Chapter 347: The Han Army Defending Guazhou

Regent Zhao Defang admired Li Yuanhao, who was young, wise, talented, ambitious, and able to judge the situation. He

personally stepped forward to untie Li Yuanhao, who was wearing a white middle-length coat, knelt on the ground with his arms tied, and begged for surrender. He smiled and patted his shoulders twice, "Yuanhao, I know that you are smart and wise, with great ambitions, and want to plan a bright future for the Dangxiang people. I also know that you admire the Central Plains culture and actively carry out new policy reforms in this barren land, hoping that the Dangxiang people can live a good life without worries about food and clothing.

As long as all of you Dangxiang people lay down your weapons and return to the Song Dynasty, I promise that I will treat the Han people and the Dangxiang people here equally, and lead the people of the Song Dynasty to live a good life with a prosperous country and a strong people, and the people living and working in peace and contentment."

Li Yuanhao bit his lower lip and raised his hand after listening. He looked at Regent Zhao Defang with sharp eyes, "Your Highness, you have always been my idol. To be honest, many of the reform measures I implemented in the Western Xia Kingdom were modeled after your new policies.

If you can guarantee to treat the Xiang people of my party and the Han people equally and protect them from being bullied and trampled upon by powerful enemies, I, Li Yuanhao, will sincerely submit to the Great Song and be loyal to you, Your Highness!"

What Li Yuanhao admired was the personal charm of Regent Zhao Defang. Submitting to the Great Song was a helpless choice, but being loyal to Your Highness the Regent was a sincere word.

Regent Prince Zhao Defang smiled heartily and looked at Li Yuanhao meaningfully: "Since Yuanhao is truly loyal to the Song Dynasty and loyal to me, my promise to the people of the party will never change.

After you lead me and the army to recapture other prefectures, you will still be the governor of your Dingnan Army. Since Xixia surrendered without fighting, I will change the route to capture Liao State. Your Dingnan Army will make up for your crime and serve as my vanguard army to strike at the Yellow Dragon!"

Li Yuanhao was startled at first, then smiled bitterly and looked at His Royal Highness the Regent Prince with a frank look: " My Lord, I did not expect that you would be so decisive. After Xixia surrendered, you decided to change your route and attack Liao.

Since you have made up your mind, Li Yuanhao is willing to lead the Dang Xiang warriors to be the vanguard army to cut through the thorns and seize the city and land for you. "...

The king with great prestige surrendered to the Song Dynasty. When Li Yuanhao led the Song army to persuade the city to surrender, the other Dang Xiang tribe troops, who were originally the Dingnan Army of the Song Dynasty, threw down their weapons, hung up white flags, opened the city gates, and lined up outside the city without any psychological burden. They surrendered happily.

The Song army accepted the surrenders very quickly, just like a large army traveling, taking over one city after another, and arrived at the city of Guazhou.

Li Yuanhao pointed at the dilapidated but still standing earthen wall of Guazhou and smiled bitterly again, "My Lord, I cannot open the gate of Guazhou.

When I led my men to unify Xixia and conquered various states, only Guazhou and Shazhou City were left unconquered. Here, the ones who fought desperately to defend the city are still the original Han army."

Regent Prince Zhao Defang, who had already learned about this from intelligence, looked at the fluttering Han army flags on the wall and the ragged Han army soldiers holding weapons and firmly guarding the wall with admiration and respect.

After Li Jiqian's rebellion, this place became an isolated enclave of the Song Dynasty. The two Han army units and their descendants, with their faith and courage, have been fighting to the death here.

The commander on the wall of Guazhou was a young man in his twenties. He had a delicate appearance like a scholar, but he was wearing a tattered armor and stood proudly!

The young commander looked at the more than 20,000 troops under the wall with suspicion in his eyes. He asked an old general with a beard beside him, "Uncle Li, did you notice that the troops coming to attack the city are not the cavalry of the Dangxiang people?"

The old general with a beard was so excited that tears were streaming down his face. His body was shaking slightly and his voice was choked with sobs, "Young master, look at those flags. These are the great The Song army, did the emperor of Song send an army to rescue us? "

Although the young garrison commander was also agitated, he calmly analyzed: "Don't be careless! Last month, the Dang Xiang people attacked us. Fortunately, my fourth uncle who was stationed in Shazhou led his troops to rescue us. Our two armies worked together and fought hard to repel the enemy.

This army under the banner of the Song army came too strangely. How did they get behind the various armies of the Dang Xiang people and penetrate deep into the hinterland to the city of Guazhou? It is really puzzling. I am afraid that it is a trap set by the Dang Xiang people. We must be on guard. "

The old general with a beard wiped his tears immediately and looked at the wise and intelligent young master with satisfaction and admiration, "Young master, what you said is very true. It was my subordinate who was excited when he saw the flag of the Song Dynasty and lost his vigilance. "I am very happy."

Regent Prince Zhao Defang was also very excited and full of emotion. After observing the guards on the city wall with respect and admiration for a while, he said to the generals beside him: "Cao Wei, you are in charge of commanding. Gao Yingxiong, you with a loud voice, follow me to call the city."

Regent Prince Zhao Defang led Gao Yingxiong, Yun Yi and sixteen shadow guards out of the army camp and rode straight to the city wall. When he could see clearly those fellow soldiers who were in tattered clothes, pale and thin, but stood upright, with firm expressions, holding weapons, and waiting in formation, Regent Prince Zhao Defang felt sad and his eyes were wet.

[You have suffered a lot these years! Brave and fearless warriors, wanderers far away from their homeland, on behalf of the Song Dynasty and hundreds of millions of people, I am here to take you home! 】

The Regent Zhao Defang, with tears in his eyes, looked at his compatriots on the city wall, and was about to shout out his thoughts to take them home.

"Shoot them back!"

"Swish, swish, swish!" After receiving the order, the archers on the city wall, ready to go, shot arrows like rain at the more than 20 people who dared to enter the range of the bows and arrows.

The Regent Zhao Defang's excited and sad mood was shot away by the rain of arrows. He didn't bother to wipe away the tears in his eyes, and quickly drew out his sword and fought against the rain of arrows with the shadow guards.

Fortunately, Yun Yi and the shadow guards were always on high alert. The soldiers on the city wall drew their swords as soon as they moved their fingers.

Yun Yi stood on horseback and waved his sword to block the arrows, protecting the prince: "Prince, please retreat!"

There were only a hundred archers on the city wall shooting arrows, and the skilled shadow guards protected the prince, so no one was injured.

Gao Yingxiong was so angry that he cursed, "Damn it! I haven't even said I'll take you home, but you've been hit by a rain of arrows. Lu Dongbin didn't know the kindness of a dog, and the flood washed away the Dragon King Temple. Family members don't recognize each other. What kind of a mess is this?"

Regent Prince Zhao Defang smiled bitterly, retreated out of the range of the arrows, and used his inner strength to shout to the guards on the city wall who were on alert: "Han army brothers in the city! We are the Song army, and we are here to rescue you and take you home. I am Zhao Defang, the regent of the Song Dynasty. On behalf of the Song Dynasty court and the people of the Song Dynasty, I welcome you back to your homeland!"

The guards on the city wall had their hearts beating wildly with excitement, their blood boiling, their hearts aching, and their eyes wet with tears, but no one dropped their weapons and left their posts. The soldiers still remained on guard.

The young guard on the city wall suppressed his excitement, looked calmly at the man who was shouting, and replied loudly: "Regent Zhao Defang? I don't know you, and I've never heard of you. Are you a member of the party disguised as Xiang? Since you can't capture Guazhou City, you want to use conspiracy and tricks to seize the city?

This general will not be fooled, and you can go wherever you want!

If you want Guazhou City, you have to come and take it with your ability. This general will lead all the soldiers and civilians in Guazhou City to defend Guazhou City to the death and kill you bandits!"

[I don't know you, and I've never heard of you? Has the great reputation of me, Regent Zhao Defang, not spread here? 】

The Regent Prince Zhao Defang touched his nose awkwardly, [If the princess knew about this, she would laugh like crazy? 】

Yes, these Han army soldiers have been trapped in this isolated city behind the enemy for more than 20 years, with no news, how could they know the name of the Regent Prince Zhao Defang of the Song Dynasty?

Gao Yingxiong squinted at the prince with a gloating look, "Prince, I don't know you, and I have never heard of the famous Regent Prince Zhao Defang. I suspect you are a member of the party pretending to be here to steal the city. What can I do?"