Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 401 A Long March In (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"Kill! Kill! Kill..."

In August of the seventh year of the Xiantong era, news spread that Huang Chao had defeated the Wei Bo troops south of Jiyin City, causing a stir throughout Henan Province.

He Quanhao led the Weibo army to rest and recuperate in Chuqiu without making any moves, while Huang Chao rested in Caozhou for ten days before leading his army to detour south through Chuqiu and head straight for Huainan.

Wherever the army passed, it was like a black tide rolling in, leaving thousands of miles of scorched earth. Countless bandits, refugees, and starving people flocked to Huang Chao's southward-bound troops.

At first, only a few bandits and pirates brought starving people to seek refuge, but as Huang Chao's army grew larger and larger, when the red flag embroidered with "Governor of Longyou" was raised, the refugees throughout Henan Province went mad...

Starving slaves smashed their shackles, salt smugglers in the mountain shacks picked up machetes, and even refugees scavenging for food in the mountains put on red scarves and followed the flag southward.

Huang Chao led his army south, passing through Bianzhou, Caizhou, and Yingzhou, gathering more than 200,000 followers and capturing thirteen counties in succession, shaking the court and the public...

The officials and soldiers of Huainan Circuit tried to stop them, but Huang Chao had already led tens of thousands of armored soldiers and tens of thousands of refugees as the vanguard, riding on boats to attack Huainan.

The eyes of the countless refugees, brandishing wooden guns, held no fear, only two burning flames of anger.

In early September, Huang Chao led his army into Huainan Road. The government troops, fearing the large number of rebels and hearing that Huang Chao was personally leading a large army to attack, fled overnight.

Huang Chao led his army to destroy all the city defenses of the Huainan army, looted and transported away the stockpiled supplies and grain, and issued a proclamation entitled "Punish the Huainan Bandits" to the entire Huainan region.

In his manifesto, he boasted extensively about his victories against the Wei Bo and Huainan armies, and slandered the government troops in the Huainan region as "traitors who bring disaster to the country and the people."

The refugees from Huainan flocked to him, and the refugees under his command all called him "King Huang".

"Bastard! Bastard! Bastard!!"

In mid-September, as the autumn rains in the north finally ended and the harvest was just around the corner, Li Cui in Xianning Palace became increasingly agitated as he looked at the urgent memorials arriving one after another, a series of bad news.

In Xianning Palace, faced with Li Cui's outburst, the officials of the Southern and Northern Offices all kept silent.

Only when Li Cui looked at them did they have to pretend to be focused.

"Who can tell me why the various towns in the Central Plains fear Huang Chao as if he were a tiger, and why they have been unable to subdue these bandits for so long!"

Li Cui's problem is not complicated. Huang Chao was able to run rampant in the Central Plains mainly because the troops from various towns in the Central Plains were transferred to Longyou and Qilu.

There were no soldiers in the Central Plains, and the troops in each town were barely able to defend themselves and were completely powerless to launch an attack.

Fortunately, Huang Chao abandoned Caozhou and other provinces in Henan and headed straight for Huainan, where the forces were greater than those in the north.

"Your Majesty, I suggest that troops be dispatched from both the eastern and western routes of Jiangnan to quell Huang Chao's rebellion. Furthermore, I recommend that Liu Zhan, the military governor of Xuanwu, intensify the training of new soldiers, and that He Quanhao, the military governor of Weibo, lead his army south to quell the rebellions of Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao as soon as possible!"

Xu Shang spoke respectfully, but Lu Yan asked, "Can Weibo still fight?"

Lu Yan's question left Xu Shang speechless. After all, Weibo had been peaceful for many years, yet this time Huang Chao's army had sneaked up on their camp without them even realizing it, and they were caught off guard by a surprise attack.

Judging from Wei Bozhen's current performance, it's not an exaggeration to say that he's an expert at internal power struggles but a novice at external ones.

"What does Prime Minister Lu think we should do?" Xu Shang asked Lu Yan in return. Upon seeing this, Lu Yan looked at Li Cui and respectfully bowed, saying:

"Your Majesty, I have heard that after the court pacified the Shatuo tribe last time, the Shatuo leader Zhu Xiechixin was granted the surname Li and named Guozhong. He is grateful to Your Majesty and is extremely loyal to the court."

"It is also said that he renamed his son Zhu Xieyisheng as Li Keyong and ordered him to return to Daibei to recruit more than 3,000 soldiers to march south."

"In my opinion, although the Shatuo's performance in Longyou was not satisfactory, it was entirely due to Liu Jilong's large army and many generals."

"How about we send Li Guochang and his son to Heyang with their elite cavalry, open the Heyang armory to equip them with weapons, and then transfer them to Liu Zhan's command, with Liu Zhan as the leader, to lead the army to attack the two traitors Huang Chao and Wang Xianzhi?"

The elite cavalry of the Dangxiang, Shatuo, Shuofang, and Shence were originally troops on which the court placed high hopes, but they were all annihilated or severely damaged by Liu Jilong in just one month.

The Shence Army, Shuofang, and Dangxiang tribes are gone. The Shatuo have been defeated in Longyou, so even if they are transferred to the front lines, they will hardly be able to achieve anything. It would be better to transfer them to the Central Plains battlefield to suppress the bandits.

"Agreed!" Li Cui agreed without hesitation, and Lu Yan respectfully withdrew upon seeing this.

At the same time, Zheng Tian, ​​the Vice Minister of War, stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "Your Majesty, the autumn rains have stopped, and the rebels in Longyou will surely make a move."

"Right now, we should order the troops of Xichuan, Dongchuan, Shannan West Road and Li Shijun of Jingyuan to launch a strong attack on Longyou, seize the six prefectures of Xichuan and the four passes of Longshan, and then use Wang Shaobao's more than 60,000 troops to contain Liu Jilong's main force."

"There is still a month before winter. If our army fails to achieve victory before winter, Liu Jilong will surely lead his troops to counterattack. At that time, Qin Prefecture will be in danger, and the remaining two passes of Longshan will probably be lost as well..."

Zheng Tian's judgment was correct, and Li Cui also found it to be very reasonable. Therefore, he couldn't help but look at Xu Shang and ask, "What does Prime Minister Xu think?"

"I believe that what Minister Zheng said is very correct. Right now, the government troops must seize back the four passes of Longshan and the six prefectures of Jiannan before winter."

"Even if Qin Prefecture is lost, Longshan can still be relied upon for defense, so it will not shake Guanzhong."

"Alright!" Li Cui couldn't think of any better solution, so he could only nod and say, "In that case, let's proceed as Minister Zheng and Prime Minister Xu have suggested!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he stood up and walked down the golden platform. The officials bowed and saluted, and waited for him to enter the side hall before they withdrew from Xianning Palace.

An hour later, countless fast horses galloped out of Chang'an.

As the autumn rains ended, the sun shone brightly again in the north, but this time the sun seemed even more scorching than in previous years.

In just two or three days, the muddy roads in Longyou were dried by the sun, and before the fast horses sent by Chang'an could reach the front line, Liu Jilong could no longer wait.

"Susu..."

On the tenth day of the ninth lunar month, a three-zhang-high earthen mound was erected in the military camp outside Longxi County at some unknown time.

As the sound of armor plates being struck rang out, Liu Jilong walked step by step onto the platform, followed by Gao Jinda and Cui Shu.

In a few breaths, the three of them walked up to the platform, which was three zhang long and three zhang wide at the top, and in front of them was a training ground covering hundreds of acres.

In the bleak autumn air, Liu Jilong raised his hand and pressed down on the hilt of his sword. In the distance were farmers working outside Longxi City, and at his feet stood ten thousand soldiers, their iron armor gleaming coldly.

Fifteen thousand veteran soldiers from Longyou were fully armed and ready to go, their spears forming a dense, dark mass stretching towards the sky.

As the north wind swept by, hundreds of banners suddenly billowed, their fluttering sound like thunder rolling across the drill ground. Liu Jilong's red cloak danced wildly in the wind, like a burning ember.

"Sacrifice the flag—"

As the generals below the stage sang, Gao Jinda brought over a copper basin filled with the blood of five kinds of animals, while Cui Shu brought over strong liquor, waiting for Liu Jilong to make his move.

Liu Jilong remained calm and composed as he drew his sword, slashed his palm, poured the blood into strong liquor, and drank it all in one gulp.

Gao Jinda then lifted the copper basin filled with the blood of five kinds of animals and poured it onto the audience below.

Blood splattered across the high platform, and the strong stench of blood sent a chill down the spines of the soldiers in the front ranks.

"Kill! Kill! Kill..."

A tsunami of shouts erupted from below the stage. The soldiers' quivers bounced, the horses' hooves pawed the ground, and all the spear tips tilted eastward, as if the entire earth was slowly being lifted up.

Liu Jilong took one last look at the distant Longyou region, then raised his sword and shouted, "Let's go!!"

Under his command, five thousand cavalry and infantry, along with ten thousand veteran soldiers, began to march out of the camp in an orderly manner.

Liu Jilong stepped down from the platform, mounted his horse, and Gao Jinda did the same.

"Cui Shu, I'm leaving the household to you!"

"Rest assured, General!"

As soon as Liu Jilong finished speaking, Cui Shu quickly bowed.

Before he could even look up, Liu Jilong turned his horse around and galloped out of the camp.

Gao Jinda followed closely behind, and the two of them walked out of the camp with the army. What they saw were countless horse-drawn carts for the soldiers to ride in.

Last night, Liu Jilong issued a military order that soldiers should not remove their armor or horses' saddles until victory is achieved.

Liu Jilong requisitioned all the draft horses in Weizhou, and more than 5,000 horse-drawn carts were provided to ensure that the infantry could rest and recuperate during their march.

All the supplies and laborers had been moved to the front pass a few days in advance. At this time, Liu Jilong's task was to lead his army to the pass, recapture the first pass, and take Wushan County and Fuqiang County.

Has any news come from Sanyangchuan?

On horseback, Liu Jilong calmly asked Gao Jinda, who immediately replied:
“Three thousand infantrymen in the north are holding the three passes, and Hu Siguang is leading two thousand cavalry and infantry to garrison Gaoshanzui. Although Li Chengxun has an army of twenty-eight thousand, he dares not say that he can easily take the three passes.”

“Old soldiers from the southern Shuofang region have been transferred in, and An Pohu has 4,000 elite cavalry and 2,000 infantry and cavalry.”

“Wang Shi made several attempts to test the waters, but An Pohu defused them all. An Pohu is even more thoughtful and meticulous than you think.”

"In addition, there are two thousand veteran soldiers under Zhang Wu's command at the original Gudao Shibao site. As long as our army captures the fortress and advances into Wushan County, Zhang Wu can lead 1,500 troops to join the battle for Wushan County."

"Wang Duo attacked Chengzhou from the south, but was ambushed by Chen Jingchong and Geng Ming at Qingyang Gorge, resulting in nearly a thousand casualties."

"However, Wang Duo was also a calm and composed man. Although he was in a panic at the time, he immediately stabilized the army and led it to retreat to Longmen Town in the south."

"Shang Duoluo and Zhang Chang are quite disciplined, continuing to hold their positions at the passes and relying on them to fight the enemy."

"Cao Mao in the north also led his newly trained light cavalry to harass Yanzhou several times, and the remnants of the Shuofang Army in Yanzhou could not bear the harassment."

With Gao Jinda's explanation, the entire situation of the western battlefield appeared before Liu Jilong's eyes like a map.

As it turns out, being good with words is useless. At least in the current situation, Zhang Chang, Shang Duoluo, Cuo Ben, and Li Ji, who are usually eloquent, have neither merit nor demerit.

In contrast to them, it was the usually calm and collected Chen Jingchong and Geng Ming who took the initiative and thwarted the invasion of the Shannan West Circuit troops.

Although Cao Mao's performance in the previous Shuofang campaign was somewhat lacking, this was, after all, his first time leading troops into battle alone.

Having learned his lesson, he now knew how to command the three armies independently, and his performance was commendable.

Overall, Shang Duoluo and others performed even worse than the up-and-coming newcomer An Pohu and Zhang Wu, who withstood two months of strong attacks by government troops at Gudao Shibao.

"After this incident, it's time to make some changes to the positions..."

Liu Jilong was thinking to himself, and at this moment his troops arrived at the water gate on the north bank of the Wei River.

The water gate is more than ten zhang long from east to west and three zhang high, with the passageway alone being two zhang high.

As the gate opened, the passageway revealed the surging Wei River flowing eastward, and the iron chain bridge spanning the river.

The iron chain bridge is 46 zhang long, with 30 zhang above the water. It is 1 zhang and 4 chi wide and is constructed with 16 iron chains and wooden planks fixed in place by iron grooves.

Under Liu Jilong's command, the Longyou army began crossing the river in regiments.

The captains, brigade commanders, squad leaders, and platoon leaders were all quite capable, and they quickly directed regiment after regiment to cross the iron chain bridge.

The entire army passed through in just over half an hour.

The army entered the water gate on the south bank and then marched eastward along the Wei River.

An hour later, the army passed through the third pass and arrived at the second pass.

Behind the second pass lies the terrain of Xiachang, where more than 20,000 laborers have already set up their cooking pots and prepared meals. Liu Jilong's first military order after arriving with his army was to order the three armies to rest and eat.

The second pass was only ten miles away from the first pass, and Liu Jilong planned to take back the first pass in one fell swoop.

Therefore, after the soldiers had rested and eaten their fill, Liu Jilong continued to order the army and laborers to advance beyond the pass.

The wind was strong in the Wei River Valley, making everyone's robes flutter and their banners wave.

Fifteen thousand veteran soldiers were the first to leave the pass, and the terrain ahead became more open. The government troops and cavalry in the distance also noticed their departure and quickly turned their horses around to retreat towards the first pass.

"No need to chase after him, it's fine to let him go and report!"

Many generals attempted to pursue, but Liu Jilong stopped them all.

His gaze fell upon the wide river valley ahead, where a vast plain carved out by the Wei River unfolded before him.

These plains have been developed into military farms by Longyou, and are currently covered with millet and wheat, which will be fully ripe in a few days.

Liu Jilong launched a surprise attack on the first pass in order to save these thousands of acres of crops.

"Mounts and infantry shall charge out at full speed and launch a surprise attack on the first fortress, preventing them from having the opportunity to harvest and burn the grain!"

"The last general takes command!"

At Liu Jilong's command, the five thousand cavalry and infantry who had already left the pass galloped away under the leadership of two captains.

For the cavalry and infantry rushing on their way, a ten-mile journey was only a quarter of an hour.

Even if the government troops wanted to burn the crops, they wouldn't be able to damage many crops. All the crops in this valley would be harvested by the laborers behind the army and made into military rations, which would eventually end up in the stomachs of the soldiers in Longyou.

"Beep--"

"Beep--"

The piercing whistles echoed continuously in the valley. The well-prepared government troops immediately removed the barricades, threw tar and torches into the fertile fields inside the pass.

As the fire raged, the sentry cavalrymen rushed into the city gate and its passageway.

After Tangqi returned to the pass, five thousand Longyou cavalry and infantrymen rushed to this place.

Faced with the raging fire, the two captains did not panic. Instead, they divided the army into two groups: one group of three thousand men began to harvest grain and dig firebreaks, while the other group of two thousand men remained vigilant at the passes to prevent a surprise attack by government troops.

Under the astonished gazes of the government troops, the five thousand veteran soldiers from Longyou worked swiftly, harvesting and digging firebreaks in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. The fire in the fields gradually died down, and the amount of grain destroyed was extremely limited.

Half an hour later, Liu Jilong led his troops to the first pass, which had already been reorganized by the government troops.

The ramparts leading to the inner city were completely destroyed, turning the inner city into the outer city.

Originally intended to protect Longxi, the pass became an enemy pass that hindered the Longyou army.

"Speed ​​is of the essence in war, attack the city immediately!"

With just a few glances, Liu Jilong was able to determine the approximate number of troops guarding the pass.

Compared to the elite cavalry and infantry of the Dangxiang, Shatuo, Shuofang, and Shence armies in the Battle of Shuofang, the performance of the officers and soldiers under Wang Shi's command was undoubtedly worse.

When Liu Jilong gave the order, the laborers immediately began to remove the timber from the supply wagons and set up engineering equipment such as the Lu Gong cart, catapult, battering ram, well siege engine, and cloud siege engine on the spot.

This is, after all, the inner pass, without the protection of a moat, so we can attack the city walls directly without too much worry.

Liu Jilong was preparing to attack, while the garrison commander of this pass hurriedly sent a fast horse to Wushan County to request reinforcements.

This pass is only about 20 li away from Wushan County. At a gallop of a fast horse, it would take at most 15 minutes to reach it.

If Wang She, who was stationed in Wushan County, were to muster his troops and come to the rescue, it would take no more than an hour.

Therefore, they only need to hold out for one hour to receive reinforcements sent by Wang She.

"Hold this pass, and everyone will receive a commendation. We have five thousand men, while they have at most twenty thousand. Our division will surely win!!"

"Victory is certain! Victory is certain! Victory is certain..."

The sounds from the city gate continued to rise, but Liu Jilong paid no attention.

Fifteen minutes later, the catapults were set up in front of the formation. Liu Jilong nodded in signal, and Gao Jinda immediately ordered the attack to begin.

The catapult was only two hundred paces from the city gate. After the laborers turned the catapult winch to its limit, the veterans first tested it with catapults of equal weight.

The stones hit the pass, leaving only a few white marks, but they could not destroy the blue bricks on the pass.

After three rounds, the veterans were confident and immediately ordered the laborers to continue turning the winch. Finally, they had heavy bags of gunpowder placed on the winch.

"put!"

"Beep--"

Twenty catapults were ready, and with the sound of a whistle, the gunpowder packs were launched in an instant.

Twenty dark figures crossed two hundred paces and landed one after another at the base of the city wall, on the horse path, and inside the pass.

The government troops were taking cover, but except for a couple of occasional misfires, all the gunpowder packs exploded before they hit the ground.

"Rumble--"

"attack!"

Gunpowder exploded in the air, and iron pellets and nails from the package were shot out. For a moment, cries of agony echoed from the city walls, and many unlucky fellows were hit.

At the same time, the Longyou army's siege engines, such as siege towers and battering rams, began to attack the pass under the propulsion of laborers and the cover of soldiers.

"Beep--"

The government troops on the horse path continued to blow their wooden whistles, and soon the government troops at the city gate retaliated with catapults and crossbows.

Correspondingly, the slingers in Longyou continued to retaliate with gunpowder after their siege weapons had traveled a certain distance.

Even 18th-century cannons couldn't guarantee a capture of the rammed earth and brick walls; the key was the people who could take them down.

"Rumble--"

The gunpowder pack exploded again over the pass. This time, many officers and soldiers were more shrewd and hid behind the parapet or ran into the city tower.

Even so, a considerable number of soldiers were still killed, and the siege equipment of the Longyou government army was gradually approaching.

One advantage of using gunpowder packs over catapults is that you don't need to be very accurate; you only need to hit the approximate location.

However, the downside is that it is easy for the gunpowder to misfire. If a misfired gunpowder pack is found by someone with good intentions, it will be quickly sent to the rear to try to crack it.

The Tang Dynasty already had the formula for making gunpowder, but it lacked the means to detonate it.

Liu Jilong never thought he could keep the secret of gunpowder forever, but given the current gunpowder ratio in the Tang Dynasty, if their gunpowder was insufficient, it wouldn't even kill people, let alone blow up city walls; it would just be a large-scale firework.

The reason Liu Jilong did not make a simplified version of the grenade but instead chose the bulky gunpowder pack was because the gunpowder was not powerful enough.

Adding white sugar could amplify the power of gunpowder, but the problem was that there were no methods or technologies to purify white sugar at that time, and Longyou was not a major producer of sugar.

If the imperial court were to learn this tactic, it would be helping the court to attack itself.

While they were thinking, the siege equipment in front of them had already crashed into the city wall, and the veteran soldiers of the catapults immediately stopped their attack.

The cloud chariots and the Lügong chariots successively deployed ladders and hanging platforms to the top of the city wall, with the nest chariots following closely behind.

The crossbowmen on top of the chariot used their crossbows to shoot down the government troops who tried to throw stones, while the old soldiers escorting the chariot climbed up.

The old soldier inside Lü Gong's chariot climbed to the top, and once the hanging platform was lowered, he rushed onto the horse path and began fighting with the government troops.

"Six-flower formation, watch your left and right, the head of the column must not retreat, the deputy commander must supervise the battle!!"

After reaching the top of the city wall, the squad leader and the captains organized their soldiers into formations, and even when facing an enemy force that outnumbered them by ten to one, they were able to hold their ground and not retreat.

Liu Jilong repeated the same words to Gao Jinda.

"The quality of our army's junior officers and ordinary soldiers is not low. When marching and fighting, they only need to pay attention to the general situation and there is no need to control every aspect."

"If the head coach is not good enough, it will actually limit them."

Gao Jinda nodded in agreement, while Liu Jilong continued to look at the city wall.

Although he couldn't see people clearly, he could still distinguish the colors of the banners.

Judging from the movement of the banner colors, the quality of the officers and soldiers in the Central Plains and the towns of Hedong was indeed inferior to that of the Shatuo and Dangxiang armies, which were equipped by the government forces.

Five thousand government troops were stationed here, but they had already fallen into a disadvantageous position as soon as the battle began.

The soldiers of the Longyou army continued to advance, and more and more veterans climbed the city walls using cloud carts and Lügong carts.

Gradually, the government troops on the horse track could no longer hold out.

"Lord Yu, where are the reinforcements?!"

"Where have the reinforcements gone?!"

Half an hour passed, and the garrison still hadn't seen any reinforcements from the rear. Instead, the number of rebels in front of them was increasing.

Shouts of battle rang out continuously, and command flags were waved, but the Longyou army had already occupied a large position on the horse path, and more soldiers were constantly pouring onto it.

After a long and fierce battle, the government troops were quickly overwhelmed. Upon seeing this, the commander immediately ordered: "Send two hundred men to block the passageway at the city gate, and then we will retreat!"

Under normal offensive and defensive conditions, it is absolutely impossible to block the city gate passageway, because the defending side can rely on the city gate to go out and kill the enemy at critical moments to disrupt the attacking side's attack frequency.

The commander of the capital has now ordered the passage to be blocked, probably because he is worried that the Longyou army will quickly pass through the passage and then use their horses to pursue and kill them.

As soon as the commander of the capital issued his order, many soldiers quickly went to block the city gates.

At the same time, the battle at the city gates took a one-sided turn as more and more soldiers from Longyou joined the fray.

Two quarters of an hour later, the city gate tower was lost, and the mechanism controlling the city gate was occupied by the Longyou army.

Upon seeing this, the commander gritted his teeth and ordered, "Retreat! Retreat to Wushan County!!"

Amidst the shouts, the flag bearers waved their banners continuously, and the sound of gongs rang out incessantly.

The government troops retreated from the city walls like a tide and broke through to Wushan County in the east.

Compared to commanding a large army to attack, retreating is when a general's ability is truly tested.

As expected, the officers and soldiers of the various towns, who had not had much time to coordinate, immediately went into a state of retreat and fought independently after the withdrawal was announced.

They retreated in formation, while the soldiers from Longyou did not pursue them but instead began clearing debris from the passageway.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn has passed, and the debris has been cleared away, the city gate slowly opened, and Liu Jilong immediately shook the reins of his horse.

"Horse and infantry, pursue them! Don't let them escape!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the two captains immediately led the five thousand cavalry and infantry who had already rested to pursue them.

At the same time, Gao Jinda began to take charge of counting casualties and spoils, and arranged for military doctors to treat the wounded.

It was already 1:00 PM, and there were still three and a half hours before nightfall. There was still plenty of time, and surrounding Wushan County was a sure thing.

Moreover, Liu Jilong also realized that the reinforcements from Wushan County had not arrived for a long time, probably because they were being held back.

At this moment, the only one who can launch an attack and hold back the Wushan County government troops is Zhang Wu of Gudaoshibao.

"This Zhang Wu is indeed quite impressive!"

Liu Jilong was very happy. Although he had not yet met Zhang Wu, Zhang Wu's performance had already satisfied him greatly.

If his generals were all like Zhang Wu, An Pohu, and Xin Dang, then his soldiers wouldn't have suffered so many casualties in the Battle of Shuofang and the three-month-long offensive and defensive war.

But it's not too late now. If I promote these people, the burden on my shoulders will be lighter.

"drive!!"

Liu Jilong personally led his cavalry and infantry in an attack, galloping towards Wushan County.

Many soldiers who had fallen behind surrendered upon seeing this, but Liu Jilong had no time to capture them and continued on his way without taking them back.

The outline of Wushan County soon came into view, but what was even more captivating was the battle taking place on the banks of the Luomen River to the west of Wushan County.

As Liu Jilong had predicted, Zhang Wu indeed took the initiative and intercepted Wang She's troops who were attempting to rescue the pass.

"kill!!"

"Uuuuuu——"

"Reinforcements have arrived! Slaughter these pigs and dogs!!"

As the dull thud of hooves and the sound of bugles echoed through the Wei River valley, the officers and soldiers who had just withdrawn from the battlefield and the troops led by Wang She immediately spotted them.

Wang She, who was originally besieging Zhang Wu's more than 1,000 men, saw the cavalry and infantry from Longyou galloping towards him and thought they were elite cavalry under Longyou's command. He quickly ordered a retreat to the east of Shiqiao.

"Stand guarding the stone bridge, don't panic!"

Command flags were waved continuously, and both armies commanded their own troops. However, compared to the calm and composed demeanor of the Longyou army from top to bottom, the government troops were somewhat disorganized.

Even when stationed at Shiqiao, they rushed forward, fearing that they would be abandoned by the army and end up being captured or killed.

"Dismount and form ranks!"

Seeing that the two sides were no more than two hundred paces apart, Liu Jilong immediately reined in his horse and ordered his troops to dismount and form ranks.

At his command, the cavalry and infantry of Longyou stopped after galloping forward for several dozen paces.

Military officers, doctors, and others stayed behind to guard the warhorses, while the remaining 4,500 men formed a six-flower formation to fight the enemy in a fierce array.

Liu Jilong remained silent, only taking out the command flag in his hand and waving it.

Upon seeing this, the flag bearers immediately waved their military flags and blew their horns to relay military intelligence.

"Uuuuuu——"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

As the bugle sounded, four thousand five hundred cavalry and infantrymen, in formation, began to advance with low growls and fierce fighting, their footsteps perfectly synchronized.

Seeing this from a distance, Zhang Wu did not force his way in despite the arrival of his main force. Instead, he led his troops back several dozen steps to prepare for a proper rest.

His actions earned him a nod of approval from Liu Jilong, who was in command.

"Straight Formation!!"

On the east bank of the stone bridge, Wang She waved his command flag and hurriedly gave orders.

Upon receiving news of the Longyou army's proactive attack, he immediately dispatched a fast horse to Fuqiang County.

Fuqiang County is only about 40 li away from Wushan County. If they receive the news and rush here, they can arrive by dusk at the latest.

Even if they cannot engage in a decisive battle with the Longyou army, they can rely on the Luomen River to confront each other on both banks.

However, all of this is contingent on Wang She being able to lead his troops to hold out until dusk.

"Crossbowmen advance 120 paces and fire; foot archers advance 60 paces and fire!"

Within the ranks, the brigade commanders, squad leaders, and platoon leaders continuously relayed military orders to their troops using flag signals under Liu Jilong's command.

When the two sides closed to within 120 paces, the crossbowmen on both sides fired their crossbow bolts.

The difference is that, although Wang She's troops were larger, they only had six or seven hundred crossbowmen, while the Longyou army had as many as seventeen or eight hundred crossbowmen firing arrows together.

Arrows flew like locusts, many falling as they collided, but ultimately all struck the enemy.

"Yu!!"

In the Longyou army, the rank-and-file officers, such as squad leaders and platoon leaders, shouted out their names and raised their wooden shields as the leaders of their squads, forming a triple shield wall as tall as a person.

The crossbow bolts kept hitting the shield wall, and occasionally they would get through the gaps, but they were blocked by the armor and got stuck in it.

"Enter!"

"Beep--"

In the blink of an eye, the vanguard, led by over four hundred men, removed their shields, and the archers advanced once more.

Compared to their orderly demeanor, the government troops looked much less impressive.

Arrows rained down like a storm, and many government soldiers were riddled with arrows, some unlucky enough to be shot in the head and die, while most of the rest were wounded.

As the distance between the two sides closed, the crossbowmen continued to fire arrows, but the government troops were undoubtedly being overwhelmed by the Longyou army.

After several volleys of crossbow bolts, the government troops suffered hundreds of casualties, and the distance between the two sides was about sixty paces.

"Change bows, shoot on the whistle!"

"Screw rustle..."

Under the signal flags, the brigade commander, squad leader, and squad leader relayed military intelligence. Apart from the 500 men stationed at the rear to supervise the battle, the remaining 4,000 men took out their bows and began shooting arrows at the government troops from foot.

The government troops were in the same situation, but only half of their soldiers were equipped with bows and arrows. Therefore, regardless of bows and crossbows, the government troops were severely suppressed by the Longyou army.

Within a few dozen paces, a quiver of arrows emptied the ranks, leaving almost every soldier in the government troops riddled with arrows.

"Beep--"

"Collect the arrows, unleash the elite formation's arrowhead charge!"

The whistle of Longyou sounded again, and the four thousand five hundred men moved as one, changing their weapons and formations in the blink of an eye.

With over four thousand men, they clashed head-on with over seven thousand government troops, spears thrusting out and bows and crossbows reaping the kill.

The moment the two armies clashed in close combat, the government troops were at a disadvantage.

Wang She's pupils constricted as he looked at the banners in the Longyou army, only to see that all the banners bore the character "Liu".

His eyes searched, and sure enough, he spotted a tall figure clad in lamellar armor within the army formation.

"Isn't Liu Jilong in Sanyangchuan?!"

When Wang She saw that the troops were actually led by Liu Jilong, he immediately felt fear.

"Hold the stone bridge! Reinforcements will arrive soon!!"

Wang She gritted his teeth and held firm, but the soldiers of the Longyou army had already stepped onto the stone bridge and were constantly pushing the government troops back.

The government troops, unable to fight, began exchanging arrows. Seeing this, Zhang Wu, who had rested sufficiently, immediately addressed the captains behind him:

"The military commander has already suppressed the government troops. The Luomen River is only a little over ten zhang wide and five or six chi deep."

"We will now wade through the water and launch a flanking attack on the government troops. The commander will surely seize the opportunity and defeat them!"

As soon as Zhang Wu finished speaking, the captains bowed and said, "Captain, whatever you say, we will do!"

"Alright! Cross the river immediately! The brothers who cross first, form ranks and prepare for a surprise attack by the government troops!"

"Your subordinate obeys!!"

The generals were in high spirits, as were the soldiers from Longyou who had come with Zhang Wu to intercept Wang She.

They began to raise their spears and attempt to wade directly across the Luomen River.

"Commander, that rebel army is crossing the river!"

Suddenly, the voice of the commander of the capital drew Wang She's attention away from the stone bridge and into the distance.

Just over two hundred paces away from him, the rebel army that had previously intercepted him began wading across the river, their intentions all too obvious.

"You personally lead two thousand vanguard soldiers to stop them, and absolutely do not let them all reach the shore!"

"The last general takes command!"

Wang She reacted quickly, and the commander beside him also hurriedly mustered two thousand soldiers and rushed to the place where Zhang Wu's troops had landed.

Liu Jilong, who was in the formation, noticed this and was overjoyed.

Since parting ways with Zhang Huaishen, he has not encountered a general who can cooperate with him.

With Zhang Wu's abilities alone, he would be more than qualified to serve as the governor of a prefecture after the war.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong continued to wave his command flag, using his imposing formation to suppress the government troops so they couldn't raise their heads.

They kept retreating, and the stone bridge was almost completely occupied by the Longyou army.

Liu Jilong waved his command flag, and the vanguard team immediately changed formation, forming a straight line to guard the central army and ensure that it could keep up with the pace.

The central army also received orders to speed up their march toward the east bank.

As the vanguard and central army arrived on the east bank, Liu Jilong waved his command flag to change the formation and continue to expand the position with elite troops.

The five-colored flag waved swiftly in his hands, requiring more than ten flag soldiers to keep up with his thoughts, and the effect was quite obvious.

The government troops were repeatedly repelled, and the rear guard in Longyou also began to cross the stone bridge and arrive at the east bank.

Meanwhile, Zhang Wu, leading several hundred men, landed first and engaged in a fierce battle with the two thousand government troops who had arrived.

Zhang Wu held his ground in a straight line, continuously supporting the soldiers crossing the river.

As time went by, Wang She also felt the gap between himself and Liu Jilong, and gradually despair began to creep into his heart.

Liu Jilong keenly sensed that the government troops were becoming increasingly slow to respond, and he also realized that something was wrong with the government troops' generals.

Upon seeing this, he immediately waved his command flag, and the two regiments of a thousand men in the rear broke away from the main force and quickly returned to the west bank, approaching the herd of horses.

"not good……"

Wang She felt a chill run down his spine, immediately guessing that Liu Jilong had already made preparations to defeat them and had prepared cavalry and infantry to pursue the fleeing soldiers.

Thinking of this, Wang She quickly waved his command flag and ordered the three armies to retreat to Wushan County.

For a time, both the northern and southern armies of the government forces retreated step by step towards Wushan County. Upon seeing this, Zhang Wu immediately gave the order:
"The government troops are retreating to Wushan County. Strong brothers, follow me and charge towards Wushan County to block their main route back to the city!!"

"kill!!"

Hundreds of soldiers from Longyou followed Zhang Wu's figure and rushed toward the official road where the government troops were retreating back to Wushan County.

Wang She also sensed something was wrong, but before he could react, he saw the Longyou army intensify its efforts and relentlessly pursue the rear guard.

The rear guard of over a thousand men was unable to leave the battlefield. If they were to rashly leave, their formation would become unstable, and they would inevitably be defeated by the government troops.

Wang She was in turmoil. He was reluctant to abandon his more than 1,000 rear guards, but if they did not retreat to Wushan, their retreat would be cut off by Zhang Wu.

With his mind wavering, Wang She gritted his teeth and abandoned the more than a thousand men in the rear army.

He waved his command flag, and the remaining three thousand-plus government troops quickly retreated to Wushan County, while Liu Jilong remained calm and composed.

He could already hear the sound of hooves, the sound of a thousand cavalrymen...

"Buzz, rumble—"

As expected, more than a thousand cavalry and infantry crossed the stone bridge and took the initiative to split into two wings, bypassing the government troops like pincers and attacking the government troops from the rear.

"It's over!"

Wang She did not expect the cavalry and infantry from Longyou to arrive so quickly; he watched helplessly as they were about to complete the encirclement.

If the Longyou army completes the encirclement, all seven thousand of them will perish here, and he will either be captured by the Longyou army or die on the battlefield.

Wang She did not want to die, and for that reason, he immediately waved his command flag.

However, the officers and soldiers of the various towns present were not stupid. Seeing that the cavalry and infantry of Longyou were about to complete the encirclement, they immediately loosened their stance and began to run towards the west gate of Wushan County.

"Damn it! Everyone, hold your ground! Supervisory team!"

Anyone who dares to retreat will be executed!

Seeing the government troops in disarray, Wang She was furious and ordered the supervising team to enforce military law.

The supervising troops, wielding long-handled swords, hurriedly began to hack and slash, but were quickly overwhelmed by the government troops who outnumbered them by dozens of times.

"Enter!"

Having taken in everything, Liu Jilong showed neither joy nor sorrow, and suddenly swung down the command flag in his hand.

In an instant, the central and rear armies behind Zhan Feng split into left and right wings, while the vanguard continued to hold fast to the more than one thousand officers and soldiers abandoned by Wang She.

The soldiers of the central and rear armies began to pursue and kill the fleeing government troops. Wang She knew that things were hopeless when he saw this, so he quickly spurred his horse and tried to break through the encirclement.

Zhang Wu and his hundreds of men were shocked to see their commander surround seven thousand men with five thousand men in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and divide the battlefield into three parts. Their eyes were also drawn to Wang She, who was wearing magnificent and gleaming armor.

"Damn it, that's the commander of the government troops! Capture him, and you'll be promoted at least one rank!!"

"Brothers, follow me and charge!"

Zhang Wu went mad, after all, Wang She now had only a hundred or so cavalry and infantrymen by his side, while he himself had several hundred men, enough to take him down.

If our brothers from other armies discover this, we'll lose all the credit.

Soon, Zhang Wu led several hundred men in pursuit, while cavalry and infantry from Longyou blocked their way.

In an instant, Wang She was surrounded.

"Commander, we have been defeated!"

The officers were all horrified, still unable to believe it.

The surrounding battlefield had become chaotic, and the seven thousand government troops were divided into three parts by the five thousand government troops led by Liu Jilong.

The retreat turned into a rout; the government troops held no advantage on any of the three battlefields and had already been defeated.

"Failed?"

Wang She was in a daze. He had followed his father to conquer Linyi, defeat the southern barbarians, and quell the chaos in the Central Plains. After more than ten years of fighting in the north and south, he was now defeated at the Wei River.
His eyes searched constantly, trying to find a way to break through, but Liu Jilong did not give him that opportunity.

Under Liu Jilong's command, the soldiers in Longyou moved constantly, as if they were trapped inside an iron barrel.

They really lost...

After realizing what was happening, Wang She decisively drew his sword, intending to commit suicide for his country, when he heard a roar in his ear.

"You pig-dog bastard, what are you doing?!"

The voice was terrified, as if he was very worried that the man would commit suicide there.

Wang She thought it was one of his subordinates, but to his surprise, he was tackled off his horse and thrown to the ground.

He was dazed and confused after the fall. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw a dark purple-faced general from Longyou pressing him down.

"You son of a bitch, you can't die!!"

Zhang Wu acted swiftly, quickly binding Wang She securely.

Wang She tried to resist, but Zhang Wu punched him in the face three times, knocking him unconscious.

Zhang Wu, under the protection of his own men, captured Wang She alive. After capturing Wang She, he immediately shouted to all sides.

"Wang She has been captured. Those who surrender will be spared death!!"

"Wang She has been captured; those who surrender and abandon their troops will be spared death!!"

These words echoed through the valley. Upon hearing this, the soldiers who had been slaughtered all dropped their weapons. Liu Jilong, who was stationed at the rear, watched Zhang Wu capture Wang She alive. After all, Wang She's armor, which resembled a peacock's, was truly eye-catching.

If Zhang Wu hadn't acted quickly enough, someone else would have captured Wang She alive.

Therefore, Liu Jilong was not surprised to learn that Wang She had been captured, but he couldn't help but shake his head:

"If you have no talent, why dress so colorfully..."

After speaking, Liu Jilong instructed the captain beside him:
"Urge Gao Jinda to lead his troops forward, accept the surrender, and station them in Wushan County, and transport the grain and supplies to Wushan."

The captain was slightly taken aback: "Commander, aren't we supposed to rest here?"

In response to his question, Liu Jilong glanced at the sun still high in the sky, a slight smirk playing on his lips:

"It's still early, so let's launch a long and straight attack, and head straight for Fuqiang!"

(End of this chapter)