You have truly caused me great suffering!

The Iwami Ginzan is located at the western end of the San'in Road in Japan, facing the Sea of ​​Japan.

Since ships could only travel through the Central Plains, the caravan ultimately chose to travel from Gimhae Port in Goryeo to Tsushima Island.

This voyage was only fifty kilometers long and could be completed in half a day. It remained a major port for trade between Japan and Asahi for centuries.

After replenishing Tsushima Island, the route bypassed the reefs off the west coast of Honshu, passed through Oki Island in Izumo Province, and reached Onsenzu in Iwami Province as the final trade route.

The forces involved are Tsushima, Izumo, and Iwami.

The caravan, carrying the imperial edict from Toba, informed the three forces along the route, instructing them to cooperate in opening roads and building ports.

Because after the trade routes were opened, they already had huge benefits along the way and could get a share of the profits from the trade.

Therefore, they were not granted any benefits.

Another large naval force was transferred from Laiju to Gimhae Port and Busan Port to stand by, ready to depart at any time.

Throughout history, stationing troops in someone else's sphere of influence has always aroused resentment.

This time was no exception; the headquarters of the Korean Navy stationed in Korea had long been prepared for war.

Government offices, military camps, and ships across the country are being mobilized at a frantic pace, and even the craftsmen are ready.

At this moment, everyone's attention in the entire city was focused on the north.

Qu Duan submitted a memorial three days ago, stating frankly that the Jurchen problem must be completely resolved this year and should not be delayed until winter.

Otherwise, it would waste another year's worth of national resources.

Moreover, many fortresses and strongholds have already been built in the Liaodong region. Only by quickly eliminating the Jurchens can we focus our efforts on restoring people's livelihoods next year.

His explanation must have been guided by a master, knowing that this is what His Majesty values ​​most.

Liaodong is indeed a region that urgently needs development, and its potential is immense.

Therefore, Chen Shao did not hesitate and summoned his ministers to discuss launching the final Northern Expedition.

Autumn is the perfect time for battle, when horses are fat and strong.

The soldiers at the front were already impatient. Since the founding of this dynasty, almost all of their greatest military achievements had been obtained by conquering the Jin dynasty.

The Jin dynasty, however, still had many members of its royal family and renowned generals remaining. Moreover, the Jin dynasty had lost its initial edge, and the invincible record of the Jurchen warriors had long been broken.

They couldn't even protect the burial place of Wanyan Aguda, and followers from various tribes were secretly fleeing.

Most of the northern nomadic tribes have already fled.

When the civil officials in the court heard about the Northern Expedition against the Jin Dynasty, they were clearly more interested than when they were fighting against Jiaozhi or Dongying.

Everyone was eager to get started; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were all very excited.

After all, in their eyes, the Jurchens were not just ordinary barbarians, but enemies who had just invaded the Central Plains and were burning, killing, and looting.

Transport envoys from all over the country were busy coordinating supplies in preparation for the final battle in the North.

At this time, the canals and roads that Chen Shao had invested a lot of money and manpower in finally came into play.

The amount of manpower and financial resources saved is immeasurable.

In fact, scholars, especially those from official families who have received traditional family education, are not stupid.

From the first glance, they knew that what the emperor was doing was a major undertaking, a good deed that would benefit future generations.

But they didn't expect that someone would actually be willing to do it.

Because it's a thankless task.

With the energy and resources, a founding monarch would prefer to rapidly expand the territory and consolidate his rule.

Having served as monarchs, they were generally old and had an abnormal obsession with power.

Chen Shao possessed a relaxed and confident attitude toward his Great Jing Empire that was unimaginable to others. Instead of consolidating his rule, he focused on improving people's livelihoods; instead of building palaces, he built roads and canals; instead of expanding his army to maintain his rule, he allowed his trusted generals to retire and return to their fields.
But his rule only became more secure as a result.

Inside the Chuigong Hall, Chen Shao issued various orders with ease.

Although he went to the front lines less often, Chen Shao had gained a wealth of experience in coordinating the war from the rear.

In particular, the war to destroy the Jin dynasty was no different from the previous wars in terms of resource allocation.

Now that sea freight is available, it's even more convenient.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Chen Shao's voice exuded confidence: "On the western front, Li Xiaozhong will advance from Datong, cutting off their retreat to the northern desert. Yue Fei will attack Gubeikou, and Qu Duan will flank them from the rear. This is truly a battle of complete success."

"Each of my three armies has the strength to destroy the crumbling Jin Kingdom. Now that all three armies have launched their attack simultaneously, the outcome is already decided."

Seeing the young emperor's spirited and heroic demeanor, the ministers were all greatly encouraged.

At this time, you must perform well and seize any opportunity to shine.

Because the destruction of the Jin dynasty would inevitably be recorded in history, anyone who made even the slightest contribution could be remembered by future generations along with this great war.

Therefore, even a position like a transport commissioner was highly sought after by many officials.

Chen Shao issued a special imperial edict to Li Xiaozhong, Qu Duan, and Yue Fei, ordering them to fight their own battles.

Because all three sides have sufficient troops and are some distance apart, they do not need to be subordinate to each other.

Once any two of the three parties collide, the Great Jin will be utterly destroyed.

Today's court assembly includes not only the emperor and his ministers of the Great Jing Dynasty, but also many foreign officials.

There were ten people in the palace representing the three kingdoms of Goryeo, Dali, Western Liao, Zhang Yue, and Ryukyu.

Other countries were fine, as they had all been granted titles by Chen Shao, including Yelü Dashi of the Western Liao Dynasty. However, Gao Siyuan was quite frightened by this atmosphere.

Are the desires of the Jing emperor and his ministers to expand their territory so strong?
Looking at the officials spitting as they spoke, Gao Siyuan felt even more worried.

Throughout his life, from birth, the most powerful dynasty he had ever heard of was the Khitan, the richest was the Song Dynasty, the most resilient was the Western Xia, and the most warlike was the Jiaozhi.

Emperor Jing single-handedly destroyed the Xia, Song, and Jiaozhi, and now he is about to destroy the Jin dynasty, which replaced the Khitan.

Now that he has set his sights on Dali, how could he possibly give up so easily?

Duan Zhengyan didn't need to look to guess Gao Siyuan's thoughts, and he sneered inwardly.

In the past few days, they have toured many places in Jinling, with officials from the Great Jing Dynasty showing them the wealth and power of Jinling.

Recalling the devastation of the Red River Plain, which had been turned into a wasteland, everyone in the Dali delegation realized the disparity in their strength.

The Great Jing has been showing goodwill, which means it has given them plenty of opportunities. Back then, the Qian family surrendered Wuyue to the Song Dynasty, and their descendants have been able to preserve their wealth and status to this day.

When the Chai family abdicated, the Song dynasty treated them with respect; when the Song dynasty abdicated, Chen Jing treated them with respect.

This shows that they showed no mercy in wielding thunderous fury upon conquered lands, but treated those who surrendered voluntarily with gentle kindness.

Gao Siyuan sighed and decided to go back and discuss it properly with his father and the others. It was not a wise move to confront Da Jing head-on.

See if we can preserve the Gao family's power in Dali as much as possible. If we really can't, then move the whole family to Jinling and rely on the Gao family's wealth to become a prominent family in the Great Jing Kingdom as soon as possible.

Gao Siyuan wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he suddenly felt a gaze fixed on him. When he looked up, Chen Shao had already turned away.

His back immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

In the past, when the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia Dynasty were at war, the Li Dynasty of Dai Viet dared to harass and annex Song territory without restraint.

But Da Jing is different; he has fought on two fronts more than once.

And they played very well.

After the court session ended, Chen Shao called on several people to come to the palace to discuss matters.

Gao Siyuan walked out of the imperial city and stopped by the roadside, waiting for Duan Zhengyan to come.

Seeing Duan Zhengyan's nonchalant expression, Gao Siyuan was furious. He knew this man was faking it. The Dali Duan family were a bunch of treacherous villains; just a few years ago, they had even tried to secretly support their power.

After being discovered by his own father, he uprooted all the families that his father had supported.

This land of Dali should have belonged to our Gao family long ago. Back then, Duan Lianyi, the twelfth king of Dali, was killed by the powerful minister Yang Yizhen.

It was Gao who raised an army to kill Yang and support Duan Shouhui. At this point, all that was missing was the abdication process.

You've been allowed to remain in the position of king for so long, yet you spend your days thinking of turning the tables; your intentions are utterly despicable.

He lowered his voice and said, "Your Highness, as you have seen, the Great Jing army is strong and powerful, and they don't even put the Jin Kingdom in their eyes."

"How can Dali possibly stop you? I think Your Highness's family's foundation is in grave danger this time."

Duan Zhengyan chanted a Buddhist prayer, "Your Highness, do not be discouraged. I believe Emperor Jing is benevolent and will not invade Dali."

Gao Siyuan smiled, boarded the carriage, and then reached out to pull Duan Zhengyan up as well, preparing to return to the Court of State Ceremonial.
-
Gubeikou.

This place is located in the Yanshan Mountains, and the Chao River flows through the pass;

A few months earlier, Yue Fei had sent Wang Gui with light cavalry to bypass the Gubeikou area and build a dam to block the flow of water.

Water supply at the pass has indeed become a problem.

However, the number of garrison troops was already small, and the number dwindled further due to desertion.

Wanyan Zonghan, who was stationed there, was unable to send anyone to demolish it.

Wanyan Zonghan, who created countless miracles, swept across the Western Capital Prefecture of the Liao Dynasty like autumn leaves being swept away by the wind.

At this point, they had reached a point where they only dared to hide in the Gubeikou military camp and dared not send troops out to fight in the field.

The Jing army's high mobility made sending out troops extremely dangerous; almost every time troops were sent out, they would encounter scouts, which would then attract even more Jing troops.

At this time, Yue Fei was leading his troops and stationed in front of Gubeikou.

Inside the central military headquarters, Yue Fei knelt to receive the imperial edict, his heart surging with emotion.

I was a general of the Song Dynasty, and it was only after the current emperor ascended the throne that I smoothly transitioned to a general of the Jing Dynasty.

Despite being far from being one of his trusted confidants and coming from the Dingnan Army, he was actually entrusted with an important task, and an indescribable sense of pride filled his chest.

There is no other way to repay them except by destroying the Jin dynasty.

The generals in the tent were also filled with fervor. After years of training on the front lines, they were no longer the same as before.

Cannons, armor, weapons, warhorses, ample provisions, and abundant supplies.

Only those who have fought in wars know how precious all of this is.

Looking at the soldiers in the tent, Yue Fei twisted his wrist guard, turned his burly body, and looked at the map hanging behind him.

Having been stationed in Tanzhou for two years, Yue Fei had already simulated this battle countless times and had countless hypotheses about how to break through the pass.

Without even thinking, he blurted out, "Zhang Xian!"

"The general is here!"

"At midnight tonight, you will lead eight hundred men to climb the cliff on the west side of Panlong Mountain, and before dawn, you will break into the enemy tower on the west side of the city and set it on fire as a signal."

"The last general takes command!"

"Xu Qing!"

"The general is here!"

"Tonight you will lead your troops to attack the various barbicans in the darkness, drawing away the Tartar forces."

"The last general takes command!"

"The artillery battalion will drag out all the cannons and fire them all tonight in front of the main gate, blasting open the main gate!"

After nightfall, the garrison at Gubeikou saw the Jing army regrouping and approaching.

The Jurchen Tartars defending the city cursed loudly, saying they would attack the city again at night, not letting anyone have a moment's peace.

As the cannons were being transported over from a distance, the Jin soldiers felt a sense of dread; they had experienced the effects of such weapons before.

It's really uncomfortable.

In the past, only one or two cannons would attack, at most three or five.

This time, however, more than twenty gates were transported, right outside the main gate.

The main gate of Gubeikou is built with stone walls, which are 25 feet high and have arrow towers and stone troughs.

The outer beacon towers were surrounded, and seven beacon towers were set up along the Chaohe River valley for day and night observation.

The Jurchen armored cavalrymen all stared in disbelief at what was happening before their eyes.

With a bang, the cannon fired, the sound far exceeding that of any previous artillery barrage.

Inside and outside Gubeikou, the world seemed to be muted.

This silence lasted only a moment, and suddenly the entire battlefield erupted with the sound of massive artillery fire!
Yue Fei personally led the charge, with over twenty cannons bombarding the city, while other troops attacked the barbican from the surrounding area.

Despite his usual suspicions, Zong Han was now completely convinced that Yue Fei was going to attack Gubeikou that very night.

He quickly mobilized his troops to inflict as much damage as possible on the enemy, buying time for Zongwang and his men.

If attacked from both sides, Zongwang and Emperor Wuqi's troops would not be enough to withstand the attack.

Riding on horseback, Yue Fei observed from below the pass that the power of the cannons did indeed exceed his expectations.

Yue Fei couldn't help but recall that if he had had this thing back in Zhen Ding Prefecture, he could have defeated Zong Han.

In truth, he still didn't quite understand that even with these dark gold cannons, he couldn't support the costs, maintenance, and even transportation.

Behind the artillery's formidable power on the front lines lies the wealth and skilled craftsmen that Chen Shao had accumulated since the very beginning of his business.

The foothills are destined to be lively tonight.

Thick black smoke from gunpowder filled the air at the pass, but Yue Fei wasn't particularly averse to the smell.

At this moment, the gate of the side barbican suddenly opened, and the Tartar vanguard launched an attack.

This was not a good order, which shows that Zong Han's ability to command on the spot was not strong, and at least he did not care about the lives of his soldiers.

Because in front of the artillery battalion, there were three thousand cavalrymen, ready for battle.

The Tartars selected their vanguard to leave the city and head straight for the artillery battalion, intending to destroy it.

Before they had left the barbican for long, a hail of arrows rained down on them as countless iron cavalry charged in with a roar!

Behind them, an iron wall of infantrymen were providing cover with arrows.

One by one, Jurchen armored riders fell from their horses under such an onslaught, and were subsequently swallowed up in the chaotic night.

Even the Jurchen warriors were always considered brave and capable of fighting; their overthrow of the Liao Dynasty was quite formidable.

However, they were still afraid when faced with this new thing called artillery.

They were willing to sacrifice the lives of their precious armored soldiers to destroy it.

Zonghan had another idea: he wanted to take back a piece of it, study it carefully, and then make sure that the Great Jin could also manufacture it.

Then use it as a weapon to turn the tide!
The Jurchen Tartars' daring attack further convinced Yue Fei that they had deployed the vast majority of their armored soldiers to this location.

Now all that's left is for his most elite troops to set fires behind enemy lines as a signal! (End of Chapter)