Chapter 932: The End of Shi Yanchao

The night had grown deep, and the cold night wind swept over the ridges and through the valleys, yet it could not in the least quench the life-and-death struggle between the Han and Liao forces in the valley below. Nearly two hours had passed since the ambush began, and the fighting still continued. The two sides clashed fiercely, corpses of men and horses piling layer upon layer, blood staining the earth and stone, the cries of battle echoing across the ridges.

Facing the ambush, with Liao cavalry encircling them front and rear and archers densely packed on both flanks, the Han army was nearly at the end of its rope. Yet even for the sake of survival, its officers and men erupted with a desperate brilliance.

Shi Yanchao led his men in desperate resistance at the front, even launching several counter-charges, barely managing to hold the line. Kang Zaiyu was at the rear, and compared to Shi Yanchao's impetuous advance, he had always maintained a measure of vigilance and caution.

Thus, when the ambushing Liao army struck, his reaction was far quicker than Shi Yanchao's side. The Liao army struck from all sides, cutting through the middle to sever them, clearly intending to annihilate them all. Though caught between two fronts, Kang Zaiyu did not rush to break out southward. Instead, he sent a portion of the rear force to resist the Liao attack while he himself led the several hundred riders he had hastily rallied to charge the Liao troops tasked with intercepting them in the middle.

To the north, Shi Yanchao, after stabilizing his position, had the same idea. He swiftly wheeled his horse southward and led his men in a charge. Facing the crisis, Shi Yanchao unleashed his ferocity completely, always charging at the forefront, fighting the Liao army in desperate combat. His saber, through countless furious slashes and clashes, had been worn into a sawtooth edge.

The battlefield in the valley gradually descended into chaos, and being a night battle, it became even more confused. The Han and Liao armies were intermingled, each side entangled with the other, locked in an endless tangle.

After Shi Yanchao had gone through three sabers and personally slain over thirty enemy soldiers, he finally snapped the "blade" that the Liao army had thrust through their middle. After a bitter half-hour of fighting, the thousand Liao troops blocking their path were scattered, fleeing in disarray down the narrow valley passage.

Shi Yanchao and Kang Zaiyu joined forces, but this did not improve their sandwiched predicament. The army was in chaos, morale had plummeted, casualties were severe, and the Liao army seized the opportunity to strengthen its encirclement and killing arrangements against the Han army. The Han army's perilous situation had not fundamentally improved.

They had the cover of darkness to thank, along with the Han army's desperate close-quarters fighting, which also imposed certain limits on the Liao army's operations. However, the initiative in the battle still remained firmly in the Liao army's hands, and the scales continued to tip against them.

Facing the dire situation, the Han army had few options available. After an urgent consultation, Shi Yanchao decided that Kang Zaiyu would hold the rear while he personally led the troops in a breakout southward, carving out a bloody path for his brothers-in-arms. Whatever else might be said, when it came to charging and killing, Shi Yanchao never disgraced his reputation.

However, the force tasked with intercepting them at the southern end of the valley was the Pishi Army at the Liao emperor's side. Shi Yanchao was undeniably brave—he launched five consecutive waves of charges, each achieving a breakthrough—but the encirclement was layered and dense. The Liao troops seemed inexhaustible, pouring in endlessly, stretching beyond the horizon.

The officers and men around him kept falling in the desperate struggle to break out, yet still no end was in sight. They could only cling to their will and keep charging southward without cease.

On the ridges, many Liao soldiers held torches aloft, their light adding a measure of visibility to the bloody battlefield below. Yelu Wuzhi stood on the high ground, observing the fierce battle and listening to the sounds of slaughter.

"These Han troops, though arrogant and reckless, are truly formidable in combat!" A voice of admiration sounded from behind.

Turning his head, he saw Yelu Jing approaching. Seeing this, he hurriedly bowed: "This place is perilous, and stray arrows have no eyes. Why has Your Majesty come here? Please return to the imperial tent at once!"

This was, of course, mere courtesy from Yelu Wuzhi—he knew full well that Yelu Jing would not listen. Sure enough, Yelu Jing waved his hand and pointed at the battle in the valley, saying: "I have always loved the hunt. Now that the prey is in the trap and my soldiers are giving chase, how could I not watch for a while!"

"The ambush has been going on for so long, yet the sounds of slaughter remain fierce. Is the Han army's will to resist truly this strong?" Yelu Jing said.

Yelu Wuzhi replied: "The Han army seeks to prevent our forces from returning home, so our soldiers fight valiantly to annihilate them. Likewise, as we surround and destroy them, they naturally resist with blood and fire to survive. Moreover, that Han general is extremely brave, and the Han troops are greatly inspired by him..."

"Who is this Han general?"

"By report, he is the Han army's great general, Shi Yanchao!" Yelu Wuzhi reported.

"In your estimation, how much longer before this Han force is completely annihilated?" Yelu Jing asked.

To this, Yelu Wuzhi could not give a precise answer, and instead replied off-topic: "The Han army's reckless pursuit gave us the opportunity to set this ambush. However, the time we had to prepare was ultimately insufficient, and the arrangements were not thorough enough. Otherwise, had we prepared more firewood and oil, a few volleys of fire arrows would have burned the Han army to ashes, and our soldiers would not have needed to fight them blade to blade..."

Hearing this, Yelu Jing pondered for a moment, then said: "Over the past half year and more, the Great Liao has already lost too many soldiers. Since the northward retreat began, we have been marching continuously and are quite exhausted. Every loss we can reduce is a measure of strength preserved."

Yelu Jing had already grown weary of this kind of life-for-life exchange with the Han army, and suddenly asked: "Can we persuade them to surrender?"

Yelu Wuzhi shook his head very bluntly: "Your servant has already tried. The Han army took the opportunity to reorganize and launch an attack!"

"The Han army numbers in the hundreds of thousands. If they are all this stubborn and tough, how can we defeat them!" Yelu Jing said.

Yelu Wuzhi then said: "That is impossible! These Han cavalry below are the elite of the Han army—a fierce general leading a crack force, which is why they fight with such power."

"Then annihilate them completely!" Yelu Jing suddenly said viciously: "Since the great war between Liao and Han began, we have yet to achieve a victory of completely wiping out a Han force. If we can slay them all, it will surely boost morale and strike down the Han army's arrogant spirit!"

Noting Yelu Jing's reaction, Yelu Wuzhi hesitated briefly before still speaking: "Your Majesty, this Han force dared to pursue our army with a mere few thousand men. Behind these pursuers, there may well be other pursuers. The Han army after all has a hundred thousand troops. The Great King of the Southern Division must also attend to the city defenses and may not be able to fully contain Fu Yanqing.

Your servant believes that safely returning north remains the top priority. The night is deep, the battle has raged long, and our soldiers are weary. The Han army may be at the end of its strength, but a cornered beast's fight will still inflict no small casualties on our forces."

"You mean to say—you want to voluntarily lift the siege?" Yelu Jing raised an eyebrow and glared at Yelu Wuzhi.

Yelu Wuzhi shook his head firmly: "With this kind of encirclement and slaughter, the Han army will eventually be cut down to the last man, but it will cost time and add casualties. Your servant suggests opening a gap and letting them break out, then having our army pursue and kill them from behind. This will both drain their will to fight to the death and allow us to inflict heavy casualties on them with ease, while also reducing the losses among the Great Liao's warriors...

After this ambush, the Han cavalry will have suffered a heavy blow, and their morale and fighting spirit will surely be damaged. They will no longer dare to pursue recklessly, and our army can return to the Supreme Capital more leisurely. This will also provide a measure of support to the situation at Yunzhong City!"

Hearing Yelu Wuzhi's explanation, Yelu Jing considered it briefly and then said: "Since that is the case, do as you propose!"

With that, he yawned, left a parting remark, and departed to return to the imperial tent to sleep. The Liao army had no intention of marching by night, so they had halted after entering the mountains, and the imperial tent was pitched in a low-lying area five li north of the valley ridge.

In the valley, under Shi Yanchao's leadership, the Han army launched wave after wave of charges. After fighting hard for so long, exhaustion had long since swept over their bodies. His eyes bloodshot and gleaming with a bloody light, with danger at his throat, Shi Yanchao seemed to have transformed into a savage beast that knew no fatigue, only slaughter. Wounded countless times, he still fought on without cease.

It was precisely because of Shi Yanchao's support that the Han army still had the courage and will to continue fighting. The Han troops were certainly elite, but in the end they were still flesh and blood. The power of spirit and will was indeed strong, but it was not unlimited.

As Yelu Wuzhi's order arrived, the Liao troops blocking the southern pass began to slowly ease their defensive rhythm and gradually open a gap. Shi Yanchao seized the opportunity, attacked ferociously, and successfully broke through.

To the north, upon learning that Shi Yanchao had finally opened a breach, Kang Zaiyu gathered his troops, turned direction, and followed the southern breakout. Things developed exactly as Yelu Wuzhi had predicted—once they retreated, it became a rout, and the Liao army followed behind, pursuing and killing with ease.

After advancing several li southward to the northern pass of the Great Wall, Shi Yanchao halted and ordered his men to regroup on the spot. After waiting a long while, Kang Zaiyu and the other routed soldiers finally caught up, and were immediately summoned to Shi Yanchao's side.

Shi Yanchao at this moment was covered in blood and filth, wounded in who knew how many places. His helmet was gone, his hair was disheveled, and an arrow had struck him in the face, bound simply with a strip of white cloth.

Pulling Kang Zaiyu close, Shi Yanchao said directly: "That I have led our soldiers into this peril is my fault! Now I am gravely wounded and have no face to return south. The Liao army let us break out because they wish to pursue and slaughter us—we must not let their scheme succeed. General, you may lead the soldiers southward with all speed and report the military situation. As for the pursuers behind, I will hold them off with my life!"

To be honest, facing this dire situation, Kang Zaiyu harbored full resentment toward Shi Yanchao. Yet at this moment, there was nothing more to complain about. From the look in Shi Yanchao's eyes, he saw final resolve. Understanding in his heart, he said nothing more and bowed with clasped hands.

"Bring the soldiers back!" Shi Yanchao reached out and gripped his hand firmly.

With that said, he turned his head and led the two hundred men he had gathered back north, charging to meet the Liao army that was still wantonly pursuing and slaughtering. In a magnificent act of self-sacrifice, Shi Yanchao held back the Liao army for nearly two ke, buying precious time for the retreat of the remaining Han troops.

Shi Yanchao slew more than ten more Liao soldiers before dying in battle, and even in death he did not fall. Around him stretched the vast ridges, behind him the winding Great Wall—paying with his own life and those of several thousand soldiers for his recklessness.

A pity, a lament, a tragedy, an admiration—and equally, a hatred!