The Song Dynasty has been deliberate for 16 years, only to know that it is the Water Margin

Although Mingsha City's Military Command Office is not as big as Huizhou's Military Supervision Department, although it is small, it has all the internal organs and everything it should have.

Zhao Yan met Li Yanxian in the lobby and asked him to make two cups of milk tea and talk while drinking.

"Shaoyan has been hesitant to talk during the day. Is there something you want to talk about?" Zhao Tong blew the oily skin off the milk tea and took a sip.

Li Yanxian immediately stood up and saluted, and said sarcastically: "Your Majesty is very insightful, I admire you, my subordinate..."

Zhao Tong pressed his hand: "Stop flattering me and sit down and talk!"

Li Yanxian said "hehe" and sat down on the chair and said: "Your Majesty, my subordinates actually think that the plan of forcing the troops to enter Xiakou Pass from Wulong Ridge during the day is feasible..."

Zhao Tong put down the tea bowl and pointed at the one in front of Li Yanxian.

Li Yanxian hurriedly picked it up, not like Zhao Tao who swallowed slowly, but took a big gulp, then wiped his mouth and looked at Zhao Tao.

Zhao Tong said: "I also know that it is possible, but the two sides are steep. Although they are close, the height is always different. Only ordinary people can pass it. It requires some foundation in martial arts, especially the ability to lighten the body. But even if there are such soldiers in the army, , but where can we get a lot? And if we forcefully capture Xiakou Pass from above Wulong Ridge, it won’t help if there are too few people.”

Li Yanxian said: "Your Majesty, I just want to say this, but I feel it's hard to say it. I have a countermeasure, but..."

Zhao Tong raised his eyebrows when he heard this: "What countermeasure? Why is it hard to say if it's a countermeasure?"

Li Yanxian said: "Your Majesty, the five hundred friends from my hometown that I brought to join the army are all people who like martial arts. I used to practice martial arts with my subordinates in the countryside to strengthen their bodies. I also practiced some skills in making light of the body, even if it was superficial." , but my subordinates see that the contact point between Wulong Ridge and Xiakou Pass is steep and dangerous, but what I have learned should be enough, and these country friends can almost get through there."

Zhao Tong suddenly burst into laughter: "Shao Yan, Shao Yan, who do you think I am? As the saying goes, don't trust people who you doubt, and don't trust people when you employ them. Do you think you brought these five hundred people and proposed that they can make contributions to defeat the enemy?" Are you afraid that the king will be suspicious of you, or that others will criticize you behind your back? If the five hundred people really cross the Xiakou Pass and finally succeed in seizing the city, they will indeed be promoted and rewarded. But are you afraid that you will have the merit of these five hundred direct descendants? Are you going to abandon the military and state affairs and ignore them?"

Li Yanxian immediately fell to his knees with a thump: "Your Majesty, this subordinate treats a gentleman with a villain's heart. I deserve death. I should put state affairs first and put everything else behind." If you don’t think randomly, your subordinates are guilty!”

Zhao Tong said: "Get up. Don't make such nonsense in the future. Sit down quickly and explain in detail the origins and martial arts of these five hundred friends from home."

Li Yanxian got up from the ground, wiped the sweat from his forehead, sat down and said: "Your Majesty, these five hundred hometown friends are not only my neighbors where I live, I have practiced martial arts since I was a child, love to fight injustice, and have traveled to the northwest. On the way, I have a reputation on the green forest road outside. Even when I am at home, people often come to visit me. Although my subordinates have no financial resources, they always have a sense of loyalty, a pair of fists and feet, and are full of martial arts, so people come and stay frequently. , all over the country, eight counties, and even outside the state. The prince is recruiting troops in Xining. He wants to point his sword at Helan and shoot at Tianlang in the north. The military pay and achievements are 50% more than before. When the subordinates knew it, they couldn't help but be overjoyed. Friends who were guests at home sent messages everywhere, gathered 500 people, practiced for a while, and then rushed over to join them. These 500 friends from home were all good at martial arts. Although they could not be said to be outstanding, they always had some solid fist and leg strength, and even more He is ambitious, loyal and courageous, and he is willing to fight for the prince and die loyally!"

Zhao Tong nodded. Li Yanxian was well-known in Xihe and had great appeal. Therefore, it was difficult for others to gather these people. Think about it, the little whirlwind Chai Jin from Liangshan could do the same, but Chai Jin could do the same. He was promoted because of his background and wealth, but his ability alone was far inferior to that of Li Yanxian.

If the normal development trend continues, and the Jin soldiers move south, Zhao Huan hastily succeeds to the throne, the Jin soldiers are trapped in Tokyo, and the rebels from all over the world mobilize to rescue, then Li Yanxian will have pulled up a force of more than 2,000 people, and then it will be successful.

Zhao Tong said: "Are these five hundred people in the army now? Are there any losses now?"

After all, after fighting for such a long time, even if they are victorious, there is no guarantee that no one will die.

Li Yanxian said: "Your Majesty, these country friends joined the army together with their subordinates, and naturally they went to Xixia together. However, I don't know whether they have lost any of their subordinates. After all, they were separated and joined the army before, and they did not belong to the same guard camp. Subordinates, subordinates ...It’s not easy to go out and about, and there is very little information.”

Zhao Tong smiled: "Go and investigate now, ask what's going on, and then come back and report to me."

Li Yanxian got up and walked out of the hall.

Around the time of Mohai, Li Yanxian returned to the Tongjun Department, and Zhao Tong was drinking tea in the lobby and waiting.

Li Yanxian did not come back alone, he also brought someone with him, who looked like a battalion commander.

The two of them saluted, and Zhao Tong said, "How is Shaoyan checking?"

Li Yanxian said: "My lord, I have checked everything and they are all in the army. Because they are all good at fighting, they did not stay behind to defend the city. They all came to Mingsha City. It is a pity that four of them were lost."

Zhao Tong sighed: "They are all heroes and righteous men. Is there anything missing in the pension and merit records?"

Li Yanxian said: "But it doesn't happen. The pen-writing officer in the army is very careful and never misses it."

Zhao Tong said: "That's good. If you die on the battlefield and sacrifice your life for the country, you must not leave out your name. Otherwise, it will chill the hearts of the soldiers!"

Li Yanxian said: "The prince is considerate of his subordinates. When they return home, they must inform the soldiers and let them know that the prince is in his heart."

"Alas!" Zhao Tong shook his head: "Who is this next to you?"

Li Yanxian immediately looked at the man dressed as the battalion commander and said: "Your Majesty, this is one of the best martial arts among the five hundred friends. He is called Night Owl Bai Li. He is good at dancing with two swords and has strong martial arts. He is especially good at light kung fu. Although he can't He can walk on the snow without leaving a trace, and chase cicadas with eight steps, but he can also go up and down without being noticed. Now he is a battalion commander in the infantry."

Zhao Tong looked at Bai Li and said, "Where are you from? Why did you join the army?"

Bai Li hurriedly saluted again: "Reporting to the prince, my subordinate is from Centipede Ridge, Qinfeng Road. He has been fond of martial arts since he was a child. As an adult, he traveled all over the northwest to visit martial arts masters. He met General Li and became friends. When he learned that the prince was recruiting troops, he joined the army. Come join the army.”

Zhao Tong said: "I have heard that your five hundred fellow countrymen are all loyal and righteous people. Now my army is blocked at the pass of Xiakou. On one side is Wulong Ridge and on the other side is the Mingsha River in Qilong Gorge. The army cannot pass through. If anyone has a plan, we can pass through Wulong." To seize the pass on the ridge, you need soldiers with martial arts skills to do it. If you are allowed to bring your friends from home, and I give you more soldiers, and I will send additional soldiers to cover and respond, do you think it is possible to break this pass? If you are confident, taking Xiakou Pass will be a great achievement!"

"Your Majesty!" Bai Li said, "I don't think it's difficult. I only bring five hundred friends from home. Your Majesty will send another army to seize Wulong Ridge. I and others will attack Wulong Ridge near the mouth of the gorge." We will definitely be able to break through, but everyone below and behind the city must cooperate, otherwise even if we are afraid of the past, it will be useless, and we will get through but we will not be able to come back."

Zhao Tong said: "Since I have sent you five hundred friends from home to seize the pass, how can I not cooperate with you? We will go all out on the mountain and in the city to seize this Xiakou Pass together!" After hearing this, Bai Li knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I would like to serve you. Lead the troops to the ridge, fly over the Wulong Ridge, and force their way down the Xiakou Pass, risking death!"

Zhao Tong tapped the table and shouted "Okay". These five hundred hometown friends are actually equivalent to a death squad. This is different from charging and siege. Survival is possible in charging and siege, and there is still half a hope of victory, but this is over the hill. Entering Xiamen Pass is a road with no return.

As long as the Xiakou Pass cannot be captured, there will be no chance of survival. Even if the top and bottom cooperate and the Xiamen Pass is broken, there is no guarantee of how many people will be left, or they may all die.

Zhao Tong: "I think five hundred people are too few, so don't be stubborn. I will select some from the army for you who are good at boxing and footwork. Gather a few more and come together."

Bai Li said: "Your Majesty, the more people the better, but they must not only have some martial arts skills, but also preferably be people from the mountains. They have been climbing mountains and jumping in streams since childhood, climbing vines and clinging to trees, and their hands and feet are as fast as playing games. They grew up in the plains. If you are not used to mountain climbing, it will be unsightly, and you will become a burden and make some big noises, which will alarm the Xia thieves. Our lives are all at risk, so we might as well stay at the bottom of the mountain to attack the city!"

Zhao Tong said: "You understand the reason, and it should be like this. I hope this will be a success. You go back immediately to prepare. I will ask Li Yanxian to lead you to mobilize the troops. All the equipment will be the best leather armor, and the minimum two sets of hand crossbows. Everything is up to you. Make a choice and set off for Xiakou Pass tomorrow!

Bai Li said: "Don't worry, my lord, my subordinates also saw the ridge at Xiakou Pass. There will be absolutely no harm in passing!"

Zhao Tong nodded and watched the two leave. He sat in the lobby and thought for a while before going back to rest.

At noon the next day, the army and horses set off, and there were nearly 50,000 people.

There was not much loss in the first place, but some Xixia soldiers were recruited and surrendered, so that there were so many people.

This is the case in war. The more you win, the more people you hit. The more you lose, the fewer people you hit.

This is a truth that has remained unchanged since ancient times.

Fang La and Wang Qing were like this. When they won a battle, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses gathered like a snowball in a short time. Not that many died, they all fled.

The same is true for the Jurchens. When they first rebelled against the Liao Dynasty, their extreme strength was only more than 20,000, but now it is more than 200,000, almost three to four hundred thousand. When the Liao Kingdom is completely destroyed, this number will increase significantly.

Because the Jurchens not only received Bohai soldiers, Khitan soldiers, and Han soldiers, the number of Han soldiers in the Liao Kingdom was tens of thousands at its peak. With all of them in their arms, one can imagine how many soldiers and horses the Jurchens would have by then. , I’m afraid it’s more than half a million!

Zhao Tong has not actually accepted many troops from Xixia to surrender at this moment. After all, Xixia itself has a small population. In addition, he is strict in accepting surrenders and needs to be interrogated many times. In addition, Xixia has not been crippled at this time. Once Xixia is crippled, , the number of troops will also rise like a puff of air.

Since ancient times, when any force is in a state of determination, it is a gathering of wind and clouds, with many soldiers and generals, and it is not uncommon to have a million-strong army.

Among the people he surrendered, in fact, not only Dangxiang people, but also Tibetans and Han people accounted for a large part, and there were even some members of the Yellow-headed Uighur tribe among them.

The Yellow-headed Uighurs were not Xizhou Uighurs. They were originally a force of Longyou. Later, Tong Guan opened the border and broke up the Uighur tribe. They were scattered everywhere, and some of them defected to Xixia and settled in Xixia territory.

Since the end of the Tang Dynasty, the northwest has been in such a messy situation. At the beginning, there were several major military governors in the Tang Dynasty to coordinate the situation in the Western Regions, and there was a world of great unity and the unification of hundreds of ethnic groups. However, hundreds of years after the fall of the Tang Dynasty, people have been living together. There is me among you, and you among me. We have long been used to it, and we don’t care so much about strangers to each other.

In the blink of an eye, at noon the next day, the army was heading north.

The distance between Mingsha City and Xiakou Pass is not that far away, otherwise Brother Richard would not have arrived here soon after dawn with his troops on the road at midnight.

Zhao Tong's army walked during the day, so it was naturally faster than Brother Richard before. Before dusk, they came to Xiakou Pass again.

The 3,000 people who had stayed behind had set up a small camp. Now that the army arrived, they reorganized their camp and set up an arc-shaped camp on a high side. They then buried pots to make food. After eating and drinking, night fell.

Late at night, it was as peaceful as it was on Wulong Ridge. Miasmic fog locked the deep mountains, the moon was bright like water, and everything was silent.

Two groups of soldiers and horses quietly separated from the Zhaotong camp. One group was led by Li Yanxian, which had several thousand people. The other group was led by Bai Li, which looked like five or six hundred people. In fact, it only had 580 people. The extra ones were another Select those with martial arts foundation from the army and go to Wulong Ridge together, intending to be stronger than Xiakou Pass.

Just look at the night owl Bai Li, who has a thin waist and tied arms, leggings and knee pads, and the best cavalry leather armor. He has two swords slanted on his back, two crossbows on his waist, and his steps are light and neat.

He led more than 500 people to separate from Li Yanxian at the corner of Wulongling Mountain. Li Yanxian attacked the Xia army guarding Ling, but he did not take the right path and led the people up the cliffs and climbing vines and vines. No sound was heard. After a while, they reached the ridge. The soldiers were like geckos supporting the wall, as fast as flying, and did not attract the attention of the bandits on the ridge.

When they got to the top, they lay dormant for a while. A battle started over there, and they heard constant killing sounds. The people led by Li Yanxian and the Xixia army on the ridge instantly fought together, while all the Xia troops on the four sides went to reinforce, leaving a gap for a moment.

Bai Li and his men hurriedly took this opportunity to go east. The easternmost part of Wulong Ridge actually connected with Xiakou Pass, and the side of Xiakou Pass was built according to this ridge.

But even though they are connected, the terrain is very dangerous, and it is not possible for ordinary people to get across, because there are actually cracks and deep ravines at the junction. Although it is not a cliff, it is almost the same.

Although this deep chasm is impossible for ordinary people to get through, it may be possible for those who are skilled in martial arts, especially those who have practiced light body kung fu.

Just look at Bai Li and his people, either relying on the power of the trees, or the skill of playing with a stick, or two of them setting up one and wandering in that direction, just like mountain monkeys passing through the stream. After a while, they all reached the mouth of the gorge.

This Xiakou Pass has a special construction. The terrain above it is not an ordinary city head. Because it follows the shape of a ridge, it is similar to a sword pavilion. It is rugged and stacked, unlike ordinary city heads.

Bai Li led people over. He didn't make too much noise at first, but when Zhanzhuan was about to go down, and he didn't know what mechanism was arranged below, there was a sudden burst of Ge Lingling's copper bells.

"No, there are Song troops trying to get through!" Guan Guan immediately shouted, raised the lights, and started shooting arrows.

At this moment, when the pass was closed, the sound of killing suddenly broke out, and the army in front began to attack the city!

(End of this chapter)