Chapter 50: The Battle of Pingzhou (Part 2)

  Summer days are scorching hot, the great land of China is full of beautiful scenery, but for the Eastern Army of the Great Song Dynasty, it's a bit unbearable now, and there's no interest in appreciating the summer scenery.

  Due to the rebellion of the Yisheng Army, the Song army's western front was in an extremely unfavorable situation from the start. The four states of Wu, Shuo, Dai and Xin north of Taiyuan were lost within ten days, and for a time, the Hedong Song army suffered heavy casualties, and the Jin army took advantage of the momentum to advance on the Stone Ridge, and Taiyuan was in danger.

  The military governor of Hedong, Tong Guan, did not expect things to develop to this point. Besides worrying, he was at a loss for what to do next. At this time, he had no heart to command the battle.

  The Governor's Residence of Hedong and Pingzhou in Taiyuan Prefecture

  In the mansion, Tong Guan and other officials were present, and in the great hall, people hung their heads without speaking, some sighed, others closed their eyes to meditate, the atmosphere was quite oppressive.

  Tong Guan's eyes were already vacant, and he spoke in a low voice: "The four states have been lost, this is a time of crisis for survival, you should think of a way."

  Governor Zhang Xiaochun stepped forward and said, "This is a critical moment of crisis and survival. We are responsible for defending the country's territory. I hope that Lord Tong will stay in Taiyuan to command the Song army in Hedong and resist the Jin army, blocking their advance. Even if we have to sacrifice our lives, we will not regret it." As he spoke, he knelt down to beg Lord Tong, and the other civil and military officials who advocated for resistance against the Jin also followed Zhang Xiaochun in begging Lord Tong: "We hope that you, sir, will lead the armies of Hedong and resist the Jin army with all your might."

  "This matter is of great importance, and I must return to the imperial court to report to the Emperor. In no time, I will lead a large army to come and rescue Taiyuan." Tong Guan was somewhat displeased, didn't he know that defending Taiyuan was suicidal? The Jin army was too strong, it's better to escape early.

  Taiyuan's defender stood up in anger and said: "General Tong, as the River East Pacification Commissioner, has a great responsibility. How can he flee in battle? General, you are so cowardly, how can Taiyuan's soldiers think of this, how can Bianzhou's people think of this?"

  Tong Guan retorted, "The miscellaneous family received the order to declare and comfort, not a general who guards the land. You don't know how to advance or retreat, believe it or not, I'll kill you right now." Tong Guan was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, furious and roaring with anger.

  Wang Teng coldly smiled and said: "Lord Tong, you're so mighty. We men of the Great Song Dynasty are heroes among men in life and valiant spirits in death. Whether to kill or behead is entirely up to your convenience."

  Tong Guan's eyes flashed with a fierce killing intent, and he said in a low voice: "Bring the man here, take this Wang Zhen out and behead him." Several imperial guards rushed in to take away Wang Zhen.

  Zhang Xiaochun hastily stepped forward and said: "General Tong, please calm your anger. General Wang's words were straightforward and quick, offending you. I hope General Tong will consider General Wang's many years of guarding the border and allow him to redeem himself by taking responsibility for his crime. Moreover, killing a general before battle is not a good omen." Many civil and military officials who had a good relationship with Wang Zong stepped forward to plead on his behalf.

  Tong Guan thought to himself, 'Anyway, defending Taiyuan to the death is also a dead end. I've already killed Wang Zhen and given people something to talk about. Forget it.' Tong Guan said calmly: "Death sentence can be avoided, but living punishment is hard to escape. Drag him down, give him thirty lashes on the back."

  "General Tong, this..." Zhang Chunxiao wanted to persuade him further, but was stopped by Tong Guan's icy stare.

  Zhang Xiaochun sighed and said no more.

  The soldiers guarding the execution ground saw Wang Dun being tied to the execution platform, surrounded by a group of soldiers who did not know what crime Wang had committed. It wasn't until they were chased away by the leading officer that the soldiers returned to their posts. Wang Dun stood fearlessly on the platform, bare-chested, with seven or eight knife wounds all over his body, which was very eye-catching and showed his many battles. His hands were tied to both sides, and he stared coldly at Tong Guan in the distance. Tong Guan smiled calmly, suddenly got up, threw down the people discussing the matter, and came to the side of the platform.

  Wang Zong loved his soldiers like sons, and was deeply respected by the generals of Taiyuan. The soldiers who were carrying out the punishment had intended to go easy on him, but with Tong Guan watching them, they didn't dare show any mercy. Each blow was extremely forceful, and after a few strikes, Wang Zong's back was already covered in blood. Wang Zong gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, and gazed steadfastly into the distance with unwavering determination.

  Zhang Xiaochun was shocked at heart, Tong Guan wanted to leave Wang Yun with internal injuries. The punishment of being beaten with a stick was extremely harmful and many people died from it. Even if they managed to escape, after the punishment, the person would be equivalent to being disabled, and their life would be difficult to take care of themselves. Being caned on the back was a very severe punishment at that time.

  Zhang Xiaochun hastily stepped forward and said: "The weather outside is extremely hot, it's easy to get heatstroke, please return to the mansion to rest, sir."

  Tong Guan glanced at Wang Zhen with a sarcastic look, laughed and followed Zhang Xiaochun away. Before leaving, Zhang Xiaochun gave a stopping eye signal to the two executioners on both sides, and the two soldiers nodded slightly, raised their arms heavily and lowered them lightly, sometimes not even touching Wang Zhen's body. After the punishment, Wang Zhen was supported by people and sent back to the military camp.

  Tong Guan didn't have the mood to continue the discussion, and with a wave of his hand, he dismissed everyone. Just as they were about to leave, Tong Guan said: "Lord Zhang, please stay behind, I have a few words to say to you."

  Zhang Xiaochun, although he detested Tong Guan in his heart, had to obey the orders of his superior. He walked to Tong Guan's side and waited there. Tong Guan thought that Zhang Xiaochun was a capable person who could handle matters well and decided to bring him back to Bianjing, saying: "Lord Zhang is truly a talented individual of our time, it would be a waste for you to serve as an official in Taiyuan. I hope you will follow me to Bianjing."

  Zhang Xiaochun was furious in his heart, this Tong Guan is greedy for life and afraid of death, abandoning the great righteousness without regard, and still wants to take himself along, it's really shameless. If Tong Guan wasn't in a high position, Zhang Xiaochun would have drawn his sword long ago.

  Looking at Zhang Xiaochun's changing expression, Tong Guan thought that Zhang Xiaochun was reluctant to give up his current title as a high-ranking official in the capital, and smiled saying: "Following me to Bianjing, high positions and rich rewards are within easy reach, Your Excellency doesn't need to worry."

  Zhang Xiaochun could no longer bear it and scolded: "As a high-ranking official of the state, you cannot abandon your post in times of crisis. If you flee and abandon the city, with what face will you meet the people of the world?"

  Tong Guan was furious in his heart. This Zhang Xiaochun was really unaware of the good and evil, and he said harshly: "Then you will die in Taiyuan." After finishing speaking, he stood up and left with a swish of his sleeve.

  Zhang Xiaochan sighed in his heart, and the provincial crisis was approaching, disaster is near.

  Tong Guan fled that night, disregarding the strong opposition from the people of Taiyuan. He brought his personal guards and escaped to Bianjing under the cover of night, leaving the various armies in Hedong without a unified command. They faced the Jin army's attack, each on their own, and had become a scattered sand.

  After Tong Guan left with his trusted followers, Zhang Xiaochun ordered the city gates to be opened wide and allowed the civilians to leave. The Jin army was fierce and brave, but there were still 40,000 troops in Taiyuan City. He believed that as long as reinforcements from the imperial court arrived, they could definitely hold onto Taiyuan City. Although the city gates were open, not many civilians left, as the people of Taiyuan were willing to live or die with the city.

  Before the arrival of the Jin army, under the leadership of Zhang Xiaochun and Wang Kun, a strong city was built inside the earthen city in Bianzhou, and trenches were dug outside the earthen city. Soon, Wanyan Zonghan led the Jin army to arrive at the foot of Taiyuan City. Wanyan Zonghan did not hesitate and immediately ordered a rotational attack on the city. At that time, all the siege engines such as cloud ladders, flying bridges, and stone-throwing vehicles were used by the Jin army.

  The slightly larger stones on the banks of the Fen River were all used up by the Jin army, but they were all repelled by the military and civilians of Taiyuan City. Zonghan had no choice but to surround Bianzhou City with a tight siege, building fortifications outside the city, using deer horns to connect camps, surrounding Bianzhou City like an iron bucket, cutting off all external communication channels for Bianzhou City.

  The setting sun was like blood, Wang Zong casually bandaged the knife wound on his arm and looked at the Forbidden Army changing shifts on the city wall. He felt a sense of emotion in his heart. The Jin army's combat power was very strong, and their losses were relatively light. Surprisingly, the Song army defending the city had even greater losses than the Jin army.

  The Jin army's archery skills were exceptionally high, and their individual combat capabilities were extremely strong. The city walls were nearly breached several times, but Wang Xian led the charge with a few dozen men to repel the Jin army. Fortunately, the city walls of Taiyuan were thick and steeply angled, making them difficult to attack. With the large-scale preparations made earlier, they could barely cope with the Jin people. In his heart, Wang Xian eagerly awaited the arrival of the imperial army.

  Kaifeng Imperial City

  Emperor Huizong of Song was discussing matters with his ministers when a guard suddenly came in to report: "The Governor of Hedong, Tong Guan, requests an audience." Emperor Huizong immediately said: "Quickly, have him enter."

  Tong Guan rushed into the grand hall, stumbling and staggering, and knelt down on the ground, wailing: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Wu, Shuo, Dai, and Xin, all five states have fallen into enemy hands!"

  Emperor Song Huizong almost fainted upon hearing the news, and stood up, shouting in disbelief: "Impossible! Five states, one million soldiers, how can they all be defeated in just a few months? You useless thing, take him away and execute him!"

  Tong Guan fell to the ground with his head down and shouted: "Unjust, unjust, Your Majesty."

  Cai Jing stepped forward to stop the incoming imperial guards and said to Emperor Huizong of Song: "Your Majesty, please calm down. I think there must be a hidden reason for the loss of the five states. Please let General Tong explain in detail."

  Song Huizong hummed and sat down on the dragon chair, saying impatiently: "Then tell me about your grievances."

  "Tong Guan said in a deep voice: 'I, as the imperial envoy, have been diligent and conscientious every day since I took on the role of the River East Pacification Commissioner. Every night, I would carefully review the sacred edict given to me by Your Majesty. When the Jin army invaded, I led the troops to launch a preemptive attack, but unexpectedly, the governor of Taiyuan, Zhang Xiaochun, and the defender Wang Yun had secretly colluded with the enemy, causing our great army to be unable to retreat and ultimately defeated on the battlefield. It was only because the generals and soldiers sacrificed themselves to protect me that I managed to break through the encirclement and escape. After fleeing the battlefield, I immediately rushed back to report to Your Majesty, even if it meant sacrificing my own life.'"

  Li Gang suddenly became angry and stepped forward, coldly smiling: "Your Majesty, since General Tong has just come from the battlefield, why is he wearing such fine clothes without even a speck of dust on him? Is General Tong really just back from the battlefield?"

  Tong Guan's heart was filled with anger and urgency, hating Li Gang to the core. He stood up, his voice trembling with tears, saying: "I also want to die to repay the emperor's kindness, but I think I should tell the emperor that the Jin army will arrive in Bianjing soon, and I will have no regrets even if I die." Tong Guan suddenly rushed towards the stone pillar in the great hall, two attendants hastily came forward to hold him back. Emperor Huizong of Song was shocked and immediately got up from his dragon throne, walking down to support Tong Guan and speaking softly: "Dear minister, why must you do this? I know that the defeat of the Hedong army is not your fault."

  Tong Guan knelt on the ground, already crying uncontrollably. "I have failed to live up to Your Majesty's trust, but at this moment, the Jin army is on its way here. I hope that Your Majesty will make a decision as soon as possible."

  Emperor Huizong of Song suddenly felt stifled in his heart, these wolves that couldn't be fed enough were really a headache, now the great army was pressing on the border, Emperor Huizong's heart was very annoyed, suddenly Emperor Huizong had an idea.