Chapter 295: 【Song Dynasty: I destroyed five countries in a row】

On the screen.

The Northern Han cavalry surged forward like a tide.

Warhorses neighed as they charged the formation, and the Later Zhou army’s formation was already in chaos.

Even the personal guard of the Later Zhou Emperor, Chai Rong, could not control the chaos at this moment and began to collapse.

If even the Emperor’s personal guards were like this, not to mention the other Later Zhou soldiers.

The dragon banner representing Chai Rong was teetering under the impact of the Northern Han cavalry, and the commander of his personal guards was pierced through the skull by an arrow from an unknown source.

He fell beside Chai Rong.

The surroundings became even more chaotic, and the retreating soldiers were swallowed up by the Northern Han cavalry like a receding tide.

It looked like the defeat was set.

In fact.

From the high-altitude perspective.

The Blue Star players in the live stream all shook their heads; this situation... was basically over.

One had to know that these were not the Republic’s troops.

On the entire "Earth," only the Republic’s troops could continue to fight with a casualty rate of 99%; most other troops throughout history began to collapse once they reached a 30% casualty rate.

The Later Zhou troops on the screen at this moment were in exactly that situation.

Even though over 60% of the personnel still had combat capability, their morale had already collapsed.

There shouldn't be any way out of this, right?

The Blue Star netizens in the live stream thought; after all, putting themselves in the position of the commander, they couldn't even issue orders in such a situation, so how could they fight?

However.

Just at this moment.

The high-altitude perspective suddenly locked onto a certain spot.

Then it zoomed in.

They saw Zhao Zhao Kuangyin leading a unit of black-armored cavalry charging into the battlefield from the flank, stabbing directly into the center of the Northern Han cavalry, which was like a tide.

This scene.

Was extremely impactful from high above.

The Northern Han cavalry that had been chasing the Later Zhou army was suddenly pierced and divided from the middle by someone leading a team.

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin held a long spear and thrust it with force.

The opposing Northern Han cavalryman was lifted off his horse, his chest pierced, and Zhao Zhao Kuangyin charged forward with the man on his spear, the black-armored cavalry behind him following closely.

The cavalry led by Zhao Zhao Kuangyin was like a sharp knife, ruthlessly chiseling into the enemy’s hinterland.

The opposing Northern Han cavalry commander roared as he met the charge, thrusting his spear out.

*Puchi*—

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin’s spear arrived later but struck first. As their warhorses crossed.

The Northern Han commander had already been pierced through the throat by Zhao Zhao Kuangyin and knocked off his horse, his corpse trampled like a rag by the black-armored cavalry behind.

At this moment.

The surrounding Northern Han cavalry had stopped their charge, and instead, fearing Zhao Zhao Kuangyin, began to retreat.

Because a large open space had been cleared.

Arrows rained down from the Northern Han side toward Zhao Zhao Kuangyin.

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin flicked his spear tip, lifting a Northern Han cavalryman’s corpse to block in front of him as he continued to charge. The black-armored cavalry behind followed closely. Zhao Zhao Kuangyin’s shoulder armor was bristling with white feathers, and he had even been hit by an arrow in the arm.

His robe was stained red with blood.

But he did not stop for a moment. This charge, which was like a god descending to earth, directly shattered the morale of the Northern Han cavalry.

Seeing Zhao Zhao Kuangyin charging over, many cavalrymen actually turned around and fled, fearing they would be caught by this monster.

This scene.

Made the Blue Star netizens in the live stream open their mouths wide.

Holy crap?

They knew Zhao Zhao Kuangyin would be fierce, but was this a bit too fierce?

This was several times fiercer than Xin Xin Qiji.

When Xin Xin Qiji led men to raid the camp, it was at night, when Zhang Zhang Anguo was hosting a banquet.

When was this for Zhao Zhao Kuangyin?

This was during a battle between two armies, when the Northern Han cavalry’s morale was at its peak, chasing and hacking at the Later Zhou soldiers. Yet Zhao Zhao Kuangyin led his cavalry to charge, hard-chiseling through the Northern Han cavalry’s formation.

And with countless arrows stuck in his armor, he continued to charge toward the rear of the Northern Han cavalry.

He had actually scattered the morale of the Northern Han cavalry, turning the situation into them being chased and killed by him.

With such an impact.

The Blue Star netizens in the live stream finally felt intuitively why he was called the most capable emperor.

Seriously...

He was truly capable, literally.

Reversing the war situation with personal bravery.

This was not a war where both sides were evenly matched.

It was a situation where the Later Zhou army’s morale had already collapsed, and the Northern Han cavalry was sweeping through. Zhao Zhao Kuangyin, with his own elite cavalry, in such a situation.

Led a charge against the Northern Han’s main cavalry force, which was at its peak and most aggressive.

It was in such a desperate situation.

That he actually shattered the morale of the Northern Han cavalry.

The Blue Star netizens in the live stream were already doubting if there was anyone in [Huaxia] during this period who could actually beat Zhao Zhao Kuangyin.

Too fierce...

This was completely different from the later [Song Dynasty].

With such a fierce Taizu.

How could there be such a weak [Song Dynasty]?

The Blue Star netizens who didn't know much about Zhao Zhao Kuangyin naturally didn't understand the ins and outs.

But they would understand once they finished watching.

They were still focusing on the plot.

On the screen.

After Zhao Zhao Kuangyin reversed the war situation.

Chai Rong also personally commanded the army to counterattack. Under the personal command of Zhao Zhao Kuangyin and the emperor Chai Rong, the originally collapsing Later Zhou army actually reversed the war situation.

They repelled the allied forces of the Northern Han and Khitan.

This battle.

It was no exaggeration to say that Zhao Zhao Kuangyin saved the Later Zhou.

Because in that situation, Chai Rong had personally gone into battle but was being swept away by the retreating soldiers, and the Northern Han cavalry was charging without pause. If Zhao Zhao Kuangyin hadn't suddenly appeared.

Then the Later Zhou Emperor, Chai Rong, would likely have remained on this battlefield forever.

After all, that dragon banner representing the emperor was clearly visible there.

He couldn't run.

And with the end of the Battle of Gaoping.

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin’s reputation for "bravery crowning the three armies" was known to all, and because of his bravery and ability to turn the tide, he was heavily relied upon by Chai Rong.

It was only then that the Blue Star netizens learned from the plot.

That the general Zhao Zhao Kuangyin had beheaded was actually the Northern Han great general Zhang Yuanhui.

His position was Commander of the Imperial Guard.

In terms of current Blue Star positions, it was roughly the commander of the Northern Han’s capital garrison district.

A very high position.

No wonder Chai Rong relied on him so much.

Subsequently.

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin’s life was like a cheat code.

The following year.

The Later Zhou conquered the Southern Tang.

The Southern Tang occupied the wealthy land of Jianghuai and was the primary obstacle to the Later Zhou’s unification of the south.

Capturing Huainan could cut off the connection between the Southern Tang and the Khitan.

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin served as the Vanguard Commander, repeatedly breaking through the Southern Tang’s defense lines, and even several times personally disguised himself to scout the Southern Tang’s military situation. In every battle, he was the first to scale the walls, charging with his men amidst the rain of arrows, showing no fear.

[Battle of Liuhe]

Liuhe was the throat of the Southern Tang reinforcements moving north.

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin led 2,000 garrison troops to defend Liuhe, while a Southern Tang army of 20,000 pressed in. Zhao Zhao Kuangyin led his 2,000 troops to secretly build a dam, luring the Southern Tang army into a trap.

When they arrived near the dam, he dug it open.

At the same time, he set up an ambush at the ferry.

Under the impact of the rushing flood, countless of the 20,000 Southern Tang troops drowned, and over 5,000 Southern Tang soldiers were killed in the ambush at the ferry, with the captured armor and weapons piling up like mountains.

The same year.

[Battle of Qingliuguan]

Qingliuguan was located in the western suburbs of Chuzhou, with narrow mountain roads, easy to defend and hard to attack.

The Southern Tang occupied this place.

One man could hold the pass, and ten thousand could not get through.

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin used heavy gold to bribe local woodcutters to learn of a small path, and sent scouts to figure out the enemy’s guard rotation schedule.

Then on a snowy night.

He had his cavalry wrap their horses' hooves in cloth and hold wooden pieces in their mouths to keep quiet.

Each person carried only three days of dry rations and traveled light and fast.

They launched a surprise attack before dawn when the enemy was most relaxed, while simultaneously setting fire to the camps to create panic.

A complete victory.

Capturing the famous Southern Tang generals Huangfu Hui and Yao Feng alive.

The [Huainan Campaign] lasted for four years, and Zhao Zhao Kuangyin led his troops to capture a total of eight prefectures, capturing over thirty Southern Tang generals.

This kind of merit was beyond any further reward.

But a sudden change disrupted the steadily rising Later Zhou.

In the sixth year of Xiande (959).

Chai Rong suddenly fell ill while leading the army north to attack the Khitan and was forced to withdraw to Bianjing.

When he returned to Bianjing.

Chai Rong’s condition did not improve; instead, it worsened, and he passed away shortly after.

And before Chai Rong died.

He promoted Zhao Zhao Kuangyin to Commander of the Palace Guards (the highest position in the Forbidden Army).

Chai Rong had his own considerations for doing this: first, Zhao Zhao Kuangyin was brave and skilled in battle; second, he had shown exceptional loyalty, having charged against the Northern Han cavalry while struck by several arrows years ago.

He had turned the tide and reversed the overall situation.

Otherwise, whether the Later Zhou would even exist today was a question, as Chai Rong himself had almost been caught by the Northern Han cavalry back then.

So in Chai Rong’s heart, Zhao Zhao Kuangyin was a loyal minister who could be trusted.

Furthermore.

The various regional warlords also needed a powerful military general to deter them.

Looking across the Later Zhou.

Only Zhao Zhao Kuangyin could achieve this.

So before his death, Chai Rong appointed Zhao Zhao Kuangyin as Commander of the Palace Guards, then passed the throne to his seven-year-old son, Chai Chai Zongxun, before his illness worsened and he passed away.

Seeing this.

The Blue Star netizens in the live stream were still sighing that although the Later Zhou emperors were all quite good.

They were truly short-lived.

Whether it was Guo Wei or Chai Rong, they both passed away after reigning for only four or five years.

At the same time, the Blue Star netizens who hadn't known about it before were also curious about how Zhao Zhao Kuangyin established the Song Dynasty.

After all, he was still a commander of the Forbidden Army under someone else.

However.

What all the Blue Star netizens in the live stream did not expect was.

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin’s speed in starting his own business was too fast.

So fast that they hadn't even reacted.

The previous scene was [959] Chai Rong passing the throne to Chai Chai Zongxun.

The next scene.

Became the first day of the first lunar month of [960].

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin hurriedly led troops to defend against the invasion of the allied Khitan and Northern Han forces.

Two days later.

On the third day of the first lunar month, Zhao Zhao Kuangyin led his troops north to "defend against the enemy," staying overnight at Chenqiao.

The next day.

Before dawn.

Many soldiers and generals gathered outside Zhao Zhao Kuangyin’s tent.

The soldiers held long spears and wore armor, their faces excited, while Zhao Pu and Zhao Zhao Guangyi, who were under Zhao Zhao Kuangyin, stood at the front, followed by generals like Shi Shi Shouxin and Gao Gao Huaide.

Seemingly hearing the movement of Zhao Zhao Kuangyin waking up inside the tent.

Zhao Pu stood outside the tent and shouted loudly: "General, the soldiers have something to say to you!"

A moment later.

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin lifted the tent flap, looking at the dense crowd of soldiers and generals before him, his expression changing drastically: "What are you all trying to do?"

"Are you trying to rebel?!"

Hearing this.

The surrounding soldiers said in unison: "General! The Khitan have invaded, the court is incompetent, we are willing to support you as Emperor!"

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin frowned: "I received the heavy trust of the Shizong Emperor; how can I betray him?"

"You are putting me in an unrighteous position."

The general beside him stepped forward, holding a yellow robe: "If the General is unwilling, we will all disperse and never fight again!"

The soldiers also shouted along: "That’s right! If the General doesn't agree, we won't go to fight!"

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin looked at the surrounding soldiers, silent for a long time, and finally sighed: "If you are truly willing to support me as Emperor, you must listen to my orders."

The soldiers shouted excitedly: "We are willing! We are willing!"

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin took a deep breath: "Good, then let’s return to Bianjing first."

"But you must absolutely not harm the Empress Dowager and the young Emperor."

"You cannot plunder the common people."

"You cannot harass the court ministers."

"Can you comply?"

The soldiers’ faces were flushed with excitement as they shouted: "Yes, sir!"

Seeing this.

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin could no longer refuse; he was surrounded by the generals, draped in the yellow robe, mounted on a black horse, and led the army back to Bianjing.

The "Long live" shouted by the soldiers behind him.

Lasted for a long time, echoing through the sky.

This scene.

Left the Blue Star netizens in the live stream stunned. The comments were silent for a moment, then exploded overwhelmingly:

【???? What happened? I’m a bit confused?】

【Weren't they supposed to go north to defend against the enemy? What about the Khitan? What about the Northern Han? Are they just ignoring them???】

【Good heavens, they marched for two days, didn't even see a hair of the enemy, and he’s already draped in a yellow robe.】

【Holy crap, can you make it any more obvious? Is this script too fake?!】

【The yellow robe was prepared in advance? This was a spur-of-the-moment decision?】

【Zhao Zhao Kuangyin: I refuse! I refuse! Hey?! You guys!!!】

【Soldiers: If the General doesn't agree, we won't fight! Zhao Zhao Kuangyin: Fine, fine, there’s really nothing I can do about you guys (sigh.jpg)】

【Outrageous, too outrageous, this is suspiciously fake!!!】

The Blue Star netizens in the live stream looked in confusion at the start of the march, and then the screen cut to Zhao Zhao Kuangyin with the yellow robe added. Damn, he had only been out for three days, and he hadn't even seen the enemy.

And he was already heading back to ascend the throne?

Fang Ming also had a strange expression, looking at the complaints in the comments, and said: "Hmm... how should I put it."

"If you look at it from the perspective of a satisfying story, then this yellow robe being added has no flaws at all."

"What a satisfying plot."

This wasn't wrong.

The Blue Star netizens in the live stream were originally unable to get over how stifling [Xin Xin Qiji]’s life was, which was why they asked Fang Ming to find a historical celebrity with a satisfying life to play.

And this Zhao Zhao Kuangyin’s life... was definitely that of a protagonist.

Regardless of whether it was fake or not.

If you immerse yourself in it, then this yellow robe being added is just too satisfying.

The screen continued to shift.

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin returned to Bianjing, and the Later Zhou Emperor abdicated.

[960 AD]

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin officially ascended the throne, establishing the Song Dynasty.

Subsequently.

He quickly launched a personal expedition, suppressing the rebellions of Li Yun and Li Chongjin in succession.

He suppressed the remaining forces of the Later Zhou, consolidated the Song Dynasty’s political power, and immediately prepared his troops and horses.

[961 AD]

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin released military power over a cup of wine.

Through a banquet, he relieved the main high-ranking Forbidden Army generals like Shi Shi Shouxin and Gao Gao Huaide of their military power, strengthened centralized authority, and laid a stable rear foundation for the unification war.

[963 AD]

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin commanded the army to destroy Jingnan and pacify the Wuping (Hunan) region.

In one fell swoop, he controlled the key areas of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, cutting off the connections between Later Shu, Southern Tang, and Southern Han.

He obtained a strategic passage and an important base for attacking the southern countries.

[965 AD]

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin divided his troops into two routes to attack Shu.

The northern route of the Song army broke through Jianmenguan, and the eastern route of the Song army moved up the river.

The following month.

Later Shu Emperor Meng Chang surrendered in Chengdu.

Later Shu was destroyed (forty-five prefectures).

[971 AD]

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin sent Pan Mei as commander and Yin Chongke as deputy to lead the army to attack Southern Han.

February.

They broke the main force of Southern Han at the foot of Lotus Peak and pressed toward the capital, Xingwang Prefecture.

March.

Southern Han Emperor Liu Yin surrendered.

Southern Han was destroyed (sixty prefectures).

[975 AD]

Zhao Zhao Kuangyin sent troops to Southern Tang.

With Cao Bin as commander and Pan Mei as supervisor, they led the water and land forces to attack Southern Tang.

The Song army successfully built a pontoon bridge at Caishiji to cross the river, breaking through the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, and then completed the encirclement of the Southern Tang capital, Jinling (modern-day Nanjing).

After suffering a siege lasting more than half a year.

Southern Tang ruler Li Yu opened the city and surrendered.

Southern Tang was destroyed (nineteen prefectures).

Thus, the southern part of the Huaxia land was basically pacified.

And the Blue Star netizens in the live stream, watching the successive destruction of Jingnan, Wuping, Later Shu, Southern Han, and Southern Tang, couldn't help but sigh that Zhao Zhao Kuangyin was truly capable.

In just 15 years, under Zhao Zhao Kuangyin’s leadership, the Song Dynasty destroyed five countries in a row.

Such a Song Dynasty.

Formed a huge contrast with the Song Dynasty in the minds of the Blue Star netizens.

The later Song Dynasty would often offer tribute to seek peace.

The current Song Dynasty would often send troops to destroy countries.

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