Chapter 18

Twenty miles north of Heshangyuan is Chen Cang Mountain, and beyond Chen Cang Mountain lies the Wei River. On the north bank of the Wei River stands Guo County.

In the afternoon, Chen Qing led his troops across the Wei River and arrived at Guo County. He did not rush to the county town. Although the main force of the Jurchen army had retreated to Jingzhao, they still had several ten thousand Jurchen and Han troops stationed in Fengxiang Prefecture, led by the myriarch Wanyan Zongbi.

The north bank of the Wei River is a famous grain-producing area, and the surroundings of Guo County were no exception. Everywhere, vast wheat fields stretched as far as the eye could see, all of which had been harvested, leaving only barren fields.

The sky was gray, the earth desolate and bleak, with no sign of a single person or village. Only flocks of crows circled in the sky, emitting mournful cries.

Chen Qing led his troops to rest in a forest east of Guo County. Standing on a large rock, he gazed at the county town two miles away. The town gates were tightly closed, and soldiers could be seen patrolling the walls. His intuition told him they were Jurchen soldiers.

The main force of the Jurchen army had indeed retreated from Heshangyuan, but that did not mean they would abandon Fengxiang Prefecture.

Hoofbeats sounded from outside. Two of Chen Qing's subordinates, whom he had sent to scout, returned, followed by three Song cavalrymen.

The three Song cavalrymen were intelligence scouts deployed by Wu Jie. Their mission was different from Chen Qing's.

The lead scout, Jiang Qing, bowed to Chen Qing and said, "General Wu has dispatched over a hundred scouts. We three are responsible for intelligence in Guo County. I am Jiang Qing, the lead scout!"

"Please tell me about the situation in Guo County?"

"Reporting to the general, the Jurchen army has implemented a scorched earth policy. All the people within twenty miles of the county town have been moved inside. There are about a thousand Jurchen soldiers in the town, five hundred Jurchen and five hundred Han. The same is true for Fufeng, Qishan, and Baoji counties, while the main force is stationed in Fengxiang County."

"Where can we get food?"

"Only in Linyou County or Purun County to the north of Fengxiang Prefecture. There are only a few Han troops stationed there, and they have not implemented a scorched earth policy. Moreover, it is said that there are also resistance forces active nearby."

Chen Qing wanted to find a place with a food supply, and Guo County was clearly unsuitable. If the Jurchen army of several ten thousand soldiers attacked, they would be crushed. It was better to operate on the periphery.

Chen Qing smiled and asked Zhao Xiaoyi, who was standing beside him, "I remember you are from Linyou County. Do you suggest we go to Linyou County or Purun County?"

Zhao Xiaoyi smiled and said, "Of course, we should go to Linyou County. Although the north is mountainous, the south is a plain. The Du River runs through most of the county, making it a major grain-producing area. Purun County has no river and few plains, and it is very poor."

The key was the food supply, and Chen Qing ultimately decided to go to Linyou County.

Jiang Qing reminded Chen Qing, "General, be cautious of the Jurchen scouts. If they discover us, it will be troublesome. I suggest you travel at night."

"Thank you for the reminder!"

As night fell, the five hundred cavalrymen continued north.

......

At the third watch, under the Yongshui Bridge, a few Jurchen scouts who were sleeping were awakened by the sound of hooves. They quickly got up and looked into the distance, spotting a group of Song cavalry, about five hundred strong, galloping towards the Yongshui Bridge from the south.

The lead scout, a squad leader, watched the cavalry cross the bridge and head north at a gallop, numbering about four or five hundred.

The squad leader immediately ordered, "Fire five gunpowder arrows to Qishan County!"

Five gunpowder arrows shot into the sky, their bright red flames illuminating the night.

"General, look!"

Yang Hua shouted, pointing behind them.

The cavalrymen reined in their horses. Behind them, five gunpowder arrows shot into the sky, clearly visible in the night. Ten miles away was Qishan County. They had been discovered, and the enemy scouts were alerting the county.

All the soldiers looked at their commander, Chen Qing, wondering whether to bypass Qishan County or face the challenge.

"We are not scouts!"

Chen Qing calmly said to his men, "Our mission is to harass the enemy. If capturing Qishan County can disrupt their plans, that is exactly what we should do."

Deputy commander Yang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps the enemy scouts are just warning the Qishan County garrison to be cautious of our night attack. The garrison may not leave the city!"

Chen Qing smiled and said, "No matter what, as long as we are prepared and know our enemy, we will not fail even if we must fight!"

He then ordered Yang Hua, "Take a dozen men to Qishan County and observe the enemy's situation. If the enemy leaves the city, notify us immediately!"

"Follow me!"

Yang Hua led a dozen soldiers towards the county at a gallop.

Chen Qing then led his troops to a forest a few hundred paces away.

......

Qishan County also had a garrison of a thousand Jurchen soldiers, including five hundred Jurchen and five hundred Han soldiers.

The commander was Wanyan Keli, a myriarch.

"Are you sure there are only five hundred cavalry?" Wanyan Keli shouted.

"Only five gunpowder arrows, so it should not exceed five hundred!"

The scouts used the number of gunpowder arrows to determine the enemy's strength, with a maximum of nine arrows, indicating more than a thousand enemies.

Wanyan Keli immediately ordered, "Rally the entire army and prepare to engage the Song cavalry!"

The Han commander, Shi Yang, was shocked and said, "General, it's still the middle of the night!"

Wanyan Keli glared at him, "Nonsense! Hundreds of Song cavalry passing through in the middle of the night, where are they going? What are they planning? If the Fourth Prince asks, and I know nothing, do you want me to lose my head?"

Shi Yang had no choice but to run and gather the troops. In fact, they were only a local militia, not the main imperial army. Their tasks were to guard the city, build bridges, and transport supplies. They did not participate in the Fuping battle and surrendered when the Jurchen army attacked, being reorganized into the Jurchen Han army.

Fighting against the elite Song cavalry was a daunting task for them, both out of guilt and lack of combat experience, especially at night, which they had never trained for.

But the five hundred Han soldiers had no choice. They followed the Jurchen cavalry along the main road to the south.

After running for five or six miles, they saw no sign of the Song cavalry.

Shi Yang felt a bit relieved and whispered to Wanyan Keli, "Perhaps the Song cavalry also saw the gunpowder arrows and bypassed Qishan County."

Considering the time, this was indeed a possibility. Wanyan Keli was still hesitant. If he could capture a lone Song soldier and learn the enemy's direction, he could report to his superiors.

At that moment, a soldier suddenly pointed to Qishan County and shouted, "Fire! There's a fire!"

A column of flames burned on the walls of Qishan County, signaling the beacon tower had been lit.

"Trouble!"

Wanyan Keli shouted. There were only a hundred soldiers in the city! He had fallen for a feint.

A thousand Jurchen soldiers quickly turned and galloped back to the county.

When they were a mile from the county, a voice from a forest thirty paces away shouted, "Fire!"

A dense rain of arrows shot out, mostly aimed at the cavalry, catching them off guard and causing chaos.

Hundreds of cavalrymen then charged out, like a dagger piercing the Jurchen cavalry ranks.

Deputy commander Yang Yuanqing led a hundred cavalrymen to attack the Han infantry behind. The Han soldiers were foot soldiers, and their lack of morale and training was evident from their formation and running.

But using a hundred cavalrymen against five hundred Han soldiers was risky. Chen Qing had no choice but to take a gamble. If the Song cavalry were overwhelmed, they would immediately retreat!

Wanyan Keli had recovered from the chaos and repeatedly shouted, "The Song army is not numerous! Men, rally and annihilate the enemy!"

But before he could finish his second shout, Chen Qing charged at him. "Shoot the horse first, then the rider; capture the king first, then the bandits" was always Chen Qing's primary strategy.

Wanyan Keli's shouts exposed his position. A spear thrust at him, and he was taken by surprise. He raised his spear to block, but it was a feint, and he missed.

Wanyan Keli realized the danger and tried to lie back, but it was too late. The enemy commander's spear was too fast. He felt a sharp pain in his chest as the sharp spear tip pierced his iron armor and stabbed into his chest.

Chen Qing could feel the moment his opponent's heart burst. He pulled the spear, and blood spurted from the spear hole.

Without looking back, Chen Qing charged towards the densest part of the enemy ranks...

Two Song soldiers beheaded Wanyan Keli and raised his head on a spear, shouting, "The enemy commander is dead! The enemy commander is dead!"

This not only demoralized the enemy but also boosted the morale of the Song soldiers.

The five hundred Song soldiers were highly motivated, each fighting bravely, forcing the Jurchen cavalry to retreat.

Shi Yang heard clearly and saw the head on the spear. He knew the battle was lost. No matter the outcome, the Jurchens would kill him in revenge. He might as well escape.

He turned his horse and galloped west, followed by a few bodyguards...

Shi Yang's escape broke the spine of the Han soldiers. Hundreds of them collapsed and fled, discarding their armor and weapons, wishing they had more legs.

"Don't worry about them, kill the Jurchen Tartars!"

Yang Yuanqing led eighty Song cavalrymen to return and attack. The Jurchen cavalry, already struggling, were now caught between two fronts and could not hold. Under the leadership of a centurion, they retreated west.

"Kill the Tartars!"

Chen Qing shouted, "Annihilate them all, leave no one alive!"

He led the charge, his spear piercing the Jurchen cavalry as they ran, killing over twenty.

"General, be careful!"

Yang Yuanqing shouted. A wolf-tooth arrow shot from the darkness, narrowly missing Chen Qing's head. He broke out in a cold sweat. If he had been a bit slower, the arrow would have killed him.

Yang Yuanqing rode up and said, "Although the Jurchen cavalry are retreating, we should not pursue them. Their archery skills are formidable, and if it's a trap, they could turn the tide. We must be cautious!"

Chen Qing felt ashamed. He had forgotten the principle of not pursuing a defeated enemy.