Chapter 11 4. Shine the light

Chai Rong had just ascended the throne and had not yet gained a firm foothold, so he faced a big challenge. Taiyuan Liu Chong joined forces with Khitan to fight over.The attitude of coping with this crisis fully demonstrates Chai Rong's personality, and also proves that he is not a mediocre person. In feudal society, in order to inherit the family from generation to generation, selecting and cultivating successors became a top priority.When conditions permit, most far-sighted emperors will spend a lot of time and energy on cultivating crown princes, so that after these successors take charge of the country's power, they can enter the state more smoothly, exercise imperial power skillfully, and shorten the term as much as possible. subsequent learning process.However, this kind of situation is often unavoidable. In the bloody imperial power struggle and capricious political turmoil in the feudal society, this orderly and benign transfer of imperial power has become a very rare and low-probability event.

Most of the new emperor's mature ability to govern is not based on long-term training, but on good innate qualities and IQ.This is the tragedy of feudal society.However, this also contributed to the legendary lives of some extraordinary emperors, making their literary and martial arts more reflect their brilliant personalities, and making their unrivaled miracles more record their outstanding thoughts and behaviors. Chai Rong undoubtedly did not experience the full training of the crown prince, because his father, Guo Wei, had not been emperor for a long time.Although Zhou Taizu Guo Wei was very knowledgeable, strategic, and far-sighted, and attached great importance to the cultivation of Chai Rong, but after all, when Guo Wei became emperor, Chai Rong had already grown up, and many of his characters and abilities had been finalized.Therefore, the new emperor Chai Rong's philosophy and judgment on governing the country basically come from his own cognition, opinions and personality.These insights and abilities of Chai Rong were more formed during his early military career following Guo Wei. In addition to his personal independent personality, he may have been greatly influenced by Guo Wei's precepts and deeds.Of course, when Guo Wei practiced precepts and deeds to Chai Rong in the early years, he didn't know that he or Chai Rong could become emperor in the future.

The strongman Guo Wei died in a hurry, and the little-known prince Chai Rong succeeded to the throne.In the eyes of the people of the world, this is the most vulnerable time of the Hou Zhou Empire.From the perspective of the enemy country, this is the best time to attack the Hou Zhou Empire.Emperor Liu Chong of the Northern Han Dynasty thought so. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that "cutting funerals is inauspicious", which has profound and wonderful meanings.Liu Chong doesn't care about any ominous things, he can't beat Zhou Taizu "Guo Jiaqueer", can't he also beat Guo Wei's son "Xiao Jiaqueer"?Liu Chong acted decisively and joined forces with Khitan to send troops to the south.

This time the coalition forces of the Northern Han Dynasty and the Khitan were that Liu Chong personally led the Hedong Army with 30,000 troops, and the Khitan sent General Yang Gun to lead 10,000 cavalry into the pass to help.When Liao Taizong Yelu Deguang entered the Central Plains, famous people such as Gao Mohan, Yelu Antuan, Weiwang Anduan, etc. have all withered.Yang Dagon became a rising star in the Khitan military circle.This Yang Dagon is the father of Yang Jiye, the old Linggong of the Yang family that we know well.As for why Yang Jiye became the first-class general in the Song Dynasty, this is a later story, which will be stated later in the document.

On the first day of junior high school, the northern and southern armies fought, and the Zhou army was defeated.Li Yun, the Zhaoyi Jiedu envoy guarding Shangdang, sent his general Mu Lingjun to fight Zhang Yuanhui, the vanguard of the Later Han Dynasty, but Mu Lingjun was ambushed and killed by Zhang Yuanhui.Li Yun retreated in Shangdang City and did not dare to fight, so he sent an urgent battle report for eight hundred miles to the imperial court.The amount of information in this battle report is very limited. It only reports the news of the invasion of the Han army. It does not know the specific military strength of the Han army, who is the commander of the Han army, and does not know much about the Khitan invasion.

The battle report was placed on the Longshu case of the emperor of the later Zhou Dynasty. This battle report seems to weigh a thousand catties. The war in the Central Plains, which had just rested for two years, broke out again. Is it necessary for the young empire to fight a large-scale war? Does the young empire have the strength to fight a large-scale war? Convince people with virtue and live in peace, okay? How does the young emperor Chai Rong, who has just ascended the throne for a few days, deal with this external crisis? Crises are never isolated. Improper response to external aggression is likely to induce civil strife.

Whether Chai Rong can successfully resolve this crisis is directly related to how long he will sit on this dragon chair. In February of the first year of Zhou Xiande (AD 954), Zhou Shizong Chai Rong called a meeting of civil and military officials to discuss strategies to deal with the invasion of the Northern Han Dynasty. Chai Rong sat behind the Longshu table with a tall and straight figure, with a stern face, raised sword eyebrows, half-open tiger eyes, not angry and majestic, and his lips were not parted, showing the constitution.This is the first time that Chai Rong has faced the officials comprehensively and formally, the first time that superiors and subordinates have coexisted in court, and the first time that he has issued orders as the king of a country.Many of the civil and military ministers have much longer, deeper, and farther experience than Chai Rong.Although the imperial power is supreme and sacred, there is right and wrong in distinguishing and analyzing things.Although the emperor is awe-inspiring, it is not easy for the officials to be convinced.What's more, civil and military officials, generals and ministers were all selected and selected by the former emperor Guo Wei, and appointed to assist the new emperor Chai Rong. These people themselves have the status and mentality of veterans.

In such an environment and at such a moment, Chai Rong does not have the psychological and atmospheric advantages to discuss military affairs with his officials. If an emperor with a deep city mansion encounters such a major military incident, he will usually ask the question first, and ask slowly: "My dear friends, let's see what should be done about this matter." Regardless of whether the ministers answered correctly or answered Wrong, no matter whether the ministers' answers are in line with the emperor's wishes or not, the emperor has room for maneuver. The initiative of decision-making is always reserved by the emperor, and the strategy of reconciling conflicts and preserving face will always be enjoyed by the emperor.However, Zhou Shizong Chai Rong did not do this.He gave up the superior power enjoyed exclusively by the emperor. On the contrary, he put himself directly in the bull's-eye and became the target of everyone's attack or echo.

Chai Rong believed that the hatred between Zhou and Han was as deep as the sea, and there was no possibility of reconciliation.Neither side has any intention of turning hostility into friendship.There is only one way, and that is to fight. Chai Rong is very direct. Chai Rong directly expressed his opinion. Chai Rong didn't want to play hide and seek. Chai Rong went straight to the point. Chai Rong said: "Liu Chong has invaded the bandits, and I want to conquer them personally." After finishing speaking, Chai Rong quietly watched the officials in front of him. He expected them to support his views and follow his ideas.

As soon as Chai Rong finished speaking, the civil and military officials began to shout, and everyone said in one go: "Three years ago, Liu Chong was defeated by our dynasty, defeated Pingyang, lost troops and lost generals, and fled back to Taiyuan. Don’t dare to commit the crime yourself.” “Your Majesty, you have just ascended the throne. You are not familiar with the situation, your position is not strong enough, and the people’s sentiments are not yet fully convinced, so you should not act rashly.” “The tomb of the late emperor has not been repaired. The general situation is fluctuating, so it is not appropriate to send troops on a large scale, and the best policy should be to defend." "Taiyuan is a mere region, poor and remote, and the army is weak and insignificant. It is not necessary for your majesty to go to the army personally, just send generals to meet the enemy."

Each of these opinions has its merits. Zhou Shizong Chai Rong waved his hand, interrupting everyone's messy conversation.He thought to himself: "You people are just bullying me because I am young and have a shallow foundation. Wait a few more days and see how I deal with you." Chai Rong said calmly and resolutely: "Liu Chongfa mourned and took advantage of the fire to rob me. He thought I was young and lacked experience in governing the country. He has the desire to despise our dynasty and is lucky. He wants to take this rare opportunity to sweep the Central Plains and annex the world, hoping to turn things around in World War I. I think Liu Chong will definitely lead the army to attack this time. I must go to the front of the enemy. Fight." Taishi and Zhongshu made Feng Dao express his opinion tremblingly. At this time, Feng Dao was already seventy-three years old. He raised his gray goatee and said, "Your Majesty, you have just been in charge of the government. There are many things waiting for you to deal with. Don't leave the court easily. The late emperor's coffin has not yet been put into bed, and people's hearts have not yet been united. Your majesty should stay in the capital and preside over the overall situation. Your majesty is a saint, and you should never go into danger." Chai Rong looked down on Feng Dao the most, thinking that this old guy was a cunning and unprincipled guy.He looked at Feng Dao, straightened his back, raised his eyebrows, and said, "Back then when Emperor Taizong of Tang pacified the world and mixed with Huanyu, which battle was not fought by Emperor Taizong himself? How can I avoid danger?" Although the old man Feng Dao was weak, he still had a tough temper. He asked blankly, "Can your majesty compare with Tang Taizong?" Chai Rong motivated himself with Tang Taizong's spirit of taking on great responsibilities, but Feng Dao's rebuttal was also very powerful.Feng Dao compared Chai Rong's ability with Tang Taizong's and hit the nail on the head.After all, Li Shimin has been verified by history and has become a god of history.After all, Chai Rong is a fledgling and has not made any brilliant achievements.Although Chai Rong may not think that he is inferior to Li Shimin in his heart, it is really hard for Chai Rong to convince others. Chai Rong felt the pressure.Although he became the emperor, these veterans and old ministers didn't take him seriously at all.Chai Rong's self-esteem was stimulated.Since it seemed that Li Shimin's abilities were inferior to Li Shimin's, Chai Rong brought up another reason. He argued: "Our army is strong, and defeating Liu Chong is like a mountain pressing down on an egg!" The old man Feng Dao changed his old style of being good at observing words and deeds. Today he confronted the emperor tit for tat and refused to give an inch. He asked Chai Rong again: "Your Majesty, are you a big mountain?" As soon as Feng Dao said this, Chai Rong became unhappy.The self-esteem that this young and ambitious emperor showed for the first time was greatly hurt. Chai Rong's face suddenly became gloomy. You have a lot of experience, how dare you look down on me." The atmosphere in the venue was condensed, and there was no sound in the hall, and all the civil and military officials turned their attention to the emperor and Feng Dao, and everyone was worried that this dispute between the monarch and his ministers would lead to bad consequences. At this time, Zhongshu Shilang and Pingzhangshi Wang Pu stood up and said: "Liu Chong has a fluke mentality and intends to take advantage of opportunities and despise our court. Your Majesty is going to be able to win by surprise, and the imperial conquest will boost morale. Coordinate and dispatch the army to fully meet the Later Han." Wang Pu broke the rigid situation, he stood on the side of the emperor.Chai Rong's face softened, and he said: "There is no need to discuss any more. I have made up my mind, and I will choose a day for the imperial conquest. Now that the enemy army has approached Luzhou, the Privy Council drafted an order: transfer Tianxiong Jiedu envoy Fu Yanqing to lead the army from Cizhou Guzhen Send troops to attack from the rear of the Northern Han army; transfer Zhenning Jiedu envoy Guo Chong as Fu Yanqing's deputy commander; transfer Hezhong Jiedu envoy Wang Yanchao to lead troops from Jinzhou, and invite the Northern Han army to attack the east; transfer Baoyi Jiedu envoy Han Tong as Deputy Marshal Wang Yanchao, Fan Aineng, Commander of the Ma Jundu and Ningjiang Jiedu Envoy, He Hui, Commander of the Infantry Army and Qinghuai Jiedu Envoy, Bai Chongzan, Yicheng Jiedu Envoy, Shi Yanchao, Zhengzhou Defense Envoy, Former Yaozhou Regiment Training Envoy Fu Yanneng led the army as the vanguard and attacked Zezhou. Xuanhui envoy Xiang Xun was the commander of the army. I supervised the Chinese army and followed up." In order to cooperate with the Northern Expedition, Chai Rong issued an order to amnesty the world.The purpose of this move is twofold: one is to stabilize the hearts of the people in the country, and the other is to amnesty the prisoners to expand the army. When the emperor left the capital for his own conquest, there were two things that had to be done. The first thing was to bury the late emperor Guo Wei, and the second was to guard the capital well.Because Feng Dao was very experienced in building emperor's tombs, he had built cemeteries for several emperors. This time, without exception, Feng Dao was appointed by Chai Rong as the mountain mausoleum envoy, fully responsible for the construction of Guo Wei's tomb and the burial of Guo Wei's remains.Guarding the capital was a heavy responsibility, and the emperor would have no way back if he failed, so this important task fell on the shoulders of Zheng Renhui, the chief minister and privy envoy.Zheng Renhui had this ability, and Zheng Renhao was deeply trusted by the emperor. Chai Rong made a move. Chai Rong's way of shooting is also different. This is the first time Chai Rong has made a move in front of the world. Chai Rong's moves were quick and sharp. Chai Rong commanded various armies to go to the front line, marching rapidly along the way, starry night and night.It took less than seven days for Zhou Jun to arrive in Zezhou from Kaifeng.In order to maintain strong fighting spirit and fast march, Chai Rong brought a dissident to justice shortly after his departure.Zhao Chao, the commander of the Emperor's Imperial Guard, believed that the Northern Han army was coming in aggressively, and that the Zhou army should march cautiously to take time to dampen the enemy's spirit.Speaking of which, Zhao Chao's words are not unreasonable.But Chai Rong didn't think so. He advocated that soldiers should be quick and meet the enemy quickly. Zhao Chao told the emperor's secretary Zheng Haoqian of his thoughts, and Zheng Haoqian took an opportunity to suggest to Emperor Chai Rong that the march should be safe and not too fast.Chai Rong was furious, and reprimanded Zheng Haoqian: "Why do you have such an idea? Someone must have instructed you. Do it honestly, or you will kill your head!" Chao confessed.Chai Rong put Zhao Chao in jail regardless of what happened.The reason why Chai Rong reacted so violently was probably because he was angry when he was obstructed in his decision-making to dispatch troops. In Chai Rong's view, any remarks that do not support the war are reactionary remarks that are suspected of bewitching the morale of the army and will not be tolerated. At this time, Emperor Liu Chong of the Northern Han Dynasty did not know that Chai Rong was personally in charge of the expedition. He led the army of the Northern Han Dynasty and the Khitan coalition army all the way to the south.After passing Shangdang, Liu Chong gave up attacking Luzhou and went directly south, intending to raid the hinterland of the Yellow River in Houzhou.Liu Chong didn't want to confront these important military towns, he planned to cover up Kaifeng in one fell swoop. That night, Liu Chong led his army to station in the south of Gaoping (now northeast of Jincheng County, Shanxi).Gaoping already belongs to Zezhou territory.More than a thousand years ago, there was a great battle in the northwest of Gaoping. Bai Qi, the chief general of the Qin State, defeated the powerful Zhao army and buried 400,000 Zhao troops alive.This battle completely established Qin's dominant position in destroying Zhao. Liu Chong garrisoned Gaoping, and Chai Rong had also arrived in Zezhou as his supervisor.Early the next morning, the two armies woke up and suddenly found that the enemy was right under each other's noses.In the next week, there was a fierce battle with the forward troops of the Northern Han Dynasty.The army of the Northern Han Dynasty did not expect that the army of the Later Zhou Dynasty had reached Zezhou so quickly.In the absence of psychological preparation, the Northern Han army retreated a little five miles to give way to the buffer zone in order to hold its ground. Chai Rong got the battle report saying that Liu Chong's army was in front of him, and his nerves were immediately excited.Chai Rong immediately made deployments, and the armies from all walks of life rushed forward to fight the Han army as soon as possible.In less than half an hour, the main forces of the Hou Zhou army and the Northern Han army encountered each other. The two armies confronted each other, each forming a powerful formation, pressing all the main force elite, and a historic battle was about to break out.The thrill and tragedy of this war is no less than the battle between Qin and Zhao Changping. Dark clouds gathered above the battlefield, the air was gloomy and cold, and the land was shrouded in a tense atmosphere. Because Chai Rong urged all the soldiers and horses to march too fast, the reserve troops led by Liu Ci, another army of Heyang Jiedu, did not keep up.Even so, Chai Rong couldn't wait any longer, and he immediately ordered to attack and start the battle without waiting for the army to meet.Chai Rong's strategy for arranging troops is to let Bai Chongzan and Li Chongjin lead the left army on the west side of the position, let Fan Aineng and He Hui lead the right army on the east side of the position, let Xiang Xun and Shi Yanchao lead the elite cavalry in the center of the position , Let the commander in front of the hall, Zhang Yongde, lead the forbidden soldiers to surround him.After deploying all the arms in front of the formation, Chai Rong ordered people to gallop to mobilize another army, and asked Liu Ci to lead the supporting troops to rush over.Chai Rong wears a helmet and armor, carries a long sword, rides on a horse, and personally supervises the battle. The army of the Northern Han Dynasty did not show any weakness, and put up a strict lineup to wait for the army of the later Zhou Dynasty.Liu Chong commanded the Chinese army to station in Bagongyuan, the vanguard general Zhang Yuanhui led the army on the east side of the position, and Yang Gun led the Khitan army on the west side of the position. The armies of both Zhou and Han were majestic, murderous, people screaming, drums were beating loudly, and banners fluttered in the morning wind.The generals and soldiers puffed out their chests, glaring, their swords drawn, their foreheads bulging with veins, and their cheeks puffed up.Both sides have waited for this day for a long time, and now they only need to give an order from the coach, and they will immediately engage in a brutal fight. Since the Zhou army has not yet arrived, it is smaller in number than the Han and Liao coalition forces.Liu Chong saw that this situation was beneficial to the Han army, so he had the idea of ​​​​underestimating the enemy, and regretted asking the Liao army to help.Because there is a price to pay for inviting the Liao army, the Northern Han Dynasty had to pay a lot of money to the Liao State in return.Liu Chong said to his subordinate general: "If I had known that Zhou's army was only as strong as this, why use Khitan to help? Today's battle will not only defeat Zhou's army, but also our army must display its prestige and morale, so that the Khitan people can also experience our army." That's amazing!" All the generals of the Northern Han Dynasty echoed in unison, vowing to fight the Zhou army. On the west side of the position, Liao general Yang Gun urged his horses to circle the battlefield for a week, observed the situation in the latter week's position, pulled his horse back to the Han army's position, came to Liu Chong and said: "The Zhou army has a neat lineup and a well-organized layout, so don't rush into it easily. .” Liu Chong smiled slightly, brushed his beard with his hand, and said: "This opportunity is not lost, General Yang, don't talk too much, you stay and see how the old man can defeat the thief!" Liu Chong's expression was high and mighty.Yang Gun's opinion was not adopted, so he had to return to the headquarters angrily.At this time, the northeast wind that had been blowing all morning gradually turned into a south wind.The northeast wind is beneficial to the Han army on the north side of the position, while the south wind is beneficial to the Zhou army.At this time, Wang Yansi, the deputy privy envoy of the Northern Han Dynasty, asked Si Tianjian Li Yi to tell Liu Chong: "The weather is favorable, and we can go to war." Wang Dezhong, a scholar of the Privy Council of the Northern Han Dynasty, ran over, tightly held Liu Chong's horse by the reins, and dissuaded Liu Chong: "Your Majesty, now that the wind direction has changed, Li Yi said that the weather is favorable, which is obviously a big nonsense, and the crime deserves death!" Liu Chong broke free from Wang Dezhong's hand, and said: "I have made up my mind, you old scholar, stop talking nonsense. If you continue to confuse people, I will kill you!" Liu Chongling waved down the flag and ordered Zhang Yuanhui on the east side to lead a thousand cavalry to kill the Zhou army's east side position.Zhang Yuanhui is the general of Hedong, and he was invincible along the way, defeating Zhou generals and Zhou soldiers in several towns, with great momentum.He waved his flag and shouted and led his people to rush to the Zhou army's position.Fan Aineng and He Hui guarded the east side of the Zhou army. Seeing the menacing formation of the Han army, Fan Aineng and He Hui became timid. They were defeated as soon as they fought, and they turned around and ran away with the cavalry.The cavalry army on the eastern side of the Zhou army was defeated, and the infantry army had no desire to fight. More than a thousand people raised their hands and surrendered. When the two armies are at war, they are actually fighting for morale.Especially the morale of the first battle is very important, the victory or defeat will quickly affect the entire army. In order to show his contempt for Zhou Jun with confidence, Liu Chong deliberately set up a table on the high hill, put small wine and dishes on it, and drank from the cups with a calm expression. The Han army saw that the coach was so calm and awe-inspiring, and his fighting spirit increased by three points.The loss of Zhou Jun's eastern position immediately caused a dragging effect on other positions.Zhou Jun's army was flustered and panicked, seeing that a big defeat was imminent.Chai Rong was well aware of the dangers of this domino effect. He urged his horses to charge forward, waved the command flag and organized the army to stabilize their positions and face the battle in an all-round way. Chai Rong took the lead and took the lead, which to a certain extent played a role in stabilizing the morale of the army, but if there is no general to follow up, it will not last long, and the Zhou army will be scattered and collapsed.At this time, a majestic red-faced man next to Emperor Chai Rong roared: "The emperor is in danger, why are we eating? Don't you swear to kill the enemy?" The name of this person is Zhao Kuangyin.Everyone should know who Zhao Kuangyin is, right?At this time, Zhao Kuangyin was a small leader of the emperor's guards. Historic data is unknown, and he was roughly equivalent to the rank of a soldier. He was twenty-seven years old at the time. After the young man Zhao Kuangyin yelled, he said to Zhang Yongde, the commander of the guards who led the army guarding the emperor, "General, the enemy army is arrogant. As long as we fight with all our strength and withstand their charge, we can have a chance to defeat them. You Most of the soldiers in the Imperial Guard are good at left-handed archery, please lead a part of the army to shoot west, and I will lead a part of the army to attack from the right. The country's safety is at stake, and we will fight to the death!" Zhang Yongde is Guo Wei's son-in-law who rides the dragon quickly, and at this time he is the son-in-law captain, and he is also a brave general. After being reminded by Zhao Kuangyin, he immediately agreed.The two men each led 2,000 men and rushed to the Han army.Zhao Kuangyin is tall, majestic and majestic, brandishing a one-foot-long golden dragon stick, he is the first to charge into the battle.Wherever Zhao Kuangyin went, it was like the autumn wind sweeping the fallen leaves, and the Han army was killed and wounded.Encouraged by Zhao Kuangyin and Zhang Yongde, Zhou Jun radiated a strong fighting spirit and held back the trend of defeat.Zhou Jun and Han Jun fell into an inextricable fight.The positions were fought alternately inch by inch under the feet of the soldiers of the two armies. The battlefield was full of swords and blood, and the cold south wind was filled with a strong smell of blood. After all, Zhou Jun had few soldiers, and after a long time, he couldn't hold on anymore.Seeing that Zhou Jun could only parry, he had no power to fight back.At this time, Emperor Liu Chong of the Northern Han Dynasty discovered Chai Rong, the emperor of the Later Zhou Dynasty.Liu Chong felt ecstatic in his heart. He thought that in this battle, he would not only defeat the Zhou army, but also capture Chai Rong.Liu Chong praised Zhang Yuanhui a lot, and ordered Zhang Yuanhui to lead the main force of the Han army to rush to the central position of the Zhou army, with the purpose of directly attacking Chai Rong.To capture the thief is to capture the king! Zhou Jun was once again in danger. Seeing that the Han army tore through the outer defense line of the Zhou army's central position. Emperor Chai Rong was about to be exposed to the Han army. At a critical moment, Ma Renyu, the guard of the inner palace, shouted to his subordinates: "The emperor is under attack, what face do we have to live in this world, go!" "Pa" shot ten arrows in a row, killing all the Han troops.Ma Quanyi, another general of the Forbidden Army, said to Chai Rong: "Your Majesty, don't look at the enemy's ferocity, but the momentum is exhausted. You stay in the center and watch quietly. Next, everyone will defeat the enemy." After that, Ma Quanyi led five hundred cavalry into the battle. group. Zhang Yuanhui was eager to make meritorious service, and hurriedly urged his horse to go straight to Chai Rong.But when Zhang Yuanhui was running wildly, his horse tripped over Zhou Jun's tripping rope, Zhang Yuanhui fell off the horse and rolled two feet away on the spot.Zhou Jun huffed and surrounded hundreds of people, swords and guns came down like a storm.Zhang Yuanhui brandished a spear on foot and fought hard.Helpless, a hungry tiger can hardly fight a pack of wolves.Zhang Yuanhui, the heroic general of the Han army, was cut to pieces by the Zhou army. The vanguard general of the Han army was killed in battle. What's more unfavorable is that the wind increased, flying sand and rocks, and the Han army couldn't open their eyes.Zhou Jun finally regained his strength and seized the opportunity to fight back vigorously.Chai Rong keenly caught this fleeting opportunity, leaped on his horse and raised his gun, led hundreds of guards, and rushed directly to Liu Chong's wine table.Chai Rong wants to capture the king too! Seeing that something was wrong, Liu Chong waved his command flag to withdraw his troops and return to the camp, and the whole army will fight again in the next day.However, the Han army was defeated and scattered, and they no longer listened to Liu Chong's command, and fled separately.General Yang Gun of the Liao army did not dare to love to fight when he saw that the Zhou army was strong in battle.What's more, Liu Chong despised Yang Gun at the beginning, and planned to put Khitan aside and let the Han army monopolize military merits.Yang Gun held a grudge against this, and stood by and watched the defeat of the Han army. Instead of rescue, he led 10,000 Khitan cavalry to retreat. Besides, Fan Aineng and He Hui fled to the south, wielding knives and guns to plunder the Zhou army's belongings along the way. The defeated army robbed and returned it while shouting: "The Khitan army is here, the official army has been defeated, run away." The enemy has no skills, but they are very active in robbing their own things.Emperor Chai Rong sent his attendants to chase Fan Aineng's troops, summoned them not to flee, and asked them to return to the front enemy immediately to fight.But Fan Aineng's troops not only refused to obey the edict, but also killed the attendants sent by the emperor. Fan Aineng and He Hui ran and ran into Liu Ci, the follow-up force.Fan Aineng said to Liu Ci: "The former army is dying. Most of the officers and soldiers surrendered. Don't go to die." Liu Ci was still relatively clear-headed. He didn't listen to what Fan Aineng and others said, and resolutely led his team to the front. The Zhou and Han armies fought from morning to afternoon.The Northern Han army failed and retreated northward.After withdrawing for fifty miles, the Han army did not leave.Because the north is a mountain stream.At this time, the Han army still has more than 10,000 main forces, and its combat effectiveness has not been completely wiped out.The Han army re-arranged by the mountain stream, and decided to fight with their backs, put them to death and survive. It was evening and the sun was setting. The wind stopped and the mist rose. A sunset glow of purple and red spread across the sky. The scenery is beautiful, but no one wants to appreciate the setting sun.Because their minds are all on saving their lives. Liu Ci led the support troops to the front line to join Chai Rong.After Chai Rong integrated his troops, he ordered to pursue the Han army with all his might.Next to the mountain stream, the Zhou army and the Han army who were chasing after the victory had another fierce battle.This battle is even more tragic, because this battle is not a battle of victory or defeat, but a battle of life and death.The Han army was completely destroyed by the Zhou army, with countless casualties, corpses lying across the valley, the stream was stained red with blood, and the earth and rocks were soaked in blood.Wang Yansi, a minister of the Northern Han Dynasty, was attacked and killed by the Zhou army.Liu Chong threw down the grain, grass, supplies, armor, weapons, cattle, horses and alpacas all over the mountains and plains, and fled. All the generals asked Chai Rong to order to go into the mountains to pursue Liu Chong.Chai Rong waved his hands and said: "It's getting late, and it's not suitable to pursue in the deep mountains. Besides, I have ambushed surprise soldiers in the mountains, and Liu Chong is throwing himself into the trap." The generals looked at the young emperor in amazement, not knowing why.Chai Rong smiled slightly and said, "Before the start of the battle, I had already asked Li Yanchong to lead a secret force to insert behind the Han army and guard Jiangzhuling, so as to cut off the Han army's return route to the north. Liu Chong will surely die if he enters the mountain." Later Zhou generals secretly admired the emperor's military skills.Regardless of the fact that the emperor has never fought a big battle, this shot is extraordinary.To say that Chai Rong's strikes were indeed ruthless, and the formation of troops was strict and thoughtful. Not only were the affairs of the two armies well arranged before the battle, but even the rear route for the Han army to be defeated after the war was cut off.Chai Rong's style is that if you don't fight, it's fine. If you start a war, you have to fight to the death. But Chai Rong still miscalculated, not because he was inaccurate in predicting the enemy, but inaccurate in employing people.On the way, Li Yanchong heard that Fan Aineng had failed and escaped, and he also lost confidence, thinking that Zhou's army had completely lost, so he gave up his plan to go to Jiangzhuling, turned around and led his troops to retreat.Liu Chong just escaped safely from Jiangzhuling. As night fell, the stars rose into the sky. Zhou Jun set up camp in the wilderness. After a day of fierce fighting, the soldiers were exhausted. Soon there were snoring in the camps, and the army fell asleep.In the days when the knife is licking blood, life will end at any time, and it seems more realistic and useful to be able to get a good night's sleep. The next day, Chai Rong led an army into Luzhou City. After entering the city, beat drums to raise tents. Chai Rong sat behind the handsome table with a stern expression, while civil servants and military generals stood on the hatchback.Everyone was immersed in the excitement of victory. Chai Rong looked at the generals and other officials accompanying him, and said, "This narrow victory over the enemy has strengthened our power in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Fortunately, the soldiers of the three armies worked together to fight the enemy bravely. We will reward those who have made great contributions and promote Li Chongjin. He also served as the Jiedu Envoy of Xuzhou, Xiang Xun concurrently served as the Jiedu Envoy of Huazhou, Zhang Yongde concurrently served as the Jiedu Envoy of Wuxin, Bai Chongzan served as the Jiedu Envoy of Fuzhou, Shi Yanchao served as the Jiedu Envoy of Huazhou, and Yao Yuanfu served as the Jiedu Envoy of Tongzhou Envoys. Li Jixun was promoted to be the commander of the capital in front of the palace, Han Lingkun was the commander of the left wing of Longjie, and Zhao Hongyin was the commander of the capital of the right wing of Longjie. Murong Yanzhao, the commander of the capital, was the commander of the left wing of Hujie, and Zhao Ding, the commander of the capital of the first army controlling cranes, was the commander of the capital of Hujie's right wing. Ren Yu was the direct commander of Crane Bow and Arrow, and Ma Quanyi was the commander of the casual staff." Chai Rong awarded dozens of meritorious persons in one go, among them Zhao Hongyin was Zhao Kuangyin's father.Zhao Hongyin is a man who is very capable of fighting. He was appreciated by Li Cunxu, Emperor Zhuangzong of the Later Tang Dynasty. After hearing Chai Rong's gift, everyone was enthusiastic, everyone thanked each other and congratulated each other. After Chai Rong named him a meritorious general, he said: "For the captured enemy army, select a thousand elite soldiers, led by Tang Jingsi, to garrison Huaibei. The remaining thousands of people will be given clothes and dry food, and they will all be dismissed. They can go wherever they want. Although our army won, we took a great risk. Before the battle, Zhao Chao exhorted me to fight steadily, it is not unreasonable, let Zhao Chao be released." All the generals thought that the emperor was lenient when they heard the emperor's order to surrender the army.While whispering, they raised their thumbs one after another. After what Chai Rong said, everyone was not so relaxed.Chai Rong said: "While our soldiers are fighting bravely, there are also some people who flee without fighting, fearing cowardice, shaking the morale of the army, breaking the law and discipline!" In the originally bustling big tent, everyone looked at me and I looked at you, and suddenly became nervous.Everyone is beating a drum in their hearts, checking whether they are trying to kill the enemy?I don't know what kind of punishment I will face. Chai Rong put one hand on the commander-in-chief, put the other on his knee, and said solemnly and resolutely: "The infantry on the right side surrendered to the Han army. Now that the Han army has failed, these people have been captured by our army again. Yes All these spineless cowards beheaded for public display, to rectify the law!" This is a strict decision. Since Zhu Quanzhong, there has been almost no monarch in several dynasties who has treated the surrendered soldiers and generals who surrendered to the enemy so severely. It's over.More than a thousand infantry surrendered, all beheaded!This was not a small sum, and sweat dripped from the nervous foreheads of the generals, but no one dared to stand up and intercede. Chai Rong glanced at the crowd sharply, and said, "Where are Fan Aineng and He Hui?" Behind a large group of generals, two people came out slowly, with their heads down and their clothes disheveled.The two men rubbed their palms together nervously, beads of sweat already streaming down their cheeks.The two were Fan Aineng and He Hui, they walked to the middle of the big tent and replied in a low voice: "The end is here." After learning that Zhou Jun had won the battle, Fan Aineng and He Hui hurriedly returned to the camp last night. Chai Rong stared at the two men with lightning-like eyes, raised his right hand to point at them, and asked sternly, "Where did you two go when I was fighting the enemy?" Fan Aineng and He Hui didn't dare to answer, they still lowered their heads, wishing they could find a crack in the ground and sneak in. Chai Rong asked word by word: "As a general, not to mention the commander of my bodyguard and imperial army, what crime should you have for running away in battle?" The air in the big tent seemed to freeze. Dozens of people turned their attention to Fan Aineng and He Hui, feeling that Chai Rong might have to make a severe punishment. will go to jail. Fan Aineng and He Hui still didn't dare to answer, because they knew that no matter what they answered, they might get it wrong, and the consequences would be more serious. Chai Rong turned his head and asked Zhang Yongde: "How do you deal with it according to military law?" Zhang Yongde clenched his fists and glared at Fan Aineng and He Hui. Without hesitation, he replied, "Your Majesty is building up an army to conquer the world. If the military law is not strict, even if there are millions of troops, they will be like a mess of loose sand, useless." Chai Rong nodded, gritted his teeth, suddenly slapped the table, and issued a killing order: "Arrest Fan Aineng and He Hui, and all 70 people who are above the rank of captain in their squadron! With the state salary, it’s not that he has no fighting power, but he fled looking at the wind. He clearly wanted to betray me to Liu Chong! Take these people to the school’s military field and behead them all for public display! In addition, Li Yanchong did not arrive at Jiangzhuling according to the marching plan. Abandoning the important task of strategy is an unforgivable crime, and the official will be demoted to three levels." Hearing Chai Rong's words, everyone trembled as if they had been shocked by electricity, then lowered their heads, held their breath, and tried to restrain their uneasy emotions.Fan Aineng and He Hui were so frightened that their faces turned ashen and their bodies were like sieves, they collapsed to the ground with a "gudong", and they didn't even have the strength to beg for mercy. Chai Rong rewarded and promoted dozens of people, and at the same time killed dozens of generals. Kill the general!This is something that no one has dared to do for decades. After issuing this order, Chai Rong expounded his point of view: "The battle of Gaoping was fierce and fierce. Although our side won, there was a lot of luck. This battle also made me realize that the army is weak and the will is slack. , This is a bad habit that has been developed for many years. Arrogant soldiers, tyrannical generals, incompetent in battle, inviting rewards to bully their superiors, this is also one of the important reasons for the demise of several imperial courts in modern times. If this malpractice is not eliminated, the combat effectiveness of the army is impossible From then on, the imperial guards abolished the hereditary system, did not seek more but refinement, and saved people's financial resources and military expenditures. Only young and strong people were selected to join the army, drills were strengthened, and old, weak and tired soldiers inherited from generation to generation were eliminated. Those who have martial arts skills are not allowed to stay in the army, and those who have military merits cannot be rewarded. Issue a circular to recruit brave and skilled fighters from all over the world, and transfer them to enrich the Imperial Guard Army and the Central Army. Zhao Kuangyin, you are in charge of selecting the best among these strong soldiers. Formation, strengthen training, as the core backbone of our army." In the first battle of Gaoping, the new emperor Chai Rong took the opportunity to punish several veteran generals in order to deter the arrogant generals.If killing one can warn hundreds, then this time Chai Rong killed dozens of people, which is enough to warn the whole army.Chai Rong established his own kindness, which made these incomparable heroes, veterans and old bureaucrats look at him with admiration.Zhou Shizong Chai Rong's substantial reform of army construction greatly improved the quality and combat effectiveness of the army of the later Zhou Dynasty, and firmly controlled the country's most elite troops, which to a certain extent reversed the abnormal situation of the imperial court being weak and powerful. .Since then, the Hou Zhou army has become the most powerful army in the world.After going through several dynasties of the Later Tang, Later Jin, and Later Han, the army of the Central Plains finally regained its vigor and radiated great vigor and vitality. 再说北汉皇帝刘崇从江猪岭侥幸逃脱之后，带着百十来人在山里面深一脚浅一脚地往太原逃。走着走着，北汉军迷路了。他们抓到了几个乡民做向导带路，可是这几个向导却把刘崇等人诓骗了一百多里路，到了晋州地界。刘崇发觉情况不对劲，派人打探才知道走错了路。刘崇气得哇哇大叫，把这几个村民杀了。刘崇不敢停留，昼夜兼程往太原逃跑，生怕被周军发现。这一路上，刘崇不敢停脚，也不敢吃饭，趴在马背上，一路狂奔。一把老骨头差点颠散了架。等回到太原，刘崇只剩了一口气了。 刘崇丢盔弃甲、损兵折将、狼狈不堪地逃回太原，收拾败逃的士兵，整顿装备，修建城池，加强战备，以应对周军的追击和掩杀。杨衮带着一万契丹骑军整整齐齐地全身而退，驻守代州。虽然出师不利，可鉴于盟友关系，刘崇仍然派大臣王得中送杨衮回契丹，并向契丹皇帝辽穆宗耶律璟表达谢意。其实，刘崇并不死心，更不甘心败在柴荣这个晚辈手下，决意要报仇雪恨，让王得中向辽穆宗请兵再次相助南伐后周。辽穆宗一天到晚晕晕乎乎，喝得烂醉如泥，也搞不太清楚天下的局势，轻轻松松就答应了刘崇的要求。 柴荣旗开得胜，初试锋芒就取得了重大胜利，这对柴荣这颗年轻进取的心是极大的鼓舞。柴荣下达了进军令，派出几路大军从潞州开拔，向太原进发。 周世宗命符彦卿为河东行营都部署兼知太原行府事，以郭崇威为符彦卿的副帅，以向训为行军都监，以李重进为马步都虞候，以史彦超为先锋都指挥使，统帅两万大军作为正面主力攻击部队。命王彦超、韩通从阴地关进入河东地界，与符彦卿会合。另外派刘词为随驾部署，以保大节度使白重赞为刘词的副帅，保护皇帝的中央军随后继进。 公元954年四月，周军一路破关斩将，符彦卿部队很快就达到了太原城下。另一路大军王彦超从西面进军，攻下了汾州。柴荣又派出一支部队攻下了辽州。后来宪州、岚州、石州、沁州先后投降后周。太原周围的重要城池相继失陷，这对北汉国构成了巨大威胁。太原几乎成了孤城，四面临敌，暴露在了周军的全面攻击范围之内。太原城岌岌可危，似乎朝不保夕。 在进伐太原的同时，用了不到两个月的时间，周太祖郭威的陵墓修好了。在太师冯道的主持操办之下，郭威棺椁下葬。真应验了郭威临终前的话，柴荣在潞州忙于军务，没有赶回京城参加郭威的葬礼，只是遥相祭拜一番。 高平之战获胜后，柴荣本意是派符彦卿率大军紧逼太原，去吓唬吓唬北汉就行了，没想和北汉大打出手。因为柴荣也知道周军还有很多弱点，太原历经几代藩镇，乃军事重镇，易守难攻。周军真要和北汉打起来，胜负难料。 令柴荣意外的是，北汉的地方州城如此不堪一击，北汉的老百姓对周军如此欢迎，争先恐后地带着瓜果蔬菜酒肉牛羊来慰劳周军。北汉老百姓希望周军能够把北汉朝廷给灭了，因为北汉的苛捐杂税太多了，法律太严苛了。柴荣听说了这些消息，雄心大发，打算动真格的，要扎扎实实和北汉打一架。 柴荣派出使者来到太原前线，和众将商议开战的策略。前线众将都认为这次远征缺乏充足的准备，粮草不足是个大问题，建议暂时班师回朝，等周密准备之后，再出兵来战。可是，柴荣一旦决定的事情，很难再更改。柴荣决意要攻打太原，打算毕其功于一役。 可是事情没有柴荣想象的那么容易。