In the last moments before dawn, flames swirled above the earth.
Mountains, forests, rivers, cities … Long lines of soldiers gathered in the dark. The sounds of orders, footsteps, horses neighing … all sorts of noises boiled the night and gathered together.
In the middle of November in the tenth year of Wu Jianshuo's reign, hundreds of thousands of troops were gathering in the same direction northwest of Fancheng.
This was the battlefield between the Jurchen Western Army led by Wanyan Zonghan and the Western Army led by the Beiwei Army. The entire battle had lasted for more than three months.
The Western Army was centered on the Xiangyang and Fancheng systems on the north and south sides of the Han River. On the Jurchens' side, Zonghan's main force consisted of 260,000 soldiers. Together with the nearly 400,000 Han soldiers that the fake Qi warlords could mobilize, the total force reached 700,000. They attacked the 140,000 Beiwei Army as the core and a dozen or so surrounding troops formed a defensive formation of more than 800,000.
Perhaps the number of soldiers was a bit inflated, and the strength of the soldiers was uneven. But even if nearly half of the numbers were cut down, there were still nearly a million soldiers in the area of a hundred li around the two cities of Xiang and Fan. They had been fighting for more than three months.
Based on the Jurchen's combat power and achievements when they first founded the country, a core force of 260,000 was a terrifying force that could sweep the world. But that was then and this was now. First, they had already experienced three southern invasions. The Wu dynasty had a certain degree of mental preparation for the horrors of the Jurchens. Second, with the efforts of the pro-war faction and Crown Prince Jun Wu, over the past eight years, half of the enormous power generated by NMAU's economic expansion had been invested in war preparations. The Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, and Xiangyang systems were the most important.
The defensive power that had been built up with the resources of the entire nation had bought the Wu Dynasty some time to catch their breath.
In the few years since Xiangyang was recaptured, Yue Fei had no intention of defending Xiangyang and Fancheng to the death. Using the Han River as a shield, Xiangyang and Fancheng had built more than twenty fortified cities and fortresses on both sides of the river, in the mountains, and at key points. During the Jurchens' southern invasion, the Western Army stationed a large number of troops in each stronghold to coordinate with each other. On one hand, they used the advantages of the fortified cities to weaken the Jurchens' attacks. On the other hand, Yue Fei used the Han River to transport elite troops to coordinate and even take the initiative to attack. They attacked the weak points of the Jurchen army, as well as the weak Han army.
In a little over three months, the Beiwei Army had won nine major battles. Once, they defeated the main force of the Copper Wolf Army led by Wanyan Safa. Another time, they directly repelled Ba Li Su. Later, they fought Yin Shuke and Zong Han and retreated unscathed. This General Yue, who was only in his early thirties, was not only brave and decisive in commanding troops, but also strict in military law. His orders were like mountains. On the battlefield, anyone who retreated by half a step was executed. Anyone who wavered in the formation was executed. Anyone who retreated in disorder was executed. Anyone who did not obey orders was executed.
In a major battle in August, General Li Huai, who was in charge of defending the flank, was defeated in one blow due to a mistake in command. After the battle, Yue Fei ordered Li Huai to be taken to the top of the city wall and beheaded on the spot. In mid-September, the Fragrant City Stockaded Village in the northwest of Fan City was attacked by the Jurchen army. More than four thousand people were the first to flee. Yue Fei ordered the Beiwei Army to form a formation and pressed forward. Facing the fleeing crowd, he mercilessly brandished his sabers and killed nearly two thousand of the fleeing soldiers. The remaining two thousand soldiers actually stopped in their tracks. Many of them were scared out of their wits.
In the tenth month, Peng Hai, the nephew of the Minister of War, Peng Guangyou, got drunk and indulged in debauchery. Yue Fei arrested several officers who got drunk that night and put them on the execution platform. Pulling out the long sword that Junwu had obtained from Zhou Yong, he beheaded them all.
In the past, Yue Fei was heavily armed and managed Fancheng. His military law was strict to the point of being unreasonable. The rest of the army had only heard of it. Usually, Yue Fei didn't appear to be strict when interacting with the other generals. He was very strict with the rules of the army, and everyone thought that he was just being territorial in his own territory.
Who knew that at the start of the war, Junwu would put Yue Fei in charge of all the troops on the western route. This military law actually fell on someone else's head on the battlefield.
Li Huai led sixty thousand soldiers and was also a general of the Wu Dynasty. His rank was the same as Yue Fei's, and he was even more senior. Yue Fei, who was usually very humble and respectful to him, had him beheaded because of a mistake in his command.
On the battlefield, the military law was very strict. However, the Fragrant Stronghold was already showing signs of defeat. Facing an army that wasn't their own, the Beiwei Army didn't hesitate to brandish their sabers, which was a taboo. Who knew that the Beiwei Army would kill half of the four thousand soldiers who tried to escape? If the two thousand soldiers behind them hadn't stopped, everyone could see that Yue Fei could have killed them all on the spot. This kind of decisiveness really made people's scalps go numb.
Peng Guangyou was the Minister of War and had many connections in the army. Yue Fei usually had a good relationship with him. After Peng Hai's accident, Liu Guangshi, who was also fighting on the Xiangfan front, also came to Yue Fei to plead on Peng Hai's behalf. Yue Fei took out the Emperor's Sword and presented it to Liu Guangshi with both hands. "If you want to save Peng Hai, please kill me with this sword." Liu Guangshi's words were stuck in his throat, and in the end, he flicked his sleeves and left.
Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who had been mobilized from other places, even within the Beiwei Army, there were many soldiers who were suffering from the strict military law. After all, even training soldiers didn't necessarily mean that the more people they had, the better. Over the years, under pressure from the north, the Beiwei Army had expanded to one hundred and forty thousand soldiers, and it was hard to say whether more than half of them were elites or not.
After three months, Xiangyang was like a huge Asura field. The number of casualties on both sides had already exceeded one hundred thousand, and the number of casualties on both sides was constantly rising. But many people could already see that if it weren't for the strict military law and the active Beiwei Army, the defenses on the Xiangfan front would have collapsed long ago.
Since the beginning of the war, the offensive power of the Jurchen army had been astonishing.
As an old minister who had followed Aguda in his uprising and was the number one general of the Jurchen army for a long time, when Wanyan Zonghan decided to go all out, the Wu dynasty army on the Xiangfan front faced an enormous pressure that could topple mountains and overturn seas.
Just like what Lu Qiaoshan had experienced in the southwest, with the appearance and large-scale application of cannons and other new weapons, the situation on the battlefield had undergone many new changes. In the past, the infantry, which could only be restrained by square formations, could easily suffer massive losses in the face of a large number of cannons. If they were to just foolishly take a beating, the infantry formation would probably collapse before long.
Although some people believed that cavalry was restrained in the early stages of the appearance of cannons, due to the limitations of cannons and the slow movement of cannons, high-speed, mobile attacks and flexible tactics were once again put on the agenda. Whether it was cavalry or infantry, the 'master soldiers', who had insufficient morale or training, had not reached a certain level of quality, could only play a role behind the city walls, but on the battlefield, they had already lost all meaning.
If it was the first battle to defend Tokyo more than ten years ago, the million troops near Bianliang would not be able to withstand a single blow from the more than 100,000 Beiwei Army.
In three months, the Beiwei Army won nine large-scale victories, but near Xiangfan, Zong Han, Xi Yin, and the others constantly uprooted the various camps outside the city with fierce attacks. By the end of November, more than half of the cities had been abandoned or broken through. On the night of the 13th of November, near the rampart of Crouching Bull City by the Han River, the commander of the Wu dynasty's Wu Hui Battalion, Shi Yunpeng, led 40,000 troops and encountered the Jin army on the way. It was already night when the two sides came into contact, and both sides had stopped advancing. Small skirmishes continued on both sides, but both sides had already sent out reinforcements. Behind Shi Yunpeng, Liu Guangshi's 60,000 main force was stationed in Crouching Bull City, and more than 100,000 troops could be dispatched from further away.
On the morning of the 14th of November, when the first ray of white appeared on the eastern horizon, nearly 400,000 troops from both sides had arrived near Crouching Bull City. Yue Fei led 40,000 elites of the Beiwei Army, joined by Xi Yin, Yin Shuke, and the other Jurchen elite main force, and entered the battlefield.
The war broke out that morning, and after that, nearly 200,000 people arrived from all over the place, opening the prelude to the largest battle since the beginning of the war in Xiangfan. The entire war lasted for more than 10 days by the Han River. Yue Fei commanded the army to constantly set up battle formations and build defense lines, gradually moving the battlefield to the vicinity of Crouching Bull City Stockade, and relying on the geographical and military superiority, they confronted and defended the Jurchen army. On the 17th of November, Zong Han led 30,000 of his personal soldiers, the 'Mountain-slaughtering Guards', into the battlefield, while the Beiwei Army covered the rest of the troops as they retreated and engaged in battle.
The Mountain-slaughtering Guards were the most elite guards that Zong Han had managed for many years. Most of them were the top warriors of the Jurchen army, and some of them were even over 40 years old. Although their strength had declined, their awareness and courage on the battlefield had reached the peak. Yue Fei led the Beiwei Army in a fierce battle for half a day, and finally retreated in defeat.
After that, the Wu dynasty army occupied Crouching Bull City Stockade, and cooperated with the navy to defend it. The Jurchen army's siege weapons were also pressing in this direction. By the end of November, both sides had accumulated a huge number of casualties. This stockade was uprooted by the Jurchen, and the Wu dynasty army retreated to Xiangfan, but they still controlled the Han River.
In the bitter and tenacious tug of war in Xiangyang, at the same end of November, several major events occurred in the world.
In the southwest, in Zhang Village, the center of the Hua Xia army, when Ning Yi saw the envoy of the Wu dynasty who came stealthily and listened to the other party's whimsical plan, Ning Yi also fell into a daze.
The envoy of the Wu dynasty who came secretly was called Cao Ji. He had a square face, but his eyes were intelligent and smooth. He came on behalf of Zhou Yong, the emperor of the Wu dynasty, to express his goodwill. According to Zhou Yong, the envoy and Cao Ji had interacted before, and even met each other — that was when they were in Jiangning. Since Ning Yi was Jun Wu and Zhou Pei's teacher, they were family. Now that the Jurchen was powerful and the Wu dynasty was in danger, the Hua Xia army had said in the previous declaration that they must unite against the outside enemy in times of danger, and not fight among themselves. Zhou Yong hoped that the Hua Xia army could send troops to fight the Jin dogs together and fulfill their promise.
Of course, Zhou Yong himself did not have many details on how to send troops. He only said that if the Hua Xia army was willing, the Wu dynasty would definitely cooperate fully. As for how to cooperate, Zhou Yong thought that the ideal situation would be for Ning Yi to find someone to mediate in such a difficult time. In any case, there would be more publicity, and as long as there was a way out, he would take advantage of it … blah blah blah, that was what he meant.
Ning Yi asked several times and finally confirmed that Jun Wu, Zhou Pei, and the others were not involved. Considering the fierce battle that was going on, Ning Yi wrote a letter to Zhou Yong after a discussion with the General Staff Department and a few others. In the letter, he sincerely informed Zhou Yong of the difficulty of the matter and emphasized that if Zhou Yong really had such an idea, he should hand the entire matter over to Zhou Pei or Jun Wu, and they would discuss the matter in detail and in sincerity.
In the twelfth month of the tenth year of Jianshuo, this matter was like a wonderful joke. Every time Ning Yi thought about it, he couldn't help but want to laugh. He also felt that it was filled with a strange sense of irony and fantasy, just like a spicy and interesting fable. Of course, no matter if it was him or anyone else involved in this matter, none of them had thought of the nightmarish consequences that this matter might cause.
In the twelfth month of that year, there was little snow in Jiangnan, but the weather was exceptionally cold.
In the Imperial Palace of Lin 'an, Zhou Yong, the emperor who was gradually thinning, with white hair at his temples and a dispirited appearance, received a reply from the southwest. This was Ning Yi's handwritten letter. The wording was not formulaic, and the words were friendly and polite. This warmed Zhou Yong's heart.
At this moment, the table in Zhou Yong's imperial study was already piled with battle reports from all over the place. He had even asked someone to hang a large map on the wall, marking out the battle situation in various places in a way that he could understand. In all his years as emperor, Zhou Yong had never been so diligent in his administration. But in the last half year, he had been looking at these things every day. These things made him feel cold, not even as warm as the letter from the southwest.
What chilled him the most were not these battle reports. They were things that not even his dearest children knew about.
In a box in the corner of the Imperial Study were records about the Disgrace of Jingping, about her cousin Zhou Ji, who had already been captured to the north, and about all the tragic events that had occurred because of the Jurchens these past few years. After becoming the monarch of the Wu dynasty, some people felt that he was incompetent and ignorant. His ability was admittedly limited, but how could he be so ignorant?
At the beginning of his reign as emperor, he only felt that the Jurchen was powerful. Not long after, he began to think about the situation he would face. He fled to Yangzhou and felt that it was far enough. He led a befuddled life in the temporary imperial residence, but the Jurchen soon came to kill him. He fled to the sea, and because of the fear in his heart, he even left his own child behind. When the Jurchen retreated, he returned to the shore and came to Lin 'an. He seemed muddle-headed, but in fact, he could see what he wanted to know and what he wanted to see in the outside world.
He knew how powerful the Jurchen was and what she would do to him. From the things that came from the north every year, he could see clearly how his cousin Zhou Ji lived a life worse than a pig or a dog in the north. The shame of Jingping, the treatment of his relatives, the princes and princesses — if it was just a story, perhaps he would grit his teeth and forget about it. But this was his future.
Even if he hid in the thickest city wall and watched thousands of soldiers surround and protect outside, so what? They couldn't beat the Jurchen.
If she really came, if he really lost the battle, he wouldn't be able to hide.
Zhou Yong used to be a foppish prince. He played around in the human world and bullied the common people, but even he couldn't do such a crazy thing. Now, these things were going to fall on his head. Millions of soldiers? Tens of millions of people? It was a lot to say, but if he really lost, he would be captured on the way to the north in a few months' time.
He didn't know that over the years, his son would also see the news of Zhou Ji every year, gnashing his teeth and feeling extremely humiliated and angry. But over the years, Zhou Yong himself was actually in a dark corner. Every year, he saw those things, and he felt fear from the bottom of his heart.
He could understand the war reports on the table every day, the things written every day, the comparison of the numbers, the withdrawal of the defense line to the south every day … His daughter was alone and had already made up her mind. His son risked everything and risked his life in the front to let him, as a father, rest assured. He could understand these things.
Therefore, he sent an envoy to secretly communicate with the southwest. Of course, it was quite difficult. In fact, he didn't know how to erase Ning Yi's crime of regicide, but the other party's gentle attitude in his heart made him feel that this was a good beginning. As long as the other party had the heart, he could even kill the emperor. What other difficulties could there be?
Zhou Yong didn't dare tell this matter to Zhou Pei. This winter, he had his daughter beat around the bush twice, but Zhou Pei's words became increasingly firm and resolute. Zhou Yong felt that there was no way to communicate with his daughter.
It seems that as the emperor, I can first show my goodwill to the southwest. As Zhou Yong thought this, he felt that it was increasingly reasonable. He was the emperor, and his words carried enormous weight. As long as he made a start, the officials wouldn't be able to suppress it even if they wanted to. In the southwest, Ning Yi was so quick-witted that he would naturally take advantage of the situation …
Just like that, the seeds of disaster began to germinate in Zhou Yong's heart.
At the same time, Wanyan Zongfu's army forcibly crossed the Yangtze River and seized the docks near Jiangning. They engaged in a large-scale battle with the Wu dynasty's navy and land forces. Both sides suffered casualties. In Zhenjiang, Jun Wu wrote a New Year's report to the court, detailing the strength of the two sides, their advantages and disadvantages. At the same time, he pointed out that the Jin's Wu Qi had been bedridden for nearly a year and his health had been deteriorating. The Hanshui and Yangtze River defenses had not yet been broken. Moreover, several of our elite armies already had the strength to fight the Jurchen. In the coming year, we only needed to delay the Jurchen army. Even if we were at a disadvantage for the time being, as long as we could drag the Jurchen into a quagmire, the Wu dynasty would definitely win and the Jurchen would eventually be defeated.
Admittedly, this report was somewhat exaggerated, but the overall strategic thinking couldn't be said to be wrong. In fact, it was indeed in front of everyone, a future that could be achieved and realized. On the 16th of the twelfth month, the report had not yet been sent to the south. The battle of Jiangning was still ongoing. An urgent military intelligence arrived from the east and was delivered to Zhenjiang.
On the 14th, Wu Shu had forcibly crossed the Yangtze River at Jiangyin.
Jun Wu stood up from his room. Not long after, he rushed out the door.
"… Stop him."
This was the only thought that echoed in his mind. Of course, at this moment, he had only subconsciously sensed that something was wrong. He hadn't thought about the huge chain reaction this incident would cause.
Southeast of Jiangyin, Light Snow.
The huge cavalry had bypassed the city and was heading south. Wu Shu stood on a hill. His eyes were filled with his usual fierceness and seriousness.
The most elite cavalry of the eastern army, more than fifty thousand men, were all here with him.
The secret letter sent by Xi Yin was kept in his sleeve, and the handwriting on the secret letter had almost become blurred. In the past, Xi Yin didn't like him, and he didn't like her either. However, when it came to many important matters, Wu Shu had to admit that Xi Yin had foresight and wisdom. In this southern expedition, Xi Yin didn't show much hostility towards the eastern army. She had already communicated with them and planned a strategy. After the tragedy in Yunzhong, Xi Yin sent urgent reminders and suggestions.
Zong Fu and Wu Shu accepted her suggestions.
The little prince of the Wu Dynasty wanted to delay the decisive battle in Zhenjiang and Jiangnan. However, the real decisive battle was not here.
In the twelfth month, Wu Shu's cavalry avoided the decisive battle.
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