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

Chapter 754 Rebellion on the Verge, But the Trend Is Hard to Reverse (Part 2)
Pu Sanzhongyi's anger came from many sources, but the two most intense were the most intense.

First, there is a sense of powerlessness in the face of the current situation.

Secondly, there was unease regarding Heshi Lieliangbi's greater trust in Shiju than in Pucha Shijie.

Another point is the guilt he feels towards his old friend, Pucha Shijie.

Because Pu Sanzhongyi knew that once the joint document was sent out, allowing Shi Ju to take charge of the overall situation, Pu Chashijie, who only led six proper Meng'an... two of whom were Han Meng'an who had joined forces with the Chenzhou army... would definitely be wronged.

However, now that things have come to this, who on the Jin side isn't being oppressed to the point of having difficulty breathing?

On the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, this document was personally brought back by Jia Gu Asu and presented directly to Pu Cha Shijie.

Pucha Shijie was relatively law-abiding in his political conduct, and although somewhat reluctant, he still invited Shi Ju over.

After they opened the military order together, their individual feelings remain unmentioned.

At night, Du Wuji once again inspected the archives in his capacity as a military judge. After reviewing the document, he immediately went to find Xie Fuyao.

Unsurprisingly, Zhang Shu was also in the hall.

However, Zhang Shu did not come to find Du Wuji, but rather to investigate Xie Jiuzhong's return from Xuzhou.

Xie Jiuzhong was shirtless, and on the table in front of him were only a few flatbreads, a pot of wine, and a stack of sliced ​​beef. He was currently eating them heartily, seemingly very hungry.

After watching Xie Jiuzhong devour three large pancakes, one of the three core members of the Henan Han Army finally spoke up: "Second Xie, what's the situation?"

Xie Jiuzhong breathed a sigh of relief: "First, there's Hou Yuanliang's side..."

Zhang Shu stamped his foot and said, "Who asked about Hou Yuanliang? So many regular troops went to Mengcheng, what hope does he have? What did Lord Wei say?"

Xie Jiuzhong was taken aback for a moment, then quickly said, "Lord Wei did make some promises to us, nothing more than the regulations for the local tyrants in Xuzhou. All their land will be retained, but the land will be subject to quotas."

Private soldiers, tenants, and servants were definitely not allowed; even if guards were to be summoned, an official permit from the government was required.

This time, based on merit, the selection process for officials has been skipped, and officials are directly appointed according to their abilities…

This time, Zhang Shu wasn't angry, but rather somewhat helpless. He could only look at Xie Fuyao and say, "Old Xie, why don't you talk to your second son?"

Xie Fu shook his head, then said seriously, "Second brother, these are all trivial matters. Now that the situation has reached this point, it's a matter of life and death. Talking about fame and fortune is too narrow-minded. We need to survive."

"Let me ask you, has Lord Wei said when he will send troops to attack, or when he will be able to defeat the Jin army in Mengcheng? Does he need our army's cooperation? Has a date been agreed upon?"

Xie Jiuzhong immediately nodded: "Yes, Duke Wei did say he would send troops, but he did not tell me the specifics of where to attack, what to attack, or where to attack."

"Brother, this is our first time dealing with Lord Wei. We may appear to be wholeheartedly loyal and righteous, but even the slightest bit of caution necessitates a test."

Zhang Shu sighed upon hearing this.

Things were rushed; the relationship between the Han Chinese army and the Jurchens had deteriorated in just ten days, so there was no time to find a reliable pledge of allegiance.

Besides, even if there were a pledge of allegiance, Wei Sheng wouldn't be able to tell if it was real or fake!
Therefore, Wei Sheng ultimately only believed the most easily verifiable parts of Xie Jiuchong's words.

"That's how things are. If we want to gain Lord Wei's trust, we should offer something in return," Xie Jiuzhong said, spreading his hands.

Du Wuji looked dejected upon hearing this.

What's worse than selling oneself is that even if you sell yourself, nobody wants you.

"But where are we going to find a pledge of loyalty? Are we going to surround and kill these four Jurchen warriors? We can't just kill Pucha Shijie, can we?"

Originally, this was just a grumble, but after it was uttered, all four people present, including Du Wuji who made the remark, were somewhat moved.

No matter how bad the relationship was between the Han'er Army and the Wujie Army, they were still united as one army. As the commander-in-chief, Pucha Shijie could not possibly not participate in the military council.

There is only one kind of conspiracy in ancient China: luring the political leader of the other side to a meeting by a combination of coaxing and deception, and then attacking him directly at the meeting by hacking him to death.

He Jin, Erzhu Rong, Yuwen Hu, and a series of other ambitious figures have demonstrated with their lives just how effective and practical such conspiracies can be.

Then we'll figure out a way to kill all the personal guards that Pucha Shijie brought. After that, the Han army can either take the initiative to surround and kill the Jurchens, or play it safe and hold Ruyin. They're all local people, so we're not afraid of them not being able to hold out.

In this way, the main force of the Jin army in Mengcheng will be surrounded on three sides by Ruyin, Xiachai and Fuli. At that time, let alone taking the initiative to attack, it would be audacious for Pusan ​​Zhongyi not to retreat immediately.

“This…this doesn’t seem impossible…” Zhang Shu sat in the chair, spreading his hands and muttering to himself, then looked at Du Wuji: “Since you have some ideas, do you have a complete plan?”

I have a ghost.

Du Wuji was both amused and exasperated. Just as he was about to reply, someone outside the government office called out loudly, "Is Prefect Xie here? Lord Shi has military orders!"

Du Wuji and Zhang Shu exchanged a glance, neither daring to stay in the government office any longer.

If people were to discover that they were plotting, even if Shi Ju were extremely magnanimous, he would become suspicious of them.

The two hurried towards the backyard, but after taking only two steps, Du Wuji remembered something and quickly turned back, grabbing Xie Fuyao's arm and saying, "I just read the documents sent by Prime Minister Liangbi and the Grand Marshal, which are to transfer our entire army to Feishui. You should be prepared."

Having said that, before Xie Fuyao could even process it, Du Wuji quickly left, preparing to climb over the wall.

The military envoy wasn't there out of boredom to investigate Xie Da Guanren's nightlife; rather, he was there to convey Shi Ju's military order to convene a military council.

Xie Fuyao dared not delay and immediately mounted his warhorse, leaving with the military envoy, but he still had some questions in his mind.

According to Du Wuji, the document sent from Heshi Lieliangbi had already been archived in the archives before he had the opportunity to review it. In other words, the military order had actually arrived long ago, so why was a military council only being convened now?

Has something happened again that prompted Shi Ju to make this decision?
Xie Fuyao was completely baffled, but after entering the central command tent and taking off his sword, a sudden thought struck him.

Isn't this the perfect time to address what we were just discussing?

Although he was unarmed, he still had a dagger in his boot.

Within ten steps, a man can rival a nation!
Xie Fuyao's heart was burning with excitement, but after entering the central command tent, he was met with a bucket of cold water.

The reason was simple: Pucha Shijie and Shiju had come in armor. In addition, this military meeting was not only attended by four Jurchen marching warriors, but also by some marching strategists.

In terms of numbers, the Han Chinese generals were at a disadvantage.

Xie Fuyao looked around and saw that several of his close brothers were looking at him. He simply shook his head imperceptibly to indicate that he did not know what had happened either.

Soon, when all the capable and intelligent men in the army had come to the tent, Pucha Shijie held up a document bearing the official seal and said, "This is the troop mobilization document jointly signed by Prime Minister Liangbi and the Grand Marshal. You are to move your troops to Feishui within three days. Do you have anything to say?"

"Of course there is!"

No sooner had Pucha Shijie finished speaking than someone voiced a dissenting opinion. Everyone looked over and saw that the person was none other than the troublemaker Zhang Shu: "Didn't we say a few days ago that much of our military rations had rotted in the rain and were already insufficient for a long march?"
"If this matter isn't resolved, are you expecting us to march and fight on empty stomachs?"

Pucha Shijie seemed to have been waiting for Zhang Shu to make a move. He immediately took out another document and said with a smile, "The court already knows about our difficulties here. His Highness the Crown Prince and Minister Zhang Hao have sent a document."

The imperial edict ordered Zhang Shousu to gather conscripted soldiers in Henan to transport provisions to this area. This would not only solve the food problem, but also provide conscripted soldiers to carry earth and fill trenches – wouldn't that be a win-win situation?

Pucha Shijie held up the document, his smile gradually turning cold.

The Jurchen generals all wore expressions of mockery.

The Han Chinese generals were also divided into two groups.

The generals from Hebei, such as Zhang Shu, all changed their expressions and went to look at Shi Ju, who was sitting in the head seat.

The generals from Henan unconsciously reached for their waists, and even when they found nothing, they glared angrily at Pucha Shijie, while a few also looked at Shi Ju.

Shi Ju's already gloomy expression turned even more ashen.

Everyone underestimated Pucha Shijie.

Even his elder brother, Pusan ​​Zhongyi, and Heshi Lie Liangbi, the universally acknowledged wise man of the Jin Dynasty, all underestimated Pucha Shijie.

How could this guy possibly suffer any injustice?!
He clearly took advantage of the fact that his army was stationed in Ruyin, and after realizing that something was wrong, he immediately requested an imperial decree from Bianliang to conscript soldiers from the entire Henan province, thus gaining control of the entire Han Chinese army in Henan.

It should be understood that the Jin Dynasty's conscription was a completely different matter from the mobilization of laborers in previous dynasties.

The conscripted soldiers not only had to perform the duties of civilian laborers, but were also cannon fodder on the battlefield.

Purely battlefield consumables.

The Jin dynasty had ruled the northern regions for decades, and this kind of shady business was known not only to the government but also to ordinary people.

Once the conscription begins, no matter how many soldiers can be recruited, it will cause a great disaster simply by people fleeing and hiding.

It's already early June, and the autumn harvest will be in two months at most. If Henan is thrown into chaos by the conscription, then next year there will be widespread famine!
The generals, who came from wealthy families in Henan, would absolutely not allow Henan to become like this.

Whether you say they treat Henan as their private property, that they genuinely care about their hometown, or that they are simply seeking fame and maintaining the morale of their Henan soldiers, you can say they are doing it all.

In any case, Du Wuji and the others had their Achilles' heel exploited.

Shi Ju was even more furious.

Shi Ju's ambition was to bring peace to the Han lands, which was also the basis for his position in the Jin court. Otherwise, since he was neither Wanyan nor Pusan, why should he be appointed as prime minister?
If Zhang Shousu really launched a large-scale petition drive in Henan, the consequences would not only be that Shi Ju's hard work of more than a year would be in vain, but the people of Henan would also no longer believe a word Shi Ju said.

Under a murderous glare, Pucha Shijie calmly picked up his teacup and took a sip.

He knew, of course, that this would provoke the wrath of Shi Ju and all the Han soldiers.

But unless the Han army can directly tear apart all four Meng'an Jurchen cavalrymen, then immediately turn around and kill Zhang Shousu, and then go to Bianliang to explain the situation to Crown Prince Wanyan Guangying, Shi Ju and the others are bound to suffer this injustice.

In this situation, one can only say that Pucha Shijie was ruthless enough to take the entire Henan province hostage and win the battle with the determination to lose both sides rather than let the other side win alone.

"General Zhang," Pucha Shijie said, after everyone had processed the news, before looking at Zhang Shu with a half-smile, "Do we have enough military rations now?"

Zhang Shu remained silent for a moment, and seeing that none of the Henan generals around him spoke, he could only grit his teeth and say, "That's enough."

Pucha Shijie sneered, then shouted angrily, "Whether it's enough or not, I didn't hear you! Where is the military's class law?!"

Zhang Shu gritted his teeth, but could only kneel on one knee and loudly report: "Reporting to General Pucha, the army has sufficient food and can send troops out at any time!"

Pucha Shijie finally nodded in satisfaction, then glanced at Shi Ju: "Master Shi, do you have anything else to say?"

Shi Ju glanced at the Han generals in the tent who dared not speak their anger, shook his head and chuckled: "Since General Pucha has already settled the general plan, why would he still need me?"

With that, Shi Ju flicked his sleeves, stood up, and walked out of the tent.

(End of this chapter)