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"The Jin army is at the city gates! The situation in Tokyo is extremely urgent! Your Highness, Prince Qi! Please rush to Tokyo to rescue us!!!"
Liu Hong breathed a sigh of relief. After years of lying low and conserving his strength, he had finally obtained the title of King of Qi! However, he did not show any joy. Instead, he asked a question.
"Then may I ask Your Majesty, what areas does the territory of my Qi state include?"
Grand Commandant Su remained silent, but took out the jade seal engraved with the dragon of the King of Qi, and then took out the jade seals and documents of the King of Qi's subordinate officials one by one to show his sincerity.
"His Majesty has shown great sincerity, but dividing the territory requires mobilizing local officials, which is very complicated. At present, Tokyo is besieged and the royal command has been cut off. I only managed to break out of the siege by risking my life! Local work is impossible to carry out. I urge Prince Qi to go and rescue His Majesty first. After the Jin army is defeated, His Majesty will naturally cede all the land east of Mount Tai to Prince Qi!"
Liu Hong was quite satisfied with the result. In front of everyone, he raised the Qi King's Jade Seal high, and everyone cast incredibly fervent gazes at him. At this moment, Liu Hong's prestige in the hearts of his brothers reached a new peak!
For a third of the brothers who originally wanted to be granted amnesty, Brother Qi has earned a position we never dared to dream of! King Qi!!! We originally thought that we could only get a military supervisor or military commander, and that would be the highest we could go. We thought we would continue to be coerced and controlled by those above us.
But now, my brother has directly appointed a King of Qi! My brother is our boss! We are an independent king outside of the Song Dynasty. After returning to the imperial system, we can still live a good life like Liangshan. There is such a wonderful thing in the world.
For the third of the brothers who didn't want to accept the imperial pardon, it didn't matter. We'll still follow our brother! He dragged his feet on the pardon for three years, making sure we didn't suffer any losses. Now that he's secured the position of Prince of Qi, we brothers will be able to live a life of luxury!
As for the last third of brothers who didn't care about being granted amnesty, they were even less concerned. "I'll listen to my brother. Just tell me directly, go there and kill a few!"
Before setting off on the expedition, Liu Hong lavishly rewarded his brothers and sisters, bestowing official titles and promises of favors upon their wives and children. The Song Dynasty's official system was too cumbersome and complicated, so he simply abandoned it and adopted the more ancient but more convenient military system.
Feng Yuqilin Lu Junyi was appointed as the Army War Marshal.
Song Jiang, the Righteous Protector, and Yelü Dashi were appointed as deputy commanders.
Chao Gai, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, was appointed as the commander of the naval forces. Li Jun, the River-River Dragon, was appointed as the deputy commander.
He appointed Guan Sheng, the Great Saber General, Hu Yanzhuo, the Double Whip General, Lin Chong, the Leopard Head General, Qin Ming, the Thunderbolt General, and Dong Ping, the Double Spear General, as the Central General, thus forming the Five Tiger Generals.
The remaining Heavenly Spirits were each appointed as generals, and the Earthly Fiends as commanders and supervisors. Everyone expressed their gratitude, and then the army set off to rescue Tokyo!
Chapter 410: Battle of Kaifeng - Blue and White Dragon Dance
Liu Hong briefly assessed the seriousness of the situation and found that it wasn't serious at all—no, how could the Jin army open the seal?
The existing city walls of Kaifeng (present-day Kaifeng) were built under the supervision of Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin. At that time, the Song Dynasty had not yet unified the country, and Kaifeng was situated on a flat plain with no natural defenses. Moreover, it was located on a vast plain that served as a transportation hub in the Central Plains, making it extremely easy for anyone to attack. Therefore, Zhao Kuangyin spared no expense in strengthening the city's defenses, making it difficult to breach even with artillery, which only gradually developed a century later.
With 140,000 men, including Wanyan Zongwang and Wanyan Yaoshi, they traversed the entire Hebei province and crossed the Yellow River in just a few days, arriving at the gates of Kaifeng. It was impossible for them to be carrying massive siege weapons and to break through in an instant.
The entire Hebei province hadn't actually fallen; it was just that there weren't enough soldiers or men to stop the Jin army. The Jin army crossed over, not the entire Hebei province fell. It's like Wanyan Zongwang besieged Kaifeng—which is the Song dynasty—a thousand miles from his homeland in enemy territory, which is why he suffered such a humiliating defeat. It's utterly incomprehensible.
Most importantly, the Jurchens did not plunder the nearby people or indiscriminately kill innocent people. They truly regarded the Song territory as their future territory and the people of the Song as their future people.
That makes things easier. Where will your 140,000 men get their grain? It must be transported from Youzhou, across Hebei, across the Yellow River, and onwards. Let's go, brothers, let's raid their grain supply route.
With a wave of his hand, Liu Hong led his two thousand Imperial Guard cavalry across the Yellow River to intercept the Jin's grain supply route in Hebei. Chao Gai also led the Liangshan fleet to the nearest Yellow River crossing to Lifeng, without engaging in a direct confrontation with Yan Zongwang's 140,000-strong army.
Meanwhile, the Battle of Kaifeng had reached its most intense stage. Wanyan Zongwang was indeed unable to break through Kaifeng's extremely thick defenses in a short period of time, and he also encountered a second problem: he could not regain air superiority.
At this moment, all the Shatuo Blue Dragons slumbering within Kaifeng City were awakened. Countless Shatuo Blue Dragons flew wildly across the Kaifeng sky, and bolts of lightning descended from the heavens like the wrath of gods! The Jin people were utterly powerless against the lightning. Even with Wanyan Yaoshi's Bohai Silver Dragon and the Wanyan family's Northern White Dragons combined, they were outnumbered and unable to fly into Kaifeng. Wanyan Yaoshi personally joined the battle, but he ran headlong into Li Cunshen, one of the Nine Protectors. The two fought for fifty rounds, after which Wanyan Yaoshi was defeated by the sheer number of dragons.
Left with no other option, Wanyan Zongwang had to ask his father for help. Wanyan Aguda was currently busy relocating the political, military, and economic center of the entire Jin Dynasty from Liaodong to Youzhou and had no time to deal with it. After thinking for a moment, he dispatched his general, Wanyan Loushi, to participate in the battle.
A few days later, the Jin army attacked the city again, setting up artillery positions. The gloomy sky hung low, with leaden clouds seemingly suspended above the ruined battlements of Kaifeng. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder, blood, and a deeper, more inhuman, salty stench. A storm was brewing, but it lingered, the oppressive atmosphere suffocating.
"Boom!!!"
A bolt of molten silver lightning suddenly tore through the dark sky. It wasn't real lightning, but the true form of Li Cunshen, one of the Nine Protectors! A colossal, terrifyingly large cobalt-blue dragon! Its scales were the color of the deep ocean, yet their edges shimmered with the pale marks and scorched hues of countless battles. Its powerful claws, each slash through the air accompanied by a piercing shriek like tearing fabric. Its majestic, mountain-like body, concealed within the dark clouds, once again charged towards the Jin army's lines.
In an instant, countless bolts of lightning rained down from the sky, densely engulfing and covering the entire Jin army's artillery position. The intense heat of the lightning instantly detonated all the gunpowder stored in the stockpile! The continuous explosions caused the entire suburbs of Tokyo to tremble.
A perfect surprise attack.
After Li Cunshen destroyed the Jin army's artillery position with a single blow, he immediately tried to return to Kaifeng. But at that moment, the seemingly thick and harmless clouds above his head suddenly exploded! A deathly pale figure swooped down at incredible speed, carrying with it a chilling aura and a deathly shriek. Its size was even larger than Li Cunshen, who had lived for hundreds of years!
Wanyan Loushi!
Li Cunshen was startled and immediately realized that this was a trap! The Jin people were using the artillery positions as bait to lure him here. Their real intention was not to bombard the city walls, but to ambush and kill him!
"So you're one of the Nine Protectors? Let's see who's stronger!!!"
Wanyan Loushi roared, and the terrifying form of the three-headed white dragon was fully revealed in the dark clouds, its size even more ferocious and elongated than the blue dragon! The three enormous dragon heads were arranged in a triangular shape, their six blue dragon eyes devoid of emotion, like the most ruthless predator. The central main dragon's head was rugged and imposing, while the two secondary dragon heads on either side had slightly smaller horns, yet they too had protruding fangs, dripping with chilling saliva that could freeze one's soul. Its appearance caused the surrounding air to freeze instantly, and ice crystals fell in a flurry.
Li Cunshen's blue dragon eyes suddenly contracted, and his massive dragon tail lashed upwards in an attempt to block. But it was too late.
boom!
Two colossal bodies, one blue and one white, collided violently. The deafening roar caused blood to flow from the ears and noses of the soldiers on the battlefield below. The sound of the impact even drowned out all the shouts of battle. Scales shattered, and blood poured down like a torrential rain. The blood was a scalding blue, intertwined with the cold white.
"Roar—!" Li Cunshen roared in fury and pain. He twisted his body and ripped his claws at the white dragon's belly, sending up a series of dazzling sparks and shattered white scales.
Wanyan Loushi's three dragon heads roared simultaneously. Utilizing the all-around vision provided by his three heads, he easily dodged the blue dragon's subsequent attacks. His two side dragon heads snapped shut, clamping down on one of Li Cunshen's claws and the base of his wing. The immense force of their bite produced a sickeningly loud squeaking sound. The two colossal dragons, each as large as a mountain, charged, bit, and spat repeatedly in the air. Yet, Wanyan Loushi, facing this ancient monster who had lived through three eras, steadily gained the upper hand!
Other blue dragons wanted to come to the rescue, but the silver and white dragons of the Great Gold Dragon also took to the air, fighting desperately to protect their warlord from any interference with his hunt.
Another charge! Wanyan Loushi's two heads suddenly bit Li Cunshen's shoulders. He struggled fiercely, and blue lightning leaped wildly around him, striking the white dragon and burning out black smoke, but he could not make it loosen its grip even a little!
After fifty rounds of combat, a terrifying dragon's breath suddenly condensed from the dragon's mouth in the center of Wanyan Loushi's chamber. It was a pure, deathly white pillar of light, silent yet containing absolute zero, capable of freezing everything and shattering souls. It struck Li Cunshen's blue dragon neck with pinpoint accuracy and without any obstruction! Li Cunshen's massive body stiffened abruptly, all struggle and thunder instantly extinguished. His indestructible blue scales became incredibly fragile under the absolute cold, first covered by a thick layer of ice, then emitting a chilling cracking sound as his frozen neck snapped instantly! The ice, along with flesh, scales, and even dragon bones, completely disintegrated under that destructive breath!
"boom!!!"
The enormous blue dragon head separated from its body, its eyes, which had burned with a thousand-year-old fire, instantly dimmed, frozen in a final shock and a stubborn determination to protect. No hot blood gushed from the severed neck, only pale tissue and ice crystals instantly frozen, crashing heavily to the ground, shaking the entire palace.
The headless dragon body, having lost all its power, was released by Wanyan Loushi and began to fall heavily and slowly to the earth, like a toppled blue mountain. It directly crushed the gate tower of Kaifeng, then stood up again—but it was no longer Li Cunshen, but a puppet controlled by Wanyan Loushi with frost and necromancy.
"Roar!!!"
The three dragon heads of Wanyan Loushi simultaneously raised their heads to the sky and let out a triumphant roar. The sound was cold and cruel, piercing through the clouds, announcing the fall of an ancient guardian and the complete end of an era.
After Wanyan Loushi killed Li Cunshen in one blow, the remaining Blue Dragons scattered and fled in panic into Kaifeng. With Wanyan Loushi's addition, the Jin army gained air superiority in the siege of Kaifeng. However, Wanyan Zongwang was not happy at all—"Hey? Where are my army's rations? Why weren't they transported from the rear?"
Chapter 411: The Qi Army's First Battle at Baimadu
In the Battle of Kaifeng, the Jin army's frontal offensive was indeed incredibly fierce, achieving many victories at one point. However, they couldn't breach the city walls in the short term. The walls could only be slowly broken down, not penetrated.
The fatal thing is that at this moment, the Liangshan army, no, the Qi army, has already attacked from Shandong!
It was deep winter, and the Yellow River was shallow. Its turbid waters, carrying silt, rushed eastward like a roaring yellow dragon. The north wind was biting, making the flags of the Jin army's grain transport convoy flutter and stirring up gusts of cold mist on the river.
The Jin army's river-crossing force was large and cumbersome. Dozens of supply wagons loaded with provisions and weapons were pushed onto makeshift wooden rafts and requisitioned civilian boats. Large numbers of mules and horses neighed anxiously on the swaying decks as soldiers laboriously led them onto the boats.
The Jin soldiers responsible for logistics mostly looked weary. The Song territory was too vast. They had been fighting for three months straight since October of last year before finally conquering Youzhou and Yanzhou, breaking through Hebei, and entering Kaifeng. Their grain supplies had to be transported from Youzhou to Kaifeng. The continuous marching and heavy logistical tasks had left them demoralized. The roar of the Yellow River, a natural barrier, only added to their unease.
Meng'an, in charge of the escort, paced anxiously on horseback along the high ground on the north bank, constantly urging his men to speed up. The vanguard had reached the south bank and was struggling to regroup and transport the grain. The entire crossing was slow and chaotic, the column stretched into a fragile, long line by the wide river.
At that very moment, they suddenly heard a strange sound, deep and suppressed, yet incredibly penetrating, coming from upstream along with the wind and water. It wasn't the natural howling of the wind and waves, but... the continuous sound of war drums!
The Imperial Guards looked up sharply and saw a dense array of fast boats emerging like ghosts at the bend in the downstream river. They were clearly going against the current, yet they were incredibly swift! The apricot-yellow banners with the words "Acting on Behalf of Heaven" and "Qi" on the bows of the boats were now more dazzling than the flames of hell in the eyes of the Jin soldiers.
"Bandits from Liangshan! It's the Liangshan navy!"
"Why are they here?"
"Are you crazy?! We were allied with the Song Dynasty before, and Liangshan was causing us trouble. Now that we're at war with the Song Dynasty, Liangshan is still causing us trouble."
The Jin army hastily prepared for battle, cursing and swearing, but it was too late. The Liangshan vanguard had already drawn their bows and arrows on their small boats. In an instant, countless fire arrows, soaked in potent oil, rained down like a sudden downpour of fire, their deathly shrieks piercing the twilight sky, precisely covering the grain convoy in the middle of the river. The dry grain, the wooden hulls, and the sails were instantly ignited. Flames soared into the sky, thick smoke billowing, turning half the sky an eerie orange-red!
The air was immediately filled with the acrid smell of burning grain, the crackling of burning wood, and the charred remains of human flesh. Several Jin generals tried to rally their morale, prepare their fleet, and fight against Liangshan, but arrows came flying from nowhere, killing them one by one from hundreds of meters away! A Jin soldier, trembling with fear, pulled one of these sniper arrows from a corpse and found only two words written on it.
Hua Rong.
"Your great-aunt Ruan Xiao'er is here! Golden Dog, prepare to die!"
Ruan Xiaoer, Ruan Xiaowu, and Ruan Xiaoqi, along with the mermaids, also set out from underwater, swimming all the way from Liangshan Marsh to the Yellow River. They crossed the burning river surface, sabotaged, and sank the Jin Kingdom's ships.
On the surging waves of the Yellow River, Ruan Xiaoqi, wielding a harpoon, traversed the water with the ease of a snake's tail, stabbing at any Jin soldier who fell in, one harpoon at a time, blood instantly spreading across the murky yellow surface! Ruan Xiaowu's vanguard of merfolk were even more formidable underwater demons, silently infiltrating and frantically destroying the hulls of the ships with chisels and hammers. One after another, Jin ships began to rock violently, take on water, and capsize. The Yellow River was no longer a passageway, but a vast, boiling slaughterhouse.
Once the Jin soldiers fell into the water, they were instantly hacked to pieces by the merfolk under the command of the Ruan brothers, with very little chance to struggle. Screams, cries for help, the sound of choking on water, and the roar of wind, waves, and fire mingled together, creating a symphony of death!
Meanwhile, the Jin army, having already crossed the Yellow River and reached the south bank, also couldn't escape the slaughter at Liangshan. They watched helplessly as their comrades in the river were massacred, and even heard the sound of drums from the east, initially faint and drowned out by the commotion on the river. But soon, the tremors became clear, dense, and heavy, like countless war drums beating! It was a sign of a massive cavalry charge!
"Cavalry! There are cavalry in the east!" the Jin soldiers on the shore cried out in despair.
From the east, a black wave swept in! Little Li Guang, Hua Rong, led a contingent of Liangshan light cavalry as the vanguard, breaking through the enemy lines! This light cavalry was incredibly fast, moving like lightning. They didn't directly charge the still-fragile Jin army formation, but rather, like a nimble pack of wolves, sped along the outer edge of the riverbank, their bows hurling volleys of arrows that accurately struck the densest areas of the Jin soldiers, further creating chaos and panic. Several strategists, before they could even command their troops, were sniped by Hua Rong.
After Hua Rong harassed and controlled the Jin army's logistics, the Liangshan heavy cavalry, led by Thunderbolt Qin Ming, appeared. Both men and horses were clad in black armor, their crescent-shaped formations resembling clouds, their long spears like a forest, their blades reflecting the firelight and the setting sun, radiating a chilling light of death. They formed an incredibly solid wedge formation, like a red-hot iron rod, and with overwhelming force, plunged straight into the flank of the Jin army's shore-based forces!
"Form ranks! Pikemen, advance! Quickly!"
Several mutinous men desperately tried to organize a resistance, but it was too late. Faced with the terrifying charge of the heavy cavalry, the hastily assembled defenses were as thin as paper. The heavy bodies of warhorses, carrying kinetic energy, slammed into the ranks, the sound of bones shattering sending shivers down their spines. Long spears and lances, several meters long, easily pierced shields and leather armor, impaling the Jin soldiers. Under the trampling of their iron hooves, flesh and blood turned to pulp! The remaining Jin troops were completely compressed into a narrow area on the banks of the Yellow River. Behind them was the burning, life-devouring Yellow River; before them stood the impregnable wall of Liangshan cavalry and an endless rain of arrows and blades. They had no way to advance or retreat, and were plunged into utter despair!
In no time, the battle turned into a one-sided massacre and annihilation. The entire Liangshan army pressed forward, with heavy cavalry charging in separate formations and archers harassing and coordinating. The Jin soldiers were divided into countless small groups, each fighting independently, and then swiftly wiped out. Corpses littered the riverbanks, and blood stained the pebbles, forming trickles that gurgled into the Yellow River, making the already turbid water even darker and more viscous.
Meng'an, the Jin soldier in charge of escorting the supplies, desperately tried to break out and tell Wanyan Zongwang that they had been ambushed. But he heard a piercing shriek, saw the sky turn a deathly green, and then saw a hellish meteor as big as a mountain fall from the sky! After that, all that was left was darkness.
The entire Jin army's grain transport team was annihilated by Liangshan, with no survivors.
Chapter 412: The Humiliation and Loss of Kaifeng
Meanwhile, Wanyan Zongwang realized something was wrong and immediately went back to check on the grain transport team. However, the scouts he sent out only saw corpses scattered all over the Baima Ferry – all the bodies had been stripped naked, leaving nothing behind. After the battle, Liangshan not only took away the armor and weapons, but also the furs and cloth, sweeping away everything the Jin people owned like locusts!
At this moment, Wanyan Zongwang was horrified. Although the elite troops of the Jin army were all in Kaifeng, and the Jin army in the grain transport team was not well-equipped or combat-effective, they were still a thousand brave warriors! In addition, there were tens of thousands of civilians and commoners. Had they all been wiped out? And not even a message could be sent back?
Upon closer investigation, the scouts reported that a group of soldiers and warships had arrived from the east, carrying banners proclaiming "Acting on Behalf of Heaven" and "Great Qi." Furthermore, the spies said that the Song Dynasty had recently granted amnesty to Liu Hong and his group, bestowing upon Liu Hong the title of King of Qi, placing him above Cai Jing and Gao Qiu in rank...
So it's Liangshan attacking! They're old rivals.
Wanyan Zongwang only fought against Liangshan once. Although he lost, it was because Liangshan had the advantage of terrain. Ten large ships and more than four hundred cannons bombarded the beach battlefield from the sea, causing great chaos among the Jin people. No one could defeat such a terrifying pressure.
However, ships of that size cannot possibly sail into the Yellow River!
Wanyan Zongwang snorted coldly and ordered the 100,000 Jin troops to continue attacking the city, putting absolute pressure and terror on the Song Dynasty. At the same time, he secretly transferred 40,000 of Wanyan Yaoshi's Ever Victorious Army to Baima Ferry to ensure the normal supply of military provisions.
Meanwhile, the Liangshan army was also gathering.
Of these, one thousand were armored cavalry, one thousand were heavy cavalry, and one thousand were light cavalry. These three thousand cavalrymen were Liu Hong's elite imperial guards, the absolute elite and main force of Liangshan.
Liu Hong then led Guan Sheng's First Legion out to kill. The First Legion, which was used for farming in peacetime and for soldiers in wartime, had a total strength of 30,000 men after it was fully assembled. It was divided into 30 battalions and commanded by 30 Earthly Fiend level demon lords. They had not yet assembled at that time and did not participate in the first wave of battle, but when Wanyan Yaoshi arrived, these soldiers, whose source was Jizhou, had already arrived at the Liangshan headquarters.
Finally, there was Yelü Dashi's Fifth Army Corps, the last 20,000 cavalry of the Liao Dynasty, which came out to fight in Kaifeng, with a total force of 53,000.
On Wanyan Yaoshi's side, there were also over 40,000 men, including 20,000 heavily armored infantry composed of Liaodong beastmen, trolls, half-dragons, and Khitan ogres. They were imposing and terrifying. Following them were 10,000 light cavalry and 10,000 heavy cavalry, the core elite of the Ever Victorious Army. In addition, there were some cavalry reinforcements from the Jin Dynasty, bringing the total number to around 40,000. The two armies were roughly equal in number, facing off against Baihe.
Wanyan Yaoshi was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected the enemy to be so numerous. The Song Dynasty had only granted amnesty to Liangshan and appointed Liu Hong as the Prince of Yan a few days ago, yet Liu Hong had managed to send 50,000 men to attack him?
At this moment, Wanyan Yaoshi was filled with warlord ideas. Faced with the spineless Song Dynasty, he dared to launch a thousand-mile raid in Hebei and Henan in a day and a night to besiege Kaifeng.
However, when faced with a tough opponent like Liangshan, he had no desire to fight and exhaust his soldiers.
He knew that he had first betrayed Liao and surrendered to Song, and then betrayed Song and surrendered to Jin. He had already narrowed his options too much. The Jin might not believe that he was a general who had switched sides all the time. These 40,000 ever-victorious soldiers were all he had! The reason he was able to live so well in the Jin was because of these 40,000 private soldiers! Once he had squandered all his wealth, he would lose all his prestige and status in the Jin.
Therefore, Wanyan Yaoshi chose not to fight. Instead, he led his ever-victorious army to quickly build a large camp at Baima Ferry, installing ten layers of deer antlers and three layers of sentry towers. In a very short time, he created a camp with frighteningly high defensive capabilities, focusing on playing the role of a tortoise and not engaging in battle with Liangshan.
He then gave Wanyan Zongwang a false report on the true situation of Liangshan: the enemy has dispatched hundreds of thousands of troops to aid Kaifeng, and all the men of Shandong are approaching Kaifeng. My 40,000 men cannot defeat them. I can only help you, the commander, hold out for a few days. Please send reinforcements as soon as possible to resist the Song Dynasty's Shandong reinforcements!
"This……"
Wanyan Zongwang was also a little confused at this moment. He did not expect Shandong to be so terrifying. He pulled out hundreds of thousands of people to come to the aid of the capital. I only dared to lead 100,000 people across Hebei and Henan to besiege Kaifeng because I heard you, Wanyan Yaoshi, say that the Song Dynasty had no soldiers. Now you have brought out hundreds of thousands of Song soldiers. What is the meaning of this?
Liu Hong had no intention of letting them return. He was plotting how to annihilate the 140,000 Jin troops south of the Yellow River. Chao Gai and Li Jun's naval forces arrived from Shandong, blocking the Yellow River. Meanwhile, the 50,000 troops that had already arrived had built a huge camp at the Baima Ferry, in a deep ditch and high mound, confronting Wanyan Yaoshi—not to fight? Fine! Then let's wait and see who can outlast whom! The Yellow River is already blocked!
Just as the Jin army's situation was deteriorating rapidly, Wanyan Wuzhu once again exerted his strength, sending his Han Chinese subjects and officials as envoys to Kaifeng to begin negotiations with the emperor—"Forget it, the Song and Jin were originally brothers who cooperated to destroy the Liao. This war broke out because you Song people did not abide by the alliance at sea, which is why I attacked."
In this way, you pay some money, and from now on, the annual tribute you pay to Liao will be paid to Jin. That's how we'll settle this matter. We'll leave now.
At this moment, Emperor Qinzong of Song was terrified by the Jin Dynasty. He had never seen an enemy capable of reaching Kaifeng and besieging the capital, let alone a formidable foe capable of killing the Nine Protectors. He was eager to agree without hesitation, but Li Gang and Zong Ze immediately objected. Although communications were cut off, everyone knew that as long as Liu Hong led the Shandong army to launch an attack and arrive in Kaifeng, everything would be fine. There was no need to sign such a humiliating agreement!
Seeing Emperor Qinzong hesitate, Wanyan Wuzhu's devilish whispers began to echo in the ears of Gao Qiu, Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and Yang Jian—"Do you really want to see your mortal enemy, Liu Hong, achieve such great merit? He is already the Prince of Qi, above you in status. If he establishes such a great achievement, how will the four of you survive?!"
Gao Qiu and his associates exchanged bewildered glances. Their already immense inner darkness swelled several times over under the influence of Jin Wuzhu. They immediately urged Emperor Qinzong of Song to sign the treaty and spread rumors that Liu Hong would be unable to reach the battlefield before the Jin forces breached Kaifeng.
At this moment, Emperor Qinzong of Song was forced to the throne by his father. He knew nothing and was completely ignorant. As soon as he took over the country, he faced the hellish challenge of the capital being surrounded by the land. He was also terrified by the Jin Dynasty. In a panic, he listened to Cai Jing's advice and signed a peace treaty with the Jin Dynasty. Starting this year, the Song Dynasty would pay tribute to the Jin Dynasty, and the Jin Dynasty would immediately withdraw its troops and stop besieging Kaifeng.
"Wait, what the hell is this???"
At Baima Ferry, Liu Hong was stunned to receive the imperial edict from Kaifeng.
I've already blockaded the Yellow River and cut off the Jin's supply lines, ready to trap them like turtles in a jar. What do you mean the Emperor signed a peace treaty with the Jin? Are you telling me to let them go back?
Guan Sheng patted Liu Hong's shoulder speechlessly, then sighed deeply, shaking his head vigorously.
"Brother, do you understand how I felt when I attacked Liangshan back then? The Song Dynasty was truly not worth it."
Chapter 413: The Imperial Edict Unifies Liangshan
Liu Hong shook his head. Even though he had been prepared for the weakness and incompetence of the Song Dynasty, he hadn't expected the young emperor to be so utterly incompetent. So, he immediately held a small meeting with Guan Sheng, Wu Yong, Gongsun Sheng, Zhu Wu, Fan Rui, and other legion commanders, along with the Privy Council strategist, to calculate what to do next.
"It's going to be tough, this war is really tough."
Zhu Wu was the first to express his opinion.