Chapter 418: Heaven's Will

"Where are the Tangut and Mongol troops? Why haven't they arrived yet?!"

On the twenty-ninth day of the first month of the tenth year of Jianyan, at the base of a slight rise by a small river a few li south of Huolu County, a burly Song general in lamellar armor, furious and exasperated, brandished his saber with one hand and cursed.

Beside him, roughly two thousand Imperial Guard soldiers of the Song army were arrayed in formation along the riverbank, with their backs to the river and facing a stone bridge, fighting to hold their ground.

Further out, another two thousand armored Jin cavalry and infantry surrounded the slope, but they attacked unhurriedly from three sides, leaving only the area by the river untouched. It was clearly a deliberate ploy to lure the Song army into abandoning their armor and crossing the river, or fleeing across the stone bridge, so they could exploit the rout.

Opposite this small riverside slope was a large, prominent highland on the plain. On the lush green highland, a ten-thousand-household banner fluttered in the wind. Beside the banner, several thousand Jurchen iron cavalry stood motionless, poised to strike... This was the true crisis for Huyantong's unit.

"Are you sure it's Huyantong?"

The Jin commander on the highland was none other than the ten-thousand-household commander Tusu. Seated on his horse, he gazed into the distance, his tone unusually relaxed. "That subordinate of King Han?"

"It is indeed Huyantong." A Han Chinese *meng'an* officer, promoted in Great Ming Prefecture and clearly literate, also sat on his horse, shading his eyes with his hand as he replied with satisfaction. "This man has always been known for his reckless bravery. Priding himself on his elite troops, he grew arrogant and fell for such a simple baiting tactic. Charging alone to this side of the Taiping River, losing his light cavalry support, and approaching our Shiyi camp—he deserves this calamity!"

Tusu looked around and nodded, evidently quite approving of the Han *meng'an*'s words.

The reason was simple: from this highland, about six or seven li in circumference, where Tusu stood, he could clearly observe the surrounding terrain. The Taiping River originated southwest of Jingxing County, cut diagonally through two counties, and flowed into the Hutuo River northeast of Huolu County. The southeast and downstream side of the Taiping River, which the main Jin force occupied, though it had this highland, was generally flat. In fact, aside from this highland and the distant Shiyi camp, the entire southeast side of the Taiping River was almost a flat plain.

This level terrain extended southward for several dozen li until it reached Mount Fenglong, making it ideal for cavalry to gallop and provide support.

In stark contrast, the upstream and northwest side of the Taiping River, though it had some plains, was relatively narrow. Instead, distant valleys and hills undulated prominently—these were the remnants of the Taihang Mountains, the natural terrain advantage for Song infantry.

And Huyantong, having crossed the Taiping River alone and advanced to this spot, only twenty li from the Jin camp at Shiyi Town in Huolu County, was clearly courting death.

"Commander!"

A rider crossed the river via the stone bridge, which could only accommodate five or six horsemen abreast, and shouted loudly from afar to find Huyantong. Upon seeing him, he dismounted in a tumble and reported hastily. "Couldn't find the Mongol cavalry, nor the Tangut cavalry. Only found two thousand Khitan cavalry at the western mountain pass... Their leader, Yelu Nuge, promised to come to our aid, saying he'd arrive shortly, but he's only willing to support our retreat from across the river."

"Those Khitan dogs can't be trusted either!" Huyantong, having lowered his visor, veins bulging on his forehead, cursed crudely. "With the Jin dogs' main army pressing down, he's only willing to help from across the river—how can that be safe? Who knows how many of our men will die! Go find other reinforcements!"

The scout, already exhausted, said nothing, mounted his horse again, and rode off to seek more aid.

Yet, once the scout left, even Huyantong felt a sense of helplessness as a few somewhat disheveled officers exchanged glances.

In truth, this time it wasn't a matter of anyone refusing to help. Huyantong, trusting in his elite troops, had strayed too far from the main line and trapped himself. Before setting out, the central command had ordered him to establish a camp by the river as an advance post, but to be wary of the Jin army across the river. Yet, lured by the prospect of battle, he fell for the Jin's bait, crossed the river rashly, and was surrounded by the Jin cavalry hidden behind the highland.

Of course, this was no time to dwell on that. The key question was how to retreat.

Huyantong knew full well that in such a situation, even if the Khitan cavalry truly intended to cross the river and rescue them, they would likely be trapped by more Jin troops, resulting in even greater losses.

Most critically, this would not prevent his own men from becoming a meal for the Jin army on this narrow riverbank, just a few dozen paces wide.

These were over two thousand armored soldiers! An intact elite unit of the Imperial Guard Left Army!

Moreover, they were veterans who had served as the Emperor's personal guards on the Huai River and helped suppress Liu Guangshi. If they were lost here so easily, the consequences would be dire!

"Ten-thousand-household commander, congratulations! Huyantong is at the end of his rope."

The sun began to tilt westward. On the high slope, seeing several thousand Khitan cavalry gallop to the opposite bank but only linger there, the Han *meng'an* suddenly laughed. "If you can devour Huyantong's entire force here, wouldn't that match the feat of Ten-thousand-household Commander Wang Bolong from back then?"

Tusu looked around blankly, momentarily speechless.

Given the current situation, he was certainly pleased, but a Song Imperial Guard commander's unit and a ten-thousand-household force were hardly comparable, were they?

Moreover, a complete annihilation was impossible.

The only hope, the most reasonable expectation, was to continuously wear down the Song army, force them to abandon their position and flee across the river, then inflict heavy casualties. If they could claim a thousand kills, it would be a blessing from heaven.

Of course, if they truly achieved a thousand kills, that would indeed be a great victory.

Thus, though Tusu felt a momentary itch to argue, he didn't refute the point.

The spring breeze stirred, and for some reason, the air over the already greening fields felt oppressive. Huyantong quickly found new reinforcements—this wasn't difficult, as the northwest side of the Taiping River was hardly lacking in Song troops, just as the other side was hardly lacking in Jin troops. In fact, when Niu Gao's unit arrived at the riverbank upon hearing the news and joined forces with Yelu Nuge's Khitan cavalry, the Jin army also reinforced, with several thousand more cavalry and infantry gathering under Tusu's banner.

The situation remained overwhelmingly in the Jin's favor, or rather, Huyantong's unit was still in an awkward and desperate position.

In response, Niu Gao sternly refused the request to lead his entire force across the river for a rescue. Instead, he suggested to Huyantong that they use the stone bridge to transfer supplies and wounded, while he would send small groups of his own armored troops to reinforce and rotate, ensuring Huyantong's unit could hold their ground on the opposite bank. If they held out until nightfall and then retreated across the river, the losses would be reduced to a barely acceptable level.

Huyantong knew this was the most suitable and sensible plan under the circumstances, but he still found it hard to accept. This difficulty, however, was no longer just anger; shame had become a larger component.

After all, facing Niu Gao, a veteran commander who had been present at the Heyin oath-taking, he could no longer use excuses like the Khitan refusing to help to shirk his own responsibility.

Humiliated and enraged, this fierce general several times, while supervising the front line, was tempted to launch a suicidal charge and die on that highland.

However, after Niu Gao arrived and sent his personal adjutant to convey this plan, things gradually began to change. Specifically, as time dragged on and information became clearer, reinforcements from both sides grew.

There was no help for it—both sides had too many troops, too close together. In the already cramped area of Huolu-Jingxing, mobilization and concentration were far too easy.

Finally, when Li Yanxian's central banner and at least five commander units of cavalry and infantry appeared on the northwest side of the Taiping River, quantitative change triggered qualitative change.

Clearly, this seemed to be another large-scale standoff.

But this time, the Jin held the initiative. They had no reason to withdraw; they couldn't abandon the tempting target of Huyantong's unit. Upon seeing Li Yanxian personally leading over ten thousand elite troops to reinforce, not only did Tusu remain unmoved, but soon two other ten-thousand-household commanders, Wanyan Bendu and Shaohe, also arrived with more troops.

Three ten-thousand-household commanders, thirty thousand men—a force far exceeding tactical necessity.

Moreover, Wanyan Bendu, nicknamed the Golden Prince, was himself a commander-in-chief with the authority to direct the other two ten-thousand-household commanders. This meant both sides now had frontline commanders with the power to initiate battle.

Everyone sensed the change in the situation. The Jin commanders on the highland and the Song commanders on the narrow plain across the river all grew serious. The Jin, still holding an absolute advantage, could no longer remain at ease. Huyantong, still personally commanding the front line at the focal point of both armies, felt his scalp tingle.

But no one cared about Huyantong's psychological pressure.

As the sun continued its westward arc, reinforcements from both sides flowed in without pause. By the time Li Yanxian's Imperial Guard central army units had almost all arrived and formally deployed on this side of the Taiping River, the main Tangut light cavalry under Li Master, the main Khitan light cavalry under Yelu Yudu, and the main Western Mongol light cavalry under the Huerzhahu father and son, thanks to their light cavalry advantage, had all arrived before the infantry.

Following their traditional tactics, these light cavalry spontaneously gathered on both flanks and behind Li Yanxian's infantry formation. Due to a lack of discipline, many light cavalrymen directly attempted to approach from shallow spots, harassing across the river. This time, the Jin cavalry, with their hands untied, naturally didn't indulge the Song army, and small-scale cavalry skirmishes broke out at several shallow fords.

Of course, the Jin didn't show weakness either. As mentioned earlier, this spot was only twenty li from their Shiyi camp, which for Jin cavalry with tactical mobility was practically within shouting distance.

By the time the sun reached due southwest, the Jin had gathered five ten-thousand-household units on the highland—Elubu and Ali had also arrived.

Both sides maintained a fragile and dangerous balance.

The Song army, lacking numerical superiority, dared not cross the river easily. This time, the Jin, holding the initiative, also began to hesitate. Wanyan Bendu several times wanted to order a direct assault to eliminate Huyantong's unit, but never gave the order.

The desire to order an attack was understandable, because this standoff was different from the last—this time, the Jin truly held the advantage.

The Taiping River, deep enough in some spots for horses to swim across and shallow enough in others to wade through, was a small stream that wouldn't even appear on a map, incomparable to the Mianman River. Yet, unexpectedly, it now provided the Jin with a powerful tactical advantage.

But the Golden Prince also had reason to fear. Once a large-scale advance began, even without him or Li Yanxian on the opposite side giving the order, their troops could easily spiral out of control, triggering a full-scale battle.

At that point, tactical advantage aside, the scale of the conflict would become completely uncontrollable. Song light cavalry would swarm across the river, followed by heavy infantry under their cover. The Jin, unable to restrain their positions, would also cross at the shallows, attempting to crush the Song light cavalry from both flanks and then encircle the main Song formation. But the Song wouldn't sit idly by; they would bring in more reinforcements, and the Jin would commit more troops.

A great open-field decisive battle, already anticipated by all but unprepared for by everyone, would ignite in an instant.

Wanyan Bendu lacked the courage to ignite this battle, so he had already summoned Wanyan Wushu.

However, Wushu's arrival didn't break the fragile balance, because just as the banner of this Great Jin ruling prince appeared behind the Jin lines, Han Shizhong's banner also appeared in the upper reaches of the Taiping River. His troops, already more than ten li away, had raised their iconic bronze masks, clearly prepared for battle long ago. Thus, Wanyan Wushu immediately turned around and began a second large-scale riverside standoff with Han Shizhong.

Not only that, but as the two main battle groups took shape, Jin Wushu also pulled the E'lu Bu division from the high ground to concentrate at the junction of the two large troop formations on the high ground's flanks.

On the other side, the Song light cavalry immediately adjusted as well. The most reliable Li Master division was placed at the junction between the two great banners, while Yelu Yu and the father-son pair of Hu'erzha Husi were deployed further out to the flanks.

Messengers shuttled constantly between the two great banners, while more orderlies continuously dispersed and gathered beneath them, transmitting the commands of the two Military Governors.

The sun sank further westward. A large number of Jin infantry arrived and formed ranks in the original position of the E'lu Bu division. After E'lu Bu departed with his cavalry, they vanished behind the high ground... There, Marshal Wanyan Balisu had long since been waiting in silence with over ten thousand pure cavalry, each man with three horses. The banners of Wanyan Huonü, Wanyan Poushu, and Wulin Da Taiyu were all there. E'lu Bu's withdrawal brought the trump card in Balisu's hands to a total of twenty thousand men.

Yet the Jin army still had not ordered a general assault on Hu Yantong.

This time, the reason was not that no one dared to make the decision, but that after Balisu and Jin Wushu communicated, they both took note of the sun's position... The sky was growing darker, and gradually somewhat overcast... Compared to Hu Yantong's single isolated unit, they had to ensure the army did not lose control due to darkness.

No one wanted to fight a chaotic night battle.

But no one could control the situation either. Just as Balisu and Jin Wushu formulated a plan for the main force to withdraw slightly, but to use local numerical superiority to launch a surprise attack before dark to swallow Hu Yantong's unit and secure a predetermined victory... things suddenly spiraled out of control.

What triggered it all was another Song relief force from the northwest.

The weather grew even more overcast. When the Imperial Dragon Banner of His Majesty Zhao Jiu appeared in the northwest, along with a relief force no smaller than the two main groups beneath the great banners, there was neither a favorable view of banners fluttering in the wind, nor the spectacular sight of sunlight glinting off golden scales like a sea of armor... That was a spectacle reserved for Li Yanxian's arrival.

But as the Dragon Banner came into view of both sides, the situation directly spiraled out of control. Each unit instinctively straightened up and entered a combat-ready state, but the Mongol cavalry, the worst disciplined, went too far. One of their units directly launched a surprise attack from a weakly defended shallow ford toward the opposite bank.

Then, a scene that made everyone's heart tighten, yet which they had long anticipated, appeared. The two armies, already tense from the hasty confrontation, directly lost control. Units from both sides launched attacks from the shallow fords and bridges at the front line, and the battle quickly expanded, churning the battle line for over a dozen li.

Military orders and tactics all became useless.

Zhao Jiu himself probably never imagined that his arrival would produce such an effect.

Even Wu Da, who had arrived with the Dragon Banner, was momentarily lost in confusion.

And that wasn't all. As the Imperial Dragon Banner was planted behind Li Master's division, a muffled thunderclap suddenly sounded... By conditioned reflex, everyone thought it was a large cavalry force attacking, that the Jin had long since sent men to ford the river upstream or downstream.

But His Majesty Zhao Jiu, who had just climbed onto a high-framed cart, looked around and saw no obvious dust clouds on the flat plains on either side.

In fact, after hearing the thunder, even Balisu, who had been lurking behind the high ground, was stunned. He also thought a large cavalry force was ambushing from somewhere... Could it be Qu Duan's cavalry coming from the flank or rear?

Soon, both sides realized what was happening. This was real thunder. Before evening, the clouds grew mottled and gradually thickened, then spring thunder rolled, the sky darkened, and rain fell like a torrent.

No one wanted to fight a messy battle, but the sudden thunderstorm turned this battle directly into a messy one!

Lightning, rain, and dusk easily erased the last possibility of conveying orders and controlling the troops, while also sobering up the units already locked in combat, from top to bottom, from the fever of war.

Before hearing the thunder, Han Shizhong had almost directly ordered the entire army to cross the river and engage Jin Wushu in a full-scale battle. Hu Yantong was also preparing to charge directly at the high ground.

But as the rain fell, accompanied by the sound of thunder and rain, the sound of gongs—impossible to tell which side they belonged to—both sides' engaged troops began to consciously withdraw.

However, during the withdrawal, the routes of both sides and the disposition of friend and foe became completely blurred. Skirmishes broke out everywhere.

And one thing was very clear: since the Song army had initiated the battle and some units had crossed the river, they were destined to be the side that suffered greater losses in this messy battle.

Spring thunder rolled, the wilderness stretched endlessly. Zhao Jiu stood on the cart, letting the rain wash over his face, also falling into a state of bewilderment.

He couldn't help it. Anyone faced with this situation would probably be dumbfounded. And in this situation, besides being dumbfounded, there seemed to be nothing else to do. Once the rain fell, he could only see the battle situation clearly in a flash of lightning.

The battlefield was too large! There were too many troops!

"Your Majesty."

Wu Jie steadied His Majesty Zhao Jiu from one side. "Please get down quickly... High places attract lightning. Erecting a lightning rod to avoid it was something Your Majesty mentioned in the Imperial Gazette."

Zhao Jiu then snapped back to reality and hurriedly dismounted from the cart, only to find that everyone around him, including himself, was clad in metal armor. He was speechless.

"Your Majesty." Once His Majesty Zhao Jiu was on the ground, Wu Jie's tone was somewhat low. "Your servant is ashamed."

"What does Wu Jinqing have to be ashamed of?" Zhao Jiu quickly shook his head. "Heaven wants to rain, a mother wants to marry off her daughter—who can control the rain? Besides, even if this messy battle causes us more losses because of this river, it won't result in a truly significant loss of combat power... But regardless, we must do something now, not just rally the troops. Rallying the troops is the duty of the Prince of Yan'an and Li Shaoyan. We also need to do something to ensure morale doesn't falter."

"Your Majesty." Wu Jie opened his mouth to respond, his tone increasingly cautious, yet also appearing exceptionally resolute. "These past two days, we have advanced in full force, pushing the battle line forward. Today's events show that both sides have been pushed to their limits, with no room for maneuver left. Even with today's rain, it only barely maintains the situation along this Taiping River... Under such circumstances, the more tense it is, the more we cannot retreat. Therefore, we must first establish a stockade on this side of the river to facilitate troop deployment, while also ensuring there are no Jin strongholds on this side of the Taiping River!"

Zhao Jiu thought for a moment in the rain, then suddenly spoke: "I remember that before today's news arrived, you were originally going to have Li Yanxian lead his troops to take Huolu County Town? Isn't Huolu County Town on this side?"

"Yes."

"How far is it?"

"Over a dozen li from here, but not directly to the northwest. It's slightly to the east of here, only five or six li from this Taiping River."

"How many defenders are inside?"

"One *meng'an*..."

"Are you certain?"

"Your servant is certain."

"Take it! Take it immediately, braving the rain and feeling our way in the dark. We'll spend the night in Huolu County Town today, and use this town as a center to establish a large stockade... Have Liu Yan personally supervise four Commanders to go, scale the walls on all sides, and capture it in one fell swoop!"

"Yes!"

The military order was hastily passed down. The front line was still in chaos. In the rain, Zhao Jiu couldn't help but ask again: "Wu Jinqing, why did the Jin army abandon Huolu County Town and instead establish their stockade around Shiyi Town?"

"Before today, your servant only thought they valued the flat, leak-proof terrain around Shiyi, or were worried that our army would use gunpowder to blow up the city walls, damaging their morale... But upon arriving at the front today, I understood instantly." As he spoke, Wu Jie pointed towards the southeast, across the river. "Your Majesty, has Your Majesty noticed that high ground on the opposite bank of the river?"

Zhao Jiu had noticed jack shit!

He was still dazed.

But that didn't stop him from immediately noticing that high ground with a flash of lightning.

"Your Majesty, that should be the only high ground on the opposite bank. It's two or three li from the river and over a dozen li from the Shiyi camp." Wu Jie replied seriously. "About six or seven li in circumference."

"I understand now." Zhao Jiu suddenly realized. "They weren't targeting Shiyi, but this high ground. The opposite bank is all flat terrain, with only this high ground standing alone. If they could occupy this high ground during battle, as they have now, they could look down from a height, grasp the situation on all sides, and dispatch cavalry to sweep and support at any time... This is the battlefield they chose."

"Your Majesty's judgment is keen." Wu Jie nodded in agreement, but then elaborated slightly. "But it's more than that... In such a large battle, one cannot pursue a fixed tactic. Today's situation of using the high ground to suppress our river-crossing troops and launching attacks at leisure is certainly possible... But it could also be using that high ground as bait, deliberately luring our army to attack. And our army, needing the field of vision and tactical advantage, would have to attack even knowing it's a trap. By then, when our reinforcements behind us are exhausted by the river's advance, they would concentrate their main force to sweep in, devour our troops on the high ground, and retake it."

"I truly understand this time. Anyway, with the high ground here and the Taiping River here, if we attack, they defend. The initiative is in their hands. They'll never lack tactical options... Isn't that right?"

"Your Majesty's judgment is keen." Wu Jie repeated the phrase once more.

Lightning flashed again. The wilderness was hazy, and even the high ground across the river appeared blurred.

Zhao Jiu, now completely soaked, looked towards the opposite bank, shaking his head in the rain: "Regardless, let's wait until the rain stops and Qu Duan assembles... He should be here in a day or two... We'll make plans then, no need to rush."

Amidst the rumbling thunder, Wu Jie seemed to want to speak but stopped.

PS: Thanks to An Zong for the Silver Alliance, thanks to Xiao Tang Sheren for the Supreme Alliance... The latter is this book's 202nd Supreme Alliance.