Chapter 249: A Few Things About Inspection in Shaanxi

Before Zhong Yan became the deputy envoy of Shaanxi's appeasement and recruitment, Kangguogong Han Jiang was the biggest leader of the entire Shaanxi Road.

Before that, Han Jiang's official position was the Shaanxi Road Xuanfu Envoy, responsible for commanding and resisting Xixia.

Later, after Zhong Yan became the deputy envoy, Han Jiang became the Shaanxi Jinglüe Anfu Recruitment Envoy, and was the real top leader of Shaanxi Road.

This time when he went to Yanbian, Wei Yuan had to deal with him.

In theory, as a noble, Han Jiang should strongly support whatever he did in Yanbian.

But according to Zhang Fu, Han Jiang was a Jinshi, a rare person among the military merits of the Great Zhou, who had both a title and a reputation in the imperial examination.

The most important thing is that Han Jiang has a good relationship with Han Zhang, and has a distant relationship with the military merits in Bianjing City.

Before he arrived in Yanbian, Wei Yuan had already started to have a headache about how to deal with this Kangguogong.

Wei Yuan went west all the way from Hezhong Prefecture to Yanzhou.

What we saw on the way was from prosperity to depression, and even the closer we got to Yanzhou, the more beggars there were on the roadside.

Chen Daniu and Xiao Yuming, who followed Wei Yuan, sighed.

"Since the founding of the Great Zhou, Yanbian has always been a place of war, and even Yanzhou was almost occupied by Xixia. It's not easy for the people here."

"It is said that in the previous dynasty, there were big cities in the Yanzhou area, but now, we only hear that there are many castles in Shaanxi Road, and no prosperous cities."

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How could Wei Yuan not know what they said?

After all, what we saw was not devastated, but it was almost the same.

The court would allocate grain to the Shaanxi Road area every year, hoping that the people here would have a better life.

However, when Xixia was short of food, they would come to plunder Shaanxi Road. They had fast horses, and the Great Zhou army could only guard one side, and it was difficult to defend against the invasion of Xixia bandits.

In this way, they fell into a vicious circle.

In this case, how could the court manage Shaanxi Road?

Wei Yuan wrote the "General Strategy for the Offensive and Defense of Xixia" to change this situation.

"We often encounter Liao bandits in Daizhou, but why not like Shaanxi Road?" Chen Daniu asked.

Wei Yuan said: "Daizhou has the Great Wall and Yanmen, what does Shaanxi Road have? If it weren't for this battle to take back Helan Mountain, I'm afraid Yanbian would still be defenseless."

Xiao Yuming said: "According to the current journey, it will take at most three days to reach Yanzhou."

"Duke Kangguo is in Qingzhou, which is hundreds of miles away from Yanzhou. Should we go to Qingzhou to see Duke Kangguo first or..."

The seat of Shaanxi Road is in Jingzhao Prefecture. Interestingly, the two most influential people in this area, Han Jiang and Zhong Yan, are not in Jingzhao Prefecture.

One is in Qingzhou, relying on the Baoan Army, Fengxiang Army, etc. to resist Xixia.

Zhong Yan has been operating in Yanzhou for many years and has long changed the surname of Yanzhou to "Zhong".

Wei Yuan has analyzed why Duke Kangguo did not go to Jingzhao Prefecture and insisted on staying in Qingzhou.

First, sitting in Qingzhou, he could point to or influence several nearby imperial army corps;

Second, it was Han Zhang's intention.

After all, only by staying in Qingzhou, every time he fought against Xixia, his credit would not be completely taken away by the Zhong Yan of Yanzhou.

In addition, when Han Zhang was in charge of Shaanxi, his focus was Qingzhou.

Qingzhou was as important to Han Zhang as Daizhou was to Wei Yuan.

"Don't go to Yanzhou or Qingzhou, go directly to Pingrong Village, go north from this village to Helan Mountain, and inspect the border troops."

Wei Yuan responded slowly.

This Pingrong Village was built by Fan Zhongyan and Han Zhang, and its purpose was to be used as a military fortress, that is, one of the supply stations for the border troops.

In the sixth year of Jiayou, mid-September.

Wei Yuan detoured to Yanzhou and went to Pingrong Village.

When he arrived at the area near Yanzhou, there were no villages or people except for a few prefectures, counties, and cities.

Some abandoned or in-use fortresses could be seen everywhere, all of which were used for soldiers to station.

They cultivated in this small defensive fortress while guarding against the invasion of the Western Xia army.

The soldiers of the Manjia Camp led by Wei Yuan this time all wore terrifying masks, and they looked fierce and awe-inspiring. Wherever they passed, they were so majestic that they naturally attracted the attention of many people.

At this moment, on the top of Yanzhou City.

Zhong Yan and Zhong Yi looked into the distance from time to time, hoping to see the appearance of Wei Yuan and his party.

But after waiting for several days, they still did not see any trace of the other party.

Zhong Yi said impatiently: "Brother, logically speaking, even if the Manjia Camp crawled, they should have crawled to Yanzhou. Or, did they go to Qingzhou instead of Yanzhou?"

Zhong Yan glared at him and scolded: "Your mouth will bring you trouble sooner or later."

Zhong Yi said disapprovingly: "We are the only brothers here. If that Lord Wei was here, I would not dare to say much."

Zhong Yan said: "You did not go to the capital with me, and you have never seen the demeanor of the soldiers of the Manjia Camp."

"My soldiers in the Great Zhou all regard the Xixia heavy cavalry Iron Harriers as a nightmare in their hearts, but I have never been afraid of this heavy cavalry."

"However, since I saw the soldiers of the Manjia Camp, I have asked myself, if I lead the army to fight against them, can I win."

"The answer I got is, if the commander of the Manjia Camp is Lord Wei, I can't win."

Now who in the whole Great Zhou doesn't know that Wei Yuan has created a heavy cavalry regiment?

Although there are only 300 people, it is still not to be underestimated.

At the critical moment of the war, three hundred heavy cavalry were enough to turn the tide.

Zhong Yi said: "Since my brother came back, he often praised the Marquis of Wei, which made me curious about him."

Zhong Yan said seriously: "It's not flattery, the Marquis of Wei's talent and strategy are far superior to that of Duke Wuxiang."

At this moment, a scout came to report that he had seen a strange army in the area of ​​Sanchuankou, with everyone wearing heavy armor, masks, etc.

Hearing this, Zhong'e was shocked, "Has Lord Wei gone to Sanchuankou?"

Sanchuankou was a difficult place for many generals of the Zhou Dynasty.

That year, the Xixia bandits entered the pass and defeated the main army of the Zhou Dynasty here.

Later, after Fan Zhongyan's long-term development and gradual encroachment, the Zhou Dynasty regained many old lands, including Sanchuankou.

This place is also the only way to Pingrong Village.

"Hurry and prepare your horses, cultivate friendship, and follow my brother to pay homage to the Marquis of Wei!"

Zhong E didn't hesitate at all and immediately went down to the city.

Among the people Zhong Yi admired the most was Zhong E. After being mentioned repeatedly by his brother, Zhong Yi not only became curious about Wei Yuan, but also developed some awe.

at the same time.

Mikawaguchi.

Wei Yuan is inspecting the terrain here.

He, Chen Daniu, Xiao Yuming and others came to a hill and saw most of the original appearance of Sanchuankou from a high position.

Chen Daniu therefore exclaimed: "Sanchuankou Sanchuankou, I thought it was the mouth of a mountain gorge, but I didn't expect it to be a mountain range."

It is said to be a mountain range, but there are a few raised peaks, and most of it is plain. There are several narrow openings between the peaks.

Seen from a distance, the entire Sanchuan Pass looks like a 'leaf'.

Xiao Yuming was also puzzled because of this: "Even if an ignorant person comes to lead the army, as long as they guard a few mountain roads and act as horns, the Xixia army will not be able to rush over, let alone endanger Yanzhou. This battle , how did you lose?"

Wei Yuan said: "I once heard Duke Wu Lie say that the defeat of Sanchuankou was all due to the cowardice and lack of strategy of the governor of Yanzhou at that time. His generals did not know the enemy's situation. When the war started, reinforcements did not arrive in time."

"Moreover, the general responsible for guarding this area is a stupid and violent person, who often makes his subordinates complain. Who is willing to fight against the Xixia army?"

"So at the beginning of this battle, our army lost the opportunity. Then we made one mistake and one mistake after another. The right time, place and people were favorable, but we still failed to take advantage of it."

"How can we win in this situation?"

Why does Wei Yuan focus on the time of day, etc.? Because from that time, the time, place, and people were favorable, and the Zhou army occupied them all. However, after fighting, they were occupied by the Xixia army.

"I just said it was far away, thinking that this place was a dangerous road in the mountains, but I didn't expect it to be quite wide and far away."

"You must always keep in mind that in the future you will lead the army alone and do not trust the map too much. No matter how precise the map is, it is not as good as seeing it in person."

Wei Yuan alerted everyone.

A general who relies on drawings and sandboxes to fight is definitely not a competent general.

A local war, a lake, a mountain or a small hill may all be the key factors to victory.

But a map cannot be drawn too precisely.

Even the sand table, which is said to simulate the original terrain one to several, will have this problem.

"There used to be troops stationed here, why are there no more today?" Xiao Yuming asked again.

Wei Yuan replied: "Since Duke Fan Wenzheng visited Yanbian, the main defenses of the Great Zhou Dynasty were placed in Pingrong Stronghold, Saimen Stronghold, Shunning Stronghold and other places. As for this place, its strategic significance is no longer great."

"If the Zhucheng strongholds are lost, then Yanzhou or the defeated army can come here to re-station defense, but there is no delay."

Xiao Yuming said: "What if one day, Xixia's surprise troops cross Sanchuankou and approach Yanzhou?"

Wei Yuan smiled and said: "There are garrisons in the states and counties near Yanzhou. If they come up with a surprise army, they can only control the size of the army. If the scale is not large, attacking Yanzhou is just a wishful thinking."

"If the scale is too big, are you a vegetarian as a frontier army scout? There is no reason why we, the Zhou Dynasty, would not notice such a large-scale military mobilization, unless Shaanxi has long been eroded by Xixia."

Sanchuankou is Yanzhou's natural barrier, which is the greatest strategic value of this place.

Thirty miles to the northwest from here is Zhao'an Station.

It was previously called Zhao'an Village and was built by Di Qing.

When he originally built this stronghold to resist the Xixia army, he wanted to recruit some Xixia generals, so he named the place "Zhao'an Stronghold".

Later, with the development of the city and the settlement of a small number of people, it was gradually renamed "Zhao'an Station".

After Wei Yuan left Sanchuankou, he rushed to Zhao'an Station.

Not long after he left, Zhonge arrived at Sanchuankou. When he learned that Wei Yuan was moving on, he continued to pursue him without saying a word.

Wei Yuan's marching speed was relatively slow, but he was actually waiting for his death.

He believed that if Zhong E wanted to make a difference in the court, he could only rely on himself, so the other party would definitely come looking for him.

Besides, the soldiers in the Manjia Battalion were all the best among the best. They knew better than anyone whether there was anyone nearby who was being targeted by scouts.

It didn't take long.

In front of Zhaoanyi.

As soon as Wei Yuan arrived here, a general opened the gate of the village and came to see him.

After some questioning, Wei Yuan found out that this caste general, like Zhong Yi, was also Zhong E's younger brother, named Zhong Shen, and he was only in his twenties this year.

Zhong E wanted Zhong Shen to stay at the border camp for a few years to accumulate qualifications, and then go to the court to seek an official position. This was considered a routine operation for a family of border generals.

Wei Yuan and the soldiers from the Manjia Camp entered the stronghold, and saw that there was already a market here, and they could see many people when they were heading towards the main camp of the stronghold.

When the common people saw the soldiers of the Manjia Camp, they did not feel panic, but were just a little curious. They looked at Wei Yuan and others, as if to ask, which big shot is here to inspect?

On the way to the camp, Zhongjian explained: "Master Wei Hou, there are three thousand border soldiers in this village, all officers and soldiers of the Dingbian Army."

"As relations with Xixia have eased in recent years, my brother has taken the initiative to bring the wives, children, and children of the soldiers stationed here to live in the village."

"Some people are willing to come, while others feel that this village is too close to Xixia and not safe, so they don't come."

"The markets we just saw were all purchased by our soldiers in Yanzhou, and then traded in barter in this village."

Generally speaking, the soldiers stationed in the walled city may stay here for the rest of their lives.

They also have wives and children, so they cannot afford to see their relatives all year round.

Therefore, as the stockade expanded, some of the soldiers' relatives were simply brought over.

The purpose of doing this is to make the border soldiers feel at ease.

Precisely because those people were the family members of the soldiers of the border army, when they saw the majestic soldiers of the Manjia Battalion, they were more curious than in awe.

However, there were still several children on the roadside who were frightened and cried when they saw the soldiers wearing scary masks.

Wei Yuan had no choice but to let them take off the masks.

"Use the walled city as a fortification, allowing the soldiers to live and farm while training to guard against Xixia invasion."

"Over time, there will be people who stick to this place for generations. Fan Wenzhenggong's method is indeed good."

Wei Yuan couldn't help but admired.

Zhong Jingzuo bowed his head and said: "Master Wei Hou, I have borrowed the "General Strategy for the Attack and Defense of Xixia" written by you from my brother."

"The strategy you proposed against Xixia, which is to turn from defense to offense, with nuisance as the main focus and the construction of fortifications as a supplement, is far superior to the method proposed by Wen Zhenggong."

Wei Yuan only thought he was flattering,

"If your words reach the capital and are heard by the scholar-bureaucrats, I am afraid that the censor's spit will drown me."

As soon as these words came out, the originally serious situation suddenly became much more relaxed, and many generals laughed.

The policy essay written by Wei Yuan is invisible to ordinary people.

Only some figures at the level of frontier army leaders can watch.

The purpose of doing this is to worry about leakage.

At this moment, Wei Yuan heard a few weak voices coming from behind,

"Master Hou! Master Hou!"

Wei Yuan turned around.

The word "Master Hou" became louder and clearer.

The one who came was Zhonge.

In order to show his respect for Wei Yuan, when he arrived at the walled city, he did not ride a horse, but trotted all the way over.

When he came to Wei Yuan, without waiting for the doctor to say anything, he bowed deeply to Wei Yuan and said:

"Master Marquis, why don't you go to Yanzhou? I have been waiting for you for a long time. I wish I knew you were here earlier. I would be here waiting for you."

As soon as these words came out.

Unexpectedly, Zhong Yi who came with him was deeply shocked, and even the generals in the city were also shocked.

They even thought that they had heard wrongly.

General Zhong did not claim to be the last general in front of Lord Wei, but he claimed to be in a "lower position"?

There is a huge difference between these two words!

Some people standing in the distance were even more surprised to the point of being dumbfounded. Who doesn't know General Zhong?

It can be said that they exist like a belief.

However, that burly man who looks younger than General Zhong is actually more prominent than General Zhong?

Awesome! Zhao'an Yi is welcoming a big shot!

Wei Yuan naturally noticed the changes in the expressions of the people around him. He smiled, helped Zhonge up, who was crouching, and said:

"General Zhong has worked hard for our country and guarded the border. How can I let you wait for me? You happened to be here today. There is something I need you to remember."

The first half of the sentence is a joke, and it also acknowledges Zhong'e's achievements.

The second half of the sentence tacitly acknowledges that Zhonge is one of his own people.

Otherwise, he would not call himself ‘this commander’ but ‘this prince’.