You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 255 The Battle of Baigou River Ends Again

The unique terrain of the Baigou River area determined that large-scale troop battles were not possible in this major campaign.

After crossing the river valley, the two armies were cut off by the crisscrossing waterways, resulting in numerous small battlefields.

The local people had all fled long ago.

On vast, flat plains, there are dry fields, forests, wastelands, scattered ponds and villages. The lowest-lying areas are mostly water-filled ravines, but they have all been abandoned for a long time and overgrown with weeds.

Once the troops are deployed, the number of people fighting head-on will be extremely large.

In this way, the outcome of the battle can be decided much faster!
At this stage of the war, there's no need to control the overall situation anymore. With 100,000 men deployed, what are you afraid of with your schemes and tricks?

The army spread across the entire battlefield, with men and horses stretching to the horizon, seemingly endless.

The land was in an uproar as both sides continued their charge and attack. The sounds of drums, bugles, shouts, and yells mingled with the clatter of horses' hooves, creating a constant buzzing in the ears!
Han Shizhong reached out, and his personal guards draped him in cold-forged lamellar armor. He also pulled out the spear stuck in the ground beside him with a "whoosh" and put the sword on his waist.

Then he picked up a long-handled saber and had someone tie it to his back.

Prior to this, Han Shizhong rarely charged into battle personally, only occasionally doing so to boost morale.

But this time, he is prepared to personally take to the field. In fact, no matter how brave you are, you cannot play a key role in such a major battle.

But it really does boost morale.

The personal guards were also ready well in advance.

With a shout of "Giddy up!" from Han Shizhong, he spurred his horse toward the bridge, and the other riders followed suit.

As Han Shizhong charged forward, he shouted in his thunderous voice, "Let's all get rich! Let's all get rich!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd around them became excited, creating a great uproar and shouting that shook the heavens and the earth.

A young military officer shouted, "Brothers, the time has come to be ennobled and appointed prime ministers!"

"kill!"

The central army's banners fluttered like clouds, and the thunderous sound of horses' hooves filled the air.

Countless flags fluttered across the wilderness, heads and helmets surged, and swords and spears stood like a forest.
The army stretched as far as the eye could see in all directions, seemingly filling the entire world with its troops and soldiers!

Smoke billowed as soon as the battle began, and it was unclear where the fire had started.

On every battlefield, both sides fought at an extremely high level.

The Jurchen army was divided into three arrowheads, moving simultaneously.

Within a range of more than ten zhang, at least two or three hundred riders charged forward like three long dragons kicking up dust.

On the Dingnan Army's side, they maintained a unit of about twenty cavalrymen, each unit separate but not scattered, and able to attack when united.

Almost in the blink of an eye, hundreds or even thousands of riders from both sides clashed violently without any retreat or evasion!
Instantly, it sparked a sky full of sparks!

Only a battle like this deserves the title of a decisive battle.

Without a doubt, these are the two strongest forces in the world today.

Even the Zhong family army, which had previously been ineffective in battle, now displayed a level of performance far exceeding its previous capabilities.

Without the constraints of the imperial court or external factors, the Western Army was already a powerful force.

The neighing of warhorses echoed across the land. In an instant, countless men and horses fell, countless weapons pierced bodies, and countless drops of blood splattered. Shouts exploded from the depths of their chests!

Both sides were blinded by rage. On this land, they had abandoned all regard for formations, arrays, and coordinated attacks. They were simply entangled and wrestling, desperately fighting each other!

This is the most direct way to fight, and it is because of the unique terrain here that such a clash has occurred.

This puts the morale and courage of the lower-ranking military officers and soldiers to the ultimate test.

On the vast battlefield, even from an aerial view, the entire battlefield could not be seen.

Both sides were mostly composed of cavalry, and after the clash, they scattered in all directions.

The battlefield was expanding and becoming increasingly intense. The sounds of weapons shattering armor, people groaning and screaming, warhorses neighing and collapsing, and sharp, teeth-grinding sounds of weapons cutting into flesh rang out in rapid succession.

The scene of the cavalry melee was like a hellish battlefield.

After Han Shizhong rushed to the other side, Zhu Lingling could no longer charge forward, so he stayed at the ferry crossing to hold the line.

He watched as countless soldiers lined up along the river, then charged into battle.

Once the Jurchen cavalry made contact, they immediately split off their forces to expand and provide cover on both flanks.

They didn't need anyone to command them; they made the changes so naturally and skillfully, as they were all seasoned soldiers.

Once the scouts were separated, they each sought out opponents, attacking and slashing wildly as they went, rampaging and killing indiscriminately!

When cavalry charge, it's difficult to control the distance, and the battlefield quickly becomes a chaotic mess with everyone entangled in each other's midst.

The two knights could only fight like this, horse against horse, thrusting their lances wildly, fighting to the death!
The fighting took place in small, confined battlefields, with lives being exchanged.

Such a straightforward and unpretentious fighting was actually what the Tartars wanted to see; they were tired of fighting the Dingnan Army in offensive and defensive battles.

Once they got close to those fortified cities, the Western barbarians had endless tricks up their sleeves, making the Jurchens feel incredibly frustrated.

They've long wanted a head-on battle; victory is victory, defeat is defeat, and there's no need to feel so frustrated.

The Jurchen cavalry continued to advance, these fierce and incomparably powerful foreign warriors who had emerged from the white mountains and black waters and marched to the desolate desert.

At this moment, he finally revealed the ferocity he had shown when he overthrew the Liao Dynasty. His blood-red eyes were wide open, his face was twisted into a ferocious expression, and his armor was stained with blood.

Despite suffering several wounds, they continued to fight fiercely, with knights falling from their horses one after another, yet they did not stop their advance.

They had only one goal in mind: to break through the enemy lines and sweep across the entire north bank of the Baigou River!

Since capturing Shangjing and taking hundreds of thousands of Liao soldiers prisoner, the Jurchens have rarely deployed their main forces in battle like this.

They threw all the warriors of their own tribe into battle.

Because they can't bear to.

At first, the Jurchen people's lives were cheap and worthless, but later they made their lives valuable.

They plundered a great deal of wealth and captured a large number of slaves.

They couldn't bear to die.

But in this great war that will determine the future of a nation, we cannot rely on others to help us win.

Because Zonghan's record was very poor, Zongwang is now in charge of this decisive battle.

The main force of the Dingnan Army that came from the east was somewhat beyond Zongwang's expectations.

He cursed Xi Yin in his heart, looked around, and then ordered, "Who will hold them off!"

The people below remained silent, and almost all of their troops had gone into battle.

Only Liu Yanzong of Yunzhong and his Han Chinese army still had more than 10,000 men.

However, Zongwang dared not let Liu Yanzong go.

He was afraid that this man would surrender to the Dingnan Army as soon as he arrived on the battlefield.

After all, no matter what, they are all Han Chinese.

Moreover, after Chen Shao occupied Yunnei, he did not mistreat the people and was well-liked.

Regardless of what Liu Yanzong thinks, the families of his subordinates are all in Yunnei.

Who wouldn't want to go back?
Liu Yanzong probably knew his predicament. He kept a straight face and remained silent, trying his best to act like a clay sculpture of a general, letting the Tartars drive his troops to the battlefield in the middle.

Seeing that no one responded, Zongwang was about to make his selection when Wanyan Zongfu suddenly stepped forward and said, "I'll go!"

"Good!" Zongwang patted him on the shoulder and said, "Eriduo, do not tarnish your father Khan's reputation!"

Wanyan Zongfu nodded, and led several of his fierce men, mounted their horses, and charged out.

Meanwhile, to the west, Shi Tumen, who was fighting alone, could no longer hold out and howled loudly, like a wounded wild beast.

He was a commander of a thousand men, but there were more than ten thousand men on the other side.

At this moment, he did indeed look like a wounded wild beast, his left shoulder armor twisted and deformed from being struck by a blunt weapon.

It was only because of his rich fighting experience that he was able to deflect the force in time and avoid breaking bones and tendons.

But his left hand was completely powerless, so it was like he was fighting with only one arm.

The hood on his head had long since been knocked off, revealing a bald head with short stubble, and his rat tail had become messy, making him look even uglier.

The leather armor was covered in bloodstains, whether from his own or from the Dingnan Army, he didn't know.

Around him, more than a hundred Jurchen armored cavalrymen gathered, forming a battle array with Shitu Gate as the core, fighting with all their might.

Of the seven Puliyans, three remained by his side, holding down various points in the small formation and directing the battle.

The wretched state of Puliyan after his fierce battle, his body covered in blood and wounds, was no less than that of Shitumen.

The other Puliyans either died in battle or could not be found.

With such a chaotic battle formation, once broken up, the chances of survival were extremely slim.

Almost zero.

By this time, no area was safe anymore; any that was safe would soon become a battlefield, sprawling out by the armies of both sides.

The Jurchen knights, who had initially been charging forward, were now unable to advance any further. They could only form this formation to counter the relentless attacks of the Dingnan army's cavalry.

The difficulty of this Dingnan army has exceeded the highest expectations of the Jurchen warriors. They have never seen or even heard of fighting like this before.

Just when Shi Tumen was in despair and wanted to risk his life to take a few Western barbarians with him, Wanyan Zongfu's army arrived.

Zongfu, as the third prince, had a considerable number of soldiers and armored men under his command, but they had all been deployed to the battlefield.

At this moment, four guards rushed over, providing a powerful boost to the ranks.

Upon seeing this, the Jurchen Tartars roared again, gritting their teeth and determined to continue fighting.

Since engaging this group of Western barbarians, this is the first time our side has reinforced its troops, but the enemy is sending in waves like a tide.

Before Shi Tumen could celebrate for long, another line of cavalry suddenly charged out from the west.

"What on earth is Xi Yin doing?!" Everyone roared in anger. Had he let all the Western Barbarians over?!

Wanyan Zongfu was also furious; Xi Yin was truly useless.

He glanced at the soldiers of Shitumen, including Puliyan, a man known for his bravery in battle. There was a hole pierced by a spear in the waist of his armor, and his bluish-gray intestines were spilling out. He wondered how Puliyan was still able to sit on his horse.

A sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart, even though he had previously triumphed over the strong with the weak and over the many with the few.

But none of those cavalry were as formidable as this enemy force.

The endless Western barbarians opposite them, in the eyes of the Jurchens, all had the same temperament and even looked very similar.

One by one, with stern faces and astonishing calmness, they continuously filled the battlefield.

Just as Shi Tumen was about to speak, a cold arrow suddenly whistled through the air.

He was no longer able to raise his shield to protect himself.

With a thud, his massive body collapsed to the ground, and his warhorse lowered its head in resignation.

Opposite this army, Xiazhou soldiers continued to pour in, many cavalrymen shouting together, the rapid hoofbeats and unintelligible roars creating a deafening roar.

Dust billowed and smoke filled the air on the battlefield, and the deafening noise was deafening. Some horses, with their backs taut, continued to gallop forward with the cavalry.

Wanyan Zongfu personally took up his weapon and charged into battle. At this point, neither the Third Prince nor the Marshal mattered anymore.

The Jurchens have once again reached a point where they must fight for survival, and everyone needs to show the same ruthlessness they had in the past.

At this moment, Li Xiaozhong had also arrived. Within his line of sight, he could see cavalrymen falling one after another on both sides, and the scene more than two hundred paces away was extremely tragic.

You can hear the neighing of horses, the cries and screams of people, desperate and miserable shouts!

But to expect to see the big picture is undoubtedly wishful thinking.

Therefore, the Xiazhou soldiers fought in the same way: they would rush in and kill, and the battlefield expanded infinitely, with more and more people fighting to the death.

The Jurchens' beloved Xi Yin is currently confronting Zong Ze in the Yanjing area.

Moreover, Xi Yin was already preparing to retreat to Beigukou to secure the Jurchens' last escape route.

He did not send troops to hold back the main force of the Dingnan Army in Xiazhou, as the Jurchens had hoped.

Instead, they dispatched valuable manpower to transport out of Yanjing City, truckload after truckload, all the things they had looted over the years.

This includes classical texts, drawings, historical records, and laws.
He had effectively acquiesced to defeat.

According to Jurchen military law, beheading was not enough; his entire clan had to be chopped up.

But Xi Yin did it anyway.

He had already realized that this battle was doomed to failure, and there was absolutely no point in persisting.

Withdraw sooner to preserve more of our manpower.

The longer we linger here, the more it pleases the Western barbarians, who are here to inflict casualties on the main force of the Jurchens.

Wanyan Xiyin was generally obedient.

After experiencing Wuhuiling and Liangxiang Town, he finally came to a complete understanding.

At this point, the Jurchen people had reached a crossroads.

If they were to fight the Dingnan Army to the death here, and suffer too many casualties, the enemy would very likely not let them go.

If they were to actually invade the northern border in the future, it might mean the extinction of our race.

The only right path is to preserve as much power as possible; conquering the world and ruling the Central Plains is just a pipe dream.

However, the glory that the old Khan brought to everyone blinded Zonghan, Zongwang, and Wuqimai.

Make them unable to accept failure.

They refused to believe that there was a force in the world that the Jurchens could not conquer.

Sooner or later, everyone will understand that I, Xi Yin, am not a sinner, but a meritorious official of the Jurchens.

If we can withstand this.

Because Li Xiaozhong realized that Xi Yin's fighting spirit was low, he decisively withdrew and handed that battle line over to Zong Ze.
-
Seeing the battle lines deadlocked, Zhu Lingling calmly reinforced his troops.

Suddenly, a large area opened up to the west.

Zhu Lingling immediately dispatched scouts to investigate, and the results brought back were that the troops that had fought against the Dingnan Army on the western front had fled.

Judging from their banners, they are Liu Yanzong's troops.

Liu Yanzong himself was kept by Zong Wang's side to prevent him from betraying him.

However, Zongwang overestimated the influence of this descendant of a Han Chinese military family.

If you, Liu Yanzong, are detained, wouldn't we just surrender?

We rebelled when the Tang emperor didn't provide enough grain, so why can't we abandon Liu Yanzong?

Everyone's families and relatives are in their hands. They should have surrendered long ago. Liu Yanzong, that scoundrel, has harmed many people and deserves to die.

After discussion, the officers concluded that the fighting was too intense at this point, and surrender was no longer an option on the battlefield.

They could retreat directly and then find an opportunity to send someone to surrender, or they could continue westward and surrender if they encountered the Dingnan Army on the way.

This battlefield cannot be stopped unless one side backs down and withdraws its troops.

The first fleeing troops appeared, and unsurprisingly, they were from our side again.

At this time, the Jurchen central command tent was not set up with tents. All the Jurchen high-ranking officers gathered at a high place to overlook the battlefield.

Everyone, including Emperor Wuqimai, obeyed Zongwang's orders.

Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to give that helpless order.

"Withdraw!"

Zonghan suddenly spoke, as if a raging fire was burning inside him, searing his internal organs.

All my lofty ambitions were shattered at this moment.

Perhaps this battle should never have been fought.

But who would be willing to accept that?
This battle thoroughly tested the mettle of the Dingnan Army.

That was an army that the Jurchens could not defeat; they were superior in every way, including numbers, morale, equipment, and armor.

Most importantly, everyone was united and there was no infighting.

What's even more terrifying is that their reserve forces are endless.
The war is going well now, but if things turn against them, they can easily conscript several times more troops from their vast territory.

Zonghan was the only one to speak up, which actually relieved some of the pressure on Zongwang.

Everyone knew that the outcome was already decided, and continuing to fight would be acting rashly and would exhaust the last bit of strength the Jurchen had.

Zongwang's face was extremely ugly. The word "withdraw" was stuck in his throat, and he wanted to spit it out but it was so difficult.

It wasn't that he didn't want to say it, but rather that he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Seeing that his face was as red as pig's blood and his expression was ferocious, and that he was not saying a word, Zong Han assumed that he was in a fit of rage and could not control his emotions. He spoke again to persuade him, "Zong Wang, don't harm the Great Jin Kingdom!"

This battle also made everyone realize that it wasn't that Zong Han was incompetent, but rather that the enemy was too strong.

Suddenly, Zongwang coughed up a mouthful of black blood.

The Jurchen nobles around them watched coldly.

No one stepped forward.

The Jurchens have always only judged the strong and never sympathized with the weak. You, Zongwang, didn't go to the battlefield but instead fell ill here, delaying important matters. You deserve to be torn to pieces.

Only Zongwang's personal guards held him firmly and helped him sit down in a chair.

After spitting out blood, Zongwang's complexion improved slightly. He glared at the enemy and said, "The rear guard moves to the front, the front guard does not move. Hold off the enemy and retreat to Gubeikou!"

"Abandon all baggage and retreat with light cavalry!"

"Withdraw, recuperate for a few years, and we can make a comeback!"
-
Each generation has its own Baigou River.

After this failed race, it was finally the turn of the northern forces to participate.

Compared to Li Jinglong and Zhao Guangyi, the Jurchens had the advantage of having more horses.

The disadvantage is that the enemy has more horses.

If nothing unexpected happens, this chase will last a long time.

Many more fierce battles will follow, and many of the Jurchen soldiers left behind to cover the rear are determined to die.

But the outcome is already decided.

The land of Youyan is about to truly return to the rule of the Central Plains after being lost for two hundred years.

The battle report flew back to the rear as if it had grown wings.

Bianliang, Damingfu, Hedong, Yan'an.
Inside the imperial city, Zhao Huan was overjoyed and wept again. He took out his treasured Liangzhou wine and celebrated with his wife and children.

If we disregard his status as emperor, this person had indeed achieved the kind of life he had longed for.

They had a son and a daughter, and the couple were loving and devoted to each other through thick and thin. The two people they feared most in their lives were Zhao Ji being imprisoned in Genyue and Wanyan Zongwang being driven out of the Central Plains.

While Zhao Huan was celebrating, Qu Duan, who was not far from him, took the opportunity to replace all the troops stationed in Cangzhou with his own men.

Furthermore, they dispatched troops to Shandong, heading straight for Dengzhou and Laizhou, intending to train their navy in these three locations.

This move aroused strong dissatisfaction from Zhang Shuye, who even made up his mind to stop them at all costs.

When the Dingnan Army reached its peak of power, the loyal ministers and generals of the Song Dynasty were all worried about the future of the Song Dynasty.

But the emperor of the Song Dynasty didn't care.

(End of this chapter)