War is complex, yet simple; cruel, yet gentle; orderly, yet chaotic; it extols the comparison of strengths, yet also speaks of miracles and courage.
These things vary drastically depending on a person's position and standpoint. However, in any case, war can never be easy.
Therefore, after indulging in a few extra cups of wine, wallowing in self-pity due to his homesickness, Lord Zhao's actions did nothing to help the war situation. He still had to face the grim reality of the battlefield.
It is said that in the deep autumn of September, as the main force of the Jin army crossed the river and entered the battle, the Song-Jin War of Jianyan's second year quickly entered a new phase. This was the most difficult phase for the Song Dynasty, the so-called stage of large-scale loss of cities and territories, and the loss of soldiers and generals.
Throughout September, Zhao Jiu sat idly in Nanyang, while messages from the front lines poured in like snowflakes:
The entire territory of six counties and eleven cities in Zhengzhou was lost, with three instances of massacres;
Six counties and fifteen cities out of sixteen counties and thirty-seven cities in Kaifeng Prefecture were lost, with two instances of massacres;
The Sisui Pass fell;
Thirteen counties and seventeen cities out of sixteen counties and twenty-one cities in Henan Prefecture were lost, with one instance of massacre and two instances of burning;
All areas south of Hunchuan in Yan'an Prefecture were lost;
Huaizhou Weicheng was lost and burned to the ground…
The above, coupled with the defeat of Liu Bao, a general under Zhang Jun, in Luyi, Bozhou, which led to a massacre, resulted in a confirmed loss of over fifty cities, seventeen defeats, seven instances of massacres, and three instances of burning, according to Nanyang. Among those killed in action were one Pacification Commissioner (制置使), one Academician of the Zizheng Palace (资政殿学士), six military and state defenders, five commanding officers (统制官), and countless other commanders, magistrates, and lower-ranking officials and generals.
As for the area east of Shuntian Prefecture (Nanjing Shangqiu), the two circuits of Jingdong were basically re-occupied. Even if there were remnants, the presence of a large Jin army garrisoned in Nanjing would prevent them from having any impact on the war in the central core region… so there was no need to mention it further.
By this measure, the four circuits of Jingdong and Jingxi had actually lost seventy percent of their prefectures and counties!
However, during their advance, besides the routine large-scale massacres, destruction, burning, and looting, there was one thing that particularly caught the attention of Nanyang… that was the large-scale surrender-inducing activities carried out by Wanyan Wushu in the Zhengzhou direction, Wanyan Talan in the Puzhou direction, and even Wanyan Loushi far away in Shaanxi. From the Tokyo Garrison Headquarters (东京留守司) holding military power, Western Army generals, and leaders of rebel armies and bandits in various places, to local officials in various cities, the Jin people almost always sent people to persuade surrender before each battle.
What shocked the Nanyang side even more was that, according to the information they obtained, the Jin army basically kept its word… any military leader who surrendered was guaranteed to retain his troops, and any promised official position was granted. As for cities that proactively opened their gates, they were guaranteed safety as long as they paid a fixed amount of military supplies.
Although they were unwilling to admit it, for these surrendered cities, the Jin army seemed to be more disciplined than the Song army!
In contrast, if any city or place engaged in clear and unambiguous large-scale assistance to the Song army, the Jin would systematically carry out large-scale massacres and burning after the battle.
Under these circumstances of mixed incentives, some cities on the front lines naturally began to show resistance to the Song army troops. Cities refused to accept Song troops, and even directly betrayed and confronted them. This caused the already extremely strained troops of the Tokyo Garrison Headquarters to be restricted outside Tokyo and forced to gather around the increasingly shrinking perimeter of Tokyo City.
Frankly speaking, this situation was even more terrifying and fearful to Nanyang than the massacres and the second fall of Tokyo… because the Jin people actually knew how to win hearts and minds with political offensives, and the intention of dividing and ruling the Central Plains mentioned in the edict of the Jin Emperor was clearly not an empty promise.
However, there was also good news. Han Shizhong's Imperial Guard Left Army moved forward desperately and successfully attracted Wanyan Wushu's attention. Since Han Shizhong's troops joined the defenders of various cities in the original Shunchang Prefecture, and Han Shizhong himself led more than 20,000 troops to garrison Yancheng, the offensive of Wanyan Wushu and Talan around Tokyo slowed and became hesitant.
But this good fortune did not last long; this delay lasted for less than ten days.
Entering early winter, probably due to the reminder and pressure from Wanyan Zhanhan, the Grand Marshal in the direction of Daming Prefecture behind him, or perhaps Wanyan Wushu had long wanted to take the opportunity to rest, in any case, he led 40,000 troops, and after gathering Wanyan Bali's 10,000 troops from the Xijing direction, he refocused his attention on Tokyo City. In early October, he defeated Commanders Cao Cheng and Wang Shan and captured Zhongmu… By this point, the main force of the Jin army was only fifty miles away from Tokyo City.
In other words, Tokyo City was once again under siege.
At the same time, Li Yanxian and Yuwen Xuzhong also reported a new piece of bad news almost simultaneously: After Wanyan Loushi captured Yan'an, he deployed 20,000 troops under his son, Wanyan Huonv, to garrison it, while he led 30,000 Jin troops northward. After capturing Suide Army, he suddenly abandoned the approaching Jinning Army and crossed the Right Wing Shenyong Army Command of Western Xia (the area around Yulin in later generations), besieging Fuzhou, Linzhou, and Fengzhou.
The Zhe clan of Fuzhou, caught off guard, quickly lost their castles. The last confirmed message was that the Zhe clan of Fuzhou, who had been loyal to the Song Dynasty for hundreds of years, had probably surrendered because the head of the Zhe clan, Zhe Keqiu, soon reappeared, but this time to persuade the headquarter of Jinning Army to surrender to Wanyan Loushi.
However, Zhe Keqiu's actions met with extremely fierce resistance. Xu Huiyan, the defender of Jinning Army, ascended the city wall and publicly scolded Zhe Keqiu for betraying the country, and drew his bow to face him, forcing Zhe Keqiu to flee in embarrassment.
It is said that the Zhe clan in the Northwest was the oldest, and possibly the most loyal and unique, border town in the history of the Song Dynasty. The Zhe clan surrendered three prefectures to the Jin people, which was like a bolt from the blue for the entire Guanzhong region, and even for Nanyang. Moreover, at this time, Yuwen Xuzhong also mentioned that Qu Duan did not listen to his superior, Wang Shu, the Pacification Commissioner. For this reason, Yuwen Xuzhong had specially sent envoys to urge Qu Duan in northern Shaanxi to comply.
In short, after entering winter, the situation for the Song army had completely deteriorated. At this point, neither Lord Zhao nor the officials in the Chancellery making the plan could continue to dream of Han Shizhong closing the gates in the northeastern passes of Nanyang to trap the Jin dogs… The plan of the Ministry of Personnel could be burned. Helpless, Zhao Jiu had to personally write an edict ordering Han Shizhong to disregard the consequences and actively move north to rescue Tokyo.
At this moment, taking things one step at a time was the only reality.
Han Shizhong's loyalty and courage were beyond doubt. After receiving the edict, he knew that his combat strength was insufficient, but he still immediately led his entire force from Yancheng and moved north again.
On October 11th, Han Shizhong himself stationed in Changshe, the capital of Yingchang Prefecture (the area around Xuchang in later generations), only one hundred and fifty miles away from Zhongmu.
On October 13th, Han Shizhong left several thousand soldiers in Changshe as reinforcements and also left his wife, Lady Liang, to settle down here, but continued to lead 20,000 troops forward to Changge, the northeastern end of Yingchang Prefecture, only one hundred miles away from Zhongmu.
On October 14th, Han Shizhong led 20,000 troops, crossed the Wei River eastward, entered the territory of Kaifeng Prefecture, and marched to Zhujiaqu Town that night.
In the middle of the night, after settling everything down, and just as he lay down, while still missing his wife and wondering why several scouts had not returned, Grand Commandant Han was suddenly startled by the sound of horses' hooves, and hastily put on his armor bare-chested!
"Grand Commandant!"
Han Shizhong hurriedly walked out of the bedroom while putting on his armor, and ran into several *Beiwei* Army subordinates with panicked expressions in the courtyard. The leader was Cheng Min, who had already become a *Beiwei* Army Commander. "Is this a Jin attack?"
"What do you think?"
Feeling the ground shaking like an earthquake, Han Shizhong's face turned ashen. Now he knew that Wanyan Wushu had never 'ignored' him. The ten or so days of hesitation before must have been preparing for this battle, and capturing Zhongmu was a tactic to lure him in. "The Jin people have schemed against me, Old Han, to the extreme! What the hell Four Prince, he's just remembering the grudge on the Huai River!"
Cheng Min became even more anxious: "Grand Commandant, how many soldiers must that sound of hooves belong to…"
"Assume it's no less than thirty or forty thousand!" As he spoke, Jie Yuan, the Commander of the Vanguard Army and the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard Left Army, also hurriedly arrived at the courtyard of the residence serving as the headquarters, not even having time to put on his armor. "Fifth Brother... make a decision quickly!"
"What's there to decide?! Is it possible to defend or fight at this time?!" Han Shizhong put on his helmet, but did not rush to put on the bronze mask. Instead, with a ferocious expression, he directly picked up the bronze mask and walked out. "Pass on my order... all troops should take their commanders as the standard and break out immediately while it's dark. Everyone who can get away, get away! Go east, go south, but by all means, do not return west to Changge. It is best to go from the south. Songlou and Xutian in the south both have large bridges, which can be used to go back to Changshe!"
Jie Yuan and Black Dragon Wang Sheng and other generals who had just arrived outside the courtyard were stunned for a moment, but each exhaled a breath of white air, and immediately turned and left without looking back.
It is said that in the dark of night, the Jin army's main cavalry force rushed in, and Han Shizhong was caught off guard and could only break out in a sorry state… truly at the mercy of fate. And for the overall situation of the Song army, this battle, which was destined to be a great defeat from the beginning, was truly the last straw.
Leaving aside how Han Shizhong fought bravely to break out in the dark, in a situation where the battlefield became a chaotic battle as soon as the two sides engaged, on a gentle slope a few miles north of Zhujiaqu Town, under several torches, Wanyan Wushu, the instigator who could see the rapid response and chaotic battle in Zhujiaqu Town from afar, could not help but frown slightly while sitting on a tall horse.
"Your Highness the Fourth Prince, no need to worry."
Stealing a glance at Wanyan Wushu's displeased expression, a middle-aged scholar who had been awarded the position of magistrate through the imperial examination and had just surrendered to the Jin Dynasty cautiously moved forward, flattering earnestly. "In my student's view, Your Highness's feint to the east, attack to the west, and so-called building a plank road in the open while secretly crossing Chencang is a true embodiment of the essence of military strategy, worthy of being called divine calculation… Han Shizhong, surrounded by my great Jin iron cavalry, is bound to die here."
"What kind of divine calculation is this?"
Wanyan Wushu frowned and looked at the scholar, wanting to lash out, but for some reason, he suppressed his anger after shifting in his saddle and was frank. "Han Shizhong's falling for my previous strategy to lure him in was merely a desperate move under the collapse of the overall situation. If I were in Han Shizhong's position, would I not have come to rescue Tokyo? As for tonight's events, it's nothing more than relying on the advantage of cavalry. If Han Shizhong had 20,000 cavalry, how could I surround him?"
The scholar was stunned for a moment, not knowing how to answer.
The Fourth Prince looked at the chaotic battlefield ahead, and became increasingly sentimental:
"As for the current battle situation, to be honest, Han Shizhong's reaction has exceeded my expectations. If I were in that town, I would probably have waited to die. How could I have made the decision to break out so quickly? Just based on his reaction, he can be called a famous general. If you are a scholar and do not understand military strategy, then speak less, and focus on being my secretary. In the future, when our great Jin establishes a new emperor in Henan, you will surely have a bright future."
"Yes," the scholar quickly replied with a respectful expression.
Silence returned to the surroundings, and Wanyan Wushu was able to continue calmly observing the battlefield. But as time passed and the sounds of fighting clearly shifted southward, the Jin commander, who had just planned a perfect surprise attack, frowned even more tightly… after all, just as he himself had said, with the advantage of the overall situation and the benefit of the cavalry on the plains, this battle should have been a thorough and complete annihilation!
And once the Imperial Guard Left Army, the most combat-effective force of the Song army, was annihilated in an organized manner on the Henan plains, once Han Shizhong, the greatest general of the Song Dynasty, could be said to be the backbone of the Zhao Song Emperor, died in this town, then in Wanyan Wushu's view, this southern expedition would be basically eighty or ninety percent successful.
In fact, this was also the fundamental reason why Wanyan Wushu, after his elder brother Wanyan Eliduo returned north to Yanjing, forcefully changed the established strategy under the pressure of Zhanhan, and painstakingly designed this ambush and surprise attack.
After all, for this Fourth Prince of the Jin Kingdom, the battle on the Huai River was unforgettable, so how could Han Shizhong, the de facto commander of the Song army that day, be ‘ignored’ by him?
He would never forget Han Shizhong, just as he would always remember that the fundamental goal of this campaign was the Zhao Song Emperor, not anyone else!
He could even write the four characters ‘金吾纛旓’ (Golden Crow Banner) now!
But until now, Wanyan Wushu realized a major flaw in his design—he should not have chosen to advance and encircle at night for the sake of the suddenness of the battle because this would greatly reduce the effect of the planned annihilation battle! He should have initially allowed Han Chang, Wanyan Bali and others to rely on the advantage of cavalry to complete the encirclement in broad daylight with good visibility, and then slowly plan.
Of course, what was done was done, and it was useless to think more. Wanyan Wushu could only stand here and wait for the news to arrive at dawn.
In the winter season, the east dawned extremely late, and it seemed that whatever one feared would come to pass. Wanyan Wushu not only did not receive the good news of Han Shizhong's capture or killing, but instead received a piece of information that could be called a negative proof.
"So, last night you fought with a relatively large and extremely elite Song army armored cavalry force, but were repeatedly charged by the other side, repeatedly rescued small groups of trapped soldiers, and finally allowed them to escape from the south?" Wanyan Wushu frowned slightly as he looked at Wanyan Bali, the commander of the West Route Army, who was cupping his fist and bowing to him. "Not the west?"
"No," Wanyan Bali, the general of the clan, calmly replied on horseback. "He probably guessed that we sent people to take Changge City, so he went directly to the fortified city of Changshe (later Xuchang) from the south. However, last night, our soldiers' arrows rained down, and countless cavalry fell. Maybe Han Shizhong was already trampled into mud…"
"There is no 'maybe' with people like Han Shizhong!" Wanyan Wushu said expressionlessly, interrupting him directly. "Unless I see the corpse with my own eyes."
"Your Highness the Fourth Prince, even if Han Shizhong didn't die." Wanyan Bali frowned slightly and replied cautiously. "Last night, we still won a great victory. The Song people lost nearly half of their troops, with at most 10,000 escaping, and those who could hurriedly catch up to gather in Changshe are estimated to be no more than a few thousand. It seems insufficient to…"
"What exactly do you want to say?" Wanyan Wushu interrupted him again, causing the surrounding officers and scholars to not even dare to breathe loudly.
"I mean, Han Shizhong's troops are already crippled and can no longer rescue Tokyo. So, when will Your Highness the Fourth Prince go to take Tokyo?" Wanyan Bali said slightly angrily, and could not help but raise his head to face him. "It is said that Zong Ze in Tokyo City has been suffering from the recent war and is gradually failing, but this is being kept secret in order to stabilize the morale of the army. In that case, when we easily take Tokyo…"
"Why should I go to take Tokyo?" Wanyan Wushu interrupted him for the third time.
Wanyan Bali was immediately silent… If he forcefully contradicted him, he could of course say that it was the order of the Grand Marshal, but some things were really not something he could interject, especially since his own elder brother, Wanyan Yinshu Ke, the Left-behind in Taiyuan, had been in poor health since returning from the south last year, and had specifically instructed him when he came.
"Bali, are you trying to say that the Grand Marshal has an order?" However, Bali wanted to give the Fourth Prince face, but the Fourth Prince did not want to give Bali face at all, but directly exposed it on the slope from a high vantage point.
"Yes," Wanyan Bali reluctantly cupped his fist at him on horseback below the slope.
"It's true that the Grand Marshal has an order, but I am a dignified commander of a route army, and it is my responsibility to handle the military affairs here." Wanyan Wushu said calmly. "Moreover, I also have the Emperor's edict… Bali, I ask you again, what is the first clause of the Emperor's edict? Isn't it that wherever the Song Emperor is, we must chase after him?"
"Yes!" Wanyan Bali became even angrier, but there was nothing he could do.
"Then, is the Emperor's edict greater or the Grand Marshal's military order greater?" Wanyan Wushu pressed on relentlessly.
"So, what exactly does Your Highness the Fourth Prince want to do?" Bali quickly pretended to be impatient in order to avoid this helpless question.
"Of course, I will quickly go south according to the Emperor's edict to find the Song Emperor in Nanyang!" Wanyan Wushu finally changed his expression.
"Then what about Tokyo?" Bali was speechless. "Can't we take Tokyo first and then go south?"
"Aren't there tens of thousands of Talan's troops?" Wanyan Wushu finally lost his patience completely. "I am now formally ordering you, don't worry about the scattered soldiers and remnants. You will be the vanguard and immediately go south to Changshe. Han Chang and I will arrive later. Let's see if Han Shizhong is dead or not?!"
"That's all."
That night, before the Jin people had even arrived at the city walls, Han Shizhong, who had just fled back to Changshe, was lying naked on the couch, silent. Visible to the naked eye, the Jiedushi's back was covered in bloody wounds, with hardly an inch of good skin. His thighs and arms were also cut open. Under these circumstances, Lady Liang suddenly presented a basket to her husband with tears in her eyes.
Lady Liang's hands were covered in blood, and the basket was densely filled with bloody, twisted arrowheads and arrow fletches… judging from the weight, it was estimated to be several pounds.
It turned out that the Jin people's arrows were good at penetrating armor, but yesterday Han Shizhong had hurriedly put on his armor, and had no time to put on the silk lining that he usually wore to protect against arrowheads. As a result, during the chaotic battle at night, countless arrows penetrated his back through the iron armor, and were nailed into his flesh through the gaps in the armor. Han Shizhong had always been a hooligan, a hooligan to the point of not cherishing his life. So, when he returned, he did nothing, but asked Lady Liang and the military doctor to first take knives to cut out the arrowheads from his back one by one. Even if two of them were shot into his arms, directly into the bone, and could not be cut out for a while, he simply ordered Lady Liang to entangle the *Kedi* bow's spring to pull the arrowhead out of his body… Given such a posture, it was no wonder that Lady Liang, a woman in the army who was used to her husband's ways, would cry.
Back to the present, Han Shizhong, lying on the couch, slightly raised his head and glanced at the basket, initially silent, but suddenly grinned ferociously: "This weight is enough to forge a knife… Take it over and let the blacksmith in the city cast it into a short knife for me. I, Rogue Han the Fifth, will definitely use this knife to flay Wanyan Wushu alive to avenge the deaths of ten thousand brothers yesterday, or I swear I will not be human!"
As he spoke, Han Shizhong's back bled profusely, and his voice shook the roof tiles. The gathered generals and soldiers, including the defending officials and gentry in the city, who had been dejected, sad, and frightened, suddenly perked up their spirits when they heard these words.
ps: Sorry, it's a little late, but if I don't write this plot, this chapter is obviously incomplete, very sorry.