Chapter 754 - 32: The Death of Gu Jin

Time flew by swiftly.

The entire Yan Yun front was ablaze with war. Even though Wang Yingchen had already arrived at the front, it was still not enough to stop the Song Army’s attacks from all directions, only delaying the inevitable.

The situation was set!

Meanwhile, news from Juyong Pass had finally spread entirely.

—The whole of Kyushu was shocked!

The balance among the three countries was once more tilted.

It is noteworthy that Gu Jin met with the envoy from Western Xia.

To these faithless people.

Including Zhao Guangyi and others, all wanted to hold them accountable for their crimes.

But in the end, Gu Jin stopped them.

—There’s no help for it, the current Great Song could not spare more strength.

The policies Wang Yingchen implemented in Yan Yun have actually already determined the direction of the Great Song for the next decade or so.

In any case, the Great Song cannot afford to open up a larger war again but instead should focus on developing Yan Yun well.

This is certain.

War after war.

In the eleventh year of Tongyuan, July;

—Cao Bin and his main army were at the gates of Youzhou City; Yelv Xiuge, under Wang Yingchen’s order, relied on the city defense to resist in stages, delaying the Song Army for ten days to a month.

Western Xia’s Li Yuanhao took the opportunity to attack the Western Capital Road fiercely, capturing several states and surrounding Datong Prefecture with his troops.

Yelv Xiezhen, under pressure, abandoned Datong and withdrew east with his elite cavalry.

The Song Army’s northwestern detachment captured Ruzhou, Guzhou, thoroughly blocking the Yan Mountain passes.

Meanwhile, the southeastern Song Army also captured Shunzhou, Tan Province, completing the strategic encirclement of Youzhou.

August;

—Seeing no hope of reinforcements and with the stalling mission complete, Yelv Xiuge burned part of Youzhou’s treasury and withdrew north with the defending army, attempting to rendezvous with the retreating Yelv Xiezhen’s forces.

Cao Bin’s troops reclaimed Youzhou without bloodshed.

Immediately, elite cavalry was dispatched to pursue the retreating Liao Army.

Wang Yingchen organized a second line of defense in Jizhou State to support Yelv Xiuge and Yelv Xiezhen’s forces, fighting while retreating.

The Western Xia army occupied most of the Western Capital Road in the Liao, and Li Deming quickly sent envoys again to the Song camp, providing tribute alongside a letter of submission.

Gu Jin, pushing his body to its limits, held a grand ceremony to accept this submission.

Of course, this wasn’t just for show.

It was to lay the foundation for the Great Song as the legitimate ruler of Kyushu.

The news spread, and the world was shaken!

In the twelfth year of Tongyuan, January.

—The Song Army advanced from multiple directions, capturing Jizhou, Jingzhou, Zhuozhou, Yiizhou, and all other states across the Yan Yun territory.

Wang Yingchen led the remnants of the Liao Army, along with some relocated people, retreating north of Yan Mountain.

—The Song Army finally eradicated the last organized Liao Army within Yan Yun, completely bringing the entire Yan Yun under their control.

At this time, the entire Yan Yun was in ruins.

Wang Yingchen was indeed a ruthless person.

When he heard that Gu Jin had released news under the name of the Gu Clan, he knew surely many civilians would try their utmost to stay locally, then conducted a series of forced relocations.

This, of course, stirred a series of chaos.

Unfortunately, these disturbances were not enough to deter Wang Yingchen’s resolve.

Under these various circumstances, the wounds inflicted on Yan Yun were inevitable.

Only those who had hidden deep in the mountains and forests avoided the sharp points of the two countries’ contention.

And these people needed to be pacified.

Gu Jin did not immediately return to Kaifeng, but, under the protection of many soldiers, toured the entire Yan Yun under the name of the Grand Tutor of Great Song and Patriarch of the Gu Clan.

It is noteworthy that Gu Yi once again used the "Cure-All Talisman" for him.

This indeed slightly improved Gu Jin’s health.

But the feeling of aging brought by loss of vitality still lingered.

In the twelfth year of Tongyuan, March.

Gu Jin held a grand memorial ceremony in Youzhou.

Not only to pay respects to the Gu Clan ancestors but also including Zhao Kuangyin.

And during this, Gu Jin also, in the name of the Gu Clan Patriarch, called upon local people to return home and announced several "industrial zones" in Youzhou.

With deliberate intent.

This event was indeed a great commotion.

"Industrial zones" were not a secret in Kyushu anymore.

Conversely, as the benefits of the "industrial zones" gradually emerge, almost every place has factories emulating them.

But these factories were still incomparable to the Gu Clan.

For many of the lowest-class people, this definitely counted as a great boon!

But that was not the most crucial thing.

Gu Jin wanted to show his emphasis on Yan Yun.

With the precedent of Northern Han and the reputation of the Gu Clan, as long as Gu Jin was willing to act, he could undoubtedly gain the natural trust of many people!

Besides, Gu Jin also formally issued the "Order for the People of Yan and Yun" in the name of the court.

Explicitly stating that all Han people in Yan Yun who were coerced by Liao or dependent on Liao due to war would not be prosecuted, encouraging them to return to their homeland and register their household, becoming good citizens of the Great Song.

Moreover, the whole Yan Yun region would be exempt from taxes for three years, and in the following five years, taxes would be halved.

Just as when he reclaimed the lands of Northern Han years ago.

Yet there are obvious differences.

Because Yan Yun’s population has indeed lost so much.

Recapturing territory is easy, but winning over people’s hearts is hard.

Not to mention the current Yan Yun; without detailed planning, this region might even become a burden for the Great Song.

Gu Jin could only use a series of policies to attract people from all sides to Yan Yun.

Even with the prestige of the Gu Clan, this is sure to take a long time.

But there is no other choice.

Gu Jin has already given his all.

Given the current situation of the whole world, the Great Song has achieved an unprecedented lead, and its influence also far surpassed the original history.