Chapter 41 Section Five

In the letter of credence to the Song Dynasty, what exactly did Li Yuanhao write, and why did this letter surprise Fan Zhongyan so much?After reading the Guoshu, how will Fan Zhongyan deal with this matter? Li Yuanhao's letter has a total of 26 pages, of which 20 pages are cursing, insulting the Song Dynasty, arrogant and rude.There are also 20 pages in the letter where he claims to be the emperor.Fan Zhongyan saw that if this letter was presented to the emperor, the emperor would be furious. When the emperor became angry, he would desperately mobilize all the soldiers of the whole country to attack Li Yuanhao, and there would be no end to the war.

Fan Zhongyan thought over and over again, transcribed the words of Li Yuanhao's letter seeking peace, and made an abridged version.For example, Li Yuanhao said that I am willing to be in peace with Song in Daxia, but this is not good, so I copied "Wish to be in harmony with Song", and "I am in Daxia" cannot be copied.After transcribing the abridged version of Li Yuanhao's peace letter, Fan Zhongyan burned Li Yuanhao's letter in front of Xia Guolai's envoy.This letter insults the court of the Great Song Dynasty. It is a big treason. As a courtier of the Great Song Dynasty, I cannot let our emperor see this letter. Look, I will burn this letter.Fan Zhongyan then handed over the abridged version of Li Yuanhao's peace letter to the court.

The news spread to the capital of the Song Dynasty, causing an uproar.How could Fan Zhongyan dare to communicate with Li Yuanhao privately without diplomacy?And actually burned Li Yuanhao's letter, is that okay?Some ministers said that Fan Zhongyan's crime is unforgivable and should be executed according to the law. Isn't this an act of collaborating with the enemy and traitorous country?Fan Zhongyan hurriedly defended himself, I was not a traitor, it was because Li Yuanhao was too shameful, I couldn't be more angry, so I burned the letter.Of course, it is impossible to kill Fan Zhongyan. The family law of the ancestors does not kill scholar-bureaucrats, and Fan Zhongyan was born as a Jinshi. How can he be killed?So the imperial court reduced him to Yaozhou Zhizhou.

After surrendering Han Qi and Fan Zhongyan, there is only one Xia Song left in the northwest.Xia Song couldn't stand up again, so the court had to send him another deputy, but after this deputy came, he fought with Xia Song all day long. Song Ting felt that there was no one in the northwest, so he took this opportunity to transfer Xia Song to the mainland.Don't you want to do it?Didn't you ask to release your military handle on the table several times?This time the imperial court has satisfied you, you can return to the Central Plains to be an official.Shaanxi was divided into four roads from one road. Han Qi, Wang Yan, Fan Zhongyan, and Pang Ji each led the road and were responsible for the peace and war against Xia.

Among the four roads, Han Qi, Fan Zhongyan and Pang Ji three roads, the mountains and rivers are dangerous, and the soldiers are well-stocked, especially Han Qi and Fan Zhongyan, Xia Guo dare not mess with them.So who can you mess with?You can only provoke Wang Yan. Although Wang Yan has a high rank, he neither knows soldiers nor is a newly appointed official.Although Pang Ji is also a new official, Pang Ji guards Yanzhou, and Fan Zhongyan has laid a good foundation here, so provoking Pang Ji is not as good as provoking Wang Yan.Zhang Yuan told Yuan Hao again and again that if we drive straight from Weizhou guarded by Wang Yan, we can enter the Guanzhong area.Once entering the Guanzhong area, "blocking Tongguan in the east and cutting off the tribute from the two rivers, Chang'an is in the palm of your hand" (Volume 16 of "Xixia Shushi").Yuan Hao was particularly pleased: what is Chang'an?The former capital of the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties, if I can occupy Chang'an, then I will be a resounding master of China.Yuan Hao immediately mobilized an army of 100,000 to attack the Zhenrong army.When Wang Yan saw the enemy attacking, he immediately sent Ge Huaimin, the deputy commander of the Mabu Army, to lead the soldiers from the villages to the Yuxia Army.

Ge Huaimin was the successor of Ge Ba, a famous general in the Taizong Dynasty. Fan Zhongyan commented that he was cunning and cowardly and did not know how to fight. He was ignorant of the response, so he overthrew the army" ("Song Shige Huaimin Biography").This kid is a fine man, he is very good at fighting, but he is not good at fighting. He underestimates the enemy and advances aggressively. If he is used to fight, the whole army will be wiped out. When Ge Huaimin sent troops to meet the enemy, Wang Yan also repeatedly urged not to underestimate the enemy and rush forward, but to build fortresses, use defense instead of attack, and attack when the enemy retreats, in order to make meritorious deeds.Ge Huaimin refused to listen, thinking that Xia Jun was nothing special, and as soon as the army set off, he threw Wang Yan's instructions into the sky.Civil officials look down on military generals, and military generals also look down on civil officials. Military generals have long been simmering with anger. Why do you say that you are my superior when you talk about it?The general is away, and the king's life is not accepted, so I can do whatever I want.After the army set off, Ge Huaimin's general advised, let's not worry, Li Yuanhao likes quick battles, Xia's army is mainly cavalry, and our army has passed by without a drop of water for hundreds of miles. He was ambushed by Li Yuanhao.The battles of Sanchuankou and Haoshuichuan have taught us a lot, but one thing and two are not the same.Ge Huaimin didn't listen, you are timid, aren't you?You are willing to keep you, don't share my credit in the future.When the general heard it, if this is the case, then, bite the bullet and let's die together.