In Zhongdu, Mongolia, the Great Khan Mongke sat in the hall, quietly listening to Kublai Khan describe the battle on the front line.
"Great Khan," Kublai Khan said, holding up the battle report from the front, "the Wulin Alliance army has revolted in six locations. With Xiangyang as their center, they have captured Yangzhou, Jiankang, Luoyang, Dasan Pass, Kaifeng, and other cities. This has created a barrier between our army and the Southern Song. Not only has they encircled the Southern Song, but they've also blocked our army's advance southward!"
"Is the Wulin Army really that strong?"
Mengge frowned tightly. In his mind, the Han army was a bunch of spineless people who were totally unable to resist the existence of the Mongolian army... How come the army formed by the Wulin Alliance could be so powerful?
Defeating 100,000 with just 5,000 men was extremely difficult for even the Mongol army to do in such a short period of time, if it didn't take time! However, the Wulin Army was indeed defeated head-on, and their own casualties were less than five layers!
"Is he really that strong? If the Imperial Master hadn't noticed something was wrong and taken me away from the battlefield that day... I'm afraid I wouldn't have seen the Great Khan."
Kublai Khan smiled bitterly. The battle that day and the scene of killing people like chopping melons and vegetables really left him with a big shadow!
Mengge knocked the armrest quietly. Although he conquered the grassland and destroyed the Jin Dynasty, he was still afraid that the Han people would rise again as long as the Southern Song Dynasty was not eliminated!
His eyes turned to Liu Bingzhong, one of the few Han Chinese who could participate in Mongolian military politics.
"Liu Bingzhong, how do you think we should deal with this Wulin Alliance?"
"I don't think there's any need to worry too much,"
Liu Bingzhong held the intelligence in his hands, examining it while replying, "The Wulin Alliance is a regime formed by warriors and a group of peasants. Although they are powerful now, it is difficult to train masters after they have acquired the ability to fight. Their current smooth advance is nothing more than a revelry by a group of peasants! But if they truly conquer the entire Southern Song Dynasty, with their actions, they will surely be opposed by all the gentry and powerful people in the Southern Song Dynasty! They will even launch a counterattack within the Song Dynasty itself!"
To stabilize the rear, they must divide their forces to garrison! The Wulin Army's greatest strength lies in its ability to gather together a troop of acquired masters, who can crush us with their formidable individual combat power... And once they divide their forces, with the strength of our army, and secretly unite with the gentry and merchants of the Central Plains, we will surely be able to crush the Wulin Alliance in one fell swoop, easily march south, and conquer the world!
Liu Bingzhong said confidently! Without the support of scholars and even gentry from all over the country, in his opinion, the so-called rebellion is just a joke!
When Emperor Taizong of Tang was in power, he was also extremely wise and powerful. But wasn't he forced to retreat again and again under the pressure of the major families?
Wasn't the Song Dynasty also strong in military power but weak in culture in its early years? But what happened later? Didn't they release military power over a toast, and even establish the ancestral precept of "no punishment for the literati"?
Therefore, in Liu Bingzhong's eyes, perhaps the Wulin Alliance would be able to conquer the Song Dynasty smoothly with the support of the people. However, when it came to governing the country, the Wulin Alliance, without the support of the civil officials, was doomed to be engulfed in wars and internal friction!
Kublai Khan also nodded on the side. He was a rare person in the Mongolian royal family who was familiar with the history of the Central Plains. His judgment on the Wulin Alliance was the same as Liu Bingzhong's!
"Mr. Liu is absolutely right! Great Khan, the Wulin Alliance is now too powerful. I suggest we temporarily withdraw our forces to the Yellow River area, train our troops, build ships... and secretly contact the gentry, powerful people, and wealthy merchants within the Central Plains who are dissatisfied with the Wulin Alliance! Once the Wulin Alliance conquers the Song Dynasty and chaos reigns within, we can attack them all, dismantle the Wulin Alliance from within, and completely seize control of the Central Plains!"
Mengge frowned tightly, somewhat dissatisfied.
"According to what you're saying, the Song Dynasty can't stop the Wulin Alliance? The Song Dynasty's demise is inevitable? And we can't harass them?"
Liu Bingzhong remained silent... Kublai Khan smiled bitterly and said, "Great Khan, although I hate to admit it, we really can't do anything to the Wulin Alliance right now! Moreover, the Wulin Alliance is extremely vigilant against our Mongolian army. Even if they send troops to attack Song, there are always 5,000 Wulin soldiers stationed on the other side of the Yellow River, ready to defend us..."
Mengge looked at the Golden Wheel Dharma King beside him...
"National Master, what do you think of the Wulin Army's combat effectiveness?"
"The Wulin Army's strength lies in the fact that all its members are post-natal masters, but there are also ways to deal with it."
King Jinlun thought for a while before coming to a conclusion.
"Oh? Imperial Master, please tell me quickly!"
Mengge's eyes lit up and he urged quickly.
"There are two methods," King Jinlun said slowly. "First, I have already reached the ninth level of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Sutra. With a supply of rare treasures like thousand-year-old ginseng, ten-thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum, and Tianshan Snow Lotus, I can break through within a year! Once I break through to the eleventh level, I will reach the Grandmaster realm. By then, even a Wulin army of less than 100,000 soldiers and a hundred innate masters will be no match for me!"
Second, firearms! From what I've observed, if firearms reach a certain quantity and accuracy, and are in sufficient numbers, they can also resist the Wulin Army!
"How many firearms would that require?"
Mengge asked directly.
King Jinlun did some calculations and said, "At the very least, we'll need enough artillery and volley guns to power tens of thousands of people in order to establish a standoff with the Wulin Army!"
Mengge's gaze shifted to Xu Heng, the Han official in charge of counting the weight of grain and fodder!
"With our current military reserves, it will take at least a year to reach the number the King of France mentioned."
Xu Heng stepped forward and said, "The existing artillery and volley guns are mostly used for sieges... The reserves are really limited. Even if we speed up production, we still need to contact merchants from the Central Plains to purchase raw materials. A year is already the fastest speed."
"So, no matter what method we use, it will take at least a year?!"
Mengge looked at his ministers in disbelief... All of them bowed their heads in silence. Even Kublai Khan avoided Mengge's gaze, unwilling to accept the task of declaring war on the Wulin Alliance!
Seeing this situation, Mengge already knew that it was impossible to declare war on the Wulin Alliance in a short period of time!
"Well, let's decide it this way!"
Mengge sighed and said, "From today on, all the rare treasures in the national treasury can be used by the national teacher at will. He must break through to the Grandmaster level within one year. Kublai Khan will be responsible for recruiting and training soldiers. In one year, I want to see a million-strong army conquering the Central Plains in one battle!"
Xu Heng and Liu Bingzhong, you must manufacture enough firearms for 10,000 people within one year!"
"We will obey the Khan's orders!"
Everyone bowed their heads and saluted, not daring to raise any objections.
..................
At this time, after the Wulin Army had conquered Yangzhou, Jiankang and other places, the six legions gathered in Jiankang, looking at Lin'an City from afar... This place was only three cities away from the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty.
If they continue with their current speed of marching and breaking cities, they will be able to capture Lin'an and destroy the Southern Song Dynasty in ten days at most!
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