The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 212 Xuzhou prepares for war, Yang Kang asks for orders!
Outside Xuzhou city.

The towering city walls are calm and solemn as they have been precipitated by time. From ancient times to the present, they have experienced wars of all sizes, leaving the city with mottled scars, like a chisel of time, bathed in the orange-red of the setting sun.

A few miles away, a military camp that stretched as far as the eye could see stood, with eye-catching military flags fluttering vigorously in the cold wind.

A team of black knights carrying long weapons passed through the red and rushed towards the military camp. When they were near the gate, they displayed their command flags and ran directly into the camp.

Inside the camp, Guo Jing stood in the center of the tent, staring at the sand table in the center.

At this time, the guards came in to report, "Your Excellency, the Jin army is attacking Caishiji fiercely. General Wang is leading a large army to resist. The enemy warships have blocked the Yangtze River waterway. Our army cannot launch a single ship or transport baggage."

Guo Jing looked at the location of Caishiji on the sand table and smiled softly, "Sure enough, the Kingdom of Jin will not sit idly by and watch us occupy Caishiji."

Lu Guanying stood aside and frowned as he said, "My Lord, the Jin army is returning. I'm afraid the troops we left behind in Caishiji won't be able to hold out for long."

Guo Jing's eyes were still fixed on the sand table. "It doesn't matter. In the past half month, we have deployed 20,000 heavy troops in Caishiji. As long as Wang Shan can hold on for half a month, the situation will be resolved. Jin Guoyuan will deploy defenses on the river and guard Xuzhou, so our army will not be able to move south."

"Their navy was defeated a few days ago and they can't control the Yangtze River route. We took advantage of the situation to capture Caishiji and wait for them to block the river. I have made arrangements. Xuzhou and Caishiji are both important places. The Jin Kingdom will not sit idly by."

"Everyone, in the next half month, we must take Xuzhou. Otherwise, we can only find another way."

Zhang Rou also said, "Xuzhou City is not easy to attack. It is well-defended and a big city. Fortunately, the Yellow River flows into the sea from the Huai River. The terrain was not strong enough in the past. We can set up a battle array to attack the city. The Taishi Wang has already captured Xiapi and other places. The Jin army is fighting with them. It seems that they don't want to give up Xuzhou."

Chief Secretary Pei Andao thought for a long time and suddenly asked, "If you can't take Xuzhou, do you want to find a way from Song State?"

Shi Tianze scratched his head in confusion, "Lord Pei means to borrow the road? Will the Song Dynasty lend it to us?"

Guo Jing glanced at everyone and said in a deep voice, "We'll talk about borrowing the passage later. In short, we must take Xuzhou within half a month, otherwise, Caishiji will be in danger of being lost. By then, our army will be blocked on the north bank of the Yangtze River and it will be difficult to pose a threat to the Jin Kingdom. It will be difficult to find such an opportunity in the future."

Every failure makes one wiser. With this experience, the Jin Kingdom will certainly be extremely cautious when attacking the Song Kingdom in the future. It is basically impossible to rely on the Song Dynasty. If the Jin Kingdom does not fight with the Song Dynasty, the northerners will be at a great disadvantage in naval battles.

Unless Guo Jing can calm down and spend several years building a navy and win the naval battle on the Yangtze River, only in this way can he gain the initiative in the war. Without the Yangtze River waterway in his hands, the situation is too passive.

"Tomorrow, I will discuss with Mu Huali and launch a massive attack on Xuzhou to force the Jin army into a decisive battle. We must win this battle at all costs!"

The importance of Xuzhou is beyond doubt. Once they spare no effort, it is only a matter of time before Xuzhou is conquered. If the Jin people do not want to lose Xuzhou, they will definitely come to help. With fewer people, they will be like sending food. Only by mobilizing heavy troops can Xuzhou be saved.

At this point, the siege turned into a field battle, and it all depended on whether the Jin people had the courage to fight a decisive battle with them.

"The last general takes command!"

……

The wind and snow were all over the sky, getting heavier and heavier, and covering the entire city.

Luoyang.

In the past two or three years, the North has been adopting a conservative state of recuperation. Guo Jing is stationed in Luoyang, which is the center of the North. There are war horses and furs, cattle and sheep tendons from the grasslands, and silk, porcelain and tea from the south.

Henan and other places also gradually recovered, refugees were constantly appeased, and military farms were established. The shogunate used north-south trade and vast land to attract merchants, and used a stable environment to attract people to settle down.

Due to the impact of the war, there was a rare population return in the Central Plains, and people from various states and counties in the south moved north with their families.

Since the Jingkang Incident, it has been common knowledge that people from the north have moved south, but few people from the south have moved north.

This not only means that Guo Jing's rule is recognized by the world, but also shows that the people's hearts in the south are becoming weak. The Zhao Song Dynasty can no longer maintain stability in the south and its foundation has been shaken.

Inside the Marquis' Mansion, Hua Zheng was bending over the desk reviewing memorials, and Huang Rong was sitting beside her to assist her. The two sisters were extremely busy, and there were several female officials serving them.

After Guo Jing left Luoyang, someone had to take over the management of the vast northern affairs. In the entire mansion, only Hua Zheng was qualified to do so. Fortunately, with the assistance of Huang Rong, many matters were able to be properly handled.

After a long while, Hua Zheng rubbed her wrists which were sore from writing and complained, "Sister, thanks to you, Guo Jing went to the south to fight, and all these government affairs fell on me. I really don't know how I got through it before."

Huang Rong covered her mouth and chuckled, comforting her, "Don't worry, sister. When this war is over, your husband will be back. You can just leave it to him then."

"That's what he said, but he went to war, why did he take Chengping and Chengan with him? They are so young, and the battlefield is so dangerous. I'm really worried if something happens to them."

"Guo Jing was already a teenager when he went to the battlefield. If it had been a few years later, I wouldn't have been so worried. I hope the two brothers are okay." As Hua Zheng spoke, a look of deep worry emerged between her brows.

In the past, she thought that young men from the grassland should soar in the sky like eagles, just like her father. But when it came to her own children, she couldn’t bear it. She couldn’t bear to let them suffer.

Huang Rong found it funny. With Guo Jing around, how could anything happen to the two brothers?
"Sister, there is a reason why my husband did this. Chengping and Cheng'an are not young anymore. In the future, my husband's inheritance will eventually be passed on to them. It would be good to take them to the battlefield and broaden their horizons."

Hua Zheng did not answer, but sighed deeply, "Ah..."

……

Inside Sizhou City.

A long convoy came from the north and entered the city in the wind and snow. The flags on the convoy fluttered in the wind, which was very eye-catching.

In the government office, upon hearing the news, Guo Jing immediately put down his work and returned to his residence.

As soon as he entered, he saw two guests standing in front of the hall door staring at him.

Seeing their slightly haggard faces, all the words stuck in his heart turned into deep joy. He walked forward and took them into his arms, "Hua Zheng, Rong Er, you are here."

The two of them leaned on Guo Jing's chest, enjoying the tender moment.

Guo Jing let go of the two of them, looking puzzled, "By the way, why did you come here suddenly? Did something happen at home?" "Huh, look at what you said, can't I come to see you if nothing happens?" Hua Zheng wrinkled her nose and pretended to be angry. Although she was nearly thirty years old, she still retained some of her girlish innocence in front of Guo Jing.

"Haha, that's my husband's fault. Come on, it's windy outside, let's go inside."

After nightfall.

Under the eaves covered with thick snow, a maid entered the room carrying a basin of hot water, put it on the shelf, then bowed and left. Before leaving, she quietly closed the door and stood outside waiting to be called.

The wind and snow had died down a little, and the cold wind squeezed in through the gaps in the window frames. The candles lit in the house swayed gently, and their shadows flickered on the walls. There were several charcoal fires in the center, and the red charcoal emitted heat, warming the room.

After taking a bath, Hua Zheng wore silk pajamas and stepped on the wool carpet with her white feet. She took a few steps, put down her ankles, and put on the velvet boots on the ground, while Guo Jing was still sitting at the table reading.

She smiled and pulled Guo Jing to the dressing mirror, and made him sit down. Then she took a pair of scissors and trimmed his messy beard. She said with a smile, "You, you don't bring more people with you when you go out. Look at your beard, you still look like a marquis."

Guo Jing didn't care, "In the military, there's no need to be so particular."

I felt that Hua Zheng's gentle gaze fell on the gaps between his hair. I was stunned. I saw a few white hairs mixed in among the strands of soft black hair, which was particularly dazzling. Then, a soft white hand gently pulled out a few white hairs.

"My husband, you've worked so hard these past few years." Hua Zheng finished trimming his beard, picked up a wooden comb and combed the man's long hair from top to bottom. Seeing more white hair mixed in with the black hair, her nose felt a little sour. "Look, you have so many white hairs. We can't let you do everything in the army alone. You have so many people under you now. You don't have to take care of everything yourself."

In the bright bronze mirror, Guo Jing sat there with his eyes closed to rest. When he heard his wife's words, he opened his eyes, looked at the person in the mirror, and smiled, "How can I relax when my great cause is not yet accomplished?"

Then he grabbed Hua Zheng's hand and stroked her smooth skin. "My father must have conquered a large territory during this western expedition. As his son-in-law, I should leave a legacy for our son. If the Jin people want to destroy us, these territories will belong to them in the future."

Hua Zheng looked at the map of the Central Plains from north to south, and thought that such a large piece of territory would belong to her sons in the future. She was distracted for a moment and her breathing became heavy.

In fact, little did she know that Guo Jing had painted a big pie for her. If he wanted to gain a foothold in the Central Plains, he would only use centralized power like the previous Central Plains dynasties. In other words, he could have only one heir.

I said this just to comfort Hua Zheng.

At the age of thirty, it is the time to make great achievements. How can he just sit back and watch?
A founding monarch may not know other things, but he must know how to fight. Otherwise, how can he deter those arrogant and fierce generals? How can he make the civil and military officials submit?
"Well, it's getting late. Let's get some rest. The army will set out tomorrow."

……

On the parade ground, snowflakes accumulated on people's shoulders and heads. The heavy breath of war horses floated up in the air. Tens of thousands of soldiers stood in a neat row. The plush built into their armor and the gloves they wore did not make them feel much cold.

There were sparsely gathered common people around. They braved the cold wind and looked at the well-armored army in the distance, with a scorching light in their eyes. Was this the army of the Marquis of Han?

Not long after, hundreds of cavalrymen escorted a carriage from the end of the street.

After someone passed the message, Pei Andao, Lu Guanying and others got off the carriages parked near the parade ground, and walked towards the slowly parked carriage, and all bowed, "Greetings, Lord Marquis."

"No need to be polite, today's soldiers are important."

Guo Jing waved his hand, signaling them to stand up, and then led a group of personal soldiers to go around the side of the parade ground with the steps of dragons and tigers. The moment they stepped onto the high platform, tens of thousands of figures below banged their weapons, and the sound of metal clashing shook the sky for a while.

When the voice died down, Guo Jing gathered his inner strength and his voice was carried in the wind, "Everyone, as long as we take Xuzhou and cross the river, the Jin Kingdom can be destroyed in a snap. Some of you are from Guanzhong, some are from Shanxi, some are from Hebei, and some are from Henan. For hundreds of years, the Jin people have killed your relatives and invaded your homes. The national hatred and family feud cannot be washed away by the surging river."

"Hatred forged in blood can only be washed away with blood. I, Guo Jing, have a grudge against the Jin Kingdom for killing my father. I will not stop until the Jin Kingdom is destroyed!" The powerful voice roared in the wind: "We must win this battle!"

"Must win!"

"Must win!"

Faces covered with snowflakes roared and screamed, and the murderous aura seemed to have condensed into a physical object. The countless snowflakes falling from the sky were shaken and splashed. The people watching from afar were so frightened by the thunderous roars that they could not catch their breath, but they felt more at ease in their hearts. With such a large army protecting them, they could live a peaceful life.

……

After the military parade, the troops stationed in Sizhou City headed to Xuzhou and merged with the vanguard sent previously.

At the same time, the Jin people also learned that Guo Jing's army was about to besiege Xuzhou. On the other hand, Mu Huali also personally led an army of 50,000 to join forces with him to attack Xuzhou.

For a time, the small city of Xuzhou became a gathering place for troops from all over the world, with swords and spears indicating that the decisive battle between the North and the South was about to come.

……

Jiankang, the imperial capital of the Jin Dynasty.

Inside the hall, Yang Kang was wearing a dragon robe and a golden crown, his handsome face full of determination, "Father, the Mongolian army is powerful and the battlefield is dangerous, why do you have to lead the army in person?"

Wanyan Honglie, who was over fifty years old, sat on the chair, looking majestic without being angry. He only frowned, and Yang Kang felt a great pressure. "Kang'er, it is precisely because Mongolia is so powerful that I must personally go to the front of the battlefield to boost morale."

"Father, you have been ill since you came back from the south. Now is the time to rest. The people in Jiangnan are worried. You should stay in the capital."

"This war is not like fighting with the Song State. The outcome is unpredictable." He gritted his teeth, a hint of madness flashed in his eyes, "I am willing to go to the battle on behalf of my father, command the army, and boost morale."

Wanyan Honglie was stunned. He didn't expect Yang Kang to do this. "Kang'er, you want to go?"

"Father, the outcome of this war is unpredictable. It concerns the future of our Great Jin Kingdom. I am willing to go to the front line and serve as a commander in the army. I hope your permission." As he said this, he actually knelt down.

Wanyan Honglie coughed twice, "Ahem, it's a good idea that you have this idea, but you don't know anything about military affairs, how can you win the support of the people when you join the army?"

"Don't worry, Father. I will not interfere in military affairs. I will follow the orders of the deputy commander."

(End of this chapter)