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

Chapter 297 Copying Zhao Shuo's homework, the Song army awakens, a bloody and terrifying army of revenge!

Since Zhao Zhuo left Zhongdu, the Zhao Shuo Khanate began to prepare for war against Annam in full swing.

On March 27, 1241, Zhao Zhuo entered Guangxi and served as the deputy commander of the 8th thousandth household of the 30,000th household of the Bordered Yellow Banner of the Han Army stationed there.

In fact, Zhao Shuo's Han Army Eight Banners system did not have the position of Deputy Commander of a Thousand.

This position can be seen as a special creation for princes.

On the ninth day of the eighth month, Zhao Zhuo's entire Han army unit entered Annam and joined forces with the Song army.

On August 21, 30,000 troops from Guangxi Prefecture entered Annam.

On the third day of the ninth month, two Han army commanders from Guangdong and Fujian entered Guangxi.

On the fifth day of the ninth month, all 40,000 troops from Fujian and Hunan entered Guangxi and awaited the Crown Prince's orders.

On the eighth day of the ninth month, the three naval commanders, Zheng Hong, Zheng Lan, and Zheng Huang, arrived at Qiongzhou (Hainan Island) port.

There, a massive amount of supplies sent from Guangdong and Fujian provinces have already accumulated.

On these 30,000-strong naval warships also carried 30,000 soldiers conscripted from Guangdong.

The 60,000-strong army was ready to be deployed at the command of Crown Prince Zhao He and marched on Annam.

On September 16, Zhao He, the four princes, and Meng Gong and Gao Da's 20,000-strong army officially entered Guangxi and joined forces with the two commanders from Guangdong and Fujian.

On September 27, Zhao He led an army of 40,000 to Jieshou Pass.

Jieshou Pass, also known as Danan Pass, was a border pass between the Song Dynasty and Annam (Vietnam), and was later known as Zhennan Pass.

Of course, this pass now belongs to the Zhao Shuo Khanate.

Zhao Yun dared not enter the territory of Zhao Shuo Khanate. Instead, he led 20,000 remnants of his army, along with several hundred civil and military officials, to meet him at the pass.

A command platform three zhang high has already been erected.

Zhao Yun stepped onto the command platform and proclaimed loudly, "This humble prince pays his respects to Your Highness! I am ignorant and foolish, unaware of the cunning of foreign tribes. Stubborn to my own opinion, I refused to heed the advice of loyal ministers, resulting in the loss of nearly 100,000 troops. My sins are grave, and even a hundred deaths cannot atone for them. I beg Your Highness to punish me!"

Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Zhao Yun knelt down and kowtowed three times to Zhao Helian.

Then, he reached out and removed the crown from his head, asking Zhao He to punish him.

He truly knew he was wrong.

Back in the Song Dynasty, he commanded the overall situation from the depths of the palace, and the casualties of his soldiers were just numbers to him.

However, since his army entered Annam, only 200,000 soldiers and civilians were willing to follow him. Subtracting the 30,000 Persians, that leaves only 170,000.

Seventeen thousand people was merely the population of a single prosperous county in the Song Dynasty.

To put it bluntly, Zhao Yun was just a county magistrate in a small county in China.

Zhao Yun could no longer maintain the airs of the Song emperor, and he followed the example written in the book by "taking off his clothes to clothe them and sharing his food with them" in order to win over the hearts of the army.

This gave him a deeper understanding of the hardships these soldiers endured, and how precious it was that these soldiers had brought their wives with them to fight in the jungles of Annam.

However, his failure to heed Cao Youwen's advice led to this major defeat.

Countless soldiers died on the battlefield, and countless wives became slaves of the Annamese. His most capable general, Cao Youwen, preferred to be torn to pieces by the Annamese rather than surrender. Cao Youwen's personal guards, knowing they were doomed, still fought back and were hacked to pieces on the spot by the Annamese.

Whenever he thought of these things, Zhao Yun couldn't sleep at night, and his heart ached terribly.

He knew he was terribly wrong.

He has let down so many loyal and brave soldiers!
Perhaps he should have been an ordinary farmer or a low-level official in the countryside; the position of the King of Song was simply not his forte.

Now, if Zhao He were to strip him of his official post and reduce him to a commoner, he would have no regrets. Even if he were to be executed on the spot, he would have no complaints.

"This defeat is not solely the fault of King Song; we are also to blame. We beg Your Highness to punish us!"

Boom boom boom!
Below the command platform, 363 Song officials followed closely behind, bowing in unison.

Unlike Zhao Yun, they did not take off their official hats.

It's a very simple principle: if everyone took off their hats, wouldn't it look like the Song ruler and his ministers were all quitting?

Is this a resignation or a threat?
Moreover, they genuinely believe they are guilty.

Needless to say, the decision to heavily rely on the Persians without proper precautions was not only Zhao Yun's opinion, but also the opinion of many officials in the Song court.

Moreover, they should ask themselves if they deserve such high salaries.
The salaries of officials of the same rank under Zhao Shuo's Khanate were far lower than theirs. Conversely, the treatment of Song soldiers was far less than that of Zhao Shuo's Eight Banners troops.

After this defeat, many people secretly wondered what would happen if they saved these salaries? What if they used these saved salaries to improve the soldiers' equipment?
If they had the chance to enter Annam again, what would they do?
These people were all extremely loyal to the Song Dynasty and had realized that if they were to copy Zhao Shuo Khanate's work, they had to copy it exactly.

Driven by selfish motives, they only copy a portion of the content, ultimately harming themselves.

In fact, Zhao Shuo and Zhao He had already discussed how to deal with Zhao Yun and the ministers of the Song state.

Killing Zhao Yun and forcing these officials to resign doesn't seem like a bad idea.

However, the remaining 110,000 Song people were practically the most loyal to the Song state. With this action, these 110,000 people would be rendered useless.

Although Zhao Shuo doesn't lack 110,000 people, he really lacks 110,000 people willing to work for free in harsh conditions and contribute 20,000 foreign slaves every year!

Ultimately, the Song state's rulers and ministers were simply defeated in foreign wars.

The world is so vast; empires should encourage territorial expansion. Severely punishing those who lose in foreign wars is not effective.

Zhao Shuo and his son wanted to send a signal to the outside world: as long as one is willing to expand China's territory, the imperial court will be lenient even if there are any crimes committed in the process.

"Get up."

Zhao He said, "Zhao Yun, you have already stated your sins yourself. Indeed, they are unforgivable even if you die a hundred times. But since you have the ambition to expand our territory, your father is willing to make an exception. However, your father needs you to do three things."

Boom boom boom!
Zhao Yun kowtowed three more times and said, "I will obey Your Majesty's decree."

"Firstly, General Cao Youwen and many soldiers died in battle, and you cannot escape the blame. After our army takes Annam and collects their remains, you must wear mourning clothes to see them off."

“This is only natural. Even if His Majesty had not given this decree, Yun would have done the same.”

Zhao He continued, "Put on the crown; you will remain the King of Song. However, now that our army has entered Annam, Annam is no longer suitable as your fiefdom. We will choose another place for you to continue as king and perpetuate the Song dynasty."

Zhao Yun kowtowed again and said, "Your Majesty's kindness to me is truly immeasurable!"

Zhao He said, "Thirdly, from now on, all Song troops will be under my command and control. After Annam is destroyed, they can choose where they want to go. You must not stop those who wish to return to the court. The court will not interfere with those who wish to follow you and continue the Song dynasty."

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty, for leading them to their revenge!"

"Very well, then you may leave."

"Yes."

Zhao Yun stepped down from the high platform, and the Song Dynasty civil and military officials who had come to plead guilty also stood up.

Then, Zhao He looked down at the soldiers below the platform.

"My loyal and brave soldiers of China!"

Zhao He shouted, "Zhao Yun is guilty of the defeat at Fuliang River, and all the civil and military officials of the Song Dynasty can be said to be guilty! But you are innocent! Not only are you innocent, but you are also heroes of our China!"

"You once contributed 20,000 Annamese slaves to China every year. These slaves built bridges and roads, constructed water conservancy projects, improved the lives of the Chinese people, and strengthened China's national power. You fought bravely against the Annamese army, learned the geography of Annamese, accumulated war experience, and depleted Annamese's manpower! You are all meritorious people!"

"Thank you, Prince!"

The Song soldiers all knelt down in unison. Despite Cao Youwen's staunch defense of Dulong Pass, the Song army suffered heavy casualties at the defeat at Fuliang River. Many soldiers' families even fell into the hands of the Annamese. The soldiers dared not imagine what kind of treatment they would receive.

Countless soldiers secretly blamed themselves, wondering how many fewer casualties they would have suffered if they had fought more bravely and desperately.

Zhao He went to tell them that they were innocent!

There is no need for them to feel guilty; they have all contributed to China and are heroes of China!

Countless soldiers were filled with emotion at this moment, their eyes reddening.

Zhao He continued, "If this happened again, would you still not trust the alien races and remain completely unguarded?"

"will not!"

"Absolutely not!"

"Kill all the Persians, leave no one alive!"

"Cut Pu Kaizong's entire family into a thousand pieces!"

……

The Song soldiers responded in unison.

Some even shouted, "Smallpox! Use smallpox as a weapon! Don't the Annamese want to use malaria against us? We'll use smallpox against them! Let all those who refuse to submit to China die!"

Smallpox vaccination has now been promoted throughout China.

Even the Song army, Zhao Shuo supported the smallpox inoculation technique out of consideration for their shared Chinese heritage.

Some people in the Song Dynasty had suggested spreading smallpox among the Annamese army to weaken the Annamese resistance.

However, the Song court rejected the proposal on the grounds that it would be contrary to the natural order.

Now, the soldiers have no mercy for Annam whatsoever!
Zhao He continued, "If we were to re-enter Annam, would you be willing to fight bravely and bring Annam under the control of China?"

"We do!"

"Very good. I will replenish your warhorses, replace your armor and weapons, and reorganize all your troops according to the Eight Banners system. Unleash your power, and I will lead you to Annam for revenge!"

"revenge!"

"revenge!"

"revenge!"

The Song soldiers raised their swords and spears, their shouts deafening.

Over the next month, Zhao He transferred three Han Chinese commanders of a thousand households from the Eight Banners army to the original Song army, reorganizing them into three commanders of ten thousand households. Furthermore, their equipment was completely replaced with standard Eight Banners army equipment.

Actually, the Song army's equipment was originally quite good. However, after several years of war in Annam, only a little over three thousand warhorses remained.

Many of the armors were also damaged, leaving only a little over ten thousand. Most of the swords and spears were no longer sharp.

Although the Zhao Shuo Khanate had many wars, it was relatively small for a large country, and the scale of the wars was not large. It also had a large stockpile of military supplies and an abundance of warhorses.

Zhao He simply replaced all the equipment of the Song army, making them all conform to the standards of the Eight Banners Han Army.

A month later, after the reorganization was completed, Zhao He gave the order to march into Annam.

The vanguard of this army consisted of the former commander of ten thousand households stationed in Guangxi by the Zhao Shuo Khanate, and a commander of ten thousand households from the Song army.

This commander of the Song army was familiar with the geography of Annam and had accumulated a wealth of war experience in Annam.

The Wanhu people of Guangxi can be considered the most adapted to the climate and environment of Annam.

Although they are weaker in combat, they are only the vanguard. If the enemy forces ahead are too strong, they can wait for reinforcements from the rear.

……

……

Meanwhile, at Zhiling Pass, only 120 li away from Jieshou Pass, the Annamese army had made full preparations.

"Zhi Leng Ai" is a transliteration, which translates to "dangerous pass" in Chinese. Although the name is not easily recognizable, it was indeed a geomantically auspicious place that was crucial to the fate of Annam.

There are no man-made fortresses here, but the terrain is extremely treacherous.

This is a long, narrow valley surrounded by mountains.

The passage was initially very narrow, and the army could only pass through slowly in long lines.

Once inside the pass, there is a relatively open basin, which can easily cause the troops to become complacent.

The exit is extremely rugged and complex, and is covered by dense forests on the surrounding high mountains.

Even more treacherous is that the valley is surrounded by steep mountains and dense tropical rainforests, making it ideal for hiding large numbers of ambushes and launching attacks from above.

This terrain, characterized by a narrow entrance, a wide middle, a dangerous exit, and high surroundings, is an ideal location for setting up an "pocket formation." Once the enemy's main force enters the valley, ambushes will spring up from all sides, blocking both ends and trapping them like turtles in a jar.

There's something even more crucial.

That primeval forest covered an area of ​​150 miles in radius, and for non-locals, it was practically a forbidden zone.

Even after occupying the surrounding area, they were powerless to subdue this primeval forest.

If history had unfolded as it should have, the Yuan Dynasty general Sogdu, leading an army of 30,000, would have been defeated here. The Ming Dynasty general Liu Sheng, leading a large army, would have entered Annam to suppress the rebellion. The main force of the Vietnamese army would have ambushed them here, and Liu Sheng would not only have been defeated but also killed on the spot.

It can be said that, facing the massive army of China, this place called "Zhileng Pass" was the most suitable terrain for an ambush.

"Two commanders of ten thousand? Very good! Zhao Shuo's regular army against my Great Yue only numbered one hundred thousand. Let's see how he can attack my Great Yue after we've wiped out these two thousand of his troops!"

Upon receiving the report, Chen Rijiao, the commander of the Annamese army at Zhiling Pass, wore a confident smile.

He is the brother of the Emperor of Annam, only sixteen years old this year. He leads 20,000 regular troops and 100,000 auxiliary troops of Annam, and has already ambushed them in the primeval forest near Zhiling Pass.

According to Annamese tradition, commanding such a large army should naturally be led by a member of the royal family. Theoretically, it should have been led by Trần Liễ, the elder brother of Emperor Trần Đức.

However, didn't Li Fujin escape and marry Zhao Shuo?
In order to strengthen Chen Jiong's legitimacy, Chen Shoudu arranged for Chen Liu's wife, Li Ying, who was also Li Fujin's older sister, to marry Chen Jiong.

Chen Liu is the eldest brother, yet he didn't get to sit on the throne and even lost his wife. How can people be bullied like this?

Chen Liu immediately raised an army in rebellion, but it was suppressed by Chen Shoudu.

Although Chen Jiong eventually forgave Chen Liu and did not kill him, he would never dare to let Chen Liu command so many troops.

Chen Liu is unsuitable, and Chen Shoudu himself needs to take charge of the central government, so only the sixteen-year-old Chen Rijiao remains.

Chen Rijiao is now known as the Imperial Heavenly King.

"The Emperor is wise!"

Chen Rijiao's deputy was none other than the Annamite general Le Qin.

He was not only a brave and valiant warrior, but also a high-ranking nobleman in Annam with close ties to the barbarians in the northern mountains, making him a very suitable candidate for deputy commander.

If history had unfolded as it should have, he would have distinguished himself in the Yuan Dynasty's army and been bestowed the name "Le Phuc Tran" by the Annam court. Because of his military achievements, Le Phuc Tran also married Ly Phuc Kim, the deposed empress of Annam.

Li Qin said, "Zhao Shuo has clearly mobilized his three 10,000-household naval units as well. He must think that the main force of my Great Yue is going to defend Thang Long Prefecture to the death and guard against his naval sneak attack."

"He would never have dreamed that we would dare to deploy 20,000 of our main force to ambush him just a hundred miles from Jieshou Pass. This is a classic case of being blind to one's own strength! We've got Zhao He's 20,000 vanguard troops figured out!"

(End of this chapter)