Chapter 60

In the third year of the Yongxi era, Emperor Taizong of Song issued an edict to recruit brave and strong commoners from the border regions as soldiers, providing them with provisions and weapons. The rewards for military achievements were: “Those who capture prisoners will be awarded five thousand coins per person; those who take heads will receive three thousand... Those who wish to remain in the army will be generously recorded and retained; those who wish to return to farming will be exempted from taxes for three years.”
These incentive systems, designed to motivate soldiers, had long been forgotten. But now, Shao Jingyu brought them up again. Except for Yan Yiming, everyone present was immediately astonished, and when they looked at Yan Yiming again, they couldn't help but feel overwhelming envy.
Although no one knew about this young general's ability to kill enemies or what rewards he would offer, his status alone left no room for doubt about his guarantees.
Merit, status, wealth, whatever it was, it was something everyone present dreamed of.
If they had known the first person would have such good luck, they would have spoken up earlier. That fair-faced kid, who usually couldn't utter a word all day, was quicker than anyone else to seize this opportunity. Now that he had taken the prime advantage, the others couldn't help but feel resentful, especially those who had always disliked him.
The centurion who had earlier warned Yan Yiming not to step forward was startled by his sudden enthusiasm. Anxious, he paced in circles on the ground. This kid had talent and would surely have plenty of opportunities in the future, why wouldn't he listen to advice?
With the first person decided, everyone began to weigh their options in an instant. The top reward had already been snatched by Yan Yiming, and the others were now gambling on whether following this young general was worth it. After some consideration, others gradually stood up and loudly declared their willingness to follow Shao Jingyu.
Yan Yiming watched as Shao Jingyu showed not the slightest hint of impatience. He even took the time to speak with every soldier willing to follow him. When he saw tall and sturdy men, he didn't show excessive delight; when he saw thin and young ones, he didn't show disdain. Though he stood aloof and seemed worlds apart from everyone present, he subtly bridged the gap between them.
The soldiers who had spoken with him were all beaming with joy and excitement, and when they looked at Shao Jingyu again, their earlier unease had vanished.
They were soldiers who had never even seen a commanding general before, how could they have ever imagined having the chance to speak with one?
Yan Yiming clicked his tongue. Some people were born to be leaders. Being a general wasn't just about riding, archery, or martial skills; this kind of well-balanced recruitment tactic was indispensable.
The selection of seven hundred men was completed faster than Yan Yiming had estimated. By the time Shao Jingyu's young adjutant reminded the chosen seven hundred to follow him to a new camp, the sky was just beginning to blaze with sunset clouds.
This was indeed much harder than all the previous strategies, Yan Yiming thought to himself as he packed up. In this setting, even taking the initiative to speak required careful consideration, with no room for missteps.
As he stepped out of the tent, Yan Yiming heard the scornful remarks of the soldiers who shared his quarters, saying that Shao Jingyu was nothing but a pretty face and that following him would lead nowhere, perhaps this campaign would be their last.
Yan Yiming let out a cold laugh, slung the bundle over his shoulder, and strode away.
Three days later, Commander Cao Meng finally issued the order: the army was to advance and attack the Mongol Northern King entrenched in the northern deserts.
Cao Meng divided his forces into two routes. The main assault was to be led by the western route, with Cao Meng personally commanding thirty thousand cavalry to press toward the Mongol Northern King. The Left, Right, and Vanguard Generals each led ten thousand troops. The eastern route, under Vanguard General Yao Zhan, commanded tens of thousands of cavalry to strike the Mongol Southern King, aiming to pin down their forces and support the western route’s offensive. The Left and Right Generals advanced northward directly, launching a direct assault on the Northern King’s royal court.
Shao Jingyu’s first deployment was arranged by Cao Meng under the command of the Left and Right Generals, joining twenty thousand cavalry in the charge toward the royal court.
As battle loomed, Yan Yiming felt an unprecedented tension.
A lethal cold blade hung at his waist, and the biting wind against his face carried an indescribable sharpness. The warhorse beneath him restlessly pawed the ground, its breath heavy. Not far ahead, Shao Jingyu stood clad in black robes and dark armor, his left hand gripping the reins of his black steed, his right hand holding a single-hook spear. The night wind rustled, accentuating his heroic bearing.
A whip cracked through the night sky, shattering the silence with an ear-splitting sound. In an instant, ten thousand horses surged forth, shaking the very earth beneath them.
Though the distance to the Northern King’s court was great, the elite cavalry’s swift advance was meant to catch the enemy off guard. By the time the elite troops closed in, the Northern King was still indulging in wine and revelry with his concubines.
The Xia army stormed in while the Mongol forces were utterly unprepared. Instantly, chaos erupted among the Mongols. Ruthless and unyielding, cold blades pierced flesh, splattering warm blood that stained their battle robes. All that met the eye were the sudden flashes of gleaming blades and the vivid crimson of fresh blood.
Yan Yiming’s hand gripping the hilt trembled uncontrollably.
She had countless memories of raising and lowering her blade, but she was no longer the young woman who could calmly face life and death. Every swing of the sword still sent chills down her spine.
Yet, in the midst of life and death, there was no room for even a second’s hesitation. A moment’s distraction, and she would end up like the comrade who had spoken to her just moments before, lifeless in an instant.
The first time she cleaved a Mongol from his saddle, the enemy’s blood soaked her hand, nearly causing her to lose her grip on the blade. But as another foe closed in, she had no choice but to tighten her hold.
Killing numbs the senses.
The screams around her never ceased for a moment. The heat of the battlefield fires scorched her cheeks, burning and painful. The tiger’s mouth of her left hand, clenched tightly around the reins, was rubbed raw and bleeding. A moment ago, her left leg had been grazed by a spear, and Yan Yiming grunted in pain but had no time to tend to it.
The surprise attack left the Mongol defenders at the royal court with no time to prepare, and they crumbled almost instantly.
The thunder of hooves and the clamor of battle finally jolted the Northern King from his drunken stupor. With no time to organize a defense, he mounted his horse and, under the cover of his Mongol troops, fled with his royal family.
Shao Jingyu’s eyes flashed coldly as he issued a command. His horse neighed and charged in the direction of the Northern King’s escape. Only then did the Left General snap out of his daze, breaking into a cold sweat as he urgently called out to Shao Jingyu, but Shao Jingyu was already hundreds of meters away.
In his panic, the Left General hastily ordered a pursuit, to catch the Northern King and, more importantly, to ensure Shao Jingyu’s safety.
The light cavalry captain led a thousand horsemen in pursuit of the Northern King’s escape route. They chased frantically for hundreds of miles but could not catch up to Shao Jingyu and his men, let alone the Northern King. Ultimately, they had no choice but to turn back.
The Left General fumed, exclaiming that he had known this would happen. “Even the commander can’t control this young master, how could I possibly manage him?”
Fortunately, this surprise attack was extremely successful. Aside from the thousand or so troops who protected the Northern Mongol King in his escape, a total of over three thousand men and women from the Northern Mongol King's tribe were captured, along with ten thousand head of livestock. It was already a rather commendable minor victory.
The only regret was that the Northern Mongol King and several minor chieftains had managed to flee.
All they could hope for was that the young master remained safe and would not be intercepted and killed by the Northern Mongol King or lose his way.
Under the cold moonlight, Shao Jingyu led just over a hundred men, galloping hundreds of miles through the vast night in search of the enemy's trail. Back then, with a single command of “Chase!” from Shao Jingyu, the men had followed without a second thought. Now, separated from the main army, though the hundred elite cavalry were fierce and brave, they were also highly likely to encounter the main Mongol forces and be surrounded and slaughtered. It was inevitable that unease crept into their hearts.
But as they glanced at the figure riding ahead, they gritted their teeth and spurred their horses onward.
The horses never stopped, and the riders never let their guard down. Yan Yiming had lost track of how long they had been riding when she finally spotted flickering flames in the distance.
A cold spear flashed, and the Mongol soldiers on guard duty were instantly slain. The valiant cavalry charged into the Northern Mongol King's camp, which had been fleeing for half the night and was now thrown into panic. In that moment, the Northern Mongol King could not determine how many enemies there were and, unwilling to engage directly, prepared to flee once more.
Though there were fewer than seven hundred men, the Mongol forces were in such disarray that they offered little resistance.
Shao Jingyu ignored the common soldiers and focused solely on the Northern Mongol King, who was attempting to mount his horse and escape. A deputy general beside him shot an arrow that struck down a noble beside the king. The young general, wielding his spear with ferocious skill, urged his divine steed forward and closed in on the Northern Mongol King in an instant.
Just then, the deputy general shouted a warning. Shao Jingyu turned to see a glint of cold steel as a Mongol soldier thrust his spear toward him. Startled, he barely managed to deflect the spear with his blade. Yan Yiming’s palm stung from the impact, but she had pulled Shao Jingyu back from the brink of death.
Shao Jingyu was astonished that this pale-faced soldier possessed such remarkable skill, but there was no time to dwell on it. He spurred his horse and continued his pursuit of the Northern Mongol King.
The spear rose and fell. A cry of agony echoed as the Northern Mongol King was struck down from his horse. With their leader dead, the Mongol soldiers lost their will to fight and surrendered one after another.
This long night of pursuit, Shao Jingyu’s debut battle, had ended in a brilliantly decisive victory!