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

Chapter 355: Songs of the Past and Songs of the Present (Additional chapter for the disciples of the Alliance Leader Baidi Tower)
"How strange! This ballad is neither like a poem nor a melody, yet it is so catchy that it actually has some of the meaning of the Three Hundred Poems." Wanyan Alin, the commander-in-chief of the Wuping Army, exclaimed.

Wanyan Yuanyi didn't say anything. To be honest, he really didn't want to bother with this idiot at all.

Wanyan Yuanyi was also a man who had read poetry and books for a long time and was full of knowledge. In his opinion, poetry, songs and essays were all used to convey ideas and there was no essential difference between them. What was the point of being entangled in the style of writing?
The most important thing is to be affectionate!
Even though the poem "The Great River" is written entirely in plain language, it is a concentration of strong emotions, which is better than those doggerel poems with thousands of words!

Didn’t you see that after the song was sung once, the drums on both sides gradually stopped, after two times, people started humming along, and after the third time, people from both Song and Jin actually sang along?

"Retreat... I admit defeat this time..." On the high platform on the west bank of the river, Wanyan Liang hit his knees with a horsewhip and beat the rhythm to the singing.

"Your Majesty..." Wanyan Alin was about to say something when Wanyan Yuanyi kicked him subtly.

"He killed ten of my warriors, yet two of you can't defeat him. He's truly formidable." Wanyan Liang seemed oblivious to the two ministers' subtle movements. He raised his whip and pointed at Xin Qiji, who stood among the corpses. "Let him go."

"Your Majesty, the singer..." Wanyan Alin thought about it and felt that shooting this Song army warrior to death with an arrow would be a loss of both face and dignity, so he changed the subject.

"Also ask for their names. By the way, ask whether the navy commander is Li Dao, and whether they are willing to surrender to my Great Jin. I can afford fame, wealth and honor." Wanyan Liang said lightly.

Seeing that the civil and military officials were still somewhat angry, Wanyan Liang said with a smile: "I have told you long ago that the beauty of the Southern Dynasty should not be underestimated, but you have been blinded by the victory in the Huainan West Road. What is there to be happy about in defeating a coward like Wang Quan?"

"It's better now than being completely defeated."

"Don't be unconvinced. Whether it's Yu Yunwen, who organized the counterattack of the defeated army on the other side of the river, or the armored warrior down below, or Li Dao, the naval commander in the river, or even the man singing loudly, in literature or martial arts, in elegance or courage, who among you dares to say that you can surpass them?" Wanyan Liang's smile faded. "He recommended himself. I will give him a favor."

No one dared to answer.

"In our Great Jin, the capable and successful are usually given priority. But the Song people are the opposite. Their top leaders are basically pure trash, and the lower they are, the more dangerous and powerful they are." Wanyan Liang continued to teach.

After Wanyan Zhengjia's indirect advice, he also realized that his generals were getting a little cocky after their consecutive victories. This was not acceptable, as there were still some tough bones to chew. "Take Yue Pengju, for example. During his last northern expedition, even if a dog was tied to the throne of the Song Dynasty, we would be eating snow in Liaodong by now. Zhao Gou is even worse than a dog."

"But Zhao Gou is a loser, Qin Hui is a wimp, and so are Han Shizhong? Yue Fei? The Wu brothers?" Wanyan Liang finally erupted in curses. "Again, who among you can compare to Liu Qi? Who can defeat Cheng Min? Who can suppress Wu Gong? You are only fit to fight the likes of Liu Guangshi."

"That bastard Wang Quan is only marginally better than that fucking Liu Guangshi. Defeat him and see what you can do. You'll be unrivaled in heaven and earth." Wanyan Liang was determined to use this defeat to enforce military discipline: "Pah, I'm so ashamed for you!"

After spitting for a while, Wanyan Liang calmed down. Seeing Wanyan Alin still kneeling on the ground and the other civil and military officials in a state of silence, he said angrily, "Be careful not to be arrogant or impatient, understand? Why are you so proud when you haven't even conquered a tough nut to crack? If the army still remains in this state of disarray, believe it or not, I'll start with you, the general manager."

Wanyan Alin was shaking like a sieve.

"Do you understand? If you do, then go get to work!" Wanyan Liang thought for a moment and added, "Take the gifts and distribute them to these heroes of the Song army!"

"Dong" Wanyan Alin kowtowed and ran down the earthen platform in a few steps.

Su Baoheng watched coldly from the side, and although he didn't say a word, he was also somewhat dissatisfied in his heart.

Isn’t the source of the arrogance in the army Wanyan Liang himself?
No matter how many times he scolded his subordinates, Wanyan Liang himself made an extremely risky strategic decision. For example, when the Song army still had navy upstream, he allowed the Jin navy to risk entering the river and move with the army. This strategic arrangement was simply a gamble, betting that all the Song troops on the river were as useless as Zhang Guang, the commander-in-chief of the Jiankang navy.

Now Li Dao comes out and starts a war with the Jin navy without saying a word. In fact, he has already lost half of the gamble.

However, this strategic decision could not be changed by people like Wanyan Bendu and Wanyan Yuanyi.

All they could do was to ignore these dangers and spread words like "The Great Jin is invincible and the enemies are like grass" to the soldiers.

If this continues for a long time, how can there not be arrogance and conceit in the army?
Thinking of this, Su Baoheng also felt a little bored.

He was also powerless, so what right did he have to laugh at Wanyan Yuanyi and the others? Su Baoheng had the heart, ability, and means, but what could he do facing such a king? He only remembered that Wanyan Liang had chosen him from a humble background, and he would serve him wholeheartedly and until his death.

Xin Qiji stood on the small island, watching coldly as the water gate of the Jin army camp opened again. A ship converted from a merchant ship slowly sailed out, with a large "Wuping" flag fluttering in the wind.

A gong sounded from above, and the Jin army that came to challenge returned to the water gate in their small boats as if they had been pardoned.

The four chariots and ships of the Song army were not to be outdone, and they also moved forward 200 steps, facing the chariot and ship of the Jin army, which was only 80 feet long.

"I am Wanyan Alin, the commander-in-chief of the Wuping Army!" Wanyan Alin stood at the bow of the boat, unafraid of any danger. He stared at Xin Qiji and shouted, "General, may I know your name?"

"I am Xin Qiji, a Han general and commander of the Tabai Army under Geng Jing, commander-in-chief of the Shandong Tianping Army."

"The Han have been dead for a thousand years, and I've never heard of any remnants." Wanyan Alin was unconvinced: "You man, did you just pop out of the Peach Blossom Spring?" "As long as the Han are here, the Han Empire will not perish!" Xin Qiji replied impatiently. "If you want to fight, then fight. If you want to collect the bodies, that's up to you. Why all this nonsense!"

"Today, the Great Jin suffered a defeat. We acknowledge it, and we can afford it!" Wanyan Alin remained undeterred. He waved his hand, ordering several small boats to row ashore to collect the bodies. He continued aloud, "I wonder which general commanded the navy? And which warrior is singing?"

"I am Li Dao from Dongting Lake!" Li Dao looked at him from a distance when he heard this.

Liu Huai was not to be outdone: "My grandfather is Liu Huai, the commander-in-chief of the Shandong Jingnan Army!"

Wanyan Alin remained unperturbed and continued, "The Emperor of the Great Jin is eager to seek talented people. If you surrender with courtesy, you will be rewarded with no less official titles..."

"roll!"

"roll!"

Liu Huai and Li Dao uttered their contemptuous words almost at the same time, and even the soldiers on the Song army's chariots and boats started to clamor.

"...You are good men, too. Why do you risk your lives for the Zhao Song government?" When the voices faded, Wanyan Alin suppressed his anger and spoke again loudly: "Which of them in that family was not a tyrant? A hero like Yue Fei was unjustly killed, and a villain like Qin Hui was promoted. What else can these bastards not do? This shows that the Zhao family has lost its destiny, which is a great blessing for the world."

Liu Huai was about to sneer and refute, but he heard Li Dao beside him reciting a poem aloud.

It is:

"Looking out over the Central Plains, beyond the desolate mist, are many city walls. Back then, flowers and willows sheltered the city, and phoenix towers and dragon pavilions stood tall. Pearls and jades swirled around Wansui Mountain, and music filled the Penghu Palace. Now, iron cavalry fill the suburbs, and the wind and dust are fierce.

Where are the soldiers? Oil the swords. Where are the people? Fill the ditches. I sigh that the mountains and rivers remain the same, while the villages are deserted. When will I be able to lead the elite troops and cross the Qinghe and Luo rivers with a single whip? I will return and continue my journey to Hanyang, riding the Yellow Crane.

This poem is exactly Yue Fei's other poem "Man Jiang Hong".

Wanyan Alin was speechless immediately.

What can I say?

This poem has said it all.

Today, these Han people are fighting the Jin people to the end here, not for fame, not for profit, not for the Zhao family's kingdom, and not for official positions or titles.

It is for the soldiers who have anointed their swords, for the people who have filled the ditches, for the deserted cities, and for the villages that have been massacred.

It is to seek justice for the dead and to prevent the living from experiencing all this again!
Since the Jingkang Incident, how many millions of Song civilians have died? Wasn't it the Jin army that first raised the butcher knife? How can we simply brush it off as a case of the Zhao family being immoral and having lost their destiny?

Wanyan Liang, who heard the conversation from afar, sighed and walked down the platform with the civil and military officials.

Although Yue Fei is dead, his every word and action still affects everyone.

There is no need to listen anymore, these Song people will not surrender.

"Well... you have such a sharp tongue!" Wanyan Alin paused, waved his hand and asked a Jin soldier holding a long wooden box on the small island to come forward. He opened the long box in front of Xin Qiji, and four half-meter-long daggers were placed side by side in it.

"As the Mongols say, a sword belongs to a true warrior." Wanyan Alin said, "Your Majesty originally thought that during this trip south, the only two he would pay homage to were Li Xianzhong and Liu Qi. Who knew that at Caishiji, he would encounter so many brave men?"

"These four swords were forged by skilled craftsmen from the Great Jin Kingdom and presented to General Liu, General Li, General Xin, and Yu Sheren on the other side of the river. If one day you change your minds, you can surrender to our army with these treasures, and we will treat you well." Wanyan Alin finished his words, but couldn't help but say, "But I still hope you can hold out. Sooner or later, I will retrieve these four swords from your corpses!"

"Just wait and see!"

Xin Qiji took the wooden box, pulled out the long spear that was stuck in the ground, and walked onto the small boat that came to pick him up.

Wanyan Alin snorted coldly, and the small boat then turned and headed towards the Jin army's water gate.

　Thank you to the leader of the alliance, the disciples of Baidi Tower, for the reward. Thank you very much for your support.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)