You have truly caused me great suffering!

July of the first year of the Jingkang era.

The weather was hot, and the Jin people became increasingly irritable.

Zongwang sent Wanyan Zongbi to lead troops to attack Puxian, but Yao Gu, who was stationed at Chenqiao Post Station, did not go to intercept them.

After swaggering around Pu County, burning, killing, and looting, the Jin army sent envoys to Bianliang to urge the Song court to cede territory and pay reparations.

As night fell, the weather finally cooled down a bit, but the cursing continued unabated in the Jin army camp.

After finishing his dinner, Wanyan Zongwang summoned his troops and sat quietly in the central command tent.

Countless Jin scouts constantly entered and exited the central army camp, delivering news of the Song army from various regions.

What he values ​​most is news about the Dingnan Army, even though the Dingnan Army's main opponent is Wanyan Zonghan of the Western Route Army.

Although the two armies fought in different directions during the conquest of Liao, Zongwang understood the western army.

First, their troops were stronger and their generals were more capable.

His subordinates were all members of the Wanyan clan, born into a high position, while the fierce generals under Zonghan were all those whose titles he had earned.

Zongwang felt that the advantage of the Eastern Route Army over the Western Route Army was that he, as the commander, was superior to Wanyan Zonghan.

But they were actually repelled. They had never been defeated in open field battles involving the Jurchens.

Now that his invincible status has been broken by the Dingnan Army, and they are attacking Weizhou, Wanyan Zongwang has to worry that his retreat route might be blocked.

Moreover, the commander of the Dingnan Army was located in Hedong, and they could cross the Taihang Mountains at any time to enter the Hebei battlefield.

This group had more warhorses than the Jin Dynasty. While most Jurchen soldiers and Liao auxiliary troops had only one horse each, they often had two or even three horses each.

Such troops could easily appear on any battlefield.

Wanyan Zongwang was not the kind of person who thought that just because he had never lost before, he would never lose again. He had thought it through carefully; if the Western Route Army could be defeated, his Eastern Route Army might also be defeated.

Wanyan Zongwang had now realized that his Jin dynasty had made a huge mistake during its rise to power.

That's because they were too fixated on capturing that good-for-nothing Yelü Yanxi.

The Liao people were terrified early on and posed little threat, so they should take the opportunity to suppress other forces.

Zong Han's idea of ​​invading the Song Dynasty was not wrong; the mistake was that he implemented it too late.

It would have been much better if the Song dynasty had taken advantage of its failed campaign against the Liao dynasty to move south.

According to his own intelligence, the Northwest was still unstable at that time.

Now, at a time when a decision needs to be made, Zongwang felt that he should squeeze as much profit as possible out of the Song Dynasty and then retreat to Yanshan Prefecture.

Their Song army simply doesn't have the capability to march north. I can focus on dealing with the Dingnan Army with Zong Han first.

The only concern is that Chen Shao has not yet broken ties with the Song court.

He feared that Chen Shao would seize the opportunity to enter Bianliang, control the Song Dynasty, and with the elite Dingnan Army in hand, coupled with the Song Dynasty's resources, he would become an unprecedentedly powerful enemy.

Therefore, even though he knew that Taiyuan was in Chen Shao's hands, he kept insisting that the Song court cede it, just to create conflict between the two sides.

It seems the effect was minimal, because the Song Dynasty was even weaker than he had imagined.

In the past few days, he sent men to attack Pan Town, which is very close to Bianliang. Ten miles ahead is Chenqiao Post Station.

This was meant to intimidate the Song court and force them to raise funds more quickly.

After everyone had gathered, Zongwang glanced at the generals in the tent and said, "We need to prepare to retreat."

Upon hearing this, the other Jurchen generals did not object; instead, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

This place is so hot; they've never suffered like this in their entire lives.

Historical dramas often portray generals who win many battles as people who love fighting, but in reality, most people don't like fighting.

Because war itself goes against human nature, it's exhausting.
Even these barbaric Jurchen Tartars, most of whom would rather enjoy the comforts of the north than suffer the scorching heat here.

This time, the Jurchens' southward expedition was incredibly successful. They plundered Hebei and Yanshan, which were even richer than the Liao region, and even the prefectures and counties near Kaifeng, the wealthiest place in the land.

Moreover, they can also demand another compensation from the Song court.

Go back and enjoy yourself, get through this sweltering summer, and come back to grab the bargains next year—wouldn't that be wonderful?

The thought that Zong Han, who had proposed the idea of ​​invading the Song Dynasty from the south, was still suffering setbacks in Fengsheng Prefecture made them even happier.

Zonghan, a member of the maternal clan, what right does he have to put pressure on us, the blood relatives of the old emperor?

Within the Jurchen people, this concept of bloodline was highly valued, which is why Wanyan Yinshuke lived such a repressed life.

Seeing that no one objected, Zongwang continued, "Don't let the southern barbarians find out. Continue to send people to plunder the surrounding area, and be even more ruthless than before."

The Jurchen generals inside the tent burst into laughter.
-
Zhao Huan arrived at Genyue.

He requested an audience with the Emperor Emeritus.

Zhao Huan was still afraid of his father, Emperor Huizong. Zhao Ji was a political animal who valued power very much.

Therefore, when he was emperor, he always liked to suppress the crown prince, especially by expressing his affection for Prince Jia, Zhao Kai, in order to put pressure on the crown prince.

Zhao Huan was so cowardly; his father was the main culprit.

Emperor Huizong stared intently at his good-for-nothing son, his brow furrowing slightly.

"You mean you want to mobilize the new Beijing garrison?"

Zhao Huan nodded, his head bowed, not daring to look his father in the eye.

"Foolish!" Zhao Ji said in a deep voice, "This must have been taught to you by Li Gang?"

Zhao Huan nodded, then shook his head vigorously.

Zhao Ji sneered, "That Li Gang is ignorant of military affairs. He lost so many troops in Hebei, yet he was attacked right at our doorstep. The best course of action now is to quickly spend money to send the Jurchen barbarians away, then restore our finances, win back the hearts of the people, and seek revenge."

"Why care about temporary success or failure? Even Emperor Taizong and Emperor Taizu suffered defeats in their time, but they still laid the foundation for the Song Dynasty we have today."

Zhao Huan remained silent, keeping his head down, while Zhao Ji looked down on him even more.

"I only handed over the country to you a few days ago, and it has already turned out like this. I even have to send out the last of my troops."

"Don't think about this anymore. The most important thing is to quickly go out and raise some money to get rid of the Jurchen Tartars."

Zhao Huan mustered his courage and said, "Father, Chen Shao of the Dingnan Army has repeatedly sent people to say that he firmly opposes paying reparations and ceding territory. His army is no less powerful than the Jurchens, and it is located in Hedong. I fear that once we pay reparations, the Jurchens will leave, but the northwestern army will come again."

When Zhao Ji heard this name, he was also in a bind.

He thought for a moment and said, "This matter is not difficult. Just appoint an official to be in charge of this matter. If Chen Shao blames you afterward, just kill this official to appease his dissatisfaction."

Zhao Huan's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Is this feasible?"

“Why not!” Zhao Ji retorted. “The imperial family has so many servants, and this is the time for them to serve us faithfully. They themselves are quite willing to do so.”

Emperor Huizong of Tang (Zhao Ji) didn't actually do many such things, because at that time, he wasn't old enough to kill people.

Most of the time, they were just pulled out to take the blame and that was it.

For example, Zhu Mian was only dismissed from his post, and then he took his endless wealth and is still enjoying a life of luxury in his hometown.

When Zhao Huan came out of Genyue, a gust of wind came up, and he realized that his back was completely soaked with sweat.

Shao Chengzhang, the head of the Imperial Household Department, helped him onto the imperial carriage.

Seeing how frightened the official was, he felt uneasy.

"Did the Emperor ask about Tong Guan's matter?" Shao Chengzhang was afraid that Zhao Ji would intervene and let Tong Guan escape this calamity.

They needed Tong Guan so badly he died.

Because Tong Guan has amassed a fortune over the years, killing him would provide enough compensation.

These people shared the same idea as Zhao Ji: to quickly get rid of the Jurchen Tartars and then properly govern the country.

In reality, their skill level may not be higher than Cai Jing's, but they themselves do not think so.
-
End of July.

A group of people from Hedong crossed the Taihang Mountains.

After passing through Xiuwu and Suanzao, we arrived at Guoqiao Town, where Wang Bing was stationed.

This place is also on the outskirts of Bianliang, and like Chenqiao Post Station, it is only a dozen miles away from Bianliang.

They were all outer military towns protecting Bianliang.

After Wanyan Zongwang arrived in the capital region, he defeated all the famous generals of the Song army. Wang Bing also suffered a great loss, and his Huanqing Army suffered heavy losses.

This time, however, the Song court provided enough food and pay, and Wang Bing did not embezzle any, and even strictly investigated the practice of drinking soldiers' blood.

This meant that although the Huanqing army suffered a crushing defeat, they still followed him and did not end up in the embarrassing situation of fleeing back to their hometown in Shaanxi. Wang Bing reorganized his troops here, ready to fight again at any time. His mood was much better now than when he was in Hedong.

That was when he was truly desperate. If it weren't for the appearance of the Dingnan Army, he felt he would have died in Hedong by now.

It would be far too difficult for him to fight against the Jurchen western army.

Although we have been defeated, we are surrounded by loyalist troops, Prime Minister Li is in charge of government affairs, and everyone is working together. We may not be unable to defeat Zong Wang.

Even if they couldn't win, the hot weather and heavy losses suffered by the Jurchen Tartars meant they could wear them down eventually.

Looking at the troops in the distance, Wang Bing recognized their banners; they were the Dingnan Army.

He had previously received a message from the enemy's scouts that a force of Dingnan soldiers had been ordered to come to the aid of the king.

Seeing that there were only a few thousand riders, Wang Bing felt relieved.

If too many people come, he will become suspicious of the Dingnan Army's purpose.

The example of Taiyuan is still fresh in our minds.

The Jurchen Tartars conquered places through killing and plundering, and such occupation was very unstable; the Dingnan Army was even more terrifying than them.
They occupied Taiyuan in Hedong without losing a single soldier.

Even now, in the areas occupied by the Jurchens, there are still constant uprisings and rebellions.

Chen Shao had already established himself firmly in Taiyuan, and his influence extended from gentry to commoners, even including Zhang Chunxiao, the prefect sent by the Song Dynasty.

This is the most terrible.

This time they only sent a thousand cavalry, so the situation in Taiyuan will definitely not happen again.

As the cavalry approached, the leader bowed from horseback, saying, "Greetings, Grand Commandant Wang."

Wang Bing looked at him and found him somewhat familiar. "Who are you?"

"This humble general is Guo Hao."

"It really is you!" Wang Bing was pleasantly surprised. He recognized Guo Hao; he was the son of Guo Cheng, the former defense commissioner of Xiong Prefecture.

He was also a military officer in the Western Army. He joined the army with his father when he was young and became a subordinate of the Fifth General of Huanqing Road at the age of fifteen.

In the battle against the Xia people, he once led more than a hundred cavalrymen straight to the city of Lingzhou, where he killed two generals and returned, and was known for his bravery.

The military officers from Huanqing Army behind Wang Bing greeted him one after another.

Wang Bing knew that Chen Shao had many military officers who came from the Western Army, and he also felt it was a pity.

Guo Hao was originally a fierce general under Lao Zhong, but now he has also joined Chen Shao's forces.

Considering the relationship between Lao Zhong and Chen Shao, he couldn't help but feel worried.

If Lao Zhong were to join forces with Chen Shao, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“Your arrival to defend the emperor will surely please him greatly. The Jurchen Tartars are currently besieging the capital region and have been unable to capture it for a long time. I predict that they will not be able to stay for much longer.”

Guo Hao chuckled and, pulling on the reins, said, “Although the Tartars are exhausted, they fear that some in the court might lose heart and try to use wealth to aid the enemy. That’s why the commander sent us here to persuade His Majesty to change his mind and not be deceived by such villains.”

Wang Bing was also against paying reparations and ceding territory, but after hearing Guo Hao's words, he secretly worried that they had ill intentions.

The Dingnan Army's usurpation of Taiyuan made him always wary, because they did not directly attack, but rather subtly seized Hedong.

This is really scary.

Wang Bing had this idea in his mind: the Dingnan Army may not seem as ferocious as the Tartars, but to the Song Dynasty, they were far more terrifying than the Jurchen Tartars.

"Are you still heading east?" Wang Bing asked. "The Tartars are like madmen these days, looting and killing everywhere. You're new here, so be careful."

After thanking him, Guo Hao said, "I will stay here for the day and go to the capital tomorrow to meet the Emperor."

Wang Bing nodded, glancing at the cavalry behind Guo Hao, and sighed inwardly.

Is that the army that can defeat the Tartars?
Indeed extraordinary.
-
With nothing much to do in Taiyuan, Chen Shao gathered a group of craftsmen and together they worked on gunpowder.

He explained his ideas and drew simple diagrams of components such as the barrel, gunpowder, projectile, and ignition device.

The group of craftsmen were initially a little scared when they were summoned by such a high-ranking official, but they immediately relaxed when they heard that they were to make a weapon that could fire gunpowder.

Moreover, Chen Shao was not wearing official robes, but dressed simply in a blue robe with a snow-white silk lining. A white turban was tied around his hair, and there were no other decorations, making him appear low-key and neat.

This also lessened the artisans' fear. After all, in this era, officials were more powerful than anything else, and it would be strange if they weren't afraid of such high-ranking officials.

They were also amazed by the ingenious ideas of this general from the Northwest, but after thinking about it carefully, they realized that it actually made some sense.

After getting started, Chen Shao felt that his presence would only make them feel constrained, so he simply left.

King Huai of Chu favored slender waists, and many people in the kingdom starved to death.

Once the person in power makes a request, the process will proceed very quickly, as if the firearms were about to appear in history.

Even if this thing is made, it may not be very powerful; cold weapons will definitely remain the mainstream.

However, it's always good to speed things up, and the wisdom of the people of the Central Plains is boundless.

After returning to his house, Chen Shao met Cui Lin, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. Cui Lin looked much more prosperous.

Although life in Bianliang was tiring, we ate and slept well.

"Boss! Brother Da Hu!"

Cui Lin was very excited. After bowing, he stood aside with eager eyes.

Chen Shao smiled and said, "Why did you come back in person? What happened?"

"Reporting to the master, Cai Jing sent someone to invite the Third Master to his residence, saying that if the master is willing to let Cai You off the hook, he is willing to pay any price."

Chen Shao fell silent for a moment, then asked, "What do you think?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Cui Lin said, "Cai Jing is old and doesn't have many years left to live. We can wait until he dies before killing Cai You."

Chen Shao glanced at him, then couldn't help but laugh, pointing at him with his finger and saying, "You've gone bad."

"Although Cai Jing is no longer the prime minister, he has many protégés and former officials all over the country, who will be of great use to the current emperor!"

Chen Shao hated Cai You intensely; he was a complete scoundrel. But what Cui Lin said did make sense.

Let him live another year or two, it wouldn't be a bad idea.

However, Cai You is such a disgusting jerk; he's always causing trouble.

Zong Ze, dressed in coarse clothes, carrying cooking utensils, lying on straw, and making a cart in the midst of battle, exhausted his energy in Hebei, but all he did could not make up for the harm Cai You had done to Hebei.

His treatment of the people of Hebei was only slightly better than that of the Jurchen Tartars.

Chen Shao thought for a moment and said, "Cai Tiao was injured in Xiping Prefecture. Go back and tell him that Cai Tiao hopes to see his relatives and visit them."

He simply handed over a message, and Cai Jing understood: bring this bastard to his territory, and he'll spare his life for now.

It is believed that Cai Jing will not refuse, after all, given the current situation in Bianliang, although the chances of it being captured are very small, it will ultimately be threatened by the Tartars.

Sending family members out makes it relatively safer.
-
The moon hangs over the eastern mountains, and the wind fills the ferry crossing.

Looking around, all I could see was desolation, with no sign of human habitation.

The wind rustled the carriage curtains as several loyal guards of the Victory Army, having removed their military coats and armor, followed and escorted Tong Guan.

Tong Guan gazed at the river and sighed deeply. For some reason, he suddenly remembered Ma Zhi. It was Ma Zhi who had visited Tong Guan late at night when Tong Guan was sent as an envoy to the Liao Kingdom, and who had proposed the plan to ally with the Jin to attack the Liao.

Now, Tong Guan doesn't know whether he should hate him or not.

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves came from afar, and soon a hundred or so riders came galloping in.

The leading general leaned down from his horse and asked, "Is this Tong Guan?"

A sense of unease welled up in Tong Guan's heart. He nodded. "Indeed, who are you?"

The man pulled an imperial edict from his sleeve and proclaimed loudly: "Tong Guan is treacherous by nature, harbors treacherous intentions, has long monopolized military and political power, and has amassed numerous wicked schemes. Recently, the Jurchens rebelled, and Guan was the mastermind behind it, abandoning his army and fleeing, thus ruining the country's affairs. Furthermore, he colluded with the Khitans, secretly communicated with the Jurchens, accepted bribes for personal gain, and harmed the country and its people. These ten crimes are unforgivable. I hereby dispatch the Censor Zhang Cheng to execute him on the spot, and send his head to the capital to appease the world."

The man chuckled and said, "I am Zhang Cheng."

The young guards of the victorious army gathered around, but several of them were immediately knocked down.

Tong Guan stared wide-eyed at his fallen adopted sons, showing no intention of pleading for them or letting them leave.

A powerful will to survive drove him to his knees buckle. "I want to go back to the capital and see the Emperor Emeritus! The Emperor Emeritus won't kill me!"

Zhang Cheng sneered and cursed, "Even when things are at their worst, you're still dreaming big dreams. You've brought disaster to the country and its people; what's a pity if you die!"

After saying this, he waved his hand, and his soldiers rushed forward, killing all of Tong Guan's personal guards and adopted sons, before finally killing Tong Guan with a single spear thrust.

Zhang Cheng ordered his men to cut off his head and bring it back to Bianliang to report. (End of Chapter)