Prime Minister

Chapter 1082: Fighting for Power

Chapter 1082: Fighting for Power

Under Lingzhou City.

The Song army camps were all set up on rice ridges. Due to the irrigation of the Yellow River, Lingzhou was quite rich.

Li Jiqian started out by controlling the five states of Dingnan. After conquering Lingzhou to the west, he changed its name to Xiping Prefecture as the ruling center of the Dangxiang.

After capturing Lingzhou, the Dangxiang tribe rose to power.

The Song Dynasty was also hesitant about Lingzhou at that time, because it was difficult to supply food to Lingzhou, and the cost of transporting food from the inland to Lingzhou was too high, and the court's financial resources were insufficient to support it. Many ministers at that time believed that it would be better to give Lingzhou to Li Jiqian and give him some rewards to buy peace, which would be more cost-effective than stationing troops in Lingzhou.

For example, the famous minister Yang Yi called for abandoning Lingzhou.

However, many knowledgeable people believed that Lingzhou must not be abandoned, otherwise it would give the Dangxiang an opportunity to grow stronger.

But when the court was in a dilemma, Lingzhou was captured by Li Jiqian, and the Dangxiang became difficult to control from then on.

Zhang Zhi now looked at the Lingzhou city that had been under siege for a long time, and once again lamented that the loss of Lingzhou by the imperial court was no less than the loss of Youyan. Not only was Lingzhou a large and strong city, but with Lingzhou as a shield, Xingzhou was in a safe position.

Li Jiqian realized this at that time. He was worried that Lingzhou was too close to the Song Dynasty and would be attacked by the Song Dynasty in the future, so he crossed the Yellow River to the north and chose Xingzhou as his base.

Under the leadership of two Tangut leaders, Li Deming and Li Yuanhao, Xingzhou was expanded into Xingqing Prefecture.

Xingqing Prefecture is shielded by the Helan Mountains to the north and surrounded by the Yellow River on the southeast and two sides. The Yellow River is both a natural barrier and can be used to irrigate farmland, making it a place of dominance.

So this time, the Song Dynasty decided to capture the two states of Xingling and destroy the Western Xia's lair in one fell swoop.

Zhang Zhi returned to the big camp. Wang Zhongzheng, Zhong Shidao, Liu Changzuo and other generals sat in the big tent in worry. They were at a loss as to what to do in facing the Lingzhou City guarded by Renduoya Ding.

It has been twenty days since the siege, and the food and wages have been cut off. The rations brought by the army and those transported by Mingsha have almost been eaten up.

Generals such as Zhong Shidao all advocated retreating to Mingsha to wait for food and fodder supplies.

However, Wang Zhongzheng opposed it, believing that if they withdrew their troops without receiving any news from Zhong Yan and Gao Zunyu's troops, the enemy would be forced to fight alone.

Upon hearing this, all the generals were at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

Master Zhong said, "There has been no news from the troops in Fuyan Road so far. Are we just going to wait outside this city? Is it a good idea to make an enemy of Tumu?"

Wang Zhongzheng said: "If Lingzhou is strong and cannot be taken, we can send a group of troops to attack Xingzhou first. Once Xingzhou is taken, Lingzhou will fall without a fight."

After hearing this, the generals felt it was ridiculous.

Master Zhong said, "This is ridiculous. If you can't even take Lingzhou, how can you take Xingzhou?"

Wang Zhongzheng was furious when he heard this: "Did your Majesty write the order to attack Xingzhou? How dare you question your Majesty's wise decision?"

Zhong Shidao knew that he had fallen into Wang Zhongzheng's trap and said, "I have spoken out of turn."

Wang Zhongzheng sneered, "You have attacked Lingzhou three times, but you just don't try your best. Are you deliberately unwilling?"

Zong Shidao was furious. When Lingzhou was empty before, he wanted to take it, but Wang Zhongzheng refused. Now that he failed to capture the city, he blamed himself for not trying his best. In order to cover up his mistakes, he even found fault with him repeatedly during the siege.

This is how to kill talent.

Zong Shidao held back his anger and said, "I dare not."

The generals below whispered, "In ancient times, scholars killed people by reading military books while fighting. Now, some are fighting with imperial edicts."

"Even military books allow for adaptability to changing circumstances, but imperial edicts cannot."

But Master Zhong was annoyed. Seeing that Wang Zhongzheng was still planning for the siege tomorrow, he immediately said, "Our army has been unable to take the city for a long time. If the enemy raids our food supply route, you will all die here. I request to retreat 50 miles first to open up the food supply route, which will be a strategy for the whole army."

Wang Zhongzheng cursed: "This idiot has repeatedly mentioned retreating and is shaking the morale of our army!"

"Come here, capture him and kill him!"

After saying this, Zhong Shidao was captured on the spot. The generals of Jingyuan Road all came forward to plead: "Your Excellency, please do not kill the general in battle!"

As for Zhang Zhi and the generals of Xihe Road, they did not move.

Wang Zhongzheng smiled slightly when he saw this, and said to the generals, "Well, for your sake, I will spare this man this time. Let him get off the prisoner's cart first, and wait until we conquer Lingzhou City, and then take him to the capital, where Your Majesty will decide his fate."

"The troops of Jingyuan Road are under the command of Liu Changzuo."

Upon hearing this, all the generals secretly groaned, and Wang Zhongzheng smiled coldly when he saw this.

Wang Zhongzheng immediately asked his trusted confidants to guard Zhong Shidao, and at the same time arranged for the siege on the next day.

Zhang Zhi did not say anything either. After leaving the big tent, he glanced at the generals of Jingyuan Road, but did not say anything. The area near the big tent was full of Wang Zhongzheng's trusted spies, and they were all staring at every move of the generals under the tent.

Zhang went straight back to the big tent on Xihe Road.

In the middle of the night, a man asked to see him. It was Liu Changzuo.

Liu Changzuo said, "General, all the generals just now pleaded for General Zhong, why didn't you say anything? You are a civil official general, and you are the only one in the tent who can argue with Wang Zhongzheng."

Zhang Zhi said: "Old General, do you think what Chief Zhong said makes sense?"

Liu Changzuo said: "General Zhong is right."

In the darkness of the night, Zhang pointed to the north bank of the Yellow River and said, "This is the Seven-Level Canal. Guo Ziyi defeated the Tibetans here. Once the Xixia people dug a canal here and released the Yellow River water to flood the fields, we would all be fish and shrimps."

Liu Changzuo's eyes lit up and he asked, "What should we do?"

Zhang Zhi smiled and said, "Nothing, old general, remember what I said, just go back and have a rest."

Liu Changzuo's eyes flashed, and he left silently.

After Zhang Zhi escorted Liu Changzuo out of the tent, he saw a frosty moon hanging half in the sky.

……

The next day, the Song army attacked Lingzhou City from three sides.

Zhong Shidao was locked in a prison van.

Wang Zhongzheng ordered his attendants not to give him any food, not even a sip of water.

Despite this, the siege was still not successful, and the Song army lost hundreds of people under the defense of Western Xia.

Inside the big tent, no one dared to oppose Wang Zhongzheng. Wang Zhongzheng promoted several generals in the Jingyuan Army who had been at odds with Zhong Shidao.

The veteran general Liu Changzuo was excluded by Wang Zhongzheng because he had opposed the advance.

Zhang Zhi entered the tent for a military meeting. The atmosphere today was somewhat different from the past. Zhang Zhi stood up and said to Wang Zhongzheng, "Your Excellency, General Zhong hasn't had any water for a day. Please give him some water."

Wang Zhongzheng said: "I will make the arrangements myself. As for today's siege, Erxihe Road is really delayed..."

Wang Zhongzheng had just eliminated the great threat that was Zhong Shidao, and now he set about dealing with Zhang Zhi.

Zhang Zhi said calmly, "Wait a minute, Your Excellency. Yesterday... I just received a secret decree from His Majesty begging you to read it out!"

Wang Zhongzheng was surprised when he heard this and said, "Your Majesty only sent the edict to me, when will it be given to you?"

Zhang Zhi said: "I have already sent someone to deliver a petition to the emperor. Today, your majesty's edict has been delivered directly to my Xihe Road army!"

"What edict?" Wang Zhongzheng asked in surprise.

Zhang Zhi said: "I was just about to show it to the noble envoy!"

At this point, Zhang Zhi took three steps forward. At this time, Wang Zhongzheng's confidant stopped in front of Zhang Zhi and said, "Sir, please wait! What imperial edict do you want to hand over for me to review?"

Zhang Zhi smiled and immediately took out the imperial edict wrapped in yellow silk from his sleeve. Wang Zhongzheng looked at it carefully and found that what Zhang Zhi held was indeed the emperor's edict.

Wang Zhongzheng was terrified that Zhang Zhi had actually reported him to the government behind his back and only released the evidence today.

Why would the emperor grant him the imperial edict instead of me? What is his relationship with the emperor? Is he closer to him than me, a eunuch?

Indeed, after the two armies joined forces, Wang Zhongzheng was in charge of sending and receiving all imperial edicts. He was both the agent of the emperor, representing the emperor's identity, and the commander-in-chief of the army.

How could Zhang Zhi submit a memorial to the emperor without my knowledge?

(End of this chapter)