The heavy snow is still blowing wildly, and the snow flakes are gathered into snow balls by the random wind and dispersed, falling on the ground, making a rustling sound. If you can overcome the coldness of the snow flakes hitting your eyes, raise your face and look up to the sky, you can see
The dark zenith pressed almost to the touch, and more snow seemed to have broken a crack somewhere in the zenith and poured downwards.
He looked around and saw that the roads, fields and hills were all white.
In the northeastern hinterland, such heavy snow is not that rare. But if you have to trek, march, and fight in the heavy snow, it will be too hard!
No, that’s not just hard work, it’s really life-threatening!
Zhang Jing also suffered a lot when he rose from the countryside in his early years. However, as his status has increased in the past two years, it is inevitable that he will have wine, beauty, brocade and mink fur. His original strong muscles and bones are not as strong as before, and he can no longer withstand such harsh conditions.
environment.
Since the Da'an period, the Jin Kingdom's control over local areas has been continuously loosened. Jinzhou, Zongzhou and other places on the Liaohai Passage have long fallen into the hands of many local tycoons. Among them, brothers Zhang Jing and Zhang Zhi, who are brave and good at fighting, control Jinzhou.
In Zongzhou's salt fields and trade routes, regardless of strength and reputation, he is the leader among them.
On that day, Wanyan Chengyu, who was left behind in Beijing, claimed to have hundreds of thousands of soldiers under his command, half of whom were powerful soldiers headed by the Zhang brothers.
And when Mu Huali led his troops to break into Beijing Road, Zhang Jing immediately claimed to be the king of Linhai County and gathered more than 100,000 people to respond to the Mongolian army. This single-handedly caused Wanyan Chengyu's death.
The reason Zhang Jing did this was because he wanted to follow the example of King Yelvliu Ge of the Liao tribe of the Khitan tribe, Alasi Wusi, the king of Beiping of the Wang tribe, and others, and use the power of the Mongols to realize his ambitions.
But what made him suspicious was that after Mu Huali settled in Dading Mansion in Beijing, he verbally recognized his status as Linhai County King, but he never gave him an official seal, tiger talisman or anything, and even gave him jurisdiction over Jinzhou and Zongzhou.
There was no serious official title to recognize it. On the contrary, the original subordinates Shi Tianying and others received favors from Mu Huali one after another, and even took away a group of troops recruited by Zhang Jing personally.
For this reason, Zhang Jing was very unhappy. After he bid farewell to Mu Huali, he returned to Jinzhou and stayed away for a long time, focusing on building his own elite force called the "Black Army".
It was not until ten months ago that Genghis Khan himself arrived at Dading Prefecture in Beijing that Zhang Jing left Jinzhou to visit him. Genghis Khan was very kind to the powerful Han people on Beijing Road and asked Zhang Jing if he was interested in going to Dading Prefecture.
He served as marshal and was in charge of the ten Han armies in Dading Prefecture.
Genghis Khan was polite, but too stingy.
In recent years, the position of marshal has become worthless. Even if you want to win over with a high official and a generous salary, you can't just be a marshal? I, Zhang, am already the king of Linhai County! I am a prince!
On the same day, Zhang Jing heard that his old subordinate Shi Tianying had been promoted by Genghis Khan to the hereditary position of 100 households, and he also promised to give him a hundred good horses.
The Mongolians had 100 hereditary households, but if they were included in the subordinate army, they would be at least 10,000 households. Isn’t it true that Genghis Khan was too partial to one?
The next day Zhang Jing politely rejected Genghis Khan's proposal and continued to return to Jinzhou to win over many local figures and manage his own power.
Three days ago, suddenly a Mongolian messenger rushed to Jinzhou to deliver an order, saying that the army sent by the Great Khan to fight in Liaodong had been defeated and General Zhebie had died. Therefore, the Great Khan urgently summoned all the generals to gather troops and supplies on the east side of Beijing Road.
Raoqing Town, Yizhou, wanted to send troops to invade Liaodong, wipe out Ding Haijun, and avenge Zhebie.
Zhang Jing was a little surprised by Zhebei's death. After all, such a powerful Mongolian general died in battle, which had never happened in Zhang Jing's memory.
It is said that those who defeated Zhebie's troops were the Dinghai navy from Shandong. Before this victory, they had defeated the Mongolian army twice, and even captured princes and killed thousands of families.
It seems that the Mongolian army is not as powerful as they boasted? Is it possible... In the early years, the imperial troops and horses would be defeated miserably every time they encountered the Mongols? Maybe it was because of the laxity of the imperial troops and horses, rather than the strength of the Mongolian army?
Zhang Jing felt a little ridiculous at the same time.
In the past few days, the snow has fallen heavily. How can we still march and fight?
Even if Genghis Khan was furious, he would have to distribute his troops to eat for the winter, or go south, to Zhongdu Road, Hebei Road, to fight the autumn wind of the imperial court, and to rob a few granaries for envoys. Going to Liaodong at this time, isn't it a suicide?
Genghis Khan was really affectionate towards his subordinates. When a general died, he became angry?
With this idea in mind, Zhang Jing did not mobilize all his old base, the 12,000 people who dared to die, nor did he order the many powerful men in the two states. He took his brother Zhang Zhi and hundreds of personal guards to
The remaining people meandered to meet up.
Those who went to Dading Prefecture with this idea, in addition to the Zhang brothers, also included powerful people who defended themselves in Xingzhong Prefecture, Zezhou, Yizhou, Jianzhou and other places. Zhang Jing met them on the road
They gathered one after another and found that the number of people led by the generals was no more than a hundred, and the few were only twenty or thirty attendants.
So everyone looked at each other and smiled, feeling that they had a common understanding. Everyone felt that the Mongolian military power seemed to be unreliable recently, so they were all just pretending.
I didn’t expect that Genghis Khan was serious.
Everyone's persuasion was of no use. We were really forced by him to march to Liaodong in the ice and snow!
At the border of Jinzhou, Zhang Jing was still able to overwhelm the local support and take care of him. The army left Yizhou and headed east, which was Yelvliu Ge's territory earlier. Now the Khitan people are completely scattered, and the surrounding area is so desolate that no living person can be seen.
After only half a day of marching, Zhang Jing was almost driven crazy by this ridiculous approach.
It’s too hard. This really doesn’t work! We have to find a way!
Zhang Jing was making crazy calculations when his younger brother Zhang Zhi summoned the quartermaster: "How are the soldiers doing?"
The quartermaster trembled and said: "General, it has only been half a day, and already the men and horses cannot hold up and are about to freeze to death! There are also more than 20 soldiers with frostbite in their legs and feet, unable to move!"
Zhang Zhi thought for a while and reluctantly said: "Twenty people got frostbite in a long time? Not bad!"
He turned to his brother and said, "If we calculate it this way, when we rush to Liaoyang in one go and join forces with the Prince Consort Bitu, we will still have 500 people under our command!"
You fart!
Is this how the account is calculated?
If this continues, not to mention the soldiers who have finally gathered together, my majestic Linhai County Prince himself will not be able to hold on halfway! Let alone go to Gaizhou to fight, it is no different from surrendering to death! No, no, it may not be surrendering to death,
Because all the soldiers on the way have to flee!
Zhang Jing almost wanted to curse, but he really had no energy, so he just waved his hand repeatedly to tell the quartermaster to retreat.
The group of people walked for a long time in the wind and snow, and suddenly heard the heavy sound of an army marching not far away.
He turned around and saw the Mongolians marching with their horses in the distance.
These Mongolians were wearing dirty leather jackets, and all of them had dark faces due to exposure to wind and sun all year round.
On the road covered with heavy snow, they moved forward with concentration. On both sides of the road, in the undulating snowy fields blocked by rocks and thorns, they pulled the reins, occasionally dragging each other, and still moved forward with concentration. No one complained, and no one hesitated.
, their expressions are like rocks.
Looking at them, Zhang Jing felt in a daze that they were not like humans, but more like wild horses, wild deer or wolves. They themselves were part of the harsh environment and could be compared with the white disasters and gray disasters on the grassland.
Something comparable to a black disaster!
The army composed of these people has an indifferent murderous aura...maybe they can really rush to Gaizhou?
He turned around and was suddenly startled.
In front of his horse, a Mongolian with black helmet and black armor stood up at some point. The Mongolian said angrily: "Prince Zhang, the Great Khan has invited you!"
