In January, when groups of people from the Greenwood Forest headed north in the direction of the Yangtze River, there were even more people heading west and south in a panic to escape from the war zone.
The triangular area from Jiangning to Zhenjiang, and from 450 kilometers south to Linan, was gradually engulfed in the flames of war. This was the most prosperous area in the world since the Wu dynasty moved south. It included the wealthiest Jiangnan town near Lake Tai, and it radiated to Changzhou, Suzhou, Jiaxing, and other large cities, with a total population of more than ten million.
After the Female Zhenren killed her way here, there were prosperous places everywhere that had to be defended. However, even with the manpower of the Wu dynasty, it was impossible to station a large number of troops in every city and ensure that they would not be lost. In fact, in the second year of Jianshuo, Wu Shu had led the army and had actually trampled through many cities in Jiangnan.
Fortunately, the situation this time was different from the past. The goal of the fourth southern expedition was to defeat NMAU, and the Female Zhenren did not have the capital to drag it out for long. After Wu Shu's army arrived in Linan, the Wu dynasty mobilized about 170,000 troops previously stationed in Jiaxing, Suzhou, and other places to come to Linan to rescue the emperor. At the same time, with the 200,000 imperial guards currently stationed in Linan, it became one of the cores of this war.
The other core was naturally the Yangtze River battle circle with Jiangning and Zhenjiang as the center. After crossing the river, the main attack point of the eastern army led by Zong Fu was Jiangning, and then spread to Zhenjiang and the cities in the south. In the north, Liu Chengzong's troops attacked Xuzhou, drawing the attention of some of the Female Zhenren troops. The main force under Zong Fu's command, after deducting the losses, had less than 200,000 troops. In addition to the hundreds of thousands of Han troops from the Central Plains, they attacked Jiangning on one hand, and sent elite troops on the other, pushing the battlefront as far south as possible.
The distance between Jiangning and Linan was more than 400 kilometers. If they advanced at full speed, it would only take about ten days. For the Female Zhenren, there were two strategic directions at the moment. Either they defeated the resistance forces led by Crown Prince Jun Wu along the Yangtze River, or they gradually moved south to attack the cities and, together with Wu Shu's elite cavalry, threatened Linan and forced the Wu dynasty to surrender.
These two strategic directions could be pursued at the same time. In the middle of the first month, Zong Fu's main force was divided into more than thirty thousand men each led by the generals Zhimei and Arubao, who advanced to the south and southeast respectively. Meanwhile, the more than one hundred thousand Han soldiers led by the warlords of the Central Plains, Lin Baoyue and Li Yangzong, had already pushed the frontline to the south: Taiping Province (later known as Mount Maanshan), Danyang, and Changning. During this period, the gates of several small cities were knocked open, and the Han army wantonly plundered, burned, and killed.
On the side of the Wu dynasty, it was naturally impossible for them to allow Zong Fu's troops to continue heading south. Apart from the 100,000 Fierce Warriors Battalion that had been stationed in Jiangning, Han Shizhong also led the 50,000 main forces of the Subduing Sea Division to hold the fort in Jiangning. Another 70,000 troops from the Subduing Sea Division were sent to Jiangning. Together with the 300,000 troops from Huaiyang and reinforcements, they firmly blocked Zong Fu's way south.
By the end of the first month, Yue Fei's Beiwei Army, Xi Yin, and Yin Shuke's Mountain-slaughtering Guards arrived at the battlefield. The Jurchen general Arubao, with more than thirty thousand men heading to Changning, made a feint, and turned northeast to Zhenjiang. When they cooperated with Xi Yin's troops to launch a surprise attack on Zhenjiang, the whole Jiangnan had already fallen into a state of chaos.
The situation in Lin 'an was more complicated.
After Wu Shu's cavalry launched an attack on Lin 'an in early January, they no longer attacked the city. The army wandered around Lin' an, burning, and killing. Occasionally, there were conflicts and frictions with the troops from Shen City and Xu Liejun who came to rescue the Emperor from the Wu dynasty. Rationally speaking, it was not easy for an army of 50,000 to break through a city guarded by 200,000 troops. Although the Jurchen people had more glorious achievements in the past, the complex emotions of the people in Lin 'an were more like the changes in the stock market of later generations. With the news from the outside world coming in again and again, the flow of the news in the city was also treacherous. In addition to the calls to resist the gold and the slogans to fight to the death, all kinds of thoughts were intertwined in private, surging with the news of every victory or defeat.
Of course, the Wu dynasty had trained its soldiers for more than two hundred years. Words such as surrendering to the gold or collaborating with the enemy would not be talked about by the people. For more than a month, the various changes in the news in Lin 'an became more complicated. There were several kinds of news about Zhou Yong falling out with a group of officials. For example, the news that Zhou Yong wanted to reconcile with Hei Qi and was put under house arrest by hundreds of officials. Because it was half true and half false, it seemed particularly convincing.
In addition, since the Huaxia army issued a declaration and sent out a team to eliminate traitors, there were many discussions in the capital about who was a traitor and who had defected to the enemy. The scholars cast their eyes on every suspicious minister in the court. Some of the tabloids in the capital opened after Li Pin began to privately publish and sell brochures about the family backgrounds and personal relationships of the officials in the court and the army for people's reference in order to increase sales. Among them, there were scholars who repeatedly failed to become officials, expressing their high opinions and attracting people's attention.
And the discussion about the direction of the world war, the judgment of the possible victory and defeat in the future, and the many ways to turn defeat into victory, had never stopped since the beginning of the war. Those who worried about the country and the people ran around in private. There were books such as' Three Strategies to Defend the Old Country against the Enemy ',' Ten Theories to Repel the Jurchen to Revive the Country 'and so on. Every day, like snowflakes, they flew randomly to the court and even to the Princess's mansion.
On the fourth day of the second month, there was even a scholar in his sixties who called himself 'Old Man Qiu Lu' who found a tabloid workshop to print a large number of pages with his' Good Strategy to Govern the Country '. He imitated the previous Jurchen spies and wantonly threw such leaflets in the city. After the city patrol arrested him, the old man shouted that he wanted to see the prefectural magistrate of Lin 'an, the Prime Minister, the Privy Envoy, the Eldest Princess and so on.
The prefectural magistrate of Lin 'an, Luo Shuwen, had no choice but to see him and ask in detail about his good strategy. However, he only asked the Emperor to put him in an important position and immediately execute many of the court officials that he thought were problematic. As for how he determined that there was a problem with the court officials, the news mostly came from various small channels in the capital. The old man had been busy with scholarly honors all his life, but in reality, he only had the status of a scholar. In the end, his family's wealth was all gone, and only his old wife went to the streets every day to pick up some vegetable leaves and even begged for a living. When he printed the leaflets, he even used up some money for his coffin. The prefectural magistrate Luo Shuwen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. In the end, he could only offer two taels of fine silver and let the old man go home.
Even more treacherous people's hearts were hidden under this vast and chaotic public opinion.
On the eighth day of the second month, there was a poetry meeting in the west of Lin 'an. The venue was an old courtyard called Baopu Garden. Trees were sprouting and peach blossoms were in flower buds. The breath of spring had just arrived. In the midst of toasting, a middle-aged scholar in his thirties with a goatee was surrounded by many people. This man had brought a map of the entire territory of the Wu dynasty and was pointing and gesticulating on it. His argument was clear and convincing, startling everyone.
"… Looking at the situation of our Wu dynasty, the common people all think that the center is trapped in Jiangnan. This naturally makes sense. If nothing happens in Lin 'an, the front line of the Yangtze River can finally be defended to the death. Delaying the two armies of the Jurchen, the siege of the Wu dynasty will definitely be resolved. This is the correct argument. If it can be done, there is no need to think too much about the rest … But if it's just to take a look, there is still a bit of the core of the world in the west — the land of Xiangyang … "
He tapped his finger on the location of Xiangyang on the map and then moved it further west.
"… Perhaps you all don't think so. Xiangyang is an important city, but it's more than 1,500 li away from Lin 'an. Whether Xiangyang is defended or conquered, it has nothing to do with the overall situation of Lin' an. But here, I have to talk about an old theory, which is the so-called dispute between the Jurchen and the Eastern and Western courts. In the past, when we talked about the Eastern and Western courts and sowed discord, it was just a scholar's talk on paper. But today, the Jurchen has come, and the discussion is different from the past … "
"… For you and me, if we view the entire Jin Kingdom as one, then this time's southern expedition, their goal is naturally to destroy our Wu dynasty. But after destruction, what will they do next?" The scholar moved his finger further west and tapped it. "Destroy the Black Flag Army!"
"Everyone, to say something unpleasant to hear, to the Jurchen right now, I'm afraid the true hidden danger is really not our Wu dynasty, but rather this Black Flag Army that rose from the southwest and once killed Lou Shi, Ci Buxie and other Jurchen generals. And right now, the two armies of the Jurchen have different views on the Black Flag Army … Looking at the previous situation, Zong Han and Xi Yin's troops truly view the Black Flag Army as a great enemy, while Zong Fu and Wu Shu's main goal is to destroy our Wu dynasty and break through Lin 'an … The two armies converge, first destroy the Wu dynasty, and then use the power of invading the world to destroy the southwest is naturally the best. But here, we should see, what if we settle for the next best thing? "
"… In those years, we said that there was conflict between the Jurchen and the Eastern court, and that we could sow discord, but that was just lip service. Zong Han and the others are so domineering in conquering the world, how could they directly fight with Aguda's faction just because of some private provocation? But now, let's think about it. If there was this kind of choice placed in front of Zong Han and the others: Our Lin 'an can hold on for a long time, delay Wu Shu, and even make the Jurchen Eastern Army's southern expedition return without any results, but against the Western Army, they can gain a great advantage. They can even directly enter the southwest and confront the Black Flag Army, destroy this army, and kill that Demon Ning. Could it be that Zong Han and Xi Yin's side really won't be moved? "
"… What I'm going to say next may be inappropriate, but it is just a thought, if …"
The middle-aged man lowered his voice, and everyone leaned in to listen. Not long after, there were people in deep thought, some people sighed in admiration, and some people put forward rebuttal ideas … The new buds of the trees in the courtyard swayed, and the figures and the various viewpoints were soon drowned in the cold spring scenery.
It was already afternoon when the poetry meet ended, and the crowd dispersed in twos and threes. The middle-aged man who had spoken earlier said goodbye to the group of scholars, and then turned into the streets of Lin 'an. The war was imminent, and the atmosphere in the city was somber, and there were not many pedestrians. The middle-aged man turned a few streets and alleys, and then realized that something was wrong behind him. He quickened his pace in the next alley, and when he turned into an empty alley, he borrowed strength and climbed up the wall of a house next to him, but then he fell because he did not have enough strength.
When he climbed up from the muddy water, there were already several figures coming in his direction.
The figure was covered with a sack, dragged out of the alley, and then thrown into a carriage. The carriage passed through a few long streets, and entered the prison of Lin 'an prefecture. Not long after, Tie Tianying came in from outside, and someone led him to the prison. The middle-aged man in his thirties was already tied up in the torture room.
The middle-aged man slowly woke up, and saw the old arrester who was heating the iron. He struggled a few times on the rack, "You, you, you, who are you!? Who are you? I'm a Juren, a Juren in the thirteenth year of Jinghan! What are you doing!? "
Tie Tianying raised his head and looked at him, "If you don't know where you are, how can you talk about your Juren status? If you were kidnapped by the bandits, can your Juren status save you?"
"I, I, I, I … I can guess. There's a rule in the imperial court, that officials are not to be punished. You can't kill those who speak, you …"
"Who told you to speak these things? Who taught you to speak? "
"No one! No one! The rise and fall of the nation, everyone has a responsibility! I'm a citizen of the Wu dynasty, and I'm a Juren. When the nation is in trouble, I share the nation's worries! Share the nation's worries! And I only talked about this matter with the others, I didn't do anything else … "
The middle-aged man struggled on the wooden rack, and shouted in panic. Tie Tianying looked at him quietly, and after a while, he untied his bulky robe and put it aside, and picked up the torture equipment.
"I've been watching you for a long time, and I'm sorry if I offend you."
…
The early spring sun set, and the day turned into night.
On the morning of the ninth day of the second month, Zhou Pei put on her clothes, washed up, and boarded the carriage, passing through the city.
It was only a little more than two hours after midnight, and the city was still quiet. However, the further north they went, the more they could hear the buzzing sounds in the air. As they got closer to the north and the Ning Gate, the sounds became clearer. It was the sound of a large number of people moving about.
On the afternoon of the eighth day, Xu Liejun's thirty thousand men were defeated by the twenty thousand elite cavalry sent by Wu Shu, and there were thousands of casualties. Later, Xu Liejun sent tens of thousands of men to repel the invading Jurchen cavalry, and now a large number of wounded were being sent to Lin 'an.
After the wounded were sent to Barbican, there was a screening, and some doctors went in to give emergency treatment to the seriously injured. Zhou Pei climbed up the city wall, and saw the moans and screams coming from Barbican. Cheng Zhouhai was already there, and he came over to pay his respects.
"We've lost again, and I wonder how many people are going to spread the news in private." Zhou Pei said in a low voice.
"Just don't do anything. In every war, there are always people who have ulterior motives." Cheng Zhouhai said.
"More than ten years ago, the people didn't know that the Wu dynasty would really lose the Central Plains. Even if they had ulterior motives, they couldn't help but think that the Wu dynasty could hold on. Now that everyone is talking about it, it's inevitable for them to prepare for the 'worst case scenario'. In the 'worst case scenario', they also hope that they can live a better life … "Zhou Pei said in a low voice and looked into the darkness at the outermost part of the city wall." Mr. Cheng, the city wall of Bianliang is also this tall and thick, right? Sometimes when I stand at the bottom and look up, I feel that such a towering city wall is not easy to break. But these years, things tell me that it's not that difficult to break it. "
Cheng Zhouhai was silent for a moment, "… Yesterday, when His Majesty summoned Your Highness to the palace, what did he say?"
Zhou Pei smiled, and then her expression became solemn. She looked around, and then said to Cheng Zhouhai in a low voice, "Father indirectly asked me if the situation in the capital is critical, can the new army of Zhenhai led by General Han Shizhong withdraw to Lin 'an in time and exchange with the imperial army … Father knows that the people's hearts are wavering, and he also doesn't trust the imperial army, and even wants to … remove General Yu Zihua from the imperial army."
"Removing the Zhenhai army is a desperate attempt to find a doctor in a desperate situation. As for General Yu …" Cheng Zhouhai frowned, "General Yu … was promoted from the Martyr of Martial Camp, and he is His Majesty's confidant."
Zhou Pei hesitated for a moment, thinking of what her father said yesterday, and a sarcastic smile appeared on her face, "… Yes, the Martyr of Martial Camp was stationed in Jiangning, and Yu Zihua and Father knew each other in the past, so he was able to command the imperial army, but at this time … Mr. Cheng, Father knows best what kind of people he used to play with. He just has no one to use, so he bullies others and drinks with women. Father trusts them more than anyone else, and when there is a war, Father trusts them more than anyone else … "
"However, General Yu has really turned over a new leaf these years, and is very strict with himself."
"Father doesn't believe in these things, so I can only … try my best to dissuade him." Zhou Pei rubbed her forehead, "We can't ask the Zhenhai army to move, and General Yu can't go easily. Alas, I hope Father can stay calm. Recently, he often summons Qin Hui, Lord Qin to the palace to ask questions. Lord Qin is experienced and wise, and seems to have played a role in dissuading Father's thoughts. Father wants to summon the Zhenhai army back to the capital, and Lord Qin has also tried to persuade him … In these few days, I want to personally visit Lord Qin and find him to have a frank and honest talk … "
The two of them looked at the city gate tower for a while, and then left. The carriage drove away from the city wall, through the dark streets, and arrived near the prison of Lin 'an prefecture. Zhou Pei, who was rubbing her forehead, thought of something, "Yesterday, Constable Tie seemed to have caught some people. Let's go to the prison to have a look."
Cheng Zhouhai nodded in agreement.
The group of people arrived at the prison, and the assistant next to him had already reported what Tie Tianying had done. When they approached the torture room, the smell of blood spread out. Tie Tianying probably washed his face and hands a little, and came out from inside, with a lot of blood stains on his clothes. He held a stack of interrogation notes in his hand, and led Zhou Pei and Cheng Zhouhai into the torture room. The middle-aged scholar tied to the wooden frame no longer looked like a human.
"Did you make a confession under torture?" Cheng Zhouhai asked with a frown.
"No." Tie Tianying shook his head, "This person's contact with the Jurchen side has been confirmed. The letter, the person who pointed it out, and the imperial guards who passed the news on his behalf have all been confirmed. Of course, he only thought that he was instructed by the big family to lobby for the interests of some big families in the south, but he had participated in the previous dissemination of news that was confirmed to be related to the Jurchen … Now it seems that the Jurchen has begun to have new ideas."
"Is it the ones you previously reported?" Cheng Zhouhai asked.
Tie Tianying nodded, and then looked at Zhou Pei with Cheng Zhouhai, "Let me report this matter, Your Highness wants to …" Tie Tianying pointed at the torture room and the small clean room on the other side, and asked slightly. Zhou Pei looked at the bloody man in the cell whose fingernails had been pulled out, and turned to go to the small room.
Tie Tianying and Cheng Zhouhai followed, and spread out the map on the table in the small room, "This matter has been discussed on a small scale a few days ago. At first it sounds quite deviant, but if you carefully think about it, it can be regarded as a kind of idea. The general direction is like this …"
Tie Tianying paused, and then cut his palm on the position of Xiangyang on the map, and then swept over the western area marked on the map, "If the battle in the capital is urgent and there is no retreat … to the Jurchen Western Army Marshal Zong Han, cede Xiangfan and all the areas west of Xiangfan, north of Yangtze River."
When he finished speaking, Zhou Pei's arm was pressed on the table, and her entire face was gloomy.
Cheng Zhouhai said in a low voice, "There is talk in private that this is a request that the Jurchen General Wanyan Xiyin, who is now near Zhenjiang, secretly made to the city. At the beginning of January, the Black Flag Army has the intention to discuss the matter of borrowing the road from Jiange General Si Zhongxian. Jiange is the main road out of Sichuan. This matter is obviously Ning Yi's deterrence and pressure on the Jurchen. The Jurchen side has made this decision, and it is obviously a counterattack against the Black Flag Army. "
He pointed to the area on the map, "Xiangfan to Jiange, a thousand miles of land, and it controls Sichuan and Shu. Once this area is ceded, the Jurchen Western Army will have enough achievements, and will no longer have a reason to go south to attack Wu. They will even be happy to see the Eastern Army return without any achievements. And once they control this area, Zong Han and Xiyin will enter Chengdu with their strong troops, and Zong Han and Ning Yi will lead the two sides to fight in advance. It is not impossible for both sides to suffer losses … "
"Cede a thousand miles of land? You can even say this? "Zhou Pei's voice was dry.
"If Lin 'an is in danger, then it is quite easy to talk about …" Cheng Zhouhai said, "Moreover, looking at the big picture, the Jurchen … at least on Zong Han and Xiyin's side, are more afraid of the Black Flag Army than the Wu dynasty. If they can swallow the Wu dynasty and then destroy the Black Flag Army, of course it is the best, but if they have to settle for the next best thing, sometimes I also feel that they would rather be able to destroy the Black Flag Army this time …"
After he finished speaking, he looked quietly at Zhou Pei. Zhou Pei's body swayed a little. Some things sounded like a fantasy story at first, but if it really succeeded, Zong Han would lead the army into the southwest, and Ning Yi would lead the Hua Xia army, and would definitely not retreat. These two strongest armies in the world would fight together, and that situation would definitely not be as embarrassing as the Wu dynasty's Jiangnan battle …
Zhou Pei thought for a while, and finally shook her head and left, "These words are to disturb the hearts of the people. Drag them out and choose a day to kill them all!"
Cheng Zhouhai revealed a slight smile. After leaving the prison, he then said seriously, "Now, no matter how beautiful these things are, their purpose is only to disturb the morale of our army. Wanyan Xiyin is indeed worthy of the name of the Goddess of Grains. His Yin and Yang strategy is not inferior to that of Ning Rentu in the southwest. However, although we can understand this matter, I am afraid that many people in the city will be tempted. As for His Majesty … I hope that Your Highness is extremely cautious … "
Zhou Pei nodded, and not long after, she left in a carriage.
After a few days, similar news began to spread and ferment in the city. The Jurchen West Army made a request: cede the west of Xiangfan, and the north of the Yangtze River, and retreat.
And in this, it was said that the Jurchen East Army also made a request: the Wu dynasty would recognize the Jin as their father, forever be their vassal, and pay tribute every year. At the same time —
— Kill Han Shizhong to comfort the Jin people!
…
In February in Zhenjiang, the camp of the soldiers was mixed with frost and mud. When Jun Wu walked out of the tent, he could see the scene of the troops changing in and out, as well as the movement of supplies. Occasionally, the wounded would come in, bringing with them the smell of smoke and blood.
War was more about blood and slaughter, and after half a year, Jun Wu had almost gotten used to this rhythm. In front of him were the attacks of many famous Jurchen generals, and behind him, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians had been killed or wounded.
To the east and south of Zhenjiang, the troops of Xi Yin, Yin Shuke, Arubao, and other Jurchen generals had conquered a few small cities, and were carefully extending the battle line to the south. In a larger area, the troops belonging to the Wu dynasty were blocking the roads to the south. Every few days, there would be one or two conflicts.
Xi Yin led the most elite Mountain-slaughtering Guards under the command of the Jurchen Zonghan. Even the current Beiwei Army could not stop its offensive in a head-on battle. However, the Wu Dynasty's troops that had gathered around it were wearing down its spirit layer by layer. Even if they could not stop it from advancing in one or two battles, they would definitely seal off its path of retreat, preventing it from moving south for a very long time.
Compared to the frontline soldiers who were fighting with their lives and the generals who were devising strategies, the identity of the Crown Prince was more like a backbone and a mascot here. He only needed to exist and firmly carry out the belief of resistance to complete the task. Jun Wu was not depressed about this. No matter how tired he was every day, he worked hard to dress himself up. He grew a beard and straightened his appearance to make himself look more mature and resolute, and to boost the morale of the soldiers.
Occasionally, there were all kinds of intrigue and the complex fluctuations of people's hearts that came from Lin 'an, which made him sneer and sigh. Occasionally, some of the actions of the anti-Jin people who came from the outside world in front of the Jin people encouraged him. Most of these news were heroic and stirring. But if everyone in the world could be like this, how could the Wu dynasty lose the Central Plains?
On the 12th of the second month, an envoy from the Jin people came to the army in Zhenjiang and asked the Crown Prince, Jun Wu, and the entire Wu dynasty court to surrender. Among the conditions were to become a vassal, cede the area west of Xiangfan and north of the Yangtze River, and severely punish the generals who resisted the Jin. Jun Wu saw the beginning and threw it out.
"Xi Yin and the others are now surrounded by my million-strong army. Let's talk when we get back! Push him out and kill him … "
The envoy was dragged out and shouted, "Don't kill envoys when two armies fight! Don't kill envoys when two armies fight! We can negotiate! We can negotiate, Your Highness … "Then he was dragged to the drill ground and his head was chopped off.
Not long after, Wanyan Xi Yin, who was stationed in the southeast of Zhenjiang, received the envoy's head in the military camp. He smiled and said to the people around him, "This little Crown Prince is strong-willed. He is somewhat different from the people of the Wu dynasty …"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
