OBS Chapter 378: Swearing to march north!!!
Chapter 378: Swearing to march north!!!
On the first day of March in the second year of Yuanyou in the Great Song Dynasty, after about seven months, the commanders and elite troops of the four major war zones of the entire Song army, except for the northern war zone, gathered at Yuetai and prepared to swear to go to war.
In order to show his patriotism, Han took the initiative to carry his own coffin, implying that "I will not return to the court until I take Yanyun."
Seeing this, the entire Bianjing city was infected by Han Ming's resolute character and rushed to Yuetai to watch the oath-taking ceremony.
The young Emperor Zhezong and the civil and military officials in the court led by Wang Gui had different emotions, some were excited, some were worried, and some had tears in their eyes. They silently watched this 180,000 elite army composed of multiple troops under the four major war zones.
At the same time, it is also the elite national force accumulated by the Song Dynasty in the past decade since the military reform during the reign of Emperor Yingzong.
Under the leadership of a certain Han, they braved the slightly chilly wind of early spring, sang the loud military songs adapted from later generations, and set out for the Song-Liao border in high spirits.
In order to boost morale, the oath of office for the Northern Expedition was written by Han Ming himself and read aloud by the young Emperor Zhezong of Song, Zhao Xu.
"He issued an edict to the people of Yan and Zhao, saying: Since ancient times, when emperors have ruled the world, the Chinese have always been inside to control the barbarians, and the barbarians have been outside to serve China. I have never heard of the barbarians living in China controlling the world."
"Since the fall of the Tang Dynasty, the Liao tribes from the north have taken control of the Central Plains, and within the four seas, all have submitted. This is not human effort, but a gift from heaven."
"At that time, the ruler was wise and the ministers were virtuous, enough to maintain order under the heavens. However, even the wise and ambitious still lamented that the world was in a state of reversed order."
"...An ancient saying goes, 'The barbarians will never survive a hundred years.' Verifying it today proves it to be true!"
"At this time, the will of Heaven is turning, the Central Plains are flourishing, and among the billions of people, a sage will be born to drive out the barbarians, restore China, establish laws and disciplines, and save the people."
"...the people are now somewhat at peace, food is becoming more plentiful, the soldiers are becoming more skilled, and I, with bows and arrows drawn, watch as the people of the Central Plains remain leaderless for so long, with a deep sense of guilt..."
"...Therefore, we have issued an announcement in advance: When the troops arrive, the people should not flee."
"...those who submit to me shall live in peace in China forever, and those who betray me shall flee beyond the Great Wall."
"Heaven has appointed us Chinese to bring peace to the people. How can we, the barbarians, rule over us?"
"I fear that China will remain polluted and its people will suffer for a long time. Therefore, I lead the heroes to strive to clear it out. We are determined to drive out the barbarians, put an end to the rebellion, and let the people live in their proper place, so as to avenge China's shame. You people should follow my example!"
This Northern Expedition Manifesto was adapted by Han Ming based on the inspiration from the "Edict to the Central Plains" issued by Zhu Yuanzhang when he led his troops to the north to fight against the Mongols in the late Yuan Dynasty.
The purpose was to strengthen the nation's determination to march north, to mobilize the entire country to conquer Yanyun in one battle, and to recover the homeland that had been lost for more than a hundred years.
When Han Ming, dressed in a purple robe, a long-winged hat and a black cloak, slowly stepped onto the platform for the oath-taking ceremony, everyone was impressed by the prime minister's grace and demeanor.
When he got closer and saw Han Ming kneeling in front of Zhezong and taking the imperial flag and the seal of the Northern Expedition Marshal with both hands, the young emperor looked at the middle-aged man with slightly graying temples and his eyes couldn't help but redden.
Then he looked at the other person seriously and said, "Teacher, you must come back after this trip. Do you understand?!"
After saying that, he put his little hand into Han's big palm and kept squeezing it.
Han Ming didn't know what he was thinking. He looked at the young emperor and gave him a faint smile.
Then he turned halfway, pointed at the Song army officers and soldiers standing in a row below the imperial platform, and said in the loudest voice: "Your Majesty, I swear to heaven that I will do my best to bring back these good men of the Song Dynasty!"
"At the same time, I will also bring you back the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun!!!"
"teacher……"
The young Emperor Zhezong's expression trembled, and then the heroic spirit in his heart was aroused.
After solemnly placing the imperial banner and the seal of the Grand Marshal of the Northern Expedition in Han Ming's hands, the young Emperor Zhezong said loudly, "Teacher, you have such great ambitions. I will wait for your triumphant return to present you with the Fish Scale Map of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the audience erupted in thunderous chants, "Long live our emperor! Long live our emperor! Long, long live our emperor!"
Han Ming slowly stood up, drew out the imperial sword bestowed upon him by the emperor, pointed it directly to the north, and his eyes gradually changed from calm to sharp, with a hint of dominance.
He had waited for this moment for more than twenty years, just to wash away the shame of the entire Song Dynasty and to pave a smooth road for the Song Dynasty.
The purpose is to inject my own stamp into this wonderful era!!!
What Han Ming wants is not only power, but also a future that will go down in history!
Looking at the fully armored soldiers below the stage, Han Ming tightly gripped the Emperor's Sword and trembled with excitement.
"Om-!"
The long sword was spiritual and seemed to sense the change in Han's temperament, and the entire sword body began to hum continuously.
Below Yuetai, all the generals and soldiers stared at the man on the platform with gleaming eyes and inexplicable excitement.
"All troops, listen to my orders!"
"Departure to the Northern Expedition and recapture Yanyun——!!!"
"Achieve great success..."
“At this very moment——!!!”
Han Ming's fierce voice spread throughout the entire Yuetai. In an instant, the entire army was boiling, roaring and continuously hitting their chest armor with their fists.
"Northern Expedition to Khitan, Recover Yanyun——!"
"Northern Expedition to Khitan, Recover Yanyun——!"
"Northern Expedition to Khitan, Recover Yanyun——!"
"..."
The entire scene of the oath-taking ceremony for the Northern Expedition was completely out of control. Everyone was roaring wildly, their voices shaking the nine heavens, making all the witnesses' eyes red and inexplicably excited.
A hundred years ago, the Later Jin Dynasty ceded the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, causing the dynasties in the Central Plains to lose their natural barrier and suffer repeated invasions by foreign enemies.
A hundred years later, the Song Dynasty finally had the confidence to fight the Liao Kingdom and finally had the ability to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.
Then it is very simple: If you don’t take what heaven gives you, you will suffer the consequences!
Han Ming bid farewell to the spirited young Emperor Zhezong, the prime minister and court officials who expressed their heartfelt support, as well as his elderly parents, wife and children.
He led the Northern Expedition Army composed of the most elite soldiers from the four major war zones of the Song Dynasty and set off, passing through Daming Prefecture, Jizhou, Hejian Prefecture, Mozhou, and Xiongzhou, and directly stationed in the Xincheng area.
In this army, there are not only the Jingsai Iron Cavalry, which was once known as the most elite in the Song Dynasty, but also the Western Army that has just been trained in the battlefield of the Western Regions, the Protectorate Army that has survived the battlefield of the Southwest, and the Eastern Navy that has accumulated considerable experience in overseas exploration for many years. It can be said that this is a gathering of powerful troops.
In terms of generals, there are even more stars, including Guo Kui, Zhang Qi, Zhong Shidao, Zhong Shizhong, Yao Gu, Yao Pingzhong, Zong Ze, Gao Zunyu, Liu Changzuo, Yan Da, Wang En, Li Changjie, Zhong Gu, Zhong Yan, Zhong Zhen, Yao Si, Yao Xiong, Zhe Jizu, Zhe Jishi, Zhe Kerou, Zhe Kexing, Zhe Keqiu, Wang Shao, Dong Zhen, Di Liang, Di Zi, Di Yong, Cao Ping, Zhang Qiao, Pan Xiaoyan, Guo Qingshi, Shen Congxing, Gu Tingye, Zheng Jun, Zheng Xiao, Duan Chengqian, Duan Chengyong, Geng Jiechuan, Zhong Dayou, Liu Zhengjie, and so on and so forth, too many to count.
These generals can be regarded as a combination of the old, middle-aged and young generations of the Song Dynasty. There are well-known generals who have achieved success, as well as offensive generals who are on the road.
But in the final analysis, these people are the backbone of the Song Dynasty army and top generals.
Many Song officials with a bit of military experience couldn't help but sigh loudly: "It can only be the renowned Han Da Xianggong. Otherwise, even if it was Guo Taibao or Di Wuxianggong, they certainly wouldn't be able to lead this group of arrogant and powerful generals!"
It was precisely because of this that these discerning civil and military officials were secretly excited, believing that this Northern Expedition would surely be victorious and Yanyun would be recovered.
In order to conserve energy, Han Ming did not seek quick success and force the army to march quickly. Instead, he chose to let the main force of the Song army march at a normal speed and planned to reach the camp at Qiugou Pass in the Xincheng area in two months.
During this period, the news that the main force of the Song army was heading north had already spread throughout the Liao border through various channels.
This shocked the entire Liao Kingdom, and many people came to Emperor Dao Zong Yelu Hongji to discuss countermeasures for the Song army's northern expedition.