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

Chapter 865 Or rather, both North and South are suitable for war

"Hou Anyuan and Liu Ba did a really good job this time, especially Hou Anyuan. He is both brave and resourceful, and he can make firm decisions at critical moments. He is a leader among the younger generation."

"Indeed. Although Liu Ba has not yet returned, Hou Anyuan should be rewarded immediately so as not to discourage meritorious officials."

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, I know that Linhuang Prefecture handled this matter well, but it shouldn't be brought up in the military council."

To put it bluntly, so what if the Mongols completely occupied Linhuang Prefecture? So what if the Khitans didn't get involved with Dongjin? Does Dongjin have any chance of ever turning the tables?

"It's not that we're afraid of the Jin invaders, but rather that if the Mongols really have an alliance with the Eastern Jin, the Jin invaders can recruit a large number of Mongols as their puppet troops."

These Mongols are not very good at fighting head-on, but their ability to appear and disappear unpredictably and to hit and run is a skill passed down from the Xiongnu era…

"Yes, didn't you say yourself that the Mongols can't fight tough battles?"

"Hey, did you even understand what I meant? What if a large number of Mongol troops came to Hebei?"

The Hebei Plain is a vast expanse of fertile land. The Mongols don't need to fight any tough battles. They can burn a village today and trample crops tomorrow. How many cavalrymen do we have to play hide-and-seek with them?
Even if we manage to wipe out the Mongols in the end, how much suffering will the common people endure?

"Old He, no one says we don't value the Mongols, but things have gotten pretty close by now. Do you really think we can send troops to Linhuang Prefecture right now?"

During the military council, several high-ranking civil and military officials were arguing heatedly until Liu Huai arrived, at which point they finally stopped.

"Greetings to the King of Han."

Liu Huai waved his hand and said, "No need for such formalities in private. So, have you reached a conclusion?"

Several ministers, including He Boqiu, Shi Ju, and Liang Su, remained silent.

After a moment, Xin Qiji said, "This matter is only uncertain and should be decided by the King of Han. We will naturally comply."

Liu Huai was also helpless.

Today is the first day of the tenth lunar month, which is considered to be winter.

In these chaotic times, after the autumn harvest, the grain has been stored in the granaries, and it is customary to send troops to fight.

Of course, this doesn't mean that the leaders of these major powers are all born war fanatics, but who doesn't have the obsession with unifying the world? If you don't fight, do you expect the enemy to surrender and lay down their arms in courtesy?
However, to everyone's surprise, it was the State of Song that first made a major strategic move.

In August, Lu You, the former military commissioner of Hebei, was appointed as the military commissioner of Sichuan, becoming the highest-ranking civil official in Sichuan and Hanzhong.

Around the same time, Yu Yunwen, the Left Chancellor of the Song Dynasty, left Xiangyang and arrived in Nanyang to reorganize the troops and reform the civil administration, which shocked the world.

This caused a sensation, especially among the Song court and the general public.

If it were merely the army occupying the territory, then it could only be said that the Northern Expedition had achieved results. However, since the prime ministers of the state were present there, who could deny that the entire Nanyang region had been completely liberated?

As for the results of the Han army's northern expedition, it is clear to anyone with eyes to see that there will still be twists and turns.

However, the pro-war faction held the upper hand in the government and the public, suppressing all other trends and maintaining a semblance of peace.

Even though Yu Yunwen's governance of Nanyang was more symbolic than practical, it still greatly inspired the entire Song state.

This, of course, caught Xijin's attention.

This was unavoidable; the Nanyang Basin was too close to Bianliang and could lead directly north to Luoyang. If the Song army really fought desperately, then the last foothold of the Western Jin would be lost.

The so-called "sending a general to lead the troops of Jingzhou to Wan and Luo" means that Wan has now been occupied by the Song state, so how far away can Luo be?
Moreover, Yu Yunwen was not only capable of launching military offensives; his political offensives were equally fierce.

Or to put it more bluntly, political offensives were what the Song rulers and ministers were best at.

There's a saying in Game of Thrones that goes something like this: Sometimes war is fought with knights and horses, and sometimes with letters and ravens.

Moreover, while saying that Xijin's current situation is like a pile of eggs might be an exaggeration, it is certainly true that the situation is not good.

Since there are loyal ministers like Pu Sanzhongyi who want to save the country, there will be some opportunists who want to sell the country for a good price.

In particular, the Song state also claimed the righteous cause of the Han people's restoration of their country, so much so that the Han officials of the Western Jin Dynasty almost had no internal struggle and all colluded with the Song state.

The servant San Zhongyi was naturally terrified by this.

He wasn't afraid of the Song army attacking Bianliang.

Given the Song army's weak offensive capabilities, it would have been impossible to breach the Bianliang defense line without an army of 100,000.

If the Song army really did send 100,000 troops, then Pusan ​​Zhongyi would use light cavalry to cut off the Song army's supply lines, and then he would have ten ways to kill Yu Yunwen under the walls of Bianliang.

But what Pu Sanzhongyi was most worried about was that Luoyang would suddenly rebel and cut off the connection between Guanzhong and Bianliang.

If things were to reach that point, Xijin might be destroyed immediately.

Of course, even recognizing the critical situation, Pusan ​​Zhongyi had no other recourse but to expedite the relocation of the capital. Luoyang had numerous Han Chinese officials and powerful clans, all of whom were likely to collude with the Song state. Simply replacing a governor or sending a general wouldn't guarantee peace of mind.

In theory, the only way for Pusan ​​Zhongyi to defend the city was to lead a large army to garrison it, but if he did so, Bianliang would immediately surrender to the Han army.

Compared to the Song state, the Han army was far too powerful, so much so that Liu Huai's mere appearance in Shangqiu was enough to cause turmoil and panic in Bianliang.

As the King of Han in everyone's eyes, Liu Huai didn't need to use elaborate schemes; his very existence was the most powerful political offensive.

Countless powerful families, gentry, wealthy merchants, and even the Meng'an and Mouke households in Bianliang would grovel and beg Liu Huai to take over.

Faced with this dilemma, Pu Sanzhongyi was in a very difficult position, and Liu Huai was also hesitant.

If it were a small-scale military operation in winter, it would be impossible to launch a large-scale invasion of Hebei and Youyan, but it would still be possible to launch an offensive of tens of thousands of men against Jin.

However, in mid-September, Yu Yunwen sent a letter informing Liu Huai of his entire plan, saying that he wanted to join forces with the Han army to hunt down the Jin bandits and recover Bianliang. He also hoped that Liu Huai could send troops from the east, south and north to attack Pusan ​​Zhongyi from both sides.

As for Liu Huai, he knew very well what Yu Yunwen was planning.

It was simply a matter of the Han army fighting fiercely at the front while the Song army reaped the benefits from the rear.

But what's most disgusting is that Yu Yunwen publicized this matter in a big way. Although he used intimidation of Xi Jin as a cover, how could he not put Liu Huai in a dangerous position?
The legal basis of the Han Army's military and political group is the Northern Expedition to recover lost territory, which is the so-called "expelling the Tartars and restoring China". Now that the Song army is going to take the initiative to attack the Jin invaders, if the Han Army does not launch an attack but sits and watches the outcome, wouldn't that be a violation of political promises?

How will the heroes of the world view you then?
The Han army was naturally very disgusted, and they all cursed Yu Yunwen for being a coward. He had a good idea, but instead of taking on the tough challenges, he wanted the Han army to pull chestnuts out of the fire for the Song state. He was simply dreaming!
But after the anger subsides, it is ultimately necessary to agree on a set of rules.

After debate and deliberation, the General Staff summarized two points.

First, there is a major premise: since the Song army is going to claim that it is going to attack the Jin state, then regardless of whether the Song state is just making a show of force or is really going to fight to the death, the Han army absolutely cannot fall behind.

Otherwise, if the Song state achieves results while the Han army remains indifferent, wouldn't that be handing over the great cause of the Northern Expedition to the enemy?
Secondly, even if troops are deployed, the decision to rest and recuperate made at the beginning of this year cannot be violated, and this battle cannot be turned into a decisive one.

The military academy is under construction and is just one step away from completion.

The cannons are also being cast at a rapid pace.

The artillery commanders had also only been enrolled for two months.

Moreover, a large number of garrison officers were dismissed due to the turmoil that occurred several months prior.

If a full-scale war were launched now, not only would all of this be interrupted, but even the water conservancy and road repair work that is gradually underway would have to be completely suspended.

This would be a devastating upheaval for all regions.

Therefore, there are only two possible directions for troop deployment.

One of the strategies, which is also the one with the most supporters among the Han army's high command, is to march straight into Jin territory and directly capture the entire Shangdang region, using it as a bridgehead for the next full-scale offensive.

The Jin region has a commanding position over Hebei. Taking Jin first, and using its strategic location to spy on Youyan, would be much more effective.

Liu Huai understood this matter, and the Jin Kingdom naturally understood it as well.

And that's the key.

The Jin army is very likely to have a stress response, mobilizing all its forces to defend Jin territory, escalating the small-scale conflict into a major battle.

Another strategy was to follow Yu Yunwen's wishes and attack Bianliang.

Despite its shortcomings, it is undeniable that once Bianliang was captured, the Central Plains region controlled by the Han army would become relatively intact.

This is not just a map coloring game; more importantly, it allows for complete control of the Yellow River and Huai River systems, enabling the establishment of a comprehensive trade network.

More importantly, after capturing Bianliang, Luo Guzi and Liang Qiu's long-planned restoration of the Yellow River could begin, thus liberating the Huai River system.

In addition, Li Tong, who is now in charge of Henan, and Shi Ju, who is in charge of government affairs in the central government, have both expressed their determination to capture Bianliang.

They also had to give an explanation to their subordinates.

Bianliang was trapped in a predicament of being surrounded on three sides, and how could the several prefectures in southern Henan not be a protruding part surrounded on three sides by the Song and Jin dynasties?
Liu Huai was naturally also somewhat undecided.

With a maximum of only 10,000 troops, the Han army would inevitably be caught between two forces. In fact, if the Song army were to send troops but not put in their full effort, and Pusan ​​Zhongyi were to lead his army to fight desperately, Liu Huai would have to temporarily avoid a direct confrontation.

Just as Liu Huai hesitated, Shen Longzi rushed over, bowed, and presented the wooden box in his hand.

Liu Huai immediately opened it, then his expression changed slightly. After thinking for a moment, he immediately ordered, "Alright, since Xin Wulang says so, then go and recapture Bianliang."

Although everyone wanted to know what the intelligence report contained, they could only calm themselves down and immediately express their opinions after seeing Liu Huai put it back in the wooden box without passing it around.

Attack Bianliang! Beat that loyal servant San Zhongyi until he's covered in dung!

(End of this chapter)