[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-237":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Shao Song",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1558403,2024,"Chapter 237: Mountains and Waters","shao-song-chapter-237",237,"\u003Cp>Without needing a foreign treatise like \"On War\" from centuries later to explain it, anyone with common sense knows that strategic decisions are generally settled by the gain or loss of key positions and strategic battles, and the priority of strategic battles far outweighs that of positions... Lose ground but preserve men, and both men and ground are lost; preserve men but lose ground, and both men and ground are preserved. This principle is beyond doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the military commanders of the Western Army and the Imperial Guard Central Army, though not every one of them could articulate the reasoning in detail, as seasoned officers, who among them didn't understand this logic in their hearts? Everyone knew that once the entire army abandoned the city's defensive perimeter and began advancing forward, actively seeking a decisive battle, it truly meant that one battle would determine the fate of heaven and earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, after the day's business was done, when Zhao Jiu vacated the central army command tent for Wu Jie and withdrew to the rear camp to rest, officers came in an endless stream seeking private audiences, and even those who didn't come had Yang Yizhong deliver memorials on their behalf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu was also straightforward, directly summoning the officers who sought audiences or submitted memorials one by one for individual meetings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among these people, some came to advise His Majesty not to take personal risks, some to urge His Majesty to change course, and likewise some simply to express their resolve... But at this critical moment, regardless of who or what their intent, as the Emperor, Zhao Jiu had to do his utmost to unite and encourage them, to focus their minds on the decisive battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no help for it; he was no Li Shimin, and could hardly be expected to excel in warfare, but this was one of the few ways he could fulfill the role of a Son of Heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, the exchanges lasted late into the night, until almost every commander of the Imperial Guard Central Army had come once, before they finally stopped. The next morning, according to Wu Jie's orders, the Imperial Guard officers each returned to lead their troops, and the Western Three Route Army at Jingyao officially began to move north in full force, attempting to press toward Baishui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first day was nothing much to speak of. Wu Jie signed the military orders, and the army immediately set out northward, but it could not be called a full decampment, because this camp at Jingyao Town would continue to be used by Zhang Jun, forty li away, who would simultaneously move the logistics hub forward to this location. The troops only marched twenty li, then set up camp again at a parallel position ten li west of Pucheng, calmly waiting for the Imperial Guard Central Army units from the surrounding cities to assemble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After waiting another two days, when the entire army had gathered and marched north again, the atmosphere changed completely, because from this day onward, the Song army would lose the cover of the cities on its left and right flanks, exposing its main force in the open wilderness, and also within striking range of the Jin cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, as the various Imperial Guard Central Army units from the surrounding cities assembled into one, the force became chaotic and vast... to put it another way, bloated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In response, Wu Jie took personal command, spending most of the day from dawn to reorganize the troops into a unified formation. He abandoned the single-line snake formation, instead placing the Imperial Guard Army under Wang De and others in the front ranks, the Eight-Character Army behind them in the center, the Western Three Route Army splitting Xihe Route and Lizhou Route to the left and right, the Qinfeng Route Army with the civilian laborers and baggage in the center, and finally the two Beiwei Army units and the Imperial Guard directly under Zhao Jiu's command bringing up the rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, this newly appointed Grand Commandant Wu also ordered that within each unit, during the march, spearmen must be arrayed in front, crossbowmen in the rear, and each unit's baggage carts placed on the left and right for readiness, and further required that each unit's cavalry be concentrated on the right flank to assist the cavalry-deficient Lizhou Route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a typical marching formation to guard against cavalry raids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to be honest, before this, no one thought that an army of eighty to ninety thousand could, under unified command, produce such a unified marching sequence... especially the last point—dispatching one's own most precious cavalry to be used by Liu Qi of Lizhou Route as flank protection. For the Song army of the past, this was simply a fantasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, thanks to the Emperor personally falling silent and taking the rear position, the cavalry was indeed dispatched, and the marching sequence was indeed laid out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there was a price... On this day, the entire army only set out near evening, then marched a mere ten li before hastily settling into the simple large camp that the auxiliary troops had already prepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This day's effort was less a march and more a review of the troops!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, that was exactly what it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others might not have realized it, but Zhao Jiu, who had been silent all day under the great Yu Wen banner, had understood from the very beginning—he clearly realized that Wu Jie was not only guarding against cavalry raids or strengthening his own authority, but more likely trying to ascertain the combat strength and actual numbers of each unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as luck would have it, the Emperor also wanted to know, so he sent Lin Jingmo and Yang Yizhong, along with many jinshi accompanying the Imperial Guard, to begin a comprehensive inspection of the troops, starting with the Imperial Guard Central Army, which was also filled with many accompanying jinshi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, it was only at this point, through this method and by borrowing the unified marching sequence Wu Jie had created, that the Emperor finally learned the true number of his troops for this battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's right, everyone said there were a hundred thousand troops in Guanzhong, but clearly, the various units were of mixed quality and different organizations. Without gathering them together and counting them face to face, you simply couldn't know how many troops you actually had, or what they were like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And after Yang Yizhong and Academician Lin and others had spent nearly an entire day of hard inspection under the scorching sun, by the time they reached the predetermined camp ten li away, they had more or less calculated a result that could only be described as barely satisfactory:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, the Eight-Character Army, with a nominal strength of twenty thousand, had nineteen thousand present, nearly at full strength... After all, although Wang Yan's unit had suffered some losses at Yanling city last spring, they had been stationed in Zhengzhou for the past year, adjacent to the Eastern Capital and able to receive timely replenishment from Hebei refugees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But from the marching deployment, the Eight-Character Army also revealed its own problem—its excessively private nature. Everyone knew that Wang Yan, the leader of the Eight-Character Army, held supreme authority in the army, and this man had always been strict in governing his subordinates, and was somewhat petty, so he kept a tight grip on the army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, for a long time, the Eight-Character Army had only two commanders, Jiao Wentong and Meng De. Last year, Zhao Jiu personally intervened, forcing Wang Yan to promote a Liu Ze as a commander and a Fan Yihong as a commander, but even so, for this campaign, he found an excuse to leave Fan Yihong, who came from a famous family, with about a thousand men at Sishui Pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Yang Yizhong's \"unreliable rumor\" report at the time, Wang Yan seemed to have fallen out with this trusted old subordinate as well. He believed that Fan Yihong's direct acceptance of orders from the Eastern Capital was an attempt to climb the social ladder, a betrayal of him. And if Zhao Jiu remembered correctly, this was the third time this military governor, whose ability, loyalty, and determination to resist the Jin were beyond doubt, had fallen out with his subordinates, following Yue Fei and Fu Xuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regardless, back to the present, Wang Yan's unit of nineteen thousand men, all enjoying Imperial Guard Central Army treatment, with an armor rate of nearly fifty percent, surprisingly only had his central army and three commanders—Jiao Wentong, Meng De, and Liu Ze—divided into four units.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast, the unit under Wang De in the very front, which had undergone several reorganizations and was actually another major part of the Imperial Guard Central Army directly controlled by Zhao Jiu, appeared much more capable and lean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below Wang De were Zhang Jing, Qiao Zhongfu, Fu Qing, Xin Yongzong, Xin Qizong, Li Qiong... except for Hu Yantong, who was stationed at the strategic Lantian Pass and had not arrived, there were seven units in total: Wang De's unit with four thousand, Zhang Jing's with three thousand, Xin Yongzong's with two thousand, and the rest with two thousand five hundred each. After deducting minor attrition, they also totaled about nineteen thousand combat troops, with an armor rate of over seventy percent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, the so-called forty-thousand-strong Imperial Guard Central Army actually had only about thirty-eight thousand men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these units, especially Wang De's and others, had the advantage of receiving financial support from the Southeast, Bashu, and Jingxiang since the Nanyang period, with ample military pay and priority access to equipment. They were stationed, trained, supplied, and reorganized right under the Emperor's nose, to a considerable extent directly controlled by him. And the Emperor, after all, didn't need to drink the soldiers' blood; he could live off the blood of his two consorts' families, so these troops were truly impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, this armor rate of over seventy percent was a terrifying figure, second only to the Imperial Guard and possibly only matched by Yue Fei's unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless, this force, plus Wang Yan's Eight-Character Army from Hebei, who bore a blood feud against the Jin, the so-called thirty-eight thousand of the Imperial Guard Central Army, was Zhao Jiu's true backbone in this battle! They were unquestionably the main force! The orthodox army among the orthodox and unorthodox forces! And the most orthodox of the orthodox!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Western Three Route Army of Shaanxi, namely the Xihe Route, Qinfeng Route, and Lizhou Route, they were of course also orthodox forces, and unexpectedly, after inspection, Academician Lin and Yang Yizhong found that they were overstrength... The three route armies, excluding the cavalry supported by other units, actually had thirty-four to thirty-five thousand men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn't to say that these men didn't drink the soldiers' blood, but rather that the \"over ten thousand\" Zhang Jun had initially reported was indeed \"over ten thousand,\" and during the time the Emperor was waiting in Chang'an, these troops had been continuously gathering and concentrating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the organization, it was only at this point that Zhao Jiu understood: according to the establishment, these three route armies should have had seventy thousand men! But after years of multiple defeats, routs, and internal strife, only these thirty-five thousand remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These three route armies all followed the traditional Western Army organization. Below the Grand Coordinator were the Military Supervisors, the various regular and deputy generals of each route, each with their own place, forming a complex and self-contained ecosystem. As for those the Emperor could directly contact, they were none other than Liu Xi and below, including Liu Qi, Zhao Zhe, Murong Wei, Li Yanqi, Zhang Zhong, Qiao Ze, Sun Wo, and other generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, these units, plus Zhao Jiu's own two thousand Imperial Guards, and the two Beiwei Army units of six thousand men entrusted to Wu Jie, constituted the main force of the Song army pressing toward Baishui this time. In total, they absolutely exceeded eighty thousand actual troops!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eighty thousand men, not counting Hu Yantong guarding Lantian, not counting the local Jingzhao troops guarding Chang'an and Weibei, plus the so-called \"trump card\" following Zhang Jun's logistics—a mixed, fully armored unit of three to four thousand men Zhao Jiu had assembled by deploying elite troops from various units; plus the troops scraped together by Qu Duan and Wu Lin from the Jingyuan and Huanqing Routes in the Northern Three Routes; plus Li Yongqi's unit, which seemed to have descended from heaven; plus the Fangzhou garrison... Indeed, in this battle, the Song army side, however you counted, exceeded one hundred thousand!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And returning to the present, setting aside the twenty thousand troops distributed elsewhere on the battlefield, these eighty thousand men were not just eighty thousand men. Tens of thousands of Guanzhong civilian laborers, conscripted from Jingzhao, Huazhou to Yaozhou, had left their homes, bid farewell to their families, abandoned the fields they should have been tending, either following the army to transport supplies or accompanying it in civilian clothes with bows and spears as auxiliary troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu didn't need to investigate to imagine the scene when they were conscripted—the three officials and three farewells, the suffering of the common people in times of prosperity and decline—but what else could be done? At the beginning of the year, Wanyan Hounü, the eldest son of Wanyan Loushi, had massacred a small town called Fushui, right within Huazhou, where the army was currently stationed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, setting aside those thoughts, another day passed, and the army set out again. Over a hundred thousand troops formed into battle array, rolling forward like waves, vast and almost endless. A man among them couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only in the afternoon of this day, when Zhao Jiu arrived at the predetermined camp site and climbed a nearby slope to look before the entire army set up camp, that he first glimpsed the full scope of this great army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With troops like this, in the past, one could falsely claim four hundred thousand!\" Wu Jie, leading the generals to accompany Zhao Jiu up the slope, couldn't help but sigh with emotion. \"Used properly, where could they not go?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu nodded slightly, making no comment, but only pointed at a clearly tall mountain in the distance and asked casually: \"Compared to the south, this place not only has tablelands and marshes, but also several proper hills. I wonder what they are called?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For Your Majesty's information, the mountain beneath our feet belongs to Mount Yao, the largest mountain range on the Weibei plain, running northeast to southwest,\" Liu Xi quickly replied, stealing the answer. \"As for the peak to the northeast that Your Majesty pointed to, it is called Mount Jinsu, which is the remnant vein of the vaguely visible Mount Wulong behind it. Mount Jinsu is most famous in the world because Tang Xuanzong's Tailing Mausoleum lies right behind it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu waited quietly for the other to finish, then laughed: \"I've said it before, don't call me Your Majesty, and don't call me Your Subject. If the soldiers hear it and it spreads widely, and then I'm captured by Loushi, all this concealment will have been for nothing. If you must address me, call me Vice-Commander, but call Grand Commandant Liu the Marshal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xi quickly begged forgiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu didn't mind, but continued the casual conversation, gazing at the mountain ahead and sighing: \"From the Wei River to here, first there is Suyi Town, then Mount Jinsu. It shows that the land north of the Wei is fertile and rich, truly a magnificent landscape.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people around naturally hastened to agree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty... Vice-Commander.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the chatter gradually subsided, Wu Jie hesitated for a moment, then finally pointed to the northeast with his hand, continuing to report military intelligence seriously. \"Mount Yao stretches for about thirty li. We are already a few li into Mount Yao, and Loushi is ten li northeast of Mount Yao, having set up camp by a marsh, about thirty li from here... Barring any surprises, once the Jin army comes to fight, the outcome should be decided on the tablelands between Mount Yao and Mount Jinsu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu slowly nodded, his expression also turning somewhat serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Vice-Commander... Marshal.\" Hearing this, Liu Xi hesitated for a moment, then suddenly interjected. \"I see a large marsh below that tableland over there. Why not follow the arrangement of the Jingyao camp, set up a chain of camps by the marsh...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu finally adopted an attitude of inquiring into military matters. He turned his head and looked seriously at Wu Jie, the meaning simple—you are the commander-in-chief, and you have long known the surrounding terrain. Now that we are thirty li from the enemy and about to set up camp, this place is likely the main camp before the decisive battle. Haven't you already prepared a plan for setting up camp?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And sure enough, Wu Jie frowned slightly, immediately tightening his yellow face and speaking sternly to Liu Xi: \"Have I not already ordered the entire army to set up camp quickly along Mount Yao on high ground? The auxiliary troops and civilian laborers have already been ordered to cut wood in the mountains. Why change the camp plan?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu said nothing, but turned to look at Liu Xi again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xi hesitated briefly, then still cupped his hands seriously in response: \"Vice-Commander, Marshal, I am by no means defying military orders. My unit has already followed orders to cut wood... But I truly believe that to counter the advantage of the Jin cavalry, the priority lies with marshes! As for Mount Yao, though it is only over thirty li long, its middle section consists of steep peaks that are difficult for troops to pass through or camp on. So-called camping along the mountain only means setting up a chain of camps on the gentle slopes at the mountain's foot. Such a camp's use in blocking cavalry may not match that of a summer marsh, and instead, we must be wary of the Jin using fire attacks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This had a somewhat serious, reasoned tone. In fact, as soon as these words were spoken, many were moved. But with the topic having reached this point, Zhao Jiu no longer participated, instead turning his head directly to look at the scenery. Clearly, the Emperor was still prepared to unconditionally respect Wu Jie's authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Wu Jie knew in his heart that if he wanted everyone to be convinced, he couldn't rely on the imperial prestige every time; it was best to give a reason. Therefore, he immediately responded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What Grand Coordinator Liu said is very true. I also believe that marshes are more useful against cavalry... but don't forget, in summer the waters rise, ditches overflow, and most of the gullies and depressions between the plateaus turn into marshes. The Jin army has tens of thousands of cavalry. Once engaged, they'll spread out over more than ten li. So as long as the marshes are there, whether our camp is in front of the marshes or at the foot of the mountains, some of the Jin cavalry will inevitably get bogged down. Compared to that, setting up camp in front of the mountains, though we have to be careful about fire, has one great advantage that camping in front of the marshes cannot match...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xi glanced at the back of the Zhao Emperor's head, who was looking down the mountain, and furrowed his brow as he cupped his hands toward Wu Jie: \"Please, Marshal, enlighten me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Our army is numerous and complex!\" Wu Jie said seriously, his yellow face stern. \"Once the various units engage in battle, I'm afraid they'll each fight on their own. At that time, only by occupying high ground can we observe the overall battle situation and then coordinate and support each unit! But if, as Grand Coordinator Liu suggests, we covet the advantage of the marshes and only set up a continuous camp in front of them, then once attacked, with each unit fighting separately, even I, the commander, would only be able to fight the enemy in front of me, unable to coordinate. Meanwhile, the Jin cavalry can at any time charge to the surrounding high ground to observe the battle and adjust accordingly...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xi fell silent, and the surrounding officers no longer echoed Liu Xi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not only that.\" Wu Jie continued with a stern face, pointing at a distant expanse of white marsh. \"Grand Coordinator Liu, you and I are both from west of the Pass. Don't you know how this kind of marsh forms? It's simply because the loess plateau west of the Pass can't hold water, and the water is easily blocked by yellow mud, so it can't drain away. Then, when there's a summer downpour, it overflows from the ditches and flows back into the gullies between the plateaus, forming marshes... This kind of marsh swells up with a rainstorm, but if it doesn't rain for a few days, it turns into muddy ground. A few more days without rain, and it dries up completely... Although there's usually summer rain, do we really want to gamble on the weather? If it doesn't rain for several days in a row, and the Jin army doesn't come out to fight for several days, waiting for the marsh to dry up, what do we do then?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xi glanced again at the back of the Zhao Emperor's head and could only cup his hands: \"I have been short-sighted in my thinking.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's nothing.\" Wu Jie gave a rare sneer. \"It's all for the sake of the nation!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that the bickering behind him had ended, Zhao Jiu was about to turn around and speak, but at that moment, a great cloud of dust rose from the northeast in the distance, instantly causing all the generals on Mount Yao to become solemn. Because even without waiting to see clearly up close, everyone could guess that it was definitely a troop of no less than several thousand Jin cavalry, coming along the northeast side of Mount Yao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Song troops on the mountain and below saw them from afar and were naturally shaken. Liu Qi, who commanded the various cavalry units and was responsible for protecting the army's right flank, immediately spurred his horse down the slope and personally returned to his unit to deal with the approaching Jin army. Many other officers also took their leave and went down the mountain to prepare their own units. For a time, only Zhao Jiu, Wu Jie, Liu Xi, and a few close imperial attendants remained on this slope, looking into the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, under the setting sun, those on the mountain could see clearly. The several thousand cavalry galloped swiftly. The plateau terrain could not hinder them much, and they soon approached the large camp, which had not yet been properly organized, causing many Song soldiers, laborers, and auxiliary troops to panic. However, when these cavalry reached the vast white marsh, they were utterly helpless. After several attempts, the main force could not pass through easily. The few lucky ones who found a path through the marsh were met by large numbers of Song troops and easily hunted down... With no other choice, this unit had to detour eastward, seemingly trying to bypass this summer marsh from the direction of Mount Jinsu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this unit had not gone far east when they probably saw that the Lizhou army, under Liu Qi's command, had already calmly deployed on the army's right flank, that is, the eastern side of the main force. Long spears in front, bows and crossbows behind, cavalry on left and right, clearly arrayed and waiting... They then decisively gave up the detour and turned back directly to the northeast... Still raising clouds of dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jin came and went in a hurry, and naturally, cheers arose both on the mountain and below. The work of setting up the camp continued calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the army's commander, Wu Jie, couldn't help frowning—the Jin army had given up too quickly and arrived too late. This didn't look like they wanted to fight; it was more like they were making a probe and a display in front of someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have you seen and remembered the terrain and the army's organization clearly?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than ten li away, on Mount Jinsu, Wanyan Loushi, who had been sitting for most of the day, suddenly turned his head. Behind him were over a hundred Jin army officers, countless Meng'an and Mouke commanders, all standing solemnly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In summer, the vegetation was lush, and from several li down the mountain, no one could see the figures here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, the leading general was the deputy commander, Wanyan Balisu. Upon hearing this, he stepped forward and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How is it?\" Loushi asked seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Some trouble,\" Balisu admitted frankly. \"First, the terrain. One, the marshes are scattered messily across the center of the battlefield, naturally hindering the cavalry. Two, the Song army has taken the initiative to set up their formation against the mountain, holding the high ground... But these are manageable. The key issue is the Song army's massive numbers, several times our own, yet they can still deploy such a proper formation for marching. This shows that both the Song generals and their troops are not what they used to be. Of course, there are also inferior troops among them, like that unit surrounded in the middle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loushi couldn't help but laugh: \"After the Battle of Yanling, anyone who still thinks the Song people are weak and easy to bully is a fool. After the Battle of Fangzhou, anyone who still thinks the Song army has no good generals or troops willing to fight is also a fool. And if anyone thinks the Song army has been completely transformed in one year, with every unit becoming a strong force, that's still a fool... I've already noted the banner of that unit in the middle. Just tell me, how should we deal with this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Song army is too numerous, and time is tight. We should quickly call for General Huonu to come with reinforcements!\" Wanyan Balisu stated the obvious. \"With General Huonu's ten thousand troops, our combined forty thousand can still put up a fight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loushi, who had been eager for a decisive battle and had even actively crossed the Baishui River to the Mount Yao area, clearly in a baiting posture, was silent for a moment. Then he stood up and shook his head repeatedly: \"Let's wait a little longer... Return to camp for today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",4476,"2026-06-06T07:46:04.529Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","dd0a2fe64f8186061b5e0e23a9cb671904c9fda6a6491c8d18d6459ca736a8ca","shao-song-chapter-238","shao-song-chapter-236",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]