The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 149: Fifty thousand versus thirty thousand, the advantage is on my side!

The simple thrust and retraction of the gun, with perfect timing, is like an art.

The enemies in front of him were endless, but no one could resist Guo Jing's offensive. He was like an indestructible spear head that directly pierced through the Jin army's battle formation. In order to resist the Mongolian cavalry, the Jin Kingdom transferred most of the country's cavalry to the north for defense.

This move cannot be said to be wrong, but it is not right either, because no matter how many troops come, they will just be sent to serve. If no troops come, the Mongolian cavalry will be too mobile, and Henan and Hebei are flat and cannot be defended at all.

Even though the Jin Dynasty had the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, it was unable to defend its vast border. Even the later Ming Dynasty was on the defensive most of the time when facing the Tatars, and it had to set up important military towns on the border to defend its long border.

The Jin Dynasty only had half of the country, how could it defend it?

Like the previous dynasties in the Central Plains, the Jin Dynasty’s defense against Mongolia was based on the Great Wall as its defense line, forts and towns as key defense points, and garrisoned troops as mobile strike forces.

But at this time, Genghis Khan had already conquered the entire grassland and destroyed Western Liao, and there were no more hidden dangers on the flanks. So after the beginning of spring, Mongolia sent elite troops to capture Xuande and Dexing, and continued to capture the states behind the mountains.

Faced with the attack of the Mongolian cavalry, the Jin Dynasty was defeated and unable to resist.

The army led by Guo Jing set out from his fiefdom, Wuzhou, to attack Shanxi. This was not only the order of Genghis Khan, but also Guo Jing's own idea.

Shanxi is a land of mountains and rivers. It borders the Yellow River to the south, Luliang Mountains to the west, and Taihang Mountains to the east. It is the foundation of kingship and hegemony. Since the Tang Dynasty, it has been the birthplace of several dynasties. If we can take over the Shanxi Basin and develop it into our own territory, we can become more independent and expand our influence. At the same time, we can also cut off an arm of the Jin people. If Shanxi is taken, the troops can go straight to Zhongdu.

For this battle, Genghis Khan assembled 100,000 cavalrymen, gave 8,000 cavalrymen to Guo Jing, and ordered him to attack Shanxi to attract the firepower of the Jin border troops.

Genghis Khan led his army into Yehuling again and advanced to Huailai, Jinshan and other places. After a fierce battle, he defeated more than 100,000 Jin troops led by Wanyan Gang, Shuhu and Gaoqi, and pursued them to Juyongguan. However, Juyongguan was well defended and could not be taken by force. He adopted a roundabout encirclement tactic, leaving a small number of troops to attack the pass, and led the main force to the southwest, breaking through from Zijingkou and capturing Zhuo, Yi and other states.

His general Zhebie led elite cavalry to attack Nankou, and Juyongguan was captured by attacking from both inside and outside.

The Battle of Juyongguan shocked the entire Jin Kingdom. It was such a shame that the great Jin Kingdom was beaten so badly and its gates were wide open. The Jin court had to transfer troops from the south to the north for defense.

As a result, the pressure on the Song Dynasty was suddenly reduced. According to the alliance, the Song Dynasty should send troops to the north to attack the Jin Dynasty from both sides. But at this time, the Song Dynasty court made trouble again. They thought that since Mongolia was so powerful, it would be better to watch the fire from the other side of the river. There is no need to start a war.

Therefore, after the Jin soldiers moved north, the Jin border defenses were left empty. The Song Dynasty dispatched 30,000 naval troops to the north to recapture the cities previously captured by the Jin. The Song Dynasty maintained a certain degree of restraint and did not put too much pressure on the Jin.

At this time, Genghis Khan naturally did not know the little thoughts of the Southern Song Dynasty, nor could he care so much. Before the war began, he thought he would be blocked outside Juyongguan. He never expected that the Jin people would be at this point and still dare to fight him in the field.

In the Battle of Yehuling, the Jin Kingdom suffered not only a crushing defeat, but its entire border defense system collapsed. Although Juyongguan was strong, it was just a pass. Without support, it was bound to fall in isolation.

It was nothing like the Ming Dynasty in later generations. Even though the capital was captured by Li Zicheng, the Later Jin was still blocked outside Shanhaiguan.

The defeat of the Jin Kingdom on the front battlefield had such an impact that Guo Jing led 30,000 infantry and cavalry, starting from Wuzhou, and swept straight to Xijing, which is now Datong, Shanxi.

The general defending Xijing was Hu Shahu of the Jin Dynasty. He was an expert in political tactics but a complete idiot in military affairs. Historically, he supported a Jin emperor, thus rising to the top and monopolizing power. Finally, he was killed in the power struggle.

Upon hearing that Guo Jing was leading 30,000 infantry and cavalry to attack Xijing, Hu Shahu of Xijing learned of Guo Jing's age and burst into laughter. He said to the officials around him, "Genghis Khan sent young boys to attack Xijing. This shows that Mongolia is empty-handed."

At this time, there were as many as 50,000 Jin soldiers in Xijing City. With 50,000 against 30,000, the advantage is on my side!

Thanks to Genghis Khan's victory over the Jin army on the front battlefield, the defensive line collapsed completely. Guo Jing easily broke through the Jin army's defense line and reached the outside of Xijing City.

Hu Shahu looked down on Guo Jing, thinking that his achievements in fighting against the Jin people were all exaggerated. A young man who is only 20 years old has made such a great reputation, do you think you are Huo Qubing?

When Guo Jing was leading his army to arrive at Xijing City, Hu Shahu made an important decision. He wanted to go out of the city and fight in the field, defeat Guo Jing on the front battlefield, and establish his prestige.

This kid is so famous. If he can defeat him, it will be a great achievement and he will surely rise to a high position in the Jin court in the future.

At the same time, the capital city of the Jin Dynasty was in mourning. The Battle of Yehuling dealt a heavy blow to the Jin Dynasty, and the fall of Juyongguan caused an uproar throughout the Jin Dynasty, shocking the government and the public.

Against this background, Yang Kang, who had just been appointed as a general of the first army, was recalled by Wanyan Honglie.

Yang Kang hurried into the hall, saluted Wanyan Honglie, and asked, "Father, why did you call me back?"

At this moment, Wanyan Honglie seemed to have aged ten years in an instant. Half of his long black hair had turned white, and his face was covered with more and more wrinkles. Only his eyes remained deep. "Kang'er, we have lost this battle. If we send you north again, I'm afraid you will die on the battlefield."

These words were like a bolt of lightning falling on Yang Kang's head. His journey to gain power had just begun, but now it was going to end?
He gritted his teeth and asked, "We lost? Father, Mongolia has only been established for a short time, how could we lose to them?"

Wanyan Honglie sighed deeply, "Temujin is too powerful, more powerful than I thought. If I had known that he would go to such a state, I should have gotten rid of him earlier. I was careless for a moment and he became a serious threat to my Jin Dynasty."

"This is the battle report from the north. Please take a good look at it."

As he spoke, he handed several secret letters to Yang Kang.

Yang Kang took the secret letter and read it quickly. As he read, his hands began to tremble and sweat broke out on his forehead. The Jin Kingdom lost even more miserably than he had imagined. It was almost a total rout. The Mongols were unstoppable on the battlefield and were almost impossible to resist.

Suddenly, he saw a war report, and jealousy flashed in his eyes. How could that guy...

……

Outside Xijing City.

The Jin commander-in-chief, Hu Shahu, was sitting on a high platform wearing golden armor, with delicate maids serving him. His fat face was full of smiles, and he was not worried about the upcoming war.

In contrast, the generals of the Jin Kingdom standing nearby all had gloomy faces, looking at the Xijing City behind them and sighing. Unlike Hu Shahu, they were all knowledgeable about military affairs. Wouldn't it be courting death to fight the Mongols in the field? In their opinion, the best way now was to rely on the tall city to defend against the enemy. As long as they could not capture the city, they would retreat sooner or later. However, Hu Shahu was determined to make achievements, so they could only obey his orders.

The 50,000-strong Jin army, including 45,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry, was the most elite army of the Jin Dynasty in Hedong.

On the other side, Guo Jing led 30,000 infantry and cavalry to be on high alert. The two sides fought an offensive and defensive battle, he attacked and the Jin people defended. Both sides had basically made their cards clear before the battle. As long as Guo Jing could lead the cavalry to break through the Jin line, the battle would be won.

If the cavalry can't win, he will definitely lose today.

Looking at the city a few miles away, Guo Jing rode on his little red horse, his eyes filled with murderous intent, and he was calm and steady. He laughed at the generals on his left and right and said, "The general of this city is really mediocre. If he had gathered his troops and retreated inside the city, I would not have been able to do anything to him. But he chose to leave the city. This means God is helping us!"

"Haha, the Marshal is right, the Jin people are too stupid!"

After a burst of laughter, Guo Jing led the cavalry to charge, while the infantry behind the cavalry quickly arranged the chariots in the formation of Que Yue Formation, took out bows and crossbows behind the chariots, strung them with arrows, formed a battle formation and defended the camp. The front part of the infantry held spears and shields, guarding on the side, ready to charge at any time.

"Everyone, follow me and kill!"

At the command, the little red horse rushed out with its hooves flying, and the 10,000 cavalrymen behind Guo Jing launched a charge.

On the other side, 5,000 Jin cavalry also rushed out of the front line. There was nothing much to say about the battle between the two armies. The winner lived and the loser died. However, the Mongolian cavalry was completely crushed by the Jin cavalry. The battle became one-sided as soon as the two sides came into contact.

Guo Jing's spear was as fast as a dragon, reaping the lives of the enemy. No one could stop him wherever he went. The little red horse stepped over the corpses rolling on the ground, without any pause in its speed, and the war horses staggered past each other.

At this time, when he was charging, the enemy Jin army attacked from the side. Guo Jing didn't need to take action. His personal soldiers behind him handed out swords from behind and cooperated with their companions to chop off the arm of the Jin cavalryman who failed to put away his gun in time. The cavalryman let out a shrill scream and fell off his horse.

Thousands of people fearlessly extended into the Jin cavalry's formation. Some of them drew their bows and shot arrows while running, and then drew their swords and chopped. The Jin cavalry were still shooting arrows, but the Mongolian cavalry who suddenly rushed in had already fought with them, and sticky blood plasma splattered all over the bodies of both sides.

"Formation!"

Lu Guanying rushed to the front, roaring loudly, and killed the enemy in front of him with one sword. With red eyes, he led dozens of riders to charge forward, slashing and swinging at both sides.

The rows of horse hooves that were lightly stepping on the spot turned into huge thunder that passed across the earth in the next second. Thousands of cavalrymen set off huge waves like mountains and seas in the morning light and crashed forward.

In the gloomy morning light, a huge wall reflecting the cold light of weapons advanced forward, surging like a tide. The undulating charge was like waves, rushing down the small slope with such force that it seemed to crush everything.

On the high platform, Hu Shahu took a look at the scene and swallowed his saliva unconsciously, with deep fear in his eyes. How could the cavalry led by this kid be so powerful?
In less than two quarters of an hour, the outcome of the cavalry battle between the two sides was decided.

"withdraw!"

The Jin cavalry general pulled the reins, turned around and ran, shouting at the top of his lungs to call out to his subordinates nearby, and galloped backwards. Hundreds of Jin cavalry who heard his voice also turned around and ran with him. The rest heard the noise, but it was too late for the people and horses who were caught up in the fight.

The war horses were running, and the Mongolian cavalry left the fighting Jin people and hurriedly withdrew, rushing towards the remaining Jin cavalry in formation. At this time, some cavalry fell off their horses, and seeing their own cavalry collapsed, they hurriedly ran back.

"Let me get on the horse, I haven't got on the horse yet!"

"Boom!"

The thundering sound of horse hooves drowned out all the sounds in the early morning, and headed straight for the fleeing figures and the rear of the Jin cavalry. A soldier who was running with a limp turned around with his spear and swung it, hitting the chest of the charging warhorse. The huge force instantly bounced the spear out of his hand, and the spear pressing down from above pierced his chest, flew high up, then fell to the ground and was caught in countless stampeding horse hooves, torn to pieces.

Guo Jing was still rushing in the front, like a tireless killing weapon, constantly reaping the lives of the Jin cavalry.

Ahead, more slow-running Jin cavalrymen or those without war horses were instantly submerged by the iron hooves amid the sounds of ghosts crying and wolves howling. The sound of bones breaking could be heard from time to time under the horses' hooves, and their internal organs, blood and flesh were scattered all over the mud, leaving a bright red patch on the ground.

Hu Shahu was caught off guard by all this. The Jin cavalry, which were dispersed by the Mongolian cavalry, instead attacked the infantry line of the Jin headquarters while fleeing, causing chaos.

At this time, he understood that he was wrong, but it was too late now. If he allowed the cavalry to break through the camp, it would be truly irreversible. So he ordered the archers to shoot arrows to kill the cavalry who were escaping from the formation, forcing them to flee to other places.

Seeing that the Jin people were attacking his own soldiers, Guo Jing pulled the reins and stopped, waiting for the large cavalry force behind him.

He originally thought that the infantry would cause a commotion, and he would have the opportunity to test the Jin Dynasty's infantry line, but now it seems that the opponent's general still has some brains, and he would give the same order if he were in their place.

When Guo Jing charged into the battle line, the infantrymen following far behind the cavalry also kept moving forward, and the lines of both sides were very close.

Instead, the cavalry disappeared from the front of the formation and flowed to the two wings. He was not so stupid as to leave the infantry alone and use the cavalry to charge directly into the formation. Genghis Khan had no infantry and no soldiers available, and coupled with the inherent advantages of the cavalry, he could only go down this path.

But on the battlefield, he did not rely solely on cavalry. He also had servants to assist him when fighting and attacking cities. Most of these servants served as infantry and cannon fodder.

As Guo Jing's cavalry withdrew from the battlefield, the infantry of both sides began a head-on confrontation. Both sides fired bows and crossbows at the same time. A dense rain of arrows fell from the sky, penetrated the battle formations of both sides, and harvested a wave of lives.

When the arrows ran out, the two sides began hand-to-hand combat.

Twenty thousand infantrymen faced off against forty thousand Jin infantrymen. Compared to the well-equipped Jin infantrymen, Guo Jing's soldiers were much more poorly equipped, and only a few of them had iron armor. These people were at the forefront.

On the other side, Guo Jing sent cavalry to harass the enemy's flank while conserving his horse power and waiting for the next round of charge. Seeing his soldiers dying one after another, his heart was chilled.

He deeply understood that he would have to gradually shift his focus to the infantry in the future, and now was a good time to train the troops, so what did the death of a few people matter?
In fact, the outcome of the war was determined the moment Hu Shahu chose to leave the city and fight in the field.

(End of this chapter)