Chapter 742 - 27: The Bloody Battle at Juyong Pass, Countermeasures and Surprise Attack!

——The beacon fire finally rose.

Under the watchful eyes of the public, Gu Jin left Kaifeng.

And as Zhao Guangyi, the King Jin, had said, he personally drove the carriage for Gu Jin.

It wasn’t that Gu Jin did this deliberately.

After all, Zhao Guangyi was King Jin.

Moreover, Zhao Guangyi had earnestly committed himself over the years; he certainly would not demean a royal member who posed no threat to him.

This was Zhao Guangyi’s own request.

He was indeed old, and when Gu Jin initially wanted him to lead a troop, he hesitated for a long time before ultimately refusing.

This was his last campaign, and he wanted to fulfill the aspiration in his and Zhao Kuangyin’s hearts!

For this, the so-called face was not worth mentioning!

Though Zhao Guangyi was not as capable as Zhao Kuangyin,

he shared a very similar trait with Zhao Kuangyin—he was indifferent to so-called face!

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have cooperated with Gu Jin to expose all the ministers who had privately harbored ulterior motives and contacted him over the years.

...

The eleventh year of Tongyuan, June.

The weather was scorching hot.

But hotter than the weather was the boiling fighting spirit in the hearts of the two hundred thousand Song Army soldiers.

The main camp of Gu Jin was set in Xiongzhou, just a stone’s throw from the Liao border.

The camps stretched for dozens of miles, flags shadowed the sun, the orders were clear and solemn, and the atmosphere of killing rose to the sky, with the military force pointing directly at the Liao’s Nanjing Road.

This could definitely be called the largest-scale war in this turmoil.

Even the entire world’s atmosphere became somber under such circumstances.

——The four directions were moving.

Gu Jin had already formulated various detailed strategies and directly initiated the battle without any hesitation.

However, the Liao Army did not confront the Song Army, whose morale was flourishing, at the border.

Under Wang Yingchen’s direction, Yelv Xiuge, who guarded Nanjing, voluntarily abandoned the front camps and withdrew the main force to Youzhou and its surrounding series of fortresses built upon the dangerous terrains of the Yan Mountain range.

——Using Zhuozhou, Yiizhou, Tan Province, etc., a deep, echeloned defense system with Youzhou as the core was formed.

Wang Yingchen’s strategic intention was quite clear.

It was to utilize the geographical advantages of the Yan Yun region, trading space for time, extending Song Army’s supply lines, and using strongholds to wear down their momentum and troops.

Admittedly, this was indeed a very practical tactic.

The territory of Liao was vast.

This gave them the confidence to maneuver flexibly.

Although the Song Army had abundant provisions,

morale was different.

No matter how detailed Gu Jin’s plans were, with the passage of time, he could not prevent the weariness that would eventually settle in the hearts of the soldiers.

Meanwhile, on the western front, Western Xia’s Li Yuanhao made his move as promised.

The Xia Army cavalry frequently appeared at the Liao’s Western Capital border, threatening the Hetao Region of the Yellow River, and even raided several fringe forts, posturing as if to massively advance eastward, threatening Liao’s Western Capital Datong Prefecture.

This action successfully forced the elite cavalry led by Liao’s Southern Courtyard King Yelv Xiezhen not to easily move east to support Youzhou, being firmly pinned down in the Yun Shuo area.

The entire operation occupied a vast area.

The three states were entangling with each other.

Yet each side had its thoughts and objectives, enacting an unprecedented war on this storied land!

Liao.

The main tent of the Liao Army camp.

Wang Yingchen had also long left Kaijing.

No matter how calm his heart was now, he could no longer maintain absolute rationality to stay in Kaijing.

He needed to receive various news at the earliest possible moment.

The good news was that he had not been unprepared over the years.

Although he did not have the capability to develop an advanced canal network in this territory like the Great Song did,

he adopted the courier system devised by the Gu Clan in past years and fully developed it, elevating the message transmission speed to its peak.

At this moment, facing the constant flow of news from both the east and west fronts, he appeared frighteningly composed.

In the main tent.

"Chancellor, the Song Army has come prepared; their supply routes are solid, and their provisions never-ending. In contrast, our troops, while employing the scorched-earth tactics, may delay the enemy but also harm ourselves significantly."

"Youzhou’s granary is abundant, but the army’s daily consumption is immense. If sieged long-term, I’m afraid... I’m afraid we won’t be able to sustain it!"

"...."

"Chancellor! That Western Xia’s Li Yuanhao harbors wolfish ambitions! Although he has not launched a large-scale offensive on the western front, his cavalry roams unpredictably, like vultures circling, ready to strike at any moment!"

"General Yelv Xiezhen’s elite troops are pinned on the Western Capital Road, unable to aid the east."

"If Youzhou falls, our Great Liao’s heartland will be laid bare, the consequences unimaginable. Why not... why not split our forces to first strike at Western Xia, swat away this unsettling fly?"

"...."

A series of cries kept echoing.

Many ministers wore grave expressions on their faces.

This battle was indeed too large.

The pressure the Song Army exerted on Liao was already considerable, and now Western Xia had entered the equation.

It could be said that all of Liao’s reserves had now been brought forth.

They were naturally afraid.

But Wang Yingchen’s expression remained solemn.

He coldly scanned the people present and shouted, "Ridiculous!"

"Anyone who dares speak such words again shall be executed!"

——He didn’t bother with explanations or arguments.

But he trusted his overall judgment.

Although this move appeared very risky, for Liao, it was the only way to truly resolve the current predicament!

Upon hearing this, the entire tent fell silent instantly.