Chapter 144 Military flags in disarray beneath Juyong Pass…
"General Di!"
Fusu immediately opened his arms and shouted loudly.
Although Fusu recognized Di Qing's army from the color of their flags, he didn't forget that his own identity hadn't been exposed yet. It would be disastrous if they were mistaken for Liao bandits.
Fusu not only shouted himself, but also made the soldiers shout together. The shouts startled the birds and beasts in the nearby forest. In an instant, wild animals fled and flocks of birds took flight, creating quite a commotion.
Di Qing also noticed the commotion in the woods from afar, along with faint shouts. At first, everyone, as Fu Su had predicted, became alert, their ears perked up. But as they listened, something seemed off.
Those "Liao soldiers" weren't speaking some gibberish, but rather the official language of their Great Song Dynasty? Amidst the rising and falling shouts of adult men, there was also a particularly clear and melodious child's voice?
Di Qing's expression turned strange. He suddenly thought of someone, the person who should have been in Western Xia. But how could that be? Di Qing instinctively wanted to deny it.
But when I thought about how this person had defied the government and gone to Yunzhou alone, I felt that anything was possible.
Di Qing raised his hand: "Let's go. Whether they are friend or foe, let's go and find out."
The soldiers behind him were shouting with particular enthusiasm.
"yes!"
In fact, they were all pretty much right. The army that suddenly appeared was probably from the Song Dynasty. What does it feel like to encounter friendly forces after being away from home for months and about to face a tough battle? It's no less than "a timely rain after a long drought, or meeting an old friend in a foreign land."
Even Di Qing himself didn't notice that his clenched teeth loosened slightly and his lips curled up a little.
When he finally met the person he had been thinking about, his initial smile immediately turned completely upward.
"Your Highness! You've come to Yanshan too."
"Isn't the general the same?"
Fusu sincerely felt that only a stirring background music could match his mood. The Yanshan Mountains were still there, their height and steepness unchanged, but his confidence in winning this battle had increased considerably.
The two armies quickly integrated into one entity.
Before being drafted into the army, they all belonged to the Imperial Guard. A quick glance revealed several familiar faces. There was no awkwardness in merging into one another; rather, it was quite friendly. Quiet conversations filled the air, eventually merging into a low murmur.
Fusu and Di Qing, witnessing this scene, did not disturb them with military discipline, allowing the soldiers to immerse themselves in the joy of their reunion.
Fusu even suggested, "Why don't we set up camp here and rest for a while?"
Di Qing: "Alright." The two leaders issued the order at the same time. Fu Su observed quietly for a while and found that whether it was the speed of relaying orders, the efficiency of setting up camp, or the actions of defense and vigilance, the level of Di Qing's soldiers was a level higher than that of his own.
Since that's the case...
"General Di, why don't you take on the role of Commander-in-Chief?"
Fusu readily agreed.
Di Qing was suddenly startled, his eyebrows rising sharply. In fact, he had been considering this matter as well. From a military perspective, he was, of course, extremely confident in himself. However, the Crown Prince's abilities were no less than his own, only slightly inferior.
Moreover, his army enjoyed a month's supply of salt transported from Western Xia. After all, those who eat others are bound to do so...
Di Qing was completely taken aback by the Crown Prince's swift decision to step down. Even considering the difference in status, the Commander-in-Chief should have been His Highness, not him.
But Di Qing was a military man of humble origins who disliked roundabout official jargon. Since His Highness was willing to concede, he was happy to accept and readily agreed.
Fusu smiled with satisfaction.
Di Qing's personality often reminded him of another person: General Meng Tian, who had been stationed with him in Shangzhou in their first life and had taken great care of him. At that time, as the eldest son and military supervisor, he also held the second-in-command position in the army and frequently offered suggestions.
Some of these suggestions were adopted by General Meng, while others were not. Each rejection spurred Fusu to learn more, and he gradually became able to claim, albeit somewhat, "well-versed in warfare." In fact, being second-in-command was perhaps the most comfortable position for Fusu.
But times have changed. Before, they had to guard against the Xiongnu's southward harassment; now, they had to actively cross the mountains. It was undoubtedly a challenge, even with gunpowder, a powerful weapon.
"General Di, do you have any plans?"
That evening, Fusu asked.
The hundreds of bonfires lit by millions of people illuminated the area around the camp as bright as day. Wild animals that normally roamed the surrounding jungle would detour around them, but they lingered around the camp unwillingly, howling, but no one paid them any attention.
The campfire made the tattoos on Di Qing's face even more prominent, and combined with the fierce aura he exuded when mentioning the Liao army, he became even more frightening. If Fusu hadn't been acquainted with Di Qing beforehand, he might have been startled by him.
But his words contradicted his expression: "We occupy Yanshan, looking north towards the seven prefectures without attacking them."
Fusu's eyes suddenly lit up: "Then, force the Liao Kingdom to negotiate with us?"
Di Qing nodded: "Exactly."
Fusu closed his eyes, seemingly deep in thought, but in reality, he was racking his brains to recall all the historical knowledge in his mind. When he opened his eyes, his gaze was intense: "General Di is right. After all, this Liao ruler, Yelü Zongzhen, is no mediocre ruler."
He was not an incompetent ruler. First, it meant he was quite capable; fighting cavalry in real combat on the plateau might not have been advantageous for the Song army. Second, it meant he was good at assessing the situation and, rather than resorting to a decisive blow, would more rationally choose to cut losses and gradually seek a turning point in the future.
However, Yelü Zongzhen's son was historically a notorious incompetent ruler. Hoping he could revitalize the country? Absolutely not. Yelü Zongzhen is unlikely to see any so-called turning point.
In truth, according to Fusu, the most suitable time to attack the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun was not now, but when Yelü Zongzhen ascended the throne. The incompetence of the supreme ruler would inevitably have a comprehensive impact on the army's combat effectiveness. And after more than a decade of hard work and strengthening, the Song army might have been able to reverse its weakness and directly conquer the sixteen prefectures.
But by then, if you do the math, the Jurchen tribes should have developed by now, right? How much time did they have left to assimilate the northern states, fight the Liao Dynasty, and guard against the Jin Dynasty at the same time?
The best time to do something is always now, and that's absolutely true.
Fusu lowered his eyes, taking in all the thoughts. When he looked up again, only firm support remained: "Alright, let's take Yanshan first and teach the Liao army a lesson."
"However, now that you have determined the strategy, General, leave the specifics of how to take Yanshan to me!"
——
Yanshan Mountains, Juyong Pass.
This place is known as the "First Pass Under Heaven." The soldiers stationed at the pass see nothing but dense forests covering the precipitous mountains every day. They are proud of this, and they are also proud to be able to guard this pass.
However, things have been quite unsettled at Juyong Pass recently. This is because reports of the Liao army's defeat have traveled along the battle line to this area, causing quite a stir among the soldiers.
"Have you heard? All those cities just a few dozen miles away have been captured by the Song army."
The soldiers guarding the pass, confident in the natural defenses of the Yanshan Mountains, began to mock them. Some said that people from the plains were just weak-willed. Others laughed at their bad luck in being captured by the Song army, asking what kind of soldiers they were and suggesting they might as well slit their own throats.
"But I heard that the surrendered soldiers over there are still eating the best salt."
"..."
"..."
The mocking laughter suddenly fell silent. After a long pause, someone said uncertainly, "It's fake, isn't it?"
"Yeah, how could that be?"
"Can prisoners of war eat salt? Did the Song people even have enough salt to eat?"
As if to completely deny the rumor's veracity, the voices of those refuting it were exceptionally loud. The person who spoke first pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. "Heh, the Song army has no salt to eat? How could that be? Half of your military pay comes from the Song's annual tribute, doesn't it?"
Indeed, in the Liao people's stereotype, while the Song army was indeed easily defeated, the Song people were truly wealthy. In other words... it wasn't entirely impossible for them to feed their prisoners salt.
What if it's true? That would be heartbreaking. Because they themselves don't eat much salt. The rice is cooked in a large pot, and they only sprinkle a tiny spoonful each time, so it's practically tasteless.
After the group finished their rebuttals, they tacitly changed the subject, avoiding this potentially painful topic: "Have you heard of that? The Song people's divine punishment technique?"
If the claim of being forced to eat salt was merely a vague rumor, then the divine punishment was confirmed by the defeated deserters. According to them, they weren't defeated in a direct confrontation, but rather by the Song army's magical manipulation. The Song army could supposedly summon lightning into the ground, blasting them into a rout, then use the chaos to their advantage and wreak havoc among their ranks.
One person saying this is an excuse, but when everyone from the general to the soldier says it, and everyone's description is almost identical, it becomes hard not to believe. It's said that the commander-in-chief has personally reported this to the king. They haven't suppressed the news; recently, everyone has been talking about it.
Some believed, and some did not.
Most of the soldiers at Juyong Pass believed. They lived with this natural barrier every day and had a deep reverence for nature. But belief did not necessarily mean fear, for the same simple reason.
"Even if the Song army can draw lightning on flat ground, do you think they can draw it up the mountain and strike us?"
Unfortunately, Fusu really couldn't do it.
The catapults of the Song Dynasty could not reach such heights. Moreover, to make the gunpowder ball fly high, the detonation time would need to be longer. But this was extremely difficult to control, and if not handled carefully, it would explode in mid-air.
But who says he has no other options?
The soldiers on Juyong Pass saw several fiery flashes of light streak across the sky. They rubbed their eyes in unison, thinking they were seeing things. Wasn't it daytime? Where did these streaks of light, or perhaps Mars, come from?
Only when the dozens of points of light grew larger and larger before their eyes, drifting straight towards them, did they realize that this was not some strange celestial phenomenon at all, but clearly a burning fireball flying towards them!
Combining the casual conversation about drawing lightning into the ground, what else could the soldiers at Juyong Pass not understand?
"It's the Song army!"
"It must be the Song army's doing!"
-----------------------
Author's note: My chest has been hurting for several days. I'm going to the hospital tomorrow to get checked out. Hopefully it's nothing... [sunglasses]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
