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

Chapter 176 Brothers, open the city gates and welcome the Zhao Emperor from the north!
Zhao Shuo certainly didn't need these militiamen to help him fight, but they were still quite useful.

Firstly, most of their families had perished in the fire, leaving them with no ties and making them ideal candidates for immigration.

Moreover, having experienced this ordeal, they gained a deeper understanding of the consequences of being overtaken by a foreign race. Upon arriving in the West, they showed no mercy in suppressing foreign tribes.

Secondly, it helped transport grain and provisions. Using local soldiers to transport grain and provisions was somewhat wasteful, but Shaanxi was too far from Hebei, and the route involved detouring through the grasslands. Using local soldiers was much more efficient than using civilian laborers to transport grain and provisions, thus saving some food.

With these 70,000 able-bodied men, the transportation of grain and fodder within Shaanxi could be entrusted to them, saving some of the local soldiers.

Thirdly, they aided in persuading surrender. Even in modern society, dialects vary greatly from place to place, let alone in ancient times. These people were far more effective at persuading surrender than the Hebei and Shandong people under Zhao Shuo's command.

Ultimately, Zhao Shuo intended to establish Shaanxi as a base for his operations. He was unwilling to engage in unnecessary bloodshed unless absolutely necessary.

Of course, if a city resolutely resists, Zhao Shuo will not hesitate to massacre it in order to deter other cities.

Otherwise, Zhao Shuo's Eight Banners troops in Jingzhao Prefecture alone would have lost more than three thousand men. If other cities followed suit, Zhao Shuo might not have even been able to take Shaanxi in the end.

Fortunately, this situation did not occur on a large scale.

After capturing Jingzhao Prefecture, Zhao Shuo divided his troops into four routes and spent ten days capturing the other cities within Jingzhao Prefecture. All the cities surrendered without resistance.

It's a simple matter. The strength of Jingzhao Prefecture was relatively weak. The Jin Dynasty had a total of 120,000 regular troops, with their main force concentrated at the Tongguan defense line. Furthermore, they needed to guard against the Song Dynasty to the south, right? They needed to leave a large army in the capital, Bianliang, just in case.
From Tongguan to Luoyang, Sanmen, Mengjin, and even to Quezhen in Pizhou, the Yellow River defense line stretching over two thousand miles east to west should also be reinforced with regular troops to prevent Zhao Shuo's troops left in Shandong and Hebei from suddenly crossing the river.
With this arrangement, how many soldiers can be left in Jingzhao Prefecture?
It would be quite good if they could keep 4,000 regular troops and 20,000 conscripts in the capital city of Jingzhao.

The remaining troops in other cities of Jingzhao Prefecture were even fewer, and many cities did not even have conscripted soldiers, only local "volunteer" organizations.

The news that Zhao Shuo had skinned Wanyan Qingshannu and was going to exterminate the entire Jurchen army of Jingzhao Prefecture, even killing the entire families of the conscripted soldiers, had spread throughout all the cities of Jingzhao Prefecture.

Although that was because the Jurchens used extreme measures, who knows how Zhao Shuo will punish the conscripted soldiers or volunteers?
Signing up as a soldier was one thing, but the "righteous warriors" were locals. Did they really have to sacrifice their entire families for the Jin dynasty?

Therefore, Zhao Shuo captured all the other cities of Jingzhao Prefecture with almost no bloodshed.

With the able-bodied men of Jingzhao, plus the conscripted soldiers and volunteers from various regions, this quasi-military force exceeded 130,000. With these men helping Zhao Shuo transport grain and provisions, the logistical burden on Zhao Shuo was greatly reduced.

Subsequently, Zhao Shuo left the Bordered Blue Banner to guard Jingzhao Prefecture and prevent the main force of the Jin army from attacking Tongguan. Then he led more than 76,000 main force troops and 150,000 prefectural soldiers to attack Qingyuan Road.

The Qingyuan Road mainly consisted of two fortified cities: Qingzhou and Yuanzhou. Qingzhou was located in what is now Qingyang, Gansu. Yuanzhou was located in what is now Guyuan, Ningxia.

This place, bordered by the grasslands to the north and the Western Xia to the west, was originally of extremely important strategic importance. Historical records indicate that the Battle of Dachangyuan, in which Wanyan Chenheshang led 400 loyal soldiers to defeat 8,000 Mongol troops, took place near Qingzhou.

However, Zhao Shuo changed history. Instead of the 10,000 Mongol troops attacking Qingzhou, it was an army of 290,000 that marched on Shaanxi.

Even the Jin Dynasty's Deputy Privy Councilor, Wanyan Saibu, no matter how "victorious general" he was, couldn't conjure up any troops. He understood that since the Tongguan defense line absolutely could not be lost, leaving an elite force on Qingyuan Road to face Zhao Shuo's more than 200,000 troops would be nothing more than sending them to their deaths.

Therefore, the defense situation of Qingyuan Road is not as good as that of Jingzhao Prefecture.

Under Zhao Shuo's strong pressure, these Jin garrison troops could not adopt a strategy similar to that of Wanyan Qingshannu.

It's a simple logic: the Jurchens were on the verge of collapse, but the Han Chinese in the north were not. Even if the Jurchens were willing to risk everything, the larger conscripted army wouldn't. Besides, since the people in the city knew their loved ones were almost certainly going to die, why wouldn't they help the conscripted army fight the Jurchens?

Forcing a cornered dog to take drastic measures will only provoke a mutiny in the army and lead to its own destruction.

Therefore, Zhao Shuo's army encountered little resistance when advancing into Qingyuan Road, and within half a month, they had completely captured Qingyuan Road.
After resting for half a month on Qingyuan Road, Zhao Shuo finally led an army of more than 200,000 into Fengxiang Road and besieged Fengxiang City!

This is the very place where Muqali was struck by an arrow and fell to his death.

"The garrison commander of Fengxiang was named Yang Woyan. But this was just his Han name; his Jurchen name was actually Tangkuowolie. Because of his meritorious service in defending Fengxiang, the Jin court bestowed upon him the surname Wulinda, so he was also known as Wulindawolie."

Inside the central command tent, Xin You carefully explained the situation of the garrison in Fengxiang City to Zhao Shuo.

Zhao Shuo asked, "So, is he a Jurchen or a Han Chinese?"

"Yang Woyan was a member of the Tangkuo tribe of the Jurchens. However, the Wulinda tribe had intermarried with the Wanyan clan, making it the second most prestigious surname in the Jin Dynasty after the Wanyan clan. Therefore, the Jin court often bestowed the Wanyan surname upon Han, Khitan, and Xi people to reward meritorious officials. But for meritorious officials within the Jurchen tribe, the Wulinda surname was often bestowed."

Zhao Shuo then asked, "Back then, was it Yang Woyan who commanded the Fengxiang garrison to shoot Muqali with an arrow?"

Xin You said, "That's true. However, the strongest force in the Fengxiang garrison is not the crossbowmen but the artillerymen. Yang Woyan has two artillery talents under his command, one named Wang Alu and the other named Fan Qiao. These two are skilled in making weapons and commanding artillery troops in battle."

"When Muqali attacked Fengxiang, his artillery was no match for the Jin artillery commanded by Fan Qiao and Wang Alu, so he risked a strong attack and was hit by an arrow."

"I see."

Before Zhao Shuo, he hadn't known the details of Mu Huali being shot by an arrow when attacking Fengxiang, and only thought that Mu Huali had been careless.

Given his status, why would he need to personally attack the city? Wouldn't it have been easier to send one of his generals to do so?
In retrospect, it was clear that Muqali's artillery units were no match for the garrison at Fengxiang. Sending his generals to attack Fengxiang only increased casualties. Therefore, to boost morale, Muqali personally participated in the attack on Fengxiang, only to be struck by an arrow and die young.

Zhao Shuo then asked, "What is the state of the Jin army's defenses in Fengxiang City?"

Xin You said, "As far as our Black Ice Guard knows, there are 8,000 regular Jin troops and 30,000 conscripts in Fengxiang City. In addition, there is an artillery unit of 5,000 men that Wang Alu and Fan Qiao have built. This artillery unit is Yang Woyan's greatest asset in defending Fengxiang City."

Zhao Shuo thought for a moment and said, "Then let's make two preparations. First, erect white tents and tell them the serious consequences of not surrendering within seven days. Also, send those locals from Shaanxi to shout at Fengxiang City, demanding their surrender. Second, immediately begin assembling counterweight catapults. If the Jin army suppresses us in ordinary artillery battles, we'll directly use counterweight catapults to smash open Fengxiang City!"

"According to the order!"

Naturally, a messenger was dispatched to convey Zhao Shuo's orders.

No matter how skilled Wang Alu and Fan Qiao were, they could only push the power of the tractor-mounted catapult to its limit.

Zhao Shuo refused to believe that they could withstand the devastating attack of the counterweight catapult.

At the same time, locals in Shaanxi also began to call out to Fengxiang City.

"Brothers of Fengxiang, surrender quickly! The king will only give you seven days. Surrender within seven days and your lives and property will be safe! After seven days, he will kill all the men in the city except for the craftsmen, leaving only beautiful women and children no taller than a cartwheel."

"Why should the Han people risk their lives for the Jurchens? Let's not talk about the distant past, but just look at the recent past. When the Jurchens of Jingzhao Prefecture fell, they burned almost all the old, weak, women and children in the city to death. Did they ever treat us Han people as human beings?"

"Your Majesty is merciful. From now on, Shaanxi will be distributed land and a military system will be implemented, just like Shandong and Hebei. Everyone has heard about the lives of the people in Shandong and Hebei, right? Think about yourselves!"

"Defending Fengxiang to the death is the only way out. Follow the King, and you'll not only have enough to eat and wear, but you can also immigrate to the west, and choose any lady you like!"

"Would you rather be slaves to the Jurchens, or be first-class citizens under the Prince Consort? If you can't even figure that out, then you've wasted your brains!"

"You've all heard about the order to destroy the Jin dynasty, right? Let me tell you, everything it says is true! His Majesty is in the rear camp, so what we say represents His Majesty's will!"

……

More than four thousand loud, robust local men from Shaanxi were divided into eight squads. They shouted towards Fengxiang City day and night, causing panic and confusion among the Han soldiers in Fengxiang.

Their wavering only made the Jurchen soldiers more panicked. They had to defend against Zhao Shuo's army outside the city, and also against the Han army around them—how could they possibly fight?

Almost all the Jurchens placed their hopes on that 5,000-strong artillery unit. After all, in this era, trebuchets played a crucial role in both siege and defense. It's fair to say that without building enough trebuchets, even Zhao Shuo wouldn't have been able to attack any fortified city.

Yang Woyan thought so too.

Three days later, he officially hosted a banquet at his home for Wang Alu and Fan Qiao.

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, all three were slightly tipsy.

Yang Woyan raised his wine glass and said, "A-Lv, do you still remember how you got to this position as the Commander of the Artillery?"

"remember."

Wang Alu was of medium height and had an honest and simple appearance. He stood up, bowed slightly, and said, "Back then, although I was over thirty, I was still a bachelor. I was conscripted into the army by the imperial court and was responsible for operating catapults. It was you who discovered my talent and made me a minor artillery leader."

"Later, you rose through the ranks, and I followed in your footsteps, eventually becoming the commander of artillery, where I married and had children. It is no exaggeration to say that you have shown me the greatest kindness."

Yang Woyan nodded in satisfaction and said, "Sit down, sit down and talk. How many times have I told you? You are now an official of the court, one of my most capable generals. Don't call yourself a nobody, call yourself a junior general. But you never listen."

Wang Alu did not sit down, but knelt down directly and said, "If it weren't for you, where would I be today? In front of you, I have always referred to myself as a nobody, firstly to express my respect for you, and secondly to remind myself never to forget my roots."

"Hey, you're a good person in every way, except you're too honest. You're only good because you work under me. If you worked under someone else, you might suffer a great loss."

Even so, Yang Woyan looked at Wang Alu with increasing admiration.

Then, he looked at Fan Qiao and said, "Deputy Chief Steward Fan, what about you? Do you remember how you came to serve under me?"

Fan Qiao also stood up and bowed, saying, "This humble general would never forget this. Back then, I was just a scholar. Seven years ago, I went shopping with my wife and we encountered a tyrannical Jurchen man. He saw that my wife was somewhat attractive and tried to rape her in the street. If you hadn't arrived just in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

"Later, you saw that I had some talent and made me Brother Wang's deputy. Over the years, I have risen through the ranks and also become the deputy commander of the artillery. I always think that you are the greatest benefactor I have ever met in my life. If you ever need my help, I will repay you with my life."

"Very good, now is the time to use you guys."

Yang Woyan looked at the two men and said solemnly, "Zhao Shuo has led an army of over 200,000 to besiege Fengxiang City, which is even more dangerous than when Mu Qali attacked last time. However, the troops in Fengxiang City have been drawn from Tongguan, leaving us with 15,000 fewer men than last time. Whether we can hold Fengxiang City depends entirely on you!"

"If we manage to defend Fengxiang City this time, I dare not say more, but I will guarantee that each of you will be given the official position of commander of ten thousand artillerymen."

The two men bowed deeply to Yang Woyan and said, "We are willing to die for Supervisor Yang!"

Yang Woyan was not only the military commander of Fengxiang Road, but also the commander-in-chief of the troops in Fengxiang, Qinzhou, and Lintao.

His current official position is Left Supervisor of the Marshal. He is considered one of the most powerful figures in the Jin Dynasty. Recommending Wang Alu and Fan Qiao for the position of Commander of Ten Thousand Artillerymen is really not a problem.

The three continued drinking until the second watch of the night, when Wang Alu and Fan Qiao finally returned to their lodgings.

"To be honest, Inspector Yang has really treated us well!" Fan Qiao tentatively asked, "Brother Wang, should we continue?"

"Do it! Why wouldn't we do it?"

Wang Alu sneered, "That guy surnamed Yang is indeed good to us. But what about the Jin Kingdom? What about the Jurchens? If it weren't for the Jin court, I would be a penniless man with less than ten strings of cash. Would I have been forcibly conscripted into the army, where life is worth less than a dog's? Yang Woyan promoted me because I could help him fight. At most, we are even."

Fan Qiao nodded and said, "That's what I think too. If it weren't for the Jurchen court, would a mere mouke dare to forcibly abduct women? Yang Woyan is a good man, but the Jurchen court is a scoundrel. Why should we be buried with the Jurchen court? I joined Yang Woyan's ranks for my wife and children, and I'm joining Zhao Shuo's ranks this time for the same reason."

Wang Alu said, "Furthermore, it's one thing for Muqali to attack. What's the difference between being a slave to the Jurchens and a slave to the Mongols? But Zhao Shuo is different. He not only has Han Chinese blood, but he also treats Han Chinese and Mongols equally. In the West, Han Chinese and Mongols are both first-class citizens. Why should we give up being decent people and become dogs for the Jurchens?"

Fan Qiao said, "I'm afraid all the Han people in the city think the same way. As long as we make a move, they will definitely rise up in response, and with Zhao Shuo's army taking the opportunity to attack, Fengxiang will be captured!"

"Then let's proceed according to plan."

"Of course!"

This artillery unit, the culmination of the two men's hard work, naturally had many trusted confidants. Now, their five hundred trusted men had assembled in a courtyard. These men were well-prepared, wearing iron armor beneath their wide robes.

After all, the primary targets of both sides during artillery battles are the enemy's artillery vehicles and artillery units. Armoring artillery units in key positions is therefore essential.

Wang Alu and Fan Qiao personally led them to the East Gate.

"So it's Steward Wang and Deputy Steward Fan. What brings you here so late?"

The one guarding the east gate was a Jurchen commander.

Two hundred people were stationed on the city wall to patrol.

Five hundred Jurchen soldiers were resting in the hidden troop cave at the city gate. There were no more than three hundred Jurchen soldiers on night duty near the city gate that day.

Because Zhao Shuo's army did not attack the city, the three hundred Jurchen soldiers were not wearing armor, which gave Wang Alu and his men an opportunity.

The commander, seeing that it was these two men who had brought five hundred artillerymen, was completely unprepared and simply asked out of curiosity.

Wang Alu, with a simple and honest expression, said, "We were ordered by Supervisor Yang to weld the city gate shut and prepare to defend Fengxiang City to the death."

"It's such a small matter, there's no need for you two to come in person. We can handle it ourselves."

"That's different. There's a little secret here..."

As he spoke, Wang Alu waved to the Jurchen commander.

The Jurchen commander thought Wang Alu was going to tell him some secret military information, so he quickly leaned in to listen.

"The secret is..."

Puff puff!
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Wang Alu pulled out the dagger from his arms and viciously stabbed it into the heart of the Jurchen commander!

"Ah You……"

"What are you?"

Wang Alu drew his sword and slashed fiercely at the Jurchen soldiers beside him, shouting, "Kill! Brothers, open the city gates and welcome the Zhao Emperor from the north!"

This slogan was something Wang Alu had thought of long ago.

Zhao Shuo's title of "King" is far too long to be used as a slogan. Besides, since Wang Alu is going to pledge allegiance to Zhao Shuo, he can't very well call Zhao Shuo by his name in public, can he?

"The Zhao Emperor of the North" was a very appropriate title in Wang Alu's opinion.

He didn't betray the Jurchens and join the Mongols; he joined the Zhao family in the north!

(End of this chapter)