[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-from-special-forces-to-the-multiverse":3,"chapter-from-special-forces-to-the-multiverse-from-special-forces-to-the-multiverse-chapter-134":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","From Special Forces to the Multiverse",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2315184,4527,"Chapter 134: Siege of Zhongdu","from-special-forces-to-the-multiverse-chapter-134",134,"\u003Cp>Lightly equipped, with three horses per rider, the revolutionary cavalry’s marching speed was undeniably terrifying—while the norm of the era was fifteen kilometers per day, their cavalry covered over ninety kilometers daily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Added to this, Mount Taixing was close to Zhongdu, so when the imperial courier arrived with the news, the revolutionary cavalry divisions were only one day’s march away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon learning that tens of thousands of cavalry were advancing from Mount Taixing at a hundred li per day and now stood just one day’s distance from Zhongdu, Wanyan Honglie felt the heavens had collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had issued his decree against the rebels less than seven days ago, and now the rebels were besieging the capital—this was a slap in the face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just Wanyan Honglie, but every Wanyan clan general stationed across the Jin territories now realized how naive they had been to think Zhang Chu’an and Zhang Xiaofan were merely a minor sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was thirty thousand cavalry—how could anyone believe such a force had been secretly amassed without intent to rebel, especially when their target was the Jin capital, Zhongdu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Wanyan generals deeply resented Wanyan Honglie, they could never stand by and watch the Jin capital fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the capital were captured, the Great Jin would lose all face; its boasts of military might and a million soldiers would become the year’s biggest joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Losing face was minor; the consequences were grave. If the whole world learned the Jin was a fraud, would the local gentry who had submitted to them not turn rebellious? Would the Southern Song not stir, eager to march north and avenge the Jingkang Humiliation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What of the Tatar people, who had just destroyed the Western Xia? Would they not launch an invasion into Central Plains against the weakened Jin? Once the Jin revealed its weakness, neighboring states would pounce like wolves and tigers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this news, all regional Military Commissioners immediately mobilized to rescue Zhongdu. The Jin realm had nineteen regions, each governed by a Military Commissioner who commanded all troops within his jurisdiction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for the border garrisons stationed along Shaanxi and Henan, tasked with monitoring Southern Song and Mongol movements, all other Military Commissioners dispatched troops to aid Zhongdu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These thirty thousand troops were like a dagger plunged straight into the heart of the Jin; the once-powerful empire had no choice but to retract its fist to block the thrust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most critically, the dagger struck too fast—even the nearest Military Commissioner of Zhongdu Road, upon receiving the news, realized the three cavalry divisions would reach Zhongdu in just one day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In one day, he couldn’t even prepare the supplies for his troops to march; by the time he arrived to relieve the city, Zhongdu would already have been besieged for days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Zhongdu suffered terribly under the revolutionary siege: enemy firepower suppressed archers on the walls, but worst of all were those skyborne balloons—each day, the explosives dropped from above left the defenders in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their explosives were devastating, inflicting heavy casualties on the defenders; faced with bombs freely hurled from above, they had no effective countermeasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is unbearable. After years of warfare, I’ve never seen a city defense so humiliating.” Chancellor Duji Sizhong flung his hat to the ground in fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a siege, defenders usually suffer heavy losses while attackers remain few—how could anyone imagine this? Watching those men drop explosives from the sky every day was unbearable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Excellency, do not worry. Zhongdu Road is the military heartland of our Great Jin; its soldiers are our finest warriors. When the capital is besieged, they will surely send reinforcements.” Wanyan Honglie hurried to reassure them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Wanyan Honglie’s words instantly alarmed Temujin, who recalled their strategic doctrine: destroy enemies through maneuver warfare and grow comrades-in-arms in the process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Temujin broke into a cold sweat: with the Jin capital besieged, all regional Military Commissioners would send troops to aid it—the revolutionaries could easily employ the tactic of besieging the city and ambushing the reinforcements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering that the revolutionary infantry had not appeared these past days, where had they gone?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most importantly, the artillery that had dealt him such a devastating blow had not appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more Temujin thought, the more his dread grew; he staggered backward, tripped over a hidden step in the darkness, and fell heavily to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Temujin’s fall drew the attention of everyone in the hall. Since Wanyan Honglie’s coup succeeded, Temujin—who had aided it—had risen in status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, since the siege began, Temujin’s leadership and wisdom had won over every general present; without him, Zhongdu might have fallen on the first day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Temujin, what happened?” Wanyan Honglie stepped forward, concerned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing. I was thinking about the defense and didn’t notice the step.” Temujin feigned calm, pretending it meant nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After everyone dispersed, Wanyan Honglie sought out Temujin alone. The first words Temujin spoke stunned Wanyan Honglie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, prepare to break out and flee. The Zhongdu Road troops will not come. I suspect they’ve already been ambushed by the revolutionaries. Hebei will soon become the revolutionaries’ base. If you don’t run now, you won’t get away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impossible. The Zhongdu Road troops are our finest. How could they be defeated?” Wanyan Honglie shook his head repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhongdu Road troops were composed of pure Jurchens, equipped with the finest arms, including the iron-clad cavalry known as Tie Futu and weapons like Zhen Tian Lei—how could they lose?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Temujin could only smile bitterly. Why not? He refused to believe the revolutionaries here lacked the devastating artillery he’d faced before. He felt their artillery here was no less than that of the steppe revolutionaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Temujin was mistaken on this point: the Mount Taixing Military District possessed far more 107 rocket launchers than those on the steppe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steppe forces had only seventy 107 rocket launchers; the Mount Taixing Military District had four hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most importantly, the Mount Taixing forces enjoyed broad popular support and could set ambushes along the routes Jin troops must take.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the right location, using 107 artillery for ambushes, the Jin soldiers were given a preview of the treatment American GIs would endure in the twentieth century.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the torrent of artillery fire, the once-mighty cavalry units, who had charged across battlefields with pride, now lay shattered like dead leaves torn apart by storm and rain, scattered across the ground. Dust rose, smoke choked the air, and the heavy stench of gunpowder made breathing unbearable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this horrific scene, only the young Jin commander remained, kneeling alone on the ground. His eyes filled with helplessness and despair; tears streamed down his face, mixing with dust into grim streaks. His shoulders shook as he wept uncontrollably, his cries drowned beneath the thunder of artillery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This young commander, who once led his cavalry to unstoppable victories, now could only watch helplessly as his men were blown into bloody fragments by the shells.\u003C\u002Fp>",1154,"2026-06-20T13:48:22.834Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","561efb83a05852a642a059c6cfa029f078d4c5e748717bf9cb35d178a7fe1098","from-special-forces-to-the-multiverse-chapter-135","from-special-forces-to-the-multiverse-chapter-133",205,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffrom-special-forces-to-the-multiverse-cover.jpg"]