Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 905 Passing the test
Within the capital city of Bianjing in the Song Dynasty, a scene of bustling activity unfolded. The old emperor was being buried, a new emperor was ascending the throne, and there was a flurry of activity as the royal flag was being changed and personnel reshuffles were being carried out. The entire city was immersed in a tense and busy atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Wu Jun's vanguard had already quietly moved out. Led by Lin Renzhao, 80,000 elite troops left Yingtian Prefecture like unsheathed swords and headed straight for Kaifeng Prefecture.

The first city to be attacked was Ningling City, located at the border of Kaifeng Prefecture and Yingtian Prefecture. Although the city was small, it was garrisoned by 50,000 Song troops, with Generals Wang Zhengzhong and Gao Huaide personally in charge, preparing for a head-on confrontation with Lin Renzhao's 80,000 elite troops.

Although the Song army had city defenses and a commanding position, giving them a certain geographical advantage, the Wu army's artillery was like the Grim Reaper's scythe, ruthlessly reaping everything in its path.

"Boom boom boom!" Fifty red-coated cannons fired simultaneously, the fire filled the sky and was deafening. The city gate was instantly blasted open under the bombardment.

Ningling City was merely a small county-level city with weak city walls and no history of major battles, making it not a strategically important location. Therefore, under the fierce attack of the Wu army, the city quickly fell.

"Kill!" The Wu army surged into the city like a tidal wave, engaging in a fierce battle with the Song army to capture the city.

The bloody battle lasted for a day and a night, with soldiers from both sides fighting desperately in the narrow streets and amidst the ruins. Finally, the battle drew to a close.

Of the 50,000 Song soldiers, over 10,000 were killed or wounded, and the remaining 40,000 were forced to retreat. Some fled, while others retreated towards Xiangyi. Xiangyi, located on the canal leading to Bianjing (Kaifeng), was a crucial transshipment point for supplies and held immense economic importance. Tens of thousands of Song soldiers were stationed there, and a fortified camp had been built.

Cao Bin, stationed here, learned of the defeats of Wang Zhengzhong and Gao Huaide. He immediately rallied the deserters, reorganizing them into a force of 70,000 to 80,000 men, ready to confront the Wu army. Lin Renzhao, prioritizing speed in his campaign, did not linger in Ningling City before leading his troops in pursuit.

The Song and Wu armies clashed in a fierce battle on the wide plains outside the city, with square formations clashing and warhorses charging—a real ground battle.

This was also the source of Cao Bin's confidence in leading his troops; he was skilled in military tactics, understood military strategy, and knew how to deploy troops. He felt that simply defending the city was too passive, and it would be better to engage the Wu army in a head-on battle on the ground, which might even be able to repel the Wu army.

However, Lin Renzhao was also a fierce general who led troops into battle. Although he was good at naval warfare, he was equally proficient in land warfare. The Wu army's warhorses came from the Liao Kingdom and were transported by sea. There were also horse breeds from the Western Regions. The 20,000 cavalrymen charged like a flood and dealt a heavy blow to the Song army.

The Song army did not expect that the Wu army had so many cavalry, and their warhorses were fierce, their armor was solid, and their long swords were sharp, constantly charging and killing the infantry formation.

Wu Jun's Mo Dao formation and Shenji Battalion were also very powerful. When they clashed head-on with the Song army's square formation, apart from their different formation techniques, these elite Wu troops were in no way afraid of the Song army from the north when it came to a real fight.

Many Wu generals, captains, and commanders led their soldiers in a fierce charge against the Song army, shouting slogans like "Make a name for yourselves and bring glory to your country!" Their voices echoed across the battlefield, inspiring every soldier to be willing to sacrifice their lives for honor and their nation.

Meanwhile, the Song army, raising high the banner of "Defending the Homeland and Resisting Foreign Enemies," were equally bloodthirsty. Their eyes gleamed with unwavering resolve; to protect their homeland and resist the invaders, they were willing to fight to the death.

In an instant, the entire battlefield was like a battlefield of carnage, filled with the stench of blood.

"Kill! Kill!" The soldiers fell one after another, becoming insignificant corpses, and no one showed them any pity.

They were just pitiful victims in this war; their sacrifice brought only a brief victory and more sorrow.

Pitiful are the bones by the Wuding River, still the dream of those in their secluded chambers.

These soldiers who died on the battlefield, their headless and limbless corpses, could very well be the husbands those women longed for in their dreams, the sons those mothers yearned for. They died here in droves, like weeds, and their families may never know their whereabouts, only able to see them in their dreams.

War is cruel; it takes countless lives and brings endless suffering. Yet, history records war most often, as if it were inevitable.

The Song and Wu armies were locked in a stalemate on this battlefield, neither able to gain the upper hand. Every charge and every counterattack was accompanied by countless deaths and sacrifices.

But both the Wu and Song armies understood that this war was not just a military contest, but also a battle of wills and beliefs.

Suddenly, Wu Jun deployed some long-range catapults. These catapults could launch three hundred paces, reaching the Song army's square formation behind the battlefield. This time, Wu Jun did not launch projectiles, but black fireballs. After igniting them, they were thrown with great force, and the cannonballs landed in the Song army's square formation with a trail of black smoke.

boom! Boom boom boom!
The huge explosion, the billowing smoke, the destructive power of the exploding shells, and the flying bullets and shrapnel could injure anyone who touched them.

This effectively disrupted the formation and morale of the Song army's rear ranks, creating a significant psychological impact and threat to the Song troops engaged in fierce fighting on the battlefield.

With morale fluctuating, the Wu army, aided by the thunderous roar, saw its morale soar and forced the Song army into retreat.

This time, Generals Wang Zhengzhong and Gao Huaide had already led their troops into the battlefield, but the Wu army's counterattack cut off their rear supply lines. In addition, the Wu army's iron cavalry flanked them from both sides, and the 20,000 Song soldiers in the battlefield were suddenly at a disadvantage.

"Kill!"

"Destroy the Song army and march on Bianjing!"

"The Kingdom of Wu is about to unify the world."

Wu Jun was filled with excitement, as if he had seen the dawn.

puff!

Song general Gao Huaide was caught off guard and was stabbed to the ground by a captain's spear. Despite his injury, he continued to fight, but was soon beheaded by the Wu army.

One by one, the deputy generals and commanders of the Song Dynasty were killed or wounded.

After fierce fighting, the Song army was eventually forced to retreat. Upon seeing this, Cao Bin decisively ordered Jin Ming to withdraw his troops and led the remaining soldiers back to the camp.

Wu Jun also temporarily withdrew his troops to rest, preparing to launch another attack on the Song camp the next day.

Meanwhile, the main force in the rear was also in action. Su Chen personally led his army into battle, a massive force of nearly 300,000 men, imposing and awe-inspiring, like an unstoppable torrent, pressing towards Xiangyi City.

Generals such as Su Chen, Pan Mei, and Pan Renche led their armies in a joint attack, and Cao Bin's camp was simply unable to withstand this powerful offensive.

On this day, seeing the unfavorable situation, Cao Bin decisively led his troops to retreat. Even Xiangyi City could not be defended, because facing a siege by three to four hundred thousand Wu troops, their tens of thousands of soldiers inside the city would easily be trapped and killed. It would be better to retreat to the Yongqiu area and gather 100,000 troops for another battle.

Thus, Xiangyi City was abandoned. Before leaving, the Song army had already taken away the city's grain and supplies, leaving the Wu army with little of value, except for half of the civilians who had not fled.

Su Chen paid no attention to this. Every inch of city was bought with blood; the more cities they captured, the smaller the Song Dynasty's territory became, and the closer they got to Bianjing.

After conquering Yongqiu and Chenliu, we will reach Bianjing; victory is just around the corner!