Traveling the Heavens in Thunderbolt

Chapter 18: Changing Situation

In less than half a day, the defenseless Yanmen Pass was conquered by the Miao army. Afterwards, the Song court had high hopes for demolishing cities and building low-lying areas in Hebei, which had been used since the Song Dynasty's donkey cart emperor (Zhao Guangyi), but it failed to hinder the Miao army's advance. In less than two months, the Miao army, led by Cheng Qian, swept across Hebei. Before the Song court could react, the army had already reached the Yellow River.

By the time the Song court began to gather surrounding troops in Kaifeng, Cheng Qian's army had already crossed the Yellow River and headed straight for Kaifeng.

The Song Dynasty Emperor Zhao Xi was worthy of the posthumous title of "Zhezong", and was better than his brother, the future Huizong, and his nephew "Qinzong".

In the following months, knowing that nothing could be done, he abandoned Kaifeng and Luoyang and led his troops back to Chang'an. While strengthening the defense of Tongguan, he called on troops from all over the country to gather in Guanzhong.

Due to other reasons, such as Shandong and other places being too far away, and Jiangnan and other places being unable to take care of themselves, they also had to defend the city and wait for the imperial army to come to the rescue.

At the same time, he called on heroes from all walks of life and people from all over the country to rise up against the rule of Miaojiang.

It was during these few months that the situation in the Liao Kingdom changed again.

Yelu Hongji, who should have been in adversity, experienced a shocking reversal.

Originally, although Yelu Chongyuan had won and lost in several battles with Yelu Hongji, and suffered heavier losses than Yelu Hongji, the war situation inevitably gradually moved in his favor because he had more troops.

It stands to reason that as long as Yelu Chongyuan makes good use of his military advantage and gradually wears down Yelu Hongji's forces, Yelu Hongji will be trapped in an isolated city with his retreat routes cut off and unable to get effective reinforcements due to his failure to respond to his rebellion in a timely manner.

But he did not expect that a letter of challenge from Yelu Hongji would arrive, causing him to want to achieve his goal in one battle by relying on his military advantage.

However, he was unexpectedly captured alive by a man who suddenly rushed in front of him during the battle. His son Yelu Nerugu was able to retreat completely thanks to the protection of the Miao secret guards, and was not killed by the man.

After capturing Yelu Chongyuan, the man did not retreat, but instead persuaded the remaining soldiers in his camp to surrender.

Yelu Hongji also responded in time and personally led his troops to the front of the battlefield to persuade the enemy to surrender. At one time, more than 100,000 people surrendered.

Then both sides stopped fighting and returned to camp.

That night, Yelu Hongji held a banquet to celebrate the victory and formally introduced to all the generals the man who had changed the course of the entire war. Everyone then learned that this man was named Xiao Feng, and he was also Yelu Hongji's sworn brother and the new King of the Southern Courtyard.

Compared with the atmosphere at Yelu Hongji's place, the rebels were in a gloomy mood, although his son Nerugu tried to stabilize the soldiers in each camp and reorganize the troops for further battle.

But the situation was over. After all, Nerugu did not have the prestige and ability of his father to command so many troops. In addition, Yelu Hongji once again went to the battlefield to surrender and let bygones be bygones. Many tribal troops killed the confidants arranged by Yelu Chongyuan and turned against him again.

At one time, more than 200,000 soldiers and horses fled.

Upon seeing this, Yelu Nerugu knew that the situation was irreversible, so he led his own army of about 50,000 people to escape overnight under the protection of the Miao secret guards and took refuge under the rule of Miao, hoping to make a comeback.

The next day, after Yelu Hongji settled the surrendered soldiers, he led his troops to fight, but he only received the remaining 100,000 troops. Unable to capture one of the culprits, Nerugu, Yelu Hongji immediately decided to lead more than 30,000 elite palace troops under the protection of Xiao Feng to pursue him, hoping to capture Nerugu alive before he crossed the Liao-Miao border.

In the following period, Nerugu and his troops suffered heavy losses due to Yelu Hongji's pursuit. If it were not for the Miao secret guards who fought to the death to protect him, he would have been nearly captured several times.

The two sides chased each other, and in less than a month, they fought more than ten times. Although Yelu Hongji lost nearly 10,000 palace soldiers, he was the legitimate emperor of Liao after all. Wherever he went, there were supplies. After a period of replenishment, the troops increased by another 10,000.

But Yelu Nerugu was not so lucky. The long escape had exhausted his soldiers and horses, and his force was reduced to more than 10,000. Everyone was injured and their morale was low. The secret guards around him were also almost all lost because they had to focus on protecting him.

Finally, Yelu Hongji intercepted the remnants of Nerugu's army ten miles away from the Liao-Miao border, and the two sides fought fiercely here again. Just when Yelu Hongji thought he could capture Nerugu alive, he did not expect the Miao troops who came to support him to arrive and join the battlefield.

Originally, Yelu Hongji did not take the more than 20,000 Miao troops seriously. He only sent 10,000 palace troops under his command to stop them. After he completely wiped out the remnants of Nerugu, he would reunite with them and together they would destroy the 20,000 Miao troops that had broken into the enemy territory.

But what Yelu Hongji never expected was that the front-line war reported by Yelu Chongyuan before the rebellion was actually real. The 10,000 elite palace troops sent by the Liao Kingdom were defeated by the Miao army in less than half an hour and quickly joined up with the remnants of Nerugu.

Afterwards, they easily broke through the defense line organized by Yelu Hongji and returned to Miao territory.

At this point, Yale Hongji finally realized that the Miao army and even the entire Miao Dynasty he was facing were completely different from his previous enemies.

So, under Xiao Feng's suggestion, while reorganizing the surrendered soldiers, he sent envoys to the Song Dynasty to discuss the formation of an alliance to attack the Miao region.

The Song emperor Zhao Xi also took advantage of the situation and sent envoys to the Liao Kingdom to discuss the issue of jointly resisting the Miao Army.
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I am the dividing line -
While the Song and Liao countries were discussing an alliance, the Liao Kingdom even sent Xiao Feng, the King of the Southern Court, to personally go to the Song Dynasty to discuss the follow-up as a sign of goodwill.

The Central Plains martial arts world also held a martial arts conference due to the dramatic changes in national affairs, with Shaolin taking the lead and calling on all major martial arts sects to discuss anti-Miao issues together.

All this information was placed on the table in the central army tent of Cheng Qian, who had already conquered Luoyang.

The leader of the secret guards knelt in front of Cheng Qian, picking up the intelligence in front of him one by one, and said: "Well, Song and Liao reached an agreement to attack Miaojiang together in three months. After defeating Miaojiang, the two sides will maintain the original border. I am afraid it will become a futile hope. Now the potential dragon has emerged, and no one can stop my hegemony. Time is on my side. The more time you give me, the smaller your chances of winning will be."

"Shaolin is hosting the martial arts conference, can't it see the current affairs? Well, let me go there in person, and let me end this drama directed by me, and this jaw-dropping ending will also be the end of this era."

"According to Deng Baichuan, we have managed the various areas in Hebei and will increase our army by 200,000 in the next three months. We have already attacked Shandong to the east and will be able to conquer it in less than two months. We have already attacked Jiangnan to the south and after years of infiltration, we will be able to conquer it in less than a month. Then we will go down the river to capture the various areas of Bashu, and then we will attack from both directions. The Song Dynasty will surely be destroyed. After that, Liao, Dali, Xixia, and Tubo, when this division that has lasted for two hundred years ends, you will face the unified country that you fear the most."

Cheng Qian stood up and said to the leader of the secret guards who was kneeling in front of him: "Secret Leader, tell the army to rest on the spot. Also, pass on my imperial order, and tell my personal army and the leader of the secret guards to go to Shaolin Temple with me to attend this martial arts event."

"obey"

(End of this chapter)