While Zhao Muyun was hiding in the Yanzhou Valley and concentrating on the breakthrough of the thunder bomb technology, the situation outside was collapsing and deteriorating at a faster rate.
Outside the capital, Zuo Xian Wang's patience seemed to have finally run out.
In other words, he thought that the pressure put on the new emperor Dayin was enough.
On this day, dozens of looted civilian boats and makeshift rafts suddenly appeared on the river.
It was loaded with ferocious Tatars, who began to force their way across the river under the cover of rain of arrows!
The morale of the defenders in the Gyeonggi region had already collapsed. After a symbolic resistance, they fled.
The Tatar vanguard easily landed on the south bank and established a solid beachhead.
Then the Tatar army crossed the river and first captured Liangzhou, the passage south of the capital, blocking the way for Emperor Yin Zhao and his ministers to tour the south.
When the news reached the capital, it was like the last straw that broke the camel's back.
Yin Zhao fainted on the spot in the court.
After waking up, I completely lost the last bit of will to resist.
Despite the opposition of some pro-war ministers, he insisted on sending Gu Dingming as the plenipotentiary envoy, holding a white banner, out of the city to the camp of Zuo Xianwang to beg for peace.
The conditions are no longer conditions at all, they are almost at the mercy of others.
Cede the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun?
allow!
Double the annual tribute?
allow!
Open all border trade?
allow!
Pay tribute and submit?
allow!
Even when Zuo Xian Wang proposed that Yin Zhao send a prince and a princess to Mobei as hostages, he trembled and agreed.
The only deadlock was an additional request made by Zuo Xian Wang:
He ordered Yin Zhao to issue an edict, denouncing Jin Wang Yinxi for holding his own army and plotting evil, depriving him of his royal title, declaring him a traitor, and ordering the whole country to punish him.
This one, Yin Zhao hesitated!
No matter how foolish he was, he knew that once this decree was issued, he would completely break off relations with the Prince of Jin, leaving no room for maneuver, and Dayin would be completely divided.
However, Zuo Xian Wang's attitude was extremely tough, and he even threatened to attack the city immediately.
In the end, under the persuasion of Cui Kaiji and others, Yin Zhao humiliatingly used the seal on the peace treaty.
The content of "The Alliance of Hejian" quickly spread.
Although the imperial court tried its best to cover it up, such a humiliating treaty could not be kept secret at all.
The world was in an uproar!
Although it was expected, the shock and anger it brought when such blatantly humiliating terms were made public were still unprecedented.
Countless scholars wept bitterly and cursed the court for its stupidity and the treacherous officials for ruining the country.
The people were even more disunited, and their last bit of respect for the court disappeared completely.
When Prince Yinxi of Jin received the news and the imperial edict declaring him a traitor in Hedong, he laughed instead of getting angry.
"Great! Great Yin Zhao! Great Zuo Xian Wang! I have to thank you for giving me a perfect reason to purge the emperor's court and restore order!"
He tore the imperial edict to pieces on the spot. "Spread the word to the world! Yin Zhao is incompetent and unjust. He has lost power and humiliated the country. He has colluded with the Di people and murdered his brothers!"
"This king will raise an army today to quell the rebellion, drive out the barbarians, and restore order!"
He did not hesitate to raise the dual banners of "resisting the Di" and "suppressing the tyrant."
For a time, it attracted many forces that were disappointed with the court and many pro-war factions to join it.
As for sending troops...
He still makes a lot of noise but does little, and his main force is still lingering in the east of the river.
He simply sent out more small troops, under the pretext of "recovering lost territory", to seize the military supplies and territories abandoned by the defeated government troops around the capital.
The imperial court lost its power and humiliated the country, and its prestige was destroyed. Zuo Xian Wang allowed his soldiers to plunder at will around the capital, Jin Wang split off from Hedong and eyed the world, Li Jingang, the rebel emperor of Xijing, happily guarded Guanzhong and watched the fun, and the military governors of various southern regions secretly developed their power and ruled independently.
The entire Dayin Empire fell into unprecedented chaos.
…
Yanzhou Valley.
Zhao Muyun was the first to learn the details of the "Hejian Alliance".
He looked at the copied treaty clauses in silence, his fingers tightening slightly, causing wrinkles on the paper.
Even though he had long lost hope in the imperial court, as a soldier, he still found it difficult to suppress the humiliation and anger after witnessing such a traitorous agreement.
"Yin Zhao... has truly brought shame upon the ancestors of the Yin family. The old emperor, who was put under house arrest by him, would probably be pissed to death after hearing this."
His voice was low, carrying a hint of cold murderous intent.
Chen Qian stood aside, also with a solemn expression: "Marshal Yun, the imperial court is now in name only, the world is in chaos, we..."
“What a mess!”
Zhao Muyun suddenly said, loosening his grip and letting the paper fall, "Without destruction, there is no construction. The old house is rotten, and only by completely tearing it down can we rebuild the new one."
He cast his gaze towards the busy workshop again: "We need to go even faster!"
"Go to Master Lu in person and tell him not to be afraid of failure or wasting materials. I need at least one hundred usable iron shell mines."
"The deadline is ten days!"
"Also, let Han Zhong start."
"Shuozhou has been 'weak' for so long, it's time to 'recover' some lost territory. Target the Tartar camp near Wuzhou City."
"Don't attack with force. Focus on harassing and tiring the enemy. Make the Wuliangha restless and prevent them from withdrawing troops at ease!"
He wanted to make the Shuozhou Army's sharp knife sharp again.
In the chaotic chess game, he had to cut off a piece of real meat for himself and at the same time contain the power of the Tatar right-wing army.
"One more thing!" Zhao Muyun pondered for a moment, "Find a way to contact Xijing."
Chen Qian was stunned: "Li Jingang? That group of rabble..."
“A mob has its uses.”
An unfathomable light flashed in Zhao Muyun's eyes. "Li Jingang has occupied Xijing and locked up Tongguan. He seems to be very proud, but in fact he is sitting on the edge of a volcano."
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