Chapter 44

The Jin soldiers attacked all night, and the entire pass was shrouded in thick smoke. The soldiers, using cloth dipped in water to cover their mouths and noses, fought the flames under the command of their leader, Chen Qing.

This was Wanyan Wulu's plan to use fire, forcing the Song army to deplete their precious water supply in the chaos. Without water, the Song army would have to abandon the pass and retreat south, allowing Wanyan Wulu to occupy the Arrow Pass without a fight.

Unfortunately for Wanyan Wulu, he encountered Chen Qing, who had eight hundred years more experience than the average Song general. Instead of using valuable water to extinguish the fire, Chen Qing used mud and sand, which was the best way to deal with oil fires.

Luo Gan led eighty soldiers to continuously cover the oil in the warehouse courtyard with soil. From the initial chaos to the later默契配合 (coordinated efforts), some were shoveling soil, some were carrying it, and some were burying it, each performing their duties...

The most worrying warehouse suffered no damage, and the barracks were half burned. Various supplies were promptly evacuated to the south. The entire city wall was blackened by smoke, covered in a layer of soot, and the ground inside the city was also black. The main beams of over ten barracks were burned and collapsed, leaving only ruins.

Over a hundred logs on the city wall, which could not be moved in time, were burned to charcoal. The city tower was completely destroyed, leaving only a white expanse. Even the drawbridge was burned to charcoal and could not bear the weight, breaking and leaving only half hanging on the city wall, like a curtain, blocking the city gate.

The soldiers were all blackened by smoke, their faces and bodies completely black, with only their eyes remaining white. However, thanks to the experience of their leader, Chen Qing, and the effective command of the officers, no soldiers were injured, and even the wounded were promptly moved to the southern open ground.

In the early morning, a light drizzle began, the spring water that rejuvenates all things. The soldiers lifted their heads, enjoying the nourishment of the spring water, letting the fine rain wash away the dirt on their bodies, and the gentle spring rain extinguished the fear that had grown in their hearts.

"Commander!"

The weak scholar Du Min, holding a scroll of paper, found Chen Qing.

He had been busy writing letters to the soldiers, but as he wrote, the letters turned into last words to their families. These simple yet touching family letters made Du Min truly understand what patriotism meant.

"Mr. Du, what's wrong?" Chen Qing asked as he approached.

"I found this when I was transferring documents last night. I think it's quite important."

Chen Qing took the scroll and opened it, revealing a map of the pass. Although simple, it depicted areas they could not see.

"This is..."

Chen Qing pointed to a thin line descending from the mountain top, with a semi-circular cave at the bottom. "This is the mountain spring." Chen Qing recognized the thin line.

"Commander, look at this line!" Zheng Ping pointed to another thin line on the mountain top.

This line made a large curve and finally extended downward from the mountain top, falling into a canyon. There was a label: "Canyon One-Line Sky, about five miles south of the city, at the site of the broken general's stele."

Chen Qing's gaze became stern. If he was not mistaken, this should be a small path leading to the south, which was their greatest concern—the possibility of a pincer attack from the north and south.

Yang Yuanqing also nodded. "It should be a secret mountain path leading to a narrow canyon, with the exit next to the broken general's stele!"

"Commander, let me take the men!" Zheng Ping stepped forward to volunteer.

Zheng Ping was quick-witted, and he was indeed more suitable for handling such emergencies. Chen Qing readily agreed. "Take fifty men, and bring plenty of crossbows and arrows."

"Commander, give me two barrels of oil, and I'll burn them if they push me too far."

Chen Qing nodded and smiled. "Take the caltrops as well, and a few pounds of arsenic. You decide what to do."

Zheng Ping led fifty soldiers and several horses, carrying a large amount of arrows and supplies, and set off.

At this moment, a low horn sounded from the north, "Woo—"

The enemy had come to pick the fruits of their labor!

...

Wanyan Wulu personally led three thousand cavalry to the pass.

The pass was already burned to a blackened mess, and the drawbridge was split in two, hanging awkwardly in front of the city gate. The city tower was gone.

However, the Song army's battle flags still stood on the city wall, and the battlements were densely lined with soldiers.

Wanyan Wulu felt quite displeased. The pass still stood, and the soldiers were still spirited, with bright armor and helmets, showing no signs of change!

The thousand-man commander, Wanyan Chimu, whispered, "Perhaps they are just putting on a show for us. I believe that after last night's fire, their water supply is almost depleted."

Wanyan Wulu nodded. Wanyan Chimu's words resonated with him. Last night's fire had burned the city; would they have let the warehouses burn without trying to extinguish them? Impossible, they must have used water to put out the fire.

Although he made this judgment, Wanyan Wulu knew they had delayed too long, and the battle at Mount Heshang should have already begun.

Actually, he did not care much about the outcome at Mount Heshang, but this group of Song soldiers was infuriating. With over a thousand men, they had held back his thirty thousand troops, which was a significant blow to his reputation.

Wanyan Wulu immediately said to Han Chang, "I will give you forty siege ladders. You must capture the pass by nightfall!"

...

About fifty miles south of Arrow Pass, in Wu Family Town, a Song army of two thousand men was rapidly marching north. The commander was Yang Zheng, a trusted general of Du Tongzhi Wu Lin, sent by Wu Jie to support Arrow Pass.

Although his rank was higher than Chen Qing's, Chen Qing was the defense commander of Arrow Pass, and Yang Zheng could not overshadow him. Wu Jie had repeatedly instructed him before he set out.

They had just passed Wu Family Town by less than two miles when dust suddenly rose behind them, and the sound of hooves thundered.

"General Yang, it's Jurchen cavalry!" a scout shouted as he ran up.

Yang Zheng's face changed, and he urgently asked, "How many?"

"About five hundred cavalry!"

Five hundred cavalry was not a large number, and they could fight.

Yang Zheng immediately ordered, "Form up the army, prepare to engage!"

The two thousand Song soldiers quickly formed ranks. At this time, the Jurchen cavalry stopped about a mile away, and the dust settled, revealing their presence.

Coincidentally, this Jurchen cavalry was also heading to Arrow Pass to gather information. The western Jin army had not arrived on time, and Wanyan Meili was getting anxious, so he sent a thousand-man commander with five hundred cavalry to check the situation at Arrow Pass.

About half an hour ago, this Jurchen cavalry had heard that there was a Song army ahead. They pursued them, and finally caught up with them in Wu Family Town.

The thousand-man commander, Wanyan Lijui, squinted at the Song soldiers across from them. The enemy's numbers were not large, and they were infantry.

He raised his sword and shouted, "Kill them all, and count the heads for merit!"

The five hundred Jurchen cavalry, armed with spears and bows, suddenly charged, galloping towards the Song army, and a hail of arrows rained down on the enemy formation.

...

In the canyon, Zheng Ping led fifty men to the general's stele, about five miles south of the military city. This stele was originally erected to commemorate the Tang dynasty general Xue Wanjun's victory over Liang Shidu, also known as the General Xue Stele.

However, after the wars of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, only a small part of the stele remained. There had been a wooden pavilion, but it was burned down by the Jin army, leaving only ruins.

It was relatively easy to find. As Zheng Ping found the general's stele, he also discovered the One-Line Sky Canyon, also known as the Stele Pavilion Valley. It was about several miles deep, with the widest part wide enough for three people to walk side by side, but the narrowest part could only accommodate one person, with a narrow strip of sky above.

As Zheng Ping's troops reached the entrance of the valley, they heard someone shouting inside, "There's light ahead, it must be the exit!"

Zheng Ping was startled and quickly ordered, "Prepare the crossbows!"

The soldiers, without hesitation, took out their crossbows, drew the strings, and loaded the arrows, crouching in several rows, aiming their cold, sharp arrows at the narrow valley.

The valley was dimly lit, and it was hard to see the deeper areas. After a while, the sound of footsteps approached, and a few enemy soldiers appeared.

"First row, fire!" Zheng Ping calmly ordered.

The first row of five crossbow arrows shot out. The leading enemy soldier saw the Song soldiers at the valley entrance and screamed in fear, turning into a scream of pain as he fell.

The three soldiers behind turned and ran, but after a few steps, another ten or so crossbow arrows shot out, and they fell, hit by the arrows.

"There are Song soldiers in ambush ahead!"

Someone in the valley shouted, and hurried footsteps ran back inside. There were about four or five people, and the footsteps gradually faded, indicating they had run far. They seemed to be a group of scouts.

"Xiao Yi, start boiling the poison!"

Zheng Ping gave the order and rushed in, quickly dragging out an injured but still alive enemy soldier.