Chapter 136: Five Passageways (Continued)

At the start of the hand-to-hand fighting beneath the city wall, the Song army naturally held the upper hand.

The narrow cross-section of the passageway effectively protected the Jin army from crossbow attacks, but it also severely hindered their deployment speed—not to mention Chen Gui's clever designs, which always managed to produce some simple yet practical effects.

For instance, a thin wall in front of the city gate, like a spirit screen, effectively concealed whether the gate was open or closed, preventing the Jin from observing its state at all. So at first, they were almost caught in a surprise attack, nearly getting trapped at the mouth of the passageway.

This wasn't the first time His Majesty Zhao Jiu had watched a battle up close from the city wall, so after just a few glances to confirm the situation, he narrowed his eyes and looked north. From this position, he could clearly see the command platform Jin Wushu had set up in the distance, and since Jin Wushu had drawn his men forward to observe the battle, Zhao Jiu could even faintly make out the dense cluster of Jin generals beneath the banner on their command platform.

Without anyone needing to point it out, Zhao Jiu immediately realized that the historical nemesis of this very body of his—and of Han Shizhong, Yue Fei, and others—that old acquaintance from the Huai River, Jin Wushu, should be right there.

"Your Majesty." No one knew how long had passed when, with most people's attention fixed below the wall, the Minister of War, Chen Gui, who had hurried back after overseeing the deployment to the west of the city, suddenly stepped forward and lowered his voice behind Zhao Jiu. "This is a good opportunity..."

Zhao Jiu hesitated visibly, but then shook his head firmly. "Not yet!"

Chen Gui immediately fell silent.

This cryptic exchange was clearly guarded, but aside from Academician Lin, almost no one noticed or paid attention, because the battle below was going well and progressing rapidly—Fu Qing had basically suppressed the Jin army and was beginning to use grappling hooks to tear at the passageway walls.

But the good times didn't last. As they spoke, the battle below gradually began to change... At some point, the soldiers pouring out of the passageway were no longer ordinary Jin troops, nor Zhang Yu's flimsy replacements, but fully armored elite Jin warriors, coming in groups!

Now, this type of armor was not unfamiliar to the Song army... because the Jin's ability to possess such excellent armor was directly linked to the craftsmen they had looted from Dongjingcheng. In fact, if you ignored the gourd-shaped helmets, the rest of the armor on these Jin soldiers was essentially the Song army's most traditional and proudest infantry armor!

The Imperial Guard units inside the city and the personal troops under the various commanders were wearing this very armor.

But precisely because they were familiar with and understood this armor, the Song army instinctively fell into panic. They knew well how formidable it was—thousands of lamellar plates, weighing at least fifty jin, sometimes as much as sixty jin, layered and overlapping, covering almost the entire body except for a few spots like the elbows, armpits, and ankles!

And anyone who could move freely in such armor was bound to be an elite, one in ten or even one in a hundred.

Relatively speaking, although Fu Qing's thousand troops had armor, it was only ordinary single-layer iron armor. They were also picked men, but it must be remembered that this Central Imperial Army had only enjoyed half a year of peace in Nanyang, having expanded only after taking Xiangyang. With units counted in the thousands, no matter how elite, how could they compare with the enemy?

Not to mention weapons. For this battle beneath the narrow city wall, to facilitate close combat, Fu Qing's men mostly carried swords and sabers... Against the enemy's lamellar armor, what were they supposed to do, sharpen them?

Thus, the battle below the wall reversed almost instantly, and the civil and military officials watching from the wall grew anxious.

Chen Gui dared not be negligent. He hastily sent men to the west and south to check on the battle there, then, after a moment's hesitation, addressed the still-calm His Majesty once more:

"Your Majesty... hand-to-hand combat is unfavorable. Why not let Commander Fu temporarily withdraw into the city?"

"What if the enemy takes the opportunity to pursue?" Hu Yin suddenly interjected before His Majesty could speak. "What if they seize our city gate in the process?"

"No matter. The city gate has its own defenses. If they pursue, a mere few hundred soldiers can be wiped out without issue." Chen Gui responded immediately, seemingly confident.

"And the passageway?" Hu Yin glanced at the complex defensive structures behind him, almost instinctively trusting the man, but pressed on.

"I just thought of it. When the passageway is flush against the wall, we can drop stones from the wall to temporarily seal its exit," Chen Gui answered at once. "Then we can add some battering poles overnight to strike the top of the passageway from the wall. At worst, we can use grappling hooks from the wall to pull the passageway apart... This is actually quite effective, because the grappling hooks, paired with the pulleys His Majesty had made earlier, have tremendous strength and can tear apart even the sturdiest passageway."

Hu Yin fell silent.

Now, with both Chancellors stationed at the temporary palace, Hu Yin, Chen Gui, and Lin Jingmo held the highest political status on the wall. With their exchange concluded and Academician Lin saying nothing, everyone naturally looked to His Majesty.

But His Majesty turned around and, instead of looking at the civil officials, fixed his gaze on Wang De. "Minister Wang, you seemed about to speak earlier?"

"Yes!" Wang De quickly responded. "Your Majesty said earlier that if Commander Fu's operations proved unfavorable, you would permit me to sally forth and rescue him. But since Vice Censor-in-Chief Hu and Minister Chen have good ideas, I dare not speak further."

"Can you handle those iron-armored soldiers below the wall?" Zhao Jiu asked seriously.

"Infantry armor, huh." Wang De, built like a bear, stole a glance at Hu Yin and answered rapidly. "Afraid of swords and sabers, but most afraid of hammers and long axes... My two hundred personal guards have no cavalry at all—they're all heavy infantry like me, wielding long axes! If Your Majesty permits me to sally forth, as long as I lead these two hundred long-axemen, not only can I bring Commander Fu back safely, but I can also sweep clean those passageways below the wall!"

Zhao Jiu's expression was unreadable. He nodded publicly. "Then I will watch from here as the General sweeps the area below the wall."

Wang De was overjoyed, and the surrounding military officers and soldiers were also greatly encouraged. But Chen Gui, Hu Yin, Lin Jingmo, and the civil officials on the wall exchanged glances and fell silent... Compared to these rough military men, these clever individuals keenly sensed His Majesty's unusual demeanor on the battlefield today.

Below the wall, Fu Qing was already somewhat panicked. The Jin heavy infantry had broken through the passageway mouth and regained control of its surroundings. But fortunately, His Majesty's decision came very quickly. About a quarter of an hour later (mostly due to the time it took Wang De's personal guards to don their armor), Wang De personally led two hundred heavy-armored, long-axe-wielding personal troops out of the city to reinforce.

And once Wang Yecha emerged from the city, the battle below the wall was easily reversed once again.

His Majesty Zhao Jiu could see clearly from the wall. The two groups of heavy infantry met, both sides almost charging forward to engage. Wang De took the lead, easily swinging his long-handled great axe. With one blow, he split the gourd-shaped helmet on a Jin officer's head. The helmet was of excellent quality and did not shatter, but the axe blade sank deep into it. Judging by his attire, he was a Jin officer of the Puliyan rank (deputy to a Mouke, commanding fifty men). Struck like this, he fell backward and lay still... As for the other long-axe heavy infantry, though not as valiant as their commander, when they swung their axes, even if the blade missed a vital spot, the weight of the axe head itself acted like a great hammer, easily incapacitating the enemy through their armor.

Suffice it to say, as Wang Yecha had claimed, against heavy infantry, the long-handled great axe was remarkably effective!

Conversely, these Jin heavy-armored warriors found themselves in the same awkward position as Fu Qing's men before them... because Wang De's personal guards on the opposite side were also heavily armored, but they lacked the armor-piercing weapons their opponents had.

This wasn't their fault—they were cavalry!

Once warhorses got up to speed, an ordinary spear combined with the horse's mass was itself the ultimate armor-piercing weapon... What else? Were they supposed to carry long-handled great axes into a charge? At most, they'd carry a fist-sized hammer and use the horse's momentum to smash enemy heavy infantry. Now, fighting dismounted and in close quarters, even if some had brought hammers, how could they swing them against the enemy's long-handled great axes?

In fact, the axe was so effective that His Majesty, watching from the wall, almost wanted to equip all his Imperial Guard with long-handled great axes.

And leaving aside His Majesty's idle fantasies, returning to the present, an opportunity had revealed itself. Fu Qing was no incompetent. He ordered his original hand-to-hand troops to spread out and assist Wang De's men in finishing off the trapped Jin heavy infantry, while urging his grappling-hook teams to quickly dismantle the passageways.

The Jin army was momentarily suppressed, forced to watch helplessly as the passageways were continuously torn apart and destroyed. From a distance, the five passageways shrank together like five tentacles rapidly retracting.

"Fourth Prince!" Han Chang, sharp-eyed, spoke up first. "The passageways are destroyed. The attack behind the Sheep-and-Horse Wall will surely be hindered... Should we withdraw?"

Jin Wushu turned his head and looked at him, his gaze icy.

Han Chang had no choice but to explain in a low voice: "I'm not saying we should stop the assault. I'm saying that since the passageways are ruined, it means the Song army must have found a way to counter the Iron Pagodas. The Iron Pagodas are hard to raise. Why not pull those five hundred men back first, then have Zhang Yu continue sending troops through the passageways to fight?"

"Not bad," Chizhan Hui also chimed in to persuade. "Fourth Prince, the Iron Pagodas are too precious. Since today is not working out, why let them suffer losses for nothing?"

"What you say makes sense." Jin Wushu looked thoughtfully at the dragon banner on the opposite city wall and nodded in agreement. "But if we want to preserve the Iron Pagodas, why must we withdraw them? Have you considered this? The Iron Pagodas are our army's most elite unit. If they withdraw in defeat, morale will surely suffer greatly!"

Han Chang, Chizhan Hui, and Balisu, who had remained silent, were all taken aback.

"You go." Wushu withdrew his gaze from the dragon banner, turned his head, and pointed at Han Chang, giving orders sternly. "Tell Zhang Yu to pull all his men back. Send your own regular troops out through all five passageways at once, advance in force, and pin them down below the wall while there are still plenty of Song soldiers there! Today, I want to see your men, Han Chang, fighting hand-to-hand with the Song army beneath the wall until dark! Then we will withdraw in full view, together with the Iron Pagodas!"

The meaning was clear: he no longer expected to use the passageways to take the city; they were merely a safe channel to transport troops into the area behind the Sheep-and-Mouth Wall.

Upon hearing this, Han Chang, the Han Chinese commander of ten thousand, who had seemed somewhat lazy and dismissive since arriving at Nanyang, suddenly became serious. He bowed in acknowledgment, then quickly donned his armor and left.

As for the other generals, the many Meng'an and Mouke commanders under Han Chang naturally followed, while the rest also became solemn, no longer chattering as before.

The battle continued. Zhang Yu was overjoyed at this order. From Li Dayin, who had just been promoted to Deputy Military Commander, to Zhou Bin, a newly promoted armored soldier who had been about to enter the passageway to reinforce, all felt as if they had received a great reprieve.

And so, with Han Chang's forces suddenly committing in force, Jin Wushu's method, though unexpected, proved highly effective... The Song army was clustered beneath the wall, making it impossible for the ranged weapons on the wall to be used. They could only watch the hand-to-hand combat below. Meanwhile, the arrival of elite Jin reinforcements quickly diluted the Iron Pagodas, making the earlier counter-effect of long axes against heavy armor less pronounced.

At the same time, as a steady stream of Jin main-force troops replaced Zhang Yu's conscripts and replacements, the dismantling of the passageways was forced to a halt at the Sheep-and-Horse Wall.

"Your Majesty!"

The evolution of the battle had exceeded everyone's expectations. Chen Gui instinctively sought His Majesty's orders.

"Activate the backup city gates, rotate troops out, and suppress them." Behind the parapet's protective shields, Zhao Jiu watched the commotion below with an expressionless face. As many had guessed, he made his decision without hesitation—and it was to commit more troops to fight to the end. "Liu Yan, go down, find Fu Qing, and escort him into the city... Once Yang Yizhong breaks the passageway in the west, have him return and wait to relieve Wang De. Only one commander-level general needs to remain outside the city to direct operations!"

Having said this, before anyone around him could speak, His Majesty paused and then continued coldly, "Jin Wushu only wants to show off his strength today, and I am determined to see it through. You need not say more!"

Chen Gui could only clasp his hands in resignation.

Immediately, a sudden change occurred on the northern wall of Nanyang City... Several sections of the wall were suddenly knocked open from the inside by the Song army themselves, revealing several hidden city gates.

Needless to say, this was also Chen Gui's design—one of the methods to dispatch troops and launch a surprise attack outside the city when necessary, and also one of the means to secretly send the Imperial Lord out when needed. But now, it had been forced into premature exposure by the Imperial Lord himself.

Moreover, Chen Gui had appeared extremely passive today, but this was not because Minister Chen was incompetent, nor because he lacked decisiveness. Rather, it was because this battle had deviated from Chen Gui's defensive philosophy from the very start.

Chen Gui had painstakingly designed and constructed a Nanyang city defense system, from the inner and outer double moats of the sheep-and-horse wall, to the thoroughly new-style design on the city wall, to various other measures—essentially an approach that followed the characteristics of artillery warfare, then used the depth of the city's defenses to inflict maximum casualties and exhaust the enemy.

This approach actually coincided with the Imperial Lord's own thinking.

However, before entering the artillery phase, it must be said that Minister Chen's general strategy was still somewhat conservative.

And this battle today? In truth, it had deviated and slipped out of Chen Gui's control from the very beginning.

The ones who caused all this were none other than the Imperial Lord himself and that Fourth Prince of the Jin Kingdom, Jin Wushu, across the way. These two supreme commanders of their respective armies, leveraging the novel invention of the covered passageways, had been personally micro-managing and escalating the engagement with an almost tacit mutual understanding, and each of their decisions was exceptionally swift.

Rather than saying they were countering each other's moves, it was more like they were displaying their resolve to one another.

Under such circumstances, what could the subordinates do, no matter how rational they were?

Had you not seen that even Du Yuming deliberately turned off his radio, yet still could not escape the supreme commander's guidance—let alone Minister Chen and Commander Han, who were right before the supreme commander?

Returning to the present, with the Imperial Lord's micro-managed orders, the fighting beneath the city wall and behind the inner moat quickly entered a new phase.

At this point, the Jin Army's escalation had already reached its limit, because they were constrained by the rate of troop deployment from the passageway exits. The Song Army, originally slightly inferior in combat power, especially after the long-range bombardment from the city walls was passively halted, appeared somewhat weakened. But fortunately, they still had multiple city gates available, allowing them to flexibly dispatch large numbers of troops from the gates for rotation and engagement.

Thus, the fighting below the city soon descended into a frenzied and seemingly meaningless war of attrition.

But neither the Imperial Lord on the city wall nor Jin Wushu, several hundred paces away, showed any sign of wavering.

In fact, this battle lasted until sunset, and both sides had even made preparations for night combat!

It was only when the Song Army soldiers suddenly noticed that the wet felt cloth on the covered passageways had long since dried out, and then immediately shot fire arrows loaded with gunpowder toward the passageways above... As the five passageways lit up the night sky like five torches, and wound their way through the dusk like five fiery dragons, did the day's slaughter finally come to an end.