The army formed a defensive line while civilian workers dug trenches behind them.
Everyone understood that keeping the Liao soldiers outside the first ice wall was crucial.
Jiā Qì watched intently at the Eastern Capital City, seeing the dense smoke and deafening sounds of battle from afar.
A scout reported that the battle in the east was extremely fierce, and Cloud Zhēng's heavy cavalry had all been wiped out.
Jiā Qì knew Vān Dǎ Huī would likely focus his breakout efforts on the east side, not due to any personal judgment, but because of the city’s topography.
The Western Capital City was situated on a gentle slope, higher in the west and lower in the east, making it difficult for heavy siege weapons like catapults to be effective there.
Now, destroying Liao's catapults was the most pressing task.
Otherwise, those catapults would pose a significant threat to the Song army.
Knowing that Cloud Zhēng’s side faced dire circumstances, Jiā Qì could not leave his post to help.
His primary mission was to secure the western part of the city and prevent Vān Dǎ Huī from retreating into the grasslands.
The battle in the east would be resolved by the commander.
Jiā Qì's assessment proved correct.
As the battle on Cloud Zhēng’s side slowly diminished, few soldiers were left standing on the battlefield.
Both Cloud Zhēng and Vān Dǎ Huī seemed to act with a surprising level of coordination;neither side sent in more reinforcements.
After the Song troops secured the decisive victory, Cloud Zhēng ordered the advance drum beaten, while Vān Dǎ Huī sounded the retreat gong, and the Song army retreated behind the first ice wall for another night.
Unarmed soldiers from both sides combed through the battlefield, with Song soldiers gathering their fallen comrades’ heavy cavalry.
Meanwhile, Liao soldiers also ventured behind the first ice wall to retrieve their own dead.
At this moment, both sides gave each other necessary aid, but only after removing their armor and weapons as spoils of war.
As Song soldiers carefully removed the heavy cavalry’s armor from their deceased brothers-in-arms, they carried them back to their camps.
Outside the main tent area, covered bodies almost entirely filled the second ice wall.
Lin Chén and Wáng Ànshí wandered among them, occasionally lifting a white cloth over a fallen soldier's face, trying to tidy up the fallen heroes.
In Cloud Zhēng’s command tent, he carefully measured the terrain with a ruler and marked three high points with red ink for Su Xún.
"By tomorrow morning, the cannons must be positioned on these three high points.
Destroying Liao’s catapults is our top priority," he said.
Su Xún whispered, "Doesn’t the commander believe that paying respects to fallen soldiers should be our first priority?" Cloud Zhēng remained silent for a moment before whispering, "I cannot do that;if I did, I would find it hard to fight again." (To be continued...)