Chapter 258 Imperial Master
Most of the areas that Nianhan demanded to be ceded were now under the actual control of the Jin army. Li Ruoshui believed that Qinzong would agree, but it was obviously a bit unreasonable to ask for the handover to be completed within 20 days.

As for whether Yang Chang would obey the order, it was not something Li Ruoshui could decide. However, referring to the previous cession of the three towns, the local garrisons all chose to disobey the order, and the Jin people had to fight with real swords and guns.

The situation is stronger than people now, and nothing Nianhan says can be questioned.

Li Ruoshui verbally agreed to the request and said that he would report back to the court immediately. He left the Jin camp and drove out of Liyang, but asked his deputy to return to Beijing to report first, while he rushed to Daming Prefecture day and night.

During his meeting with Nianhan, he learned that the new marshal of the Eastern Army, Erlido, was resting in Daming Prefecture.

Thinking that the two marshals had equal weight, Li Ruoshui was worried that they had different demands, so he went to Daming Mansion to pay a visit and congratulate Erlido on his promotion.

In late June, Li Ruoshui arrived in Daming Prefecture.

Erlido treated him very politely and was not as aggressive as Chanhan. He seemed approachable and easy to talk to.

A smiling tiger is like this. On the surface, he is polite to others, but the demands he makes are even more deadly. In addition to demanding the cession of land, he also wants Emperor Qinzong to come out in person for peace talks.

Song repeatedly broke its alliances with Jin and repeatedly went back on its word, and this was Erlido's reason.

It was not up to Li Ruoshui to decide whether to let the emperor come to the negotiation table in person, so he had to agree ambiguously and then hurried back to Bianliang.

As soon as Li Ruoshui left, his chief adviser Liu Yanzong stood up and said, "The Emperor of the Song Dynasty is cowardly. This man will never come back. Why did the Marshal make such a request? He should follow the example of Marshal Wuliebu and ask for money and benefits."

"hehe."

Erliduo said with a leisurely smile: "We just plundered Bianliang last year. It has only been a short time now. How much wealth can we have accumulated? I also know that the Emperor of Song dare not come. He is just using this as an excuse."

"Excuse?"

"Nianhan will not withdraw his troops now. He wants the Song Dynasty to hand over Hedong and Hebei in 20 days. Obviously, this is impossible, but we have to consider the possibility of a miracle, so I put forward a more stringent request."

The assassination of Olibuyu had a great impact on Aguda's descendants. They finally had a general who could check and balance Nianhan Qiping, but he died inexplicably in an assassination.

In political struggles, one side gains while the other loses.

Erlido was not very proactive in preserving his strength during this military expedition. On the one hand, he was playing a trick with Zhao Gou, and on the other hand, he was watching Nianhan and the consumption of energy between him and the Song army.

Liu Yanzong was experienced in politics and understood Erliduo's idea, but he still kindly reminded him: "Wang Zongchu's troops were defeated, and Bianliang's defenses were greatly weakened. Aren't you afraid that Nianhan will break through the capital of the Song Dynasty?"

"Just him?"

Erliduo shook his head and smiled, "My dear Privy Councilor, you didn't participate in the siege last year, so you don't know how big Bianliang is. It's not that easy to capture the capital. Let Nianhan consume it well."

"I know what the Marshal is up to, but you promised in public that we would cross the river directly from Damingfu and march to Bianliang together with him. Now the Western Route Army has been on the march for several days, and Nianhan has left all of Wang Zongchu's boats for us to use. It would be bad to sit still."

"That makes sense. Let's arrange to cross the river. Once Nianhan takes down Anli's army, we can go and take down Kaide Prefecture. Anyway, we can't be faster than him."

"The Marshal is wrong."

Liu Yanzong interrupted Erliduo and reminded him by twirling his beard: "It doesn't matter if you go faster or slower. The key is whether it will be a hard fight. If you can go all the way smoothly and even take Bianliang without bloodshed, then it will be more beneficial than harmful to you."

"The journey was smooth and smooth, and we took Bianliang without bloodshed?" Erliduo's eyes widened, and he shook his head and joked, "It's not even dark yet, why is Liu Shumi dreaming?"

"Although Bianliang City is strong, it doesn't mean there is no chance. Have you forgotten to support King Kang of Song? The officials under his command must have students and old friends in Bianliang City. If someone cooperates from inside and outside, maybe it will really work."

Seeing that Liu Yanzong spoke seriously, Erlido nodded after thinking about it.

"Yes, my second brother said that this man is ambitious. I think he is also very aware of the current situation. Zhao Huan does not have the courage to come forward for peace talks. It would be more useful to replace him with his father. By then, Zhao Ji can be forcibly controlled, and King Kang can replace Zhao Huan. Not bad, not bad."

"That's exactly the reason. The Song Dynasty is vast and has a large population. It would be time-consuming and laborious to occupy it completely by force. However, if we use the Song people to rule the Song Dynasty, it would be easier than direct rule."

"Okay, okay, go call Xiao Sanbaonu over. He has to go see Zhao Gou again."

Erlido jumped for joy, like a teenager, and his mind opened up as if the clouds had cleared and the sun was shining.

So what if Nianhan has strong military capabilities? By then, I will directly control the Song Dynasty court, and there will be plenty of money, food, and women sent to me.

After fighting for so many years, it’s time to enjoy yourself.

And you, since you are so good at fighting, go and kill Yang Chang.

At that moment, he actually hoped that Yang Chang could hold on a little longer. If he could defeat Nianhan and seriously injure him, he would be a hero to Aguda's descendants.

How experienced is Nianhan?

During the period when the two armies were encircling Wang Zongchu, he saw that Erlido was not putting in enough effort. After the battle, this guy used the excuse of guarding against the Song army in Shandong and took the initiative to station troops in Damingfu to cover the flank.

You have no intention of attacking Bianliang, so you think Bianliang is your target?
As soon as Nianhan sent Li Ruoshui away, he led his troops westward to attack Weizhou and Huaizhou, intending to use diplomatic offensive threats to force the Song Dynasty to provide food and other supplies in preparation for the final attack on Yangchang.

Yes, his goal has never changed.

After going around Hebei for a long time, they still have to eliminate Yang Chang first, otherwise Nianhan will lose face, and Lou Shi and Yin Shu will not be able to rest in peace either.

Nianhan captured Weizhou easily, but encountered active resistance in Huaizhou, and the Jin army was unable to conquer it after several days of attack.

Despite this, the Huaizhou garrison had less than 10,000 troops, while Nianhan had 100,000 soldiers and horses, so it was only a matter of time before the city was captured.

At the end of June, Gushe, the general of the Jin army from the west, arrived from Xiangzhou, escorting artillery.

Gushe was a man of fortitude and bravery. He had joined Aguda in starting an uprising. Nianhan treated him like an elder brother. Gushe sat above Nianhan inside the palace, while Nianhan sat above Gushe outside the palace.

Three years ago, Gushe was seriously injured during the expedition to Datong of Liao Kingdom and stayed in Beijing to recuperate. He had no chance to participate in Nianhan's attack on Song Dynasty.

Because General Lou Shi died in battle in Taiyuan, when Nianhan returned to Beijing to pay his respects at the beginning of the year, the recovered Gushe followed him back to the front line.

The artillery he was escorting was originally intended for Wang Boyan to use against Wang Zongchu. However, Wang Zongchu did not leave Xiangzhou. Later, Wang Boyan was ordered to withdraw to Shandong. These artillery pieces were left behind and became powerful weapons used by the Jin army to attack the Song Dynasty.

When Nianhan was about to attack with artillery, Geng Nanzhong, the envoy sent by Qinzong to cede territory, happened to be passing by Huaizhou and was encountered by the Jin army.

Geng Nanzhong was a Jinshi graduate and served as an official in local areas for many years before being transferred to the capital. Later, as a Yuwenlang of the Ministry of Rites, he entered the Eastern Palace and served as the Prince's Secretary, a position he held for more than ten years. He could be regarded as the emperor's teacher.

Thanks to his relationship with the emperor's teacher, Geng Nanzhong was appointed as the Grand Secretary of the Zizheng Palace and the Secretary of the Privy Council after Emperor Qinzong ascended the throne. He was later promoted to the positions of Shangshu Zuocheng and Menxia Shilang, and was extremely popular at the time.

However, although Geng Nanzhong held a high official position, his ability was mediocre and he had no idea how to deal with difficulties. He was jealous of talented people and was dissatisfied with Li Gang and Wu Min who were above him.

Seeing that Li Gang was in favor of resisting the Jin army, while Geng Nanzhong was in favor of seeking peace, the two sides became tense in the court on many occasions.

Qinzong now wanted to re-establish Li Gang, so he took the opportunity to send Geng Nanzhong to cede land, and also the most difficult task, which was to persuade Yang Chang to withdraw from the Jiedu prefectures and counties.

Yang Chang has soldiers and food, and is one of the few powerful vassal states in the Song Dynasty. There are rumors outside that he wants to rebel and establish his own regime. How could he possibly obey the imperial edict?

Apart from taking the lead in seeking peace, Emperor Geng's teacher could not offer any constructive suggestions. However, as a leader in seeking peace, he influenced the court and made Emperor Qinzong unhappy. He sent Geng Nanzhong to Weisheng and never thought that he would be able to come back easily.

When Huaizhou saw Nianhan, Geng Nanzhong lowered his head and dared not look him in the face. After explaining his purpose, he took the initiative to volunteer to persuade him to surrender.

"Marshal, the Huaizhou army does not know the emperor's will, so they are resisting stubbornly. Please take me to the city. I will definitely help you take the city."

"is it?"

Nianhan smiled contemptuously and muttered, "When Zhang Xiaochun was defending Taiyuan, you also sent people to persuade him to surrender several times, but it was useless. I think Huaizhou is similar to Taiyuan, so it is better to conquer it and make people convinced." "Uh"

Geng Nanzhong was stunned, and bowed, saying: "Since the Marshal has made up his mind, just treat it as nonsense that I just talked about, and let me go north."

"Hey, since Minister Geng is willing to help me, don't rush north."

"What do you mean, Marshal?"

"So and so."

Nianhan whispered in Geng Nanzhong's ear, asking him to take a group of Jin soldiers to pretend to be reinforcements and then try to force the city gate to open.

Geng Nanzhong had no choice but to successfully lead the Jin army into the city with his purple gold fish bag.

Upon hearing the news, Hanoi garrison commander Fan Zhongxiong was ordered to lead his men to the South Gate to meet the Jin army. On the way, he spotted the Jin army's iconic black flag and immediately led his troops into street fighting with the Jin army.

The battle continued until nightfall, when Fan Zhongxiong was outnumbered and captured by the Jin general Gushe.

The next morning, Fan Zhongxiong was taken to the Jin camp outside the city, where he saw the prefect Huo Anguo and officials in the prefecture standing in several rows in front of Nianhan.

After all the prisoners of war arrived, Nianhan stood up by the handle of the chair, looked down at the people in front of him, and asked: "What about Wang Zongchu's 100,000 imperial guards? They were beaten to a pulp by this Marshal, and you are so ignorant of the current situation and are fighting against the enemy with an egg. Who is it that refuses to surrender?"

"It's me, so what?"

Huo Anguo took half a step forward, his eyes filled with fearlessness and hatred, which made Nianhan frown in displeasure.

At the same time, the Huaizhou officials in the first row followed Huo Anguo.

"And I!"

"I won't surrender either!"

"Ah"

Seeing everyone so united, Nianhan chuckled and looked at Geng Nanzhong, jokingly saying, "It seems that these officials in Huaizhou are not afraid of death."

"Marshal, calm down. They don't know the emperor's will."

Geng Nanzhong turned around and glared at the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty has decided to cede Hedong and Hebei. What are you looking at? Why don't you say something nice to the Marshal?"

"For the sake of Minister Geng's reputation, this Marshal will give you a chance to live. Now, face northeast and pay homage to the Emperor of the Great Jin Kingdom, and you will be spared from death!"

"My Lord is in the South, how can I worship the North? If you want to kill me, then kill me!"

Huo Anguo was righteous and remained unmoved in the face of threats. Although the person who agreed just now did not speak, he did not listen to Nianhan's orders.

"Okay, okay, you're all good."

Nianhan would not tolerate any challenge to his dignity. He waved his hand at his followers and shouted, "Left and right, strip everyone of their shirts, tie them up and behead them. Then let you die facing south!"

"Wait a minute, I am willing to pay homage to His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty."

"And I!"

"Me too. Besides, Fan Zhongxiong advocated war, and he killed the most Jin soldiers."

There are always spineless people, not only are there useless people who kneel down and admit defeat, but there are also scums who betray their companions.

Soon, more than ten people were pushed to the back and tortured. They all closed their eyes and waited for death, but Fan Zhongxiong was the only one who looked forward without a trace of panic in his eyes.

Nian rarely saw his courage and wanted to recruit him as a general, so he asked him why he refused to surrender.

Fan Zhongxiong was captured yesterday. He cursed at Gu She and asked for death. However, Gu She, who admired his bravery, not only did not kill him but also promised to spare his life.

At this time, Nianhan asked about it, and Fan Zhongxiong pointed at the bone house and taunted: "It is said that the Jin people are true to their words. He promised to spare my life yesterday."

"Oh?"

When Nianhan saw Gushe nod, he immediately laughed heartily and said loudly, "You are right. Quickly untie General Fan and send him out of the camp."

"Ok?"

Geng Nanzhong was drooling as he watched. Fan Zhongxiong killed so many Jin soldiers, but he was actually released just because of a single sentence. Did the Jin people always keep their words?
The rest of the people were not so lucky, as their heads fell to the ground with blood on them.

Geng Nanzhong felt a chill on his neck and almost fainted.

Afterwards, when he returned to the camp, he was so frightened that he fell to the ground and kowtowed, and offered his services again: "Marshal Huwei, I am willing to help you continue to break the city. If you show your strength in Huaizhou today, maybe Zezhou will surrender."

"hehe."

Nianhan praised happily: "Minister Geng is worthy of being the emperor's teacher. His words are really useful. With your help, this Marshal may be able to save a lot of troubles."

"Marshal, urgent report!"

The bone house rushed in and Nianhan stopped abruptly.

"What's the matter?"

"The Eastern Army is approaching Bianliang. Look at us."

"So fast?"

Nianhan was about to march north as planned, but he did not expect Erlido to act unexpectedly. He pretended to be unwilling to advance, but suddenly caught up with them.

We agreed that I would lead the attack, what does Erliduo want to do? Follow the example of Wulibu and ask for money?
If I don't go, won't the army's morale be broken?
Nianhan weighed the pros and cons, looked at Gushe in front of Geng Nanzhong, and said, "It seems that we have to cross the river and head south. Erliduo's troops cannot take Bianliang."

"I'll prepare the boat right away."

"You don't have to cross the river. I will leave a group of soldiers here, and you and Minister Geng will go to take Zezhou."

"Oh, I see."

Gushe turned his head and looked at Geng Nanzhong, thinking that with this man's help in winning the city and persuading people to surrender, taking over Zezhou should be a piece of cake.

Nianhan then left behind 20,000 troops and hurriedly crossed the river with the main force, fearing that he would not be able to gain any benefit if he went too late. But before leaving, he instructed Gushe to stop at Zezhou and not continue to provoke Yang Chang to the north.

Since arriving at the front line, Gushe has been hearing people describing Yang Changwei's reputation, and he really wants to see if he has three heads and six arms.

When all the main forces of Nianhan had crossed the river, Gushe also led his troops across Taihang Xing and headed towards Jincheng, the capital of Zezhou.

During the march, Gu She asked Geng Nanzhong curiously: "Minister Geng, do you know Yang Chang? He is the number one general in the Song Dynasty?"

Geng Nanzhong shook his head and said, "I only know that he was born a bandit, and after being recruited, he followed Song Jiang to pacify Tian Hu. By the way, this man secretly married Princess Maode, the fifth princess most favored by the late emperor. It may be because of the relationship with the princess that he was promoted to the governor of three towns by your majesty. He benefited from the princess's influence. I'm afraid it won't be his turn to be the first general of the Song Dynasty."

"Princess Maode? Beauty brings disaster?"

(End of this chapter)