"Everyone be careful, leave no survivors on this journey!"
After all, this was Jin territory. To ensure the success of this surprise attack, Yue Fei hardened his heart and sent scouts out three li ahead.
"General, rest assured, we know what to do!"
Receiving Yue Fei's command, three hundred scouts, like silent civets in the night, each holding a powerful crossbow, vanished into the darkness.
Behind them, Yue Fei personally led the army, heading straight for Yuguan without a moment's delay.
The best way to deter the Jin was to destroy the city of Yuguan!
Although they had tried their best to choose routes with sparse population along the way, Yue Fei showed no mercy to any Liao villages or towns they encountered and could not avoid.
Anyone who discovered their movements was completely annihilated.
An hour later, while the Jin soldiers on the city walls were still celebrating, Yue Fei's army of three thousand had already arrived at the foot of Yuguan city.
"Be careful, blow the city gate open directly!"
Glancing at the sparsely scattered guards on the city walls, Yue Fei lowered his voice and instructed Xu Qing.
"General, rest assured, I will personally handle this!"
Although Xu Qing's martial arts were far inferior to Yue Fei's, his martial prowess was considered above average in the army.
Originally, Yue Fei intended to cultivate him into a capable subordinate, but fate had other plans. After this man came into contact with gunpowder, he seemed to have become a different person, devoting all his attention to tinkering with these explosive materials.
Seeing an opportunity to achieve merit, he snatched a packet of gunpowder from a nearby soldier without hesitation and approached Yue Fei personally.
"You be careful, you know how powerful this stuff is!"
Although this was indeed a golden opportunity to earn merit, as the credit for opening the city gate was comparable to capturing a general or seizing a banner, Yue Fei still whispered a word of caution out of their friendship.
"General, rest assured, I'll be back soon!"
Grinning at Yue Fei, Xu Qing, with two soldiers, quietly approached Yuguan city, using the surrounding shadows as cover.
"Sixth Brother, why weren't we born Jurchens? Look at those dogs feasting and drinking!"
On the battlements of Yuguan city, a thin Liao soldier pointed dejectedly at the Jin army camp not far away.
Although the city walls of Yuguan were only two zhang high, the terrain here was naturally elevated, and standing on the battlements, they had a clear view of everything happening in the camp.
"Enough, what's the point of talking nonsense? It's already past midnight, let's find a place to get some good sleep later!"
Glancing at the Jin soldiers still indulging in revelry, Yelü Xiu swallowed and decisively turned his head in another direction.
Although his surname was Yelü, he was merely a distant relative of the royal family, so distant that even the royal family did not acknowledge his lineage.
When the Liao kingdom still existed, his life was bearable. Although he couldn't benefit from the royal family, with just his surname, he had managed to become a minor captain in the army.
While he wasn't heavily relied upon or had any prospects for advancement, he could still have a drink every day, occasionally catch a fish, and live a relatively satisfactory life.
But after the Jin invaded, their good days came to an abrupt end.
All the hardest and most arduous tasks in the entire city of Yuguan were performed by them, so they had nothing to do with any of the enjoyable activities.
However, the capital had fallen, and even the emperor had met a terrible fate. He, a distant royal relative with no real connection, naturally had no choice but to obediently become an ordinary soldier.
"Why are those lords so incompetent? If they had been more capable, why would we have to endure this humiliation?"
After listening to Yelü Xiu, the thin soldier pouted and casually swatted a mosquito that was sucking blood from his face.
In this world, it was never about scarcity, but about inequality.
Seeing the Jurchen soldiers eating, drinking, and womanizing right before their eyes, while they could only feed mosquitoes here, their feelings at that moment were understandable.
"Eh? Did I just feel something move?"
Just as the two were about to find a place to doze off, Yelü Xiu suddenly called out to his companion.
"Move? It's probably just some stray dog. This godforsaken place... if someone came and slayed all these bastards, I'd be happy!"
After spitting again towards the Jin soldiers who were eating and drinking, the thin soldier pulled Yelü Xiu along to find a place to sleep.
Listening to the conversation on the battlements, Xu Qing, hidden in the shadows of the city wall, shivered.
Earlier, in the darkness, he had accidentally stumbled on a stone, almost ruining the entire operation.
After hearing their footsteps recede, Xu Qing quietly gathered all the gunpowder he and his two soldiers were carrying near the city gate. He took out his flint, lit the fuse, and then began to flee for his life in both directions.
The power of this thing was no joke; if he didn't run fast enough, his life would truly be over!
"Who's there?"
Hearing the commotion at the base of the city, the soldiers on the battlements immediately became alert.
However, it was nighttime, and it was impossible for them to conduct a thorough inspection.
Once the city gate was closed, it wouldn't be reopened until the designated time!
"Do you smell anything strange?"
Just as the soldiers on the battlements were searching for Xu Qing and his men by sound, Yelü Xiu suddenly smelled a peculiar scent.
"Strange smell? No, I only smell roasted meat! Roasted lamb leg, it smells so damn good!"
"Go on, you only think about eating!"
Hearing this, Yelü Xiu kicked him in the backside irritably.
"Sixth Brother, why are you hitting me? If you have the ability, go hit those Jin people! If you kill them all, we can also eat meat and drink wine, and those girls are so much prettier than the ones at the pleasure houses!"
"Boom—"
Just as the thin soldier finished speaking, a loud explosion suddenly erupted in his ears, followed by the ground beneath his feet shaking.
"The city gate is breached! Follow me to kill the enemy! Song army, mighty!"
Seeing the flames emanating from the city gate, Yue Fei swung his long spear and charged forward, leading the way!
"Song, Song army? How can there be Song soldiers here! Quick, ring the bell! Quickly!"