After Zhao Tai crossed the Huaihe River, nearly 80,000 Qi troops joined forces with 30,000 Song troops in Chuzhou City.

The Chuzhou Song Army and the Qi Army were not under each other. In terms of official positions in the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhao Tai could not command the Southern Song Dynasty's Forbidden Army and the Huai Army. However, because the Qi Army defeated the Mongolian Army and relieved the siege of Chuzhou, the Song Army in Chuzhou City

Now everyone is convinced by Zhao Tai.

After Zhao Tai and Zhao Fan discussed it, they immediately decided to join forces, leaving 10,000 Song troops to guard Chuzhou, and assembled 100,000 troops to march south with the intention of relieving Yangzhou.

Because the Mongolian army besieging Yangzhou was extremely powerful, Zhao Tai marched very cautiously, and his 100,000 troops did not move very fast.

The army set out from Chuzhou and took three days to reach Gaoyou.

On March 28th, it was already very warm in Huainan.

The Tiger Cavalry Camp was built in Qianhu Shikai, leading a thousand cavalrymen and galloping in front of the army to keep their eyes open so as not to be ambushed by the Mongolian army.

This time the Mongolian army invaded Huainan and caused great damage to Huainan. All the villages along the way were wiped out. The people were either killed or taken captive to Yangzhou City and forced to participate in the siege operations.

Shi Kai led the cavalry and galloped all the way. The prosperous Jiangbei area seemed to have returned to the Shangzhou period, an era that had not yet been developed.

At this time, the cavalry galloped, and a city appeared in front of them. Baihu Jincheng raised his whip and pointed: "Qianhu, we have arrived at Gaoyou."

While he was talking, suddenly a southeasterly wind blew in, which was actually mixed with a foul smell. Jin Cheng, who opened his mouth to speak, started to retching, "Wow, what does it smell like!"

When Shi Kai moved his nose, he also smelled the stench, and the further he ran, the stronger the stench became.

"It's coming from the city!" Shi Kai reined in his horse, the stone wrinkled.

Jin Cheng retched for a while and wiped his mouth, "I'm sorry, let me go and take a look first!"

Shi Kai nodded, and several cavalrymen covered their mouths and noses with cloth and ran towards Gaoyou City.

At this time, there was no Mongolian army in Gaoyou City. The cavalry rushed into the city and were shocked by the scene in front of them.

On the streets in the city, there were layers upon layers of corpses of people. These corpses had obviously been dead for some time. Each one was highly decomposed and covered with maggots.

The soldiers of the Qi army had seen a big scene, but they couldn't bear it when they saw corpses and maggots all over the ground. Several cavalrymen couldn't help but vomited in an instant.

Zhao Tai and Zhao Fan led the army to advance slowly. They originally planned to rest in Gaoyou City, but unexpectedly, Gaoyou City was full of dead bodies, so they had to stop far away.

In the Qi Army camp, Zhao Tai, Zhao Fan and others gathered together to discuss countermeasures.

At this time, Zhao Tai said: "The Mongols were brutal and massacred the people. After the Tatars massacred the city, no one kept the corpses in Gaoyou City. Now that the weather is getting warmer, the corpses will decay quickly, and it is very easy to form a plague."

Zhao Fan said with a dark face, "I will send someone to restrain him."

Gaoyou is the boundary between the Huaihe River and the Huaihe River. This matter is naturally handled by Zhao Fan, but Zhao Tai still made a suggestion, "Now I am sending people in to clean up. I think it will be very difficult. In order to avoid the plague, I suggest burning the city directly and destroying Gaoyou and the rest of the city."

Burn the corpses together. In this way, the Tatars in the south will also know that we have entered Gaoyou territory and can force Kublai Khan to retreat!"

Zhao Fan thought for a while and nodded: "We can burn the city, but the Northern troops are raging in Huainan and killing my people. I am not willing to let them retreat completely."

Wang Bin heard this and said: "Mr. Zhao! Although our army defeated Sawul, Kublai Khan's main force did not suffer any losses. There are nearly 100,000 Mongolian troops in the north of the Yangtze River. With our strength, it is difficult to encircle and annihilate Kublai Khan's main force in the north of the Yangtze River.

, and may even suffer a Tatar counterattack."

Zhao Fan also knew that even if they attacked the Yangzhou defenders from both sides, the Song army would not be able to completely annihilate the main force of the Mongolian army.

So he nodded and said: "I know this too. Let's set the fire first and then see how Kublai Khan reacts."

】

Zhao Tai said in a deep voice: "I estimate that Kublai Khan will most likely cross the canal and turn towards Huaixi. But I don't know if Kublai Khan will retreat directly through the Huaihe River. If he stays in Huaixi, we have to rush

It’s not easy for him to go out.”

Zhao Fandao: "Prime Minister Zheng has a plan. As long as the siege of Yangzhou is lifted and the Mongolian army cannot threaten Lin'an, we will have the confidence to continue the confrontation. By then, when the armies of Sichuan and Jingxiang threaten Guanzhong and the Central Plains, the Mongolian army will see no gains.

Picture, we must withdraw our troops!”

Zhao Tai nodded, "I hope so!"

At that moment, Zhao Tai and Zhao Fan discussed and decided to clean up Gao You's body first.

Zhao Fan sent a team of archers to the outside of Gaoyou City and fired rockets into the city. Gaoyou City immediately burst into flames.

Before the fire burned out, a group of men and horses were attracted.

Early that morning, a group of well-equipped cavalry galloped to the Qi army's camp.

Zhao Tai, Zhao Fan and others were waiting outside the camp. Because they were one step ahead of the cavalry, the Qi army's sentries had informed Zhao Tai of the identity of the visitor, who was none other than Privy Councilor Zhao Kui.

"Prime Minister!" Seeing Zhao Kui turn over and dismount, Zhao Tai smiled and clasped his fists.

Zhao Kui came over, returned the salute with his hands, and said with a smile: "The northern soldiers who besieged Yangzhou suddenly retreated, so I guessed that His Highness went south."

Zhao Tai and Zhao Fan looked at each other, and Zhao Fan asked: "Prime Minister, Kublai Khan has withdrawn the siege?"

Zhao Kui nodded, "Withdraw! We crossed the canal to the west overnight. The combat power of the army led by me was worrying, so we did not pursue it!"

When Zhao Tai heard that Kublai Khan had withdrawn, he was both happy and a little regretful.

He was happy that the crisis facing the Southern Song Dynasty was lifted and he was bound to the Southern Song Dynasty. After the Mongolian army retreated, he should be able to live a peaceful life.

With his ability, as long as he is given a stable environment, he will be able to tinker with cannons and muskets in a few years, and Kublai Khan will be able to sing and dance well by then.

What he regretted was that the main force of the Mongolian army was not lost and they were not beaten painfully. Maybe the Mongolian army would not give up and launch another attack next year.

Facing nomadic civilization, agricultural civilization is sometimes naturally at a disadvantage militarily.

Agricultural countries need a stable environment for farming and cannot fight every year, while nomadic civilizations can invade invaders continuously, and the more they fight, the richer they become.

Zhao Tai turned sideways and said: "Prime Minister, it's windy outside. Let's talk after we enter the camp!"

At that moment, Zhao Tai led several people into the camp and sat down in the Chinese army's tent.

Zhao Tai's official position was lower than that of Zhao Kui, but his title was the most noble. This was his camp, so he sat in the main seat without hesitation.

At this time, several people sat down and were about to continue talking when Wanyan Chenghu suddenly came in with a tent and said, "Your Majesty, to the west of Chuzhou, we found that the Mongolian army was fighting a fierce battle with a Song army!"

Zhao Tai was quite surprised when he heard this, and couldn't help but look at Zhao Fan and Zhao Kui, but they both looked confused.

Seeing this, Zhao Tai couldn't help asking, "Aren't they two of our husbands?"
Chapter completed!