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

Chapter 924 Long March Across the Yellow River and Luo River

At that moment, Shi Qilang saw through the true nature of the Mongol army.

This is just a band of outlaws!
No matter how powerful the Mongol army was, or how many warhorses they had, it was difficult to consider them an army.

Because war is a continuation of politics, and the army is a means to achieve political goals. But the Mongols seem to have never had any political goals, at least not in the traditional Han-dominated areas; they only thought about looting and running away.

When a regular army faces a strategic location held firmly by the Han army, it will inevitably have to attack the city for fear of its retreat being cut off.

But the Mongol people, with their bandit-like habits, didn't care about such things. They simply relied on their cavalry advantage to wreak havoc and plunder everywhere.

When the Han army's detachment, which was holding out, could no longer withstand the attack and went out to fight, the Mongols could fight if they wanted to, or simply flee if they didn't want to, relying on their cavalry advantage.

But the bandits only ever destroyed, never thought about building.

If this happens two or three times, the people's livelihood in Han areas, which has just stabilized, will surely collapse.

Of course, Shi Qilang only roughly understood Liu Huai's thoughts, but as a time traveler, Liu Huai truly knew how brutal the Mongols were.

Take Luoyang in history as an example. After the Mongol invasion, when Duanping entered Luoyang, the Song army found that the huge city of Luoyang had only two thousand people left, barely clinging to life.

After the Song and Mongol alliance destroyed the Jin dynasty, the entire Central Plains was turned into a wasteland.

Given the historical precedents, how could Liu Huai dare to let the Mongols wander around Hebei and the Central Plains?
After receiving the news, Shi Qilang did not immediately send troops. After all, Shexian County was located in southern Shanxi, and was separated from northern Shanxi by the Fenhe River Valley, making it truly beyond his reach.

However, he still comforted those who came to seek refuge and dispatched a military envoy to report all the intelligence he had gathered to Liu Huai.

Liu Huai was already in Daming Prefecture at this time, and his sources of information were more comprehensive. Not only did the Embroidered Uniform Guards convey the news, but the monks of Mount Wutai near Yanmen Pass also sent accurate information.

After thoroughly devouring five large bowls of mutton soup and flatbread in the commander's tent, Fa Chi rubbed his bald head, let out a satisfied burp, and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha, I have broken the precepts again today. I am truly ashamed before the Buddha."

Liu Huai looked at the Fa Chi and shook his head with a smile, saying, "Pretend you don't know, and then regret it later."

Fa Chi, however, said solemnly, “Your Majesty, you are mistaken. Since this humble monk knows that this is mutton, how can I pretend not to know?”

Liu Huai asked helplessly, "Then, great monk, what do you want?"

The madman picked up the bowl and handed it to the guard beside him: "Naturally, we should deepen our sins and then drastically correct them."

"Please bring this humble monk another bowl, I'm still not full."

Liu Huai discovered that this monk's eloquence was exceptional, perhaps honed from presiding over weddings and funerals. Even if he didn't become a general or a monk, he would be a great performer of speech.

Commonly known as crosstalk performers.

With such ability, it's truly a waste of his talent to not find a job at the government office but instead become a fierce general who breaks through enemy lines.

"Alright, now that you're half full, let's get down to business."

Fa Chi immediately suppressed his smile and transformed from Maitreya Buddha into the form of Acala: "Reporting to the King of Han, my fellow disciples and I saw clearly from Mount Wutai that the Mongols entered Jin territory through Yanmen Pass, and their numbers were probably close to 70,000 cavalry."

Liu Huai frowned: "So many?"

After the Mongols unified the grasslands, they barely managed to establish ten 10,000-household units. Why are there now 70,000 cavalrymen coming to Hebei?
Did they really send out only the men of the grasslands?

After a moment's hesitation, Fa Chi said, "My fellow disciples and I determined the exact number of people by counting the number of warhorses, with each person having three horses. The number of people is too chaotic, mixed among the livestock, to be discerned."

One person with three horses is a conservative estimate; according to the customs of the Mongols, one person with five horses is even possible.

It's very likely that even their Khan didn't know exactly how many people the Mongols had brought; they were simply a group of tribes gathered together, ready to make a fortune.

"go on."

"Look. These Mongols don't seem to have brought much baggage, nor do they have many livestock like ordinary steppe troops. They simply plunder along the way, and have already ravaged northern Shanxi."

Liu Huai narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Liu Heshang: "Are all Mongols like this?"

Liu Heshang, being a Khitan who had once stayed in Linhuang Prefecture, immediately said, "Reporting to the King of Han, whoever stays on the grasslands will take advantage of the autumn when the horses are fat and go south to plunder."

This has nothing to do with anyone's morality; it's just that winter on the grasslands is simply too unbearable.

If a white or black calamity occurs, a large number of people will die, and some small tribes may even be wiped out.

"Now that we have the opportunity to plunder the Central Plains, not only the Qiyan tribe of Yesugei, but all the tribes of the grasslands will rise up in response."

After the man rode away on horseback, with one less mouth to feed, perhaps a few more people in the tribe could survive.

These raiding Mongols grew up in the unpredictable environment of the steppes, and naturally didn't value the lives of others. Therefore, they appeared exceptionally brutal.

After hearing this explanation, the Han army's ruler and his ministers all nodded in agreement. Liu Huai then looked at Fa Chi and said, "Great monk, please continue."

The madman placed the freshly filled bowl of mutton soup on the table, then came to the map and said, "My lord, what follows is my guess, but it is probably pretty close to the truth."

"Although the Jin traitors did not stop the Mongols from looting, they could not be allowed to plunder along their way, especially not in Yanjing, the most prosperous city in the Jin Kingdom at that time."

Therefore, the Jin dynasty would try to shorten the Mongol route as much as possible. We speculate that Wanyan Guying in Taiyuan would lead more than 30,000 Jin bandits from Shanxi to intercept the Mongol army at Shiling Pass, then join forces, pass through Meng County and Jingxing Pass, and subsequently join forces with the main Jin army in Youyan at Huolu.

Liu Huai's gaze sharpened, a strange sense of absurdity creeping into his heart: "Huolu?"

The legal expert didn't know why Liu Huai had this expression. After calculating in his mind and confirming that he hadn't said anything wrong, he nodded and repeated: "It is possible that they will meet in Huolu, or in Zhen Ding Prefecture afterward."

However, if I may be frank, although the Jin traitors are temporarily tolerating the Mongols, it does not mean that they are truly united with the Mongols.

If the Mongol troops are not suppressed at Huolu Town, which is right next to the Jingxing Pass exit, and are allowed to run rampant on the plains, then there will be great chaos.

It's possible that these Mongols might turn around and plunder Youyan.

Fa Chi, as expected of a local Shanxi monk skilled in both literature and martial arts, and with an excellent speaking ability, delivered a reasoned and well-founded analysis that even Liu Huai had to nod in agreement with. However, Liu Huai still found it somewhat absurd.

He knows Huolu very well.

Although I've never actually been there, it's a name that resonates deeply in high-end online novels of later generations.

Are we really going to have to fight a decisive battle here?
He Boqiu, who had been silently studying the map, finally spoke up: "Young Master Han, you should be more lenient in your assessment of the enemy. Currently, there are more than 60,000 Mongol troops, more than 30,000 Jin bandits in Jin, and more than 40,000 troops from Youyan. In total, that's nearly 150,000 troops."

Liu Huai: "Mr. Liang, how many troops did our army have participating in the Northern Expedition? Do you have an accurate number? Please state it publicly."

Liang Su felt a little sweat on his forehead: "Yes, sir."

The following is a report on the number of troops in each army according to the military register.

The Jingnan Army consisted of 3,000 Flying Tigers, 4,000 White Horses, 4,000 Liao Cavalry, 4,000 Vanguards, 5,000 Eastern Navy, 4,000 Left Army, 5,000 Right Army, and 5,000 Rear Army.

Including the artillery battalion and other directly subordinate troops, the total number was 35,552.

This was also the absolute core force of the Han army, filled with elite soldiers and fierce generals.

Although Shi Qilang was unable to participate in the battle due to his duty to guard Shexian County and the presence of a thousand Flying Tigers soldiers protecting Xin Qiji in Xuzhou, the total number of participants reached 30,000.

Liang Su turned to the next page of the document, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said, "The Loyal and Righteous Army consists of four armies, the front, rear, left, and right, each with five thousand men. Including the artillery battalion and the cavalry battalion, the total number is twenty-three thousand two hundred."

After Wei Sheng's death in battle, Liu Huai took command of the Loyal Army, with Yu Yuan as the deputy commander. After a period of elimination and reorganization, the number of soldiers was slightly smaller, but their combat strength had increased to a new level.

"The Taiping Army... a total of 20,000 men..."

"The Dongping Army... a total of 17,000 men..."

"Wucheng Army... a total of 15,000 men..."

"The Tianxiong Army... a total of thirteen thousand men..."

"The Five Deer Army... a total of 10,000 men..."

"The Chenzhou army... a total of 10,000 men..."

"The number of regular troops participating in this Northern Expedition has reached 150,000."

If you include civilian laborers, auxiliary troops, artisan battalions, field hospitals, and other logistical support personnel, this is a genuine army of 300,000.

Although the high-ranking Han officers had a rough idea of ​​how many troops the Han army actually had, everyone turned pale when Liang Su revealed it on the spot.

This truly represents the mobilization of the entire nation's army.

Apart from leaving some troops in Chenzhou Army in Henan to deal with the Song and Western Jin, almost all the other capable soldiers were gathered in Hebei.

Fortunately, the Han army was a semi-territorial military system based on the garrison system, which in a sense meant that soldiers were hidden among the people; otherwise, even if Liu Huai were chopped up and sold, it would not have been possible to support so many soldiers.

With such a large army mobilized, if they were to win, it would naturally be a war of annihilation; but if they were to lose, the military and political group that Liu Huai had conspired to create would simply vanish.

Liu Huai was also momentarily stunned, then looked at Shi Ju: "Logistics and supplies will all depend on you, Master Shi."

Although Shi Ju had privately reported to Liu Huai that if the war was not over by June of next year, the treasuries of the entire Central Plains, Shandong, and Hebei would be emptied, and the army would collapse without a fight.

However, in front of all the generals at this moment, he could not lose heart. Shi Ju said firmly, "Your subject will certainly follow the example of Marquis Wu and will never let the front line run out of supplies."

"Li Sanlang."

Li Gongzuo, the current shipping commissioner, immediately stood up: "Your Majesty, please give your orders."

"I now entrust the shipping admiral Huyan Chuo with full authority to harass the Jin invaders around the Bohai Sea, and to be ready at any time to go north along the Luan River and Lushui River to cut off the Jin invaders' route to Liaodong."

"Here!"

"Send orders to Liu Ba and Yelü Chenjia. I know they're having a tough time in Yanshan, but this is a golden opportunity. I want them to block all the passages through Yanshan and prevent the Jin invaders from escaping to the Liaodong grasslands. If we win this battle, the Khitans will also have peace!"

"Here!"

"Send another order to Shi Qilang, reiterating his full authority and instructing him to act when the time is right!"

"Send another order to Zheng Fasan and He Zizheng, instructing them to launch an attack from Liaodong while the situation is favorable!"

Liu Huai's hand swept across the map, and an encirclement network instantly formed, stretching from the Bohai Sea to Liaodong, and from the Yanshan Mountains to the Taihang Mountains.

Liu Huai suddenly turned around and drew his sword: "Don't the Jin thieves want to use Hebei as a hunting ground for their wild dogs?!"

Today, I will lay my net on the vast plains of Hebei and Yan, and stew the Jin traitors and Mongols, men and dogs alike, all in one pot!

Amidst the resounding cheers of the generals, He Boqiu felt a sudden pang of heartache.

He thought of his third son, He Zizheng, who was trapped behind enemy lines, and wondered if he was in danger.

Then, He Boqiu thought of his second son, He Zizhen, and felt even more heartbroken.

If He Zizhen were still the shipping admiral, how could that old geezer Huyan Chuo have taken control of the navy?

He was worried that his third son would be in danger if he participated in the war, and he was also heartbroken that his second son was unable to participate.

This is probably the dilemma of being a father.

(End of this chapter)