New Song Dynasty: My Wife is an Imperial Princess

Although Li Gang was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), he was a renowned minister skilled in military strategy. He could tell from Wanyan Zongbi's hasty retreat north that something major had happened within the Jin state.

And the truth was just as he analyzed: Wanyan Xun, the commander of the Jin army in Youzhou, suddenly led his troops to Liaoyang City a month ago, and the two sides had a small-scale clash outside the city.

Emperor Wanyan Wuqimai of the Jin Dynasty was astonished to find that his carefully selected imperial guards had been utterly defeated by the miscellaneous troops of Youzhou, and had no chance to fight back.

In this battle, both sides had only five thousand troops, yet Wanyan Xun achieved a crazy record of zero casualties. Of course, the endless barrage of arrows was not the reason for the victory. What terrified Wanyan Wuqimai was the firearms that were powerful enough to blow his imperial guards away.

Could this be the explosive charge that Wanyan Xieye mentioned in the military report? Its power is indeed beyond what ordinary people can withstand.

But wasn't that Tang Qian's original creation? How come Wanyan Xun also possesses such a weapon?

"I see."

In just a moment, Wanyan Wuqimai understood the crux of the matter.

No wonder Tang Qian was able to command respect in Youzhou City. Despite being a prisoner, he lived the life of a Jin nobleman, with a large number of wives and concubines who could come and go as they pleased. It turned out that the young man not only won the heart of his own daughter but also colluded with Wanyan Xun to form an alliance.

Otherwise, where did Wanyan Xun get so many arrows, and where did he get the explosive packs?

With this thing in hand, how can Wanyan Xun possibly win?

After a completely crushing defeat, Wanyan Wuqimai dispatched an urgent messenger to Liaoyang, who rushed south without stopping along the way.

Even with three horses to rotate, the messenger still managed to run one to death before finally delivering the emperor's decree to the Jin army camp outside Guangling City as quickly as possible.

"Wanyan Xun, the commander of the Youzhou army, was granted the title of Anban Bojilie? Doesn't that mean he's been made crown prince?"

Upon hearing the news, Wanyan Xie and Wanyan Zonghan were stunned and unable to process this sudden and shocking news.

Wanyan Xun was indeed the son of the late emperor, but his mother was of pure Liao blood. He didn't even have the qualifications to enter the highest ruling class of the Jin Dynasty, so how could he possibly sit in the position of Anban Bojilie?

Could it be that Wanyan Wuqimai has lost his mind after becoming emperor? Or does he think the Jin imperial court is not chaotic enough and intends to create some trouble for himself?

It should be known that the issuance of this imperial edict will inevitably arouse dissatisfaction and anger among various tribes. What virtue or ability does Wanyan Xun possess to become the crown prince and inherit the throne of the Great Jin?

Since a mere commander of the Youzhou army could vie for the throne of the Great Jin, it seemed not impossible for me to try my hand at the position.

If Wanyan Wuqimai cannot provide a perfect explanation, the entire Jin Dynasty will inevitably fall into endless internal strife. So what are these people fighting for outside?

Realizing the problem, Wanyan Xie and Wanyan Zonghan immediately decided to abandon the attack on Guangling and return to the Jin Dynasty. They also sent this message to Wanyan Zongbi, who was besieging Lin'an.

Wanyan Zongbi wasn't stupid. He had gone through countless hardships to finally capture Lin'an, only to find his home gone. Where could he go to seek justice?

Standing atop the city wall, watching Wanyan Zongbi lead his 80,000-strong Jin army away without a trace, Li Gang couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After this battle, the Jin army should not invade our borders again.

Does this mean that the imperial court can head north, return to the capital city of Kaifeng, and restore the former glory of our Great Song Dynasty?

Meanwhile, in Guangling City, after so many days of stalemate, Tang Xiaoqi and Yelü Yilie had both gained experience in guerrilla warfare. Launching a sneak attack every now and then had become commonplace. However, this time, the two of them had been lying in ambush outside the Jin army camp with a hundred men each for half an hour, but the palm-sized grenades they threw in seemed to have sunk into the sea like stones, without making the slightest ripple.

In the past, even if no one came out of the Jin army camp to drive them away, it would at least cause a disturbance. Tang Xiaoqi and Yelü Yilie exchanged a glance and simultaneously sensed something unusual.

"Should I go closer and take a look?"

Noticing that no one was on guard duty on the enemy's corner tower, Yelü Yilie decided to approach the Jin camp to investigate.

Just to be on the safe side, Tang Xiaoqi stopped Yelü Yilie, who was about to leave, saying, "Let's wait and see, just in case there's a trap."

The two patiently waited for another half hour, during which dozens more palm-sized grenades were thrown in, but there was still no movement inside. Yelü Yilie stood up.

With just two leaps, he crossed the trench, which was at least two zhang wide. His body moved forward along the wooden wall. As he slowly approached the gate of the Jin army camp, Tang Xiaoqi's heart was in his throat. He glanced at the team members around him and said in a deep voice, "When Captain Yelü lures out the Jin soldiers, everyone must pay attention to their aim. Don't blow him up."

Tang Qian kept Yelü Yilie by his side, as he would be of great use in the future. If that kid died here, he really wouldn't know how to explain it to his young master when he returned.

After only a short wait, there was movement from the Jin army camp.

Seemingly sensing that a massive army was charging towards them, one of the suicide squad members standing right next to Tang Xiaoqi unconsciously gripped a palm grenade in his right hand, raised a tinderbox in his left, and pursed his lips, intending to blow away the sparks.

"Wait a minute." Tang Xiaoqi reached out to stop him from lighting the fuse. "Wait until Captain Yelü has crossed the trench before you make your move."

The terrain here is uneven and full of potholes, so he wasn't worried at all that the Jin army would chase after him on horseback. He was confident that they wouldn't be able to catch up on foot either. This was the experience they had gained from confronting the Jin army for days.

Fortunately, Tang Xiaoqi ordered that no rash actions be taken, otherwise Yelü Yilie, who had just shown his face, would have been hit by more than a dozen palm lightning bolts and instantly blown into a cloud of blood mist.

He moved with the agility of a nimble cat, leaping across the trench in a few swift movements and running back to Tang Xiaoqi's temporary position: "There's no one inside. What's Jin Gou up to?"

"Nobody's here? That's impossible."

In just a moment, Tang Xiaoqi's suspicion vanished. Yelü Yilie had just wandered around the gate of the Jin camp, so he must know very well what was going on inside.

"The Jin army really withdrew? So quickly?" Tang Xiaoqi was still wondering if there was a trap, but his teammates all looked excited. "Doesn't that mean we've defended Guangling City?"