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

Chapter 580 Heroes of the Past, Thieves of the Present
Dongping Prefecture, Liangshan Marsh.

Because the Yellow River has been changing its course repeatedly over the years, as if it had taken an aphrodisiac, the damage it has caused to local water systems is indescribable. In a few more years, the Ji River, one of the four great rivers in the world, will be swallowed up by the Yellow River, not to mention the mere Liangshan Marsh.

At this time, the once vast Liangshan Marsh had shrunk dramatically to half its original size, and even the Liangshan Mountain that was originally in the marsh had changed from an island in the lake to a hill standing on a dry lakebed.

As for the reason why Liangshan Marsh shrank, that's even simpler.

To the north of Liangshanbo is the Beiqing River, also known as the Ji River, which flows northeast past Jinan and into the sea. To the south is the Nanqing River, which merges with a branch of the Yellow River and flows into the original channel of the Si River, eventually joining the Huai River and flowing into the sea.

To the east is the Wen River, the only major river that flows into Liangshan Marsh.

If more water is pumped out than released, it would be a miracle if Liangshan Marsh didn't shrink.

Of course, for ordinary fishermen, these things are all too far in the future. Apart from feeling that life is getting harder and harder and the catch is getting smaller and smaller, they don't have any other feelings.

At least for Zhao Sheng, an ordinary fisherman, his worry was that the fishing tax for the military officer's family had increased again, requiring them to pay 30% of their catch.

During this period, some people naturally took advantage of the loopholes.

A month earlier, some people had tried to catch fish by dragging their catch under the boat with nets, but they were still discovered by the fisherman and brought before the officials of the Taiping Army.

The Taiping Army officials were sentenced to immediate execution, and the fisherman known as Old Man Shi's head is still hanging on the flagpole in the fish market!
Having gone through this ordeal, the Taiping Army officers gained new insights.

Originally, the tax was levied at 30% of the fish catch, which was a kind gesture from the officials. However, they did not expect that some unruly people would use all sorts of methods to evade taxes, and this could not be ignored.

From now on, every time fishermen go out to sea, no matter how much they catch, they will have to hand over 80 catties of fish!

This immediately caused an uproar among the fishermen of Liangshanbo.

The taxes were too high; they were just twenty jin short of the tax revenue of the Xicheng Garrison during the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song.

Back then, Song Jiang and Zhang Rong rebelled one after another. How can the fishermen of today tolerate this?
However, things were somewhat different at this time compared to the State of Song.

The Taiping Army, originally a peasant uprising army, was very familiar with this situation. When they saw that the fishermen were about to gather and cause trouble, they immediately killed several more people and forcibly suppressed the impending uprising.

People always have to make do and get by. Ordinary people like Zhao Sheng have no other skills, only a broken boat and a broken net, so they can only try to make enough fish to fill their catch.

Therefore, Zhao Sheng had no choice but to risk sailing his boat to the south side of Liangshan Marsh, near the mouth of the Nanqing River, which is within the territory of Jizhou, in order to try his luck.

This isn't a safe place either. These days, any place with even a little bit of benefit is already taken. Local tyrants also have their own shipping and fishing boats. If they encounter someone like Zhao Sheng, who travels alone, on the lake, they might have to treat him to wontons or noodles.

Those who work in vehicles, boats, shops, and factories should be killed even if they are innocent.

To Zhao Sheng's surprise, there were no fishing boats at the mouth of the Nanqing River today, only him.

This is a pleasant surprise.

Thinking this, Zhao Sheng hurriedly began searching for the fish. However, whether it was due to overfishing or simply bad luck, after casting his net twice, he only caught two or three small fish, not even enough for dinner.

Just as Zhao Sheng was about to press on, he heard the thunderous sound of horses' hooves on the shore. Turning his head, he saw only a long column of smoke and fluttering banners, with countless warhorses galloping northward.

While Zhao Sheng was dumbfounded, he suddenly noticed that many large ships were sailing out from the mouth of the Nanqing River. Although they all looked like merchant ships, they were accompanied by the sound of drums and gongs and the fluttering of flags, so they seemed to be military vessels as well.

Gold thief!

Zhao Sheng immediately rowed the boat westward to avoid the direction in which the large ships were traveling.

His first thought was to go back and report, at least to let the Taiping Army officials make some preparations.

However, Zhao Sheng suddenly remembered the withered head hanging on the flagpole, and he no longer wanted to report the news.

This was not because he wanted the Jin army to overthrow the rule of the Taiping Army. Zhao Sheng did not have such a long-term vision. Rather, he did not know what benefit there would be in informing the Taiping Army.

They didn't live well under the rule of the Jin Dynasty, and they didn't live well under the rule of the Taiping Army either.

If that's the case, why would he bother with all that effort?

With that in mind, Zhao Sheng rowed his oar and moved to another spot to continue fishing.

The landlord, who had an eighty-pound catch of fish as soon as he opened his eyes, had no choice but to exert all his strength.

Although this is a small matter for Zhao Sheng, it would be a huge deal if the people under the rule of the Tianping Army thought the same way.

As the saying goes, "ducks are the first to know when the river warms in spring," and naturally, the first to feel the change was Gao Jingshan, the commander-in-chief who led the Wu'an army on a long-distance raid.

As a high-ranking officer in the Jin army, and having been stuck in Xuzhou for a long time, Gao Jingshan naturally knew what the Weiyi Army had encountered that day.

Shi Zhanxie was no weakling, but he was still easily killed by the Taiping Army, which many people thought was because the Taiping Army was too formidable.

But Gao Jingshan, a veteran who had experienced many major battles, did not think so.

The Weiyi Army suffered such a swift defeat because the entire Dongping Prefecture was attacking them; rebels, powerful clans, and ordinary people alike were all fighting desperately against the Jin army.

They used every means at their disposal, from large-scale frontal attacks and raids to burn supplies, to small acts like digging holes in roads, removing road signs, and filling wells.

Everyone has only one idea.

Drive the Jin thieves out!

Shi Zhanxie only had about ten thousand soldiers. How could he possibly deal with an attack by so many people?
Even if you brought in the most famous teachers and generals from the founding of the Jin Dynasty, they would still be at a loss.

Gao Jingshan was initially worried that he would suffer the same fate as Shi Zhanxie, but He Shilie Liangbi explained the general's strategy very clearly.

Firstly, the main force of the Taiping Army has gone to attack Daming Prefecture in Hebei and cannot return for the time being, leaving Dongping Prefecture extremely vulnerable.

Secondly, no matter how many methods the Taiping Army has, it takes time and manpower to organize them. As long as Gao Jingshan is fast enough, the Taiping Army simply won't have enough time.

Thirdly, the Taiping Army has gone from conquering the country to ruling it, and especially with their recent actions, the people are unlikely to support Geng Jing as they have in the past.

Moreover, Heshi Lieliangbi assured Gao Jingshan that as long as he could win one or two battles, there would naturally be a major change in Dongping Prefecture.

Even though Gao Jingshan trusted and even feared the current Left Chancellor, who was much younger than him, he was still extremely cautious when it came to matters concerning his life and fortune.

Throughout the journey, Gao Jingshan's heart was in his throat, constantly on guard against possible attacks.

However, Gao Jingshan never expected things to go so smoothly.

The Wu'an Army set off from Xuzhou and marched northwest along the Nanqing River, passing through Pei County, Yutai, and Rencheng. When they arrived at Liangshanbo, they were only fifty li away from Xucheng, the core city of Dongping Prefecture, and were not harassed or resisted at all.

Even Gao Anren, who had always been a troublemaker, was now somewhat convinced of He Shilie Liangbi's abilities.

The kind of person described in folk tales as someone who can strategize within a tent and win battles a thousand miles away is probably the Left Prime Minister.

On October 13th, the same day Liu Huai captured Xiapi, the first to receive news of the Jin army's approach from the south was Sun Hei, the garrison commander of Wenyang.

He was considered a veteran of the Taiping Army, but because of his poor performance, he became a local official.

This can also be considered a form of reward.

If Zhang Anguo and his ilk, though greedy and lustful, still possessed ambition, then Sun Hei was utterly depraved, the kind that needed severe punishment. He not only took over thirty concubines and indulged in constant feasting, but also seized a vast estate. Naturally, accustomed to this lifestyle, Sun Hei's once robust physique swelled up like an inflated balloon.

When news of the Jin army's invasion arrived, Sun Hei was drinking with a group of confidants. Half-drunk and half-awake, he laughed loudly: "These mere Jin invaders are nothing to worry about! Men, put on my armor, I want to fight them myself!"

Most of his confidants were also drunk, and upon hearing this, they all responded with a chorus of agreement.

Since defeating the Weiyi Army and killing Shizhan Xieye, the Tianping Army has gradually established a psychological advantage over the Jin Army.

The Jin Dynasty's regular army is nothing special.

As Sun Hei stepped out of his residence, the cold wind and the effects of the alcohol made him unsteady on his feet. Yet, he continued to spout nonsense about annihilating the Jin invaders and immediately sending troops.

The trusted generals had no choice but to find a carriage and stuff their commander inside.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Sun Hei had gathered his 2,400 troops, formed a crooked column, played drums and gongs, raised banners, and marched out of the city.

Of course, if the commander-in-chief is like this, one can imagine what the soldiers are really like.

The once-elite army could no longer even march in formation; soldiers couldn't find their generals, and generals couldn't find their soldiers, and soon their ranks became extremely loose.

Until this point, Sun Hei's two thousand-plus men had no idea how many Jin soldiers were attacking, what kind of troops they were, or what their fighting strength was.

Most of them still thought it was the local troops of the Jin Dynasty who had overstepped their bounds.

A few of the smarter people had a bad feeling, but instead of figuring out how to salvage the situation, they quietly retreated with their confidants, trying to take advantage of the chaos to protect themselves.

More than two thousand soldiers walked into hell in a daze.

The Wu'an Army's scouts quickly discovered this strange troop and reported it up the chain of command to Gao Anren, who was in charge of the vanguard.

Gao Anren was also unable to discern the enemy's tactics, but that did not stop him from ordering seven of his cavalrymen to turn around and engage the Taiping army.

Soon, the two sides met in the winter wilderness.

Gao Anren dared not be negligent and sent two light cavalrymen to harass the Taiping army's formation with bows and arrows. He then ordered five hundred armored cavalrymen to put on their armor and prepare for battle.

At the same time, Gao Anren also sent a military envoy to request reinforcements, since the Taiping army in front of them had more than two thousand soldiers and their formation was quite solid, and seven Mouke cavalrymen might not be enough.

However, just as the military envoy set off, Gao Anren discovered that, under the harassment of two Mouke light cavalry, the left and right flanks of the Taiping Army were showing signs of collapse.

Seeing an opportunity, Gao Anren no longer hesitated. He then personally led five armored cavalrymen from the Mouke tribe to press forward, driving away a small number of Taiping cavalrymen. He then used a cornering tactic to pressure the Taiping army's formation.

However, after two rounds of charges, the Taiping Army's flanks had already collapsed. Gao Anren ordered his deputy to drive the routed troops to attack the Sun-character banner, while he led the remaining armored cavalry to change into spare warhorses. He was still somewhat incredulous.

Weren't the Taiping Army very strong?

Shouldn't they be on the same level as the Dongping Army, the Jingnan Army, and the Zhongyi Army?

Why does it crumble so easily when you squeeze it, just like a snowman?
Although Gao Anren was completely baffled, he still knew what he had to do.

Seeing that Sun Hei's central army had actually stabilized its formation, Gao Anren simply dismounted himself and led more than a hundred dismounted knights to form a battle formation, shouting as they charged forward, preparing to use infantry to break through the formation and create an opportunity for the armored cavalry to follow.

Sun Hei was now completely sober. He broke out in a cold sweat in the winter wind. As he watched the approaching Jin army's banners and heard the thunderous hoofbeats and shouts of battle, his mind went blank. He was completely stunned in the chaotic battlefield.

"General! Retreat immediately!"

"How can we retreat now?! The Jurchens are all cavalry; how can we outrun four-legged cavalry?!"

"You actually think you can still fight? Fine, just wait to die here! I'm not playing along!"

After a few words of argument, someone even said they wanted to abandon the army and flee. Under normal circumstances, Sun Hei, as the commander-in-chief, should have been furious at this point, and might even have imposed military law.

However, when the generals looked at Sun Hei, they found that their commander was still standing there dumbfounded, without making any move. The generals who had only been shouting but had not done anything immediately put their words into action and fled with a few of their confidants.

When the junior officers who turned around and saw that even some people from the central command had escaped, they were all in an uproar, and their formation immediately began to tremble.

Sun Hei still had several trusted followers who did not abandon him even in this predicament, but instead helped him back.

"General! Hurry! We can't ride in a carriage now, get on your horse!"

At this moment, Gao Anren's armored soldiers had already rushed to the front of the Tianping army's formation. After throwing out a volley of short spears, they each raised their long spears and charged directly into the gap.

With a single charge, the Jin soldiers broke through the Taiping army's formation.

Sun Hei finally came to his senses and tried to mount the horse, but his large size made it difficult for him to get on after several attempts to jump in the stirrups.

After all that commotion, the warhorse was even more frightened and kept kicking.

Left with no other option, the trusted men brought in another, more docile warhorse.

As the tall banner drew ever closer, Sun Hei was drenched in sweat. In desperation, he finally leaped onto his horse.

Immediately, Sun Hei was startled, and his confidants were even more astonished.

It turns out this guy mounted the horse backwards; he wasn't facing the horse's head, but its rump.

"Oh no." Sun Hei finally uttered his first words before the battle, his voice trembling: "Oh no, I... I forgot how to ride a horse."

Now, those confidants were not just shocked, but also found it somewhat absurd.

Is this still the same Sun Hei, who could ride a horse at lightning speed and was known as the Black Whirlwind, skilled in both hands?

But there was no time to think about it anymore.

"The Taiping thief!"

In the midst of the chaos, a roar suddenly rang out, and a Jin general had already broken through the Tianping army's formation, arriving within five steps of Sun Hei, raising his short spear.

The next moment, the short spear flew out like a shooting star and pierced Sun Hei's chest.

Sun Hei stared blankly down at the spearhead growing from his chest, spitting out blood. Hearing the screams and shouts of battle around him, his vision went black.

We shouldn't give up equestrianism.

His last thought died out, and he fell into eternal darkness.

"I, Gao Anren, have slain the enemy general in battle! Follow me, my men, and kill the traitors!"

A short while later, Gao Anren inserted Sun Hei's head into the tip of a spear, raised it high, and shouted his name loudly.

Seeing this, the few remaining Taiping soldiers who were still putting up a stubborn resistance finally could not hold on and completely collapsed.

At this point, Sun Hei's entire army was wiped out, and the south gate of Dongping Prefecture was wide open.

(End of this chapter)