You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chen Shao's second stop was originally Xiazhou, but he changed his mind at the last minute and went directly to Nuanquan Peak.

Also known as Nuanquan Mountain or Nuanquan Peak.

As Old Zhu said, this place is easy to defend and difficult to attack. One man can hold the pass against ten thousand.

This will be my springboard for attacking the Jurchens.

Starting from here, if we capture Shuozhou, Yingzhou, and Weizhou, we can then reach Yanshan Prefecture to the east and Datong Prefecture to the north.

Warm Spring Peak has never been more important; at least two groups of people will depart from here.

Li Xiaozhong and Zhe Keqiu held off the Jurchen attack, while Zhu Lingling's light cavalry was about to enter Shuozhou, Yingzhou, and Weizhou.

The Jurchens had not yet established a rule here; it was nominally their territory, but in reality, it was entirely controlled by powerful clans.

Chen Shao predicted that after he entered, some powerful figures would surrender to him out of fear of the Jurchens' brutality.

Only in Datong Prefecture did the Han army commander Liu, who had wholeheartedly surrendered to the Jin Dynasty, gather, along with some Jurchen troops.

These people are unlikely to surrender and will fight to the death.

Their combat effectiveness is extremely high, and we must deal with them with caution.

We really have to thank Yelü Yanxi for this situation. It was his relentless efforts to refuse to surrender, coupled with his ability to escape and hide, that kept the Jurchen Tartars from taking action.

Of course, one should always be wary of others, so Chen Shao left Wu Jie and the entire Youzhou army to guard the local area.

He himself will most likely lead the Lingwu army through Shaanxi and into the Central Plains.

Riding on horseback, Chen Shao held a whip in his hand, looking at the countless laborers building roads below Nuanquan Peak, his heart filled with excitement.

This arrangement was the result of countless days and nights of deduction. In this way, even if the humiliation of Jingkang was not completely annihilated, the Jurchens could be contained to a great extent.

It's even possible to expose them back to their original form!
It's uncertain whether the final outcome will follow this plan.

The battle situation is ever-changing, and there is no fixed path forever, but Chen Shaozhen has a clear conscience.

From the moment he had his aunt pay for a supply train to transport grain on Fuyan Road, Chen Shao had been preparing for this day.

A man's heart remains as firm as iron until death; let's see if he can mend the crack in the sky!
Inside a military camp in Yanjing City.

Zhang Jue looked up at the night sky and saw only heavy dark clouds and a deep twilight.

His mood was even darker than the gloomy sky.

Li Anbi stood beside him and said, "Don't overthink it."

Zhang Jue sighed and said, "I wonder how they are doing."

Li Anbi knew who he was talking about; even after the fall of Pingzhou, there were still many people resisting.

Zhang Dungu, Zhang Huai, Zhao Mixiao, Gao Lan, and all his trusted confidants have all disappeared without a trace.

It's unclear whether they died in battle, defected to the enemy, or escaped.

Zhang Jue leaned against the windowsill, sighed, and said, "I regret it so much. If I had known that the Song emperor and his ministers were so cowardly and that Yanshan Prefecture would break its promise, I shouldn't have come. Dying in battle in Pingzhou is a fitting end."

Li Anbi said, "Brother, don't be discouraged; there may still be a chance for things to turn around."

"It's very difficult."

In warfare, it is essential to strike with full force. While you are delaying sending troops, the Jin army is slaughtering people in Pinglu.

If Yanshan Prefecture didn't send troops on the first day, then it's impossible for them to send troops later. Otherwise, all the officials in this prefecture would be incompetent fools.

Li Anbi felt somewhat guilty, as he had personally gone to Bianliang to surrender to the Song Dynasty. At that time, he felt that the Song emperor was like a god, and Bianliang was adorned with flowers and brocade, and was extremely wealthy and powerful.

Who knew that it was all just a facade, and that the reality was so appalling.

No wonder they couldn't even defeat the dying Liao Dynasty, and were repeatedly defeated by Xiao Gan and Yelü Dashi.

"If they refuse to send troops, I will lead our own people away, and die in Pingzhou!"

Hearing Zhang Jue's words, Li Anbi's worries deepened. He felt that things were probably not that simple.

In the past few days, he felt that there were more soldiers around him than on the first day.

I hope it's just my imagination.
Li Anbi shook his head and, together with Zhang Jue, looked up at the dark night sky.

My mood gradually sank to rock bottom.
-
The autumn scenery of Bianliang (Kaifeng) and Dongjing (Kaifeng) has always been a source of great interest.

Winter is approaching, and there are few autumn scenes left, only the remnants of autumn.

The banquets and excursions at Genyue have become even more frequent, as if they could hold onto the last vestiges of autumn scenery.

Today, in Genyue, Zhao Ji held an autumn appreciation banquet, inviting people who were nominally noble and distinguished, such as the imperial son-in-law and military commander, literary officials, and sons of meritorious families.

However, once the news spread, the number of people who came was even greater than those who were invited. Many people who were not summoned came anyway, shamelessly.

Emperor Huizong of Song had one redeeming quality: he loved lively gatherings and wouldn't drive away uninvited guests. As long as you didn't spoil his fun and joined in the eating, drinking, and merrymaking, he didn't mind.

Liang Shicheng was too old to take charge, so Tan Zhen was put in charge of the arrangements.

Anyone of high rank was invited to sit down, and several tables were set up, creating a lively atmosphere in his palace.

Since it was a banquet to appreciate the autumn and welcome the winter, there was no need for such strict formalities, and the emperor and his ministers enjoyed themselves immensely.

The banquet was held in the garden facing the open landscape of the palace. Under the brocade canopy, tables and chairs were arranged in a staggered manner.

The attendees each sat at a table, yet moved around with their cups, drinking together, chatting, playing pitch-pot, admiring the scenery, or whispering. They were all dressed casually, disregarding formalities, and appeared quite unrestrained.

Emperor Huizong sat at the head of the table, accompanied by two beautiful young ladies-in-waiting, who smiled and chatted with anyone.

He was already a handsome man, but now he was even more radiant, his sleeves fluttering, looking like a celestial being.

Zhao Liangsi also arrived. Given his relationship with Tong Guan's faction, Tan Zhen would definitely arrange a seat for him, albeit at the very end.

Looking at the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Liangsi felt a mix of emotions. After these years of torment, he truly regretted his actions.

He originally thought that the Song Dynasty was a superior country and that he was a descendant of the Han Chinese who had fallen to the northern border, so he acted rashly and betrayed the Liao Dynasty to come and join the Song Dynasty.

As a result, these past few years have tormented him to the point of exhaustion, and he has come to see the true nature of the Song Dynasty's rulers and ministers, which are no different from those of Emperor Tianzuo and his favored officials.

He personally spearheaded the "Alliance at Sea," providing the Song Dynasty with a powerful ally, yet he suffered such a crushing defeat in Nanjing.

Now that they've bought back Yanjing Prefecture with money, they're still gloating, and the entire court is deceiving themselves.

It's not the Liao Dynasty, but it's just as bad.

Zhao Liangsi didn't ask anyone to drink with him; he just kept pouring wine into his cup, and soon he was quite drunk.

Suddenly, someone rushed in, saying that there was important military intelligence to report.

The visitor was Lan Congxi, the emperor's trusted eunuch. He walked up to Zhao Ji and whispered something in his ear.

The Emperor of the Song Dynasty, who had been all smiles, suddenly turned pale.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Liangsi quickly went to Tan Zhen's side and asked what had happened.

The core of Yanshan Prefecture was actually the Shengjie Army, Tong Guan's personal guard.

So even though Wang Anzhong was replaced as the commander of the Xuan Army, he was still of one mind with Tong Guan and the others, and Tan Zhen already knew this.

He quietly told Zhao Liangsi about the situation and instructed him, "Now that we are not in Yanshan Prefecture, we must be careful with our words and actions. Do not get involved in this matter, lest you get yourself into trouble."

Zhao Liangsi, now quite drunk and with his blood surging, slammed his fist on the table, rose to his feet, walked to the center of the hall, and loudly proclaimed, "Your Majesty! Execute Zhang Jue!"

Zhao Ji looked at him with an unfriendly expression, feeling annoyed that this man had brought up the matter at the banquet.

In any case, this matter is inextricably linked to him, and he can no longer shift the blame to his ministers.

If he actually killed Zhang Jue, he would also be branded as a coward.

Seeing that he did not reply, Zhao Liangsi continued, "The Song and Jin are brotherly nations, bound by a maritime alliance and the bond forged in the destruction of the Liao. Why should we damage the relationship between the two countries for the sake of Zhang Jue!"

"The Jurchen Jin dynasty is now militarily strong and well-equipped, coming with the prestige of destroying the Liao dynasty. Who can rival them? Meanwhile, Hebei and Yanshan have just suffered continuous wars and are in dire need of reconstruction."

"Your Majesty, please do not break the Song-Jin alliance because of a Liao general who surrendered to both the Jin and Song dynasties!"

Emperor Huizong stood up, turned and left.

Tan Zhen, his face contorted with rage, jumped out, pointed at Zhao Liangsi, and waved his finger, too angry to utter a word. Zhao Liangsi stood in the center of the hall, now half-sober, unable to describe his feelings.

Do you regret it?
He didn't seem to regret it at all, and he was speaking from his heart. He had strongly opposed Zhang Jue's initial attempt to join him.

In his view, it was really wrong to provoke the Jurchens, as the Song Dynasty's weakness had already been exposed during the campaign against the Liao.

If we provoke them now, wouldn't that just give them a pretext to break the alliance and invade the Song Dynasty from the south?

The people at the table had different expressions, and after glancing at Zhao Liangsi, they all hurriedly left.

Only Tong Guan, who had been retired for a long time, walked up to him, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Gu Zhi, Gu Zhi."

Zhao Liangsi looked at Tong Guan and asked, "Does Commander Xuan also think Gu Zhi is wrong?"

“In this capital city, in the imperial court, where is there a place to distinguish right from wrong?” After saying this, Tong Guan, supported by Tan Zhen, walked out.

Zhao Liangsi faintly heard Tan Zhen's complaints, and his head drooped limply.

He seemed to realize something; whatever he said today, no matter how it came to pass, would probably bring him trouble.

If the court does indeed kill Zhang Jue, and the Jurchens still advance south, then I am guilty of slandering and killing a general, causing unrest and damaging morale.

If the imperial court doesn't kill Zhang Jue, then my words will only bring me trouble, and I'll probably be sentenced immediately.

He walked out of Genyue in a daze, and everyone avoided him.

That night, Zhao Liangsi was dismissed from his post and stripped of his military rank.

Meanwhile, a valiant rider in brocade robes departed from the Privy Council and headed to Yanshan Prefecture to deliver a secret imperial edict.
-
Outside Luanzhou City.

The driven-out people of Pinglu carried soil and stones, crying and shouting as they formed a human wave and surged toward the city wall of Luanzhou.

The Jurchen army was positioned to the west, while the auxiliary and servant armies were positioned to the east, sandwiching them in the middle.

Behind these prisoners were Jurchen warriors, wielding gleaming longswords, slaughtering the backward, stirring up clouds of blood, and driving the people to squeeze out their last bit of strength and run wildly.

Even more Jurchen knights galloped behind them, kicking up plumes of dust. From time to time, an arrow would be fired from within the dust, and often a civilian would fall to the ground.

On many occasions, they simply shot prisoners to provide a deterrent effect.

The fear created by this brutality has made these people forget that the city in front of them is defended by the people of Liaodong, who are also from Pinglu. They just want to survive from these brutal Jurchen Tartars.

The Tartars said that as long as you throw down three bags of soil, you can go home!
This is a very vicious method; it's not entirely about terror and oppression, but it also gives them a glimmer of hope.

However, to survive three perilous journeys under the city walls, where death is a near certainty, requires an extraordinary stroke of luck.

On the city wall, hundreds of crossbows were drawn, and ballistae were strung and loaded with thick iron arrows.

Everyone clenched their teeth, but no one let go. Countless eyes were fixed on Secretary Zhao.

Lord, what should we do? Lord, what should we do?
Driving out the people and attacking the city is a common occurrence in history, especially during the chaotic and dark Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

Such a brutal end-of-the-world scene had not been seen for decades or even centuries during the period when the Song and Liao dynasties were vying for supremacy.

Although life has become increasingly difficult in recent years, one can still hope to return safely when going out, and two meals a day, no matter how good or bad, can still fill one's stomach.

These peaceful days, which I naively thought would last forever, even made me somewhat dissatisfied.

But all this false peace was shattered when the Jurchen Tartars suddenly marched south.

Only then did the people of Yan realize that the days they were once dissatisfied with had now become a luxury.

Zhao, the secretary, trembled all over. The command to shoot arrows was stuck in his throat, but he couldn't say it.

These are all people from the vicinity of Pingzhou, their elders and fellow villagers.

Zhang Huai, who stood proudly beside him, suddenly closed his eyes and roared like thunder!
"You son of a bitch, fire the arrows!"

"Fire arrows!"

"Fire arrows!"

He shouted three times, then suddenly leaned out from the crenellation, staring intently at the thousands of people surging toward the city wall, and at the barbarians behind them.

It was as if they wanted to remember this scene forever, so that they would never forget it, even after thousands of years!
On the city wall of Luanzhou, hundreds of bowstrings suddenly trembled, each tremor accompanied by a mournful sound.

Countless soldiers from Luanzhou closed their eyes as they released the bowstring or snapped their teeth.

Arrows and crossbow bolts shot out like locusts. Zhang Huai stared at everything before him as if possessed. Everything seemed to slow down in his vision, appearing exceptionally cruel and bloody.

Arrows rained down, tearing countless clothes to shreds, and splattering blood all over the gaunt faces of the common people.

Then he fell heavily to the ground beneath the city walls, but the people behind him continued to roll forward numbly, falling and getting up again, wailing, crying, struggling, and desperately welcoming wave after wave of arrows raining down!

What was even more disheartening was that there was still a constant cloud of dust rising from the north, undoubtedly indicating that groups of people were being driven in one after another.

More Jurchen knights joined the battle. Although exhausted, they shouted and ravaged, displaying their brutality as they reorganized the Southern Dynasty captives they had captured in Lanzhou and drove them into the carnage beneath the city.

Arrows rained down from the city walls, while cries and screams echoed from below. Watching the infighting between those on and below the walls, these Jurchen Tartars grinned, revealing their yellow teeth, and laughed heartily!

Wanyan Zongwang's gaze swept over the Yan people who were constantly joining the battle, and then looked at the surrendered general Li Shi beside him.

"A Song person from Yanshan Prefecture has sent me a gift. Please, General Li, take a look."

Li Shi stood to the side, carefully clasping his hands and saying, "Thank you, Second Prince."

A Jurchen Tartar brought a box, which, when opened, emitted a foul stench.

Li Shi glanced at it and immediately frowned.

"General Li, do you recognize this head?"

Li Shi hesitated for a moment and then said, "This is a treacherous scheme by the Song people. They used a fake head to deceive the Second Prince."

Wanyan Zongwang smiled and said, "You mean this head isn't Zhang Jue's?"

Li Shi shook his head and said, "It is definitely not Zhang Jue's head. I have followed him since I was young and fought alongside him all the way. How could I not recognize him?"

A Jurchen man named Puliyan was furious, cursing in the Jurchen language. Wanyan Zongwang, however, simply laughed and said, "The Song Dynasty uses such methods; where is the dignity of a great nation? They are truly nothing to fear!"

Looking at the head that resembled Zhang Jue's, Li Shi felt a strange sense of relief.

At this moment, if I were facing the real head of Zhang Jue, I probably wouldn't be so calm.

Yanjing City.

A bleak north wind blew by, its howling sound like a mournful lament. The north wind whipped the "Song" banner atop the city wall, the sound of tearing silk like the wailing of ghosts and wolves.

Suddenly, a large crowd surged outside the camp where the Pingzhou troops were temporarily staying.

Zhang Jue pushed open the door, and all the Pingzhou soldiers standing in the courtyard surrounded him.

People's faces were filled with endless resentment as they looked at the archers who had gathered around them.

At this moment, everyone knew what was going on. Faced with the encirclement of the Song people, these people were filled with boundless hatred.

They hadn't expected the Song people to be so shameless, and spontaneously protected Zhang Jue. However, Zhang Jue pushed through the crowd and began to curse loudly towards the Xuanfu Division.

The other soldiers from Pingzhou also knew that they were doomed, and they joined Zhang Jue in cursing!
Among the crowd on the periphery, a military officer with a grim expression waved his hand with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, a barrage of arrows was unleashed.

Screams echoed throughout the camp as countless of Zhang Jue's trusted guards fell, covered in blood!

After several volleys of fire, only a handful of people remained alive.

The military officer stepped into the bloody mud, walked to Zhang Jue's side, and cut off his head with his knife.

"Guards, bring Zhang Jue's head to the Pacification Commissioner's Office!"

====
The fates of Zhang Jue's subordinates in history:

Zhang Dungu feigned surrender to the Jin army, but secretly contacted the Xi people in western Liao to launch a counterattack. After the plot was exposed, the Jin army cut off his limbs and hung his head on the gate of Pingzhou for public display.
Li Shi was recruited as a staff member by Wanyan Zongbi (Jin Wuzhu) because he was fluent in both Han and Jurchen languages. He later rose to the position of Minister of Revenue in the Jin Dynasty. His niece, Li Shi'er, became Empress Zhangzong of Jin.

After Zhao Gongjian fled to Yanjing with Zhang Jue, the Song court, in an effort to appease the Jin, beheaded both Zhao Gongjian and Zhang Jue, and sent their heads to the Jin camp.
Pingzhou soldiers: After the Jin army captured Pingzhou, they massacred Han and Bohai soldiers who had participated in the resistance against the Jin on the banks of the Luan River. Historical records state that "the river water turned red for three days".
Women and children were enslaved: Soldiers' families were captured and taken to Shangjing Huining Prefecture, where they were given to Jurchen nobles as slaves. More than half of them froze and starved to death on the way.

About three thousand people were forced to join the Jin army's "Han Army Ten Thousand Households" and participate in the war against the Song Dynasty in 1125. Most of them were sent to their deaths as the vanguard in the siege.

Some soldiers fled to the Yanshan Mountains and became bandits, but were wiped out by Yue Fei in 1130 in the Taihang Mountains. (End of this chapter)