Thirty-one Golden Needles
In the second month of Xuanhe 7, Emperor Tianzuo of Liao, who had fled to Yeshi Mountain, was captured by the Jin army. Thus, the Khitan dynasty established by Abaoji came to an end.
In the year of the great Song, one of the reasons why they dared to abandon the hundred-year-old alliance with Jin and attack Liao was that they had sent someone to paint a portrait of Emperor Tianzuo back then. According to physiognomy, he was judged to be a monarch with a face that would bring about the downfall of his country. Today it seems to have come true, but what is unknown is that the heavenly way is cyclical, and the physiognomy of their own emperor's downfall is even more severe, and in one breath, two monarchs who will bring about the downfall of their countries will emerge.
Before the destruction of the alliance, many wise men in the Song Dynasty believed that Liao was invincible and Jin was unallied. Now it has become a reality. With the untimely death of Jin Taizu Aguda, who was lenient to the Song, the ambition of the Jurchen people expanded due to the weakness of the Song people, especially with the repeated changes of Guo Yao-shi as the guide.
At that time, Guo Ziyi was stationed in Yanshan Prefecture, and he was in charge of military affairs on the road. He relied on his achievements, flew high, and expanded his army, claiming to have 300,000 soldiers. The soldiers under him still wore "left buttons" and wore Liao attire, and people at that time called him An Lushan reborn. The court also had suspicions, and sent Tong Guan to secretly investigate the border. Guo Ziyi personally went out of Yanjing to welcome him, treated him with great courtesy, calling him father, and presented a grand military review to show off his strength, deceiving Tong Guan into trusting him, and thus the court put its mind at ease about Guo Ziyi.
However, the people's eyes are often correct. Guo Yao Shi had long been secretly colluding with the Jin people and was in a favorable position. Wu Qi Mai, the younger brother of Emperor Taizong of Jin who succeeded to the throne two years ago, reversed his brother's policy towards Song and became tough. Under the constant instigation of Xian Han and Er Tai Zi, he eliminated Tianzuo Emperor, this potential trouble, and in October of the third year of Tianhui of Jin Dynasty, which was also the seventh year of Xuanhe of Song Dynasty, issued an edict to use troops against Song.
The Golden Army originating from the north has always been precious in quality, not quantity. They excel at using cavalry to launch swift surprise attacks, defeating their enemies with a single blow. Moreover, they often rest during the scorching summer and launch attacks in autumn and winter when their bows are strong and their horses are fat, making their military strength the strongest. This time, attacking the Song Dynasty is no exception. The 120,000 elite iron cavalrymen were divided into two routes, east and west. The western route was led by Li Heng, while the eastern route was led by Wanyan Zonghan, advancing southward in a big way, directly attacking the Central Plains.
At that time, the Song army had 110,000 troops stationed in Yanshan Prefecture and 140,000 troops in Hebei Road on the eastern front, totaling 250,000. On the western front, Hedong Road also had more than 200,000 soldiers and horses. Putting aside combat effectiveness, just looking at the total number of troops, they still had the upper hand. However, they were scattered across a vast territory. The Jin army, on the other hand, concentrated its forces to gain local advantages, using a flowing-star tactic to fight continuously, breaking through one by one.
Wanyan Zongwang's eastern route army marched into the pass, approaching Yanshan Prefecture. Guo Zhongshi, this remnant of Liao, finally became a thorn in Song's side, defecting at the critical moment and opening up the northern gate of the Great Song. At the same time, Wanyan Zongbi's western route army marched out from Yunzhong, sweeping everything before them like bamboo, and directly arrived under the city walls of Taiyuan Prefecture, a strategic location in Hedong.
Thus, the capital of the Great Song Dynasty, Kaifeng Prefecture, has become a target for the two routes of the Jin army's pincer movement. It is indeed "the drums of Youyang shake the earth and come, startling the feathered clothes and the song of the rainbow". The drunk and dancing officials of the Great Song Dynasty are suddenly awakened from their dream, anxiously looking forward to the arrival of the great armies defending the borders and guarding the capital.
In mid-December, on a bitterly cold morning, the six hundred thousand iron cavalry of the Jin Dongluo army, like dark clouds pressing down on the earth, swept across the original Song-Liao border at Baigou, bringing with them a violent snowstorm and a calamity that had not been seen in centuries, formally descending upon the Central Plains.
Unlike the Western Route Army, which was blocked under the city of Taiyuan, the Eastern Route Army adopted a more flexible strategy, attacking cities when possible and bypassing them when not, with the goal of reaching Kaifeng Prefecture in the shortest time possible. It is just like cutting off the snake's head first or beheading the person first!
These 60,000 iron cavalrymen moved swiftly and suddenly, using only a little over ten days to rush more than 700 li, successively capturing the cities of Zhending, Qingyuan, Xinde, etc., their military might gradually approaching the last natural barrier protecting the Song capital - the Yellow River.
Originally, the military's greatest taboo was to send troops deep into enemy territory, but the Jin army marched freely across the land of Hebei, invincible wherever they went. This was due to the fatal flaws in the Song Dynasty's policy of "emphasizing literature and suppressing martial arts" which had been implemented for over a hundred years: Firstly, the military strategy of "civil officials commanding troops" and "generals obeying orders from the center" completely stifled the generals' bravery and potential, turning them into mindless followers who dared not take initiative; Secondly, the order to "wait for battle in defensive positions" and "not launch attacks" turned the various Song armies into a loose sand, unable to coordinate with each other or concentrate their forces to counterattack the enemy.
Thus, from Hebei to Hedong, the thousand-mile front line was filled with beacons and urgent reports everywhere. The Song army and civilians in various cities and towns were awakened from their dreams, but they did not know how many soldiers the Jin army had, nor did they know how to resist, so they could only seek self-preservation and fight separately.
The Pingding Army where Xiao Wu was located was no exception. It was originally a fortress between Taiyuan Prefecture and Zhending Prefecture, but Taiyuan Prefecture was besieged and Zhending Prefecture fell. The military city was in chaos. Knowing that the situation was not good, Wen Chen handed over the command to Lu Fendu, who was in charge of military affairs, and escaped first.
Ji Tuanlian, a military officer by origin, had all the generals who led troops gather in one place to discuss what to do next. The five commanders all spoke with one voice, saying that their army was small and the city was tiny, if the Jin army came to attack, they would certainly not be able to hold out, it's better to abandon the city and retreat south.
Ji Tuanlian was a good fellow, and he immediately rebuked the other generals: "We military men have been supported by the country for a long time. Now that the war has started, we should sacrifice our lives to repay the country's kindness. Why talk about retreating? You listen to orders, firmly defend the military city, and wait for an opportunity to rescue Taiyuan!"
When the country is in trouble, when a common man stands up, in the midst of the Song army's defeat and chaos, true heroes naturally emerge. Whether it be Taiyuan or Zhongshan, they are all cities that face the enemy head-on, but with the military and civilians united, they defend to the death and do not surrender, standing like a solitary island, becoming a great banner inspiring the Song people to resist the Jin.
The Pingding army was relatively lucky, just happened to be in the gap between the two Jin armies, and did not receive any harassment. However, all kinds of rumors from the front and rear were endless, making it difficult to distinguish between true and false, causing the military's morale to fluctuate. At this time, Xiao Wu also received the last package sent by Han Jiu'er.
That night, a heavy snowstorm raged on. Xiao Wu wore his armor and grasped his iron spear, leading his small team to patrol for one more night. They were both cold and hungry, just waiting to return home to drink some hot soup. Suddenly, a postal soldier stopped him, saying he had a letter for him.
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up when he saw the familiar address, and his fatigue instantly disappeared. He rushed to the library. He reacted this way because it was rumored that the Jin army had already reached Cizhou, only a step away from Xiangzhou. Although Xiao Wu had responsibilities on his shoulders, he couldn't help but worry about whether his family members back home had been affected by the war.
Shaking off the snow on his body, Xiao Wu hastily opened the package. Inside was a brand new manuscript with a letter pressed between its pages, marked "Yue Fei's personal seal", but it was actually Han Jiu'er's first private letter to him.
With Yiren's cleverness, she naturally guessed Xiao Wu's concerns and first told her about the situation in her hometown in great detail, and then described the court affairs and the Song-Jin war situation in detail.
Xiao Wu only then knew that the situation in Xiangzhou was not good, with defeated soldiers and scattered troops constantly pouring in from the front. The Jin army's target was straight at the capital, and Anyang and Tangyin were inevitably on the way. A battle was unavoidable. Wang Jing, the current governor of Xiangzhou, was recruiting a large number of "dare-to-die" soldiers in Anyang and Tangyin to defend his hometown. As for the imperial court, it had already lost control, although it called on all the regional military governors to lead their troops to rescue the emperor and defend the borders. However, under the Jin army's pincer attack from east and west, there were hardly any usable soldiers or generals left. The current emperor even had thoughts of fleeing south.
Han Jiuer further analyzed that the Song Dynasty would definitely lose this battle, and may even retreat to the Yangtze River in the end. The only countermeasure that could turn the tide of the war was not to make peace with Jin no matter what, but to use land for time, trapping the Jin army on the vast land of China, wearing them down and growing stronger, training a brand new Song army through long-term battles, waiting for the opportunity to mature, and then launching a northern expedition, not only recovering lost lands, but also destroying the Jin Dynasty, what's difficult about that?
Xiao Wu couldn't help but think of Han Jiu'er's previous prophecy about the chaotic world, and he was deeply impressed. From then on, he had a rough outline of the overall situation in his mind, and his originally restless heart also calmed down. A young woman still had such foresight and wisdom, and as a man, he should not think only of his family, but prioritize the country.
Han Jiu'er finally mentioned the following manuscript, which is a compilation of the two men's military strategy debates, combined with previous manuscripts, compiled into a "Hundred Wars Strange Method", anonymously published and printed, may be able to help rebuild the Song army, hoping that it's not too late to mend the fence after the sheep has escaped.
Xiao Wu reopened the book "Bai Zhan Qi Fa" which could be said to be a condensation of their joint efforts, the fragrance of ink still lingered, her lovely shadow seemed to emerge from the pages, for a moment he lost himself and forgot his surroundings, immersed in the memories of their past together.
This book "Hundred Battles Extraordinary Tactics" not only pioneered the use of simple and easy-to-understand language to teach soldiers tactics, but also for the first time categorized the military tactics of past dynasties, and put forward its own unique insights. As soon as it was published, it was widely welcomed and repeatedly reprinted, and was highly revered by later generations of military strategists - "the ultimate use of troops is like having no extra strategy"! However, no one could have imagined that this anonymous work was actually written by a young woman with the assistance of a famous general. A story that should have been passed down for centuries was buried in history due to the author's special personal reasons, which is truly regrettable!
Xiao Wu trudged through the snow back to the barracks, already past noon. The sky was a dull grey, and the ground was like silver. A group of mischievous children were frolicking in the snow, with Xiao Yue standing solemnly as their leader, dividing them into two teams for a game of mock battle.
The smiling faces and cheerful voices of the children suddenly moved Xiao Wu, this is what our generation of martial artists should guard against, not allowing the treacherous and chaotic world to disturb the carefree hearts of children!
Just then, Xiao Wu was about to enter the house when he heard a woman's gossip coming from inside. One of them had an exceptionally loud voice: "I wonder why the Tartars invaded our great Song Dynasty? It is said that the Tartar emperor resembles our dynasty's Taizu Emperor. When Taizu Emperor died under unclear circumstances, with the 'axe sound and candle shadow' incident, it was only then that the descendants of Taizong Emperor could sit on the throne. Therefore, Taizu Emperor has possessed the body of the Tartar emperor to seek revenge..."
Xiao Wu recognized the voice as Wang Gui's wife. The Song people were superstitious about physiognomy, and some things that couldn't be spoken of casually were often spread through divination. In the relatively closed military camp, rumors could spread quickly. Xiao Wu didn't believe in these far-fetched sayings, but he couldn't help thinking of Li Xiangshi's physiognomic analysis of Wang Gui's wife. His heart skipped a beat as he thought that in such chaotic times, how many couples could escape the fate of being like birds in the same forest flying separately?
Pushing open the door, Xiao Wu bowed slightly to the woman sitting in the main room roasting by the fire: "Greetings, aunts. Are you all well?"
"Uncle, good fortune!" Several women hurriedly bowed in return, including the wives of Wang Guihun, Xu Qinghun, and Zhang Xiang's newlywed bride. Seeing Xiao Wu covered in snow dust, they politely bid farewell to Liu Li.
"Hey, old man, you must be starving! I'll get you some hot food!" Liu Bi saw off her sisters-in-law and turned to attend to her husband. As the children grew up, the couple's terms of endearment became more subdued, but one thing remained unchanged - her gentle and considerate nature.
"Hey, you're pregnant, don't worry, I'll take care of it myself." Xiao Wu took off his armor while gazing affectionately at Hun Jia's nearly seven-month belly, and his mood suddenly lifted. Although the second child came at an inopportune time, he brought new life and joy to this small family, and he was certain that he and Hun Jia would grow old together, defying the unpredictable fate!
As the New Year's Eve is approaching, in the past, the Pingding Military Camp has been filled with the joyful atmosphere of the new year. However, this year it is a desolate scene. Amidst the anxiety and unease of the military and civilians in the city, a shocking piece of news suddenly added to the chaos. It turned out that several days ago, Emperor Daoguang suddenly fell ill and wrote an imperial edict "The Crown Prince ascends to the throne" while he was half-conscious, and then went to become the Taishang Huang (Retired Emperor).
A generation of emperors, in the face of a great enemy, suddenly abdicated, whether ill or feigning illness, is not worth mentioning. Originally, when a new emperor ascended to the throne, it should have been a new dynasty with a new atmosphere, but facing the Jin army's attack, except for changing the year to Jingkang first year, there was no other effective countermeasure.
Jingkang - this era destined to leave an indelible mark on history, hastily took the stage.
The mansion will collapse, who is willing to sit and wait for death? The number of fleeing soldiers from the Pingding Army has been increasing, especially after the rumor that the Jin army was approaching Xiangzhou spread. Even the fellow villagers around Xiao Wu couldn't sit still, they made an appointment to return to their hometown to resist the Jin, Wang Gui, Xu Qing and Zhang Xian couldn't stop the surging crowd, so they looked for Xiao Wu to make a decision.
The four brothers deliberated for half a day and finally made a decision, with Xiao Wu taking the lead to see Ji Tuanlian. Ji Tuanlian was in his large tent worrying about military affairs when he suddenly heard his personal soldier report that several men had come to request an audience. At a time when morale was unstable, he naturally could not refuse but also did not dare to be careless, so he ordered the leader to remove his sword and enter. Xiao Wu entered the large tent calmly and confidently, while Wang Gui, Xu Qing, and Zhang Xian stood guard in the cold wind for a long time...
In the first year of Jingkang, on New Year's Day, despite being in a chaotic world, the sound of firecrackers celebrating the new year was not diminished. The sky was rarely clear, and the sun shone on the remaining snow, making it particularly dazzling, but without any warmth. Even the mist exhaled by people seemed to be frozen. On this New Year's Day, the Pingding Military Camp held a grand military review that had been absent for a long time, and also announced the inspection of troops three days in advance.
On the eighth day of the lunar month, the streets were crowded with people from the city and suburbs, all coming to watch. On the drill ground, flags were like a forest, spears and swords shone brightly in the sun, over two thousand infantry and cavalrymen stood majestically, divided into three armies, front, middle and rear, facing each other east and west. Among the crowds of onlookers, there were many military dependents with their elderly and children, forming a sea of people, truly having a festive atmosphere.
Suddenly the bell rang loudly, and the soldiers in the field immediately quieted down. The surrounding civilians also held their breath and did not move. Only Ji Tuanlian, wearing armor, climbed onto the platform with a large flag, looked up at the sky and swore: "Gather all the loyal and righteous people under heaven, entrust them with the task of killing the enemy! You are all loyal and righteous people who have received the country's grace, the time to repay has arrived! Listen to the commands of the flags and drums, advance and retreat left and right, just like military law. Those who obey orders will be rewarded, those who disobey orders will be punished. Can you not make an effort?
The commander-in-chief finished his oath, and then the head of each army repeated it to their subordinates, to show its solemnity. Suddenly, the soldiers beat the drums and raised their flags, and the two armies on both sides moved in unison, shouting and cheering, with swords and shields facing each other like enemies. In the meantime, the formation changed repeatedly, infantry and cavalry clashed, challenging each other, each showing bravery or cowardice, with victories and defeats, but no one was allowed to hurt anyone with a blade.
The onlookers cheered and applauded, especially when the smallest contingent of Guang Rui's 500 cavalry demonstrated a horse-to-horse battle, the applause was exceptionally loud. Even ordinary civilians knew that the Jin army's cavalry was formidable, and if our great Song dynasty had a cavalry that could match them, we wouldn't be bullied like this.
The opposing armies drilled for a good long while, when the commander-in-chief raised the great banner on the signal tower, ceased drumming and withdrew their troops. The cavalry dismounted, the infantry knelt on one knee, clashed their weapons and shouted: "Great Song is mighty! Heavenly army is invincible!"
After the performance, Xiao Wu was full of energy and excitement, waving his iron spear in the air and shouting loudly with his comrades. The surrounding civilians also responded enthusiastically, creating a thrilling atmosphere among the military and civilians. This was Xiao Wu's strategy for meeting Commander Qi: first to boost morale, second to inspire the people, and third to establish prestige, achieving three goals at once.
This small military city thus stabilized, its influence gradually growing, and many defeated soldiers also came to join in, due to the abundant military rations stored within the city, Qi's troops were fully incorporated into the army, preparing for long-term plans.
Just a few days after the Pingding Army's grand review, the Eastern Route Army of the Great Jin sent out a group of fierce Mongolian cavalry as vanguards to seize the Yellow River crossing and capture Xiangzhou.
These three thousand female cavalrymen were the most elite of the elite, taking cities as if they were picking objects from a bag. In just half a day, they successively captured Anyang and Tongyin, and the several thousand "dare-to-die soldiers" recruited by Wang Jing, the governor of Xiangzhou, were taken prisoner before they could even put up a fight.
Following the Jurchen army's convention, after occupying a city they would plunder it thoroughly, calling it "rewarding the troops". This was also why the Jurchen army dared to penetrate deep into enemy territory without considering supplies and reinforcements, as the fertile Song territories were abundant with grain and fodder.
After entering the Song territory for a few days, the Jin army had already gained experience in plundering and only targeted large households. A hundred-man team, through Han Chinese attendants following the army, learned that the richest place in this city was a manor called Youjin Hall, located behind the prefectural government office, and they rushed in shouting.
At this time, the vast daytime hall was almost empty, with valuable items either taken away by their owners or hidden on the spot. Only some large items that were difficult to move, such as screens, ancient vases, and wooden objects, were left behind, along with two old servants who stayed to keep watch.
The Jurchen soldiers only recognized gold, silver and food in their eyes. Ironically, these two things could not be found in the Dayu Hall. The hundred men were furious and shouted loudly, ordering their subordinates to smash this so-called richest place.
The soldiers responded with a loud shout, and as they rushed forward, the sound of clashing steel filled the air. Just then, the sound of horse hooves echoed from within the courtyard, and another group of cavalry burst in. The leader of this new group was not wearing a helmet, and two long braids tied with golden threads hung down his back. His sharp eyebrows and piercing eyes seemed to gleam with intelligence, and his hooked nose and cruel mouth gave him a fierce appearance. Yet despite his youthful looks, he exuded an aura of dominance that seemed to command the heavens themselves.
The hundred-strong group of people who arrived first immediately saw this person and all knelt down in unison, addressing him in the Jurchen language: "Greetings to the Fourth Prince!"
Wanyan Zongbi, the fourth son of the Great Jin Emperor, also known as the vanguard's fierce and powerful commander, gazed out at the desolate scene before him, his brow furrowed in anger. He bellowed loudly: "Pass on my orders! Each unit is forbidden to disturb even a single blade of grass or tree in Xiangzhou. Anyone who disobeys will be punished severely!"
This is the most severe punishment of the Jurchen people - using a large wooden club to smash one's head, not used for minor crimes. The Jurchen soldiers were all shocked and intimidated, wondering why the Fourth Prince was so concerned about this place.
The plundering of the Jin army came to an abrupt halt with this military order, and as a result, the people of Xiangzhou avoided the same fate as other occupied territories. They couldn't help but feel grateful and inquired about who had given the order. A Han official informed them that it was none other than Wuzhu, the fourth prince of Jin. This was also the first time that Wuzhu's name was mentioned among the Song people, and it was a righteous act. However, no one could have guessed the reason behind his special treatment of Xiangzhou...
