binnovel Chapter 316 Encirclement and reinforcements
Chapter 316 Encirclement and reinforcements
The famous Liao general Yelu Xiuge led an army of 60,000 to rescue the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. After entering Ruzhou City from the Beigukou Pass outside the Great Wall, he heard the news that the Song army had captured twelve prefectures from the east and west in just half a month. He was so shocked that his mind was in a state of confusion and he didn't speak for a long time.
Xiao Yanluping, the garrison commander of Ruzhou, was a nephew of Empress Dowager Xiao. When he stole a glance at Marshal Yelu's pale face, he spoke cautiously, "Marshal, now our army only has Wuzhou, Ruzhou, Xinzhou, and Guizhou left, and the garrison is only more than 20,000 people.
The Grand Marshal is personally leading 60,000 troops to rescue. I would like to ask, should we send troops to rescue Xinzhou and Guizhou, or defend Wuzhou and Ruzhou, so that we can advance and retreat freely?"
Yelu Xiu Ge came to his senses and his face became serious!
"I have arrived with 60,000 troops, of course to rescue Xinzhou and Guizhou. Not only do we need to stop the enemy's attack, but I also need to lead the Khitan warriors to drive the Song army out of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun!"
Xiao Yan and Lu Ping smiled bitterly in their hearts, thinking that your reinforcements are too late. Although the 60,000 troops you brought are all elite cavalry of the Liao army, it is not that easy to drive out the Song army that has captured the twelve states with overwhelming force and crushed them all the way out of the sixteen states of Yanyun.
Not daring to say the discouraging words in his heart, Xiao Yan and Lu Ping only hoped that they could retreat safely. He clasped his fists and said, "The Grand Marshal is famous and our Khitan warriors are powerful. We will definitely drive the Song army out of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.
I am not a talented person, but I will definitely protect Ruzhou City for the Grand Marshal and ensure that the rear of the army is worry-free."
Yelu Xiu Ge looked at him with disdain, thinking that Empress Dowager Xiao was a woman, but she was brave, resourceful, courageous, and knowledgeable. She could manage government affairs in the court and kill enemies on horseback. But why were there so many cowards among her brothers and nephews? They were shrewd and calculating when fighting for power and profit, but they were afraid of death and refused to move forward in battle.
"Since General Xiao said so, you should continue to stay in Ruzhou City and keep the army's rear safe!" There was a hint of sarcasm and disdain in Yelu Xiu'ge's words.
Xiao Yan and Lu Ping pretended not to hear the sarcasm and disdain in the Grand Marshal's voice, and felt relieved. Defending in Ruzhou, they could advance and retreat. If the Liao army won, they could get some small credit for guarding the rear grain road. If the Liao army lost, when they saw the situation was not good in Ruzhou, they could turn around and run to the grassland outside the Great Wall from Beigukou.
Yelu Xiuge personally led an army of 30,000 to reinforce Guizhou, and his subordinate general Yelu Sha led an army of 30,000 to reinforce Xinzhou. They marched together to the north of Guizhou City and then split up to reinforce the two states, catching the Song army's siege troops by surprise.
The old general Yang Ye led his troops to the city of Guizhou and prepared to attack the city. The deputy general Liu Zhi led 10,000 troops and prepared to attack the city of Xinzhou.
Two fierce generals, Yang Yanzhao and Meng Liangjiao Zan, led 6,000 elite soldiers of the Volcano Army and quietly followed His Royal Highness the Regent to join them.
Regent Zhao Defang led 3,000 elite Moyun cavalry and 10,000 light-armored cavalry, plus Yang Yanzhao's 6,000 elite Huoshan Army, out of Shunzhou, and quietly entered a valley between Guizhou and Ruzhou.
Yun Yi, with his shadow guards and hundreds of elite Mo Yun cavalry, was responsible for clearing out the scouts released by the enemy, so that when Yelu Xiu'ge's army reached the pocket formation, they had to rush in like deaf and blind people.
This valley is called Feixiakou. It is narrow at the north end and wide at the south end. It is a big pocket with a big bottom and a narrow mouth. Whether the enemy troops that get into the pocket can be trapped depends not only on the 3,000 archers ambushed at the bottom of the pocket, but also on the combat effectiveness of the 3,000 Moyun Cavalry and 6,000 Volcano Army ambushed in the mountains and forests near the bottom of the pocket.
There were dense forests on both sides of the valley above Feixiakou. Regent Zhao Defang and Yang Yanzhao each led 3,500 soldiers, climbed up the mountains on both sides and set up an ambush.
After passing Feixiakou, it is still more than thirty miles to Guizhou City. Yelu Xiuge and Yelusha led 60,000 troops to the valley entrance, stopped their horses and waited for the report from the scouts ahead, and then entered the valley and passed through it.
This was the rear of the Liao army's occupied territory. Yelu Xiu'ge did not suspect that the Song army would ambush here. It was only out of caution as a famous general that he stopped and waited for the scouts to come back with information before entering the valley.
Yang Yanzhao, who was lying on the hill on the left, wore a camouflage of grass leaves on his head, secretly admiring the prince's cleverness. Yun Yi and the shadow guard waited for the scouts in front to report back that they were safe, and then when the main force of the Liao army began to enter the valley, they quietly killed the scouts in front. The main force of Yelu Xiu'ge behind became a deaf and blind man trapped in a pocket formation by his own people.
Regent Zhao Defang was surrounded by his trusted soldiers. He took out the telescope given by the princess without hesitation and hid behind a rock to observe the enemy situation.
Seeing the main force of the enemy army move, forming a long line and entering the narrow valley one after another, Zhao Defang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as these 60,000 troops get in, they will be like the meat filling in the dumplings made by the princess, and I can devour them.
The entrance was narrow and the speed was slow. When the vanguard had exited the wide valley in the south, the tail troops in the north had just entered the valley.
Regent Zhao Defang personally picked up a large-sized thunder bomb, lit the fuse, and threw it at the heads of the Liao army at the rear. With a "boom!...", flames rose into the sky and the order for a general attack was issued.
On the hilltops on both sides, large and small thunder bombs were thrown one after another: "Boom!..." "Boom!..." "Boom..."
The rumbling sound of explosions continued in the valley, flames ignited, and smoke filled the air. The six hundred thunder bombs brought by the blast exploded continuously in the valley that was more than ten miles long, and the bundles of grass doused with kerosene were pushed down one by one. …
The Liao army marching in the valley were in dense formation. People who were blown to pieces were thrown to the ground, limbs were flying everywhere, those who were burned were screaming like ghosts, and each burning man was struggling and screaming. It was as tragic and heroic as a purgatory on earth.
The tail of the Liao army in the north turned around and ran back, but they were squeezed in the narrow valley entrance and trampled on each other. The Liao army in the wide valley in the south mustered up their courage and rushed forward. Archers stood up from the low slopes on both sides and fired a rain of arrows. The Liao cavalry fell off their horses like dumplings. …
The Liao army, which had finally managed to escape from the rain of arrows, heard a thunderous sound of horse hooves. Three thousand elite Moyun cavalry soldiers wearing black armor and six thousand elite Huoshan army soldiers wearing dark red armor rushed out from the woods on the hillside three miles away.
Yelu Xiuge and Yelusha screamed desperately, commanding the army not to run around and trample on each other, and to rush out to the two sides of the valley. There were flames everywhere, and figures screaming and running for their lives.
Two hours later, less than five thousand Liao troops rushed through the Mo Yun Cavalry and Huoshan Army camps from the south, while more than ten thousand Liao troops escaped from the narrow valley entrance in the north.
Regent Zhao Defang and Yang Yanzhao came down the hillside and joined forces.
"Yan Zhao, you lead the 6,000 Huoshan troops to pursue and kill them in the south, and together with General Yang, you will attack them from both sides and take down Guizhou City. I will lead the Moyun Cavalry and 10,000 elite soldiers to pursue and kill them in the north, and try to annihilate this enemy army."
Yang Yanzhao accepted the order and led the Huoshan Army to pursue the enemy southward.
Regent Zhao Defang personally led an army of 13,000 elite soldiers to pursue the enemy to the north.