In Xuzhou, light rain fell from the sky. The air was cold and gloomy.
Li Zhuohui, the staff officer of the Third Division of the Huaxia Fifth Army, passed through the simple courtyard. When he reached the corridor, he took off his raincoat and patted the water droplets off his body.
Walking through the corridor in front of him, more than a dozen officers had gathered in the courtyard and greeted each other. This was the usual meeting after the morning, but because of what happened yesterday, the scope of the meeting had been expanded.
Outside Xuzhou, the skinny body of the Huaxia soldier was still hanging on a wooden stick. Although there were always deaths in war, and the soldiers who were sent out of the city were in great danger, so there was no need to take special action because of one person. But today, Li Zhuohui still had some different ideas in his mind.
Some time may have come. Yesterday, Li Zhuohui was responsible for checking the identity of the body outside the city. At night, he communicated with several generals in the army. Everyone's ideas were radical and conservative, but today, Li Zhuohui still decided to tell them at the meeting.
Not long after, Division Commander Liu Chengzong arrived in the courtyard, and everyone went into the room. There were several topics of discussion at the meeting every day. Li Zhuohui first reported the identity of the body outside the city.
The victim was named Fang Mu, 29 years old this year, but he was an old scout in the Huaxia army. Before he was ten years old, he was a homeless child in the capital. At that time, he was taken in and trained by Takeshi. He experienced the defense of Bianliang, experienced the regicide rebellion, and later experienced the continuous wars in the northwest. He worked underground for a period of time in Takeshi's army.
He had a wife and children in the mountains of Liangshan. In principle, he should not have been allowed to leave the city. But over the years, the Huaxia army had experienced many battles. There were many brave people, but there were not many people who were really firm and tactful and suitable for the work of spies. At least in this division of more than 8,000 people, there was a lack of such people. Fang Mu took the initiative to ask for this job outside the city. At that time, he said that he would be a spy among the hungry ghosts. He didn't need to fight head-on on the battlefield, and it might be easier to survive.
"… 'I still have a wife and children to take care of at home. I am thin, and it will be easier to survive outside the city …' That was what he said at that time, but he didn't expect … that he was discovered …"
After saying this, Li Zhuohui sat down in his seat. Liu Chengzong nodded and talked about Fang Mu for a while before moving on to other topics. Li Zhuohui thought about when it would be appropriate to share his thoughts with everyone. After a while, Luo Ye, the commander of the special forces, stood up.
"Division Commander Liu, everyone, I have an idea."
"Speak." Liu Chengzong nodded.
"I think it's time for a fight," Luo Ye said. "Fight the hungry ghosts and kill Wang Shitong."
The officers in the room exchanged glances. Liu Chengzong thought for a moment. "For Fang Mu?"
"Fang Mu can be the reason, but the most important thing is that I think the time has come."
"Oh?"
"I have a few reasons for saying this." Liu Chengzong looked at Luo Ye in confusion. Luo Ye looked back calmly and said, "First, what is our purpose in coming to Xuzhou? The Jurchens have three hundred thousand soldiers, and we have eight thousand people. Are we going to defend Xu Province with the sturdiness of the city walls? We denied the feasibility of this in our military discussions last year. Defend, fight in the streets, evacuate, harass … Even in the most optimistic situation, we will give up Xuzhou City and finally turn to guerrilla warfare and harassment. Then, our purpose is to drag out the time, make a name for ourselves, and try to give the resistance forces of the Central Plains and even the Yangtze River Valley some courage. "
"… Then, for such a purpose, what is the significance of the hundreds of thousands of hungry ghosts outside the city for us? Spring is coming, and the Female Zhenren is about to attack. We can count on these hundreds of thousands of hungry ghosts to become our natural barrier. In other words, we can wait for the Female Zhenren to kill these hundreds of thousands of hungry ghosts and finally come to Xuzhou City … This seems to be a very good idea, but I think this choice is very negative. "
"… First of all, we need to consider the fighting strength of the hungry ghosts. Hundreds of thousands of people are starving to death. When they harass the Female Zhenren, even I, Wanyan Zongfu, feel very troublesome. But if the 300,000 regular troops of the Female Zhenren really regard the hungry ghosts as enemies and insist on attacking, the resistance of the hungry ghosts is actually very limited. Watching as hundreds of thousands of people are slaughtered outside the city, and then defending the city is a very big blow to our morale. "
"… Secondly, the Female Zhenren outside the city has already begun to adopt the strategy of dividing and roping in the hungry ghosts. These starving people are very powerful in a desperate situation, but … once they encounter division, they have a path to walk, and they actually can't resist this kind of temptation. So, the barrier of hundreds of thousands of people only looks beautiful, but in reality, it is very fragile. But the life and death of hundreds of thousands of people is actually very heavy … "
Luo Ye paused, "In the past few months, we have watched them starve to death outside Xuzhou City. Although it is not our fault, it still makes people feel … indescribably disheartened. But think about it, if we disperse this group of hungry ghosts that have gathered outside the city, what benefits will there be? "
He raised a hand, "First, it will certainly boost the morale of the army. Second, the hungry ghosts have gathered in Xuzhou because of Wang Shitong. Once Wang Shitong is killed, the hundreds of thousands of people who have survived will scatter. The surroundings are very miserable, and the road south is very difficult, but … a small number of people will survive. This is the only merit we can do. Third, if hundreds of thousands of people scatter, the people of Xuzhou may also be able to wrap themselves in the general trend and begin to retreat south. Even all the residents south of Xuzhou can feel this atmosphere, and go south to find their last path of survival. "
"Division Commander, everyone." Luo Ye took a breath and pointed outside the window, "Spring has arrived, and the snow is about to melt. This war will come no matter what. Let the hundreds of thousands of people outside the city delay us for ten days or half a month? Or let us take the initiative and do a warm-up before the Female Zhenren arrives? What we want is the strength and determination of the entire Central Plains to resist. Like Mister Ning said, we have to play this play well, so there is no need to be so cowardly and cowardly waiting for the Female Zhenren to make a move. If Wang Shitong is really incited by the Female Zhenren, we will have a large group of enemies. In the future, if we really want to withdraw from Xuzhou, I am afraid it will be difficult to do so. "
As Luo Ye spoke, Li Zhuohui raised his hand behind him, "I, I also think so …" Liu Chengzong looked at Luo Ye in front, "Very beautiful words, but what about the specifics? What about our losses? "
'I have a plan,' Li Zhuohui thought. But he heard Luo Ye say, "Last night, I communicated with several Regiment Commanders and rushed to come up with a plan. Once the Hungry Ghosts take the initiative to attack, the endless number of them will be annoying, but their ability to resist attacks is insufficient. We have planted many people among them. We only need to keep an eye on Wang Shitong's position and use our elite forces to break in at high speed. Killing Wang Shitong will not be a problem. Of course, we also need to consider the follow-up development after killing Wang Shitong. We need to activate the hidden forces we have planted among the Hungry Ghosts and guide them to scatter south. In the process, we need to further improve and communicate with them for a few days … "
Luo Ye handed over the plan and explained the steps of the plan. Li Zhuohui and the others began to nod in agreement. After a while, Liu Chengzong, who was in front, nodded and said, "We can discuss it. Is there anyone who objects?" He looked around.
After a while, Liu Chengzong smiled. There was a hint of seriousness and ferocity in his smile. His voice rang out in the room.
"… Pass down the plan. Everyone, discuss it together. Li Zhuohui, I see that you have your own ideas. Perfect it and we will have an official result in the afternoon. If there are no more specific and detailed objections, then as you have said … "
He stood up and knocked his fist on the table.
"Spring is here … Kill King Shitong!"
*****
A thousand miles northwest of Xuzhou, the flames of war and the smoke of beacons had yet to dissipate.
On the battlefield of Lin Province, the intensity of the fierce battle was decreasing as time passed.
It was hard to know when the Jurchen army began to retreat, but by the end of the hour of the nine, around noon, a large-scale retreat had begun to take shape. Wang Juyun led the Wisdom King's army and killed his way northeast. He could feel the resistance along the way weakening.
The Jin army was retreating. Some of the troops led by the generals still launched a counterattack against the Wisdom King's army while retreating. Some of the retreating Jin soldiers even lost their formation and combat strength. When they encountered the Wisdom King's army, they were chased down by the Wisdom King's army. Wang Juyun watched all this from atop his horse.
Shu Liesu was one of the core generals under Wanyan Zonghan's command, along with Yin Shuke and Balisu. After Aguda's death, the Jin State was divided into two centers of power. The army under Wanyan Zonghan's command was even more powerful than the Jurchen imperial army under Wu Qimai's command. The elite Jurchen army under Shu Liesu's command was one of the most elite troops Wang Juyun had ever encountered. But this was the only time he had been able to fight so easily against the core elite of the Jurchen army.
He had not personally witnessed what had happened in the past two hours, but everything he had participated in along the way, including the Black Flag soldiers who had almost exhausted all their strength, was proof of the ferocity of the battle in the past few hours. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Wang Juyun would have found it hard to believe that the army supporting the black flag in front of him was broken up again and again, but the scattered troops were constantly gathering and repeatedly fighting against the Female Daoist.
Even though he had seen it with his own eyes, he still found it hard to believe. Ever since the Jurchen swept across the world and declared that they were invincible, more than thirty thousand elite Jurchen soldiers faced the Black Flag Army of more than ten thousand, and on this morning, they were forcibly defeated.
On the battlefield, all the defeated and wounded soldiers were spreading the news that "Shu Liesu is dead", but no one knew whether it was true or not. At the same time, the Jurchen Zonghan and some of the defeated Han soldiers were also spreading messy rumors such as "Zhu Biao is dead", and even "Mister Ning is dead". No one knew whether it was true or not. The only thing that was clear was that even under such a situation, the two sides were still fighting in such a chaotic and fierce battle.
When it was almost a quarter past noon, Wang Juyun saw Zhu Biao, who was commanding all the soldiers who could still move to rescue the wounded on the battlefield. On the battlefield, mud and blood were mixed, and corpses were scattered everywhere. The flags of the Hua Xia army and the Jurchen army were intertwined. The Jurchen troops had already retreated. Zhu Biao was bathed in blood. His body swayed as he waved at Wang Juyun, "Help save them!"
His voice was hoarse. Wang Juyun had already rushed over with everyone to help. The old man supported Zhu Biao. Zhu Biao smiled, then waved his hand, "Look carefully! Look carefully! Some people are not dead … "He smiled," They are just exhausted, help them get up … "
On the battlefield, many people were lying in the pile of corpses, not moving, but their eyes were still open. As the battle ended, many people had exhausted the last of their strength. They were either sitting or lying there to rest, but after resting, they often did not wake up.
A portion of the soldiers died at this time.
There were still people coming over from afar. The exhausted scouts were passing on the news from all sides on the battlefield. Huyan Zhuo was contacted, Qin Ming was contacted, and Shi Guangen was contacted. Zhu Biao and Wang Juyun received the news together. Every time the news of someone surviving was confirmed, Zhu Biao would smile, "This guy is not dead yet …" However, there was also news that made them feel depressed.
Not long after, someone sent over the news of Guan Sheng and Li Jia Kai. This was already news from the riders that Wang Juyun had sent out. Behind them, there were already people carrying stretchers over. They told Zhu Biao and Wang Juyun about the soul-stirring assassination.
"Look at this dumpling …"
When the stretcher came over, Zhu Biao pointed at one of the people on the stretcher and laughed heartlessly. He laughed so hard that tears came out of his eyes. Lu Junyi's body was wrapped tightly in gauze. His face was pale, and his breathing was weak. He looked extremely miserable.
"The wound on his chest is very serious. Whether he can survive … is hard to say …" The medical officer who accompanied the army explained the situation.
The medical officer who accompanied the army explained the situation with difficulty. He already knew about the news of Lu Junyi killing Shu Su, so he paid extra attention to him. Another dumpling moved on the stretcher next to them, and its gaze shifted in their direction.
"His kung fu is so high, he won't die."
This was Li Jia Kai. He had brought more than a hundred people with him in an attempt to attract Shu Liesu's attention and wait for Guan Sheng and the others to arrive. Then, he noticed the strange movements at the other end of the forest. When he arrived, Lu Junyi and his companions were already cornered. Lu Junyi had been stabbed a few more times, but three of his companions were still alive. When Li Jia Kai arrived, Lu Junyi collapsed. Not long after, Guan Sheng led his people in from the outside. The Jurchen army that had lost their commander-in-chief began to retreat on a large scale. The order for the other troops to retreat was probably issued by the general who had taken over at that time.
Although one of Lu Junyi's SWAT companions who had been fighting along the way had died from serious injuries, one of the remaining two looked over and said, "At the last moment of the killing technique, his horse … knocked Instructor Lu away. If it wasn't for that, Instructor Lu might not have been able to hold on until now …"
Zhu Biao nodded. Beside him, Wang Juyun asked, "What about Shu Liesu?"
"I don't know … The Jurchen didn't leave his body behind …"
Wang Juyun also nodded and cupped his hands in salute. Then, the medical officers carried the wounded away. After a while, Guan Sheng and the others also came over. Another moment later, a figure walked toward the medical team. From afar, it was Yan Qing, who had been active on the battlefield for a while.
There was a cold wind blowing over the endless battlefield. In the wilderness, forests, valleys, and hills that had experienced fierce battles, figures were moving and gathering, carrying out the final clean-up. Bonfires were lit, tents were set up, and hot water was boiled. People were constantly searching for traces of survivors among the piles of corpses. Many people had died, but naturally, there were also many who had survived. After getting a general outline of all kinds of information, Zhu Biao sat down on the slope. Wang Juyun looked into the distance. "This battle will definitely shock the world."
In the distance, someone was holding a leaf under a tree and blowing a song. The atmosphere was completely different from the battlefield, but it set off the warmth and quietness of the surroundings.
"Unfortunately, this battle can't save the world," Zhu Biao said.
"There has to be a start." Wang Juyun's voice always seemed very calm. After a while, he said, "More than ten years ago in Hangzhou, I met that Mister Ning several times. Unfortunately, I don't remember clearly now … With this battle, the morale of the Jin army will rise, and the Jurchen people will no longer be able to boast that they are invincible. General Zhu …"
He looked at Zhu Biao and wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't say it. Finally, he just said, "After such a battle, you should take a rest. I will stay here to deal with the aftermath. Take care of yourself, so that you can deal with the next battle. "
Zhu Biao stood up. He knew that the old man in front of him was a real big shot. In the Yongle Dynasty, he was Minister Wang Yin, well-versed in both the pen and the sword. He was dignified and domineering, but also cruel and merciless. After the end of the Yongle Dynasty, he was even willing to sell out Fang Baihua and the others in exchange for another base to rise. In the face of the overturning Jurchen people, the old man stood on the frontline of the resistance against the gold without hesitation, coldly throwing his entire family that had been operating for several years into the tide of resistance against the gold.
"Thank you, General Wang." He bowed to Wang Juyun, and Wang Juyun also recalled. Then, Zhu Biao slowly walked toward the tent that had been set up. It was already afternoon. Under the gloomy and cold sky, the warm light of the bonfire illuminated the busy figures.
Wang Yin looked at these figures.
Very far away, the Jurchen army was still retreating and regrouping one after another. No one could believe the results of the battle before their eyes. No one could believe that an army of thirty thousand was defeated in a head-on battle. In the twenty years of dominating the world, this was something that had never happened before.
In the whole of Jin, in the whole world, not many people knew this first-hand news. In Might Victory City, Lou Shuwan raised her head in the gloomy and cold temperature. She muttered to herself as she calculated. She had not slept well for more than half a month. During this period of time, she arranged all kinds of negotiations, promises, threats, and assassinations. Like a miser, she calculated the chips in her hands every day, hoping to gain more power in the upcoming division.
Many times, she had a splitting headache. Not long after, the news that came would make her have a good sleep, and in her dreams, she would meet Ning Yi.
You Hongzhuo walked through the dim streets and alleys, the long saber he carried unsheathed. These days, Wei Sheng was in the midst of division. Shameless people advocated the theory of surrender and began to form factions. You Hongzhuo had killed many people and also suffered some injuries.
In the Celestial Pole Palace, Shi Jin, who was in charge of security, faced the towering watchtower every day without any distracting thoughts. If there came a day when this huge city tower collapsed, he would launch a fatal attack at the enemies outside. Not long after, light would shine in from the other side of the gate tower, and he would hear the names of some familiar people, as well as information about them.
In the Jurchen camp, Wanyan Xiyin was also calculating the changes in the general situation. The snow melted and the ice melted. The army of over two hundred thousand was ready to go. Once the inevitable result of the battle in Lin Province arrived, his next step would begin …
*****
In the south, Xuzhou. Three days later.
In the Third Division of the Fifth Army of China, the army of over eight thousand soldiers seemed to be gradually ignited by something. Their gears were locked and they began to move rapidly. Some information was quietly being transmitted under the tranquil surface of the water. The atmosphere of war was rapidly brewing.
The magistrate of Xuzhou, Li Anmao, sensed some traces and often came over in the past two days to inquire about the situation.
In the General Staff Officer Department, the plan had already been completed and all kinds of preparations and communications were nearing completion. On the morning of the twelfth of February, the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard in the courtyard of the General Staff Officer Department. Someone had sent an urgent message.
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