Building a Harmonious Song Dynasty

Chapter 58

Upon hearing the bugle call from the city tower, the soldiers in the camp had already gathered outside. Generals Liu Qi and Zhao Gou, among others, approached the troops, mounted their horses, and led their armies out of the city. The troops orderly left the outer city of Jizhou and marched into the wilderness. The left, center, and right armies lined up in a triangular formation on the plain, and archers were dispatched to ambush the hills on both sides. Everything was prepared, and they awaited the arrival of the Jin army.

As Zhao Gou watched the sun gradually rise on the horizon, the rattan armor and spears of tens of thousands of soldiers looked particularly inspiring under the glow of the morning sun!

A hush fell over the formation. The summer morning breeze was invigorating, and tens of thousands of eyes were fixed intently on the distant horizon, awaiting the arrival of the Jin cavalry.

Zhao Gou thought somewhat dejectedly that using infantry against cavalry and chariots had always been a weakness of the Song Dynasty. Although the number of Song cavalry had increased in the past year or two thanks to the Liao Dynasty's horse farms, they were still no match for the Jin Dynasty, which had long been adept at horse warfare.

Many, especially after the first two battles, the Song soldiers suffered heavy losses on Jin chariots.

Fortunately, the Song Dynasty had advanced iron smelting technology, which produced shields that were strong enough. With this advantage and the new tactics that everyone had racked their brains over the past few days, they might be able to turn the tide today and achieve new victories!

Finally, a faint black line appeared on the horizon, and the rumble of chariots and horses' hooves filled the air. Upon seeing the enemy, Zhao Gou calmed down, a composed smile appearing on his face.

Behind him stood a thousand cavalry, three hundred archers, and five thousand infantry, among whom were a thousand soldiers armed with iron shields. He looked at his soldiers and shouted, "The Jurchen chariots and iron cavalry are nothing to fear. Today is the day you will show your might! Go all out and drive them out of the Great Wall!"

The soldiers were inspired by the confidence on Zhao Gou's face and shouted with excitement. The sound reached Liu Qi's ears in the central command, and Liu Qi felt much more at ease.

As the black line gradually closed in, archers from the left, center, and right wings ran forward to unleash a barrage of arrows. The enemy advanced quickly; within the time it took for the archers to fire five shots, they were already very close, and the black-armored chariots at the forefront had come into the Song army's view.

"Armored soldiers, attack!"

At the command, two thousand soldiers on both flanks, wielding specially made iron shields, charged head-on at the rumbling chariots. The Jin soldiers driving the chariots laughed disdainfully at the Song soldiers charging with their shields; they hadn't even brought spears. Did they really think they could stop chariots and cavalry on the battlefield with just a few shields? What a joke!

However, just as the Jurchens were gloating, the Song soldiers, divided into groups of eight, ran in an orderly fashion towards a selected chariot. Just before the charge, the Song soldiers suddenly crouched down. All eight men crouched down, shielding themselves with their shields, forming a wedge-shaped triangle that plunged under the chariot wheels.

One of the chariot's wheels surged upwards along the shield. The other wheel remained on the ground, as if stepping on a huge stumbling block, and the chariot eventually tipped over to one side due to the difference in height and inertia.

The hundred chariots on the front line were caught off guard by this sudden tactic, and nearly half of them overturned. As the drivers scrambled to their feet, the few remaining Song cavalry charged forward. The instant they raised their heads, spears pierced their necks.

The roars of the two armies merged together: horns, drums, horses' neighs, swords, and armor. Countless sounds resounded across the battlefield, and Zhao Gou felt the heavens and earth tremble. His galloping steed stopped when he encountered a formidable enemy, stamping its hooves in frustration.

Swords and spears clashed on horseback. Zhao Gou looked at the ferocious enemy. From initially hesitating with his sword in hand to later ruthlessly wielding it, he finally understood firsthand why the battlefield was the best place to temper one's heart.

The sticky blood flowed down the precious sword onto Zhao Gou's raised hand. The sun was already high in the sky, and the two armies were locked in a stalemate. Zhao Gou felt a sharp pain in his back and shoulders. He had been struck by spears and broadswords many times, but fortunately, none of them penetrated his armor, so he was not seriously injured. However, his strength was waning considerably.

"General, this is bad! Squads are attacking the city gate!"

The messenger who had rushed from Jizhou hurriedly shouted to Liu Qi. Liu Qi knocked down a cavalryman on the opposite horse, led his horse to the messenger, and asked, "What's going on? We held off the Jin soldiers here, how did they end up in the rear?"

"Your subordinate is unaware that the old general is currently holding the city gates with the garrison. We urge the general to come to our aid immediately!"

"Why!"

Liu Qi hurriedly said to one of his messengers, "The whole army returns to the city. The left wing army is responsible for covering the rear. Hurry!"

Zhao Gou was extremely surprised when he heard the order. He immediately ordered the right-wing army to retreat while pondering where the Jin soldiers in front of the city had come from.

When Zong Han discovered that the Song army was about to retreat, he hurriedly ordered his men to encircle them from both sides, preventing the Song army from returning to reinforce. He had been conserving his fighting strength today to slowly wear down the Song army, all in preparation for that surprise attack that would suddenly "descend from the sky" and seize Jizhou. How could he possibly allow Liu Qi and the others to go back to rescue them at this moment!

The left and central armies were bogged down by Zong Han's cavalry and unable to move forward. In the ensuing melee, Liu Qi had no choice but to lead the central army to cut off the Jin soldiers' blockade, allowing Zhao Gou to lead the right wing army back to the city gate to support the city.

As Zhao Gou galloped back, he had just seen the city gate from afar when he saw a huge throng of heads surging beneath it. Where did these thousands of Jin soldiers come from?

Just as they were rushing back to provide support, the earth suddenly trembled violently, and black smoke rose from a hundred feet away. Immediately afterward, a deafening roar came, with more than a dozen roars in a row, like thunderbolts in a clear sky, threatening to blast the earth apart!

The galloping horses were startled and slowed down. The Song army did not know what was happening in front of the city gate and dared not advance rashly. After another roar, the Jin soldiers piled up in front of the city gate suddenly scattered and retreated, just in time to run into the right-wing army brought back by Zhao Gou, and another battle ensued.

He fought his way back to the city gate, just as the gate opened. Suddenly, a group of cavalrymen of unknown origin rushed out. But when a figure on a chestnut horse caught Zhao Gou's eye, he immediately spurred his horse forward with delight.

It turned out that Qin Zhen had arrived with Han Shizhong and the Wei factory's firearms.

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 108 Suspicion is a Deadly Poison

After the bombardment by the enemy's artillery, smoke filled the air around Jizhou City, with dust and choking black smoke billowing everywhere. The Jin army, scattered by the artillery fire, abandoned their usual composure and fled in all directions.

Qin Zhen leaned forward on her horse, leaping across the large black crater blasted into the ground. Listening to the war drums echoing from the city walls, she charged into the fleeing ranks of the Jin soldiers. Suppressing the reluctance in her heart, her blade flashed, her movements swift and decisive. Before enemy blood could even be splattered, she was already standing before another man.

Seeing that they were surrounded by cavalry that suddenly rushed out of the city, the slower Jin soldiers knew they were doomed anyway, which ignited their fighting spirit. They decided to fight to the death instead of running away. As Qin Zhen charged left and right, more than a dozen people had already fallen to her blade. Gradually, the remaining Jin soldiers also discovered the bravery of this young woman and gathered around her.

She dodged left and right on horseback, avoiding the increasing number of spears, but her horsemanship was ultimately limited, and she found it increasingly difficult. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a thrust from her left, narrowly dodging it, but she didn't see the spear that was hot on her heels behind her.

With a sharp "clang," Qin Zhen felt the sound of weapons rubbing against each other right next to his ear. Turning around, he saw Zhao Gou grinning as he sent a Jin soldier flying.

Their eyes met, and they both flinched slightly. Then they smiled knowingly, stood back to back, entrusting their backs to each other for protection, and focused on dealing with the enemy attacking from the front.

---

"Haha...that was a truly exhilarating battle!" Han Shizhong laughed as he removed his helmet and addressed the returning crowd. Liu Qi, who had leaped off his horse, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Thanks to your timely arrival, otherwise Jizhou might have been in grave danger today!"

As they were talking, they saw Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen dismount and walk towards them.

When Qin Zhen met Liu Qi, he said to him, "General Liu, there is a gap in the northeastern section of the Great Wall. We need to send people to repair it as soon as possible."

Liu Qi exclaimed in surprise, "I know that Yique is three days' journey from Jizhou. Could this Jin army have come from there?"

Qin Zhen nodded and said, "That's right. They probably set off several days in advance, just waiting for the main force to lure you out of the city so they could launch a surprise attack on the city gate. It's just a pity that they were unlucky and were caught by us today."

Han Shizhong laughed and said, "The thought of being able to have a good fight as soon as we get here makes our long journey under the stars worthwhile."

Zhao Gou was more concerned about the firearms they were transporting, so he asked, "Was the previous bombing caused by the power of 'cannons'?"

Qin Zhen led them up to the city wall, where Zhong Shidao was stroking a large iron weapon mounted on the wall. Upon seeing them, he grinned from ear to ear and exclaimed, "What a fine piece of equipment! I've fought for many years, and although I've heard of such things, this is the first time I've seen a real firearm. Its power is many times greater than what's described in military texts!"

"General, this weapon has been meticulously modified by skilled craftsmen. It is no longer a weapon described in the military books of the Later Tang Dynasty as being twice as powerful as 'flowing fire'. Its power is naturally different."

Zhong Shidao just smiled. Liu Qi also stepped forward curiously to take a look, wanting to see what this cannon was all about.

Zhao Gou looked at the items with satisfaction and asked Qin Zhen in a low voice, "Are the muskets and firearms ready as well?"

Qin Zhen nodded: "But it will take some time to teach the soldiers how to use those things."

The night was unusually lively in Jizhou, as the army was holding a welcoming banquet for Qin Zhen and Han Shizhong. It was also a celebration of today's victory. The Jin troops had been routed by the artillery fire and would certainly be unable to fight them again for the time being, so the men drank heartily, washing away their worries of the past few days.

A gentle night breeze carried the heat of summer. Qin Zhen found Zhao Gou, who was deep in thought with his hands behind his back, on a secluded patch of grass. He immediately said, "I'm sorry... I used firearms without permission."

Zhao Gou turned around and smiled understandingly at Qin Zhen, saying, "Why should I apologize? Firearms were developed for the purpose of fighting wars. There was nothing wrong with what you used today."

He sounded relaxed, but Qin Zhen knew what he was thinking. She said, "You're worried that the Emperor will become suspicious of you after receiving the battle report, right?"

Seeing that Qin Zhen understood perfectly, Zhao Gou nodded and said, "It would be a lie to say I'm not worried. If my brother heard that I was secretly developing these things without telling him, who knows what he would think."

The battle situation was critical today. Seeing the city gates about to be breached, Qin Zhen had no choice but to mount the newly arrived cannons on the gates, saving the city but also...

This has created a hidden danger.

Seeing the shame on her face, Zhao Gou comforted her, "It's the same whether you use it sooner or later. I've already written a report and returned to the capital, but I don't know what he'll think."

Thinking of this, Qin Zhen wanted to write back to ask her father to give Zhao Huan some advice, but she immediately realized that if Qin Hui found out about this, he might make a big fuss about it. She no longer dared to trust him!

Just as Zhao Gou had feared, when Zhao Huan received the border battle report, he was both pleased with the great victory at Jizhou and worried about the sudden appearance of a large number of firearms. He was horrified to realize that Zhao Gou had such powerful forces at his disposal, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

Seeing Zhao Huan so worried, Zhu, with his round belly, stepped forward, took his hand, and said, "Your Majesty, Ninth Brother is a good child, so please don't worry."

Seeing Zhu Kuanwei's smile, Zhao Huan relaxed slightly and said, "I wonder how many things Ninth Brother is hiding from me. For the past few years, I have been sending people to keep an eye on him, but I had no idea that he was secretly developing firearms. He is so secretive and powerful. Just thinking about it makes me feel disheartened."

“But he was using firearms against the enemy, wasn’t he?” Zhu took her hand, trying to calm her panicked heart and reassure her, “Didn’t Ninth Brother already write a memorial to explain? Just trust him for now, and we can investigate slowly after the border war is over and he returns to the capital.”

"What I fear most is that after eliminating the external enemies, his next step will be to lead an army to attack the capital. This is not impossible!"

"emperor!"

Zhao Huan's breathing became somewhat rapid. Recently, he seemed to have been poisoned by suspicion, thinking about all sorts of nonsensical things day and night. Sometimes, when he woke up in the middle of the night, he would have the illusion that Zhao Gou was standing by his bed with a knife, looking at him. This frightened him and also terrified Zhu, who was pregnant with his child.

Empress Zhu looked at Zhao Huan with a sense of bewilderment, her eyes filled with pity and her heart heavy with sorrow. The elegant young man she loved was gone. Zhao Huan, now on the throne, was suspicious and prone to extremes. What had caused such a drastic change in him? Was it forced upon him by others, or was it the allure of supreme imperial power?

Zhu sighed and returned to her palace. After thinking it over, she said to the eunuch beside her, "Is Lord Qin in the palace today? I wish to see him."

After a few cups of tea, Qin Hui arrived as requested. Zhu politely ordered the palace servants to offer him a seat, preparing for a detailed discussion.

"Lord Qin, the empress and empress must not interfere in politics. I understand this principle, so you don't need to say more. His Majesty has been in a daze lately. As the empress, I am only here to discuss His Majesty's health with you. Please relax."

"Yes, Your Majesty, whatever you wish to ask, I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

Seeing Qin Hui's respectful attitude, Zhu smiled and asked, "I have heard that you have been telling the Emperor to be wary of the Ninth Prince, Kang. Is this true or not? It is not appropriate for you to make the Emperor worry like this."

Qin Hui calmly replied, "Your Majesty must be wary of the Prince Kang's wolfish ambitions! For the sake of the stability of the nation, I cannot afford to worry about anything else!"

"For the sake of the stability of the nation?" Zhu repeated calmly, "Is it really for the sake of the stability of the nation? In my eyes, Ninth Brother is still young, and perhaps he has indeed done some things inappropriately. However, with a little guidance, he can become a wise prince who assists the Emperor, rather than the traitorous minister you think he is!"

Qin Hui lowered his head and remained silent, but his downcast eyes kept changing, revealing what he was plotting.

“My lord, you have followed the Emperor since he was still the Crown Prince, and you have always been cautious and thoughtful in your dealings. Why are you so arbitrary in the matter of Prince Kang? The Emperor will only take what I say as the foolish words of a woman and will only listen to your advice, my lord. Therefore, I beg you to truly consider the Emperor and the country, and think twice before you act.”

Qin Hui then realized that the Empress was actually such a shrewd person; he had underestimated her due to her usual muddle-headed demeanor. He obsequiously agreed and was about to leave when Zhu called him back.

"Qin Zhen has followed Ninth Brother for many years. Sooner or later, the position of Princess Consort of Kang will be hers. Your Majesty should know that I, the Empress, am quite envious of her. At least she doesn't have to share her husband with others. Your Majesty, don't you think so?"

Qin Hui paused as he retreated, his mind in turmoil, as if someone had seen through his thoughts. He then hurriedly fled.

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky, Chapter 109: Shadowy Night Visit to the Qin Mansion

Hui rushed home in a panic and sat in his study for a long time before calming down.

Having served Zhao Huan for many years, he knew Zhao Huan to be a humble but indecisive man. He had worked tirelessly for years to become Zhao Huan's most trusted confidant, believing he had everything under control, only to be horrified to discover that Empress Zhu Lian was astute as a mirror, watching silently from the sidelines all along—how dangerous this was!

After thinking it over, he picked up his pen and wrote down a few words. Then he caught a snow-white carrier pigeon in the yard, fiddled with its claws for a while, and then released it.

The homing pigeon flapped its wings and took flight, shedding a pure white feather that drifted down from the sky. Qin Hui casually picked up the feather, gradually increasing the force in his fingertips, until he finally crushed the white feather in his palm.

A few days later, one night in the Qin family's study, a dim lamp flickered with starlight. Qin Hui put down the book in his hand, rubbed his eyes, and suddenly realized that someone was watching him outside the study. He then stood up in panic.