Moma Liangshan

Chapter 104 The Sound of Battle Shakes the Heavens, A Beauty Takes a Bath

The vast Liao army began to assemble at the foot of Hongquan Mountain, their banners clearly visible from the watchtowers. The Shu princess, standing on the snow line of Hongquan Mountain, remarked, "This place is truly wondrous; on one side, lush green slopes, on the other, frozen ground covered in snow, with a half-mile-long swamp separating them." Xiao Shanbie, however, had no interest in appreciating this extraordinary scenery, saying, "Frozen ground, swamp, grassland—they rise slowly from afar. The Jurchens, occupying high ground, are at a disadvantage for our attack!" The Shu princess, however, had a different perspective, saying, "Three thousand Jurchen cavalry, holed up in the mountain hollow, though easy to defend and difficult to attack, aren't they also deliberately relinquishing the advantage of their iron hooves?" Xiao Shanbie couldn't refute the Shu princess's opinion, yet he couldn't explain the inexplicable worry in his heart, saying, "The enemy will..." "This commander is no ordinary man; his choice to station here suggests a strategic plan!" The Shu princess's eyes suddenly blazed with anger as she rebuked, "With three times the troops, fighting on home soil, you, as commander-in-chief, show not even a hint of desire to win. Is this the way of warfare?" Xiao Shanbie, ashamed and indignant, replied, "This humble general is not cowardly; it's just that Wanyan Wulu's 50,000 troops are watching us closely in Shenzhou City, ready to unleash their full force at any moment. Although the garrison in Dongjing Road numbers 30,000, they are isolated and without support, allowing no room for error!" Seeing the Shu princess's expression soften slightly, Xiao Shanbie seized the opportunity to say, "Wanyan Wulu's loss of 3,000 cavalry is merely a minor defeat. But if Dongjing Road loses these 9,000 elite troops, it will be an unbearable pain!"

The princess of Shu smiled coldly and said, "An army without the spirit of battle and the will to win, no matter how strong its armor or how sharp its weapons, can only prolong its existence! I, Yelü Yuli Yansheng, live in a chaotic world. Though I am a woman, I only seek a glorious life!" Xiao Shan felt ashamed and said, "This humble general is only eight feet tall, yet I am short-sighted, indecisive, and my spirit and vision are less than a tenth of the princess's!" The princess of Shu looked at Hongquan Mountain and said, "Back then, the Liao Dynasty had a million soldiers and possessed a vast territory. But in just a few short years, the Tokyo Circuit was trapped in a corner, and the Shangjing Circuit was on the verge of collapse. The century-old foundation of our ancestors is like a flickering candle in the wind and rain, unlikely to burn brightly any longer!"

Xiao Shanbie, his earlier worries gone, now blazed with fighting spirit. He shouted, "All soldiers, heed my command! Charge!" In an instant, the nine thousand troops, except for a thousand palace guards protecting the Shu princess, surged forward. A quarter of an hour later, close combat ensued. The Jurchens, taking advantage of the terrain, rained down arrows. The Liao army's offensive faltered, and the cowardly fled. The Shu princess, seemingly anticipating this, ordered her guards, "Those who desert will be executed without mercy!" The guard commander drew his sword and, in the blink of an eye, beheaded more than twenty men. The deserters, terrified, had no choice but to turn and charge again. Although the Jurchens held the terrain, the slopes of Hongquan Mountain were gentle, and the Liao army, with its numerical superiority, gradually seized the initiative on the battlefield.

With the battle going poorly, Wanyan Huonü returned to the rear to report to Wanyan Zhamu. However, before even reaching the main tent, she saw hundreds of women and children bathing naked in the open air amidst the sprawling hot springs. Wanyan Huonü asked her guards, "Where is the general?" The guards pointed to the springs not far away and said, "The general is bathing." Wanyan Huonü's expression changed drastically. She quickly went to Wanyan Zhamu and said, "The Liao army is going crazy, and the defenses are about to break. Why would the general be in the mood to bathe with women?" Wanyan Zhamu smiled slightly, not answering immediately, but slowly emerging from the water and calling out, "Put on your armor!" The guards beside her, upon receiving the order, quickly brought her armor. After Wanyan Zhamu finished donning her armor, she slowly said, "Have you ever seen the magnificent sight of hundreds of women bathing at the same time?" Wanyan Huonu, preoccupied with the front lines, impatiently replied, "Such extravagant and licentious behavior is beneath the notice of Jurchen men!" Wanyan Zhamu, knowing Wanyan Huonu didn't understand the meaning behind her words, said, "If I were to leave these hundreds of naked beauties to the Liao army, what do you think the reaction of those soldiers who fought to the death would be?" Wanyan Huonu was speechless, unable to answer for a moment. After a long while, she slowly spoke, saying, "Is this why the general left behind over three hundred women and children?" Wanyan Zhamu shook her head, saying, "The soldiers are fighting on the front lines; they need women to spice up their lives. As for leaving them naked to wait for the Liao army, it was just a spur-of-the-moment decision!"

Wanyan Huonü was still utterly shocked. She said, "The Palace Guard is the main force of the Liao army and also the confidants of the Shu princess. They are charging ahead. With just a little guidance, they can surely reach this place first. At that time, our army will retreat without a fight, and the Palace Guard will surely rape women." Wanyan Zhamu, now fully armed, nodded with great satisfaction and said, "The Liao army has the courage to attack us because the killings outside Liaoyang have aroused their hatred for us. To deal with a common enemy, the Palace Guard and the Jianzu Camp are fighting side by side. This is the Shu princess's plan, and it is also her brilliance. But if allies fighting side by side start raping their own women in the blink of an eye, the Jianzu Camp's hatred for the Palace Guard will probably be no less than ours!" Only now did Wanyan Huonü feel that she finally fully understood her general's intentions. She said, "Therefore, although the general has three thousand elite soldiers, one in a hundred,..." "But she consistently avoids direct combat with the Liao army, precisely to completely divide the Palace Guard and the Jianzu Battalion?" Wanyan Zhamu nodded and said, "The Palace Guard numbers 10,000, and the Jianzu Battalion 20,000. This is the Shu princess's way of maintaining balance to prevent any one force from becoming too powerful. This approach seems meticulous and thorough, but in reality, it has enormous drawbacks. If we successfully provoke hatred between the Palace Guard and the Jianzu Battalion, and they clash directly, at best both will be severely damaged, and at worst, both will perish. If the Shu princess has enough prestige to stop the clash between the Palace Guard and the Jianzu Battalion, this matter will certainly not be left unresolved; the Shu princess must make a choice, but both her left and right arms are indispensable. How will she decide?" Wanyan Huonv admired her general's wisdom even more and replied, "No matter what the Shu princess chooses, the Liao army will be severely weakened!" Wanyan Zhamu was very pleased and said, "Pass on my order: withdraw from Hongquan Mountain in half an hour!"

The Shu princess's army attacked from the west of Hongquan Mountain, while Wanyan Zhamu led her troops to retreat from the east. Wang Hao and Gao Que hid in the southern mountains. Smoke and fire rose from the foot of Hongquan Mountain, the sounds of battle deafening. Gao Que, worried about the situation, urged, "Our army is just ahead. Please, Young Master Wang, come with me to the main camp!" Wang Hao shook his head without hesitation, saying, "The outcome is uncertain. Rushing to join them might draw us into the battle!" Gao Que, exasperated, said, "Soldiers report that two thousand cavalry from the palace have set out. Do you know what this means, Young Master Wang?" Wang Hao shook his head, saying, "I don't know!" Gao Que said coldly, "This means Her Highness the Princess is personally leading the campaign!" Wang Hao was slightly surprised, saying, "The princess's personal presence will likely lead to a fierce battle. It would be best if we waited and observed!" Gao Que, having spent many days with Wang Hao and knowing his temperament, stopped trying to persuade him and said directly, "I apologize for this final journey!" Wang Hao remained unmoved, saying, "Farewell, Chief Secretary Gao!"

After Gao Que and his men left, Wang Hao summoned Xiong Pi and asked, "Is there a path leading to Red Spring Mountain?" Xiong Pi replied, "Yes, but it's unsuitable for horses!" Wang Hao looked at Yang Zhi and Cao Hong and said, "Leave three adults to look after the children; the rest of you come with me to Red Spring Mountain!" The path was narrow and extremely muddy, with dense, side branches making it difficult to walk upright. The journey of less than five li took Wang Hao and his men nearly an hour. When they passed through the last thicket of bushes, the misty hot springs came into view. Because Wang Hao was on higher ground, he had a clear view of the entire battlefield. A moment later, Yang Zhi frowned and said, "The Khitans are advancing triumphantly, while the Jurchens are retreating steadily, yet almost all the corpses on the battlefield are Khitans. This is truly strange!" Upon hearing this, Wang Hao said, "The Jurchens must be setting a trap! We must descend the mountain immediately and hide nearby. Without my orders, no one is to reveal their whereabouts!" Whether it was Xiong Pi and the other Liaodong Han Chinese or Morigen and the other Mongols, they were all skilled hunters; the mountains and grasslands were their best camouflage. As the Jurchens retreated and the Khitans followed, Wang Hao and his group reached the edge of the hot springs. However, in this brief lull between the two armies, Wang Hao was astonished to see countless naked women bathing. If it weren't for the deafening shouts of battle, anyone who rashly entered this place would surely have thought they had arrived in paradise!

Yang Zhi looked embarrassed and said, "This place is really strange!" Wang Hao glanced at everyone and said sternly, "Everyone, be on your guard! Anyone who dares to assault a woman will be killed without mercy!" After a pause, he continued, "After the war, everyone will be rewarded with ten taels of silver and given three days of leave!" None of the people present were particularly wicked, and with Wang Hao's clear attitude, no one dared to break the law.

The palace army moved with incredible speed, arriving at the hot springs in a short time. However, instead of fierce Jurchen soldiers, they found naked young women and brides amidst the swirling mist. The reason none of the women in the springs had escaped was that the Jurchens had already burned all their clothes. The sounds of battle cries filled the air, and the women, unable to cover their private parts, were trapped in the water. A centurion of the palace army approached the spring, leering at the women in the water, and asked, "Where do you come from, and why are you bathing here?" Seeing the questioner's ill intentions, the women screamed, but no one answered. The centurion feigned anger, shouting, "The women in the water are Jurchen spies! I, the general, will interrogate them myself!" With that, the soldiers behind him forcibly dragged six women from the first hot spring pool. The six women, their arms bound by twelve soldiers, were forced to kneel before the centurion. The centurion was extremely pleased with himself. He looked at the soldiers behind him and shouted, "What are you all waiting for? Aren't so many women enough for us to enjoy?" The soldiers threw down their weapons and cheered as they rushed towards the other hot spring pools, ready to enjoy the women in the water.