The battlefield was littered with the corpses and blood of Song soldiers, and the air was filled with the strong smell of blood and gunpowder smoke.
Zhang Jun was trapped in a tight siege. He waved the long sword in his hand and fought hard.
However, two fists were no match for four hands. The soldiers around him fell one after another, and he himself was seriously injured.
"General! Leave quickly! If you don't leave, it will be too late!" A soldier shouted loudly, trying to rescue Zhang Jun from the siege. However, Zhang Jun refused to leave.
He knew that as a general, he could not abandon his soldiers and escape alone. He would rather die on the battlefield than live with the shame of deserting.
So, he waved the long sword in his hand and continued to fight with the enemy. There were many injuries on his body, and his shirt was stained red with blood.
However, he did not flinch or fear at all. He used his actions to demonstrate loyalty and bravery, which frightened his enemies.
Zhang Jun finally escaped back to Chanzhou under the desperate protection of his subordinates.
Along the way, they went through untold hardships, avoiding the pursuit of Jin soldiers and the bombardment of artillery fire. The soldiers around them fell one after another. In the end, less than 20,000 people escaped back to the city.
Zhang Jun stood on the tower, looking at the tragic situation in front of him, his heart filled with shame and self-blame.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner turmoil.
However, when he thought of the soldiers who died in the battle and how his underestimation of the enemy led to this tragic defeat, he felt that he could not forgive himself.
"General, now is not the time to blame yourself." Staff officer Xu You walked to Zhang Jun and advised softly, "We must arrange defense matters as soon as possible. Chanzhou is the eastern gateway of Kaifeng. Once it falls, the consequences will be disastrous."
Zhang Jun nodded. He knew that Xu You was right. He must cheer up and lead the soldiers to defend Chanzhou.
"Send the order, the whole city is on alert!" Zhang Jun ordered loudly, "All soldiers go up to the city wall to defend, and there must be no mistakes!"
At the same time, Zhang Jun also sent an emergency document to Kaifeng, requesting Zhao Yingluo to send troops for support.
He knew that it would be difficult to resist the Jin soldiers' attack with just the few troops he had.
He must get reinforcements as soon as possible to defend Chanzhou.
While waiting for reinforcements, Zhang Jun and the soldiers experienced fierce battles one after another.
The Jin soldiers continued to launch fierce attacks, trying to break through Chanzhou's defense line. However, due to the stubborn resistance of the Song Dynasty soldiers, they were never able to succeed.
Chanzhou's urgent military strategy was like a huge stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing an uproar in the Kaifeng court. Zhao Yingluo sat on the dragon chair holding the little emperor Zhao Min, her face was ashen, and her eyes showed unconcealable anger and anxiety.
"Your Highness, Chanzhou has been lost. General Zhang Jun led his army back in defeat, with less than 20,000 remaining soldiers." Privy Councilor Zhu Shengfei's voice echoed in the court, and every word struck Zhao Yingluo's heart like a heavy hammer.
Zhao Yingluo suddenly slapped the armrest of the dragon chair and angrily said: "Zhang Jun was greedy for power and rushed forward, causing our Song Dynasty soldiers to die in vain. He really deserves death!" Her voice was sharp and fierce, as if she wanted to pour out all the anger in her heart. Pour out.
Zhu Shengfei quickly stepped forward and consoled him: "Your Highness, calm down your anger. The top priority is to quickly reinforce Chanzhou and protect the east gate of Kaifeng. Although General Zhang Jun made mistakes, this is not the time to hold him accountable."
Zhao Yingluo took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She knew Zhu Shengfei was right, the most important thing now was to save the situation rather than wallowing in anger. She spoke slowly and asked, "Master Zhu, do you have any suggestions?"
Zhu Shengfei said in a deep voice: "The Jin army is powerful and the artillery is sharp, which cannot be matched by our ordinary army. For the current plan, we must mobilize the 200,000 private soldiers in the north of Fengcheng and bring a large number of artillery and muskets to support. There is a glimmer of hope." Zhao Yingluo frowned. After thinking for a moment, she nodded and said, "Okay, as Master Zhu said. But who will lead these two hundred thousand private soldiers?"
Zhu Shengfei replied without hesitation: "I recommend Wen Boyuan, the commander of the Imperial City Department! He is highly skilled in martial arts, wise and brave, and loyal to the court. He will definitely be able to take on this important task."
Zhao Yingluo nodded slightly in agreement: "In that case, order Wen Boyuan to raise 200,000 troops and quickly go to Chanzhou to support General Zhang Jun." She paused and added, "Tell him to be careful, act steadily, and never Make the same mistake as Zhang Jun again!"
Following Zhao Yingluo's order, the entire Kaifeng City immediately became nervous and busy. Two hundred thousand private soldiers were quickly assembled under the leadership of Wen Boyuan. Carrying a large number of artillery, muskets and other weapons and equipment, they drove out of the north gate of the city and headed straight for Chanzhou.
Watching the 200,000-strong army winding out of the city like a giant dragon and disappearing into the dust in the distance, the anxiety in Zhao Yingluo's heart did not disappear.
She knew very well that although these 200,000 private soldiers were large in number, most of them were new recruits who had never experienced fighting on the battlefield, and their actual combat experience was almost zero.
If they go to the battlefield and face the iron hooves and sharp blades of the Jin soldiers, can they withstand the pressure and exert their due combat effectiveness? All this is unknown.
However, Zhao Yingluo also knew that this was the last strength the court could use at present.
Eighty percent of the Song Dynasty's troops have already gone to support Chang'an and Xingzhou. There are very few troops left in Kaifeng City, which cannot meet the needs of the Chanzhou front line.
Therefore, despite being filled with worries and uneasiness, Zhao Yingluo still had to make this helpless decision.
Zhu Shengfei stood aside and saw the worry and anxiety in Zhao Yingluo's heart.
He comforted: "Your Royal Highness, General Wen Boyuan is both wise and brave, and can conquer and fight well. With him commanding this 200,000-strong army, he will definitely be able to exert the greatest combat effectiveness. There are no weak soldiers under a strong general. I believe General Wen Boyuan will be able to lead the soldiers." We defeated the Jin soldiers and rescued the siege of Chanzhou."
Zhao Yingluo nodded and agreed.
She also knew that Wen Boyuan was a general with rich combat experience and excellent command skills. His joining would undoubtedly greatly enhance the combat effectiveness of this 200,000-strong army.
Although her heart was still full of uncertainty and worries, Zhao Yingluo still chose to believe that Wen Boyuan and the soldiers could create miracles and save the crisis.
She secretly made up her mind that this time she must completely wipe out the traitor Liu Yu before she would give up.
Liu Yu's behavior of twice arrogating the throne and colluding with the Jin Kingdom had seriously threatened the rule and security of the Song Dynasty. If he was not eradicated by taking the opportunity, there would be endless troubles.
Therefore, this war must be won no matter what.
After watching Wen Boyuan lead the army to leave, Zhao Yingluo's mood was not at all relaxed. She turned around and returned to the palace. The palace lantern flickered along the way, but it could not illuminate the worries in her heart.
The war between Chang'an and Xingzhou has always affected her heart. Now that the Song Dynasty's troops are scattered, she can't help but worry about the war situation in the two places.
Returning to the palace, Zhao Yingluo immediately summoned Zhu Shengfei and eagerly asked about the war between Xingzhou and Chang'an.
Zhu Shengfei looked solemn and replied in a deep voice: "Your Royal Highness, there has been no battle report from Xingzhou, and the specific situation is not clear yet. As for Chang'an..." He paused, as if he was considering his words, "The army led by His Royal Highness King Xin is not yet clear. There have been sporadic battles with small groups of enemy troops, and both sides are still in the exploratory stage."
"Master Zhu, is Chang'an's defense still solid?" Zhao Yingluo asked.
"Don't worry, Your Highness Princess, the city of Chang'an is high and deep, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. Besides, Your Highness, King Xin, is both wise and brave, and will definitely be able to defend Chang'an."
