White-robed Minister

Chapter 223 0221 [Good News from All Sides]

The impact of firearms on the Song-Xia War was very evident in some local battlefields.

But it doesn't seem to affect the overall situation.

Because of the limited number of firearms and the overwhelming strength of the Western Xia army, all forces initially focused on defense. In particular, the Song soldiers preferred to stand on the stockade walls and fire grapeshot at the attacking enemy from above, rarely engaging in direct field combat.

However, the impact of firearms is lasting.

It made the Song army's defense much smoother and greatly boosted their morale. In particular, after the victory in defending the city, some civil and military officials believed that it was entirely possible to fight in open battle.

On the other hand, the Western Xia were in a completely different situation. Their offensive had already suffered setbacks, and their morale had plummeted. This was compounded by their unknown fear of firearms, which deterred many Tangut and Qiang tribes from launching an attack.

Guo Kui was the first to launch a large-scale counterattack.

This veteran, who was once as famous as Di Qing, had a very special journey.

First, Cai Ting had served as the military commissioner there for four years. The entire elite force of the Jingyuan Circuit was reorganized and retrained by Cai Ting. Almost all the old and weak were eliminated. The number of non-combat personnel was also significantly reduced.

Secondly, the region has consistently won battles, and the Western Xia always flees in disarray whenever they invade. Not only the civil officials, military officers, and soldiers, but even the laborers have gained confidence that they won't desert halfway through transporting grain.

Third, Jingyuan Road had the most firearms and the most complete traditional military equipment. This was because the largest military factory in Northwest China was located there.

In actual combat, Guo Kui gradually mastered the use of firearms.

His army had a low proportion of cavalry, with most of its troops being infantry. Therefore, he mixed the Three-Eyed Commander's troops with other melee and ranged units.

The Western Xia army used crossbows and cannons for long-range attacks, switched to crossbows for medium range, and used three-eyed bows for close range. Unable to deploy their superior forces in the valleys, the Western Xia army couldn't even get close to the Song army, and was repeatedly routed during their attacks.

After fighting for more than half a month, the Western Xia army that had invaded Jingyuan Road was demoralized and retreated to its own fortified village, suffering a total loss of more than 8,000 men.

In early August, Guo Kui officially launched a full-scale counterattack, decisively defeating nearly 20,000 of the main Western Xia forces in the valley east of the abandoned Shimen Fortress. More than 3,000 were beheaded and more than 2,000 were captured.

The place was later called Pingxia City, but it has not been built yet. The Western Xia defended the area from its natural defenses but were defeated by Guo Kui.

Guo Kui pursued them relentlessly, capturing fortified villages along the way, until he reached Xiaoguan, but this was not the Xiaoguan of the Qin and Han dynasties, but rather the valley entrance thirty miles south of Tongxin County.

Immediately afterwards, Guo Kui led his troops westward to coordinate with his western flank. He led his troops to circle around to the rear, attacking the Western Xia fortresses near Tiandu Mountain from both the north and south, directly cutting off their retreat routes.

After capturing two fortified villages, all the remaining Western Xia fortified villages surrendered.

After this battle, Guo Kui pushed the front line of the Jingyuan Road forward by a full 120 li (straight-line distance). Moreover, he seized control of all the advantageous terrain. In the future, it would be virtually impossible for the Western Xia to invade from this side.

Huanqing Road direction.

Li Fugui, a military strategist who was ignorant of military affairs and had an impulsive personality, simply handed over the entire army to Lin Guang after Lin Guang achieved a series of great victories.

Lin Guang lived up to expectations, relentlessly pursuing the relentlessly attacking the enemy. He won battle after battle, pushing the front line forward by more than sixty li based on the existing gains.

Within two months, he fought more than ten battles, large and small, and killed or captured more than 30,000 Western Xia soldiers (including civilian laborers).

Fuyan Road direction.

Zhong E, who had been under house arrest for nearly a year, was reinstated as the prefect of Suizhou a few months ago.

His situation was more complicated. Since the entire Suizhou region had just been recaptured, all supplies had to be transported from the rear. Moreover, the Weiming Mountain tribe, which had previously submitted to the Song Dynasty, had suffered a 50% reduction in population due to the mistreatment by the Song court, and their fighting spirit was not very high this time.

Zhong E's forces were far inferior to those of the Western Xia, but through arduous defense and counterattacks, he recaptured Mizhi Village, which Fan Zhongyan had built years ago.

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Meanwhile, Yan Da, the military commander of Langyan Road, recovered Pingrong Village, which was built by Fan Zhongyan.

Linfu Road direction.

The domestic and military situation along the way has been very bad.

Zhe Kexing, who is only in his early twenties, has finally begun to distinguish himself this year. His current official position is still relatively low, and he is only responsible for leading troops to protect the grain supply route, but he has defeated the enemy who came to rob the grain twice in a row.

After fighting for more than two months, the soldiers of Linfu Road finally recaptured Wubao Village, which had been lost two years ago.

Xu Lai's counterattack was launched around the same time as the other allied forces.

Even their combat methods were similar: first, they would hold their ground in a strategic location, and then launch a counterattack once the enemy's morale had dropped.

Upon seeing the Song army suddenly open the gates, the Western Xia general, who was already planning to retreat, was overjoyed at first: the Song army, which had been hiding in its shell, had finally shown its heads.

"All troops, march out of the camp! I'm going to have a decisive battle with the Song army!" Fei Ting'eyu decided to seize the opportunity. If he missed today, he would never be able to take Lintao Fort.

Moreover, his son's eyeball was ruptured by a lead bullet, and the wound became infected, causing him to fall into a coma. When he occasionally wakes up, he cries and wails in pain, because the eye area is a densely packed nerve area, and infection causes extreme pain.

Just as Fei Ting'eyu was ordering the troops to advance, a subordinate sent someone to report: "Commander, the Song army wants to cross the river and is currently transporting wooden rafts and sheepskin rafts!"

"Let half of the Song army cross the river before attacking." Fei Ting'eyu actually understood the principle of attacking while the enemy is crossing.

Letting half cross the river doesn't mean foolishly waiting for the other half to come across.

More than three thousand Western Xia light cavalrymen rode back and forth at the Song army's river crossing point, trying to keep the Song army in a state of continuous chaos so that they would be unable to form a battle formation even after crossing the river.

However, the river is too narrow, with the widest part being only about 50 meters wide and the narrowest part being only about 20 meters wide.

The Song army did not intend to row across; instead, they wanted to build a pontoon bridge!

The two armies exchanged fire across the river.

On the Song army's side, crossbows and three-barreled guns fired in turn, forcing the Western Xia light cavalry to retreat in disarray.

Fei Ting'eyu quickly summoned Qiang archers. These Qiang people were originally hunters from the mountains, and they also cultivated the mountain land for a small amount of food. Their archery skills were quite formidable.

But as for exchanging fire with the Song army's crossbows and three-barreled muskets—

Fei Ting'eyu personally arrived at the battlefield and, seeing that his ranged troops were suffering heavy losses, ordered: "Archers, retreat twenty paces and aim at this riverbank, specifically targeting the Song soldiers who have just crossed the river."

He was unwilling to engage in a crossfire with the Song army across the river.

He planned to wait until a portion of the Song army had crossed the river, while the rest of the Song army was still on the pontoon bridge, before suddenly launching a volley of fire at the Song army that had crossed the river, and then his cavalry would take the opportunity to charge.

This will surely cause the Song army to flee in disarray, and then our own troops will pursue them along the pontoon bridge.

"That's right, that's the spot."

Bu Chao stood on the stockade wall and chuckled.

The flat land on the opposite bank of the river was not wide; it was a narrow strip of land only a little over 300 meters wide, enough for cavalry to run and charge at will. The rest of the land was rugged and uneven.

The ten cannons on the stockade wall had long been aimed at that area.

More than half a month before the Western Xia army arrived, Bu Chao had already conducted numerous test firings. There was no need to adjust the angle during battle; as long as the cannon was fired, it would inevitably hit the enemy.

They've been guarding the stronghold until now, and only the three-eyed commander has been showing his power; the cannons haven't been fired at the enemy yet.

Xu Lai said, "Please be patient and wait a little longer."

The Song army simultaneously built several pontoon bridges.

First, secure the raft firmly to the bank, making it about twenty meters long, slightly exceeding the width of the river at this point.

Then, the raft is pushed into the water along the riverbank, and one end is pushed out with a long pole. With the help of the gentle current of the river, the raft gradually becomes a floating bridge. To prevent the raft from drifting away uncontrollably, ropes are used to pull and control it at both ends.

Squads of Song soldiers began to cross the river, all of them cavalry leading their warhorses.

Western Xia archers and cavalry were also preparing to intercept and kill them.

The supervising officer, Liang Zhangning, approached the commander-in-chief: "Why are all the Song troops who crossed the river in the first wave of crossing cavalry?"

Fei Ting'eyu chuckled, "They probably wanted to get off the riverbank quickly to avoid being riddled with arrows by our archers. These cavalrymen are doomed!"

As soon as he finished speaking, all four cannons fired simultaneously.

Every cannonball landed precisely among the enemy infantry and cavalry. This was the battlefield Xu Lai had planned; as long as the Song army crossed the river here, the Western Xia army would surely obediently come and form ranks.

The enemy commander-in-chief, Fei Ting'eyu, was currently mounted on his warhorse, preparing to personally command the battle.

The moment the cannon fired, his warhorse leaped in terror, nearly throwing Fei Ting'eyu off his feet. The horse then bolted, running dozens of meters before Fei Ting'eyu managed to rein it in and stop it.

Horses are very intelligent animals, and it's normal for them to panic and run away when they first hear the sound of cannons.

This situation occurred on various battlefields where the Song and Xia armies fought.

However, many Song generals failed to seize the fleeting opportunity. In fact, many Song warhorses were so frightened by the sound of cannons that they fled on the spot.

For example, when Li Xin fled back to Liyuan Fort and ordered the cannons to fire, the Western Xia pursuers' horses initially fled in terror in the darkness. However, Li Xin did not take the opportunity to break out, causing the Western Xia horses to gradually adapt to the sound of the cannons.

At this moment, a large number of Western Xia warhorses fled in panic, out of control. Before the warhorses had fully calmed down, the three cannons fired again.

After the three gates, there are three more gates.

The Western Xia cavalry was in complete disarray. After the riders calmed and controlled them, the warhorses gradually stopped running around, but they still seemed restless and agitated.

The Song army's warhorses, which had undergone desensitization training, were calmly led by their riders across the swaying pontoon bridge.

"Mount up!"

After landing, Wang Junwan roared, mounted his horse, and charged toward the enemy cavalry position.

Arrows rained down.

The Western Xia archers, who had been preparing for a long time, shot arrows at the Song cavalry who had just crossed the river.

Xu Laimo did not have elite cavalry like Gao Zunyu, but he still went to great lengths, making coats out of fur to cover the heads and necks of his warhorses.

The cavalry unit that crossed the river was equally unafraid of arrows. They wore outer leather armor and inner silk armor; even if arrows pierced the leather armor, it would be difficult to penetrate the inner silk armor.

The Song cavalry charged towards the chaotic Western Xia cavalry, braving a hail of arrows.

Wang Junwan, this fierce general, fought despite sustaining 26 wounds all over his body last year. This year, he has finally fully recovered from his injuries and is now once again leading the charge into the enemy lines.

"kill!"

At this moment, the Western Xia warhorses regained some composure, but the troop organization was in complete disarray. Riders from different tribes were mixed together, making it difficult for tribal leaders to effectively command them; they could only rely on their individual strength to fight independently.

The Song cavalry had just crossed the river and, without even having time to form ranks, charged forward in a long, single line.

Wang Junwan was the snakehead, and he successively killed several enemy soldiers. He had two arrows stuck in his body, and after his charge slowed down, he was stabbed by a Western Xia cavalryman.

But Wang Junwan continued his charge, cutting through the chaotic Western Xia cavalry.

Following them were the Qiang cavalry of the Song Dynasty, including Qiang generals such as Xia Yao, Ba Zhanjiao, Ba Zhanmo, and Si Wang Ake, each leading their troops across the river to launch an attack. They too had no time to form ranks, and like before, charged across in a long, single line.

There were absolutely no decent cavalry tactics on the entire battlefield.

But the Western Xia cavalry quickly collapsed.

Commander Fei Ting'eyu fled in panic, all the way back to his own camp. Only by relying on the defense of the infantry guarding the camp was he able to avoid being routed by the Song army.

The Qiang archers who had been arrayed to kill the Song army were abandoned on the battlefield by the Tangut nobles. About a quarter of them surrendered voluntarily.

The rest fled haphazardly into the mountains, where more than two thousand were either killed or captured by the pursuing Song army.

More than two thousand Tangut and Qiang cavalrymen were killed or captured by the Song army on the battlefield.

"Most of those captured were Qiang cavalry; there were only about three hundred Tangut cavalry," Yang Shu said.

Wang Shao has returned to Xizhou City and is representing Xu Lai to oversee the rear. Yang Shu is currently serving as the temporary military clerk.

Xu Lai said, "Kill all the Dangxiang cavalry. Keep the Qiang prisoners and use them all as laborers in the army. Tell those Qiang prisoners that they will be released after the battle is over."

"Kill them all?"

Yang Shu said, "Many Tangut cavalrymen are willing to surrender. The Weiming Mountain tribe, which was subdued by Zhong E last time, was mostly inhabited by Tanguts."

Xu Lai explained, "Lanzhou is different. The Dangxiang people in Lanzhou all migrated from other places. They have huge conflicts and hatred with the local Qiang people in Lanzhou. Killing them will win over the Qiang people of Lanzhou!"

Hundreds of Tangut heads were thrown outside the Western Xia camp.

Xu Lai also selected some Qiang people with loud voices to take turns shouting at the Western Xia camp, and ordered his cavalry to shoot letters into the enemy camp:

The Han and Qiang people share the same origin and are brothers. The Song army only killed the Dangxiang people; the Qiang people who surrendered were spared.

The atmosphere in the enemy camp changed quickly.

The Tangut soldiers always felt that the Qiang soldiers were about to defect. And the Qiang leaders were indeed secretly conspiring.

The Song army moved to the opposite bank of the river and set up camp, leaving only a thousand soldiers to guard the fortified village.