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

Chapter 776 A Lonely City Under the Shining Sun: A Battle of Wits (Part 2)
The cavalry was a formidable force, especially the Jin army, whose main force consisted of cavalry. Each soldier often rode multiple horses, and once they started moving, their momentum was deafening.

The main camp set up in Qixian County south of the Huan River was only ten miles away from the main battlefield, so it was well prepared.

Dan Ding immediately summoned local soldiers and archers from the surrounding villages to guard the camp, and then dispatched a military envoy to cross the Huan River via a pontoon bridge to report the military situation to Zhang Anguo.

Zhang Anguo also became somewhat alert. While gathering his troops and preparing for battle, he immediately dispatched military envoys to report the military situation to all directions and request reinforcements.

At this time, Qixian County only had four thousand garrison soldiers, nearly a thousand of whom were militia from civilian settlements. They were completely unable to leave the city for open battle and could only defend the city and camps while waiting for Wei Shengneng to withdraw.

Wei Sheng was trapped deep in enemy territory, and Zhang Anguo was naturally extremely anxious. However, he knew that if Qixian could be defended, then even if Wei Sheng was defeated, his defeated troops could still escape back by crossing the Huan River.

If Qixian is lost, even if Wei Sheng can hold out against the cavalry for as long as possible, he will eventually have no way out. He will be trapped in the narrow passage between the Huan River and the Wo River and be slaughtered by the Jin army!
Just as Shan Ding had gathered a thousand soldiers to cultivate the land, he noticed a cloud of dust approaching.

Knowing that a large cavalry force had arrived, he immediately ordered the garrison troops who had not yet arrived to scatter and retreat, while closing the gates of the stockade and preparing to meet the enemy.

This camp was built along with the defense system of Bozhou. It was equipped with deep moats, high walls, chevaux-de-frise, and wooden fences. Except for the lack of elite troops, it had all the necessary conditions to be a strong fortified camp.

Originally, Liu Huai's plan was that even if the Jin army attacked, the Loyal Army could resist layer by layer, luring the enemy deep into their territory, until the Jin army was exhausted by the heat and fatigue, at which point Wei Sheng would lead 8,000 Loyal Army soldiers to counterattack.

Unless the Jin army truly uses its entire national force to attack, there's no fear of things going wrong.

If the Jin army really ignores the Song army and attacks Shandong with all its might, then the loyal and righteous army can simply retreat to Xuzhou, which is a strategically important place. Even if the Jin army sends 100,000 troops, they will be crushed and bleed at Pengcheng.

Moreover, Yu Yunwen would not stand idly by and watch Wei Sheng fall into danger, and the Jin army would be exhausted from their continuous attacks, thus giving the Song army the opportunity to win a decisive battle in the field.

After a month or two, once Liu Huai has thoroughly dealt with the Jin army in Hebei, he will lead his elite troops south, where he will show the Jin army what an epic encirclement looks like.

However, with the defeat of the two Song armies, the situation in Henan became extremely dire. Wei Sheng could not stand idly by and watch the Song army completely collapse. He broke his political promise to Liu Huai and sent troops directly, which led to the current situation.

Even though the strategic situation has changed and all previous plans have been rendered useless, the layers of defensive facilities along the route from Qixian to Xuzhou still exist and will not disappear just because Wei Sheng sent troops.

When Jia Gu Qingchen led three thousand armored cavalry to the banks of the Huan River, he saw this fortified camp, and his heart sank immediately.

But Jia Gu Qingchen, after all, possessed the demeanor of a great general. He hesitated only for a moment before loudly ordering, "According to the previous plan, launch a full-scale attack and surround us from three sides! Right here on the banks of the Huan River, swallow up these Shandong bandits!"

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers from both the Eastern and Western Jin armies responded loudly in unison.

Immediately, the three Meng'an soldiers, without leaving any reserve troops, surrounded the camp from three sides, dismounted, filled the trenches with earth, and crossed them with ladders, and began their siege of the camp with an attitude that showed no regard for the lives of their elite soldiers.

Dan Ding immediately became flustered. Fortunately, although the garrison troops did not have armor, they still had spears and axes. In addition, their formation training had never been relaxed. Therefore, despite the difficulties and the struggles, they managed to hold off the Jin army's attack by taking advantage of the terrain.

After an hour of fierce fighting, as the sun rose higher, the fatigue from the long march and the heat gradually eased the Jin army's fierce offensive.

Just past noon, the Han army's garrison troops had already used the pontoon bridge to transfer reinforcements. After several rotations, this time Zhang Anguo personally led 500 soldiers to return Shan Ding.

“Old Shan, I’ll hold them off here. You should retreat and rest for a bit. We can’t keep going like this.” Zhang Anguo, who had noticeably gained weight since becoming the military commander of Suzhou, said to Shan Ding, “The more anxious the Jin bandits are, the less we should be.”

Dan Ding, covered in blood and panting heavily, first nodded, then shook his head: "Let the men return to Qixian City to rest. I will stay here and guard the camp. Since Lord Wei has entrusted me with the task of guarding the camp, I will fight to the death!"

Zhang Anguo directed the garrison troops to relieve the exhausted soldiers, and anxiously said to Shan Ding, "Old Shan, why don't you understand this? The Jin bandits are not just a small force; they may be coming all at once. We definitely can't fight this battle with just our Suzhou City. We must resist layer by layer and wait for reinforcements. At this time, every additional soldier or armored soldier could potentially delay the battle by one more day, giving the Commander-in-Chief one more day to arrive."

What's the point of you just dying here?

Dan Ding just gritted his teeth and shook his head: "The Jin bandits are almost exhausted. Our army might still be able to go out of the camp for a battle."

Zhang Anguo shook his head in response: "Are you crazy? This is a time to save yourselves!"

After a brief argument, Zhang Anguo eventually persuaded Shan Ding to cross the pontoon bridge and return to Qixian to rest, citing the need for a garrison commander in Qixian.

Zhang Anguo then stepped onto the makeshift watchtower, observing the surrounding situation while trying to see the main battlefield ten miles away.

However, with the smoke and dust billowing, how could one see anything clearly?
However, the Loyal Army possessed a large number of Ruyi chariots, which were powerful defensive weapons, and coupled with their elite troops, it was not so easy for the Jin invaders to break through the Loyal Army's defenses.

At this moment, this was the only way Zhang Anguo could console himself.

As the sticky heat in the air intensified, the Jin army's offensive noticeably slowed down, which gave Zhang Anguo some optimism.

Looks like we can get through today!

Soon, darkness fell, and the shouts of battle in the distance remained intense, while Zhang Anguo's camp remained impregnable.

The Jin army suffered approximately four hundred casualties during the siege of the camp. Although they were heavily armored, they were ultimately attacking the city on a battlefield pre-arranged by the Han army. Falling onto deer antlers, being struck by a large axe, or being knocked over by a log could save their lives thanks to their armor, but injury and loss of combat ability were inevitable.

The Jin army's attacks became weaker with each successive attack. By evening, as the heat subsided, they launched another fierce offensive, but because the garrison troops had already passed the initial period of panic, the attack was completely ineffective.

However, just as Zhang Anguo was emboldened, news came from Qixian County.

A Jin army of several hundred men had crossed the Huan River upstream, seemingly intending to raid the city, but was driven back by a volley of arrows fired by Shan Ding.

However, these Jin soldiers did not seem to give up. Instead, they occupied a village near the city and lurked in the darkness.

Zhang Anguo immediately ordered that the city must be defended at this time, and that Qixian City must be protected. Under no circumstances should they go out of the city to fight recklessly.

Meanwhile, on the main battlefield ten miles away, the fierce fighting had just come to an end.

Compared to the fierce fighting taking place here, Zhang Anguo's place was nothing more than a tender, childish game.

The Loyal Army is the main force forged by Shandong with all its manpower and resources. Even with the Ruyi War Chariot as a wooden fortress, it will not only defend but also attack.

In fact, if the Jin cavalry only harassed the Jin army with arrows, the Zhongyi Army infantry would hide behind the wooden planks of the side wagons and exchange fire with the Jin army using powerful bows and crossbows.

If the Jin cavalry dared to dismount and fight on foot, attempting to destroy the structure of the Ruyi chariot, then the Loyal Army would gather its armored soldiers and charge out to kill the approaching Jin soldiers head-on.

Although this tactic would result in greater casualties, it was enough to deal a huge blow to the morale of the Jin army.

As evening fell, the Jin army, which had been on a two-night raid and had been fighting for a full day, finally could not bear the casualties, exhaustion, and most troublesome of all, the summer heat, and retreated.

Wei Sheng was unable to catch up. Although his chariots were sturdy, they were not tanks. Expecting his infantry to catch up with the orderly retreating cavalry at night was simply asking the impossible.

The most annoying thing about cavalry is that they can seize the initiative on the battlefield, fighting and retreating at will.

"Now quickly prepare food. After we finish eating, the entire army will retreat towards Qixian County!"

After inspecting the camp, Wei Sheng loudly ordered in the sunset glow: "I saw clearly before that the camp on the south bank of the Huan River had not been captured by the Jin bandits. As long as we enter that area, we can save the entire army."

The generals, exhausted from a day of fighting, were all somewhat invigorated upon hearing these words.

However, Li Huo'er asked, "Is the whole army marching at full speed? Do we still need the Ruyi War Chariot?"

Wei Sheng, holding his sword, said, "Of course we need the Ruyi War Chariot, but we also can't let them run around in a chaotic frenzy. Otherwise, even if the Jin cavalry charge in a disorderly manner, our army will be utterly defeated."

"Following the wartime marching methods we practiced in peacetime, we marched in formation with our Ruyi chariots. It's better to be slower than to be wiped out."

Li Huo'er nodded repeatedly.

The method of infantrymen using chariots to advance in front of enemy cavalry has a long history. The earliest accurate record is probably from Ma Long during the Western Jin Dynasty. He led his infantrymen to advance in front of the Xiliang cavalry using chariots, as if they were in an empty field. The Qiang cavalry had no way to deal with him. In the end, Ma Long killed Tuoba Shujineng and completely quelled the Qiang rebellion.

The current marching method of the Loyal Army is an improved version of that of the last thousand years. It is roughly that the chariots are pulled by livestock and divided into two columns. Soldiers and laborers are sandwiched between the two columns of chariots, with elite cavalry or armored soldiers in front and behind for defense.

Each Ruyi chariot, in addition to carrying supplies and provisions, will also have two archers on guard.

Once the enemy attacks, the chariot stops and immediately transforms into a simple, long wooden fortress.

As it turns out, this tactic, which has been tested in actual combat for thousands of years, coupled with fearless infantrymen, remains an effective method today.

The Jin army quickly discovered the Zhongyi Army's unusual movements and responded immediately. However, under the cover of night, the Jin army, having made a long march, lacked sufficient fuel and torches to launch an effective attack.

In contrast, the loyal and righteous army, with its abundant carts and livestock, as well as sufficient fuel and torches, was able to maintain a smooth command system.

Thus, under the harassment of the Jin army, the loyal and righteous army took three hours, until late at midnight, before slowly but firmly crossing the ten-mile road and successfully returning to the camp on the south bank of the Huan River.

The loyal army and the garrison troops cheered and jumped for joy. Even Wei Sheng and Lu You breathed a long sigh of relief and let out their first hearty laughter in a long time.

Although things took some twists and turns, they eventually returned to the scene of the previous strategic planning.

Although the Jin army has more than 10,000 elite troops, since they failed to defeat the main force of the loyal and righteous army in open battle today, it is almost impossible for them to gain an advantage in the siege.

Behind Qixian is Fuli, and behind Fuli is Pengcheng. It is nothing short of a pipe dream for Heshi Lieliangbi to take down these fortified cities with just over 10,000 elite troops!

Let's see what other tricks you Jin thieves have up your sleeves!
(End of this chapter)