Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 808 - 667: Achieving Peace for Decades

Chapter 808: Chapter 667: Achieving Peace for Decades

The Mongolian and Jin Dynasty troops assembled very quickly, and by noon the next day, hundreds of thousands of troops from both sides had already gathered around Ningyuan Fortress.

The Jin Army had a total force of 270,000 men, of which 240,000 were infantry and 30,000 were cavalry, relying on Ningyuan Fortress and Shaling Fort to set up camp for defense, with a battle line stretching for more than ten miles.

Under Totaabuqa Khan of the Mongolian Khanate, the ’Datan’ allied with the ’Three Guards of Doyan’ comprised a total of 320,000 cavalry.

They moved their original camp back twelve miles, taking advantage of several hills in the area to arrange their troops, occupying a favorable position.

At this time, there were still more than 70,000 Datan cavalry placed by Totaabuqa Khan in the rear between Zhangjiakou and Qingshui River, guarding their livestock and line of retreat.

The remaining 30,000 cavalry were still scattered around Xuanfu Town, looting extensively.

Totaabuqa Khan had not been so bold before; although he had also dispatched troops to rob and loot, he did so in units of three to five thousand cavalry.

This effectively avoided being defeated by the Jin Army one by one, intercepting and ambushing them.

But now, with all the Jin troops from the areas of Xuanfu, Huailai, Baoan, and Yanqing already gathered here, Totaabuqa Khan had completely lost his concerns.

During a military council held by many generals of the Datan in Khan’s tent, Totaabuqa Khan pointed with a laugh towards the Jin troops in the west.

"These Jin people, either they come out of their tortoise shells to fight a decisive battle with our army, or they just wait while we slaughter and loot here before we leave!"

Upon hearing this, the numerous Taiji, Darughachi, and Wanhu present all burst into a roar of laughter, their expressions filled with mockery.

"Those Jin people must be fools, right? They are still hammering and digging moats. Do they think we will take the initiative to knock on their tortoise shells? Why should we?"

"Khan is wise! The lives of our brave Mongolian warriors need not be wasted in front of their forts. As long as we plunder enough, we can return home, and this haul will keep us worry-free for several years."

"If these Jin people dare come out of their tortoise shells, we will smash their teeth! In a field battle, which people have the Mongolians ever feared?"

As these men jovially drank and discussed, a man dressed in black hurriedly approached Totaabuqa Khan.

"Khan! There is new military information, more than 30,000 men from the four guards of Wanquan are marching towards Zhangjiakou, seemingly intending to cut off our rear. Also, along the south bank of the Qingshui River, our cavalry has spotted two large forces.

Their total strength is about 25,000 cavalry, identified by the banners as ’General Fang Ying of Xuanfu’ and ’Deputy General Fan Guang of Huailai’."

"25,000 cavalry? How is that possible?"

Totaabuqa Khan was astounded, his expression filled with confusion, "25,000 cavalry daring to attack towards Qingshui River? Have these Jin people lost their minds? Are there other Jin ambushes around the Qingshui River that you might have missed?"

He thought of County Prince Li Xuan of Fenyang, a recently emerged famous general of Jin, whose recent two major victories had been unbelievable, leaving onlookers dumbfounded.

There was also Shaofu Yu and General Zhu Guoneng: one had been contending against the Mongolians in the northern border for over a decade, well-versed in military strategy; the other in command of Xuanfu, was a veteran in the army.

With their military capabilities, how could they make such a mistake?

"I thought the same, so I ordered my subordinates to search around a hundred miles of Qingshui River, leaving no stone unturned, but so far, we’ve found nothing."

The man in black spoke firmly, "Not long ago, ’Taiji Burigude’ was preparing to launch an attack and confront the Jin cavalry decisively, believing that regardless of whether or not there were any hidden Jin forces, defeating this cavalry force would be the correct move."

’Taiji Burigude’ was the commander of the 70,000 Mongolian cavalry along the Qingshui River.

’Taiji’ is a title used in the Mongolian royal and military leadership, originated from the Chinese word for ’Crown Prince.’

In the era of Genghis Khan, it was used primarily for princes, but later it became a common title for descendants of the Golden Family.

This ’Taiji Burigude’ was Totaabuqa Khan’s cousin, distinguished in military strategy, and in recent years, a Uprising star within the Borzigin family.

Totaabuqa Khan also couldn’t help but nod in approval: "He’s right, regardless of what the Jin people are planning, we’ll take out a part of them first."

Yet as he spoke, he also glanced uneasily towards the west.

Totaabuqa Khan wondered, what exactly was County Prince Li Xuan up to? Did he truly believe that mere 25,000 cavalry outside the Great Wall could swallow their millions of cattle and sheep, cutting off his own rear, or was it a hasty, desperate attempt, underestimating their Mongolian might?

※※※※

While Totaabuqa Khan was doubtful, Li Xuan stood steadfast atop the battlement of Ningyuan Fortress, patiently waiting.

The red-robed scholar beside him was none other than Shaofu Yu, who, with hands behind his back, gazed towards the south side of the fort.

In the ten-plus miles that Yu could see, about 200,000 Jin troops were busily engaged along the line.

They were digging trenches, building fences, setting up caltrops, and constructing what seemed a sizeable fortress.

However, upon closer observation, it would be evident that these supposed ’Jin troops’ were merely civilians hastily dressed in war robes.

Those trenches, fences, and cavalry obstacles mostly just looked the part.

All the trenches were no deeper than five feet; the fences were merely shallowly inserted into the ground, easily toppled with a push; all the cavalry obstacles were crudely made.

The real Jin Army from Xuanfu were, at that time, sleeping soundly not far behind in the tents or under the shade of trees.

Yu Jie thought to himself, if Totaabuqa Khan’s Mongolian Iron Cavalry dared to attack at this moment, this seemingly ’solid’ defense line had at least a ninety percent chance of being breached with one charge.

Fortunately, Li Xuan’s military gamble had been successful.

Totaabuqa Khan was still halting his troops twenty miles away, relying on the hills over there as they waited for them to pass. Those hundreds of thousands of Mongolian Iron Cavalry sat under the scorching sun, quietly watching their best opportunity for battle quietly slip away.

All of the Jin Army had completed their rest and were invigorated, even those who had rushed here from places like Huailai and Yanqing had received ample rest and were gradually revitalized.

Just as Yu Jie was reflecting on this, Great General Zhenshuo Zhu Guoneng also stepped onto the city wall, "I’ve looked in all directions, the situation looks good. The troops are well-rested, and there is no problem fighting the Mongolians until dawn tomorrow!"

"Next is to start cooking. Following the commands of the County Prince, the Fire-Head Army of each camp will prepare enough fried noodles with minced meat for three meals within the next two hours, as well as enough boiling water for them to drink until tomorrow morning."

——They were preparing for a night battle.

Shaofu Yu Jie immediately glanced over, his voice slightly trembling, "Are those torch fats, arrows, and other military supplies also ready?"

Yu Jie was a master of keeping his emotions hidden.

But at that moment, his face was covered with a flush of excitement, and his eyes sparkled with intensity.

If the strategy formulated by the County Prince Fenyang unfolded smoothly, they might deliver an unprecedented blow to the Mongolians, even possibly depriving them of their ability to advance south permanently.

Thus, at that moment, Yu Jie was also emotionally stirred and exhilarated.

Great General Zhenshuo Zhu Guoneng immediately chuckled, "Everything is ready! Thanks to Shaofu Yu, the military supplies within Xuanfu Town are abundant, and there are no shortages of food or military equipment. This battle today may determine the situation of the northern frontier for decades to come, hence I dare not be stingy!

"We are now fully prepared, just missing the east wind. As soon as we receive good news from the north, we can deploy the entire army out of the fortress to fight a decisive battle with the Mongolians!"

Li Xuan, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but look towards the north.

The reports they awaited were, firstly, the retaking of the Zhangjiakou line forts by the four guards of Wanquan; secondly, the combat results of the cavalry led by "Zongbing Fang Ying" of Xuanfu and "Deputy Zongbing Fan Guang" from Huailai along the Qingshui River.

Li Xuan estimated the time, thinking if both cavalry forces arrived on schedule, they might have already encountered the Mongolian Cavalry by now.

Just then, Li Xuan saw a streak of barely visible crimson Liuguang flashing across the eastern sky.

He concentrated and saw that it was the shell of the "Might General Shenwei Wuliang Cannon"—also known as the "super electromagnetic cannon," positioned at Jiming Mountain in Baoan State.

After this great cannon was sold to The Court, it was moved by the Ministry of War to Jiming Mountain in Baoan State.

This location was carefully selected by Yu Jie. Due to the obstruction of the Taihang Mountains, this mighty cannon could no longer threaten Beijing. However, perched high, it leveraged a direct shooting range of 350 miles, covering the entire northern Xuanfu stronghold and even beyond the Great Wall by a hundred miles within its lethal range.

Li Xuan immediately raised his eyebrows, "It seems it has begun!"

He knew that there was a special monitoring Array set up in Jiming Mountain of Baoan State, able to scan the shooting targets hundreds of miles away.

Since the "super electromagnetic cannon" had started firing, it indicated that the battle, which would determine the outcome of the entire Xuanfu campaign, had begun.

What Li Xuan did not know was that at that moment, a one-armed man was peering down from above the clouds.

That was Master Zhongliu, his eyes also filled with intense anticipation.

"They are preparing for a night battle beyond the fortress."

Master Zhongliu’s core of spirit originated from "Zu Zhongliu," hence his military capability was not weak.

He pointed down, "This battle, the Mongolians might be in trouble. The County Prince Fenyang is truly exceptional; this battle might secure peace for Xuanfu for decades."

Next to him, "Shenlie Blade" Zong Xuanhua was puzzled and asked, "But can these 270,000 Jin soldiers really contend with the Mongolian Iron Cavalry?"

He thought even at their peak, Jin soldiers rarely defeated the numerically superior Mongolians in a direct battlefield clash.

Especially since the terrain Totaabuqa currently occupies is advantageous for the cavalry.

"You don’t understand!" the one-armed man shook his head. "They don’t need to win outright, only to entangle and delay. As long as the Mongolian Cavalry cannot disengage, that’s sufficient, hence the need to prepare food and water, including fats and torches in advance."

Then the one-armed man looked towards the direction where the red "cannon shell" had flown, "However, the key to this battle still lies at the Qingshui River."