Chapter 198: The tycoon of Luoyang

"I want me to go back to Luoyang? This is this..." Zhang Hongfan was shocked at the order Kublai Khan gave him, and he could not believe it was true. If Kublai Khan had not been a trustworthy monarch and would have never been able to find anything to do, he would have cursed.

This cannot be blamed on Zhang Hongfan, but only for the reasoning and orders that were too abrupt and unbelievable. Zhang Jue's army advanced eastward and pressed against the Sanmenxia area. They felt very stressed. In theory, Kublai Khan wanted to increase his troops to them, but he didn't expect to ask him to return to Luoyang to help.

Besides, Luoyang is calm and ok now, why should we return to the rescue? Could it be that the Song army fell from the sky? Not to mention that Zhang Hongfan was unbelievable, even A Shu looked disapproving. Looking at his appearance, you can definitely imagine what he was thinking. Needless to say, what he was thinking must be whether Kublai Khan had hit a series of defeats and was in a mess and commanding blindly.

"General Zhang, what do you think should be done?" A Shu thought for a while and asked.

Zhang Hongfan calmed down and said, "The emperor's decree is very strict, and it is not enough not to be implemented. I have to go to Luoyang."

A Shu analyzed and said, "We are under great pressure. If you leave again, it will be difficult to say that we can't stand it. General Zhang, can you think of some other solutions?"

"I understand what you mean. You want me to take less people away." Zhang Hongfan said in one sentence, and said, "The emperor just wanted me to return to Luoyang, but he didn't say how many people I wanted me to bring back. I think I would bring 10,000 people. It would be useless if there were too many, but it would weaken your strength."

At this moment, A Shu was grateful for Zhang Hongfan's understanding, and he clasped his fists and said, "Thank you for your generousness, A Shu never thanks you for your kindness."

"Ashu, you are so serious. We are the ministers in the same palace and do things for the emperor. I dare not regard you as your gratitude." Zhang Hongfan put his fists back and gave a polite and humble manner.

A Shu asked, "When will General Zhang leave?"

"Military orders are like mountains, and I can't stay there even if I want to stay. Let's set off right away." Zhang Hongfan showed the qualities that a good soldier should have.

As we all know, the Yellow River is the mother river of the Chinese nation, and Luoyang is the center of the Yellow River. Its geographical location is very important and it is a well-known "Four Wars Place" in history. At the beginning, Liu Bang, the Emperor of Han Dynasty, planned to set the capital in Luoyang. First, because the palaces here are very good, you can just move in directly without rebuilding. Furthermore, it is close to Shandong and it is easy to go home. A large number of his ministers came from Fengpei, and they all advocated the capital of Luoyang.

The person who broke his idea was a person guarding the frontier, Lou Jing. He occasionally heard that Liu Bang wanted to establish his capital in Luoyang, but he thought it was inappropriate and found an opportunity to meet Liu Bang and persuade Liu Bang to establish his capital in Guanzhong.

His words made a lot of sense. After hearing this, Liu Bang asked Zhang Liang a series of questions. One of them was that the four battles in Luoyang were in danger. If there was something wrong with the court and the world was in trouble, if those princes who had the greatest lords raised their troops to advance to Luoyang, wouldn’t the Luoyang that had no danger to be defended?

On the other hand, the "Four Frontiers" in Guanzhong is a good place to establish the capital. Liu Bang understood and left immediately to settle the capital in Guanzhong, which led to the later Chang'an, which is now the origin of Xi'an becoming the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties. Of course, Liu Bang, the creator of Lou Jing, did not treat him badly. He rewarded him with 500 kilograms of gold and gave him the surname Liu, and was named Liu Jing.

The builder of Luoyang was Zhou Gong, the one who interpreted the dream. At that time, the Western Zhou Dynasty established a national regime and imposed many princes. These princes had to pay homage to the emperor once a year, and had to go from far to Haojing in Guanzhong. The journey was too far. For example, Jiang Ziya had to go from Shandong to Guanzhong, and his old bones were scattered, and he could not bear it.

It was precisely because of Luoyang's geographical location "in the middle of the world" that Duke Zhou decided to build Luoyang here as the second capital of the Western Zhou Dynasty. Every year when the Zhou emperor met with the princes from all over the country, the Zhou emperor came to Luoyang to accept the princes' pilgrimage and performance reports.

When the Quanrong invaded the east, King Ping of Zhou was timid and afraid of trouble, so he had to move eastward to Luoyang, and had no plans to restore the former prosperity of the Western Zhou Dynasty. Since then, the Zhou Dynasty has weakened, and the countries of the Spring and Autumn Period began from then on. Therefore, the famous "Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period" and "Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period" in Chinese history have successively appeared on the historical stage.

From a strategic perspective, Luoyang is the western gate of Bianjing. If Luoyang is lost, the Southern Song Dynasty would be like pointing its sharp sword at Bianjing. After listening to Guo Kan's analysis, Kublai Khan would not be in a hurry to ask Zhang Hongfan to return to Luoyang.

Guo Kan wrote the word "Tiaohou", which is an allusion. During the rebellion of the seven kingdoms of Wu and Chu in the Western Han Dynasty, Tiaohou Zhou Yafu was ordered by Emperor Jing of Han to send troops to Shandong to suppress it. At that time, Zhou Yafu had very few troops, only 30,000 people, while the seven kingdoms of Wu and Chu had a total of hundreds of thousands of thousands. The power balance was too great. If he fought head-on, he would definitely lose.

Zhou Yafu was a talented general in Chinese history, so he naturally understood the reason why the situation was not good. His campaign was a big move in Chinese military history. He did not start from Hangu Pass, which he was concerned about, but instead came out of Lantian and moved quickly along the old path of the Yellow River. He suddenly appeared in Shandong with lightning speed. He quickly flattened Shandong and turned around to deal with the Wu and Chu army. This battle took only three months.

Kublai Khan, an emperor who reads Han books, naturally knew that the word "Guo Kan" was telling him that Jie Jin's cavalry must have come out of Hangu Pass like Zhou Yafu back then, but hid and advanced from other places. Jie Jin's goal must be Luoyang.

Guo Kan's inference is not correct, but very correct. Kublai Khan's understanding is amazing and he does not hesitate to execute it. However, Kublai Khan did not tell Zhang Hongfan what Guo Kan said. Zhang Hongfan could not understand why the Song army suddenly appeared in Luoyang, and the execution was as if it were a formality, which brought disastrous consequences.

"Which part of you are?" asked the Mongolian commander who was guarding the city.

A commander under Zhang Hongfan rolled his eyes and said arrogantly: "Damn it, open your dog's eyes and take a good look. This is our General Zhang, and we won't open the door to let us in." Zhang Hongfan was outstanding and made great achievements in combat, which was very favored by Kublai Khan. His commander benefited from it and spoke with great ambitions.

The commander on the top of the city looked them for a while and said, "You are not on the front line, what are you doing in Luoyang?"

"Damn it, how do I know?" the leader of the thousand-time mentor nagged and shouted: "You should take care of it more and let us in quickly."

The commander of the city said, "You wait, I'll go and ask for instructions."

"I'm asking for advice." Zhang Hongfan was very unhappy and said, "If you don't open the door, be careful that I will kill you." There is no need to go into the city to see, just look at the soldiers on the top of the city to know that Luoyang is safe and sound. He ran to Luoyang from all over the world, just such a waste. Zhang Hongfan was very upset, and this unlucky leader naturally became his punching bag.

His words were very intimidating. The commander seemed to be scared and smiled, saying, "General Zhang, you are a large number of adults, and the young ones are involuntarily. Now open the door and invite you in, and invite you in." With a wave of his hand, the suspension bridge was put down and said, "General Zhang, please." He ran down the city gate and rushed to the city gate to greet him. Looking at his skill in flattery, he had to admire his skill in this way.

Zhang Hongfan's vanity was slightly satisfied, and he pulled the reins and led the team to pass the suspension bridge. As soon as he arrived at the city gate, the commander of the thousand-man grabbed his horse and said with a smile: "General Zhang, the young ones are offended, so please don't be offended. The young ones will be the guide of the groom, and the right to apologize."

One is a beloved general who was deeply favored by Kublai Khan, and the other is a commander of a thousand men. The difference between the two is too far. The commander of apologized for such kindness, and Zhang Hongfan couldn't refuse. He said ignorantly: "Take me to see Chi Lieyan." Chi Lieyan is the garrison general of Luoyang.

The commander of the thousand men took the order, led the horse, walked beside Zhang Hongfan, and shouted: "Brothers, come and welcome General Zhang. General Zhang is here, brothers, come and welcome him."

Perhaps because Zhang Hongfan's reputation was too great, the Mongolian soldiers who were originally scattered everywhere surrounded them in groups, and spontaneously stood on both sides to welcome Zhang Hongfan, as if they were welcomed by the heroes who returned victoriously.

Only heroes who have won great battles are qualified to enjoy such grand etiquette. Although Zhang Hongfan has won many victories and many defeats in the past, especially in recent years, he has lost all the reputation he has accumulated before. He has not enjoyed a hero-like welcome for a long time. He enjoyed it very much, and he slowly moved forward under the leadership of the commander of a thousand men.

However, his team lined up in long strips, walked past the welcome team, and told jokes to the officers and soldiers guarding the city from time to time.

Zhang Hongfan was happy and did not notice that the commander who led him to keep his horse was looking at his neck from time to time, and his eyes occasionally flashed with a very unfriendly light.

The commander of the thousand-man took Zhang Hongfan forward and walked forward for a long time but did not arrive at Chi Lieyan's office. Regarding Luoyang, Zhang Hongfan was an old place to visit, and asked strangely: "Why haven't you arrived yet?"

The commander of the thousand-man smiled and said, "General Zhang doesn't know anything. The lord said that General Zhang is a distinguished guest and wanted to prepare a more grand welcome ceremony for General Zhang."

"Oh, he's too worried." Zhang Hongfan felt a little surprised and said, "Where is it?"

The leader smiled and said, "It's coming soon, it's coming soon."

As expected, he didn't go far. From a distance, he saw many people in front of him, all of whom were all cavalry, lined up in an orderly manner, with a majestic military posture, a dragon, a horse like a tiger, and a rainbow of momentum. Zhang Hongfan was a good general, and he could see at a glance that this was a rare elite army. He blurted out, "What a tiger and wolf army." Then he asked strangely: "When did there be such an elite cavalry in Luoyang? Why don't I know?"

"They arrived last night. They spent one night preparing a grand welcome ceremony for General Zhang." The commander of thousands of men asked sarcastically: "What do you think General Zhang?"

Zhang Hongfan blurted out: "It's very good, the military appearance is very strong, and it is one of the best cavalry I have ever seen in my life. What part of them are they?"

"If you ask something else, I don't know. If you ask them, I really know." The Qianfu thrust his chest, raised his head, and looked proud, saying: "They were the iron-blooded cavalry under General Jie Jin of the Song Dynasty. They once started from the city of Yangzhou and fought thousands of miles to Hanzhong. Now, they are fighting to Luoyang."

Zhang Hongfan was immersed in enjoyment, and did not hear the change in the tone of the commander of Qianfu. He no longer called himself a young man, but said to me, no longer called him general, but called you directly. He heard this at first glance, like a thunderclap sounding in his ears, and shouted: "Hurry, get ready for battle!" His reaction was not slow, and he was about to draw his sword with his right hand. At this moment, a training-like sword light hit his neck, and it was the commander of Qianfu that suddenly started to attack.

It was too late to draw the sword, so Zhang Hongfan had no choice but to hide in his foot and hide on the other side of his mount. The captain had a good skill. He turned the sword in his hand and slashed straight towards his mount, hitting the back of the horse, sinking to the foot. It deserved Zhang Hongfan's luck. The knife was not biased and crooked, just slashing on his right leg. Amid his long screams, his right leg left him from his calf.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the personal soldiers behind him shouted, "There is an assassin." They flew to rescue them. At this moment, the soldiers who had originally welcomed them suddenly drew out their machetes and slashed at them. In an instant, the originally lively welcome scene became bloody and bloody. Many Mongolian soldiers fell under the knife. They didn't understand why these people who welcomed them took action against them until they died.

The tall general who was standing at the forefront of the cavalry immediately drew his sword and raised it above his head. A big flag with a character that appeared in the wind like a magic trick, fluttering in the wind, stretching like a painting, and it was particularly beautiful.

This person is no one else, but Jie Jin, who made the Mongolians frightened. The precious sword in his hand illusioned a beautiful sword flower, and a shocking shout of "Long live the Song Dynasty!"

Then there was a sound of thunderous hooves. His iron-blooded cavalry followed him, holding up his sword and rushing towards the mysterious Mongolian army. The sword in his hand shone with a chilling light in the sunlight.

At this moment, Zhang Hongfan, who woke up from his dream, looked as if he was ashamed and shouted: "We have been fooled. Luoyang has long been in the hands of the Southern Dynasty. Master, you are so wise! It's all my fault. He acted slowly and took the time on the road!"

There is a saying that "I hear the truth in the morning and die in the evening." Although it means to encourage people to improve their studies, this is too sad and it is appropriate to give it to Zhang Hongfan.

"Get out! Get out!" Wuliheliang looked at the official document and rushed into the house without raising his head, yelling, "You have forgotten even the rules."

The visitor seemed to ignore his shouting and smiled, "What are you shouting? Singing a big show with your voice open, but your voice is still a little bit bad, so you need to practice well."

Wuli Heliang is a Mongolian official and a civil servant in Shangqiu. No one except a few people had the courage to talk to him. He suddenly raised his head and looked at the person who came. He was wearing the military uniform of the Southern Song general, majestic. Wuli Heliang was a little confused. He was stunned for a while before asking: "Who are you? Why are you wearing the armor of the Southern Dynasty? Oh, I understand, you are going to dress up as the Southern Dynasty army and sneak attack the Southern Dynasty. You kid are so good, you have the potential to be a general. Work hard, and the emperor will not wait for you." He really understands, and he explains this way.

The person who came strode and sat on the table. The horse whip in his hand seemed as flexible as a spirit snake. He put it around his neck and pulled it hard. Wuliheliang felt that his neck tightened and it was difficult to vent his breath. He heard in his ears, "I am not pretending, but I am a general of the Song Dynasty."

If the general of the Southern Song Dynasty entered his room without his awareness, Wuli Heliang would find it difficult to believe that Yucheng was still in the hands of the Mongolians, and he said he would not believe anything about the fall of Shangqiu. However, if he didn't believe it, who else could have trapped himself like a dog besides the general of the Southern Song Dynasty?

The man seemed to understand his thoughts and smiled and said, "Are you thinking about how I came in? You are such a good official, and you are still in office in the middle of the night. It is really his luck to Kublai Khan have a good minister like you. Unfortunately, luck did not come to you. It is very unfortunate that you fell into our hands. It is late at night, and we quietly entered the city. Now my army is sweeping the remnants of the Tartars in Shangqiu City."

This man was such a great man. He explained to him tirelessly, saying, "My name is Zhao Qian. You know my army, it is the Xuanjia Cavalry!"

"Okay, Xie Jin and Zhao Qian are so capable that they took down Luoyang Shangqiu without knowing it." Li Jun was very excited to throw the two battle reports on the table and said, "There are so many Jie Jin that he actually prepared a welcome ceremony for Zhang Hongfan. Zhang Hongfan fell from the highest point of excitement to the lowest point, and it hurts very much."

Zhang Shijie smiled and exclaimed: "General Jie has many tricks. If I were to set up an ambush at most, I would never think of having a welcome ceremony, which would make Zhang Hongfan's mood fluctuate, and suddenly from the most excited state to the worst. He can really torture people."

"Emperor, Luoyang and Shangqiu have been taken down. What we need to do next is to defend these two places. I think the Tartars will inevitably counterattack on a large scale. First, we should remind Xie Jin and General Zhao Qian, and second, we should order the follow-up troops to rush to reinforce. We must not let these two places be lost again." Du Dayong immediately advised Li Jun.

Li Jun deeply agreed and said, "General Du said well. If these two places are guarded, the army on the east and west sides of the Tatars will become isolated enemies, which will facilitate our encirclement and annihilation."

"Your Majesty, it's time to see us." Gundam rubbed his hands and said, "The east and west line is fighting fiercely, but we are slowly moving forward. There has not been a big battle yet, so I am very unwilling."

Li Jun smiled and said, "Don't be anxious, you can fight if you have any battles. What I thought was to make him tight in both sides of the world first. Kublai Khan would have no choice but to mobilize troops from the middle. That's the time for us to exert force."

"Good idea!" Zhang Shijie and the others blurted out.
Chapter completed!