The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 208 Yang Kang Goes North
Yang Kang turned his head suddenly, his eyes gleaming with a fascinating light, "Have you taken the report?!"

The eunuch quickly presented the report, Yang Kang took it, opened it quickly and read it through, then laughed out loud, "Great, great, our Great Jin army is marching south, and the Song is vulnerable. This battle will enhance our country's prestige, and we should congratulate them!"

"Come here, spread this battle report inside and outside to show the military might of our Great Jin Kingdom."

"promise!"

……

In the Jin army camp, Wanyan Honglie sat at a desk. Inside the tent were the marshals and generals of the Jin Dynasty. By now, Wanyan Honglie had sorted out the internal affairs of the Jin Dynasty. No matter whether they were royal family members, civil officials or military generals, they had to submit to him.

All this was achieved through his victory after victory. Wanyan Honglie, who is over fifty years old, already has a head full of white hair and looks like a man in his sixties or seventies. It has been several years since he ascended the throne. From being appointed in times of crisis to now establishing the capital in Jiankang, he has come step by step. His experience is not something that can be told to outsiders.

He was wearing armor and looked like an old general. He raised his glass to the generals and said, "This first battle was a success, and all of you generals have made great contributions. Come, I will toast to you."

Wanyan Sai, the Grand Marshal of the Jin Dynasty, said, "We dare not take credit for it. It is all thanks to Your Majesty's leadership of the army and the soldiers' dedication that we have achieved today's success. If we have to pay any tribute, it should be to Your Majesty." After saying that, he raised his glass and drank it all.

The rest of the ministers also spoke out, saying that they did not dare to take credit for the success and no longer had the arrogant attitude they had when they first attacked the Song Dynasty.

After a round of toasts, Wanyan Honglie continued, "In this battle, we have already taken over the Liangzhe East Route. This is where the Song State's defense is weak. The next battle will be tough. I plan to attack the Jiangnan East Route and the Huainan West Route with all my strength. As long as we take over the two routes, we can threaten Jinghu and attack Nanchang Prefecture directly. At that time, we may be able to force the Song State's monarch and ministers to flee south."

Shuhu Gaoqi and Wanyan Saibu looked at each other and said in unison, "Your Majesty, please give the order!"

……

When Wanyan Honglie was planning the next offensive, Mu Huali of Daming Prefecture in Hebei also received a letter from Guo Jing. In the past two years, he had launched many military campaigns. It seemed that the remnants of the Jin Dynasty in the north would never be killed. After one batch was killed, there was another batch. In Shandong, there was even an uprising of Han people.

It can be said that he has been paying for previous events in the past two years. War is not something you can start whenever you want. If Kaifeng before the plague had been captured, there would not have been such side effects. However, Kaifeng after the plague became a waste. Even if it was captured, it would be difficult to obtain valuable spoils.

Mongolia has always been good at using war to support war, but Henan was devastated by the plague and was also internally unstable.

The forceful attack on Kaifeng cost a huge amount of money and food, and the lower-class people suffered terribly. Even though Mu Huali's army was still effective, the economy of the territory he controlled was a mess. In order to meet his demands, local tyrants added layers of demands and exploited him at every level.

At this time, even if there were no Jin people, the country could be blown up with just a spark. This was not something that could be solved by war. There were millions of mouths to feed, and he had embezzled all the food. The people below were hungry, so of course they would rebel.

Even if it means risking death, it is the same.

However, as the plague disappeared, Guo Jing continued to build water conservancy projects in Guanzhong, Henan and other places, attracting a large number of people, which indirectly alleviated the problem for him. Mu Huali was obviously aware of this problem and did not launch any foreign wars in the past two years.

Thus, the rebellion in the north was finally quelled, and he was able to rest and recuperate at his leisure.

Mu Huali was standing on a white tiger skin. The huge tiger head looked ferocious and terrifying, and the pattern of the word "king" on the head was domineering and flamboyant. After reading the document in his hand, he said softly, "Interesting, it seems that this kid can't sit still anymore."

Then, he stroked his chin and thought, "After being quiet for so long, it's time to relax. But, what exactly does this kid want to do? Shouldn't he just sit back and reap the benefits?"

After thinking for a while, he couldn't figure out the trick, so he simply stopped thinking about it. "Forget it, no matter what, even if this guy doesn't send troops, I will send troops. If the Jin dog really destroys the Song Dynasty, it will be really difficult to destroy the Jin Dynasty."

Mu Huali immediately wrote a reply letter and had the messenger send it back to Guo Jing, agreeing that both sides would send troops together.

……

Luoyang.

Guo Jing received the letter and opened it. He saw the letter as he expected. "I knew Uncle Mu Huali would send troops. This battle cannot be like the previous one in Kaifeng, which started with a bang but ended with a whimper."

Huang Rong asked, "Husband, how many troops are you planning to send?"

"It's not mentioned in the letter, but it's probably not a small amount. We are all aware of the threat posed by the Jin Kingdom, and my uncle will not sit idly by and watch him unify the south." Guo Jing handed the letter to her and said in a deep voice.

In fact, his goals were different from Mu Huali's. Mu Huali only wanted to destroy the Jin Dynasty, and he did not care how many people died in the process. However, Guo Jing not only wanted to destroy the Jin Dynasty, but also to weaken the strength of the Song Dynasty and try his best to preserve the population and economy of the Central Plains and the South.

It can be seen from the way he ruled the north that he really wanted to rule these territories, while Mu Huali still maintained nominal rule without taking root.

Guo Jing put one hand behind his back and said in a deep voice, "No matter how many troops he sends, I have decided to send out all my troops this time. Even if we cannot destroy the Jin Kingdom, we must defeat them and make them lose their vitality. At least we cannot let them rule the southern territory safely."

"Mu Huali is fine now. Now it all depends on the Song Dynasty. I hope they can hold on for a little longer."

To be honest, he had anticipated the war between Jin and Song, but he did not expect the Song Dynasty to be so weak. It was defeated at the very beginning of the battle and was beaten like a dead dog by the Jin Dynasty, without changing at all.

In contrast, the Jin Dynasty suffered repeated defeats at the hands of Mongolia, but regained its confidence in front of the Song Dynasty.

Thinking of this, he shook his head secretly, thinking that the Song Dynasty's fear of gold could not be cured.

……

In the autumn of 1222, Han Hou Guo Jing led troops out of Luoyang to attack Yingzhou and Sizhou.

In the same year, Mu Huali led 100,000 infantry and cavalry from Daming Prefecture to attack Chuzhou and Xuzhou.

The two sides had a total of 250,000 troops, with Kaifeng Prefecture as the transit line for transporting food and fodder.

The smoke of war broke out again. Two and a half years later, war broke out again between Mongolia and the Jin Dynasty.

In Jiankang city.

Yang Kang held the urgent military report sent over 800 miles away, his eyes gleaming with excitement and nervousness, and he muttered to himself, "It's finally here!"

At first he thought Mongolia would send troops immediately and was very nervous for a while. However, the Jin offensive in the south was not as smooth as they had imagined. Long ago, the Song Dynasty sent envoys to Mongolia for help.

At that time, Guo Jing had not made a decision yet. But when he decided to send troops, the Song Dynasty received the news and unexpectedly stood up. The government and the people were united in their opinions and no longer had any expectations of the Jin people.

With unity and dedication, they showed great resilience and formed a stalemate with the Jin army. Yang Kang had always been envious and jealous of Guo Jing, always wanting to compete with him. Now that Guo Jing was heading south and Wanyan Honglie was leading the army in the south, it was a great opportunity for him, the prince, to prove himself in Jiankang.

That’s right, Yang Kang has always wanted to defeat Guo Jing and prove that he is no worse than him!

Immediately, Yang Kang quickly summoned the court officials and informed them of the news of the Mongols' southward advance. Upon learning of this, the court officials' first reaction was to ask Emperor Wanyan Honglie to return to take charge of the situation.

But Yang Kang finally got this opportunity, so why would he let Wanyan Honglie come back and disrupt the situation?

He stopped the court officials and then decided to lead his troops north to garrison the city. For this purpose, he specially appointed Wanyan Chenghui as the commander.

Even though the court officials tried to dissuade him, he was determined to do so and they had no choice but to do as he wished.

Half a month later, Wanyan Kang, the crown prince of the Jin Dynasty, led 20,000 troops out of Jiankang and headed north to resist Mongolia.

……

White clouds are like cotton wool, passing over people's heads in the wind, and the light from the sky pours down through the gaps in the clouds.

The air was filled with dull footsteps, and with the sound of drums beating in the distance, they stepped on the ground and moved forward rhythmically, and the dust and smoke filled the sky and the earth, and filled people's vision. The messenger cavalry, carrying the orders of the officers, galloped back and forth in the various formations and shouted. After a moment, the sword and shield in front of them stood up on the ground with a bang, and extended to the left and right in a defensive posture.

Flags stood in rows, with the Chinese character "Guo" fluttering in the wind. In the center formation that was slowly moving forward, a young general in black armor was sitting on a small red horse with a bow and arrow slung on the horse's back, and a spear was carried by Ma Shuone's personal soldier beside him.

Guo Jing closed his eyes lightly, his expression calm. He had experienced such a battlefield countless times and had long been accustomed to it.

The majestic voice faded away into the clouds and refracted down with the sunlight. At the end between the sky and the earth, a black line swept in with a roar like a tide. The silent sand shook slightly, then jumped up. Iron hooves swirled up the mud, and occasionally one or two stones were stepped on and shot out. Thousands of cavalry spread out on the left and right wings, and the messenger cavalry with command flags rushed to the Guanzhong infantry army in the middle. The old general of Jinzhong kept issuing adjustment orders, maintaining the huge square formation of four 5,000-man formations and advancing forward in an orderly manner.

On the top of the enemy's city wall, a large flag with the two big characters "Wanyan" embroidered on it was fluttering. Wanyan Kang's large banner stood on the top of the city wall. He was wearing golden armor and holding a sword. When he heard the loud and powerful words coming from the distance on the opposite side, he raised his eyes slightly and took a look.

Guo Jing, you are finally here!

……

Outside Sizhou City, a brutal siege began.

Catapults, cloud carts, and shield carts were continuously pushed to the front of the formation.

The Jin army on the city wall hid behind the battlements, waited for the opposite side to throw all the stones, and then skillfully prepared for defense.

Wanyan Chenghui stood beside Yang Kang and introduced his defensive strategy to him. Yang Kang listened attentively, but there was a glimmer in his eyes, as if he had other ideas.

Winter begins in November. The mountains surrounding the Han River are covered by clouds. A soaring and crying eagle overlooks the earth below. Its cold pupils reflect dozens of long streaks of dust interweaving across the earth. Teams of cavalry gallop across the plains. From time to time, some of them rush into the huge camp that stretches for ten miles after an inspection. That is the camp where 150,000 soldiers from the north are stationed.

Outside the city of Xuzhou, Mu Huali's 100,000-strong army surrounded the city.

Xuzhou has been an important place in the Central Plains since ancient times, with high city walls and deep walls.

Faced with the famous veteran Mongolian general, the Jin army defended themselves tightly, but Mu Huali did not rush to attack, but instead ordered the cavalry to cut off the enemy's food supply and scouts.

The roar of horses' hooves and the sound of shouting never stopped. Scouts in a team of ten riders directly crossed several checkpoints and took the news to the cavalry camp for handover. All around, there were faint sounds of shouting coming from the parade grounds. There were several large parade grounds, and they were filled with densely packed soldiers lined up in an orderly manner. Under the voice of the general on the high platform, they were practicing the essentials of fighting in battle.

Around the large tent in the center, Mongolian cavalrymen were wandering at the spur of their horses, their eyes occasionally checking every soldier passing by. Occasionally, the wind blew over and rolled up a corner of the tent curtain, revealing that all the generals and counselors who were heading south this time were sitting upright on both sides, quietly looking at the first seat. Mu Huali was leaning back in his chair, stepping on the white tiger's head, looking at the intelligence in his hand, his voice full of amusement.

"Tsk, the Crown Prince of Jin is heading north. He really dares to come!"

"We can't let this big fish get away!"

Immediately, Mu Huali ordered the troops to mobilize during the night, leaving a large army in the camp to surround but not attack. He led 10,000 cavalrymen to attack the Jin camp in Huaibei, which was also the transit line for the Jin's grain and fodder.

"kill!"

On the top of Sizhou City, there were endless shouts and screams. The Han army in black armor and the Jin army were entangled in a continuous fight. Kerosene, gold juice, rolling logs and stones were thrown down from the top of the city by the imperial army, knocking the Han soldiers off their horses and falling from the ladders.

If you fall from the city wall which is several meters high, you will be crippled if not killed.

The air was filled with the smell of war and blood.

Wanyan Kang and his personal soldiers watched for a while, suppressing the discomfort in his heart, his face slightly pale. Having lived a life of luxury in Jiankang City, he had not seen such a tragic scene for a long time.

After the Han army retreated, Yang Kang came to the top of the city wall and brought his personal soldiers to deliver soup, rice and medicine to the soldiers. He also promoted several Jin soldiers, which greatly boosted the morale of the Jin army.

After doing this, he left with satisfaction.

In the Han army camp, Guo Jing was stunned when he received the news from Da Hu. "Mu Huali attacked the Jin army's retreat?"

Upon learning that Yang Kang had arrived, he sent a copy of the intelligence to Mu Huali. However, he didn't know that Yang Kang was so powerful that he took advantage of the cover of night and traveled hundreds of miles to attack the Jin Kingdom's granary in Huaibei.

This thing is a top secret of the Jin Dynasty. How did he find the granary?
Then he smiled again. Mu Huali was indeed a fierce general of the Khan. He hit the enemy's weak spot with one strike.

Guo Jing stood up from the camp and looked at Sizhou City in the distance. "It seems that Yang Kang is going to escape."

Inside the city, he instinctively felt something was wrong when he learned that the Mongols had cut off his food supply route. Wanyan Chenghui, who was standing beside him, even bluntly suggested withdrawing his troops.

Yang Kang looked at him, his expression becoming increasingly stern. "What's going on? How did the Mongols know where our army's granary is?"

Wanyan Chenghui raised his eyebrows and advised, "Your Highness, now is not the time to pursue responsibility. We have lost our food and grass, and we can no longer defend Sizhou City. We must withdraw our troops quickly, otherwise it will be too late when the enemy surrounds us."

(End of this chapter)