the snowflakes falling from the sky, Su Ze suddenly realized that it was General Dong who was showing his power.
Mozhe Dike retreated, but Su Ze did not stop the recruitment and training work in Hezhou and Liangzhou in the rear.
With the heavy snow, we won’t be able to fight this year.
By the spring of next year, when our soldiers are well trained, it will be time to counterattack Qinzhou.
It just so happens that these defeated soldiers scattered in Longxi County can be used as targets for military training, or they can be used as an excuse to control Longxi County.
Su Ze even wanted to thank Mozhe Dike. Longxi has been a very xenophobic place since ancient times. If it weren't for him, it wouldn't have been so easy for him to extend his hand into Longxi County.
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By the time Cui Yanbo fled to Huayin County, the capital of Huazhou, heavy snow began to fall in Huazhou.
As soon as he left Qizhou, Cui Yanbo received news that the commander-in-chief leading the troops to quell the rebellion was Xiao Baoyin, Duke of Danyang.
Upon hearing the news, Cui Yanbo was furious.
It would be fine for others, but he and Xiao Baoyin could be considered political allies, but Xiao Baoyin actually watched Yongcheng being broken and did not send troops to rescue.
During this escape, Cui Yanbo lost more than half of his trusted followers, and only less than a hundred cavalry were left with him. More importantly, his military reputation was completely ruined.
A bad soldier leads to a bad general. The military prestige of the general also determines the combat effectiveness of the army.
How can a general known as the Paopao General gain the trust of his subordinates?
Yesterday, you, Cui Yanbo, abandoned the soldiers and civilians of Yongcheng and fled. Could you abandon us and flee tomorrow?
Cui Yanbo fought for his entire life and left all his reputation in Yongcheng. How could he not be angry?
But this is just the face, what’s more important is the substance.
Cui Yanbo lost more than half of his troops. These troops were not ordinary soldiers, but grassroots officers and elite soldiers accumulated by Cui Yanbo over the years.
With these troops, Cui Yanbo only needs to recruit new soldiers and form a team after training to fight again.
If all these troops were killed in battle, Cui Yanbo would not be able to train an army from scratch at his age.
Cui Yanbo originally wanted to settle accounts with Xiao Baoyin, but when he arrived in Huayin City, Xiao Baoyin was waiting for him outside the city gate in the heavy snow.
This time Cui Yanbo couldn't do anything.
After seeing Cui Yanbo, Xiao Baoyin immediately stepped forward, personally helped Cui Yanbo off the horse, and then said to his attendants:
"The enemy army is just rising, it is difficult to fight, it is not the fault of Lord Cui to fight!"
"Mr. Cui is the Guan Yu and Zhang Fei of the ancient times. This year, why can't we defeat the bandits?"
Xiao Baoyin decided to defeat Cui Yanbo right from the start. It was not because Cui Yanbo was too weak, but because the enemy was developing rapidly. It was not Cui Yanbo's fault that Qizhou was lost.
Then Xiao Baoyin praised Cui Yanbo again, saying that he was a fierce general like Guan Yu and Zhang Fei of Shu Han, and praised his bravery.
Finally, Xiao Baoyin said, "This governor has already submitted a petition to the court to plead guilty. The fall of Qizhou is entirely my fault. Lord Cui is a meritorious official who suppressed the rebellion!"
After hearing this, Cui Yanbo was so angry that he could no longer vent his anger.
What else can we do?
He blamed Xiao Baoyin for not rescuing him, but Xiao Baoyin was not his subordinate and had no obligation to rescue him.
Now Xiao Baoyin has helped me to exonerate myself and praised me in front of all the generals. If I turn against him again, I would be shameless.
After Cui Yanbo understood this, he immediately stepped back half a step, bowed and said with his hands folded:
"Grand Commander, I have a duty to defend this land, and the blame lies with me."
Xiao Baoyin immediately pulled Cui Yanbo aside and said, "Mr. Cui, please don't blame yourself. Although the rebel army is powerful, they can't hold out for long. We will have to rely on you to suppress the rebellion in the future!"
"I have prepared a welcoming banquet for Lord Cui. Let's go into the city quickly!"
This time, Cui Yanbo put all his unhappiness behind him and followed Xiao Baoyin into the city obediently. Liu Kai and other Hedong scholars gathered around the two of them, while the Guanxi scholars watched this good show with cold eyes. Treating Cui Yanbo with courtesy was naturally the strategy Liu Kai proposed to Xiao Baoyin.
As for why Liu Kai wanted to protect Cui Yanbo, it was naturally because of Cui Yanbo's surname.
Cui Yanbo was from Qinghe Cui, but his branch had served the Southern Dynasty since his grandfather's generation.
Cui Yanbo surrendered the city to the Northern Wei during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen. This kind of thing was common in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, as large families often had stakes in both the north and the south. Cui Yanbo simply saw the chaos in the Southern Dynasty and surrendered the city to the Northern Wei.
After Cui Yanbo surrendered, he was highly valued by Emperor Xiaowen and made great contributions in the war against the Southern Dynasty.
After living through Emperor Xuanwu, he had already returned to the Qinghe Cui clan.
For Liu Kai, Cui Yanbo is his own person in Hedong.
The biggest problem with these Guandong scholars under Xiao Baoyin is that they have no military generals.
No matter how they excluded the scholars from Guanxi, they still had soldiers and clans in Guanzhong.
For example, Su Liang, who was sent to Hezhou, his family was able to mobilize hundreds of elite soldiers to fight.
It can also be said that the court sent Xiao Baoyin as the commander to quell the rebellion because it valued his influence among the scholars in Guanxi.
At this time, Liu Kai and other young men from Guandong needed someone who could lead troops in battle in order to maintain their influence in the army.
Cui Yanbo, who came from a high family background, had a high seniority and had just suffered a defeat, was naturally the best target to be won over.
So there was this wonderful show outside the city.
The children of Guanxi, who had long been oppressed by the children of Guandong, had long seen through all this. They also banded together more closely to compete with the people of Guandong for the right to speak.
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Qizhou, Yongcheng.
Mozhe Tiansheng's army had been fighting and killing in Yongcheng for three days.
Mo Zhetian is not cruel by nature, but he is willing to rob the city, or rather, massacre the city. This kind of thing is sometimes beyond the control of the coach.
If he was Su Ze's direct subordinate, he would be clear about rewards and punishments and have prestige in the army, so he could stop the army from massacring the city.
But if Su Ze was leading an army that was not under his direct command, when faced with the soldiers' request to massacre the city, he would also have to consider whether to refuse.
The army has been attacking for so long and so many people have died. After the city is broken, why don’t they let the brothers vent their anger?
Mo Zhe Tiansheng was originally a rebel, and the composition of his troops was very mixed. For him, massacring the city was just a way to divide the spoils.
If you don't allow your brothers to massacre the city, who will follow you to fight? How can everyone vent their anger without massacring the city? How can everyone make money without massacring the city?
For the commander-in-chief, the massacre was not a moral issue but a financial issue.
If there is no looting or massacre, who will feed the soldiers and civilians in the city?
The same logic applies to killing prisoners. Bai Qi killed prisoners in the Battle of Changping because too many people from Zhao surrendered. Qin could not even afford to support its own army. The King of Qin had to empty his family's coffers to raise food and fodder. Who would feed so many Zhao prisoners?
If they were released, they would pose a threat to the Qin army in the future, so Bai Qi ordered the prisoners to be buried alive.
Mo Zhetian had no psychological burden about massacring the city, and the most beautiful woman in the city had already been sent to his tent.
Because of her outstanding beauty, the daughter of the noble family surnamed Bing did not become a camp prostitute, but her sisters were not so lucky. These hungry soldiers liked the women of the noble families the most.
They rarely last more than three days. It's not because of mental humiliation, but because their bodies can't take it.
It's snowing heavily, so don't even think about using troops before spring.
Mo Zhe Tiansheng had already found out that the imperial court had sent Danyang Duke Xiao Baoyin to lead troops into the pass to quell the rebellion. However, this commander-in-chief of the Western Road received a request for help from Qizhou Governor Cui Yanbo, but did not send troops to support Qizhou. Instead, he led the army to Huazhou.
Mo Zhe Tiansheng was very happy about the news.
Huazhou is dangerous, but they are rebels. Rebels will attack the government troops only when they are full!
There were two paths before him.
One is to continue westward and attack Chang'an.
Chang'an has great political significance for Guanzhong. After capturing Chang'an, the influence of the Guanzhong rebels will be further expanded. Moreover, Chang'an is the old capital of the Han Dynasty, and the noble families in Guanxi also set up their businesses in Chang'an, so they can rob a lot of money, food and women.
Moreover, there is an invisible benefit to attacking Chang'an. As Chang'an is a political symbol, the Wei court will never allow it to fall into the hands of the rebels, which will urge Xiao Baoyin to send troops.
If Xiao Baoyin's army could be defeated, the other states and counties in Guanzhong would surrender immediately.
Another way is to go north to Gaoping County and open up connections with the northern states.
The rebellion of the Mozhe family was caused not only by the injustice of Li Yan, the governor of Qinzhou, but also by the instigation of the envoys of the "true king".
The True King's influence spreads throughout the northern states. Once Gaoping Town is captured, the followers of the "True King" in the northern states will launch a larger-scale uprising.
Once the entire north is in turmoil, the Northern Wei court will certainly be stretched to its limits and will at the very least reduce its support for Xiao Baoyin.
Of course, these two paths were not thought up by Mo Zhetian himself, but were the analysis of Hou Gang, the "King of Qin" in Tianshui City.
Mo Zhe Tiansheng also admitted that this old man was really capable and his judgment of the Northern Wei court was very vicious.
However, how to fight is still up to the father who is in charge of the family to decide. I just don’t know whether the war in Longxi County is going smoothly?
If we follow what the King of Qin said, after occupying Longxi County and attacking Hezhou, we will really have the basis for separatist rule.
But Mo Zhe Tiansheng never thought that Su Ze also got the script of occupying ancient Liangzhou, and it was obvious that Su Ze's progress was much faster.
As long as the Qinzhou rebels could be driven out of the Longxi area, what even the Five Liang regime had failed to do would be accomplished in Su Ze's hands.
In this heavy snow that covered the entire Kansai region, everyone was thinking about their own plans for next year.
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The second year of Shengui, the end of the year.
The auspicious reign title of Shengui did not bring any new atmosphere to the Northern Wei court.
But even if there was a rebellion in Guanzhong, the nobles in Luoyang still had to celebrate the New Year.
The extravagance in Luoyang this year is even greater than in previous years. The mansions of princes, dukes, ministers and officials are all decorated with brocade to welcome the new year.
Buddhist temples in Luoyang also held New Year's blessing ceremonies. Bells rang in hundreds of temples in the city, and more people knelt in front of the temples, waiting for the temples to provide them with porridge than in previous years.
On New Year's Eve, Empress Dowager Hu held a banquet in Jiafu Hall to entertain royal family members and noble ministers.
Princess Chenliu, who was bathing outside Luoyang, also returned to Luoyang before the New Year. After attending the royal banquet on New Year's Eve, heavy snow fell in Luoyang city. Princess Chenliu pulled her fox fur coat and thought of someone in the northwest.
The third year of Shengui (520 AD), the first day of the first lunar month.
Empress Dowager Hu and the young emperor gave Qinggui some more food.
The eunuch in charge of serving food looked familiar to Princess Chenliu. After receiving the food from the royal family, Princess Chenliu recognized that this was Su Shun, whom she had recommended to the palace.
How come in less than a year, Su Shun was already wearing the clothes of a eunuch?
(End of this chapter)