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

Chapter 902 Military Situation Still Unresolved at Year's End

Not to mention that news of the great defeat in Guanzhong had already spread like wildfire in Lin'an, the situation in the Central Plains and Hebei was also tense and fraught with uncertainty.

Dongjin was the first to make a move.

The newly appointed Grand Marshal Tudan Kening led all the Jin troops that could be mobilized from Youyan and Hebei to the north bank of the Hutuo River, looking ready to fight a decisive battle.

The Han army was also well prepared. Under the command of He Boqiu, the Grand General of Hebei, the regular troops of the Jingnan Army immediately assembled and, with the assistance of the Wulu Army, which was based on Hebei people, deployed along the Hutuo River.

Originally, the Hutuo River separated the two sides, and they could only exchange insults from afar, wasting some breath and supplies. It was difficult to fight a decisive battle when the intention to fight was not firm.

However, just two days after the Jin army began its preparations, a cold wave from the north swept across Hebei, and the Hutuo River froze completely within two days, enough for the army to march.

This caught both the Jin and Han armies somewhat off guard.

But after only half a day of hesitation, the commanders of both armies made a decision.

Under no circumstances can we show weakness!
Both sides dispatched small groups of troops to cross the river to fight, or simply engaged in fierce battles on the frozen river surface in order to maintain morale and deterrence.

After only a few days of fighting, the Jin army unsurprisingly fell into a disadvantageous position.

This is unavoidable. Over the years, the Jin army has gone from having its troops at the mouth of the Yangtze River to now having its battle lines pushed to the Hutuo River by the Han army. The Jin army has long since developed a fear of the Han.

The Han army had already established its fighting spirit, and even when facing an enemy several times its size in a head-on battle, the Han army dared to fight bravely, while the Jin army would be timid and hesitant.

Tudan Kening knew the Jin army was at a disadvantage, but he also knew that the show of force he had set up in Hebei was intended to lure the main force of the Han army.

Now that the Jingnan army has almost entirely deployed along the Hutuo River, Wanyan Guying should immediately launch a fierce attack on Shexian County and recapture Fukou Pass, as agreed.

However, the news that Wanyan Guying brought almost made Tudan Kening die of anger.

Wanyan Liang's own banner appeared on the west bank of the Yellow River, and he marched northward from Yan'an Prefecture.

Although it seems that Wanyan Liang is fighting against the Western Xia army, who knows if he might get carried away and think that this is an opportunity to annihilate the rebels, and cross the Yellow River directly to invade Jin?

It's not that it's impossible, it's that it's highly likely.

In the minds of these high-ranking officials of the Jin Dynasty, Wanyan Liang was a person who acted without regard for the consequences.

With this concern, Wanyan Guying naturally wouldn't send all his elite troops to raid Shexian. Instead, he would devote a great deal of energy to dealing with Wanyan Liang. Therefore, he dispatched more than 10,000 elite troops to launch a surprise attack on Shexian.

Wanyan Guying had already found out that the general guarding Shexian County at this time was Shi Qilang, a general of the Jingnan Army. This fierce general with only one eye was most skilled in using light infantry and was famous for his flexible and ever-changing military formations. His main force consisted of only three thousand men.

In Wanyan Guying's view, if the attack came from the Jin direction, Shexian was not actually dangerous. The Jin army would have a superior force to launch a surprise attack, and with the help of explosives to blow up the city, they could quickly recapture Fukou Pass.

However, what Wanyan Guying did not expect was that Shi Qilang not only had three thousand elite troops, but also three 20-jin cannons.

Unlike the five-pound field gun, the cannons that could fire twenty-pound iron balls were too heavy to be moved quickly due to the inadequacy of metal casting technology. Therefore, they were only deployed on the city walls.

The Jin army knew the importance of the Fukou Pass, so how could the Han army not know?
Because of the Heluo Pass, Pusan ​​Zhongyi, who was in Bianliang, learned about the outcome of the Guanzhong War early on. He even knew about the progress Wanyan Liang had made against the Western Xia.

If Pu Sanzhongyi knew, it was equivalent to Liu Huai knowing.

Because Pu Sanzhongyi was determined to make the Western Jin victory public to boost morale and tell the Western Jin people that the Great Jin Kingdom was still expanding its territory and was still thriving.

However, the effect was extremely limited.

Given the prevalence of "little Fengxians" throughout Kaifeng Prefecture, this news was quickly relayed to the Han army.

Faced with such a critical military situation, Liu Huai and Liang Su immediately convened a meeting of the General Staff to discuss the matter.

"The key issue right now is that we can't tell if it's true or false."

With so many sources of information, how could they all be working together to deceive people?

"Of course not, but who knows if this is just false information spread by Pusan ​​Zhongyi."

"That was Wu Lin, a veteran general with a distinguished reputation for many years. He died so easily?"

"Moreover, the Western Xia... was a country that had existed for over a hundred years. The Song, Liao, and Jin dynasties couldn't do anything about it. I don't believe it was destroyed so easily."

Listening to the debate among the staff and military officers, Liu Huai began to whisper to Liang Su, "Mr. Liang, what do you think, is it true or false?"

Liang Su shook his head and replied, "It should be true. Didn't we receive intelligence from Lin'an a while ago saying that the Song Dynasty intended to withdraw its troops from Guanzhong? It's highly likely that the Jin invaders seized this opportunity because of this. Wu Lin's Song army has been fighting in Guanzhong for four years, and the two sides have been deadlocked for a long time. Without external support, how could Wanyan Liang break the deadlock so easily?"

Liu Huai nodded in agreement, feeling a pang of regret. He wondered why he hadn't studied harder in his previous life and learned more about radio technology. If only he had been able to transmit messages by telegraph, he wouldn't be stuck guessing based on a bunch of rumors now.

Of course, Liu Huai having such thoughts is itself a sign of being a poor student.

Radio devices are not so easy to make.

Putting those unrealistic ideas aside, Liu Huai asked the crucial question: "Mr. Liang, what do you think we should do?"

Liang Su immediately responded: "I still maintain the same stance: remain unchanged in the face of all changes. Even if it is true, and the situation in Guanzhong causes turmoil throughout the country, the impact on us will be negligible."

Liu Huai nodded repeatedly, but after thinking for a moment, he sighed and said, "No, it still has some impact. At the very least, the Song army in Nanyang is probably really ruined."

With such a major incident, Prime Minister Yu will definitely need to return to the Song court to oversee the situation. Between Wu Gong and Cheng Min, who will lead the attack on Pusan ​​Zhongyi?

Don't forget, Cheng Min already led his troops in a fierce battle, wiping out Wu Gong's detachment of soldiers. These two might not be working together as seamlessly as they seem.

After Liu Huai's reminder, Liang Su also thought of this point, but he still said nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter if the Song army is not involved. Xin Wulang and Zhang Silang advancing from the southeast is enough. Even if Wu Gongcheng and Min are at odds, we can't let Pusan ​​Zhongyi attack Nanyang, can we?"

At this point, Liang Su hesitated somewhat: "Surely the Song army wouldn't be unable to hold Nanyang?"

If the Jin army were to take advantage of Yu Yunwen's absence and recapture Nanyang, coupled with their victory in Guanzhong, the entire Western Jin strategy would be revitalized.

At that time, we could either advance to achieve the situation of the Later Zhou Dynasty or retreat to replicate the great achievements of the Western Liao Dynasty.

After years of turmoil, Wanyan Liang was able to return to where he started, which was truly a stroke of luck from heaven.

Liu Huai was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this, but after finding it absurd, he naturally began to worry: "It's not impossible. After the Jin bandits win in Guanzhong, they can send a large army out of Wuguan. Combined with Pusan ​​Zhongyi and Pusan ​​Kui, the Song army in Nanyang will immediately be surrounded on three sides."

"Ha, exchanging Bianliang for the Nanyang Basin, that's quite a clever scheme."

As long as the Song army proceeded with its attack methodically, it was certain that the Jin army would not gain any advantage.

But how could the Song army possibly carry out their strategic plan obediently?

Otherwise, how did Kansai lose?

Therefore, after much deliberation, Liu Huai and Liang Su were still alarmed about the future of the Song army.

Liang Su, in particular, faced immense pressure as the Chief of the General Staff.

If the Jin army does indeed change its strategy, Liang Su will also have to revise the Han army's strategic plan.

This will take a long time, and a swift decision is needed now.

Liu Huai was aware of the risks and consequences, but after a moment of silence, he made up his mind: "Mr. Liang, the Yellow River has frozen over. I estimate that the ice jam will occur in a few more days?"

Liang Su already had a plan in mind: "It will be within ten days."

"Then let's do it this way. Send an ultimatum to Kaifeng Prefecture, clearly telling them that the first twenty days have passed and it's now the tail end of the second twenty days."

"I, Liu Huai, keep my word. If I say I'll settle scores, I will definitely settle scores."

"Send military orders to Zhang Silang and Xin Wulang, instructing them to prepare their troops, block key roads, and then march towards Bianliang."

Tell them that something major seems to have happened in the Song Dynasty. The Jin invaders, who previously dared not launch a decisive battle, may not be so bold now. Be wary of Pusan ​​Zhongyi using them as a point of attack.

"Send the order to He Boqiu, telling him not to have any reservations, to assess the situation and act boldly. Since I have entrusted the military and political affairs of Hebei to him, I will definitely not go back on my word."

As Liu Huai spoke, Liang Su continued writing on the document, only reminding him at the very end: "Should we give some reminders to Minister Yu?"

"We still need to go, but don't send any documents to Lin'an. Send them directly to Nanyang and inform Grand Commandant Cheng and his men of the possible movements of the Jin army. Don't mention our military strategy."

"In this way, we should be able to shut Lord Yu up."

Liu Huai patted his thigh and then stood up, saying, "Then let's do it this way. Although we can't start a war immediately, we still need to get Pusan ​​Zhongyi busy."

Liang Su chuckled and said, "Once this military order is issued, even if it's not considered war, it's practically war."

(End of this chapter)