Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 632 The Jin Thieves Could Not Escape

"...So, Li Tieqiang has already accepted the challenge?"

"That's right!" the military envoy exclaimed. "My general has instructed me to ask Brother Xin Wu for help!"

“You go back…” Xin Qiji thought about the scene of the iron cavalry marching out in all directions. It would be difficult for a military envoy to bring the situation back in such a situation. He immediately changed his words and said, “You must not go back. Come with me to advance.”

After saying this, Xin Qiji continued to give the order: "Xin Jingwei, beat the drums loudly, so that the big iron spears know that reinforcements will arrive soon!"

"Send orders to Zhang Anguo and Shi Baiju: they have more livestock and more carts under their command. Tell them to head south immediately, not to engage in direct combat, but to bypass the battlefield and cut off the Jin invaders' retreat!"

"Send word to Jia Rui, order him to move closer to me, so that the two armies can join forces and press forward together!"

The Taiping Army split into five routes, advancing simultaneously. Zhang Anguo was on the westernmost side, marching along the edge of the Liangshan Marshland, while Shi Baiju was on the easternmost side. Therefore, theoretically, they could bypass the battlefield and appear behind the Jin army's lines.

However, after Xin Jingwei finished relaying the order, he frowned. In his opinion, his elder brother had made an unusual tactical move.

Xin Qiji actually attempted to surround the cavalry with infantry.

Its unreliability is obvious at a glance.

Of course, what Xin Jingwei didn't know was that there were historical precedents for this kind of thing.

During the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, when the Ming army launched its northern expedition, it repeatedly used long spears and light armor to encircle and kill the Yuan cavalry through long-distance outflanking maneuvers.

There is even some scientific basis to this, because human endurance is much better than that of warhorses, and for a certain distance, a horse cannot outrun a human.

However, the key to carrying out such military operations lies in the infantry having good organization, high morale, and adequate nutrition.

The Ming army that Zhu Yuanzhang led during his northern expedition could naturally meet these conditions. Although the current Taiping army is not as good as the Ming army, Tu Danzhen's tribal troops were hastily mobilized for battle during their retreat, so their morale and even physical strength could not be unaffected.

This gave the Taiping Army an opportunity.

After giving the order, Xin Qiji did not delay for a moment. He formed ranks at the edge of the battlefield and then joined forces with Jia Rui, who had arrived. They formed a simple horizontal formation and pressed towards the Jin cavalry with a sweeping momentum.

The Jin army, which had bypassed Li Tieqiang's flanks and was attempting to attack from the side and rear, did not dare to be negligent. They dispatched a portion of their troops to run back and forth in front of the formation and fire arrows, trying to contain the main force of the Tianping army.

However, the Taiping army continued to advance slowly to the sound of drums. Archers would occasionally shoot down some of the nearby Jin cavalrymen, while lightly armored soldiers with swords and shields would repeatedly attack through the gaps in the spear formation, constantly holding back the Jin cavalrymen who came close to shoot arrows, and the spear formation would then roll over them.

The Jin cavalry had less and less room to maneuver, and more than two hundred riders were simply caught between Li Tieqiang and Xin Qiji.

In the past, the hammer-anvil tactic involved infantry soldiers acting as the anvil and cavalry soldiers acting as the hammer.

Now, the thousand-plus armored soldiers under Li Tieqiang, forming the Six Flower Formation, are the anvil, while the Great Horizontal Formation led by Xin Qiji is the hammer. Although the processes are not exactly the same, the result is the same.

The two hundred-plus Jin soldiers caught in the middle collapsed, and the four or five hundred cavalrymen around them also scattered.

If it were an ordinary Jin army, they would basically be unable to continue fighting at this point and would have to figure out how to retreat.

However, these Jin soldiers were all from the Tudan tribe. Expeditionary forces organized according to kinship and similar tribal systems have a common characteristic.

Ordinary defeated soldiers would flee to their hometowns, but for tribal soldiers, the place where their tribal chief was located was their hometown.

This is why the Vikings were so difficult to defeat at the beginning.

The enemy army, which had been defeated with great effort, regrouped under the banner of the tribal chief and was quickly organized to be thrown back into battle. Anyone who encountered such an enemy would be thoroughly fed up with it.

The Tudan tribe's soldiers were in this situation. These four hundred-plus cavalrymen retreated to Tudan Zhen's banner, whereupon officers stepped forward to reprimand them, gathered their troops on the spot, and led by the officers, threw them back into the battlefield.

At this moment, Tu Danzhen also discovered the Tianping Army coming from both flanks through the scouts scattered throughout the battlefield. He immediately sent out his last few hundred cavalrymen, splitting them into two groups, to try to defeat Zhang Anguo or Shi Baiju.

When only a few dozen riders remained under the banner of Tudan, Yiladao finally realized something was wrong.

Although this fellow is adept at intrigue and political manipulation, he is only mediocre in military matters. However, even the most foolish person, seeing that all the surrounding troops have been dispatched, and that not only is there no chance of victory but even a stalemate cannot be achieved, will inevitably sense that the situation is dire.

Is it a lie that Xin Qiji's infantry formation is getting closer and closer?

The Jin army has no reinforcements. If this continues, won't they suffer a major defeat?
"Left Supervisor! Think of a plan quickly!" Yila Dao urged anxiously, "If all else fails, dismount and fight on foot! As long as we can break through the Tianping rebels' advancing formation, our army will win!"

Tu Danzhen suddenly shouted, "Shut up! I am the commander-in-chief, how dare you, a mere Khitan slave, interrupt me?!"

Upon hearing this, Yila Dao's face turned ashen, but he ultimately dared not argue with the commander-in-chief in the central army and could only remain silent.

Tu Danzhen only gave a rebuke before staring intently at the battlefield ahead once more.

He wasn't stunned by the situation; he was looking for an opportunity to strike.

The dismounted infantry fighting mentioned by Yiladao is a tactic that can only be used in large-scale battles and strategic offensives.

The Jin army is currently in a strategic retreat. Once they find the right opportunity, they will make a great leap forward. What will happen to the armored cavalry that charge into their formation?
Tudanzhen looked up at his own banner. He knew that his biggest trump card was his identity as the leader of the Tudan tribe and the Left Supervisor of the Army. According to the military law of the Jin army and the traditions of the Jurchens, once he started charging, all the Jin soldiers would follow him to the end.

At the very least, the Taiping army's large, orderly infantry formation would have to fall into disarray before Tu Danzhen could lead his troops out of battle. Otherwise, a frontal assault on such a well-organized infantry formation would be suicidal.

But we can't wait too long.

If they are forced out of this vast saline-alkali land, the Jin cavalry will be divided by the rivers and ditches that are scattered throughout Dongping Prefecture. At that time, the Taiping Army can take advantage of its home-field advantage to overcome the mobility of the cavalry.

As Tu Danzhen watched Li Tieqiang's troops gradually merge into the horizontal formation, and as the Tianping Army's horizontal formation grew thicker and wider, his heart grew increasingly anxious.

Even if the Taiping army's horizontal formation was wide, it was impossible for it to completely cover the battlefield. Some Jin cavalry must have bypassed the flanks, so why hadn't they launched an attack from the side or rear? Why was the Taiping army's horizontal formation still moving?
Tu Danzhen underestimated the loyalty and bravery of his men. At least four hundred Jurchen cavalrymen had bypassed the main force, and officers quickly organized them to launch an attack on the main formation from the flank and rear.

However, the Taiping Army only left behind more than 400 men, who formed more than ten small square formations. After they stood in place, they blocked the Jin army completely.

After being divided by these small square formations, the Jin army's flanking forces were completely disorganized and powerless to stop the Taiping army's advance.

Tu Danzhen could only watch helplessly as the Taiping army's formation gradually approached, while the Jin cavalry, who tried to block them at the front, were forced to retreat continuously until they reached the same line as Tu Danzhen, at which point they gradually stabilized their formation.

Just when they were completely at a disadvantage on the front, bad news came from the west.

Zhang Anguo personally severed Shi Zhanxie's head in the vicinity, demonstrating his intimate familiarity with the surrounding terrain.

After abandoning his carts, he led his troops in a desperate retreat, luring over three hundred Jin cavalrymen into the winter swamp. Then, light infantry hidden in the reeds appeared and slaughtered the panicked Jin cavalrymen.

Only a handful of riders managed to escape back.

Now the Jin army's left wing was completely beyond saving. Tudan Yongnian, who had been able to maintain his composure, panicked completely and said to Tudan Zhen, "Left Supervisor! We have to make a decision!"

Tudan Zhen's eyebrows shot up, and he shouted angrily at Tudan Yongnian: "Right Supervisor! What decision are you making?! Are you going to abandon so many Tudan soldiers and turn around and run away? They are your brothers and nephews! How can you bear to abandon them!"

Tu Dan Yongnian was scolded so harshly that his anger rose: "Left Supervisor, if I wanted to escape, I would have left now! As the commander-in-chief, shouldn't you be doing something now that the war has come to this point?"

"You've got something to show, good, I'll show you what I've got right now!"

Tu Danzhen knew he could wait no longer. He took the spear from the victory hook, his face contorted with rage: "Right Supervisor! I, Tu Danzhen, did not rise to this high position by flattery! I was able to lead an army into battle not because of a peaceful atmosphere! And our Tu Dan tribe has been able to establish itself in the Great Jin Dynasty not because of the nepotism of those empresses and empresses!"

"It was through repeated charges and battles, through the great achievements of destroying the Liao and Song armies! It was through repeatedly breaking through those clay chickens and clay dogs of the Liao and Song armies!"

Tudan Zhen raised his spear and roared to the sky, "Ancestors of the Tudan tribe, look at me! Sons of the Tudan tribe, look at me! Today I will cut this Shandong bandit army into rags and shreds!"

Having said that, Tu Danzhen took the lead, raised his spear high, and slowly marched towards the Taiping Army's large horizontal formation.

The ornately decorated Tudan banner behind him fluttered in the breeze.

The Jin army instantly understood Tu Danzhen's intentions, and their morale soared.

The Jin dynasty's rule was forged through countless battles fought by armored cavalry. Now, Tu Danzhen, as the Left Supervisor of the Grand Marshal's Office, is personally leading the charge!

The Jin cavalry automatically formed ranks and launched a fierce attack on the Taiping army along a broad battle line.

No longer caring about casualties, they continued to fire arrows during their frontal charge, and after a gap appeared in the Taiping army's formation, they charged straight into the enemy lines.

In the Jin army's reckless and desperate attack, the Taiping army's offensive was truly slowed down for the first time. Their horizontal formation gradually became crooked and twisted, and several huge gaps even appeared.

The casualties generated in that short period of time quickly exceeded the total casualties since the start of the battle.

Tu Danzhen felt the winter wind blowing against his face, listened to the fluttering of banners amidst the shouts of battle and the sound of horses' hooves, and watched the approaching Xin-character banner. He felt all the strength and courage he had gained in the past return to his body.

If we can break the Taiping Army's formation from the center, then the Taiping Army will definitely be unable to maintain its formation. At that time, we will still have a chance of winning by driving out the routed soldiers to attack these Shandong bandits.

It seemed like another standard Jin-style victory. However, just when Tu Danzhen felt victory was assured and made a desperate last-ditch effort, the balance of power had already quietly shifted.

Xin Qiji finally made a move.

"Mount!"

"Split into formation!"

"Put down the neck!"

The order was quickly relayed to the central command of the Taiping Army.

As the spear formation split open from the center, a force of about three hundred armored cavalry appeared in Tu Danzhen's field of vision.

Xin Qiji, with a heavy sword at his waist and a long spear raised high, said fiercely, "These Jurchen traitors actually want to compete with us to see who is more ruthless?! Men, follow me, let's charge head-on!"

The Taiping Army's armored cavalry responded with a thunderous roar, and amidst the deafening battle cries, the banner bearing the character "Xin" surged forward.

Tu Danzhen, aren't you trying to outdo each other in ruthlessness, endurance of casualties, and willingness to risk your life for victory?

Now, I, the Great Green Rhinoceros, will grant your wish!
(End of this chapter)