The Song Dynasty on the Sand Table

Chapter 321 Catching a Small Weakness

Yue Wenxuan personally led the rescue team, and the results were quite good. With him around, the rough-around-the-edges men spoke much more gently and dared not be harsh to the people, each putting on a show of gentleness. Of course, there were still some people who couldn't control their tongues and occasionally blurted out words like "your mother" or "fuck," but this didn't scare the people.

Because most of the people were illiterate, and they were all of similar education level.

Well-intentioned fucking and malicious fucking are still different.

The rescue work was proceeding in an orderly manner. The remaining civilians hiding in the ruins, lured by food, emerged from their hiding places and began to communicate with the bald soldiers.

One advantage of being bald is that you look like a monk!
Doing good deeds while wearing a monk's head is always more readily accepted.

Before long, Yue Wenxuan had gathered seven or eight hundred refugees around him, and more people were joining him one after another.

Just then, a horn sounded outside the city...

Upon hearing the sound, the people who had just gathered together scattered back into the ruins.

"There's going to be a war!"

"Who's coming next?"

The terrified screams were filled with despair...

Yue Wenxuan knew without even looking that Zhang Jun from the Southern Song Dynasty had arrived.

He gently comforted everyone, "Don't be afraid, everyone. Hide well, or if you are brave enough, you can come up to the city wall to watch the battle. We will drive away the invading enemy and ensure everyone's safety."

Some of the bolder ones, carrying the food bags given to them by the bald soldiers, carefully climbed up the city wall and nervously looked out of the city.

Yue Wenxuan also went up to the city wall and stood next to Gong Erniangzi.

A large army slowly approached from outside the south gate.

The central banner bore the character "Zhang," indeed belonging to Zhang Jun, one of the four generals who revived the Southern Song Dynasty.

Yue Wenxuan had absolutely no liking for this person, and of course he wouldn't be polite in the slightest. He ordered Gong Erniangzi, "This is scum. Don't hold back, beat him to death."

Zhang Jun, who was outside the city, was frowning at this moment.

Just now, a small group of cavalrymen escaped back to his unit and reported the situation in Chuzhou City to him.

Of course, these cavalrymen weren't entirely clear on what was going on, but even they, in their ignorance, knew that the men who had just dealt with them weren't Li Cheng's. Using the process of elimination, they immediately realized that the troops stationed here were from the Northern Song Dynasty.

When Zhang Jun arrived at Chuzhou City, he looked up and saw a large banner with the character "宫" (palace) flying on the city wall.

This is very interesting!

The intelligence agencies of the Southern Song Dynasty were not blind. They had known for a long time that the Northern Song Dynasty had already extended its reach to Xiapi. They just did not expect the Northern Song Dynasty to arrive so quickly. Not long after taking Xiapi, they had already reached Chuzhou.

Zhang Jun knew very well that, compared to the Jin Dynasty, the Emperor actually preferred to eliminate the Northern Song Dynasty.

Because the Northern Song Dynasty was a puppet regime established by a false king, and this puppet regime was precisely the one that posed the greatest threat to Zhao Gou's legitimacy.

Regardless of whether the Prince of He was real or not, as long as he held the title of Prince of He, he was essentially entitled to the right to inherit the Song Dynasty. The Emperor was eager to eliminate him as soon as possible, but the Southern Song Dynasty was too weak militarily and had no ability to reach the Jiaodong Peninsula.

Now that the Northern Song Dynasty has taken the initiative to come to Chuzhou to beg for a beating, it might actually be a good thing.

Zhang Jun's little brain started working at lightning speed. He wanted to make a name for himself, and a great one at that. Capturing Chuzhou City and defeating the Privy Councilor, the highest military commander of the Northern Song Dynasty, would be an excellent achievement. If the Emperor was pleased, he might even be granted a title of king by a different surname.

However, the Northern Song army was certainly not to be trifled with. They had fought hard against the Jin invaders on the Jiaodong Peninsula and successfully defeated several Jin attacks before establishing their regime. Based on this alone, it was certain that they were not easy targets.

They're hard to sculpt, but sculpting them grants immense battle merit. Which would you choose?
The dilemma Zhang Jun is facing now is even more difficult than the choice between the red and blue pills made by the protagonist of The Matrix.

After thinking it over for a long time, he decided to start by shouting. He lined up five hundred trolls and shouted loudly towards the top of the city wall: "Since there is a palace flag, is the Grand Councilor Gong Yi here?"

Gong Er Niangzi also summoned several hundred swearers, who shouted in unison towards the outside of the city: "Gong Yi is here! What do you have to say?"

Zhang Jun: "There is only one Great Song Dynasty, and only my Emperor Zhao Gou is the legitimate ruler. I advise you all to repent and return to the Great Song Dynasty. This is the best course of action. If you return now, you will at least have the position of a Supreme General. If you remain obstinate, you will surely..."

Before he could finish speaking, the hundreds of cursing men beside Gong Erniangzi roared in unison: "To ask me to return to the Great Song Dynasty would be to disregard the people of Jiaodong! This is an outrage against Heaven! Zhao Gou has acted against Heaven and has lost his virtue; he is unworthy to be a ruler. Our Northern Song Emperor Zhao Shi is wise and mighty; he vows to fight the Jin invaders to the death, and only then will he be a true wise ruler."

Zhang Jun: "..."

Damn it, I opened my mouth and someone immediately seized on this little thing.

Abandoning the land north of the Yangtze River would be unbearable not only for the people of Jiaodong, but also for many of the ministers of the Southern Song Dynasty itself.

Zong Ze died of illness because he refused to abandon Jiangbei and defended Kaifeng to the death.

There was also a large group of pro-war civil officials who argued and played games with the pro-peace faction in the court every day, each one passionate and determined to recover Jiangbei.

The Northern Song Dynasty used this excuse to say that Zhao Gou was immoral, which was entirely justified and quite plausible.

We can't let them keep chanting this slogan!

The further south this slogan spread, the less the peacemakers could hold their ground.

Zhang Jun is a proponent of peace!
"Since they won't listen to reason, then don't blame me for taking a hard line." Zhang Jun decided to give it a try and see just how powerful the Northern Song Dynasty was, capable of withstanding the Jurchen invaders.

The thunderous sound of war drums rang out, and a large group of Southern Song soldiers began to deploy outside Chuzhou City, appearing ready to attack the city.

Strictly speaking, it couldn't be considered a siege, because even the city gates of Chuzhou were burned down.

The city gate could not be closed at all. The Northern Song army had just taken over the dilapidated city and did not have time to reinstall the city gate.

Such a city can be breached in one fell swoop as long as the attacking side dares to fight.

Zhang Jun adopted a stance, intending to intimidate the Northern Song army and see how they would react.

However, the reaction of the Northern Song army was immediately beyond his expectations.

They had no intention of defending the city at all. An army slowly walked out of the city gate, stood with their backs to the city wall, and formed a battle formation. The general in the lead was Cai Yang Ma Sheng, one of the four heads of the Ma family.

He was a native of Jiaodong. As soon as he left the city, he shouted at Zhang Jun, "Shameless Southern Song Dynasty! All you ever think about is selling out all the people of Jiaodong! My Ma family has done nothing wrong to the Song Dynasty, and this is how you treat us? I refuse to accept this!"

The Ma family member standing nearby broke out in a cold sweat and quickly whispered, "Master, watch your mouth! You're starting to look more and more like Old Master Qi."

Ma Sheng quickly covered his mouth. Oh no, he almost started spouting nonsense like Old Man Qi before the battle. How unrefined! How unrefined!

(End of this chapter)