Zhu Qing's Iron Wolf Army was finally approaching Xingqing Prefecture, and Zhao Huan's soldiers rushed towards the West City. A melee broke out in the West City, and Xingqing Prefecture became a chaotic mess.
The Mongolian generals and soldiers were all very skilled in military tactics and were almost all geniuses in fighting. The reason they were repeatedly defeated by the Song army was because they did not expect the Song army to be so strong. Of course, the strength they thought of was the Song army's weapons and equipment rather than its tactics.
Using single-round tactics, the Mongol army showed no fear of the Song Dynasty. Yue Fei, though capable, only managed to draw with Kublai Khan in the northeast. Han Shizhong, though capable, only managed to defend cities in Shanxi and was unable to launch an offensive. It was Zhu Qing, leading the Iron Wolf Army, who ultimately broke the deadlock in Shanxi. Zhu Qing was merely a select few of the Song Dynasty's elite.
The Song Dynasty was vast and rich in resources, making talent selection relatively easy. Zhao Huan could select one Iron Wolf Army, but he couldn't select ten or twenty Iron Wolf Armies, because not everyone could meet the selection requirements of the Iron Wolf Army.
So, in Xingqing Prefecture, Bars began to concentrate on dealing with the 7,000-plus Song army vanguard within the city. However, what infuriated him most was that the Wang Ans of the Kul Tribe from Shunzhou hadn't arrived. Standing on the city wall, he directed his men: "Flying Cavalry, encircle the left wing. Earth Dragon Army, attack from the right! Divide and surround them! Quick!"
Bars had a shrewd eye, and his tactics were insidious. Xingqing Prefecture was cramped, limiting the army's deployment. Zhao Huan had only 7,000 men, while he had over 20,000. He relied on his numerical advantage to try to isolate and encircle Zhao Huan.
"Kill, kill, kill!" The Mongolian soldiers began to charge bravely. They had been suppressed for too long. This army had fought all the way from the grasslands. They had never suffered such a defeat since entering Western Xia. They were rampant in Western Xia. Who knew that this time they would encounter the army of the Song Dynasty and suffer repeated defeats.
The Mongolian army was furious and tried to launch a desperate death charge, but they were still defeated in the end. In the end, they finally realized that the problem was with themselves. They had no advanced weapons, no crossbows, and no red cannons.
So the Mongols started to learn their lesson and tried every possible way to deal with the Divine Arm Crossbow. Forget about the Red Cannon; it was too powerful, practically witchcraft. Fortunately, the Song Dynasty didn't have many Red Cannons; there was no way to counter them.
The Shenbi crossbow was different; at best, it was just a crossbow bolt. So the Mongolian army invented the Teng shield. Don't underestimate these rattan shields; they were more practical than iron shields.
Teng shields are made from vines soaked in a special dye, then steamed, dried, and then steamed and soaked again. After dozens of manufacturing steps, these shields achieve a perfect balance of hardness and softness, remaining both strong and resilient. Arrows fired from the Shenbi crossbow simply stick to the shields, harming the soldiers.
Iron shields were difficult to make due to the difficulty in obtaining the materials. Some iron shields could even be broken into several pieces after being shot by a crossbow. More importantly, the impact of the arrow hitting the shield was absorbed by the soldier holding the shield.
Don't underestimate the impact of the bow and arrows. The arrows shot out from the crossbow are densely packed like strings of pearls. When the densely packed arrows hit the shield, the soldier behind the shield will have to bear a considerable impact.
Some soldiers' hands were numb from holding their shields. The advantage of the Teng shield was that it could offset some of the impact of the feather arrows. The Mongolian army began to charge relentlessly, finally demonstrating the powerful fighting power of the grassland people.
Zhao Huan's army of more than 7,000 was gradually cut off and surrounded, divided into groups and eaten away by the Mongolian army.
As the number of soldiers around Zhao Huan decreased, Li Sisi drew the dagger from her waist, threw away the scabbard and rushed forward. The female guards brought by Li Sisi also engaged in battle with the Mongolian army.
The two sides engaged in a bloody battle in West City, a battle that had to showcase the Mongolian might. Zhao Huan, powerless and unable to even lift a finger, was protected only by Princess Yanran and a dozen guards. Cao Dongsheng, with a sallow complexion, stood beside Zhao Huan, unable to even protect himself.
Li Sisi was still pregnant, but she resolutely rushed into the army, and the female guards around her fell one by one. These female guards had married Li Sisi to the Song Dynasty and were loyal to her. Later, they gradually became devoted to Zhao Huan because they finally realized that this dog emperor was not so bad, but a very good emperor.
While giving orders, Bars cursed loudly, "Damn the Kul tribe! I will report to the Khan and have your tribe razed to the ground!"
"Look, Wolf Head!" Zhu Qing's lieutenant general pointed to Xingqing Prefecture, a nearby city. There was no one outside. The Mongolian soldiers on the city wall turned and fired arrows at the city.
"Not good!" Zhu Qing immediately understood that the Song Dynasty's vanguard must have entered the city. Needless to say, this must be the emperor's idea. Zhao Huan was good at governing the country, but he was really good at fighting.
"His Majesty is in the city! Everyone charge!" He shouted loudly, and took the lead in spurring his horse to charge forward, followed by the soldiers of the Iron Wolf Army.
Barth was commanding from the city wall when he heard the deafening sound of horse hooves behind him. As he turned around, a soldier beside him was shot in the back and fell off the city wall.
Bars was shocked to see dust rising outside the city walls. Countless Song cavalrymen howled as they charged towards Xingqing Prefecture. The city gates were sparsely guarded, and the Iron Wolf Army easily broke through. Countless cavalrymen trampled through the dust as they charged into the city.
The emperor was inside the city. If anything happened to him, the Song Dynasty would be in great trouble. The Iron Wolf Army had long since noticed the fighting in the west city and rushed towards it. Zhao Huan and his men also vaguely sensed that reinforcements were coming. As arrows continued to pour in from outside the city walls, the Mongol archers on the walls fell one after another. Some Mongol soldiers abandoned the city and turned to shoot arrows outside.
The Iron Wolf Army's arrival immediately reversed the tide of battle. The moment they engaged the Mongolian army, they immediately demonstrated their high-caliber combat prowess. They were well-trained and intimately familiar with the complexities of battle. Without even needing a command from the Wolf Leader, the original formation of seven cavalrymen per squadron proved too limited for them within the city walls, and they immediately shifted gears.
Moreover, the Iron Wolf Army fought without hesitation, nor did they fight for credit and kill. They simply used the highest efficiency to maximize the killing. Wherever the Iron Wolf Army went, the Mongolian army fell one after another.
In the blink of an eye, hundreds of men, led by Zhu Qing, had rushed to Zhao Huan's side. Zhu Qing did not dismount and kneel like the other generals did. Instead, he simply glanced at Zhao Huan, waved his hand, and said to his men, "Luo Shiqi, take your men to protect His Majesty." Then he spurred his horse and charged back toward the army.
Bars, perched on the city wall, saw his own troops begin to collapse, just as they had at Tiemenguan. He also understood why the Kuer tribe from Shunzhou hadn't arrived; most likely, they had already been fed to the wolf army before them.
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