I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 418 The dust has settled
...

Zhao Yu was not afraid of the hundreds of thousands of nomadic cavalry from the grasslands participating in the battle; what he feared was that they would remain inactive and then suddenly launch an attack to disrupt the situation after the Song army defeated the Jin army.

This is also what Liu Fa and others are worried about.

Do you really think that Liu Fa and his men have been doing nothing but futile efforts in their shallow attacks and fortifications in Liaodong over the past few years?

how is this possible.

Over the years, Liu Fa and his men have exhausted a large number of Jin army elites, especially their core force—the Jurchens.

In fact, Liu Fa and his men had already discovered that the Jurchen's able-bodied men had been almost entirely killed or wounded, and now the main force of the Jurchens consisted of the elderly and children, and even Jurchen women had gone to the battlefield.

This is similar to the situation at the end of the Anti-Japanese War, when most of the able-bodied men in Japan had died in battle, leaving only the elderly and children to go to the battlefield, and even women had to take up arms and participate in the war.

This situation is never a symbol of tenacious resistance, but a clear signal that a regime is nearing its end and its foundations are crumbling.

When a nation is forced to send the elderly, women, and children—who are supposed to be protected—to the most brutal battlefield, it means that its war machine has exhausted its last bit of manpower and can no longer spare qualified soldiers to maintain its ambitions of rule and expansion.

In terms of practical impact, troops composed of the elderly, children, women and children lack systematic military training, and their physical fitness and combat skills are far inferior to those of young and strong elites. When deployed to the battlefield, they often only increase casualties. Not only is it difficult to form effective combat power, but it also slows down the original troops' combat rhythm and exacerbates the burden of logistical support.

More importantly, this will completely undermine a group's will to fight. When people see the last guardians of their homeland heading to certain death, despair will spread like a plague, and the so-called resistance will gradually become a futile struggle.

Symbolically, this signifies the complete collapse of the myth of aggression and expansion. A power that once dominated with its elite forces can now only survive by overdrawing on the very foundations of its people, like a bonfire about to burn out—sparks may still be dancing, but the fire has long lost its power to ignite.

In this situation, any seemingly fierce counterattack is nothing more than a last gasp before the end, ultimately unable to stop the inevitable decline and change the doomed outcome.

Therefore, the Song Dynasty already knew that the Jin army was no match for them, and that they would most likely lose if they engaged in this decisive battle.

However, the Song Dynasty dared not lose this crucial Song-Jin war, and the Jin army had too many cavalry and was too mobile, which is why the decisive battle had not yet begun.

Now, Yue Fei and Liu Qi caught the Jin army off guard by launching a surprise attack on the night of the rain, forcing the Jin army to fight a decisive battle with the Song army, and the Jin state was on its last legs.

Of course, the Jin state did have a chance to retreat at this point.

This opportunity lies with the nomadic cavalry of the steppes who have remained inactive and observed from the sidelines.

If they were to come to the aid of the defeated Jin army, then the Song Dynasty's dream of completely defeating the Jin army might just be wishful thinking.

Fortunately, Khabul and the other steppe tribes did not dare to let the Song army defeat the Jin army, fearing that they would face the Song Dynasty's encirclement and suppression alone in the future.

In short, upon learning that the nomadic cavalry had also joined the battle, Zhao Yu personally appointed Zhao Li to lead a cavalry force to intercept the nomadic cavalry flanking from the left, and Li Yanxian to lead a cavalry force to intercept the nomadic cavalry flanking from the right.

At the same time, Zhao Yu ordered the Shenji Vanguard Army, Shenji Right Army, and Shenji Rear Army to attack and defeat the Jin-Mongol allied forces from the front.

How to defeat them?

It's very simple. The cannons are lined up in a row and advance forward. All the shells are replaced with exploding shells. Fire at whichever Jin army or nomadic cavalry from the grassland tribes is most numerous and densely packed.

The afternoon sun was still intense, but it had already stained the sky with a blood-red hue.

Hundreds of thousands of steppe cavalry charged in three columns, their hooves shattering the tranquility of the wilderness. The dust they stirred up blotted out the sun, surging towards the Jin army's front like a yellow, raging tide. Meanwhile, the light steppe cavalry on the left and right flanks, like two curved blades, used the terrain to maneuver and weave, rushing straight to the Song army's flanks in an attempt to cut off their retreat.

At this point, all units of the Jin army were exhausted.

On the left flank, the battle between armored cavalry, which had raged for half a day, had already decided the victor.

The Jing Sai Army's armor with its distinctive texture proved superior in the protracted battle—while the Ironclad Cavalry's heavy armor was sturdy, it severely exhausted the knights and their horses, making each swing of their spears and maces feel sluggish, clearly indicating they were no longer able to fight, while the Jing Sai Army's soldiers still had considerable stamina.

At this moment, under Yang Yizhong's command, the Jingse Army cavalry had spurred their horses and changed formation, forming groups of three in a "品" shape, cutting off and killing the Iron Pagoda and the Jin cavalry who rushed up to help.

Wanyan Chang had already personally led his Jin cavalry to meet them in battle.

But it was no use, because Han Shizhong, who was fighting against him, was also leading from the front.

Han Shizhong had already ordered a full-scale attack, and 30,000 cavalrymen rushed towards the remnants of the Jin army's left flank like a flood bursting its banks, wantonly reaping the lives of the defeated Jin soldiers.

The once fierce Jin soldiers were now powerless to fight back, only able to parry but not retaliate. Blood stained the wilderness, and corpses piled up like mountains.

At the same time, the Jingse army on the right wing had completely suppressed Jin Wuzhu's Iron Pagoda.

Wu Jie divided his 30,000 cavalry into several teams and launched a carpet-bombing campaign against the right flank of the Jin army. Cries and screams echoed through the sky. Jin army flags were dropped by Jin soldiers in the chaos of battle and trampled underfoot by Song soldiers.

As for the central route, Yue Fei and Liu Qi had completely defeated the Jin army's vanguard and were now engaged in fierce fighting with the Jin army's central force.

Yang Zaixing, who was at the forefront of the attack, even saw Wanyan Aguda. He led three hundred brave Song soldiers and fought desperately into the Jin army's ranks, with Wanyan Aguda as their target.

Just as the Song army was slaughtering the Jin army on the left and right flanks and in the center, dust filled the sky in the distance as hundreds of thousands of steppe cavalry swept in like a yellow, raging wave.

The nomadic cavalrymen of the grasslands drew their bows and fired arrows like raindrops at the Song soldiers. Many Song knights were caught off guard and fell from their horses after being hit by arrows.

Khabul took the lead, slashing with his scimitar and cutting down a Song cavalryman, roaring, "Warriors of the grasslands, follow me and kill all the Song traitors!"

The nomadic cavalry charged with unstoppable force, instantly disrupting the slaughter formations on the left and right flanks of the Song army.

Seeing this, Han Shizhong and Wu Jie had no choice but to order the Song cavalry to turn their horses around and engage in battle with the steppe cavalry.

Scimitars clashed with spears, arrows mingled with hooves, and riders from both sides charged back and forth. The steppe cavalry, with their light armor, were agile and adept at flanking maneuvers; the Song cavalry, on the other hand, relied on their superior armor and coordinated formations to engage in direct confrontation.

Upon seeing this, Han Shizhong on the left flank immediately ordered a formation adjustment, dividing the cavalry into two lines: the front line to defend against the charge of the steppe cavalry, and the rear line to suppress them with bows and crossbows. He personally wielded a long spear and charged into the formation, the spear tip flashing like a meteor, felling several steppe knights in succession.

Wu Jie on the right wing was not to be outdone. He ordered the remaining troops of the Jingse Army to hold the rear, while the rest of the cavalry formed a circular formation and advanced steadily. With each swing of their giant axes, they firmly suppressed the momentum of the steppe cavalry's charge.

The two sides once again engaged in a fierce battle on the left and right flanks. The clash of swords, the spray of blood, and the screams of men and horses, along with the sounds of weapons clashing, shook the heavens.

As for the middle lane?

The cunning Khabul and the other steppe tribal leaders offered no support whatsoever.

This was not only because they were unable to provide support from the central route and were prone to getting bogged down in a bitter battle with the Song army, making it difficult to escape the battlefield, but also because Wanyan Aguda's tens of thousands of personal troops had not moved at all; they would not do something as foolish as sacrificing themselves to save the Jin army.

Wanyan Aguda knew that they had no chance of winning this battle without fighting desperately. Therefore, Wanyan Aguda made a desperate move and personally led tens of thousands of Jin troops to reinforce the central route.

Seeing this, the Jin soldiers who were on the verge of collapse were greatly encouraged. Jin generals such as Wanyan Wuzhu, Wanyan Chang, Wanyan Zongfu, and Wanyan Loushi seized the opportunity and led their remaining troops to counterattack from the enemy lines. The Jin army's defense line, which was originally on the verge of collapse, was temporarily stabilized. The shouts of the Jin-Mongol allied forces were deafening, as if they wanted to devour the Song army.

At the same time, rapid war drums suddenly sounded in the Song army's ranks.

Soon, Zhao Li led his troops to meet the nomadic cavalry from the left. After exchanging fire for a while, they began to engage in close combat. With a slash of his long-handled broadsword, Zhao Li cut several of the leading nomadic warriors and their horses in two. His cavalry formed a wedge formation and pierced into the torrent of nomadic cavalry like sharp blades. The warhorses of both sides clashed, and amidst the flashing swords, the screams of nomadic warriors and the mournful cries of their warhorses intertwined.

On the other side, Li Yanxian wielded his spear, the tip of which darted like a meteor, felling several grassland warriors. His troops, taking advantage of the terrain, set up an ambush, raining down arrows like rain, forcefully stopping the right-wing grassland light cavalry's flanking maneuver halfway. The sounds of battle stretched for dozens of miles.

At the same time, the Shenji vanguard, right wing, and rear guard escorted more than 300 new Li Lin cannons in a line, advancing forward.

The new Li Lin gun had a jet-black, shiny barrel that gleamed with a chilling luster in the sunlight.

Artillery commanders, including Zhao Di, held telescopes in one hand and command flags in the other, and directed their artillery to bombard the Jin-Mongol allied forces according to the instructions of Li Lin on the Song army's high platform.

The gunners were seen performing their duties, loading the heavy explosive shells into the breech. Sparks flew as the fuses were ignited, and the pungent smell of gunpowder filled the air.

"Calibrate orientation - coordinates 51 54!"

"Loading complete—release!"

As Li Lin waved the command flag, more than 300 new Li Lin cannons roared simultaneously, the deafening sound seemingly tearing the sky apart!
One after another, exploding shells, with sharp whistles, pierced the sky and fell like a meteor shower towards Wanyan Aguda's personal troops who had just come to reinforce the central route. Before they could react, the shells had already crashed into the dense crowd and exploded with a bang!

In an instant, flames soared into the sky, and rubble and metal fragments flew everywhere. Every explosion created a blood-red vacuum, and the Jin army's heavy armor was like paper in the face of the artillery fire. Knights and warhorses were blown away by the blast waves, and limbs and pieces of armor mixed with wood chips flew everywhere.

Wanyan Aguda's personal guards were instantly engulfed by artillery fire. Hot metal shards grazed his arm, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound. He stared in horror at the carnage before him. His once-proud remnant force was crushed like ants in the artillery barrage. The previously clamorous counterattack was instantly replaced by the roar of artillery fire and screams of agony.

The Jin army's central line immediately showed signs of collapse.

Yue Fei and Liu Qi were both top-notch generals of their time and even in history. They seized the opportunity with precision and ruthlessness, launching a fierce attack on the Jin army despite the gunfire.

Soon, a second round of artillery fire came, also targeting the Jin army's central command.

Clearly, Li Lin's intention was to destroy the central system of the Jin-Mongol alliance—that is, to kill the Jin army's top commanders, led by Wanyan Aguda.

Next, the third round of shelling.

The fourth round of shelling.

The fifth round of shelling.

This continued until the ninth round of shelling ended.

Under the firepower suppression of more than 300 new Li Lin cannons, and with the reinforcement of the Shenji rear army, Yue Fei and Liu Qi completely broke through the Jin army's central army.

Wanyan Aguda barely escaped the Song army's pursuit under the desperate protection of Jin generals such as Wanyan Xieye and Wanyan Wulu.

Why do I say "barely"?

Yang Zaixing almost captured Wanyan Aguda. If he hadn't fought all day and his warhorse hadn't reached its limit, he definitely would have captured Wanyan Aguda.

As the Jin army in the central route was defeated, Khabul was leading his nomadic cavalry in a fierce charge. Seeing that the Jin army's lines seemed to be turning around, he was about to order a faster charge when the Song army's cannons roared again.

This time, the cannonballs were aimed directly at the dense charging formation of the nomadic cavalry of the steppe! That is, the Mongol cavalry personally led by Khabul.

The exploding shells shattered among the steppe cavalry, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation after the initial burst of light. The light armor of the steppe nomadic cavalry was utterly ineffective against the power of the shells; men and horses were torn to shreds, their charging formation instantly ripped apart with gaping holes.

Upon seeing this, the steppe cavalry who followed felt a nameless fear rise in their hearts, and their charge slowed down involuntarily.

With his eyes wide open, Habul roared and ordered a charge, only to be met with another barrage of artillery fire. Several tribal leaders around him were killed instantly, their scalding blood splattering all over his face.

Hebul was terrified.

"What kind of sorcery is this?!" a grassland chieftain screamed in terror, turning to flee, but was knocked down by the chaotic soldiers behind him and trampled into a bloody pulp by the horses' hooves.

The Song army's artillery fire did not stop; wave after wave, shells rained down on the Jin-Mongol allied forces' positions.

At the same time, the Shenji Army and other Song troops also began to reinforce the Song army at the front.

Equipped with the most advanced firearms of the time, the Shenji Army was undoubtedly the most capable and battle-hardened army of its era. Once deployed to the battlefield, the Song army quickly launched a bloody massacre against the Jin-Mongol allied forces.

The Jin army and the nomadic cavalry of the steppes were routed.

Wanyan Loushi attempted to regroup his troops, but was knocked to the ground by a shell that landed beside him. His chest heaved, and he coughed up blood. He watched the allied forces retreating steadily under the artillery fire, and saw his comrades blown apart. His eyes were filled with despair—he knew that the Jin Dynasty was finished.

At that moment, Niu Gao stepped out from the ranks and killed the Jin Dynasty's top general with a single mace strike.

"Retreat! Retreat now!" Wanyan Zongfu roared, clutching his wound. At this moment, he no longer possessed his former bravery; all he wanted was to escape this hellish battlefield engulfed in artillery fire.

Unfortunately, he was caught by Yang Zaixing, who had failed to catch up with Wanyan Aguda. Yang Zaixing killed more than a hundred people, then killed him under a hail of arrows, cut off his head and hung it on his waist before continuing the fight.

Although Jin generals such as Wuzhu and Wanyan Chang escaped the chaotic battle in a sorry state, almost all of them were wounded.

The Jin-Mongol allied forces' lines quickly collapsed completely, and the soldiers abandoned their weapons and fled for their lives.

Under the cover of his personal guards, Khabul fled westward with all his might. Behind him were cannon fire and the pursuing Song army. He looked back and saw the once invincible Jin-Mongol allied forces reduced to ashes in the roar of the new Li Lin cannons. The wilderness was littered with corpses and rivers of blood, while the Song army's flags fluttered high in the smoke of the setting sun.

The Song army's artillery fire continued to pursue, and cannonballs landed among the fleeing crowd, constantly reaping lives.

Zhao Yu ordered a full-scale attack, and generals such as Yue Fei, Liu Qi, Han Shizhong, and Wu Jie led their cavalry in a surprise attack...

Liu Fa and others then ordered generals Zhang Jun, Liu Guangshi, Zhe Keqiu, and others who had not previously participated in the battle to lead their light cavalry into the pursuit.

This decisive battle ended in a resounding victory for the Song Dynasty, with the Jin-Mongol allied forces utterly defeated, and the fate of the grasslands was thus decided...

……

(End of this chapter)