Beacons blazed, war drums rumbled, and explosions rumbled like thunder, shaking the city walls. In Tianchang County, to the north of Yangzhou, countless stone bullets were thrown at the distant city walls along with a rain of arrows.
The towers on the city walls had already collapsed in the explosions. The Jurchen wall had collapsed, and the banners had fallen. In front of them was the vanguard of the Jurchen's attack. More than 50,000 soldiers had gathered under the city walls, and hundreds of catapults were throwing hollow stone bullets filled with gunpowder at the city walls like raindrops.
In Tianchang County, 30,000 soldiers were led by Top Scorer, one of Han Shizhong's subordinates. Tianchang County was located on the northern frontline of Yangzhou and was the first place the Jurchen would attack. Although the city was small, it was easy to defend and difficult to attack. 30,000 soldiers, supported by more than 200 cannons, was already a good defensive force. However, with the arrival of the Jurchen vanguard led by Wanyan Zongbi, the first round of attacks was far more fierce than anyone could have imagined.
More than ten years had passed since Ning Yi carried out the Way of Investigating Things and made the cannons shine during the Jurchen's first expedition to the south. During these ten years, the Huaxia army was the originator of the Way of Investigating Things, and with the help of Ning Yi, they had accumulated the most technology. The Wu dynasty had Jun Wu, while the Jurchen had Wanyan Xiyin's Great Construction Institute. Both sides conducted research and manufacturing, but in terms of overall scale, the Jurchen had the most technology.
In ten years, the Jurchen had invaded the south three times, capturing millions of Han people in the Central Plains. Among them, the Jurchen regarded ordinary Han people as slaves and women as livestock. What they valued the most were the various craftsmen among the Han people. After 200 years of accumulation, the Wu dynasty was the most prosperous and developed country in the Central Plains. These craftsmen were taken to the north and divided among various forces. Even though they had lost their creative energy, they could still do ordinary crafts.
On the other hand, although the power of the Way of Investigating Things had been partially proven in the Wu dynasty, all kinds of scholars and Confucian scholars still avoided Ning Yi's act of regicide. They only said that it was a temporary method and turned a blind eye to Jun Wu's efforts. In the end, there was no support from the public. Although the public didn't encourage it, Jun Wu couldn't force all the craftsmen in the world to work for the war. Although their research was more energetic than the Jin Kingdom, in terms of scale, Jun Wu's wealth in Jiangning couldn't compare with the power of the Jurchen Kingdom.
The Chinese Army already had the crude explosive technology of hollow bullets a few years ago. Naturally, they also sold it. It was used on cannons. However, Wanyan Xiyin was even more radical. Over the past few years, he had instructed the craftsmen to precisely control the burning speed of the fuse. He used hollow stone projectiles with a fixed fuse, with ten projectiles in a bundle. They were then hurled by a stone catapult with a longer range. He strictly calculated and controlled the firing distance and steps. Before the projectiles were fired, they were ignited, and they would explode once they hit the ground. This type of stone projectile was known as the 'Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers'.
As soon as he arrived in Tianchang, Zong Bi used it on the battlefield.
After the first three rounds of calculations were completed, half of the hundreds of stone catapults began to hurl the 'Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers'. Thousands of stone projectiles fell at the same time. Because the method of controlling the fuse was too primitive, half of the projectiles died or exploded in the air. Only one-seventh of the projectiles actually fell on the city wall and exploded. The power of these small projectiles wasn't too great, but they still caused many soldiers to fall to the ground.
Broken limbs were scattered in all directions, and the smell of blood and gunpowder filled the air in a split second. Zong Bi stood in the middle of the battle formation and looked at the exploding city wall in front of him. Smoke, dust, and wails enveloped the entire city wall.
The corners of his ferocious eyes relaxed a little.
Among Aguda's sons, Wanyan Zongbi, who was also known as Wu Shu, was the most courageous and radical. He was relatively young, and when he first entered the battlefield, the Lady Zhenren had almost destroyed the whole of Liao. Wu Shu was brave and strong, but lacked in strategy. In the eyes of some old generals who had roamed the world for a lifetime, he was just an ordinary prince.
However, Wu Shu wasn't willing to be an ordinary prince. After the death of his second brother, Zong Wang, his third brother, Zong Fu, was too steady and gentle to maintain the dignity of the Aguda family. He couldn't compete with Zong Han and Xi Yin who controlled the 'Western Imperial Court'. Wu Shu, who had always regarded Zong Wang as a role model, stood up without any hesitation.
The Lady Zhenren had been fighting for more than ten years, and Wu Shu was the most enthusiastic. He inherited the bravery of the Wanyan family and took the lead in every battle. By the time they went south for the third time, he had already become the leader of the royal family. During the search of the mountains and the sea, Wu Shu fought unhindered to the south of the Yangtze River. There was no one who could match him. However, Zhou Yong hid at sea and didn't dare to return. At the same time, the Lady Zhenren could only attack but not defend the south. Wu Shu had no choice but to withdraw his troops and return north. This time, he suffered a setback at Huang Tiandang. He was trapped for more than forty days before he killed his way out.
How could a leader emerge victorious in every battle? The Lady Zhenren had been on the battlefield for a long time. Even Aguda, Wu Qimai, Zong Han, Zong Wang, and the others occasionally suffered small setbacks. No one took Huang Tiandang seriously. However, the people of the Wu dynasty were extremely excited. For many years, they always proclaimed that Huang Tiandang was a great victory and that the Lady Zhenren was not unbeatable. As this situation continued and spread to the north, those who knew the inside story didn't know whether to laugh or cry. As for Zong Bi, he was a little depressed.
Victory your mother! Victory! After being surrounded for more than forty days, only a few people died. In the end, he counterattacked with fire and chased Han Shizhong for more than seventy li. How dare the southerners shamelessly claim a great victory!
Although Zong Bi thought this in his heart, he couldn't stop the people of the Wu dynasty from boasting. Thus, on this fourth trip to the south, he had been suppressing his anger, and when the Battle of Eternity came, it finally exploded. This was because this Top Scorer was the vanguard general under Han Shizhong's command. When the Lady Zhenren's army arrived, he was still desperately promoting the so-called "military success" of Huang Tiandang's victory. Wu Shu's anger couldn't be suppressed at that time.
In his heart, whether it was this Top Scorer or Han Shizhong, they were nothing more than clay chickens and pottery dogs. This time, when they went south, they had to defeat this group of people as quickly as possible. This was to intimidate the millions of Wu dynasty troops in the Jiangnan area and secure their victory.
Three rounds of artillery shells were fired at the city walls. More than four thousand shells had already been used in the attack on this small city. Coupled with the bombardment of half of the solid boulders, it was as if the entire city and the earth were trembling. Zong Bi, who was on his warhorse, waved the command flag and announced the order to attack.
Amidst the smoke, the Lady Zhenren's flag began to spread towards the city walls.
This was the Lady Zhenren's fourth expedition to the Wu dynasty. This was a war that would determine the fate of the Jin Kingdom. The rising tide of this era, with their bravery, pounced on the land of the Wu dynasty. Moments later, the sound of cannons could be heard from the top of the city walls. Top Scorer led his troops to the top of the city walls and began to counterattack.
On the second day after the start of the Battle of Tianchang, under the unusually strong attack of the Lady Zhenren, Top Scorer led his troops to abandon the city and retreat to the south. Wu Shu ordered the cavalry to chase after him. Han Shizhong led his troops from Yangzhou to rescue Top Scorer and enter the city. On the 27th of the sixth month, the original fake Qi General Sun Peizhi led a hundred thousand men to besiege Gaoyou. North of the Yangtze River, the fierce flames of war spread across the vast land.
On the 27th of the sixth month, on the same day that Sun Peizhi besieged Gaoyou, more than a thousand miles north of the city, the attack of more than a hundred thousand soldiers also began. Thus, the long and arduous battle to defend Liangshan began.
One thousand and three hundred miles west of Yangzhou, the original Lady Zhenren General Ali, who was originally guarding Bianliang, arrived at Nanyang with twenty thousand elites. They were prepared to cooperate with the original hundred thousand Han troops in Nanyang, Dengzhou, and Xinye to attack Xiangyang. This was an order issued by Wanyan Xiyin to cooperate with the eastern army. The main force of the western army, led by Zong Han, had already crossed the Yellow River and was approaching Bianliang. The sixty thousand vanguards led by Xiyin were also not far from Nanyang.
On the same day that Ali's army arrived at Nanyang, Yue Fei led the Beiwei Army out of Xiangyang and attacked Dengzhou. That night, the general guarding Dengzhou reported to the north that there was an emergency. Ali led the army to Dengzhou to rescue them. On the 29th of the sixth month, twenty thousand elite Lady Zhenren soldiers, including nine thousand heavy cavalry, came into contact with the Beiwei Army under Yue Fei's command twenty miles north of Dengzhou.
The harsh autumn was coming. Jiangnan, the Central Plains … the thousands of miles of rolling land were burning with the flames of war.
At the same time, the north was not peaceful.
At the Yunzhong Prefecture, where the western court of the Jin was located, the hottest weather was coming to an end at the turn of summer and autumn.
A tragedy that few people were aware of was brewing in the dark.
In the High Moon Teahouse, Zou Wenhu, a Han from Liaodong, walked up the stairs and met the person he had arranged to meet in the private room at the end of the second floor.
The person he had arranged to meet was a woman dressed in simple clothes. Her eyes were arrogant and there was a scar like a tear mole at the corner of her left eye. The woman's surname was Xiao, which meant "Empress Dowager Xiao" in Liao. "Red Lady" Xiao Shuqing was one of the famous bandits in Yunzhong.
After the fall of Liao, the Jin had suppressed and enslaved the Khitans for a period of time. They had also carried out several massacres. However, the Khitans were brave and the Jin could not rely on massacres to govern such a large area. Soon after, they began to use soft tactics. After all, the Jin now had a more suitable target to enslave. More than ten years after the fall of Liao, some Khitans had entered the upper echelons of the Jin court. The lower Khitans had also accepted the fact that they were ruled by the Jurchens. However, even if this was the case for the vast majority, there would always be a small number of Khitans who still stood in the position of resistance after the fall of the country. They either did not intend to escape or could not escape.
Xiao Shuqing was a descendant of the original Empress Dowager Xiao in Liao. When she was young, her husband was killed by the Jin. Later, she was also humiliated and enslaved. Later, she was rescued by the remaining resistance forces of the Khitans. She became a bandit and gradually made a name for herself. Compared to the Han people who could not do anything in the north, even though the Liao Kingdom had fallen, there were still many remnants of the past who missed the benefits of the past. It was also because of this that Xiao Shuqing and the others were active near Yunzhong and had not been eliminated for a long time. Some people also suspected that they were still protected by some high-ranking Khitan officials at this time.
Seeing Zou Wenhu coming over, the female bandit who had always been ruthless looked indifferent. "How is it? Has that young master of yours made up his mind? "
"My master is a little tempted." Zou Wenhu moved a chair and sat down. "But this matter involves too many people. Has he thought about the consequences? Has he thought that it is very likely that the whole court will be shocked?"
A disdainful look flashed in Xiao Shuqing's eyes. "Hmph, coward. Your son is one, and so are you."
"Hey, Concubine Xiao, don't say that. Just say it. It's not right to ruin someone's reputation. All these years, the surnamed Zou has never been called a coward. But don't provoke me like this. I'm not a fool." The Xiao clan used to be the mother of the world. After Xiao Shuqing made a name for herself, people gradually called her Concubine Xiao. Facing the other party's disdain, Zou Wenhu scratched his nose and did not care.
"I know you're not a coward, but you're poor."
"Look at what you said, Concubine Xiao." Zou Wenhu looked at her for a moment and smiled. "… You're really on point."
"Don't be so talkative." Xiao Shuqing glanced at him. "I already told you about this matter. The Qi family made such a big fuss when they went to the Female Zhenren's place. What century-old scholarly family? Which Female Zhenren has any face? It's fine to play around with him. It's not a big deal to see him suffer. Moreover, the Qi family has accumulated a century-old fortune in the Wu dynasty. Who wouldn't be envious when the whole family goes to the north? Your son is a descendant of the Duke. Unfortunately, the Duke didn't leave anything behind and he can't fight in the war. This time, people with backbone are going to the south. In the future, according to merit, another group of people will rise up. Your son and you, Zou Wenhu, will stand aside in the future … "
She played with her fingers as she spoke. "This matter is beneficial to everyone. And to be honest, if we touch the Qi family, it will be very dangerous for my subordinates to risk their lives. Your son is a Duke. Not to mention that we're counting on you to deliver the goods, we definitely won't let anything happen to you. Even if something happens, we can't bear the responsibility. After the war in the south, there will be no more wars to fight! Your son and you have a bunch of children at home. Are you going to watch them live a miserable life in the future? "
Listening to her words, Zou Wenhu's face revealed a smile, but his expression gradually became fierce. Xiao Shuqing licked her lips. "Alright, I won't say any more nonsense. This matter is very big, and the Qi family is also very big. I can't handle it. Even if we work together, we can't handle it. Many people nodded. You know the rules. If you can nod on behalf of your son, I'll tell you what I can to ensure your peace of mind. If I can't tell you, it's to protect you. Of course, if you shake your head, this matter ends here … Don't tell anyone. "
When she said this last sentence, Xiao Shuqing's eyes flashed with a real fierce light. Zou Wenhu tilted his head and looked at his fingers. He deliberated for a moment. "This matter is so big. Are you sure that everyone involved is clean?"
"Clean? That depends on what you say. " Xiao Shuqing smiled. "In any case, if you nod, I'll tell you a few names. I guarantee that they'll all be famous. In addition, I've also said that if the Qi family is in trouble, everyone will be happy to see it happen. As for after the incident, even if it happens, how big can your son be? When the time comes, the Qi family will have already fallen. A group of hungry wolves from Yun Zhong Manor will pounce on them. If they want to catch and kill them, it'll only be us who risk our lives … Zou Wenhu, people say that the older one is, the more timid they are. If you act like this, I'm starting to regret inviting you here. "
The other side was silent for a moment, then he smiled. "Alright, alright … In fact, Concubine Xiao, you can guess. Since I can come to see you today, my son has already agreed to let me handle it …" He spread his hands. "I have to be careful. You're right. Even if this matter happens, my son has nothing to fear. But can he protect me?"
"Alright, I understand Eunuch Zou's difficulties." At this time, Xiao Shuqing finally smiled. "You and I are both fugitives. In the future, please take care of each other. Eunuch Zou is knowledgeable and has connections everywhere in Yun Zhong Manor. In fact, there are many things in between that I still need Eunuch Zou's advice."
Zou Wenhu also smiled.
"Just a little bit of strength … The Qi family is too ostentatious. They offended a bunch of rich young masters, a poor wretch like me, a traitor like Concubine Xiao, and that Black Flag bandit who doesn't care about his life. If he doesn't die, who will? In any case, he's going to die and his family will eventually belong to someone else. Now that it belongs to you and me, it can be considered a good deed. Hahahaha … "
In the room, both of them laughed. After a while, another sentence came out.
"That's right, as for the culprit, it's that Black Flag bandit who doesn't care about his life, right? He even dared to kill the emperor in the south. I think he definitely won't mind taking the blame. Concubine Xiao, don't you think so? Hahahaha … "
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