You have truly caused me great suffering!

Wu'an, belonging to Mingzhou in Hebei West Circuit, was a key military location in Hebei West Circuit.

When Wanyan Zongwang's army marched south, Wang Lin, the garrison commander of Mingzhou, surrendered without a fight.

Wu'an, as a county under the jurisdiction of Mingzhou, fell along with Mingzhou and became a "rear base" for the Jin army.

Wanyan Zongwang stockpiled grain and fodder here as a rear base for the attack on Tokyo.

After a brief rest, Liu Guangshi led his troops straight to the walls of Wu'an City.

They encountered only a few scattered Jurchen scouts along the way, and without offering any resistance, they turned and fled eastward.

At this point, more and more people have noticed that something is wrong; things are going too smoothly.

However, the vanguard cavalry had already tasted the benefits and were eager to storm into the city as soon as possible to plunder again.

The area outside Wu'an City had already changed before the Jin army marched south.

It turns out that after the Jurchen Eastern Route Army entered Wu'an, they did not show any mercy just because the people there had surrendered voluntarily.

They continued to act on their nature, utterly ravaging and destroying the military town.

They used the same old method of abducting people and forcing them to work. When the city was first breached, in order to prevent the Song people from taking back the city and holding it, they forced the people to dismantle the fortifications.

Later, they planned to occupy the area, stockpile grain, and besiege Tokyo, so they forced them to rebuild the city.

The Jurchens showed no regard for the lives of the people, driving them to work day and night without providing them with food or water.

Every day, a large number of civilians died, and their bodies were filled into the moat. Then, a thick layer of soil was spread on top, almost completely filling in the already dilapidated moat to make it easier for them to ride their horses.

As for the government offices, temples, and civilian houses in the city, they were in even worse condition, completely ruined.

When the cavalry of Fuyan Army arrived at the walls of Wu'an City, there weren't many soldiers guarding the city.

This made Wang Shigu somewhat doubtful. Could it be that he had guessed wrong, and that Master Liu was right?

Are the Jurchen Tartars really that weak, or are they preparing to retreat and concentrate their forces from the east and west to fight Chen Shao in a decisive battle?

These are all analyses made by Master Liu. In this era, there are many people who don't even have the ability to talk about strategy on paper.

Just as he was hesitating, cheers erupted from the main road to the west.

Wang Shigu was startled. The battle hadn't even started yet, so why were there cheers behind him?

He quickly turned around and saw dozens of barbarian riders suddenly appear on the road.

Wang Shigu immediately curled his lip, saying, "It's not too late for you, Little Liu, to show off your power after we've taken Wu'an City!"

Is it really that urgent?

The dozens of barbarian cavalrymen at the head of the group were all skilled horsemen, riding fine steeds from Hexi.

Because Chen Shao did not restrict the trade of horses, many of the Western Army of the Song Dynasty emptied their coffers to equip their private soldiers and guards with warhorses from the Hexi region.

In the past, Fuyan Road would never have been able to gather enough warhorses for 5,000 cavalrymen.

Chen Shao was so generous mainly because he was short of money, and the Song army was never the enemy he imagined.

Giving them warhorses wouldn't help.
The newcomers were all dressed in splendid brocade robes and clad in gleaming iron armor. They sat upright on their horses, each holding a large banner.

The Western Army didn't have these things before, so it must be said that Liu Guangshi had his own unique insights.

It's fortunate that he was only Liu Yanqing's son; if he had switched places with Cai You, he probably would have become Zhao Ji's most trusted close advisor.

He's really good at creating drama, especially this kind of superficial stuff.

These large flags are all square, unlike the triangular flags commonly used in the military.

The flags were all plain brocade, and each one had the character "Liu" sewn on it with gold thread!
The first flag, larger and wider than the others, was held aloft amidst the dust and smoke. Four characters were sewn on it in gold thread, and the personal name of the commander of the Fuyan army was clearly written on it.

Today marks the first time the Jurchen Eastern Route Army has faced a direct confrontation since its southward advance.

Despite Zong Ze's thirteen victories in thirteen battles, they were all guerrilla-style engagements. He concentrated his forces, utilizing his familiarity with the terrain and the support of the people, to hunt down isolated Tartars and strike them fiercely.

His rebel army was newly formed and lacked proper armor and weapons, making it impossible for them to withstand the Jurchen Tartars, who had been fighting for over a decade and were armed to the teeth.

Liu Guangshi's goal this time was to establish his reputation and defeat the Jurchen Eastern Route Army on the battlefield in a fair and square manner.

At this time, the myth of the Western Route Army's invincibility had been broken by the Dingnan Army, but the Eastern Route Army had not.

When he left Shaanxi, he had already planned his post-victory strategy, full of ambition and determined to avenge his father's defeat in the Liao Dynasty.

Dozens of barbarian cavalry guards roared in, their hooves kicking up dust, and the main army behind them gradually came into view.

Although the morale of the Fuyan army was low, it had improved somewhat after winning these few battles.

The best way for generals to show their love for their soldiers is to lead them to victory in battle. A winning streak can make the soldiers overlook a lot of their dissatisfaction.

Those who had their horses stationed on the high hill were all Liu Guangshi's personal guards, numbering around eight hundred cavalry.

Dressed in brocade robes and iron armor, Liu Guangshi rode a finely selected white Hequ horse, its hooves moving swiftly. Liu Guangshi, sitting on the horse, looked around with self-assurance, as if he were a born general.

The scene was indeed quite impressive. Coming down from Gushan Mountain to support the Hebei rebels in their fight against Wu'an, even the soldiers couldn't help but cheer.

Yue Fei looked at Liu Guangshi in front of him, but he was not intimidated.

Although he came from a farming family and was not very old, not even twenty, he was naturally calm and composed, with a dignified demeanor.

He was also very thoughtful in his thinking, unlike his rebel subordinates who only looked at the surface.

Liu Guangshi had definitely fallen for the Jurchens' trap, but fortunately his formation wasn't too chaotic and still had some order.

This also shows the arrogance of the Jurchen Tartars; they are not afraid of your army coming.

Whether or not a sneak attack is used is irrelevant. In the eyes of the Jurchens, as long as you come out to fight, they can defeat you.

Therefore, their plan to lure the enemy was different from what Liu Guangshi had seen in military books, which led him to misjudge the situation.

His scouts clearly told him that the Jurchen Tartars had not laid an ambush around the area, so what kind of trap was that?

Within the Hebei rebel army ranks, someone shouted, "Commander Yue, look how mighty this Fuyan army is! They truly live up to their reputation as the old Western Army. Let's attack the city together! If we can break through Wu'an, we might even get a share of the grain inside!"

Yue Fei was still intently looking ahead. He was an ordinary-looking man, unlike Liu Guangshi, who had a handsome appearance.

His appearance was plain and unremarkable, with an arrow wound above his eye that made one eye appear slightly larger than the other.

After listening to everyone's words, Yue Fei shook his head and said, "If we hold this place, and the Tartars send out a force from here, they can easily cut off the Fuyan army's westward retreat route."

If you were to say that this place wasn't carefully selected by the Jurchen Tartars, Yue Fei wouldn't believe it.

Putting everything else aside, the fact that the Jurchen Tartars chose this battlefield alone was enough to make any general suspicious.

This place is full of mountains and rivers. If we can take Wu'an City smoothly, that will be fine. But if we can't, we will be easily trapped and become sitting ducks.

"Quickly find some wooden barricades in this valley and dig a few horse traps!"

Yue Fei began directing his men to work.

Liu Guangshi looked around but didn't find the Zhe family anywhere.

He asked his deputy, Jin Sai, who looked at him with disdain.

"The Zhe family has a narrow vision; they only see their own territory. Even with such an opportunity, they are unwilling to strive forward."

Liu Guangshi chuckled and said, "Perfect, perfect. Before I broke through the Jurchen stronghold last time, Zhe Kecun tried to stop me several times. He was ashamed to face me after seeing my success and deliberately avoided me."

The deputy general laughed and said, "The Zhe family only has so much wealth. Now that the Xia bandits are gone, they are afraid of being swallowed up by the imperial court, and they dare not risk even a single soldier."

Liu Guangshi smiled and lowered his voice, saying, "You can't say things like that lightly. The four major families of the Western Army still cooperate closely. After we win the battle, I will share some of the credit with them."

About a hundred li west of Wu'an County, several hundred riders and horses came down from the main road to the riverbank to water their horses, wash them, and rest.

As summer approaches and the days grow longer, the weather is getting hotter and hotter, and it hasn't rained for a long time.

The Western Army was accompanied by civilian laborers on this expedition. The large army and laborer convoys stirred up countless clouds of dust as they traveled along the roads. Even after only an hour or two of marching, their mouths and noses were filled with dust, and their warhorses were quite restless.

Upon encountering a wide river, Zhe Kecun immediately ordered the army to go to the riverbank to wash and water their horses.

Upon hearing the order, everyone's spirits lifted, and many soldiers even took off their armor, went shirtless, and soaked in the water, shouting and looking quite refreshed.

The Zhe family army was more hardworking than the Fuyan army and was considered to have good discipline among the Western Army.

Their good military discipline was forced upon them; their identities were very special—they were genuine regional military governors.

The Western Army were all troops supported by the imperial court. If they made some mistakes, it was considered an internal conflict, and they could be dealt with and forgotten.

The mistakes of the Zhe family army could be used as an excuse to weaken the power of the princes at any time.

They couldn't help but notice.

This resulted in the Zhe family army maintaining good discipline, which in turn boosted their combat effectiveness, creating a virtuous cycle.

Zhe Kecun, who led the troops on this expedition, also took off his shirt and splashed water on himself.

The Zhe family has been passed down for so many years, and has almost never produced a foolish family head. Many members of the Zhe family have also become famous generals.

Before the fall of the Western Xia, they had been constantly fighting against the Western Xia, and almost every member of the Zhe family had experience in battle.

Zhe Kecun is already in his forties, but his muscles are bulging, no less than those of a young man, and his body is covered with scars of all sizes.

Just as he was taking a shower, a general approached him and asked, "General, you've rested enough. Shall we continue our journey?"

Zhe Kecun continued wiping himself unhurriedly, glancing at him sideways: "What? Eager to get close to Liu Guangshi and claim credit?"

Not only him, but Zhe Kecun had also noticed that everyone around him was restless after hearing about Liu Guangshi's feat of breaking through six Jurchen strongholds in one day.

The general didn't hide anything and laughed loudly, "Damn it, who knew the Jurchen Tartars were so useless? Liu Guangshi has picked us up. If we don't go now, he might take Wu'an City."

The scouts reported that his Fuyan army had already deployed, with support for both advance and retreat.

This formation is very strategic; even if the Jurchen Tartars launch a flanking attack from the mountains, they will still be able to fight back. Once they capture Wu'an City, their Fuyan army will truly have a foothold!
If we don't seize this opportunity to gain some benefits, when will we ever get another chance?
Anyway, our Zhe family rose to power by fighting the Tartars for the Song Dynasty. Fighting the Tangut Tartars and Jurchen Tartars is all the same to us. We're always warriors; if we don't gain merit through fighting, what else can we rely on?" Zhe Kecun's gaze was cold as he said, "Let me ask you, if we were facing off against the Xia bandits at Hengshan, and they suddenly abandoned several fortresses in Hengshan, what would you think?"

The Zhe family army fought against the Western Xia every day, and his officers immediately had a clear picture in their minds.

From an unrelated perspective, all they could see was that Liu Guangshi's Fuyan army had broken through the village and reaped considerable gains.

But when Zhe Kecun asked them that question, they seemed to suddenly understand something.

Seeing that they had stopped talking, Zhe Kecun sneered, "Liu Guangshi and his son are two of a kind. I fought with his father for so many years and know his father's incompetence well. Now that the family has been handed over to Liu Guangshi, this father and son will sooner or later squander the Liu family's wealth."

The Jurchen Tartars abandoned several villages to lure him into leading his troops deep into enemy territory. If the Fuyan army is defeated, it would be best if Liu Guangshi also died in the chaos of battle.

In this way, he could take advantage of the situation and annex his remaining troops.
-
There is a valley between Wu'an and Yicheng Town.

At the summit of the rolling mountains, Wanyan Zongwang, accompanied by only a few dozen riders, stood atop the peak, gazing westward for a long time.

He couldn't see anything from his position, but he knew very well that there were over 40,000 Fuyan troops there.

This is one of the few remaining troops in the Song Dynasty capable of fighting tough battles; I must annihilate them completely.

The main force of the Jurchen Eastern Route Army numbered tens of thousands, and there were ten thousand of them here at this time.

Ten thousand Jurchen troops, without auxiliary forces, set up simple camps in the valley between the two places, silently awaiting Zongwang's order for a major counterattack.

They didn't even live in the city, just to avoid being discovered by the enemy's scouts.

Hiding in the mountains and forests is not a pleasant experience.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in a small area, and even drinking water and food were difficult to obtain.

Moreover, they have little room to maneuver. Once attacked from all sides, tens of thousands of people will be in disarray, and they may not be able to exert even a tenth of their combat strength. They may even be completely wiped out!
But the Jurchen eastern army endured everything and made a deep retreat eastward. Because from top to bottom, they firmly believed that Wanyan Zongwang would only bring them a great victory!
Originally, the two marshals, who were advancing side by side to destroy the Liao Dynasty, had already been defeated by Zong Han.

Only Zongwang remained invincible.

In a sense, Zonghan's failure actually enhanced his reputation.

Meanwhile, in Wu'an to the west, tens of thousands of Fuyan troops swarmed in and had already established a foothold.

The sound of drums could be faintly heard, and Wanyan Zongwang knew that Liu Guangshi had made his move.

In Zongwang's eyes, the 40,000 troops of Fuyan were nothing.

He was afraid that the enemy would sneak into some city or pass, preventing him from annihilating them completely.

As the weather grew hotter, the Jurchen soldiers who had invaded the south developed a strong sense of war-weariness.

Moreover, the disease began to spread.

Zonghan's defeat shattered their strategy of besieging Tokyo with two forces.

To escape the current strategic predicament, we must, as we did during the campaign against Liao, annihilate the enemy's forces on a large scale.

The more they kill, the better, so that they will know fear and dare not resist the invasion of the Jurchen army.

Moreover, the more people you kill, the more Han Chinese will surrender.

"Ma Wu, lead your troops to attack from the west of Wu'an! Xi Gunai, attack from the east!"

"Zongbi, attack from the valley on the side of Gushan Mountain and cut off their retreat!"
-
Countless Jurchen cavalry emerged from the mountains and forests, marching in a mighty force towards Wu'an.

At the foot of Wu'an City, Liu Guangshi personally led the troops into battle, cheering on the Fuyan army from the rear.

Various siege weapons were displayed, making it seem as if they were about to take Wu'an City within a few days.

The defenses in Wu'an City are much stronger than those of the villages from a few days ago.

The people inside fought back desperately, which made Liu Guangshi frown. The expected scene of the city being breached in an overwhelming manner did not occur.

Suddenly, several scouts came rushing toward them like madmen.

With a soft thud, an arrow struck him in the back, and he fell from his horse.

Almost instantly, countless black flags appeared in the sky!
The Jurchen cavalry surged forth from the horizon like a rolling black tide.

The Jurchen Tartars are here! The Jurchen Tartars are here! Where on earth did these Jurchen Tartars come from?
Where is the Zhe family army responsible for providing cover and support?
On the walls of Wu'an, the cheers of the Jurchen Tartars could be heard.

Liu Guangshi's face turned ashen as he looked at the valley not far away. Fortunately, no Tartars appeared there.

I still have a way out!
Suddenly, the earth shook, and the sound of drums and gongs resounded all around. A large group of Tartars had indeed appeared in the southwestern valley.

Wanyan Zongbi, also known as Jin Wuzhu, didn't pay much attention to the troops blocking the way in the valley.

As long as he arrives on time and blocks the retreat route of the Fuyan army, the tens of thousands of Song soldiers will be completely trapped here and become the targets of the Jurchen warriors' slaughter.

Thinking of this, Wanyan Zongbi grinned maliciously and waved his hand, saying, "Smash them! Charge forward!"

Looking at these vicious Jurchen Tartars, the Hebei rebels were somewhat afraid, but Yue Fei looked at the Jurchen soldiers with a serious expression.

He made a few gestures, then slowly reined in his horse and retreated.

The more than 500 Hebei militiamen immediately found their leader and began to guard the valley according to their usual drills.

Everyone's mouths were dry and parched, and the constant swallowing sounds were signs of extreme tension.

Yue Fei simply sat quietly on his horse. The valley was not spacious; only about seven or eight riders could pass side by side.

The Jurchen army had already arrived at the walls of Wu'an City, and the besieging forces had no time to turn back.

Even if they turn around, they will trample each other and be unable to break free.

Once Wanyan Zongbi breaks out of the valley, the Fuyan army will be completely finished.

Liu Guangshi stood up straight in a hurry, his earlier carefree and spirited demeanor completely gone.

Seeing his Fuyan army surrounded by the Jurchens, and with the Zhe family army that was supposed to provide support nowhere to be found, he knew it was all over, all over.

It all depends on how many can escape!
"General, let's retreat quickly before the Jurchen Tartars cover our retreat!"

"My troops." Liu Guangshi's voice trembled.

"We can't worry about that now!"

Although he was still talking about soldiers, Liu Guangshi didn't stop moving at all and began to flee westward.

Fortunately, the road to the west was still open and hadn't been blocked; otherwise, I really wouldn't know how I would have ended up like this.

Liu Guangshi looked towards the valley, never expecting that there would still be loyal and righteous people who would cut off this most important valley.
-
When the Jurchen Tartars finally attacked, Yue Fei spurred his horse and charged straight at them.

He extended a large white-handled spear from his hand, and with all his might, the spearhead swung like a living dragon, already drawing a cloud of blood mist from the throat of the Jurchen warrior charging at the forefront.

The Jurchen Tartars had a high rate of armor wearing, and they cared about this; ordinary weapons simply couldn't sustain long-term combat with them.

However, Yue Fei's spear could find any opening, striking only where the enemy's throat and face armor could not protect them, killing many Tartars.

The Jurchen Tartars, known for their fierceness and bravery, were utterly defeated in a direct confrontation.

The other Hebei rebels also fought bravely and stood in the valley.

Many of the Jurchen cavalrymen who charged forward were stabbed and only fell off their horses. Their horses could not stop their momentum and continued to charge forward, carrying the corpses with them.

Wanyan Zongbi was eager to charge into the enemy lines, but seeing that the rear guard of the Fuyan army was turning back to the west, his anger was instantly aroused.

"Kill! Kill him!"

The valley was so narrow that it was impossible for those behind to pass them, even if they wanted to.

Even fighting at such close range, it was impossible to kill these five hundred Hebei rebels with archery skills.

In the valley, Yue Fei, with a cold face, did not shout or raise his voice, but instead gripped his spear and thrust it back and forth.

Then there would be a series of dull thuds as corpses fell to the ground. The Jurchen Tartars were covered in armor, and the dead all had a gash in their throats. The screams of the Jin soldiers turned into the sound of air leaking out, accompanied by blood mist gushing high from the gashs in their throats!

Although the Jurchens were known for their fearlessness, seeing so many people with their throats pierced made them feel a chill run down their spines.

This person's martial arts skills are so refined that he is like a killing machine on the battlefield.

Among the Jurchens charging through the pass were some fierce generals. Occasionally, a few dodged Yue Fei's first swift thrust, passing by him without even having time to react, and rushed towards the soldiers following behind Yue Fei.

Yue Fei's men prepared to fight, but they saw Yue Fei not even turn his head, his spear held in one hand, forcefully sweeping back. As if he had eyes in the back of his head, he only struck their backs with a series of blows.

The spear in his hands was incredibly effective, unleashing a variety of offensive techniques while maintaining impeccable defense.

Any opponent who was struck immediately coughed up blood. They couldn't even straighten their backs on horseback, and some were even thrown off, leaving no one able to charge at them!
At this moment, Wanyan Zongbi, who was far away, stared in disbelief as Yue Fei led several hundred men to block the road in the valley. He could only see the spears flashing like dragons, completely blocking the road!

The key issue is that it wasn't just the Khitan auxiliary soldiers who died, but also many Jurchen armored soldiers!
The fallen corpses seemed to have filled the narrow valley, and the original shouts of battle turned into a series of screams.

The warhorses, now without their masters, neighed and circled wildly in the valley, unable to retreat.

The Tartars who surged in from behind were also caught off guard by this scene, finding themselves in a dilemma, and could only shout and curse.

They couldn't wait to rush up and chop that Song general into eight pieces to avenge their people.

Some Tartars, seeing that they couldn't get close enough, could only draw their bows and fire a few volleys of arrows.

However, the crowd was too dense, and the arrows did not harm Yue Fei. Instead, they shot down several of his own men, drawing angry curses from the Tartars.

Looking into the distance, Wanyan Zongbi saw that many of the Fuyan army had fled, and he became extremely anxious.

The battlefield situation changes in an instant. Unexpectedly, Zongwang's perfect troop deployment was ultimately ruined by his own actions.

Looking around Yue Fei now, of the more than 500 righteous soldiers, only about 200 remained.

Although these Hebei men suffered heavy losses, their achievements were even more remarkable. Inspired by Yue Fei, they were filled with boundless morale, shouting provocative words and showing no fear of death.

Yue Fei inevitably suffered some injuries, but he was completely unaware of them. Instead, he became even more spirited and full of fighting spirit.

Holding a long spear, covered in blood, his mortal body now resembled a formidable fortress! (End of Chapter)