In the fourth year of Jianwu in the Song Dynasty, 1233 AD, on the first day of September, Yanjing City.
In May of the fourth year of Taiping and Xingguo's reign in the Song Dynasty (AD 979), Song Taizong Zhao Guangyi moved his troops to attack Liao after pacifying the Northern Han Dynasty in order to recapture the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun that Shi Jingtang of Jin had ceded to Khitan during the Five Dynasties. , trying to take advantage of his unpreparedness and seize Youzhou (Yanjing) in one fell swoop. The Liao army counterattacked, and the Song army was attacked on three sides. It was immediately in chaos and retreated across the board. More than 10,000 people were killed. Song Taizong escaped in a donkey cart. The Liao army pursued them as far as Zhuozhou.
In the Battle of Youzhou, the Song army was defeated, and the pace of unification came to an abrupt halt. For more than a hundred years, due to the loss of Yanyun's sixteen states, it was always at a military disadvantage.
The Jurchens rose up, destroyed the Liao Dynasty and conquered the Song Dynasty, and aspired to the Central Plains. They made the city of Yanjing the central capital and doubled the original Yanjing. The circumference was more than fifty miles, the city was more than four feet high, the city was thick and the pond was deep, even if it was east of the river. The important town of Taiyuan is far inferior. It can be said to be the most important town in the two rivers.
Under the morning light, many Yanjing military and political officials and their entourage, including the Yanjing City Guard General Yelv Buhua, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Liao Army, Yelu Gugu, the brother of Shi Tianze, a member of the Han Army in Hebei Province, and the Prime Minister of Lianghe Zhongshu Province, Yelu Chucai, all expressed their opinions. After climbing up to the south city wall and looking around, many people's faces were as dark as water and their hearts were heavy.
The surrounding areas of Yanjing City were densely populated with Song army camps. The Song Army's camp was in good order, with flags with the word "Song" fluttering in the camp. The Song Army's officers and soldiers kept getting out of the camp to gather, and it looked like they were going to form formations to attack the city.
Outside the main camp, the fences, trenches, and arrow towers of the Song Army were integrated into the camp, and the defenses were complete.
Outside the camp, countless Song Army cavalry were cruising. They were strong and well-equipped with armor. They were obviously well-trained warriors.
Outside the thirteen gates of Yanjing City, the Song army assembled heavy troops on the southwest and southwest sides, and countless artillery launched around the city. It seems that they did not want to surround Yanjing City, but chose to let the Mongolian army withdraw and then occupied Yanjing City.
As the drums sounded, countless Song troops came out of the camp. They gathered outside the camp. Each square formation was neatly arranged, like countless rectangles, with endless cavalry protecting the east and west wings. The knights of the Song Army rode their horses and shouted in the formation, as if they were mobilizing before the battle.
The autumn air was crisp, the grass was growing, and the horses were fat. It was the time when the Mongolian cavalry was roaming the world and looting. No one expected that the weak southerners would take the initiative to go north.
It seems that the fierce battles in the northwest border have completely aroused the blood and bravery of the southerners.
Yelu Chucai's eyes searched the Song Army's formation, trying to find that familiar figure. In the end, he withdrew his eyes in disappointment and felt a little relieved.
Apparently, Emperor Zhao Hong of the Song Dynasty was not in the Song army's formation, and he did not seem to be marching in person.
After saying goodbye to Lin'an, Yelu Chucai was deeply impressed by Zhao Hong. Now that Song Emperor Zhao Hong is no longer in charge, Yelu Chucai subconsciously feels that the pressure is not that great, but he is also a bit disappointed.
He promised to arrange envoys or appease envoys along the way. Wouldn't the Song Emperor be just talking nonsense?
"How come the Southerners have so many cavalry?"
Dongliao coach Yelu Aigu looked at the endless Song Army cavalry outside the city and couldn't hold back his heartbeat.
During the Northern Expedition of the Song Dynasty, the army was approaching the city. Why didn't anyone communicate with him secretly?
Could it be that he was required to lead his own troops and defect before the battle?
"The southerners have obtained the horse-raising land west of Hexi, so of course there will be no shortage of cavalry."
Shi Tianan, the second brother of Shi Tianze, a member of the Han army in Hebei Province, also frowned.
The Song army is powerful. After this battle, how many of the men under his command will be killed or injured?
"Song Dog has more cavalry, but our army has less cavalry? See the real seal on the battlefield and see who is the coward!"
Zhang Hongyan, Zhang Rou's eldest son, said something hateful.
His father, Zhang Rou, a member of the Han army in Hebei, was assassinated by the Song people. He was full of hatred for the Song people.
"Zhang Hongyan is right! There is an old saying among the Han people, strike first to gain strength, strike later and suffer disaster! Today, outside Yanjing City, we will kill the Song dogs to pieces and drive them out of Hebei!"
The mouth temperature is not good and he laughs, full of confidence.
Under the arrow rain and impact of the Mongolian cavalry, the Song Army's cavalry collapsed, just in time to break the Song Army's formation in one go.
"You're still here to guard the city. I'll send all my cavalry troops to kill these Song dogs outside the city!"
Temutai stroked his chest and bowed, loudly asking for orders.
The Song army has strong soldiers and strong horses, and the cavalry is overwhelming. As long as the Mongolian cavalry attacks, they will be able to break up the Song army's formation, defeat the Song army's formation, and kill them at will.
"Marshal, the Song army is powerful and will not be vulnerable. It is better to defend the city and don't be reckless!"
Yelu Chucai was worried and hurriedly persuaded him.
The 50,000 to 60,000 cavalrymen from various departments in Yanjing City wouldn't all come out in full force, right?
Ever since he saw the powerful national power of the Song people, he had a natural psychological fear of the Song Dynasty and the Song army's combat power.
"Yelu Chucai, take care of your taxes. Don't worry about marching and fighting."
With a raised eyebrow, Wen Wen ignored Yelu Chucai's concerns and seemed to cheer up his generals.
If you are timid before fighting, how can you continue to fight this battle?
"Marshal, the Song army formed a large formation outside the city. Although there are many cavalry on both wings, the line is too long and too thin. We can rely on the heavy cavalry to attack. The light cavalry will circle out from the two wings and kill with arrows, forcing the Song army's cavalry to collapse. Defeat the Song army's formation."
Temutai was full of ambition. He pointed outside the city and reported to Kouwen Buhua.
"Temutai, the Song Army's artillery is fierce. Don't charge head-on. First, attack the Song Army's cavalry from both wings, forcing them to collapse on their own."
Kou Wen Bu Hua warned him solemnly.
"The four cavalry units of Zhang Hongyan, Yelu Aigu, Shi Tianan, and Temutai attacked. Zhang Hongyan's and Shi Tianan's troops went out from the west gate and attacked the left wing of the Song Army's cavalry. Temutai and Yelu Aigu's troops came out from the east gate and attacked the right wing of the Song Army's cavalry. . After the charge begins, light up the smoke and let Gesar attack the Song army's rear formation from the south!"
He was a veteran in the battlefield, and arranged everything in an orderly manner.
In the field attack, what can the Song army do to me? If you don't rush, how can you know the strength of the Song Army?
"Follow the order!"
"Follow the order!"
Kou Wenbuhua passed down the military order. Yelu Aigu, Shi Tianan and others took the order one after another and arranged for their generals to go down to prepare. The generals left with Temutai.
Yelu Aigu and others are the commanders of an army. It is impossible for them to rush into battle personally. They have their own army lieutenants and generals to do it for them.
"Marshal, charging into battle with tens of thousands of cavalry is no small matter. Isn't it too reckless?"
Yelu Aigu was frightened and said something cautiously.
His 10,000 Dongliao cavalry are the lifeblood of Dongliao and cannot be ruined here.
Shi Tianan frowned, but said nothing. He glanced at Kou Wen Buhua.
"Subotai said that in the battle of Hanzhong, the defeat was due to dividing the troops and charging into the formation. Therefore, this time we must concentrate the cavalry and defeat the Song army's formation in one fell swoop. We cannot make the same mistakes as before."
He said it categorically with a warm tone. It seemed that he firmly believed in the combat power of the Mongolian cavalry.
"That's what the marshal said! Thousands of cavalry charge into the formation, heavy cavalry rush in, and light cavalry rain down waves of arrows. Let's see how long Song Dog can hold out?"
Zhang Hongyan echoed loudly and spoke warmly.
Shi Tianan and Yelu Aigu looked at each other without saying a word.
Kou Wen Bu Hua is the commander-in-chief of the Mongolian army in Yanjing City. Do they dare to disobey his military orders?
"Yelu Chucai, calm down. The Song army is coming. There are 50,000 to 60,000 Mongolian cavalry. They can't be defending the city."
Yelu Chucai and the other civil servants saw the panic in their eyes and said softly.
He could see clearly from the city wall that most of the Song army gathered outside the south city. The entire army of 40,000 to 50,000 cavalry protected the left and right wings of the Song army's formation.
It was useless for the Mongolian cavalry to stay in the city. It was then that they went out to attack the Song army's formation. Moreover, the Mongolian army dominates the world, relying on the impact ability of the Mongolian cavalry. Wouldn't it be great if the Song army's formation could be defeated in one fell swoop?
In other words, even if the Mongolian cavalry cannot win, they can retreat freely with their mobility.
Even if the cavalry is defeated and defends the city, even if the Song army attacks the city with all its strength, there are still 80,000 infantry troops stationed in Yanjing City. Under the Yanjing City is the tomb of the Song army.
Zhang Rou and Shi Tianze were the two largest Han armed forces in Hebei, with tens of thousands of men each. Shi Tianze had many soldiers and horses and was stationed in Zhending Mansion, while he only had 10,000 cavalry to guard Yanjing City.
Although Zhang Rou was assassinated, his son Zhang Hongyan abandoned Baozhou and reinforced Yanjing City with 10,000 cavalry and 30,000 infantry.
As for Dongliao, the troops and horses are strong, with 10,000 cavalry and 30,000 infantry.
In addition to the 20,000 Han troops in Yanjing City, a full 80,000 infantrymen defended the city, and more than 50,000 cavalry assisted in the defense, resulting in an army of 1,340,000 people. I still have some confidence in being gentle.
"Marshal, I have more than 40,000 Mongolian cavalry to attack the Song Army's cavalry formation, and we will definitely return in triumph."
Yelu Aigu, the coach of the Dongliao Army, said with a smile.
He cursed secretly in his heart. If this happened, he would really be a direct enemy of Song Jun.
"Marshal, after the Song army's formation is defeated, I will lead the cavalry out and kill the Song dogs until they bleed into rivers. Let's vent the evil in my chest!"
Zhang Hongyan was very interested and added a sentence.
Yelu Aigu smiled bitterly and said nothing, while Shi Tianan remained silent and remained silent.
"Yelu Aigu, just wait and see how the Song army is defeated!"
The mouth temperature is not good and he laughs, calm and composed. The ordinary civil servants on the city wall looked at each other, speechless.
Militaryly, the Mongolian generals were in sole control, and they civilian officials had no right to interfere. Now we can only hope that the Song army will be vulnerable.
"The Song Army's army of more than 100,000 almost overwhelmed the country. The generals were as fierce as the tigers in ancient times. They came to the city and surrounded the city of Yanjing. They were obviously well prepared. This is to force iron. You are determined to capture Yanjing City! It looks a little bad! It’s not good!”
Zhao Fang, the deputy tax envoy of Yanjing, muttered to himself.
With a "pop" sound, Zhao Fang screamed and received a whip on his face.
"Why are you howling like that? Get out of here! Get out of here!"
With an angry roar from Wen Wenhua, Zhao Fang covered his face, staggered, and fled from the city wall in a hurry.
"Useless sour scholar! So useless!"
Wen Buhua cursed with a black face, then turned his head and looked out of the city.
Officials such as Yelu Chucai and Chen Shike were speechless, but their hearts were filled with humiliation.
The gentle words of "Sour Confucianism" seemed to hurt everyone's already numb hearts.
Yelu Aigu looked at his mouth and looked at the outside of the city.
The reason why Kou Wen Buhua was so angry seemed to be because he was under too much pressure. It seems that this will be a fierce battle.
There was silence on the city wall. After an unknown period of time, Zhang Hongyan pointed at the east and west city gates and shouted loudly.
"Marshal, our troops have left the city!"
Everyone on the city wall was refreshed and looked towards the east and west city gates together.
The east and west city gates of Yanjing were opened, and countless Mongolian cavalry filed out of the city gates. They crossed the moat, and the mountains and plains were covered with black water. The assembled giant formations extended to the north to the Gaoliang River, and to the south they overflowed the east city wall. The sky is full of horses and heads, overwhelming and dazzling.
"Blow the trumpet and beat the drum to cheer!"
The military orders were delivered loudly and warmly, and the drums and horns on the city walls were shouting, which was breathtaking.
"General, the Tatar cavalry came out of the city from the east and west gates, each with tens of thousands of cavalry. It seems they are going to attack our cavalry on the left and right flanks!"
The flags of the cavalry formations on the left and right wings of the Song Army were waving. The flag officer saw clearly in the central camp, on the high ground, and came up to report to Meng Gong, the commander-in-chief of the Song Army.
"Wei Jinyu, the Tatar cavalry on the left wing is yours! Li Tang, the right wing is yours!"
Meng Gong, the head coach of the Song Army, gave the order loudly.
Li Tang and Wei Jinyu took the order and left. Meng Gong looked solemn and handed down the military order.
"Send the order and prepare the entire army for war!"
Tens of thousands of cavalry attacked from the beginning. This battle outside Yanjing City may determine the fate of the two countries and can be recorded in the annals of history.
On the two plains east and west of Yanjing City, the Mongolian cavalry gathered five miles away from the east and west wings of the Song Army's formation. Thousands of horses galloped forward slowly, facing east and west, with smoke billowing and mercury pouring down the ground, heading straight for the Song Army's formation.
Perhaps fearing the Song army's firearms, the Mongolian cavalry marched slowly. Gradually, the distance between the cavalry and the cavalry widened, and the cavalry formation lengthened and widened, becoming so huge that it was impossible to see the end of it.
As the Mongolian cavalry formation moved forward, their horses slowly increased in speed. From east to west, from west to east, the horses galloped in two directions, like an unstoppable flood, covering the mountains and plains, filled with densely packed human and horse heads. Smoke and dust billowed, the ground trembled, and the flow was endless, sweeping everything in the wilderness.
Yelu Haogu, Yelu Chucai and other Mongolian generals on the city wall all had their eyes wide open, many of them had flushed faces and sweaty palms.
"Our army is elite, and Song Dog will look good later!"
Zhang Hongyan's eyes lit up and he said excitedly.
After defeating the Song army's formation and killing them wantonly, they can avenge their father.
Yelu Aigu looked outside the city and felt relieved. Song Jun will not be vulnerable, right?
"Nearly 100,000 cavalry charged into the formation. This battle is related to the national destiny of the two countries. It is enough to be recorded in the annals of history and will be remembered throughout the ages!"
Yelu Chucai let out a long sigh.
For some reason, he always had an ominous premonition in his heart and always felt that the Mongolian army was unlikely to win this war.
"Light up the smoke!"
His mouth was warm, his face remained unchanged, he was calm and calm, and he shouted loudly, showing off the style of a famous general.
He has always been confident in the power of the Mongolian cavalry.
