Fu Shanhe

Chapter 568 Oath-taking Ceremony
"General, Cao Cao has launched a mutiny, detained you, and let the enemy troops into the city!"

The news brought by the guards startled Liu Conghan.

During the day, Cao Zirui even invited them to a banquet, which now seems like a classic case of a trap.

Fortunately, he was in a bad mood at the time and made an excuse to refuse.

Otherwise, by now, he might already be dead.

The reason Governor Liang was able to survive was because of his special status and his value in united front work.

Sending people to the northern barbarians would be a great achievement.

A general like him wouldn't do!
Since the Northern barbarians invaded, more than one or two generals of the Yu Dynasty have defected to them.

The best option would definitely be to kill him and then annex his followers to increase the strength in our hands.

"Pass down the order: have all units abandon their artillery and logistical supplies and cross the river with me!"

Liu Conghan decisively gave the order.

The betrayal by the traitor meant that Yangzhou could not be defended.

In times of crisis, everyone has no choice but to flee for their lives.

He couldn't care less about the governor and his colleagues in the city; all he could do now was break through the siege.

Fortunately, we had made preparations in advance and reserved a few boats, otherwise we wouldn't have had a chance to escape.

"Order!"

After saying this, the guard hurriedly turned around to relay the order.

Liu Conghan reacted quickly, but unfortunately it was too late.

Before the troops had fully assembled, shouts of battle reached the doorway.

The brave wins when we meet on a narrow road.

To cross the river, we must first defeat the enemy forces in front of us.

Seeing his former colleagues suddenly turn into enemies, Liu Conghan suffered a severe blow to his spirit.

"Gentlemen, follow me and fight your way out!"

……

Zhenjiang Prefecture.

"Your Excellency, the enemy has breached Yangzhou City, and the defending troops are urgently requesting reinforcements."

"Do you think we should send reinforcements?"

Upon hearing this news, Yun Xiangwen, who was originally in a daze, was instantly wide awake.

"Nonsense!"

"It's pitch black here, who knows what's going on the other side? What if this plea for help was sent by the Northern barbarians, deliberately luring us there?"

"Pass down the order to arrange for people to meet the soldiers and civilians crossing the river."

Order all departments to post notices in the city, informing the people that the northern barbarians have captured Yangzhou and will soon attack Zhenjiang.

To prevent the northern barbarians from massacring the city, an emergency evacuation is now necessary.

Those who had nowhere to go, along with the soldiers and civilians who came from the north bank, were sent to the Annam Protectorate for temporary refuge.

The fleet has already been arranged by the admiral; they only need to bring their valuables to board!

Yun Xiangwen immediately issued the order.

In fact, this is not the first evacuation.

Even before the Battle of Xuzhou began, he had sent the families of the officers and soldiers from several prefectures on the north bank to the Annam Protectorate in batches.

It was both to escape the ravages of war and to pledge allegiance.

He was not the only general to have engaged in similar practices.

However, due to geographical reasons, others who wanted to pledge their allegiance could not do so.

"My lord, it's hard to leave one's homeland!"

"The evacuation operation will probably not go smoothly."

Master Wang offered this advice tactfully.

The fall of Yangzhou was certainly a disaster for Zhenjiang, but as long as they wanted to defend the city, there was still hope for them to hold out for a year or two.

Compared to the defending troops on the other side, the two towns stationed along the Zhenjiang line were composed of elite troops, whose combat strength was much greater.

"If you can't bear to leave your homeland, then don't go. This admiral never forces anyone to do anything against their will."

You may spread the news of the Northern barbarians' massacre of the city.

Tell the people in the city that the gentry and wealthy families have all fled, and that any normal person knows what to do.

In addition, I will draft another official document to inform the court of the current dire situation and instruct the officials to prepare for the defense of Nanjing. I, the admiral, will at most buy them a month.

Yun Xiangwen answered calmly.

Holding Zhenjiang to the death is out of the question; it's not in his interest.

The Great Yu Empire is beyond saving; he needs to consider the Yun family's future.

They didn't take advantage of the chaos to rebel, nor did they abandon the city and flee; they were both doing right by the imperial court.

Holding out for a month was his way of answering the questions of the court and the people.

"The student has learned a lot!"

"The students will go down and implement it immediately."

Master Wang said with a look of fear.

I had always thought my infamous father-in-law was just a military man. I never imagined he would possess such keen political wisdom.

Upon closer reflection, he suddenly realized that Yun Xiangwen's rapid advancement in his official career had begun precisely with the massacre of the gentry in Jiangnan.

If it weren't for the Jiangnan Incident back then, Yun Xiangwen would have been just an ordinary general in the nobility faction, long since fading into obscurity, and would never have been able to climb to the high position of Governor of Jiangnan.

Although he had a bad reputation among scholars, he gained the support of the nobility and, most importantly, the favor of the Marquis of Hanshui.

The position of Governor of Jiangnan was promoted to him by Li Mu during his tenure as Grand Secretary, despite pressure from all sides.

The tens of thousands of troops under his command were also assigned to him at that time.

……

As the first rays of dawn shone upon Yangzhou, the carnage continued.

"Great Chanyu, the Yu army in the city has been cleared out. Do you think we should stop them?"

Seeing the slaughter escalating, Cao Zirui couldn't help but speak up.

Surrendering to the Northern barbarians had already severely damaged his reputation. If the Northern barbarians were to slaughter Yangzhou, there would be no turning back.

If the northern barbarians were to seize the country by chance, he might still have to bear the blame for the massacre in Yangzhou.

If it were far away, it wouldn't be so bad, but my hometown is only a little over a hundred miles away from Yangzhou Prefecture.

In the future, when I return to my hometown to pay respects to my ancestors, I will not be able to face the spittle and criticism from my neighbors.

"General Cao, do you have a problem with the Great Chanyu's orders?"

Arutan Wanhu, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but mock.

There was also a hierarchy of contempt within the Tatar army, with those like Cao Zirui, who betrayed his master for personal gain, at the very bottom of this hierarchy.

Many Yu generals defected to the Tatar Kingdom, but most of them were forced into a corner and surrendered only after being driven to desperation.

During this process, the Tatar Kingdom employed numerous methods to win over these generals.

Although Yangzhou was on the verge of collapse, it was by no means a hopeless situation for the defending troops.

Even if the city falls, we can still cross the Yangtze River.

The grassland coalition had no navy, so they couldn't pursue them even if they wanted to.

Surrendering when there was a way out, coupled with Cao Zirui's previous offense of betraying the rebel army and accepting the Great Yu's offer of amnesty, immediately branded him as "disloyal".

"The general will not dare!"

Cao Zirui said with a look of fear.

Deep down, he was already secretly lamenting his fate.

Having just arrived and already receiving such treatment, their future prospects are unlikely to be good.

It was too late for regrets. There was no going back to the Great Yu Kingdom; they could only follow the Tatar Kingdom down this dark path.

From a practical standpoint, his situation is far worse than Shi Shichang's.

Both sought refuge with the Tatar Kingdom, but at least the Tatars had a strong military force.

With an army of 100,000, even if there are incompetent members among them, he is still a very important general.

"Arutan, how dare you be rude!"

"General Cao, please take a seat. Arutan is a rough man, so don't take it to heart."

Hugjil said with a smile. It seemed like he was trying to appease him, but it was all just a perfunctory response.

Not only did they fail to respond to Cao Zirui's questions, but their reprimand of Arutan was also completely ineffective.

The hint of disdain in his eyes made Cao Zirui even more restless and unable to eat or sleep.

After his initial anger subsided, Cao Zirui regained his composure and instantly understood.

Hugjil may seem petty and deliberately targeting him, a surrendered general, but in reality, it's just a performance for his subordinates.

This serves as a clear example to show everyone that disloyal people will not be respected no matter where they go.

Having learned the truth, Cao Zirui's anger quickly subsided.

You can't fight city hall; when it's time to back down, you have to back down.

The most important thing for a person is to accurately find their own place in the world; even negative examples have their own value.

If something has value, it won't be easily discarded.

……

Nanjing City.

"An urgent report came from Zhenjiang: Cao Zirui, the general of Xuzhou, colluded with the northern barbarians and, together with the enemy forces, captured Yangzhou City."

Many officials, including Governor Liang Yining, fell into enemy hands, and only a few thousand government troops managed to escape back to the south bank.

The northern barbarian army is advancing directly towards Zhenjiang. Admiral Yun has issued a warning, urging us to seize the time to prepare for the defense of Nanjing!

After saying that, Shi Qingchen's mind wandered off into the distance.

He had already submitted his resignation and was just waiting for the court meeting today to approve it. Soon, all matters of state would be no longer his concern.

Today is my last shift; there's no need to continue to exert myself.

"That traitor Cao deserves to die!"

"These traitors have ruined the three-hundred-year foundation of our Great Yu Dynasty, they are truly..."

Left Censor-in-Chief Shu Jinglun was the first to start cursing.

If we calculate the time, the Great Yu Empire has been established for exactly three hundred years.

Among all the feudal dynasties, it was definitely one of the longest-lived.

We were just a tiny bit short of overcoming the 300-year dynastic cycle.

Unfortunately, fate was not on Dayu's side. First, Anqing fell and the rebel army crossed the Yangtze River, and now Yangzhou has fallen as well.

If nothing unexpected happens, the battle to defend Zhenjiang will not last long.

When it comes to cursing, the civil officials of the Great Yu Dynasty were never inferior to anyone.

Seeing that Shu Jinglun had started, the other officials quickly followed suit, and the entire hall was instantly filled with condemnations of Cao Zirui.

"enough!"

"The fall of Yangzhou is a foregone conclusion. No matter how fiercely you curse, it won't hurt Cao Cao in the slightest."

The most urgent task is to prepare for the defense of Nanjing immediately; if we delay any longer, we will be attacked from two fronts by the rebels and the northern barbarians!

Seeing the court in chaos, Wan Huaijin immediately reprimanded him.

The officials were still the same ones he knew; even when things were at their most urgent, they couldn't let go of the infighting.

While relentlessly attacking Cao Zirui for his betrayal, their true aim is still to appease the officials who have been granted amnesty.

Under the political system of the Great Yu Dynasty, whoever recruited the rebels was responsible for their actions to the end.

If unforeseen circumstances arise after the surrender, the officials who oversaw the surrender will also bear joint responsibility.

The officials who made the decision back then will also be implicated.

"Your Excellency, we have been preparing for the defense of Nanjing for a long time, but unfortunately, even the most skilled cook cannot make a meal without rice."

The city's garrison appears to be numerous, but most of them are hastily assembled troops, with few possessing real combat effectiveness.

Once the enemy concentrates a large force to besiege us, it will be difficult for us to hold out for long.

In my humble opinion, for the safety of Your Majesty and the nation, the court should temporarily avoid direct confrontation.

Vice Minister of War Gu Tianyou couldn't help but make a suggestion.

Trees move to death, people move to live.

Because the noble generals are incompetent, the court is currently in a state of having no one to rely on.

Even if the two sides reach an agreement now, these nobles in the capital cannot represent the position of all nobles.

The military elites and generals were still waiting for Li Mu to express his opinion.

The reinforcements sent by governors and viceroys from various regions not only varied in combat effectiveness but also lacked enthusiasm for fighting.

The imperial court has just issued an edict ordering the Marquis of Hanshui to raise an army to defend the emperor.

It will take at least several months for reinforcements to arrive.

Unless the noble generals who remained in the south were willing to fight desperately, it would be difficult to win the Battle of Nanjing.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

"Of the two capitals of the Great Yu Dynasty, only Nanjing remains. At this moment, the city of Nanjing represents the majesty of the imperial court and the sanctity of imperial power."

Gu Tianyou, what are your true intentions in so readily offering to abandon Nanjing?

The young censor Shi Ningchuan was the first to fire the cannon.

Military strategy does indeed say that we should consider problems from a holistic perspective and not be concerned with the gains or losses of a single city or place.

The problem is that Nanjing is not an ordinary city, but the last bastion of the Great Yu Empire.

Losing Nanjing would not only shake the world, but also undermine the foundation of the Great Yu's rule.

Even if the dynasty continued to exist, it would be difficult for the court to command the local areas after moving the capital again.

If not handled carefully, the imperial court will become a mere shell of its former self.

“Imperial Censor Shi, stop making baseless accusations here.”

I have lived up to the expectations of the court and the emperor, and I have also lived up to the expectations of all the people under heaven.

I know better than you how important Nanjing is.

The suggestion to temporarily avoid confrontation is an emergency measure based entirely on the actual situation.

You keep saying Nanjing can't be lost, but show me some strategies for defending the city!

Can simply standing by and spouting nonsense solve the problem?

Gu Tianyou retorted irritably.

There is always a gap between reality and ideals.

If Nanjing could be defended, who would be willing to bear the infamy and flee?

A similar problem actually occurred in the capital several years ago.

At that time, the anti-tax movement was at its peak, and the imperial treasury was on the verge of bankruptcy. Some people proposed moving south to get rid of the mess in the north.

If this suggestion had been adopted back then, the Great Yu could have replicated the path of the Great Song and survived for several more decades in the southeastern half of the country.

Even if the Liaodong garrison rebelled and the northern barbarians invaded from the south, they could not shake the foundation of the imperial court.

Unfortunately, reality doesn't allow for "what ifs," and the Great Yu Empire did not relocate its capital at the most opportune time.

The current Southern court is essentially a reconstruction on the original foundation, but the inherited legacy has been greatly diminished.

……

On the drill ground in Yong'an Prefecture.

Looking at the rows of troops assembled, one could feel the chill from afar, and Li Mu nodded in satisfaction.

It's clear that these soldiers are all seasoned veterans.

Such a strong army cannot be forged without the baptism of blood and fire.

These soldiers before him were the foundation of his power to conquer the world.

"My lord, the imperial court has sent an urgent message over a distance of 600 li."

The northern barbarians have breached Yangzhou, and the imperial court has ordered you to mobilize all the troops of the Protectorate General to march north and defend the emperor.

After saying this, the messenger fainted on the spot.

Upon seeing this, everyone's expression became tense.

"Wu Da arranged for a doctor to do everything he could to save this brave warrior."

"Mr. Lan, please bring me the previous official documents and carefully verify their authenticity!"

Li Mu calmly gave the order.

The army has already begun its oath-taking ceremony, so there's no problem with launching a northern expedition, but the necessary procedures cannot be omitted.

……

(End of this chapter)