The sky was blue and the rain fell from the sky, seeping into people's clothes, bringing with it the coldness of winter.
Outside Swords Gate, the crowd of refugees filled the valley. The cries of women and children blended into a desolate scene in the rain. The old men climbed up the towering slope in front of Swords Gate, knelt on the ground, and begged the guards inside the pass to let them pass.
The miserable scene had lasted for more than ten days. Most of the refugees who were driven to the north outside the pass had fallen ill, including the old, the weak, and the disabled. They had little food and clothing and medicine. Every day, hundreds of people died. Even though life in the mountains of Sichuan was difficult, Jiange had not seen such a miserable scene for many years.
The soldiers in straw raincoats stood on the city wall with spears in their hands and could not bear to look. As the heavy rain fell, the old, weak, sick, and disabled in the valley ahead would slowly fall in front of their eyes, breathing their last breath. The scene that appeared in front of them was tantamount to hell on earth.
However, they could not let them pass.
Wanyan Zonghan's more than 200,000 troops had entered Lizhou and were stationed dozens of miles away. And Swords Gate was the most important pass in Sichuan.
Now Si Zhongxian's 20,000 elite troops and more than 10,000 local troops were guarding here. As long as Swords Gate was still in their hands, they could fight or negotiate. No matter what choice they made, it had a high strategic value.
Under such a background, even in the process of negotiation, both sides were constantly testing Si Zhongxian's bottom line.
The Huaxia army was a gentleman, because there was no need to force. At most, they would secretly lobby all parties in the name of righteousness.
On the one hand, Wanyan Xiyin instructed a diplomatic mission under the leadership of Si Zhongxian's father, Si Wenzhong, and offered unimaginably generous conditions to Si Zhongxian. On the other hand, Wanyan Zonghan, who was outside Jiange, showed a firm will to fight and became more impatient day by day. While the diplomatic mission was still negotiating, they drove a large number of sick and weak people to Swords Gate and instigated them that as long as they passed the pass, the Huaxia army would give them food and treatment.
In the eyes of ordinary people, opening the pass and carefully letting people pass was a choice. Even if one or two or even a team of spies were mixed in the crowd, it seemed impossible to break through the impregnable pass guarded by more than 30,000 people. However, such logic never existed on the battlefield. Seasoned hunters would use all sorts of methods to test their prey's bottom line. Sometimes, a single step back might determine the outcome of a few steps later.
Wanyan Zonghan and the Jurchen generals outside of Swords Gate were obviously seasoned generals. Even if they had the upper hand in the negotiation, they spared no effort to convey their ferocity and confidence: Even if you don't surrender, we will crush you!
By the end of the ninth month, the number of sick and weak Han Chinese who were driven to the north of Swords Gate Pass had already reached over thirty thousand.
Walking northeast from the Sword Garret's impregnable pass, the rain stretched for more than thirty miles. The fallen Zhaohua Ancient City was the core of Wanyan Zonghan's army. There were about eighty thousand Jurchen soldiers stationed in the main camp of Zhaohua City. On the western side of Zhaohua City, more than a hundred thousand people who had been driven forward by the Jurchen soldiers were hiding in the shabby camps and tents, shivering.
In the rain, more than two thousand people were driven out of the camp by the Jurchen army. These were the sick but untreatable captives of the refugee camp. In order to prevent them from dying in the camp, the Jurchen Cultivators drove the sick and their families out of the camp and led them west in the direction of Jiange.
The Jurchen army did not supervise these sick and weak Han Chinese too much. Of course, there were patrols. Once they encountered them, they would shoot arrows and kill them from afar. It was not impossible to avoid the Jurchen army by hiding in the nearby forests and taking detours. But first, the sick people's health was deteriorating. Second, at least wherever the Jurchen army went, there was no place that was not ruined and dead. This autumn, the Jurchen army swept all the way from the direction of Xiangfan. For the upcoming battle, they had already plundered everything that needed to be plundered.
If they went back, they would die. If they hid in the mountains, they would die slowly. If they went to Sword Garret, perhaps one day the Han general guarding Sword Gate would show mercy and give them food and allow them to be treated. Or perhaps they would open the pass and allow them to go to the other side and rely on the Huaxia army that was said to carry the banner of benevolence and righteousness?
Perhaps as the faint hope turned into a dead end day by day, people would discover that in fact, the dead end had already arrived.
Wanyan Zonghan wore a large cloak as he watched the thousands of people leave the camp and stumble forward. The navy blue horsemen stood on top of a hill in the west of the city. Some people fell into the muddy water and knelt on the ground, begging for mercy.
When they were captured, they still had some belongings. In the camp, the Jurchen Cultivators would provide them with some food every day. But now that they were driven out, they had nothing on them. Braving the rain, some of them were sick, they had no medicine, they did not have the whereabouts of their next meal, and they were surrounded by the mountains of Sichuan. All the patients, even if it was just a small cold, would gradually die within a few days under the gaze of their loved ones.
The Pearl King Wanyan Shiyama came up from the other side of the hill with his entourage. He was the eldest son of Wanyan Zonghan and had followed Niu Han to battle since he was a child. When the Jurchen Cultivators conquered Liao, he was only ten years old and had yet to make a name for himself. By the time of the second battle of Bianliang, the 27-year-old Wanyan Shiyama and his younger brother the King of Baoshan, Wanyan Xibao, were already generals in the army.
In another period of history, when the Jin destroyed Jingkang in the Northern Song Dynasty, Emperor Huizong of Song was captured by the Jurchen camp and tried to plead with Wanyan Zongwang. Zongwang took the opportunity to propose marriage for Niu Han's son, Wanyan Xibao, and asked Emperor Huizong to marry his thirteenth daughter, Empress Hui Fu, to Xibao as a concubine. Emperor Huizong agreed.
Not long after, the change in Jingkang became more and more serious. The women of the royal family, the wives, concubines, and children of the ministers all became slaves and prostitutes. Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qin, as well as the Empress and Princess, all lived as slaves in the Jin Kingdom. Only Empress Hui Fu named Zhu Zhu became the only concubine that the Jurchen Cultivator married. This became the perfect template for domineering generals in later generations, and gave birth to some stories from the perspective of the female harem. But at that time, it was difficult to find out whether this only concubine had a better life and situation than her parents and sisters.
In any case, in this world, the Jingping Shame had passed for more than ten years. Although the brothers Zhen Zhu and Baoshan, who were now in their thirties, were not as famous as Yinshu and Balisu, they were already the mainstays of the Jin Kingdom's generals. This time, the Western Army went south and pointed to the southwest. The two brothers also followed their father. This might be the last time that the West School of Jurchen would be so complete. It was enough to show how serious they were about this expedition.
"It's hard to see such scenery in the north for a long time. Father, I'm here. " As Shema spoke, he got off the horse and bowed to Zong Han. Zong Han looked at him and raised his hand, "How many days do we need to prepare the carriage?"
"If we follow the instructions of father and the other uncles, we need half a month to prepare everything."
"Good." Zong Han nodded his head and looked forward, "Although Chuan and Shu have many mountains, but after this area, there will be fertile plains that are blessed by nature. The land of Han is vast and the scenery is beautiful. If the Goddess of Grains was here, she might have the same feeling as you. But after this war, I'm afraid that the Goddess of Grains and I will not come here again. You and Baoshan will have a chance to return. I only hope that when that time comes, the Jurchen people will be strong and you will not let down this land. "
Shema cupped his hands, "I will remember father's teachings. However, what his son said just now was not referring to the scenery in front of him. His son was referring to the crowd below. The people from the south are short and weak, and their minds are despicable. They say that they are kind and humble, but in reality, they are timid and afraid of trouble. In such a situation, they only know how to cry, which is despicable. Your son thought that such a scene could be considered the greatest admonition to our Jurchen people. "
Shema's words were a little arrogant, and Zong Han listened to him for a while before nodding his head. Among the Jurchen people, Wanyan Zong Han had always been the most resolute and aggressive. His attitude of breaking through and advancing had been throughout the rise of the Jurchen people.
Back then, the Jurchen people were still weak and oppressed. Aguda only had about two thousand men under him, and he was hesitant to rebel. It was Wanyan Zong Han who made up his mind. Later on, when the Jurchen people rebelled against Liao, it was Zong Han who persuaded Aguda to proclaim himself as the emperor. Later on, when Emperor Tianzuo fled to the west, Zong Han did not even wait for orders and chased after him. In the end, he forced Emperor Tianzuo into a dead end, captured Lou Shi alive, and destroyed Liao …
In the rise of the Jurchen people, Zong Han's bravery was one of the most prominent symbols of the Jurchen spirit. As Zong Han's eldest son, Shema had always looked at his father's back as he moved forward. On the surface, he had an arrogant and flamboyant personality, but in reality, he was cautious and dependable. From a big perspective, the atmosphere of the entire Jurchen West Army was the same. Even though Wanyan Xiyin controlled the negotiations with Sword Pavilion, in the West Army, Ba Li Su, Saba and the other generals had never been careless in their preparations for war. Mobilization for war was carried out every day, and there was a fervent atmosphere in the camp.
"After this war, everywhere we look will be under the rule of our Jurchen people. We will trample this place, and there will be no more wars in the world! Our Jurchen people will establish great achievements, and all of you will bring glory to your ancestors and glory to the world. This is the moment. In front of us is the Sword Gate Pass, and we will trample it! In front of us is the Black Flag Army, and we will sweep the four paths and kill our way through the south and north … "
Yes, after conquering the southwest, all the rich lands in the south and north of the sea would be in the hands of the Jurchen people. In the fervent mobilization and pre-war preparations, the veteran generals naturally had their own estimates of the difficulty of the Sword Gate Pass, but they wouldn't say it out loud. They had fought all their lives, and they wouldn't stop just because it was dangerous or if they didn't surrender. In the capital, Wu Qimai was also bitterly supporting himself for this war. This was something everyone knew in their hearts.
Zong Fu and Zong Bi weren't enthusiastic about the conquest of the southwest, and felt that it was beyond their reach. It was the bravery of Zong Han and Xi Yin that would decide the fate of the Jin Kingdom!
At the end of September and the beginning of October, humiliating news came from the east.
Xi Yin mobilized more than a hundred thousand Han soldiers to surround Changsha, while Chen Fan led less than eight thousand soldiers and took the initiative to attack. They defeated the three Han armies, which had a total of one hundred and forty thousand soldiers. In these three consecutive battles, whether it was ambushes or tactics, they won consecutively, shocking the world. Chen Fan's light cavalry went into battle, and for a moment, it was as if thousands of soldiers and horses were avoiding the white robes.
At this time, the main force of cavalry in the east of Changsha had not joined the battle, but the defeat of more than a hundred thousand Han soldiers was like a slap to the Jurchen people's face. When the news reached Zhao Hua, the Jurchen generals felt humiliated, and their emotions were surging. They couldn't wait to attack the Sword Gate Pass to regain their dignity.
This clamor lasted for a few days, and on the fifth of October, Si Zhongxian surrendered.
Zong Han, Ba Li Su, Saba, Shema, Xie Bao and the others all secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
On the day of the surrender, it was raining. Wanyan Zonghan rode a tall warhorse and arrived in front of Swords Gate Fortress. He saw the pale-faced Han general who was said to be famous for his loyalty. Wanyan Zonghan dismounted from his horse and looked at him for a moment before patting his shoulder and walking past him.
The Sword Gate Pass was already under his feet.
The road to defeating Hei Qi was also half completed.
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