Chapter 17

Zhang Jun quickly stepped forward, took the sword, and carefully examined it from top to bottom. He then gently drew the sword and couldn't help but sigh deeply.

"Is this the general's sword?"

Chen Qing nodded, "It was originally Wanyan Lou's sword, which I seized and used to behead him."

"Do you know what kind of sword this is?"

"I only know it's a famous sword!"

That was a given; how could Wanyan Lou's sword be an ordinary one?

Zhang Jun's face showed a pained expression, "This is the famous sword Zhanlu, which is also the sword of the Retired Emperor!"

It turned out to be Emperor Huizong's sword. Chen Qing understood that this sword no longer belonged to him.

"Where is Wanyan Lou's head?" At this moment, Zhang Jun finally believed him.

Chen Qing placed a wooden box on the table, opened the lid, and inside was Wanyan Lou's head, preserved with lime, still vividly lifelike.

At this moment, an official walked in, bowed, and said, "Is the Consolation Commissioner looking for me?"

"Wu Canjun, come and take a look at this head. Is it Wanyan Lou?"

This official was named Wu Qu, originally the Prefect of Fuzhou, who was highly regarded by Zhang Jun and now served as his Chief Clerk.

He had seen Wanyan Lou multiple times in Fuzhou and was quite familiar with him.

Wu Qu's expression was serious as he stepped forward to carefully examine the face, then looked at the back of the ear, and nodded to Zhang Jun, "No problem, it's definitely Wanyan Lou!"

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely sure. Wanyan Lou has a large red mole shaped like a plum blossom behind his ear, which is his unique feature, so I can confirm it's him."

Zhang Jun was overjoyed and smiled at Chen Qing, "Congratulations, Commander Chen, for achieving a great feat. I will immediately send this head and the sword to Lin'an. Is there anything else from General Chen's side?"

"There is also Wanyan Lou's gold medal, official seal, and his golden-backed great saber. I will have them brought over immediately, but I find Wanyan Lou's bow and arrows very handy."

"Chen Commander can keep the bow and arrows, as well as the horse. The key items are the gold medal and official seal, and the great saber as well. I will send them all to Lin'an."

...

The meeting with Commander Zhang Jun was undoubtedly a great success. Zhang Jun could add a few significant achievements to his official report, making it less disappointing. One could say that Chen Qing's feat was crucial for Zhang Jun's career.

Zhang Jun also agreed to accept the refugees into Sichuan, and Chen Qing himself received commendation. Zhang Jun officially appointed him as the Commander of the Regular Army and rewarded him with a thousand taels of silver.

This was equivalent to a three-rank promotion, skipping the ranks of Deputy Commander and Assistant Commander, and directly becoming a Regular Commander. This was the only commander promoted by Zhang Jun personally after the Battle of Fuping.

Of course, this was just a military position, and it still needed to be recognized by the Ministry of War and granted the corresponding official rank, which was the key, like a military rank.

The next morning, Chen Qing left Ziwu Pass and led three hundred soldiers to Dashan Pass.

Three days later, Chen Qing's troops arrived at Dashan Pass.

...

Wu Jie and Wang Yan personally welcomed this legendary young commander.

Wang Yan then accompanied Chen Qing to inspect the Song army's deployment.

"Commander, why is the camp not stationed at Dashan Pass but twenty miles north at Heshangyuan?"

Heshangyuan is a protruding point of the Zhongnan Mountains to the north, like a crocodile's mouth extending into Guanzhong. Although the terrain here is also perilous, it is not as formidable as Dashan Pass.

Wang Yan smiled slightly, "This is actually Commander Wu's brilliant move. Tell me, what's the difference between stationing the army at Heshangyuan and Dashan Pass?"

Chen Qing looked at the distant Guanzhong Plain and pondered for a moment, "Stationing at Dashan Pass is defensive, while stationing at Heshangyuan is both offensive and defensive."

"You've got it right!"

Wang Yan nodded in approval and also gazed at the distant Guanzhong Plain, sighing, "Heshangyuan is like a poisonous thorn in the Jurchens' back. Although there are other key routes from Guanzhong to Hanzhong, such as the Luotang Road, Ziwu Road, and Baoshe Road, the Jurchens cannot advance to Hanzhong without removing this thorn that threatens Guanzhong."

Chen Qing finally understood why the Jurchens could sweep through the Song Dynasty but never capture Sichuan. The root cause was Wu Jie's strategic move at Heshangyuan.

"Commander, how do you plan to arrange my position?"

Wang Yan thought for a moment, "Li Jiang was killed in action, and I decided to appoint you as the Commander of the Eight-Character Army's Scout Camp. It's fitting that you take command of the Scout Camp now that the Commander has promoted you to Commander. Commander Wu will also assign you two hundred elite soldiers, so you will have five hundred men, enough to operate independently."

"Commander Wu wants to place me on the outer perimeter?" Chen Qing understood their strategic intent.

Wang Yan looked at Chen Qing, "Your actions in Jingzhao City gave us great inspiration. Commander Wu and I both believe that if there is an army to harass the enemy's logistics and supply lines from the outside, it will directly impact the Jurchens' attack on Heshangyuan. And the commander for this task can only be you."

Chen Qing was speechless, feeling the pressure of the task, and the responsibility was heavy.

...

The next morning, Chen Qing led five hundred cavalry north from Dashan Pass.

Wang Yan stood at the pass and watched Chen Qing's northward journey. Wu Jie slowly approached and smiled, "I heard Wanyan Zongbi and Wanyan Zongfu have jointly offered a reward for his head, which has increased to 100,000 guan. The combined reward for our heads is less than half of his, and he is not even twenty-four years old. Truly a formidable young man!"

Wang Yan also sighed, "Whenever the country faces a crisis, there will be young heroes like him who emerge. This is a great fortune for our Song Dynasty!"

Wu Jie's expression turned serious, "I just received news that the Jurchens are reinforcing Guanzhong with 50,000 troops from Hedong and Central China. The Jurchen forces in Guanzhong will reach 80,000, plus 50,000 Qi troops and tens of thousands of surrendered Guanzhong troops, making the total enemy force in Guanzhong nearly 200,000. This is likely their plan to open a route into Sichuan."

Wang Yan's face changed, and he asked urgently, "Does the Commander know?"

"The Commander sent someone to tell me."

"What about the court?"

"The court is probably aware of the Jurchens' strategic shift westward, but the Eastern Army led by Zhanhan is still in Jianghuai, and the court has no time to look west. We can only rely on ourselves in Sichuan and Shaanxi. However, Liu Ziyu has 8,000 troops in Xihedao, and Liu Qi has 10,000 troops in Qin-Feng, which can also contain some Jurchen forces."

Wang Yan frowned, "You forgot about the Western Xia army. They will not miss the opportunity to take advantage of the chaos. Liu Qi's troops are to resist the Western Xia, and Liu Ziyu's troops must defend Xihedao, so they cannot support us."

Wu Jie laughed, "What if the Jurchens send 200,000 troops? Heshangyuan cannot accommodate so many. As long as we are well-prepared, we can handle any situation. What is there to fear?"

...

On the official road from Puzhou to Jingzhao, carts loaded with grain and fodder lined up one after another, filling the road as far as the eye could see.

The Jurchens had conscripted 200,000 civilian laborers to transport 300,000 dan of grain and 200,000 dan of fodder to Guanzhong.

Due to the emptiness of Guanzhong, Wanyan Zongbi also ordered the relocation of tens of thousands of households from northern Shaanxi to Guanzhong, commanding them to farm and provide food for the Jurchen army.

The Jurchens' large-scale reinforcement of Guanzhong was not only to open a route to Sichuan but also to fully occupy Shaanxi, Qin-Feng, and Xihedao.

Although the Jurchens won the Battle of Fuping, Wu Jie's army still occupied Heshangyuan, threatening Guanzhong. Liu Qi's army was in Jingzhou, and Liu Ziyu's army was in Weizhou, continuing to resist the Jurchens.

Relying solely on the 30,000 Jurchen troops and tens of thousands of surrendered troops in Guanzhong was insufficient to achieve the Jurchen Empire's strategic goal of occupying the northwest. Therefore, Emperor Wanyan Sheng ordered the reinforcement of Guanzhong with 50,000 elite troops and sent envoys to the Western Xia, commanding them to cooperate and send troops.

One morning, a few thousand Jurchen cavalry galloped out of Puzhou, racing westward. The leading general was about thirty years old, tall and robust, with a fierce appearance, wielding a golden-backed great saber.

This was Wanyan Lou's eldest son, Wanyan Huonü, a famous and fierce general in the Jurchen Empire, serving as the Governor of Taiyuan. Upon hearing that his father was beheaded by a Song general, he was deeply grieved and, with the Jurchen Emperor's approval, rushed to Jingzhao to avenge his father.

Wanyan Huonü led his troops through a small town and suddenly reined in his horse in front of a high wall, where a reward notice was posted.

The reward amount was 100,000 guan, likely the highest reward ever offered by the Jurchen Empire.

"Song general Chen Qing, 100,000 guan for his head!"

"Chen Qing!" Wanyan Huonü silently repeated the name.

"I don't want the reward; I want to cut off his head on the battlefield with my own hands!"

Wanyan Huonü gritted his teeth, whipped his horse, and galloped into the town.

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