The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 156: The Jin people moved their capital, where did the Iron Pagoda come from?
Guo Jing knew that his troops were not in a superior position. "You are right. The enemy has several times more troops than us. In addition, the walls of Taiyuan are high and deep, making it extremely difficult to capture and defeat."

Then, he changed the subject, "But this does not mean that we cannot fight. They are dreaming of retaking Xijing with only 100,000 troops. If we cannot take Hedong, then we will attack Hebei and Shaanxi. I want to see how many troops they have to defend it!"

"Shi Tianni, Shi Tianan, you two brothers, withdraw your troops, fortify your walls and clear the fields, take away the people and food in the cities you are in, fortify your walls and clear the fields. In a few months, it will be the time for the autumn harvest, and then it will be time for the decisive battle."

Hearing this, several people looked thoughtful.

Lu Guanying thought about it, with a bit of doubt on his face, "General, it's fine if you take away the food and grass, but if you take away the people, will we have enough food?"

"That's a good question. Shi Tian Ni Ni, please answer it for him."

Shi Bingzhi glanced at Guo Jing and explained, "General Lu, there was a great war in the north last year, and the land was flooded with victims. The harvest must have been poor. If we ignore them, these people will be used as cannon fodder to consume our troops. Moreover, they can be used as food in times of crisis."

Hearing this, Lu Guanying's heart trembled. He had been living a life of luxury since childhood, and had followed Guo Jing in the battlefields, and had never run out of food. It was normal for him not to know about this.

In ancient times, there was no food, and there were many ways to satisfy hunger. Both the Han people and other ethnic minorities had done such things, but most of them were done by other ethnic minorities. During the Five Barbarians' Invasion of China, the name of two-legged sheep originated from this.

Guo Jing glanced at him approvingly, and continued, "If we save the people but lose the land, both the people and the land will be saved. If we save the land but lose the people, both the people and the land will be lost. As long as the population that the Jin Kingdom can control gets smaller and smaller, their army will become weaker and weaker. In the battle of Yehu Ridge, the Jin army lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and they don't have many soldiers to spend."

"Next year, the Khan will surely lead his troops south again. By then, the Jin Kingdom will be powerless to recover!"

Such remarks were unheard of, and the Shi family father and son were even more shocked. They looked at each other and bowed together, "As you command!"

Immediately, orders were sent in all directions along with the cavalry. Soldiers from major cities set out one after another to collect food and fodder and migrate population. However, at this time, the Jin army had not yet arrived in Taiyuan.

The roads in Shanxi are not easy to travel. There are mountains outside and inside, large and small basins and hills mixed together, the roads are steep, and there are numerous passes. This time, the Jin court tried its best to mobilize troops and barely squeezed out an army of 100,000 to rescue Shanxi.

After participating in the war, Guo Jing naturally understood a truth: sometimes human life is as cheap as grass, but sometimes people are also a precious resource. Wars are fought not only for food and supplies, but also for population.

Without enough people to farm and graze, there would not be enough food to supply the army. Without enough population base, there would not be sufficient manpower. So he simply plundered the places and gained a large amount of money, food and supplies to resettle the people in various places.

As for the matter of storing grain, it seems not so important. If my neighbor stores grain, I store guns. My neighbor is my granary, and the neighbor Jin is not only a granary but also a very large granary.

Of course, Guo Jing was not wasting food in vain. When the people came here to plunder, there would naturally be officials to settle them, register them as citizens, or let them herd livestock, or farm, plant mulberry and jujube trees, etc. These things were the most basic necessities of life. Once they were settled, after two years, as long as there were no natural disasters and no external plunder, he would have enough food and grass to deal with the war.

Such a virtuous cycle is much more important than simple destruction and looting.

Originally, he did not have many available officials under his command, but since the powerful people in the north came to join him, the scholars in their families also came to join him, and Guo Jing also granted them official positions and managed the country on his behalf.

Soon, various places began to relocate people and money and food.

Two months later, the Jin army arrived in Taiyuan. Guo Jing's army had already retreated across the board and occupied important roads in various places.

……

On the grassland, Genghis Khan summoned his generals to reward them according to their merits. The generals who participated in the war against Jin were rewarded, promoted, and granted territories. A group of military aristocrats was growing and developing.

After the merit-evaluation meeting, Mu Huali submitted a memorial suggesting that the Mongolian army should stop massacring and killing prisoners. The reactions of the generals varied, with some agreeing and some opposing. With the support of Genghis Khan, this order finally became a military order announced to the entire army.

Afterwards, when he returned to the Golden Horde, a Han official was already waiting for him, "You're here to see the Khan."

Genghis Khan took the silk towel handed over by the slave girl, wiped his face, and calmed himself down. "Guo Baoyu, you are here as expected. I didn't see you speak at the banquet just now. Why are you here now?"

Guo Baoyu was a sturdy middle-aged man with a three-inch long beard on his chin, a full forehead, and a good temperament. He bowed slightly and said with a smile, "I have come here specially to congratulate the Khan. Once the killing order is issued, the day when the Central Plains will return to their hearts is not far away."

This person is also a famous figure in history. He is a descendant of Guo Ziyi, a famous general in the Tang Dynasty. He is proficient in astronomy, military tactics, and good at riding and shooting. In the Jin Dynasty, he was first named Fenyang County Duke and Meng'an, and led troops to station in Dingzhou. After the Battle of Wushabao, the Jin Dynasty retreated, and he defected to Mongolia and was reused by Genghis Khan. A year ago, when Genghis Khan was on the Western Expedition, he was granted the post of Chaomadu Zhenfu.

Similarly, the father and son of the Shi family conquered by Guo Jing also left their names in history. Shi Bingzhi finally served as the Minister of Six Ministries in Mongolia, in charge of grain and grass, and later retired to his hometown. His son Shi Tianni was promoted to the rank of Marshal of the Army and Horses, but was killed by the Jin general Wu Xian. The second son Shi Tianan was promoted to the rank of Wanhu in Zhending and other places, which was almost equivalent to the vassal state in the Tang Dynasty. The third son Shi Tianze was an important official under Kublai Khan. After his death, he was awarded the titles of Taiwei, Taishi, and Zhenyang King, and the posthumous title of "Zhongwu".

This family is not ordinary Han Chinese powerful people, and Guo Baoyu, who defected to Genghis Khan, is even more outstanding. If he had not died too early, his achievements might have been inferior to Shi Tianze. This year, Guo Baoyu followed Mu Huali to lead troops south, captured Liaoxi, and traveled across Henan. He made great military achievements and gave advice to Genghis Khan many times, and his opinions were adopted by him.

Genghis Khan laughed, "Haha, why don't you say anything at the banquet today?"

Guo Baoyu's eyes were solemn, and he said calmly, "Stop killing is beneficial but not harmful, but not everyone has such a long-term vision as the Khan. It is not difficult for Mongolia to defeat the Jin Dynasty, but it is difficult to rule the vast territory of the Jin Dynasty. One of the ways is to use both kindness and power. Now, we have defeated the Jin Dynasty and swept across the north. Power has been used, and the next step is kindness."

"We must compete with the Jin for the local Han Chinese tyrants and recruit them for our own use. The more we accept, the less the Jin will accept. As one gains, the other loses. The Jin will have little chance of winning."

Then, Genghis Khan explained, "In fact, this matter was not first proposed by Mu Huali, but by my son-in-law Guo Jing. Now he is leading his troops to attack Shanxi. If you two meet, you will definitely get along very well. It just so happens that you both have the surname Guo, so maybe you have been one family for five hundred years."

"Guo Jing?"

Guo Baoyu's eyes flickered. He had heard this name many times. He had also carefully inquired about his deeds in Mongolia. This boy was a Han Chinese like himself. He had become the son-in-law of the Khan at an early age and served the Khan. He was powerful in Mongolia and was already the commander-in-chief at a young age. He had long wanted to meet him, but had never had the chance.

"So it was the prince consort's suggestion. Your Majesty has a keen eye for talent. I admire you. At such a young age, he is still leading an army to capture cities. Compared with him, I am already living a useless life." Although Guo Jing did not meet him, these words left a shadow in his heart and laid the groundwork for their first meeting in the future.

……

While the Mongols were rejoicing over their victory in the war, the Jin Kingdom was in mourning. Almost every household in Zhongdu was in mourning and the whole city was filled with crying. The price of war was too heavy.

In the imperial palace, Wanyan Honglie sat on the dragon throne, staring in a daze at the mountain of memorials on the desk.

It had been more than two months since the Mongols retreated, and memorials requesting help from all over the country were flying onto his desk like snowflakes. The Mongols plundered extensively, then just left, leaving behind a mess.

The government offices in Liaodong and Liaoxi sent out emergency messages and requested reinforcements. Henan and Hebei had suffered from disasters in many places, and the grain had been snatched away by the Mongols. They were in urgent need of food and fodder support. More importantly, there was an army in Shanxi not far away that was attacking cities and seizing territories.

What an eventful time!
Faced with such a difficult environment, even though Wanyan Honglie was smart and capable, he found it difficult to sort out his thoughts for a while. The most direct pressure was the military pressure from Mongolia. Even though Mongolia retreated this time, the war would be even more brutal when they were well prepared next year.

However, the imperial court had lost hundreds of thousands of troops, and it would take time to replenish such a large number of troops. Although the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun were in hand, there were not enough troops, and the advantages of the mountainous terrain could not be utilized.

Today, Henan and Hebei are like defenseless girls in front of Mongolia and can be ravaged by them at will.

We cannot stop it this year, and we will be even less able to stop it next year. If there are a few more sieges, the Jin court will lose all its dignity. How can it govern the various states?

The only solution now is to move the capital!
Thinking of this, Wanyan Honglie sighed softly. He had tried all the possible options. For him, the only option was to move the capital. Otherwise, if the city was besieged by the Mongols next year, he did not want to become a king who lost his country.

Various forces in the court were still competing. Even if he was determined to resist the Mongols, there were still many people holding him back. But at this juncture, he could not bring himself to kill and reorganize the court.

If the Mongols besieged Zhongdu again, there was no guarantee that no one would surrender to them. If they wanted to survive, they could only move the capital. He had already chosen the place to move the capital, which was the former capital of the Song Dynasty, Bianliang.

After the first wave of grain was harvested in the autumn, there was an uproar in the Jin court.

The Left Supervisor Wanyan Bi, the Vice Minister of State Affairs Geng Ruiyi and others suggested that Jin move its capital to Nanjing (Kaifeng Prefecture). This proposal exploded in the minds of court officials like a bolt from the blue. Everyone talked about it, and then the Left Prime Minister Tushan Yi and the royal family member Huo Wang Wanyan Congyi opposed it.

Then, everyone argued endlessly about the relocation of the capital. The whole hall was filled with quarrels and scolding, and some people even started fighting. Wanyan Honglie sat on the dragon throne and watched the scene coldly. He ordered the palace servants to maintain order only after the noise stopped.

In the end, Wanyan Honglie made the final decision. He decided to move the capital within this year, citing the lack of food in Jin Zhongdu and its inability to adapt. The news quickly spread in Zhongdu, and various government offices in the Imperial Academy wrote to the emperor to discuss the pros and cons of moving the capital. The students of the Imperial Academy were even more indignant and constantly criticized the matter.

However, Wanyan Honglie was determined to move the capital, and no one could influence his decision. He then refused to accept the proposal, saying that "the plan has been decided and cannot be stopped", and forced everyone to start moving the capital.

He understood deeply that if the capital was not moved, the Jin Dynasty would have no way out. Even though these officials were cheering, if the Mongols attacked the city, these people might be the first to surrender and use his head as a stepping stone to advance.

Before the three armies moved, food and fodder had to be sent first. As the emperor, Wanyan Honglie needed to coordinate the situation, so he ordered Crown Prince Wanyan Kang to escort the food and fodder into Bianliang and supervise the construction of the imperial palace.

……

The news of the Jin people's capital relocation had not yet reached Shanxi, but the war here had already begun.

Guo Jing gathered refugees, selected young and strong men to train into an army, and obtained 30,000 infantrymen. Now, the army under his command had expanded to 80,000, and he had enough troops to attack. The gap between him and the Jin people was no longer as big as before, so he decisively started a war with the Jin people.

He divided his cavalry into three teams, each with 4,000 men, and went about plundering and harassing the people, preventing them from harvesting grain.

The Jin people were so troubled that they could only send troops to garrison for defense. There was no other way. Food from all over the country was being sent to Bianliang, so they had no time to care about Shanxi. If they couldn't get the food, how could an army of 100,000 survive?
However, the Jin army had very few cavalrymen, and the majority of their 100,000-strong army was composed of infantrymen. Guo Jing accidentally wiped out several groups of infantrymen. The Jin army had to gather a large army and use offense instead of defense to fight a decisive battle with Guo Jing and his men.

Outside the city of Xijing, the decisive battle started again and the two armies met head-on.

As before, the cavalry took the lead in charging, and hundreds of thousands of people from both sides fought a fierce battle on the plain.

With the desperate charge of their own cavalry, they finally arrived in front of the Jin army. In just a few quarters of an hour's charge, they lost hundreds of cavalry.

However, at the moment before the battle, the Mongolian cavalry changed their formation. The leading generals split out and walked around to both sides, revealing the black cavalry behind them.

The warhorse's iron hooves rolled slowly and firmly, and the heavy armor squeaked as it trembled. Lu Guanying clenched the handle of his knife, and a heavy breath squeezed out from between his teeth. In front of his vision, the oncoming army, the infantry stepped forward to form a formation, and the spears were stretched out. When arrows flew into the sky, his eyes became fierce, and his clenched teeth suddenly stretched to the extreme, roaring: "Crush them to death!"

They have been preparing for this day for half a year!
Immediately, the iron hooves of the slow-moving war horses began to fly, and their speed gradually increased. More than a hundred riders, holding heavy spears side by side, the sound of their hooves shook the earth, and they launched a crushing charge towards the Jin army opposite.

In front of them, hundreds of cavalrymen were pushing forward like a wall. All of them were wearing heavy armor. Both their horses and men were wearing black armor, and they held several-meter-long spears in their hands.

The advancing speed was not high, but in the eyes of the Jin army generals it was a scene like hell. The war horses were neighing, their iron hooves shortened to zero distance, and the heavy cavalry holding spears were roaring ferociously at this time. The war horses carried a huge impact force, breaking through the shield in front, and the figures behind flew backwards. More than a hundred cavalry on both sides of them were like sharp arrows shot from bowstrings, crashing into the opponent's formation.

"Damn it, where did the Mongols get the Iron Pagoda?"

(End of this chapter)