Chapter 53

Wanyan Wulu finally retreated, retreating to Pingliang Prefecture. They had lost nearly twenty thousand soldiers, yet still failed to capture the Arrow Pass. Without the participation of the western Jin troops, it ultimately led to the惨败 of the Jin Empire's first invasion of Sichuan.

In the battle at Arrow Pass, the Song army deployed 1,500 soldiers, and in the end, only 180 remained, with the rest falling in battle.

This was a battle that could be recorded in history, a battle against the Jin. The commander, Chen Qing, and the 1,500 Song soldiers won the final victory with their bravery, fearlessness, and firm determination to resist the Jin, defending the dignity of the Song army.

A messenger hawk circled and flew away, heading 400 miles to Heshangyuan, delivering the good news to the Song army's main camp.

After three days of rest, Chen Qing's condition improved, and he could walk again.

With the help of a soldier, he limped around the camp.

He saw Du Min writing letters for several soldiers. Du Min had also been injured while defending the city, but he had stopped the bleeding in time and was not seriously hurt.

Chen Qing recognized one of the soldiers writing letters; he was one of the five commandos sent to blow up the siege towers. Fortunately, all five commandos survived. They had disguised themselves as enemy soldiers and feigned death on the ground, and the Jurchens had not cared about their fate.

Chen Qing also saw Zheng Ping, who had been stabbed in the abdomen by an enemy spear. Zhao Xiaoyi had risked his life to carry him out.

His injuries looked severe, but it turned out that no organs were damaged, and it was only a minor injury.

At that moment, Zheng Ping was lying on a carpet, boasting to the other soldiers, "Let me tell you, being fat has its advantages. My belly is full of fat, so the spear couldn't kill me..."

Chen Qing chuckled and did not interrupt his boasting, then walked to the other side.

"Commander!"

Chen Qing heard Yang Yuanqing calling him.

Chen Qing stopped and Yang Yuanqing quickly walked up, saying, "I just went to the main tent to look for the commander, and the soldiers said you were here in the infirmary, so I came over."

"Is there any new situation?"

"The Consolation Commissioner has sent someone. He is waiting for you in the main tent!"

The Consolation Commissioner was Zhang Jun, and he had sent someone, which must mean he had received Chen Qing's hawk message.

Chen Qing hurried back to his main tent.

Upon returning to the main tent, he saw a general in his thirties pacing back and forth. Chen Qing immediately recognized him as Zhu Baijin, Zhang Jun's personal guard, whom he had met in Ziwu Valley.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, General Zhu!"

Zhu Baijin smiled slightly, "Congratulations, Commander, on your remarkable achievement!"

Chen Qing waved his hand, "It's the result of the soldiers' sacrifice, not much to do with me!"

Chen Qing was most afraid of others attributing the credit to him. Thinking of Yang Hua, Luo Gan, and the many fallen soldiers, he felt deeply moved.

Zhu Baijin smiled and did not dwell on the topic, then said, "The battle at Heshangyuan has also ended, with a major defeat for the Jin army. Wanyan Moli was killed, and the Consolation Commissioner has evaluated the contributions. The Arrow Pass defense ranks second, just behind the deep penetration battle led by Commander Wang Yan. The Consolation Commissioner will have rewards, but you have another task. After completing this task, you can abandon Arrow Pass and retreat to Dasa Pass."

"Please tell me, General Zhu!"

"Escort General Liu Qi's troops back to Hanzhong."

"Why retreat? Now that the Jin army has just been defeated, isn't it the perfect time for us to counterattack Guanzhong?" Chen Qing asked in confusion.

"Wanyan Wuzhu is leading a 100,000-strong Jurchen army to Guanzhong. They must retreat as soon as possible."

Chen Qing was silent for a moment and then asked, "We have fewer than 200 soldiers. How can we escort them?"

"You don't need to go out of the pass to escort them. Just hold the Arrow Pass, and they will retreat soon. The Consolation Commissioner has already ordered them to retreat. General Liu Ziyu's troops will retreat south from Fengzhou into Sichuan, so you don't need to worry about them. You just need to escort General Liu Qi's troops south."

......

Two days later, Liu Qi led 3,000 troops to Arrow Pass.

Liu Qi was in his early thirties, tall and imposing, a distinguished general from a military family. He was a famous anti-Jin general, on par with Yue Fei and Han Shizhong. He was originally the deputy commander of Jingyuan Army. After the defeat at Fuping, he retreated to Jingzhou with the remnants of his army and recruited some scattered soldiers, reaching a maximum of 8,000 troops.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of supplies, soldiers kept leaving, and his army was ultimately reduced to 3,000. If Chen Qing had not controlled Arrow Pass, and if Wanyan Wulu had not retreated to Pingliang Prefecture, he would have had no way to retreat and would have been completely annihilated by the Jin army.

Chen Qing ordered the slaughter of several hundred sheep to reward Liu Qi's troops for their long journey.

Liu Qi said apologetically, "I was in Jingzhou, knowing the difficulty of defending the pass, but I couldn't come to assist. I feel very ashamed!"

Chen Qing smiled slightly, "General, don't blame yourself. I understand your difficulties. We will have more opportunities to fight together in the future."

Liu Qi felt relieved and laughed, "Fighting alongside Commander Chen is an honor for me!"

......

The next morning, Liu Qi's troops were to retreat south, and Chen Qing had completed his mission and would also retreat south with his troops.

"Commander, it's time to go!" Zheng Ping urged softly.

Chen Qing turned and took one last look at the battered pass, the burial ground of over a thousand soldiers. He stood silently for a moment, then mounted his horse and galloped south through the canyon.

......

Two days later, the troops arrived at Dasa Pass from the western valley. Chen Qing and his soldiers were warmly welcomed. Wu Jie and Wang Yan personally came out of the pass to greet Chen Qing's return.

Wu Jie immediately ordered the slaughter of pigs and sheep to reward the Arrow Pass defenders for their great victory at Heshangyuan.

The banquet was not over, and the soldiers were still laughing and chatting in the moonlight. Wang Yan and Chen Qing stood on the city wall of Dasa Pass, looking at the distant mountains in the night.

"Tomorrow, you need to go to Xingzhou. The Consolation Commissioner specifically wants to see you. Everyone can see that the Consolation Commissioner values you highly."

Chen Qing was silent for a moment.

Wang Yan looked at Chen Qing and smiled, "Actually, this is a good thing. Following me won't lead to much advancement. With the Consolation Commissioner's favor, you will eventually become a general on par with me."

Chen Qing gazed at the direction of Arrow Pass and said calmly, "No matter when, I am a member of the Eight-Character Army!"

Wang Yan was moved and patted Chen Qing's shoulder, "Tell me, what are your wishes? I will do my best to fulfill them."

"I have only one wish: the fallen soldiers should receive compensation, and the surviving soldiers should be promoted."

Wang Yan nodded, "This time, our Eight-Character Army will receive half of the rewards. I will fulfill your wish!"

Chen Qing pondered for a moment and then said, "I also recommend Yang Yuanqing to be the deputy commander of the Eight-Character Army's scouts. He, like me, is from the Huanqing Army, but his talent and bravery are sufficient for the role. If I don't return, I hope he can take over my position. I believe he will not disappoint the commander!"

Wang Yan smiled, "With your recommendation, I don't have to worry about Old Wu taking Yang Yuanqing away."

"Commander, do you really not think I'll return?" Chen Qing asked again.

Wang Yan shook his head, "I'm not sure, but it's possible. This Jin defeat marks the end of the Fuping campaign. Even if Wanyan Wuzhu attacks Dasa Pass again, it will take at least one to two years to prepare. He also needs time to consolidate his control over Guanzhong. During this period, many changes will occur in the Song army. So, as a farewell, I have a piece of advice for you."

"Please, Commander!"

Wang Yan said slowly, "Be humble in your actions, but bold in your deeds."

......

Back at the camp, he saw Zheng Ping at the entrance of his tent, "Old Zheng, what's wrong?"

Zheng Ping had a strange look on his face, "It's very strange, I actually received a letter from home!"

"Receiving a letter from home is unusual?"

"No! No! No!"

Zheng Ping shook his head vigorously, "The letter is from Lin'an, written by my father, asking me to go to Lin'an Prefecture. The letter was brought by an official from Lin'an who was delivering an imperial decree. I'm completely confused. How could my parents be in Lin'an, and how did they know I was alive in Guanzhong?"

Chen Qing smiled, "Your father didn't know you were in the army in Guanzhong?"

Zheng Ping shook his head, "I ran away in a fit of anger and joined the Eight-Character Army in Xiangzhou. Later, I ended up in Guanzhong. They shouldn't have any news about me!"

"Regardless, meeting your family is a good thing. I'm going to Xingzhou tomorrow, and you can come with me."

"Bring Xiaoyi along! He also wants to see Lin'an."

Chen Qing nodded, "If he wants to go, let him go!"

Zhao Xiaoyi's greatest wish was to see the capital of Tokyo Bianliang. Since he couldn't go to Bianliang, going to Lin'an was also fine. Although Lin'an had not yet been officially designated as the capital, in the eyes of the people, it was already the capital.

[End of Volume 1: New Talent of the Western Army, please continue with Volume 2: Old Affairs of Lin'an]