Chapter 810 - 52: The Aftermath of Five Generations’ Struggle, Kyushu United (Part 2)

The Jurchen tribes had always lived on this land.

In the midst of this bone-chilling winter.

Wanyan Aguda made a daring decision, deciding to lead the most elite "Iron Pagoda" troops of the three thousand Jurchen army, removing their heavy armor and donning white leather cloaks, taking advantage of the snowstorm to quietly cross the river.

And it was not an attack on Taizhou!

But on the grain-heavy city of Changchun Prefecture under the Liao army.

— That’s right, it was a surprise attack!

Although it seemed like a simple military strategy, under the current circumstances, it was exceptionally effective, and only the Jurchen army, accustomed to life in the north, could execute it!

And this triggered a deadly chain reaction!

The Bohai soldiers guarding the city couldn’t respond in time, and the city gate was breached by a slope built from frozen earth.

More ingeniously, Aguda ordered the burning of all the ten thousand stones of captured grain, taking only the captured Liao Inspector of Grain, Yelv Yudu, to rush eastward.

Not to break Taizhou!

But to thoroughly help the Song Army detachment on the Liaodong Peninsula open their way forward.

This is the brilliance of Wanyan Aguda!

His judgment on the overall situation was indeed unparalleled!

In the current situation of the Liao country.

The Jurchen can certainly pressure Liao, but they would not be the last straw to break Liao, as the strength of the entire Jurchen is evident; they could not inflict any major damage on Liao.

But the Song Army is different!

The reason the Liao army could withstand the Song Army was due to the timing and geographical advantage!

Geographical advantage can be overcome.

But timing is deadly on the current battlefield!

Wanyan Aguda’s move was to help the Song Army break the timing!

The billowing smoke from burning the ten thousand stones of grain was visible even from dozens of miles away.

This could indeed be considered the last straw to break the northern defenses of Liao.

Whether they were troops resisting the Liaodong Song Army or those stationed in Taizhou, upon discovering this, they were left only with despair!

Year Two of Luanjue, February.

Before Xiao Yixue could respond, the Bohai soldiers in the city, already disloyal to the Khitan nobles, suddenly mutinied, opening the gates of Taizhou under the cover of night.

At the same time —

The Song Army’s detachment in Liaodong also seized the opportunity.

The warships, riding the rare southeast wind, rushed straight toward Suzhou Pass.

This was an extraordinarily important checkpoint.

In the past, when Wang Yingchen planned to open the sea, he focused all development on Suzhou, although due to various internal issues of Liao, the development of the entire Suzhou was far behind the Central Plains.

But this did not hinder Suzhou’s importance in the northern part of Liao.

At this moment, the main force of the Liao army stationed here had already been deployed toward Taizhou.

Facing the full-scale offensive from the Jurchen tribes and rebel forces.

This was the only choice for Xiao Yixue.

And this, similarly, left an opportunity for the Song Army.

The Bohai armed forces remaining saw the situation lost and welcomed the Royal Army with food and wine upon Song Army’s landing, including all major merchants and clans inside Suzhou.

These people were different from Liao’s core nobles.

Although Suzhou’s open-sea process over the years was far inferior to the Central Plains, it inevitably created many interest connections with the Central Plains. These people inherently leaned toward Great Song!

— The situation changed dramatically!

With the fall of Suzhou and the continuous retreat in the north.

From the moment the Song Army and Jurchen tribes converged, the entire northern defense line of Liao was nearly completely breached.

Three armies moved simultaneously.

From Yan Yun, then to Liaodong, and then to the western troops.

Three armies attacked from all directions, constantly compressing Yelv Yanxi’s remaining space for survival.

In mid-March, as the weather continued to warm.

Zhong E personally led the main force to forcibly cross the Huang River.

The last natural barrier the Liao army relied on was rendered ineffective before the Song Army’s series of floating bridges.

Arrows from the Divine Arm Bow camp fell like rain, pressing the Pishi Army on the opposite bank so they couldn’t lift their heads.

As the two armies were entangled, Jurchen cavalry suddenly charged from the flanks, their wolf-teeth clubs specifically targeting horse legs, causing the Liao cavalry to be thrown off their horses.

On the first day of April, Yongzhou’s city gates were opened by insiders, and the sacred site of the Liao royal spring hunt raised the Song banner and the banner representing the Gu Clan.

Yelv Yanxi urgently ordered the Nanjing Road garrison to provide northern reinforcement.

But the bad news came one after another.

The Song Army’s Denglai Navy cooperated with Wanyan Aguda’s troops, advancing both by water and land straight toward Liaoyang Prefecture.

The Bohai soldiers guarding the city crumbled at the sight of the Jurchen banners. This stronghold of two hundred years in Liaodong, under inside and outside collaboration, fell in just three days.

Almost simultaneously.

The Song Army’s Wang Shao division from Western Capital advanced east from Yunzhong Prefecture, capturing Fengshengzhou and Guihuazhou, and joined forces with Zhong E’s division advancing from the east at Yuan Yang Lake.

Thus, Liao’s Western Capital became an isolated city.

Commander Xiao Chala held out for half a month, but seeing no reinforcements, he finally chose to open the city and surrender.

With the breaking of the northern line and the arrival of spring.

The entire situation in Liao was spinning towards an uncontrollable direction.

...

Year Two of Luanjue, July.

Northern Desert, Zhenzhoou State.

Outside the broken palace walls stretched the endless grassland, where Yelv Yanxi sat alone in the tallest watchtower in the city, absentmindedly stroking the crack of his gilded saddle with unfathomable calmness.

This Khitan Emperor, who once shot three tigers consecutively during the spring hunt, now found even the strength to grip the bowstring seemingly dispersed in the northern desert winds.

No longer did he harbor any thought of resistance.

He had tried his best.

Even his fighting spirit had vanished.

Looking back at everything done this year, it indeed seemed like a mantis trying to stop a cart.