The Cold Door Hero

Summary

Nan Li Tu, commander of the Southern Li Division, faced a sudden attack from the Song army, which he had not anticipated. Despite his initial regrets about his strategic decisions, he ordered his troops to fire arrows at the advancing enemy. The Song soldiers retaliated with crossbows, leading to a fierce skirmish at the stockade gate, where Cao Meng's battalion suffered casualties from rolling logs designed to defend the gate. After a failed initial assault, Cao Meng sought another chance to attack, promising to accept demotion if they failed again. With a new strategy in place, Cao Meng led his troops in a triangular formation to mitigate the logs' impact and successfully breached the gate. The Song soldiers poured in, overwhelming the Qiang defenders and killing their leader, Nan Li Tu, in the ensuing chaos. Li Yan Qing, the overall commander, allowed the soldiers to engage in the massacre, aiming to give them battle experience. After the victory, they captured a thousand warhorses, which excited the troops. Li Yan Qing chose to reward Cao Meng with the best horse, acknowledging his bravery. As dawn broke, Li Yan Qing planned a feigned attack on the Yangwazi Qiang stockade, anticipating that the Qiang cavalry would return to defend it. Meanwhile, the Wild Horse Division, led by Nan Li Wei, anticipated the Song army's movements and decided to attack their main camp. Cao Xing remained behind to defend the camp, successfully thwarting Qiang attempts to set it ablaze. However, after a prolonged siege, the Qiang cavalry withdrew, only to later receive alarming smoke signals indicating that the Song army was attacking their stronghold. In a panic, Nan Li Wei ordered his troops to return and defend their families and home.

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