New Song Dynasty: My Wife is an Imperial Princess

Emperor Gaozong thought that with Prince Kang, Zhao Gou, leaving with utmost sincerity, Emperor Huan of Song could rest easy. However, reality delivered a harsh slap to the Song emperor's face.

The Jin army's western route entered the pass through Yunzhou and occupied Taiyuan Prefecture in just a few days. Wanyan Zongwang led his army south, and the vanguard had already reached Xiangzhou City.

It should be noted that this is the northern gateway to Tokyo. If Xiangzhou falls, the Jin army's western route can advance unimpeded and reach the capital of the Song Dynasty.

The Eastern Route Army was equally formidable. The Song army in Hejian Prefecture fought desperately, but they could not hold out for three days under the fierce attack of the Jin army. After the city fell, Wanyan Xie did not make any preparations, but instead turned his attention to Daming Prefecture. In just two months, the city of Dongjing was once again besieged by the Jin army from two directions.

This time, without Li Gang, Zong Ze, the only one who could rival the Jin army, was also taken away by Prince Kang, Zhao Gou. The city of Bianjing was filled with wailing. Soldiers and civilians alike were all thinking about how to escape the capital. The sense of shared hatred at the beginning of the year was completely gone. Under such a dark cloud, the court had no will to resist.

"Didn't Prince Kang go to Wanyan Xieye to negotiate peace with me, carrying my letter of state? Why was there no effect whatsoever?"

Inside the main hall, Zhao Huan was reprimanding Zhao Gou for his incompetence. The Jin army seemed to have no intention of withdrawing at all; on the contrary, they accelerated the siege of Tokyo. In just half a month, tens of thousands of troops had already gathered outside the city.

"Your Majesty, Prince Kang, Zhao Gou, recently appeared in Cizhou City. He did not go to the Jin camp to negotiate peace with the Jin army commander, but instead disappeared on the way."

"What?" Zhao Huan was so angry at the report that his liver ached. "Why was such important news only reported now?"

The Jin people were completely unaware of the peace negotiations, so naturally they would not voluntarily withdraw their troops. Zhao Gou misled the country and its people, and he deserved to die. After this war is over, he must be executed as a warning to others.

"The Jin army marched south, and the road back to the city was cut off, resulting in a loss of information and causing delays in state affairs. I beg Your Majesty to punish us."

"What's the use of punishment?" Zhao Huan slammed his fist on the table, making all the memorials on it bounce high. "The most urgent task is to figure out how to lift the siege of Tokyo."

The emperor's words were followed by a hush in the hall. Looking at these people who were usually so eloquent and argumentative during factional struggles, yet dared not utter a single word at this crucial moment, Zhao Huan could only sigh: "Since none of you are speaking, then I will have to appoint the generals myself. Where is He Su, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel?"

Upon hearing the emperor call his name, He Su's body trembled violently, and he immediately stepped forward and bowed in respect.

"At this critical juncture of life and death, do you have any good strategies to defeat the enemy?"

"In my opinion, the Jin army's invasion this time is unstoppable. We absolutely cannot confront them head-on. We should follow the tactics of Li Gang, the former garrison commander of Tokyo, and remain within the city walls, defending Tokyo to the death. We should also order the various local militias to come to the capital to defend the emperor. Furthermore, the retreat of Prince Kang to Cizhou is not necessarily a bad thing for the court. Now, Wanyan Xie's eastern army has captured Daming Prefecture, and the main force is heading south. If Prince Kang were to launch a counterattack from Cizhou and recapture Daming Prefecture, Wanyan Xie would be unable to attend to both ends, which would disrupt his plan to attack Tokyo and buy time for the various armies to arrive. Once the reinforcements arrive, the Jin army will inevitably choose to negotiate peace with our Great Song, just like last time."

"Very well." After so much discussion, Zhao Huan finally heard a constructive strategy. "Then let's follow your suggestion and issue an edict to reinstate Li Gang. Before Vice Minister Li returns to Tokyo, Right Chancellor He will be in full charge of the city's defenses. Order the transport commissioners of Jingxi North Road, Jingxi South Road, and Huainan East Road to immediately lead their troops into the capital. Order Zong Ze's troops in Cizhou to immediately attack and capture Daming Prefecture, cutting off the Jin army's rear and securing the most bargaining chips for peace negotiations. From this day forward, all city gates will be closed, and no one is allowed to enter or leave without fail."

With the issuance of imperial edicts, the entire city of Tokyo was once again plunged into a tense atmosphere of impending doom. Flying servants took flight from the top of the city walls, and fine horses galloped out of the city gates, heading towards their respective destinations to deliver the imperial decrees.

In this life-or-death crisis, the entire capital city of Tokyo once again sprang into action. Unfortunately, Zhao Huan's resistance, though seemingly powerful, ultimately failed to withstand the fierce attack from both sides by the Jin army. After holding out for five months, the city fell and the country perished.

Youzhou City.

As the long, cold winter approached, the entire city was once again sealed off by heavy snow. Fortunately, thanks to the more than 100,000 shi of grain obtained from selling glassmaking techniques and the food from the recent autumn harvest, the tens of thousands of people in the city were able to safely get through the winter.

With the renovations and the widespread use of fireplaces over the past year, the problem of safe heating has finally been completely solved. Although war is still raging outside, the city of Youzhou is peaceful and tranquil.

It was precisely because of this that the Princess's Mansion's prestige soared to an unprecedented height. All the people in the city placed longevity tablets for Wanyan Xigong at their homes, and everyone hoped that the Seventh Princess of the Jin Kingdom could live to be a hundred years old.

At this moment, in the military tent of Commander Wanyan Xun at the Youzhou Army Command Post, Tang Qian was leaning comfortably against the fire, rubbing his hands together. He took the intelligence handed to him by Wanyan Xun, read it carefully, and then returned it to Wanyan Xun.

Wanyan Xun did not reach out to take it, but instructed Tang Qian to simply throw it into the fire.

"The Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty truly lives up to his reputation as the son of the Daoist Emperor. He actually believed He Su and used some kind of Six Ding and Six Jia method to deal with our army's massive offensive. If there were really divine protection, how could the Great Song Dynasty have fallen to such a state?"

Tang Qian smiled bitterly: "This is also because the Song Dynasty was forced into a corner and made desperate attempts to find a cure. As a result, not only did they lose the outer city, but their battle losses were also extremely heavy."

"So, does that mean the Song Dynasty is doomed this time?"

Tang Qian nodded: "If things continue like this, we won't be able to hold out until March next year at the latest. Does Your Highness really not intend to return to the Great Jin Ancestral Court at this time?"

Wanyan Xun merely gave a cold laugh and did not answer Tang Qian's question.

The Youzhou army is not strong enough to intimidate the entire Jin Dynasty. To launch an attack now would be suicidal. With their rear on fire, Wanyan Wuqimai will definitely recall the main force that attacked Song to quell the rebellion. This strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" should be Tang Qian's method of relieving the siege of Tokyo.

However, his intention to save the country was to sacrifice the Youzhou army, which showed his extremely vicious nature.

"Since Your Highness has no intention of advancing eastward at this time, let's talk about what's next. Zong Ze's troops in Cizhou have captured Daming Prefecture, which is tantamount to cutting off Wanyan Xieye's retreat. Do you think the Emperor of Jin will send the Youzhou army to its aid?"