Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 135 Death is heavier than a mountain
"Everyone, the Jin thieves are about to be defeated!"

Sure enough, Liu Huai, who was standing on a grain cart, took the lead and scared away the sleepiness and fear of many people with just one sentence. The originally noisy scene of whispers suddenly became quiet.

The soldiers and generals of the Tianping Army, which had just suffered a great defeat, looked around at the miserable state of their comrades beside them, and after confirming again that it was themselves who were beaten to a pulp, they all thought that Liu Dalang was talking nonsense.

"You must be wondering if Liu Dalang is talking nonsense. Why did he say it was the Jin bandits who were going to be defeated when we were defeated so miserably? Is he taking us for fools?"

Liu Huai shouted loudly, "I, Liu Dalang, did not lie to you. The attack of the Jin thief is like the last kick of a pig's legs before it bleeds out after being stabbed in the neck, or the last flap of a rooster's wings before its neck is broken.

We may be knocked down by a pig's kick, or have our faces covered with feathers by a rooster's wings, but after this blow from the Jin thieves, we will be like dead pigs and chickens, at our mercy.

As long as the Tianping Army can survive this, they can drink the blood and eat the flesh of the Jin thieves! "

These grassroots officers were whispering to each other, but a few of them stopped making a commotion and turned their eyes to Liu Dalang standing on the cart.

Liu Huai paused, gazing at the bright eyes below the hillock. "Some may wonder, 'What makes you, Liu Dalang, say the Jin thieves are like grasshoppers after autumn?' Everyone, do you know that another anti-Jin army, the Zhongyi Northern Expedition Army, has already reached the city of Linyi? The Jin thieves feared that the Zhongyi Army would join forces with the Tianping Army, so they risked Linyi's capture by attacking the Tianping Army first."

"The Golden Thieves are afraid of us! They are also afraid of you!"

"As long as the Tianping Army can hold on, the Jin thieves will be attacked from both sides and become meat on the chopping board! The Jin thieves will die without a burial place!"

More and more grassroots officers stopped whispering, and more people stopped being dejected, raised their heads, and looked at Liu Huai with a look that was slightly hopeful and inquiring.

"You will die if you stay here!" Someone in the crowd finally shouted in tears.

"Everyone will die eventually." Liu Huai's voice became even louder: "Everyone, I know you want to escape and you are afraid of death, but think about your comrades who were killed by the Jin thieves, think about your families who were exploited by the Jin thieves.

If you run away now and hide here and there, you may live a few more days, but you will eventually be found by the Jin thieves and killed one by one.

When the time comes, will you regret giving up the opportunity to stand with all the heroes of Shandong and fight for your life with dignity?"

"Now, let me ask you again, are you willing to trade these few days of survival for this opportunity?"

Those grassroots officers were completely solemn and looked at Liu Huai with strange and expectant eyes.

“I know we are all likely to die, but an ancient historian once said that everyone will die, but some deaths are lighter than a bird’s feather, while others are heavier than Mount Tai.

Those who died for the oppression of the people by the Jin bandits, even if they were well-educated and held high positions, are lighter than a bird's feather; those who died for the people of Shandong in the cause of resisting the Jin, even if they were illiterate and as lowly as mud, are heavier than Mount Tai.

As he spoke, under the light of the torches, Liu Huai waved his hand, including all the generals on the hill: "Today, all of you are determined to fight the Jin bandits to the death. Are you willing to give up your chance to survive for the next few days and join us..."

At this point, Liu Huai paused, then shouted with all his strength: "Join us and become Mount Tai?!"

"it is good!"

At the foot of the hill, someone finally cheered.

The cheers seemed to have triggered something. Hundreds of junior officers cheered loudly at the same time, shocking many fleeing soldiers so much that they turned around to look.

Sometimes people's hearts are complicated, and sometimes they are simple. You just need to tell him when he is most frustrated and helpless that you are doing the right thing, you are doing well, keep going, I will stick with you!
And Liu Huai was doing this at this time.

With the support of these grassroots officers, although the combat effectiveness of those defeated troops in fighting the enemy is still questionable, they can finally do some auxiliary work.

Amidst a frenzy of mixed emotions, the complex Tianping Army seemed to finally come together somewhat, and they diligently began to rebuild their camp. Naturally, there were a number of problems, such as nighttime fatigue, disorganization, soldiers unable to find their generals, and generals unable to find their soldiers. However, they eventually dug a few more trenches, and in addition to the Xinzi and Rulin armies, they also managed to reorganize a thousand barely combat-ready troops from the defeated soldiers.

This was all the Tianping Army could do during this chaotic night.

On the morning of August 12, the weather was still gloomy. The rising sun did not shed brilliant light. The thick clouds blocked the morning light, dyeing the banks of the Anzi River grayish white.

This color, coupled with the corpses still rolling in the Anzi River, mixed with the burnt smell that permeated the air, made this early morning full of psychedelic yet terrifying colors.

The Rulin army, which had rested well, had already left the camp and formed a battle line. They sat cross-legged in the gap between the camp and the foot of the mountain in the east, ready for battle.

In front of Rulin Jun were three trenches and horse traps that had been dug hastily.
Just waiting for the Jin army to arrive.

"I really didn't expect that just one word from you, Dalang, could make the army fight again." Xin Qiji hadn't slept all night. Although he was in good health and not tired at all, his eyes were bloodshot.

Liu Huai gave a bitter laugh and whispered, "How can it be that simple? My words alone are not the real deal. These profound principles only account for 30%. The remaining 70% is a complete camp and enough food to get by. The remaining 70% is your ability."

"Even so, these defeated soldiers have only mustered a little courage and are forming a battle line here. If more than half of them are killed or wounded, they might scatter in a panic."

Xin Qiji was slightly encouraged by the initial praise, but hesitated again after hearing the latter part: "Liu Dalang, what will your loyal and righteous army do when they encounter this situation?"

Liu Huai shook his head and replied: "First of all, the Loyal Army will never take this route, and will not give the Jin thieves a chance to ambush;
Secondly, even if they had to take this route, the scouts would be familiar with the terrain, and the military discipline of the loyal and righteous army was good enough, so the civilians would not flee.

Finally, the Loyalty Army divided into camps and set up fortifications. The camps were well built, and there were no shortage of soldiers and horses patrolling and guarding. It was absolutely impossible for them to be completely defeated in waves and beaten into a situation where the pearl curtain rolled back.

"Xin Wulang, the biggest problem of your Tianping Army has never been external, but internal. As the saying goes, knowing yourself and your enemy ensures victory in a hundred battles. This is because you don't know yourself."

Liu Huai hoped that these words would wake up Xin Qiji and allow him to take this opportunity to persuade Geng Jing to thoroughly reorganize the Tianping Army.

Because once Linyi City was captured, the rebel army would completely cut off the Yishui channel, and the materials transported southward via the Shandong East Road would have to go through Jinan Prefecture and Dongping Prefecture, making a big detour before they could be delivered to the front line of the Song-Jin war.

If the rulers of the Jin Dynasty were not fools, they would definitely send out elite troops to retake Linyi. At that time, the combat effectiveness of the Tianping Army might directly affect the success or failure of the Zhongyi Army.

Amid Xin Qiji's silence, the Jin army in Yizhou finally launched an offensive.

The first to arrive were of course the Jin cavalry. They galloped along the east bank of the Anzi River, with the armored cavalry in front and the light cavalry behind. When they arrived in front of the Rulin army that had already formed a battle array, they did not immediately launch a charge. Instead, they drew their bows and arrows and threw them at the Rulin army across the trench.

Under the loud command of the Rulin Army officer, the soldiers raised the small shields they carried with them to block the arrows falling from their heads.

The archers of the Tianping Army also gathered at this time, climbed to the southeast side of the camp, and shot down the approaching Jin cavalry from a high position.

The two sides exchanged blows, but after several hails of arrows, little was accomplished. The Jin army's light projectiles struggled to penetrate shields, and the Tianping army's soft bows struggled to pierce the galloping cavalry. The brief battle resulted in only a few casualties.

The two sides seemed to be fighting each other like weaklings, but everyone in the Tianping Army knew that this was just the beginning of mutual harassment to waste strength. There would definitely be a tough battle today.

Sometimes, however, things change so quickly that no one involved can react.

Another quarter of an hour passed, and Liu Huai was still on the watchtower, gazing across the Anzi River, waiting to see when the large banner with the Chinese character "He" would appear and when the Jin infantry would cross the river. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a gong in the distance, and saw the Jin cavalry retreating, covering each other. He was startled.

The Jin army seems to have withdrawn?
(End of this chapter)