Chapter 310: Unified

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Juyong Pass is only a hundred miles from Yanjing City; at light cavalry speed, it takes just over two hours to reach Juyong Pass from Yanjing City, and even regular infantry can make the journey in one to two days.

Yet the Western Auxiliary Army took nearly three days to cover this distance.

This was not because the Western Auxiliary Army was delaying—it was because they were coordinating with the Western Army on the other side of Juyong Pass about a joint assault.

Yes.

Juyong Pass must be taken.

The moment Xu Huiyan received the imperial edict issued by Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese, he personally led a light cavalry unit carrying the territorial envoy, Prince Xiao Bodi, and Han official Cao Yongyi, to negotiate the surrender of Juyong Pass's garrison.

But the garrison commander, Xiao Hugu, was a close minister of Yelu Yanxi; as the Liao dynasty neared collapse, he had remained by Yelu Yanxi's side through constant flight and escape, helping plan resistance against the Jurchens, and later suffered injuries during a breakout. When Yelu Yanxi reached Yanjing, he specifically left Xiao Hugu with three thousand elite troops to guard Juyong Pass—a crucial, well-connected stronghold—so he could be swiftly rescued if needed.

Xiao Hugu knew Yelu Yanxi had abdicated in favor of Yelu Ao, but he believed Yelu Yanxi had been forced to do so, and that Yelu Ao was merely a puppet of the Zhao Song dynasty; he insisted either that troops be sent south to force the Zhao Song dynasty to return Yelu Yanxi to Liao, or that Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese be expelled and power restored to Yelu Ao—in short, he adamantly refused to let the Zhao Song dynasty dictate Liao's fate.

In Xiao Hugu's view, he could not trust the Zhao Song dynasty; after all, the enmity between the two dynasties ran deep—Zhao Song merely avoiding opportunistic plunder was already a mercy; how could they possibly aid Liao's restoration? Liao's revival must come from within.

When Xiao Bodi and Cao Yongyi ordered him to hand Juyong Pass over to the Song army, Xiao Hugu not only refused to obey the imperial edict—he detained Xiao Bodi and Cao Yongyi, and sent word to Yelu Chun and others: "If you are loyal ministers of Great Liao, you must march with me to drive out the Song troops, then head north to resist the Jurchens and reclaim every inch of our Liao territory—not aid the tyrant and ally with our enemies to surrender our nation's lands."

Faced with this situation, Xu Huiyan could only send messengers to Jinpo Pass to consult with Tong Guan; three days later, both sides would launch a pincer attack on Juyong Pass.

Three days later.

The Western Army's general Yao Gu and the Western Auxiliary Army's general Huo Anguo attacked Juyong Pass simultaneously.

As dawn crept over Juyong Pass's battlements, rolling logs and stone projectiles rained down like a storm.

Yao Gu's vanguard had barely reached a hundred paces from the pass when the front-line soldiers were crushed into pulp beneath a grinding-stone-sized boulder. The Liao archers on the battlements were nailed behind the parapets, their arrows so dense they blocked the morning light—any Song soldier who dared show his head was certain to die.

Huo Anguo's side was even harder. The western mountain path the Western Auxiliary Army attacked was already steep, and the Liao troops had carved hidden channels halfway up the slope, through which scalding oil and molten metal mixed with sparks poured down the stone steps. Song soldiers climbed over their comrades' corpses; the moment they touched the oil or metal, they were burned alive, screaming and scrambling away, then tumbling into the deep ravines beside the path—their cries swallowed whole by the wind.

At noon, arrow slits on the pass tower suddenly launched flaming arrows, igniting the Song siege ladders erected below. Flames raced up the pine wood ladders; the soldiers at the very top became human torches, screaming as they slashed at the battlements—only to be pierced through the chest by long spears from above, their corpses hanging from the ladders, crackling like kindling, becoming living targets.

The Western Auxiliary Army attempted to scale the cliffs behind the pass, but the cliff face had already been drilled with countless stone holes, each filled with sharp iron spikes. The first soldier to reach halfway tried to grip for leverage—his palm was pierced through. He screamed, lost his grip, and fell, striking a protruding rock; the sound of shattering bones echoed through the valley.

As the sun dipped westward, the pile of corpses before the pass had nearly reached the height of the gate. Yao Gu had no choice but to change tactics, ordering catapults to bombard the gate—but the massive stones struck the iron-reinforced doors, leaving only faint white scratches.

Xiao Hugu himself beat the war drums atop the tower; the Liao soldiers' battle cries mingled with the thunder of falling logs, making the earth beneath tremble.

Huo Anguo's deputy was struck through the throat by a stray arrow; he clutched his neck, trying to speak, but blood frothed from between his fingers.

Huo Anguo wiped blood from his face and spotted a gentle slope formed by piled corpses beside the mountain path—pathways carved by soldiers' lives. He bit his teeth to shards, seized a shattered shield, and roared as he led the charge upward.

Night had deepened; Juyong Pass's tower, bathed in the dying sun, resembled a bleeding beast, while the Song troops below still hurled their bodies against its fangs.

Zhao Di finally witnessed the cruelty of war—and his own bloodlust was ignited. He stepped to He Guan's side and volunteered: "Commander, let me deploy the Divine Mechanism Camp—I'll shatter this pass with cannons."

In truth, He Guan also wished to deploy Li Lin's cannons.

But Zhao Yu had ordered: under no circumstances should this ultimate weapon be revealed unless absolutely necessary.

So He Guan had hesitated.

Now that Zhao Di had volunteered, He Guan had both an excuse and a scapegoat—but as a former retainer of Zhao Yu, he had to consider Zhao Yu's son's welfare. So he told Zhao Di: "We've only attacked for one day—what's the urgency? A general must remain calm and steady, never rash. Mercy does not command armies; Your Highness must not show womanly compassion."

In He Guan's view, though Juyong Pass was formidable, it would fall under Song pincer assault—it was merely a matter of time, and Li Lin's cannons need not be used.

Night fell, yet neither the Western Army nor the Western Auxiliary Army ceased their assault on Juyong Pass.

Under cover of darkness, the Liao archers lost the precision they had during daylight.

But darkness also obscured the Song troops' vision, making climbing and charging far more difficult.

In this darkness, both armies waged an endless, bloody stalemate around Juyong Pass.

By dawn, the Western Auxiliary Army alone had suffered nearly a thousand casualties.

Zhao Di could bear it no longer. He ordered Li Lin's cannons placed at the pre-selected assault positions, and sent Hu Quan to notify He Guan: he was preparing to fire, and the other Song troops must coordinate.

Without waiting for He Guan to send men to stop him, Zhao Di, having timed it precisely, gave the order to fire.

Ten red-cannon artillery pieces stood in a line before Juyong Pass; their blasts erupted simultaneously, shaking loose stones from the pass walls.

The first shell screamed as it struck the left parapet of the stone gate; stone chips flew like rain, several grinding-stone-sized bricks violently torn away, revealing the gray-brown rammed earth beneath.

The remaining shells arrived in a storm; Liao soldiers atop the tower were swept away like chaff, screaming as they tumbled from the parapets. The crisp crack of shattered bricks mingled with cannon roars, echoing repeatedly through the valley.

The second salvo landed precisely among the Liao troops; under the ferocious barrage of Li Lin's cannons, Liao soldiers were torn apart, corpses piling like mountains, casualties catastrophic.

The third salvo continued hammering the Liao defenders, driving them into panic. One shell happened to land in a cauldron of oil; flaming oil splashed everywhere, instantly igniting a rain of fire that set Juyong Pass ablaze.

At that moment, the mountain wall of Juyong Pass suddenly collapsed, burying many Liao soldiers—including its commander, Xiao Hugu.

Seeing this, both Yao Gu and Huo Anguo immediately ordered a full-scale assault on Juyong Pass.

In a single battle, they seized the vital Juyong Pass.