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

Chapter 783 Field Combat: All Must Die for the Death

Furthermore, the Ruyi Chariot does possess certain fire-resistant capabilities.

After all, these are war chariots used in actual combat, and anything can happen on the battlefield. Therefore, during combat, auxiliary soldiers often cover them with water-soaked cowhide or cover them with mud and straw to prevent fire in the event of battle.

However, the Ruyi chariot was hastily pushed out without any protection. In addition, the weather was hot, and after clumps of burning straw were thrown onto the chariot, it quickly set the chariot and the antler-wood fence on fire. The already damaged city gate was engulfed in flames.

"what!!!"

"Come on!"

"Get out!"

Hearing the screams coming from the other side of the flames, Wulibu, who had already rushed into the city, and his guards looked at each other, their minds in turmoil.

The fire doesn't look like it will be extinguished anytime soon, completely blocking the subsequent troops outside the city. Doesn't this mean that they are completely isolated and deep in enemy territory?
Wulibu had no time to think. Looking at the laborers who had fled but stopped because of the fire at the city gate, he hardened his heart: "Kill these Han slaves first, then we'll find a way out!"

After saying this, the eight Jin soldiers shouted in unison, raised their various weapons, and charged forward.

The laborers who had just gathered together scattered again.

It can only be said that even if the Shandong Han army conducted general military training for the people of Shandong through winter training, ordinary civilians still could not possibly face the Jin army on the main battlefield.

However, the fact that these laborers could not fight on the front lines did not mean they were completely helpless.

Some brave men climbed onto the walls and rooftops, lifting bricks and tiles to smash them down from above. Other laborers, while fleeing, pushed over debris in the streets to block the marching route of the Jin soldiers.

In this chase, they finally held out until Shan Ding arrived with his army.

Although the defending troops were only second-line soldiers, they performed better than the civilian laborers. After forming a double-pronged formation in the complex urban terrain, the defending troops directly forced the eight Jin soldiers to retreat.

The Jin army consisted of heavily armored soldiers, who were naturally invincible when attacking head-on. However, when retreating, they were somewhat overwhelmed.

To put it more bluntly, they simply couldn't outrun lightly armored infantry.

Soon, the Jin soldiers were pinned to the ground one after another during the pursuit. Only Wulibu took off his skirt, armor, and shoulder cape, and even threw away his helmet. Wearing only an iron-clad tunic, he ran wildly towards the west city.

However, when he saw that the fire at the city gate was still burning fiercely, he felt a chill in his heart. He then climbed the steps to the top of the city wall, intending to climb over it and escape from the city.

However, just as Wuli climbed the steps of the city wall, a warning signal arose in his mind. Without thinking, he dodged to the side, but ultimately he could not escape unscathed.

The spearhead pierced Wulibu's shoulder, pushing him forward and causing him to stumble and fall.

"All of you, get up here! Help me subdue this bastard! Quickly!" Hao Donglai grabbed the gun barrel with both hands, pushed it forward hard, and roared at his companions behind him, "This guy is a high-ranking Jin official, there's sure to be a reward if we catch him!"

Hearing this, several laborers hiding in the courtyard mustered their courage and pounced on him. One pressed down on his head, another grabbed his legs, and soon subdued the still struggling Wulibu to the ground.

Hao Donglai finally breathed a sigh of relief, released the spear, and let the others hold it. He immediately felt all his strength drain away, and his limbs and bones went limp. He almost collapsed to the ground.

The most pressing crisis in Qixian County has finally been resolved.

Hao Donglai watched the approaching banner with the single character, let out a long sigh, and lay down on the spot. Ignoring the direct sunlight and the overwhelming feeling of exhaustion, he fell into a deep sleep on the yellow earth.

Around the same time, the vanguard of Yuchi Mingyue's troops had already returned to Qixian County via the pontoon bridge. They had no time to rest and immediately began to set up defenses in the city.

Inside the camp, Lu You and Yu Yuan rode together to Wei Sheng's side.

Wei Sheng showed no joy, but instead frowned and shouted, "Didn't we say the whole army was retreating and I was covering the rear? Why aren't you leaving yet?!"

Yu Yuan was not intimidated: "Brother, my troops are all light infantry, which is the only option to deal with the current situation. You go first, and I will lead my personal guards to cover the rear."

Upon hearing this, Wei Sheng's phoenix eyes widened immediately, and he was about to erupt in anger.

This is war, not a game of makeshift peace. Once a military order is given, there is no turning back. There is no room for bargaining.

Yu Yuan is a veteran soldier, how could he make such a mistake?!

However, Wei Sheng glanced at Lu You's unnatural expression and understood that this must be because Lu You had persuaded Yu Yuan to cover the rear, which led to this situation.

Therefore, Wei Sheng suppressed his anger and said to Yu Yuan, "The troops are retreating in an orderly manner, and the military orders have been issued. They are gradually withdrawing from the battle, and this cannot be changed." "First it was Yu Chi Mingyue, then you, Yu Yuan, and now Li Huo'er. If your banners don't move, what will happen to Li Huo'er? Do I have to relay the military orders again? What if the Jin invaders take the opportunity to regroup their troops and launch another fierce attack?"

Yu Yuan simply bowed and remained silent, while Lu You appeared somewhat embarrassed.

He knew that Wei Sheng was not reprimanding Yu Yuan, but rather explaining military matters to him.

Before a military order is issued, everything is fine, but once it is issued, only minor adjustments can be made, and major changes are difficult to implement.

The reason is that hundreds of thousands of people have already been mobilized by military orders. If the orders are changed frequently, it would be irresponsible to them for their hard work and even their lives.

The saying "military orders are as firm as mountains" has its own logic.

Seeing that Lu You did not object, Yu Yuan knew that he could not change the military order in the end, so he could only say goodbye and then ride away.

Wei Sheng, leaning on his long sword, gazed at the Jin army formation outside the camp. After a moment, he noticed that Lu You was still beside him and turned to ask, "Mr. Lu, you should go first. After returning to Qixian, please reassure the people. There are still many battles to be fought."

Lu You looked back at the banner of Yuchi Mingyue rising from the water gate: "Since Yuchi Mingyue has already led his troops back, there is naturally no major problem in the city. It doesn't matter if it's a little later or later. Let me fight the enemy together with the marshal!"

Wei Sheng thought for a moment, but did not refute, only sighed slightly: "What follows may be a tough battle. Does Mr. Lu have a poem or two to encourage us?"

Lu You hadn't expected Wei Sheng to change the subject so quickly. He shook his head with a wry smile and said, "Marshal, my mind is in complete turmoil right now, and I don't have the ability to write eloquently on horseback. How can I possibly speak fluently?"

Wei Sheng smiled as well, then sighed and said, "I was asking too much of myself. It's just that Zhang Diwan had a death poem, while I don't, and that makes me feel uneasy."

Lu You had never imagined the situation would become so dire that Wei Sheng was even about to leave behind his last words. He was extremely panicked: "Marshal, as long as our army can safely retreat back to Qixian City, can't we still hold out?"

"Although the Jin army is strong, it is impossible for them to seize the city in a hurry. As long as we hold out for two months, reinforcements will arrive no matter what."

"If all else fails, we can retreat with our troops. Both Fuli and Pengcheng are fortified cities that are rare in the world. How could there be any life-or-death danger?"

Wei Sheng watched as the Jin army outside the camp regrouped and slowly said, "The Jin bandits have come in large numbers, and they are all elite cavalry. In addition, they have explosives that can breach the city walls. This will keep our army on high alert at all times while we defend the city, and we will not be able to rest."

Our army's morale has been severely damaged, and without sufficient rest, it will be difficult to engage in open battle. And since we cannot fight in the field, under the siege of so many cavalry, it will be impossible to retreat back to Fuli City, let alone Pengcheng.

Compared to his political abilities, Lu You's military skills were relatively poor. He couldn't understand why the mere presence of explosives rendered almost all his previous strategic plans useless.

But he still trusted Wei Sheng's judgment on the war, and then gritted his teeth and said, "After our army crosses the river, we should immediately cut off the pontoon bridge and retreat. What do you think?"

Wei Sheng shook his head: "This place is fifty miles away from Fuli, and it is not so easy to get there. Huanshui is not a big river. The Jin army can cross the river on horseback. As long as three thousand elite cavalry cross, our army will become prey between Huanshui and Bianshui. At that time, without a strong city to rely on, we will be unable to maintain our formation and the whole army will be wiped out."

Lu You was speechless, then stamped his foot and said, "Then we can only fight to the death in Qixian?"

Wei Sheng nodded slowly, stroked his beard, and said, "That's all we can do, Mr. Lu. Our army must hold out until Da Lang finishes the battle in Hebei and personally leads his troops to our aid."

Lu You was flustered and blurted out, "Prime Minister Yu..."

Wei Sheng interrupted Lu You, saying, "We can send a letter to request aid, but the Song army has probably already fought several battles with the Jin invaders and is extremely exhausted. Explain the military situation here and let Prime Minister Yu decide for himself."

Lu You nodded hastily, and was about to ask more questions when he heard the sound of horns coming from outside the camp.

The Jin army had regrouped nearly a thousand soldiers, and their banners numbered twelve, and they attacked again through the newly opened breach.

Wei Sheng held his long sword in his hand and smiled at Lu You, saying, "Mr. Lu, you should temporarily retreat behind the main army. What follows will be a contest between martial artists."

Lu You nodded hastily again, knowing that he would be in the way if he were on the front lines. He simply bowed and said, "Marshal, please be careful. The safety of the nation rests on your shoulders. You must not make any mistakes."

Having said that, Lu You stopped being coy, mounted his horse, and galloped away.

As Wei Sheng watched Lu You gradually disappear into the distance, he turned around, stopped stroking his beard, and let the hot summer wind blow his long beard away.

He immediately cast aside all political and strategic calculations, looked at the Jin soldiers arrayed in formation, raised the long sword inherited from Han Shizhong, and roared: "Kill the Jin traitors!"

Five hundred armored warriors with long swords shouted in unison, "Kill the Jin traitors!"

After the three cries ceased, Wei Sheng did not defend the breach in the collapsed camp. Instead, he led his troops out bravely, and with the imposing force of a tiger descending a mountain from a high vantage point, he tore the Jin army's leader, Mouke, to pieces.

(End of this chapter)