novel bin Chapter 150 Casting the Jingguan
Chapter 150 Casting the Jingguan
"General, something's not right," someone whispered a warning. "Could it be a trap?"
Wang Chongyang smiled slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
He raised his hand to signal the army to pause and sent scouts forward to investigate.
The scout cautiously infiltrated the camp, and returned moments later with a look of astonishment: "General, the Jin... the Jin soldiers seem to have all fallen ill! They're all vomiting and having diarrhea, and can't even stand up straight!"
A glint of light flashed in Wang Chongyang's eyes: "The drug has taken effect! Order the entire army to launch a full-speed assault!"
As the war drums sounded, the Song army charged into the Jin camp with shouts.
The scene before them was even more horrific than the scouts had described.
The camp was in complete disarray. The Jin soldiers were all pale-faced, clutching their stomachs and curled up on the ground, their cries of pain echoing throughout.
Let alone taking up arms to fight, many people don't even have the strength to stand up.
After the poison was diluted with food and water, its lethality was indeed greatly reduced. It was not enough to kill people, but it was enough to make these strong and healthy men exhausted and depleted.
Even more critically, the commander-in-chief, Pusanhuntan, was assassinated last night, leaving the group leaderless.
The remaining officers argued incessantly, some advocating an immediate retreat, others advocating holding out for reinforcements. They argued all night without reaching a conclusion, and the thousands of vanguard troops were thus trapped in place.
As soon as the Song army charged in, the defensive line collapsed instantly.
On the outskirts, Hong Qi led his chivalrous followers on a journey, dealing with any stragglers of Jin soldiers they encountered, and working with the main army to wipe out the remaining enemy forces, achieving remarkable results.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, most of the Jin soldiers threw down their weapons and knelt down to surrender.
However, several hundred Jurchen warriors gathered in the central position and stubbornly resisted from their tents.
Although they were also poisoned and their faces were pale, they remained fearless and continued to curse in the Jurchen language.
"The Song people are despicable! Shameless! If they have the guts, let them fight us Jurchen warriors with real swords and spears!"
They were talking in a very unclear, unintelligible language.
Logically speaking, facing a group of half-crippled enemies, the Song army should have crushed them in one fell swoop.
But just then, the Song army's offensive slowed down.
The Jin soldiers, poisoned, were truly incompetent, and the Song army was equally incompetent.
Many Song soldiers were terrified by the Jin people's insults, and seeing their bloodshot eyes, they hesitated to step forward.
Having been terrified of the Jurchens for many years, the fear ingrained in their bones could not be immediately eradicated by a single sneak attack.
Even though their opponents were already extremely weak, they still felt that the Jurchens were fierce and dared not approach them easily.
Watching this scene from afar, Zhao Yu, riding his horse, had a somber expression.
"The generals have lost their courage, and the soldiers are even more timid. Training the troops is of utmost urgency. To reverse this tendency to be afraid of battle, we must accumulate real victories."
He turned to the messenger beside him and said, "Pass on my decree: before midday, all stubborn enemies must be annihilated. If any organized Jin troops still dare to act recklessly, the commander of the vanguard will be punished for cowardice."
"As you command!"
The messenger rode off on horseback.
Upon receiving the order, a fierce glint flashed in Wang Chongyang's eyes.
"All troops, charge into battle with me!"
Wang Chongyang let out a loud shout, drew his long sword from his waist, and spurred his horse straight into the enemy formation.
Although he came from a Taoist family, he was incredibly brave and led the charge during the Shandong uprising against the Jin dynasty, capturing enemy generals and flags.
At this moment, dressed in military attire and brandishing a long sword, he truly possessed the courage to withstand ten thousand men.
Behind him, Qiu Chuji, Ma Yu, and the other seven disciples of Quanzhen followed closely, each displaying their unique skills as they charged into the enemy ranks.
They were all top-notch experts, and dealing with these exhausted Jin soldiers was like tigers among sheep.
"The general has already charged in, what are we waiting for!"
"Kill! Kill the Jin dogs!"
Seeing how brave their commander and the Taoist priests were, the Song soldiers' fear gradually faded, and their blood boiled with fervor.
Shouting, the crowd followed behind Wang Chongyang, charging forward fearlessly.
The last resistance was quickly crushed.
The sounds of fighting on the battlefield gradually subsided, leaving only sporadic cries of pursuit and pleas for mercy.
The Jin vanguard of over three thousand men was either killed or surrendered, and was completely routed.
Before long, Wang Chongyang rode back to Zhao Yu and reported: "Your Majesty, this battle was a great victory! We annihilated over 1,300 enemy soldiers, captured over 2,000, and seized over 1,000 warhorses, as well as countless provisions and weapons. Please give your instructions, Your Majesty."
"The prisoners were spared and taken to the rear to do hard labor, building fortifications. The captured food, fodder, and equipment were carefully inspected to ensure they were free of poison before being distributed and disposed of."
"As you command."
Wang Chongyang agreed and was about to leave when he heard Zhao Yu speak again.
"Furthermore," Zhao Yu's voice turned colder, "Issue my decree to collect all the heads of the fallen Jin soldiers, cast them into a mound of heads, and place it in the center of this Jin camp."
"What?"
Wang Chongyang suddenly looked up, his face pale: "Your Majesty, this is absolutely forbidden! Casting the Jingguan (a mound of skulls) is against the will of Heaven. If the Jurchens see it, it will only boost their morale, and the situation will spiral out of control."
"Heaven and Earth".
Zhao Yu sneered, "When the Jurchens were slaughtering the people of my Great Song Dynasty, why was Heaven ever kind to them? If things got out of control, then so be it!"
"I want all the Jurchens to see what happens to those who offend my Great Song. I want them to know that the sword of my Great Song is just as sharp."
"Your Majesty..."
Wang Chongyang wanted to persuade him again.
"No need for further words." Zhao Yu waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "My mind is made up. This matter will be left to Minister Qiu. Master Wang, you may go and reorganize the military affairs and appease the soldiers."
Looking at Zhao Yu's cold profile, Wang Chongyang knew that further persuasion was useless, so he could only sigh, bow, and retreat.
Soon, Qiu Qianren and his Iron Palm Clan disciples took over the matter.
Looking at the mountain of heads, Qiu Qianren felt a chill run down his spine.
He was the leader of the Iron Palm Gang and considered himself ruthless, having killed quite a few people, but compared to this young official, he was still far inferior.
Previously, he had submitted to Zhao Yu mainly for the high-ranking official position and generous salary, and was intimidated by the other party's martial arts skills and power.
But having witnessed Zhao Yu's ruthless methods, he was filled with nothing but awe.
This official is not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also incredibly cunning and scheming.
Following such a monarch, as long as one serves loyally, one will naturally enjoy endless wealth and honor.
But if they dare to have any disloyal thoughts, their fate will likely be even worse than that of these Jin soldiers.
Qiu Qianren dared not slack off and personally supervised the construction, ordering people to pile up the heads and tamp the earth to build a huge mound of heads.
As dusk fell, the Song army sounded the retreat.
The soldiers marched back to Xiangyang, their faces beaming with the joy of their victory. They chatted amongst themselves, waiting for their rewards upon returning to camp.
No one looks fearful when talking about the Jurchens anymore, just like before.
As the sun sets, the afterglow is like blood.
In the center of the ruined Jin camp, a mound of thousands of severed heads stands silently, appearing particularly menacing in the twilight.
At the very top of the mound of corpses, lay the head of Pusanhuntan, his eyes wide open, his death unfulfilled.
The evening breeze swept by, carrying a heavy stench of blood.
This mound of skulls served as both a warning to the Jurchens and the beginning of the Song Dynasty's soldiers and civilians regaining their fighting spirit.