The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 183: The Quanzhen Sect Attacks, Wanyan Honglie Has No Way to Back Down
Guanzhong, Fengxiang.

Guarding the Yamen, "Father, Guo Jing is coming to attack us. Our superiors want us to guard the city strictly and wait for reinforcements. What should we do?"

Inside the signing room of the yamen, a middle-aged man with slightly frosted temples sat on an armchair drinking tea. The desk was filled with reports, but he had no interest in even taking a look at them.

He put down his teacup, calmly saying, "Son, in your opinion, what should we do?"

There was a young man standing by, who was his son. He thought for a moment and said, "Dad, anyone with a discerning eye can see that the Mongols are powerful and unstoppable. The Jin Dynasty is no longer as prosperous as it once was. Although our Li family has received favors from the court, we have already repaid the court's favor by stationing here to resist the Western Xia and Mongolia over the years. In my opinion, it is better for us to surrender."

A smile appeared on the middle-aged man's lips, "No, it's not enough."

"Let me ask you, when did our Li family rise to prominence?"

The young man immediately replied, "A hundred years ago, my great-grandfather was a military leader in Fengxiang Prefecture. When the Jin Kingdom attacked, he and other military leaders in the city held the officials hostage and surrendered the city. That's how our Li family rose to prominence."

"It is because of the contribution of the city that my Li family was able to take root in Fengxiang and prosper for a hundred years." After saying this, he seemed to have thought of something, "Dad, what do you mean?"

A hint of coldness flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes. "Just a small Fengxiang City is not enough. It is better to help someone in need than to add icing on the cake. Even if we surrender the city, we will only be treated the same as others. It is difficult to stand out."

"There are many smart people in this world, but few are courageous. Guo Jing's army came with great momentum and captured Tongguan in less than two months. The Guanzhong area can be conquered with just one order. If you want to achieve merit, you have to find another way."

"I plan to lead troops to Chang'an to serve as an internal supporter. The Xingtai will never give up easily. He will definitely defend Chang'an to the death and wait for rescue. In other words, the longer he delays, the more favorable the war in the south will be."

The young man was shocked. "Dad, the matter of the traitor is very serious. You should think twice."

The middle-aged man shook his head, his expression firm, "Wealth and honor are sought in danger. My Li family has been in the military for generations. Logically speaking, in this chaotic world, we should hold the military power in our hands. But this Guo Jing is different. Ever since he conquered the Three Jins, I have been observing him."

"He registered the people in the Three Jins, distributed land, cracked down on the powerful, took back the military power, and rebuilt the military system. This is completely different from the Mongols. You have also heard a lot about the disturbances in Hebei. This man will never allow the powerful families below to become too powerful."

"Not to mention our family with a criminal record. We surrendered during the Song Dynasty, and we surrendered again during the Jin Dynasty. It's not a good reputation to be a slave to three surnames. If you want to do something, you should do it big. Even if we make meritorious contributions, he will definitely be on guard against us. We may die on the battlefield at any time."

"Once he conquers Guanzhong, he will definitely need people to help govern it. That will be our chance. Do you understand what I mean?"

The young man sighed inwardly and replied, "Dad, do you want to switch from military to civil service and give up your military power?"

The middle-aged man smiled faintly, "Yes, offering Fengxiang is only the first step, helping him to break Chang'an is the second step, and the third step is to switch from military to civil. Fighting on the battlefield is too dangerous, especially in this chaotic world. Dad doesn't want you to die on the battlefield one day. My Longxi Li family was also a prominent family in the previous dynasty, but we were bullied from the Five Dynasties to the early Song Dynasty and eventually fell into decline."

"In the future, the revitalization of the Li family will ultimately depend on you."

……

Changan.

After the Anshi Rebellion in the early Tang Dynasty, Chang'an declined and was eventually burned down by Huang Chao. Over the past few hundred years, it has gradually recovered, but under the old structure it is still a rare large city in the world.

Xu Ding established the Pingyang Xingtai in Chang'an City. Shortly after Tongguan was breached, he ordered the Pucheng defenders to retreat through the pass and hold Chang'an, strictly guarding against it and not allowing anyone to enter or leave.

After descending the mountain, the Quanzhen disciples went straight to Chang'an. Mount Zhongnan is near Chang'an and this place has the largest number of Quanzhen believers. After all, this is their base camp. They couldn't even take Guanzhong, so why would they preach in the north?

The eight hundred Quanzhen disciples were like a drop of water falling into a river and did not attract the attention of the chief officer in the city at all.

The smoke of war enveloped Chang'an. Even the common people who lived at the bottom of society felt the tension and irritability before the war. In such an environment, the Quanzhen Taoist temple became more and more popular, and the number of believers who came to worship increased dramatically compared to the past.

Late at night, Qiu Chuji and his disciples knocked on the gate of the Taoist temple. The Taoist priest on night watch opened the door and took a closer look, "Uncle Master, why are you here?"

Qiu Chuji was in a hurry, and his body was covered with frost. "Zhiqing, let's go in first."

The young Taoist priest quickly let them in and served them tea and food.

After a simple meal, Qiu Chuji asked, "Zhiqing, how is the traffic among believers in the four major Taoist temples in the city these days?"

Taoist Zhiqing is a disciple of Hao Datong. He usually practices in the mountains and is not familiar with worldly affairs. Hao Datong sent him down the mountain in order to train him.

Faced with this question, he was a little confused, "Master, the number of believers in our Taoist temple has doubled in the past few days. I heard that the Taoist temples presided over by other brothers are the same. Isn't it said that there is a war outside? Why are there so many people here?"

Hearing this, Qiu Chuji's eyes flickered and he frowned from time to time, "Where are the other people in the temple? Why are there so few?"

"Replying to Master, many families in the city have died recently, and you brothers have been invited to perform rituals."

"Ritual ceremony?"

A gleam of light flashed in Qiu Chuji's eyes, and the ideas in his mind gradually took shape.

……

High in the sky, Su Ming sat on a giant eagle, with clouds passing by. It was cold in the sky and the wind was very strong, but he did not move at all. The strong wind could blow around him, but it could not even blow away a corner of his clothes.

A thin layer of protective Qi enveloped him. The land beneath his feet was dotted with mountains, rivers, and cities. Su Ming smiled and patted the eagle.

Feeling Su Ming's warm palm, the eagle cried out excitedly, vibrated its wings, and flew faster.

Soon, the green mountains and clear waters below turned into a yellow Gobi desert, with only scattered oases visible. We had arrived at the Western Regions. …

Jin-Song battlefield.

The Jin army camp and the emperor’s headquarters.

Inside the magnificent tent, a crowd of people were kneeling. These were the important officials of the Jin Dynasty. They knelt on the ground and wrote in unison, "Your Majesty, withdraw the troops!"

Wanyan Honglie, who was sitting at the head of the group, said in a cold voice, "Retreat! We have mobilized a large army and finally conquered Huaibei. Now we are about to fight to the other side of the Yangtze River and threaten Jiankang. You actually want to retreat?"

Wanyan Bi, a member of the Jin royal family, said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the war in the north is severe. The Mongolian prince consort Guo Jing has already broken through Tongguan and will soon be approaching Chang'an. If we do not send troops to rescue, it is only a matter of time before Guanzhong falls. If Guanzhong is lost, our Great Jin will be surrounded on all sides. Even if we take Jiankang, what is the point?"

Wanyan Honglie was wearing a dragon robe and had a very tough attitude. "It took Guo Jing two years to defeat the Three Jins. Could it be that Xu Ding can't even hold out for a year? Not long ago, we took over Haozhou, Chuzhou, Xingzhou and other places. If we make one more step, the Song Dynasty will definitely flee south in panic. Can't you see this clearly?"

All the court officials fell silent. Compared with Guanzhong, Jiangnan was more worthwhile. Losing Guanzhong in exchange for Jiangnan was a worthwhile deal. Jiangnan was rich in fish and rice. If it could be taken, the situation would be completely different.

In the end, Wanyan Honglie forcefully suppressed the objections, and the court officials immediately dispersed.

Afterwards, he quietly replaced the guards around the headquarters and strengthened the vigilance. At this point in the war, it was impossible to leave.

Late at night, Yang Kang came back to report. He was dressed in armor and exuded a cold aura, but his face was still a little frightened. "The manpower has been arranged. Do we really want to do this?"

Wanyan Honglie's brows were filled with a strong sense of majesty. He snorted coldly, with a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice. "Hmph, you are too soft-hearted. You are still hesitating. A few days ago, they all wrote to me, hoping that I would withdraw my troops. Although we have the upper hand in this war, we are far from achieving our goal. How can we stop fighting?"

"Kang'er, you have to remember that for an emperor, there are thousands of roads in this world, but there is no way back. Even if it is the wrong road, you still have to go on and never retreat. If you retreat, they will take advantage of you and do whatever they want. Then your dignity will be lost. How can you be called an emperor?"

Yang Kang's expression was stern, "Father, please calm down. I will learn from you."

Seeing that he took it to heart, Wanyan Honglie nodded slowly and continued, "Shuhu Gaoqi, Wanyan Bi and others are deeply involved in the court. We must not touch them lightly. You must keep an eye on them and never allow them to collude."

"If we can conquer Jiangnan through this battle and force the Song Kingdom to move its capital, I will not return to Kaifeng. Do you understand what I mean?"

Yang Kang frowned slightly, thought for a while and said, "Father, Kaifeng is well connected and has the advantage of water transportation. It is the hub of the world, but the water of the Yellow River is not dangerous. The Song Dynasty could not defend it back then, and we can't defend it either."

"Only by moving the capital again can we preserve our vitality. Moreover, if we take Jiangnan, this place has just surrendered. If we want to rule here, we need the court to issue strict orders to suppress it. Only by moving the capital can we have the best of both worlds. We can not only take advantage of the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, but also suppress Jiangnan and make use of it for our own benefit."

Hearing this, Wanyan Honglie's old face showed some relief, "Yes, you have improved a lot these days."

"You are right. From the beginning, I did not intend to stay in Kaifeng forever. Guanzhong is in decline and cannot support the people. Only by obtaining Jiangnan can our Great Jin rest and recuperate and slowly recover its vitality."

"Guanzhong, Henan, Shandong and other places will be lost sooner or later. Even if we hold them, we can only get some soldiers, but the long line of defense cannot prevent the Mongols. The late emperor was so unwise at the beginning. In the battle of Yehuling, my Great Jin Kingdom lost hundreds of thousands of troops. After this battle, Youyan no longer exists, and we ended up in this situation." After saying that, he sighed deeply.

Then, Wanyan Honglie said, "Kang'er, what I regret most is that I didn't kill Temujin back then. If the court had agreed to my memorial, Mongolia would not have become our enemy. You should take this as a lesson, understand?"

"The previous emperor left behind a mess. I was given the task of maintaining the situation. The situation in the north is rotten, like a quagmire. Once you fall into it, you can't get out. The only way out is to go south."

"If this war succeeds and Jiangnan is taken, our Jin Kingdom will have a chance to catch its breath, and you and I can maintain our imperial power and avoid losing our dignity and becoming puppets. Of course, after taking Jiangnan, we should negotiate peace with the Song Kingdom. Although the Song Kingdom is weak, it is not something that can be taken in a short period of time."

"We couldn't defeat them when the Jin Dynasty was at its peak, let alone now. Using the Yangtze River as a natural barrier and defending the south of the Yangtze River is the path that the Jin Dynasty should take. Tomorrow, I plan to go to the battlefield in person to cheer for the soldiers. You come with me."

After these heart-to-heart talks, Yang Kang felt the burden on his shoulders grow heavier. It was not easy to be the crown prince. On that day, all the court officials wrote to him, but he was patrolling in the military camp and was not present. Now, after hearing what Wanyan Honglie said, he finally understood how critical the situation was.

Finally, he bowed deeply, "I obey your command!"

……

The next day, Wanyan Honglie ignored the dissuasion of his ministers and went to the front line in person. He raised the big banner and beat the drum to gather the troops. For a time, the morale of the Jin army was boosted and the Song army was defeated. Within one day, five cities were captured. The Song army fled at the sight of them and dared not fight again.

After this battle, Emperor Wanyan Honglie's prestige increased greatly, and the ministers no longer dared to propose retreat. Yang Kang also benefited a lot from following Wanyan Honglie, gaining a lot of prestige, making the position of crown prince well deserved.

……

The Jin Kingdom gained advantages on the southern battlefield, but suffered successive defeats on the Guanzhong battlefield.

Before Wanyan Honglie went south, he had already made preparations. He understood that the Jin Dynasty could no longer exercise direct rule over Hebei, Shandong and other places in a practical sense, so he did a favor and selected nine local armed leaders with the greatest power, and named them all "Dukes". These nine people were: Duke Canghai Wangfu, Duke Hejian Yilazhong Jianu, Duke Hengshan Wuxian, Duke Gaoyang Zhangfu, Duke Yishui Jing'anmin, Duke Jinyang Guo Wenzhen, Duke Pingyang Gutianzuo, Duke Shangdang Zhang Kai, and Duke Dongying Yanning.

These people transformed themselves into local separatist regimes, causing a lot of trouble for Mu Huali and making his road to amnesty full of twists and turns. Originally, when he saw Guo Jing attacking Guanzhong, he also wanted to lead his troops south to attack Henan.

But he didn't expect that the Jin Kingdom would use such a move on him. The originally stable situation was instantly disrupted. He had to stay in Hebei and suppress the rebellions in various places. What made him even more troubled was that there was a group of Han rebels in Shandong who called themselves the Red Coat Army. The Song Dynasty was not honest in the war with the Jin Kingdom. They accepted Li Quan's "Red Coat Army" as "official army" and sent messengers to him.

Mu Huali had never suffered such humiliation, but when he thought about the alliance between his own Khan and the Song Dynasty, he could only accept it. He ignored these people for the time being and let them rule the local areas while he focused on dealing with the Jin army.

It was precisely because Mu Huali was tied up and unable to attack Henan and Kaifeng was stable that Wanyan Honglie dared to lead his army in person to attack the State of Song.

However, as time went by, these local separatist forces were gradually wiped out by Mu Huali, either by suppression or by recruitment. The only ones who could really play a role in resisting the Mongols were Yila's slaves, Jing'anmin, Guo Wenzhen, Zhang Kai, Yan Ning and others. Hebei gradually stabilized, and a new round of war was about to begin again.

(End of this chapter)