Chapter 38: Sudden Attack (Part 1)
At the same time that Xi Shi Lie Zhi Ning's messenger reported to Wan Yan Zong Min, several riders appeared near the grain storage camp on the north bank of the Huai River in the rear of the Jin army. They were all wearing Jin army cavalry armor, but their appearance was quite different from those with a small braid on their heads and a fierce expression, and they looked more like Han soldiers in the Jin army. Looking at the heavily guarded grain storage camp of the Jin army, which had everything including fences, barriers, towers, and alarm bells, these riders couldn't help but sigh. A sturdy knight with a strong build, about twenty years old, with thick eyebrows and a wide mouth, said: "Mr. Yu has miscalculated this time. The Jin soldiers have built such dense defenses around the grain storage camp, how can we break in?" Standing next to him was a slender knight with clear eyebrows, thin lips, and fine eyes, whose pale face formed a sharp contrast with his robust companion.
The weak knight, however, said with a smile: "Although the grain camp's defenses are well-built, the soldiers defending it are all remnants of the Qi and Han armies. Although there are over 3,000 of them, they are no match for our elite cavalry! Moreover, we are now wearing the golden armor of the Jin army, and in the dark of night, they won't be able to tell friend from foe. We may have an opportunity to take advantage of this." The robust knight thought for a moment and then laughed: "If that's the case, let's go report to the young master and see when he decides to make his move!" These two men were Niu Tong and Guan Ling. After capturing Xuzhou, Yue Yun ordered all his troops to wear the golden armor of the Jin army they had captured in the city, preparing to use it to their advantage during a surprise attack on the Chu State's grain camp, causing confusion among the enemy.
On the back of a small hill near the Golden Army camp, Yue Yun listened to Niu Tong and Guan Ling's reconnaissance report, and he was also surprised in his heart. He thought that this Wanyan Zongmin was not an easy opponent, and he had built this grain depot so tightly. If they launched a strong attack, even if they took it down, their own thousand-strong cavalry would likely suffer heavy casualties. Moreover, more importantly: Yue Yun deeply knew that his martial arts and riding skills were far inferior to those of the pre-transcendence Yue Yun. Launching a strong attack on the enemy's heavily guarded camp, he would still have to follow the tradition of the Beiwei Army and charge at the front. At that time, whether he could survive after the first round of impact was a big question. But if they didn't break through this camp and burn down the Golden Army's grain depot, it would be too difficult for Chu State to hold on.
Just as Yue Yun was in a dilemma, the sun gradually set. Yue Yun looked at the sky that had already turned dark yellow, and after thinking for a moment, he finally showed a resolute expression on his face. He said in a deep voice: "Guan Ling, Niu Tong, pass down the order! Everyone eat some dry rations, drink some water, feed the horses fully, and then rest for a while! We will take action at midnight!" He had decided to make a desperate attempt after all. After all, wealth and honor are sought in danger, even if he escaped this disaster, it was unknown whether he could escape the Wind and Clouds Pavilion disaster. If he made an attempt, there would still be a glimmer of hope, but if he didn't, there would be absolutely no chance. Just as Yue Yun and his thousand cavalrymen finished eating and drinking, preparing to rest for a while, a scout rushed over hastily, whispering to Yue Yun: "Young Master! Twenty miles away, there is a large group of Jurchen army cavalrymen approaching. Judging from their direction, it's highly likely that they are heading towards the grain depot campsite. There are approximately two thousand people, among whom there is a middle-aged man wearing a yellow battle robe with a large eagle embroidered on it, which only members of the imperial family wear. It's suspected to be the Jurchen army commander Wanyan Zongmin."
"Ah!" Yue Yun and Guan Ling, Niu Tong and others were all stunned. If these two thousand Jin army cavalry returned to the grain camp, then they would be going to their deaths if they attacked again tonight. With one thousand cavalry attacking three thousand enemy infantry and two thousand cavalry defending the camp, even a fool could guess what the outcome would be. Even if they failed in their attack, they might not be able to escape, after all, the Jin army cavalry's archery skills were far superior to those of the Song army cavalry.
"Should we attack the grain camp now?" Niu Tong asked Yue Yun subconsciously.
"You fool! This grain camp is so heavily guarded, and the enemy has three times our numbers. How can we take it by surprise? If we start fighting here, the Jin army cavalry will soon find out, and twenty li is just a small half-hour journey for cavalry."
Just as the Golden Army cavalry arrived, they formed a pincer movement on us. I reckon our thousand or so men will all be done for here!" Guan Ling slapped Niu Tong's head hard. "Ahh! Guan Ling, don't hit my head! Can't you see I know I was wrong?" Niu Tong, although much taller than Guan Ling, had always been intimidated by him and could only speak with a face full of grievance. At this time, Yue Yun's heart was extremely tense. He actually had an idea in mind, but it was truly reckless. If it were the old Yue Yun, he might have still had a chance to fight back. But with his current skills, it would be a nine-to-one death sentence. Yet, this was the only opportunity to turn the situation around. Should he take the risk or not? It was a difficult choice.
Guan Tong and Niu Tong also stopped arguing, both of them looking at Yue Yun with expectation. The nearby soldiers who had heard the conversation stood up and looked at Yue Yun as well. Half of them were elite cavalry from Yue Yun's own army, while the other half were cavalrymen from the Han family's army. Regardless of which unit they belonged to, they all trusted Yue Yun now, expecting him to make the best decision. Yue Yun knew that he was already in a desperate situation, and if he hesitated even slightly, the opportunity for a decisive victory would be lost forever. Even if he managed to return safely, it would be difficult to prevent the loss of Chu State. The consequences that followed would be: Yue Fei and the Yue family army would be unable to escape their tragic fate.
Yue Fei and his own fate can't be reversed in the future, let the tragedy of Fengbo Pavilion not happen again, starting from tonight's battle! Yue Yun took a deep breath and tried to calm down his emotions. "Hehe, we've been waiting for this opportunity." Yue Yun laughed loudly. "Brothers, mount up! Take your weapons! Let's send those damned Jurchen Tartars to hell! What do you say, what should we do with those Golden Dogs who slaughtered our Han people?" "Kill——kill——kill!" The majestic voices of over a thousand brave warriors echoed through the wilderness. **Twenty miles away, at this time, a large group of Jurchen cavalry was slowly advancing in a long snake-like formation, as they were heading back to their own rear camp and were not in a hurry, so their speed was not fast.
For the past four days, Jin Jun's siege of the city has made no progress. It also allowed these proud Jurchen cavalrymen to put away their disdain for the Song army. Wanyan Zongmin rode on horseback, repeatedly thinking about his plan and calculating every step of its implementation. He found that he had underestimated the Song army. From the four-day siege of Chuzhou, the combat effectiveness of the Song army under Han Shizhong may not be as good as that of the Jurchen people, but it is absolutely above that of the Han army and the soldiers of various tribes in the north. The Song army has always been good at defense, and if he wants to break through Chuzhou, he will have to pay a heavy price. Moreover, even if he breaks through Chuzhou with difficulty, he will have no strength left to march south and drink from the Yangtze River. Unless he goes to report to his fourth brother Wanyan Zongbi now and asks for reinforcements.
But then, where would one put their own face? In the end, they'd still have to ask for help from others, how could they let the emperor look at them differently? Forget it, just think about how to protect the grain and supplies now, this can't be taken lightly. Wanyan Zongmin shook his head, trying to clear these distracting thoughts from his mind. To do a good job, one must first sharpen their tools. Whether in a field battle or a siege, reliance on logistics support is very heavy, and the overall planning and transportation of supplies is crucial to war. In this regard, although he had given considerable attention beforehand, now it seems that the potential dangers were still underestimated. Wanyan Zongmin never thought that the Song army would have a cavalry force of over 1,000 people.
If he knew, he would not have arranged only this number of people to garrison. On the Huai Bei Plain, letting these weak Han army infantry defend against the elite cavalry's surprise attack was indeed as difficult as ascending to heaven. Just as Wanyan Zongmin sighed, the Song army's cavalry had already launched a surprise attack, and the distance of over ten miles was only a matter of a short while for the charging cavalry. The Jin army, still expecting to return to camp for dinner, soon heard the rumbling sound of horse hooves from afar. Wanyan Zongmin, although having not led troops in battle for a long time, still had rich combat experience. Upon hearing this rumbling sound, he immediately realized that enemy forces were charging over. Because in this area, apart from his own cavalry, there were no other Jin army cavalry deployed here.
He immediately shouted loudly: "Men, quickly pick up your weapons! Prepare to meet the enemy!" At the same time, his personal soldiers also realized that they might encounter the enemy and cried out: "Everyone come over and protect the Ninth Prince, cover the Ninth Prince's retreat to the camp..." For them, protecting Wanyan Zongmin was the top priority. Just as the Jurchen cavalry were hastily forming a defensive formation around Wanyan Zongmin, more than 1,000 Song army cavalry arrived. They all wore golden armor and held long spears or sabers, charging towards the Jurchen cavalry under Yue Yun's leadership... The moment of intense battle had arrived! Hope everyone will vote for our Yue Xiaoge, and don't forget to collect it if you haven't already! Yue Xiaoge urgently needs everyone's support to unleash his power!
