[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-317":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},1558483,2024,"Chapter 317: Leaning on the River","shao-song-chapter-317",317,"\u003Cp>From the moment they passed the gorge mouth, every Song Jun Imperial Army officer with even a shred of common sense knew that the next one hundred eighty li would be the march that decided everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason could not be simpler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If earlier the Song army could rely on the Western Xia's strategic misjudgments and errors to easily avoid their elite field forces, dodge the costly human attrition and time wasted at key passes, and then launch a lightning raid to this point, then from here on, once they entered the Xingling region—what later generations called the Yinchuan Plain—they would have to face the final stress reaction of a militaristic state that had stood for a century.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was a reaction they could not avoid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the former was purely a military deployment, while the latter, though ultimately manifesting in military terms, drew its root strength from political, ethnic, and cultural cohesion—an intangible yet tangible force... This concept might be vaguely grasped at a fundamental level by Yue Fei, Qu Duan, Hu Hongxiu, and Liu Qi, while men like Li Master might not understand it but still knew such a thing existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, it wasn't as if no one had ever reached the gorge mouth before. After Pingxiacheng was built, controlling the upper reaches of the Hulu River turned that river—the correct invasion route against the Western Xia—into their greatest vulnerability. At the time, many said the Western Xia would fall, and indeed the following decades were ones of sleepless anxiety for them... Even during the Huizong era, there was the story of Liu Fa's invasion of this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even the deepest incursion ended in failure just short of success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was called the voice of experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Military Governor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the afternoon, the army marched downstream along the Yellow River opposite the majestic Helan Mountains. After another ten-plus li, they spotted from afar a gathering place for barbarian cavalry, already numbering over a thousand. Hu Hongxiu immediately reined in his horse by the riverbank, ignoring these barbarian riders entirely, instead pointing slightly at the river fork behind them. \"Ahead is the Tangqu Mouth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Fei halted his horse opposite him, nodding slightly. The generals around him, including Qu Duan, also reined in their mounts, marveling at the magnificent sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the Tang Canal was extremely famous in this era—perhaps even more so than the gorge mouth. It had been introduced long ago in official gazettes, and many knew that this water conservancy project was built during the Tang dynasty under Wu Zetian. Later, the Western Xia cherished, maintained, and expanded it like a treasure. By now, the canal's irrigation area had reached a staggering 900,000 mu!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be said that three-tenths of the Western Xia's hegemony was founded here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, from the Tangqu Mouth onward, the Yellow River's surface widened again, reaching several hundred paces across. Even many of Yue Fei's troops from Hebei felt this was likely the widest stretch of the Yellow River they had ever seen in their lives, not the downstream sections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, looking out from the small slope, they saw before them a vast expanse of river stretching northward, majestic and magnificent. Under the sunny sky, the Helan Mountains a hundred li away surged like a herd of galloping horses, while between the mountains and the river lay a flat, open plain. Several canals stretched straight ahead, with dots of villages, towns, and fortifications faintly visible... Faced with such a scene, besides murmuring \"a land of great rivers and mountains,\" one was truly left speechless!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This place has been called half a land of abundance since ancient times. Canals for irrigation existed in the Han dynasty, but none compare to the Tang Canal.\" Hu Hongxiu's words interrupted many people's reverie. \"This is the largest and widest of all the Xingling canals. It stretches six hundred li, with nearly several hundred branches, reaching all the Xingling cities. Following this canal for another fifty li brings you to Shunzhou's prefectural seat, and Xingqing Prefecture lies downstream on this canal as well... The timber rafts we seized around the gorge mouth originally came out of this canal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding generals nodded in succession, for Vice Minister Hu's meaning was clear: he was suggesting that Yue Fei leave the Yellow River here, turn from the canal mouth into the Tang Canal, and advance along it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a very reasonable route—so reasonable it seemed almost inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One must know that the Tang Canal's channel was surely maintained properly by the Western Xia, with neat edges, a straight course, and deep water free of silt. Thus, once supply rafts entered the canal, the march would be exceptionally easy. Not to mention, according to Hu Hongxiu's intelligence, a complete prefectural city lay fifty li ahead on this canal, which could be taken as a forward base, and Xingqing Prefecture further ahead also bordered the canal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even just looking at the barbarian cavalry gathered at the canal mouth, one could guess that even they believed the Song Jun would enter the Tang Canal and advance along it toward their capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet precisely because of this, when the commander Yue Fei reined in his horse for a moment without giving orders, everyone realized the commander might have other ideas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does Xingqing Prefecture lie between the Tang Canal and the Yellow River?\" After a moment, Yue Fei withdrew his gaze from the mountains and river ahead, then asked seriously. \"East of the Tang Canal, west of the Yellow River?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct.\" Hu Hongxiu immediately clarified. \"Xingqing Prefecture is quite large. Its west side borders the Tang Canal, drawing water directly through the water gate into the city for both goods and transport, while its east wall is a full twenty to thirty li from the Yellow River. Even the palaces outside the city are over ten li from the river.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this canal this wide all the way?\" Yue Fei nodded slightly and continued asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course not...\" Hu Hongxiu quickly shook his head. \"On average, it's probably thirty to forty paces wide, but there are narrow spots. I recall near Shunzhou there's a section only about ten paces wide. Still, even that won't hinder the rafts' march, since these rafts originally came out of the Tang Canal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Fei nodded again, still noncommittal, and asked a third question: \"Does the Western Xia have a navy on the Yellow River? I've recently checked records of battles with the Western Xia, and there seems to be mention of a Western Xia navy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Hongxiu immediately shook his head: \"I haven't seen it. It must be a misunderstanding.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is indeed a misunderstanding. Where would the Western Xia get that many troops?\" Liu Qi suddenly interjected, then raised his horsewhip to point at the wide river ahead. \"Military Governor, look. From here on, the Yellow River grows wider and wider, broader than even in Jingdong. But such width also makes the current gentle, convenient for crossing... However, because the river is so wide, crossing requires a great many rafts and sheepskin boats. So the Western Xia station troops at ferry points to guard the rafts and sheepskin boats, armed and serving as guards—this naturally became misreported as a navy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct.\" Qu Duan also chimed in suddenly. \"When I was young, I once saw the so-called Western Xia navy... Those Western Xia men on the river had neither proper boats nor decent water equipment. Wearing tattered sheepskin coats and carrying some cavalry bows, they were actually just laborers following the army for transport—looked down upon by everyone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Fei got the answer he wanted, then nodded heavily. After a moment, he turned his head to face Qu Duan, his expression still neither pleased nor angry: \"Commander Qu, can those barbarian cavalry ahead be quickly driven off?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Military Governor, don't joke.\" Qu Duan's expression also remained unchanged. \"Even ten thousand of my troops could drive off this kind of barbarian cavalry. But they have light equipment and excellent horsemanship, moving very fast and hard to chase. Once they scatter, they'll just gather again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know.\" Yue Fei was about to speak further. \"Please trouble Commander Qu to clear them first, so they don't delay our crossing of the canal mouth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Duan nodded but stayed mounted, asking on the spot: \"Military Governor, with such detailed inquiries, you clearly intend to abandon the Tang Canal and take the Yellow River instead?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\" Yue Fei still maintained a measure of respect toward Qu Duan, but only a measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But what does taking the Yellow River mean? Do you think we can't handle the increasing barbarian cavalry, so you plan to turn downstream, cross the river, and attack the undefended Lingzhou on the other side?\" Qu Da finally frowned, speaking seriously. \"If we're to attack Lingzhou, what was the point of having the entire army cross over at the gorge mouth? Such back-and-forth—how do we calm the army's morale? Military Governor, I have a word for you. Everyone came here partly for the immense merit ahead, wanting to accomplish great things, and partly with trepidation, fearing some mistake... Changing course now, abandoning Xingqing Prefecture for Lingzhou, while still a meritorious act, will, if I may speak bluntly, only scatter the army's spirit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, the options were few, and some things the surrounding officers had already considered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Yue Fei was a favored general of His Majesty, of high rank, one of the three great banner-bestowing commanders, and had always governed his army strictly. For this joint campaign of three armies, his own Imperial Army Vanguard needed no mention. As for the accompanying Imperial Cavalry and Central Army, though mostly from Guanxi, they had all been deployed around Dongjing and long knew this Commander Yue's temperament, qualifications, and abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, there was little disobedience up and down the ranks—rather, more fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, Qu Duan's point stood: since everyone had come this far, how could they abandon Xingqing Prefecture for some Lingzhou because of possible military obstacles?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attacking Lingzhou would surely cause discontent in the army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, once Qu Duan spoke, the surrounding officers, shedding their inhibitions, stepped forward one after another to dissuade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One said that going to Lingzhou would let the Khitans take advantage—the Khitans, all cavalry and camels, might march straight in from behind the Helan Mountains!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another said that Weiming Chage from the Hengshan direction, upon receiving news, would surely rush back to reinforce. If they really went to Lingzhou, the Western Xia reinforcements from Hengshan might return and trap them there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd urged repeatedly, but Yue Fei only reined in his horse in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, when those around gradually quieted, Yue Fei spoke calmly: \"You all think we should take the Tang Canal?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The generals knew the critical moment had come and nodded hastily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And if I take the Yellow River, you all think I intend to go another few dozen li downstream, cross to the opposite bank, and attack Lingzhou?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The generals continued nodding, but the sharper ones had already caught the flavor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Duan narrowed his eyes slightly, while Liu Qi and Hu Hongxiu exchanged a direct glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since we've come this far, we must press forward without hesitation, single-mindedly taking Xingqing Prefecture alone!\" Yue Pengju finally spoke sternly and solemnly. \"How could I go take some Lingzhou?! Hear my orders: cavalry drive off the barbarian riders, erect a pontoon bridge over the canal, the entire army crosses the canal mouth, and set up camp there! Ask no more, and allow no doubt!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The generals roared in response, and Qu, Liu, and the others dared not hesitate any longer... Yet while these men were invigorated by Yue Fei's declaration, they still harbored some doubt in their hearts, because Yue Fei still hadn't said whether he would take the Tang Canal or the Yellow River. His manner clearly implied he intended to let the baggage and troops travel by the Yellow River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if they were to take Xingqing Prefecture, why not advance along the Tang Canal instead of the Yellow River?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the commander's authority was absolute here. Any more talk would be beyond saving. Even Qu Duan absolutely did not want to stir up trouble at this time and place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for others, let them be. Only Vice Minister Hu Hongxiu, wrapped in his headcloth, accompanied Yue Fei on the high ground, reining in his horse to observe the battle. Under the afternoon sun, the Tang Canal's waters sparkled. Zhang Zhongfu personally led several thousand cavalry straight for the canal mouth, while Liu Qi led a thousand riders from the west in an attempt to outflank and encircle. Yet the barbarian cavalry spotted them, hastily fleeing along the Tang Canal. On the other side of the canal mouth, over a hundred newly arrived barbarian riders harassed them with crossfire across the river, forcing the Song Jun to dispatch a squad of divine-arm crossbowmen to scare them off... At this moment, Vice Minister Hu couldn't help but glance again at the Yellow River, several hundred paces wide, and suddenly had a flash of insight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, on the first day of entering the Western Xia's Xingling heartland, the Western Xia had only hastily gathered over a thousand barbarian cavalry. They inflicted no casualties, not even effective delay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Song Jun also succeeded in crossing the canal mouth before dark, entering the area between the Tang Canal and the Yellow River, then setting up camp directly... If the Hulu River was the outer shell and the gorge mouth the skeleton, then here they were truly in the Western Xia's inner core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the entire Xingling region, by this point, was like a beast stabbed in the belly with a knife, convulsing and struggling violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, the Song Jun camped with their backs to the great river and their fronts leaning on the Tang Canal, carefully arranging their encampment and resting early. Under the darkness, countless torches moved back and forth, howls mingled with the Yellow River's flow, and stray arrows flew from time to time—all signs that the Western Xia was mobilizing rapidly and converging swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is His Majesty's decree?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, within the brightly lit prefectural office of Western Xia's Shunzhou, Prefect Weiming Zhangli looked up in astonishment, clearly unable to believe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you think?\" The one delivering the imperial edict was none other than the Prince of Liang, also Grand Preceptor and former Privy Council Director, Weiming Anhui. For a person of his status to come by night was enough to show the gravity of the situation. \"Go handle it at once!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weiming Zhangli let out a sigh, seemingly still reluctant, clearly wanting to say something... but just then, another burst of urgent hoofbeats shattered the night, followed by shouts from outside the door. The two men heard clearly that it meant another Golden Guard escort was delivering some important personage here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anhui and Zhangli each rose solemnly to greet them, and moments later, under the lamplight, as a golden-armored warrior entered carrying a child of seven or eight, Anhui and Zhangli froze for a moment, then both shuddered, immediately knelt, and kowtowed heavily to the newcomer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His Majesty has an edict.\" The golden-armored warrior set the child, whose eyes were filled with panic, down on the ground. Unexpectedly, the child could not stand steady, so the warrior had to quickly take his hand, while with the other hand he pulled a golden token from his waist, threw it to the ground, and spoke without pause. \"Tell the two ministers that since the founding of the Great White High State until now, there has never been such a crisis... At a time like this, no one can be relied upon—we can only rely on ourselves! Tell the Prince of Liang not to delay, to gather as many tribesmen as he can, and swiftly go harass the Song army, to delay them as long as possible! Also tell Zhangli that I have no reinforcements to give him, and Anhui's troops cannot be split up. Instead, the Crown Prince is to be entrusted to him...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, the golden-armored warrior, his face covered in dust and not even having had time to remove his helmet, swallowed a mouthful of saliva before forcing himself to continue delivering the edict: \"Also tell Zhangli, to buy as much time as he can... And if the Song army truly comes along the Tang Canal, and Shunzhou cannot be held, then kill the Crown Prince for me, to compensate the people of Shunzhou! In any case, he must not fall into Song hands!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Prince of Liang, Anhui, kowtowed heavily, not even glancing at the bewildered child, and rushed straight out the door. Zhangli, who had no way to avoid it, also kowtowed heavily. When he raised his head, his face was streaming with tears. He stepped forward directly and gathered the eight-year-old Crown Prince Li Renxiao into his arms, only then declaring that he had received the edict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden-armored warrior swayed slightly and spoke in a low voice: \"It's not just the Crown Prince coming here. The Prince of Yue (Li Qianshun's youngest son) was also sent overnight to Lingzhou across the river.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, the man turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhangli, holding the Crown Prince in his arms and nodding through his tears, suddenly reached out and grabbed the other man: \"There is one matter that is truly difficult for the locals to handle. I need your esteemed presence to help.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warrior turned back in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The narrowest point of the Tang Canal is right next to Shunzhou city...\" Zhangli said with difficulty. \"It's only a little over ten paces wide... Even if it's just as a precaution, please take some men and block that spot! And not just there... After that spot is blocked, the downstream current will slow. On your way back, take the opportunity to have people block several more places... That way, if the Song army truly comes from here, it will be enough to delay them a little.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, even the golden-armored warrior was stunned for a moment, but then he nodded heavily and hurried away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Setting aside that night—how the Western Xia people cut off their own arm like a brave warrior, how they struggled with all their might—let us speak of the other side. When morning came, the Song army saw the surrounding barbarian cavalry disappear. Far from being pleased, they became even more solemn, because everyone knew that this very likely meant the Western Xia had already sent an authoritative general overnight to the vicinity, who had organized these barbarian cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Li Master had spread out his barbarian cavalry to scout ahead and soon brought back the exact answer: the banner of the Western Xia Prince of Liang, Weiming Anhui, who had been Li Qianshun's regent in the early years, had already appeared ahead along the Tang Canal line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, countless barbarian cavalry were gathering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, with the sky bright, Yue Fei did something else that left many people puzzled... One must understand that this was the golden time for covering ground and racing against the clock. Yet this Commander Yue began, taking advantage of the daylight, to extensively arrange the army's marching formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All troops were divided into small detachments by type.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, the cavalry was divided into the barbarian cavalry led by Li Master and the armored cavalry led by Liu Qi, Zhang Xian, and others. Both the barbarian and armored cavalry were further split into twelve squads each—the barbarian cavalry squads numbering fewer than three hundred, and the armored cavalry squads numbering five hundred each.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the infantry was roughly divided into three types: spearmen, crossbowmen, and sword-and-shield men. Each type had twelve squads, totaling thirty-six squads, each squad also numbering between three hundred and five hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These troops had the sword-and-shield men and spearmen forming square formations on the outermost flanks, with the crossbowmen slightly staggered on the inside, marching in formation. Meanwhile, the barbarian cavalry scouted and roamed outside the infantry, while the armored cavalry formed up behind the crossbowmen. The entire army was arranged in an orderly, staggered pattern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Qu Duan led the last two thousand cavalry and infantry in the center, forming the central army and also serving as the general reserve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, of the thirty thousand combat troops that had set out on this campaign—aside from Wang De's six thousand men in the rear, and the small number of troops left behind in Pingxia City and Xi'an Prefecture as garrison and decoy forces—the twenty-one thousand cavalry and infantry present here were all broken up and formed into this formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the various unit officers, from Liu Qi on down, including the Commanders and Deputy Commanders, were also designated—twelve men in total—and roughly divided according to their own troops, each taking command of one squad of spearmen, one squad of sword-and-shield men, one squad of crossbowmen, and one squad of armored cavalry... Moreover, when the barbarian cavalry were not acting as scouts but instead engaging the enemy, they too were divided into squads and assigned to these temporary commanders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the six thousand civilian laborers accompanying the army, a very small number were on the rafts steering, while the majority advanced along the river under the cover of the great formation, either pushing wheelbarrows or helping to tow the rafts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After fussing until late morning, the great army finally maintained this strange formation, abandoned the Tang Canal, and slowly advanced, hugging the great river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, by this time, Qu Duan and the others had vaguely realized something, and all their arguments and doubts had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The army advanced. In the afternoon, under the already somewhat sweltering weather, dust suddenly billowed up from the side ahead. Even without Li Master's barbarian cavalry scouts bringing the news to their front, Yue Fei and the others already knew that this must be the Prince of Liang, having hastily scraped together some troops, coming to harass them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pay them no mind. Keep the formation and advance without stopping.\" Yue Fei immediately gave the order. \"As arranged before, wait for them to attack!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's give it a try!\" Weiming Anhui, who had been up all night, wore a golden crown and looked exhausted. Now, in the daylight, his face, covered in wrinkles, was finally visible. \"Remember, all tribes are to be ready. Use arrows, shoot and leave. The various families and tribes haven't all arrived yet. We only have four or five thousand men. Don't get bogged down in battle!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All armored cavalry units, do not attack without orders!\" Seeing the barbarian cavalry trampling the green seedlings as they adjusted their ranks, the messengers at the central army also set out at the right time, relaying the most important military order on behalf of the commander. \"Follow your own sequence, listen to your own marching commander, and each commander is to act according to the original plan!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had the Song army's orders been passed down than on the other side, the poorly trained Western Xia tribal barbarian cavalry, seeing the Song army's marching sequence continuing, began to move out before their own comrades were in position... They had, of course, seen the mixed formations of spearmen and sword-and-shield men on the outermost flanks, and the armor on those peripheral soldiers. So they were not foolish enough to charge those formations. Instead, they galloped toward the gaps in the formation, preparing to shoot harassing arrows, or to seek out the Song barbarian cavalry circling around the formation's perimeter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as the first group of barbarian cavalry, dressed in tattered blue cloth robes and sporting shaved bird-crest hairstyles, galloped within effective range and were about to draw their bows, the Song barbarian cavalry on the opposite side suddenly turned around, withdrew through the side gaps of the infantry formation that belonged to their own sequence, and entered the formation. The undisciplined Western Xia barbarian cavalry, unable to rein in their horses, directly gave chase, preparing to loose their arrows onto the Song infantry formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, at that very moment, after the Song barbarian cavalry had turned into the infantry formation, a volley of arrows shot out from the gaps in the advancing sword-and-spear infantry formation to meet them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be fair, this counter-volley lacked a bit of the momentum of the Western Xia arrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem was that infantry bows had a longer range than cavalry bows, and the Song army's divine-arm crossbows and enemy-defeating crossbows and other traditional crossbows far outranged the opposing barbarian cavalry... More importantly, unlike the Song barbarian cavalry, who mostly had leather armor, whose officers were fully armored, and whose armored cavalry and peripheral infantry were all clad in iron armor, these hastily conscripted Western Xia barbarian cavalry were basically unarmored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, the arrows shot from the slightly slowed formation immediately struck down the rashly advancing barbarian cavalry, sending men and horses tumbling, blood flowing everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without needing orders, the Western Xia barbarian cavalry scattered backward in a roar. The leather-armored Song barbarian cavalry then surged out from another gap in the formation, pursuing the disorganized Western Xia barbarian cavalry. Many of the barbarian cavalry, caught off guard while trying to regroup, were shot down by the Song light cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, unlike the Western Xia barbarian cavalry, at the sound of shouts from behind, the vast majority of the Song barbarian cavalry did not linger in battle. Instead, they quickly swept the battlefield adjacent to the marching column, gathered usable warhorses, slaughtered the wounded horses and Western Xia soldiers, and transported the arrows and dead horses back into the marching column... This was roughly the case throughout the entire army, with one exception: a unit of armored cavalry had charged out, blocking the barbarian cavalry from engaging, and thus achieved no significant gains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, the Western Xia Prince of Liang, Weiming Anhui, who had found a small slope to observe the battle, stared blankly for a long time, then shuddered in alarm... It wasn't the loss that shook him; in fact, this engagement was just a probe, and he hadn't expected these hastily gathered tribal light cavalry to achieve anything. But the problem was that during this entire engagement, the Song army had not stopped advancing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was right—although the Song army had slowed down, the formation had been calmly moving forward throughout the entire battle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the most deadly part!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Every ten li, have the soldiers rotate to the outer layers in armor. The entire army advances without stopping. Today we will march forty li.\" Beneath the great banner inscribed with \"Utmost Loyalty to Serve the Country,\" Yue Fei, slowly urging his horse forward, looked at the sun, then glanced at the dust kicked up around Weiming Anhui in the distance, and calmly turned to Qu Duan. \"Tomorrow we march fifty li.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Duan, riding side by side with Yue Fei, did not respond directly. Instead, he seemed somewhat incredulous: \"It can actually work?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These are the Imperial Camp troops, with exemplary discipline.\" Hu Hongxiu, his face flushed, responded from the side. \"With such discipline, combined with a well-arranged formation, how could it not work? And the key is the Commander's far-sighted strategy—abandoning the Tang Canal and having the army march hugging the great river. The great river not only shields the baggage and laborers, but more importantly, it also screens half of the formation, preventing the Western Xia from circling around to find weaknesses. Moreover, it means we only need to defend one flank. Otherwise, how could we use such an emergency formation to screen the entire army's column? In my opinion, the greatest advantage of this battle lies in the march. Commander Yue's move was like a hornless dragon leaving no trace—advancing by hugging the river, he effortlessly smoothed over this greatest difficulty... Truly, he has the style of Li Yaoshi!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Duan nodded again... And who was Qu Da? Given his temperament, he was certainly not convinced by Yue Fei, so he might not agree with Hu Hongxiu's talk of \"Li Yaoshi.\" But he could also see that the greatest feature of Yue Fei's emergency marching formation was its reliance on the river. And this reliance on the river, though seemingly simple, was truly a case of great skill appearing clumsy. After all, anyone could set up such a marching formation to counter light cavalry harassment, but setting it up by leaning on the great river saved half the defensive troops, shielded half the vulnerable areas, and maximally reduced the burden on the troops, making it light and simple, thus allowing the march to continue without stopping. But if they had taken the Tang Canal, they would not have had this advantage; instead, it would have become a weakness... The Western bandits would harass them across the canal, which was only a few dozen paces wide, and might even force the Song army to split their forces, thereby exposing more weaknesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after nodding for a moment, seeing that Yue Fei was still looking at him, and Hu Hongxiu was also staring at him, he finally understood and directly shook his head: \"I know. That armored cavalry commander who pursued without orders is my subordinate. I will personally settle the matter to uphold military discipline!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, Qu Da spurred his horse forward, leading his personal guards straight to the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, the Imperial Camp cavalry commander, who had violated military discipline by ordering his armored cavalry to attack without authorization, was beheaded and his head displayed as a warning. Throughout this process, the more than twenty thousand men of the Song Imperial Camp army continued to advance without stopping, while Weiming Anhui in the distance watched with a fear that made his scalp tingle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day was the seventh day of the fourth month. Although they had set out very late, the Song army still managed to march over forty li before stopping at nightfall, then set up camp on the spot according to the formation layout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was conceivable that if they set out directly in this formation tomorrow morning, the Song army could cover even more ground—for example, fifty li should be no problem. But the problem was—of course, from the Western Xia perspective—that by this point, this great Song Imperial Camp army was only a little over a hundred li in a straight line from Xingqing Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at the same time, they only had hastily conscripted tribal light cavalry. But even with this type of cavalry, the sooner the Song army arrived before Xingqing Prefecture, the fewer of them would be available to commit to battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Send the Prince of Yue back.\" On the eighth day of the fourth month, with the sky already bright, Weiming Anhui, wearing his golden crown and having not slept all night, spoke to a golden-armored warrior beside him in a civilian house. \"Tell His Majesty that this Yue Fei did not take the Tang Canal, but came hugging the great river. The Prince of Yue didn't have time to be sent to the opposite bank... Also, explain the predicament here to His Majesty... Say that those who are skilled in war have no brilliant feats of merit. This Yue Fei, by using a marching formation, has forced me into a position where I cannot fight and dare not fight—truly formidable! Also tell him that although this old minister is incompetent, I am not afraid to risk my life. But once we engage, there may not be a sure victory. Instead, we would waste precious troops. If something unexpected then happens under the walls of Xingqing Prefecture, this old minister would be the eternal sinner of the Great White High State. Therefore, I must await a decree from him before I dare to stake everything on a single throw.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden-armored warrior, without a word, bowed and exited, carrying a child of only three or four years old. Once outside, he directly mounted his horse and galloped straight for Xingqing Prefecture... It wasn't a full army march; if he changed horses without stopping, he could arrive by afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Thanks to classmate Xue Luo Feng for the 130th sponsorship, and thanks to classmate Mousex for sponsoring again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Continue to offer up the new book \"Sun Ce's Ambition.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",5415,"2026-06-06T07:46:04.529Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","64eabdc575e17ce79b71499a049ac99b18bfc63f48ddc8a7c97a3ef7789c17bb","shao-song-chapter-318","shao-song-chapter-316",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]