[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-239":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},1558405,2024,"Chapter 239","shao-song-chapter-239",239,"\u003Cp>Wu Jie's judgment was completely correct. Wanyan Huonü, operating in Danzhou on the flank and rear of the battlefield, had indeed received his father Loushi's military orders at the first opportunity, and immediately led his ten thousand troops westward, then joined forces with Wanyan Salihuo before Wu Lin and Li Yongqi could reach Fangzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be said that Wu Jie's strategy of striking the tail to force the head, preventing the head and tail from coordinating, was seen through by Loushi from the start and calmly neutralized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu was not too disappointed by this, nor was Wu Jie... because as the battlefield was squeezed smaller and smaller, the decisive point was basically anchored, leaving little room for maneuver around the core battlefield of Yaoshan-Mount Wulong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the main battlefield, due north was Fangzhou and the Jin army's main camp at the mouth of the Beiluo River, southwest was the Song army's logistics camp at Jingyaozhen, northeast was Longmen Ferry, and southeast was Pujin Ferry, heavily guarded by Han Shizhong's main force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With just these few points, this small area, and these limited tricks, if Wu Jie could think of them, there was no reason Loushi couldn't.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conversely, what the Jin army could do, the Song army had no reason not to anticipate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, three days later, when the agreed date arrived, the Jin army simply didn't move at all, and correspondingly, the Song army also didn't foolishly march out and form ranks... Instead, Wu Jie specially sent an envoy to Loushi, accusing him of breaking the agreement, and presented a set of women's clothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loushi accepted it calmly and declared that he would send the clothing beyond the Pass, so that the Deposed Duke Zhao Ji wouldn't have to freeze this winter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the news came back, Wu Jie lost all face, but then, following the sequence of the Jin Western Route Army, he publicly listed the crimes of Jin generals slaughtering the people and killing the innocent, then issued a public reward in the name of Yuwen Xuzhong... From Grand Marshal Nianhan down to the youngest Wanhu of the Jin Western Route Army, Salihuo, more than a dozen men had varying bounties and specific descriptions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, Wanyan Loushi himself was offered a reward of Military Governor, ten thousand bolts of silk, and ten thousand taels of silver. Wanyan Xiyin (Gushen), though his actual status in the Western Route Army was no less than Loushi's and his official rank even higher, was only offered a reward of a thousand bolts of silk because he rarely engaged in slaughter. As for Yelu Yudu, the Khitan general long sidelined and stripped of military power, it was publicly stated that he was an imprisoned Song agent, and anyone who rescued him would be rewarded with three thousand bolts of silk and three thousand taels of silver. Yelu Ma Wu, who was leading the main Khitan force in the opposing camp, was not even mentioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanyan Loushi again chose a light-hearted response: he countered by offering a donkey as a reward for Wu Jie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a time, the two sides exchanged constantly, trading barbs without end, but each knew in their hearts that these meaningless tricks were essentially probing. However, because this probing was unequal... at this point, the Song army had actively advanced to the foot of Yaoshan, making their desire for battle clear, while the Jin army's defensive mindset was temporarily confused... so it appeared that Wu Jie was losing ground in every matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, over several days, countless people came to Zhao Jiu to file complaints, detailing all of Wu Jie's ridiculous actions, but Zhao Jiu forcibly suppressed them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How to put it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Zhao Jiu's view, this kind of verbal sparring, whether winning or losing, was utterly meaningless. It all came down to the final outcome of the battle. If the Jin army won, Wu Jie's posture would be that of a clown; but if the Song army won, then Wu Jie had successfully lulled the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, stepping back and observing the situation of the past few days from a higher perspective, Zhao Jiu vaguely felt that Wu Jie was not without more substantial considerations. Both he and Loushi were not focused on these verbal games; their real attention was on other, more practical, simpler, and more direct matters of estimation and endurance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Zhao Jiu was only seeing through a glass darkly. If you asked him to think about it, let alone the conditions for a decisive battle, he couldn't even fathom Wanyan Loushi's intentions, couldn't understand whether that famous Jin general across the way wanted to fight or avoid a fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wanted to fight, why had he stubbornly held his position and refused to come out from the very beginning?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wanted to avoid a fight, what was he waiting for? Was he truly waiting for the Hedong army to achieve a decisive breakthrough? Waiting for the outcome there to affect Guanzhong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be fair, this was not Loushi's character. Such a man would not leave the outcome of a battle to others. On this point, both the Song army, which had been beaten by Loushi countless times, and the Jin Western Route Army itself, were absolutely certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu was also absolutely certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, what were he and Wu Jie actually waiting for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Commander, can you let me lead a light cavalry unit around the other side of Yaoshan and strike Jingyao?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the Song army high command was busy filing complaints all day, the Jin army high command also had its own activities. For instance, Loushi was fond of hunting on Mount Jinsu, from which he could observe the entire Song army camp and its surroundings. On this day, looking at the Song army's vast yet increasingly well-established camp system, Deputy Commander Wanyan Balisu, who had come with Loushi again, frowned and made a tactical suggestion. \"The Jingyao camp is the Song army's logistics hub. If it's broken, their forward forces will surely be in chaos!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the shade of a tree nearby, Loushi, mounted on his horse, had been staring in the direction of the Song army's camp. Around that area, the waterlogged ground that had been a sheet of white was gradually returning to its pre-storm state, with only a few white gleams now visible... Hearing Balisu speak, Loushi didn't even turn around, just shook his head directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why?\" Balisu asked seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loushi finally turned his head at this, but still didn't say a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Balisu finally gave up, let out a scornful laugh, and began to mock himself: \"Indeed, that Jingyao place, with four cities guarding it on all sides, the terrain is no different from here. It looks like a sweet melon, but it's actually a trap... If we attack Jingyao, how many troops would we need to take? If we take too few, how can we guarantee a single decisive blow? If we take too many, how can we guarantee that Wu Jie won't abandon his camp and counterattack, trapping our detached force in a place like Jingyao, surrounded by cities on all sides? And if we take a longer route, what if the Song army hears of it and simply charges straight at our main camp? In the end, we don't have enough troops...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Balisu.\" Loushi finally couldn't listen anymore and was forced to speak. \"What exactly are you trying to say?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Balisu glanced back at the attendants behind him. The officers and armored soldiers took the hint and withdrew. Only Loushi's second son, Mouyan, remained standing not far behind, hand on his saber. Balisu wanted to tell Mouyan to get lost too, but didn't dare to say it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want to ask the Commander, how do you plan to solve the problem of insufficient troops?\" Withdrawing his gaze from Mouyan, Balisu turned to Loushi, utterly frank. \"Qu Duan and Wu Lin have arrived at Fangzhou with twenty thousand troops. You sent Huonü to the Hekou camp. That response is certainly correct, but now we have only thirty thousand troops here, ten thousand of which are Han'er troops... How can we fight a decisive battle against a Song army of this scale?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loushi was about to answer, but Balisu kept talking without stopping:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When you came back from Tongguan at the beginning of the year, the troop numbers you calculated for us were nothing like this! When we set out, everyone was afraid of the summer heat, but you said that on this route, it would be fifty to sixty thousand against the Song army's eighty thousand, and the heat wouldn't matter. As a result, the Song army we actually faced on this route absolutely numbered over a hundred thousand! The decisive battle you calculated back then, even without reinforcements, could have been forty thousand against sixty thousand, with plenty of margin. But now it's clearly thirty thousand against eighty thousand!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In marching and fighting, there are always deviations.\" Loushi waited until the other had finished before speaking, completely unperturbed. \"There's been a mistake in the troop numbers, but I've already considered it. It's not a key issue. You don't need to worry... Is there anything else you want to ask?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Balisu was momentarily speechless, then forced himself to press on: \"Loushi, I've always respected you, but you should be a bit more honest with me. Do you really think I don't know the situation in Hedong? Ali and Ebulu crossing the river and taking Luoyang was a clever move, but they can't break through Sishui Pass for now, and they can't get past Shanzhou, isn't that true? On the other hand, tens of thousands of Song troops have landed from Hebei, and Hebei is the foundation of the various Meng'an and Mouke of the Eastern Route Army. The Eastern Route Army is in an uproar. The day before yesterday, the Third Prince sent forty thousand troops, which the Fourth Prince led back north, then turned through Huguan to support Hebei!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So what?\" Loushi said unhurriedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So what?\" Balisu grew anxious. \"The Hedong troops were mostly Han'er troops to begin with, their combat strength bloated. Some went to Luoyang, some to Hebei, some stayed in Taiyuan. Facing two veteran generals like Li Yanxian and Han Shizhong, they don't dare to draw any more troops to send here... Where are you 'considering' the troop numbers from?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loushi's expression remained calm, unconcerned: \"Balisu, you are only the Deputy Commander. There are some major matters you don't know about.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't know? What don't I know?\" At these words, Balisu finally lost his temper: \"You told the Grand Marshal and the Emperor that your old wounds were severe and you were about to die, just to get this summer campaign. I don't know that? Your old wounds are unbearable, and on rainy days you can barely move, causing you to ruin several opportunities in a row. I don't know that? Earlier at Fangzhou, you underestimated Wu Jie, causing Tusu to be wounded and Salihuo to be defeated, leading to a huge mess in the route and troop numbers of this campaign, to the point of panicking and losing composure on the battlefield, almost absurdly challenging Wu Jie to single combat... I don't know that? Or do you think I don't know that you're already tormented by the heat, the troop numbers, and the terrain, yet you still force yourself to appear calm?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the end, Balisu was emotionally agitated, and his horse neighed briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I almost forgot, you are Yinshuke's brother, you know everything.\" Loushi turned his head to watch Balisu's outburst, his expression somewhat complex. \"But Balisu, do you also know that I am the commander here, the Commander-in-Chief of the March?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So what?\" Balisu let out a scornful laugh and was about to turn his head away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before the words had even faded, the Jin army deputy commander was shocked and terrified, because Loushi, beside him, lifted him off his horse like a child and casually threw him to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mouyan behind him quickly drew his saber, trying to move forward to restrain Balisu, but Loushi raised his hand to stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Balisu, if Yinshuke were here, he would never ask such nonsense. He would only sharpen his spear, maintain his great bow, and calmly wait to charge with me.\" Loushi looked down coldly at his deputy commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am certainly not as good as my elder brother!\" Balisu gasped on the ground, and after calming down a little, let out another scornful laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This isn't about being as good as your brother or not.\" Loushi continued to hold the reins, speaking coldly to the man on the ground. \"Balisu, I know what you're thinking. Your brother and Xiyin (Wanyan Gushen) have gone to Yanjing. The Grand Marshal is in power at the center. My body is getting worse. You are in this position, thinking highly of your own seniority, reputation, and status, and harboring thoughts of succeeding as Taiyuan Defender or even Commander of the Western Route Army. That's normal. But you shouldn't be this impatient, unable to endure even half a month of hardship here, letting personal feelings interfere with official duties, complaining about everything!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the last sentence, Balisu's expression finally changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In truth, if I killed you today, it would be like killing a dog or a horse. The reason I don't kill you is not because you are Yinshuke's brother, but because the battle is about to begin and you are still useful...\" Loushi said a few more words, then found it boring and simply waved his hand. \"Get out of here! Since you know about my condition, you should know that I can't wait until the autumn rains. The decisive battle will come sooner or later. Just go back and prepare properly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Balisu climbed to his feet expressionlessly, showing neither anger nor submission. He simply mounted his horse, reined it around, and tried to ride down the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after a few steps, when he reached behind Mouyan, he turned back: \"Commander! I don't know what your calculations are, but as Deputy Commander, the man you say will take over the entire Western Route Army here after your death, there is one thing I must remind you of... Do you want to hear it or not?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If it's a serious matter, why wouldn't I listen?\" Loushi remained calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't have Huonü temporarily move south as support!\" Balisu suddenly became stern. \"You must understand, our army is all cavalry. If this battle goes badly, we will only be routed. In essence, there's no great harm. At worst, we lose a few troops and return without merit. But if we are defeated and also lose the Hekou camp and Fucheng behind us, then we will be utterly doomed! You are gambling your own life and your descendants' future. We, as your subordinates, are ordered to follow you and die in battle, that's fine. But if, for the sake of your family's ambition, you cut off our retreat, leaving tens of thousands of us as wild ghosts here, then, not to mention anything else, after you die, Huonü and Mouyan will have no good end!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand.\" Loushi replied indifferently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Balisu let out several scornful laughs, shook his head repeatedly, and then spurred his horse away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, in the height of midsummer, for several consecutive days, the sun was like fire during the day, and a cool breeze swept the ridges at night. The Song and Jin armies continued their standoff in a strange and tense state for a few more days. As the end of the month approached, the heat subsided slightly. Wu Jie, who had previously been told \"there's no need to report everything,\" suddenly came directly to the camp at the foot of the mountain one evening and requested an audience with the \"Deputy Commander.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the starry river, the military camp had gradually quieted down. Even the cicadas had started chirping again around the camp. So, following Academician Lin to the archery range clearing beside the \"Deputy Commander's\" main tent, Wu Jie changed his address directly under the vast Milky Way. \"The battle will begin within a day or two!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu, sitting on a small stool in the archery range enjoying the breeze, nodded without much reaction. The attendants around him, Wang Yuan, Yang Yizhong, and Liu Yan, had already changed expression. Only Academician Lin, who had gone to welcome Wu Jie, maintained his composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is there any particular reason?\" Wang Yuan, who had been relegated to a sinecure here, asked seriously, as the matter was of great importance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Commander Wang.\" Wu Jie was actually quite polite to Wang Yuan, because he knew full well that his words were really meant for the Zhao Emperor. In fact, he immediately turned to face the Zhao Emperor, who seemed somewhat distracted. \"Your Majesty, I have fought against Wushiluo for several years, and I dare say no one understands Wushiluo better than I do... So from the very beginning, I believed that Wushiluo's long inaction was not because he dared not fight, nor because he was unwilling to fight, but because this battle truly had some unfavorable aspects in terms of weather and terrain, and he was merely waiting for a suitable opportunity to strike.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So the Jin Army's opportunity has arrived?\" Under the starlight and torchlight, Zhao Jiu finally put on a slightly more serious expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, it's that the Jin Army's opportunity is almost gone.\" Wu Jie answered earnestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Zhao Jiu finally showed some interest: \"How so?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For the Jin Army, among the disturbances of weather and terrain that can change, one is the summer heat, and the other is the marshlands.\" Wu Jie quickly explained. \"These past few days, although the sun has been scorching during the day, fortunately the weather has been clear and breezy, so it can only be called hot, not the true summer heat... What the Jin Army fears most is actually that kind of muggy, stifling heat...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, the good weather is about to end, and it's going to become muggy?\" Zhao Jiu understood almost immediately—warfare should be this practical, why must it be so complicated? \"And although the marshlands haven't completely dried up, they can't wait any longer either?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not only will it become muggy, I'm afraid it will also rain again.\" Wu Jie finally let out a wry smile. \"I knew that when Wushiluo often went hunting on Mount Jinsu, I guessed his intentions. These days, I've also been observing the marshlands and keeping an eye on the weather... Today, several old soldiers with old injuries in the camp came to me together, saying that although they haven't reached the point of aching all over, they can already vaguely feel their wounds swelling. In another two or three days, there will definitely be rain!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu slowly nodded: \"The Jin Army also has many veterans who know how to use this method to predict rain... So, if Wushiluo truly intends to fight, he can't wait any longer! It will be tomorrow or the day after?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty is wise!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't say such things. What do you need me to do?\" Zhao Jiu said seriously, his eyes gleaming in the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There's no need for Your Majesty to do anything... I have already sent an urgent dispatch to Qu Duan and my younger brother, telling them to carefully observe Huonu's movements and attack the Hekou camp at all costs, seizing the opportunity.\" Wu Jie was silent for a moment before meeting his gaze. \"As for my coming here, I originally wanted to advise Your Majesty to retreat to Jingyao overnight to avoid the battle, leaving behind a dragon banner will suffice...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will not leave.\" Zhao Jiu sighed calmly. \"My army is here, my rivers and mountains are here. You just do your best... Besides, if I leave, those people will surely cause chaos. The closer we get to battle, the more I need to stay and hold things steady for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jie said nothing, cupped his hands, and retreated with quick steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Wu Jie had been gone for a while, Zhao Jiu pondered for some time before calling out to someone on a small stool: \"Pingfu!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yan quickly stepped forward: \"Your Majesty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I need you to do something.\" Amidst the exchanged glances of Yang Yizhong and the others, Zhao Jiu sighed softly. \"Go now, go to Jingyao and find a way to transfer the last three thousand five hundred troops we have there! You can either transfer them directly into the army, or disguise them as laborers and have them wait on the northern road, ready to join the battle as the opportunity arises... Handle it as you see fit!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yan was silent for a moment, then cupped his hands and left in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And on that same night, under a dark moon and high wind, at a place over a hundred li away in a straight line, at the northernmost tip of Tongzhou, the Longmen Ferry behind Mount Liang, a team of Jin Army messengers was crossing the river there as usual, disregarding the late hour... This was a matter of course and a common sight; for the Jin armies on both sides of the Great River to communicate, they naturally had to pass through here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, interestingly, after this team of Jin soldiers crossed the river, they did not gallop south along the Great River to Hezhong Prefecture to see the nominal supreme commander, the Third Prince Wanyan Eliduo. Instead, they turned north around Longmen Mountain and entered a rather large camp in the dead of night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cross the river?\" Wanyan Wushu, who had hastily risen, looked at Wanyan Mouyan before him. Before the other could speak, his expression instinctively turned stern. \"Cross now, fight tomorrow? If we're fighting tomorrow, why didn't you come earlier? Will there be enough time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's crossing the river tonight, and fighting the day after tomorrow.\" Mouyan quickly bowed and corrected him. \"My father asks the Fourth Prince to immediately abandon the camp and supplies, cross the river with General Han, and then be sure to cross the North Luo River before sunset tomorrow, and station on the west bank of the North Luo River. My elder brother Huonu will supply you there. Then, early the day after tomorrow, you must launch a swift attack southward at all costs, and be sure to follow me in circling around the west side of Mount Yao to the southern end of the Song Army's main camp by afternoon, forming a pincer attack from north to south!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Wushu finally let out a long breath: \"For a single word from your father, I have almost become estranged from the Eastern Route Army, and only managed to keep these twenty thousand men. Now I have to race a hundred li each day for two consecutive days, and then, exhausted, fight a decisive battle with the Song Army... I hope your father does not let me down!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My father has never let anyone down in his life!\" Mouyan raised his head, his face instantly contorting with ferocity, disregarding that the man before him was flesh and blood of the Founding Ancestor, the esteemed Fourth Prince of the Great Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bare-chested Wanyan Wushu, seeing this, was not angered but pleased: \"That's exactly the spirit!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>ps: Recommending a book, \"Starting from Saving Cao Cao's Father in the Three Kingdoms\" – a very popular Three Kingdoms novel lately. If you're interested, feel free to check it out.\u003C\u002Fp>",3943,"2026-06-06T07:46:04.529Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","89dddf43b3cb80e90a388791f45121bc29e1542a535e190ca6b65c10afeafef5","shao-song-chapter-240","shao-song-chapter-238",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]