Chapter 8 Ambush (Part 2)

  Di Yu pointed to a narrow pass in the distance and said, "If I were the Song army, I would definitely ambush there. If we go further, although there are better places to lay an ambush, it's too close to Xiongzhou City, and the Khitan people won't easily pass by."

  "Then we can't go past anymore. Let's release a few horses to rush over and create the illusion that we've gone past. The other horses will be wrapped around their hooves, quietly leaving..."

  He hadn't finished speaking when Di Yu suddenly said, "Huh? What's that noise!" It turned out that a rumbling sound was coming from the direction of Xiongzhou, as if someone was marching in this direction.

  Di Yu shouted: "Not good! The Song army has changed its strategy! It seems they don't want to ambush, but instead use a surprise attack!"

  "Isn't it because Guang Bi and Ying Qi's escape was discovered?"

  Di Yu said: "Most likely so!"

  Before long, a group of people appeared at the bend in front, and Zhe Yan Chong exclaimed: "They've seen us, let's get out of here!"

  Fifteen riders galloped north, the Song army was short of horses and mainly infantry, but Xiong Prefecture was located on the northern border, after all, there were not many horses, and when they saw Zhao Yan rushing over, they rushed over.

  Zhe Yan Chong and others didn't dare to go and meet with Yang Yingqi, fearing that they would bring disaster upon themselves. The fifteen riders ran further and further north, their horses gradually becoming exhausted, but the pursuing soldiers behind them were even more exhausted! The distance between the two sides gradually opened up, but Zhe Yan Chong and others were still within the range of the Song army's vanguard pursuit.

  "Let's make another dash!"

  "If we keep pushing like this, our strength will be exhausted!"

  "Zhe Yan charged forward: 'Our horses are tired, the Song army's horses are even more exhausted! Once we're out of their line of sight, we'll abandon our horses and hide in the forest!' Hmm——"

  Just as the pursuing troops were approaching from behind, the sound of horseshoes came from the front. Zhe Yan-chong and Di Yu looked at each other in dismay, their bodies chilled to the bone: Yang Ying-ji's plan to lure the Khitan army into the Song army's trap seemed perfect on the surface, but he had not anticipated that the Song army would change its strategy at the last minute, nor did he expect the Liao people's pursuing troops to arrive so quickly! Now, whether advancing or retreating, it was a dead end for them!

  Everyone looked at Zheyan Chong, hoping he would make a decision soon!

  Life? Or death? Just when everyone else was in a state of extreme anxiety, Zhe Yan Chong suddenly became calm.

  "Dismount!" he commanded.

  Everyone was somewhat puzzled, but seeing Zhe Yan Chong himself dismounting his horse, they all followed suit.

  "What should we do now?" Aruban asked after dismounting his horse.

  "Let's not do anything for now! Let the horses rest and recover their strength before the two groups of cavalry arrive!"

  The hoofbeats from the north were getting closer and closer, and everyone was getting more and more frightened and anxious. But Zhao Yan was getting calmer and calmer. Di Yu watched him with a thoughtful expression, thinking to himself: "This young man is indeed not ordinary! When I was his age, I may not have had such courage!" He leaned in and asked: "Have you thought of a plan?"

  Zhe Yan said: "Both sides are not something we can afford to offend, but what if we were to unite with one of them?"

  "Unite? They all came here to take our lives!"

  Zhe Yan said, "Our original intention was to use the Song army's strength to strike at the Liao army. Ying Qi miscalculated this time because he couldn't accurately predict the movements of both the Song and Liao armies, but his overall thinking wasn't wrong. If we want to survive, we have no choice but to modify this strategy."

  Di Yu asked: "How can it be changed?"

  Zhe Yan said, "Ying Qi's original plan was to 'lure the wolf into the tiger's lair'. The Khitan is the wolf, the Song army is the tiger, and we are the fox! Now that 'luring the wolf into the lair' won't work, we can only change it to 'the fox borrowing the tiger's might'!"

  As they saw the Song army approaching, the Khitan cavalry also appeared. Zhe Yanchong gave the order: "Mount up!"

  Fifteen men mounted their horses simultaneously. Zhe Yan Chong said, "Brothers! Now we have no other way to retreat, only break the cauldron and sink the boat, fight to the end!"

  "Cut off all means of retreat and fight to the end!"

  Zhe Yan Chong shouted: "Draw your swords and face the Song army!"

  At this time, the east had already turned white, and the Song army saw that Zhe Yan Chong and others were few in number, so they decided to make a concerted effort to swallow them up. Therefore, regardless of the exhaustion of their horses, they charged forward fiercely.

  Di Yu thought to himself: "Fortunately, Bu Nuo didn't catch up, and this group of people aren't skilled in riding and shooting."

  Song army rushed closer and closer, just about to engage in battle, Zhe Yan-chong suddenly said: "Turn the horse's head around!"

  Fifteen men turned their horses around, and Zhao Yan-chong held his horse knife high, shouting: "For the great Song! Charge!"

  Fourteen men shouted together: "For the Great Song! Charge!" and under the leadership of Zhe Yan Chong, they charged towards the distant Khitan army.

  The Song army behind them was at a loss, but still followed up. At this time, both the Song and Liao armies had several hundred cavalrymen, and after resting, Zhe Yan's men and horses were more energetic than both sides. However, Zhe Yan had no intention of shaking off the Song army behind him too far, but only kept a distance between the two sides that was neither close nor far.

  At that time, the Treaty of Chanyuan between the Song and Liao dynasties was still in effect, so it was not easy to start a war on the border. The Khitan leader opposite saw the Song army's flag and ordered his troops to stop, sending someone forward to ask for information and informing the Song army that they had come to capture escaped slaves.

  But the vanguard of the Song army did not care, and unexpectedly beheaded the envoy in front of the formation. The Khitan people saw it and were extremely angry! The whole army waited for battle, and the Song army was blocked behind and didn't see the whole thing clearly, but seeing the Khitan people mounting their horses and holding spears also became vigilant.

  Only the fifteen suspicious people in front suddenly shouted: "For the great Song! Charge!" and rushed to the side of the Khitan army, the Khitan army advanced, another wing merged with the upper one, and instantly the Song and Liao armies clashed!

  Zhé Yàn Chōng led fifteen riders, knowing they were already in a desperate situation, so they all fought to the death! These people were originally the strongest among the five hundred, and with Zhé Yàn Chōng, Dí Yù, and ā Lǔ Mán leading them, they seemed even more formidable! This Khitan army was not the elite of the Liao people, and its core had been tied up by the Song army, with limited flank strength. At this time, the Great Liao was already in decline, and the military was severely corrupt. Seeing Zhé Yàn Chōng and others fighting desperately, they were somewhat frightened, and the flanks were actually split into two by Zhé Yàn Chōng and others.

  Zhe Yan Zhong and others rushed out from the flank of the Liao army, and then charged towards its rear. The Liao army was suddenly thrown into great disorder. Zhe Yan Zhong did not press his advantage too far, but as soon as he encountered any difficulty, he would lead his cavalry in a charge to extricate himself. After three advances and retreats, the horses were gradually getting tired. Suddenly, Di Yu said: "The Song army's infantry crossbowmen have arrived!"

  Zhe Yan Chong shouted loudly in Khitan language: "The Great Song's trebuchet has arrived! Exterminate the Khitan dogs completely!"

  "Fifteen men shouted in unison in Khitan language: 'Annihilate the Khitan dogs!'"

  The Khitan army was in disarray, and Zhe Yan-chong took the opportunity to charge out. Di Yu knew that at this moment, both the Song and Liao armies were too busy to pay attention to their own actions, and it was the best time to escape. He charged forward with his companions on a small path and soon disappeared from view of both the Song and Liao armies. After Zhe Yan-chong and Yang Ying-ji reunited and inspected their troops, they found that among the fifteen cavalrymen, only three were injured, and not one had been killed!

  Both the Song and Liao armies were at a loss in this battle, but it was a fact that the Liao army suffered a great defeat. The defenders of Xiong Prefecture, led by Han Qi and Hei Yu, sent an urgent report to Bianjing to announce their victory, saying that under the protection of the wise and powerful Emperor Taizong of Song, they had seen through the treacherous plot of the Liao people, and the soldiers and civilians of Xiong Prefecture had risen up to resist, defeating the Liao army and beheading hundreds.

  Cai Jing and others took the opportunity to flatter, the Great Song Emperor was overjoyed, and ordered rewards and promotions. He thought that the Liao people could be deceived, and therefore had the intention of attacking Liao again. The border between Song and Liao suddenly became tense, and for a time no one had the leisure to bother with those few hundred escaped slaves.