It was about 150 miles from Gaizhou to the Xiaoling River outlet. We set out on the morning of the 6th and landed here on the evening of the 7th.

In the Song Dynasty, Jinzhou's strategic position had not reached that of the Ming Dynasty.

Because the Song Dynasty could not even take Yanyun back, let alone Jinzhou in Liaodong.

Neither the senior officials of the Liao Kingdom nor the current senior officials of the Jin Kingdom would have thought that the flames of war could reach Jinzhou.

However, when the main force of the Jin Army moved south, Zhang Rong, a fisherman, landed at the outlet of Xiaoling River with a group of fishermen who had previously made a living by fishing.

After landing, thousands of soldiers and horses rushed towards Jinzhou.

Due to its special geographical location, Jinzhou has not yet become a strategic location, but it serves as an indispensable food transit point between the hinterland of Liaodong and Yanyun.

Whether it was the Liao army back then or the Jin army now, when they sent troops from Liaoyang to attack Yanyun, they would inevitably replenish some food in Jinzhou.

Because it is difficult to grow large-scale food in the Liaoxi Corridor, which is hundreds of miles away.

Therefore, Jinzhou is now a transit station and by no means a military town.

Since it is not a major military town, Yelu Abaoji, who built Jinzhou at the time, did not build it as a military fortress.

When the Jin Kingdom took over, it was still just a city focused on commerce and agriculture.

For Zhang Rong, this undoubtedly greatly reduced the difficulty.

On the evening of the seventh day, as soon as the Song army arrived, they used crossbow arrows to clear the way.

Arrows rushed to the top of the city like a rain, killing the Jin army's defenders and catching them off guard.

Before dark, Zhang Rong cut off several important roads in Jinzhou City.

Even if Jinzhou sends people to Liaoyang to ask for help now, they probably won't have enough troops.

Because the main remaining troops in Liaoyang have been deceived into Gaizhou by Zhang Rong and Dong Tan. If you want to leave Gaizhou and return to Jinzhou, it will take more than ten days and a half. Don't even think about it.

Even if the Jin army leaves Gaizhou and returns to Jinzhou, will Gaizhou be abandoned?

This is the strangest part of the current situation in Liaodong.

Early in the morning on September 8th, when it was just dawn and the mist in the woods had not yet dispersed, the Song army began to attack the city again.

The method of siege is also extremely crude and simple. Crossbowmen and ladders can be used directly.

As for the three-meter-long city wall of Jinzhou City, there is no need for a goose cart.

In one morning, all the arrows were used up.

The first Song army climbed onto the city wall and split open the Tianling Gai of a Jin army soldier with an axe, and Jinzhou's city defense was broken.

When the sun was shining brightly at noon, more and more Song troops boarded the city.

The Jin army was defeated like a tide.

In just one day, Zhang Rong and his group captured Jinzhou.

Of course, the war has not ended at this point.

Because most of the Jin army in Jinzhou are not the elite of the Jin army.

The elite Jin army has not yet been eliminated, and Zhang Rong has penetrated deep into the hinterland. It is very difficult to gain a foothold in Jinzhou.

But the impact of this step on the entire battle situation cannot be ignored.

Especially now that the political forces within the Jin Kingdom are severely fragmented.

Just think about it, several powerful men in Beijing are now instigating Wanyan Zongpan to issue an imperial edict to the front in order to deprive Zong Han of his military power.

How would they feel once they learned that Jinzhou was captured by the Song Army?

This will inevitably cause panic in the Jin Kingdom and both the ruling and opposition parties.

The fall of Jinzhou caused the Jin Kingdom to be cut in half, the war situation fell into a huge passive situation, and even Liaoyang faced an unprecedented crisis.

On whom will this responsibility be thrown?

The eighth day of September, evening.

The sunset reflected the golden birch forest in the distance in a poetic painting. Zhao Ning sat under the tree in the backyard, his long clothes fluttering in the autumn wind.

He is reading multiple pieces of intelligence sent from the front line.

It is no secret that Wanyan Zonghan's army is pressing down on the country.

Although the war between Zhending Mansion and Zhongshan Mansion was looming, the Zhao Guan family still stayed in Zhaozhou calmly and calmly.

Not long after, Gao Qiu walked over quickly.

"The official family, after several days of interrogation by the ministers, they all came out."

Gao Qiu presented the previous summary.

Zhao Ning read it patiently.

He looked carefully. The setting sun fell on the tips of his fingers, emitting a faint halo, and there seemed to be an occasional wave of fluctuation in his calm, watery eyes.

"Why does Yan Hui, the postal director of Xingzhou, have such great ability to influence the official checkpoints on Hebei West Road?" Zhao Ning asked.

A chief officer, only a sixth grade.

Equivalent to a director.

Can a director clear so many checkpoints so that smuggled goods can go north unimpeded?

You call this kind of person a director?

If you say he is the first or second local leader, Zhao Ning will believe him.

"I actually know this Yan Hui and have seen him before."

"have you seen?"

"I met him in Tokyo the year before last. At that time, he had just been transferred from Yingtian Mansion to Kaifeng Mansion. He even gave me a small gift, saying it was a gem from the Western Regions." Gao Qiu said bluntly, "Later, I heard that he served as a feudal lord.

The magistrate of Qiu County, my ministers didn’t even care."

There are sixteen counties in Kaifeng Prefecture, and Fengqiu is one of them.

Being a magistrate in Fengqiu is naturally inferior to the local magistrates.

"I didn't expect that he would have gone to Xingzhou Post Office to be the chief officer this year."

A sixth-grade official in charge is naturally higher in rank than a seventh-grade county magistrate.

However, Xingzhou is a place after all, while Fengqiu is in Gyeonggi Province. The distance from the center of power is different, and the future prospects will definitely be different.

"This still cannot explain why a small officer in charge can affect my various checkpoints in Hebei?" Zhao Ning's tone was a little cold.

"Of course this cannot be done by a chief official." Gao Qiu said, "I'm afraid there are people behind this person, and they have a lot of power, and there must be people under this person to help him execute his power in various places and clear the main roads.

.”

Gao Qiu continued: "The only people who can influence the entire Hebei West Road are the local political officials of Hebei West Road. In the capital, I am afraid they are at least officials above the rank of minister."

"Where are the power enforcers down here?"

"It should be the businessman named Wang Guanren in this confession. He is very mysterious." Gao Qiu said, "Four years ago, the imperial court, in accordance with your Majesty's order, counted the richest people in various states, and the names were all in the imperial city.

The department has filed a record, but this royal official is not among them."

"Why is this?"

"Many people in the local area make money secretly. The more they have contacts with high-ranking officials, the more secretive and low-key they are, but they can be versatile in official circles."

"Can you find this Wang Guanren?"

"Those who can get rid of the list are not ordinary people. There must be someone behind it. Please give me some time. I need to check it out carefully."

Zhao Ning vaguely realized that this time the core power group might be involved.

It seems that the core of the imperial court of the Song Dynasty is going to change.

In fact, it has changed.
Chapter completed!