Chapter 48

(Only 70 votes for the Sanjiang ticket, far from meeting the standard for an additional update. Could it be that out of 10,000 collectors of Zhi Jian, only 70 people are willing to cast a Sanjiang vote?)

Time flies, and years have passed.

Zhao Hao, under the dim light of an ancient temple, meditates without hindering the development of the world.

Everything, as if driven by an invisible fate, will eventually come to pass.

The world is in constant turmoil, and the Mongols are invincible.

When all the enemies around the Mongols have been eliminated, the insatiable conquerors set their sights south, on the most prosperous region in the world.

Only by conquering this area can their hegemony truly be achieved.

At the command of Mongke, the Mongol army advanced, led by his younger brother, the fourth prince Kublai, who ranks second only to the Khan. The army's advance struck fear into the hearts of the people.

The Song Dynasty was in an uproar.

Many people suddenly realized that the real danger of national extinction had quietly arrived.

And they were not yet fully prepared.

Righteous people are often butchers, and those who betray are often scholars.

At this moment, the true intentions of the Mongols were clear.

Countless people rose up in resistance, and the Han spirit, at least for this moment, had not been completely extinguished.

However, at such times, there are always some who bow and scrape.

The group of civil officials led by Chancellor Jia Sidao still hoped to buy peace with money.

In their eyes, the Liao and Jin dynasties had also gone through this process.

Now, it is the same.

The glory and wealth have eroded their will. Money and beauty have dulled their spirit.

What they want is just to cling to life, to protect their temporary glory and wealth.

The current emperor is indecisive, whether to fight or to seek peace, and has not yet made a decision.

The people are in an uproar.

At this moment, the first large-scale clash between the Song and Mongol armies occurred unexpectedly.

The reason it was unexpected is that the Song Dynasty had not yet made up its mind to go to war.

Even if they did go to war, the Mongol army's offensive power was unparalleled, and in the eyes of the world, the Song Dynasty could only defend its cities.

To attack, sadly, the Song army lacked the ability and the right to do so.

However, there are always some people in the world who can do the impossible, putting life and death aside.

The 30,000 disciples of the Power Sect blocked the vanguard army of the Mongols at the border between Song and Mongol territories.

Coincidentally, the vanguard army of the Mongols also numbered 30,000.

Without any probing, hesitation, or consideration of consequences and life and death, the battle suddenly broke out.

The results were not glorious, but rather extremely brutal.

Of the 30,000 disciples of the Power Sect, 10,000 were killed on the spot, with bodies strewn across the battlefield.

The 30,000-strong Mongol vanguard, although caught off guard, quickly stabilized and launched a counterattack.

The strength of the Mongol army was comprehensive. Their individual soldiers were the most formidable in the world, and they were equipped with unparalleled horsemanship and disciplined cooperation.

Such an army was the nightmare of all enemies.

The individual combat strength of the Power Sect disciples was not low; most came from the martial world, and some from the elite of the military.

The initiation ceremony of the Power Sect required the decapitation of a Mongol soldier, so the disciples who could kill a Mongol soldier were naturally of high quality.

However, in other aspects, the gap between the Power Sect disciples was obvious.

This time, the disciples of the Power Sect who were in the military could not participate in the ambush without orders from their superiors.

The 30,000 disciples of the Power Sect were all elite from the martial world.

They had a burning passion and martial skills, but they lacked the training of battle formations and coordination with each other.

The 30,000 disciples of the Power Sect, at the cost of 10,000 casualties, only inflicted 5,000 casualties on the Mongol army.

This was achieved through a willingness to die and a strategy of mutual destruction.

The news spread, and the world was shocked.

Some were terrified, some were filled with righteous indignation, and some were moved to tears.

In the court, the presence of Jia Sidao became even stronger, and more people agreed with his stance.

In recent years, the existence of the Power Sect has become known to all.

The strength of the Power Sect disciples has also been deeply ingrained in people's minds.

But even the most fierce vanguard against the Mongols could only achieve such results when facing the Mongol army.

It should be noted that this time, the Power Sect deployed its core forces.

And the vanguard army of the Mongols was only average in the Mongol army.

The true elite of the Mongols had not yet entered the battlefield.

Moreover, in the eyes of the Mongols, conquering the Song Dynasty did not necessarily require the deployment of many elite forces.

Faced with such a Mongol army, could the Song Dynasty hope to win this war?

Many people had no confidence.

So they pinned their hopes on Jia Sidao, hoping to end the war through means other than war.

In the eyes of politicians, compromise is always the main theme.

In the Power Sect, there was a chorus of sorrow.

The 10,000 disciples who died in battle remained on the battlefield.

With the continuous arrival of Mongol troops, the Power Sect could not even bury the bodies of their fallen brothers.

But behind the sorrow, there was a burning flame of revenge.

No one was frightened by this sacrifice.

When they joined the sect, they already had this resolve.

Dying on the battlefield, sooner or later.

Moreover, the loss of the Power Sect this time was significant, almost crippling.

But their actions, the sacrifice of 10,000 disciples, were not without value.

The Mongols slowed their advance.

They were reassessing the resistance of the Song Dynasty.

The people, the martial world, and the world were boiling.

Many were frightened, but many were also inspired.

In less than a month, through various channels, more than 20,000 people wanted to join the Power Sect.

However, the entry conditions of the Power Sect remained unchanged, so only a few hundred people actually joined.

But all of this gave the Power Sect disciples hope.

They were not fighting alone, and their sacrifices were not unseen.

They were supported by countless people.

This battle was just the beginning.

Subsequently, an even more inspiring order was issued to the Power Sect disciples: all Power Sect disciples are to proceed to Xiangyang. The brothers in the military should report to their superiors, and the Power Sect will bear all the consequences. The two leaders of the Power Sect will await the arrival of all brothers outside Xiangyang.

Along with this order, a letter written by Zhao Hao himself was also issued:

I cannot guarantee that you will have no worries, nor can I ensure that your families will be properly taken care of after your death.

I am sorry, but I cannot guarantee these things.

The only thing I can guarantee is that I will lead from the front and will not take a single step back.

I cannot call out the names of all my brothers, and the world cannot call out the names of all my brothers.

For heroes are nameless.

Your names will be unknown, but your deeds will be remembered forever.

I promise.

Signature: Zhao Hao.

Title: Leader of the Power Sect, Crown Prince of the Song Dynasty.

This was the first time Zhao Hao publicly revealed his identity within the Power Sect.