Moma Liangshan

Chapter 143 A Small Battle is Victorious, a Great Battle is Imminent

Ten days later, the Jurchens launched their attack. Wanyan Wulu deployed all three hundred catapults on the battlefield, each equipped with ten archers and two loaders. The Jurchens, with their long-standing power and fierce attack, prompted the Shu princess to personally ascend the city wall to bolster morale. On the wall, rows of pointed fortifications stood in neat rows, beneath which stood soldiers responsible for defending the city. The soldiers were tense, awaiting the first wave of enemy fire. The Shu princess, sharing a fortification with Gao Que, asked, "Can our fortifications withstand the enemy's attack?" Gao Que replied, "All the fortifications are made of round logs as thick as a bowl, covered with a three-inch-thick layer of meadow, and then coated with a thick layer of mud. The mud is fireproof, and the meadow cushions the impact of the stones. I believe our army has at least a 70% chance of victory." The Shu princess remained calm, but silently prayed, "May our ancestors protect us!"

Wanyan Zhamu was in charge of this battle. He gazed at the city walls ahead and slowly raised his riding whip. Upon seeing the whip, the messenger immediately sounded the war drums for the attack. Three thousand archers wrapped thick tow ropes around their arms, and with a shout, pulled hard on the ropes, hurling their loaded stone projectiles. Each stone weighed over fifty pounds, yet flew with incredible speed. Three hundred stone projectiles flew through the air like a daytime meteor shower, mercilessly crashing against the Liao army's walls. However, the actual projectiles landed with only a dull thud; the Liao army's pointed fortifications, cushioned by the meadow, only swayed slightly, suffering no serious damage. The Shu princess finally relaxed her tightly clenched fist, sweat dripping from her fingertips, and said, "You have rendered a great service in this chapter!" Gao Que quickly replied, "This subordinate was merely fulfilling his duty!"

The Jurchens' first wave of attack consisted of ten volleys, but the three thousand stones yielded no results. Although disappointed, Wanyan Zhamu remained vigilant, a soldier's duty unwavering. She immediately ordered, "Retreat a hundred paces!" The soldiers, upon receiving the order, pushed their catapults and began to retreat. Just as the Jurchen troops were halfway back, crossbow bolts from the city walls and Liao catapults behind them launched a counterattack. However, by the time the Liao arrows landed, the Jurchen troops had already retreated to the most dangerous area, suffering minimal casualties. Wanyan Wulu came to the front lines from the rear and asked, "Why are the Liao soldiers on the city walls unscathed?" Wanyan Zhamu replied, "The Liao army seems to have built special fortifications on the city walls to shield themselves from the stone projectiles." Wanyan Wulu said, "Even if three thousand stone projectiles hit an undefended city wall, they should make a thunderous sound and shake the earth. But why are these three thousand stone projectiles falling into the mud without making a sound?" Wanyan Zhamu said, "The reason must lie in those pointed fortifications." Wanyan Wulu was troubled again. "Do you have a plan?" Wanyan Zhamu asked, puzzled. "The fortifications on the city wall should be made of wood. I intend to use fire!" Wanyan Wulu said, "His Majesty has used all the oil in the army to prepare for the attack on Shangjing. I have no oil here at all!" Wanyan Zhamu said, "There are many pine trees here. We can extract pine oil!" Wanyan Wulu had already received Wanyan Aguda's orders, but to avoid shaking the morale of the army, he kept them secret. He said, "I will only give you two days. After two days, you must launch the attack." Wanyan Zhamu accepted the order.

After two consecutive victories, the Liao army had essentially established a foothold in Jinzhou. The Shu princess summoned Gao Chang and asked, "Has the land south of the city walls been surveyed?" Gao Chang replied, "It has been largely surveyed." The Shu princess then asked, "What are the results?" Gao Chang said, "Jinzhou has approximately 500,000 mu of arable land, and another 900,000 mu of wasteland suitable for cultivation." The Shu princess said, "A million people would require at least 3 million mu of farmland to feed. Self-sufficiency in food is almost impossible!" Gao Chang easily understood the Shu princess's feelings and said, "This humble subject believes we must contact the capital as soon as possible and inform His Majesty of the current situation in Jinzhou!" The Shu princess shook her head helplessly and said, "The Jurchen offensive is fierce, and Father will not have any surplus grain." Gao Chang sighed softly and said, "It seems the fate of Jinzhou will depend on Wang Hao!" The Shu princess said, "The Song Kingdom occupies the most fertile land in the world, and their southern half of the country yields two harvests a year. It is said that the Song people use millions of shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain annually for brewing wine." Gao Chang nodded and said, "The Song Kingdom has ten times the population of the Liao Kingdom, so a few million shi of grain is not a large number for the entire Song Kingdom." The Shu princess said, "Do you think Wang Hao is capable of making up for our grain shortage?" Gao Chang nodded and said, "Perhaps the Song army is weak, but the Song Kingdom's national strength is extremely abundant. As long as Wang Hao is willing, he can certainly provide sufficient provisions!" The Shu princess smiled bitterly and said, "So, as long as I can afford the money, he can provide the grain?" Gao Chang was the first Liaodong person to come into contact with Wang Hao, and in Gao Chang's view, Wang Hao was a businessman at heart. Merchants value profit, and as long as the return is generous enough, there is no worry that Wang Hao will refuse Jinzhou's demands.

Although the Liao Dynasty is now riddled with problems, its capitals of Shangjing, Zhongjing, Nanjing, and Xijing have not yet fallen. Even the treasury of Dongjing has been completely moved to Jinzhou by the Shu princess. However, in times of war, many things cannot be bought simply by having gold. The Shu princess said, "Send someone to contact Wang Hao and tell him that I intend to visit Jiaozhou!" Gao Chang was extremely surprised and said, "Your Highness is of noble status. Entering Jiaozhou rashly could lead to disaster!" The Shu princess was very determined and said, "Although our army has won two battles, in open field battles, we are no match for the Jurchens. Therefore, the most likely outcome of this battle is that the Jurchens will be unable to capture Jinzhou after a long siege and will eventually retreat. But have you considered where the 50,000 Jurchen soldiers will be transferred after their retreat?" Gao Chang was a smart man and said, "I'm afraid they can only go to the battlefield in Shangjing, right?" The Shu princess nodded and said, "Shangjing's wealth is at least ten times that of Jinzhou. If I can help my father exchange those useless gold and silver treasures for provisions and weapons through Wang Hao, then I will have lived up to my father's kindness!"

Two days later, Wanyan Zhamu's fire attack failed again. Wanyan Wulu finally exhausted his patience and ordered all the catapults to be burned before the army retreated. As for Wanyan Zhamu, she was not held accountable. Firstly, she had not committed any substantial wrongdoing, and secondly, the battle for Shangjing was imminent, and manpower was needed at that time. Seeing the enemy retreat, Xiao Shanbie exclaimed happily, "I never thought the Jurchens would have this day!" The Shu princess coldly replied, "Although Jinzhou City was defended, it also made the Jurchens realize that if they abandon Liaoyang Prefecture, we will pose no threat!"