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

Chapter 985 Political Turmoil Shakes People's Hearts (Part 1)
"Uncle Zuo, what brings you here?!"

"Of course I'm stopping you from going to your death!"

When Zuo Shiyuan arrived at the banks of the Yellow River, he saw that Shao Shixiong seemed to be preparing to launch an attack, and he was immediately terrified.

"What are you trying to do?!"

Shao Shixiong was eager to try: "Uncle Zuo, I have gathered two hundred light cavalry and two hundred light infantry. When we get a little closer, I will personally lead the two hundred light cavalry to fight this guy surnamed Chen. The light infantry will swarm in. Even if we can't annihilate them all, we can at least dampen the spirits of these bandits!"

Zuo Shiyuan immediately became somewhat exasperated.

"Erlang! Do you know who those armored cavalrymen on the other side are?"

"Of course I know, it should be the Flying Tigers."

"Do you know how many renowned generals and commanders have died at their hands?" Zuo Shiyuan grabbed Shao Shixiong's arm and said, "Let me tell you this: the generals who died at their hands were all capable of hanging me up and beating me. How dare you?"

Shao Shixiong was initially pursing his lips in dissatisfaction, but when he heard Zuo Shiyuan use himself as an example, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"Uncle Zuo, is it... is it really that we have no way to deal with these cavalrymen?"

Zuo Shiyuan shook his head repeatedly: "Of course it's not like that, and it can't be like that. Your father and I have already made a plan. The distance between the Lüliang Mountains and the Yellow River gets narrower and narrower towards the northwest, and at its narrowest point it's no more than a mile wide."

If the Great Blue Rhinoceros wants to stop our army, it can only fight us to the death there. Then we will overwhelm it with our superior forces, and that bastard will be doomed.

If they do not wish to obstruct our army, then the army will continue to march to Pengcheng and begin the siege.

If the Great Blue Rhinoceros returns to the city, it will be like a bird in a cage; if it does not return to the city, the morale of the army will collapse, Pengcheng will fall, and the battle will be over.

Do you understand what I've said?!

These strategic matters should not have been leaked, but Zuo Shiyuan couldn't care less at this moment, and just tugged at Shao Shixiong's arm, which trembled slightly.

Shao Shixiong opened his mouth, then looked up at the hundred or so armored cavalrymen, still hesitant.

Seeing this, Zuo Shiyuan immediately threw out his trump card: "If you continue to behave like this, if your spoiled brat habits kick in and you disobey military orders, then you shouldn't be commanding troops anymore. Just go back to your father's side and be a personal guard!"

Shao Shixiong finally looked somewhat dejected.

However, just as he was about to speak, he heard a shout from ahead.

It turned out that the two hundred or so Song light cavalrymen, seeing that they were getting closer and closer to Chen Wenben, could not hold back any longer and directly ordered the entire army to mount their horses, then rode out and charged forward.

As if receiving some kind of signal, the light infantry also bravely advanced through the gaps in the army formation, following the light cavalry in their charge.

In an instant, the left flank of the Song army showed signs of launching a full-scale attack.

Zuo Shiyuan, on horseback, lost his composure and shouted, "Sound the retreat! Tell them all to come back! Come back now!"

Shao Shixiong swallowed hard, staring at the Song army's light cavalry galloping out. He was speechless for a moment, as if the next moment these Song warriors would be crushed head-on by the Flying Tiger Armored Cavalry, just as Zuo Shiyuan had said, and the light soldiers behind them would be trampled into the mud.

However, to Shao Shixiong's surprise... or rather, to the surprise of all the Song troops on the left wing, the general surnamed Chen seemed to have been prepared, and turned to flee after only a short while of engaging in battle.

The hundred-plus Flying Tiger soldiers fought and retreated, and in no time they were out of the battlefield, leaving behind a mess, and retreated to a place two miles away.

The Song army's light cavalry seemed to want to continue the pursuit, but upon hearing the increasingly rapid clanging of gongs behind them, they could only turn back in frustration.

"General, we were about to wipe out those bandits, why are we retreating?!"

The leading officer looked somewhat annoyed and glared at Shao Shixiong, constantly complaining.

Shao Shixiong only looked at Zuo Shiyuan.

However, Zuo Shiyuan did not respond at all. Although his abilities were somewhat lacking, he was still a veteran general. At this moment, he just stared at the things that the Flying Tiger Armored Cavalry had scattered when they retreated.

When he saw the light infantry and cavalry who had launched an attack stop and search frantically, their faces showing delight, his expression changed.

"Quickly form ranks and continue advancing! We cannot stop for a moment!"

Shao Shixiong hesitated and said, "Uncle Zuo, I didn't mean to say that the Jingnan army wasn't elite, but these few hundred armored cavalry don't seem to be very capable. Could it be that the Great Blue Rhinoceros found some surplus armor and warhorses and hired some ordinary riders to put on a show?"

Zuo Shiyuan felt a wave of powerlessness wash over him, and for a moment he didn't even have the strength to be angry: "Erlang, take a closer look, what are they throwing on the ground?"

After observing for a moment, Shao Shixiong saw two Song soldiers fighting over a piece of spoils, throwing golden round objects everywhere, before saying, "It's gold, silver, copper coins, and the like."

Zuo Shiyuan nodded: "Their plan is simple: to use this wealth to disrupt our formation. It's a feigned defeat!" The commander who had just led the attack was still somewhat unconvinced: "General Zuo, our men fought to the death..."

"Oh?" Zuo Shiyuan glared at the fellow: "So, what were your gains?"

The commander was immediately somewhat embarrassed.

After a chaotic battle, the Song army gained nothing and suffered more than ten casualties.

They were all lightly armored cavalry. To deal with heavily armored cavalry, they either had to accelerate their horses to maximum speed and use lances to thrust at them, or they had to fight to the death by smashing each other with hammers.

But then again, if these Song light cavalry were truly so elite and courageous, Zuo Shiyuan wouldn't need to worry here. He would immediately lead his elite troops forward and wipe out the thousand or so Flying Tiger Armored Cavalry.

But the commander refused to back down, still stubbornly insisting, "General Zuo, what you're saying makes no sense. Aren't the most devastating casualties between cavalrymen precisely when they're routed? Our men have just routed the enemy, but then the retreat signal was sounded. How can you blame us for that?"

Zuo Shiyuan flew into a rage and lashed the commander several times with his riding whip: "Insolence! How dare you speak to me like that?!"

Just as Zuo Shiyuan was about to carry out military discipline, he saw Xin Qiji, who had just been on the right flank, galloping across the front of the battle line. More than a hundred armored cavalrymen following behind him kept throwing down valuables, and they didn't even bother to pretend anymore.

"Erlang, you must keep a close watch on your troops and advance in step with the main army. Do not let them lose their formation while picking up valuables!"

Zuo Shiyuan could no longer concern himself with the left flank, for he could already see men breaking formation and scavenging for loot in the central army: "I'll return to the central army first. You all follow my banner! Have the military judges ready! We need to kill to establish our authority at this crucial moment!"

After saying that, Zuo Shiyuan rode away, leaving Shao Shixiong and the commander whose face was covered with whip marks staring at each other.

"Don't panic. General Zuo is still very reasonable. I will plead for you after this battle, so you won't suffer any more consequences."

Faced with Shao Shixiong's words of comfort, the commander felt a bellyful of anger with nowhere to vent it.

He was the one who took the lead in confronting the enemy and fought bravely, so why did he end up getting whipped?
But in the end, the commander suppressed his anger and said in a muffled voice, "No need for you, young master. I am not without connections, and someone will naturally explain things to General Zuo."

However, what General Zuo just said is unreasonable. The soldiers went north in winter without any money for departure, no resettlement allowance, and even last month's salary has not been paid.

Now that the opportunity to make money has been denied, morale will be low.

Shao Shixiong nodded with difficulty, but remembering Zuo Shiyuan's words, he still gritted his teeth and said, "Then let's set aside some people to collect the loot, and then divide it equally among the entire army, how about that?!"

Having said that, without waiting for anyone to object, Shao Shixiong immediately ordered the head of his personal guards to do it, but he didn't notice that the expression of the commander beside him quickly turned strange.

Under the officers' suppression, the left-wing army quickly regained order and immediately resumed its advance in the previous formation.

However, the apparent calm could not conceal the turbulent undercurrents beneath.

First, the head of the personal guards, who was ordered to collect the loot, rudely drove away the Song soldiers who had just attacked the Flying Tiger Army and quickly picked up gold, silver and other valuables.

The Song soldiers dared not speak out in anger and could only pick up the relatively worthless copper coins behind them.

These people did gain some benefits, but the Song soldiers who were lined up in formation could not bend down at all and could only watch helplessly as these valuables were trampled through, and their hearts were breaking.

Some men, seeing the silver coins left behind, couldn't resist bending down to pick them up, only to be pushed and shoved by the soldiers behind them, causing them to fall to the ground and triggering a chain reaction that forced the officers to immediately drag them out and punish them according to military law.

As for the light infantry and auxiliary troops behind the main formation, they picked up the loot without hesitation and quickly broke away from the main formation.

Military judges could not possibly execute so many people; they could only kill one or two truly outrageous individuals as a warning to others.

Of course, it was impossible for the two thousand men on the left wing to pick up all the valuables as they marched past.

The second rank of Song soldiers following behind in a marching column was not so particular. The first few hundred men simply released large sheep and carefully searched for valuables.

In no time, the news of their fortune spread like wildfire throughout the Song army, causing a stir among its ranks.

After Chen Wenben led his troops back to their base, he said to Xin Qiji, who had just arrived, "Fifth Brother, are these methods really effective?"

Xin Qiji glanced at the seemingly composed Song army, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "This is nothing! The Lüliang Mountains stretch far and wide; we have plenty of time to deal with them. Besides..."

Xin Qiji glanced at Chen Wenben: "Besides, haven't you already made a clean getaway?"

"That's true."

"The Song army's strength has been discovered. Now, issue orders to all the platoon leaders, instructing them to immediately act according to the strategy discussed in the previous military council." Xin Qiji's voice was as cold and hard as the wind today: "I will also personally participate in the battle. Anyone who cowers in the face of the enemy will be punished according to military law!"

(End of this chapter)