The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 338 Great Victory on the Eastern Front, Annihilation of 40,000 Jin Army Troops

In August of the sixth year of the Taihe reign of the Jin dynasty, banners fluttered across the Guanzhong Plain.

Wanyan Gang led 100,000 Jin troops across the Wei River in two routes, east and west, advancing towards the northern frontier army's controlled area like two sharp blades.

Under the personal command of Wanyan Gang, the Western Route Army successively recovered Xianyang, Jingyang, and Yunyang.

The Eastern Route Army, led by Jia Gushaning, also advanced rapidly, capturing cities such as Liyang, Sanyuan, and Huayuan.

In just over ten days, the cities previously captured by the Northern Frontier Army changed hands one after another, and most of the lost territory on the north bank of the Wei River returned to the control of the Jin army.

On the city wall of Binzhou, a Han military nobleman followed Wanyan Gang and other Jurchen generals. Looking at the damaged buildings in the city, a smug smile appeared on his lips.

"Everyone says that the Northern Frontier Cavalry is invincible, but now it seems they are nothing special."

He gave a fawning smile to a Jurchen general beside him, and his mocking voice against the Northern Frontier Army grew louder.

“Those barbarians from the northern frontier, apart from retreating step by step, dared not engage in direct combat with my Great Jin Iron Cavalry. Along the way, they fled faster than rabbits.”

"Seeing is believing. The so-called Iron Cavalry of the Northern Frontier is nothing but a hollow reputation."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other Han army generals from aristocratic families quickly echoed, "General Zhang is right."

"Although the people of the Northern Frontier also used artillery and crossbows, and their cavalry charges were quite fierce, they were no match for our Great Jin's infantry formations."

"Look at our formation, with shields like a forest and spears like hedgehogs. The northern cavalry charged three times but failed to break through, and instead suffered heavy losses."

"Of course we'll have to flee in a sorry state."

"Where our Great Jin cavalry goes, the people of the Northern Frontier can only flee at the mere sight of them."

"Hahahaha!"

The Jin army did not encounter any obstacles on their northward journey.

The Northern Frontier Army deployed a defensive line outside Xianyang, launched a cavalry raid outside Jingyang, and used the Tiger Cannon to bombard the Jin army's formation under Huayuan City.

However, Wanyan Gang was experienced and knew the advantage of the cavalry's mobility in the northern frontier, so he always kept the infantry in a tight square formation as they advanced.

Heavy shield bearers blocked arrows and cannon fire in front, while spearmen followed closely behind to defend against cavalry charges. Heavy cavalrymen protected the flanks of the square formation, forming a "coordinated infantry and cavalry, steady and methodical" formation.

Whenever the northern frontier cavalry feigned defeat in an attempt to lure the Jin cavalry out of their formation and pursue them, Wanyan Gang was always able to promptly order the retreat.

In his early years, he suppressed rebellions by nomadic tribes on the grasslands and was very familiar with their tactics of "luring the enemy deep into their territory and then surrounding and annihilating them."

Despite the provocations from the Northern Frontier cavalry, they remained unmoved, only slowing down with a firm pace to compress the Northern Frontier army's operational space.

Despite the ridicule from these Han Chinese aristocratic generals, Wanyan Gang remained serious and extremely vigilant towards the Northern Frontier Army.

After all, how could an army capable of destroying the Xia Kingdom and annihilating the elite Jin army led by Wanyan Heda be as incompetent as those Han generals claimed?

It was simply a rebellion in Xiping Prefecture that cut off their retreat and tied down a large number of troops in the Northern Frontier Army.

Furthermore, the Jin army had a larger force, forcing the Northern Frontier Army to retreat.

"Binzhou City is low and has been damaged in many places by the northern people in the previous battles. There is no time to repair it, so it cannot be defended."

Wanyan Gang ignored the Han Chinese aristocratic generals and stood below the city tower, watching the soldiers clear the broken bricks from the city wall. He spoke calmly to the generals.

"The Northern Frontier Army has withdrawn all its troops back to Qingyang. Judging from this posture, they intend to hold Qingyang to the death."

"Qingyang Prefecture City is tall and surrounded by the gullies of the Loess Plateau, making it a complex and easily defensible city!"

A Jurchen general frowned, his voice filled with worry: "Our soldiers are exhausted from our long march. If we launch a direct assault on Qingyang, we're afraid we'll have to pay a heavy price."

“There will naturally be a price to pay, but we have plenty of time,” Wanyan Gang said, pointing to the fields outside the city.

Now that grain-producing areas like Xianyang and Jingyang are in the hands of the Jin army, the autumn grain on the north bank of the Wei River will be ready for harvest in a few days. With ample supplies, they can easily outlast the Northern Frontier Army.

"The handsome and wise man!"

The generals all agreed, but one general still suggested, "General, we must guard against the Northern Frontier's flanking maneuver."

"Those nomadic tribes of the grasslands are best at long-distance raids to cut off supply lines."

Wanyan Heda, the general manager of Fuyan Road, had his 10,000-strong army ambushed and surrounded by the northern frontier forces, which naturally alerted Wanyan Gang.

"I was prepared for this."

Wanyan Gang said confidently, "I have ordered scouts to be stationed on all the main roads leading south, with checkpoints every ten miles. If the people of the northern frontier want to outflank us, they will not be able to hide it from us."

As he spoke, he looked at the messenger and asked, "How is the Eastern Route Army making progress?"

"Reporting to the commander, General Jiagushaning has captured Fangzhou and is leading his army toward Fuzhou. His progress is even faster than ours!"

The generals were all surprised to hear this; the Eastern Route Army was indeed fast.

Wanyan Gang was not surprised and said calmly, "The rebellion in Xiping Prefecture is quite serious, and the people of the Northern Frontier have to withdraw troops from Guanzhong to quell the rebellion."

"With fewer troops from the northern frontier facing them, the Eastern Route Army made rapid progress."

"The reason we were able to successfully recapture so many cities along the way is also because of this."

He paused, his face darkening: "But even so, we cannot be careless."

"Pass on my order to have Jiagushaning send more cavalry to patrol the rear, be on high alert for surprise attacks from the northern frontier, and do not be greedy for merit or advance rashly."

"I will obey your orders!"

The Jin army rested for a day in Binzhou, replenishing their food and arrows, and continued their northward march the next morning.

Five days later, the outline of Qingyang Prefecture gradually came into view.

On the city wall, a golden sun and moon battle flag fluttered in the wind; it was the banner of Li Xiao, the Grand Protector of the Northern Frontier.

Wanyan Gang reined in his horse, drew his curved sword from his waist, and pointed it at the top of Qingyang City: "Soldiers."

"Li Xiao, the chieftain of the northern frontier, is in the city. Whoever captures Qingyang and takes Li Xiao will be promoted five ranks, rewarded with ten thousand gold pieces, and enfeoffed as a marquis of ten thousand households."

"Kill with me!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Enticed by the generous reward, the Jin soldiers instantly erupted in cheers. Tens of thousands of soldiers surged toward Qingyang City like a tidal wave, their array of shields resembling a moving city wall, gradually approaching the city walls.

Just as the Jin army was about to reach the city, a deafening roar suddenly rang out from the top of Qingyang City – more than a dozen Shenwei cannons fired at the same time.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Immediately afterwards, the sound of arrows whistling through the air rang out from the city wall. Countless crossbow bolts rained down like a storm, piercing through the armor of the Jin army and pinning the soldiers to the ground.

"Keep attacking! No retreat!"

Wanyan Gang gave a stern order, lashing his horse with his whip, and said in a cold voice, "As long as we break through Qingyang and capture Li Xiao, everyone will be rewarded."

On the other side, on the eastern front, Jia Gushaning was leading 40,000 Jin troops northward along the Luo River.

Previously, they had captured Pucheng, Baishui, Fangzhou and other places, and the Northern Frontier Army retreated to Sanhe Town to set up defenses.

This place is where the Luo River, Huachi River, and Ju River converge. With its crisscrossing waterways and treacherous terrain, the Northern Frontier Army built simple defensive fortifications here to block the Jin army's advance.

"They're nothing but stray dogs, do they think they can stop my Great Jin Iron Cavalry?"

Jia Gushaning stood on the riverbank, looking at the Northern Frontier Army's positions opposite him, his tone full of disdain.

He waved for his soldiers to attack, but as soon as they got close, a barrage of crossbow bolts and cannon fire erupted from the Northern Frontier Army's positions.

The crossbow bolts flew like locusts, while the cannonballs of the Tiger Cannon exploded in the Jin army's ranks.

Seeing the heavy casualties among his soldiers, Jia Gushaning gritted his teeth in anger and cursed, "Damn Xia Kingdom!"

"If it weren't for those Tangut bald dogs who stole the technology of the crossbow from the people of the northern frontier, how could we have fought so hard?"

People only know that the Northern Frontier Cavalry is invincible, but they don't know that the Northern Frontier Army's weapons are already ahead of the times.

The Divine Arm Crossbow has a long range and strong penetrating power, the Tiger Lord Cannon is lightweight and portable and has amazing power, and there is also the terrifying Divine Might Cannon, whose power seems to destroy the world.

These weapons gave the smaller Northern Frontier Army an absolute advantage in defensive battles.

Although the Jin army was numerous, it was unable to make any progress under the suppression of the Northern Frontier Army's weapons. Countless Jin army corpses and broken weapons floated in the waterways of Sanhe Town.

Meanwhile, in the lower reaches of the Jushui River valley, a group of Jin scouts were chatting idly under the shade of a tree.

"How's the fighting going in Sanhe Town?"

"We've been guarding this place, and we haven't seen a single person. How can we possibly make a contribution?"

One of the scouts complained, casually leaning his lance against a tree.

"Who knows? I've heard that the people of the Northern Frontier have powerful weapons, so General Jiagu will probably have to put in some effort."

"In my opinion, the Northern Frontier Army has such a small force that it's all being held tightly by our main force. Where would they find the extra troops to bypass the enemy lines and attack their supply lines?"

"We're definitely going to be waiting in vain."

"Staying here is better than going to the battlefield to fight the people of the northern frontier."

A group of scouts waited by the river, eating their rations and preparing for their midday rest.

But at that moment, the leading soldier suddenly opened his eyes, frowned, and said, "Did you hear anything?"

Everyone fell silent instantly, listening intently.

From the distant jungle came the rustling of leaves.

Upon closer inspection, one could vaguely make out one or two figures moving about.

The Jin scouts' expressions changed drastically: "Not good! They're from the Northern Frontier!"

Before they could finish speaking, a barrage of arrows shot out from the distant jungle, instantly felling them to the ground.

"Ahhhhh~"

Screams rose and fell, while those who were lucky enough to escape from the arrows hurriedly mounted their horses and prepared to flee.

At that moment, a group of northern frontier cavalrymen dressed in yellow armor charged out of the jungle.

He drew his bow, nocked an arrow, caught up with the fleeing soldier, and killed him.

The leading general dismounted, carefully examined the bodies of the Jin scouts, and after confirming that none had survived, ordered the soldiers behind him: "Continue forward, and be sure to conceal your movements."

Soon after, a large cavalry legion from the northern frontier arrived along the Jushui River valley.

The soldiers were all dressed in simple single-layer clothing, with their yellow armor hanging on their horses' backs.

This army is the main force of the First Garrison in the Northern Frontier, personally led by Li Xiao!
Li Xiao deliberately had the Northern Frontier Army adopt a defensive posture in Qingyang and Sanhe Town to lure Wanyan Gang and Jiagushaning into launching a separate attack.

He then led the main force from the Yanchuan River Valley in Ningzhou into the Ziwu Ridge, crossed the mountain peaks, and then descended along the Jushui River Valley on the east side of the Ziwu Ridge, quietly reaching the eastern battlefield.

Although Wanyan Gang was always on guard against the northern cavalry flanking him and cutting off his supply lines, he did not expect that Li Xiao's real target was the Jin army on the eastern front.

Although the Jin army on the eastern route made rapid progress, it lacked the steady command of Wanyan Gang and had relatively few troops, making it the best target for "starting with the easy and then moving on to the difficult".

If we can concentrate our superior forces in the northern frontier to encircle and annihilate the 40,000 Jin troops on the eastern route, we can break the Jin army's two-front offensive and even encircle Wanyan Gang's western route army, thus completely winning the battle in Guanzhong.

……

On the battlefield of Sanhe Town, the Jin army's attack was once again suppressed by the Northern Frontier Army's Divine Arm Crossbow and Tiger-Supreme Cannon.

As Jia Gushaning rode his tall horse, his face was so gloomy that it seemed to drip water, as he looked at the soldiers' corpses floating in the river.

Two whole days had passed, and the Jin army had launched more than a dozen attacks, yet they hadn't even managed to touch the Northern Frontier Army's fortifications. Instead, they had lost nearly a thousand men. This result enraged him. "Useless! Completely useless!"

Jia Gushaning brandished his riding whip and coldly ordered his generals, "Organize another attack."

"If we still can't take this place, you will all come back with your heads."

The generals dared not refute, and could only bite the bullet and turn around to mobilize the soldiers.

Just then, a messenger came galloping from behind. Before his horse had even come to a complete stop, he tumbled and crawled to Jia Gushaning, his voice trembling with fear.

"General... General, something terrible has happened."

"A large number of northern frontier cavalry have been discovered in the direction of the Jushui River Valley."

"Judging by their size, there are at least tens of thousands of them, and they are charging toward our rear camp."

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Gushaning was struck dumb, and the anger on his face was instantly replaced by shock.

He suddenly turned his head and looked towards the direction of the Jushui River Valley. Although he could not see any people, he seemed to hear the sound of horses' hooves coming from afar.

Tens of thousands of cavalry from the northern frontier?

Why did it suddenly appear here?

Didn't Wanyan Gang say that he had already planted spies on the road south and wouldn't give the Northern Frontier Army any opportunity to take advantage of the situation?
"How is that possible? How many cavalrymen are there from the northern frontier? How far away are they?"

Jia Gushaning grabbed the messenger by the collar, demanding an explanation in a stern voice, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"There really were tens of thousands of cavalry."

The messenger trembled with fear: "The scouts said they are wearing yellow armor and are moving very fast. They should be able to reach our rear camp in less than fifteen minutes."

Jia Gushaning's heart pounded wildly, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

The rear camp not only stored the Jin army's provisions, but also housed the wounded and a small number of soldiers responsible for guarding the area.

If the northern cavalry breaks through, the Jin army will be caught in a pincer movement, and at that time, not only will it be impossible to attack Sanhe Town, but the safety of the army will also become a fatal problem.

"Quickly! Pass down the order to halt the frontal assault."

"Order the Luoshui Army and the Dengzhou Army to immediately return to their rear camps and make every effort to stop the northern cavalry."

Jia Gushaning made a quick decision and shouted to his personal guards.

He couldn't afford to worry about the Northern Frontier Army on the front lines anymore; protecting the rear camp was the top priority right now, otherwise the 40,000 Jin troops would collapse without a fight.

The guards dared not delay and immediately rode off to deliver the order.

But chaos had already begun to spread on the battlefield.

The news that "the northern cavalry had outflanked the enemy" spread like wildfire, and the Jin soldiers who were preparing to attack were instantly thrown into a panic. Some soldiers even began to secretly retreat, and the formation became chaotic.

At that very moment, the roar of the northern cavalry became increasingly clear.

"Boom boom boom~"

Yellow waves surged from both sides of the valley, covering the mountains and fields.

There was no scene of a fierce charge; instead, there were only horses' hooves trampling over gravel and yellow earth, advancing layer by layer, slowly approaching the Jin army camp.

The oppressive aura emanating from them caused the Jin army to panic, and even the air seemed to freeze under their pressure.

"The people from the northern frontier are coming! Quickly, stop them!"

"Reinforcements are arriving soon!"

"Anyone who tries to escape will be killed without mercy!"

The Jin soldiers in the rear camp panicked at the sight of this terrifying formation and began to shout incessantly.

Some threw down their weapons and fled out of the camp, while others huddled in the corner of their tents, trembling uncontrollably.

Although they had already received news from the scouts, the main force of their army was tied down by the Northern Frontier Army on the front, making it difficult to mobilize their troops in a short period of time.

"fire."

In the northern frontier army formation, a commander of the Divine Machine Battalion shouted an order.

A dozen or so Tiger-shaped cannons fired simultaneously, the shells whistling as they crashed into the fences of the Jin army's rear camp.

"Boom! Boom!"

After a loud explosion, huge gaps were blasted open in the fence, and the tent was gradually engulfed in flames.

Immediately afterwards, the crossbowmen lined up in three rows and took turns firing. A dense barrage of crossbow bolts rained down on the camp, and the fleeing Jin soldiers fell to the ground, their blood staining the ground inside the camp.

"attack!"

In the midst of the army, Li Xiao, clad in full golden armor, drew his cavalry saber and shouted sharply.

"kill!"

The northern cavalry surged out like a yellow torrent, pouring into the rear camp through the blasted opening.

A Jin soldier tried to raise his spear to resist, but was struck on the back of the neck by a saber from another northern cavalryman, and fell to the ground screaming.

Another cavalryman pierced the chest of a Jin archer with his spear, throwing him off his horse.

Although the Jin soldiers in the camp fought hard, they were no match for the northern frontier cavalry.

Most of them were auxiliary soldiers and wounded soldiers responsible for guarding the grain supplies. Their combat strength was already weak, and they were quickly routed when faced with the fierce attack of the northern cavalry.

Moreover, those charging ahead were the elite Black Armor Army, the ace troops of the Northern Frontier Army.

These armored cavalrymen and their horses were covered in heavy iron armor, and they held long-handled battle axes and lances. Like a mobile steel fortress, they charged toward the central formation of the Jin army.

A Jin army centurion attempted to organize his soldiers into a square formation to resist, but was pierced through the body by the lances of armored cavalry, and the square formation instantly collapsed.

The armored cavalry charged wildly, knocking Jin soldiers off their feet and horses. With each swing of their battle axes, Jin soldiers fell one after another. The screams and clanging of metal mingled together in the camp, creating a scene of extreme carnage.

Meanwhile, on the main battlefield of Sanhe Town, Li Dongjiang stood on a hilltop, closely monitoring the movements of the Jin army.

When he saw thick smoke rising from the direction of the Jin army's rear camp and that the Jin army's attack had obviously weakened, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

He knew that the main force of the First Town had arrived.

"Brothers, the Grand Protector has personally led his troops and has already breached the rear camp of the Jin army."

"The Jin army is now attacked from both sides, which is the time for us to attack."

Li Dongjiang drew his curved sword from his waist and shouted, "Kill! Avenge our fallen brothers!"

The soldiers in the northern frontier instantly erupted in excitement. They had been holding back their energy for a long time, and upon hearing Li Dongjiang's shout, they launched a counter-charge against the Jin army.

As Jia Gushaning watched the surging Northern Frontier Army approaching from the front, and listened to the scouts' report that a golden sun and moon battle banner had appeared among the Northern Frontier Army behind them, a wave of despair instantly surged in his heart.

He knew he was in big trouble this time.

The golden sun and moon battle flag signifies the personal presence of Li Xiao, the Grand Protector of the Northern Frontier, while these cavalrymen clad in yellow armor with red trim are Li Xiao's personal guard, the Wuwei Army.

Everyone thought that Li Xiao's main force should be fighting Wanyan Gang's army on the western front, but no one expected that the enemy would launch a feint attack.

They suddenly appeared on the Eastern Front.

Currently, Jiagushaning's army is surrounded by more than 40,000 main forces of the Northern Frontier Army from the First and Second Divisions.

The situation has become extremely critical; the slightest misstep could result in total annihilation.

Jia Gushaning's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth as he shouted, "Everyone, stay calm!"

“They’re just some barbarians from the northern frontier. Do you think our Great Jin cavalry is afraid of them? Send the Canggu and Tangzhou armies back to the rear camp with me.”

"The rest of you continue to hold the front line and are not allowed to retreat a single step."

With that, Jia Gushaning personally led the soldiers of both armies and galloped toward the rear camp.

But he knew in his heart that this was just self-comfort.

The Northern Frontier Cavalry has always been known for its speed and powerful impact; the small force in the rear camp was simply no match for the attack of tens of thousands of cavalry.

Meanwhile, the Northern Frontier Army launched a fierce attack, plunging the Jin army into an unprecedented crisis.

……

Of the 40,000 Jin troops under Jiagushaning, nearly 30,000 were elite soldiers who had followed him from the Central Plains and fought bloody battles with the Song army.

It can be described as one of the most powerful armies of this era.

Faced with the pincer attack from the Northern Frontier Army, the 30,000-strong army was trapped in the valley and was not defeated in one battle like the militia.

Instead, they demonstrated absolute fighting power and strong willpower, fighting a bloody battle with the Northern Frontier Army for more than two hours.

Blood stained the valley red, and the howling wind carried a yellow hue across the land, like the cries of countless war spirits.

The fighting didn't gradually end until sunset.

With the rear army defeated, the main battlefield collapsed, and 40,000 Jin soldiers were either captured, killed, or fled, leaving less than 10,000 survivors who were divided and surrounded by the Northern Frontier Army and were rapidly collapsing.

Jia Gushaning knew that the situation was hopeless and that breaking through was impossible.

"General, let's surrender!" the general beside him urged, his eyes filled with despair.

Jia Gushaning gazed at the Northern Frontier Army's battle flag fluttering in the distance, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes, and shouted in a low voice.

"There are only Jurchens who died in battle, not Jurchens who surrendered."

Jia Gushaning raised his head and looked in the direction of Zhongdu, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

There was resentment, regret, and a lingering attachment to his homeland.

He recalled Wanyan Jing's instructions to him before he set off, the glory of the Jin army sweeping across Liao and Song, and the merits he had accumulated in his lifetime of battles...

But now, all of that has vanished, and he has become a sinner against the Great Jin.

"I, Jia Gushaning, have fought my whole life and never bowed my head to anyone."

"Today's defeat is my fault. I have failed His Majesty and the Great Jin Dynasty."

"But I would rather die than surrender!!"

After saying that, he suddenly straightened up and held the scimitar to his neck.

Upon seeing this, the lieutenant hurriedly stepped forward to stop him: "General! You mustn't!"

But it's too late.

Blood gushed out like a fountain, and Jia Gushaning swayed before falling off his horse.

He struggled to lift his head and look towards Zhongdu, his eyes wide open, as if still unwillingly gazing at the land he had failed to defend.

“General…” The other Jin generals collapsed beside Jiagushaning’s body, weeping bitterly.

The blood-red sunset cast its light on the riverbank, the blood mingling with the muddy water, staining the land crimson.

The fighting on the eastern front ended with Jia Gushaning's suicide, and from that moment on, the situation in Guanzhong completely shifted in favor of the Northern Frontier Army.

(End of this chapter)