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

Chapter 934 A Mother's Loving Kindness
"General Wendun, please wait."

After silently attending the military council, Wen Dunqizhi walked out of the palace hall and headed towards the military camp against the cold wind. After taking only a few steps, he heard someone calling from behind.

He turned around and saw that it was Gao Anren, the current commander of the palace guards.

Both of them had lived in Shandong since childhood, so they were practically from the same hometown. In addition, they were both defeated generals under Liu Huai, so they had some connection and had been very close before.

"Old Gao, a great battle is about to begin, so we must not drink today."

Gao Anren grinned: "Who wants to drink with you? You never pay for drinks, hoarding gold and silver like you want to have babies. You should be buried under a mountain of gold and silver."

Wen Dunqizhi also laughed out loud, cupped his hands and said, "Then thank you for your kind words."

After Gao Anren chuckled twice in agreement, he finally straightened his face and got down to business: "His Majesty has summoned me, and I request that General Wendun accompany me."

Wen Dunqi had no objection to this, and immediately turned around and followed Gao Anren back to the main hall.

"His Majesty!"

"Qizhi, stand up and speak."

Wanyan Yong's somewhat weary voice came from the top. Although Wendun Qizhi stood up, he still maintained a bowing posture.

"I wonder what your Majesty's orders are?"

"How have I treated you all these years?"

Wendun Qizhi spoke even more respectfully: "I am a defeated general, and my death is not a pity. Yet Your Majesty still entrusted me with an important task, allowing me to build a new army. Now, Your Majesty has even given me the authority to lead your personal guard. I could never repay even a fraction of Your Majesty's kindness!"

Wanyan Yong nodded slowly, finally leaning his upper body out of the shadows. His tired face was already somewhat pale: "Qizhi, what are your chances of our army winning this battle?"

Wen Dunqi shuddered, then looked around.

This question doesn't even need an answer; just the fact that it came from Wanyan Yong's mouth is enough to cause a huge uproar.

Even though all the guards on either side had left and there were only three people in the huge hall, Wendun Qizhi, the person actually being questioned, still dared not tell the truth: "Our army has gathered the strength of the whole country and has the help of the Mongol cavalry. Naturally, we will be able to defeat Liu the traitor!"

Wanyan Yong sighed, "Alas, I never expected that you, Qizhi, would also turn down the truth from me."

Wen Dunqi quickly kowtowed deeply: "Your Majesty, the affairs of the state have come to this point. Taking a step back would be like stepping off a precipice, leaving no place for us to be buried."

Therefore, this battle can only be won, and must be won. No one should have even the slightest thought of defeat!

Wanyan Yong remained silent for a long time before sighing again: "Just as you think, Qizhi, I was rash. This Great Jin dynasty originally belonged to the Wanyan clan. Now you outsiders are still dying for the Great Jin. How can I, as the emperor, easily admit defeat?"
only……"

This time, Wanyan Yong remained silent for an even longer time: "However, Qizhi, I remember you also have two sons."

"Third time. Before the expedition, my wife gave birth to another big, healthy boy. Due to the urgency of the war, I did not report it to Your Majesty."

Wanyan Yong nodded: "I also have sons, especially my eldest son Hu Tuwa, who was born to A Zhao... oh, that is, my first wife. I have been pampered since he was a child. I may die, but I hope that Hu Tuwa can live to be a hundred years old."

"Qizhi, you are a father yourself, can you understand my feelings?"

Wen Dunqi nodded with difficulty.

"Now that Hu Tuwa is also in the army, I hope that if anything were to happen, you would find a way to protect Hu Tuwa, would that be alright?"

Wendun Qizhi looked up in astonishment. Seeing that Wanyan Yong was not joking, he felt a mixture of fear, astonishment, and a little doubt.

Now that the Jin army has gathered many famous generals, and all those who could come have come, there are countless people more capable than Wendun Qizhi. Why would Wanyan Yong entrust such an important matter to him?

Could it be that Wanyan Yong discovered that he had been secretly connected with Shandong all along?

In a flash, Wen Dunqizhi thought of many things, and for a moment he felt his mind was in turmoil.

However, under Wanyan Yong's gaze, Wendun Qizhi still spoke with difficulty: "It is indeed too dangerous for the Crown Prince to be in Zhen Ding Prefecture. How about I send elite knights to escort the Crown Prince back to Yanjing now?"

Wanyan Yong sighed repeatedly: "Qizhi, you just said that the Jin army is only thinking about victory. If we let Hutuwa leave now, wouldn't that mean that I am not so confident?"

If the army loses its morale, then the battle will be even more hopeless.

"Qi Zhi, I have been so frank, can't you at least tell me what the odds are of winning this battle?"

Wen Dunqi glanced back at Gao Anren before stamping his foot and saying, "Only forty percent."

Wanyan Yong smiled and said, "Having nearly a 50% chance of success is already quite good. Qizhi, I'm entrusting you with this important task not because I don't want you to fight to the death for the Great Jin, but because when the situation collapses, I hope you can preserve your life to save my child, okay?"

Wen Dunqizhi felt a mix of emotions upon hearing this, but still did not agree: "Gao Erlang is the commander of the Palace Guard, a true close advisor to His Majesty. Why doesn't His Majesty entrust this matter to him?"

Gao Anren did not wait for Wanyan Yong's reply, but instead smiled and said, "Actually, His Majesty was looking for me from the beginning. However, I have a blood feud with Liu Bei, who killed my father. Even so, I would never bow down to Liu Bei."

Upon hearing this, Wendun Qizhi became even more flustered. He turned around to look at Wanyan Yong, pointed to his chest, and said, "Does Your Majesty not believe in my loyalty?"

Wanyan Yong stood up, walked slowly to Wendun Qizhi, took his hands and said, "Qizhi, it is because I believe in your loyalty that I have entrusted Hutuwa to your protection."

In this great battle, everyone will fight to the death, but if we still cannot win in the end, then I entrust my child to you, Qizhi.

With the troops at your disposal, you can surrender to Liu Dalang; or you can flee beyond the Great Wall and hide in some remote place under an assumed name; just don't think about restoring a kingdom. Tell Hu Tuwa that you only lived the first half of your life as a dream.

"This is not a ruler issuing orders to his subject. Just think of yourself as a father wanting to protect his son, shall we?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Dunqizhi became even more confused and disoriented. It wasn't until he stepped out of the palace again and looked at the pale sunlight that he came back to his senses.

Why is it that after he just rejected the Han army's offer of recruitment, his lord wants to push him to the other side?

Is life always so difficult, with no way to have it all?

……

"I just don't understand, how did a perfectly good raid down the south turn into such a difficult situation?"

After leaving Zhen Ding City, Tuoli couldn't stand it any longer and complained loudly to Yesugei, "If we had known, we should have waited until Hebei had a result before we came!"

Yesugei also looked displeased, but he remained rational: "Anda, no matter how difficult the situation is now, is it as difficult as we are in the grasslands fighting against the Black and White Disasters?"

At best, things are a bit chaotic right now. As long as we honestly fight our way through, everything will fall into place.

Tuoli looked at Yesugei with some surprise: "Anda, you shouldn't be such an honest person. How could you listen to the words of the Jin emperor and be willing to fight to the death for him?"

Yesugei chuckled twice, then said seriously, "You should really come to my tribe and listen to the stories told by the Han people from the Central Plains."

"Once you hear enough of this, you'll understand. The people of the Central Plains are far too cunning and clever. For us Mongols to compete in this area is like a sheep trying to outrun a horse—we simply can't win."

At this point, Yesugei extended a thick finger: "So now we should honestly do what we are good at, and like the wind, plunder all the knowledge, wealth, and women of the Han people in Hebei to the grasslands."

Only when our sons and grandsons have learned the methods of the Han people will they be able to lead the Mongol cavalry to completely conquer this world!

Tuoli was also inspired by Yesugei's ambition, and the two of them returned to Huolu from Zhending almost without stopping.

After welcoming the two Khans back, the Mongol army immediately set to work, preparing warhorses and weapons under the command of the chieftains.

Each Mongol had three or four warhorses, and once they began preparing for military action, even before it officially started, their presence was enormous.

The Han scouts quickly discovered the unusual activity at the Jin army's Huolu camp and immediately relayed the information to the Han army's Luancheng camp.

"The Mongols are about to make their move."

On the city wall of Luancheng, Liang Su approached Liu Huai with a document, interrupting his thoughts: "Our scouts have captured several Mongol cavalrymen. After torture and interrogation, it has been confirmed that the Mongol army will launch a full-scale attack within three or four days at the latest."

Liu Huai took a deep breath but did not take the document Liang Su handed over: "It can't be calculated like that. Given the organizational structure of the Mongols, it's very difficult to have unified command. Who knows, at any moment, more than a dozen tribes might scatter and kill and plunder all over this great plain."

Shi Ju thought about that scene and couldn't help but feel a pang of panic.

"Forget it, never mind. Has the Jingnan army been fully mobilized?"

Liang Su trembled again, then said solemnly, "Preparations are complete. Thirty-five thousand troops have been mobilized to the last person. However... however, Commander He has volunteered for battle."

Liu Huai immediately shook his head: "No, this battle is of utmost importance, and everyone needs to perform their duties. Go back and tell Commander He that he also has a heavy responsibility, and he must not abandon his post!"

Liang Su said with a wry smile, "The Prince of Han will have to personally persuade him."

Liu Huai nodded, then asked about something else: "Have the military orders for Shi Qilang, Wenren Ziqi, and Wang Youzhi been sent out yet?"

Liang Su nodded emphatically: "Of course they have all been sent out. Within a day, they will act immediately according to the plan, and there will be absolutely no mishaps."

"In that case," Liu Huai said, leaning on his sword, "let's settle this matter that has plagued our dynasty for a century!"

(End of this chapter)