Chaos of the Three Kingdoms Summons

Chapter 2784 The Death of Murong Ke, When He Personally Seized the Royal Court

In the fifth month of the fourth year of Jian'an (200 AD).

After nearly four months of preparation, Emperor Li Xiang launched his fifth campaign beyond the Great Wall.

At the same time, this was also the largest-scale battle ever fought outside the Great Wall.

In its first major campaign beyond the Great Wall, the Jin Empire mobilized a total of 100,000 cavalry.

Of course, if we include the Manchu forces that attacked the Tuoba tribe at the same time, the total number of troops in this battle reached nearly 20.

If the Manchus are included, in terms of overall scale, it even exceeds the second invasion of the Great Wall, which is ostensibly the largest invasion on the surface.

The second expedition beyond the Great Wall was the largest campaign ever waged by the Jin Dynasty, with the Jin Empire deploying a total of 150,000 cavalry.

As for the Manchu Qing dynasty, due to the heavy blows dealt by Ögedei Khan and the two consecutive defeats, they only deployed 3 cavalry in that battle.

The third campaign against the Manchus was relatively small in scale, with only 5 troops deployed, totaling only 8 including the Manchus. It further attacked the grassland region in northern Bingzhou and further stabilized the area controlled by the current Beiting Protectorate.

In the fourth campaign beyond the Great Wall, the Jin Dynasty dispatched 120,000 cavalry, while the Qing Dynasty, including the Manchus, dispatched a total of 160,000 troops.

This major battle did not significantly impact the main force of the Yuan Dynasty. Instead, the main force avoided the enemy's main power and used multiple small-scale troops to continuously harass the enemy's tribes near the border, directly attacking their stronghold.

It was precisely because the first four major wars were all fought quickly, avoiding the enemy's main force, and each battle was relatively short-lived, that the nation's strength was minimized.

This time, after five years of peace, the Great Jin Emperor mobilized 200,000 cavalry and 300,000 infantry, plus 80,000 troops from the Manchu Qing Dynasty, for a total of 580,000 troops.

Unlike the previous four expeditions beyond the Great Wall, in which the Jin Dynasty chose pure cavalry units, the main strategy was to fight and move quickly, using speed to defeat speed.

To achieve results before the enemy can react, and to gain an advantage in the shortest possible time, thus avoiding getting bogged down in a quagmire of war.

Therefore, each of the previous four expeditions beyond the Great Wall only lasted a few months. The main purpose was to learn the tactics of the Hu people and to use cavalry to constantly harass the grassland tribes near the border.

For this fifth expedition beyond the Great Wall, the Emperor of Jin mobilized not only a larger cavalry force than in the previous four expeditions, but also an even greater number of infantry.

Clearly, the previous four attacks were intended to deplete the grassland's strength and weaken it.

So this time, the goal is to completely destroy the Yuan Mongol royal court.

Most importantly, this great battle marked the first time in so many years since the end of the Central Plains War that the emperor personally led the expedition, marking the last time in history that Emperor Taizu of the Jin Dynasty personally led an expedition.

As the emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty, Li Xiang was determined to fight for peace for his people, though it was unrealistic to say he would fight for eternal peace.

But at the very least, we must secure a peace for our people that lasts for more than a century.

This will ensure that for at least the next hundred years, the grasslands will no longer be a threat to the people of the Great Jin.

The Emperor of the Great Jin personally mobilized 200,000 troops as the main force, marched north out of Hebing, and directly attacked the Yuan Mongol royal court.

Meng Tian led 200,000 troops to harass the flank of the Yuan Dynasty from the west, which also served to prevent the possible arrival of reinforcements from the Batu Khanate and the Hulagu Khanate.

Han Xin, leading the remaining 100,000 troops and the 80,000 troops of the Manchus, advanced from east to west, heading straight for the Yuan Mongol royal court. When the news reached the Yuan Mongol royal court, the entire Yuan Mongol population was in turmoil, filled with anxiety over the Jin Dynasty's large-scale military campaign.

The Yuan Dynasty of today is no longer the Great Yuan Empire at its zenith during the reigns of Temujin and Kublai Khan.

With the loss of their seven khanates, their power was reduced by half.

Afterwards, they suffered repeated defeats in several battles beyond the Great Wall, and were forced to migrate the entire tribe north and west, which further depleted their strength.

At the same time, as the older generation of figures gradually passed away, even those who did not return like Bo'erchu, they all grew old and withdrew from the stage. The second generation ultimately lacked the same drive and ambition as the first.

Similarly, their experiences were far less dramatic than those of the earliest group.

Left with no other choice, Ögedei Khan had to call upon Murong Ke, who was already nearly seventy years old and even bedridden at this time.

This former top general of the grasslands is their last trump card.

In the previous four major campaigns beyond the Great Wall, Murong Ke had never disappointed them, always leading his troops to block the main enemy force.

This old general was one of the last few capable generals left in the Yuan Dynasty.

The first generation of generals of the Great Jin Dynasty have all grown old, and the same is true on the grasslands.

Now, Ögedei is already in his sixties, and Jebe and Subutai are no younger than him.

As for the remaining two of Temujin's four loyal henchmen, Jelme and Kublai, they had already fallen victim to the cruel passage of time.

In this world, time is ultimately the most ruthless. Haven't we heard that time flies like a galloping horse and the sun and moon flow like falling flowers and flowing water? How many once-famous figures have succumbed to the ravages of time?

Murong Ke, once the greatest general of the grasslands, now even needs help to mount his horse.

The once spirited young man on his warhorse has now reached the point where he can barely even draw his bow.

However, at this time, Murong Ke was already old and gray, and had been bedridden for a long time.

But when the Yuan Dynasty faced a crisis, and when Ögedei Khan, the third emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, personally came to invite him, he still put on his armor, which he had put away for several years, and went into battle once again.

Murong Ke is old but still strong. Even though he is very old now, he still has the demeanor of the number one general of the grasslands.

He has become even more cunning. He was once an eagle, but now, while he has lost some of the eagle's sharpness, he has gained some of the cunning of a fox.

The two sides faced off for three consecutive months. Although Li Xiang gained some advantages, he was still unable to break through his opponent's defense.

Unfortunately, Murong Ke's health eventually gave out. He was already fighting while ill, and after three months of continuous high-intensity command of battles, he died in the army in September of the fourth year of Jian'an.

Before his death, Murong Ke tried to use his remaining incomplete state to scheme against Li Xiang, but Zhang Liang saw through his plan.

With the death of Murong Ke, the greatest general of the grasslands, Li Xiang handed over his troops to Yue Fei, who then launched the final offensive.

He led 3 cavalrymen, and together with Huo Qubing, bypassed the main force of the enemy and headed straight for Ögedei's royal court.