Moma Liangshan

Chapter 343 The Jurchen Villains: True or False, It's Hard to Distinguish (New)

After the generals took their leave, Wanyan Zongwang asked, "Why did you dismiss everyone, Your Majesty?" Wanyan Zonggan smiled mysteriously and said, "What you said may be unintentional, but what you hear may be meaningful. Some things are better discussed in private!" Wanyan Zongwang asked, "What is it that is so mysterious?" Wanyan Zonggan countered, "Since Father raised his army, we have fought dozens of battles, large and small. Have we ever suffered such a great loss?" Wanyan Zongwang slammed his fist on the table and sighed, "The enemy is cunning and has repeatedly schemed against us. They are truly hateful!" Wanyan Zonggan continued, "If there is truly such a genius among the Khitan, why didn't they use him earlier, instead of waiting until the country is on the verge of collapse?" Wanyan Zongwang's heart tightened, and he tentatively said, "As far as I know, Emperor Tianzuo's most beloved daughter has returned, and she has brought back tens of thousands of elite troops. It must be her doing!"

Wanyan Zonggan shook his head and said, "We're brothers, there's no need to hide anything! The tens of thousands of troops outside the city are indeed led by the Shu princess, but according to the prisoners' confessions, there are not only 30,000 Youdu troops, but also 20,000 Yunzhong troops. As for the Shu princess's Liaodong troops, there are only 10,000!" Wanyan Zongwang, having suffered a defeat in the first battle, was furious and focused on revenge. His interrogation of the prisoners was not as comprehensive as Wanyan Zonggan's. He said, "Judging from the battle situation, these three forces are all well-trained, not like a rabble!" Wanyan Zonggan nodded and said, "The 60,000 troops outside the city and the 50,000 troops inside the city are the only remaining palace guards of the Khitan." "This is also Emperor Tianzuo's last hope!" Wanyan Zongwang didn't understand why his elder brother was saying this. Although the palace guard was the main force of the Khitan army, when Emperor Tianzuo launched his northern expedition, the Jurchens defeated the Liao army of 700,000 with tens of thousands of troops. Of those 700,000, 500,000 were from the palace guard. In other words, while the palace guard was indeed the main force of the Liao army, it was by no means an elite force in the face of the Jurchen warriors. He said, "We've killed hundreds of thousands of palace guards, when have we ever encountered such a tough nut to crack?" Wanyan Zonggan sneered inwardly, "Finally, he's getting a bit clever. He can handle those few thousand elite troops!" He said, "Second brother, do you see anything unusual about the enemy camp?"

Wanyan Zongwang pondered for a moment and said, "If the camp were built along the city wall, its front line would either be level with or slightly behind the wall. But this camp extends at least an arrow's length forward, which is truly perplexing!" Wanyan Zonggan said, "This at least proves one thing: the enemy outside the city is not only unafraid of battle, but also actively seeking it!" Wanyan Zongwang knew this all too well, but he had previously been too confident in his large army and generals to pay attention to these things. Wanyan Zonggan then asked, "Are there any other strange things?" Wanyan Zongwang replied, "The moat outside the city, and the drawbridge and the camp being on opposite sides, that's what tricked me!" Wang Hao's brilliance lay in successfully grasping the arrogant and underestimating psychological characteristics of the Jurchen army, and leaving a seemingly short but actually perilous passage outside the wall. Sure enough, Wanyan Zongwang had no interest in thinking about it, assuming that in the face of absolute strength, all schemes and tricks would be futile, and as a result, he became increasingly entangled.

Wanyan Zonggan actually admired Wang Hao's plan somewhat, saying, "The trenches outside the camp walls, the drawbridges and camp gates on the east and west sides, the trenches filled with silt instead of water—each of these plans is intricately linked, drawing us deeper and deeper! But upon closer examination, one can understand the mystery behind these details. However, why did a fire suddenly break out in the trenches, and why is the fire so fierce that water and soil cannot extinguish it?" Wanyan Zonggan's last sentence caused Wanyan Zongwang to sit down on the ground, saying, "It is this fire that will completely destroy my five thousand vanguard troops!" Oil fires can usually be extinguished with sand, but Wang Hao first poured a large amount of water into the trenches. Therefore, using sand to extinguish the fire can only raise the water level, not put out the fire. Wanyan Zonggan said, "I sent people to secretly investigate, and they found that the fire was caused by a thick layer of oil." Wanyan Zongwang immediately said, "What kind of oil could produce such a fierce flame? And if such a weapon exists in Shangjing, why isn't it being used for defense?" Wanyan Zonggan said, "This kind of oil is called 'fierce fire oil,' and it's not produced within the Liao territory!" At this moment, Wanyan Zongwang suddenly had a bad feeling and said, "Brother, are you saying that this fierce fire oil comes from the Song?" Wanyan Zonggan nodded and replied, "Exactly!" Wanyan Zongwang was somewhat puzzled and said, "As far as I know, some time ago, the Song emperor's envoy secretly visited and signed an alliance to attack the Liao from both the north and south!" Wanyan Zonggan said, "It's true that an alliance was signed, but the Song..." The envoy also revealed some information; I wonder if my second brother has noticed it?” Wanyan Zongwang, of course, hadn’t noticed it, and said, “Please, Your Majesty, stop beating around the bush!” Wanyan Zonggan said, “When the Song emperor sent envoys to conclude the treaty, he also tacitly allowed a county magistrate to trade freely with the Liao!” Wanyan Zongwang gritted his teeth and said, “Such a two-faced villain deserves to die!” However, despite his cursing, he said, “A county magistrate is just a low-ranking official in the Song; how could he possibly cause any trouble?” Wanyan Zonggan said, “But I learned from the prisoners that as soon as this county magistrate entered Shangjing, Emperor Tianzuo bestowed upon him the title of Duke of Bohai and appointed him as the governor of Dongjing!” Wanyan Zongwang was shocked and said, “Although it’s a nominal position, it’s enough to demonstrate Emperor Tianzuo’s high regard for him!”

Wanyan Zonggan nodded and said, "Whether it's the construction of the Liao army's camp or that fierce oil, it must have been the work of this Song magistrate!" Having sorted out the cause and effect, Wanyan Zongwang gradually understood and said, "In your opinion, Your Majesty, how should the next battle be arranged?" Wanyan Zonggan said, "Our army has just suffered a defeat and it is not advisable to continue the offensive. I propose a three-day truce to regroup our morale before making further considerations!" The Pituo army suffered more than 6,000 casualties, almost to the point of being severely weakened, so it was not unreasonable for them to rest and recuperate. However, the Sanhe army, which suffered no losses, also took the opportunity to cease fire, which seemed somewhat like a cunning and opportunistic act.

Wanyan Zongwang frowned slightly and said, "We've stopped the war without authorization; Father might reprimand us!" Wanyan Zonggan said, "We weren't the only ones who suffered a loss at the hands of the Shu princess and the Song magistrate!" Wanyan Zongwang suddenly realized and said, "Brother, are you referring to Wanyan Wulu?" Wanyan Zonggan nodded and said, "The three-day truce wasn't because we were afraid to fight, but because the battlefield situation was unexpected, and we petitioned the court!" Seeing that his brother's purpose seemed to lie elsewhere, Wanyan Zongwang asked, "Brother, is there another reason for insisting on petitioning the court?" Wanyan Zonggan replied, "I want to know Song's true attitude!"