Chapter 49: Unusual Circumstances

Wang Yan felt as though he were about to go mad! And it was a madness forced upon him—every day, he endured the scorn and taunts of the Jin army outside the walls, yet Zong Shidao steadfastly refused to allow him to lead his men into battle. As a former leader of the volunteer armies, Wang Yan carried with him a certain air of banditry; never before had he tolerated such insults without striking back. It was little wonder he was near his breaking point.

Had Zong Shidao not been a renowned and veteran general—one whom Wang Yan had admired for years—Wang Yan might well have defied orders and acted on his own long ago.

On the fourth day, Zong Shidao summoned Wang Yan to his command tent. Upon entering, Wang Yan discovered he was not alone; several other Song officers were present as well.

Once Wang Yan had arrived, Zong Shidao cleared his throat and addressed the gathering: “Very well, now that everyone’s here, let us discuss tomorrow’s battle plan.”

Wang Yan paid little heed to Zong Shidao’s words. The so-called battle plan would be nothing but another day of defense—nothing new.

But then, Zong Shidao’s next sentence nearly caused Wang Yan to spit out the mouthful of water he had just drunk. “Tomorrow, we will take the initiative and attack!”

“General? Did I hear you correctly? Are you saying that tomorrow, we no longer have to hold back, but will instead launch an assault?” Wang Yan could scarcely believe his ears and sought confirmation.

Zong Shidao nodded. “You heard me right. My order is that tomorrow, you will lead the entire army out and strike hard at the enemy.”

Yet Zong Shidao’s instructions only made Wang Yan more uneasy. He said, “General, our army barely numbers seventy thousand, while the enemy has one hundred thousand. We are outnumbered from the start. You don’t mean to say you believe our fighting strength surpasses that of the Jin, do you?”

Zong Shidao nodded again. “That is not your concern. And for tomorrow’s battle, your task is only to lose—not to win! Of course, don’t make the defeat too obvious. Put up a reasonable resistance, then retreat back into the city.”

Wang Yan rolled his eyes. He would love to win, but only if victory were within reach.

Wang Yan could not fathom what scheme Zong Shidao was plotting. He tried to press for an explanation, but Zong Shidao merely insisted that Wang Yan obey his orders. This left Wang Yan quite disgruntled. If not for Zong Shidao’s stature and reputation, Wang Yan truly would have thrown down his command and walked away.

Thus, on the following day, when the Jin once again challenged them before the city, Yelü Yuanyi had come to treat these provocations as mere routine. In his eyes, the Song would surely cower behind the walls of Zhendin, unwilling to engage.

Yet, to his surprise, the Song forces sallied forth. At their head rode a man bearing an inscription on his helmet: “With a loyal heart, I serve my country; I swear to slay the Jin traitors”—the eight characters glared in the sunlight.

“You must be Wang Yan, leader of the Eight-Character Army?” Yelü Yuanyi called out, his tone sharp. Wang Yan’s name was well-known among the Jin.

“Indeed, but you may call me Grandfather Wang! Today, I’ll send you to your grave!” Wang Yan wasted no time on pleasantries. Spurring his horse forward, he led his soldiers in a charge.

Wang Yan’s martial skills were formidable, but Yelü Yuanyi, as a former great general of Liao, was no less accomplished. The two clashed fiercely, neither gaining the upper hand for a time.

Watching from the rear, Wanyan Chang frowned deeply. The Song army’s tactics today were oddly aggressive, not at all like the timid posture of previous days. Three thousand light cavalry poured out of the city, and even the infantry soon followed.

“Is Zong Shidao planning a full-scale assault to annihilate our Jin cavalry in one blow?” Wanyan Chang asked Wanyan Xiyin beside him.

Wanyan Yuanchun, overhearing, replied with a trace of arrogance, “The Song army’s abilities extend only so far. They dare not face us in open battle, only hiding behind their walls. Even if they do come out, hoping to win by sheer numbers—hmph! There’s no honor in such a victory.” After a pause, he requested of Wanyan Chang, “General, permit me to lead thirty thousand infantry to wipe out the Song army.”

Wanyan Chang still felt something was amiss, but he dismissed his misgivings. In the face of overwhelming strength, any cunning plan was no more than a showy trick. He said, “Wanyan Yuanchun, I order you to lead fifty thousand elite troops—leave no Song soldier alive! Tonight, I want to celebrate with the generals in Zhendin City!”

Wanyan Yuanchun, among the first to campaign with Wanyan Chang, had witnessed the Song army’s weakness firsthand and held them in contempt. He believed thirty thousand would suffice to crush them utterly, and now, with fifty thousand at his command, he saw no need for elaborate tactics—just a simple order: annihilate the Song.

From atop the city walls, Zong Shidao saw the massed Jin troops advancing. He did not hesitate and ordered the signal to sound the retreat.

Thus, the moment the charging Jin and Song armies met, the Song “collapsed” almost instantly. The thirty thousand infantry who had marched out dawdled on the way, but retreated with astonishing speed—within moments, they had all withdrawn behind the walls.

Wanyan Yuanchun, fuming, returned to camp, cursing, “The Song are nothing but cowards! They can’t fight, but their retreat is as swift as rabbits. The moment I pressed them, they fled faster than hares!”

“Zong Shidao’s tactics today are most peculiar,” Yelü Yuanyi observed quietly.

“What’s so peculiar? The Song are always like this. Have you forgotten the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun? The Song besieged for three days and nights and still failed to take them. When our Jin cavalry arrived, the Song surrendered at once,” Wanyan Yuanchun sneered.

“But if the Song knew they couldn’t win, why send so many men out? Was it just to make a fool of themselves?” Yelü Yuanyi wondered aloud.

“Could it be that Zong Shidao cannot control his troops anymore, so he had no choice but to resort to this?” suggested another Jin general.

“If the Song are in disarray, it’s the perfect opportunity for us to wipe them out,” said yet another.

Wanyan Yuanchun shrugged. “Who cares what’s going on? General, I say tomorrow we press our advantage and leave the Song with nowhere to run!”

Wanyan Chang, too, failed to grasp Zong Shidao’s true intentions. There is always a reason for the unusual, but what that reason was, he could not fathom. Yet all the assembled generals looked down on the Song from the bottom of their hearts—including himself, the commander.