Chapter 287

A blood-red morning sun rose from the distant horizon.

The ice-cold air permeating the boundless wilderness did not diminish by half because of this.

The garrison at Yafu Pass had almost not slept all night.

Because last night, the last scout team that had been late to return rushed to the city wall and brought the news of the Jurchen army's invasion.

The entire Yafu Pass was in a state of high alert, everyone sleeping with their weapons, sharpening their swords and spears, just waiting for the enemy.

With the morning sun's light covering the entire wilderness, the soldiers on watch on the city tower finally discovered the abnormality at the end of the earth.

The desolate and sobbing sound of the horn rang out, carrying endless urgency and solemnity, startling all the soldiers and civilians of Yafu Pass.

A black line appeared on the distant horizon, spreading rapidly forward with an arrogant momentum, kicking up dust that filled the sky.

The sound of hooves was like thunder, and the sound of killing shook the sky, resounding through heaven and earth!

Countless Great Zhou soldiers in full armor surged onto the city wall, stood in their positions, drew their bows and arrows, and waited with strings drawn.

After all, the Great Zhou's thousand-man musketeer team was very sharp, and the Jurchens had fought against the Zhou army several times, suffering many casualties under the concentrated fire of muskets.

On the city wall, Liang Chengzong, the Military Governor of Liaodong, was in full armor, looking at the Jurchen army in the distance that obscured his vision, roughly estimating there were six or seven thousand of them.

Soon, five hundred elite cavalry rushed out from the Jurchen army, galloping wildly toward Yafu Pass to launch a charge.

And the Yafu Pass garrison was less than three thousand, and the reinforcements would take half a day to arrive...

Among the leaders of the Three Guards, Dong Shan had the most talent for commanding troops and was brave and skilled in battle; those he could regard as elites were naturally not ordinary troops.

For the various Jurchen tribes with only ten Battalion Commander, this was almost coming out in full force, and more than half of them were cavalry, which made people's scalps tingle.

If they had to fight hastily based on the enemy situation report sent by the scouts half an hour ago, the consequences would be unimaginable.

These five hundred vanguard cavalry were the elites under Dong Shan.

At Li Manzhu's suggestion, they first sent out vanguard cavalry to probe the reality.

Since Jia Cong arrived in Liaodong, starting from the strategy he proposed of withdrawing military forts and adopting a 'scorched earth' policy, everything he did made Liang Chengzong feel surprised.

This young man was only fourteen years old and already enjoyed a great reputation; it was by no means a fluke, but truly possessed astonishing, heaven-sent talent.

Liang Chengzong thought of the various arrangements Jia Cong made for the use of firearms before he left, and the meticulous, detailed, and ingenious methods made people admire him.

It gave Yafu Pass sufficient time to prepare for battle, and even allowed for the advance mobilization of reserve troops.

He said to the messenger beside him: "Watch the markers set up by Supervisor Jia in advance. When the Jurchens enter the designated position, immediately issue the order, and there must be no mistakes!"

This made Liang Chengzong have to give full attention to the various plans he proposed before leaving.

Before Jia Cong set off last night, he had already explained in detail the key points of artillery suppression to him, and left Guo Zhigui to be his assistant.

Dong Shan, Li Manzhu, Fan Ercha, and others led the Jurchen troops and stopped their charge half a mile away from Yafu Pass.

Now Liang Chengzong deeply realized the important role Jia Cong played; he had transmitted the enemy situation of the Jurchen invasion a full day and a half in advance.

Madelun, the instructor for the Frankish cannons, had long since ordered the artillery soldiers to load gunpowder into twenty-four sub-cannons.

When the five hundred Jurchen vanguard cavalry rushed to four hundred paces from the city wall, they reined in their horses.

According to the experience of fighting against the Zhou army in the past, the Zhou army would always line up a musketeer formation a hundred paces under the city wall.

And the effective range of muskets was within two hundred paces, so they stopped their horses at this distance to prevent a sudden concentrated fire from the muskets.

It was just that when they approached the city gate, they didn't find the thousand-man musketeer team they feared, and the entire city gate was empty.

Even the city wall didn't shoot a rain of arrows at them, which seemed somewhat strange.

Just when these five hundred Jurchen elite cavalry were somewhat hesitant, they suddenly saw the Yafu Pass city gate wide open, and countless cavalry with bright blades and spears swarmed out, launching a charge directly at them!

This sudden change startled the Jurchen generals leading the team, and a sense of powerlessness involuntarily arose in their hearts.

Now they were stopping their horses, while the other side suddenly launched a charge. After a charge of several hundred paces, the horse's momentum would be several times stronger than theirs.

Even if they spurred their horses now, they were already in a clearly weak position.

In cavalry charge fighting, the side that accumulates the advantage of the horse's momentum can control the life and death of the opponent's cavalry!

The Jurchen general leading the team was terrified; he didn't expect the Zhou army to be so cunning. Engaging in battle suddenly, they relied on this method to occupy the advantage.

However, he had nowhere to retreat now, so he gritted his teeth and led the army to charge and meet the enemy.

The two cavalry forces collided fiercely at a place less than three hundred paces from the city gate.

It was just that the Zhou army suddenly killed out from the city gate, and after a charge of more than two hundred paces, the horse power had reached its peak.

While the five hundred Jurchen cavalry were caught off guard, charging hastily, and hadn't even run a hundred paces before colliding with the Zhou cavalry.

The Great Zhou cavalry, with strong horse momentum and murderous spirit, were like hot blades, fiercely stabbing into the sluggish Jurchen cavalry, occupying an absolute upper hand from the beginning of the battle.

And the cavalry rushing out from the city gate was continuous, with no less than a thousand riders, more than twice the five hundred Jurchen cavalry.

The leader of the Zhou cavalry was Liu Yongzheng, the Commandant of Yafu Pass.

At this moment, he was galloping wildly, his long blade held horizontally, relying on the huge momentum of the horse's charge to easily slice open the chest and abdomen of a Jurchen cavalryman facing him.

Turning around, he killed another Jurchen cavalryman; in just a moment, he killed three people in a row, his whole body stained red with blood.

Although these five hundred Jurchen elite cavalry were elites under Dong Shan, the Great Zhou border army were also battle-hardened soldiers, and their combat power could not be underestimated.

Not only was the number twice that of the five hundred Jurchen thieves, but they also occupied the initiative of the charge, and the leading general Liu Yongzheng was even a brave general!

Therefore, as soon as the two armies clashed, the outcome was already revealed.

In battlefield fighting, victory or defeat is determined by the initiative; in just a moment, the five hundred Jurchen elite cavalry suffered over a hundred casualties in the chaotic fighting.

Many Jurchen cavalry had already circled their horses and turned back, fleeing toward the direction of the Jurchen large group.

And Liu Yongzheng, stained red with blood, reined in his horse to watch, waiting until the Jurchen remnants ran fifty paces before leading over a thousand cavalry to pursue them.

Behind a low mountain ridge on the left side of Yafu Pass, a thousand musketeers were hidden, along with a large amount of gunpowder and porcelain mines, led by Commander Wei Yongzhou.

In addition, there were two small catapults dismantled from the city tower, which could throw the farthest five hundred paces.

Jia Cong and Through Ai Li were lying in the withered grass at the end of the mountain ridge, looking down at the mountain ridge, where the Great Zhou cavalry was closely pursuing the retreating hundreds of Jurchen cavalry, constantly approaching the direction of the Jurchen large group.

And Liu Yongzheng, who was rushing at the very front of the Zhou cavalry team, was stained red with blood, galloping wildly, his whole body filled with an indomitable murderous spirit.

Jia Cong sighed: "I didn't expect General Liu to be such a brave general!"

Through Ai Li beside him said: "What's strange about that? Otherwise, how could he be the Commandant and main official of a pass."

"Through Ai Li, actually I only hired you as a bodyguard; you don't have to take risks with me."

Through Ai Li seemed to think of something, her face flushed slightly: "Actually, I asked for two taels of gold out of anger. The market rate is one tael of gold. I am the most fair person when doing business.

Since you paid double the gold, I naturally have to do the bodyguard job properly."

Jia Cong smiled: "I like dealing with fair people. After the Liaodong matter is over, I can take you and your mother back to the south, and I can also help you find a job.

Let you live a good life, without having to earn gold on the edge of a blade."

Through Ai Li's pretty face showed surprise: "Are you really willing to take me back to the south, and help me find a job where I don't have to play with blades to earn gold? That would be great.

My mother doesn't like me playing with blades every day. I've found a good employer—hmm, I must be even more dedicated as your bodyguard and not let you have any accidents..."

Dong Shan and the others sent vanguard cavalry to scout, but didn't hear the terrifying sound of muskets as in the past; it seemed the Zhou army didn't use the musketeer formation this time.

But before long, they saw the Jurchen elite cavalry they sent out fleeing for their lives, with over a thousand Great Zhou cavalry closely following and killing them.

Dong Shan's face became extremely ugly.

Fan Ercha beside him sneered: "Dong Shan, didn't you say your vanguard cavalry were the bravest warriors of the Jurchens? I didn't expect them to be such a bunch of trash.

They went out for the time it takes to pee, and were killed and fled everywhere. Haha."

Fan Ercha and Dong Shan had been fighting openly and secretly for more than ten years, and the rift between them was already deep; naturally, he wouldn't let go of the opportunity to mock and ridicule him.

Fan Ercha was bloodthirsty and murderous, coldly saying: "These Zhou people are simply tired of living, daring to charge my Jurchen large group with a thousand cavalry. Dong Shan, your people are no good; let me do it.

My Fan Ercha's warriors won't let go of this meat delivered to their mouths!"

As he spoke, the golden saber in his hand waved, and the Right Guard cavalry, who were ready to go, poured out one after another, launching a charge toward the oncoming Great Zhou cavalry!

(End of chapter)