Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 852 When in doubt, seek help from metaphysics

Yang Yuan and Xin Qiji's ragtag cavalry, which consisted of warhorses, mules, and donkeys, set off south under cover of night.

Now, the remaining troops number less than three thousand, but these three thousand ragtag cavalrymen are fighting for survival.

All the soldiers knew that if they could get through this hurdle, the road ahead would be smooth; if they couldn't, they would die.

Of the more than 100,000 rebels, every single one of them who remains today is a ruthless and vicious killer.

In such a critical moment, their fighting spirit was naturally ignited.

They paused briefly in Shaojiazhuang before continuing their journey.

Tancheng, Pizhou, and the surrounding villages are cold...

This Shandong rebel army moved erratically, sometimes to the east, sometimes to the west, and sometimes even to the south and north, making their movements unpredictable.

Yang Tang feared repeating the mistakes of Shandong, being led by the nose, which would leave his rear vulnerable and allow them to infiltrate.

Therefore, Yang Tang strictly ordered the various garrison troops to only be responsible for their own jurisdictions, and not to pursue the rebel army once it left their posts.

Yang Tang pinned his hopes for annihilating this armed force on the Jin troops from Shandong who were pursuing them from Shandong.

He simply focused on firmly sealing off the border to prevent the rebel army from breaking through.

When Yang Yuan led the rebel army back to the foot of Tancheng for the second time, Yang Shou also arrived with his three thousand light cavalry.

They encountered various battles and skirmishes along the way, and now only about two thousand cavalry remain.

Because Yang Yuan's rebel army was also constantly on the move, the two sides were only able to reunite at this point.

After they reunited, their morale was boosted.

Taking advantage of the situation, Yang Yuan summoned the leaders of various departments and convened another emergency meeting before the battle.

What he wanted to tell everyone was that it was impossible to break through the Jin army's defenses without going through a fierce battle.

If they continue their guerrilla warfare in the Jin Kingdom, they will be completely annihilated sooner or later.

At this point, the only option is to abandon all illusions, fight to the death while morale is still high.

It sounds nice, but it's really just a desperate gamble, a high-stakes bet.

If you win, you can go to Lin'an, the city that never sleeps, a world of dazzling lights and temptations.

If we lose, even dying on the battlefield is impossible; our remains will simply become fertilizer, nourishing the land north of the Huai River.

"If we can get through, I'll eat meat, and all the brothers will eat meat. We'll share the good fortune together."

If we can't get through, I'll die with my brothers!

Even with a head ripped off and a scar the size of a bowl, twenty years later, we'll be heroes again!

Yang Yuan's mobilization order, like those of the salt smugglers, carried a touch of banditry.

At this point, he had already guessed that something must have gone wrong on the side of the Song Dynasty court.

Although he doesn't have any evidence yet, the facts speak for themselves.

He has spies watching him in Lin'an. As long as he can go back, the truth will naturally come out.

At this moment, he not only had a strong will to survive, but also a sense of injustice and resentment.

Therefore, even his words carried a chilling murderous intent.

"Your Majesty, please give the order: in this final battle, from where should we break through?"

Xin Qiji also had a murderous aura between his brows. Since the uprising began, at least a hundred people had died directly at his hands.

Having killed many people, one naturally develops an invisible and intangible murderous aura that inspires fear in others.

Animals are most sensitive to this kind of murderous intent. A vicious dog will be so frightened by a butcher that its legs will go weak, and it will only whine and dare not resist.

Because it could sense the murderous aura emanating from this person.

Humans are less sensitive than animals, but even they can feel a slight fear when facing a killer.

"Haizhou! Of course, it's Haizhou!"

Without hesitation, Yang Yuan loudly stated his goal.

"The Jin people now know that we originally planned to go south from Haizhou."

However, the people who were supposed to meet us in Haizhou have already been exposed.

Normally, we wouldn't go back to a place that's been exposed, but I'm going to do the opposite.

Xin Qiji frowned and pondered for a moment, then clapped his hands in admiration.

"Good! All the military commanders stationed in Haizhou have been purged by the Jurchens."

However, the conflict between Han and Jurchen soldiers will not disappear as a result.

In particular, the Jin people have suddenly appointed many generals to serve under them.

These generals and soldiers were a case of the generals not knowing their soldiers, and the soldiers not knowing their generals.

This makes it the perfect spot for our surprise attack and infiltration.

With the plan finalized, the combined forces of over five thousand Song soldiers and militiamen charged headlong toward Haizhou.

Along the way, Jurchen scouts and cavalry were gathering information, but Yang Yuan no longer concealed his movements and charged forward recklessly.

Yang Yuan's objective was to break out of the siege, so there was no need for him to attack the city. For the Jin army to intercept him, they would need to lead their troops out of the city to intercept Yang Yuan and engage him in open battle.
This battle raged on until the sky darkened.

Yang Yuan spurred his horse and brandished his spear, and together with his brother Yang Ze, they each wielded a large spear, fighting their way through the Jin soldiers, causing them to fall and their horses to tumble.

Yang Shou wielded an iron hammer, while Fan Qing wielded a vajra, supporting each other from the left and right.

Tsubaki Kana is skilled in agility and is not suited for charging into battle.

She never intended to charge into battle; she simply followed closely behind Yang Yuan, shielding him from sniper fire and arrows.

Yang Ze fared worse than Yang Yuan. Apart from his personal guards, only Yang Yuan cared for him on the battlefield.

In Wu Youyao's, Xiao Nai's, and Yang Shou's eyes, there was only Yang Yuan.

Taking advantage of the momentum of the horse's forward charge, Yang Ze twisted his right hand, flipped his wrist, and used his waist as the axis to level the spear with pure waist strength, sending it out in the swiftness of lightning.

With the immense power of his horse and the spear in his hand, he thrust forward with a whooshing sound. A Jin general in front of him was unable to defend himself and was pierced through the chest by the spear, which also pushed him off his horse.

The Jin soldiers fighting all around could feel his overwhelming, chilling, and domineering killing intent, and they were all terrified.

However, Yang Yuan was right next to him.

Yang Yuan has openly raised his banner to attract the most enemies and create opportunities for other rebel armies.

Wanyan Liang's imperial edict had long since spread throughout the Jin Kingdom, and everyone knew that Yang Yuan was a treasure trove of talent.

Even cutting off one of his fingers might get him a Meng'an or Mouke official position in return.

So, despite their fear, the powerful temptation drove them to charge forward with a roar and a desperate, fearless spirit.

People die for wealth, birds die for food; on the battlefield, the desire for military merit suppressed their fear.

The fierce battle between the two sides lasted for nearly an hour.

When both sides were exhausted, Yang Yuan's side finally broke away from the battlefield and successfully advanced more than thirty miles.

The Jin troops, who had been waiting in their respective positions, finally realized that the Song army was not engaging in guerrilla warfare this time. They seemed to have identified their direction and were preparing for a desperate fight. As a result, the various Jin armies began to move at the sound of the approaching enemy, like a swarm of leeches that had smelled blood, rushing towards the location of Yang Yuan's troops.

Yang Yuan led his troops in a charge, and at this point, he could not spare any attention for the wounded or those who had fallen behind.

If they had already died in battle, that would be one thing, but seeing their comrades' mounts exhausted and collapsing, forcing them to dismount and fight on foot, and seeing their wounded comrades limping and leaning on their spears, they could not save them or care for them. They could only harden their hearts and abandon them.

That guilt and reluctance transformed into an increasingly intense rage and murderous intent within Yang Yuan's chest.

Yang Yuan gritted his teeth and secretly vowed in his heart that as long as he successfully returned, he would definitely get justice for them!

As the Lunar New Year approaches, people in other places, no matter how poor, always feel a little more joy in their hearts for the holiday.

However, the outskirts of Haizhou were desolate.

The snowfield, trampled into mud, no longer showed the color of snow or the traces of blood.

It was precisely that muddy snow that made one feel the cruelty and intensity of the great battle even more.

Haizhou, Ganyu County.

Yang Yuan's troops took a short rest there, obtaining food on the spot, feeding the horses, and bandaging their wounds.

Yang Yuan planned to catch his breath briefly before continuing forward, charging towards Huai'an, and then heading towards Yandu.

Yang Yuan believed that the Song army in Taizhou would definitely send troops to meet them.

Although the Song Dynasty court was filthy and smelly, Yang Yuan believed that these border troops would not stand idly by.

In particular, he had a special relationship with Li Xianzong and Shao Hongyuan, two generals stationed in Lianghuai who held considerable military power.

However, Yang Tang had already dispatched Su Ercan, the deputy commander of the Nanjing Road army, with 8,000 cavalry to intercept the Huai'an and Yandu line.

Once this new force arrives, Yang Yuan will have absolutely no room for maneuver.

It would be absolutely impossible for a weary army to break through under such circumstances.

At that time, this place will be Yang Yuan's "Gaixia".

However, the outcome of a battle is never solely determined by a general in the central command.

Sometimes, the small, insignificant power of an ordinary person can be the key to turning the tide of a war.

While Yang Yuan's troops were resting briefly before continuing their southward march, a scout sent to the flank made a significant discovery.

This area is mostly hilly and valley terrain, with very few flat, boundless plains, and numerous waterways.

Therefore, it was difficult for a large cavalry force to find a straight road to travel on.

Various detours and detours are unavoidable.

Meanwhile, Su Ercan led 8,000 cavalrymen to flank Yang Yuan from the side, attempting to block the rebel army between Huai'an and Yandu and force them into a decisive battle. He also needed to take various detours to reach his destination.

The scout stationed on the flank discovered a chaotic patch of snow that had been trampled into black mud.

Even an ordinary soldier could tell from this that these messy hoofprints, all pointing in one direction, were the tracks of a cavalry force of at least five thousand men.

Moreover, these are scouts with exceptional eyesight.

Once they made a discovery, the three scouts from the first squad immediately notified their two teammates to cover their retreat, while they themselves rushed off to catch up with Yang Yuan's main force.

When Yang Yuan learned of the news, he broke out in a cold sweat.

Their troops were exhausted, while the Jin army ahead was well-rested and waiting.

If another elite cavalry force were to slip through at this moment, and they were to plunge in headfirst, they would truly be doomed.

Upon discovering that the cavalry had passed through on the west side, Yang Yuan had no time to stop and think further. He immediately ordered them to change direction and head east.

There's no time to think about it now; we can only try to get as far away from the enemy's encirclement as possible.

"Go east, and Sheyang Town is directly ahead, while Shanyang Town is slightly to the north."

Yang Shou's cavalry had been roaming the Huaihe River region for a long time and had a very clear understanding of the situation there.

Therefore, as they marched, Yang Shou brought along a junior officer familiar with the terrain to explain the situation to Yang Yuan.

"This area was still seawater during the Tang Dynasty. Later, due to siltation and rising terrain, it became a large area of ​​saline-alkali land."

Although there are two towns there, the population is small, and it's a desolate place..."

Yang Yuan thought to himself, "This place is desolate and there's no way to resupply. It doesn't seem like a place to stay for long."

But right now, breaking out of the encirclement is the most urgent task, and we should head east to devise a new strategy.

Wu Youyao, who was standing beside Yang Yuan's horse, thought for a moment and suddenly said, "Husband, go to Shanyang, not Sheyang."

"Oh? What's the reason?"

Yang Yuan never imagined that Wu Youyao would suddenly get involved in his important military affairs.

Although this young lady is no longer a nun, she has always been quiet and doesn't like to talk too much.

Wu Youyao pursed her lips and said, "I just think Shanyang Town is just right."

Yang Yuan thought of Wu Youyao's "telepathy." Could it be that Youyao had some special feelings?

Thinking of this, Yang Yuan decisively ordered the troops to change direction again and head towards Shanyang Town.

If you go towards Shanyang Town, you have to go northeast, which is essentially taking a partial detour.

Tsubaki Konami approached Wu Youyao in surprise and whispered, "Youyao, why are you heading towards Shanyang Town? Did you sense something?"

Wu Youyao gently shook her head, glanced at Fang Yangyuan's retreating figure, and whispered to Tsubakiya Kana:
“Sheyang Town, Sheyang. I’ve heard of the Three Kingdoms. Pang Tong died at Luofeng Slope. Sheyang… that’s too unlucky.”

Tsubaki-ya Kana thought Wu Youyao had sensed something, but she never expected her reason to be so simple and unpretentious.

Xiao Nai's lips twitched slightly, and she said, "But... Shanyang Town, castration, that's not very auspicious either."

Wu Youyao was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Being castrated is better than dying, right?"

Xiao Nai then fell silent.

When Yang Yuan and his group of more than 4,000 people arrived at Shanyang Town, the donkeys, mules, and poor horses could no longer bear the weight and collapsed to the ground.

Yang Yuan instructed the soldiers to rest as soon as possible, and to slaughter and cook the donkeys and mules that were no longer rideable into soup for the soldiers to eat, so that they could recover as much as possible before the pursuers arrived.

He himself, along with Xin Qiji, Yang Ze, and several other leaders, observed the situation in the vicinity.

Upon seeing this, Yang Yuan was greatly disappointed.

This place is by the sea, and indeed there is a town called Shanyang. The town is dilapidated and has few residents.

The local residents mostly make a living by fishing, but their boats are small and can't carry many people, let alone go too far from the coast.

This is indeed a vast expanse of saline-alkali land. On the flat plain in winter, some stubborn wild grasses rustle in the wind, but there isn't even a single tree as thick as an arm.

"It seems we must leave this desolate place as soon as possible."

Yang Yuan frowned, deep in thought: "But where can we go? Are we really going to lose our lives here?"

Just then, Tsubakiya Kana exclaimed, "Master, look! What's that? Look!"

Yang Yuan was suddenly awakened from his reverie and looked out at the sea in the direction Tsubakiya Kana pointed.

In the distance, the silhouettes of ships on the sea became increasingly clear under the afternoon sun!
(End of this chapter)