You have truly caused me great suffering!

Before Wu Huiling, the three main forces of the Dingnan Army arrived one after another.

The three groups did not gather together because Li Xiaozhong felt that it would be more advantageous for them to disperse their forces and lengthen the battle line.

With the main force of the Jurchen Tartars gone, the troops stationed here are, after all, their weak point.

Zonghan originally left behind many Tatar and other non-Tatar people, but Wanyan Xiyin simply didn't regard them as human beings.

It is consumed at an extremely rapid rate.

Zonghan could only control the thirty Tatar clans in southern Mongolia.

It's important to know that the Tatars haven't had an easy time these past few years.

The tribes in the northern desert are even more ferocious and vicious; they cannot survive without robbing!
Therefore, they could only go south to plunder their compatriots in the collapsed territory of southern Mongolia, constantly oppressing the scattered and disorganized Hu people in southern Mongolia.

The various nomadic tribes had hoped that after the collapse of the Khitans, who had always oppressed them, they could storm into the Liao Dynasty's Western Capital Road and plunder it thoroughly.

Therefore, when the Jurchens destroyed the Liao Dynasty, all the tribes in the southern desert sent envoys back and forth to request an alliance and joint action.

Who would have thought that when the Khitan were no longer viable, the even more ferocious Jurchens would emerge!
The thirty Tatar clans in southern Mongolia had many tribes that participated in the resistance organized by the Liao people in the Western Capital Road, but were utterly defeated by the Jurchen army.

There were even many who followed Yelü Yanxi in counterattacking the Jurchen's Yunnei prefectures.

However, these grassland tribes have always bowed down to whoever is stronger, without any moral pressure.

With such a powerful new Jurchen tribe right before their eyes, it's not surprising that they immediately knelt down; rather, it was a matter of course.

However, although the Khitans were ruthless, they had ruled the grasslands for so many years. Even though they occasionally carried out massacres and reduced the population, they still managed to leave people a way out.

But the Jurchens were different; they truly did not intend to let the foreign tribes live. The entire Western Route Army was like a pack of demons!
Later, they finally stopped killing them and tried to recruit these mixed-race tribes as servants. As a result, over the past few years, the southern tribes of the Gobi Desert have produced cattle and sheep, newborns, able-bodied men, and provisions.
They were repeatedly plundered by the Jurchen western army.

When Zonghan and Zongwang were preparing to invade the Song Dynasty, they almost completely plundered the southern tribes of the Gobi Desert, and the caravans transporting livestock and provisions were endless.

This winter, countless elderly and weak members of the southern nomadic tribes starved to death.

In order for the tribe to continue to survive and get through the spring famine next year, the Tatar tribe sent out almost all its able-bodied men to fight against the Jurchen's light cavalry. Their losses must be made up for by the Song Dynasty!

They all came with this idea in mind.

As a result, after the thirty Tatar clans gathered more than 10,000 men and joined Zonghan's army.

They discovered that their light cavalry were not taken seriously by the Jurchens.

Moreover, they were not allowed to go south at all; they were simply forced to hold their ground at Wuhui Ridge. Wanyan Xiyin treated them as if they were not human.

At Wuhuiling, the mixed Hu people had a lower status than the Khitans and did the hardest work. The Jurchen army treated them like dogs from top to bottom.

Whenever there's something lucrative, it's never their turn.

They were the first to go and die.

Even real dogs will fight back and become more cunning if you tease them too often, let alone a mixed-breed dog.

You should know that although they are poor and barbaric, they are not stupid.

Centuries from now, they may even cause the largest massacre in human history, and rise to power alongside that massacre.

So gradually, the Tatars were no longer at the mercy of the Jurchens, since the Jurchen troops on the Five Ridges were not many.

Many Tatars began to flee back to the steppes.

Some of them had lost their families and had no ties on the grasslands, so they simply went to the various prefectures in Yunnan and turned around to fight the Jurchen Tartars.

The Jurchens were truly wicked; they treated people to death. This was their approach from the very beginning of their rebellion.

They acted as if they were still hunting and fishing, rather than conquering.

The Jurchens have been fighting for so long, yet they haven't realized that this flaw in their character will lead them to an irredeemable state.

Once others have a second option, who would want to associate with you Jurchens?

Historically, both the Song and Liao dynasties were too weak, which allowed them to exploit this loophole.

Now that the Dingnan Army has risen to prominence, the various tribes in the northern border are actually more inclined to surrender to them than to the Jurchens.

There were many barbarian generals in the Dingnan Army, and they did not suffer any persecution.

I have never heard of them treating foreign warhorses like pigs or dogs.

While in Yinchengfang, Han Shizhong listened to another group of people retreating outside and suddenly became agitated.

He twisted his wrist guards, stepped out of the tent, and rode his horse to the front line.

The guards followed closely behind.

Han Shizhong suddenly remembered that when he was a lowly soldier, he would most likely be charging into battle, using the credit for being the first to scale the walls to exchange for a few days of hedonistic living.

In the end, he turned all the reward money into gambling debts and prostitution fees.

He really wanted to do it himself!
It's just a matter of being the first to arrive, is that so difficult!

Looking at the retreating soldiers, Han Shizhong was furious. If you had shown any spirit, I, Han Wu, would not have been stingy with rewards.

If it were me back then, with a general who would reward merit so generously, I would have rushed to Wuhui Ridge and slaughtered several Tartars.

At this moment, he began to miss his brother Huyan Tong.

He and Hu Yantong were indeed close, but his intention to kill Hu Yantong was not just for show.

People can be so complicated sometimes.

"Damn it, this Wanyan Xiyin must have been a turtle reincarnated in his past life. He was born with a shell that's so hard to chew!"

"And that bastard Guo Yaoshi, willingly serving the Tartars, let's send him to his ancestors one day and see how he'll face them."

The surrounding adjutants said, "General Han, please calm down. After the Ever Victorious Army arrived, their troops numbered over 70,000, and they were also holding a stronghold, making them difficult to attack."

As my subordinates said, it's normal to fail when attacking such a fortress.

Just like Taiyuan, which has historically held out for a year.

Not to mention places like Yubi, Xiangyang, and Shanhaiguan, which often took decades to conquer.

However, news had already spread that Zonghan had detoured through Zhending Prefecture and continued south, making Han Shizhong realize even more the importance of expedite the opening of the Wuhui Ridge.

Although the Prince of Dai said nothing, his emphasis on the battle showed that the Battle of Wuhui Ridge was probably the most important battle for the entire Dingnan Army.

“Wanyan Xiyin is a barbarian. How could he know the secrets of defending a city? I bet it’s that scoundrel Guo Yaoshi putting up the resistance again.” Han Shizhong asked, “After breaking through Wuhui Ridge, I won’t be able to quell my anger until I kill that scoundrel!”

Han Shizhong and his men didn't quite understand why Guo Yaoshi was so determined to follow the Jurchens.

They didn't understand Guo Yaoshi's ambition.

Just as Han Shizhong was cursing, someone suddenly came to his side, whispered in his ear, and then took out an encrypted document.

After quickly reading through the document, Han Shizhong's face lit up with joy. He then burned the document, and the irritation on his face vanished instantly, though he looked somewhat nervous.

The surrendered Tatars told Zhu Lingling about a shortcut.

Old Zhu sent out more than a dozen scouts to investigate and found that such a road did indeed exist, which the Tatars had accidentally discovered while raiding Weizhou.

He was about to lead the light cavalry of Yinzhou to circle around from the north to the east of Wuhui Ridge, and attack Wuhui Ridge from both sides.

Based on Han Shizhong's understanding of Zhu Lingling, he wouldn't have made the raid unless he was at least 80% certain.

The opportunity to break through Wuhui Ridge has finally arrived.

Once this place is breached, the political landscape will completely shift in the favor of the Dingnan Army.
-
Daming Prefecture, where the garrison commander Du Chong's office was located.

Although he didn't manage things much, people still came and went from the government office from time to time.

There were messengers going out to deliver orders, messengers rushing back to report the latest military situation, and officials of all kinds seeking instructions on various matters. Everyone was in a hurry, and everyone could hardly hide their unease.

At least one full-strength armored squad was densely packed inside and outside the government office, all wearing armor and looking at people coming and going with unfriendly expressions.

Sometimes, when the sound of horses galloping in could be heard, these armored soldiers would tense up, their hands gripping the hilts of their swords, looking as if they were already on edge.

Everyone knows that Daming Prefecture is a defensive line and should never be a lonely military city.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts, especially to the south, Qu Duan was constantly taking over military camps, fortified villages, and prefectures and counties.

Under the gatehouse corridor outside the government office, countless people sat and stood, most of whom were prominent figures in Daming Prefecture, who had come to inquire about information.

Daming Prefecture has always been prosperous, and the wealthy families in the city are all genuine powerful clans and gentry.

However, the former grandeur and wealth of the past were gone. There were simply too many people who wanted to see Du Chong, and these people were not of a status that allowed them to be seen at any time. They could only wait here.

After sitting for a long time, they would rub their hands together and pace back and forth, whispering to each other, all with worried expressions.

Because the water fortress of Daming Prefecture accounted for a full third of the area, news could always be transmitted in and out without being completely cut off by the Tartars.

This is probably the best news; at least we can get information about the situation outside, so we won't be stuck here in fear.

Whenever a flag was hastily brought out from the inner hall, these people would swarm forward, bombarding him with questions, all conveying the same message.

What is the true intention behind staying behind? Is it still possible to stay in Daming Prefecture?
If all else fails, everyone can take their families and head out by boat to Shandong.

Ever since Zongwang marched south again, the city has been filled with this atmosphere of panic.

The number of troops in Daming Prefecture was not small, but they were typical Song Dynasty garrison troops.

The problem isn't a lack of combat effectiveness, but rather a complete lack of combat effectiveness altogether.

The most capable fighters in the city were former bandits who had been granted amnesty, but Du Chong has dealt with them one by one in recent years.

Robbery is just something thieves and bandits do for fun. If you really want to see who knows how to rob, it has to be an official like Du Chong.

Of all the troops currently in Daming Prefecture, perhaps only Yang Keshi's Shengjie Army is capable of fighting.

The victorious army is essentially lingering here, their defense zone being Yanshan Prefecture.
The Song army was in disarray; if this had happened a few years earlier, someone would have already beheaded Yang Keshi.

Perhaps because he had suffered so many defeats, Yang Keshi was even more slacking off than Du Chong, and didn't make a single move.

Apart from his victorious army, the Beijing camp had only a little over ten thousand soldiers left, some old and weak and unable to fight, others slippery and cowardly—in short, none of them fit for battle.

Guo Yong, the judicial commissioner of Hebei East Circuit, and Zhang Yiqian, the deputy transport commissioner, both wanted to reorganize and train the troops, but Du Chong stopped them both.

Therefore, the main task of the troops in Daming Prefecture was to protect the various supervisory offices in the prefecture from being disturbed by rioters, maintain the city's security, and at the same time, a large amount of manpower was spent on escorting and transporting supplies and provisions.

Inside the yamen, Du Chong's eyes were somewhat sinister. He would glance around every now and then, and if he felt that someone was laughing at him, he would keep it to himself, and that person would surely be in trouble in a few days.

"The Jurchen western army has also arrived. They bypassed the area east of Zhending Prefecture and advanced deep into the south! Although Yue Fei pursued them, he was outnumbered and overwhelmed, and was defeated by Wanyan Loushi."

After Du Chong finished speaking, few others echoed his words; only a few of his confidants listened intently to his rambling.

In just six months, the Hebei rebels were unable to engage in open battle with the Jurchen Tartars.

Even Yue Fei devoted most of his energy to building the defense line of Zhen Ding Prefecture.

He was indeed capable, managing to hold off Wanyan Zonghan in Zhending Prefecture for so long; frankly, he was much better than Wanyan Xiyin.

Within days of starting the war, Xi Yin had completely lost Weizhou, and many military strongholds and fortresses near Wuhui Ridge were also lost.

The defensive lines built by Yue Fei were mutually supportive and coordinated. Despite being attacked by Zong Han for so long, they only lost two fortresses and even managed to recapture one.

Zonghan was blocked in Zhengding Prefecture and could not advance an inch, but his southward speed was extremely fast. The latest news is that the Jurchen Tartars have already invaded Cizhou.

After receiving the news, Zong Ze returned to the Cizhou and Xiangzhou areas to defend them.

Du Chong was essentially missing a group of reinforcements and someone to draw fire, which made him very dissatisfied.

In fact, Du Chong had no intention of surrendering to the Jin, at least not yet. He believed he could hold onto Daming Prefecture.

Once the Tartars retreated, he transformed himself into a meritorious official who had defended Daming Prefecture to the death.

Although he dared not go out to fight the Jurchen Tartars, Du Chong was still very confident in defending Daming Prefecture.

Daming Prefecture was an extremely majestic and fortified city, but during the Five Dynasties period, it was a place ravaged by war.

As a core strategic location in Hebei, its ownership and status as a city have always been closely linked to the war situation in the Central Plains.

Daming Prefecture was originally the residence of the Weibo Jiedushi (military governor). By the end of the Tang Dynasty, it had become the leading of the "Four Garrisons of Hebei," radiating influence over Hebei, Henan, and Shandong.

If they had known earlier that Daming Prefecture dared not fight the Tartars, a massive exodus would have already occurred. Gentry and wealthy people drove their carriages and horses, while poor families relied on their own two legs. They supported the old and carried their children, crowding the roads and forming a human tide that surged southward!

Just like Hebei West Road.

At this moment, those guarding Du Chong's office were mostly officials with duties, such as the prefect or county magistrate of Daming Prefecture, or various supervisory officials.

They couldn't bear the consequences of abandoning their posts and fleeing, so they had to ask Du Chong to make the decision. Then everyone would scatter, and that would be a way to cover things up.

But Du Chong remained silent, and anyone who didn't know better would think he would defend the city to the death.

Those outside didn't know what was being said inside, but they hoped that Du Chong could pull himself together and lead everyone to defend the city!

Those inside, however, knew the truth. Du Liushou, aside from grumbling and cursing this and that, had no backbone at all.

Otherwise, they just ramble on and on, saying things that are neither here nor there.

Just as everyone was bustling about, they heard heavy footsteps coming from the direction of the hall, and a military general emerged from there.

This person was quite famous in Daming Prefecture.

He was Li Yanqi, who came to confiscate Tong Guan's property in Cangzhou and Daming Prefecture. He was originally sent to take over Tong Guan's property.

Du Chong was also very sensible. Although he was upset, he not only did not become his enemy, but also cooperated quite well.

When he arrived at the government office, everyone made way for him.

In the past, when Li Yanqi saw Du Chong, he would only give him a slight bow. But now, when he saw him again, he didn't even bother with that perfunctory gesture.

Du Chong was seething with rage, but dared not retaliate.

He wasn't afraid of the few hundred Dingnan soldiers left in the city, but he was afraid of giving them an excuse.

"Everyone outside is waiting for you to take charge, what are you all doing hiding here!" Li Yanqi shouted.

In terms of official rank and grade, he was worlds apart from Du Chong, so for him to speak like that was already very impolite.

Du Chong said in a low voice, "Didn't Commander Li leave? Why is he returning?"

Li Yanqi sneered inwardly, "I'm back to take your dog's head."

But he certainly couldn't reveal his identity at this moment. "I came to Daming Prefecture to defend the city on the orders of General Qu. The Tartars are attacking the city, so why are you hiding here?"

"These matters are none of your business, a mere cavalry commander, to dictate!" Pei Yi, the transport commissioner of Hebei East Road and one of Du Chong's subordinates, roared angrily.

Li Yanqi glared and roared back: "Cowardice and fear of the enemy, loss of cities and territory, the higher the official rank, the more deserving of death!"

"you!"

Li Yanqi snorted coldly and said, "The south city is the weakest point. We will guard the three south gates!"

After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and walked out.

Daming Prefecture has many city gates, including three on the south side: Jingfeng Gate in the middle, Hengjia Gate in the east, and Fuchang Gate in the west.

Upon hearing that he would be guarding these places, Du Chong suddenly tilted his head slightly, a hint of doubt in his eyes. (End of Chapter)