Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 179 Today, I'll teach the Song people a lesson!

In June 1226, Zhao Shuo led his troops from Yanzhou, Shaanxi, and attacked Jingzhao Prefecture. He subsequently captured Jingzhao Prefecture, Qingyang Prefecture, Fengxiang Prefecture, and Lintao Prefecture, thus conquering all of Shaanxi under Jin control. By this time, it was already November.

It took Wang Ji more than two months to return from his mission to the State of Song.

In the past two months, Zhao Shuo has mainly done three things.

First, relying on an army of over 200,000, the government implemented the equal-field system and the militia system in Shaanxi.

Secondly, they established their own artillery force, based on the artillery units of Wang Alu and Fan Qiao.

Originally, Zhao Shuo mainly used the engineering battalion to build catapults, and in wartime, auxiliary troops cooperated with the engineering battalion to operate the catapults and attack the enemy's fortified cities.

But it is clear that the artillery unit formed by Wang Alu and Fan Qiao is more professional and more effective.

Wang Alu's artillery unit had a total strength of five thousand men, of whom seven or eight hundred were lost in the Battle of Fengxiang. Zhao Shuo transferred some men from the engineering battalion to replenish the force to five thousand.

In addition, Zhao Shuo replenished this artillery unit with three thousand mules and horses to improve their mobility.

Thirdly, Zhao Shuo selected outstanding soldiers from the local militia and replenished the ranks of the Eight Banners' 10,000-household units that had entered Shaanxi with 10,000 men each.

In addition, Zhao Shuo also established the 20,000th household of the Plain Yellow Banner of the Han Army.

The provisional head of this household was not a Han Chinese, but a member of the Ongud tribe named Wang Shixian.

The Ongud tribe submitted to Genghis Khan more than 20 years ago, but that does not mean that all Ongud people are on the Mongolian side.

Wang Shixian's ancestors were relocated to Gongzhou because of their merits to the Jin state.

Gongzhou belonged to Gansu in later generations, but in this era it belonged to Shaanxi.

The Wang family had served as military officers in Shaanxi for generations, using the Han surname "Wang" as their own, and their lifestyle was no different from that of the Han people.

Wang Shixian is also a purely Han Chinese name.

He was a disciplined and well-organized general with 3,000 elite soldiers stationed in Gongchang. Had history unfolded as it should have, Wang Shixian would have surrendered when the Mongol army invaded Shaanxi and distinguished himself in the various wars the Mongols waged against the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the most renowned generals of his time.

Zhao Shuo changed history, and Wang Shixian naturally became one of the gains from Zhao Shuo's conquest of Shaanxi.

Zhao Shuo formed the 20,000th household of the Plain Yellow Banner of the Han Army with 3,000 elite soldiers from Wang Shixian's main force, 3,000 of the most valiant and brave soldiers surrendered from the Jin Kingdom in Shaanxi, and 4,000 outstanding soldiers drawn from the local government.

Without a doubt, this commander of ten thousand households was the weakest in terms of combat strength among the Han Chinese Eight Banners.

Wang Shixian's merits were not enough to qualify him as a Wanhu (a high-ranking official).

Therefore, the title of Wanhu (military commander) of Wang Shixian still has the word "Dai" (acting) before it. Only if he leads this position as the second Wanhu of the Han Army Plain Yellow Banner well and makes enough military achievements can the word "Dai" be removed.

Therefore, among Zhao Shuo's generals, the one who most yearned for war, trained the troops most rigorously, and hoped most that the Southern Song Dynasty would refuse to allow passage through his territory was none other than Wang Shixian.

The news that Wang Ji brought back filled Wang Shixian with immense joy.

Zhao Shuo had long anticipated Song's refusal to allow passage.
After Wang Ji returned, Zhao Shuo immediately issued a "Letter to the People and Soldiers of the Song Dynasty" and ordered the Black Ice Guard to spread the "Letter to the People and Soldiers of the Song Dynasty" throughout the country, especially in Sichuan and Hubei.

In this "Letter to the People and Soldiers of the Song Dynasty," Zhao Shuo first wrote about the long-standing enmity between the Song and Jin dynasties, such as the Jingkang Incident, the "repair of the north's loss to the south," and the humiliating past when the Song emperors had to address the Jin emperors as "subjects," "uncles," or "elders."

Then, Zhao Shuo accused Emperor Zhao Yun of the Song Dynasty of forgetting the blood feud between the Song and Jin Dynasties and becoming a lackey of the Jurchens. He said that Zhao Yun was a shameless and ungrateful person who had forgotten his ancestors and was unworthy to be the emperor of the Song Dynasty.

Finally, Zhao Shuo announced the policy for this journey into the Song Dynasty: as long as all cities along the way were supplied with provisions, Zhao Shuo's army would not harm them in the slightest.

If no provisions are provided, or even if the enemy launches a preemptive attack on Zhao Shuo's army, even firing just one arrow, the city will fall, and all the defenders will be executed. However, the city's inhabitants are innocent; as long as they do not participate in the defense, Zhao Shuo's army will not harm them.

Furthermore, Zhao Shuo's soldiers and officers must ensure fair trade between themselves and the people of Song. Anyone who plunders the people will be beheaded.

Clearly, Zhao Shuo's use of the Song state as a route this time was much more merciful than in previous wars.

It's a simple principle: the Song army's field combat capabilities were average, but their ability to defend cities was exceptional. They held Diaoyu City for twenty years.

If the defending troops resist resolutely, Zhao Shuo might as well confront the Jin Kingdom's Tongguan defense line head-on.

Therefore, he wanted to minimize the defenders' will to resist.

In any case, in less than a month, Zhao Shuo's "Letter to the People and Soldiers of the Song Dynasty" spread throughout Sichuan thanks to the operation of the Black Ice Platform, which had a carrier pigeon system.

It must be noted that in later generations, the Hanzhong area belonged to Shaanxi Province. However, in this era, it belonged to Sichuan Province.

Gui Ruyuan, the Pacification and Control Commissioner of Sichuan, held military and political power over the entire Shu region and Hanzhong area.

Upon seeing the proclamation, he immediately panicked and urgently adjusted the defenses of the Hanzhong line.

The Hanzhong defense line, also known as the Sichuan-Shaanxi defense line, was a defensive system designed and built by the brothers Wu Jie and Wu Lin and managed by the Southern Song Dynasty for nearly a century.

In general, this defense system can be described as having "three passes as gateways and five states as barriers".

The five prefectures refer to Chengzhou, Fengzhou, Tianshuijun, Jiezhou, and Xihezhou in the Hanzhong region.

The three passes refer to the Immortal Pass, the Seven Directions Pass, and the Martial Rest Pass.

South of Dasanguan Pass lies the territory of the Five Prefectures.

The most strategically important location among these five prefectures is the Three Passes. These Three Passes are also known as the "Shu Passes," and only by conquering them can one enter the Shu region.

In other words, the five states served as a barrier to the three passes, and the three passes, in turn, served as a barrier to the Shu region.

Gui Ruyuan's strategy was to "abandon five prefectures and defend three passes." All the regular troops from the other cities in the five prefectures were transferred to the three passes to stop Zhao Shuo's advance.

With the addition of the main force of the Sichuan army brought by Gui Ruyuan, the Song Dynasty now has 70,000 elite troops at the three passes, plus 150,000 Xiang Army troops, making their strength truly formidable.

Gui Ruyuan's own central army was set up at Xianren Pass, the very front.

"This humble servant, Cao Youwen, pays his respects to Commander Gui!"

Cao Youwen, the military officer of Mianzhu who was escorting grain supplies to Xianren Pass, bowed respectfully to Gui Ruyuan, the Pacification and Control Commissioner of Sichuan.

Cao Youwen is the twelfth-generation descendant of Cao Bin, a famous general of the Northern Song Dynasty. He passed the imperial examination last year and was appointed as the "Military Officer of Mianzhu" by the Southern Song court.

An official of the rank of "Military Commandant of Mianzhu" was naturally not qualified to meet Gui Ruyuan. Gui Ruyuan was only willing to meet Cao Youwen today because he was a newly appointed Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) and a twelfth-generation descendant of Cao Bin.

Gui Ruyuan said, "Cao Youwen, you must see me, but do you want to be like those pedantic scholars who criticize me for abandoning the five provinces and letting Zhao Shuo roam freely?"

Gui Ruyuan has been under considerable pressure lately. His decision to "abandon five prefectures to protect three passes" has drawn criticism from numerous court officials.

Are you, Gui Ruyuan, as clever as the Wu Jie and Wu Lin brothers back then?

I asked you to defend the Hanzhong defense line, but you did something terribly: you abandoned half of it from the very beginning. You were incredibly foolish.

Cao Youwen, however, felt that Gui Ruyuan's decision was not entirely wrong.

He shook his head slightly and said, “That’s not the case. Since Wu Xi’s rebellion twenty years ago, the officials appointed by the court to Sichuan have all been quite unpopular, and there have been many mutinies and rebellions in various places. In particular, in Lizhou Road, which borders the Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty, eight years ago, the fierce soldiers Zhang Fu and Mo Jian rebelled and within a month they had tens of thousands of troops and attacked Chengdu.”

Lizhou Road is the collective name for Lizhou East Road and Lizhou West Road. The land of the Five Prefectures was located on Lizhou West Road.

After a pause, Cao Youwen continued, "Although the rebellion of Zhang Fu and Mo Jian was suppressed by the court, the five prefectures were severely weakened by this rebellion, and the soldiers and civilians probably have many grievances against the court. Now that Zhao Shuo has issued this 'Letter to the Soldiers and Civilians of the Song Dynasty,' it would be a waste of military strength for our Great Song to continue to station troops in the five prefectures."

"well said!"

Gui Ruyuan agreed to meet Cao Youwen mainly because he did not want to be known as "arrogant and disrespectful to scholars".

He initially thought, so what if Cao Youwen was the descendant of a famous general? The blessings of a virtuous man last only five generations. Cao Youwen was Cao Bin's twelfth-generation descendant; his reputation was good, but he might not have any real military talent.

The newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) has no experience in officialdom and probably can't offer any insightful opinions.

Unexpectedly, Cao Youwen agreed with his approach!
This was exactly what made Gui Ruyuan, who had been under immense pressure lately, feel like she had found a kindred spirit.

He nodded repeatedly and said, "That's what I think too. Since the five states are indefensible, we shouldn't waste our troops. Concentrating our forces to defend the three passes is the right way."

Cao Youwen shook his head slightly and said, "If the commander only wants to defend the three passes, I'm afraid he won't be able to defend them."

"why?"

"Zhao Shuo pacified Shaanxi under the Jin Dynasty in less than half a year. If the three passes are merely for defense, preventing Zhao Shuo from taking them, he might simply abandon the idea of ​​using the passes to attack the Jin Dynasty and instead launch a direct attack on our Great Song. How should the General respond? He might first seize five prefectures and then slowly attack the three passes. In the long run, can the General hold them off?"

"Then what do you mean?"

Cao Youwen took a deep breath and said, "What I mean is that the commander-in-chief should not be thinking about how to defend the three passes, but how to defeat Zhao Shuo! Only by achieving a resounding victory like the Wu brothers defended Xianren Pass ninety years ago can we prevent Zhao Shuo from ever mentioning the matter of borrowing passage again."

Ninety years ago, Jin Wuzhu, a famous general of the Jin Dynasty, led 100,000 elite troops to attack Xianren Pass, but was defeated by Wu Jie and Wu Lin.

From then on, Jin Wuzhu never again considered taking over Sichuan.

Gui Ruyuan sighed and said, "A great victory? How easy is that?"

"Actually, it's not without hope. Commander Gui still has 70,000 elite troops at his disposal, and the local militia and volunteers in Sichuan number in the hundreds of thousands. With the three passes as a base, it's not impossible to inflict a great loss on Zhao Shuo."

Gui Ruyuan frowned and said with a wry smile, "Although there are many Xiang Army soldiers, they are not very useful."

"The local militia are unusable, but the volunteer militias are not necessarily so. Most of the volunteer militias in Sichuan are controlled by powerful local figures, and there are still some elite soldiers, but they lack armor and powerful crossbows."

The term "powerful figures" refers to local tycoons or sons of officials.

"You said it yourself, these militia members are controlled by powerful local figures. Are they really so willing to risk their own resources to serve the imperial court?"

"They are willing!"

Cao Youwen said confidently, "Actually, these powerful people don't care whether Zhao Shuo is a descendant of Emperor Taizu or even whether he is Han. What they care about is whether Zhao Shuo's conquest of the country will affect their wealth and status."

"Of course it will have an impact!"

Although Gui Ruyuan only became the Pacification Commissioner of Sichuan by flattering Shi Miyuan, he was, after all, a genuine Jinshi graduate of the Song Dynasty and had been in officialdom for more than 20 years. He immediately understood Cao Youwen's meaning.

His eyes lit up, and he said, "Zhao Shuo implemented the equal-field system and the militia system in all the regions he occupied, while our Great Song Dynasty does not suppress land annexation. Would these powerful figures be willing to share the land they have annexed with Zhao Shuo? They are simply mortal enemies with Zhao Shuo! Uncle Yun, Uncle Yun, you have truly awakened me from my dream!"

Cao Youwen, courtesy name Yunshu.

Gui Ruyuan no longer refers to him by his given name, but by his courtesy name, which shows that he already admires him quite a bit.

Cao Youwen then revealed the main purpose of his visit to Gui Ruyuan: "Therefore, I request that Commander Gui issue me an order to contact local militias to serve the country. If they achieve merit, Commander Gui will petition the court for their commendation."

"Of course. I will not only recommend them for credit, but also for you, Uncle Yun! You'll be promoted quickly!"

"Thank you, Marshal!"

Shortly after, Cao You received Gui Ruyuan's order and went to the rear to contact the volunteer elite troops.

In the historical timeline without Zhao Shuo's time travel, Cao Youwen would very likely have started his career in this way.

At that time, the Mongols forcibly requested passage, and the Sichuan Military Command abandoned five prefectures. Cao Youwen "exhausted his family fortune" to raise 5,000 soldiers, who held Tianshui and thwarted the Mongol army's attack.

From then on, Cao Youwen was given important positions by the Southern Song court.

However, while giving away one's entire fortune is easy, recruiting five thousand soldiers doesn't seem particularly difficult either. But could five thousand hastily assembled peasants really defeat the battle-hardened Mongol army?
Isn’t this nonsense?
It is very likely that these 5,000 soldiers were readily available "volunteers" recruited by Cao Youwen, which explains their fighting strength.

However, the Mongol army did not pass through the area until 1230, by which time Cao Youwen had already been promoted and was serving in Tianshui.

It is only 1227 now, and Cao Youwen is just a minor "Military Commandant of Mianzhu". With his current status and position, he cannot get powerful people to cooperate with him, which is why he needs Gui Ruyuan's support.

Moreover, historically, even though Zhang Xuan killed the Mongol envoy, the Song Dynasty did not issue an edict to "ally with the Jin to destroy the Mongols".

Therefore, Gui Ruyuan was not proactive in resisting the Mongol army that forcibly passed through his territory. Cao Youwen naturally wouldn't offer Gui Ruyuan any advice, lest he make a fool of himself.

In any case, Zhao Shuo had already sent out troops when Cao Youwen left Xianren Pass.

The army that set out on this expedition numbered 166,000.

Zhao Shuo left behind a 10,000-household commander of the Han Chinese Bordered Red Banner and 50,000 local soldiers in Shaanxi to defend against the garrison at Tongguan. There were also 80,000 local soldiers responsible for transporting grain and fodder.

The remaining 11,000 main force troops, 80,000 Han Banner troops, 5,000 artillerymen, and 70,000 garrison troops, totaling 166,000 troops, launched an attack on the Song Dynasty.

It was impossible for these 166,000 troops to all take the same route. The reason was simple: the roads from Shaanxi into Sichuan were all narrow paths winding through towering mountains.

With nearly 200,000 troops all taking the same route, not only was the speed too slow, but logistical support was also difficult.

Therefore, Zhao Shuo ordered Guo Baoyu to lead two 10,000-household commanders of the Plain Red Banner and 30,000 soldiers as a detachment to attack Xihe Prefecture of the Song Dynasty from Lintao.

Zhao Shuo himself led the remaining 76,000 regular troops and 40,000 soldiers as the main force of the army, out of Dasanguan Pass, and traveled through the Chencang Road in the high mountains and steep ridges.

The next day, the vanguard of the army arrived at Huangniu Fort, where the garrison provided 1,000 shi of grain.

On the third day, the vanguard arrived at Maling Fort.

Tian Sui, the garrison commander of Maling Fort, refused to pay grain and led 1,400 local soldiers and 1,600 volunteers, a total of 3,000 troops, in a resolute resistance.

There was no need to build any catapults to deal with the small Maling Fort. After three days of bloody fighting, Maling Fort was captured, and Zhao Shuo's army took no prisoners, killing all the defenders, including Tian Sui.

Two days later, Zhao Shuo's vanguard arrived in Fengzhou City.

This place, which later became Feng County in Baoji, was known as the "throat of Qin and Shu, and the key to northern Han," nestled against mountains and by water, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

However, the city's regular army has been completely mobilized, and now only 12,000 local troops and volunteers remain to defend the city.

Fengzhou Prefect Li Shi resolutely resisted, but after discussing with Vice Prefect Zhang Du and Professor Zhang Shuyin, they opened the north gate that night and welcomed Zhao Shuo's army into the city.

In the original historical records, these three men fought together against the Mongol army and died defending the city. However, isn't it the "Northern Zhao Emperor" who is coming, or rather, foreign troops?
Is loyalty to any Zhao emperor not loyalty?

Zhang Du and Zhang Shuyin were unwilling to sacrifice their lives for such a trivial matter.

Zhao Shuo's army easily captured Fengzhou, taking only the money and grain from the government treasury and not harming the common people.

Zhang Du, Zhang Shuyin, and their 730-plus trusted men could no longer remain in Fengzhou and continued their march with Zhao Shuo's army.

Five days later, Zhao Shuo's vanguard arrived near Xianren Pass.

"Your Majesty, please be careful!"

Zhao Shuo's vanguard, the Plain Yellow Banner, stopped seven miles from Xianren Pass.

When Zhao Shuo spurred his horse to arrive and was about to continue forward, Shi Tianni quickly whispered a reminder.

They were currently in a canyon passage between two mountains. While the mountains on both sides could not be called cliffs, they were certainly extremely steep.

To the left and in front, on the mountain peak, there is a large flat area where the Song army had already built a complete camp.

There was no large flat area on the mountaintop to the right for building a camp, and the mountainside was extremely steep. No Song soldiers were found.

This is incredible!

The catapults on the left-hand mountain peaks launch boulders that could completely cover this canyon passage.

Even Zhao Shuo's current location is already extremely dangerous.

After all, who knows how far the Song army's catapults could fire? And what about those divine crossbows that could shoot more than three miles away?

Zhao Shuo pointed upwards with his whip and said, "Is that the camp on that high mountain the infamous Killing Jinping?"

"Yes.

Shi Tianni bowed slightly and said, "Back then, Wu Jie built a large camp here to defend Xianren Pass, which he named Shajinping. There should have been another fortified village in front of Shajinping, called 'Er'ai', but we can't see it from here. Jin Wuzhu led an army of 100,000, but he couldn't even take down Er'ai, let alone Xianren Pass.

Zhao Shuo thought for a moment and said, "The mountains here are so steep. If we send our soldiers to attack Shajinping from the bottom, they'll probably all die before they even reach the halfway point. How exactly did Jin Wuzhu manage to conquer Shajinping back then?"

“He didn’t attack from the foot of the mountain upwards.” Shi Tianni explained carefully: “Jin Wuzhu climbed the mountain directly from a distance, carved a path through the rocks on the ridge, and attacked Shajinping.”

"Is the road that the Jin army carved out of the stone still there?"

"I have sent men to investigate, and the road can still be vaguely seen. However, after all, more than a hundred years have passed, and it will probably need a lot of repairs."

"Then let's begin the repairs. Once the repairs are complete, the artillery battalion will build catapults directly on the mountain. The Eight Banners' ten thousand households will take turns attacking and killing Jinping."

"Yes!"

Faced with such a treacherous pass, Zhao Shuo had no better options than to confront it head-on.

In fact, none of the three passes in the Song Dynasty's Shaanxi-Sichuan defense line were easy to conquer. Relatively speaking, the Chencang Road, where Xianren Pass is located, was the widest and most suitable for large-scale troop movements.

Otherwise, why did Jin Wuzhu insist on attacking Xianren Pass instead of the other two passes?

Now, Zhao Shuo could only trust the soldiers under his command.

"Charge! Kill! Break through Shajinping!"

"First come, first served, and two bright futures await!"

"Behead those who retreat!"

……

Ten days later, the road repairs were completed, and the catapults were ready. With shouts and cheers, Zhao Shuo's Eight Banners army began their attack on Sha Jinping.

The roads built along these mountain ridges could only accommodate a limited number of people, and at most thirty catapults could be placed on them. From a geographical perspective, the Eight Banners army was at a significant disadvantage.

However, it doesn't matter. The Eight Banners army may lack geographical advantage, but it has the support of the people.

Wang Alu and Fan Qiao personally took to the field, and their artillery fire was extremely accurate, offsetting some of the Eight Banners army's disadvantages.

Zhao Shuo's Greek fire, made from kerosene, could inflict devastating damage on the wooden fortresses built by the Song army.

The rest depends on the fighting strength of both sides' soldiers.

After nine days of fierce fighting, Zhao Shuo's Eight Banners army suffered more than 4,000 casualties, but finally broke through Shajinping.

After another six days of fierce fighting, at the cost of nearly three thousand casualties, they captured the second pass.

Then, the true face of Xianren Pass was revealed to Zhao Shuo.

Looking around, the peaks on both sides of the pass stand tall, arranged like immortals, no wonder this place is named "Immortal Pass".

A formidable pass rose up, about three zhang high, with a watchtower every four zhang on the top of the wall. Inside the watchtowers were piled up defensive weapons such as thunderbolts and logs, ready to attack any approaching enemy troops at any time.

What's most disgusting is that the entire city wall is no more than twenty zhang wide, and three or four hundred soldiers could completely block it from the north. In a sense, it could be described as a place where one man could hold off ten thousand.

We still have no choice but to fight head-on!

The road was too narrow, so there was no way to deploy siege equipment. The only option was to increase the lethality of the weapons.

Zhao Shuo spent another seven days assembling the counterweight catapult. The counterweight catapult, along with the triple-bow crossbow, bombarded the walls of Xianren Pass!
Then, taking advantage of the lulls in the attacks, the various banner commanderies began taking turns besieging the city. Even at night, catapults and triple-bow ballistae continuously harassed the enemy, giving them no chance to repair the city walls under cover of darkness.

After thirteen days of fierce fighting, Zhao Shuo's army suffered more than three thousand casualties, and a huge breach had appeared in the walls of Xianren Pass, making it difficult to provide much protection for the defenders.

The moment of the final battle has finally arrived!

It was night, around midnight, inside the Immortal Pass.

"Is everything ready?" Gui Ruyuan asked Cao Youwen with a solemn expression.

Cao Youwen bowed slightly and said, "We are ready. The elite troops from Qifang Pass and Wuxiu Pass have arrived, along with the 30,000 volunteers and 40,000 local militia that I brought. Now our army has 90,000 elite troops. In addition, there are 100,000 local militia here, which makes a total of 190,000 men."

Although offensive battles generally favor the defending side, Zhao Shuo used a kerosene-enhanced version of Greek fire to burn down Jinping and used counterweight catapults to smash Xianrenguan.

The Song army suffered considerable casualties.

In the past month or so, the Song state has lost more than 10,000 elite troops and more than 20,000 garrison troops. Fortunately, Cao Youwen arrived in time with 30,000 recruited volunteers, and the Song state now has more than 90,000 elite troops stationed at the Xianren Pass front.

Cao Youwen said, "We already have 60,000 elite troops who have climbed the high mountains on both sides under the cover of night. We are just waiting for Commander Gui's order to light the fires. The elite troops on the two mountains will charge down, and you will lead the main force out from inside the pass. We will definitely catch Zhao Shuo off guard!"

Gui Ruyuan counted on his fingers: "The Han army under Zhao Shuo's command has a total of six 10,000-household units, which is 60,000 men. Adding Zhao Shuo's own troops, that's a little over 70,000. In recent days, Zhao Shuo has suffered many losses, let's say 10,000. That means he only has 60,000 elite troops left."

"Moreover, after continuous battles, Zhao Shuo's army must be exhausted. Our army has more soldiers and more rotations, so our physical strength is better than Zhao Shuo's army. In theory, our army should be able to win the night raid tonight."

Cao Youwen's face was full of excitement as he said, "Of course. Our army outnumbers Zhao Shuo's by a factor of two, and we also have more elite troops than him. We are also well-rested and ready to fight. How could we not win? In the end, the reason why Zhao Shuo's siege was so successful was simply because of his superior weaponry. If it were a real battle, he might not be our match."

"That's true. The Mongols were able to be invincible because they seized the horse breeding farms of the three prefectures of Fu, Chang, and Huan from the Jin Dynasty. But there's no opportunity for warhorses to gallop in front of Xianren Pass, so he shouldn't be able to gain any advantage."

"So, the time has come. Commander Gui, quickly order the entire army to light the fires and begin the counterattack!"

"Uh……"

Gui Ruyuan felt a little uneasy. All things considered, the Song army had a better chance of winning. But what if they lost?
The fighting prowess displayed by Zhao Shuo's siege troops was truly astonishing. Cao Youwen explained that it must have been Zhao Shuo's most elite force; the average fighting strength of the Eight Banners soldiers certainly couldn't have been that strong.

What he said must be right, right?

If the judgment is wrong, all of Sichuan's elite troops are here, and if they are defeated, the consequences will be unimaginable!
Of course, having said that, with the battle having progressed to this point, Xianren Pass was no longer defensible.

Could Gui Ruyuan possibly change his mind at the last minute?
Gui Ruyuan finally made up his mind and said, "Pass on my order: all troops, light the fires!"

"Yes!"

Cao Youwen accepted the order and left.

In less than a quarter of an hour, three hundred torches on the Xianrenguan city wall were lit almost simultaneously.

follow closely,

Inside the Immortal Pass, in the camp south of the Immortal Pass, 300,000 torches were lit almost simultaneously!
On the high mountains on both sides of Chencang Road, another 120,000 torches were lit!

"Kill the Tartars!"

"Whoever kills Zhao Shuo will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold!"

"Ninety years ago, the King of Wu defeated the Jin! Today, General Gui defeats the Mongols!"

……

The shouts of the Song army were deafening as they rushed out of Xianren Pass and charged down from the high mountains on both sides, launching a fierce attack on Zhao Shuo's camp!
So many torches were naturally another of Cao Youwen's little tricks.

Each person carried two torches, creating the illusion of an army of hundreds of thousands, which terrified the Mongol army and led to a great victory!
However, Cao Youwen's arrangement was destined to be a futile effort.

The majority of Zhao Shuo's main force consisted of fierce and brave warriors who had fought their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Their undefeated record instilled in them extraordinary confidence. They were never afraid of the enemy's superior numbers; they only complained that the enemy had too few heads to earn them enough credit.

The soldiers had also undergone some military training and knew the nature of the Song Dynasty's local troops. In addition, with the support of the Eight Banners soldiers, they were able to maintain their composure.

After climbing the watchtower and observing carefully, Zhao Shuo smiled and said, "Interesting. The Song people are treating me like a scorching sun!"

When Genghis Khan led his army to attack Tayang Khan, he ordered the Mongols to light three bonfires to demoralize Tayang Khan and his army.

The Song army's plan and Genghis Khan's strategy were remarkably similar.

Taerhun, a guard standing nearby, reminded him, "Even if the Song people's torches are a trap, their numbers are still quite large. Your Majesty needs to quickly issue orders on how our army should respond."

"Yes, the Song army is indeed quite large; it seems that the main forces from Sichuan have all been mobilized. Gui Ruyuan is going all in!"

Zhao Shuo thought for a moment and said, "Issue my decree: in the dead of night, it is difficult to distinguish friend from foe in the chaos of battle. Tonight, all units need not attack; simply hold their camps. At dawn, await my command, and the entire army will launch a full-scale attack to annihilate the main force of the Song Kingdom in Sichuan in one battle!"

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)