The sound of explosions passed through the forest and could be heard faintly. Near the small county, there was a chaotic scene of soldiers and horses.
Soldiers were leading warhorses and pushing supplies into the dilapidated city. Not far away, there was a group of soldiers repairing the mud walls with stones. In the distance, there were scouts galloping back on horseback. "There are golden dogs in all four directions …"
Qi Xinhan stood on the city wall and watched everything.
The abandoned county with the broken walls was called Chuanlinpu. It was located in the mountains to the east of Xicheng County. In the early years, there were people living here, but as the Female Enlightened Master went south and the mountain bandits wreaked havoc, Xicheng County opened its doors again under Dai Mengwei's leadership to absorb the surrounding residents, and this place was abandoned.
Although Dai Mengwei had shown great sincerity along the way to Fan City, a portion of the Han army had gathered after the call. Qi Xinhan's group didn't immediately run over to join in the fun. You can't put all your eggs in one basket. This was an experience gained from painful lessons in the early years.
Previously, when Qi Xinhan and his three thousand men were being chased, Wang Zainan was the first group to come to their rescue. Although they weren't strong, they still had the numbers. But it turned out that under Dai Mengwei's scheming, the Huaxia army's intelligence system was partially confused and interfered with. This time, the Female Enlightened Master came with a fierce momentum, and the nearby Han army had already surrounded them. Qi Xinhan retreated to Chuanlinpu, unsure whether to run or take the risk to escape.
In a situation where the intelligence network wasn't wide enough, it was very likely that they would be intercepted halfway if they rashly tried to break out with three thousand men. Once they were dragged into the swamp, they would probably be completely annihilated in the end.
The thousand-li raid on Xiangfan this time was in itself an extremely risky move. But according to the intelligence from the Bamboo Shop, first of all, Dai and Wang's actions had a certain degree of credibility. On the other hand, it was also because even if the attack on Xiangfan failed, the joint attack by Dai and Wang could still alert many people who were still watching. Who knew that Dai Mengwei's rebellion this time would come without warning. His stance changed, and everyone was trapped in this land of death. After the Han army, which originally wanted to settle things peacefully, was massacred, the Han River was in a state of panic.
The Greenwood people and Takeshi intelligence agents who were originally active in this area would probably be mercilessly hunted down and killed at this moment.
Not far away, a group of troops was approaching. When they got close, they were blocked by Qi Xinhan's soldiers. Qi Xinhan waved his hand and greeted them, "General Wang, how is it?"
Wang Zainan was a fierce-looking middle-aged general with a square face covered in pockmarks. At this time, he looked at Qi Xinhan. "I've also received news that Xicheng City's forces were almost completely wiped out." He gnashed his teeth, his lips trembling. "That old dog surnamed Dai sold everyone out."
Qi Xinhan was silent for a moment. "Does General Wang know why Dai Mengwei has such thoughts? He should have known that he wouldn't be able to live long after Nuzhen passed away. "
"I don't know … If there's a chance, I'll personally tear him to pieces!" Wang Zainan growled, then looked at Qi Xinhan and said, "What does General Qi plan to do next? Have you thought about how to deal with us? "
"We're all fighting side by side. There's no such thing as dealing with or not."
"It was that Dai Mengwei who lured you here with me. Don't you suspect me!?" Wang Zainan stared at Qi Xinhan, his eyes wide.
Qi Xinhan also looked at him. "The previous intelligence clearly stated that Dai Mengwei and General Wang did not have a subordinate relationship. To sell so many people at once, I'm most afraid that the plan was not thorough. Now that things have come to this, I bet that General Wang did not know about this beforehand and was also used by Dai Mengwei … Although I lost the previous bet, I hope that General Wang will not disappoint me this time."
The sun had already set. The distant sounds of fighting and the nearby clamor of people mingled together. Wang Zainan looked at Qi Xinhan fiercely for a while, then raised his hand and hammered it heavily on his chest. "With these words of yours, from now on, the lives of me and my twelve thousand men will be sold to the Huaxia Army! Whatever you want to do, it's up to you. "
Qi Xinhan nodded. "Does General Wang know about Xia Village?"
Wang Zainan also nodded.
Qi Xinhan said, "Then next, let's discuss how we should fight this defensive battle …"
The people on the city wall unfurled the map. The sun had set, and the last rays of light shone on the small city in the mountains. Everyone understood that this was a very hopeless situation. Wanyan Xiyin had already arrived, and with Dai Mengwei's betrayal, all the potential allies within a radius of several hundred li had been wiped out in one fell swoop. Without the foundation of allies, it would be very difficult to escape and move far away.
There was no road to heaven and no door to the earth.
However, after so many years had passed, the people had long since understood that even if they cried out loud, it would not be of any benefit to what they had encountered. Thus, the people could only face reality and build defensive fortifications in this hopeless situation. This was because they also understood that, several hundred li away, there would definitely be people constantly attacking the Female Zhenrens, and there would definitely be people trying their best to rescue them.
And they also believed that, even further away, the southwestern army would also be rushing toward Sword Gate Pass like an inferno. Once they broke through the solid stopper and rushed out like lava, there wouldn't be much time left for the Female Zhenren Western Route Army.
*****
The evening glow lingered.
Across the endless sky and several hundred li away, the Jin Kingdom's Western Route Army was spreading from the mountain pass of Jiange to Zhaohua, and the vanguard of the army was extending toward Hanzhong.
The army was in an extremely sorry state, but due to the desire to return home and the awareness of what would happen if they were defeated, under Zong Han's leadership, they still maintained a certain level of fighting spirit. In fact, after more than a month of torment, some of the soldiers had become even more ferocious. When they went on the battlefield, they became even more hysterical and brutal. Although this situation could not increase the overall strength of the army, at least the combat strength of this army did not fall below the standard.
In a sense, this was also a manifestation of the last burning of the pride of the Jin army that had lasted for decades.
The number of Jin soldiers retreating from Jiange had reached nearly sixty thousand. Near Zhaohua, more than ten thousand of the main force led by Xi Yin had been taken away, leaving only about ten thousand elites of the Mountain-slaughtering Guards, who were handed back to Zong Han. Apart from these seventy thousand people, there were still more than two hundred thousand Han soldiers arranged nearby like cannon fodder. These Han soldiers had massacred and plundered cities in the past year, and plundered large amounts of gold and silver. After being stained with blood, they had become relatively firm supporters of the Jin.
On their flank, Qin Shaoqian led the Seventh Army of Hua Xia and had launched several attacks in the past four months. One was to attack Zong Han head-on, another was to attack Jiange, and the last was to attack Hanzhong. During this period, the Mountain-slaughtering Guards had fought against them once and were actually showing signs of losing. But because Zong Han had the advantage in military strength, Qin Shaoqian's attacks had caused some results and were shocking, but in the end, Zong Han had calmly neutralized them one by one.
From afar, from Zhaohua to Jiange, one could see smoke rising from the mountains within the impregnable pass. At this time, an army of a few thousand people had already left the Sword Garret under the leadership of Shema. He was the second last general to leave Swords Gate Keep, and the only high-ranking general left in the Sword Gate Keep was Ba Li Su.
On the way out from the southwest, Shema was often active on the battlefield where the retreat was needed. His fighting had boosted the morale of the Jin people and, to a large extent, had given himself a great deal of training.
After the army left Huangming County, the intensity of the pursuit had decreased. Only the defense of Jiange would become a key part of this battle. Shema had originally volunteered to lead the army to guard Jiange and block the exit of the Fifth Army of Hua Xia. But this time, neither his father nor Ba Lisu agreed with him. His father had even given him a strict order to catch up with the main force of the army as soon as possible, which made Shema feel a little regretful.
Judging from the situation in the second half of the army's retreat, the Huaxia army had already begun to stop using the powerful firearms. This might mean that the number of such firearms had already reached the bottom as expected. On the other hand, according to Shema's observations and calculations, the Huaxia army in the southwest was likely facing other more complicated situations. When he left Jiange today, Ba Lisu's words confirmed that Shema's idea was indeed very likely.
"… After fighting for almost half a year, the Huaxia army in the southwest has suffered a lot of casualties … Ning Yi's men have already reached the bottom. In the past month, tens of thousands of captives have been trapped in the mountains and can't be transported out. The Huaxia army in front of me is like a giant python that can swallow an elephant. The slightest movement will cause its stomach to burst … In fact, if there's a chance, I'd rather march forward and take a gamble. Perhaps this army will collapse on its own …"
Ba Li Su's idea made up for Shema's conjecture, and it also proved that the older, the wiser. Shema had only thought that by cutting off Jiange, the army behind could gather together and deal with Qin Shaoqian's bold lone army. Perhaps he could cut off one of the Huaxia army's arms in front of Ning Yi and make him sigh at the sight of Jiange. However, he did not expect Ba Lisu to still have the intention to attack the southwest again.
This was a desperate move with a slim chance of survival. But at this moment, when the Huaxia army had let down their guard, if they really succeeded, it would be a great achievement. Unfortunately, after Xie Bao's death, he knew that his father and the army would not allow him to take such a risk again.
Then he could only go to the main camp and ask his father to join in the attack on Qin Shaoqian's Seventh Army.
The setting sun shone brightly. The army's banners stretched along the dirt road. The crushing defeat of the army and the tragic deaths of his brothers and compatriots were still raging in his heart. At this moment, he was fearless of anything.
*****
Our field of vision extended further southwest.
Passing through Jiange, the originally winding road was now filled with all kinds of heavy supplies used to block the way. Some parts of the road had been blown up, while others had been deliberately dug up. On the rugged mountain ridges on both sides of the road, dark remnants of the spreading fires could be seen from time to time. Flames were still burning in some of the ridges.
Fifty miles ahead from Jiange, near Huang Ming County and Yu Yu River, camps began to appear in the mountains. The Huaxia army's black flag with a lone star fluttered in the air. The camps were built along the road and a large number of captives were being kept there. Groups of captives were being escorted to the rear on the extended mountain road. The crowd crowded in the mountains and moved slowly.
Even though this was already the area controlled by the Huaxia army, rising columns of smoke could occasionally be seen in the nearby ridges. Every day, there would be small-scale battles taking place in various parts of the mountains.
While the Jin Men were fleeing in panic, a large number of them had been captured. However, there were still thousands of ferocious Jin Kingdom soldiers who fled into the nearby dense forest. At this moment, seeing that there was no way for them to return home, they also chose to ignite one fire after another after the battle. The flames spread, and many times they burned themselves alive, but they also caused a lot of trouble for the Hua Xia army. A few of the fires even spread to the captive camps beside the mountain road. The Huaxia army ordered the captives to cut down trees to build a barrier. There were also a few captives who tried to escape during the fire, but many were burned to death in the spreading flames.
At dusk, if one looked out from a wooden shed on the mountainside to the west of Huang Ming County, one could see black smoke rising from the forest in the distance. At the bottom of the mountainside was a long and narrow camp built along the road. Thousands of Jin captives were detained here. Mixed with the Hua Xia troops, the camp stretched for miles in the valley.
The large shed on the mountainside was the command center of this military camp. At this moment, the Huaxia soldiers were bustling in and out of the shed, bustling with activity. At a wooden table near the window, a few newly reported young people sat with Ning Xi, who was in charge of some affairs here. They listened to her talk about the recent problems they encountered.
"… Our available troops are all used up." Ning Xi leaned against the long table and said. "Right now, there are close to thirty thousand captives in the mountains, almost half of them are injured. The broken mountain road is not easy to walk, and the captives are not obedient. If we make them form a long line to walk out, they can't walk more than ten miles a day. The road is often blocked. Some want to escape, some pretend to be sick, some want to die. There are also people in the forest who don't care about their lives, fighting at the slightest provocation … "
"… If there's a fight in the forest, we light a fire, and the captives on the road become restless. They walk slowly, and we have to provide food and water. Food and herbs are transported in from outside the mountain. The broken road is now half taken up. If we keep stopping and moving, we won't be able to retreat in a month … Also, we have to split up a lot of people to patrol the fifty miles of mountain road. The patrol team has to redeploy people, and there are occasional casualties. "
"… The most troublesome thing is the epidemic prevention. It's already summer, and if people die in the mountains and their corpses rot, there will be a plague. If there really is a plague, the consequences will be unthinkable. Only now do I know why the Calm Martial Ruler Bai Qi killed four hundred thousand people in the past. We can't do that. Look outside, I wouldn't find it strange if the captives charge up at any moment … "
Ning Xi rubbed her forehead and then smiled, "… … It's good that you're here, none of you can run. You have to help me this time."
"We're here to help you." Someone responded.
The youths here all came from military backgrounds. If Yuwen Feidu, Xiao Hei, and the others were the first batch of youths that Ning Yi trained through Takeshi and the Chinese army, then Hou Yuanyong, Peng Yueyun, Zuo Wenhuai, and the others were the second generation. Ning Xi, Min Chuyi, and the people in front of them were the third generation.
Everyone knew each other long ago. At the start of the war, these youths were sent to different places in the army to familiarize themselves with different jobs. Now that the war was about to end, they were sent to Ning Xi's side to form a small team. The one in charge of this wasn't Ning Yi, but Su Tan 'er in Chengdu as well as the old officials of the Su family led by Su Wenfang and Su Wending. Of course, Ning Yi didn't have much of an opinion on this.
Then, it was time to assign and arrange work. The young people here were all ambitious for the battlefield. They asked about the situation of Sword Garret. Ning Xi was silent for a moment, "The mountain path is hard to traverse. We can get past some of the obstructions and destruction left by Nuzhenren. But the troops at the back will be hard to break through without Dijiang. Ba Li Su is very determined. He arranged some death squads and told them to defend the road to the death. Even if Division Commander Qu led the troops forward, there were many casualties. "
Everyone looked at each other. "The Female Enlightened Master's wild nature is still there. Moreover, over the years, many people have families in the north. If Bali Su uses this as a threat, it will indeed be difficult for them to attack the Sword Garret."
"… The Venerable Lady can't keep defending Sword Pavilion. Once their army retreats, the pass will be ours."
"But this way, their main force outside the pass has grown to close to a hundred thousand. General Qin brought twenty thousand people and can't defeat Zong Han and Xi Yin. They might even be eaten by Zong Han. We can only take back the initiative in strategy if we break through Sword Pavilion as soon as possible. "
Everyone discussed. At this time, Ning Ji came in from outside the hut. Looking at these people, he asked after a moment of silence, "Brother, Sister Chuyi told me to ask you, do you want to eat rice or steamed buns tonight?"
Ning Xi was talking to the others and when he heard the question, he blushed slightly. He didn't have any special treatment in the army but today, maybe because Min Chuyi came with everyone and wanted to get food for him, he asked this. He blushed and said, "I'll eat whatever everyone else eats. What's there to ask. "
Ning Ji was impatient. "Even if the cooks make rice tonight, they will make steamed buns!"
Ning Xi waved his hand. "Okay, okay, I'll eat whatever you eat."
Ning Ji looked at him. "… I'll eat sh * t."
The hut was silent for a moment. Then someone who was drinking couldn't help but spit it out. The bunch of young people were laughing and the people near and far at the headquarters were trying to hold in their laughter too. Ning Xi took a deep breath. "… Tell Chuyi that he can do whatever he wants."
"Sister Chuyi wants to help you get food, don't take my kindness for granted."
Ning Ji said this numbly and turned to leave. Only then did everyone in the hut burst into laughter. Someone laughed so hard that he fell off the stool. Someone else asked, "What's wrong with Xiaoji? Is he in a bad mood? "
Ning Xi held her forehead. "He wants to go to the frontlines to be a medic but Father doesn't allow it. He wants me to take care of him and even gave him an excuse to protect me. How can he be in a good mood … I am so unlucky …"
Everyone discussed and laughed for a while. In the setting sun, someone saw another column of smoke rising in the distance. Everyone stood up to take a look. They knew that there must be another encounter on the other side of the mountain. The atmosphere in the camp also became strange. Many captives at the foot of the mountain were looking at the smoke.
Even though there was some laughter just now, the atmosphere inside and outside the mountain was actually very tense. Everyone understood that in such a tense atmosphere, all sorts of accidents could happen at any time. Losing wasn't good and after winning, what they faced was a tighter and tighter wire. Only then did everyone feel the harshness of the world. Ning Xi looked at the pillar of smoke and then towards the northeast. She said softly to everyone, "Let's go.
"Sword Pavilion's attack will happen in a few days …"
…
They were not far from Sword Pavilion. Ten Mile Town.
The troops who had taken over this place and spent half a day to reorganize were bathed in the sunset.
Mao Yishan, who had just cremated his comrade's corpse, allowed the medic to treat his wounds. Someone sent dinner over. When he chewed on the food in the metal box, his mouth was still filled with the smell of blood.
Every single survival was worth rejoicing over, but every single survival was accompanied by the sacrifice of familiar companions. Hence, he did not feel much joy in his heart.
As he ate quietly, he turned his gaze to the northeast. To the side, he saw Qu Zhengyan and the other two commanders who were good at attacking. They came close and asked about his situation. "Are you okay?"
"I can still fight."
"I just received news from outside the mountain. Let me report it to you." Qu Zhengyan said. "Dai Mengwei, who worked with us at the Han River, betrayed us …"
In the sunset, Qu Zhengyan calmly told them about what happened a thousand miles away. He told them about the connection between the two sides. Then, he pointed at the Sword Garret. "There are still ten miles from here. In three days, I will take the Sword Garret from Ba Li Su. There will be many casualties in this battle. Be prepared. "
Mao Yishan stood at attention and saluted.
… …
On the walls of Sword Pavilion, Ba Li Su was also watching the burning sunset spread from the other side of the mountain.
What he had said to Sheya Ma was just a reserved statement.
As a veteran general of the Jurchens, he had spent his entire life in the flames of war. It was also for this reason that he was particularly aware of the importance of the Sword Pavilion. If he could seize the Sword Pavilion, the Hua Xia army would be able to establish a connection between the Fifth and Seventh Armies and gain the strategic initiative. If he couldn't seize the Sword Pavilion, the Hua Xia army's victory in the southwest would be dealt a heavy blow.
After more than five months of war, the Hua Xia army's military strength was indeed stretched. However, with Ning Yi's ability and foresight, especially his style of never retreating in a narrow path, he would definitely try to seize the Sword Pavilion at the fastest speed and in the most violent way no matter the price he had to pay after killing Xie Bao in front of Zong Han.
After witnessing the outcome of the Battle of the Wooden Bridge, Ba Li Su understood that this trial would be one of the most difficult battles he had ever faced in his life. If he failed, he would die here. If he succeeded, he would be a hero and save the fate of the Jin Dynasty.
What was gratifying was that this choice was not difficult at all. The result was also very clear.
He would guard this impregnable pass and not let the Hua Xia army advance.
…
At this moment, from the banks of the Han River to Sword Pavilion, and then to Zizhou, the entire land was stretched like a thin string. While Dai Mengwei was beheading tens of thousands of people in West City, Qi Xinhan was defending the Forest Shop with his life, Qin Shaoqian and Zong Han's armies were moving west of Hanzhong, and the Hua Xia Fifth Army was trying its best to stabilize the rear while also rushing out of Sword Pavilion. The war was coming to an end. People seemed to be burning the sky and the earth with their willpower.
The fire was about to come —
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