Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1178 The two sides clashed hastily.
"Waaaaah! Waaaaah! Waaaaah!"

"Quickly, line up in front, head north, let's go."

As the mournful sound of bugles echoed from the camp of Marquis Luoyun in the Mengjin region, perhaps no longer concealing themselves, more than 200,000 troops marched north in a mighty procession.

now.

Zhang Jinyu led his generals, standing on the hilly high ground, holding a topographical map and repeatedly comparing it.

"Tell Duan Hong that the army must not stop along the way. The distance between the two places is just right. We can't hide for long. Once the Jurchen scouts heading west notice something is wrong, they will definitely come south to search. So we can't be too slow or too fast. We need to conserve our strength."

"Yes, my lord, General Duan has already sent word."

Ning Bian, clad in gleaming armor, led his personal guards behind him. Zhang Xiaolin, on the other hand, commanded the vanguard and went ahead. Zhang Chuanying, however, followed beside him, asking with some confusion.
"Brother, if we rush over like this, what if the Tartars become alert and form ranks to fight? Would that be a real battle or just a pretense?"

Zhang Chuanying was now somewhat uncertain. Even if the march proceeded smoothly, it would take a considerable amount of time to put on armor and form ranks upon arrival. If the Tartars couldn't resist and attacked first, the battle would likely be difficult.

"What's the panic? Duan Hong led the cavalry ahead and went ahead. Once they reached the territory, they had time to let the brothers put on their armor. Given Huang Jitai's caution, he probably already anticipated this. If we really have to fight, I'm afraid the Tartars are still thinking of besieging Pingliao City today, trying to take advantage of both sides, and we won't be able to achieve our goal."

Although it is unknown how long Wen Yuan's side can hold out, this large army's northward march will not escape the Tartars' gyrfalcons' reconnaissance.

"Brother, so you mean we should turn the tables and fight directly? But I think that although marching is slow, it still consumes our strength. If we rush into battle, the losses may be considerable."

The Tartars, having rested and prepared, faced a slightly fatigued army. With one side increasing their numbers and the other decreasing, the casualties became uncertain.

“That’s right, but you should also know that the Tartars’ infantry this time is mainly composed of Han Eight Banners soldiers. They are exhausted after several days of attacking the city, so they are not a threat. If I were to say that this time, as long as we trap the Tartar cavalry and use the infantry as the vanguard to launch a fierce attack on the Tartar Black Mountain Camp, catching them off guard, what do you think the consequences would be?”

Zhang Jinyu rode on horseback, slowly advancing with the army. The carriages following along the way were vast and filled with heavy armor from various units. In the distance, the dark outline of Pingliao City could be seen. If a decisive battle were to be fought today, the Jurchen Black Mountain Camp would inevitably be attacked. In that case, the Tartars would have no choice but to retreat. If they were to hold on tightly and harass with the cavalry under Wuya Yu's command, this battle might decide the fate of the world. If this campaign was unsuccessful, they would have to proceed slowly.

Zhang Chuanying had always been bold, but compared to his cousin, he was becoming increasingly timid. After hearing the Marquis's words, he gritted his teeth and nodded.
“Brother is right. Since you are confident, why not use a decoy to deceive us and launch a surprise attack? If Sister-in-law Wuya arrives in time, she can even hold back the Tartars from retreating.”

"Haha, you've finally learned your lesson. If Kou can go there, so can I. I'll find my opportunity."

Suddenly,
Zhang Jinyu squinted. In the distance, the cries of gyrfalcons could already be heard. It seemed the Tartars had already found their way.

Zhang Chuanying was somewhat puzzled. His elder brother hadn't finished speaking yet. Turning back to follow his brother's gaze, he looked at the distant sky, where the Tartars' gyrfalcons were. A sudden thought struck him.
"Report, my lord, there is unusual activity from the Tartars. My scouts report that the Tartar Black Mountain camp has withdrawn its main force, and the Jurchen Khan's elite cavalry have all retreated eastward and laid deep trenches on the west side of the Black Mountain camp, as if they already knew we were coming."

The deputy general who arrived was covered in sweat. He had already sent out all his scouts, but the gyrfalcons raised by the Tartars were really difficult to deal with, and this march was bound to be exposed.

Zhang Jinyu nodded. At such close range, if the Jurchens hadn't reacted yet, that would be truly dangerous; there would definitely be an ambush.

"At this distance, we can see Pingliao City in an hour and a half at most. We can't hide it anymore. So what's the situation in Pingliao City?"

"Reporting to the Marquis, the Jurchen troops are still intensifying their attack on the city. Scouts have detoured around to the west gate and discovered that there are still Tartar troops gathered here. It seems that the Tartars have not withdrawn."

This was something the deputy general didn't understand: reinforcements had already arrived, so why gather troops under the city walls? This was a major taboo.

Zhang Jinyu also frowned. It seemed the Jurchens had made two preparations—whether it was resentment or confidence.

"Keep an eye on it. Send the order for Duan Hong to lead the cavalry to advance first, but they must not charge into the enemy lines. Even if the enemy breaches the city walls, they must not provide support."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

The lieutenant clasped his hands in a fist salute, immediately pulled on the reins, turned his horse around, and rode away. Zhang Chuanying was still confused about what had happened, but Ning Bian approached with a grave expression.

"My lord, do you think there's something fishy going on with the Tartars?"

"Whether it's a trap or not is another matter. Even if they break through the city, how can they gain a foothold in such a short time? Once the main army arrives, the city will change hands again. Duan Hong's cavalry is to guard against Huang Jitai's elite troops. We must not act rashly. This time, all the veterans in Pingyang City are mounted and armored, ready to seize the initiative."

"Here."

In an instant, the army suddenly split in two, with tens of thousands of cavalrymen filling the vanguard.

at the same time,

Beneath Pingliao City,

After four days of arduous siege, the Jurchen and Han Eight Banners failed to capture the city. The soldiers were already exhausted. Of the more than 200,000 who came, less than 100,000 remained to attack the city. The remaining elite troops had already been withdrawn to the main camp for defense.

As the war drums sounded, another fierce attack ensued.
Just as the siege was in full swing, a scout covered in blood suddenly burst into Huang Jitai's command tent:

"Report! Great Khan, the vanguard of the reinforcements from Pingyang City is less than thirty li away!"

The urgent words stunned all the banner chiefs and tribal leaders present. They knew that Marquis Luoyun would arrive today, but it was not yet noon, so how could he have arrived so quickly?

Only Huang Jitai, who was sitting in the sheltered spot in the mountain valley, suddenly dropped his golden knife to the ground, and the campfire shed ash in the frozen air.

The news came too suddenly, weighing heavily on everyone's chest. Not far ahead, the blood-stained city wall of Pingliao City had been like a hideous scar, lying across their hearts for four whole days.

Four days of fierce attacks, the blood of the warriors of the Jurchen tribes soaked every inch of frozen soil beneath the city, yet they could not shake it in the slightest. The wild arrogance they had shown when they first arrived had long been worn down by the fortified city, by the rain of arrows and the scalding hot molten metal, leaving only a weary heaviness and a cold sense of defeat. Their fighting spirit had been completely devoured by that damned city.

The people sitting around, whether it was the rock-like face of Huyan Hanxiang, the banner lord of the Plain Red Banner, or the deeply furrowed brows of Fucha Zhen, the banner lord of the Plain Blue Banner, or the evasive eyes of the tribal leaders in the corners, all were filled with a gloomy sense of impending doom.

In the direction of Pingliao City, the faint firelight illuminated half the sky. The muffled sound of horns and the faint shouts of battle carried on the wind, indicating that the fierce siege had not stopped. Every time one looked into the distance, one could see Eight Banners warriors climbing to the top of the city wall, but they would die tragically on it in no time. The city wall looked like a scarred stone wall, stubbornly standing in the firelight.

As noon approached, the sky took on a deathly leaden gray hue.

On the southwest side of Black Mountain, at Broken Soul Slope, the Jurchen troops remaining at the garrison had slowly emerged from their camp. Below the cliff edge, they donned their armor and prepared to form ranks. Fucha Zhen looked troubled; the battle had already progressed this far, and further fighting would only increase casualties.
"Your Majesty, the army of Marquis Luoyun has rushed here in haste, surely because they are concerned about the safety of Liaocheng. Our Jurchen tribes have been stationed here for a long time without being able to move an inch. It would be better to withdraw our troops back to camp, regroup our morale, and talk to Marquis Luoyun about whether to trade or not. If we agree, it will be mutually beneficial."

This was something he had no choice but to do. Since the city hadn't been lost and the main forces hadn't clashed yet, there was still room for maneuver. If they were to fight each other and many people died, then there would be no room for negotiation.

This time, Huyan Han, the banner chief of the Plain Red Banner, who was not at the front lines, thought the Khan would discuss the matter. However, Duomin, the banner chief of the Plain Yellow Banner, simply shook his head.
“Fucha Ejen, now that we’ve come this far, we can no longer show weakness. Since Marquis Luoyun has arrived with a weary army, our Jurchen warriors are well-rested and ready to fight. Victory is within our grasp. If we were to negotiate now, it would be disadvantageous to our Jurchen tribes. Besides, so many people have died and we haven’t even captured a single city. In open battle, our Eight Banners warriors are already itching for battle.”

"Yes, Great Khan, although Fucha Zhen'ezhen meant well, this battle should also teach Luoyunhou a lesson, otherwise Luoyunhou will think that the Jurchen tribes are afraid of him."

Hauge, the banner chief of the Bordered Yellow Banner, also rose to his feet and echoed, "Victory is assured in this battle."

Seeing that the remaining banner leaders were all eager to try, Fucha Zhen stood there stunned and remained silent. Guarjia wanted to speak up in support, but was interrupted by Huang Jitai's words.

"Very well, since everyone has made their decision, with the Eternal Heaven above, today all the Jurchen tribes here swear an oath that if we win this battle, regardless of the final outcome, the spoils will be divided equally. Helian Chen, raise the Khan's banner and order the Eight Banners warriors to prepare, with two yellow and two red banners on the left flank and two white and two blue banners on the right flank to reinforce the rear. Order the Han Eight Banners and warriors from all tribes to gather 100,000 troops and advance head-on." "Yes, Great Khan."

The crowd rose and shouted. Huang Jitai, unusually dressed in armor, was helped onto his horse by Helian Chen. He then stood on Broken Soul Slope, raised the drum, and boosted morale.

Once the army has assembled.

The army of Marquis Luoyun was already in sight, and Duan Hong, leading a large number of cavalry, was already on guard five miles away from Pingliao City, with the main army following closely behind.

Upon seeing that the various Jurchen tribes had begun to assemble, he relayed the message to the Marquis, explaining the situation on the ground.

"Report, Lord Marquis, General Duan has informed us that the Jurchen tribes are well prepared and have begun to don their armor. Furthermore, the main army has raised its banners and is beating drums on Duanhunpo, southwest of Black Mountain."

now,

Zhang Jinyu, leading his personal guards, walked at the head of the column. Upon hearing the messenger's message, he suddenly froze. Broken Soul Slope—had Huang Jitai forgotten to check the almanac before leaving home, or was it intentional? Everyone says the ancients were superstitious; to plant a banner on Broken Soul Slope was truly rare. He remembered that during the Three Kingdoms period, Liu Bei's strategist, Pang Tong, died at Falling Phoenix Slope. Tsk tsk…
Ningbian noticed something unusual about the Marquis's appearance and asked in a low voice;

"My lord, is there anything amiss?"

"Well, that's not true, but don't you think that Duanhunpo is in Heishan? It might be the burial place of the Jurchen people. Everyone, proceed according to plan."

"Here."

After receiving the order, the generals began to change formation and, after moving behind Duan Hong's cavalry, hastily donned their armor.

Zhang Chuanying's troops, all mounted infantry, arrived at the front first. They dismounted and hastily formed ranks. Most of the more than 10,000 heavily armored infantrymen dismounted and held long spears, waiting for the rear guard to come up. Another vanguard followed to protect the flanks. Zhang Chuanying, clad in heavy armor and holding a long spear, stood proudly at the front of the battle, showing off his power. His personal guards behind him held up banners that fluttered in the wind, making a very conspicuous display.

Soon, the Jurchens reacted!
First, several plumes of dust rose on the horizon—these were messengers rushing by. Then, the Jurchen camp, like a disturbed beehive, resounded with mournful bugle calls. The camp gates swung open, and hundreds of thousands of troops took the lead, slowly advancing like a black torrent towards the southward reinforcements. Their march was slow, maintaining their formation, and they advanced slowly with the support of their cavalry. The heavy footsteps made the earth tremble slightly.

"Reporting, my lord, the Tartars are here!"

Zhang Jinyu frowned, not expecting the Jurchen tribes to be so eager to fight. He then looked at the soldiers around him who were still in armor, raised the commander's flag, and shouted.
"The rear guard should step forward and help the central guard put on their armor. Then, the central guard should form ranks and Duan Hong's cavalry should provide support from both flanks. They must move quickly."

Perhaps due to pre-battle tension, most of the infantrymen were already somewhat flustered. Fortunately, they were well-trained and, under the command of their officers and lieutenants, the army quickly donned their armor and then assembled, forming ranks behind the vanguard. The entire formation was slowly taking shape.

This scene made Huang Jitai's expression turn solemn.
“Helian Chen, these men are veterans under Marquis Luoyun.”

Such perfect discipline and unwavering obedience truly demonstrated their elite strength. Helian Chen immediately stepped into his stirrups, rose to his feet, and peered out. He saw the army slowly moving beneath Marquis Luo Yun's banner, beginning to change formation. In less than a quarter of an hour, the fish-scale formation was complete. His expression immediately darkened.
"Reporting to the Great Khan, it is not clear from a distance, but according to the scouts, the troops stationed in Pingyang City are mostly newly trained soldiers. It seems that these are the new troops recruited by Marquis Luoyun. Otherwise, they would not be able to gather so many armored soldiers. It is said that the Marquis Luoyun family has emptied its coffers accumulated over several generations for these soldiers and armor."

These were all pieces of information gathered by his undercover agents from Pingliao City; whether they were true or false was not important.

"Oh, so that's what they say. Well, it's true. It's indeed difficult to support the entire army outside the pass with one's own strength. So, if we can severely damage the main force of Marquis Luoyun this time, wouldn't that be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?"

Huang Jitai pulled his cloak tighter around him, and the chill around him seemed to intensify.

"Yes, Great Khan, our Eight Banners warriors have never lagged behind in field battles."

Just as Helian Chen was speaking with conviction, the two armies were already in sight from afar.

Zhang Jinyu immediately gave the order.
"Order that within three hundred paces, arrows be rained down, and three volleys be fired to dampen the Tartars' morale."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Immediately, the soldiers in each unit were ready to fire their arrows.

"Give the order! Archers, prepare! Cavalry, mount your horses and form ranks at the rear of the camp, awaiting my command!"

As the Jurchen infantry approached, their speed gradually increased. The cavalry on both flanks quickly broke away from the battle formation and began to charge, instantly charging towards Marquis Luoyun's army. Inside the battle formation, the Jurchen archers and cavalry skillfully divided into several groups, simultaneously drawing their bows and nocking arrows, unleashing a dense rain of arrows at the front of the army!
"Raise your shield! Royal!"

Zhang Chuanying shouted loudly, and the vanguard immediately raised their large shields high.

Ding-ding-ding-ding!

Arrows rained down on shields, cart shafts, and heavy armor. Despite the shields protecting them, many soldiers in the Great Wu army formation were still hit by arrows and fell to the ground, groaning and screaming.

After several rounds of mounted archery suppression, the Jurchen infantry phalanx also came into firing range.
"Archers, prepare. Forward troops, 250 paces, three volleys, fire!"

A powerful volley of arrows from the infantry and archers created a dark cloud that rose from the rear of Luo Yunhou's side, a dense, oppressive mass that momentarily disrupted the formations of both sides. This tactic was proposed by Zhang Jinyu. Since the advantage of armor and weapons could reduce troop losses, they might as well learn from Qin Shi Huang's archery formation. In every siege or battle, the archers would lead the charge, and once they covered the area, they were virtually invincible.

"Archers, prepare! Continue! Fire!"

One shout after another,
Layer upon layer of arrows rained down on the Jurchen army formation. Even with shields and armor, the arrows from Luo Yunhou's army were armor-piercing. Taking advantage of their falling speed, most of the infantrymen were hit by several arrows and fell to the ground dead. Even those who were lucky enough to survive screamed and howled in agony, only to be met with another volley of arrows. Even those who died there perished in an instant. Within two hundred paces, the area became a blank zone. Almost every person who entered died. After more than ten percent of the army of over one hundred thousand was gone, the rest were terrified and hesitated to advance.

The flags held aloft in the army formation were riddled with bullet holes. Among the warriors of the Eight Banners on both flanks, surrounded by his personal guards, Duomin, the banner lord of the Plain Yellow Banner, frowned and immediately shouted loudly.
"Gather your forces, attack both flanks, break through the defenses, and kill!"

"kill,"

With a shout, more than 100,000 cavalrymen swarmed in.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Jinyu's face darkened, and he said sternly;
“Raise shields and spears, fire crossbows in rapid succession.”

Before the words had even finished,
The first wave of arrows came, but unfortunately, the enemy horses were too fast and the cavalry were armored. A few fell off their horses and were trampled into mincemeat. The rest were right in front of them in the blink of an eye.

"The time is almost here."

Duan Hongying's eyes sharpened, and he immediately waved the signal flag. In the rear formation, Marquis Luo Yun's 50,000 cavalry had begun to turn around, preparing to encircle the enemy.

At the vanguard, many soldiers gripped their spears tightly, leaning against the notches of their shields. They could almost see the faces of the Jurchen cavalry.
Zhang Chuanying gripped his short spear tightly and shouted again.
"Javelin throwers, prepare, thirty paces, throw!"

The javelins, over a meter long, were swiftly thrown from the flanks and rear, disappearing into the Jurchen cavalry's charging formation and causing a brief commotion. But in a short moment, everything returned to normal, and they were right in front of them.

The armored infantry phalanx was like an impregnable wall, crushing the Jurchen vanguard formations. At the same time, the Jurchen heavy cavalry poured down like a black torrent, their hoofbeats shaking the heavens, and the shield formations on both flanks crumbled.

"Fill it in, fill it in! Anyone who retreats will be executed!"

(End of this chapter)