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

Chapter 780 Venus Enters the Moon, Enemy Can Be Destroyed

He Shi Liezhining could roughly sense the commotion in the city, and even make some guesses about what was happening.

But he no longer cared.

At this time, Heshilie Zhining did not lead the charge like Wanyan Shoudao, but instead stood in the center of the army.

The number of troops is one aspect, but on the other hand, Heshilie Zhining is, after all, the Left Deputy Marshal of the Jin Dynasty, leading about 10,000 core Jin troops. He must be in a position with a global perspective.

This naturally made the Jin army's retreat more orderly, but it also caused Heshilie Zhining, who happened to be at the city gate, to be immediately drawn into the melee when hundreds of Han cavalrymen charged along the base of the city wall.

Because it was surrounded on three sides but lacking one, the north gate of Yuancheng was an open road. After the Jin army left the city, they quickly formed ranks and charged north according to the pre-arranged plan.

By this time, six Meng'an and more than fifty Mouke cavalrymen had left the city and some were already eagerly beginning their victorious escape.

Some Jin generals had already seen the chaos at the city gate and immediately wanted to lead their troops back to help in the battle.

However, they were horrified to discover that their troops had gone out of control. Apart from a small number of trusted men who reined in their horses and turned back, the rest of the armored cavalry continued to gallop northward as if they had not seen any orders.

After the Battle of Damingfu and being bombarded by various cannons in Yuancheng for more than a month, even these elite Jin soldiers were somewhat terrified.

Now that we have a chance to escape, it's already quite remarkable that we can maintain a basic formation. What more could we ask for?

This wasn't just one person or one general disobeying orders; it was something everyone in the entire army wanted to do. In a sense, it was a case of the masses being of one mind and able to move mountains. How could an ordinary general possibly stop them?
This is why the simple strategy of "encircling three sides while leaving one side unused" has been used for thousands of years and has never become outdated.

This plan is because it understands people's minds perfectly. Everyone knows there might be an ambush ahead, but everyone also thinks that if they run fast, they can escape, while if they run slow, they will be doomed. Add to that the chaos caused by intimidation, and the situation we see today will be like this.

The army has completely lost its organization.

Although Heshilie Zhining led his personal guards to quickly repel the hundreds of Han cavalrymen who attacked, he did not have time to pursue them. After reorganizing his troops, he continued to march out of the city.

Then Heshilie Zhining was somewhat horrified to discover that the six Meng'an who had already left the city had almost all gone far away, leaving only hundreds of bewildered cavalry waiting ahead for reinforcements.

The current Left Deputy Marshal immediately knew things were going to get bad. He quickly dispatched military envoys to try to rally the vanguard, while simultaneously leading the follow-up troops to speed up their pace, attempting to rendezvous with the vanguard before the situation worsened.

Just as He Shilie Zhining had predicted, the six Meng'an soldiers leading the charge were running faster and faster, and their formation was becoming increasingly scattered.

About five miles from Yuancheng, just when the Jin army thought they had escaped, more than two thousand light cavalry charged towards them. After spreading out, they broke through the gaps in the Jin army's scattered formation and kept shooting arrows through the Jin army's formation.

Under the harassment of these light cavalrymen who also spoke with Liaodong accents, the Jin army's formation, which it had been able to barely maintain, was completely thrown into chaos. They could not even gather their troops with the generals' banners, and could only flee northward along the Yongji Canal in a chaotic manner, like sheep being herded.

Soon, the Jin army realized that something seemed amiss ahead.

Several camps and trenches were densely arranged along the official road, dividing it into east and west sides.

In a normal military operation, the Jin army should have immediately halted and reorganized its forces, and then dispatched scouts to scout ahead.

However, the Jin cavalry, numbering as many as 5,000, had lost their organization and only knew how to run wildly. They had no time to think about anything else. As a result, the Jin army was naturally divided into two parts, east and west, by the fortifications and trenches.

The Jin army on the west side was running through the nearly ripe millet fields. Although the army became more chaotic, it was still able to maintain some semblance of order. However, the Jin army on the east side, marching along the Yongji Canal, naturally fell into the trap.

The Han army dug several irrigation ditches, and after diverting water, the ditches were connected to several villages and towns. Together with the excavated trenches and the placed deer antlers, the entire west bank of the Yongji Canal formed a huge pocket formation.

These shallow and narrow ditches could not stop a normally marching army at all. They could be easily crossed, let alone filled with soil, or even ridden at full gallop.

However, the Han army's objective was not to completely trap the Jin army using the terrain, but rather to delay and disperse them.

As long as the Jin cavalry cannot accelerate and form a united force, they will have no advantage when facing infantry.

Sure enough, after the Jin army was thrown into further chaos, Lei Ben led the Vanguard Army into formation, pushed forward, and swept across the Jin army.

The Jin army's elite troops, who had previously been invincible on the battlefield, were now like snowmen in the sunlight or candles in a gale, and quickly collapsed completely.

Many Jin cavalrymen, relying on the speed of their warhorses, tried to turn around and escape the ambush.

However, this terrain is difficult to enter and equally difficult to exit.

Moreover, the morale of the Jin army was low at this time. With the decline of the Jin army, the laborers in Hebei dared to hunt down lone Jin cavalrymen in groups of two or three in the trenches and canals.

Compared to the sweeping, all-out attacks of the vanguard army, which resulted in the destruction of both men and horses, these Hebei laborers were much more meticulous.

Whether it was the armor or the warhorses of the Jin army, they were all treasures. Liu Huai offered generous rewards in the form of land. Faced with what might be the best chance to turn their lives around in recent years, the Han people of Hebei were determined to give it their all.

Many people pushed deer antlers and held weapons made from farm tools, provoking the Jin army's armored cavalry across the trenches and wooden fences. When the enemy was exhausted, the laborers seized the opportunity, swarmed forward, pulled them off their horses, pressed them to the ground, then ripped off their helmets and smashed them hard in the face with hammers and axes.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the more than two thousand Jin cavalrymen who had fallen into the carefully laid trap on the banks of the Yongji Canal vanished without even a splash.

The nearly three thousand Jin soldiers who were galloping in the fields to the west also did not have a good time. After traveling another two or three miles, several banners surrounded them from the east, west and north.

The Jin generals could see clearly that these banners included the Blue Ox and White Horse Banner, the White Fish Talisman Banner, and the Huyan Banner. It could be said that, apart from the Flying Tiger with Wings on its Ridges, which had not yet appeared, most of the famous cavalry generals of the Han army had already appeared.

The Han cavalry only lingered on the perimeter for a short while, probing for half an hour before more than a thousand Han cavalrymen charged forward in a wedge formation, cutting into the Jin cavalry and immediately separating the Jin army, which had no ability to fight back and only knew how to run wildly north.

Then more than two thousand armored cavalrymen flanked the Jin army from both flanks, and the Jin army collapsed in less than a quarter of an hour.

The Han cavalry immediately regrouped, and the remaining two thousand light cavalry of the Liao cavalry battalion, who had been waiting in the rear, immediately launched a pursuit and killing of the Jin army's routed troops.

When Heshilie Zhining led six Meng'an to the battlefield, what he saw was this scene that made his eyes widen in horror.

"Form ranks! Prepare for battle! The Shandong bandits only have four thousand cavalry! They cannot stop our army!" He Shilie Zhining reined in his horse, knowing that there was no time to hesitate, and immediately shouted the order: "Tell all the Meng'an and Mouke that I am the vanguard today! With me, there is no enemy!"

"Organize the army!"

"Stand in formation!"

"Arrange the ironclad cavalry, and form the great cavalry formation!"

He Shi Lie Zhi Ning's banner as Grand Marshal was still somewhat effective. With him supervising the battle, at least the marching strategists and Pu Li Yan dared not go off alone. As long as these junior officers were kept in check, the army could still be organized with some effort.

The Han cavalry did not launch a surprise attack while the Jin army was regrouping. Instead, they calmly arranged their armored cavalry in left and right formations, and then stood still, looking down from their high ground with a contemptuous air.

There was even a huge gap about a mile wide in the center of the Han army's armored cavalry formation.

Heshilie Zhining thought the Han army was going to play another trick, so he was on guard. But this did not stop the Jin army from seeing that they had a chance to escape, and their morale actually rose.

However, as time went by, just as the Jin army's formation gradually became complete, everyone in the Jin army saw, through the gaps left by the Han army, billowing smoke and dust in the north, and the neighing of warhorses and the rumbling of hooves rolling across the horizon.

The Han army seemed to have lifted the censorship, and they cheered loudly, their morale soaring.

Soon, a force of 3,000 armored cavalry appeared in Heshilie Zhining's field of vision, blocking the gap and suppressing all the ambitions of the Jin army into an eternal glacier.

The cheers of the Han army were initially chaotic, but in the end, the shouts carried by the wind finally became orderly.

"Flying Tiger!"

"Flying Tiger!"

"Flying Tiger!"

Gazing at the Flying Tiger banner and the enormous Chinese character "Han" that appeared and disappeared amidst the smoke and dust, He Shilie Zhining unconsciously turned his head to look south.

"Lord Liangbi, we are counting on you from now on."

After this thought suddenly occurred to him, Heshilie Zhining put on the mask.

Although this battle was a complete defeat for him personally, it might not be impossible for the country to turn the tide.

"Sons of the Great Jin! Descendants of the Tiger Clan! Our ancestors are watching us from heaven! Follow me!" Heshilie Zhining raised his spear high, then pointed it forward: "Slay the Flying Tiger!"

As the banner of the Left Deputy Marshal slowly moved forward, no matter how much hesitation or fear there was, the last elite force of the Jin army finally mobilized. Their horses accelerated, and with deafening battle cries, they charged towards the Han army's armored cavalry formation.

Liu Huai did not give a passionate speech, nor did he brandish his Liquan spear and shout enthusiastically. He simply raised his hand and pointed forward.

The military commander, who had been preparing for some time, immediately sounded the horn, and the drums that propelled the entire cavalry formation forward roared in response.

Guan Chongyan, who was at the very front and center of the battle formation, immediately rallied. He gripped his horse's flanks with his legs and raised his spear high: "Kill the enemy!"

The Han cavalry also cheered, and with a sense of mutual destruction, they charged forward in dense formation.

Liu Huai and dozens of his personal guards stood on their horses, but his gaze was not on the upcoming cavalry duel. Instead, he raised his head slightly and looked south.

"I hope the weather stays like this..."

……

"I hope this weather will be of some use," Lu You murmured to himself, gazing at the sky.

Although he was a high-ranking official, theoretically he should not have to wear armor or even go to the front line, but Lu You was an unconventional scholar-official who could go into battle and kill people.
Therefore, Lu You remained in the camp on the south bank of the Huan River, coordinating and dispatching laborers to cross the pontoon bridge and pull the Ruyi chariot back to Qixian County.

After standing under the sun for a long time, Lu You's iron crotch was burning hot, making him almost like a furnace man.

Wei Sheng picked up the water pouch, gulped down a few mouthfuls, and then said seriously, "Mr. Lu is joking. How could this weather be useless? It's just that not only the Jin bandits, but our army is also exhausted." What he said made perfect sense.

Although the loyal and righteous army were originally from Shandong, they had been engaged in a day and night of fierce fighting and were already exhausted.

Now, under such scorching sun, the troops, steamed by the humid air near the river, were all feeling listless.

However, compared to the Jin army, the loyal and righteous army was much more reliable.

Wei Sheng frowned and continued, "That big banner should belong to Heshi Lieliangbi. He is the prime minister of Dongjin and wouldn't make any foolish moves. Now he's forcing the Jin army to attack our camp, which is clearly an unacceptable thing to do. Could they have some other tricks up their sleeve?"

This was a question that Lu You had also pondered for a long time. After eliminating all impossible answers, no matter how outrageous the final result was, it would still be the truth.

Looking at Qixian County across the Huan River, Lu You hesitated and said, "Could it be a few hundred Jin soldiers on the other side of the river? Maybe we should send a proper army back."

After thinking for a moment, Wei Sheng slowly shook his head: "There's no rush."

Seeing this, Lu You remained silent in the end.

At the same time, Hao Donglai, along with more than a dozen companions, drove the Ruyi War Chariot to the labor camp in the west of the city.

He was about to fetch some water to wash himself and cool off when he heard a commotion at the west gate.

It was wartime, and Hao Donglai, a seasoned veteran of battle, immediately became alert. He grabbed his spear and headed outside.

However, just as he stepped out of the tent, the officer who had just led the laborers over waved his hand and said, "Brother Hao! Brother Hao! The Jin bandits are causing trouble in the east of the city. You'll have to work hard for a while and take some men to help out at the west gate. You don't need to go up the city wall; just keep an eye on the gate!"

Without waiting for Hao Donglai's response, the officer spurred his horse and rode off to report on the military situation.

Faced with this half-pleading, half-commanding attitude, Hao Donglai was ultimately helpless. After calling a few of his attendants, he left the labor camp and arrived at the city gate.

Before they could even exchange a few pleasantries with the officers guarding the area, they heard a warning gong sound, followed by the thunderous sound of horses' hooves that could be heard even through the city wall.

"Damn it! The Jurchens are trying to attack the West Gate!" The officer guarding the street corner immediately cursed, then said to Hao Dong, "Old Hao! You stay here and help me maintain order. I'm going to the gate to check the situation."

What else could Hao Donglai say but nod?

However, something strange still lingered in his heart.

Can cavalry break down city gates?
Why don't you just smash the mountain down?

……

"We've crashed into a mountain!" In the instant they clashed with the Han cavalry, this thought inexplicably arose in the minds of both officers and soldiers among the Jin cavalry.

The formation of the Han cavalry was so thick and tight that it resembled a wall charge.

As is well known, just like the synchronized pawn formation, the cavalry wall charge is not unbreakable and can be easily broken through by flanking attacks.

However, correspondingly, the frontal assault of the wall-type charge is extremely powerful, even to the point of being invincible.

Unfortunately, at this time, the Jin army was retreating or even collapsing, and was in a state of impending chaos. Even if Heshilie Zhining was highly respected and had amazing skills, he could no longer divide his troops to flank the enemy.

The Jin army only had this one charge! And only this one chance to charge!
However, when cavalry charge into battle, it's like two eggs colliding forcefully; naturally, the stronger survives and the weaker perishes, and the outcome becomes immediately clear.

After a brief stalemate, the Jin army's morale, which had been boosted, gradually dissipated as their cavalry formation collapsed.

At first, there were only a dozen or so people, then the entire Mouke, and finally several Mouke together, all fleeing backwards.

The morale of the Han cavalry grew even stronger. They dispersed and formed large teams, creating a vast net across the battlefield to pursue and eliminate the Jin army, maximizing their casualties.

At this moment, the more than 500 armored cavalry led by Heshilie Zhining still insisted on advancing forward.

With the personal guards trained by Heshi Liezhi Ning as the vanguard, this army, though teetering on the brink of collapse under the onslaught of the Han army, still managed to maintain its formation.

"Marshal! Let's retreat! We can't go north anymore! Let's escape west! As long as we reach Jin, we can escape alive!"

He Shi Lie Zhi Ning, disregarding the fact that Tu Dan Hai Luo could see his movements while wearing a mask, shook his head directly in the middle of the battle: "Hai Luo, we have a golden opportunity now, how can we escape?"

Tudan Hailuo looked at the large Chinese banner half a mile away, then at the densely packed, relentlessly charging Flying Tiger Armored Cavalry, swallowed hard, and said, "Marshal! I..."

He Shilie Zhining said solemnly, "My mind is made up. You will lead the troops and launch a fierce attack on the Shandong bandits in front of us to buy me a quarter of an hour. I will take twenty riders with me. Hmph, at this distance, a man can rival a nation!"

Just as Tudan Hailuo was about to nod in agreement, Heshilie Zhining continued, "In a quarter of an hour, whether I return or not, you must leave immediately, taking these still-organizable troops to clear the way for the main army, heading west to Jin! Do you understand?"

Tu Dan Hailuo's eyes were bloodshot, but he knew his mission was important, so he could only nod repeatedly.

He Shi Lie Zhi Ning ignored all of this. Taking advantage of the moment when his personal guards and the Flying Tiger cavalry were fighting each other, he cut off his flags and charged toward the Chinese banner through the gap between the Flying Tiger Army and the right flank, amidst the chaos of the battlefield.

Only after they were nearly a hundred paces apart did He Shilie Zhining raise his spear high: "Kill Fei Huzi!"

Bi Zaiyu was both shocked and furious. He also raised his long sword and led more than ten armored cavalrymen to meet them: "You dare to do this, you brat!"

After a brief exchange of blows, Heshilie Zhining, despite taking a knife to the shoulder, once again used the same tactic, bursting out from a gap in the battle and charging towards the particularly imposing general beneath the Chinese banner.

"Flying Tiger!" He Shilie Zhining's helmet had been knocked off in the chaos of battle, and his braided hair was fluttering in the wind. The blood and dirt on his face mixed with yellow soil, making him look ferocious like a ghost.

Facing the Jin Kingdom's Left Deputy Marshal, who was personally charging at them from twenty paces away, Liu Huai finally looked up from the sky, met him coldly, and remained motionless on his horse.

At this moment, apart from a few flag bearers, military envoys, and military advisors, Liu Huai was the only one left by his side. This truly meant that within ten steps, one man could rival a nation.

Seeing this, He Shilie Zhining became even more excited. He clamped his legs around his warhorse, stood up in the stirrups, raised his eighteen-foot iron spear high, and thrust it out with all his might, taking advantage of the momentum of the warhorse leaping forward.

In the blink of an eye, Liu Huai took the Liquan Spear from the Victory Hook. Without any fancy moves or feints, he simply swung the spear in a wide arc and smashed it down with all his might.

The two men clashed their iron spears, producing a thunderous sound.

Liu Huai's expression remained unchanged, while He Shilie Zhi Ning felt the power flowing from the iron spear into his arm, then to his limbs and bones, and even his mind was filled with a booming sound.

"boom……"

……

"boom……"

Wei Sheng and Lu You were still in the camp when they heard thunder coming from the horizon. They immediately looked up at the sky, wondering if it was going to rain.

However, in just a moment, the two of them reacted and looked towards Qixian County at the same time.

Even though they were separated by the Huan River, the two could clearly see that Qixian County was shrouded in smoke and dust, with mushroom-shaped clouds rising from it.

Not only was Wei Sheng horrified, but even the soldiers of the Loyal Army turned around. Many soldiers who had experienced the Battle of Licheng were panicked when they saw this scene.

The Jin army cheered "Long live the king!" and their morale soared. They began to attack the camp with even greater disregard for their own lives.

Heshi Lieliangbi watched this scene from afar, and a smile finally appeared on his face, which had been stiff for a long time.

He looked up at the sky: "Sir, your student has finally managed to save the Great Jin Dynasty."

……

"You have no way out! Surrender or die!"

After easily knocking Heshi Liezhining off his horse, Liu Huai picked up the Liquan Spear, turned his horse around, and said coldly.

He Shilie Zhining, supporting himself with his spear, staggered to his feet, grinned, revealing blood-stained teeth, and said, "Flying Tiger, why do you look down on me so much?! If we were in each other's shoes, would you surrender?"

Liu Huai nodded slightly, took off his helmet, threw it aside, and looked directly into He Shilie Zhining's eyes: "In that case, I shall personally see you off!"

Having said that, Liu Huai gripped his spear and launched another charge.

Although Heshi Liezhining was injured in the leg, he did not sit idly by and wait for death. Instead, he dragged his injured leg, raised his spear high, and thrust forward with all his might.

The warhorse moved swiftly and arrived in an instant. With just one misstep, He Shi Lie Zhi Ning staggered and fell to the ground, blood spreading from beneath him.

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

Amidst the deafening cheers, Liu Huai showed no joy whatsoever. He simply leaned on his spear on his horse, staring at the fallen banner of Heshilie, remaining silent for a long time.

On the fourth day of the seventh month of the second year of the Longxing reign of the Song Dynasty, the Han army captured Daming Prefecture and completely annihilated the main force of the Jin army in Hebei.

Liu Huai killed He Shilie Zhining, the Left Deputy Marshal of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)