Zhao Song: My father was Emperor Taizu of Song

Chapter 48 Arrogance

Zhao Kuangyin took the rope and, with swift and decisive movements, firmly secured it deep within the rock crevice.

With the rope secured, Zhao Dezhao did not go down. Instead, he imitated his father and tightly wrapped the other end of the rope around his waist, tying a sturdy double knot.

Then, he drew the long-handled axe from his back, gripped the handle tightly with both hands, took a deep breath, aimed at a blue stone that was half a person high and stuck in the middle of the plank road, and chopped it down fiercely!

"Bang--!"

The axe clashed violently with the bluestone, sparking a string of dazzling sparks. Sharp stone chips flew out like shattered blades, and many of them hit Zhao Dezhao's cheeks hard, bringing a stinging pain.

He gritted his teeth, didn't even blink, and with a flick of his wrist, raised the axe again, chopping at the same spot on the bluestone.

Zhao Kuangyin glanced down at his son, a fleeting look of tenderness in his eyes, followed by a surge of satisfaction and gratification.

My son has the same courage I had back then!

Without saying another word, he also grabbed the long-handled axe beside him, exerted force with both arms, and chopped heavily at the falling rocks in front of him!

Zhao Kuangyin was over six feet tall and as strong as a bull. When he swung his axe, it was heavy and powerful, instantly splitting a sizable shallow pit in the falling rocks.

At the same time, the gazes of the more than ten thousand imperial guards behind the father and son gradually changed.

At first, there was astonishment and disbelief. Gradually, the astonishment turned into deep respect, which then ignited a burning flame, eventually converging into a ball of almost fanatical light!

In the deep and treacherous Black Hair Gully, the light was dim and the cliffs were as black as ink. However, the two figures, one large and one small, on the pile of rocks were like two bright stars, or even a radiant battle flag, firmly attracting everyone's attention.

That was their emperor and eldest son!

These two people, whose status is extremely noble, are willing to bend down and split rocks and clear the way themselves. This act of taking the lead and showing their sense of responsibility instantly dispelled the fatigue in the hearts of all the soldiers.

"If His Majesty and His Highness are so determined, why should we spare any effort?!"

"Splitting the rocks! Opening a path to heaven!"

"How can mere rocks possibly withstand my elite army!"

It is unclear when it started, but more and more soldiers began to appear around Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Dezhao.

Initially, it consisted of only a few generals in the army.

Gradually, many soldiers who were not originally part of the vanguard also took off their long-handled axes and climbed up the path cleared by Zhao Kuangyin and his son, hacking at the pile of falling rocks blocking their way!

They took turns going up and down, and though human strength was exhausted, they never stopped clearing the path.

What stopped them wasn't the rubble!

What supports them is not military orders!

In an instant, the area below Black Hair Gully was bustling with noise. The soldiers were in high spirits, carrying and prying, and the originally treacherous mountain road was opened up at a speed visible to the naked eye.

After being replaced, Zhao Dezhao stood at the foot of the cliff, catching his breath. He wiped the sweat and rock dust from his face and looked up at his father, whose figure remained upright on the cliff.

Zhao Kuangyin's armor was covered in dust, and the veins on his forehead bulged, clearly indicating that he had expended a great deal of strength, yet he continued to swing his axe without stopping. His imposing figure became increasingly clear in the dim valley.

Zhao Dezhao was filled with mixed emotions.

This might be why my father was able to end the chaos.

My father may have had his flaws, his methods of seizing the throne from the Later Zhou dynasty may be controversial, and he had his share of frustrations in establishing the Song dynasty, but there is no denying that he always possessed a unique personal charm.

This is precisely why those arrogant and fierce generals of the Five Dynasties were willing to support him as emperor, rather than someone else.

Only he and his army could survive in this era of might makes right and fierce competition among heroes...

Invincible and unbeatable!

……

Meanwhile, inside the government office in Zezhou City.

After capturing Zezhou, Li Jun used the government office as a temporary military governor's residence and dispatched many scouts to closely monitor the Song army's every move.

After learning from the scouts that Zhao Kuangyin had personally led a large army across the Taihang Mountains with the intention of directly attacking Zezhou City.

Li Jun was taken aback at first, then slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups on it jump. He threw his head back and laughed loudly, his laughter unrestrained and triumphant, as if victory was already in his grasp.

"Good! Good! Good! They say to capture the king first! If that Zhao traitor hides in Kaifeng and doesn't come out, I'll have to go through a lot of trouble to conquer the city and seize territory."

"But who would have thought that this Zhao traitor would lose his mind and personally lead his troops here? Isn't this like lambs to the slaughter, giving us the opportunity to capture the king in one fell swoop?"

He walked to the portrait of Emperor Taizu of Zhou, Guo Wei, hanging in the main hall of the government office, straightened his robes, bowed solemnly, and said loudly:

"If our ancestor is watching from heaven, he shall see! This time, I will use the head of that traitor Zhao to appease your spirit and avenge our Great Zhou!"

In Li Jun's heart, there is only one wise ruler!

That's Guo Wei!

He was known for his bravery in his youth. Although he made many contributions during the dynastic changes, he was never given a prominent position.

It wasn't until he met Guo Wei that his talents were fully revealed.

Since then, he was appointed as the military governor of Zhaoyi, governing five prefectures: Ze, Lu, Xing, Ming, and Ci. He became a powerful regional official, tasked with resisting the Northern Han and capturing many important officials of the Northern Han. He can be considered the northern shield of the Later Zhou!

Because of this kindness and recognition, Li Jun remained loyal and steadfast to Guo Wei.

Therefore, upon learning that Zhao Kuangyin had usurped the throne from the Zhou dynasty, Li Jun decided to launch a military campaign against him without any hesitation.

Now that Zhao Kuangyin is personally leading the expedition, he sees an opportunity to defeat the Song Dynasty in one battle!

"Pass down the order!"

Li Jun turned abruptly and sternly ordered his generals:

"All officers and soldiers, immediately stand ready for battle! Once Zhao Kuangyin's Song army arrives at the walls of Zezhou, engage in battle immediately and be sure to capture and kill that traitor Zhao, taking his head!"

"promise!"

The generals responded in unison and were about to turn and leave to relay the order when Lü Qiu Zhongqing, an aide to the general, stepped forward quickly and solemnly offered his advice:

"You must not underestimate the enemy. Zhao the bandit has long been infamous in the army. In the Battle of Liuhe in the past, he killed more than 10,000 enemies with only 2,000 men. Now he has sent two armies to advance from the east and west. He is clearly trying to trap you in Zezhou. You must not be careless!"

Lu Qiu Zhongqing paused, his tone becoming increasingly earnest:

"In my opinion, the best course of action at present is to take advantage of the fact that the Song rebels have not yet formed an encirclement and immediately lead a large army westward to the Taihang Mountains to seize Luoyang."

"Occupying Luoyang will allow us to contend for the entire realm to the east; this is the only long-term solution!"

Little did Zhao Kuangyin know that Lu Qiu Zhongqing's heartfelt words had precisely struck at the heart of Zhao Kuangyin's greatest fears.

The reason why Zhao Kuangyin ordered Shi Shouxin to go to Tianjing Pass first was because he was afraid that Li Jun would abandon Zezhou and move west to occupy Luoyi, at which point the war situation would be completely out of control.

Unfortunately, Lü Qiu Zhongqing had given this kind of advice many times, but Li Jun just wouldn't listen.

Seeing that the battle had not yet begun, Lu Qiu Zhongqing brought up the matter again, boosting the morale of the enemy. This made Li Jun, who was already full of pride, feel displeased, and his face darkened.

He snorted coldly and said disdainfully:

"I am a veteran general of the Later Zhou Dynasty, and many of the soldiers in the Imperial Guard are my old acquaintances and former subordinates! When the time comes, I only need to raise my arm and call to arms, and they will surely respond in droves, turning against me and helping me to kill the traitor Zhao!"

"Besides, with my Dangui Spear and Bohan Horse right here, what is there to fear?"

"Such words that sow discord among the troops must never be uttered again! Anyone who dares to say them will be executed without mercy!"

Seeing Li Jun's stubborn and arrogant demeanor, Lü Qiu Zhongqing opened his mouth, but ultimately could only helplessly close it.

He tried to remind Li Jun several times.

Just ten years ago, Li Shouzhen, a rebel leader of the Later Han Dynasty, said something similar, but in the end, his entire family was wiped out.

Moreover, it was you, Li Jun, and Guo Wei who went to quell that battle together.

How long has it been? You've already forgotten?

"Forget it... good words can't persuade a damned ghost."

Lu Qiu Zhongqing shook his head slightly, beginning to worry about his future: "A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall, and a good bird chooses a good tree to roost in."

"It seems Li Jun can't stay here any longer."