The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 161 Heading to Hebei, See Genghis Khan Again!

Kaifeng, Imperial Palace.

Wanyan Honglie sat upright on the dragon throne, with civil and military officials in two rows. The whole hall was filled with a dull atmosphere, and the officials were like eggplants hit by frost, foreshadowing the Jin Dynasty's declining future.

Among the court officials, Yang Kang was wearing a dragon robe, a golden crown on his head, and had a stern face, but he was very uneasy in his heart. His father was the emperor. After Wanyan Honglie ascended the throne, he made him the crown prince and added many official positions to him, allowing him to participate in state affairs.

He was very clear about the internal situation of the Jin Dynasty. Places such as Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, western Liaoning and Liaodong were being conquered by the Mongols, and they could only defend themselves.

Without the barrier of Youyan, they could not defend the plains at all. The moment they decided to move the capital, it meant that they had given up those territories. But when the bad news came back one after another, he still felt very uncomfortable.

Those territories are mine, mine!
As the crown prince of the Jin Dynasty, he has completely abandoned his Han identity and worked tirelessly for the Jin Dynasty. Other Jin people might betray the Jin Dynasty and join the Mongols, but he is the only one who cannot. The butt determines the head. Other people in the Jin Dynasty have a way out, but he and his son have no way out.

They had no choice but to go down one path: death. Not to mention that what his father Wanyan Honglie had done before had completely made him the mortal enemy of the Mongols. But no matter what, Yang Kang had never regretted it. The taste of power was fascinating. Could he live such a life following Yang Tiexin?
It's just that the situation of the Jin Dynasty is not very good now, but he believes that as long as the Jin Dynasty can regain its strength, it will be able to use its geographical advantages to stop the Mongols. A hundred years after his father's death, he will ascend the throne and sit on the throne of the emperor!

Thinking of this, he recalled the plan given to him by his staff, and stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, I request to go to the border to supervise the battle!"

"Your Majesty!"

"I think this is unacceptable!"

An old minister stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is the foundation of the country, and his body is worth a million gold. The border is in a dangerous situation, and a son of a million gold will not sit in the hall. I think we should select a capable general to supervise the battle."

Wanyan Honglie didn't want to agree to it in the first place, but since the court officials were so opposed, he just went with the flow and said, "Kang'er, you are right, the border is too dangerous, you should stay in the court to handle government affairs."

Then, he glanced at the generals in the hall and said in a deep voice, "The Mongolian army has invaded our borders. Which general is willing to go and share my worries?"

My fellow generals looked at each other, and no one was willing to go. The Mongols were too strong, and they had beaten the Jin Kingdom to the point where it could not take care of itself. Wouldn't it be courting death to go at this time?

Losing your job is a small matter, but losing your life is a big matter!
Seeing that no one volunteered, Wanyan Honglie's expression immediately became gloomy. He appointed a member of the royal family as the chief general and sent him to the north to organize the defense line.

……

Royal Garden.

Yang Kang walked up to Wanyan Honglie and asked in a low voice, "Father, should we take over the Quanzhen Sect?" As he spoke, he made a beheading gesture.

To this day, through the relocation of the capital, Wanyan Honglie has been able to strike at his political enemies while retaining the vitality of the Jin Dynasty, winning over various forces and securing his throne. Those who remain in Zhongdu are his former political enemies.

Before ascending the throne, Wanyan Honglie sent Yang Kang to Kaifeng to serve, which established some advantages for him. After moving the capital, these advantages became a help for him to ascend the throne.

Wanyan Honglie's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness, and then he shook his head. "No, don't worry about the Quanzhen Sect. We already have enough enemies, and it's not advisable to make more enemies. If we can win them over, then win them over. If we can't, then forget it. The most urgent task now is to stop the Mongols and not let them go south again."

"Two hundred years ago, the Song Dynasty was able to stop the Liao people, so there is no reason why we can't. As long as we give me enough time, we will definitely be able to get back what we lost. Quanzhen Sect is just a sect, and I don't think they dare to reveal that matter."

In fact, from the moment Wanyan Honglie ascended the throne, Yang Kang's background was no longer enough to be a handle, and it could not shake his position. If a critical moment came, the worst that could happen was that Yang Kang would be executed, and someone from the royal family would be chosen to be the crown prince.

There is no doubt that the Quanzhen Sect does not have the courage to fight to the death.

Then Yang Kang asked, "Genghis Khan is wreaking havoc in the north, and Guo Jing has conquered the entire Shanxi Province. Father, can't we really find a way to stop them?"

Wanyan Honglie frowned slightly and sighed, "Before moving the capital, I have ordered local officials and powerful people to recruit soldiers to protect the territory and the people, hoping to bring some trouble to the Mongols. Apart from that, I can't do anything else. The most urgent task now is to resist the Mongols."

"Kang'er, you have to remember that moving the capital once is enough. If we move the capital again, the day of our Great Jin's demise will not be far away."

"My son understands!"

When Mongolia was conquering cities, the Jin Dynasty, which had moved its capital to Kaifeng, was making all-out preparations for war and training soldiers to resist the Mongol attacks. Until now, they could only defend themselves, hoping to use the geographical advantages to keep the enemy out of the country.

After losing Hebei, Shandong and other places, the border line between the two countries was shortened by more than half, which was more conducive to the defense of the Jin Kingdom.

Genghis Khan also knew that what he should do now was to try his best to digest the fruits of victory and take control of the territories abandoned by the Jin Dynasty, rather than blindly going south to pursue the Jin people.

After taking Shanxi, Guo Jing sent Lu Guanying, Shi Tianze and others across Taihang Mountain to attack Hebei and recruit Han people. If he didn't take more at this time, it would be difficult for him to expand after the situation stabilized. He couldn't just attack his own people.

Thanks to the example set by Shi Jia and his son, many heroes from Hebei came to join them, including Zhang Rou, Yan Shi and other Han Chinese heroes. Some of these people were from Hebei, and some were from Shandong and other places.

Originally, they should have surrendered to Genghis Khan, but after Guo Jing conquered Shanxi, his influence grew. In addition, he strictly restricted the army, appeased the local people, and refrained from mass killings, which made him have an excellent reputation in the north.

Another reason is that he is a Han Chinese and the son-in-law of Genghis Khan. In times of crisis, it is easy for people to stick together for warmth. Due to these factors, the powerful people in the north went to Shandong to join Guo Jing.

Guo Jing was also very generous. He accepted into his shogunate any talented person who came to him for help, appointed them to official positions, and rewarded them with money. Under such circumstances, his shogunate expanded greatly and became the ruling group in Shanxi.

However, when the power of the Han warlords under him expanded, Guo Jing did not forget to get close to the Mongols. He often exchanged letters and gave gifts to Tolui and other generals.

Even though he has become the King of Shanxi, Guo Jing knows very well that he is still too weak at this stage. He still has to rely on the Mongols, and this relationship cannot be easily severed. …

Time passed slowly, and winter quietly arrived in 1215.

The war in the north has come to an end. Except for some scattered forces that are still resisting, the Jin Dynasty’s strongholds in the north have been almost wiped out, and there is no longer any organized army to resist the Mongols.

Similarly, this year was also a year of harvest. After Guo Jing unified Shanxi, he united the powerful by means of marriage, and then absorbed the children of powerful scholars into the shogunate. Then he began to register the people, formulate taxes, and so on.

During this period, Guo Jing did not forget to take out part of the money and grain to establish an academy. In troubled times, such a thing seems stupid, but Guo Jing has been doing it since he started his career. In addition to cultivating useful talents, it also has the effect of winning the hearts of the people.

The people's will is something that can be seen but not touched. Sometimes it is useful and sometimes it is useless. However, the North has been lost for a hundred years. If Guo Jing wants to re-establish the standard for the Han people, he must have support. Otherwise, what can he use to fight against the Mongols?

Taiyuan, the Marshal’s Mansion.

Genghis Khan sat in the main seat and patted Guo Jing heavily. "Well done, Guo Jing. You gave me a surprise."

Guo Jing showed an honest smile, looking a little embarrassed, "Without the support of the Khan, I would not be able to conquer Shanxi. All this is the credit of the Khan. I just did some small things."

Genghis Khan laughed and praised, "You are good in every way, but you are too modest. I am not surprised that Mu Huali was able to conquer Liaodong and Liaoxi, because he has been with me for decades. But you only have so few people, but you still conquered Shanxi and defeated 100,000 enemy troops. You are already able to stand alone. Even the old men under my command are not as good as you."

"Great Khan, Shanxi alone is not enough. The Jin people are afraid of the Great Khan's army and have fled to Kaifeng. If the army marches south again, I am willing to be the vanguard and take Wanyan Honglie's head for the Great Khan!"

This sentence was so much to his liking. A resolute light flashed in Genghis Khan's eyes. "Well said, the Jin people are timid and afraid of us, but sooner or later, I will be able to drink from the Yellow River and destroy the Jin Kingdom. Don't worry, on that day, I will let you be the vanguard!" Then, he changed the subject, "But, I heard that there are many more women in your house? What did you tell me at the beginning?"

Hearing this, Guo Jing was startled. Just as he was about to explain, "Khan, I..."

Before he could say anything, Genghis Khan laughed again, "Okay, I was joking with you, but you took it seriously. How can we, the grassland eagle, have only one woman in our life? The world is so big, there are enemies and lands, and what we have to do is to seize their land, property, and their women. If you really only have Hua Zheng as your woman, I would look down on you. For people like us, the more women the better."

Guo Jing's mouth twitched, feeling a little embarrassed. All along, he had been unable to get over the hurdle in his heart. He longed for a harmonious life with his wife, but when his ambition was awakened and he embarked on the road to hegemony, the idea of ​​being together for a lifetime no longer existed for him.

In this chaotic world, seeking refuge and forming alliances through marriage are the most normal and simple means. Any relationship requires ties and interests to maintain. Similarly, without being able to rely on the Mongols, Guo Jing can be said to be a lonely man.

He did not have the heroes of Pei County like Liu Bang, nor did he have the old subordinates of Huaixi like Zhu Yuanzhang, nor did he have the brothers of the Yishe Society like Zhao Kuangyin. He could only accept people from all parties, distribute his power to them, and tie them to his chariot.

It is precisely for this reason that, except for some important official positions that he held in his hands, he gave out official positions throughout Shanxi as if they were free. As long as he could restore local operations as soon as possible, mobilize labor and collect taxes, it would be enough.

At this time, whether local tyrants will become more powerful or become a cancer to the rule is not something we should consider now.

"Guo Jing will definitely keep this in mind."

However, Genghis Khan's next warning shocked him. "It doesn't matter how many women you have, but you must remember one thing. Hua Zheng is my daughter and your wife. No other woman can take her place. Do you understand?"

"Guo Jing understands. Please rest assured, Khan, I will never let Hua Zheng down." Even though he is the ruler of a region now, he is still just a junior in front of Genghis Khan.

The topic flashed by, and Genghis Khan continued to talk about the current situation, "Hebei and Shandong have been taken, and the Jin Kingdom has made great concessions. I plan to march into Guanzhong and cut off his arm. What do you think?"

Guo Jing pondered for a moment and replied, "Great Khan, I think we should withdraw our troops. The troops have been fighting for more than half a year. The local counties have experienced war and are in urgent need of rest. Guanzhong has a favorable geographical location and it is not easy to attack by force."

Genghis Khan frowned at Guo Jing's suggestion, "Retreat?"

He had handed over the battle in Hebei to others, and his purpose of coming here personally was to attack Guanzhong from Shanxi. Now Guo Jing's words really surprised him.

Then, Guo Jing continued, "Even though the Jin Kingdom lost the northern land, its border has shortened a lot, and the positions it occupies are all strategic passes. Guanzhong is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and it has a natural barrier, so it doesn't need a large number of troops to guard it."

"Most of us Mongols are cavalry, which is not conducive to attacking the city. The vassal army will be of no help in front of such a pass. I hope the Khan will reconsider."

"You are right, but I will give it another try."

In the spring of 1216, in order to find out the strength of the Jin Dynasty, Genghis Khan ordered Samugahu and Batu to lead cavalrymen to attack Tongguan from Western Xia, and then pass through Shanxi and attack Henan. The army arrived at the city of Kaifeng. However, after a year of rest, the Jin Dynasty had rebuilt its army and had a complete defense system.

Upon learning that the Jin Kingdom had stationed a large number of troops, the army crossed the Yellow River and returned north.

In view of the difficulty of destroying the Jin Dynasty in a short period of time, Genghis Khan decided to return to the capital, leaving part of the troops to fight in the Jin territory, while he himself led the main force back to the northern desert to rest and wait for the opportunity.

The war against Jin has come to an end. Except for Shanxi, Mongolia has not yet established effective rule in Hebei and other places, and there are still sporadic people in various places resisting the Mongols.

In addition to Guo Jing who was left in Shanxi, the general Mu Huali and the fourth son Tolui also stayed in Hebei, preparing to bring these territories under their rule.

Unlike before, the Jin Dynasty had completely abandoned this place, and the population on this land was too large to be taken away. They could only establish their rule to prevent the Jin Dynasty from returning and reviving.

Population is an important resource, and Genghis Khan naturally understood this. Leaving Tolui here was enough to show his importance. Especially after he made a trip to Shanxi, he understood the importance of bringing the north under his rule.

(End of this chapter)