novel bin Chapter 163 Great Victory
Chapter 163 Great Victory
After beheading the Dharma King Duo'er, Wang Chongyang pressed on without stopping, heading straight for Wanyan Kuang.
Although his personal guards tried their best to stop him, they were no match for this master of the Five Greats of the World.
In the blink of an eye, Wang Chongyang had rushed to Wanyan Kuangma's side, and with a thrust of his longsword, pierced through his chest.
With the Jin army commander killed in action, the remaining Jin soldiers lost all fighting spirit, throwing down their weapons, kneeling down to surrender, or scattering and fleeing.
In the chaos, Ouyang Ke took advantage of the disarray of the army to secretly flee north.
His left arm injury had not yet healed, so he dared not linger in battle and only thought about escaping back to the north as soon as possible to save his life.
But he hadn't run far when a figure blocked his way.
"Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
Hong Qi stood on the earthen slope, arms crossed, watching him.
Ouyang Ke's expression changed, but he forced himself to remain calm and cupped his hands, saying, "So it's Chief Hong. I have no prior grudge against you, Chief, and I hope you will do me a favor."
He paused, then added, "My uncle, Ouyang Feng, was an old acquaintance of the gang leader. Let's consider this out of respect for my deceased uncle..."
"Don't mention your uncle." Hong Qi sighed, his expression complicated. "If it were for the sake of the old poisoner, I shouldn't have made things difficult for you. But you shouldn't have betrayed us by collaborating with the Jurchens, aiding and abetting their evil deeds, and harming the people of our Great Song Dynasty."
He slowly raised his palm: "Take your own life, that would at least leave some dignity."
Ouyang Ke's eyes darkened, but his face showed a sorrowful expression: "The gang leader is right... I have gone down the wrong path."
He slowly raised the folding fan, pointing it at his own throat, as if to commit suicide.
But in the instant Hong Qi was slightly distracted, he flipped his wrist, opened the folding fan mechanism, and dozens of poisoned silver needles shot out, heading straight for Hong Qi's face.
"Unrepentant." Hong Qi snorted coldly, neither dodging nor avoiding, and suddenly struck out with his right palm.
The dragon that soars too high will regret it!
A fierce and unparalleled palm wind howled out, instantly repelling the silver needles, which then shot towards Ouyang Ke himself.
The force of the palm strike, still strong, landed heavily on his chest.
"puff--"
Ouyang Ke spat out a mouthful of blood, flew backward, and crashed heavily to the ground.
The poison on the silver needles spread rapidly, his face turned black instantly, and his eyes became unfocused.
He gazed at the gray sky, his lips moved, and he weakly uttered a few words: "Uncle...Father..."
His head lolled to the side, and he stopped breathing completely.
The White Camel Mountain lineage in the Western Regions has been completely eradicated.
Hong Qi looked at him with a complicated expression, sighed softly, and casually dug a shallow pit, burying Ouyang Ke in it.
In this chaotic battlefield, it is fortunate that Ouyang Ke was able to be laid to rest.
As the sun set, the battle was completely over.
Inside and outside Zaoyang City, corpses lay strewn across the fields, and blood flowed like rivers.
Of the tens of thousands of Jin troops who marched south, more than 30,000 were lost, and the rest were all captured. Almost all the generals at all levels were killed.
Wanyan Kuang, Dorji Dharma King, and Ouyang Ke were all beheaded, and countless military supplies, weapons, provisions, and horses were seized.
This was the greatest victory the Southern Song Dynasty had achieved against the Jin Dynasty since Yue Fei.
In Zaoyang City, Wang Chongyang, Hong Qi, Qiu Qianren, and others met up with Zhao Yu, and everyone's face was filled with undisguised joy.
"Your Majesty's strategy is brilliant; you have achieved a great victory against overwhelming odds, decisively defeating the Jin army." Wang Chongyang said with a cupped hand and a smile, "After this battle, the Jin army has suffered a severe blow and will be unable to advance south again for some time."
"It is all thanks to the soldiers' bravery and everyone's great help."
Zhao Yu nodded slightly, but his face showed little joy; he remained calm and composed.
He looked at Xia Zhen and ordered in a deep voice: "Pass down the order to immediately take stock of the casualties, give a proper burial to the fallen soldiers, and provide compensation to their families. Among the prisoners, those who are willing to surrender should be incorporated into the engineering battalion to build fortifications and atone for their crimes through labor; those who resist should be dealt with according to military law. All captured grain, fodder, and equipment should be registered one by one."
"This subordinate obeys the order." Xia Zhen bowed and accepted.
At this moment, he no longer harbored any disloyalty, and his eyes were full of respect.
Zhao Yu walked to the map and traced his finger along Tangzhou and Dengzhou all the way north: "Order the entire army to rest for half a month. After half a month, pursue the fleeing enemy and recover the lost territory."
"I will seize this great victory and reclaim our lost territory in Henan in one fell swoop."
The group exchanged glances and bowed in unison, saying, "Your Majesty, we obey!"
The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window and onto the map. The victory at Zaoyang was just the beginning, and Zhao Yu's great cause had only just begun.
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The day the news of the great victory at Zaoyang reached Lin'an, the entire capital was in an uproar.
The fast horse galloped along the imperial road, and the news of victory traveled from Nanxun Gate all the way to the depths of the palace.
At first, the people along the street peeked out, but when they heard the news that "30,000 Jin soldiers were defeated and their commander Wanyan Kuang was killed in battle," they burst into thunderous cheers.
Shops hung red silk banners, and many elderly people burned incense and kowtowed towards the north, choking back tears as they murmured the name of Marshal Yue.
In the decades following the Jingkang Incident, the Song Dynasty had never won such a resounding victory.
In the Imperial Cabinet's office, Huang Yaoshi was reviewing official documents sent from various places, his expression as indifferent as ever.
When the people from the Eastern Depot rushed in carrying the report of victory and bowed to hand over the documents, he unfolded them, glanced at them, and his usually tense lips curved slightly upward, revealing a rare smile.
"Before leaving the capital, the emperor instructed that if there was a great victory at the front, he should share the joy with the people."
Huang Yaoshi folded the victory report and looked up at the clerk standing beside him: "Go to the Hall of State Affairs and tell the gentlemen to discuss the celebration arrangements and draft a proposal as soon as possible."
"Yes, Lord Huang." The clerk bowed and replied, then turned and headed towards the Hall of State Affairs.
Inside the Hall of State Affairs, Lei Xiaoyou held the victory report, his hands trembling slightly.
He said in a trembling voice, "Excellent! Excellent! Your Majesty truly has the style of the founding emperor! You have only been on the throne for a few months, yet you have already decisively defeated the Jin invaders and brought glory to our nation! If this continues, the recapture of the old capital will be just around the corner!"
Qian Xiangzu, sitting behind the desk, stared blankly at the victory report on the table, seemingly oblivious to what he had heard.
"Botong? Botong?" Lei Xiaoyou called out twice before Qian Xiangzu suddenly came to his senses.
"Ah... Brother Ji Zhong." Qian Xiangzu forced a smile, his expression somewhat dazed. "It's nothing, I'm just... a little worried. The Emperor's letter said to press on while the victory is in hand and recover Tang and Deng prefectures, and he told us to speed up the transport of grain to the front lines."
"A great victory is certainly good, but the Jin Dynasty is, after all, a powerful northern state with deep roots. If the Emperor were to advance rashly and fall into a Jin trap, all our previous efforts might be in vain."
Lei Xiaoyou stroked his beard and nodded: "What you say makes sense. However, His Majesty is wise and valiant, and his military campaigns are highly organized. I imagine he won't underestimate the enemy or advance rashly. As his subjects, our job is to ensure proper logistics and supplies. The military decisions at the front will be made by His Majesty. With His Majesty's wisdom, he would never take risks or rely on luck."
Qian Xiangzu twitched the corners of his mouth and casually echoed a couple of words, but his tone was somewhat insincere.
His mind was in turmoil, devoid of any joy of victory. Instead, he felt as if a heavy stone was pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.