Chen Zhaojun is from the South, specifically the southernmost part of the South, from the Lingnan region.
In the Song Dynasty, Guangnan East Circuit in Lingnan was a desolate place. When officials made mistakes, the emperor would severely punish them by exiling them to Lingnan.
Two years ago, Chen Zhaojun traveled north from Chaozhou in Lingnan to make a living. When he arrived in Jingji Road, the new army was recruiting. Being unfamiliar with the place and the people, he impulsively signed up and was even accepted.
Because of his ability to endure hardship, he completed his tasks silently no matter how difficult the training was, which caught the attention of his superiors and led to his recommendation to join the firearms battalion.
He ranked third in the firearms battalion's assessment and became a captain.
They were among the first officers in the Song Dynasty's Firearms Battalion. This entirely new type of soldier was unique to the Imperial Guard and was highly valued by the emperor.
Chen Zhaojun was quite proud and trained even harder after joining the firearms battalion.
His goal is to stand out among the current ten captains and become the first commander of the Song Dynasty's firearms battalion.
Even on snowy days, he still led his brothers in diligently practicing this monotonous and tedious shooting training.
Snowy weather greatly affects shooting, and this winter has only just begun, with a long period of snow and wind still expected in the Northwest.
As someone from the southernmost region, Chen Zhaojun has proven his abilities, going from initial discomfort to adaptation and then figuring out how to hit targets in the wind and snow.
Today we completed the final practice, and the entire Qinzhou City is now running smoothly.
A large army assembled outside the city.
Cavalry, infantry, archers, as well as artillerymen, musketeers, and so on.
They each wore different armor and stood upright in their respective ranks.
The wind has stopped, but the snow continues.
The Song army outside Qinzhou City stretched as far as the eye could see, their banners obscuring the sky, and their swords and spears like a forest.
Everywhere, the sounds of centurions organizing their troops rose and fell.
From a bird's-eye view, the previously scattered groups below are rapidly forming square formations.
The Song army was in full force, with all soldiers wearing the latest armor, equipped with the best swords, crossbows, and shields, and even their inner clothing was changed to warmer clothes.
In the words of Zhao Huan's finance minister Zhou Chao, this campaign against Xia required the Song Dynasty to use up all of its revenue from the past three years and to bring out all of its newly manufactured weapons.
No one could rival the emperor's determination to destroy the Xia dynasty.
In fact, Imperial Marshal Zhong Shidao also mentioned this in a course at the Imperial Military Academy.
The war against Xia, seemingly a war between the Song Dynasty and the Xia state in the northwest, was actually a contest between the Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty.
Xia Kingdom's goal is clear: money!
The real instigator, Wanyan Sheng, had been watching from the sidelines. Once the Song army became bogged down in the war in the northwest and could not extricate itself, leading to a change in the overall situation, it would inevitably affect the political direction of the Jin court.
Therefore, the emperor must act swiftly and decisively!
Long before Wu Jie defeated the right wing of the Xia Kingdom, Yao Pingzhong, the commander of the Yongxing Army, had already received an imperial order to send troops to conquer the left wing of the Xia Kingdom in order to prevent the left wing of the Xia Kingdom from taking a detour and launching a surprise attack.
Zhao Huan, dressed in armor, rode a tall, magnificent horse, with Zhong Shidao on his left and Wang Kui'an on his right.
There are also elite troops guarding them.
Before long, the generals arrived.
The generals replied, "Your Majesty, preparations are complete!"
Zhao Huan drew his sword from his waist and raised it, and the messengers began to wave flags, and the sound of war drums erupted instantly.
This army of 200,000 began its advance.
Their goal was to cross the Jingyuan Road, reach Qingzhou, eliminate Richard of Qingzhou, capture Huanzhou City, and wipe out all the Xia army within the territory of the Song Dynasty.
This time, the emperor mobilized an army of 600,000 to destroy Xia, including 450,000 soldiers on the front lines and as many as 150,000 logistics personnel!
Furthermore, the Privy Council and the Central Government are recruiting reserve troops, ready to provide reinforcements at any time!
The ultimate strategy was to first have the emperor's central army eliminate Richard, and then launch a simultaneous attack on Xia from five routes: Xihe Road, Jingyuan Road, Huanqing Road, Fuyan Road, and Hedong Road.
Whoever captures Xingqing Prefecture first will become the Grand Commander of the Northwest War Zone!
Zhao Huan, of course, did not participate in this competition.
When news of the Right Route Army's defeat reached Qingzhou City, Richard was shocked to learn of Renduo Baozhong's defeat. He then dispatched troops to frantically plunder food and people in various prefectures along Huanqing Road.
He was making thorough preparations for the upcoming battle, and he was also very clear that the longer the battle lasted, the more advantageous it would be for him.
As long as he holds Qingzhou City for two months, the Song emperor will surely make peace due to the pressure from the Jin state over the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, and will definitely provide sufficient funds.
He achieved his goal!
Therefore, he only needs two months!
Seven days later, one morning, as the Xia soldiers guarding Qingzhou City shivered from the cold on the city walls, they witnessed a scene they had never seen before in their lives.
In the distance, a long black line appeared on the horizon, and it was moving in this direction.
Soon, the outline of the long black line appeared.
It was a dark, dense mass, like an endless black torrent rolling by.
A neat square formation!
Neat and synchronized steps!
The ground trembled and sank underfoot!
The snow was kicked up by the Song army's orderly steps, and from a distance, it looked like clouds. The Song army looked like heavenly soldiers rolling in on the clouds.
Since entering Huanqing Road, the vanguard cavalry of this Song army had cleared out all enemy forces in the surrounding area, paving the way for the main force.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Great Song Dynasty!"
Countless Song soldiers shouted with all their might, their voices shaking the heavens and the earth, as if they wanted to shatter the city in front of them.
Richard also ascended the city wall. The entire main force of the Xia army was already on high alert, and Qingzhou City was defended like an iron barrel.
But when Richard saw the Song army rolling in, his heart was filled with turmoil.
For some reason, he sensed a terrifying wave rushing towards him, as if he were a small boat in a raging sea, as described in the book.
The Song army was boundless and its momentum was extremely strong.
As they advanced in orderly and powerful formation, they roared: Long live the Emperor! Long live the Great Song Dynasty!
Because of this simple slogan, the entire army has a greater sense of cohesion and mission!
The blood in every Song soldier's body seemed to boil like magma, as if it wanted to melt away the icy and snowy landscape.
Richard was stunned by this momentum. After more than ten years of no fighting, the Song army had become so powerful!
When the Song army approached the city, the vast expanse seemed to engulf the entire world.
Richard had already begun working on a second plan in his mind: to threaten the Song emperor with the lives of all the people in Qingzhou and Huanzhou to buy time.
He immediately wrote a letter and sent a messenger out of the city.
He wanted to tell Zhao Huan that if he dared to attack Qingzhou City, he would massacre the city from within!
Send all the people of Qingzhou City to hell!
Don't you love the people like your own children?
The envoy from the Xia Kingdom rode away at breakneck speed.
A scout ran up and said, "Your Majesty, the Xia army has sent an envoy who wishes to meet with you."
Zhao Huan, mounted on his horse, laughed and said, "If you don't see it, just kill it on the spot!"
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