Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 292 United in our efforts, we face the national crisis together!
Yanyun, west of Zhuozhou City, is densely packed with horses, people, and countless carriages of all kinds.

The Jurchens have arrived.

The newly appointed prefect of Zhuozhou was named Lü Chengming. He came from a prominent family in the capital, and his ancestors had even produced a prime minister. At this moment, he was standing on the city wall.

Looking westwards, Lü Chengming felt a chill run down his spine and asked, "How did they arrive so quickly? Weizhou fell just like that?"

Clearly, the Jurchens were accelerating. They seemed to have sensed the supposed vulnerability of the Song army, though not yet fully aware of it.

Or perhaps it can't be called the Song army, since the garrison in Yanyun was mostly the last remaining old, weak, sick, and disabled soldiers of the former Liao Dynasty.

Therefore, the Jurchens naturally began to speed up their pace, fearing that the Song Dynasty would react and send an elite army to attack. They wanted to plunder as much as possible.

The general beside Lü Chengming also had a name, Wang Wende, who had once accompanied Gao Qiu on a campaign against Liangshan.

At this point, it was he who answered: "Weizhou has few soldiers, so it was expected that the city would fall. We have many soldiers now, with more than 10,000 troops coming to our aid from all directions, plus the troops in the city, totaling more than 20,000. Zhuozhou is a strong city, so we should just defend it to the death. The Jurchens will have a hard time climbing the high walls."

Lu Chengming nodded slightly, but was still worried: "General Wang, can you guarantee that the city's defenses will not fall?"

Wang Wende was slightly startled. He seemed to understand that the prefect was hesitant because he asked the question. What was he hesitant about?

Hesitating whether to run away...

Wang Wende replied, "All the city defenses are in place, and the city is absolutely secure! These barbarians may be strong in individual combat, but they certainly don't understand military formations, and... well... their army probably doesn't know how to make siege weapons either, so the city will definitely not fall!"

Lu Chengming nodded: "That's good, that's good..."

Wang Wende also breathed a sigh of relief; this gentleman absolutely could not flee before the battle even began…

Let's just wait and see...

The Jurchen tribe slowly revealed its immense power from the west, with hundreds of thousands of horses and even more people than horses. Men, women, and children were in large groups, and there were countless carts...

At first glance, if you ignore the horses and only look at the people, they don't quite resemble an army; they look more like... a group of refugees fleeing disaster...

Upon closer inspection, many men began to don their armor and weapons, slowly gathering forward. In an instant, the situation changed dramatically. Although only a few thousand men had gathered in front, a chilling aura of killing intent already spread.

Wang Wende continued to reassure them, "It's alright, it's alright. Zhuozhou has been a fortified city since ancient times, with high and thick walls that cannot be breached by human power!"

It's strange, though. These Jurchens, not only bringing their families along, but also marching here, didn't set up camp or rest. They immediately started changing into their armor, as if they were about to attack the city.

Let's wait and see...

Amidst the crowd and vehicles, a long ladder had already begun to be sent forward.

It seemed the siege was truly imminent, so Wang Wende added, "Attack a fortified city without heavy weaponry; that's simply impossible..."

Lü Chengming nodded, agreeing with whatever Wang Wende said, as it all made sense.

After a short while, Wang Wende suddenly frowned. Why?

A large number of carts began to come forward, loaded with all sorts of wooden items. Along with the carts came a number of people.

Once these people reached a point not far from the city wall and began unloading their goods, the others started taking out various tools...

No, no...

“This…” Lu Chengming immediately panicked. What was this in front of him?
That clanging and banging sound, isn't that assembling machinery?

How could such barbarians have so many skilled craftsmen?

Why? Could it be that the Liao people "gifted" it to them? After besieging Datong for so long, how could they lack siege equipment? Without siege equipment, how impregnable was Datong? Even if the Jurchens had extraordinary skills, they couldn't possibly have climbed up the city walls by prying open the cracks between the bricks…

It is said that the soldiers were wearing armor, and many of them had more than one layer of armor on their bodies. They looked extremely bulky. Why? It is because they had too much armor. There were millions of soldiers wearing armor. Where did all the armor go? It goes without saying.

"What?!" Lü Chengming turned to look at Wang Wende and asked, "Didn't you say the Jurchens didn't have siege weapons?"

Wang Wende was slightly flustered, but quickly said, "Sir, it's alright. A few siege weapons won't matter. The walls of Zhuozhou are high, the walls of Zhuozhou are high..."

Lu Chengming immediately asked, "How many cavalrymen do you have under your command?"

“More than six hundred people…” Wang Wende replied.

He wondered if they were planning an attack outside the city. Looking up slightly to his left and right, he saw Jurchen cavalry emerging from the left and right, patrolling the area and protecting the attacking army...

Where can we get out of the city?
Then Lü Chengming said, "Gather all the cavalry. If the battle goes badly... then..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Wende understood and nodded slightly. If the battle went badly, what could they do? They would run away as fast as they could…

Looking at the endless cavalry outside the city, escaping doesn't seem like an easy task; it'll depend on luck...

Outside the city, things were still bustling with activity. Judging by the pace, they would be busy for at least another hour. On the city wall, Lü Chengming and Wang Wende were also waiting, growing increasingly uneasy and anxious with each passing moment…

Even the soldiers on the city wall exchanged glances and began whispering among themselves, saying that the Liao people hated the Jurchens…

Secondly, it's possible that the Liao people had long been afraid of the Jurchens, and the city's defenses were mostly manned by former Liao people.

Everything is still waiting, just waiting for the Jurchen's weapons to be fully assembled. Aren't the people who assembled the Jurchen's weapons also the former Liao people? And many of them are even Han people.

The bugle sounded, and the drums began.

Whose troops were charging into battle? Yelü Yudu knew without a doubt.

As the soldiers began their assault on the city, the Jurchen cavalry arrived behind them. They were not there to attack the city, but to supervise and drive the attacking army from behind!
The long ladders arrived, the siege towers were being pushed forward, and there were also many powerful ballistae.

There was nothing particularly special about the process, except for the endless stream of old Liao soldiers climbing the city walls.

How did the Jurchens manage their subordinates?

It's very simple. These former Liao soldiers were originally at the lowest level of surrender, but after experiencing the battles of Dading Prefecture and Datong, and then the battles of Hongzhou and Weizhou, they all became property owners.

They had already received their share of money, slaves, livestock, and various supplies.

Just ask them if they were brave enough to climb the city wall.
How could we not be brave? As long as we break through the city, Zhuozhou is an important town and a major city. The people, money, food, and even bowls, plates, pots, and shovels inside will all be taken by those who climb over the wall.

Once the city falls, everyone will become rich, and countless people will experience changes in their social status.

In the past, when I served as a soldier under the Liao, I was never a master, nor was I ever a superior person.
Now, serving as soldiers for the Jurchens can truly make one a superior person. Those who are brave and meritorious already have several slaves. They are served in everything from eating and sleeping to washing, and at night, they even have women to warm their beds.

Such a life was something I never dared to imagine when I was a soldier serving the Liao.

How could someone who climbs the wall not be brave?
The walls of Zhuozhou were covered with ants, densely packed together.

It doesn't matter if it's rolling logs and stones, or burning kerosene.

When a person has nothing in this life, with a worthless life, living is no different from being dead.

At that moment, if there were any chance of wealth or a chance to change one's destiny, what would be wrong with risking one's life for it?
Either you just die, since living is unbearable, or you fight bravely and become a superior person!
How can Zhuozhou be defended?
How could Wang Wende not panic?
How could Lü Chengming not be in a state of chaos?
Inside the city gate tower, the two exchanged only a glance, as if they had already made a decision together.

Wang Wende had long forgotten the thought he had just been holding that he absolutely could not run away.

They had to leave. In just a short while, the Jin army had already established a foothold on the city walls. If they delayed any longer, they wouldn't even have a chance to escape.

Six or seven hundred riders set off without hesitation, heading east out of the city. They didn't go northeast, meaning they weren't going to Yanjing; instead, they headed southeast, heading home, heading towards the Song Dynasty.

Outside the city, countless cavalrymen were waiting; as soon as six or seven hundred of them went out, Jurchen cavalry would immediately follow...

Everything was that simple and efficient: pursuit and ambush, with crossbows firing from afar and spears thrusting at close range, and one after another, men fell from their horses.

In his panicked flight, how could Lü Chengming not run faster and faster?
Wang Wende kept looking back, feeling powerless. How come he couldn't even run as fast as the other people's horses?
Even worse, they couldn't run as long as others...

Looking behind them, the Jurchen cavalry had begun to split up, seemingly intending to block their advance.

How to do?
What else can I do?
Running at breakneck speed, even the horsepower couldn't sustain it. It seemed the Jurchens behind them didn't intend to kill everyone in front of them, but rather to play around, chasing and dangling them, while others overtook them from the side...

They intercepted Lü Chengming on the spot, and the horses gradually came to a stop.

The Jurchen cavalry moved about, some shouting, "Those who abandon their weapons and surrender will not be killed!"

One after another, soldiers dismounted and surrendered.

Wang Wende and Lü Chengming also turned pale, not knowing what to do.

It was Lü Chengming who had the courage. He dismounted and walked towards the Jurchen woman. His pale face had recovered considerably, and he walked with his head held high and his steps steady.

After approaching a few times, Lü Chengming spoke: "I am the Prefect of Zhuozhou of the Great Song Dynasty, a descendant of the Prime Minister, a member of a prominent family in the capital, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), and a close minister of the Emperor. You barbarians have betrayed your promises and launched a war without declaration of war. Are you gentlemen? The Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty is virtuous in his love for life and has benevolence in his heart. If you repent today, you may be pardoned in the future. If you do not repent today, when a million-strong army arrives in the future, it will be the end of your Jurchens!"

His words were loud and clear, and his demeanor was quite elegant, a far cry from his earlier panicked escape.

The Jurchen leader on horseback, unable to understand, leaned in to listen to someone beside him translate for him!
As soon as he finished listening, he slightly raised his hand and beckoned, and the Jurchen man next to him handed him a short bow.

The Jurchen leader moved with incredible speed, drawing his bow and shooting without even needing to aim, all in one fluid motion.

The arrow was released, and before Lü Chengming could react, he felt a numbness in his chest. Looking down, he saw that the arrow had pierced his chest, leaving only a tail feather trembling gently in the wind.

"You... barbarian..."

After only three syllables, Lü Chengming felt his body go limp and he collapsed, struggling to breathe and his consciousness began to blur.

The Jurchen leader had a broad face and slit-like eyes, looking left and right.

Wang Wende also dismounted and abandoned his troops.

The leader waved his hand and said, "Drive them back!"

The Jurchens and the Jin dynasty gained several hundred more able-bodied men.

Looking back, how could Zhuozhou not fall? As for what happened inside the city, needless to say, they didn't even bother to collect a single grain of salt and take it with them.

After the soldiers drove everyone out of the city, men, women, and children began to enter the city.

The child, three or four years old, also followed the adults to get things, stuffing even the tattered rags used for wiping the table into his chest.

Men and women alike are all busy.

Everything was for survival. The army continued east and north, treating cities and towns as nothing. In just four or five days, the Jurchens appeared outside Yanjing City.

Without saying much, they simply began besieging the city and even sent troops further east.

Inside the city.

Tan Zhen, Wang Anzhong, and Guo Yaoshi were about to discuss an important matter.

Wang Anzhong asked, even questioned: "Why such a crushing defeat? Why were all the cities completely unimpeded?"

Sometimes, trusting someone comes with great hope. If that hope is suddenly shattered, then that trust is betrayed. Wang Anzhong trusted Tan Zhen, so how could he not be both angry and resentful at this moment?
Tan Zhen did not answer, but went to look at Pharmacist Guo.

Guo the Pharmacist hurriedly said, "Tens of thousands of able-bodied men have been mobilized within the city, and the number of defenders has already reached forty to fifty thousand. Just hold the city..."

Wang Anzhong interrupted, "How can such a large city be defended by tens of thousands of people? There are two or three hundred thousand Jurchens outside the city. If they besiege the city, wouldn't it be difficult to defend every aspect?"

This principle is not difficult to understand, and Wang Anzhong comprehends it.

Guo Yaoshi quickly added, "We are still mobilizing the able-bodied men in the city. If we send tens of thousands more, we can defend the city with a force of one hundred thousand! Also, look at the Jurchens outside the city; they don't seem to be in a hurry to attack!"

This time, things were quite strange. The Jurchen army slowed down again after arriving in Yanjing.

It's not surprising, really. Wanyan Zonghan had already led a force eastward, still plundering. There were still many prefectures and counties in the east, so they moved incredibly fast.

However, Wanyan Zongwang did hesitate when he saw Yanjing City.

This trip is for plunder, for more people and means of production, for bringing the country back on track, and for the future ability to truly contend with the Song Dynasty, a great nation with tens of millions of people.

Of course, it was also to teach the Song people a lesson, and to retaliate against Zhang Jue.

Therefore, although Wanyan Zongwang was eager to do this at first, he did not have great ambitions and even had the mentality of retreating at any time if things didn't work out.

Little did they expect that once they entered Yanyun, all the cities and armies seemed to be made of paper.

In a short time, the army arrived at the gates of Yanjing.

This Yanjing city is truly unlike other cities; it holds political significance, and the people within its walls represent the Emperor of the Song Dynasty.

I've also heard that one of them, Tan Zhen, is the most trusted confidant of the Song Dynasty emperor.

At this moment, Wanyan Zongwang still respected the Song emperor and knew that the emperor's authority was not to be violated.

Taking advantage of the situation is one thing, and Zhang Jue is just an excuse. But if he really offends the emperor, the consequences are hard to predict. That's why Wanyan Zongwang is hesitant.

After much hesitation, they decided to send an envoy in to investigate first...

The envoy Gao Qingyi then entered the city and left.

He met Tan Zhen, Wang Anzhong, and Guo Yaoshi in person.

Gao Qingyi simply said, "The matter of Zhang Jue is beyond dispute. We have both witnesses and physical evidence. Last time, an envoy brought with him the documents and certificates of your bestowal of honors upon Zhang Jue. I also have many more pieces of evidence here. Zhang Jue is definitely in Yanjing City, under your protection. This traitor is a traitor to our Great Jin and the fuse that ignited this war. This is a breach of alliance by the Song people, not the fault of our Great Jin. The prince sent me here to settle this matter!"

The meaning couldn't be clearer: first, blame all the causes of this plundering war on the Song people.

Now that things have come to this, there's no room for Tan Zhen and Wang Anzhong to utter those shameless, unscrupulous words anymore.

Tan Zhen and Wang Anzhong exchanged several awkward glances, feeling utterly humiliated. Finally, Wang Anzhong spoke: "This matter isn't entirely as you say. We were all misled by Zhang Jue. As for how this matter will be decided, we'll have to wait for my letter to the capital, for the court to make a decision. You can go back and wait..."

Gao Qingyi then asked one question: "How many days?"

Wang Anzhong didn't even need to calculate: "Ten days!"

"Alright, I'll wait for you in ten days!" Gao Qingyi nodded, bowed, and left.

The three people present also frowned. Everything happened too fast, so fast that it was difficult to react, let alone defend themselves.

Guo Yaoshi complained, "Even if we walked all the way from Weizhou, we wouldn't be as fast as the Jurchen army!"

This is describing how the cities defended by the Song people were so vulnerable.
Tan Zhen also had something to say: "They are all former soldiers of the Liao Kingdom, and have long lost their courage, which is why they are so easily defeated!"

Hearing this, Guo Yaoshi was also displeased, for wasn't he also a former soldier of the Liao Kingdom?

Wang Anzhong was extremely anxious: "Quickly, quickly send a letter to the capital and ask how to deal with this matter."

How should we deal with this?
Tan Zhen said: "We must report, but if we just report it like this, won't we both become a laughing stock? Won't the Emperor think we are useless? Since there are still ten days left, the Hebei army has two hundred thousand men. We just need to cross the Juma River and enter Yanyun. We don't need to talk about a great victory, but it would be good if we could just defeat the Jurchens or intimidate them. Only in this way can we save face, can the country save face, and can the Emperor save face!"

That makes perfect sense; Tan Zhen truly did his best, and that's the truth.

Even Tan Zhen knew that most of the Hebei army was not very capable, so he did not say anything about defeating the Jurchens. Now, however, he had no choice but to scare them.

Two hundred thousand troops—how could their imposing presence not be terrifying?

If we simply let the Jurchens come and go as they please without taking any action, wouldn't the Jurchens regard the Song Dynasty as nothing more than weeds in the future?

If the country loses its status, the future will be even more difficult. Wouldn't Tan Zhen, the Pacification Commissioner of Hedong and Hebei, face even greater difficulties?

For a fleeting moment, Tan Zhen also thought of someone: how wonderful it would be if Su Wu were here.

Upon hearing Tan Zhen's words, Guo Yaoshi said, "The Jurchen army has already arrived in Yanjing, but they did not immediately attack the city. Instead, they sent envoys to give them ten days. This shows that the Jurchens are also wary of the power of our Great Song Dynasty. They dare not push things to the brink and want to leave room for maneuver. If the 200,000 troops move, the Jurchens will really retreat!"

Upon hearing Tan Zhen's words, Wang Anzhong also said, "Then hurry up and mobilize the troops! The Hebei troops have already received their orders and should be ready. Just hurry north and come quickly!"

Tan Zhen didn't wait any longer and immediately wrote a letter and issued an order. Now that the emperor had issued an imperial edict, he held great power and commanded 400,000 troops in Yanyun, Hebei, and Hedong. He could mobilize them at will.

A troop of fast riders left the city, and the Jurchens did not stop them.

Wanyan Zongwang thought it best to just let the matter rest. The gains this time far exceeded his expectations, and he made a huge profit. Once he returned, he could arrange the population and production. As for the future, that was a long-term matter.

He thought that the enemy forces he was fighting were mostly former Liao soldiers, and there weren't many Song soldiers, which was why the battle was so easy. Perhaps the Song people here were also newcomers, and things hadn't gotten back on track yet.

Although the Song army may not be as skilled as the Jurchens, they should still be capable of fighting. My fourth brother, Wanyan Zongbi, had personally seen the Song army and said they were quite good.

It would be best to settle this matter as it is. In the future, we can wait until the internal affairs of the Jin Dynasty are sorted out and the army is strong and well-equipped before we can compete with the Song Dynasty and establish ourselves in this way.

Unexpectedly, just three or four days later, a scout reported that in the south, south of the Juma River, in the former border area between Liao and Song, especially in Xiongzhou, a large number of Song troops had begun to move, gathering in great numbers and heading north!
I've ridden countless bikes since I came back, and if I add it all up, it seems to be well over a hundred thousand...

Inside the main tent, Wanyan Zongwang was trembling with rage, and he cursed, "The Song people are all cunning and wicked, deceitful scoundrels!"

Seeing an opportunity, one person stepped forward and spoke up. It was Yelü Yudu: "Your Highness, you may not know this, but the Song people are always cunning. They never learn until they see the coffin. As long as they have any leeway, they will definitely resort to cunning. Gentlemen, dealing with the Song people is not like before. You must be careful, you must be extremely careful..."

Wanyan Zongwang glanced at Yelü Yudu and muttered to himself, "Why did Father Emperor ally with such cunning people in the past? Father Emperor trusted them wrongly, was deceived by them, and yet treated them with such courtesy!"

Wanyan Zongbi was also furious and asked, "Brother, what should we do?"

Should we attack and capture Yanjing now, or head south to fight for reinforcements? Or perhaps... retreat quickly?
Wanyan Zongwang frowned in thought, his mind filled with many hesitations.

The current situation presents several problems.

If Yanjing is captured, this matter will likely be unstoppable. Then the Song Dynasty will truly be a country of millions of people, with a million soldiers in armor, and also a number of elite troops and generals.

Turning around, the Song's elite troops were bound to attack the Jin. How could the Jin state allow these people and means of production to return and develop at their leisure?
If they retreated, it would be a sign of weakness, which would be justified even though they were in the right. If they showed weakness, the Song people would only think that the Jurchens were cowardly and lacked courage, and wouldn't they be eager to send troops to fight in the future? They wouldn't allow the Great Jin even a moment's respite...

Neither option was easy to choose; it seemed the only option was to head south and fight the Song reinforcements.

Such a battle... could be decided in two possible ways...

Wanyan Zongwang looked around and first asked Yelü Yudu, "What is the state of the Song army in Hebei?"

Yelü Yudu patted his chest and said confidently, "The Song people, apart from the soldiers in the northwest... and one more... Su Wu, the rest of their troops are a rabble!"

"You dare to vouch for me?" Wanyan Zongwang seemed somewhat skeptical.

Why? It's because we can guess a lot, such as guessing Yelü Yudu's inner thoughts. How could this fellow not be thinking about re-establishing himself?
Only when the Jurchens and the Song Dynasty fought a fierce and life-or-death struggle could the Khitans have a chance to rise again.

Wanyan Zongwang understood this principle all too well.

Yelü Yudu knew what Wanyan Zongwang was worried about, so he said, "Just let me lead the charge. The prince's cavalry can observe from the flanks first. If I suffer a great defeat, the prince can retreat on his own. The defeat will only affect one part of my forces, and the casualties will also be on my side. If I don't lose and even gain the upper hand, the prince can then attack from the flanks. Wouldn't that settle the matter in one battle?"

Yelü Yudu, how could he not know what kind of people the Song people were? And now his troops seem to be becoming more and more skilled in battle, how could he not show off?
No matter what one desires in one's heart, one must first gain important positions and power before even considering the possibility of the Khitan rising again in the future...

Wanyan Zongwang looked at Yelü Yudu, pondering in his heart. After some deliberation, he said, "In that case, quickly summon Zonghan back. Let the looting end here. Have him surround the city of Yanjing. I will lead half of the cavalry and 30,000 infantrymen south to meet the enemy! If we win this time, the land of Yan and Yun will be ours to take as we please, and the matter of Zhang Jue will be settled!"

"Order!"

Wanyan Zongwang added, "Let Zonghan send another contingent to escort the spoils back north first. If the situation turns bad, we must protect the wealth we have gained. This is the foundation of our Great Jin Dynasty!"

People and things are both valuables.

Once these matters were arranged, Wanyan Zongwang's expression suddenly darkened, and he solemnly addressed those in the tent: "This battle will likely be extremely arduous, with heavy casualties. Gentlemen, in this situation, there is no other way but to fight to the death, just as His Majesty once led three thousand men out of the mountains. You must all be prepared to die and fight the Song army to the bitter end. Only in this way can our Great Jin Dynasty stand firm in the world. Otherwise, there will be no peace in the future. This is truly a war for the founding of our nation! Gentlemen, let us unite as one and face this national crisis together!"

Wanyan Zongwang's words already indicated that he was ready to fight to the death, disregarding his own life!

Everyone stood up, their faces grim, and they uttered words of unity: "Let us unite as one and face this national crisis together!"

At this moment, the situation before us is not just a national crisis for the Song Dynasty, but truly a national crisis for the Jurchen people.

Yelü Yudu heard these words, and the interpreter was translating them into Chinese. There were also many people present who could not understand the Jurchen language.

With concerted efforts and one heart, we will face this national crisis together. This is the "faithful, elegant, and eloquent" translation. Yelü Yu had something to say, but he didn't know how to express it. He knew that this was not a national crisis...

This is the beginning of everything. Once this battle is fought, everything will be different. How could the Jurchens, who could crush and destroy a million-strong Liao army in just a few years, possibly have any words of national crisis when facing the Song Dynasty?

Try it and you'll see. Try it and you'll see that this so-called Song Dynasty's million-armored army is actually inferior to the Liao Dynasty's million-armored army...

Wanyan Zongbi was also thinking that this time, he should risk his life. He sighed and said, "Brother, if we really charge into battle, I will be the vanguard. If anyone is to die, I will die first!"

Inside the tent, the atmosphere was so tragic that everyone seemed to have become accustomed to it.

Wanyan Zongwang nodded earnestly: "As long as we brothers are of one mind, our Great Jin Kingdom will surely be able to stand firm in the world!"

There was also deep brotherhood, and the Jurchens were united as one. Time and time again, they fought with such recklessness, risking their lives each time.

(Hey guys, muah!)
(End of this chapter)