Wokuotai led the army to catch up. When he saw that the cavalry in front stopped pursuing and a large number of Mongolian cavalry were blocked, he couldn't help shouting, "Why don't you chase?"
"Great Khan, there are enemy soldiers blocking the front!" an officer replied.
Ogedai rode his horse to the front. Subotai quickly came over and pointed his riding whip at the coalition forces in formation, "Great Khan, the enemy is ready."
At this time, more and more Mongolian troops were pursuing them. Wo Kuotai glanced at the coalition forces on the opposite side, but frowned.
After learning that there was only one Song army heading north, Wo Kuotai wanted to eat Zhao Tai and Zhao Kui, but he hesitated when he saw that the coalition troops were arrayed between the two mountains, which was not conducive to cavalry fighting.
Yang Weizhong rode over and said, "Great Khan, the enemy is ready. Besides, after a day of pursuit, the warriors are already exhausted. I don't think it's appropriate to fight anymore."
Wokuotai said bitterly: "The southerners have taken away my Kaifeng. It's hard for me to swallow this bad breath."
Yang Weizhong smiled and said: "Great Khan, don't be in a hurry. We have destroyed the southern vanguard and killed tens of thousands of enemies. They must not dare to continue to invade Luoyang and Guanzhong. The army has been fighting hard for half a year to lose money. The soldiers need to rest and replenish their money and food." , I thought that the Great Khan should withdraw his troops to rest and fight again next year."
"Fight again next year?" Wo Kuotai looked at Yang Weizhong. He worked hard to save money and captured Kaifeng, but it was just occupied by the Song army, which made him feel a little unwilling.
"That's right! Kaifeng is ruined. Even if the Great Khan defeats the Southerners and retakes Kaifeng, there will be no benefit. And the Great Khan has stopped advancing eastward. Kaifeng is the old capital of the Southerners. The Southerners are worried that the Great Khan will take it away, so they will inevitably mobilize supplies. Recruit the population to enrich Kaifeng. Kaifeng is surrounded by plains and has no danger to defend. It is the place where the Great Khan uses his power. It is better to wait for the southerners to transport money, food and supplies before we attack. By then, we will not only be able to annihilate the southerners in Kaifeng The main force can also seize a large amount of money and food, which can also empty the two rivers and Huaihe Rivers, creating opportunities for the army to destroy the Song Dynasty."
Wo Kuotai frowned and pondered for a long time, then suddenly a smile appeared on his face, and he nodded and said: "The southerners are good at water fighting, but we Mongolians are good at riding on horseback. Your strategy is good. Since the southerners want to Kaifeng, then I will conquer Kaifeng first. Leave it to them, and then use the terrain of Kaifeng to eliminate the main force of the southerners. When their domestic elites are exhausted and the Jianghuai defense line becomes empty, I will send my troops southward and destroy them in one fell swoop."
If the Song army was elite and deployed along the Huai River, it would be difficult for the Mongolian army to break through the Huai River. However, if the Mongolian army annihilated the main forces of the two Huai Song armies in Kaifeng, it would be much easier to break through the Huai River defense line.
"The Great Khan is wise!" Yang Weizhong immediately laughed.
Wokuotai raised his head and looked at the allied forces on the opposite side. Although he was a little unwilling, he still pulled the reins of his horse and ordered: "Gather the corpses of the southerners and build a Jingguan. Then collect the weapons and armor discarded by the enemy along the way and return." Rest in Luoyang, and when the time is right, come back to Kaifeng."
At that moment, Wokuotai clamped his horse's belly and whipped westward. Tens of thousands of Mongolian cavalry immediately followed and retreated westward.
On the coalition side, the remnants of the Huaixi Army returned to Yanshi with the support of the coalition forces.
The armies of the Southern Song Dynasty were shocked and frightened when they saw that less than 3,000 of the 30,000 Huaixi elites had returned.
Thirty thousand Huaixi troops entered Luoyang. After breaking through, they were killed by Mongolian cavalry. They suffered heavy losses along the way. The roads from Luoyang to the east for more than a hundred miles were full of corpses of Song troops.
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At this time, Zhao Kui, Zhao Tai and others saw the Mongols retreating and immediately returned to the camp to check the situation of the Huaixi Army.
The Huaixi army entered Luoyang without carrying much food. As soon as they entered the city, they were surrounded by the Mongolian army. After a few days, the army ran out of food.
The coalition forces were thoughtful and prepared rice and broth in advance. As soon as the defeated soldiers entered the camp, they distributed food to them.
Quan Zicai's armor was damaged and he was sitting on the baggage cart with his hair disheveled. He was holding a bowl of rice with soup and eating with his head down. The surrounding Huaixi soldiers were also sitting or squatting, and they could only hear the sound of eating.
At this time, Zhao Kui and Zhao Tai walked up to Quan Zicai, looked at his embarrassed appearance, and looked at the surrounding Huaixi elites, and couldn't help but sigh.
The two stood for a while before Zhao Tai said: "Mr. Quan!"
Quanzi just raised his head, saw the two of them, put down the big bowl in his hand, and said with pain on his face: "Zhizhi Xianggong, Guorui, our Huaixi army is here."
At this point, Quan Zi couldn't help but burst into tears.
When Zhao Kui saw the old Huaixi commander, he felt heartbroken and could only comfort him: "The seeds of the Huaixi Army are still there, and it will take less than a few years to recover."
Quanzi just heard what he said and said sadly: "From now on, the Huaixi Army will have a public relations photo of the Prime Minister."
This time the East Route Army marched towards Luoyang, but less than 3,000 of the 30,000 Huaixi Army returned, suffering extremely heavy losses.
For such a big loss, Quan Zicai would definitely be punished, and he would probably have to retire from his position as the envoy of Huaixi.
This time, the Mongolian army fought for half a year, which consumed a lot of national power. After Wokuotai withdrew to Luoyang, he adopted Yang Weizhong's suggestion and decided to postpone the recovery of Kaifeng.
The Mongolian army had no intention of continuing to fight, so Wokuotai immediately left Subutai to guard Luoyang, while the army gradually returned to the grassland to rest.
On the coalition side, because the Song armies in Jinghu and Sichuan did not cooperate, and the Song army on the east route suffered heavy losses, the coalition forces did not have the strength to attack Luoyang and Tongguan in the west, so they had no choice but to retreat.
Hulao Pass, coalition camp.
Zhao Tai saw that there were differences in the Southern Song Dynasty. Without the cooperation of the other two groups, the coalition forces could no longer continue fighting, so he decided to lead his troops back to Shandong.
In the tent, Zhao Tai said goodbye to Zhao Kui, "Ms. sir, since Jinghu and Sichuan do not send troops, we cannot capture Luoyang and Tongguan. Now that Tan Ma has learned that the Mongolian army has no intention of advancing eastward, I am preparing to lead my troops back to Shandong. "
When Zhao Kui heard that Zhao Tai was leaving, he couldn't help but sigh, "In this Northern Expedition, our goal is to restore the Central Plains, and rely on the Guanhe defense line created by the original Jin Kingdom to resist Mongolia's southward march. Now we only collect Guide and Bianjing, However, Luoyang and Tongguan are in the hands of Mongolia and have not been able to do their best. If Mongolia counterattacks, it may be difficult to defend."
Zhao Tai said in a deep voice: "My lord, east of Henan is a flat river, which is easy to attack and difficult to defend. The Jin Kingdom has Guanhe River and a corner of Henan, and has been contending with Mongolia for twenty years. Once Tongguan is broken, Luoyang is lost, and the Guanhe defense line is broken by Mongolia. , and now, in less than two years, the country has been destroyed by the Mongols. Nowadays, people's livelihood around Bianjing is in decline, and ten houses are empty. My husband is stationed here and cannot resupply on the spot, so it is better to return to Suzhou first."
If the Song Army occupied Kaifeng, it would actually be beneficial to Zhao Tai, but Zhao Tai knew that Kaifeng was not easy to defend.
Once the Yellow River freezes, the Mongolian cavalry will cross the river on the ice, and the Song army is not as good as the Mongolian army in field combat, so they will only be beaten passively.
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Zhao Tai thought about it again and again, and felt that he should still persuade Song Jun to give up Kaifeng.
Now that the Song Army occupies Kaifeng, although Zhao Tai does not have to worry about threats from eastern Shandong, the Song Army has retreated to Suzhou and tens of thousands of troops are on the front line. The Mongolian army also does not dare to attack Shandong from Kaifeng.
On the contrary, if the main force of the Song army is annihilated by the Mongolian army in Kaifeng, then Zhao Tai's situation will be truly passive.
After hearing Zhao Tai's words, Zhao Kui sighed, "I also know Guorui's words. However, the Song Dynasty has its own national conditions. It is impossible for Prime Minister Zheng to agree to give up Kaifeng."
Zhao Tai frowned slightly and immediately understood what Zhao Kui meant. The Song Dynasty was not monolithic. It had long been divided into two factions: the warring faction and the peace faction. The peace faction had always been the mainstream, and the war faction had been suppressed for a long time.
In the Great Song Dynasty, most of the time, the government was controlled by the peace faction, and the power of peace in the court was very powerful.
Zheng Qingzhi now controls the court, and the peace faction has been looking for opportunities to regain power.
This Northern Expedition was an important political achievement of the main war faction. If it succeeded, Zheng Qingzhi would gain a firm foothold in the court and have the opportunity to become a powerful minister like Shi Miyuan.
If it fails, the peace faction will definitely counterattack, and Zheng Qingzhi and the war faction will have to step down again.
Now that the Eastern Route Army has suffered a defeat in Luoyang and the Huaixi Army has suffered a complete loss, if Zhao Kui gives up Bianjing, which he has already secured, then the Peace Faction will surely make a comeback.
Therefore, although Zhao Kui knew that Kaifeng was difficult to defend, he still had to hold on.
After Zhao Tai understood this, he knew that the matter was complicated and it was impossible for Zhao Kui to withdraw his troops from Kaifeng, so he said solemnly: "In this case, my husband can only manage Hulao Pass, and then rely on the Yellow River to build a Xiaoguan River defense line."
Zhao Kui nodded and looked at Zhao Tai, "After you return to Shandong, you should rest and recuperate as soon as possible. If the Northern Army attacks in winter, you can either go west to help, or go north to threaten Hebei and relieve me."
Although Zhao Tai is not yet a Song army, Zhao Kui feels that if the Mongols come to attack, Zhao Tai is more reliable than the Song army in Jinghu and Sichuan.
This is because Zhao Tai is close, and the second reason is that the loyalty shown by Zhao Tai makes Zhao Kui feel that Zhao Tai is trustworthy.
As a clan member of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Tai served in the Kingdom of Jin and rescued the Kingdom of Jin three times.
Although the last time was unsuccessful, Zhao Tai took Shandong, attacked Hebei, and contacted the Song Dynasty, which can be regarded as his best effort.
Although Zhao Tai had selfish motives in the end and did not go all out to rescue the Jin Kingdom and just sat back and watched the Jin Kingdom's demise, under those circumstances, there was really no way to rescue him.
As an outsider, it's pretty good to have reached this point.
Zhao Tai said seriously: "Don't worry, sir, if Mongolia comes to attack, I will definitely come to reinforce you!"
Since Zhao Kui could not retreat, Zhao Tai could only give him confidence and let him replace Jin Guo and resist the Mongolian attack for him.
After some discussions with Zhao Kui, Zhao Tai left the tent.
Wu Xian stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, what did Zhao Kui say?"
Zhao Tai said in a deep voice: "Zhao Kui has agreed to let us withdraw to Shandong."
Wu Xian was quite happy when he heard this, "When are you leaving?"
Zhao Tai said: "Have a rest tonight, and early tomorrow morning we will break camp and return east."
This time the Northern Expedition of the Southern Song Dynasty can be said to have started but fizzled out. It was agreed that the three-pronged Northern Expedition would be dispatched, but only the Song troops from the Huaihe River and Huaihe River were dispatched.
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This time to recapture the three capitals, 80,000 elite troops were dispatched from the Huaihe and Huaihe Rivers, but only a little over 50,000 returned to Hulao Pass.
This means that the Song Army on the East Route lost nearly 30,000 troops and more than 30% of its troops, which can be said to be a serious loss of vitality.
After Zhao Tai led his troops back east, Zhao Kui left more than 10,000 people to guard Hulao Pass, and took the remaining troops back to Bianjing to rest and recuperate in order to shorten the supply line and obtain the food and medicinal materials needed by the army.
Although the Song Army regained the old capital this time, the Huaixi Army suffered heavy losses and failed to achieve its planned strategic goals. The morale of the Song Army on the east route was low, and people wanted to return home.
However, for political needs, the main war faction demanded that the Song army on the east route must keep Bianjing and defend the results of the Northern Expedition.
In the Battle of Kaifeng, the Southern Song Dynasty won Kaifeng, but lost nearly 30,000 troops. Moreover, the Guanhe defense line was not established and the strategic goal was not achieved.
On the Mongolian side, Ogedai first retreated to Luoyang and then to Xi'an.
After learning that Zhao Tai had returned to Shandong with his troops, Wokuotai immediately led the Mongolian cavalry and returned to the grassland to rest.
After returning to the grassland, Wokuotai summoned many ministers to conduct a summary to analyze Mongolia's gains and losses in the Kaifeng war.
It doesn't matter if this is not a summary. As soon as he summarized it, Wo Kuotai immediately became furious. Wo Kuotai was surprised to find that he had been busy for more than half a year, lost tens of thousands of horses, spent tens of thousands of money and food, and made no profit at all in the end.
Before the war started, Mongolia wanted to seize the entire Kaifeng and control the entire Henan. After the battle, Kaifeng fell into the hands of the Song army. The areas controlled by Mongolia in the Central Plains remained basically unchanged.
From this point of view, it seems that Mongolia did not suffer a loss and was able to protect its capital. However, when the Mongolian army attacked Kaifeng, Zhao Tai captured Shandong.
Therefore, from a territorial point of view, after the war, Mongolia lost a large area of territory.
In terms of troop losses, the Mongolian army stormed Kaifeng and lost tens of thousands of horses. Coupled with the losses in Shandong and Hebei, as well as Li Fen's betrayal, Mongolia lost nearly 100,000 horses.
Wokuotai calculated carefully and found that although he destroyed the Jin Kingdom, he made no profit at all. Instead, he suffered a considerable loss.
So in this war, who will benefit is naturally Zhao Tai, who will control Shandong.
Although Zhao Tai did not save Kaifeng, he sent troops to relieve the siege of Kaifeng, and collected and buried them in Kaifeng City. The corpses of the Jin Kingdom's monarchs and ministers undoubtedly won the hearts of the people of the Jin Kingdom's old city.
Now that the Kingdom of Jin has been destroyed, the Jurchens in the Central Plains have become subjugated and have lost their allegiance. Zhao Tai, as the loyal king granted by the Jin Kingdom, has become their choice.
Zhao Tai returned to Shandong from Henan. Jurchens and Khitan people joined his team from time to time along the way. In addition, Han officials who were originally loyal to the Jin Kingdom also came to seek refuge.
When Zhao Tai walked out of Henan and entered Shandong, he had gathered four to five thousand Jin Kingdom remnant soldiers, and was accompanied by more than thirty Jin Kingdom ministers.
Shandong Jinan.
Li Fen originally thought that Zhao Tai's rescue of Kaifeng was a disaster, but he didn't expect that Zhao Tai did not rescue alone, but instead pulled the Song army.
During these days, Li Fen had been paying attention to the movements of the coalition forces. When he learned that the coalition forces had forced away the Mongolian army and regained Kaifeng, he was shocked.
Li Fen expected Zhao Tai to hit a wall and used the help of the Mongols to attack Zhao Tai, so that Zhao Tai had to rely on himself.
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【Ascend to the throne! King! 】【】
But contrary to expectations, Zhao Tai not only did not suffer a blow, but his prestige became stronger, which made Li Fen regretful and did not lead his troops.
Although the coalition forces later suffered a setback in Luoyang, it was the Song army that suffered the loss.
Now that Li Fen learned that Zhao Tai had returned to the east and was accompanied by a large number of Jin survivors, which made Zhao Tai stronger, he suddenly panicked.
