Chapter 47

Chen Qing was instantly filled with respect, realizing that Yang Yuanqing was a descendant of the Yang family warriors!

"Yang Zheng is the great-great-grandson of our third-generation ancestor, Wen Guang, and has always been the direct descendant of the Yang family. I, however, am not. My ancestor was the youngest son of the old marshal, Yan Bin. Now, Yang Zheng has been promoted to commander, while I am still just a battalion commander. I haven’t done as well as he has."

Yang Yuanqing's deputy was appointed by Chen Qing, and his official military rank was only that of a battalion commander, serving as a battalion head under Zhang Zhongyan.

Chen Qing smiled and said, "Your contributions are already sufficient. After this battle, I will certainly recommend you to the general as a deputy commander!"

Yang Yuanqing was moved and nodded silently.

The two mounted their horses and spurred them toward the southern city.

As they arrived at the southern city, they encountered Zheng Ping, who was leading Yang Zheng and his troops in high spirits.

Seeing Chen Qing, Zheng Ping hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "This subordinate greets the commander!"

"How is the situation in the valley?"

"It’s terrible. The enemy has a large number of troops and is equipped with large shields, making our bows and crossbows ineffective. Nearly two hundred of them charged out of the valley, and we were too few to match them. We were on the verge of being completely defeated when General Yang arrived with his troops and turned the tide at the critical moment."

Although Yang Zheng was a commander, one rank higher than Chen Qing, the main general Wu Jie had repeatedly instructed him that he was only there to assist in the defense of Arrow Pass, and the main commander was still Chen Qing, not to overshadow him.

Yang Zheng stepped forward and saluted, "I am Yang Zheng, I greet the commander!"

"General Yang, you are too polite. Are you the reinforcements sent by General Wu?"

Yang Zheng sighed, "I am ashamed. We are indeed reinforcements. I originally led two thousand troops to support Arrow Pass, but we encountered five hundred Jurchen cavalry heading to Arrow Pass at Wu Family Town. We fought a fierce battle for half a day. The enemy suffered heavy casualties and retreated south, but we were also reduced to only about five hundred men. I apologize for disappointing the commander."

"Five hundred men is still a significant number, enough to help us hold out."

Chen Qing then asked Zheng Ping, "Who is guarding the valley?"

"Xiao Yi is leading fifty men to guard it. We used five massive boulders, each weighing several thousand pounds, to block the canyon. Unless they can break the boulders, they won’t be able to pass."

"Make sure to warn Xiao Yi not to be complacent. They could still use ladders to climb over the boulders."

"Commander, rest assured. I have repeatedly reminded him. Even with ladders, they won’t be able to pass."

At this moment, Yang Zheng stepped forward and smiled at Yang Yuanqing, "Fifth brother, it’s been a long time!"

Yang Yuanqing was a bit embarrassed, "When I was young, I was indeed a bit impulsive. I shouldn’t have acted that way."

Yang Zheng patted his shoulder and smiled, "We are all family. Why hold such a small matter to heart? During the Fuping battle, I was very worried about your safety and feared you might have surrendered to the Jurchens. Later, when I heard you were following General Chen, I finally felt relieved."

"Brother, you worry too much. We of the Yang family would rather die in battle than surrender!"

...

In the Jurchen camp, Wanyan Wulu did not blame Han Chang. He had also been on the battlefield and saw clearly that Han Chang had dispatched troops appropriately and that the soldiers had fought hard to capture the city, suffering heavy casualties. In such a situation, accusing Han Chang of failing to attack effectively would likely demoralize the Han troops, making them unwilling to fight further.

After a moment of contemplation, Wanyan Wulu said to Han Chang, "We have burned and attacked, but still cannot capture the city. This cannot continue. We might delay the Fourth Prince’s plans. I have thought about it and wonder if we should use psychological warfare?"

Han Chang's lips moved, but he hesitated to speak.

Wanyan Wulu raised an eyebrow, somewhat displeased, "If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t act like the Southern Dynasty people, who dare not speak their minds and keep everything bottled up!"

"This subordinate was thinking that we have already taken eight hundred steps out of a thousand. The last two hundred steps should be to intensify our attacks and overwhelm the enemy with superior numbers. I believe the enemy’s forces are already greatly reduced."

"Your idea is good, but your intelligence is lacking. Don’t you know that Song reinforcements have already arrived?"

"What?"

Han Chang was shocked, "When did this happen?"

"Today in the afternoon. The troops sent to the southern valley encountered Song resistance. They had successfully broken out of the valley, but a Song army suddenly attacked from the south, thwarting their efforts. This sudden attack must have been the reinforcements."

Han Chang’s heart sank. He asked reluctantly, "How many reinforcements are there?"

"They can’t be many. Arrow Pass doesn’t have the capacity for more than a couple of thousand men."

Han Chang bit his lip and said, "Why don’t we also seek reinforcements from Fengxiang and have them attack Arrow Pass from the south?"

The tent fell silent, and Wanyan Wulu’s face darkened. All the Jurchen generals looked at Han Chang strangely.

Han Chang realized he had said something wrong. The Jurchen military system was based on tribal structures, which allowed each general to have their own tribal people and troops. This led to factionalism within the army. Wanyan Wulu belonged to the Zongfu faction, while Wanyan Moli, who was stationed in Fengxiang, belonged to the Zongbi faction. These two factions usually did not cooperate, and it was only due to the high prestige of Wanyan Lou Shi that they were united during the Fuping battle.

Asking Wanyan Wulu to seek help from Wanyan Moli was like asking for trouble.

Han Chang quickly changed the subject, "Commander, if you plan to use psychological warfare, are you going to use the surrender letters we prepared earlier?"

Wanyan Wulu nodded, "One roll will be enough!"

They had printed thirty thousand "Letters to the Song Army," promising rich rewards to those who surrendered. Originally intended for Dasha Pass, they were now to be used at Arrow Pass. One roll contained three thousand letters, which was more than enough.

...

It was already very late, but the main commanders of Arrow Pass were still discussing various strategies. Although Yang Zheng was a commander, he did not replace Chen Qing as the main commander. He participated more as an advisor.

"If the Jurchens are desperate, they will indeed use siege towers. These are powerful siege weapons. I’ve heard that the Central Capital of the Liao Dynasty was captured by the Jurchens using siege towers."

The Jurchen siege towers were similar to the nest cars of the Sui and Tang dynasties, essentially mobile ladders. They were surrounded by wooden boards and oxhide, and once they reached the city walls, soldiers would continuously cross the sky bridge to storm the city, making them formidable siege weapons.

"Is there any way to counter these siege towers?" Chen Qing asked.

Yang Zheng thought for a moment and said, "I haven’t encountered such siege towers, but I’ve heard from General Wu that the best way to counter them is with fire."

Chen Qing nodded, agreeing that fire was the best solution. However, he also thought of bed crossbows.

"How is the situation at Heshangyuan?" Yang Yuanqing, who had been silent, asked.

Yang Zheng smiled and said, "Without the western Jurchen forces attacking from behind, the pressure on Heshangyuan has greatly decreased. The enemy has suffered several defeats. This time, we are well-prepared, and Generals Wu and Wang have coordinated effectively. The key is that the western Jurchen forces have been blocked. Otherwise, with our current strength, the outcome would be uncertain."

"The key is the role of Arrow Pass, right?"

"Exactly!"

Yang Zheng said solemnly, "The longer we can hold out, the more advantageous it will be for the battle at Heshangyuan. The burden on the commander this time is not light!"

At that moment, a loud explosion was heard outside.

Everyone was startled and stepped out of the room. They saw thousands of pieces of paper falling from the sky like snowflakes.

Chen Qing caught a piece of paper and examined it under the lamp. It was a surrender letter.

"Letter to the Song Army: The situation in Guanzhong and Long has already turned in favor of the Jurchen Empire. All Song troops in Guanzhong and Long who surrender to the Jurchen Empire will be rewarded with five hundred acres of land in their hometown, ten years of tax exemption, and one hundred strings of cash for resettlement. The Jurchen Empire’s promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold and will not deceive!"

"The conditions are quite tempting."

Chen Qing smiled and handed the surrender letter to the Yang brothers, "I can’t understand why they offer such rich rewards to our soldiers but ignore their own puppet soldiers. The puppet soldiers who die in battle are not treated with the same respect. It’s really frustrating!"

Yang Zheng finished reading the surrender letter and asked, "Commander, how do you plan to respond?"

Before Chen Qing could answer, a soldier ran in, "A Han official has come from outside the city. He says he is Sima Tao from Pingliang and has a letter for the commander!"

Chen Qing smiled, "I was just worried about not having a Jiang Gan, and the Jurchens have sent one!"

Everyone looked at each other, puzzled. Who is Jiang Gan?