nashuaworldcup Chapter 311 The Siege of Taiyuan
Chapter 311 The Siege of Taiyuan
"However, even after weakening military power to this extent, Zhao Kuangyin was still not at ease. It seems that the lessons of the past should serve as a warning for the future!"
"The Song Dynasty also established the 'Rotation System,' which required the imperial guards stationed in the capital and local garrisons to be rotated periodically."
"It's like you've only been in the army for a short time, and you've finally gotten along well with the other soldiers, but then you're regularly transferred to a different place."
"This resulted in the soldiers not recognizing their generals or their colleagues, and of course, the generals as well."
"While this approach reduces the likelihood of generals gaining power to some extent, it also makes the army lack cohesion."
"Moreover, as mentioned earlier, the Imperial Guard's fighting strength came from the local militia and village soldiers, and many of these people were selected from among the common people. For example, during the reign of Emperor Shenzong, laborers were conscripted to fight against the Western Xia."
"In that case, the quality of the soldiers becomes difficult to guarantee. Although the quantity is increasing, the quality is being neglected, and there have been instances of smaller forces defeating larger ones."
"Especially Emperor Shenzong's campaigns against Western Xia. He fought them several times, which was quite arduous. In the end, they wanted to return the territory they had conquered. If Emperor Shenzong were still alive at the time, he would have been furious!!!"
Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Xu: Thanks for the invitation! I'm very angry right now!
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty commented: No wonder he became so weak later on! He couldn't even guarantee loyalty!
A romantic scholar from the Tang Dynasty: Who could have imagined what would happen a hundred years later? The drawbacks weren't obvious back then, were they?
An official from the Song Dynasty said: "But this lesson is far too painful and profound."
……
"However, the inability to guarantee the quality and capabilities of the soldiers directly impacts the quality of the Imperial Guards, which, as we mentioned earlier, is the main fighting force of the Song army."
"If the Imperial Guards cannot guarantee their combat capabilities, it is an extremely dangerous situation, as it will directly impact the course of the war."
"If it encounters military corruption in the later stages, its combat effectiveness will decline rapidly. Can it still fight then?"
"So, towards the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, when the Jin army marched south, the Song army, though numerous and seemingly formidable,..."
"However, the army was corrupt, and its troops came from diverse backgrounds, making it prone to problems and unable to withstand the Jurchen cavalry."
"In particular, the Jurchens were better able to adapt to the cold than the Song army, so they chose to start their southward march in autumn and winter and end in spring."
As Lin Ke's voice fell, the Northern Song emperor, who was heartbroken, became depressed. They had not expected that the strategy set by the founding emperor would have such a great impact!
People always say that the Song Dynasty's military was weak, and I used to be quite unconvinced, since they clearly fought well in battles too!
But the fighting strength of the Northern Song Dynasty at the end of the dynasty was truly terrible, in a word: awful!
"Let's return to the Battle of Taiyuan. As mentioned earlier, the Jurchens marched all the way towards Taiyuan. Due to their overwhelming force, many Song soldiers surrendered without a fight."
"In a short period of time, the four prefectures of Wu, Shuo, Xin and Dai, north of Taiyuan, were successively captured by Wanyan Zonghan. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Jurchens attacked Shiling Pass, the only road leading from the four prefectures to Taiyuan."
"However, the Song army's communications were blocked, and they only managed to send a request for reinforcements to Zhang Xiaochun in Taiyuan when the Jin army was approaching the garrison at Shiling Pass."
"However, this reinforcement army was afraid of the Jin people's power, and when they arrived, they surrendered without a fight, handing over Shiling Pass to Wanyan Zonghan!"
"In this way, Taiyuan lost a barrier, leaving only Taiyuan City to defend. If Zhao Guangyi had not burned down the ancient city of Jinyang, I don't know if it could have been defended for longer."
A bystander in the Ming Dynasty commented: "It's hard to say... But no matter what, they probably won't last until the end. After all, even if they can fight, the emperor might become incompetent later on, and then the food supply will run out..."
A certain romantic scholar from the Tang Dynasty: If possible, then there needs to be a rescue! But let's forget about Emperor Huizong of Song…
A minor official in the Qin Dynasty: If this side is fighting a decisive battle to the death, while the other side is still discussing fleeing, it's hard to imagine such an emperor!
……
Song Dynasty
Upon hearing this, Zhang Dun from another timeline sighed. He had considered the possibility of being defeated in the Song-Jin War.
But I never thought we would surrender without a fight. How many years has it been since the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau!
The Song army's strength has declined so drastically!?
Thinking about this, Zhang Dun realized that the Battle of Taiyuan was unlikely to have a good ending. He wished he had been more careful in deciding on the next official.
……
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han
When Liu Che heard that the Song Dynasty had surrendered without a fight, he spat out the mouthful of water he had just drunk!
He even picked at his ear, asking Wei Qing in disbelief, "This... I didn't hear wrong, did I!?"
Wei Qing nodded with a complicated expression; Song Chao had truly shocked him!
What dynasty could have such a terrible military?!
Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji): Feudal dynasties look to the Song Dynasty (cowardly)! I speak for myself!
……
Back to the live broadcast room.
"As for the Song army, the situation was not optimistic. When the news of their surrender without defeat spread to various places, the garrison troops of other prefectures were also shocked by the news and dared not send reinforcements."
"However, the Song Dynasty still dispatched three armies to relieve Taiyuan, because once Taiyuan fell, the enemy's approach to the city would not be far off. These three armies were:"
The northwestern border armies included Sun Yi's Shuozhou army, Zhe Keqiu's Fuzhou army, and Liu Guangshi's Yansui army.
"As mentioned before, Wanyan Zonghan captured Shuozhou, but Sun Yi, as the commander of the northwestern border army, was no weakling."
"Generally speaking, Shuozhou at that time was very close to Wanyan Zonghan's rear, and it was where the Jurchens kept their grain supplies, women, and so on."
"It's actually quite far from Taiyuan, so if Sun Yi were to launch a surprise attack on the enemy's rear..."
"Then the Jurchens in Taiyuan might receive the news and withdraw to their aid, which would greatly increase the chances of breaking the siege of Taiyuan!"