Chapter 22

Old Man Yang’s son is named Yang Dazhi, a very generous man, over thirty years old, of medium build, but very strong, his muscles exuding a kind of explosive power, making him seem like a leopard.

Yang Dazhi is the most famous hunter for miles around. He started hunting in the mountains with his father at the age of fourteen and has been hunting for twenty years, knowing all the conditions in the mountains like the back of his hand.

"This afternoon, the county magistrate came to our village, but I wasn’t there. He found two other hunters and asked them to guide the Jin soldiers, but the two hunters refused. The county magistrate took their families away."

The information Yang Dazhi brought was crucial, indicating that the Jurchen cavalry had not withdrawn and that Jurchen reinforcements might be heading to Linyou County.

Chen Qing asked again, "If we want to retreat to Jingyuan Road, is it feasible at this time?"

Yang Dazhi nodded and smiled, "It is feasible now, but in half a month, it will start snowing. If the snow isn’t heavy, it might still be okay, but if there’s a heavy snowstorm, the roads will definitely be blocked."

"Can the warhorses pass through?"

Yang Dazhi looked troubled, "It’s completely impossible. All three routes require climbing over rocks, and not just in one place. The warhorses definitely can’t get through."

Chen Qing thought for a moment and asked, "Is there any possibility, for example, a valley or an open area where we can hide with the warhorses in the mountains and return to the military camp after the snow?"

Yang Dazhi smiled bitterly, "There are two places where we can hide, but I can tell the general that these two places are not hard to find. Almost all the hunters know about them. If the Song army’s warhorses disappear, the Jurchens will know where the general is."

"I understand!"

Chen Qing stood up and let Yang Dazhi rest. He then ordered all the soldiers to stop working and rest...

When the sky was just beginning to brighten, Wanyan Huonü led six thousand troops to Linyou County. Six thousand cavalrymen covered the sky, their killing intent overwhelming. Xiao Yantuo, who had been waiting at the city gate, rode up and saluted, "This humble servant greets the commander of ten thousand!"

"How is the Song army?" Wanyan Huonü asked coldly.

"Reporting to the commander of ten thousand, they are in Qilin military camp. From all the intelligence, it should be them. My men are monitoring the valley, and they haven’t left yet."

"How is their combat strength?"

"Yesterday, I tested an attack on Qilin Camp and lost over five hundred Han soldiers. They are well-trained and a formidable enemy!"

Xiao Yantuo’s attitude pleased Wanyan Huonü, who said calmly, "The emperor has issued an edict: whoever captures this person alive or brings his head will be enfeoffed as a commander of ten thousand. General Xiao, this is your opportunity!"

Xiao Yantuo felt a chill and knew he had to go all out today.

"This humble servant will do my utmost!"

"Very good!"

Wanyan Huonü’s fierce gaze turned to Li Boliang, "Are you the county magistrate?"

Li Boliang had long heard of Wanyan Huonü’s reputation for killing without mercy. He was terrified and said, "This humble servant is the county magistrate Li Boliang!"

"Prepare ten thousand sheep and two thousand stones of grain for the army by noon. If you are late by a moment, your entire family will be executed!"

Li Boliang felt a warmth in his crotch and wet his pants.

Wanyan Huonü ignored him and ordered Xiao Yantuo, "Lead the way to Qilin Camp!"

"遵令！"

Xiao Yantuo led five hundred cavalrymen in front, followed by six thousand troops, marching in a grand procession towards Qilin Camp...

Li Boliang’s legs went weak, and he almost fell. His aide Du Jie quickly supported him, "County Magistrate, take care of yourself!"

Li Boliang, on the verge of tears, said, "In one morning, where can I find ten thousand sheep? The county granary only has one thousand stones of grain. You’re killing me!"

"County Magistrate, many people have sheep. We can search house by house. If there aren’t enough sheep, we can use pigs and cattle, or chickens, ducks, and geese. As for the grain, we can gather it from a few grain shops, and it should be enough."

Li Boliang thought about it and said through gritted teeth, "Make the Qiao family bankrupt to buy sheep, and that bastard Wang, say he’s a Song army spy, and have him arrested and beheaded for public display!"

...

In the military camp, several main generals gathered.

Chen Qing said to everyone, "The main Jin army has arrived, about six to seven thousand men. Now we need to make a decision: fight the Jin army or preserve our strength and withdraw. I want to hear everyone’s opinions."

Yang Hua raised his hand and said, "I discussed this with the men last night. They all agree that they would rather die in battle than flee."

"Xin Dutou, what about your men?"

Dutou Xin Lie smiled and said, "The Jin army really respects us, sending six to seven thousand men. If we don’t play with them, it would be a shame."

"What about Zheng Ping’s opinion?" Chen Qing asked Dutou Zheng Ping.

Zheng Ping smiled and said, "This is a good deal. I only know that we will not be at a disadvantage!"

The other two Dutou also expressed their willingness to fight the enemy to the death and not withdraw!

Everyone’s opinions were completely consistent, which was within Chen Qing’s expectations. After they dispersed, Deputy General Yang Yuanqing reminded Chen Qing, "Although the men are willing to fight to the death, this is just their wish. As the commander, the general must remain rational."

Chen Qing nodded. As the commander, he indeed needed to find a balance between fighting to the death and the annihilation of the entire army.

...

"Uuuu—"

The horn of Qilin Camp sounded, and over four hundred Song soldiers quickly gathered. Chen Qing stood on a large rock and shouted to everyone, "We just received news that six to seven thousand Jin soldiers are coming, all cavalry. We only have four hundred and thirty-five men, and on average, each of us has to face ten or more enemies. It sounds unbelievable, but it’s happening. We have a way out; we can escape through the mountains.

But why don’t we leave? I believe all the men think the same as I do. We are soldiers, and soldiers will never flee in battle. We will make Qilin Camp a nightmare for the Jurchens, and we will show them that we are the proud soldiers of the Song Dynasty..."

Chen Qing raised his arm and shouted, "Brothers, with hunger, we will eat the flesh of the barbarians, and with laughter, we will drink the blood of the Huns. Kill the Jurchen Tartars!"

The blood of each soldier boiled, and they all raised their arms and shouted, "Kill the Jurchen Tartars—"

Their shouts pierced the sky.

...

Six thousand five hundred Jin soldiers marched into the valley and set up camp at the foot of the mountain. Wanyan Huonü looked up at the mountain path. He had participated in the attack on the Liao capital, which was the most arduous siege he had ever experienced. Seeing this winding mountain path, he immediately realized that this would also be a brutal battle.

With only a few hundred men, it would not be worth the effort to fight a hard battle under normal circumstances, but now it was a matter of avenging his father’s death. He would spare no expense to capture the enemy, even if it meant losing all six thousand troops!

"Xiao Qianhu, you lead two thousand men in the first attack. If you can reach the top of the mountain, I will count it as your greatest achievement and ensure your promotion!"

Xiao Yantuo bowed and said, "This humble servant obeys the order!"

He had been forced into this position and had no choice but to comply. He knew Wanyan Huonü’s cruelty and the unspoken threat: what if he couldn’t reach the top of the mountain?

Wanyan Huonü was delighted and shouted, "Beat the drums!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The deafening war drums sounded. Xiao Yantuo, clad in heavy armor, holding a shield and a spear, would lead the charge. Behind him were two thousand Khitan soldiers. It was normal; once the Han soldiers were exhausted, it would be the Khitans’ turn.

The Khitan soldiers were better equipped than the Han soldiers, though they also wore leather armor, each had a shield and a spear. They formed a long line, holding their shields high, and advanced step by step up the mountain path.

From above, it looked like a sea of shields, with the soldiers hiding beneath them, like a pangolin covered in scales.

The Song army focused on defending the last slope. Most of the soldiers were concentrated on this slope, where rolling logs could achieve the best effect.

Five defensive lines were built on the slope. The first line was at the bottom of the slope, and then every twenty steps, there was a line of mud bags, with gaps left for the soldiers to retreat.

Chen Qing watched the two thousand enemy soldiers crawling up like insects. It was interesting; the first two rows of soldiers held their shields upright to block the arrows, while the soldiers behind held their shields above their heads.

Yang Yuanqing whispered, "General, if the height is sufficient, the arrows can penetrate the Jurchen shields!"

Chen Qing agreed with this assessment. Although he had no experience with this, a military arrow weighing two pounds would have more impact the higher it fell, and wooden shields would not be able to withstand the force.

"Prepare the city bows!"

There were two hundred and fifty city bows, each with ten large military arrows. These were powerful weapons obtained from the Qishan County granary, but unfortunately, there were no bed crossbows.

Two hundred and fifty soldiers drew their bows and arrows, ready to fire...

The two thousand soldiers entered the third slope, still five slopes away from the top, about sixty meters high, equivalent to a twenty-story building. This height was sufficient to penetrate the enemy’s shields.

"Fire the military arrows!" Chen Qing gave the order.

The two hundred and fifty soldiers, all experts in archery, had a good sense of distance.

Two hundred and fifty military arrows were fired simultaneously, drawing arcs in the air and shooting straight at the Jin soldiers...

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The powerful military arrows rained down, shattering shields or piercing them directly. The arrows continued to penetrate the armor of the soldiers below, and cries of pain echoed as over a hundred soldiers were hit and fell.

Wanyan Huonü’s gaze was fierce. He remembered the terrifying scene during the attack on the Liao capital, where thousands of Jin soldiers were pierced by the Liao army’s military arrows, falling like grass being cut.

But so what? The Liao capital was still captured.

"Continue beating the drums, make them run!"

The war drums became more urgent, "Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!" This was the drumbeat to urge them on.

Xiao Yantuo gritted his teeth and shouted, "Follow me!"

Since the shields couldn’t block the Song army’s arrows, the Khitan soldiers charged forward, their attack speed suddenly increasing.