flstandardbreds Chapter 423 Wanyan Zongbi: Persistence
Chapter 423 Wanyan Zongbi: Persistence
"But what he remembered most vividly was the horrific search that Zhao Gou, that bastard, had carried out without a trace."
"These include the battles led by Wu Jie and his brothers, such as Heshangyuan, Xianrenguan, Shunchang under Liu Qi, Yancheng under Yue Fei's army, and the Battle of Yingchang."
"But it was the battles of Yancheng and Yingchang, which Yue Fei fought, that he hated the most. They clearly had the advantage of timing and terrain, so why couldn't they win?"
"It was autumn, a season favored by the Jurchens, and the terrain wasn't particularly rugged mountainous, yet they were utterly defeated by Yue Fei's army's relentless fighting style! The Jin army even had to exclaim: 'It's easier to shake a mountain than to shake Yue Fei's army.'"
"However, Wanyan Zongbi was indeed quite persistent. Despite suffering repeated defeats, he still wanted to forcibly conscript people and continue the attack."
Wan Chaozhong's people: With that kind of energy, he could succeed at anything! Such dedication!
"He only gave up because he couldn't capture any soldiers, and only now does he sigh: 'Since I started in the north, I have never suffered such a defeat!'"
“Even Jin generals secretly approached Yue Fei and said they wanted to surrender. For example, Han Chang, a confidant of Wanyan Zongbi, secretly approached Yue Fei and was willing to lead his troops to surrender.”
"Others included Commander Wang Zhen, Commander Cui Qing, Generals Li Ji, Cui Hu, Hua Wang, and Gao Yong, the commander of the personal guards under the Dragon Tiger King, who specially crossed the river from Hebei and traveled thousands of miles to join Yue Fei."
"So at that time, the situation was very favorable for the Song court. No matter how strong the Jin army was, or how much of an advantage they had, they still lost to Yue Fei's army!"
A spoiled young man from the Song Dynasty (excitedly): With such frequent good news, if nothing unexpected happens, this should be the perfect time to recapture Kaifeng!
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty commented: "It's obvious that your Zhao Gou wasn't a normal emperor!"
Cheng Yaojin of the Tang Dynasty: Recovering lost territory, this is undoubtedly a great political achievement!
An official from the Han Dynasty said: "At that time, probably everyone in the army was looking forward to this day, but unfortunately it never came to pass."
……
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent. All they could think of was the Song Dynasty and the overwhelming sense of regret.
In the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty, the army was full of brilliant generals, but the Song army, which was losing more and more battles, finally defeated the Jin people one day.
Perhaps Yue Fei could have recovered Kaifeng and returned to his homeland, but unfortunately, it wasn't until a hundred years later that the Ming Dynasty made up for the Song Dynasty's regret.
Damn it, Zhao Gou was a loyal subject of the Jin Dynasty! If Emperor Shenzong and Emperor Zhezong had lived a few decades longer, they wouldn't have been as bad as Emperors Huizong and Qinzong, or Wanyan Gou!
Wait a minute! With Miss Lin's spoiler, he shouldn't make the same mistake again!
……
The live broadcast continues.
Lin Ke continued, "Yue Fei was overjoyed to receive the surrender of the Han Chinese generals from the Jin dynasty. He even expressed his delight at the prospect of breaking the ban on drinking alcohol, laughing loudly:"
[This time, we will slay the Jurchens all the way to Huanglongfu, and then we will drink to our hearts' content!]
"At this moment, the soldiers of Yue Fei's army were in high spirits, full of confidence, and brimming with hope for the Northern Expedition."
"Perhaps they also thought that once they drove out the Jurchens, their parents and families would no longer be disturbed by the flames of war!"
"However, no one expected that this calamity would last for a century, and the joy we are experiencing now will be nothing more than a fleeting moment."
……
Lin Ke's voice was filled with sorrow and heaviness, making it clear to anyone who heard it that she was filled with regret.
She herself knew that the world today could no longer find any trace of the battles fought by the Song army back then, but even so, she still felt very distressed. Yue Fei back then must have been filled with hope at this moment.
"Soon afterward, Yue Fei's army, full of confidence, marched towards Kaifeng, the former capital of the Northern Song Dynasty."
"On July 18th, Zhang Xian, along with commanders Xu Qing, Li Shan, Fu Xuan, Kou Cheng, and others, led the main force from Linying County and advanced northeastward."
"On this journey, Zhang Xian and his main force unfortunately encountered six thousand Jin cavalry, but their strength did not allow for defeat, so they quickly defeated the Jin people and captured more than a hundred warhorses."
Jin Jun: ??? Damn it, how did we run into this again?!
"It is evident that the Jin army suffered repeated defeats and, in their fear, their fighting strength was no longer what it used to be. In particular, they were unlucky enough to encounter the formidable Yue Family Army, so the outcome was not surprising."
"At the same time, Wang Gui set out with troops from Yingchang Prefecture, and Niu Gao also led the Left Army to advance. All the forces were moving in the same direction."
"On the other hand, upon hearing that Yue Fei had led his troops north, Wanyan Zongbi ceased direct confrontation and instead ordered his entire army to assemble at Zhuxian Town, southwest of Kaifeng."
"However, the Jin army was also struggling at this point. They were almost wiped out by Yue Fei's attack with only 500 Beiwei soldiers. They no longer posed a threat to the Song army."
"However, Yue Fei's greatest enemy this time was not Wanyan Zongbi, but Zhao Gou."
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty commented: Zhao Gou's attitude is so fickle. We finally made it this far, and then...
A romantic scholar from the Tang Dynasty: Just kidding! This loyal minister of the Jin Dynasty... this so-called King of Jiangnan can turn the tide for your Song Dynasty!?
Empress Qing, the Great Han Guard: ...This is truly shocking! Absolutely shameful!!
Emperor Zhezong of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Xu: ...If it weren't for these consecutive victories, and the capital not being so close, I wouldn't be so furious!!!
Yu Qian of the Ming Dynasty: We fought against the Jin for more than ten years, but all our efforts were in vain. Who could bear to see that?
……
In another timeline, the emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty were furious. They couldn't believe that such a promising situation would be halted. If it were them, they would have continued to move forward!
How could it just end like this? Anyone who made this decision would regret it terribly in the middle of the night. It just doesn't make sense!
……
Lin Ke continued, "Zhuxian Town is only forty-five li (Song li) away from the former capital of the Northern Song Dynasty."
"But I wonder if Yue Fei, gazing towards Kaifeng back then, ever recalled those days?"
"However, Yue Fei, who was excited and full of fighting spirit at this moment, would not know that Zhao Gou's first gold medal for returning the army was about to arrive."
"In fact, during the tenth year of Shaoxing (1140 AD), Zhao Gou's attitude toward the Northern Expedition against the Jin was fickle. Perhaps the decisive element was not in the genes of the Zhao family."
"When the Jin army marched south and Shunchang was in dire straits, threatening his own safety, Zhao Gou generously declared that he would strongly support the Northern Expedition!"
"When the situation between the Song and Jin dynasties reversed, or rather, when Yue Fei's army no longer needed to advance, Zhao Gou changed his tune. His attitude was only to protect himself, and his replies to the memorials were all to ask the generals to just take care of the prefectures of Bozhou, Suzhou, and Huaiyang."
"He also made several subtle requests to Yue Fei to stop the advance, hoping to achieve his goal through negotiation."
"I really don't understand. Doesn't he have any ambition at all? When his father first came to power, he even said he would emulate his father and brothers! Now they're only forty-five miles apart!"
"Just forty-five li! The Song army was in high spirits and defeated the Jin army many times, so why did they sue for peace at the last minute!?"
Wan Chaozhong's people: Besides peace talks, can't he think of anything else? That bastard!
"Wanyan Zongbi, having suffered defeat after defeat, prepared to flee north and abandon Kaifeng Prefecture."
Fourth Prince Wanyan: ??? Can't I just not defend Kaifeng?!
"At this moment, another scholar offered advice, arguing that Yue Fei's northern expedition was doomed to fail and that the Song Dynasty would naturally stop him without their intervention!"
"Throughout history, there have been many treacherous and powerful officials, but the one whose influence has lasted for millennia is none other than Qin Hui. While Yue Fei was gazing at the old capital, he began to exert his influence in the imperial court!"
"As the vanguard in the conquest of the Song Dynasty, how could Qin Hui possibly allow Yue Fei to enter the former capital of the Northern Song Dynasty and complete the Northern Expedition!"
"Even if he were willing, Zhao Gou would never agree. These two are determined to make peace with the Jin and have no other ideas!"