After the autumn of 1244, nothing major happened in the world.
On the grassland, Guyu and Meng Ge failed to retreat and defeat each other after many battles.
Meng Ge stopped attacking and settled in Monan to accumulate strength. At the same time, he contacted Batu, hoping to gain his support.
Guyu's resources are not as good as Meng Ge's, and his advantages are being used up little by little. He is unable to destroy Meng Ge. He can only lie down in Helin and lick his wounds while trying to win the support of Batu and other clan kings.
Therefore, after autumn, the Mongolian grasslands, which had been fiercely fought for several months, actually calmed down.
Both sides are accumulating strength and preparing to fight again next year.
Within the Great Wall, the Southern Song Dynasty ignored Zhao Tai's provocation and concentrated on training troops and preparing for war, strengthening the defenses of Bashu, Xiangyang, and Jiangnan, and not giving Qi an excuse to go to war.
After Zhao Tai discovered that the Southern Song Dynasty was not fooled, he continued to maintain the public opinion offensive, and at the same time stepped up to raise the materials, money and food needed for the southern expedition.
War between Qi and Song was inevitable.
Throughout the second half of 1244, no new war started between the various forces.
Time passed by, and in the spring of 1245, as the southeast wind blew on the sea, assistance from the Southern Song Dynasty arrived in Liaodong. Meng Ge, who had rested for half a year, first launched an attack on Guyu.
Jiangnan, Lin'an.
A group of Song soldiers escorted Song Dynasty officials in official robes through the bustling streets of Qi, through the city gate, and then to the dock.
The canal outside the city was filled with cargo ships.
A general saw the official coming and hurriedly came forward to pay his respects, "Zhijun."
The official waved his hand and asked, "Are you all ready?"
"Report to the army, they are all on board!" said the general.
The official nodded, and then ordered: "Give me the order, let the brothers take off their armor, not carry any identification marks, put on civilian clothes, and set off quietly tonight!"
"Yes!" The general immediately clasped his fists.
While the officials and officers were talking, a coolie carrying a grain bag got off the boat, wiped his sweat, and walked to the tea shed next to the pier to sit down.
"Did you see clearly?" the man at the same table asked casually.
The coolie sat down, glanced at the cargo ships moored at the dock, and whispered: "Ten ships, all loaded with grain."
The man took a sip of tea and ordered, "Keep an eye on them!"
After saying this, the man lost a few copper coins and hurriedly got up and left the tea shed.
It was night, and the officials who had been on the ship during the day hurriedly boarded the ship and changed their clothes on the ship. The soldiers on the ship took off their armor and waistbands, and then threw all these things off the ship.
The soldiers waiting on the dock took away the armor and waistbands dropped by the soldiers on the ship. The ship immediately raised anchor and sail and quietly left Lin'an.
Now the State of Qi is fully aware of the Southern Song Dynasty's aid to Meng Ge.
The Southern Song Dynasty knew very well that Qi State was looking for evidence that the Southern Song Dynasty colluded with Meng Ge.
Therefore, Jia Sidao ordered that officials and soldiers of the Song Dynasty who participated in maritime transportation could not carry any identification documents. Even if they were caught by Qi State, they could not be recognized as officers and soldiers of the Southern Song Dynasty.
These Song soldiers had no inscriptions on their faces, and their family papers were all taken hostage by Jia Sidao.
In case they were caught by Qi State, as long as they did not admit it, the Southern Song Dynasty could shirk the idea that it was the businessmen who did it and not interfere with the affairs of the Southern Song Dynasty court.
In the current situation, even if there is a risk of being caught by Qi State, it is impossible for the Southern Song Dynasty to stop funding Meng Ge.
Jia Sidao had already made preparations, and when he was discovered, he insisted on slandering Zhao Tai and muddied the truth.
As soon as the fleet here left Lin'an, Qi's spies sent the news back to Qi.
In fact, the State of Qi had long known about the Southern Song Dynasty's funding of Meng Ge. The spies hidden in the Southern Song Dynasty reported to the State of Qi the news of the departure of the Southern Song Dynasty fleet many times.
Previously, when the Southern Song Dynasty fleet went to sea, Zhao Tai did not intercept it after receiving the news. Instead, he sat back and watched the horse grain trade between the Southern Song Dynasty and Mongolia.
Zhao Tai did not intercept for two reasons.
The first reason is that at the beginning of the Mongolian Civil War, Guyuk, as the Great Khan recommended by the Mongolian nobles, had a moral advantage. Most of the Mongolian kings resented Meng Ge for provoking the Mongolian Civil War.
Guyou gained the support of the kings of the West Road and the Chagatai family, and successfully disrupted Meng Ge's attack on Helin, which shows that Guyou still has some strength.
In addition, Zhao Tai believed that the Southern Song Dynasty's collusion with Meng Ge was an excuse for him to launch an army to attack the Song Dynasty. Since he was not ready to attack the Song Dynasty, he was not in a hurry to take action.
However, things have changed now.
As for Mongolia, Guyu's ability is indeed average. He is obviously the real Khan of Mongolia and occupies the moral high ground, but he is gradually suppressed by Meng Ge, so that Zhao Tai has no choice but to intervene.
In the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhao Yun ignored Zhao Tai's appeal, so Zhao Tai could only directly attack the Southern Song Dynasty fleet, arrest Southern Song officials, and disclose to the world the Southern Song Dynasty's collusion with Meng Ge.
April, Yellow Sea.
After the wind direction at sea changed, the Southern Song Dynasty began to dispatch fleets and resumed the horse grain trade with Mengge.
At this time, ten cargo ships were on the sea, riding the wind and waves, and were about to enter the Bohai Sea.
On the deck, the Song Dynasty officials leading the team stood on the ship's roof, looking warily into the distance, praying in their hearts not to run into Qi's warships.
Sometimes, whatever you fear comes true.
At this time, the sailors who were looking around inside the building's ship suddenly discovered a fleet of ships appearing from behind the island in front.
"No! Found the Qi warship!" The sailor looked carefully and saw the other party coming through the waves, and immediately exclaimed.
When the Southern Song sailors on the deck heard the shouting, they immediately picked up their weapons and rushed to the deck.
When the Southern Song officials saw this, they immediately ordered, "Turn around and avoid them!"
The ten cargo ships were about to turn, but they found several Qi warships emerging from behind an island.
After Meng Ge broke with Guyu, the territory he controlled was probably the territory of the Jin Kingdom except south of the Great Wall.
This means that most of Monan, Modong, and the entire Northeast are under the control of Meng Ge.
Now that Meng Ge claimed to be the Great Khan, in order to fight Guyu, he set up the Khan Court in the upper reaches of the Luan River, while Kublai Khan was sealed in Liaoyang. The Han people and Jurchens who ruled here provided him with money, food and materials.
The war consumes a lot of money. Meng Ge wins over the Mongolian king and fights with Guiyu, which requires a lot of money and food.
Therefore, Kublai Khan, the logistics manager, was under great pressure.
In order to raise money and food and overthrow Guyu, Kublai Khan exploited the Han and Jurchen people living in western, central and eastern Liaoning while building docks and Gaizhou City near the mouth of the Liaohe River to receive supplies from the Southern Song Dynasty.
There is no navy in Mongolia. On the Bohai Sea, the navy of Qi is the only one.
It was actually more dangerous for the Southern Song Dynasty's fleet to cross the strait and enter the Bohai Sea. However, considering that road transportation would consume too much, Kublai Khan chose the receiving location at the mouth of the Liaohe River instead of Liaodong.
It was night and Gaizhou City was dark, with only a few soldiers patrolling back and forth with torches.
On the sea, a huge Qi fleet quietly approached Gaizhou under the cover of night and appeared in the nearby waters, preparing to destroy the dock and Gaizhou City.
