Chapter 38

Arrows rained down on the city walls like a swarm of locusts, pinning the soldiers on the wall and preventing them from leaning out to shoot back.

The attack was swift. Despite being ambushed by Song crossbowmen from behind, causing many to fall from arrows, the enemy forces were too numerous. Dozens of soldiers managed to climb up to the battlements and engage in fierce combat with the Song soldiers. One side tried to jump onto the wall, while the other tried to push them back down.

The two sides were locked in a chaotic battle. The Han army's archers stopped firing and quickly retreated to avoid the Song soldiers' range. In just a quarter of an hour of intense archery, nearly four hundred Han archers were casualties.

However, without their cover, the Han soldiers would not have been able to attack the city so smoothly. In reality, the casualties of the archers were traded for the success of the attack.

This was the result of the enemy commander Xia Jin's extensive experience accumulated over long-term warfare. He knew very well that one must pay a price to gain something.

The battle on the city walls was in a stalemate. The Song soldiers, relying on their strong will, fought fiercely with the enemy, continuously stabbing and throwing enemy soldiers off the wall.

Meanwhile, the defending Song soldiers were also frequently pierced by enemy spears and fell to their deaths...

The Song soldiers defending the city were all new recruits, lacking experience in defending a city. Even the commander, Chen Qing, had no experience in defending a city. He and Yang Yuanqing each led thirty soldiers as mobile reinforcements, rushing to support wherever danger arose.

This defensive battle was very passive for the Song army. Despite having the advantage of height, they failed to fully utilize it.

Chen Qing had already realized that the root of the problem was the siege ladders. If they did not destroy the enemy's siege ladders, the enemy would continue to climb up in waves, eventually overwhelming them with superior numbers.

At this moment, a soldier shouted, "Commander, the west wall... has been breached!"

Chen Qing turned around and saw that the westernmost section had collapsed, with countless enemy soldiers surging onto the wall.

He roared, "Follow me!"

Chen Qing brandished his large iron spear and led thirty soldiers toward the westernmost section.

In a moment, Chen Qing reached the breach. Dozens of enemy soldiers had already climbed up, and the westernmost passage was completely open. Enemy soldiers continued to surge up, and about twenty Song soldiers were desperately trying to hold them back, but the enemy's numbers were too great, and they were being pushed back.

An enemy general wielded a broad axe, his face covered in scars, looking exceptionally fierce. At his feet lay the bodies of five Song soldiers, some decapitated, others split in half, their brains and blood spattered on the ground, their deaths extremely tragic.

"Die!"

Chen Qing shouted, thrusting his spear at the enemy general. The spear moved as fast as lightning, with great force.

"Come on!"

The general blocked the spear with his axes, showing considerable strength. Chen Qing sneered, lifted his arms, and the general's axes were flung into the air.

'Pfft!' The spear pierced the general's chest, and he died instantly.

Chen Qing grabbed a broad axe that fell from the air and handed it to a soldier behind him.

"Take it!"

He swung his spear, attacking the enemy like a storm, instantly killing five or six of them. His thirty subordinates also rushed forward, killing over ten more enemy soldiers, splitting the enemy forces in two.

Chen Qing stabbed three soldiers who had just climbed onto the wall and shouted, "Where's the axe?"

A soldier quickly handed him an axe. Chen Qing leaned out of the wall and swung the axe with all his might.

'Crack!' The left handrail of the siege ladder was severed, causing the ladder to tilt and wobble. The soldiers below screamed in fear.

Without hesitation, Chen Qing swung the axe again, severing the right handrail. He then pushed hard, and the ladder, without its iron hooks, lost balance and slid down to the left. The soldiers on the ladder screamed as they fell into the moat.

The last ten or so enemy soldiers who had climbed onto the wall had no way to retreat and were killed by the Song soldiers in despair.

Chen Qing sternly ordered, "Pass my command: quickly cut the leather straps binding the siege ladders!"

The iron hooks of the siege ladders were tied to the ladders with leather straps. Cutting the straps meant the siege ladders would lose their stability, allowing the defenders to push them off the wall.

The Song soldiers found the enemy's weakness. They worked in perfect coordination, and as the leather straps were cut one by one with sharp swords, in a short time, the remaining seven siege ladders lost their iron hooks and were pushed off the wall. The Han soldiers on the ladders fell to their deaths, suffering heavy casualties.

Xia Jin, watching from a distance, knew that the attack was hopeless today. He ordered, "Withdraw!"

'Clang! Clang! Clang!'

The sound of the retreat bell rang, and hundreds of Han soldiers withdrew like a tide.

In this battle, the Han army suffered over seven hundred casualties, while the Song defenders lost over sixty.

...

Xia Jin led the Han army slowly back to the camp outside the gorge.

Chen Qing ordered the city gates to be opened to clear the battlefield, especially to burn and bury the enemy soldiers to prevent the outbreak of disease.

On the city wall, Yang Yuanqing sighed, "Today's battle was very passive! I didn't expect a Han army to be so fierce."

Chen Qing said solemnly, "This siege is a mirror, reflecting our various shortcomings, but it also gives us valuable lessons and experience. It tells us that we must never underestimate the enemy, for underestimation leads to defeat!"

Yang Yuanqing admitted, "Commander, you're right. We did underestimate them."

Chen Qing then sent for Yang Hua and two other officers.

"I want to use this opportunity to summarize the lessons and experiences from this siege. Everyone can contribute."

Chen Qing calmly addressed the group, "Deputy Commander Yang said that we fought very passively in this siege, and indeed we did. I think there are mainly three reasons for this!"

Yang Hua, Zheng Ping, and Luo Gan listened solemnly to their commander's summary.

"One reason is that the enemy commander has more experience in deploying troops. He used archers to suppress us. At first, I didn't understand why his archers were useful when our archers were hiding behind the battlements. Later, I realized that when his troops attacked the city, they faced almost no pressure and could easily reach the wall."

Yang Yuanqing nodded, "The enemy commander's experience is one reason, but we must admit that their soldiers are very fierce, unlike the Han soldiers we usually encounter."

Chen Qing smiled, "You didn't notice that although they are called Han soldiers, they are not actually Han people!"

Yang Yuanqing was surprised and thought for a moment, "I hadn't noticed until you mentioned it. Their faces are indeed different from ours."

"They are probably the frontier troops of the Western Army, such as the Qiang and Tangut people, skilled in mountain warfare and sieges. Their combat ability is no less than that of the Jurchen army. Today, we have seen their ferocity."

Chen Qing glanced at Zheng Ping, Yang Hua, and Luo Gan and continued, "The third reason is our lack of experience in defending the city. We didn't realize that the key to defending against the siege ladders was crucial. We used rolling logs effectively at Qilin Fort, but we didn't think to use large stones and rolling logs in the city defense. That was a mistake!"

Speaking of collecting stones, Zheng Ping had the most to say. He had once collected a massive 'Emperor's Stone' weighing several thousand pounds, deceiving the defenders of Jianque Pass.

He said, "Commander, it's easy to collect stones in the gorge, and cutting wood is not difficult either. There is a pine forest two miles to the south."

"You're right. It's never too late to mend!"

Chen Qing immediately ordered Zheng Ping and Yang Hua to each lead two hundred soldiers to collect stones and cut wood, preparing rolling logs and stones.

...

After a probing attack on the city, Xia Jin's army did not continue the assault. Xia Jin received a fast horse message from Wanyan Wulu, ordering him to build siege weapons in Longzhou.

Xia Jin conscripted over three hundred carpenters and blacksmiths in Longzhou and ordered his soldiers to cut wood and collect iron tools from the local population to build siege ladders.

Meanwhile, Wanyan Wulu led ten thousand Jurchen cavalry, twenty thousand Han soldiers, and thousands of carts, leaving Pingliang Prefecture and marching toward Jianque Pass.

On the road, the black mass of Jin soldiers stretched for miles, with banners fluttering, drums booming, and horns wailing. In front were ten thousand Jurchen cavalry, each with a fierce appearance, strong build, and riding warhorses, carrying bows, shields, and long spears, exuding a fierce aura. Each of them had a wild, cruel look in their eyes.

Behind them were twenty thousand Han soldiers, who not only participated in the battle but also provided logistical support. The twenty thousand Han soldiers were well-armored and spirited, each carrying a long spear with a gleaming tip, forming a sea of spears.

Behind them were over three thousand carts, carrying a large amount of military supplies, including siege weapons, but no grain. The grain that Xia Jin had transported was in Qianyang County, so they did not need to carry food.

At this time, the preparations for the defense of Jianque Pass had reached their peak.