Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 442 Broken

After attacking the Buddhist temple, the grain, winter clothing, and money seized were enough to sustain a major battle.

Liu Daogui ordered Liu Muzhi to be in charge of supplying food and provisions to Wang Zhen'e, and Liu Yixing led the General of the Cavalry to quell the rebellion at Gaoguang Temple and was also responsible for the logistical support of Zhanyin.

As the heir apparent of the Han state and a member of the Liu family of Pengcheng, he had no choice but to be knowledgeable in military affairs.

The Han state now boasts a wealth of fierce generals and valiant soldiers; a weak and incompetent ruler would certainly be unable to control them.

Yin Zhongwen continued to search and confiscate Buddhist temples.

However, Liu Daogui did not completely condemn Buddhism. He made an exception for some eminent monks, especially disciples of Kumarajiva, and issued them monk certificates and ordination certificates, which was a way of acknowledging their status as eminent monks.

Kumarajiva's decades-long dedication to translating scriptures localized Buddhism from the West and integrated it with Chinese civilization, which can be considered a meritorious act.

Buddhism flourished in the Western Regions, becoming a link with Chinese civilization.

This would greatly benefit his future rule over the Western Regions. Liu Daogui could not possibly exterminate them all. Any one-size-fits-all approach that disregards reality is lazy and harsh governance.

Some monks who committed crimes were directly punished by having their property confiscated, being beheaded and their heads displayed in public, and other monks were ordered to return to secular life and be reduced to slaves.

The cleared land amounted to tens of thousands of hectares, and there were more than 6,000 servants.

Money and grain were piled up like mountains, and there were fifty or sixty thousand chickens, ducks, pigs and sheep. Most of the temples were located in places with beautiful mountains and clear waters. Like the powerful families in Jiangzuo, they occupied the mountains and marshes and raised all kinds of livestock.

These days, monks drink alcohol and eat meat without any shortage of food.

Looking at the ever-increasing amount of money and grain on the official documents, Liu Daogui couldn't help but sigh, "The more chaotic the world becomes, the more comfortable these monks live."

Given how dilapidated Guanzhong is, it's hard to believe that Buddhist temples there are so wealthy. It's hard to believe that Guandong and Jiangzuo are like this.

In retrospect, the powerful aristocratic families were somewhat wronged back then. When it comes to accumulating wealth, even the most powerful aristocratic families couldn't compare to the temples in their flattery.

However, it's not time to take action against them yet.

The coldest season has passed. Although the Wei River is still frozen, it is not as cold as the previous two. The great battle in the west has entered a critical stage.

Even with 70,000 troops under Helian Bobo and Juqu Mengxun, they still couldn't conquer the small city of Zhanyin.

According to the scouts, Fu Hongzhi, taking advantage of Juqu Mengxun's unstable foothold, led 800 daredevils out of the city to attack the camp, killing and wounding more than 1,400 men and beheading Zang Mohai, the Northern Liang's Assistant General, thus crushing the morale of the Northern Liang army in one fell swoop.

After this battle, Helian Bobo and Juqu Mengxun looked at each other with a stalemate, besieging but not attacking.

The longer it drags on, the more advantageous it will be for Liu Daogui.

After the raid on the Buddhist temples, food supplies were no longer an issue, while Hu Xia and Bei Liang were exhausted.

"That's about it." Liu Daogui stretched his hand out into the wind, which was still cold, but not as bone-chilling as it had been two or three months ago.

The Tiger Guards have been resting and recuperating for the past few months, and their morale and energy have returned to their peak.

If it gets any later, Helian Bobo will sense the danger and turn to flee, and Mao Dezhu's efforts will be in vain...

Outside Zhanyin City.

Helian Bobo is now in a difficult situation. If he fails to capture Zhanyin, he will not only be unable to support Western Qin, but his prestige will also be greatly damaged.

For so many years, he ruled his subordinates with ruthlessness and killing, and his soldiers were filled with fear, so they were used by him. Helian Bobo "personally led an expedition", besieging a small city with 40,000 infantry and cavalry for two or three months. The casualties were nearly 8,000. The so-called Great Xia King was nothing more than this.

The morale of the army is slowly crumbling.

"Our army's advantage lies in rapid attacks and maneuvering. Since we cannot capture Zhanyin, it is better not to attack, but to return to Lingzhou and wait for the right opportunity."

Wang Maide was completely devoted to Helian Bobo. Before joining Helian Bobo, he was only a military advisor in Yao Qin. After joining Helian Bobo, he was appointed as a military advisor and general. When Hu Xia established the state, he was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Heyang and rose to the position of prime minister.

A man will die for one who understands him. Over the years, Wang Maide has been loyal and devoted to Helian Bobo.

"Do you think I can leave now?" Helian Bobo's face flashed with a fierce light.

Retreating was easy, but Hu Xia's army's morale collapsed.

This battle bears some resemblance to Yao Xing's Battle of Chaibi, both being battles that determine the fate of the nation.

Wang Maide said, "If we retreat now, we can still retain some strength and regroup in the future. If we wait until spring arrives and the elite troops of the Northern Army come to attack, it will be too late to leave."

"Do you think I will lose?" Helian Bobo's eagle-like eyes were fixed on Wang Maide, sending chills down his spine.

"The Heavenly King is invincible and will never be defeated. However, the situation is unfavorable and we cannot fight him head-on."

"You're wrong. This battle is our last chance. If we can't break through this city, the Great Xia will inevitably fall apart. It's a matter of life and death, how can we back down? Send a message to Juqu Mengxun: attack the city tomorrow and tell him not to hold back anymore. Otherwise, when the Northern Army arrives, his Liang Kingdom will be the first to suffer!"

If he hadn't established a nation and become the Heavenly King, he could have retreated and regrouped, as Wang Maide had suggested.

But once the country was established, he still "personally led the expedition," and there was no turning back.

The Hu Xia dynasty was not wealthy to begin with, and the country was filled with tribes. They relied entirely on Helian Bobo to intimidate people with his killings and military might.

With Liu Daogui moving the capital to Chang'an and allying with the Qiang people, Helian Bobo's chances became increasingly slim.

Even if they retreat now, they will only be a band of outlaws, destined for decline and destruction. Given Helian Bobo's character, he would naturally be unable to accept such an outcome.

Therefore, it would be better to take a gamble now, launch a strong attack on Zhanyin, wipe out this elite force of the Northern Army, and then take advantage of the situation to move south, take a big bite out of Western Qin to strengthen ourselves.

"kill!"

Before dawn the next day, the armies of both countries assembled.

Helian Bobo pointed at Zhanyin City, displaying the imposing manner he had displayed for over a decade, and declared, "Today we vow to conquer this city! If the vanguard fails, the middle ranks will behead them; if the middle ranks fail, the rear ranks will behead them!"

The soldiers around him trembled, knowing that things were serious today.

A resolute spirit rose within the Hu Xia army.

"Attack the city!" Helian Bobo shouted, raising his arm.

The Hu Xia army marched forward with heavy steps and without a sound. The rear guard held up long spears to protect the middle guard, and the middle guard protected the front guard. Every soldier's eyes were filled with a deathly aura.

Two soldiers were a little slower and were pierced through the back of their comrades from behind.

A ruler's subjects will reflect the ruler's character.

Helian Bobo was cruel and bloodthirsty, and so were his followers. There was no camaraderie among them; everyone lived like wild beasts.

However, this method is particularly effective in the Northwest.

His men fought with all their might, and Helian Bobo relied on this tactic to win battle after battle, repeatedly defeating the Qin army and growing stronger like a snowball.

The war drums on the city wall thundered.

The arrows fell sparsely, not as densely as in the previous days, and had limited effect on the Hu Xia army.

Long ladders were erected, and the Hu Xia army climbed them like ants. Soon they engaged the Northern Army in close combat.

The Northern Liang soldiers also attacked from the western city wall.

Juqu Mengxun was also a powerful warlord, and he understood the principle of mutual dependence. If he lost this battle, how could Helian Bobo have fled to the desert? Juqu Mengxun would only be waiting to die. Therefore, the Northern Liang army also showed its true strength.

However, no matter how many people rushed in, they could not budge the city wall.

The Northern Army, positioned on high ground, excelled in infantry combat, often capable of holding their own against four Liang or Xia soldiers.

A single column of Northern Army soldiers can defeat a troop of barbarian troops.

The city of Zhanyin was not high to begin with, but the corpses piled up higher and higher, gradually forming a slope. Helian Bobo and Wang Maide gathered thousands of elite cavalry, staring at their prey like wolves.

"Charge again! Even if we all perish today, we will break through this city!" Helian Bobo raised his treasured sword, the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow.

The blade has a large ring at the bottom, adorned with a coiled dragon. Its head is shaped like a bird, gleaming with a cold light, exuding a fierce and menacing aura. The blade is just like its owner.

In just half an hour, Hu Xia's army suffered three to four thousand casualties, but Helian Bobo didn't even blink.

However, such a fierce attack gradually caused the Northern Army on the city wall to show signs of fatigue. After fighting for nearly three months in such cold weather, even the most elite and brave soldiers would be exhausted.

"Kill them all, leave no one alive!" Helian Bobo's eyes turned bloodshot as he saw the hope of victory.

"The city has fallen!" Cheers erupted from the western city wall first.

Surprisingly, it was Juqu Mengxun's troops who breached the city walls first.

However, the Northern Army did not collapse; instead, they retreated into the city in an orderly manner.

Inside the city, there was another city wall, only about ten feet high, with Northern Army soldiers lined up on it, holding long spears and looking down from above.

"Barbarian invaders, come and meet your death!" Fu Hongzhi sat on the city wall and waved to Helian Bobo.

Although the inner city is small, it allows for the concentration of troops and defense.

When Zhu Xu defended Xiangyang, there were two city walls, one inner and one outer. The outer city was breached by the Di-Qin army, but he continued to fight the Qin army for several months with the inner city.

Fu Hongzhi came from the Western Army and inherited its combat tactics.

The Liang and Xia armies, who were initially in high spirits, immediately lost their momentum upon seeing the inner city.

By this time, anyone with a discerning eye could see that the Northern Army had deliberately abandoned the outer city in order to concentrate its forces.

"Advance!" Helian Bobo, his eyes red, immediately ordered his soldiers to continue the siege.

Xia Jun continued his assault on the city with long ladders. Suddenly, with a "boom," jars of oil were poured down from the city wall. Those hit by the oil immediately caught fire. In addition, the winter weather was dry, and the Hu Xia soldiers were wearing fur coats. Any sparks they touched ignited into a raging fire.

Fortunately, the terrain inside the city was narrow, and Hu Xia's army could not avoid it.

Three or four hundred people immediately perished in the fire.

In such a fierce battlefield, the deaths of three or four hundred people are naturally insignificant, and Helian Bobo would not care.

But the screams and struggles of these people in the flames terrified the other Hu Xia soldiers.

They might not care about the lives of their comrades, but they certainly didn't want to die such a miserable death themselves. They stood frozen in place, neither daring to attack nor retreat, watching helplessly as their comrades screamed in agony amidst the flames...

Mao Dezhu abandoned the outer city not only to consolidate his forces, but also to concentrate the Hu Xia soldiers and better utilize the power of the oil.

Black smoke billowed into the sky, and the stench of burning permeated the battlefield.

Helian Bobo's eyes twitched incessantly. From the very beginning, this battle had been led by the nose by Mao Dezhu and Fu Hongzhi, leaving him, as the King of Hutian, utterly humiliated.

"Kill! Kill!" Helian Bobo's face flushed red.

But the soldiers remained motionless.

After two or three months of fierce fighting, their morale had long been worn down, and today's desperate battle had exhausted their last bit of fighting spirit.

"Reporting to the Heavenly King, Juqu Mengxun has retreated!" a scout rushed in to report.

"Pig and dog! I can conquer this city even without him! Get out of the way, Wolf Armor Army, follow me to attack the city!"

If Juqu Mengxun retreated, Helian Bobo could not retreat even more.

At this point, he could only stake his last remaining assets. The Wolf Armor Army was the elite of the Ironclad Army left behind by his father, Liu Weichen. Although they were exhausted, they still had the strength to fight.

The soldiers at the front felt as if they had been granted a pardon and hurriedly retreated, but they jostled and pushed each other, which immediately drew a chorus of curses.

In the midst of the chaos, the inner city gates suddenly opened.

A general leaped out on his horse, clad in black armor, wielding a large axe, and riding a fiery red steed. The man was like a black tower, and the horse like a dragon. "Mao Dezhu is here! Barbarians, prepare to die!"

The giant axe swung backward, and the ground began to tremble.

More than a hundred riders surged out from behind, both men and horses clad in iron armor. The white breaths from the warhorses' snorts and the blood-red spears held by the riders on their backs gleamed coldly, their killing intent sweeping across the heavens and earth like a fierce wind.

Abandoning the outer city was the first step, using fire oil to block the enemy was the second step, and charging with armored cavalry was the third step!
Upon seeing these armored cavalrymen, who resembled iron beasts, Hu Xia's army fell silent, almost everyone staring wide-eyed at the cavalry in disbelief.

However, what shocked them was not only these cavalrymen, but also five or six hundred elite cavalrymen behind them, each carrying a long spear and riding two horses.

Boom, boom, boom...

Fu Hongzhi and more than twenty strongmen, shirtless, beat war drums in the cold wind.

The drumbeats quickly synchronized with the rhythm of the cavalry's hooves.

Boom, boom, boom...

It was getting faster and faster, like a muffled sound from the heavens.

"escape--"

The Hu Xia army finally collapsed at this moment, and the Xiongnu people's fear of the Han army was reawakened.

The scene descended into chaos, with Hu Xia's army trampling each other in the process.

"Don't panic!" Helian Bobo raised the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow and swung it through the crowd.

As expected of a divine sword forged through countless trials, a single strike separated flesh and bone, splattering blood and gore. But at this moment, the Hu Xia soldiers' fear of the Han army far outweighed his own.

"Your Majesty, hurry!" Wang Maide grabbed Helian Bobo's horse.

But it was too late. The Han cavalry, like a sharp sword, charged straight at them. The Hu and Xia soldiers who tried to block them all fell. The leading general, Mao Dezhu, had already raised his great axe and roared, "Kill—"

Warhorses clashed past, a flash of cold light, and Helian Bobo's upper body was already separated from his horse...

(End of this chapter)