Volume 5, Chapter 10: Opening Engagement on the Qin River

On the sixteenth day of the second month of the first year of Longsheng, the fifteenth year of the sixty-year cycle, Taizong issued an imperial edict, dispatching Prince Xian of Qi and Marquis Jiang Zhe of Chu to invade Qinzhou, beginning the war between Northern Han and Great Yong.

Yong Dynastic Records

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Biography of Taizong

On the twenty-seventh day of the second month of the first year of Longsheng, the southernmost defensive position of Qinzhou, Lingyuan

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Fortress, was mired in war. The Great Yong borders had been sealed off for the entire winter. Even the most skilled and efficient scouts did not have any way of transmitting any information. However, everyone knew that Great Yong would not give up its designs upon Northern Han and war would soon start.

An isolated, single fortress stood tall and upright atop a small hill. Below the hill the Qin River flowed south. Every spring, the water level of the river rose with the melting of the snow and ice. All of the lands bordering the river needed to be on guard for the flooding of the Qin River. However, the water level was not that high this year and should not serve as an impediment.

The river here was wide and the current gentle. The lands were fertile, with a dozen or more hamlets on both sides of the river. Lingyuan Fortress was the base for the Northern Han army and was the most forward position in Qinzhou. Fifty

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from the fortress was the seat of Jishi County.

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Along the Qin River were a series of fortresses and strongholds, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Anze,

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Qingyuan,

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and Qinzhou were the most important strategic defenses.

A squad of Northern Han soldiers stood on the battlements, watching the activity to the south. Since the end of the year, their superiors had issued orders commanding them to be vigilant at all hours against the imminent invasion of Great Yongs army. As a result, none of them dared to relax. Probably because he was a bit exhausted, one of the soldiers turned his head and was about to complain to one of his comrades. However, as he turned his turned to the side, he noticed that his comrade was staring forward stupefied. The soldier unconsciously turned his head back around. An azure and black line had appeared on the horizon. In only an instant, the line thickened. Although it was far off in the distance, this soldier could already see Great Yongs banners in his vision. In a hoarse voice, the soldier shouted, Quickly raise the alarm!

The somewhat dazed soldier came to his senses and ran to the bell tower, repeatedly ringing the bell to raise the alarm. Afterwards, the sound of horns blared from throughout the fortress. Countless soldiers in trim uniforms spewed forth from each of the barracks. An officer in the uniform of a deputy general rushed up to the battlements. In alarm and anger, he asked, Why havent the scouts we sent out returned? Quickly light the warning beacon.

One of his bodyguards hurriedly rushed to the highest point of the fortress and lit the warning beacon. The billowing warning smoke directly ascended up into the blue sky.

Since the twenty-second year of Great Yongs Wuwei era, this was the first time that Great Yongs army had advanced into Northern Han territory. A war to determine the fate of Northern Han was about to erupt

The advance guard commander of Great Yongs advance and one of the Prince of Qis trusted lieutenants, Xia Ning, could not help bursting into loud laughter upon seeing the distant warning smoke rise into the sky. Reining in his horse and raising his whip, he pointed forward and said, Even if they have discovered our troops, what of it? Can a tiny Lingyuan Fortress stop our advance? Listen up! Well take Lingyuan in one stroke! As His Imperial Highness orders, raze the fields!

Finished speaking, the general took the lead and charged forward. The Yong soldiers, wearing azure and black armor, let out battle cries in unison and followed Xia Ning forward.

Even if Lingyuan Fortress vigorously resisted, it would be impossible to stop the Yong armys advance. In no more than an hour, the fortress had fallen. With the Yong army surrounding the fortress on all sides, no Northern Han soldier escaped unscathed. From the beginning, Lingyuan Fortress was a forward outpost to observe enemy troop movements. Once the Yong army advanced in force, it became impossible to hold Lingyuan Fortress. As a result, all of the soldiers garrisoned here were all ready to face death. In addition, with their campaign only beginning, the Yong army did not have any interest in trying to persuade the garrison to surrender. Under the iron hooves of the Yong army, flesh and blood became pulp.

Seeing that Lingyuan Fortress had fallen, Xia Ning issued the order to have its gates and defenses razed. Then the army spread out throughout the countryside. This time, the Prince of Qi had issued a strict order, demanding that no enemies be left behind in occupied territory. All of the nearby villages and hamlets were burned to the ground. Although most of their young males had enlisted in the military, the people of Northern Han were doughty and valiant. Even women, children, and the elderly would wield weapons to attack the Yong troops. As a result, once Xia Nings order was issued, the elite horsemen of the Yong army razed all of the nearby villages and military fortifications. All of those fortunate to survive were forced to flee towards Duanshi

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and Anze. Great Yongs light cavalry did not charge ahead recklessly, instead advancing at a steady pace. Everywhere they passed, they left behind razed villages and abandoned farmland. The only thing that let the Northern Han people rejoice was that the Yong army did not massacre civilians, under orders from the Prince of Qi. As a result, as long as the civilians did not resist, not only would they be able to preserve their lives, they could even take some of their belongings and go north. Aside from this direction, there was nowhere else they could go.

Along the shore of the Qin River, a group of women, children, and elderly in ragged clothes helped each other as they made the difficult journey north. There were only a few worn out carts in their procession, carrying what little food supplies these refugees had. Some of the children and elderly too exhausted to walk on their own were also on the carts. All of them bore distraught expressions on their faces. Because they were the weakest and most powerless group of refugees, they had been left far behind by all others fleeing. In addition, countless units of Yong cavalry had passed them by, forcing them to undergo numerous and repeated searches. The Yong general who had driven them from their homes had made it clear that if they did not reach Duanshi by the tenth day of the third month, they would be treated as Northern Han spies and executed.

A bitingly cold spring breeze blew forth from the river, causing all of these women, children, and elderly in thin clothes to huddle together for warmth. Qinzhous spring was still quite chilling. With their future unclear and faced with the possibility of being executed by the Yong army, many of the elderly within the procession had cried to the point of shedding tears of blood.

Who would have thought the Yong army would use such methods? Six years ago, when the Yong army advanced into Qinzhou, they had not committed a single offense against the villages they passed by. But now, all of the villages were razed without exception. Several of the elderly privately discussed, finding this unsurprising. The former commander of the Yong army was now the Emperor of Great Yong, Li Zhi, while the commander this time was the Prince of Qi, Li Xian. Everyone knew of Li Zhis magnanimity and Li Xians ruthlessness.

The eyes of one the young children who sat upon the cart inadvertently glanced towards the river. In surprise, he pointed at the river and cried out, Grandfather, there are big ships over there! The elderly man who stumbled to the carts side looked up and was also astonished.

At the center of the river were more than a hundred vessels of all sizes advancing upriver. One of them was an especially large tower ship. On the prow of the ship was a large banner with the character, Jiang. The amount of armored soldiers on the deck numbered as many as the trees within a forest. This ship was surrounded and escorted by twenty warships. Behind them were cargo ships filled with the Yong armys supplies.

The elderly mans cry of surprise made everyone turn and look. Seeing the fast ships of the Yong armys navy and the brightly armored soldiers upon them, the refugees seemingly no longer had the strength to continue their flight. The last time Great Yong had invaded Northern Han, its navy was not used. This time, Great Yong presumably was determined to win.

At this moment, something seemed to be happening aboard the tower ship. Several of the older children with good eyesight could see three individuals walk out of a cabin on the deck of the ship. One of the three walked to the bow and stood at the prow of the tower ship. Holding onto the railing, this man gazed towards the shore. He was dressed in simple, unadorned robes and had an azure cloak wrapped around him. The distance was too great to see his appearance. However, from his graying hair, he probably wasnt young. Apart from this, those with good enough eyesight could only see a pair of limpid and icy eyes. Although the distance between them was quite far, those eyes were seemingly able to see into their souls, making all of them feel an indescribable chill.

Within the procession, contempt flashed across the eyes of a simple-looking middle-aged peasant when he caught sight of the tower ship. However, he immediately lowered his head, restoring his dejected and fretting demeanor. He would frequently touch his right leg, which had been carelessly bandaged. He had probably suffered an injury to his leg. No wonder he had fallen behind.

Just then, everyone heard the sound of hoofbeats from behind them. Although the sound wasnt too loud, the vibrations of the ground were enough to make the refugees panic. Several peasants picked up their hoes and sickles, prepared to do everything to protect their families. They did not know when the Yong troops would begin the slaughter.

A small group of no more than thirty horsemen appeared before the refugees. At their head was a female commander in a set of azure and black leather armor. Although she wore armor that made it difficult to distinguish her rank, this woman was at the pinnacle of beauty, which made everyone understand that she was a heroine amongst women. She had a black cloak tied around her shoulders and a sword cinched at her waist. On her back was a crossbow. The soldiers behind her were similarly dressed. Although they were equipped with crossbows, each of them carried different primary weapons.

When the horsemen reached the refugees, they scattered and began to slightly surround the refugees. One of the horsemen asked in a loud voice, Why are you still loitering around here? Dont you know how strict military orders are? Once tomorrow passes, if you cannot reach Jishi, the time of your deaths will arrive. The voice of the horseman speaking sounded melodious and moving. It seemed like this horseman was also female.

One of the elderly stumbled forward and responded, My Lord, all of us here are elderly, women, and children. As a result, our progress has been delayed. Please treat us leniently.

The horsewoman turned her head to look at the female commander. The female commanders eyes swept across the refugees one by one, her gaze as cold and piercing as ice. All of those caught in her gaze felt as if they were enveloped by the shadow of death. The womans eyes ultimately fell upon the injured middle-aged peasant, a mocking smile appearing at the corners of her mouth. Raising her whip and pointing, she said, You, come out.

The middle-aged man hesitated momentarily before hobbling forward. The female commanders eyes remained fixed upon him. When he reached the front of her horse, she callously asked, You are an agent under Xiao Tong, correct?

Seemingly at a loss for words, the middle-aged man seemed to not understand what the female commander was saying, only trying to explain in a panic, This lowly one isnt a spy. Im only a dutiful farmer. Because my leg was injured in a fall, I was left behind by my fellow villagers and fell behind.

The woman laughed humorlessly and replied, I, Su Qing, am a professional spy. How are you able to hide from my eyes?

Finished speaking, the whip in her hand lashed out like a viper towards the middle-aged peasants throat. A look flashed across the mans eyes, pretending that he could not react, only letting out a blood-curdling scream and closing his eyes. As he expected, the whip pulled back upon touching his skin. The middle-aged peasant was soaked with