Chapter 232 No. 2
Zhang Xian and Tian Shizhong each led Yue Fei and Zhang Jun's Beiwei Army from the small path south of Luo River, which really shocked the entire Chang'an.
There are not many soldiers, the two families together have no more than six or seven thousand, which cannot be too many, otherwise the eastern front will be in danger of serious damage, and it will be difficult not to attract the attention of the Jin army across the river, not to mention that Yue Fei is planning to cross the river directly to Xiangzhou in the near future.
But in any case, the significance of the appearance of these two troops in Chang'an is self-evident.
First of all, at this sensitive moment, when everyone is settling accounts for the "showdown", any increase or decrease in troops on both sides will cause the strategic balance to shake, and these six or seven thousand people are enough to make many people increase their bets on a certain trend in their hearts.
Secondly, the name Beiwei Army itself originated in Western Xia and was widely used in the Western Army. It was not until the reorganization of the Imperial Camp that it was promoted to the Central Plains by Han Shizhong. Therefore, here in Guanxi, almost everyone understands the combat capabilities and political significance of these two troops, and also understands the political declaration their appearance here represents - this is the absolute obedience and support of the two generals Yue Fei and Zhang Jun to the government.
In the end, everyone had to re-evaluate and guess about the young official hiding in the Prime Minister's residence.
After all, for most of the Western Army leaders, before this meeting in Chang'an, Emperor Zhao had always been a political symbol existing in legends, and these people's attitudes towards this emperor could be seen from Qu Duan's previous experience. But now, this emperor demonstrated his authority in a straightforward way.
At the same time, although Emperor Zhao had made strategic responses by entrusting his son to someone else and sneaking to Chang'an, he always maintained a strange balance in Guanxi, whether to passively defend or actively attack... When everyone said to defend, he asked if he could attack, and how many soldiers would be needed? When most people tried to attack, he began to suppress the voices of going to war.
Compared with statements, we have to look at what this official has done. With the increasing number of troops in Chang'an City and the arrival of the two Beiwei armies today, everyone has undoubtedly had a new assessment of the official's determination to fight this battle.
In early May, the heat was getting stronger, and the city of Chang'an also became increasingly restless as the heat was lingering. After the Dragon Boat Festival, military situations had emerged one after another, and people's hearts were unable to remain calm.
"According to the reports from Qu Duan and Wu Lin, Wu Lin found 4,000 to 5,000 people in Huanqing and Qingzhou, and Qu Duan found 10,000 people in Jingyuan Road... But where did so many soldiers come from?" On the evening of May 7, Zhao Jiu looked at the urgent report in his hand and frowned and asked. "The three routes in northern Shaanxi are so poor, the population is so small, they have been defeated so many times, and so many people have died, how can they still find soldiers? And if they are recruited temporarily, how can they be used?"
"I would venture to make a guess. If you say four or five thousand, they are probably the soldiers of the city."
Liu Xi, the commander-in-chief of the Western Three Routes, who has been much more active recently, quickly stood up and answered seriously. "Since the rise of Western Xia, the imperial court has built many forts along the border as a strategy for advancement and defense because Western Xia is separated by the desert and has been harassed endlessly. Among them, the most military camps and military cities are located in Huanqing Road and Jingyuan Road... As far as I know, when Qu Duan went to Yanfu Road to fight the enemy, he left Zhang Zhongfu to command the military camp of Jingyuan Road and Zhang Zhongyan to command the military camps along the border of Huanqing Road. These should be the troops. In fact, even after the traitor Wang Xie was executed, Prime Minister Yuwen also dispatched many city lords and fort lords to strengthen the generals, such as Qinfeng Road Military Supervisor Murong Wei, Xingyuan Prefecture Military Supervisor Zhang Zhong, Li Yanqi, the military supervisor under my command, General Qiao Ze, and the commanders of the Imperial Camp Central Army Qiao Zhongfu and Zhang Jing, all of whom were the city lords of these two border cities."
In fact, Zhao Jiu had already come to his senses when he was halfway through listening... Historically, the fortress on the border of the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia was quite famous. This was mainly because most of the wars between the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia took place during the reigns of Emperor Renzong and Emperor Shenzong, and there were not too many historical celebrities in these two eras... But regardless of this, Liu Xi's rambling made it very clear that Qu Duan and Wu Lin had withdrawn all the border defense troops.
This is certainly a very feasible solution. Not to mention that if Xixia had any brains, they should not help the stronger Jurchens at this time. Even if they really did so, they would not care about much.
Don't be too clear about priorities.
"What is the relationship between Qiao Ze and Qiao Zhongfu?" Zhao Jiu asked a strange question while listening.
"They are uncle and nephew from the same clan." Liu Xi responded quickly.
"You said that the four to five thousand people were probably soldiers in the city, so where did Qu Duan's ten thousand people come from?" Zhao Jiu kept asking.
"I'm sorry to be so presumptuous. The remaining several thousand people are probably foreign soldiers." After all, Liu Xi was born into a family of generals in the Western Army and was well aware of the military affairs of Guanxi.
"Fan soldiers?" Zhao Jiu seemed to be thinking. "Tibetans or Dangxiang people?"
"If it is Xihe Road where I am stationed, there are naturally more Tibetans, but in Huanqing and Jingyuan Roads, there are naturally Dangxiang people." At this point, Liu Xi glanced at his immediate superior Zhang Jun who had been silent, and considered his words for a while before continuing. "To be honest, the Tibetans are wild and difficult to tame, and the Qingtang area in the west is vast and sparsely populated, which is quite difficult to control, so it has always been easy to trade but difficult to recruit. On the other hand, in the north of Huanqing Road, Yanfu Road, and Jingyuan Road, because of the long-term war with the Xixia people, the Dangxiang tribe lives in them, and it is difficult to sway between either Xixia or the Song Dynasty, so most of the Tibetan soldiers there admire the king's rule. And Qu Jinglue has been operating there for 20 years and has a good reputation. It is not unusual for him to find some Tibetan tribes to live at the foot of Hengshan... This is a great thing, and it is really a wise decision made by the emperor before."
Zhao Jiu nodded... not to express his agreement with the "wise decision", but to approve of the explanation of the Fanbu, because he just remembered that Yang Weizhong, the old Taiwei who should be leading the rear army of the imperial camp to the north, is the most senior commander of the Western Army today. It is said that he was born in the border area of Huanqing Road and changed his Chinese name.
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