In the autumn of the second year of Wu Jianshuo, the flames of war raged across the Central Plains.
The northwest was just a small corner of the vast world. Yanzhou was even smaller, and Yanzhou City was old and ancient. But no matter how insignificant a place it was compared to the world, the conflicts and killings between people were as fierce and cruel as ever.
The sky had already darkened, but the siege was still ongoing. The 90,000 soldiers led by the Yuan Wu dynasty's Qin Feng Lu's pacification envoy, Yan Zhenguo, were swarming towards Yanzhou's city walls like ants. The sound of war cries and the blood of the slaughter covered everything. In the past year or so, the walls of this city had been breached twice and changed hands. The first time was when the army of Xixia came southwards. The second time was when the Black Flag Army arrived and took back the city from the hands of the Xixia people. And now, it was Zhong Lie who led the last of the Zhong Family Army and forced the attacking troops to retreat again and again.
Rolling logs and boulders were thrown down from the walls. Kerosene was ignited as it was poured over the walls, creating large patches of flames. The coerced Han soldiers brandished their swords and spears as they surged up the walls. A little further back were the saber-wielding supervising troops. The catapults continuously threw stones, and large expanses of barracks stretched out.
On a hill several li away from this barracks was the Jin camp. During the course of the Jurchen southern expedition, the entire Western Army was stationed there. The regular Jurchen army that had followed the Jurchen War God Wanyan Loushi across the river was only 16,000 strong. Including the troops in charge of rations and supplies, the entire army did not exceed 30,000.
It was as if they had come south with the might of the heavens. It was this main force of just over 10,000 that rampaged through the lands of the Wu dynasty in the northwest, defeating hundreds of thousands, even millions of Wu dynasty troops without a match. When he led the army north, the She family army in the northwest was forced to bend their knees and surrender. Zhong Lie defended Yanzhou in despair. But now, the Jurchen army did not even have to personally make a move, yet the 90,000 strong Han army led by Yan Zhenguo did not dare to retreat in the slightest.
A few li from the Jurchen camp were the low forests, river banks, and hills of Yanzhou. When the Jurchens crossed the border, the commoners living nearby had already been swept away. The village that had been inhabited had been burned to the ground, leaving only a lonely black silhouette in the darkness of the night. Occasionally, there would be the rustling of wild beasts in the forest. In a village that had already been burned down, there was an unusual sound happening at this time.
The light of the flames faintly penetrated through the darkness. In the room that had long been destroyed, the flames that rose were abnormally large. The portable bellows produced an astonishing amount of wind, whimpering in a small area. The hot air passed through the duct, trying to push something up!
It was a calm but unusual night. The team hiding in the darkness was racing against time to raise the thing in the flames. At a quarter past seven, cavalry appeared in the forest a thousand feet away from the village. There were a total of two riders, and they moved silently in the dark. These were the scouts sent by the Jurchen army. The charioteer at the front was called Pu Luhun. He was once a hunter in the Changbai Mountains. When he was young, he had chased snow wolves and fought grizzly bears. Now that he was forty years old, his physical strength had begun to decline. However, he was at the most ruthless age of his life. When he walked out of the forest, he frowned as he smelled something unusual in the air.
Eight feet away from him, the hunter hiding in the grass was also crawling forward. The crossbow was already strung and the spring was pulled tight. After three breaths, the string was shocked.
In the dark silhouette, the figure fell, and so did the two horses. A hunter crawled forward. When he came close, he left the dark silhouette and bent his body to look at the fallen horses and enemies. The air rippled with a faint smell of blood. However, in the next moment, danger struck!
The blade swung out in the darkness was like a giant sickle. The hunter flew back, and a large area of the autumn wormwood jumped up like fallen leaves in the autumn wind. In the weak light, the Jurchen hunter, who was curled up on the ground, pulled out his saber, rolled, and stepped forward. At this moment, his figure soared in the light of the stars and the moon. Among the flying stalks of grass, he turned into a barbaric and rough figure, just like the countless times he hunted wild beasts in the snowfield. The Jurchen held the saber with both hands, and the moment he reached the highest point, he slashed out like thunder!
The hunter flew back and rolled. Holding the saber in his left hand, his right hand suddenly raised the back of the saber to meet the attack.
With a loud bang, amazing sparks and iron scraps flew out.
On the 23rd of the eighth month of the second year of Jianshuo, at night, at a quarter past eleven. In the north of Yanzhou, a sudden conflict broke the silence!
…
In the Little Cang River, the black sky was like a black cover. In the darkness, there seemed to be an eagle flying in the sky.
Ning Yi, Qin Shaoqian, Liu Chengzong, Sun Ye, and the others walked into the small hall.
In the darkness, the newly built house looked ordinary from a distance. It was built on the mountainside, and the wooden planks of the house were still giving off a rough smell. Outside the door was a brownish-yellow dirt road and yard. The Chinese parasol trees on the side of the road were not tall. Their leaves had turned yellow in autumn, and they stood there quietly. Not far from the hillside, the Little Cang River flowed peacefully.
Torches were lit in the room, and the air was filled with the smell of smoke. There were more than a hundred military officers gathered here. Ning Yi, Qin Shaoqian, and the five regiment commanders sat in front of them. Everyone stood up and sat down. After it was completely quiet, Ning Yi started to speak.
"I will be in charge of this meeting. First, let me announce … "
His eyes were serious, and his words were cold. He went straight to the point.
"From today onwards, the entire Chinese army will wage war against the Jurchens."
…
The light spread out, and the Little Cang River flowed quietly. The night was lonely. There was an eagle flying in the sky.
In this vast night, in the mountains outside the valley, a woman in black stood quietly in the shadows of the trees, waiting for Hai Dongqing to fly back. Behind her, there were also a few people in black waiting. Qi Xinyi, Qi Xinhan, Hunchback Chen … The people with the highest martial arts skills in the Little Cang River were all hiding with their respective teams.
At a certain moment, the eagle flew back.
The woman in black, called Lu Hongti, watched this scene. The next moment, her figure had already appeared several feet away.
On a hill several miles away, the Jurchens' watchers were waiting for the eagle to return. In the woods, the silent attack of a figure was getting faster and faster …
…
"… It has been a year since we sent troops to defeat the Western Xia army at Dong Zhiyuan last year. In this year, we have expanded our army and trained, but there are still many problems among us. We are not necessarily the strongest army in the world. In the second half of this year, the Jurchens went south and sent messengers to warn us. In this half a year, their eagle flew above our heads every day. We have nothing to say because we need time to solve the problems that still exist in our bodies. "
"Half a year ago, the Jurchens put the head of Lu Yannian and Shopkeeper Lu in front of us. We have nothing to say because we are not strong enough. In this half a year, the Jurchens have flattened the Central Plains, and Wanyan Loushi has swept through the northwest with more than ten thousand men. The resistance of millions of people is meaningless. The Jurchens have shown us what it means to be invincible. "
"A few months ago, Zhong Lie sent a letter saying that he will not surrender and wants to fight the Jurchens with us. We did not agree. Because we do not know if he can withstand the test until the last moment. Loushi came, and the Zhe family, who are also loyal and martyrs, chose to kneel. But now, Yanzhou is under attack. Zhong Lie has vowed not to retreat or surrender. He has proved himself. And most importantly, the Zhong family's army is not a bunch of hot-blooded fools without any fighting power. If Yanzhou is conquered, we can take it back, but it is a pity that we will lose our people. "
"Everyone, the time to fight has come."
…
In the darkness of the night, hunters rushed over, arrows streaking across the sky. Pu Luhun ran as fast as he could, as if he was being chased by a pack of wolves in the mountains of the Northern Lands. He took out a bamboo tube from his bosom and leaped forward. As he rolled down the hill, he pulled out the lid.
Fireworks rose into the night sky.
…
Fireworks rose into the night sky.
Someone shouted from the watchtower of the Jurchens' barracks. In the barracks, people looked at the night sky in the east. Then, the patrolling cavalry moved. The night birds were startled, and Hai Dongqing soared into the sky. Near and far, countless figures were rushing over.
In the burnt village, the hot air balloon had already started to rise. People above and below were communicating. At a certain moment, someone on a horse galloped over.
"Jurchens, Hai Dongqing has flown into the sky!"
…
"Give up!"
…
"… We did not send out our troops because Yanzhou is worth saving. We cannot use our own superficiality to decide who is worth saving and who is not. After the battle with Western Xia, we must put away our arrogance. The reason we sent out our troops is because there is no better path ahead. We are not saviors, because we are powerless! "
"In this world, everyone can only save themselves first. In front of our eyes, the Jurchens will become stronger and stronger. They will occupy the Central Plains, the Northwest, and their power will become more and more solid! Sooner or later, we will be trapped here until we die. The sky of Little Cang River will be the lid of our coffin! We only have one path. Most of you saw this path last year on Dong Zhiyuan's back! That is to continuously make ourselves stronger. No matter what kind of enemy we face, we must think of every method and use all our efforts to defeat them! "
"The Jurchens' invincibility is not magical at all. They are not immortals or monsters. It is just that their lives are too difficult. In the mountains of the Northeast, they are enduring the most difficult days. Every day, they are walking on a dead end! They have created a path, and we are facing such an enemy! But if they can walk this path, we can definitely do it too! Why can't we!? "
"Ever since the Jurchens went south, there have been many armies that have sent out troops to meet them. We are no different from them. We sent out troops for our own survival. I hope that we can remember this and emphasize this to our comrades. If we feel that we are sending out troops to give someone a way out, then we are not far from death. Wanyan Loushi is very powerful. Defeat him, survive, and become stronger! It is not easy at all. "
…
In the forest outside of Little Cang River, two Jurchens were constantly running. In a forest several hundred zhang away from here, several bloody corpses were already lying on the ground.
The figure that was chasing them was like a ghost, but it was even more dangerous than the most ferocious grizzly bear in the forest. While running, crossbow bolts were shot through the darkness and flew into the distance. The two exchanged a few words in the Jurchens language and quickly separated. Hai Dongqing let out a long cry and rushed into the forest. The Jurchens who were running west heard the cry of the eagle and suddenly stopped. Behind them, their comrade let out a hysterical scream. Then, there was a popping sound as the head was cut off from his neck. Blood spurted into the sky.
The head was thrown from behind him. He screamed and ran west. However, the figure running in the forest behind him was getting closer and closer!
The Enlightened Lady pulled out her saber and slashed horizontally. The black-clothed figure behind her quickly closed in. The ancient sword swung out and cut off the Enlightened Lady's arm. The Enlightened Lady shouted and punched out. At the same time, the figure bent down to avoid it, and the ancient sword stabbed into his neck.
The Enlightened Woman was still running, and the figure was also running. The long sword was stuck in the other's neck, pushing away the countless dead branches and withered vines in the forest. Then, with a bang, the two figures collided with a tree trunk, and leaves rustled down. Hong Ti's sword pierced through the Jurchens' neck and deeply stabbed into the tree trunk. The Jurchens were no longer moving.
Hong Ti took a step back and pulled out his sword. Hunchback Chen and the others quickly closed in. He glanced at them and then turned to look at his followers not far away.
"Clear the area within ten miles. Leave no suspicious people alive!"
In the darkness of the night, many figures spread out in the shape of a fan, pushing and pushing.
…
"… Our army is named after Huaxia. What is Huaxia? Every book has its own explanation. I have a simple explanation. Since ancient times, on this land, there have been many outstanding, shining, and unreachable people. They have either achieved unimaginable feats, or they have thoughts that others admire, or they have endured unbearable hardships and done things that others don't dare to imagine. When we talk about Huaxia, the people that can represent Huaxia are these people. "
"You have all seen how to become such a person in Dong Zhiyuan. Although people have all kinds of shortcomings, such as selfishness, cowardice, and arrogance, overcome them and leave your backs to trustworthy companions. You will become unimaginably powerful. One day, you will become the backbone of Huaxia. So now, we will begin the most difficult battle. "
"Next, General Qin will assign everyone tasks …"
…
The Jurchens' camp.
Wanyan Loushi stood up from his seat after listening to the report from his personal guard, Saharin Kanmu.
This Jurchens' number one God of War was 51 years old. He was tall, and from his face, he looked like an old farmer who worked in the fields every day. However, there were animal scratches on his face, and his body was covered with small scars. The cloak fell from his back, and he walked out of the tent.
"The Black Flag Army of Small Canghe defeated 150,000 Xixia soldiers last year. It is a place we must take. Before I came, the Goddess of Grains wrote to me to be wary of the firearms in their army. "
He looked at the turbulent night sky in the distance. "To be able to defeat 150,000 with 10,000 people and say that Huaxia will not surrender to foreign countries, he is not an ordinary person. He killed the king of the Wu dynasty and rebelled. Why would he surrender to us? The Black Flag Army is heavily armed. I asked the Xixia side about a strange item that can carry people into the sky. I have been waiting for it. "
"Saharin, lead your 1,000 men and chase after them. Bring the item back."
Saharin loudly agreed!
"We have not fought with the Black Flag Army before. They can defeat 150,000 Xixia soldiers with 10,000 people. You must not underestimate them."
After giving his orders, Wanyan Loushi turned around and walked back to his tent. A moment later, the cavalry of 1,000 men moved out from the Jurchens' camp.
In the distance, the siege in Yanzhou had temporarily stopped. In the camp, the surrendered General Yan Zhenguo stood on a high place, looking at the movements in the Jurchens' camp with a puzzled look.
"What happened to them?"
"Looks like someone is coming …"
The night wind whimpered. Nearly 10 miles away, Han Jing led 2,000 cavalry and 2,000 infantry, quietly waiting for the signal to come. Due to the presence of the Jurchens' scouts and Hai Dongqing, they did not dare to get too close. However, if the surprise attack in front of them was successful, they would break through the camp tonight and kill Wanyan Loushi!
It was like a confrontation between experts. On this night, the conflict between the two sides had already begun in the fiercest way possible!
The people besieging the city were still ignorant.
…
"... Let me say something else."
"There is one interesting thing. The army of the Wu dynasty could not fight against the Jurchens, but after surrendering, they would become slightly better at fighting than before. This is the difference between a sheep leading a hundred tigers and a tiger leading a hundred sheep. This is not good. Since escaping and surrendering are the duty of these people! After you go out, make them remember for me! "
"What do you mean. Greedy for life and afraid of death! "
On the 24th of the eighth month of the second year of Jianshuo, the attack and defense of Yanzhou were blazing. In the wee hours of the morning, a pledge to send out troops ended at Little Cang River.
On this day, 13,000 people jumped out of the valley of Little Cang River and joined the struggle for Yanzhou in the northwest. Under the overwhelming momentum of the Jurchens, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, the direct confrontation between Little Cang River and the Jurchens and Wanyan Loushi began.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
