You have truly caused me great suffering!

Zongwang's main camp was also near Gubeikou.

He never left.

From the moment they retreated from Baigou River, this defeat was like a thorn in Zongwang's side, causing him deep shame.

He was even more arrogant than Zonghan, because although his Eastern Route Army had not conquered as much territory as the Western Route Army, its achievements were even more brilliant.

Wanyan Zongbi nearly broke his horse's legs running. When he arrived at the central military headquarters, he jumped off his horse, staggered a few steps, and steadied himself.

That really showed their skill.

Wanyan Zongbi was Aguda's fourth son, and Zongwang was his second son. The two grew up together from childhood.

When the army was raised to destroy the Liao Dynasty, Zong Bi was always under Zong Wang's command.

Zongwang valued his fourth brother highly and often made him the vanguard. He also sent Zongbi to fight the two southward expeditions to capture Tangyin County and the forced crossing of the Yellow River.

"Second brother!"

Zong Bi entered the tent and saw a roaring bonfire burning in the middle. Outside, the north wind swirled snowflakes that clattered against the cowhide curtain.

When Wanyan Zongbi lifted the curtain and entered, he first smelled a strong medicinal smell. Zongbi hated this smell of Chinese medicine and felt uncomfortable every time he smelled it. However, the smell was like a fine needle, drilling straight into his lungs.

Because the Liao Dynasty occupied the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, and there were many Han Chinese in the country, the further south the Liao Dynasty went, the more Sinicized it became.

Not only were the craftsmen's skills comparable to those of the Song Dynasty, but there were also many famous doctors among the physicians.

There are even works such as "Pulse Diagnosis" and "Acupuncture Book".

Wanyan Zongwang leaned against the worn mink fur rug, the outline of his shoulders and back slumped badly under the brocade quilt.

However, when Zong Bi entered, he was slightly taken aback, but quickly concealed it.

Second Brother's illness has not improved, but it has not worsened either. The messenger would not dare to fabricate such a story, so it seems to be Second Brother's own intention.

Wanyan Zongbi looked at his second brother, already making plans in his mind.
He was noticeably thinner than when he retreated north last year; his once thick eyebrows were now deeply creased, and a scab from an arrow wound remained on his left cheek.

The arrow wound was inflicted at the Baigou River; a cluster of sharp arrows grazed his cheek. Had the Dingnan Army soldier who shot the arrows been a little more accurate, the entire battle might have been rewritten.

Upon seeing Zongbi enter, he raised his hand and uttered a muffled "Wochuo, come here!"

The Jurchen people all have nicknames, but only elders or people of higher status can call them that.

Yin Shuke often called Wanyan Xiyin by his nickname "Gushen," which annoyed Wanyan Xiyin. He felt that this birdman was of lower status than him and yet he called him Gushen. He turned on him in public several times.

It was perfectly fine for Zongwang to call him by his nickname; in fact, it seemed quite affectionate.

Zong Bi didn't sit down. He first bent down to tuck the blanket around him, then took the warm water cup handed to him by the servant, tested the temperature, and then handed it over.

Zongwang took two sips from his hand, then suddenly choked and coughed, his phlegm tinged with dark red.

Zong Bi clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm: "Most of these southerners' medical skills are fraudulent. Can eating grass roots really cure diseases? Why not invite a high shaman to perform a ritual to pray for your well-being and ward off disaster, Second Brother?"

Zongwang chuckled and did not refute his fourth brother. Zongbi's aversion to the medical skills of the Southerners actually stemmed from his teachings and example; he had always said such things before.

But in his desperation, he tried acupuncture, a treatment he had previously avoided, and surprisingly, it actually worked.

He had been scolded so harshly before, but now that this was saving his life, Zongwang was too embarrassed to say anything and just silently accepted the treatment.

"I heard that the Dingnan Army in Liaodong is erecting a monument for Zhang Jue?"

Zhang Jue was defeated by Zong Wang, who slaughtered almost every household in Pingzhou. The fact that the people there are now so united in their opposition to the Jin dynasty under Guo Yaoshi shows that they still remember Zhang Jue.

Zong Bi squatted down, staring at his elder brother's ashen face: "Second brother, what time is it? Don't worry about these things. Get well first, then we'll cross the Yellow River together and slaughter all those damned southern and western barbarians!"

The Jurchens habitually referred to the Dingnan Army as the Western Barbarians, and later they also referred to the Song people as the Southern Barbarians.

By now, they have long since ceased all contact with the southern barbarians.
Before them, there were no soldiers other than the Dingnan Army. Even Yue Fei's tens of thousands of men could be considered part of the Dingnan Army, though they weren't openly acknowledged.

Whose grain do you eat, whose armor do you wear, and whose horse do you ride? When the king issues his orders, can you disobey them?

Moreover, the Prince of Dai was the Grand Marshal of all the armies in the land, and naturally had the authority to command them.

The reason Zong Ze wanted his troops back was that he had realized that even if Yue Fei was no longer part of the Dingnan Army, he was still a sword within it.

It's a damn sharp sword.
Zongwang felt a pang of bitterness. Sure enough, during the six months he had been bedridden, his troops had become less obedient.

Although his fourth brother was of one mind with him, he couldn't understand his meaning at all.

Wanyan Zongwang is a typical example of turning misfortune into blessing. Historically, he captured Bianliang and then retreated with his troops, only to find himself in the height of summer in the Central Plains.

During the summer march, coupled with the large number of wine and women captured from the capital of the Song Dynasty, he inevitably indulged in some debauchery, which led to his sudden death from heatstroke.

This time, they were sent back early, avoiding the height of summer and heatstroke.

Although the illness still recurred, it gradually improved with proper care and treatment.

Zongwang stopped arguing with his fourth brother and said directly, "The Western barbarians erected a monument for Zhang Jue in order to win over the people of Pingzhou and Runzhou. He's going to attack Guo Yaoshi."

"Good!" Wanyan Zongbi cursed, "Fine! Let them fight like dogs. Once you've recovered, Second Brother, we'll go and kill them together."

Wanyan Zongwang suspected that his fourth brother was pretending to be stupid, but after looking up at him, he thought it didn't seem like it.

During the six months I've been ill, how could the Jurchen leadership still be so confident?

Zongwang thought of someone; it seemed the fate of the entire Jurchen tribe was in that person's hands.

He originally wanted to wait until he was fully recovered before taking on this responsibility.

But now it seems the Dingnan army won't give them any more time; they're about to make their move. The fourth brother, Wochuo, is not suited to lead troops in a decisive battle against the Dingnan army; he lacks the ability.

Although Zongwang had previously refused to admit it, when faced with a life-or-death situation and the imminent annihilation of his entire clan, he had no choice but to acknowledge it.

They also had to hand over their eastern army to Zonghan for command, otherwise the Jin dynasty would be finished.

“Ocho, if war breaks out, you must obey the emperor’s orders. After all, he is the emperor of our Jin Kingdom.”

"Second Brother!" Zongbi interrupted him, his throat tightening. "Why are you saying all this? When you're better, we'll cross the Yellow River together, trample the capital of the Southerners, and wipe them all out."

"Alright." Zongwang smiled and stopped talking about these things. He was seriously ill and unable to control his subordinates.

I don't know if my fourth brother is genuinely honest or just putting on an act.

But they were at a loss.

If things really get out of hand and it comes down to fighting for power and profit, no one will follow someone who's half-dead.

Zongwang said with a smile, "When it's ready, I'll treat you to mare's milk wine and a whole roasted yellow sheep."

He suddenly started breathing heavily, and Zongbi rushed to pat his back, only to find it covered in cold sweat.

"Second brother, do you think Zonghan might take this opportunity to seize power? All his own men are dead, and the two he relied on, Yin Shuke and Lou Shi, have both been killed by the Western barbarians."

Zongwang grabbed his wrist, surprisingly with great strength, and said, "I have my own plans."

“I know.” Zongbi nodded and said, “I will listen to my second brother. I, Wochuo, have only ever listened to my father and you since I was a child.”

The wind outside the tent picked up and grew stronger, making the tent hooks rattle.

Zongwang looked at his younger brother's face, then suddenly let go of his hand and slowly lay back down on the mattress.

With his eyes closed and a smile still on his lips, he said, "Go. Remember to be extra careful when fighting the Western Barbarians. Once they make a move, they're 90% sure of victory."

Zong Bi stood up and took one last look at the person on the bed. The firelight danced on his face, illuminating the white hair at his temples.

He turned and lifted the curtain to go outside. Snowflakes hit his face, chilling him to the bone.

Zong Bi calmed himself down, glanced back at the large tent, and then turned and left.
-
The main battlefields of the Dingnan Army and the Ever Victorious Army appear to be on both sides of the Ji River.

This was once the place where Guo Yaoshi defended against Wanyan Zongwang.

Yang Keshi was also the one who fought alongside him back then.

Now Yang Keshi has joined forces with him again, still in a defensive posture, only this time they have moved from the west bank to the east bank.

Guo Yaoshi and Yang Keshi could be said to have spent half their lives fighting and serving in the military.

The same applies to his troops.

They set up a very tight defense line on the east bank of the river, relying on the Ji River and deploying defenses in layers.

In the event that someone breaks through the Ji River, they can quickly mobilize nearby troops to drive the Dingnan Army back.

As for the people on the east bank, they have all been evacuated and relocated, turning this area into a pure battlefield.

If the Dingnan army crosses the river, they will also send out scouts to harass their supply lines.

At this time, Guo Yaoshi was not dressed as a military general. He was wearing a long robe with a round collar and right-fastening, a jade belt, and a turban.

This was the common attire of nobles in Nanjing Prefecture of the Liao Dynasty.

Because the Han Chinese now hold a dominant position in Liaodong, other ethnic groups have been largely wiped out by various forces that have repeatedly occupied the area.

Therefore, Guo Yaoshi wisely restored the Han Chinese clothing and customs.

He has always been very flexible in his stance and is a pure survivalist. He feels no psychological pressure when asked to kill his own Han compatriots, and he would not even blink when asked to kill Khitans and Jurchens.

When surrendering to the Song Dynasty, one can act as a simple and honest military general for Zhao Ji in Bianliang, and be so moved by the sight of the seemingly divine Song emperor that one is moved to tears.

After surrendering to the Jin dynasty, in order to show his loyalty to Wanyan Zongwang, he launched a large-scale massacre in Youyan, leaving mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and nine out of ten houses empty.

Looking at Yang Keshi sitting opposite him, Guo Yaoshi flicked his sleeves and laughed, "The Song people killed Zhang Jue, and now they want to frame me. They think the people of Pingzhou are idiots."

Yang Keshi, who had been listless and unable to muster any energy for anything, was now sitting upright, full of spirit, as if he had found his goal.

He spat and cursed, "That Chen Shao is a master of double-dealing and framing. This trick is just like when he brought down Commander Tong. It was clearly his own fault for refusing to send troops to cooperate in the campaign against Liao, instead accumulating strength in the northwest to plot a coup. Yet he shamelessly boasted that Commander Tong was ineffective in battle. After Commander Tong was killed, no one in the world could control him."

"Zhao Guan'er listened to slander, and now it's too late for regrets. This time, his act of erecting a monument for Zhang Jue is yet another despicable trick; it's truly hateful!"

“There are ignorant and foolish people among the people of Pingzhou who actually believed his nonsense. We must be wary of them.”

Guo Yaoshi nodded, but what he was thinking was that he absolutely had to get the Jin Kingdom to send troops to help. Otherwise, he certainly wouldn't be able to hold out on his own.

At this time, he had already sent people to seek help from Wanyan Wugumai. At most, he would submit to the Jin Dynasty in exchange for its support, just like the Northern Han and the Khitan had done in the past.

Unless the Jin commanders are fools, they will definitely use themselves to stop the Dingnan Army's northern expedition. If Liaodong falls into the hands of the Dingnan Army, the Jin will be completely defenseless, and they can easily march from Liaodong to Huining Prefecture.

They glanced at each other, both feeling a little guilty, fearing the other might defect to the enemy.

After all, the disparity in strength was too great.

Yang Keshi thought to himself: This Guo Yaoshi is used to surrendering. Will he surrender to Chen Shao this time?

At this moment, Pharmacist Guo muttered to himself, "Yang Keshi and Chen Shao served together in the Victorious Army back then, and I've heard they had a very good relationship." (End of Chapter)