A long snowstorm had begun to fall in Shandong.
Ever since the end of the Battle of Daming Prefecture, over the past year, people had been starving all over Shandong.
The two hundred thousand Han soldiers sent by Wanyan Chang to encircle Liangshan had completely destroyed the already broken order of the area. The common people had long since been unable to survive. The starving soldiers, refugees, mounted bandits, and mounted bandits were no different from each other. Before the crops had even ripened, they had already been harvested by the various factions. Every field was stained with blood, and every cart of grain was accompanied by more than one cart of corpses. Some of the survivors had even begun to get used to the taste of human flesh.
Since summer, the Yellow River had breached its banks several times, each time taking away a large number of lives. Near Liangshan, the armies living by the river relied on fish to prolong their lives. The two sides occasionally fought, but it was only for a few mouthfuls of food.
After the harvest, which was better than nothing, the two sides fought fiercely. Zhu Biao and Wang Shanyue led the elites from the mountains to fight fiercely. The two Han armies south of Liangshan, numbering more than thirty thousand soldiers, were completely defeated. The food they had plundered was transported back to Liangshan.
After the army was defeated, the soldiers could only become refugees. Whether or not they could survive the winter became a problem. Some of the Han soldiers paled at the news, and the troops that had been separated due to the lack of food supplies gathered together again. After the generals of the army met, many of them contacted Liang Shan in private, hoping that they would stop "fighting each other".
"… We can't live anymore. We were chased here by Wanyan Chang. You guys are fierce, you guys are strong. Go and fight Wanyan Chang. There is really no food around here. Why do you have to fight us … How about this, as long as you raise your hand, we are willing to give you some food … "
People who lived in the cracks always did things that made people not know whether to laugh or cry. The army that was originally chased to encircle Liangshan began to pay 'protection fees' to Liangshan in private. Zhu, Wang, and the others did not stand on ceremony. After collecting the food, they secretly sent people to win over and instigate the rebellious generals in the troops.
Not long after the harvest, Liu Chengzong's troops arrived at Liangshan. They launched a large-scale attack again and defeated the encirclement near the lake. A few troops who had shown reluctance in paying the "protection fee" were dispersed, and the rest of the troops fled in defeat, retreating to see how things would develop.
In the eleventh month, Wanyan Chang ordered General Gao Zongbao to lead forty thousand troops south to deal with the Liangshan Black Flag incident. These forty thousand men were not hastily gathered from the Han army. Instead, they were the official army that Wanyan Chang had mobilized from within the Jin territory. Gao Zongbao was a famous general of the Bohai people. When the Liao army was destroyed, he had rendered great service.
In Wanyan Chang's view, during the Battle of the Daming Prefecture, more than half of the Black Flag Army and the Wu dynasty troops in Shandong had been destroyed; they existed only in name. Over the past year, he had besieged Shandong into a land of death, the people inside were starving into dried firewood, it was inevitable that their fighting power would not be as strong as before. The only one to worry about was Liu Chengzong's troops. However, they had been stirring up trouble near Xuzhou and had fought many battles back and forth. Now, their numbers were less than five thousand, and their supplies had long been exhausted. Now that the official Jurchen army had arrived, even if the enemy hid in the water stronghold and found it difficult to attack, they should not suffer any losses.
This was just his opinion.
In actual combat, in the middle of the eleventh month, Gao Zongbao won the first battle against the Black Flag Army. Liu Chengzong and the others fought and retreated, as if they wanted to retreat into the lake. Gao Zongbao was in high spirits and led his troops forward. Zhu Biao, Wang Shanyue and the others had been waiting for this moment, so they quickly advanced and seized Gao Zongbao's rations and supplies. Gao Zongbao wanted to return to his troops, but Liu Chengzong's troops, which had been 'defeated' by them, suddenly showed their sharpness and attacked.
The forty thousand soldiers that the Jin had mobilized were indeed made up of veterans, but in terms of fighting power, they naturally could not compare to the real elite Jurchen army. Only then did Gao Zongbao realize that something was wrong. When he reorganized his troops to face the battle, he realized that whether it was the front or the rear, they had encountered refined steel that was not fanciful at all.
Gao Zongbao wanted to set fire to the supplies, but the forty thousand soldiers suddenly collapsed. Gao Zongbao was chased all the way back to Wanyan Chang's tent at the end of the eleventh month, where he insisted that they were 'not a match'. Moreover, the other side's army was the elite of the elite in the Black Flag Army. For example, the assault squad led by Luo Ye who had chased after him all this time was rumored to have repeatedly obtained first place in the Black Flag Army's internal competition. They were strong in both offense and defense, the most troublesome 'madman' troop.
Wanyan Chang was so angry at this defeat and Gao Zongbao's bragging to cover up his defeat that he almost smashed the table. In the past few months, not only had the situation in Liangshan become tense, but Liao Yiren's side, which originally had the upper hand in Jindi, had also been forced to retreat step by step under the attacks of Lou Shuwan, Yu Yulin and the others. They had to constantly ask for support from the Jurchen side.
In order to support the war in the south and for the sake of his future rule, Wanyan Chang had plundered the Central Plains with the intention of exhausting all the potential of the Central Plains. However, at this moment, the incompetence of these factions that had been supported was truly shocking.
They couldn't even muster the last bit of strength to fight for a place to live for themselves.
After Gao Zongbao's defeat, Zhu Biao, Liu Chengzong and the others had essentially taken control of Shandong, although not much could be seen in the heavy snowfall of winter. Wanyan Chang sent part of the army south to gather the defeated soldiers, then ordered the various Han armies to strengthen their defenses. He remained in Baoding, while the twenty thousand elites under his command remained motionless.
On the third day of the twelfth month, the Baoding prefecture was covered in a sheet of white. The wind and snow howled as a man in a large cloak braved the wind and snow to enter Wanyan Chang's mansion. Wanyan Chang, who was handling official business, came out to welcome him with a smile.
The person who came to visit was the Jurchen General Shu Liesu, who had almost died in the war at the beginning of the year. At this time, this Jurchen general had a deep scar on his face. He had lost an eye, but his tall figure still couldn't hide his hostility.
"I heard about Gao Zongbao's defeat and couldn't help but ask Your Highness what you plan to do about the enemy of Liangshan."
Wanyan Chang and Shu Liesu could be considered lifelong comrades. Shu Liesu was a pure general, while Aguda's cousin, Wanyan Chang, had assisted Zong Wang and Zong Fu. He was more like a reliable uncle. When the two met, Shu Liesu entered the living room and directly asked the question on his mind.
"General, do you have anything to tell me?"
"I am willing to lead the troops to pacify the rebellion at Liangshan!"
"General, you want to take revenge, right?"
"Your Highness, you want to deal with the myriad changes by remaining unchanged?"
"Of course, if you want to suppress them, I have already ordered 150,000 troops to attack Liangshan within three months."
"Your Highness, please forgive me for speaking bluntly. With the war at Little Canghe as an example, against an army like Black Flag, no matter how many Han troops there are, they will only amount to clay chickens and pottery dogs. The current situation in the Central Plains is not good for the reputation of the Great Jin, so I would like to ask Your Highness to give me elite troops. I … am willing to carry the coffin and fight! "
In the battle at the beginning of the year, facing Black Flag, Shu Liesu originally had the determination to die if he could not win. Who knew that he and Lu Junyi would exchange blows, and the warhorse would charge and leave both of them alive. After Shu Liesu woke up, he felt deeply ashamed every time he thought about it. At this time, when this Jurchen general talked about carrying the coffin and fighting, there was a resolute and fierce aura of death on his face.
Wanyan Chang knew the heroism and loyalty of these comrades, so he was silent for a moment.
"… After the battle at the Daimyo Residence, the vitality of Liangshan has been damaged. At this moment, even with the newly arrived troops of Liu Chengzong, there are only about 10,000 soldiers that can fight, and the damage to the Central Plains is limited. Moreover, the armies from the east and west have gone south, and have taken advantage of the autumn harvest. Now, the provisions in Jiangnan are all in my hands. Whether it is Zong Fu or Guhan, they will not have to worry about provisions for half a year. Right now, I do have more than 20,000 elite troops, but after thinking about it, there is no need to take the risk. Once the army returns, whether it is Liangshan or Jindi, they will naturally be swept to the ground. This is also … what everyone thinks. "
The 'everyone' he mentioned naturally included many people who had interests in it. This was what he could tell Shu Liesu. As for the other reasons that could not be said, but both of them understood. Perhaps it was because Shu Liesu was a general under the command of Zong Han of the Western Court, and Wanyan Chang supported Zong Fu and Zong Bi of the Eastern Court.
Shu Liesu was silent for a moment.
"… In this expedition to the south, what the marshal and the Goddess of Grains talked about the most was not the difficulty of the expedition, but the stability of Dajin in recent years … Your Highness, do you still remember how heroic you were when Taizu started the rebellion? You were able to defeat 700,000 soldiers with 20,000 soldiers at Hubu Gang and made the Jurchen people invincible … In the past, with 20,000 soldiers, we could conquer the world, but now … Your Highness, are we actually guarding here, not daring to go out?"
Shu Liesu's words were a little harsh, but Wanyan Chang was gentle and did not get angry. He stood there with Shu Liesu, looking at the snow outside the hall. After a while, he also sighed.
"… Of course I do not know what General is saying … Then, let me think about it."
These words may have been perfunctory, but Shu Liesu did not insist. At this moment, the snow howled in from outside the door. Although the two were getting older, they did not sit down.
"I still remember the heroism of the past … If Your Highness makes the decision, I am willing to die for the Jurchen people!"
However, until the spring of the second year, Wanyan Chang still could not make up his mind to attack.
*****
The situation in the Central Plains made Wanyan Chang feel bitter. Naturally, Lou Shuwan and the others who were on the other side more or less tasted some sweetness.
Yu Yulin attacked cities and conquered lands, and Liao Yiren retreated step by step. When the heavy snow that sealed the mountains began to fall, although one could still feel the anxiety of countless mouths waiting to be fed, in general, the dawn of hope finally appeared in front of them.
In September, the Black Flag Army from Shandong secretly came to Jin and temporarily borrowed some supplies from Lou Shuwan for Liu Chengzong's trip north. Lou Shuwan sent over some of the food that she had saved from between her teeth. During this time, the Huaxia military envoy, who humbly came over to ask for help, was extremely annoyed. She scolded Ning Yi in front of the Huaxia military officials for half a month, but they did not dare to talk back. This made her feel very satisfied.
In October and November, Liu Chengzong and the others defeated Gao Zongbao's army near Liangshan. This news not only boosted the morale of the Jin resistance forces, but after seizing Gao Zongbao's provisions and supplies, the Huaxia army returned a lot of supplies to Jin as gifts. Lou Shuwan made a huge profit from this investment. She looked like she had gained some weight from eating.
In December, the "courtesan" was in a good mood and often told people that they would have a good New Year.
In fact, in the many years since she left Hangzhou, this was the first time Lou Shuwan had mentioned "New Year" to someone.
The southwest was shrouded in war. In November, there were not many breakthroughs. Occasionally, news would come out that the attacks and defenses on both sides were either "desperate" or "anxious". Under the gazes of the outside world, Wanyan Zonghan, as the Hand of the Nüzhen Heavens, displayed his strongest battle strength and most resolute determination to carve a hole in the southwest. Meanwhile, the Huaxia army blocked this mountain-toppling and sea-overturning offensive and stood firm at the mountain pass in the southwest. For an entire month, the only thing the outside world could faintly see was the tragic casualties of the Nüzhen side and their unyielding will. With the Nüzhen's firm willpower, no one doubted that the Black Flag Army in the southwest had paid an enormous price in order to stand firm there.
If it was said that in their previous discussions and fantasies, the people still had some doubts or disdain about the combat strength of the Nüzhen army. At this moment, the increasingly long period of attack and defense was enough to erase the superficial doubts in everyone's hearts. Now that the Central Plains had fallen and the Wu dynasty had fallen, the two forces that could truly be called the strongest in the world were the two forces currently clashing in the southwest.
The southwest being able to withstand the first wave of attacks was also one of the reasons why Lou Shuwan had an easier time. She unwillingly hoped that the Huaxia army would be able to survive this major battle — of course, it would be best if both sides suffered heavy losses. That way, the people of the world would be happy.
In this mood, a small interlude occurred in the land she ruled — a force that seemed to be newly rising from the northwest had sent people to make contact with them in the Central Plains. They wanted to buy cannons, explosives, and other items from Lou Shuwan. It was said that they had also brought a considerable amount of money to bribe the officials.
Lou Shuwan refused.
The northwest had always been a small corner that the people of the world did not pay attention to. After the battle at Little Cang River, it had never been able to recover its strength. In the past, it was the Zhe family, which was supported by the Zhenren, that dominated. The others were nothing more than bandits formed by country bumpkins. Occasionally, they would come to the Central Plains to fish for some benefits, but the only result was that their claws would be chopped off.
Recently, the land of Jin had been too chaotic, and Lou Shuwan had no time to attend to other matters. She only heard that the Zhe family had been unable to keep the situation under control and had caused internal strife. It was easy to imagine the scene of countless bandits running amok and fighting over the mountain.
This force wanted to buy cannons from the Central Plains, so they were both bold and ambitious. However, Lou Shuwan's side was short on supplies and didn't even have enough for her own use. How could she have any left to sell? This meant that there was no precondition for a transaction. On the other hand, life was tight. Lou Shuwan had spent a great deal of effort to maintain the integrity and fairness of the officials below her, maintaining the good reputation she had painstakingly earned among the people. The other party had bribed the officials with gold, silver, and antiques — it wasn't as if they had brought provisions — which made Lou Shuwan's impression of them even worse.
She rejected the proposal of this group of merchants.
At the same time, a group of people with the same goal paid a visit to Liao Yiren, who was still in charge of a large territory.
Seeing that the Central Plains was on the verge of collapse, and that the territory under his command was about to fall under the aggressive attacks of the adulterous couple, Lou Shuwan and Yu Yulin. On one hand, Liao Yiren kept asking for help from the Zhenren, and on the other hand, he was anxiously thinking of a way out. The Zhe family's collection of antiques brought by the northwest caravan was exactly what he wanted — once he retired to the Jin Empire, he would naturally have to bring gold, silver, and antiques to pave the way. Would the other party allow him to bring troops, swords, and spears?
On the other hand, the other party needed a large amount of iron cannons, gunpowder, and the like, which meant that they had people in their hands, and they were all fugitives from the northwest. This kind of understanding gave Liao Yiren an idea. After testing each other, Liao Yiren proposed a new idea to the other party.
In the eleventh year of Wu Jianshuo, on the twenty-seventh of the twelfth month, amidst the howling wind and snow, Liao Yiren and a group of descendants of the Liao family looked at the caravan coming through the wind and snow, as well as the tall figure at the front of the caravan.
Zhamuhe, the leader of the Mongolian Zalanda Tribe, carried the will of the legendary Khan of the Steppe, Temujin, and officially set foot on the Central Plains in the last days of this disastrous year.
Liao Yiren opened the door and greeted the guests.
"— Welcome!"
At this moment, the wind and snow whistled past.
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