Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 415 The Capture of Chengdu (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"kill!!"

"Uuuuuu——"

South of the Qingshui River and north of the camp, as the three elite cavalry units from both sides launched their assault, nearly 10,000 elite cavalry from Longyou attacked the elite cavalry from Xichuan from two different directions.

Iron hooves crushed the green grass on the riverbank, and the rider on horseback raised his lance high, his knuckles taut and white against the shaft, sweat dripping down his cheeks and onto his chest.

Their heaving chests spoke of their excitement and unease, while the white steam exhaled from the horses' snot, carrying a pungent, fishy odor, left everyone's minds blank.

"Asshole!!"

Seeing that Zhang Lin was leading five thousand elite cavalry against nearly ten thousand elite cavalry from Longyou, Gao Pian on the high platform almost burst out of his eyes.

"Order Zhang Lin to retreat to Chengdu!"

Gao Pian kept waving his command flag, and Zhang Lin also saw the flag signal, but he insisted that as long as he cut off Liu Jilong's banner, they could turn the tide of battle.

Liang Zuan didn't care what Zhang Lin was doing. At that moment, he was leading several thousand reorganized infantrymen to form a garrison and issued a military order to withdraw.

"Dang-dang-dang-dang..."

The sound of retreat continued to ring out. The Western Sichuan army, which had been divided into two, was finally freed from the predicament of being attacked from both sides, thanks to the successive interventions of Su Xun and Zhang Lin.

Upon receiving the order to withdraw, and with reinforcements waiting to meet them, they immediately abandoned the ferocious Longyou infantrymen in front of them and retreated like madmen.

Geng Ming, who was in charge of the infantry, had no intention of letting them go, and immediately waved his command flag to launch a pursuit.

Nearly 10,000 infantrymen launched a pursuit, while the 3,000 cavalrymen abandoned by Su Xun bypassed the cavalry battlefield and launched a flanking attack on the retreating Xichuan army.

"kill!!"

One battlefield, three battles, everyone was shouting "Kill!" The sounds of fighting were incessant, as if the only sounds in the world were the fighting and the hoofbeats.

"The flanks are stationed with each squad in place. The squad leader and flag bearer do not retreat, and the deputy squad leader supervises the battle."

"The officers and soldiers are in charge of commanding the various teams, and any team that fails to enter is to be executed."

"If any member of a team fails to enter, the member of the same team who can behead the person who failed will be rewarded with 100 strings of cash."

"Anyone in another squad who can behead a man who cannot enter the territory will be rewarded with fifty strings of cash."

“If, during the battle, the horse catcher moves forward or backward, or loses his or herds and order, resulting in the loss of the saddle and horse, he shall be beheaded.”

"If the leaders of the squads are fighting with the bandits, the left and right flanks must immediately advance to their aid; if the left and right flanks are entangled by the bandits, the next flanks must immediately advance to their aid; if the person advancing to their aid is also entangled by the bandits, the next flanks must immediately advance to their aid."

“If a person ahead of them is killed by thieves and the person behind does not come to their aid, the officer in charge and the deputy captain shall be executed.”

“If a squad is entangled by bandits, the other squad must also rush to their aid. Those who fail to do so in battle will be executed.”

Gao Pian's energy is limited, but he can still handle the current battlefield situation.

He kept waving the command flag and clearly stating the flag signals, while the flag bearers behind him also kept waving the command flag to convey the flag signals.

Liang Zuan's several thousand Xichuan infantrymen regrouped and began to deploy after receiving flag signals.

The leader of the troops led the battle, and the soldiers were divided into five rows. Three flag bearers stood on each side of the flag bearers, so that the soldiers could understand the flag signals.

The teams are divided into five rows: the first row has seven warriors, the second row has eight warriors, the third row has nine warriors, the fourth row has ten warriors, and the fifth row has eleven warriors, all arranged in a triangular formation.

After being suppressed by Liu Jilong for more than two hours and having the battlefield divided into three parts, Gao Pian had no choice but to focus his main efforts on the frontal battlefield.

As for the flank battlefield where Zhang Lin's elite cavalry were fighting, he could no longer manage it and could only rely on Zhang Lin and Lin Ruzhen to take care of himself.

"kill!!"

Amidst shouts, Zhang Lin's 5,000 elite cavalry clashed head-on with Liu Jilong's 6,000 elite cavalry, coming within a mere twenty paces of each other.

Liu Jilong used the same tactic again, sending Zhang Wu's two thousand cavalry to charge ahead, then splitting into two to bypass the elite cavalry of Xichuan.

Faced with this sudden attack from less than thirty paces, many of the elite cavalrymen from Xichuan were caught off guard and fell from their horses, resulting in a chaotic scene of men and horses overturning.

The fall of dozens of men and horses hindered the advance of the troops behind them, while the speed and power of many elite Xichuan cavalrymen were greatly reduced.

"kill!!"

At this moment, Liu Jilong led more than two thousand heavily armored cavalrymen who charged into the ranks of the Xichuan elite cavalry.

The heavily armored men and horses caught the elite cavalry of Xichuan off guard, and their vanguard was routed. But that wasn't the end of it.

Husiguang led 4,000 elite cavalry to launch a surprise attack on the flank of Xichuan's elite cavalry from the south and successfully clashed with them.

They were like a chisel, piercing deep into the ranks of the elite cavalry of Xichuan, and charged directly to the central banner.

"Protect me!!"

Husi Guang took the lead, and under the protection of dozens of elite cavalry, he charged towards the banner of the Xichuan elite cavalry like an arrow.

"You dog!!"

A roar that nearly shattered eardrums suddenly rang out. Zhang Lin raised his lance and charged forward. As he galloped away, he led over a hundred elite cavalrymen to firmly protect the banner and block Husi Guang. At the same time, Zhang Lin charged left and right, taking down five or six Longyou knights.

He charged up to Husi Guang, and the two clashed with each other in the chaos, their spears clashing. Zhang Lin then remembered Husi Guang's origins.

"Who do you think I am? It turns out to be you, my defeated foe!"

"Bullshit! If I were by the Wei River back then, I would have killed you, you thief!"

In the Battle of Longxi years ago, Zhang Lin and Liang Zuan fought together against Liu Jilong, while Wang Zhongren alone held off Shang Duoluo and Zhang Chang, even suppressing them both.

Zhang Lin seems to have mistaken Husi Guang for someone else, or perhaps he did it on purpose to deliberately provoke Husi Guang.

Zhang Lin, Liang Zuan, and Wang Zhongren were all valiant generals in the Shence Army in the past, so their abilities were beyond question.

Shang Duoluo and Zhang Chang were not particularly skilled in martial arts, but Husi Guang was not like Shang Duoluo and Zhang Chang.

He was a valiant cavalryman who caught Liu Jilong's attention with his martial arts skills back then, and now, facing Zhang Lin, the two were evenly matched.

However, in the midst of the chaos, if they cannot quickly take the other's life, the surging troops will naturally shield the two.

The two exchanged blows more than ten times in a few breaths, neither gaining the upper hand. Seeing their main force arriving, they both brandished their spears and gave orders.

"Kill this general, and you will be promoted three ranks!"

Upon receiving the order, countless elite cavalrymen charged forward, attacking as they went.

Meanwhile, Lin Ruzhen was also constantly searching for Liu Jilong's location during the chase and confrontation.

The heavy cavalry charge was too exhausting. Seeing that the charge was successful, Liu Jilong immediately withdrew more than 2,000 heavy cavalry to rest and regroup. Zhang Wu immediately cooperated with Liu Jilong, leading more than 2,000 elite cavalrymen who were not wearing armor to charge forward.

He left the banner of this elite cavalry with Liu Jilong and retreated with the banner of the heavily armored cavalry.

The heavily armored cavalry withdrew from the battlefield, while Liu Jilong led more than two thousand elite cavalry under Zhang Wu's command to continue fighting against the elite cavalry of Xichuan.

More than 6,000 elite Han and non-Han cavalry from Longyou and more than 4,000 elite cavalry from Xichuan clashed repeatedly like two giant dragons on the western plains south of the Qingshui River.

Several times, the number of elite cavalrymen from Xichuan died more and more, and even Zhang Lin and Lin Ruzhen began to panic.

Meanwhile, on the main battlefield, Geng Ming commanded nearly 10,000 Han and non-Han infantrymen, who ran head-on into Liang Zuan's 4,000-strong vanguard garrison.

In addition, nearly 10,000 Xichuan infantrymen fled into their camp. Upon seeing this, Gao Pian immediately ordered Liang Zuan to retreat and at the same time ordered Zhang Lin to lure Liu Jilong and his men westward.

After giving the order, he immediately instructed the captains behind him: "Quickly appease the defeated soldiers, reorganize the troops, and prepare to retreat to Chengdu!"

"Send a fast horse to Chengdu and order Sun Gaoxun to lead 5,000 infantrymen ten miles out of the city to meet our army!"

"Yes!!" The captains felt a chill run down their spines. They had followed Gao Pian for so many years, and this was the first time they had ever seen him so flustered.

They quickly descended from the high platform and began to appease and reorganize the routed troops who had been terrified by the Longyou army.

On the battlefield outside the camp, Liang Zuan saw his commander order a retreat and immediately led his troops to fight and retreat, while Geng Ming pursued them relentlessly.

There were still many fleeing Xichuan soldiers on the battlefield, most of whom had been captured by Geng Ming's men.

The outcome of this battle is already decided; now it's just a matter of whether we can expand our gains.

That's why Liu Jilong commanded his elite cavalry to relentlessly pursue Zhang Lin and his men, while Geng Ming refused to let Liang Zuan go either.

Both sides fought and retreated. Zhang Lin received the flag signal and quickly understood his commander's intention. He immediately led Liu Jilong and the others westward.

After they had traveled three or four miles west, Liu Jilong realized something was wrong and immediately ordered his troops to halt.

"Beep--"

The piercing whistle awakened many of the bloodthirsty brothers. They looked at the central banner in confusion, not understanding why they had stopped their pursuit.

"They're going to use a feint to the west while attacking the east!" Liu Jilong explained, then ordered, "The three armies will rest for half an hour to recover their strength, and then launch a surprise attack on Chengdu."

"Send another order to Geng Ming, instructing him to lead his firearms troops in a strong attack on the Xichuan army's camp, and not give them a chance to retreat to Chengdu."

"Yes!!" The left and right flag soldiers bowed in response and then dispatched a fast horse to inform Geng Ming of the crucial information.

Upon hearing this, Husi Guang immediately bowed and said, "General, if we annihilate Gao Pian here, can't we also take Chengdu?"

Husiguang spoke the minds of everyone, but Liu Jilong, upon hearing this, pointed his spear at the camp and said:

“They retreated back to their camp. Even if we breached the camp, they could retreat to Xipu City in the rear to garrison it.”

"The supplies in the camp and Xipu City will surely be enough to sustain them for three to five days."

"Moreover, Gao Pian has Zhang Lin and his elite cavalry, so it wouldn't be difficult for him to abandon his main force and break out. In addition, there are several thousand soldiers in Chengdu, and there is also a fortified city wall, which is not easy to capture."

“I suspect Gao Pian might try to retreat to Chengdu. If he does, Chengdu will be even more difficult to capture.”

"Moreover, if he had ordered the withdrawal of troops from Lizhou and Rongzhou while he was holding Chengdu, the Southern Barbarians would have inevitably moved north to invade the two prefectures, or even more prefectures and counties."

"We should take this opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the troops leaving Chengdu and then occupy the city."

"If Chengdu is lost, Gao Pian will have no choice but to retreat to Shu Prefecture south of the Yangtze River (Min River), and he will not be able to relax the defense of Li and Rong Prefectures."

"At that time, our army will take a stand and launch a surprise attack on Li and Rong prefectures in the south. Even if we cannot take the entire territory of the two prefectures, we can still obtain several strategic locations to wait for the future recovery of lost territory!"

After Liu Jilong's explanation, Husi Guang finally understood why Liu Jilong did not expand the victory.

Rongzhou and Lizhou have complex terrain, making them easy to defend and difficult to attack. Most of their cities are built with rammed earth walls covered with bricks or stone walls.

These cities are difficult to attack. If they fall into the hands of the Nanman, the southern gate of the Three Rivers will be wide open. With the current military strength of Longyou, it is impossible to take care of the overall situation of the Three Rivers.

At that time, not only will Lizhou and Rongzhou fall, but the population of many neighboring prefectures and counties will likely suffer from the ravages of war.

That is why Liu Jilong could not drive Gao Pian into a dead end.

"Damn it, why aren't they chasing anymore!"

Seeing that Liu Jilong and his men had stopped pursuing, Zhang Lin and Lin Ruzhen, who had only three thousand cavalry remaining, set up camp two miles away from the Longyou army, panting and cursing.

"Liu Jilong may have seen through the commander's intentions. We must retreat to the camp and tell the commander about this."

Lin Ruzhen offered a reminder, but Zhang Lin dismounted and said in annoyance, "They're blocking our way, how are we supposed to get past them?"

"Besides, the brothers are already exhausted. If they really get entangled, they might be defeated by Liu Jilong!"

Looking at the elite cavalrymen around him who looked like they had just escaped a disaster, Zhang Lin felt a mix of anger, frustration, and fear.

The vigor accumulated over the past decade seemed to have been shattered by Liu Jilong in a single battle.

He thought his elite cavalry was among the best in the Tang Dynasty, but they still fell behind when facing the elite cavalry of Longyou.

He clenched his fists, veins bulging, and Lin Ruzhen quickly said, "Look, they've moved!"

Zhang Lin looked up and saw Liu Jilong leading his elite cavalry back to the battlefield. Without hesitation, he said, "Follow him and go through the south gate to inform the commander of this matter!"

They mounted their horses, not daring to gallop, but instead urging them to walk quickly to conserve energy.

They didn't need to say anything; when Gao Pian on the high platform saw Liu Jilong leading his troops back, his face turned gloomy.

"Close the camp gates! Close the camp gates!!"

"Charge in! The first to reach the top will be promoted three ranks!"

“Shoot!!”

Fighting and retreating, Liang Zuan finally led his troops back into the camp. The generals inside the camp had already reorganized their troops and used arrows to harass them, which helped Liang Zuan close the camp gate.

However, he saw that only half of the soldiers who had originally followed him out of the camp remained; the majority had been left outside. Moreover, all the soldiers had survived the ordeal, and their morale had been shattered by the Longyou army.

Without taking a break, Liang Zuan immediately ran up to the high platform: "General, the morale of our army has plummeted, and we can no longer fight!"

With 23,000 infantrymen killed in battle and nearly half captured, Gao Pian knew the current situation even if Liang Zuan hadn't said it.

"The army shall rest for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. After that time, we shall form ranks and retreat to Chengdu. We must not act rashly or in a panic!"

The distance from Xipu to Chengdu is only twenty li, and with Sun Gaoxun's help, it's at most a dozen li.

For the Sichuan army, which had experienced a battle, marching for more than ten miles in full armor and formation was not an easy task.

But only by retreating into Chengdu could they find a glimmer of hope for survival.

Chengdu city still had hundreds of thousands of grain reserves, more than 200,000 people, and the outer city wall built by Gao Pian at great expense.

Luocheng was made of rammed earth and bricks, making it exceptionally sturdy. Even Liu Jilong's magic techniques could not easily breach it.

In addition, there are enough carriages and horses in Chengdu. With the right means, it is entirely possible to organize a cavalry force to retreat.

"Send out fast horses to tell Lu Ruyue and Forty-Three Lang to each send 5,000 troops to retreat to Jiaozhou and Bodao."

"Yes!"

Gao Pian was already prepared to give up Lizhou and Rongzhou, but the two prefectures could not be lost so quickly, at least not now.

As long as Lizhou and Rongzhou are undefended, You Shilong will definitely take action, and I will be caught in a pincer movement from the north and south.

Even if he is defeated by Liu Jilong and forced to retreat to Dongchuan, he will still have enough troops and an excuse to stabilize his current position.

"General!"

Suddenly, Zhang Lin rode into the camp, galloping from afar.

He arrived at the foot of the platform, dismounted, and quickly ran up the platform: "General, Liu Jilong already knows that our army will retreat to Chengdu, and now he is probably going to launch a surprise attack on Chengdu."

Upon hearing this, Gao Pian looked outside the camp, and Liu Jilong indeed did not stop, but led his troops eastward and crossed the camp.

"Reorganize the three armies and retreat to Chengdu immediately!"

Gao Pian dared not delay, and immediately mustered his troops and retreated to Chengdu.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield outside the camp, Geng Ming also captured more than 3,000 defeated soldiers from Xichuan and received military orders from Liu Jilong.

"Keep pushing forward, shield vehicles, and destroy the camp!"

Geng Ming boarded the chariot and waved the command flag to attack the camp.

Soon, the few remaining shield carts on the battlefield were pushed and slowly moved toward the camp.

The soldiers of the Longyou army regrouped, and the two thousand armored cavalrymen also removed their armor and provided cover for the infantry on both flanks.

Liu Jilong led more than 6,000 elite cavalrymen at breakneck speed toward Chengdu, while Gao Pian reorganized his routed troops in an attempt to break out of the encirclement.

The army of less than 10,000 men was led by Gao Pian to retreat to the south gate, where Zhang Lin led more than 3,000 elite cavalry to guard the gate.

At that moment, the shield carts of the Longyou army crashed into the camp, and the soldiers inside immediately began to launch a tunnel attack, planting gunpowder while no one was defending them.

"Boom——"

"It's the rebels' magic. Ignore them and set it on fire!"

Gao Pian decisively ordered that the supplies that could not be taken away be set on fire.

Soon, the fire spread throughout the camp. Geng Ming had anticipated that Gao Pian would burn the supplies, and immediately ordered, "Put out the fire, no need to pursue!"

Since Liu Jilong did not order him to pursue, he naturally could not pursue.

They began to extinguish the fire and salvage supplies, while Gao Pian led his army south to the Qingxi River. He then ordered tens of thousands of laborers in Xipu to transport the supplies to Tang'an County in the south, while he mustered his troops and headed towards Chengdu.

He dispatched a fast horse, but he also knew that Sun Gaoxun had probably already begun organizing his troops to leave the city, and it was too late to send a fast horse now.

"Liu Jilong! Liu Jilong! Liu Jilong!!"

Gao Pian appeared calm, but inside he was roaring.

Whenever he was about to achieve his goal, Liu Jilong would always do something to sabotage him.

This was true more than a decade ago, and it's still true now!

Gao Pian turned to look at his troops, which originally numbered nearly 30,000, but now numbered at most 13,000 or 14,000.

Thinking of the fact that he had lost nearly half of his troops here, Gao Pian was filled with unbearable pain, and at this moment Lin Ruzhen was about to catch up with him on horseback.

"General, the rebels are not pursuing us, but are instead salvaging supplies."

"Judging from their appearance, it seems they are not greedy for money, but rather that the commander-in-chief has not ordered a pursuit."

"Hey!!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Pian immediately reined in his horse and stopped, his face grim and solemn.

"General, why did you stop?"

Zhang Lin and Liang Zuan approached, but Gao Pian said after listening, "There's a trap. Liu Jilong couldn't possibly be unaware of our army's situation, yet he hasn't sent troops to pursue us."

"He could have easily led his army to inflict heavy losses on our division here, but instead he launched a direct attack on Chengdu..."

Gao Pian's expression kept changing, and he belatedly realized, "He didn't want to force me into a dead end, so he gave Lizhou and Rongzhou to the Southern Barbarians."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lin's eyes lit up, and he immediately bowed and said, "Since he is afraid, why don't we turn the tables and use Lizhou and Rongzhou as leverage to set up an ambush?"

"No!" Gao Pian shook his head, interrupting him, his face grim.

“Sun Gaoxun has already left the city, and Liu Jilong has led several thousand elite cavalry to attack. Sun Gaoxun will definitely not be able to defend Chengdu.”

"At that time, Chengdu will be lost, and our army will be unable to engage Liu Jilong on the plains. The only option will be to retreat to Shuzhou and Meizhou south of the Yangtze River."

"If that's the case, then we're even less likely to abandon Lizhou and Rongzhou. If we lose Lizhou and Rongzhou, we'll be attacked by the rebels and the Southern Barbarians, which would be disadvantageous for us!"

Gao Pian never expected that Liu Jilong had outmaneuvered him so badly, and Zhang Lin, Liang Zuan, and the other two also changed their expressions upon hearing this.

"General, what should we do now?" Zhang Lin and his men had been fighting for more than ten years, and only now did they realize that compared to Liu Jilong and Gao Pian, they simply did not know how to fight.

"This is an open conspiracy..."

Gao Pian's hand, gripping the reins tightly, turned white from excessive force, and the expression on his face gradually changed from unwillingness to dejection.

"With Chengdu lost, the city walls north of the Yangtze River and west of Longquan Mountain, which were just used by the rebels, cannot stop their magic. Now, we have no choice but to take the route that Liu Jilong arranged for us..."

He pondered for a long time before finally speaking: "Withdraw from Xipu and lead the laborers to Tang'an, which is more than 30 miles away. Order Tang'an County to prepare a ferry."

“Yes…” Zhang Lin and the others were all deflated upon hearing this, but Liang Zuan hesitated and asked, “What about Sun Erlang?”

"Send out fast horses; if they find that Sun Erlang's troops have been attacked by the rebels, order Sun Erlang to retreat to Xinjin County!"

Gao Pian gave the order, and Liang Zuan immediately went to make arrangements.

Before long, the more than 10,000 troops withdrew to Tang'an County in the southwest. Meanwhile, Liu Jilong's elite cavalry had already spotted Sun Gaoxun's troops who had led them out of the city.

"Buzzing, rumbling..."

The cavalry did not stop, but instead, urged on by Liu Jilong, increased their speed.

The dull thud of hooves echoed across the Chengdu Plain. Sun Gaoxun, who had led 5,000 infantrymen to meet Gao Pian, did not see Gao Pian, but instead encountered Liu Jilong's elite cavalry.

"Are they our cavalry?"

The sentry, Butang, saw a large cavalry force galloping towards them in the distance and initially thought it was their own cavalry. However, as the cavalry drew closer, their expressions changed drastically.

"Enemy attack!!"

"Beep--"

The piercing wooden whistle rang out, and the people fled towards the paddy fields on both sides of the official road.

But no matter how fast they ran, they couldn't outrun an arrow.

A hail of arrows rained down on them, and then several knights from the cavalry broke off and gave chase.

At the same time, the Xichuan army, upon hearing the whistle from ahead, instantly became alert.

As they were in charge of providing support, the entire army was fully armored. Sun Gaoxun reacted quickly and immediately ordered the three armies to form ranks.

"The archers are in front. The crossbowmen will fire their arrows when they are 150 paces away from the enemy, and the archers will fire their arrows when they are 60 paces away from the enemy."

"When the thieves are within twenty paces, the archers and crossbowmen will abandon their bows and crossbows, and the garrison will collect them."

In the central army formation, Sun Gaoxun, riding on horseback and followed by more than ten cavalrymen, calmly directed the operation.

He was not well-known in Gao Pian's army, but it was not difficult for him to control five thousand men.

After he issued his order, five thousand men began to line up on the official road. If the cavalry wanted to launch a surprise attack on them, they would either have to break through them head-on or leave the official road and cross the paddy fields on both sides to launch a surprise attack.

However, if the cavalry dared to enter the paddy fields, Sun Gaoxun was confident that he could command his army to defeat them there.

Sun Gaoxun was very confident and composed.

But when he saw the large cavalry force galloping towards him in the distance, his expression changed instantly.

"The three armed forces are stationed here!"

In the midst of the battle, Liu Jilong calmly gave the order, and the more than 6,000 cavalry immediately stopped, walked outwards for several dozen steps, and then stood in place.

Liu Jilong rode his horse to the front of the formation and looked at the Western Sichuan army three or four hundred paces away. He couldn't tell exactly how many there were, but Gao Pian's main force had been defeated by him, and he needed to leave 20,000 to 30,000 troops in the south to contain the southern barbarians, so the number of troops in Chengdu must not be large.

Seeing this, Liu Jilong ordered: "Select the bravest and most resolute soldiers in the army to dismount and fight as the vanguard to break through the enemy lines. After breaking through the lines, retreat to the paddy fields on either side of the main road upon hearing the whistle!"

Using cavalry as infantry was an extremely extravagant practice, and only Longyou had the resources to do so.

After all, Longyou is not lacking in young men who are skilled in horsemanship and archery.

In order to break through the enemy lines as quickly as possible, Liu Jilong selected more than 300 brave and resolute soldiers from the army, all of whom were six feet tall and had strong physiques.

After more than 340 people were selected, Liu Jilong personally dismounted and bowed to them.

"Break this formation and you will all be awarded a second-level merit!"

"Take orders!!"

More than three hundred men responded in unison. Upon seeing this, Husi Guang stepped forward and bowed, saying, "General, I will personally lead three hundred brothers to break through the formation!"

"Okay!" Liu Jilong did not object; what he needed now was speed.

If Gao Pian fails to see through my tactics and chooses to advance eastward to Chengdu, then after defeating this Western Sichuan army, I can turn my horse around, severely damage Gao Pian, and force him to retreat south of the Yangtze River (Minjiang River) to defend the Li and Rong prefectures.

"Uuuuuu——"

As the bugle sounded, three hundred fierce warriors, all six feet tall, advanced under the leadership of Husi Guang, making the five-zhang-wide official road seem somewhat crowded.

"They're actually using cavalry to break through the enemy lines?"

Sun Gaoxun gazed at the small rebel force in the distance, his expression still grave.

"put!"

As more than three hundred fierce warriors advanced one hundred and fifty paces, the crossbowmen of the Western Sichuan army fired arrows.

After they had walked sixty paces, the archers shot their arrows.

Countless arrows pierced their bodies, yet they pressed forward like iron towers.

It wasn't until they arrived at the front lines that the Xichuan army realized the disparity in strength between the two sides.

"Enter!!"

Husi Guang, wielding his halberd, gave the order, and more than three hundred fierce warriors, seeing this, raised their lances and launched a charge.

"Enter!!"

Seeing this, Sun Gaoxun hurriedly gave the order, and the two sides' vanguard teams began to clash.

Taking advantage of their longer spears and taller stature, the more than twenty fierce warriors in the first row directly defeated the Western Sichuan soldiers they were facing.

Seeing the spearmen in the front row being knocked down, the fierce and resolute men in the second and third rows immediately rushed to the front with axes and hammers and began to swing them.

"Uh-huh!!"

"bump--"

"You wretched bastards, those who surrender will not be killed!!"

Those who abandon their weapons will not be killed!

The fierce and resolute soldiers of Longyou quickly charged in and easily broke through the gun formation of the Xichuan army.

The infantry behind them continued to attack with their spears, but they had no strength to fight back against the elite troops from Longyou who were attacking at close range.

Occasionally, a few people would be knocked down, but these people would immediately be dragged away from the battlefield by their quick-witted comrades.

On the contrary, all the soldiers of the Western Sichuan army who fell were trampled to death by their comrades.

The two sides clashed for only a short time before Sun Gaoxun sensed something was wrong.

"Take it easy and retreat to Chengdu!"

At this moment, they were only seven or eight miles away from Chengdu, and had every opportunity to retreat back to Chengdu.

However, after Sun Gaoxun ordered a retreat, more than 300 elite troops from Longyou went berserk and relentlessly pursued the vanguard, making it impossible for them to maintain their footing even as they retreated.

Liu Jilong waited at the rear for a long time, but seeing that he still couldn't break the formation, he looked into the distance and then said to the captains beside him:
“This man is quite capable. You two go to the rear of the column, each leading five hundred elite cavalry, and take another route to the rear of this army. Attack them from behind.”

"Yes!!"

The two captains readily agreed, and then they shook their reins and galloped off to the back of the column.

"kill!!"

Shouts of battle echoed along the official road between the paddy fields. Sun Gaoxun, seeing the vanguard constantly retreating, was about to order the central army to take over and replace the vanguard in the retreat when he heard the sound of wooden whistles from behind.

"Beep--"

"Commander, there is an enemy attack from the rear!"

With both sides about to speak, Sun Gaoxun's expression changed drastically, and he immediately said, "The rear guard will become the vanguard to block the enemy!"

"Yes!" The officers on both sides quickly responded. At this moment, the rear army of Xichuan also saw a thousand elite cavalry appear in the distance. After walking two hundred paces, they dismounted, formed a battle formation, and charged towards them.

"Hold on! The general's reinforcements will be here soon!"

Sun Gaoxun tried to boost morale, but the Xichuan army, whose front and rear armies were fighting, also heard about Gao Pian's crushing defeat at Xipu from the curses of the Longyou army.

The already wavering army is now in even greater danger.

Sun Gaoxun divided the central army into two, sending them to reinforce the front and rear armies respectively, but he knew this was not a solution.

They went out of the city to provide support, but they didn't bring much food. If their own commander was really defeated by Liu Jilong, then when the main force of Longyou arrived, they wouldn't even need to lift a finger; they could simply surround and trap them to death.

Thinking of this, Sun Gaoxun's eyes flickered, and the vanguard's formation began to waver.

"Beep--"

"Buzzing, rumbling..."

Suddenly, a wooden whistle sounded, and Liu Jilong's elite cavalry set off.

More than three hundred fierce and resolute soldiers retreated to the paddy fields on both sides of the official road, while several thousand elite cavalry from Longyou were charging toward the Xichuan army whose formation had become loose.

"Hold your guns and maintain your position!!"

Sun Gaoxun had no time to react and could only shout the order.

"Bang!!"

"Hiss..."

"Uh-huh!!"

Spears snapped, warhorses neighed, and the vanguard was instantly breached. The elite cavalry dismounted and began to fight, while fierce warriors on both flanks attacked from both sides of the Western Sichuan vanguard.

The vanguard was in dire straits, and the rearguard was also in a very bad situation.

Before Sun Gaoxun could even think about how to resolve the current situation, he saw the vanguard retreating in disarray, with countless people walking into the paddy fields, their legs submerged and being sucked in by the silt.

"help me!"

Those who abandon their weapons will not be killed! Those who surrender will not be killed!

"Commander, the vanguard has been routed!!"

The speed of the vanguard's defeat far exceeded Sun Gaoxun's expectations. He thought the vanguard could hold out for at least two incense sticks, but in fact, it was breached in less than half an incense stick's time.

Seeing more than two thousand fleeing soldiers running away, Sun Gaoxun had no choice but to order the execution of those fleeing soldiers in an attempt to stabilize the situation.

However, the formation had been shattered by the fleeing soldiers, and countless fleeing soldiers retreated to Sun Gaoxun's left and right. Seeing this, Sun Gaoxun had no choice but to order a breakout.

The central and rear armies charged towards the rear army, but the thousand elite cavalry from Longyou in the rear army remained motionless, a situation that filled people with despair.

Caught between two forces, countless defeated soldiers began to flee into the paddy fields, only to become trapped and struggle to escape.

Seeing that the rear army was also in imminent danger, Sun Gaoxun disregarded everything else and spurred his horse into the paddy field.

The army horses carried him with difficulty through the paddy fields. Liu Jilong spotted Sun Gaoxun trying to break through from a distance and immediately took out his large bow and nocked an arrow.

"call out!"

"Hiss!!"

Sun Gaoxun felt a sudden loss of weight and then fell into the paddy field, covered in mud.

"All generals are dead; those who surrender will not be killed!!"

Husi Guang noticed his commander's actions, and Sun Gaoxun, dressed in bright colors, was clearly an important figure in the army who had just been appointed, so he immediately called out.

Sure enough, after he shouted it out, the Xichuan army realized that their commander had disappeared, leaving only the banner in the formation.

"Surrender! I've heard that surrendered soldiers aren't killed in Longyou!"

"I want to go home! I want to go home..."

"Don't kill me, I want to surrender..."

In an instant, countless soldiers abandoned their posts. Upon seeing this, Liu Jilong immediately sent men to obtain the password for the Chengdu city defenses from several captured officers. He then ordered Husiguang to lead over a hundred elite cavalrymen, dressed in Xichuan army armor, to take several Xichuan army officers hostage in an attempt to trick them into opening the Chengdu city gates.

These officers cooperated and were immediately taken to Chengdu by Husiguang and his men.

Seeing this, Liu Jilong did not go to Chengdu. Instead, he ordered three thousand elite cavalry to escort the surrendered soldiers to Chengdu to support Husi Guang. After that, he led another three thousand elite cavalry back to the Xipu battlefield.

Sun Gaoxun, who had been captured, was also withdrawn to the battlefield with him.

When he led his troops back to the battlefield, Gao Pian's camp had already been captured, and Xipu County had also been taken by Geng Ming.

Of the supplies in the county, only 30% were taken away by Gao Pian, while the remaining 70% were intercepted by Geng Ming.

Liu Jilong entered Xipu County and saw that the county was full of soldiers from Longyou, and the people were hiding in their homes. Many soldiers were still carrying out corpses.

"what happened?"

Liu Jilong frowned and questioned Geng Ming. Upon seeing this, Geng Ming explained, "These are powerful families who attacked our army. This general had no choice but to suppress them."

"Hmm..." Liu Jilong did not intend to make enemies with all the powerful families in the entire Three Rivers region, but he would naturally not show mercy to those powerful families who decided to be his enemies.

Ignoring the troublemaking powerful families, he walked through the streets and entered the county government office. He found that the office was sealed off by the Longyou Army, so he ordered the seals to be torn off and the documents to be taken out for him to read.

Just as he was watching, a captain walked in from outside the yamen, panting as he bowed to Liu Jilong:
"General, Governor Husi has captured Chengdu and is now in control of the city. There are some powerful local lords causing trouble in the city, and Governor Husi has ordered the suppression of the rebellion."

"Great!" Although he was already confident, Liu Jilong couldn't help but feel happy when he heard that Chengdu had been captured.

At this moment, Zhang Wu entered the yamen and bowed to Liu Jilong, saying:
"General, Gao Pian and his men have retreated to Shu Prefecture south of the Yangtze River. Should we now order the construction of boats?"

"No need!" Liu Jilong shook his head and said, "Tomorrow you will lead elite cavalry and infantry to conquer the various prefectures and counties west of Longquan Mountain and north of the Yangtze River."

"In addition, send an order to Shang Duoluo, instructing him to lead two thousand infantrymen to reinforce Mianzhou; and send another message to Gao Jinda, instructing him to recruit soldiers from among the young men of Xichuan, the more the better."

"Our army is not lacking in armor, but in soldiers who can adapt to the climate of the Three Rivers region."

"Yes!" Zhang Wu bowed in response. Liu Jilong continued to give instructions:

"After taking over the prefectures and counties west of Longquan Mountain and north of the Yangtze River, you will be the commander-in-chief to conquer Dongchuan and Shannan West Road."

"The western part of Shannan is mostly mountainous and hilly, making it difficult to conquer. Our army is also short-handed and cannot penetrate deep into the region. Therefore, we should focus on capturing Dongchuan."

"If we could take over Yuzhou and Fuzhou in Shannan West Circuit, that would be wonderful."

Zhang Wu nodded upon hearing this and then said, "Rest assured, General, Li Fu of Dongchuan is utterly incompetent. I will certainly take him down!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Liu Jilong nod, so he immediately bowed and left the yamen, delivering the general's order to the three armies.

Meanwhile, Gao Pian led his army south, crossed the Yangtze River, and stationed himself in Tang'an. Everyone there looked like they had survived a calamity.

Gao Pian sat in the Tang'an County government office, while Zhang Lin, Liang Zuan, and Lin Ruzhen bowed their heads in silence. As for Suo Xun, he had already died on the battlefield.

After a long silence, Liang Zuan spoke first: "General, our army's morale has plummeted after this defeat, and we will be unable to confront Liu Jilong in the short term."

"Although the rebels also suffered many casualties, their main force remains intact."

"If Liu Jilong confronts our army on the Yangtze River and then attacks Dongchuan and Shannan West Road, given the situation in Dongchuan and Shannan West Road, Wang Lang and Li Fu will certainly not be able to hold them, and our army will be trapped in Shuzhou, Qiong, Jia, Mei, Ya, Rong, Li and other prefectures."

"Why not have a capable general stationed in these prefectures, while you, Commander, lead elite cavalry to the western route south of the mountains, train troops for a year, and then reclaim the lost territory?"

As long as Liu Jilong does not launch an attack, Gao Pian will naturally not abandon the seven prefectures south of the Yangtze River in Xichuan. However, given the situation in the seven prefectures, the maximum number of troops that can be mobilized is 30,000, and they also need to guard against the southern barbarians.

Liu Jilong brought them here, to put it bluntly, to have them help him guard the southern gateway to Sichuan.

If Gao Pian were to flee without a fight, Liu Jilong would certainly have ample means to sow discord between them.

Moreover, the Shannan West Circuit lacks sufficient land and population, while among the seven prefectures south of the Yangtze River in Xichuan, Shuzhou, Meizhou, Jiazhou, and Qiongzhou are all considered grain-producing areas.

As long as Liu Jilong does not take the initiative to attack the seven prefectures south of the Yangtze River, Gao Pian has no need to abandon the seven prefectures.

Liang Zuan's suggestion was fine, but Gao Pian frowned after hearing it.

At this time, he was forty-six years old, not yet as despondent as Zhang Lin, who was killed at the age of sixty in history.

Although he has suffered a setback at the hands of Liu Jilong, he still has the six prefectures of Xichuan and the thirteen prefectures of Shannan West Circuit behind him.

Dongchuan was easier to attack than Shannan West Road, so it was naturally impossible to hold it. However, Liu Jilong's army consisted of northerners, and as long as they could hold out until spring, Liu Jilong would have to temporarily halt his offensive.

If I have a few more months, it's not impossible for me to turn the tide and win.

Lost in thought, Gao Pian calmly said, "I will submit a memorial to the court, stating that our army suffered a narrow defeat in Chengdu with considerable casualties, and that I, Gao Qianli, am requesting to resign as the commander of the Three Rivers."

"Commander?!" Upon hearing this, the three of them stood up, unable to believe that their commander would be willing to give up this position.

Seeing the three men's confusion, Gao Pian explained, "It's just a strategic retreat. Now, besides me, who else in the court can stop Liu Jilong?"

"Even if the imperial court were to send someone, it would take several months of planning. By autumn, I would have already trained troops and launched a counterattack against the rebels!"

Gao Pian said dismissively, then added, "Li Fu is incompetent and will certainly not be able to stop Liu Jilong, so Dongchuan will definitely be difficult to protect."

"Send orders to Lu Ruyue and Forty-Three Lang to recruit 10,000 soldiers on the spot, and also order Wang Zhongren to recruit 20,000 soldiers in Shannan West Road."

"The rebels are surrounded by enemies on three sides and are constantly occupying prefectures and counties, so they will inevitably run out of manpower."

"Liu Jilong was able to win this battle because I underestimated the enemy. Next autumn, I will definitely lead my troops north to recover the lost territory."

"Since 30,000 can't beat 20,000, then let's go with 50,000 or 100,000!"

Gao Pian's chest heaved, and Zhang Lin and the others, upon hearing this, shook off their dejection and bowed in agreement.

Soon, countless fast horses left Tang'an County, and news of Gao Pian's defeat and loss of territory in western Sichuan spread like wildfire...

(End of this chapter)