I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 415 General Yue Fei
...

In late autumn, the leaden sky hung low over the Northeast Plain, and the wind swirled withered yellow grass blades across the open fields, sounding like countless faint, mournful cries.

In the distance, bare branches of withered trees cast jagged silhouettes against the gloomy sky, a chilling atmosphere pervading the world. Even the sunlight, stingy with its presence, hides behind the clouds, letting in only a few dim rays to barely illuminate this land soon to be stained with blood.

As noon approached, in front of the Song army's lines, Wu Yong specially selected one hundred members of the Jin royal family, imperial clan, nobles, and officials, who were pushed onto a high platform that he had specially built.

Some struggled, some cried out, but it was no use; the Song soldiers still pushed them to this place of certain death.

The wind blew their disheveled hair, obscuring their faces, some pale and some serene.

The Song soldier's hand gripped the knife as firmly as a rock, the blade gleaming coldly in the dim light.

Wu Yong, who was in charge of overseeing the execution, smiled on the surface, as if everything was under his control.

In reality, his heart had sunk to the bottom.

He is likely to lose this psychological battle.

Wu Yong had considered that the Jin people might choose to endure and delay the decisive battle until winter, then fight the Song army with the mentality that a desperate army is bound to win. In that case, the outcome of the decisive battle would be truly unpredictable.

In response, Wu Yong had already devised a backup plan for Zhao Yu; no, it should be said that Zhao Yu's other advisors had already devised a backup plan for him.

The backup plan is to abandon Jinshangjing first, retreat to a safe place, set up a strong defense, and then launch a counterattack when spring arrives next year.

Undoubtedly, this is the safest option—definitely much safer than fighting the Jin army in winter.

However, adopting this method might lead to unexpected complications and additional costs.

Of course, this is much better than the Song Dynasty being defeated in the decisive battle.

That's right, in that case, Wu Yong's contribution would be lost.

Wu Yong was extremely unwilling to accept this, so he was determined to go all the way, thinking, "Eliminating these Jurchen dogs for my Great Song Dynasty is a good thing!"

Seeing that the Jin army showed no intention of engaging in a decisive battle, at noon, Wu Yong threw down his command arrow and shouted, "The time has come! Execute them one by one!"

As soon as Wu Yong finished speaking, the first golden statue was forced to kneel on the ground. Immediately afterwards, a dull thud broke through the howling wind, and a head rolled onto the high platform.

Blood spurted out immediately, staining the platform beneath them red, like a cluster of eerie flowers that had suddenly bloomed.

The wind picked up, carrying the stench of blood everywhere.

As the blade flashed, heads fell one after another onto the high platform.

The stench of blood, mixed with the astringent smell of withered grass, lingered over the wilderness for a long time.

There was a faint commotion in the Jin army camp in the distance, while on this high platform, only corpses lay scattered about and a hundred heads with hideous faces remained, silently telling the story of this cruel persecution in the cold autumn wind.

The wind, carrying a heavy stench of blood, swept across the open fields and rushed straight towards the Jin army's camp.

The Jin soldiers, already filled with righteous indignation, smelled the nauseating stench and saw their Jin royal family, clansmen, nobles, and officials falling one after another in pools of blood in the direction of the high platform.

"That's... the Eighth Prince!!!"

A golden figure holding a telescope gasped softly, its voice trembling uncontrollably.

The Eighth Prince is Wanyan Zongqiang, the eighth son of Wanyan Aguda. He was enfeoffed as the Prince of Ji by Wanyan Aguda. He is only eleven years old this year and has not yet come of age.

Unexpectedly, he, who had never done anything evil, also died here.

Watching the familiar members of the Jin royal family, clan, nobles, and officials fall one after another into pools of blood, the previously quiet Jin camp was now like a lake with a boulder thrown in, with turbulent waves surging instantly.

"Song dog is shameless!"

A furious roar ripped through the sky!

It was Wanyan Salihe.

He pointed in the direction of the Song army, his veins bulging, and his armor trembled as it clanged.

His personal guards held his arm tightly, preventing him from rushing out impulsively.

More Jin generals gathered around, their faces ashen, watching the swords still flashing on the high platform in the formation. Each flash of the blade felt like a heavy hammer blow to their hearts.

The midday sun briefly brightened, just enough to illuminate the fallen heads. Some faces were still faintly discernible, resembling familiar relatives or colleagues.

The commotion in the Jin camp grew louder and louder. The Jin soldiers' eyes changed from initial astonishment to anger. Their weapons trembled slightly in their hands, and their breathing was heavy and thunderous.

The wind carried not only the stench of blood, but also the faint shouts of the Song army from the front lines, a blatant provocation.

"Your Majesty! Please order the battle!!!" Jin generals kept rushing to Wanyan Aguda to plead for permission, their voices hoarse, "We cannot allow them to humiliate our Great Jin like this again!!!"

Large numbers of Jurchen soldiers surged around Wanyan Aguda's camp, echoing his cries and shouts, which almost drowned out the howling wind. They gritted their teeth, their fists clenched until they turned white, their eyes fixed on the blood-stained platform in front of the Song army, their eyes burning with rage.

The flags of the Jin Kingdom fluttered in the wind. The once calm Jin camp had now become a volcano about to erupt, seemingly waiting only for Wanyan Aguda's order to charge into the opposite battlefield.

In response, Wanyan Aguda reasoned with him and appealed to his emotions, saying:
"How could I not want to go to war?! What you see is what I see; what you suffer is what I suffer!"
Those slaughtered by the Song traitors were the blood of my Great Jin royal family and the dignity of my Great Jin! Seeing this, my heart is torn apart, and I wish I could immediately lead you all to raze the Song camp to the ground, tear the corpses of the Song traitors to pieces, and devour them to avenge my family!

However, I am the Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty; how can I act solely on a whim of anger?!
You all know how powerful the Song army is now. Their firearms are incredibly powerful; a single cannon shot can throw our army into disarray. Their armor is excellent, and our swords and spears cannot penetrate it.

If our Great Song were to go to war at this time, it would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock and walking into a dead end!
It is not that I do not want to fight, but that I am unable to fight and dare not fight!
Even worse, my allies, the various tribes of the grasslands, have indicated that if we were to engage in battle with the Song rebels at this time, they would stand by and watch, unwilling to send troops to help, or even withdraw their troops back to the grasslands.

Therefore, if we rashly go to war now, and are defeated, our Great Jin will lose all its elite troops, and the destruction of our country and our race will not be far away!
At that time, let alone avenging our clansmen, the ancestral temples and state of the Great Jin Dynasty will likely be destroyed in an instant!
I know how difficult it is for you to endure this temporary humiliation. But for the survival of our Great Jin, the future of the Wanyan clan, and the families of all our soldiers, we must endure! We must wait!

When winter comes, we will have all the advantages: favorable timing, geographical location, and popular support. We will unite with our allies, find the weaknesses of the Song traitors, and fight another battle to decide the fate of the world!

At that time, I will personally lead a large army to crush the Song capital and repay today's humiliation a hundredfold, a thousandfold!
"You are all brave warriors of the Great Jin. I believe you can understand my pain and endure my grief and anger today. For the sake of the Great Jin, endure a little longer! I hereby swear that I will avenge my relatives and make the Great Song pay a heavy price for what I have done today..."

After hearing Wanyan Aguda's "heartfelt words," the deafening shouts in the Jin camp gradually subsided, leaving only the howling wind whipping up withered grass and wailing across the wilderness.

Wanyan Sali clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms, and blood seeped from between his fingers, but he was completely unaware. He suddenly knelt down, his voice hoarse as if tearing silk: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I am not reconciled!" "Your Majesty, I am not reconciled either!" The surrounding generals also knelt down, the clanging of armor creating a continuous sound, like a suppressed lament. They gazed towards the high platform, their eyes still burning with anger, but now tinged with struggle and helplessness.

The old general, his voice trembling with fear, spoke, his tone choked with sobs: "Your Majesty's words are clear to us. But... to watch our kinsmen be slaughtered, and to be powerless to do anything about it, how... how is this any different from being a coward?!"

Wanyan Aguda looked at the loyal soldiers before him, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

He slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and said in a deep voice, "I know your hearts. However, if a moment of courage leads to the destruction of the country and the extinction of our race, is that the act of a loyal minister?! Today's humiliation will be remembered by you all! We will endure hardship and bide our time, and one day we will repay the Song traitors!"

"His Majesty……"

Haili wanted to say something, but Wanyan Aguda interrupted him by raising his hand.

"When winter arrives, the Song army will be unable to withstand the cold, and the power of their firearms will be limited. At that time, I will personally lead a large army to crush the Song camp and avenge my kin!" Wanyan Aguda's voice resounded. "Today's forbearance is for tomorrow's revenge! Do you understand?!"

The Jurchens fell silent. They raised their heads and looked at Wanyan Aguda's resolute face, their resentment gradually replaced by determination.

Yes! Your Majesty is absolutely right. For the sake of the survival of the Great Jin, they must endure.

Wanyan Sali took a deep breath, stood up abruptly, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I understand! I am willing to follow Your Majesty, endure this humiliation for now, and wait for the day when I can avenge myself!"

"We are willing to follow Your Majesty! We will endure this humiliation for now and wait for the day we can avenge ourselves!" the generals shouted in unison. Although their voices were not as impassioned as before, they carried a tragic determination.

The wind still howled, but it could no longer dispel the unwavering determination within the Jin camp.

Wanyan Aguda gazed at the high platform in front of the Song army's formation in the distance, his eyes flashing with cold light. 'Zhao Yu, I will repay this humiliation a hundredfold!'

……

Before the Song army's battle formation, beside the high platform.

Guan Sheng came to report to Wu Yong: "Sir, the Jin people have quieted down. Could they be plotting something?"

Wu Yong waved his hand: "Never mind him, we'll continue tomorrow."

After Wu Yong returned to the military camp smoothly, he did not linger for long and immediately went back to the capital of Jin to meet Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu already knew that Wu Yong had failed to force the Jin army into a decisive battle, but he still summoned Wu Yong to an audience.

Upon seeing Zhao Yu, Wu Yong immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I am incompetent. I have caused Your Majesty to suffer disgrace and failed to force out the Jin invaders. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"

Zhao Yu said, "Planning is up to man, but success is up to Heaven. Besides, Aguda is a hero of our time. Before he met me, he had made perfect plans and led his troops to victory in just a few years. It is understandable that he did not fall for your provocation."

Seeing that Zhao Yu did not shift all the blame onto him, Wu Yong was very grateful. He immediately reminded Zhao Yu: "Your Majesty, I observe that the Jin invaders are determined to drag the war into winter. We must not let them succeed. It would be better to immediately withdraw from the rear and defend the strategic locations, and then launch a counterattack next spring when the flowers bloom."

This was a countermeasure that Zhao Yu and his ministers had discussed beforehand. Even though Zhao Yu had personally made the trip, a tactical retreat was still necessary.

Therefore, Zhao Yu quickly issued an edict: "Execute the temporary retirement plan."

At Zhao Yu's command, the first to be evacuated were the people in Jin Shangjing City.

The emperor was sent to heaven to carry the order, and the edict said:
The Jurchen invaders have caused chaos, the borders are not yet at peace, and the soldiers and civilians in the capital have long suffered from the turmoil of war. I am deeply saddened by this.

I hereby issue this decree: All people in the capital city, regardless of whether they are Han, Jurchen, Khitan, or any other ethnicity, are my children. Those who wish to move with my army to Yongming City will be registered as Song citizens and exempted from taxes for three years. During the migration, the government will provide them with sufficient provisions and fodder. Upon arrival in Yongming, all will be allocated houses and land so that they may find their place.

Those who wish to move with our army to Yongming City should pack their belongings within three days and await further orders to depart. Those who do not wish to move with us will not be forced and may do so at their own discretion.

You must inform each other and not miss this opportunity.

Admire this!

Zhao Yu handed the imperial edict to the Hanlin Academy to make several copies, and then local officials copied it into hundreds of copies, which were posted all over the city's streets and alleys.

Before long, the imperial edict was posted in the bustling places of the capital city, including the drum tower, markets, and city gates.

The people gathered to watch. At first, they were somewhat doubtful, but when they learned that the policy included "three years of tax exemption," "free food and grain," and "allocation of houses and land," whispers gradually arose among the crowd, and many people showed expressions of emotion.

Among the people, there were also some sensible individuals who knew that the Song army had already consumed most of the grain in Jin Shangjing City, and had also harvested the grain and fodder near Jin Shangjing City. If they stayed in Jin Shangjing City for the winter, they would likely starve to death due to food shortages.

—The propaganda department of the Song Dynasty deliberately released the news that when the Song army withdrew from the Jin capital, they would burn all the grain that could not be transported, leaving not a single grain for the Jin army.

This greatly increases the probability of famine in Kim Sang-kyung this winter.

If they retreated to Yongming City with the Song army, they could at least be guaranteed food and lodging, and they would still have land to cultivate next year.

From a survival perspective, there was no reason for the people in the Jin capital not to follow the Song army.

Furthermore, although the Song army did commit a lot of killings after capturing the Jin capital, they only killed members of the Jin royal family, imperial clan, nobles, and officials. They did not harm ordinary people at all, and they always traded fairly. This gave the people in the Jin capital more hope for the future.

This led to the vast majority of the people in the Jin capital being willing to follow the Song army.

In this way, even if the Jin people recovered the Jin capital after the Song army withdrew, they would only have an empty city.

Just as Song Dynasty officials were busy spreading the word along the streets, answering the people's questions, and registering families willing to relocate, and the entire capital was bustling with activity in preparation for the retreat three days later, Yue Fei and Liu Qi came quietly to see Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu didn't know why Yue Fei and Liu Qi wanted to see him, but he knew that they were both key generals of the Song Dynasty and the hope for its future.

Therefore, although Zhao Yu was in a bad mood because he failed to force the Jin army to come to a decisive battle, he still met with Yue Fei and Liu Qi as soon as possible.

After the three met, Zhao Yu asked directly, "What brings you two ministers here?"

After exchanging glances, Yue Fei and Liu Qi nodded to Yue Fei, signaling him to speak.

Yue Fei didn't waste any words and said directly, "Your Majesty, the two of us intend to launch a night raid on the Jin camp. If we succeed, our Great Song Dynasty may not have to withdraw its troops..."

……

(End of this chapter)