Zongwu: Start as Jinyiwei, invincible and powerful!

Chapter 203 The war is at a stalemate, Beimang’s response!

Sanggan River Defense Line, Xiongshan Pass.

Xiongshan is located at the junction of the Liao Kingdom, Beimang and Beiyuan. It is surrounded by mountains and valleys on all sides. The terrain is divided by the mountains. The only road into the mountains is cut off by a branch of the Sanggan River.

The Xiongshan Pass is located behind the river valley. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and is difficult to besiege. It is backed by a long river, making it difficult for the enemy to deploy their battle formation. The pass is built on the mountain, with layers upon layers, making it difficult to use ordinary siege equipment.

If they tried to cross the river and climb over Xiongshan Mountain, they would surely be attacked by the defenders of the pass halfway across the river.

As long as the Xiongshan Pass is still there, even a huge army will find it difficult to cross Xiongshan.

Since the beginning of March, the Western Army of the Northern Yuan Dynasty has been attacking Xiongshan for more than ten days. The early battle was relatively smooth. The upper reaches of the Changhe River were blocked and the first barrier of the river valley was cut off. The army advanced to the foot of Xiongshan Pass. The supply of the Liao army inside the pass had been cut off, and it was only one step away from breaking the city.

However, what the Northern Yuan Dynasty did not expect was that just after mid-March, a large army clad in black armor and carrying the Beiwei Army flag marched straight in from the direction of the Sanggan River. Even thousands of troops could not stop the advance of this army.

They fought their way to the pass and broke through several defense lines built by the Northern Yuan Dynasty. Countless Northern Yuan soldiers were driven into the long river. The river broke its dike in the upper reaches, and the rushing river water rushed towards the battlefield, covering the sky and the earth. There was nowhere to escape, and countless Northern Yuan soldiers were drowned.

Even after more than a month, the corpses of Northern Yuan soldiers could still be seen downstream, drifting silently along the river.

After this battle, the Northern Yuan Dynasty's Western Army suffered countless casualties. The Northern Yuan Dynasty's Golden Horde court was furious and blamed the defeat on the Northern Mang's incompetence.

Such a powerful army was able to kill all the way from the Sanggan River to Xiongshan right under the nose of Beimang. The army of Beimang is not much stronger than a useless person.

The Northern Mang court was also helpless and could only put pressure on the front-line commander Hong Jingyan to ensure that the Xiongshan Pass was opened within a short period of time.

Hong Jingyan also felt bitter. If he could break through Xiongshan Mountain by himself, why would he have to stand by the Sanggan River and stare blankly?

But despite this, no matter how much he complained, he still withdrew some of his troops and sent them to Xiongshan.

But this time, the Northern Yuan Dynasty refused to send troops unless the Northern Mang could capture the Xiongshan Pass, and then they would discuss other matters.

As expected, this Northern Mang army, numbering about 50,000, remained deadlocked until the end of April without making any progress.

The Northern Mang court finally couldn't hold it anymore, and knowing the importance of the Xiongshan Pass, it sent one of its trump cards to the front line to help Hong Jingyan.

The cold wind was blowing, and all the generals of Beimang gathered in the central army tent. Hong Jingyan himself went to the Xiongshan Pass.

"General, let's withdraw our troops!"

Seeing that Hong Jingyan remained silent, the generals, after a chilling period of tension and silence, took the initiative to persuade him.

"Since the attack on Xiongshan Pass began, our army has lost four generals, and the number of soldiers who died at the pass is countless..."

He was also the commander-in-chief, with about 10,000 soldiers under his command. Obviously, he was the person in charge of the previous attack on Xiongshan Pass.

He couldn't escape the blame for losing so many troops, so he could only shift the blame to the Northern Yuan. He said in a deep voice, "We had already negotiated with the Northern Yuan before the war. They were the ones attacking the Xiongshan Pass in the first place, and now they refuse to send troops. It's obvious that they don't want to come to our aid!"

"Yes! Those Beiyuan people are untrustworthy! They just want us to contribute manpower!"

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately aroused the indignation of other generals, who denounced the Northern Yuan Dynasty for its betrayal.

Hong Jingyan sat high up on the commander's throne, looking around. After a few moments of silence, he said, "If Xiongshan was truly so easy to capture, why did you suffer so many casualties?"

"If we can't even take a small pass, why would the Northern Yuan Dynasty help us?"

The two consecutive questions left the generals speechless.

"As the commander-in-chief of the Northern Mang army, the death of your subordinates is your responsibility. Don't say anything more. I have already given you a chance."

Hong Jingyan waved his hand towards the halberd-wielding generals around him, signaling them to drag the man away and kill him as a sacrifice.

In a moment, the generals heard screams coming from outside the tent, which echoed in the camp for a long time.

"Liao and Song are now at the end of their rope. Their military supplies and food will soon be exhausted. Spring plowing is about to begin. I don't believe they can hold out for much longer. As long as Liao and Song withdraw their troops, Xiliang and Xixia will follow suit."

Seeing the generals lower their heads, not daring to look at him, Hong Jingyan first analyzed the situation and encouraged them, then brought out his trump card and said, "My lords in the rear, you also know that the Xiongshan Pass is difficult to capture, so I have specially sent General Tuoba to help."

When the generals heard this, they suddenly looked up at Hong Jingyan.

The name of Tuoba Jin Gang is well-known to everyone in Beimang. He is known as the number one person in Beimang’s military and the guardian of the entire grassland!

These words undoubtedly reassured the generals, and their lost confidence and morale were restored.

"The battle of Xiongshan will be won or lost tonight. The imperial court has issued an order: anyone who kills the general and seizes the flag tonight will be promoted to the third level of nobility. If we can capture the Xiongshan Pass, the entire army will be promoted to the first level!"

Hong Jingyan used both kindness and force. If he didn't promise more benefits, the generals would really lose their morale.

However, this trick really worked. All the generals were eager to fight, as if they were not the ones who had fought so hard in the past few days. The commander-in-chief who was beheaded as a sacrifice had long been forgotten.

Tuoba Jin Gang, the military god of Beimang, was personally in charge of the battle. Taking down Xiongshan would be an easy task for them. They just had to follow behind and gain military merit.

Moreover, if they lose again, the blame will not fall on them, because they still have the commander-in-chief Hong Jingyan to support them, and above him there is the God of War to support them.

Even by that time, the Northern Mang court might not have time to take care of them. Even Tuoba Jingang was defeated, and it was unknown whether the war could continue.

Hong Jingyan ordered the entire army to light fires and prepare for a surprise attack on Xiongshan at night.

After dismissing all the generals in the tent, he left the central military tent and walked into the main camp. He was surrounded by Northern Mang soldiers arrayed in formation. Countless cooking stoves were working at the same time, and the army was gathering strength, waiting for the night to fall.

Hong Jingyan walked to a stove and saw a tall and strong man who was cooking soup and serving rice to the soldiers passing by.

When the soldiers gathered around the stove saw Hong Jingyan, they saluted and dispersed.

Only after everyone around them had retreated did Hong Jingyan turn to the burly man and say respectfully, "Sir, may I ask if there is anything else we need to prepare for this battle?"

"You are still the commander-in-chief of this attack. I am only here to help. You can make your own decisions on military affairs. You don't need to ask me."

Tuoba Jingang stirred the rice with the spoon by himself, with no intention of stopping.

Although he holds a high position in the Beimang Army, he has reached his current position step by step through his military achievements. Living and eating with the soldiers has long become his habit.

Moreover, by doing so, you can blend in with the army and hide your whereabouts, and avoid enemy spies.