Chapter 1025: At Our Mercy
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Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After Zamo He took over as the main general, the Di Army quickly walked out of the shadow of their defeat. They actively a.n.a.lyzed the formations and tactics of the Great Zhou, intending to wash away the humiliation of their first defeat.
Zamo He had never expected the Great Zhou army to launch a counterattack.
It wasn’t that Zamo He looked down on the Great Zhou Army. Ever since the battle with the Great Zhou Army, the Great Zhou Army had often focused on defense and rarely took the initiative to attack. The Great Zhou Army lacked supplies, so defense was more conducive to preserving their strength and resisting the Northern Barbarians. The physique and strength of the Great Zhou army were also inferior to the Di Army. If the Great Zhou army attacked, it would consume too much energy, and it would be even more disadvantageous to the Great Zhou Army.
In addition, the Great Zhou Dynasty also valued a festival called the Spring
Festival. It was said that during the Spring Festival, the entire Great Zhou Dynasty would celebrate. Even if there was a huge matter, it would not affect their enjoyment of the celebration.
However, the war drum came like thunder and was caught off guard.
After all, Zamo He was an old general who had been through hundreds of battles. He quickly gathered his troops to face the enemy.
The two sides faced each other again at the narrow Yu Pa.s.s.
At this moment, the enemy was at the mercy of the Great Zhou army.
With Yin Huaixi’s order, more than a thousand Northern Barbarian captives were brought to the front of the formation. They knelt on the ground and were flogged, whipped, and tortured. Their shrill wails were shrill in the wind.
However, the You army respected life and the dead. They were not as crazy as the Northern Barbarians. After the captive died, they would not continue to whip the corpse.
The roles were reversed. This time, the one who was humiliated was the Northern Barbarians.
The Northern Barbarians respected strength, took pleasure in conquering, and plundered for a living. They ate raw meat and drank blood. The strong preyed on the weak. They were b.l.o.o.d.y, cruel, and warlike. They did not feel the grief and indignation of the You army, who seemed to have their bones broken and their dignity beaten off.
However, even so, the ma.s.sacre of more than a thousand Northern Barbarians in front of the formation still caused great shock and fear to the Northern Barbarians. It was inevitable that the Northern Di army would feel down.
Zamo He was furious and shouted at King Yue Fei, “King Yue Fei of the Great Zhou Dynasty, I, Zamo He, respect you as an opponent, but in a battle between two armies, treat prisoners well. King Yue Fei of the Great Zhou Dynasty, your methods are too despicable. You’re really the shame of the army.”
These words instantly poked a hornet’s nest. The You soldiers shouted indignantly.
“Dogsh*t, you captured the commoners of the North and killed them in front of the battle. So what? Aren’t you despicable?
“This is called giving you a taste of your own medicine.”
“These dogs killed my accomplices and killed the innocent people of the North.
Their deaths are not worthy of pity.”
Both sides shouted and cursed. When the last soldier of the Northern Barbarians fell into a pool of blood, Yin Huaixi raised his hand and gently shouted, “Form the formation!”
Many generals of the Northern Barbarians were not unfamiliar with this gesture.
In the previous battle, King Yue Fei of the Great Zhou had made this gesture. The You army had formed a magical formation and beaten them into a mess, causing them to escape.
The shadow of a crushing defeat remained in the depths of many people’s hearts. It could not be eliminated unless they won.
Immediately, some people couldn’t help but take a few small steps back.
There were also people who looked calm on the surface, but the mounts under them reflected their masters’ hearts. They either neighed softly or paced uneasily.
Yin Huaixi, who had been observing them, realized this and immediately galloped forward, shouting, “Kill!”
First, he destroyed the arrogance of the Northern Barbarians’ army and whittled down their fighting spirit. When they showed fear, they formed a formation and charged. Yin Huaixi had planned every step. Yin Huaixi vividly used Meng Duo’s psychological warfare.
This battle lasted from morning to night.
After dusk, smoke billowed on the battlefield, and corpses covered the ground.
There was a temporary truce.
However, this battle was not over yet.
The front line was fighting like fire, and the supplies of the Imperial Court were also endlessly sent to Liaodong. Most of them were medicinal herbs, iron ore, coal, cloth, cotton, food, wine, and so on.
In the face of a national disaster, no one could think only of themselves. General Lin, who was guarding the base, recruited a group of craftsmen one after another. They dismantled the old armor and smelted it, modifying the weapons and armor.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, blacksmiths had rules. All blacksmiths had to report to the government office. As blacksmiths, they could only forge tools for commoners, farming tools, tillage tools, and so on. They were also controlled by the government office. When necessary, they had to be ordered by the Imperial Court to forge military supplies for the Imperial Court.
Madam Ming also returned to Jinzhou and gathered the commoners in the city to make clothes to resist the cold.
Yu Youyao did not stay idle either. She studied the new medicinal wine recipe with the immortals of the Wanjun Mountain and made the wine sent by the Imperial Court to resist the cold.
After brewing the medicinal wine for about half a month, it could be drunk.
After adding the spiritual dewdrop, the effect was even better. Not only could it relieve the wetness and cold, but it could also relieve fatigue. It received a warm response in the army.
Yu Youyao placed the brewed medicinal wine in military water bags and transported them to the front line with the supplies.
A month later, there was another report from the front line.
Yin Huaixi led 200,000 You soldiers to defeat the Zhamo army, disrupting the plan of the Northern Barbarian army to break through Jinzhou and enter the Shanhai Pa.s.s to enter the Central Plains. He had also completely destroyed their arrogance and pride.
As soon as the news spread, King Yue Fei’s reputation swept through the Great Zhou again.
The commoners rushed to report.
It was the excitement and joy of victory.
Yu Zongshen heaved a sigh of relief, but he was still worried. “The Har, Meng, and Zhamo tribes have all partic.i.p.ated in the battle. This time, the Northern
Barbarians have been seriously injured, so they definitely won’t let it go easily. I’m afraid this battle won’t end easily.”
Elder Yu sighed softly. “It hasn’t snowed in the Guanzhong area for the entire winter last year. The drought is still ongoing. As long as the drought is not resolved, the Northern Barbarians won’t retreat easily. Their ambition to invade the Central Plains won’t fade. King Yue Fei has severely injured the Northern Barbarians twice. The Northern Barbarians will definitely take back this humiliation.”
The Marquis of Zhen also said, “According to what I know, there are still a few young generals among the generals who partic.i.p.ated in the battle in the
Northern Barbarians this time. It’s obvious that the talents of the Northern
Barbarians have withered, and they don’t have peerless talents like the Great Zhou’s King Yue Fei. The Northern Barbarians have lived in the gra.s.sland for generations. King Yue Fei guarding the North has a huge impact on the next three generations of the Northern Barbarians. I’m afraid they’re determined to break through Jinzhou and enter the Shanhai Pa.s.s while Great Zhou is in internal strife.’
Lord Qi’s expression did not look too good. “No matter how powerful the You army is, there are less than 300,000 people who can go to the battlefield.
However, everyone in the Northern Barbarians is a soldier. If the Northern Barbarians are planning for their future descendants and mobilize their full strength, there will be more than a million of them. Now that the Liang bandits are causing trouble, the most difficult thing for the Northern Barbarians is the defense line of Jinzhou. As long as they enter Shanhai Pa.s.s, I’m afraid it’ll be difficult for the Great Zhou to stop the cavalry of the Northern Barbarians.”
As long as Jinzhou was broken, no other general in the Great Zhou could stop the cavalry of the Northern Barbarians.
The atmosphere became heavy.
The court officials knew very well that this was not an alarmist.
King Yue Fei had known all of this long ago, so during the Spring Festival, he brazenly led his troops and took the initiative to attack, giving Zamo He a head-on blow and giving the North a chance to catch a breather.
Yu Zongshen said, “There’s no need to be pessimistic. Plants bloom in spring and grow in summer. It’s time for our army to recuperate. The most important thing is to prepare to recuperate and welcome the upcoming battle. Cut off the supplies of the Liang resistance army. The military supplies of the Ministry of War will be with the You army first, especially the medicinal herbs..”