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

Chapter 943 Sweeping Through the Army Like a Rolling Bamboo Shoot

As Guan Chongyan watched the red fireworks rise in the sky, he almost couldn't wait to give the order for all the Flying Tigers to mount their horses.

Xiao Zhongda led a thousand men out of the right wing, Guan Chongyan personally led a thousand cavalry out of the left wing, and the remaining thousand soldiers immediately rushed to the banner of the King of Han to protect Liu Huai.

The warhorses galloped with the speed of thunder, covering a distance of two or three miles in an instant.

The Flying Tiger cavalry, like a giant pair of pincers, bypassed the vanguard army from the flank and clamped down on the Jin army's follow-up troops.

The Jin army's armored cavalry, forming a cone-shaped formation, had only just pierced through the vanguard army, revealing only the head, when its tail was firmly pinched and rendered immobile.

Because Jin generals such as Wanyan Guying led the charge and broke through enemy lines, there was no one in the rear of the Jin army to coordinate and command them, and the chaos almost became uncontrollable.

In the midst of the chaos, the Han army was the first to be reorganized. Lei Ben and Guan Chongyan, one in front and one behind, personally took to the front lines to surround the more than a thousand Jin cavalrymen who had crashed into the armored formation.

The Jin army's armored cavalry, like a snowball in spring, slowly scattered and collapsed, eventually disappearing from the world.

Wanyan Guying tore off his tattered shawl, swung his long sword, and smashed a Han army commander wielding a large axe to the ground.

Meanwhile, another Han soldier swung his long sword, slashing down on Wanyan Guying's horse's front hoof.

Although the Han soldier was immediately killed by the Jin army, Wanyan Guying still fell off his horse, rolled on the ground, and then staggered to his feet.

"Stay put! We..." A guard had just shouted out when Wanyan Guying scolded him back.

"Shut up!" Wanyan Guying grabbed a stray warhorse, mounted it, and shouted, "We're only three hundred paces from Flying Tiger! Cross those three hundred paces and the fate of the Great Jin Dynasty will be saved!"

With that, Wanyan Guying personally raised the banner and galloped his horse toward the high ground three or four hundred paces away.

The nearly one hundred Jin soldiers who had already broken through the vanguard formation immediately broke free from their respective opponents and followed Wanyan Guying as they charged toward the Chinese banner.

Nearly a hundred armored cavalry, three or four hundred paces, are enough to rival a nation.

Liu Huai simply watched this scene coldly.

Yao Buping had already raised his spear and was cursing loudly: "This fellow is really stupid. Does he think we're made of clay?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Huai shook his head: "It's not that he's stupid or doesn't know the outcome. It's just that Wanyan Guying has received the country's favor for generations, and he ultimately has to give himself and his father, Wanyan Yinshuke, an explanation."

Yao Buping was slightly taken aback, not expecting that the King of Han would have the leisure to make such remarks on the eve of battle.

But the next moment, Liu Huai's voice turned cold: "But don't we also owe an explanation to the people and to future generations?!"

"Yao Buping".

"The general is here!"

"Let's use Yan Guying's head to give an account of this battle."

Yao Buping had been waiting for these words. He immediately raised his spear and pointed forward: "Flying Tiger Cavalry! Follow me!"

The more than one thousand Flying Tiger armored cavalry, who had just arrived and were hiding behind the gentle slope, immediately split in half and surged down like a torrent carrying boulders.

Wanyan Guying's banner swayed a few times like a candle in the wind amidst the surging tide of cavalry before finally collapsing.

With the death of Wanyan Guying, the garrison commander of Taiyuan and the Right Deputy Marshal of the Eastern Jin, the last resistance force in the Jin army's Huolu camp vanished.

"Let the rear army commander Wang Xiongyi lead the troops forward to block the central pass, and then continue to sweep through the Jin army camp. If the Jin bandits open the Tumen Pass and let the defeated troops in, he will fight his way all the way to Jin."

"Then send another order to Wang Shilong, Luo Shenyan, and Li Xiu, giving them three quarters of an hour to resolve the troubles they are facing and immediately regroup to continue their journey."

"Send orders to Xiao Pennu and Yelü Xingge: the Liao cavalry and the Baima army should not pursue them. They should strictly guard the north and south directions of Huolu and not allow the Jin bandits and the large Mongol army to set foot on the Hebei Plain."

"In addition, Xiao Zhongda, the third general of the Flying Tiger Army, was ordered to lead his 1,000 cavalrymen to follow the rear army."

"The vanguard should immediately regroup on the spot and treat the wounded."

The military advisor wrote out the military orders and presented them to Liu Huai. After he affixed his seal, military messengers immediately delivered them to the various generals by galloping horse.

In a short while, the Han army launched another attack. After changing formation, they formed a large horizontal line in the Huolu camp, like a comb, sweeping away all the snakes, insects, rats and ants along the way.

Liu Huai did not follow the army, but stayed on the hill, gradually emptying his mind.

Commanding a large-scale military operation is indeed no easy task. From the moment the army set off to the formulation and execution of the night raid plan, Liu Huai had almost no time to rest. Now that the overall situation was settled, he could finally rest for a while.

With no matters of state or personal feelings at hand, Liu Huai simply gazed at the sheer cliffs of the Taihang Mountains, his thoughts gradually becoming chaotic.

"What is the eldest son thinking about?"

"I'm thinking that our country's second step is truly magnificent."

"Uh, what?" Liu Huai snapped out of his daze and quickly waved his hand, "Nothing, Mr. Liang, what brings you here?"

Liang Su vigorously pulled at his iron tunic before imitating Liu Huai and sitting on a simple stool made of stacked wooden planks: "The rear camp of the Jin bandits has completely collapsed. The Mongols are indeed unable to fight a battle, and many of the Jin light cavalry are also in chaos. I saw that I was no longer needed there, so I came to find you, my lord."

Liu Huai smiled and said, "Mr. Liang, you've really worked hard."

Liang Su waved his hand, still full of energy: "What's so hard about this? It's not like we don't have high-ranking officials and noble titles. If you want your descendants to be dukes and marquises for generations, you have to endure some hardship. I just don't know how the battle is going with Commander He."

"Seventy percent of our main force is in Lao He's hands. The Jin bandits in Zhen Ding Prefecture number only thirty to forty thousand. It's almost a two-to-one ratio of troops. There's no way something could go wrong."

Liang Su nodded repeatedly: "Does the eldest son intend to take advantage of the situation and invade Jin territory?"

Liu Huai replied frankly: "I certainly have this idea, but I can't just leave Youyan alone. I can only divide my forces."

Ultimately, it was truly unexpected that the Mongols were able to gather their main cavalry force in this deadly place; they would never have such an opportunity again.

For the sake of stability in the northern frontier for the next twenty years, even if we have to chase them all the way to Yanmen Pass, we must capture and kill all these Mongol youths.

If they allow 30,000 or 40,000 of them to escape, then this battle will inevitably see repeated setbacks.

Liang Su smiled and said, "Then you must appease Shi Qilang; you can't let a meritorious official's heart be chilled."

"That's natural. If there are no other problems, I hope Shi Qilang will be appointed as the commander-in-chief for the conquest of Jin."

"This is to establish a festival for Shi Qilang."

"Mr. Liang, please don't joke. I am only a mere military governor now. How could I possibly appoint one of my generals as a military governor?"

"Heh..." Liang Su chuckled, taking Liu Huai's words as nonsense.

If anyone else had dared to use this method to fob them off, Liang, the Grand Strategist, would have already lost his temper. But Liu Huai was, after all, the lord, and he could only endure it no matter how absurd it was.

Seeing this, Liu Huai could only sigh: "Mr. Liang, don't rush, let's take it one step at a time..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yao Buping, who was standing to the side beaming with joy at his big win, suddenly turned around and looked east: "King of Han, there is an enemy attack."

Liu Huai poked the campfire with a stick and asked casually, "How many people are there?"

Yao Buping raised his binoculars and looked into the distance: "The Jin bandits number about a hundred cavalry, and our army has about the same number, but it seems that our army is currently pursuing the Jin bandits."

"Who are they?"

“The one in front should be Wanyan Zhang, and the one behind should be Geng Xing of the Tianping Army.” Yao Buping carefully examined the flags of both sides, then his expression changed, and he put away his binoculars and said, “Young Master, the Jin bandits are not fleeing, but heading straight for this place. Young Master, you should take cover for now.”

Now is not the time for the Flying Tiger Cavalry to follow up from behind. If these hundred or so riders really charge up, it's hard to say what might happen in the chaos of battle.

Liu Huai continued to pok at the campfire, shaking his head repeatedly: "Now our central army should remain as immovable as a mountain, how can we act rashly? Yao Dalang, you should be able to handle this, right?"

Yao Buping nodded again, his heart burning with excitement: "Attacked from both sides, blocked from both sides, how can we not deal with him? Bi Dalang has gained so much advantage, it's time for me to get another great achievement!"

Having said that, Yao Buping led dozens of armored cavalrymen to meet Wanyan Zhang head-on.

Whether he sensed someone trying to steal credit or wanted to show off under the banner of the King of Han, Geng Xing, who was following behind Wanyan Zhang, suddenly increased his horse's speed and accelerated the attack on the Jin army.

Although Liu Huai didn't care about a small-scale conflict, Liang Su couldn't sit still. He simply got up and went to the edge of the hill to watch the melee a few hundred paces away.

A moment later, a burly knight charged out from the battle, without stopping, seemingly wanting to single-handedly cut down the Chinese character banner.

Then, another Han cavalryman wearing a red robe broke away from the battle. He first shot the Jin knight's horse to death with an arrow, then threw down his bow and arrow, picked up a long spear, and used the momentum of the horse to stab the Jin knight to the ground.

After dismounting, the Han cavalryman calmly beheaded the Jin knight, then remounted and rode down the hillside: "Your subject Geng Xing, the fourth general of the Tianping Army, has slain Wanyan Zhang in battle!"

Liu Huai stood up without saying a word, but pointed at Geng Xing from afar, which greatly invigorated Geng Xing. After hanging Wanyan Zhang's head back on his waist, Geng Xing turned his horse around and went to wipe out the remaining Jin army.

Looking at Geng Xing's retreating figure, Liang Su sighed inwardly, "To dare to fight alone in this situation, these are truly loyal ministers and filial sons of the Jin Kingdom."

Liu Huai fiddled with the slightly charred end of the stick, nodding repeatedly: "Indeed, there are quite a few loyalists in the Jin Kingdom, but after killing for so many years, I'm finally almost at the end."

Liang Su, who had been somewhat moved, immediately lost his composure upon hearing this, looking at Liu Huai with a wry smile: "Young Master..."

Liu Huai shrugged and said, "What's wrong with that? Precisely because they are loyal ministers and filial sons, they should be killed to preserve their reputation."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a huge commotion erupted from the west. Liu Huai quickly grabbed his binoculars, climbed to a high vantage point, and looked out. He then understood what was happening.

After two hours of resistance, the combined forces of the Jin and Mongol armies, numbering nearly 100,000, finally entered the stage of total collapse.

(End of this chapter)