Chapter 940 - 105: Lion Fighting Rabbit, The Trap for Zhelemei

"Change direction! Cross over the ridge on that side!"

Zhe Lemei had no choice but to retreat and choose another path.

The entire troop was like a headless fly, crashing aimlessly along the edge of the hills.

Yet the Song Army was in no hurry.

They did not take the initiative to pursue.

Gu Yan had long concluded that Zhe Lemei’s surprise attack could not possibly carry much baggage, even if the Mongolian Army could hunt, they could absolutely not hold out for long.

Initiating a pursuit could give others an opportunity.

Trapping Zhe Lemei to death was also a victory!

A lion uses full force even against a rabbit; Gu Yan would not show even the slightest flaw from beginning to end!

For Zhe Lemei, this was a strategy that could instill despair.

Every time they tried to find a breakthrough, the Song Army’s banners would timely appear, arrows and crossbows firing in unison, forcing them back, continually exhausting their strength, morale, and the few remaining arrows.

Despair began to spread.

Some accompanying cavalry from other tribes started to break away, attempting to escape individually, but often didn’t get far before being shot down by cold arrows from unknown directions, or intercepted and killed by suddenly appearing Song Army squads.

But what could Zhe Lemei do?

He could only choose to break out!

Not to mention whether Gu Yan would accept his surrender.

As a grand general under Temujin, his beliefs did not permit him to surrender to Gu Yan.

...

Days passed continuously.

Just as Gu Yan anticipated, Temujin likewise was unwilling to give up this valiant general, or rather those surviving elites.

The great battle at the front line commenced as well.

Yet it was a pity that Gu Yan never wavered the frontline defenses, leaving him no chance.

It was under such circumstances that Zhe Lemei met his dead end.

At dawn on the fifth day, the remaining less than two thousand Mongolian cavalry were completely trapped on a riverbank with steep cliffs behind and a rapid stream in front.

The encirclement of the Song Army loomed faintly in the morning mist.

They were in no rush to attack, merely holding every possible escape path tightly, the formations linked, crossbowmen standing silently behind shield gaps.

It was a suffocating oppression more formidable than swords.

A few hundred-chiefs from the allied tribes gathered around Zhe Lemei, hesitant to speak.

Their eyes evaded, one finally murmured, "Grand General... the arrows are gone, and the horses are nearly at their end."

"Should we... send someone to... ask for directions?"

— To ask for directions was in reality to surrender.

This was also human nature.

Not everyone shared Zhe Lemei’s beliefs; in the face of life and death, resolved would surely be shaken.

If it weren’t for Zhe Lemei’s overwhelming prestige.

These people might have already surrendered.

Zhe Lemei did not answer immediately.

He just looked around at his brothers present and then gazed southward; beyond the fog, it seemed he could see the fluttering "Gu" character flag atop Dingzhou City’s walls.

Defeated, defeated so completely.

He hadn’t even managed to engage the enemy’s main forces in an honorable battle.

But he did not believe that this was Temujin’s loss.

In his view, it was only that Temujin underestimated Gu Yan, he too underestimated Gu Yan.

A flame of unwillingness, humiliation, and rage surged in his heart.

Surrender?

He was Zhe Lemei, one of the sharpest blades under Genghis Khan, praised by the Great Khan himself as the "Hound of the Steppe"!

Absolutely impossible to surrender!

"Warriors of the Eternal Heaven!" He suddenly drew the deeply notched saber, "We are the wolves who followed the Great Khan, trampling countless tribes!"

"Ahead is the bronze wall and iron bastion of the Southern people; behind is the steppe we can never return to!"

"But a wolf, even in death, will bite off a piece of the hunter’s flesh!"

His gaze, like a knife, scraped across the few hundred-chiefs with wavering eyes, finally landing on each soldier still able to hold a weapon: "Pick up your knives!"

"Hold tight your reins!"

"Let the Southern people remember today, remember there was a group of Mongolians who died fighting, not trapped!"

"Charge with me—!"

He roared angrily.

Immediately he reined in his horse and charged directly forward.

The remaining cavalry let out dissonant howls, driving their weary warhorses, following their commander, making a final charge into death.

No arrows paved the way, no tactical maneuvers, only an unyielding forward.

In the Song Army formation, the command flag fell steadily.

The next moment—

Arrows fell like rain.

The whistling sound of arrows piercing the air mixed with screams erupted instantly.

The cavalry at the forefront, along with their horses, were shot through in an instant, crashing to the ground.

Those following stepped over the bodies of their companions, continuing to charge forward, but their speed quickly slowed due to the layered obstacles and corpses.

The second and third waves of crossbow arrows arrived, ruthlessly harvesting lives.

Zhelemie’s mount was hit in the neck by several arrows during the charge, wailing as it flipped over, throwing him heavily to the ground.

He staggered to his feet, his helmet lost, hair disheveled, blood trickling down his forehead blurring his vision.

He swung his curved blade, deflecting two arrows, roaring as he continued forward, his gaze fixed on the increasingly close flag of the Song Army.

Ten steps, five steps... the vehicle formation was within reach.

Yet, several tremendous forces simultaneously hit his chest and abdomen—these were several close-range crossbow arrows piercing through his tattered armor.

The intense pain instantly sapped all his strength.

Zhelemie lunged forward, his curved blade slipping from his grasp, striking the pebbles with a clear and brief sound.

"Great... Khan..."

He mumbled silently twice, then closed his eyes completely, without a sound thereafter.

And with his collapse.

The result of the entire battle was thus thoroughly decided.

...

Dingzhou City.

Seeing Zhelemie’s corpse before him, Gu Yan’s expression remained unchanged.

"Have the thief’s corpse sent to the enemy camp."

He waved his hand lightly.

This was his warning.

A warning for Temujin to stay away from Kyushu.

It was also meant to provoke Temujin; if he truly did not retreat and felt anger because of this, he would certainly lose his composure, which would be beneficial for Great Song.

The atmosphere inside the hall was fervent.

If——

In the past, Gu Yan could only rely on the Gu Clan’s identity to exert pressure, making the generals follow orders.

But now, he was completely different.

This was reputation earned on the battlefield, the most invaluable in the hearts of these generals!

Without a moment’s hesitation, the generals immediately responded in unison.

And the news gradually spread with the passage of time.

In an instant, the world was shaken.

Just after the hearts of people were thrown into chaos due to the reemergence of battle, they quickly stabilized following this short campaign. ...

——————

"The seventh year of Shao Guang, autumn in September, the Northern Barbarian chief Temujin personally led a large force to scout the south.

He dispatched his fierce general Zhelemie, leading fifteen thousand elite cavalry, to maneuver around Yin Mountain, intending to secretly cross the border, burn our salt and iron workshops, disrupt our coastal grain transport, and disturb our Hebei heartland to hold the Royal Army at bay.

At this time, Gu Yan, holding the position of Vice Director of the Secretariat, commanded Hebei’s military affairs and maintained the security of Dingzhou.

Upon receiving intelligence reports, Gu Yan said to the generals, "What the enemy excels at is mounted archery that is swift and elusive, seeking to plunder.

They now divide their forces to maneuver around us, surely aiming for the salt fields, docks, and newly recovered villages and towns.

As they come with an irregular force, I shall counter with regular force, preparing to meet them."

Hence, he did not add a single soldier to the frontline, but secretly issued orders to key locations along the coast, riverbanks, and workshops: lower flags and quiet drums, outwardly showing relaxation, yet internally fortified walls, concealing strong crossbowmen and elite troops behind narrow passes, warehouses, and workshop walls.

Furthermore, several roaming camps were dispatched to lie in ambush on paths leading into the mountains, blocking strategic passes with vehicle formations, well-prepared with incendiary arrows and wooden bolts.

Zhelemie indeed divided his forces to attack the Changlu Salt Field, Cangnan Weaving Workshop, and other places.

Upon arrival, the ambush troops sprang into action, crossbow arrows rained down, firearms suddenly roared.

The enemy cavalry could not break through, instead they were encircled and suffered heavy casualties.

Zhelemie realized the strategy was compromised, hastily sought to gather the remnants to escape into the northwest hill country.

However, the roaming camps dispatched by Gu had already occupied all passes, with crossbow formations sealing his retreat.

The enemy cavalry charged left and right, only to encounter strong fortifications.

The Song Army did not rush to attack, instead using long-range crossbow control, trapping them in a disastrous situation along the riverbank.

Supplies depleted, arrows exhausted, men and horses fatigued.

Though Temujin repeatedly attempted diversionary attacks on the frontline, Gu Yan stood firm, defenses unmoving, cut off from reinforcement.

On the fifth day, Zhelemie led the remaining troops in a desperate struggle, unable to break through the encirclement.

Mortally wounded in battle, he fell before his troops.

Of his fifteen thousand cavalry, nearly none escaped.

Gu Yan had his body prepared, washed, wrapped in white, along with his personal knife and tattered flag, sending envoys to the enemy camp.

The envoys relayed Gu Yan’s words: "The commander who invades our borders, we return the courtesy with honor. Dare to look south again, it shall be as such."

The enemy camp was shaken.

In this campaign, Gu Yan deployed no large army, disturbed no garrison, using foresight, ambush, and strategic blocking to annihilate the enemy’s irregular forces and behead their fierce general.

The court and people remarked he embodied the legacy of his ancestor Duke Wen Zhong, with a strategy beyond reproach, employing calm to counter movement."

——"Song History. Gu Clan"