Chapter 52

Yang Hua paid with his life to help the Song army find a way to counter the siege towers, cutting off the subsequent Jurchen soldiers from climbing the city walls. However, a large number of Jurchen soldiers had already rushed onto the city walls, engaging in a bloody battle with the Song soldiers, while over a thousand Jurchen soldiers were still on the lower part of the city.

Wanyan Wulu saw this clearly and immediately ordered, "Support with twenty siege ladders!"

Hundreds of puppet soldiers carried the siege ladders and rushed over, placing them against the city walls. Jurchen soldiers began to climb up, but suddenly several barrels of burning gunpowder were thrown from the city walls, landing among the crowd. The gunpowder barrels exploded one after another, several siege ladders were blown apart, and hundreds of soldiers were knocked to the ground. The intense shock waves and explosions caused nearly a hundred casualties.

However, a few barrels of gunpowder could not change the situation. More and more Jurchen soldiers rushed onto the city walls, and the Song soldiers on the walls were now at a significant disadvantage, with increasing casualties, leaving fewer than a hundred.

In a moment of desperation, Chen Qing kicked open a jar of oil, causing the oil to splash everywhere. He then threw a torch into the oil.

"Boom!"

Flames quickly spread across the city walls. Luo Gan immediately realized what was happening and led other soldiers to smash nearly a hundred oil jars. The black oil poured out, covering the city walls, and the flames instantly engulfed the area, setting hundreds of bundles of wheat straw on fire. The city walls turned into a sea of flames.

Chen Qing shouted, "Retreat! Retreat!"

He fought his way through, leading dozens of soldiers back to the entrance of the passageway. At the two entrances, four hundred Song soldiers, led by Yang Yuanqing, held their ground, preventing the Jurchen soldiers from advancing into the city.

Everywhere on the city walls, soldiers were burning and screaming. Countless Jurchen soldiers, unable to withstand the fire, were covered in flames and tumbled down the city ladders in a panic.

At this moment, a Song soldier, covered in flames, rushed out, pointing to the northeast corner and crying, "Luo Dutou is still on the city walls!"

Chen Qing roared and charged back into the flames. He rushed over to the northeast, where the fire was less intense. He saw Luo Gan, covered in blood, protecting a few injured Song soldiers as they retreated. In the thick smoke, a dozen Jurchen soldiers, wielding battle axes, were staring at him like a pack of wolves.

Chen Qing charged forward, swinging his spear and killing several of them. The remaining Jurchen soldiers, seeing his bravery, retreated.

Luo Gan was severely wounded. Chen Qing carried him and rushed toward the passageway...

Chen Qing reached the bottom of the city walls and gently placed Luo Gan down. Luo Gan had over a dozen knife wounds, bleeding profusely, and was severely burned. His hair was gone, and his chest was heaving, clearly on the brink of death.

With his last bit of strength, he grabbed Chen Qing's hand and said with great effort, "No matter... what, we must hold... hold..."

His hand loosened, and he passed away.

Chen Qing's tears streamed down his face. He closed Luo Gan's eyes and said, "Rest assured, the enemy will only pass over my dead body!"

Chen Qing stood up, wiped away his tears, and ordered, "Deputy Commander Yang, throw all the remaining oil onto the city walls!"

...

The city walls of Jianque Pass were engulfed in flames, with no living soldiers left. Over a thousand Jurchen soldiers had retreated to a few hundred steps away, staring in shock at the five destroyed siege towers and the flames and smoke rising from the city walls.

Wanyan Wulu looked at the burning city walls in shock. His gaze then fell on the city gate, which was charred and hanging brokenly.

"Can the city gate be attacked?" Wanyan Wulu asked, turning around.

Thousand-man commander Wanyan Hui hurriedly replied, "Reporting to the general, there is a massive stone weighing several thousand pounds blocking the city gate, which cannot be dragged out. Inside, there is another large stone blocking the gap, followed by thousands of sandbags..."

"Can we attack or not?" Wanyan Wulu angrily interrupted Wanyan Hui.

"Reporting to the general, we cannot attack!"

Wanyan Wulu clenched his fists and grunted. He looked at the sky and said to everyone, "I believe their oil is exhausted. After dark, continue the attack with torches. We must take the pass by noon tomorrow!"

...

Five Song soldiers drew the death lots. Chen Qing judged that the enemy would certainly engage in night combat, and they could use the cover of darkness to destroy the enemy's siege towers.

The siege towers posed a significant threat. It would be difficult to destroy them once they were close to the city walls, so it was best to destroy them beforehand.

Chen Qing said to the five soldiers, "Night combat will be chaotic. Be quick and agile, and there is a good chance of survival. Regardless of whether you survive or not, I will reward you heavily!"

The five Song soldiers nodded silently. In front of them were five barrels of gunpowder, each small enough to hold five pounds and could be carried on their backs.

"Set out after dark!"

...

As night fell, tens of thousands of Jurchen soldiers held torches, illuminating Jianque Pass as if it were daytime. The sound of war drums was deafening, and the horns wailed. The Jurchen and puppet soldiers surged forward in waves. Wanyan Wulu committed the last sixty siege ladders, and the final five siege towers were ready to assault the city.

The flames on the city walls had long since died out, and the charred bodies had been cleared away. Yang Yuanqing led three hundred soldiers back into battle, while Commander Chen Qing directed the overall combat and ordered Zheng Ping to lead fifty men as a support team.

Rolling logs and stones rained down like hail, and soldiers screamed as they fell from the walls. Jurchen soldiers continued to rush onto the city walls, only to be driven back by the brave Song soldiers...

Ten archers remained hidden on the wall, continuously shooting powerful crossbows at the enemy's strong and capable leaders or soldiers.

"Commander, the third defensive position on the east side is requesting help!"

A thin soldier stumbled over and shouted. Chen Qing recognized him as Du Min, the scholar who wrote letters for the soldiers. He was now wearing armor and holding a short spear, injured and pale, covered in blood.

"Take him down to stop the bleeding!"

Chen Qing ordered the medical soldiers to take Du Min away. He turned and shouted hoarsely, "Zheng, support the third defensive position on the east side!"

From dawn to now, Chen Qing's voice was already hoarse.

Zheng Ping led fifty men to the third defensive position on the east side, where the Jurchen attack was concentrated. A dozen fierce Jurchen soldiers had already rushed onto the city walls, and the Song soldiers defending this position had been killed, leaving only seven or eight soldiers who were being pushed back, the situation was extremely critical.

Zheng Ping roared and led fifty men to charge forward, driving the dozen Jurchen soldiers back down the walls in one go.

The fifteenth defensive position on the west side was also in crisis. A heavily armored Jurchen hundred-man commander stood on the wall, like a giant black bear, swinging a mace and smashing the heads of a dozen Song soldiers.

Three archers had hit him, but the Jurchen commander seemed unaware, as if the arrows had no effect.

Chen Qing, in a panic, picked up a short spear and threw it with all his might. The spear pierced the Jurchen commander's helmet and skull, and he let out a loud cry, falling backward.

Although he was dead, dozens of Jurchen soldiers had already rushed onto the city walls, each one fierce and ruthless.

"Follow me!"

Chen Qing, holding a shield, grabbed a large axe and charged forward, followed by a dozen men.

The breach had been opened by the Jurchen, and a steady stream of enemy soldiers was surging onto the city walls. Chen Qing's first priority was to cut off the enemy's path to the walls.

He rushed to the ladder entrance and struck a Jurchen soldier who had just climbed up, causing him to fall off the wall.

"Cover me!" Chen Qing shouted hoarsely.

A dozen men rushed forward, holding back a group of Jurchen soldiers on the walls.

Chen Qing used his shield to block the enemy soldiers climbing up. He noticed that the crossbars of the siege ladders had been replaced with iron, so he could only attack the handrails. He swung his axe with all his might, chopping three times, and the handrail broke with a "crack." The siege ladder shook violently, and several Jurchen soldiers lost their balance and fell off the wall.

He then cut the other handrail and pushed the ladder, causing it to lose balance and fall to the side, and a dozen Jurchen soldiers screamed as they jumped off the wall.

Chen Qing felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder, hit by a cold arrow, and then another arrow hit his lower back. He was hit by two arrows, and the Jurchen soldiers had locked onto him.

He endured the pain from the two arrow wounds, picked up a long spear, and roared as he charged at the dozens of Jurchen soldiers on the walls...

Suddenly, there was a "boom" as a siege tower five hundred steps away toppled over.

Before the Jurchen soldiers could react, the other four siege towers exploded one after another, either destroyed at the base or split in half. This was something the Jurchen soldiers had not expected. The Song commander had actually sent men to destroy the siege towers.

Wanyan Wulu was furious and immediately ordered all the siege ladders to be committed, along with three thousand more soldiers, demanding that Jianque Pass be taken by noon, or all the attacking soldiers would be executed!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The war drums sounded throughout the night, and the Jurchen soldiers attacked in waves, fighting desperately to take the pass.

The Song soldiers on the city walls fought with blood and sweat, six hundred soldiers united in their resolve, refusing to retreat even in their final moments.

The intense battle lasted from the first watch of the night until dawn, and then from dawn until noon. The Jurchen army committed three thousand Jurchen soldiers and three thousand puppet soldiers, suffering over four thousand casualties, with bodies piled high and blood flowing like a river.

The six hundred Song soldiers used their lives to defend the pass. Most of them were killed, leaving fewer than two hundred, all injured, but Jianque Pass still stood tall, and the Song dragon flag still flew over the blood-soaked walls.

Wanyan Wulu's order to take Jianque Pass by noon was again thwarted. Wanyan Wulu, enraged, roared, "Commit five thousand more Jurchen soldiers, and take the city!"

"General, the siege ladders are almost exhausted!"

Wanyan Wulu was beside himself with rage. He looked at the five destroyed siege towers and roared, "Gather two thousand craftsmen from Qianyuan County and build two hundred siege ladders by nightfall, or they will all be executed!"

The surrounding generals could no longer hold back. A Jurchen general hugged him, "General, calm down. Even if we take the pass tonight, it will be too late to reach Dasa Pass, and we will only be sacrificing our men for nothing!"

Wanyan Wulu, drawing his sword in anger, shouted, "Fool! How dare you disobey my orders!"

At that moment, a cavalryman galloped over, holding a fast letter and shouting from a distance, "Urgent report from Pingliang Prefecture!"

Wanyan Wulu took the letter and read it, and the contents left him stunned. The letter fell to the ground.

It read: "The Jurchen army at Heshangyuan suffered a devastating defeat, and Commander Wanyan Moli was killed in action!"