Volume 1: Zhu Xian Town Crisis Chapter 34: Wonderful Plan

  Under the scorching sun, Han Yan Zheng led more than a dozen of his men to hasten to Haozhou on horseback. As it happened, he was lucky and had just arrived at the city gate when he ran into a large contingent of Song troops leaving the city.

  Han Yan hastily inquired of the soldiers from Song's army who had come out of the city and only then did he learn that Zhang Jun, after withdrawing back last month, had not long ago received an order from the Imperial Secretariat to leave behind only three thousand men to guard the city, while the rest of his main force was required to withdraw across the river. At present, he was leading the main force of the imperial guards in preparation for a southward withdrawal to the main base at Jiankang south of the Yangtze River.

  After hearing this, he hastily turned his horse's head and rushed to the front of the team. Under the leadership of Zhang Junjun, who was in command, he arrived at the forefront of the team where Zhang Jun was advancing.

  Zhang Jun, one of the four generals who claimed to have revived the Southern Song Dynasty, was now in his fifties, with some white hair on his head. He had a three-inch long beard and a pair of beady eyes that shone with a hint of sharpness. Seeing Han Yanzhi rushing over to find him, he was also greatly surprised.

  Zhang Jun saw Han Yan rushing to his side on horseback, slightly startled, then coldly said: "It's actually Young Master Han, I don't know what urgent matter you have that makes you block my way like this?"

  Han Yan had only met Zhang Jun once a year ago, and because Zhang had wanted to annex his father Han Shizhong's troops, he had a deep impression of him. Although the two families were on bad terms, he remembered Zhang's appearance clearly.

  He hastily cupped his hands and bowed, saying with a respectful expression: "General Zhang, now Chu State has suddenly been attacked by the Jin army, and within the city there is also an outbreak of plague, so that less than 5,000 soldiers are available to fight, while the Jin army is ten times as numerous. I hope General Zhang will look at it from the perspective of being a great Song dynasty general and send troops to rescue us!"

  Having said that, he bowed deeply again.

  After hearing Han Yan's intention, Zhang Jun was also shocked in his heart.

  However, he was after all an old fox, and although he was shocked in his heart, his face remained unchanged.

  After a moment, he reacted and said with a wry smile: "Young Master Han, there's no need to panic. The vanguard of the Han army has always been known for its bravery, and your esteemed father is a seasoned and steady leader. The idea that the Jin people can capture Chu State is simply a daydream."

  "General Zhang! If the plague had not broken out in Chuzhou, my Korean army would not have feared the Jin army's attack. However, due to the plague, more than half of our soldiers and civilians are bedridden with illness and cannot get up. The situation is extremely critical. I hope General Zhang can put aside past grievances and rescue Chuzhou from the brink of disaster! If not, after the Jin army captures Chuzhou, they will march south and take Yangzhou, Shouchun, and Luzhou, cutting off the retreat route of our Song army in Huainan. The Jianghuai region will be in danger!" Han Yanzhi implored again with great emotion.

  Zhang Jun was also stunned. Although he had fought many battles with Jin Jun, losing more than winning, he had accumulated rich combat experience and was not a mediocre general. As soon as Han Yanzhi spoke, he calculated in his mind and immediately realized the severe consequences of Chu State's fall, knowing that Han Yanzhi's words were not empty.

  However, Zhang Jun is a selfish person who only considers things from his own interests. As for the safety of the Song Dynasty and the suffering of the people, they have nothing to do with him.

  Zhang Jun thought for a moment, then decided to prioritize his own safety. This old man Han Shizhong was not on the same path as himself, and letting him take a big loss would be just fine. Who knows, maybe the imperial court would get angry and remove Han Shizhong from his position, making it difficult for him to lead the Jianghuai military affairs. As for losing Chu State, they could just retake it later. After all, didn't the Jin army's southern invasion start out smoothly at first? But weren't they ultimately defeated by him in battle after battle?

  Then he stroked his long beard under his chin and said slowly, "Young Master Han, it's not that Zhang doesn't want to save you! It's just that there's no way to rescue you now! Zhang has already received an order from the Imperial Secretariat several days ago to lead the army back to Jiankang to guard against the defense of the Yangtze River. This military order is like a mountain, and Zhang cannot disobey it either! However, since Zhang and your father are both officials in the same court, he will not abandon you to death. After Zhang returns to Jiankang, he will definitely send a fast horse to report this matter to the imperial court in Lin'an and ask the court to arrange for troops to rescue your father! If the imperial court orders Zhang to go into battle, Zhang will also have no choice but to do so!"

  These words were indeed said with conviction, but they greatly disappointed Han Yan. Would Zhang Jun return to Jiankang and send someone to Lin'an to report? This back-and-forth would take at least a month, by which time the imperial reinforcements would have arrived, and it was likely that Chu Prefecture would have already fallen, and the Jin army would have reached the banks of the Yangtze River.

  Han Yanzhao had known for a long time that Zhang Jun and his father were at odds, but he hadn't expected him to be so reckless and disregard the bigger picture, to the point of abandoning him to die.

  "Zhang Jun, although my father and you had disagreements in the past, after all, we are both generals of the Great Song. Now that the Jurchen army is marching south, the people of Jianghuai are suffering, and the civilians will be displaced again. You actually ignore this! Are you still a Song person?"

  Zhang Jun saw this, but was completely unmoved, and disdainfully said: "Do you think Zhang is that scoundrel Yue Fei? He dared to disobey military orders, but I do not dare!"

  Having said that, he turned around and coldly told the surrounding generals: "The young men are on their way! We're going back to Jiankang!" The army, which had stopped in its tracks, began to move forward slowly once again.

  After Han Yan went south alone, Zhang Li, the son of Zhang Jun who was walking alongside his father, felt a little anxious.

  After a moment, he pulled the reins and urged Zhang Jun: "General, why not rescue Chu State? If Chu State falls, the Jianghuai defense line will be completely relaxed, and the Jin army will drink horses in the Yangtze River..."

  "Hum! Li Er, you always think for others, why don't you think for yourself? The other day, Yue Fei sent Wang Gui to borrow grain, and you actually agreed to lend it to him! If I hadn't found out in time and stopped you, you would have really lent our military rations to him! In the past, if it weren't for Yue Fei and Han Shizhong colluding with each other, suppressing your father, how could your father end up as a pacification commissioner in this desolate place of Huai West? How could we have only these few tens of thousands of weak and disabled soldiers under our command? You want to lend grain to such a person, you're really getting dumber by the day!"

  He paused for a moment, and Zhang Jun continued with some resentment: "This time, Han Yan came to ask for help, and you are like this again. You only think of Han Shizhong's husband, but don't you dare to think about the consequences of doing so? Haven't you heard that little kid Han Yan say that Chu State is currently plagued by a plague? What if our soldiers get infected with the disease after we go there?"

  Then, he said with a scowl: "The loss of Chuzhou is the responsibility of Han Shizhong, what does it have to do with us? If we go to rescue and manage to keep it, that's fine. But if we still lose it, won't I have to bear the blame for losing the city together with Han Shizhong? Moreover, the Imperial Secretariat has already ordered me to return to Jiankang quickly, are you asking me to disobey the imperial order?"

  Zhang Jun fired off a string of words, leaving Zhang Li momentarily speechless. Half a day later, he finally spoke up: "General, but the situation in Jianghuai is not...".

  "What's there to fear? Must the fate of the Song Dynasty rely solely on me, Zhang Jun? Are Yang Zongzhong, Liu Qi and Yue Fei just mere vegetables? And above us is the Imperial Secretariat, and above that is the Emperor himself! What do you have to worry about?" Zhang Jun felt his son was truly hopeless, with such a narrow-minded view of things.

  "But, this..."

  "No more delay! Lead your troops to speed up the march! Take advantage of the fact that Chu State has not been lost, we rush to Caishi to cross the river, otherwise, if the Jin army advances south and captures Yangzhou, sweeping across the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it will be difficult for us to cross the river!" Zhang Jun ordered.

  Zhang Li let out a sigh, although he was extremely unwilling in his heart, but could only reluctantly obey his father's command, leading his troops to set foot on the road southward.

  Outside the city of Huozhou, looking at Zhang Jun and others leaving in the distance, Han Yan was so angry that his face turned red, but he could do nothing about it. He could only grit his teeth and say: "Zhang old thief! You win!"

  He saw that things were irretrievable, although he was very angry, but had to turn around and ride back, however, his heart was restless.

  This Jun refused to send troops, which was also within expectation. However, this meant that Chu State had no reinforcements, and the 5,000 people trapped in this isolated city were in a precarious situation. Even if all the soldiers in the city recovered, it was not necessarily a winning strategy.

  At this time, the personal soldier Fang beside him hastily reminded him: "General Xiaozhang, didn't Mr. Yu say that if Zhang Jun refused to send reinforcements, you should take a look at the brocade pouch he gave you?"

  Han Yan thought of a brocade pouch in his bosom and hastily pulled it out for examination.

  At this glance, he was overjoyed in his heart and said to his personal soldiers: "Turn the horse's head! We are going to Huai State now to find General Wang De!"