I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 396 Yang Zaixing, an Invincible Warrior
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At this time, the Northeast region had a complex terrain, including mountains, plains, and rivers. The Songhua River and the Heilongjiang River had abundant water and meandered through the land. In winter, the rivers froze over, allowing carriages and horses to travel on them. In summer, the waters were calm, and boats could pass through. On both banks were vast forests and fertile plains. The forests were home to many wild animals, such as tigers, bears, and deer, while the plains were rich in water and grass, suitable for nomadic herding and agriculture.

The Jurchen people rose to power in the Songhua River basin. They were primarily composed of the raw Jurchen, but also incorporated elements of the civilized Jurchen and Shiwei peoples.

During the Liao Dynasty, agriculture and animal husbandry in the Taizhou and Zhaozhou areas of the Songnen Plain were already quite developed.

The Jin Dynasty further implemented a policy of "developing the interior" through immigration and a policy of "encouraging and supervising agriculture" to cultivate wasteland. This led to the development of alluvial plains along the Heilongjiang and Songhua Rivers, as well as the vast Songnen and Sanjiang Plains. Iron farm tools were widely used, and the cultivated land area increased significantly. At the same time, fishing, hunting, and nomadic economies remained important. Ethnic groups such as the Jurchen engaged in fishing and hunting during the off-season for farming, while tribes such as the Mongols primarily relied on nomadic pastoralism.

A few years ago, Wanyan Aguda established the Jin Dynasty and made the capital in Shangjing Huining Prefecture (which is now Acheng District of Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province).

And this was precisely the target of Yue Fei's expedition.

After the Song army launched a surprise attack on Yongming City, Yue Fei and Zhang Shuye led 30,000 elite cavalrymen with half a month's worth of military rations upstream along the Songhua River and the Heilongjiang River.

Thirty thousand light cavalrymen galloped through the night, and after three days of marching, they arrived undetected at midnight on the third day in front of a village called Sanjiadian, east of the Jin capital.

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.

The Jurchen guides in the group were quite familiar with the roads and terrain. They led Yue Fei, Zhang Shuye, and others up a nearby high mountain, then pointed with their whips at the Jin capital city of Shangjing, which resembled a lurking giant beast perched on the banks of the Ashi River, and said to Yue Fei, Zhang Shuye, and the others:
"This city consists of an outer city, an inner city, and an imperial city. The outer city wall has a circumference of over ten thousand steps. The imperial city is located in the center, with the inner city surrounding it, and the outer city beyond that. The eastern part of the imperial city is further divided into several units by intersecting corridors, each unit consisting of one or more building foundations. The city walls are built of rammed loess, and the outer layer was once covered with blue bricks. The walls are over ten feet high, reaching two feet high at the most dangerous points, with a rammed earth layer at the base that is over two feet wide and as tight as iron..."

One of the Jurchen guides who was accompanying them pointed to the low wall protruding outside the city wall and said to Yue Fei, Zhang Shuye and others, "There is one of these horse-face walls every eighty to one hundred and thirty steps, and there are eighty-nine of them in the whole city."

Following the direction of his finger, and by the bright moonlight, Yue Fei, Zhang Shuye, and the others, using their telescopes, saw that the ramparts protruding from the city walls were arranged in a sawtooth pattern. Each rampart had crenellations at the top, allowing the defending soldiers to hide behind them and shoot enemies climbing the walls from the side. The ramparts were even more densely packed on the western and southern walls of the southern city, directly facing the imperial city, clearly a crucial element in protecting the core area.

The guide added, "There are seven more city gates here with barbicans. Even if our army breaches the outer gates, we will be trapped inside the barbicans. At that point, a hail of arrows will rain down from the city walls, and we will have no chance of escape..."

Yue Fei, Zhang Shuye, and others used telescopes to observe the barbicans and found that they were indeed similar to what the guide had described.

Yue Fei then used his telescope to examine the corner tower at the edge of the city. It was a three-story tower; from its vantage point, one could see everything happening within a radius of several miles. Beside the tower, the moat stretched out, about three zhang wide, its bottom still damp with soil, clearly indicating that the Ashi River had once been used to create a wide and deep water barrier encircling the entire city. The city walls were littered with haphazardly piled logs and stones, as well as the turret mounts for catapults.

Zhang Shuye said to Yue Fei, "With these city walls, ramparts, barbicans, and moats, and without cannons, I'm afraid a direct assault would be difficult to breach the city."

Zhang Xian also said: "When defending the city, these arrows and stones poured down from the city walls, and even with thousands of troops, it was difficult to climb the city walls."

After hearing this, Yue Fei said, "In that case, let's gamble with the Jin people on who can be faster."

After speaking, Yue Fei asked in a deep voice, "Where is Yang Zaixing?"

As soon as Yue Fei finished speaking, a junior official, who was only fifteen or sixteen years old, stepped forward from the crowd.

He was dressed in indigo coarse cotton armor, his figure tall and robust, yet he could not conceal the vigorous spirit of youth.

He had a sharply defined oval face, with wispy bangs fluttering slightly in the mountain breeze, revealing a full and broad forehead. His two sword-like eyebrows slanted sharply towards his temples, their peaks as black and sharp as ink, as if carved by a knife and axe. His eyes were slightly deep-set, but his almond-shaped eyes were strikingly bright, their pupils as black as a deep pool. When gazing at the distant capital city of Jin, his gaze was so sharp it seemed to pierce the morning mist, and occasionally, a youthful liveliness would flash in his eyes.

His nose was high and straight, with a slightly upturned tip, adding a touch of arrogance. His lips weren't wide or full, but the lip line was clear, and the color was a healthy pale red. At this moment, they were pressed into a tight line, carrying an unyielding stubbornness. His jawline was clean and sharp, and the lingering boyishness intertwined with the heroic spirit between his brows, giving him both the ruggedness of a mountain boy and the sharp edge of a future warrior capable of defeating ten thousand men.

"Your subordinate is here!" Yang Zaixing stepped forward and clasped his hands in greeting.

Yue Fei looked at Yang Zaixing and asked, "If I give you a hundred elite troops, can you take the city gate?"

Yang Zaixing replied with great confidence, "If I fail, I am willing to offer my head in return!"

Yue Fei didn't waste any words and personally selected one hundred elite soldiers for Yang Zaixing, including Wang Lan, Gao Lin, Luo Yan, Yao You, and Li De.

Next, Yue Fei quickly made arrangements to seize the gates of Jinshangjing City based on the current situation and terrain.

Several Jurchen guides led Yue Fei, Zhang Shuye, and their 30,000 troops into a dark poplar forest.

This poplar forest is very tall and the woodland is very open, stretching for dozens of miles. More than 30,000 Song soldiers hid in it without anyone noticing.

It was late autumn, and the ground was covered with piles of fallen leaves that rustled underfoot, as if the earth were whispering softly. The night wind swept through the treetops, carrying a hint of chill, and rustled the poplar branches and leaves, as if playing a prelude to an impending battle.

Wearing cotton armor and wrapped in a cotton quilt, Yue Fei sat on a pile of withered leaves and fell into a deep sleep.

Silent all night.

Two hours later, the darkness in the forest was gradually dispelled, and the faint morning light pierced through the branches and leaves, weaving dappled shadows on the ground. The shadows of the trees in the distance were still shrouded in a hazy mist, but on the eastern horizon, a few pale streaks of light, like fish bellies, had already peeked through the branches, illuminating the pale blue sky.

Zhang Shuye, who was on night duty, came to Yue Fei's side and shook him: "Pengju, it's dawn."

Upon hearing this, Yue Fei immediately opened his eyes and went to Yang Zaixing and the others who were already prepared. He instructed them, "You must be careful. This battle to capture the city gate is crucial and cannot be lost."

Yang Zaixing and his companions were all agile and their eyes revealed fearless courage and firm determination.

Yang Zaixing clasped his hands in a fist salute and said in a loud and powerful voice, "Commander, rest assured, we will certainly not fail in our mission!"

By this time, many Jurchens had already passed by on the main road.

Yang Zaixing glanced at Yue Fei.

Yue Fei nodded, signaling to Yang Zaixing and the others that they could proceed.

Yang Zaixing immediately waved his hand: "Let's go!"

The bold and meticulous Wang Lan immediately led ten elite Song soldiers out of the woods. Some carried vegetable baskets, some carried bundles of firewood, and some carried bamboo baskets. They pretended not to know each other and walked along the main road towards the Jin capital.

Yang Zaixing then led his precious horse and ten elite Song soldiers out of the woods. He and the ten elite Song soldiers disguised themselves as a young Jin general and his entourage, and walked along the main road toward the Jin capital.

One hundred elite Song soldiers were divided into ten groups, and they set off in groups, soon merging into the flow of people entering the city. The eastern gate of the Jin capital was called Dayan Gate, and more and more people gathered outside the gate to wait to enter the city, gradually forming a long queue.

At dawn, the city gates opened, the drawbridge was lowered, and people began to enter or leave the city in turn.

Five or six soldiers were on duty at the city gate, carrying weapons and checking each pedestrian entering the city.

As soon as the drawbridge reached the same level as the opposite bank, Wang Lan mingled with the group carrying firewood and approached the city gate, her eyes quickly scanning the Jin soldiers guarding the city.

Three Jin soldiers stood guard at the entrance, each wielding a long spear. Two leaned against a gatepost, conducting a search, while the third stood inside the barbican, a copper bell in his hand, the token at his waist gleaming coldly.

Wang Lan quietly took out a short blade hidden in the bundle of firewood and tapped the carrying pole lightly with her knuckles. Luo Yan, who was carrying a bamboo basket in front of her, immediately understood.

Luo Yan approached a golden man leading a horse and stabbed the horse's rump with his short knife.

The horse suddenly felt pain, let out a long neigh, and reared up, kicking wildly. The Jin man leading the horse was startled by this unexpected turn of events and loosened the reins, shouting loudly in an attempt to quell the situation. The surrounding crowd panicked, scrambling to make way, and the previously orderly procession entering the city instantly descended into chaos.

The chaos immediately attracted the attention of two Jin soldiers, who came over to deal with it while cursing.

Just as the Jin soldiers approached, Wang Lan suddenly dodged behind one of them, and with a flash of cold light, her short blade sliced ​​across the neck of the Jin soldier on her left.

At the same time, Luo Yan's short knife had already pierced the chest of the Jin soldier on the right, and his spear fell to the ground with a clang.

Just as the Jin soldier standing by the gatepost was about to draw his sword, Gao Lin suddenly darted out from the side. He grabbed the Jin soldier by the hair and slammed him against the city gate. With a muffled thud, the Jin soldier collapsed to the ground.

"Enemy attack!" The bronze bell inside the barbican suddenly rang, and the sound of clashing armor immediately came from the city tower.

Seeing this, Yang Zaixing leaped onto his steed, his spear flashing like a silver dragon emerging from the sea, and thrust straight at the Jin soldiers guarding the gate.

A Jin soldier raised his shield to block, but the tip of his spear pierced through the wooden shield, pinning him to the city gate.

Another Jin soldier swung his sword, but Yang Zaixing flipped his wrist and swept his spear horizontally, knocking the sword away. Then, he thrust the spear shaft forward, sending the Jin soldier flying several feet before he crashed heavily against the wall of the barbican.

The Jin soldiers on the city wall had already drawn their bows and arrows, and it looked like a rain of arrows was about to pour down on them.

At this critical moment, Yao You led twenty elite Song soldiers to throw thunderbolts at the city wall.

Twenty thunderbolts traced arcs in the air, some striking the pillars of the city tower, others rolling directly into the Jin soldiers' arrow formation.

The next moment, a series of loud "boom-boom-" sounds rang out, as if the city tower had been smashed by a giant hammer. The wooden beams trembled and made a "creaking" sound, and gravel and wood chips flew down like a rainstorm.

The Jin soldiers closest to the blast were blown away by the blast wave, their armor shattered into pieces of iron, and they fell from the city wall with screams.

The Jin soldiers who had drawn their bows and arrows were instantly killed or wounded by the explosion. Many Jin soldiers, out of fear of the power of the thunderbolts, jumped off the city wall regardless of the casualties.

A thunderbolt struck the oil drums stored on the city wall, splattering the flammable oil and quickly igniting the combustibles on the wall. Crackling flames shot into the sky, turning half of the city wall orange-red, and thick smoke billowed up, obscuring the morning light.

Yang Zaixing seized the opportunity and spurred his horse toward the city wall.

The Jin soldiers inside the barbican had surged forward, and the centurion leading them brandished his spiked club, roaring as he smashed it down on Yang Zaixing.

Yang Zaixing neither dodged nor evaded, thrusting his spear straight at the centurion's heart. The centurion hurriedly used his mace to block, but the spear tip struck him so hard that his tiger's mouth split open.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yang Zaixing spun around and swept his spear across the centurion's knee. As the man fell to his knees, Yang Zaixing thrust his spear into the centurion's back, then pulled it out. The blood from the spear tip splashed onto the city bricks, like blooming red plum blossoms.

At the same time, Wang Lan and others rushed towards the winch and engaged in a fierce struggle with the Jin soldiers.

These elite Song soldiers thoroughly implemented Yue Fei's "Thunderbolt and Three-on-Three Assault" tactic, which involved first using thunderbolts to disorient the enemy, then charging in groups of three to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

This fighting style can be used to defeat enemies several times larger than oneself.

Just as the battle was at its most intense, a golden general rushed over and turned the winch, attempting to lower the drawbridge.

Li De leaped forward and engaged the Jin general in battle.

Jin was a skilled warrior, and Li De was no match for him, so he could only fight him by hit-and-run tactics.

Seeing this, Wang Lan rushed behind the Jin general, swung her sword and severed the Jin soldier's arm. Then, together with Li De, they turned the winch, and the drawbridge steadily descended.

The Jin soldiers on the city wall were still putting up a stubborn resistance. Yang Zaixing, alone with a spear and a horse, was invincible. In no time, he killed over a hundred people and charged up the city wall by himself.

Once on the city wall, Yang Zaixing seemed to be possessed by a god of war. He stood atop the city tower with his spear in hand, his eyes blazing. Hundreds of Jin soldiers were so frightened by him that they all retreated.

Yang Zaixing smiled coldly, spurred his horse forward, and continued the fight.

Before long, only Yang Zaixing remained on the vast city wall.

At this moment, Yao You shouted, "The city gates are open!"

With Yao You's shout, the Dayan Gate was completely pushed open.

Wang Lan then lit the signal cannon.

A moment later, the deafening sound of horses' hooves echoed from the poplar grove. Yue Fei led 30,000 elite cavalrymen, rushing towards Yingchun Gate like a tidal wave...

……

(End of this chapter)