Dongping Prefecture, located in the western part of Shandong Province, controlled several ferries on the north bank of the Yellow River. It could threaten the Jin Dynasty and Henan Province when going south. It had a very important strategic position. Mongolia and Jin Dynasty fought for it. In the end, the Shandong wealthy family strictly defected to Mongolia, and the Mongolian army occupied it. Dongping Prefecture also controlled the western part of Shandong Peninsula.
In the quiet morning, there are a few red clouds on the horizon, the silvery gray slowly fades to both sides, and the surrounding fields are lonely.
Looking from the city wall of Dongping Mansion, the city walls are surrounded by harvested wheat fields, broken walls and ruins, as well as barren fields covered with weeds and graveyards, adding a bit of desolation to this quiet morning.
Although he is over fifty, Yan Shi gets up very early. He likes early morning, because it heralds a wonderful start of the day. He can breathe some fresh air, read, take a walk, and arrange everything. His whole body seems to have endless energy, and there is nothing difficult in the world.
As the general of Mongolia's Shandong Province, he was stationed in Dongping Prefecture. He governed 54 cities including Dezhou, Yanzhou, Jezhou, and Shanzhou. He occupied more than 30% of the land in Shandong and had tens of thousands of soldiers under his command. He could be called a frontier official who managed a territory.
However, Yan Shi on the city wall was frowning at this moment, looking at the eastern sky in trance.
The Song army was unstoppable and wiped out the arrogant Li Quan. The Tasi tribe in Jinan was completely annihilated. The navy of the Song Army reached Haizhou and Mizhou along the coast of Shandong on foot and cavalry. The troops were strong and the horses were strong, and the attack was menacing. He is directly facing the Dongping Prefecture in Shandong Province under his leadership. Even if Yanjing sends troops south to reinforce, I am afraid that it will not be able to quench the thirst.
In this situation, fighting alone, what choice should he make?
If he were to become an enemy of the Song army, he would probably have rivers of blood and corpses scattered everywhere; but if he surrendered to the Song Dynasty, he would really become a capricious family slave with three surnames.
House slave with three surnames? He has already submitted to the Song Dynasty once, and he is willing to accept it again. Is the Song Dynasty willing to accept it?
Yan Shi shook his head slightly, smiled bitterly, and looked sad again.
Shandong has gone through wars, and there are not many people left. Otherwise, even the fertile fields around the city walls cannot be cultivated. If war breaks out again, the people of Shandong will probably die.
When he was young, he was unruly, fierce and chivalrous. He was a troublemaker in the village and liked to exchange charity for others. He once fell into poverty in the community. He repeatedly committed crimes and was imprisoned. He was rescued by his relatives and friends and was able to escape the crime.
In the sixth year of Jiading in the Song Dynasty (1213), Genghis Khan led his troops from Zijin Pass to conquer Hebei, Shandong and Hedong in the Jin Dynasty. During the Jin Dynasty, Dongpingtai summoned militiamen to resist. Because Yan Shi was convinced by everyone, Jin Ting appointed Yan Shi as a hundred households. From then on, Yan Shi served the Jin court, made many military exploits, and was awarded the magistrate of Changqing County.
In the eleventh year of Jiading in the Song Dynasty (1218), Jin general Zhang Lin surrendered to the Southern Song Dynasty in Qingzhou, Shandong. The Jin Dynasty suspected that Yan Shi was collaborating with the Song Dynasty and wanted to kill Yan Shi. Yan Shi and his family built a city in Qingyagu, relying on Zhang Lin for support.
In the thirteenth year of Jiading in the Song Dynasty (1220), the Song Dynasty envoy Zhao Gong declared an edict to the prefectures and counties in Shandong, passed Qingyagu, surrendered strictly, and was appointed as the governor of Jinan. , all subject to strict control.
Then the Jin army attacked Zhangde, and Shan Zhong, the defender of the Southern Song Dynasty, was unable to support himself and asked Yan Shi for help several times. Yan Shi asked for orders from the general Zhang Lin, but Zhang Lin hesitated to move forward. Yan Shi led the rescue alone, but Shan Zhong had been killed by the Jin soldiers.
From then on, Yan Shi became disheartened and knew that the Southern Song Dynasty had both sides and it was difficult to rely on him. This is why he later decided to defect to Mongolia.
Hedong in thirty years, Hexi in thirty years. Things are unpredictable. Who knew that in just a few years, the weak and weak Southern Song Dynasty court would suddenly show its power and come back.
Not only did they come back with a fierce momentum and military power, they were expected to be invincible and devastating.
This was really unexpected, and he was so shocked that he felt restless all day long.
On the border between Song and Jin Dynasties, where the attacks are constantly on the march, with the blade of a knife licking blood, where should he lead his tribe and subordinates?
Several soldiers yawned and went up to the city wall. When they saw Yan Zhen on the city wall, they were all shocked. They cheered up and bowed respectfully with fists in their hands.
"Meet the general!"
"Li Shilong, Zhang Ru, the Song army is powerful and there are no obstacles to the south. Guard the city carefully and don't miss important events!"
Yan Shi nodded slightly and warned. These generals are all his fellow Shandong people. They have been with him all the way through life and death, and they are all trustworthy people.
"Don't worry, General! I drank some wine last night and slept a little late. I won't make any mistakes!"
Li Shilong quickly accepted the order and puffed up his chest.
Yan Shi nodded and was about to leave, but Li Shilong and others took steps forward and followed lightly.
"Why, do you still have something to do?"
Yan Shi stopped and looked at several people in surprise.
"General, do you think we can stop the Song army's attack?"
Zhang Ru asked softly with a smile on his face.
Although Yan Shi has a high prestige, he is also generous and kind in his military management, so these old generals also have the courage to speak the truth.
"Why do you think of asking these questions?"
Yan Shi was startled and then understood.
The Song army pressed heavily on the territory, and the land of Shandong was in turmoil. The Tasi tribe in Jinan Prefecture to the east was destroyed by the Song army, and most of Shandong was occupied by the Song army. It seems that the soldiers under his command are also worried.
The Song Army occupied Shaanxi, and the 70,000 Mongolian army was wiped out. Coach Torre was killed in battle. Rumors of the Song Army's Northern Expedition spread, making the defenders even more panicked.
The 70,000 Mongolian cavalry commanded by the Mongolian war god Torre are no match for the Song army. How can they withstand the aggressiveness of the Song army if the people in these places are strong?
"General, brothers will follow you and fight for dozens of times. Life and death have long been ignored. But the Song army is powerful and has powerful firearms. Once a war breaks out with the Song army, the brothers' families are likely to join in at night."
Li Shilong and others looked at each other, and sure enough, Li Shilong spoke cautiously with a smile on his face.
"Li Shilong, what do you mean..."
Yan Shi glanced at the crowd and understood something in his heart.
Surrounded by powerful enemies, and under the power of the Song Army, even these generals who defended the city had the intention of retreating.
"General, too many of our folks have died in these years. If the general is unwilling to surrender to the Song army, he can retreat to Qingyagu to protect himself with his family and brothers just like he did in the past. In this bloody situation, there will be no tomorrow for today, brother. We can’t afford it.”
Zhang Ru smiled bitterly, nodded and bowed.
Surrender to the Song army? Retreat to Qingyagu to protect yourself?
Yan Shi was lost in thought when suddenly someone in the distance cursed loudly.
"Zhang Ru, you weakling, are you farting nonsense again and encouraging the general to surrender to the Song Dynasty?"
Yan Shi looked up and felt a headache secretly. He thought to himself, why is this evil king here?
Several generals in full armor came over. The first one was tall and strong, with a face full of flesh and a sense of oppression.
"Young friend Yang, shut your stinky mouth! Do you have the right to speak here?"
Although Zhang Ru was submissive in front of Yan Shi, he was not polite at all to the tall and powerful Yang You.
"Nine Kings, don't think that you are alone if you follow Tunner. Do you want to cause trouble?"
Li Shilong also had a serious face, and he also had a bad look on Yang You.
Yang You, the nephew of Yang An'er, the leader of the Shandong "Red Coat Army" uprising, and his sister Yang Miaozhen, and Li Quan, the leader of the Zhongyi Army, is his uncle, nicknamed the "Nine Kings" and is unruly.
Li Quan broke with the Southern Song Dynasty and sent his troops south to attack the Song Dynasty. However, his success was defeated and wiped out. Yang You and his men who stayed in Qingzhou, Shandong Province returned to Yan Shi's subordinates.
"Li Shilong, are you dissatisfied with General Tunner?"
Yang You said coldly, and then faced Yan Shi with a very unkind tone.
"General Yan, I, the Shandong people, hate the Song court so much that we are at odds with the Song Emperor. Are you going to surrender to the Song army again during the Northern Expedition?"
Li Quan's army was wiped out in Huaidong, the Song Dynasty, and the 30,000 prisoners were also sent overseas. Since most of Li's subordinates came from Qingzhou, Shandong and the coast of Laizhou and Weizhou, Yang You said that Shandong people hated the Song Dynasty, which makes some sense.
"Young Yang, don't be presumptuous in front of the general! Otherwise I won't be able to spare you!"
Zhang Ru said angrily and his expression changed.
"Speaking of hating the Song Dynasty, the Shandong people killed by the Tatar soldiers are almost dead. Why don't you take revenge and instead follow the Tatars? Are you a Shandong person or a Tatar dog?"
Yan Shi's subordinates are all from Shandong, but each has his own faction. Yang You's Qingzhou soldiers numbered 3,000 to 4,000, and they were arrogant and fierce generals. They were also a considerable force.
Zhang Ru's words made Yang You furious, and he pulled out the sword with a sudden movement.
"Zhang Ru, do you dare to humiliate me? I will chop you up!"
"Come on! Am I afraid of you?"
Zhang Ru also drew his sword out of its sheath without flinching.
"Stop! Put the knife back!"
Yan Shi said solemnly and glanced at Zhang Ru, who sheathed his sword angrily.
"General Yan, if someone wants to surrender to the enemy, you have to take care of him."
Yang You said coldly and put away the knife.
"Young friend Yang, the enemy is at hand. Zhang Ru and the others are just complaining, so don't take it seriously. General Tunner won't make a fuss about it. Everyone should defend the city and fight the Song army together."
Yan Shi looked calm and spoke softly.
"I will obey the general's military orders!"
Zhang Ru and Li Shilong clasped their fists and saluted, but said nothing.
"Yang You, Shandong has been poisoned like this. You and I both know how many people have died. Those of us who don't have resentments in our hearts should stop killing each other and let outsiders laugh. As for surrendering to the enemy, my sons They all died in the war, and they are all related to the Song Army. Do you think I will surrender to the enemy?"
Yan Shi said slowly, Yang You stared at him for a moment, and then said:
"General Yan, the Great Khan is not kind to you, please take care of yourself. I will keep an eye on you!"
Yang You glanced at Zhang Ru and others coldly and left.
"This thief, who does he think he is? He keeps sweating profusely. Has he seen Wokuotai?"
Zhang Ru was so angry that he was trembling all over. If Yan Shi's eyes hadn't stopped him, he would have exploded already.
"Yang You is a fool. At this time, he still wants to rely on the Tatars for glory and wealth. Don't worry about it, general. General, it is not easy for the parents, wives and children of the soldiers to survive. You have to save them! The Tatars are fighting with the Song army. Let's Just sit on the sidelines and protect yourself."
Li Shilong begged bitterly.
"Brothers, in troubled times, can you protect yourself if you want to? Don't forget that Tunner is the leader. If you are not careful, all the glory and wealth will disappear, and brothers will have no way out!"
Yan Shi sighed, confiding in his heart.
"The Song army is powerful, and I also want to join the Song army. But if we surrender and rebel again, can the Song court accommodate us? What will happen to Tunner and Yang You? Do we want to kill them?"
"General, you have a kind heart, and you have not killed the people. The newspapers have said that Song Junqiu has done nothing wrong and will not make things difficult for my husband."
Li Shilong said quickly, feeling relieved.
It seems that Yan Shi also wanted to join the Song Dynasty.
"General, Tuner only has a few hundred people, and Yang You's three to four thousand people are scattered, and the people are extremely angry. It will not be easy to destroy them. General, please give the order."
Zhang Ru said softly, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
"Be prepared for a rainy day. You can do whatever you want. If Tuner and Yang You dare to attack, they will be killed directly. However, don't alert the enemy. Leave a way out for everything."
Yan Shi had a profound meaning, and the ferocity in his eyes flashed across.
At that moment, he looked like a hero commanding thousands of troops, rather than an elder who appeared harmless to humans and animals.
