[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-384":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},1558550,2024,"Chapter 384: Like Thunder, Like Lightning","shao-song-chapter-384",384,"\u003Cp>In the morning, as Han Shizhong began to mix his second bowl of lamb and bread, some Jurchen cavalry had already finished donning their armor, and the battle officially erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right from the start, the Song troops holding the roadblock camp were plunged into a bitter struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was only natural. In this era marked by heavy iron lamellar armor, almost all tactics revolved around heavy armor and armor-piercing... and the foremost part of this Song army only had leather armor, fundamentally unable to match the hastily armored Jurchen warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the Jurchen cavalry's close-range heavy arrows and their infantry assault, aside from the camp that was their greatest reliance, these Song troops could only defend with wooden shields and obstruct the attack with spears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they were utterly unable to inflict effective casualties on the Jin army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, on their own side, a single careless moment could see them finished off by an arrow from a Jurchen rider or dismounted knight who had gotten close enough to loose a heavy arrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no help for it. With those Jurchen heavy arrows, if you got hit, you were either dead or combat-ineffective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was truly just suffering losses and being ground down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at this time, the elite troops of Han Shizhong's force, hidden behind the stone walls, ditches, palisades, the steam, and these leather-armored volunteers, were only eating and sitting idly. They even maintained silence and chewed slowly under their officers' orders... Only a few, clearly young faces, would occasionally look up toward the due east, the combat zone, for a brief glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was certainly not callousness, nor was it merely a matter of Han Shizhong's strict military discipline. It was more because the Beiwei Army and the Cuipian Army were truly extraordinary. They not only enjoyed the best treatment and equipment of the Imperial Guard Left Army, but also underwent the harshest training and maintained the strictest discipline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, as the two units Han Shizhong had first formed after escaping from Hebei, they had experienced nearly every major and minor battle since the Jianyan era, suffering crushing defeats and winning victories alike. Even with constant replacement of soldiers, they could be said to possess an excellent combat tradition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it is worth noting that the Beiwei Army never specifically referred to guard cavalry, nor did the Cuipian Army specifically refer to a crossbow unit... In a sense, both unit designations were extremely common.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name Beiwei Army originated from the Western Xia. Whether \"Beiwei\" specifically meant tall stature or carrying a wine flask or shield didn't matter; after a century of entanglement between the Western Army and the Western Xia, it had become a general term, usually referring to a general's personal guard. It just so happened that Han Shizhong had always been skilled with cavalry, so after he rose to prominence, he chose to make his Beiwei Army a cavalry unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In stark contrast was Zhang Jun. After Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun also formed a Beiwei Army, initially led by Tian Shizhong. Later, after Tian Shizhong effectively took over much of the daily operations of the Imperial Guard Right Army, it gradually passed to Zhang Zigai in recent years... And this Beiwei Army was a typical heavy-armored, long-axe unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond that, under the Commanders and Deputy Commanders, similar small-scale elite units were often selectively established. Though they lacked the name \"Beiwei Army,\" they were essentially the same in practice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, later, when Yue Fei rose to prominence and became a Corps Commander, the Beiwei Army he reorganized was also cavalry. This led to the misconception, in both this alternate timeline and the current Imperial Guard Army, that the two most famous and numerous Beiwei Armies were cavalry, creating the illusion that the Beiwei Army equaled guard cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, even at the level of a commander-in-chief, not everyone established large personal guard units. Wu Jie didn't have that habit, but he would habitually concentrate the crossbows and cavalry scattered among various units for each battle... \"Stationed Volley\" was the specific term for this tactic of concentrating crossbows and rotating fire without pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then at Fangzhou's Qiaoshan, Wu Jie used this very tactic to shoot through Tuhesu's foot and make the swaggering Salihe across from him cry. Then, the \"Crying Lord's\" reputation spread through official dispatches, truly becoming famous across the land, even reaching Dali, who knew that the Jin had a \"Crying Myriad Household.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Cuipian Army, it was simply a unit within the Imperial Guard Left Army that concentrated the use of crossbows. Like the Beiwei Army, it wasn't a specific designation, as \"Cuipian\" was also a common unit name. It was just that Xie Yuan, styled Shanliang, who led this unit in the Imperial Guard Left Army, was an old brother of Han Shizhong's from their days in the Bao'an Army, spanning decades. As the Deputy Commander, his treatment and training were excellent, and he never missed a battle, which made the unit particularly famous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy cavalry, heavy infantry with long axes, heavy-armored crossbowmen... These elite Song units didn't appear out of nowhere. They were elite forces specifically designed to counter Jurchen heavy cavalry, learned at the cost of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of Song soldiers' lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name they used truly didn't matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shanliang, I recall your home is nearby?\" Han Shizhong held his bowl, slowly swallowing a mouthful of soaked bread, then took a light sip of lamb soup, looking at Xie Yuan as if making conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sixty li.\" Xie Yuan held his bowl and jutted his chin toward the battle line due east. \"Follow the Fenshui River over, it's north of Camel Ridge, south of the Fenshui. I think it's still under Ji County.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That close?\" Han Shizhong was momentarily surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Close or not.\" Xie Yuan used his chopsticks to stir the soaked bread... he had put in too many flatbreads... and responded helplessly. \"Left home for the Bao'an Army in northern Shaanxi when I was a teenager. At twenty-six, when I became your Deputy Company Commander, I moved my family over... Maybe there are still childhood friends, relatives, old acquaintances. But if I hadn't come right to the doorstep, I might not have remembered it was here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Shizhong was silent for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan ate a couple more bites, then seeing Han Shizhong like this, he frowned back at him, bowl in hand: \"What's wrong with Fifth Brother today? Don't tell me after resting these few years, you can't stand the sight of blood? Listen to me, what can we do now? We didn't bring double sets of armor... Even if we had, it's too late, and they wouldn't be used to it...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Shizhong shook his head: \"That's true, but if only we could have given these volunteers more iron armor back then!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The volunteers were going to hole up in the mountains; giving them iron armor then would have been useless... Don't you know that? And wasn't it you who gave the order just now? Was the order wrong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now you're playing the Bodhisattva?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan was about to retort like that, but he glanced at Han Shizhong, who was lowering his head to eat his soaked bread, then glanced at the constant commotion due east. In the end, he kept silent, continuing to chew slowly and drink his lamb soup and eat his soaked flatbread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, the two of them led the Cuipian Army in slow, deliberate eating for about a quarter of an hour. By then, the heavily armored Jin troops had already reached the palisade, meaning the outer ditch had been partially filled, the stone walls breached, and the Gushan volunteers forced to retreat to the last line of defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Heng, wearing a helmet that was clearly a bit too large, ran over nervously. Han Shizhong had already returned to his usual calm expression and handed his empty bowl to him: \"This lamb soup is really good. I'd trouble Commander Zhang to get me another bowl.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Heng, dazed, took the bowl with his bloodstained hands, then came to his senses and nodded heavily: \"Will do!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he turned and left directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he was gone, Han Shizhong immediately glanced sideways at Xie Yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Shanliang understood. Without getting up, he directly gave orders to the officers beside him. After the orders were relayed down the chain, the Cuipian Army began to don their armor on the spot and prepare their crossbows, arrows, and other equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a short wait, Zhang Heng returned with a bowl of lamb soup in both hands. Han Shizhong took the hot soup without a word, reached into a nearby basket for a flatbread, tore it apart, and soaked it in the soup as before... The Beiwei Army, which had also started eating, followed suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Han Shizhong wasn't speaking, and noticing the Cuipian Army soldiers starting to don their armor, Zhang Heng also silently turned and hurried back to the front line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another half-incense stick later, as more and more Jin troops reached the palisade and began trying to destroy it, the Cuipian Army was fully prepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Shizhong glanced at Xie Yuan once more and finally issued a new order: \"Don't lower the visors yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan understood, nodded, and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the early winter morning, the weather was slightly cold. The steam from the large-scale lamb soup cooking rose into the sky, forming a mist. Beneath this mist, as Xie Yuan departed, the three thousand fully armored Cuipian Army soldiers, led by their officers at various levels, rose one after another. Then, in battle formation, carrying nearly a thousand crossbows and multiple quivers of bolts, along with some spearmen and sword-and-shield men, they surged forward with a roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This army might not have been the most elite among the three hundred thousand Imperial Guard troops, but it was undoubtedly one of the finest in the Song army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I saw it long ago—these men should be the rebel troops from Gushan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same moment, far to the rear overseeing the battle, Wanyan Salihe gripped his horse's reins, a look of disdain on his face. \"What use is a set of leather armor? If they don't hide in the mountains, how dare they block my army on the road, and try to scare me with Han Shizhong? The front is about to collapse, and they're still boiling water so diligently in the rear?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several Meng'an and Mouke officers chimed in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One said it was because there were too many wounded, forcing them to boil water to extract arrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another said it was a ruse from the Song military manuals, the \"increasing stoves\" trick, pre-arranged to make it look like a large army was eating in the rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But most were simply contemptuous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard not to be, because everyone understood what Salihe meant... Back when the Jurchens first took the Two Rivers region, they had no idea how to govern. In Hebei, the Eastern Route Army simply enfeoffed Meng'an and Mouke units to the local areas, and since these units had administrative power, Hebei almost instantly regressed into a slave-like state. This caused a massive exodus of Hebei commoners, regardless of social status, who abandoned their homes and businesses to either go up into the Taihang Mountains or flee south across the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It also forced the then Jin ruler, Wanyan Wuqimai, to hastily issue an edict forcibly halting this historical regression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Hedong here, the Western Route Army had better military discipline. Incidents like the Eastern Route Army treating Han Chinese as gambling chips were indeed rare. But the problem was that Nianhan was a harsh administrator... During his time, there were laws like merchants not being allowed to travel more than thirty li a day, the hair-cutting edict, execution for stealing a single coin, or even for picking up a single coin on the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All sorts of bizarre temporary laws were basically stricter than military law. To make matters worse, the Yan-Yun Han Chinese sent to serve as officials generally harbored a grudge against the Han Chinese of Song territory, often using these laws as a pretext to abuse the populace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these circumstances, not only ordinary people but even powerful local landlords couldn't endure it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The so-called harsh laws of Hedong, the enfeoffment slavery of Hebei, plus the forced population relocation from northern Hebei and northern Hedong to the regions beyond the passes—these three things directly triggered the massive outbreak of the Taihang volunteer armies and prevented the Jin army from effectively governing the Two Rivers region for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this isn't to engage in political reflection, but to say that the Jin army and these volunteers were old acquaintances. As soon as they saw their equipment and heard the accents in their shouted commands, they immediately knew their origins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hence, their contempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, one Khitan Mouke couldn't help but express doubt: \"They should indeed be the rebel troops from Gushan. But wouldn't they know that with only leather armor, they're only good for moving in the mountains? How dare they block the road instead? Aren't they afraid of death?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salihe sneered even more: \"You ask me? Who am I supposed to ask? Maybe they were forced by some big Song official!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is exactly what I mean.\" The Khitan *mouke* actually nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salihé was slightly startled, then after a moment's thought, he also grew serious: \"Taishinu, are you saying that these rebels in Gujishan might not be here willingly... Either they have Song troops behind them forcing them to flee, using official rank to control these rebel leaders and forcing them to fight a delaying action, or someone has tricked them into believing reinforcements are coming?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct.\" The Khitan *mouke* called Taishinu nodded without pause. \"That is the most likely possibility, but there is another... *Wanhu*, could there actually be elite Song Imperial Guard troops here? Shouldn't the Song army have thought to station a force to hold this position?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Impossible...\" The one who interrupted him was not Salihé, but another Jurchen *meng'an* who had just returned from the front line. \"I just went to see for myself. All the fortifications are in the ditches and palisades facing the road. Looking inside from a distance, though the fog and dense palisades make it hard to see clearly, you can still tell there aren't even any tents in the rear. This camp was thrown together hastily... If there really were a main force hiding behind, even with a few thousand laborers, how could it be like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The scouts who went ten *li* ahead this morning said the same thing.\" Another Jurchen officer spoke up, confirming this assessment. \"They said the Song troops are few in number, their equipment is a motley assortment, the camp is empty, but the palisades and ditches blocking the road are long enough to completely cover our line of advance...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salihé nodded slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What I mean is, there might be some Song Imperial Guard main force, but not many, so they're letting the mountain rebels die first... This would make us careless and underestimate the enemy, and also lure us deeper.\" Taishinu finally grew impatient and blurted out his concerns in one breath. \"Then they suddenly attack, inflicting casualties...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So they first use Han Shizhong's name to send us mutton soup and flatbread?\" Salihé interrupted him, lost in thought. \"Then, when we're caught off guard and take losses, we'll think Han Shizhong has really arrived here? And might be disheartened enough to retreat?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other *meng'an* and *mouke* all pondered this for a moment, and many nodded along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Khitan *mouke* called Taishinu was about to speak again, but unexpectedly his superior, the Khitan *meng'an* called Yelu Yizhen, laughed and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Taishinu is just speculating after all. In my opinion, it's nine out of ten that the *Wanhu* is right—it's the Empty City Stratagem from those Han storybooks... Just think about it. We came on a surprise raid from the rear under the cover of the *Dutong* (Balisu). The rebels in Gujishan might have noticed, but how could the Song Imperial Guard main force possibly know?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yelu Yizhen is right.\" Salihé also laughed. \"And even if it were true, it wouldn't matter... If he'd said Wang Sheng or Xu Shian, or Wu Jie from across the river, I might believe him a little. But he shouldn't use Han Shizhong to scare us... First, we know better than some Gujishan rebel where Han Shizhong is. Second, Han Shizhong is a famous general of the realm, a proper Marshal, the so-called number one man in the Song army. Why would he personally come to block us? It's probably just some ignorant rebel leader, a local strongman who knows nothing and has only heard of Han Shizhong, so he's blabbing nonsense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yelu Yizhen quickly forced another smile, and the others laughed along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taishinu was helpless, knowing full well that this temporary army was half Jurchen and half Khitan, an awkward mix, and that Yelu Yizhen was trying to protect him... He could only force a couple of dry laughs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before the laughter died down, a great shout rose from the front line, followed by a dense volley of sharp whistling sounds, then screams, whinnies, gongs and drums, battle cries, and cheers in succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The finale was a single, orderly whoosh of arrows cutting through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without extensive combat experience, these Jin officers realized what had happened. The road offered no cover, and the carnage in front of the distant palisades was fully visible. Crossbow bolts from *Kedi* bows had even flown to within a few dozen paces of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chaos lasted for a while. The main Jin force at the front was in disarray, but bound by discipline, they dared not retreat and reform on their own. After enduring another volley of *Kedi* bow bolts, the Jin officers watching from the rear woke up as if from a dream—the frontline commander had likely been sniped in the first exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, a *meng'an* spurred his horse forward and blew his horn, temporarily taking command, which finally calmed the chaos at the front. But the offensive also came to a halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin soldiers hastily withdrew to reorganize. Hundreds of wounded Jin troops were carried back, their wails filling the air. Salihé and the other officers stared in stunned disbelief, then couldn't help but all look at Taishinu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taishinu opened his mouth to speak, but in the end, not a word came out—given the casualties before him, he would rather have been wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, the Jin army's combat discipline was not entirely absent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some officers, risking their lives, had already crept forward to scout, while others took the opportunity to question the retreating soldiers. They soon reached a conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, professionals see the craft while amateurs see the show. Unlike the cheering Gujishan volunteers, the Jin army had already discerned from those three volleys the number of crossbows, the uniformity of their firing, and the intervals between shots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had even noticed that the impact points of the Song army's three volleys were all tactically optimal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the answer was clear—the Song army not only had a main force stationed at the Fenshui Estuary, but it was definitely an elite unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing this, the Jin generals all turned to look at Salihé.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salihé's face was ashen. Sitting on his horse, he was already thinking of retreating... because those three volleys instinctively reminded him of the Battle of Qiaoshan, of Wu Jie's \"Stationed Volley Arrows.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That scene—arrows flying without cease, raining down like a storm, while the elite Jin troops could barely advance an inch, forced to take a beating with mounting casualties—had long been etched like a nightmare into the heart of this once-promising Jin *wanhu*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, reason reminded Salihé that even if the Song army had an elite crossbow unit waiting here—and judging by the absence of the bronze faceplates that were a hallmark of Han Shizhong's troops, it might well be their old rival Wu Jie from across the Yellow River, who had gathered the elite that once used the \"Stationed Volley Arrows\"—it still wouldn't be like the Battle of Qiaoshan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that battle, the Song army had an absolute geographical advantage: they held the high ground, forcing the Jin army to attack uphill; the road was narrow, forcing the Jin army to advance in dense formation; and the mountain was rugged with jagged rocks, with a prefectural city across the river pincering the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, there had been a main force of over a hundred thousand Song troops roaming ahead, and with Wanyan Loushi in poor health, the Jin army couldn't coordinate front and rear. But now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this wide road, with flat terrain, and a full two *wanhu*—a solid hundred *mouke* of cavalry—concentrated here, it would be absurd to retreat after just one probe!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he did, even if the Fourth Prince had already reached Jingxing, he might not be able to save him from Balisu's wrath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to fight in earnest!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salihé forced himself to stay calm. Sitting upright on his horse, he issued a series of orders. He appointed a trusted Jurchen *meng'an* as the new frontline commander, with thirty *mouke*—three thousand cavalry and infantry—to replace the first wave and continue the assault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he urgently detached another fifteen hundred cavalry, who dismounted and entered the hilly terrain south of the battlefield, attempting to bypass the palisades and attack from the flank and rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn't a narrow pass like Tieling Pass; it was a passage on the south bank of the Fenshui. Bypassing it was only a matter of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, he couldn't forget that sharp-tongued Khitan *mouke*, Taishinu. Because of him, Yelu Yizhen's *meng'an* was appointed as the vanguard for the flanking maneuver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he inevitably ordered men to quickly go to the rear to cut wood and fetch firewood, boil water in their helmets on the spot, and help the wounded soldiers remove the crossbow bolts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though somewhat hasty, it had to be said that Salihé's arrangements were quite thorough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jin army, from top to bottom, also quickly steadied their nerves and attempted to continue the attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But from this point on, they would have to pay a steady and continuous price in casualties. The *Kedi* bows and *Shenbi* bows, which could pierce lamellar armor at a hundred paces, were no mere decorations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Jin army really isn't what it used to be.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Jin army launched another wave of attack, Xie Yuan returned from the front line to report, but didn't mention any specific military intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How so?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Shizhong sat on the ground holding an empty bowl, with Zhang Heng, who had just been pulled back, at his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the old days, even if the Jin were just feinting, once the order was given, they would surge forward wave after wave, disregarding casualties. We would often be crushed by them.\" Xie Yuan frowned. \"But in this situation, the Jin front line can't even be called a feint. Once they saw their comrades moving on foot toward the flank, they started slacking off...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Shizhong finally seemed a little tense: \"They're not filling the ditches, not pushing the stone barricades and palisades?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They're filling the ditches and pushing the stone barricades, but they won't get close to the palisades.\" Xie Yuan shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Getting hit by bolts up close is different from getting hit from afar. It's only human nature.\" Han Shizhong seemed to accept this. \"When I fought the Jin in the old days, I always found it strange... Why could the Jin all be so fearless of death, so willing to fight and kill? And why were we all so cowardly, fleeing at the first sight of them? Now it seems the Jin are also human. Given enough time and enough thought, they too fear death and hardship. We've been through a lot and thought a lot, and we've gradually stopped being so absurd... But still, we're human. Not as perfect as the official gazettes make us out to be. We make all the same mistakes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we'd had the pay and equipment back then that we have now, how could we have lost the Two Rivers?\" Xie Yuan finally let out a scornful laugh. \"As for making mistakes... To put it bluntly, even if everyone were loyal ministers and good generals willing to die for the country, all heroes, given the gradually improving situation now, wouldn't they still have to argue over seating order and precedence? Otherwise, even if they died and were enshrined in Yuetai, their incense offerings would be a cut below.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're right. This isn't the time for mutual forbearance for the sake of the country.\" Han Shizhong thought for a moment, nodded slightly, but then slowly shook his head after glancing at Zhang Heng, who clearly couldn't join the conversation. \"But the Two Rivers are still not recovered, and it's not time to rest either... Commander Zhang!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First dismantle the southern palisade, then go wait at the eastern side and clear the camp ground. Be ready. After the Jin troops circling around from the south are repelled, I'll give you the order. Then you act: pull down the front palisade yourself, push over our own stone barricades, and fill in our own ditches! Also, assign some men to help the *Beiwei* Army watch the warhorses!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood!\" Zhang Heng quickly acknowledged. After a moment of silence from the other, he cautiously pressed further. \"Is there anything else you need me to do, Your Highness?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go get me another bowl of soup. I'm out of flatbread too. Find me one specifically.\" Han Shizhong handed him the empty bowl, his expression unchanged. \"I've always had a big appetite...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Heng was stunned for a moment before hurrying to take the bowl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Han Shizhong finally jerked his chin toward Cheng Min, the *Beiwei* Army Commander, who had already finished eating. The latter understood and immediately set to work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun was climbing higher. Although this battle was a meeting engagement, the Jin army had to don their armor beforehand, then charged the front only to abort halfway. They then pinned their hopes of breaking the defense line on the flanking force that was circling through the rugged southern terrain, planning to launch a pincer attack when the time came. This had wasted a considerable amount of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time Zhang Heng's unit hastily toppled the crude camp wall on the flank and turned back eastward, the only person left calmly sitting in the camp was Han Shizhong, the Commandery Prince of Han, eating his fourth bowl of mutton soup with soaked flatbread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, he ate very, very slowly, but even so, by the time the bowl was empty, he had only just waited for the Jin army approaching from the north.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the bright sun, the morning moisture had dissipated, gradually clearing the view, and also causing dust to roll up from the ground in the combat zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, when this vanguard of the Jin army, which had dismounted to go around, finally struggled through the ravines and hills, crawled out of a mountain gully covered in mud and fallen leaves, and saw the Song army camp appear before them in full view, they were all instantly stunned and dumbfounded—inside the Song camp, whose flank palisade had been torn down, three thousand fully armored soldiers with bronze masks sat in neat ranks, while behind them in the camp, and even behind the camp, were packed with no fewer than six or seven thousand warhorses and livestock!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's the Beiwei Army!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few simple elements, plus that bowl of soup from before, made the leading Khitan Battalion Commander Yelu Yizhen blurt out almost involuntarily. \"The front is the Cuipian Army! Han Shizhong is really here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Engage!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Min did not hesitate for a moment. He immediately stood up, drew his sword, pointed south, and said succinctly. \"Forward! Kill!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding officers immediately waved flags to transmit the order, and the three thousand Beiwei soldiers fighting on foot, seeing the order given, advanced in neat formation, charging straight at the Jin army that had arrived in disorder from the flank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Taishinu, you go back!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the critical moment, amid the Song army's battle cries, the Jin Battalion Commander Yelu Yizhen, who had arrived first, had no time for lament. He turned directly to Taishinu beside him and gave the order. \"Tell the two Battalion Commanders behind not to come and die. Then quickly retreat the same way and inform the Battalion Commander that Han Shizhong is really here! Both the Beiwei Army and the Cuipian Army are here. The Hezhong route is impossible!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, without waiting for Taishinu to react, he let out a fierce shout, drew his blade, and charged straight at the Song army's top elite, who outnumbered him several times over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taishinu was visibly stunned for a moment. His instinct was to chase after him, but when he turned and looked around at the few hundred men who had arrived first, they were in scattered formation, exhausted from crossing the ravines and hills. Only a small half followed their Battalion Commander in the charge; the rest showed fear on their faces, hesitating and unwilling to advance. In the end, he just stamped his foot, turned around, and crawled back into that mountain gully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attacking a smaller force with a larger one, meeting the enemy rested after a long march, plus the psychological shock prepared in advance—Han Shizhong didn't even glance at the flank battle. He just held that already-empty mutton soup bowl, putting on airs, drinking endlessly... who knows what he was actually drinking... but it was enough to fill everyone who saw this with confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the battle cries suddenly erupted on the south side of the camp, on the main front due east, the Jin army finally launched another fierce attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thousands of Jin soldiers, under the command of their respective officers, surged back and forth, wearing heavy armor, charging forward in wave after wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The already battered stone walls were completely toppled, the ditches were filled in on the spot, and thick Jurchen heavy arrows were fired in dense volleys, crossing in the air with the Song army's crossbow bolts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just a moment, small groups of Jin cavalry approached the palisade, engaging the Song army at close range with heavy arrows fired from horseback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Song heavy-armored crossbow unit, which had suddenly surged forward, began to suffer proportional casualties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait a little longer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan, standing on a hastily piled earthen platform behind the palisade, looked back at Han Shizhong sitting there drinking air, then at Cheng Min's unit just returning from the south, turned around, and gave the order. \"Wait a little longer for the face masks!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait a little longer...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several hundred paces away, Wanyan Salihe withdrew his gaze from the front line, lowered his head to look at Taishinu, who had hurried back to report to him. \"Wait a little longer... Maybe Yelu Yizhen was wrong... The attack on the front is going smoothly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taishinu raised his head, his face full of grief and indignation: \"Is it because we are Khitan that the Battalion Commander does not believe us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could Han Shizhong possibly be here?\" Salihe heard the bad tone and quickly explained, though he didn't know who he was explaining to. \"Even if he detected our movement from behind the Commander-in-Chief and came immediately, he would have to go around from Hezhong Prefecture... How could he have arrived before us? I'll say it again—did he fly here or what?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taishinu was both angry and anxious, to the point of standing up and planting himself there. But he couldn't possibly know that Li Yanxian was thoroughly familiar with the terrain of Hedong and had predicted the enemy's movements based on the situation, so Han Shizhong had set out two days early and could arrive first despite the longer route... So, thinking it over, he ultimately didn't know how to convince the other man and could only grind his teeth. The surrounding Jin officers, helpless and growing agitated, all turned their eyes to the main battlefield ahead. Some of the impatient ones couldn't hold back and spurred their horses forward to observe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the result of their observation was just as Salihe had said. Although casualties continued on the front, the attack was indeed going smoothly. More and more Jin assault waves had already directly reached the main palisade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that palisade was tottering, seemingly on the verge of being overwhelmed at any moment, after which the cavalry could follow up and massacre these Song troops on the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Han Shizhong did it on purpose!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Taishinu, after grinding his teeth and watching the dust on the front line for a while, seemed to suddenly think of something. He gave up agonizing over the timing issue and ran over to grab Salihe's horse's neck. \"Battalion Commander, Han Shizhong is turning the tables and imitating the Fourth Prince's battle on the Huai River!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" Salihe was completely confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We want to make a swift raid. To get the cavalry through, we have to smash and pave the way along the route!\" Taishinu explained hastily from below the horse. \"So Han Shizhong sits still, waiting for us to take casualties while filling in the road, making it convenient for his Beiwei Army to charge out! Then it will be a narrow encounter, and he will drive us back!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If he wanted to charge head-on with the Beiwei Army in a narrow space, why waste so much effort hastily building walls?\" Salihe was also getting exasperated. He jabbed his horsewhip directly at the other man's helmet. \"Taishinu, you're a criminal who followed Yelu Yudu to flee to Western Xia and then came back. If Yelu Yizhen hadn't recommended you out of old friendship, and Yelu Ma Wu wasn't soft-hearted, how could you still be messing around in the army... And now you're spouting all this nonsense?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taishinu grew even more anxious upon hearing this. He let go of the horse's neck, paced in circles on the spot, and then suddenly had another realization:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Battalion Commander, the Song army must be in two groups. One is a ragtag blocking force that built these walls; the other is Han Shizhong leading the Beiwei and Cuipian armies in a hasty reinforcement. But because they are exhausted, they simply use a deception to make us level the walls for them while they rest and eat in the rear... putting on a calm appearance!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salihe listened blankly, thought for a moment, and still instinctively maintained his objection: \"Still not right... If it were the Cuipian Army, why don't we see the bronze masks?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" Taishinu didn't follow the other man's logic for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I mean, these crossbowmen blocking us right now clearly don't have bronze masks. They are clearly crossbowmen hastily assembled by Wu Jie...\" Salihe seemed to have grasped some formidable argument, as if refuting the other man would earn him some kind of achievement reward, and spoke with urgency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So what?!\" This time it wasn't Taishinu, but a Jurchen Battalion Commander beside him who also came to his senses. \"Battalion Commander! What difference does it make whether the crossbowmen in front are Wu Jie's Garrison Volley or Han Shizhong's Cuipian Army?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If it's the Garrison Volley, not the Cuipian Army, then the ones behind are pretending to be Han Shizhong...\" Salihe quickly explained again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bronze masks can be put on at any time!\" Taishinu, hearing only half of it, finally lost his temper as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salihe was finally stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Taishinu was still indignant: \"Battalion Commander, don't you understand yet? Starting from that bowl of soup, Han Shizhong did it on purpose, to make you disbelieve that he himself had arrived here. That way, when he personally leads the Beiwei Army charging out, you'll panic and dare not fight!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salihe was about to say something more when he suddenly heard a loud crash from the front line. The Song army's crossbow bolts had inexplicably become denser, forcing the entire Jin force back, and there seemed to be some other development.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, a Company Commander galloped over and reported directly: \"Battalion Commander, the Song army has suddenly all put on their face masks, all dark red bronze masks. Our Battalion Commander told me to inform you that the force in front must be Han Shizhong's Cuipian Army... Make a decision quickly, and be careful!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, the Company Commander galloped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding Battalion and Company Commanders, upon hearing this, all looked grim. They fixed their gazes on Salihe and Taishinu, who was still on foot beside Salihe's horse. Taishinu said nothing, his expression solemn, and directly mounted his horse. At this moment, Salihe was stunned on the spot, feeling his hands and feet turn cold, his mind empty, and his words stuck in his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at least he didn't cry again this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good soup!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While all this commotion was happening a few hundred paces away, in the empty camp, Han Shizhong handed the soup bowl to Zhang Heng, put on his helmet, fastened his armor clasps, and calmly mounted his horse. Around him, Cheng Min and the others had already returned and also remounted, exchanging their weapons for long spears, lining up and preparing, awaiting orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's time.\" After glancing at the Beiwei cavalry around him, Han Shizhong reached behind his waist, pulled out his bronze mask, put it on, and then spoke to Zhang Heng again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon receiving the order, Zhang Heng did not personally relay it, nor were there any horns or drums. He simply raised the already-dry soup bowl high in the air and made a downward-chopping motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, the Gujishan militia, who had been prepared, pulled the ropes and exerted force together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came a thudding sound that echoed through the river valley, kicking up countless clouds of dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Shizhong said nothing. He just reined in his horse with one hand, took out his long spear with the other, flicked off the spearhead cover, and charged straight into the dust. His personal guards surged forward to escort him. Then, without waiting for Cheng Min to give the order, the three thousand mounted Beiwei soldiers all surged forward together, following their Commandery Prince in a charge eastward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the earlier thudding sound had stirred up countless dust clouds. Outside the dust, the Jin army was still bewildered when they heard the thunder of hooves, followed by the shouts and cheers of who knew how many men, and then the volley fire of Ke Di bows and Shen Bi bows, throwing them into even greater confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unexpectedly, iron cavalry with bronze masks, gleaming weapons and bright spears, shot out like an arrow from a bowstring, piercing through the rolling dust, coming from west to east, straight at them, like a thunderbolt from a startled bowstring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In such a situation, how could any man withstand such momentum? After three bowls and four bowls, enduring and biding his time, striking with all his might, he seized the will of the three armies and decided the outcome of victory and defeat!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with this charge, by the banks of the Fen River, within the dust, the Jin soldiers on the very front line believed, a moment earlier than Salihe, that Han Shizhong was here! The Prince of Han was here!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few hundred paces away, although the rolling dust on the front line made it impossible to see the specific situation clearly, the thunder of hooves was enough to jolt Salihe awake. Then, thousands of Jin soldiers fled in panic, hastily grabbing horses and retreating, shouting either \"Beiwei Army\" or \"Han Shizhong,\" which finally made him fully realize the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meeting on a narrow path, the vanguard had already collapsed. Facing this situation, Salihr glared hatefully at the Taishinu before him, who had long since gripped his weapon, then turned his horse and fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Taishinu was dumbstruck. He stared blankly toward the east for a moment, then glanced at the northeast. But seeing the dust clouds rolling in, he could only turn his horse around hatefully and leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xie Yuan!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Han Shizhong, having already smashed through the caught-off-guard Jin Jun mounted knights before him, did not rush to cut them down. Instead, he turned directly toward Xie Yuan's approximate previous position and shouted vigorously through the dust. \"It's done!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm here! I saw it!\" Though separated by the dust, Xie Yuan could almost imagine how Han Shizhong, who had been putting on airs for most of the day, was now flaunting his might, standing with his halberd amid the dust. He quickly replied. \"Fifth Brother, give the order!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have the Cuipian Army go back and mount up! Follow!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the dust, Han Shizhong's voice was like thunder and lightning, piercing everything. \"Your road is shorter. Today, I, Han Wu, will see you home first!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dust rolled eastward, and behind the dust and the bronze mask, Xie Yuan did not reply for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: The character setting has Zhao Jiu's birthday in March. There are activities in the new month's book review section... Everyone, please participate enthusiastically!\u003C\u002Fp>",6919,"2026-06-06T07:46:04.529Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","460500c3a7ea91eb8f0c3fc067df549d4698bef8dd5f0c12876c95e25259fe13","shao-song-chapter-385","shao-song-chapter-383",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]