Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 65: Attacking the Heart is the Best Way

"Brother, do you think it's good or bad for us to do this?" Wei Chang hesitated for a long time before finally asking the question.

At this time, dozens of Song cavalry were preparing their armor and weapons in another open space a hundred steps to the side of the square, making final preparations before the expedition.

Liu Huai was also among them. After sentencing the Zhou family, he did not stop for a moment. He put on armor and carried a sword, ready to fight.

Zhang Baiyu, who was tying Liu Huai's armor, was stunned when he heard this, because what Wei Chang said was not right or wrong, or effect, but good or bad.

Seeing several eyes looking at him, Wei Chang was a little flustered. "Brother, don't you always say that we should unite all forces that can be united? That Zhou family is obviously scared out of their wits. Why don't you forgive him and appease the surrounding powerful people?"

Liu Huai tightened the straps on his wrist armor and responded in a deep voice, "Achang, it's crucial to distinguish between friend and foe. Just as I said at the military meeting a few days ago, the situation in the north is complex. Not all Han Chinese are helpers, and not all Hu Chinese are enemies... Perhaps we need to write some special announcements..."

Seeing the doubtful expressions on the faces of many people around him, Liu Huai smiled and said, "To be frank, I dare not associate with someone who personally stuffed a child into a brick kiln and burned it to ashes. I dare not fight alongside him, nor do I dare to eat the food he transported.

We can't say everyone in the Loyalty Army is a saint, but we are all brave men who disregard life and death to achieve a radical transformation. If we accept such people, the Loyalty Army will become a den of filth and corruption, and even us, the upright men, will lose our integrity. This is called losing the big picture for the sake of the small."

Everyone around burst into laughter when they heard the words "innocence lost".

Amidst laughter, Zhang Xiaoyi and Li Xiu rode up on horseback: "Liu Dalang, there are military orders!"

"explain."

"Commander Wei ordered the cavalry to go ahead, without the need for a guard army, and to rush to Qushan County as quickly as possible."

"Do you know why?"

"The Dongping Army encountered a southerly wind at sea earlier than expected."

Liu Huai nodded and was about to give an order when Zhang Xiaoyi continued, "Commander Liu, this is Li Xiu, who joined my father and uncle in the rebellion. He is the third in rank among our rebels, second only to my father and uncle. I didn't expect to meet you here."

Li Xiu bowed and said, "Greetings, Commander Liu. Time is of the essence. I have only one thing to say. There are still over a thousand refugees on Mount Dayi, without food or clothing. They need your protection."

Liu Huai thought for a moment and asked, "How is Li Sanlang's riding skill?"

"My companions and I are all skilled in archery and horsemanship."

"Alright!" Liu Huai pointed at Zhang Xiaoyi and said, "Brother Xiaoyi, you stay here to assist Mr. Lu in recruiting soldiers and pacifying the people. Li Sanlang, you will lead Zhang Xiaoyi's twenty riders. You will also have six horses, three sets of armor, and two attendants of your choice. Hurry and follow!"

Zhang Xiaoyi and Li Xiu were both stunned. Although they felt a little strange, they had nothing to say and quickly bowed in agreement.

Liu Huai didn't think too much about it. He just thought that since he didn't have time to figure out what kind of person Li Xiu was, he would move him out of the nest and keep him by his side for observation.

After a year apart, who knows how Li Xiu has been spending the past year! Has he already defected?
Since both of them are survivors of the East China Sea Uprising, they should have corresponding prestige within each other's small forces.

"Everyone, wear only your iron crotch and helmet, and set off!"

Around the beginning of the Si hour (nine o'clock in the morning), the Song army, which had rested for a night, set out again and headed straight for Qushan County, the capital of Haizhou, fifty miles away.

As the vanguard of the Song army, Liu Huai's cavalry expanded to 200 horses. Thanks to the military supplies and weapons donated by Gao Anren the day before, the old soldiers gathered by Wei Sheng underwent a comprehensive equipment replacement and upgrade.

Some of the veterans were originally elite scouts and cavalry, but due to a lack of horses, they were temporarily relegated to infantry. Only now had the warhorse supply finally been replenished. As usual, Wei Sheng assigned all of these cavalry to Liu Huai's command.

After abandoning logistics, the cavalry's tactical mobility was extremely astonishing. In less than an hour, Qushan County appeared in Liu Huai's sight.

The county seat of Qushan faces the sea to the east and a small mountain to the south. A small river about twenty steps wide covers the northwest and northwestern sides. The city wall is two feet high, making it a fortified city in Shandong.

The two hundred Song cavalry, including the spare horses, had a total of four hundred war horses. The dust raised by their galloping on the official road could be clearly seen two miles away and could not be blocked at all.

The Jin army itself was already frightened. After Gao Anren's defeat the previous day, Gao Wenfu ordered the city gates to be closed, cutting off all traffic. At the same time, he conscripted young and strong men from the city to defend it, and sent messengers to the Yizhou Prefecture Military Command and the Jin navy for help.

At this moment, he no longer cared about his friendship with Meng Tian, the guardian of the Wuxing Army!

Liu Huai tried his best to control the army to avoid the fields, and at the same time dispersed the people who were farming in the fields, bypassed the foot of the hill south of the city, and appeared under the city wall of Qushan County.

The big flag with the word "Song" fluttered in the wind.

Twenty years after the Shaoxing Peace Agreement, Han troops finally arrived here in the north.

Gao Anren was on the city wall, looking palely at the Song army calmly forming their battle formations, his hands pressing on the parapet trembling unconsciously.

He now felt a little regretful. Why didn't he take his father and escape yesterday? Even if he was responsible for losing the land, he could still save his life by asking for help from his connections.

At this time, they were trapped in an isolated city with no reinforcements from outside and mobs inside. It was like sitting on a volcano.

Even though he knew that the enemy was only cavalry and had no means of siege, Gao Anren was still worried that the mere arrival of the Song army might cause the Han people in Qushan County to riot.

"Erlang, what's Song Gou doing?" Gao Wenfu asked. He was old, his strength and eyesight failing. He could only slump in a chair, holding onto his big belly and breathing heavily.

Gao Anren narrowed his eyes and said, "They seem to be cutting wood, or preparing siege equipment."

Gao Wenfu was surprised: "What? Only 200 cavalry are building ladders and goose carriages? That's not right..."

Although Gao Wenfu was old, he had fought in the founding war of the Jin Dynasty. He still had experience and vision, and he immediately reacted: "They are going to build a flying ladder. The Song dogs are so brave!"

A flying ladder is a simple ladder. An ordinary ladder has two long wooden beams, but a flying ladder has only one. Short wooden beams are tied to the long beam to form the shape of a Chinese character "丰".

Judging from its shape, this ladder is not very stable, but it is very easy to make. Brave soldiers often climb directly on one end of the ladder, and the moment the ladder is placed on the top of the city wall, they can rush directly to the top of the city wall.

This is a famous battle example.

More than 30 years ago, when the Jin army attacked the Song Dynasty, they suffered a setback in Shizhou. Wanyan Tuhesu, who was called the Dragon and Tiger King by the Song people, dismounted and fought on foot. He personally led the soldiers to climb the city wall with ladders and killed all the Song army.

Now, the Song army obviously wanted to use flying ladders to climb the city and tried to capture Qushan County with only 200 cavalry.

One can only sigh that this loyal army is so brave!
However, what Gao Wenfu did not expect was that after several flying ladders were built, the Song cavalry did not immediately launch an attack, but gathered under the city and made loud noises.

(End of this chapter)