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

Chapter 629 The Han and the traitors are never compatible.

Half an hour later, the battlefield finally calmed down.

The scattered civilians were gathered and settled in the former Jin army camp. The city was transporting out the already scarce food supplies so that these people, who had been captured by the Jin army for a long time, could have a full meal.

Meanwhile, most of the Jin army had crossed the Majia River and destroyed the pontoon bridge.

The main force of the Jin army was still marching westward, but an elite force remained behind, with banners of Heshilie, Wanyan, Jiagu, and Gao appearing here.

This group of prominent figures in the Jin army stood facing Liu Huai across the Majia River, which was about twenty paces wide, at a distance of fifty or sixty paces.

Yao Buping watched as Bi Zaiyu, carrying a severed head and a large banner with the character "Gao" on his back, kept waving it in front of the formation, showing off to the other side of the river. He felt utterly disgusted.

"Alright, alright, Bi Da, it's just the beheading of a minor general, is it really necessary to act like this?"

Bi Zaiyu reined in his horse and stopped, his eyes wide: "Second Brother Yao, I just found out that this is the third general of the Wu'an Army, named Gao Cunxin, a proper marching general. In the past, killing one person would be considered a great achievement."

Yao Buping was speechless, then said with a stiff neck, "That doesn't count. The eldest son practically taught you how to launch a surprise attack, which allowed you to succeed so easily. How can it be attributed solely to you?"

Bi Zaiyu scoffed, "That's just jealousy!"

As Yao Buping said, the execution of the general was far too easy this time.

Gao Cunxin not only sent almost all his personal guards to drive away the conscripted soldiers, but he also did it himself.

Not only did Gao Cunxin carry the banner around, leaving him with only a dozen or so personal guards, but Bi Zaiyu also launched a surprise attack from a tricky angle.

Gao Anren was unable to provide any assistance and could only watch helplessly as Bi Zaiyu calmly killed Gao Cunxin, cut off his head, seized the banner, and then leisurely retreated.

Now Gao Anren dared not hesitate any longer, nor did he dare to continue forming ranks. He simply ordered all his troops to quickly cross the pontoon bridge, abandoning even the dozens of supply wagons that hadn't had time to cross the river.

At this moment, Liu Huai listened to the two young generals arguing in hushed tones, but did not pay them any mind. Instead, he looked at Wang Youzhi beside him and asked, "Brother Wang Jiu, do you have any advice for me on the current situation?"

Wang Youzhi quickly waved his hand: "In front of the Commander-in-Chief, I am not worthy of being called an elder brother. The Commander-in-Chief can simply call me Wang Jiu."

"General Wang, please don't stand on ceremony. As the local lord of Bozhou and a veteran of many battles, you must have some ideas for dealing with this situation, right?"

Faced with Liu Huai's question, Wang Youzhi hesitated.

Because he couldn't figure out Liu Huai's strategic objectives.

Was it simply to relieve the siege of Bozhou? Or to annihilate the Jin army? Or perhaps to attack Hebei and capture Daming Prefecture?

If this question is not answered well, it could easily offend Liu Huai.

Seeing this, Liu Huai's tone became even more sincere: "General Wang, I have been rushing day and night for a hundred miles to relieve the siege of Bozhou, and today we are fighting side by side. Can't you let General Wang open his heart to me?"

That's a bit harsh.

Wang Youzhi bowed again and then said, "Young Master, I believe that driving the Jin bandits out of Bozhou is sufficient. It will be difficult to annihilate this group of Jin bandits this time, and attacking Daming Prefecture will be even more difficult."

Liu Huai smiled, and said with some ill intent, "General Wang, do you perhaps have ulterior motives, worried that Bozhou will suffer from war again?"

Wang Youzhi, however, said solemnly and sincerely, "I have such thoughts, but more importantly, I am considering the overall situation."

"Firstly, Bozhou is devastated, and the people are short of food. It needs a lot of food to provide relief and can no longer withstand a major war. If we want to use Bozhou as a springboard to advance into Hebei, it will take another two years to restore the strength of the people."

The first thing Wang Youzhi mentioned was also gambling.

Although Liu Huai abandoned the idea of ​​a frontal cavalry attack for the sake of the people of Bozhou and watched the Jin army retreat, it remains to be seen whether this Commander-in-Chief will give up a possible opportunity for battle because of the people of Bozhou.

What if this person truly has the mindset of a young man, and is ambitious and eager for quick success?
Wang Youzhi secretly observed Liu Huai's reaction. Seeing that the other party only nodded slowly, he mustered up his courage and continued, "Secondly, do not attack Daming Prefecture. Although Yuancheng is difficult to take, with the wisdom and martial prowess of the eldest son, he will surely be able to take it in one fell swoop. However, Daming Prefecture is the gateway to Hebei, with a smooth road leading north and no natural defenses. That scoundrel Wanyan Yong will definitely regard the eldest son as a thorn in his side. He will let Wanyan Liang go first and keep sending troops to attack, and our army will waste its strength for nothing."

Although Wang Youzhi's words were veiled, he still pointed out a fact.

Yuancheng is difficult to capture, and even if it is captured, it will become the focus of the Jin Kingdom's attack.

Neither Wanyan Liang, who established the capital in Bianliang, nor Wanyan Yong, who established the capital in Yanjing, would sit idly by and allow this thorn to be inserted into the heart of Hebei, threatening both sides.

Liu Huai remained noncommittal.

Wang Youzhi continued, "Thirdly, after I return, I must persuade General Geng to reunite with Duke Wei. The Shandong righteous army belongs to one family. As long as Shandong is united, the Jin invaders are in such a mess that Shandong will naturally grow stronger."

This was an attempt to persuade Geng Jing to submit to Liu Huai. After all, in Wang Youzhi's view, after this great upheaval, Geng Jing's prestige was no longer sufficient to maintain his position as a political leader, and it was not shameful to bow down to someone stronger.

Wang Youzhi himself had gone from being a regional warlord to being Geng Jing's subordinate, so the change in mindset was very smooth, and he had no taboos about it.

At this point, Liu Huai was finally moved. After a long silence, he said, "Kong Duanqi of Dongping Prefecture rebelled and joined forces with the Jin traitors to besiege and kill the Tianping Army. Geng Jiedushi died in battle to cover the army's retreat."

Wang Youzhi's expression froze instantly. He looked at the opposite bank of the Majia River, then stared blankly at the sky for a moment before tears streamed down his face: "Why... why did it have to be like this..."

After being besieged in Liaocheng, Wang Youzhi was cut off from all communication. He knew nothing of what happened afterward, including the rebellion in Dongping Prefecture and the Pingyin Battle of the Tianping Army, and he was even more unaware that Geng Jing had been killed in battle.

Upon hearing the news of Geng Jing's death, Wang Youzhi thought of the past kindness of being taken in, the favor he had shown, and the resentment he had harbored. His heart was filled with mixed emotions, and his mind went blank.

"I..." Wang Youzhi's words were incoherent. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "Kong the traitor! Jin traitor! I will not be a man if I do not avenge this!" Liu Huai pointed to the Jin army flags on the opposite bank of the river: "That scoundrel Kong Duanqi has already been captured by me in battle and beheaded as a warning. Xin Wulang will lead the Tianping Army back to Dongping Prefecture to clean up those powerful families. Now the great grudge is on the other side of the Majia River. Are you still going to advise me to be patient?"

Wang Youzhi wiped away his tears, then said solemnly, "That's right. Even if you think I'm a disloyal and heartless person, I still have to say that now is not the time to fight the Jin invaders. Shandong's western route is devastated. Not only Bozhou, but Dongping Prefecture has also been ravaged by the Jin and Kong invaders for a long time. It is time to restore people's livelihoods!"
"My lord, with food so scarce this year, we must endure this moment of anger so that we can lead our troops to a righteous and decisive battle against the Jin invaders in the future!"

Liu Huai finally nodded slowly; Wang Youzhi's words had hit the nail on the head.

The food problem has always been a major issue.

In particular, military rations also involve the issue of civilian laborers transporting the rations.

Previously, the two armies had been fighting in Shandong. Both the Loyal Army and the Taiping Army had established relatively stable rule and could use rivers for grain transport.

Even if laborers are needed, people can be summoned to perform corvée labor, and local officials can play a role during this period.

However, the situation was completely different in Hebei.

First, there was a lack of cooperation from local officials; second, there was a lack of trust from the people of Hebei.

In short, Liu Huai has done no favors for the people of Hebei, and the people are not destined to follow the banner of "Han".

If laborers were organized from Shandong to transport grain, not to mention the morale of the laborers leaving their homes, the cost of money and grain would be astronomical.

Given Shandong's current financial situation, it simply cannot afford to bear it.

However, if they were to rely on the enemy for food, the Jin dynasty's treasury would be emptied, leaving them with nothing to plunder. They would then have to exploit the people, which would contradict the Han army's military philosophy and fundamental policies.

The only solution is to continue developing Shandong after occupying Bozhou, gather refugees from the Central Plains and Hebei, and have them settle down and cultivate the land.

After two autumn harvests, the Han army will be fully reorganized. Then, taking advantage of the Jin's weakness due to internal strife, they can capture Daming Prefecture and march straight to Youzhou.

"General Wang." Liu Huai frowned slightly as he watched a small boat slowly approaching from the opposite bank of the river. The people on board were waving a white flag. He then turned to Wang Youzhi and asked, "What are your plans?"

Wang Youzhi remained silent.

Liu Huai continued, "If General Wang has lost heart in this battle, he can relinquish his military power and take charge of civil administration. I have a prefectural governorship or a vacant judgeship in the military governor's office waiting for him."

"If General Wang wishes to go to the Southern Dynasty, I can recommend him to Prime Minister Yu."

"If General Wang still wishes to lead troops, he can serve as the prefect of Bozhou and concurrently as the military commander of the Jingnan Army."

Liu Huai's words were full of twists and turns, but the conditions were still quite favorable. He could choose to be a central or local official, and whether he wanted to be a civil or military official was up to Wang Youzhi to decide.

There was only one condition: if Wang Youzhi wanted to continue his life in Shandong, he had to join Liu Huai's forces and remain loyal to him.

If you don't want to join, and the Huai River isn't covered, you can go and seek refuge in the State of Song.

Wang Youzhi appeared to have a choice, but in reality, he didn't.

Historically, the reason he sought refuge in the Song Dynasty was because Wanyan Yong had wiped out the entire Shandong Central Plains rebel army, leaving him with no other choice.

Moreover, once he arrived in the State of Song, Wang Youzhi was always doing the dirty work of charging into battle, and every now and then he was ridiculed by people like Liu Bao and Zhang Zigai.

Although Geng Jing has died in battle, the situation for the Shandong rebels is still very favorable. Why would Wang Youzhi, who is full of himself, want to become a pawn for the Song Dynasty?!
Wang Youzhi knelt down and kowtowed heavily: "I am willing to defend Bozhou to the death for Commander-in-Chief! I will do my utmost!"

Liu Huai dismounted and personally helped Wang Youzhi up: "It's not just about defending Bozhou, but also about ensuring that the people of Bozhou live a good life. In a few days, I will send legal officials and garrison soldiers to Bozhou to measure the fields, clear wasteland, and start planting. I hope General Wang can lend me a hand. But please, do not delay the spring planting!"

Wang Youzhi knew this was both a heavy responsibility and a test, with an element of surveillance involved. However, he couldn't hesitate for the moment, and immediately nodded, saying, "As you command, Young Master!"

Liu Huai finally nodded in satisfaction, then frowned again as he looked at the Jin envoys holding white flags on the river. He whistled at Bi Zaiyu and the others who were still arguing in hushed tones three or four steps away, then pointed with his hand.

Bi Zaiyu, Yao Beng, and more than ten other military officers understood the situation and immediately stepped forward to grab the messenger.

"Are you here to surrender?" Before the envoy could speak, Liu Huai bowed and said sincerely, "I see you are holding a white flag; are you here to surrender?"

The Jin envoy was forced to the ground, and although he was disheveled, he still forced a smile and said, "I have come on the orders of the Left Chancellor to inform the Shandong rebels..."

Liu Huai instantly lost interest, straightened up, and casually waved his hand.

Bi Zaiyu immediately slit the neck of the Jin envoy and kicked him into the Majia River.

The Majia River was not very wide, and the two armies were only about fifty paces apart. When the Jin army saw this, they all became agitated, but then seemed to be stopped by their officers and calmed down again.

Liu Huai clicked his tongue: "I thought the Jurchens would come back for another battle."

With that, Liu Huai mounted his horse, raised his Liquan Spear, pointed it at the banner of Heshilie, and shouted: "I have no words with the Jin traitors, only swords!"

The Han soldiers immediately cheered and shouted.

Heshi Lieliangbi gave Liu Huai a deep look, then turned and left first.

(End of this chapter)