Chapter 147: Temujin's Escape from Peril

Watching the Jin officer who had just killed several of their brothers, the soldiers who had been kneeling to beg for surrender turned cold in expression, picked up the discarded spears, and walked toward the Jin officer, quickly surrounding him.

Seeing these people approach him, the officer who had just urged the soldiers to fight bravely retreated repeatedly, his voice shrill and hollow as he shouted:

"What do you want? I tell you, I am a Jurchen, your master! If you kill me, the Great Jin will not spare you! The Great Jin's iron cavalry will slaughter your entire family!"

Yet his shouts not only failed to drive back these armed soldiers but instead made them close in step by step. In an instant, more than ten spears surrounded the officer and thrust out together; in that same instant, the officer was pierced clean through.

"Those who surrender shall not be killed! The Revolutionary Army treats prisoners with leniency!" Just then, a thunderous shout came from afar. The vibration of hooves trampling the earth made these men tremble.

Tens of thousands of cavalry, like a violent storm, rushed swiftly from the distance, sweeping over in the blink of an eye.

The cavalry commander at the head whipped his horse and galloped past them, shouting, "We have no time to take you prisoner! Surrender to the infantry units behind us!"

Having spoken, he paid them no further heed and led the cavalry forward to chase the troops ahead.

Wherever the cavalry went, the Jin army dropped their weapons and surrendered without the slightest will to resist. Occasionally, a brave officer would launch a charge against them, but how could an officer without soldiers following him resist their thousands upon thousands?

At this very moment, they felt like a sharp knife stabbing into a table of tofu—long and sharp, yet unable to stop them for even a moment.

In a single night, six hundred thousand troops were scattered like birds and beasts by them. The only difficulty this battle brought them was the logistical pressure, for the battle had captured far too many people.

Of the six hundred thousand Jin troops, one hundred and fifty thousand fled in defeat, one hundred thousand were annihilated, and the remaining three hundred and fifty thousand were all captured by them.

Of course, good news did not end there. Just as they launched their attack on these six hundred thousand Jin troops, the infantry units responsible for besieging the city also launched their assault, and at the same time they crushed the six hundred thousand Jin troops, they captured Zhongdu City.

Now, the infantry units are searching within Zhongdu City for Temujin and the others.

If Temujin and Wanyan Honglie are captured by them, then the remaining forces of the Jin Kingdom will be swept away by them like autumn wind clearing fallen leaves; if Temujin and Wanyan Honglie can escape, it means they can still retreat beyond the pass and barely survive.

Anyway, the lands inside the pass have been mostly conquered by them. The lands of Jizhou, the Central Plains, and the lands of Qi and Lu are already in their hands.

The Guansha region is already in Guo Jing's hands. Just not long ago, Nie Huaishang led the Mongol troops into Yexuling and seized the lands of the Jin Kingdom.

Only the lands of Bianliang in the south remain in their hands. However, if Temujin flees there, they will be overjoyed; fleeing there means waiting for them and the Southern Song to strike from both sides, does it not?

Meanwhile, outside Zhongdu City, Wanyan Honglie and the others stumbled out, panting. After the Revolutionary Army broke in, he found commoner's clothes to change into, evaded the Revolutionary Army's pursuit, and then fled blindly until he could no longer see any trace of the Revolutionary Army before he stopped.

"Brother Wanyan, if not for the paper masks you procured this time, we would have been taken alive by the Revolutionary Army. Truly, I do not know how their portraits are so lifelike." Temujin, panting, finished speaking and could not help but sigh that the Revolutionary Army here had so many rare and strange items.

"Brother Temujin, there is no time to lose. Now that we have escaped with our lives, we must immediately summon armed forces from all regions to aid the throne and suppress the bandits." Before Wanyan Honglie could finish, Temujin cut him off.

"There is no time to lose. You should immediately return to the Shangjing of the Jin Kingdom to summon Jurchen forces from all regions to retreat and hold the lands inside the pass, and order the landlords and gentry of all regions to bring vast amounts of money and people with you to go beyond the pass."

Seeing Wanyan Honglie confused, Temujin helplessly said, "Your Majesty, do you not understand yet? With the Revolutionary Army's strength, they could have captured Zhongdu long ago, so why did they delay? Is it not to besiege a point and strike the reinforcements?"

"By besieging Zhongdu City, they lure troops from all directions to come aid the throne. They can use their familiarity with the terrain and the support of the populace to fight guerrilla warfare against them. Two hundred thousand troops are enough to confront all of the Jin Kingdom's forces, and while the Jin Kingdom sends troops from various regions to provide support, their remaining forces can expand their base areas without restraint."

"Now that they have captured Zhongdu City, it shows they no longer need to drag things out with us, for their strategic objectives have been achieved. The Revolutionary Army, while nearly annihilating all of the Jin Kingdom's forces, has also occupied all of the Jin Kingdom's lands."

Wanyan Honglie's face changed drastically, and he shook his head repeatedly, saying, "No, no. The Revolutionary Army's regular troops are not many; most are guerrilla units. Moreover, all the landlords and gentry of the entire Jin Kingdom oppose them. On what basis have they swept through the Jin Kingdom in such a short time?"

"Relying on themselves, it would indeed be difficult. But what if the Revolutionary Army of Western Xia and the Revolutionary Army of Mongolia also mobilize? Previously, most of the warhorses beneath the cavalry that besieged the city were our Mongol warhorses, and the firearms they used were all the same. These several families must be one family."

Temujin stopped speaking here, for Wanyan Honglie was already lying on the ground, weeping voicelessly.

"So now I am to lead my people back beyond the pass in disgrace?"

Hearing these words, Temujin could not help but think to himself: Back beyond the pass in disgrace? Do you think they would willingly let you return? Let you stay peacefully beyond the pass?

Isn't this like a dream? If they did not send troops to annihilate you, that would not be their character.

Of course, he could not say these words aloud. If he said any more of this, Wanyan Honglie would take a sword and commit suicide.

Honestly, this fellow is a bit too fragile, isn't he? Whenever something happens, he becomes depressed.

Honestly, aren't all the hardships you experienced caused by your own hand?

If you had not killed a husband and stolen his wife in Niujia Village, raised another man's son, and made that son your heir, how could Zhang Chu'an have achieved a counter-kill at the limit?

Although he was chased by Guo Jing from Mongolia to Western Xia and then from Western Xia back to Mongolia, if Guo Jing had not possessed that extremely fierce firearm, he might not have lost.

Seeing his forces were extraordinary, he immediately formed a coalition to attack. Although he never won, does that prove he is weak? He was also fighting for the first time against an organization with such absurdly strong coordination and troops whose weapons overwhelmed them.

Every time they fought these people, they always managed to produce something new. During the Grassland Coalition battle, they each had firearms capable of hitting four hundred meters and piercing armor.

When they brought the Western Xia coalition, they unveiled cannons capable of destroying heaven and earth.

By the time they reached the Jin Kingdom, Zhang Chu'an had developed both her army and her base area to a massive scale. If not for Temujin urging her to launch a mutiny immediately, this fellow could have watched Zhang Chu'an blow up her crystal house with her own eyes.

To speak plainly, shouldn't the one who should be collapsing and weeping be him? Not a single opponent is weak, not to mention they are cheating, while his most reliable teammate is Wanyan Honglie, this glass-hearted loafer.