A few days later.
To the west of Pinglu Village, close to an abandoned delivery shop in Raoyang County, Shenzhou.
A large convoy of supplies has been staying here for three days. The soldiers guarding the convoy were all poorly dressed recruits with insufficient training. They were obviously a little agitated at the moment. They lay scattered everywhere, throwing their weapons and khaki military flags everywhere.
Some people complained that there was no place to take a good rest in the wilderness, and then the officer came over and scolded them, and the two parties were noisy.
Wearing casual clothes and dressed like a middle-aged wealthy businessman, Wanyan walked out from behind a row of large cars from Jiazheng.
He looked at the noisy scene coldly and walked slowly to the other end of the road.
Hejian Prefecture is a prosperous place, with a household registration of more than 30,000, and fish, shrimp, crabs and other aquatic products are produced. It wouldn't be so remote in the first place. Wanyan Congjia remembered that after the water transport on the Hutuo River became prosperous, Anzhou's textile industry also continued to move southward. There were only five Lingjin Courtyards under the Shaofu Supervisor in the world, and one was in the middle of the river. , there are thousands of embroidery workers, and the damask and silk they produce are sold in the Southern Song Dynasty.
The last time he passed through Hejian Prefecture, he saw that the peace had been long and the people were prosperous. The men who moved here were also diligent in farming and settled down in their homes. On both sides of the road, wheat waves are like a sea, and fruits, rice, and other crops are everywhere. There are mulberries, hemp, sheep, hogs, pheasants, and rabbits everywhere.
How many years ago was that? It should have been the first year of Da'an when Yongji became emperor and Wanyan was promoted to king from Jiajin.
It's only five years from now.
In just five years, Madage had been the emperor for twenty years, and the results of twenty years of management were ruined by the idiot Wanyan Yongji who wanted to transcend the Liao and Song Dynasties and imitate the governance of the Han and Tang Dynasties!
It was already July, and there should have been scenes of crops flourishing and farmers sweating in the fields all around the road. But Wanyan Congjia looked around and saw only deserted fields cracked by drought and covered with thatch and thorns. The buildings that used to be restaurants and shops along the road are only ruins, with no smoke and smoke, and no people.
There are no living people, but there are dead people.
Right under Wanyan Congjia's eyes, a skinny skeleton was lying in the grass. It had a big belly and no one knew what it had eaten, which turned it into such a miserable appearance.
This place must not have been plundered by the Mongols, so why is it so desolate? If all the Han children fled and starved to death, what would the Jurchens be able to eat on this land?
Wanyan looked far away from Jiazai and saw the setting sun sinking into the gloomy sky, with the dim red light slowly disappearing behind the black clouds.
He asked: "Is the road still open?"
Wearing armor and a strong physique, Wuyan Weike, the captain of the guard, said in a low voice: "The group of thieves from the direction of Suning County are very tough. After they captured Pinglu Village, they went to the south and north and captured several villages in a row. At the military fort. I heard that Hejian Prefecture sent troops to conquer and were defeated by them. Zhang Wei is contacting the armies in Xianzhou and Anzhou, asking them to send troops to support as soon as possible. Otherwise, I really don't dare to advance rashly."
Wanyan Congjia sneered repeatedly.
God knows where these strong thieves come from. Although this person is hateful and deserves to be killed, Zhang Wei is not necessarily reliable. This guy was famous for being utilitarian but uncorrupt. He was not popular among officials. He was stuck in a dilemma. The governors of Xianzhou and Anzhou could only laugh at the jokes. Where could they get support?
Wait, no, Anzhou?
Wanyan Congjia broke out in a cold sweat and said sternly: "Go and tell Zhang Wei not to disturb Anzhou! That disciple Shanhang in Anzhou was the deputy envoy of the Internal Affairs Bureau when he was still called disciple Zhangseng. , he recognizes me and he recognizes you!”
Wu Yanweike was stunned: "Your Majesty, that Tu Shanhang is Tu Shanyi's nephew, and Tu Shanyi had some dealings with us... now? Now the king will take action, and it is just right for Tu Shanhang to contact us. Zhongdu…”
"Stupid!" Wanyan Congjia lowered his voice and cursed: "Wanyan Gang's power is all in the army. It can be used before the matter is accomplished. After the matter is accomplished, a piece of imperial edict can take away his military power. But Tu Shanyi is just the opposite. , that old man is secretly cultivating party members in the court, and the old officials are all over the world. He just wants to put an obedient dog on the throne, so that everyone in Dajin will be at his mercy! Therefore, until the matter is accomplished, not only can we not count on him , you have to be careful! Go tell Zhang Wei immediately and don’t disturb Anzhou!”
Having said this, he hurriedly walked back and forth twice, and veins appeared on his thin face: "No, don't say these words in front of Zhang Wei! Just say, the autumn is high and the horses are fat, the Mongols can go south at any time, don't Use these trivial things to alarm Master Tudan and even affect the court situation... No, no, this won't work either, you go and ask Zhang Wei to come, I'll tell him directly!"
In an instant, his mind changed two or three times. Wuyan Weike seemed to have gotten used to it, and he bowed and waited until Wanyan Congjia made up his mind, then turned around and ran away.
Wanyan Congjia came back to her senses and breathed calmly, trying to soften her somewhat ferocious face so that she could maintain her usual gentle and friendly attitude in front of Zhang Wei. As a result, when he lowered his head, he saw Hung Shang in the grass again, looking at him with a strange expression on his face.
He flew up and kicked the hungry corpse away, and he staggered a few steps.
When autumn comes, the Mongols will definitely attack, the front line will be fought hard, and the court will be in chaos.
At this time, Wanyan Yongji's stupidity and cowardice are the most hated! The courtiers could tolerate his stupidity for one or two years, but they would never tolerate his stupidity for the third year. Therefore, once the Mongols go south this time, it will be the best opportunity I have been waiting for for a long time. With the tacit understanding of several forces, I will be able to win over this idiot Wanyan Yongji and return the Great Jin Kingdom to its true master!
According to Wanyan Gang's arrangement, once the Mongols move south, he will launch an attack in Zhongdu. And only by being in Zhongdu can I win over the people I need to win over in advance, can I protect my authority as the emperor, and can I appear in time at the critical moment! We can’t delay here, we must return to Zhongdu as soon as possible!
He asked subconsciously: "Do you think Wanyan Gang's arrangement is really reliable?"
Wuyan Weike had just left, and the other servants bowed their heads deeply, and no one dared to answer.
At the same time, Juyongguan, North Exit.
A few days ago, the Mongolian army used a strategy to lure the enemy to Xuandezhou and Dexing Prefecture, and then stormed Jinshan. The solid defense line that Wan Yan Gang and Shu Hu Gao Qi had prepared for the whole year was ineffective, and the two hundred thousand army collapsed violently as if the sky was falling and the earth was falling.
Fortunately, Juyong Pass was still there, and tens of thousands of defeated troops rushed into the city to defend the city.
The Mongolian army followed closely and attacked day and night.
The offensive at this time was far more intense than the legendary ones last year and the year before that. Because the Mongols became more powerful. In the past two years, they have acquired a large number of servants from the Northern Xinjiang tribe, and also acquired the ability to manufacture siege equipment such as ladders and flying towers.
In the past three days, the Mongolian army used its own elite to supervise the battle, driving the servant tribes to attack for four to five hours every day. At the bottom of the slope below Guancheng, the corpses of our and enemy soldiers were piled up in several layers. The blood also solidified layer by layer on the ground, turning from bright red to dark red, and from dark red to black, attracting mosquitoes and flies like dark clouds. Flying.
The buildings high above the city were smashed to pieces by the stones thrown by the Mongolian army's trebuchets. Many soldiers were hit by boulders and their bodies were shattered. Most of the stones were pushed down again by the defending soldiers, but the dead's broken arms and limbs, and even the broken internal organs and ribs were not cleaned up and were scattered on the ground or in the corners, like an overturned butcher shop.
The weather was too hot, and swarms of maggots were writhing and crawling out of the flesh, making it even more disgusting.
Shu Hu Gao Qi stood at the top of the city holding a long sword. In front of him was another group of Mongolian servants coming like a tide, while the main Mongolian army, covered by dark clouds in the distance, remained motionless.
He looked back and saw that the city was devastated, and the soldiers running back and forth were all frightened and frightened.
Shuhu Gaoqi was a famous general who repeatedly defeated the Song army and was known as General Pingnan Huwei. In the eyes of others, this situation might make him shake, but there was no fear at all on his face. The people who died on the left and right were all Khitans and Bohai people. What was there to feel bad about? On the battlefield, human lives are just numbers.
He said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, Zuo Cheng, there is nothing to fear if the Mongols fight this stupid war with us! We can withstand it!"
Wan Yan Gang is Shu Hu Gao Qi's old boss, so there is no need to be polite between the two.
At that moment, Wanyan Gang nodded: "Then you can bear it! I'll go back to Zhongdu!"
He touched his waist knife and said confidently: "Although the previous battles have failed, as long as Juyongguan is in hand, the situation will not be overturned... On the contrary, if the news of the defeat spreads to Zhongdu, it will definitely cause chaos. That is our good intention. Opportunity! When the major events in the capital are decided, I will lead the emperor to personally march, and gather the people from the Central Plains, Guanshan and Shaanxi to come here to fight Temujin decisively!"
Shu Hu Gao Qi solemnly performed a military salute: "Don't worry, Zuo Cheng, although the field battle failed, I have strong troops to occupy Xiongguan, so there is no reason for failure."
To the west of Juyong Pass, a yellow sheep ran for three days and three nights.
Genghis Khan held his knees and took a few breaths. If he were riding a horse, he could run hundreds of miles in a day, but if he was climbing mountains on two legs, it would be really hard. However, this kind of hard work feels like a hunter on the grassland who has chased for hundreds of miles and finally approaches his prey, tired but happy.
Even this fatigue disappeared at the thought of soon being able to hunt down enemies everywhere, plunder their property, and listen to their wives and children crying loudly.
"What's the name of the mountain to the west?" he asked.
Genghis Khan's close servant, Huiren Zhabal Huozhe, replied: "That's the Wuhuiling Pass. Go over the pass and go west. The road leads to Datong Prefecture, which we attacked last year."
Genghis Khan frowned: "Let Muhuali lead the people to occupy this pass. The remaining tribes, each thousands of Nayan people, divided their troops into three groups according to the previous instructions. Shuchi, Chagatai, and Ogedai will be my right wing. , all the way south along the mountains. Hasar and Ochen Nayan will be my left wing, and we will go eastward and hit the city of Zhongdu. I will bring my towed mines and sweep across the Central Plains with the Chinese army!"
7017k
