Chapter 57: What, the Jin Army is Besieging Zhao Gou?

Wanyan Zonghan wanted to drag the stalemate on, even attempting to squeeze out another month by reducing the soldiers' daily rations.

This mindset was just like trading stocks. Watching the price plummet, he simply refused to sell, gambling that it would rise tomorrow.

It was pure speculative gambling.

And his opponent in this gamble was Zhao Ning.

He was betting that tomorrow someone on the city walls of Bianjing would jump off in despair.

He was betting that next month, the dog-like Emperor would finally crack!

Shi Li'ai said, "Marshal, our provisions are running low. If we are to retreat, we must begin our actions now."

Shi Li'ai had even mapped out the retreat strategy for Wanyan Zonghan.

There were hundreds of thousands of Song troops north of the Yellow River, and that brat Wanyan Wuqi was playing his own little games up north.

Wanyan Wuqi was playing little games?

Indeed, Wanyan Wuqi was playing games.

He was deliberately avoiding large-scale head-on battles with the Song army.

If his Iron Cavalry had truly engaged the Song army with full force, the campaign would not have yielded zero results for so long.

By now, many high-ranking generals within the Jin army wanted to retreat, but nobody dared to voice it.

Wanyan Wuqi was simply using this tactic to force Wanyan Zonghan into ordering a retreat.

If Wanyan Zonghan ordered a retreat, his prestige within the Jin imperial court would undoubtedly take a hit.

And politics was a zero-sum game.

Not only was Wanyan Wuqi playing such petty games, but wasn't Wanyan Zongwang doing the exact same thing?

Instead of advising Wanyan Zonghan, he spent his entire day drinking and sleeping with women in his marshal's tent, clearly broadcasting the attitude of: "I'm just waiting for you to issue the retreat order."

Therefore, commanding an army was no easy task!

No matter how formidable a fighting force might be, internal rifts that could never be mended always existed.

From this perspective, was Wanyan Wuqi part of the peace faction just like Wanyan Zongwang?

No, no, no. Wanyan Wuqi was just as fiercely committed to destroying the Song as Wanyan Zonghan.

The Fourth Prince in history was no pushover.

The Iron Pagoda and Iron Cavalry made the Song army tremble in fear.

The people of Song called him "Jin Wuqi."

Since Wanyan Wuqi was a hardliner for annihilating Song, why was he playing petty games now?

As the saying goes, politics is a zero-sum game.

The Great Song Dynasty was also a finite market; if he fought and consumed it, there would be nothing left for others, as the cake was only so large.

Political struggles boil down to two words: interests.

Wanyan Zonghan pondered for a moment and said, "Let us hold out for one more month. We shall retreat in early May. What do you think?"

Shi Li'ai glanced at Gao Qingyi beside him, evidently hoping Gao Qingyi would chime in.

Both of these men were former officials of the Liao Dynasty. After Jin destroyed Liao, they surrendered to the Jin and were heavily favored by Wanyan Zonghan.

Gao Qingyi, in particular, hailed from the Bohai Gao clan. Highly prestigious and fluent in both Jurchen and Chinese, he had played a pivotal role during the early years when the Jin rapidly conquered Liao.

Gao Qingyi said, "Marshal, if we drag this on for another month, I fear the situation in Hebei will change. It is not that we wouldn't be able to return, but by then, we would likely have to pay a certain price to execute a successful retreat, which would prove disadvantageous to the Marshal."

By "disadvantageous to the Marshal," he meant politically unfavorable for Wanyan Zonghan within the imperial court.

War is an extension of politics and is inextricably linked to it.

Wanyan Zonghan already labored under the suspicion of eclipsing the sovereign, and Wanyan Wuqimai had secretly sought to undermine him all along.

Furthermore, this was intertwined with the struggle for the Jin crown prince. The faction Wanyan Zonghan supported was Wanyan Gao.

Wanyan Gao was the younger brother of Wanyan Aguda and Wanyan Wuqimai.

However, Wanyan Wuqimai actually desired to pass the throne to his own son, Wanyan Zongpan.

Wanyan Zongpan walked closely with figures like Wanyan Chang, and Wanyan Chang walked closely with Wanyan Zongwang, pitting the two factions against each other.

When all was said and done, withdrawing troops right now was the most opportune timing, as losses would naturally be minimized.

Wanyan Zonghan pondered for a moment and said, "Let us hold on for another month. I refuse to believe Bianjing's grain stores will not run out! Besides, even if the city gates of Bianjing remain closed after a month, their provisions will surely be reduced to a bare minimum. Even if we retreat, Bianjing will be unable to replenish its food supply in time, plunging them into internal chaos all the same!"

"If I cannot conquer Bianjing, I will make sure Bianjing suffers for it!"

Shi Li'ai and Gao Qingyi exchanged glances and said no more. Shi Li'ai then asked, "Should the diversionary advance toward Daming Prefecture still proceed?"

"Advance half a month before the retreat."

"Understood!"

The diversionary advance toward Daming Prefecture he spoke of was a raid on Zhao Gou at Daming Prefecture, designed to lure Zong Ze away to the rescue, thereby allowing the main Jin army to retreat northward all the way from Huazhou.

Since Zong Ze was a thorn in their side, why not fight other Song troops to distract Zong Ze's attention?

In this strategy, the Jin army had already written off the Song forces at Daming Prefecture as a bunch of spineless fools destined to scatter at the first blow.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a day had passed!

Just as Wanyan Zonghan was making his final stand of stubborn resistance, sudden news arrived that made him instantly want to flip the table.

What news had arrived?

An imperial reinforcement army had appeared south of Tokyo City!

The southern reinforcement army had arrived!

Led by Chen Gui and others, the southern reinforcement army had reached the vicinity of Zhuxian Town and had already fought several successive skirmishes with the Jin forces stationed there.

This made Wanyan Zonghan etch another name into his memory: Chen Gui!

By now, Wanyan Zonghan had memorized three names from the Great Song Dynasty: Zhang Shuye, who had fought his way forward through the borderlands in a bloody battle; Zong Ze, who held sway over Huazhou like a giant boulder; and Chen Gui of Zhuxian Town.

Why on earth did several capable Song generals emerge at this critical juncture?

Was this Chen Gui fellow...

Any good at fighting?

He was indeed remarkably capable!

However, his expertise leaned toward defense and tactical deployment. He was a technical expert in the military field, passionately fond of military treatises. Though a civil official, he had read numerous classic military texts.

The world's first tubular firearm was invented by this very fellow:

The fire-lance!

With a range of 230 meters!

Chen Gui might not have possessed the grand, bold, and unflinching composure of Zong Ze, who stabilized the northern situation of the capital like a divine needle calming the seas, but he could fight a steady and solid campaign, maneuvering against the Jin forces south of Kaifeng Prefecture.

That alone was more than enough to meet the demands of the battlefield.

This shattered Wanyan Zonghan's plan to hold out for another month.

After repeatedly confirming that the southern reinforcement army had indeed arrived, Wanyan Zonghan immediately ordered Wanyan Wuqi to advance rapidly eastward and attack Daming Prefecture.

Simultaneously, he ordered Wanyan Yinshuke to set out from the right flank and push toward Daming Prefecture.

He also dispatched orders to Wanyan Loushi at Tongguan to prepare for redeployment and recall.

Meanwhile, Zhao Gou had no inkling whatsoever that he had suddenly become the primary target of the Jin army.

Upon receiving Wanyan Zonghan's command, Wanyan Wuqi immediately guessed that Wanyan Zonghan was going to order a retreat.

Naturally more than willing, he quickly advanced northeastward toward Daming Prefecture from the regions of Huazhou and Kaide Prefecture.

On April 9th, Zong Ze received intelligence that a massive force of Jin cavalry had withdrawn from the area.

To prevent any Jin deceit, Zong Ze immediately dispatched Yue Fei with a small contingent of cavalry to act as scouts and rapidly reconnoiter the enemy's movements.

On April 12th, Yue Fei sent messengers back to report that the Jin cavalry had already reached Daming Prefecture, three hundred li away.

At that moment, Zhao Gou was still inside the Grand Marshal's Mansion pondering the current situation, having already cast Zong Ze out of his inner circle.

He considered Zong Ze far too disobedient, preferring men like Zhang Jun, Wang Boyan, and Huang Qianshan instead.