In a panic, he ran and ran. Fear emanated from the distance, but for some reason, in the midst of this frantic escape, he wanted to close his eyes and avoid everything that was happening. Search: \(¨Complete¨Book¨God¨Station¨) to read quality literature for free.

"...They're attacking..."

"...Go, go, go..."

In the noisy and chaotic environment, the voices and figures around him gradually increased. He ran headlong, eventually reaching the edge of the great river. Tumultuous waves stretched out before him, while the fear from behind relentlessly pursued him. He stood there, and someone pushed him forward.

A small fishing boat sailed away from the shore. He stood on it, hearing the shouts from behind, with the turbulent waves beneath him.

*Don't look back*—he told himself in his heart, but the person in the scene finally turned his head. In the swirling mist, the Jurchens were attacking. The crowds on the shore ran and screamed, being chased and forced into the river, then sinking down, their blood staining the water.

Zhou Junwu knelt down on the boat.

Overwhelming shame filled everything.

—He sat up from his dream.

…

The dark tent still held a faint scent of sandalwood. The space was warm, yet carried a hint of damp cold. He sat up, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

His mind lingered in the dream. After a while, he got out of bed and lit the oil lamp with a fire starter. The lamplight revealed a face with distinct features, gaunt and resolute. The beard he had grown added to his apparent age, making him seem more composed. Once the lamp was lit, a servant's voice came from outside the tent, and he asked them to bring hot water.

The sky was still dimly lit. Outside the tent stretched the vast military camp. After washing his face, he straightened his clothes in the mirror, making himself look more alert. As he stepped out of the tent, soldiers saluted him, and he returned the salute in kind—something that had never happened before in the Wu Dynasty.

In the tenth year of Wu Jianshuo, Crown Prince Zhou Junwu was twenty-seven years old, and to those around him, he had grown into a steady and dependable man.

To the officials of the Wu Dynasty, he was decisive and authoritative. To the technical staff and the people, he was humble and polite. He lived in the military camp, waking up earlier than the average soldier every day. He even returned the salute to every soldier who saluted him—something unprecedented that he had learned from the Black Banner Army. If scholars advised or criticized him to his face, he would politely apologize and then continue to do as he pleased. In any case, the vast majority of the soldiers and civilians regarded him as the future restorer of the dynasty.

Strong and strict self-discipline made him thin and increasingly resolute. Especially in this spring of the tenth year of Jianshuo, the eyes of the once pampered young man now held a faint, determined martial spirit.

As the cold of February began to dissipate, the scent of war was already in the air. Although the ice and snow had not yet completely melted, the upheaval in Jin had sounded the first alarm of the new year: the battlefield was a bloody arena of life and death, and no one would wait for spring to truly bloom before making their move.

Walking through the rows of tents in the military camp, Junwu soon saw Yue Fei approaching. After saluting, Yue Fei handed over the awaited intelligence.

"Linzhou, Shulie Su is fighting the Black Banner Army... It has begun..."

"The old ginger is spicier. Zong Han and Xiyin's methods are truly ruthless." Junwu took the intelligence and muttered, referring to the assassination of Prince Jin, Tian Shi, at the height of the anti-Jin movement in Jin, a brutal blow to the only resistance force in the Central Plains with any hope. As an enemy, anyone would feel a chill down their spine facing Xiyin's actions.

"...Also, there's been a change in Xuzhou."

As Yue Fei spoke, Junwu raised his head and looked north. In the darkness, he faintly heard the sound of glaciers collapsing and the earth awakening from its dormancy...

***************

Weisheng, Heavenly Zenith Palace.

The massacre that Yuan Xiaoqiu expected on the fourth day of February never occurred.

After that cold negotiation, both parties returned to their respective homes. Lou Shuwan, the female prime minister whom Yuan Xiaoqiu thought would put on a good show for everyone, remained icy-eyed, but made no further moves.

After that day, the power struggle, like a restless undercurrent, had spread out from Weisheng as its center. On the evening of February fourth, Lou Shuwan, An Xifu, Lin Zongwu, and representatives of various anti-Jin forces allocated their respective areas of responsibility and interests within the Heavenly Zenith Palace. By February fifth, Lou Shuwan had successively met with local strongmen from various places, including Lin Zongwu, and disclosed as much as possible the resources, military equipment, troops, and commander information of each city and place in Jin.

When she privately met with Lin Zongwu that morning, Lou Shuwan even openly discussed with him the issue of the affiliation and division of the forces of the Great Brightness Sect in various places. The "Descended Mysterious Woman" and the "Brightness Sect Leader" divided their power in a way that would hinder each other as little as possible. In this regard, Lou Shuwan's side made many concessions.

At this time, small-scale fights and killings had already begun to occur in Weisheng City, but due to the restraint of all parties, no large-scale fighting had yet broken out.

With the death of Prince Jin and the threat of the Jurchen army, the defection of various aristocratic forces had become a reality. However, due to the special situation on Prince Jin's territory, a coup-style clash of arms did not immediately occur.

Based on the disclosure at the negotiation meeting and the tacit understanding that had been formed out of necessity, each family was now constantly trying to win over forces to take sides. During this period, local armies, military equipment, and warehouse supplies became the primary targets of each force to win over and occupy. While Lou Shuwan negotiated with everyone, Yu Yulin had already begun to try to stabilize several important locations in the southwest of Jin.

As for the several forces that still chose to take an anti-Jin stance, Lou Shuwan chose to hand over her family assets and even let the people who were still on her side assist them in occupying cities, passes, and dividing up the warehouses in important places. Even if it formed large and small separatist, wavering forces, it would be better than these ungovernable places immediately becoming the Jurchens' possessions.

Politics, when it loses an absolute controller, naturally becomes a game of gathering heads.

At the negotiation meeting, what the old man named Liao Yiren said about abandoning five cities or ten cities, although it sounded absurd, was actually slowly appearing in this form. All parties in the confrontation understood that in this situation where you were in me and I was in you, if each party first controlled the territory it could control, whether to fight or surrender in a few days, there would still be a glimmer of hope, but if they immediately turned against each other, Jin would immediately be turned into a sea of fire, and the Jurchens would push south on a pile of ruins.

At that time, no one would have a way out.

And in this fierce but suppressed confrontation, everyone was still waiting for a battle in the north.

Linzhou, February eighth, Shulie Su had already launched an attack on the city.

…

The sound of "bang" resounded on the city wall, and the ground was shaken by stones and blood. On the morning of February eighth, the second day of Shulie Su's attack on the city, the battle situation in Linzhou became white-hot.

The Jurchen army arrived in Linzhou at noon on February sixth, completed the encirclement of the city on three sides on February seventh, and launched an attack on the same day. For a siege battle, this deployment seemed extremely rushed, but Shulie Su still chose such a direct attack.

On the eastern, western, and northern directions of Linzhou City, the entire front line launched an attack almost simultaneously, and the siege was only with bows, arrows, and siege ladders. However, under the large-scale feint attack, Shulie Su chose two points as breakthroughs. Relying on the strength of the Jurchen elites, an unusually fierce assault team was cleverly hidden in the Han army's attack, choosing sections of the city wall that were clearly not guarded by the Black Banner Army to launch a surprise attack. On the afternoon of the seventh, it caused a huge threat to the Linzhou city wall.

This head-on blow could be regarded as Shulie Su's first test of the Chinese army in front of him, and ultimately failed to break the city. On the morning of the eighth, more than thirty trebuchets were assembled overnight by the Jurchen side and pushed to the front, along with more than eighty siege ladders, launching a strong attack on the western wall of Linzhou.

Including the 23,000 men under the command of Xu Chunyi, the defending general of Linzhou, there were a total of more than 30,000 troops defending the city at this time. Although the Jurchens were using a three-sided encirclement formation, it was impossible to relax anywhere in the entire city. In the face of the Jurchens' sudden strong attack, the pressure on the west side of the city reached its limit in an instant.

The soldiers of the Chinese army stationed here began to move closer to this side, cannons roared on the city wall, and arrows fell like rain. The Jurchen soldiers were like swarms of bees in the field of vision. They pushed sandbags and mud bags, carried siege ladders, and filled the moat in the blink of an eye, placing the siege ladders on the city wall, which was about two zhang high.

The city wall of Linzhou was not considered high. In the blink of an eye, more than eighty siege ladders filled every corner of the city in sight. Fearless Jurchen soldiers charged up, but on the city wall, there were still Chinese soldiers defending like an iron wall. Even the bravest Jurchen soldiers could not break through the tacit cooperation of the Chinese soldiers alone for a while. This turned the western section of the city wall into a meat grinder in the blink of an eye.

The fierce siege and killing reached its peak in about half an hour. At the moment when the defensive forces on the city wall were also approaching saturation, on the northern battlefield, a Jurchen team of a thousand men launched a surprise attack, choosing the weak point where manpower had been diverted to defend the western siege point. At the same time, the Han army launched a strong attack on the city wall two miles to the north.

Such siege tactics were not unusual. Although the defending army had the advantage of terrain, as the defending side, it was like a taut rubber band. The attacking army only needed to choose a few places to exert repeated pressure, and the surrounding forces would be attracted there, inevitably becoming a weak point, making it easier for the attacking side to launch a strong attack and ascend the city.

Of course, such tactics were only suitable for armies with extremely high combat power, such as the direct line of generals like Shulie Su in the Jurchen army, especially the elite among the elites. Facing ordinary Wu Dynasty teams, they could often quickly ascend the city. Even if they did not break through for a while, the other party would often have to pay several times the price to retake the city wall.

On the city wall, Niu Baoting, the squad leader in Xu Chunyi's army, felt his hands and feet turn cold as he watched the Jurchens spread out. He was an old soldier who had been in the army for many years and was already a cunning veteran. The quality of Prince Jin's army was uneven. Niu Baoting had only been promoted to squad leader by muddling along. He had the eye to see the danger, and seeing that his side of the city wall had become the target of the enemy's strong attack, he knew that the situation was likely to be dire. And nearby, there were fewer and fewer soldiers of the Chinese army.

Leading the few men under his command, Niu Baoting shot a few arrows towards the city wall. In the blink of an eye, the siege ladders had already been erected one by one, and the Jurchen soldiers, holding shields and knives, charged up fiercely. The battlefield was the best touchstone. Just looking at their composed manner as they stepped onto the siege ladders, he knew that they were all elites who had killed countless people on the battlefield—such momentum was impossible for cunning veterans to fake.

Nearby, cannons roared on the city wall, and stones were thrown down, but before long, Jurchen soldiers were still ascending the city. Niu Baoting and his brothers killed one, and another soldier who came up defended for a moment, and then waited for another Jurchen soldier to ascend the city. Two fierce Jurchens forced Niu Baoting and the other five to retreat continuously. One brother was hacked to death in a pool of blood, and Niu Baoting almost had his head split open. He was afraid in his heart and retreated again and again, and saw that the Jurchens' morale was high, and they killed him.

*I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die—*

The cunning veteran thought in panic in his heart. On the one hand, the Jurchens in front of him were fierce, and on the other hand, once the Jurchens broke the city, everyone in the city would also die. In this chaos, one of his soldiers was hit in the shoulder and, scared out of his wits, ran to the other end of the city wall.

Niu Baoting and others also fled in panic. In a short while, Jurchens ascended the city from different directions one after another. The killing was constant in the field of vision. Soldiers under Xu Chunyi, like Niu Baoting, began to panic and rout, but there were also only a dozen Chinese soldiers who formed two formations and fought fiercely with the Jurchen soldiers who ascended the city, without retreating for a long time.

After a while, Chinese soldiers came to kill from both sides again. Before Niu Baoting and others could run out of the chaos, two Jurchens came to kill them. He and two of his men tried their best to resist, and then four Chinese soldiers, holding shields or knives and guns, rushed past him and stabbed the two Jurchen soldiers to death under their spears. The spear-holder was obviously an officer in the Chinese army, and he patted Niu Baoting on the shoulder: "Well done, follow me to kill these Jin dogs." Niu Baoting and others subconsciously followed.

The city head that had just been opened by the Jurchens was taken back by the Chinese soldiers in the blink of an eye. The Chinese army officer rushing in the front commanded everyone to throw the Jurchen corpses from the city head onto the siege ladder. The crisis was slightly resolved. Niu Baoting watched a Chinese soldier sitting among the corpses, bandaging the wounds on his body, and still smiling to himself: "Haha, it's a pleasure, Shulie Su, you son of a bitch—"

A few days ago, although Niu Baoting was also touched by the Chinese army's organization meeting, he still only felt fear in the face of the real Jurchen elites. But at this time, he suddenly realized that the army in front of him, this black banner, was the only Han army in the world that could fight the Jurchens head-on without being inferior. The battle in front of him was a confrontation between the two most elite armies in the world.

*I'm going to die…*

The cunning veteran did not have much enthusiasm. After realizing this, he had also clearly realized that the battle in front of him would inevitably be fierce to the point of being unyielding. Even if they did not die now, they would probably be dead sooner or later among these two armies...

In the fierce battlefield, between life and death, all kinds of fierce thoughts would condense. In the northwest position of Linzhou City, Shulie Su put down the telescope he was holding, sighing at the fruitless return of a thousand-man team. But on the other hand, this was something he had expected.

After all, it was not the first time he had fought against the Black Banner Army.

In the Battle of Little Cang River a few years ago, it was he who led the army, and after besieging Little Cang River for nearly half a year, he finally broke through the city wall, forcing the defending army in Little Cang River to break through the siege by bursting the dam. He had long known the composure and tenacity of the Chinese army's elites when defending. From yesterday to today's fierce attack, it was just to confirm one thing.

The army in front of him was not a partial division of the Black Banner Army stationed in Shandong. Many of them were probably his old opponents from those years.

His eyes were calm, and the blood in his heart was burning.

As a famous Jurchen general who followed Aguda in launching the rebellion, Shulie Su, who was now forty-nine years old, could perceive the corruption of the new generation of Jurchens in recent years. The young soldiers were no longer as brave as they were back then, and the officials and generals were becoming weak and incompetent. The invincible momentum of Aguda's rebellion and the heroic spirit of Wugumai's army in attacking Wu were gradually dissipating.

The series of defeats in attacking Little Cang River and the northwest a few years ago was a heavy blow to many Jurchen generals. To some extent, it shattered the comfortable thinking of many Jurchen generals and preserved the vigor of many Jurchen generals and armies. Therefore, when facing this Black Banner team again, Shulie Su did not feel discouraged by a temporary setback. Such a setback made his fighting spirit soar.

If it were at other times, facing the Black Banner army, he would carry out more preparations before launching an attack. But the current situation was different.

As the snow melted and the ice thawed, the Grain God had already begun to take action against Jin, killing Tian Shi, dividing Jin, and defeating the Black Banner Army. This series of plans would take care of everything. Once successful, the obstacle of the Jin land, which claimed to have a million troops, would collapse. With 30,000 Jurchen elites against 10,000 Black Banner troops, even if he paid some price, he had to quickly settle this most fierce and most critical battle.

And on the other hand, Lord Grain God's calculations were like a net, and the preparations he had made were definitely not just to kill a Tian Shi. If he could not take Linzhou City under such circumstances, he really had no need to fight against the Black Banner army in the future.

Thinking of this, Shulie Su narrowed his eyes, and after a moment, summoned another general under his command and gave him orders to attack at the opportune moment...

On February 8th, the offensive under Linzhou City surged like a tide. The repeated sieges commanded by Shulie Su had several times almost gained a foothold on the city head, but were subsequently driven down by the fierce counterattack of the Chinese army. Blood flowed like a river above and below the city, and the losses on both sides were not small.

However, the intensity of the attack was still increasing. As if to defeat the Chinese army in one fell swoop and also defeat the hearts of the people throughout Jin, Shulie Su did not care about the casualties of the soldiers. After more than a day of fighting, many Chinese army soldiers had already fallen forever in the pool of blood, and the rest were mostly red-eyed from killing.

In the evening, when the setting sun sprinkled warm yellow light from one side of the sky, Huyan Zhuo stood at a corner of the city head, watching the attacking army retreat briefly below. In the distance, there were still traces of snow on the earth, and nearby there was smoke and a bloody smell lingering.

Several shells fired up from this corner of the city had just ignited a few cannonballs, and the Linzhou defenders, who originally belonged to Xu Chunyi's command, were in chaos. Huyan Zhuo led the team over to suppress the formation and repelled a wave of Jurchens. Looking at it at this time, the city head was a scorched area, with corpses and weapons lying scattered on the ground. Some soldiers had already begun to clean up. The Chinese army first took care of the seriously injured. Some lightly injured or tired people hid in the safe place behind the crenels, adjusted their breathing, and seized the time to rest, with a look of blood and excitement in their eyes.

"Little Cang River was much more lively than here..."

He heard the voice of an old soldier nearby, panting with a tone of boasting, but also cheering for the people around him. Looking around at both ends of the city wall, the silhouettes of the Chinese army could be seen in teams where the black flag was flying.

Huyan Zhuo knew many of these figures. The soldiers who participated in the Battle of Little Cang River and survived often had characteristics that could not be ignored. They were different in their usual nervousness, seriousness, or indifference. On the battlefield, these people were more like stones. They were not conspicuous in the killing, but they could often make the most appropriate response at the most appropriate time.

Most of those who could lead troops among these people had become officers in the Chinese army. Those who were slightly lonely could also drive several people on the battlefield to form a small circle. At this time, they were scattered in various parts of the city wall. After the fierce killing, many people probably also recalled the fierce battle of Little Cang River.

On the wilderness outside the city, the Jurchen battle flags stretched, symbolizing the most ferocious army in the world. And when his eyes swept over these figures on the city wall, Huyan Zhuo's eyes also seemed to see an unyielding city wall. Back in Liangshan, Song Jiang gathered many heroes and good men in the world, trying to arrange the positions of the 108 great heroes of Tiangang and Disha. Today, they may not be able to withstand the attack of this army.

After a day of siege, the Jurchen soldiers were withdrawing for the first time across the board, suspending the exhausting offensive. Most of the people looking down from the city head were confused. Li Nian, the staff officer of the Black Banner Army beside Huyan Zhuo, came over and told him some things in a low voice.

"The news has just come that the Ming Wang Army led by Wang Juyun is approaching within twenty miles. The road is difficult to walk in the dark. At the latest, they will arrive tomorrow. In addition, Lao Da Zhu has also joined forces with the three thousand troops outside... Shulie Su will not be unaware of these things. He suddenly withdrew his troops after a day of exhausting offensive. He doesn't want to rest."

Huyan Zhuo nodded and summoned the officers around him: "Let everyone cheer up. Shulie Su is not that lazy. The attack will continue at any time." Then he picked up the telescope and looked at the opposite position. The camp, which was full of people and horses, was extremely lively.

Then, something was slowly rising from the rear of the Jurchen camp.

"I... fuck!" Huyan Zhuo cursed. The sound of people's voices buzzed on the city head.

It was the hot air balloon that was expanding.

Since the Chinese army mastered the technology of hot air balloons, it is said that Wu Chao has also developed finished products recently. The Jurchens, under the leadership of Wanyan Xiyin, presided over the study of physics, and it is not surprising that they have mastered the technology, but this is the first time they have taken it out on the battlefield.

But it is enough to prove the importance that Zong Han, Xiyin and others attach to this battle and their determination to win.

The atmosphere on the city head suddenly became solemn. People ran around, moving fireworks for air defense. Before long, the Jurchen army camp once again displayed an offensive formation.

*************

Night had already begun to lead, and the bonfires stretched into a sea of light. The offensive formation was being prepared. In the darkness behind the field of vision, three huge balloons slowly expanded and took off. In the camp where people roared and horses neighed, the surrendered general Shen Wenjin ran all the way through the lined up army and finally arrived in front of Shulie Su's banner.

The Jurchens were powerful, and Shen Wenjin was a Han army general who surrendered to Zong Han's command at the end of last year. The soldiers he led were well-equipped, with as many as ten thousand people. This army was terrified when facing the Jurchens and collapsed in one battle. After surrendering, in order to show his loyalty and seek wealth, he fought quite effectively. During the day today, Shen Wenjin led his army to ascend the city twice, fighting hard without retreating once, causing a lot of damage to the Chinese army on the city head, and performed extremely well.

Shulie Su summoned him at this time, praised him in front of everyone, and then asked him to stand aside and listen quietly to the arrangements for the meeting and the attack. Shen Wenjin was naturally quite happy on the surface, but he was surprised in his heart. In such a tense offensive situation, Shulie Su wanted to arrange an attack. It would be enough to send someone to pass the order. He didn't know what he had in mind to summon himself, but perhaps he saw that the city was not captured today and wanted to call himself over to stimulate the other Jurchen generals.

He had been immersed in officialdom for many years and knew the truth of protecting himself wisely. At this time, he was afraid of becoming a leader among a group of generals, and his heart was up and down. However, Shulie Su above only mentioned it and did not treat him as a sacrifice to stimulate the other generals for a while. After a while, most of the offensive plans were arranged properly, and all the troops had been ordered to prepare, but Shulie Su had not let Shen Wenjin go.

Soon, the offensive after nightfall began. As the Jurchen bugle sounded, the trebuchet threw stones soaked in kerosene and then lit them. The huge fireballs roared towards the Linzhou city head, and then the rockets were like flying locusts, and the attacking team rushed forward carrying siege ladders...

"General Shen, come with me."

Shulie Su came over and spoke at some point. Shen Wenjin quickly agreed and followed. The guards behind also followed.

Shulie Su took Shen Wenjin and walked horizontally along the attacking army formation. The sound at night was extremely noisy, and the offensive scene on the side of the field of vision was like a boiling drama. After walking not far, Shulie Su opened his mouth: "General Shen, do you think we can take Linzhou tonight?"

"With the elites under the general's command and the intensity of this offensive, this humble general believes that we will be able to capture the city tonight."

Shulie Su turned around to look at him, his eyes unkind: "General Shen, you are a general leading troops. I use you because you are good at fighting and understand strategy. Now in this situation, what I want is your vision and strategy. Stop flattering me."

"Uh..." Shen Wenjin was stunned, "Then, will this humble general tell the truth?"

"Say it."

"If we could have captured the city with the fighting style of the daytime, we would have already captured it. Now, we are continuing to use attrition warfare to exhaust the Black Banner Army in the city to the limit. According to this humble general's observation during the day, the combat power of this Black Banner Army is probably no less than ours. If we really fight like this until the city is broken, I am afraid it will not be successful in three or five days. And... I am afraid that our losses will also be heavy..."

After listening to him, the corner of Shulie Su's mouth moved slightly, as if he was smiling: "Then tell me, why do I want to fight like this?"

"Only because... this battle is related to the entire situation in Jin. If the Black Banner Army is defeated, there will be no one in the entire Jin land who can withstand my Great Jin's attack. Moreover, I heard that the negotiations are underway in the south. It would be better to settle this matter as soon as possible, so that many people can see it... and choose a side."

This was said extremely bluntly, but it was something that he should not have said as a Han Chinese. After saying it, Shen Wenjin became slightly hesitant, but after that, Shulie Su's face truly showed a smile. He quietly looked at Shen Wenjin for a moment.

"Yes, General Shen also saw it. I must win, and I must win quickly. Besides that, what other way is there?"

Shen Wenjin hesitated for a moment: "...Yes... yes."

After listening to Shen Wenjin's answer, Shulie Su walked forward again with satisfaction. Shen Wenjin thought for a while and then said: "Moreover, in this humble general's opinion, the wind direction is not right now. These three... balloons in the rear will not be able to fly to the city wall. Although rising up can also put some pressure on the city head, it is a bit too early to use them at this time." What he said was from the bottom of his heart, but Shulie Su ignored it. After a while, his voice sounded.

"When I led the army south, Lord Grain God gave me a bag and asked me to open it after arriving at the battlefield. There is a strategy for breaking the city in the bag. This strategy must be assisted by someone to be successful. General Shen, during today's siege, I saw that you fought bravely and your soldiers used their lives, so I would like to ask you to help me carry out this strategy." Shulie Su turned around, "What do you think, General Shen, are you willing to put the merit of breaking the city into your pocket?"

Shen Wenjin was slightly stunned, and then fell to the ground, pushing a mountain of gold and overturning a pillar of jade: "As long as the general has orders, this humble general will obey!"

"Good." Shulie Su's eyes looked at the fiercely fought Linzhou city head, and the firelight jumped on his face. Then he helped Shen Wenjin up, "I will tell you the details of this strategy. Whether we can quickly break the city depends entirely on General Shen..."

…

At midnight, the mountain ridges covered with snow in the northeast of Linzhou were howling with cold wind, and a team was extending forward in the rugged mountains.

Passing through the deep forest and over the snow ridges, there were no torches lit in front or behind the entire team. In the early part of February, the air began to warm up from the cold, making the accumulated snow no longer as stable as in winter. The people walking in the snow stepped into the snow and then pulled it out step by step. The accumulated snow was slightly melted by the heat and then frozen by the cold of the late night, making this midnight march have no temperature at all.

Further forward, the team passed through a narrow cliff wall. In the wailing cold wind, the soldiers, one after another, pulled the simple ropes and passed through the cliff path that was only enough for one person to walk close to the body. One side of the body was an unfathomable ravine.

Zhu Biao and the scouts who led the way walked in the front, exploring the road while fixing the ropes on the steep mountain wall - such a ravine, even with Zhu Biao's skill approaching the Grandmaster level, could be reduced to bones if he accidentally stepped on the air and fell.

However, this mountain wall, which even hunters would not dare to walk on in peacetime, was the only way to approach Linzhou silently.

A few days ago, with Shulie Su's withdrawal and southward march, the General Staff Department of this Chinese army, after receiving the news, quickly reacted. After assassinating Tian Shi, there was infighting in Jin. Clearly, defeating the Chinese army head-on was a key step in Wanyan Xiyin's series of actions. At this time, with Tian Shi's death, the morale in Jin was at its lowest point. This Chinese army of only ten thousand people could not be defeated, but it could not easily avoid battle either.

But on the other hand, to defend Linzhou to the death with a Chinese army of ten thousand people, hoping to motivate the morale of the entire Jin? That was obviously a foolish choice. After receiving Wang Juyun's response, Guan Sheng divided the 11,000 Chinese army into two parts, one part of more than 8,000 people entered Linzhou, relying on the advantage of the city defense to fight against Shulie Su, and the other team of more than 3,000 people went to the northeast direction, waiting for Zhu Biao's arrival.

The main reason for this choice was to avoid Linzhou becoming a place to defend to the death. And on the other hand, considering the strategic needs of the Jurchens, Shulie Su would definitely seek a quick victory in attacking Linzhou. The numerical advantage of 30,000 against 10,000 was certainly considerable, but there were likely to be other backhands. Therefore, from the beginning of this battle, it would inevitably become a fierce confrontation between two elite teams, using every possible means. Three thousand reserves could not be too far or too close. In order to gain the initiative on the battlefield, it was best to avoid Shulie Su's eyes. In the end, this dangerous mountain road became the only choice.

The night wind swept over like a steel knife, and there was a sudden movement from behind. Zhu Biao turned back to look, only to see that in that mountain road, a few figures suddenly went out of place. Three figures fell towards the mountain stream, one of whom was desperately grabbed by the soldiers in front, and the other two disappeared in the blink of an eye.

There was not much sound from the mountain road, because before departure, the army had been strictly ordered not to make a sound. The long team of 3,000 people passed through this cliff wall successively and cautiously. During this period, several people fell into the ravine one after another and left this world forever.

Someone shed tears, but the team still spread silently. When everyone had passed through the cliff wall, someone looked back. The mountain in the darkness was quiet and peaceful, not leaving any trace of what had just happened. Soon, this cliff wall was quickly left behind by them.

The road ahead was dark and cold, and the road to Linzhou was still far away...

…

After midnight, the siege of Linzhou stopped again. The fierce battle seemed likely to penetrate the city wall every moment, but in the end, this intention was still not realized.

The Jurchens sounded the gold and withdrew their troops, but still maintained a posture that seemed likely to launch a fierce attack at any time. Behind the camp to the west of the battlefield, Shen Wenjin called his trusted generals into the camp. He did not say what he wanted to do, but just left these people behind.

The best opportunity had not yet arrived and still needed to be waited for.

…

After midnight was the hour of Chou, and the hour of Chou was coming to an end. The city wall had also calmed down. The defending soldiers had changed shifts, and the night was gradually reaching its deepest point.

Ten miles away, the reinforcements led by Wang Juyun camped in the snowy night, waiting for dawn to enter the battlefield. Once there were reinforcements, the situation in Linzhou would be slightly eased. Of course, Shulie Su's pressure would be greater and time would be more pressing for him. Perhaps for this reason, at the third quarter of the hour of Chou, the Jin army camp suddenly moved, and three thousand-man teams launched attacks from different directions successively. This attack lasted for a quarter of an hour.

Finally, it was still fruitless.

The Jin soldiers retreated nearly at the hour of Yin. At this time, it was three o'clock in the middle of the night. After the tension, a huge fatigue pressed down on everyone. At the first quarter of the hour of Yin, Xu Chunyi, the defending general of Linzhou, came out of the courtyard and walked towards the west side of the city wall. His confidants followed him forward.

Across the street from this side, Yan Qing, dressed in black, waved his hand and followed forward in the same direction.

In the gradually quiet Jurchen camp, Shulie Su came out of the camp and, facing the Linzhou City that had also quieted down in front of him, raised his telescope. Since he arrived in Linzhou, what followed was unparalleled boiling and commotion. This night in front of him seemed to have never been so quiet.

In the mountains two miles away from the Jurchen camp, the animals seemed to have fallen asleep in the cold and night. Lu Junyi was also looking at this camp from a distance, far away.

At the second quarter of the hour of Yin, four o'clock in the morning.

Something was about to happen...

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