Chapter 1279: The Pressure Is Heavy on All Sides

Perhaps Heaven could not bear to witness the tragic and brutal scene at Jinzhou, and closed its eyes—thus darkness fell, forcing both the attackers and defenders, who had been immersed in war, to calm down.

After a day of bloody battle, casualties were heavy on both the Han and Liao sides. The attack and defense ceased, and both could only silently lick their wounds, awaiting the next wave of combat.

Above Jinzhou city, the atmosphere was unusually oppressive. Many Liao garrison soldiers appeared numb; the brutal slaughter had nearly extinguished their thoughts and humanity. After the high-intensity confrontation, their bodies were especially exhausted, but their tense nerves found no relief—even freshly prepared food could not stir a trace of joy.

Though night had fully descended, there was not a moment of rest or quiet on the walls. A fresh shift of garrison troops came up, and Yelu Xiuge personally arranged the night watch.

Large numbers of auxiliary soldiers and laborers cleared away corpses, transported siege equipment, while craftsmen repaired damaged walls and weapons. The clear summer breeze blew continuously, and the air seemed to carry the taste of the sea. The lanterns on the walls cast dim yellow light, illuminating Yelu Xiuge's young and resolute face.

Yelu Xiuge was not very old—still under thirty—yet he was one of the few outstanding young talents among the Liao imperial clan and in its army. Not only was his birth noble, but he had also gained fame at a young age, having followed the Liao army's various military operations since childhood, accumulating experience in war.

During the first great Han-Liao war, he had accompanied his father Yelu Wansi in the army. Though he had not participated much, he had gained some knowledge of the Han army's tactics, and this provided him with many ideas for defensive operations.

By now, Yelu Xiuge's reputation for resourcefulness and skill in battle had spread throughout the Liao army. Yelu Xiezhen had overridden all objections to put him in charge of Jinzhou's defense—a bold decision made after careful assessment. One must understand that facing several hundred thousand Han troops skilled at storming fortifications—such heavy responsibility, such pressure—was not something just anyone could bear.

Judging from the results so far, Yelu Xiuge had not disappointed Yelu Xiezhen's trust and favor. Facing the fierce onslaught of the Han army, he showed not the slightest fear. From the very beginning of the Han army's eastward advance, he had not adopted a purely passive defense but had taken the initiative—whether in harassing and delaying their march, or in calmly directing the defense once they arrived at the city walls—demonstrating outstanding ability and solid competence.

Even now, with the city besieged and hard-pressed, he was not passively defending. From time to time he dared to sally forth, giving the Han army a "surprise" and disrupting the rhythm of their attacks.

At the same time, he had dispatched several small units through the mountain paths of northwestern Liao, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, continuously harassing the Han army's logistics supply lines. This caused considerable trouble for the Han army, forcing them to increase the troops assigned to escorting military supplies.

However, these measures were ultimately only minor troubles. They had some impact, to be sure, but did not shake the overall situation. On this point, after this period of attack and defense, Yelu Xiuge was well aware in his own heart.

For the garrison of Jinzhou, Yelu Xiezhen had originally allocated him twenty-five thousand troops, including seven thousand cavalry. Those who could be committed to defending the city numbered less than twenty thousand.

Facing the Han army's powerful offensive, Yelu Xiuge adopted a system of rotating shifts. By now, apart from the cavalry, all troops had been cycled through once, forcing him to request reinforcements from Yelu Xiezhen at Liaoyang. Due to combat losses, Yelu Xiuge had also conducted a reorganization of the remaining garrison troops in the city.

But what of the Han army outside the city? Thinking of this, a chill involuntarily rose in Yelu Xiuge's heart. Superior numbers and overwhelming strength were the Han army's greatest advantage—even greater than their sharp weapons. The sustained fierce assaults had indeed inflicted heavy casualties on the Han army, but relative to their overall strength, what did that amount to? Likely just skin-deep wounds...

Below Jinzhou's walls, layers of corpses were piled—some Liao soldiers, some Han soldiers. A mountain of corpses and a sea of blood lay there silently, and the Liao army did not even permit the Han army to clear them away.

In the past few days, this had already affected the Han army's dispositions below the walls, forcing them to brave the defenders' attacks to clear away the bodies. Moreover, as the weather grew hotter, they had to consider the problem of corpses rotting and breeding disease—this was another of the many troubles Yelu Xiuge had caused the Han army, one they had no choice but to deal with.

Yet for all this, Yelu Xiuge felt no self-satisfaction or pride. His mind clearly recognized that the grim situation had not changed in the slightest.

The troops in the city were still sufficient to hold out, and food was still adequate. But the consumption of weapons and equipment far exceeded Yelu Xiuge's reserves. This extravagant style of warfare was somewhat difficult for the Liao army to sustain—he could not, like the Han army, use crossbows and ammunition without restraint...

And once the city's weapons were exhausted, the hardest days would begin. He had already requested resupply of weapons from Liaoyang, but that supply was not unlimited.

The workshops in Liaoyang were working at full speed to forge more. Within Jinzhou city, Yelu Xiuge had also organized people to collect the crossbow bolts the Han army shot into the city, repairing and reusing them.

The lanterns on the walls swayed in the night breeze, and Yelu Xiuge's mood was like those flickering lights. Gazing beyond the city, the Han army's vast camp, stretching beyond the horizon, seemed even more formidable under the shroud of night.

He had received the latest order from Liaoyang—a strict command to hold Jinzhou for another three months! Three months! Yelu Xiuge knew that the past attacks and defenses had already been difficult enough, and what was harder still lay ahead.

The Han army's officers and men were brave and fearless, and their commanders led with skill. Facing such an opponent, wanting to resist them by force—how could that be easy...

Outside the city, the Han army's camps were arranged in a connected chain, stockades linked to one another in a well-layered formation. They were not far from the city walls, leaving ample room for deploying troops and equipment below the walls while also compressing the Liao army's room for sorties.

A moat one zhang wide ran across the front of the camp, and the hardwood planks used for crossing had been removed—this was specifically to counter night raids by Liao cavalry. Zhang Yongde, serving as the field headquarters trench-array commissioner, had arranged the new round of defenses, especially the protection of the heavy siege equipment. Only then, with a somewhat heavy heart, did he head to the central command tent.

Within the Han camp, lanterns were relatively dense; even dim light gave the soldiers some psychological comfort. Most of the troops, after eating, retired to their own tents according to military regulations, resting in silence. In the forward camp near Jinzhou, apart from the sounds of the routine patrols, there was no other movement.

Compared to the lower-ranking soldiers, the generals responsible for commanding operations—the brain center of this great army—could not rest for even a moment. Inside the central command tent, all the generals had gathered for a summary meeting on the day's attack and defense.

The Crown Prince naturally sat in the commander's seat, with Zhao Kuangyin and Gao Huaide flanking him on left and right. Below them were senior generals including Zhang Yongde, Liu Guangyi, Dang Jin, Ma Renyu, and Li Hanqiong.

Because the assault on the city had not gone smoothly, everyone's expression was grim. Zhao Kuangyin in particular, as the commander responsible for directing operations, bore the greatest pressure.

Though he had never said so aloud, he had already developed considerable wariness toward the Liao general Yelu Xiuge, who had brought such great resistance to the army. As a veteran of many battles, he had long formed a fair judgment of his opponent's abilities and methods through this period of engagement.

Sitting in the commander's seat, the Crown Prince's young face was also silent. He was not unfamiliar with war—during the northern expedition years ago, he had visited the battlefield, and those bloody, cruel scenes were still vivid in his memory.

But at that time he had been young, and apart from instinctive fear and dread, he had not felt much deeper emotion. Now, however, it was different. He was the commander-in-chief of the army, and in name he bore the heavy responsibility of the northern expedition. He had sufficient psychological preparation for bloodshed and sacrifice and would not be frightened. Yet behind the bloody assault on the city, he too felt enormous pressure.

After exchanging a glance with the Crown Prince, Zhao Kuangyin looked toward Wang Shen, the field headquarters secretary, and asked in a low voice: "In today's assault on the city, what were the casualties?"

Wang Shen was the Crown Prince's eldest son, inheriting the title of Duke of Yan. In this command tent, he held a low rank but a noble title, and could not afford to be proud. Facing Zhao Kuangyin's question, he replied respectfully: "According to the tally, 763 dead, 1,352 wounded lightly or seriously—the heaviest casualties since the fighting began!"

"The casualties are too heavy!" Zhao Kuangyin took a deep breath and said.

Indeed, counting auxiliary troops and able-bodied laborers, they commanded nearly three hundred thousand men, yet even so they could not sustain such heavy daily losses. Jinzhou was only the beginning; greater battles lay ahead. The key issue was that if they remained stalled before the city for long, such casualties would inevitably deal a blow to morale. If it affected the army's fighting spirit, the problem would be even more serious.

At this, all the generals were silent. Others could remain quiet, but Ma Renyu, who was responsible for frontline command, had to speak. He rose and said to the Crown Prince in a heavy tone: "This general commanded poorly and lacked skill in taking the city, causing these casualties. I beg Your Highness to punish me!"

Seeing this, the Crown Prince quickly spoke to reassure him: "General, you braved arrows and stones, personally at the front lines, giving your utmost effort. The soldiers fought with no regard for death, sparing no effort. The failure to take the city is because the enemy is too tenacious—the Liao bandits resisted stubbornly. It is not the fault of the general or his men. Do not blame yourself!"

Hearing the Crown Prince say this, Ma Renyu's expression improved somewhat. He replied in a low voice: "Thank you, Your Highness!"

Then, looking toward Zhao Kuangyin, Ma Renyu said: "I request five thousand troops to replenish my men, and I will attack again tomorrow!"

All along this eastward march, it had been Ma Renyu directly wrestling with Yelu Xiuge. After repeated setbacks, Ma Renyu had worked himself into a fury. At this moment, he was like a wounded tiger, single-mindedly seeking revenge.