《Usurping the Mongols: My Father-in-Law is Genghis Khan》


 #101 - Our Guo family has surrendered to Mongolia today!

    Ten days later, Temujin led an army of 200,000, besieging Huaihe Fort.


    That''s right, 200,000 troops.


    Among them, 65,000 were Mongol soldiers, and 140,000 were Balu Camp warriors.


    The Mongols were getting stronger and stronger!


    In the previous battles of Wusha Fort, Wuyue Camp, and Yehuling, the Mongol soldiers suffered a total of over 3,000 casualties.


    However, in these three major battles, the Mongols captured over 100,000 Jin soldiers!


    Except for the Jurchen soldiers who were killed, all the rest were incorporated into the Balu Camp.


    Moreover, the Mongols promoted brave warriors from the Balu Camp who had accumulated three heads in their accounts to join the Mongol army as replacements.


    In this way, not only was the Mongol direct line of troops not weakened, but their combat power was also enhanced.


    In addition to this, they also gained more than 140,000 Balu Camp warriors!


    It has to be said that the Jin Kingdom was really a natural experience pack.


    Anyway, the Mongol high-level generals were having a great time.


    The spoils of war and prisoners allowed them to have more and more troops under their command, becoming more and more prosperous.


    They even had enough horses to spare four for each person.


    Before Temujin unified the grasslands.


    Most of the Mongol soldiers wore leather armor, a few wore half-body iron armor, and their weapons were also tattered.


    But now, not only were their soldiers strong and their horses sturdy, but their equipment had also been fully upgraded.


    Almost every soldier wore iron armor, and some particularly strong warriors simply wore three layers of iron armor.


    Each soldier had a scimitar and a long spear as their main and secondary weapons, and they even discarded their old, tattered equipment.


    The entire army was also equipped with a large number of divine arm crossbows, making them armed to the teeth.


    Moreover, the generals under Temujin now imitated Zhao Shuo''s Black Cavalry and established their own heavy cavalry teams, totaling 2,000 heavy cavalry in addition to Zhao Shuo''s main Black Cavalry.


    Why were they able to form so many heavy cavalry?


    Of course, it was because the Mongols had captured a large number of high-quality Liaodong horses, as well as seized the heavy armor of the Jin Kingdom''s Iron Float Tufan.


    Those heavy armors were all valuable assets, and could be worn after a simple repair.


    Temujin would not waste those heavy armors, and soon ordered his generals to form their own heavy cavalry.


    The strength of the generals under Temujin had expanded greatly, and Zhao Shuo, who had obtained the most spoils of war, was even more so.


    The number of Black Cavalry under his command had expanded from 800 to 1,100.


    Of course, even though the Mongol army''s power had expanded so much, it was not easy to capture Huaihe Fort.


    Outside this Huaihe Fort, there was a long river called "Huaihe", and the Jin people diverted the water of the Huaihe River to build a moat for the city, surrounding the fort on all sides.


    Huaihe Fort was named after this.


    The moat outside Huaihe Fort was about seven zhang wide and one zhang three chi deep, making it extremely difficult for people who could not swim to cross.


    Moreover, this moat was completely within the range of the defensive weapons on the city.


    There were more than 50,000 regular Jin troops in the city, with bed crossbows, divine arm crossbows, trebuchets, rolling logs and rocks, golden juice boiling water¡­ everything was available.


    How easy would it be to conquer such a strong city?


    The general Boershu, who was in charge of attacking Huaihe Fort first, suffered a great loss.


    Temujin had five major Wanhu chiefs under his command: Zhao Shuo, Mu Huali, Boershu, Huoerchi, and a Central Army Wanhu chief Naya''a.


    Naya''a was the Central Army Wanhu chief and had to protect Temujin, so he would not act rashly.


    Huoerchi, that waste, had gone to the Arctic to find the Great Penguin and was not here.


    Zhao Shuo and Mu Huali had both exerted great effort in the Battle of Huan''erzui.


    So this time, it was Boershu''s turn to be the vanguard and attack Huaihe Fort.


    Boershu himself also very much wanted to make a contribution.


    However, facing Huaihe Fort, which was surrounded by rivers on all sides, Boershu was dumbfounded.


    The moat was within the shooting range of the defending soldiers on the city wall, and the Jin army would not watch the Mongols cross the river.


    The Mongols did have many who could swim, but they could not use valuable grassland warriors to attack the enemy''s strong city, right?


    They still had to use Balu Camp warriors!


    However, the 140,000 Balu Camp warriors were actually very watered down.


    Because nearly 100,000 of them were originally conscripted soldiers of the Jin Kingdom.


    Conscripted soldiers were peasants who were forcibly conscripted by the Jin Kingdom, and were of little use. If they were pushed too hard, they might even mutiny. Therefore, Boershu directly abandoned them. He only used Balu Camp warriors who were transformed from regular Jin army prisoners.


    But even so, the effect was still not good. The Balu Camp warriors transformed from regular Jin army prisoners lost a full 30%, and there was no progress at all.


    Faced with the heavy losses and rising resentment of the Balu Camp, Boershu became anxious. He led his own guards and took the lead in charging, wanting to boost morale and be the first to climb the city.


    However, he was shot in the abdomen by an arrow and was carried back.


    Wanyan Chengyu was also a famous Jin general, and he defended very hard, okay?


    Yes, he was thinking of running away before.


    But that was after suffering a major defeat.


    If Wanyan Chengyu abandoned the army and fled before the war started, that would be defying the world, and everyone would point fingers at him, and no one could save him.


    Now, Wanyan Chengyu had personally injured a Mongol general, and even became arrogant. He was drinking and eating on the city tower, looking leisurely and content, seemingly mocking the Mongols'' foolishness in attacking a strong city.


    He even began to think that the Mongols were not as terrible as he had thought before, and that it was not completely impossible to defend Huaihe Fort.


    What if?


    ¡­ ¡­


    ¡­ ¡­


    Inside the Golden Tent.


    "What do you all say? What should we do?" Temujin''s majestic gaze looked at the generals and said, "Two hundred thousand troops are blocked by a small Huaihe Fort. How can we attack the Jin Kingdom''s Central Capital?"


    "¡­ ¡­"


    The generals looked at each other in dismay, and there was silence.


    Mongol warriors were very precious and could not be wasted here, so they could only use the Balu Camp to attack the city.


    However, most of the Balu Camp were conscripted soldiers, who were previously peasants and had no combat power. Letting them be cannon fodder to attack the city would only be a waste of life.


    And the remaining Balu Camp warriors transformed from regular Jin army prisoners could indeed attack the city, but the effect was not good.


    Boershu had previously lost 30% of such Balu Camp warriors, and there was still no progress.


    If they continued to attack the city like this, wouldn''t the Balu Camp warriors who could fight be exhausted in the end?


    If that were the case, what would they do when they attacked the Central Capital later?


    "A''shuo! Do you have any ideas?"


    Seeing that everyone was silent, Temujin had no choice but to look at Zhao Shuo.


    Zhao Shuo thought for a while and pondered slightly, "I don''t have any good ideas either. Now, we can only fill it with human lives. Anyway, we have a lot of Balu Camp warriors now."


    Subutai sighed and said, "Although there are many Balu Camp warriors, there are not many that can be used. Those conscripted soldiers of the Jin Kingdom are useless even if you force them with a knife."


    Zhao Shuo shook his head, "Not necessarily. Forcing them with a knife doesn''t mean other methods won''t work. There are always ways to make them work hard."


    "A''shuo, do you have a way?" Hearing Zhao Shuo''s words, Temujin''s eyes lit up slightly. He knew that Zhao Shuo should have thought of something, "In that case, A''shuo, this time''s Battle of Huaihe Fort, I''ll leave it to you!"


    Temujin said, "All the Balu Camp warriors in our army will still be under your command. No matter what means you take, I will approve. If you break through Huaihe Fort, you will take 70% of the spoils of this battle. Not only that, you will take another half a share of the spoils of this attack on the Jin Kingdom."


    After a pause, Temujin looked at the generals again and said, "Do you have any objections?"


    The generals said in unison, "Genghis Khan is wise!"


    Originally, Boershu had already proved how difficult it was to attack Huaihe Fort.


    If they changed to someone else, most people would not be as good as Boershu!


    A few people like Mu Huali might be able to come up with a plan to defeat the enemy if they thought hard. However, it was only possible, not certain.


    Since Zhao Shuo, the consort, had a way, let him do it.


    As for the issue of spoils of war, they had no objections either.


    This was what the consort deserved!


    The matter was settled.


    ¡­ ¡­


    After the post-war meeting, Zhao Shuo immediately took his guards to the Balu Camp.


    The Balu Camp originally had 140,000 people.


    However, Boershu had consumed more than 10,000 people in the previous battle.


    Now there were only 128,000 people left, of which nearly 100,000 were conscripted soldiers.


    The first thing Zhao Shuo had to do was to distinguish the regular army and the conscripted soldiers among these new Balu Camp warriors.


    The regular army of the Jin Kingdom was quite capable of fighting, but the conscripted soldiers were not.


    They were previously ordinary peasants.


    When the Jin Dynasty court issued the order to conscript soldiers, those with money and power tried to avoid it, while those without money and power bore all the military service tasks. No matter how many men there were in a family, all of them were conscripted, otherwise they would not be able to meet the number stipulated by the court.


    With the current level of productivity, how could a family that was already poor survive without men?


    So much so that the Jin Dynasty court could not bear to see it.


    The Jin Dynasty court was not concerned about the life and death of these peasants, but rather that without men in the family, they could not cultivate the land, and even if they forced the old, weak, women, and children to death, they would not be able to collect taxes.


    Therefore, the Jin Dynasty court repeatedly ordered that families with only one man need not be conscripted, and those with several men should leave one behind.


    But since the orders were repeatedly issued, it must mean the previous orders were useless.


    In reality, it''s no different from before.


    As the saying goes: "The Jin Dynasty''s military system is the worst. Whenever there are expeditions or border disputes, orders are issued to conscript soldiers, causing unrest in the prefectures and counties. Among the people, those with several able-bodied men in their families, or those with good skills, are all selected without exception, causing weeping and lamentation, and the whole family suffers. To drive these people to fight and expect them to win is difficult."


    As for military pay?


    The Jin Dynasty doesn''t even pay its border troops for years. Conscripted soldiers still want military pay? Dream on!


    These peasants have neither received military training nor military pay, and they are also worried about their families. What kind of combat power can they have? What morale can they have?


    Not rebelling on the spot is docile enough.


    Oh, by the way, Xin Qiji initially participated in a peasant uprising triggered by conscripted soldiers.


    Zhao Shuo''s measures for these conscripted soldiers were to give them a way out.


    Let them see hope.


    Firstly, they cannot be allowed to participate in the massacre of the Jurchens, which would completely cut off their retreat.


    Secondly, they are not required to climb the city walls and fight desperately against the regular Jin army. They don''t have that ability.


    Thirdly, only one thing is required: each person carries half a sack of soil, braves the Jin army''s arrows and stones, and throws it into the moat outside Huaihe Fort. If they return twenty times within four hours without dying, they will be allowed to go home. Not only are they allowed to go home, but they will also be given two taels of silver for travel expenses.


    Moreover, Zhao Shuo will give each survivor a woodenÅÆ (p¨¢i, plaque/token) stating their identity, the treatment they should receive, and stamped with Zhao Shuo''s ten-thousand-household gold seal.


    Once Huaihe Fort is breached, the Mongol army will gallop through Hebei, and the Jin Dynasty government will definitely not be able to take care of them.


    They are considered to have contributed to the Mongols. After returning home, if they encounter the Mongol army looting, they can protect their family''s lives and property by showing this woodenÅÆ.


    If they can gather their neighbors and defect to the Mongol army, as long as they provide the Mongol army with food and fodder, even their neighbors will not be looted.


    If they gather more people, they may be appointed as local officials by the Mongols and achieve rapid advancement.


    The credibility of this woodenÅÆ is very high.


    Temujin gave Zhao Shuo the power to act expediently to break through Huaihe Fort.


    Zhao Shuo''s promise is Genghis Khan Temujin''s promise!


    If any Mongol soldier disobeys military orders and harms these returning conscripted soldiers, it is a provocation to Zhao Shuo''s son-in-law''s prestige and a provocation to Genghis Khan''s prestige. As long as the injured conscripted soldier comes to Zhao Shuo with this woodenÅÆ, Zhao Shuo will naturally uphold justice for them.


    There''s such a good thing?


    What two taels of silver, death-Ãâ (mi¨£n, exempt) woodenÅÆ, and rapid advancement are still far away and not valued by these conscripted soldiers.


    But, going home!


    Some want to see their gray-haired parents, some long for their newlywed wives, and even more miss their children who are still babbling!


    This is what they have been thinking about day and night since they were forcibly conscripted by the Jin Dynasty court.


    East Asians are actually the most family-oriented people, and they immediately exploded with strong combat power!


    "Break through Huaihe Fort!"


    "Kill all the Jin dogs! Kill Wanyan Chengyu!"


    "Go home! I want to go home!"


    "The Jin Dynasty is finished, this world belongs to the Mongols!"


    ¡­¡­


    The moat outside Huaihe Fort is eightÀï (l¨«, approximately 0.5 km) long, and it is unrealistic to fill it all.


    Since the sun rose the next day, nearly 100,000 conscripted soldiers shouted and launched a fierce attack on a section of the moat oneÀï long outside the east gate of Huaihe Fort.


    They not only have no loyalty to the Jin Dynasty court, but are also full of deep-seated hatred!


    Their desire to go home overwhelms all fear!


    Although they were just ordinary peasants before, they are now bursting with all their potential under Zhao Shuo''s encouragement!


    Zhang Mancang is a twenty-four-year-old peasant from Zhangjiazhuang Village, Suning County, Hejian Prefecture, Hebei West Road, Jin Dynasty. The reason his parents gave him this name was to hope that the family''s granary would be full and the child would never go hungry in his life. But the fact is that Zhang Mancang has never had enough to eat since he can remember.


    There are not many people in the family, just Zhang Mancang''s parents, Zhang Mancang, and a brother named Zhang Youliang. However, the court''s exorbitant taxes and the officials'' extortion have made it difficult for their family to have enough to eat, even with thirtyĶ (m¨³, a unit of area) of land.


    After finally using fourʯ (d¨¤n, a unit of dry volume) of grain, saved from the family''s teeth over the years, to arrange a marriage for Zhang Mancang.


    However, before his wife could marry into the family, Zhang Mancang and his brother Zhang Youliang were conscripted by the government and became two conscripted soldiers stationed on the Yehuling defense line of the Jin Dynasty.


    Then, the two brothers were captured by the Mongols together.


    Zhang Mancang urged: "Youliang, work harder, let''s both go back alive to take care of our parents!"


    "Got it!" Zhang Youliang was taciturn and didn''t like to talk, just gave a muffled reply.


    The two brothers carried half a sack of sand and soil weighing more than sixty½ï (j¨©n, a unit of weight, approximately 0.5 kg) and ran forward.


    The city wall of Huaihe Fort in front became taller and more majestic, and the shouts, the sound of stones falling, the sound of arrows and stones breaking through flesh, the painful wails, and the cries for help in front were intertwined, like a hell on earth.


    But this cannot stop the Zhang Mancang brothers at all.


    In the eyes of these brothers, the front is the road to heaven for them to go home!


    Finally, the brothers'' eyes suddenly opened up, and the seven-³ß (ch¨«, a unit of length) wide moat of Huaihe Fort suddenly appeared in front of them.


    At the same time, countless stones fell madly around them. One arrow after another, not knowing whether it was an arrow or a crossbow bolt, whistled past them with a shrill wind.


    The most ¡Í new ¡Í small ¡Í said ¡Í in ¡Í six ¡Í 9 ¡Í¡Í book ¡Í¡Í°É¡Í¡ÍÊסͷ¢ (This sentence seems to be an advertisement and is not translatable).


    Zhang Mancang did not hesitate to bend down and throw the half bag of sand and soil on his back into the moat. With a loud noise, the half bag of sand and soil disappeared, only splashing a piece of water, splashing Zhang Mancang all over.


    Zhang Youliang did the same.


    Then, the two brothers quickly turned back, and the corner of their eyes noticed that a conscripted soldier in the same team was shot in the left eye and fell to the ground with a painful wail.


    Never mind him!


    In such a chaotic world, who can live easily? Maybe it will be his turn later?


    The two brothers did not hesitate and quickly escaped the range of arrows and stones, and trotted back to the starting place.


    There, regular Balu Battalion soldiers were frantically filling each sandbag with sand and soil. Just fill half a bag, and ordinary people can''t carry it and trot. Some Balu Battalion soldiers are also responsible for piling these half bags of sand and soil together.


    A row of regular Mongol soldiers stood next to the mountain of sandbags.


    Seeing Zhang Mancang coming back, a Mongol soldier immediately handed him a short wooden stick wrapped with exquisite silk ribbons, and said: "Hold it!"


    "Thanks!"


    Zhang Mancang didn''t understand Mongolian, but he knew what the short wooden stick was for. Accumulating twenty sticks would allow him to go home, so he quickly and carefully put it into his close-fitting pocket.


    Then, he bent down, carried half a bag of sand and soil, and ran towards the moat with his brother.


    Whoosh!


    A huge crossbow bolt from a bed crossbow shot straight over and forcibly inserted into the land next to Zhang Mancang, more than seven inches into the soil! The power of this kind of crossbow bolt is too great, three feet and five inches long, it is simply a small javelin. If it had been a little bit off just now, Zhang Mancang would have died.


    However, Zhang Mancang completely ignored this and threw the half bag of sand on his back towards the moat with a loud shout.


    Then, together with his brother Zhang Youliang, he trotted back to the starting place.


    What''s there to be afraid of?


    Isn''t it just death?


    Give me a quick one!


    If I die today, it means my fate is not good, and my soul will return to my hometown. If I don''t die today, it means my fate is good, and no one can stop him from going home!


    The third time!


    The fourth time!


    The fifth time!


    Zhang Mancang and Zhang Youliang carried sandbags five times in a row, and each received five short wooden sticks with silk ribbons, which only took half an hour.


    When he wanted to carry the sixth half bag of sand and soil, the Mongol soldier next to him patted him on the shoulder and pointed to the distance.


    There was a row of more than a thousand large pots, steaming with beef and mutton, and there were stacks of baked cakes next to the pots.


    Zhang Mancang understood that every five short wooden sticks accumulated could be used for a short rest, eating meat and cakes. There was no limit to the amount of meat and cakes, and you could also drink meat soup. You could eat whatever you wanted, but for no more than a quarter of an hour.


    "Go! Youliang! Even if we die today, we''ll be full dead ghosts!"


    "Okay! The Mongols are still generous! I haven''t had enough to eat in my life!"


    In the face of sufficient food, Zhang Youliang talked more and went to eat meat and cakes with his brother.


    Then, together with his brother, he continued to carry sandbags!


    ¡­¡­


    Eighteen times!


    Nineteen times!


    Twenty times!


    When the Zhang Mancang brothers carried it for the twentieth time, the moat in front had been filled for more than oneÀï, and they had to run farther to throw the sandbags into the river.


    At the same time, three or four conscripted soldiers on both sides of them screamed almost simultaneously, some were hit by stones, and some were hit by crossbow bolts.


    "It was really dangerous just now, I almost couldn''t go home."


    Zhang Mancang estimated that about 70% of the conscripted soldiers died under Huaihe Fort.


    God bless!


    He and his brother Zhang Youliang are still safe and sound!


    "Hold it!"


    A Mongol soldier stuffed the twentieth wooden stick into Zhang Mancang''s hand and patted him heavily on the shoulder.


    Obviously, this time the pat on the shoulder was not to let him go eat, but the previous bloody battle had won Zhang Mancang the respect of the Mongol soldier.


    "Thanks!"


    Zhang Mancang couldn''t care less about the Mongol army''s respect now. Together with his brother, Zhang Mancang, he exchanged twenty short wooden sticks for a woodenÅÆ stamped with Zhao Shuo''s ten-thousand-household seal, and also received two taels of silver.


    Seeing that the Mongol army didn''t seem to be stopping them at all, Zhang Mancang quickly ran over again, and together with his brother Zhang Youliang, they each stuffed six or seven pancakes into their arms, and then stuffed a large mouthful of meat into their mouths, before running wildly into the distance.


    "Going home!"


    "Home! We''re going home!"


    At this time, outside of Huaihe Fort, the conscripted soldiers running wildly in all directions had already formed long dragons.


    After someone shouted, nearly twenty thousand conscripted soldiers who had survived the bloody battle all let out cheers of joy, their voices reaching beyond the nine heavens!


    ...


    ...


    "What? Just a word ''home'' can make these country bumpkins work so hard! How ruthless the Mongols are! These conscripted soldiers are just a bunch of good-for-nothings in my hands. But in their hands, they actually play a role no less than elite soldiers, filling up more than a mile of the moat! If, during the Battle of Yehuling..."


    Wanyan Chengyu said with endless regret.


    Although he was a famous general of the Jin Dynasty, he came from the imperial clan and had always held a high position. He never paid attention to the conscripted soldiers, who were like dust, and didn''t understand what those grassroots soldiers were thinking. He only relied on strict military law to restrain them.


    Now, seeing that these conscripted soldiers had played such a big role, Wanyan Chengyu felt extremely regretful.


    He even thought, what if during the Battle of Yehuling, he had also promised the conscripted soldiers that they could go home if they won?


    Even though those who participated in the Battle of Huan''erzui were all regular Jin soldiers, Wanyan Chengyu would still have failed. However, the five-hundred-mile Yehuling defense line wouldn''t have collapsed at the first touch. Now, Temujin is in a situation where he is attacked from both sides, and he doesn''t dare to attack Huaihe Fort with peace of mind.


    At least holding Huaihe Fort would be no problem!


    Even turning defeat into victory wouldn''t be impossible!


    Of course, if he said these words, it would be too demoralizing. Wanyan Chengyu stopped halfway through.


    Guo Baoyu sneered inwardly when he saw this.


    He understood what Wanyan Chengyu wanted to say, and he also understood that Wanyan Chengyu was completely wishful thinking.


    The reason why the Mongols could use the conscripted soldiers like this was because they had already established good credibility through the Balu camp.


    So, what about the credibility of the Jin Dynasty?


    Not to mention anything else, just look at the paper money, it has depreciated more than a million times!


    Even if the conscripted soldiers believed that Wanyan Chengyu was sincerely promising, would they dare to believe the Jin Dynasty?


    In the end, Wanyan Chengyu was only one of the top officials of the Jin Dynasty, not the emperor.


    Even the emperor''s words might not count!


    Wanyan Yongji even promised Emperor Zhangzong Wanyan Jing that he would put Wanyan Jing''s posthumous son on the throne.


    As a result, he turned around and killed the two posthumous sons, and even killed Li Shir, the woman Wanyan Jing loved the most.


    Although the court''s official reports were full of high-sounding words, this scandal was widely spread in both officialdom and among the people. Pu Sanduan, who did the dirty work, had become the target of public criticism.


    Guo Baoyu could even guess that the reason why these conscripted soldiers could play such a big role was due to the handwriting of that Prince Consort Zhao Shuo.


    Because, he learned through interrogating the prisoners that Zhao Shuo had the most Balu camp soldiers in his hands, and the Battle of Huan''erzui was also commanded by Zhao Shuo''s Balu camp.


    The one who attacked the city a few days ago shouldn''t be Zhao Shuo. Although the command was also good, it was too conventional. If Zhao Shuo had used his troops like this during the Battle of Huan''erzui, how could he have easily broken through the defense line that Wanyan Chengyu had tried his best to defend?


    Today''s display of the conscripted soldiers'' combat power seems to be the work of that Prince Consort Zhao Shuo!


    "Uh..."


    Guo Baoyu thought for a while, then suddenly opened his mouth and said, "Since the conscripted soldiers have already filled a mile of the moat, the Mongols will definitely use our regular army prisoners to attack the city next. Although this subordinate didn''t participate in the Battle of Huan''erzui, I also know the power of these prisoners. So..."


    "So what?"


    "So, Huaihe Fort will definitely not be able to hold. This humble subordinate believes that now, Councilor Wanyan should immediately lead the more than fifty thousand troops in the city, rush out of Huaihe Fort, and return to protect the Central Capital. More than fifty thousand people, at least twenty thousand can escape, the significance to the defense of the Central Capital cannot be overstated."


    "No, no!" Wanyan Chengyu shook his head repeatedly and said, "If this Councilor is defeated in a hard battle, then so be it. Now, I am sitting on a strong city, with more than fifty thousand troops under my command. If I abandon the city and run away, putting His Majesty in danger, how can I be a loyal subject?"


    Guo Baoyu continued to persuade, "But you can bring back twenty thousand troops, which will be of great benefit to the court. The court will understand! And..."


    Of course, Wanyan Chengyu knew that Guo Baoyu''s suggestion was correct.


    Now, breaking through with the entire army is the most beneficial choice for the Jin Dynasty.


    However, will the court understand? Who can guarantee it?


    These fifty thousand troops are not Wanyan Chengyu''s private soldiers, but the court''s troops.


    What if the court doesn''t understand at that time?


    Will Wanyan Chengyu''s head be chopped off?


    Wanyan Chengyu didn''t dare to gamble at all.


    He didn''t dare to escape now, he could only wait until after a major defeat.


    Immediately, Wanyan Chengyu rudely interrupted Guo Baoyu''s words and said, "This Councilor has made up his mind, Duke of Fenyang, no need to say more!"


    It''s over!


    The Great Jin is over!


    As one of the high-ranking officials of the Jin Dynasty, how could Guo Baoyu not know the Jin Dynasty''s little foundation?


    In two or three months, even if all the regular troops that the Central Capital can mobilize are counted, it will not exceed eighty thousand.


    If it''s not good, there will only be fifty thousand!


    In other words, if these more than fifty thousand regular troops in Huaihe Fort are destroyed again, the Jin army''s main field force will be finished!


    And after the Mongol army breaks Huaihe Fort, it will be hundreds of thousands of troops!


    Even if they can''t break the Central Capital this time, the Jin people will only be able to linger on, and destruction is already a foregone conclusion!


    Immediately, Guo Baoyu didn''t say any more, but bowed slightly and said, "The Councilor''s teachings are correct. The Mongol army is about to attack the city soon, this subordinate will go and arrange the city defense."


    "Okay, go."


    Guo Baoyu bid farewell to Wanyan Chengyu and came to the West Gate, which he was in charge of.


    There, his own Meng''an was stationed, as well as two Meng''an of the Jin people.


    The city of Huaihe Fort is not big, a city gate can only station three thousand troops, any more and they won''t be able to deploy.


    "Duke, how is it?" Guo Baoyu''s deputy general, who was also his cousin Guo Quan, asked.


    "How else can it be?"


    Guo Baoyu gritted his teeth slightly and said, "We are Han people, this Great Jin Dynasty is not worth dying for! Act according to the plan!"


    Guo Quan went down to make arrangements.


    Guo Baoyu also climbed to the third floor of the West Gate tower, which is the highest floor.


    There are seven rooms on this floor of the tower, and sixty brave soldiers are guarding it, all surnamed Guo, and they are the Guo family''s private soldiers.


    Before long, the two Jurchen Meng''ans, each leading two personal guards, were invited to the room where Guo Baoyu was.


    After all, seeing that the Mongols were about to attack the city, it was very normal for Guo Baoyu to invite them to discuss military affairs.


    These two Meng''ans, one named Tu Dan Minglie and the other named Tang Kuo Lin''an, were both in their thirties. As soon as they saw Guo Baoyu, they smiled obsequiously: "Duke of Fenyang, when the Mongols attack the city later, we still have to rely on you to put in more effort!"


    The regular army of the Jin Dynasty is naturally also divided into different grades.


    Now, the combat power of the Jurchens is like heaven and earth compared to the time when the country was founded.


    On the other hand, the northern Han Chinese aristocratic families like Guo Baoyu regard the hereditary Meng''an as the foundation of their family''s life, and they are extremely strict in selecting soldiers and extremely hard in training.


    These two Jurchen Meng''ans naturally knew that although their troops were twice as many as Guo Baoyu''s, they still had to rely on the elite Han Chinese Meng''an under Guo Baoyu''s command to put in more effort when defending the city.


    "It''s easy to say, it''s easy to say. The court has treated my Guo family with great kindness, and today is the time to repay the country with death."


    Guo Baoyu kept expressing his loyalty to the court and chatting with the two Meng''ans.


    However, he was always listening carefully to the movements outside.


    Before long, he heard the sound of fighting in the distance rising sharply.


    Dong dong dong¡ª


    Guo Quan, wearing a helmet and armor, rushed into the room with twelve armored soldiers and nodded to Guo Baoyu.


    The two Jurchen chiliarchs thought that Guo Quan was notifying Guo Baoyu that they were ready to respond, and they didn''t suspect anything else.


    Tu Dan Minglie hurriedly urged: "I''m afraid they will attack the West Gate soon, Duke of Fenyang, what military affairs do you want to talk about? Speak quickly!"


    "I think..."


    Guo Baoyu picked up the wine glass on the table, sighed leisurely, and said, "This Great Jin is going to be finished!"


    Pa!


    The wine glass in his hand fell heavily to the ground!


    Puff puff puff!


    The twelve armored soldiers drew their knives almost at the same time and slashed the six unprepared Jurchens to the ground.


    "Is everything ready?"


    "Everything is ready. Except for the brothers on duty, six hundred brothers are already fully armed and waiting for orders downstairs."


    "Good!"


    Guo Baoyu took the iron hammer handed over by Guo Quan and said in a deep voice: "Follow me down and kill, open the city gate, and invite the Mongol army into the city! Our Guo family is surrendering to the Mongols today!"

 #100 - Break through Yehu Ridge! The Han armys hereditary marquis surrenders!

    Two dwarf mountains were garrisoned by 20,000 Jin soldiers.


    But now, nearly 23,000 Balu Camp warriors were actually fighting 15,000 Jin soldiers, with Wanyan Jiujin holding back a reserve force of 5,000.


    The unfortunate Balu Camp warriors who charged towards Wanyan Jiujin''s main camp had already been completely annihilated.


    However, the Jin army''s defense line, slightly further away from Wanyan Jiujin''s main camp, was already on the verge of collapse.


    "Reinforcements! Quickly notify Councilor Wanyan to send reinforcements immediately!"


    Wanyan Jiujin issued the order without hesitation.


    Although he didn''t know the exact number of Balu Camp soldiers, as a seasoned general, he knew at a glance that the attacking enemy forces numbered over 20,000. The strength of both sides was similar, and their combat power was also comparable. However, one side had strict military law and high rewards, while the other had nothing. There was no way to fight this battle!


    If he didn''t call for reinforcements now, wouldn''t he be waiting for a complete and utter defeat?


    On the other side, Wanyan Chengyu, upon receiving Wanyan Jiujin''s message, decisively transferred 10,000 soldiers from his side to the dwarf mountains, leaving only 5,000 soldiers to guard his position.


    Then, he issued a series of orders, summoning nearby Jin soldiers for support.


    However, the terrain of Wild Fox Ridge, while preventing the Mongol cavalry from utilizing their advantages, also restricted the Jin soldiers'' movements. Wanyan Chengyu couldn''t mobilize many reinforcements in a short period.


    Of course, the reinforcement of 10,000 elite soldiers was still significant.


    Wanyan Jiujin also left only 1,500 men as a reserve force, sending 3,500 men to join the battlefield.


    Suddenly, nearly 14,000 fresh troops were added to the Jin army on the two dwarf mountains.


    "Kill! Kill! Kill!"


    "The Iron Wall of the Great Jin, impregnable to ten thousand men!"


    "Kill the barbarians, protect our homeland!"


    ¡­


    With the addition of nearly 14,000 reinforcements, the Jin army''s morale greatly increased, and shouts echoed one after another.


    After all, the Jurchens still held the advantageous high ground. Their simple barracks also provided a certain degree of defensive advantage.


    With this reinforcement, the Jin army quickly reversed the declining trend. Although they couldn''t drive the Balu Camp out of the breastwork, they no longer retreated, and the battle fell into a stalemate.


    However, if Wanyan Chengyu could send reinforcements, so could Zhao Shuo!


    Zhao Shuo left 1,800 soldiers in Huanzhou to guard the Huanzhou stud farm and protect the city.


    Now, he still had 9,000 of his own troops and 2,000 troops from the Ongud tribe under his command, totaling 11,000 men.


    "All soldiers dismount! Follow me to break through Badger''s Mouth!"


    This place must be the location of the Jin army''s general, the Jin army''s command post on the dwarf mountain!


    Swish, swish, swish!


    Boom, boom, boom!


    Wanyan Jiujin''s main camp''s defense system had not yet been destroyed. Huge logs, ballistae, divine arm bows, trebuchets, strong bows, heavy crossbows, rolling logs, boulders, golden juice boiling water... all unleashed their power. In no time, they caused huge casualties to the Mongols.


    It was just a pity that the Balu Camp put too much pressure on Wanyan Jiujin. He transferred 3,500 soldiers from the main camp, leaving only 1,500 soldiers to defend. The number of people controlling these defensive weapons was insufficient.


    The foremost 1,700 Mongol soldiers suffered only 900 casualties before breaking into the low wall!


    Zhao Shuo led the Black Riders and Flying Eagle Army closely behind.


    Boom, boom, boom!


    After the Mongols broke into the low wall, the first wave of attack consisted of more than 700 fireÝðÞ¼. Although the attack power of this thing was insufficient and it was difficult to cause much actual loss to the Jin army, they ignited the Jin army''s barracks, illuminating the scene as bright as day.


    The raging fire intensified the Jin people''s panic.


    The dark mass of Mongol army behind them put heavy pressure on the 1,500 Jin soldiers.


    "What are you afraid of? Jurchen warriors, follow me to kill the enemy!"


    Wanyan Jiujin, as a fierce Jurchen general who had fought his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, was never afraid of fighting more with less, let alone close combat.


    It can be said that Wanyan Jiujin was the number one in combat power among the nearly 400,000 troops on the Wild Fox Ridge defense line!


    Holding a 30-pound all-iron wolf''s tooth club, he led 1,500 of his personal guards straight towards Zhao Shuo''s direction!


    Wearing such a cool armor, who else could it be if not the chief general of the grassland barbarians?


    It was very likely the so-called number one warrior of the grassland, MongolæâÂí Zhao Shuo.


    Wanyan Jiujin wanted to kill Zhao Shuo himself!


    Hmm?


    The enemy general not only didn''t run away when he saw him, but instead launched a counterattack?


    "Well done!"


    Zhao Shuo snorted coldly, his fighting spirit soaring. He took a step and suddenly charged towards Wanyan Jiujin.


    When the two were about four or five meters apart, Wanyan Jiujin held the wolf''s tooth club with both hands, using the inertia of the charge, twisting his waist and abdomen, as if splitting the sky and the earth, and smashed it towards Zhao Shuo''s head!


    Facing Wanyan Jiujin, who was charging like a rhino, Zhao Shuo didn''t panic at all.


    Countless fierce battles on the battlefield had already cultivated his invincible "momentum". In terms of strength, he had never met an opponent.


    So even if Wanyan Jiujin used a pure iron wolf''s tooth club, Zhao Shuo didn''t flinch at all. He held the shield in his left hand and welcomed it upwards!


    "Peng!"


    For a moment, a terrifying muffled sound, accompanied by sparks, spread across the battlefield, shaking people''s eardrums!


    Zhao Shuo felt a huge force coming from his left hand. His tiger''s mouth, wrist, and forearm were slightly numb.


    But that was all.


    His body didn''t deform or become disordered in the slightest.


    If it were on an ordinary person, they might have been hammered away by this wolf''s tooth club long ago.


    But Zhao Shuo relied on his strength to withstand it head-on.


    Not only that, at the moment of holding the shield to resist the wolf''s tooth club, Zhao Shuo''s Great Xia Dragon Sparrow also drew a tricky and fierce blade light!


    "Tear¡ª!"


    After Zhao Shuo and Wanyan Jiujin took a step back each due to the impact.


    A blood flower also spurted out!


    "Ah!"


    Wanyan Jiujin cried out in pain!


    Because he found that a deep, bone-deep wound had been cut on his calf!


    His face was a little ferocious because of the pain, and at the same time, it was filled with strong disbelief.


    Because he was full of confidence in that blow just now.


    He didn''t know how many enemies had their arms broken and spat blood on the battlefield by his wolf''s tooth club. Some even had their weapons broken and were smashed to death on the spot.


    He didn''t expect that the Mongol on the opposite side would actually use a shield to withstand it, and his body didn''t become disordered in the slightest. What was even more terrifying was that this person actually cut his calf with a knife while resisting his wolf''s tooth club!


    What kind of power and insight was this?


    Wanyan Jiujin felt a little cold in his heart!


    However, he didn''t have time to be shocked. Zhao Shuo had already adjusted his center of gravity and suddenly charged up again!


    The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow slashed towards Wanyan Jiujin''s neck quickly, accurately, and fiercely.


    Even with iron armor protecting his neck, Wanyan Jiujin still didn''t dare to take it head-on. He hurriedly used the wolf''s tooth club to block it.


    But the wolf''s tooth club was too heavy, and his movements were not as fast as Zhao Shuo''s.


    So Zhao Shuo''s knife still touched Wanyan Jiujin''s neck armor and helmet!


    "Chi la!"


    Sparks flew everywhere.


    What shocked Wanyan Jiujin''s pupils was that Zhao Shuo actually took advantage of the moment of contact to pick the chain on his helmet with the tip of his knife, and then used force!


    "Bang!"


    Wanyan Jiujin''s helmet was knocked off, and his neck armor also fell to the ground!


    Wanyan Jiujin panicked. He couldn''t believe that he had fallen into such a situation in just two rounds of fighting!


    Looking at the terrifying man in black and gold armor on the opposite side, he knew that he had guessed correctly. This person must be Temujin''s son-in-law, the number one warrior of the grassland, Zhao Shuo!


    However, he guessed the beginning, but he didn''t guess the ending. Zhao Shuo was much more powerful than he imagined, and he had such terrifying skills!


    Losing the protection of his helmet and neck protection, Wanyan Jiujin suddenly lost his sense of security.


    He subconsciously wanted to retreat.


    However, he forgot that his calf had been cut with a wound, and his body staggered.


    And Zhao Shuo''s movements didn''t have a trace of stagnation, as if he had expected Wanyan Jiujin to reveal such a flaw.


    His body turned ghostly, went around to Wanyan Jiujin''s side, then raised his foot and kicked Wanyan Jiujin''s back knee!


    How could Wanyan Jiujin, who was already injured, withstand Zhao Shuo''s kick?


    Suddenly, his left leg went soft, and he knelt on the ground on one knee.


    As soon as he knelt down, Wanyan Jiujin panicked.


    His heart was shrouded in the shadow of death!


    A warrior''s intuition told him that there was a crisis of life and death!


    Wanyan Jiujin turned his head to the side and sure enough saw a cold light, like a poisonous snake in the night, chopping down towards his head!


    Too late to mobilize the wolf''s tooth club in his right hand, Wanyan Jiujin subconsciously raised his left arm, wanting to block the knife light.


    The armor on his body was excellent cold-forged armor. Under normal circumstances, it should be able to block the Mongol knife from slashing.


    However, he was facing Zhao Shuo.


    What Zhao Shuo had in his hand was the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Blade.


    "Clang¡ª!"


    The sound of bronze and iron being split open sounded!


    Most of Wanyan Jiujin''s left arm was directly cut off by the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow!


    Because of Wanyan Jiujin''s left hand''s block, the power of Zhao Shuo''s knife was weakened a lot, and the trajectory also changed.


    Originally, it was to chop Wanyan Jiujin''s neck.


    Now it moved up a bit, directly from Wanyan Jiujin''s back of the head, along the temples and eyes, chopped down.


    With one knife, Wanyan Jiujin''s left arm was broken.


    Half of his head was also cut out of a groove!


    For a moment, blood and brains burst out along the groove.


    Wanyan Jiujin''s half-kneeling body, with half of his eyes glaring, held on for two or three seconds, then fell straight down!


    "Ah! General Jiujin is dead!"


    "The Mongols killed General Wanyan Jiujin!"


    "Run away!"


    ¡­


    Wanyan Jiujin was the most formidable general in the nearly 400,000-strong army, enjoying considerable prestige within the Jin ranks. His death in battle caused his personal guard of 1,500 men to teeter on the brink of collapse.


    However, the Jin army''s supervisor, Puxian Wannu, was not to be trifled with.


    During the earlier Southern Song Dynasty''s Kaixi Northern Expedition, Puxian Wannu, as the Right Wing Commander, led the army and beheaded over 20,000 Song soldiers in a single battle, seizing over a thousand warhorses and livestock.


    Historically, Puxian Wannu even rebelled against the Jin Dynasty and established the Eastern Xia Kingdom in Liaodong.


    "Hold! Hold! The Prime Minister''s reinforcements are arriving soon!"


    Puxian Wannu beheaded over a dozen men and commanded the 1,500 elite Jin infantry to fill the gap with their lives, holding the camp for a full quarter of an hour.


    During this quarter of an hour, Wanyan Chengyu transferred the 500 personal guards who had come with Wanyan Kuang and dispatched 3,000 of his own guards to meet Zhao Shuo''s assault. He also sent out 10,000 newly arrived Jin soldiers from the vicinity to reinforce Dwarf Mountain, leaving only 1,500 men by his side.


    In other words, Wanyan Chengyu had been pushed to his limit by Zhao Shuo, and the battle had reached its crucial point.


    It was at this moment that Mukuali''s raiding party scaled the cliff and annihilated the 300 Jin soldiers stationed at the summit.


    "Well done, Ashuo!"


    Mukuali immediately recognized the dire straits of the Jin army and exclaimed in admiration.


    Then, he pointed his heavy iron spear forward and said, "Soldiers, follow me into battle!"


    "Yes!"


    Three thousand elite Mongolian soldiers followed closely behind Mukuali, charging swiftly from the flank towards the Jin army camp at Broken Badger''s Mouth.


    "Good! Ashuo and Mukuali are both doing great! The Jin dogs are doomed this time!"


    Seeing this, Temujin was overjoyed and issued an order: "The entire army dismount and charge with me!"


    "Charge! Kill!"


    "Kill the Jin dogs!"


    "Break through Badger''s Mouth and ride into the Central Capital!"


    ¡­


    Over 40,000 Mongolian soldiers dismounted and fought on foot, joining the bloody battle under Temujin''s leadership.


    "We can''t hold on! Lord Wanyan, brothers can''t hold on any longer!"


    If Puxian Wannu, this formidable figure, could grit his teeth and resist Zhao Shuo''s 3,000 troops, he was utterly despairing in the face of the 40,000 fresh Mongolian reinforcements.


    He abandoned the army still engaged in battle and rushed to the valley to meet Wanyan Chengyu.


    "Can''t hold on? How is it possible that you can''t hold on?"


    He could hardly believe his ears, saying, "I''ve invested 45,000 troops in the entire Yuhuling defense line, and we have the advantage of terrain. How many people can those grassland barbarians have? They still have to leave heavy troops to guard Wushabao, Wuyueying, and the three prefectures of Fu, Chang, and Huan!"


    Puxian Wannu said, "They probably didn''t leave many troops to guard those places at all. The Mongolians have committed more than 80,000 troops to Badger''s Mouth! Not only that, but they also used a surprise tactic, climbing up the cliffs from the side and launching a flanking attack on us. We simply cannot defend against this kind of offensive!"


    Wanyan Chengyu and Puxian Wannu never imagined that the Mongolian army''s mode of operation was completely different from that of all armies throughout history.


    The Mongolian army had too few total troops.


    If they occupied a city and stationed heavy troops there, they would soon not have enough troops for offense. Therefore, they would only leave a very small number of people to guard the city, or simply massacre the city.


    Then, they would continue to concentrate their main force and attack fiercely forward.


    If it weren''t for the importance of the horse ranches in the three prefectures of Fu, Chang, and Huan, and the fact that there were too many livestock to take away, they wouldn''t even leave these few thousand troops behind, at most leaving two or three hundred guards.


    As for what would happen if the cities behind them were attacked by the enemy and their retreat was cut off?


    Then so be it. They would attack again when they returned, and then massacre the city in retaliation.


    This was the Mongolian army''s confidence in their fighting strength. They didn''t believe that any enemy could cut off their retreat.


    Neither Puxian Wannu nor Wanyan Chengyu understood or were accustomed to the Mongolians'' locust-like, all-out warfare that disregarded the rear.


    Wanyan Chengyu completely miscalculated the Mongolian''s offensive force.


    Puxian Wannu would never have believed it if he hadn''t seen it with his own eyes.


    Wanyan Chengyu understood Puxian Wannu''s ability, and now he had to believe it even if he didn''t want to.


    He immediately panicked and said, "Then what do we do?"


    "It''s over! The Badger''s Mouth defense line is finished! The Yuhuling defense line is finished too! Let''s go quickly, or you and I will be impaled on wooden donkeys by the barbarians." Puxian Wannu urged.


    In fact, the Han people of this era called both the Mongolians and the Jurchens ''Tartars''.


    However, the Jurchens couldn''t call the Mongolians ''Tartars'' without also cursing themselves, so they called the Mongolians ''Barbarians'', despising their level of civilization.


    "Alright! Let''s leave immediately for Huihe Fort!"


    At this time, another 500 reinforcements had arrived around the Jin army.


    Wanyan Chengyu immediately made a decision and, under the protection of 2,000 soldiers, fled south towards Huihe Fort.


    Most ¡Í new ¡Í small ¡Í said ¡Í in ¡Í six ¡Í 9 ¡Í¡Í book ¡Í¡Í bar ¡Í¡Í first ¡Í hair!


    "Lord Wanyan, what about the old Prime Minister?" Northwest Route Recruiting Envoy Nianhe Heda whispered a reminder.


    Originally, the Jin Dynasty''s northwest line was only defended by 100,000 troops, led by Northwest Route Recruiting Envoy Nianhe Heda and Deputy Commander Northwest Route Pacification Commissioner Wanyan Jiujin. Later, the troops were increased to 400,000, and Wanyan Chengyu and Duji Sizhong were stationed there.


    Now, it was clear that Nianhe Heda was the second most important figure in the entire army after Wanyan Jiujin.


    The old Prime Minister he was talking about was naturally the unconscious Wanyan Kuang.


    Wanyan Chengyu bit his lip slightly and said, "Tie the old Prime Minister to a horse and take him away! We must not let the old Prime Minister be humiliated by the Mongolians!"


    "Uh¡­ yes."


    Nianhe Heda certainly understood that, given Wanyan Kuang''s physical condition, being tied to a horse and running away would kill him in less than a dozen miles.


    But what could be done now? Was there a better choice?


    Not to mention a living Wanyan Kuang, even if a dead Wanyan Kuang was impaled on a wooden donkey by the Mongolians, the Jin Dynasty couldn''t afford to lose that face.


    Also, even if the front line was defeated, what kind of blow to the Jin army''s morale would it be if even the Prime Minister of the empire was impaled on a wooden donkey?


    The sky would fall!


    Therefore, Nianhe Heda hesitated for a moment and bowed to accept the order.


    In short, Wanyan Chengyu, Nianhe Heda, and Puxian Wannu tied Wanyan Kuang to the back of a horse and, under the protection of 2,000 soldiers, fled south towards Huihe Fort.


    Their escape immediately became the last straw that broke the camel''s back.


    "Wanyan Chengyu is running away!"


    "We''ve been defeated!"


    "Run! If we''re late, the Mongolians will chop off our heads!"


    "Go home! I''m not going to risk my life for the Jurchens!"


    ¡­


    The Jin army''s panicked voices rose and fell, abandoning the camp at Badger''s Mouth and fleeing in a panic towards the rear.


    Their escape led to the total collapse of the nearby defense lines. The nearby defense lines then led to the collapse of the more distant defense lines¡­


    By noon the next day, the Jin Dynasty''s 500-mile Yuhuling defense line had completely collapsed. The Jin soldiers abandoned the established camps and the large amount of supplies they had stockpiled, and fled madly towards the rear.


    The Jin army''s regular army was still thinking of joining Wanyan Chengyu at Huihe Fort.


    Those poor conscripted soldiers, however, had no loyalty to the Jin Dynasty and fled madly in the direction of their respective hometowns.


    At this time, the Mongolian army had already entered Black Wind Pass, cleared the iron chain carts that blocked the valley entrance, and the road was reopened, allowing them to fight on horseback.


    Temujin gave an order, and after a short rest, the entire army divided into dozens of routes.


    Half of the people were assigned to clean up the battlefield of the 500-mile Yuhuling defense line, while the other half were assigned to encircle and intercept the Jin army, making sure to keep as many Jin soldiers as possible on the road to escape.


    ¡­


    Seven days later, the results of this battle were tallied.


    "Our army captured a total of 135,647 enemies, including 37,586 Jin regular soldiers.


    In addition, we seized over 137,000 sets of iron armor, 2,437 sets of armor for armored cavalry, 1,700 ballistae, and 5,300 divine arm bows¡­


    Two3,000 taels of gold and 178,000 taels of silver.


    The number of tents, camps, and flags is too large to be counted yet."


    Hulan''s voice, with its ups and downs, resounded in Temujin''s golden tent.


    Hearing about so many spoils, the Mongolian generals all showed joy on their faces.


    Temujin said, "The Battle of Yuhuling is a crucial battle that will determine the fate of my Great Mongolian Empire. It is entirely due to the valiant battles of Imperial Son-in-Law Zhao Shuo and Chiliarch Mukuali, and the soldiers'' brave killing of the enemy, that we were able to achieve such a glorious victory. The spoils of this battle cannot be distributed according to the regulations of the Great Jasagh."


    He deliberately did not habitually call Zhao Shuo ''Ashuo'', indicating the importance he attached to the Battle of Yuhuling.


    After pausing for a moment, and waiting for the generals to fully digest this news, Temujin continued, "In this battle, I will only take 20% of the total spoils. Imperial Son-in-Law Zhao Shuo will take 30%, Mukuali will take 15%, and the remaining 35% will be divided equally among the others. How does that sound?"


    "Genghis Khan is wise!"


    "No objections!"


    "This distribution method is very fair!"


    ¡­


    The Mongolian nobles all nodded.


    Originally, Mukuali was a chiliarch, so even if Temujin took 30% first and the rest was divided equally, he should have taken 10% of the spoils. Now, Mukuali risked danger, leading 3,000 elite troops to climb the cliff and attack the enemy by surprise, which only resulted in an extra half of the normal income, which was really not much at all.


    Zhao Shuo was even more deserving.


    He was the absolute main force in breaking through Badger''s Mouth.


    Of the nearly 20,000 Balu camp warriors under his command, only 9,000 remained.


    Even the grassland warriors under his command suffered more than 1,400 casualties.


    He also killed the Jurchen fierce general, Wanyan Jiujin, the Northwest Route Pacification Commissioner of the Great Jin Dynasty.


    With such resounding achievements and contributions, who would dare to say that he took too much of the 30% of the spoils?


    Besides, the Battle of Yuhuling was fought against the Jin Dynasty''s army, so it was just a matter of seizing some armor and weapons, what was so great about that?


    The real harvest would come later, at the Battle of Yue Ma Zhongdu!


    Therefore, not only did the generals have no objections, some even suggested that Zhao Shuo''s consort''s share was too small. The spoils of the Battle of Zhongdu should be increased by half a share to compensate Consort Zhao Shuo.


    Temujin readily accepted everyone''s suggestion.


    Then, Temujin announced the slaughter of cattle and sheep, and the distribution of wine to celebrate this great victory. Cheers resounded within the golden tent.


    Of course, if the Mongol army wanted to attack Zhongdu, they had to break through Huaihe Fort first.


    After Wanyan Chengyu retreated there in defeat, he gathered the remnants of his defeated troops. There were now more than 56,000 defenders inside Huaihe Fort.


    Today, another 10,000 reinforcements arrived at Huaihe Fort.


    These were not regular troops, but private soldiers from a dozen local tyrants, led by Xi Lieduan, the magistrate of Xuande County.


    At this time of great chaos, the local tyrants saw an opportunity to establish meritorious service in this chaotic world, and be granted titles and positions. Who should they turn to? Compared to the fierce and brutal Mongols, whose language they didn''t even understand, these local tyrants preferred the Great Jin Dynasty.


    Xi Lieduan, the magistrate of Xuande County, was also a talented man. Hearing that Wanyan Chengyu had been defeated at Yehuling, he gathered these local tyrants together, bringing countless supplies of grain and grass to Huaihe Fort, offering timely assistance.


    However, Wanyan Chengyu did not allow these so-called reinforcements to enter the city, but ordered them to camp outside the city.


    He only allowed Xi Lieduan, the magistrate of Xuande County, to lead those dozen or so local tyrants into the city to see him.


    Xi Lieduan was shocked when he saw Wanyan Chengyu.


    Two months ago, when Wanyan Chengyu took office and passed through Xuande County, he had seen Wanyan Chengyu. At that time, Wanyan Chengyu was just over fifty years old, with a full head of black hair, energetic, and with a voice like a bell.


    But the current Wanyan Chengyu had graying hair, at least half of it white.


    His face was covered with countless wrinkles, his lips were chapped, and he looked listless. People would believe it if he said he was in his sixties.


    It seemed that the defeat at Yehuling had been too great a blow to this Counselor Wanyan!


    Although Xi Lieduan thought so, with his status, he was not even qualified to say words of comfort to Wanyan Chengyu.


    "Let me introduce you, this is..."


    After the greetings were over, Xi Lieduan smiled obsequiously, preparing to introduce these dozen or so local tyrants to Wanyan Chengyu.


    Ten thousand miscellaneous soldiers were still soldiers, and these dozen or so local tyrants had to be appeased, right?


    However, Wanyan Chengyu waved his hand slightly and said, "There is no need for introductions. The military situation is urgent. Now, this Counselor only asks you one thing."


    "Counselor, please speak. This official will definitely answer everything I know."


    "Uh..."


    The words were on the tip of his tongue, but Wanyan Chengyu hesitated. But in the end, he still opened his mouth with difficulty and said, "You are all locals and familiar with the local geography. Besides the official road, are there any small paths leading to... leading to Xuande County."


    "..."


    The smile on Xi Lieduan''s face stopped abruptly, and all the local tyrants had extremely shocked expressions. The scene was silent.


    Why wouldn''t Wanyan Chengyu take the good official road, and instead wanted to take the small path to Xuande County? What could his purpose be?


    It was nothing more than that he was afraid of being ambushed and captured by the Mongol army on the official road when they came to kill him, so he wanted to escape through the small path.


    Okay, everyone came with a burning heart to help him defend Huaihe Fort. They were still hoping that after defending Huaihe Fort, the Great Jin Dynasty would reward everyone! But before the battle had even started, Wanyan Chengyu was already thinking about running away!


    Wouldn''t that make everyone fools for coming to rescue Huaihe Fort?


    After asking this question, Wanyan Chengyu was a little embarrassed and lowered his head to pick up a book to read, trying to hide the awkwardness on his face.


    However, hearing that no one answered, he became angry out of embarrassment.


    Clang!


    Wanyan Chengyu directly drew his long sword and held it horizontally against Xi Lieduan''s neck, and said fiercely, "Speak! How do you get to the small path leading to Xuande County? If you don''t speak, I''ll kill you!"


    "Although this official is a Khitan, I also know the principles of loyalty to the emperor and love for the country."


    Faced with Wanyan Chengyu''s threat, Xi Lieduan no longer had the cautious flattery he had shown earlier. His expression was solemn, and he said, "I''m not afraid to tell you that this official knows the small path to Xuande. However, Wanyan Chengyu, you are greedy for life and afraid of death, and only want to escape... Ah!"


    Before he could finish speaking, Wanyan Chengyu stabbed fiercely, directly piercing Xi Lieduan''s heart!


    This Khitan official who was loyal to the Jin Dynasty died on the spot.


    Then, Wanyan Chengyu pointed his sword fiercely at a local tyrant and said, "Will you speak or not! If you don''t speak, you''ll end up like this old dog, Xi Lieduan!"


    "I''ll speak! I''ll speak!"


    That local tyrant didn''t receive a penny of salary from the Jin Dynasty, so how could he have any loyalty to the Jin Dynasty? This time, he came to reinforce Huaihe Fort only to "seek wealth and status in danger."


    Immediately, he honestly told Wanyan Chengyu how to get to that small path.


    Of course, Wanyan Chengyu knew that what he had just done was not honorable, but he had been frightened by the Mongol army and really wanted to save his own life.


    He didn''t want to see these local tyrants anymore, waved his hand and said, "Huaihe Fort has the imperial army stationed there, as stable as Mount Tai. There is no need for you villagers to add to the chaos, go back."


    "Yes, yes, yes."


    Wanyan Chengyu didn''t want to see these local tyrants again, and the local tyrants didn''t want to see him either, so they quickly took their leave.


    "Brother, let''s go home!"


    After leaving Huaihe Fort, Shi Jindao said dejectedly to his elder brother, Shi Bingzhi.


    Many people are not clear about Shi Bingzhi, but his son Shi Tianze is much more famous.


    One of the largest Han warlords in the north in historical records!


    A prominent Han military commander!


    Shi Tianze led his army to defeat the Jin general Wu Xian, and also captured and killed the Anti-Mongol Red Turban Army leader Peng Yibin. He was successively awarded the titles of Commander of Five Routes, Pacification Commissioner of Henan and other routes, Right Chancellor of the Central Secretariat, and Deputy Chief of the Privy Council. He also followed Ariq B?ke on his expedition, quelled the Li Tan rebellion, and served as Left Chancellor of the Central Secretariat with Bayan.


    As the saying goes, "He has been in and out of the government for fifty years, with no suspicion from above and no resentment from below."


    This man was cautious throughout his life, resourceful and decisive, and advocated attacking the enemy''s heart in military strategy, strongly advocating against killing and plundering. He was compared to figures like Guo Ziyi and Cao Bin by many people.


    Of course, the current Shi Tianze is only ten years old, and his father Shi Bingzhi is still in charge of the family.


    Shi Bingzhi is just a local tyrant in Yongqing County, with eight hundred private soldiers under his command.


    Yongqing is not close to Huaihe Fort, more than five hundred miles away.


    When the Mongols first invaded the Jin Dynasty, Shi Bingzhi, with his keen sense, realized that his opportunity had come.


    He hurriedly smoothed out relationships, led eight hundred miscellaneous soldiers to Xuande, and learned of the Jin Dynasty''s defeat at Yehuling. He also managed to smooth out his relationship with Xi Lieduan and met Wanyan Chengyu at Huaihe Fort. But he never dreamed that this would be the result, his hot face pressed against the cold ass of the Great Jin Dynasty.


    "Go back my ass!" Shi Bingzhi said hatefully, "It''s more than five hundred miles. We finally came here, are we going back?"


    "Then what are we going to do next?"


    "What to do? It''s too easy!"


    Although everyone around him was his own, Shi Bingzhi still lowered his voice and said, "This world doesn''t just have one dynasty. If the Jin Dynasty doesn''t want us, we''ll join the Mongols!"


    "Join the Mongols? What about our families?" Shi Jindao looked hesitant.


    Shi Bingzhi said, "Who knows that we have joined the Mongols? What evidence is there? Even if this matter is leaked, with our family''s business in Yongqing for hundreds of years, delaying it for a few days is no problem. When the Mongols break through Huaihe Fort, the front will be a flat plain, and there will be great chaos in the world immediately. Then we will send someone to secretly bring our families here, and that will be it."


    Shi Jindao was still a little worried and said, "We can''t even speak Mongolian, will they trust us?"


    Shi Bingzhi was full of confidence and said, "Not all Mongols can''t speak Chinese. I have already inquired clearly that the number one warrior under Genghis Khan, Consort Zhao Shuo, is a descendant of the Han people. He also integrated our Han characters into the Mongolian script.


    Such a person will definitely speak Chinese. He himself is a Han, so would he dislike us?


    "That''s right!" Shi Jindao''s eyes lit up and said, "Maybe because we are Han, Consort Zhao Shuo will think highly of us."


    Shi Bingzhi shook his head slightly and said, "Don''t dream about this kind of opportunistic thing. If Consort Zhao Shuo thinks highly of the Han people, the Mongols will not tolerate him. As long as we can get fair treatment, we can gain fame on horseback. We must rely on the merits we have earned with our knives and guns to be valued by the consort."


    Shi Jindao said, "Then shall we go north now to join Consort Zhao Shuo?"


    "Don''t worry." Shi Bingzhi had been speaking in a low voice just now, but now he directly leaned into Shi Jindao''s ear and said, "With these few hundred miscellaneous soldiers, can the consort look up to us? Before we see the consort, we have to prepare a big gift first."


    "What big gift?"


    "Isn''t Wanyan Chengyu going to take the small path? We''ll ambush him on that small path, capture him alive, and use him as a gift to meet the consort!"


    In the original history, Shi Bingzhi took the initiative to lead his troops and families, totaling thousands of people, to Zhuozhou to join Muqali''s command during the second Mongol invasion of the Jin Dynasty.


    Now, Zhao Shuo has changed history, and Shi Bingzhi''s target has become him, and he also wants to prepare to take Wanyan Chengyu as a meeting gift.

 #99 - Guo Kan鈥檚 grandfather Guo Baoyu, the Battle of Yehu Ridge!

    ¡°Four hundred thousand? That many? Quick! Let''s go take a look.¡±


    Although he had anticipated it, Zhao Shuo was still very happy to hear that they had captured so many horses.


    He and Gerile went together to see the captured warhorses.


    This look was even more of a surprise.


    Among the four hundred thousand horses, twelve thousand were tall and handsome Liaodong horses.


    And among these twelve thousand Liaodong horses, forty thousand were blue horses.


    Blue horses are distributed among various horse breeds, but without a doubt, blue horses are the most likely to produce excellent steeds.


    For example, in historical records, Huo Qubing, the Champion Marquis of the East, rode a large blue horse.


    Bucephalus, the divine steed of Alexander the Great of the West, was a blue horse.


    And the great man of later generations rode a small blue horse.


    This time, the blue horses seized from Huan, Chang, and Fu prefectures will greatly help improve the combat power of the Mongols.


    Fifty years later, a scholar praised the gains of this Mongol attack on the Jin Dynasty, writing in a poem: "Victorious, chasing north, passing through Yandu, even more, obtaining four hundred thousand from Jin sources, with peerless large and small blue horses."


    Jin sources are another name for the Jin Dynasty.


    The number of four hundred thousand is not reliable.


    Zhao Shuo was unsure how many horses there were in Huan, Chang, and Fu prefectures, because the numbers in various historical materials were too chaotic.


    The "Secret History of the Mongols" says "nearly a million," which is slightly less than one million horses.


    But other materials mostly say "several million" or "millions," which is too exaggerated.


    "Peerless large and small blue horses" refers to the divine and handsome nature of this batch of blue horses.


    Or perhaps, the four hundred thousand mentioned in this poem refers to the total number of blue horses obtained by the Mongols during this invasion of the Jin Dynasty?


    In any case, Zhao Shuo was very satisfied with the captured warhorses.


    The horses in the Huan Prefecture stud farms were driven to Huan Prefecture City by Wanyan Kuang, but there were also cattle, sheep, and camels, which also became Zhao Shuo''s spoils of war, with as many as six hundred and eighty thousand sheep.


    If they didn''t eat some to reward the soldiers, were they waiting for the New Year?


    Zhao Shuo announced that starting today, mutton would be eaten freely for seven consecutive days.


    Not only that, but he also ordered a slogan to be spread: "Wanyan Chengyu falls, the Mongols eat their fill."


    For a time, the thirty thousand soldiers cheered.


    By the morning of the next day, good news came one after another.


    Before Wanyan Kuang''s messengers reached the stud farms of Fu and Chang prefectures, the Mongol army arrived and seized all the livestock inside.


    Fu Prefecture captured 220,000 horses, and Chang Prefecture captured 190,000 horses.


    In other words, the number of horses captured by the Mongols this time was about the same as recorded in the "Secret History of the Mongols," less than one million.


    Moreover, the Mongol army was good at learning.


    Zhao Shuo prepared so many cloth bags, and the other Mongol armies followed suit, directly "running horses up the city walls," and successfully occupied Fu Prefecture and Chang Prefecture.


    Having achieved such great results and made a fortune that they had never dreamed of before, the entire Mongol army was jubilant.


    In stark contrast to them were the Jin soldiers stationed on the Yelhuling defense line. Having lost Wushabao and Wuyueying one after another, and even losing the three prefectures of Fu, Heng, and Chang, many soldiers'' families fell into the hands of the Mongols. At this time, even the stupidest people understood that the Jin army''s situation was not good, and a cloud of sorrow and misery hung over them.


    Yelhuling, Huan''erzui, Black Wind Pass.


    This was where Wanyan Chengyu and Dujisizhong were stationed, and Grand Councillor Wanyan Kuang of the Great Jin Dynasty had fled here by dusk yesterday.


    However, Wanyan Kuang was now in a coma.


    There was no way around it; Wanyan Kuang was, after all, in his twilight years. Even if he went to bed early and rose early, lived in luxury, and was in a good mood, he only had half a year to live. This time, not only had he not slept for thirty-six consecutive hours, but he had also run wildly for five hundred miles in one night, and then spent a great deal of effort deploying city defenses. Then, when Zhao Shuo attacked the city, he fled in a panic for more than a hundred miles.


    Even ordinary middle-aged people might die suddenly at this time, let alone an old man in his twilight years.


    The fact that Wanyan Kuang was not dead at this time, but only had a stroke, meant that his body was solid enough.


    Fortunately, before falling into a coma, Wanyan Kuang issued his last order: suspend all of Dujisizhong''s duties, and Dujisizhong should quickly leave the Yelhuling defense line and return to Yanjing to await the emperor''s disposal.


    There was no need to listen to any reports from Wanyan Chengyu and Dujisizhong. As the stabilizing force of the Jin Dynasty, Wanyan Kuang understood as soon as he saw the memorial that Dujisizhong, a civil official, was only considering political gains and losses, which had affected Wanyan Chengyu''s military judgment. It was better to kick him to the rear as soon as possible.


    This was the last thing Wanyan Kuang could do for the Jin Dynasty.


    On the Jin Dynasty''s northwest front, although there were two councillors serving as commanders, one in charge of military affairs and one in charge of logistics, there was actually a difference in the status of these two commanders. Dujisizhong''s official position was "Pingzhang Zhengshi," while Wanyan Chengyu''s official position was "Canzhi Zhengshi." In other words, Dujisizhong was the chief commander, and Wanyan Chengyu was the deputy commander.


    Now that the empire''s prime minister had fallen into a coma and the chief commander had been transferred, Wanyan Chengyu had no heroic ambition to command nearly 400,000 troops alone. Instead, he felt depressed because of the current dire situation.


    At this moment, someone came to report that Shimomo Ming''an was requesting an audience.


    Shimomo Ming''an was a Khitan, and not only did he have a Khitan elite Meng''an (chiliarch) under his command, but he was also accomplished in both civil and military affairs. He had been sent by the emperor to meet with Temujin several times. Among these nearly 400,000 troops, he could be considered a person who could talk to Wanyan Chengyu.


    Now, it would be good to send elite troops to raid these three stud farms, which would not only kill the Mongol garrison and boost the morale of the Jin army, but also kill as many horses as possible to reduce the Jin army''s losses.


    Wanyan Chengyu rejected Shimomo Ming''an''s proposal: The Mongols were so powerful that even his son had been defeated by them with fewer troops. Who knew how many troops the Mongols had left at the stud farms? Could the Jin Dynasty''s elite troops beat them in a sneak attack on the stud farms? This plan was too risky, and it would be better to defend the Yelhuling defense line.


    Shimomo Ming''an could not persuade Wanyan Chengyu and had to leave dejectedly.


    But as soon as he stepped out of the tent and took seven or eight steps, he saw someone coming towards him.


    ¡°Greetings, Duke of Fenyang!¡±


    Shimomo Ming''an quickly bowed deeply.


    The person in front of him was Guo Baoyu, the Duke of Fenyang of the Great Jin Dynasty.


    Guo Baoyu was a descendant of the famous Tang Dynasty general Guo Ziyi, and also the grandfather of the famous Guo Kan in later generations. It is said that the story of the hero Guo Jing was based on Guo Kan.


    However, Guo Baoyu was only forty-five years old now and was granted the title of Duke of Fenyang of the Great Jin Dynasty. Although he only had a Han Chinese elite Meng''an in his hands, he was much higher in status than Shimomo Ming''an.


    ¡°So it''s General Shimomo, please dispense with the formalities.¡±


    Of course, Guo Baoyu knew that Shimomo Ming''an was a talented person, so he quickly helped him up and said, ¡°Did you come to see Councillor Wanyan?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Shimomo Ming''an did not hide anything and introduced the course of events.


    After Guo Baoyu listened, he frowned slightly and said, ¡°That''s not good. Great minds think alike, I also came to offer this plan to Councillor Wanyan.¡±


    ¡°Don''t go, it''s useless. Councillor Wanyan, he... is too cautious in his use of troops.¡±


    High EQ is ¡°too cautious,¡± low EQ is ¡°too timid.¡±


    Originally, how could there be 100% safety in military affairs?


    What was the difficulty in sending out a few thousand elites from 400,000 troops? If they lost, they would only lose a few thousand elites. If they won, they could take great advantage.


    Why not do it?


    Shimomo Ming''an had already seen that after a series of setbacks, Wanyan Chengyu, the famous general who had once led eight thousand troops to chase and kill fifty thousand Song soldiers, had lost his original spirit.


    ¡°Okay, I''ll listen to you, I won''t go and touch Councillor''s bad luck.¡±


    Guo Baoyu patted Shimomo Ming''an''s shoulder and was about to leave.


    ¡°Duke of Fenyang!¡±


    Shimomo Ming''an stopped Guo Baoyu again, lowered his voice, and said, ¡°Don''t blame this humble official for speaking frankly, do you think this Yelhuling can be defended?¡±


    He was a Jin Dynasty general and had a clear understanding of the strength of both sides because he had been sent to Mongolia many times.


    ¡°Of course, it can be defended. We have 400,000 troops here, and we also have the geographical advantage of Yelhuling. As long as the command is appropriate and the soldiers use their lives, can''t we stop less than 100,000 grassland barbarians?¡± Guo Baoyu said without hesitation.


    Of course, Shimomo Ming''an heard Guo Baoyu''s implication, as long as ¡°the command is appropriate and the soldiers use their lives¡± they could defend it. Could the Jin Dynasty ¡°command appropriately and the soldiers use their lives¡±? Just now, Wanyan Chengyu had rejected his plan.


    ¡°Thank you for your teachings, Duke of Fenyang!¡±


    Shimomo Ming''an turned and left.


    Looking at his receding back, Guo Baoyu''s mind flashed with a recent nursery rhyme that had spread throughout Hebei: ¡°Shake, shake, Gu Gu, to Henan, worship the Yanqi!¡±


    Yanqi was the legal wife of the Xiongnu Chanyu.


    The people of Henan are worshiping Yanqi, what does that mean? It means that the Jin Dynasty will be destroyed by the Mongols.


    This nursery rhyme, of course, had nothing to do with the Mongols. Even Zhao Shuo''s subordinates lacked the talent to do such a delicate job.


    In fact, discerning individuals within the Jin Dynasty could see that although the population was at its peak since the dynasty''s founding, and they had defeated the Song Dynasty''s Northern Expedition of hundreds of thousands of troops, giving the appearance of a golden age, in reality, the Yellow River had breached its dikes three times, paper money was worthless, and the gap between rich and poor was immense.


    Coupled with the Jin court conscripting hundreds of thousands of soldiers to deal with the Mongols, the common people were selling their children and abandoning their homes.


    Countless people were gnashing their teeth, cursing the dynasty''s demise; the Jin Dynasty had truly reached its most perilous moment.


    Powerful magnates began hoarding soldiers, horses, and provisions in preparation for the coming chaos.


    Disgruntled scholars were stirring, eager to seize a piece of the pie in this turbulent era.


    This nursery rhyme was likely the work of some frustrated scholar.


    "If it weren''t for the people''s discontent, how could this nursery rhyme have spread so quickly throughout Hebei? Even within Yanjing, people are singing it. It seems that neither the battle situation at Yehuling nor the Jin Dynasty''s prospects are looking good!"


    Guo Baoyu thought to himself, sighing.


    ...


    ...


    Ten days later, the Mongol vanguard arrived at Badger''s Mouth.


    The Yehuling defense line stretched for hundreds of miles, with some areas being more important than others.


    The unimportant areas were those with extremely steep terrain and no roads. Even if the Mongols managed to climb up by chance, they wouldn''t be able to bring up a large army, and warhorses would be impossible. Even if lost, there would be ample opportunity to retake them, so only a small number of elite troops and ordinary conscripts were stationed there.


    The important areas were those with gentler slopes and roads, conducive to the Mongol advance.


    Badger''s Mouth was such a place.


    The terrain here resembled the face of a badger.


    The most striking feature was the badger''s protruding snout.


    This snout was a valley between two mountains, with a road in the middle, narrow on the outside and wide on the inside. The outermost valley entrance could only accommodate one person at a time.


    The two mountains on either side of the snout stretched for three miles each and weren''t particularly steep, allowing for human ascent.


    Beyond those three miles were cliffs and precipices, making it difficult for humans to climb.


    The Mongols most wanted to breach Badger''s Mouth.


    Wanyan Chengyu led 35,000 of the most elite troops, stationed here. (Black Wind Pass refers to that valley)


    Among them, 20,000 were deployed on the low mountains on either side, each stretching for three miles. 15,000 followed Wanyan Chengyu, stationed at the bottom of the valley, ready to support the low mountains on both sides.


    After all, the Yehuling defense line stretched for five hundred miles, and some troops had to be stationed in the rear. Stationing 35,000 of the most elite troops on this mere six-mile stretch of the defense line was not a small number. Moreover, the terrain limited the number of troops that could be deployed.


    Temujin led an 80,000-strong army straight for Badger''s Mouth!


    This time, Jebe led the vanguard with only 3,000 troops.


    Seeing Jebe''s small force, Wanyan Chengyu employed a ruse, luring Jebe''s troops into the valley in an attempt to ambush and annihilate Jebe''s 3,000 men.


    However, Jebe saw through Wanyan Chengyu''s plot, feigned defeat, and retreated out of the valley, killing all the pursuing soldiers.


    With that plan foiled, Wanyan Chengyu chose to defend to the death.


    He ordered men to use iron chain carts to completely block the valley entrance.


    The entire army stood guard, preparing to face the Mongol army''s strong assault.


    That evening, Temujin and his main force joined up with Jebe''s vanguard.


    At the first watch of the night, inside Temujin''s golden tent.


    Zhao Shuo, Muqali, Bo''erchu, Qasar, Belgutei, Jebe, Surchatai... all the Mongol valiant generals came to discuss matters.


    "The Jin dogs'' defense of Badger''s Mouth is tight, but it is definitely not impenetrable." Temujin pointed to the map of Badger''s Mouth and said, "Look here, the outermost part of Badger''s Mouth is cliffs and precipices. They think we won''t attack from here and have only sent a small number of troops to guard it. Therefore, Muqali!"


    "Here!"


    "You lead 3,000 elite soldiers, tonight at the second watch, taking advantage of the night, climb up from the outermost cliffs of Badger''s Mouth and raid the Jin army."


    "Yes."


    "A Shuo, the warriors of your Balu Battalion are the most numerous. From now on, you lead the entire Balu Battalion to attack Badger''s Mouth with all your strength, giving the Jin dogs no respite!"


    "Yes."


    Zhao Shuo also nodded and accepted the order.


    Temujin''s strategy was simple.


    Zhao Shuo led the Balu Battalion to attack head-on.


    Muqali led 3,000 elite soldiers to climb the cliffs and launch a surprise attack from the side.


    When Muqali''s surprise attack threw the enemy into chaos, Zhao Shuo could launch a full-scale assault from the front.


    Both tasks were arduous.


    If Zhao Shuo''s frontal attack wasn''t fierce enough to attract the Jin army''s full attention, Muqali''s raid might be discovered.


    If Muqali''s surprise attack wasn''t timely enough or lethal enough to reduce the pressure on Zhao Shuo''s frontal attack, Muqali would be surrounded by the entire enemy force, facing a slim chance of survival.


    At such a critical moment, Temujin could only entrust such tasks to Zhao Shuo and Muqali to be completely at ease.


    ...


    Back then, after the Battle of Keyimen, the Mongol army''s Balu Battalion was left with only 6,000 men.


    Zhao Shuo had 1,000 Balu Battalion soldiers under his command, and the others had 5,000.


    After attacking Wushabao and Wuyueying, Zhao Shuo incorporated more than 16,000 people into the Balu Battalion, and the other Mongol nobles gained nothing.


    However, after conquering Fu, Chang, and Huan prefectures, a total of 5,000 Jin soldiers, including Zhao Shuo''s, were incorporated into the Balu Battalion.


    Therefore, Zhao Shuo could now command 27,000 Balu Battalion warriors.


    Their predecessors were the regular armies of the Jin and Xia dynasties!


    "Soldiers of the Balu Battalion!"


    Blazing torches illuminated the scene as bright as day as Zhao Shuo looked at the 27,000 Balu Battalion soldiers below the platform.


    He loudly said, "You should know what the Balu Battalion is for! It is for storming fortifications! In every battle, the entire army is only allowed to attack, not retreat. If ten households retreat, the commander of those ten households will be beheaded. If a hundred households retreat, the commander of those hundred households will be beheaded! If the commander of ten households dies in battle, all ten men under his command will be beheaded. If the commander of a hundred households dies in battle, all one hundred men under his command will be beheaded. After victory, you can get 10% of the spoils of war.


    The latest and greatest novels are at 6_9_book_., please prioritize reading them there!


    Tonight''s Battle of Yehuling is extremely important to our Mongolia.


    I''m only giving you two hours, only two hours.


    If you can''t break through Badger''s Mouth within two hours, all the Balu Battalion soldiers will be beheaded!


    But if you break through Badger''s Mouth within two hours, all the surviving Balu Battalion warriors can get 50% of the spoils of war.


    Not only that, for every head you chop off, you''ll get an extra five taels of silver. For every two heads you chop off, you''ll get an extra ten taels of silver... and so on, with no upper limit.


    After tonight, anyone who has chopped off three or more heads can leave the Balu Battalion and become a regular warrior of our Great Mongol Empire.


    Anyone who has chopped off five or more heads will be rewarded with an additional beauty for every five heads.


    Have you all heard clearly?"


    As soon as Zhao Shuo finished speaking, the 30,000 Balu Battalion soldiers erupted in a burst of enthusiastic roaring.


    "We''ve heard clearly!"


    "We are willing to die for the Consort!"


    "Break through Badger''s Mouth in two hours!"


    "Breaking through Badger''s Mouth means money and beauties!"


    ...


    The vast majority of Balu Battalion soldiers had already presented their certificates of allegiance and could not turn back.


    Moreover, Zhao Shuo had previously announced that there would be an unlimited supply of mutton for seven consecutive days, which included the Balu Battalion soldiers under his command. Although the other Mongol nobles weren''t as generous as Zhao Shuo, the spoils were simply too numerous. How could they possibly finish eating hundreds of thousands of sheep? They also gave their Balu Battalion soldiers a feast of mutton for three days.


    This food was even better than that of the Jin army''s elite troops.


    The newly joined Balu Battalion soldiers were initially won over.


    Moreover, the previous Balu Battalion warriors told them that the Mongols kept their word, and Consort Zhao Shuo kept his word even more, never giving any discounts. As long as they won the battle, they could not only share a large amount of money, but also possibly have female slaves bestowed upon them.


    There was such a good thing?


    It would be good enough if the Jin army could issue military pay normally, how could there be such treatment?


    Some of the newly joined Balu Battalion soldiers were eager to try.


    Now, in the Battle of Badger''s Mouth, with both the powerful military law of "Ba Dui Zhan" and generous rewards, what else could the Balu Battalion warriors do?


    Fight with all their might!


    It must be said that the warriors of the East Asian region are the best warriors, both disciplined, hardworking, resilient, and tenacious. The more dangerous the moment, the more able they are to calm down. They disregard the lives of others, and when necessary, they can also disregard their own lives.


    The army they form, as long as they are given enough treatment, is the strongest army in the world!


    "Very good." Zhao Shuo waved his hand and said, "I will personally celebrate your victory when we break through Badger''s Mouth!"


    "Yes!"


    The 27,000 men responded with a roar, dispersed, and waited for the signal for the general attack.


    There was nothing to attack at the valley entrance, which was already completely blocked by dozens of iron chain carts. Attacking here was no easier than climbing cliffs and precipices.


    The Balu Battalion''s target was the low mountains on either side of the valley entrance, a total of six miles.


    The defensive measures of the low mountains were like this: the front was a series of breast walls, behind which were simple military camps built by the Jurchens with wooden fences. At the end of the camp was the top of the mountain, where the Balu Battalion warriors'' target was located.


    Although the defensive measures were somewhat crude, the Jin army was high above, had prepared a large number of defensive equipment, and it was really difficult to break through Badger''s Mouth.


    The first batch: five thousand men.


    It wasn''t that they couldn''t send more troops, but the massive logs rolling down the mountain required enough space to dodge.


    If thirty thousand men charged together, a single rolling log could inflict massive losses on the Balu Camp, a meaningless sacrifice.


    Therefore, the first wave of Balu Camp warriors numbered only five thousand.


    These five thousand men weren''t lined up in a single row but were divided into three ranks.


    At the very front were the strongest warriors newly recruited into the Jin army, each clad in three layers of iron armor and wielding a massive shield.


    The second rank held fully drawn, ready-to-fire repeating crossbows.


    The third rank carried the weapons of three men: bows, wolf-fang clubs, spears, or broadswords.


    Seventy *zhang* (approximately 233 meters) behind the first wave of five thousand was the second wave of five thousand.


    Another seventy *zhang* behind them was yet another five thousand.


    In total, six waves launched a continuous, saturating attack on Badger''s Mouth, overwhelming the Jin army.


    "Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"


    "Kill the barbarians! Defend our nation!"


    "Barbarians, go to hell!"


    ¡­


    It was the twelfth day of the lunar month, the moonlight was bright, and the Jin army stationed on the low mountain quickly detected the Mongol army''s full-scale assault, issuing cries of alarm.


    *Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh* ~ ~


    The Jin army''s bows and crossbows unleashed their power.


    Previously, they had to fire at an upward angle to strike distant enemies, but now they could fire directly!


    Moreover, they pushed the huge logs they had prepared, some as thick as three *chi* (approximately 1 meter), directly down from the mountain top.


    And of course, there were also trebuchets.


    Countless stones, carrying tremendous kinetic energy, rained down on the heads of the Balu Camp soldiers.


    The Balu Camp soldiers were no pushovers either; they were originally regular troops from the Jin and Western Xia armies and had made ample preparations for this battle.


    Even those who weren''t in the front ranks of heavily armored soldiers wore iron armor, rendering the arrows and crossbow bolts fired at them virtually harmless. Only a few unlucky ones were directly pierced by the bolts fired from the ballista.


    But there was little they could do against the massive logs and stones launched by the trebuchets; they could only try to dodge. If they couldn''t avoid them, they could only blame their bad luck.


    Closer!


    Closer and closer!


    In the blink of an eye, the heavily armored soldiers in the front rank were only eighty paces away from the Jin army''s defenses.


    It was at this moment!


    *Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!*


    The Jin army''s repeating crossbows unleashed their power!


    This divine weapon, invented by Western Xia, promoted by the Song Dynasty, and then learned by the Jin people, was capable of piercing three layers of heavy armor within eighty paces!


    Back then, the Song general Wu Lin had created the "Staggered Formation" centered on the repeating crossbow, repeatedly defeating the Jin army. This led Wuzhu (a Jin Dynasty general) to say, "The Song''s most ingenious military weapon is none other than the repeating crossbow, followed by the heavy axe. We fear nothing else, and now we will pay to have them copied."


    A single volley of repeating crossbows from the Jin army eliminated at least half of the heavily armored soldiers.


    The remaining heavily armored soldiers didn''t dare to slack off and charged forward fiercely.


    The armored soldiers behind them fired their repeating crossbows, inflicting heavy casualties on the Jin army, then took the weapons handed to them from the rear and charged forward as well.


    Seventy paces! The enemy''s various heavy crossbows and heavy bows unleashed their power!


    At the same time, the Jin army hurled huge stones directly down the mountain!


    There were also rolling logs, rocks, and boiling water!


    In the blink of an eye, the five thousand Balu Camp warriors suffered heavy casualties, and only eight hundred brave warriors managed to climb over the low walls and engage the Jin army in close combat.


    "Good!"


    Although it seemed that nearly ninety percent of the first wave of Balu Camp warriors had been killed or wounded, Mo Chi Bie Du Wen, the commander of the second wave of the Balu Camp, couldn''t help but shout "Good!"


    Now that they were engaged in close combat, the Jin army could no longer push logs down the mountain, and their other defensive facilities would also be greatly affected. Wasn''t this a great thing?


    Just over four thousand Balu Camp warriors had made such great progress; what wasn''t good about that?


    "First, execute these cowards!"


    During the charge of the five thousand Balu Camp warriors, over four hundred men couldn''t bear the brutal battlefield and retreated one after another.


    They were captured by Mo Chi Bie Du Wen''s military law enforcement team.


    *Wooo, wooo, wooo* ~ ~


    Four blasts of the ox-horn trumpet sounded in succession, signaling the execution by the military law enforcement team.


    In the blink of an eye, four hundred and eight heads fell to the ground!


    Mo Chi Bie Du Wen even used an iron mace to directly smash the heads of three deserters.


    No sooner said than done, from the moment the eight hundred Balu Camp warriors began close combat with the Jin army to the moment four hundred heads fell, only a minute had passed.


    Mo Chi Bie Du Wen raised the iron mace in his hand and said, "In this battle, there is only advance, no retreat! This is the fate of those who retreat! Balu Camp warriors, charge!"


    "Charge! Kill!"


    "Kill the Jin dogs!"


    "Break through Badger''s Mouth, and there will be money and women!"


    "Balu Camp warriors, only advance, never retreat, die without turning back!"


    ¡­


    With cries of battle, the Balu Camp warriors in the following waves increased their speed and charged upwards!


    The war quickly entered a white-hot phase.


    On one side were fifteen thousand of the Jin Dynasty''s most elite troops, and on the other side were twenty-three thousand Balu Camp warriors.


    They began a fierce melee on the low mountain of Badger''s Mouth. Shouts of battle, the sounds of flesh tearing, and the clashing of weapons were completely mixed together, rising and falling, echoing through the heavens!


    "How is this possible? How can the Mongol infantry be so fierce? Aren''t they only good at riding horses and shooting arrows?"


    In charge of the Jin army''s mountain top defense was Wanyan Jiujin, the commander of the Jin Dynasty''s northwest line.


    In fact, his original surname was Heshilie, but because of his bravery in battle and countless meritorious deeds, he was granted the imperial surname "Wanyan." Therefore, his current name is Wanyan Jiujin.


    In fact, you can tell how brave this person is just by hearing his name.


    The Jurchen custom was to use the child''s weight at birth as the child''s nickname. After the age of five, a formal name would be given. Some poor Jurchens simply continued to use the nickname, too lazy to give a formal name.


    Wanyan Jiujin is still called Wanyan Jiujin to this day, and it is clear that he rose from the bottom, a Jin Dynasty general who fought his way up with every slash and thrust.


    So much so that later generations often confuse him with Wanyan Chengyu or Husha Hu, because their nicknames were also Jiujin. This is actually wrong. In historical records, Wanyan Jiujin clearly died in the Battle of Yehuling, while those two were still alive and well after the Battle of Yehuling.


    In short, this Wanyan Jiujin was indeed a remarkable Jurchen general.


    But even such a brave general couldn''t believe his eyes when he saw the Mongol infantry being so valiant, forcing the Jin army''s most elite infantry to retreat step by step.


    Just then, a *meng''an* (a Jurchen military officer) hurried to Wanyan Jiujin''s side.


    "Pacification Commissioner, something terrible has happened!"


    "What is it?"


    "We captured five grassland barbarian prisoners, but¡­ but¡­"


    "But what?"


    "They were originally our people, and two of them were even Jurchens. The grassland barbarians forced them to kill their own people to come here and fight us to the death!"


    "What? Our own people? Jurchens? No wonder these infantry are so powerful; it turns out they''re our own people! That''s not right!"


    After his initial panic, Wanyan Jiujin quickly calmed down and said, "Since they are our own people, how could they work so hard for the grassland barbarians? Even if they offered a blood oath, it doesn''t make sense!"


    The *meng''an* said, "Because their military law is too strict. Only advance is allowed, no retreat. If ten households retreat, the commander of the ten households will be beheaded. If a hundred households retreat, the commander of the hundred households will be beheaded. If the commander of the ten households dies in battle, all ten men under his command will be beheaded. If the commander of the hundred households dies in battle, all hundred men under his command will be beheaded."


    "The *badui zhan* of Zhu Quanzhong in the late Tang Dynasty?"


    Although Wanyan Jiujin came from a very humble background, he studied diligently after becoming a high official and immediately thought of the *badui zhan* (a brutal military law of collective punishment).


    The *meng''an* said, "Not only *badui zhan*, but these captured soldiers can also take ten percent of the spoils of war for each battle. For this battle of Badger''s Mouth, they can take fifty percent of the spoils of war. Not only that, but there is also an extra reward of five *liang* of silver for each head, and those who make great contributions will also be rewarded with beautiful women!"


    "How ruthless the Mongols are, with both heavy punishments and heavy rewards, how could those prisoners not work themselves to death for him? He is using our Jurchens to fight our Jurchens! How can we fight this battle?"


    Wanyan Jiujin came from the very bottom, and he understood too well what the soldiers at the bottom wanted.


    Because the national treasury was empty, not to mention that the northern border army often didn''t receive their salaries, even the most elite troops'' salaries couldn''t be paid on time.


    Rewards? Where would the money come from? The reward money that had been prepared was all taken by Dujisizhong to Wuyue Camp.


    But the Mongols promised such heavy rewards, how could the morale of the two sides not be vastly different?


    At this moment, Wanyan Jiujin felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, chilling him from head to toe.


    The *meng''an* anxiously said, "Pacification Commissioner, what should we do now? The brothers can''t hold on anymore, please ask Councilor Wanyan to send reinforcements quickly!"


    (Four-in-one chapter)

 #98 - Pile up the soil into a mountain and race horses into the city!

    Seeing Wanyan Chengyu vomiting blood, Dujisizhong sighed.


    "Wanyan Senior Councilor, you must take care of your health!" Dujisizhong stepped forward to support the tottering Wanyan Chengyu, his voice full of concern, and said, "I am a civil official. The life and death of the Northwest''s 400,000 troops and the safety of Zhongdu all rest on your shoulders, Wanyan Senior Councilor. You must hold on!"


    "I''m fine... I''m fine."


    Wanyan Chengyu waved his hand, shook off Dujisizhong''s support, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked much moreÍÇÃÒ. He forced back the grief in his heart and said, "Prime Minister Duji, what should we do now?"


    The Mongols have captured Wuyue Camp, and their next step will definitely be to point their swords at Fuzhou. There is no time for grief; he must prepare countermeasures.


    Hearing Wanyan Chengyu''s words, Dujisizhong blurted out the words he had been planning for a long time:


    "Retreat! We must retreat immediately!"


    "With the loss of Wushabao and Wuyue Camp, the six-hundred-li Great Wall is already a mere formality. As long as the Mongols break through the Yehuling defense line, they can directly threaten the safety of Zhongdu. We must gather all the troops on the front line at Yehuling to build the most solid defense line!"


    "Nonsense! How is that possible!"


    Wanyan Chengyu''s first reaction was to refuse.


    The Jin Dynasty''s strategic terrain was actually very poor.


    Looking at the map, the Jin Dynasty was like a "dumbbell," large at both ends and thin in the middle.


    The top was the Northeast, all the way to the Greater Khingan Mountains. The bottom was Hebei and Shandong, all the way to the Huai River.


    Both the north and south were of utmost importance.


    Therefore, in order to control the north and south, the Jin Dynasty set its capital in Yanjing in the middle, calling it Zhongdu.


    This was indeed very convenient for managing the entire country.


    However, there was a fatal flaw: Zhongdu was too close to the grasslands.


    The Mongol border was only four hundred li from Zhongdu. Without defenses, the Mongols could reach it in two days on horseback.


    To compensate for this shortcoming, the Jin Dynasty established three strict defense lines on the northwest line.


    The first line of defense consisted of the six-hundred-li Wushabao Great Wall defense line, also known as the "Jin Boundary Moat."


    The second line of defense consisted of four strong cities inside the Great Wall, from west to east: Wuyue Camp, Fuzhou, Changzhou, and Huanzhou.


    The third line of defense was the Yehuling defense line built on the mountain, which was also the most important defense line and the last barrier of Zhongdu in the Jin Dynasty.


    "Only by holding Fuzhou, Changzhou, and Huanzhou can we attack the Mongols from both sides, making them hesitant to attack Yehuling with all their strength. Prime Minister Duji, do I need to explain this simple logic? The three cities of Fu, Chang, and Huan must not be abandoned!" Wanyan Chengyu said angrily.


    "Wanyan Senior Councilor, what you said makes sense, but I''m worried that we may not be able to hold the three cities of Fuzhou, Changzhou, and Huanzhou..." Dujisizhong said with a solemn expression, "The Mongols may have some kind of special siege weapon!"


    The Jin Dynasty''s defense line was built by Dujisizhong; how could he not know the role of the three cities of Fu, Chang, and Huan?


    However, on the way to escape, he thought of a frightening question. That was, how did the Mongols break through Wuyue Camp, which he was guarding, in the blink of an eye?


    He couldn''t figure it out no matter what.


    However, he knew one thing: the Mongols must have developed some kind of special siege weapon!


    Perhaps this was what the Mongols had developed during their attack on Western Xia.


    Otherwise, there was no way to explain why a group of Mongol barbarians could take half of Western Xia''s territory, even capturing Kemen and approaching Western Xia''s capital, Zhongxing Prefecture.


    If this was the case, the trouble would be great!


    If the Mongols could break through Wuyue Camp overnight, could they also break through Fuzhou City overnight?


    He could be lucky enough to run away once, but could he be lucky enough to run away twice?


    If he and Wanyan Chengyu were captured by the Mongols, what would happen to the Yehuling defense line? What would happen to Zhongdu? What would happen to the Great Jin Dynasty?


    Could they afford to gamble?


    It was precisely because of this consideration that Dujisizhong proposed abandoning the three cities of Fu, Chang, and Huan and concentrating all the troops to strengthen the Yehuling defense line.


    "Special siege weapon..."


    As soon as Dujisizhong said this, Wanyan Chengyu immediately understood what Dujisizhong was worried about.


    If it were in the past, Wanyan Chengyu would definitely be confident in defending Fuzhou City.


    However, his own son led 35,000 elite soldiers and was still defeated by the Mongols like a hot knife through butter, and was even nailed to a wooden donkey.


    Dujisizhong was even more inexplicably defeated at Wuyue Camp. He really didn''t dare to guarantee that he could defend Fuzhou City with 100% certainty.


    Wanyan Chengyu hesitated.


    Losing the three prefectures of Fu, Chang, and Huan was not a big deal. Although these three prefectures were considered wealthy, the Great Jin Dynasty had 179 prefectures; at most, it was a minor ailment, and the emperor might not care. Those Jin Dynasty nobles who enjoyed themselves in Yanjing would not necessarily care.


    However, not to mention letting the Mongols break through Zhongdu, even threatening Zhongdu, both the emperor and the Jin Dynasty nobles would vent their anger on Wanyan Chengyu.


    Could he afford it?


    Dujisizhong struck while the iron was hot and continued to persuade, "Besides, it''s not like we don''t want the three prefectures of Fu, Chang, and Huan anymore. We''re just transferring most of the troops to the Yehuling defense line. We can completely explain it to the imperial court. If you''re still worried, Wanyan Senior Councilor, how about I co-sign a memorial with you?"


    His last sentence completely moved Wanyan Chengyu.


    Wanyan Chengyu pondered for a long time and slowly said, "That''s right. Retreating to the Yehuling defense line has another advantage: the Mongols'' strongest point is cavalry, while Yehuling''s terrain is treacherous, and they can only attack with infantry. This is equivalent to using our strengths to attack their weaknesses. Looking at it this way, it is indeed more prudent to defend Yehuling with all our strength."


    Once a person makes a decision, they will find various ways to convince themselves.


    Under many considerations, Wanyan Chengyu finally adopted Dujisizhong''s suggestion.


    Immediately, Dujisizhong and Wanyan Chengyu jointly wrote a memorial and sent it to Yanjing with eight hundred li of urgency.


    Then, in the name of the two commanders of the Northwest Line of the Great Jin Dynasty, they deployed troops and transferred most of the troops from the six-hundred-li Great Wall defense line and the three prefectures of Fu, Chang, and Huan to the Yehuling defense line.


    Three thousand troops were left on the six-hundred-li Great Wall defense line, and three thousand people were left in each of the three prefectures of Fu, Chang, and Huan. To put it bluntly, these nine thousand troops had been effectively abandoned.


    It was just to give the imperial court and the world an explanation on the surface that they had not voluntarily abandoned these passes.


    Wanyan Chengyu and Dujisizhong also hurriedly left Fuzhou City and went to the Yehuling defense line.


    After all, if the Mongols could break Wuyue Camp, couldn''t they break Fuzhou?


    Fuzhou was less than a hundred li away from Wuyue Camp, and it was really unsafe for the two commanders to be without heavy troops protecting them.


    However, mistakes were made in the rush.


    Even the wise can sometimes make mistakes.


    Just like in the timeline without Zhao Shuo''s crossing, these two Jin Dynasty prime ministers made a very low-level and stupid mistake: they forgot to dispose of the warhorses of the pastoral supervisors of Heng, Chang, and Huan prefectures.


    The pastoral supervisors were the Jin Dynasty''s specialized animal husbandry institutions.


    They mainly raised horses, but also raised other livestock such as cattle, sheep, and camels.


    In the early years of the Jin Dynasty, there were five horse supervisors, but the number later increased and decreased. Now there are seven.


    The pastoral supervisors of the three prefectures of Fu, Wen, and Huan were three of them.


    Moreover, these three pastoral supervisors were the largest in scale and had the most fertile water and grass among all the pastoral supervisors in the Jin Dynasty. Most of the country''s warhorses were raised in these three pastoral supervisors.


    If they really couldn''t take these warhorses away, they could have sent three teams of elite cavalry to kill them!


    One day was enough time.


    They actually completely forgot about this!


    Such a large-scale troop movement by the Jin army could not be concealed from the Mongol scouts. In the evening of the same day, Temujin received the news.


    "What? Most of the Jin dogs in Fuzhou have gone south? Investigate again and again, don''t fall for the Jin dogs'' tricks!"


    Hearing the news, Temujin could hardly believe it, his tone filled with deep caution.


    Fuzhou was not only the wealthiest and most fortified of the three states of Fu, Chang, and Huan, but also the location of Wanyan Chengyu''s headquarters. How could they abandon it so easily?


    Would he abandon Changzhou and Huanzhou as well?


    If all three states were abandoned, wouldn''t the Mongol army be able to attack the Yehuling defense line without any worries?


    But if he didn''t abandon these three states, the Mongol army would be concerned about the Jin army at Yehuling while attacking the three states. Attacking Yehuling would also mean worrying about the Jin army in these three states, making it difficult to attack.


    Could this Jin commander be a fool?


    I didn''t give him any money. Why does his decision seem like he''s our Mongolians'' inside man?


    What conspiracy is involved?


    Zhao Shuo couldn''t help but laugh when he heard this news.


    He didn''t expect that even though the Mongols attacked the Jin Dynasty two years earlier, Wanyan Chengyu still made the same foolish choice as in history.


    In historical records, he directly abandoned the three states of Fu, Chang, and Huan. As a result, the Mongols not only had no worries but also gained countless warhorses from the livestock farms within these three states, greatly increasing their strength.


    Zhao Shuo said, "The news that most of the Jin dogs in Fuzhou have gone south should be true. In the end, even if they didn''t go south, wouldn''t we still attack Fuzhou? I estimate that they have abandoned all three states of Fu, Chang, and Huan."


    "Then why did they do this?" Huhan also expressed his suspicion cautiously.


    Zhao Shuo chuckled and said, "This is where the Jin Dynasty differs from us Mongols. We Mongols are pragmatic. As long as we can win battles, Genghis Khan won''t blame us for anything.


    But what about the commanding generals of the Jin Dynasty? Even if they win a great victory, as long as the Jin Emperor feels even a little bit of danger, it will be considered a crime without merit.


    The Emperor might even think that the loyalty of the commanding general is highly questionable and want to get rid of them as soon as possible.


    Wanyan Chengyu was too worried about the Yehuling defense line, which led him to make such a foolish decision."


    After listening to Zhao Shuo''s words, Huhan nodded thoughtfully, but his brow still furrowed with doubt: "But if he loses the battle, wouldn''t Wanyan Chengyu still not have a good end?"


    Zhao Shuo said, "He is actually in a dilemma. On the one hand, he has to deal with our threat, and on the other hand, he has to constantly guess the Emperor''s intentions. Sometimes, in order to take care of both sides, he has to make some seemingly foolish decisions. In the end, he can''t take care of either side."


    "A''shuo is right."


    Although Zhao Shuo was only talking about the Jin people''s reasons for abandoning Fuzhou, the biggest reason was that Temujin was wise and martial, while Wanyan Yongji was a useless person who only held back progress.


    This not only matched Temujin''s experience but also made him feel very happy. He said, "What should we do next?"


    "Fast! Our actions must be fast!" Zhao Shuo said, "We can forget about the three states of Fu, Chang, and Heng. Anyway, the Jin dogs have already practically abandoned them. However, these three states all have Jin Dynasty livestock farms with a large number of horses and other livestock.


    Right now, we don''t know if the Jin dogs have dealt with those livestock.


    But with such a large number of warhorses, even if there is only a sliver of hope, we must strive for it."


    Temujin was naturally very interested in horses and asked, "How many horses are there in the livestock farms of these three states?"


    "The specific number of horses is a military secret of the Jin dogs. Even the Wanggu tribe doesn''t know, so I understand even less. However, I estimate that there are at least 200,000 horses."


    Two hundred thousand warhorses were actually Zhao Shuo''s most conservative estimate.


    He really didn''t know the specific number of warhorses in the livestock farms of these three states, but he could roughly estimate it.


    Forty-eight years ago, when Jin Emperor Hailing launched his southern expedition against the Song Dynasty, he mobilized 560,000 warhorses. Later, Emperor Hailing''s southern expedition failed, and only about 1,000 warhorses and 90 camels remained in the Jin Dynasty''s livestock farms.


    However, only twenty-six years later, that is, twenty-two years ago, the Jin Dynasty''s livestock farms had reached 470,000 horses, 130,000 cattle, and 470,000 sheep.


    Another twenty-two years have passed. How many horses will there be in the Jin Dynasty''s livestock farms?


    It is said that before the Battle of Yehuling, the Jin people''s cavalry accounted for 40%, and each person had three horses.


    What about after the Battle of Yehuling? The Jin Dynasty was completely dominated by infantry, and the number of cavalry in the country was only over 20,000.


    The biggest reason for this was that the warhorses in the livestock farms of the three states of Fu, Chang, and Heng were seized by the Mongols.


    As for the specific number, it can only be counted in detail after capturing the three states.


    "Okay, A''shuo said there are at least 200,000, so there are at least 200,000!"


    Zhao Shuo''s consistent correctness and consistent victory have accumulated good credibility in Temujin''s heart.


    At least 200,000 horses!


    That''s enough for the current Mongol army to increase three horses per person!


    Moreover, at the same time, it can reduce the Jin Dynasty by 200,000 horses. I don''t know how much loss the Mongol army''s future conquests can reduce.


    At this moment, Temujin''s eyes could almost shine, and he said, "A''shuo is right. With 200,000 horses, even if there is only a sliver of hope, we must strive for it.


    In this way, Fuzhou is closest to the Wuyue Camp and the most fortified. I will personally lead 30,000 troops to capture it. Muqali, Jebe, and Subutai! You lead 22,000 troops to attack Changzhou, which is 200 miles away."


    "Yes." The three agreed in unison.


    "A''shuo, you have the most warhorses under your command. The 500-mile-away Huanzhou will be entrusted to you. We will take action on three fronts to ensure that all the Jin dogs'' warhorses in these three states are left behind!"


    "Yes!"


    The "Huan" in Huanzhou is taken from "Wuhuan." This was originally a horse-breeding place for the Wuhuan people and has the best pastures in the Jin Dynasty.


    Huanzhou''s livestock farm is known as the "Crown of National Livestock Farms."


    I am afraid that all the warhorses in Fuzhou and Changzhou combined may not be as many as in Huanzhou.


    Once Zhao Shuo captures Huanzhou, he will obtain a large number of horses.


    At the same time, in Yanjing, the Jin Dynasty''s political affairs hall.


    "Dujisizhong has misled me! Wanyan Chengyu has misled me!"


    After seeing the urgent document sent by the 800-li express delivery, Wanyan Kuang, the prime minister of the Great Jin Dynasty, who had worked hard for the Jin Dynasty all his life, almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.


    If history had developed normally, Wanyan Kuang, a top talent who had worked for the Jin Dynasty all his life, would have passed away by the end of this year. Two years later, the Mongols invaded the Great Jin Dynasty, which had nothing to do with him, and he couldn''t worry about it even if he wanted to.


    However, Zhao Shuo changed history, and the Mongols attacked Jin two years earlier, which was closely related to Wanyan Kuang.


    He hurriedly left the political affairs hall to meet Jin Emperor Wanyan Yongji.


    "Your Majesty, the military situation is urgent. It seems that this old minister has no choice but to personally make a trip to Huanzhou."


    "Why? What is it that others cannot do on your behalf, that the old prime minister must personally go?"


    Even if Wanyan Yongji was stupid, he knew what Wanyan Kuang represented. He was the stabilizing force of the Great Jin Dynasty! If he went out, Wanyan Yongji would not be able to sleep soundly at night.


    Cough cough cough¡ª


    Wanyan Kuang coughed a few times in a row before stabilizing his breath, his face full of helplessness: "Indeed, this old minister has to go. Wanyan Chengyu and Dujisizhong abandoned the three states of Fu, Chang, and Huan. Although this old minister does not agree, it cannot be considered too big of a mistake in order to protect the safety of Yanjing.


    However, they did not mention a word about the livestock in the livestock farms of these three states in their memorial.


    If they didn''t mention it, it means they completely forgot about it.


    The circulation of official documents in the court will definitely be too late.


    And now, who else can directly revoke their orders and mobilize their troops on the spot, besides this old minister?"


    Wanyan Yongji was, after all, in his fifties and had received a strict royal education. Even if he was a waste, after Wanyan Kuang reminded him, he understood the seriousness of the matter.


    He asked, "When will the old prime minister leave?"


    "This old minister will leave now. It''s probably too late if I''m late."


    "Then I will send 500 imperial guards to escort the old prime minister."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!"


    The Imperial Guard is the most elite force in the Jin Dynasty.


    At the beginning of the Great Jin Dynasty, it was called Hezha Meng''an, limited to those under the command of Aguda, Wugimai, Zonggan, and Zonghan.


    Later, it developed into the emperor''s personal guard, with a total of 6,000 people, selected from the national army, belonging to the elite among the elite.


    It wasn''t that Wanyan Yongji was unwilling to transfer more personal guards to Wanyan Kuang, but that the more people there were, the slower the marching speed would be.


    Now is the time to race against the Mongols!


    Although Wanyan Kuang was already old and frail, he was, after all, a figure who had served as both a general and a prime minister, commanding hundreds of thousands of troops.


    At this time, relying on his firm will, heÃãÁ¦ supported himself, riding the best warhorse, and under the protection of five hundred personal guards, he galloped five hundred miles overnight, arriving at the location of Huanzhou Pasture in the early morning of the next day.


    As soon as he dismounted, Wanyan Kuang directly issued an order: all the mules, donkeys, cattle, and sheep in Huanzhou Pasture were to be abandoned, and Yelu Chuan, the supervisor of Huanzhou Pasture, was to drive all the horses into Huanzhou City. This must be completed before noon today.


    Yelu Chuan quickly accepted the order and left, and Huanzhou Pasture was filled with chaos.


    Wanyan Kuang was too lazy to care about these trivial matters, and within Huanzhou Pasture, in the name of the Shangshuling, he issued orders in succession.


    First, he ordered the pasture supervisors of Changzhou and Fuzhou to transfer all the horses in their respective pastures to the state city. If they didn''t have time to transfer them and the Mongol soldiers arrived, they should kill all those warhorses.


    Second, all the garrison officers and soldiers in Huan, Chang, and Fu prefectures should gather in the state city in the shortest possible time.


    Third, he ordered Wanyan Chengyu and Dujisizhong, who were stationed at Yehuling Black Wind Pass, to send heavy troops to reinforce Fu, Chang, and Huan prefectures.


    After sending out these orders, Wanyan Kuang rushed to Fuzhou City without stopping to strengthen the city''s defenses.


    Only three thousand soldiers were left in Fuzhou City, and because Wanyan Cheng had transferred most of the troops away, the people were panicked.


    The arrival of Wanyan Kuang, the empire''s prime minister, quickly stabilized the morale of the people in the city.


    By noon, all the horses in Huanzhou Pasture were concentrated in Huanzhou City.


    Some reinforcements from other small towns in Huanzhou also arrived, numbering more than 1,200 people.


    "Fortunately, I arrived in time, otherwise Wanyan Chengyu and Dujisizhong would have caused a catastrophe. Now there are already four thousand soldiers and horses in the city, and I expect reinforcements to arrive by evening, so I will have enough strength to defend the city."


    Wanyan Kuang stood on the city wall and breathed a sigh of relief. A wave of sleepiness came over him, and he wanted to go back to the yamen to sleep.


    However, at this moment, dust billowed in the distance, and it seemed that a large group of cavalry was approaching.


    How could reinforcements arrive so quickly?


    That''s not right!


    It''s the Mongol soldiers!


    The golden "Zhao" character on the big banner was simply dazzling!


    "It''s the Mongol''s Zhao Shuo, theæâÂí!"


    "He''s the one who nailed Wanyan Chihu to the wooden donkey and turned the Jurchen soldiers into skull forests!"


    "It''s over! Huanzhou is finished!"


    ...


    Wanyan Chengyu transferred most of the troops from Huanzhou City, effectively abandoning Huanzhou, and the news of the defeat on the front line could not be kept secret at all.


    Seeing Zhao Shuo''s banner, the people who had just stabilized were immediately thrown into chaos.


    Wanyan Kuang was calm and composed, and said loudly: "Don''t panic! The Mongols are not as scary as you think. Guard the city with me."


    "Come on!"


    "Here!" The personal guards responded loudly.


    "Hang up my banner!"


    "Yes."


    In a short time, Wanyan Kuang''s banner was raised.


    In addition to a large "Wanyan" character, there were also a few small characters: Great Jin Shen Wang, Shangshuling.


    "What? Wanyan Kuang has arrived?"


    Zhao Shuo was indeed a little surprised by Wanyan Kuang''s arrival.


    Because it was a large army, and it had to pass through the small towns guarded by the Jin army in Fuzhou and Changzhou, Zhao Shuo''s army, although with four horses per person, arrived three hours later than Wanyan Kuang.


    His vanguard went to Huanzhou Ranch first.


    After discovering that it was empty, he quickly joined the main force.


    The army then arrived together under Huanzhou City.


    Zhao Shuo didn''t realize until now that Wanyan Kuang was the unexpected factor.


    However, it was just a little unexpected. He sneered: "First, send my words to the city: for every horse killed in Huanzhou City, I will take a few heads as a burial. If the number is not enough, I will take the Jurchen people of the Jin Kingdom as a burial!"


    There were many people in Balu''s camp who understood Chinese, and immediately a warrior with a loud voice shouted loudly.


    Gerile asked: "Your Excellency, what should we do next? Should we set up the cannons?"


    "Set up my ass!" Zhao Shuo said: "Is the little garrison in Huanzhou City worth setting up cannons for?"


    Huanzhou was a large city, and usually had a garrison of 30,000 troops.


    Now that there were only four thousand people, Zhao Shuo, who had experienced hundreds of battles, could see at a glance how weak Huanzhou was.


    "Then what does Your Excellency mean..."


    "Before we set off, didn''t I ask you to take ten cloth bags each from the May Camp''s savings? Now, listen to my orders, the whole army is armored! Everyone fill half a bag of soil and rush directly up and throw it in front of Huanzhou City!"


    "To what extent should we throw it?"


    "Throw it into a large slope, and we will directly attack in!"


    In historical records, Temujin used this method to break Fuzhou City.


    It''s not that he couldn''t build siege equipment. Temujin had already fought Xixia. How could he not have craftsmen to build trebuchets?


    It was just that the garrison in Fuzhou City was too small and the morale was too low, so there was no need to be so troublesome.


    Temujin''s operation was the world-famous "running horses up the city."


    Of course, in fact, the real "running horses up the city" is impossible. You can only run horses to pile up sandbags, and even when piling up sandbags, you sometimes have to dispatch infantry. In the end, it must be the infantry who climbs the city.


    However, Huanzhou was far less solid than Fuzhou, and Temujin was improvising, so he had to search for cloth bags, while Zhao Shuo had already prepared everything.


    Zhao Shuo''s attack on Huanzhou this time was much easier than Temujin''s attack on Fuzhou.


    Boom boom boom!


    Seventeen thousand Balu camp soldiers, ten thousand and eight hundred Zhao Shuo''s own soldiers, and three thousand Wanggu tribe soldiers, a total of 30,000 troops, unleashed their power.


    They cycled back and forth, constantly braving the arrow rain from the city, throwing sandbags under Huanzhou City.


    In fact, seeing so many Mongol troops coming down the city, and saying those harsh words, the families of the Huanzhou garrison were all here or in Huanzhou, and they did not dare to do things too harshly, so the resistance was very weak.


    So what if the Great Jin Prime Minister Wanyan Kuang was here?


    Was he more ruthless than the Mongol Zhao Shuo, the consort?


    And most importantly, he couldn''t conjure up soldiers!


    In less than two hours, the forefront of this slope was level with Huanzhou City.


    "Follow me to charge!"


    With an order from Zhao Shuo, eight hundred black cavalrymen abandoned their horses and followed closely, and 30,000 Mongol troops followed closely, climbing the city with Zhao Shuo.


    What about that Wanyan Kuang?


    When Zhao Shuo''s slope was half-piled, under the protection of five hundred personal guards, he fled.


    In order to cover his escape, he didn''t even take his big flag, which became Zhao Shuo''s trophy.


    Nonsense, what if he didn''t run?


    Zhao Shuo was a man of his word, and Wanyan Kuang insisted on killing horses, so the tens of thousands of people and four thousand soldiers in the city would not agree, and I am afraid that they would open the city gate and surrender at that time.


    Therefore, it is better to take advantage of the Mongols'' focus on attacking the city and escape.


    Of course, Zhao Shuo couldn''t care whether Wanyan Kuang ran or not.


    Now his attention was completely on the warhorses in Huanzhou City.


    "Your Excellency, the statistics are out!"


    Half an hour later, Gerile excitedly reported: "Four hundred thousand horses! A full four hundred thousand horses! We have more than enough for ten horses per person!"