I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 412 The Battle of National Destiny
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'A treacherous plot?!'

If even a ruthless and cunning man like Wu Yong considered his plan to force the Jin people into a decisive battle a vicious scheme, then this plan must have been extremely treacherous.

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Yu did not allow Wu Yong to reveal his wicked scheme in court. Instead, he asked Wu Yong to stay behind alone after the court session.

Zhao Yu cut to the chase and asked, "What is your plan?"

Wu Yong said with a smile, "If we slaughter a hundred people on the battlefield in a single day, regardless of whether they are members of the royal family, the imperial clan, nobles, officials, or their fathers, sons, uncles, or nephews, we might be able to force the Jin ruler to come to war."

Zhao Yu stared at the faint smile on Wu Yong's face, and was truly surprised! He originally thought that Wu Yong would at most sow discord and cut off supplies to besiege the city, but he did not expect such a straightforward bloody attack.

But then again, isn't that very Wu Yong?

He was never a pedantic scholar bound by "benevolence and righteousness," but rather a strategist who took "usefulness" as the sole criterion.

In his eyes, there is no distinction between "poisonous" and "ineffective" schemes, only between "effective" and "ineffective" ones.

While sowing discord and cutting off supplies to besiege cities are common tactics, they are slow to take effect and prone to unpredictable changes.

The massacres on the battlefield, with their blatant bloodshed, directly targeted the Jin people's weakness of "valuing clan and face."

Using minimal cost to leverage the largest battle situation is his "optimal solution".

He didn't care whether the methods were cruel or not; he only cared about whether he could achieve his goal of "forcing Wanyan Aguda to fight a decisive battle." Just like a chess player wouldn't hesitate because a piece was sacrificed, he only had eyes for the final victory or defeat.

Moreover, he understood all too well that the Jurchens valued clan ties, and that the royal family and nobility were the face of the Jurchen state. Slaughtering them would sting the Jurchen rulers more than killing thousands of soldiers.

He also accurately predicted that the other party's sense of dignity would override reason, and that public opinion would force the financier to make impulsive decisions.

The Jurchens valued clan ties, and the Song Dynasty's public slaughter of these Jurchens, who symbolized legitimate bloodlines, was tantamount to tearing out Wanyan Aguda's heart.

It can be said that every time someone was killed, the "dignity" and "foundation" of the Jin state were stripped away, making Wanyan Aguda appear as a coward who could not protect his own people in front of his clan and subjects. This kind of mental torment was far more intense than the fighting on the battlefield.

Moreover, the Jin people who were killed were all core members of the Jin state's upper echelons. Once they died in large numbers, not only would the Jin state's talent pool be greatly depleted, but it would also make the Jin state's upper echelons feel insecure, and officials would lose their will to govern. The originally monolithic ruling group would fall apart.

To put it simply, if Wu Yong's treacherous plan had been executed, and Wanyan Aguda had not ordered a decisive battle, the internal power struggles might have exhausted the Jin dynasty's national strength, and it might even have allowed other Jin people to overthrow Wanyan Aguda's rule, which would have been equivalent to dismantling the enemy's rear without losing a single soldier.

It is important to understand that the Jin people had a strong cultural characteristic of valuing honor above life and death. In the minds of nomadic peoples, clan honor and the dignity of the leader far outweighed individual life. If Wanyan Aguda were to retreat after his clan was publicly slaughtered, he would not only lose the support of the people, but would also be ridiculed and coveted by other tribes. At that time, with internal and external troubles piling up, the Jin state would surely perish.

Therefore, Wu Yong accurately predicted that Wanyan Aguda, in order to protect his own reputation and power, would most likely choose to launch a full-scale attack against the Song army.

This precise understanding of human nature makes Wu Yong's wicked scheme very likely to succeed.

It is worth mentioning that Wu Yong had a faint smile on his face when he proposed this vicious plan.

Zhao Yu tried to analyze it and concluded that Wu Yong's smile was not cruel, but rather a kind of numb calmness.

To him, strategy is a game of chess, and the lives about to be slaughtered are merely "chess pieces" to advance the battle. He is unmoved by bloodshed, but rather smug about the "brilliance" of his schemes?

"He dared to pay the heaviest price for the most desired result. He knew that the battlefield slaughter would bring him eternal infamy, that it would sever any path to reconciliation, and might even trigger internal turmoil within his own side. Yet, he still proposed this plan because, in his calculations, these 'costs' paled in comparison to the strategic significance of 'forcing Wanyan Aguda into a decisive battle.'"

'He won't back down because of moral condemnation. This pure, extreme strategist's mindset makes his ruthlessness boundless and without any weaknesses. This ruthlessness, treating human lives as pawns and bloodshed as a means, truly makes him a potential mastermind...'

Zhao Yu then wanted to revisit the original, insidious plan.

To be honest, this could actually force Wanyan Aguda to engage in a decisive battle with him ahead of schedule.

Even if Wanyan Aguda were an extremely rational "pragmatist" who chose to abandon his captured relatives and drag the war into winter, then used the pretext of "avenging his relatives" to incite hatred among the people and thus garner even stronger fighting power, the Song Dynasty's slaughter of the captured Jin upper class would still severely damage the Jin ruling class. Even if they escaped this calamity, they would not be able to recover in a short time, and might even be overthrown by other nomadic or hunting peoples due to the significant reduction in their elite forces.

In short, adopting Wu Yong's insidious plan would have a high chance of success.

However, this is not without its drawbacks.

After all, this move was too cruel. Some pedantic scholars within the Song Dynasty were usually good at talking big and talking about military strategy on paper. They had little real talent in governing the country or fighting wars, but they always liked to judge others from a moral high ground. They loved to spout benevolence and morality and regarded "benevolence" as their guiding principle.

It is estimated that in their eyes, Wu Yong's plan was simply outrageous and inhumane. They might criticize Wu Yong on the grounds that it "offends the harmony of heaven" or "may incur divine retribution," thereby implying that Zhao Yu adopted the plan.

Moreover, once this plan is implemented, it will attract attention and discussion from neighboring countries.

Countries that have diplomatic relations with the Song Dynasty may be shocked and dissatisfied with its actions, which could affect the Song Dynasty's international image and status.

It could even trigger a joint boycott or sanctions from some countries, bringing unnecessary trouble to the Song Dynasty.

Furthermore, in the long run, while such bloody methods may achieve some short-term results, they will sow the seeds of hatred. The hatred of the Jin people (especially the Jurchens) towards the Song Dynasty will deepen, and given the opportunity, they might launch a frenzied revenge against the Song. This continuation of hatred will exacerbate the conflict between the two ethnic groups.

Zhao Yu fell into deep thought. On the one hand, he saw the feasibility and great strategic value of Wu Yong's poisonous plan, but on the other hand, he had to consider the various troubles that would result from adopting the plan.

Zhao Yu remained silent for a long time, his fingertips lightly tapping on the table. 'Once this plan is implemented, regardless of success or failure, it will become a stain on my record, even condemning me to eternal infamy. But the current situation seems to leave no room for me to show any mercy…'

Zhao Yu quickly made up his mind and said to Wu Yong, "You are in charge of this matter. Before you do it, be sure to keep it a secret."

If such a thing were announced beforehand, it would not only likely provoke opposition from the pedantic scholars of the Song Dynasty and create unnecessary complications, but it would also alert the Jin people, making them more prepared. In that case, not only would it fail to force Wanyan Aguda to a decisive battle, but it might also put the Song Dynasty in an even more passive position.

Wu Yong nodded slightly, then bowed and left.

This treacherous plan could not be implemented immediately, because the Song army had not yet fully assembled. During this period, after Wanyan Aguda led his army to retreat, the Song army rapidly swept across the Jin territory from the south, east, and west.

It can be said that most of the area south of Heilongjiang has been captured by the Song army.

Of course, there are also some small towns that, like nails, are firmly rooted in these areas, putting up a stubborn resistance.

Zhao Yu had already given the highest order for these areas: leave a small number of troops to blockade the cities, while the main force continued north to participate in the decisive battle between the Song and Jin dynasties. Once the Li Lin cannons and the "heartless cannons" from the rear were brought up, these small cities could be attacked slowly.

Because of the supreme instructions given by Zhao Yu, Liu Fa, Zhong Shidao, Chen Gou, Tong Guan, and others led their armies to quickly assemble in Shangjing, the capital of the Jin dynasty.

On September 16, Chen Gou and Zhong Shizhong led nearly 60,000 troops from Jidi to Jin Shangjing.

On September 18, Tong Guan and Wang Bing led 70,000 Western Army troops to Jin Shangjing.

On September 19, Zhong Shidao and Li Gang led an army of 50,000 to Jin Shangjing.

On September 20, Liu Fa and Zhao Ding led an army of nearly 100,000 to Jin Shangjing.

Including the troops brought by Zhao Yu, Song Jiang, and others.

The Song Dynasty amassed over 500,000 troops in Jin's capital, Shangjing, and publicly claimed to have a million troops—half of the Song Dynasty's army was gathered here.

This is actually why Song Jiang, Zong Ze, and others advised Zhao Yu to negotiate peace with the Jin Dynasty first. In fact, if the Song army were to be defeated in the decisive battle between Song and Jin, it would definitely shake the foundation of the Song Dynasty, and even the foundation of the Central Plains dynasty.

In other words, if the Song Dynasty were to be defeated here, the consequences would be catastrophic, far exceeding anyone's imagination.

First, the military collapse will be irreversible.

The annihilation of over 500,000 troops meant that the Song Dynasty's elite forces were almost completely wiped out. The Divine Machine Army, the Four Auxiliary Armies, the Imperial Guards of the Capital Region, the Imperial Guards of the Northwest, the Imperial Guards of Hebei, the Imperial Guards of Jiangnan, the Tiger Warriors, and the troops of Jidi—it can be said that at least half of the Song Dynasty's main force was here.

These main forces, who have been guarding the frontier and suppressing internal rebellions for many years, are now mostly gathered on this black soil in Northeast China. If they are defeated, the Jin army's iron cavalry could march south as if entering an empty land, not only recovering lost territory but also possibly penetrating the Great Wall and driving straight into the heart of the Central Plains.

At that time, the Great Wall and the Yellow River might be able to hold out for a while, but without the main force of the army, those passes and fortresses that were originally built with the support of the army will become empty shells, isolated and helpless.

Even worse, the Jin army might march directly towards Bianliang (Kaifeng), the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, repeating the tragedy of the An Lushan Rebellion, where "the drums of war shook the earth, shattering the 'Rainbow Feather Garment Dance'."

Secondly, a political collapse will follow.

If Zhao Yu were to personally lead an expedition and suffer a defeat, his prestige would be severely diminished, if not completely destroyed.

At that time, those gentry and landlords who were already dissatisfied with his reforms might seize the opportunity to cause trouble. The court would be plunged into endless quarrels and infighting. Some would advocate moving south to avoid disaster, while others would demand the execution of the pro-war faction to appease the people. It might even trigger a struggle for the throne.

In local areas, officials and generals who hold a small amount of military power may, upon seeing the weakness of the imperial court, amassed their own armies and created a situation of regional separatism.

After all, since the end of the Tang Dynasty, the shadow of the rebellion of the regional military governors had never truly dissipated. Once the imperial court lost its deterrent power, ambitious individuals in various regions would inevitably become restless, and the unified situation of the Song Dynasty would cease to exist.

Furthermore, the economic collapse would only exacerbate the situation.

The Song Dynasty had invested enormous human, financial, and material resources to destroy the Jin Dynasty. If it were to lose, not only would all its previous investments be wasted, but the Jin army's invasion would also destroy agricultural production, commerce, and various industrial facilities in the Central Plains.

As the economic center of the Song Dynasty, the Yellow River basin would suffer a sharp decline in grain production if it were ravaged by war, inevitably leading to famine.

In order to rebuild the army and defend against foreign enemies, the imperial court could only further increase taxes, which would incite discontent among the people and even lead to large-scale peasant uprisings.

It is important to know that the Huang Chao Rebellion broke out against the backdrop of war and widespread suffering at the end of the Tang Dynasty.

If we lose this battle, the Song Dynasty today will probably be unable to withstand such a blow.

Finally, the loss of national confidence will be difficult to recover.

Since its founding, the Song Dynasty had fought wars with the Liao, Western Xia, Tubo, and Joseon dynasties, but it had never experienced such a large-scale defeat in a decisive battle.

If the more than 500,000 troops were to be wiped out, it would surely plunge the Han people into deep despair. The people would lose trust in the court, lose hope for the future, and might even have the thought that "Heaven has forsaken the Song Dynasty."

The Jin dynasty would then use this victory to further promote its "mandate of heaven," attracting more tribes to submit, and possibly even inciting ethnic minorities within the Song dynasty to rebel.

By then, the Song Dynasty would not only face external military pressure but also internal ethnic conflicts, plunging it into a desperate situation of internal and external troubles.

It was precisely because they saw all this that Song Jiang, Zong Ze, and others advocated peace, wanting to stabilize Zhao Yu's position.

But Zhao Yu knew very well that the current situation was like rowing against the current; if you didn't move forward, you would fall behind, and he had to give it a try.

Of course, given the current situation, the consequences would be far too severe if the Song Dynasty were to be defeated in the decisive battle.

Therefore, Zhao Yu issued orders to the various passes in the rear, especially those along the Great Wall, instructing them to strengthen their defenses. If the Song Dynasty were to be defeated in this decisive battle and the Jin army were to advance south, anyone who made a mistake would be executed along with their entire family, with no room for leniency. At the same time, he devoted all his efforts to preparing for the decisive battle, determined not to lose this crucial battle.

In order to win this decisive battle, Zhao Yu appointed veteran general Liu Fa as Grand Marshal, Zhong Shidao as Marshal, Wang Bing, Zhong Shizhong, and He Guan as Deputy Marshals, and Chen Gou, Song Jiang, Tong Guan, Li Gang, Zong Ze, Zhang Shuye, and Zhao Ding as Supervisors. Young Song generals such as Yue Fei, Han Shizhong, Wu Jie, Liu Qi, Zhang Jun, Liu Guangshi, Wu Lin, Yang Yizhong, Wang De, Wu Yan, Zhao Li, and Li Yanxian, along with their respective armies, were all placed in key and strategic positions.

This battle for the fate of the nation has now officially begun...

……

(End of this chapter)