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

Chapter 896: Fight forward and the tigers stand up

"Where is Father?! Has anyone seen Father?!"

Below Dasanguan Pass, Wu Ting would loudly ask each person he met the same question, but everyone would just shake their heads in dejection.

At this moment, the once handsome young master of the Western Army was no longer the dashing figure he once was. His hair was disheveled, his beard was unkempt, and he was covered in dust and dirt. His armor was stained with blood, and one of his shoulder capes was missing, while the other hung down at his waist, swaying with his movements.

General Zhang Shunzhong was equally disheveled, but he directly stopped Wu Ting: "Fifth Brother, with things in such a mess, even if the military governor were here, where could we find him?"

Wu Ting glared at Zhang Shunzhong with bloodshot eyes and shouted, "What do you mean by that?!"

Zhang Shunzhong grabbed Wu Ting's arm and said, "I think we should go to Huangniu Fort immediately. Dasanguan Pass was breached once before, and it can't be defended now. Only at Huangniu Fort can we continue to hold it."

Wu Ting narrowed his eyes: "You mean, abandon my father?"

Zhang Shunzhong finally lost his patience and punched Wu Ting hard in the chest: "Wu Ting, what's wrong with you?! We're going to Huangniubao to stop the Jin invaders. Do you think we can only save the governor by letting the Jin invaders march all the way into Chengdu?"

Wu Ting's face was pale, and his legs were so weak that he staggered back a few steps after being punched in the chest.

Some things are simply obvious.

Wu Lin was the commander-in-chief of the Song army. No matter which army he joined, he would immediately gain supreme command, and the various Song armies would spontaneously protect him.

Now that Wu Lin is not under the Dasan Pass, it means that he has either been captured by the Jin army or is dead.

Of course, Wu Lin might have escaped to the deep mountains, but the Jin army was about to attack and block the Chencang Road, so Wu Lin would eventually either be captured or die in the mountains.

As Zhang Shunzhong said, staying at Dasanguan Pass at this time is meaningless. If the Jin army were to open up the Shu Road in one fell swoop, then the Wu family should all die.

Wu Ting was in a state of utter confusion and completely lost: "Second Brother Zhang, what do you suggest we do now?"

Zhang Shunzhong responded immediately, seemingly having already prepared a plan: "You take everyone and leave now, gather troops at Huangniu Fort. There are about a thousand men left behind by Old Man Yao there, enough to hold the fort!"

Wu Ting gritted his teeth and nodded, but as soon as he turned around, he suddenly realized something: "Second Brother Zhang, what about you?"

Zhang Shunzhong sighed heavily: "I'll take some men to guard Dasanguan and buy some time. You should go quickly."

Wu Ting was stunned upon hearing this: "Second Brother Zhang, didn't you say that Dasanguan Pass was indefensible?"

“I know,” Zhang Shunzhong said with unbelievable composure. “It’s just that I have received a great favor from the Grand Chancellor of Wu, and I should repay it.”

Stop rambling and get going! Don't think you can relax now. If Huangniu Fortress doesn't hold, go to Fengzhou. If Fengzhou can't be defended, go to Xianren Pass and Baishui Pass. You must stop the Jin invaders! Do you understand?!

Wu Ting knew that time was of the essence and everyone had a heavy responsibility, so he clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around and left.

Along the way, they encountered countless fleeing Song soldiers. Unlike the fleeing troops on other battlefields, the Shu Road was a single road running from north to south, so the Song soldiers could not scatter and could only rush south.

Many of these soldiers were personally trained by Wu Ting and were elite troops who had fought against the Jin army in Guanzhong. The fact that they had ended up in such a state made Wu Ting feel somewhat dazed.

He suddenly remembered what Wu Lin had said about Yue Fei.

Were Yue Fei's army also in such a state of panic and fear, scattering and fleeing?

It seems not. I heard that Yue Fei's army was still able to send troops into battle in the subsequent major wars.

In this light, my uncle and father are still a step behind Yue Pengju.

Lost in thought, Wu Ting arrived near Huangniu Fort and found the local commander who was left behind. He ordered the roadside to light fires and cook, and then tried to gather the defeated soldiers to fight again.

However, just as Wu Ting had gathered five or six hundred men, he heard a commotion in the north, followed by someone shouting, "The Jin bandits are here! The Jin bandits are here!"

No one knew whether the Jin army had already attacked, but the Song army was already like frightened birds, and upon hearing this, they got up again to try to escape.

However, most of them were exhausted and unable to escape, so they simply hid in the mountain hollow, hoping that no one would find them.

However, some of the people who followed Wu Ting to Huangniubao had already eaten and rested for a while. They had relatively more energy and immediately took off running.

Wu Ting was caught up in the chaos and could do nothing but watch helplessly as the Huangniu Fort defenders also collapsed, a sense of despair rising in his heart.

If Huangniu Fort is gone so quickly, does that mean Fengzhou City, Baishui Pass, and Xianren Pass can be defended?
This is the norm after a major defeat: the fleeing troops will drag in those who are still in relatively good shape, making it impossible to maintain the battle lines no matter how secure they are.

This is why many battles in history have resulted in rapid collapse and disintegration of the rear after defeats on the front lines.

Wu Ting's despair lay precisely in this: if the army were to collapse all the way to Lueyang, then the Chencang Road, a vital route into Sichuan, would be occupied by the Jin army without bloodshed, and Sichuan would truly cease to belong to the country.

In a daze, Wu Ting felt a bright light ahead. Looking up, he saw a large army holding torches and forming ranks in the road.

One of the leading generals shouted, "I am Zhang Zhen, the Commander-in-Chief of all armies in Chengdu Road. Who is the commander? Come out and answer me!"

The Huaixi soldiers, who were on high alert, simultaneously struck the ground with their weapons and shouted in unison amidst the booming drums: "Halt! Halt!"

Hundreds of Song soldiers who had fled here stopped in their tracks. They had no doubt that if they charged the enemy lines, these Song soldiers with Huaixi accents would really kill them.

Wu Ting pushed through the crowd and shouted, "I am Wu Ting! General, which reinforcements are you leading?"

Zhang Zhen immediately stepped forward, looked Wu Ting up and down, and then grabbed Wu Ting's arm, pulling him back to the rear: "Since you are Wu Ting, then come with me to see Lord Lu."

After several days of tireless travel, Wu Ting was somewhat dazed and didn't immediately recognize who Lu Xiangong was.

When Wu Ting saw a thin scholar illuminated by the torchlight, he suddenly realized that at this moment, which Prime Minister Lu would lead his troops here?
It must be Lu You, the Sichuan Military Commissioner who was in charge of all government affairs in Sichuan and Chongqing!

"Lord Lu!" Wu Ting could only bow once before he could no longer hold back, tears streaming down his face as he broke down in sobs.

Lu You stepped forward and, disregarding Wu Ting's filthy state, helped him up: "General Wu, now is not the time to cry. I have only just led my troops here, and the intelligence sources are mixed. What is the actual situation? Where is the Jin army? What is the extent of our losses? Tell me now!"

Wu Ting stopped crying and quickly said, "Lord Lu, the Jin bandits have at least reached Heshangyuan, and they have probably already breached Dasanguan Pass."

Our army of 60,000 has now completely collapsed. Only 30,000 troops were gathered at Heshan Plain; the rest are likely all left behind in Guanzhong. My father… is very likely already…”

At this point, Wu Ting couldn't hold back any longer and burst into tears.

Zhang Zhen, standing to the side, looked horrified, and his horse swayed.

He knew he was in trouble after learning that the court had ordered a retreat, but he never expected the situation to be this dire.

After the 60,000-strong army was routed, the fighting force of Xichuan was almost completely wiped out.

Zhang Zhen was momentarily distracted, then looked at Lu You.

When he saw that the gentleman's expression remained unchanged, he felt as if he had found a stabilizing force, and his heart quickly calmed down. He sighed and exclaimed that the gentleman truly possessed composure, remaining calm even when Mount Tai collapsed before him.

The reason why Lu You did not react after hearing the bad news is quite simple.

As a commander who grew up alongside the Northern Expeditionary Army, Lu You was truly experienced in countless battles. After learning that the court had ordered Wu Lin to retreat, he had already considered the worst-case scenario.

To be honest, things haven't developed to the worst-case scenario that Lu You envisioned.

Judging from the standards set a few years ago when the Jin army broke through Huaihe River and reached the Yangtze River, Lu You was already mentally prepared to fight a defensive battle in Chengdu.

Now the Jin army has only occupied Huangniu Fort at most, and Lu You doesn't know whether he should feel sad or happy.

In that brief moment after hearing the military intelligence and considering the strategy, Lu You's first thought was to write a poem!
It really is true that 'talented people are often hated'!
Putting his chaotic thoughts aside, Lu You helped Wu Ting up again: "General Wu, the people and officials of Xichuan are now in dire straits. Whether they can escape this calamity depends on whether we can plug this gap now!"

Seeing that more and more Song soldiers were stranded in front of the battle lines, Lu You simply pulled Wu Ting along and led a dozen personal guards with torches to walk out. He slowly walked into the fleeing army and said loudly, "You are all elite soldiers of my Great Song Dynasty. Now that you have fallen to this state, you must have resentment and hatred in your hearts."

However, I do not expect you to kill the enemy and serve the country. I only need officers at all levels to step forward, gather their troops, and settle them in a unified manner.

I have already set up a large cauldron and prepared military tents in Fengzhou. You may all go there to rest!

Although Lu You shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice was still too soft among the thousands of people. Fortunately, Cao Dache was quick to understand and led a dozen of his personal guards to shout along with him, which quickly made the military order clear to the hundreds of people around him.

"Lord Lu! So, does this mean we still have to welcome the bandits in Fengzhou?"

"Who speaks?! State your name, don't cower and hide!"

"This humble general is Sun Kerang, the third general of the Fengzhou Army."

Lu You said loudly, "General Sun, if the Jin bandits are allowed to pass Huangniu Fort, it means that I am already dead. After that, whether you are willing to risk your lives for the people of Sichuan or not is no longer my concern."

If the Jin invaders hadn't come, I would have won the battle on this Chencang road, and you wouldn't have needed to fight them.

Sun Kerang was surprised that Lu You was so calm. Just as he was about to say something, he heard a tiger's roar coming from the mountains beside him.

This isn't an adjective; it truly is a tiger's roar.

Everyone looked on in horror, only to see a fierce tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead, seemingly startled, suddenly pounce out of the forest, knock down a Song soldier, and then, without biting him, quickly pounce on the next person.

Even the fiercest tiger would be instantly killed within a well-organized military formation. However, the Song army, having suffered a crushing defeat, was utterly demoralized, abandoning their armor and weapons, and completely unarmed. Once the tiger charged into their ranks, there was an immediate tendency for them to riot.

Lu You was the first to react. He snatched a spear from the guard and thrust it into the tiger's mouth as it pounced.

Lu You then lowered the spear tip to the ground, counteracting the tiger's momentum and using the force to slam the tiger to the ground.

Amidst the stunned silence of the Song soldiers, Lu You, disregarding the tiger's continued death throes, released his grip on the spear shaft, drew his sword, and stepped forward to sever the tiger's head.

Lu You's body was half covered in tiger blood, radiating white heat in the winter sun. He bent down, picked up the tiger's head, held it in his hand, and, by the light of the surrounding torches, fiercely glared at the Song soldiers around him.

"A real man shouldn't be afraid of a tiger!"

Although the soldiers all knew that Lu You, who was covered in blood from killing a tiger, probably hadn't killed many people, none of them dared to meet his gaze and all lowered their heads.

"Cao Dache!"

"exist!"

"Raise this tiger's head with your spear and advance with my banner! If we can kill the tiger today, we can surely kill the enemy!"

"Here!"

Lu You shook his sticky hands, didn't bother to wash them, mounted his horse, and headed north along Chencang Road.

Five thousand Huaixi soldiers also sprang into action, seemingly unaffected by the retreating troops, and marched to the battlefield with high morale.

The routed soldiers from Xichuan scattered and moved to both sides of the road.

Under the cover of night, most of the routed soldiers continued their escape south.

However, some people, like Wu Ting and Sun Kerang who had just asked the question, silently turned around and followed the army northward under the bright starlight.

(End of this chapter)