Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 174 No matter how crazy the Jurchens were, they could only be suppressed in front of Zhao Shuo!
Back in the Tang Dynasty, Chang'an was "18 li and 115 steps wide from east to west, 15 li and 170 steps long from north to south, with a circumference of 67 li and a height of 18 feet," truly the largest city in the world.

However, after the chaos of the late Tang Dynasty, "the capital fell six times and the emperor moved nine times," the outer walls of Chang'an were almost completely destroyed, and the moat was abandoned and filled in. The largest city in the world no longer existed.

The present-day "Jingzhao Prefecture" of the Jin Dynasty was built by Han Jian, the Prefect of Jingzhao during the late Tang Dynasty. He constructed a new city using the original imperial city walls of Chang'an as its east, west, and south sides, as well as the north side of the palace city. The city's circumference was only eighteen li.

Of course, a city with a circumference of eighteen li is considered a large city in the world.

The larger the city, the harder it is to defend!

At present, there are only four thousand regular soldiers, twenty thousand conscripts, and about three hundred thousand ordinary people in the Jingzhao Prefecture of the Jin Kingdom.

Eighteen li is nine thousand meters, which means there are less than three soldiers per meter on average. These soldiers need to rest, eat, get injured, and die in battle.

How could they possibly hold out against Zhao Shuo's nearly 300,000-strong army?
Wanyan Qingshannu, the Prefect of Jingzhao and Military Governor of Jingzhao in the Jin Dynasty, also held this view.

Wanyan Qingshannu, a member of the Jin imperial family, was thirty-seven years old this year. He was as strong as a bear, with a dark face full of fleshy muscles, and a hideous scar running diagonally from his left eyebrow to the corner of his mouth. His deep-set eyes gleamed with a cold light, as sinister and ruthless as a venomous snake.

"Jurchen warriors!"

Wanyan Qingshan summoned all 2,324 Jurchen men in the city to a large courtyard inside the Jingzhao Prefecture government office.

He glared menacingly at the Jurchens and said, "Have you all heard? The Mongol prince consort Zhao Shuo has led an army of 300,000 men south from Yanzhou. Clearly, his target is Jingzhao Prefecture!"

"Some people may still hold onto a sliver of hope that Prime Minister Wanyan Saibu will lead the main force of Tongguan to rescue us. They should abandon that wishful thinking as soon as possible! Prime Minister Saibu has already told me the truth: if Zhao Shuo leads the main force to attack Jingzhao, he will not send a single soldier to reinforce us!"

"Not only will no reinforcements be sent, but the city's survival depends on the lives of its inhabitants! If I lose Jingzhao Prefecture, cut off my head! Anyone who escapes Jingzhao Prefecture with me will also have their head chopped off!"

Wow~
As soon as Wanyan Qingshan finished speaking, the whole place erupted in an uproar.

"How could Prime Minister Sai Bu do such a thing?"

"This is so unreasonable!"

"This is sending us to our deaths!"

……

Most of the Jurchen soldiers were discussing the matter, their faces showing resentment.

However, as the crowd's voices grew softer, Wanyan Qingshan shook his head slightly and said, "I think Prime Minister Wanyan Saibu did the right thing! The Tongguan garrison is the main force of our Great Jin. If this army is lost, Tongguan will be lost, and our Great Jin will be finished!"

"Moreover, our Great Jin army has fought against the Mongol army countless times. When have we ever won a field victory against the Mongol army?"

"Is that clear? In open battle, our army is no match for the Mongol army. The only chance of victory is to resolutely defend the cities! We will wear down the Mongol army's morale and elite troops by building strong cities one by one. When the Mongols are exhausted and their horses are weary, and they are stranded under the walls of the strong cities, our main force of the Great Jin will launch a full-scale attack to achieve a complete victory."

"In other words, countless cities and the sacrifices of the Jurchens are needed before we can achieve a complete victory! But now, it's our turn to sacrifice."

"Jurchen warriors, where does your military pay come from? It comes from the taxes levied on the Han people by the Great Jin Dynasty! Where does your family's land come from? It comes from the Great Jin Dynasty, which seized it from the Han people and distributed it to you. Where do your beautiful maids come from? They come from the Great Jin Dynasty, which you seized by trickery and force! Now, it is time for you to repay the court!"

"If you don't want your land to be taken back by the Han people; if you don't want yourselves and your descendants to become slaves of the Mongols; if you don't want your wives and daughters to warm the feet of the Mongols, then follow me to defend Jingzhao to the death! The city stands, we stand; the city falls, we fall!"

Although the prosperity of the Central Plains had worn down the fighting spirit and bravery of the Jurchens, their morale was truly boosted by Wanyan Qingshan's efforts during this time of national ruin and tribal destruction.

"I am willing to die for the Great Jin!"

"The city stands, and we stand; the city falls, and we fall!"

"Killing one is enough to make a profit, killing two is a bonus!"

"For the sake of the Great Jin, let's fight the Mongols to the death!"

……

The Jurchen people responded loudly.

Seeing that the army's morale was high, Wanyan Qingshan nodded slightly and said, "Very good. You are indeed worthy of being called the warriors of my Jurchen people. You have not disgraced the ancestors who came from the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River!"

"However, with just us and the other garrison, the numbers are too small to inflict much damage on the Mongol army. We must mobilize all the able-bodied men in the city to defend it. Fortunately, the court had foreseen this, and the army in the city, whether regular or conscripted, was all transferred from other places and had nothing to do with the people of Jingzhao."

"After you go back, make sure you have a firm grip on military power. Then, gather all the elderly, weak, women and children in the city under your care, and pour kerosene into all the houses and prepare firewood."

"Then, conscript all men in the city between the ages of sixteen and sixty! Tell them that if they can hold Jingzhao Prefecture, all is well. If they cannot, we will set it on fire! Let their families die for Jingzhao Prefecture!"

"Yes!"

The Jurchen women all agreed in unison.

The area around Jingzhao Prefecture became a living hell.

All the elderly, women, and children were placed under surveillance, while all able-bodied men were conscripted into the army.

Knowing they were doomed, the Jurchens had become utterly depraved and took the opportunity to commit countless acts of murder, arson, rape, and plunder.

The unorganized could not possibly defeat the organized, and their wives, elderly parents, and children were in the hands of the Jurchens. Although the people in the city were seething with hatred, they could only silently endure it.

They didn't even dare to cry.

The entire city is now under military control. Anyone who dares to cry out will be beheaded on the spot!

Finally, ten days later, Zhao Shuo led his main force of 90,000 troops and 100,000 soldiers to besiege Jingzhao Prefecture.

In addition, there were 100,000 soldiers responsible for transporting grain and provisions.

"So, the Jurchens are resorting to desperate measures!"

After receiving Xin You's report, Zhao Shuo's face became so somber that it seemed as if water could drip from it.

He had long anticipated that the Jurchens, facing the prospect of national ruin and the destruction of their homes, would fight like cornered beasts, displaying astonishing ferocity and ruthlessness.

After all, historical records show that the Jurchen people in Caizhou City preferred cannibalism to surrendering to the Mongols or the Song Dynasty. Moreover, it wasn't passive cannibalism; the weak would actively offer themselves to the strong, or they would draw lots and calmly accept their fate of being eaten.

But Zhao Shuo really didn't expect to encounter such resolute resistance in Jingzhao Prefecture.

Of course, so what?

Zhao Shuo was merely annoyed by the Jurchens' brutality, not by any particular difficulty in handling the matter.

He thought for a moment and said, "In that case, there's no need to erect white tents or send anyone to persuade them to surrender. Just surround the Jingzhao Prefecture for me, and don't allow a single person in the city to escape. Then, order the prefectural soldiers to fill in the moat and build siege weapons."

"Seven days later, we will launch a direct attack on the city. During the day, we will use the Eight Banners troops to launch a strong assault, and at night, we will use the local militia to operate siege equipment and harass the city. On the first day, two commanders of the Plain Red Banner and two commanders of the Plain Blue Banner will attack from all four sides simultaneously. On the second day, the Plain Yellow Banner, Plain Black Banner, Bordered Red Banner, and Bordered Blue Banner will attack from all four sides. On the third day, the Plain Red Banner and Plain Blue Banner will be replaced, and so on."

"Yes."

Xin You was Zhao Shuo's intelligence chief, but relaying orders wasn't his job. Zhao Shuo explained the military order, and the clerk beside him had already written it down and affixed his seal. The messenger took the clerk and was about to relay the order.

"Wait a minute!"

Zhao Shuo stopped the messenger again and said, "Add one more thing: tell the Eight Banners officers and soldiers what the Jurchens did in Jingzhao. Tell them I'm very angry. Whichever banner breaks through Jingzhao first will get 20% of the spoils. The commander of that banner will be awarded a first-class merit! I want the Jurchens to know that the crazier they are, the faster they will die!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Twenty percent of the spoils might not seem like a significant reward to those commanders of ten thousand or a thousand. However, this first-class merit was extremely rare.

Three first-class merits can directly lead to promotion to flag bearer!

Currently, among the Semu Eight Banners under Zhao Shuo's command, only Wu Xian has been promoted to the position of Banner Master of the Plain Red Banner. While the Han Eight Banners were established earliest, they have yet to produce a Banner Master.

This illustrates just how rare a first-class merit is.

It has to be said that Zhao Shuo was really angry because of the Jurchens' brutality and offered an excessive reward!

……

……

Seven days later, the moats surrounding the capital city of Jingzhao were filled in by the city's soldiers, each moat being one mile deep, and the siege equipment was also completed.

Whoosh whoosh!
Boom boom boom!
Three thousand triple-bow crossbows and two thousand catapults unleashed their power simultaneously!

Twenty-one thousand arrows, each consisting of a spear and three swords, struck the city walls of Jingzhao Prefecture almost simultaneously.

Twelve and a half pounds of stones, five or six pounds of thunderbolts emitting sparks, and ten pounds of earthenware jars filled with Greek fire were all poured down on the walls of Jingzhao Prefecture as if they were free.

In the blink of an eye, screams of agony filled the air, thick smoke billowed, and flames soared from the city walls of Jingzhao Prefecture.

At the same time, four commanders of the Eight Banners, carrying ladders and pushing battering rams, launched a fierce attack on the capital city of Jingzhao.

"Charge! Kill!"

"Break through Jingzhao Prefecture, leave not a single Jurchen alive!"

"The first nine to reach the summit will each be rewarded with a promising future!"

"The Eight Banners are mighty, invincible in every attack and battle!"

……

This time, Zhao Shuo not only offered high rewards to the commanders of each banner, but also to the generals and officers at all levels, so that they could break through the Jingzhao Prefecture as soon as possible and send those desperate Jurchens to hell!

As for what to do if this results in more casualties?
It's ok.

After nearly ten years of development, the Eight Banners soldiers had plenty of reserve troops, and any losses could be fully replenished.

Moreover, Zhao Shuo hoped that the Eight Banners Army would fight more tough and fierce battles.

Corruption and depravity are human nature, and even if Zhao Shuo had extraordinary abilities, he would find it difficult to change.

Only by fighting more tough and fierce battles can we continuously weed out the weak and promote the strong, inject new blood into the Eight Banners, and keep the Eight Banners army vibrant.

Most importantly, if the Jurchens in Jingzhao Prefecture can resort to desperate measures, won't the Jurchens in other places follow suit?
What Zhao Shuo needs to do now is to nip this tendency of the Jurchens in the bud.

The more desperate the Jurchens were, the faster they died!

The more gruesome the death!

Not only will they die quickly and miserably, but their families will too!
Even if their families are not in the local area, Zhao Shuo will still seek revenge after he takes over the Jin Kingdom!
Zhao Shuo's current strategy, on the surface, increases the casualties of the Eight Banners army. But in the long run, it actually reduces the casualties of the Eight Banners.

What about the Eight Banners soldiers themselves?

Raise an army for a thousand days, use it for a while.

Zhao Shuo gave them preferential treatment during their lifetime and generous compensation after their death, wasn't it all so that they would serve him to the death on the battlefield?
They were already prepared to die on the battlefield.

Moreover, how can one get promoted without fighting? How can one make money without fighting?

Fortune and honor are found in danger; this is a principle that the Han people believe in most!
Having experienced the Western Expedition, the Eight Banners warriors were already a fierce and ruthless army that would be eager for battle!

Although the Jurchens of Jingzhao Prefecture were desperate and all the able-bodied men in the city were forced to defend it, they were no match for such a fierce and powerful army.

Zhao Shuo's thunderous attacks, his spear and three sword arrows, and his Greek fire made it difficult for the Jurchens of Jingzhao Prefecture to resist.

After all, they only had four thousand regular troops in total. How much defensive equipment could they possibly have? Most of the defensive equipment had already been transported to the Tongguan defense line.

All they can rely on now is their courage and ruthlessness.

Two days later, the number of Eight Banner soldiers killed or wounded exceeded 3,200.

Meanwhile, the defenders and militia on the city walls had suffered over 20,000 casualties. Moreover, the Eight Banner soldiers could rest and take turns, but the defenders inside the city could not.

Because the initiative in the battle was entirely in Zhao Shuo's hands. Zhao Shuo could attack whenever he wanted, while the Jin army didn't even have the capability to launch a harassment raid. Such raids required elite troops. The Jingzhao Prefecture only had four thousand regular troops who could be considered elite; if Zhao Shuo annihilated even some of them during a raid, the entire prefecture would be wiped out.

The nighttime raids by the garrison soldiers severely disrupted their sleep. The garrison and militia of Jingzhao Prefecture gradually became exhausted, and their resistance weakened.

"Soldiers, follow me!"

Upon seeing this, Zhang Hui, the 20,000th commander of the Plain Red Banner of the Han Army, climbed directly onto a siege tower, preparing to personally attack the city.

Zhang Hui had a nickname, "Surpassing Zhang Fei," and was originally a subordinate of Li Ting, a commander of the Bordered Yellow Banner of the Han Army.

One day, Li Ting took several men to the market to buy things when they suddenly saw a frightened horse galloping towards them. Just then, Zhang Hui swiftly caught up with the horse, his feet barely touching the ground, and grabbed its tail. With just the strength of his arm, he pulled the wildly galloping horse off its feet.

Li Ting was naturally very fond of such a brave and fierce person and took him in as a bodyguard.

After Zhao Shuo pacified Hebei for the second time, Li Ting surrendered to Zhao Shuo, and Zhang Hui became a centurion in Zhao Shuo's Han Army Eight Banners.

Over the past decade, Zhang Hui has repeatedly distinguished himself in battle, and Zhao Shuo has also added a 10,000-household commander to the Plain Red Banner and Plain Blue Banner.

Zhang Hui surprisingly rose to prominence and became a commander of ten thousand men in the Han Chinese Eight Banners.

According to historical records, Zhang Hui was no ordinary man. He first served under Li Ting of the Jin Dynasty, then the Song Dynasty, and later the Jin Dynasty's Loyal and Filial Army. He wandered from place to place, and in the chaos of the times, he made a name for himself with his iron spear.

In the Battle of Sanfeng Mountain, the main force of the Jin Dynasty was wiped out, and even Wanyan Chenheshang fled. "Only Zhang Huibu fought bravely with a large spear and died!"
Moreover, although he served as an official under the Jin dynasty most of the time, it was out of necessity, and he actually harbored deep resentment towards the Jurchens.

It's just that the Song and Mongol states at that time were even more inhumane.

Especially for the Song Dynasty, Zhang Hui had originally killed a Jin general and voluntarily surrendered to the Song. However, the Song forced him to rebel and surrender to the Jin, leaving him caught in the middle. Zhang Hui's death at Sanfeng Mountain, rather than his escape, may well have been influenced by his despair and disillusionment.

Now, Zhang Hui is thriving as Zhao Shuo's subordinate.

His heart was now filled only with resentment towards the Jurchens and loyalty to Zhao Shuo.

Zhang Hui didn't value the position of banner chief of the Eight Banners that much. He had risen through the ranks too quickly, and he was already content with his current position as a commander of ten thousand banners. However, since Zhao Shuo wanted to conquer Jingzhao Prefecture as soon as possible, Zhang Hui was willing to do whatever it took to achieve this for Zhao Shuo.

Having lived under the rule of the Jin Dynasty for a long time, Zhang Hui had witnessed too many instances of the Jurchens oppressing the people and harbored a deep-seated hatred for them. The Jurchens' current utter depravity only fueled his righteous indignation.

Today, he will prove to the Eight Banners officers and soldiers his strength as a newly appointed commander of ten thousand banners!
Today, he wants to prove to the world that he deserves Zhao Shuo's high regard! You treat me as a national hero, and I will repay you as a national hero!

Today, he will first climb the city wall of Jingzhao Prefecture and make the Jurchens pay for their blood debt! He will let the Jurchens know that even if they are desperate and reckless, they can only be severely suppressed by the King's Eight Banners!
(End of this chapter)