The Mongolian army camped in their main tent.
“Khan, we just received news,” a middle-aged man in the attire of a Great Zhou scholar, his face grave, said inside the main tent. “The Great Zhou Emperor plans to pursue our retreating forces with his cavalry, aiming to cut off parts of our army.”
The Mongolian Khan, seated on his throne, holding a piece of mutton, put down the small knife in his hand and looked up at the middle-aged man.
“Is this information reliable?”
They had been able to march all the way to the outskirts of the Great Zhou capital, thanks to someone providing them with inside information, allowing them to anticipate the Great Zhou army’s various arrangements.
Even as they attacked the Great Zhou capital, people continued to provide them with information and assistance from within.
Unfortunately, their men had missed a crucial opportunity.
Their best chance had been at the collapsed city wall near Xizhi Gate.
Just when he thought they could charge in and plunder, a horde of soldiers clad in black iron armor rushed out.
They slaughtered his valiant warriors, leaving them in a rout.
They had tried various methods to break through the enemy's defenses, but to no avail.
They could only deploy troops to continue besieging the capital while plundering the surrounding areas.
The outskirts of the Great Zhou capital were dotted with various estates, storing vast amounts of grain and exquisite goods.
This was enough for them to celebrate a prosperous New Year upon their return.
Upon hearing about the Great Zhou cavalry pursuit, the Mongolian Khan had another plan in mind.
He coveted the weapons and armor of the Great Zhou cavalry.
In the battle outside Xuanfu, the captured weapons and armor were divided six parts for the Jurchen and four parts for the Mongols.
That battle had also revealed the Jurchen’s terrifying strength.
They surpassed the Mongols in both fighting spirit and army organization.
The Jurchen were destined to be their greatest rivals.
Of course, they shared a common enemy—the Great Zhou dynasty.
Though the Great Zhou dynasty had suffered a crushing defeat, its vast territory remained.
The losses they had sustained could be easily replenished with money, as long as the Great Zhou Emperor was willing to spend.
It’s often said that your enemy knows you best.
Therefore, after the battle of Xuanfu, the Mongolian Khan signed a mutual assistance agreement with the Jurchen.
From that day forward, they would be firm allies.
If the Great Zhou attacked the Mongols, the Jurchen would attack the Great Zhou from Liaodong.
Similarly, if the Great Zhou attacked Liaodong, the Mongols would capture the Kou Pass.
Their goal was to ensure the Great Zhou could never focus its full force on one front.
However, alliances depended on both sides having comparable strength. If the Mongols weakened, the Khan was certain the Jurchen would ruthlessly annex them.
The eastern territories of Mongolia bordered those of the Jurchen, and the two sides had clashed over land disputes just a few years ago.
If he could capture the Great Zhou cavalry pursuing them and seize their weapons and armor, his personal guard cavalry would reach a whole new level.
The middle-aged man said respectfully, "The person who delivered this message is the same one who relayed information from Xuanfu."
"Good!"
The Mongolian Khan laughed. "Go, summon all the cavalry commanders. Didn't the Great Zhou have a proverb, 'A meat bun chasing a dog - there's no coming back?'
We'll let the Great Zhou Emperor feel the same way!"
Soon, all the cavalry commanders gathered at the Mongolian camp.
After over an hour of discussions, the cavalry commanders returned to their respective camps.
A short while later, a vast force of elite Mongolian cavalry assembled, wearing the armor and leather armor of the Great Zhou.
The leather armor produced by the Mongols simply couldn't compare to the quality of the Great Zhou’s. It was like picking something up from a trash heap.
A large contingent of Great Zhou troops had already assembled around the capital, and some more aggressive units had clashed with the Mongols on the outskirts.
This forced the Mongolian army to withdraw ahead of schedule.
The troops transporting vital supplies had already begun retreating towards Zijin Pass.
Jia Yu, standing at the breached city gate, saw the Mongol army retreating. He rode out alone, observing the enemy situation at a distance of about 300 meters from their camp.
He was strong, but that didn’t mean he was invincible.
Due to the numerous tents obscuring his view, he couldn't see into their camp, but a deep sense of unease grew within him.
It seemed as if the Mongolian army had a trick up their sleeve.
This feeling of unease was unsettling.
Upon returning to the capital, Jia Yu contemplated for a moment before altering his strategy.
The Three Thousand Camp cavalry, numbering 2,500, each with three horses.
They wore leather armor, wielded bows and arrows, and carried crossbows at their waists.
Each soldier carried a generous supply of arrows.
The Xuanjia Iron Cavalry, clad in black iron armor, wielded hidden weapons and also carried bows and crossbows at their waists.
The Three Thousand Camp cavalry had been stationed beside Jia Yu two days earlier.
Initially, they were quite defiant. While they knew the young man before them was the grandson of the Duke of Rongguo, some veteran soldiers among them had even met the Duke of Rongguo.
They respected Jia Yu's identity, but they didn't trust his abilities or his martial prowess.
Then they saw Jia Yu charging into the Mongol ranks, leading the charge and slaying countless enemies.
Or he would ride his horse alone into the enemy formation, cutting a bloody path through the enemy ranks.
They finally acknowledged his strength.
Liu Gonggong rode a warhorse beside him, his heart filled with excitement.
Despite being a eunuch, his patriotic spirit was no less than anyone else.
As Jia Yu's banner slowly rose, the entire cavalry force fell silent.
They were initially supposed to depart from Xibian Gate, but Jia Yu later chose Guangning Gate instead.
There was another contingent of cavalry stationed at Xibian Gate...