Chapter 2 2. Zelu Crisis

The two prefectures of Zelu and Luzhou have always been the important military places that the Bian army and the Jin army competed for.Zhu Quanzhong, who became the emperor, wanted to capture Zelu in one go and march into Taiyuan.Li Ke, who was heading towards the end, gritted his teeth to keep Zelu and leave the last bit of family property for Hedong. Zhu Quanzhong, who became the emperor, still couldn't forget Li Keyong in Hedong. He always felt that Li Keyong was a serious problem in his heart. Zhu Quanzhong decided to make the Northern Expedition after conferring hundreds of officials and setting guidelines.

Zhu Quanzhong wants to drive himself to conquer. The power of the emperor's personal conquest is naturally huge and majestic. The great power of the emperor's personal conquest required even greater expenditure. The great power required by the emperor's personal conquest can only come from more ruthless and more restraint. The huge power and power of the emperor's personal conquest required more ruthless and more taxes, which completely shook the weak foundation of the empire. Besides, this empire is just a feudal town with a different name. After ascending the throne and proclaiming himself emperor, Zhu Quanzhong could have multiple choices. Should he continue to control manpower and ideas through iron and blood conquests to achieve the goal of consolidating the throne?Or do you want to be soft and caressing, and cultivate politics internally to enrich your strength?Zhu Quanzhong chose a simpler, more accustomed and more skilled policy - war and killing, because in Zhu Quanzhong's philosophical dictionary, there is only one way to maintain absolute authority when dealing with generals with heavy troops - that is to let them always have There is endless work, and they will never know what work the emperor will arrange for them, let alone how the emperor will let them perform the task.Zhu Quanzhong believes that the best way to deal with the enemy is to toss the enemy and prevent the enemy from having a chance to breathe.The best way to treat your subordinates is to keep them idle and let them pursue fame and fortune day and night.At the same time, Zhu Quanzhong relied on the prestige of proclaiming himself emperor, thinking that he could take the opportunity to wipe out the princes and clarify the world.Perhaps it was this choice that quickly sent the aging Zhu Quanzhong and the very young Liang Empire to the point of no return.

Zhu Quanzhong could have had multiple choices in continuing to attack the princes and towns.In the south, Yang Wo, the son of Yang Xingmi, was a loafer, a reckless eater and drinker. After inheriting his father's business, he not only failed to cheer up, but intensified, playing hard and squandering hard.In less than a year, Yang Wo was taken over by Xu Wen, the former subordinate of Yang Xingmi, and his power fell.During this period, Huainan was fighting internally, and Zhu Quanzhong could attack Huainan, but Zhu Quanzhong did not do so. There is no evidence for the specific reason. It is estimated that Zhu Quanzhong had lingering fears after several defeats in Huainan, and he has not found a good way to defeat Huainan.Therefore, Zhu Quanzhong still stared at his old rival Li Keyong, and decided to have a life-and-death decisive battle with Li Keyong.

In May of the first year of Kaiping (907 A.D.), Zhu Quanzhong went to the northern expedition to Luzhou, but he did not expect this battle to be so fierce, and he fought an offensive and defensive battle with the Jin army for a year.Liang Jun replaced four commanders, not only failed to capture Luzhou, but almost lost Zezhou.Because Li Keyong once wavered and wanted to withdraw to Mobei, but after Mrs. Liu and Li Cunxu's persuasion, he finally firmly believed in staying in Hedong.Since you choose to stay, you must go all out to keep this base.Li Keyong also spent all his money and devoted all his wealth to a decisive battle with Zhu Quanzhong.

Liang Jun's first general to lead the Northern Expedition to Luzhou was Kang Huaizhen. Kang Huaizhen served under Zhu Jin's tent in his early years and was famous for his bravery. He once caused a lot of damage to the Xuanwu Army in the "Three Zhu" battle.Zhu Quanzhong attacked Yanzhou, Zhu Jin fled to Huainan, Kang Huaizhen was defeated and captured.Zhu Quanzhong cherished Kang Huaizhen's bravery, so he surrendered him under the courtesy.Later, Kang Huaizhen repeatedly used cavalry to attack fortifications, and served as an official in the Xuanwu Department to Shanzhou Jiedushi.Shanzhou is a very important place, bordering on the border with Li Maozhen and Li Keyong, two powerful feudal towns, it shows how much Zhu Quanzhong attaches great importance to him.

Everyone will ask, why didn't Zhu Quanzhong send the number one general Ge Congzhou this time?Ge Congzhou was already at an advanced age, suffering from rheumatism, unable to lead the army in battle, and unable to persist even if he went to work. Therefore, Ge Congzhou had to retire for the elderly.Ge Congzhou retired due to illness, and it can be said that he retired in time, avoiding Zhu Quanzhong's subsequent killing of the general.After Ge Congzhou retired, Kang Huaizhen jumped to the top general of the Liang army. In this expedition, Zhu Quanzhong sent Kang Huaizhen high hopes and ordered him to lead an army of 100,000, hoping to sweep Hebei in one fell swoop.Before leaving, Zhu Quanzhong said to Kang Huaizhen: "Qing ranks as a general, bravely crowns the three armies, always defeats the enemy and destroys the front, and has no regrets. As for the high rank and high salary, I will never lose to Qing. A loyal minister serves the king and dies No two, Han Xin said, "The king of Han carried me with chariots, clothed me with clothes, fed me with food, eats people's rewards, and dead people's worries." Every time I think about Han Xin's words, I am really a loyal husband! , Qing should try his best to think hard. Kuang Jin people are new to the party, and the hearts of the people are not yet united. With a teacher of 100,000, they can be defeated in one fell swoop. I should set up a high-level banquet and hope that you will return triumphantly with singing and dancing."

It can be said that Zhu Quanzhong praised, encouraged, and respected Kang Huaizhen. Zhu Quanzhong did not call himself "Zhen", but "Yu", which shows Zhu Quanzhong's great trust in Kang Huaizhen and his expectations for the First World War in Hebei.When Kang Huaizhen heard the words, he was deeply encouraged and felt great honor and pressure. He knew that this time was unusual, because the coach sent by Jinyang to Luzhou was also a famous figure in the world. The Jin army guarding Luzhou was Li Sizhao and his deputy Li Sibi.We are no strangers to Li Sizhao, who has appeared many times in the previous articles.Li Sizhao was the number one general of the Jin army with both civil and military skills. Although he was thin and ordinary in appearance, he was deep and strategic, bold and capable, and he was highly valued by Li Keyong, and he was entrusted with important tasks several times.Li Sizhao was ordered to rescue Wang Ke and attack Hezhong to destroy Wang Gong; he supported Liu Rengong and fought against Ge Congzhou at Qingshan Pass;Last year, Li Sizhao defeated and recruited Ding Hui, the general of Liang who was guarding Luzhou. Li Keyong gave Li Sizhao the post of envoy of Zhaoyi Jiedu and ordered him to continue guarding Luzhou.It can be said that Li Sizhao made great achievements in battle and was outstanding among Li Keyong's sons and nephews.Li Sibi was the son of Li Kexiu, the former general of Hedong.

When Kang Huaizhen met Li Sizhao, it can be said that he was a match in chess. So this battle is destined to be vigorous and inextricable. In June, Kang Huaizhen led an army of 100,000 people to the city of Luzhou, and surrounded the city of Luzhou tightly, attacking day and night.Li Sizhao closed the city gate and resisted tenaciously.Under the pressure of Zhu Quanzhong, Kang Huaizhen was eager for success and determined to win. He used no less than dozens of methods to attack the city within half a month, but Li Sizhao's defense of Luzhou City was as solid as a rock.Although Kang Huaizhen couldn't attack Luzhou for a long time, the pressure in Luzhou city was huge, and Babaili urgently asked for help from the rear of Jinyang.The Jin army sent Zhou Dewei, the commander of the Fan and Han capitals, to lead cavalry to help Luzhou.

At this time, Kang Huaizhen had resorted to the last, most common and most powerful siege strategy, digging trenches outside Luzhou City, diverting water to irrigate the city, and building earthen walls around the outer circle to completely isolate Luzhou City from the outside world. . However, Zhou Dewei was also a famous general in the Jin army. He was witty and strategic. He repeatedly used cavalry raids to destroy Kang Huaizhen's earthen wall around the city. Kang Huaizhen was exhausted by Zhou Dewei.Kang Huaizhen was worried about the attack from inside and outside the city, so he stopped fighting and planned to consume for a long time, trapping Li Sizhao in the city to death.

Li Sizhao is still insisting. Zhu Quanzhong couldn't hold on anymore. In August, Zhu Quanzhong dismissed Kang Huaizhen, demoted him to three ranks as Marquis of the camp capital, and replaced him with Li Si'an, the governor of Bozhou, as the commander of the camp capital of Luzhou.We are no strangers to Li Si'an, this person has appeared many times and is a celebrity.Li Si'an is tall, good at using flying spears, and very brave.In the past, when fighting with Zhu Quanzhong, he often rode into the enemy's formation alone, galloped his horse as if entering no one's land, penetrated the enemy's camp, tested the strength of the opponent's team, and then returned.Sometimes, there are generals in the enemy's ranks who like to show off, Li Si'an rides out suddenly, rushes over and captures them with lightning speed, before the enemy can figure out what's going on, one general has been captured by Li Si'an The whirlwind swept away.

After Li Si'an arrived in Luzhou, he built another earthen city around the outer wall of the city, called Jiazhai.The purpose is to prevent the Jin army in the city from rushing to break through, and also to isolate Zhou Dewei's foreign reinforcements.In this way, Luzhou City has become the stuffing in a big pie, and the pie is getting bigger and bigger.Liang Jun was both an attacker and a defender, and Liang and Jin entered a stalemate. Hundreds of thousands of troops gathered under the city of Luzhou, and the supply and demand of food and grass became a big problem. Li Sizhao in the city had only one to rely on, and Li Si'an outside the city couldn't bear it after a long time.Li Si'an mobilized the surrounding people to deliver military rations, and Zhou Dewei seized the opportunity to loot.Since Zhou Dewei was on the outermost periphery, he was the most free and flexible, so although Zhou Dewei couldn't beat Li Si'an, he could send people to harass and destroy him endlessly. The war of attrition continued until the first month of the second year.Zhu Quanzhong felt that this was not the solution, so he planned to withdraw his troops.Suddenly, history encountered a turning point. Li Ke died of a sore on his head. Before Li Keyong died, his eldest son Li Cunxu was appointed as the successor of Hedong.Li Keyong had a total of eight sons, and Li Cunxu was the eldest son.When Li Keyong was dying, he was ordered to lie on the couch, panting heavily, and confessed to the civil and military ministers in a hoarse voice: "This son has great ambitions, and he will surely succeed in my work. Er Cao Shan taught him!" He made a positive evaluation of Li Cunxu , also described Li Cunxu's future mission, and at the same time put forward a request for Minister Gu Ming to assist the government. Regarding the recent tasks, Li Keyong made arrangements for Li Cunxu: "Sizhao is in a heavy siege, and I can't see him. Once the burial is over, you and Dewei will try our best to save him!" The enemy is currently, and the competition for Zelu is still First priority. Li Keyong did not rest in peace, and once again entrusted his third and youngest younger brother, Li Kening, the military envoy of the Han Dynasty and the military governor of Zhenwu, to entrust his son to Li Kening's assistance. Li Keyong finished explaining the funeral, and finally withdrew everyone, leaving Madam Liu alone.Madam Liu slowly sat beside Li Keyong's bed, silently watching Li Keyong's familiar face.The disease Li Ke used was not an ordinary skin disease. This disease was very tormenting. His head was full of sores, suppurative and toxic. It was not only painful and itchy, but also eroded body functions, similar to the current cancer.Li Keyong was tortured and in great pain.But he endured the pain strongly, squeezed a smile from the corner of his mouth, and said to Madam Liu with difficulty: "Madam, you and I have been together for nearly 30 years, and I, Li Ke, have spent my whole life in the world thanks to Madam's kind help. I don't want me to take a step first , you and I are separated from each other." With tears in her eyes, Mrs. Liu looked affectionately at Li Keyong's vicissitudes of temples and face, shook her head slightly, and then said with a sob: "Your Majesty, your martial arts are world-class, and you are a great husband. I live and die as a concubine. They are all His Majesty's people. Your Majesty has a deep affection for this concubine. If your Majesty leaves, this concubine will be alone and will have no attachment in this world. I would like to go to the underworld with your Majesty and be with you forever." The corners of Li Keyong's mouth twitched a few times, he didn't know whether it was a smile or pain, he raised his eyes to look at the top of the curtain, interrupted Madam Liu's words in a trembling tone, and said, "No, no, Madam, you can't do this. Life is full of ups and downs, honors and disgraces, and death is inevitable in the end. I have no fear of death, but my wife has no children under my knees, and there will be no one to take care of me in the future. This is something I can't let go of." After hearing this, Mrs. Liu couldn't hold back her tears anymore, and rolled down her eyes.At this moment, this strange woman who was capable of literature and martial arts was heartbroken, and all her internal organs were burned.Mrs. Liu was so sad that her shoulders couldn't stop shaking, and she couldn't cry: "This concubine has not been able to bear a son or a daughter for the king...but the king has a deep affection for my concubine...whether it is going out to fight, or...or Yanju The mansion has never been left behind, why should I be a king when I am a concubine..." Li Keyong exposed the blue veins on his forehead due to his shortness of breath, forced his upper body up, exhausted his last strength, grabbed Madam Liu's arm tightly with both hands, and said eagerly: "I know Madam Liu's affection in my heart, but I have not yet achieved dominance." , Yazi is young, I hope my wife will take care of me and see him off for me." Mrs. Liu nodded vigorously, and said firmly: "Your Majesty, don't worry, I regard Yazi as my own son and Yazi's mother as my own sister. I will definitely do my best to preserve the Li family's foundation." After listening to Mrs. Liu's words, Li Ke slowly let go of his hands, slowly closed his eyes, and suddenly tilted his head back. A mouthful of blood spurted out three feet, and he died.Li Keyong was fifty-one years old this year, not very old, and among the powerful men of the same weight level as him in the ancient feudal society, he died earlier.Although Li Keyong died in pain, Mrs. Liu did not cry loudly, nor shouted loudly. Instead, she knelt down in front of Li Keyong's bed, held Li Keyong's face in both hands, and buried her head deeply in Li Keyong's bed. With the crook of the arm, for a long time, for a long time. Will Li Cunxu successfully succeed to the throne when the Hedong Foundation is in turmoil? Although Li Keyong has been running Hedong for decades, and despite Li Cunxu's youthful prowess, the process of Li Cunxu's succession to the lord of Hedong also experienced some dangers.One person played a decisive role in it.This person is Li Cunxu's uncle Li Kening. Li Keyong has three younger brothers, the second brother Li Kerang, the third brother Li Kegong, and the fourth brother Li Kening.Li Kerang was brave and good at fighting, Huang Chao attacked Chang'an, Emperor Xizong fled to Sichuan, Li Kerang assisted in defending Tongguan, was defeated and killed.Cousin Li Kexiu, the number one general in Hedong, was scolded by Li Keyong for not doing a good job in reception, and died of shame, hatred and depression.Li Kegong was arrogant and domineering, and after succeeding Li Kexiu as Zhaoyi Jiedu envoy, he was assassinated by Luzhou people.In Li Keyong's lifetime, Li Kening is the only one left. Li Kening's status in the army gradually improved, and he quickly mastered the internal and external military power, becoming the number two figure in the Jin army under Li Keyong.Li Kening's military discipline is strict, whether it is stationed in defense or dispatched troops to fight, it is very organized. The soldiers and people in Hedong are all in awe of Li Kening, and no one dares to make trouble in his territory.In the minds of the vast number of civil and military officials in Hedong, everyone has consciously or unconsciously regarded Li Kening as Li Keyong's successor.They all thought that after Li Keyong died, according to the rules of brothers and brothers, the high-ranking Li Kening must inherit the royal business. Everyone did not expect that Li Ke used his deathbed book to have a son, and it was Li Cunxu, who was still young. Li Cunxu was only 24 years old at this time.Li Cunxu has no status and power at this time, but is just a young prince who has just emerged.The head coaches of Hedong were born in the army for generations, advocated military merit, competed for force, and each had a strong military team.After all, Li Cunxu was young, with no real power or territory in his hands, and his status and qualifications in the army were far behind.How can those army leaders who have fought for decades and have gone back and forth countless times among the dead are willing to obey and serve the young man Li Cunxu? The military system in Hedong has its own characteristics, and basically adopts the dual system of division of arms and division of tribes.First of all, the army is divided into Fan soldiers and Han soldiers, and then they are divided into cavalry and infantry among the Fan soldiers and Han soldiers. Basically, they are independent and form their own systems. A cross-arms commander is a temporary title, and his power is naturally temporary.Under this large system, there is also a tribal system. The troops are united by each tribe and belong to different leaders.Among Li Keyong's nephews and nephews, those who lead troops to fight have their own troops, which is equivalent to a private army.When Li Keyong was alive, he treated these nephews very preferentially. The private troops of these nephews formed their own camps, showing off their power, and no one would accept it.Now that Li Keyong is dead, the descendants of the Li family who support themselves have their own ideas. Doubts about whether Li Cunxu should succeed and whether he has the ability to succeed are flooding the shogunate and the streets.There are many people who agree with the speculation that other princes with heavy armies can and may succeed to the throne.Rumors and speculations began to spread in Hedong, especially the war between Hedong and Liang Guo, how to save the peril is a major concern of everyone. At this time, Li Sizhao was still besieged at the front and could not escape, and Li Kening was the most powerful figure in the rear.Undoubtedly, Li Kening has become the focus of much attention.Therefore, the support of Li Kening's voice is rampant. Faced with this situation that could lead to death at any time, Li Cunxu felt panic.With his wisdom, it is not difficult to understand the sinister power struggle, and people's hearts are unpredictable and impermanent in the face of the temptation of great wealth.Li Cunxu understood that the chair left by Li Keyong was not easy to sit on, and if not done well, his life would be lost. The mourning hall used by Li Ke was solemn and grand, black and white silk curtains were hung all over Jinwang Mansion, and lanterns with black and white letters swayed fragilely in the cold wind.Paper figurines, horses, and paper banners line the hatchback along the walls of the tall courtyard, and the plain clothes and hats of the mourning drummers are hidden in the shadow of the mansion gate.The arm-thick white candlestick and the embraced incense burner appear and disappear in the smog.Elegy couplets and words of condolence are pasted all over the door frame of the pillars.The black lacquered nanmu coffin used by Li Ke was parked peacefully in the center of the mourning hall.Inside the mourning hall, the Li brothers, nephews, wives and children knelt in a large area.In the procession of worship, the women of the Li family were headed by Mrs. Liu, followed by Li Cunxu's biological mother, Mrs. Cao.The men of the Li family are headed by Li Cunxu, followed by Li Keyong's younger brother Li Kening.The officials were headed by Zhang Chengye.After everyone cried bitterly, the master of ceremonies signaled for a rest. At this time, Li Cunxu came to Li Keyong's coffin half-kneeling and half-climbing, holding the coffin with his hands, and said with a choked voice: "Father has galloped the world all his life, and he has not succeeded in hegemony, so leave me waiting. How can I hand over the heavy responsibility of Hedong to my son?" De He Neng, how can he bear this heavy responsibility? In front of all the clansmen, I implore Uncle Li Kening to spare no effort to shoulder the important task of governing Hedong and inherit the throne." Li Cunxu offered to give way to Li Kening, and asked Li Kening to take over Li Keyong's mantle of the King of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.Taking the initiative to give way, this is not only Li Cunxu testing Li Kening, but also retreating to advance, and leaving a way out for himself. It can be said to be a relatively clever move.Because there are many ways for Li Cunxu to abdicate, why did he have to make this confession in the mourning hall, facing Li Keyong Weihan's bones, in front of Tuogu's loyal ministers?Obviously, it embarrasses Li Kening, makes Li Kening unable to choose, and is also a sudden attack on Li Kening. This scene stunned all the living people present. No one thought that Li Cunxu would make this suggestion. It cannot be said to be unbelievable, but it is indeed very shocking.In an instant, there was no sound in the mourning hall, the air was tense, and it was so quiet that everyone's violent heartbeat could be heard.At this time, Li Kening's attitude was very critical, everyone was holding their breath, waiting for Li Kening to make a decision.Some nephews and nephews who have followed Li Kening for many years looked at Li Kening with eager anticipation. Surprisingly, Li Kening knelt on the ground without moving, and slowly raised his head, with a sad expression and a firm attitude, he said: "You are the heir of the Li family, and you have the last king's will, no one can Go against it!" With Li Kening's clear support, those who opposed Li Cunxu temporarily died down.After stabilizing Li Kening, Li Cunxu calmed down a little. The country cannot be left alone for a day, and important events such as funeral arrangements and shift handover must be carried out at the same time, and the succession procedures cannot be completed until the funeral is over.It is very important to mourn the dead, and it is also important to handle government affairs.According to the rules, Lieutenant General Zuo had to meet the new commander-in-chief Li Cunxu.According to historical records, at this time, Li Cunxu was immersed in the grief of losing his father, kneeling in the mourning hall with snot and tears and refused to see anyone.In fact, it was Li Cunxu who was still uneasy about the support of the army, felt that danger was lurking, and dared not leave the mourning hall, the relatively safest shelter. Zhang Chengye, the supervisor of Hedong, walked into the mourning hall and persuaded Li Cunxu: "Although the ancestor's funeral is great, this is not a reason to waste the foundation. What's the use of crying all the time!" Who is Zhang Chengye?We have explained this person before, and now it is time for him to make a grand appearance.Zhang Chengye was an eunuch of the Tang Dynasty. His style name was Jiyuan and his original surname was Kang. He was from Tongzhou.When Li Keyong was attacking Wang Xingyu, Zhang Chengye often traveled between Li Keyong's army as an envoy of the imperial court.Because Zhang Chengye and Li Keyong were familiar with each other, Emperor Zhaozong later sent Zhang Chengye to Hedong as a supervisor.Later, Cui Yin massacred eunuchs, causing Zhang Chengye to suffer.Li Keyong hid Zhang Chengye's name and found a death row prisoner to execute to replace Zhang Chengye.Later, after Zhaozong was murdered by Zhu Quanzhong, Li Keyong invited Zhang Chengye out to be the supervisor of the army in order to express his determination to attack Zhu Quanzhong. Zhang Chengye is resourceful and decisive, especially good at business management.Receiving the great kindness of saving his life, Zhang Chengye devoted himself to Li Ke, made suggestions for the construction and development of Hedong, and made a lot of contributions.For many years, Li Keyong had great trust in Zhang Chengye, praised and rewarded him for building houses and adding officials.Zhang Chengye's status in Hedong has reached the level of power over the government and the opposition. The war in Jiacheng of Luzhou was tense, Zhang Chengye was ordered to go to Li Maozhen for help.When Li Keyong was dying, Zhang Chengye had just returned from Fengxiang.Li Ke took Zhang Chengye's hand and confessed: "My son is lonely and weak, and the ministers are all over the place, and the future affairs are well planned." Zhang Chengye was entrusted with great trust as one of the ministers who took care of his life.Patriarchs have always been influential.Zhang Chengye is a veteran, a veteran who still holds real power.Therefore, Zhang Chengye's words carry a lot of weight. Zhang Chengye forcibly helped Li Cunxu out of the mourning hall to meet the crowd and accept civil and military worship.With Zhang Chengye by his side, Li Cunxu's safety is undoubtedly guaranteed.Outside the mourning hall, hundreds of people, big and small, were waiting.Li Cunxu endured his grief and stood in front of everyone.Li Kening set an example and personally led the generals and generals to salute Li Cunxu.Li Kening has already kowtowed to the new owner of Hedong, who else dares to talk nonsense?So far, Li Cunxu has completed all the legal procedures for succession.In the internal and external crisis, Li Cunxu took on the important task of managing Hedong. In the process of Li Cunxu's succession to the throne, another person played an important role, and this person was Mrs. Liu.Mrs. Liu was childless all her life and had no children under her knees.Mrs. Liu was not indifferent or abandoned by Li Keyong because of her infertility. On the contrary, Mrs. Liu was more respected by Li Keyong because of her virtuousness and virtuousness.Li Cunxu was born to Mrs. Cao, Li Keyong's second wife. Mrs. Cao was favored by Li Keyong later.Mrs. Liu was not jealous of Mrs. Cao, but instead persuaded Li Ke to treat Mrs. Cao well, and she set an example by herself and took the initiative to build a good relationship with Mrs. Cao.Made important contributions to the stability of Li Keyong's harem.Mrs. Liu regarded Li Cunxu as her own son, and devoted herself to teaching and nurturing him.Therefore, during this power transfer process, Mrs. Liu exerted her great influence in the Hedong Army and greatly helped Li Cunxu inherit the throne. The news reached Kaifeng. Zhu Quanzhong couldn't judge the authenticity of the news, and worried that Li Ke would use it as a smokescreen to fake death and cover up the Liang army's retreat.So he decided to personally lead the army to Zezhou to meet Luzhou's army.Because Li Si'an failed to effectively defeat the Jin army, Zhu Quanzhong believed that Li Si'an's efforts were useless, so he deprived Li Si'an of his title, and transferred Liu Zhijun, the nearby Kuanguo Jiedu envoy, to serve as the envoy for the Luzhou camp. Li Cunxu's new king succeeded to the throne, worried about a coup in the palace. Although Li Kening expressed his support for Li Cunxu, people's hearts are unpredictable, and the rumors have not subsided.Li Cunxu urgently recalled Zhou Dewei, who was away with a heavy army, and deployed it by his side just in case. Now that Li Keyong is really dead, and the reinforcements from Hedong have been withdrawn, Zhu Quanzhong believes that Luzhou, an isolated city, should be exhausted, and it shouldn't be a problem to get it at your fingertips.Therefore, Zhu Quanzhong returned to Kaifeng from the Zezhou class teacher, and asked Fu Daozhao to replace Liu Zhijun as the envoy, and transferred Liu Zhijun back to Jinzhou to prepare for the Jinyang army's attack. The protracted war finally turned around, and the Liang army who besieged Luzhou began to feel a little paralyzed. However, everyone, including Fu Daozhao, Zhu Quanzhong, and the Jin army underestimated one person.This person is the newly succeeded Li Cunxu. No one thought that Li Cunxu had just succeeded to the throne, his foothold was not yet stable, and his internal affairs were not ready, so he personally conscripted and sent troops. Li Cunxu's logic is "surprise", which is an ancient law of using troops and Zhu Quanzhong's usual strategy.As the saying goes, "every year hunts geese, but this year is pecked by geese".This time Zhu Quanzhong fell on Li Cunxu, a bratty young man. Li Cunxu is enthusiastic, but not reckless. The young King Jin has a passionate and strategic mind. Li Cunxu first united with Khitan in the north and Li Maozhen in the west.Khitan sent cavalry to help out.Li Maozhen is aging, her fighting spirit has completely disappeared, she only wants to protect herself, and dare not get deeply involved in the vortex of hegemony. King Li Cunxu of Jin ordered Dinghui to be the envoy and Zhou Dewei to be the lieutenant general. They took advantage of the heavy fog and rushed directly to Jiazhai outside Luzhou City.This Ding Hui used to be Zhu Quanzhong's capable general, and he made great contributions in the battle for Zelu.But Ding Hui is very smart and knows Zhu Quanzhong's suspicious character.After being suspected by Zhu Quanzhong, Ding Hui surrendered to Li Keyong. For the Jin army's attack, the Liang army was unprepared, and the soldiers were still sleeping soundly. They could only hear the sound of trumpets and fire, and the earth city collapsed and collapsed.The cavalry of the Jin army rushed in shouting, and the Liang soldiers were in chaos. The coach Fu Daozhao stumbled and fell to the ground, and was cut to pieces by the Jin army. Li Sizhao knew that Li Keyong was dead when he saw Li Cunxu in sackcloth and filial piety. Li Sizhao has been loved by Li Keyong since he was a child. Although they are not father and son, they love each other like father and son.The heartbroken Li Sizhao turned his grief into strength, and put all his strength into the battle. Under the two-phase attack of the Jin army inside and outside the city, almost the entire Liang army was wiped out, losing armored battle equipment, supplies, food and grass piled up like mountains.Zhou Dewei led his army to take advantage of the victory to attack Zezhou.Niu Cunjie, the Zezhou Dragon and Tiger Commander, had no time to report to the court, and immediately organized the army and civilians to fight against the Jin army.The power in Zezhou City is weak, and people are panic-stricken. Everyone wants to surrender to the enemy. This is a common state of mind in border areas.Due to the repeated tug-of-war, the common people in the city don't know that if it belongs to Liang today, it may belong to Jin tomorrow, and the owner will change the day after tomorrow, just like grass on a wall falling with a strong wind.As a low-ranking officer, Niu Cunjie showed extraordinary courage and loyalty. He took the lead and led his men to defend the city and resist the war regardless of day and night, and persisted for more than ten days.Finally, Liu Zhijun rushed to the rescue from Jinzhou, but Zhou Dewei didn't dare to fight, so he broke away from the siege.Niu Cunjie is very tough and persevering.In the battle of Pang Shigu's defeat of Qingkou, when Ge Congzhou was influenced to withdraw his troops, the Bian army was killed by Yang Xingmi, and it was Niu Cunjie who fought hard at the rear, which made Ge Congzhou and a small number of Bian troops escape. After the great victory, Li Cunxu returned to Jinyang to reward meritorious deeds, abolished the corrupt and violent, relaxed tax policies, helped orphans and poor families, appealed to the backlog of unjust prisons, trained soldiers, and made a good friend Zhao Wangrong.In a few years, the territory was governed and its strength grew rapidly. When the news of Luzhou's defeat reached Kaifeng, Zhu Quanzhong was shocked.Victory or defeat is a common matter for military strategists. Besides, Zhu Quanzhong has been in battle for a long time, and has experienced countless storms and waves. Why does he attach so much importance to this battle? Due to the unfavorable war, Zhu Quanzhong's originally moody temperament became more irritable, and his illnesses became more and more frequent. The signs of an old man seemed to come suddenly, especially when Yang Xingmi and Li Keyong died one after another, Zhu Quanzhong felt that his life was short and he had no future. There are many, and there are still many things that need to be done.Especially Li Keyong's family in Hedong has led troops for generations.Although Li Keyong is dead now, Li Cunxu "is better than blue than blue", and he went to Beijing to do business at the age of eleven, and he has long had a reputation.Now he succeeds the king of Jin and is in charge of Hedong, and the sun is about to rise.Zhu Quanzhong thought that if Li Cunxu was not wiped out in his own lifetime, his sons would probably become the fish in Li Cunxu's belly. As soon as Zhu Quanzhong thought of this, he couldn't help sighing: "Having a son should be like Li Yazi, and you can't die if you don't use it! Just like my son, porcupine dog ears!" Li Yazi is Li Cunxu's nickname, and Zhu Quanzhong thinks that Li Cunxu is Li Keyong's best Li Keyong's successor has the ability and opportunity to realize Li Keyong's will.And I am in my twilight years, and I have been fighting for hegemony with Li Keyong for a lifetime, and it is impossible to continue to fight for hegemony with the next generation. It is not without success among my sons, but the talented ones all died young, and the few who survived were as good as Li Cunxu is like a pig and a dog.So when Zhu Quanzhong saw Li Cunxu's heroic youth, bursts of inexplicable sadness welled up in his heart.This kind of blow to Zhu Quanzhong with nowhere to place his hope was huge, even devastating, eating away at Zhu Quanzhong's body and mind. The consequences of the Zelu Battle were very serious. This protracted battle, which lasted several years, became a watershed in the military psychology of Liang and Jin. soared.