Although Han Shizhong ultimately reaped the most important victory in the emperor's military campaign against the Xia Kingdom.
But almost everyone believed from the bottom of their hearts that the greatest contributor to this battle was Yue Fei!
Of course, nominally, it should be attributed to Zong Ze.
After all, Zong Ze was the commander-in-chief of the Central War Zone, and both Yue Fei and Han Shizhong were his subordinates.
After this battle, the structure of the Song Dynasty's military regions underwent a complete change.
In the past, whether it was Han Shizhong's suppression of bandits or Yue Fei's annihilation of Jiaozhi, they were nothing in the eyes of those fierce generals in the Northwest War Zone and the Yanyun War Zone.
Many people were secretly saying sourly: "If you're so capable, come and fight the Western bandits! If you're so capable, come and fight the Jin bandits!"
Now, Yue Fei has truly arrived, and he has almost no defeats. What's even more terrifying is that he has nearly wiped out the Iron Falcons.
Han Shizhong's seemingly reckless strategy of advancing deep into enemy territory would be impossible for any other general in the Western Army.
What was the real significance of the Imperial Guards' victories for Zhao Huan?
The resistance to military reform will be greatly reduced!
On the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, when the capital city of Tokyo was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, celebrating not only the Lantern Festival but also the victory of the army at the front, the emperor of the empire led his army into Xingqing Prefecture, greeted by Li Renyou and a group of Dangxiang nobles who knelt in welcome.
The commanders of the other four armies also arrived in Xingqing Prefecture.
The capital of this small northwestern kingdom, which had fought a war with the Song Dynasty for nearly a century, officially fell. Almost all the nobles surrendered, and a small number of the remaining nobles fled north and disappeared into the grasslands.
Half a month earlier, the Jin Dynasty had dispatched 50,000 troops to the northern border of the Song Dynasty due to the Yanshan hunting incident.
The flames of war raged in the north.
The two sides even fought a battle, with the Song army suffering as many as 10,000 casualties, while the Jin army fared no better, losing 6,000 men.
Because of the unusual activities of the Jin Dynasty, the prime ministers in the capital city of Tokyo had not slept for several days and nights.
They were deeply afraid that at this time, the Jurchens would launch a large-scale southward invasion, just as they had three years ago.
At this time, the emperor was not in the capital, and both Hebei Road and Hedong Road were in ruins due to internal strife. Once the Jurchens broke through the Yan-Yun war zone, they could reach the city of Tokyo without any hindrance.
Everyone could only hope that Zhang Shuye could stabilize the situation in the Jin Kingdom.
On the third day after Zhang Shuye's mission to the Jin Dynasty, which was also the fifth day after Yelü Dashi had ravaged the western border of the Jin Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty withdrew its troops.
The pressure on the Yanyun war zone suddenly eased, but Zhong Shizhong and Yao Gu dared not let their guard down.
Hundreds of thousands of troops remain stationed along the border, not daring to relax for a moment.
After being ignored for three days, Zhang Shuye was received by Emperor Wanyan Sheng of Jin and was treated with great hospitality.
Subsequently, both sides reached an agreement on the hunting incident in Yanshan.
Everyone agreed that this was a complete misunderstanding.
Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, everything will be fine. There's no need to make a big fuss over it. We can still be friends.
The market still sees people coming and going in the alleyways.
With the easing of tensions between the Song and Jin dynasties, Wanyan Zongpan regained significant influence in the imperial court.
More Jin troops were deployed to the western front to launch a frenzied campaign against that damned Yelü Dashi.
The commander who led the siege of Yelü Dashi was the renowned Wanyan Zongwang, who had fought against the Liao army and won every battle.
However, the army under Yelü Dashi's command is no longer the corrupt and vulnerable Liao army of the past.
This powerful army, built on the grasslands, is an army that is extremely resilient to hardship and fighting.
Yelü Dashi himself was a genius in military command.
His tactic was to advance when the enemy retreated and retreat when the enemy advanced.
Wanyan Zongwang clung to him relentlessly, but he just couldn't catch him.
Yelü Dashi, like a rabbit on the grassland, sent such battle reports back to the capital, driving Emperor Wanyan Sheng of Jin crazy.
While besieging Yelü Dashi, Wanyan Sheng also sent an envoy to Xingqing Prefecture. The envoy met with Zhao Huan and conveyed Wanyan Sheng's message.
Wanyan Sheng pretended to know nothing, as if nothing had happened, as if the Song and Jin dynasties had always maintained the most friendly relations.
He told Zhao Huan that the Xia Kingdom dared to invade the Song Dynasty and should indeed be punished. Since Li Ganshun had disappeared and the capital had been captured, and had received all the punishment he deserved, shouldn't the Song emperor also show his benevolence and appoint Li Ganshun's son as the King of Xia?
Doesn't China govern the country with benevolence, virtue, and the way of the saints?
Upon hearing that an envoy from the Jin Kingdom had arrived in Xingqing Prefecture, Zhao Huan quickly dispatched Liu Yanzong to intercept the envoy, treating him well for a few days before sending him back.
Zhao Huan's meaning was also very clear: the Dangxiang Kingdom has been destroyed, and this place will belong to the Song Dynasty from now on. The Council of State should stop eating and drinking and send officials over immediately.
As for your Jin Kingdom's envoy, I will receive him in my palace after I return to Tokyo.
After all, it would be improper to receive the Jin envoy here!
Despite the Jin envoy's best efforts to persuade Zhao Huan, he ultimately failed to meet him and could only return in fear to report back.
After the Song-Xia War, the area south of Xingqing Prefecture, along the Song-Xia border, was littered with corpses on both the eastern and western fronts.
A Tangut merchant returned to Xingqing Prefecture from the south and told the people of Xingqing Prefecture what he had seen on the way.
This time, the people of Xia witnessed the majesty of the Great Song Emperor and experienced the terror of a million corpses falling when the emperor is angry.
In addition, Zhao Huan had used an iron fist to brutally suppress a group of Tangut nobles who refused to surrender in Xingqing Prefecture in the past few days, sending all their heads to the city gate. The blood at the city gate completely stained the ground red, which finally brought Xingqing Prefecture under control.
Since Zhao Huan took control of Xingqing Prefecture, Song soldiers have been patrolling the streets every day. They carry long spears and long swords, with solemn faces and an aura of killing intent.
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