I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 328 Truth Lies Within the Range of Cannons
...

In fact, Emperor Zhao Yu and his ministers already knew that the Jin Dynasty had gone to attack Goryeo.

Well... I wouldn't say it's too early.

In the early stages, Wanyan Aguda did a good job of hiding his true intentions and kept Zhao Yu and his ministers in the dark.

However, Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongwang were important generals of the Jin Dynasty. Their sudden disappearance for a period of time, along with the 40,000 to 50,000 troops they had taken with them, could not possibly have escaped the suspicion of Song Dynasty spies who had infiltrated the Jin Dynasty. What if Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongwang were planning to lead their troops in a surprise attack on the Song Dynasty?

During that period, Liu Fa was extremely cautious, fearing that Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongwang might suddenly lead their troops to launch a surprise attack on the Song army.

At the same time, Liu Fa wrote to Xiao Puxian, asking her to send Liao troops to attack the Jin army as soon as possible, and even cooperate with Liao troops to attack the Jin army, in order to force out Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongwang.

No matter how difficult the situation was for the Jin army, Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongwang, along with the 40,000 to 50,000 troops they had taken with them, did not appear.

More than a month later, Song Dynasty spies learned that Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongwang had launched a surprise attack on Goryeo.

The Song Dynasty's secret agents quickly reported this news up the chain of command until it reached Zhao Yu.

To be honest, Zhao Yu really didn't expect that Wanyan Aguda would dare to fight on two fronts when the situation was so critical.

It is not hard to see that Wanyan Aguda was indeed one of the greatest heroes of this era.

After discussing with his ministers and advisors, Zhao Yu issued an imperial edict to Liu Fa, ordering him to join forces with the Liao army to launch a fierce attack on Liaodong, with the best possible outcome being to conquer the entire region.

Zhao Yu then issued an imperial edict to Xiao Puxian, instructing her to use the pretext that the Song Dynasty should help the Liao Dynasty recover Liaodong, and to order Yelü Chun to organize the Liao army to cooperate with the Song army in attacking Liaodong.

Zhao Yu even sent Hu Yanqing to lead the Song navy to seize Jinzhou and Fuzhou from the Jin state, which meant seizing the Liaodong Peninsula.

Liaodong generally refers to the area east of the Liao River, which was the northeastern frontier of the Central Plains dynasties. The Yan state during the Warring States period first established Liaodong Commandery. The Yan, Qin, Han, and Wei dynasties built fortifications for defense. The Sui and Tang dynasties established the Andong Protectorate. During the Liao and Jin dynasties, it became a multi-ethnic region. Historically, after the Later Jin dynasty took control, it moved its capital to Shenyang. The Ming dynasty established a military command (都司), and the Qing dynasty renamed it Shengjing General. In a broad sense, its area encompasses most of what is now Liaoning province and parts of Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, extending east to the Sea of ​​Japan.

Liaodong has been a hub for exchanges between the Central Plains and Northeast Asia since ancient times, and it was a strategic location that the Central Plains dynasties fought for in their struggle for Northeast Asia.

Originally, Zhao Yu did not intend to seize Liaodong so quickly, because he was afraid of biting off more than he could chew.

However, the Jin Dynasty dragged Goryeo into the conflict. If the Song Dynasty could not seize Liaodong, it would be at a disadvantage in the power struggle in Northeast Asia.

Of course, Zhao Yu did not forget to send envoys to Goryeo, trying to persuade Goryeo not to be threatened by the Jin Dynasty and to collude with the Jin Dynasty. Zhao Yu also asked the envoys to tell King Yu and his ministers that the Song Dynasty was already attacking Liaodong, and that as long as they held on, the Jin army would definitely back down.

This was actually one of the reasons why Zhao Yu and his ministers decided to attack Liaodong.

However, Zhao Yu and his ministers did not expect that Goryeo would be like the Northern Song Dynasty in history, with Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongwang leading only tens of thousands of troops and a large number of surrendered soldiers to attack the capital. Because Goryeo's territory was too small, Zhao Yu and his ministers had nowhere to escape. They were then trapped like turtles in a jar by Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongwang, who not only extorted them but also forced Zhao Yu and his ministers to sign a treaty under duress.

By the time Zhao Yu's envoy arrived in Goryeo, everything had already been settled.

Under the watchful eyes of Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongwang, Wang Yu had no choice but to issue an edict to behead the envoy sent by Zhao Yu and hang his head on the city wall as a warning, demonstrating Goryeo's determination to form an alliance with the Jin Dynasty and to completely break with the Song Dynasty.

Throughout this process, Wang Yu did not allow the Song envoy to utter a single word. The ministers of Goryeo, from Yi Ja-gyeom downwards, all remained silent, tacitly acknowledging that the Jin Dynasty was their ally and the Song Dynasty was their enemy.

Because transportation and communication were underdeveloped at that time, it was several months later before King Jo Yu and his ministers learned that Goryeo had killed the Song envoy.

This is a later story, so let’s not discuss it for now.

It is said that upon receiving Zhao Yu's order, Hu Yanqing, together with the Shenji Left Army and the Dongfu Army, led the naval forces of Hunjianglong Li Jun, Duanming Erlang Ruan Xiaoer, Lidi Taisui Ruan Xiaowu, Huoyanluo Ruan Xiaoqi, Chuanhuoer Zhang Heng, Langlibaitiao Zhang Shun, and others to the Liaodong Peninsula.

Upon reaching Shizikou on the Liaodong Peninsula, the warships of the various naval forces lined up and unleashed a barrage of cannon fire upon the Jin army's camp.

It is worth mentioning that the Li Lin cannons equipped on the Song Dynasty's naval warships were not the same as the Li Lin cannons used on land; they were called the Divine Might Invincible General Li Lin Cannons.

In terms of design, the Divine Might Invincible General Li Lin Cannon has a longer barrel, thicker walls, and a larger caliber. Its overall shape gradually thickens from the muzzle to the breech, conforming to the principle that chamber pressure decreases during gunpowder combustion. Cylindrical trunnions are located on either side of the cannon's center of gravity, allowing the cannon to adjust its firing angle and range according to the amount of gunpowder used. It is equipped with a front sight and a rear sight, calculating the trajectory based on a parabola, resulting in high accuracy.

The invincible general Li Lin cannon actually comes in three types: the light cannon "Divine Might General" type, the medium cannon "Divine Merit General" type, and the heavy cannon "Martial Success and Eternal Stability General" type.

Among them, even the "Divine Might General" type Li Lin cannon has an effective range of more than two miles, the "Divine Merit General" type Li Lin cannon has an effective range of more than six miles, and the "Martial Success and Eternal Stability General" type Li Lin cannon has an effective range of more than ten miles.

The invincible Li Lin cannon was already a long, spindle-shaped, muzzle-loading smoothbore cannon. In addition, the industrial revolution initiated by the Song Dynasty enabled the weapons manufacturing industry to use powered machine tools, which could perform precision machining on the cannon's bore; the production of various parts and shells became more standardized and precise; even the black powder processing technology, which the Song Dynasty had already mastered, was greatly improved; and the theory and tactics of artillery firing also developed under Li Lin's leadership. As a result, the power, range, and rate of fire of the invincible Li Lin cannon of the Song Dynasty all increased exponentially.

It could even be said that the invincible Li Lin cannon had completely surpassed the Hongyi cannons of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Of course, the invincible Li Lin cannon also had a major drawback: it was too heavy, so it could only be used for city defense, coastal defense, and warships, and could not be equipped for the army, at least not in the short term.

The giant ships under Huyanqing's command, such as "Tokyo", "Nanjing", "Xijing" and "Beijing", were the most advanced "divine ships" of the Song Dynasty. Their scale was comparable to the treasure ships of the Ming Dynasty in history - the ships were more than 40 zhang long and more than 10 zhang wide, with masts reaching the sky and layers upon layers of decks, like floating cities.

Even more amazing is that it also has a steam engine and the most advanced propeller of the time. Although the steam engine and propeller were not mature enough at the time, resulting in a serious lack of range, the steam engine and propeller would definitely be faster than sails and manpower when needed.

More importantly, the decks and cabins of these warships were densely packed with the mighty and invincible Li Lin cannons.

At this moment, the cannon muzzle, as black as a beast's mouth, pointed directly at the Jin army camp on the shore.

As the fleet sailed to the outskirts of Lion's Mouth, the sea breeze, carrying a salty and fishy smell, rushed towards them. The giant ships cut through the waves and anchored steadily just a short distance from the harbor.

Hu Yanqing stood atop the highest watchtower of the "Tokyo" ship, waved his command flag, and the signal officer immediately relayed the instructions to each ship.

"boom--!"

"boom--!"

"boom--!"

"..."

The first to fire were the "Wucheng Yonggu Dajiangjun" type Li Lin guns aboard the ships "Tokyo", "Nanjing", "Xijing" and "Beijing".

The cannon trembled, and sparks erupted from its muzzle as solid cannonballs, each weighing thirty pounds, streaked across the sky with a sharp whistle, crashing into the Jin army camp. No building in the Jin camp could withstand a single shot from the "General of Martial Might and Eternal Stability" type Li Lin cannon.

Once a cannon shot landed, the tents and equipment in the camp were crushed to pieces, wood chips and dirt flew everywhere, and the surrounding tents were overturned by the blast wave. The shells often created craters several feet deep when they landed, and the Jin soldiers within dozens of steps were either killed or wounded.

Upon seeing this, even the bravest Jin soldiers immediately scattered like startled birds.

In an instant, the entire Jin camp scattered and fled like a swarm of panicked ants.

Immediately afterwards, dozens of Li Lin cannons roared in unison.

The "Divine Might General" type Li Lin cannon had an extremely high rate of fire. It was mainly aimed at crowds, and the shells, like a meteor shower, shot into the crowd, instantly turning the Jin people into a bloody mess, with corpses piling up like mountains.

The "Divine General" type Li Lin cannon aimed at the fence and sentry post at the edge of the camp. The wooden fence snapped in response, and the sentry post was blasted to pieces.

The Jin army had clearly not anticipated the Song warships' terrifying firepower, and chaos erupted in the camp. Some tried to grab shields to defend themselves, only to be blasted to pieces along with their shields by the whistling cannonballs; others tried to organize a volley of arrows, but the Song warships were far beyond range, and the arrows fell futilely into the sea; still others fled in panic toward the depths of the harbor, only to be relentlessly bombarded by subsequent cannon fire. Screams, cries, and the roar of cannons mingled together, turning the entire Jin army camp into a living hell.

The sea breeze still blew, but now it carried not only a salty smell but also the stench of gunpowder and blood. The Song warships, like behemoths of the sea, declared their control over the area with the roar of their cannons, giving the Jin army on shore their first real taste of the Song navy's thunderous might.

They saw that the Jin camp on the shore had little ability to resist.

The soldiers of the Eastern Auxiliary Army disembarked one after another.

Although many of the Dongfu Army soldiers had never been on a ship before, and their legs trembled uncontrollably after disembarking, as if they were standing on a swaying ship deck rather than solid land, and many others vomited profusely and immediately lost their fighting ability, the remaining Dongfu Army soldiers were still enough to pursue and kill the Jin soldiers.

Moreover, Li Jun, Ruan Xiaoer, Ruan Xiaowu, Ruan Xiaoqi, Zhang Heng, Zhang Shun, and other generals led many soldiers of the Song Dynasty navy off their warships to join the battle.

The soldiers of the Eastern Auxiliary Army and the Navy, with their still unsteady steps, formed a loose but orderly formation and advanced toward the port.

The cannons on the decks of the Song Dynasty warships continued to roar intermittently, providing cover for the ground troops. The shells landed along the Jin army's retreating path, constantly eroding their will to resist.

The wooden piers in the port had already been mostly destroyed by the shelling. The Song soldiers stepped on the broken planks and waded through the shallows, quickly taking control of the dock area.

The remaining Jin soldiers tried to resist by relying on the damaged warehouses and stores, but they were no match for the Song army's Li Lin guns, Shenbi crossbows, and thunderbolts. The soldiers who were still in shock from the shelling were now driven by their will to survive to fight back, but they could not even break through the Song army's formation.

The Song soldiers advanced steadily along the port streets, clearing out any resistance they encountered in small teams, and killing any fleeing Jin soldiers they encountered without mercy.

The grain and weapons piled up in the warehouses, still burning from the shelling, became unattended spoils of war; the small Jin warships moored at the docks were either sunk by the artillery fire or quickly taken over by Song soldiers.

Within half an hour, the gunfire and shouts of battle within the port gradually subsided. Song soldiers deployed their troops at key intersections, raised the banners of the Great Song Dynasty, and the entire Lion's Mouth Port was now under the complete control of the Great Song.

Meanwhile, the giant ships on the sea remained quietly anchored, their cannons still pointed inland, forming a solid barrier for this port that had just changed hands.

Thus, Shizikou (actually Lushunkou in Dalian), located at the southernmost tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, the regional center of the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, guarding the Bohai Strait, and of extremely important strategic importance, was captured by the Song army.

Two days later.

The same thing happened again in Qingnipu.

It was an important port on the shipping route from Shandong to North Korea at that time, which is the later Dalian Port.

Two days later, the Song army used the same method to attack and capture Suzhou Port.

—When the Liao Dynasty established Suzhou, its affiliated port was an important node for regional administration and military transportation, mainly serving local governance and troop deployment. After the Jin Dynasty occupied the area, it was renamed Huacheng County, but the port function continued.

Under the power of artillery, the Song army easily took over all the ports on the Liaodong Peninsula.

At the same time, the Shenji Left Army and the Eastern Auxiliary Army quickly occupied the Liaodong Peninsula.

The orders received by Zhong Shidao, Zhang Shuye, Zhang Jun, Qiu Yu, and others were to capture the Liaodong Peninsula, eliminate all enemies, and head north to support Liu Fa.

Based on the imperial order, all enemies encountered along the way who dared to resist the Song army, regardless of whether they were soldiers or civilians, were to be brought down by cartwheels and killed without mercy.

Because Zhao Yu was worried that Zhong Shidao wouldn't be able to bring himself to use such a strong measure, he specifically spoke with Zhong Shidao before choosing the Eastern Auxiliary Army to fight.

Zhao Yu made his point clear: he was determined to take Liaodong, and if Zhong Shidao was too soft-hearted, he could send someone else to fight this battle.

It's no wonder that Zhao Yu had such concerns about Zhong Shidao.

Historically, when Zhong Shidao was ordered to march north to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, he said: "Today's actions are like a thief breaking into a neighbor's house and not only failing to save them, but also taking advantage of the situation to divide up their house. The army has no just cause, so how can it succeed?"

Zhong Shidao's teacher was the famous Neo-Confucian scholar Zhang Zai. In addition to his famous poems on establishing a moral compass for heaven and earth, establishing a destiny for the people, and continuing the lost learning of the past sages, he also discussed and formulated moral concepts such as "preserving heavenly principles and eliminating human desires" and "starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's integrity is a great matter" with Neo-Confucian masters Zhu Xi and the Cheng brothers.

In other words, although Zhong Shidao was a general, he had the refined qualities of a scholar and was deeply influenced by Confucian moral values. He often acted with more benevolence and prudence than with decisiveness and ruthlessness.

To be honest, if the Song Dynasty didn't currently lack any outstanding commanders, and if the others weren't less qualified and capable than Zhong Shidao, who was a safer choice, then Zhao Yu might not have used Zhong Shidao, even though he was very famous in history, based solely on what Zhong Shidao said in history.

Upon hearing Zhao Yu describe him as "womanly compassion," Zhong Shidao was impressed by Zhao Yu's understanding of him and his character. However, he also felt that Zhao Yu had insulted him. This war was about the rise and fall of the Song Dynasty, the gains and losses of the Liaodong Peninsula, the lives and deaths of countless soldiers, and the grand strategy of the court. How could he not know the weight of his responsibilities and not be allowed to show even the slightest womanly compassion?
Zhong Shidao was reluctant to accept the task, but the opportunity was too rare. He didn't want to miss this chance to go down in history, and he also didn't feel comfortable entrusting this important task to someone else.

Therefore, Zhong Shidao issued a military order to Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu always believed in trusting those he employed and not employing those he distrusted. Since he had entrusted this matter to Zhong Shidao, he put Zhong Shidao in full charge.

Zhong Shidao knew Zhao Yu's character. If he did this well, he would be rewarded with a promotion; if he did it poorly, Zhao Yu would definitely take his head.

In conclusion, after the Song army captured the ports of the Liaodong Peninsula one by one and penetrated deep inland, Zhong Shidao abandoned his previous mild-mannered approach and became decisive and ruthless. Under his command, the Shenji Left Army and the Dongfu Army advanced like tigers descending a mountain, unstoppable. Wherever they went, the Jin army either fled in terror or was swiftly annihilated. Along the way, the Song army swept through the land, and the Liaodong Peninsula was gradually recovered by the Song Dynasty.

Crucially, if any civilians dared to obstruct the Song army's advance, Zhong Shidao strictly followed the court's instructions, executing them all without mercy by knocking them down by the wheels of a cart...

……

(End of this chapter)