A clever strategy led to an initial victory.
The reorganized Shuozhou army was in high spirits, but it also faced its most severe test yet—the main force of the Khitan army, numbering 30,000, pressed in, besieging the city. Their camps stretched for dozens of miles, banners blotting out the sun, and the sound of horses' hooves made the city walls tremble slightly. Standing on the city tower and looking into the distance, the dark enemy army was in perfect formation, their swords and spears gleaming coldly, and a chilling aura swept over them.
General Li frowned: "The Khitan commander Yelü Lie is known as the 'Wolf of the Steppe,' a brave and cunning warrior. He has personally led his main force here, and I fear he intends to fight us to the death." The soldiers looked at the densely packed enemy troops below the city, their faces inevitably showing solemnity. After all, the two sides were vastly different in strength, and the Khitan army had just won several victories and was in high spirits.
Shen Chengyou remained unusually calm. He lightly stroked the city bricks with his fingers, his gaze sweeping over the enemy formation: "Yelü Lie is brave, but he has a fatal weakness—impatience and recklessness. He has been advancing unstoppably all the way, and he must be underestimating our army. We can take advantage of this and catch him off guard." He turned to his generals, his voice steady: "Pass on my orders, proceed according to the established plan!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the Khitan army below the city wall launched a fierce attack. Yelü Lie, clad in black iron armor and wielding a spiked club, personally beat the drum to encourage his troops. The Khitan soldiers surged towards the city wall like a tidal wave, ladders were erected in dense array, and arrows rained down on the city wall.
"Archers, prepare!" Shen Chengyou commanded. The archers on the city wall immediately drew their bows and nocked arrows. When the enemy troops were within three zhang of the city wall, he shouted, "Fire!" Arrows rained down, and Khitan soldiers fell to the ground, their bodies littering the ground below. But the enemy's offensive did not falter, and they continued to climb the wall wave after wave.
"Spearmen, fill in!" Shen Chengyou ordered again. Soldiers wielding spears immediately stepped forward, protruding their spear tips over the city wall and thrusting them fiercely at the Khitan soldiers climbing the ladders. Many enemy soldiers were struck and fell, their screams echoing throughout the city. Wang Ruoxi was busy in the military medical camp below the city wall. She personally cleaned and bandaged the wounded soldiers and organized a group of women to boil water and deliver medicine. When she saw seriously wounded soldiers, she took out the special medicine she carried with her to treat them, stabilizing the lives of many soldiers.
After half a day of fierce fighting, the Khitan army suffered heavy casualties but still could not breach the city walls. Seeing this, Yelü Lie was furious and personally led his elite troops to attack the city, shouting, "After we break through the city, we can burn, kill, and loot as we please!" The Khitan soldiers' morale soared, and their offensive became even more ferocious. The Dajing soldiers on the city walls gradually became exhausted, and several generals were wounded one after another.
General Li said urgently, "Vice General, the enemy's offensive is too fierce, we can't hold on much longer! Should we retreat into the inner city and defend it?"
"No!" Shen Chengyou's eyes sharpened. "Retreating now will only lead to pursuit by the enemy and even greater losses. Hold on for another half an hour, and the real show will just begin!" He drew the long spear left to him by his grandfather, leaped to the forefront of the city wall, and shouted, "Soldiers, behind us lie our homes and our people! Today, only by fighting to the death can we defend Shuozhou and the land of Dajing! Follow me to kill the enemy!"
Having said that, he pierced through a Khitan soldier who had climbed the city wall, his spear tip dripping with blood. Seeing their commander leading the charge, the soldiers' morale soared once more, and they roared in retaliation, engaging the Khitan army in a fierce battle.
Just as the two sides were locked in fierce combat, a deafening battle cry suddenly erupted outside the city. Yelü Lie was startled and turned around to see two cavalry units galloping in from the left and right flanks, their banners bearing the character "Chen" fluttering in the wind—these were the ambush troops that Shen Chengyou had deployed in advance! It turned out that Shen Chengyou had anticipated Yelü Lie's all-out attack on the city, so he had his deputy lead five thousand cavalry to circle around to the enemy's rear and ambush them, waiting for the enemy to tire of their siege before launching a surprise attack.
"Not good, we've fallen into an ambush!" Yelü Lie's expression changed drastically, and he immediately ordered a retreat. But by this time, the Khitan army was already in chaos. The attacking soldiers wanted to retreat, but the ambushing cavalry had already arrived. Under the pincer attack, the enemy army was routed. Shen Chengyou seized the opportunity, ordered the city gates to be opened, and led the main force in the city to charge out, join forces with the ambush troops, and launch an encirclement and annihilation of the Khitan army.
Shen Chengyou, wielding his spear, moved with unparalleled ease, his spear tip striking down Khitan soldiers wherever it touched. He spotted Yelü Lie and immediately spurred his horse after him, shouting, "Yelü Lie, where do you think you're going!" Yelü Lie, both shocked and enraged, turned to fight Shen Chengyou. Their swords and spears clashed, sparks flying. After several dozen rounds, Yelü Lie gradually weakened and was finally knocked off his horse by Shen Chengyou's spear, captured on the spot.
With their commander captured, the Khitan army completely collapsed, and the soldiers abandoned their armor and weapons, scattering in all directions. Shen Chengyou did not pursue them to the death, but only ordered a ten-mile chase to seize their weapons and provisions before sounding the retreat.
In this battle, the Dajing army, with fewer troops, achieved a great victory, killing over 10,000 Khitan soldiers, capturing over 3,000, and seizing countless warhorses and weapons. They successfully repelled the main Khitan force and defended Shuozhou City. When the news spread, the people of the city were overjoyed and flocked to the streets to bring food and water to the soldiers, praising Shen Chengyou as a "young war god."
Upon returning to the military camp, Shen Chengyou's first act was to visit the wounded soldiers at the medical station. Wang Ruoxi was bandaging the wounds of a seriously injured soldier; her face was stained with blood, but she couldn't hide the joy in her eyes. "Chengyou, you're back!" She quickly stepped forward and wiped the dust from his face.
Shen Chengyou held her hand, his eyes filled with heartache and praise: "Ruoxi, you've worked hard. This first battle was a great success, and you deserve all the credit." The soldiers of the medical battalion also stepped forward to express their gratitude. If it weren't for Wang Ruoxi's meticulous treatment, many wounded soldiers would probably have died long ago.
General Li exclaimed, "The Deputy General's plan is ingenious, and the Lady is kind-hearted and compassionate. The couple are of one mind; they are truly a blessing to our Great Jing! With you both here, how can we not fear the destruction of the Khitan!"
Shen Chengyou's expression was grave: "This is only the first victory. The Khitan forces are still intact, and the subsequent battles will be even more difficult. We cannot let our guard down. We must quickly reorganize our army, support the other besieged cities, and completely drive the Khitan out of the border of Dajing!"
As night deepened, the lights of Shuozhou City shone exceptionally brightly. In the military camp, soldiers rested and treated their wounds, the supply officer inventoried the captured supplies, Wang Ruoxi prepared medicines in the medical camp, and Shen Chengyou studied maps in the central command tent, deploying the next battle plan. A larger battle was quietly brewing.
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