Chapter 33

Wang Yan's letter was thick, but it mainly contained a map. The mission order was just one sentence: "Capture the Arrow Pass around mid-February to cut off Wanyan Wulu's eastern reinforcements."

Below was a seal, which Chen Qing initially thought belonged to the Commander-in-Chief Wang Yan or Wu Jie. However, upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the seal of the Sichuan-Shaanxi Pacification Commissioner, Zhang Jun. This was a direct order from Zhang Jun.

Chen Qing hurriedly spread the map on the table. It was a map of the military distribution in Guanzhong and Longyou. The map clearly marked that Wanyan Wulu, the Jurchen commander, led 20,000 Jin troops in the Longyou and Hehuang regions. The Jin troops in Fengxiang County had increased to 20,000, and another 10,000 Jin troops were stationed in Meixian and Fufeng counties.

The map showed three arrows. One arrow pointed from Longzhou to the back of Heshangyuan, another from Fengxiang County to Heshangyuan, and the third from Meixian to Heshangyuan.

The three routes of Jin troops would converge on Heshangyuan.

Chen Qing noticed the arrow from Longzhou. In the middle of the arrow was a red triangular symbol, with a note next to it: "Arrow Pass."

This meant that the Arrow Pass controlled the southern route of the Jin troops from Longyou, and Chen Qing's mission was to lead his troops to block the western Jin troops at the Arrow Pass.

Nothing had happened yet; this was just Zhang Jun's assessment of the situation. They believed the Jin troops would attack Heshangyuan from three routes in the spring of the following year.

Therefore, Zhang Jun ordered Chen Qing to capture and occupy the Arrow Pass before the spring.

Of course, this was just Chen Qing's guess. Perhaps Zhang Jun had deeper strategic intentions, such as creating conditions for Liu Ziyu and Liu Qi's armies to retreat south.

Chen Qing silently calculated that he had only a little over a month left in Linyou County.

......

The next day was New Year's Eve. On New Year's Eve and the first day of the new year, Chen Qing gave the soldiers two days off. He also gave each soldier two strings of cash, allowing them to go out and enjoy themselves.

The military camp and the training ground were empty as the soldiers went in groups to visit the county town. New Year's Eve was the last day of business for the merchants in the county town and also the most bustling time.

However, Xu Ning clearly had no intention of giving Chen Qing a holiday. Early in the morning, he brought a few apprentices and a cart to the military camp.

"Don't haggle with me. When I was a military instructor in the capital, you were still drinking milk!"

Chen Qing smiled helplessly. He thought Xu Ning was just talking, but he actually came. It was New Year's Eve!

Chen Qing quickly raised his hands, "Don't be angry, Elder. I'll practice. I'll change into my armor right away!"

He had already changed into civilian clothes, preparing to go out for a walk. Now, under Xu Ning's stern gaze, he had to change back into his armor, take his bow, and mount his horse.

"Great Instructor Xu, how should I practice?"

Xu Ning waved his hand, "Bring them up!"

The apprentices brought up two iron cages, filled with fat field mice that squeaked and scurried around.

Chen Qing frowned, "Use mice as targets?"

Xu Ning glared at him, dissatisfied, "What do you know? This method was taught to me by Zhou Tong. It forces you out of your comfort zone, pushing you to break through quickly. My apprentices worked hard to catch these field mice, so no more nonsense. Shoot from fifty paces away!"

Chen Qing had no choice but to ride to fifty paces away. Xu Ning's apprentice released the first field mouse, which scurried through the dry grass. Chen Qing spurred his horse and drew his bow, shooting an arrow.

The arrow was accurate, but a bit slow, and it grazed the field mouse, embedding itself in the ground.

"Again!" Xu Ning shouted.

Chen Qing drew his bow and shot again, but this time he was a bit too slow, and the arrow missed the running field mouse.

"Stop!"

Xu Ning stopped the mounted archery practice and signaled his apprentices to catch the field mice.

He walked up to Chen Qing and asked, "Why did you miss both shots? Have you found the reason?"

Chen Qing pondered for a moment, "I saw the target clearly, so it's not a problem with my eyesight. It's a matter of not making a timely judgment."

"You've hit the key point. The second level, 'the arrow in the heart,' actually refers to judgment. When you first spot the target, draw your bow, and shoot, you should judge where the target will be at the moment of impact. How is it moving, how fast, and will it suddenly turn? So when you shoot, you can't aim at the original position. Whether you hit or miss depends on the accuracy of your judgment."

"Wait a moment!"

Chen Qing suddenly had an epiphany, "You mean I still need to aim, not shoot blindly. After aiming, I need to judge the target's movement trajectory. Isn't this the same as shooting at a moving target?"

Xu Ning smiled, "Not exactly. A moving target has a pattern, but a field mouse's movement is unpredictable."

Chen Qing was still a bit confused.

Xu Ning patiently explained, "Before you draw your bow, you have already aimed and clearly identified the target's precise position. At the same time, you start to roughly calculate how the target will move. Then you draw your bow.

"Remember! When you draw your bow, it's not to aim, but to make a second judgment, refining your initial calculation to accurately judge the target's movement trajectory."

Chen Qing fully understood. Drawing the bow and aiming in mounted archery is a process of continuously clarifying the target's movement trajectory and making a final judgment. Aiming and locking onto the target is completed the moment you first see it, but how can this be done?

Xu Ning nodded with a smile, "So you need to practice your eyesight and judgment."

"How do I practice? Is there a method?"

Xu Ning nodded and had his apprentice bring a small cage with a fat field mouse.

Xu Ning looked into Chen Qing's eyes, "Tell me what you see."

Chen Qing hesitated but spoke the truth, "A field mouse!"

Xu Ning shook his head, "I see four sharp claws, a pointed snout with six pairs of whiskers, a pair of small, pea-sized eyes, a long, thin tail, and a round, plump body."

Chen Qing was stunned. He suddenly remembered his shooting instructor's angry shout years ago, "Idiot! Be specific. You're not shooting at a person, but at a forehead, a chest. Understand?"

"I understand!"

Chen Qing suddenly grasped it. He needed to be specific and detailed, so the target would be deeply imprinted in his mind. That's what it means to aim with your heart.

"I'll try again!"

Another field mouse ran out, scurrying through the dry grass. Chen Qing galloped, and all the mouse's features were clearly imprinted in his mind: sharp teeth, terrified eyes, a plump, round body, four slender claws, and a long, curly tail. He locked onto the field mouse.

Chen Qing quickly drew his bow, accurately judging the mouse's speed and trajectory. The arrow tip was slightly to the left, and he shot. A squeal, and the field mouse was pinned to the ground by the arrow.

"Great shot!"

Xu Ning sincerely praised, "I underestimated you before. It seems you not only have a solid foundation but also a quick understanding. You've found the key. The rest is practice, practice, and more practice. Continuously reinforce and increase the difficulty. With your current level of mounted archery, I believe you can fully break through and enter the second level, becoming a mounted archery expert within two months."

......

The new year arrived, and the Jin troops retreated north, bringing stability to Lin'an. The Song court officially changed the era name to Shaoxing.

However, the destruction of the Song Dynasty remained the highest goal of the Jin Empire. On one hand, they supported Liu Yu in establishing the puppet state of Qi in Central China, using Qi's army to pressure the Song in the east. On the other hand, the main Jin forces were directed to the west.

Their goal was to occupy the entire region north of the Qinling Mountains and to open a route into Sichuan, then advance eastward from Sichuan.

Capturing the Dasha Pass became the top priority for the Jin troops. At this time, 160,000 Jin troops were stationed in Guanzhong, led by the Fourth Prince, Wanyan Wuzhu. However, Wanyan Wuzhu was in the capital for a report and could not return to Jingzhao in the short term.

The task of attacking Heshangyuan fell to the commander of Fengxiang, Wanyan Moli.

After the new year, the Jin troops were continuously transporting supplies to the southern camps in Fengxiang, preparing for battle. At this time, Wanyan Moli was temporarily unable to focus on Chen Qing in Linyou County.

The severe winter in Guanzhong in February had passed. Although the air still had a chill, the warm earthy scent was evident. The snow had completely melted, and the streams flowed gently. Flocks of birds flew in the sky, and willows sprouted new buds.

In Linyou County, the Song troops were finally ready to leave. Before this, the county magistrate Wei Qing's family and Xiao Rong's family had already left. If the Jin troops returned, Wei Qing would certainly be punished.

On the city wall, Chen Qing gazed into the distance at the farmers tilling the fields. These past few months had been the most peaceful time for him, but peace was gone, and war was imminent.

Yang Yuanqing slowly approached Chen Qing and said solemnly, "The brothers are ready and can set out at any time!"

Chen Qing looked at him and asked with a smile, "Still worried about your wife?"

Yang Yuanqing nodded. His newlywed wife, Wei Su, had followed her brother south. They entered Jingzhao from Gan Prefecture and then took the Ziwu Road south. The entire route was Jin territory, and Yang Yuanqing couldn't help but worry.

Chen Qing comforted him, "They have a travel permit issued by the Puren County government, so they should be fine. Besides, it's not as chaotic as last autumn. The trade routes are relatively smooth, and twenty of our men are disguised as Han soldiers to escort them. Don't worry."

"Worry is inevitable, but I have no choice. We'll face reality. Should we set out after lunch?"

Chen Qing nodded. According to the plan, they had to leave today.