Chapter 240: Chapter Seventy-Two: Racing to the Rescue

Jin Wushu and Han Chang abandoned their baggage and crossed the Longmen ford by night. By the time they finished crossing the river, it was already dawn. This day was the twenty-seventh day of the fifth month, in the fourth year of the Jianyan era of Song and the eighth year of the Tianhui era of Jin.

At noon that day, leaving aside how Wushu led twenty thousand troops on a grueling two-hundred-li forced march at a hundred li per day for two consecutive days, the news of his crossing the river had already been relayed by scout cavalry along the Yellow River bank and delivered first to the commander of this campaign, Wanyan Eriduo, who was in Hezhongfu.

The weather was hot. Eriduo, who had been staying in a temple somewhere in the city, was discussing Buddhist philosophy with a monk in the shade of a tree. When he saw a Jin officer approaching solemnly with his hand on his sword, the monk took the initiative to rise, bow, take his leave, and excuse himself to avoid suspicion.

"He crossed the river?" Eriduo, dressed in plain clothes, absentmindedly rose to see the monk off. Turning back, he saw through it in a single phrase.

"Yes." The officer was caught off guard and could only bow his head in acknowledgment. "The scout cavalry said only this."

"Good that he crossed, good that he crossed!" For some reason, even though he knew a decisive battle was imminent, Eriduo instead felt his whole body relax. Then he slumped down onto a stone stool in the shade of the tree and sighed deeply.

When it came down to it, this campaign was truly arduous… or rather, this campaign truly made the Jin army feel a kind of hardship they hadn't experienced in a long time.

To elaborate, ever since the Jingkang Incident, Zhao Song was like a decapitated man, having nearly fallen into a state of national ruin, and the entire Jin army had come to regard the Song army as nothing.

Back then, they abandoned the Central Plains and Guanzhong, which they had already taken, and turned back. It wasn't because they didn't want to seize this splendid world, but because they had already eaten their fill. Besides, they hadn't even swallowed the fertile lands of Hebei yet—surely there had to be a first come, first served?

Yet who would have thought that when they returned half a year later, while it was true that Hebei was easily swallowed, Zhao Song had already risen from the ashes, and resistance forces were everywhere. Huazhou was hard to cross, Shanzhou was lost again, the Huai River was blocked—a motley crew of refugees, defeated soldiers, and fleeing officials had somehow brought Zhao Song back to life.

Therefore, when they came again a year later, the Jin court had learned its lesson and only wanted to destroy the Zhao Song central government, then establish vassals along the Yellow River. They were aware of their limited appetite and intended to take things slowly. But this time, they encountered an unimaginable defeat on the main battlefield. Talan fled in disgrace, and the achievements of both the eastern and western armies came to naught.

Another year passed. This time, spurred on by Loushi's vigorous advocacy, the Jin army concentrated its forces and came again, truly menacing. But the Song army was also no longer what it had been… In four years, the Son of Heaven was recognized both inside and outside the court as one who had undergone hardships to achieve his goals. The ministers dared not speak of peace. The political structure was maintained as stable as possible. Then, using this, along with the wealth, grain, and fodder from the Southeast, the Two Huai, Jingxiang, and Bashu, they had exchanged it for the revival of two hundred thousand Imperial Guard troops and tens of thousands of Western Army soldiers.

From the East Sea to Longshang, the front line stretched for ten thousand li. The two sides clashed back and forth across the Yellow River, each advancing and retreating… The Jin army had not fought such a formal war in a very long time.

Although all the high-ranking Jin officers knew that the opposing Song army was inferior in troop quality, inferior in armor quality, and laughably small in cavalry numbers, and everyone had confidence in Loushi and the Western Army, this vast battle situation and the momentum of mutual exchange still made Wanyan Eriduo, who had originally thought he was just coming to claim credit, feel immense pressure.

In fact, from the start of this campaign, from the very beginning of the mobilization, Eriduo and his younger brother Wushu had discussed many things in the army… They talked about the political situation in Huining Prefecture and Yanjing, the Song-Jin situation, the massive migration of the Shanxi populace, the conflicts between the Hebei Meng'an Mouke and the local Han people, and the young Zhao Song Emperor in the south.

After the fighting began in Hezhongfu, they talked about Han Shizhong and Li Yanxian, about Loushi and Yinshu Ke. As they talked, the surprise attack on Luoyang succeeded, but what followed was something Eriduo found hard to understand.

Luoyang city was breached. Beneath the dragon banner was only an empty city and a minister left behind to guard it. That was nothing. The key was that this successful surprise attack did not create huge ripples in the battle situation. Sishui Pass remained uncaptured for a long time, and the Xiaoshan-Mianchi ancient road was tightly blocked… It was as if the fall of Luoyang city was just the fall of Luoyang city. The previous pattern of breaking one point and breaking the entire line had completely disappeared.

Then came the intelligence that Yue Fei had led a full forty thousand Song troops into Hebei.

At this time, Eriduo did not know whether the calmness of the Song army on the south bank was feigned, but he was very sure that the entire Eastern Army was truly panicked! Every Meng'an, every Mouke, every Puriyan was worried sick about the wealth, women, and houses in their own homes. Even though there were still tens of thousands of troops led by Talan and Gao Jingshan in Great Ming Prefecture, they could not rest easy.

With no other choice, Eriduo could only agree to the collective petition of these officers and dispatch forty thousand troops to return north, intending to exit through Huguan Pass to force back the Song army… This move was almost equivalent to abandoning the plan to force a crossing at Shanzhou or Tongzhou.

Yue Pengju's northern crossing this time had actually achieved its strategic objective from the very beginning.

However, it was from the moment he agreed that this Third Prince inwardly acknowledged many of the views of his fourth brother, Wanyan Wushu, and also approved of the latter's plan to wait with twenty thousand troops at Longmen Ford for support… Because Eriduo had fully realized that, no matter what, the relationship between Song and Jin was no longer the simple, overwhelming one it had been before.

Even if they won this time and took Guanzhong, it would be the same… unless the Zhao Song Emperor, whom his fourth brother regarded as the foundation of the Song army's current posture, and the main force of the Song army were both eliminated in this battle.

"Third Prince…"

Seeing the commander lost in thought, the reporting officer hesitated slightly. "Since the Fourth Prince has crossed the river, shouldn't we do something here?"

Eriduo snapped back to reality and immediately nodded. He also felt it was somewhat excessive to push everything and all responsibility onto his fourth brother alone. However, although this Third Prince felt he should do something, he had very little battlefield experience… After all, since the time of Aguda, the four elder princes had each had their own roles. The eldest, Wanyan Woben, was often Aguda's personal guard; the second, Wolibu, was often the field commander; the fourth was young at the time and often served as the vanguard in battle; while the third, Eriduo, often guarded the main camp.

This job, to put it nicely, was about devising strategies within the command tent; to put it bluntly, it was about watching the home front and supervising the battle. So Eriduo had no idea at all how to share Wushu's burden.

"We can concentrate our troops and launch a fierce attack on Pinglu, making the Song army focus their attention here!" the officer suggested cautiously. "Our current troop disposition isn't really suitable. If we force a crossing at Pujin, we might end up making things worse. But Pinglu is an isolated city that hasn't fallen after days of siege. It was fine to hesitate a bit before because of the sneak attack on Luoyang, but now there's no need to be cautious…"

Eriduo immediately nodded.

So it turned out that Pinglu had not yet been captured by the Jin army.

A day passed, and the twenty-eighth day of the fifth month arrived peacefully… Early that morning, the Hedong Jin army, which had already completed its siege, launched a major assault on Pinglu. Li Yanxian personally commanded, having troops cross the river from Shanzhou city to provide support. The fighting was intense. As the two nearest war zones, and also the two most directly related in terms of actual combat, Li Yanxian did not forget to immediately send a battle report to Han Shizhong, telling him to prepare.

At noon, Han Shizhong received the report but felt hesitant… because the Pujin Ford area was calm and quiet.

To elaborate, Han Liangchen, as the highest-ranking general, was, like Li Yanxian, one of the few people who had an understanding of the entire battle situation. In fact, the two of them, Han and Li, were very likely the two people on the entire battlefield with the clearest picture of the battle… He knew all about the fall of Luoyang. Zhao Jiu hadn't hidden Yue Fei's northern crossing from him either. He also knew about the Beiwei Army's covert crossing to Chang'an. And while others might not know about the Jin army splitting off a large force to go north, he was right across the river and couldn't possibly be completely unaware.

Moreover, just yesterday, he had received a personal letter from the Emperor, stating that a decisive battle might occur in the next two days and telling him to be careful about the Pujin and Longmen directions.

But now, Pujin Ford was excessively calm, while the already insignificant city of Pinglu was under siege.

In an instant, Han Shizhong, stationed by the Yellow River, caught a whiff of something that made him nervous, anxious, yet also excited. Then he immediately sent out messengers, ordering the troops already garrisoned in the Liangshan area to cross the Liangshan region, split into several groups of a thousand men each, and conduct forward reconnaissance… The battlefield was only so big; there was no reason for Han Shizhong not to think of Longmen Ford.

Of course, logically speaking, Han Shizhong smelling these things at this point was already insignificant, because according to Loushi's arrangement, this day should have been the moment of decision.

Everything should have been too late.

However, up to the time Han Shizhong sent his messengers galloping north, the entire Yaoshan-Mount Wulong-Baishui area remained as calm as ever.

Until noon, Loushi had not dispatched any troops, and the entire Jin army camp was exactly the same as in the previous days.

If there was any difference, it was that the weather was a bit more oppressive, but still, it hadn't rained.

By the afternoon, Loushi still hadn't sent out troops, and the units Han Shizhong had deployed on the southern side of Liangshan, such as Dong Min's three thousand men, had already begun hastily scouting north.

And it was at this time that the Song army commander, Wu Jie, fell into great self-doubt… Even ordinary people could feel the oppressiveness of the weather, but the Jin army had not attacked. This caused him a flicker of wavering and hesitation, and then he began to doubt all his own judgments.

Although the Zhao Emperor on the mountain slopes behind had not said a single word, Wu Da still felt a distinct sense of shame.

He had lost again and again, yet his official position kept getting bigger. He had finally won once, and for that, he had received an unprecedented opportunity. But then he lost again and again—all his strategies, all his countermeasures, overt and covert, had no effect.

As evening approached, seeing that the Jin army was still completely inactive, Wu Jie thought for a long time. Finally, as he had done the day before, with the assistance of Academician Lin, he summoned the officers of all units and once again signed a formal military order, requiring the entire army to prepare meals early the next morning and for each camp to inspect weapons and supplies… It was clearly a continuation of the combat-ready posture, and also an adherence to his own judgment.

He couldn't figure out where he had gone wrong.

However, the military order was signed. Before the sun had even set, Wu Jie shut himself inside the central command tent, clutching his head, not coming out, not even eating a single melon… A hundred thousand troops, the six circuits of Guanxi, the safety of the Emperor—although he shouldn't hesitate after receiving the Emperor's grace and recognition, who could truly understand this pressure?

"Fight tomorrow."

After sunset, just as the various parts of the Jin army camp had finished their evening meal, Loushi summoned all the senior officers and calmly announced a fact. "It was supposed to be today, but the Fourth Prince and his twenty thousand reinforcements had a difficult march and were delayed and couldn't make it… It's not the Fourth Prince's fault; it's my problem. I estimated based on our own march speed along the North Luo River channel, but I underestimated the difficulty of marching for a large force, and I didn't think that the Eastern Army had never marched on this kind of plateau terrain before."

From Balisu on down, the Jin generals were not worried but pleased, because twenty thousand reinforcements, even if they had come by forced march, were enough to change the overall situation.

"But we also have to be careful of additional Song reinforcements," Loushi said, sitting upright in the tent, continuing to calmly explain the situation. "The Fourth Prince was originally supposed to reach the banks of the North Luo River last night, then lead the cavalry in a rapid strike south today. But in reality, he only stumbled into the Fangzhou area this morning, and his position was quite a bit further north. There were also quite a few soldiers who lost their way… In Fangzhou, the city can't hold many troops. Qu Duan is definitely stationed in the Yijun area to the south. The two sides are separated by a stretch of mountainous terrain, and he might detect something. If he does, he might also rush south to support tomorrow."

"He might also launch a rapid strike north, combine forces with Wu Lin inside Fangzhou city, attack the Hekou main camp, and cut off our rear," Balisu interjected expressionlessly as a reminder. "Or he might not detect anything, but if Hounu makes a move, it might alert him!"

Loushi glanced at Balisu and nodded slightly: "I know. That's why Hounu will hold the Hekou main camp tomorrow and won't take any rash risks…"

Balisu immediately shut his mouth.

"Everyone!" Having said this, Loushi suddenly stood up, resting his hand on the saber at his waist as he looked around. "If Qu Duan doesn't come to support tomorrow, then it will be fifty thousand against eighty thousand. If Qu Duan does come, he will only be at the end of his strength. Apart from a few cavalry, he won't be of much use… Regardless, the opportunity for battle has appeared. Do not hesitate… Does any of you have anything to say? I permit you to speak now!"

The generals looked at each other, and of course, had nothing to say.

"Are you sure?" Deep into the night, Han Shizhong, who had taken the initiative to lead his own Beiwei Army to the town of Siqian in central Tongzhou due to his suspicions during the day, was awakened by his subordinates. He then received news that, in fact, did not surprise him.

"Absolutely certain!" The messenger, gasping for breath, quickly repeated himself. "Our three thousand men went north. Before we even split up, we detected the military situation. A large force of Jin troops passed north of Liangshan yesterday, moving non-stop all day. The local mountain folk saw it clearly and said there were far more of them than us… Controller Dong ordered me to spare no horseflesh and report this matter quickly."

Far more than a force of three thousand men meant an army of tens of thousands. And if they were seen yesterday, they might have already reached the North Luo River or even Baishui by now.

In response, Han Shizhong, who had instantly formed a judgment in his mind, remained silent, and could only remain silent… because he had no one to consult with. His troops and his capable subordinates were at this moment scattered across several cities and several riverside positions.

Moreover, he didn’t need to think of any superfluous words. At this moment, there were only two choices: to reinforce or not to reinforce.

If he went to reinforce, the troops at the riverside positions and Pujin Ferry could not be moved, nor would there be time to move them. And if some cities, such as Chengcheng in the northwest, which guarded against Wanyan Loushi’s incursion into Tongzhou, were redeployed—since they lay within the scouting range of Loushi’s main camp—the Jin army would likely detect it immediately, and the plan would backfire.

Therefore, at this moment, the only forces Han Shizhong could deploy and ensure would reach the Yaoshan battlefield by tomorrow were one unit of the Beiwei Army and Xu Shian’s detachment from Changle, totaling only seven or eight thousand men.

Seven or eight thousand men, rushing to the battlefield, might already miss the decisive battle. Even if they arrived in time, how much combat effectiveness they would retain was unknown. This was by no means a good bargain.

But after only a few breaths of silence, Han Shizhong had already made his decision… After all, the Emperor’s grace toward him was as heavy as a mountain. How could he, Po Han Wu, possibly not reinforce? Or rather, in those few breaths, Han Shizhong had never even considered the question of whether to reinforce or not; he was only pondering the issue of troop strength.

After all, he, Po Han Wu, was not a bastard like Qu Da!

By the time dawn arrived, Wanyan Wushu’s force, having been delayed for a full day and destined to exert a huge and unpredictable influence on the battle situation, began to move south along the North Luo River together with Wushu and Han Chang, despite enduring enormous pressure from non-combat attrition. However, it must be said that this time, because of the river course, the Jin army’s speed was much faster than in the previous two days.

At almost the same time, Han Shizhong in Tongzhou, after some brief preparations, officially led his troops westward. Meanwhile, his messengers had already set out early for Changle Town, which was right on the banks of the North Luo River, to notify Xu Shian, who was stationed there.

Also at almost the same time, the Jin army’s main camp first raised its conspicuously visible cooking smoke.

Immediately afterward, Wanyan Loushi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Shanxi Marching Army and the actual commander of this western campaign, issued the first military order of the day: of the entire army of thirty thousand men, except for two Hezha Meng’an units, each man was to take one sack, fill it with earth, and only then could they receive their meal.

And so, after daybreak, the well-fed Jin army, leading their warhorses and guarding their carts, used almost every means to carry their own sack of earth, and then swarmed out of their camp.

Scout cavalry reported in panic. The Song army’s main camp received the news, and the entire line was shaken, as if facing a great enemy.

But then, scout cavalry reported again: although the main force of the Jin army consisted mostly of cavalry, they were moving slowly. Moreover, judging by their direction of movement, they were not heading straight for the Song army’s main camp, but rather toward Mount Jinsu, which was directly east of the Song army’s main camp and directly south of the Jin army’s main camp.

By now, it was already broad daylight. Wu Jie, the Song army commander, hesitated for a moment before dispatching only a small force of two thousand men to advance rapidly toward Mount Jinsu, making a symbolic gesture of seizing it.

Regardless, at this point, both the Song and Jin armies had formally dispatched their troops. Even Zhao Jiu had begun to don his armor and carry his bow with the assistance of Yang Yizhong.

This day was the twenty-ninth day of the fifth month in the fourth year of the Jianyan era. The weather was somewhat oppressive, but no rain clouds were seen. It was favorable for sacrifices, but unfavorable for breaking ground.

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