Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 293: A Lighter Death for Gongsun
The so-called line dispute is the most brutal.

Because many times the route is not divided by right or wrong, but by the differences in choosing the future path.

But no one can predict the future, and no one knows which path is correct. When everyone thinks they are right, that they hold the moral high ground, and that they are the ones who can save everyone from the fire pit, it is difficult for both sides to compromise.

When Liu Huai came back this time, even though he knew the matter was urgent, he did not try to convince everyone one by one. Instead, he talked with Wei Sheng and roughly told him the next plan.

First of all, if the Shandong troops must go south, they cannot take the muddy fork in the south of Haizhou. They must cross the river by ferry like the Jin navy. Therefore, no matter what, the remnants of the Jin navy must be wiped out, both to clear the Jin army from the eastern route of Shandong and to seize the ships.

Secondly, the soldiers whose homes are in the south want to go back home to defend, but the soldiers whose homes are in Shandong are unlikely to abandon their hometown. Therefore, even if the Loyal Army wants to go south, a part of them must be left behind.

Not to mention being able to continue expanding the territory, at least the work of measuring the land, checking the fields, dredging the ditches, and building water conservancy projects must not be neglected. Especially in these days, wars last for a year or two. If the spring plowing is delayed, won’t Shandong suffer from famine next year?

Therefore, Wei Sheng needed to identify those who were absolutely unwilling to go south to help the Song Dynasty and leave them in Shandong as garrisons. Those who were ambiguous and determined to help the Song Dynasty might have to go south and fight a major battle with the Jin army in Lianghuai.

In the end, seeing that Wei Sheng was genuinely worried about the situation, Liu Huai could only offer some solace: "Perhaps the Song State can hold out? Perhaps the heroes of the Song State can unite and surround and kill Wanyan Liang, thus eliminating the need for the Shandong rebels to intervene."
Wei Sheng also knew that Liu Huai was comforting him.

But what could he do? They were hundreds of miles apart and even news was difficult to get through. He could only pray in secret.

After a hasty discussion and explaining the situation to the two veteran generals Zhang Rong and Li Bao, the command of the Dongping Army, the Zhongyi Army, and the Song Navy all fell into Liu Huai's hands. They were combined into a large army with a total strength of 17,000, and marched towards Chenjia Island to encircle and attack.

There, there were only 5,000 regular troops of the Weizhen Army.

At this time, it was already October 12th.

At the same time, in Shanyang City, the capital of Chuzhou in the eastern Huainan route of the Song State, Xu Zongyan, wearing iron armor stained with blood and mud, led hundreds of soldiers in a panic and ran towards the north gate of Shanyang City.

"That Song dog!"

More than a dozen Jin armored cavalrymen rushed over with laughter and rushed directly into the defeated army. They rode forward without dodging, as if they wanted to seize the city gate of Shanyang.

The Song army was originally a defeated army and had become a frightened bird at this time. Although they had an absolute advantage in numbers, they did not dare to stop these mere dozen or so cavalrymen and fled in panic.

Xu Zongyan lay on his horse, looking back at the scene. He wanted to turn around and fight, but he couldn't even find a spear. With his hands empty, he couldn't even fight to the death.

Seeing that they were getting closer and closer to the city gate, Xu Zongyan became anxious, but he heard a commotion on the top of the city wall, and a flock of arrows shot down, knocking the Jin cavalry and the surrounding Song soldiers to the ground. The gate also burst open, and more than a hundred Song soldiers swarmed out to support the defeated army into the city.

After Xu Zongyan entered the city, he pulled the reins of his horse and was about to say something when his horse's front hooves gave way and he fell to the ground.

Xu Zongyan rolled over on the ground several times, covered in dust, looking even more embarrassed. However, when he looked up and saw the people on the top of the city wall, he quickly stood up and climbed up the wall with great strides.

"Lord Lan!" Xu Zongyan said, cupping his hands. "This small city cannot be defended. Tushan Zhen has already crossed the river himself."

Lan Shiji stroked the parapet on the city wall, his face grim. "I know, I know. I don't blame you. Liu Xinshu's army has withdrawn. How can we, relying solely on our Chuzhou troops, hold out against the Jin army?"

Xu Zongyan no longer had the fear and anger he'd felt upon hearing the news. He simply panted and said, "My Lord, have all the Jiankang troops withdrawn? Don't you think you'd hold on for a bit?"

"There's no way out. Luzhou has been lost, almost all of Huaixi has been lost, and the retreat to Huaidong could be cut off at any moment." Lan Shiji's frustration was almost overflowing. "The troops from Baoying and Xuyi have all withdrawn. They... they don't even want to defend the canal."

"You said, we've worked so hard in Chuzhou these past few years, bearing the stigma, breaking taboos, being perfunctory with our superiors and harsh with our subordinates, and we've gone through so much, and this is the result..." Lan Shiji sighed and looked up at the sky: "The efforts of so many people, so many lives, have been destroyed just because of the incompetence of Wang Quan."

Xu Zongyan listened quietly and felt dejected for a moment.

He turned his gaze to the northeast.

Over there on the Huai River, there was a scene of hundreds of boats competing for the current. Countless ships with large flags bearing the word "gold" traveled back and forth between the north and south of the Huai River, transporting countless troops and horses to the south of the Huai River.

The Jin army tried to force their way across the river without even building a pontoon bridge.

If there was a proper army capable of field combat at this time and attacked them head-on when they were halfway across the river, they might have been able to wipe out this group of Jin troops.

Xu Zongyan looked back at the military city where he had just been stationed. This small city, which served as a corner with Shanyang City, had now been occupied by the Jin army. The large flag with the word "Song" on the top of the city wall was thrown down, and the large flag with the word "Jin" was raised high.

The Song army captured by the Jin army was pushed to the top of the city wall and began to be tortured directly towards Shanyang City.

Xu Zongyan couldn't bear to watch any longer and turned back: "My Lord, we should block the four gates now to hold our ground."

Lan Shiji shook his head. "Although I am a corrupt scholar, I also know that there are no soldiers outside to save us, and no city to defend inside. No one will come to rescue us, so how can we hold this city? With less than two thousand soldiers and horses, we can't even hold the city walls."

"Mobilize the young and strong..."

"It's too late." Lan Shiji shook his head again: "Open the south gate and let the people escape. I will hold out here and hold out for as long as I can."

This is not a good approach.

Because the people could not just escape along the official roads. Some had to take mountain roads, some had to take waterways, and they had to drag their families with them. They did not have enough food, not to mention the Jin army that would inevitably chase them.

After this chaos, it would be a good thing if 50% of people could survive.

But everything is afraid of comparison. If the people were surrounded in Shanyang City, they might have to eat their own children in less than half a month.

You must know that in order to raise food and fodder for the army stationed in Zhenjiang Prefecture, the treasury in Shanyang was already empty, and there was no way to raise food and fodder for defending the city.

Xu Zongyan was silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Then you, my lord, please withdraw with your men. I will defend Shanyang."

"No." Lan Shiji turned around and took Xu Zongyan's hands. "You are still young, so you should keep yourself useful and plan for the future. I am already old, but I am also the governor with responsibilities. I should be loyal to my country."

"Lord," Xu Zongyan responded anxiously, but because he was surrounded by soldiers, he lowered his voice again: "It is precisely because I am still young that I should defend the city. That way, when the city is broken, there will still be some hope of survival."

Lan Shiji shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "Old man... I have been blessed by the country for generations, but as a minister, I am powerless to maintain my position, causing the people to suffer. If I live in disgrace, how can I be worthy of the court that entrusted me with the seal of general? How can I be worthy of the people who sacrifice their own food and blood to feed me?"

Although his tone became fierce, Lan Shiji still lowered his voice and said, "Xu Zongyan, Xu Tongpan, I let you go not to let you live in vain, but because although you owe a life to the people of Chuzhou, you cannot waste your life in this place.

The Song-Jin War has begun, and the war will drag on for ten or twenty years. You must remember what I said today, and remember the people who died today. They all died because of your and my incompetence.

You must exhaust all your energy and fear no life or death. If you become afraid or retreat in the future, think about today! Think about me! Go! "Xu Zongyan burst into tears, but he knew that what Lan Shiji said was absolutely right, so he could only cover his face and leave in embarrassment.

After a while, the south gate and water gate of Shanyang City were opened, and the people who had not fled in the past few days fled one after another. Xu Zongyan also fled to the south with hundreds of soldiers, and temporarily stationed in a weir ten miles south of Shanyang City, trying to cover the people's migration south.

The Jin army had just crossed the river, and the command system was somewhat chaotic, so it was not discovered immediately.

However, on the second day, October 13, after Tushan Zhen crossed the river, he completely understood the situation. Regardless of the fact that the siege weapons were not ready, he directly ordered the brave general Pucha Shijie to lead the army to attack the city.

At this time, there were still nearly a thousand Song troops left in Shanyang City. After the outer city fell, they engaged in brutal street fighting with the Jin army that entered the city.

As the prefect, Lan Shiji personally led these local garrison troops to fight against the Jin army's field army, but he only held out for one day before being forced to retreat to the inner city.

On October 14, the Jin army began the massacre. Those civilians who hadn't yet fled were trapped in Shanyang City. The Jin army searched every house for gold, silver, and valuables, and looted young women. Those who dared to resist were killed.

The sound of crying and shouting gradually came from all directions, but instantly dissipated in the autumn wind.

At this time, in the inner city of Shanyang, there were only three hundred remaining soldiers surrounding Lan Shiji.

"This old man... This old man has delayed you." Lan Shiji was hit by an arrow in the arm, and his left arm was completely powerless. He leaned on a large flag with the word "Song" in his right hand and said with a miserable smile.

The remaining Song soldiers were either sitting or standing, seizing the time to recover their strength.

After hearing Lan Shiji's words, some people sobbed, some sighed, and some laughed.

"Lord Lan, today we fought to the death in Shanyang. Tell me, will anyone remember us in the future? Will a squad leader named Chen Wu appear in future stories and be praised for his loyalty and righteousness?"

The leader of the yamen runners, named Chen Wu, was carrying a long spear and asking loudly.

Lan Shiji thought about it and shook his head solemnly: "No, even with my status, the most I can get is a pension from the court. If I'm lucky, maybe I can have a monument erected for me. Later generations may spread rumors and even build a temple for me to be a river god or mountain god. As for becoming a great hero in a storybook, don't even think about it."

Chen Wu sighed and asked unwillingly, "If Lord Lan is crowned as the River God, then maybe we will have some companions to worship him."

Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
This is the sound of the Jin army banging on the city gate outside the inner city.

Some Song soldiers picked up their weapons, walked towards the city gate and began to form a battle line, but some were still waiting for Lan Shiji's answer.

Lan Shiji thought about it and still shook his head: "It's difficult. After all, you are not regular soldiers, and your names are not even on the roster. But I can still guarantee that if I have incense for a day, I will share the profits with you."

Chen Wu laughed heartily upon hearing this, shouldering his spear and heading for the city gate. "What's the use of the term 'legitimate army'? The Lord's words are enough. Hey, I'm fighting the Jin bandits to the death here. Am I not more heroic than Liu Qi, who fled with his tail between his legs?"

Lan Shiji shook his head, and then felt that Chen Wu was right.

I sacrificed my life for my country, so don't I deserve the title of a hero?
Thinking of this, Lan Shiji straightened his thin chest and suddenly felt that Liu Qi, no matter how famous he was, was nothing special.

Boom!
Snapped!
The gates of the inner city were not that strong. Under the blow of the battering ram, one of the gates was soon broken into two pieces. The Jin army soldiers pushed down the gate and swarmed in.

"Kill the thief!"

The remaining Song army did not sit still and wait for death. They brandished various weapons, wore worn leather armor and even cloth clothes, and met the enemy head-on.

"ignition!"

Behind Lan Shiji, the last treasures of the Chuzhou treasury had been piled up, covered with straw and poured with oil.

Upon hearing the order, several archers threw the torches in their hands onto the pile of cloth and gold beads, then without even looking at them, turned around, drew their bows and arrows, and shot the approaching Jin soldiers head-on.

The Song army did cause some trouble to the Jin army, but these Song soldiers were not regular troops after all, and most of them were injured in yesterday's battle. Facing the elite soldiers of the Jin army, these resistances quickly dissipated into thin air like snowflakes falling into a fire.

Lan Shiji leaned on the big flag and looked at the scene intently.

In the last moments of his life, Lord Lan did not think about his family who had been sent back to Jiangnan, nor did he think about the ups and downs in his official career since his youth, nor did he think about his old wife who had been with him for decades but passed away on the way to Jiangnan.

Instead, he thought of Wei Sheng, who led his army northward on that sunny autumn morning several months ago, carrying the hopes of countless people in Chuzhou.

Now that I think about it, he was the only one who was right.

Lan Shiji raised the flag and waved it with difficulty.

"Song dog!" A Jin soldier had already broken through the Song army's formation and laughed heartily, swinging his sword at Lan Shiji: "Today's achievement of beheading the general and seizing the flag..."

Lan Shiji seemed not to notice the Jin army. He raised a large flag with the word "Song" on it and turned around to throw himself onto the fire behind him.

"Wei Dadao!"

Lan Shiji didn't know what he wanted to say. In the end, he only uttered this name before his whole body was engulfed by the flames.

The large flag with the word "Song" on it was blown up by the hot wind from the fire, flying high and burning in the air again.

Ten miles south, Xu Zongyan, who had already boarded the southbound ferry, seemed to have sensed something. He suddenly turned around and looked towards Shanyang City. There seemed to be a flickering fire in his eyes.

"We're not going south!" Xu Zongyan shouted in the astonished eyes of his companions, "Let's go to Haizhou! Let's find Wei Dadao! He's right! He's always right!"

A moment later, the watercraft turned and took advantage of the chaos to head north along the canal. After entering the Huai River, several people abandoned the boat and mounted their horses, walking on the muddy road in the Yellow River flood area and heading north.

At that time, it was October 13th of the 31st year of Shaoxing in the Song Dynasty. Tu Shanzhen, the left military inspector of the Jin Dynasty, led an army of 30,000 to cross the Huai River.

Shanyang, Chuzhou, an important city in Huaidong, fell, and the defending official Lan Shiji died in battle at the age of 62.

At this point, the gates to Lianghuai were wide open.

(End of this chapter)