Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Thirty li northwest of Shenjing, on a gentle slope, lies the artillery array of the Shenji Battalion.

Man Hai's heart turned cold when he saw the camouflage removed from the hilltop, and those huge cannon muzzles looked like enormous "muskets".

He recalled the two firearms attacks he had encountered, and a fear he had never felt before welled up in his heart. He couldn't help but shout at the top of his lungs, "All troops, retreat!"

But with tens of thousands of riders charging and pursuing, the immense momentum of the galloping horses could not be stopped by his hasty order. The vanguard of horses surged uncontrollably up the hillside.

Then a loud bang was heard, and the cavalry at the forefront mysteriously sank into the ground, followed by the warhorses that followed.

The entire cavalry vanguard seemed to be swallowed up by the ground in an instant, the massive cavalry force was halted instantly, and countless warhorses were jammed together.

It turns out that less than ten feet from the bottom of the slope, a pit ten feet wide and nearly two miles long had been dug out, forming a barrier at the bottom of the slope.

This sizable pit was dug by four thousand soldiers over several days, working day and night, to stop a cavalry of tens of thousands at the bottom of the slope.

Jia Cong had just ordered the cavalry to ride straight ahead on their own, following the road signs along the way to reach the slope, in order to pass through the hidden, narrow floating planks set up over the pit.

He ordered the following cavalry to destroy the road signs along the way, which was to erase all traces of the traps set, ensuring that the approaching Mongol cavalry would not notice anything.

Because the charge of tens of thousands of cavalry was so overwhelming, no one could guarantee that the cavalry would not reach the top of the hill and pose a threat to the artillery position under artillery fire.

This massive pitfall served as a final stop for the cavalry formation, providing a last line of defense for this long-planned annihilation battle.

……

At this moment, the artillery positions on the hilltop had been activated, and the deafening fire seemed to destroy the world, completely drowning out the roar of the wild sea.

Numerous gun barrels extended from the slope, firing indiscriminately and densely at the large number of cavalrymen who had fallen into the pit and the cavalry formation that crowded in front of the pit.

With just one volley of three shots, all the cavalrymen in the pit were riddled with holes, and the cavalrymen on the edge of the pit were shot off their horses. Many of the men and women also fell into the pit.

Ten improved red-coated cannons and twenty improved breech-loading cannons were set up on the hilltop, with the muzzle angles adjusted in advance for coverage firing at different distances.

Each artillery barrage fired no fewer than thirty shells. In the densely packed cavalry of tens of thousands, the impact of each shell could easily cause dozens of casualties.

When the first round of artillery fire was completed at the top of the hill, it caused hundreds of Mongol cavalry casualties. The entire cavalry cried out in agony, and the order between them became extremely chaotic.

Even with Man Hai's shrewdness and formidable military prowess, he was utterly powerless to reverse the tide of the devastating bombardment, and the command and communication system of tens of thousands of cavalrymen collapsed instantly.

As the second round of artillery fire rang out, the remnant Mongol cavalry was completely routed. The fierce clash between cold and hot weapons resulted in a one-sided massacre.

Tens of thousands of remnant Mongol cavalrymen were covered by artillery fire, like a pot of boiling water churning and splashing, countless lives were lost every moment, and all resistance was shattered in an instant.

Man Hai, the second prince of the Tu Man tribe, has become meaningless in this cataclysmic blood and fire calamity, merely a creature awaiting death.

Many of the remaining Mongol cavalrymen were terrified and fled in complete chaos to the left and right flanks, but after the first round of artillery fire, musketeers rushed out from behind the hillside.

Taking advantage of the fact that the remaining Mongol cavalry were still in shock from the first round of artillery fire, they quickly flanked the left and right flanks, with more than a thousand men in each formation. Once they had established their positions, they immediately launched an attack.

Instead of firing muskets in volleys, they formed ranks and hurled porcelain grenades at the Mongol army. Countless spheres flew through the sky, landing indiscriminately on the dense cavalry formation.

Each ceramic mine releases an explosive destructive force that may be far less than that of an artillery shell, but the sheer number of shells makes its power comparable to that of artillery.

Even in times of crisis, Jia Cong deliberately forbade the use of porcelain grenades. At this moment, the large-scale throwing of these grenades to kill the enemy was timely and produced astonishing results.

The increasingly dense explosions were released indiscriminately, and the remnant Mongol cavalry's attempt to break through from both flanks was instantly thwarted, with casualties rising rapidly.

At this moment, Jia Cong had already led his troops to retreat from the slope and had ridden his horse around to the top of the slope. He calmly looked down at the remnants of the Meng cavalry, who were like people falling into hell, with no expression on his face.

Ellie, standing beside him, was deathly pale. She murmured, "These cannons are far too powerful. Firearms simply cannot compare. The Tartar cavalry are completely finished."

……

Unable to break through on both flanks, the remnant Mongol cavalry, with nowhere to run, began to turn their horses around and flee backwards, but the cannons on the hilltop were not raised.

However, with dense artillery fire on the front and attacks from porcelain muskets on both flanks, coupled with the chaos of the entire Mongol cavalry, this retreat was extremely inefficient.

Every step of retreat cost countless lives, but some were lucky enough to escape the range of the artillery fire, though they could not escape the fate of annihilation.

Just as these remnants of the Mongol army were about to break through the encirclement, the sound of dense hoofbeats rang out ahead. The 1,700 musketeer cavalrymen who had been lying in ambush on the earthen hill were making their way to the battlefield.

Jia Cong did not order the cannons to be raised because he did not want to accidentally injure his own cavalry. The number of Mongol cavalry was large, and blindly demanding their complete annihilation would inevitably result in the loss of eight hundred of his own men.

These musketeer cavalrymen arrived at the battlefield but did not dismount and form ranks. Instead, they galloped and roamed outside the range of artillery fire, throwing porcelain grenades at the retreating troops.

In such a chaotic battle, there is no time to form ranks. Only porcelain mines are the most effective, as they can quickly create a firepower blockade to prevent the remaining enemy from fleeing.

Moreover, before these musketeer cavalrymen returned to their camp, they had already been equipped with a large number of porcelain mines by Jia Cong, with ample ammunition, and they threw them with all their might and without any hesitation...

The 10,000-strong Mongol cavalry force was thus surrounded on all sides. Under the cover of various types of firepower, casualties increased constantly, and their former arrogance and ferocity had vanished.

After 1,700 musketeer cavalrymen arrived from the rear, the thunderous sound of hooves rang out again in the distance, as Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding led 5,000 elite cavalrymen to reinforce them.

After the five thousand cavalrymen arrived, they immediately dismounted and formed ranks. Under the cover of the fire from the porcelain cannons, they launched several saturation volleys of arrows at the besieged enemy remnants.

After they fired two volleys of arrows, the entire encirclement gradually quieted down, with only countless cries of agony and no more organized struggles or escapes.

Shi Ding's expression was grave. He ordered a halt to the attack, and the artillery positions on the distant hilltop seemed to sense this and stopped firing in perfect unison...

On the hillside, Jia Cong looked solemnly at the corpses scattered all over the ground below, the air thick with the smell of blood, like a scene from hell. Many of the wounded had severed limbs and could not escape death.

Although Ellie was skilled in martial arts and fearless in battle, her pretty face turned pale at the sight before her, showing a look of pity.

He said, "Yu Zhang, the artillery is really too powerful. The artillery fire lasted only half an hour, and it seems that nearly 20,000 Mongol elite cavalrymen were not left alive."

Jia Cong said in a deep voice, "When two states are at war, it's either you die or I die. These Mongols massacred several villages and towns around Wawu Town. They didn't die unjustly."

Those who love war will perish in war; this has been true throughout history…

……

Jia Cong ordered the entire battlefield to be surrounded to prevent any survivors from escaping, and to collect all uninjured warhorses to replenish the 6,000-strong Shenji Battalion.

In this long-range ambush and surprise attack, the Shenji Battalion's two thousand musketeer cavalrymen played a crucial role in both blocking and luring the enemy.

This allowed Jia Cong to fully realize that muskets had insufficient firepower and rate of fire, and that combining cavalry with muskets could greatly compensate for the shortcomings of muskets.

Shi Ding led his personal guard cavalry to the artillery position atop the hill, where he saw Jia Cong giving orders to his guards to search for the enemy commander and ascertain his fate.

Jia Cong saw Shi Ding and hurriedly went to greet him, saying with a smile, "The commander-in-chief has personally led his troops to provide assistance. This humble general is extremely grateful." Shi Ding looked down at the desolate plain below the slope, where corpses lay strewn everywhere and the air was thick with the smell of blood. Many of the remaining Mongol cavalrymen had died in horrific ways, some with severed limbs, others with rotting bodies.

Under the combined attack of artillery and magnetic mines, very few of the dead were left with intact bodies, and countless lost warhorses charged back and forth on the battlefield, neighing and howling in sorrow.

Shi Ding was also a veteran general who had seen many life-and-death situations, but the tragic state of nearly 20,000 cavalrymen under artillery fire was beyond his imagination.

Seeing Jia Cong's shocked expression, he said with a self-deprecating laugh, "Yu Zhang is a master strategist with amazing military skills. Even without my reinforcements, you have already secured victory."

"I didn't witness your pacification of the Jurchen Three Guards with a thousand troops back then, but today's battle has truly broadened my horizons. The Rongguo Jia family's military lineage continues to flourish, their renown undiminished!"

Jia Cong said, "General, you flatter me too much. We were caught off guard and had we not been able to win this battle without your support from the city walls."

I have ordered a search for enemy generals. If any survivors are found, I will immediately interrogate them to ascertain the enemy's movements for future strategic purposes.

However, this battle is not yet a complete victory. There will definitely still be enemy troops entrenched in Wawu Town, right next to the capital of Shenjing. If such a source of trouble is left behind, it will surely cause endless trouble in the future.

After interrogating the enemy general, I believe it would be best to press our advantage and lead our troops eastward swiftly to Wawu Town to annihilate the remaining Mongol elite cavalry.

……

As the two were discussing the next phase of the battle, Jia Cong's personal guard, led by Jiang Xiaoliu, strode in, looking excited and beaming.

He said, "My lord, I just interrogated the wounded prisoners and learned that the commander of 20,000 elite cavalry is none other than Anda Khan's second son, Manhai!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Cong and Shi Ding were both shocked. They had never expected that the enemy commander was such an important figure, being Anda Khan's own son.

Jia Cong didn't pay much attention, but Shi Ding was excited because he knew its value. He asked, "Has Man Hai been found? Is the person still alive?"

Jiang Xiaoliu laughed and said, "Reporting to the commander and the lord, the commander has found the man. He was injured in the thigh by artillery fire, but he won't die. He's still alive and kicking."

The various armies have just finished counting the prisoners, totaling 1,753, most of whom were wounded. The number of enemy soldiers killed is still being counted, and should be over 10,000.

The troops, as instructed by the Earl, have been patrolling the area within several miles of the battlefield, searching for any survivors, but normally no one could escape such artillery fire.

Shi Ding, his expression excited, said, "Yu Zhang, this battle is a decisive victory, a great victory. According to my estimate, the artillery battle annihilated no less than 15,000 enemy soldiers."

Including the initial engagement at the workshop and the ambush from the flank at Shijia Tushan, the combined number of enemies killed was close to 20,000, and the commander-in-chief, Man Hai, was captured alive.

"Since the start of the war against the Mongols, you have undoubtedly made the greatest contribution. My aunt is truly blessed; she would be overjoyed to know of your great victory in the first battle."

Upon hearing this, Jia Cong felt a sense of unease. He felt that Shi Ding's mention of Grandmother Jia at this time was somewhat ulterior motive, but he was too lazy to think about it carefully.

Grandmother Jia was only concerned with her own happiness and whether she had won the battle. She probably just listened and didn't really care, so he had no way to respond to her question...

……

The most urgent task was to interrogate the enemy general. He said to Jiang Xiaoliu, "Bring Man Hai here immediately. The commander and I will interrogate him. Remember to search his body first."

A short while later, Jiang Xiaoliu brought over two personal guards and a disabled Mongol general. The man walked with a limp and his right leg was bandaged.

Jiang Xiaoliu walked up to Jia Cong, handed him a brocade pouch, and said, "When the guards searched him, they found a brocade pouch hidden in his body. It looks rather strange."

When he saw me take the brocade pouch, he went berserk and tried to snatch it back. That beast was incredibly strong; even with his severely injured leg, it took two people to hold him down.

Seeing Man Hai's eyes wide with rage and his expression extremely angry, Jia Cong ignored him and opened the brocade pouch in his hand. Inside were a letter and a map.

The letter was written in Mongolian, which Jia Cong couldn't understand, but he could clearly see the map. The map showed a large range of mountains, which was Yunyan Mountain to the north of Shenjing.

A route was also drawn on the map, which should be the road along the foot of Yunyan Mountain, or even the marching route of this cavalry. Jia Cong's eyes lit up slightly.

He asked, "Manhai, what did the letter say? How many troops does Anda Khan's army have in total? How many troops does each of the three Mongol tribes have, and who are their generals?"

Man Hai arrogantly said, "A defeated general only seeks death. Anda Khan's son is an eagle of the grasslands. To think that he can get military intelligence from me is wishful thinking."

Jiang Xiaoliu stepped forward and slapped Man Hai on the head, cursing, "Our Lord is asking you a question, and you dare to speak rudely? I think you're tired of living!"

Manhai, as the second son of Anda Khan, held a prestigious position on the grasslands. He had never suffered such humiliation before, being reprimanded by a mere soldier. He was truly furious.

He roared and charged at Jiang Xiaoliu, but he was bound and seriously injured in the leg. He took two steps and collapsed to the ground, where he was held down by two guards.

Jia Cong laughed and said, "A defeated general who calls himself a hawk of the grasslands, even the Eternal Heaven would think you shameless. Do you think I can't find out just because you refuse to tell the truth?"
Jiang Xiaoliu took the brocade pouch and told the captured enemy general that their second prince had surrendered to the Great Zhou and had presented the brocade pouch containing the Anda Khan's military order.

However, I cannot fully trust his confession. Therefore, I must interrogate the captured generals to verify it. Those who resist and refuse to tell the truth, or who lie and deceive, shall be beheaded immediately without any leniency!
"As long as they honestly tell the truth, I will spare their heads, and it's not impossible that they will be released and allowed to return north when my Great Zhou achieves a glorious victory."

……

Shi Ding listened from the sidelines and laughed, discovering that Jia Cong was not only an amazing military strategist, but also incredibly cunning in his interrogation and manipulation of people's hearts.

Man Hai was horrified, then flew into a rage: "Jia Cong, you are also a general, yet you are so despicable and shameless, resorting to any means to trick my generals into surrendering."

I have been defeated by a shameless scoundrel like you! Even as a ghost, I will not let you go. One day I will tear you to pieces…

Jia Cong waved his hand impatiently and said to Jiang Xiaoliu, "Gag him, lock him up in solitary confinement, and starve him for two days. That will make him less energetic."

In addition, find surviving translators or people who know both Mongolian and Chinese among the prisoners, and bring them along as well. By comparing their identities with those of others during interrogation, the truth can be determined.

Although Shi Ding held a higher military rank than Jia Cong, he remained silent with a smile, letting Jia Cong handle the preparations while he watched the battle with great interest.

He felt that with Jia Cong's intelligence and strategic acumen, as long as Jia Cong took the lead, he wouldn't need to worry about anything; it would be best to let him handle things.

After that, Jiang Xiaoliu brought in several more groups of captured generals. As for the Mongols who understood Chinese, it was easy to find a few, all of whom were descendants of Han Chinese who had fled north years ago.

Jia Cong interrogated several generals, having different people translate and cross-reference the information. Through subtle questioning, he quickly ascertained the contents of the letter in the brocade pouch.

Furthermore, they inquired about the size of Anda Khan's army, the number of troops from each of the three tribes, the commanders of each tribe, and even the personalities and conflicts of each individual.

After reviewing the interrogation transcript, Jia Cong said, "General, I just ordered a search of the battlefield to prevent any survivors from escaping, in case of any unforeseen circumstances."

According to Anda Khan's military orders, he sent 20,000 elite cavalrymen to sneak into the pass to harass and control the capital, putting the garrison of the three northern passes in a precarious situation.

Although today's battle was a great victory, the news should not be leaked yet. The capture of generals such as Man Hai must not be mentioned at all, and we must guard against the threat of Mongol spies in Shenjing.

Anda Khan's secret military command map is truly a great find. I can use it to design a plan, and by doing the opposite, I may be able to achieve a miraculous victory through ingenious tactics and strategies.

"When the garrison at the three northern passes is defeated, we can turn the tables and the war against the Mongols may be won much earlier..." (End of Chapter)