Chapter 286-291, Sweeping Jiangnan, the world is united Rumble… A muffled sound like thunder suddenly reached the ears of the guards in Fancheng. The Song army on the city wall were all startled. Veins bulged on the palms of their hands holding spears. They couldn't help but tiptoe and stretch their necks to look in the direction where the muffled thunder came from. The first thing they saw was a cloud of dust rising. The rising smoke looked like a yellow dragon with bared fangs, approaching Fancheng. Then, a few small black dots jumped out of the horizon from under the yellow dragon and into the sight of the Song army on the city wall. Soon, more and more black spots jumped out, and became denser and denser, and finally merged into a rolling black tide. Under the cover of the yellow dragon-like smoke and dust, and with the increasingly loud thunder, it rushed towards Fancheng with an unstoppable momentum to destruct everything. "Wolf, wolf rider!" Some Song soldiers couldn't help but cry out in surprise: "The Yong Army's Wolf Cavalry is coming!"
"Why are you panicking?" One general tried to remain calm and shouted, "No matter how strong the Baoyong Wolf Riders are, can they still break through the city wall? Stay at your positions. If you dare to shout and disrupt our army's morale again, you will be killed immediately!" Although he scolded harshly, the general still couldn't help but look up at the sky. Of course, wolf riders cannot break down the city walls. But no matter how tall and solid the city walls were, they could not withstand Bao Yong's flying dragon. If a flying dragon appeared in the sky, the general would not know whether he would fight bravely to the end, abandon his weapons and flee in panic, or even surrender. Fortunately, there is no sign of flying dragon yet. The general's courage was barely enough to hold out. Rumble… The heavily armored cavalry were getting closer and closer like a black tide. Finally, it stopped beyond the range of the crossbows on the city wall. The moment thousands of black-armored cavalry stopped, the surging black tide seemed to turn into a volcano before erupting. Although seemingly quiet, terrifying magma is brewing inside, as if it will erupt with devastating energy at any time. Looking at the cavalry formation standing still like a mountain. The Song soldiers on the city walls all felt their scalps tingling, their backs chilled, their throats moving as they swallowed saliva, and big drops of cold sweat dripping from their foreheads. Although Xiangfan was an important gateway town that was related to the life and death of the small imperial court, the Song State had not experienced war for decades since the Longxing Peace Agreement. Almost no soldiers in Xiangyang and Fancheng had ever seen a real battlefield. The first time they went into battle, they had to face the powerful Yong army that had destroyed the Jin Dynasty with ease. One can imagine the tension and depression in the hearts of the Song army soldiers. The city was quiet. It was in this oppressive silence that almost broke the hearts of the Song army soldiers. From the cavalry formation below the city, a rider rode out on his horse and walked slowly towards the city wall.
"I am Wang Wu." The knight, wearing black armor and looking majestic and sturdy, walked forward and said in a deep voice: "You should have heard of my name." The voice echoed on the city walls, as if speaking to every soldier face to face, causing the Song army on the city walls to be shocked and in an uproar. Wang Wu. The soldiers of the Song army had indeed heard of this name. The number one dragon rider general in Dayong, and the direct disciple of Yong's god of war Ouyang Feng. He slew countless generals and destroyed countless cities in the wars to destroy Xia and Jin. He was the first person to be awarded a title of nobility for his military exploits and was known as the "Peerless Fierce Tiger". Legend has it that even if he was not riding a flying dragon, he would still be an invincible general. When he charged, even the most well-organized military formation would collapse in an instant, and even the most solid city defenses would be as fragile as chicken eggs. Even if he could kill a general and seize a flag in the midst of thousands of troops, it would be as easy as taking something out of a bag for him. Facing this legendary and extremely ferocious tiger. Even though the enemy was at the foot of the city, even though the enemy was not riding a flying dragon, the Song army soldiers on the city wall only felt that as the enemy approached, an invisible pressure as heavy as a mountain came towards them, making them so nervous and depressed that they almost suffocated. Wang Wu had already ridden his horse into the range of the crossbows on the city wall. His true appearance could also be seen by the Song army soldiers on the city wall. He swept his cold eyes over the pale and even slightly trembling Song soldiers on the city wall, and said in a deep voice: "Our Great Yong is the orthodox Chinese nation. Destroying the Jin Dynasty is to drive out the barbarians, recover the Central Plains, and restore the Han Dynasty. Defeating the Song Dynasty is to unify the world, bridge the north and the south, and recreate the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties. Although you, the Song army, are enemies of our Great Yong, you are also Chinese people and descendants of Yan and Huang. Since we are compatriots, our army cannot bear to fight against each other and cause suffering to the people. We are willing to give you a chance. Open the city and surrender within a quarter of an hour, and you can save your life." "If you don't surrender, what then?" A middle-aged man with a helmet and armor, but with fair skin and a thin body, shouted: "If you don't surrender, what will you do?" "You won't surrender?" Wang Wu said coldly, "It will only result in your head and body being torn apart and your blood flowing like a river." "A good man of the Song Dynasty, why should he fear death!" The man looked at the soldiers around him and shouted, "The Song Dynasty has nurtured scholars for two hundred years, and today is the day to sacrifice your life for the country!" There were very few people who responded. The generals and soldiers of the Song army all looked at him with subtle eyes. It is true that the Song Dynasty has been supporting scholars for two hundred years, but the scholars it supported were literati. What does this have to do with these bandit soldiers? You are a county magistrate who was born as a civil official, you are a scholar, you are noble and great, you are a good man. But we are just soldiers who were born as mud legs, even if our ancestors were lucky enough to become privy councilors with military merits, we are not good men. A good man is not afraid of death, but we, the bandits, are still afraid of death. Besides, what Wang Wu said was not wrong. Dayong is not a barbarian country like the Jin Dynasty. Instead, it destroyed the Jin Dynasty, recovered the Central Plains, and restored the orthodox Chinese Han Dynasty. This war was not an invasion by barbarians, but a war of unification. We are a bandit army with only a little food rations every month. Why are we fighting so hard? The cold reaction of the soldiers made the magistrate of Fancheng blush, and his eyes were full of anger. A smile appeared on Wang Wu's face. He raised his hand, took off the longbow hanging on the saddle, drew out a long arrow, and shot it at the gate of Fancheng. When the arrow left the bow, it burst into brilliant crystal light, like a meteor with a long tail of flame. It instantly hit the city gate with a deafening roar. The heavy city gate was instantly blown to pieces, and even the entire city wall shook violently in this violent explosion.
What Wang Wu used was the Heavenly Soldier bow and arrow that Ouyang Feng had captured in the Journey to the West world. Even among the wolf riders, there are not many who can pull such a strong bow. And Wang Wu, of course, can easily pull away. The power of each arrow is equivalent to that of a cannonball. What the general said just now was right, the wolf cavalry really could not break through the city walls. But Wang Wu and the sharpshooters among the Wolf Riders can easily shoot down the city walls with their Heavenly Soldiers’ bows and arrows. In front of the wolf riders, cavalry attacking the city is not a fantasy. "A quarter of an hour." An arrow shot out the city gate. Wang Wu stared at the top of the city wall and said in a deep voice: "In a quarter of an hour, life or death is your own responsibility!" Having said that, he turned his horse around. He turned his back to the city wall and walked at a leisurely pace, as if he was unaware that he was still within the range of the bows and crossbows on the city wall. The magistrate of Fancheng also shouted at the top of his lungs: "Release your arrows, shoot that thief to death! Release your arrows quickly!" No one responded. Wang Wu's reputation as a peerless ferocious tiger was enough to shock people, and his magical arrows that blew up the city gates made the Song army soldiers completely lose their fighting spirit. The army of Dayong is composed of heavenly soldiers and divine generals. We are just peasants assigned to the army. Why should we fight against the gods and generals? The flying dragon has not arrived yet, and the wolf cavalry alone are enough to raze Fancheng to the ground. How can we fight? Several generals on the city gathered together, discussed quickly for a while, walked up to the magistrate and said: "Sir Magistrate, we can't win. My brothers have wives and children at home. There is no point in sacrificing their lives. Let's surrender." The county magistrate was furious: "You surrender if you can't win? You shameless thieves who disregard the emperor's grace..." Before he could finish his words, several generals rushed forward and threw the magistrate to the ground. If foreign races invaded, these bandits and their troops might have risked their lives to protect their wives, children and hometowns. But since this is a war of orthodox unification of China, why should they be so stubborn? As the front-line defenders, they knew very well that the tyranny of the Yong State promoted by the government was pure fabrication. The Yong army was extremely brutal on the battlefield, but outside the battlefield, it was a truly benevolent and righteous army. They treated the people just like Grandpa Yue’s army back then, and they were also generous and righteous enough to treat enemy prisoners. If this is the case, why should we work hard for the Zhao Song government and the civil servants? Anyway, they will always be just thieves in the army and can never become the "good men" in the eyes of the literati. Less than a quarter of an hour. The entire Fancheng defenders threw down their weapons and armor and left the city to surrender. After the fall of Fancheng, the next target was Xiangyang, which was across the river from Fancheng. Xiangyang is certainly a strategically placed fortress.
The general stationed in Xiangyang was also a loyal one. But even the pass on the Shu Road could not withstand the advance of the Yong army, let alone Xiangyang? Half a day later, Xiangyang City was broken and the gate of Song State's Jinghu defense line was opened. …… When Wang Wu attacked Xiangfan. The Yong army that came south from Shuzhong then engaged in a fierce battle with the Song navy. The Song army's navy was very strong. The Yong army had no need for a navy in the north and was advancing too quickly, leaving no time for development, so the navy could only be used to transport troops and had almost no naval combat capability. Even if the Yong army had firearms, they could not make up for the huge disadvantage in naval battles. However, it doesn’t matter even if the Yong army’s navy is too weak. Because the Yong army has flying dragons. When Ma Yue, Dong Yun, Haitang and other dragon riders descended from the sky and spewed dragon flames towards the Song army's warships that almost covered the surface of the Yangtze River and looked powerful and invincible. The outcome of this water battle was already determined. Using the air force to bomb the inland navy that has no air defense is another dimensionality reduction attack without any suspense. Less than two quarters of an hour. The vanguard, rear army, and both wings of the Song army's navy were all engulfed in a sea of fire, and the central army was caught in a dilemma. After the commander's flagship was destroyed by dragon flames, the navy was surrounded by a sea of fire. There were also flying dragons circling in the sky, staring at the Song army's navy. All of them lost their will to fight and surrendered on the spot. Dayong was happy to have a ready-made navy. …… When the two armies of Yong State were advancing on the battlefield with great momentum. Internal supporters within the Song Dynasty also began to take action actively. The Yong army did not need the insiders to do much in the war, they just needed them to help act as guides and appease the people. The rumors and slanders spread by the Song government still had a significant impact on the people. Many people believed the government's propaganda and were terrified of the Yong army. Fortunately, the Yong army did have strict military discipline and had made preparations in advance, sending out a number of propagandists, as well as prestigious local forces such as the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan and the Iron Palm Gang to help with publicity, so it did not cause large-scale panic. In some places where propaganda work was done well, the people even had high expectations for the arrival of the Yong army - the oppression of the people by the Song Dynasty was even worse than that of the Jin Dynasty in some aspects. The literary elegance of the small court in the south and the prosperity of famous cities such as Lin'an were mostly built on the cruel oppression of the common people and even the rich families in the countryside. Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, there have been numerous uprisings among the people. However, the Song Dynasty’s ability to defend its country was so perfect that most of the uprisings were short-lived and rarely developed into large-scale uprisings. For many oppressed people, what does it matter if the Yong army is like tigers and wolves? Anyway, we have nothing. If tigers and wolves want to eat meat, they have to eat the rich and fat men first. It is a kind of pleasure to perish together with the high and mighty masters. What's more, the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, who have a good reputation in Jiangnan, have said that the propaganda of the Song government is just a rumor and slander. The military discipline of the Yong Army is comparable to that of Yue Family Army. Not only have they never massacred civilians, they have even implemented many benevolent policies such as distributing land, reducing taxes, and exempting corvée. So why can't we have a little expectation? For many lower-class people who have nothing, live an extremely difficult life, and have little interest in life, the Yong Army may be the only chance to change the status quo.
In any case, even if the people believed the rumors and regarded the Yong army as man-eating tigers and wolves, when the Yong army arrived and they saw the discipline of the Yong army with their own eyes, the rumors and slanders of the Song government would soon be refuted. There was no large-scale resistance among the people. Even if there were powerful gentry who knew the policies of the Yong Army and truly regarded the Yong Army as their mortal enemy, and spent all their family wealth to raise a militia to resist, it would be like an ant trying to shake a tree, and would be of no use. Even the well-equipped imperial army could not resist the advance of the Yong army, and even the majestic city of Xiangyang fell in half a day. What effect could the resistance of the powerful gentry have? Before winter. Huang Yaoshi has personally led the army and is approaching Lin'an. And what happened in Lin'an was just as Ke Zhen'e had expected. The Yong army was still dozens of miles away, and the city of Lin'an had not even seen the sight of the Yong army's march, but the Zhao Song royal family had already boarded the ship at Qiantang Wharf and fled to the sea. The important ministers and generals who were ordered to stay in Lin'an to resist the Yong army, when they saw the dust raised by the Yong army's vanguard cavalry from afar, ordered the entire army to lay down their armor and weapons, open the city gates, and send envoys to surrender. The Yong army easily captured Lin'an without firing a single arrow. As for the Zhao Song royal family who fled to the sea, they were not able to get far and were soon caught up by the dragon riders. After several dragon flames burned several large ships, the Zhao Song officials ordered the ships to be lowered and surrendered by presenting the seal. Although there were still many prefectures in the south and coastal areas that had not yet fallen into the control of the Yong army, with the capture of all the royal family members of the Zhao Song Dynasty and the important court officials who fled with the royal family, the Song Dynasty could be officially declared extinct. Lin'an. Ouyang Feng and Huang Yaoshi once again walked into the Lin'an Palace side by side. Among the surrendered people who came to greet them in the palace, there was an acquaintance. It was the old eunuch Guo Fei who created the "Sunflower Manual" that Ouyang Feng and Huang Yaoshi met when they took Wang Wu into the Lin'an Palace at night. Old friends meet again and smile at each other. Guo Fei was filled with emotion, remembering the time when the two were still teenagers. When he first saw them, he felt that they were both outstanding people with a promising future. The young man in white also told him that they would return to Lin'an in the future. But I never thought that these two would return to Lin'an in this way. The dragon and the phoenix among men... These two were like divine dragons from outer space, accomplishing the great feat of defeating the Jin Dynasty and destroying the Song Dynasty and unifying the world. This made Guo Fei sigh that the coincidence and the opportunity were truly incredible. "Mr. Guo, I'll have to trouble you to take care of the safety of the inner court of Dayong in the future." Ouyang Feng said with a smile. Sunflower Patriarch Guo Fei bowed to the ground: "The noble has given an order, how dare Guo Fei disobey it?" Accompanied by Guo Fei, Ouyang Feng and Huang Yaoshi strolled around the small palace in Lin'an. After walking around most of the palace, Ouyang Feng suddenly said: "Now that the Song Kingdom has been destroyed, the world has been unified. Calculating the time, your fate will probably come soon, Pharmacist. Why not go to Taihu Lake and try your luck?" “Mysterious…” Huang Yaoshi snorted and said, “There are still many Song prefectures in the south and along the coast, and Dali is still there. It’s not time for me to rest yet.” Ouyang Feng smiled and said, "No hurry. Take a rest first, and then clean up the mess after the New Year. Let's go to Taihu Lake, maybe someone is waiting for you there."
Huang Yaoshi looked at him strangely for a long time before asking: "What's that person's last name?" "I'm not omniscient, how can I be so accurate?" Ouyang Feng said leisurely: "But since it is a destined marriage, maybe you will know it naturally when you meet her." Huang Yaoshi seemed to be thinking about something. [Please give me a monthly ticket! 】 (End of this chapter)