Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 254 A Great Victory on the Frontier!

Yingzhou, the central command tent.

On a small wooden table, about ten feet long, a geomantic map of the "Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun" was laid out.

Yelü Hongji held the vermilion brush, pondered for a moment, and then made a light stroke.

Yanmen Valley!
This is the most important pass and canyon leading to Yanmen Pass, without exception.

(As shown in the picture: Yanmen Valley is located at the intersection of the Hengshan Mountains and the Lüliang Mountains)

It is about twenty miles long and about ten feet wide, with mountains stretching along the way and deep ravines.

Although it is called a canyon, Yanmen Valley is not a river valley in the traditional sense, nor was it formed by flood impact.

In fact, this was a man-made "Northern Expedition Pass," built on the orders of Emperor Wu of Han.

The Book of Han, Annals of Emperor Wu, records: In the fifth year of Yuanguang, 10,000 soldiers were dispatched to quell the dangerous obstacles at Yanmen Pass.

This is the origin of Yanmen Valley.

People call it "valley" simply because its shape resembles a river valley.

However, Emperor Wu of Han probably never imagined that Yanmen Valley, originally built for the Northern Expedition, would gradually become the main passage for the southern expeditions of the barbarians.

"Have any reports come from the scouts regarding the commander of Yanmen Pass, the strength of the troops, and the layout of Yanmen Valley?" Yelü Hongji struck down his brush and looked up.

Below him, officials from the north and south were lined up in orderly rows, numbering about thirty to fifty, all with solemn expressions.

In an instant, a man emerged, with the appearance of a Liao person, quite rugged and tall.

This man was none other than Yelü Naye, a famous general of the Liao Dynasty, the renowned Northern Court King and the Commander-in-Chief of the Southwest.

Yelü Na also bowed and reported: "The scouts have brought news that, in order to prevent the fall of Yanmen Pass, the Great Zhou has sent two famous generals, Gu Tingye and Wang Shao, to the border, with Grand Chancellor Han Zhang as the commander-in-chief, leading about 100,000 troops."

"Han Zhang?" Yelü Hongji was somewhat surprised.

As a "neighbor," Yelü Hongji had paid attention to and learned about some of the major political figures of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Gu Tingye and Wang Shao were both renowned generals who twice expanded the territory of the country, so it was not surprising that they were sent to the border to command troops.

Surprisingly, the head coach was Han Zhang, not Duke of Ying, Zhang Fu.
Since it concerned the reform, Grand Secretary Jiang Zhao would certainly not enter the border region, a fact that Yelü Hongji had anticipated long ago.

But how did he suddenly become Han Zhang?

Yelü Hongji also had a relatively deep understanding of Central Plains culture.

The Grand Secretary, the foremost among ministers!
Would a civil official like this voluntarily venture into the border and risk his life?

"Where is Zhang Fu, the Duke of England?" Yelü Hongji asked in surprise.

"It is said that he is seriously ill and unable to command troops," Yelü Na also reported.

This kind of news concerning the change of military commanders is not a secret.

Yelü Hongji understood.

Yelü Na continued, "As for Yanmen Valley, there are probably 80,000 to 90,000 troops deployed there. Of these, about 20,000 are positioned on the high ground on both flanks of Yanmen Valley, and about 50,000 are stationed at the valley entrance."

"The remaining tens of thousands of soldiers were divided into two groups: one group was stationed at Yanmen Pass in the rear, and the other group was dispersed to block other smaller passes."

"Ah."

Yelü Hongji nodded.

During their century-long reigns, the Liao and Zhou dynasties fought and killed each other countless times, and were thoroughly familiar with the key points of attacking and defending the passes.

Deploying troops on both flanks of Yanmen Valley is a very common troop deployment method.

Once the army occupies a commanding position, it can easily gain an advantage by attacking from above.

Of course, breaking the deadlock is also simple: just send a portion of the Iron Cavalry to the flanks to repel the enemy.

Therefore, Yanmen Valley was guarded by people, and Yelü Hongji had no intention of retreating or taking a detour.

There's no other reason than that it's normal for someone to be stationed there; it would be problematic if no one were stationed there.

Yelü Hongji pondered, then focused his gaze on one of the military generals: "Yelü Renxian, if I were to give you 60,000 iron cavalry, would you have a strategy to conquer Yanmen Valley and break through Yanmen Pass?"

Despite the precedent of Li Liangzuo being killed in battle, Yelü Hongji showed no intention of donning armor and mounting his horse to fight.

Compared to fighting on horseback, it's safer to keep a low profile in Yingzhou.

However, Yingzhou and Yanmen Pass are quite a distance apart.

When deploying troops, the most taboo thing is to command remotely.

The general direction can be discussed and arranged, but the details should be handled by making decisive decisions based on the situation.

Therefore, Prince Jin and Yelü Renxian, the Privy Councilor of the Northern Court, naturally became the main commander "temporarily".

Yelü Ren stepped forward first, already having a plan in mind: "If there are 60,000 iron cavalry, 10,000 iron cavalry can march first on the east and west flanks for half an hour to repel the enemy forces on both flanks."
Of the remaining 50,000 cavalry, 5,000 will serve as the vanguard, marching first for a quarter of an hour to clear any potential traps such as walls of fire, large pits, and iron nails along the river valley. The remaining 45,000 troops will be the main force, traversing the canyon, while the remaining 5,000 will cover the rear, in case of unforeseen circumstances.

"When the army reaches the valley entrance, it should immediately change formation and charge in unison to break through the enemy and pass through Yanmen Valley."

As one of the most important passes, Yanmen Pass has never been breached to this day, but the method of passing through Yanmen Valley has been developed to a very mature level, which is the "three-step strategy" mentioned by Yelü Renxian.

Every single sentence, without exception, is based on experience.

In particular, the deployment of 10,000 cavalry on the east and west flanks was an almost absolute summary of experience.

The two sides of Yanmen Valley are not as flat as the valley floor; on the contrary, they are quite steep.

This means that deploying too many troops will not produce much effect.

A force of 5,000 cavalry and over 10,000 infantry is a reasonable combination based on experience.

In addition, pioneers often bring fire-fighting and crater-filling supplies.

In the past, Li Liangzuo was blocked by the wall of fire and unfortunately lost his life. This was mainly because he had no preparation to break through the wall of fire and his vision was poor, so he had no choice but to charge in.

Generally speaking, the effectiveness of a firewall is greatly reduced if there is any preparation.

The same principle applies to pits and nails; once prepared, the threat of a trap will be quite limited.

The five thousand cavalrymen at the rear were there to prevent small enemy forces from flanking them and creating a pincer attack.

Generally speaking, once the "three-step strategy" is implemented, the difference between passing through Yanmen Valley and suffering dozens, hundreds, or thousands of casualties is simply a matter of life and death.

"As for breaking through Yanmen Pass, I think we can have a portion of the main army hold back the main force of the Zhou people, while the remaining soldiers can seize smaller passes, pass through the smaller passes to cross Yanmen Pass, and destroy fertile fields along the way."

"In this way, if the main force of the Yanmen Pass deploys troops to protect the fertile fields, the main force will be reduced, and we can try to devise a plan to break through the pass; if the main force of the Yanmen Pass does not retreat, the fertile fields will be destroyed, and the border will be unable to have a good harvest."

The Liao army's southern expedition was essentially aimed at "obstructing" the reforms.

There are only two ways to obstruct reform:
First, it involves long-term consumption.

If this continues for a long time, it will definitely cost a lot of money. In order to support the frontier, the Great Zhou had to reduce the expenditure of money and grain for the reform, and turn the money and grain that should have been used for the reform into frontier provisions.

With the funding for the reforms taken away, it became difficult to implement them.

Second, it disrupted the pace of reform.

With the frontier in crisis, the emperor and reformers had to prioritize military and political affairs. Their energy, which was originally focused on promoting reforms and resolving local resistance, was largely diverted, forcing the reform process to "suspend," which gave the conservatives an opportunity.

Once the issue of wrangling between the reformists and conservatives is involved, then the Liao state's objective of its southern expedition can be considered successfully achieved.

Between the two methods, the Liao Kingdom dared not sustain long-term losses, so it had no choice but to choose the second one.

If the cavalry successfully marches south, the reforms will naturally be suspended!

Yelü Renxian's main idea was to first allow a portion of his cavalry to successfully march south, wreak havoc, and create a powerful and imposing effect.

In this way, the Great Zhou court can focus on the border war and gradually lose the energy to carry out reforms.

"it is good."

Yelü Hongji nodded repeatedly.

"That's it."

March 1st, Yanmen Valley.

"Gah-"

Barren land with shallow grass, crows fly by.

The sound of marching horses' hooves was as heavy as muffled thunder.

"stop!"

Yelü Renxian, the Privy Councilor of the Northern Court, shouted.

"stop!"

With a loud shout, the messengers relayed the order in turn.

Sixty thousand iron cavalry is simply too massive.

The transmission of instructions alone took a full hundred breaths.

Their march stretched for two or three miles, a truly magnificent sight.

"Adjust the formation. The east and west flanks will march in a quarter of an hour; the vanguard will march in a quarter of an hour; and the central army will march in a quarter of an hour," Yelü Renxian ordered.

As a veteran official of two generations and the Privy Councilor of the Northern Court, he was one of the highest-ranking military officers, and his life of military service was filled with rich experience.

Even the "three-step strategy" for passing through Yanmen Valley was his idea.

Therefore, no one understood the valley better than Yelü Renxian!
A 15-minute time difference translates to a distance of about three miles for a large army, giving them ample time to react.

At his command, three armored generals stepped forward, carrying ropes, to direct the marching troops on both flanks and the vanguard cavalry.

Subsequently, the eastern and western flanks and the vanguard army advanced one after another.

Arrive in 35 minutes.

"Father, no one has come to report from the east or west flanks." A young general, around thirty years old, glanced around and frowned.

"The scouts reported that an ambush was set up at the mouth of the valley. Even if the Great Zhou changed the location of the ambush, the twenty-mile Yanmen Valley is still about the latter half of the valley, about fifteen miles away."

Yelü Renxian glanced at his eldest son and patiently explained, "The ambush in the latter half will make it difficult for our army to retreat in a short time. If the two flanks gain the upper hand, they can attack from a higher position and ambush our army; if the two flanks do not gain the upper hand, they can retreat to the valley entrance to fight outnumbered and protect their lives."

"The march on the east and west flanks is only about two incense sticks' worth of time, or six miles. It's not surprising that no news has come."

"Furthermore, do you know why I ordered the central army and the vanguard to march with a 15-minute interval, instead of marching hastily only after news arrived?"

The young man's eyes lit up, and he immediately replied, "My father said that when marching through a valley, speed and stability are both important."

Yelü Renxian nodded with satisfaction.

When traversing Yanmen Valley, speed is paramount to avoid any unforeseen complications, but faster isn't always better.

Safety is the prerequisite for prioritizing speed.

This involves balancing "speed" and "stability".

A 15-minute time difference would prevent the army from becoming disorganized or delaying its march; this was the "balance point" that Yelü Renxian believed in.

"Leave five thousand iron cavalry to guard the area, and the rest of the army shall march immediately!" Yelü Renxian waved his hand and shouted.

One li, two li, three li, fourteen li!
"kill!"

"kill!"

After marching fourteen miles, sounds of battle and cries of agony came from both the east and west flanks.

"My lord, both the east and west flanks are manned by cavalry."

A Liao cavalryman rode to the edge of the cliff, gave a brief report, and then continued fighting.

Perhaps because the battle lines on both flanks had been opened up, the cries of agony grew fainter and fainter.

"Both the east and west flanks are filled with cavalry?"

This was somewhat unexpected by Yelü Renxian.

Logically speaking, given the number of fine horses in the Great Zhou, cavalry should mainly be spread throughout the central army. So why are the flanks also filled with cavalry?
The army continued its march forward.

The battle lines on both flanks stretched out very long, and the sounds of clashing metal could be heard incessantly along the way.

Seventeen li!
Just as the army arrived at the Seventeen Mile mark, several vanguard scouts rushed over.

"What do you mean?" Yelü Renxian asked hurriedly.

"At the valley entrance, the Great Zhou deployed tens of thousands of infantrymen and dug a pit three feet deep and ten feet wide. The vanguard army observed cautiously and dared not charge."

"Are they all infantry?" Yelü Renxian looked up in surprise.

It's important to understand that the difference between conventional infantry and cavalry is significant.

Generally speaking, the casualty ratio between infantry and light cavalry is about one to five; the difference between infantry and heavy cavalry may even be more than one to ten.

This is why historical records describe instances where a few thousand cavalry dared to charge into formations of tens of thousands of infantry on plains.

Because we really can win!

"There are about ten thousand heavy infantry." The scout replied solemnly, "Their commander seems to want to negotiate peace, and doesn't seem to want to fight." "About ten thousand heavy infantry?" Yelü Renxian clicked his tongue and shook his head repeatedly.

Heavy infantry is much better than conventional infantry, but the difference is still limited.

In battle against light cavalry, the casualty ratio would be roughly 1:2 or 1:3, while against heavy cavalry it would be around 1:5.

No matter what, he has the advantage!
Keep in mind, he still has ten thousand heavy cavalry under his command!
Even in the Liao Dynasty, these 10,000 heavy cavalry would be considered a "national-level" force.

"Han Zhang is nothing to be surprised about!"

Thinking of the cavalry deployment on the east and west flanks, Yelü Renxian was secretly amazed.

Look at this, they've deployed all the cavalry to the east and west flanks, while the main force is all infantry.
What a brilliant mind!

"Continue the march!" Yelü Renxian's heart leaped, and he gave the order.

Officials were divided into those from the North and those from the South; even the prime ministers had two, and naturally, there were also two heads of military generals.

After this battle, he will likely become the true "top military general," regardless of whether he comes from the North or the South!

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

"Eh-"

The two armies stood facing each other at a distance of about 100 zhang, both having already set up their battle formations.

Just then, a soldier from the Great Zhou approached and relayed a message: "The Grand Chancellor intends to negotiate peace, but we are unaware of this."

"bass!"

With a single slash, a head fell to the ground.

"kill!"

Yelü Renxian picked up the curved sword at his waist and gave a heavy order.

Talk about peace?

Are you kidding me?
Innocent!

In a split second, the army charged forward.

Two thousand steps.
1000 steps
At the valley entrance, Han Zhang and Wang Shao were both armed with swords and armor. Wang Shao carefully observed the difference between the Liao cavalry and the main army.

Seven hundred steps.
"My lord, that's about enough," Wang Shao reminded him.

"Catapults, light them."

Han Zhang narrowed his eyes and gave the order in a deep voice.

Talk about peace?

He was faking it!
What we need is for the Liaoning people to charge decisively!

"Bah!"

Dozens of catapults, with bombs neatly arranged on them, were ignited one by one.

Hundreds or even thousands of wires, each over ten meters long, rustled and sputtered.

In Yanmen Valley, the sound of horses' hooves echoed, yet there was an indescribable silence.

Five hundred steps.
"Breaking the Falcon Army".

With a loud shout, more than 10,000 elite hawk soldiers stepped forward and fired their crossbows in an orderly fashion.

"what!"

"Humph!"

A series of cries of agony followed, and approximately three to five hundred light cavalrymen were shot dead.

However, in the context of large-scale warfare, the killing of three to five hundred light cavalrymen is nothing.

"kill!"

Whoever captures Han Zhang alive will be ennobled!

Yelü Renxian roared.

Three hundred steps, two hundred steps
The atmosphere of impending doom grew stronger and stronger.

"cast!"

At the command, bombs flew everywhere.

"what is this?"

"A ceramic jar?"

"Isn't this a catapult?"

Hundreds of ceramic jars rained down from the sky, and many Liao soldiers sensed something was wrong and instinctively reached out to block them.

Who would have thought it wasn't a large rock at all?
In the very next moment.
"Oh!"

"Oh!"

Numerous bombs exploded, sending debris flying from the valley entrance; a mere graze would cause injury, and a direct hit would be fatal.

"what!"

"Help!"

Many armored cavalrymen had their armor broken by ceramic shards, their blood splattering as they died.

more importantly.
"Eh-"

"Eh-"

The explosion reverberated for miles, and the earth trembled violently.

Horse startled!

Almost visibly, many horses were startled, instinctively shaking their bones and charging around wildly.

Some soldiers were nearly killed by the impact, or were simply trampled to death.

If one horse charges, it will startle the other horses and cause them to charge as well.

Moreover, not only were the horses charging, but even the soldiers who fell off their horses were instinctively running back and charging into the enemy formation.

"withdraw!"

The horse beneath him was startled and could not be restrained at all. Yelü Renxian sensed something was wrong and hurriedly shouted an order.

Unfortunately, the horses were startled, and the situation became extremely chaotic.

Such a scene, where tens of thousands of horses are startled and startled at the same time, is unheard of even by nomadic peoples. How could they possibly react in time?

Military orders simply couldn't be passed down!

"kill!"

Han Zhang brandished his sword and shouted.

"kill--"

Tens of thousands of infantrymen, lined up in formation, advanced in an orderly manner.

Almost at the same time, the north entrance of Yanmen Valley.

"ignition."

More than 20,000 infantrymen suddenly appeared. Gu Tingye clenched his fist and gave the order.

Of the 110,000 troops, about 20,000 were stationed on the east and west flanks, more than 50,000 were the main force, and more than 20,000 were used to block some small passes.

The remaining 20,000 was in Gu Tingye's hands.

Block the door!

"Oh!"

Bombs exploded everywhere, and the same scene of horses being startled filled the air.

"kill!"

bomb!

This revolutionary military weapon is destined to bring about a brutal massacre!
Yingzhou, the central command tent.

"How many?!"

Yelü Hongji was horrified, his eyes widening like copper bells.

"Thirty thousand died, more than twenty-five thousand were captured, and five thousand escaped alive," Prime Minister Xiao Wuerguna said with difficulty, his voice choked with emotion.

There were two prime ministers, one from the north and one from the south.

When the king led his troops on a southern expedition, the division of responsibilities between the two prime ministers was not complicated:

One person accompanied the army on the march, temporarily in charge of logistics and military affairs.

One person temporarily takes charge of military and political affairs to maintain the operation of the court.

As a Han Chinese prime minister, he naturally had some reservations, so it was impossible for Xiao Wuergun to temporarily take charge of the government.

But who would have thought that the first battle of the southern expedition would end in such a crushing defeat?

In an instant, the tent erupted in commotion.

Of the 60,000 people, only 5,000 returned?

"Of my 60,000 cavalry, only 5,000 have returned?" Yelü Hongji asked in a trembling voice.

Xiao Wuergun nodded with difficulty.

Of these 5,000 people, some were originally stationed at the northern entrance of the valley, some were from the east and west flanks, and some escaped through small gaps in the canyon.

To escape with one's life in such a battle situation, I don't know whether to say it's good luck or bad luck.

"Really only five thousand people returned?!" Yelü Hongji asked again.

His voice was unmistakably hoarse.

The entire tent fell silent; no one dared to utter a sound.

"Hoo~!"

Yelü Hongji was breathing heavily, sweating profusely and profusely, as if he was about to suffocate.

However, this is not surprising.

This resulted in the loss of 55,000 men, including 10,000 heavy cavalry.

It is no exaggeration to say that in any feudal era or feudal dynasty, the loss of 50,000 elite soldiers would be a severe blow.

Even a "golden age" can be completely destroyed by such a sudden blow!
Of course, the reason why a prosperous era is a prosperous era must also be due to military strength; it is impossible for 50,000 elite soldiers to be lost all at once.

However, this also reveals just how distressed Yelü Hongji was.

"Ugh!"

Xiao Wuergun sighed, his face showing unspeakable bitterness.

After this battle, let alone continuing to serve as an official, even retiring peacefully is just a pipe dream!

"Sixty thousand iron cavalry, and they still lost?!"

"My 60,000 iron cavalry!"

"Heaven has forsaken me; how unjust!"

With a long howl, Yelü Hongji's gaze froze.

"puff!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.

"His Majesty!"

Exclamations of surprise erupted.