Chapter 176: Fire Burns the Linked Camps, Inflicting Heavy Damage on the Liao Army

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Unlike Yelu Yanxi, who vacillated between war and peace and constantly hid from reality like an ostrich, Zhao Yu was always decisive; he seized nearly every opportunity and left the Liao army not the slightest opening.

Precisely because of this clear-headed understanding, soon after the Song army captured Zhuozhou, Zhao Yu ordered the main force to march forward, reaching the gates of Yanjing to seek battle—or even total confrontation—with the Liao army.

To be frank, Zhao Yu's decisiveness stemmed not only from his desire to crush the Liao army's main force before their reinforcements arrived, thereby stripping Yelu Yanxi and his court of their greatest reliance, but also from the weather.

It was already nearing the ninth month—lunar September.

From now on, it would grow colder by the day.

If nothing unexpected occurred, Yanjing would freeze over within no more than a month.

At that time, for the Song army, which included many southern soldiers, this would be a severe weakening; it might even replicate the massive non-combat losses suffered by Emperor Shenzong's five-pronged campaign against the Xia, caused by cold and starvation.

To counter this, Zhao Yu strictly ordered the rear to guarantee grain and fodder supplies (he had issued the harshest imperial edict, declaring that anyone who delayed matters would be executed and their entire clan exterminated, with no leniency), and had also ordered the rear to mass-produce tents, cotton garments, cotton quilts, and to mine coal and burn charcoal, transporting all of it to the front as quickly as possible.

—Not just the front here under Zhao Yu, but also the northwestern front.

For this, Zhao Yu even opened the Fengchun Treasury.

The Fengchun Treasury was established during the reign of Emperor Taizu of Song.

At that time, Zhao Kuangyin, deeply aggrieved that Yan and Yun had fallen into Khitan hands but lacked the strength to reclaim them, stored the annual surplus funds in the Fengchun Treasury, intending to use the accumulated wealth to either buy back Yan and Yun or to reward soldiers for their recovery.

Zhao Kuangyin left behind a solemn edict: future descendants must not divert these funds for any other purpose.

Later, the Fengchun Treasury evolved into the Neicang Treasury. Emperor Zhenzong composed an imperial poem in praise of it:

"In the Five Dynasties' collapse, the Xianyun blazed fiercely. Our Ancestral Founder founded the state, basing it on recruiting soldiers. Let not luxury consume our hearts; we must uphold our legacy. How can I succeed without this? Dragon and tiger bring flourishing fortune; Shanhe secures the imperial capital. Tortoise charts extend the imperial fate; phoenix virtue reveals divine signs. The Dao flourishes as Yao's wisdom; merit towers as Yu's deeds. Ninefold courts hold the image; ten thousand miles secure the realm."

This poem contained seventy-two characters, each character inscribed as the name of one treasury, resulting in seventy-two warehouses. Each warehouse was "overflowing," filled entirely with gold, silver, brocade, silk, and treasures accumulated by the Song dynasty over more than one hundred and seventy years.

Historically, during the Jingkang Humiliation, Zhao Huan assigned Wu Kai and Mo Chou to lead Xiao Qing and others into the treasuries for inspection.

Xiao Qing began inspecting the warehouses in order, starting with "In the Five Dynasties' collapse."

After viewing "the Xianyun blazed fiercely," Xiao Qing decided to stop.

Because the treasures within the Fengchun Treasury were simply too vast, Xiao Qing dared not look further.

Xiao Qing immediately rode back to report to Wanyan Zonghan.

Wanyan Zonghan then sent new personnel to seal all the Fengchun Treasury warehouses with official seals.

At that time, the Jin took the opportunity to make outrageous demands from Zhao Huan: one million taels of gold, two million taels of silver, ten million bolts of silk, and fifteen hundred young girls.

In the end, the Northern Song not only delivered all ten million bolts of silk, but also paid off the gold and silver with eleven thousand six hundred thirty-five women—including the emperor's consorts, Wang Fei, imperial princesses, princesses, concubines, royal mistresses, imperial daughters, palace maids, near-branch imperial daughters, clan daughters, palace servants, courtesans, royal wives, clan wives, singers, noble relatives, and commoner women—and still owed the Jin vast debts.

Most of these debts were settled using the wealth from the Fengchun Treasury, especially its silk.

—Even so, the Northern Song still owed the Jin thirty-four thousand two hundred and seventy-eight taels of gold and eighty-seven thousand one hundred thirty taels of silver, and pledged to pay annual tribute and yearly homage to make up the war indemnity.

More disgracefully, even after the Northern Song accepted all Jin demands and paid such a shameful, horrific price, Zhao Ji, Zhao Huan, Empress Dowager Zheng, Empress Zhu, Zhao Ji's consorts and children, Zhao Huan's consorts and children, and the vast majority of the Zhao clan were captured and taken far north, never again setting foot on their homeland.

This was the Jingkang Humiliation.

Zhao Yu is now reclaiming the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, fulfilling the condition for opening the Fengchun Treasury.

Moreover, spending this money on war is far better than letting enemies extort it away.

More crucially, to reclaim the Western Xia, Zhao Yu had long been stockpiling cotton.

—Under Zhao Yu's orders, lands confiscated from corrupt officials were largely assigned by the court to recruit displaced peasants to plant cotton.

Yet, cotton alone could not produce tents, cotton garments, or cotton quilts.

Therefore, Zhao Yu naturally opened the Fengchun Treasury, which held tens of millions of bolts of silk, and took out its inferior silks to equip the Song soldiers.

This effort had actually begun last year; many tents, cotton garments, and quilts had already been issued to the Western Army last year.

For this, Zhao Yu, on the advice of Zhang Chun, Li Lin, Ye Shi Yun, Ma Xiao Jiao, and Yuan Qing Cheng, established four garment factories, introduced assembly-line production, and deployed large numbers of machines.

Notably, these garment factories solved employment problems for a large number of women.

Although Zhao Yu and his ministers had made ample preparations for winter, to be honest, once winter truly arrived, achieving further military gains would become extremely difficult.

The key point is that the northern barbarians had long been accustomed to icy, snowy lands.

If the Liao were not severely punished before winter arrived, they might launch a massive counteroffensive during winter, nullifying all of Zhao Yu and his ministers' prior efforts.

Thus, Zhao Yu and his ministers had reached a consensus: they must deliver a fatal blow to the Liao army before the bitter cold set in, rendering it incapable of further resistance; otherwise, they would immediately retreat, pour water to freeze the ground, ice-seal Yizhou and Zhuozhou, disperse part of the Song army to key fortresses, adopt a scorched-earth strategy, and if the Liao dared advance south, hold each fortress firmly, preventing the Liao from advancing or plundering, waiting until the Liao army grew weary and demoralized before launching a counterattack.

With a clear strategy, the Song army once again split into two columns and advanced forward.

That night, the vanguard cavalry of the eastern army reached Liangxiang, sixty li from Zhuozhou.

Liangxiang was a major town, located thirty li south of the Lugou River; it was the essential passage for entering or exiting Yanjing from the southwest and a key Liao defensive position.

The vanguard's orders were to seize control of Liangxiang.

Wang Xie, commander of the vanguard cavalry, assumed this would be a hard fight and prepared for the possibility of "only reconnoitering first, then capturing Liangxiang once the main force arrived."

But to Wang Xie's utter astonishment, when the army arrived at Liangxiang, they found it an empty city.

Wang Xie immediately sent messengers to relay this news backward.

The report reached Guo Cheng, the overall commander.

Guo Cheng was perplexed and asked his subordinates: "What is the Liao army's intention? Liangxiang is the southwestern gateway to Yanjing, a vital defensive point—why would they abandon it so easily? Could this be a trap to lure us deeper and encircle us?"

Wang Shan replied: "The Liao army is currently short on troops, so they withdrew from Liangxiang. I believe they are contracting their defensive line out of necessity. They likely concentrated their forces along the Lugou River, their most critical defense line for Yanjing, intending to use the river as a barrier."

Gao Yongnian said: "In my view, our army can cross the river directly and engage them in battle, then advance to the city gates and capture Yanjing in one decisive push."

Fan Chunjue, more cautious, said: "The Liao army is clearly arrayed along the river, intending to lure us across and strike us mid-crossing. We should proceed cautiously—dig more ditches and trenches, fortify our camps, and wait for the right moment?"

Soon, scouts returned and reported: "On the northern bank, ditches and trenches crisscross; not far north lies a vast forest stretching for dozens of li east to west; the Liao main force is hidden within, weapons at hand, awaiting us."

Zhang asked: "How many troops?"

The scout replied: "It's hard to tell clearly, but certainly no fewer than fifty thousand. To the east, there is a large horse pasture, likely housing several thousand horses. All roads are blocked; no one may proceed…"

After hearing the scout's report, Guo Cheng said: "We shall go to the front ourselves."

Soon after, Guo Cheng and others arrived at the front.

It was sunset; the Lugou River shimmered golden, its surface rippling with light. A row of weeping willows along the bank reflected in the water like a ink-wash painting.

The river surged eastward in endless flow. Not far to the east stood a floating bridge linking both banks, its surface worn and dull, as if no one had walked on it for years.

On the northern bank of the floating bridge stood an ancient, dilapidated Dragon Palace Shrine, its origins unknown. From afar, it appeared desolate and crumbling, having endured countless winds and rains.

Guo Cheng asked: "How deep is the river?"

Sun Xingjun, the Liao general who had surrendered from Yizhou, replied: "It varies—deep spots can drown a man, shallow ones reach only to the waist."

Guo Cheng solemnly surveyed the officers present and ordered: "Your Majesty has issued strict orders: actively seek opportunities to cross the river, advance to the city walls, engage the enemy in battle—even decisive battle—and do not harbor false hopes. The enemy will not retreat on their own. We must fight the Liao army. As warriors, we must prioritize state affairs and military orders above all. What we see today: though the Liao army has set ambushes on the northern bank, appearing to rest and wait, it in fact reveals their inner fear. If our army hesitates and holds back, we only embolden their arrogance, harming morale and offering no strategic benefit."

All officers and soldiers present answered: "By your command!"

When the others dispersed, a young officer came to request an audience with Fan Chuncui.

This young officer was surnamed Zhang, named Jun—none other than Zhang Jun, the foremost of the Four Great Generals who revived the Southern Song, and also one of the Seven Kings of the Southern Song, the Prince Xun of Zhang Jun.

Zhang Jun was from Chengji County, Fengxiang Prefecture. In Hongwu Year One, Zhao Yu sent envoys to Fengxiang Prefecture to recruit new soldiers. At sixteen, Zhang Jun was then serving as an archer for the San Yang militia. With his peerless archery, he was easily selected into the new army and quickly rose to prominence.

Yet what truly propelled Zhang Jun to sudden prominence was when, during the earlier defeat of the Liao army by the Eastern Route Army, Zhang Jun single-handedly captured the Liao general Yelu Wotela of the eastern front.

This incident even reached Zhao Yu's attention.

Zhao Yu wished to set an example and personally received Zhang Jun.

Only upon meeting him, and hearing Zhang Jun reveal his lineage, did Zhao Yu realize exactly who he was facing.

At that moment, Zhao Yu actually felt a pang of distaste.

—Zhao Yu thought of Yue Fei, and of the historical criticisms leveled against Zhang Jun.

But position determines perspective.

Soon, Zhao Yu recalled that after the Jingkang Humiliation, Liang Yangzu, Governor of Xinde Prefecture, arrived at Great Ming Prefecture with Zhang Jun, a Wu Yi Daifu; Miao Fu, a Wu Yi Lang; Fan Shi; Qi Chao, a Wu Gong Lang; and Gai Yuan, a Cong Yi Lang—all reporting to the Grand Marshal's Office. Liang Yangzu brought over ten thousand troops and more than a thousand horses, becoming one of Zhao Gou's most vital founding forces.

Zhao Gou was overjoyed, lavishly comforting and questioning Liang Yangzu: "Which of your generals is most capable?"

Liang Yangzu answered: "Zhang Jun is the most capable. The Jin forces have attacked Xinde Prefecture's walls multiple times, and Zhang Jun has won every engagement."

Thus, Zhao Gou promoted Zhang Jun to Commander of the Grand Marshal's Office.

Later events proved Liang Yangzu had not misjudged him.

When Zhao Gou planned to flee south, his troops from the northern commanderies refused to follow, wishing instead to return north.

These soldiers, unwilling to march south, upon hearing the Grand Marshal's Office intended to head for Jizhou, mostly refused to accompany him. Under cover of darkness, they secretly set fires at the northern city gate and before the prefectural office, hoping to create chaos and escape back to Hebei.

Upon receiving word, Zhang Jun acted decisively, mobilizing troops to suppress and extinguish the fires.

The treacherous plot to incite unrest within the army ultimately failed.

Zhao Gou and his entourage departed without disruption, as planned.

Later, those soldiers still refused to go south. They brought tables and chairs, placing them across the streets to block traffic, intending to set fire at night and launch rebellion. Fortunately, Zhang Jun uncovered the plot. Using his patrol rounds, he captured the conspirators and executed them publicly.

Both attempted mutinies were crushed the moment they surfaced—Zhang Jun's keen insight and decisive courage were evident.

Historically, few Song generals had ever decisively defeated the Jin army, especially its elite forces from the late Northern Song—and Zhang Jun was unquestionably one of them.

Zhao Yu objectively analyzed: historically, Zhang Jun began his military career as a lowly soldier, climbing step by step from the lowest ranks, eventually becoming a prince and even the foremost military leader of the Southern Song—something no ordinary general could match.

Thus, Zhao Yu set aside his prejudice, promoted Zhang Jun according to his actual merits, and planned to find an opportunity to transfer him to the Divine Mechanism Army.

But for now, Zhang Jun still served as a commander in the vanguard of the Western Auxiliary Army.

Zhang Jun was not only capable, but also highly ambitious—he would seize any chance to rise higher.

And now, he had found another opportunity to achieve great merit.

So, Zhang Jun immediately sought out the highest-ranking officer he could reach—Fan Chuncui—and said: "Supervisor, I have a plan to defeat the enemy."

Fan Chuncui, who held Zhao Yu's high regard for Zhang Jun in high esteem, asked: "What is your plan?"

Zhang Jun confidently replied: "Burn the linked camps…"

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(End of Chapter)