[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-425":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},1558591,2024,"Chapter 425: Collapse","shao-song-chapter-425",425,"\u003Cp>For now, let us set aside the relief of Boli Su and speak only of that earlier moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, the Jin army burst out from three sides in neat formations, with overwhelming momentum, all heavy cavalry, including six units of the so-called Iron Pagodas—fully armored cavalry, the so-called Hezha Meng'an—and having rested and sharpened their vigor for nearly half a day, their morale was naturally high, carrying an air that could swallow the hundred thousand on the high ground and reverse the entire situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the Song army held the high ground, had a numerical advantage, and more importantly, had already gained the momentum of an overwhelming victory across the board—how could they be easily shaken?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at this critical juncture, an unexpected situation arose: on the southeastern side of the high ground, the main cavalry forces of both sides suddenly and unpreparedly exposed themselves to each other face-to-face... The Song Jin Imperial Guard cavalry, both heavy and light, were all here, as were the western part of Boli Su's forces and the eastern part under Wanyan Poushu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, driven by the factors of terrain, time, and troop positions, the large heavy cavalry units of both Song and Jin abruptly erupted into a rare, large-scale, head-on charge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly rare... When the Jin army charged the Khitans over a decade ago, they still needed to place hard-armored infantry in the middle, flanked by Guaizi Ma on both sides, advancing layer by layer in short charges—let alone between Song and Jin? Let alone on such a scale?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it happened, and it was fast, fierce, and bloody, with countless casualties and a sudden, massive reduction in numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those knocked off their horses by lances, those smashed from their saddles by cavalry war hammers, a very few who collided head-on and tumbled together out of control, and the most common kind—those who lost control and fell due to the so-called mud, slipperiness, corpses, horses, and obstacles under immense battlefield pressure... But regardless of the cause, anyone who lost control of their horse in this charge was either dead or combat-ineffective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive reduction in cavalry suddenly occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, to be honest, the victor of this charge was undoubtedly the Jin army... Otherwise, there would be no scene of Boli Su sweeping away the troops before him, climbing the slope, and witnessing that 'one throw' of the Song army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But returning to the present, when the Jin Marshal Boli Su personally saw the enormous threat appear in his field of vision and resolved to take a gamble, he couldn't help but immediately discover a serious problem—he had clearly won the previous frontal cavalry engagement, yet he was unable to effectively gather his troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boli Su's tone was calm and serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Although the Song cavalry is weak, they are scattered but not routed, just biting at our rear and refusing to let go,\" a Meng'an, who had clearly just ridden in from the rear, replied anxiously. \"And there are also Tanguts, Tangut light cavalry everywhere, along with some Mongols and Khitans, all helping those Song heavy cavalry bite us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another Meng'an couldn't help but explain in a low voice: \"Marshal... that charge just now was too intense. Although we had the advantage, our troops on the western side and that bastard Wanyan Poushu's troops on the eastern side have gotten all tangled up with the Song cavalry. We simply can't separate them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boli Su suddenly understood in his heart, but instead of getting angry, he laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be fair, if that massive charge had occurred on an open battlefield with only cavalry involved, the outcome of the battle would likely have been decided by now—the Jin army would have won, the Song army would have lost, followed by the Song army's collapse and a large-scale Jin pursuit, resulting in a typical great victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boli Su had experienced too many such great victories in his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at this moment...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boli Su didn't even need to look closely to know what was happening—the entire battlefield, centered on the high ground, was actually a vast area roughly bounded by the Taiping River and the Jin army camp. This place was certainly large, even excessively so, but as a decisive battlefield for two great empires spanning ten thousand li, it still felt very crowded, especially after they had successively committed hundreds of thousands of troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, on such a battlefield, with both armies bloodthirsty, at the core of the battlefield, with a camp ahead, a river behind, a dragon banner on the high ground, and five-colored sun-holding flags on the slopes... surrounded by allies and enemies everywhere, after triggering such a charge, even if there was a slight difference in victory or defeat, what then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if one wanted to pursue or flee, where could one pursue or flee to?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True pursuit and flight probably require the complete collapse of one side to begin... That charge just now, though earth-shattering, was not enough to seal the fate of the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's fine, gather as many as you can,\" Boli Su said after laughing, then turned to look north. There, that iron dragon had clearly begun to enter the battlefield, forcing Boli Su to change his strategy. \"Then go find Elubu, tell him to join up with me as much as possible. If he can't join, then advance side by side with me... Tell him that although this Song army unit is strong, its weakness is obvious: the formation is too thin, only four ranks. As long as he can maintain a dense formation, he can easily pierce through this Song snake formation, forcing them to halt their advance and then form a defensive formation. And if we can meet behind the Song army, we will still hold the key to victory in this battle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Also, Yelu Ma Wu and Wanyan Wolun, tell them I know they are suffering, but now is not the time to dwell on certain matters. Have them dispatch as much cavalry as possible to follow, whether following Elubu or me, and they must exert their full strength... When Elubu and I clash with the Song army, once we break through, no matter which side, they must immediately detach all their cavalry, let Yelu Ma Wu lead them to follow in the rear, and leave only the infantry to Wolun to maintain the battle line.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After these orders, the officers received their commands and dispersed. Boli Su no longer paid attention to the fact that some of his rear cavalry were being bitten by the Imperial Guard cavalry. He directly waved his flag northward, heading towards that iron dragon of the Song army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding Jin cavalry also tried their best to gather behind that five-colored sun-holding flag... Jin cavalry kept arriving, and Jin cavalry on the periphery and rear kept stalling due to the biting attacks of the surrounding Song troops... But overall, they managed to maintain a core, sizable, high-morale, energetic, elite cavalry battle group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, two Hezha Meng'an units on the forward flanks continuously suppressed and drove away Song army formations attempting to block them, preventing a large-scale ambush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overall, although it was difficult, Boli Su still used his prestige and command ability to drive a top-tier Jin elite cavalry formation, advancing at the fastest possible speed towards that wall-like, forest-like Song lamellar armor formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the other side was also coming towards them without pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The drizzle continued. At the commanding height of the battlefield, Zhao Jiu watched this scene expressionlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, when he saw the Jin cavalry formation emerge, this His Majesty had momentarily changed color, but soon, before the Song lamellar heavy infantry had all marched out, even after that charge, he had returned to that expressionless seated posture and made no further sound. Now, he was simply sitting in the rain, back to the northwest, facing southeast, slightly tilting his head to watch the two so-called 'final throws' approach each other... He even refused the telescope offered by Liu Yan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No other reason—at this moment, nothing else was needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who saw these two units, or even just one of them, would realize that this was the final decisive battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From early this morning until now, after a bitter half-day's struggle, the outcome of the entire battle; or rather, from late autumn and early winter last year until now, after more than four months, the gains and losses of this three-hundred-thousand-strong northern expedition; or even, since the Jingkang Incident, after ten years of war between the two countries, the final national destiny would be decided by the result of the battle within the next hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, aside from the shouts and rumbles from the surrounding battlefield, it was remarkably quiet under the dragon banner. Under the drizzling rain, not only Zhao Jiu was silent, but also Han Shizhong, Li Yanxian, and most of the close ministers and officers. Even those advisors, though clearly somewhat flustered, dared not speak, merely shivering in the rain as they watched everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Wu Jie calmly observed the situation, occasionally summoning a general from behind in a low voice, ordering him to take his troops to fill a certain position or advance, or finding the remaining Red Heart Cavalry to directly issue orders on how a certain unit should act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the gentle slope east of the high ground, Boli Su, whose mind had cleared since seeing that iron dragon of the Song army, naturally knew that the Zhao Song Emperor could see him, Han Shizhong could see him, Li Yanxian and Wu Jie could see him, and everyone under the dragon banner could see him... But he didn't care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And somewhat unexpectedly, as he led this unit—whose exact number was impossible to count due to the chaos—slowly advancing towards the Song 'iron dragon', he couldn't help but compare the current situation to that charge of Loushi's before Mount Yao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the cavalry formation behind him, in terms of troop strength and elite quality, seemed almost identical to the formation beside Loushi that day, even the two Hezha Meng'an leading the way were the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Song army facing him also seemed similar to the core troops under Mount Yao that day, and both sides had large, locked-in formations beside them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as he advanced, Boli Su felt there was something fundamentally different from Mount Yao... At first, he thought it was a formation issue, but there was no help for it—the battlefield was too crowded. Even if he wanted to form a circular formation like Loushi's, the objective conditions wouldn't allow it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, although it was a high ground with slopes, this kind of plain high ground was still flatter and more open compared to the plateau terrain of Mount Yao. A circular formation wasn't necessary, and the charging conditions were still decent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if it wasn't a formation issue, what was it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking for a moment, Boli Su suddenly laughed to himself behind his faceguard... What else could it be? Nothing more than the Song army being different now from the past. The heavy infantry formation ahead, advancing like a wall of forest, was simply too strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he relied on the thickness of his cavalry formation to break through a section, it wouldn't stop the remaining Song troops from forming a new formation or continuing their advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a natural disparity in troop numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this thought, Boli Su carefully examined the Song iron dragon again, and his heart suddenly leaped... Because in the short span of this quarter-hour of advance, that Song wall of faceguards and forest of axes had suddenly thickened by a layer, like some living monster!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, Boli Su thought he was seeing things, but he silently counted on horseback and was shocked to find that the Song formation had indeed thickened... Many places now had five ranks, and some local areas had clearly six ranks!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, when Boli Su saw that the Song iron dragon had inevitably become curved during its march, he felt relieved... This should be a stacking effect caused by the formation's curvature. No wonder the Song army used such a thin formation—they must have foreseen this scenario and still wanted to ensure coverage of as wide a battle line as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, as Boli Su watched the Song wall of faceguards and forest of axes make contact with a still-engaged local battle group, he could no longer deceive himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he personally saw the Song troops in that battle group being absorbed and merged into that iron dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Steady! Steady!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the rain several li away, Yang Yizhong was drenched in sweat, speaking incessantly. The usually taciturn man had probably spoken more today than in the entire previous month, and every word had to be roared out, yet he was completely unaware of it. \"Advance! Advance! Clear the way! Clear the way! Fall in at the rear and follow!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the roars of Yang Yizhong and the hundreds of officers arrayed in this wall of faceguards and forest of axes, this elite force of twenty-four thousand lamellar heavy infantry, gathered from the entire empire, finally displayed a visible battlefield dominance before everyone's eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wherever the iron dragon passed, the chaotic battlefield was instantly 'swept clean'. The Jin army completely collapsed and turned to flee; while the Song army was jubilant, either pursuing vigorously before the iron wall or falling in behind it to follow... Moreover, due to the redeployments, heavy-armored long-axe soldiers were rarely seen elsewhere on the battlefield, but countless scattered heavy-armored long-spear warriors, upon the call of army officers, directly joined the formation from the rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's right—on the swept battlefield, the Jin army was utterly routed, while the Song army unhesitatingly joined and merged into this wall-like, forest-like long formation, becoming part of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Song army swept and advanced, the Song troops along the way almost immediately filled and thickened this originally somewhat thin iron dragon. The greatest weakness of this wall-like, forest-like heavy infantry formation in Boli Su's eyes was disappearing at a visible speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the two sides were about three li apart, having already swept through nearly half of the eastern front, the Song army's main formation had gathered at least half of Li Qiong's troops and two command units of the Imperial Guard Rear Army, making the formation a full thickness thicker, and it was still absorbing and reorganizing all eastern front Song forces at an ever-increasing speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Bolisu suddenly came to a full realization... he had been wrong from the very start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason the Song army had adopted this seemingly flawed thin formation was that they had never counted on using a mere four ranks to sweep everything away or bear everything. This \"final throw\" was merely a means, a way to transform the Song army's previous advantage across the entire battlefield into a winning momentum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Including the earlier march route of the Zhao Song sovereign, setting out from Shiqiao, gathering the troops before him and surging onto the high ground—in essence, it was all the same idea: in the eyes of the Song commander, what decided victory or defeat was always the entire Song army on the whole battlefield! They wanted to gather everyone's strength to crush the Jin army!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only by gathering the strength of all Song troops could they crush the fourteen Jin Wanhu units and six Hezha Meng'an on the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In stark contrast was him, Bolisu—he had actually placed all his hopes on a desperate charge by a mere twenty-some thousand cavalry!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a war staking the entire nation—what had he been thinking?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why hadn't he first helped Yelu Ma Wu and Wanyan Wolun? Why hadn't he joined up with Elubu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did it take until now to realize this truth?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding Jin cavalry had also vaguely sensed something, but it was too late. As a Hezha Meng'an ahead smashed through a small Song infantry formation of only a few hundred men, a direct path to that wall of armor and axe forest suddenly appeared before Bolisu, who was still seething with shame and anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an opportunity, and perhaps also a road of no return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bolisu advanced slowly, his heart starting to pound again, tension rising. He couldn't help but glance toward the high ground to the west. There, the two commanding heights were still in Song hands, especially the highest point further west, where the dragon banner still swayed faintly in the rain. This meant that Wanyan Poushu and Huonü had not even reached it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that was normal—how much time had passed? It would have been strange if they had charged up there. Besides, to smash that dragon banner would be no different from smashing through over a hundred thousand Song troops on the high ground and the western front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, even Loushi couldn't have charged through! Unless the entire Jin army rallied and charged together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could they rally together?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they turned back now, wouldn't it only hasten the collapse of the eastern front?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The whole army, follow me forward! Meet them, meet them!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the Five-Colored Sun-Embracing Banner, Bolisu, his mind churning with a hundred thoughts, withdrew his gaze from that dragon banner, turned to look back, and had no more hesitation... or rather, at this point, he had no other choice. Only by first crushing the enemy before him could he consider anything else. \"The enemy is right before us!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Bolisu spurred his horse forward and led the Five-Colored Sun-Embracing Banner directly north, picking up speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once this banner, representing the Jin commander-in-chief, was set in motion and led from the front, all the Jin cavalry on the eastern front had no more second thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the surrounding Song troops displayed a completely different posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the direct north, the Song long-axe heavy infantry formation quickly halted and reorganized, while the Song formations following behind began to rapidly assemble toward the exposed gaps, serving as reserves to guard against a breakthrough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the eastern front, Li Qiong's troops suddenly stopped their movement of merging into the main formation behind them, instead striving to maintain their formation. The area where they fought against Yelu Ma Wu and Wanyan Wolun instantly became more intense, both sides gritting their teeth. Further east, Elubu, almost hugging the camp, did not hesitate either. Ignoring the heavy Song army formation at his side, he directly accelerated to apply pressure, clearly intending to coordinate with Bolisu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking west, around the area east of the two commanding heights on the high ground, the exposed Imperial Guard Central Army units of Zhang Qi and Niu Gao maintained a solemn silence, clearly preparing their forces. Behind these two formations, in the middle of the two commanding heights, the Imperial Guard Left Army's Beiwei Army, which had rested for half an hour, also began to redeploy on the high ground, seemingly ready to come to support if necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the south, some of the heavy and light cavalry that had previously sortied as a large cavalry formation also suddenly accelerated, under the commands of Liu Qi, Zhang Xian, and Li Master, almost following without pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accelerating, closing in, the Hezha Meng'an ahead, driven by the Five-Colored Sun-Embracing Banner behind, suddenly launched at full speed. One unit turned straight ahead into a vanguard charge, while another turned upward into a barrier, trying to resist the pincer attack from the high ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhang Qi's and Niu Gao's troops, looking down from their height, were completely unmoved. They abandoned their positions together and poured down from above, charging with infantry formations at full force toward the flank of the Jin cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the first to engage was still the north. Before the flanking Song infantry arrived, the Jin cavalry had already reached full speed, and then it was like waves crashing against the shore, churning up a thousand piles of snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leading Hezha Meng'an, ten Mouke, about seven or eight hundred Iron Pagodas, had no conventional cavalry tactics to choose from. Carrying a certain death-defying resolve, with a sudden burst of battle cries, they drove straight in like a living battering ram, plunging headlong into that Song \"wall.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They easily broke through the first row of axe forest, and the long-axe heavy-armored warriors facing them were almost completely annihilated, trampled under hooves. One commander died directly in battle. A considerable number continued to break through the second row of spear forest. By this time, the casualties among the Jin Iron Pagodas were very obvious—the long spears thrust diagonally into the wet mud severely hindered the warhorses. A few broke through the third row of axe forest, even fewer crossed the fourth row, and even the fifth, but only a handful made it past the sixth row... and by this time, the Song army had laid out a full ten rows of spear forest at this spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Failing in the first charge, this Iron Pagoda unit naturally tried to pull its men back, but the Song troops on both sides had already split into two columns. Led by two commanders, they closed in from both sides. With vengeful battle cries from the Song troops, long spears easily pinned down the Iron Pagodas, which had lost their speed. Long axes were raised high, cutting down men on horseback and hacking at legs below... The Iron Pagodas, seemingly invincible at any time, had inflicted massive casualties with their initial charge, but once they lost their mobility, they in turn became prey to the long-axe and long-spear heavy infantry's slaughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long-axe heavy infantry combined with long spears had always been the nemesis of heavy armored cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this from afar, still advancing at high speed, Bolisu's heart trembled slightly, but he showed no sign of slowing down. Instead, he mustered all his strength, shouted battle cries, and led the main force behind him charging into the Song troops who were slaughtering the Iron Pagodas, once again inflicting massive casualties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But because of the stalled Iron Pagodas ahead, they failed to break through the Song iron wall. Moreover, as flags waved along the battle line, more long axes and long spears, personally led by Yang Yizhong and Zhang Zigai, folded in from the wider flanks on both sides, attempting to envelop more Jin cavalry, including Bolisu himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bolisu's unit's warhorses were already ordinary armored cavalry, not fully barded cavalry. Long spears could more easily restrain the horses, and large axes could more easily hack off horse legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once they were clamped in, it would be a thorough slaughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the Jin army could not sit by and let this happen. The Jin cavalry units further back struggled forward, trying to rescue them. The Iron Pagoda unit tasked with blocking the high-ground pincer force also directly turned their horses around, apparently utterly loyal to Bolisu. But this directly triggered something even more terrible... Losing their restraint, Generals Zhang Qi and Niu Gao recklessly drove their formations down, almost following that Hezha Meng'an to pin the flank of the Jin cavalry formation. At the same time, the Imperial Guard cavalry, both heavy and light, swarmed in from the rear. Cooperating with Li Qiong's troops already on the other side, the four-sided forces actually locked the entire Jin cavalry formation firmly in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at the same time, more long-axe heavy infantry and long-spear heavy infantry folded in from both sides again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bolisu and his elite cavalry were completely trapped in the Song army's steel forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, on the eastern front, no one cared about Elubu or Yelu Ma Wu anymore. Even Yelu Ma Wu and Elubu were trying to reestablish contact with Bolisu, but Li Qiong was not too willing to allow it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no miracles or surprises. The one closest to the water got the moon first—it was still the Song army. Countless Song troops, under the command of Wang Yan, Yang Yizhong, Zhang Zigai, Li Qiong, Liu Qi, Zhang Xian, Li Master, and even Yelu Yudu, surged in from all directions, layer upon layer, like wrapping a zongzi, clamping down on Bolisu's unit from all sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of wrapping was certainly not a complete encirclement, but it was enough to deprive Bolisu's unit of the possibility of large-scale, organized maneuver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, after about two quarters of an hour, Bolisu's unit lost a great deal of space and speed for movement, like a prey that had fallen into a spider's web and lost its life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, that was exactly the case... the charge just now had proven that cavalry without mobility were prey for the Song army's armored wall and axe forest, waiting only for slaughter or total collapse and flight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that the Grand Marshal of the Jin nation under that banner?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A squad of Song cavalry pressed in from the rear, but instead of honestly blocking the retreat, they galloped across the slope, cutting into the Jin cavalry formation from the flank behind Niu Gao's troops. The leading general was tall and burly, wielding a single massive iron spear. In the rain, he pointed it from afar at the still-locally-moving Five-Colored Sun-Embracing Banner, his tone barely containing excitement, though it was unclear who he was asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You fool, what do you care about a marshal?!\" Niu Gao, drenched in sweat, was nearby and almost shouted in exasperation. \"In this mess, what use is a marshal? What's useful is that banner! Cut down that banner, and this cavalry force will collapse in a rout, and that will be the top merit of the entire army of two hundred thousand today!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That cavalry general, who looked like a brute, was none other than Yang Zaixing. Hearing this, he became even more energized and immediately brandished his great iron spear, leading his men forward courageously... His iron spear was both long and heavy. Where it swept, it had the advantage of a long-handled weapon and struck like a blunt object. Although the Jin cavalry were all heavily armored, none could withstand him. Moreover, his iron horse would occasionally lift a Jin rider, and the sharp tip would sometimes slash through horse flesh... With just a hundred men following behind, they truly cut a bloody path through the dense Jin cavalry like parting waves, heading straight for the Five-Colored Sun-Embracing Banner, a thousand or so paces away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, given the current situation, the eastern front Song army should have been trying to block the Jin army on three sides, waiting for more and more long-axe heavy infantry to gather, devour this Jin force, then re-form and sweep the entire eastern front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, having seen such a valiant general, how could Niu Gao waste the opportunity?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused for a moment, then immediately brandished his iron mace and ordered his men to follow Yang Zaixing's unit and advance quickly toward that command banner:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Follow them! Follow that bird-brained fellow with the big iron spear!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the commanding height of the battlefield, Zhao Jiu naturally did not know that Yang Zaixing and Niu Gao had joined forces and were about to display great prowess. Even if he had known, it wouldn't have mattered, because he had already seen Bolisu's charge and its failure. From a distance, that charge just now hadn't seemed so perilous—it was just like a fish hitting a net... The net hadn't broken, but the fish had already exhausted its strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, the sovereign's expression remained as usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding grand councilors, generals, close attendants, and advisors wanted to shout in victory, but with the Zhao sovereign in such a state, not one dared to show any excitement... Of course, many had already relaxed, and the atmosphere under the dragon banner had eased slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, after a moment, the sovereign withdrew his gaze from the east and turned to the south, and the atmosphere grew tense again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple. Following the Zhao sovereign's gaze, on the southern slope at that moment, in a considerable part of the battlefield, the Song army was locked in a bitter struggle, and a general of the Military Governor level was deeply trapped in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cause of this situation was still that earlier charge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, the Jin armored cavalry had charged out from three sides. The Imperial Guard cavalry, located on the southeast side of the high ground, had charged straight down to meet them. Combined with the fact that the main Jin force had advanced with some intervals, after the charge, the Jin cavalry was clearly split into two large groups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One group was in the middle and west of the southern side of the high ground. Judging by the banners, it was Wanyan Huonü and Wanyan Poushu, along with a considerable number of Hezha Meng'an. Their target was clearly this commanding height, this Zhao sovereign who was watching the battle, and the dragon banner behind him. They were the ones causing the bitter fighting for many Song units on the southern front. The other group was on the east side of the high ground, which was precisely Bolisu and Elubu's units now trapped in the Song formation. Bolisu's objective was no longer in question—he clearly wanted to punch through the Song army's last elite long-axe heavy infantry, seize control of this \"final throw,\" and buy time for Wanyan Huonü and Wanyan Poushu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, the question now is whether the Iron Dragon of the Song army's eastern line will first sweep the eastern battlefield, then turn south, achieving overall suppression, or whether the Jin army's \"final throw\" can reach this commanding height before the Song army's reinforcements arrive, completing some miraculous reversal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without the wall of shields and axes sweeping in from the eastern line, Wanyan Huonü and Wanyan Poushu cannot get up here!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jie swept his gaze across the southern battle line, sneered inwardly, then stepped forward directly and asked in a low voice beside Zhao Jiu:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty, the eastern line is already settled, we need only wait a moment. Should we provide some support to the southern line?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu turned his head to look at him, saying nothing. The meaning was obvious... he could just give the order for such a thing. Would he possibly veto support for Qu Duan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jie understood and immediately looked at Han Shizhong. Han Shizhong, standing solemnly with his hand on his sword, was startled for a moment, then finally understood why Wu Jie had asked His Majesty first. But at this moment, he was too lazy to bother with such trivial matters. He simply turned his head, pointed at Wang Shixiong standing solemnly behind and to the side, and after the latter noticed, pointed again at his own personal guard force waiting on the high ground slope, and finally, pointed at the area to the southeast where the cavalry was locked in chaotic battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Shixiong dared not delay. He gave a slight bow with clasped hands, then immediately turned and went out, leading a few bronze-masked riders to deliver orders to Cheng Min, preparing to use this slightly rested personal guard force to support Qu Duan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the fine rain, Qu Duan, who had caught his breath, did not know that the eastern line had achieved a tremendous feat, nor did he yet know that Wu Jie and Han Shizhong had just sent him powerful reinforcements ahead of time because of a glance from His Majesty Zhao. In fact, the man shook his head, flicked off the rainwater, then strained to look around, but only saw the blur of rain, the two sides' troops mixed into one mass, like tides, surging and ebbing on the slope, unable to discern the general situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he himself, along with the officers and soldiers beside him, were only a small part of this tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As said before, the Imperial Guard cavalry's charge was undoubtedly a great strategic success. They split the Jin cavalry in two, making it difficult for them to concentrate. It was precisely because of this that the Jin army's trump card was forced into a two-front battle, resulting in an awkward situation where it could accomplish nothing on either side... From this perspective, Qu Duan and the Imperial Guard cavalry rendered a great service.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for this, the Imperial Guard cavalry, after paying a heavy price in casualties, still found themselves in a difficult situation of being intermingled with the enemy... Then, Bolisu retreated north, and the Imperial Guard cavalry in the melee also split in two. One part followed Zhang Xian, Liu Qi, and Li Master's five-colored sun-holding banners in pursuit, while the other part turned west, biting tightly onto those Hezha Meng'an.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Duan himself was among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Commander.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although wearing a face mask, because of the banner and the new Iron Elephant steed beneath him, how could the surrounding Imperial Guard cavalry soldiers not recognize where Qu Duan was? And his personal aide Xiahou Yuan, leading several dozen riders from the rear, urging their horses forward, would certainly not mistake him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Duan did not respond, only looked around. And sure enough, soon two or three more cavalry squads gathered like Xiahou Yuan, and the troops behind him briefly converged to four or five hundred men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can we only gather this many?\" Qu Duan couldn't help but let out a long breath. \"What about that Red Heart Squad from earlier? Did they end up with Zhang Zhongfu?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Probably not, they were just cut off by that Iron Pagoda unit (Hezha Meng'an) from the middle,\" Xiahou Yuan blurted out, pointing with difficulty at a nearby unit of three to four hundred armored Jin troops. \"On the other side!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then charge back again and bring the men back.\" Qu Duan didn't want to think too much, nor did he have time to, because, like the Song cavalry that was hurriedly gathering, that Hezha Meng'an unit acting as their opponent also quickly noticed the banners and situation here and immediately began to gather and adjust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, no one had anything to say. On this kind of battlefield, no one dared to stop, nor could they stop. The only correct course of action was to continuously link up with friendly forces and break up the enemy... Even if they wanted to escort Qu Duan to a safe area, they had to do it through this method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, after only a brief respite, four to five hundred heavy cavalry of the Song Imperial Guard cavalry hastily launched another charge against those three to four hundred Iron Pagodas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the Iron Pagodas, with both men and horses armored, were certainly formidable, even holding a complete advantage in this kind of short-range, low-speed charge and hand-to-hand combat. But Qu Duan's personal guards were also hand-picked, and they had a slight numerical advantage. Furthermore, there should have been a Red Heart Squad of two to three hundred men behind the enemy that they could rejoin. So this charge should not have been too much of a problem... And indeed it was so. With Xiahou Yuan as the vanguard, after one charge and a brief engagement, they successfully attracted the attention of that Red Heart Squad from before, which then joined them. The opposing Iron Pagoda unit, after leaving behind a dozen or so corpses, had no choice but to temporarily withdraw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the pattern of battle... With casualties and attrition causing morale to drop, both sides had to engage in these small-scale, low-speed charges against each other, often decelerating before contact for a brief, scraping hand-to-hand fight... In the end, the side with higher morale, not necessarily fewer casualties, would hold the position and achieve so-called victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the loser would quickly regroup and counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of fighting seemed endless, but it couldn't be endless, because with each similar engagement, both sides would suffer various kinds of losses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, this time, besides suffering seven or eight casualties, even Qu Duan's mount went lame... A Jin Iron Pagoda soldier who had fallen from his horse due to slipping, in a final desperate attempt to smash Qu Duan's leg, hit the wrong target instead. His cavalry hammer, through the silk covering, struck the left hind leg of the new Iron Elephant. Instantly, the wound was a bloody mess, with white bone faintly visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately after, this Iron Pagoda soldier was trampled viciously on the stomach by Xiahou Yuan's reined-in horse, but that steed bestowed by His Majesty also curled up its left hind leg, unable to support running any longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this kind of battlefield, this was undoubtedly a very dangerous thing. Even a divinely bestowed steed had to be abandoned. Qu Duan also unhesitatingly dismounted, preparing to change mounts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But on this battlefield that had just experienced a brief hand-to-hand fight, there were no intact riderless mounts to be found. Either the warhorses were also injured or their related equipment was damaged... With no other choice, after a brief check with a few subordinates, Qu Duan could only try to switch his original saddle and bridle onto a standard Song army warhorse whose stirrup strap had been torn. But before he could act, a warning shout came, and a squad of four to five hundred Jin Iron Pagodas suddenly appeared on Qu Duan's eastern flank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This number of Iron Pagodas was already very dangerous for Qu Duan and the troops around him at this moment, especially since there was likely a Jin Meng'an who could make decisions among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this critical moment, a cavalry officer nearby who was helping Qu Duan change the saddle and bridle did not hesitate. He directly mounted the warhorse with the torn stirrup strap. Qu Duan, of course, did not stand on ceremony and immediately swung onto the other man's horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, it was another hasty charge against the Jin cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the Song army, which hadn't had time to pick up speed, was clearly at a disadvantage. To protect the banner, Qu Duan had no choice but to abandon some of his subordinates and flee to a low-lying area on one side to regroup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as they stopped, before other riders could gather, an empty-backed warhorse caught Qu Duan's attention... One of its stirrup straps was completely torn, and it had followed the lead horse's habit all the way to the low ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the rain, Qu Duan was briefly dazed, but he still took advantage of the gap while troops were gathering to ask: \"Does anyone know who gave me their horse just now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was Zhao Bufan,\" Xiahou Yuan, whose left arm was clearly injured, blurted out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the chaotic low ground, Qu Duan was momentarily stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the battlefield was not a place for thinking. Just then, from near the dragon banner on the high ground, faint urgent drum and horn sounds came. Immediately after, a large force of Song armored cavalry, bypassing the cheval de frise from the rear, appeared on the high ground slope to the north. Their iconic bronze masks and commanding terrain caused a stir among the Jin cavalry below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Qu Duan saw with his own eyes that a Jin army banner on the western slope, which was attacking the formation of the Imperial Guard Left Army under Xie Yuan, directly disengaged from the battle, turned aside, and began blowing horns and waving flags. It was clearly intending for its troops to gather at that banner and then deal with Han Shizhong's personal guard force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Iron Pagodas that had been fighting in a melee with Qu Duan's unit largely disengaged and moved west... Without a doubt, it was Wanyan Poushu gathering his forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, that Iron Pagoda unit of four to five hundred riders, after receiving the signal, quickly formed up and then unhesitatingly launched another attack on Qu Duan's command banner, which was now in a somewhat awkward position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Meet them head-on!\" Qu Duan certainly knew what to do at this moment, or rather, the only thing to do. \"Follow me and meet them head-on!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Song cavalrymen, who had not yet recovered from the recent casualties, forced themselves to be spirited. They struggled to rise from the low ground with Qu Duan and met the enemy once more. Both sides barely picked up speed, but then, when they were only a few dozen paces apart, they both chose to decelerate, followed by another brief, scraping hand-to-hand fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even this kind of fight was deadly and cruel... The two sides brushed past each other. The Jin army still won, the Song army fled in defeat. The former had a dozen or so men fall from their horses, dead or wounded; the latter lost seventeen or eighteen men... The Song army then retreated further east of the waterlogged area to avoid engagement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, without even counting the troops, Qu Duan sensed who was missing... Xiahou Yuan hadn't followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Zhao Bufan before him, this old brother who had followed him for over a decade had disappeared without a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, that fully organized Iron Pagoda unit also turned around directly and chose to go west... Clearly, they too had sensed their superior's orders. It was just that Qu Duan's banner was too attractive, making the commander of this cavalry unit unable to resist making one final attempt. After failing to strike, they immediately went west.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this tentative strike had suddenly taken away Qu Duan's most trusted personal aide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Commander.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another personal guard beside him made the inquiry that Xiahou Yuan would have made. \"What should we do now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pursue them... Pursue them!\" Just like when he first learned of Zhao Bufan's fate, Qu Duan's mind was initially somewhat blank, but he quickly came to his senses, and then was briefly filled with a kind of anger. \"As many as can follow, go! Whatever the Jin dogs want to do, we must prevent them from doing it! Just pursue them!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said that, just as before, Qu Duan once again took the lead, charging out. The surrounding cavalrymen were momentarily awed, then quickly followed without stopping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the next moment, several thousand bronze-masked armored cavalry of the Imperial Guard Left Army, having had a brief rest, poured down under Cheng Min's leadership. Together with the Imperial Guard cavalry and some Khitan light cavalry that had appeared from somewhere, they completely overwhelmed Wanyan Poushu and his Iron Pagodas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This \"overwhelming\" did not mean annihilation. What followed was still that cruel small-unit charge and hand-to-hand bitter fighting. People would still keep disappearing into the mud. But this time, it was Wanyan Poushu and his Iron Pagodas who were slightly at a disadvantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wushu stood on a watchtower in Huonü's stockade, watching the battle ahead, his mouth dry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, he certainly did not know that Bolisu and that five-colored sun-holding banner had been bound and rendered immobile. He didn't even know about the Song army's wall of lamellar-armored long-axe infantry advancing like a forest. He had only heard that the Song army had a final elite reserve of over twenty thousand men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, even just looking at the attacks of Wanyan Huonü and Wanyan Poushu directly ahead, he could not possibly feel encouraged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poushu's troops had been tied down by the Song cavalry from the very start. And relying only on Huonü's few thousand cavalry and one or two extra Hezha Meng'an, they couldn't even get close enough to charge that dragon banner, let alone destroy the original Song army battle line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wushu knew exactly where the problem lay... Not to mention the Song army's tenacity under the support of the dragon banner behind them, nor the Song cavalry's vigorous charges and splitting tactics... Those were all enemy matters, which they could not change. But on the Jin side, there was simply no coordination between Wanyan Bendu and Wanyan Huonü.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huonü and Poushu led fresh troops into the battle. Apart from some troops being tied down by the Song cavalry, all their forces were looking for weak points in the Song army's line to try and break through, with no intention of assisting Wanyan Bendu in advancing the overall line... At the same time, Wanyan Bendu was just silently maintaining his line, with no intention of sending out cavalry to assist Huonü in finding a breakthrough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Theoretically, you couldn't blame anyone. In reality, Wushu didn't want to blame anyone at this moment... From the moment Wanyan Poushu's unit broke out, from the moment Wanyan Huonü wished him a hundred and twenty years of life, he had already realized that trying to maintain the plan's integrity and unity under the powerful pressure of the Song army was nothing short of a fool's dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Wushu had already made his decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Prince of Wei.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiagu Wulibu, already sixty-four years old, held his helmet in one hand and called up breathlessly from below the watchtower. \"What business calls me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wulibu.\" Wushu hurried down the stairs and grasped the other man's hand. \"I know your unit has been fighting since morning and is already exhausted, but the troops from Zhending haven't arrived yet. Right now, besides you, we truly have no other cavalry to use... After you return, don't listen to Bendu's commands anymore. Lead your men to support Huonü with full strength. Wherever he goes, you attack. Can you do it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wulibu nodded on the spot: \"What's the problem with that? I've been marching under Marshal Loushi's command for decades, and I've always been used to coordinating with Marshal Huonü.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wushu nodded along as well... This matter itself was an important reason why he had made this choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then I'll go back.\" Seeing that the other had nothing more to say, Wulibu didn't delay either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wushu nodded repeatedly: \"Go on, old general!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Wulibu put his helmet back on, turned to leave, then suddenly looked back: \"Prince of Wei... There's one more thing. It's not my place to say it, but the battle has reached this level, and I just heard that the situation at the eastern marshal's camp isn't good... Please, Prince of Wei, keep this in mind and prepare early.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words were unclear, but Wushu's heart immediately sank, and he hurriedly nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out that although Jiagu Wulibu was merely a \"Relief Force Commander of Ten Thousand\" appointed based on seniority, as the leader of the relief force, he was one of only four people in the entire camp who knew that Yue Fei, Zhang Rong, Tian Shizhong, and the others might appear downstream of the Hutuo River... The other three were Hong Ya, the Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs concurrently serving as Vice Minister of War, who had arrived with the relief force; Balisu; and Wushu himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what he said now clearly referred to this matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Summon Commissioner Hong here!\" Wushu's head throbbed with pain, but he still hurriedly ordered Taishinu to bring the only person in the camp with whom he could discuss this matter before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taishinu hurried off, and Wushu felt like climbing the watchtower to observe the battle, but for a moment he lost heart and dared not ascend to look. Yet even standing in the camp, he could still see the dragon banner and the two army lines on the slope from afar... In the end, he simply stood still in the drizzle, waiting, while inevitably feeling lost and fearful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than ten li away, at the same time, Balisu also felt somewhat lost... But his confusion was not due to any psychological reason. In fact, from the hasty engagement this morning to the sudden entrapment of his entire army in the current scene, this Jurchen marshal had no psychological issues with his awareness, and could even be called the clearest-headed of all the Jin army commanders regarding the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention earlier, just speaking of today's battle, he was only two moves behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once was a mistake in understanding and arranging the campaign—he had misinterpreted the true meaning of the final throw, and his own final arrangement was clearly crushed by the Song army's final throw. The other was a tactical problem—the charge was inevitable; if left unchecked, that iron dragon would only grow stronger and stronger until it became unstoppable. But even with a desperate effort, they still couldn't break through... In a word, he had not created a miracle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning back to the present, to put it bluntly, Balisu felt lost because he was injured. Although from the outside he appeared unharmed, in reality, during a close-quarters melee shortly after the battle began, his helmet had been struck by the axe handle of a Song soldier wielding a long axe. A warm liquid then seeped from his forehead, and now it was trickling down behind his faceplate, covering half his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slow, continuous blood loss gradually made Balisu dazed, even to the point of swaying unsteadily, but he simply dared not make a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his daze, another wave of Song troops reached the very core, and this time they were mostly cavalry. The leading general was clearly excessively fierce, wielding a large iron spear, almost unstoppable, easily killing his way to Balisu's side... The surrounding Jurchen personal guards were nearly scared to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, surprisingly, this Song cavalry general paid no attention to Balisu at all, instead riding straight past this Jin marshal toward the rear. In the distance, several personal guards desperately rushed back to try to rescue their marshal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Balisu himself also tried to flee out of survival instinct, but just then, this Jin marshal suddenly heard shouts of alarm behind him. Turning to look, he saw his own standard-bearer fall from his horse, and the five-colored sun-facing banner tumbled down into the mud along with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if possessed, Balisu not only failed to seize the chance to escape, but instead turned his horse around, heading toward the fallen banner, trying to pick it up and protect it. But as soon as he bent down, a sharp pain shot up his spine, and he fell to the ground, landing right on top of the banner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Zaixing cursed his bad luck inwardly, but only because he felt it would be difficult to hoist that banner as a trophy. He didn't even notice that the knight who had come to save the banner had a gold tablet tied at his waist... However, probably thinking that the Controller-General surnamed Niu behind him could testify that he had pulled down the marshal's banner, Yang Zaixing soon stopped caring much about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, just as when Loushi had died in battle and Ali had died in battle, the Jin army did not immediately collapse, but instead fell into a kind of intense emotion. Especially the Jin cavalry around the banner—they surged into motion, almost every single one trying to rescue their fallen marshal, and Yang Zaixing became the target of everyone's hatred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as all things end the same way, when the Song army held firm through the final frenzy, starting from where the marshal's banner had fallen, Balisu's Ten Battalion Commander unit began to gradually scatter and collapse, then completely dispersed through the gaps on all sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, on the eastern battlefield, the Jin army still had three Ten Battalion Commander units, and Elubu's was even a fresh force with its main strength intact. But as that wall of armor and forest of axes quickly regrouped and then began sweeping forward with an even more urgent marching pace, everyone knew that this even more exaggerated iron dragon had become completely unstoppable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Jin marshal Balisu, no one knew when or how Balisu died... Even the Jin soldiers who had witnessed Yang Zaixing knock him to the ground didn't know whether their marshal had died on the spot, been trampled by horses afterward, or been finished off by following Song soldiers when the Song army line swept through the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only certainty was that Balisu's gold tablet and that banner became Song war trophies after the battle, and Balisu had indeed died in this battle, living only one year less than in another timeline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, he had ultimately achieved the rank of marshal, and was destined to be recorded in history, to be written about at length by many... Among those who held the position of Jin marshal, his old superior Nianhan might not even be as famous as him in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You there!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Niu Gao's unit had begun to be absorbed and integrated into the iron wall. Niu Gao himself was also preparing to move behind the formation to supervise the advance, but seeing that tall knight once again fall into reckless slaughter, he couldn't help but shout loudly. \"What are you still doing here? If you want to earn more merit, you should go south of the dragon banner and cut down those Iron Pagodas. If you succeed, you might even become a Duke!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Zaixing was overjoyed. He actually saluted Niu Gao from his horse, then hurried off, leaving Controller-General Niu staring dumbfounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Prince of Wei, it depends on whether this matter is urgent or not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Jin army camp, Hong Ya looked at the battlefield just a stone's throw away, his eyes sweeping over the dragon banner, his heart pounding wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If urgent, what should be done? If not urgent, what should be done?\" Wushu's eyes were wide open as he struggled to maintain his composure, because in the interval while Taishinu had gone to summon the man, he had already learned that Balisu's entire army had encountered a large formation of over twenty thousand Song long-axe heavy infantry, and that Balisu's unit was trapped within the Song army's formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he still couldn't know that the five-colored sun-facing banner had already fallen into the mud, wrapped together with Balisu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If not urgent, it means the battle situation is still reliable,\" Hong Ya forced himself to respond. \"At such a time, one should appear relaxed externally but tighten internally. On one hand, argue on principle and try to negotiate peace with the Song. On the other, speed up moving the troops across the river...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And if urgent?\" Wushu directly interrupted him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Ya's breath immediately became disordered: \"If urgent, it means the battle situation is no longer dependable. At such a time, throw all caution to the wind. The Song emperor is right there on that mountain. Immediately release Yu Yunwen, have him deliver a message—whether it's a treaty signed at the city walls, empty threats, or even kowtowing and begging for mercy, it doesn't matter. Treat a dead horse as if it were still alive... While the enemy doesn't know the situation at Hejian, desperately seek some kind of alliance, hoping for a slim chance to move the troops across the river... Deceive them for as long as you can, save as many as you can.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, Hong Ya stared fixedly at the other man, not letting go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the drizzle, Wushu paced back and forth, feeling his breath quicken and his steps falter, unable to decide for a moment: \"Aren't you afraid that the Zhao Song emperor will become suspicious because we sent an envoy, and instead discover something?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if he suspects something, he can't possibly know the specific circumstances,\" Hong Ya quickly explained earnestly. \"It mainly depends on how the battle goes... If it truly reaches the point of mountains crumbling and earth splitting, we should at least try, shouldn't we?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If mountains truly crumble and earth splits, even with deception and begging for a treaty at the city walls, what words could one possibly say?\" Wushu still shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Prince of Wei, there are actually words to say,\" Hong Ya stepped forward half a pace. \"For example, first promise to withdraw from the Yanshan circuit, retreat from all Han territory, and repay the Jingkang gold and silver... Then use this to bring up the great Han families of Yanyun, saying that peace negotiations can avoid further casualties and prevent the Han families from resisting. Then use the casualties of this battle, saying that so many have died in this fight, wouldn't Yue Fei, who didn't participate, become too powerful and hard to control? You can also use the balance beyond the passes—the Eastern Mongol Khabul Khan didn't participate and preserved his strength, while the Western Mongol lost their Great Khan—doesn't the steppe need balancing? There's also Goryeo, post-war pacification of Hebei, spring plowing... All of these can be discussed. Prince of Wei, you must remember that the Zhao Song emperor is never just a general. He is also an emperor, who needs to consider what comes after the war.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wushu stared at him in shock for a moment, thought for a while, then nodded, turning to look at Taishinu: \"Go and bring Yu Yunwen here alive. This time, don't act on your own again!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taishinu hurried off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Ya couldn't help but swallow his saliva.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if seeing through Hong Ya's thoughts, Wushu immediately turned back: \"Commissioner Hong, it hasn't reached the point of mountains crumbling and earth splitting yet... I'm only having Yu Yunwen brought here now as a precaution.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Ya was slightly relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if echoing Wushu's words, just as Wushu and Hong Ya were discussing treating a dead horse as if it were alive and taking precautions, the battle on the slope ahead actually showed some improvement for the Jin army... Jiagu Wulibu's arrival with an all-cavalry relief force gave Huonü tremendous support. For a time, several points on the Song army's southern slope line were in precarious danger, and small units even truly reached the cheval-de-frise, then dismounted to try to destroy them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But by this time, the number of cheval-de-frise on the mountain and the sheer scale of the cheval-de-frise formation were no longer comparable to when Wanyan Poushu had launched his attack. And interestingly, beneath the dragon banner, the Zhao emperor remained as immovable as a mountain, yet issued no military orders or imperial decrees, instead allowing the reinforced Huonü to advance further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wushu, who was actually quite experienced in battle, grew increasingly panicked, because he knew very well that behind that dragon banner, there were clearly ample troops being rested and reorganized, yet this emperor was holding back without deploying them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About another quarter of an hour passed. As more and more of Huonü's cavalry crossed the battle lines and gaps between formations, reached the cheval-de-frise, dismounted to destroy them, and even a few attempted to assault on foot, Yu Yunwen was finally brought bound from the rear to the front line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wushu was just about to say something, and Yu Yunwen had only just exchanged a glance with Hong Ya, when the next moment, the entire southern slope of the high ground suddenly trembled... The noise and commotion on the battlefield more than doubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wushu looked around in confusion, then suddenly remembered something, and recklessly climbed the watchtower to look east.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, as far as this Great Jin Prince of Wei's eyes could see, in the hazy drizzle, the eastern side of the high ground was in chaos. Countless Jin soldiers were fleeing from there... At first, it was aimless cavalry, and Wushu wanted to send someone to restore order. But soon, with even more chaotic infantry, and the banners of Yelü Mawu, Wanyan Wolun, and even Elubu appearing chaotically in the eastern field of view, how could Wushu not understand that the eastern battlefield had completely collapsed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had collapsed even faster than the western battlefield, which had been fighting fiercely all day... At the very least, Heshilie Taiyu's banner was still barely holding on, backed against the camp, and Jiagu Wulibu had just reorganized and launched another attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teach him those words!\" Wushu immediately lowered his head from the watchtower and ordered Hong Ya in a trembling tone he couldn't control. \"Prepare to send him back!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Ya quickly began reciting those words to Yu Yunwen, but had only spoken two sentences, not yet reaching the part about warning the Zhao Song emperor to beware of Yue Fei becoming too powerful to control, when they heard Wushu on the watchtower continue to give orders: \"Send out all the messengers. Let Bendu and Huonü attempt an orderly retreat. Before the Song army presses forward, fall back into the camp to cover the rear.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as these words ended, another wave of sound, far greater than before, suddenly pierced through the rain curtain from behind the flank of the high ground and came rushing toward them… Clearly, the Song troops on the eastern line and the northern slope of the high ground were shouting in unison over something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wushu was even more dumbfounded, because he saw with his own eyes that Huonu's unit, which had already charged very close to the high point, suddenly turned and fled… These Jin warriors, who had dared to dismount and assault the dragon banner, should have been the most motivated soldiers on the entire battlefield at this moment, yet they became the first to flee on the main front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What exactly did these people see?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't teach him anymore!\" Though he had no idea what was happening, knowing that the earth was about to split and the mountains to crumble, Wushu directly pointed at Taishinu below. \"Taishinu! You're a clever man. Did you remember everything that Hong Chengzhi just said?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I remember!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How have I treated you in ordinary times?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Prince of Wei has known me for only a few months, yet he made me the leader of his personal guard, sparing no gold, silver, or official rank… The grace of knowing me is as heavy as a mountain!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm asking you for one thing now—take him as a guide!\" Wushu pointed at Yu Yunwen, then quickly pointed again at the dragon banner on the mountain. \"Go see the Zhao Song Emperor, kneel for me and beg that Emperor, explain the reasoning to that Emperor, and let him spare us a way to live!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taishinu said not a word, turned directly, led a horse over, casually tied Yu Yunwen to its back, then hastily mounted his own saddle, spurred his horse, and left the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two entered the battlefield, following the route opened by Wanyan Huonu's unit. They had just climbed the gentle slope and had not yet reached the cheval-de-frise formation, only passing by a Song formation where a standoff was occurring, when Yu Yunwen could not help but shout from horseback:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Jin army is defeated! The Jin army is defeated! Marshal Yue has come from Hejian!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the words were finished, Taishinu turned back and struck him fiercely with his elbow. The iron armor was hard, and it immediately made Yu Yunwen's mouth bleed, knocking out several teeth, leaving him momentarily unable to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they reached the cheval-de-frise formation, Taishinu was even more ruthless. He directly dragged Yu Yunwen down, punched him again until he was dazed and confused, then dragged his body forward while shouting from afar toward the Song formation ahead: \"This is your Great Song's Hanlin Academician Yu Yunwen, the Tanhua, son-in-law of Zhang Rong, the Military Governor who acts for Heaven. I am an envoy of the Great Jin's Prince of Wei, here to request an audience with the Zhao Emperor!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several military officers met them head-on. Taishinu threw Yu Yunwen to the ground and stepped forward alone, but unexpectedly, the one coming toward him was Yelu Yudu and several Khitan warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two sides looked at each other, momentarily stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, Yelu Yudu went to have several men carry and protect Yu Yunwen, while other Khitan warriors welcomed Taishinu, hastily bound his hands behind his back, took his helmet, and then punched him hard in the face… Whether it was to establish authority or a personal grudge from the past was unclear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Taishinu no longer cared about any of this, because before being hit, the moment his helmet was removed, he saw in a daze on the eastern side of the high ground a huge iron curtain of military formations, a full ten li wide, sweeping westward along the slope… The size and breadth of the formation were unprecedented in his life. Shocked to the point of death, Taishinu keenly realized that this must be the unknown thing the Prince of Wei feared, and the cause of the great rout of the Jin army's eastern line… With this thought, how could he still care about the pain on his face? He only remembered Wushu's earlier instructions and kindness, and then, regardless of everything, he struggled desperately toward the direction of the dragon banner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his hands were bound, and struggling forward like this only earned him several falls and kicks along the way. By the time he was brought before the Emperor, he was a complete mess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even so, he paid it no mind. He hastily knelt and desperately spoke the words he had been told: \"Your Majesty! Zhao Emperor! This battle, you have used troops like a god and achieved a complete victory… My Prince of Wei is willing to sue for peace with the Yanshan Circuit! The Great Jin will retreat beyond the frontier, cede all Han territory, and even promise to return the gold and silver taken during the Jingkang Incident! He is even willing to acknowledge vassalage and pay tribute!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some advisors stirred slightly, but more people sneered in response. As for the Zhao Song Emperor, clad in dark gold armor and the only one seated there, he said not a word, acting as if he hadn't heard. He only lowered his head, poured himself a cup of wine, and drank it in one gulp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Emperor! Your Majesty!\" Taishinu tried not to look at the increasingly spectacular and conspicuous iron curtain to the east, only tilting his head to speak with effort. \"My Prince of Wei is sincerely seeking peace… You must know that the great clans of Yanyun have never been submissive to Great Song. If Your Majesty insists on seizing it by force, who knows how many more will die? Even if you take Yanyun by arms, it will only cause the northern people to lose their allegiance! Why not spare the Jin a little leeway in exchange for a smooth handover of Yanyun?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several close ministers around were slightly moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhao Jiu only quickly poured himself another cup and drank it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty.\" Taishinu spoke more urgently, now with a sobbing tone. \"Even if we don't talk about Yanyun, haven't enough people died since the Northern Expedition? Heaven has the virtue of loving life… Just speaking of today's battle alone, as I traveled along the way, the entire grassy slope was covered with corpses and weapons, everywhere smeared with blood and mud. What's the point of fighting on? And if we really keep killing like this, even if we Jin can't bear it, can the Song army bear it? Besides, with so many dead here, isn't Your Majesty afraid that Yue Fei and his hundred thousand troops will become too powerful to control?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was obvious commotion behind him. Zhao Jiu gently shook the wine flask in his hand, trying to refill his cup, as if his hand were trembling… But even so, he only got half a cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, this Emperor stood up, holding this half cup of wine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where his gaze fell, the huge iron curtain had already passed the southeastern corner of the high ground, appearing in the view of the southern slope with a rumbling sensation like thunder. And on the main positions of both armies on the southern slope, large numbers of Jin positions began to shake and tremble as if hit by an earthquake, without having suffered any attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu exhaled, drank the last half cup of wine, then pulled off his helmet and threw it to the ground. He then supported his saber and stepped forward, causing Han Shizhong and below, almost all the marshals and generals, to support their sabers in response. Several of them, including Han Shizhong, even took a few steps forward on their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty!\" Taishinu kowtowed in the mud, now fully weeping. \"And what about the Eastern Mongols and Western Mongols… Don't they need to be dealt with after the war? What about the Koreans? What about the spring plowing in Hebei? Your Majesty is the Emperor of a great state; your eyes cannot be only on the war. You must consider what comes after… My Prince of Wei initially only wanted to deceive you with a delaying tactic, but seeing such a grand formation, he will surely sincerely seek peace… Please, Your Majesty, grant us a way to live!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu had already walked up to this man. Not far to his side and front, Yelu Yudu hurried over, followed by the supported Yu Yunwen, his mouth full of blood, who seemed to have something to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he reached the spot, just like Han Shizhong and the others following behind, Yelu Yudu suddenly stopped, because the Zhao Emperor had suddenly drawn his saber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the afternoon, amidst the fine rain, beneath the dragon banner, the Zhao Emperor, holding a sharp blade, looked down from his height, sweeping his gaze over the dense Jin stragglers and remaining positions ahead, over the chaotic and sprawling Jin camp, and over the hazy rain curtain and the grass that had long since changed color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After scanning, Zhao Jiu stepped past the now-silent Taishinu, raised his saber, and pointed it straight ahead. At this moment, he very much wanted to say… \"When we break the Yellow Dragon Prefecture, I will drink with you all to our hearts' content…\" He also wanted to say… \"Ten years of effort, today I have not failed…\" But for some reason, when the words reached his lips, they all vanished. Using all his strength, he could only issue a military order, simple to the extreme, in a short, urgent tone:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Press forward! For me… press forward!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the battlefield was growing noisier by the moment, for some reason, after this order, those around seemed to have an illusion, as if the entire world had suddenly fallen into a moment of stutter or some kind of pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, this pause ended… Because with the Zhao Emperor's single word, the generals behind responded with a roar, and then the Song troops behind the high ground, led by the prepared generals, marched in force on foot over the high ground, through the cheval-de-frise formation, spreading forward from top to bottom, pressing onward with all their might.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This action, echoing the increasingly close massive iron curtain to the east, finally triggered total fear in the Jin army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then suddenly, before the two sides of Song troops could press in and engage, the Jin positions collapsed entirely. Famous generals and commanders could not stand their ground. The Song cavalry took the lead, first driving the Jin troops to the side of the camp, trampling them from three sides, wantonly riding them down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ps: Not in good shape, thank you all for your tolerance… Also, thanks to the book friend Pigmalion for the supreme sponsorship, and thanks to the book friend Classmate for the tip.\u003C\u002Fp>",11931,"2026-06-06T07:46:32.508Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","cef4bc7012eea15382f18692a7250fd1cd6a120c029e38b52d50c8f0a52ae384","shao-song-chapter-426","shao-song-chapter-424",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]