Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 287: Bloody Battle at Crow Pass
A blood-red sun rises from the distant horizon.

The icy coldness that permeated the boundless wasteland did not diminish in the slightest.

The defenders at Yafu Pass stayed up almost all night.

Because last night, the last group of scouts that had not returned yet rushed to the city and brought news of the invasion of the Jurchen army.

The entire Yafu Pass was in a state of high alert, with everyone on guard with their swords and spears sharpened, waiting for the enemy to come.

As the light of the morning sun spread across the entire wasteland, the soldiers on guard on the city wall finally discovered something strange at the end of the earth.

The desolate and sobbing horn sounded, carrying with it endless urgency and solemnity, alarming all the soldiers and civilians in Yafu Pass.

A black line appeared on the distant horizon, spreading forward rapidly with a roaring momentum, raising a cloud of dust.

The horses’ hooves sounded like thunder, and the cries of killing shook the sky, resounding throughout the heavens and

Countless soldiers of the Great Zhou Dynasty, fully clothed and armored, rushed to the top of the city wall, stood in line, took their bows and arrows, and prepared to draw their bows.

Artillery instructor Madelen had already asked the soldiers of the artillery battalion to load the twenty-four sub-guns with gunpowder.

Before Jia Cong set out last night, he had explained to him in detail the key points of artillery suppression, and left Guo Zhigui to be his assistant.

On the top of the city wall, Liang Chengzong, the general commander of Liaodong Town, was wearing full armor and gazing at the Jurchen army in the distance that blocked his view. It was roughly estimated that there were six or seven thousand of them.

For the Jurchen tribes, which had only tens of thousands of households, this was almost a full-scale attack, and more than half of them were cavalry, which was really terrifying.

The garrison at Yafu Pass was less than three thousand, and the reinforcements would take half a day to arrive...

……

Now Liang Chengzong deeply realized the important role played by Jia Cong. He conveyed the information of the Jurchen invasion a full day and a half in advance.

This would give Yafu Pass sufficient time to prepare for war, and even allow them to mobilize reserve troops in advance.

If we had relied on the enemy situation reports delivered by the scouts half an hour ago and responded hastily, the consequences would have been disastrous.

Liang Chengzong thought of the various arrangements Jia Cong had made for the use of firearms before he set out. The meticulousness and ingenuity of the arrangements were so impressive.

Since arriving in Liaodong, everything Jia Cong did, starting from when he proposed the strategy of withdrawing the troops and clearing the countryside, surprised Liang Chengzong.

This young man is only fourteen years old, but he has already enjoyed a great reputation. This is by no means a fluke, but rather a truly amazing talent.

This forced Liang Chengzong to pay full attention to the various plans he had proposed before he left.

He said to the messenger beside him: "Look carefully at the scale set by Jia Jianzheng in advance. When the Jurchens enter the designated position, give the command immediately. There must be no mistakes!"

……

The Jurchen troops led by Dong Shan, Li Manzhu, Fanercha and others stopped their charge half a mile away from Yafu Pass.

At Li Manzhu's suggestion, a vanguard cavalry was sent out first to find out the true situation.

After all, the Zhou people's thousand-man musket team was very sharp. The Jurchens fought against the Zhou army several times and lost a lot of men under the musket fire.

Soon, five hundred elite cavalrymen rushed out from the Jurchen army and galloped towards Yafu Pass.

These 500 vanguard cavalrymen are the elite troops under Dong Shan.

Among the three guards leaders, Dong Shan was the most capable in commanding troops and was also brave and good at fighting. Those who were regarded as elite by him were naturally not ordinary troops.

When the 500 Jurchen vanguard cavalrymen rushed to 400 steps away from the city wall, they slowed down their horses.

Based on previous experience in fighting against the Zhou army, the Zhou army would line up in a musket formation a hundred steps outside the city.

The effective range of the musket was within two hundred steps. By stopping their horses at this distance, they could prevent sudden volleys of musket fire.

However, when they approached the city gate, they did not see the thousand-man musketeer team that they feared, and the entire city gate was empty.

Even the people on the city walls didn't rain arrows at them, which seemed a bit strange.

Just when these 500 elite Jurchen cavalry were hesitating, they suddenly saw the gate of Yafu Pass wide open, and countless cavalrymen with swords and guns gleaming, swarmed out and charged towards them!

This sudden change frightened the Jurchen general who led the team, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of powerlessness in his heart.

Now they were standing still, and the enemy suddenly launched a charge. After hundreds of steps, the horses would be several times stronger than theirs.
Even if they rode their horses now, they were already at a clear disadvantage.

When the cavalry of two armies charge and fight, the side that accumulates the advantage in horse momentum will have the power to decide the life and death of the other cavalry!

The Jurchen general who led the team was horrified. He did not expect the Zhou army to be so cunning and rely on this method to gain an advantage in a sudden battle. However, he had no way to retreat now, so he gritted his teeth and led his troops to sprint to meet the enemy.

The two cavalry units collided violently less than three hundred steps away from the city gate.

However, the Zhou army suddenly rushed out from the city gate, and after charging for more than two hundred steps, their horsepower had reached its peak.

The five hundred Jurchen cavalry were caught off guard and charged hastily, but before they had run a hundred steps they collided with the Zhou cavalry.

The powerful and murderous cavalry of the Great Zhou Dynasty pierced into the sluggish Jurchen cavalry like a hot sharp blade, and gained an absolute upper hand at the beginning of the battle.

Moreover, there was an endless stream of cavalry rushing out of the city gate, with a number of no less than a thousand, more than twice the number of the five hundred Jurchen cavalry.

The leading officer of the Zhou army's cavalry was Liu Yongzheng, the lieutenant general of Yafu Pass.

At this moment, he was riding his horse at full speed, holding the long sword horizontally in his hand, and relying on the huge momentum of the horse, he easily cut most of the chest and abdomen of a Jurchen cavalryman in front of him.

He turned and attacked another Jurchen cavalryman. In just a short moment, he killed three people and his body was covered in blood.

Although these 500 Jurchen cavalrymen are the elite troops under Dong Shan, the surrounding troops are also well-trained soldiers who have experienced many battles and their combat effectiveness should not be underestimated.

Not only were their numbers twice that of the 500 female thieves, they also took the initiative in the charge, and their leading general Liu Yongzheng was a brave general!
Therefore, the outcome of the battle was clear as soon as the two armies clashed.

In a fight on the battlefield, the outcome can be determined as long as you seize the initiative. In just a moment, more than a hundred of the 500 elite Jurchen cavalry were killed in the melee.

Many Jurchen cavalrymen had turned their horses around and fled in the direction of the Jurchen main force.

Liu Yongzheng, whose body was covered in blood, stopped his horse and watched. He waited until the remaining Jurchen soldiers ran fifty steps before he led more than a thousand cavalrymen to chase them.

……

Behind a low ridge on the left side of Yafu Pass, there were a thousand musketeers, as well as a large amount of gunpowder and porcelain mines, led by the captain Wei Yongzhou.

There are also two small catapults removed from the city wall, which can throw catapults up to 500 steps away.

Jia Cong and Ai Li lay in the wild grass at the end of the ridge, looking down at the ridge. They saw the Great Zhou cavalry chasing hundreds of retreating Jurchen cavalry and getting closer and closer to the direction of the Jurchen brigade.

Liu Yongzheng, who was at the forefront of the Great Zhou cavalry, was covered in blood. He rode his horse wildly, filled with an indomitable murderous aura.

Jia Cong exclaimed: "I didn't expect General Liu to be such a brave general!"

Ellie at the side said: "What's so strange about this? Otherwise, how can he be the chief officer of a level?"

"Ellie, I'm just hiring you as a bodyguard. You don't have to take risks with me."

Ai Li seemed to have thought of something, her face slightly reddened: "Actually, I asked for two taels of gold out of anger. The market price is one tael of gold. I am the most fair person in doing business.

Since you paid double the gold, I will naturally provide more authentic protection."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I like dealing with fair people. When the matter in Liaodong is over, I can take you and your mother back to the south, and I can also help you find a job.

Let you live a good life, without having to work hard to make money."

Ai Li's pretty face showed surprise: "You are really willing to take me back to the south, and help me find a job that does not require me to play with knives and can earn gold, that would be great.

My mother doesn't like me playing with knives every day, but I have found a good boss. Well, I have to be your guard attentively and not let anything happen to you..."

……

Dong Shan and others sent out vanguard cavalry to investigate, but they did not hear the terrifying sound of muskets as before. It seemed that the Zhou army did not use the musket formation this time.

But after a while, the elite Jurchen cavalry that was sent out were seen fleeing back desperately, with thousands of Zhou cavalry chasing after them.

Dong Shan's face suddenly became extremely ugly.

Fan Ercha on the side sneered: "Dong Shan, didn't you say that your vanguard cavalry were the most skilled warriors of the Jurchens? I didn't expect them to be such a bunch of good-for-nothings.

I just went out to pee and was killed and ran away, haha."

Fan Ercha and Dong Shan had been fighting overtly and covertly for more than ten years, and the rift between them had grown deep. Naturally, Fan Ercha would not miss any opportunity to laugh at and ridicule him.

Fan Ercha was bloodthirsty and murderous, and said coldly: "These Zhou people are simply ignorant of life and death. A thousand cavalrymen dare to attack my Jurchen brigade. Dong Shan, your people are not good enough, let me do it.

The warriors of Vercha will not let go of this meat that is right before their mouths!"

As he spoke, he swung the golden sword in his hand, and the Right Guard cavalrymen behind him who were ready to go came out one after another and charged at the oncoming Great Zhou cavalry!
(End of this chapter)