Chapter 871: The Battle of Baicao Pass

Although he appeared eager and impatient to attack, after truly arranging his formation, Yelu Dilie did not directly launch an assault. Instead, he ordered the entire army to remain on alert and rest in place, facing off against the Han army's back-to-mountain formation at a distance of about two li.

At the same time, he widely deployed roaming scouts to search and plunder within a range of ten li east to west, probing whether the Han army had any other movements, to prepare for the unexpected. After all, the Han army's act of leaving the pass with only two thousand infantry was far too bold, making one cannot help but wonder whether some scheme lay within.

Judging from Yelu Dilie's conduct, though young and hot-blooded, he was not without cunning beneath his arrogance. After about half a shichen, reports came back that there was nothing unusual across the plains.

With that, Yelu Dilie relaxed somewhat. The summer sun hung high, releasing blazing light that shone down upon the battle formations of the Northern Han and Liao armies at Gouzhu Mountain. The wilderness fell into utter silence; beneath the tense atmosphere of the battlefield, only the constantly suppressed sounds of livestock could be heard.

Just as Yelu Dilie was about to order the attack, Yelu Sagei advised him again, urging him to wait a while longer with patience, which provoked Yelu Dilie into a fury: "I have thoroughly inspected the surroundings, and there is nothing unusual! The Han army has left their fortress and formed up before the pass, seeking their own disadvantage. I strike them with several times their numbers—why should I be timid and hesitant!"

Yelu Sagei then said: "The blazing sun hangs overhead, the weather is hot, unfavorable for battle. I beg you to set aside the attack for now and let the soldiers continue to replenish water and rest! Wait until the sun shifts westward, then launch the attack!"

This reasoning barely persuaded Yelu Dilie. After the preliminary preparations, noon had already passed. The fierce sunlight reflected off the armor and weapons of both sides' soldiers, its glare intense and dazzling, and Yelu Dilie could only temporarily set aside his desire to attack.

In the central formation, standing atop a war chariot, Yang Ye had also been continuously observing the Liao army's movements, his resolute face revealing composure. These past days, Yang Ye had thoroughly ascertained the Liao army's situation—in the Yunshuo region, indeed only this ten-plus thousand cavalry and infantry had been conscripted. Though he could not fathom the Liao army's intentions, once he confirmed he only needed to deal with these ten thousand Liao troops, Yang Ye formally executed his bold decision to sally forth and meet the enemy, testing the results of his troop training.

A camp commander in the central formation said to Yang Ye: "General, these Liao troops are far too timid—even now they dare not attack!"

The blazing sunlight made it hard for Yang Ye to keep his eyes fully open; his gaze narrowed slightly as he said: "If the Liao army wants to compete with us in patience, then let's compete—see who has more endurance! Pass the order: without my command, no camp formation may move lightly. Have the soldiers take turns resting and replenishing water!"

"Yes!"

And so the two sides faced off, until the sun shifted westward and the light was no longer so blazing, and the heat of the armor had also diminished somewhat. Finally, the Liao side could no longer hold back.

When it came to strict military discipline, solemn banners and armor, and orderly advance and retreat, only the Pishi Army among the Liao forces could measure up. The remaining tribal armies, though not lacking in warriors and combat experience, were ultimately a notch weaker in discipline. Moreover, having been hastily conscripted and gathered for this campaign without proper drilling, they could hardly avoid growing restless during such a prolonged standoff.

In comparison, the Dingxiang Army, trained and drilled by Yang Ye for many years, remained unmoved as a mountain even under the scorching sun. Their discipline was so strict that even drinking water and eating were coordinated.

"Have the Han soldiers charge straight through the middle and strike directly at their central formation! Split the left and right troops into one detachment each to strike their flanks with mounted archery!"

Following Yelu Dilie's single command, the Han soldiers before the Liao formation began their assault on the Dingxiang Army, while simultaneously, detachments of roughly seven hundred cavalry split off from both flanks, heading straight for the Han formation.

This was also the Khitan's consistent method of warfare—using vassals and dependents to charge, supplemented by elite cavalry roaming to apply pressure and harry, while keeping their most elite forces in reserve at the rear, seeking openings to deliver a fatal blow. At this moment, the three thousand conscripted Han soldiers were meant to be cannon fodder.

Yang Ye was quite familiar with this as well. Facing the Han soldiers who, under the urging of Liao cavalry, rushed toward his side, he felt a slight pang of emotion in his heart, but not a trace of soft-heartedness. Under military orders, the soldiers in the formation all drew up their spirits, ready to meet the battle.

The first thing the Liao army's Han soldiers faced was the Han army's bow and crossbow barrage. To deal with the Liao army, the Great Han's forces in the north had bow and crossbow allocations that could be called unmatched in the age.

Following the orders of the Han army officers in the formation, the archers and crossbowmen coordinated in an orderly fashion, round after round, like a machine, continuously drawing and loosing, relentlessly striking the charging "Han soldiers" with perfect rhythm.

And merely to approach the Han army's formation, the one thousand "Han soldiers" attacking head-on suffered over a hundred casualties. After the bows and crossbows came the long spears; after the long spears came the sabers and axes.

When they directly collided, the "Han soldiers" were like waves crashing against reefs, shattering into pieces. Years of honing killing techniques allowed the Han soldiers at the front to cleanly harvest the lives of the cannon fodder. With orderly coordination and unhurried slaughter, in merely two ke, the one thousand "Han soldiers" ordered to charge the formation collapsed and fled, suffering nearly three hundred casualties in total. The Liao cavalry supervising from behind could not stop them at all.

"How can these Han soldiers be so unreliable? How long has it been, and they already collapse and retreat!" Further back, among the Liao cavalry formation, Yelu Dilie flew into a rage.

"Great King, the Han army opposite is elite, with tight formations and orderly coordination—definitely a strong army. Otherwise, they wouldn't have the confidence to leave the pass with a mere two thousand or so men to face us head-on!" a subordinate general said to him. "If you want to break through their defense with these low-morale Han, it's virtually impossible!"

"Send men to gather up those routed soldiers!" Yelu Dilie immediately ordered. "Have the two cavalry detachments withdraw first!"

Gazing into the distance at the Han army formation, which despite being struck had not shown the slightest sign of wavering and was already refilling and readjusting its ranks, Yelu Dilie confirmed once again—this was indeed a tough bone to chew.

While the "Han soldiers" charged the formation, the two detachments of roaming cavalry were also harassing with mounted archery, trying to disrupt the Han army's morale and formation, but clearly with little effect. Under Yang Ye's command, when the Liao cavalry were far, the Han remained unmoved; when the Liao cavalry drew near, the bows and crossbows greeted them. As for cavalry charging the formation, facing that wall of chariot shields and spear forest, without a death order, no Liao cavalryman would want to test its edge.

Having repelled the Liao army's first wave of attack, the Han side busily adjusted their formation, treated the wounded, and swiftly restored themselves to their original state.

On the Liao side, Yelu Dilie wore a face full of savagery as he confronted those "Han soldiers" who had been gathered up—or rather, captured—before the formation. In his view, although the Han army's formation was indeed tight and their soldiers well-trained, the failure of the first battle lay in these Han being useless, perfunctorily carrying out his orders, unwilling to fight and die for the Great Liao.

"Pick out the ones among the retreated Han soldiers who are wounded!" Yelu Dilie pointed with his hand and issued a command.

The surrounding Liao cavalry stepped forward upon hearing the order, quickly picking out the hundred or so "Han soldiers" who had returned alive bearing wounds, and gathered them before Yelu Dilie. Yelu Dilie said: "These men are fine fellows—take them down first!"

He then ordered the remaining five to six hundred to be gathered together. His mouth split open, revealing a sinister smile, Yelu Dilie commanded: "Prepare the bows! Shoot dead all these cowards who fear battle and shrink from combat!"

As his words fell, all present were stricken with dread, but under his cold command, the Liao cavalry drew their bows and nocked their arrows, and a thousand shafts loosed together, straight at those routed "Han soldiers." Without a word of Han speech, after only two volleys, more than half of the unprepared "Han soldiers" had fallen. In terror, they scattered and fled in all directions, but no matter how fast their legs, they could not outrun arrows, nor escape the cavalry's slaughter. Soon, before the Liao formation lay a field of corpses, the bloodiness even exceeding that before the Han army's formation after the battle.

And after this turn of events, the remaining two thousand "Han soldiers" on the other side all changed expression drastically. Another detachment of one thousand "Han soldiers" was led to the front, facing the murderous Liao cavalry, each one trembling with anxiety.

Yelu Dilie was bold as well. Leading a small squad of Pishi Army forward, looking down from above, he declared loudly: "Those men just now feared battle and dreaded the enemy, causing the assault on the formation to fail. Such incompetent soldiers, the Great Liao does not need—I have executed them to uphold military law.

Though you are Han, you are soldiers of my Great Liao. Your parents, wives, and children all live safely under Great Liao's rule. For the sake of the Great Liao, you must summon your courage and charge into battle.

This king reiterates: kill the enemy and you earn merit; fear battle and you die. Any who dare retreat in fear of the enemy shall all be executed!"

After Yelu Dilie's display, not to mention the "Han soldiers," even the Khitan soldiers of their own tribe couldn't help but look askance. The Pishi Xiangwen Yelu Sagei stood behind, watching Yelu Dilie with slight astonishment. This Prince of Anping, so young, was actually this ruthless—he had underestimated him before.

The commotion before the Liao formation was fully visible to the Han army opposite, who wondered why they had suddenly turned to slaughtering each other. Yang Ye saw it clearly, his resolute expression growing even more severe as he discerned the problem. He immediately stood tall and shouted: "The Liao are cruel and savage, treating us Han like weeds! Their second attack is imminent—all soldiers, hear my command, prepare to repel the enemy! Follow this general to defeat them—kill!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The soldiers in the formation, some beating their shields, some raising their spears, some brandishing their sabers, shouted in unison, their morale rising to its peak in an instant.

But Yang Ye knew in his heart that the defensive pressure ahead would increase considerably. Under Yelu Dilie's cruel military law and the oppression of death, the "Han soldiers'" will to fight would not be so easily broken. Repelling them as easily as before would not be so simple.

On the Liao side, after adjustments, the second batch of one thousand Han soldiers arranged their assault formation and attacked once more. And the battle developed exactly as Yang Ye had predicted—this batch of "Han soldiers" was indeed much more bloodthirsty and brave, charging the Han army's formation at the risk of death. Though they still could not break through, the pressure and casualties they brought to the Han army were on a different level.

This time, the "Han soldiers'" attack lasted half a shichen before still ending in failure. With over four hundred casualties, and among those who retreated, nearly two hundred were unwounded. Yelu Dilie still employed his previous method, shooting them on the spot.

As a result, the third batch of "Han soldiers" no longer had any retreat or hope of luck. Under the Liao cavalry's supervision, they desperately charged Yang Ye's battle formation. This attack persisted to the very end, and only after casualties exceeded half and every man was wounded were they beaten back.

After a grueling battle of one and a half shichen, every one of the Liao side's "Han soldiers" had attacked in a round, with direct casualties inflicted by the Han army exceeding one thousand. The remainder no longer had any strength to fight. On the Dingxiang Army's side, casualties also exceeded two hundred.

"Great King, the Han soldiers have no fighting strength left, yet the enemy formation remains difficult to shake and shows no openings. Without committing our own cavalry, I fear it will be hard to defeat them!" a subordinate general said to Yelu Dilie.

"Send a cavalry detachment to charge the formation!" His blood surging and face flushed red, Yelu Dilie said immediately.

However, Yelu Sagei came to dissuade him again: "Great King, charging the formation with cavalry will surely bring heavy losses!"

"The Han soldiers' attacks have already worn down the Han army's edge and consumed a great quantity of their arrows. In such circumstances, this is precisely the time to break their formation—can we abandon it halfway and withdraw the troops?" Yelu Dilie rebuked.

Yelu Sagei replied with equal seriousness: "The Han army's formation remains rigorous. A forced attack may not yield results and will only harm our soldiers!"

The Liao state's military, aside from the imperial guard and the various tribal armies, had only small numbers of elite troops like the Xi and Bohai that were recognized. The rest were vassal forces conscripted on the eve of battle, generally used as cannon fodder to do the dirty, hard work.

This campaign had been launched hastily, and so aside from those three thousand "Han soldiers," the rest were all their own cavalry. For them to forcefully charge the Han formation—Yelu Dilie was willing, but the tribal chieftains harbored hesitation. Thus, Yelu Sagei's objection gained a measure of support.

The dispute on the Liao side affected Yang Ye's judgment of the battle situation. As he pondered, a subordinate officer couldn't help but say: "General, the Liao army has lost three engagements in a row—they seem afraid to attack!"

Yang Ye said: "Those who attacked the formation were all Han enslaved by them. Their own cavalry has not truly been committed to the slaughter, and the casualties we've inflicted on the Liao cavalry are not great. Our formation is solid and our arrows sharp—they're merely afraid of harming their own, not daring to recklessly use their cavalry for a strong assault!"

"General, in this battle we have already killed many enemies—it counts as a victory. How about we slowly withdraw back into the fortress?" a camp commander suggested.

Hearing this, Yang Ye's brows knit together. He had come out this time precisely to test his strength against the Liao cavalry. Knowing when to stop was all well and good, but in his heart, he remained unwilling.

The setting sun hung low to the army's left, its light already grown much gentler. Time was running short. After pondering for a moment, staring hard at the Liao army that still pressed dark and dense to the north, Yang Ye suddenly shouted: "Soldiers, the Liao army is afraid! Do you dare follow this general to fight their cavalry one more battle!"

Yang Ye's heroic spirit soared. The moment he stepped forward, the Dingxiang soldiers he had drilled for so long naturally howled with eagerness, gladly accepting the challenge. Seeing the army's morale was usable, Yang Ye hesitated no longer and immediately ordered: "Hear my command! Change to the Six-Flower square formation, advance the entire army one li northward, drawing close to the Liao formation!"

Yang Ye was taking a risk here—leaving the cover of the pass ridge carried the danger of being surrounded by the Liao army. But under Yang Ye's orders, his soldiers showed not a trace of hesitation, following him through mountains of blades and seas of fire.

Soon, the Han army's formation shifted, command flags waving, men and chariots moving, converting into the Six-Flower formation with extraordinary coordination and great speed, and maintaining a rigorous formation, steadily advancing one li forward.

The Han army's movements naturally drew the Liao army's attention. As their vanguard advanced, Yelu Dilie abandoned the argument and looked toward Yelu Sagei and the others, pointing at the Han army and saying: "The Han army is this arrogant, voluntarily leaving the mountain ridges. We still outnumber them several times over—do you still not dare to attack? Are you truly this afraid of battle? Have the courage of the Great Liao's warriors been thrown away entirely?"

Half goading, half because the Han army's actions were too laden with mockery, the Khitan generals finally decided—surround them, annihilate them.

Soon, with Yelu Sagei leading the Pishi Army to hold the rear line, Yelu Dilie personally led five thousand tribal cavalry to encircle them. A detachment of cavalry was split off to watch the Han army inside the pass, while the rest adjusted their formation and attacked from all sides.

The Han army, under Yang Ye's command, was likewise unhurried, solemnly awaiting battle. With the earlier groundwork laid, no warm-up was needed—the fighting plunged into its climax from the very first moment.

To be fair, the combat effectiveness of the Liao army's tribal forces was indeed more than a full tier above those prefectural "Han armies." The Han army truly felt the pressure as they held their ground.

Forming ranks to resist dealt a heavy blow to the cavalry—great shields like iron walls, carts rigged with brambles, effectively blunting the cavalry's charge, while arrows and long spears also inflicted severe losses on the Liao army.

Likewise, the death-defying cavalry dealt a tremendous impact on the Han army. The line where the two armies clashed was a death line, ceaselessly devouring the lives of soldiers on both sides. The Liao cavalry came wave after wave, and the Han army replenished their ranks in orderly fashion.

After two quarters of fierce fighting, some Han formations had already been broken through. Under normal circumstances, a breached formation was a golden opportunity for the Liao cavalry to exploit the gap and scatter the enemy lines.

But under Yang Ye's command, Han soldiers swiftly filled the gaps from within, re-establishing the defensive line to block the enemy cavalry outside. The Han soldiers who had been scattered regrouped under their officers' leadership, awaiting the next engagement.

As for the Liao cavalry that had charged into the Han formation, they were quickly ground down and annihilated under the combined encirclement of the central army and the soldiers within the formation. Before long, the battle fell into this repeating cycle.

On the Liao side, they kept charging, scattering, and breaking into the Han formation—only to be split apart from within and without by the reacting Han army, blocked outside and annihilated inside. At first, the Han army was somewhat disordered, requiring officers from Yang Ye on down to continuously issue commands; but later, the fruits of daily training fully manifested—ordinary soldiers developed the instinct to self-replenish and self-adjust.

Under the Liao army's full-strength assault, the Han formation was breached again and again, restored again and again, gradually contracting. The word "resilience" was displayed to the fullest by the Dingxiang Army under Yang Ye's command—though steadily shrinking, it remained unbreakable throughout.

Han casualties were mounting; the Liao army's were double. Outside the formation, Yelu Dilie no longer wore his earlier confidence. Breaking through the Han formation no longer brought him wild joy. At this point, he finally understood why this Han army had such confidence.

After more than half a shichen of bitter fighting, the sky had grown somewhat dim. This hard bone of the Dingxiang Army had already shattered the Liao army's teeth. The soldiers of both sides were locked together, fierce battle cries ringing across the plain, nearly scattering the clouds at the edge of the sky.

Amid his guards, Yelu Dilie stared fixedly at the Han formation that remained unshakable under siege, staring at that Han general in the midst of the formation who, though struck by arrows, still resolutely commanded the resistance.

He faced another choice: either withdraw, or commit the Pishi Army as well and completely crush and annihilate this arrogant Han army before nightfall. But if the Pishi Army entered the fight, could they truly defeat Yang Ye? And if he retreated, having already paid such a heavy price, how could he be willing?

Yelu Dilie was not left to hesitate for long—someone made the choice for him. While the battle outside the pass was at its height, Kang Yanze, hidden within Baicao Pass, finally led the Dingxiang Han cavalry charging out.

Battle cries shook the plain, hooves trampled the grassland, and under the cover of the deepening dusk, their numbers were nearly impossible to discern. The surveillance cavalry Yelu Dilie had deployed faithfully carried out their duty, moving forward to intercept so as not to let them affect the battlefield. But the Han cavalry refused to be drawn into fighting them—heedless of casualties, with clear objective, they charged straight at the Liao army's commander, Yelu Dilie.

Inside the pass, Kang Yanze had been observing the battlefield's shifting situation the whole time, taking in the Liao army's dispositions at a glance, and his chosen timing was just right.

Thus, facing such a resolute charge from the Han cavalry, Yelu Dilie failed to react in time and was directly scattered—only under the protection of his personal guards did he avoid being killed on the spot.

Once Yelu Dilie's side fell into chaos, it meant the besieging Liao army was in chaos too. The Han army, one from within and one from without, coordinated to break the enemy, and soon the Liao lines began to waver. The deepening dusk further fueled their panic.

Behind them, Yelu Sagei, holding the rear line, saw the situation turning bad and needed no orders—he led the Pishi Army charging forward directly, first to block the Han army, second to rescue Yelu Dilie. It was precisely thanks to Yelu Sagei's rescue that Yelu Dilie managed to escape, bedraggled, from Kang Yanze's pursuit.

Afterward, he finally stopped arguing with Yelu Sagei, gathered the Liao soldiers who were gradually collapsing under the Han army's pincer attack, and retreated north in disarray. On the Han side, under Kang Yanze's leadership, they pursued for a short distance before calling it off—first, because their numbers were few; second, because the sky had already darkened; third, because the Pishi Army was indeed the most elite force in Liao, and with their cover, a rash pursuit might invite disaster.

Even so, the Battle of Baicao Pass ended in a Han victory. Yang Ye, with three thousand infantry and cavalry, faced the Liao army's ten thousand troops head-on and defeated them—including the Liao emperor's elite guard, the Pishi Army. Regardless of the process, the actual circumstances, or the specific kills, at least on the surface, the Dingxiang Army could claim "one Han soldier equals three Liao soldiers."

And Yang Ye—this young general who had garrisoned Dai for ten years—truly became famous throughout the realm because of this battle, his prestige in the military soaring rapidly.