The sky-high fire spread to two mountains in less than an hour, and the entire official road and the hills and dense forests on both sides were all engulfed in flames. The flames were blazing, as if the entire mountain was burning. Flames and thick smoke filled the area within a radius of four or five miles, and the surrounding black smoke and dust fell like black snow, which was blown into the air by the hot flames and scattered on the ground within a radius of more than ten miles.

The fires even changed the local climate, and the sky was blue on a spring day when the sun was shining. But at the moment, it was gloomy and gloomy, obscured by thick smoke and fly ash, and it looked like the end was coming, which made people feel chills and palpitations.

A few miles to the west, Yalu Buhua was not able to rejoice at the opening of the official road, and he got the bad news that the road was closed by fire ahead. When he rushed to the front and reached the top of the hill, he saw two peaks burning like two flaming mountains. Seeing the terrifying scene of black ash flying in the sky and clouds of smoke, I couldn't help but be stunned, and my face was pale.

Soon after, Ali Bai led the soldiers and horses of the encirclement and suppression back in despair, and Yalu Buhua hurriedly went down the mountain to greet him and asked Ali Bai what had happened.

Alibai was in a depressed mood, sighed and recounted the experience, and Yalu Buhua was stunned for a long time after listening to it, and muttered, "So...... So we can't go? Are we stuck here? How good is that? ”

Ali Bai smacked his lips and said softly: "General, the situation is really not good, they have spent so much effort to trap us here, I dare to conclude that they must have reinforcements to come and want to annihilate us here." This is no longer speculation, it is already a sure thing. We need to react quickly. ”

Yalu Buhua didn't know what it meant to block the official road by fire, he was confused, and he spread his hands and asked, "But...... What do you say we should do now? The fire closed the road, and we couldn't walk. Brother Alibai, what can you do? ”

Alibai thought for a while and said, "I thought a lot on the way back, and at present, it seems that we only have three ways to go. I'll say it, and we'll think it together. ”

Yalu Buhua said continuously: "Say, say quickly, which three roads?" ”

Alibai muttered, "The first way is for us to stand still and wait for the fire to be extinguished. There will be a time when the fire will be extinguished, and when the fire is extinguished, the official road will be unobstructed, and we will be able to leave. But...... I am afraid that such a fire will burn for at least two days. We won't be able to pass until the ground cools, and I guess we'll be able to pass in three days. The problem is, we're going to be stuck here for three days for nothing, and that's very dangerous for us. The other side's reinforcements may already be on their way, but if the fire is extinguished and their reinforcements arrive, it will be in vain. We are about to face a siege from the other side, and that is probably not what the general wants, but the result that the other side wants. ”

Yalu Buhua waved his hand and said: "That's right, we can't delay for three days, when the fire is extinguished and the enemy's reinforcements arrive, we will be finished." This path doesn't work, it definitely doesn't work. ”

Ali Bai nodded and said, "I think so too." However, the second way is that since we can't get out of it, we simply turn back

Attack the pass, put it to death and come back to life. As long as the soldiers and horses of the Luoyan army guarding the pass are annihilated, even if the other party's reinforcements arrive, we will have a foothold. We can even occupy the magpie's nest and attack the Funiu Mountain, and oppose the guest. ”

Yalu looked at Ali Bai in a daze, and smacked his lips for a while: "Brother Ali Bai, are you joking?" Do you really think we can take the pass? How could we be so embarrassed in the first two days? If we can take the pass, why should we withdraw our troops? ”

Ali Bai nodded with a wry smile and sighed, "I don't know, but this is indeed a choice for us. Rather than being trapped here, it's better to fight to the death. Of course, I also understand what the general said, and I don't dare to predict the outcome now. Perhaps attacking the pass at this moment is self-defeating, and it is not a suitable plan at all. ”

Yalu Buhua nodded and said, "What about the third way?" ”

Ali Bai said: "The third way...... Not...... Although the official road ahead was blocked by fire, people and horses could not pass. However, in addition to taking the official road, there is another way out of the mountain. Although there are many undulating hills around here, they are not too steep peaks that can be climbed. We can abandon the official road and take a detour. Twenty or thirty miles to the northeast, this mountain area will be out of this mountainous area, and it can be regarded as jumping out of the other party's encirclement. I figured we could climb these hills in a day. This can get us out of this place sooner rather than later. ”

Yalu Buhua was surprised: "You mean to go out over the mountains?" This...... This...... Our war horses can't climb such a mountain. Unless it's abandoning the mount. But in that case...... Then all the horses will be discarded. Our cavalry became infantry. This...... Is it all right? ”

Ali Bai smacked his lips and said, "Yes, I also think it's inappropriate, but I don't know what to do?" These are the three paths I can think of at the moment. Yalu doesn't spend the general, do you have any way? I might as well say it too, and I'll take a closer look at it. ”

It didn't take him a moment to think about it, and he finally admitted that there seemed to be no other choice than these three paths. The first solution obviously doesn't work, and waiting for three days is too dangerous. Three days is enough time for soldiers and horses from a hundred miles away to rush here, which is equivalent to sitting and waiting to die. Counterattacking the pass may sound like a solution, regardless of victory or defeat, this method will be desperate unless there is no choice. But that doesn't seem to be the case. Because, although the third option is very unwilling, and it is indeed unacceptable to abandon the horse, it is a way to escape. It only takes one day to climb over the mountains and reach the mountains. If you travel less than thirty miles, you will reach Ye County, and you will be completely safe.

After much consideration, Yalu finally made a decision. There is nothing more important than saving your life. If the war horses are gone, they can be requisitioned for training, but if the more than 50,000 Jurchen soldiers are gone, then there will be nothing. People are much more important than horses. In such a situation, decisive decisions are needed, and there is no need to hesitate any longer.

"Brother Alibai, I decide.

Let's immediately abandon the baggage of the war horse and travel lightly over the mountain. If we are all trapped here and surrounded by the enemy, that will be the biggest loss. Protecting these more than 50,000 brothers is a top priority, what do you think? Yalu said in a deep voice.

Ali Bai said softly: "Actually...... I'm inclined to turn around and counterattack the pass. Although it is very risky, it brings the greatest benefits. ”

Yalu frowned and said: "You are the one who said that the troops were withdrawn, and it was you who said that you turned back to attack the pass, Brother Alibai, what do you think?" One will say that it can't be beaten, and the other will say that it can be beaten. What do you call me to choose? ”

Ali Bai said: "At this time and that time, isn't there no way out now?" Therefore, it is a good idea to turn back and counterattack. ”

Yalu said without dissatisfaction: "You can go out of the mountain, how can you call it no way out?" Brother Alibai, what are you talking about? Wouldn't it be good for us to go out of the mountain right away? What is it to abandon the baggage of horses? Isn't it the best thing for you and me to go back alive, and my brothers to go back alive? ”

Ali Bai opened his mouth, unable to refute. The idea was brought up by oneself, and one could not slap oneself in the mouth. But in fact, Alibai was very uneasy in his heart, this third way seemed feasible, but the price paid was huge. Is a cavalryman who has lost his mount still called a cavalry?

"In that case, follow the general's orders. But what about horses and baggage? You can't stay here and cheapen the enemy. Ali Bai said in a deep voice.

Yalu Buhua gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice: "All the horses were killed, and all the baggage was burned." Each person carries part of the ration and water, and discards the rest. ”

After the order was given, the entire Jurchen army exploded. Baggage and other things are also counted, but the war horse is their partner. Most of the horses were trained by the soldiers themselves, and they became the mounts they are today, so they can communicate with each other in battle. Now the general is going to give the order to kill his own horses, which is really difficult for them to accept.

However, Yaru did not give the order to die, and rejected the soldiers' request that the horses be driven into the mountains and left to their own devices. In order to let the soldiers understand that this order was indescribable, Yalu Buhua led his precious war horse named Caoshangfei to the hillside in front of all the soldiers. After caressing the top of the horse's head a few times, Yalu Buhua gritted his teeth and raised his mace to smash the head of the war horse, and slaughtered the war horse that had followed him for ten years with his own hands.

The soldiers were helpless, and they knew in their hearts that this was also a helpless move. The crowd howled as if they were mourning, but in the end they had to lead their horses to the side of the hillside and ravine to slaughter and then push them into the valley. For a time, the mournful screams of war horses on the entire official road resounded through the world, and the corpses of war horses were everywhere in the ravines and valleys, and the blood flowed like rivers, which was unbearable.

After that, the Jurchens piled up all the baggage, tents, carts, grain and other materials together and set them on fire. In the afternoon, all the soldiers carried only a bag of rations and a bag of water, and began to break through the mountains and mountains.