April of the eleventh year of Wu Jianshuo was one of the most critical time periods that determined the situation of the entire world. The Battle of Jiangning was in full swing, and in Xiangfan, more than a thousand miles away, hundreds of thousands of defenders were still suffering under Wanyan Zonghan's fierce attack.
Hard support.
Since the close combat between the two sides in the second half of last year, the Wu Dynasty has still demonstrated its strong national power and profound heritage despite the fierce offensive of the Jurchens' fourth southern expedition.
After nearly ten years of forbearance and preparation, even if the Central Plains were lost, a more prosperous economic system was established in the south of the Yangtze River, supporting a relatively powerful giant-like body. In the war situation that followed for nearly a year, Wu
Although the DPRK was defeated from time to time and was often at a disadvantage, its solid foundation and continuous number of soldiers made up for the losses of the defeat. Even though the Yangtze River defense line had been broken, several important fulcrums that supported the framework of Jiangnan remained stubbornly defiant.
In some places, there was even a situation of back and forth, which caused the desperate Jurchen army to be dragged near the Yangtze River and unable to go south for a long time.
If this situation proves that the Wu Dynasty still possesses huge strength in terms of total strength, the Zhenjiang incident at the end of April may have profoundly illustrated the various secret wounds and contradictions hidden in the giant body of the Wu Dynasty.
Compared with the Jurchens' first march south more than ten years ago, although the Wu Dynasty's millions of troops were defeated in one blow in front of the Jurchens' powerful combat power, many people in the world still maintain the dignity that once belonged to the superior country.
If defeated, you can escape, but not many surrender to the enemy. Even if your fighting power is weak, resistance throughout the Central Plains region is endless.
However, after more than ten years of brewing and changes, the heroic resistance to the Jin Dynasty has turned more to the tragic words of actors and scholars, although for ordinary people, what happened during the Jingping period has always been a shame and a great humiliation.
Jin's voice has become louder and louder, but among the powerful people in the middle and upper classes of the Wu Dynasty and the wealthy gentry families, the proportion of those who have connections with the Jurchens or even those who surrender to the enemy has greatly increased.
After more than ten years of going back and forth, on the one hand, we are in a state of opposition, and on the other hand, Jin and Wu are constantly deepening their ties. When the balance of power on the table becomes obvious, most smart people will make their own calculations.
.The battle in Zhenjiang at the end of April was not so much a contrast between offense and defense, but more of a ferocious collision of the comprehensive strengths of both sides.
This is a battle that is different from the previous situations. Even if what is apparent on the surface is just Wanyan Xiyin's successful use of time and instigation of rebellion, the layout of the normal battle has already begun with a purpose last year. The Jurchens
The infiltration of Wu Dynasty made people in Lin'an court panic, making all this more like a large-scale replica of Ning Yi's Liangshan Incident.
Compared with the rapid transmission of information, the movement of tens of thousands or even more than 100,000 troops, every major movement seemed very slow. In mid-April, Wanyan Xiyin's army turned to Zhenjiang. Regarding his desperate behavior, all parties involved
He had already smelled something unusual, but just to keep up with his movements, the various armies on the Wu Dynasty's side also needed a long enough time, and in the process, everyone had to be wary of the possibility of the other side making a false shot.
By April 19th, Xiyin began to prepare for the siege, and the surrounding troops could confirm the authenticity of the entire action and surrounded him in the direction of Zhenjiang.
On the 22nd, Xi Yin sent alienating messengers to Jun Wu and others in Zhenjiang City. On the same day, he sent out a large number of leaflets to Zhenjiang City, saying that the nine tribes who participated in the defense of the city would not be pardoned, and the information that first dedicated the city to meritorious services would be granted the title of Marquis of Wanhu.
As they drove away, at the same time, news and evidence continued to spread that a certain official in the imperial court had surrendered to the Jurchens. In this atmosphere, that afternoon, the Jurchen army launched an all-out attack on the city.
Wanyan Xiyin's fierce attack on Zhenjiang was already a desperate one. Almost all powerful explosive bombs were thrown at the city head without hesitation. During the interval between bombings, the Tushan Guards desperately launched a fierce attack on the wall. At this time, in the southeast of Zhenjiang,
More than 200,000 troops had already set off from the south. In Zhenjiang City, Jun Wu and others increased the law enforcement efforts of the military law team. At the same time, they adopted a one-on-one defensive strategy against the generals, and the siege began.
Previously, the defense areas of each team were even changed.
If Xiyin's attack on the city fails, tens of thousands of people led by Tushan Guards, Yin Shuke, Arubao and others led by him are likely to be surrounded by the army and eventually die under Zhenjiang City.
After paying a heavy price, the morale of the Wu Dynasty people will rise as a result, and the Jurchens' fourth southern expedition will only have a dismal ending so far.
The Jurchens' crazy attack, coupled with the city defenders' subsequent declaration of no mercy from the nine tribes, put tremendous pressure on the army in the city, but at the same time made the city defenders' resistance become more resolute. However, compared to the attack,
For those who defend the city, what determines the success or failure of defending the city is not the long board with the highest fighting spirit, but only one key flaw.
In the early morning of April 25th, a flaw appeared. A young general named Geng Changzhong led a small number of his guards to launch a rebellion. After contacting the Jurchens, he tried to open the double-corner gate in the east of Zhenjiang. His rebellion was not completely successful.
However, due to civil strife, the Jurchens launched a fierce attack on the Double Corner Gate, occupied the city wall and opened the door. At this point, the Jurchen army surged in from the east of Zhenjiang.
Flames raged in the city due to the explosion, and the battle spread and broke out in the city. The Jurchen soldiers' morale was high after entering the city, but soon after, they were greeted by a head-on attack and vigorous resistance from the defending army. Jun Wu led the troops from the camp
came out, mobilized all the soldiers in the city to fight against the Jurchens, and at the same time organized the people in the city to flee from the docks and roads on the other sides.
I'm afraid not many people can understand Jun Wu's mood at that time. The resistance of hundreds of thousands of people was ruined by the weakness of one person. Of course, if this person could hold on longer, there might be other weak people. But in the early morning of that day,
In the darkness, Jun Wu did not fall down from this head-on blow. He rode a silver-armored war horse and ran around waving his sword, constantly issuing orders to boost the morale of the soldiers and guiding the fleeing people.
There were still naval troop transport ships and merchant ships docked at the docks near Zhenjiang. Officials of the Prince's Palace, including Wen Renbuer, tried to persuade Jun Wu to board the ship and escape from Zhenjiang, which was already hopeless, but Jun Wu directly rejected such persuasion.
, he ordered the navy to carry the people across the canal so that the people in the city could escape, and at the same time ordered the defenders in the south of the city to open a road for the people.
Zhenjiang is the hub where the canal and the Yangtze River cross. As of last year, there were as many as one million people living in Zhenjiang. After the war, the nearby people were dispersed. There are still more than 400,000 people living in the city. That night, there was massacre and flames
Spreading in the city, the fleeing team was vast, and the entire city was plunged into a boiling fight.
Defeating Zhenjiang is the most critical step in Xi Yin's entire war plan. When the goal of destroying the city is achieved, even he enters a state of excitement. Shortly after Tushan Guards and a group of Jurchen elites entered the city, the defenders counterattacked.
Come. At this time, Zhenjiang has been broken. According to Xi Yin, all the soldiers of the Wu Dynasty will face the fate of killing the Nine Tribes after the Jin Kingdom rules this place. The resistance of the entire city has entered a white-hot state in the blink of an eye.
In Zhenjiang at this time, Xiyin led the Tushan Guards, and together with some of Yin Shuke and Arubao's troops, the number of Jin soldiers was close to 70,000, while the Wu Dynasty army in Zhenjiang City was only over 100,000, but after the city was broken
On the twenty-fifth day after that, Zhenjiang's battle against the Jin people reached its most brutal climax. Some generals led the soldiers to charge wildly, fighting to the death without retreating. Some of the Tushan Guards were even beaten after entering the city.
Frustrated by the fierce counterattack, they retreated repeatedly.
In the early morning of the 25th, less than half of the city was engulfed in flames, and a large number of people were still fleeing out of the city. At this time, fighting began to break out near the escape road outside the city in the south. Arubao's army tried to block the south road.
However, he was violently blocked by the Wu Dynasty army arranged here by Jun Wu. The Wu Dynasty general Zou Tianchi, who led 20,000 Wu Dynasty troops to guard here, was nearly sixty years old and never returned after being arranged here by Jun Wu.
After retreating, the troops under his command collapsed or perished in the next two days, and some surrendered. Two days later, he faced Arubao's fierce attack. The old general was blown away by the cannonball. When he got up, his right arm was already bloody.
, covered in blood, the old general led the charge with a knife in one hand, and finally fell while staggering forward.
This was just a small episode in the entire Zhenjiang War. On the morning of the 25th, Jun Wu, who had been running all night, had a little breather. He drank rice porridge brought by his wife in a house on the street, and finally
Renzhi wiped the tears from his eyes, then got on horseback and ran around the battlefields to boost his morale. During this period, countless people persuaded him to leave Zhenjiang immediately, and even some people who had not fled could see the prince running.
Feeling tired, he tried to persuade the prince to get on the boat and leave. Jun Wu shook his head and refused, shouting hoarsely.
"The city defenders will risk their lives, how can I leave first! If I leave, you will have no chance of survival!"
He said this to the people and continued to encourage the soldiers guarding the city at the edge of the battlefield: "The Jurchens will not give us a way out! They will not give us the people of the Wu Dynasty a way out! I am with you. Before the people evacuate,
If you don’t retreat, I won’t retreat either.”
Zhenjiang City is not small, but during this day, soldiers and people even saw the prince running past two or three times. His robes gradually became dirty, his voice became hoarse, and his movements became weak, but his voice became hoarse.
The shouting words and actions became more determined, and some of the originally timid soldiers embarked on the road to rush towards the Jurchens.
On the evening of the 25th, Jun Wu fell off his horse. Wen Renbuer, who was following him, came to persuade him to leave again, but Jun Wu refused again: "I can't leave. The military morale can be used, and the people's moral support can be used. I saw that we still have
hope!"
Wenren Buer shook his head: "Zhenjiang has fallen, and it will be a trivial matter from now on. The Wu Dynasty cannot live without His Highness! Your Highness transfers to Lin'an, but there is still a glimmer of hope. Your Highness..."
Jun Wu kept shaking his head. His face was already gray and black, even mixed with some blood stains. At this time, tears flowed out: "It's not a trivial matter! The lives of hundreds of thousands of people and an army of one hundred thousand are not a trivial matter! Senior Brother Wenren,
I know what you are thinking! But have you seen it? People's hearts can be used. They can fight and dare to fight. Zhenjiang has not yet been defeated! They fight in and we defeat them. There are hundreds of thousands of people nearby rushing over. We will kill Wanyan Xi.
Yin stays here! We still have hope!"
In Jun Wu's eyes, he saw the determination and fanaticism of the last hope. Perhaps it was also because he saw the determination and heroism of the resistance on the 25th. Wenren Buer felt sad, but stopped persuading. On the 26th, those who entered the city
The Jurchen troops have begun to persuade them to surrender. The resistance is still fierce, but it has begun to decline.
On the twenty-seventh, half of Zhenjiang City was in flames. At this time, hundreds of thousands of people still failed to escape. The defense line on the southern outskirts of Zhenjiang City was already in danger under Arubao's fierce attack. When Junwu led the army to support, the old general
Zou Tianchi had already died on the way to Chao Arubao's charge.
On the road leaving Zhenjiang in the south, on one side of the Grand Canal, the mountains and valleys were full of fleeing people. Junwu gathered up the defeated troops and organized a defense line. At the same time, he also urged the soldiers and civilians in Zhenjiang to move quickly. At this time,
, the situation in Zhenjiang as a whole was already in danger. A cavalry group of Tushan Guards found Jun Wu's direction and came towards this direction. The surrounding generals and staff tried to persuade him again and again. Jun Wu stood on the top of the hill and looked down.
Fleeing people: "Can't we defeat them?"
The guards following Jun Wu set up a defensive formation, and the soldiers also urged the people to leave as quickly as possible. When the cavalry on the opposite side appeared, it was the afternoon of that day, and the sun reflected the water on the Grand Canal, and the shore
There were wild flowers and green grass on the side. The military general Wang Qi stood on the hillside. Watching the guards repulse the charge of the cavalry, the cavalry approached the crowd in a roundabout way and fired arrows into the crowd. The cavalry of the guards chased after them. In the chaos,
Fighting in the middle.
In less than two seconds, the Jurchen cavalry turned into several groups and came towards this direction. The people around persuaded Jun Wu to stay away. Jun Wu, who had not closed his eyes for three days, just shook his head subconsciously. There was a formation of forbidden troops in front of him.
He was not afraid of the forest of guns and guards around him. He left his wife under the royal flag and walked forward, wanting to see the Jurchens more clearly and remember their deaths more clearly.
Arrows are flying.
Someone raised the shield, and someone held Jun Wu. Jun Wu struggled subconsciously. Several shields had covered his body. Something shot on his armor and bounced off. Jun Wu's body shook. He felt
He was hit hard by some blunt object. When he reacted, an arrow was embedded in the gap in the armor and shot into his stomach.
He felt uncomfortable, but there was no pain. The next moment, someone came over in a panic. Jun Wu held the arrow shaft with his left hand and pressed it on his armor.
This is what it feels like.
It hurts……
He was thinking.
But it was also at this time that his hands, which had been trembling with fear for days, no longer trembled.
That's just how it feels.
Junwu stretched out his right hand, slowly but firmly pulled out the sword he carried with him, pointed it in the direction of the Jurchens, and said: "...Kill the enemy." But his throat hurt so much that he could no longer shout.
Someone around said: "The prince is injured..."
Such sounds gradually spread, and tears flowed from some people's eyes. These days, the surrounding soldiers and even some common people have seen Jun Wu running around. Jun Wu is still drawing his sword and moving forward. There are people in front of him.
The general shouted and led his troops to charge towards the Jurchens. The cavalry team of the Guards also came over. They charged with arrows, got close to the galloping horses, and then bumped into them. After a while, there was a commotion.
Voices rang out among the fleeing people. Some were crying and some were shouting. Gradually, men in the crowd put down their belongings. One, two, three... gradually turned into a group, surging toward the battlefield on the hillside.
coming.
The sun was dazzling and dizzying. Jun Wu, who was walking forward, fell down in Wen Ren Buer's arms. The place where he was hit by the arrow seemed to hurt, but it didn't matter.
It's just this feeling.
He is no longer afraid.
Jun Wu smiled slightly on his pale face.
"...Kill the enemy."
He said hoarsely and softly.
More Jurchens were still surrounding them. After Shen Shi determined Xi Yin's intention, he rushed the Beiwei Army cavalry at the fastest speed. Under the leadership of Yue Fei, he slanted into the battlefield. He rushed into Arubao.
The main force was located, and in less than half an hour, the Jurchen general Arubao was killed in a formation with the most ferocious posture.
At this time, the main cavalry of the Beiwei Army had been reduced to about 5,000 after a long period of fighting. Yue Fei was appointed as the commander himself and came into the formation. After beheading Arubao in the formation, he was able to kill him. His horse and the spear in his hand were covered with dripping water.
Blood. In the evening of that day, the cavalry crossed the battlefield. Before Xiyin led the Tushan Guards to kill Junwu, they struck the main force of the famous Jurchen general's camp with a fatal blow like a white rainbow piercing the sun.