Chapter 12

Half an hour later, Wang Shijie led two thousand troops to the city gate. From a distance, he saw thick smoke billowing and flames reaching the sky, and faintly heard the cries of women.

Wang Shijie's subordinates exchanged glances, their hearts filled with foreboding.

"What's going on?"

Wang Shijie, seeing that the enemy troops had not gathered outside the city as agreed, his face darkened, and he shouted at Lu Yuhou, "Did you tell them to gather outside the city?"

Lu Yuhou stammered, "This subordinate told them!"

"If you told them, where are they?"

"This subordinate will go and ask."

Lu Yuhou ran towards the city gate, which was wide open, with two old soldiers sitting outside.

Lu Yuhou asked about the situation and ran back.

"General, Zhang Zhongyan is leading his troops to loot the county, trying to get a share before surrendering."

Wang Shijie was furious, "What a load of bull! When he's had his fill, what will we eat?"

Wang Shijie had planned to take over the county and loot it thoroughly, with money and women being their main targets. He hadn't expected Zhang Zhongyan to get there first.

He was now in a panic and immediately ordered, "Advance into the city!"

All the soldiers were in a hurry, running towards the county gate.

Two thousand soldiers rushed into the outer city, and the inner city gate opposite was also open, revealing the scene on the main street. The street was filled with thick smoke and large boxes, and many young women in colorful dresses were crying and running around.

The soldiers of the puppet Qi army were desperate, rushing into the city one after another. Just as they were about to reach the inner city gate, it slammed shut.

The soldiers were enraged, kicking and pounding on the gate, "Open the gate! Open the gate quickly!"

Wang Shijie also entered the outer city, but his view was blocked by the flags, and he couldn't see what was happening ahead. He urgently asked, "What's going on ahead?"

A soldier ran back to report, "For some reason, the inner city gate suddenly closed!"

Wang Shijie was stunned, suddenly realizing the situation, and shouted, "Not good, retreat quickly!"

Before his order could be relayed, several barrels of oil were thrown from above the city gate. The wooden barrels shattered on impact, and the black oil spread everywhere. Then several torches were thrown down, and the oil on the ground ignited, the flames spreading rapidly.

The soldiers inside the city gate were terrified, desperately rushing back into the outer city. The soldiers on the drawbridge also fled outward. In a short moment, there was not a single soldier left inside or outside the city gate.

With no obstacles, the outer city gate creaked shut, and the hidden soldiers on the outer city wall began firing arrows into the city, causing the puppet Qi soldiers to scream and fall.

Wang Shijie, the main general on horseback, was hit by dozens of arrows, turning into a pincushion, and fell off his horse with a loud cry.

……

At this time, Chen Qing led thirty cavalrymen to the south city gate. Outside were two hundred soldiers, all old and weak, responsible for logistics and miscellaneous tasks.

These puppet Qi soldiers were at a loss, and when they saw a cavalry unit charging towards them, they turned and fled. But their legs couldn't match the speed of the horses, and they were quickly caught up. The cavalrymen stabbed them from behind, killing dozens in a short time.

Chen Qing waved his spear and shouted, "Surrender and you will be spared! Surrender and you will be spared!"

The remaining old and weak soldiers knelt down and begged for mercy, while a dozen refused to surrender and were killed by the cavalry.

Chen Qing spurred his horse to catch up with a fleeing officer. He recognized him as Lu Yuhou, who had come to negotiate earlier. Chen Qing thrust his iron spear towards his back.

Lu Yuhou heard the urgent hoofbeats behind him, panicked, and stumbled, falling heavily to the ground. Turning his head, he saw the sharp spear tip coming towards him and shouted in terror, "I have important information!"

The sharp spear tip stopped at his neck, and Chen Qing coldly asked, "What information?"

"It's important information about Jingzhao City. Jingzhao City is empty, with fewer than a thousand Jurchen soldiers and three thousand Han soldiers."

"You said earlier that there were tens of thousands of Qi troops supporting Guanzhong, but now there are only three thousand?"

"Wanyan Lou Shi firmly opposed the Qi troops entering Guanzhong, fearing they would take the credit, and did not allow them to come to Jingzhao. The tens of thousands of Qi troops are still in Tongzhou, with only five thousand Qi troops sent to Jingzhao to maintain order. After us, there are only three thousand left."

"This information won't save your life!"

Lu Yuhou was terrified and suddenly shouted, "There's... there's also that Wanyan Lou Shi is seriously ill, in Jingzhao City."

Chen Qing stared at him for a moment, then retracted his iron spear, "Bind him!"

Lu Yuhou felt a weight lifted off his chest and collapsed on the ground.

……

The outer city was piled with corpses, blood flowing like a river. Each corpse was pierced with arrows, and dozens of Song soldiers were searching through the bodies, finishing off any who were still alive.

"Found it!" An excited soldier held up Wang Shijie's head, and the surrounding soldiers cheered.

Li Hua stood on the city wall, coldly watching the fallen puppet Qi soldiers in the outer city. Hearing the looting, they had rushed into the city one after another. These people had looted countless cities and violated countless women, and their deaths were well-deserved.

Chen Qing quickly walked over, and Li Hua nodded approvingly at him. Chen Qing had seen through human nature and used a simple ruse to lure the enemy into the city, a strategy that even a strategist might not have thought of.

"How about it? Did any of the enemy outside the city escape?"

"We captured 170 prisoners and killed 29, none escaped."

Li Hua smiled contentedly, "These prisoners will be perfect to prove our merit to General Liu!"

Chen Qing hesitated for a moment, "There is an important piece of information about Jingzhao City."

Chen Qing then recounted the information provided by Lu Yuhou.

Li Hua narrowed his eyes and asked, "Do you think this information is reliable?"

"This subordinate has questioned him repeatedly. The tens of thousands of puppet Qi troops are still in Tongzhou, with only five thousand vanguard troops entering Jingzhao, and today's two thousand are part of them. The information should be reliable, General. This is a rare opportunity."

Li Hua was silent for a moment, "Let's discuss it together!"

……

Chunhua County was not a fortified city or a strategic location, and its abandonment was inevitable. However, there was a disagreement about the next steps.

"General, Jingzhao City is empty, a rare opportunity. If we don't take risks, we won't achieve great success. If we can establish unparalleled merit, it will restore the reputation of the Huanqing Army and wash away our grievances!"

Chen Qing strongly urged Li Hua, but Li Hua looked hesitant. He wanted to lead the troops westward through the Jingyuan Pass, but Chen Qing was urging him to launch a surprise attack on Jingzhao City, putting him in a difficult position.

Yao Ling sneered, "General Chen is too optimistic. The so-called emptiness of Jingzhao City just means there are no tens of thousands of troops stationed there. A thousand Jurchen soldiers alone are more than we can handle, let alone several thousand puppet Qi troops."

"The thousand Jurchen soldiers are protecting Wanyan Lou Shi, not the garrison. The real garrison is only three thousand Han soldiers. We have 1,500 elite soldiers, more than enough to crush them. As for the Jurchen troops, they are not cavalry on the plains. In street fighting within the city, what do we have to fear?"

"Winning with fewer troops is a stroke of luck, but General Chen treats it as a norm. I truly admire his fearless courage!"

Chen Qing glared at Yao Ling, "We are in the dark, and the enemy is in the open. We know our strengths and weaknesses, and we have a plan. The enemy is clueless. Is this luck?"

At this moment, Li Hua sighed deeply, "General Chen's courage is admirable, but the soldiers have survived the battle by luck, which is already a great fortune. They have families and children at home. General Chen, the situation in Guanzhong is hopeless, and we don't need to fight against the tide."

"General, we are not fighting against the tide. Jingzhao is the enemy's logistics base. If we capture it, the Jurchen army at the front will have to retreat, giving our main force valuable time."

Li Hua was unmoved, his decision already made. Yao Ling looked at the overconfident commander of the Eight-Character Army with a mocking expression. Who did he think he was, to change the entire battle situation?

Chen Qing looked at Li Hua speechlessly. Li Hua's once resolute face had become slack, and his sharp eyes had dimmed. Fear had broken the Song general's defenses.

Chen Qing stopped persuading him. Everyone has their own path, and he didn't want to force him.

"How many troops can you give me, General Li?"

Li Hua pondered for a moment, "I can give you at most five hundred soldiers, General Chen. I'm sorry, that's all I can do."

Chen Qing nodded silently. Five hundred soldiers exceeded his expectations.

……

Five hundred soldiers gathered outside the city. Chen Qing bowed to the city wall, "No matter what, I will always remember General Li's life-saving grace!"

Li Hua nodded, "Take care, General!"

Chen Qing turned his horse and led the five hundred soldiers southward without hesitation. Of his fifty or so old subordinates, only a dozen with serious injuries stayed in Chunhua County to recover, while the rest followed him south without hesitation.

On the city wall, Li Hua watched Chen Qing leave resolutely and shook his head.

Yao Ling sneered, "Such a person is overconfident, trying to hit a stone with an egg, seeking his own death. General, there's no need to regret him!"

Li Hua sighed, "This person is brave and strategic, resolute and decisive. If he survives, he will not be a small fish. General Yao, we are indeed inferior to him."

Yao Ling's lips curled, "Not necessarily!"

Li Hua glanced at him, suddenly thinking of his family background, and said no more.

"Order the troops to gather, prepare to retreat north!"

……