Simultaneous Transmigration: The Re-merging of 99 Selves

Chapter 154 Surprise Attack on Zaoyang

The generals were divided on the matter, but Zhao Yu was not worried at all. Instead, he slammed his hand on the table, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "Good, he has finally divided his forces!"

Everyone was stunned and turned to look at Zhao Yu, their faces full of astonishment.

"Pass on my order to summon all officers of the rank of commander and above for a meeting."

Zhao Yu stood up, his voice resolute: "To capture the enemy, we must first capture their leader. These past few days, we've allowed the soldiers to rest and recuperate, waiting for this day. Tonight at midnight, the army will march out of the city and launch a surprise attack on the Jin camp. We must take Wanyan Kuang's head!"

These words caused an uproar in the room.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

An old general quickly stepped forward: "Although the Jin army has divided its forces, the main camp must be heavily guarded. If there is a trap, and our army goes deep into the enemy camp, we may not be able to return."

"Yes, Your Majesty! The Jurchens are fierce and brave; a night attack is far too dangerous. If they fail, Xiangyang will be in grave danger!"

The crowd chimed in with their opinions, but most disagreed.

After all, they only won the first battle by using poison as a trick. If they were to launch a real night raid on the Jin camp, no one would be sure of success.

Qiu Qianren also stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, what if this is Wanyan Kuang's scheme to lure us out? He's deliberately dividing his forces to feign weakness, luring us out of the city for a surprise attack, and then setting up an ambush to annihilate our army. We must be on guard."

"With Chief Hong's Beggars' Clan disciples investigating everywhere, the truth is clear at a glance, how could it be fake?"

Zhao Yu waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: "Wanyan Kuang has divided his troops to seize territory, leaving the main camp with few soldiers. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I have been waiting for this moment for so long. If we win this battle, the Jin army will be leaderless, and the siege of Xiangyang will be lifted."

"Victory or defeat hinges on this! My mind is made up, no further words are needed."

Upon seeing this, Hong Qi immediately stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, our Beggars' Sect disciples are spread all around, and no move by the Jin camp can escape our eyes. If there is an ambush, we will definitely be able to detect it in advance."

Seeing Zhao Yu's resolute attitude and the fact that the Beggars' Sect had investigated, the crowd, though still harboring doubts, dared not object and could only obey the order.

Strangely, Wang Chongyang, who was usually quick to offer advice, remained silent throughout, only nodding slightly, as if he already knew.

It was the dead of night, dark and windy.

The south gate of Xiangyang opened quietly, and Qiu Qianren led five thousand elite soldiers, who moved swiftly and silently toward the Jin army camp.

Hong Qi led the Beggars' Sect disciples to clear the way, avoiding patrols, and smoothly made their way to the outside of the camp.

"Let's do it!"

Qiu Qianren gave a low shout, and the soldiers swarmed forward, cutting down the deer antlers, breaking through the gate, and shouting as they charged in.

The vanguard kicked over the brazier in front of the tent, sending sparks flying.

But when they rushed in, they were dumbfounded.

The tent was empty; there wasn't a soul in sight.

"Oh no, it's an empty camp!"

"My side is empty too!"

"We've fallen for their trap! Retreat!"

Shouts erupted, throwing the Song army into disarray.

Just then, gongs sounded all around, and countless torches lit up at the same time, turning the night into day.

Jin soldiers poured out from all directions, and arrows rained down on the camp.

The leading Jin general laughed loudly and shouted in broken Chinese, "You barbarian brats, you've fallen for our trap! You've all fallen for our marshal's scheme, so surrender at once!"

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" Qiu Qianren cried out in alarm, deflecting the arrows with his sword and giving the order in a stern voice.

The Song army fought and retreated, falling into complete chaos.

The Jin soldiers relentlessly pursued them, raining down arrows, causing significant casualties among the Song army.

Fortunately, the darkness prevented the Jin cavalry from maneuvering effectively, and Qiu Qianren personally covered the rear, allowing them to barely lead the remaining troops back to Xiangyang City.

The city gates slowly closed, and the arrogant shouts of the Jin soldiers outside the city could still be faintly heard.

Inside the government office, Qiu Qianren, covered in blood, knelt on one knee before Wang Chongyang, his face full of shame.

"General Wang, I am incompetent and have fallen into an enemy ambush, suffering heavy losses. Please take me before the Emperor to plead guilty. I am willing to accept military punishment."

Wang Chongyang stood on the steps, gazing at the gradually dying firelight outside the city, his expression calm: "No need, the Emperor is no longer in Xiangyang."

"What?" Qiu Qianren looked up abruptly, his face full of astonishment. "Not in the city? Where did the Emperor go?"

"Do you think that when the Emperor publicly announced the night raid on the Jin camp, he really intended to attack Wanyan Kuang's main camp?"

Wang Chongyang turned around and said calmly, "How could the news be kept from the Jin people if these words were said in front of so many people in the martial arts world? This was originally a plan to lure the enemy in front of Wanyan Kuang."

Qiu Qianren was stunned: "A trap to lure the enemy?"

"good."

Wang Chongyang nodded: "It's true that the Jin army divided their forces, and it's also true that they set up an ambush in their main camp. Wanyan Kuang wanted to lure us out with an empty camp, and then set up an ambush to annihilate us. This little trick might fool the martial arts world, but how could it deceive the Emperor?"

"I devised a plan with the Emperor, deliberately sending you to lead a night raid into our trap, so that Wanyan Kuang would think we had fallen into a trap and suffered a crushing defeat, thus lowering his guard."

Qiu Qianren was completely confused and couldn't help but ask, "Where exactly did the Emperor go?"

Wang Chongyang walked to the map and placed his fingertip on a small dot northeast of Xiangyang.

"If I'm not mistaken, the Emperor should be arriving in Zaoyang soon."

"Zaoyang?" Qiu Qianren frowned. "That's just a small county town..."

He was ultimately a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person who lived by the sword), and didn't know much about military tactics.

Wang Chongyang's tone became more serious: "Although Zaoyang is small, it is a vital passage."

Wanyan Kuang's main force marched south from Tangzhou, following the route of Tangzhou, Zaoyang, and Xiangyang.

Zaoyang, located at the entrance to the Suizao Corridor, was the only transit point for the Jin army's supplies and personnel, and also their only route for retreating north.

When Wanyan Kuang launched the Northern Expedition during the Kai Xi era, the first thing he did was to divide his forces to capture Zaoyang, in order to secure the rear of his army.

"Now that the main force of the Jin army is under the walls of Xiangyang, the defenses of Zaoyang must be weak. Your Majesty is personally leading elite cavalry to launch a surprise attack on Zaoyang from a roundabout route, in order to cut off Wanyan Kuang's supply lines and retreat."

"At that time, Wanyan Kuang's army will be able to advance through the fortified city of Xiangyang and retreat through the blocked road of Zaoyang. After a long time, their food supplies will run out, and they will surely collapse without a fight."

Qiu Qianren was stunned and it took him a long time to come to his senses.

He originally thought Zhao Yu was young and impetuous, eager to achieve quick success, but he never expected that he had set up such a big scheme, keeping it a secret even from his own people.

The five thousand men he brought were merely bait thrown out to attract the attention of the Jurchens.

He instinctively pressed on, "But... no matter how small Zaoyang is, it's still a city. Can we take it with only cavalry? Even if we do, what if the Jin army counterattacks? Can we hold it?"

"That's why the Emperor had to go in person."

Wang Chongyang sighed softly, his eyes filled with worry, which was also something he was concerned about.

However, as the ruler, I absolutely cannot entrust such a life-or-death surprise attack to others.

In the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao led his elite cavalry in a surprise attack on Wuchao, which secured his victory.

In situations like this, only when you are willing to fight desperately will others follow suit. This is why Zhao Yu decided to take matters into his own hands.

He gazed at the night sky to the northeast, his eyes filled with a mixture of respect and worry.

"Now, it's up to the Emperor."

Qiu Qianren followed his gaze and looked into the dark, boundless night.

No one knows whether the elite cavalry that silently slipped out of the encirclement has already arrived at the gates of Zaoyang City.