On the Liao army's side, the general made basic judgments and decisions and implemented them, but there was always a blockage in his throat and a huge stone hanging in his heart, making it difficult to release. Unable to fall asleep and having no intention of sleeping, Yelu Wuzhi personally led people to patrol the night, hoping to alleviate the worries in his chest.
At this time, the layout of the battlefield at Nankou was like a copper coin, square on the inside and round on the outside. Tens of thousands of Han army remnants were huddled and resisting, and hundreds of thousands of Liao troops were besieging them layer by layer. Although they were in a state of balance, the strongholds and gates were still there. Rong, sharp and sharp, the atmosphere is chilling.
Yelu Wuzhi inspected the whole camp, dealing with illegals and sorting out the illegal ones. Suddenly, there was a sudden sound of killing in the east and a crowd of people moving around. He hurriedly sent someone to check and went back. He soon received a reward: "Your Majesty, there are Han cavalry attacking the camp from the east!"
Hearing this, Yelu Wuzhi's furrowed brows became more serious: "How many people are there!"
The officer said: "No more than two to three hundred people!"
The doubts in Yelu Wuzhi's mind were a little clearer. If it was just a small group of enemy cavalry that surrounded them, it would explain why Yelusha couldn't keep watch. Immediately, his face turned cold, and he ordered sternly: "The Han army is so arrogant, how dare they attack me with such a small number of soldiers! Order the troops in Dongzhai to strictly control the troops and not to cause chaos. Guard the Han army in Nankou to attack. This must be captured A group of bold Han cavalry, surround and kill them all!"
"yes!"
By the time Yelu Wuzhi arrived at Dongying, the sound of killing had subsided, and some of the chaos in the Liao army had been brought under control. However, the rhythm of rest and recuperation had been interrupted. Each of the more than 20,000 troops worked hard, vigilantly responded to the battle, and even sent troops to fight. Spread on the other three sides.
The two hundred Han cavalry who made the surprise attack suffered serious casualties under the encirclement and killing by the Liao army. Fortunately, they were able to achieve the effect of the surprise attack, and with a small force, they managed to reach the east camp of the Han army, where they were escorted by the defender Dong Zunzhen. , just to save his life. In front of the camp, another offensive and defensive fight took advantage of the situation. In the end, they were shot by the Han army, killing and wounding hundreds of people, and the Liao army gave up on their own initiative.
Enemy camps are so easy to attack, that is, the camps outside the south entrance were severely damaged. Dang Jincheng survived, but he suffered four more battle wounds, and there were less than thirty soldiers who were sent to the central stronghold with him alive.
Dong Zunjiu Suxi was a warrior. Although he was in the dark, he saw Dang Jin's bravery on horseback and personally greeted him and praised him highly. Dang Jin had a mission on his back, and he didn't care about many things. He directly stated his identity: "I am Commander Long Jie, Dang Jin. I am here on His Majesty's order. Where is King Chen Liu? I have something to report!"
Looking at Dang Jin, Dong Zunjie couldn't help but point to the wounds on his body: "King Chen Liu is in the Chinese army. The general is seriously injured. Why not stop the injury first?"
At this time, Dang Jin was like a bloody gourd, covered in blood, both from the enemy and his own. In response to this, Dang Jin shook his head: "The military situation is important, so we don't dare to neglect it. We will wait until we report it to King Chen Liu before we make other plans!"
Seeing his persistence, Dong Zunjie immediately ordered one of his military officers to lead the party in to see An Shenqi. He didn't rush to ask about any major military information, but from the party's introduction and his tone, it can be guessed that it is good news.
Outside Dongying, Yelu Wuzhi was very dissatisfied with the result of the interception, but he did not criticize the general too harshly. Rather than blaming him, he was more concerned about the intentions behind this small group of Han cavalry. What was their purpose?
This autumn night is destined to be unrestful! Arrangements were made to strengthen vigilance and defense, and the hostage of Yelu's house found Yelu Cong. The two discussed again, and news came from the south that the Han army was attacking with light cavalry in several branches, taking turns to harass and disturb the troops.
Regarding the Han army's continuous attacks and harassment, both Yelu and Zhi felt something unusual, just like the depression before a mountain rain was about to destroy them. Although the movement of the Han army was small and seemed ordinary, the signal it released was heart-stopping.
At this time, the Liao army was worried because it was difficult to move down the stronghold at the south entrance, so naturally they couldn't help but think more about it.
"The Han troops attacking and harassing us over Yelusa must be trying to tire out our army. The Han cavalry who just attacked the camp are probably trying to get in touch with the Han troops at Nankou, appease them, and strengthen their will to resist!" Yeluwu! Let’s talk about his analysis.
"What the King of Beiyuan said is true!" Yelucong agreed, and then asked: "What should we do!"
Yelu Wuzhi was silent, speechless for a while, raised his head for a long time, and said with certainty: "This attack has caused great trauma to the Han army in Nankou, so it cannot be a full success. Although it is regrettable, for the safety of the army, we cannot persist in this." . Now that the soldiers are tired and Han reinforcements have arrived, there is no need to delay any longer. I think we must consider withdrawing our troops!"
Hearing this, Yelucong said: "With the current situation, even if we choose to retreat, the Han army will not let us leave easily!"
Seeing that Yelu Cong still had reservations, Yelu Wuzhi immediately said: "The longer we delay, the more disadvantageous it will be to our army! It's hard to predict how many reinforcements the Han army will have. If they gather a large number of troops, the situation will be even more dangerous!"
At this time, Yelu Cong's face was full of exhaustion. He looked at the quality of Yelu's house and said in a weaker tone: "I wonder what your majesty's opinion is?"
Yelu Cong's words also reminded Yelu Wuzhi that the two of them led the army to attack and had the power to make decisions on the fly, but the real commander-in-chief was still the Liao Emperor. Previously, people had been sent on Pegasus to report to Yelujing and ask for advice.
The two of them were not allowed to wait any longer. At about two o'clock in the first year of the Yin Dynasty, an envoy from Emperor Yelujing of the Liao Dynasty came and rushed to the commander's tent, bringing two pieces of news. First, Yelujing has led his troops to Juyong Pass; second, he has ordered the withdrawal of troops.
In response to this, Yelv Cong looked slightly relaxed, while Yelu Wuzhi hurriedly asked for the reason. The messenger replied in a serious tone, saying that Xiao Siwen, the Privy Councilor of the South, had been defeated in Tanzhou and had fled to Ruzhou. The hundreds of thousands of Han troops in Tanzhou might move westward at any time to support the war at Nankou.
After hearing this news, the two Yelvwuzhi couldn't sit still, let alone have other ideas. They quickly reached a consensus and obeyed the order to withdraw their troops. But since ancient times, withdrawing troops has been more difficult than advancing, especially with an army of hundreds of thousands.
In terms of time, it was also urgent. It was almost certain that the Han army in Changping was ahead of the attack and would definitely launch an attack at dawn to delay the laggard army. The Han cavalry who broke into the Han village in Nankou obviously wanted to get in touch with An Shenqi and report the news. The intention behind the Han army is already clear.
After thinking about these things, Yelu Wuzhi and Yelu Cong felt an even greater sense of urgency in their hearts. It was already dawn, and even though it was a little late in late autumn, they didn't have much time to prepare for withdrawal.
Immediately, Yelu Wuzhi and Yelu Cong summoned the generals of various ministries and armies in Nankou to directly report the news of the withdrawal, arranged the order of withdrawal, and said that the emperor had personally led the army to respond. Let the Liao troops on all sides prepare secretly, with little movement and fast speed.
The key to withdrawing the troops lies in ensuring the smooth flow of the retreat. The Liao troops to the north of the Hanzhai were arranged to be the last batch to withdraw from the south first. At the same time, a powerful mobile force was organized from the three armies, with Zuopi Shi Army as the core, and could respond to emergencies at any time. The Yelüsha army in the south also hurriedly sent people to inform them that they were in a state of being unbearable and moved northward.
Soon, from north to south, top to bottom, the entire Liao army took action. However, hundreds of thousands of people moved together, even if they followed military orders and were as careful as possible, the momentum created was still huge.
The first to become vigilant was the Han army at Nankou. They originally thought they wanted to attack again, but they soon realized that the Liao army wanted to withdraw. From the party's entrance, they learned the overall situation of the Han and Liao sides in the Nankou War, and An Shenqi and the generals felt confident.
After noticing the Liao army's intention to withdraw, An Shenqi immediately thought that it was the result of the Tanzhou war and the Liao army had also received it. Considering that the emperor delayed the task of containing the Liao army, An Shenqi couldn't help but feel embarrassed. It seemed that it would not be easy to complete, especially when the Liao army moved first.
An Shenqi did not dare to directly order an attack. The Han army in Nankou was now in very poor condition. Attacking hastily would easily create loopholes in its own defense, giving the Liao army an opportunity to take advantage. When the Tanzhou army will arrive is still a question. Of the three armies of the Han army, the most dangerous one is his remnant, and he is the one who needs to be steady the most.
But watching the Liao army calmly prepare for their retreat was not something An Shenqi could tolerate. After thinking for a moment, An Shenqi made three decisions.
First, the emperor personally sent troops to rescue and the news of the victory of Tanzhou was fully communicated to the superiors and subordinates to further boost morale. Sure enough, the effect was very good, the military situation was happy, although they were sleepy, but their spirits were high. He also made the whole army shout loudly to kill, frightening the Liao army, and at the same time, the war drums in the village were beating.
Second, each army was ordered to select warriors who dared to die, and together with the more than a thousand cavalry remaining in the camp, they were divided into several groups to attack and harass the Liao army on all sides, denying them the chance to retreat safely.
Third, continue to strengthen the defense. At the same time, select elite men from each army who are still fighting, drink water and eat, replenish their physical strength, and prepare to attack at the critical moment and capture 7,000 people.
An Shenqi's emergency response naturally had an impact on the Liao army. The fierce cheers and shouts of killing caused the surrounding Liao army to panic. Many officers subconsciously led their men and prepared to meet the enemy on the spot.
Although there was heavy thunder and light rain, the Han army still disrupted the Liao army's retreat. It was also in the dusk and dawn, and the vision was dim, which caused even more chaos. In response, Yelu Wuzhi and Yelu Cong immediately suppressed the attack in groups to appease the morale of the army.
At the same time, the news from the Han army also proved that it had discovered the withdrawal intentions of several parties, so it did not hide it and ordered the withdrawal to be accelerated. For a moment, the drums and shouts of the Han army seemed to be sending off the Liao army. Slowly, the Liao army got used to it.
Under this situation, An Shenqi looked for an opportunity and ordered that all the dead soldiers come out and launch a desperate attack on the Liao army on all sides. The sudden attack had the effect of a surprise attack and once again caused chaos among the Liao army.
In this regard, the Liao army had no choice but to adjust and use all its strength to surround and kill these Han troops who were in the way. Because the troops sent were insufficient, they were unable to support much under the attack of the Liao army, and they were defeated one after another.
An Shenqi was not surprised. He ordered him to rest and recuperate, and then sent his warriors to attack again. In this way, hundreds of people are attacked from all sides at a time, and they will return when they are defeated. The rogue tactics are effective, but the effect is not small. Just like a few stones, the Liao army stirred up the water in this huge lake.
Of course, if you rely solely on this tactic, it will be effective, but it will not be effective. The Liao army's retreat has begun under the command of Yelu Wuzhi and Yelu Cong. However, An Shenqi's actions still involved a lot of their energy and delayed a lot of time.
In fact, both sides are competing for time.
There was a battle of wits between the two sides at the south entrance. When Changping received the military order from Yelu Wuzhao, Yelusha did not hesitate. Under the harassment of the Han army, the entire army was already on alert and immediately ordered to withdraw to the north.
The movements of Yelusha's army quickly affected the Changping Han army, who made judgments and decisions in a very short period of time. All the cavalry were gathered together, plus the harassing five thousand troops, and more than 20,000 cavalry, all went out to pursue Yelüsha's army.
Afterwards, Chai Rong and Zhao Kuangyin led the remaining more than 40,000 infantry troops who had rested and reorganized, and followed them out of the city to attack to the north. Liu Chengyou was very honest this time and had no intention of going to the battlefield in person to cause trouble to the soldiers. He just solemnly said to Chai Zhao that I stood on the top of the city and looked north, hoping that the soldiers would make great achievements and sing a triumphant song.
Before dawn, before dawn, in the dim morning light, the Han and Liao armies began to wrestle again. The Liao army retreated without chaos, while the Han army pursued them. Each had its own goals and refused to compromise with the other. This was a battle and contest involving 300,000 people.
