热气球升起在天空中，风声呼啸，吹过视野间起伏的山峦。
The hot air balloon rose into the sky, the wind whistling, blowing past the undulating mountains in view.

初冬的山岭入目青灰，起起伏伏间犹如一片奇异的海洋，山岭间的道路像是破开海洋的巨龙，随着军队的行进朝前方蔓延。远处的树林起伏跌宕，林间藏着噬人的深渊。
The mountains in early winter were a gray-green, undulating like a strange ocean. The roads between the mountains were like giant dragons breaking through the ocean, stretching forward with the advance of the army. In the distance, the forests rose and fell, hiding man-eating abysses.

蜀地地势雄奇，李白曾言：蜀道难、难于上青天。但事实上，被形容为难于上青天的这片道路，已经属于进入蜀地相对易行的关口了。
The terrain of Shu was majestic. As Li Bai once said, "The road to Shu is difficult, more difficult than ascending to the blue sky." But in fact, this road, described as being more difficult than ascending to the blue sky, was already a relatively easy gateway into Shu.

剑阁往西，金牛道往北，后世被称为龙门山断裂带的一片地方，属于真正的天堑。往南的大小剑山，虽然也是道路崎岖，断崖密布，但金牛道穿山过岭，不少驿站、村落附于道旁，送行来往客商，山中亦能有猎户出入。
West of Jiange, and north of the Jinniu Road, the area later known as the Longmenshan Fault Zone was a true chasm. To the south, the Greater and Lesser Jian Mountains also had rugged roads and numerous cliffs, but the Jinniu Road passed through mountains and ridges, with many post stations and villages along the way, serving traveling merchants, and hunters could also enter and exit the mountains.

过去能在这般崎岖的山岭间穿行的，毕竟也只是附近家贫无着的老猎户了。密集的山林，崎岖的地形，普通人入林不久，便可能在山间迷路，再也无法回转。十月中旬，第一波成规模的战斗便爆发在这样的地形里。
In the past, only the impoverished and helpless old hunters nearby could travel through such rugged mountains. The dense forests and rugged terrain meant that ordinary people would soon get lost in the mountains and never be able to return. In mid-October, the first large-scale battles broke out in this terrain.

籍着升空的热气球又或是建在高处的瞭望塔，偶尔能看见爆炸的动静出现在远处的密林间或是山涧里。
With the help of rising hot air balloons or watchtowers built on high ground, occasional explosions could be seen in the distant dense forests or mountain streams.

华夏军斥候随身带有名为手榴弹的爆炸物，女真的斥候部队也随身携带能以明火引燃的火雷。除这二者引起的剧烈声响外，林间的多数厮杀外界并不容易看到，只是会有惨叫声远远传来，偶尔能见到林间升起的烟雾，又或是不知从哪里遥遥传来的“砰”然声响，大路上的部队便知道那厮杀在进行。
The Han Chinese army scouts carried explosives called hand grenades, and the Jurchen scout troops also carried fire thunder that could be ignited with an open flame. Apart from the loud noises caused by these two, most of the fighting in the forest was not easily seen from the outside. Only distant screams could be heard, and occasionally smoke could be seen rising from the forest, or a distant "bang" could be heard from who knows where, and the troops on the road would know that the fighting was going on.

最初的几日，林间发生的还是虽然激烈却显得分散的战斗，开始交手的两支部队谨慎地试探着对手的力量，远远近近零星的爆炸，一天大概数十起，偶尔有伤者从林间撤出来，为首的女真斥候便向上头的将官报告了华夏军的斥候战力。
In the first few days, the fighting in the forest was still fierce but scattered. The two sides that began to engage cautiously probed each other's strength. There were sporadic explosions, about dozens a day. Occasionally, the wounded would withdraw from the forest, and the leading Jurchen scout would report the Han Chinese army's scout combat power to the officers above.

这些斥候都是女真军中最为精锐的老兵，他们或是北方山中最严苛环境里锻炼出来的猎户，或是尸山血海里幸存下来的战士，感觉敏锐，放入山林里无论是生存找路、还是博杀熊虎，都不在话下。且许多人在军中颇有名望，放在哪支部队里都是受将领信任的心腹。余余一开始便动用这些心腹之人，其一是信任他们，其二是为了得到最准确的反馈。
These scouts were the most elite veterans in the Jurchen army. They were either hunters trained in the harshest environment of the northern mountains or warriors who had survived the mountains of corpses and seas of blood. They had a keen sense and were more than capable of surviving, finding their way, or fighting bears and tigers in the mountains. Many of them were also well-known in the army and were trusted confidants of the generals in any unit. Yu Yu used these confidants from the beginning, firstly because he trusted them, and secondly to get the most accurate feedback.

初次交手的反馈随着伤者与后撤的斥候队迅速传回来，在西南发展了数年的华夏军斥候对于川蜀的山地没有丝毫的陌生，第一批进入山林且与华夏军交手的精锐斥候取得了些许战果，伤亡却也不小。
The feedback from the initial engagement quickly came back with the wounded and retreating scout teams. The Han Chinese army scouts, who had been developing in the southwest for several years, were not at all unfamiliar with the mountains of Sichuan. The first batch of elite scouts to enter the mountains and engage with the Han Chinese army achieved some results, but the casualties were not small.

在最初的几天的摩擦里，其实无法判断准确的伤亡比——但这样的情况倒也没有出乎女真上层的意外——在百人以下的小规模冲突中，即便是武朝军队也常常能打出两眼的战绩来，汉人不缺勇毅之士，更何况是斩杀过娄室与辞不失的黑旗军。
In the first few days of friction, it was actually impossible to determine the exact casualty ratio - but this situation was not unexpected by the Jurchen upper echelons - in small-scale conflicts with less than a hundred people, even the Wu Dynasty army could often achieve eye-catching results. The Han people were not short of brave and resolute men, let alone the Black Flag Army that had killed Lou Shi and Ci Bushi.

二十，事先安排的后续斥候陆续进山，对于这些非女真系的斥候们，军队高层开出了极高的赏格：杀黑旗军士兵一名赏钱百贯，军官则在此基础上递增，连级往上有田亩、官衔甚至于爵位封赐，活捉以三倍计。
On the 20th, the follow-up scouts who had been arranged in advance entered the mountains one after another. For these non-Jurchen scouts, the army high command offered extremely high rewards: a reward of one hundred strings of cash for killing a Black Flag Army soldier, with additional rewards for officers, and even land, official titles, and even titles of nobility for company-level officers and above. Capturing them alive would be rewarded three times as much.

武朝社会贫富差距巨大，贫苦人家一年散碎开销不过数贯钱，从八品县令的月俸十五贯左右，已经相对富裕。这里普普通通一颗人头便值铜钱百贯，斥候又大都是军中精锐，杀上几个肩上带着花的，那便一辈子富裕无忧。
The gap between rich and poor in Wu Dynasty society was huge. The scattered expenses of poor families were only a few strings of cash a year, and the monthly salary of a magistrate of the eighth rank was about fifteen strings, which was already relatively wealthy. Here, an ordinary head was worth a hundred strings of copper coins, and the scouts were mostly elite soldiers in the army. If they killed a few with flowers on their shoulders, they would be rich and worry-free for the rest of their lives.

用于奖励的金银装在箱子里摆在道路上几个驿站军营旁，晃得人眼花，这是各军斥候直接便能领的。至于军队在战场上的杀敌，赏赐首先归于各军军功，仗打完后统一封赏，但基本上也会与斥候领的人头价相差无几，即便战死沙场，只要军队军功到位，赏赐将来仍旧会发至各人家中。
The gold and silver used for rewards were placed in boxes next to several post stations and military camps on the road, dazzling people's eyes. This was what the scouts of each army could directly receive. As for the army's killing of enemies on the battlefield, the rewards first went to the military merits of each army, and the unified rewards were given after the battle was over, but they would basically be similar to the head price received by the scouts. Even if they died on the battlefield, as long as the army's military merits were in place, the rewards would still be sent to their homes in the future.

以这样的赏格而论，“买”完整个华夏军的人头，完颜宗翰需要花出去的银钱至少是数千万贯往上走，但他并不介意。
In terms of such rewards, it would cost Wanyan Zonghan at least tens of millions of strings of silver to "buy" the heads of the entire Han Chinese army, but he didn't mind.

辽国仍在时，武朝每年给付辽国的岁币只是银钱便过了百万贯，而依靠贸易武朝一转手又以倍计地赚了回去。童贯当年赎买燕云十六州，与北地大小家族、朝中各路官僚凑了价值数千万贯的财物，到头来他伐辽有功，收复燕云，名声大振，这数千万贯财物众人岂不还是会从百姓手上捞回去。
When the Liao Kingdom was still there, the Wu Dynasty paid more than a million strings of silver to the Liao Kingdom every year, and the Wu Dynasty earned it back several times over through trade. When Tong Guan redeemed the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun that year, he collected tens of millions of strings of wealth from large and small families in the north and officials from all walks of life in the court. In the end, he was credited with conquering Liao and recovering Yanyun, and his reputation was greatly enhanced. Wouldn't everyone still get these tens of millions of strings of wealth back from the people?

及至金国踏平中原、覆灭武朝，一路上破家灭族，抄出来的金银以及能够抓回北地生产金银的奴隶又何止此数。若正能以数千万贯的金银“买”了华夏军，此时的宗翰、希尹等人还真不会有半点吝啬。
When the Jin Kingdom flattened the Central Plains and destroyed the Wu Dynasty, it destroyed families and exterminated clans along the way, and the gold and silver seized and the slaves who could be captured back to the north to produce gold and silver were more than this number. If Zonghan, Xiyin, and others could really "buy" the Han Chinese army with tens of millions of strings of gold and silver, they really wouldn't be stingy at this time.

这是底定天下的最后一战了。
This was the last battle to secure the world.

这样巨大的利益与荣耀当中，不仅仅是斥候，甚至于中层下层的各个士兵都在摩拳擦掌、蠢蠢欲动。
In such huge interests and glory, not only the scouts, but even the middle and lower-level soldiers were itching to make a move.

二十二，那苍莽山林中斥候的冲突陡然开始变得激烈，女真人投入的兵力、华夏军投入的兵力在同一时间、同一节点上选择了加码。
On the 22nd, the conflicts between the scouts in the vast mountains and forests suddenly became fierce. The Jurchen forces and the Han Chinese army forces chose to increase their investment at the same time and at the same node.

自二十二的下午起，崎岖的山岭间能看到的最为明显的冲突特征，并不是偶尔便传来的爆炸声，而是从林间升腾而起的黑色烟柱与山火：这是在林地的混乱环境中交手后，不少人选择的混淆局面的策略，一些山火旋起旋灭，也有一些山火在初冬已相对干燥的环境中熊熊蔓延，籍着呼啸的北风，掀起了莫大的声势。
From the afternoon of the 22nd, the most obvious feature of the conflict that could be seen in the rugged mountains was not the occasional explosion, but the black plumes of smoke and mountain fires rising from the forest: This was a strategy chosen by many people to confuse the situation after fighting in the chaotic environment of the forest. Some mountain fires swirled up and died out, while others spread fiercely in the relatively dry environment of early winter, using the howling north wind to create a great momentum.

浓烟滚滚在山间飞舞，烧荡的痕迹十数里外都清晰可见，居住在林地里的动物四散奔逃，间或爆发的厮杀便在这样的混乱状况中展开。
Thick smoke billowed and danced in the mountains, and the traces of burning could be clearly seen from more than ten miles away. The animals living in the forest fled in all directions, and sporadic fighting broke out in this chaotic situation.

林间的大火多数由女真一方的渤海人、辽东人、汉军斥候引起。
Most of the fires in the forest were caused by the Bohai people, Liaodong people, and Han Chinese army scouts on the Jurchen side.

虽然女真人开出的巨额悬赏令得这帮艺高人胆大的军中精锐们迫不及待地入山杀敌，但进入到那苍莽的林间，真与华夏军军人展开对抗时，巨大的压力才会落到每个人的身上。
Although the huge rewards offered by the Jurchens made these highly skilled and daring military elites eager to enter the mountains to kill the enemy, the enormous pressure would fall on everyone when they entered the vast forest and truly engaged in confrontation with the Han Chinese army soldiers.

川蜀的山林看来广袤辽阔，擅长山间奔走的也确实能够找到许多的道路，但崎岖的地形导致这些道路都显得狭窄而危险。未曾遇敌一切好说，一旦遇敌，会展开的便是最为激烈与诡谲的厮杀。
The mountains and forests of Sichuan seem vast and wide, and those who are good at running in the mountains can indeed find many roads, but the rugged terrain makes these roads narrow and dangerous. It's easy to say everything is fine when you haven't encountered the enemy, but once you do, the fiercest and most treacherous fighting will break out.

以十人为一组，原本就是为了林间厮杀而训练准备的华夏军斥候穿着的多是带着与山林景色类似颜色的服装，每人身上皆携带大威力的手弩。乍然遭遇时，十名成员从不同方向封锁道路，只是从不同角度射来的第一波的弩箭就足以让人胆寒。
In groups of ten, the Han Chinese army scouts, who were originally trained and prepared for fighting in the forest, mostly wore clothing with colors similar to the scenery of the mountains and forests, and each carried a powerful hand crossbow. When they suddenly encountered an enemy, ten members would block the road from different directions, and the first wave of crossbow arrows shot from different angles would be enough to make people shudder.

除弩箭外，投掷的手榴弹每人皆携带了两三颗，狭窄道路上若遭遇这样的爆炸，委实让人进退两难。
In addition to crossbow arrows, each person carried two or three hand grenades. If such an explosion were encountered on a narrow road, it would really be difficult to advance or retreat.

手弩、火雷等物以外，十名成员各有不同的侧重与配合，部分小队成员带着便于攀爬的精钢钩爪、能够让人如猿猴般上下山岭的滑轮组，亦有少量精锐小组带有狙击枪往前行动的，他们占领高处，利用望远镜观察，朝附近小队发出信号。
In addition to hand crossbows, fire thunder, and other things, the ten members each had different emphases and coordination. Some squad members carried fine steel grappling hooks that were easy to climb with, pulley sets that allowed people to climb up and down the mountains like apes, and a small number of elite teams carried sniper rifles to move forward. They occupied high ground, used telescopes to observe, and sent signals to nearby teams.

女真斥候中固然也有海东青、有不少百步穿杨的神射手、有擅长攀爬山岭险峰的身负绝技之人，但在这些华夏军小队成系统的配合与前压下，这一天首先遇敌的斥候队伍们便遭遇到了巨大的伤亡。
Although there were also gyrfalcons among the Jurchen scouts, many sharpshooters who could shoot through willow leaves from a hundred paces, and people with unique skills who were good at climbing mountain peaks, the scout teams that first encountered the enemy on this day suffered heavy casualties under the systematic cooperation and advance of these Han Chinese army squads.

成百上千的斥候部队在入山口的大路上还显得拥挤与热闹，进入山林，选择不同的道路分散开来，不时还会遭遇过去几天入山的女真斥候精锐后撤的身影。他们作为生力军替补上去，华夏军的数百支特种作战小队也已经陆续杀来，到得下午，林间厮杀混乱，部分幸存的斥候放起大火，一些火焰熊熊燃烧。
Hundreds of scout troops still seemed crowded and lively on the road at the entrance to the mountain. After entering the forest, they dispersed and chose different paths. From time to time, they would encounter the retreating figures of the Jurchen scout elites who had entered the mountain in the past few days. They went up as reinforcements, and hundreds of special operations teams of the Han Chinese army had also arrived one after another. By the afternoon, the fighting in the forest was chaotic, and some surviving scouts started fires, and some flames burned fiercely.

部分归顺了女真一方的斥候部队哭爹骂娘，他们在这林间固然“人多势众”，但各个队伍的战力有高有低、风格各有不同，互相之间的调配与前行进度亦有不同。一些部队正在前方厮杀，眼见着后方火焰竟蔓延了过来……
Some scout troops who had surrendered to the Jurchen side cried and cursed. Although they had "many people and great power" in this forest, the combat power of each team varied, and their styles were different. The coordination and progress of each other were also different. Some troops were fighting in the front, and they saw the flames spreading from behind...

而另一方面，华夏军各个特种作战小队早先便有个大概的作战计划，这还是开战初期，小队之间的联系紧密，以不同区域占领各个制高点上的核心团队为调配，进退有序，基本上还没有出现太过冒进的队伍。
On the other hand, each special operations team of the Han Chinese army had a rough operation plan earlier. This was still the early stage of the war, and the connection between the teams was close. The core teams occupying various high points in different areas were used for deployment, and the advance and retreat were orderly. Basically, there were no teams that were too aggressive.

这些时日来，虽然也曾遇上过对方队伍中异常厉害的老兵、猎手等人物，有的突然出现，一箭封喉，有的隐匿于枯叶堆中，暴起杀人，产生了不少伤亡，但以交换比来说，华夏军始终占着巨大的便宜。
During these days, although they had encountered exceptionally powerful veterans and hunters in the enemy's team, some of them suddenly appeared and killed with a single arrow, and some of them hid in piles of dead leaves and suddenly killed people, causing a lot of casualties. However, in terms of exchange ratio, the Han Chinese army always had a huge advantage.

按照后来的统计，二十二，在林间厮杀中死去的女真附属斥候部队约在六百以上，华夏军伤亡过百。二十三、二十四，双方伤亡皆有减少，华夏军的斥候战线总体前推，但也有数支女真斥候部队愈发的熟悉山林，占领了林间前方几个重要的观察点。这还是开战之前的小小损失。
According to later statistics, on the 22nd, more than 600 Jurchen affiliated scout troops died in the fighting in the forest, and the Han Chinese army suffered more than 100 casualties. On the 23rd and 24th, both sides suffered fewer casualties. The Han Chinese army's scout line generally moved forward, but several Jurchen scout troops became more and more familiar with the mountains and occupied several important observation points in the front of the forest. This was still a small loss before the war.

余余适应着这一状况，对于山间作战做出了数项调整，但总的来说，对于部分附庸部队作战时的生硬应对，他也不会过于在意。
Yu Yu adapted to this situation and made several adjustments to mountain warfare, but in general, he would not pay too much attention to the rigid response of some vassal troops during combat.

二十五，拔离速率领的数万军队在黄明县城外做好了准备，数千汉人俘虏被驱赶着往县城城墙方向前进。
On the 25th, a force of tens of thousands of troops led by Bali Su made preparations outside Huangming County, and thousands of Han Chinese prisoners were driven towards the city walls.

黄明县由原本坐落在这里的驿站小镇发展起来，并非坚城。它的城墙不过三丈高，面对山口一边的总长度四百六十丈，也就是后世一千五百米的样子。城墙从开阔地一直蜿蜒到南边的山坡上，山坡地势较陡，令得这一段的防御与下方形成一个“l”形的夹角，几架防御距离较远的投石车连同大炮在这里摆开，负责观察的热气球也高高地飘着这边的城头上方。
Huangming County developed from a post station town originally located here, and it was not a strong city. Its city wall was only three zhang high, and the total length facing the mountain pass was 460 zhang, which is about 1,500 meters in later generations. The city wall meandered from the open ground to the hillside in the south. The hillside was relatively steep, so that the defense of this section formed an "l" shaped angle with the bottom. Several catapults with a long defensive distance, along with cannons, were set up here, and the hot air balloon responsible for observation was also floating high above the city wall on this side.

城墙北端毗邻一道六七仗的山涧，但在靠近城墙的地方亦有过城小路。随着俘虏被驱赶而来，城头上的士兵高声喊话，让这些俘虏朝着城北方向绕行求生。后方的女真人自然不会允许，他们先是以箭矢将俘虏们朝南面赶，随后架起大炮、投石车朝着北端的人群里开始发射。
The northern end of the city wall was adjacent to a mountain stream of six or seven zhang, but there was also a small road over the city near the city wall. As the prisoners were driven over, the soldiers on the city wall shouted loudly, telling the prisoners to detour towards the north to survive. The Jurchens in the rear would naturally not allow this. They first drove the prisoners south with arrows, and then set up cannons and catapults to fire into the crowd at the northern end.

人群哭喊着、拥挤着往城墙下方过去，箭矢、石块、炮弹落在后方的人堆里，爆炸、哭喊、惨叫混杂在一起，血腥味四散蔓延。
The crowd cried, screamed, and crowded towards the bottom of the city wall. Arrows, stones, and shells fell into the piles of people in the rear. Explosions, cries, and screams were mixed together, and the bloody smell spread everywhere.

挤到城墙下方的俘虏们才算是脱离了炮弹、投车等物的射程，他们有的在城下呼喊着希望华夏军开城门，有的希望上方掷下绳索，但城墙上的华夏军士兵不为所动，一部分人朝着城北蔓延而去，亦有人跑向城南的崎岖山坡。
The prisoners who squeezed to the bottom of the city wall were considered to be out of range of the shells, catapults, and other things. Some of them shouted under the city, hoping that the Han Chinese army would open the city gate, and some hoped that the ropes would be thrown down from above, but the Han Chinese army soldiers on the city wall were unmoved. Some people spread towards the north of the city, and some ran towards the rugged hillside in the south of the city.

事实上，此时唯有城北山涧与城墙间的小路是逃生的唯一通道。女真军阵之中，拔离速静静地看着俘虏们一直被驱赶到城墙下方，中间并无地雷爆开，人群开始往北面拥挤时，他命令人将第二批大约一千左右的俘虏驱赶出去。
In fact, at this time, the only way to escape was the small road between the mountain stream north of the city and the city wall. In the Jurchen army formation, Bali Su quietly watched the prisoners being driven to the bottom of the city wall. There were no landmines exploding in the middle. When the crowd began to crowd to the north, he ordered people to drive out the second batch of about a thousand prisoners.

这批俘虏当中混杂的是一支百人左右的弓箭队，他们籍着汉俘们的掩护拉近了与城墙之间的距离，开始朝着城墙下往北奔逃的俘虏们射箭，一些箭矢零零星星地落在城头上。
Mixed in with this group of prisoners was an archer team of about a hundred people. They used the cover of the Han Chinese prisoners to close the distance with the city wall and began to shoot arrows at the prisoners who were running north under the city wall. Some arrows fell sporadically on the city wall.

庞六安下令开炮。
Pang Liuan ordered to open fire.

三发炮弹自黄明县城城墙上呼啸而出，落入混杂了弓箭手的人群当中。此时女真人亦有稀稀拉拉地往奔跑的俘虏后方开炮，这三发炮弹飞来，夹杂在一片呼喊与硝烟当中并不起眼，拔离速在站马上拍了拍大腿，眼中有嗜血味道。
Three shells roared out from the city wall of Huangming County and fell into the crowd mixed with archers. At this time, the Jurchens also sporadically fired cannons towards the rear of the running prisoners. These three shells flew over, and were not conspicuous amidst the cries and smoke. Bali Su patted his thigh on the horse, and there was a bloodthirsty look in his eyes.

他挥手命令部下放出第三批俘虏。
He waved his hand and ordered his subordinates to release the third batch of prisoners.

这一批俘虏亦有千人，与先前不同的是，女真人给这些俘虏发放了几十架做工粗糙的云梯。
This batch of prisoners also numbered a thousand. Different from the previous batches, the Jurchens distributed dozens of crudely made siege ladders to these prisoners.

“……想要往城北逃，你们过不去！前方县城城墙不高，黑旗军以华夏自居，你们只要上去了，他们便不会杀人！扛着梯子逃命去吧！跑得慢的，当心女真人的大炮！”
"...You can't escape to the north of the city! The city walls in front are not high. The Black Flag Army claims to be Han Chinese. As long as you go up, they won't kill people! Carry the ladders and run for your lives! If you run slowly, beware of the Jurchen cannons!"

被押在俘虏前方呼喊的是一名原本的武朝官吏，他身上带血，鼻青脸肿地朝俘虏们传达女真人的意思。俘虏之中大量拖家带口者，扛了梯子哭喊着往前方奔跑过去。有的人抱了孩子，口中是听不出意义的求饶声。
The one who was shouting in front of the prisoners was an original Wu Dynasty official. He was covered in blood and had a bruised face. He conveyed the Jurchens' meaning to the prisoners. Among the prisoners, there were a large number of people with families. They carried the ladders and ran forward, crying. Some people held their children, and their mouths were filled with meaningless pleas for mercy.

这一刻，城墙上的华夏军人正将盾牌、刀枪、门板等物朝城下的人群中放下去，以让他们防御流矢。眼见战场那端有人扛起云梯过来，庞六安与参谋长郭琛也只沉默了片刻。
At this moment, the Han Chinese army soldiers on the city wall were dropping shields, swords, spears, door panels, and other things into the crowd below the city to allow them to defend against stray arrows. Seeing that someone was carrying a siege ladder on the battlefield, Pang Liuan and Chief of Staff Guo Chen were silent for a moment.

“……让人喊话，叫他们不要带云梯，人群中有奸细，不要中了女真人的计策。”
"...Have someone shout and tell them not to bring siege ladders. There are spies in the crowd. Don't fall for the Jurchens' tricks."

郭琛如此下令，随后又朝炮兵那边传令：“标定距离。”
Guo Chen gave the order, and then ordered the artillery: "Mark the distance."

大嗓门的士兵在城头拿着简易的喇叭拼命朝着前方呼喊。
The loud-voiced soldiers held simple trumpets on the city wall and shouted desperately towards the front.

前方的“战场”之上，没有士兵，只有拥挤奔逃的人群、呼喊的人群、哭泣的人群，鲜血的腥味升腾起来，夹杂在硝烟与内脏里。
On the "battlefield" in front, there were no soldiers, only a crowded crowd running away, a shouting crowd, a crying crowd, and the stench of blood rising, mixed with gunpowder smoke and internal organs.

这是整个战场上最“温柔”的开始，拔离速的眼中带着嗜血的狂热，看着这一切。
This was the most "gentle" start to the entire battlefield. Bali Su watched all of this with bloodthirsty fanaticism in his eyes.

对于女真人来说，这只是一场简单的甚至还没有放开手干的屠杀，但他享受于敌人的进退两难，对面将领所表露出来的东西——无论是果决还是愤怒都会让他感到满足。
For the Jurchens, this was just a simple massacre that hadn't even been unleashed yet, but he enjoyed the enemy's dilemma. What the generals on the opposite side revealed - whether it was decisiveness or anger - would make him feel satisfied.

对于华夏军来说，这也是说来残酷实际上却无比寻常的心理考验，早在小苍河时期许多人便已经经历过了，到得如今，大量的士兵也得再经历一次。
For the Han Chinese army, this was also a psychological test that was cruel in words but extremely common in reality. Many people had already experienced it during the Xiaocang River period, and now a large number of soldiers had to experience it again.

女真人横扫天下，如果需要俘虏，成百上千万对于他们来说根本不在话下，拔离速驱赶着他们向前，追赶他们、屠杀他们。若城墙上的士兵因此表现出丝毫的手软或是破绽，这成千上万人之后，拔离速、宗翰等人不会介意再赶十万、百万人过来，斩杀于战阵前方。
The Jurchens swept the world. If they needed prisoners, hundreds of millions would be nothing to them. Bali Su drove them forward, chased them, and slaughtered them. If the soldiers on the city wall showed the slightest bit of softness or flaw because of this, Bali Su, Zonghan, and others would not mind driving another hundred thousand or a million people over after these thousands of people and killing them in front of the battle formation.

拥着云梯的俘虏被驱赶了过来，拉近距离，开始汇入前一批的俘虏。城墙上呼喊的士兵声嘶力竭。庞六安吸了一口气。
The prisoners carrying the siege ladders were driven over, closed the distance, and began to merge with the previous batch of prisoners. The soldiers shouting on the city wall were hoarse. Pang Liuan took a breath.

“开炮。”
"Open fire."

城墙上，士兵落下火把，铁炮的炮口发出轰然声响，炮弹从火光中冲出，从那如海的人潮上方飞了过去。
On the city wall, the soldiers dropped torches, and the muzzle of the iron cannon made a loud noise. The shell rushed out of the fire and flew over the sea of people.

一发炮弹之后、又是一发，接着是第三发，气浪喷薄间，一些人被炸飞出去，有人断了手脚，哭喊凄厉。
After one shell, there was another, followed by a third. As the air waves erupted, some people were blown away, and some had their hands and feet broken, crying out in agony.

“哈哈哈哈……”拔离速在战马上笑起来，后续命令有条不紊地发出去。
"Hahahaha..." Bali Su laughed on the horse, and subsequent orders were sent out in an orderly manner.

战场各个方位上的投石车开始趁着这样的混乱缓缓地朝前推进，炮阵推进，第四批俘虏被驱赶出去……女真人的大营里，猛安 (Meng'an) （千夫长）兀里坦与一众部下整备完毕，也正等待着出发。
The catapults in all directions on the battlefield began to slowly advance forward in the midst of this chaos. The artillery formation advanced, and the fourth batch of prisoners was driven out... In the Jurchen camp, Meng'an (Captain) Wulitan and a group of subordinates were fully prepared and were waiting to set off.

这是女真人中身经百战的先锋战将，早在阿骨打仍在时，兀里坦便是拔离速麾下的心腹勇将。此次进攻华夏军，对于宗翰、希尹来说意义重大，许多人也将之作为征服天下的最后一个阻碍来看待，但用兵的谨慎、准备的充分并不代表军队中的人们失去了当初的锐气。
This was a veteran vanguard general of the Jurchens. As early as when Aguda was still alive, Wulitan was Bali Su's trusted and brave general. This attack on the Han Chinese army was of great significance to Zonghan and Xiyin, and many people regarded it as the last obstacle to conquering the world, but the prudence in using troops and the sufficient preparation did not mean that the people in the army had lost their original spirit.

面对着黄明县这一阻碍，拔离速摆开阵势之后，兀里坦便向主将请命，希望能够在这一战中率阵先登，夺取为娄室、辞不失等元帅复仇之战的开门首功。拔离速答应下来。
Facing the obstacle of Huangming County, after Bali Su set up the formation, Wulitan asked the main general for orders, hoping to lead the formation and be the first to climb the city in this battle, and win the opening merit of the battle to avenge Marshals Lou Shi and Ci Bushi. Bali Su agreed.

随着俘虏们一批又一批的被驱赶而出，女真军队的阵型也在缓缓推进。午时左右，射程最远的投石车陆续将黄明县城墙纳入攻击范围，以逸待劳的华夏军一方首先以投石车朝女真投车营地展开攻击