Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1190: A Narrow Escape
Southern foothills of Yinshan Mountain

Inside the Right Wise King's tent,

now,

The tent was completely silent. Everyone's eyes were bright as they pondered how to fight this battle in the south. But some people couldn't help themselves.

"The Left Wise King is mistaken!"

Moreover, Helan Hong, one of the Marquis's trusted generals, suddenly stood up, glaring angrily.

"This map was obtained by my king's scouts with their lives. How to use the troops is up to my king! Does the Left Wise King lead his army here to steal the credit?"

His words were heated, and his hand was already on the hilt of his knife.

"presumptuous!"

Lou Fanbu and Lou Shan roared like thunder, their massive bodies rising to their feet. Lou Shan slammed his giant hands on the table, sending wood chips flying.

"How dare you be so disrespectful before the Left Wise King! Without the Left Wise King's 250,000 troops to hold you back, do you really think you can take over the Guanzhong Plain by your own strength? Wishful thinking! This map is the foundation for our great cause together with the Eastern Hu, and the Left Wise King should be in charge of the whole situation!"

The generals behind him, Lou Fan, clamored and pressed their hands to their weapons, their fierce gazes fixed on He Lan Hong and the others.

"Hmph, who is in charge of the overall situation is not for a brute like you to decide."

The wise sorcerer under the Right Wise King spoke in a sinister tone; his voice was not loud, but it clearly pierced through the noise.
"In military campaigns, strategic planning is essential. The Right Wise King has the map first and is familiar with the route, so he naturally has the responsibility of being the vanguard. However, the coordination of hundreds of thousands of troops, the allocation of provisions, the protection of the rear, and even the coordinated attack after breaking through the pass to strike at the heart of the enemy, all require a person of high moral character and prestige who can command the overall situation. The southern desert is the Right Wise King's fiefdom. His Majesty has a noble status and well-established prestige, so it is perfectly justified for him to lead the entire army."

While seemingly fair, every sentence places Qieti Hou in the position of commander-in-chief, and makes no mention of Zuo Xian Wang.

"Bah! You old fox, you so-called demon! Stop with your cunning tricks!"

Hu Lin, the chieftain of the Hu Yang tribe, spat and pointed to Beihe County on the map.
"This place is close to the Jinbei Pass of the Han people, where a large number of troops are gathered. With just cavalry, we can only plunder. It is extremely difficult to capture the city. Therefore, how to enter the pass is of utmost importance. Ghost Cry Cloud Mist Mountain is no small place. If we are not careful, we may not be able to get out and may be in danger of the entire army being wiped out. Furthermore, Marquis Luoyun outside the pass has many troops and generals. If he also sends troops to cut off the rear, it will be troublesome."

Hu Lin's hand moved towards Yunwu Mountain again. The entire route was borderland, and the Great Wu Dynasty had quite a few border troops.

"That's true."

“These Han Chinese border troops are not made of clay. Besides, there really is a road in that place. Many people have gone to explore the road, but no one has ever come back.”

"Who says it's not?"

Another argument broke out, and the tent was filled with discussion.

Only the Right Wise King and Marquis Qieti remained firmly seated in the main position, completely unconcerned about these matters. After a long while, Yizhihuye, with a livid face, shouted.
"enough."

Looking at the Right Wise King, and recalling the path he had taken, he could only lower his head.
"This map was found by the Right Wise King, and the Right Wise King is highly respected. He sits in the central army, oversees the overall situation, and coordinates the various departments. There is nothing wrong with that. So the Right Wise King should still be the commander. My Left Wise King's troops should submit to him. But whoever wins the spoils of war, that's theirs. How about that?"

"Haha, the Left Wise King is truly insightful! Very well! We shall do as the Left Wise King says!"

The Right Wise King laughed heartily and raised his cup again.

"By the Eternal Heaven! The Right Wise King's chief commander will lead the vanguard to explore the Ghostly Cry Cloud Mist Mountain, followed by the Left Wise King's forces from the Loufan, Huyang, and Xishan tribes, along with a coalition of other tribes. I, the King, will command the central army, following closely behind! After breaking through the pass..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled leaders who had fallen silent and were now filled with anticipation, before offering the most tempting prize:
"After breaking through the pass, the army will take all the wealth from the treasuries of the prefectures! All cities, people, livestock, and property plundered by each division will belong to their respective divisions! There is only one condition! You must obey the orders of the central army and must not attack without authorization or miss the opportunity to fight! Anyone who disobeys will be executed by all divisions! After we drink our fill at the Grand Canal and trample the Central Plains, we will then discuss the merits and rewards and divide the territory!"

"Roar--!"

"it is good!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Drink this bowl of wine! Let's rob money! Rob grain! Rob women!"

These promises ignited the most primal desires in the hearts of all the leaders.

Night was approaching.

Only dappled moonlight fell across the grassland, and the distant mountains seemed to lie dormant, with only the constant sound of marching hooves echoing through the air.

Sitting in the carriage, Zhang Jinyu felt sore and uncomfortable all over. Although the journey had been shortened by riding at full speed, the bumpy ride south was far from the smooth official road, making the current route truly unbearable.

"Ningbian, where should we be now? After half a day's march, are we halfway there?"

At this moment, Ningbian had already lit an oil lamp on the table inside the car.

"My lord, a scout reports that General Chuanying has pinned down the fleeing Jurchen troops and they are within sight. However, General Chuanying has ordered his cavalry to slow down and has sent someone to inform you, my lord."

"Hmm, Chuanying is knowledgeable about military affairs. As the saying goes, when the enemy army is in a hurry, even a cornered dog will jump over the wall. The Jurchens should still have nearly 50,000 iron cavalry and more than 30,000 armored soldiers. If they fight to the death, they will definitely suffer a great loss to us. The plan is to wait for them to gather and then encircle and annihilate them. Now, how many troops do we have available?"

Zhang Jinyu suddenly sat up. This time, he had brought all the men who could ride horses, intending to settle the matter in one battle.

"My lord, General Duan's 20,000 vanguard troops, General Wen Yuan's 10,000 iron cavalry, General Chuanying's 30,000 elite cavalry, General Duan's 20,000 veterans also on horseback, and finally, the Lady's 50,000 scouts, along with the Jurchen banners, totaling 150,000 cavalry."

Ning Bian's eyes lit up, his fighting spirit blazing. This time, it could be considered that all the cavalry from beyond the Great Wall had come out.

"It seems like 150,000, but 40,000 of them are unusable. Those surrendered soldiers are not worth relying on. It's better to use 20,000 veterans as mounted infantry. But in the end, it will still be a battle of more than two to one. Besides, Duomin and his men will definitely not have much rations. If Military Advisor Xiao can block their way ahead, what do you think Duomin will do?"

Zhang Jinyu squinted and glanced out the window. All he could see were the torches of the marching troops, stretching like a long dragon. This march, day and night, was a relentless pursuit. If the enemy could endure it, so could he.

"My lord, if Military Advisor Xiao captures Yinzhou, perhaps it won't take you so long to unify the various tribes in southern Liaodong. Duomin fled to the southeast, his destination being Yinzhou City. Given Duomin's cunning and Huyan Han's bravery, the two of them will surely advise Duomin to gather the defeated troops in Yinzhou to rest and regroup. If Military Advisor Xiao succeeds, his supply lines will be cut off, and his soldiers will inevitably lose their morale and be unable to fight. Perhaps tonight, perhaps tomorrow, the decisive battle is just around the corner."

The torches outside the window stretched endlessly, illuminating the black night sky and the grassland with their light. The entire column had slowed down, and many soldiers had begun to change horses, their neighs filling the air.

“You’re right, but in the end, even a cornered beast will fight. Shouldn’t we give these people a chance? If they can surrender, I’m willing to make them rich. Over 40,000 Jurchen warriors are truly rare.”

After all, the Jurchen cavalry under Wuya Yu's command rode in various styles. Fortunately, most of the commanders of thousands and hundreds were from the Marquis's household. The light cavalry numbered over 100,000, their banners capable of slaying Yama. In their previous life, the Mongol iron cavalry swept across the world, and most of them were light cavalry.

"So, what does Your Excellency mean?"

Ningbian was a little unsure. After all, Duomin was the Khan of the Jurchens. Could he really surrender?
"The main force should follow up and surround them. Try to persuade them to surrender. You should know that if one of the Jurchen Gushan Ezhens can surrender, then another can surrender. Who says that those who escaped can't?"

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

A night breeze, carrying a hint of chill, blew into the car, sending a shiver down Zhang Jinyu's spine. She couldn't help but curse under her breath.
"Damn it, this autumn wind outside the pass is really biting cold."

at the same time,

North of Yinzhou City, a battered cavalry force was fleeing for their lives. It was the remnant of the Niru of Yinzhou City. Originally, there were nearly 10,000 men near Yinzhou, but after the battle outside the city, there were less than 100 left, and everyone was wounded. Their morale was extremely low.

The leader of the Niru had long since lost his helmet, his braid was disheveled, his face was covered in soot and blood, his armor was riddled with knife marks and arrow holes, and his eyes were unfocused. He would occasionally look back in fear, as if the pursuers of Marquis Luoyun might appear on the horizon at any moment.

"Master, Master."

The bondservant behind him, sword in hand, rode closer. He was in slightly better condition, but his face was still extremely pale. The near-total annihilation of the Han Eight Banners' elite suicide squad was tearing his heart apart.
"We can't keep running like this. The horses are exhausted. If we keep going, we'll collapse on our own, even without the pursuers!"

The Niru suddenly snapped back to his senses, his eyes bloodshot, and roared:
"Not run? Are you just waiting to be caught and beheaded by Marquis Luo Yun's men?! The Silver Valley... 10,000 troops... just like that, gone! Where did Marquis Luo Yun get 20,000 troops from? And now there are still more than 10,000 cavalry chasing after us."

He was acting like a madman, brandishing his whip, his heart filled with extreme fear. The grain storage in Yinzhou had been seized; how could he explain this to the Khan? The crucial point was that the commander-in-chief was already dead.

The deputy commander of the Han Eight Banners behind him was covered in sweat.

"Master, at the very least we need to catch our breath and slow down the horses to conserve their strength before we can go to Pingliao City to report to the Great Khan. Otherwise, Master, what do you think about the north?"

Before the words were even finished, they saw a large patch of firelight to the north, reflecting off the sky like a fire dragon sweeping in, forcing the group to rein in their horses.

"Where did these troops come from? There are so many of them!" "My lord, they came from the north. Could it be that the Great Khan has returned victorious?"

The deputy commander of the Han Eight Banners looked surprised, and he was also guessing what was going on, but the words of the Niru seemed somewhat frightening.

"That shouldn't be the case; the timing doesn't match."

While they were still in shock, less than a hundred meters ahead, Borcha, the scout commander under Domin, had already led his troops to the group. Seeing the somewhat disheveled Jurchen warriors, he loudly questioned them.
"Where did you come from, you defeated soldiers? What are you doing here?"

"Reporting to the Commander, this humble general is a garrison commander of Yinzhou City. Marquis Luoyun dispatched more than 20,000 troops to launch a surprise attack on the Yinzhou Silver Mine Valley. Commander, you led the garrison to recapture it, but unfortunately, you were ambushed outside the city. Now Yinzhou City has been captured by Marquis Luoyun, and there are still 10,000 pursuers behind us. We have no choice but to flee."

The cavalry, numbering less than a hundred, were all in a sorry state. This was undeniable. However, Borcha's face showed fear. How could Yinzhou City have been captured?

"You lot, come with me to see the Great Khan. Men, keep sending scouts on guard."

"Yes, Commander."

Borcha led the men back with a heart full of fear. The entire army was still moving slowly in order to conserve its strength. Unfortunately, after nearly half a day of travel, both men and horses were exhausted.

"Report, Great Khan, Borcha has returned."

Upon hearing the news from a personal guard, Duomin's expression changed drastically, and he immediately replied.

"Hurry and get him over here."

"Yes, Khan."

In that instant, Borcha, pale-faced, rode over on horseback and clasped his hands in greeting.
"Great Khan, Banner Master Huyan Han, is it impossible to go to Yinzhou City?"

"What? Why can't we go?"

Huyan Han stayed close to Duomin, while Helian Chen, leading the elite troops of the Khan's camp, was still at the back of the group. He was impatient, and his eyes were already showing signs of frustration.

“Commander Huyan Han, Yinzhou City has been captured by Marquis Luoyun in a surprise attack. The soldiers defending the city fled north, but were intercepted by my scouts.”

Borcha's voice was almost icy cold, and the temperature around him seemed to drop even colder. Domin swayed and almost fell off his horse, exclaiming in disbelief.
“Borcha, whether the news is true or false, you should know that there are still more than 100,000 iron cavalry of Marquis Luoyun following behind us, and they are already in sight. If our remnant army cannot find a place to rest, we will be on the verge of collapse.”

"Your Majesty, the person has been brought back, so it can't be fake. Moreover, I have already sent men out to investigate. If there are indeed pursuers, it must be real."

Borcha immediately made way for the less than one hundred figures behind him, who were already in a sorry state, covered in blood. Coincidentally, there was another report coming from ahead.

"Report, report, Great Khan, more than ten thousand cavalry are approaching from more than ten miles to the south."

"Report, Great Khan, the pursuing troops have closed to within five miles. General Helian asks if the Great Khan is increasing the speed of the horses and heading south."

Seeing that they were surrounded in front and pursued from behind, all the generals present were terrified. Upon seeing this, Huyan Han immediately shouted.
"Order the entire army to halt, form ranks to the north, quickly."

"Yes, Chief."

A series of echoes followed, and the mournful sound of a bugle rang out instantly.

Only Duomin reined in his warhorse, looked up at the starry sky, and murmured;

"Huyan Han, could it be that Heaven is going to kill Nüzhen?"

"Great Khan, Great Khan, you must hold on. Marquis Luo Yun is hot on our heels and his troops must be exhausted. If we can talk to Marquis Luo Yun, there might still be a way out. I think Marquis Luo Yun doesn't want to fight to the death."

Ma Jiali, the previously unknown banner chief of the Plain White Banner, has now returned to safety. Since things have come to this, death is the only outcome; only Huyan's anger is unforgivable.

“Ma Jiali, we still have more than 40,000 cavalry. As long as we break out, we can take back Yinzhou. Even if we can’t take it back, there are still so many tribes around. We can plunder their grain and fodder and then return to Danzhou.”

This is a last resort, but the most important thing right now is to break through the encirclement.

“Huyan Han, where are there any small tribes around? Those people have long been bought off by Wuya Yu and have gradually migrated to the Wuya tribe. Where have you seen any of our people along this journey?”

Guarjia snorted coldly. Even now, they are still thinking about good things. If they want to escape, only a few people can take enough food and leave now. But if they leave the main army behind, they will surely be in grave danger.

"Guarjia, what do you mean?"

Huyan Han glared angrily, about to say something more, but Duomin waved her hand away;
"Enough talk. Line up the troops, eat dry rations, and conserve your energy. I, the Khan, will have a talk with Marquis Luoyun."

"Great Khan, why don't you take half of your troops and retreat eastward? I'll cover your retreat here; there's still a chance of survival."

At this point,

Huyan Han was also determined to die, so it would be better to stay behind and lead troops to block the way, thus giving the Great Khan a chance.

Duomin, panting heavily, listened to Huyan Han's words, the calmness in her eyes gradually fading.
"At this point, if he were to flee alone, Liaonan would have no chance to rise again. These last 40,000 troops are the seeds of the Jurchens. If they are all lost, there will be no more Jurchen warriors on this land. Marquis Luoyun is truly the nemesis of the Jurchens."

A fierce and tragic glint flashed in Huyan Han's eyes:

"The Great Khan is the eldest son of the former Khan, and now he is the supreme ruler of the Jurchens! As long as the Great Khan survives, there will be enough warriors after he returns to Danzhou. If all else fails, we can draw troops from various tribes in Jinzhou to come back and help him."

"Jinzhou is gone forever. Since Marquis Luoyun is hot on our heels, you can imagine that Fucha Zhen and the others have surrendered. Jinzhou is lost, Yinzhou City is gone, and only Danzhou remains. Where is the way out for the Jurchens?"

At this moment, the surrounding generals all had slightly red eyes, and the atmosphere was heavy. Huyan Han gripped his steel sword tightly and nodded emphatically:
"Great Khan, if that's the case, then let's go back and test the might of Marquis Luoyun."

"Great Khan, we are willing to die with you."

With each shout, the momentum was already established.

And behind.

After a day's march, it was nearly midnight, and the pursuit had covered almost two hundred li. Wu Yayu's scouts kept sending back messages: they had spotted the tracks of Duomin's main force and were beginning to form ranks and wait.
"My lord, it seems that Duomin and Huyan Han have stopped running away. That means that Military Advisor Xiao has already arrived in Yinzhou."

Hearing the constant reports from the scouts, Ningbian quickly spoke up to analyze the situation.

Zhang Jinyu sneered:
"Hmph, Domin is already cornered! Running away is useless, Ningbian."

"The general is here!"

"Lead the army and press forward."

"I will finally understand!"

Following Zhang Jinyu's order, the army sped up and began to converge on the vanguard.

Just as the two sides were gradually closing in, suddenly, a muffled thunder rumbled through the sky, and the air was filled with moisture.

Inside the carriage, Zhang Jinyu's expression changed; it looked like it was about to rain.

"Quickly, issue the order: the army must speed up its convergence."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Ningbian had just replied when suddenly lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky. How could it happen so quickly?

And at this moment,
Duomin, who was still waiting ahead, also looked at the lightning on the horizon, and suddenly his face lit up with joy, and he laughed wildly:

"Hahaha! By the Eternal Heaven above, Heaven is on my side! Heaven is on my side! Marquis Luoyun! You can't catch up with me!"

Suddenly, shouts rang out from Huyan Han and his army. If it were to rain on the grassland, it wouldn't stop in just a day or two. At that time, the roads would be muddy, and how would Marquis Luoyun catch up?

(End of this chapter)