In the fourth year of Jianwu in the Song Dynasty, at the beginning of September, Hedong, Taiyuan.
Taiyuan, the capital of Hedong Province, borders the Fenhe River to the west, is surrounded by mountains on three sides, controls the mountains and rivers, sits on the back of the world, is the fortress of the four fortresses, and controls the capital of the Five Plains. It has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times. It is also the northern gate of the Central Plains.
In the Northern Song Dynasty, there were no Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures, and they were still safe and sound. But when the Northern Song Dynasty lost Hedong and Taiyuan, it was the day when the country fell.
Hebei Province borders the grasslands outside the Great Wall to the north, the Central Plains to the south, crosses the Yellow River to the west and enters Shaanxi, and crosses the Taihang Hebei Plain to the east. Whether heading south or east, the terrain is flat and flat, forming an absolute crushing situation.
This is also the reason why the Jin Dynasty struggled to support itself by relying on the Yellow River and Tongguan, but was also driven across the river by Mongolian cavalry, causing the land of Henan to be devastated and in ruins, but the Jin Dynasty was helpless.
It was the end of August and the scorching heat had passed, but the lingering power still lingered. Especially at noon, the sun was so scorching that it made people sweat profusely. There seemed to be nothing they could do except curse a few times.
To the south of Taiyuan City, the Mongolian army camp stretches for several miles, a sea of flags, Mongolian infantry and cavalry are constantly coming and going, horses neigh, people are shouting, and there is constant noise. There were crowds of horses and horses beside the Fen River, and countless war horses were drinking water. The water level of the Fen River seemed to have dropped a lot.
Although Taiyuan City has an important geographical location, it is only a small city with a radius of less than ten miles. It cannot accommodate so many people, especially so many cavalry. Moreover, the Mongolian cavalry are good at field combat, and it is common for them to camp in the field.
Since the Mongolian army went south and drove the Jin people to the south of the Yellow River, Hedong became the base for the Mongolian army to go south to attack the Jin Dynasty. The most powerful main force of the Han army under the Mongolian army was in Taiyuan, composed of Liu Heima and Liu Heima of ten thousand households of the Han army. Xiao Zala ruled.
In the Battle of Hanzhong, the 70,000 Mongolian army was wiped out. Liu Heima fled back to Hedong with Subutai. Subotai returned to the grassland, and Liu Heima stayed in Taiyuan. Although the losses were heavy, their vitality was not damaged, and the Great Khan Wokuotai did not punish them, and still allowed Liu Heima and Xiao Zala to lead the Han army in Hedong.
Although the Mongolian army defeated the main force of the Jin army in the battle against Jin, it also suffered heavy losses and had to recuperate and reorganize its army to prepare for war. However, the Song Army was obviously not satisfied. Less than two years later, the Mongolian cavalry had not yet moved south. The Song Army sent its troops north again and began the so-called Northern Expedition.
Originally, Liu Heima, Xiao Zala and other generals were not sure whether the Song Army was going to destroy the Jin Kingdom or restore the old land of the two rivers. It was not until military reports from Hedong and Hebei came one by one that Liu Heima and other generals understood that the Song Army was going to take the two rivers directly. river.
Hebei has its own Han armies such as Shi Tianze, Yan Shi, and Zhang Hongyan garrisoned, plus Hebei's 20,000 to 30,000 Mongolian cavalry, tens of thousands of reinforcements from Eastern Liao, and hundreds of thousands of troops. There is no need to worry about the Mongolian army in Hedong. But the Eastern and Western armies of the Song Army marched northward with great momentum, so bold!
On the city wall, under the sun, several Han soldiers were holding red-tasseled spears and sweating profusely. They were complaining and cursing.
"These Song dogs, what are they going to do?"
A Han soldier said angrily with a dark complexion.
The Song Army has already invaded Hebei, and now it is reported that the Song Army has entered Hedong. Before the Mongolian cavalry went south to attack the Song Dynasty, the Song army fell north. It was really arrogant.
"What else can we do? Didn't the newspapers say it all? Of course we want to recapture Taiyuan and recapture Hedong!"
Another Han soldier had a fair face and sweat on his forehead. He leaned against the hot city wall cautiously, a little carelessly.
"So many people have died in Hanzhong, and they are still clinging to us! What a bunch of bastards!"
The black-faced Han army cursed in a low voice. In the battle of Hanzhong, his brother died there without even getting his body.
"Old Hei, it's useless for you to scold the Song army. You have to go to the Song Dynasty to force the passage. Isn't this asking for trouble? If you want to scold, just scold Liu Heima. He followed the Tatars all day long. What did he say? Khitan people, risk our lives to pave the way for him. You are not a good bird!"
When Liu Heima was mentioned, the white-faced man looked contemptuous.
"Liu Heima is not a good bird, and he will die a good death sooner or later!"
Lao Hei said bitterly and then asked:
"Datou, isn't the Song Army's Northern Expedition to recover their lost territory? Then Hedong is not our territory, why are the Song Army here?"
"Old Hei, don't you know? This Hedong belonged to the Song people more than a hundred years ago. During the Jingkang Disgrace, the Jin Kingdom seized Hedong from the Song people. The Song people are here now just to take back their own things. That’s all.”
Datou is well-informed and has a clear understanding of the grievances between Song and Jin.
"Since it was the Jin Dynasty that captured Hedong, why didn't they destroy the Jin Dynasty first?"
"I don't know about that. Anyway, it will happen sooner or later. Just wait and see."
"According to what you say, we are not Song Jun's opponent?"
"I don't know, but once the war starts, I'm afraid I'll have to risk my life."
Talking about the future war, both of them felt heavy in their hearts.
The Mongolian army's military laws were strict, and with those Mongolian cavalry supervising the battle behind them, they didn't even have a chance to escape. When the Song army comes to attack, won't they have to be cannon fodder again?
"What are you two talking about?"
The two of them were complaining, and someone behind them suddenly interrupted. The two of them were startled, and when they saw the person coming, they quickly stood up straight together.
"General!"
Lao Hei and the two men raised their heads and held their chests high. Liu Hei Ma glanced at them, turned his head, nodded and bowed, smiling brightly.
"Your Majesty, Prince, please!"
He didn't hear what these two people said in front of him, otherwise he would have to serve according to military regulations.
Surrounded by several Mongolian generals, several imposing Mongolian nobles, old and young, all wearing golden armor and showing domineering attitude, walked past the old and black men without squinting or looking at the old man. A black look.
"Stop being so playful! Defend the city properly!"
Liu Heima warned the two Lao Hei with a straight face and quickly followed.
"Butou, who is this? Such a big arrogance?"
Liu Heima and others went over, and Lao Hei asked his companions in surprise.
"The older one is Han Chijin, the younger brother of Genghis Khan; the younger two are, one is the eldest son of Prince Tuore, I think his name is Meng Ge, and the other is called Badar, the son of Prince Wohetai . Meng Ge and Badar are both nephews of Ogedai Khan, so of course it’s amazing! "
"Then who is the prince who died in Hanzhong?"
Lao Hei asked stupidly again.
"That's called Kuoduan, he's the second son of Ogedai Khan, and he and these two are cousins."
"There are so many princes and princes, it seems they are determined to defend Taiyuan City! We are going to suffer disaster!"
Lao Hei shook his head and said angrily.
Seeing Liu Heima's eyes sweeping over not far away, the two of them quickly stopped talking and concentrated on being vigilant.
Meng Ge, Torre's eldest son, the Mongol Khan behind Wokuotai in history, was injured and died under Diaoyu City. He was only 25 years old at this time, but Meng Ge had a calm personality. He followed Ogedai on many expeditions and made extraordinary achievements many times. He was the leader among Genghis Khan's grandsons.
Tuo Lei's sons Meng Ge, Kublai Khan, and Hulagu, and Wo Kuotai's sons Guiyou and Kuo Chu, including Kuo Duan who died in Hanzhong, are all adults. They are all brave and good at fighting, but Meng Ge and Broadly speaking, personal abilities should be more outstanding.
"Liu Heima, the general in command of the Song Army, are you familiar with him?"
On the city wall, Meng Ge raised his telescope and looked at the south and whispered.
Han Chijin raised his eyes and looked south without saying a word.
"Prince, the generals of the Song Army are Yu Jie and Wang Jian, and the rear army is Cao Youwen. These three are all commanders of the Song Dynasty's northwest frontier army, and they have some abilities. Especially Wang Jian, our army was blocked in Hanzhong because of him It was very brave to block the main route to the east."
Liu Heima has a general understanding of the situation of the Song Army's commanding generals.
Brother Meng nodded slightly, his eyes stern.
"The Song Army's 100,000-strong army is fierce and unkind. General Liu, General Xiao, Taiyuan City will be handed over to you!"
Liu Heima, Xiao Naitai, Xiao Zala and others took the order together.
Xiao Naitai is a famous warrior in the Mongolian tribe. He defeated the Jin general Wuxian, killed the Song general Peng Yibin, crossed the Yellow River with the Great Khan Wokuotai, and killed the Jin general Wanyan Chen Monk. He was a good general of the Mongolian army.
"Prince, don't worry! When the Song army comes, keep them safe and make sure they don't come back!"
Xiao Naitai was very proud and looked confident.
"The Song army must not be careless when sending troops to the Northern Expedition!"
Han Chijin shook his head with a dark face, his expression as serious as ever.
In the past, the Mongolian army conquered the city, besieged the city and brought reinforcements, but now the Song army has become the active offensive party. Although it is related to the sudden attack of the Song Army, it is also true that the Song Army's combat power is not weak.
"Have you reported everything to Tacha'er at Yanmen Pass?"
Han Chijin looked to the north, where the sky was high and the clouds were light, and he frowned.
The Mongolian army has occupied the two rivers for several years, and Yanmen Pass has become the "territory" of Mongolia. The Mongolian general Tachaer led an army of 50,000 to garrison Yunzhong and Yanmen Pass. The garrison at Yanmen Pass was very small, only a thousand people.
Historically, Yanmenguan was an important frontier town of the Ming Dynasty and one of the "Nine Border Towns". There were only 2,500 garrison troops, and the remaining more than 3,000 civilians helped garrison, build forts, build walls, dig trenches and shovel rocks. Even if there are so many people, they are distributed at various passes of Yanmen Pass. There are about a hundred people in dangerous places, and there are only twenty or thirty people in many trails.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, Tacha'er leads an army of 30,000 troops and is currently stationed at Shiling Pass in Yizhou. Once the Song army invades, they will arrive in half a day!"
Shiling Pass is 70 miles north of Taiyuan and is the dividing point between Xinzhou and Taiyuan. After passing Shiling Pass, less than 300 miles to the north is Yanmen Pass. Shilingguan has steep mountains and majestic passes. It has been a battleground for military strategists of all ages. It is the transportation hub from Taiyuan to Yunzhong and the gateway to Taiyuan.
Liu Heima's words made Han Chijin nod.
With Tacha'er's 30,000 elite troops assisting him and a 100,000-strong army, he would feel much more at ease in defending Taiyuan City.
"Xiao Zala, Dongshan is the key to defending Taiyuan City, so we can't be careless!"
Han Chijin glanced towards the east of Taiyuan City and warned the Han army to attack Xiao Zala.
Dongshan is too close to Taiyuan City, and the terrain is higher than Taiyuan City. If Dongshan is occupied by the Song Army, Taiyuan City will be in danger.
"Marshal, don't worry! There are 10,000 Han troops deployed on Laotou Ridge of Dongshan, led by the general himself. There are still 5,000 on the second ridge. If the Song army wants to take Dongshan, they must step over the corpse of the general!"
Xiao Zala said swornly.
"Your life is useless! What I want is to defend Dongshan!"
Badar's eyes widened and he said angrily.
It's too disappointing to say these unlucky words before the war has even started.
"The last general will definitely attack the Song army hard and try to keep Dongshan intact!"
Xiao Zala suppressed his anger, nodded and bowed and replied.
Badar glanced at Xiao Zala, looked towards the Fen River to the west, and suddenly said:
"Liu Heima, what time has it been? Why are you still letting these fishermen fish on the river? Aren't you worried that this is a trick of the Song Army? Get rid of them immediately!"
Liu Heima was about to give the order, but Badar stopped him loudly.
"Go down with the order and shoot them all to death, leaving no one behind!"
Liu Heima passed the military order, and the Mongolian cavalry rushed to the shore one after another. Thousands of arrows were fired. Fishermen were hit by arrows and fell into the water. The water was full of floating corpses and ownerless fishing boats.
"If I had known earlier, we would have turned the two rivers into grasslands, otherwise how could these troubles have happened?"
Badar said bitterly, and he, Han Chijin and others were about to go down to the city. Suddenly the horn sounded and the drum beat was shocking. With the flag waving on the city wall, Meng Ge and other Mongolian generals were shocked.
"Your Majesty, Prince, several generals, the Song Army is here!"
The sergeant stepped forward to report, his face covered with sweat. Han Chijin was shocked and nodded slightly.
"Light up the smoke!"
"Song Jun, you came so fast!"
Meng Ge blurted out.
"The Song Army is finally here! The revenge of Tuo Lei, Kuo Duan, and tens of thousands of soldiers can finally be avenged!"
Badar's eyes lit up and he spoke loudly.
Drums and horns were shouting, and there was movement inside and outside Taiyuan City, on the city walls and outside. Countless Mongolian troops in the city climbed onto the city wall one after another, and the Mongolian troops' infantry and cavalry outside the city began to assemble in front of the camp, as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
Han Chijin's face was gloomy. He raised his telescope and looked to the south. Countless Mongolian horsemen were coming with expressions on their faces. There were no spoils, and there was no clamor of victors. Instead, their faces seemed a little panicked.
Needless to say, the harassment of the Song army by the Mongolian rangers was ineffective.
Once upon a time, the Mongolian cavalry traveled thousands of miles and was invincible, but now it failed in the face of the weak Song army. It seemed that the battle of Taiyuan was a tough battle.
Brother Meng watched carefully. Soon, smoke and dust billowed in the southern sky, followed by flags flying, and the characters "Song", "Yu", "Wang" and so on were clearly visible. The Song Army's infantry and cavalry came into view. The iron flow was rolling, and there were countless iron cavalry. The infantry stepped on the steps, and the steel straight lines came in like a tide.
"Song...jun!"
On top of the city, Brother Meng frowned unknowingly, and murderous intent suddenly appeared in his eyes.
"About thirty thousand cavalry and fifty thousand infantry!"
Xiao Naitai watched carefully and quickly came to a rough conclusion.
"Not bad! I'm afraid there are 80,000 people!"
Liu Heima's heart was also beating wildly. No wonder thousands of cavalry returned without success. The Song army's cavalry numbered 30,000.
"Report! Prince Han Chijin, Prince Mengge, Prince Badar, and several generals, the Hebei Song Army has arrived and has occupied the east entrance of Jingxing!"
"Report! General Tachar has arrived with his men!"
The sergeant went up to the city wall to report, which made Han Chijin and others feel sad and happy.
Jingxing is one of the eight towns in Taihang, connecting Hebei and Hedong. The Song army occupied Jingxing. It seems that the Song army is determined to win Hebei and Hedong.
Fortunately, the reinforcements have arrived and they can have a good deal with the Song army.
"The Northern Expedition of the Song Army was carried out on both fronts. It was quite ambitious!"
Han Chijin frowned and patted the city wall gently.
The Eastern and Western armies of the Song Dynasty went northward and opened up the passage between Hedong and the middle of Hebei. Their purpose was to target the two rivers and even the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun.
Song Jun, you are here with bad intentions, you have a big appetite!
