I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 405 The Decisive Battle Between the Central Plains and the Grasslands
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Upon learning that the Jin army had begun its northward retreat, Liu Fa personally climbed the watchtower and used a telescope to observe the enemy's movements.

Meanwhile, the Song army had already fully assembled.

The generals of the Song army were all eager to fight and ready to make a big splash.

Among them, Han Shizhong, Wu Jie, Yang Yizhong, Liu Guangshi, Wang De, Zhe Keqiu, Yao Pingzhong, and Yao Youzhong were the most excited.

Looking at the thick smoke rising from the Jin camp, Liu Fa clapped his hands and laughed: "The Jin traitors have fallen into my trap!"

The generals all laughed. They laughed at Wanyan Aguda, who had fought all his life, for falling into a trap and losing his composure.

The evacuation of hundreds of thousands of troops is unlikely to be smooth, especially such a hasty retreat.

Therefore, Liu Fa, who had extensive combat experience, never rushed to issue the order to attack.

It wasn't until dawn, when almost half of the Jin army had withdrawn, that Liu Fa ordered a full-scale pursuit.

By the time the Song army's vanguard reached the Jin army's camp, the Jin army had already withdrawn. The Jin army's abandoned weapons, provisions, clothing, and other supplies were scattered all over the ground, leaving a scene of utter chaos.

At this moment, a scout ran up to report that 30,000 Jin cavalry had been discovered in the vicinity of Dawangzhuang to the north.

Han Shizhong laughed and said, "It was a prudent approach, but unfortunately it was all in vain."

Wu Jie also said, "Indeed."

Just then, an army came up from behind.

Suddenly, a massive cloud of dust rose into the sky, and a heavily armored cavalry force, consisting of three thousand soldiers and tens of thousands of steeds, appeared, its black armor surging like ink waves.

—It was the Jingse Army of the Great Song Dynasty.

The knights of this Jingse Army all wore triple lamellar armor. The outer layer was made of cold-forged wrought iron with plates as dense as fish scales. The breastplate was cast with a beast-face gusset, and the inner layer was inlaid with soft, oil-soaked silk. They wore wrought iron shoulder guards, and their legs were wrapped in iron-plated leg guards that reached their ankles. Even the backs of their hands were covered with spiked iron gloves. The entire set of armor weighed over seventy pounds, but it did not hinder their movements at all.

These armors were all forged by the Qingtang Qiang people of the Western Xia Dynasty.

During its production, this armor was made by cold forging and hammering to reduce the thickness of the original iron sheet by two-thirds, while retaining the unforged "wart"-like area to test the craftsmanship. The cold deformation process hardened the metal, making it able to withstand crossbow fire from within fifty paces, making it the strongest armor of its time.

After the Song Dynasty recovered the Western Xia, it specially recruited the Qingtang Qiang people as national craftsmen to make armor for the Song Dynasty.

After many years of accumulation, the Song Dynasty finally built up this heavily armored cavalry force, whose entire force was made of wart-patterned armor.

Of course, the Song Dynasty also had other armored cavalry, but the armor worn by those armored cavalry units was not wart armor, but armor made by the Song, Liao, and even Jin dynasties.

The Song Dynasty did not want to equip all Jingse Army soldiers with wart armor; it was just that the number of wart armor was too small, so only the Jingse Army in Zhao Yu's personal guard received this treatment.

The warhorses in this army are all of the finest breeds from the west and north. Each one can travel three to five hundred li a day. Their bodies are covered with warts, with only their eyes and four hooves showing. Brass horns are added to their heads, and long-handled broadswords and iron maces hang from the sides of their saddles. The blades are forged with blood grooves, and the maces are covered with sharp spikes, their cold gleam intimidating.

Three hundred cavalry vanguards formed a "arrowhead formation," their longswords pointing diagonally to the sky, their blades gleaming and obscuring the sun; the main force in the center formed a "square formation," with the knights spaced three feet apart, the sound of their armor clashing like thunder rolling on the ground, their footsteps causing the earth to crack; five hundred cavalry on each flank spread out in a "goose wing" formation, their horse armor bells ringing softly with the sound of their hooves, concealing a deadly flanking maneuver.

The soldiers of this army were all selected from veterans of the Western Army who had fought in many battles. They were required to be able to carry heavy loads at high speed and wield swords to break through armor, and were specifically designed to counter the Jin army's light cavalry.

Another 10,000 light cavalry were assigned to serve as auxiliary troops for this army.

At this moment, the Jingse Army marched steadily forward, stepping on the abandoned baggage of the Jin army. Their black formation resembled a moving steel fortress, and every step demonstrated the long-lost deterrent power of the Song Dynasty's iron cavalry, causing all the generals present to hold their breath and their eyes to be filled with shock.

The Jin army active in the Dawangzhuang area was the elite Jin cavalry personally led by Wanyan Xieye.

Wanyan Xie, worthy of being the first commander of the Jin Dynasty, was certain that the Song army would pursue them. Therefore, he planned to ambush and intercept the Song army in the vicinity of Dawangzhuang.

Wanyan Xie originally intended to ambush the Song army, hoping to use a victory to stop the Song army from pursuing the Jin army.

However, the Song army arrived too quickly, giving Wanyan Xieye no chance to ambush them.

Seeing that the Song army had caught up, Wanyan Xie also decided that there was no need for an ambush and ordered a direct charge.

Wanyan Xie also brandished his whip and roared, and 30,000 Jin cavalry surged out like a yellowish-brown torrent. Their iron hooves trampled the land of Dawangzhuang, causing dust to rise and obscure the sun. Their maces and spiked clubs drew sharp arcs in the morning light as they charged toward the Song light cavalry that had caught up first.

The Jin cavalrymen all wore double-layered leather armor, with a few elites covered in thin iron scale armor. Relying on the cavalry's charging power, they charged straight into the Song army's formation, attempting to defeat the Song army in one battle.

Unexpectedly, the Song army's cavalry suddenly parted to the sides, revealing the Jingse army behind them.

Wanyan Xie was greatly alarmed, 'The Jingse Army! This is bad!'

The two armies charged toward each other at high speed, and it was impossible to change tactics any further.

Before they had even reached thirty paces from the front lines, the Jingse Army's spear-shaped array of long-handled swords were all laid flat, like a steel blade meeting the Jin cavalry.

"clang--"

The deafening clang of metal striking metal was deafening. The Jin army's sabers left only white marks on the wart armor, while the Jingse army's long swords cleaved through the Jin cavalry's leather armor as easily as cutting tofu, splitting the rider and horse in two.

The vanguard of three hundred cavalrymen plunged into the Jin cavalry formation like a wedge. As their swords flashed, blood mist gushed out, and screams filled the air. The Jin army's front-line knights fell from their horses one after another, and their formation collapsed instantly.

The central army's main force followed closely behind, crushing forward. Iron maces whistled as they smashed down on the scattered Jin cavalry, the sharp spikes of the hammers piercing skulls and shattering horse bones. Those who fell from their horses were trampled into mincemeat by the following iron cavalry.

The two wings of the cavalry formed a simultaneous encirclement, clamping the Jin cavalry on both flanks like iron pincers. The long-handled swords swept across the Jin soldiers and horses, while the iron maces struck the fleeing knights.

The sounds of clashing armor, clashing weapons, and screams of agony mingled together. Wherever the black steel torrent passed, the Jin army lay dead. The once invincible Jurchen knights now fled in terror, unable to escape the pursuit of the heavily armored cavalry.

This Jingse army was not only heavily armored and indestructible, but also skilled in hunting tactics. They deliberately left narrow passages to drive the fleeing soldiers to gather in pre-arranged low-lying areas. When the Jin army was overcrowded, the ballistae placed behind the lines fired in unison, and the iron arrows pierced through the bodies, pinning the fleeing ranks to the spot.

In less than half an hour, Wanyan Xieye's 30,000 elite Jin cavalry were defeated by the Jingse army.

With the 30,000 elite cavalry of Wanyan Xieye no longer blocking their path, the Song cavalry fully unleashed their pursuit. The Song light cavalry surged across the battlefield of Dawangzhuang like a tidal wave, the dust kicked up by their hooves obscuring the sky, and their sharp blades gleaming in the morning light.

Nearly 80,000 Song light cavalry abandoned their formations, broke into smaller units of 3,000 each, and pursued the fleeing Jin army like hawks swooping down on rabbits.

Soon, in a place called Enhua, the Song army caught up with the Jin army.

The two armies clashed, and the battle was fierce.

Although the Jin army had many cavalry, it was still primarily composed of infantry. The Song army that came to pursue the Jin army consisted entirely of cavalry, including heavily armored cavalry like the Jingse Army.

Crucially, the Jin army was already in disarray due to their hasty retreat, and when they saw the Song army's light cavalry charging in, they were even more terrified.

As a result, the Jin cavalry was defeated by the Song army shortly after the two sides clashed.

Upon seeing this, the Jurchen cavalry, Khitan auxiliary troops, and Han conscripts huddled together, scrambling to flee north.

On the narrow escape route, those who fell in the front were instantly trampled into a bloody pulp by the hooves of the rear army, their screams drowned out by the sound of iron hooves; in their panic and desperate attempt to survive, soldiers even swung their swords at their comrades beside them, blood splattering the military flags, and the once orderly and disciplined Jin army was transformed into a chaotic army trampling each other.

During their escape, with steep cliffs on both sides, countless Jin soldiers lost their footing and fell in panic, leaving trails of blood on the cliffs. Corpses piled up like mountains at the bottom of the ravine, and the cries of agony rose and fell, drowning out the shouts of the pursuers.

The Jin soldiers had no time to carry supplies. The rations on their backs and the weapons in their hands were abandoned. Swords, spears, armor, tents, cooking utensils, and grain bags were scattered along the road, stretching for more than a hundred miles, like a messy "long snake of discarded items".

Even worse, to lighten their load, some tore off their leather armor and threw it on the ground, running around shirtless.

The Song light cavalry pursued the Jin soldiers like wolves chasing sheep. As they chased, the Song soldiers drew their bows and nocked arrows, which pierced the Jin soldiers' backs with precision. When they got close, they swung their swords, and heads rolled and limbs flew off as the swords slashed.

The light cavalry showed no mercy to the routed Jin infantry; wherever their hooves trampled, the infantry fell to the ground. They were either trampled to death or finished off by subsequent knights.

A few Jin cavalrymen attempted to turn back and resist, but due to their scattered formation, they were instantly surrounded and annihilated by several Song light cavalry units. Horse carcasses and human bodies were intertwined, and blood soaked the black soil of the Northeast Plain, filling the air with a strong stench of blood.

The Song army pursued the Jin army for more than 20 miles.

Wanyan Aguda dispatched his elite troops to attack the Song army.

The two armies fought fiercely, and the battle was intense.

In addition, the Jing Sai army was relatively slow and failed to keep up.

In addition, it was dark, and the visibility of both the people and horses was poor.

Finally, the Song army sounded the retreat, cooked their meals, rested, and waited for dawn to clean up the battlefield.

As dawn broke, the morning light pierced the lingering smoke over the battlefield, revealing a horrific scene of corpses strewn across the land.

Along the hundred-mile stretch from Dawangzhuang to Enhua, the corpses of the Jin army lay piled upon pile, their heads intertwined, countless in number. Jurchen knights, Khitan servants, and Han conscripts were mixed among them, some still in a fleeing posture, others clutching their broken weapons tightly.

At the site of yesterday's fierce battle, the corpses of men and horses were piled up, reaching shoulder height. In the low-lying areas, the blood pools had congealed into a dark brown color, making a sticky sound when stepped on. Along the escape route, abandoned weapons were scattered all over the countryside, with swords, spears, and halberds everywhere. Armor and tents were scattered like tattered cotton, and food and cooking utensils were crushed to pieces by horses' hooves. The "long snake of abandoned items" stretching for more than a hundred miles was now even more desolate.

The Song infantry and laborers who arrived later began to clean up the battlefield.

By evening, reports of victory were being compiled in the central command tent: over 53,000 Jin soldiers had been killed, over 32,000 Jin soldiers had been captured, 19 Jurchen noble generals and 46 Khitan and Han generals had been captured, over 21,000 warhorses had been seized (only over 7,000 were intact, the rest were dead or wounded), over 100,000 soldiers and armor, over 30,000 shi of grain, and countless amounts of gold, silver, and other valuables.

After this battle, the Jin Dynasty, which was already just an empty shell, could be said to be no longer a threat.

Liu Fa immediately sent messengers to Tong Guan, Zhong Shidao, and Chen Gou, informing them to join forces to besiege the Jin state.

At the same time, Liu Fa personally wrote a report of victory to Zhao Yu and asked Zhao Yu to send someone to inform Song Jiang and others to guard against the Jin army's return to reinforce them...

……

Wanyan Aguda fled all the way to Gaozhou before stopping.

After a short rest, Wanyan Aguda ordered his Jin generals to gather their troops and return to Gaozhou to await further orders.

Although the wind and rain had stopped, the sky remained dark and gloomy, and the ground was covered with puddles and mud.

Wanyan Aguda stared at the dark sky, his heart filled with despair.

Wanyan Aguda knew very well that after this battle, the Jin Dynasty was probably finished. They had worked hard for generations, and so many people from various Jurchen tribes had died. Now, they might be brought back to their original state by the Song Dynasty, or the situation might even be worse.

To be honest, Wanyan Aguda was very unwilling.

"For generations, we Jurchens have lived between the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River, dwelling in the forests, clothed in ice and snow, and living by hunting. The Khitans regarded us as shepherd dogs, demanding gyrfalcons annually, forcibly conscripting able-bodied men, and slaughtering villages and burning stockades for the slightest disobedience. Furthermore, the Goguryeo people seized our territory. My grandfather died with resentment, my father endured humiliation and hardship, and five generations of us persevered, finally gathering the strength of various tribes to defeat the Liao capitals of Shangjing, Dongjing, and Zhongjing, seizing half of the Khitan's territory and establishing the Great Jin!"

'Unexpectedly, after only a few short years, the Song traitors marched north, destroying our ancestral temples and altars, leaving our Great Jin Dynasty in grave danger. Could it be that Heaven intends to destroy our Great Jin?'

Wanyan Aguda thought a lot. He even considered that after rescuing the Jurchens from the capital city, he could lead them north back to the birthplace of the Jurchens, which stretches from the Yalu River and Changbai Mountain in the south to the middle reaches of the Heilongjiang River in the north and the Sea of ​​Japan in the east.

Wanyan Aguda believed that as long as he brought the Jurchens back to that harsh land, Zhao Yu would let him go, since no one except the Jurchens could live there.

Once this idea appeared, it spread rapidly in Wanyan Aguda's mind and became unstoppable.

Even if the Jurchens retreated to their former territory, they would still have to win a battle against the Song army and rescue the Jurchens who had been captured by the Song army. Otherwise, firstly, the Jurchens who had lost their loved ones might not be willing to return to their former territory with them; secondly, the Song army would most likely continue to pursue them, even all the way to their former territory.

If the Jin army could defeat the Song army, they could use that to negotiate with the Song Dynasty, or at the very least, they could do what their Jurchen ancestors did when they fought against Yelü Abaoji.

Territory is earned through conquest!

When the Jin generals counted the number of troops, they were surprised to find that there were still more than 100,000 Jin troops who had retreated to Gaozhou!

This figure boosted Wanyan Aguda's morale. He went deep into the troops, mourning the dead and wounded, reflecting on his own actions, and selecting outstanding officers for important positions, gradually calming the morale of the troops and stabilizing the situation. The Jin army's strength was restored.

In addition, the Jin armies of Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Zongwang, who had been defeated by the Jin army, also arrived in Gaozhou one after another.

In this way, Wanyan Aguda would have another 200,000 troops at his disposal.

Logically speaking, the Jurchens are invincible if they have less than 10,000 men, but if they have more than 10,000, they are invincible. With this army of 200,000, Wanyan Aguda should have dared to fight a decisive battle against the Song army, especially the Song army in the Jin capital.

However, the Song army's firearms were too powerful, and now they were in a strong position, making Wanyan Aguda somewhat uncertain.

Therefore, Wanyan Aguda recalled all the troops defending the western grassland tribes, and sent people to contact the Tatar tribe and other grassland tribes that had a blood feud with the Song Dynasty. He also sent people to contact the Mongol Kingdom and other grassland tribes and forces in the west, promising them great benefits and explaining the dangers, so that they would send troops to reinforce them...

The decisive battle between the Central Plains and the grasslands is about to begin...

……

(End of this chapter)