Han Qian had indeed considered that more cavalry would be needed to pursue and slaughter routed forces, to expand the results of this decisive battle to the maximum extent possible.
The Luoyang naval forces had entered the Fen River and destroyed the Pujin ferry bridge over the Yu River, blocking enemy escape routes north into Mount Lüliang and west into Guanzhong. However, routed enemies could still flee northeast into the southern foothills of Mount Taiyue, or along the valley between the east bank of the Fen River and the western foothills of Mount Taiyue, escaping north into Huo County territory.
The middle and lower Fen River valley was relatively open, but going north into Huo County in northern Jinzhou, the two mountain ranges of Mount Lüliang and Mount Taiyue pressed toward the Fen River from left and right, making the terrain narrow and steep again.
The dangerous terrain in Huo County also divided the upstream Taiyuan basin from the downstream river valley into two relatively independent, enclosed geographic units, connected only by the Fen River channel with its rapid currents and dangerous shoals.
Currently, the cities in northern Jinzhou, as well as the valley passes formed by the intersecting mountain ranges of Mount Taiyue, Mount Wangwu, and the southwestern section of Mount Taihang, were all under Mongol army control.
The Mongol army would very likely use these city fortifications to rally routed troops and attempt counterattacks. Especially given the Mongol army’s ability to quickly gather scattered cavalry—this was a factor Han Qian had to consider.
And because the gorge road north of Yuanqu was narrow, in order to ensure main force troops could deploy in time on the northern slopes of Mount Wangwu in the early phase, heavy armor infantry had almost all marched on foot into their predetermined battle positions. Even inside and outside Yuanqu city, there were not many military horses.
A complete set of armor and weapons for heavy armor infantry together weighed over sixty to seventy jin. Main infantry combat brigade soldiers could barely manage short-term forced marches of twenty to thirty li on foot for surprise attack operations. But expecting them to pursue routed enemies in the open river valley with over two hundred li depth from southern Jiang County to Huo County territory was asking too much.
This was mainly because plans could not keep up with changes.
Whether it was Han Qian or when the Military Intelligence Staff Department initially drafted operational plans, they needed to comprehensively consider various factors. Predictions about the battle situation could not only think in positive terms but required weighing multiple aspects, then rationally allocating existing military resources across various defense directions.
The early phase mainly hoped to repel enemy forces in the Fen River valley, successfully capturing Jiang County, Quwo, Wenxi, and Anyi cities. Even if they occupied just one of these cities and established a foothold in the Fen River valley, they could gain strategic advantage over the Mongol army.
Previously, no one had entertained extravagant hopes of fighting such a beautiful battle of annihilation this winter.
And considering the battle of Zhiguan Gorge might drag on until year’s end, they absolutely had to keep a portion of cavalry in western Henan to guard against Eastern Liang forces assembling cavalry to advance west after the Ying River froze.
Even so, besides investing resources as much as possible in summer and autumn to promote the cavalry transformation of Shen Peng’s troops, after autumn the Staff Department also required Zhao Wuji to deploy Shen Peng and Li Xiu’s two units at Changge and other places on the northwestern front of western Henan, so they could be rapidly mobilized when necessary.
Not until midday the day before yesterday, anticipating using heavy fog weather to severely damage the Mongol army, did Han Qian temporarily send carrier pigeon orders for Li Xiu and Shen Peng to lead their troops to Yuanqu at maximum speed to participate in subsequent pursuit operations against routed forces.
Of course, Han Qian thought Li Xiu and the others could reach Yuanqu at earliest in two days. At that time, they could be perfectly used for mopping-up operations on the battlefield, as well as to replace the main cavalry forces that had borne primary flanking combat responsibilities in the early phase, taking over subsequent alert duties.
Han Qian had not expected Li Xiu and Shen Peng would actually abandon the absolutely safe interior lines and instead directly ride three horses per person—a luxury configuration only afforded to cavalry units in these past two years—galloping madly through territories controlled by Eastern Liang and Meng Prefecture forces, covering three hundred li in two nights and one day, arriving at Yuanqu at this time.
Large numbers of exhausted military horses were directly abandoned roadside. Outside Yuanqu’s east city gate, exhausted soldiers sat down heavily on the withered grass ground covered with morning frost.
Without time to enter the city for rest and reorganization, to save time they had not even erected tents. Soldiers sat directly on the ground eating meat soup with bread prepared in advance here.
Quite a few soldiers also lay on their sides, already wrapped in felt blankets snoring in deep sleep on the grass. But even while sleeping, they still gripped their warhorses’ reins tightly in their hands.
“…” Han Qian had someone lead his horse aside, gesturing to the alert soldiers around them not to be startled, nor to rise in salute, to avoid disturbing soldiers already sleeping on the ground. He walked carefully through the middle into the city with Zhao Ting’er, Xi Ren, Feng Liao, Gu Qian, Qin Wen and others.
Yin Peng had returned to Yuanqu city ahead of time. Together with Su Lie, whose troops had sustained considerable casualties in early fighting and who was subsequently responsible for defending Yuanqu city, they were introducing yesterday’s battle situation to Li Xiu, Shen Peng, and commanders like Li Yan who had grown up in recent years.
Han Qian walked into the government office main hall, gesturing for Yin Peng and the others to continue speaking. He sat to one side with Zhao Ting’er, Feng Liao, Gu Qian, Qin Wen and others, not interfering with their military discussion.
“…” Yin Peng continued introducing the situation to Li Xiu and Shen Peng: “Yesterday in the battle amid heavy fog, large numbers of routed soldiers fled east. But after nightfall yesterday when stars and moon filled the sky, routed troops successively assembled at Anyi and other places. Clearly, Wusu Dashi, who had already fled to Yicheng, did not want to see all the routed troops west of Jiang County completely encircled by us. He sent orders for them to find gaps between Jiang County and Quwo to break through northward. Cao Ba, Zhao Ci, Lu Ze, and Zhu Zhen’s four cavalry units fought for a day and night. Men are exhausted, horses weary. Moreover, after half a day of entangled combat with enemy cavalry, casualties were also heavy. They have currently withdrawn to the two cities of Quwo and Jiang County to rest and reorganize. If enemy forces decide to break through northward between Quwo and Jiang County tonight, considering that Wusu Dashi has also rallied over ten thousand routed cavalry at Yicheng, we may very likely lose a considerable portion of our battle results…”
In the battle of Zhiguan Gorge, they could be said to have already established victory. But how great the final results could be, whether they could truly severely damage the Mongol army’s living forces—the key lay in subsequent pursuit and slaughter of routed forces.
In fact, throughout history, even though Central Plains dynasties could repeatedly defeat invading barbarian cavalry, due to not having cavalry superiority, it was difficult to successfully fight battles of annihilation. Thus it was difficult to severely damage the invading enemy. After barbarian cavalry scattered in rout, they could soon reassemble, causing the borders to have no peace for long periods.
Although during the night, they had urgently sent several thousand military horses to Jiang County and Quwo, enabling a portion of elite infantry to possess long-distance pursuit capability, simply using mounted infantry formations to pursue routed enemies, when encountering large groups of enemy cavalry, they would need to dismount and form defensive arrays to have the combat power to withstand enemy cavalry charges—this would be quite passive.
And in yesterday’s battle, the total cavalry force of only twelve thousand men bore the combat mission of covering flanks and striking enemy camps in the morning, then bore combat missions of cutting off and intercepting routed enemies in the afternoon. Casualties were extremely heavy. Currently, the number of men and warhorses still continuing combat was less than half.
Even though the Mongol army had already suffered severe damage, with their cavalry units’ deaths and injuries even several times theirs, as long as they still had half their cavalry with continued combat capability, the absolute number of their cavalry was still far greater than theirs by a large margin.
In this situation, the Mongol army could easily use their cavalry advantage to delay their pursuing forces in the open terrain north of Quwo and Jiang County, allowing more routed soldiers to find gaps to flee north.
Now for Liang army soldiers, every additional Mongol soldier allowed to escape was equivalent to losing a chunk of fatty meat from their mouths—painful indeed. But they had to both ensure eating more of the battle results while maintaining sufficient vigilance, not making mistakes at this final critical moment—truly a headache.
Li Xiu and Shen Peng arriving so quickly with over five thousand cavalry, able to enter combat in the northern Fen River valley after resting for half a day, would actually greatly strengthen their power to pursue routed enemies.
Yin Peng, Su Lie, and even Feng Liao, Gu Qian, Qin Wen and others were all quite excited. None had previously thought Li Xiu and Shen Peng would dare to boldly borrow routes directly through enemy territory, shortening the time to arrive for reinforcement.
“The enemy army certainly will not dare defend Yicheng. Abandoning Yicheng, they have two escape routes available. One route is fleeing north to Huo County. One route is fleeing east via the ancient Mei River road and Qinshui River valley into Zezhou. Both of these places are also positions the Mongol army must defend.”
After receiving the order, Li Xiu had his own predictions about the Fen River valley warfare’s development. How he and Shen Peng should participate in combat, he also had his own considerations. At this moment, looking toward Han Qian, he said:
“Conducting night battle interception of enemy forces between Jiang County and Quwo may not guarantee maximum battle results. Please permit Your Majesty to allow General Shen and me to lead our troops to raid and capture Mei River and Qinshui, blocking the enemy army’s eastern escape route!”
Han Qian looked at the map spread on the long table.
Huo County was one hundred fifty li north of Yicheng, close to the Mongol Southern Court’s heartland of Taiyuan Prefecture. Perhaps reinforcements Wusu Dashi had transferred from Taiyuan Prefecture had already entered Huo County territory. Before ascertaining the situation, rashly sending troops to raid Huo County from afar was undoubtedly too risky.
However, Mei River and Qinshui River valley east of Huo County, located in the southern foothills of Mount Taiyue, was a strategic pass connecting Hejin and Zezhou. In history’s most famous Battle of Changping between Qin and Zhao, this region had been the main advance route for Qin forces.
And Zezhou’s forces had almost all been transferred by Wusu Dashi before the war to participate in combat in Jinzhou and Puzhou.
At this time, Wusu Dashi could hardly transfer many more reinforcements from Zezhou in haste to enter the Mei River and Qinshui area to strengthen pass defenses.
And Mei River was only sixty to seventy li from Yicheng. At the same time, if they sent cavalry and mounted infantry to strike directly along the northern slopes of Mount Wangwu, it was also only eighty to ninety li.
If Li Xiu and Shen Peng rushed over there, for the sake of greater speed, even if they could not carry war machinery and would have difficulty storming fortified passes, as long as they successfully blocked the route entering Mei River and Qinshui River valley, intercepting routed troops and not letting them proceed east, they could completely achieve the established combat objective.
At this time, perhaps there was no way to prevent a portion of Mongol cavalry from fleeing north along the Fen River valley to Huo County. But those enemy infantry who ran on two feet—unable to flee east from Mei River and Qinshui into Zezhou, having to travel seventy to eighty li more to escape into Huo County territory—this would essentially doom them.
Such an arrangement meant they could not only capture the strategic location between Mount Taiyue and Mount Wangwu for looking east into Zezhou, but could also intercept as many enemy infantry as possible for capture or annihilation.
Capturing the middle and lower Fen River valley and annihilating thirty to forty thousand enemy troops versus capturing the middle and lower Fen River valley and annihilating seventy to eighty thousand enemy troops—the significance was obviously different.
“The soldiers can rest another two or three hours in Yuanqu before departing—that’s not too late. Go find Wen Bo and see if he agrees with this operational plan,” Han Qian said. “I have now handed all vanguard forces command authority to him. You must also be subject to his command.”
“Your Majesty, Su Lie requests to accompany General Li and General Shen to see Commander Wen.” Su Lie said.
Wounded soldiers would remain in Yuanqu to recuperate. His troops still had three thousand combat soldiers available. Riding military horses directly from Yuanqu city to rush to the southern foothills of Mount Taiyue, forming defensive arrays at dangerous terrain to intercept routed enemies and block enemy reinforcements coming from the east—this could play an even greater role than cavalry. Su Lie did not want to miss the final climax of the decisive battle…
“Very well, go see Wen Bo together. I’ll hold down the fort at Yuanqu for you!” Han Qian said with a smile.