Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 907 The Song Dynasty is on the Verge of Collapse

When the city gates of Yongqiu finally collapsed under the fierce assault of the Wu army, the Wu army surged into the city like a tidal wave, announcing the fall of the city. The Wu army had captured another city, achieving remarkable results.

This time, more than 30,000 Song soldiers were captured, and nearly 20,000 were killed. Of the original 100,000 Song troops, 50,000 were lost in a single day. These were all elite imperial guards stationed in Kaifeng Prefecture, and they had suffered such a heavy blow.

In this battle, even the generals of the Song Dynasty were not spared. Several generals, including Fu Yanqing and Wang Zhengzhong, surrendered voluntarily, which saved the Wu army a lot of trouble later and reduced unnecessary casualties.

The two generals were personally escorted to Su Chen. They were covered in dust and blood, their faces haggard and their expressions somber. They were old, one over seventy and the other over fifty. Standing before a young man of twenty-five or twenty-six, they couldn't help but feel a little lonely.

They had fought their way through life, achieving great military exploits, but today they were prisoners, trampled underfoot by Su Chen's side. This huge disparity filled them with mixed feelings.

"Fu Yanqing, Wang Zhengzhong!"

Su Chen's voice echoed across the battlefield; he recognized the two generals. Although they had never met formally, Su Chen had become familiar with their faces through binoculars during several battles.

Just now, a military commander came to report that two generals of the Song army had been captured and their names were given. Now that they have been brought here, Su Chen can easily identify them.

Fu Yanqing raised his head and met Su Chen's gaze. He was somewhat surprised. The young man before him was so young, yet he had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, full of vigor. Dressed in chainmail, he was imposing and awe-inspiring, resembling Emperor Chai Rong of the Later Zhou Dynasty or a young Zhao Kuangyin. In fact, even those two might not have achieved such success at such a young age. Fu Yanqing couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.

Wang Zhengzhong was also silently observing Su Chen. He had to admit that the young man before him was impressive in both his aura and demeanor. Considering his talent and legendary experiences, Wang Zhengzhong couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for him.

"The defeated general Fu Yanqing!" Fu Yanqing's voice carried a hint of helplessness. He lowered his head slightly, and a trace of desolation flashed in his eyes.

"Wang Zhengzhong!" Wang Zhengzhong's voice was equally low. He gripped his weapon tightly, as if trying to maintain his last shred of dignity.

"Greetings, Marshal Su!" the two old generals said in unison. Their figures appeared somewhat frail under the oppressive presence of Wu Jun. This was the first time in their lives that they had been reduced to prisoners, and the feelings in their hearts were indescribable.

Su Chen walked slowly to them, his gaze sharp yet gentle. His voice was steady and powerful: "I have long heard of both of you generals. Your lifelong military careers and unwavering integrity are truly admirable. Today, trapped in a desperate situation, you surrendered from the inner city to save the lives of your tens of thousands of soldiers. This is a matter of righteousness! You two old generals are welcome to stay with the Wu army. Once the important matter is resolved, you will naturally be put to use."

These words, like a gentle spring breeze, instantly dispelled the gloom in the hearts of the two old generals. Su Chen not only did not belittle them, but also showed them great respect, which filled Fu Yanqing and Wang Zhengzhong with gratitude.

Men also admire strength; otherwise, why would so many ministers and generals willingly pay homage to the emperor, shouting "Long live the emperor!" and allowing themselves to be controlled by power? Seeing the high and mighty Su Chen treating them with such courtesy and respect, Fu Yanqing and Wang Zhengzhong felt not only no hatred, but also a sense of being flattered.

Su Chen appeased the surrendered generals and reorganized some Song soldiers, planning to use them in battle, such as siege warfare, to weaken the Song imperial guards through mutual attrition. News of the fall of Yongqiu City quickly reached Bianjing, casting a pall of gloom over the imperial palace.

Zhao Guangyi's face was solemn and somewhat flustered. He had only been emperor for three days, and the internal affairs of the court had not yet been resolved. The Wu army was about to reach the capital. The imminent collapse of the dynasty filled him with fear and despair.

If this continues, won't he become a ruler who brings about the downfall of his country?

In fact, the Song Dynasty still had troops in the local areas, and many parts of the southwest had not been attacked by the Wu army. However, it was too late to help them in their time of need. Local troops from various counties and cities rushed to Kaifeng Prefecture to fight the enemy. Some of them were not present because the local troops were mostly engaged in corvée labor. They served as local garrison troops for three years as corvée labor and did not have much to do. They were divided into two types: Xiangjun and Xiangbing.

The main task of the Xiangbing (local militia) was to "serve the people." Their service scope was quite extensive, including building city walls, manufacturing weapons, building roads and bridges, shipbuilding, transportation, dredging and managing waterways, and serving and welcoming officials, among other things.

While the large number of local soldiers could alleviate some of the labor burden on households, the local officials also took advantage of this to arbitrarily occupy them for various miscellaneous tasks, resulting in a huge number of local soldiers and a large expenditure of military funds, which in turn further increased the economic burden on the local people.

These local militia and village soldiers didn't need to fight; at most, they would suppress bandits or capture robbers. They weren't well-trained and couldn't compare to regular troops, border guards, or imperial guards. Not to mention, the local village warriors didn't have enough food and supplies to sustain them on their long marches to fight.

Zhao Dezhao, Grand Chancellor Zhao Pu, Lu Duoxun, Privy Councilor Li Chongyue, Deputy Privy Councilor Zhao Changyan, Acting Commissioners of the Three Departments Chu Zhaofu and Zhao Binlian, Vice Chancellor Xue Juzheng, and officials from the Six Ministries including Dou Yi, Zhang Zhao, and Lü Mengzheng, all gathered in the court, extremely anxious. Their brows were furrowed, and their eyes revealed their worry about the current situation.

"Your Majesty, we must immediately mobilize the local troops from all over the country to Kaifeng to protect the capital!" Lu Duoxun spoke first, his voice tinged with urgency. He knew all too well that the safety of Bianjing was of paramount importance; if it fell, the very foundation of the Song Dynasty would be shaken.

"Relying solely on the local troops is insufficient; it would be better to bring in the troops from the northwestern vassal states!" Li Chongyue followed suit, offering his suggestion. His gaze was resolute, believing that the addition of the northwestern vassal troops would provide Bianjing with a stronger defense.

“It will take time for any of them to get here. The most important thing now is to negotiate peace and buy time,” Zhao Pu said in a deep voice. His voice was tinged with fatigue, but his eyes gleamed with wisdom. “If we can cede territory and pay reparations to make the Wu army stop its attack and retreat, that would be the best outcome. This way, we will have ample time to grow stronger, redeploy our forces, and seek revenge against Wu in the future.”

"Wu's next target is Chenliu City. The imperial court can send envoys to Chenliu City to negotiate peace." Xue Juzheng proposed a concrete plan, his voice carrying a hint of calm and decisiveness. He believed that buying time through peace negotiations was the wisest choice at present.

In the imperial court, the ministers discussed the matter incessantly, each trying to devise a plan for the future of the Song Dynasty. Most agreed to negotiate peace, feeling it was humiliating, but at least better than losing the country.

Zhao Guangyi sat on the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, his heart filled with heavy pressure. He knew that the Song Dynasty was facing an unprecedented crisis and that a sound strategy was needed to preserve the empire.

At this moment, Zhao Dezhao suddenly stepped forward from the ranks, cupped his hands and said, "Your subject is willing to lead the troops to Chenliu City to negotiate peace with the Wu army."

The civil and military officials were somewhat surprised to see Zhao Dezhao step forward and fell silent for a moment.