Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 344 Charge forward, don't let the Jurchens escape!
Looking around Yue Fei, he saw people panting heavily, all of them looking utterly exhausted...

Such a fierce and brutal battle to the death, even with the most adrenaline, wouldn't last long...

It wasn't intentional, but there was a strange tacit understanding that gradually transformed the two sides from a fierce, interlocking charge into a clearly defined division...

The Jurchens were in the north, the Song people were in the south...

Gradually... it even seemed that both sides were becoming less willing to fight and began to drift apart...

Perhaps they were utterly exhausted... and neither side was very efficient at killing...

Perhaps both sides were at their limit, and their mentality began to become somewhat negative...

More likely, it was because neither side could defeat the other, and neither could break through the enemy's defenses. Naturally, they became clearly separated, and what they sought was the sense of security of being together with their comrades.

Yue Fei, fully armored, was resting with his hands on his knees. Looking across at the Jurchens, who were only twenty or thirty paces away, he could no longer straighten his back...

How long has this battle lasted? More than two hours have passed.

Both sides glared at each other angrily, but neither took the initiative to charge forward and fight.

Wanyan Xiyin was not far from Yue Fei, and behind both of them, the general's banners still stood.

All around were mountains of corpses and seas of blood, severed limbs and flying flesh...

Wanyan Xiyin glanced around and shook his head, sighing inwardly. The fighting had reached this point; it was all over. It was too late…

With the Song army possessing such fighting strength, Wanyan Zonghan in the south is likely already isolated and on the verge of defeat.

Continuing this battle would be pointless; it would only make things worse, trapping us in a quagmire...

On the other side, Yue Fei suddenly straightened his back and beckoned to his men, saying, "Secretly order the two flanks to surround them, and put in more effort to completely encircle them!"

Words do not shout.

If they hadn't rested for a moment, Yue Fei would have remained stuck in the mud and wouldn't have been able to issue any military orders. At this moment, the unspoken understanding between the two sides gave Yue Fei the opportunity to issue military orders.

Those around him first slipped into the back of the crowd, then ran left and right. No matter how tired they were, as long as they could still move, they had to pass on the military order. This opportunity was fleeting!
Perhaps Yue Fei was also intentionally waiting for this moment of clear distinction and a respite...

Why did the Song army still have the strength to besiege the enemy?

They still maintained a numerical advantage. At this moment, although Yue Fei only looked around a few times and made a rough estimate, he was fairly certain that the Song army still had at least six or seven thousand men, while the Jurchens had at most two thousand.

Before the infantry battle began, the Song army had at least eight or nine thousand men, while the Jurchens numbered less than four thousand.

In the numerous cavalry battles, the Song army suffered approximately 9,000 casualties, while the Jurchen cavalry suffered around 6,000 casualties.

In foot combat, the losses on both sides were indeed roughly the same.

Both were so exhausted they could barely move. At this moment, it was a matter of who could hold on until their last breath.

Just forty or fifty paces diagonally opposite, someone shouted, "Who is Yue Fei?"

This is being shouted in Mandarin, and it's Wanyan Xiyin himself shouting it.

Yue Fei looked in the direction of the voice and replied, "I am Yue Fei. Who are you?"

Wanyan Xiyin slowly walked over from the opposite side. He had to take a look to see who Yue Fei was and who had fought such a fierce battle with him today!

Who is it?

He saw it for himself; he was indeed a greenhorn, and he looked rather honest and simple, not the unruly young man he appeared to be.

"Yue Fei, I am Wanyan Xiyin!" Wanyan Xiyin nodded.

"Hmm!" Yue Fei nodded with a muffled groan.

Wanyan Xiyin sighed, "Truly, heroes emerge from among the young! Your name, Yue Fei, will likely be known throughout the world from today onward!"

Wanyan Xiyin possessed the logical thinking of a scholar.

Yue Fei, head held high and chest puffed out, replied: "I will be famous throughout the world today! Just now you said I was an unknown nobody, but today I will make you remember this clearly!"

Wanyan Xiyin also knew that he might really become a stepping stone, a stepping stone for Yue Fei to become famous.

Wanyan Xiyin carefully examined the Song people opposite him. They all looked young and inexperienced, none of them mature...

He had read many books by Song Dynasty authors, and he had also heard the saying that youth is a powerful force in boxing; perhaps this truth is indeed true…

With the Song army in such a state, the Jin dynasty is in grave danger!
Previously, he had never truly faced the Song army. In fact, he had underestimated the Song army. Wanyan Xiyin came with immense confidence...

He was mentally prepared; he knew this Song army was an elite and skilled force, but he also felt that at most, this Song army was no more than the elite Khitan troops of the past.

Logically speaking, that should be the case, right?
Moreover, according to the Khitans, the Song army was never a match for them. Wanyan Xiyin also knew a lot about the history between the Song and Liao dynasties, so the Song army did seem to be quite unreliable!
Underestimate the enemy!
This Song army is indeed somewhat lacking in cavalry combat skills, but their fearless fighting spirit is truly beyond expectations!
Wanyan Xiyin was even more worried. After this battle, there were still six or seven thousand Song soldiers left. Their skills in cavalry battles in the future would not be any worse!

Had I known this would happen, I should have advised His Highness the Prince that we should not engage in battle now, but instead turn back and prepare a large army to confront him on the grasslands another day…

It's too late to think about all this now!

"I'll remember you!" Wanyan Xiyin nodded again, his heart filled with countless emotions. It was just like the words of the Song people: "The Yangtze River's back waves push the front waves, and new people replace the old in this fleeting world..."

Wanyan Xiyin even remembered that he saw this sentence in a book, a book written by a Song Dynasty writer named Liu Fu during the reign of Emperor Renzong, called "Qing Suo Gao Yi".

Today, Wanyan Xiyin is helpless...

I'm so helpless...

Even more so, the newly established Great Jin Dynasty, still teetering on the brink of collapse, had already made such a powerful enemy, an enemy with whom there was no end...

"I will not take you seriously!" Yue Fei raised an eyebrow and spoke, his words truly arrogant and disdainful of others!

Yue Fei still needed to continue talking and chatting, to get the military orders to his left and right, and to get the surviving battalion commanders to gather their men and give them some orders.

"Hmph..." Wanyan Xiyin sneered twice. If a young man is like this, so smug and overconfident, he would say: "This battle is inconclusive. We'll fight again another day!"

Wanyan Xiyin was worried, but the Jurchens had never been afraid on the battlefield in the past few years.

Yue Fei felt a sudden urgency; he had already discerned what was happening—the Jurchens were preparing to leave, they were going to retreat…

With such casualties today, how can we allow the last two thousand Jurchens to retreat?
Absolutely not! Even if it costs us our lives, we will kill them all today, leaving no one alive and causing rivers of blood to flow!
This is true revenge, revenge for those who came with him today and spoke rudely and defiantly to him!
This camaraderie among comrades was the essence of Yue Fei's loyalty and righteousness.

Clearly, Wanyan Xiyin's skill in physiognomy was truly remarkable. He was right; Yue Fei was, at heart, an honest and simple man. Otherwise, how could the tragic death at Fengbo Pavilion have occurred in history?
So Yue Fei still had time to finish his sentence: "What? Are you trying to escape?"

When it comes to understanding human nature, Yue Fei is still too naive. Wanyan Xiyin smiled lightly: "Indeed, you are still a young man, speaking the words of a child. Let's call it a day. In the future, we will meet again on the battlefield!"

Wanyan Xiyin remained confident. Now that he knew who Yue Fei was and what kind of person he was, he would naturally have a way to deal with him in the future.

Wanyan Xiyin was skilled in battle, not only in actual combat but also in strategy and planning. He hadn't studied the books of the Han people for nothing...

Now that I can see clearly, this kid in front of me is really good at fighting on the battlefield, but he is still young and has not yet truly gotten rid of his youthful mentality. How can he withstand the cunning and scheming of an old man?

We're just waiting for the right opportunity!

After speaking, Wanyan Xiyin did not wait any longer and went into the crowd. The Jurchen general's banner was turning around.

Retreat was not uncommon in the Jurchens' campaigns over the years, especially in Wanyan Xiyin's army.

How could Wanyan Xiyin, who was able to stand out among so many branches of the Wanyan surname, be an easy person?

The surname Wanyan is not even closely related to Aguda in terms of bloodline for many people. It is the surname of the entire tribe, although this mountain tribe is not very large.

Yue Fei was extremely anxious and shouted to his men, "Charge! Charge! Don't let the Jurchens escape!"

Yue Fei was the first to charge forward, followed by countless men. However, some of them took only three or five steps before suddenly collapsing to the ground, clutching their legs and unable to stand up in pain...

When human strength is exhausted, a sudden burst of force can cause muscles to cramp up uncontrollably, causing unbearable pain that is beyond human control.

Although some people were weak in their steps, they were still able to follow Yue Fei forward.

They immediately clashed again!
Yue Fei looked up at the Jurchen general's banner and suddenly realized that Wanyan Xiyin must have had a purpose during his rest period.
Despite the military orders, it was clear that some Jurchens were moving forward while others were covering the rear.

Facing Yue Fei, he naturally served as the rearguard, fighting with a death-defying spirit.

The Jurchen general's banner and banner naturally moved further and further away at an extremely fast speed!

When Yue Fei first met Wanyan Xiyin, he remembered him, especially his cunning and shrewdness in battle.

Yue Fei was extremely anxious: "Quickly, urge your men to surround and block the enemy's retreat!"

The siege is clearly far from over.

Yue Fei had another urgent matter, a difficult decision to make.

That's how they charged forward, broke through the enemy's rearguard, and pursued and attacked.

Should we quickly turn around, find a place where horses are prepared, mount up, and chase after them?
Why are we caught in this dilemma?

They were charging forward to fight the enemy's rearguard, but it was unknown how long it would take to break through. Wanyan Xiyin was also searching for a spare horse. If it took too long to get there, they would be too late. They could only watch from afar as Wanyan Xiyin mounted his horse and galloped away, and there was nothing they could do.

If he were to turn back now to find his spare horse and try to catch up, he might end up creating distance and be unable to catch up.

No wonder, after fighting for so long, the two sides have gradually and unconsciously reached a tacit understanding to clearly distinguish themselves and take a break...

Yue Fei made a quick decision. He had to turn back to find a spare horse. Otherwise, if he broke through the rear guard of the Jurchens and still couldn't catch up, it would be dangerous. He was even more afraid that after the Jurchens got on the spare horses far behind, they would not only stop running but also run around the field and turn around to attack!
Is this exactly what Wanyan Xiyin was planning?
They had to turn back and look for the prepared horses in the distance behind them.

Alternatively, they could split their forces, with one group continuing the attack and pursuit while the other quickly turned back to find spare horses.

For a time, Yue Fei was in a state of utter chaos. How could he possibly divide his troops? Of the original 18,000 cavalry, only 6,000 or 7,000 remained. Countless battles had shattered the organization of each unit, leaving the people of each unit in disarray.

How can such a military order be issued? How can every soldier clearly know who should leave and who should stay?

If we can't clearly understand the situation, wouldn't it be chaotic? There are probably five or six hundred people guarding the rear. If things get chaotic, we won't be able to defeat even those five or six hundred!

The military order given during the break should not have been to order both sides to rush to surround the enemy. Instead, it should have been like Wanyan Xiyin's order, leaving one detachment to hold off the enemy while the main army turned back to find horses!

At that time, the military order could be gradually clarified, but at this moment, it is clearly impossible to clarify... In his predicament, what decision could Yue Fei make?
Yue Fei shouted, "Kill! First, surround and kill the enemy covering our rear!"

Go forth and kill! Kill them quickly!

Kill the five or six hundred enemies in front of you, then quickly turn around and look for your horse. The Jurchens must be far away, so as long as you quickly kill the five or six hundred enemies in front of you, and as long as you stop chasing on foot and immediately turn around to look for your own horse, you can be invincible.

After Yue Fei figured out these complicated things, he was so angry that his sparse beard stood on end. It was the first time he had been outmaneuvered like this, and he vented all his anger on the Jurchens in front of him!

Kill them all, kill them one by one, even if you have to smash them with your head until they are covered in blood and gore...

With one hand, he pinched the neck of the fallen Jurchen man with perfect precision, while with the other hand, he picked up an iron helmet and smashed it down.

The iron helmet that Yue Fei was carrying was also a legendary one.

In the past, this iron helmet was cast in Jiangnan and used by the soldiers under the command of the Qian family of Wuyue. Later, Wuyue submitted to the Song Dynasty and presented a large number of fine armors to the court.

Later, this armor was worn by the Song army, and they went with Zhao Guangyi, the God of War, to attack the Liao Kingdom, where they suffered a great defeat!

The Liao army stripped countless suits of armor from the bodies of the fallen Song soldiers as spoils of war.

This batch of armor ended up in the Liao army. It was oiled and well-maintained. More than a hundred years later, the Liao army also put on the armor to fight against the Jurchens. The Liao army suffered a great defeat, and a large part of this batch of armor ended up in the hands of the Jurchens.

Today, the Jurchens fought a great battle with the Song people here. After the owner of this helmet died in battle, Yue Fei picked up the iron helmet on his head.

On the spot, another Jurchen warrior was killed by the attack.

One wasn't enough, so Yue Fei went again, his iron helmet pounding incessantly. There were too many Song soldiers and too few Jurchens covering the rear. Once the battle started, they charged everywhere, their forces intertwined once more...

Once the situation became intertwined, it immediately turned into a one-sided affair, with the Song army gaining the advantage of superior troop numbers.

The setting sun cast a crimson glow, occasionally dazzling the eyes with its light, even emanating from the weapons and armor...

When the old eagle returns to its nest, it has already had a full meal.

When people are killing, they swarm in. Three or five Song soldiers, using whatever they have on hand, can immediately overwhelm a Jurchen. There are even wild punches and kicks. They keep pacing back and forth until their breastplates are dented and their ribs and internal organs are pressed together, before they stop...

One group of people is drowning out another group of people.

Another group continued marching north, occasionally leaving behind one or two strays. The Jurchens were not made of iron; they too would eventually tire. No matter how strong their will was, they could only collapse and become unable to move...

Wanyan Xiyin's heart was as hard as iron; today was the final showdown! With his cunning and shrewdness, he had only waited until he was on his horse before turning around and it would be Yue Fei's end!

Yue Fei continued to exert himself, and the legendary helmet in his hand had already smashed countless people.

Even inside Yue Fei's helmet, a line of blood trickled down his forehead and reached his mouth...

Gone!

The queen consort is truly gone!
Yue Fei shouted, "Stop! Stop! Turn the banner around, quick!"

Yue Fei called out to the guards behind him in the crowd, and also gave orders to the people around him, who turned around to push and shove.

The banner was turning, and many people began to turn around. In the crowd, even more people looked up to see. With several thousand people, the banner could easily manage them...

Before long, six or seven thousand people began to turn and run...

In the distance, Wanyan Xiyin was also climbing over the hill where his troops were arrayed, glancing back every now and then. He saw that the young Yue Fei was not chasing after him, but instead turned around and ran away...

His brows furrowed immediately. What? Did they see through him?

How could that kid possibly see through it?
How could that young man possess such wisdom and strategy? Just now, observing, questioning, and probing, Yue Fei didn't seem like someone with such cunning and strategic acumen!
"Hurry!" Wanyan Xiyin mustered a little more strength in her weak steps. The situation had changed, and no matter what, she had to get on the prepared horse as soon as possible.

After crossing the low hills, the place where the horses were gathered was not far away. Wanyan Xiyin could already see herds of horses all over the mountains and plains, as well as many horse handlers.

Those in charge of the horses were not stupid; they quickly drove the herd towards the hillside to greet them.

Before long, Wanyan Xiyin had already grabbed the reins and hurriedly tried to mount the horse, but he couldn't leap up... he couldn't get onto the horse's back...

Wanyan Xiyin could only slowly climb and scramble, like a child mounting a horse, before finally managing to mount. On the side of the horse, there was a spare spear. The Jurchen army's weaponry was truly impressive. After bending down and taking it in his hands, Wanyan Xiyin shouted to those around him, "Hurry up and mount the horse! Come with me up that slope and take a look!"

As he spoke, Wanyan Xiyin was the first to spur his horse and head up the low hill.

Upon reaching the high ground, Wanyan Xiyin felt a chill in his heart. The Song army in the distance, at the very front, had already reached the foot of the opposite hill and were climbing over it...

That's too late……

We can't charge any further. If we do, the Song army will surely charge in on horseback as well...

There are only fourteen or five hundred cavalrymen in front of us. If we continue to fight them, we will only lose!
If Yue Fei had been chasing after them on foot, he should have immediately descended the slope with his 1,500 iron cavalry to charge and kill the thousands of Song soldiers on foot!
Wanyan Xiyin sighed, looking up at the sky: "Am I really going to become a stepping stone for those young people to achieve fame!"

So they really have to go back with this reputation of defeat...

So this last resort failed?

Wanyan Xiyin felt a tightness in her chest!
More and more Jurchen knights followed them up the hill...

Someone gasped for breath and asked, "General, shall we charge in and fight again?"

Wanyan Xiyin shook her head weakly: "Let's stop fighting, let's go back... let's go quickly!"

With that, Wanyan Xiyin flicked the reins, turned his horse around, and galloped away, for the Song people were about to catch up.

No more fighting.

Have we truly lost today?
Wanyan Xiyin was incredulous. After such a fierce and fearless battle, where they refused to retreat an inch, they had still been defeated.
Behind them, the thunderous roar of horses' hooves filled the air.

Rows of Song cavalrymen once again crossed the hills and came over. Yue Fei was the first one. He didn't even lift the reins. On his horse, he just kept eating a flatbread in one hand and drinking from a water bag in the other, while his legs kept squeezing the horse's belly!
There were also shouts: "Chase after them! Chase them!"

Yue Fei was furious. He could not avenge the Jurchens by killing them all. How many brave men of Han had died here today!

I also hate myself for making such a mistake, letting the Jurchens go!
Today, Yue Fei felt he would never be able to let go of the fact that he had released 1,400 to 1,500 Jurchens and Wanyan Xiyin.

Chase!
The riders on either side followed suit, munching on flatbread and gulping down water, drinking the entire large water bag in one go!

After crossing another hill, the hill where the Jurchens had first formed their ranks, Yue Fei finally saw the Jurchens' backs again, very far away, four or five miles away, as if they were already at the edge of his field of vision.

Every now and then, one or two Jurchens would inexplicably fall off their horses and land on the grass...

Once they caught up, they simply stabbed, killed, and trampled the Jurchens!
Unfortunately, Yue Fei could never catch up with Wanyan Xiyin of the Jurchen tribe, which made him so angry that he cursed, "You son of a bitch, you son of a bitch!"

Someone beside him asked, "General Yue, we won a great victory, right? Why are you still so angry?"

The speaker was a young man from Jingdong, with a name and surname; he was Gong Zhi, a seventeen-and-a-half-year-old deputy headman.

When he set off from Yanjing, he was fortunate enough to walk close to Prince Su Wu of Yan. He secretly observed the Prince's majestic appearance, eavesdropped on his conversations, and was also among the first to learn that the Prince had a son. He even imitated the Prince by riding his horse with his eyes closed... At that time, he was filled with all sorts of thoughts...

He went on this expedition with the intention of making meritorious contributions and getting promoted. His immediate ambition was to become a full captain. With the merits he has achieved this time, he is likely to be more than just a full captain. He is at least a deputy battalion commander, and maybe even a full commander...

He has even bigger ambitions; he wants to become a general!

He survived here, met Yue Fei, and now he is by Yue Fei's side.

Yue Fei turned to look at him and replied, "I should have annihilated the Jurchens and avenged my brothers, but I fell into their trap and let these thousand or so men escape!"

Gong Zhi said, "Commander Yue, there's no need to be so angry and self-reflective. With such a great victory, all the brothers are convinced. There are over a thousand men. In the future, we will have the opportunity to kill them all. Not only will we kill them all, but we will also kill their parents, wives, and children!"

Gong Zhi was also furious. Today's battle was too brutal, with too many casualties. He didn't know how many of his fellow villagers and comrades had died tragically.

Eighteen thousand people came, six or seven thousand returned, and almost two out of three died...

While overjoyed, I was also deeply saddened; my emotions were truly complex.

Gong Zhi's words calmed Yue Fei down considerably. He realized that they couldn't pursue them any further. There had been orders before the battle that it was absolutely unacceptable for the remnants, exhausted troops, or isolated troops to venture too far into enemy territory unless they rejoined the King.

Yue Fei slowly reined in his horse, and the horse gradually came to a stop. Only then did he realize that it was the last moment of dusk; the sky was already dark, with only the last glimmer of light in the west…

In that instant, Yue Fei's robust figure suddenly shrank, becoming noticeably hunched over...

tired……

Turning to look around, I saw no trace of joy at victory, only deep sorrow!
Weak and powerless: "Turn around, save people, treat the wounded..."

Perhaps only a few people will be lucky enough to survive, but even if only one is saved, wouldn't that be a comfort to the heart?
Looking back, the horses can still run, the Milky Way is about to rise in the sky, and the brightest stars are already visible. This is often the case on the grasslands; before darkness falls, the brightest stars can already be seen...

Yue Fei looked up and said, “I am not from Jingdong, yet I am so saddened. A fine young man should die on the battlefield, returning home, but it is Your Majesty who goes to see the elders of his hometown…”

Gong Zhi replied, "I am a man from Jingdong, I will not blame the king!"

"You don't blame him, he just couldn't refuse..." How could Yue Fei not be a sentimental person? He could also write lyrics to express: I want to entrust my heart's secrets to the zither, but there are few who understand me, and who will listen when the strings break.

Perhaps at this moment, Yue Fei has found a kindred spirit, someone with whom he can share his innermost thoughts.

"Your Majesty has always taken good care of the martyrs' widows, and we are willing to risk our lives for you! Your Majesty should know that we are willing to risk our lives to repay the kindness of Your Majesty and us!" Gong Zhi said again.

"Thanks for your kindness..." Yue Fei nodded, "It's alright."

Before me are all fine men.

Yue Fei asked in one sentence, "What is your name?"

There were battalion commanders, captains, and lieutenants, too many to remember clearly even for Yue Fei, let alone a deputy captain...

"Your humble servant is Gong Zhi!"

"Alright, I've got it!" Yue Fei nodded seriously, and rode off quickly to save people. Saving people was one thing, but too many people shouldn't be sent to save them.

Yue Fei had to hurry south. In this war, the Prince of Yan had put all his cavalry's resources into it, so he had to do his best until the very last moment. This was the arrangement before the battle!
And then they said the south...

Su Wu was chasing Wanyan Zonghan, chasing him relentlessly!

(These chapters were so tiring to write...)
(End of this chapter)