In the middle of March, in the mountains of the southwest, the weather was gloomy. The clouds hung low, and the soil in the mountains seemed to carry a thick layer of water vapor. The roads were trodden by the army, and it did not take long for them to turn into annoying mud. The soldiers walked with uneven steps, and occasionally, someone would slip and fall down a slope on the side of the road. The muddy water soaked their bodies, and if they wanted to climb back up, it would be even more difficult.
The soldiers from the north could not withstand the wind and rain in the south. Some of them caught a cold and entered the hastily set up camp for the wounded. The bloated retreating army continued to advance every day, but even when they stopped, they would not fall too far behind the retreating army. The army turned back on March 6th. By March 18th, the vanguard of the army that reached the center of the battlefield at Huangming County and Rainwater Creek was only about ten to twenty thousand.
It was impossible for the Huaxia army to cross the Jurchens' retreating front line and leave everyone behind. However, the battle broke out at every corner of this snake-like retreating line of soldiers. After Yu Yu's death, the Jurchen army lost most of the initiative in the rugged mountains of the southwest. The Huaxia army made use of the early reconnaissance to cross one difficult trail after another and attack every mountain road with weak defenses.
If the enemy was a pushover, they would attack resolutely. If they encountered a determined and well-maintained elite Jin army, they would first harass them in the nearby forest, making them angry and tired. If the Jin army chased them into the mountains, it would be exactly what the Huaxia army wanted.
After breaking away from a few relatively easy paths, every part of this mountain ridge could be treated as a pass that could not be opened by ten thousand men. If they wanted to break through the cooperation of the Huaxia Empire's defense, they would need several times the number of troops to push through. In fact, even if they had several times the number of soldiers, it was impossible to form an attack formation in the forest. The soldiers in the rear could only watch their companions die under the crossbows of the Huaxia army.
This was the most frustrating battle. The pain of their companions dying and the fear that they might not be able to return were intertwined. If they were injured, the pain would make them feel even more hopeless.
For the high-spirited Jin army, today's situation could not have been predicted at any moment. Especially before entering the southwest, they had advanced triumphantly. Hundreds of thousands of Jin soldiers had burned and looted along the way, destroying tens of millions of Han residences and looting countless good things. The mountain road was less than a hundred miles away, but many people could not return at this time.
Some people also found it difficult to understand the decision of their superiors. The defeat in the battle at Yan Bridge could no longer be concealed. However, even if the 30,000 soldiers were defeated by 7,000 soldiers, it did not mean that the 100,000 soldiers would definitely die in the hands of the Hua Xia army. If … in times of adversity, it was inevitable to grumble like this. Along with grumbling, there would also be great regret.
When the Jin Kingdom was still weak and poor, the people who fought their way out of the mountains and went to the battlefield, facing death, would not feel such remorse. That was just the behavior of a bachelor who died a thousand years ago. But at this moment, when people faced the possibility of death, they could not help but think of the good things they had plundered along the way, and the good life they had in the north. Such remorse not only appeared, but also multiplied.
However, none of the Jin Kingdom's troops had chosen to surrender and beg for mercy. They were well aware of what they had done along the way to the south. They also knew what had happened in the battles and confrontations that had taken place over the past ten years.
After doing these things, if the enemy was defeated by their own hands, they would be skinned alive.
Over the past few days, the Chinese Xia army had displayed a strong determination to skin the entire Jin Kingdom's army alive at all costs. They were not afraid of the hatred of the strong. After defeating Xie Bao, Ning Yi directly killed him in front of Zong Han and threw his head back. At first, this naturally aroused the anger of the Jurchen army. But later on, people gradually began to ponder the meaning behind this action.
Over the past ten days or so, a small number of Huaxia army troops had blocked the way of the Jurchen army again and again. What they faced was not a smooth pursuit. Every time, they had to endure the hysterical attacks of the Jin army, and they had to pay a huge price and sacrifice in order to pin down the retreating army for a period of time. But such attacks were fiercer and fiercer, and their eyes were filled with the most resolute killing intent.
In the face of deep-rooted hatred, no one would care about the possibility of revenge in the future.
The balance of the war was tilting. After more than ten days of fighting, the entire army had advanced less than 30 miles. Of course, there were occasional victories. After the death of his brother, Wanyan Sheya, dressed in a white robe, once surrounded a Huaxia army of hundreds of people. After repeated attacks, the whole army was annihilated. When there were only about ten people left, Wanyan Sheya tried to humiliate the enemy. He shouted in front of the mountain, "When you killed my brother, did you expect this day to come?!"
On the mountain, the Huaxia soldiers who were half covered in blood and supporting each other laughed and gnashed their teeth, "If you wear mourning clothes, you will look powerful. Look at the sky and the earth, it will be white. Don't think of going back …"
That shout was firm and bloody. On the 19th of March, the day after this team was annihilated by Satsuma at a price several times higher, Qu Zhengyan led Mao Yishan and a small number of elite assault troops, coordinated with the launch of dozens of rockets, and penetrated the Yu Yu River position, cutting off the Female Zhenren's road home.
…
The spring rain fell from the sky.
The warhorse crossed the muddy mountain road and carried Wanyan Sheya to the opposite ridge. This unnamed ridge was where Wanyan Zonghan's temporary camp was located. It was still 11 miles away from Huangming County. The surrounding mountain terrain was relatively flat, so the scouts' defense network could be extended to the surrounding area, avoiding the possibility of the commander's camp being hit by firearms in the middle of the night.
In the pitter-patter of rain, the morale of the soldiers gathered in the surrounding tents and canopies was low. Some were depressed, and some were fanatical. This was not a good thing. Soldiers should be calm and unruffled in battle, but … it had been more than half a month since they last saw such a state.
As a "crown prince" of the Western Army, Wanyan Sheya's armor was stained with blood. His figure in battle boosted the morale of many soldiers. On the battlefield, the determination of the general often turned into the determination of the soldiers. As long as the top leaders did not fall, there would always be a chance to go back.
Wanyan Sheya's small team did not stop in front of the camp. The soldiers guiding them led them to a small inconspicuous tent not far away. Wanyan Sheya dismounted and entered the tent. Wanyan Zonghan and Han Qixian were discussing a simple sand table.
"Father, Lord Han." Shema greeted the two. Zonghan waved his hand and he stood up. "I heard about what happened at Rainwater Creek."
Zonghan nodded. "You fought the day before yesterday. You lacked composure. In a battle of life and death, words do not matter. "
Shema was silent for a moment. "… I know I was wrong."
The tent was quiet for a while. During the time when the Lady Zhenren stubbornly retreated, many generals bravely took the lead in an attempt to boost the morale of the army. Shema's annihilation of more than two hundred Huaxia soldiers the day before yesterday should have been a news worth promoting, but in the end, the reaction it caused was rather subtle.
Part of the reason for this subtle reaction was the words Shema shouted at the end. Since the death of his younger brother, he had been extremely depressed. After planning and ambushing for more than ten days, he finally seized the opportunity to surround more than two hundred Huaxia soldiers and make them unable to retreat. He only shouted when there were only a dozen of them left. This was also a way to vent his extreme grievance. However, this group of Huaxia soldiers who participated in the attack hated the Jins too much. Even though there were more than ten of them left, none of them begged for mercy. Instead, they responded generously.
— — If you look powerful in mourning, you'll see white flags all over the mountains.
Some of them were filled with hatred, while others were aware that falling into the hands of the Lady Zhenren was a fate worse than death. In the end, more than two hundred people were completely annihilated, and nearly six hundred Jin soldiers were buried with them. None of them surrendered. The response then quietly spread among the Jin army. Although the higher-ups soon reacted and issued a gag order, it did not cause too much of a stir for the time being. In short, it did not bring too much benefit.
"… Ning Yi is known as the heart's devil, but what he said is not wrong. Today, in this group of people in the southwest, countless have lost their family members and loved ones. If your younger brother died today, and I, Wanyan Zonghan, lost a son, and made a big fuss here, thinking that I had suffered a great grievance, then I would be ridiculed. People would probably think that you're a child. "
Zonghan looked at the sand table, and his somewhat hoarse voice sounded again. "If you kill your way back this time, there will be a national war between you and the Black Flag in the future. In the end, one side will most likely be wiped out. You'd better … correct your attitude now. "
"… Yes." In the tent, the reply was extremely heavy. Zonghan then turned to look at him. "What do you want to say this time?"
"The Huaxia army has the upper hand, and they don't want to live anymore. These days, according to what I see, the morale of the army has been greatly shaken." These days, when the generals talked about this matter, they were still somewhat reluctant to talk about it. But in front of Zonghan, after receiving the previous instructions, Shema no longer taboo. Zonghan nodded. "Everyone knows this. If you have any ideas, say it."
"I ask for orders to attack Yu Yu Creek." Shema said, "According to what I see, the terrain of Yu Yu Creek is different from that of Huang Ming. The terrain there is complex, and the defense line is not narrow. The Huaxia army attacks with elite forces. On the surface, it seems that they have occupied the place, but in fact, if they want to defend, they may not have enough manpower. I will lead people to counterattack, and it's best to attack from both sides. We have the advantage in numbers. At Yu Yu Creek, whether the Huaxia army starts fighting or retreats after a while, it will be beneficial for us. "
Zonghan looked at the map and did not speak. At this time, Han Qixian, who was beside him, said, "In fact, even if we temporarily put Yu Yu Creek down, it doesn't matter much. The Huaxia army has the advantage of surveying the terrain in the early stage. They can take risks to break through the mountains outside the main road, which is why they have caused us trouble. Their strongest control is still the road before Yu Yu Creek and Huang Ming County. At the moment, the road from Huang Ming County to Jiange is still in our hands. Before the retreat, the marshal arranged for General Gao to go to the rear to familiarize himself with the mountain environment and set up various traps. Therefore, as long as we can pass through Huang Ming, the difficulty of the retreat will be greatly reduced. "
Zonghan and Shema were father and son. Han Qixian was a close official. Seeing that Shema had asked to take the risk, Han Qixian came out to comfort him. In fact, Wanyan Zonghan had been a soldier all his life. When the whole army was in a difficult situation, how could he not have any countermeasures? After saying this, seeing that Zonghan had not expressed his opinion, Han Qixian added a few more words.
"In addition, the marshal set up camp here to cut off the possibility of passage between the two sides of the mountain to the greatest extent. Now that we have blocked off all possible routes within seven or eight miles of the east side of the mountain, it is unlikely that the Huaxia army will want to go around and attack our front or launch a surprise attack on Huang Ming County. In two days, our speed will increase. Even if we spend a lot of effort to take down Yu Yu Creek, it will only be better than nothing. "
Shema shook his head and smiled at Han Qixian. "You don't have to be like this, Lord Han. You should know the situation in our army better than I do. Let's not talk about speed. Our army's morale has been cut by Ning Yi bit by bit. Whether we can reach Jiange alive is a problem. The most important thing now is how to raise the morale of the army. Whether I lead the army to attack Yu Yu Creek or not, it will show my father's attitude. Moreover, tens of thousands of people are blocking the road. Rather than letting them do nothing, it is better to go to the front and fight. Even if the situation is dire, they will have something to do. "
The white cloth was stained with yellow mud and the armor was stained with blood. Wanyan Shema's words showed his extraordinary insight and courage. In fact, the Pearl King Wanyan Shema, who had followed Zonghan for half his life, was already a man in his forties. He fought bravely and made many military achievements. He had also killed countless enemies. It was just that after spending a long time with Zonghan, Xi Yin, Gao Qingyi, Han Qixian and other outstanding people, he was still inferior in some aspects.
It was not until Xie Bao died and the Jurchen army was in trouble that his qualities became more apparent. In fact, if Wanyan Shema led the army to attack Yu Yu Creek, whether it was defeating the Huaxia army or forcing them to retreat temporarily because the Huaxia army was not strong enough, it would be the best for the Jurchen. In the past, Shema would definitely have such plans. But now, his words were much more conservative and appeared more stable.
Han Qixian did not refute. Zonghan sighed slowly, "What if you attack and fail to take them down?"
"Your son … will focus on preserving our strength. If we can win, we will win. If we can't, we will try to delay the Huaxia army and make them send more troops to Yu Yu Creek to ease the situation."
Zonghan looked at Han Qixian. Han Qixian shook his head slightly, but Zonghan also shook his head, "… If you are like in the past, saying that you will take the lead and raise your head, then there is no need to go. Qixian, you go out first, I have something to say to him. "
Han Qixian accepted the order and went out.
In the tent, Zonghan stood in front of the sand table with his hands behind his back. After a long silence, he said, "… Back in the years of war at the Cang River in the northwest, we lost Lou Shi and Ci Bu. The Goddess of Grains and I knew that one day, the Huaxia army would become a huge threat. We have prepared for the southwest war for many years, but what happened today shows that we have underestimated the enemy. "
Shema opened his mouth, "… It is hard to get information from all over the place. Your son thinks that this is not the fault of the war. "
"Why would we talk about this in a war?" Zonghan smiled at Shema and extended his hand to let him stand closer. He patted his shoulder, "No matter what the fault is, we have to bear the responsibility of the defeat. The Goddess of Grains and I wanted to use this opportunity to settle down in the southwest and let the Jurchen develop smoothly. But now it seems that it is not possible. In a few years, the Huaxia army will digest the results of this war and sweep the world. No matter how far the north is, they will definitely fight their way there. "
Shema clenched his fist and did not speak.
Zonghan said slowly, "In the past, when the Imperial Court talked about the Eastern and Western Imperial Courts, I scoffed and did not defend myself. Because the Jurchen army has been winning all the way, these things are not a problem. But the defeat in the southwest has greatly damaged our army. Looking back, these things will become a problem. "
"Even if there are fewer people, I am not afraid of Zong Fu and Zong Bi."
"It has nothing to do with Zong Fu and Zong Bi. Zhen Zhu, after this war, you can't even return to your treasure mountain. Is this all you see?" Zonghan stared at him. At this moment, his eyes were kind but firm. "Even if Zong Fu and Zong Bi can be strong for a while, what can they do? The real problem is the Black Flag in the southwest. The scary thing is that Zong Fu and Zong Bi will not know how we lost. They will only think that the Goddess of Grains and I are old and can't fight anymore while they are still young and strong. "
Zonghan sighed, "… The Jurchen army can no longer fight on the east and west sides. When we launched the fourth expedition to the south, it was originally said that heroes should be judged by battle results. Now that I have lost and he has won, the Jin Kingdom will be decided by them in the future. It does not matter. "
"Father!"
"Listen to me!" Zonghan interrupted him sternly, "I have thought about this repeatedly. As long as we can return to the north, no matter what, the most important thing is to prepare for the Black Flag. Zong Fu and Zong Bi may have won, but as long as the Goddess of Grains and I are still here, all the old officials and generals in the Imperial Court will have to give us some face. We do not want anything from the Imperial Court and give up whatever power we can. I will convince Zong Fu and Zong Bi to put all our power into preparing for the Black Flag. I will give them all the benefits. Even if they do not believe in the strength of the Black Flag, it will be better for them to smoothly take over the power of Zong Han than to fight! "
"In this way, it may leave a chance for the Jin Kingdom to continue."
"I am telling you all this because if the retreat from the southwest does not go smoothly, neither you nor I will be able to return to the north." Zong Han enunciated each word, "You are still young. All these years, you have many shortcomings. You look calm, but in fact, you are too brave and not flexible enough. Baoshan may look rough and reckless, but in fact, he is meticulous and quick-witted. It is just that he has not been polished … Forget it. "
Speaking of the dead Xie Bao, Zong Han shook his head and said no more, "After this battle, you have grown. When you go back, you can reluctantly take over the mantle of the Prince's Mansion. In the future, if there is anything, think of your brother. Although I have a plan for this retreat, Ning Yi will not let the southwest army off easily. What comes next will still be dangerous. Zhen Zhu, this time when we return to the north, if only one of us can live, you must remember what I said today. No matter if you swallow the humiliation or humiliation, this will be your responsibility for the rest of your life. "
"Father, I will definitely not …" Shema's eyes turned red. Zong Han grabbed him and pulled on the iron helmet on his body, "Don't be so wishy-washy. Victory and defeat are normal, but if you lose, you have to admit it! You can't guarantee anything today! My death is not to be regretted, neither is yours! The only thing worth worrying about is the future and fate of the Nüzhen race — "
Shema's eyes turned red, and his expression became resolute. Zong Han put down his armor, "Go, fight a proper battle. Don't be reckless, don't underestimate the enemy, and try your best to stay alive. Raise the morale of the army. Don't be rash, and don't underestimate the enemy. That will be a great help. "
Shema took two steps back and knelt on the ground.
"— Yes!!!"
Outside the tent, the spring rain was still falling. Shema led the troops out of the camp. Not long after, he selected some elite soldiers and headed in the direction of Yu Shui Creek. It was the afternoon of the 20th of March. Shema was fearless, but he was also controlled by a strong sense of reason. He had considered many battle plans.
The mountain road was difficult to travel, and there were often troops blocking the way. On the morning of the 21st day, Shetama finally arrived near the Rainwater Stream. In this battle, he was going to face the most difficult general of the Huaxia army, Qu Zhengyan. Fortunately, the other side should only bring a few elites, and the rain had also erased the advantage of firearms.
Not long after, the scout who had gone to the front came back and stammered, "Ning, Ning Yi … is here.
"Ning, Ning Yi … is here. He seems to be at the Yu … Yu Yu Creek …"
…
Shema's red eyes froze, and the rain started to fall.
…
"I … I will f * ck your mother …"
…
On the afternoon of the 21st, Shema launched an attack on Yu Shui Creek …
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