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

Chapter 904 Wise but Hesitant, Difficult to Decide

Liu Huai couldn't control the undercurrents within Bianliang City.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard has now been fully deployed in Kaifeng Prefecture, and even the work of persuading people to surrender is almost over. However, before the establishment of civil officials and local guard posts, Liu Huai still cannot completely control Kaifeng Prefecture.

For example, the things Lou Wangsun and his group were planning to do were something that one or two secret agents simply couldn't stop.

Their understanding of the key points was completely different from what Liu Huai cared about.

At Liu Huai's level, why would he care about any particular person?
No matter how exceptionally talented or high-ranking a person is, it's useless.

Can the general trend of the world be changed by one person?
What Liu Huai ultimately cared about was the population, farmland, granaries, water conservancy facilities, trade hubs, and so on in the heart of the Central Plains. With these things, exceptionally talented people could emerge in an endless stream.

Even if Wanyan Guangying is exceptionally talented, what can he do against the combined efforts of thousands or tens of thousands of people?

But these were things that Lou Wangsun and his group could not understand, and the opportunity they had been waiting for soon arrived.

On the 26th day of the first month, as the Han army tightened its three-sided encirclement, Pusan ​​Zhongyi finally could not bear it any longer and personally led his army away from Bianliang City.

At this time, the river had just thawed and was far from the point of ice jams, but the Jin army could not wait any longer.

If we wait any longer and allow the Han army to join forces under the walls of Bianliang, their morale will be utterly ruined.

All plans are like this: no matter how perfect the preparations are beforehand, things will definitely change when it comes to actual execution. The battlefield situation is complex, requiring adaptability and on-the-spot decision-making.

With the departure of the loyal and righteous army, the Meng'an Mouke households of Kaifeng Prefecture began their migration, whether voluntarily or not.

There was nothing they could do. Their fathers, brothers, and sons were still serving Wanyan Liang in the army, while the remaining old, weak, sick, and disabled, if they did not want to be separated from their families by two countries, had to follow Pusan ​​Zhongyi to Luoyang to settle down.

Of course, even in modern society, moving can be a chaotic affair, let alone in feudal times.

The migration proceeded very slowly from the beginning, to the point that even Pusan ​​Zhongyi wondered if the Han army had to be defeated before a safe retreat could be achieved.

This was when the Jin army was at its weakest.

However, just as Pu Sanzhongyi was holding firm and preparing to fight the Han army to the death, the Han army mysteriously remained silent.

At first, Pu Sanzhongyi thought that Wanyan Yong had finally sent his army to attack Shexian, and Liu Huai was distracted by the war in Jin. However, he soon overturned his own guess.

Because the various Han armies did not retreat, but instead abandoned their occupation of the surrounding counties, they regrouped and formed a united force.

As we all know, the purpose of pulling back a fist is only one thing: to throw it out with all your might.

Upon realizing this, Pu Sanzhongyi felt a chill run down his spine.

He seemed to have guessed Liu Huai's strategic intentions.

The Han army was waiting for the main Jin army to leave Bianliang before engaging in a decisive battle in the field.

The Han army did not come for those Meng'an and Mouke households, but rather to use them as a distraction to delay the main Jin army's retreat, thereby killing the 15,000-strong main Jin army in Kaifeng.

Thinking he had figured out the Han army's strategic intentions, Pusan ​​Zhongyi quickly ordered all troops to gather and respond, while also ordering the Meng'an Mouke households in various places to speed up their migration.

Looking at the intelligence summarized by the General Staff on the sand table, Liu Huai smiled and said to Liang Su, "Mr. Liang, you are absolutely right. Pusan ​​Zhongyi is indeed wise but slow to act."

This is not actually a very derogatory assessment, because the last person to receive such an assessment was Chen Gong.

These people possess exceptional intelligence, but they tend to be slow to react to complex situations, allowing their weaknesses to be exploited by the enemy.

Of course, it's only a matter of being a step behind. In normal times, it can be covered up by the general trend or one's own wisdom. However, when the general trend and strategy are not on one's side, it is very likely to fall into chaos.

Liang Su's goal was to complicate the situation further and cause Pu Sanzhongyi to make a misjudgment.

Liang Su did not respond, but went straight to asking a crucial question: "But if this happens, the Jin bandits will have really gathered their troops. Should we try to fight them?"

The Han army had a total of over 17,000 regular troops, and if the large number of local auxiliary troops were included, the total was nearly 50,000, giving them an overwhelming numerical advantage over the Jin army.

If the match really starts, the chances of winning are still very high.

Liu Huai remained noncommittal: "Mr. Liang, don't forget Wanyan Yuanyi. The Jin bandits have established a defensive line in Xingyang, and Pusan ​​Zhongyi has stationed a large number of troops near Zhengzhou. They can really send troops to provide support at critical moments."

Behind us lies the Yellow River, where ice jams make it difficult for our army to march. If a major battle breaks out, the Western Jin forces in the east will likely launch a full-scale attack to kill us.

"Besides, the Jin bandits are mostly cavalry. If we approach with a large army, it will definitely arouse Pusan ​​Zhongyi's vigilance. What if he runs away then?"

Pusan ​​Zhongyi doesn't understand the Han army's intentions yet, but once the army advances, even if Pusan ​​Zhongyi is slow to realize the Han army's target, he will be able to make an accurate judgment.

Liang Su gestured on the sand table: "Does the King of Han mean to make the Pusan ​​Zhongyi even more chaotic?" Liu Huai nodded and pointed to the small green flags representing the Meng'an Mouke households around Bianliang City: "Send some more people over there to stop the Meng'an Mouke households from migrating."

Liang Su immediately agreed.

Previously, the Han army's methods of delaying the Jin state were mostly political offensives, which were very effective and had alienated most of the Han people and a small number of Jurchens from the Western Jin court. Now, it was time to use military means to add fuel to the fire.

The Jurchen and Khitan people who had been naturalized were now indistinguishable from the Han people, but their accents remained. They concealed their armor under their robes and moved in groups of ten across the vast plains of Kaifeng, making it impossible for the Jin army to distinguish friend from foe.

These people would occasionally launch surprise attacks and kill Jin generals, and would also occasionally scatter leaflets to the Meng'an-Muke households who were about to migrate. They would also swagger between the two Jin armies and harass them, causing them to fight.

Of course, the methods of these Han soldiers were actually quite crude. If the Jin state had stable local rule, coupled with the cooperation between the army and the local authorities, they could have quickly found out all the troublemakers.

But given Xijin's current grassroots organizational capabilities, he should probably give up on that idea.

Soon, even the Meng'an Mouke people, who were the foundation of the Jin state, began to feel uneasy.

The people who had been united by Crown Prince Wanyan Guangying began to drift apart.

Pusan ​​Zhongyi, who was dividing his troops to guard several key locations and confront the Han army, became even more hesitant due to the sudden chaos in the situation.

By this point, he could no longer understand Liu Huai's strategic intentions.

Could it be that an elite Han army has already crossed the Yellow River downstream and is now lying in ambush near Dongping Prefecture, waiting for a major battle?
The more the servant Sanzhongyi thought about it, the more panicked he became.

But in such situations, panic can lead to poor judgment.

The servant San Zhongyi sent a message to Bianliang City, instructing the Crown Prince to immediately lead the Eastern Palace guards and escort the prime ministers and ministers of the Council of State out of the city.

"Master Zhang, this farewell may be the last time we meet in this life."

Inside the Hall of State Affairs, Wanyan Guangying bowed to Zhang Hao and asked, "Prime Minister Zhang, are you really not going to come with me?"

Zhang Hao chuckled and shook his head: "Your Highness, I was able to rise to the position of Prime Minister because of my contributions to the construction of Bianliang. At that time, Kaifeng was already desolate, the people were scattered, the city walls and houses were dilapidated, and the land was abandoned."

It was this old man, along with that old dog Su Baoheng and many others, who spent nearly ten years rebuilding Bianliang City.

Your Highness, I have personally witnessed this city grow from a single brick and tile, a single village and community, a single city and town, into what it is today.

I am old and foolish; I have only done one good deed in my life, and I should at least see it through to the end.

Wanyan Guangying knew that Zhang Hao had made up his mind, and could only sigh slightly.

This very intelligent prince naturally knew what Zhang Hao was thinking.

Given Pu Sanzhong's character, once he knew that Bianliang was indefensible, he certainly wouldn't obediently hand over Kaifeng Prefecture to Liu Huai intact.

How is this any different from aiding the enemy?
Not to mention sending troops to commit mass killings, setting fire to cities everywhere was also inevitable.

It was precisely because Zhang Hao and his cousin Zhang Shousu controlled a Han army in the city that Pu Sanzhongyi was hesitant to act rashly and dared not go too far.

This is not to say that the Han Chinese army in the city is so powerful, but that as long as the Han Chinese army can resist for a while, the Han army will come to attack, and then the Jin army will definitely be annihilated under the attack from both sides.

Given these concerns, and considering the incident involving Lou Wangsun, it was only natural for generals and ministers to have disagreements. Therefore, Zhang Hao absolutely could not go with Wanyan Guangying.

"His Royal Highness."

When Wanyan Guangying reached the entrance of the Hall of State Affairs, Zhang Hao then said loudly, "Tell Your Majesty that I will never betray my principles."

Wanyan Guangying was in a state of turmoil and paid no attention to what he said. He simply turned around and cupped his hands, saying, "Please take care, Master Zhang."

After the hall of state affairs was empty, Zhang Shousu, who also had a full head of white hair, walked out from behind the screen and came to his cousin: "Brother, the city's defenses are ready."

Zhang Hao seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before he suddenly woke up and nodded with a smile: "Third Brother, you've really worked hard. In the future, the honor of our Zhang family will depend on you."

Zhang Shousu took off his official hat with stiff wings, pointed to his gray hair and smiled bitterly: "Brother, please don't make fun of me. We are no longer in our prime. I have been maintaining the army for a long time, so how can I still have the energy to pursue an official career?"

Zhang Hao nodded upon hearing this, but then asked with some curiosity, "So, what do you plan to do when you arrive in the new dynasty?"

Zhang Shousu seemed to have a plan in mind: "Naturally, I will follow Master Zhu to do scholarship. I am completely engrossed in reading his 'On the Investigation of Things,' and I never miss an issue of the 'Investigation of Things Newspaper.' However, as I get older, my mind becomes stubborn, and I can no longer investigate any knowledge."

Once the world is at peace, I will go to the Academy of Sciences to study the unfinished teachings of Confucius and Mencius.

Zhang Hao nodded: "It's kind of you to think of this. Well, let the descendants have their own fortunes. Go and inspect the city's defenses. We must hand over Bianliang City to the King of Han intact."

(End of this chapter)