The collapse of the edifice was sudden.
The fourth month of the eleventh year of Wu Jianshuo was one of the most critical periods that would determine the state of the world. The battle in Jiangning was raging. In the land of Xiangfan, thousands of li away, hundreds of thousands of troops were still bitterly holding on under Wanyan Zonghan's fierce attack.
Ever since the two sides began fighting in close quarters in the second half of last year, the Wu dynasty, under the fierce offensive of the Jurchens' fourth southern expedition, still displayed its solid national strength and deep resources.
After nearly a decade of forbearance and preparation, even though they had lost the Central Plains, they had established an even more prosperous economic system in Jiangnan, supporting a relatively powerful giant-like body. In the following year of war, although the Wu dynasty was sometimes defeated and often at a disadvantage, its deep resources and endless number of soldiers made up for the losses. Even though the Yangtze River defense line had been broken, the important fulcrum that supported the framework of Jiangnan had stubbornly defended and refused to retreat. In some places, it had even become a situation of mutual hostility, causing the desperate Jurchens army to be delayed near the Yangtze River, unable to move south for a long time.
If this type of situation proved that the Wu Dynasty still possessed tremendous strength in terms of overall numbers, then the Zhenjiang incident at the end of April, perhaps it was the various hidden injuries and contradictions hidden within this giant shell of the Wu Dynasty.
Compared to the first Jurchens south over a decade ago, although the millions of troops of the Wu dynasty were defeated in one blow by the powerful Jurchens, many people in the world still maintained the dignity that once belonged to a superior country. If they were defeated, they could flee, but there weren't many who defected to the enemy. Even if their military strength wasn't good, the resistance of the Central Plains was endless.
However, after more than a decade of brewing and changing, the heroic resistance against the Jin had more and more turned to the tragic and stirring words of actors and scholars on paper. Although for the common people, the events of the Jingping era had always been a great shame and humiliation, and the voices of resistance against the Jin in society grew louder and louder, among the middle and upper echelons of the Wu dynasty, the proportion of those who had connections to the Jurchens and even defected to the enemy had greatly increased.
After more than a decade of mutual hostility, on the one hand, they were in a state of opposition, and on the other, the Jin and Wu sides were constantly deepening their relationship. When the contrast of power on the table became clear, most intelligent people would make their own calculations. At the end of April, the battle in Zhenjiang was more of a fierce collision between the comprehensive strength of the two sides than a battle between offense and defense.
This was a battle that was not quite the same as the previous situation. Even if on the surface it was only a successful use of Wanyan Xiyin and instigation of defection, the layout of the normal battle had already begun last year with a purpose. The infiltration of the Female Zhenren into the Wu dynasty and the panic of the people in the court of Lin 'an made all of this more like a large-scale replica of the incident of Ning Yi destroying Liangshan.
Compared to the speed at which information was transmitted, the movements of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of soldiers seemed extremely slow. In the middle of the fourth month, Wanyan Xiyin's main army turned to Zhenjiang. All sides had already sensed that something was wrong with his staking everything on one throw. However, in order to keep up with his movements, the various armies of the Wu dynasty would need enough time. And during this process, everyone had no choice but to guard against the possibility of the other side making a feint.
By the 19th of the fourth month, Xi Yin began to prepare for the siege. Only then could the surrounding armies confirm the whole movement and surround Zhenjiang.
On the 22nd, Xi Yin sent messengers to Jun Wu and the others in Zhenjiang. On the same day, he distributed a large number of leaflets to Zhenjiang, saying that all the families of those who participated in the defense of the city would not be pardoned, and that the first to contribute to the city would be conferred the title of Marquis. At the same time, he also constantly spread the news that a certain high-ranking official of the court had surrendered to the Female Zhenren as evidence. In this atmosphere, the Female Zhenren army launched an all-out attack on the city that afternoon.
Wanyan Xiyin's fierce attack on Zhenjiang was already staking everything on one throw. Almost all the powerful bombs were thrown onto the top of the city wall. In between the bombardments, the Mountain Guards launched a fierce attack on the top of the wall. At this time, more than two hundred thousand troops had set off from the southeast and south of Zhenjiang. In Zhenjiang, Jun Wu and the others increased the strength of the military law enforcement team. At the same time, they adopted a strategy of keeping a close watch on the generals in the army. Before the siege began, they even changed the garrison area of each team.
If Xi Yin's attack failed, the Mountain Guards led by him, as well as the tens of thousands of people led by Yin Shuke, Arubao and the others, were likely to be surrounded by the army and eventually buried under Zhenjiang. Even if they broke through the siege and paid a heavy price, the morale of the people of the Wu dynasty would soar, and the Female Zhenren's fourth expedition to the south could only end dismally here.
The Female Zhenren's crazy attack, coupled with the declaration that the nine families of those who defended the city would not be pardoned, brought great pressure to the army in the city, but at the same time made the resistance of the defenders more determined. However, compared to the attackers, the decisive factor for the success or failure of the defense was not the most high-spirited long board, but only a key flaw.
In the early morning of April 25th, a flaw appeared. A young general named Geng Zhangzhong led a small number of his personal guards to rebel. After contacting the Female Zhenren, he tried to open the Double Horn Gate on the east of Zhenjiang. His rebellion was not completely successful, but the Female Zhenren took advantage of the civil strife to launch a fierce attack on the Double Horn Gate. After occupying the city wall, the Female Zhenren's army surged in from the east of Zhenjiang.
Flames and explosions wreaked havoc in the city, and the battle spread throughout the city. The morale of the Jurchen soldiers was very high after entering the city, but not long after, they were met with a head-on attack from the city's defending army. Jun Wu led his troops out of the camp and mobilized all the soldiers in the city to fight against the Female Zhenren. At the same time, he organized the people in the city to escape from the other docks and roads.
Not many people could understand Jun Wu's feelings at that time. The resistance of hundreds of thousands of people was destroyed by one person's weakness. Of course, if this person could hold on for a little longer, there might be other weak people. But in the darkness of the early morning, Jun Wu did not fall in the head-on attack. He rode a silver-armored warhorse, waved his sword, and ran around, constantly giving orders to boost the morale of the soldiers and to guide the fleeing people.
There were still navy ships and merchant ships docked at the docks near Zhenjiang. The officials of the crown prince's palace, including Wenren Bu 'er, tried to persuade Jun Wu to get on the ships and escape from Zhenjiang, which was hopeless now. But Jun Wu directly refused. He ordered the navy to take the people across the canal, so that they could escape, and at the same time, he ordered the defenders in the south of the city to open a path for them.
Zhenjiang was the junction of the canal and the Yangtze River. Last year, there were more than a million people living in Zhenjiang. After the war, the people nearby scattered, and there were still more than four hundred thousand people living in the city. That night, the massacre and fire spread in the city. The fleeing troops were mighty, and the whole city was in a state of boiling killing.
Breaking through Zhenjiang was the most important step in Xi Yin's entire war plan. When the goal of breaking through the city was achieved, even he was excited. Soon after the Mountain Guards and the Female Zhenren elites entered the city, the defenders' counterattack came. At this time, Zhenjiang was broken. According to Xi Yin, all the soldiers of the Wu dynasty would face the fate of having their families executed after the Jin Kingdom took over this place. The resistance of the whole city entered a white-hot state in the blink of an eye.
At this time in Zhenjiang, the Mountain Guards led by Xi Yin, together with Yin Shuke and Arubao's troops, amounted to nearly seventy thousand Jin soldiers, while the Wu dynasty army in Zhenjiang was only a little more than a hundred thousand. But on the twenty-fifth day after the city was broken, the battle against the Jin in Zhenjiang reached the most tragic climax. Some generals led the soldiers in a crazy charge, and did not retreat even if they were exhausted and died in battle. After entering the city, some of the Mountain Guards were even stunned by the fierce counterattack and retreated.
On the morning of the 25th, almost half of the city was engulfed in flames, and a large number of people were still fleeing out of the city. At this time, fighting broke out near the escape route outside the city. Arubao's army tried to block the southern route, but they were fiercely blocked by the troops of the Wu dynasty arranged by Jun Wu. General Zou Tianchi of the Wu dynasty, who led 20,000 Wu dynasty troops to guard here, was nearly sixty years old. After being arranged by Jun Wu, he never retreated. In the next two days, his troops either collapsed or died, and some surrendered. Two days later, facing Arubao's fierce attack, the old general was blown away by a cannonball. When he got up, his right arm was badly mutilated, and his whole body was covered in blood. The old general held a saber in one hand and led the charge, but he eventually fell on the way.
This was just a small interlude in the whole battle of Zhenjiang. On the morning of the 25th, Jun Wu, who had been running all night, could finally catch his breath. He ate the porridge his wife brought him in a house on the street, wiped the tears from his eyes in a secluded place, and then got on his horse and ran around the battlefield to boost the morale. During this period, countless people tried to persuade him to leave Zhenjiang immediately. Even some people who hadn't escaped in time, seeing the Crown Prince's fatigue, also tried to persuade him to get on the boat and leave. Jun Wu shook his head and refused, shouting in a hoarse voice.
"The soldiers guarding the city are risking their lives. How can I leave first? If I leave, you will have no chance of survival! "
He said this to the people, then went to the edge of the battlefield and kept encouraging the soldiers guarding the city, "The Zhenren will not give us a chance of survival! She will not give the people of the Wu dynasty a chance of survival! I am with you all. Before the people evacuate, if you don't retreat, I won't retreat either … "
Zhenjiang was not small, but on this day, there were even soldiers and people who saw the Crown Prince running by several times. His robe gradually became dirty, his voice gradually became hoarse, and his movements gradually weakened. However, his words and actions became more and more determined. Some of the originally timid soldiers thus set foot on the road to the Zhenren.
On the evening of the 25th, Jun Wu fell from his horse. Wenren Bu 'er, who followed him, tried to persuade him to leave again, but Jun Wu refused again, "I can't leave. The morale of the army can be used, and the people can be used. I see that we still have hope!"
Wenren Bu 'er shook her head, "Zhenjiang has fallen, and this is a small matter. The Wu dynasty cannot live without Your Highness! Your Highness, if you go to Lin 'an, there is still a chance of survival, Your Highness … "
Jun Wu kept shaking his head, his face was already gray and black, even mixed with some blood stains. At this time, tears flowed out, "It is not a small matter! The lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers are not a small matter! Senior Brother Wenren, I know what you are thinking! But do you see? The people's hearts can be used, and they dare to fight. Zhenjiang has not been defeated yet! They attacked, and we defeated them. Hundreds of thousands of people nearby are rushing over, and we left Wanyan Xiyin here! We still have hope! "
In Jun Wu's eyes, there was determination and fanaticism in the last hope. Perhaps it was also because he saw the determination and heroism of the resistance on the 25th, Wenren Bu 'er felt sad, but she did not try to persuade him anymore. On the 26th, the Zhenren troops that entered the city had begun to persuade them to surrender. The resistance was still fierce, but it had begun to decline.
On the 27th, half of Zhenjiang was in a sea of fire. At this time, there were still hundreds of thousands of people who had not escaped. The defense line in the southern suburbs of Zhenjiang had begun to be in danger under Arubao's fierce attack. When Jun Wu led the troops to support them, the old general Zou Tianchi had already died on the way to Arubao's charge.
On the south side of Zhenjiang, on the side of the Grand Canal, the mountains and valleys were full of fleeing people. Jun Wu gathered the defeated soldiers and organized a defense line. At the same time, he urged the soldiers and civilians in Zhenjiang to quickly evacuate. At this time, the whole of Zhenjiang was in a precarious situation. A group of cavalrymen from the Mountain-slaying Guards found Jun Wu's direction and attacked him. The generals and advisors around him tried to persuade him again and again. Jun Wu stood on the top of a hill and looked down at the fleeing people. "Can't we defeat them?"
The imperial guards around Jun Wu set up a defensive formation, and the soldiers urged the people to leave as fast as possible. When the cavalrymen appeared, it was afternoon. The sun shone on the Grand Canal, and there were wildflowers and green grass on the shore. Jun Wu placed the royal flag on the hillside. Seeing that the imperial guards had repelled the cavalrymen's charge, the cavalrymen took a detour and approached the crowd. They shot arrows at the crowd, and the imperial guards chased after them, killing each other in the chaos.
A quarter to an hour later, the Zhenren cavalrymen split into several groups and charged toward Jun Wu. The people around him tried to persuade Jun Wu to stay away, but Jun Wu, who had not slept for three days, just shook his head subconsciously. There was still a forest of spears in front of him, and he was surrounded by guards, so he was not afraid. He left his wife under the royal flag and walked forward. He wanted to see the Zhenren more clearly, and remember their deaths more vividly.
Arrows rained down.
Some people raised their shields, while others pulled Jun Wu back. Jun Wu struggled subconsciously, but several shields had already covered his body. Something hit his armour and bounced off. Jun Wu's body trembled, and he felt as if he had been hit by a blunt object. By the time he reacted, an arrow had embedded itself in a gap in his armour, and hit him in the stomach.
He felt uncomfortable, but he did not feel any pain. The next moment, the people around him rushed over in panic. Jun Wu grabbed the arrow with his left hand and pressed it against his armour.
'So this is how it feels.
'It hurts …'
He thought to himself.
But it was also at this moment that his hands, which had been trembling in fear for the past few days, stopped trembling.
'That's how it feels.'
Jun Wu stretched out his right hand, slowly and firmly drew out his sword, and pointed it in the direction of the Zhenren. He said, "… Kill the enemy." But his throat was in so much pain that he could not make a sound.
Someone said, "The crown prince is injured …"
That kind of voice gradually spread out. Some people started to cry. For the past few days, the soldiers and even some civilians had seen Jun Wu running around. Jun Wu was still moving forward with his sword drawn. In front of him, a general was shouting and leading his soldiers to charge towards the Zhenren. The cavalry of the guards were also rushing over. They braved the arrows and got close to the galloping horses, and then crashed into them. After a while, there was a commotion among the fleeing civilians. Some people were crying, and some people were shouting. Gradually, some men put down their belongings, and then one, two, three … Gradually, they formed a group and rushed towards the battlefield on the hillside.
The sunlight was so bright that it made people dizzy. Jun Wu fell down in Wenren Bu Er's arms. The place where he was hit by the arrow hurt a lot, but it didn't matter.
'It's just a feeling.'
He was not afraid of it anymore.
A smile appeared on Jun Wu's pale face.
"… Kill the enemy."
He said in a hoarse and soft voice.
More Zhenren people were still coming over. At five o 'clock, after confirming Xi Yin's intention, the cavalry of the Beiwei Army, led by Yue Fei, cut into the battlefield at the fastest speed. He rushed to where Arubao's main force was, and in less than half an hour, he killed Arubao in the most ferocious way.
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.
