Chapter 135: Counterattack

Page 1 of 3

Li Gang received his orders and departed.

The scouts soon returned to report to Li Gang that the Jin army’s camp was unnaturally quiet, as though no one remained inside.

Li Gang was alarmed and immediately sent men forward to investigate. Only then did they discover that the Jin camp had long since been abandoned. All that remained was an empty framework of tents, left behind to deceive the Song army.

Li Gang’s old face flushed crimson. This time, he had truly disgraced himself. He had failed to notice such an obvious mistake. By now, it was clearly too late to pursue the Jin army, so he could only hope that Zong Ze and Yue Fei would achieve something on their end.

The orderlies hurriedly relayed the news to Zong Ze and Yue Fei.

When Yue Fei heard it, he was overjoyed. At present, the Song and Jin armies were locked in a standoff; truthfully, neither side seemed capable of defeating the other. Yet no one had expected Han Shizhong to reach the Jin capital of Shangjing and strike at the very foundation of the Jin kingdom.

“Grand General, I will take some men out to investigate immediately. If matters are truly as His Majesty has said, then this is indeed an excellent opportunity for our army to counterattack,” Yue Fei reported to Zong Ze.

By now, Zong Ze had gained a thorough understanding of Yue Fei’s military talents and trusted him completely. He merely urged, “Be careful in all things. If the situation is truly as His Majesty described, launch an immediate counterattack. If anything seems amiss, withdraw at once. I will remain here to support you.”

Yue Fei nodded. “Rest assured, Grand General. I am leaving now.”

With that, Yue Fei hurried out. He was genuinely anxious, for this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strike back, and he did not want to miss it.

Wanyan Zongbi had not expected the Song army to arrive so quickly. After receiving word that Wanyan Zonghan had already departed, he immediately organized his forces for withdrawal. The main army had already pulled out, leaving fewer than twenty thousand men who were also preparing to retreat.

But Yue Fei arrived at precisely that moment.

Yue Fei had brought only a thousand or so men. When he saw the Jin army attempting to flee, he could not wait to return for reinforcements. He merely sent one scout back to inform Zong Ze, then personally led his elite Song cavalry in pursuit of the twenty thousand Jin soldiers.

Thus, a truly absurd scene unfolded. The Song army numbered barely a thousand, yet it was chasing twenty thousand Jin soldiers. In the past, the Song army would never even have dared imagine such a sight.

“General, more than a thousand Song soldiers are pursuing us from behind,” a scout reported to Wanyan Zongbi.

“Are you certain? The Song army truly consists of only a thousand men?” Wanyan Zongbi asked in return.

Page 1 of 3

Page 2 of 3

“Only a little over a thousand cavalry are following us closely,” the scout replied with certainty.

Upon hearing this, Wanyan Zongbi’s anger flared. “Do you know who is leading them?”

“It is the Song army’s Vanguard General, Yue Fei,” the scout answered.

“Yue Fei actually dares to lead troops here alone in pursuit of us? Does he think I, Wanyan Zongbi, dare not fight him?” Wanyan Zongbi sneered. He calculated that it would take the Song army at least half a day to march from Luoyang. That was more than enough time for his twenty thousand men to annihilate the thousand or so soldiers under Yue Fei.

“Entire army, halt!”

Wanyan Zongbi ordered the army to stop. The rear became the front, and the troops formed up for battle, preparing to fight Yue Fei to the death.

Wanyan Zongbi divided his twenty thousand men into three armies: east, west, and center. The central army numbered ten thousand, while the eastern and western armies each numbered five thousand. Once they had taken up their positions, they lay in wait for Yue Fei’s arrival.

Wanyan Zongbi intended to surround Yue Fei and annihilate him completely.

“General, Wanyan Zongbi has stopped ahead. He has divided his army into three groups and is waiting for us,” the scout reported to Yue Fei.

“Hahahaha…” Upon hearing this, Yue Fei threw back his head and laughed. “That little bandit Wuzhu”—Wanyan Zongbi was also known as Wanyan Wuzhu—“wants to swallow us whole? We shall see whether he has the ability!”

At last, two proud men were meeting for the first true confrontation on an open battlefield.

“Soldiers, today we avenge our dead and wash away our former disgrace! Charge with me!” Yue Fei shouted to his men.

The officers and soldiers accepted his command.

“Remember, the Jin army vastly outnumbers us. We must move quickly this time and under no circumstances allow ourselves to be surrounded,” Yue Fei reminded them before charging forward at the head of the army.

The Liquan Spear in Yue Fei’s hands moved like a flood dragon plunging into water. Once he burst into the Jin camp, every sweep of the weapon claimed the life of another Jin soldier.

More than a thousand men formed a razor-sharp blade and drove deep into the heart of the Jin army.

Under Yue Fei’s leadership, the Song cavalry moved with incredible speed. Wanyan Zongbi had intended for the central army to halt Yue Fei while the eastern and western armies closed in around him. He had never imagined that the central army would be unable to withstand Yue Fei’s charge and would instead be pierced straight through by the force he led.

Page 2 of 3

Page 3 of 3

Wanyan Zongbi was horrified and hurriedly led men forward to intercept Yue Fei.

“Heh heh, Grand General Wanyan, your opponent is here with me.”

Wanyan Zongbi was intercepted by Gao Chong.

Gao Chong’s martial prowess was exceptionally high. In his battle against Wanyan Zongbi, he did not yield in the slightest.

With Wanyan Zongbi held back by Gao Chong, the remaining Jin soldiers were no match for Yue Fei. Leading his men in three successive charges, Yue Fei tore through the Jin ranks and sent them fleeing in utter defeat.

Zong Ze received the scout’s report and learned that Yue Fei had dared pursue the Jin army with only a thousand cavalry. He was frantic with worry and immediately ordered twenty thousand cavalry to go and reinforce him.

In the distance, clouds of dust rose into the sky.

Wanyan Zongbi was greatly alarmed. He knew they could delay no longer: the Song relief force had arrived. He therefore feinted with his spear, broke out of his engagement with Gao Chong, and ordered, “Pass on my command. The entire army is to withdraw!”

The Jin soldiers had long since lost the will to fight. The cavalry commander leading the Song attack was simply too formidable, slippery as an eel. After several charges, countless Jin soldiers had been killed or wounded, while he himself had not suffered so much as a scratch. How could they possibly continue fighting?

Thus, when they heard Yue Fei’s order to retreat, the Jin soldiers did not hesitate for even a moment and immediately began withdrawing.

Yet retreating now was entirely different from retreating at the beginning. Song soldiers were pursuing them from behind, and the Jin troops bitterly wished their parents had given them two extra legs. Then they would not have been in such a helpless predicament.

Yue Fei pursued the retreating army for more than thirty miles with his thousand-odd cavalrymen, killing nearly two thousand Jin soldiers. That meant each Song soldier had slain roughly two Jin troops.

Wanyan Zongbi withdrew with his army to Daming City.

Looking once more at Daming City, Wanyan Zongbi could not help but shake his head with a bitter smile. When he had first arrived, the city had not even needed to be attacked; its defenders had surrendered outright. But now, how circumstances had changed. The one forced to retreat in defeat was none other than himself.

Search for “The Great Song’s First Emperor Claw Book House” to read the latest chapters as soon as they are released.

Page 3 of 3