Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Chapter 510 Relying on Favor (55)

Xie Ying's expression was also hard to describe.

He never expected that Tan Junzhuo hated Daliang to this extent, willing to risk the capital being occupied by the Northern Jurchens just to make things difficult for them at this time.

They wished they were dead.

But things had come to this point, and they had no choice but to spare some troops to deal with the Tingzhou army.

Even knowing it was a dead end with certain defeat, they had to keep fighting.

With this in mind, Xie Ying roused himself to reassure his generals and then began to arrange his troops.

With only 170,000 troops remaining at the front, 50,000 were spared to fight against the Tingzhou army in the north, while the rest continued to defend Tianyin City to the death.

Xie Ying didn't sleep a wink that night.

He counted the time on the hourglass, watching the night outside the tent gradually fade and the sky begin to lighten.

Judging by the distance traveled by the Tingzhou army, they should arrive outside Tianyin City by dawn.

By then, Tianyin City would be surrounded by the Northern Jurchens in front and the Tingzhou Army behind.

The Northern Jurchens' 300,000 troops have suffered considerable losses in the past two weeks of battle, but they still have roughly 250,000. Adding the 100,000 troops from Tingzhou, how can the Great Liang possibly fight against 350,000 troops with only 170,000?

Moreover, the Liang army was not only outnumbered, but also inferior to the Tingzhou army and the Northern Jurchens in terms of morale, food supplies, and weaponry.

Is the fate of the Great Liang Dynasty sealed, destined to be defeated here?

Xie Ying sat there all night until the oil lamp on the table burned out.

At dawn, the scouts once again opened the tent flap to report.

"Thank you, General. The Tingzhou army has changed course."

Upon hearing this, Xie Ying was taken aback and quickly stood up to ask, "Where did you change your route to?"

"They bypassed Tianyin City and headed towards Yixiantian."

"A Line of Sky" is located south of Tianyin City, where the Northern Jurchen army is stationed.

Xie Ying frowned deeply.

Could it be that Zhao Yuan has reached some kind of cooperation agreement with the Northern Jurchen Chanyu Jitu, and is heading towards Yixiantian to join forces with the Northern Jurchen army?

Once the two armies cooperate, they can then jointly attack Tianyin City.

Before Xie Ying could figure it out, a sudden, urgent drumbeat came from outside.

Xie Ying's expression hardened as he saw the smoke rising from the outposts outside the military camp in the distance, a signal that the enemy was attacking.

He immediately picked up the long spear standing on the weapon rack and went out to meet the enemy.

More than ten miles outside Tianyin City, the Liang army clashed with the Northern Jurchen cavalry in another fierce battle.

The 30,000 troops sent by Liang were repeatedly defeated by the powerful Northern Jurchen cavalry and forced to retreat to the outskirts of Tianyin City.

Xie Ying pierced the throat of a Northern Jurchen soldier with his spear, watching him stare wide-eyed in death, before slinging the corpse off his horse.

In this battle, the Liang army suffered more than half of its casualties and was on the verge of collapse. Just as Xie Ying was about to send a signal for reinforcements, countless Tingzhou soldiers suddenly emerged from the hills on both sides.

After occupying the high ground, the Tingzhou soldiers drew their bows and arrows, and with a command from their leader, countless burning fire arrows were launched into the chaotic battlefield.

Xie Ying was startled, but then he realized that the Tingzhou army was helping them!

But it seemed like a casual effort; the rockets fired into the battlefield threw the Northern Jurchen cavalry into disarray, while also indiscriminately wounding many Liang soldiers.

Seeing this, Xie Ying immediately said, "Retreat!"

The Liang army retreated in disarray, leaving only the Northern Jurchen army in place.

The number of arrows fired from the hilltop instantly increased.

……

In this battle, thanks to the Tingzhou army's participation in the surprise attack, the Liang army suffered countless casualties, but managed to salvage some of its momentum.

Most importantly, the Tingzhou army reversed the situation that had plagued the Liang army for more than half a month, when the Liang army was being driven back by the Northern Jurchen army.

Inside the camp, the Liang generals sat around the sand table, looking at each other in silence.

After a long silence, a young general asked, "What does Zhao Yuan mean by this? Is he helping us?"

Why would he help us?

"Perhaps they don't want the Northern Jurchens to gain an advantage. After all, we've suffered defeats all the way, and it wouldn't be good for them if the Northern Jurchens marched all the way to the capital."

"That's right. If we lose, the next enemy of the Northern Jurchens will be the Tingzhou Army. They're not helping us; they're helping themselves."

The generals spoke one after another, each expressing their own opinion, none of them willing to admit that "Zhao Yuan would be so kind."

Xie Ying remained silent for a long time before saying, "This may not be Zhao Yuan's intention."

The generals looked up at him: "General, what do you mean by that?"

"The Princess Consort who disappeared three years ago is in Tingzhou. She asked Zhao Yuan to help her, perhaps it was her idea," Xie Ying said. He added, "The Princess Consort was kidnapped and forcibly married by Zhao Yuan, becoming his queen."

Upon hearing this, the generals reacted in various ways.

In any other day, upon learning that the current emperor's concubine had been abducted and forcibly married by a rebel king, everyone present would have been unable to tolerate such a humiliation and would have insisted on attacking Zhao Yuan to rescue the concubine.

However, given the current situation, Zhao Yuan might become their hope in defeating the Northern Jurchens, so everyone tacitly decided to leave the matter of "abduction and forced marriage" unmentioned.

"So, Zhao Yuan really came to help us?"

"It should be. He married... married ***, who is now the imperial son-in-law of our dynasty. The imperial son-in-law helps his wife's family protect the country..."

"But he seized Jingzhou and Yunzhou."

Everyone: "..."

Whether this "son-in-law" is good or bad, whether he's here to help or to get a share of the profits, is really hard to say.

An experienced veteran general suggested, "General Xie, why not send a letter to Zhao Yuan and ask if he wants to join forces? After all, defeating the Northern Jurchens would also benefit them."

“I agree. Since Her Highness has persuaded Zhao Yuan to come and help, she must be thinking about her maternal family. Perhaps we can reach a cooperation agreement with the Tingzhou army.”

Xie Ying had previously intended to join forces with the Tingzhou army, and after hearing the words of the generals, he was moved.

"Then let's send someone to the Tingzhou military camp."

That afternoon, the envoy sent by Liang Jun, carrying Xie Ying's personal letter, crossed two mountains and went to the place where the Tingzhou army was stationed.

As evening fell and the sun set, the envoy returned.

As soon as he entered the tent, the Liang generals, including Xie Ying, immediately asked, "Well? Has Zhao Yuan agreed to join forces to fight against the Northern Barbarians?"

The envoy looked as if he had lost his parents. He said nothing, but turned to the side, revealing the bright red handprint on his face.

Xie Ying: "..."

The generals: "..."

-

For the next two weeks, the Tingzhou army would come to help every time the Northern Jurchens attacked Tianyin City.

Instead of directly confronting the Northern Jurchens, they dug traps, hid in the shadows to shoot arrows, or sent men to sneak into the Northern Jurchen camp at night to burn their provisions and set off firecrackers in the stables, causing a third of the Northern Jurchen warhorses to run away.

Then, while the Northern Jurchen army was searching for horses in the canyon, they ambushed them on the canyon floor and threw stones, killing hundreds of Northern Jurchen soldiers.

"Zhao Yuan's men went to the upper reaches of the river where the Northern Jurchen army was stationed and poisoned the river water! Then, taking advantage of the Northern Jurchen army's diarrhea, they launched a night attack on the camp, catching them completely off guard. I heard that many of the Northern Jurchen soldiers who were killed died without even having their pants on."