Traveling through Tianlong: Starting from the Zhenlong chess game

Chapter 676: Finale: The Iron-blooded Mighty Song
Even some Jurchens who planned to flee to the Song Dynasty or become refugees in Goryeo were forcibly expelled by the border troops. Even the troops in the border towns joined in the burning, killing, raping and looting against the Jurchens.

Because the "Liao army" was advancing very fast and their fighting style was very familiar, when Zhao Mu's army was about to arrive at the Jin capital Zhongjing, Wanyan Sheng, Wanyan Zongbing and others finally realized that the army in front of them was not the Liao army, but the fighting power they showed was more like the Song army in a different skin.

However, the Jin Dynasty had no substantial evidence for the Song army's re-appearance. After all, the difference between the Khitans, Jurchens and Han people was generally only in their hairstyles.

Moreover, many Khitans have been assimilated into the Han language. If they do not speak the Khitan language, they are basically the same as the Han people, making it difficult to distinguish them.

But now it was not the turn of the Jurchens to think, because Zhao Mu's advance was extremely fast. The Jurchens' road back to the jungle had been cut off by the "Liao Army".

And this time it was a coordinated operation. Zhao Mu sent a group of martial arts masters from the surrendered Shushan Army, led by Deng Baichuan and Gong Yeqian, to search deep into the jungle, determined to kill all the Jurchens.

Although these Jurchens are powerful and their combat effectiveness in the jungle is better than that of ordinary soldiers, these jungle hunters have no advantage over the martial artists who are also proficient in light skills and martial arts.

Zhao Mu personally led his army and approached the Jurchen capital, "Zhongjing" which he had previously ceded to the Jurchens.

After three years of recuperation, although the Song army's combat effectiveness could not be said to be unstoppable, it was no longer something the Jurchens could resist.

Although the Jurchens also sent out their most elite Iron Pagodas and Crooked Horses, these troops were now useless in front of Zhao Mu.

This is not because the Iron Pagoda and the Crooked Horse are weak, it’s just that Zhao Mu used a groundbreaking battle strategy.

Although the armor of the Iron Pagoda was overwhelming for infantry, it had a fatal flaw: both the soldiers and horses were wearing several layers of heavy armor. This configuration limited the mobility of the troops and increased the physical energy consumption of the soldiers and horses.

When Zhao Mu was advancing, in order to avoid casualties among the infantry, he used chariots to cooperate with the infantry in combat.

However, the main function of the chariot was not to charge into the battle formation, but to quickly carry the soldiers to escape when encountering the Iron Pagoda. Then the archers on the chariot would cover the troops' retreat.

The archers moved and shot at the chariot horses, but the Iron Pagoda could not catch up with the chariots. They could only consume their own physical strength. Once the chariot horses were exhausted, the so-called Iron Pagoda would become useless.

The Mongols defeated the Iron Pagoda because of the mobility of the Mongol cavalry, which made the Iron Pagoda far behind. Although Zhao Mu did not copy the same strategy, he also used the true meaning.

Moreover, Zhao Mu made some reinforcements by preparing many horse traps for these heavily armored cavalry.

Faced with the Song army's fighting style, Wanyan Zongbing, who was in charge of commanding the Iron Pagoda and the Crooked Horse, immediately cried out in dismay.

He stood on the city wall, looking at his Iron Pagoda army from afar, and said, "Quick! Sound the horn to withdraw the troops!"

But Wanyan Zongbi's order was too late. Many of his iron pagodas had been caught in the tripwires set by Zhao Mu and fell into the horse trap.

As long as they fell into the pit, they would be stabbed to death by the wooden stakes and spikes in the pit. Then the troops coming from the side would surround them completely.

In the battle outside Zhongjing City, although some Iron Buddhas escaped, Zhao Mu annihilated more of them.

After many days of fighting, Zhao Mu's allied Liao army and Yan army arrived at Zhongjing City one after another. Now, only Zhongjing City remained in the Jin Kingdom, and all other areas had been swept away by the coalition forces of the three kingdoms.

The Yan and Liao armies were very obedient, and they really spared no one from the Jin people. Not only the Jin people, but also the people in the cities they captured were also affected.

But Zhao Mu didn't care much, because it wasn't the people of his Song Dynasty who died. Besides, this was the cruelty of ancient wars.

As the three armies joined one after another, the capital of the Jin Dynasty was already in chaos. Wanyan Zongbing, Wanyan Zongwang and other brothers were now helpless.

Wanyan Sheng was also very surprised at this time, wondering why the Song army wanted to destroy them.

After this period of tug-of-war, the Jin Dynasty's rulers and ministers had completely understood who their opponents were.

Except for the army of the Qi State of the Song Dynasty, other armies do not have such strong combat effectiveness.

Although Wanyan Sheng wanted to send an envoy with his imperial edict of submission to the Song Dynasty and the original alliance letter from Zhao Mu to Bian Jing and Lingzhou to seek justice.

But now they couldn't even send out envoys. Even seeking peace was impossible because the troops besieging Zhongjing would kill anyone who was a Jurchen on the spot, regardless of their status.

Although Wanyan Sheng wanted to invade the south, he did not do it now. In this time and space, all the countries coexisted and the situation was complicated. He just wanted to take advantage of the Yan and Liao tribes and then strengthen his Jin. At present, they did not have the intention to be enemies with the Song Dynasty, so why did the Song Dynasty want to kill them all?

The successive defeats brought the once arrogant Jurchens to their knees. The city was now in chaos. Those with daughters hurriedly married the Han and Khitan people in the city, so that they could rely on their marriage relationship to survive after the army broke into the city.

Some were already insane, planning to have a revelry before dying, and they began to burn, kill, rape and plunder. In order to restore the law and order in the city, several princes of the Wanyan family also tried their best, but the city was already in chaos and they could not cope with it.

Now the Song army outside the city is attacking the city, and only the "Imperial City" is still relatively quiet.

Looking at Wanyan Sheng sitting on the throne, Wanyan Zongbing said: "Your Majesty! I'm afraid Zhongjing can't be saved now. Why don't we do it?"

Wanyan Sheng knew what Wanyan Zongbing wanted to say, so he said expressionlessly, "Forget it. I heard from my fellow tribesmen who escaped into the city that the 'Khitan soldiers' outside slaughtered all of us Jurchens regardless of gender, age or status. They want to completely wipe out our race. Whether we surrender or fight to the death, we are doomed now. They will not accept our surrender. Defending to the death is futile. It's over! It's really over! The Wanyan family is over, the Jurchen tribe is over. Everything is over!"

Wanyan Sheng, the Jin emperor, slowly slid down from his seat. He knelt on the ground and asked with tears in his eyes: "Oh God! Why! What did we Jurchens do wrong? How could you treat us like this!"

"You'd better ask this question yourself." Upon hearing this voice, Wanyan Zongbing, Wanyan Zongmou, Wanyan Sheng and others in the Golden Palace all looked over.

Zhao Mu, wearing the armor of a Liao army general, walked in slowly with Yelu Yanxiu.

At this time, the Song army had already breached the imperial city, and street fighting was still going on inside the city. Zhao Mu led a small group of men and rushed in first.

When he saw Zhao Mu's face, Wanyan Zongbing looked at him in disbelief and said, "Zhong Tianzi! It's really you!"

Zhao Mu saw Wanyan Zongbi's incredulous expression and laughed, "Haha, are you surprised? I don't think you are stupid. You have been fighting with my army for so long, can't you guess or see it?"

Wanyan Zongwang sneered and said, "It's not that I didn't guess it, I just didn't dare to believe it."

Wanyan Sheng also said: "Zhong Tianzi, I just can't understand why you want to attack us? When you came to my Jurchen tribe, you gave us a million taels of silver as military funds. You funded our uprising and divided the territory among us. Our Jurchen Jin Kingdom was almost founded by you, and you should even be given the title of Taizu. Why do you want to destroy it with your own hands?"

"If you think we are asking for too much, we are willing to give you everything we have. To the Song Dynasty. But why did you kill all of our Jurchens? Even when you destroyed Liao, you were not so cruel. How did we Jurchens offend you?"

Zhao Mu shook his head and said, "You Jurchens have not offended me. Even Aguda once wanted to send a princess to me for marriage. In the past three years, you have also offered a lot of treasures. However, it was not me who destroyed the entire Jurchen tribe. It was the Xianbei and Khitan people. Don't you see that I am wearing a Khitan military uniform?"

Zhao Mu slowly drew his sword and said, "Alright. You and I have no grudges against each other, and you are no threat to the Song Dynasty. Why did I exterminate your entire clan? You should ask yourself this question when you have a chance!"

Just when Zhao Mu was about to take action, Wanyan Zongbing took the initiative and rushed towards Zhao Mu.

But they were only strong warriors, but they were not strong enough to face a master of Zhao Mu's level. Zhao Mu then kicked Wanyan Zongbi in the chest, knocking him off his horse.

Wanyan Zongwang also shouted at this time: "I will fight you, you little bastard!"

Zhao Mu sneered and said, "I am indeed right, but you, at least those of you here, do not have the strength to fight me."

At this time, a Khitan deputy general reported: "Reporting to the general, the Jurchen royal family princesses have all been captured. May I ask how the general will deal with them?"

But he spoke in Khitan, and Zhao Mu didn't understand a word he said. He turned and looked at Yelu Yanxiu.

"What is he talking about?" Zhao Mu asked back.

Yelu Yanxiu replied: "General Xiao is reporting to your majesty that all the princesses of the Jin Dynasty have been captured. He is asking you how to deal with them. In my opinion, it would be a good idea to place these women in your Lutai."

Zhao Mu said, "No need. I already have enough women around me. Besides, Jurchen women are not qualified to enter my palace. Tell him that if they like the captured female prisoners, they can give them to meritorious soldiers. If they don't like them, they can send them to the camp to reward their soldiers."

Hearing this, Yelu Yanxiu, Wanyan Sheng and others all looked at him with their eyes wide open.

Wan Yan Sheng roared at this time: "No! You can't do this!"

Zhao Mu sneered and said, "You are not qualified to negotiate with me now."

After hearing what everyone said, the Khitan general was also confused and had no idea what they were talking about.

Yelu Yanxiu did not rush to translate, but asked: "Your Majesty! This... This is a bit cruel."

Zhao Mu looked at her and said, "Is it cruel? We killed so many men, women, old and young in the Jurchen tribe, and now you are the only one who has pity on a few women? Anyway, you have done some immoral things, so one or two more won't matter."

Zhao Mu smiled and said, "Oh! By the way, there is no need to sympathize with them. If I had not explained to Your Majesty in advance that all the royal women of your Liao State would belong to me, I believe they would treat them the same way after they break the city." At this point, Zhao Mu thought of the Jingkang Shame in the original time and space, and his eyes revealed absolute murderous intent.

Wanyan Sheng was so frightened by Zhao Mu's sudden killing intent that he trembled all over and fell down. Yelu Yanxiu had no choice but to translate Zhao Mu's order to General Xiao.

General Xiao smiled brightly upon hearing this. He bowed to Zhao Mu, said thank you for the reward, and then immediately left.

Wan Yan Sheng shouted at this time: "No! You can't do this! You can't do this!"

But in the face of Wanyan Sheng's shouting, Zhao Mu raised his hand and chopped off his head. Blood gushed out instantly, and the corners of his mouth were still twitching, as if he was still shouting "Don't do that."

But he was completely speechless.

Although they were allies in the past, Zhao Mu did not sympathize with him. Zhao Mu's double standards towards Liao and Jin were just revenge based on reality. In Zhao Mu's eyes, Liao was just a tyrannical neighbor. So after he crippled Liao, he did not have to kill all of them.

But in his eyes, the Jin Kingdom was just a group of barbaric robbers who had to be eradicated. If they were not eradicated, they would become a serious threat in the future.

Zhao Mu raised his hand and chopped off not only Wanyan Sheng's head, but also completely buried the Jin Kingdom and the Jurchens in the long river of history. Now the Jurchen tribe has almost been wiped out by Zhao Mu. The remaining surviving Jurchens are afraid to call themselves Jurchens anymore.

Zhao Mu didn't know whether this was good or bad for the world. But he was very happy. At least the last hidden danger was eliminated from the root.

As for the remaining Wanyan Zongbi, Wanyan Zongwang and others, Zhao Mu did not torture them, nor did he let them perform any boring sheep-leading ceremony. Humiliating the opponent is a cowardly act.

Zhao Mu killed them all with his sword.

As Zhao Mu's last blow landed on the neck of Wanyan Zongbing, the legendary Jin Wushu, the Wanyan family was completely wiped out.

At this time, Zhongjing City was in chaos. Zhao Mu looked at the dragon throne on it and the bodies of the Wanyan clan men on the ground. He put away the butcher knife that was still dripping with blood, and said nothing and did nothing.

Instead, he turned around and left. Yelu Yanxiu also followed him.

The two of them walked on the imperial road of the imperial city. The howling of men in the imperial city, as well as the wailing of palace maids, concubines, and princesses were endless. Some people were even doing beastly things not far from Zhao Mu, but Zhao Mu was not moved at all, as if he could not see anything. Even though those women were shouting and begging.

Zhao Mu also pretended not to see it.

Seeing this Asura purgatory with her own eyes, Yelu Yanxiu was so frightened that her whole body trembled. She asked softly: "If I hadn't begged you that day, would it be the same when our Liao city was broken?"

Zhao Mu glanced at Yelu Yanxiu, then said, "Of course not."

After saying that, Zhao Mu continued to move forward. Yelu Yanxiu also followed Zhao Mu's steps, fearing that these angry soldiers would drag her over as well.

At present, Zhongjing City has completely fallen. Not only has the imperial city become a hell, but even the outer city has become the same. The soldiers robbed, burned, or killed. In short, everyone took what they needed.

Zhao Mu turned a blind eye to the blood on the street, the explosion of fire not far away, and the wailing and screaming. Even though the fire illuminated his face. The blood, which had almost solidified, stuck to the soles of his shoes. He did not stop for a moment, but walked slowly towards the outside of the city.

Facing Zhao Mu's silence, calmness and indifference, Yelu Yanxiu, who was accompanying him, didn't know why he felt a little scared.

I don’t know whether he was afraid of Zhao Mu or the heinous crimes in this city.

It was not until Zhao Mu reached the city gate that he turned around and took a look at the hell on earth that he had created.

Faced with all this, Zhao Mu couldn't help but sigh in his heart. If the Jin people hadn't been so ruthless in the original time and space, he wouldn't have committed such atrocities.

But Zhao Mu had no sympathy, nor did he regret it. In his opinion, this kind of thing was a sin in the present, but a merit in the future. He did this just because he didn't want this scene to happen again in Bianjing.

Don't have any sympathy for the barbarians, because they are afraid of their power but not their virtue. If you don't kill them, they will come and kill you.

After that, Zhao Mu left without looking back, and took Yelu Yanxiu back to his central military tent outside the city.

The catastrophe in Zhongjing lasted for a day and a night, until Yelu Neguru led his troops to the city, and order was restored.

But even though Zhongdu City had turned into a living hell, the Han, Korean, and Khitan people living in the city were not safe, but at most some of their property was looted. The real unlucky ones were the Jurchens and those who were related to them.

Afterwards, Zhao Mu discussed the division of the spoils with everyone outside the city of Zhongjing.

According to the previous agreement, Zhao Mu gave the old territory of Liao to Yelu Neguru in the east of Jin. They are now the legitimate rulers of Liao. The achievement of recovering Zhongdu will consolidate the power of their father and son. It completely confirmed Yelu Hongji's incompetence and made it impossible for Liao to revive.

Zhao Mu gave all the primitive jungles, snowfields, and several cities to the north of the Jin Kingdom to Murong Fu. Although those places were useless, it would be a waste if Murong Fu didn't want them. But this could be considered a "merit" of his "Yan Shizu" in expanding the territory.

The remaining areas in the south, including some areas on the border of Goryeo, were given to Song by Zhao Mu. Song had a great strategic depth outside the Great Wall and had completely opened up the road to Goryeo.

In short, this "evil" war finally came to an end after the "spoil division meeting". Zhao Mu could also return to Lingzhou City to enjoy himself with complete peace of mind.

Half a month later, the situation in the north was completely stable. Zhao Mu also returned to Lingzhou. He personally went to Bianjing via Song territory to visit his Majesty.

In addition to chatting with Zhezong, the two most important things were to inspect the training of the navy and to present Zhezong with a world map roughly drawn by Zhao Mu.

The threat on land had been basically eliminated, and now Cheoljong had set his sights on overseas. It was time to send out fleets to conquer the surrounding island nations and explore the New World.

Moreover, Zhao Mu clearly marked the local specialties on the map, especially the corn from America and the sweet potatoes from the Luzon Islands.

Zhao Mu planned to allow these high-yield agricultural crops, which had only flowed into China during the Ming Dynasty, to enter China in advance.

Zhao Mu knew that the main reason for the people's rebellion in ancient times was that they were hungry due to natural disasters. As long as most people were well fed, the rule of the Song Dynasty could be better maintained, thus guiding the Song Dynasty to slowly take the right path.

Of course, the subsequent events had nothing to do with Zhao Mu, the "Inland King". Zhao Mu enjoyed himself in his own fiefdom and subdued the Western Liao, Western Xia, Tibetan tribes and other four barbarians.

Zhezong followed Zhao Mu's suggestion and sent the Song Dynasty's navy to the ocean to search for the things marked on Zhao Mu's map.

Of course, Cheoljong’s first goal was to attack Japan.

On the one hand, it was because of Zhao Mu's previous promise to the King of Goryeo, and on the other hand, the Song Dynasty needed a midway supply station in the ocean. If they crossed the Pacific Ocean to the undiscovered America, it would save a lot of time and effort to resupply on the Japanese islands than to go back to the mainland for resupply.

Under the slaughter of the Song Dynasty's heavenly army, all the tribes of Japan, together with the Ezo in the north, were destroyed by the Song Dynasty.

The Song Dynasty gave part of the land to Goryeo, which also contributed. As for the rest, they followed Zhao Mu's suggestion to "change the cage and replace the bird", keeping the women but not the men. These islanders, like the Jurchens, were completely exterminated. Later, the Song Dynasty people were sent to reproduce with these local women. A new population will be born in the future.

A few years later, the exploration of Asia was basically over. Zhezong also found the things Zhao Mu mentioned. In particular, the introduction of sweet potatoes and large-scale planting made it rare for the Song Dynasty to suffer from hunger.

There is no famine at home and no strong enemy outside.

Dali, Western Xia, Western Liao, Murong Yan, Tubo and other tribes all paid tribute to the Song Dynasty.

Since then, the Song Dynasty has become a truly "Iron-Blooded and Powerful Song", a great civilization that is no less powerful than the Tang Dynasty.

The names of the two emperors Wen and Wu of the Song Dynasty will also be forever engraved in the parallel time and space of this martial arts world.

Zhao Mu spent his days either eating or sleeping, living a life of luxury and extravagance to the extreme. Many beauties were presented to him as tribute for his enjoyment.

Besides, he is protected by the Beiming Divine Art and has a lifespan of at least a hundred years.

Zhao Mu has already begun to imagine that on his 100th birthday, he will have a group of beautiful women aged 16 or 17 to marry him. What kind of dream paradise would that be?

Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, you can’t get them even if you seek them.

But Zhao Mu figured out the chess game and finally became happy and carefree. And his happiness, this dreamlike and wonderful life, will continue until he dies more than a hundred years later.
The world is out of my generation, and the years are reminded as soon as I enter the world.

In the chat and laughter of Huangtu Hegemon, life is a drunken experience.

He raised his sword, mounted his horse and swung his sword to rain down ghosts, and the white bones turned into mountain birds startled and flew away.

The world is like the tide and people are like water, I only sigh that few people return from the world.

All things are gone, only a glass of wine in a golden cup and jade cup remains.

The dreams of the world are over and the flowers are shining.

(End of this chapter)