Volume 5 Chapter 64: Internal and External Dilemma
As the Jin army retreated, the Song army began to rest on a large scale while cleaning up the battlefield and guarding against possible raids.
Without time to set up tents, many Song soldiers just lay down and slept in the wild.
Last night's fatigue and today's hard battle were really exhausting. The warm sunshine in the winter afternoon further aggravated the weariness, so that many soldiers, without taking off their armor, fell asleep as soon as they lay down.
The common people are no less inferior.
In this situation, no one was interested in the hot soup and noodles prepared at noon except for a few people on duty. A large amount of steaming hot soup and noodles with oily spots had to be brought back and warmed up again to prevent chaos caused by the large number of people eating in the evening.
Tian Shizhong was also very tired, but he did not fall asleep immediately like the people around him while sitting on a small mound, because Yue Fei once again pushed forward the military plan by hitting his bottom line.
It was like this every time, every step of the way. It was like this when he faced Li Cheng many years ago, and it was still like this now. The other party had a firm grasp of his character, so that he, who was obviously resistant and defensive, was repeatedly used by him.
And you can't lose your temper or get angry, you can only grit your teeth and do it.
If only I were also a Jiedushi... Tian Shizhong sighed slightly in his heart. He knew that Yue Fei must have consulted Zhang Rong in advance. Unlike himself, when he got there and discovered the possibility, he realized that he was forced into a corner by the other party.
Of course, Master Tian actually had a vague guess in his mind, that is, Yue Fei might not really be deliberately trying to control him. It was more that although he had a plan in his mind, he still needed to verify the approximate success rate with his own eyes... For example, today, if the war was not so sufficient, if the navy's suppression ability on the other side of the shore was not so outstanding, he might not really implement this plan. He might let his Beiwei Army retain the cavalry in Yuancheng at a certain cost, and then fight hard to attack the city, and blow up the city when the city was most shaky, as a conservative measure.
Of course, when I think about it this way, it seems like I am actively trying to excuse the fact that the other party is holding me hostage, which is really ridiculous.
For a moment, it was extremely awkward.
Just like this, Tian Shizhong thought for a while, tossed and turned for a while, but finally he could not resist the growing tiredness and gradually fell asleep.
Then, like most people, they could not sleep for long, only one or two hours, or two or three hours. They would wake up before dusk, and those who were awake would be awakened. Then it would be another busy evening and the first half of the night - light a bonfire, use some water and food, set up tents, calculate military merits, count casualties, and even need the scholars who followed the army to boost morale and comfort the dead and wounded.
In addition, the civilians had to work harder. They continued to repair the defense lines overnight, build pontoon bridges overnight, transport supplies, and clean up the battlefield.
It was not until the second half of the night that I rested for a while and then returned to a relatively normal rhythm.
In the next few days, Yue Fei did not actually announce his military plan. Zhang Rong and Tian Shizhong also pretended that nothing had happened and just followed the routine... Not to mention strengthening the northern defense line, building fortifications, and firing large numbers of artillery from the north and south were just siege tactics, and no one said anything.
After Tang Huai captured a large number of ships, he once again used land navigation to send a considerable number of ships to the westernmost part to sweep and take over the things that were naturally being cleared up in the west branch of the Yellow River North Road.
After all, everyone witnessed the powerful role of the navy with ultra-long-range projection capability in such a narrow area. Moreover, the army still mainly relies on the Yellow River for supplies. Once the West Branch of the Yellow River North Road is controlled and Xiao Wusha is opened, it will greatly save the transportation time between the battlefield and Tokyo and improve the transportation efficiency.
There's no reason not to do this.
Of course, small-scale military conflicts were inevitable during this period.
A small number of ships turned back again, and then moved continuously along the river to bombard the east wall of Yuan City, testing the weak points. Shaohe and Ali also came to spy many times, but they were just spying at best. After that battle, they had already realized that their own forces were not enough to break through the Song army, especially as the Song army's northern defense positions were becoming increasingly solid and complex.
Fighting on the northern front, more scattered cavalry battles.
But at the same time, some obvious signals gradually increased. For example, Wang Bolun, who ignored Gao Jingshan's call, suddenly went south again and almost reached Xiajin. For example, the Song army scouts reported that in Mingzhou and Xiangzhou areas west of the river, the Jurchen cavalry was gradually dense, making it difficult for the scouts to conduct armed reconnaissance there.
What this portends is self-evident.
However, with the passage of time and the intensive preparations, the intentions of the Song army have become more and more obvious - there are some things that the civilians and soldiers below will not care about at all, but in the eyes of senior commanders it is a different matter.
First, the main position of the Song army moved westward. The huge Song army military zone between Damingcheng and Gucheng was almost entirely moved to the north of Yuancheng. As for the original East Branch of the Yellow River North Road, the Song army gradually gave up and only defended Damingcheng and Gucheng. After the Song army controlled the more convenient West Branch of the Yellow River North Road, even Gucheng began to loosen up.
It is almost conceivable that once the worst time came, the Song army would most likely abandon the military deployment on the east coast and just besiege Xiajin and Daming City . If the old city could be defended, then it would be defended, but if it could not be defended, then so be it.
Secondly, after the Song army completed the construction of the northern defense line, they began to build a defense line south of Yuancheng without any rest, and the regulations were almost the same as those of the north.
This seems a bit too much.
In comparison, the internal barriers used to trap the city, prevent people from escaping, connect with the outside of the city, and build necessary siege positions were obviously lagging behind and delayed.
Moreover, the artillery position was a little too large and a little off-center.
Of course, at this time, it is still just guesswork and doubt. The Song army did not mention it. What really made Gao Jingshan in Yuancheng strongly aware of a certain possibility was the transportation of supplies.
Moreover, although Gao Jingshan's first thought of burning the scattered ships previously located in the Yellow River fork west of Yuancheng after Yue Fei moved the camp and built the fort, it was just like his idea of trying to attack the Song army's formation and welcome reinforcements as soon as possible... He had the right idea and acted very resolutely, but he just didn't succeed.
Yue Fei also immediately ordered Tang Huai to divide his troops to seize those ships. Moreover, facing the messengers in Yuan City, most of them were Han soldiers who were transferred to become officers and the navy composed of local fishermen recruited, they showed extreme resistance to the military order... At their level, it was impossible for them to know that the Fourth Prince's army was coming soon. They only knew that the Song army was coming, but there were a lot of hesitation and delaying actions, which greatly reduced the effectiveness of Gao Jingshan's order to burn the ships.
In this case, most of these ships were quickly captured by the Song army after they completed their second voyage, and further became an important part of the Song army's material storage for transporting materials from Xiaowusha to Tokyo.
As a result, a large number of ships shuttled back and forth non-stop day and night. The large ships generally sailed along the Yellow River and transferred directly on the shore, while the small ships generally sailed directly into the Yongji Canal, which was slightly cramped but still wide enough for passage, and transferred inside the Song army's position in order to achieve the greatest transfer efficiency.
This also allowed the Jin army in the Yuan city to be in a commanding position and get a glimpse of the situation.
Weapons, armor, large pieces of wood, cloth, grain, and jars and cans filled with wine, oil, salt, sauce and vinegar, these were all things that should be taken for granted. However, on this day, when Gao Jingshan received the report and witnessed with his own eyes that the Song army suddenly started to transport coal, he finally became a little panicked.
Although he still dared not and did not want to think about it, an absurd idea kept hitting the brain of this Jurchen commander-in-chief who definitely had enough strategic vision and military experience once it appeared - he and Yuancheng, which was 40 miles in circumference, the former Beijing of the Song Dynasty and was definitely the first strategic point for the Song army to advance into Hebei, might just be a bait or a sore spot. Yue Fei's real purpose was to use this city and the garrison in the city, and of course himself as the commander-in-chief, to delay the main force of the Jin army for a long time, giving the Song army in the east of the river enough time to break through the more strategically valuable Taiyuan.
One day in late November, the sky was clear. To the north of Yuancheng, Yue Fei and a group of trusted officers were inspecting the siege positions.
Moreover, although the construction of fortifications and military deployment seemed a bit perfunctory compared to other places on all sides, the battles between the two sides still gradually became more frequent and regular as the siege positions were built.
The so-called siege position does not refer to how many artillery vehicles or siege towers must be built, but more to reducing obstacles and creating a favorable environment for these things that will make the final decision during the siege... For example, filling in the ditch on the siege tower route selected under the city, throwing some wooden fences around the siege tower route to help the covering troops get cover, and appropriately raiding and burning some sheep and horse walls with weak defenses.
Even building a rammed earth platform at a safe distance, arranging a reserve attack area, etc., are all considered part of constructing a position.
Correspondingly, the people in the city will not just stand there. In addition to the necessary demolition of buildings to build artillery and establish artillery positions, it is also necessary to send out appropriate suicide squads to harass, and then build some makeshift giant crossbows on towers with considerable advantages to carry out targeted elimination.
"Is that it?"
Stopping on the other side of the Yongji Canal in the northwest of the city, with the cover of the river bank, Yue Fei pointed with his finger to a place on the opposite side that was obviously a temporary fortification on the city wall, where there were also human figures swaying.
"yes."
A battalion commander in charge of the front line responded immediately. "Let the Marshal know that this place is the most forward position in the northwest corner tower of Yuancheng, and it is also the first position to be fixed with a large crossbow. However, it has never been let go, and we just thought it was out of reach. But yesterday, a flat-bottomed boat loaded with military equipment passed by the Yongji Canal here, and it was a little slow in the middle. The crossbowmen on the city couldn't help but directly fired crossbows to hit a big hole in the boat. The boat could only sail out a few dozen steps before it could not move. It took us a lot of effort to salvage the supplies..."
"What do you mean?" Yue Fei listened carefully and asked calmly.
"We should set up an eight-bull crossbow here where they can't reach it, and use the range advantage to suppress the other side." The battalion commander responded on the spot. "Every time they set it up, we will destroy it."
"Sure." Yue Fei replied casually. "But you can't use the navy. I'll have the military councilor give you a document later. Go to the craftsmen's camp to get a newly delivered one..."
"I know." The battalion commander replied without hesitation.
Yue Fei nodded and was about to continue his inspection, but at this moment, a horseman galloped over and shouted hurriedly from a few dozen steps away: "Marshal! Councillor Huang asked me to ask you to go to the riverside as soon as possible, saying that an important official from Tokyo might have arrived, and he has already gone to the riverside!"
Yue Fei immediately became solemn, and even the surrounding officers were also in awe. Huang Zuo, the commander in charge of the affairs of the north of the city, bowed directly and took the initiative to express his position: "Marshal, don't worry about this. I will definitely do my best."
Yue Fei nodded again, said nothing more, and turned his horse around to go back.
But at this moment, suddenly, a shout came from the place where the figure was swaying, and then a crossbow arrow flew over... But unfortunately, the crossbow arrow was crooked and barely floated across the Yongji Canal before it had no strength left and slid directly onto the river bank.
Yue Fei reined in his horse, raised his head and asked seriously, "Against the wind?"
"It's definitely against the wind." Huang Zuo forced himself to shake his head and smile. "Isn't it the northwest wind in the middle of winter?"
Yue Fei nodded again and again, then suddenly took out a bow from his horse, raised it up on the horse, gestured slightly, and then drew the bow and shot the arrow directly. The arrow also flew with the wind... This arrow, of course, did not hit the crossbowman on the enemy tower who had the height advantage and was very far away. It would take a true god to hit him... But it did not miss, either. The arrow flew out and directly shot down a Saker Falcon in mid-air that had been circling in the northwest of the city and happened to be in the northwest and within the range.
It was obvious that the Hebei Marshal had noticed these birds early on, which must have belonged to the enemy.
If it was shot by Emperor Zhao, he would surely be flattered by the emperor and the news might even be reported in the imperial gazette; if it was shot by Prince Han, he would probably have to hold his belt and compose half a poem... But since it was shot by Yue Fei, he just shot it. The Saker Falcon landed on the riverbank on the other side of the Yongji Canal. The man didn't even look at it, but reined in his horse and rode away to look for the important officials from Tokyo.
Walking to the Yellow River further northwest, there, on one hand, logistical goods were being transported non-stop, on the other hand, many civilians were riding small boats along the shore breaking the thin ice on both sides. Among them, the figure of a purple-robed official on the river bank seemed too prominent.
Yue Fei dismounted in advance and hurried forward. When he arrived, he saw that his senator Huang Zong and others were all respectful and respectful, and he became even more cautious.
However, even though he was mentally prepared enough, when the purple-robed official turned around and approached him, Yue Fei was still shocked for a moment. Then, as a marshal, he took the initiative to bow and greet him respectfully.
All the previous preparations and calmness flew away to Java in an instant.
It turned out that the person who came was none other than Hu Yin, the Minister of Works, Hu Mingzhong, who was an outstanding civil servant of the dynasty, with great qualifications, great achievements and high status.
Although Hu Yin was only a few years older than Yue Fei and was only one of the six ministers, he was Yue Fei's undoubted sponsor. He had served as Chief Censor, which was equivalent to half-prime minister, and had been the governor of Guanxi. Before that, he was in charge of the logistics of the Northern Expedition as the minister of Works... Of the so-called Three Ministers of the Jingkang Imperial Academy, the only one who could hold Zhao and Zhang in check and even control the two of them was none other than Minister Hu.
Even the two deputy prime ministers, Chen Gui and Liu Ji, would feel weak when facing this man.
Moreover, unlike other civil servants, Hu Yin participated in more military planning because of his pro-war stance. He accompanied the emperor in the Battle of Yanling, served as the governor of northern Shaanxi in the Battle of Yaoshan, was in charge of logistics in Pingxia, and was also in charge of rear transportation in this Northern Expedition. He had restrained Han Shizhong several times, arrested Qu Duan, promoted the Wu Jie brothers, and killed Yang Zheng. Of course, in his early years, he personally recommended Yue Fei, who was still a ragtag army, to serve as the pacification envoy.
His suppression and deterrence of his generals are naturally unique.
This kind of person... How can we regard him as an ordinary minister? And now that this person has arrived, all the words and preparations seem pale.
"Marshal Yue."
Hu Yin turned around and saw Yue Fei coming. He looked calm and bowed directly. "Your plan is known to all the ministers. I also received your private letter... Military affairs are serious. Don't waste time. Where is your central army tent? Take me there quickly and call Zhang Jiedu and Tian Fudutong. I have something to say."
"I will follow your instructions, sir." Yue Fei became increasingly nervous, but he could only bow in response.
Just like that, after a quick while at the riverside, Hu Yin immediately went into the central army tent, and then did not speak to Yue Fei. Even when Yue Fei invited him to sit up first, he refused. He did not even ask for water or food, but just waited with his hands... This made the atmosphere even more solemn.
Tian Shizhong was supervising the construction of an earthen hill in the north of Yuancheng at that time. Hearing Yue Fei's call, he rode over and arrived in a moment. However, Zhang Rong was "exploring" in the lower reaches of the west fork of the Yellow River North Road. He waited for more than an hour and finally arrived in the afternoon.
"Everyone else, get out."
Seeing Zhang Rong arrive, Hu Yin finally spoke, but he immediately dismissed all the outsiders.
Yue, Zhang, and Tian looked at each other, feeling that their previous thoughts and confidence were totally gone. They had to bite the bullet and face each other, and they couldn't help feeling even more uneasy.
As expected, when all the staff and attendants had left and only four people were left in the tent, Hu Mingzhong's words made the three people's hearts sink to the bottom:
"The secret cabinet has a public opinion that Yue, Zhang, and Tian play with the enemy and indulge the bandits, they have their own troops and are arrogant because of their favor. I also agree with this."
After these words were spoken, Tian Shizhong turned pale, Zhang Rong was at a loss for a moment... maybe it was because he didn't understand the meaning of these three words... and Yue Fei could only hurriedly bow:
"My Lord, please allow me to report!"
"Jiedu Yue, can you let me finish?" Hu Yin responded coldly.
Yue Fei could only remain silent.
"The secret cabinet believes that the Hebei Front Army abandoned the three states without authorization, causing more than 100,000 people to be displaced in the middle of winter. It is not only suspected of abandoning the land, but also caused a sharp increase in logistical pressure. The military supplies that the country has accumulated for three years have been abandoned unplanned... No matter how much you three argue, you can't change the fact that you have caused turmoil and trouble to the country... Is it true or not?" At this point, Hu Yin, who was standing on one side of the central army tent, looked around at the three people and formally asked. "You three can talk about this matter first."
Yue Fei was the right person to take on the task.
However, he bowed his hands under the gaze of the other two, but hesitated to speak, and finally could only speak frankly: "The three states were abandoned in order to concentrate troops, but it caused 100,000 people in Hebei to flee. It was really my inconsideration... I am the marshal of the Hebei Front Army. When questioned by Tokyo, I really have no words to defend myself... But the war is serious, please allow me to apologize after the war, the ministers and the head of the secret cabinet in Tokyo."
Hu Yin nodded and continued with a sullen face: "The secret cabinet also discussed the military plan you submitted to the Privy Council. They all said that you were ambitious and wanted to achieve personal success by holding a large number of troops hostage and plotting something illegal..."
"Mr. Hu." Finally someone couldn't help interrupting Hu Mingzhong, and it turned out to be the anxious Tian Shizhong. "There are more than 65,000 soldiers in the front, right and naval forces of the imperial camp here, plus 70,000 to 80,000 civilians, a total of 140,000 to 150,000 people, but there is really no one who can be blamed for this crime!"
"Do you two governors think so too?" Hu Yin ignored Tian Shizhong and looked directly at the other two.
Although Zhang Rong didn't understand those words, he knew what the words "wolf ambition" and "evil intention" meant, and he immediately angrily bowed his hands: "Me too!"
"No matter what, I never have such intention!" Yue Fei could only bow helplessly, but unexpectedly, he did not show any emotion like Zhang Rong and Tian Shizhong.
"Then do you know why everyone in the Secret Council thinks so?" Hu Yin stared at Yue Fei and asked.
Yue Fei said nothing.
Seeing this, Hu Yin continued to respond with a sullen face: "It seems that they know... The Secret Chamber thinks that by doing this, you are abandoning Tokyo to the enemy, and you are disregarding the safety of millions of Tokyo residents, as well as the Queen Mother, the Imperial Concubine, the Virtuous Concubine, the princes, and the princesses... Some people say that you are a person who is worse than Fan Qiong, and some people say that you are a person who is more ridiculous than Liu Guangshi, who deceives the world and steals the name. And if the Secret Chamber only evaluates and discusses you like this, someone in the Public Chamber simply wants to kill you!"
Hearing this, Yue Fei was relieved and just calmly bowed: "Mingsir, my true intention is clear to all."
Hu Yin was silent for a moment and did not respond.
It was Tian Shizhong who hurried forward to explain again: "Mr. Hu... the front army, right army, navy, and navy of the imperial camp total 90,000. The navy is small, and the total combat troops of the other three armies, although there are casualties, are more than 80,000. Now the combined combat troops here are only more than 60,000. The other castles are not vacant. Xiajin, Gaotang and Jinan are connected in a line to the east, and Puyang behind us is now in our hands. We can completely defend the river with Baima... and Shaoxing to form the northern gate of Tokyo..."
"Just tell me, once the Yellow River freezes, the Jin army will abandon these fortresses and you, and then march straight to the city of Tokyo, repeating the Jingkang incident. How will you react?" Hu Yin became impatient and spoke again, interrupting the other party.
Tian Shizhong was panicked for a moment, and hurriedly said: "Mr. Hu, this is a different time. The Jin army will not abandon Damingfu and march south!"
"That's right." Zhang Rong also became serious. "Minister Hu, just think about it and you will know. During the Jingkang Incident, the river navy was useless. What can we do with the Imperial Camp Navy now? If they dare to go south, as long as they survive the freezing, I will lock the Jin army in Henan... and then I'm afraid we can directly attack Huanglongfu!"
Hu Yin nodded, glanced at Yue Fei who had remained silent all his life, and then continued to answer seriously: "So, let's not talk about whether Dongjing can be defended or whether the Jin army will go south. Let's just say one thing, that is, the three of you are also honest. If the Jin army really goes south, even if it reaches the gates of Dongjing , you will not be able to save it... right or wrong?"
Zhang Rong was speechless for a moment, and Tian Shizhong also fell silent.
"Yes!" After a long while, Yue Fei suppressed all his emotions and bowed. "The achievements of the past ten years have all been made here. Although Tokyo may seem dangerous, it is actually safe. If the Jin Kingdom really sends a large army south, I think Chen Shuxiang can hold it for dozens of days, or even less. And I... I will not pursue them easily! Instead, I will intensify the siege of the Daming Mansion to prevent them from going south!"
Hu Mingzhong once again looked at the other person deeply and asked calmly, "What if the Queen Mother of Tokyo issued an order? What if the provincial capital or the Privy Council came to urge them?"
"I only obey your will." Yue Fei gritted his teeth. "Before you left, you publicly promised me the right to make the final decision in Hebei."
"Do you know what the consequences will be if this word gets out?" Hu Yin kept asking.
"After this battle, even if I achieve an unprecedented feat, I will be despised by the people of Tokyo, and then I will be left idle and no longer be used." Yue Fei responded calmly. "But on the other hand, if such a battle can achieve an unprecedented feat, I will die without regrets, let alone being despised by others?"
"Actually, it's that simple."
Hu Yin nodded, and finally sighed with his hands behind his back. "Everyone knows that even if we take a step back, the Jin army really went south and really took down Dongjing City, and the whole world was shocked, but the situation was different at that time, and they could not win like Jingkang, but would lose the whole world by gaining a city... Because the emperor is in Hedong, and the smart people in the world probably understand that our emperor can re-establish the court in exile, so he can naturally establish it a second time. Moreover, the emperor has 300,000 imperial camps at his disposal, the main force of the Jin army is locked up, and Guanzhong can be used to respond, so he can completely break Taiyuan, take Yanjing, and go straight to Huanglong... But Pengju, no matter how reasonable your calculations are, and how optimal they are from a military point of view, since there is the danger of exposing Dongjing, the officials in Dongjing, whether they are in the secret cabinet or the public cabinet, will probably hate you to the bone, because they are in Dongjing, and you put them in a position of 'disposable', or at least in a position that looks 'disposable'! How Kou Zhun lost power, you are also a scholar, don't you know?"
Yue Fei just lowered his head and said nothing.
"And let's be honest, this time, even I am disgusted with you generals." Hu Mingzhong continued. "Do you know why?"
Yue Fei also thought of the other party's words at the beginning, "I also deeply agree with you", but he finally said seriously: "I am ashamed, but I really don't think that you and others are really worthy of being abandoned..."
"That's not what I meant. At least it's more than that." Hu Yin sighed with his hands behind his back. "What we hate about you is that you always rely on the fact that the overall situation needs you, and force all the kind-hearted people in the world who care about the overall situation to work for you... force the people in the south to pay you taxes, force Tokyo City to become a large military camp, force the cultural style and royal ceremonies to become your coal and artillery, and force the officials who are actually lazy and casual to have connections with you warriors, throw away the weight of the ruler, and become the biggest military leader... This coercion will not change just because you, Yue Fei, are loyal to the country, nor will it change just because you, Zhang Rong, do justice for the heavens. It means that for years, hundreds of thousands of imperial camp troops have been sucking the country's bones and marrow, making it impossible for the country to function normally! In the past few years, I have been responsible for the preparation of military supplies for the Northern Expedition, and the thing I think about most is that these things are the fat of the people gathered from the whole country. If we waste them and fail to accomplish anything, how can we face the people of Jiangdong?!"
Tian Shizhong, who was highly educated, was a little confused, but Yue Fei could completely understand what he meant. Unexpectedly, Zhang Rong also seemed to understand something.
"Yue Pengju." Hu Yin finally dusted off the purple robe, and then put his hands together. "I tell you clearly... For you to succeed, this time, several ministers have really tried their best. Minister Lu disbanded the public cabinet, Minister Zhao and Minister Zhang almost forced the secret cabinet, and Minister Chen vowed on the spot that the Tokyo City would be unbreakable with the lives of more than a hundred people in his family. And I also followed your private message and took over the army here. As for the fuel transportation in the rear, you don't have to worry. Since I'm here, there is no possibility of delaying or perfunctory in the rear... Of course, now that things have come to this, saying these things again seems a bit of a credit... But in this battle, or this Northern Expedition, you must do your best to do it, try your best to delay the main force of the Jin army, so as to achieve your unparalleled achievement, because even I have to say on behalf of the ministers in the rear, no one wants to come again for another ten years with such hardship!"
Tian Shizhong was overjoyed and Zhang Rong was relieved on the spot.
Only Yue Fei became more serious, but he could only bow again and again: "I still say the same thing, the sky is clear, and it can see my heart! Please take a seat and watch what I will accomplish!"
"I won't take the seat. You are the marshal, so you take the seat." Hu Mingzhong turned around and sat on the chair to the left of the commander's seat, calm and slightly tired. "Don't worry, from today on, I will take care of all the affairs in Tokyo for you, and you should also make your own decisions on military affairs... Beat the drum to gather the generals!"
Yue Fei had mixed feelings when he heard this, but he bowed respectfully upwards. Seeing this, Zhang Rong and Tian Shizhong also hurriedly saluted Hu Yin. Then, Yue Fei sat down in the main seat, and Zhang Rong also hurried forward and sat in another seat on the side.
However, Tian Shizhong wanted to step forward, but when he saw that all three seats were occupied, he turned away obediently and ordered his attendants and staff to beat drums to gather the generals, then turned back obediently, and stood beside the three men with a sword in hand, very conscious.
After three drum beats, all the generals gathered together. When they saw Hu Yin, they realized that it was the world-famous Minister Hu, and most of them were shocked. But when Minister Hu gave an order on the spot in the name of Prince of Tokyo, that Yue Fei should temporarily postpone the siege of the city, and defend the place to tie down the main force of the Jin army, etc., everyone was more and more shocked, but they could only look at each other in awe.
So, just like that, when Hu Yin arrived, the Song army no longer concealed its strategic intentions. As more supplies were transported, double-layer barriers were built inside and outside the Yuan city, with fortifications built on seven sides and cannons on six sides. Earthen hills were piled up and docks were built continuously.
However, during this period, the other side of the Yellow River began to rumble, and then it was obvious that the organized Jin army was gradually gathering. At the beginning, the Song army could send troops to fight them briefly to defeat them, but when it came to the last few days of November, seeing that the Jin army was continuous, and countless infantry and cavalry gathered within a few days, the Song army finally could not cross the river to attack.
By the first day of the twelfth lunar month, the Jin army camps were gradually set up. There were hundreds of thousands of troops, plus no less than 200,000 or 300,000 signed troops responsible for transportation and logistics. On the plain, they set up camps for dozens of miles and even completely surrounded several towns.
And one day, the royal flag of Wushu, the King of Wei of the Jin Dynasty, and the five-colored sun flag of Marshal Balisu appeared together on the other side of the river.
Seeing this, Yue Fei did not hesitate. He gathered the eight-ox crossbows and artillery carts, and continuously smashed the city in front of the main force of the Jin army. Within one day, he destroyed the four corner towers in the northwest corner of Yuan City as a greeting.
Wuzhu and Balisu were stunned for a moment, and then, before they had time to tamp the earth to build a general's platform, they released a hot air balloon that they dared not use for a long time, and at the same time they piled it up and looked at it. When they saw the various arrangements under the river bank on the opposite bank, they looked at each other in changed color.
However, when they looked back at their huge camp behind them, they couldn't help but feel heroic and gradually stood up.
With such a large number of people, they can even shake a mountain, not to mention that the other side is, after all, an army that is caught in a dilemma both internally and externally.
