In the afternoon, the spring rain, which everyone had already gotten used to, continued to fall, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, and the war soon entered its third climax.
After learning the intelligence provided by the Haner Meng'an, combined with other scattered feedback from the front line, the battlefield commander Wu Jie immediately judged that this intelligence was most likely true, at least the rough distribution of troops was not too wrong, so he immediately made a decision to put Li Qiong's troops into the battle ahead of time... The 20,000 well-rested imperial camp troops immediately set out, crossing the river from the downstream of the stone bridge-highland, that is, in front of the side of Huolu County, and then bypassing the side of the highland along the east side of the highland where the fighting intensity was slightly weaker, trying to find the "reserve" army of Yelu Mawu and Wanyan Wolun.
This move was very dangerous before.
Because during the hasty construction process, the Jin army camp still tried hard to create and form a human-shaped posture, like a core node with three arms extending out.
Among them, the node is located slightly east of the south side of the highland. The battlefield is vast and it is considered the main camp. Among the three arms, one cuts through the back of the highland and connects to Shiyi in the southeast, which was the original camp and also a retreat route; one points to Zhending Prefecture across the river, which is the main supply channel for military supplies and a more secure retreat route; the last one goes diagonally from the east side of the highland and points to the Song army's Huolu County across the Taiping River.
In other words, for the Jin army, the high ground and the two arms of their camp formed a mutual assistance system... In fact, at the beginning, among the four Wanhu of the Jin army's heavy troops on the western front, the southernmost Hesheli Taiyu tribe was directly connected to the trench outside the camp.
In this situation, it would be very dangerous to advance rashly from the east side of the highlands, because you would likely be caught in a pincer attack between the highlands and the camp.
However, now that the battle has reached this point, the main force of the Jin army on the high ground has been completely exposed and out of control, and has already engaged the Song army on an all-out battle. Then, compared with the temptation of finding the Jin army's reserve forces in advance, a little risk does not seem so unacceptable.
Therefore, when Zhao Jiu learned of Hu Yantong's death, the fierce fighting area had already penetrated the entire high ground. On the battlefield with a radius of sixteen or seventeen miles centered on the high ground, the cumulative combat forces of both sides had reached 110,000 and 125,000 respectively. Li Qiong, Qiao Zhongfu, Zhang Jing and others found Yelu Ma Wu and Wanyan Wolun.
According to the original plan, they would have to pause for a while to see whether the Jin army would deploy their last reserve forces under the fierce attack of Li Qiong's troops... After all, whether it was the three Wan Hu and six Hezhameng'an mentioned by the surrendered general, or something else that was expected, the Jin army must have a final backup plan.
"Is Hu Yan dead?"
In the rain, Zhao Jiu did not ask out loud, but just held his forehead with his hand, because at this moment he clearly felt a flash of dizziness... However, after drinking half a pot of wine in the rain, this feeling did not seem to be something worth worrying about. And in a showdown between nearly 200,000 troops, the death of a commander did not seem to be a message that could shake him as an official.
"I understand." After suppressing the dizziness, Zhao Jiu exhaled lightly and answered as calmly as possible.
"The heads of Generals Tuhesu and Ali have been cut off. General Wu sent people to deliver them. Would Your Majesty like to review them?" Liu Yan, who was standing next to him, did not notice Emperor Zhao's hidden emotions and continued to report earnestly with his hands clasped, so that raindrops flowed out of his armor in lines.
"No need." Zhao Jiu shook his head and pressed the wine glass on the table in front of him.
Liu Yan immediately turned around and waved to the two squad leaders, who immediately retreated with the wooden barrels in their hands.
The high platform made of temporary piles of debris fell into an uneasy silence again. During the silence, Zhao Jiu took a deep breath while others were watching the battle.
By the way, this silence was not Zhao Jiu's subjective intention. On the contrary, at this moment, the Zhao Song official had countless words he wanted to say.
He really wanted to tell Mei Li, a close minister who might not be aware of the situation, that ten years ago, when he was feeling the most insecure, Huyan Tong had, by chance, undertaken the work of imperial guard for a long period of time.
He also wanted to ask Liu Yan, when there were "thousands of people" of the Loyalists in front of Mingdao Palace, how many old soldiers from Yanzhou, Liaodong are there now?
He also wanted to invite Lv Yihao to sit down, pour wine with him and discuss heroes, to discuss whose credit the so-called "Ten Years of Success" was. Was it him, the emperor, or the famous generals Han, Yue, Zhang, and Wu who seemed to have been sent from heaven to help the Song Dynasty in the great era? Or was it Li Gang, Zongze, Zhang Suo, Wang Boyan, Lv Haowen, Xu Jingheng, Zhao Ding, Zhang Jun, and even Lv Yihao, the famous prime ministers of Jianyan?
If it was none of them, then what about the 300,000 soldiers in the imperial camp, or the countless civil officials? Or the struggling survivors of the two rivers? The people of the southeast, Jingxiang, Bashu, Central Plains, and Guanxi who provided financial support and food for the country's revival?
Or should we all be one?
But after the demise of the Jin Dynasty, could it really remain as one?
In a trance, Zhao Jiu couldn't help but silently recite the names of the commanders in the imperial camp, then the ministers in the court, and then all the people whose names he could remember or couldn't remember, even some people without faces. In the end, it was no longer specific characters, but things strung together by the characters.
And when these people and things accumulated more and more in his mind, after accumulating to a certain level, the official almost felt that his chest was about to explode, as if urging and forcing him to shout out something.
However, he did not speak in the end, not saying a single word, because he knew that if today's battle did not produce a result, and it must be a definite victory, otherwise he would not be able to discuss these things or mention these names.
Another team of Red-hearted Knights with Bells came galloping from Wu Jie's side, attracting everyone's attention. Emperor Zhao, whose face was covered in rain, shook his body and took the opportunity to hastily pour himself a glass of wine, then drank it all in one gulp, trying to suppress the complicated emotions in his heart.
He has been using this method to control himself since morning.
"What is it?"
Liu Yan took the initiative to hold the knife and meet him.
Several loyal knights came up to him and bowed down. Then one of them immediately reported: "Reporting to the commander... There is news from the front line that the commander, General Guan Shigu, was killed in battle."
Guan Shigu was a senior general in the Imperial Camp Rear Army. Wu Jie proposed several times to use this man to replace his brother Wu Lin as the deputy commander-in-chief of the Imperial Camp Rear Army. Guan Shigu held an outstanding position in the Imperial Camp Rear Army.
Therefore, Liu Yan was stunned for a moment, and immediately turned back to look at the sitting Emperor Zhao. Knowing that the other party would be able to hear clearly at this distance, he paused for a moment and immediately turned his head again, and said to his subordinates seriously: "Got it. Does Wu Dutong have any other information?"
"Yes." The leader of the Red Heart Cavalry took over and continued to report. Obviously, his information was more important. "General Wu said that the battle on the front line is a little unfavorable..."
"What do you mean?" Liu Yan immediately became serious. "Was it General Guan's death that caused the shock?"
"It was partly because of General Guan, but General Guan was killed in the front battlefield of the highlands, and the ripples after his death were not enough to shake the overall situation. The main reason was that the people on the eastern side of the highlands underestimated the strength of the Yelu Ma Wu tribe and the Wanyan Wulun tribe." The captain of the Red Heart Cavalry spoke clearly. "I originally thought that the Yelu Ma Wu tribe had suffered heavy losses in the previous Taiyuan battle and the retreat from Jingxing, and its combat power should not be strong, so General Wu took the initiative to seek the enemy with Deputy General Li's 20,000 troops, but after the battle, I found that the strength of the Yelu Ma Wu tribe and the Wanyan Wulun tribe was not only not weak, but definitely exceeded 20,000 households..."
"Why is it so?" Liu Yan couldn't help but interrupt the other party and ask.
"According to the battlefield feedback, there are many more infantrymen, and Deputy Commander Li and Commander Wu both believe that this is the Jin army's last-ditch effort to concentrate the cavalry. They picked out the remaining three million infantrymen and gave them to Yelu Mawu, who was originally weak, for unified use..."
"I see." Liu Yan breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't a divine soldier that went beyond the original plan, then he could accept it. "So how does Wu Jiedu decide to deal with it?"
"Commander-in-Chief Wu said that although the central army of the imperial camp cannot quickly suppress the Jin army on the eastern side of the high ground, our army on the west side of the high ground is already unstoppable. It is only a matter of time to suppress the Jin army on all fronts and force them to make a move... Please don't worry, just wait." Captain Chixin Cavalry stopped talking here.
When Liu Yan heard the last sentence, he looked back again. After making sure that the silent official had heard the relevant information clearly, he said no more. He just waved his hand and asked the other party to report to Wu Jie.
After the Red Heart Riders left, Emperor Zhao remained silent. However, Lu Yihao spoke slowly under Mei Li's umbrella: "General Liu..."
"I am your humble servant." Facing Lu Yihao, Liu Yan was actually a little flustered. "Mr. Lu, please speak."
"How many soldiers have crossed the river? How many are left on the Taiping River side?" Lu Yihao said calmly.
"There are 125,000 people who crossed the river. There are 130,000 or 140,000 cavalrymen from the Imperial Camp Cavalry and the Imperial Camp Front Army Beiwei Army who remain on this side of the river. Under the command of Wang Jiedu and Yang Tongzhi, there are also a mixed force of long-axe heavy infantry and long-lances from the Imperial Camp Right Army Beiwei Army, about 260,000 or 270,000... All together, there are probably less than 40,000."
"Anything else?" Lu Yihao kept asking.
"There are also the imperial guards, scattered Japanese samurai, and some generals' personal guards, totaling three to four thousand infantry and cavalry, to protect the Huolu camp and the government." Liu Yan paused, then continued to answer with his head bowed.
"Anything else?" Lu Yihao pretended not to hear and continued to ask.
"There are also the Tangut auxiliary troops and the Taihang righteous army."
"How do you say it? Is it available?"
"Of course they can be used..." Liu Yan was increasingly confused, but he could only bite the bullet and state the facts. "They have a lot of combat experience, can endure hardships, and can go into battle... But because they need to set up supply lines along the way from Taiyuan to Huolu, Huolu currently only has 20,000 Tangut civilians and 10,000 auxiliary soldiers reorganized from the Taihang Volunteer Army in the camp."
Lu Yihao nodded and looked at the expressionless Zhao Guanjia sitting there: "Your Majesty, there are a total of 180,000 troops going out of Hebei this time. Excluding a few detachments that were sent to the other side of the Hutuo River, there are about 170,000 soldiers left, and more than two-thirds of them have already crossed the river."
Everyone suddenly realized that Prime Minister Lu was actually urging Emperor Zhao to cross the river himself to break the deadlock.
And it is obvious that given the official's personality, he would not refuse.
Zhao Jiu certainly understood what the other party meant, but after thinking for a moment, the official, who had already been unable to hold back, actually shook his head and tried to remain calm:
"Wait a little longer."
After being rejected, Lu Yihao didn't care. He just nodded slightly, and then ordered Liu Yan to send 20,000 Dangxiang auxiliary troops and 10,000 Taihang volunteer army auxiliary troops out of the camp and line up on the open space behind the stone bridge.
At this time, Emperor Zhao suddenly interrupted and said, "Tell the auxiliary soldiers to carry out all the barricades from each camp."
Liu Yan did not mention that he hurriedly went to organize auxiliary troops, but the emperor's words made a fact more clearly and unmistakably clear - he did not want to cross the river, but he hoped to set out at a better time that was suitable for crossing the river, with all preparations, in order to maximize the effect of the imperial expedition.
Just as Liu Yan hurriedly went to reorganize the auxiliary troops, on the battlefield across the Taiping River, the battle between the 120,000 Song troops and the 100,000 Jin troops had become a mess.
But to say it was confusing was more about the complex situation of the battle. As time went on, on one hand, the soldiers were getting more and more tired and were caught in a difficult fighting situation, with large-scale casualties and generally low morale; on the other hand, the newly deployed reinforcements were still in high spirits, maintaining an intact front while trying to seize the initiative.
In fact, judging from the overall battlefield dynamics, the situation is still clear at a glance.
On the west side of the high ground, the Song army had gained full advantage after defeating two Wanhu of the Jin army on the western front, and was trying hard to tear down the last obstacle and complete the outflanking from behind the high ground... But as mentioned before, the western front was the first to engage in battle, and after a fierce battle in the rain for a whole morning and noon, the troops on both sides were very tired and their morale was very low. The Jin army was certainly holding on, but the offensive of the Song army was simply not comparable to before. In addition, there was the all-cavalry Wanhu brought by Jiagu Wulibu from Yanjing, who relied on the local mobility advantage of the troops to provide layered support and maintenance. No one could tell when they would be able to take it down.
On the front of the high ground, after defeating the Ali tribe, the Song army successfully connected with the troops on the western front, so they were able to maintain their advantage and momentum. But at the same time, the Jin army on the front of the high ground had many veterans, and the four Wanhu were also connected in a line, so they were weak but not broken, so there was no breakthrough situation on the high ground like on the western front.
As for the east side of the high ground, the newly opened eastern battlefield, although the scale of the war was slightly smaller, it was rare that the two sides were evenly matched, and they were all fresh troops. In addition, Wanyan Wolun, Yelu Mawu, Li Qiong, Qiao Zhongfu, Zhang Jing and others were all recognized veterans, so the fight was quite good.
If we have to make a conclusion, it is that there are no miracles and no magical calculations.
The war lasted for so long that both sides had a clear understanding of each other's tactics, personnel deployment, and equipment. Both sides also had a thorough understanding of heavy armor, the most distinctive military technology of the era... As for the estimation of troop strength, perhaps no one can make an accurate statistics, but both sides have a rough idea.
Including the hundreds of camel cannons, they were just icing on the cake and had no actual impact on the main battle situation.
It can only be said that the Song army originally had an overall advantage in morale and manpower, so it naturally had a slight advantage at this moment, but it was not enough to quickly destroy the opponent's heavy forces; and although the Jin army knew that it was at an overall disadvantage before the war, it also tried its best to gain certain tactical advantages by controlling the high ground and setting up camps across the river, but this tactical advantage was not enough to offset their overall disadvantage.
The previous rain and the current spring rain are generally fair to both parties.
And if there are no miracles or brilliant strategies, at this time, the only thing that can influence the development and direction of the war is when to further play the cards in hand.
In fact, after Wu Jie learned that there was only a disabled Wanhu stationed between the Jin army camp and Zhending Prefecture, he once thought of letting Qu Duan lead his troops to launch a surprise attack from behind, but he immediately suppressed the idea and did not even discuss this possibility with Zhao Jiu... At this point in the battle, it is impossible to divide the troops anymore, and the only way to go is to concentrate the troops on the main battlefield as much as possible.
It was based on this reasoning that Lu Yihao lost no time in persuading Emperor Zhao to cross the river at the right time. However, this emperor was still thinking about a more suitable opportunity.
But this opportunity did not last long.
Less than two quarters of an hour after Zhao Jiu said "wait a little longer", Liu Yan had not yet organized the 30,000 auxiliary troops. As the tug-of-war continued, Zhang Qi's troops suddenly advanced in a wave and controlled the top of the east slope of the high ground, which was one of the two obvious high points on the east and west sides of the high ground.
Wu Jie, who had already marched to the stone bridge under the banner of "Command as Sure as a Glory", looked at the large banner with the word Zhang on it and hesitated for a moment. But he soon came to his senses and quickly turned back to give orders to the Red Heart Cavalry that Emperor Zhao had specially allocated to him, requesting Qu Duan to lead the remaining Song cavalry to cross the river decisively and attack from there to make a breakthrough, and at the same time convey this military order to the emperor.
He did not mention what the emperor himself should do, as it was not his turn to give orders on this matter.
The military orders from his former subordinates were first conveyed to the Imperial Cavalry. Without any hesitation, Qu Da immediately ordered Liu Qi, Zhang Xian, Zhang Zhongfu, Zhang Zhongyan and other generals to return to their respective units, and then march out to fight along the pontoon bridge that had been built when Li Qiong's troops crossed the river. He himself rode a new iron elephant and took the lead, leading his personal guards to cross the river first... This is not to say that Qu Duan suddenly became full of confidence in his troops, or that he was happy with this battle after watching the fierce battle for most of the day, but to say that at this point, no matter how stupid he was, he would not hesitate or retreat.
Be it honor and responsibility, political pressure, or the power of military law, he and his more than 10,000 cavalrymen who have lacked rest must move forward at this moment.
Just like the more than 100,000 troops that participated in the battle before.
"Qu Dutong."
Just after crossing the river, a Red Heart Cavalry came over and told Qu Duan a piece of news. "The emperor has ordered that the remaining 1,000 Red Heart Cavalry in the imperial court be at your disposal..."
Qu Duan was stunned for a rare moment, but before he could express his gratitude, he suddenly realized something and subconsciously looked towards the direction of the dragon flag on the other side of the river.
Sure enough, in the slightly calmed drizzle, the dragon flag moved.
This time, the activation of Emperor Zhao and his already old Jinwu banner did not cause any earth-shaking scene, at least not at this moment, and there was no touching separation of life and death, any heart-shaking shock that shook everything... This attack was not the same as the one at Yaoshan.
In the drizzle, the Song Dynasty official and Lu Yihao nodded to each other. Lu Yihao turned back to Huolu City, and Zhao Jiu stood up and headed west. There were only a few close ministers by his side, including Liu Yan and seven or eight hundred imperial guards. Even among them, there were Yuan Weiyi and a hundred or eighty Japanese samurai who were just filling the numbers.
Zhao Jiu even asked Shao Chengzhang to take the remaining half pot of wine.
In addition, Emperor Zhao's route was somewhat detached from the masses. After entrusting the Chixin Team in the Imperial Guard to Qu Duan, who had always been worried about the heavy casualties of his subordinates, he stood up straight, then mounted his horse and headed west, obviously intending to take the extremely safe and secure stone bridge to cross the Taiping River.
Of course, even so, Qu Duan did not think much about it, or he did not have time to think much about it. He just hurriedly urged the troops to cross the river and support the front-line troops in an attempt to completely control the high ground... and by the way, clear the place for the official and his dragon flag to stay.
The last main battle cavalry of the Song army crossed the river at a high speed, while Emperor Zhao, wearing dark gold armor, went straight west and stopped behind the stone bridge, that is, behind Wu Jie's big banner... Under Wu Jie's gaze, the emperor waited for a huge and strange "reinforcement"... Although it was a bit hasty, Liu Yan still tried his best to distribute the 20,000 Dangxiang auxiliary troops and the 10,000 Taihang Yijun auxiliary troops who were not added to the imperial camp in the Hedong area.
These people did not have iron armor, and most of them only wore leather armor and carried spears and swords. The soft bows were useless at this time and were simply abandoned.
However, it is worth mentioning that when they set out from the camp, in accordance with Emperor Zhao's order, they almost removed all the barricades in front of the Song army camp, and then carried them behind Emperor Zhao's dragon banner in groups of several people.
Auxiliary troops are auxiliary troops after all. Although there is an officer system, it still took a long time to gather and advance these 30,000 auxiliary troops. During this time, the various units of Qu Duan had already been engaged in a battle with the chaotic troops in various parts of the highlands... Qu Duan also had his difficulties. It was not that he did not want to concentrate his troops, but that the battlefield was too cramped. He had neither the command experience and ability to concentrate tens of thousands of cavalry, nor the tactical space.
But even so, the sudden deployment of 13,000 to 14,000 cavalrymen into the battlefield immediately changed the situation on the battlefield. The originally active Yelu Mawu and Wanyan Wolun tribes immediately lost the initiative and could no longer support the friendly forces on the high ground. The morale of the troops on the high ground was greatly reduced for a time, so that more than half of the entire high ground was controlled by the Song army.
It can be said that this attack caused the Jin army to shrink across the board.
At this time, Emperor Zhao finally set out again. Behind him were not only 30,000 Tangut-Han auxiliary soldiers who were carrying thousands of simple barricades and marching in a diversionary manner, but also dozens of people whose faces kept changing between pale and red for consultation... These people were driven out of the city by Lu Yihao to accompany him.
Without further ado, the 30,000 auxiliary troops deployed across the line, dividing into dozens of groups to cross the river according to the pontoon bridge previously built by Li Yanxian's troops. Emperor Zhao, with his eunuchs, close ministers, and advisors, led his imperial guards, and marched towards the stone bridge in the middle, holding the dragon banner.
When they reached the stone bridge, Wu Jie, who had been prepared, knelt down on the ground.
Zhao Jiu sat on his horse without saying a word, and just nodded slightly after the other party completed the ceremony. Then Wu Jie's "commanding" large banner automatically moved to the side of the Jinwu banner, and Wu Jie himself stepped forward without hesitation to personally lead the official's horse and lead him onto the stone bridge.
At this time , the noise caused by the auxiliary soldiers had already alarmed the Song army soldiers along the river on the other side of the Taiping River... The battle lasted for so long, and coupled with the Song army's death order of "anyone who turns around to cross the river without being seriously injured will be beheaded", the area along the south bank of the Taiping River had long become a place for the lightly wounded, defeated, and exhausted soldiers of the Song army to gather and rest. Countless soldiers were gasping for breath, lying stiffly, hiding, and waiting in the mud.
But after hearing such a commotion and seeing the dragon flag crossing the bridge, countless wounded and defeated Song soldiers could not help but look forward to it. Among them, the defeated soldiers unconsciously gathered towards the direction of the stone bridge with a certain hesitation.
Of course Zhao Jiu saw this scene, and he watched it very carefully… He saw a large group of wounded soldiers lying on a clean slope that could not retain water. The rain flowed down the slope, sweeping the blood into the river, so that the muddy yellow river water was faintly dark; he saw exhausted soldiers sitting in puddles with spears in their arms, their hands and feet were all soaked white, but the mud on their cheeks had hardened into lumps because they had avoided the rain for a long time. At this time, they stared at him, the official, as if they had lost their souls, turning their necks, so that mud and water dripped from their beards; he also saw familiar-looking officers running towards him from a distance when he was crossing the river, but he stopped for a while every few steps, and then started again, but his speed slowed down, and he seemed to be a little timid.
However, Zhao Jiu, who watched the whole scene, neither dismounted to comfort or praise the wounded, nor reprimanded the defeated troops, nor did he let the squad leaders blow the horns to allow the officers to take advantage of the situation to reorganize the troops.
Because there is no need.
The official said nothing, but asked Wu Jie to lead him to the small slope in front of the stone bridge, and then he stayed there for a while with the Jinwu flag.
But just a moment later, like ripples caused by a stone thrown into a lake, the Song army on the riverside that had been stuck in a solidified state was continuously reactivated... More and more Song army's defeated soldiers and lightly wounded soldiers rushed over, immediately surrounding the small slope, while the troops and soldiers from the outer periphery were still rushing over.
Zhao Jiu stood right on the hill, looking around, seeing countless pairs of eyes staring at him. He wanted to say something, but was still as speechless as before... He was usually known for his sharp words and was usually best at playing the role of a wise ruler, but at this moment, he seemed as if someone had strangled him.
In fact, he hasn't said much since noon today, and even if he did, it was just a few simple words.
It's not that he didn't want to say it, but he was so eager to win that he couldn't say it before he won.
Therefore, after looking around for a long time and making sure that he had inspired many defeated soldiers, the official suppressed all the words in his heart and prepared to move forward. However, he had just reined in his horse again, but after taking only two or three steps, he saw a man rushing towards him from the side and front, so he reined in his horse again, and Wu Jie also cooperated throughout the process.
There was no other person. The person who came was Wang De, the deputy commander of the imperial camp's central army. He was alone, shirtless, wearing only a pair of trousers. His upper body from arms to torso was wrapped with seven or eight bandages, and blood was obviously oozing from five or six of them. However, he came on foot, and when he saw that Zhao Jiu was about to leave, he bowed down from a distance of several dozen steps.
Zhao Jiuqing knew that his troops had suffered heavy casualties, and were probably the most exhausted unit in the entire army, so they must be resting at this time. He also knew that this Yaksha had made great contributions but one of his two sons died and another was injured, so he naturally wanted to comfort them.
But for some reason, when the words came to my lips, they were particularly brief and plain:
"Wang Qing."
"I'm here." Wang De raised his head, with an obviously excited look that was completely different from before the war.
"Follow me!" Zhao Jiu, who was on the warhorse, tried to give the order calmly.
However, for some reason, these three simple words almost made Wang De cry on the spot. He used up a lot of strength to calm down his emotions and kowtowed heavily on the mud again:
"Please wait a moment, sir. I will put on my armor!"
Zhao Jiu nodded immediately.
With this nod, the defeated soldiers who had gathered around, including many lightly wounded, finally let out a cry, as if they had received some command and came back to life. They then looked around for their armor and weapons. If they couldn't find any, they simply searched among the surrounding corpses.
As for Zhao Jiu, after Wang De put on his armor again, held a long axe and rode his warhorse, leading the general's flag as his vanguard, he did not hesitate and continued to lead Wu Jie's horse southward at a leisurely pace to climb the high ground.
But after walking only one or two miles up, Li Yanxian came to meet him. When the emperor and his subject met, they were still very frugal with words. After just an exchange of greetings, Li Shaoyan led the large banner and his troops followed the imperial carriage.
At this moment, the soldiers behind and on both sides of Zhao Jiu had formed a considerable organization. In addition, the auxiliary soldiers carrying the chevaux de frise had generally crossed the river and began to gather behind the imperial carriage according to the previous military orders. The commotion caused by the dragon banner was finally unstoppable.
On the northern slope of the high ground, the Song army was encouraged across the board. Although most of the Jin army had been pushed to the other side of the high ground and had no idea why, they clearly felt the shock and impact. The few Jin soldiers who occupied the high points on the high ground, after realizing what was going on, hurriedly sent scouts to the rear and called for support.
But it was too late.
"Officials!"
After walking only two or three hundred steps, Han Shizhong suddenly rode up from the west and called out from a distance, "Sir, are you going to the slope on the east side?"
"That's right!" Zhao Jiu looked back and answered loudly to the unparalleled banner.
"The high slope on the east is a secondary slope, not as high as the high slope on the west." Han Shizhong didn't have time to take off his mask, so he pointed his whip at his side and said, "You are the emperor, and you have to watch the decisive battle of the royal army. How can you go to a secondary slope? You must set up your formation on the main slope on the west side!"
"Isn't Zhupo still in the hands of the Jin army?" Before Zhao Jiu could speak, Li Yanxian behind him suddenly interrupted and asked loudly.
"By the time I and other military governors arrive to escort the emperor, the main slope will have been captured by our army!" Han Shizhong responded without stopping.
Zhao Jiu still didn't say anything, but turned his horse around and headed west.
Han Shizhong immediately led his own banner to follow the side guard, but his Beiwei Army, led by the commander Cheng Min, had already headed directly to the main slope on the west side which was still under the control of the Jin army.
Not only that, as Zhao Jiu advanced along the way, the troops on the western front all took heart. The troops on the left side of the imperial camp, together with the Dangxiang and Khitan light cavalry, were rushing like wolves, charging like pigs, pecking like cranes, and leaping like tigers, and they all joined forces to come to this high ground.
The Jin army here has long been on the verge of collapse, and is now attacked from all sides. How can they defend it?
In less than half a minute, looking at the dragon banner that was composed of three large banners and dozens of general flags, the defending general Shao He just sighed, then rode his horse sadly and led his men to retreat.
It was not even halfway through the afternoon and the rain had not stopped. Under the sky where the drizzle had returned, the dragon banner of the Zhao Song government stood silently at the highest point of the core high ground of the battlefield.
Also arriving were the large banners of the three generals Han Shizhong, Li Yanxian, and Wu Jie, and a dozen flags of generals under the Jiedushi Wang De.
After arriving here, the dragon banner was in the center, and the large banners and flags of the generals were lined up on the left and right sides. The imperial guards were arranged in a circle. Zhao Jiu was leisurely and dismounted. Then the imperial commander Liu Yan set up the stool, the guards brought a few tables, and the eunuch Shao Chengzhang put out the pot of Lanqiao Fengyue, which had who knew how much of it was left.
Then, all the generals rushed forward and formed a circle, following Emperor Zhao to watch the battle from a high place.
There were no drums, no trumpets, and no additional commands throughout the entire process, but from the moment the dragon flag set out, it had already begun to influence the battle situation. After it stood on the main slope, it just "watched the battle" and directly caused a storm.
After the flag was raised, within a quarter of an hour, Qu Duan, who was unable to control all his subordinates, and almost all his subordinates who led their troops independently, broke through from the gap between the eastern front and the highland battlefield. They even joined forces with the Dangxiang light cavalry of another subordinate, Li Shifu, who followed the trend, to form a huge cavalry group on the eastern side of the highland.
This is the first time that the main force of the Imperial Cavalry has gathered on the battlefield since the Northern Expedition... and the benefits of Emperor Zhao's choice to advance with the Imperial Cavalry are also undoubtedly demonstrated. At this moment, one plus one is definitely far greater than two.
At the same time, the 10,000 cavalrymen of Jiagu Wulibu's army, who had been struggling to hold on, finally gave up their protection of Hesheli Taiyu under the great danger of being completely surrounded. They turned around and tried to regroup behind Shaohe.
With efforts on both sides, the central army also seized all the high ground of the central army and pressed down.
In other words, when the dragon flag crossed the river and first climbed the high ground, the high ground was still equally held by both sides, and even the highest point was not in the hands of the Song army. But after the big flag was set up at the highest point, it took only a quarter of an hour for the Song army to successfully suppress 70% of the high ground, and there was a tendency to surround it from three sides... A heavy sword has no edge, and great ingenuity is not skillful, that's about it.
Of course, for many Jin army generals who had never experienced Yaoshan, these words were somewhat unfamiliar. Under the waves that roared over the highlands, they were more likely to remember a saying that was circulated among the Jin army after Yaoshan - just that dragon flag was worth two Wanhu!
"You haven't said a word for half a day. Are you waiting for this moment?!"
The dragon banner suddenly appeared on the commanding heights of the battlefield. The Jin camp was already in chaos. After listening to the report from his confidant outside the tent, Hong Ya, the chief secretary of the Jin Kingdom's Privy Council, immediately stood up, walked up to the young Song minister, and stared at him with gritted teeth.
"That's right." Yu Yunwen relied on his height advantage to look down on others and spoke coldly. "I've been waiting for this moment... County Magistrate Hong! You don't have to be so timid anymore! The Song Dynasty will win this battle, and it will be a big victory. If you keep hesitating, you will not cry until you see the coffin. Now that the emperor has reached a high position, the general trend is about to be established, and it can almost be seen from afar. I am now relying on the power of the emperor to give you one last chance to live in wealth and comfort... What are you hiding that you are unwilling to tell us?!"
"If I don't tell you, what can you do to me?!" Hong Ya turned around and turned away, furious.
"If I don't tell you, you will lose your head and your whole family will be exiled to the Western Regions!" Yu Yunwen answered without hesitation. "It will be the same if you don't kill me or not. The fact that Commander Bei and I entered your camp cannot be concealed at all... You can only tell me the reason now, and you can save your life!"
Hong Ya turned his back to the other party, panting. After a long while, he lowered his voice and spoke: "If we don't say it, the Jin army may just suffer a big defeat and lose two rivers, but still have its foundation. If we say it, I'm afraid this defeat will be a complete defeat, and they will become prey to the Song Dynasty..."
"So, it's military intelligence?" Yu Yunwen was overjoyed. "Is Marshal Yue actually about to reach Huolu?!"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Hong Ya turned around, speechless. "This isn't an offensive, how can you play the joke of 'he's coming here'... They're all coming from Daming Prefecture. The Jin army has so many cavalrymen, and they're getting supplies along the way. They're just about to come here to greet the officials. How could Yue Fei come? Do you really think he's a golden-winged roc? And if he really wants to come, what difference does it make whether I say it or not?"
Yu Yunwen suddenly came to his senses... If Yue Fei could arrive here in time to join the battle, why would he let his elite cavalrymen follow the imperial cavalry to follow the Jin army?
You know, although he was captured before Qu Duan arrived at the army, as a close minister in front of the emperor, he also knew this information.
But if this is not the case, what other information can directly affect the outcome of this battle?
And it’s just a message?
"Let me ask you something." Hong Ya suddenly swallowed his saliva, then lowered his head and asked hurriedly, "Is this big camp with three long arms built by the Jin army strange?"
Yu Yunwen was slightly startled, but immediately shook his head slowly: "Although it is strange, it is only because of the hasty incident... There are obvious reasons for it."
"What's the reason?"
"The most obvious one is that its two arms hold the high ground, making it convenient for troops to be deployed."
"What else?"
"Also...it's also pointing to Zhending, which makes it easier to resupply."
"What else?"
"And... there is one arm pointing to the deer, which is convenient for observation..."
"What is this?" Hong Ya was furious. "Let me ask you... before the battle started, did everyone know that the Jin army would win more than they lost?"
“It’s natural.”
"So the Jin army didn't prepare for defeat when they built this camp?"
Yu Yunwen's heart was slightly moved: "Forcibly extending the large camp from Shiyi to Zhending can effectively gather the defeated soldiers and stop the pursuing troops... Is this what you mean?"
"That's right." Hong Ya stared at him and gave the answer. "Yu Tanhua...you must remember today. Not only do you owe me a life, but I also paid back a share of the Song Dynasty's national destiny...you should have guessed it...Yue Pengju certainly didn't have time to reach Huolu, but the Yellow River has been thawed for a long time, and your father-in-law Zhang Rong has been leading the navy to fight with him. He could have taken advantage of the previous spring water rise to go downstream to Hejian, and then block the Hutuo River from entering the Yellow River estuary..."
Yu Yunwen was a little confused for a moment because he didn't have time to check the geography of Hebei.
"You asked me before why the new army from Yanjing didn't come?" Hong Ya was a little impatient. "First, it was too late. Second, even if they were ready, they must have a new destination. They were going to Hejian Prefecture to block Yue Fei and your father-in-law! According to top-secret military intelligence, the day before yesterday, the Song army's vanguard ship had already rushed to Hengshui with manpower and water power!"
Yu Yunwen's mouth was dry for a moment: "What do you mean...?"
"What I mean is," Hong Ya pressed forward, his eyes red as he spoke. "If the Jin army loses this battle, it is impossible for so many soldiers to escape to Zhending from the floating bridges in the north. The Hutuo River is a big river, and it is not the same as the Taiping River. This is especially true during the flooding period after the spring rain... Most of the defeated soldiers can only flee to the lower reaches of the Hutuo River under the cover of the camp, and then find an opportunity to cross the river and gather together... But at this time, what if there are already Song navy troops in the lower reaches of the Hutuo River?"
"If there is a navy downstream to meet them," Yu Yunwen was incredulous for a moment. "If the royal army dares to take the risk and chases them, and keeps the defeated army from crossing the river, then maybe the Jin army south of Hutuo River will not be able to return north?!"
"So I said, this military intelligence can determine the rise and fall of a country!" Hong Ya shook his head for a moment.
"But if that's the case, why didn't the Jin army move to the north of Hutuo River for a decisive battle?" Yu Yunwen was so nervous that he still couldn't believe it.
"Wu Shu dares?" Hong Ya pointed outside the tent, furious. "In front of that official, a dozen Wan Hu forces a crossing of the Hutuo River for no apparent reason? I'm afraid there's no chance of a fair fight today!"
Yu Yunwen was completely speechless, but after a while, he suddenly stepped forward and grabbed the other party: "Minister Hong, take me out!"
"I have done my best!" Hong Ya stared at the other person and shook his head. "Now that things have come to this, if there is a chance, I will send you back. If there is no chance... don't hurt me!"
At the end of his words, he fiercely threw away his sleeves, but for some reason, this man was no different from Yu Yunwen who was at a loss for the moment, both of them were breathing heavily in the tent.
"Commander Yang! What do you mean?!"
At the same time, in the Song army camp on the other side of the Taiping River, under the drizzle, someone was also panting. It was Wang Yan, the general commander of the imperial camp, who was holding the sword at his waist and looking at Yang Yizhong in front of him and suddenly became angry. "Do you think that I can't deal with you just because you are a close minister in front of the emperor?"
Yang Yizhong continued to maintain the posture of bowing and slowly shook his head: "President Wang is the general holding the imperial seal. It is fine for him to deal with me... But whether he deals with me or not, please do not send troops in advance! The emperor has a clear order. Unless Balisu and Hezhameng'an appear together, otherwise our army will never cross the river!"
Wang Yan also shook his head: "This is a different time. All the military governors have gathered to escort the emperor to the high-pressure formation. The whole army is excited. The Jin army formation in front is about to be crushed by the emperor! How can we delay the opportunity to fight?"
Yang Yizhong remained calm and said, "President Wang, in my opinion, this move by the emperor will help General Qu and us to lure out the last cavalry of the Jin army. We can't put the cart before the horse."
Wang Yan knew that Yang Yizhong had a special status and that what he said might be what the emperor meant. However, when he saw that nearly a hundred commanders from various surrounding departments all nodded in agreement, his arrogant temper came up and he became extremely angry:
"If you insist on using the favor of a close minister to point fingers at me, then you can just take charge of this formation. Why do you need me to take charge?!"
"President Wang! Is this battle your chance to seek glory and establish your authority?"
Hearing this, Yang Yizhong, who had been keeping a humble attitude, suddenly raised his head, held his sword with one hand, and spoke coldly. "From the government to the 300,000 imperial camps, and even the people of the two rivers and the southeast, the whole country has worked together for ten years to have today's battle. You are trusted by the government to fight for the world, but instead of thinking about making sure everything goes well, you want to sacrifice the safety of the world for your own selfishness?!"
Wang Yan was finally stunned, and he looked around and saw that nearly a hundred commanders were just staring at him and Yang Yi Zhong. Zhang Zigai even turned behind Yang Yi Zhong with his sword in hand, but he actually became a little flustered and discouraged:
"If so, I will listen to you and wait for the opportunity to fight."
Yang Yi Zhong bowed respectfully, then stood aside, still motionless.
Besides, what Yang Yizhong said was a bit harsh. Wang Yan would never put personal interests above public ones. Of course, Wang Yan's temper was too much...but the essence of both parties' loss of composure was that they were nervous. They both knew that the outcome would be decided by both of them, and they couldn't calm down.
Moreover, if we really want to talk about who is upset, the most upset party on this battlefield is definitely not the Song army.
"Live girl!"
Wushu sincerely comforted Wanyan Huonu in front of him. "I know that it is time to fight for victory. I have even asked Erluguan to bring the cavalry from Zhending Wanhuli here... But you must suppress your anger. At this time, the victory or failure depends on the last blow. Only when all our soldiers seize the opportunity and attack together can we turn defeat into victory... Isn't it the best result we expected that the Zhao Song officials came to the high ground? In addition to the victory of the army, there may be extraordinary achievements. But we have to wait for the Song army's cavalry to be a little tired, and then we will attack from three sides..."
"Don't say anything, Fourth Prince."
The living girl interrupted him coldly. "Since you are here, how can I attack you without authorization... On the contrary, you have been chattering like this since you came here. I'm afraid you are extremely scared, right?"
It was obvious that Wuzhu did not want to answer this question, so he turned around. But when he turned around and saw the dragon banner clearly on the commanding heights of the high ground and the three large banners behind the dragon banner, he couldn't help feeling dry in the mouth and wanted to turn around and talk to Huonu non-stop.
But when the ruling prince of the Jin Dynasty turned around and was about to say something, he suddenly felt that something seemed wrong on the high ground, so he turned back again... He looked a few times through the drizzle, but couldn't see what was wrong for a while, so he turned around again.
But this time, he was surprised to find that the living girl was looking behind him with her eyes wide open, which was the direction of the dragon flag, and then gradually she couldn't help but open her mouth slightly.
This is literally dumbfounded.
So Wuzhu hurriedly turned back to look, but the chaotic and huge battlefield caught his eyes, and his mind was full of various military situations. He clearly felt a hint of huge danger, but he still couldn't recognize it for a while, so he became more and more anxious, and the more anxious he was, the more he couldn't recognize it.
So, the King of Wei of the Jin Dynasty directly grabbed the living girl for consultation.
"Barricades!" Huo Nu was so angry that she pointed her finger and said a word that seemed to be very deadly. "King Wei, don't you see that the Song army is preparing to lay out barricades all over the mountain?!"
Wuzhu seemed to have just woken up from a dream, but he was suddenly confused - the Song army had laid out a large area of ​​chevaux de frise around the dragon flag, so what?
It should be understood that the only purpose of laying out chevaux de frise was to ensure that the Jin cavalry could not launch a surprise attack on the Zhao Song officials and their generals under the dragon banner. It did not delay the original plan of the Jin army, which was that the last 20,000 elite cavalry of the Jin army, including six Heza Meng'ans, would pour out from the arms of the V-shaped camp, surround the high ground on three sides, and crush the offensive on the high ground.
By then, if we can win, then we will win. If we cannot win, as long as we have dispelled the Song army's offensive, today will be considered a success.
Of course, it is understandable that Huo Nu had such a big reaction, because from Huo Nu's perspective, in addition to winning this battle, her biggest goal is to kill those people under the dragon banner.
To put it bluntly, things are back to the beginning. We still have to hold the girl down and prevent him from making any rash moves.
However, Wuzhu was still a little puzzled, because if that was the case, why did he feel a huge sense of crisis when he looked around the battlefield?
With this thought, Wuzhu looked directly at Huonu, and Huonu also looked at Wuzhu suddenly, and grinned directly: "King Wei, I am going to prepare for the battle, and I wish you can live to be 120 years old!"
Wuzhu wanted to speak immediately.
"Don't persuade me, King Wei persuaded the wrong person." Huo Nu continued to sneer. "In fact, King Wei was right to come to my camp in the first place, because if someone saw the scene of the dragon banner before and went to fight regardless of the overall situation, I would definitely be the first priority... But since the barricades have been put up in front of the dragon banner, it is going to prevent us from using the cavalry to break through the dragon banner today, then it is not just me who can no longer endure it."
Wuzhu finally reacted, and then looked towards the north along the camp. Sure enough, there was a rumbling sound there... That was the sound of the camp's preset suspension bridge opening, and one of the preparations of the Jin army was to launch a large-scale attack across the board through the suspension bridge.
He and Balisu took great pains to prepare for the final blow.
"Wanyan Poshu!" Wuzhu shook his head and was not angry at all.
Huo Nu ignored the other party completely. She just turned around and ordered her cavalry, who had been resting for most of the day, to put on their armor and mount their horses, ordered the signed soldiers to release the drawbridge, and ordered everyone to charge forward with him to avenge his father's death.
This time, Wuzhu did not stop the other party.
Just after mid-afternoon, as the Song army began to deploy chevaux de frise around the high ground commanding heights with auxiliary troops, the former deputy general of Loushi, Wanyan Poshu, could no longer endure it and immediately led four of the six Heza Meng'ans out of the camp first.
After Poshu left, Wanyan Huonu, who was on the westernmost side, also led his troops out of the camp. Then the pale-faced Balisu officially set out from the node of the main camp, with his cavalry and two Hezhamengans fighting together... Finally, it was Erlubu who hurriedly set out according to Balisu's military order and set out from the camp on the east side of the high ground.
Among the three Wanhu, the proportion of cavalry under Balisu's command was frighteningly high. Therefore, although the infantry was assigned to Yelu Mawu early on, after adding the six Hezhameng'ans, there were still a total of 24,000 to 25,000 cavalry, which came out from three sides one after another. The so-called iron cavalry was like a forest, urging the entire cavalry to attack the high ground.
Zhao Jiu was looking down from a high place at the formation, feeling half relieved and half horrified.
Even generals such as Han Shizhong, Li Yanxian, and Wu Jie all had gloomy expressions.
At just one glance, they realized that although Emperor Zhao had fought with the Imperial Cavalry and successfully lured out the Jin army's last trump card, the Jin army's last elite troops that had been hidden for a whole day were by no means empty. The Song army must pay a bloody price to have a chance of winning this battle.
"Go ahead...go ahead!"
Qu Duan also noticed this scene, or he had to pay attention because his troops were the first to bear the brunt of the attack, but he did not hesitate at all and turned back to give orders. Not only that, after giving the order for the second time, he took the lead and led his personal guards and the Red Heart Cavalry to meet Heza Meng'an, a unit under Wanyan Poshu's command.
Not only Qu Duan, all the Song army cavalry knew that this battle was inevitable, and each unit, under the command of their own generals, went to meet the enemy head-on.
On the southern slope of the high ground, the two cavalry armies collided with a loud bang. At the same time, on the commanding heights to the west, flags and signals were waving continuously, and the sound of horns and drums finally reached a loud blast.
In the unwavering spring rain, the auxiliary soldiers nervously carried the chevaux de frise and quickly deployed themselves according to military orders. The infantry formed a large formation with their spears erected, like a forest of iron, and the light cavalry scattered across the battlefield also tried their best to gather together from all directions, trying to support the high ground.
The imperial guards beside Zhao Jiu rushed down quickly and formed a formation behind the laid out chevaux de frise.
"Gentlemen."
Minamoto Weiyi, who was wearing ill-fitting armor, did not notice that his voice was trembling when he spoke in Japanese. "We cannot retreat now. If we retreat even one step, we will be laughed at by people from several countries for hundreds of years... Commander Liu did not give us any mission, so we cannot retreat."
As he spoke, he drew his sword and drew a line on the mud between two chevaux de frises that were only two or three people wide apart. Then he stepped outside the line and turned to his dozens of pale-faced compatriots and said, "A few days ago, Master Dahui told me about the square inch of land. Now this place is the square inch of land of me, Minamoto Mutsu Shiro! If the Jin cavalry wants to cross here, I must die here and become a Buddha on the spot."
Dozens of Japanese warriors were stunned for a moment, and then they were all silent. They just followed one by one and each found a gap in the chevaux de frise and drew a line with their swords to create a square inch of space.
Just as the Japanese samurai were trying to muster up the courage to face this battle that was once again beyond their imagination, in the chaos, on the southeast side of the high ground, many cavalrymen's fierce and bloody clashes directly resulted in the outcome.
That's right, when long-range weapons are largely ineffective, the armored cavalry charges and fights. It all happens in a split second. Victory is victory, defeat is defeat, life is life, and death is death.
Of course, on this kind of battlefield, even if they die immediately during their first charge, it does not mean that their charge is worthless.
It can even be said that anyone who takes up arms and fights on this battlefield is an irreplaceable warrior.
“Okay!”
After seeing the same flag signals being transmitted from many places, Yang Yizhong suppressed his pounding heart and signaled to Wang Yan, "Let's follow the original plan. I will be the leader, Zhang Zigai will be the tail, and the general commander will be in the middle..."
Wang Yan, whose chest was also beating wildly, did not say anything extra, but just nodded hastily. As he nodded, the Song army's last throw followed the Jin army's last throw.
About a quarter of an hour later, thanks to the outstanding performance of the vanguard and the three-sided attack tactics, the Jin army marshal Balisu, who personally led the main force to suppress part of the imperial cavalry, successfully made his five-color sun-holding flag appear on a slope less than 500 steps from the high point on the east side of the high ground.
However, the Jin army marshal was not at all excited about his progress. The only thing in his mind at this moment was the anger caused by Wanyan Poshu's unauthorized dispatch of troops... In his opinion, Wanyan Poshu's attack not only ignored his authority as marshal, but also put the Jin army in an extremely dangerous situation in this battle.
Because according to his calculations, the Song army should have a reserve force of more than 20,000 people. They should try their best to hold out and wait until the end before sending out troops.
Now, Bali rushed to this slope at high speed, not to seize the high point on the east side, but to try to find the location of the last reserve of the Song army, and then destroy it quickly and decisively... Only in this way can the Jin army continue to maintain the two or three points possible hope of victory.
It took about half an incense stick of time for Balisu to find his target.
It turned out that on the east side of the high ground facing the river, a huge Song army had just crossed the countless pontoon bridges on the Taiping River and was now lining up along the river, and the formation was very fast... The size of this army and the neatness of their armor made it impossible to mistake or ignore it.
The only thing that was a little strange was that this armored force of about 24,000 to 25,000 men quickly formed a very thin long formation along the river when they were assembling.
At the beginning, Balisu thought that this was for the convenience of marching, and that the army was going to march quickly to the west and then hide behind the Zhao Song officials.
But soon, as this army began to raise their weapons, all the Jin troops on the eastern slope who could see this scene, from Balisu to Erlubu, were pale in comparison.
At least 24,000 Song army heavy infantry in standard armor were arranged in four rows. The first row raised long axes, the second row raised long spears, the third row still held huge axes, and the fourth row still held spears. The formation was tight, like a wall or a forest.
The next moment, with the rumbling of drums, the walls of armor and the forest of axes moved slowly, like an iron dragon that had been lurking by the river for a long time, and rolled towards the high ground fiercely.
On the eastern slope of the high ground, all the Jin army, whether cavalry or infantry, large groups or small groups, were horrified at the sight of this scene, just as the Song army had been before when they saw the Jin army's armored cavalry coming out.
But soon, under the Five-Colored Sun-Holding Banner, Marshal Balisu suddenly raised his head and laughed. As soon as he stopped laughing, he pointed at the iron dragon again, then looked back at his trusted generals and guards around him and roared:
"My men, today I will lead you all to fight against this powerful enemy. Regardless of success or failure, history will record it. Who dares to say that I am not the true marshal of the Great Jin Kingdom?!"
The generals were stunned at first, and then shocked.