I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 385 Seizing the Gate at Night in Zhenbeitai

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Although Zhao Yu chose to send Tong Guan and the Western Army to seize the more than 200,000 fine horses from Khatun City, Tong Guan had experienced many defeats, such as the defeat in the recapture of Yanyun, and sometimes he was weak in the face of strength.

Moreover, the more than 200,000 fine horses in Khatun City were crucial for the Song Dynasty's conquest of the Jin Dynasty, the various tribes of the grasslands, and its westward expedition to the Western Regions.

Therefore, the battle for Khatun is extremely important; victory is the only option.

To ensure everything went smoothly, Zhao Yu recalled his most trusted general, Yue Fei, and his army from Ji.

The journey to Khatun City was too long, and carrying supplies would be very inconvenient. The mission was also crucial and could not be lost. Therefore, Zhao Yu issued an order to equip Yue Fei's three thousand men with the new Li Lin gun, which was only equipped to the Shenji Army.

This new Li Lin gun (also known as the "flintlock gun") was modified by Li Lin, and its various attributes were better than those of the historical flintlock gun.

The flintlock musket was first widely adopted in France in the mid-17th century (around 1650) and was replaced by the percussion musket in the mid-19th century (around 1848), a period of about two hundred years.

From the 18th to the 19th century, flintlock guns were the mainstream military firearms worldwide.

Taking Napoleon's invasion of Russia as an example, the French army deployed more than 600,000 flintlock troops in a single campaign; during the same period, the flintlock equipping rate of the standing armies of European powers such as Britain and Prussia reached more than 90%.

The biggest change in the new Li Lin gun compared to the previous one is that it relies on the impact of flint and steel to ignite, which greatly reduces the impact of weather. The success rate of ignition in humid environments has increased from 30% for matchlock guns to over 70%.

The main reason why Zhao Yu equipped Yue Fei's troops with the new Li Lin gun was that the environment in the city of Khatun was harsh, and the original Li Lin gun might cause serious problems.

Moreover, soldiers no longer need to carry flammable fire ropes, making them more agile and facilitating close-quarters combat and bayonet charges, while also significantly reducing the risk of accidental fires on the battlefield.

This is also why Zhao Yu equipped Yue Fei's troops with the new Li Lin gun.

In addition, the new Li Lin gun has a relatively simple structure, and its core components (flint and steel wheel) are easy to produce and replace, which can meet the rapid supply and equipment needs of the army in large-scale wars.

Of course, the new Li Lin gun also has its drawbacks:

With an extremely low rate of fire—even highly trained soldiers can only complete two to three full shots per minute (loading, compacting, igniting, firing)—their defensive windows are extremely short when facing rapidly charging cavalry.

Limited range and accuracy – the effective kill range is only fifty to eighty meters. Beyond one hundred meters, the projectile trajectory drops significantly, and the hit rate is less than ten percent. In actual combat, dense queuing firing is often required to compensate for the accuracy deficiency.

The core components are worn out quickly – flint is easily worn down by repeated impacts and usually needs to be replaced every fifty to eighty shots. If battlefield supplies are not timely, the firearm will quickly become a "fire poker".

Nomadic cavalry of the steppes were particularly adept at hit-and-run mobile harassment, relying on their high mobility to avoid direct confrontation and wear down the enemy through mounted archery.

The new Li Lin gun unit can form a 360-degree fire coverage with no blind spots through dense formations, making it difficult for grassland cavalry to find an opening for harassment.

During the Qing Dynasty's campaign to pacify the Dzungar Khanate, the Qing army's flintlock musket units repeatedly repelled the Dzungar cavalry's mobile charges by firing in a line formation, thus breaking their traditional tactical advantage.

The Khitan cavalry were particularly adept at the coordinated tactic of "heavy cavalry frontal assault + light cavalry flanking maneuver," meaning that the heavy cavalry, clad in heavy armor, would attempt to break through the formation, while the light cavalry would take the opportunity to divide and encircle them.

The new Li Lin gun's armor-piercing capability can effectively kill Khitan heavy cavalry; at the same time, the continuous firepower output of the line formation tactic can simultaneously deal with frontal heavy cavalry charges and flanking maneuvers by light cavalry. Compared to the previous bows and arrows (which were difficult to penetrate the heavy cavalry's armor), the new Li Lin gun can directly weaken the core combat power of the Khitan cavalry, rendering their "heavy cavalry breakthrough" tactic ineffective.

With Yue Fei's 3,000 elite troops equipped with the new Li Lin gun as a safety net, Zhao Yu could finally feel completely at ease.

In the days that followed, in order to cope with the extreme environments of the grasslands and deserts and the elite Liao army, the Western Army's preparations were precisely targeted at the pain points of the expedition.

In terms of equipment, the soldiers were equipped with the best cotton armor, which was both warm and lightweight. They were then covered with woolen cloaks to block the wind and sand and to allow the soldiers to rest at night.

Warhorses are fitted with double-layered horseshoes. The bottom layer is ordinary iron hooves, while the top layer is inlaid with non-slip animal bone pieces to prevent them from slipping on sandy slopes and wet meadows. At the same time, the horses are equipped with specially made linen nose guards to filter out wind, sand and miasma.

Sufficient provisions and supplies were prepared without taking up too much space. Special attention was paid to preparing tens of thousands of large water bags to ensure that each animal could carry one large water bag.

In addition, agreements were reached in advance with the grassland tribes that had submitted along the way to establish temporary supply points at key points to store non-perishable fried noodles, cured meat, canned goods and herbs.

After everything was prepared, Tong Guan and Yue Fei led 30,000 troops, accompanied by the Xiao Tabuyan family and other guides, and left the Song Dynasty by train, entering the grasslands.

The train tracks came to an abrupt end at the edge of the grassland, and the procession of 30,000 soldiers, 50,000 warhorses, and 10,000 pack animals, like a giant steel python, slowly entered the boundless sea of ​​desert.

On the first day of their journey, the army encountered the white blizzard unique to the grasslands. The gale, carrying sand and gravel, lashed at the faces of the Song soldiers like sharp blades. Even though they were wearing woolen cloaks, the biting cold still seeped into their clothes through their collars and cuffs.

Following the advice of the grassland guide, Tong Guan and Yue Fei ordered their troops to form a tight square formation. The outer layer was reinforced with heavier supplies, camels, warhorses, and mules, while food and other supplies were surrounded inside. All the soldiers leaned against their warhorses, wrapped themselves in woolen cloaks, and quietly waited for the sandstorm to pass.

Several hours later, after the sandstorm had completely subsided, the earth seemed to have been re-plastered, and the paths that had been covered by the sand were faintly visible again. The Song soldiers slowly emerged from behind their warhorses and pack animals, their faces covered in exhaustion and dust, but thankfully, no one had been killed.

Tong Guan and Yue Fei immediately ordered an inventory of the supplies.

Fortunately, thanks to thorough preparations and strict protective measures, the team suffered minimal losses. Only a few warhorses were startled by the sandstorm and scattered, but they were quickly found by patrolling soldiers. As for supplies, although some woolen cloaks were torn by the sandstorm, the overall provisions, baggage, and water bags remained intact.

On the third day of their march, the army entered a vast salt flat. The ground was covered with a ghastly white frost of salt, making it extremely slippery for horses. Even warhorses fitted with double horseshoes frequently stumbled and fell.

Even more challenging is the scarcity of water along the way; even when water is found, the water has a bitter, salty taste and is undrinkable.

Tong Guan and Yue Fei could only order their soldiers to collect combustibles such as hay and horse manure along the way, boil the water, and replenish the water bags.

The army marched to an area without water, and the large water bags carried by the soldiers were being used up very quickly. Tong Guan and Yue Fei, seeing the water supply dwindling, ordered a reduction in drinking water rations. At the same time, they dispatched several small teams to expand the search area, and finally on the fourth day, they found a hidden spring, replenishing all the consumed fresh water.

Deeper into the heart of the grasslands, resupply became the biggest problem. Although the imperial court had arranged resupply points with the tribes along the route in advance, when the army arrived at the first resupply point, they found that the tribe had already deserted, leaving only burned tents and scattered cattle and sheep skeletons. It turned out that the nomadic tribes at this resupply point had migrated elsewhere in advance, fearing that they would be ravaged by the 30,000 Song soldiers.

—Where the 30,000-strong army passed, the people and horses ate and consumed a lot of resources. In addition, the reputation of the Western Army of the Great Song Dynasty has always been bad, so it is normal for such a thing to happen.

Upon seeing this, Tong Guan and Yue Fei ordered a reduction in food supplies and dispatched grassland cavalry to inquire about nearby nomadic tribes.

The previous nomadic tribe's cleverness backfired. They did migrate, but not too far. More importantly, they were found by the grassland cavalry sent out by Tong Guan and Yue Fei.

Without further ado, Tong Guan made a decisive move, using the pretext that this nomadic tribe of the grasslands was disobedient to the imperial court and had gone back on its word, and sent a large army to plunder half of their grain and livestock to supply the army.

When the army entered the desert, the scorching sun poured down like molten gold, baking the yellow sand until it was scalding hot. Every step they took kicked up fine sand particles, which filled the air as a hazy golden mist.

In the desert, the temperature difference between day and night is extreme; the days are unbearably hot, while the nights are bitterly cold. The Song soldiers, clad in modified cotton armor and woolen cloaks, struggled to move forward amidst these extreme temperature variations. Their warhorses were also exhausted; their double-layered horseshoes struggled to find footing on the soft sand, each step a tremendous effort. The added linen nose guards, worn and tattered by the wind and sand, still stubbornly protected the horses' nasal passages.

The water problem became increasingly severe. Although the Song army had replenished their freshwater supply on the grasslands before entering the desert, water seemed to have vanished in this vast desert, nowhere to be found. The water in the large water bags was constantly being consumed, the soldiers' lips were cracked and peeling, and their throats were parched as if they were being burned by fire.

Tong Guan and Yue Fei were extremely anxious. They knew that if they couldn't find a water source soon, their 30,000-strong army would likely perish in the desert.

Fortunately, the Xiao Tabuyan family was indeed familiar with this area. Under their guidance, the army found an underground river and eventually crossed the desert safely.

When the outline of Khatun appeared on the horizon, the 30,000-strong army was no longer as orderly as when they set out. The soldiers were ragged, their faces covered with the marks left by the wind and sand, and some even had worn-out boots with blood soaking through their leggings.

Tong Guan gazed at the distant city of Khatun and breathed a long sigh of relief; the huge weight that had been hanging over his heart finally lifted.

Yue Fei then ordered his troops to rest on the spot, check their equipment, and replenish their water supply, making final preparations for the upcoming battle to seize the horse.

Khatun City was built with rammed earth, and had a square structure with a perimeter of about four kilometers. The base was thirty-five meters wide, the top was four and a half meters wide, and the height was two to four meters. It was solid and heavy, and could effectively resist foreign attacks.

There are city gates on the east, south, and west sides, each about ten meters wide, with lookout holes for observing enemy movements outside the city. Some city gates also have barbicans nearby; for example, the remains of a square barbican with sides of thirty meters were discovered in the southeast corner, which could have created a pincer attack on the attacking enemy.

The north and south walls each had six ramparts, the east and west walls each had ten ramparts, and there was a corner tower at each of the four corners of the city. The ramparts were spaced appropriately, allowing the defenders to attack the besieging enemy from the flanks, while the corner towers further enhanced the defensive capabilities at the corners of the city walls.

The moat was 10 to 15 meters wide and 2 to 3 meters deep, and connected to the surrounding natural waterways to form a three-dimensional defense network. It could not only block the enemy from approaching the city walls, but also delay the enemy's siege equipment to a certain extent.

If it were a normal attack, the Song army, without siege equipment, would have had a really hard time taking down this city.

Fortunately, Yue Fei suggested to Tong Guan that, taking advantage of the fact that the Liao army was located in the remote northern desert and had no way of knowing that the Song Dynasty would send an army of tens of thousands of men to raid thousands of miles to capture Khatun City, they should send an elite cavalry force to launch a surprise attack on Khatun City.

Tong Guan thought Yue Fei's suggestion was very good, so he decided to send four generals, Yang Keshi, Gao Shixuan, Yang Kebi and Yang Kesheng, to lead five thousand vanguard troops to launch a surprise attack on Khatun City.

Yue Fei was still worried, so he sent his most trusted general, Zhang Xian, with a thousand of his own troops equipped with the new Li Lin gun to accompany them.

Xiao Tabuyan's two older brothers, Xiao Xiuge and Xiao Lige, volunteered to serve as guides.

After a brief rest, the six thousand light cavalrymen galloped through the night. Led by the Xiao Tabuyan family, they arrived undetected at midnight the following night in front of a village called Zhenbeitai, east of Ketun City.

Because it was a long-distance raid, with the army marching more than 300 li in a day and night, both the soldiers and their horses were exhausted and needed rest.

Xiao Xiuge was quite familiar with the roads and terrain here. He pointed with his riding whip to a dark pine forest in front of him and said to Yang Keshi and the other generals, "We will rest here tonight and enter the city at dawn."

Yang Keshi nodded.

Yang Keshi, Gao Shixuan, Yang Kebi, Yang Kesheng, Zhang Xian and other Song generals were all unfamiliar with this place, and they had to follow the arrangements of these Khitan guides.

The pine forest was tall and vast, stretching for dozens of miles. It was autumn, and fallen leaves piled up on the ground. Six thousand cavalrymen entered the forest, dismounted, and rested.

To the north of the woods is a main road running east to west.

Xiao Xiuge said to Yang Keshi, "This road leads directly to the east gate of Khatun City. After dawn, some herdsmen will enter the city from here. At that time, we will arrange some men to follow them into the city and seize the city gate."

Yang Keshi said, "Capturing the city gate is of paramount importance. If we can capture the city gate, this matter will be easy."

Yang Kesheng and Yang Kebi were both younger brothers of Yang Keshi, and Gao Shixuan was Yang Keshi's sworn brother. In this battle, Tong Guan had almost placed all his bets on their family's generals.

At this critical moment, Yang Kesheng stepped forward and said, "Tomorrow I will personally lead men to seize the city gate."

Yang Keshi agreed to Yang Kesheng's request and selected fifty elite soldiers for him who were agile, quick-witted, and fearless. They were all tall and brave, and there were even more than a dozen Hu people among them, including Xiao Xiuge and Xiao Lige.

In the darkness, the faces of the fifty-odd elite soldiers who had been selected were somewhat blurry and difficult to see clearly.

Yang Keshi looked at them and said, "If we succeed in capturing the city gate this time, you will be the ones who have made the greatest contribution, and the imperial court will surely reward you handsomely!"

The fifty elite soldiers were all in high spirits, waiting to make great achievements, bring glory to their ancestors, and secure honors for their wives and children.

It was late at night, the sky was full of bright stars, and the surrounding area was quiet, with only the occasional cooing of a few birds coming from deep in the woods...

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(End of this chapter)