gnovel Chapter 80 The Wind Rises in Yangzhou
Chapter 80 The Wind Rises in Yangzhou
Inside the Imperial Guard camp, Murong Yanzhao had already obeyed Zhao Dezhao's orders and set aside a separate area as the Crown Prince's personal guard camp.
As soon as the carriage arrived at the camp gate, Zhao Dezhao lifted the curtain and got out. Ignoring the stares of the soldiers around him, he grabbed Cao Bin's hand and walked straight toward the Imperial Guard.
Cao Bin's eyebrows twitched, and a hint of unease flashed across his face, but he dared not forcefully pull his hand away because of his status, and could only grit his teeth and follow along.
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
Upon seeing Zhao Dezhao enter the camp, Jing Si, who had just been appointed as the head of the family affairs office by Zhao Dezhao, quickly stepped forward to pay his respects. His gaze subconsciously swept over Cao Bin beside Zhao Dezhao, and a hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes.
Cao Bin's face darkened. He finally understood why Zhao Dezhao insisted on stopping the car at the camp gate and even pulled him into the camp in front of everyone.
No, we shouldn't stay here any longer.
Just as he was about to take his leave, Zhao Dezhao saw through his thoughts first and turned to Jing Si, giving him a stern order:
"Beat the drums!!"
"Here you go!"
With Zhao Dezhao's command, the drums thundered, deep and powerful, echoing throughout the entire Imperial Guard training ground.
With his heart set on the battlefield, Cao Bin forgot the words he was about to say and subconsciously looked towards the training ground.
Upon hearing the drumbeats, the guards, who had been training just moments before, immediately dropped everything and rushed to the training ground like a pack of wolves!
In just a few breaths, the eight hundred guards stood in neat rows, their military bearing impeccable, and the room was completely silent.
After nearly a month of special training, these eight hundred men, while not completely transformed, have developed a fierce and sharp spirit far exceeding that of ordinary imperial guards.
Simply by standing still, an overwhelming aura of murderous intent and killing intent emanated from them, causing Cao Bin to exclaim in admiration:
"What a formidable and valiant army!"
Looking at the eight hundred elite soldiers in the training ground, Cao Bin's eyes instantly ignited with a burning light.
Eight hundred may not seem like much, but when they are strong enough, they can unleash earth-shattering power!
Xiang Yu's 800 men crossed the Huai River, broke through the encirclement, and killed generals; Huo Qubing's 800 light cavalry penetrated deep into the Xiongnu territory and sealed the Wolf Mountain; Zhang Liao's 800 elite soldiers charged into the 100,000-strong Wu army and were awe-inspiring at Xiaoyao Ford...
The legends of ancient generals seem to be recreated before my eyes.
"A general must command such elite troops to conquer the world and be invincible!"
Cao Bin murmured to himself, his tone filled with undisguised longing, and his usually reserved expression was tinged with excitement.
Zhao Dezhao glanced at Cao Bin, his smile growing even wider.
"Your Highness, all eight hundred personal guards have arrived!"
Jing Si strode out from the army formation, his voice booming like a bell.
The entire training ground was completely silent, with only Jing Si's words echoing in the distance.
After the previous rectification, the 800 elite guards under the Imperial Guard were very disciplined. Punishment could reach the level of a general, and rewards were given to every soldier. They were truly fair in their rewards and punishments.
In recent days, quite a few soldiers have been expelled from the Imperial Guard for violating military discipline.
Even Jing Si was severely punished by Zhao Dezhao for violating military discipline.
By making an example of them and with Zhao Dezhao's generous treatment, these originally arrogant imperial guards have almost completely transformed into fierce tigers who obey orders without question!
"Perform martial arts!"
At Zhao Dezhao's command, the eight hundred guards quickly split into two groups under the leadership of their officers. One group, armed with shields and swords, formed a tight square formation and advanced steadily. The sound of their shields colliding was uniform and like thunder rolling on the ground.
The other side, armed with spears and lances, launched a swift and fierce attack in a cone formation, their spear tips gleaming coldly as they aimed directly at the gaps in the formation.
The two teams clashed, the clanging of weapons echoing incessantly. Their moves were sharp yet not reckless, their advances and retreats displaying remarkable skill and strategy. They switched between offense and defense at times, and flanked from the sides at others. Every action was precise and swift, like a sophisticated war machine!
Cao Bin was so excited watching that his eyes were glued to the training ground until Zhao Dezhao called him several times before he came back to his senses.
"Uncle Guohua, are my eight hundred Tiger Warriors to your liking?" Zhao Dezhao asked with a smile.
"Such elite troops are the best in the world, capable of withstanding a thousand armies!" Cao Bin said earnestly, full of admiration.
"If Uncle Guohua were to lead these eight hundred elite troops, how would you deploy them?" Zhao Dezhao asked, looking intently at him.
Before he finished speaking, a strong longing welled up in Cao Bin's eyes, and images of himself leading this elite force, charging into battle, and capturing enemy flags flashed through his mind.
Any aspiring general would find it impossible to remain completely calm in the face of such a formidable army!
But Cao Bin was no ordinary man. In just a moment, his eyes regained their clarity, and after a soft sigh, he bowed deeply to Zhao Dezhao.
"Your Highness's kindness is an honor for this humble servant. I am of limited ability and knowledge, and I fear I am not up to the task and will fail Your Highness's trust."
He paused, then offered his leave again: "With the expedition imminent, I have many military matters to prepare. If Your Highness has nothing else to attend to, please allow me to take my leave."
Zhao Dezhao was slightly taken aback; he hadn't expected Cao Bin to decline again.
He frowned slightly, but did not show any displeasure. He just stared at Cao Bin for a moment, then smiled with relief: "In that case, I will take Uncle Guohua back now."
"Your Highness, please wait. This humble servant may leave on my own."
Cao Bin quickly declined, as he dared not let Zhao Dezhao see him off again, otherwise the label of "the Crown Prince's confidant" on him would probably never be able to be washed away.
"Uncle Guohua, please do as you please." Zhao Dezhao did not insist. He knew that some things could not be rushed, and Cao Bin would not easily submit to his command.
But so what?
There's plenty of time for this expedition!
He was determined to take Yangzhou, and he would also bring Cao Bin under his command!
……
September of the first year of the Jianlong era of the Great Song Dynasty.
Li Chongjin imprisoned the Song envoy Lu Duoxun, raised the banner of rebellion in Yangzhou, and formally announced his uprising against the Song Dynasty.
Zhao Kuangyin immediately issued an edict to punish the rebels, appointing his eldest son Zhao Dezhao as the commander-in-chief of the Yangzhou campaign, in charge of the troops from Huainan, Bianjing, and Shandong, to lead the army to suppress the rebellion.
After receiving the imperial edict, Zhao Dezhao quickly made arrangements for military affairs:
With Shi Shouxin as deputy commander and Li Chuyun as supervisor, they led an army of 30,000 as the vanguard, advancing by both land and water to first besiege Yangzhou and cut off Li Chongjin's connection with the outside world.
In early October, Zhao Dezhao personally led 20,000 elite troops by boat eastward, marching along the Bian River to Yangzhou.
The news caused an uproar throughout the world!
No one could have imagined that Zhao Kuangyin would entrust the position of commander-in-chief of the three armies to his ten-year-old eldest son!
For a time, both within and outside the court, and across the four corners of the world, some wore solemn expressions, some harbored ill intentions, and some mocked recklessly, but in any case…
From that moment on, a person's name officially stepped onto the world stage, becoming the focus of attention from all sides!
Zhao Dezhao, the eldest son of the Song Dynasty Emperor!
In an instant, the world was in turmoil once again, and countless eyes, each with its own agenda, converged on Yangzhou, eager to see what this eldest son of the Song Dynasty emperor could accomplish.
Some with ulterior motives have already set their greedy eyes on Kaifeng, waiting for the so-called eldest prince to be defeated so that they can rise up and devour the Central Plains!
"The Central Plains have always been inhabited by capable individuals!"
Inside the Yangzhou government office, Li Chongjin gazed towards Kaifeng, a slightly arrogant smile on his face, and addressed his generals:
"If it were that traitor Zhao himself, I would still be somewhat wary. But he has become so foolish as to send a ten-year-old child to his death. Our army is already certain to win this battle!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his confidant Zhai Shouxun and his adopted son An Yougui both had their eyes flickering and silently lowered their heads.
Both of them felt that Zhao Kuangyin had been far too presumptuous this time.
Li Chongjin was no weakling; he was arguably the second strongest man in the Song Dynasty after Zhao Kuangyin, commanding over 40,000 elite troops and numerous fierce generals, with a distinguished record of past victories.
How can a ten-year-old child be an enemy?
Zhai Shouxun, in particular, felt a pang of regret, wondering if he had surrendered too soon.
But once he was on the pirate ship, he had no choice in the matter, so he could only sigh and suppress his thoughts.
"My lord, you must not be careless!"
At that moment, Xiang Mei, a valiant general under Li Chongjin, stepped forward and bowed to offer his advice:
"My lord, you are wise! Although Zhao Dezhao is young and easily bullied, Shi Shouxin, Li Chuyun, and others are all seasoned generals with elite and skilled troops under their command. They must not be underestimated!"
Upon hearing this, Li Chongjin showed no displeasure, but simply nodded and said, "Military strategy says that underestimating the enemy is a grave mistake. General Xiang's words are reasonable."
Then, after a moment's thought, he gave the following instructions:
"Send a generous gift to the Tang Dynasty once again!"