Dawn of the Empire

Chapter 1: 57 Drunken Dancing Feast-5

After the Han army sent their family members and common people to the outer islands for the winter, the winter grain stored in Suzhou seemed to be abundant.The banquet for the envoys of the Kingdom of Jin was also extraordinarily sumptuous.There is not only wine and meat, but also soldiers performing songs and dances to add to the fun.

As a symbol of balancing Jurchen power, Zhao Xingde sat on the right, facing Wanyan Zongbi, while Han Ningshuang sat in the middle.Wanyan Zongbi sat next to the commander-in-chief Xie Lihu and other generals of the Kingdom of Jin. They were all drunk, full of stomachs, and took advantage of the excitement, staggering and singing and dancing during the banquet.The two cooperated with each other, one cheered up, the other echoed, his face was sometimes elated, sometimes frowning, sometimes dancing, and the atmosphere was intensely lively.

Back then, the emperor of the Liao Kingdom got drunk at the fish head banquet and ordered the chiefs of the Jurchen tribes to dance for fun. Only Wanyan Aguda refused to perform.However, when friends have a feast, the Jurchens are famous for singing and dancing during the banquet.Zhao Xingde couldn't understand Jurchen's words, but in his eyes, they were somewhat similar to the Northeast Errenzhuan of later generations, full of vitriol and humor.The performances of the soldiers of the Han army were much more vigorous, from the wrestling of the big man with naked upper body, to the hand-to-hand combat during the banquet, and there was only a slight difference between fighting with the battle formation, which aroused the applause of the generals of the Han army.Wanyan Zongbi kept talking to Han Ningshuang.

"When I went south, my father promised that if the Han army and I attack Liaoyang together, all the Han children in Liaoyang city will be used by the Han army."

Sensing the burning gaze of the other party, Han Ningshuang frowned, and said in a deep voice: "Our army is weak and lacks food and grass. I'm afraid we can only send thousands of elite soldiers." This is the result of her discussions with Zhao Xingde and Wang Xuansu.Before the decisive battle between Liao and Jin is not clear, the main force of the Han army should not rush into the battlefield in advance.It is necessary to wait for the Liao and Jin armies to lose both sides in the battle before it is possible to capture Liaoyang. In this way, the timing of sending troops is extremely important.

"Don't lie to me," Wanyan Zongbi's expression darkened, and he put the cup on the table, "It's clear that the people in Guannan, Suzhou are strong and strong, and they have enough food and grass."

"Don't look at the glamor on the surface. Our military committee is really short of food and grass, so we disperse and eat. As for what the fourth prince saw, it was to entertain your army, so he did his best to supply it." Wang Xuansu raised his glass and laughed, "I still hope that the fourth prince Be more considerate, or maybe Jin Guo supports us with some food and grass?" Wang Xuansu's expression was rather ashamed, and before Yan Zongbi could refute, he patted himself on the head and said, "Oh, during the winter, everyone is in short supply of food and grass. Find it yourself."

Suspicion flickered in Wanyan Zongbi's eyes.In just half a year or so, the Han army not only rapidly expanded its army, but also took in hundreds of thousands of Han people.Most of the crops that these people had planted were abandoned. Although the Han army was also a local snake that had entrenched Liaodong for decades, it was strange that the grain and grass for this winter were not in short supply. "Maybe, it's really a bluff." Wanyan Zongbi recalled Mr. Han Da's words: "Miss was originally quite friendly to the Wanyan tribe, but was coerced by a group of ambitious people. In Liaodong, there is a separate court to resist the ceremony. For the current plan, if the four princes and Miss Han achieve their good deeds, the two families will become one, and the disaster will disappear. Otherwise, when fighting the Liao Kingdom, we must guard against the Suzhou Army Attack from behind. Or, instead of being bitten by a snake instead of raising a snake, it is better to strike first. If it weren't for the benevolent nature of the fourth prince and the rare appearance of a wise king, Han would not have said such heartbreaking words. "

Wanyan Zongbi was suspicious, turned the wine glass in his hand, and said with a smile: "Speaking of dispersing the food and drink, I would also like to congratulate Ningshuang. Since the Han army started the uprising, it has expanded almost tenfold. Now there are probably [-] to [-] soldiers. Follow your orders."

Hearing the tentative meaning in his words, Wang Xuansu said with a smile: "The Liao Kingdom is brutal, the clansmen were just assembled hastily, they can only protect themselves."

Xu Detai also chimed in and said, "Exactly, they are not as experienced as the Jurchen army, so they have to be trained before they can go to the battlefield."

Looking at this scene, Zhao Xingde felt a little funny in his heart.He has already learned many times about the temper of the Han army who would rather die than suffer.Han Ningshuang said with a smile: "I have been busy for half a year to manage the food and arrangement of [-] to [-] people. The camps and villages disperse to eat, and it may take a month to gather together. If it is not for General Zhao to help us conquer After leaving Kaizhou, I’m afraid there won’t even be enough food and grass for the winter.” At this point, she raised her wine glass and smiled at Zhao Xingde: “Thank you, Mr. Zhao.”

"Marshal don't want to see outsiders when it comes to his duty." Zhao Xingde humbly stepped aside, raised his glass and drank it down.Han Ningshuang smiled slightly, raised the cup and touched her lips, but she didn't drink it up.During such banquets, she is extremely restrained, and does not drink Hesse like other Han generals.Zhao Xingde even suspected that she ate less than usual because she had to talk to her subordinates.She didn't drink much wine, but there was a blush on her cheeks, as if she was overwhelmed by alcohol.

Seeing her thanking Zhao Xingde, Wanyan Zongbi felt a surge of jealousy in his heart, and said: "It is difficult to gather a large army in a hurry, but thousands of elite soldiers can do it. Ningshuang can command elite troops to go north to Liaoyang first, and the Han people in the city see your banner , there must be someone to respond to the incident, and even if it is not good, they will not be willing to help Liaogou defend the city." He was calculating in his heart, as long as Han Ningshuang went north to Liaoyang.If you are afraid that the Han army in Suzhou and Kaizhou will be capricious, you can simply detain her in the Jurchen army.Follow the Jurchen rules of snatching marriage.He said emphatically, "If not, all the men in Liaoyang city will help the Liao dog defend the city. Once the city is broken, we will turn them all into slaves and reward the soldiers who have made great achievements."

Han Ningshuang guessed his intention, her beautiful eyes were slightly cold, Wang Xuansu and Xu Detai heard the threat in Wanyan Zongbi's tone, and the smiles on their faces stiffened a lot.Zhao Xingde sighed slightly in his heart, Liaoyang was a couch for the Kingdom of Jin, and even the entire Liaodong, the Jurchen Kingdom of Jin would not allow the Han army to remain independent.How much can be tolerated at present depends only on the size of the threat to the Liao Kingdom.The day when the two sides show their cards will come sooner or later.

The changes that took place during the banquet were only in the blink of an eye, and the generals below were still unaware, eating and drinking happily.At this time, a general of the Kingdom of Jin drank too much. He staggered up his wine glass and walked to Xiong Renyue. He suddenly threw the wine glass and punched him. His wrist and left leg kicked under his knee, and the general of the Kingdom of Jin fell to the table with a bang, making a mess on the ground.He just got up, and with a low growl, he jumped on him, and the two started to fight with each other.

This kind of drunken brawl was very common in the Jurchen tribe, and the Han people were also used to it. The other generals of the Jin Kingdom did not come forward to help, and they formed a circle with the generals of the Han army and cheered loudly.There was the sound of punching and kicking, slapping the table and applauding, Jurchen and Chinese swearing at each other, and the noise in the Chinese military tent was as loud as a boiling oil pan.

Suddenly, there was a "snap" on the table, which made most of the Han generals who were still awake quiet down, and they all looked towards the leader.Marshal Han covered his face with frost, and said in a deep voice: "Fighting in front of the army, how decent is it? Come, someone, tie them up with raw beef tendon for me, and let them go after they wake up!" This is how the Jurchens deal with drunks Generals of the Kingdom of Jin are very familiar with this method.As for Han Ningshuang's military order, the Han army did not dare to disobey, and soon found two beef tendons, tied up the two fighting generals, and placed them next to the military tent, and most of them lost their drunkenness.

"These two reckless men have lost their interest, so the banquet is over, and we will host a banquet for His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince at another time."

Before Yan Zongbi could finish speaking, Han Ningshuang got up and left the banquet, and walked outside the tent. The smile in her eyes suddenly cooled down when the cold wind blew.Wanyan Zongbi showed up and threatened Han Ningshuang with the Han people in Liaoyang City, but he didn't get an answer, but he was interrupted by such an interruption, so he could only cry in vain. "Since I have already torn my face, I will bring this up again next time we meet, and I have to ask for a result." Wanyan Zongbi looked at her back, with a hint of sternness in his eyes, Mr. Han Da "first The words that strike is the best" seemed to ring in my ears again.Wang Xuansu and Xu Detai glanced at each other, with some smiles and some bitterness in their eyes.Ms. Han worked hard, and the Han Army Committee was completely reborn compared to before, but it was powerless to confront the Jin soldiers and the Liao army head-on.Now if it is delayed for a while, the strength of the Han army will increase by one point. "It can only be delayed for a while, can it be delayed for a lifetime?" Zhao Xingde shook his head in his heart.

The two drunk men were still swearing at each other in Chinese and Jurchen, and the dinner party broke up amidst everyone's plans.The chance for Wanyan Zongbi to attack again never came, because Han Ningshuang fell ill, and since the dinner that day, she has been claiming that she was sick and never 'shown' her face.Most of the generals of the Han army speculated that this was actually a means to continue to delay the date of dispatching troops.Over the years, Han Ningshuang has led his subordinates to run north and south.During the long-distance trek, it is commonplace to eat and sleep in the open air, and to brave the wind and snow.The two armies faced each other, with swords and arrows coming in and out several times, and she had never frowned.If not, even if she is the only descendant of the Han family, the Han Army Commander's Mansion would never be able to single-mindedly regard her as the master, and everyone would be convinced.

Zhao Xingde took the sergeants of the artillery battalion to survey the terrain and orientation every day as usual, and calculated the firing range and distance of the artillery positions.The various cross-shooting networks he arranged, along with the acquisition of various real data, are gradually being completed.In Kaizhou, Jin Changtai has completed the basic training for the fifth garrison battalion.Zhao Xingde intends to find an opportunity to put the firearms team into actual combat to test the gains and losses.

Li Sihai sent a message that at the beginning of spring, two gunboats would escort the merchant fleet northward from Yuntun Port to join the navy.In order to prevent the Japanese army from taking risks while the Yalu River was frozen in winter, he would take a gunboat to visit Kaijing, the capital of the Japanese country, and then return to Yueyang Island for the winter.If the Liao army really took advantage of the freezing winter to attack Suzhou, ask Zhao Xingde to inform in time that although the fourth battalion is inconvenient to go ashore, it is still possible to fire artillery at sea to limit the detours of the Liao army.