Zhao Huan, along with Wu Ge and Wang Zongchu, marched north. He occasionally exchanged a few words with Nangong Lian'er on the way, feeling happy, but he didn't dare to provoke her too much.
As Nangong Lian'er and Zhao Huan spent time together, she discovered that this "dog emperor" wasn't so terrible after all. On the contrary, he seemed a little afraid of her, which she couldn't help but find amusing. As time passed, the pain in her heart faded. Her personality also gradually became more cheerful. Every time she smiled at Zhao Huan, Zhao Huan would feel happy for a long time.
In a blink of an eye, the Imperial Guards had arrived in Nanjing Prefecture, and the Jingxi Army and Huainan Army were also approaching Hejian Prefecture.
Meanwhile, on Yue Fei's side, Zong Ze took over the defense of Shanxi. Yue Fei, having received news of the Emperor's personal victory on the eastern front, led his troops north.
Yue Fei led an army of 30,000 and marched straight northward, capturing Datong Prefecture with overwhelming force, and Jin Wushu fled northward.
Many things can't be judged subjectively. The Zhong Family Army, the elite of the Western Song Dynasty's army, was defeated by the Jin army and reorganized into other armies following Nangong Wentian's death.
The Jingxi and Huainan armies were just a ragtag group of troops, originally local garrisons. Zhao Huan feared their limited combat effectiveness, so he left them to defend Nanjing after he captured the city.
The remnants of Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Gao's army were not discouraged and frequently attacked Nanjing Prefecture. Thus, Sun Wulai, commander of the Jingxi Army, and Zhou Guitong, commander of the Huainan Army, launched an attack in anger, successfully defeating the enemy forces one after another.
Along the entire Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures front, there were more than 30,000 Jin soldiers, scattered and almost unable to resist.
The main force of the Jin army marched south, numbering over 100,000 men, all elite troops. They killed 1,000 enemies but lost 800 of their own. They abandoned 10,000 men in the attack on Baoding, and burned 7,000 to 8,000 in Rongcheng, totaling nearly 10,000 killed in action. Wanyan Ang's entire 3,000 cavalry force was wiped out. Mingzhou suffered the heaviest losses, with Wanyan Gao and Wanyan Zonghan leading fewer than 30,000 men northward. Only the Western Route Army, led by Jin Wushu and numbering over 10,000, suffered the least losses.
After the defeat, the Jin army, numbering over 100,000, was reduced to less than 50,000. After the Song army entered Nanjing Prefecture, they expanded their forces again. The Jin troops were gradually being eroded, and now only a little over 30,000 Jin soldiers remained on the entire Yanyun Line.
While a single battle between two armies wouldn't necessarily result in a numerical victory, the Jin army suffered a series of defeats, leaving them demoralized and poorly equipped. The people of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun were furious with the Jin army, and when the Song army arrived, they often slaughtered cattle and sheep and prepared wine to welcome the king, with some even crying with joy.
Three months later.
Zhao Huan stationed himself in Nanjing Prefecture and commanded an army of over 100,000 men, advancing across the front lines. Combined with the Yue Family Army's victory against the Jin forces in the northwest, the Jin were decisively defeated. The seven prefectures of You, Ji, Ying, Mo, Zhuo, Tan, and Shun all fell to the Song army.
The entire Jin Empire had only a Mongolian defense line of a hundred thousand men, and even that was struggling to protect itself. Wanyan Sheng would never dare rush to the aid of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. If even this small reserve was exhausted, the Jin Empire would be left with almost no troops left to fight.
When strangers interact with each other, we always show our best side to each other. But as time passes and we become friends, our true colors are revealed.
For example, our dog emperor Zhao Huan and the most beautiful woman in the Song Dynasty, Nangong Lian'er, are now friends.
Nangong Lian'er's admiration for Zhao Huan grew. This emperor wasn't as unbearable as folklore had it in him. He might be a bit of a joke, but he was quite insightful about military operations. Now, all the generals were obedient and following his orders, truly enforcing them.
Zhao Huan learned the tactics of Yue Fei's army and disciplined his troops strictly. He would not demolish houses even if they were frozen to death, nor would he plunder people even if they were starving to death. Wherever his army marched, the people would rush out to celebrate.
Zhao Huan's greatest joy now wasn't winning a battle, but being able to talk to Nangong Lian'er. The girl was letting down her guard more and more towards him, and she wasn't as angry as before when Zhao Huan occasionally acted unruly.
"Miss Lian'er, after we defeat the Jin army, I will take you back to the palace, okay?"
"No, you're a bad guy."
"Hmm? Who dares to speak to me like that? You are being disrespectful and your entire clan will be executed."
Nangong Lian'er curled her lips, looking extremely charming, which made Zhao Huan blush and his heart beat faster.
"Hmph, my father is dead. I'm the only one in the family. You can't kill all nine of my clans."
Nangong Lian'er was surprised that Zhao Huan, who was usually so good at teasing, didn't refute her. She looked up and saw that this dog emperor was looking at her like a nymphomaniac, with a smirk and a wretched expression.
Nangong Lian'er's face was rotten with disdain: "Dog Emperor!"
Zhao Huan woke up from his dream and asked: "How dare you scold me?"
Nangong Lian'er immediately seized the opportunity: "Look, you're not happy about it. I won't go to the palace with you. If you continue to be so lecherous, I'll be dragged out and beheaded if I scold you."
Zhao Huan said with a grin, "No, no. If anyone dares to bully you, tell me, and I will join that person in bullying you."
"You..." Nangong Lian'er stomped her feet in anger and rushed out of the door.
Zhao Huan laughed heartily and said to himself: "Dog Emperor, hehe, dog Emperor."
Zhao Huan was discussing the next battle plan with his generals, with Nangong Lian'er standing nearby. Zhao Huan's reasoning was sound: "I am weak and need a skilled and courageous guard to protect me." "Miss Lian'er, you are a martial arts expert and extremely intelligent." After a round of flattery, Nangong Lian'er readily agreed.
The commanders of the Jingxi Army and the Huainan Army, the imperial guard Wang Zongchu, Wu Ge and other generals are all included in this list.
Zhao Huan pointed at the map with his short stick and said, "Although the Jin army has retreated, we must not let our guard down. Yesterday, Commander Zong Ze sent troops to report signs of Western Xia military activity in Chenjiagu on the border, requesting reinforcements from Yue's army to the east."
Sun Wulai of the Jingxi Army said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the Western Xia are not a threat, but Jin Wushu of Xinzhou is a real threat."
Zhou Guitong of the Huainan Army agreed very much. He nodded and pointed to the location of Xinzhou on the map.
"Your Majesty, please take a look. This Xinzhou may seem insignificant, but in reality, it forms a triangle with Wuzhou and Ruzhou, supporting each other. If one of them goes to war, the other two can support each other."
Zhao Huan rubbed his head and said, "Should we divide our forces and defeat them one by one?"
Sun Wulai shook his head and said, "Dividing our forces is a cardinal sin in military strategy. Although we outnumber the Jin many times, their cavalry is formidable. We can still attack one of them, but if we split our forces into three groups, we'll be in great danger."
Zhou Guitong also nodded. "General Sun, that's quite true. We still need to be wary of the remnants of Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Gao's army to the east. Splitting our forces into three groups isn't the best strategy."
Zhao Huan looked at the two men in surprise and delight: "You two generals are very knowledgeable and are indeed the formidable generals of the Song Dynasty."
Sun Zhou and the other two hurriedly bowed and apologized. Nangong Lian'er, standing beside them, was completely unable to get a word in; she knew nothing about marching and fighting. But watching Zhao Huan strategize with such composure and composure, it was impossible to imagine he was the same despicable and shameless emperor he usually was.
Zhao Huan threw down his short stick and said, "Then we should abandon the Xixia defense line and hand it over to Zong Ze. Let Yue Fei's Yue Family Army take Xinzhou."
As the saying goes, fortunes change, and the Jin Dynasty came to the capital Huining Prefecture. Emperor Wanyan Sheng sent his minister, Gu Nu, as an envoy to Nanjing Prefecture to seek peace.
Gu Nu lost the arrogant and conceited attitude of the Jin envoys. He arrived at Zhao Huan's base camp in Nanjing with Wanyan Sheng's letter of peace.
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