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

Chapter 426: Disasters Start from the Heart

"General Manager, the situation is not favorable right now. If we don't make a decision, we will be ridiculed by the world."

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night. While the leaders of the Jin and Song armies are worrying about their future, in Zhenzhou City, Jin Wenyan is trying his best to persuade Xu Wen.

Interestingly, Jin Wenyan was Huyan Nanxian's trusted and beloved general, and his abilities were all in the battlefield. But ever since Huyan Nanxian had other ideas, he became a private soldier who did secret things for his master. As a result, he didn't kill many of the Jin thieves, but was on the road to becoming a legendary diplomat.

Xu Wen stared blankly at the starry sky, not knowing what he was thinking.

It was a long time before he spoke, and his hoarse voice was like the friction between iron plates, which made people's teeth ache.

"So, Nanxian has defected to Wei Sheng and has completely taken over Yidu Prefecture?"

Jin Wenyan shook his head. "When I arrived, my elder brother had just conquered Linqu. But Yidu Prefecture is now an empty shell, with few troops. With the Zhongyi Army and the Dongping Army attacking from both sides, how long can Yidu Prefecture hold out?"

Xu Wen kept silent.

Seeing this, Jin Wenyan continued to persuade him, "General Manager, when I came here, my elder brother repeatedly told me to inform the general manager first of this news and never let it spread among the army without the general manager being prepared. This shows that my elder brother still has feelings for the general manager."

This is also true.

If the Wucheng Army knew that Huyan Nanxian had led a group of his comrades back to his hometown to seek justice for his fellow villagers, even though they were in Song territory at the moment, these Wucheng Army officers and soldiers might also want to return home, and then this battle would be impossible to fight.

After all, at this time, the more than 6,000 soldiers of the Wucheng Army were almost all Han people from good families. Their enthusiasm for fighting on the battlefield and making achievements had long been worn out by the repeated humiliation of the Jin Kingdom.

Xu Wen was silent for a long moment before he said, "If that's the case, wouldn't it be possible to eliminate this trouble forever if I kill you?"

Hearing such murderous words, Jin Wenyan showed no sign of panic. He just shook his head slightly and said, "Boss, how could Big Brother send only me? If I really can't go back, the others will naturally talk to the various commanders."

At this point, Jin Wenyan's words became more sincere: "General Manager, Big Brother ultimately wants to save Wu Chengjun's thousands of men. Even if the General Manager is stubborn, Big Brother will not agree to let these thousands of men be buried with the chief officer."

Jin Wenyan paused, then gritted his teeth and said, "I won't agree either!"

Xu Wen finally turned his head and looked at the other person in surprise: "Boy, you have grown up now, and you dare to threaten me?"

Jin Wenyan's words were still sincere: "Boss, this is not a threat, but the truth. The lives of thousands of good men are enough to outweigh everything."

Xu Wen shook his head. "Nanxian thinks too simply, and so do you. Let me ask you this: the Great Jin has almost completely taken over the Huai River and Huai River regions, achieving a resounding victory. Do you really want me to rebel against the Jin now?"

"General Manager!" Jin Wenyan looked into Xu Wen's eyes, his tone becoming more and more excited: "What does the Jin Kingdom's victory have to do with us, the Han people?"

Just one sentence left Xu Wen speechless.

He instinctively wanted to refute that the military victory of the Jin Dynasty would inevitably bring land, wealth, and women, so how could it be unrelated to Wu Chengjun?
But then I thought, could Wu Chengjun really have a share of these things obtained during the war?

For example, if the Jin Dynasty could really occupy the Huai River and Huai River regions, would the most fertile land be given first to the Han soldiers of the Wucheng Army? Or would it be distributed to the Meng'an and Mouke households of the Jin Dynasty?

Yes, I know there are many men in the army, and some of them have been promoted and made a fortune, but specifically the Wucheng Army formed by the sons of wealthy Shandong families, they have never received any preferential treatment before!
How can you make me believe that I will benefit from this?

"General, what does the Jin Kingdom's victory have to do with our Wucheng Army?" Seeing Xu Wen didn't answer, Jin Wenyan asked again: "But if they lose, won't we be the scapegoats again?"

Xu Wen sighed. "So what do you think we should do? Are you asking me to defect to the Song State? I've been there before, and to tell you the truth, if the Song State doesn't push us to the front lines to fight that Tu Shan Zhen, I'll rip my head off and let you kick it like a ball."

Jin Wenyan thought for a moment, took two steps forward and whispered, "General Manager, let's go back to Shandong. You can continue to be the general manager of the Wucheng Army, or build a large manor to retire. In short, you should leave the battlefield and don't work for the Jin Kingdom or the Song Kingdom." Xu Wen was amused by these words.

It is not that easy to march a large army. The amount of food for men and horses alone is astronomical, and it is impossible to march without relying on a river.

If they wanted to return to Shandong by land, the most convenient way was to go north along the canal. However, Tushan Zhen was leading an army of 30,000 to block this road, and Wu Chengjun would be courting death if he went over there.

But if they don't go by land but by sea, they can only follow the same route they came, go down the river, and then head north back to Shandong.

Zhang Rong and Li Bao were stationed in Zhenjiang Prefecture, keeping a close eye on the Wucheng Army. They were afraid that they might be swallowed up by the overwhelming number of ships downstream as soon as they showed up.

As the saying goes, all is fair in war. Even if the plan is well-planned, who can tell if people's hearts are hidden? Who knows if that scoundrel Li San is a vengeful person?

Both water and land routes are blocked, so even if Wu Chengjun wants to go back to Shandong, he has no way to go!
"We need to think about this matter carefully." Xu Wen shook his head and said, "No matter who you are contacting, please tell him a message for me. My only concern has always been to protect the lives and future of Wu Chengjun. As long as the plan is carried out, I will not frown even if they kill me or cut me up.

But if you want to block our Wu Chengjun’s path…”

Xu Wen looked at Jin Wenyan and laughed grimly, "I have some reputation in the Wucheng Army. When the time comes, it will be nothing more than a fight to the death!"

Jin Wenyan bowed in response, and after making sure that the other party had no other words, he put on his cloak, boarded a small boat with several of his companions, and sailed downstream in the night.

When they arrived at Guazhou Ferry, it was already bright.

In the rising sun, Jin Wenyan met Lu You, who had almost not slept all night.

After listening to the details of the conversation recounted by Jin Wenyan, a smile finally appeared on Lu You's face with two huge dark circles under his eyes.

Although Xu Wen could not be persuaded to turn against him immediately, being able to communicate was a good start and would definitely cause some turmoil for Wu Chengjun.

"Mr. Lu, since we have already established contact with General Manager Xu, do we still need to speak to those commanders?" Jin Wenyan asked respectfully.

"Of course it's necessary." Lu You rubbed his brow to ease a slight headache. "Old General Xu has experienced a lot in his life, but when people get old, they tend to be a little stubborn. I have a stubborn old man like him in my family. If I don't give in to him, it will cause trouble. It's better to let his nephews and nieces persuade him indirectly."

Jin Wenyan nodded repeatedly. Seeing that Lu You looked like he had a headache, he couldn't help but say, "Could the stubborn old man in Mr. Lu's family be your mother..."

Before he finished speaking, Lu You looked at him coldly, and Jin Wenyan immediately shut up.

"You must be tired after running around all night. Come with A Lu to get some food and rest for a day." Lu You's expression softened, and he pointed at his guards again: "Your contributions have been noted, and the reward money will be distributed to you this afternoon."

Jin Wenyan didn't dare to say much. He bowed and left quickly.

Lu You looked at Jin Wenyan's receding back, and after a moment of stunned silence, he finally put aside the chaotic emotions brought about by his memories and forced his attention back to the military and political strategies.

After comparing the military strength of each party several times on the map and comparing them several times, Lu You finally turned his attention to the Chao County area.

"Which direction the world's overall situation will develop in depends on you." Lu You murmured to himself.

Fortunately, Liu Huai never disappointed anyone in terms of political or military strategy.

(End of this chapter)