Chapter 345: The Liao Army was Defeated and Fleeing Yue Fei rode on his warhorse, facing Liao general Xiao Wori Shi, with a solemn but determined look. He took a deep breath and tried to resolve the confrontation peacefully for the last time. "General Xiao, now that the two armies have not yet engaged in battle, there is still a chance to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. I advise you to take this opportunity to lead your army out of the territory of the Song Dynasty, so that we can all avoid unnecessary sacrifices." Yue Fei's voice was calm but powerful. Upon hearing this, Xiao Wolici could not help but sneer, "Yue Fei, you are wrong. The whole world belongs to the Liao Dynasty, and your Song Dynasty only occupies a small corner of it. Moreover, your Song Dynasty army is so weak, how can it be compared with the Liao Dynasty's iron cavalry?" Yue Fei frowned slightly. He knew that peaceful persuasion was hopeless, but he remained calm and restrained. "General Xiao, since you are so stubborn, let's see who will win on the battlefield." Before he finished speaking, Yue Fei turned back to the battle formation, raised his sword high, and ordered the entire army to prepare for battle. The Song soldiers were in high spirits, lined up in an orderly manner, and waited for the next battle. Seeing this, Xiao Wulishi snorted disdainfully and immediately ordered his cavalry to charge. He confidently watched his cavalry rushing towards the Song army like an arrow from a bow, looking forward to the upcoming victory. However, things did not go as he expected. When the Liao cavalry was less than a hundred feet away from the Song army, Yue Fei did not order the cavalry to charge and fight. Xiao Wuli laughed, thinking that the Song army had been frightened and victory was just around the corner. But at this moment, suddenly, there was a deafening sound of artillery fire from the Song army. Then, artillery shells landed accurately on the charging Liao cavalry camp. People and horses fell to the ground, screams rang out one after another, and the Liao cavalry suffered heavy losses. Xiao Wulishi watched this scene in astonishment, he couldn't believe his eyes. Seeing that most of his cavalry were lost under the bombardment of artillery, he hurriedly ordered the entire army to retreat to avoid greater losses.
Yue Fei stared at the defeated Liao army with a sharp gaze. He knew that this was the critical moment to pursue the victory and that the Liao army must be completely defeated in one fell swoop to ensure the peace of the Song Dynasty's border. So he raised his sword high and ordered loudly: "Cavalry, listen to my order, follow me and kill them, leaving no one behind!" Following Yue Fei's orders, the Song cavalry rushed towards the defeated Liao army like a tiger out of its cage. The sound of horse hooves was deafening, the clash of swords made a crisp metallic sound, and the battlefield was filled with thick smoke and the smell of blood. The Liao army was thrown into complete chaos by Yue Fei's cavalry. They fled in panic, trying to avoid the pursuit of the Song cavalry. However, the cavalry led by Yue Fei was as fast as lightning and soon caught up with the fleeing Liao army. The lagging Liao soldiers struggled in fear. They were either killed or captured by the Song cavalry. The Liao flags fell down in the chaos and were trampled under the horses' hooves. Weapons and horses were abandoned on the ground. The entire battlefield seemed to have become a nightmare for the Liao army. They had nowhere to escape and could only surrender. Yue Fei rode on his warhorse, scanning the battlefield with a fierce gaze. He saw that the Liao army had been completely defeated, and a surge of pride surged in his heart. He knew that this victory was the result of the unity and bravery of the Song soldiers. He also knew that this victory would bring temporary peace to the Song border and create a better living environment for the people. At this time, Xiao Wori Shi had already fled the battlefield. He rode on his horse, galloping all the way, fleeing towards Shazhou. His heart was filled with fear and unwillingness. He could not accept that the army he led was so vulnerable in front of Yue Fei. However, the reality was cruel, and he could only choose to escape to save his life. Yue Fei was not satisfied with the initial victory. He knew that in order to truly ensure the peace of the Song Dynasty, the Liao Kingdom’s aggressive intentions must be completely defeated. So he made up his mind to accomplish his goal in one battle, so that the Liao Kingdom would never dare to spy on the territory of the Song Dynasty again. After clearing the battlefield, he decisively ordered: "The cavalry listens to my orders, follow me to chase Xiao Wori Shi, and chase him relentlessly until he surrenders!" After receiving the order, the Song cavalry immediately prepared for battle. With Yue Fei's order, they quickly chased in the direction of Xiaowolishi's escape like an arrow from a bow. Along the way, the Liao army was chased and fled everywhere, unable to organize an effective resistance. In a panic, they abandoned their weapons and horses and only cared about escaping, and the entire team was in disarray. The cavalry led by Yue Fei chased them relentlessly, running all the way. After only escaping less than 50 miles, the Liao army of 100,000 had been scattered to less than 10,000 people. These defeated soldiers struggled in fear, they had lost the will to fight, and just wanted to escape from this terrible battlefield as soon as possible. At this time, Xiao Wolishi was left with only a few personal soldiers. He looked at the scattered troops around him, and his heart was filled with despair. He could not believe that the 100,000-man army he led was defeated by Yue Fei in such a short time. He sighed to the sky, with endless regret and unwillingness in his eyes. At this time, the pursuers approached again. Xiao Woli saw the flags of the Song cavalry flying in the distance, and knew that he had no way to escape. In order to save his life, he had to make a difficult decision - surrender. He ordered the remaining soldiers to stop fleeing and raise the white flag in their hands to surrender to Yue Fei. Seeing the Liao army surrender, Yue Fei also ordered the cavalry to stop chasing and approach the Liao army with caution. Xiao Wulishi personally walked up to Yue Fei and bowed deeply to show his submission. He said: "General Yue Fei, I, Xiao Wulishi, was defeated by you today and I am convinced. I am willing to surrender." Yue Fei looked at the frustrated and exhausted Xiao Wolishi in front of him, took a deep breath, and slowly said: "General Xiao, in today's battle, you have witnessed the courage and determination of our Song soldiers. However, the Song Dynasty is not a warlike country. What we hope for is peace and prosperity, not endless fighting." Xiao Wolishi raised his head, with a hint of surprise in his eyes. He originally thought that he would be strictly guarded as a prisoner and might even face the threat of death, but he did not expect Yue Fei to say this. Yue Fei continued, "General Xiao, I can let you go. Please tell the Liao emperor that Song is willing to coexist peacefully with Liao. As long as Liao does not invade Song territory again, we can live in peace and develop together." Xiao Wuli was stunned. This proposal was totally unexpected to him. He was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly: "General Yue Fei, I remember your words. I will convey your wishes to our emperor." Yue Fei nodded, indicating that he could leave. Xiao Worizhi stood up and led the few thousand remaining soldiers around him to leave the battlefield in a panic. Their figures gradually went farther and farther, and finally disappeared in the vast desert. After watching the Liao army leave, Yue Fei returned to his tent and immediately wrote a battle report, describing in detail the course of the battle and his conversation with Xiao Wolishi. He sent a fast horse to deliver the battle report to Her Majesty Zhao Yingluo in Kaifeng.
A few days later, Empress Zhao Yingluo received Yue Fei's battle report in the palace. She read the content of the report carefully and showed a satisfied smile on her face. She knew Yue Fei's loyalty and wisdom, and also understood the importance of this victory to the Song Dynasty. Zhao Yingluo summoned important ministers to discuss the matter. She said: "As long as the Liao Kingdom agrees to our conditions and no longer invades our territory, we can withdraw our troops." The ministers expressed their agreement with the empress's decision.
