Chapter 31 Chapter Thirty-One The Last Warrior of the Kingdom of Jin—Monk Wanyan Chen

When it comes to the history of the Mongol army's dominance of the world, the most difficult battle was naturally the battle to destroy the Southern Song Dynasty. The 60-year-long fight took the lives of two Khans. Until the end, the Southern Song Dynasty was still staged on Yashan It is so impassioned that even the Mongols, who are the victors, feel admiration.For example, the Diaoyu City where Meng Ge Khan was killed, and later in the Yuan Dynasty's war to unify China, the Yuan Dynasty offered to persuade it to surrender under the condition that no one would be injured.It can be said that although the Southern Song Dynasty died, the people of the Southern Song Dynasty won the respect of the enemy with their tenacious struggle, and also forced the opponent to put down the knife in their hands.

As for the Kingdom of Jin, which was wiped out before the Southern Song Dynasty, it is estimated that there are relatively few similar topics.Compared with the difficult step by step of fighting the Southern Song Dynasty, the process of Mongolia's destruction of the Jin Dynasty can only be described as destructive.In the beginning, the Kingdom of Jin was unable to defeat Mongolia with its large number of troops, and later, it was even more unable to fight with its small number of troops. In the end, it was forced to perish in Caizhou, Henan Province.Compared with the glory of Jin Guo cavalry sweeping the world at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, it can be said that it is much more shabby and shabby.

However, for those Mongolian generals who fought against the Jin Kingdom, perhaps there was one person among the Jin people who deserved their sincere respect and even admiration.This man, with his unyielding efforts and the courage to know that there is nothing to be done, bravely charged and used his troops resourcefully, repeatedly dealt heavy blows to the Mongols on the Central Plains battlefield.He is one of the most respected opponents of the Mongols, the last Jin Guo warrior - Monk Wanyanchen. Monk Wanyan Chen was born in a Jurchen military family at the end of the Jin Dynasty. His father was a general of Jin Xuanzong. He once participated in the war between the Jin Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty and died on the battlefield.Monk Wanyan Chen's elder brother, Wanyan Xie Lie, was also a well-known general in the Kingdom of Jin at this time. He was known for his good use of troops, and he could be called a rare Jurchen wise general.Living in such a family of generals, Monk Wanyan Chen has been exposed to military affairs since childhood.But at this time, the Jin Dynasty was no longer as powerful as it was when it swept across the north.After the failure of Wan Yanliang's Northern Expedition, coupled with Jin Shizong's reforms, the formerly powerful warriors of the Kingdom of Jin have long been corrupted, and the restraint of Meng'anmou, which originally guaranteed a strong military, has long since ceased to exist.The so-called Jurchen has less than 10,000 people and cannot fight when it is full. At this time, it has become Mongolian.At this time, Mongolia, which rose in the desert, not only drove the Jurchen forces out of the desert, but also continued to move south to attack the Central Plains.The Jin Dynasty, which was in the Central Plains, retreated again and again. Yanjing was lost, Xijing was lost, Hebei was lost, and the capital of Jurchen retreated to Henan.Retreat, defeat, and escape are the normal state of Jurchen fighters at this time.

What can I do? The Jurchen fighters at this time are no longer the fighters who lived in the white mountains and black waters of the Northeast, grew up in a tough environment, and were managed by the strict fierce security system.They no longer have the courage to conquer, and even forget the dignity of the warrior.Don't talk about dealing with the Mongolian cavalry that swept the world. Even in the fight with their neighbors to the south - the Southern Song Dynasty, it was difficult for them to take advantage of it, and they were even beaten back all the way.Lost cities from south to north, no one knows how long the Kingdom of Jin can last, no one believes that the Kingdom of Jin can win even one victory, and no one expects that the Iron Cavalry Club of the Kingdom of Jin that swept the world led by Jin Wushu back then Yesterday reappeared, that was a very distant thing.

But there is one person who believes, Monk Wanyan Chen. Monk Wanyan Chen grew up in the army from the beginning, participated in various battles of the Jin army, and then was defeated and fled. Whether it was against the Southern Song Dynasty or Mongolia, the Jin army seemed to have lost the courage to fight.He is also very fond of literature and history. He used to learn calligraphy and painting from Han scholars as his teacher. His father and brother at that time reprimanded him for not doing his job properly.No one would have thought that in the not-too-distant future, this person would turn war into an art of victory.

In the early years, Monk Wanyan Chen, because of family reasons, his official fortune was not bad, he was promoted quickly, but he made few meritorious service.He really began to emerge after entering the Zhongxiao Army in 1227 AD.The Zhongxiao Army is a special army. To be precise, it was an army that no one in the Jin Dynasty wanted to lead.Because the members of this army are mainly Uighurs, Han people, Qiang people, and some Jurchens, this is an army with complex ethnic composition and internal contradictions.Every time there is a war, it is to compete with who can run faster and who can save a life.As for going into battle to kill the enemy, it was just a joke.Monk Wanyan Chen didn't even go through the handover procedures with his predecessor, because his predecessor was thrown down by his own soldiers in a battle, and then hacked to death by Mongolian cavalry.

But Monk Wanyan Chen did not believe in this evil, and the soldiers also began to get to know this young officer who was only 35 years old.He treated every soldier fairly. In the past, if it was a Jurchen leader, he would favor the Jurchens, and if it was a Han leader, he would favor the Han people. The combat effectiveness of the entire army was like a mess.Monk Wanyan Chen handles every dispute in the army impartially, and treats soldiers of all ethnic groups impartially.At the same time, he formulated strict military regulations, stipulating: If I violate the military regulations, the soldiers can punish me, and the soldiers violate the military regulations, and I can also punish the soldiers.He did what he said. On the first day when the military regulations were promulgated, Monk Wanyan Chen got up late because of overwork. He ordered the soldiers to enforce the military laws on the spot, to give himself a hard time, and he must not show mercy.As a result, Monk Wanyan Chen's ass was beaten to pieces, but the soldiers accepted it.They knew that they had a good and impartial commander who would not leave them, or be left behind, but that they would always be together, from victory to victory.

Monk Wanyan Chen's first victory was the Battle of Dachangyuan in 1228 AD.This year, the Mongols attacked Dachangyuan in Gansu, which was ruled by the Kingdom of Jin. The Mongol army came fiercely. Although the Jin army from all walks of life gathered together, no one dared to stand out. Monk Wanyan Chen volunteered to be a pioneer officer.Everyone was in an uproar, thinking that this guy was crazy.When the war started, I found out that this monk named Wanyan Chen was really crazy. He was about to fight. He even ordered all his subordinates to take a shower and change clothes, and set off neatly. It seemed that he was not going to die, but to welcome a solemn baptism .The war started, and the Mongols also found this group of lunatics. Monk Wanyan Chen led 400 cavalry, roaring, and charged into the enemy's formation. These 400 men were selected by him from the army, and the 400 men with the most combat effectiveness.As a result, the invincible Mongolian cavalry was overwhelmed by these Jurchen lunatics, and 8,000 Mongolian cavalry were chased by 400 people from Monk Wanyan Chen and fled wildly.After the war, Monk Wanyan Chen beheaded more than 3,000 people. This is the first time since the Jinmeng War that the Jin Dynasty severely damaged the Mongolian cavalry in a field battle.

The Battle of Dachangyuan was the famous masterpiece of Monk Wanyan Chen, and it was also the beginning of his illustrious military exploits.After this battle, the Jin Dynasty was delighted to find that they also had a God of War who could compete with the Mongolian warriors.Monk Wanyan Chen was promoted to the rank of General, followed by a series of brilliant military exploits by Monk Wanyan Chen.Two years later, the Mongols, with Shi Tianze as their general, led the Han army to attack Weizhou, Henan. flee.Most of his subordinates were wiped out. In the following year, Subotai, the famous Mongolian general who had led his troops to sweep through West Asia and wiped out all the countries in West Asia, led a heavy army to attack Tongguan, Shaanxi.The army under his command was the most elite cavalry in Mongolia at that time - the Azov army recruited from the southern Russian grassland.This army had a famous name in the 18th century - Cossack cavalry. Even on the Chinese battlefield at that time, they were the best among Mongolian cavalry.Monk Wanyan Chen had long expected to meet this leader.In April, Monk Wanyan Chen led his troops to Lintong Pass and encountered Subotai.Subotai's cavalry charged fiercely at Monk Wanyan Chen, but Monk Wanyan Chen did not show any weakness. He used the charge to counterattack, but Subotai was stunned. In the past when they fought against the Jin army, the Jin army did not dare to use cavalry to head-on. For the Mongolian cavalry, have they eaten the gall of a leopard?

The two sides charged back and forth more than ten times, but no one could move forward.At this moment, something that drove Subotai crazy happened. Monk Wanyan Chen's troops suddenly appeared on the flanks of the Mongolian army, holding steel knives and wantonly killing the Cossacks under his command.This famous general who had experienced hundreds of battles during the Western Expedition in Mongolia and had no defeats completely collapsed.He started to run for his life like crazy, but Monk Wanyan Chen was relentless, he chased to the end, chased and killed all the way, and finally gave up after chasing to Lantian, Shaanxi.This hearty victory defeated the most proud cavalry unit of the Mongolian army. In the past, the Mongols were chasing the Jurchens, but at this moment, everything was turned upside down.

Why is Monk Wanyan Chen's troops so capable of fighting? In fact, this is a very complicated question, but it is also very simple.To put it simply, because fundamentally he did one thing.He is an extremely just person, so fair that what the soldiers eat, what he eats, how much rewards the soldiers get, how much rewards he gets, and every time the Jin Dynasty gives him rewards, he distributes them to the soldiers according to their military exploits. Skimp.As the commander-in-chief, he was penniless, and the only money he had was used to buy books. He liked the Han family's military books the most, and he copied cats and tigers every time he fought.In his army, there is no national hierarchy, no distinction between soldiers.Yes, it's just the level of meritorious service, the level of combat effectiveness, and the number of enemies wiped out.In this army, Monk Wanyan Chen built an army in accordance with the traditional Jurchen customs. Whoever captures the spoils of war will be counted, and rewards will be given according to the number of enemies wiped out. The army is divided into 8 parts for centralized management. , He created an army built in the traditional Jurchen way, with the northern Han civilians as the main body.He believes that this army can save the crumbling Jin Dynasty and create a peaceful and prosperous world. But Monk Wanyan Chen was always an idealist, compared to his resourcefulness on the battlefield, he was too simple in officialdom.He was born in a pure military family. In this family, what he knows the most is loyalty. The straightforward character of the military family has also affected him, because in this way, he can be open and honest with the soldiers, communicate with each other, and get along with the generals. harmony.But when it came to officialdom, they were no longer tolerated by their colleagues. At this time, the Jurchen Dynasty was the same as the Southern Song Dynasty. It emphasized literature over military affairs. From the emperor to the ministers, they were obsessed with the Four Books and Five Classics. , that is, when the war was fought, everyone was so scared that they peed their pants. Can such an imperial court be kept by Monk Wanyan Chen? When Monk Wanyan Chen was fighting to defend his family and country, the court he swore to defend to the death attacked him.His boss is Yicipua, the commander of the Jin Army. Although he is the commander, he is a complete bastard. He is greedy and insatiable. His biggest hobby is corruption. What is outrageous is that in order to collect money, He often even connives at the soldiers to rob the surrounding people's homes, and then sits on the ground with him to share the money. Such a rubbish person actually holds the power of the Jin army, how can the Jin Dynasty be saved.However, Monk Wanyan Chen's army is a civilized army that starves to death without demolishing houses.In the strict regulations of Monk Wanyan Chen, the five nos stipulated, the first one is not to plunder people's wealth, but Yici Pu Abu thinks so, what will I eat if I don't plunder people's wealth?Monk Wanyan Chen took the initiative to persuade him several times, but he refused to listen. He asked Monk Wanyan Chen to go out to rob. Monk Wanyan Chen replied that even if he died, he would not be able to follow his fate. up.Yicipu'a angrily asked Monk Wanyan Chen, why do you slander me behind my back, and Monk Wanyan Chen replied, I never slandered you behind my back, I always stopped you face to face, a man stands upright, what do you want "behind".Geng Geng's honest words left the immediate boss speechless. From 1228 AD to 1234 AD, the Zhongxiao Army led by Monk Wanyan Chen fought more than 50 battles with the Mongolian army, all of them victorious.Whether it was the Mongolian cavalry, the surrendered Han army, or even the mercenaries invited from the Western Regions and Central Asia, Monk Wanyan Chen beat them all up. Almost all the generals of the Mongolian army found out that fighting with Monk Wanyan Chen was wrong. A crazy thing.First, he is very fierce. No matter how strong the opponent is, his army dares to charge upwards. No matter how inferior the troops are, he never retreats. Second, he is very ghostly. Sometimes you will be caught by him without knowing it. Cut off at the waist, sometimes you want to surround him, but he plots against him; thirdly, he is very strong, once, he was stabbed more than ten times in the body and shot in the chest, but he continued to charge despite the pain. The opponent is the opponent that Mongolia must defeat if it wants to unify the Central Plains. The end of Monk Wanyan Chen was in 1232 AD.For him, the saddest thing was not the defeat, but that as a soldier, he had to accept a wrong decision and rushed to a death place to prove himself by dying in battle.In order to command a wrong decision eager for quick success, he will lose everything in the last desperate fight. Beginning in March of this year, Mongolia concentrated its army again, determined to seize Dengzhou, which was occupied by the Kingdom of Jin.This greedy guy is also very greedy in wars. He hopes to completely wipe out the Mongolian army with his troops in this battle.Therefore, it was decided to take the initiative to attack and find the main force of the Mongolian army for a decisive battle.But judging from Jin Jun's actual situation, such an idea is tantamount to dreaming, and it can even be said to be suicide.As an experienced military strategist, Monk Wanyanchen opposed the commander-in-chief's approach from the very beginning.He believes that the current advantage of the Mongolian army is its strong mobility and mainly cavalry. The advantage of the Jin army is that it has many infantry and strong defense.This was originally the safest strategy, but Yijipua refused to accept it, and instead publicly reprimanded Monk Wanyan Chen for being cowardly and fearful of the enemy.For a soldier, such a statement is worse than death. Monk Wanyan Chen burst into tears on the spot, and he retorted, I am not afraid of death, I am just afraid of dying worthless.But crying is useless. Before the expedition, just like the first time, this time the monk Wanyan Chen ordered the whole army to bathe and change clothes, and said in public: "This is my last battle. I hope you will fight the enemy with all your strength and serve the country with your death." . ” He had foreseen that this was a mistake, but there was no way, and he was ready to die for obedience. The 130,000 Jin Guo troops attacked.Like headless flies, they chased the Mongolian army that was about to collapse, but when they reached Sanfeng Mountain in Henan Province, a change occurred.The Mongolian army suddenly made a strategic detour, surrounded the Jin army from both wings, and the Mongolian army, which was waiting for work, cut the Jin army into two sections at once, and the unprepared Jin army collapsed at the touch of a touch.Yijipua, who had scolded Monk Wanyanchen for his cowardice at first, ran for his life with oil on his feet, but unexpectedly, he was captured by Mongolian cavalry in Junzhou and became a shameful traitor.The only one in the Jin army that remains stable is still Monk Wanyan Chen's loyal and filial army.Facing the Mongolian army that was several times larger than his own, Monk Wanyanchen took up the challenge calmly, determined to die, and instead launched several counter-charges against the Mongolian army.The battle lasted from morning to night. The Mongolian army chased and intercepted them desperately, but the Zhongxiao Army broke through. Monk Wanyan Chen broke out with hundreds of Zhongxiao Army soldiers and entered Yunzhou.Then, it was the final performance of the Zhongxiao Army.After a fierce street battle, the Zhongxiao Army was wiped out, and Monk Wanyan Chen would rather die than surrender after being captured, spitting blood to death.The last warrior of the Kingdom of Jin ended his life like this. It is worth mentioning that the one who fought with Monk Wanyanchen in Yunzhou was the same Subotai who swept across West Asia. After the death of Monk Wanyanchen, Subotai was very sad and prayed in front of the grave: Good brother, I will be with you in the next life.