GBP Chapter 264 Everyone has their own plans
Chapter 264 Everyone has their own plans
After receiving the result of the first battle at Juma River, Yelu Hongji and Xiao Boyu from the Liao Dynasty were quite dissatisfied and troubled.
The bottom line is that the Liao army has been sweeping across most of the countries since its founding. Even if it suffers a loss occasionally, it can make up for it next time.
As for Gu Tingye of the Song Dynasty stationed at Baigou Station, he praised Yang Wenguang's strategy of luring the enemy deep into his territory, and Zhang Qiao's strategy of taking advantage of the situation and stopping the Liao army's first wave of attack.
However, both the Song and Liao sides knew that after this first wave of mutual testing, the subsequent battle situation would become more dangerous.
For this reason, both sides tacitly stopped the surprise attack and defensive battle on the night of the 30th. Both sides set up camps on both sides of the Juma River and confronted each other.
Both Xiao Boyu and Gu Tingye hoped that the flank troops they had sent out would win a victory to reverse the crisis on the front battlefield.
On the first day of the first lunar month in the third year of Zhiping in the Song Dynasty, just as the people of Song and Liao were celebrating the New Year, the second offensive and defensive battle of Juma River broke out again.
Fighting in such a season is a great test for the soldiers of both Song and Liao.
Needless to say, the Song army was an army under the Central Plains dynasty and belonged to an agricultural civilization. Marching and fighting in winter were negative buffs.
Although the Liao army, as a grassland people, accustomed to going south to forage in the autumn and winter seasons, it did not mean that they liked to fight in winter.
This would be a huge drain on both themselves and their food supplies, and both sides had to consider additional aspects, thus accelerating their thinking about a decisive battle.
After just one night, the Liao army regrouped and chose the safest way to cross the river - building a pontoon bridge.
In order to better cover their own troops, the mounted archers of the Liao army began to roam on the north bank and began to scatter towards the Song army that wanted to block and harass them.
The purpose was not to kill or injure the enemy, but to scare the Song army and prevent them from stopping the Liao army from building a pontoon bridge.
But Zhang Qiao is not easy to deal with either. If you can shoot, does that mean we can't shoot too?
The two sides fought like playing house in later generations. First, the Liao army fired a wave of shots, which were blocked by the Song army's shieldmen. Then the Song army's archers counterattacked, and the other side simply rode away on horseback to avoid them.
Then both sides started to interact with each other tacitly, having a lot of fun.
When the Liao army thought they had diverted the Song army's attention, Zhang Qiao launched a counterattack under the weight of arrows, destroying both the soldiers and the bridge.
After working hard for most of the day, you find out that the other party is just "playing" with you. They are deliberately waiting for your pontoon bridge to be almost built before destroying it.
At the same time, the Liao army's flank troops were quietly building a pontoon bridge and sneaking to the south bank.
One of their troops, when crossing the river, happened to run into Yang Wenguang's troops defending the flank. It was really like throwing a meat bun at a dog, and they never came back.
Yang Wenguang and Cao Ping adopted the strategy of "attacking the enemy halfway across the river" from the previous night. After the Liao army crossed the Juma River, which they thought was very careful, they fired a wave of rockets directly into the air, taking away the pontoon bridge and a large number of Liao soldiers.
In an instant, the troops crossing the river were cut off in half, and the Liao army on the north bank could only watch helplessly as the Song army led by Yang Wenguang and Cao Ping slaughtered all the Liao soldiers on the south bank.
This part of the Liao army was required to cross the river to the south and bypass Baigouyi to encircle Gu Tingye's central camp, but was easily defeated by Yang Wenguang's troops.
Both sides could only stare at each other from across the river, not daring to take any further action.
The Liao army had no way to go around further. If they did, they would directly leave the front battlefield and run to the next battlefield to fight.
That would completely waste time, and it would be easy for the Song army to notice and attack the Liao army's flank and go straight to the central camp.
Yelu Hongji and Xiao Boyu didn't want to sleep, and were suddenly woken up and told that the central army had been ambushed and the situation was hopeless.
The troops on the west side were blocked, while the Liao army on the east side crossed the Juma River silently.
Then they marched day and night and headed straight for Xiongzhou City, attempting to cut off the retreat route and support of the main force of the Song army at Baigou Station.
As long as Xiongzhou City is captured, Gu Tingye and other main forces will be isolated and helpless, and the food and grass support from Xiongzhou will also be lost.
With wolves in front and tigers behind, and no food or supplies, the defeat of the main force of the Song army was only a matter of time.
When the Liao army in the east broke through the Juma River and rushed south frantically, the Liao army on the front battlefield also launched an unprecedented offensive.
The Liao army almost tried to build a pontoon bridge every night, but was easily repelled by Zhang Qiao.
The Song and Liao armies seemed to have tacitly chosen to engage in a melee at night. They both thought that they might have a chance to achieve some results by fighting at night, but in reality the effect was minimal.
This stalemate lasted until the fifth day of the first lunar month. Seeing that the Song army on the south bank of the Juma River began to spread camps and defensive weapons all over the river embankment, Yelu Hongji and Xiao Boyu fell silent.
"Hasn't there been any news from the Eastern Army yet?"
The reason why Yelu Hongji has been making futile attacks in the past few days is simply to provide cover for the Eastern Army so that they can take over Xiongzhou City as quickly and quietly as possible.
"Not yet, but Your Majesty, we can't wait any longer. After these few days, even the most clueless enemy commander will realize we're not at our full strength."
"If this continues for too long, the enemy will likely notice our hidden moves, and the Eastern Army will lose the opportunity to launch a surprise attack!"
Yelu Hongji nodded slightly at Xiao Boyu's words, and then he gave a direct order: "No matter what, this river can't stop us from moving south."
"Aqi, all troops cross the river, march straight to the Song army camp, and capture the Song general Gu Tingye alive!"
"Yes!" Xiao Boyu immediately stood up and went out of the tent to convey the military order.
Watching Xiao Boyu's departing figure, Yelu Hongji sighed, "What a pity for the Marquis of Anyang. I probably won't have the chance to fight him in the future."
He thought that Han Ming had been completely surrounded and killed by 'Long Xijin' in the area east of Jizhou and west of Luanzhou, but he didn't know that Han Ming was now on a ship, leisurely heading towards the border of the Song Dynasty.
Under Xiao Boyu's command, the Liao army, which had rested for nearly five days, finally bared its fangs to sweep across the world.
Looking at the Liao army formations lined up in a majestic manner on the north bank, the Song army on the south bank also put away their relaxed mood and began to prepare for battle.
"Comrades, after five days and nights of offensive and defensive battles, we will now face the Liao army at full strength."
"I've said enough unnecessary words these days. How should we fight? How should we defend? I believe you have learned it since the first day I took office."
"Behind us are millions of people from the Great Song Dynasty, including your family and my family!"
"There is the honor of your country, and there is also the honor of my country!"
"We have no way to retreat, the only option is to fight—!"
"Your Majesty and the nobles of the court are watching us from behind. They will not be stingy in rewarding us and our families!"
"Let us forge a new path for the glory of the Song Dynasty!"
"Long live the Great Song Dynasty!"
Zhang Qiao sat upright on his horse and shouted the last sentence in an excited tone. Then, with a "swish", he drew his sword and pointed it to the north.
"Long live the Great Song Dynasty!"
"Long live the Great Song Dynasty!"
"Long live the Great Song Dynasty!"
"..."
A crazy roar suddenly sounded, shaking the nine heavens. A fierce momentum, like a mighty east wind, blew up from the Song army on the south bank.
Such momentum made the Liao army on the north bank look stern, and they stared solemnly at the enemies on the south bank. Next, they will completely turn both sides of the Juma River into the "Verdun" of the East!