Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 223: Destruction of Money
"I, Han Shizhong, have never fought such a profitable battle in my entire life!"

Looking at the countless trucks loaded with military supplies and provisions delivered to him, Han Shizhong laughed triumphantly.

He was a rogue from Yan'an Prefecture who had served in the military for many years and made numerous merits. He even captured Fang La alive.

Of course, according to Song Dynasty military tradition, the credit was taken by his superior, who came from a military family.

It wasn't until he joined the Hebei Grand Marshal that Han Shizhong had a chance to rise in the ranks.

However, their good days were short-lived. That despicable and wicked Huang Qianshan caused them to suffer a crushing defeat.

He gathered the remnants of his army and surrendered to Master Zong, only to be sent to suppress bandits.

Although this bandit was from a local government office that had previously been very cowardly, it was a powerful eunuch and landlord.

However, the nature of their work remained the same: suppressing bandits, plus collecting gold, silver, raw silk, medicinal herbs, and timber.

Now we've finally made it through the tough times, and I'm ordered to build a powerful army similar to Yue Fei's.

Various supplies and support from Bianliang City arrived continuously.

"This armor~~~"

"Tsk tsk tsk~~~"

Unlike a fool like Huang Qianshan.

Generals like Han Shizhong, who had fought their way up from the battlefield, placed particular importance on armor.

"They are all top-quality lamellar armor."

He tapped the armor, examined its luster, and pinched its thickness, saying, "It's better than the armor worn by the Iron Falcon and the Foot Guard."

Iron Falcons were elite heavy cavalry of the Western Xia Dynasty.

The Bubazi were a heavy infantry force composed of nobles from the Dangxiang tribe.

Han Shizhong fought against the Western Xia for many years, and they were the best-armored troops he had ever encountered, leaving a deep impression on him.

"Commander Han."

Zhang Jun, who also came from the Western Army, immediately shouted, "You have to give me half of these armors."

Han Shizhong immediately glanced sideways and said, "I am the Commander-in-Chief. How it is divided is up to me."

The Western Army is the most powerful strategic force in the Great Song Dynasty.

Since the suppression of the Fang La rebellion several years ago, the Western Army has repeatedly marched eastward.

He led the Northern Expedition against Yan and Yun, rescued Taiyuan Prefecture, and served the emperor in Tokyo, among other things.

Hundreds of thousands of Western troops left Guanzhong and came to fight in the Central Plains and the two rivers.

Most of the soldiers had already died on the battlefield.

The rest were scattered and broken everywhere.

Former leaders of the Western Army, such as Zhong Shizhong and Zhong Shidao.

Former key figures in the Western Army, such as Yao Pingzhong, Xin Xingzong, Yang Weizhong, and Liu Yanqing, have either died, fled, or scattered.

Only then did Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun, and other former insignificant junior officers finally have their day in the sun.

For example, Han Shizhong, who became the commander-in-chief and was also appointed as the military governor, could also be called Grand Commandant Han.

"Han Po Wu!"

Zhang Jun was furious: "Others may not know you, but how could I not?"

"What have you acquired, and now you want to reclaim it?"

The generals also shouted, urging Han Shizhong to divide the armor immediately.

They all came from the Western Army, so everyone knows what kind of person Han Po-wu is.

That's a one-way street!

"What's wrong? What's wrong?"

Han Shizhong was least afraid of being threatened.

He lifted one leg and placed it on the frame, rolled up his sleeves, and prepared to fight.

"You think you can take what belongs to Han Shizhong?"

"Go to Yan'an Prefecture and ask around~~~"

"Grand Commandant Han, this is the first batch of armor and weapons." The escort officer transporting the military supplies stepped forward. "The following batches will arrive within ten days."

"They were issued according to the quota, and every soldier had a set of armor, all of which were iron armor."

After saying this, the escort officer handed over the documents in his hand, waiting for Han Shizhong to affix his seal and signature.

"Go and inquire about it!" Han Shizhong looked at the document in his hand. "Who in Yan'an Prefecture doesn't know that I, Han Shizhong, am a generous and charitable man!"

"Within ten days, all departments will be equipped with armor, and everyone will have one!"

Yue Fei's troops were mainly composed of rebel forces from the two rivers region.

Han Shizhong's forces consisted mainly of routed soldiers from the Western Army.

These defeated Western Army soldiers already possessed sufficient military foundations and had extensive combat experience.

With all kinds of military supplies provided, full pay and high rewards offered, and no time needed for training, their combat effectiveness immediately improved.

Eager to make a name for himself, Han Shizhong, having received his military supplies and salary, immediately set out northwards, heading straight for the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

The main force of the Jin army gathered in Yanyun was blocking Yue Fei's army at Jundu Pass.

Han Shizhong attacked from the south, as if entering an empty field.

They fought all the way to the banks of the Gaoliang River before encountering the Jurchen reinforcements who had rushed from beyond the Great Wall.

These reinforcements were originally intended to support Junduxing, but they were hastily dispatched because of Han Shizhong's sudden northward march.

The Jurchens looked down on the Khitans, and even more so on the Song people who had been defeated by the Khitans.

These Jurchens from beyond the Great Wall had not been subjected to severe beatings.

Following the old tactics of the Liao people, relying on their fast horses, heavy arrows, and thick armor, they launched a fierce attack right from the start.

The result is self-evident.

Facing Han Shizhong's troops, whose entire force was fully armored, they were unable to launch an attack.

The heavy arrows that I was so proud of could not penetrate it.

He forced his way through the barbed wire and got trapped inside.

When Han Shizhong led his well-paid army to charge forward, the Jurchens, who had previously dominated East Asia, were routed and scattered in disarray.

When the news reached Yanjing, Wanyan Wushu and his men were completely stunned.

The emergence of Yue Fei's army was already astonishing to them, who felt that all the fierce men among the Song people were in Yue Fei's army.

But then another formidable force, the Han Family Army, emerged.

"How can it be!"

Wanyan Wuzhu expressed his disbelief at this.

“I beat them a few months ago.”

"How come he's become so strong after only a few months?!"

Wendu Sizhong explained, "They changed their armor."

"All weapons and armor are brand new, and everyone is wearing heavy armor."

"It is difficult to be harmed by swords and spears, and difficult to be penetrated by heavy arrows."

"Moreover, they are all paid full salary."

"Full pay?" Wanyan Wushu asked, puzzled. "What does this mean?"

Wendu Sizhong explained in a language the Jurchens could understand, "It means that we here allow plundering and the distribution of land and servants."

The Jurchens were strong fighters, and they were brave and daring in battle.

The root cause lies in their wealth distribution scheme. The spoils of war belonged to them, and the conquered lands, along with the people on those lands, all became their personal property.

With sufficient benefits, they will naturally dare to fight desperately on the battlefield.

The benefits of the Liao and Song dynasties were all controlled by the powerful and wealthy, leaving the soldiers struggling to feed themselves and their families, which made it impossible for them to defeat the Jin people.

Nowadays, the people of Song have changed.

The benefits of fighting were plentiful, with full pay and land distribution. In terms of morale and fighting will, they were in no way inferior to the Jurchens.

In addition, they possessed the most advanced military equipment of the era and an astonishingly abundant logistical supply.

It's only natural that we can win.

"Go and find Han Shizhong."

Wanyan Wushu instructed Wendu Sizhong to "take the imperial edict from Zhao Gou and go find him."

"Tell him that the Song emperor has made him a king!"

On the banks of the Gaoliang River.

Han Shizhong, in the military camp, didn't even finish reading Yan Gou's imperial edict before casually tossing it on the ground.

"I have no idea about any imperial edict from Wanyan Gou."

"I will only obey the orders of Minister Zong."

After saying this, he ignored Wendu Sizhong and turned to look at a military officer who was being held captive in the tent.

"Wang Da!"

"You've got some nerve!"

"They dare to embezzle the soldiers' rewards? Do you think this is still the Western Army?"

Wang Da, with his neck stiff, protested, "We've always done it this way, sharing the profits after the transaction."

"I'm just following the old ways and taking some money and goods."

"Han Po-wu, stop causing trouble!"

Han Shizhong scoffed, "The old calendar?"

"The Song Dynasty is gone; that was just the old calendar of the previous dynasty!"

“You receive the salary of the new dynasty but follow the old calendar of the previous dynasty. You really don’t know how to write the word ‘death’.”

He raised his hand and said, "Drag him out and behead him, then display his head in public."

After dealing with the officers who had embezzled military pay and rewards, Han Shizhong looked at Wendu Sizhong again and asked, "Are you surnamed Wanyan?"

Wen Dusizhong's heart skipped a beat, and he understood what Han Shizhong meant.

The news had already spread.

A head of Wanyan is rewarded with a thousand strings of cash and a hundred acres of land.

Ordinary gold figurines cost only one percent of this price.

"Grand Commandant, you jest."

Wendu Sizhong quickly explained, "I am from the Abus Water Tribe, and my surname is Nouwan."

Han Shizhong's next words made Wen Dusi tremble.

“A sum of money above the level of a Mouke can be worth several hundred strings of cash.”

"Men, drag him out and chop off his head. The reward is mine."

Wendu Sizhong was shocked and quickly explained that he was an envoy.

But Han Shizhong wouldn't listen at all.

After he was dragged out of the main tent, Han Shizhong's gaze fell on the deputy envoy.

"Song people? Han people?"

The Song people were those who surrendered to the Jin people and fled with them.

Han'er refers to the Han people in the northern regions of Yan, Yun and Liao.

During the Tang Dynasty, it was still one country, but unfortunately, it produced a man like Shi Jingtang.

The deputy envoy stammered, "This humble official is Liu Yu, a Privy Councilor of the Great Song Dynasty..."

"You're Liu Yu?!" Han Shizhong slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his eyes filled with surprise.

"Lord Zong specifically named you, and your reward will be the same as that of the Wanyan family."

"Quickly, tie him up and send him to Bianliang City! The reward is mine."

A similar scene unfolded in Yue Fei's camp.

The difference is that Yue Fei did not execute Wulindatai, who was acting as the envoy.

He simply threw away Wanyan Gou's imperial edict and drove away all the envoys.

On Yue Fei's side, they broke through Jundu Pass, defeated Nianhan once again, and approached Yanjing City.

Han Shizhong in the south was also constantly moving north, forming a pincer movement.

"I can't stay here any longer."

Wanyan Wushu discussed the matter with Nianhan and the others who had escaped, and ultimately decided to "go back after leaving the pass."

Before leaving, Wanyan Wushu, filled with disgust, said, "I never expected that Prince Kang to be so useless. He has truly tarnished the Wanyan surname."

There's no need to take him with you.

"Throw it to the dogs!"

The puppet emperor Wanyan Gou, who hadn't had a full meal for more than a few days, was thrown into a pack of wild dogs when the Jurchens retreated.

Amidst piercing screams, it was torn apart and devoured by dozens of red-eyed wild dogs.

The bones were all chewed to pieces, leaving no trace of the body.

Yue Fei and Han Shizhong pursued the Jin army all the way.

They finally caught up with the fleeing Jin soldiers in Dading Prefecture, Zhongjing, Liao Dynasty.

Before the war began, Wanyan Wushu sent an envoy to say, "We have already withdrawn from beyond the Great Wall, so why are you still pursuing us?"

In response to them was a Great Wall of Steel composed of tens of thousands of armored soldiers!
The Jin army's last major force suffered a crushing defeat.

Wanyan Wushu, Nianhan, and others perished in the battle.

Various tribes in Liaodong broke away from the rule of the Jin dynasty and surrendered to Bianliang (Kaifeng). They then launched a fierce campaign to exterminate the Jurchens, exchanging their heads for rewards.

Han Yue's military campaign did not stop there; he continued northward and marched all the way to Huanglong Prefecture.

They destroyed the last of the Jurchens and occupied the land.

The Jurchen emperor Wanyan Wugumai set fire to the palace, and he and his followers were consumed by the flames.

The Jin Dynasty was destroyed!

The news reached Bianliang City.

Lin Dao, who was lying on Zhao Huanhuan's belly listening to the sounds, discussed with Zong Ze, who was so excited that he shed tears.

Zong Ze said, "After resting and recuperating, Han Shizhong can enter Guanzhong, go down to Sichuan, and destroy the Dangxiang in the north."

"Yue Fei went south to quell the rebellion."

"Afterwards, the combined forces will launch a western expedition to the Western Regions!"

Lin Dao, however, mentioned someone: "It's time to send Qin Hui on his way."

"Unfounded?"

"Yes, it's baseless!"

(End of this chapter)