Chapter 8 Chapter Eight: The First General Zhao Kuangyin

Three days later, the sadness caused by Feng Dao's death finally became a thing of the past in the next week.Chai Rong went to court again and started working. From this day on, the nightmares of all other surrounding countries in Houzhou began. As I said before, Houzhou is a place where troops are deployed on all sides. In other words, there are enemies on every side.If there is a map of that time, we will see that upwards, that is, to the north, are the Northern Han and Khitan; downwards to the left, that is, the southwest region, is the Houshu; looking to the lower right, the real enemy of the Houzhou appeared. That was the Southern Tang Dynasty. Except for the Later Zhou Dynasty, the Han people area was the most prosperous and developed in the Southern Tang Dynasty.As for the right side, Hou Zhou can rest assured that there will never be any enemies suddenly appearing, because there is the sea over there. They have no part in it either.

So what should Chai Rong say when faced with so much fat meat?After much deliberation, Chai Rong decided to give the ministers two homework questions and finish them within a time limit.The titles of the homework questions are "It's Difficult to Be a King and It's Not Easy to Be a Minister" and "Ping Bian Strategies".From these two topics, it can be clearly seen that Chai Rong first wants everyone to talk about how to stabilize the interior, that is, everyone must understand what the emperor will do and what the courtiers will do; I declare to the world that everyone's comfortable life is over, whether it is my subjects or enemies, you must wake up, I will clear up the separatist regime and unify the world!

These two articles finally determined the general direction of Chai Rong's strategy, that is, first south and then north.Moreover, he discovered an extremely useful talent. His name was Wang Pu.It was such a person who became Chai Rong's most important right-hand man. Not only did he stay in the capital during Chai Rong's regular expeditions to deter the rear, but all civil and military officials respected him and did not dare to disobey him, including the later Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin. According to historical records, after Zhao Kuangyin proclaimed himself emperor on behalf of Hou Zhou, one day he passed by the pavilion of meritorious officials enshrining the ministers of Hou Zhou. Suddenly a gust of wind blew and the door of the pavilion opened wide. Su saluted.I saw Wang Pu's portrait inside the door staring coldly at the first emperor of the Zhao family, as if he was alive.

Wang Pu said in "Strategy for Ping Bian" that when facing strong enemies around you, start with the weak, and strengthen yourself while annihilating the enemy.The first thing to deal with is the Southern Tang. The southern Tang borders on the Hou Zhou and can be attacked for nearly 2,000 miles. Start with its weak points first. If you are uncertain about attacking left and right, the opponent will reveal its real weakness when dealing with it. , and by that time, we will not be able to use strong troops to attack hard. Should only use a small number of troops to harass. People in the Southern Tang Dynasty have always been cowardly. Knowing that a powerful enemy like Hou Zhou invaded the country, they would immediately mobilize the whole people and defend with heavy troops.In this way, after a few trials, their national strength will be exhausted, and their fighting spirit will be weakened.Then we can really send heavy troops to complete their merits in one battle, and thus get the Southern Tang area in Jiangbei.With Jiangbei, our national strength will be greatly improved, and Jiangnan will be just around the corner.After the Southern Tang Dynasty was pacified, the other lands of Wu and Shu would fall in anticipation, and only after that could they plot against the Northern Han and Khitan.Because these two enemies are mortal enemies, there is absolutely no room for peaceful surrender.

Chai Rong found that he had found the person he really wanted. Not only did Wang Pu have the ability to help him achieve his great career, but the two had extremely similar personalities.They are all aggressive, strong and urgent, and they all burn like a raging fire, never giving room to others, let alone themselves.Moreover, history has proved that Wang Pu's final fate is the same as Chai Rong's. His dazzling and powerful life is like a rainbow or a shooting star across the sky of history, instantly eclipsing all the stars, even the huge stars. , but it is fleeting, and suddenly disappears, leaving only sighs and memories.

But what does it matter? Chai Rong and Wang Pu began to work together to start the war machine.History has proved that the war most criticized by mankind is not only inevitable, but also extremely necessary-no long-term peace comes from a friendly negotiating table. Do you want peace and reunification?Then you must choose war first! In April 955 AD, the war began.But the original direction deviated slightly, not Southern Tang, but Later Shu.The reason is very simple, because in the early years, Hou Shu took advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains, and in the late Jin Dynasty, Qin (now Qin'an, Gansu), Feng (now Fengxian, Shaanxi), Cheng (now Chengxian, Gansu), Jie (now Wudu, Gansu) in the Central Plains ) Four states were occupied.

The geographical location of these four states is very important. Whether you want to go out of Sichuan or enter Sichuan, this is a must.If we are familiar with the Three Kingdoms, we will find that every time Zhuge Liang attacked Wei, he would first send troops to seize this land.But at this time, they were like four daggers, pressing on Chai Rong's weakness all the time. If they were not pulled out, Chai Rong would not be able to use his strength. So Chai Rong sent heavy troops to fight, and he must take them down.But the sky didn't follow people's wishes. Although the men and horses of Hou Zhou had achieved some victories at first, Hou Shu immediately sent reinforcements. They had occupied these four states for many years, and the war began to be at a stalemate.

The war became lukewarm, and some high-ranking officials in the next week began to speak.There have always been people who opposed Chai Rong's policy. When one Feng Dao fell, thousands of Feng Dao stood up again.Chai Rong was a little embarrassed. Although he was the emperor, he couldn't really be a loner, what should he do?In the end he decided to send a trustworthy person to the front to inspect for him to see if the battle could continue. But who to send?After much deliberation, Chai Rong felt that it would be better to send someone who is loyal to him than to send someone who really knows what to do, because what he needs is someone who can come back and tell him the truth.His eyes swept around, and finally stopped on the young man who had just been promoted by him.

That's him, Zhao Kuangyin. Zhao Kuangyin is young and can go and return quickly.Moreover, Zhao Kuangyin will definitely tell him the truth. Firstly, he has just been promoted, and secondly, this matter is of great importance. If he comes back and tells a lie that ruins the important matter, this kid with no qualifications and background will be ruined in an instant. Even out of fear, he will do his best. But the only question is, will Zhao Kuangyin agree?This is a very standard thankless job. As long as you have a little brains, you will immediately ask for sick leave, family leave, and family leave. Even if you agree on the spot, you will fall off your horse in public on the way home after leaving the palace, and then say Your Majesty, I I'm very sorry, I must go, but please wait for me for a few days... ok?

The hell is that the battle is about to seize the day, even if Chai Rong himself breaks his leg, there will be no pause ahead. But unexpectedly, Zhao Kuangyin agreed very happily.He set off immediately without any delay. When he came back, he not only brought back the actual situation, but also brought his own views and guarantees—Your Majesty, I guarantee that these four states will definitely be won.And in my opinion, we should attack Fengzhou first, which is the throat of the four states. If we break through Fengzhou, Qinzhou will be isolated. If we break through Qinzhou again, the other two states will surrender automatically...

Zhao Kuangyin spoke eloquently, but everyone present, including Chai Rong, shook their heads secretly. It seemed that this was another idiot eager to get promoted and regardless of the consequences.How dare such a young boy, who has never been in charge of his own affairs and was promoted to an official position because of his temporary performance on the battlefield, dare to make such an assertion about such an important battle situation?Where does your confidence come from?What are your chances of winning?And most importantly, have you ever thought about why the emperor and ministers should trust you? Even if you are right, you are acting very stupid.Because from the perspective of transaction costs and final gains, this is an extremely unwise investment. If you are right, there will be rewards, but the rewards are nothing more than getting promoted and getting rich; but if you are wrong, you will be fined. This matter is so important that it affects the success or failure of the war and the fate of the country. Zhao Kuangyin, are you infatuated? But from this day on, history has shown us a mysterious Zhao Kuangyin.I tried to see him clearly, tried to figure out and interpret him from all angles and angles, but it was very difficult for me, because I really couldn't see his characteristics, and I didn't know what kind of person he was. Just like the emperors and ministers of the Later Zhou Dynasty at this time, they couldn't figure out where Zhao Kuangyin came from such a strategic vision and the courage to make decisive assertions. This is different from slashing the generals and capturing the flag on the battlefield with young blood and courage. This requires super wisdom and amazing courage, as well as rich practical experience.Among these, Zhao Kuangyin, who was only twenty-eight years old and had just entered the battlefield, could not be convincing. So what kind of person is Zhao Kuangyin?How did he do all this? Like a riddle, if it is barely resolved, it can only be used as a metaphor.Zhao Kuangyin's personality is between Guo Wei and Chai Rong.As for where his abilities come from, can it be said that he was born in a military family, practiced martial arts and read military books since he was a child, so he has already become a talent?Or is it that Zhao Kuangyin became self-taught after he entered the society and studied under Guo Wei and other famous teachers? All of them are far-fetched, and all of them are a bit of a side effect. In fact, I prefer an old saying-there is a good life, don't take more tonic; born a famous general, don't need to read more military books. Think about Yue Fei later, and Temujin, the strongest military strategist in human history. One is a farmer and the other is an illiterate barbarian. Who taught them how to fight?So accept your fate, Zhao Kuangyin is a genius. As for Zhao Kuangyin's character, from ancient times to the present, no one has ever seen clearly.In the deepest part of his body and mind, there is an unfathomable super-complex combination, which is the root of Zhao Song's spirit of founding a country. Since Zhao Song, our nation has been sinking and struggling, until today Still chasing the roots of the great revival. Of course, this is all for later. money, money It is said that the 28-year-old Zhao Kuangyin uttered wild words to all the bureaucrats in Houzhou, saying how the war thousands of miles away would be carried out and how it would end, as if he was not a general but a wizard. Among all the smiling faces, Chai Rong's face was calm. He looked at Zhao Kuangyin for a long time, and then ordered to send heavy troops to the four northwestern states.He really did what Zhao Kuangyin said, but the strange thing is that every step of the development of the war since then is confirming the script written by Zhao Kuangyin, almost even the time of victory is almost the same. The way people in the Hou Zhou looked at Zhao Kuangyin changed every day, until the end of the war, he was no longer a bloody general on the battlefield, but a handsome man with a cunning, worthy of great responsibility, and capable of being alone. In November of that year, the Battle of the Four States was finally over. Almost at the same time, Chai Rong launched an attack on Southern Tang, targeting the Huaihe River in the north of the Yangtze River. Jianghuai, open the map of China. This is a prosperous and prosperous land from ancient times to the present. Here, together with the south of the Yangtze River and the north of Zhejiang, is the Southern Tang Dynasty.Compared with the later Zhou Dynasty, the characteristics of the national power of the Southern Tang Dynasty can be summed up in two words, rich.As for the deployment of troops, its characteristics made the people of the Later Zhou Dynasty suffer a lot, and even made the Northern Song Dynasty helpless for a while, that is, the navy.People from the north ride horses, and people from the south ride boats. This is true since ancient times. So what about Chai Rong's next week?It is a pity that during the period of almost fifty-three years during the Five Dynasties and Eleven Kingdoms period, the land of Houzhou has never stopped, and the lawlessness of life and death has continued until now, so it can also be summed up in two words, that That is - no money. Without money, there is nothing. If Chai Rong wants to level the world, the first step is to find people and find money. After that, it is what Wang Pu said in "Ping Bian Ce" that the Southern Tang Dynasty has a border of more than two thousand miles. The line is waiting for them, all they have to do is to do one thing like the poor, fierce and unreasonable Khitan people on horseback holding a knife - grab! But before robbing others, Chai Rong has to prepare the military pay, prepare the knives and guns, and prepare the military rations for the soldiers for many years, etc., but there is really no one and no money in the next week, what should I do? ?Chai Rong pulled his face down completely, revealing his most tyrannical and ferocious side, and turned to the most numerous, most idle, and extremely rich group of people in the world—the monks, and of course, their juniors— nun. It is unbelievable to say that the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Eleven Kingdoms has reached this point, but the Buddhist cause is more prosperous than before. I have no time to investigate the reason, so I don’t want to talk nonsense. It’s just that according to historical records, it was only in the later Zhou Dynasty. In China, there are many monasteries, and the number of monks and nuns has reached one million! Who are these people?Could it be that they all see through the world of mortals in the troubled times, and everyone has the heart to save others?Alas, sin, sin, how can I make fun of my family?They are also forced to.Please see, the ingredients of these monks and nuns are as follows: There is no way to escape the state's taxes and servitude; deserters from the army; vagrants; fugitive slaves; and criminals.These people enter Buddhism, and the four elements are all empty. From then on, they eat fast, chant Buddha, and live in peace... Ah, no, they really underestimated people.You know, when people become monks, they are big money. Buddhists never refuse any opportunity to make a fortune, and I can solemnly swear that there is absolutely no nonsense, and it is well documented.Take the pawn shop as an example. I don’t know if everyone knows that this kind of good business of cramping and skinning to take advantage of people’s dangers was initiated by monks.Also, as long as it is temple property, it is legal, and you don’t have to pay any taxes, so Chai Rong is miserable. He watched the taxes he should have been taken away by the monks with ease, thinking about how to spend them spend whatever you want.What's even more hateful is that there are actually some bastards and thugs who, seeing the profits, actually put their own farmland under the names of monks, and they blackmail the country with the monks. Chai Rong, who couldn't bear it, but never could bear it, ordered the Buddha to be destroyed. He ordered that all Buddhist temples in the Hou Zhou Kingdom be demolished except those specially approved by the emperor, and only one was allowed in each county, and no one was allowed to build temples, whether they were relatives of the emperor or noble ministers. and ordained monks and nuns.If anyone really yearns for the life of a monk, it is not impossible, but it must be approved by the government and parents. Men must be at least fifteen years old, and women must be at least thirteen years old, and they must be able to recite Buddhist scriptures in public for seventy years. Only when the paper reaches 100 papers... wait a minute, I'm sorry, but you can... apply. In this way, in just two or three months, Chai Rong destroyed 30,336 Buddhist temples and returned nearly a million monks and nuns.These people all returned to the land and began to live anew. Ah, newcomers, you can work, you can get married, and you are encouraged to have children. Of course, if you think it is good to be a soldier or an official, Chai Rong also appreciates it very much, and he will give each of you a fair chance. Alright, everyone disbands, let's celebrate the new students... By the way, wait, there is still one small thing you need to finish.Hey, have you all seen those Buddha statues?That's the best copper. The country is short of this thing. Even copper coins can't be made, but so many Buddha statues of this size have been cast! Destroy them for me, melt them down and recast them into copper coins! In this way, Chai Rong made sufficient preparations to attack Southern Tang in a very short period of time.Nan Tang, Li Jing, are you ready?Do you know who you are going to face?Those of you who only know love, beauty, and self-pity, and those who mistake arrogance and delusions for lofty aspirations, your good days will soon come to an end. In the second year of Zhou Xiande, in November 955 AD, Chai Rong appointed Li Gu, a general with the title of prime minister, to deploy for the Huainan Road Army. Wang Yanchao (remember him? An old acquaintance of Zhao Kuangyin) As the deputy deployment, he led twelve generals including Han Lingkun, the famous general of the Later Zhou Dynasty, to attack the Southern Tang Dynasty. The war progressed smoothly. The pioneers defeated Bai Yanyu Lianyuan (now southwest of Shouxian County, Anhui Province) and Shankou Town (now east of Shouxian County, Anhui Province), defeated thousands of Huaihe defenders in the Southern Tang Dynasty, and then captured Shangyao (now Huaiyuan, Anhui Province) South).In this way, the Southern Tang defenders north of the Huaihe River were wiped out, and then in the deep winter, a pontoon bridge was erected on the Huaihe River in the Zhengyang section, crossed the Huaihe River, and arrived at the city of Shouzhou. Shouzhou City is today's Shouxian County.It faces the Huaihe River, with Fuyang in the upper reaches to the west, Bengbu in the lower reaches to the east, Hefei, a strategic city behind it, and the Yangtze River on which the Southern Tang Dynasty depended.So it is the first line of defense in the true sense of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and it is also the first lifeline that must not be breached.But for Chai Rong, it was the first fortress that must be broken.If you can't win it, all the previous victories will be meaningless. The Shouzhou defender in the Southern Tang Dynasty was the general Liu Renzhan, please remember this name.History has proved that this name has given Chai Rong a headache for two years.Moreover, apart from Liu Renzhan, the Southern Tang Dynasty had already reacted quickly, sending the Shenwu Commander Liu Yanzhen to deploy for the northern battalion, leading 20,000 troops to quickly reinforce, and ordering the same Zhongshu Pingzhangshi Huangfuhui and the Changzhou regiment to train envoy Yao Feng led 30,000 troops into Dingyuan (now southeast of Dingyuan, Anhui) to support him. Rescuing soldiers was like fighting a fire. At this time, Shouzhou had been attacked by Hou Zhou for nearly a month. The battle was urgent, and time required Liu Yanzhen to advance quickly. Therefore, after receiving the order, Liu Yanzhen did not rush to the horse to prepare to run day and night, but First rushed to the river.Afterwards, it proved that this move was extremely shrewd and ruthless. He wanted to use the number one trump card of the Southern Tang army - the navy, to fundamentally defeat the Hou Zhou army in one fell swoop, so that they would never return and die on the south bank of the Huai River! Liu Yanzhen took hundreds of huge ships and went straight to Zhengyang from the waterway, where there was a pontoon bridge that the army of the Later Zhou Dynasty relied on for survival.As long as the pontoon bridge is destroyed first, all the Hou Zhou army, which is full of cavalry, infantry and other land services, can be intercepted. Li Gu panicked, he didn't expect that after only a month of attacking, the back road would be cut off.His reaction was to return to the army immediately to keep the lifeline of the pontoon bridge.Then you have to be fast, you have to use the two feet of the infantry or the four legs of the cavalry to compare the speed with the long sails that Nantang pulls up in the water with the wind, and you can't bring anything except the necessities of life. Li Gu ordered the army to bring all the food and equipment that had been prepared for a long-term plan to be burned, and they would never be left to Nantang.Then retreat immediately without further delay.But he didn't expect that Liu Renzhan at the head of Shouzhou City could see clearly the fire when the grain and grass were burned.Liu Renzhan, who had been under siege for a month, was not afraid at all. When Li Gu retreated, he suddenly rushed out of the city to give Li Gu a warm farewell. , so that the Zhou army can run faster. In this way, only one month after the start of the war, the offensive and defensive postures of the enemy and the enemy took a 180-degree turn, and the winner and loser were completely tilted and subverted. After receiving such a battle report, Chai Rong went on another expedition without saying a word.In fact, he has long wanted to go out in person, but there are more important things that have been holding him back.It is the newly recovered four prefectures of Qin, Feng, Cheng, and Jie. There will be additional garrisons and officials selected there, and this opportunity will also be used to subdue foreign forces such as Tuyuhun and Dangxiang in the west, so that they will not dare to make trouble behind Zhou Zhou's back .Only then can we compete with the Southern Tang Dynasty with the soldiers of the whole country. In the new year, on the sixth day of the first lunar month in 956 AD, Chai Rong announced his personal expedition to the Southern Tang Dynasty.Due to the urgent military situation, he sent a general to Zhengyang in advance, and must rush to keep the pontoon bridge ahead of Liu Yanzhen in the Southern Tang Dynasty.Thus, the real contest began.The name that first resounded on the battlefield was the general who opened the way for the emperor and saved the battle. His name is Li Chongjin. Yes, it is Guo Wei's nephew, Li Chongjin who has outstanding military exploits, is proud and domineering, and is unwilling to let others down.Li Chongjin traveled across the starry night and swung his army forward, so fast that he was ahead of Liu Yanzhen who was sailing forward on the waterway.When Li Gu retreated hastily, not knowing his safety, and when Liu Yanzhen was full of ambition and devoted himself to meritorious service, Li Chongjin was already sharpening his sword at the edge of the Huaihe pontoon bridge in Zhengyang section, ready for battle. As soon as Liu Yanzhen got off the boat, Li Chongjin immediately launched a fierce attack.In this battle alone, the reinforcements from the Southern Tang Dynasty were completely defeated. Liu Yanzhen, the main general of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and more than 10,000 people under his command were killed. For nearly 30 li from the battlefield to the south, all of them were the corpses of the Southern Tang people.This battle fundamentally hit the morale of the Southern Tang people, and the consequences were astonishing. No one expected that Li Chongjin's fighting power was so terrifying, completely different from the previous Li Gu and others.Huang Fuhui and Yao Feng, the other reinforcements from the Southern Tang Dynasty, immediately retreated upon hearing the news, and retreated to defend the dangerous Qingliu Pass.The governor of Chuzhou, Wang Shaoyan, was even more thorough. He left the city and ran away, never wanting to see the devil-like Hou Zhou people even once. By the time Chai Rong came to the war zone on the 22nd of that month, the situation had turned 180 degrees again, and he was able to reach the city of Shouzhou unimpeded. In Shouzhou City, Liu Renzhan and Chai Rong stood under the city and watched silently.The order he issued after a long silence shocked everyone. The soldiers of Hou Zhou did not expect their emperor's determination to be so great.Chai Rong ordered hundreds of thousands of strong men from Songzhou, Bozhou, Chenzhou, Xuzhou, Suzhou, Xuzhou, Caizhou and other places to be recruited at the fastest speed, and from now on, they will attack Shouzhou day and night, and the city will not be broken. ! Nantang, Li Jing... I must pull out the nail in Shouzhou in the shortest possible time, and then I can meet you across the Yangtze River! But an even more astonishing thing happened. The elite soldiers who survived hundreds of battles in the next week, together with hundreds of thousands of recruited men, stormed day and night for more than a month, and the city of Shouzhou stood still! Liu Renzhan, this person who did not leave much fame in history, with the strength of a single city, unexpectedly firmly resisted the offensive of the later Zhou Dynasty.This greatly boosted the morale of Nan Tangben, who had become hopeless.The panic caused by Liu Yanzhen's defeat in one fell swoop disappeared. Southern Tang continued to send additional reinforcements, and the warship was parked beside the Huaihe River, threatening Hou Zhou's barracks not far away. Huangfuhui and Yao Feng who retreated to Qingliu Pass also returned dispatched, an anti-encirclement circle was formed from the north and west. For a while, the battle situation became unclear.But Chai Rong, who became stronger when he was stronger, broke out even more strongly at this time. He will never tolerate any kind of provocation from any enemy, even if this kind of provocation does not pose a real threat! At the beginning of February 956 AD, Chai Rong, Emperor Shizong of the Later Zhou Dynasty, ordered the offensive to be suspended, and he wanted to change the method.He ordered the bamboo rafts in the ark to carry cannons, and fired stone bombs into the city from Feishui (now Beifei River, Shouxian County, Anhui Province).In order to boost morale, Chai Rong personally carried a big rock to the front line (imagine how far the ancient stone catapults can shoot, and how close Chai Rong was to Shouzhou City at this time), and all the officials around him also They were all fully dispatched to participate in the transportation of stones.For a moment, we can imagine what the city of Shouzhou will look like. In the next week, the regular army plus hundreds of thousands of civilians and strong men, even if each person only shoots ten stones a day, it will be nearly millions of meteor showers, and then multiplied by the total number of days of attack, I think the people in Shouzhou City must They all have nowhere to go and are full of bags. But even so, Shouzhou City, which has seen ghosts, still cannot be captured! At this time, some soldiers in the Hou Zhou army couldn't bear their temper anymore. They no longer believed in all kinds of professional siege equipment and annoying terms such as siege and aid, long-term sleepiness without food, and self-defeating without attack. Unstoppable, he grabbed a few small boats, raised his sword and rushed into the moat, charging towards the damn Shouzhou City. There is Zhao Kuangyin, who is young and vigorous, who dares to show his teeth to the god of death. According to historical records, Zhao Kuangyin and the others had just jumped off the moat that day when they encountered life and death danger.The city of Shouzhou must have been prepared for a long time, and suddenly countless sharp arrows were shot down, not only densely like rain, but also the arrows fired were specially made, specially tailored for fierce men like Zhao Kuangyin—" The arrow is as thick as a rafter"! Zhao Kuangyin and the others were sitting on small leather rafts at that time. In a moment of bloody courage, they didn't wear any shields or heavy armor (if you think about wearing such things, you don't even want to climb the city wall). Such a rain of "arrows" could almost commit suicide immediately. But at this time, Zhao Kuangyin's usual brilliance in dealing with the world was revealed. It was not a fluke that he escaped this mortal calamity, but a person suddenly fell on him and blocked the arrow for him.This man was called Zhang Qiong. He was shot by an arrow in his thigh at that time, but he passed out immediately after being shot in his leg. Whenever I read this in the history books, I can't help but shudder. I can't imagine what kind of means a young man of only 28 years old can use to subdue another flesh and blood person to the point of willingness to subdue him. Life instead of death, without hesitation. Back on the shore, Zhao Kuangyin, who survived the catastrophe, glared fiercely at Shouzhou City. He was not intimidated by the experience of surviving a near-death at all, but accepted a new order from Chai Rong without hesitation. According to the battlefield situation, Shouzhou has been besieged for more than a hundred days, and Shouzhou cannot be captured, but the peripheral enemies are gradually persecuting.For his own safety and to completely dispel the illusions of the Southern Tang people inside and outside the city, Chai Rong decided to continue attacking the city while attacking everywhere, smashing all the pots and jars around Shouzhou to pieces. "Zhao Kuangyin," Chai Rong called the future Song Taizu, "I will give you 5,000 troops, and you go and defeat all the Southern Tang troops in the north of Shouzhou City and near Tushan Mountain. Can you do it?" I saw Zhao Kuangyin's expression was calm, and he seemed to be smiling, and then he replied very gratefully: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for trusting me. It is my honor." But the other people who stayed there and heard the conversation of their monarchs and ministers suddenly turned into clay puppets. They couldn't believe their ears. Did they really hear clearly?Is it possible to give Zhao Kuangyin five thousand troops to wipe out all the Southern Tang troops north of Shouzhou? You must know that in the north of Shouzhou, there are 20,000 heavy troops from the Southern Tang Dynasty stationed, and the navy and army are complete. Not only are there strongholds on the shore, but there are also warships in the water that can attack, defend and retreat at any time. Shou, why did Zhao Kuangyin take the initiative to attack and defeat him in one fell swoop? Just relying on a mere 5,000 troops? But no matter what, Zhao Kuangyin really set off with only 5,000 troops in this area, and he really wanted to take the initiative to attack the Southern Tang defenders.Here, it is very necessary for us to clarify a fact, that is, what kind of country is the Southern Tang Dynasty?What was their monarch like?What about the national power and the army?If they are really an army like Queen Li's, who we think is weak and weak in Chinese, then let alone Zhao Kuangyin with 5,000 people, even 50 people would dare to attack with a knife. But the question is, is Nan Tang really that easy to bully? In fact, this is not the case.Southern Tang is not only big in land, rich in money, and rich in people, but also history proves that over the years, the emperor Li Jing of Southern Tang was regarded as ambitious. When he was killing and killing in his nest, he was always doing the business of expanding the territory and strengthening the country.In addition to the original twenty-eight prefectures in the Southern Tang Dynasty, Fujian and Chu were conquered, and seven prefectures including Jian, Ting, Zhang, Quan, and Jian were added, reaching a total of thirty-five prefectures.Together, the area of ​​these places is no less than that of Houzhou, and the national strength is even stronger than that of Houzhou. So now it's a good comparison, Chai Rong is like a little brother who has just learned how to lift a knife and is about to go outside to rob, Li Jing and Nan Tang have long been gangsters and murderous big brothers. In contrast to this situation, Zhao Kuangyin took the initiative to kill people with less than a quarter of the opponent's strength.Therefore, we can fully understand the mentality of the defenders near the Huaihe River in the Tushan section of the Southern Tang Dynasty when they saw Zhao Kuangyin and others attacking. These Yankees who don't know how to live and die, and don't know the heights of the sky and the earth, how dare they come to attack? !It really doesn't take us seriously!Brothers, what are you waiting for?We rushed out and killed a hundred or so of them in one go... I'm sorry, I didn't make it clear here, Zhao Kuangyin really didn't treat the people of Nantang as human beings, not only did he bring fewer people, but even fewer people attacked . There were only more than a hundred cavalrymen in total, and they rushed to the camp of more than 20,000 people! So since the beginning of this war, the Nantang people who have been hunted down, besieged, and forced to defend can no longer bear it anymore. Facing such a golden opportunity, if they don't take advantage of this moment to vent their anger, when will they have to wait? ?As a result, the gates of the Southern Tang barracks suddenly opened wide, and a large group of generals and soldiers swarmed out, including He Xi, the highest local official in the Southern Tang Dynasty. They rushed to attack the enemy with their knives ——Just over a hundred, first come, first served, while supplies last! The result can be imagined, no matter what kind of madmen the soldiers brought by Zhao Kuangyin are, if they want to survive, there is only one way to go - run away immediately. It is said that the northerners are really good at riding horses. The more than one hundred cavalry turned around and fled, panicking and running to the west.The Southern Tang people were overjoyed when they saw it. It seemed that this group of Yankees were obviously taken aback. The direction of Shouzhou City to the south was their base camp. How could they escape to the west?Don't say anything, chase!Be sure to catch them all! So more than 100 cavalry brought out more than 10,000 people, all the way to the west, until they reached Wokou (where the Guohe River enters the Huaihe River in Huaiyuan, Anhui today), and then the more than 100 Houzhou cavalry never ran again. The terminus has arrived. Just at Wokou, Zhao Kuangyin's troops ambushed everywhere, with only 5,000 men, but they completely defeated the Southern Tang army that was pursuing them, and killed He Xi, the military commander of the Southern Tang Dynasty. , Destroyed the land village on the bank of the Huaihe River in the Southern Tang Dynasty, and captured more than 50 warships in the Southern Tang Dynasty with infantry. This is how Zhao Kuangyin led the army alone for the first time in his life. He carried out the task assigned to him by Chai Rong without any discount. He broke the 5,000 to 20,000 and eliminated the threat from the Southern Tang army in the north of Shouzhou in one fell swoop. The anti-encirclement encirclement of the Southern Tang army against the Hou Zhou army was broken. Zhao Kuangyin successfully completed the task and returned to the city of Shouzhou.Everyone looked at him in the wrong way. He had seen a victorious battle, but he had never seen a victorious one like this. It was like leading a team out for a stroll and then getting things done. It seems that this person is unfathomable. In a word, he can be given heavier and more difficult tasks. This is exactly what Chai Rong thinks.He praised Zhao Kuangyin in public, and then asked him - the threat to the north has been lifted, but the threat to the east is the greatest.Chuzhou, can you win Chuzhou? As soon as this remark came out, the surroundings immediately fell silent. Everyone stared at Zhao Kuangyin, and they habitually thought of a reasonable sentence—Your Majesty, I just came back from a business trip and I am very tired. Can I take two days off before working again? ? But Zhao Kuangyin's expression was as calm as last time, and he nodded——OK, Your Majesty, I'll go and take Chuzhou right now. ——How many people do you want? ——That was enough last time. Chai Rong looked at Zhao Kuangyin seriously for a while, then nodded and let him go.In this way, Zhao Kuangyin led 5,000 troops to attack Chuzhou again.In fact, when he walked out of the sight of Hou Zhou Junchen, he really should look back at the expressions of his colleagues.It was really rare and wonderful. Chuzhou, in the east of Shouzhou, guards the northwest gate of Jinling, the capital of the Southern Tang people, and is an important town in the north of the Yangtze River, second only to Shouzhou.Moreover, Chuzhou is ten thousand times more dangerous than Shouzhou.This is not an exaggeration at all. The gateway to Chuzhou is two mountains, Chushan Mountain and Shituo Mountain.After Qingliu Pass is Chuzhou City. In other words, if you want to win Chuzhou City, you have to get rid of the natural danger of the two mountains. But it's nothing, there are people who can repair the pass there, are you afraid that you won't be able to climb it?But the most important thing is to see who are the guards and how many people there are in total. The generals guarding the pass are Huangfu Hui and Yao Feng.Forget about Yao Feng, but Huangfu Hui is no small matter. He was originally a northern warrior stationed at the Liwaqiao Pass in the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun during the later Jin Dynasty. , Only then defected to Southern Tang.Such a person can't be compared with He Yanxi who takes advantage of small advantages at all. And the most deadly thing is that Huangfu Hui and Yao Feng's garrison in Tianxian is not counted, their strength is more than 100,000!How many people did Zhao Kuangyin bring?five thousand! In other words, it is already a ratio of twenty to one.This record cannot be regarded as unprecedented, but it is definitely unprecedented.Looking through the history books, the previous decisive battle between the two armies had the most disparity in military strength. It was more than 500 years ago that Xie Xuan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty used 80,000 troops to face off the 900,000 troops of the former Qin Fujian across the Yangtze River. It's just a comparison! 何况当时谢玄有长江天险，以逸待劳。赵匡胤却是要主动进攻，强攻天险。 当他那天离开寿州时，所有目送他远去的人，都在心里默默地向他告别——多看一眼是一眼了，可惜没法合影留念。他们确信，一定是赵匡胤哪里做错了，而且错得不可原谅，无法弥补，所以柴荣才会一而再，再而三地派给了他这些根本没法搞定的任务。 唉，所有的后周的员工们不禁都同声哀叹，给别人打工，在什么年月都不容易啊。遇到个了解你，信任你，敢于重托于你，而且还比较人道的老板，咋就那么地难呢？ 赵匡胤重新带着五千人马上路了，一路之上整个队伍都在沉默中，每个大兵都有预感，估计这次是没法在沉默中爆发了，就等着大伙儿一起在沉默中死亡吧。 唯独赵匡胤，他不仅愉快地接受了任务，而且在路上他的心情特别的好，他居然不知在哪里弄到了一套一套又一套花里胡哨的行头，一会儿穿上这件，问大家这套怎么样？我穿着帅吗？一会儿又换上了另一套，再向全军展示——这一套怎么样？我还是觉得这套好…… 全军心情沉重，没一个答理他的。 可赵匡胤不仅不理会，反而变本加厉了。他居然又变戏法似的拿出来一套套更加花里胡哨的行头来装饰他的战马！只见崭新的带着花边的马鞍子，精制的绝对高档的璎珞挂件，还有闪闪发光的马蹬子……应有尽有。而且他本人更加光彩照人，铠甲兵刃擦得锃明瓦亮，就见走在五千人的大队伍中，他闪闪发光，就像是另一个会发光的太阳，让人一眼就能认出他来。 这时候终于有下属看不下去了，他们比较好心地警告了赵匡胤一下。说将军，你太招眼了，小心被南唐人认出来，给你一箭或者都奔着你来，那可就麻烦了。 赵匡胤一概不屑一顾，他扔下了一句极端有型有款的话——我正是要给南唐人一个机会，让他们从此知道我是谁！ Call!全军郁闷地长出口气，什么都不用说了，跟着这样的长官，真是怎么死的都不知道。 很快清流关就到了，还是面对据险坚守的敌人，这次赵匡胤却没像上次那样派出少股人马去诱敌出关。他一反常态，把所有人马都排列在清流关前，自己盔甲鲜明，人马招摇，站在队伍的最前面向南唐人讨敌要阵。 我就是赵匡胤，有种的下来决一死战！ 没一个有种的。所有的南唐人都站在清流关的城楼上往下看，他们都清清楚楚地看见了后周人马一共有多少，也看见了领军而来的将军长得什么样。 事后证明，当时是有人想下去和赵匡胤较量一番的，可都被皇甫晖给拦住了。沙场老将皇甫晖的经验太丰富，他已经知道了涡口之战的全部经过，赵匡胤的名字已经深深地印进了他的脑海。他绝对不相信，刚刚原诱敌深入，以少胜多的赵匡胤，居然转过身来就会这么的简单粗暴，以这么点人就来“决一死战”？ Who are you lying to?你刚用一百多人来当诱饵，后面就埋伏了五千人。那你现在用五千人当诱饵，甚至你自己都在里边，那么后面又埋伏了多少？是不是连后周皇帝柴荣都来了想打埋伏？ ! 他命令全军不可妄动，兵法云，以己之不败，待敌之可乘。我们现在据险而守，而且兵多将广，怕他们什么？只要我们自己稳住，就绝对不会出事。 于是这一天，就这样平淡无奇地过去了。刚刚威名传扬战场的赵匡胤，居然像个时装模特似的，在两军阵前白白地表演了一整天，连个鼓掌喝彩的都没混到。 天很快就黑下来了，夜晚的群山里山风呼啸，寒气逼人。想想吧，清流关就是个大山坳，三、四月份的大山里边是什么天气？皇甫晖站在城头上，看着城下的后周军营，觉得非常满意。就这样吧，让这些火力特旺的后周大兵们先喝几天山风败败火，然后我们再出城打牙祭。 还有什么策略比这更好呢？坐拥坚城，听敌自败，真是再好不过的买卖。 但是却不能有丝毫的麻痹大意。在回去睡觉之前，他又一次郑重地警告了守城的士兵们，一定要百倍警惕关前的敌人，想想涡口吧，我们再不能上他们的当！ 没有谁想死，皇甫晖的士兵们都保证会打点起百倍的精神头，彻夜不休全天候地监视后周军营，绝不放过任何蛛丝马迹。 很好，挑剔的皇甫晖终于满意了，他放心回去睡觉了。在这天夜里，他的睡眠非常的深沉。有时候我会不由自主地想，战场上的睡眠，多么的奇妙，皇甫晖在这一晚的睡眠中，会不会有一种非常奇妙的错觉。就像一只非常幼小的小动物，身处在漆黑凶险的大森林里，它躲在深深的洞穴里，听着外面世界里你死我活、拼命撕咬的声音，是一种什么感受？ 应该是带着一丝微微幸福的极私密的舒适——我还活着，不管别人怎样，我还活着，我仍然能够看到明天的太阳，能活着……多好。 可也真的是仅仅就此一晚了！ 第二天清晨，天还没有真正的大亮，清流关里突然间杀声四起，后周的军队不知从哪里冒了出来，杀向了毫无准备，甚至还在睡梦中的南唐人。蒙了，彻底地蒙了，熬了整夜都没敢合眼的哨兵们根本不知道出了什么事，那些还没起床的就更加只能任人宰割。历史记载，在这一天的清晨，发生的根本不能算是战斗，因为几乎没有哪个南唐人来得及反抗，他们中间反应最敏捷，行动最快速的，也只是做到了马上撤退，逃出了清流关，奔向他们的大本营——滁州。 这中间就有沙场老将皇甫晖。他急怒交加，又悔又恨，但也死都不明白，赵匡胤和那些后周大兵们怎么会突然从天而降，他们是怎么突破的清流关天险，一下子就把战斗变成了没有准备的城内巷战的。 他当然不知道，因为就在他酣然大睡，享受战场上难得的片刻安逸的时候，赵匡胤已经脱下了白天作秀时所穿的炫目的时装，换上了短衣襟小打扮，命令全军都和他一样，把所有的马匹帐篷都扔在清流关前，和他一起乘夜进山，来一次彻底刺激地徒手攀岩。这一夜，赵匡胤不仅翻过了数不清的高山怪石，而且据史书记载，他还在初春的深山里，涉水泅过了一道涨水了的西涧（又名上马河，今安徽滁州城西北），就这样千辛万苦地抢在了天亮之前绕过了清流关正面，从背后向南唐军发起了出其不意的猛攻。 置之死地而后生，皇甫晖败得一点脾气都不应该有，因为赵匡胤付出的代价比他大得太多。试想只要赵匡胤不能在天亮前抵达攻击点，那么南唐人就会在关前看出他军营里的虚实，从而有所防备，只要清流关里有了准备，赵匡胤就会陷在大山里进退两难。而且就算他如愿地发起了进攻，跋涉了一夜的士兵们还有多少战斗力？只要人数占绝对优势的南唐人能在最初的慌乱中稳定住阵脚，那么失败的就一定还是他赵匡胤！ 但是这时候说什么都晚了，无论怎样赵匡胤都把一个个的不可能变成了可能。对于南唐人和皇甫晖来说，只有赶紧逃跑吧，赵匡胤就在他们后面不远处紧紧地追着，一整夜的深山跋涉，再紧接着一场以少胜多，必须速胜的战斗之后，他的体力和战斗欲望却变得更加的旺盛，前面就是滁州城了，天险已经拿下，难道还要让敌人再进城喘上一口气吗？ 但是没办法，所谓的经验丰富，也包括了逃跑的经验。那天早晨，在后周和南唐军人之间举行的晨练狂奔中，无论赵匡胤和他的部下怎么拼命加快速度，还是让皇甫晖带着大量的南唐败兵逃进了滁州城。 而且经验的确异常丰富的皇甫晖当机立断，使出了一招损人也不利己的绝招，妄图把吃了兴奋剂一样的赵匡胤挡在城外——他把滁州城护城河上的桥给毁了，这等于摆明了告诉赵匡胤，小子，你行，现在我是打不过你了，可是你也别得意，我把门彻底关死行不行？我不打算出去了，你也别想着进来！ 但是他的如意算盘再一次打错了，我们可以宽容地原谅他，因为他的脑子一定是急得半中风了，导致神志不清。他怎么不想想，连清流关两边的大山还有冰冷的西涧水都挡不住赵匡胤，你一个人工挖出来的护城河能顶个屁用？ 于是所有惊魂未定的南唐人又看到了让他们心惊肉跳的一幕，只见剧烈运动了一夜加一早晨的后周军人没有丝毫的犹豫，直接扑通扑通地跳进了水里，那架势轻松得就像运动后洗了个澡一样，然后就冲上了对岸，直奔城门。 见过生猛的，没见过这么生猛的，这简直是不要命了……一群疯子！ 从梦中惊醒一路被追杀到这儿的南唐军人看得都有些傻了，眼看着这道城门也什么都不是了，马上就要被这群疯子冲进来了……怎么办？ ! 就在这个时候，曾经有过辉煌的军事职业生涯纪录的老将皇甫晖愤怒了，他经过稍微的喘息回过些神来后，突然间勃然大怒。赵匡胤小儿，你欺人太甚了！谁没打过仗？谁没有打过胜仗？ !哪有像你这样小人得志，不依不饶的？ !好吧，我就让你看看，我皇甫晖到底是个什么人！ 他突然间伏在城墙上，向城下大喊——赵匡胤，我们各为其主，你不要欺人太甚！你偷偷摸摸地进攻，太不光明磊落！有种的等我打开城门，列好队伍，咱们真刀真枪地见过输赢胜负！How about you dare? 城墙下头正对着城门后悔没带火种来的赵匡胤一听就乐了，所有的后周大兵都乐了，天哪，真是想啥来啥哈，这真是突然间城头上面掉下个林妹妹啊……大家退后，给人家留个地儿，也让南唐人当把爷们！ 后周人听话地后退了，愤怒中的皇甫晖开始实现他的诺言，真的大开城门，列队出战了。史书为证，这是他军事生涯所犯的最后一个错误。 其实平心而论，他真的是经验丰富，不愧是沙场老将。从最开始到现在为止，他所有的预先决定都是对的。比如说在清流关前不理会赵匡胤的挑战，那时的坚壁清野绝对是最佳应招。但是很可惜，他也是初到滁州，并不是这里的本地人，不知道天险背后还有一条小道，让天险变成了他的噩梦。至于逃到了滁州，毁掉护城河桥，决定再次坚守也都是对的。因为赵匡胤奔波了一夜，无论怎样神勇都是强弩之末了，只要战场稍得缓和，南唐人的地利及人数优势就将再次压倒他们。 但是可惜，他又一次没有真正贯彻自己定下的决战方针，他一怒之下，真的带人出城和赵匡胤决斗了。 城门渐渐地打开了，后周人没动；南唐的军队开始从城门后鱼贯而出了，可是还很少，赵匡胤他们还是没动；渐渐地人开始多了，但仍然不成威胁，他们还是没动……是不是赵匡胤这个未来的宋太祖也开始犯病，就像春秋时候另一个宋，啊，是宋襄公啊，那样开始“仁义”起来了？“彼渡河未半不可击之”？ 可是皇甫晖终于出现了，真男人，纯爷们……你可真是千呼万唤始出来呀……赵匡胤突然启动，直扑皇甫晖！ 那天这一幕的具体情况史书上没有记载，我也不想象欧阳修、司马光那样为他们的老主子歌功颂德、增光添彩，请看这只有一句话的记录——太祖拥马项直入，手刃晖中脑，并姚凤禽（擒）之。 不说后来的雄才大略，只说这时的骁勇绝伦，这也是一刀一枪挣来的功名，绝不像后来梁启超所说的——宋太祖之有天下，实创前史未有之局，以区区一殿前都点检，未尝有赫赫之功，亦未敢久蓄不臣异志。陈桥之变，醉卧未起，黄袍己加，夺国于孤儿寡妇手中，日未旰而事已毕…… 但是非有赫赫之军功，怎得军人如此之拥戴？随便喝醉就有黄袍加身。世人皆曰宋为积弱无勇之国，但至少在开国之祖赵匡胤的身上，绝不缺乏勇气与战斗力！ 赵匡胤空前迅猛地占领了滁州，这把整个江北战争的格局全给打乱了，南唐的咽喉重镇寿州已经完全孤立。这时候不管寿州里的刘仁赡还有多少坚守不破的决心，其他人是开始对他绝望了。 想想吧，以后周倾国之兵，加上后周皇帝亲临之威，再加上四境完全扫平的态势，还有什么理由再保持信心呢？ 绝望的人中就包括了南唐的皇帝李璟。这时，李璟有些后悔了，真的是有些小看了柴荣啊，如果在战争的初期也御驾亲征呢？是不是就不会有现在的局面呢……当然，这也仅仅是一种事后的叹息罢了。历史证明，南唐近些年的开疆拓土，李璟从来没有亲临过前线，与动不动就披坚持锐亲自冲锋的柴荣比起来，他的品味很高，更像是一位运筹帷幄的高人，从来都不崇尚一刀一枪的匹夫蛮勇。于是，在这个紧急的关头，他做了一件非常及时，而且绝对理智的事。 其火候拿捏得恰到好处，不早不晚，让人没法不佩服。 李璟决定谈判，现在已经是谈判的最佳时间了。之前不行，因为形势还没有真正的恶劣，如果抢先和谈，马上就会涨敌人的威风，灭自己的士气，战局很可能会迅速恶化。但现在再等也绝对不行了，趁着寿州还在手里，这就是谈判的筹码，如果寿州一旦丢了，柴荣就算是他的亲弟弟，都不会再答理他。 李璟派出了南唐翰林学士钟谟、李德明，来到了寿州城下，代表他给柴荣带来了几句话——现在貌似你赢了啊，恭喜。但是战场上的变数实在是大，我建议，基于打仗无非是为了找钱，我直接给你些钱，你拿钱走人，我们就当这些事都没有发生。How about it? 一般来说，按照五代十一国这些年的惯例来看，柴荣就应该很高兴地答应了。真的，还能怎么样呢？难道你还真的想就此一统天下不成？ !小心做得过分，不如现在见好就收。 可惜那个时候通信设备太差，李璟没办法和北汉取得联系，要是他能问问刘崇，就不会犯这个错误了。因为他不知道柴荣的另一个显著的性格特征——不达目的绝不罢休。 柴荣的答复很让向两位翰林先生费解，他不说同不同意收钱走人，而是询问了一下南唐的国库怎样，坐落在什么地方？有多少的库存？然后他转向了四周的将士们，大声地宣布，拿下金陵，南唐的国库就是你们的奖金！ 后周将士在一瞬间热血沸腾，轰然欢呼，这根本就不是钱不钱的事，而是给你打工真的是太痛快了！陛下，万岁！我们必胜！ 南唐文人钟谟和李德明面无人色，谈判就这样破裂了。不仅如此，柴荣还进一步地辜负了李璟的好意。南唐人前脚刚走，他立即命令另一员大将韩令坤向扬州出发，自古扬州多钱粮，去把扬州给我拿下来，免得李璟这个混账笑话我们穷，拿些小钱来就想打发我们回家！ 韩令坤显然被刺激着了，此人不仅迅速拿下扬州，并且一鼓作气扩大了战果，把附近的泰州也顺势攻破。一时之间，江北重镇有一大半都在后周的手里，看来战争很快就要结束了。 回到滁州城里，这时赵匡胤已经成了滁州城里的城管了。没有办法，他不管谁管？军民人等，街市弄堂，乃至于小商小贩或者强盗匪徒，他都要管。这可真是麻烦，好大的滁州城啊，每天都有做不完的事，这让年纪轻轻，习惯快刀斩乱麻的赵匡胤怎一个烦字了得？ 还好，柴荣充分体谅了赵匡胤的难处，给他及时派来了一个人，把他从鸡毛蒜皮的小事里给解脱出来。这个人姓赵，名普，是个年纪比赵匡胤稍大的书生。就像名字一样，这是一个沉默寡言，脸色平静，外表一点都不出奇的普通人。他的履历也很简单，之前只是大将刘词的府中幕僚，所有的工作都在幕后，不为人知。刘词在高平之战立下大功后，很快就死了，临死之前，郑重上遗表把赵普推荐给皇帝。 柴荣已经有了太多的人才，他把赵普派给了赵匡胤。 历史记载，当天赵匡胤正心烦，他的手下抓到了一百多个趁火打劫，扰乱制安的匪徒，一百多个，想想吧，一个一个地审，要审到什么年月去？何况就算他们每人只作案一次，每次伤害一个人，那就是多大的危害？赵匡胤最恨的就是这种人，对伤害平民百姓的匪徒绝不能手软！为了杀一儆百，他的命令像在战场上一样简单有效——拉出去，都给我砍了！ 这时有一个声音非常平静地说，“将军，在混乱之中逮捕的强盗，其中一定有很多是冤枉的。请您交给我，让我审理一下。” 是赵普，虽然平静，但是目光直视赵匡胤，绝不闪烁退缩的赵普。 赵匡胤与他对视了好一会儿，出人意料，文弱的书生绝不退让，就像多年以后那样，让步的居然是赵匡胤。那好吧，在对视中惨败的赵匡胤有点坏笑——拿走吧，这些人都是你的了，你一个一个地给我审出来。 没想到赵普真的一个一个地审问，并且盘查出有很多后周的大兵们误抓误判的。这时候赵匡胤震撼了，一百多人命啊，险些被他误杀！在战场上可以杀人不眨眼，可他绝不想在平常的生活中也做一个满身血腥的人。要注意，这是真的，赵匡胤一生都在奉行着这样的原则。 从此之后，赵普在赵匡胤的心里，别有分量，不比寻常。 滁州城，这里有着赵匡胤太多的回忆。多年以后，他的儿孙们在这里给他修建了“端命殿”，以纪念“应天顺人，启运立极”的太祖皇帝在这里“历试于周，功业自此而成，王业自此而始”，同时这里也是他与他的首席大臣，终身精诚合作，兄弟相称的赵普风云际会的地方。但是，赵宋的史官们，也都在极力地回避着另一件也发生在这时的滁州的事情。 那是赵匡胤毕生的大恨，让他永远都无法原谅自己，伤痛之深，让他在临去世的前一年，还回到了出生之地洛阳，扑倒在自己父亲的坟前，深深地忏悔怀念。 父亲，原谅我…… 事情发生在一个深夜里，刚刚剧战易主的滁州城外，突然来了一支军队，向城上的士兵喊话，要赵将军马上开城，他的父亲到了。 赵匡胤惊疑不定，立即登城，他和父亲虽然同在一军，但是所属不同，很少有见面的机会，这时突然间深夜出现，到底是真是假？ 是真的，城下真的是他的父亲赵弘殷。赵弘殷本来跟着韩令坤去攻打扬州，可是半路上突然发病，只得返回来调养。在路上，他听到了赵匡胤夺得滁州的消息，是特意绕道来看他的。 赵匡胤一阵激动，兵凶战危，生死难料，突然间竟能和父亲在战场上重逢，这是多大的惊喜！但是他马上就控制住了自己，他现在不仅仅是父亲的儿子，更是皇帝陛下选派的滁州守将。 他的回答是——父子虽是至亲，但城门关闭乃是王家之事，儿不敢奉命。 就这样，身染重病的赵弘殷被儿子挡在了关外整整一夜，第二天清晨之后，赵匡胤才亲自把父亲迎进城去。但是赵弘殷的病情更加沉重了，已经不能再如期起程，返回开封静养，只能留在滁州。就在这个时候，柴荣突然传来了命令，令赵匡胤火速赶往扬州，韩令坤部如有敢从扬州后撤者，不论是谁，立即杀无赦！ 战局突然剧变，和谈不成的南唐已经大举增兵，由南唐皇帝李璟的弟弟李景达为帅，统率精兵六万，来江北决战。李景达知兵好武，可没有李璟那样的好风度，他才过长江，就派出了南唐右卫将军陆孟俊，第一战一举收复泰州，然后马上进逼扬州，一场血战，韩令坤竟然被迫后退，把扬州给丢了。 Is this okay?柴荣没有二话，他给了赵匡胤两千人马，这两千人有权可以斩杀任何后退逃跑的败兵！ 赵匡胤进退两难了，君命难违，可是父亲病到了这个样子，他怎么能一走了之？何况父亲之所以病重，他也有脱不掉的干系……这时候，赵普站了出来，他还是很平静地说——将军，请把令尊交给我，你放心地走吧。 赵匡胤只好如此，他深深地拜谢了赵普，火速起程赶赴扬州。这之后，赵普尽心服侍赵弘殷，“朝夕奉药饵”、“朝夕无倦”，直到战局变幻，后周主动放弃了滁州，赵普又亲自护送赵弘殷回开封。但是一生劳碌征战的赵弘殷还是没能活着回到家乡，他死在了半路上。