Autumn had arrived, and the night sky still seemed to hold faint rumbles of thunder. Duke Tong Guan stood on the city walls of Taiyuan, gazing at the rivers and mountains stretching to the north, his expression solemn and serene. Sparse lights dotted the plains, extending into the distance.

This seventy-one-year-old veteran could be described as having spent his entire life in the military. Although physically disabled, he was tall and imposing, his back showing no signs of stooping despite his advanced age, his imposing presence undiminished.

In the past decade, since the Black Waters Alliance, and after the ruthless and iron-fisted Qin Siyuan retired from the Ministry of War, the entire military and political affairs of the Wu Dynasty had been firmly in his hands. He had participated in all the major military and political events of the Wu Dynasty over the past decade, including internal pacification of Fang La, external recovery of Yanyun, checkmating Zhong Shidao, and deterring the Xixia and Dali states, among many others.

Even after his retirement from the Privy Council last year, with Tan Zhen taking over military affairs, his control over the army had not actually weakened. Due to the impact of the Zhang Jue incident, Tan Zhen introduced the amnesty decree, and everyone was frantically incorporating the defeated soldiers of the Liao Dynasty, forming the Righteous Victory Army (Yisheng Jun) in the north. For peace of mind, Zhou Zhe re-appointed Tong Guan last year, sending him to Taiyuan to pacify Hedong and Yanyun, actually hoping that Tong Guan's status as a duke would intimidate the north and deter villains. Therefore, when the news of the Jin invasion and the delivered war letter reached Taiyuan, this de facto highest commander north of the Yellow River knew all of this even earlier than the capital.

In these days, he frequently issued orders to resist, while also having people treat the Jin envoy delivering the war letter with the highest courtesy, seeking peace. Every night, he came to the city walls and looked north. When the wind blew, in the eyes of his entourage, the old man's figure was tall and majestic, but only Tong Guan himself could understand what he was seeing.

A wave of blood was rolling in from the north.

Although at this moment, the war was only breaking out on the northern front lines, and although there were impregnable passes like Yanmen, high-walled strongholds, and hundreds of thousands of troops standing ready along the hundreds or even thousands of miles of roads from south to north, only Tong Guan understood the significance of that group of Jurchen troops who had swept across the north and annihilated the entire Liao Dynasty in a few years.

This time... it's not a joke...

Looking at the peaceful darkness under the night, he only felt a sense of dread in his heart.

Wanyan Zonghan had reached Yanmen Pass, and Wanyan Zongwang should already be engaged in a fierce battle with the Ever Victorious Army (Changsheng Jun) in Yanjing. Even though the news was slow to arrive, he could roughly predict the situation. And on this very night, he had decided to return to the capital!

************

In the north, the first wave of the Jin army's southward offensive encountered a tough nut to crack.

On the Chaobai River, a fierce battle had been raging for five hours.

The sky had darkened, but the flames continued to burn, and the lines of blood spread, turning the entire Chaobai River red. Arrows carrying flames streaked across the sky. In the flickering light and darkness by the river, corpses stretched out, and soldiers with weapons in hand staggered to their feet from the pools of blood. Just eight or nine feet away, the Jurchen cavalry was like another torrent parallel to the Chaobai River, roaring past. Someone noticed him, and behind him, the sound of movement spread, as a forest of spears advanced from his rear to meet the cavalry.

Raising the view to the sky, countless intertwined battles raged on both banks of the Chaobai River. The flames burned the forests, whistling in the wind. Teams carrying torches and mobilizing soldiers stretched like long dragons through the low hills, creating an indescribable sense of threat. Huge banners still fluttered in the wind in the darkness.

Few people had expected that after the fall of the Liao Dynasty, such a battle, fought on an equal footing, would occur in front of the Jurchen Second Prince Wanyan Zongwang's army.

The chaotic sounds surrounded him. On the hills, Guo Yaoshi, cloaked in a greatcoat, sat astride his warhorse, his eyes fixed on the entire battlefield. He occasionally issued an order, sending out reserves or making adjustments to the battle formation to respond to changes on the battlefield.

In this great battle, the number of troops on both sides was approximately between fifty and sixty thousand. In modern times, two thousand people could fill an entire sports field. Multiply that number by fifty, and the hills and riverbeds would be densely packed with people. A great general could discern his position in such chaos, identify the affiliation of each army, and even predict what changes were occurring on the other side of the mountains beyond his vision.

From the moment the battle began at noon that day, Guo Yaoshi had mobilized his forces to their peak. The battle lines of both sides stretched for several miles, and in the five hours of fighting, they had twisted and extended. By now, the distance over which the two sides were fighting exceeded thirty miles, and nearly ten thousand people had left their blood and lives on the banks of the river. To this day, the momentum of victory or defeat remained unclear.

In a gap that others could not perceive, Guo Yaoshi's entire body was trembling slightly. As a former beggar who had made a living by begging in Liaodong, he had come all the way to become the leader of the beggars, a general of the Resentment Army (Yuanjun), and had kowtowed and scraped under the Liao. Until this very moment of joining the Wu Dynasty and forming the Ever Victorious Army (Changsheng Jun), his entire life seemed to be burning.

He wanted to make a name for himself, to stand at the highest point of this world, and compete with the heroes of the world. When he was in the Liao Dynasty, there was such a person above him, Prince Xi Xiao Gan, who was once the hero he admired the most. But the admiration between men did not require subservience.

Recalling that after the establishment of the Resentment Army, rebellions continued. After Dong Xiaochou's rebellion, Yelu Yudu suggested to Xiao Gan that he simply kill the entire Resentment Army once and for all. Xiao Gan opposed it, which allowed Guo Yaoshi and others to save their lives. But when Guo Yaoshi knelt before Xiao Gan to thank him, his heart was not filled with such feelings. He only hoped that one day, his life would not be controlled by the words of others. He hoped to be able to become friends or rivals with such people on the same stage.

After surrendering to the Wu Dynasty, he had such an opportunity. However, the attack on Yanjing was unsuccessful, and Xiao Gan led his army back. At that time, Guo Yaoshi wanted to fight the opponent head-on, but the defeat of the Wu army led to the near annihilation of his brothers under his command. Xiao Gan easily crushed all resistance. If his brothers had not pulled him away from the battlefield, he would have died there.

After that, he rebuilt the Ever Victorious Army (Changsheng Jun). When his subordinates later killed Xiao Gan in battle, he could not feel that glory, because the Liao Dynasty at that time had reached the end of its rope. He had not defeated Xiao Gan at his strongest, but only a Liao Dynasty that was terminally ill.

After that, he expanded his army in Yanjing crazily and trained his soldiers frantically. Only at this moment did he know that he had finally reached his peak. Because in front of the Ever Victorious Army (Changsheng Jun) was the most famous general among the Jurchens who had destroyed the Liao Dynasty, the most powerful star of this era, blocked by him in front, standing on equal footing.

At the beginning of the battle that day, the Jurchen cavalry surged forward, completely intending to defeat the entire Ever Victorious Army (Changsheng Jun) with the most fierce attack. Guo Yaoshi organized a tight defense with arrows and spear formations along the Chaobai River, while his own cavalry simultaneously interspersed towards the rear of the Jurchens, not giving way at all. There was a moment when Guo Yaoshi simply wanted to personally lead the team to launch a full-scale attack, directly charging Wanyan Zongwang's main formation, because he could see that the opponent was underestimating him.

If he had really adopted this decision, the battle in front of him might have been decided directly after each side launched its most fierce attack. However, Wanyan Zongwang had a prestigious reputation, and the current battle was the real first battle after the completion of the Ever Victorious Army (Changsheng Jun). Guo Yaoshi did not dare to gamble like this.

And the Jurchens at this time were indeed the strongest army in the world. After the fierce attack failed, the opponent quickly transformed into a formation that combined offense and defense, while the main formation retreated slightly. The Jin people were best at using cavalry in field battles. In front of Guo Yaoshi, the opponent's cavalry formation galloped and slaughtered like thousands of mad dragons. He also quickly organized the coordination of troops, and by using rivers, forests, flames, and arrows, the infantry and cavalry under his command continued to approach the opponent's battle formation, dividing and tearing everything into an intertwined chaotic situation.

Five hours, more than thirty miles of fierce fighting. The Jin's offensive went from frenzied to cautious, and then to the current situation where both sides were fighting steadily like playing chess. Guo Yaoshi could understand that he had at least gained the respect of the opponent.

In this world, no one could underestimate him anymore.

*************

In Bianliang, amid the flames, a huge map marked the situation in the north. The emperor and his ministers gathered in the same room. Li Gang, Qin Siyuan, Wang Fu, Tan Zhen, Gao Qiu, Li Bangyan... even Grand Tutor Cai Jing, who was already enjoying his retirement at home, was sitting in the corner of the room at this time.

"In any case, the military strength of the two Jin armies is clear. They are advancing southward in two routes, east and west. Although they are coming fiercely, our defenses are also sufficient. On the western route, we have the impregnable Yanmen Pass, and Duke of Chu is currently in Taiyuan overseeing the overall situation. On the eastern route, according to the news from Yanjing, Commander Guo's Ever Victorious Army (Changsheng Jun) should already be in contact with Wanyan Zongwang. With the strength of the Ever Victorious Army (Changsheng Jun), they will not be defeated at the first touch. This minister predicts that they will definitely be able to hold Yanjing. As long as Yanjing is not lost, the three towns of Hebei will be able to stand firm..."

At this time, the person pointing at the map and speaking in the room was Privy Councilor Tan Zhen. After he spoke for a while, Emperor Zhou Zhe opened his mouth: "Guo Yaoshi is a loyal and good general of朕(zhen, I, imperial use). He has trained troops for several years and will certainly not disappoint朕(zhen)."

The emperor was the biggest driving force in using Guo Yaoshi. In the past, it was Zhou Zhe who took the lead in adding officials and titles to Guo Yaoshi. At this time, it was not so much affirmation as emphasizing his own vision. Everyone naturally did not dare to object.

After a moment, Zhou Zhe said again: "Duke Tong is sitting in Taiyuan, and朕(zhen) also believes in him, but there is also a point in it. Although Duke Tong is now honored as a Duke, if he is to handle the war affairs in full authority, it may still be a bit inappropriate.朕(zhen) want to give him an imperial decree to make his dispatch justified. What do you ministers think?"

Tan Zhen immediately stood up: "This minister requests to resign from the position of Privy Councilor."

"卿(qing, term for officials) Tan, that's not what朕(zhen) is referring to.朕(zhen) believes in you. Now that the Jin people are coming fiercely, you and the Duke of Chu must contribute to commanding military affairs. At this time, you cannot hide!"

"This minister is not avoiding this matter." Tan Zhen hurriedly knelt down, "It's just as Your Majesty said, if the name is not correct, the words will not be right. If it were at other times, this minister would lead the Privy Council and be duty-bound to deal with the Jin's southward invasion, and I would certainly exhaust my efforts to the point of death. But Duke Chu has been in charge of the Privy Council for many years, and he is also a man of the military. At this critical moment, Tan Zhen is willing to resign and yield to Duke Chu alone. Your Majesty can grant this minister a deputy position, and I will serve the country under Duke Chu's command in the same way."

"That's good too. But卿(qing) Tan,朕(zhen) am saying the ugly truth first. You are leaving your official position, but you cannot reduce the effort you put in. As long as you work hard for the country, and Duke Chu is old,朕(zhen) can promise you that after this matter, the position of Privy Councilor will still be yours. Remember that."

Zhou Zhe pointed at him. After a moment, he looked at the map again and said: "The Ever Victorious Army (Changsheng Jun) seems to have engaged the Jurchens. Commander Guo has not disappointed朕(zhen), and朕(zhen) will not disappoint him. There is one thing you should discuss.朕(zhen) want to buy bones with a thousand gold today."

He paused, then said: "As long as the Ever Victorious Army (Changsheng Jun) holds Yanjing,朕(zhen) will give him the greatest reward, seal him as the Prince of Yan, and give him all the land north of Yanmen Pass, so that he can guard the north for朕(zhen) for generations..."

Before he could finish his words, several people, including Li Gang and Qin Siyuan, rushed out, and even Tan Zhen and Qin Hui were shouting "不可(bu ke, not allowed)", expressing their objection. Cai Jing raised his eyebrows, his dim eyes quietly watching the emperor, revealing a look of pity.

In the palace, the emperor waved his hand sharply: "朕(zhen)'s mind is made up.朕(zhen) want to give him such a reward! You should discuss it carefully for朕(zhen), and the imperial decree must be issued in these few days!"

*************

In the same night, on the banks of the Chaobai River, Guo Yaoshi's peak moment in his life lasted for five hours. A change appeared on the side of the battle formation.

This change that appeared quietly caused both sides of the battle to be somewhat caught off guard and confused at the moment it was discovered. But soon after, the huge levee collapsed with a bang... (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (起点) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. .Read.)