I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 389 Demolition of the Great Wall
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Xijing, the capital of Goryeo, has been a strategic point between Liaodong and the Korean Peninsula since ancient times.

The local people are known for their fierce and valiant nature, and the prevalence of witchcraft provides fertile ground for the development of feng shui and prophetic beliefs.

Myo-cheong claimed to have inherited the "Tae-yi Jade Tent Steps" from the high monk Do-shin in the early Goryeo period.

This set of feng shui and divination techniques, which were once popular in the Goryeo Dynasty, was originally a Taoist method used to predict good and bad fortune and plan city layouts. However, it was misinterpreted by Myo-cheong as evidence of "divine mandate". Together with his brother Baek Soo-han, who was knowledgeable in yin and yang, they used bizarre and absurd theories to bewitch people and secretly recruit forces that were dissatisfied with the Goryeo royal family.

This is like Fang La and Manichaeism.

Fang La initially used the name of Manichaeism and the slogan "Maitreya is born and the Ming King is born" to incite the people and launch a massive uprising.

The Manichaean religion, despite having its own unique doctrines and practice system, became a tool for Fang La to incite rebellion and challenge the authority of the imperial court.

Now, Miaoqing is also using the feng shui prophecy technique of "Taiyi Jade Tent Steps" to weave a seemingly mysterious and unpredictable net, ensnaring those who are dissatisfied and eager to change their current situation.

They spread the word that the Goryeo royal family's fate was sealed, and that they represented the new force that was in accordance with destiny.

In some remote villages, Miaoqing's followers gather together, light bonfires, and chant incantations, as if communicating with the will of heaven.

They claimed that by following the directions indicated by the "Taiyi Jade Tent Steps" at a specific time, they could find a treasure, which was the capital bestowed upon them by heaven to overthrow the royal family and establish a new dynasty.

Some ignorant villagers were misled by these words and joined their ranks, even selling their possessions in order to get a share of this so-called destiny journey.

Meanwhile, the lower classes, who were already dissatisfied with the Goryeo royal family's exorbitant taxes and heavy labor, were incited by Miaoqing and others, and their resentment grew like wildfire. They began to secretly organize and prepare to launch a rebellion at the right time.

However, what truly gave Miaoqing and her group a great opportunity was the liberation war launched by the Great Song Dynasty in Jidi.

When the news that "the Song army captured King Wang Kai and Queen Wanyan Wule of Goryeo, and took all the royal family and nobles of Goryeo prisoner" reached Xijing, the entire upper class of Goryeo was shaken.

What stirred Miaoqing even more was the series of subversive measures implemented by the Song Dynasty in Gaegyeong: eliminating the high-ranking officials, nobles, wealthy families, and powerful merchants of Goryeo, confiscating their property and holding public trials; liberating slaves who had been enslaved for generations, and distributing ownerless land to commoners and slaves.

In Miaoqing's eyes, this was by no means a simple act of revenge or punishment, but a signal that the Song Dynasty was going to completely dismantle the old Goryeo order and incorporate it into its territory.

Chaotic times have always been a breeding ground for ambitious people.

Miaoqing quickly seized this opportunity, joining forces with Xijing officials Liu Chan and Zhao Kuang, and with the slogan "Goryeo's independence, drive out the invaders," he raised the banner of "Heaven-sent Loyal Army" and launched a rebellion in Xijing. He established the state of "Daewi," changed the era name to "Cheongae," and sent troops to seize the strategic location between Xijing and Gaegyeong—Jyeolyeong.

This mountain range, straddling the two major towns, once controlled, would be like a chokehold on the northward advance of the Song army, making Miaoqing the most troublesome obstacle in the Song Dynasty's pacification of Goguryeo.

When Chen Gou and Zhong Shizhong led the Song army to capture Gaegyeong, the capital of Goryeo, the joy of victory did not cloud the minds of these two outstanding generals.

As per the plan of Zhao Yu and his ministers, Chen Gou entrusted Wu Yong with the overall management of the affairs of Gaegyeong, while he himself immediately devoted himself to the post-war consolidation and preparation for war: on the one hand, they eliminated the remaining resistance forces around Gaegyeong to ensure the stability of the core area; on the other hand, they recruited auxiliary troops from the commoners and slaves of Gaegyeong, and in just a few months they built up an army of 100,000.

These Goryeo people, who had been oppressed, had a natural affinity for the Song Dynasty, but lacked military training and discipline. Chen Gou then sent officials from the Ministry of War to provide them with basic tactical training and political education, transforming them into a force that could assist the Song army in combat.

At that time, differing opinions emerged within the military.

Some generals suggested that, citing the principle of "speed is of the essence," they should double their speed and launch a surprise attack while Miao Qing was still establishing a firm foothold in Jieling.

However, this suggestion was rejected by Chen Gou and Zhong Shizhong.

Chen Gou and Zhong Shizhong believed that the Song Dynasty's purge and liberation of Gaegyeong was carried out with great fanfare, and the various forces in Goryeo already knew about the change of control of Gaegyeong. Miaoqing's ability to quickly occupy Jeling showed that he was prepared in advance, and the opportunity to attack by surprise had been lost. Secondly, the Song army's easy capture of the Goryeo capital inevitably fostered a sense of complacency among the soldiers, making them think that Goryeo was easy to defeat. At this time, rash advances would easily fall into the enemy's trap. Most importantly, although the 100,000 auxiliary troops had been formed, they were unable to bear the burden of transporting food and supplies for the 150,000 Song troops.

In ancient times, the saying "supplies must precede troops" was not without merit. There are countless examples of hundreds of thousands of laborers transporting provisions for tens of thousands of troops. Nowadays, with insufficient auxiliary transport capacity, if we force an advance, the shortage of military supplies will become a fatal hidden danger.

"In all battles, one engages with the orthodox and wins with the unorthodox."

Currently, the Song army holds an absolute advantage, and there is no reason for them to take any risks.

Chen Gou, Zhong Shizhong, and others understood this principle well, so they ultimately decided on a strategy: abandoning the quick and easy surprise attack and relying on the absolute combat power of the Song army to advance steadily. After each territory was recovered, they would pacify the local people, replenish the labor force, and seize local grain and fodder to supply the army. This not only solved the logistical problem but also gradually consolidated the occupied areas, laying the foundation for the complete recovery of Ji.

Guided by this strategic thinking, Chen Gou, along with Zhong Shizhong and Tong Guan, as spies and scouts, ascertained Miao Qing's defenses: their main force was heavily garrisoned at Jieling, displaying an imposing posture of "one man can hold the pass against ten thousand," attempting to use the natural barrier to block the Song army.

Therefore, if the Song army were to launch a forced attack on Jieling, they would inevitably suffer heavy losses.

After discussing with his subordinates, generals, and staff, Chen Gou and Zhong Shizhong decided to take a different approach and employ a "roundabout tactic".

After all preparations were complete, the main force of the Song army quietly bypassed Jieling and marched north of Xijing in Goryeo via Lianzhou.

Several days later, this massive army appeared like a divine force descending from the heavens in the land between Goryeo and Goryeo, plunging the local people and the garrison into panic!
Those who knew when to yield either abandoned the city and fled or opened the city gates to welcome the enemy; the few strongholds that stubbornly resisted were quickly captured like autumn leaves swept away by the Song army's fierce attack.

More importantly, whenever the Song army occupied a place, the officials of the Song Dynasty would immediately follow suit—continuing the policy of Kaijing, freeing slaves, distributing land, and using the method of "work relief" to absorb displaced people to build roads and railways, so that the people could truly feel the stability under the rule of the Song Dynasty.

These measures by the Song Dynasty not only completely severed the connection between Xijing and the surrounding areas, but also undermined the public opinion foundation for Miaoqing's "resistance against the Song and protection of the country," turning Xijing into an isolated and helpless city.

When the Song army's five armies approached the city of Xijing, this strategically important town, backed by mountains and blocked by water, which was easy to defend and difficult to attack, had already lost the will to resist.

Chen Gou and Zhong Shizhong ordered their troops to form a formidable encirclement around the city: the central army was stationed at Chuande, guarding the core of Xijing; the left army was stationed at Xingfu Temple and the right army at Chongxing Temple, controlling the high ground on the east and west sides; the rear army was stationed at the Datong River, cutting off the enemy's waterborne retreat; and the front army was stationed east of Chongxing Temple, preventing the enemy from breaking out. The five armies formed a mutually supporting defensive posture, creating a situation of encirclement without attack.

While maintaining the intimidating presence of its large army, the Song army also spread messages through surrendered Goryeo officials, namely: Myo-chung's secession of Xijing was merely to satisfy his personal ambitions, not for the sake of the country and its people. Goryeo had repeatedly invaded the Song Dynasty and enslaved innocent people, and had already been destroyed by the Song Dynasty, with no possibility of restoration. Only by submitting to the Song Dynasty could the borders be protected and the people kept safe.

The prolonged siege, the fear of the Song army's strength, and the yearning for land and freedom finally ignited the flames of rebellion among the common people and slaves of Xijing. They launched a night uprising, killing Miaoqing and her core followers, and then opened the city gates to surrender to the Song army.

The Song Dynasty captured this strategic town without shedding a drop of blood.

After the war, the Song army dispersed the 100,000 captured Xijing garrison troops and incorporated them into the auxiliary army. After retraining and political education, this army, which originally served Miaoqing, was transformed into a new force for the Song Dynasty to pacify Goguryeo.

Thus, the Song Dynasty not only completely quelled the rebellion in Xijing, but also consolidated its rule in northern Goryeo, paving the way for its subsequent conquest of the entire Goryeo territory.

After completely pacifying the Xijing region of Goryeo, Chen Gou and Zhong Shizhong led their army northward to defeat the strongest Goryeo army, the Western Goryeo Army, and open up a strategic passage to Liaodong.

Twenty years ago, renowned Goryeo generals Yun Guan and Wu Yanchong led 170,000 Goryeo Western Army troops northward to conquer Helandian, which was controlled by the Jurchens. After expanding their territory by 300 li, they built nine northeastern cities, including Ying, Xiong, and Fu, significantly advancing Goryeo's influence northward. Even though the Jurchen general Wanyan Wusai later counterattacked with guerrilla tactics of "cutting off supply lines and attacking reinforcements," forcing Goryeo to eventually return Helandian, the resilience and combat power displayed by the Goryeo Western Army in the early and middle stages of the offensive and defensive campaigns were enough to prove that they were by no means a weak force.

However, times have changed, and the Goryeo Western Army is no longer as formidable as it once was.

After Goryeo became a vassal state of the Jin Dynasty, hundreds of thousands of Goryeo troops marched north to assist the Jin in fighting against the Song Dynasty. These Goryeo troops were mainly the Goryeo Western Army. In the two or three years of fighting against the Song army, the original core of the Goryeo Western Army had been almost completely wiped out by the Song army. Most of those remaining were now extremely wary and easily frightened.

More importantly, after Zhao Yu took in several of the sisters and daughters of Tak Jun-kyung, the key figure in the Goryeo Western Army, he established contact with Tak Jun-kyung. Chen Gou used this relationship to find someone to turn Tak Jun-kyung, who knew that Goryeo's fate was sealed.

With Tuo Junjing cheering on the Song Dynasty, many Goryeo Western Army troops in the north of Jidi chose to surrender without a fight.

This allowed the Song army to sweep across the northern part of Ji.

However, the northern part of Ji is mountainous, and the roads are icy and slippery in winter, making it extremely difficult for supply convoys to move. As the Song army marched north, the battle lines were stretched out, and the supply of military provisions became increasingly difficult.

Furthermore, as time went on, by the time the Song army advanced to the Western Army's last line of defense, winter had arrived, the weather was getting colder and colder, and the Song army's combat environment was becoming increasingly harsh, which undoubtedly benefited the defending side.

Seeing this, the suggestion to "wait until next spring to advance" gradually arose in the army.

However, Chen Gou, Zhong Shizhong, and others believed that as long as they broke through this last line of defense of the Western Army, they could open up the connection between Liaodong and Jidi, and Jidi would be officially incorporated into the Song Dynasty.

The two men acted decisively, and after consulting with military supervisors at all levels, the supervisors went deep into each camp to comfort the soldiers and boost morale with the strategic goal of winning the battle, which ultimately stabilized the morale of the army.

In order to preserve the main force of the Song army, they also devised a strategy: to use the 200,000 Goryeo auxiliary troops that had been previously incorporated as the vanguard.

When most countries face a life-or-death crisis, heroes will always emerge who are willing to sacrifice their lives to protect their country.

Goryeo was no exception.

Seeing that the last line of defense in northern Goryeo was about to be breached by the Song army, the Goryeo Western Army devised a ruthless strategy of "using cold as a shield" in their desperate situation—they transformed no fewer than thirty military castles into ice fortresses along the defense line from north of the Cheongcheon River to Yeongheung Bay.

In other words, the Goryeo Western Army repeatedly poured water on the city walls and crenellations, using the low temperatures of winter to freeze it into a thick layer of ice. The castle, which was already easy to defend and difficult to attack, was instantly transformed into a slippery and indestructible "ice fortress".

In early December, the decisive Battle of Pengshan County began.

After failing to persuade them to surrender, the auxiliary army split into three groups and launched a fierce attack on the three ice fortresses.

At first, the auxiliary troops, who also wanted to make a name for themselves, were able to charge forward despite the rain of arrows from the city walls.

But the ice fortress's defenses were far beyond imagination: the ice on the walls was as smooth as a mirror, making it difficult for people to even stand, let alone climb and attack; even if the cannons blasted a breach, the Goryeo Western Army only needed to water it during the truce, and the ice would quickly recover, instantly erasing the Song army's previous offensive achievements.

After several rounds of attacks, the auxiliary troops suffered heavy casualties and their morale was completely broken. Subsequent charges were merely perfunctory efforts.

After careful observation, Chen Gou and Zhong Shizhong discovered that the Goryeo Western Army soldiers all had anti-slip ropes tied to their feet. They immediately ordered the auxiliary troops to follow suit—wrap the ropes around their shoes twice and tie them tightly around their ankles. Combined with the "small steps, steady pace" technique proposed by the Northern soldiers, they finally solved the problem of walking on ice.

Even so, the auxiliary forces were still unable to break through the Ice Fortress defenses, and the battle reached a stalemate.

Just when everyone was at a loss, Song general Wang Yan volunteered, saying that he was willing to personally lead a suicide squad to try.

Having no other choice, the commander agreed to Wang Yan's request to fight.

Wang Yan's playing style can be described as "risking danger to win".

He personally commanded the artillery battalion, directing the Li Lin artillery to conduct a full-coverage attack on the Ice Fortress. He also innovatively adopted the tactic of "close-range artillery fire," which means that the artillerymen fired at the very limit of the advancing soldiers' advance, using artillery fire to clear the fire on the city walls for the charging troops.

This tactic was extremely risky. If the artillery aim was slightly off or the infantry charged too fast, they could accidentally hit their own side. However, it was also surprisingly effective. The Goryeo Western Army on the city wall was suppressed by the Song army's artillery fire and could not raise their heads, making it impossible for them to attack the Song army.

The Song soldiers under Wang Yan's command were all fearless and strictly carried out his every order.

Despite suffering considerable casualties, the Song army finally breached the first ice fortress under the combined assault of artillery and infantry.

The Song army, which had always strictly forbidden killing prisoners, made an extremely unusual move this time by taking all the men from the captured ice fortress to the next ice fortress and beheading them.

The Song army's brutal attack on the city terrified the garrison in the next ice fortress, who immediately surrendered.

Thus, no fewer than thirty military ice fortresses stretching from north of the Qingchuan River to Yongxing Bay were either captured by the Song army or surrendered.

After eliminating the last resistance force in northern Giji, the army liberating Goryeo, led by Chen Gou and Zhong Shizhong, finally reached the Great Wall of Goryeo.

The Great Wall of Goryeo can be traced back to the northern border struggle between Goryeo and Khitan.

During the reign of King Deokjong of Goryeo, in order to seize the land south of the Yalu River and take a tough stance against the Khitan, Deokjong ordered the Chancellor Ryu So to oversee the construction of the northern border fortress, thus building a solid defense line for future battles.

This massive project was finally completed during the reign of Emperor Jingzong.

This Great Wall "starts from the ancient city boundary of the West Coast and the mouth of the Yalu River, crosses thirteen cities including Weiyuan and Jinghai to the east, then reaches the three cities of Yaode, Jingbian and Hezhou, and finally reaches the coast, stretching for more than a thousand miles. It is entirely built of stone, and each section is twenty-five feet high and thick."

Thereafter, the Great Wall served as a border barrier for Goryeo for a long period of time.

With this victory, the connection between the Liaoning region of the Song Dynasty and the Ji region was established.

This signifies that the northern part of Jidi has been incorporated into the territory of the Song Dynasty, and the complete integration of Jidi into the Song Dynasty is just around the corner.

When the news of the victory reached the Song Dynasty, Zhao Yu, based on the military merits verified by the Ministry of War and in conjunction with the requests of frontline generals such as Chen Gou and Zhong Shizhong, promoted and rewarded the soldiers according to their merits to boost morale.

Subsequently, Zhao Yu issued two imperial edicts: first, to dismantle the Great Wall to eliminate the barrier between Jidi and the Song Dynasty; second, to increase the number of laborers and speed up the construction of the railway and highway from Liaoning Road to Licheng Port.

At the same time, Zhao Yu issued an edict ordering the Song army that had liberated Goryeo to rest and recuperate on the spot, and to completely recover Giji when spring came next year, thus bringing this war of liberation to a successful conclusion...

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(End of this chapter)