Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 906 Attacking Yongqiu City

Xiangyi City fell to the Wu army. The Song army had already looted all the grain and fodder in the city, either taking it away or burning it to the ground, as if they wanted to wipe out all useful resources from the city.

The once bustling streets are now deserted, littered with scattered debris and abandoned ruins, creating a desolate scene. Thick smoke billows from some of the houses, flames set by Song Dynasty soldiers mercilessly engulfing everything in their path.

In this chaotic situation, some shameless ruffians took the opportunity to cause trouble. They broke into the mansion of the local gentry, plundered property, and bullied innocent women.

In the midst of chaos, there are always some villains who take advantage of the situation and bully their own compatriots. Su Chen had long anticipated such a scene. He knew that in such turbulent times, maintaining order in the city and ensuring the safety of the people was of paramount importance; otherwise, it could easily trigger a popular uprising.

Therefore, Su Chen decisively dispatched 20,000 elite troops into the city to begin clearing the streets and arresting those ruffians and bandits who took the opportunity to kill and set fires.

The soldiers acted swiftly, moving through the streets and alleys, capturing the wicked criminals one by one, and restoring order to the city.

At the same time, Wu Jun actively comforted the people in the city, using warm words and practical actions to make them feel his care.

"We must treat the people and prisoners of war well, promote the eight policies, and ensure that the occupied cities and regions can maintain stability!" This was the clear and firm order that Su Chen gave to all his generals.

He knew very well that they were different from the Liao people who only knew how to burn, kill, and plunder. The Liao people went south only to hunt for autumn crops, burning, killing, and plundering, and even abducting people from the Central Plains to the grasslands to become slaves. This was a backward form of serfdom.

Su Chen's goal is to unify the North and the South. He regards the people of both the North and the South as his future subjects, so he attaches great importance to the reputation and influence of a benevolent army.

He hoped that these measures would win the hearts of the people, making them willingly accept the rule of Wu, thus laying a solid foundation for future unification. He believed that only by winning the hearts of the people could true long-term stability be achieved.

Accompanied by Meng Yutong and Peng Jingjing, Su Chen went into the city for a walk and saw the refugee area, where some homeless refugees had temporarily gathered to protect themselves after the war.

Su Chen ordered some food to be distributed, and felt pity for the homeless refugees.

"When the Shu Kingdom fell, it was just like this. The innocent eyes and despair of many people were like this. Now it's the Song people's turn." Meng Yutong sighed softly, still unable to forget the actions of the Song soldiers during the war against Later Shu, which led to the tragic fate of the people of Shu.

Su Chen sighed, "War is a weapon of destruction. It should not be used unless absolutely necessary. Right now, the North and South are divided and there are many local governments. If unification is not achieved as soon as possible, there will only be endless wars in the future."

"Yes, I understand." Meng Yutong nodded.

Su Chen, accompanied by his lovers Peng Jingjing and Meng Yutong, along with several generals, began to inspect the wounded and sick soldiers, offering their condolences and comfort. They brought wine, meat, and other supplies to reward the troops.

"Marshal Su! Marshal Su!"

Many soldiers couldn't help but shout when they saw Su Chen appear. In their eyes, he was the high and mighty marshal, the Prince of Zhennan of Wu, and the number one talent in Jiangzuo, full of legendary charm.

Su Chen walked among the soldiers, his gaze sweeping over their tired yet expectant faces. He smiled slightly and spoke in a loud and powerful voice: "Soldiers, you've worked hard. Just hold on a little longer, and we'll take Bianjing City ahead. Then, our Wu Kingdom will unify the world, and you'll all be rewarded and go home to live a good life! We won't have to fight anymore."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers were immediately filled with fervor, their eyes gleaming with excitement.

Throughout history, few southern armies have been able to penetrate deep into the north, defeat the formidable armies of the Central Plains, destroy their dynasties, and annex them. Marshal Su is making history.

"With Marshal Su leading us, we will definitely succeed!" a soldier shouted, his voice full of confidence.

“That’s right, Marshal Su is a brilliant strategist, he will definitely be able to destroy the Song Dynasty.” Another soldier chimed in, his eyes full of admiration.

"Once we unify the North and South, we won't have to fight anymore and we can live a peaceful life." Many soldiers were able-bodied men from the countryside, and they longed to return to their hometowns with military honors, hoping to be allocated more land or receive greater respect.

Looking at these soldiers, Su Chen was filled with emotion. He knew that these soldiers were not acting for their own selfish interests, but for the unity of the country and the peace of the people.

The army only stayed in Xiangyi City for one day before pressing on with their victory.

This time, Lin Renzhao and Pan Mei joined forces again, shouldering the heavy responsibility of leading the vanguard in the assault, and leading a mighty army straight towards Yongqiu. At the same time, they also blocked the waterways leading to Bianjing City. This move was like choking Bianjing. If the blockade continued for a period of time, Bianjing City would inevitably face the predicament of food shortage and lack of supplies.

This was another thrilling and fierce battle, with 100,000 Song soldiers and 150,000 Wu soldiers engaging in a desperate offensive and defensive struggle on the battlefield.

Cao Bin adopted a tactical plan that combined the city walls with the defenses outside the city. A portion of his troops engaged in field battles outside the city in an attempt to harass the Wu army's siege. However, Pan Mei stood like an insurmountable mountain, firmly blocking their way.

The two men, each serving their own master, engaged in a thrilling battle in the wilderness. Their troops were arrayed on the battlefield, swords flashing and shouts of battle echoing through the air.

On the other hand, Lin Renzhao commanded his army to attack the city, with heavy weapons such as ladders, battering rams, crossbows, and cannons all being deployed, suppressing the Song army's resistance on the city walls like a storm.

"Kill!" The battle raged from the first light of dawn until the last rays of dusk. Under the fierce attack of the Wu army, Yongqiu City was like a rotten watermelon cleaved open by a sharp sword, riddled with holes and utterly ruined.

Countless Wu soldiers swarmed into the city from all directions like army ants. The sound of hooves thundered, men shouted and horses neighed, arrows pierced the air, warhorses neighed, and screams of agony filled the air, as if the sky were about to collapse.

Although a small number of Song soldiers were still putting up a desperate fight in the streets, most of them had thrown their weapons to the ground, stood with their hands raised against the wall, and accepted the surrender of the Wu army. The tide had turned, and their eyes were filled with helplessness and despair.

Cao Bin's army outside the city was blocked and had no choice but to retreat. Meanwhile, the Song generals Fu Yanqing and Wang Zhengzhong, who were defending the city, fled into the inner city with their remaining troops and hurriedly closed the gates.

The gate immediately began to rumble loudly with a heavy thud, causing sand and stones to fall from the city walls, as if it would be smashed open at any moment. The soldiers defending the city, facing a hail of arrows, could not even raise their heads, let alone effectively suppress the Wu soldiers ramming the city below.
Seeing this, Fu Yanqing said helplessly, "We can't hold them off anymore. We have less than 10,000 people left in the city. We can't defend it!"

Wang Zhengzhong couldn't help but cry out, "Is the Great Song Dynasty really going to end like this?"

Looking at General Wang, Fu Yanqing couldn't help but ask, "Are we just going to die on the battlefield like this, following the Song Dynasty?"

"Otherwise what? What brilliant plan does General Fu have?" Wang Zhengzhong retorted.

Fu Yanqing was a veteran general in his seventies who had lived through multiple dynasties. He was a descendant of Emperor Xuanzhao of the Former Qin Dynasty, the son of Fu Cunshen, the Prince of Qin of the Later Tang Dynasty, and the father-in-law of Emperor Shizong of the Later Zhou Dynasty and Emperor Taizong of the Northern Song Dynasty. He had lived through so much time that he was on the front lines and was unaware that Zhao Guangyi had already ascended the throne in the court. Therefore, he felt that there was no need for Zhao Kuangyin to die on the battlefield for the "Chenqiao Mutiny".
After all, the Song Dynasty belonged to Chai Rong. With only an orphan and a widow, the power was seized by Zhao Kuangyin. The already elderly Fu Yanqing no longer wanted to resist.

"Dynastic changes are determined by the fate of the nation. The Song Dynasty's fortunes have run out, while the Wu Kingdom is rising. We should not go against the tide." After saying this, Fu Yanqing's meaning was clear: he did not intend to resist.

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhengzhong was first taken aback, then hesitated. Finally, seeing the seventy-year-old general remove his blood-stained helmet, he felt a pang of pity and deep emotion. They had truly done their best.

"General Fu, I will listen to you. Give up resistance and surrender. Let the soldiers have a way out."

Wang Zhengzhong threw down his weapons, ordered his entire army to surrender, opened the inner city gates, and surrendered to the Wu army.

The Song soldiers in the inner city were busy with preparations, and some were still putting up fierce resistance. When they heard these words, they were all stunned. Then they looked at each other. Some threw down their weapons first, while others lowered their heads and wiped away tears. In this way, Yongqiu City surrendered without a fight.

The entire city of Yongqiu fell.