I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 386: Fenglangjuxu
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Yang Kesheng and fifty elite soldiers changed into the traditional grassland attire, dressed as herdsmen. Each of them carried several bombs and two sharp daggers, or simply tucked a curved knife into their waistbands. They sat around under a tree, waiting for dawn.

As the mountain breeze warms, the shadows among the leaves quietly recede, leaving the distant mountain silhouettes still shrouded in the hazy morning mist. Sunlight filters through the branches, painting the eastern horizon a pale gold, and dappled patterns of light fall on the country lanes. A thin mist, like a veil, swirls among the pine needles and bamboo tips, sometimes entwining vines, sometimes brushing across the blades of grass, rippling in the morning light with faint white waves.

On the main road, the figures of herdsmen began to appear.

Yang Kesheng looked at Yang Keshi, who waved his hand, signaling Yang Kesheng and the others to take action.

Upon seeing this, Yang Kesheng immediately led fifty elite soldiers out of the pine forest in secret. Some of them led cattle and sheep, some led horses and camels with furs hanging on them, and some carried bamboo baskets filled with dairy products. They spread out in front and behind, pretending not to know each other, and walked westward along the main road.

The fifty elite troops were divided into ten groups, each containing Song soldiers from nomadic tribes of the grasslands.

Before long, fifty elite soldiers joined the flow of people entering the city.

In the eastern corner of Khatun City, the Spring Welcoming Gate, like a lurking beast, lay still in the darkness before dawn. Outside the gate, a line of herdsmen waiting to enter the city stretched for half a mile. The sounds of camel bells and whispers mingled in the biting morning wind, and their breaths were blown away as soon as they rose.

At dawn, the sound of clappers echoed from the city walls. The heavy city gate hinges, lubricated with grease, still creaked and groaned. The iron chains of the drawbridge sagged and drooped. The Liao soldiers guarding the city, wrapped tightly in their leather robes and wielding curved swords and spears, began to check each of the herdsmen entering the city.

Yang Kesheng stood in the crowd, his figure as upright as a pine tree, nearly a head taller than the surrounding herdsmen. He wore a felt hat pulled low, but his eyes peered through the gaps in the brim, taking in all the activity at the city gate.

Three of the five Liao soldiers were arranged in a triangular formation, two were checking the travelers' bags, and three were standing at the entrance of the barbican with bows and arrows. On the city tower, more than ten Liao soldiers paced back and forth, their curved swords and spears gleaming coldly in the dim morning light.

Yang Kesheng slowly turned his head and exchanged glances with the elite Song soldiers behind him. The men nodded in tacit agreement, their fingertips secretly pressing on the hilts of daggers hidden under their clothes, or reaching into their fur to retrieve knives, spears, and thunderbolts.

"Hurry up!" The city guard kicked a herdsman in the backside and impatiently snatched the bamboo basket and rummaged through it.

At this moment, the first group of elite Song troops had quietly entered the barbican.

Although this square barbican is not large in scale, it is like a trap. The walls are more than ten feet high and the surface is smooth with no foothold. Only the front and back gates are passable.

As Yang Kesheng watched the rest of the team quicken their pace and step into the barbican one by one, his heart gradually rose to his throat.

Just as the soldiers were about to open the second team member's bamboo basket, Xiao Xiuge and Xiao Lige bumped into each other. Xiao Lige's bamboo basket fell to the ground, scattering barley everywhere. Xiao Lige pointed at Xiao Xiuge and cursed, "You murderer! How dare you harass me, trying to trap me in the enemy's hands!"

Xiao Xiu was also "furious" and grabbed Xiao Li by the collar: "You can't even walk properly, and you blame me instead?!"

The two men instantly started fighting, punching and kicking each other, tearing at each other's clothes, making it impossible to tell that they were brothers.

Five or six soldiers guarding the city were drawn by the sudden chaos and surrounded the two men, drawing their scimitars and pointing their spears at them, shouting sternly.

The Liao soldiers on the stands also peeked out, curiously looking down.

Seeing that the time was right, Yang Kesheng suddenly raised his right arm, drawing a sharp arc in the air.

The Song army's elite troops, which had been poised for battle, moved instantly!
Two elite Song soldiers pounced like cheetahs on the Liao soldiers who had exposed their backs while trying to maintain order.

Before the Liao soldiers could react, two daggers had simultaneously severed their necks, and blood spurted out instantly, splashing onto the barley nearby, a shocking sight of red and white intertwined.

Upon seeing this, the remaining soldiers were about to shout when they were quickly killed by the Song army's elite troops who had already locked onto them, who covered their mouths and noses.

Suddenly, chaos erupted, plunging the herders in the barbican into panic. Screams, cries, and shouts filled the air as people scattered like headless flies. Some desperately tried to push their way out of the city, while others rushed in. In the throng, the elderly were pushed to the ground, children's cries were drowned out by the chaos, and stampedes occurred one after another. The once orderly procession was reduced to a scene of utter devastation, with scattered packs and fallen felt hats strewn everywhere.

Faced with the chaos, Yang Kesheng remained calm. He commanded the elite Song army to split into two groups and rush towards the city gate tower along the steps on both sides of the city gate.

The Liao soldiers on the city wall had already heard the commotion below and, seeing the chaos, were cursing and running down to check the situation. They had just reached the top of the stairs when they ran into the elite Song army rushing up.

The Song army's elite troops did not hesitate to throw out the thunderbolts.

These Liao soldiers, stationed in remote areas, had no idea what this powerful weapon was. They mistook it for an iron lump with a wooden handle and used it to smash things. They didn't have time to think about why it was smoking.

Another Liao soldier, quick-witted and agile, picked up a thunderbolt and tried to throw it back at the Song army.

The Liao soldier had barely grasped the wooden handle of the thunderclap bomb, and before he could even raise his arm for leverage, a burning pain shot through his palm. The fuse burned to its end, sparks flashing a blinding red light in the morning mist, followed by a muffled explosion that resounded like thunder over the barbican.

Stone fragments and broken wood, mixed with scalding hot air, surged outwards, instantly throwing two nearby Liao soldiers into the air, their armor fragments embedding themselves in the city wall like projectiles. The Liao soldiers, caught off guard, were swept by the shockwave and slammed into the battlements, their brains and blood trickling down the cracks in the bricks, leaving dark red trails in the morning light.

Several more thunderbolts exploded in succession on the city tower, thick smoke billowing like ink blots and enveloping the entire gate tower. The Liao soldiers, stunned by the shockwave, struggled to their feet, only to have their necks slashed by the scimitars of the Song army's elite soldiers. Warm drops of blood splattered in the billowing smoke, instantly evaporating into fine mist.

The surviving Liao soldiers were terrified and tried to flee deeper into the city walls, but their path was blocked by the rapidly advancing elite Song troops. Sharp spears pierced their backs with precision, and their bodies rolled down the steps, piling up with their fallen comrades and blocking the retreat of the Liao soldiers who followed.

In the blink of an eye, the city gate was taken over by the Song army.

Yang Kesheng walked up the city wall through the mess on the ground, wiped the bloodstains on his cheek, and looked sharply into the city. He signaled his men to quickly lower the drawbridge to welcome the army outside the city.

The suspension bridge chains creaked and groaned as the winch turned, and the morning frost that had condensed on the chains fell off in a flurry. As the last section of the wooden bridge crashed heavily onto the opposite bank of the moat, dust and ice shards flew everywhere.

At the same time, Yang Kesheng quickly ran to the viewing platform on the city tower, carefully took out two signal flares from his pocket, and lit them.

With two hissing sounds, two streaks of fire shot into the air, followed by two booming sounds as two fireballs exploded in mid-air, and then several grayish-white plumes of smoke slowly descended from the sky.

Seeing this, how could Yang Kesheng and the others not know that Yang Kesheng and his group had succeeded?
The Song army's light cavalry, which had been lined up in formation, immediately set off, with Yang Keshi leading the way.

The elite troops who had previously breached the city were now arrayed on both sides of the city gate, and drops of blood from their blades dripped down their edges, accumulating into small pools of blood on the bluestone slabs.

Yang Keshi, who was in charge, waved his flag to signal the heavy cavalry to spur their horses forward. As their hooves trampled over the city gate, the blood and dust that splattered up stuck to the armor plates on their bellies. Their black manes were whipped up by the wind, blending with the Song Dynasty banners that were raised behind them.

Six thousand Song soldiers quickly assembled in front of the east gate of Khatun City, ready to enter the city.

At this point, Zhang Xian advised Yang Keshi: "We cannot allow all of them to enter the city."

Yang Keshi asked in confusion, "Why?" Zhang Xian replied, "There must be Liao troops here. They left some men behind, firstly to block the enemy, and secondly, in case we fail to capture the city, they can provide support when we retreat."

Yang Keshi thought Zhang Xian was right, so he asked, "Who are you waiting for to stay?"

Gao Shixuan, Yang Kebi, and Yang Kesheng remained silent. It was clear they were all unwilling to stay. Attacking the city was the main objective; staying outside to hold off the attackers was secondary. Who would willingly give up being the protagonist to become a supporting character?
The other five thousand men were all from the Yang family army, while only the one thousand men he brought were from the Yue family army. Zhang Xian smiled slightly and said, "The idea came from me, so naturally I will keep them."

Zhang Xian's troops were equipped with the new Li Lin guns, making them the most powerful in combat. It was indeed appropriate for them to stay behind to block the Liao reinforcements.

Moreover, the Western Army has always been internally united and exclusive of outsiders.

Therefore, it would be best if Zhang Xian were willing to stay.

Before parting, Zhang Xian instructed Yang Keshi: "Prioritize accomplishing great things and do not be swayed by womanly sentimentality."

A cold glint flashed in Yang Keshi's eyes as he said, "General Zhang, rest assured, I will certainly not neglect state affairs!"

After speaking, Yang Keshi led the Song army into the city.

Yang Keshi led his troops into the city, their spears pointing straight into the depths of the streets and alleys. Just as the Liao soldiers at the alley entrance raised their long shields, they were met with a barrage of arrows from the Song army behind them, the arrows piercing through the gaps in the wooden shields and pinning several men to the earthen walls.

The Song cavalry then launched a charge.

Before long, the Liao people who dared to resist had stained half the street red.

At the street corner, more than ten Liao soldiers resisted stubbornly by taking refuge in civilian houses. Arrows shot out from between the window frames, grazing the arm of a Song cavalryman.

Yang Kebi roared, dismounted, drew his sword, rushed to the door, kicked it open, and with a flash of his sword, killed two Liao soldiers behind the door on the spot.

The Song soldiers then filed in, and soon the sounds of clashing weapons and screams filled the room.

A moment later, the Song soldiers came out carrying the heads of Liao soldiers and hung them under the eaves to intimidate the remaining enemy troops.

Outside the Liao army headquarters in the city center, hundreds of Liao soldiers stood in formation, bows drawn and arrows aimed at the Song army.

Yang Keshi waved his hand, and dozens of artillerymen carrying tiger-squatting cannons stepped forward.

The Tiger Crouching Cannon was quickly set up by the Song Dynasty artillerymen on the bluestone pavement. The iron claws at the bottom of the cannon were deeply embedded in the brick seams, and the muzzle was pointed diagonally at the Liao soldiers lined up at the alley entrance. The fuse was ignited by a spark, and with a hissing sound, the Liao soldiers' front-line shield bearers had just pressed their shields firmly against the ground when the cannon spewed out orange-red tongues of fire.

Lead bullets, carrying pebbles and gunpowder smoke, rained down on the Liao army's front lines like a storm. The long shields of the front ranks were instantly pierced, and fragments of wooden shields mixed with lead bullets embedded themselves in the bodies of soldiers in the rear ranks, creating gaps in the formation as if it had been struck by a giant hammer. Before the Liao soldiers could regroup, a second volley followed, the sound of the cannons causing tiles to fall from the houses on both sides of the street.

Several Liao soldiers attempted to charge with their swords, but after taking only two steps, they were struck by flying lead bullets and fell back into their ranks like kites with broken strings. Seeing that their shields and spears were powerless against the cannon fire, the remaining Liao soldiers' formation completely collapsed, and they turned and fled back into the government office.

The Song army's light cavalry immediately pursued and attacked.

In less than an hour, the resistance within the city of Khatun gradually weakened.

Yang Keshi stood in front of the government office, watching his men gather and guard the surrendered Liao soldiers, and then ordered the granaries and armories to be sealed off.

At this moment, faint sounds of fighting came from outside the city. He knew that Zhang Xian's troops were blocking the Liao army's reinforcements. He immediately ordered the city gates to be reinforced and sent Gao Shixuan and Yang Kebi to lead three thousand men out of the city to assist in the battle.

As Gao Shixuan and Yang Kebi left the city, they saw dust billowing across the open fields. Thousands of Khitan cavalry charged in like a dark cloud, their hooves crushing the morning frost, their scimitars gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Zhang Xian's thousand Yue Family Army soldiers were already arrayed in three horizontal ranks, their new Li Lin muskets pointed diagonally forward, the butts firmly resting on their shoulders. The soldiers in the front ranks pulled the triggers, and the synchronized "bang" of gunfire echoed across the open fields, lead bullets raining down on the enemy cavalry. Dozens of Khitan knights at the forefront fell from their horses, their startled steeds rearing up and throwing their riders to the ground, their formation instantly thrown into chaos.

Before the Khitans could regroup, the second rank of new Li Lin guns fired again. Lead bullets pierced the cavalry's leather armor, exploding in sprays of blood on their bodies. The thunder of hooves gradually subsided, and the open field was filled with the neighing of warhorses and the cries of soldiers. A few Khitan knights who managed to break through the barrage of fire, barely raising their scimitars, were struck down from their horses by the butts of their rifles by the third rank of soldiers, and then stabbed to death with bayonets.

Seeing that a frontal assault had failed, the Liao general ordered his troops to split into two flanks to encircle the enemy.

Zhang Xian had anticipated this and ordered two hundred men on each of the left and right flanks to turn around and form a fan-shaped defensive formation.

The flintlock muskets on both flanks fired alternately, the lead bullets weaving a dense net of fire across the open field. The encircling Khitan cavalrymen fell one after another, their corpses and warhorses piling up to form two barriers, blocking any further attacks.

Upon seeing this, Gao Shixuan and Yang Kebi decisively led their troops to join the battle.

The two sides fought fiercely for more than half an hour, and the Liao army gradually became exhausted.

At this moment, billowing smoke and dust appeared in the distance, indicating that Yue Fei was personally leading 5,000 troops to reinforce the area.

Seeing this, the Liao army knew that their situation was hopeless and withdrew their troops one after another.

Yue Fei personally led a large army to pursue the Liao army for dozens of miles, chasing them across the Tula River before withdrawing his troops.

At this time, Tong Guan, who arrived later, had already sent Song troops to take over a number of horse farms around Khatun City, acquiring over 100,000 fine horses.

Tong Guan was not satisfied and ordered the prisoners to lead the Song army to a horse farm further away, hoping to capture all the good horses in Khatun City.

Three days later, news began to come back.

The Song army, which went out to find horse farms, found several more and acquired another 60,000 to 70,000 good horses.

However, there was also bad news: many defeated Liao soldiers, as well as local small tribes, took advantage of the chaos and looted a considerable number of horses.

Logically speaking, such a result is already quite good.

But Tong Guan was not satisfied. He ordered the city of Khatun to be filled with the flags of the Great Song Dynasty, and sent people in the name of the Great Song court to the surrounding small tribes to read out Zhao Yu's imperial edict, demanding that these small tribes come to submit, or they would be killed without mercy. In addition, Tong Guan was also preparing to do something big—to seal the wolf's lair...

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(End of this chapter)