You have truly caused me great suffering!

Zongwang's army marched into Daming Prefecture.

Du Chong, who was a ruthless killer, suddenly became cowardly.

He remained huddled inside the city, daring not to venture out easily no matter how Zongwang attacked.

Wanyan Zongwang was a veteran general who had fought many battles. Although he was not old, he had experienced countless battles and had almost never lost.

At this moment, facing such a cowardly garrison, the capture of Daming Prefecture was inevitable.

He gave a brief order to everyone, then summoned his generals to discuss the siege.

This time, he took a detour, leaving Zonghan to hold out in Hebei, while he led his troops to attack from the east.

The rebel army, which was easily defeated last time, now has a certain fighting capacity, which makes Zongwang extremely wary.

The Han Chinese formed an army too quickly.

You see a team that was a weak and disorganized force just a year or two ago, but after being trained by a renowned general, it can quickly transform itself.

This is an ability that other tribes do not possess.

Wanyan Zongwang couldn't explain why. Generally, after a tribe is defeated and ruled by a foreign tribe, it is essentially dead in name only. Even if it survives, it will become a third-rate tribe and be enslaved by others for generations.

But they just couldn't be wiped out.

Wanyan Zongwang saw a crisis in the transformation of the Hebei rebels into soldiers capable of stopping Zonghan's forces.

They must completely destroy the dynasties in the Central Plains.

As a "major town in Hebei" and the "northern gateway to Bianjing, the capital of the Eastern Capital," Daming Prefecture was surrounded by a defensive system.

Rather than simply a city.

Centered on Daming Prefecture, and controlled by surrounding military strongholds, pond defense lines, fortified villages, and major transportation routes, the multi-layered defense structure was originally intended to resist the southward advance of Liao cavalry.

Now that the Liao Dynasty has been destroyed, they have taken on the responsibility of resisting the Jin army's attacks.

As the garrison commander of Daming Prefecture, Du Chong did not come out to oversee the battle; he simply hoped that the Jurchen Tartars would withdraw on their own.
This fear of gold severely impacted the morale of the soldiers and civilians of Daming Prefecture, and a sense of panic permeated the entire city.

The Tangbo defense line utilizes the rivers, canals, and lakes of the Hebei Plain, such as the Yellow River and the Yongji Canal, to form a "water Great Wall" by building dikes to store water.

After the Treaty of Chanyuan between the Song and Liao dynasties, the Northern Song dynasty connected the ponds and lakes in Hebei into a defensive line that stretched for seven prefectures and was nine hundred miles long. Daming Prefecture was located in the north-central part of the pond and lake defense line, and the ponds and lakes became a "natural barrier" for its outer defense.

Today, the Jurchen flag flies over this dilapidated water village.

The Jurchens did not have a navy, but Du Chong's brutal rule in Daming Prefecture caused the soldiers in the naval stronghold to become disloyal to him.

They originally had no way to deal with him, but when the Jurchens arrived, they put up a token resistance and then chose to surrender.

Wanyan Zongwang's Jurchen soldiers actually had no shortage of food and supplies, but their nature was hard to change, and they were used to plundering.

So after occupying Tangbo, in just a few days, using the water fortress as a base, they plundered everywhere, and had already ravaged the area around Beijing of the Great Song Dynasty.

Zongwang's attack was a sudden detour, unlike the attack from Hebei West Road, where Yue Fei had blocked Wanyan Zonghan in Zhending Prefecture.

In several prefectures of Hebei West Road, the people still had time to flee, while the government troops organized a scorched-earth policy.

Before the people of Hebei East Road could react, these Tartar troops had already stormed their doorstep!
If you were to look around from the city wall at this moment, you could see the surrounding countryside and towns. Wherever there were villages, plumes of smoke would rise and linger for a long time.

Along the road, various nomadic riders frequently passed by. Behind each horse were staggering Song Dynasty citizens, and headless corpses lay scattered about, a truly horrifying sight.

The old and weak were killed by the Tartars and other barbarian tribes, the strong were driven to become prisoners in the army, and the women were forced into prostitution.

After Du Chong became the garrison commander of Beijing, he committed countless evil deeds, and his cruelty in exploiting others was no less than that of Cai You in his prime.

Faced with the Tartars invading the Song Dynasty from the south, he once again acted like a coward, arousing public resentment and making everyone want to tear him apart.

News of the battle in Hebei East Road spread quickly, causing a stir throughout the court and the public.

No one expected that the gentry of Hebei West Road, which they had given up hope of, would all flee.

However, thanks to the resistance of Zong Ze and Yue Fei, the area was temporarily spared from being ravaged by the Jin army.

Daming Prefecture, with its strong defenses and historically the northern gateway to Bianliang, was surprisingly ineffective.

It should be noted that between the Tangbo defense line and Daming Prefecture, there were also many fortified villages and strongholds, serving as forward outposts.

These fortresses were built with great care! Most of them were rammed earth structures, with fortified walls, moats and city gates. They were garrisoned by local militia or a small number of imperial guards, who were responsible for monitoring enemy movements, transmitting intelligence and delaying enemy attacks, forming a "point-line combination" defense system.

When news reached the palace that Daming Prefecture was besieged and Du Chong dared not go out to fight, Emperor Zhao Huan immediately became anxious.

He immediately took Shao Chengzhang to his private treasury to inventory the valuables, and then carefully calculated how much reparations Wanyan Zongwang would demand this time.

Shao Chengzhang looked helpless, feeling as if he were chewing on a fly, and felt indescribably nauseous.

Looking at the official's pale face, he sighed deeply.

Sometimes, even if you want to scold an emperor like that, you don't know how to start.

During this period, due to the overall stability of the court and the investigation and confiscation of several corrupt officials, Zhao Huan's treasury became unusually abundant.

He had a lot of money, which gave him some confidence.

Suddenly, Chen Liangbi from the Inner Palace Secretariat came to request an audience.

Zhao Huan instructed the eunuch to put away the account books and then went inside the palace.

Chen Liangbi knelt and bowed, then rose and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus has some words he wishes to say to you."

Upon hearing this, Shao Chengzhang's eyes widened immediately. Standing between the two men, he shouted, "Who instructed you to try and bewitch the Emperor!"

Chen Liangbi, a veteran eunuch from the time of Emperor Huizong of Tang, was not afraid upon hearing this. He calmly replied, "The bonds of father and son, the fundamental principles of heaven and earth, are not exempt even from the imperial family. Is it not even permissible for the retired emperor to convey a few words to Your Majesty?"

Shao Chengzhang suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, because he knew Chen Liangbi; he didn't have that kind of guts.

The fact that he dared to come and deliver this message today means he must have someone supporting him behind the scenes.

Everyone was a participant in the last palace coup, and it was a consensus that the retired emperor should stay in Genyue forever.

Zhao Huan waved his hand and said, "Minister Shao, there's no need to worry. What does the Emperor want to say to me?"

Chen Liangbi said, "The Emperor is very worried about the Jurchen Tartars' return. I heard that there is a force in Zhengding Prefecture with considerable fighting power. It would be better to transfer them back to Bianliang to protect the capital region, which is far better than guarding Zhengding Prefecture alone."

Zhao Huan's eyes lit up, and he said with delight, "When I was the Crown Prince, the Emperor Emeritus often criticized me for being dull-witted. Now it seems that my intelligence is indeed far inferior to that of my father!"

When Shao Chengzhang heard that he was only offering military suggestions, he didn't object too much. As a eunuch, he didn't know whether it was right to recall the main army to defend the capital. Logically speaking, Bianliang was the heartland of the Song Dynasty, so there was nothing wrong with this approach.

Shao Chengzhang himself couldn't make up his mind, but he knew that the ministers in the court would certainly understand.

So he decided to go and ask.

Li Xiangong has already left the city to recruit soldiers and prepare for the front lines.

Then I'll go and ask Minister Wu myself.
-
Wanyan Zongwang rode his horse and pointed at Daming Prefecture with his whip.

"The garrison commander here is cowardly; we might be able to persuade him to open the gates and surrender. Who would be willing to try and persuade him to surrender?"

The Liao general Dong Cai immediately said, "This humble general is willing to go."

"Alright, if you can persuade him to open the city gates and surrender, I'll grant you a prefecture."

Wanyan Zongwang then looked at the Jurchen generals beside him and laughed, "You should also restrain your troops. What's the point of fighting with these mixed barbarians for some valuables at this time? We should break through the city as quickly as possible and completely shatter the Southern Dynasty's defenses. We should march to their capital and plunge the entire Southern Dynasty into the greatest fear, crushing it under the iron hooves of the Jurchens, just like the Khitans!"

Surrounding him was an endless army of Jurchens.

Weapons and armor gleamed in the sunlight, kicking up clouds of dust that stretched to the horizon. When tired, they would doze off on horseback. When hungry, they would chew on some dried meat patties. The horse feed bags hung from their ears, and they took turns riding.

This iron torrent that destroyed the Liao Empire, marching across the plains with no natural defenses, truly appeared invincible.

Amidst the dust and smoke billowing from the army, Zong Wang's towering figure stood tall, surrounded by dozens of generals and thousands of personal guards.

Jurchen knights frequently galloped back and forth, reporting military intelligence from the front and conveying Zongwang's orders.

Zongwang's pomp and circumstance were similar to Zonghan's, but he was more pragmatic.

He carried two sets of iron armor, both mounted on two spare horses. A long sword was at his waist, and a lance and a horse bow hung from the side of the saddle, along with six sacks full of feathered arrows.

Their rations and water were exactly the same as those of ordinary soldiers.

The Eastern Route Army destroyed many wealthy cities of the Liao Kingdom and plundered them immensely, but Zongwang did not become as intoxicated by the boundless wealth as Balisu.

All the way south, fatigue was natural, but Zongwang was full of energy, just like when he was young and followed his father, the old emperor, in raising an army.

He would sit on horseback, speaking and laughing loudly, and even when giving orders, his voice would resound throughout the surrounding area, constantly eliciting cheers from his personal guards.

In the internal struggles of the Jurchens, Zonghan had the greatest merit in destroying the Liao Dynasty, and his troops were also the best of the best.

However, they were still relegated to the desolate western regions, while the fertile and prosperous lands of the Liao Kingdom were occupied by powerful and influential groups.

Because he was the son of Wanyan Aguda and the second prince of the Jin Dynasty, even though the current emperor was his uncle, it could not change Zongwang's high status in the Jin Dynasty.

Historically, if that bastard hadn't died young, there's no doubt that no one could have defeated him.

Wanyan Zongwang was always very lucky. In fact, the people under his command were not much different from those under Zonghan.

Zong Han was also very capable, but unfortunately, the Southern Yan region was empty and the Hebei region was flat.

To date, they have not yet encountered the Dingnan Army, the Western Barbarians who are said to be able to fight the Jurchens.

This time, he transferred Zonghan out, and Zonghan, who had completely lost control of Xijing Road, was not able to rise up. I'm afraid that the people's hearts would be scattered, and the generals would abandon Zonghan and join his own side.

At that time, Zonghan truly had no idea where he would die!
With this, no one could rival the Great Jin Dynasty.

Therefore, Zongwang was in high spirits and full of energy all the way, and he kept urging the army to speed up the operation. With the Second Prince leading the way like this, how could his generals and soldiers not act desperately?

Just as one troop of messengers left Zongwang's side, another troop arrived with news. The leader of this troop was none other than Pucha, one of Wanyan Zongwang's most trusted and fierce generals.

Pucha was originally a personal guard of Zongwang, and later formed an elite strategist force of 300 men for him.

He had been sent far to the south to scout, and now he was galloping back covered in dust, where he was caught and brought back by Zongwang's personal guards.

Upon seeing Zongwang salute from horseback, he shouted from a distance, "Second Prince! I've scouted along the river for over a hundred miles and haven't encountered the main force of the Song army. Even when we reached the city walls, these southern barbarians just closed their gates and defended themselves; no one dared to challenge us! Our army can march south with complete peace of mind!"

Pucha's shouts immediately elicited laughter from the surrounding soldiers. Just as Zongwang had said, the southern barbarian army was all show and no substance!
The powerful army that stopped Zong Han was an exception; the other troops were as weak as mud.

Speaking of which, how come you, Zonghan, have encountered all the powerful armies of the Southerners?

We've been stopped time and time again. You could have said before that Dingnan Army was strong, but now we're facing the Hebei troops of the Great Song Dynasty. We just swept them away last year!
Are they truly strong, or are you, Zonghan, weak?

This idea gradually spread throughout the Jin Kingdom. After all, since the old Khan raised his army, it seems that only you, Zonghan, have been able to keep getting beaten.
-
Taiyuan.

News arrived that Qu Duan had deployed defenses in the Baima area to intercept Wanyan Zongwang.

After reading it, Chen Shao was somewhat undecided.

A general in the field should, in principle, have some autonomy.

However, it's hard to say whether his decision not to support Daming Prefecture was right or wrong.

Since Wanyan Zongwang was leading a large army south, if Qu Duan really went to provide support, what if the troops from Daming Prefecture didn't come out to respond?

He himself is in danger.

On flat ground, they would have to fight the Jurchen Tartars head-on, and they were outnumbered.

At this time, Chen Shao was not very clear about the situation in Daming Prefecture. Logically speaking, that defensive line was impregnable and not easily breached.

However, things were different in the hands of the officials of the Song Dynasty, because there was no city in the world that they could not lose.

In the end, Chen Shao chose to trust his own people.

He ordered the three thousand cavalrymen near Bianliang, led by Guo Hao and Li Yanqi, to support Qu Duan.

The supply of provisions and provisions must not be interrupted.

They also conscripted laborers from Huai Prefecture to transport timber and stone needed for defensive fortifications at the front.

They took the newly developed poison smoke balls and caltrop fireballs from the engineering institute, as well as the existing thunder cannons and thunderclap bombs, and transported them all to Qu Duan.

He also sent someone to inform Bianliang, asking them to find a way to support Qu Duan's resistance.

Fighting within the territory of the Song Dynasty, especially after crossing the Guanzhong Plain, had one significant advantage: it made transportation extremely convenient.

Unlike in the Northwest, where it often required a huge amount of manpower to build bridges and roads.

The roads in the Central Plains have become quite mature over the years.

Both water and land transport were very smooth, especially in the prefectures and counties near Daming Prefecture, where official roads and post stations were particularly convenient. (End of Chapter)