Lin'an, Imperial Palace.
After the state of Qi unified the north, the nerves of the monarchs and ministers of the Southern Song Dynasty became tense.
The monarchs and ministers of the Southern Song Dynasty had already held many discussions on when Zhao Tai would raise his troops to go south.
At this time, in the imperial study room, Zhao Yun was sitting behind the imperial eucalyptus, listening to the minister's report, his face getting darker and darker.
The State of Qi arranged many detailed works in the Southern Song Dynasty. The Southern Song Dynasty had a lot of money, and it was considered orthodox by many Han people.
It was actually not difficult for the Imperial City Secretary of the Southern Song Dynasty to bribe some people in Qi State.
In the past three years or so, Qi and Song have not started a war, but secretly, the spy organizations of both sides have taken great action.
In the past three years, the Imperial City Division of the Southern Song Dynasty planned at least a dozen assassinations of Zhao Tai and destroyed many Jinyiwei strongholds in the Southern Song Dynasty.
The Jin Yiwei of Qi State were not idle either. While capturing many Southern Song soldiers, they also infiltrated into the Southern Song army and stole the Southern Song Dynasty's defense situation.
"Previously, I have deduced that Qi State will rest for three to five years, and after the threat from the north is resolved, it is possible to launch a rebellion!" Jia Sidao looked serious, "Your Majesty, according to the intelligence I know, as far as Zhao Tai is concerned, he rebelled and went south. The time has come.”
Zhao Yun had a sullen face, clenched his fists, and various emotions flashed across his face, "Is Zhao Tai really going to take action?"
"Zhao Tai sent the navy to blockade the Bohai Sea and interfere with the horse grain trade between our country and Meng Ge, making it difficult for Meng Ge to defeat Guyu. Now the situation in Mongolia has fallen into long-term chaos according to Qi's intention. Now Mongolia cannot threaten Qi In the northern border of the country, Zhao Tai can gather the elite southern invaders!"
Jia Sidao looked heavy, "Recently, I have sent news back to Qi State's detailed operations, and found that Qi State is mobilizing military supplies to Fengxiang, Nanyang, and Yangzhou. According to various situations I know, it can be inferred that Zhao Tai is going to take action. ”
Although he knew that this day would come sooner or later, after hearing Jia Sidao's words, Zhao Yun still had a look of fear on his face and was lucky in his heart, "But Zhao Tai has no excuse to attack me yet!"
Jia Sidao shook his head, "Your Majesty, as long as Zhao Tai is determined to rebel, excuses are not a problem for him."
As if to confirm Jia Sidao's words, a rush of footsteps outside the hall gradually approached.
Zhao Yun and Jia Sidao were attracted by the sound. They both looked outside the hall and saw a man running into the hall with a look of panic.
Perhaps out of anxiety, the official accidentally tripped over the threshold, but then he immediately got up and ran to the middle of the hall without even bothering to adjust his official uniform, panting like an ox, "Your Majesty, Zhao Tai issued a statement, the Qi State has rebelled! "
As soon as these words came out, Zhao Yun and Jia Sidao changed their colors instantly.
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In the autumn of 1246, Zhao Tai set up a high platform outside Yecheng, worshiped heaven and earth on the outskirts, and issued a proclamation to the ancestors of the Song Dynasty to once again worship heaven and appeasement.
In his message, Zhao Tai denounced the monarchs and ministers of the Southern Song Dynasty for settling in a corner and colluding with the Mongols instead of restoring the ancestral foundation.
In a eloquent 800-word statement, Zhao Tai formally raised troops in Yecheng, announced a crusade against traitors, and welcomed Zhao Yun back to the old capital.
As soon as this proclamation came out, the world was shaken. In the Southern Song Dynasty, people were panicked and the military morale was shaken.
This time, in addition to eradicating traitors and accusing the Lin'an court of not wanting to make progress, Zhao Tai's banner this time was to welcome Zhao Yun back to Kaifeng.
Zhao Tai's slogan was high-sounding and occupied the moral high ground, which shook the hearts of the soldiers and civilians of the Southern Song Dynasty.
Of course, Zhao Tai did not really want to take Zhao Yun to Lin'an, but used this to reduce the resistance will of the soldiers and civilians of the Southern Song Dynasty.
If he captures Lin'an and Zhao Yun commits suicide, Zhao Tai will directly succeed to the throne.
If Zhao Yun survived and surrendered to Zhao Tai, Zhao Tai would first move him back to Kaifeng and then find an opportunity to poison him.
By October, the autumn harvest has been completed in Qi State, and all the food, fodder, and military supplies needed by the southern expedition army have been transported to the frontline cities.
In order to achieve unification, the Qi State sent an army of 350,000 this time, falsely claiming that there were 800,000 infantry and horsemen, and recruited 500,000 civilians to transport supplies day and night.
On the Grand Canal, ships transporting military supplies and ordnance were clogged with ships.
On the various official roads in Guanzhong and the Central Plains, horse-drawn carriages, ox-carts, donkey carts, mule carts, and wheelbarrows, driven by civilians, cover the roads in an endless stream.
Such a huge movement in Qi State could not be hidden from the Southern Song Dynasty.
When the Southern Song Dynasty faced Qi State's Sichuan, Shu, Jingxiang, and Jiangnan Song armies, they immediately became nervous and strengthened border defenses.
As for Sichuan, it is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Zhao Yanna, the envoy of Sichuan in the Southern Song Dynasty, put down his bold words and wanted to keep Qi State's West Route Army out of Bashu.
In the south of the Yangtze River, it was the front line of the confrontation between Qi and Song Dynasty. The elite imperial guards of the Song Army were deployed along the Yangtze River and were ready.
The Southern Song Dynasty put up a defensive posture in Sichuan and Jiangnan. Surprisingly, the Song army in Jingxiang did not defend, but suddenly attacked Nanyang, destroying many Qi ships and supplies.
In early October, the Southern Song Dynasty's Jinghu envoy, the Meng Communist Party, learned that the Qi army was transporting military supplies to Nanyang, training naval forces in Baihe, and preparing to attack Xiangyang. After learning that the Qi army was transporting military supplies to Nanyang and preparing to attack Xiangyang, he suddenly led 30,000 elite troops into Nanyang, catching the Qi army by surprise.
In the past few years, the Southern Song Dynasty has been passively defensive in the face of Qi State. In the face of Qi State's provocations, the Song army soldiers endured it again and again, not daring to offend Qi State.
Therefore, the Qi army stationed in Nanyang really didn't expect that the Meng Communist Party suddenly came to do this.
The army led by the Mongolian Communists inherited the mantle of Grandpa Yue and was a very capable army in the Southern Song Dynasty.
Facing the sudden attack by the Mongolian Communists, the Qi army was unprepared. More than 3,000 people were killed by the Song army and fifty warships were burned. The Mongolian Communists returned with a great victory.
At the end of October, when the Qi army in Nanyang was frustrated, Zhao Tai led 100,000 elite troops to arrive in Nanyang.
Zhao Tai's words immediately boosted the morale of the Qi army in Nanyang.
On the third day of November, Zhao Tai issued another proclamation in Nanyang, and then assembled a 150,000 horse and infantry army, 200,000 civilians, and 300 warships. They marched along the Baihe River toward Xiangyang and blew the clarion call for reunification. .
The Qi army, with Xia Gui, a surrendered general of the Southern Song Dynasty, as the vanguard, led the warships down the Baihe River. General Guo Xiacuo led the cavalry to accompany him.
Zhao Tai went south on the third day of the lunar month, captured Xinye on the fourth day of the lunar month, and the forward cavalry galloped directly to the northern suburbs of Fancheng on the fifth day of the lunar month.
After Zhao Tai issued a proclamation in Yecheng and officially announced the rebellion, the Meng Communist Party immediately wrote to Lin'an and asked Zhao Yun to give him full military power in Jinghu.
After getting Zhao Yun's approval, the Meng Communist Party felt that the morale of the Song army was low and worried that the Song army would flee when they met the Qi army, so they took advantage of the opportunity before Zhao Tai's main force arrived in Nanyang to launch an attack first.
The Mongolian Communist Party originally planned to burn the Qi Army's fleet on the Baihe River and seize the Qi Army's military supplies. However, because the Qi Army's soldiers were extremely elite, the Mongolian Communist Party failed to achieve its strategic goal.
After a small victory in Nanyang, the Meng Communist Party learned that Zhao Tai was about to arrive in Nanyang, and immediately led his subordinates to return in triumph and gathered the army to defend the two cities of Xiangfan.
Although this raid did not achieve full success, it undoubtedly boosted the morale of the Song army.
