I am Emperor Shizu of Song

Chapter 160 It is easier to shake a mountain than to shake Yue Fei's army

"The Song emperor has been captured and surrendered for two months now, so why are these Song people still resisting our Great Jin army?"

One day in the twelfth month of the first year of Jingkang, as Wanyan Zongbi led 50,000 Jin troops eastward and southward, sweeping away the vast plains west of the Si River and north of the Huai River, they arrived in the Huai-Si area of ​​Xuzhou. Faced with the re-emergence of organized resistance from the Song people, they were somewhat bewildered.

Perhaps the advance had been too smooth. The emperor's capture dealt a tremendous blow to the will to resist among the Song army and even the Han people around the capital. The government troops north of the Huai River almost completely collapsed, with large numbers surrendering without a fight. After living such an easy life for so long, even the slightest resistance was bound to seem unexpected.

However, Wanyan Zongbi still didn't take the enemy seriously. He thought that if there was resistance, he would just kill the resistance. It was no big deal.

If the Jin army wanted to attack Xuzhou, there were only two routes: either attack from west to east, or take a slightly roundabout route and attack from south to north. Normally, attacking from north to south would be more common, but because of Zhao Zicheng's presence, there was the Taishan mountain area to the north, plus the Weishan Lake and Liangshan Marsh waterways, making it difficult for the Jin army to break through that area.

Therefore, Wanyan Zongbi ultimately had to choose between either crossing the Mangdang Mountains and even the Lieshan Mountains in Xiao County from west to east to attack Xuzhou by land, or simply bypassing Suzhou in the south and crossing the Sishui River to the north to attack Xuzhou.

After weighing his options, Wanyan Zongbi chose the route from Suzhou to Xuzhou. The reason was simple: the Song troops in Suzhou and other places surrendered too quickly. Because the area was located on the Huaihe Plain with no natural defenses, the local soldiers, lacking resolve, surrendered at the sight of the enemy.

Too few determined soldiers could turn the tide, so they had no choice but to cross the Si River or the Huai River to seek refuge in Zhao Zicheng's territory.

All of this led Wanyan Zongbi to choose the longer route, which was easier than crossing the mountains, and ultimately he chose to cross the river to attack Xu.

The Si River is not very wide; it is only a tributary of the Huai River. Crossing it is relatively easy and not enough to support the Song army's naval advantage. Therefore, Wanyan Zongbi was not worried at all that the Song people would attack while the Song army was crossing.

This wasn't because Wanyan Zongbi was rash; it was because everything had gone too smoothly before.

On the morning of the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, after Wanyan Zongbi arrived at the bank of the Sishui River, he did not have much time to prepare warships. He only found about a hundred small boats and estimated that several thousand people could cross the river at a time. He then immediately decided to cross the river in batches.

……

Meanwhile, as early as when Wanyan Zongbi was collecting warships along the Si River, Yue Fei in Xuzhou City had already received news that the Jin army was drinking water from the Si River.

Sishui is not far from Xuzhou; after crossing the river, it's not far to the edge of Xuzhou city. Of course, Wanyan Zongbi wasn't stupid; he wouldn't choose a spot directly opposite Xuzhou city to cross the river. He would always take a slightly longer route upstream and downstream, avoiding the heavily guarded crossings by the Song army.

Therefore, the crossing point that Wanyan Zongbi ultimately chose was about twenty miles away from Xuzhou City.

The atmosphere in Xuzhou was very somber.

Yue Fei, who had only been in office as the Defense Commissioner of Xuzhou for two months, had most of his troops not being his own men, and he himself did not have many loyal followers.

The Xuzhou defense zone had a total of over 10,000 Song troops. If the troops stationed in the counties along the Sishui River all the way to Huaiyin were also included, the total number of troops could be barely raised to 20,000.

Of these troops, only four thousand were Yue Fei's old, loyal followers who had fought alongside him in the Goguryeo campaign and had recently been transferred back to the Central Plains. The main reason was that Yue Fei was too young, only twenty-four years old, and his previous official rank was only at the level of a commander-in-chief; he only had so many old men.

Zhao Zicheng said that the nearly 10,000 men newly assigned to him were still in the adjustment period, with soldiers not knowing their generals and generals not knowing their soldiers.

Fortunately, the four thousand veterans who had conquered Goryeo and fought against Japan were truly elite and capable. Moreover, Zhao Zicheng also allocated a considerable amount of new equipment to Yue Fei, giving him more confidence.

Zhao Zi said that the weapons allocated to Yue Fei this time mainly consisted of a large quantity of thunderclap grenades, which were explosive hand grenades filled with black powder, and the supply was almost unlimited. As for the light bronze cannons, Zhao Zi said that they had not yet been allocated this time.

According to Zhao Zicheng, Yue Fei should continue with a defensive strategy for now, and there's no need to expose artillery so early. The defenders can simply drop bombs from the city walls; the range of gunpowder-based explosive weapons doesn't need to be considered. Keeping the artillery secret will allow them to launch a surprise attack on the Jin army when the situation shifts from defense to offense.

On the other hand, Zhao Zicheng's cannons were indeed insufficient in number. Before the Jingkang Incident, they were all manufactured experimentally, with production, testing, and improvements made as they were produced. Yue Fei first used bronze cannons when fighting against Japan at Tsushima and Iki Island. He discovered some problems with them then, and production was halted for several months afterward to gradually improve them.

The bronze cannons have only just entered full-speed mass production, and we really can't provide enough for Yue Fei to fully equip them. It's not that Zhao Zicheng was being stingy.

Yue Fei also thought it made a lot of sense, so he completely accepted the arrangement.

At this moment, upon hearing that the Jin army had found a weak point in the river defenses downstream to cross the river, the garrison in Xuzhou City quickly fell into disagreement.

All the generals felt that the city should be defended to the death, including Yue Fei's old subordinates who had followed him for many years.

"Fifth Brother, let's just defend the city to the death! His Highness has given Big Brother so many thunderbolts, the Jin dogs guarding the city will definitely not be able to break in!" Even Yue Fei's own brother, Yue Fan, advised him in this way.

Yue Fan has now become a battalion commander. He is four years younger than Yue Fei and just turned twenty this year. It is already a sign of Zhao Zicheng's favor towards the Yue family that he has become a battalion commander.

Since Yue Fan had spoken, another of Yue Fei's generals, Wang Gui, quickly chimed in, and the others followed suit.

Wang Gui was a fellow townsman of Yue Fei, both hailing from Tangyin. Although he might not have been particularly skilled, he had earned Yue Fei's deep trust during the years he served him.

Faced with everyone's desire for stability, Yue Fei resolutely overruled their objections:

"Of course, we can hold Xuzhou firmly with the thunderous bombs, but right now is the critical moment when His Majesty is eager to establish his authority and inspire the hearts of the Han people. How can we win a great victory and reverse the morale of the Han people if we are only defending the city!"

If we merely defend the city, the Jurchens, once their assault falters, might shift their focus and no longer care about the gains or losses of individual cities. Therefore, we must take the initiative, shatter the Jurchens' arrogance, and completely discredit them, making them lose all the face they've built up since capturing Bianjing. Only then will they fight to the bitter end for Xuzhou.

Everyone understood the reasoning Yue Fei was giving. However, the enemy was powerful and had arrived with the momentum of consecutive victories. Even the main force of the imperial guards couldn't handle the Jurchens, so how could these soldiers from Xuzhou dare to draw their swords?

After a moment of bewilderment, Yue Fan, taking advantage of his status, voiced the question on everyone's mind: "But the Sishui River is so narrow that it cannot fully utilize the advantages of a navy. Our army is also small in number, so how dare we intercept the Jin people crossing the river?"

Yue Fei waved his hand and said, "Then let the navy act as a diversion to attract the enemy's attention, so we don't get bogged down in a bitter battle. Sixth brother, you will help me defend the city."

Wang Gui, take one hundred light, swift boats, mostly rowers and few soldiers. Equip all soldiers with crossbows and head south of the city, down the Si River, to attack. Just make it look like you're going to launch a full-scale attack while the enemy is crossing; there's no need to linger in battle.

The Jurchens, having won consecutive victories, will undoubtedly underestimate you, and their river-crossing ships will certainly dare to engage you. Their cavalry on both the north and south banks will also dare to exchange fire and encircle you. If the enemy pursues you, immediately turn back to the city. With many shields erected on the ships, the Jurchen cavalry on the shore, relying solely on their archers, will be unable to intercept you and will only be able to wear you down.

Once you lure some of the cavalry that have already landed on the north bank over and they become separated from their units, I will personally lead my cavalry to deliver a crushing blow!

Hearing that there was no need to engage in prolonged fighting or desperately try to cut off the enemy's crossing fleet, Wang Gui felt more confident. To be honest, although the Song people were better swimmers than the Jin people, in naval warfare during this period, unless it was a very large river with a huge volume of water, the Song people generally did not have a significant advantage.

In a crossbow duel, the Song soldiers, relying on the superior craftsmanship and quality of their crossbows, could gain a slight advantage. However, if the Jin soldiers boarded their ships in close combat, given their ferocious and valiant nature, the Song soldiers would almost immediately collapse, daring not to engage in hand-to-hand combat to the very end.

When Bianjing was captured, the Jin army was harassed by the Song army while crossing the Yellow River, but the Song army suffered repeated defeats for this reason.

However, Yue Fei's task for Wang Gui was to avoid close combat and instead use crossbows to lure the enemy away. He also assigned him extra rowers to improve his mobility, so Wang Gui had nothing to complain about.

In contrast, Yue Fei left the most dangerous task to himself, leading a small number of cavalry to launch a surprise attack on the enemy's vanguard cavalry who were overconfident and reckless. As the commander-in-chief, he shouldered such a heavy burden, so what could his subordinates say?

Wang Gui gritted his teeth and accepted the order with a firm tone. He then led several battalions of naval troops out of the city and sailed downstream according to the plan.

Before long, Wang Gui's navy approached Wanyan Zongbi's vanguard, which was crossing the Si River, and the Jin army quickly responded.

Some of the Jin army generals at the front lines did not even consult Wanyan Zongbi before taking the initiative to attack Wang Gui.

……

"Your Highness! The Song army has dispatched swift warships to ambush our fleet as we are crossing the river! Puluhu, who is currently crossing, and Alubu, who has just arrived at the north bank, have adapted to the situation and organized their own counterattack. Please give your instructions, Your Highness!"

Wanyan Zongbi was in the temporary camp that had just been set up south of the Si River the day before when he heard about the enemy situation on the north bank and was slightly startled.

But after only a brief moment of thought, he ratified the frontline generals' self-determination measures.

When a general is in the field, he may disobey the emperor's orders. In such an emergency, how can he ask for instructions every time he crosses the river? Since the enemy has launched a surprise attack, he must fight back on the spot and not tarnish the prestige that the Great Jin has built up over the past few months.

“The Song people are quite bold. I guess they are just frogs in a well, thinking they can gain the upper hand in any naval battle. That’s why they rashly left Xuzhou to meet the enemy. Immediately send fast horses and scout boats to inform the two generals not to pursue too far. Just drive the enemy away and protect the key crossing points.”

After making his own judgment, Wanyan Zongbi immediately and methodically issued orders.

Both Puluhu and Arubu were surnamed Wanyan and were generals of the Jin dynasty. Puluhu was of a higher status as the eldest son of the current emperor (Emperor Taizong of Jin, Wanyan Wugumai). Arubu was of a lower status, but he was still surnamed Wanyan.

Puluhu was relatively brave and resourceful, while Alubu was known purely for his bravery and fearlessness. There were countless generals with this kind of character among the Jurchens.

Wanyan Zongbi had confidence in his two cousins' abilities, so he let them handle things as they saw fit.

Before long, a naval battle broke out on the Sishui River in the distance. Wang Gui, leading a group of light boats with added rowers, immediately turned around and used a dragging-blade tactic when he saw the Jin people pursuing him. He concentrated his archers at the stern and fired fiercely at the enemy downstream.

Both sides were rowing against the current, and the feng shui provided little power; the main strength came from the rowers' vigorous paddling. The Song army had more rowers, and their boats were longer and more streamlined, so how could the Jin ferries catch up? The soldiers on Wanyan Puluhu's boats were immediately subjected to a barrage of arrows, yet they couldn't catch up, and their morale suffered a blow.

"Let Arubu flank them! Let the cavalry fire arrows at the enemy ships in the river!" Puluhu, in a fit of impotence and rage, could only urge his allies to speed up.

Arubu was originally in charge of commanding all the Jin troops that had landed on the north bank. His temporary troops were composed of a complex mix of heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and a large number of infantry.

Many soldiers were not normally under Arubu's command; they were only temporarily placed under his command because Arubu was temporarily appointed as the vanguard for crossing the river and was in full charge of the landing site. Many of their direct superiors had not yet crossed the river.

Urged on by Puluhu, Arubu, who was of lower rank, could only do his best to drive away the Song fleet. His infantry archers were too slow to keep up, and the Iron Pagoda heavy cavalry could not attack the enemy in the river. After some selection, only the majority of the light cavalry were chosen and led by Arubu himself to pursue and kill Wang Gui.

Seeing Arubu closing in, Wang Gui hastily erected many large shields on both sides of the ship, instantly rendering the Jin army's plan futile—this arrangement was personally instructed to him by Yue Fei before the attack. Yue Fei told Wang Gui not to erect all the shields immediately, but to give the enemy a glimmer of hope.

Arubu was being toyed with like a cricket, his anger simmering, wishing he could catch Wang Gui and devour him. He was completely devoid of reason.

Just as Arubu's cavalry was panting heavily, completely separated from the Iron Pagoda and the main infantry force, and had been exchanging fire with Wang Gui for a long time, suddenly dust billowed from the direction of Xuzhou City in the northwest, and a troop of cavalry rushed straight towards Arubu.

"Huh? The Song people dare to send cavalry to rescue the navy? Playing with cavalry in front of my Great Jin iron cavalry? It's like showing off your axe in front of Guan Yu." Arubuzheng had nowhere to vent his anger, and he didn't care about the strength of the people coming. He directly violated the cardinal rule of military strategy and ordered his cavalry to charge straight at the enemy.

That's not how the "Hooked Horse" is used at all; that's the job of the Ironclad Cavalry. But the overconfident and furious Arubu had completely ignored it.

Because the enemy didn't seem to be many, maybe five or six hundred cavalry, at most seven or eight hundred, while Alubu had two Meng'an, which was two thousand-man squads. Even though they were already at full strength after repeated battles, they were not a force that the Song people could easily take advantage of.

……

"Well done!" Yue Fei led two battalions of elite Song cavalry, one battalion consisting of two hundred heavy cavalry and the other of four hundred archer cavalry, and charged straight toward Arubu.

Even if six hundred men were to fight against a thousand or more, Yue Fei would not be afraid in the slightest.

Yue Fei brought with him an army of over four thousand veterans from Xuzhou who had fought against Goguryeo. Only two battalions were cavalry; the remaining eight battalions were naval and infantry units. Therefore, Yue Fei had deployed all the elite cavalry he could muster.

The Song army's organization consisted of a full-strength light cavalry battalion of 400 men, while the heavy cavalry might have a slightly smaller number due to the need to change horses.

Previously, the Northern Song army was plagued by corruption and serious underpayment of soldiers. Other armies, with a full-strength battalion of four hundred, often only had a little over a hundred or even just a few dozen riders. However, Zhao Zicheng's troops always maintained full strength by paying their own way. Therefore, Yue Fei's light cavalry consisted of a genuine full four hundred men, with not a single one carrying any pay.

Yue Fei's heavy cavalry was based on the iron cavalrymen in horse armor that Huyan Zhuo had built up, and was expanded and trained. Their equipment was also very good, even better than what Huyan Zhuo used in his early years.

Even the warhorses were clad in high-quality leather armor, with reinforced areas such as the neck and bridle reinforced with forged steel plates. The cavalry armor was also cold-forged using water-powered hammers.

This elite force, though small in number, had the advantage of being well-rested and waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out. Thanks to Wang Gui, they had already lured the enemy over and separated them from their own forces.

Arubu's cavalry crossed the river before dawn this morning. After crossing, they had to send out search teams to guard the landing area. Later, they were harassed and had to be pursued. They have covered an unknown distance since early morning and throughout the morning. The horses are very tired, and the soldiers are also exhausted. They have committed major military taboos in every way.

However, after seeing Yue Fei, Arubu still dared to charge straight at him, which was because he had won too many battles and had no sense of vigilance whatsoever.

How could Yue Fei not seize this opportunity to teach the Jurchens a lesson?

"You traitor, you've fallen for my trap! Yue Fei of Xiangzhou is here! Soldiers, follow me and kill!" Yue Fei, clad in feathered armor, led the charge, wielding his iron double-hooked spear, and charged towards the Jin cavalry.

Moreover, he only needs to hold the gun with one hand, while he can hold the pistol with the other. When Zhao Zicheng broke out of the Jin camp, he prepared two pistols for himself and two for Yue Fei. After the breakout, they were left for Yue Fei to use. Now that he was going into battle, of course, they all needed to be reloaded.

Therefore, Yue Fei had the opportunity to fire a total of twelve shots after getting close to the enemy. However, revolvers are too expensive and cannot be mass-produced to this day. For his own safety, Zhao Zicheng would never allow such a weapon to fall into the hands of unreliable people.

"Yue Fei? Never heard of him! Warriors of the Great Jin, follow me and kill him!" Wanyan Arubu didn't care at all and directly commanded his cavalry to surround Yue Fei.

He had never actually heard of Yue Fei, because when Yue Fei protected Zhao Zicheng and fought his way out of the Jin camp, he didn't have a name or identification; in that battle, Yue Fei's role was merely that of a bodyguard. Many Jin people knew of his bravery, but they didn't know his name.

But it's okay, after today, everyone will know. This will be our official debut, with everyone announcing their names.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" With a series of loud bangs, Yue Fei showed no mercy as his horse approached Arubu. After closing to within twenty paces, he fired three shots before the horse passed him. After firing the three shots, he was within five paces, ready for close combat.

The first shot hit one of Arub's bodyguards. The second shot was aimed at Arub, but one of his bodyguards reacted quickly and rushed to Arub's side to cover him when he heard the first shot, becoming a scapegoat. Only the third shot hit Arub.

This is war, why talk about "martial virtue"? Of course, we should use every means at our disposal and fight in the best way possible to achieve a quick victory.

"Pfft—" Arubu spat out a mouthful of blood. He didn't know where he had been hit, but he felt excruciating pain all over his body. At least several places were pierced by tiny shrapnel fragments. His armor blocked most of the shrapnel, but some fragments could still get in.

"Remember this, bandits! The one who killed him was Yue Fei of Xiangzhou!" Taking advantage of Arubu's injured and stunted state, Yue Fei directly closed in and stabbed him to death with his spear. He then lifted the body off the horse's back and threw it high into the air.

"So Yue Fei was the fierce general who protected Song Renxiu Wang's escape that day!" With the sound of gunfire and the swift killing of the general, some of the surrounding bandits and Jin soldiers finally recalled the fear of being dominated that day.

Although these people were not the two fierce warriors who pursued Yue Fei and Zhao Zicheng that day, they were all in the Jin camp at the time and had witnessed that earth-shattering event from afar.

"If the Song people had such a fierce general, why did he disappear when the Jin dynasty captured Bianjing? He must be a direct descendant of the Song emperor Xiu Wang!"

"Just because the Song emperor was incompetent doesn't mean Prince Xiu was incompetent too!"

The names of people and the shadows of trees, all sorts of distracting thoughts spread uncontrollably and grew in the minds of the Jin soldiers.

But Yue Fei gave them no chance to hesitate or think. He pierced the heart of the Jin people like a sharp knife, and his two hundred iron cavalry charged wildly and clashed head-on with the Jin people's light cavalry.

Four hundred Song cavalry archers followed, using the gap created by their comrades-in-arms to further expand their gains.

"Those who block my way shall die!" Yue Fei led from the front without hesitation. When he encountered troublesome enemy officers, he did not hesitate to use his pistol bullets. He emptied the first pistol and put it back in his boot, then took out another one to keep on hand. At least two more Jurchen soldiers were killed by Yue Fei.

There was never a general with superhuman strength among the Jin people. Yue Fei only needed to use his double hook spear made of iron with one hand to kill or parry the enemy's melee attacks. The whole process seemed to be done with a sense of calm and composure. In any case, he had a pistol full of bullets as a backup. Yue Fei felt very at ease, knowing that no matter how stubborn the enemy was, he could at least fight his way out.

I can't guarantee a complete rout, but I can definitely break through their defenses.

The Song army's iron cavalry were filled with high morale, and they all fought desperately alongside their commander, each one as frenzied as if they had been injected with several doses of adrenaline.

In the short time it takes to drink two cups of tea, with the death of Arubu, the two Jurchen Meng'an cavalrymen were once again cleaved in two by Yue Fei.

Those who dared to stand up for their general and seek revenge were all suppressed by Yue Fei, either shot or killed.

The Jin army's exhaustion and fatigue quickly became apparent, and once that momentum was broken, their previously held fighting spirit would be completely unsustainable.

"Don't linger in battle! Retreat and join up with the Iron Pagoda, then we can deal with these Song barbarians!" Some officers had this idea and tried to stabilize the situation and retreat in an orderly manner.

The Jin army had very strict military law, and they wouldn't dare to retreat directly. However, if they only made tactical adjustments and waited for friendly forces to catch up, they could launch a counterattack on the same day and escape military law.

With this in mind, the Jin cavalry finally used their speed advantage to retreat at breakneck speed, and even tried to lure Yue Fei into the Jin army's main force's position.

But Yue Fei was not one to linger in battle. After decimating the Jin army once, he only launched a limited counterattack for a short while before calming down and ordering a swift retreat.

"Stop chasing! Behead all the wounded Jurchen soldiers they left behind, and take away as many horses as possible; don't worry about the rest!"

Yue Fei's soldiers were indeed extremely disciplined and quickly obeyed orders. The actual number of casualties in this battle was not large; the total number of Jin soldiers killed was no more than three hundred cavalrymen.

However, there were still many wounded Jin soldiers who had fallen from their horses. Because of the Jin army's temporary retreat, these seriously wounded soldiers could not be cleared from the battlefield and carried away. Yue Fei cleanly and efficiently finished them off, cutting off their heads regardless of whether they were dead or not to report his merits. After returning to the city and making a count, he found that he had cut off a total of seven hundred heads.

By the time the Jin army's main force of iron cavalry and infantry arrived, Yue Fei and Wang Gui had already retreated back to Xuzhou.

Wanyan Zongbi soon heard the news that the vanguard had underestimated the enemy and made a rash advance, which shocked and angered him.

"How could Arubu be so rash! I told him not to be reckless, not to be reckless, to drive the Song people away from the key points and protect the crossing, and to wait for the entire rear army to cross the river! He dared to chase all the way to Xuzhou City!"

Despite his anger, Wanyan Zongbi knew that a defeat in the first battle of the day was a defeat.

As for military law...

Wanyan Zongbi glanced at the defeated generals awaiting punishment and a plan formed in his mind: "Arubu died in battle, but you all escaped back. You should all be beheaded to uphold military law! However, considering that Arubu was the first to disobey my orders and acted rashly due to underestimating the enemy, he has his reasons. I will spare your lives for now!"

"Tomorrow we will launch a full-scale attack on Xuzhou. Today, all the guilty soldiers must lead the charge! Be the vanguard and fight to the death to atone for your sins! Anyone who hesitates or falters will be punished for both crimes, and executed without mercy!"

Upon hearing the punishment, the defeated soldiers breathed a sigh of relief and kowtowed to express their gratitude to the Fourth Prince for his fair treatment of rewards and punishments and his wisdom in distinguishing between loyalty and treachery.

Now that things had come to this, Wanyan Zongbi could no longer afford to lose face, and he had to launch a strong attack on Xuzhou to regain his honor.

This was the first and most definite defeat for the Jin Dynasty after capturing Bianjing and conquering the remaining Song territory; it was impossible to conceal. If they didn't avenge this defeat, the Jin Dynasty's prestige would be gone, and how could they then intimidate other Song officials and civil servants?

Wanyan Zongbi originally wanted to divide his troops to expand his territory and quickly seize more land, but now he had no choice but to send 40,000 to 50,000 men to the Xuzhou battlefield to fight head-on against Yue Fei, who only brought more than 10,000 men to defend Xuzhou.

The Jin people also mobilized auxiliary troops and raised supplies everywhere. While building siege equipment, they also brought over the auxiliary troops stationed in other directions of the Song territory that had previously besieged the eastern route of Jingdong, to provide logistical support or to serve as cannon fodder for the assault.

Consequently, the pressure on Zhao Zicheng in the Taishan mountain area and in Jinan and Qingzhou was also greatly reduced. The number of enemies directly facing the defense zones of generals such as Guan Sheng, Huyan Zhuo, and Qin Ming was also significantly reduced.

The entire Jin army force on the eastern route of Jingdong was concentrated in Xuzhou for this battle of face.

Yue Fei was not idle either. Before being surrounded by Wanyan Zongbi, he had already done his best to fortify the city walls and clear the fields. After being surrounded, he did not forget to urge his soldiers and civilians to strengthen the city walls, raise the corner towers and crenellations, and raise supplies for the defense of the city every day.

While deploying troops to defend the city, Yue Fei also made sarcastic remarks, attempting to completely trap the Jin army in Xuzhou and prevent them from causing trouble elsewhere.

Yue Fei did not want to send messengers to the Jin camp to their deaths, so he took advantage of the opportunity when he saw Jin scouts patrolling the city to inspect the Song army's defenses every day, and used a powerful crossbow to shoot a bunch of arrows with insults against Wanyan Zongbi at the Jin scouts.

The Song crossbows were powerful enough to reach great distances, and occasionally they could even kill a few Jurchen scouts, much like how they could kill Xiao Talan before the Treaty of Chanyuan. The letters attached to the crossbow bolts that killed Jurchen scouts would, of course, be delivered to Wanyan Zongbi.

After seeing Yue Fei's mockery, the hot-blooded young Wanyan Zongbi became increasingly unable to control himself.

"At all costs, launch a full-scale attack on Xuzhou! This Yue Fei is the greatest threat to our Great Jin! Zhao Zicheng was able to break through the siege because Yue Fei carved a bloody path for him! Otherwise, no Song prince would have escaped today!"
"Whoever kills Yue Fei, even a lowly soldier, will be promoted to the rank of Meng'an! If he was already a general of the rank of Mouke or higher, I will also petition His Majesty to bestow upon him an additional noble title!"

(End of this chapter)