Chapter 139: Attacking the Heart

The Song army's catapults had shown their might in that one battle, bringing joy inside the city and sorrow outside.

Over the next two days, while the Song army did as they pleased inside the city, the Jin army made no move at all; even Zhang Yu did not come out for his routine assault.

There was no help for it. After this battle, the Jin army faced a major headache just from the on-the-spot personnel adjustments, let alone the fact that with the battle situation as it was, the entire Jin force had to make a new decision.

The twelfth month was approaching. On this day, the weather turned overcast, a cold wind began to blow, and the only two remaining Wanhu of the Jin army gathered in the rear tent of Wanyan Wushu to discuss major matters.

"Fourth Prince, how about we withdraw the troops!"

After the three men sat down cross-legged, following a tense silence, Balisu suddenly spoke up on his own.

"Since the Ancestor raised the army, I have never heard of withdrawing troops just because a few generals died!" Unexpectedly, the unshaven, listless Wanyan Wushu did not fly into a rage, because he had likely long anticipated that Balisu would raise this issue.

"This general is not talking about that volley of mud balls on the platform the day before yesterday!" Balisu, whose broken bone had not yet healed and whose arm still hung limp, replied calmly. "We spent half a month on and off that platform, and the men on the city wall endured for that same half a month, plotting and waiting for that one strike. It was almost like an assassination—effective, but not a military tactic... It can work once, but not twice, and it doesn't affect the overall situation... I've thought it over these past few days. The key lies in the advantage of the Song army's catapults!"

Wanyan Wushu fell silent at once... It had been several days now. If Balisu could figure it out, how could he not?

Wanyan Wushu said nothing, Han Chang sat there drinking warmed wine on his own, and Balisu continued speaking slowly:

"Actually, I've seen clearly in the army. Since the Fourth Prince came south, there has been no real mistake. Not only that, but the earlier ambush of Han Shizhong was outstanding; even with the siege of Nanyang lasting over half a month and reaching this point, one cannot say there have been any major missteps... But now, it's not that the Fourth Prince's command was improper, nor that the troops didn't fight bravely—even Zhang Yu can be said to have done his utmost—but Nanyang city is truly well-defended! Ordinary siege equipment and unusual equipment alike have all been used up over the half month, yet we haven't even crossed the first city wall..."

"The first city wall?" Wanyan Wushu suddenly frowned, interrupting him.

"Exactly!" Balisu replied seriously. "Although we haven't mounted the wall, after this half month, the defensive pattern of Nanyang city is clear beyond doubt. If there weren't a third moat and a second city wall inside, I would find it hard to believe! And further in, the urban areas have long been divided and fortified into bastions and stockades—that's not out of the question either!"

Wanyan Wushu remained silent, clearly unable to refute him.

"However, these are minor matters," Balisu continued. "Since our dynasty raised its army, we have fought many battles with Liao, Song, and Xixia. According to what they say, over the past hundred years, many fierce and warlike tribes have risen abruptly, but the only ones able to swallow the Great Liao and topple the Great Song are we Jurchens alone... Why is that? In the end, as Loushi and my elder brother once discussed, it comes down to our Jurchens being unmatched in field cavalry; when we besiege a city, we can also set up catapults to break the walls—nothing is indestructible! Catapults are no less important to our army than cavalry! The defeat the day before yesterday was not about losing a Wanhu or a few Meng'an; it was that our catapults had no means of fighting back. In less than a day, the hundreds of catapults we had painstakingly built over half a month were all reduced to powder! Fourth Prince, without catapults, how exactly do you plan to take Nanyang?"

Wanyan Wushu still had no answer... How would he know how to fight without catapults? In fact, it was precisely because he didn't know that he had called this formal military council!

"Fourth Prince!" Balisu wanted to speak further. "This general..."

"Balisu!" Just then, Han Chang, who had been drinking with his head down, suddenly spoke sternly. "According to what you say, the Great Song can never be conquered from now on? And if you say catapults are useless, I recall that your Western Route Army didn't gain any advantage with catapults at Taiyuan either. How was Taiyuan finally taken in the end? What method was used?"

"Taiyuan is different from Nanyang!" Balisu immediately retorted.

"Of course it's different!" Han Chang replied coldly. "When we first arrived at Nanyang, it was General Balisu himself who said that Nanyang could not compare to Taiyuan's grandeur! How hard the Battle of Taiyuan was... Since such a magnificent Taiyuan could be taken back then, why can't we take a mere Nanyang today?!"

"General Han, don't be petulant!" Balisu was also getting angry.

"This isn't petulance. Since it's just the three of us today, I want to speak from the heart!" Han Chang said seriously. "In this campaign against Nanyang, so many high-ranking generals have died, so many troops have been wasted coming from afar, and after half a month of hard work, we lose our nerve in a single day and retreat... When the time comes, General Balisu, you can return to Taiyuan and claim you were merely reinforcements, that this matter has nothing to do with you, and that it was someone else's incompetence that cost you your nephew! But for someone like me, who has no backing, returning to Yanjing, what am I to do? Will I ever have the face to lead troops again?! And how will the Fourth Prince explain this to the Third Prince? Won't your Grand Marshal use this opportunity to pressure the Fourth Prince?!"

These words almost laid bare the factional opposition between the Eastern and Western Route Armies, stopping just short of accusing Balisu to his face of having no right to speak in the Eastern Route Army!

How could Balisu not be furious?

However, when Balisu glared at Han Chang, the latter showed no fear.

Although both were Wanhu, Han Chang was after all the descendant of a surrendered general (he had followed his father in surrendering to the Jurchens), while Balisu was a distant imperial clansman by birth, pure and proper, with a politically savvy and capable elder brother as his backing. Their implicit statuses were vastly different.

But Han Chang was, after all, Wanyan Wushu's confidant. Even before this Fourth Prince had risen to power, the two young men had had dealings. Later, when Wanyan Wushu came out to lead troops independently, Han Chang's father happened to die, allowing Han Chang to take command and become a Wanhu, forming a subordinate relationship between them... And in the end, regardless of the traditions of Jurchen military councils, the one who held sway in this tent was still the Fourth Prince, Wanyan Wushu!

"After the catapult battle at Taiyuan failed, how was it taken?" Wanyan Wushu suddenly spoke, asking Balisu a question to which he already knew the answer.

"By blockading the city!" Balisu, knowing full well that his proposal to withdraw had been rejected, and still smarting from Han Chang's provocation, felt a tightness in his chest but could only answer.

"How was the city blockaded?" Wushu pressed on seriously.

"We built another city outside, blockading Taiyuan on all four sides. Then, once the overall situation was settled and the city had run out of supplies and food, we concentrated our main forces and took the city..." At this point, Balisu couldn't help but support his injured arm, lowering his voice to reply with difficulty. "Fourth Prince, the method of blockading Taiyuan truly cannot be used on Nanyang!"

"Why?" Wanyan Wushu raised an eyebrow.

"At Taiyuan, although we lost the catapult battle, it wasn't to the extent we have today. By the time we blockaded the city, the catapults inside had also run out of stone ammunition, which is why we could build the city at leisure!" Balisu continued in a low voice. "But now, Nanyang's catapults are sharp. How can we blockade the city under their fire?"

"We can build the city outside the catapults' range!" Han Chang interjected abruptly.

"How massive an undertaking would that be?" Balisu found it increasingly absurd.

"It doesn't have to be a complete blockade," Han Chang replied calmly. "Just build some sturdy stockade walls to create the appearance of a long-term siege!"

"So this means a prolonged siege?" Balisu suddenly realized, then looked at Wanyan Wushu, because he guessed this was likely the Fourth Prince's intention, with Han Chang merely voicing it... And today's military council was also meant to pressure him into submission.

"What does General Balisu think?" Wanyan Wushu didn't say much; it was still Han Chang who pressed the question. "A prolonged siege, wearing down the city until it's exhausted, and then when Marshal Talan arrives with his troops, we can naturally break the city!"

"I think it's unfeasible!" Balisu answered bluntly.

"Why?" Han Chang continued. "Back then, Taiyuan was also besieged for over half a year."

"Nanyang is truly different from Taiyuan," Balisu said with a sigh, but still facing Wanyan Wushu, speaking earnestly. "Fourth Prince, please think carefully... First, there are the supplies inside the city. When Taiyuan was suddenly besieged, by the time the city fell, people were almost eating each other. Nanyang, as the Song's secondary capital, will certainly not lack food and military supplies. Second, there is the climate. Nanyang is different from Taiyuan; this place is almost at the Han River. The river only froze in the middle of this month. The area is damp and hot. If the siege drags on and the weather turns hot next year, the soldiers will inevitably suffer. Third, there is a Song emperor inside the city. With him there, morale will certainly be high! With these three factors, plus the city's powerful catapults preventing us from setting up our own, even if Marshal Talan gathers his troops and comes, how can we break the city?"

Wanyan Wushu was momentarily shaken.

"Nanyang is indeed hard to take, but if this city can be broken, it will likely hinge on this Song emperor!" Han Chang lowered his head in thought for a moment, then spoke startlingly, causing even Wanyan Wushu to frown.

Han Chang did not hesitate and laid out his entire plan:

"Please, Fourth Prince, think about it. Taiyuan was taken largely because all the relief forces were lost, causing despair inside the city. Now, with the Song emperor sitting in Nanyang, as time passes, the loyalist troops from all over will certainly not hesitate; they will come to Nanyang one after another. At that time, if we defeat the relief forces one by one outside the city, we can gradually shake the morale inside, can we not?!"

Wanyan Wushu felt as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun, while Balisu was momentarily choked into silence.

"As for blockading the city, I just thought about it as well. As General Balisu said, Nanyang and Taiyuan are completely different, so we shouldn't blindly copy the method but instead do the opposite," Han Chang continued. "We only need to build stockades to the north and west of the city, ensuring we have grazing land for the horses and an uninterrupted supply line. The east side can be left as a feint, and the south side can be completely opened up... Since General Chizhan Hui has passed away, we won't appoint a new Wanhu; his troops can be directly placed under the Fourth Prince's command in the north."

"I understand the tactic of 'besieging three sides and leaving one open,' but why completely open one side?" Balisu, after a long pause, couldn't help but ask out of curiosity. "Wouldn't that restore communication between the inside and outside of the city?"

"If we don't restore communication between Nanyang and the outside, it will be useless!" Han Chang replied with a cold smile. "If we want to use the 'besiege three, leave one open' tactic to lure or force the Song emperor out of Nanyang, not to mention how we will later annihilate the loyalist troops, for now, we need to let the city know the bad news from all sides, don't we? Otherwise, wouldn't he just sit tight and secure?"

"This is a strategy to attack the heart," Wanyan Wushu finally spoke, stroking the short knife in his bosom as he made up his mind. "Balisu, you can't say this plan isn't worth a try, can you?"

Wanyan Balisu thought it over repeatedly but could not refute it.