You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 110 Another Turn of Events
In Hangzhou, there certainly won't be much of a New Year's atmosphere this year.

The same was true in Fang La's camp. Their excitement after breaching the city did not last long, and they were soon plunged into panic.

Although they stormed into the city, Hangzhou was already riddled with holes due to their destruction.

Can we hold on?
The refugees driven by Fang La were lying dead everywhere below the city, their bodies turning white from being soaked in the rain.

Some siege equipment was left outside because there wasn't time to bring it into the city. These siege weapons originally belonged to Fang La, but he poured oil on them and burned them. Those that weren't destroyed were then counterattacked with small teams of elite troops.

Otherwise, it would inevitably become a weapon for the Song army to attack them.

The corpses below were indistinguishable, piled up one on top of the other.

Even on the burned siege equipment, charred corpses were still hanging.

Neither side dared to approach to deal with the situation, fearing that the other side might take the opportunity to shoot arrows. The corpses rotted in the water, emitting an extremely foul stench.

Beneath the city walls, there were gaps dug out everywhere. Around the gaps were discarded large shields and rubble.

The city gates were riddled with holes and would be difficult to repair in a short time.

Fang La began sending people to repair the city walls, and the city walls of Hangzhou were indeed quite impressive.

Although there has been no war here for over a hundred years since the Song Dynasty destroyed the Southern Tang and unified the Jiangnan region.

But it is, after all, a city famous throughout the world.

It has the foundation from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

News from the surrounding areas also came in one after another, almost all of which were reports of defeat, which made Fang La extremely depressed.

As the Song army's encirclement tightens, they may eventually lose all access to news from the outside world.

Fang La was somewhat discouraged at this point; the matter of rebellion seemed to be more difficult than he had imagined.

Moreover, the timing doesn't seem right yet.
Before capturing Hangzhou, they were invincible, but after taking this great city, they suffered a series of defeats.

A few days ago, he ordered Fang Qifo to lead 60,000 men to attack Xiuzhou, where the defending general Wang Ziwu held out for reinforcements. Song general He Guan arrived and joined forces with Wang Ziwu in the city to attack, beheading 9000 men. Fang Qifo led the remaining troops back to Hangzhou.

This dampened their morale for a long time.

Immediately afterwards, news came that the rebel general Zheng Mowang was leading another rebel army to attack Changshan and Jiangshan, and quickly captured the two cities and took control of the area surrounding Xinzhou City.

However, Wang Yu, the Song general guarding Xinzhou, resisted the uprising by deploying defenses in different areas and setting up ambushes, which hindered the rebel army's attack on Xinzhou.

Later, Gao Zhilin, the general of Xinzhou, commanded the Song army that had been lying in ambush to launch an attack, cutting off Zheng Mowang's retreat. The chaotic army was defeated and forced to retreat.

Wang Yu ordered the Song army to pursue and chase, and the three Song armies attacked simultaneously. The chaotic army suffered heavy casualties, and Zheng the Demon King was captured alive and beheaded.

Fang La was filled with worry. Even on New Year's Day, he had no heart to celebrate and only took a few trusted men to patrol the city walls.

Below the city walls, there were dark, gloomy places, like giant beasts lurking there, waiting for their chance to devour their prey—these were the Song army's camps.

In addition, there are other bright spots, some curved like snakes, others round like the moon, shimmering with a faint, cool light under the moonlight—these are lakes and rivers.

These waterways became his biggest worry; without a navy under his command, how could he fight against the imperial navy?

He's starting to doubt whether taking Hangzhou was the right thing to do.
Historically, he was given time to consolidate Hangzhou, but things are different now.

Speed ​​is of the essence in war, and because Chen Shao arrived early, he used his cavalry to disrupt Chen Shao's expansion.

This led to Fang La entering Hangzhou early, initiating the trap of being caught like a turtle in a jar. He had so many things left undone before becoming the prey.

As Fang La gazed at the crisscrossing waterways shimmering in the moonlight, a thought arose in his mind: If Hangzhou could not be defended, should he escape by water?

He glanced in the direction of Muzhou, where his hometown was located. If he were to escape, he hoped it would be to Muzhou.

Chen Shao's camp outside the city actually didn't have many troops left. He knew that the main force to break through the city this time would definitely be Tan Zhen's navy.

He was in his tent, looking at the latest military report, and couldn't help but click his tongue.

Tan Zhen's fighting style is very similar to Tong Guan's, both emphasizing ruthlessness.

In fact, Chen Shao should have realized upon careful consideration that Tan Zhen and the people he led were all part of Tong Guan's core team.

Tong Guan's battle plans were not made by him alone; in fact, they were the work of these people.

He was just the one who made the final decision.

After Fang La was brought into Hangzhou and then surrounded from all sides, the refugee army outside the city suddenly lost its leader.

They can only fight their own battles.

Then Tan Zhen increased the rewards and punishments, mobilized the Zhejiang soldiers, and the gentry and powerful families of Zhejiang and Jiangsu to surround and kill the rioters.

He then issued an order: anyone who can behead someone will be rewarded.

This caused an uproar. Many officers and soldiers would arrest and kill anyone they encountered, regardless of whether they were rebels or not, in order to claim the reward. They even entered people's homes and killed innocent civilians for the reward.

Having escaped numerous dangers and finally returned home, the people were once again met with annihilation.

On the seventh day, Chen Shao, accompanied by his personal guards, arrived at Tan Zhen's camp.

With a series of heavy footsteps, the curtain of the central command tent was lifted, and Chen Shao strode in. Everyone in the tent turned to look at him.

This person is a legendary figure.

In particular, most of the generals in the tent had seen how obsequious he was to Commander Xuan back then, and this was the first time they had seen him since the falling out.

Behind him stood two people, one fat and one thin.

The fat one is Dong Dahu, who has a notorious reputation in the Northwest. He often uses a copper hammer to smash people's skulls.

The thin one is Pang Ge, who is a common Hengshan barbarian general in Chen Shao's camp.

Tan Zhen had already stood up, a smile spreading across his face. "Brother Shao, why are you here so early?"

The generals were surprised that Lord Tan was so polite to them. Could it be that he had repaired his relationship with Commander Xuan?
Chen Shao smiled, clasped his hands, and said, "It's been several months since we last met; Lord Tan has lost weight."

"Someone, bring a chair."

Chen Shao didn't stand on ceremony and sat down heavily, pressing his hands on his knees as he said, "Lord Tan, I've come here on someone's behalf. During Fang La's rebellion, Jiangnan suffered greatly, with only three or four out of ten people surviving. Fortunately, Lord Tan stepped forward, sweeping away the enemy's stronghold and eliminating many of their leaders. You have truly made a great contribution."

"However, recently, some thieves have been impersonating Lord Tan and ravaging the people everywhere."

Tan Zhen's expression darkened, and his smile slowly faded.

Chen Shao ignored him and continued, "If this continues, I fear it will incite another popular uprising and ruin Commander Xuan's great campaign against Liao."

Tan Zhen's face was stern. "Such a thing is true!"

"Don't worry, Brother Shao, I will investigate thoroughly. If anyone is found to be abusing the people, military law will be merciless!"

He now understands a bit of what Xuan Shuai felt.

Just as Tong Guan loved Chen Shao, so too did Tan Zhen.

This kid really doesn't side with you when it matters!

I've given him so much face, yet he immediately started subtly criticizing me. What will I use to reward my subordinates after all this trouble?
If we don't let them kill and rob themselves, do we really expect them to pay for it themselves?

If we were to ask the current imperial court for money, let alone whether they would give it or not, even if they did, what would happen if we were to launch a campaign against Liao?
Do you know how much money and grain it would take to quell such a large-scale rebellion?

Chen Shao knew nothing about these unspeakable questions; he only knew that some things in the world were permissible, while others were not.

And is there really no other way?
It's simply a matter of reducing one's own greed, truly distributing military pay to the soldiers, being less greedy, working harder, and actively raising funds and provisions.

Use some of the energy you spend scheming and backstabbing, even if it's just for fundraising!
You can recruit quite a few from Liangzhe. Even if you slaughter Zhu Mian, that fat pig, it would be enough for your imperial guards to have a good New Year.

Does it have to be this cruel to the people?

What are you afraid of?
Why don't you dare kill Zhu Mian? He's made such a huge mess, do you think the people behind him would protect him to the death?

Back in Bianliang, even Commander Xuan would have to praise you for your decisiveness.

Chen Shao received a satisfactory reply, stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "The camp cannot be without men, Lord Tan. This humble general will return to the camp now. We will meet again after we break through Hangzhou."

Tan Zhen nodded. Compared to his enthusiasm when he arrived, Tan Zhen didn't even get up when Chen Shao left.

Tan Zhen was displeased, but Chen Shao was even angrier. If the time wasn't too ripe, he would have ordered all the Imperial Guards to be slaughtered. The words "traitorous convicts" perfectly described their character.

Back at the camp, the clerk stepped forward, frowning, and said, "General, there are far too many people coming to seek refuge."

The fact that his subordinates did not mistreat the people had already spread, and the people who were afraid naturally flocked to the defense zone controlled by Chen Shao.

Chen Shao was also helpless; his territory wasn't here, and he couldn't save too many people.

Hopefully, Tan Zhen will listen to some of what he says this time.

They always thought he was going against them, but Chen Shao was also frustrated. He wasn't targeting anyone; he just wanted to guide everyone onto the right path.

Back in his tent, Chen Shao stared at the map and suddenly felt a bit stifled.

Da Hu pulled back the curtain, and the cold wind outside made him feel a bit better than before.

Still seething with resentment, Chen Shao drew his sword from his waist and slashed at a corner of the desk.

"Not worth discussing strategy with!"

In February, Tan Zhen almost defeated the rebel forces in the southeastern region one by one.

He finally began to plan the siege.

Fang La also became ruthless. Ignoring Wang Yin's advice, he arranged for able-bodied men to guard the city according to the household registration list of Hangzhou.

Regardless of whether they were gentry or commoners, every day one-fifth of the households in the city, men, women, and children, were required to go to the city to prepare for war.

Those who were negligent were executed on the spot, and the women were sent to their own soldiers to be used as camp prostitutes.

Then, loyal believers were selected to form a supervisory team, with twenty supervisory soldiers assigned to every thousand militiamen to oversee the battle and enforce the law, in order to prevent any unforeseen events.

The next day, Fang La's men escorted groups of the elderly, women, and children up to the city wall, which puzzled Chen Shao.

Then, one basket after another came down from the city wall.

The baskets were full of men, young and old, all weeping and wailing, their faces filled with reluctance.

Fang La's soldiers on the city wall shouted at them, telling them to go downstairs and repair the city wall.

Some people started to run away as soon as they landed, and then their family members were pinned to the city wall and beheaded.

Fang La's soldiers grabbed the man's hair, spun his head around rapidly, and then threw it down violently.

Even so, some people still chose to run away, while others, for the sake of their families, had no choice but to obey their orders and fill the holes with bricks and stones from the baskets.

Chen Shao felt a bit uncomfortable. Everyone in and around the city was a monster!

The Song army had no choice but to shoot and kill the Hangzhou civilians who were repairing the city walls.

Even so, it was still very effective, mainly because Fang La's soldiers did not regard these people as human beings. Even if they sacrificed ten lives to repair a stone, they would consider it worthwhile.

Every day, hundreds of people are pushed up to their deaths.

Chen Shao didn't know what Tan Zhen was waiting for. The navy wasn't attacking yet; all he needed to do was create a breach and throw Hangzhou into chaos.

Fang La may not have had the ambition to stay in Hangzhou and fight street battles.

Earlier, when the rebels breached the city, I had already planted many soldiers and troops to infiltrate the city.

They could even open the city gates.

Everything will be fine as long as the navy begins its attack.

But he just wouldn't attack.

At the end of February, Chen Shao sent someone to relay a message to Tan Zhen: "With a naval attack, Hangzhou can fall in an instant."

Tan Zhen replied that he was the military commissioner of Liangzhe, and they had their own arrangements, and told Chen Shao not to interfere with the decision-making.

Furious and helpless, Chen Shao could only idly sit around.

He has even begun having his men help the local people rebuild their homes.

He didn't expect the reputation he had built up in Jiangnan today to be of any use in the future; he simply had nothing else to do.

Looking at Chen Shao alone, his actions in Jiangnan were not particularly good.

He annihilated many refugees and rebel armies, packed up all the spoils of war, and had them transported back to the Northwest by caravans.

However, compared to Fang La, Tan Zhen, Chen Jian, Zhao Ting, the Liangzhe Xiang Army, Fang La's rebel army, and the Beijing Imperial Guards, Chen Shao was practically a saint.

In this battle, the only force protecting the civilians was the Northwest Dingnan Army, which consisted of half of the Tibetan troops.

Finally, on the seventh day of the third month, after a light rain, Tan Zhen ordered the navy to attack Hangzhou.

With the support of various forces, they blocked the escape route of Fang La's rebel army.

Once the war began, it quickly escalated to a fever pitch.

As the war drums sounded, squads of Song soldiers, lined up in square formations, raised their shields in perfect unison and slowly assembled at the foot of the city walls. In the middle of each formation, heavy siege equipment such as catapults, ladders, flying bridges, siege towers, siege rams, and siege turrets were being towed by taut ropes. Laborers chanted work songs as they carried the siege equipment down to the city walls, the army's spirit as imposing as a mountain.

Various warships began to line up, preparing to attack the water fortress of Hangzhou.

The defenders on the city wall were terrified. Various warning drums, clappers, and gongs sounded one after another. Squads of soldiers rushed to the crenellations behind the parapet, panting heavily as they prepared for battle.

Fang La sent men to guard the granaries and warehouses, ready to set them on fire as soon as the city fell.

We won't leave a single thing for those treacherous dogs in the imperial court!
The Imperial Guards arrived with a large army on giant ships and rafts, intending to break through the pontoon bridges and stockade walls and rush straight to the walls of Hangzhou.

Tan Zhen, perched high above under a red parasol, leisurely watched the siege unfold below.

The reason he hadn't attacked Fang La was that he was waiting for his own elite troops to return after wiping out the surrounding rebel forces.

Fang La rebelled and declared himself emperor. Suppressing him was no ordinary achievement; how could it fall to someone else?

The soldiers hidden in those giant ships were mostly from the victorious army, led by He Guan.

They must be the ones to storm into Hangzhou and capture or kill Fang La alive.

Seeing the giant ships approaching, Wang Yin, who was guarding the water fortress, made a decisive decision. He immediately sounded the retreat, poured countless amounts of oil into the river, and set it ablaze. The flames burned high into the sky.

The Song Dynasty navy, however, was prepared. The hulls were coated with some kind of fire-resistant material, so they could not be ignited at all. Instead, they broke through the flames and crashed into the fortress.

Wang Yin looked up and sighed. The situation was hopeless. Ming Wang was right. His group was not prepared at all.

He grabbed Fang Qifo, who was shooting arrows, and shouted, "Quickly go and help the Ming King break through the encirclement!"

"What about you?"

"I will die with the traitors of the Song Dynasty!"

After saying that, he was about to jump into the sea of ​​fire.

Fang Qifo pulled him back and said, "Let's go together!"

After a moment's hesitation, Wang Yin followed him back into the city.

Fang La was on the city wall when he saw the two men rushing over. He asked, "Why did you leave the water fortress?"

"The Song navy has breached the naval fortress, Your Majesty, let's go!"

Fang La did not object. He had already made all the preparations and said, "I have already sent people to load the boats. We will go west down the river to our hometown of Muzhou, hide in the deep mountains, and live a carefree life!"

"The Song navy consists entirely of large ships; they cannot catch up with us!"

Upon hearing this, everyone realized that the Ming King had already prepared an escape route.

They opened the western water fortress, and with several hundred of their closest followers, boarded a ship and fled west.

This road was right in Chen Shao's defense zone. He watched as small boats sped along the river, his men tucking their quivers and waiting for his orders.

Chen Shao glanced at the flames engulfing Hangzhou city, then at the small boats, and waved his hand, saying, "Don't shoot arrows, chase after them on horseback!"

This group of people had been trapped in Hangzhou for a long time and were unaware of the situation in Muzhou, yet they were still heading there.
Wu Jie had long ago laid down iron chains on the river to prevent them from escaping from their stronghold into the mountains of Jiangxi.

(End of this chapter)