0p0 Chapter 227 A Warhorse Picked Up for Free on the Battlefield Outside the City
Chapter 227 A Warhorse Picked Up for Free on the Battlefield Outside the City
Ahead, the more than two thousand Jin cavalrymen were mostly trapped in the trenches and pits cleverly laid by Li's army outside the city, as if being silently swallowed by the earth. As a dense rain of arrows poured down from above, the number of Jin casualties rose sharply, and cries of agony and screams intertwined into a mournful symphony.
Wanyan Xu's eyes were sharp as an eagle's, instantly catching this sudden change on the battlefield. Without hesitation, he immediately gave the order: "The cavalry on both flanks, quickly encircle and surround them, using arrows as shields to open a path to survival for our brothers trapped in this desperate situation! Pass the order to the leading cavalry commanders: rescue the men first, put aside the matter of warhorses for now, lives are more important!"
His words conveyed both the decisiveness of a commander and a deep respect for the lives of his soldiers; they were concise, powerful, and deeply moving.
During the turbulent years of war in the Song Dynasty, both the formidable Jin army with its forest of iron cavalry and the valiant Song army held warhorses in the highest regard. From their birth to becoming valiant companions on the battlefield, warhorses undergo countless rigorous training and trials; they are not simply a matter of finding any horse, donning armor, and charging into battle.
On the smoke-filled battlefield, when cavalrymen engaged in life-or-death struggles with the enemy, if a warhorse was unfortunately wounded, its rider would inevitably face punishment. If the warhorse was lost or died heroically, the rider's fate was even more tragic, either suffering severe beatings or facing death. Therefore, these Jin soldiers dared not easily abandon their warhorses when faced with adversity, even if their hearts were filled with dread. Without clear orders from their superiors, deserting the battlefield would also mean certain death, with no hope of returning home; only dying on the battlefield could lessen their punishment.
At Wanyan Xu's command, the Jin cavalry, who had been heavily surrounded, leaped off their mounts like wild horses released from their bridles. Abandoning their battle-hardened steeds, they used both hands and feet to turn rapidly amidst the rising dust, their legs flying as they galloped towards their own lines, leaving behind a trail of frantic yet determined footprints.
A Jin army centurion, clad in heavy armor and wielding a gleaming scimitar, had a face etched with fierce courage, his fleshy jaws twitching slightly with a ferocious grin. He roared at the Jin soldiers surrounding him, his laughter like thunder: "Hahaha... My warriors of the Great Jin, let these lowly Han people witness our indomitable spirit! Charge with me, and slaughter them all!"
"Bah! Bah! Bah!"
Before the centurion could finish speaking, a series of sharp shots from semi-automatic rifles rang out, shattering the silence of the battlefield like the scythe of death. Several merciless bullets, trailing fiery tongues, instantly pierced his heavy armor, blooming into gruesome flowers of blood on his chest. The Jin centurion's body trembled violently, then collapsed like a kite with a broken string, his once murderous eyes forever devoid of light.
The Li family army battalion commander, kneeling in the dust, slowly lowered his rifle, the muzzle still emitting wisps of steam. His tone carried an almost imperceptible calmness: "War is war, but you insisted on being different. Now you've lost your life."
Beside him, a soldier pressed close to the ground, gripping his rifle tightly, anxiously asked, "Commander, the Jin troops are closing in. Should we meet them head-on, or...?"
"Fire! Shoot!"
At the commander's order, the soldiers' weapons instantly spewed fire from the fortified defensive positions outside the city. The rapid roar of light machine guns and the steady echo of semi-automatic rifles intertwined, weaving a symphony of death.
Countless bullets, like an angry swarm of bees, pierced the bodies of the Jin soldiers with unerring accuracy, taking them directly from the mortal world to meet their distant and cruel Jurchen gods.
The Jin army under Wanyan Xu's command consisted of battle-hardened warriors, their blood flowing with the glory of countless clashes against the Song and Western Xia armies. These warriors, renowned for their bravery and fighting prowess, suffered an unprecedented defeat before Li's army. Like lions stripped of their courage, they faced Li's army's impenetrable defenses, where even a single step forward seemed impossible.
Jin soldiers fell one after another, dead and wounded in droves. Every inch of the battlefield witnessed this contest of strength and will. At this moment, the glory of the Jin army seemed to be overshadowed by the iron will of Li's army.
Several Jin army commanders, their faces filled with anxiety, urgently addressed Wanyan Xu, saying, "Grand Marshal, the situation is critical! We must order a retreat immediately! If we delay any longer, these four or five thousand brave soldiers will perish here."
Wanyan Xu's eyes widened in fury, and his voice boomed like a bell: "Order a full retreat! I thought the Li family army, though renowned and formidable, was nothing special. But today, I've seen how troublesome and terrifying they are. Once all forces have safely retreated, we must strengthen our defenses and guard against any enemy attacks. Immediately, summon all generals to discuss strategies for breaching the city, and we are determined to take this fortified city in one fell swoop!"
At this moment, the Jin army had already quietly begun their retreat. Admittedly, the Jin army's discipline was as strict as iron and impeccable; however, faced with the relentless and unstoppable offensive of the Li family army, even the strongest defenses eventually crumble. In the hearts of the Jin soldiers, fear spread like wildfire. They no longer heeded the officers' shouts and orders, abandoning their armor and weapons, desperately fleeing backwards in chaos and utter disarray.
As the Jin army slowly withdrew, Duan Peng, the general guarding the area, turned to the resolute battalion commanders beside him and issued orders: "Move quickly to aid our wounded. Those with minor injuries should be bandaged immediately on the spot, so that they are not delayed in returning to their units due to minor wounds; the seriously wounded brothers should be carefully carried to the field hospital in the city, where more comprehensive treatment awaits them. At the same time, it is imperative to accurately count the number of casualties; every piece of data is crucial, as it relates to our subsequent deployment and adjustments."
Although Li's army was armed to the teeth and equipped with advanced weapons, fate did not seem to be entirely on their side on that vast, smoke-filled battlefield. Many brave warriors were unfortunately pierced by the Jin soldiers' sharp arrows, some even struck in vital areas such as the throat or heart, instantly falling on this cruel land, their lives abruptly extinguished.
Just as Li's army was steadily advancing, an unexpected turn of events unfolded ahead. The Jin cavalry abandoned their warhorses, their means of transportation, and hastily retreated, as if quietly relinquishing a precious treasure in the darkness. For Li's army, this was like a godsend; they easily reaped this unexpected gift—four or five hundred robust warhorses lay quietly on the battlefield, clad in gleaming armor, seemingly waiting only for warriors to mount them and instantly transform into an iron torrent charging into battle.
These warhorses were not only intact but also fully equipped, each one seemingly tailor-made for the upcoming battle. The soldiers of Li's army gazed at these unexpected "comrades-in-arms," their eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation, as if the dawn of victory had quietly illuminated their path forward.