Song Xiu

Chapter 61 Anyone who dares to possess a weapon shall be executed! (Please continue reading!)

Summer of May in the first year of the Jianlong reign of the Great Song Dynasty.

At the edge of the dense forest on the southern slope of the Taihang Mountains, a young figure appeared and looked down at the fortified pass.

The figure was none other than Zhao Dexiu.

After several days of trekking, Zhao Dexiu finally led more than 5,000 Crane Control Army soldiers to the outskirts of Huguan City.

Looking at the listless patrolling soldiers on the city wall of Huguan, Zhao Dexiu's eyes lit up with joy.

At this moment, Zhao Dexiu's hair was disheveled, with many strands stuck to her forehead by sweat, and her face had several fine bloodstains.

Looking at his armor, it was worn in many places and covered with thorny vines. As for the red cloak he wore, which was woven by Li Duruo himself, it was covered in mud and its original color could not be identified.

As Zhao Dexiu observed the defenses of Huguan from his vantage point, figures emerged from the dense forest behind him, bathed in dappled sunlight.

Among the many figures, some had their soft armor torn open by sharp thorns, some were using their ripped clothes to bandage their injured arms, and some were carrying uneaten game they had just hunted on their shoulders.
Judging from their disheveled state, these thousands of figures who gradually stood still showed none of the imposing demeanor they had displayed in the Bianjing military camp.

It would be more accurate to say that these thousands of people are more like refugees fleeing a disaster.

Tian Chongjin brushed the fallen leaves off his shoulders and walked over to Zhao Dexiu, the "leader of the refugees." Following Zhao Dexiu's joyful gaze, a smile appeared on his lips.

"Everything is as the magistrate predicted; the defenses at Huguan Pass are lax."

From Tian Chongjin's perspective, Zhao Dexiu's current disheveled appearance greatly diminished his noble demeanor as a prince.

Zhao Dexiu's constant waving to shoo away flying insects completely destroyed any remaining trace of his noble air.

However, the fading of some of the flashy but impractical halos made Tian Chongjin find Zhao Dexiu increasingly appealing.

He had witnessed Zhao Dexiu braving the wind and rain to climb the treacherous terrain with his soldiers these past few days.

Tian Chongjin shared the same idea as the more than 5,000 Song soldiers behind him.

From the moment Zhao Dexiu personally cleared the way for them, the more than 5,000 Song soldiers were no longer so resistant to his identity as their commander.

Tian Chongjin's praise did not cause Zhao Dexiu to lose her composure:

"Huguan has not yet been captured, and our army is still in danger."

Zhao Kuangyin's task for Zhao Dexiu was to lead his troops to the outskirts of Shangdang City in order to disrupt the morale of the main rebel force.

At first glance, the task seems straightforward; you just need to do it.

However, after careful consideration, Zhao Dexiu realized that achieving Zhao Kuangyin's goal was not an easy task.

Regardless of the hardships of leading troops across the Taihang Mountains, given the current situation, Zhao Dexiu could bypass Huguan Pass and head directly to the outskirts of Shangdang City by taking advantage of the natural concealment provided by the Taihang Mountains.

In Zhao Dexiu's view, if he did that, not only would Zhao Kuangyin's mission not be completed, but he himself would probably be in danger.

In order to achieve the effect of a surprise attack, Zhao Dexiu did not allow the more than 5,000 Song soldiers to carry too much dry food.

Even the strongest army needs to eat.

The Shangdang area was entirely under Li Jun's control. If Zhao Dexiu rashly led his army to appear outside Shangdang City, Li Shoujie would not need to do anything. He could simply close the city gates for a period of time, and the more than 5,000 Song soldiers who had completely lost their food supply would collapse without a fight.

Besides concerns about food, Zhao Dexiu had another worry.

When Li Jun learned that his rear was insecure, he would surely send an elite force back to reinforce him. His Song army was a guest force and an isolated force.

If he rashly engages in battle with Li's army, which holds the advantage of terrain, he could easily find himself at a disadvantage.

To prevent his worries from becoming reality, Zhao Dexiu must secure a stronghold for his Song army before he is exposed.

After careful consideration, Huguan County, located south of Shangdang, came into Zhao Dexiu's view.

After glancing at the sky, Zhao Dexiu advised Tian Chong, "Let the men get some rest."

Tonight, we'll take the lead!

As the saying goes, there are no fixed formations in warfare, and the balance of power between the host and the guest is not irreversible.

Dark as ink.

The outline of Huguan City was faintly visible in the moonlight under the darkness of night. Occasionally, the figures of patrolling soldiers would flash across the city walls, their sparse presence revealing the weakness of Huguan's defenses. The sound of the night watchman's drum echoed through the silent valley—the third watch had arrived!
This was the time when the garrison at Huguan was soundly asleep.

Years of complacency have led some of the garrison soldiers of Huguan to unknowingly drift off to sleep, leaning against the battlements.

What the garrison of Huguan was unaware of was a chilling scene unfolding in the dense forest not far from the city.

Thousands of Song soldiers, clad in dark soft armor, held their breath, mouths full of hardwood, and shoes wrapped in thick cloth, trying their best not to make a sound.

They carried sharp longswords at their waists and powerful crossbows slung across their backs; the vanguard also carried grappling hooks, convenient siege tools.

One after another, menacing faces appeared under the starlight, a stark contrast to their daytime embarrassment.

Tonight, Huyan Zan will lead the first team to the summit.

Huyan Zan stared intently at the flickering firelight on the city wall, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's. When he heard the third watchman's gong, he knew it was time to act.

"action!"

A deep yet penetrating command came from Huyan Zan's mouth, without any passionate shouts, only some slight friction sounds and hurried footsteps.

Under the cover of darkness, hundreds of carefully selected advance teams split into several small groups and quickly rushed toward the city wall.

Running ahead, Huyan Zan held a specially made "hook and chain" in his hand. When he arrived at the foot of the city wall, he skillfully worked with his comrades to throw the hook and chain onto the city wall.

Once the grappling hook was secured, without any hesitation, Huyan Zan, who had been entrusted with an important task by Zhao Dexiu, grabbed the grappling hook and took the lead in climbing. The sound of his armor plates rubbing against the city wall was masked by the sound of the wind in the valley.

As soon as Huyan Zan climbed onto the city wall, he saw a patrolling soldier yawning and carrying a lantern as he walked by.

The soldier was still sleepy and distracted, and did not notice Huyan Zan, who was half-hidden in the night. Huyan Zan would not give him a chance to react.

Hu Yanzan swiftly stepped forward and killed the guard carrying the lantern with a single blow.

Huyan Zan picked up the fallen lantern and, by its light, saw that many of his comrades had already climbed the city wall behind him.

Huyan Zan led his comrades on the upper city wall, swiftly clearing away the sleeping guards.

As more and more Song soldiers entered the city, some of the garrison at Huguan were finally awakened by a series of unusual noises. However, before the garrison could even sound the alarm, several short crossbows had already pierced their throats.

After clearing out most of the sentries on the city wall, Huyan Zan led his hundreds of vanguards down the steps and continued their charge toward the city gate.

When hundreds of Song soldiers arrived at the city, they clashed with the guards at the city gate.

As they faced each other, a piercing scream of terror shattered the tranquility of the night.

Upon hearing the terrified cry, Huyan Zan excitedly gripped his long sword, and in the next moment he charged towards the garrison at Huguan like a nimble cheetah.

Huyan Zan, a historical figure, was known in the Song army for his skill in being the first to scale the walls.

Huyan Zan charged into the ranks of the defenders with his knife. Several flashes of light appeared, and several defenders who had no time to react died instantly.

Huyan Zan's unwavering advance inspired the morale of the hundreds of vanguard soldiers behind him. They followed closely behind Huyan Zan, hacking and slashing at the defenders blocking their path like wolves among sheep.

The elite troops of the Zhaoyi Army were mostly taken to the front lines by Li Jun, leaving behind mostly newly recruited soldiers in Huguan.

Furthermore, no one in Huguan ever imagined that as soon as Li Jun led his troops to the front line, a reckless Song army would attack their rear.

With insufficient combat strength and weak fighting spirit, the hundreds of guards at Huguan Pass were no match for the fierce army's attack. Before long, the guards, who had suffered heavy casualties, scattered.

After defeating the city gate guards, Huyan Zan did not rashly lead his troops to continue deeper into the city. Instead, he ordered the vanguard to open the city gate behind them.

As the city gates opened, thousands of Song soldiers who had been waiting outside the city, led by Zhao Dexiu, surged into Huguan City like a tidal wave.

As Zhao Dexiu crossed the city gate, amidst the blazing firelight, he raised his sword and commanded:

"Anyone within the city who dares to carry a weapon shall be executed!"

　The Tang Dynasty's "Tongdian" records that "they climbed up by using iron hooks and rope ladders."

　　The History of Song Dynasty, Military Affairs section, records that the elite Imperial Guards were "skilled at using hooks and ropes to scale city walls..."

　　The "Chronological Records Since the Jianyan Era" states that when the Jin army attacked Kaifeng, they "used hooks and ropes to hook the city walls onto the parapets, intending to lead their troops up."

　　
　
(End of this chapter)