In the fourth year of Jianwu's reign in the Song Dynasty, at the end of August, outside Xuzhou City, on both sides of the Yellow River.
It was early morning in autumn, and the rays of sunlight shone on the earth. The reeds and half-yellow weeds on both sides of the river swayed in the wind. In the ridge fields and wasteland on both sides of the bank.
For the people of Henan under the rule of the Jin Dynasty, these years were not good, especially every time the Mongolian army went south, Henan was severely poisoned. This was even worse for the people of Henan who suffered from the flooding of the Yellow River. . The fields are barren, the population has dropped sharply, and there is a lack of food and clothing. The hardships of the people in Henan seem to have no end and no hope in sight.
Food is the most important thing for the people. Even if there are wars and natural disasters, the people can only work in the fields, tend the land, and plant vegetables, beans and melons, hoping to get even a small harvest.
There are also some people holding broken boats and spreading fishing nets to catch fish in the Yellow River water and catch hope.
"The steamer is coming!"
On the embankment, among a group of children playing, someone suddenly pointed to the south and shouted loudly.
On the river, on the embankments, and in the fields, the people of the Jin Kingdom looked south one after another. On the river in the distance, they saw countless Song army warships heading north, "tutu" emitting black smoke, and large and small warships were covered with clouds. The river is full, flags are fluttering, and it is a spectacular sight.
"Pull quickly!"
The fishing boats on the river rowed to both sides one after another to avoid being caught up by the Song army's warships and damaging the fish in the pond.
The Song Army's warships moved forward quickly. They ignored the fishing boats and fishermen who gave way to the river, and headed north without stopping.
Feeling that the Song Army had no ill intentions, the fishermen on the fishing boats on the shore no longer panicked and went ashore. They became spectators on the boat and watched the Song Army warships pass by.
On the banks of the Yellow River and in the fields, countless people of the Jin Kingdom also stopped to watch. Many of them had never seen a steamship emitting black smoke, and their eyes were full of surprise.
"The warships of the Southerners are really different. They can move without rowing!"
"That's called a steam ship, or a fire ship. It doesn't need people to row it, just burn coal!"
"These Song troops are really majestic, much stronger than our official troops!"
While the people were sighing, some people were worried.
"The southerners aren't going to attack us, are they?"
"Who knows? Anyway, just don't harm us!"
"But we must not fight!"
The Jin people pointed at the Song army and talked about it. They seemed not to be afraid, but their worries were real.
The feud between Song and Jin Dynasties cannot be forgotten by the people of Song Dynasty. But no matter how many wars the Song and Jin Dynasties fought, the people still had to eat.
After decades of war, life has become too difficult and hopeless, and the people have become accustomed to it and become numb.
Du Shu stood on the deck of a warship, looking at the barren land on both sides of the strait and the sparse beggar-like people. He shook his head secretly and almost cursed "I'll go".
After decades of war between Jin and Mongolia, the people of Jin were in dire straits, the population dropped sharply, fertile fields were deserted, and corpses could be seen everywhere. The land of plenty and plenty became a paradise for wild dogs. The corrupt kings and ministers of the Jin Kingdom, the murderous Tatar cavalry, and the crimes they committed are outraged by both humans and gods.
Fortunately, Master Wang of the Song Dynasty came.
The Central Route Army went north, and the two armies attacked together, passing through Suqian along the water to Xuzhou and then all the way north to Liangshanbo. Then they landed, captured Dongping Prefecture in Shandong Province, occupied Damingfu, Handan and other important towns in Hebei Province, and joined forces with the East Route Army in Zhending Prefecture. .
This was the most economical and labor-saving way, and it was precisely because of the steamship that the soldiers were spared the pain of a long journey of eight to nine hundred miles.
The other way is to go upstream to the Bianjing River, join forces with Cao Youwen of the West Route Army, and approach the city of Bianjing.
"Brothers Song Jun, are you not going to attack the Kingdom of Jin? The people of the Kingdom of Jin are about to die!"
On the embankment, a young man boldly shouted at the top of his lungs to the Song soldiers on the boat.
"Songs and soldiers of the Song Army, please do not harm the people!"
"Brothers of the Song Army, we have suffered enough! Spare us poor people!"
Several men shouted several times, and the Song army on the boat seemed to have received the military order, so they loudly replied:
"Don't ask! Live a good life! The King of the Song Dynasty went to the north and did nothing to harm the people. Don't worry about farming!"
Song Jun's words emboldened several men. They chased along the shore and asked questions loudly.
"Song and Jin are feuding, and it is impossible not to avenge them. Do you really not kill the people of the Jin Kingdom?"
"Song and Jin have been fighting for so many years, how could you not fight? Are you lying?"
The Jin people asked, and someone from the Song Army general on a warship behind them took up the conversation.
"I'm telling the truth. There's no need to lie to you! Your Kingdom of Jin is about to end. You need to know that you are Han and an upright Han!"
"Never forget that you are Han people and descendants of Yan and Huang!"
The Song Army soldiers responded loudly and clearly, causing the chasing men to stop. In fact, they were out of breath and could not keep up with the speed of the steamer.
"Han people? We are Han people to begin with!"
Several young men looked at each other in confusion. They seemed to feel a little brighter, but they also seemed confused.
"Don't worry, everyone! The generals of the Song Dynasty have said that they will not harm the people, so don't worry!"
"The officers and soldiers of the Song Army made it clear that we are all Han! Han people do not kill Han people! Don't worry!"
Several men shouted loudly, and the people seemed to feel relieved, chattering and dispersed one after another. Only those children were still running along the river embankment risking their lives, chasing the Song army warships.
"General, why didn't Your Majesty destroy the Jin Kingdom and restore the entire Central Plains in one fell swoop?"
Xin Su, the commander of the artillery camp, looked at the direction of the southwest bank of the Yellow River and felt a little unwilling.
If the country is governed like this, it should have perished long ago.
In fact, what he wanted to ask was whether the emperor had an affair with the princess of Jin Kingdom and had a love affair.
"Restore the two rivers first and seize the Yanyun Sixteen Provinces first. That's the business! As for the Jin Kingdom, it's such a small place, there's no challenge at all!"
Du Shu came up with a catchphrase that Zhao Hong used when he lectured on martial arts in Jinling.
"Your Majesty and Princess Jin, are they really..."
Xin Su was mysterious and lowered his voice.
"Don't pry if you shouldn't! You and I are both soldiers, and it is our bounden duty to obey orders. Have you forgotten the motto of the Jinling Martial Arts Hall?"
Du Shu interrupted Xin Su's words and ended the other party's curiosity.
In fact, he himself also wanted to know whether the emperor and the princess of Jin really had a bad relationship.
On the west bank of the Yellow River, a group of hundreds of Jin cavalry rode forward, as if they were walking with the Song army on the warship, and seemed to be seeing off the Song army.
"What do these guys want?"
Xin Su looked at the Jin army following the shore in surprise, wondering if the artillery could hit the opponent.
"What else can they do? It must be the Jin Army in Xuzhou. They are afraid that we will attack them."
Du Shu didn't even look at it, but looked towards the end of the Yellow River in the distance. Ahead, there should be Xuzhou City.
Xuzhou is world-famous for its iron smelting. The Song Dynasty once set up a state prison here with more than 4,000 craftsmen. When the emperor was attending classes at the Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall, he deeply lamented that he could not obtain the four major iron mines in the north, including Xuzhou Iron and Steel.
More importantly, Xuzhou is a strategic choke point for the north and south of the military, and the Jin people are stuck here, which always makes people feel like they are stuck in their throats.
"General, in front of you is Xuzhou, the key to the south and the important town in the north. Xuzhou is stuck in our waist when we go north and south. You are just watching the golden soldiers looking at you, are you relieved?"
As if they were connected, Xin Su's words moved Du Shu's heart, but he hesitated for a while.
"However, in this Northern Expedition, His Majesty aims to restore the two rivers. He did not say that he would launch troops against the Kingdom of Jin, but only besieged the city. The military orders are overwhelming, which is a bit difficult to handle."
Xuzhou is an important transportation route from south to north. It is guarded by Jin soldiers, which makes me always feel uneasy. But how can we violate the emperor's will?
"Your Majesty's decree is that the Northern Expedition must be foolproof. If the food routes are not accessible, how can we ensure the success of the Northern Expedition? What's more..."
Xin Su smiled mysteriously, which made Du Shu's hair stand on end.
"Besides what?"
Du Shu had already vaguely guessed what Xin Su wanted to say.
"General, I will humiliate my ministers to death. It is our duty to share the principal's worries. There are some things that are difficult for the principal to do, so we have to do them for him. The worst case scenario is beheading and exile, I Xin Su accepts it. What's more, the troops are surrounding Bianjing City, the president We can’t let Xuzhou hold us back.”
Sure enough, Xin Su said it directly.
It seems that he has heard about the emperor and the princess of Jin Kingdom, and he has dug deeply. At least he is not as ignorant as he seems on the surface.
"Screw you! If something happens, I don't want you to bear it alone. Count me in too."
Du Shu said excitedly, and then asked in a low voice:
"Xin Su, in your opinion, how should we deal with this matter?"
"General, why don't you arrange your troops outside Xuzhou City tonight, under artillery fire, and see how they make a decision?"
Xin Su said something mysterious in Du Shu's ear.
Du Shu was surprised for a while, then shook his head and laughed.
"Xin Su, your grandfather Jiaxuan was a hero, but he never thought that he would have such a despicable and shameless grandson like you!"
"How can it be called despicable and shameless? This is called a conspiracy, a real conspiracy!"
Xin Su put on a straight face and said seriously.
As night fell, torches were blazing at the top of Xuzhou City. The Jin soldiers at the top of the city looked like they were facing a formidable enemy. The Song soldiers outside the city were so crowded that they could not see much.
"Listen up, more than ten craftsmen accompanying our army are missing, along with two cannons and several artillery shells. Someone saw them entering Xuzhou City. Either open the city gate and our army enters the city to search. Or hand them over, otherwise the army will Attack the city and everything will be destroyed!"
The general of the Song Army shouted outside the city. Ma Yi, the general of the Jin Army on the city wall, turned red with anger.
"Song Gou, come and fight if you want to seize the city. What kind of conspiracy are you playing?"
Ma Yi shouted angrily towards the outside of the city, and encouraged the golden soldiers on the city wall.
"Brothers, Song Gou is about to attack the city. Brothers, work together to defend the city. Anyone who violates the rules will be shot to death!"
The Song army outside the city stopped talking nonsense and retreated. Soon dozens of artillery carts were pushed up and pointed at the city wall and gate tower. The artillery of the Song Army began to load ammunition and was busy non-stop.
"Notice!"
Ma Yi shouted loudly.
Earth-shaking muffled thunder sounded, large plumes of thick smoke spewed out from the muzzles, and huge shells roared out, flying straight towards the city gate tower and city walls.
Some cannonballs flew into the city, causing the walls to collapse and houses to collapse, earth and rocks to fly, and huge clouds of smoke and dust to rise; several cannonballs flew to the top of the city and exploded on the city walls, causing pieces of iron and iron pellets to fly all over the sky, and dozens of golden soldiers were smashed. Dead and injured, bloody and bloody, the city wall fell to pieces.
Several cannonballs just landed on the top and bottom of the city gate tower. The shells exploded and the city gate tower collapsed. Dozens of golden soldiers were buried inside.
"Open the city gate immediately, otherwise the army will attack the city and leave no chickens or dogs behind!"
There was a pause in the sound of artillery, and the Song general took a loudspeaker and shouted loudly outside the city.
"Artillery, let me kill these idiots..."
The angry shouts on the city wall suddenly stopped, and Ma Yi's bloody body was thrown down.
"Don't fire cannons! Open the city gate and surrender immediately!"
The white flag was quickly raised at the top of Xuzhou City. As the huge gate of Xuzhou City slowly opened, Xuzhou officials knelt on the ground outside the city.
"Wang Yishen, the magistrate of Xuzhou, and Yang Guoli, the deputy commander, led the Yamen officials and the city's defenders to welcome the King of Song Dynasty into the city!"
Du Shu and Xin Su looked at each other with peace of mind.
The scope of truth is only within the range of artillery. The officers and soldiers of the Song Dynasty captured Xuzhou in the simplest and crudest way.
"People in Xuzhou, listen up! I, King Shiqiu of the Song Dynasty, have committed no crime and will not harm any army or people in the city! From now on, you are my subjects of the Song Dynasty!"
Du Shu shouted loudly and breathed out secretly.
With Xuzhou in hand, the troops of the Northern Expedition in the middle route can be mobilized, grain and grass are transported, and soldiers besiege Bianjing City.
