Wanyan Wushu's strategy might seem driven by hatred, and there were indeed related factors, but once it was decided upon, no one could refute it. This was because his battle strategy truly aligned with the Jin Dynasty's traditional military approach.

The Jurchen's rudimentary military tactics were generally believed to originate from hunting activities, which instilled in them an absolute calculation and consideration for the desire for spoils versus the cost of battle losses. In reality, after the establishment of the Jin Dynasty, although war itself was imbued with a great deal of political consideration, a considerable portion was still motivated by the desire for spoils. Even up to this point, the need for plunder remains one of the main reasons for Jin military actions.

And this desire, when elevated to high-ranking commanders, naturally translates into the idea of capturing the leader to defeat the entire enemy force.

Historically, Jin Wushu's relentless pursuit of the Southern Song Dynasty, even chasing them to the southeastern coast and sighing at the sight of the island; and earlier, Wanyan Wolibu's decisive abandonment of heavily guarded Taiyuan, and his risky crossing of the river to besiege Tokyo without sweeping through famous Hebei cities like Daming Prefecture, were all similar military strategies.

And facts have proven that their choices were correct. With a large number of cavalry and sufficient professional military technology, they could retreat at any time with basic safety. Once a forward military gamble succeeded, the rewards would be unprecedentedly rich—for example, countless gold and silver and the entire Hebei Plain.

Of course, Huangtiandang might be an exception. Vast rivers were still unfamiliar territory for the Jin people. But one certain fact was that Wanyan Wushu, even if he had suffered similar losses on the Huai River, would not consider related risks at this time, because the only natural barrier behind him, the Yellow River, was firmly controlled by the Jin themselves.

The Yellow River transportation will now be personally ensured by Wanyan Zhanhan of Daming Prefecture. As for the future, considering the Yellow River's annual freezing period after winter, this place will instead become an unobstructed passage for the Jin army.

In fact, Jin Wushu's so-called 'ten days' for Wanyan Talan to bring reinforcements, when actually put into operation, had only one possibility: to make the other party disregard everything, abandon the siege of Huazhou and the invasion of Kaifeng Prefecture, and quickly come here along the Yellow River waterway.

And sure enough, at the end of October, Wanyan Talan, who valued political credibility, voluntarily shifted the battlefield. He left a ten-thousand-household unit to continue besieging Chenliu, the eastern shield of Tokyo City, and strongly requested that Daming Prefecture send another ten-thousand-household unit south to replace him in besieging Huazhou. He then led his army of 40,000 along the Yellow River to Zhengzhou, and along the way, took over the cities conquered by Wanyan Wushu.

Up to this point, the Central Plains strategy launched by the Jin army, totaling as many as 120,000, had rapidly shifted from a pincer attack to a distinctly westward-leaning single-flank offensive. Specifically, at this moment, east of Tokyo, there were only four ten-thousand-household units of the Jin army. Moreover, the two ten-thousand-household units in Nanjing were simply equipped with elite cavalry and did not bring corresponding reinforcements. The corresponding defense forces were the newly surrendered Kong Yanzhou's troops, which were considered to be 30,000 of the original planned Jin army.

In contrast, the reserve forces in Daming Prefecture north of the Yellow River were also directly reduced to 10,000.

And calculated in this way, south of the Yellow River and west of Tokyo, that is, in the traditional Jingxi area, the number of Jin main force troops had reached as many as 80,000! Moreover, the two commanders of this Jin army's advance, namely Wanyan Talan and Wanyan Wushu, also appeared in Jingxi at the same time.

This number of troops was enough to make any Song army lose military initiative. Especially with the Tokyo Garrison Command forces beginning to experience widespread disorder and Han Shizhong's main force defeated and the commander-in-chief besieged.

In a word, Wanyan Talan, Wanyan Zhanhan, and Wanyan Balisu, although they had reservations about Wanyan Wushu's strategic choices, only remained at the level of political language, but their bodies were more honest than the other.

Among them, as a politician in the top echelons of the Jin Dynasty, how could Wanyan Zhanhan not want to see the demise of the Zhao Song and achieve his own merits?

As someone who had just obtained the position of Deputy Commander of the Metropolitan Command, what reason did Wanyan Talan have to refuse the request of his political ally to fulfill a political promise?

As a clan general facing the poor health of his elder brother and the lack of political support in the later period, why would Wanyan Balisu not crave the military merit of capturing Nanyang and capturing the Song Emperor?

Even the other ten-thousand-household commanders who came south to the Central Plains this time, such as Han Chang, Da Lao, Wulindata Yuyu, Yelu Ma Wu, Pucha Hubalu, Gao Jingshan, Ali, Elubu, Dang Hai, and Chizhan Hui, which one was not eager to try, hoping to plunder Nanyang with the Fourth Prince?

In early November, as Wanyan Talan personally led his troops south to converge with Wanyan Wushu between the Five Rivers (Yingshui, Weishui, Yishui, Shangshui, Rushui), the Jin army once again issued a surrender notice to all the defending cities. As soon as the new notice arrived, Zhang Yu, the *Tongzhi* official of the Tokyo Garrison Command, the defending general of Lin Ying, nicknamed "Wasp's Nest," could not wait to kill the officials and soldiers in the city who insisted on resisting the Jin, and then opened the city to surrender.

This act not only opened a gap in the second line of defense painstakingly built by Zhao Guanjia, but also made Changshe City, which had already begun a difficult artillery battle with the outside of the city, a lonely city. Han Shizhong, the Pacification Commissioner of Huai Xi and Commander of the Imperial Army's Left Army, was suspended in the north, losing contact with Huai Xi and Nanyang.

Fortunately, the remaining cities did not waver. Lu Qiong of Xiangcheng, Xu Shian of Yancheng, Zhai Chong of Xiping, and Li Bao of Wuyang (a general under Zong Ze, nicknamed "Sick Guan Suo," not the same person as Li Bao of Puzhou) each killed the second wave of Jin envoys who came to persuade them to surrender, and continued to hold their cities.

Wanyan Wushu did not take any extra action. This Fourth Prince of the Jin Dynasty, who entrusted everything to Wanyan Talan and had completely eliminated his worries, only carefully selected four ten-thousand-household commanders: Wanyan Balisu, Chizhan Hui, Han Chang, and Wulindata Yuyu. Using Zhang Yu as a guide, he ordered the entire army to gather armored cavalry, iron helmets, craftsmen, and laborers, and then went directly southwest.

On the way, passing through Fangcheng, the gateway to Nanyang, Wushu still did not launch a strong attack, but left ten-thousand-household commander Wulindata Yuyu to lead 5,000 troops to surround Huyan Tong in the city, and continued to the southwest. Finally, on the last day of early November, this old friend of Zhao Guanjia once again saw the Jinwu Dao Sui he had longed for day and night.

And perhaps because of the abundant supplies in Nanyang, the Jinwu Dao Sui here were of different ages, with no less than dozens of them, surrounding the city.

Although he had already made a judgment in his heart, Wanyan Wushu still couldn't help but send some wine, silk, and captured flags of Han Shizhong's troops into the city. At the same time, he sent a sincere letter, recounting how he had seen him from afar on the city wall of Xi Cai, and then parted for eight months. During that time, he had been thinking about him day and night, and finally did not hesitate to travel thousands of miles to seek this place again, only to meet Zhao Guanjia again.

And what completely reassured him was that the envoy quickly brought back a brief reply as expected:

"Three more li, and wait for you to come."

The signature was the familiar 'Cangzhou Zhao Jiu'... that is, the personal mark of this Zhao Guanjia in the mouths of the Song people.

As for the number three li, it was extremely simple. Compared with the majestic Tokyo City, which was fifty li in circumference and divided into three inner and outer layers, Nanyang City, even after a whole year of expansion and renovation, was only twenty-five li in circumference, with only two inner and outer layers.

Calculating the distance, from the city gate where Wanyan Wushu stationed his horse to watch those dragon banners to the most core Nanyang palace, it was just three li away.

"Today, setting up camp is already tiring, so we won't mention it. Starting tomorrow, we will begin to drive Han civilians to climb the city and fill the ditches, while building equipment and setting up artillery." In the Jin army's central camp, Wanyan Wushu finally put away the letter after reading it countless times, and then looked around expressionlessly, speaking firmly, his military orders were like mountains. "I only want one thing, that is, the entire army will take turns attacking the city non-stop, using all methods, never stopping for a moment... until the city is broken, or our entire army is defeated and retreats... Anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy!"

The three ten-thousand-household commanders below, plus dozens of *mouke*, each stood up, raised their armored arms, and respectfully acknowledged the order.

ps: No one in the car, I coded a chapter in a hurry on the road, which is considered to make up for yesterday's.