Lin'an, Privy Council.

This is the highest official office in charge of military affairs in the Song Dynasty.

But Lin'an City was so crowded that even the 12th room of the Privy Council only had a cramped space next to the Royal Street.

It was rare for Ding Daquan to open the map in the public room and squint at it.

If we say that he was still a pragmatic official when he was appointed as the chief administrator of Ningde Road, but now he has risen to prominence and is in charge of the world, but he has neglected the military affairs.

On the seventh day of the second lunar month, Lin'an received news that tens of thousands of Mongolian troops had appeared north of the Huaihe River. The officials were shocked and finally reluctant to leave Ji Xixi's side, focusing on the war every day.

Today is February 27th, and Huaixi’s detailed battle report has finally arrived.

Ding Daquan must sort it out first and then report it to the officials.

Standing in front of him to report the military situation was a commander named "Lu Fengtai"...

Ding Daquan was not familiar with this military attache before, he only knew that he was under Yuan Jie's command.

Among the leading members of the Ding Party in various places, there are currently two with the highest status, Li Xia from Shuzhong and Yuan Jie from Huaizuo.

Yuan Jie was appointed as an envoy along the Yangtze River, and this time he was the first to face Kublai Khan's offensive.

However, Lu Fengtai was not highly used by Yuan Jie before. He could be sent to report military information, or because... he needed someone to take the blame.

"On February 15th, the Mongolian army crossed the Huaihe River and captured Dasheng Pass that same day."

Ding Daquan raised his hand to stop the report and found Dasheng Pass in Xinyang.

This is south of the Huaihe River, geographically considered Henan, and now belongs to Huainan Road.

It was Xinyang that Liu Zheng recaptured with twelve brave men...

After sorting this out in his mind and thinking about what to say when he met the official, Ding Daquan said: "Go on."

"On the same day, Zhang Rou captured Hutou Pass."

Ding Daquan was horrified.

Even though his palace was deep, he couldn't help but ask: "So fast?!"

Hutouguan is located in Huangzhou. Although it is also on the Huainan Road, it is already on Jinghu Lake and is more than 300 miles away from Xinyang.

Everyone can imagine that the officials will be furious.

"With a loss of three hundred miles in one day, will the Mongolian army reach Lin'an on May or Sixth?!"

Ding Daquan seemed to have heard the official's shouts and questions.

He broke out in a cold sweat, and when he spoke, he could no longer control his tone and asked: "The dangerous place at Tiger Head Pass, how...how could it be lost so quickly?"

Lu Fengtai said: "The Mongolian army flew to Guangzhou, Zhang Rou sent his son Zhang Hongyan as the vanguard, and directly defeated our army, driving the troops to break the Hutou Pass."

"What happened to Yuan Jie?! How could he fail like this!"

"Be kind and appease your anger. The general...has not finished speaking yet."

Ding Daquan was stunned for a moment.

Lu Fengtai raised his hand and moved to the Yangtze River.

Ding Daquan's eyes were stunned and he no longer dared to look.

But Lu Fengtai's voice still sounded.

"On the 18th, the Mongolian army arrived on the north bank of the Yangtze River."

"You mean... Huaixi... was penetrated on the third day?"

Ding Daquan asked, but without waiting for an answer, he became furious and shouted: "It will take you six days at the earliest to come from Huaixi. Come on! Let me hear the truth, what else can happen?!"

Facing Ding Daquan's madness, Lu Fengtai lowered his head.

But there was a strange calmness in the voice.

This man is really weird, yet he can be very calm under such circumstances.

"On the 19th, the Mongolian army prepared to cross the river..."

"Impossible!" Ding Daquan didn't believe it and shouted: "That's nonsense! The Mongols don't have a navy at all. It's impossible..."

Lu Fengtai said: "Yuan Shuai... offended the people along the river. As soon as the Mongolian army arrived, all the Yangtze River fishermen donated their fishing boats to the Mongolian army and served as guides."

"Why did you 'offend' the people by telling the truth?!"

Lu Fengtai did not dare to answer.

"explain!"

"The people in Huaixi said that Yuan Shuai... imposed excessive levies and extorted money, and that the Mongolian army was the benevolent and righteous man who punished the people..."

"That's enough! Our soldiers and civilians of the Song Dynasty fought bloody battles against the Mongols for more than twenty years, and we will not tolerate your slander!"

"Bang!"

Ding Daquan picked up an inkstone and smashed it on the ground.

It was a tribute pure mud inkstone, as beautiful as jade. It stores ink without depleting it, accumulating ink does not rot, does not freeze in winter, does not wither in summer, and is not eaten by insects when writing or painting.

This inkstone alone can buy a courtyard with three entrances in the inner city of Lin'an.

Ding Daquan said he would smash it.

Lu Fengtai lowered his head and looked at the crystal fragments on the ground, seeming to see Ding Daquan's determination to maintain the people's enthusiasm to resist Mongolia.

a long time.

Ding Daquan shook his head and murmured: "I know the truth..."

"Your Majesty, I haven't finished speaking yet..."

~~

"when!"

A gold cup was smashed on a gold brick but did not break.

But in the Xuande Hall, no one could bear the anger of Zhao Yun, an official of the Song Dynasty.

"Ding Daquan! How dare you betray my trust like this!"

"My lord, your crime deserves death!"

"Your Majesty! Ding Daquan appointed Yuan Jie and ruined the Jiang defense affairs. I begged to kill Ding..."

"Get off!"

Since Zhao Yun came to the throne, this is the first time that he has been so angry with courtiers in the main hall.

This word "go" was the first time that all ministers heard it from an official.

But no one dared to remind the officials to pay attention to the etiquette of the emperor.

After another while, Ding Daquan saw Cao Yongnian, who had just threatened to kill him, exiting the Xuande Hall in despair, and then he dared to raise his head slightly.

"go on."

"On February 20, the Mongolian army crossed the river from Yangluo Fort. Ezhou defender Lu Wenxin led the navy to fight and encountered the Mongolian army Dong Wenbing's tribe. At the end of the battle, Lu Wenxin died in the battle, and more than 20 warships were captured. The soldiers

Countless people drowned..."

Zhao Yun has closed his eyes.

Ding Daquan is still talking.

"After that, the Mongolian army quickly crossed the Yangtze River and surrounded Ezhou City..."

The hall was quiet for a long time.

Later, Zhao Yun's hoarse voice sounded.

"Tell me, are you saying...that the natural barrier of the Yangtze River has been lost?!"

No one dared to answer.

For Lin'an City, the battle before them was countless times more terrifying than Meng Ge's soldiers besieging Diaoyu City.

Behind Diaoyu City are Chongqing, Wanzhou, Jingzhou, and the entire Jinghu defense line.

What about Ezhou?

Located south of the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, it is only 1,500 miles away from Lin'an.

It had only been a few days since the Mongolian army crossed the Huaihe River. The disaster of national subjugation had suddenly struck before our eyes!

"Who will tell me?! Has the natural barrier of the Yangtze River been lost?!"

…

"His Majesty!"

In the silence, someone fell to the ground.

"I, as a minister, both know the affairs of the Privy Council and participate in political affairs. If you spare Huchen, please behead Ding Daquan."
To be continued...