You have truly caused me great suffering!

"No pursuit?"

Wanyan Ang looked defeated and somewhat numb as he slumped into a chair.

"How can we not pursue them? How can we not pursue them?"

That's how stratagems work: if you succeed and the other party falls for it, then you reap great benefits.

vice versa.

Now they are facing Jing Jun's step-by-step advance, and they have even been sent to the river crossing.

Wanyan Ang sighed. He had no regrets, because even if they had blocked the enemy at the river mouth, they would have only lost a few more enemy troops.

But the enemy has countless soldiers, while our side has very few left.

Now everyone can see Qu Duan's intentions clearly. Even if Wanyan Aguda in his grave could speak, he would say: "Damn it, he's coming for me."

Wanyan Ang participated in the Battle of Baigou River and fought against the Dingnan Army, but he did not fight against Qu Duan.

Qu Duan arrived only after the three main forces had all withdrawn.

Moreover, although only five years have passed, the Dingnan Army is actually quite different from when it first emerged.

Back then, everyone fought with bloodshot eyes for military merit.

If Han Shizhong had been leading the troops this time, he probably would have been able to tell that there was an ambush on the other side, but he would still have charged.

At most, we should send out as many scouts as possible to explore the area.

If he doesn't give the order to charge, his men might also rush in recklessly. The Dingnan Army was known for its strict discipline, but in this era, you can't expect to achieve complete obedience.

Even with Li Shimin's prestige, he still couldn't achieve this. To prevent his subordinates from massacring the city, he even had to personally pay for the lives of the city's inhabitants.

However, by the time Qu Duan arrived, everything had already quietly changed.

The large-scale use of artillery, in particular, made them lose their will to fight.

The Great Jing Dynasty has been established; only by living can one realize their military achievements.

Can posthumous pensions be the same as posthumous honors?

I heard that soon, people like us will be able to go to the most fertile land in the Central Plains and become small landlords.

Although there is still a large group of people who want to completely turn their lives around and rise to the top in one step through military merit, they are not as crazy as they were at the beginning.

This perfectly aligns with Qu Duan's military strategy.

Why did Qu Duan submit to Chen Shao the only one he admired, and not to anyone else?

Because he was a rather traditional, classical general, he valued the importance of ensuring supplies were in place before the troops moved, and believed that preserving manpower was more important than conquering cities and territories.

If logistics are dragged down, then a temporary victory is not a true victory; it's a case of losing more than you gain.

Before each battle, His Majesty always takes care of the logistics and supplies. There was no road from Hedong to Yanmen, so he personally went to build it. When there was no food, he asked his family to raise money.

He paved roads through mountains and built bridges over rivers; no matter what difficulties he faced, he never let the soldiers on the front lines figure out the solutions themselves.

Instead, they exhausted all means to ensure supplies. Qu Duan knew that if the generals and soldiers on both sides were switched, His Majesty would still win!

If you are raised by someone who feeds you when you are young and obey them when you grow up, you will hardly become a high-ranking officer in the army. This is the reason why.

When Qu Duan crossed the river and advanced step by step, and encountered the Jurchen army's camp again, he could only let out a cold laugh.

"Bring the cannons up!"
-
When news of Qu Duan's attack on the Songliao Plain reached Nanjing, Chen Shao was making final arrangements against Japan.

Trade continued between Japan and Daikyo, and monks continued to enter Japanese soil.

It seems that the edict reprimanding Toba was truly only directed at Toba.

However, a storm was brewing, and many nobles sensed the impending danger.

Chen Shao was just waiting for the Buddhist monks to help him find a proxy so he could instigate a civil war.

At this moment, a memorial from Qing Tang caught his attention.

Among the Zhang clan members in Hexi, a young man named Zhang Run submitted a memorial stating that the Bai people of Dali were descendants of Zhuang Qiao, a general of the Chu state, and his troops, and requested Chen Shao to bestow the title of King of Dali.

"The Chu general Zhuang Qiao was ordered by the king to conquer the southwest. He reached Dianchi Lake and became king. His people were all descendants of the Han Chinese. Later, they moved to Erhai Lake and lived among the local people without losing their manners. They were called the Bai Man."

"The Duan family originally came from Wuwei, while the Gao family originated from Bohai. To avoid the chaos of the Yongjia Rebellion, they moved to Yeyu, where they upheld the proper etiquette and maintained their traditional attire."

"Although the white people practice Buddhism, they build Confucian temples and study the Six Classics, making them 'uncivilized Chinese'."

"Dali is a branch of the Chinese people who have long been separated from the rule of the king. Now, the people of Dajing have received the mandate of heaven and should be allowed to return to the order of their ancestral home."

After reading it, Chen Shao remained silent for a long time.

It's actually very fortunate that Dali was able to be taken back, as Dali is a melting pot.

Various cultures converge here, and in the eyes of other Southeast Asian countries, this place is generally believed to be the Land of Wonderful Fragrance in Buddhist legend.

Now it seems like I have an inescapable duty.

Zhang Run's move was extremely ruthless. On the surface, it was an attempt to elevate the Bai people, claiming they were descendants of the Han Chinese.

But do they really dare to accept that they are descendants of the Chinese people?

If we accept, does that mean we'll have to return to the rule of the Great Jing?

First, say that you are also a descendant of Han Chinese, and then everything else will fall into place.

The key point is that the Bai people do indeed have some Han Chinese cultural inclinations, using Chinese characters, the imperial examination system, and Confucian ethics, and calling themselves a "renowned cultural nation".

However, to say that they were descendants of the Chu people is somewhat far-fetched.

The whole process of bestowing titles, erecting steles, and building temples must have terrified Dali.

When the Central Plains dynasty calls you a barbarian, you might feel uncomfortable at most; but if it insists you're Chinese, then you'd better be careful.
That afternoon, I had arranged to meet with Li Tangchen and other civil officials to discuss this matter and solicit their opinions.

During the Tang Dynasty, Dali was part of the Tang territory, but it was highly autonomous and was known as Nanzhao.

At that time, Nanzhao was considered a buffer between the two behemoths, the Tang Dynasty and Tibet, and was an object of courting by both sides.

Later, Yang Guozhong, that fool, sent Zhang Qiantuo to serve as the governor of Yunnan. This fellow was greedy and lustful, constantly extorting bribes from Geluofeng, and even insulting Geluofeng's wife and daughters, which completely drove him to rebellion.

Yang Guozhong was overjoyed, thinking that his chance to gain military merit had come, since his confidants were all in Shu and could not go north to earn military merit.

So he confidently sent his trusted confidant Xianyu Zhongtong from Shu to conquer the enemy. Xianyu Zhongtong, like Yang Guozhong, was a complete incompetent fool, and was utterly annihilated.

Even so, Nanzhao still had the Tang Dynasty in mind. After the Nanzhao king was forced to establish himself, he erected a "Virtue and Transformation Stele" outside the capital to show that he rebelled against the Tang Dynasty because of the corruption and tyranny of the Tang border officials. He emphasized that "from ancient times to the present, I have been a loyal subject of the Han Dynasty who neither invaded nor rebelled" and expressed his willingness to return to the Tang Dynasty.

Yang Guozhong deceived his superiors and subordinates, falsely claiming a great victory, and then sent Li Mi with 70,000 men to quell the rebellion.

This completely enraged them, resulting in the annihilation of their entire 70,000-strong army, including Li Mi's, and the loss of countless supplies.

From the time it separated from the Central Plains during the Tianbao era until Kublai Khan re-established Yunnan Province, it remained isolated for five hundred years.

It is heartbreaking to think about.
At noon, a palace servant came to ask if they wanted to return to Funing Palace for lunch, and Chen Shao told them to bring it directly.

He ate a few bites in the courtyard of the Zichen Palace and then continued to read the memorials.

After a busy morning, the officials who had made the appointment arrived one after another.

After everyone was seated, Chen Shao smiled and took out Zhang Run's memorial, asking them to read it.

After reading it, everyone was speechless.

His Majesty has been on the throne for six months, and every day he's been looking for vassal states for himself. To put it bluntly, he's coveting these small countries around him and wants to destroy them.

This clearly shows that they have their eyes on Dali again, and Japan is still plotting against them while the Jin Dynasty is still engaged in fierce fighting.

Chen Shao smiled and said, "I only want to confer titles upon their kings and tell them that we are all one family."

Li Tangchen glanced at Chen Shao, and after a moment of silence, finally spoke, "Your Majesty, we must not start another war this year. It would be best to destroy the Jin Kingdom first."

"Didn't I say it myself? No war, just a recognition of kinship!"

Zhang Xiaochun immediately seized the opportunity and said, "It's good that we're not fighting; our finances can't sustain this."

Even if the finances could support it, the central government would be exhausted from running so many important affairs at the same time.

Chen Shao also knew that his actions seemed somewhat hasty, as if he wanted to finish everything as quickly as possible.

He was genuinely afraid that after his death, history would turn back time, which was not impossible.

It is quite possible.

Because he saw it many years earlier than others.

Only by guiding the young and dynamic Dajing onto the right track and getting it running smoothly, and by cultivating a large number of guardians and core members, can I feel at ease.

We dare not slack off for even a moment!

“Write an imperial edict to confer upon Duan Heyu the title of King of Yunnan, who is in charge of the military and civilian administration of Dali, and bestow upon him an imperial seal, a golden seal, and a nine-tasseled ceremonial robe.”

“The Tea Horse Road was rebuilt, and scholars from the Hanlin Academy were sent to Dali to compile the ‘Study on the Common Origin of Bai and Han Peoples’, which was published in both countries.”

“Instruct Zhai Fengda to send a hundred or so monks to Yunnan to hold an open assembly and invite eminent monks from Dali to come to Nanjing to discuss Buddhist teachings and interpretations.”

Li Tangchen rose, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."

Seeing their lack of interest in recovering Dali, Chen Shao felt rather bored. Sometimes, his subjects were not of one mind with him.

The general consensus was that the Jin dynasty should be destroyed first, as the Western barbarians and Northern invaders had always been two major obstacles looming over the Song people.

The west is now completely peaceful. Since the Qin and Han dynasties, the western border has never been so thoroughly brought under our rule.

Looking across the north and south of Yumen Pass, not a single one dared to bare their teeth.

The land where the Great Jing Dynasty rose to power is filled with the highest levels of martial virtue.

The matter of Dali was temporarily put aside, and the officials became very excited again when discussing the destruction of the Jin dynasty.

The Jin army did indeed march south into the Central Plains, and the killings they committed were extremely severe; now they are on the verge of destruction.

Qu Duan's decision to head straight for his ancestor's tomb was particularly invigorating.

It's important to know that during the Jingkang Incident, the Jurchens forced the captured Song people to pay homage at the tomb of Wanyan Aguda.

Now the Dingnan Army also wants to come and pay their respects.

However, this time they might not take off their clothes and put on sheepskin.

The military report stated that neither Wanyan Zonghan nor Wanyan Zongwang withdrew their troops.

Because they also knew that once the fortress was opened and the Dingnan Army was allowed in, they would have no choice but to abandon everything and either flee into the Changbai Mountains or escape further north.

Yue Fei and his men cursed every day while pointing at the rain, just waiting for the downpour to stop.

Even if it's just a slight movement, the attack will begin.

In recent years, the seasons have been out of order, and torrential rains have occurred every year around this time, which has changed the course of battles both in the present and in history.

The Institute of Technology has been developing artillery for years. With more and more copper being brought back, and Chen Shao about to introduce a silver standard to reduce dependence on copper coins, the situation is improving.

The imperial court dared to invest more bronze in casting cannons.

From Taiyuan, Bianliang, and Jinling, a steady stream of artillerymen brought bronze cannons to join the northern battlefield.

This was a war that embodied the hopes of revenge and resurgence for the Central Plains. The entire nation awaited the day of complete victory.

For Chen Shao, the Jin state was crippled after the Battle of Baigou River, and there was no chance for them to recover.

His focus had long been on opening up the seas, conquering Japan, and conquering the southern wilderness, but for the other officials of the Great Jing Dynasty, destroying the Jin Dynasty was the top priority.

Their preparations for this battle, and their expectations for it, surpassed those of all other battlefields combined.
-
Standing atop Xinzhou City and looking south, one can see the vast military camps of the Jing army spread across the land, with cavalry units emerging from these camps and galloping about in all directions.

Meanwhile, wave after wave of auxiliary troops surged forward, pushing and dragging all sorts of siege weapons.

Near Xinzhou, almost every hilltop had a flag set up by the Great Jing Army, with guards constantly relaying orders and mobilizing this massive army to launch an attack on Xinzhou.

After Qu Duan's army crossed the river, it spread out its army from the south almost without stopping.

Several infantry formations advanced and completely controlled the battlefield, followed by a large cavalry force.

Right under their noses, they began building siege equipment.

Qu Duan's fighting style was too steady, so steady that Wanyan Ang was completely desperate. He looked at the Jing army below.

From the very beginning, this siege was designed to destroy everything.

The pitch-black cannon muzzles were pointed directly at the city wall, ready to unleash those evil and terrifying shells at any moment.

As the first lucky people in the world to be bombarded by artillery, the Jurchens of the Jin Dynasty were probably the ones who understood the power of artillery best, apart from the soldiers of the Great Jing Dynasty.

Moreover, more and more troops are continuously joining the battlefield.

Standing atop the city wall and looking south, the Jing army's camps were constantly increasing in number, and at night, they were filled with bonfires that seemed to burn until the very end of the sky.

Wanyan Angjiu served as the vanguard and fought for ten years to destroy the Liao dynasty; he was a veteran general.

He knew very well that the total number of cavalrymen on the other side probably exceeded 30,000.

This kind of situation put the defense of Xinzhou in the most difficult situation from the very beginning.

To put it bluntly, the old emperor's tomb is in grave danger!
In the vast expanse of heaven and earth, he had no idea where reinforcements might come to his aid.

The fate of the Great Jin Kingdom was like this bleak sky, overcast and devoid of any light.

If Xinzhou is captured, the road to Huining Prefecture will be wide open, and there won't even be a decent fortress.

Huining Prefecture, although the birthplace of the Jin Dynasty, had no high city walls.

How to resist these troops?

Wanyan Ang, leaning against the watchtower on the city wall, gritted his teeth and spat down hard.

We can't retreat any further; we'll die here!
"The old emperor led us to destroy the Khitan and avenge our great grudge. We've killed enough and enjoyed ourselves for the past ten years. Let us die here!"

He raised his weapon and shouted with all his might.

The Jurchen soldiers all had grim expressions, knowing that they were doomed to die, which also stirred up the savage and ruthless nature in their bones.

The artillerymen below suddenly saw someone on the city wall holding a weapon and seemingly shouting.

The artillery battalion commander immediately ordered all cannons to be aimed at this spot, then waved his hand and said, "Fire!"

Before Wanyan Ang could turn around, he suddenly felt a buzzing sound in his ear. Wanyan Ang was covered in iron filings and gravel, and half of his body was a bloody mess, making him look extremely terrifying.

Blood and flesh flew everywhere on the city wall, black smoke swirled, dust filled the air, and cries of agony echoed throughout.

The mournful sound of drums and horns instantly reverberated across the battlefield, as countless men pushed their siege weapons forward, their battle cries piercing the sky. (End of Chapter)