Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 228: Intrigue and Struggle for a Better Future

Liang Yuaner was not the only one who was dazed at the same time.

Dozens of miles to the east, in the Jin army camp under Ju County, Pushandong had just finished his inspection of the camp. When he returned to the commander's tent, his confident expression disappeared in an instant and he frowned in front of Wen Dunhunyu.

The reason was naturally not that Wendun Hunyu made a mistake in command today. In fact, it was because the Jin army had done its best today, with almost no mistakes, that Pushandong felt heavy-hearted.

The Wuxing Army, with a lineup of 2,000 regular troops and 2,000 qian troops, took advantage of their rest and waited for the enemy to tire out, confronting the 3,000 Tianping troops who had come from afar in a field battle. In the end, the qian troops were completely routed, and the regular troops ended in a draw with both sides suffering casualties!
The sky is falling!

As the regular army of the Jin Dynasty, the Wuxing Army failed to defeat the peasant army in the field battle!
What the hell is this!
Seeing Pushandong lamenting repeatedly, Wendun Hunyu, who was marking on the map, raised his head and handed him a cup of cold tea: "Put away this face. If the boys see this, what will happen to you?"

Although he was being reprimanded, Pu Sandong didn't get angry. He just sighed and said, "Isn't it because the men weren't here that I acted this way? Ah Yu, tell me, didn't Ah Zhang face the same situation we're in today? Charged forward with all the confidence and momentum, only to find the enemy army so elite? Caught off guard, they were instantly routed."

Wen Dunhunyu remained silent.

He didn't have time to think about the annihilation of Tu Danzhang's entire army, or to put it simply, he didn't dare to think about it.

Tu Danzhang possessed courage, violence, and wisdom, so why did he end up completely annihilated? Now it seems that the reason is self-evident: after experiencing repeated failures, the Shandong uprising army finally gained some momentum.

Tu Danzhang, on the banks of the Yishui River, could only be crushed by the rebels who were more courageous, more violent, and more resourceful.

This is going to be difficult.

Seeing Wendunhunyu remain silent, Pushandong sighed and said, "Ayu, don't be like this. I'm just a warrior. If you can't come up with an idea, I'll be even more helpless. Let's make a decision first. Should we continue to fight for Ju County?"

Wen Dunhunyu looked at the map again and again: "We can't fight anymore."

"Ok?"

"Ju County's defenses are indeed weak. We can take it down in one fell swoop, but there will inevitably be chaos when entering the city, which will give the Tianping bandits an advantage." Wen Dunhunyu shook his head and said, "Didn't you see that the Tianping bandits didn't dare to enter the city today?"

"That makes sense." Pu Sandong said, holding the bamboo cup. "We should first defeat the Tianping bandits. Should we pretend to attack a city and then ambush them?"

Wen Dunhunyu glanced at Pushandong and said, "Don't forget what we're here for. What's the point of making such a fuss in Ju County? If we win a miserable victory against those Tianping bandits, how can we possibly get rid of the Zhongyi bandits?"

This is also one of the important reasons why Wendun Hunyu withdrew his troops.

They took great pains to take a detour, not for Ju County or the Tianping Army, but to attack the Zhongyi Army's Shankou camp from both sides, and thus let the Wuxing Army into Linyi.

Linyi, the plains between the Shuhe River and the Yishui River, was a place of great population and abundant resources. At that time, the Wuxing Army, with its large number of war horses, was free to do whatever they wanted.

"We still have two Meng'an, and there are so many cavalrymen. We are not going to attack the fortified city camps, so we still need to make use of the cavalry. So I suggest we take this route tomorrow." Wen Dunhunyu drew a line on the map with a charcoal pencil and handed the map to Pushandong.

Pu Sandong took it and looked at it carefully. He was stunned again. After a moment, he nodded and said, "This is a desperate move. I need to explain it clearly to my men."

Wendun Hunyu curled his lips. "How can this be called a desperate move? I'm in Liaodong, and the Mongols are crossing the border every few days to do this, causing great trouble for the Khitans. As long as we have enough horses, are resolute, and don't panic, how can there be any danger? I'll make it clear to the boys, I only want them to fight tooth and nail when attacking the loyal thieves from behind. The rest of the time, I'll let them plunder!"

Pu Sandong's expression became much better, and he bowed and left.

But when he was the only one left in the general's tent, Wen Dunhunyu's relaxed expression suddenly became solemn.

Kai Zhao, still standing on the city wall, also had a solemn expression on his face. The arrival of reinforcements had originally rejoiced the city, but after watching the Tianping and Wuxing armies engage in a fierce battle, they withdrew their forces.

In the eyes of those who know military affairs, they naturally know that this is a draw and no one has gained an advantage.

But in the eyes of ordinary people, this was the Wuxing Army driving away the Tianping Army and then returning to the camp to besiege the city.

The disappointment after hope is the most terrifying. There are signs of instability in the county again. Some wealthy families even unite and want to seize the city gate. It is not known whether they want to leave or leave the city to join the Wuxing Army.

It took a lot of effort for Kai Zhao and He Wenzheng to suppress the chaos in the city.

"General Zhao, we can't go on like this." He Wenzheng climbed up the city wall in a somewhat embarrassed manner. "We must at least communicate with Xin Langjun of the Tianping Army and understand what they are planning. To be frank, in this situation, even if they sneak away tomorrow, we'll still be stuck in the city."

Kai Zhao thought for a moment, then suddenly hammered the wall: "We really should take some reassurance. The two of us, one defending the city, the other going to the Tianping Army. It's your choice who goes and who stays."

He Wenzheng hesitated immediately.

He was a powerful man in Juzhou. Later he joined the rebel army and was extremely ruthless. There was no turning back.

When the Wuxing Army first besieged the city, He Wenzheng felt a little regretful, but when he saw the scene of the soldiers being driven out and filling the ditches today, he felt that it was the right thing to do to grit his teeth and persevere.

How can we govern Shandong well if we are with a group of thugs like the Jin thieves?
However, even though this guy had calmed down, he still didn't really trust Kai Zhao.

Yes, I joined the rebel army. But Shandong has been in chaos for so many years, don't I know what kind of moral character the rebel army is? If you are cruel enough to run away with the Tianping Army, what should I do?

But it would be inappropriate for him to go and congratulate Wen Zheng.

You must know that He Wenzheng is now a powerful man with his own followers, and he only verbally said that he has joined the Dongping Army.

With this identity, what promises can I ask from the Tianping Army?
"General Zhao, I will defend the city." He Wenzheng thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "But General Zhao must bring my cousin with him."

There is nothing wrong with opening up Zhao.

A moment later, a crack appeared at the west gate, and Kai Zhao and several knights filed out without torches, heading south under the starlight.

After stumbling around for an hour, they were discovered and surrounded by cavalry just as they were approaching the Tianping Army camp.

Kai Zhao was not panicked, but instead breathed a sigh of relief.

After today's battle, there are still cavalry. Firstly, it shows that the Tianping Army did not escape at night. Second, it shows that the Tianping Army has strict military discipline and orderly system.

This is the strongest army in the world!

With such a sigh in his heart, Kai Zhao revealed his identity and purpose.

The scout did not dare to delay and led them into the military camp while informing them.

(End of this chapter)