Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 810: The Fall of Southern Han

A hundred thousand Wu troops came like a tide, accompanied by the firing of powerful crossbows and arrows as dense as rain, covering the sky and the sun, shrouding the capital of Xingwangfu in a shadow of death, creating a sense of grandeur and tragedy of "dark clouds pressing down on the city, threatening to destroy it".

"Boom, boom, boom!" The sound of the war drums was deafening, stirring the hearts of every Wu army soldier. Their morale was high and their offensive was fierce. Because they were invincible along the way, they had already reached the capital of Southern Han in just two months. This absolute strength forged their indestructible self-confidence, making every Wu army soldier see this battle as a great opportunity to make achievements and establish a career. Their hearts were full of desire for victory, and they firmly believed that the Southern Han defenders were nothing but that and could not withstand a single blow.

This high morale and firm belief undoubtedly injected infinite strength into the Wu army. They were like tigers descending from the mountains, bravely taking the lead, and their momentum in attacking the city was unstoppable.

On the other hand, the garrison of Prince Xing’s Palace, although a royal guard, had been pampered for a long time and lacked actual combat experience. They were like flashy ceremonial guards. Facing a real war, they were at a loss and vulnerable. Once they clashed with the Wu army, they were suppressed by its powerful offensive and retreated step by step.

In this siege, by the afternoon, the city wall of the west gate was in danger and eventually fell under the fierce attack of the Wu army.

"Kill! The opportunity to make a contribution has come!" Ma Donglin and Ma Zhanchao, both military commanders, stood side by side in front of the battle formation, their eyes flashing with a fiery fighting spirit. This time they personally led the elite troops of the Wu army to attack the west gate, and they had already gathered enough strength in their hearts, vowing to show their skills.

At the west gate, the defenders lacked a general, and the deputy commander, the chief military officer, and even the chief military officer were all timid and had little intention of resisting. As the battle continued, their morale gradually dissipated, and they were eventually defeated by the fierce offensive of the Wu army.

"Swish, swish, swish!" As soon as the Wu army soldiers climbed onto the top of the city wall, they immediately used short crossbows to launch intensive shooting, aiming to force back the defenders and win valuable depth space for themselves.

"Occupy the city walls!"

"The city is about to be broken!"

The shouts of the Wu army soldiers rang out one after another. They quickly occupied the top of the city wall and suppressed the defenders with firepower, paving the way for the subsequent army to enter the city.

The tide of the war had clearly turned in their favor. More and more Wu troops were pouring into the city, and it became increasingly difficult to defend the Southern Han capital.

A moment later, the west gate was breached, and the Wu army outside the city, which had been ready for attack, rushed in like a tide, and the city suddenly fell into chaos.

The next battle will be a brutal and fierce street fight.

Zhi Tingxiao and Guo Chongyue led the defeated army and fought to the death. They were unwilling to see the city fall and the country destroyed. This obsession drove them to fight to the death in order to have a clear conscience. Although this may be regarded as blind loyalty by some people, the integrity and tenacity they showed made people admire them.

"Stop it! We would rather die with honor than live in disgrace! Kill!" Guo Chongyue led the charge and personally engaged in a desperate battle with the enemy in the city.

The Wu army poured in like a tide, shuttling through the streets and alleys, clearing out the stubborn imperial guards one by one. Afterwards, they began to conduct a strict search and surveillance of the royal family and ministers in the city, many of whom needed protection.

However, the court of the Southern Han Dynasty was already riddled with problems. In the past, many generals were killed due to slander, and almost all members of the royal family were slaughtered, leaving only the eunuchs in power. Therefore, when the country was in danger, few generals and ministers stepped forward to serve the Southern Han Dynasty loyally.

Finally, at dusk, Prince Xing's Palace fell completely and Liu Xiong was captured alive.

This moment marked the complete demise of the Southern Han Dynasty. Su Chen heard the news of Liu Yan's capture outside the city, so he ordered his men to bring him to the front of the army, wanting to personally examine the last emperor of the Southern Han Dynasty. After all, capturing Liu Yan was his primary goal in leading his army south to destroy the Southern Han Dynasty, and it also marked the completion of his great cause.

Soon, Liu Xiong came staggering in, tied up. The once majestic emperor now had dishevelled hair and looked embarrassed. He knelt before Su Chen's mount, trembling.

"I, Liu Xiong, the king of a fallen country, pay my respects to General Su!" Liu Xiong's voice trembled as he saluted humbly.

Su Chen looked at him coldly. This notorious tyrant in the history of Southern Han was so stupid, incompetent and tyrannical that not only led to the downfall of Southern Han, but also caused countless people of Southern Han to suffer.

"Liu Xiong, I have heard of your name before." Su Chen's voice was cold and majestic. "Over the years, the people of Southern Han have been displaced and their lives are in misery, all because of your incompetence and brutal rule. Although the loss of the country is tragic, perhaps it can save the people from suffering."

After saying this, a hint of coldness flashed in Su Chen's eyes, as if it was an endless condemnation and ridicule of Liu Xiong.

Su Chen rebuked Liu Xiong, not for personal grudges, but for the people who suffered so much. He denounced Liu Xiong for being a ruler who had no mercy on the people, and only indulged in debauchery, extravagance, and levying heavy taxes, which was extremely selfish. He warned Liu Xiong that such behavior had exhausted his blessings and even the merits of his ancestors, and would eventually usher in misfortune and the fate of the country's demise.

"Yes, General Su taught me that I am such a bastard..." Liu Xiong responded humbly. When you are under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. The former king of Southern Han was so arrogant, but now he can only be submissive and just want to survive and avoid being beheaded.

Su Chen certainly would not kill him easily. Because keeping Liu Xiong still has some use - he can be used as a living example to show the emperors of the hostile forces. Let them know that even a tyrant like Liu Xiong can save his life, so as to dispel their thoughts of death and reduce unnecessary casualties. Many people would think that since Liu Xiong can survive, then others naturally have hope. In this way, the desire to resist will naturally weaken.

Although Liu Xiong was a bastard who took the lives of ordinary people lightly, Su Chen knew how to weigh the pros and cons. He decided to drag out some of the evil eunuchs and treacherous officials and behead them in order to calm the anger of the people and win their support.

In the ancient officialdom, Su Chen became more and more skilled in using these political tactics. He knew that to achieve great things, he had to not only conquer by force, but also win the hearts of the people. The key to winning the hearts of the people was how to skillfully handle these complex interpersonal relationships and conflicts of interest.

Su Chen had Liu Xiong temporarily detained and guarded, and then sent some soldiers into the city to start cleaning up the battlefield and helping to put out the fire in the city so that the city could calm down as soon as possible.

At the same time, Su Chen sent people to receive funds from the national treasury and warehouses, and to bring seeds of some crops, such as "Champa rice" that harvests twice a year, which was Su Chen's main search target this time.

In the Tang Dynasty, rice became one of the main staple foods for the people, and the cultivated area increased significantly. In the Song Dynasty, the rice harvesting system was increased from one harvest a year to two harvests a year, and the output jumped to the first place among grains, which made the Song Dynasty the first country in world history with a population of over 100 million.

At that time, in the Jianghuai and Liangzhe regions, the yield of paddy fields would be greatly reduced if there was a drought, often resulting in a shortage of rice. Champa rice is an early rice that matures early and sets grains quickly. It can be harvested two or three times a year, and its yield is much higher than that of japonica rice. Moreover, Champa rice can grow on any fertile or barren land and can be harvested as soon as it is planted. The planting area is much larger than that of japonica rice and glutinous rice.

Historically, in 1011 AD (the fourth year of Dazhong Xiangfu in the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of Song), Emperor Zhenzong of Song sent envoys to Fujian to retrieve hu of rice, which was "Champa rice" originated in southern Vietnam. Now Su Chen knew about it in advance and took the initiative to find it and prepare to bring it back to Jiangnan for planting, so that the food supply would double, and both military pay and civilians would be able to obtain more rice.

Rice is a treasure from head to toe. The husk is used as animal feed and building material. The straw is used to weave ropes, make straw sandals, weave straw raincoats, and build straw houses. The surplus rice can also be used to make wine. It has many uses.

After returning to the capital after some time, the first thing Su Chen thought of was to promote Champa rice in the Jiangnan region and speed up the storage of food and grass to prepare for the war with the Northern Song Dynasty a few years later.