Late Tang Dynasty: I

Chapter 288 The Hope of Datang
Dong Chang is a local tyrant in western Zhejiang. He originally belonged to the Hangzhou Tuanlian, but gradually recruited troops and became more and more powerful.

Later, during the road trial of the expulsion of the governor of Hangzhou, Dong Chang called himself the governor and managed the affairs of the state.

At that time, the Zhenhai Festival made Zhou Bao unable to control Dong Chang, so he had to ask the imperial court to appoint Dong Chang as the governor of Hangzhou.

A few years later, Dong Chang defeated Liu Hanhong, the envoy of the Yisheng Army, and his military strength increased again. He paid tribute every year to please the Tang court.

The territory of the Yisheng Army is probably in the seven states of Yue, Wen, Ming, Tai, and Heng in the east of Zhejiang, and the government is located in Yuezhou.

However, Dong Chang actually controlled a town in eastern Zhejiang, and extended his hand to several states in western Zhejiang. These are rich and prosperous lands. His strength has increased dramatically, and his ambitions have also grown.

But now, [-] reinforcements were defeated by Hua Hong at Peiqiao, which could be regarded as a blow to wake him up.

Dong Chang sent Tangjiu to guard Shicheng, Yuan Bing to guard Yuyao, and sent envoys to ask Niu Hui for peace.

"The imperial court made an alliance with the towns, and the position of Jiedu is hereditary. Now the imperial court has summoned me to join the court, and they are raising troops to force me. Why is that?"

Niu Hui smiled and said: "The covenant is true, but have you forgotten that the imperial court strictly forbids attacking each other, and you have already abolished the covenant by attacking the west of Zhejiang, so what else is there to say!"

The envoy's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly said, "We are willing to withdraw from Muzhou, and never set foot in the west of Zhejiang. Do you think this is okay?"

Niu Hui smiled and said: "Just do as you said. If the Muzhou government treasury is gone, or if there is a household missing from the Muzhou civil register, the court will still have to question the crime."

"promise!"

The envoy hurried back and reported to Dong Chang. Dong Chang hurriedly ordered the governor of Muzhou Bao Xuechun to lead his troops back to Yuezhou.

Ge Congzhou asked Niu Hui, "Mr. Niu, don't we need to march to Yuezhou?"

Niu Hui looked serious, and said: "Purging the Jiangnan military administration is a policy that His Majesty wants the court to make. Who dares to change it without permission?"

"..." Hua Hong said: "Then why did you promise Dong Chang's envoy that as long as you give up Muzhou, you won't be held accountable?"

Niu Huiqi said: "You are all generals of an army, and you have all learned the art of war. Don't you know what it means to be a soldier?"

"!"

"Send troops and horses to accept Muzhou quickly. If you get the money and food from Muzhou, maybe you don't need to transfer food and grass from Lingnan and Fujian, and the army can be self-sufficient!"

No matter when, the truth is in the hands of those with big fists. If the court is powerful, it can pick the fault of the feudal town. As for the promise, it depends on whether the benefits of betrayal are high enough.

It took half a month to initially reorganize the soldiers and horses in western Zhejiang, and stationed in Muzhou with prefectural soldiers. Zuozhen Wujun left 2000 troops to guard western Zhejiang, and the whole army quickly marched to Yuezhou.

Yuyao was conquered in one day, Shicheng was conquered in three days, and Jiashen in December, a large army besieged Yuezhou.

Only then did Dong Chang realize that he had been fooled by Niu Hui.

The Yisheng Army has 1 troops, actually 4, 5000% of which are stationed in various states, and Yuezhou normally has about 2 troops stationed there. However, they rescued Hangzhou a month ago and lost troops. They are now stationed in Yuezhou There are only [-] people.

In addition to grain and grass, although most of the taxes and taxes from each state were transported to Yuezhou, where the Yisheng Army ruled, there was still a lot of grain in the other six states. Now that Yuezhou was besieged, how could it be sent in.

Dong Chang was completely unprepared for a hand-to-hand fight with the imperial court!
At the beginning, he lost the wind, and hurriedly sent envoys to ask for help from Wang Chao, the governor of Quanzhou, and Zhong Chuan, the defense envoy of Jiangxi.

He also ordered the states to send troops to help.

This strategy is in the middle of Niu Hui and Ge Cong Zhou's arms. It is not a great man's first initiative to encircle the spot to fight for aid. The ancients have used it a lot in actual combat. It only costs two to three thousand soldiers along the way, or four to five thousand troops from two or three states. People, these southern soldiers are not well-armored, cowardly and unable to fight, and they were beaten by Ge Congzhou one by one.

At this time, Niu Hui sent envoys to the states, and all the states looked forward to the wind and descended one after another, calming down the states without any effort.

As for Dong Chang, who was guarding Yuezhou, although the imperial army besieged and did not attack, he lived like a year. When Niu Hui general Ming, Taiwan and other six prefectures made their appearances under the city one by one, Dong Chang no longer reported any expectations for reinforcements.

Niu Hui sent a letter at this time.

"A man should be aware of the fortune and the current affairs. If Dong Jieshuai surrenders now, he may be able to preserve his wealth and protect his family. If he hesitates for a long time, when the time comes, the army will enter the city and the jade will be burnt together. It will be too late for regret!"

This is an ultimatum. In fact, the battle of Peiqiao has broken the courage of Eastern Zhedong, and Dong Chang's generals have no will to fight. What can Dong Chang do at this time.

On the same day when the gate of the city was opened, Dong Chang bound his hands and was covered with rattan canes. He led the military in the commander's mansion and went out of the city to surrender.

At the end of December, the whole territory of eastern Zhejiang was pacified.

With Chuzhou, Yangzhou, and Chuzhou in Huainan, Runzhou, Changzhou, and Huzhou in the west of Zhejiang, the Huainan East Road (probably today's Jiangsu) was established in the six states, and Yangzhou was the seat of government. Li Zuoxun, the governor of Jiangzhou, was the chief envoy of the Huainan East Road.

Taking Guangzhou, Shouzhou, Luzhou, Shuzhou, and Hezhou in Huainan, and Xuanzhou, Chizhou, and Shezhou in Xuanshe, Huainan West Road (probably the entire territory of Anhui today) was set up in the eight states, and the government was Luzhou (now Hefei) ), with Liu He, the governor of Fuzhou, as the chief envoy of Huainan West Road.

Take Hangzhou, Muzhou in the west of Zhejiang, and Mingzhou, Yuezhou, Taizhou, Chuzhou, Hengzhou, Wenzhou, and eight states in the east of Zhejiang. Set up the Jiangnan East Road, the government is Hangzhou, and Chen Shoushan, the governor of Luzhou, is the Jiangnan The chief envoy of the host country.

In January of the third year of Dazhi, Wuji.

Ge Congzhou and Hua Hong's army rested in Yuezhou for more than [-] days. Finally, on the eve of the Shangyuan Festival, Ge Congzhou and others came to the long-awaited edict.

"Ge Cong had 2 foot soldiers from the eight capitals of the Zhou Dynasty, and was awarded the military title Zuoyi Shengjun. The entire army was expanded to [-] capitals, with [-] soldiers, two of which were cavalry, and the source of troops was selected from the original eastern and western Zhejiang soldiers. "

Han Wo, the right servant of the Ministry of War, led more than [-] officials to preside over the military expansion. The emperor also sent Shi Pu to personally award the military flag and festival.

At the same time, Ge Congzhou was granted the male title of Yuezhou County, and Hua Hong was granted the title of male male of Xuanzhou County.

With the pacification of eastern Zhejiang and western Zhejiang, the first step to pacify Jiangnan has been completed.

The imperial court ordered Niu Hui, Ge Congzhou, and Hua Hong to station troops in Wenzhou, and also ordered Chen Yan, the defense envoy of Fujian, and Wang Chao, the governor of Quanzhou, to enter the court.

At the same time, Jiangxi Observation Envoy Zhong was sent to the court, and Anfujiang, who had rested in Xuanzhou for three months, marched into Hongzhou, Jiangxi.

The Mancun Department has arrived in Qianzhou, and troops have entered Langzhou.

Zhao Kuangning's troops stationed troops in Fuzhou and marched into Ezhou according to the order.

His Majesty the Emperor wanted to settle the towns in the south of the Yangtze River before spring plowing. In Li Ye's eyes, nothing was more important than spring plowing, except Champa rice of course.

Bianliang, the residence of Jiedushi.

His Majesty the Emperor solemnly received Zeng Gun, the military governor of the Yuanjing Navy, and Zeng Gun came with more than fifty carts of rice seeds.

This is Datang's hope!

(End of this chapter)