Runzhou is located at the junction of the Jiangnan Canal and the Yangtze River, and is an important industrial and commercial city of the Great Song Dynasty in the south of the Yangtze River, but at this time Li Qing, the king of Yan, has led 40,000 iron cavalry to the city, Li Qing claims to have 100,000 troops, and before surrounding Runzhou, he sent an envoy to Runzhou to persuade Runzhou Zhizhou to surrender, but was refused; The atrocities of the Xia army have spread throughout the south of the Yangtze River, and the governor of Runzhou personally led the people of the city to defend the city and fight against the enemy.
Early in the morning, Zhou Hai reported to Li Qingyu: "Lord Wang, the governor of Runzhou refused to surrender to our army, and also killed the envoys sent by the prince. ” "Forget it, we don't have so much time and troops to waste here."
Li Qing said: "At the intersection of the Yangtze River and Jiangnan in the north of Runzhou, there is a Runzhou wharf and several shipyards, and you will take people to burn them. ” "Yes, the last general commands."
Zhou Yang took thousands of people to burn down the wharves and shipyards in the north of Runzhou City, and after doing all this, Li Qing led the army to continue all the way west along the Yangtze River.
At this time, the supreme ruler of Jiangning Mansion is the Empress Dowager Zhu, she is the biological mother of the Song Emperor Zhao Xu, and has experienced ups and downs in her life, when the Empress Dowager Gao is still alive, although the Empress Dowager Zhu is the biological mother of the emperor, but life is not easy, knowing that after the Empress Dowager died, the Song Emperor Zhao Xu respected his biological mother Zhu as the Empress Dowager.
After learning the news that the Xia army had invaded Changzhou and slaughtered the city for three days, the Empress Dowager Zhu did not panic, but came forward to stabilize the situation of the Song court, on the one hand, she sent someone to inform the Song Emperor Zhao Xu of the news, and asked him to send troops to help, and on the other hand, she sent a fast boat to Li Bao, who was stationed at the mouth of the Yangtze River, and ordered to lead all the naval warships to return to the Beijing Division.
In addition, the Empress Dowager Zhu also ordered the minister to recruit young men to guard the city, and at the same time move all the people around Jiangning Mansion into the city, transport all the grain and grass within a hundred miles outside the city into the city, and destroy everything that can be destroyed outside the city.
"Report, report, report to the prince, the sentry cavalry probe reports that the army of Emperor Zhao Xu of the Song Dynasty has arrived in Wuxi City."
"Report, report, report to the prince, the sentry cavalry detective reported that the Song court has moved all the people around Jiangning Mansion into the city to carry out the scorched earth war of resistance."
"Report, report, report to the prince, the Jiangnan Navy of the Song Army began to go west, and it is expected to reach Jiangning in three days."
Li Qing smiled and said, "It seems that our actions are going to be accelerated, when will the army be able to reach Jiangning." ” "Lord Wang, it will probably take another hour."
Zhou Yangyu reports.
"Ordered the army to speed up and set up camp ten miles east of Jiangning."
Li Qing ordered; "Zhou Yang, you take people to Jiangning, and give an order for the king to let the people in Jiangning's mansion surrender, otherwise there will be no chickens and dogs left after entering the city."
"Yes, lord."
Zhou Yang ordered: "Lord Wang, are you going to reveal your identity, this is really too dangerous." ” "Don't worry, there's nothing dangerous."
Li Qing said with a smile; "This king just wants them to know that this king is here, so that they can come to encircle and suppress and buy time for our army."
"Yes, the Admiral understands."
After receiving Li Qing's military order, Zhou Yang took dozens of cavalry to take the lead and quickly came to the east gate of Jiangning Mansion; Zhou Yang pointed to the guard on the upper floor of the city gate and shouted: "Hurry up and inform you of the biggest official in the city, this general is the envoy of King Yan of Great Xia, and he has come to visit him on the order of King Yan, please open the city gate quickly." ” "Wait here."
The guard shouted.
Soon the news spread to the Great Song Palace, and the Empress Dowager Zhu asked several important ministers around her: "What do you think, Aiqing?"
"Empress Dowager, there are 100,000 Xia soldiers in the city this time, and the defenders in my city are less than 20,000, and the rest are young and strong.
The old minister thought that it would be better to meet with the envoys of the Xia army, stabilize them first, and wait for the reinforcements of His Majesty and General Li to arrive. ” "Lord Sima is reasonable, and the old minister reconsiders" "The old minister also reconsiders" "In that case, the mourning family met with this envoy of the Xia army, and sent a decree ordering him to go to the Chongzheng Palace to meet the mourning family."
"Obey the decree of the Queen Mother" Under the leadership of an official, Zhou Yang came to the Chongzheng Hall of the Great Song Palace, and as soon as he walked outside the palace, Zhou Yang was stopped by the forbidden army guarding the palace; Zhou Yang said angrily: "What do you want to do, you will be the envoy of King Yan, and you dare to be rude." ” "If you want to enter the temple, you must untie your sword."
The temple guard said strongly.
Zhou Yang put out the saber on the spot, and dozens of Song soldiers immediately surrounded it, Zhou Yang said with a smile: "The general just wants to hand over the saber to you, what are you nervous about?"
Looking at the red-faced Song soldiers, Zhou Yang laughed and walked into the hall; Looking at a woman sitting next to the dragon chair, Zhou Yang laughed and said, "Is there no man in Da Song to let a woman come forward." ” "Bold fanatics, don't hurry up and bow down when you see the Queen Mother."
A Song Chen came out and shouted; "Queen Mother, the thief is rude, please withdraw and behead him."
"I wish you would have beheaded me," Zhou Yang said with a smile; "My prince ordered me to be an envoy, in fact, I didn't want to come at all, my prince personally led more than 100,000 troops to the city, and the city can be broken overnight, how can my prince be merciful, as long as you are willing to open the city and surrender, my prince guarantees the safety of everyone in your city."
"Arrogant thief."
Another Song Chen said; "There are hundreds of thousands of troops in my city, and the two reinforcements will arrive soon, if you are willing to surrender now, then the old minister will speak for you in front of His Majesty, and let you live."
"Is it" Zhou Yang pretended to be surprised and said: "There are hundreds of thousands of troops in this city, but when the general entered the city, he only saw a group of rabble."
"Envoy Xia doesn't need to say it, it is absolutely impossible to make the mourning family surrender, if you have the ability, let your master come to attack the city," Empress Dowager Zhu said stiffly.
"In that case, I will retire" After Zhou Yang left the city, the Xia army had already set up camp outside the city, and Zhou Yang came directly to the big tent of the Chinese army and said to Li Qing: "Lord, Jiangning has Empress Dowager Zhu personally guarding it, and there are hundreds of thousands of young people in the city, and they refuse to surrender. ” "Did you kid say anything cruel again?"
"There will be no general, please check the prince" "This king doesn't know you yet."
Li Qing said with a smile; "Before you entered the city, this king knew that Jiangning would not surrender, after all, this is the capital of the Great Song Dynasty, if you don't even have the capital, the Great Song Dynasty will be equivalent to the death of the country."
"Then Lord Wang, what should we do next?"
Zhou Yang asked Li Qing.
Li Qing smiled weirdly and muttered in Zhou Yang's ear, Zhou Yang was shocked and said, "Lord Wang, this is too ruthless."
"Hurry up and do it, there's not much time left for us, and the king of tomorrow must see everything he wants, otherwise it will be too late."
"Rest assured, the prince will not disgrace his mission":