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

Chapter 923 The Flames of War in Northern Shanxi Burned to the Brink of Death

Just as mentioned before.

When a regime engages in large-scale military activities, it is impossible to conceal them.

Either side could easily discover military intelligence; the only concern was whether their own ruler would believe it.

For example, three years before Wanyan Liang's invasion of the south, Song envoys, merchants, and generals had already sensed Jin's intention to start a war, and even loyal people within Jin had sent messages to Song.

But what was the result?

For more than two years, Zhao Gou and his ministers, Makka Pakka, dragged their feet and refused to believe it. It wasn't until Gao Jingshan berated Zhao Gou so badly that he cried in the Song palace that the Song state finally began to make preparations.

However, it was too late by then.

Of course, a genius like Zhao Gou is one in a thousand years.

At the very least, the current rulers of all factions are still considered wise and capable. After learning that the troops and supplies in the Central Plains and Shandong had begun to be mobilized, they all began to make their own preparations.

Especially Wanyan Yong.

This guy is self-aware. Now the Han army's forces are all concentrated in Hebei, and the Central Plains have been swept clean. No matter how you look at it, it seems like this blow is going to be aimed at his own head.

Therefore, he swiftly issued an order to grant all the minor requests of the Mongol tribes, allowing the Mongol cavalry to enter Yunzhou and then proceed through northern Shanxi and Hebei.

This is a standard escalation.

The news of the alliance between the Jin Dynasty and the Mongols forced the Han army to prepare for war, and the large-scale mobilization of the Han army, in turn, triggered a reactive response from the Eastern Jin.

Although a major battle was inevitable after the autumn harvest, it was only at this moment that everyone suddenly realized that the decisive battle between the two countries seemed to be just around the corner.

Of course, Shi Qilang, who was in Shexian County, was unaware of all this for the time being. Standing on the now fully reinforced city wall, he once again took out the military order from inside his armor and began to read it carefully.

Hu Yanzhangba, standing to the side, sighed helplessly, "Seventh Brother, you can't see anything new no matter how much you look."

Shi Qilang stared with his one eye, carefully reading the document he had almost memorized again before looking up and scolding, "What do you know? Every word of Prince Han has a profound meaning. If you misunderstand it, you might cause a big mess."

Huyan Zhangba was scolded, but he still stubbornly said, "What mistakes could there be? It's just a matter of Jin. Have I entrusted everything to you, Seventh Brother? Just hold Fukou Pass."

Shi Qilang looked at him with exasperation: "With your character, how will you ever lead an army independently in the future? Let me ask you, if the King of Han only wants us to hold Fukou Pass, why would he give me the authority to act on my own?"
This year, my forces have increased to 4,500 men, plus three 20-pound cannons and six 5-pound cannons. Is the only expectation placed on me with this strength to defend the Fushui Pass?

Huyan Zhangba spread his hands and said, "But with such a small force, it is ultimately wishful thinking to conquer the entire Jin region."

It's not that I'm afraid to fight, but even if we bring in civilian laborers and auxiliary troops, we'll only have 12,000 to 13,000 at most. We can only take care of this and not that, so how can we advance?

"If the King of Han had been able to station 30,000 regular troops in Jin, we might have been able to push all the way north to Taiyuan."

Shi Qilang glared at his one eye: "What's wrong with you? The reason this battle was able to start is because the King of Han was worried that Hebei and the Central Plains would be ravaged. If the whole army came to Jin, wouldn't that be exactly what the Jin bandits wanted?"

What if the King of Han suffers a defeat on the Hebei Plain?

Huyan Zhangba scratched his head: "Actually, I still don't understand. Our army is mainly composed of infantry. Why not leave a detachment in Hebei to hold back the Jin and Mongol invaders, and send the main force all the way north from Shanxi to attack the enemy's strongholds, forcing the Jin to come to Shanxi for a decisive battle?"

Although Shi Qilang also had some doubts, he still put on a stern face: "Don't question the King of Han's military orders. The King of Han is always right, I..."

As soon as they finished speaking, the two saw dozens of riders coming from the north along the river. After turning the corner at the foot of the mountain, they sped up and headed towards Shexian County.

Shi Qilang narrowed his one eye.

Whose cavalry are these? How did they get here from enemy territory?
Shi Qilang set up several military camps upstream of the river. If these cavalrymen were really the enemy, but managed to sneak around unnoticed, Shi Qilang would definitely smash the backs of the officers in those camps.

However, Shi Qilang soon realized that the leader was one of his own commanders, and he was relieved.

Upon arriving at the city gate, Shi Qilang, leaning on his sword, said, "Daxing, who did you bring? Why didn't you tell me beforehand... Hmm? A Jurchen?"

Shi Qilang's expression changed immediately when he saw that some of the dozens of people had braided hair.

Ding Daxing wiped the sweat from his forehead: "General, I also received this group of people at the last minute. After listening to their account, I felt that the matter was of great importance, so I personally escorted them here!"

No sooner had Ding Daxing finished speaking than a mournful wail, inhuman, was heard. Several somewhat stout middle-aged men with braided hair tumbled off their horses and crawled to Shi Qilang, kowtowing repeatedly. "General! General! We beg you, General, to report to the Prince of Han that we are willing to surrender, we are willing to surrender! We only beg the Prince of Han to send troops to northern Shanxi quickly!"

Although the clothes worn by these Jurchen people were tattered, their patterns and fabrics suggested they were quite valuable. They were clearly Jurchen nobles; why were they behaving this way?
At the same time, the remaining men dressed as Han Chinese also knelt down: "General, I am Zhang Bing! Do you remember me? I sold you three hundred warhorses two years ago."

Shi Qilang nodded slightly: "I remember you. You even tricked me out of a fine jade pendant."

The merchant named Zhang Bing hurriedly took out the jade pendant from his pocket, kowtowed heavily, and presented it with his hands clasped together: "I was blind to your greatness back then, but I have come to return it to you intact!"

Shi Qilang waved his hand impatiently: "Put it away, who are you trying to impress with this stunt? You're all from northern Shanxi, right? Tell me what happened?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Bing collapsed to the ground, clutching the jade pendant and wailing, "General... the Mongols have entered Xijing Datong Prefecture. They... they have been burning, killing, and looting all the way, committing all sorts of atrocities. The nobles of the Jin Kingdom... could not stop them at all!"

Before we arrived, Xuanning City had already been massacred; all 50,000 old men in the city were wiped out... Ah..."

Shi Qilang paused for a moment before pointing at the Jurchen noblewoman who had just spoken: "What's going on? Isn't Xijing Datong also territory that your Jurchen bandits have been cultivating for many years? Are you just going to let the Mongols rob it like this?"

How many Mongols came?

The Jurchen cried in broken Chinese, “Tens of thousands of people, men and horses all together, it’s impossible to count them all… Waaah… Our nobles from the Jin Kingdom naturally wanted to stop them, but my father, as an envoy, was roasted on the spot as soon as he arrived at the Mongol camp…”

All our able-bodied men are in the army, in Yanjing City. Datong Prefecture doesn't have many soldiers at all... Waaah..."

Shi Qilang had no interest in the tragic fate of these Jurchens. In fact, if it weren't for the national policies at stake, Shi Qilang would have slaughtered every Jurchen he encountered.

Therefore, he merely snorted coldly, then looked at Zhang Bing again: "You tell me. Didn't the Jin traitors mobilize troops to stop those Mongols? And since you were able to buy horses in Hebei, you must have some connections and influence. Didn't the big shot behind you care? Why did you have to travel hundreds of miles south to beg me?"

Zhang Bing closed his eyes and shook his head, two streams of tears rolling down his cheeks: "Now that things have come to this, I dare not hide it from the general any longer. I am a lackey of Wanyan Yongdao, the governor of Xijing, and a merchant he keeps under his control."

When the Mongols entered Xijing and looted along the way, I went to find the garrison commander, but I couldn't even enter the mansion.

Later, it was heard that the general of Xijing was about to lead his troops to teach the Mongols a lesson, but was stopped by Wanyan Yongdao.

He said that the alliance with the Mongols to eliminate the rebels was a grand strategy devised by the state. Now, the two Khans of the Mongol Empire were both sworn brothers of the Crown Prince. If things were to fall into their hands, even the garrison commander of Xijing would find it difficult to escape unscathed.

Zhang Bing pounded the ground: "That thief Wanyan Yongdao also said that the only harm he would cause is to the lowly people along the way of the Mongol invasion, which is no big deal."

Once the Mongols have robbed enough, they will naturally stop! My maternal uncle's entire family of forty-five people were either killed by the Mongols or kidnapped and enslaved!

We...we can't count on anyone! General! The King of Han is merciful, please save us!

Shi Qilang remained silent, his breathing becoming heavy: "Does anyone know how many Mongols have come?! Which route will they take into Hebei? Or are they simply going to plunder Shanxi?!"

After asking loudly three or four times, a Jurchen woman mustered up her courage and said, "General, I have heard about this, but I don't know if it's true or not."

"Say!"

"The Mongols have 100,000 iron cavalry!"

Shi Qilang flew into a rage: "Bullshit! If the Mongols had 100,000 cavalry, they would have attacked the Jin Kingdom long ago. Why would they need the Jin traitors to borrow troops?!"

The Jurchen woman was so frightened she almost cried, but she still forced herself to say, "General, the soldiers on the grasslands aren't counted like that. Everyone on the grasslands can draw a bow and ride a horse. They are both soldiers and civilians. When they're really on the battlefield, even a twelve-year-old child can shoot down a strong man."

Shi Qilang suddenly realized.

This includes both regular and auxiliary troops.

The Mongol army was definitely no match for the Han army; their heavy armor alone was enough to make the Mongols green with envy.

However, the Mongol auxiliary troops were strong enough to survive the harsh cold of the borderlands and had already been selected by the cruel nature. It was hard to say who would win when they encountered the Han garrison troops, but they could still bully ordinary people.

As for the number, Shi Qilang still did not believe there would be 100,000 Mongols, because proper cavalrymen usually had one horse and many men, let alone steppe cavalrymen, so the number could easily be misjudged.

There could be as many as 50,000 or 60,000 men, and it's very likely that this is all of Mengwu's forces, all for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a big bite out of everything.

Shi Qilang stopped talking to the guests from northern Shanxi and turned to look at Huyan Zhangba, sighing, "Now I understand why we couldn't use a detachment to stop the Mongol bandits."

(End of this chapter)