Sky was a hazy blue, rain descending from above, seeping into people's clothes, bringing the biting chill of winter.

Outside Jianmen Pass, a crowded mass of refugees choked the valley, the cries of women and children dissolving into a desolate symphony in the rain. Old men climbed the steep slopes before Jianmen Pass, kneeling on the ground, pleading with the defending general for passage.

This tragic scene had persisted for over ten days. The refugees driven north of the pass had mostly fallen ill, burdened by age, weakness, and disability. They lacked food, clothing, and medicine. Hundreds, even thousands, died each day. Even in the harsh mountains of Sichuan, such a desolate sight had not been seen in the Jian'ge area for many years.

Soldiers on the city walls, clad in rain capes, stood with their spears, barely able to bear the sight. As the heavy rain fell, the old, weak, sick, and disabled in the valley before them would slowly collapse before their eyes, breathing their last. The scene unfolding before them was nothing short of a human hell.

Yet, passage could not be granted.

Wanyan Zonghan's two hundred thousand strong army had entered Lizhou and was stationed just tens of miles away. Jianmen Pass was the most vital checkpoint in the Shu region.

Currently, Si Zhongxian commanded twenty thousand elite soldiers, along with over ten thousand local troops, to defend the pass. As long as Jianmen Pass remained in their hands, they could choose to fight or negotiate, either option holding significant strategic value.

Against this backdrop, even during negotiations, both sides continuously probed Si Zhongxian's bottom line.

The Huaxia Army was relatively honorable – mainly because they had no need to seize it by force. They merely used righteousness as a pretext to persuade various parties in secret, forming alliances.

The Jurchens adopted a two-pronged approach. On one hand, Wanyan Xiyin instructed an envoy, led by Si Zhongxian's father, Si Wenzhong, to offer Si Zhongxian incredibly generous terms. On the other hand, Wanyan Zonghan, with his army stationed outside Jiange, displayed a resolute fighting will and increasing impatience. While the envoy was still negotiating, they drove a large number of sick and weak civilians towards Jianmen Pass, inciting them, promising them that once they passed through the gate, the Huaxia Army would give them food and treatment.

Opening the gate and cautiously allowing people to pass seemed like a choice to ordinary people. Even if a few spies or a team or two infiltrated the crowd, it seemed unlikely to breach the formidable pass defended by over thirty thousand soldiers. However, such logic didn't exist on the battlefield. Experienced hunters would use various means to test their prey's limits. Sometimes, a single step back could determine a fatal blow later on.

Wanyan Zonghan and other Jurchen generals outside Jianmen Pass were clearly experienced commanders. Even with the upper hand in negotiations, they spared no effort in conveying their ferocity and confidence: even if you don't surrender, we will crush you!

By the end of September, the number of sick and weak Han people driven to the northern end of Jianmen Pass had reached over thirty thousand.

Traveling northeast from the Jian'ge fortress, one encountered over thirty miles of continuous rain. The fallen ancient city of Zhaohua was the core of Wanyan Zonghan's troop deployment. The Zhaohua camp housed approximately eighty thousand Jurchen main force. Outside Zhaohua, to the west, over one hundred thousand people driven by the Jurchens huddled in dilapidated camps and tents, shivering.

In the gloomy rain, over two thousand people were driven out of the camp by the Jurchen army. These were captives in the refugee camp who had fallen ill and could not be treated. To avoid their deaths in the camp, the Jurchens drove the sick and their families out together, ordering them to head towards Jiange in the west.

The Jurchen army didn't pay much attention to supervising these wounded and weak Han people. There were patrols, of course, but upon encountering them, they would shoot arrows from afar, killing people. Hiding in the nearby mountains and forests and detouring wasn't impossible, but firstly, the patients' health deteriorated rapidly, and secondly, wherever the Jurchen army passed, there was only ruin and death. This autumn, the Jurchen army swept from Xiangfan, and for the upcoming battle, everything that could be plundered had already been plundered.

Going back meant death, hiding in the mountains meant a slow death. Going to Jiange, perhaps one day the Han general guarding Jianmen Pass would have mercy, give them food, and allow them treatment. Or perhaps they would open the pass and allow them to go to the other side, to rely on the Huaxia Army that supposedly flew the flag of benevolence and righteousness?

Perhaps as the faint hope turned into despair day by day, people would realize that despair had already arrived.

A dark blue cavalry stood on the mountain west of the city. Wanyan Zonghan, cloaked, watched as thousands of people left the camp, staggering forward. Cries rose everywhere. Some fell into the mud and water, begging.

When they were captured, they still had some belongings. In the camp, the Jurchens provided a little food each day. But driven out, they had nothing. Exposed to the rain, some sick, without medicine or a next meal, surrounded by the mountains of Sichuan, all the patients – even with just a small cold – would gradually die within days, under the watch of their relatives.

Prince Zhenzhu, Wanyan Yema, accompanied by his entourage, came up from the other side of the slope. He was Wanyan Zonghan's eldest son, and had followed Nianhan on campaigns since childhood. When the Jurchens destroyed the Liao Dynasty, he was just over ten years old and had not yet distinguished himself. By the time of the Second Battle of Bianliang, the twenty-seven-year-old Wanyan Yema and his younger brother, Prince Baoshan, Wanyan Xiebao, were already generals in the army.

In another timeline, during the Jingkang Incident when the Jin destroyed the Northern Song Dynasty, Emperor Huizong of Song, captured in the Jurchen camp, attempted to plead with Wanyan Zongwang. Zongwang took the opportunity to propose marriage for Nianhan's son, Wanyan Xiebao, requesting that Emperor Huizong marry his thirteenth daughter, Princess Huifu, to Xiebao as a concubine. Emperor Huizong agreed.

Soon after, the Jingkang Incident escalated, and women of the imperial family and the wives, daughters, and children of ministers all became slaves and prostitutes. Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong, along with their empresses and princesses, lived slave-like lives in the Jin Kingdom. Only this Princess Huifu, named Zhuzhu, became the only concubine that the Jurchens actually married. This became an excellent template for domineering general stories in later generations, giving rise to some female harem perspective stories. But at the time, it was difficult to determine whether this only concubine had a better life and situation than her parents and sisters.

In any case, in this world, the Jingping disgrace had already passed for over ten years. Now, the Zhenzhu and Baoshan brothers, in their thirties, while not as famous as the veteran generals such as Yin Shuke and Bali Speed, were still the mainstay of the Jin generals. This time, the Western Route Army marched south, pointing its finger at the southwest, and both brothers followed their father. This may also be the last time that the Jurchen West Court arrived so completely. This was enough to show their seriousness about this campaign.

"Having been in the north for so long, it's hard to see these landscapes. Father, your son has arrived." Yema said, dismounting and saluting Zonghan. Zonghan glanced at him, then raised his hand: "How many days until the trebuchets are ready?"

"If we prepare completely as Father and the uncles have instructed, it will take half a month."

"Good." Zonghan nodded, then looked ahead, "Sichuan has many mountains, but beyond this area, there are fertile plains, blessed by nature. The Han lands are vast, and the scenery is beautiful. If Gu Shen were here, he might have the same sigh. But after this battle, I and Gu Shen probably won't come here again. You and Baoshan should have a day to set foot here again. I only hope that by then, my Jurchen people will be strong, and you can live up to this land."

Yema cupped his fist: "I will remember my father's teachings. But what your son just said was not referring to the scenery before us, but the crowd below. The southerners are short and weak, with despicable minds. They speak of gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality, and yielding, but in reality, they are all timid and afraid of trouble. Even in this situation, they only know how to cry, which is disgusting. Your son thinks that this scene can be considered the biggest admonishment to my Jurchen."

Yema's previous words were quite arrogant. Zonghan glanced around slightly. After he finished speaking, he nodded. Among the Jurchens, Wanyan Zonghan had always been the most resolute and strongest advocate for war. His attitude of pioneering and advancing had in fact permeated the Jurchen rise from beginning to end.

Back then, the Jurchen forces were still weak and were often oppressed. Aguda had only two thousand men under his command and was quite hesitant about rebelling. It was Wanyan Zonghan who strengthened Aguda's resolve. Later, when the Jurchens' wings of rebellion were initially strengthened, it was Zonghan who persuaded Aguda to declare himself emperor, calling out and making the people submit. Later, when Emperor Tianzuo fled west, Zonghan even launched troops without orders, chasing after him and ultimately forcing Emperor Tianzuo into a dead end, capturing Lou Shi alive and destroying the Liao Kingdom...

On the road to the rise of the Jurchens, Zonghan's bravery was one of the most prominent signs of the Jurchen spirit. As Zonghan's eldest son, Yema had always been moving forward, looking at his father's back. On the surface, he had a wild and arrogant temperament, but in practice, he was cautious and prudent. And from a broad perspective, the atmosphere of the entire Jurchen Western Route Army was the same. Although Wanyan Xiyin remotely controlled the Jiange negotiations, Bali Speed, Saba and a crowd of generals in the Western Route Army had never been careless in preparing for war. The mobilization of war was carried out every day, and a feverish atmosphere was floating in the barracks.

"After this battle, the north and south of the world, everything we see will be under the jurisdiction of our Jurchens. After we pacify this corner, there will be no more big battles in the world! Our Jurchens will establish immortal achievements, and you will bring glory to your ancestors and shine for eternity! This is the moment! Ahead is Jianmen Pass, we will flatten Jianmen Pass! Ahead is the Black Flag Army, we will pacify the four routes of Sichuan and kill our way through the north and south of the world!"

Yes, conquering the southwest, and then the fertile lands in the north and south, would basically include them in the Jurchen pocket. In the midst of fervent mobilization and war preparations, the veteran generals, who had experienced many battles, naturally had different assessments of the difficulty of Jianmen Pass, but they would not say it downwards. They had fought north and south all their lives. They would not be deterred by its danger, or the fact that it would not surrender before the last pass. Wu Qimai in the capital was also struggling to support this war, which was something that everyone knew in their hearts.

Zongfu and Zongbi were not enthusiastic about the conquest of the southwest. It was also because they felt it was beyond their reach. It was the courage of Zonghan and Xiyin and others that would determine the future fate of the Jin Kingdom!

In late September and early October, humiliating news came from the east.

Xiyin mobilized more than 100,000 Han troops to besiege the direction of Changsha. Chen Fan led a force of only 8,000 men and took the initiative to attack, defeating these three Han armies with a total strength of 140,000 men one after another. These three consecutive battles, either surprise attacks or using spies, were won continuously, shocking the world. Chen Fan of the Huaxia Army took the lead in light cavalry, and for a time, he faintly played the momentum of "thousands of troops avoid the white robe".

At this time, the cavalry main force of Yin Shuke was not involved in the Changsha battlefield in the east, but the defeat of more than 100,000 Han troops was like a slap in the face of the Jurchens. When the news reached Zhaohua, a group of Jurchen generals felt extremely humiliated, and their anger surged. They could not wait to attack Jianmen Pass immediately to regain face.

This uproar continued for several days. On the fifth day of October, Si Zhongxian opened the pass and surrendered to Jin.

Zonghan, Bali Speed, Saba, Yema, Xiebao and the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

On this rainy day, Wanyan Zonghan, riding his tall war horse, arrived in front of Jianmen Pass. He saw the pale-faced Han general in the rain, who was said to have a good reputation for loyalty and righteousness. He got off his horse, looked at the other party for a moment, and then patted him on the shoulder and walked past him.

The mighty Jianmen Pass had been trampled under his feet.

The road to defeating the Black Flag had also been half completed.

On the twenty-second day of October in the eleventh year of Wujian Shuo, in this early winter when Zhou Yong died and the Wu Dynasty existed in name only, the Southwest Campaign was launched without suspense on the border of Lizhou and Zizhou, south of Jianmen Pass. There was no probing, no surprise attacks, no accidents, and none of the fancy tricks similar to those used to persuade Si Zhongxian to surrender Jianmen Pass. Both sides simply made preparations, and then resolutely and decisively engaged in battle...