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Chapter 856: Divide the River and Rule
Three days passed quickly, and the 60,000-strong Ningyuan Army rushed towards Jiangning Prefecture. On that day, countless four-wheeled trucks suddenly appeared outside Yangzhou City, and then drove forward with the 3,000-strong robot army of the guard regiment. Following closely behind were the 30,000 cavalry led by Suning himself, and all of them were Sanhe horses from Inner Mongolia, which are rarely seen in the Central Plains today. Finally, there were the 30,000 Ningyuan Army infantry led by Liao Wenjun and Han Chong.

At this time, Liao Wenjun was following behind the trucks and cavalry, breathing in the exhaust fumes. His shock was beyond words. He looked at Han Chong beside him blankly and asked, "General Han, how come our Ningyuan Army is so elite?"

"General Liao, it's just that Prince Ning is unwilling to directly destroy the weak Song Dynasty, otherwise he can occupy Bian Jing in one round." Han Chong, with an expressionless face, explained nonchalantly. As an AI robot, the amount of knowledge in the memory chip is naturally very rich.

"Ah? Weak Song?" Liao Wenjun always felt uncomfortable when he heard such a name.

"Isn't it? They are beaten by the Liao and Xixia every day, and they can't even deal with a small southwestern Dali. What a shameful bunch of guys." The weak Song Dynasty was recognized by later generations as a model of being bad at foreign wars but good at internal fighting.

"."

At this time, Jiangning Prefecture had already begun its defenses, all waiting in full battle array for the approaching Ningyuan Army. However, Murong Yanzhao, the commander of the Song Army, looked towards the distance with a worried look on his face. "Sir, I heard that Gu Tingye has changed his name?"

"Yes! He changed his name to Suning and called himself the King of Ning of Daning Kingdom." Zhang Fangping, the magistrate of Jiangning Prefecture, gave a brief introduction to the situation. It seemed that the enemy opposite was still very crazy.

"Hmph! A monkey in human clothing." Thinking of the young man from Bianjing City who had transformed into a "grass-roots king", Murong Yanzhao said with disdain on his face.

"General Murong, I heard that the Ningyuan Army has a kind of extremely powerful artillery. One shot can cause the sky to collapse and the earth to split. Liao Wenjun's 50,000-strong army was destroyed in this way. They also have large iron ships that can float on the river. The Jiangning Navy has no ability to resist at all." Seeing that the commander on the side was actually a little underestimated the enemy, Zhang Fangping hurriedly explained the specific situation.

"Oh? Cannons? Iron ships?" Murong Yanzhao looked at Zhang Fangping in surprise.

Because of the joint squeeze and blockade by the Liao Dynasty and the Western Xia, the Song Dynasty lost its natural horse-breeding land, so it naturally increased its efforts to develop firearms. Therefore, Murong Yanzhao, as a general of the Song army, was no stranger to firearms, and he did not think that those things that looked good but were useless were of any use.

"Yes!"

"Sir Zhang, how much do you know about Gu Ni's grandfather? You should know that Gu Ni was just a ridiculous yamen official in Bian Jing. How did he suddenly obtain so many advanced firearms?" Then Murong Yanzhao suddenly asked the biggest doubt in his mind. You know, even Ningyuan Hou Gu Yankai couldn't get such advanced firearms and large iron ships?
"General Murong, this is something I find puzzling. Gu Ni's grandfather, Old Bai, was just an ordinary salt merchant in Yangzhou, owning only the Hou'an Salt Farm. He could have possibly purchased these advanced firearms and large iron ships from overseas through the opportunity of selling salt."

"Well, Lord Zhang, what he said makes sense. It seems that we still need to capture Gu Ni alive. This way, we can force him to reveal the channels for purchasing firearms and large iron ships."

"General Murong, the Ningyuan Army on the other side is still very brave. The Jiangning Navy has been suppressed in the camp and dares not show up, so General, it is best not to be too careless and underestimate the enemy."

"Alas! A clay pot will break if it is not kept away from the well, and a great general will inevitably die on the battlefield. I have been mentally prepared since I joined the army."

"General, you are so righteous." The prefect of Jiangning Prefecture naturally praised Murong Yanzhao. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed something ahead and immediately howled in shock, "General Murong, look at that?"

However, Murong Yanzhao was already stunned at this time. In their eyes, countless moving iron lumps were slowly coming, followed by cavalry all over the mountains and plains. After the 60,000 troops completed their deployment under the city of Jiangning, Murong Yanzhao and the Jiangning prefect were completely confused.

"General Murong, how do we fight this?"

"."

At this moment, Murong Yanzhao and the Jiangning prefect saw a small iron lump quickly approach the Jiangning city. From within it emerged a Ningyuan soldier, holding a strange loudspeaker-shaped object. He shouted, "Listen up, false Song officials in the gate tower! I, the Ning King, am merciful and do not wish to inflict further slaughter. I urge you to quickly open the city gates and surrender."

"How should the general respond?"

"Someone come here! Bring me my bow." Murong Yanzhao bit his tongue hard, then reached out to his personal soldier to ask for a strong bow.

"Yes! General."

When Murong Yanzhao got his ten-stone heavy bow, he immediately shot an arrow at the small iron lump under the city. The small iron lump under the city was a modern Hummer tank, which was not afraid of the ancient man's tickle at all. The robot driving the Hummer certainly did not want to be shot by an arrow stupidly, so the AI robot in charge of driving immediately "cleverly" started the car and dodged.

"You pseudo-Song henchmen! Better clean your necks and wait for the heavenly punishment from my Ningyuan Army."

As he watched the little iron lump quickly return to the Ningyuan army's formation, Jiangning Prefecture Governor Zhang Fangping turned pale and began to tremble all over. "General Murong, what should we do?"

The little iron lump stayed beside Suning for a while, and then returned to the city again. The AI robot that had just spoken put a cylindrical object on its shoulder and fired a cannonball at the wooden gate of Jiangning Prefecture. With a shocking "boom", the gate of Jiangning Prefecture suddenly turned into a pile of sawdust, and Murong Yanzhao and the Jiangning prefect on the gate tower almost fell down.

"General Murong, surrender!" At this time, Zhang Fangping had lost the will to resist. He looked at the stunned Murong Yanzhao with a wry smile and persuaded him.

"Surrender?" Murong Yanzhao looked at Zhang Fangping with an expression of disbelief. This was the first time this word appeared in his mind, and it took root and sprouted miraculously quickly.

"General, the Ningyuan Army is like a heavenly army. It is not shameful for us to surrender to them." Zhang Fangping knew that top generals like Murong Yanzhao were still very arrogant, and he described it very cleverly as a level beyond human power.

"."

Although the gate of Jiangning Prefecture had been blown open by rockets, Suning did not rush to send troops to attack. Instead, he continued to wait for something there as steady as a rock. Sure enough, a white flag of surrender was soon raised on the gate tower of Jiangning Prefecture. Murong Yanzhao and all the officials of Jiangning Prefecture walked out of the city gate unarmed, and knelt down on both sides of the official road with their heads bowed. The infantry of the Ningyuan Army quickly entered Jiangning Prefecture and took control of this large southern city.

The original Jiangning prefectural office has now become Suning's temporary Ning Wang Mansion. Suning may work here for a long time in the future. After all, his plan is to divide the country with the Song Dynasty. After all, the Jiangning Mansion, where "dragons coiled and tigers crouched", is very suitable to be a business center, and naturally it is a very suitable place to be his Ning Wang Mansion.

Looking at Murong Yanzhao and Jiangning Prefecture Governor Zhang Fangping kneeling in front of him, Su Ning felt very proud and happy. Many people may not know Murong Yanzhao, but he is the mortal enemy of Li Jilian, the prototype of Gu Tingye. Li Jilian only began to emerge in the Song Dynasty after Murong Yanzhao's death. Su Ning did not expect that Murong Yanzhao would appear magically. Only then did he realize what the "system" meant when it said that this was a fusion world.

"Zhang Zhifu, are you willing to serve Daning?" Looking at Zhang Fangping, a famous official of the Song Dynasty standing beside him, Su Ning was so surprised that he almost drooled.

"Ah? This..." According to Zhang Fangping's original intention, he was certainly unwilling to follow the thief, but now he had no capital to refuse.

"Zhang Zhifu, you should have seen the strength of my Ningyuan Army. It would be easy for us to capture Bianjing, the capital of the Song Dynasty. I simply want to divide the country with the Song Dynasty and then work together to destroy the Liao Dynasty and the Western Xia Dynasty. Then, we will have the Song Dynasty in the north and Ningyuan in the south."

"What? Divide the river and govern separately?" At this time, Zhang Fangping and Murong Yanzhao both looked at Su Ning in horror, and couldn't help but think of the big iron ships cruising on the Yangtze River next to Jiangning Prefecture every day.

"Yes! So pledge allegiance to the Ningyuan Army, and your future will be filled with the appointment of prime minister and nobility." Su Ning was delighted by the two men's astonishment. Only a lunatic like Su Ning would dare to dream of "dividing the river and ruling separately." "Your Highness, Prince Ning, I am willing to follow you till death." Before Su Ning could wait for Zhang Fangping's response, Murong Yanzhao, standing beside him, eagerly knelt and said.

"Murong Yanzhao, you have to think it over carefully. We used to be sworn enemies." Su Ning couldn't help but look at Murong Yanzhao in surprise. He didn't expect that this former sworn enemy would be so courageous.

"Your Highness Prince Ning, as long as you don't mind my old age, the entire Murong family will be your pawn." Since he had already chosen to surrender completely, Murong Yanzhao felt that there was no need to be shy anymore.

"Okay! When I negotiate with the Song Dynasty, I will definitely bring your family here safely."

"Thank you, Your Highness Prince Ning."

"Zhang Fangping, what about you?" Then Su Ning turned his head again and looked at Zhang Fangping beside him.

"Prince Ning, will you treat scholars well like the Song Dynasty did?" At this time, Zhang Fangping suddenly looked at Su Ning and asked a question without any context.

"Of course! Isn't this the king who is eager to seek talented people now?" Suning responded in a matter-of-fact tone, but Suning's "kindness" was a little different from that of the Song Dynasty.

"Your Highness Prince Ning, I am willing to serve you."

"Haha, that's great! Civil officials and military commanders are all my favorites. If you have any suitable talents, please feel free to recommend them to me. I will definitely make use of them."

"Yes! Your Highness Prince Ning, we will contact our friends and subordinates right away."

"Well, you two, the task of pacifying the surrendered officials and generals in Jiangning Prefecture will be left to you."

"Yes! Your Majesty."

"Su Yi, take everyone to the Jinyiwei to handle the formalities." Then Su Ning turned his head and looked at Su Yi, the commander of the Jinyiwei who was standing beside him.

"Yes! Your Majesty."

Next, under the leadership of Murong Yanzhao and Zhang Fangping, a group of surrendered officials and generals followed Su Yi and other Jinyiwei to a yamen that was unfamiliar to them. Then, they all left an unforgettable mark on their buttocks and bodies, which naturally dispelled their thoughts of being indecisive.

At this time, Suning was standing on the city gate tower overlooking the entire Jiangning Prefecture, while the craftsmen of Jiangning Prefecture were repairing the broken city gate in an orderly manner. Next, he only needed to send his generals to march south. He believed that he would soon be able to control the fertile land south of the Yangtze River.

After the Jiangning Prefecture was captured almost without bloodshed, more and more scholars came to join the Ningyuan Army. Even Sheng Hong and Sheng Changbai, father and son, who were squatting to dry salt at Hou'an Salt Farm in Yangzhou, were shocked. They really didn't expect that Suning's Ningyuan Army would be so brave. Perhaps they didn't expect that the Song Dynasty would be so weak.

"Father, Gu Tingye has actually succeeded?" Sheng Changbai looked at Sheng Hong with an expression of disbelief and sighed.

"Oh! This is really unexpected! Is it that the military of our Song Dynasty is too weak?" At this time, Sheng Hong also showed a depressed look as if he had lost his parents.

"Father, should we join the Ningyuan Army? You should know that we have some relationship with Gu Tingye." At this time, Sheng Changbai suddenly approached Sheng Hong and asked in a low voice that only the father and son could hear.

"Huh?" Sheng Hong certainly understood what his son Sheng Changbai meant. You know, Sheng Hualan was working as a maid beside Su Ning.

"But...what if..." Although Sheng Hong was very excited, he was still hesitant.

"Father, does our Sheng family have any way out? Can Hualan's affairs really be kept secret?" At this time, Sheng Changbai had already figured it out. When Ning Yuanjun took Sheng Hualan away from their Sheng family, their entire Sheng family had no way out.

"This"

"Father, the letter Hualan sent a few days ago said that Concubine Wei has given birth to a young son, Changsong, for you. Don't you want to go home as soon as possible to see your little brother Changsong?"

"I"

"Besides, my mother and Aunt Lin are still making shoes and embroidering in a workshop in Yangzhou. How could they have ever suffered such hardships?"

"."

"Father, since our Sheng family has nowhere to retreat, we should just follow Gu Tingye wholeheartedly. You should know that Wang Zhixin, the prefect, has already defected to the Ningyuan Army."

"Changbai, have you really decided?" Sheng Hong looked up at Sheng Changbai in surprise and asked after noticing that Sheng Changbai's heart was towards Ning Yuanjun at this moment.

"It's decided! Perhaps Gu Tingye can really succeed. You have to know that the Liao Dynasty is eyeing the Song Dynasty covetously in the north, the Xixia Dynasty is also threatening in the northwest, and there is also a Dali Dynasty in the southwest that covets the fertile land of the Song Dynasty. It is impossible to focus all our energy on the Ningyuan Army."

"Okay! Since you're not afraid at such a young age, why should I, a lowly official of the seventh rank, be afraid?"

"Haha, that's great! Father, let's go to the workshop to pick him up and Aunt Lin and bring them home for a reunion. I'm sure Grandma and Mother have missed us for a long time."

"Oh! I regret it so much! If you knew that Gu Tingye's Ningyuan Army was so powerful, why would my father and I have to suffer so much here?"

"Father, only those who have endured the most hardships can become the best. In the future, our Sheng family will be rich and prosperous."

"Yeah! I get excited just thinking about it now."

Seeing that even the most stubborn Sheng family father and son had decided to surrender, the Gu family members who were forced to work hard were extremely depressed. Of course, they had also heard the news that the Ningyuan army had won another great victory. After all, every time the Ningyuan army won a great victory, someone would announce it in the salt village. Naturally, they had wanted to compromise with Suning a long time ago. Unfortunately, the salt village supervisors who had received Suning's signal in advance were too lazy to pay attention to them.

(End of this chapter)