Chapter 410

A dappled horse newly fitted with a white jade saddle, the moonlight cold over the battlefield after battle.

The iron drums atop the city wall still echo, the blood on the golden blade in its scabbard not yet dry.

Let it be told: on the last day of the ninth year of the Jianyan era, Zhao Jiu and Yue Fei breached their respective cities on the same day, Taiyuan Prefecture and Great Ming Prefecture falling together.

Setting aside what happened outside Great Ming Prefecture for now, and speaking only of inside and outside Taiyuan, the main Song army forces had actually fallen into a certain state of chaos. However, given the absurd disparity in forces around Taiyuan, as long as they could sweep clean the Jin army within the city, letting the chaos last one night was no great matter.

Moreover, the most common expression of this chaos was simply that the elated Song soldiers refused to leave the city to return to camp, instead searching everywhere for Jin troops.

In one afternoon, three Meng'an and several dozen Mouke were captured alive or killed, either bound or beheaded, and delivered directly before Zhao Jiu. One thing worth noting was that, up to this point, not a single Jurchen Meng'an had been willing to surrender. Thus, at the gate of the Taiyuan inner city government office where Zhao Jiu had temporarily taken up residence, beheadings occurred one after another without pause.

"Let Your Majesty know, this man is Wanyan Zhehe."

Just as Zhao Jiu and his close ministers, officers, and "consultants on standby" were growing somewhat bored, suddenly Wang De, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard Central Army, personally led a man in, stepping over dark red bloodstains into the hall. At Wang De's words, the packed government office erupted in excitement, and even Zhao Jiu's spirits lifted considerably.

There was no help for it—this was the Jin commander of Taiyuan, and the second Jin Wanhu to be captured alive after Han Chang.

One must understand that the Song and Jin military systems differed. In the earlier days when Jin national power was at its peak, a single Wanhu could direct an entire campaign, to the point that a marching Wanhu could be compared directly to a Song Imperial Guard Commander, and a Meng'an was almost equivalent to a Controller. Later, when the situation became more balanced and the marching command system became common, the Jin army also had standing Commanders leading tens of thousands of troops—Commander against Commander. Yet even so, one could not say that a Wanhu had fallen to the level of a Controller.

And this was Zhehe, a man of name and reputation, known in both states since the Jingkang Incident a decade ago, who had later followed Wanyan Loushi many times in sweeping through Guanxi, participated in the great battle at Yaoshan, and was a veteran Wanhu on the war criminal list.

No wonder Wang De had come personally to report his merit.

Enough digression. Returning to the present, Zhao Jiu nodded to Wang De, then looked at the bound Jin general, hesitating for a moment.

But soon, as everyone held their breath, this Song Emperor spoke earnestly to the man below the hall: "Zhehe... I will speak plainly with you. According to the proclamations and war criminal list I issued earlier, there is no need to urge surrender. But you are the first Jurchen Wanhu I have captured alive, and of Wanyan lineage. So if you are willing to surrender, I can make an exception and pardon you from the death penalty... Are you willing to surrender?"

Zhehe, tightly bound, had been staring at Zhao Jiu sitting in the position once occupied by Bialisu ever since he entered. Hearing this, he took a long look at the other man, as if memorizing his features, then slowly shook his head and replied calmly:

"I did not die at first, purely because the city fell too quickly and I was disheartened. Once surrounded, I only wanted to come close and see Your Majesty's face... Now that I have seen it, I die without regret."

Many of the civil officials who had followed later, especially a few younger "consultants on standby" from the southeast, sighed at this, as if witnessing something momentous. They waited to see how Zhao Jiu would respond, so they could write it into their own "Records of the Campaign" that evening.

But Zhao Jiu, hearing this, merely nodded, his expression unchanged. He waved his soot-blackened hand from his seat and said succinctly:

"Behead him!"

The civil officials around were immediately deflated. The palace guards, who had carried out this order countless times that afternoon, swarmed forward, dragged the man out, pressed him down on the ground before the hall, and cut off his head with one stroke. In a moment, they presented the head, and Zhao Jiu merely waved his hand again, clearly unconcerned.

Only, in the coming and going, the bloodstains on the ground became even more pronounced, letting those who had arrived late understand how those stains had come to be.

"Add a line to the urgent dispatch to Dongjing," Zhao Jiu said after a moment's thought, turning to his close ministers. "Tell them to revise that statement... Among the Jin Meng'an and Wanhu ranks, whoever is the first to surrender in each category shall be pardoned from the death penalty."

The close ministers understood and hurried off to attend to it.

Zhao Jiu then looked at Wang De and finally smiled: "Wang Qing, you've had a good haul today. Do you have anything to say, or shall we set it aside for later accounting after the war?"

"Your Majesty!"

Wang De immediately knelt in the hall, urgent: "Calculating merits is naturally a matter for after the war—that is Your Majesty's rule, and I dare not speak of it now. But I do have one small matter... I beg Your Majesty to pardon my second son, Wang Shun. I seek no official post for him, only that he may continue to serve as a regular soldier. I would be endlessly grateful... Let him earn his own merits and future."

Zhao Jiu laughed again: "What crime did Wang Shun commit? I have forgotten. But in any case, if I can pardon a Jin man, can I not pardon him? Give him the rank of a reserve officer and let him serve under you as before."

Wang De was visibly relieved. He hastily thanked the Emperor, then made a round of bows to the civil and military officials in the hall, and stood there, no longer concerning himself with matters outside.

With that settled, before anyone could congratulate Zhao Jiu on capturing and executing Zhehe, another officer hurried over to report. But for some reason, when he reached the hall and saw the assembled dignitaries, he grew hesitant, lingering at the door.

Seeing this, Zhao Jiu gave a slight nod. Ren Baozhong, who had been eager to act, stepped forward with his hand on his sword and spoke with the man outside the door.

After a moment, Ren Baozhong returned and reported directly: "Reporting to Your Majesty, there have been further captures. The subordinates do not know how to handle them."

"Who this time?" Zhao Jiu asked casually. "Zhehe has been killed, and dozens of Meng'an and Mouke have been slain. Just report who it is..."

"The families of the Jin Taiyuan Marching Command..." Ren Baozhong bowed his head. "They were found in a warehouse in the northwest corner of the inner city."

"The womenfolk of Bialisu's household?" Zhao Jiu suddenly understood.

"Not only Bialisu's family, but also Zhehe's own family, and the families of other Meng'an and Mouke directly under Taiyuan, as well as local officials' families. They were all gathered by Zhehe in Bialisu's mansion in the inner city. When the fighting started, they fled to the warehouse under the leadership of Bialisu's secondary wife, the Da clan, and put up a stubborn resistance."

"The Da clan?" Zhao Jiu seemed thoughtful.

"The Bohai Da clan," Ren Baozhong said. Whether it was an illusion or not, after the battle today, his demeanor was noticeably more cautious. "The Da clan is a noble Bohai lineage. In Jin, the Bohai rank only below the Jurchens. Many high-ranking Jin officials marry into the Bohai Da and Gao clans. For instance, the current regent, the Grand Prince Wanyan Woben, has a secondary consort from the Da clan. His eldest surviving son, the second son Wanyan Liang, was born to that Da consort."

Zhao Jiu grew more enlightened and asked further: "And then? Are they asking me how to handle this?"

"Yes," Ren Baozhong replied, still respectful and cautious. "Those Jin women and youths are quite unruly... They dare not be brought before Your Majesty. Please give your orders directly."

"Quite unruly," Zhao Jiu thought for a moment, then gave an answer he had long been considering. "Then keep them under guard for now. When we have enough, send them to Lanzhou and hand them over to the Western Liao officials. Say these people are remnants of the Liao state... Let them trade warhorses and goods from Persia and the Riverlands for them."

At these words, the hall fell silent. But unexpectedly, there was no voice of remonstrance or opposition.

As for Ren Baozhong, though he was widely experienced, he too was stunned for a moment. But after that moment, he found nothing to say... Were not the Bohai and Jurchens indeed remnants of the Liao state? Even Yelu Dashi could not deny that.

Still, he spoke again: "There is one more matter."

"Speak."

"The commander who captured the women said that besides the barbarian women and youths who were unruly, some also pleaded for release. Among them, one claimed to be Li Shishi of Dongjing..." Ren Baozhong reported earnestly.

The hall was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. Even Wang Yan and Wang De only kept their heads down and ears pricked, let alone Wu Jie and the others, who were staring at the ceiling.

But Zhao Jiu, without any pause, laughed directly: "How strange... Earlier, Liu Ziyu's younger brother Liu Zihui told someone that he had seen Li Shishi in Jiangxi... How did this Li Shishi end up in Hedong?"

Ren Baozhong did not know how to respond.

Zhao Jiu, clearly unconcerned, sneered: "Forget it. True or false, it's nothing more than a plea for survival... And even if she isn't Li Shishi, she is a Han woman abducted during the Jingkang Incident. According to military regulations, any such person who pleads for release may be directly discharged and settled. So, following precedent, give her a resettlement allowance and let her return to Dongjing... Whether she is Li Shishi or Wang Shishi, it doesn't matter. We can't very well send her to Shaolin Temple, can we? Wouldn't that be an insult to the Retired Emperor?"

Ren Baozhong nodded heavily, turned, and hurried away to make the arrangements.

A minor interlude, not worth dwelling on. And so, a few more small matters were handled—sending palace guards to supervise military discipline, taking over the warehouses and stores, and another Meng'an and two Mouke being captured. But still, no one was willing to surrender, and all were beheaded. In a short time, the sky had grown completely dark. It was foreseeable that today's temporary affairs would soon come to an end, but what followed seemed to be the main course.

Sure enough, after dark, Han Shizhong, Li Yanxian, and Ma Kuo, who had been scattered in various places, arrived one after another, along with veteran Controllers from various units. They gathered together, joined by Wu Jie, Wang Yan, Yang Yizhong, Liu Yan, and others who had been at the Emperor's side all along, not even washing their hands, as well as Wang De, who had captured someone earlier... In essence, except for Li Master and Li Qiong, who were monitoring the Jin forces to the east and west, almost all the high-ranking Song commanders in the Taiyuan basin were assembled once more.

This time, due to the chaos in the city, there had been no specific order for a military council. But almost all the experienced senior generals instinctively realized that such a meeting was necessary.

To this, Zhao Jiu went along with the flow and directly convened a military council.

"I have only one thing to say: send a messenger to tell Hebulai that if he doesn't come now, he needn't bother coming at all," Zhao Jiu said bluntly. "As for the rest, Wu Jie will speak, and I will issue the decrees."

There was a slight stir in the candlelit hall, but it quickly subsided, because Han Shizhong, Li Yanxian, and Ma Kuo—the three with command banners—all remained silent. In particular, Han Shizhong, the nominal Hedong Marshal, who usually stood with his chest puffed out and hand on his belt, said nothing. Wang Yan and Wang De, though temperamentally prone to speaking out, also held their tongues, perhaps because the day's city-breaking had been too shocking. With the marshals thus, the others naturally had little to say.

"Let Your Majesty know," Wu Jie stepped forward with his blackened hands clasped, first bowing to the Emperor, then making a round of bows to the various Military Governors, before turning back to address Zhao Jiu respectfully. "I believe the first priority now is not to take Jingxing, but to quickly dispatch some elite troops north to Yanmen Pass, to join the main force of my Imperial Guard Rear Army, the Yinshan Khitan-Western Mongol coalition, and the Eastern Mongol army of Hebulai, whom Your Majesty has sent word to, in an attempt to encircle Datong. There are two reasons: first, there are still two Jin Wanhu at Datong. If we can swallow them in one go, it will shake the Jin army to its core. Second, once we have both Taiyuan and Datong, the strategic value of Jingxing in blocking Hebei and Hedong will be nominal... In comparison, a sudden attack on Jingxing would be costly and time-consuming, as Yelu Ma Wu is a capable and careful commander, while attacking Shangdang would be merely going with the flow..."

So it was that after dark, Wu Jie formally took command of the Hedong front and began the next phase of planning in an orderly fashion. Meanwhile, on the Hexi side of Great Ming Prefecture, the high command of the main Jin army struggled until the third watch before finally suppressing their various anxieties and convening an emergency military council around a large bonfire outside Ligu Town.

There was no help for it. Although the chain of explosions had caused both armies to break camp in chaos, the Song army had quickly realized it was their own divine miracle destroying the enemy's fortifications, and had calmly entered the city by afternoon. For the Jin side, merely rallying their troops and urgently recalling several Wanhu from across the river to secure the main camp had been difficult and demanding enough.

Suffice it to say, it was fortunate that most of the lower- and mid-ranking Jin soldiers had not witnessed that chain of explosions. Otherwise, even the process of rallying the troops would have been extremely difficult.

Even this military council felt somewhat awkward and uncomfortable… because the vast majority of the Battalion Commanders had not yet recovered from that earth-shattering city breach during the day; many had directly lost basic logical thinking, clearly in a dazed state.

Among them, this even included Bolisu and Jin Wushu, the two highest leaders in the army.

In truth, deep down, these top Jin elites understood that they needed to make a quick, decisive resolution and immediately alter their strategic deployment. But understanding was one thing; the sheer impact of having witnessed it firsthand was not something that could be easily shaken off.

Several times, people tried to speak, but Bolisu and the other Hedong generals would start talking about Taiyuan as soon as they opened their mouths, and as they spoke, they became incoherent. Shaohe and Ali would start on Yuancheng and Gao Jingshan, also unable to express their grief. Even generals like Elubu and Wanyan Bendu were in a dazed, absent-minded state, lacking both the composure of seasoned veterans and the previous arrogance they showed when vying for power.

"Everyone, how about this." Jin Wushu tried to speak several times, but each time he didn't know where to begin. Then, suddenly recalling someone, he forced himself to stand up by the campfire. "You and I all witnessed what happened today with our own eyes. I know in our hearts it was gunpowder, but we were still shaken, our minds in chaos, unable to speak properly… I'll call for another staff officer, one you all know. He was the interpreter for the Western Route Army before, and later served with Gao Jingshan—that Gao Qingyi. His abilities should be beyond doubt. Let him analyze things for us."

By the campfire, from Bolisu on down, the generals exchanged glances. Everyone's expression was gloomy and uncertain, but they were helpless, so they could only nod.

About a moment later, Gao Qingyi was summoned. After listening to Ali relay a few sentences, he remained silent. Everyone looked at him, and saw that apart from his eyes being bloodshot in the firelight, his expression was calm. No one knew what was going on.

Only Jin Wushu inwardly cursed himself for being foolish—if others didn't know, how could he not? This Gao Qingyi had received great kindness from Gao Jingshan, and the latter was now ten to one dead without a burial place. How could the former's state possibly be good?

With this thought, the Fourth Prince was about to wave his hand and dismiss him.

However, unexpectedly, at that very moment, Gao Qingyi actually spoke. His voice, though somewhat hoarse, was calm and earnest, which immediately lifted everyone's spirits.

"Forgive me, Your Excellencies, for speaking bluntly," Gao Qingyi said, his expression calm. "The matter itself is very simple. The reason the Fourth Prince, the Marshal, and all the Battalion Commanders cannot analyze it properly is not because you don't know, but because you are unwilling to say it… Allow me to offer a brief interpretation."

By the campfire, all chatter ceased for a moment, leaving only the sobbing of the wind and the crackling of the flames.

"First, the Marshal is right. If Yuancheng could be blown up like this, then Taiyuan certainly can be too. Considering today is New Year's Eve, and the Song Emperor was advancing on Taiyuan so rapidly before, it was likely pre-arranged. Taiyuan must have been blown up in the same way by now… And since Taiyuan city has fallen, General Zhehe has almost certainly died for his country."

Bolisu pursed his lips, wanting to speak but stopping.

"Second, since both Taiyuan Prefecture and Great Ming Prefecture have fallen into Song hands—leaving Great Ming aside for now—with Taiyuan lost, our Great Jin's fundamental defensive foothold in the Hedong region is gone. The entire Hedong, from Datong to Shangdang, will inevitably be swept clean by the main Song forces without restraint… Now, do not expect these two places to hold. We need to send military orders quickly, instructing the two Battalion Commanders at Datong, the remnants of the Taiyuan forces, and the few garrison troops at Shangdang to evacuate immediately. If we delay, the Song army will block them, and they will be completely annihilated for nothing."

"Is it truly beyond saving?" Bolisu finally spoke, his words strained.

"How could it be saved?" Unexpectedly, it was the swollen-faced Wanyan Bendu who responded to Bolisu, equally dejected and uncontrollable. "Gao Interpreter is not wrong. Not only is Taiyuan beyond saving, but Longde Prefecture must also be evacuated. One step late, and the Song army will press in from both north and south, and it will be a dead end… Looking at the commotion during the day, it's clear that strategic passes and cities are all useless against the Song. The few passes at Longde Prefecture cannot stop the Song army. Whatever cities and troops remain in Taiyuan Prefecture are just lambs to the slaughter… Salihuo is just waiting to die!"

The scene fell into a cold silence, but soon, Wanyan Tuhesu suddenly let out a roar-like sigh to the heavens.

From Jin Wushu on down, the generals knew his family was on the west bank of the Fenshui River, likely not yet captured but seemingly unable to escape either. They were all too despondent to speak.

"The key is Datong Prefecture." After who knows how long, with the help of Gao Qingyi's explanation, Jin Wushu finally gritted his teeth and acknowledged the reality. However, from his perspective, he was clearly more concerned about other matters. "The two garrison Battalion Commanders at Datong Prefecture are the key… Gao Interpreter, is there no use for the troops in Taiyuan Prefecture?"

"Having troops there is actually more dangerous," Gao Qingyi replied calmly. "Fourth Prince… Not to mention whether Yanmen Pass can still block the Song, consider this: Hebulai in the north has always been wavering. Now that Taiyuan city has fallen, will he continue to remain neutral? If Hebulai moves south, then Datong will be besieged from three or four sides, or even completely surrounded."

Jin Wushu was startled and immediately turned to call out: "Where is Taishinu?"

"Your subordinate is here." Taishinu, in the darkness, was momentarily stunned, then snapped back to reality.

"Quickly send a messenger with my golden tally. Order Yelu Ma Wu to hold Jingxing at all costs. Then go to Datong Prefecture, find Eluguan, and tell him to retreat immediately, taking as many men as he can."

Taishinu acknowledged the order.

"Borrow the Prince of Wei's golden tally," Wanyan Bendu also gritted his teeth and followed up. "I will immediately dispatch several thousand cavalry from my own command to go with the Prince of Wei's golden tally to Longde Prefecture and retrieve the families of the Longde Prefecture Field Command generals… Move the treasury stores if you can; if not, burn them!"

Jin Wushu nodded blankly.

"Is Commander Gao truly beyond any hope of survival?" At this difficult moment, a slightly younger voice spoke with difficulty. "Can't we go and investigate?"

From the darkness beside the campfire, a few sparse, cold laughs rang out. By the campfire, the calm-faced Gao Qingyi remained motionless, as if he hadn't heard that it was Pusuyue's voice.

It was Jin Wushu who, after a slight sigh, continued to turn and instruct: "Taishinu, send an envoy to the other side tomorrow morning to ask Yue Fei… He is a reasonable man. If he knows anything, he won't hide it… Gao Interpreter, you continue."

After these words, the area by the campfire fell silent again. Gao Qingyi waited a moment before earnestly explaining the situation: "Fourth Prince, next comes the countermeasure… The countermeasure is also very simple. After today's events, as the Golden Tally Lord said, cities cannot be relied upon, passes cannot be relied upon… So, for now, if we want to avoid the main forces of the state collapsing completely while still intact, the only option is field battle."

No one had anything to say.

"And if we want a field battle, where should it be? If cities cannot be relied upon, should we just abandon them?" Gao Qingyi said, also somewhat dejected. "Zhending Prefecture has always been where the ruling prince inspects and allocates military supplies for the various circuits. It still holds countless weapons, grain, and fodder. Should we just abandon it? If we abandon Zhending, what about Hejian? If we abandon Hejian again, wouldn't we have to abandon Yanjing directly? So, if we want a field battle, we can only abandon Yuancheng, take advantage of Yue Fei's lack of cavalry, quickly lead the main force north, and deploy around Zhending to attempt a decisive battle."

Everyone still had nothing to say… because what he said was too correct, unassailably so.

At this moment, they were forced by the Song army to this point.

"But wanting a field battle is easier said than done," Bolisu suddenly spoke up. "With the current morale of the troops, how can we possibly fight a field battle against the Song army?"

"Restoring morale is nothing more than a few methods: either give rewards and comfort, or actively seek opportunities for a few small victories… Including explaining gunpowder to the soldiers and those ignorant officers who don't read the official dispatches—these are all matters for the Prince of Wei and the Marshal," Gao Qingyi replied calmly. "My duty is merely to speak out the words that you generals have long known in your hearts but dared not say."

Bolisu and Jin Wushu exchanged a glance across the campfire, both speechless. Jin Wushu was about to force himself to rally and comfort the generals a little.

But just then, a gust of cold wind blew from somewhere, howling incessantly, like someone sobbing.

The wind stopped, but the sobbing continued. Jin Wushu was dazed for a moment before realizing someone was actually crying. He quickly looked at Bolisu, who met his gaze but made no move to stop it. Utterly helpless, Jin Wushu thought about getting up to see who it was and dissuade them.

However, as his mind churned, he also gave up on standing up… The reason was simple: he didn't know how to comfort the Hedong generals who had lost their families and homes of ten years, nor did he know how to comfort the Hebei generals who were about to lose their homeland. Even if Pusuyue wanted to cry for Gao Jingshan, he didn't know how to console him.

In fact, as another gust of cold wind swept in, Jin Wushu sniffled by the campfire and found that he, too, wanted to use the sound of the wind to have a good cry… For no reason at all, how had they ended up in such a predicament?

PS: Thanks to Lord Xiahou for the sponsorship, and to Mengzhongzhangjian Tianya, Jintian Huijin Chuanhuolema, Huang Erma, and Mei Xueshi for their tips… At the start of every volume, there's a feeling of not knowing where to begin.