Moma Liangshan

Chapter 341 Water and Fire Are Ruthless; Learn from History

Returning to the command platform, Yelü Dashi immediately mobilized his troops, preparing for a fierce battle. While the 30,000 Youdu soldiers were indeed inferior to the Jurchen warriors in terms of sheer bravery, Yelü Dashi had complete confidence in his troops' discipline and formations. Observing the Liao army's change of formation from afar, Wanyan Zongwang said disdainfully, "Ignorant fools! How could the sharpness of the Jurchen elite troops be contained by a mere pocket formation?" The vanguard commander, who had already been summoned back to Wanyan Zongwang's side, said, "At the Second Prince's command, this general will charge forward without hesitation and tear that pocket apart!" Wanyan Zongwang suddenly took the sword from his waist and said, "This sword was bestowed upon me by my father, and has accompanied me in many battles. Today I present it to you, hoping that you will forever be the sharpest spear of the Great Jin Kingdom!" The vanguard officer took the sword and solemnly said, "If this sword cannot cut off the enemy general's head, this general will commit suicide to repay the Emperor's grace!" Wanyan Zongwang also made a solemn promise, saying, "After breaking through the enemy camp, this commander will remember you for the greatest merit!"

After Yelü Dashi left, the Princess of Shu immediately asked, "Was what you just said true?" Wang Hao smiled mysteriously and said, "You shouldn't ask me if it's true or false, but rather how confident I am!" The Princess of Shu was secretly delighted and said, "Then how confident are you?" Wang Hao calmly replied, "Ten percent!" The shouts of battle rang out again in the distance. The Princess of Shu's expression turned grave, and she said, "The enemy has begun their attack!" Wang Hao nodded and said, "Shouldn't the other irrigation canals in Xiaoshan be dug by now?" The Princess of Shu was puzzled and said, "Flooding the trenches will only drown the trapped prisoners." "This won't interrupt the enemy's main force's attack; it might even backfire and completely enrage them!" Wang Hao countered, "What if I could instantly set the trench ablaze?" The Shu princess, puzzled, said, "Since you're pouring water into the trench, how can you light a fire?" Wang Hao explained, "In the early days of the Song Dynasty, there were several large-scale naval battles in Jiangnan, all fought using fire attacks!" The Shu princess remained doubtful, saying, "As far as I know, that involved loading ships with sawdust and sulfur, then using the east wind to burn the enemy fleet. But in today's situation, the narrow trench is unsuitable for ships!"

Wang Hao smiled helplessly and said, "You're referring to the late Eastern Han Dynasty. After the Sui and Tang Dynasties, flammable oil was used on the battlefield, and the tactics and power of fire attacks were vastly different!" The Shu princess suddenly realized and said, "You told me earlier that you transported dozens of cartloads of fine wine from Jiaozhou, but so far, there hasn't been any increase in the amount of wine in the entire army. Could it be that what you transported wasn't fine wine at all, but flammable oil?" Wang Hao nodded in agreement and said, "With a major battle imminent, even a drunkard who loves wine should be able to distinguish between what's important and what's urgent, right?"

The princess of Shu looked at Wang Hao with newfound respect, yet a pang of disappointment lingered in her heart. She said, "Why did you even conceal this from me?" Wang Hao replied, "The enemy is strong, and we are weak. You are the commander-in-chief. If you cannot be determined to fight to the death, no matter how brilliant my strategies, they will be insufficient to turn the tide!" The battle nearby intensified. Wang Hao said, "Come with me!" The princess of Shu asked, "Where to?" Wang Hao answered, "To show you what 'ruthless fire' truly means!"

When Wang Hao and the princess of Shu arrived at the junction of the pond and the canal, Xiao Shanbie had already dug the canal and said excitedly, "As long as Your Highness gives the order, we will surely drown these thieves!" The princess of Shu unconsciously looked at Wang Hao and asked, "When will you open the sluice gate to release the water?" Wang Hao replied, "Now!" Without thinking much, the princess of Shu immediately ordered, "Release the water!" The icy pond water flowed into the moat along the newly dug canal, robbing the Jurchen prisoners of their last breath, while on the wooden bridge, the sounds of battle shook the heavens, completely drowning out the screams of the people below.

Yelü Dashi withdrew, creating an open space between the two armies. The Jurchen vanguard sneered and shouted, "The enemy is retreating to avoid battle! Soldiers, follow me and charge!" The Jurchen vanguard officer wasn't unaware that the Liao army was merely changing formation, not retreating, but his excessive confidence led him to believe that all schemes and tricks would be futile in the face of absolute strength. Moreover, the Jurchens had never suffered a defeat when their forces were evenly matched since their rise to power, and today would be no exception. The Liao army withdrew, and the six shield carts also changed formation, forming a line and rolling forward.

However, to everyone's surprise, just as the two sides were about to clash, a raging fire suddenly broke out beneath the walls. The intense flames and thick black smoke instantly cleaved the 30,000 Jurchen troops in two. At the same time, the 30,000 Youdu soldiers launched a full-scale attack on the fallen 5,000 Jurchen vanguard. Wanyan Zongwang could no longer see what was happening behind the wall of fire, but the screams grew increasingly deafening. Wanyan Zongwang no longer cared about his dignity as the second prince; he practically tumbled off his horse and scrambled towards the trench. His guards clung tightly to his legs at the edge of the trench, pleading, "Victory and defeat are common in war. Our main force is still intact. Please, Your Highness, do not act rashly!" Wanyan Zongwang screamed, "Tell me, where did the fire come from?" The guards, not knowing, could only face the yellow earth in silence, but dared not loosen their grip on Wanyan Zongwang's arms.

The princess of Shu, watching buckets of burning oil being poured into the ditches and feeling the intense heat of the flames, exclaimed with delight, "How does your fire compare to Zhou Yu's burning of the Red Cliffs?" Wang Hao replied, "Zhou Yu's burning of the Red Cliffs annihilated Cao Cao's army of 800,000, leading to the division of the empire into three kingdoms. My fire has only wiped out 5,000 enemy vanguard troops; the real decisive battle is yet to come!" The princess of Shu did not deny it, saying, "According to scouts, we are fighting against the rebel chieftain's eldest son, Wanyan Zonggan's, Sanhe Army, and his second son, Wanyan Zongwang's, Pitu Army, each with 30,000 troops." Wang Hao thought to himself, "Woman..." At the very beginning of the Jin Dynasty, in order to unite all forces, the policy of succession by the elder brother was established. However, the four sons of Emperor Taizu of Jin, Wanyan Aguda, were neither incompetent nor children, but powerful princes with military strength and outstanding military achievements. Although Wanyan Wugumai's strength was still enough to suppress his many sons and nephews, the struggle for the Jin imperial power among the princes, grandsons, and powerful nobles intensified with each victory of the Jurchen army. Wang Hao, comparing the battle situation in the east and north, became more and more certain of his guess. The most tragic palace coup in Jin history was launched by Wanyan Liang, the second son of Wanyan Zonggan. If Wanyan Zonggan had no interest in the highest position in Jin, no one could accept it. However, given the current situation, Wanyan Zonggan had ambitions but lacked the strength.