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

Chapter 590 The Traitor is Also the Leader

The Shenwei Army, together with Tudanzhen's tribal soldiers, numbered approximately 11,000 regular troops.

Compared to the other two armies, the Shenwei Army did not replenish its ranks according to previous regulations, resulting in the Wu'an and Wujie armies having more than 10,000 regular troops, while the Shenwei Army only had more than 8,000 men.

It wasn't that Xiao Qi was overly arrogant, thinking that his 8,000 troops could conquer the world. Rather, it was because most of his troops were from the Meng'an-Muke households of the Khitan and Jurchen people, and they were rather xenophobic. Adding some Han soldiers to his ranks might actually decrease their fighting strength instead of increasing it.

If some Han Chinese were added to the army, some people worried that the Han Chinese in the Divine Might Army would overpower the other ethnic groups and their loyalty would not be very high, so it was delayed indefinitely.

Even though Xiao Qi was the commander of an army, he could not go against the will of the entire army.

The situation is even clearer for the soldiers of the Tudan tribe. They all come from the Tudan tribe, and if they want to replenish their ranks, they have to go back to Liaodong to conscript men.

However, even though these Jin troops were not fully organized, more than 10,000 regular soldiers plus several thousand laborers were enough to be called an army of 20,000. Once a force exceeds 10,000, it is boundless. When this army arrived in Xucheng as a fresh force, it immediately boosted the morale of the entire Wu'an Army and plunged the Xucheng garrison into great panic.

On November 1st, Shao Jin, his face pale, looked at the increasingly solid Jin army camp below the city. His lips moved, wanting to say something to boost morale, but because of his overwhelming fear, he couldn't utter a word.

Kong Duanqi, standing to the side, was also pale-faced. As for why he was in such a state, there was a very direct reason.

During a fierce attack by the Jin army the day before yesterday, Kong Duanqi also grabbed a knife and went into battle. However, in just one exchange, he was slashed on the thigh by the Jin soldiers and had to be carried back by his personal guards.

"Mr. Kong, when will our reinforcements arrive?" Shao Jin asked in a voice only the two of them could hear. "Our military intelligence has been out for so long, why hasn't the governor sent reinforcements?"

Kong Duanqi said with a grim expression, "What else can we do besides wanting to capture Daming Prefecture first and then relieve the siege of Xucheng in a complete victory?"

Shao Jin's lips trembled a few times: "Couldn't it be because our messenger was killed?"

Even amidst his busy schedule, Kong Duanqi almost laughed out of anger at Shao Jin.

"Xucheng has been cut off from the surrounding areas for so long, are the others blind? How could they not have come to investigate? And if they found out, how could they not have reported back to the governor?"

"Even if everyone around is an incompetent fool, how could the governor not be suspicious when all correspondence and military orders between Xucheng and the front lines have been cut off?"

At this point, Kong Duanqi sighed: "It's difficult for the military governor too. If we turn back before capturing Daming Prefecture, the morale of the army will be severely damaged. Even if we can catch up, the long march will likely result in more defeats than victories."

Shao Jin slammed his fist on the battlement, gritting his teeth as he said, "What are the Song Dynasty and the Loyal Army doing? Why are they allowing so many Jin bandits to march north safely?!"

When the Wu'an army besieged the city, Shao Jin was actually somewhat prepared, because according to the intelligence conveyed by Liu Huai, it would be abnormal for the Jin army in Xuzhou to take no action after having a leader.

But what's with the arrival of over 10,000 Jin Dynasty troops in Xucheng now?

There wasn't the slightest bit of restraint. Could it be that the Song army and Liu Dalang were just sitting by and watching the Taiping army fight to the death?
Shao Jin's mind was in turmoil, while at the same time, the Tianping army in Xucheng was becoming increasingly panicked, to the point that rumors were spreading in just a few hours.

Some say that the Jin army has already defeated Geng Jiedu's main force.

Some say that the Jin army was able to advance north because the Song dynasty no longer cared about Shandong.

Even more outrageous is the claim that the Jin army in Xuzhou had already surrounded and killed the main forces of the Loyal Army and the Jingnan Army under Pengcheng, which is why they had the spare strength to attack Dongping Prefecture.

Regardless of the type of rumor, it caused enormous damage to the morale of the troops.

However, for Kong Duanqi, the most terrifying thing was not the content of the rumors, but that he couldn't understand how the rumors started.

Xucheng has been placed under military control, commercial activities have come to a standstill, and not only is there a strict curfew, but the people are also staying at home and are not allowed to go out unless necessary.

How do rumors spread so quickly and everywhere?

"There is still plenty of military rations left, but the people in the city are somewhat lacking in food. Should we... Mr. Kong?" In the government office, Zhang Nan was holding a document and talking about the food situation in the city. When he saw Kong Duanqi lost in thought, he couldn't help but call out softly.

Kong Duanqi snapped out of his daze: "Oh... please continue..."

Zhang Nan did not continue his report. Instead, he looked at the officials behind him and, seeing that they were far away and busy with their work, stepped forward and whispered, "Mr. Kong, do not worry about the arrival of the Jin invaders. Xucheng is a fortified city, and it is guarded by a large army. It is not so easy to take it down."

Kong raised his hand and smiled, but the movement aggravated his wound, causing him to wince in pain: "Anan, I wasn't worried about that..."

He was about to mention the rumors circulating in the city when Zhang Nan stepped forward again, almost touching the table in front of Kong Duan: "As for whether the Song Kingdom will send reinforcements, Mr. Kong, there's no need to worry. Things are already a mess; who would bother with such matters? Besides..." Zhang Nan's voice lowered further, almost a whisper, "Besides, we don't only have one path to take..."

Kong Duanqi was startled and suddenly remembered the rumors circulating in the city.

His gaze swept across Zhang Nan's face, then slowly moved to the other officials in the government office.

Before anyone knew it, more than ten officials had slowed down their work and looked up at Kong Duanqi.

The familiar faces of the past now appeared as ferocious and hateful as ghosts in Kong Duanqi's eyes, so much so that he trembled slightly in the warm government office.

"You may continue your discussion. I need to return to my residence to change my dressing." Kong Duanqi forced a smile as he stood up, refusing Zhang Nan's offer of assistance. He then hobbled out of the government office, leaning on his cane.

He looked up at the sky and felt that the sunlight was too bright and blinding. For a moment, he didn't know where to go or what to do.

A moment later, Kong Duanqi boarded the carriage and said to the coachman, "Go back to the manor, hurry up!"

Upon returning to the Kong residence, Kong Duanqi immediately went to the backyard to find Yila Dao.

Although Yiladao was still sunbathing in the courtyard, he did not close his eyes to rest. Instead, he held a book in his hand and squinted, making it unclear whether he was reading or dozing off.

"Oh? Mr. Kong has arrived?" Yila Dao put down the book in his hand, smiled at Kong Duanqi, and asked, "Is your wound healing well?"

Kong picked up his cane and snorted coldly, "I came to find you not for this."

Yila Dao's smile remained unchanged: "That's because the main force of our Great Jin army has arrived at the city gates, rumors are spreading throughout the city, and even the powerful families in the city are not safe?"

Kong Duanqi fell silent for a moment before sighing, "Sometimes I really don't know if it's because my Kong family is full of holes, or if you are truly intelligent to the point of being almost supernatural, able to see through the situation at a glance every time and say it without missing a single word."

Yila Dao laughed heartily this time, laughing until he was breathless before stopping: "Mr. Kong, Mr. Kong, you can't see the vastness of the ocean from the bottom of a well. You say I have perfect insight and am almost magically intelligent, but you don't know that this matter is as easy as turning your hand. If my Jin Dynasty officials were here, they would have seen through my little trick long ago. Mr. Kong, let me ask you, when I stopped you in Dong'e, I only had one person and one servant. Did you ever think about where the rest of the delegation went?"

Kong Duanqi remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "We've already arrived in Xucheng, haven't we?"

Yila shook his head: "Of course not, but rather I contacted the powerful and wealthy families in Dongping Prefecture and made promises to them."

"Just like when I followed Master Kong to Xucheng, this is all just idle talk, the purpose of which is to give you all another path." Yila Dao held up two fingers, indicating that two paths now existed: "When the Taiping Army was in power, you naturally wouldn't have taken our path, but now..."

Kong Duanqi sighed: "Things have become difficult. Whether it's our personal future or the future of the Taiping Army, things are going to be tough."

As he spoke, Kong Duanqi burst into tears, and after a moment, tears streamed down his face: "It's all...it's all because of me...because I coveted power and position, and in order to cover up the lie that the Song state could not send troops, I could only keep using other lies to cover it up, and in the end...in the end, I harmed the Tianping Army and Geng Jiedu..."

In the end, Kong Duanqi collapsed to the ground, covering his face and weeping.

Yila Dao walked slowly forward and came to stand in front of Kong Duanqi. Although he was still a prisoner, he was as imposing as a mountain, looking down at Kong Duanqi: "Mr. Kong, do you intend to die for the Taiping Army?"

Kong Duanqi wiped away his tears, slowly stood up, and said, "Of course not..."

As he spoke, Kong Duan grinned maliciously, tears still streaming down his face, making his expression particularly eerie: "Even if I have to be a traitor, I'll be the leader! I'll take complete control of Dongping Prefecture!"

Yila Dao paused for a moment, then burst into laughter again. He patted Kong Duanqi on the shoulder and said, "Well said! The Great Jin has already decided to enfeoff the Meng'an Mouke in Shandong. Just like the story of the Qi Kingdom, why not give you Dongping Prefecture?"

Kong Duanqi's smile became even more sinister: "I'll go contact the others right away."

Yila Dao smiled and shook his head: "Don't take the initiative to contact them. Wait for them to come to you."

Seeing Kong Duanqi's bewildered expression, Yila patiently explained, "Rumors are spreading in the city, but that's hardly the skill of my followers. They're unfamiliar with the place; how could they spread rumors so easily without being caught? This must be the work of a wealthy family in the city! Just wait, at the latest tonight, someone will come looking for you."

Kong Duanqi nodded blankly, about to say something, when he heard a servant outside the garden shout, "Master! We have guests. It's Zhang Nan, the Third Master, with the officials from the county."

Yila Dao's smile widened: "Tsk tsk, Dongping Prefecture may not be a large place, but it is a land of outstanding people and abundant resources!"

Kong Duanqi could only manage a forced laugh for a moment.

(End of this chapter)