Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 427 The Great Event is Over (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"Boom——"

In an instant, when the dust from the Lingtai County city wall suddenly rose several meters high, the Binning Army and Shence Army guarding the horse path felt dizzy and their minds went blank.

By the time they realized what was happening, the wooden whistle had already been ringing for quite some time.

"Beep--"

The piercing sound of the wooden whistle brought everyone to their senses, and they rushed toward the opening created by the gunpowder.

The smell of gunpowder mixed with a strong earthy odor lingered in the air. When the crowd rushed to the breach, they saw that the city wall had been blasted open, with a gap three zhang wide and about ten zhang deep.

"Fill the hole!"

Yang Fugong skillfully commanded the Shence Army and Binning Army troops, who immediately threw down carts, catapults, logs, and other things that could fill the gap.

At the same time, Wang Jian led more than 300 Han soldiers back to the breach and used crossbows to shoot at the Tang army on the city wall.

Wang Jian was strong; while drawing his bow, he aimed at a general who was giving orders and shot an arrow into his chest.

The immense force, combined with the chisel-shaped arrow specifically designed to pierce armor, caused Yang Fugong to feel a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw that he had been struck by an arrow in the chest, and the pain returned.

"It's pierced through the armor!"

"The military supervisor!!"

Seeing that Yang Fugong had been shot in the chest with an arrow, the surrounding generals were terrified and quickly moved him to the center, escorting him back.

“Shoot!!”

In an instant, arrows flew like locusts through the dust, and at such a distance, even armor could not provide complete protection.

Many Han soldiers fell with arrows in their faces, and some Tang soldiers also died from arrows in their faces.

Wang Jian continuously drew his bow and fired a quiver of arrows; all those hit by the arrows had their armor pierced.

Although the armor was pierced through, the arrows did not penetrate too deeply, allowing the group to survive despite their injuries.

Before long, the Han soldiers' feet were riddled with arrows, and Wang Jian's eyes also caught sight of the firearms soldiers digging in the gap, preparing to bury gunpowder packets.

Without the shield to seal it, the power of the gunpowder pack would decrease due to the deflation, but this would simply mean detonating it a few more times.

Thinking of this, Wang Jian tried his best to attract the attention of the Tang army until there were fewer and fewer Han soldiers standing beside him, and the whistle he was looking forward to suddenly sounded.

"Beep--"

"withdraw!!"

When the Han army's wooden whistle sounded, both the Han and Tang armies immediately and quickly withdrew from the battlefield.

At the same time, Liu Jilong, who was behind, looked out at the battlefield and saw that the number of Han soldiers had dropped sharply. He couldn't help but tighten his grip on the reins and look at the captain beside him.

"Send three hundred infantrymen, each carrying a gunpowder pack, forward. I don't believe they can't blow it up!"

"Yes!!"

The captain readily agreed and then assembled his cavalry and infantry, preparing to charge through the catapult area in one go and reach the city of Lingtai.

"Boom——"

Suddenly, dust rose again at the gap in Lingtai County in the distance. However, due to insufficient sealed space, although the dust rose higher this time, it did not cause enough damage to the city wall.

Three hundred cavalrymen rode out into battle, each with a determined look in their eyes, but their demeanor revealed an unusual tension.

The scenes from just moments ago were still vivid in my mind's eye; the Tang army's crossfire of catapults was still in the distance, as were the damaged shield carts and the corpses.

"Beep--"

"drive!"

The wooden whistle blew, and three hundred cavalrymen quickly shook their reins and charged towards Lingtai County.

Zheng Tian, ​​who was in command, saw this scene clearly. He immediately waved his command flag, and the two hundred catapults that had been prepared launched a fierce attack.

In an instant, two hundred slingshots came flying in a crisscross pattern, and three hundred cavalry and infantrymen spread out, but more than ten were still killed or injured on the spot.

Memories of the past resurface in my mind, and I don't seem to regret anything, only that I can no longer spend time with my family.

Gradually, those who fell lost their spirits, while the others ran frantically with their heads down.

The distance of several hundred paces meant that, for galloping cavalry and infantry, once they dodged the first volley of stones, they would essentially not have to wait for the second.

More than two hundred men rushed to the moat, dismounted, and whipped their horses' rumps.

All the horses were startled and galloped away.

Upon seeing this, more than two hundred people immediately rushed towards the gap, while the dust was dispersed by the mountain winds of the valley.

Wang Jian led his men back to the breach, where they joined up with the newly arrived 200-plus cavalry and infantry. They immediately split into two teams.

One team of archers suppressed the Tang army, while another team buried themselves in the ground, concealing gunpowder.

Stones continued to fall from the breach, and the Han soldiers pushed several shield carts that were not too badly damaged to block the stones and logs thrown by the Tang army.

Packets of gunpowder were filled into the opening. Even though the power was not great, as long as there were enough of them, they could achieve the effect that Liu Jilong wanted.

Nearly three thousand kilograms of gunpowder were filled into the breach, much of which was broken by the stones thrown at it.

Seeing this, the cavalry and infantrymen, who were skilled in firearms, dared not linger and quickly blew their wooden whistles.

"Beep--"

"withdraw!"

As if they had been rehearsed in advance, when the Han army's wooden whistle sounded, both the Han and Tang armies withdrew from the breach.

"Captain Wang, retreat a hundred paces away!"

Another captain leading the Han army in retreat reminded Wang Jian, and Wang Jian's scalp tingled upon hearing this. He immediately led his soldiers to join the captain.

The two men led their troops to retreat to the left, while the Tang army retreated several dozen paces before stabilizing their position and beginning to attack the more than five hundred men with bows and crossbows.

In a short time, many Han soldiers were hit by arrows, and the city walls were also filled with crossbows and large chisel-shaped arrows.

When the chisel-shaped arrows from the winch crossbows came, even Han soldiers wearing heavy lamellar armor would be pierced through the body and their blood would spill on the spot.

Wang Jian looked on with horror, yet also with a hint of anger.

On the way back, he looked back at the gap and saw that they were already more than a hundred paces away from it. He wanted to signal to stop, but when he saw that the other captain had not stopped, he could only follow and flee.

As they fled, Yang Fugong, who had been taken to the city tower, had his armor removed. Wang Jian shot an arrow that pierced through Yang's bright armor, penetrating about an inch deep.

Fortunately, Yang Fugong was a burly man, so he only suffered minor injuries, which were not fatal.

As he put his clothes and armor back on, he suddenly felt a tremor beneath his feet.

"Boom——"

In an instant, everyone heard a thunderclap from the ground, while the Tang soldiers outside the city saw dust spread out in an instant, rising more than ten feet high, and then a group of them were knocked down.

Many Tang soldiers closest to the breach felt a strong pressure coming on, and many suffered from tinnitus and fainted.

Countless clods of earth fell from the sky, and the Han soldiers who had retreated 150 paces away immediately stopped. After feeling the strong wind and dust, they rushed towards the breach that had been detonated.

But at the breach, the rammed earth city wall that had once stood was now completely gone.

A gap four zhang wide and three zhang deep appeared, filled with countless soft soils resembling sand. The solid foundation of the wall was only a foot high, which could not prevent the army from entering.

"kill!!"

Seeing the breach blown open, Wang Jian charged in first, and the Han soldiers behind him only hesitated for a moment before rushing in excitedly.

"For your merit in being the first to reach the summit, you are promoted three ranks!!"

"Beep--"

The melodious sound of wooden whistles rang out in waves, causing Zheng Tian, ​​Wang Shi, Yang Fugong, Liu Jilong, and others to change their expressions drastically.

The first three were surprised, while Liu Jilong was delighted.

He turned his horse around and looked at his generals, his tone calm and confident: "Dou Jingchong will lead a thousand cavalry and infantry to charge ahead and attract the government troops to throw stones. The remaining troops will wait for the government troops to throw stones before launching their own attack!"

“Understood!!”

The generals bowed in greeting, and at this moment, Yang Fugong from Lingtai County also realized what was happening.

He immediately led his troops to the breach, but saw that the breach had been blown open and the Han army had already poured into the city. Without thinking twice, he immediately led his troops down the horse path and charged towards the more than 500 Han soldiers.

Five hundred Han soldiers formed a six-flower straight formation and held their ground at the breach, while the Tang army surrounded them from all sides, with crossbows and stones constantly being thrown from the horse path.

"Hold on, Zhan Feng! Hold on and you'll advance three ranks; fail and you'll die!"

"Think of your families! Don't you want to bring them wealth and prosperity?!"

Wang Jian was quite capable of boosting morale; with just a few words, he raised the morale of the entire army to its highest level.

As the Tang army charged forward in formation, the Han army's battle formation remained unmoved, like a mountain range, allowing the waves to crash against it.

"kill!!"

At this moment, the Han army cavalry and infantry, who had been prepared in the rear, launched an attack, and a thousand men suddenly rushed towards the breach in Lingtai County.

Seeing this, Zheng Tian ordered without hesitation: "Release them!"

In an instant, two hundred stones were thrown out, and Liu Jilong was waiting for Zheng Tian to make the first move.

"rush!!"

He raised his arms and shouted, taking the lead.

Apart from the 3,000 garrison troops who needed to stay behind to protect the civilians, the remaining 6,000 cavalry and infantry launched an attack.

"Fell into a trap!"

"Load the catapults immediately!"

Zheng Tian reacted immediately and looked at the soldiers and laborers behind him. At this moment, Wang Shi also immediately said:
“The Shence Army is poorly trained. With only Yang Fugong’s 10,000 men, they absolutely cannot withstand such a large number of rebels. We must send reinforcements immediately and send another 1,500 elite cavalry as a detachment to launch a surprise attack on the rebels from the rear.”

"Good!" Zheng Tian agreed without hesitation and quickly began waving his command flag, dispatching 10,000 troops to reinforce Lingtai County. He also sent 1,500 elite cavalrymen from his own 2,000 elite cavalrymen to harass the Han army's laborers in the rear.

Even with the fastest cavalry, it would still take most of the day to launch a rapid raid on the Han army, so Yang Fugong had to hold Lingtai County for most of the day.

"Boom bang bang-"

"Uh-huh!"

"Hiss!!"

On the official road in the valley, stones were thrown down, and those hit were torn to pieces, with few surviving.

Dozens of men were killed by falling rocks, but they cleared the way for the main force behind them.

Before the catapults on the left and right platforms could launch a second attack, more than 7,000 cavalry and infantry had already crossed the moat, dismounted, and formed ranks to rush toward the breach.

"Haha! We've secured the first assault! Brothers, hold your ground!!"

Seeing his reinforcements rushing in, Wang Jian couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The laughter infected everyone, and the Shence Army and Binning Army around them panicked when they heard that the Han reinforcements had arrived.

"The formation must not be moved. Hold the line! Our reinforcements are on their way. Hold this position, and each of you will be rewarded with ten strings of cash!"

Yang Fugong was well aware that these Shence Army soldiers were not bad, but the generals were all from the Northern Division.

Generals from the Northern Commandery are good at using the authority of others, but they're easily exposed when it comes to actual command.

Originally, the Northern Division still had Gao Pian, Zhou Bao and others to hold the fort, but with the rise of Gao Pian, the capture of Zhou Bao, and the previous disastrous defeat in Qin Prefecture, the quality of the Shence Army generals has declined again and again.

If I don't give them a firm order, they will definitely desert.

Thinking of this, Yang Fugong sternly ordered: "The brave and resolute men of each squad shall be stationed in their respective squads, and the decisive leaders shall be stationed at the rear of the squads to supervise the battle. Anyone who observes the soldiers retreating shall be executed."

"If anyone in Zhanfeng or his team disobeys orders and retreats, anyone in his team who can behead him will be rewarded with ten strings of cash."

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

"The leaders of the various squads are fighting each other with the bandits. The left and right flag bearers must urgently advance to their aid."

"If the people on the left and right are entangled by thieves, the next travelers must rush forward to rescue them."

"When he went to rescue the person, he was entangled by the thief. From then on, the passers-by should rush forward to rescue him."

“If the person in front is killed by thieves and the person behind does not come to the rescue, the officer in charge, the deputy captain, and the captain shall all be beheaded.”

“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.”

Yang Fugong's words were quickly spread among the banner soldiers to the front of the ranks, and all the troop members were on edge. They knew that Yang Fugong was not joking, and they all steadied themselves.

For a time, the two sides were locked in a stalemate, while reinforcements from the Han army poured into the breach.

"Beep--"

"Enter!!"

The Han army general waved his command flag, and upon seeing this, Wang Jian and other captains immediately began to direct their troops to advance.

"kill!!"

Shouts of battle suddenly rang out, and the Han soldiers charged forward with their spears, clashing with the Tang soldiers' spears. One spear thrust at the other, and the other thrust at the other.

However, when the weak are knocked down or their faces are pierced, the spear, though seemingly a sharp weapon, is no less powerful than a blunt weapon when it strikes.

Those who were stabbed by spears invariably suffered internal injuries and vomited blood, or the pain became unbearable and they fainted on the spot.

The Han soldiers took turns to fill in for the wounded in an orderly manner. The soldiers in the rear tore open the coarse cloth around their waists, spread it on the ground, and then dragged the wounded soldiers onto the cloth and pulled them to the rear.

In comparison, the Shence Army and Binning Army appeared disheveled and completely ignored these so-called wounded soldiers.

If the squad leader sees them, these wounded soldiers still have a chance to survive; if the squad leader ignores them, the others will not dare to save them at all.

Seeing the Han army advancing steadily while his own forces retreated, Yang Fugong couldn't help but feel anxious.

"No retreat! Hold the line!"

As he gave the order, his gaze fell upon the horse track, where the Shence Army soldiers were constantly pushing carts, logs, and stones down in an attempt to block the gap.

However, their progress was far slower than the Han army's clearing speed.

Zheng Tian and Wang Shi on the Taiyuan Plain also saw and remembered the situation in Lingtai County.

Seeing this, Wang Shi simply said, "Our troops are all hiding on the horse trails or inside the city walls, while the Han troops are gathered in large numbers outside the city walls."

"Now that the city walls have been breached, one or two more gaps won't matter. In fact, we can use this opportunity to kill more rebels. Why not take action?"

"This...this is probably..." Zheng Tian hesitated, but seeing the determination in Wang Shi's eyes, he waved his hand and said, "All catapults, adjust your positions and attack the rebels in Lingtai County!!"

Upon receiving the military order, the Fengxiang army did not hesitate at all. They immediately ordered the laborers to begin clearing stones from the counterweight box, preparing to change direction and attack the Han army outside the city wall of Lingtai County.

Meanwhile, Liu Jilong, who was keeping a close eye on both sides of the platform, also saw their actions among the three armies and couldn't help but become serious.

"Order that the formation must be broken within one incense stick's time! Whoever breaks the formation will be promoted three ranks!"

"Yes!!"

Upon hearing Liu Jilong's order, Wang Jian, who had already been credited with being the first to scale the walls, had countless thoughts flash through his mind.

"He has already been promoted three ranks. After the battle, when his merits are assessed, he will at most be a junior general. If he breaks through the enemy's formation again, he can be promoted to captain!"

Wang Jian's eyes gleamed. After thinking it over, he immediately raised his arms and shouted, "Brothers, we have already achieved the merit of being the first to scale the walls, but this is only a minor achievement!"

"If we can break the formation, we'll get a third-tier promotion. You and I, brothers, will at least be squad leaders. The credit is right before our eyes!!"

In the Han military system, soldiers were merely unranked civilians, while officers held the rank of ninth grade or lower.

If judged by merit, their current achievement of being the first to scale the walls means that even ordinary soldiers could be promoted to the rank of squad leader.

The problem is that each position is a specific one, and unless the Han army expands, they are unlikely to get a real position. At most, they can get a deputy captain or squad leader position and receive the salary of a captain.

However, if they were to achieve the merit of breaking through the enemy's formation, they would certainly be able to obtain the actual position of squad leader and receive the treatment of brigade commander.

Thinking of this, everyone's arms, which had been numb, suddenly regained strength.

"kill!!"

"Kill the thief!"

"Pah! You bastards, you're the real thieves!"

"Your mother's head!!"

Seeing the Han army suddenly go berserk and even call them thieves, the vanguard of the Shence Army and Binning Army also got angry, spitting on them as thieves while fighting back with all their might.

Seeing that the bandits were not being able to enter, Wang Jian immediately turned his gaze to the wall blocking the army's path.

"Damn it, tear this wall down!!"

As soon as Wang Jian finished speaking, he took out his golden mace and began to smash the wall of the workshop.

Upon seeing this, the Han soldiers followed suit and began to use blunt weapons to destroy the walls.

Upon seeing this, Yang Fugong's expression turned grim. He knew very well what the situation was like in Lingtai County.

It's nothing more than rammed earth, a rammed earth wall no more than two feet thick. If there were a battering ram, it would collapse after a few impacts.

Now, hundreds of Han soldiers have breached the ward walls, which are no match for them.

He quickly mobilized a thousand Shence Army soldiers to enter the ward, waiting for the Han army to breach the ward walls while he formed a battle formation to block them.

The Shence Army began to move. Even though they were sent by the Northern Division to be scapegoats, they had been trained for more than half a year and were now able to show some strength.

However, these strengths proved insufficient when facing the Han army.

"boom--"

The wall collapsed, and the Han army and the Shence army looked at each other in dismay. Wang Jian took the lead and rushed forward, smashing the Shence army with his golden mace.

The rest of the Han army followed suit, but the Han army in the rear formed a battle formation and charged forward.

The thousand Shence Army soldiers were no match for the relentless pursuit of several hundred Han soldiers, and soon they were routed and retreated into the streets and alleys of the neighborhood.

With a breakthrough, countless Han soldiers began to rush into the ward, and Yang Fugong had no choice but to lead two thousand soldiers to block the ward gate.

The influx of Han troops into Lingtai County made Zheng Tian, ​​who was preparing to attack, uneasy.

"put!!"

"Beep--"

With a whistle, two hundred catapults started firing simultaneously, instantly launching two hundred heavy stones weighing over thirty pounds each.

The range of the South Terrace was insufficient, and many of the stones fell into the Daxi River, but the stones from the North Terrace still landed above the Han army.

"Bam—"

"Uh-huh!!"

Dozens of stones fell, and suddenly, shrill screams rang out, and dozens or even hundreds of people were killed or injured.

Liu Jilong's horse was also startled, but Liu Jilong used brute force to steady it.

"Go into the city, don't linger outside!"

He steadied his horse and continued to direct the Han army into the city.

At this moment, Wang Chongrong displayed his bravery, leading more than a thousand men assigned to him by Liu Jilong, and after joining forces with Wang Jian's elite troops, he immediately launched a strong attack on the more than two thousand Shence Army soldiers commanded by Yang Fugong.

Yang Fugong was not very familiar with Wang Chongrong and did not know that this person was the former Left Military Commissioner of Hezhong Town of the Great Tang Dynasty.

But even if he knew that, it was too late to change anything now.

Wang Chongrong had already realized that while the Han army wouldn't completely crush the current Tang army, they were still incredibly powerful.

Following those scoundrels from the Northern and Southern Offices is nowhere near as promising as following the Prince of Han.
He, who had been harboring his own selfish thoughts, instantly switched sides to Liu Jilong after witnessing the Han army's fearless actions.

At this moment, all he wanted was to perform well and clear his name of being a surrendered general.

"kill!!"

Wang Chongrong roared and led his troops to break through the vanguard of Yang Fugong's Shence Army. The two sides clashed in close combat, and the streets were in chaos. Countless Han soldiers rushed out of the gates and continuously repelled the Shence Army.

"You son of a bitch! You son of a bitch!!"

Yang Fugong kept repeating the same two curses, while the morale of the Han army was high. As the crowd surged into the city, the Shence Army and Binning Army were almost pushed along the way, given their relatively equal numbers.

"How long until Li Bingma arrives in Lingtai County?!"

Zheng Tian looked out over Lingtai County. Although he couldn't see clearly, he couldn't help but worry when he saw the Han army pouring into the city.

He questioned the general behind him, who guessed, "Commander Li has been gone for half an hour, and it will take at least another half an hour." The general's words made Zheng Tian's face turn particularly ugly.

He thought a long time had passed, but only an hour had actually elapsed since the start of the battle.

"The Shence Army is truly useless!"

Zheng Tian then realized what was happening, while Wang Shi, though equally anxious, remained calm and waited for the outcome.

The Han and Tang armies in Lingtai County engaged in street fighting. The Tang army relied on the markets and neighborhoods for self-defense, while the Han army chose to attack them one by one.

The sixteen wards within Lingtai County, resembling fortresses, were successively captured by the Han army.

The Shence Army was of average fighting strength, but it was able to hold out for a period of time by relying on the walls of the wards. The Binning Army among them was slightly better than the Shence Army, and Yang Fugong led them to defend the county government.

The walls of the county government office were reinforced by Wang Shi and Zheng Tian and were built of stacked stones. They were two zhang high and were a true city within a city.

"King Han, they are preparing to fight our army inside the city!"

"King Han, why not just use gunpowder to blow down all the walls of the wards!"

The captains standing behind Liu Jilong spoke one after another, clearly seeing that Zheng Tian was trying to weaken the Han army's ability to fight in large-scale battles by using the complex streets and alleys, thereby creating a situation where the Han army had more troops than the Han army, both overall and in certain areas.

However, Zheng Tian seemed to have underestimated the organizational capabilities of the Han army's "tuan, bian, dui, huo" (units, brigades, squads, and gangs) at the middle and lower levels, and overestimated the strength of the Shence Army and the Binning Army.

In the current situation, although the Shence Army and the Binning Army have caused considerable obstacles to the Han army's sieges, the Han army is still like a bulldozer, "flattening" one ward after another.

The situation did not improve as Zheng Tian had anticipated; on the contrary, it worsened.

As Liu Jilong watched as Han army flags were planted in one ward after another, a smile appeared on his lips: "If we can't win head-on, no matter how many tricks we have, we can't win."

The sounds of battle echoed throughout the city, and the people could only hide in the corners of their homes, trembling as they waited for the war to end.

"The rebels have entered the city!"

"Soldiers! The rebels have entered the city! We must go back!"

"Shut up, all of you!"

The laborers on the platform began to riot. Seeing the Han army enter the city, they refused to stay any longer.

Upon seeing this, Zheng Tian immediately turned to look at Wang Shi, who could only sigh, "With the army setting off, whether we can hold Lingtai depends on whether our army can use the streets and alleys of Lingtai to inflict heavy losses on the rebels..."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Tian no longer hesitated and immediately ordered the army to set off down from Lingtai Plain.

However, when he descended from Lingtai Plain, many Shence Army soldiers in Lingtai County had already surrendered. Only the Binning Army, which had retreated into the county government office, and the Shence Army, which had retreated into the East and West Markets, were still putting up a stubborn resistance.

The county government office and the East and West Markets had ample supplies, and the walls of the neighborhood were taller and thicker.

Upon learning of the situation, Liu Jilong immediately ordered his men to dig up the wall and plant gunpowder.

However, Yang Fugong had a solution. He ordered his men to pour out the rock grease and set it on fire with torches, thus preventing the Han army from digging and attacking, and thus buying them enough time.

"Your Majesty, the west gate of the city has been opened. The government troops have reinforcements stationed on the west gate's horse road and are fighting with our army for control of the neighborhoods!"

Wang Chongrong rode up, slightly out of breath, his face stained with blood.

Liu Jilong was not nervous upon hearing this. Instead, he looked at Wang Chongrong and said, "Let them in. Since they want to wear down our troops in the streets and alleys, then let's use this battle to completely defeat the government troops!"

"Yes!!" Wang Chongrong was excited upon hearing this and immediately turned his horse around to head to the west city to give the order.

After Wang Chongrong left, cavalrymen from outside the city rushed to the breached ward and found Liu Jilong sitting in front of the tavern.

"General, the government troops have withdrawn from Lingtai Plain."

"Okay." Liu Jilong nodded in response, and then began to wait for the results.

The shouts of battle in the west city grew louder, and could be heard even in the east city, a mile away.

Liu Jilong was surrounded by hundreds of soldiers, and wounded soldiers were also brought here for treatment by more than a hundred military doctors.

The surgical techniques of the Han army were no less advanced than those of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

As long as there is no excessive bleeding or the need for open surgery, other external injuries can be treated.

Although the Han army's military doctors had figured out the issues of blood type and blood transfusion under Liu Jilong's guidance, blood transfusion was still not feasible in this era.

If problems such as air embolism, blood clotting, and blood typing cannot be resolved, forced blood transfusions can lead to infections or sepsis in mild cases, or even blockages and death in severe cases.

Aside from providing a systematic set of testing and research methodologies, Liu Jilong doesn't offer much improvement in other areas.

He was struck by the sight of many wounded soldiers dying before his eyes, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.

It may be unbearable, but for the sake of peace in the world, some sacrifices are necessary.

"kill!!"

"Bam—"

In the western part of Lingtai County, the Han army was currently attacking from the horse paths of the north and south walls, as well as the horse path at the foot of the western city wall, constantly fighting with the Tang army for control of the city gates.

The two sides formed ranks and engaged in battle. The vanguard, wielding long weapons, led the charge, while the troop leaders, armed with bows, crossbows, and short weapons, positioned themselves in the middle to oversee the battle.

The fighting began at 9:00 AM, with the two armies constantly taking turns in formation, and every moment several lives were lost.

Meanwhile, the East and West Markets of Lingtai County were also captured by the Han army, and the Han and Tang forces fought fiercely in the streets and alleys.

The wounded Shence Army soldiers dragged their injured legs toward the ditch, intending to rest, but were suddenly buried by the collapsing wall.

Dou Jingchong, Wang Chongrong, and others did not disappoint Liu Jilong. The Shence Army in the East and West Markets was quickly defeated, and thousands of people began to surrender en masse.

At this moment, apart from the Tang army in the west city, only Yang Fugong's troops, who were holding the county government office, remained.

Seeing that the East and West Markets had fallen one after another, and that his own reinforcements were unable to reach the county government, Yang Fugong couldn't help but panic.

After being persuaded by those around him, he finally chose to lead his troops to break through the encirclement.

"Oh!"

"A mixed group of people from the Hexi and Longxi regions!"

"Guanzhong dog!!"

The back door of the county government office was opened, and the soldiers from both the Han and Tang armies reacted immediately. The Binning army escorted Yang Fugong and charged westward into the city.

Meanwhile, Dou Jingchong and Wang Chongrong led 5,000 Han soldiers to continuously repel the government troops west of the city.

After more than half an hour, the Tang army was driven off the western city ramparts, and the city gate tower was recaptured by the Han army. However, the mechanism of the gate's heavy gate was destroyed, and the gate could not be lowered. Meanwhile, several thousand Tang soldiers held their ground with their backs to the western gate.

At this moment, dust rose in the west of the city. After more than half an hour, Zheng Tian, ​​Wang Shi and others, who had come down from Lingtai Plain, were leading 20,000 troops from Fengxiang, Jingyuan, Xuanwu and Yicheng to approach the west city.

"Prime Minister Zheng has personally led a large army here. The three armies have stabilized their formation and are preparing to counterattack!"

Li Changyan, the military commander of Fengxiang Army who was in charge of the Tang army's defense, spoke sternly. Upon learning that their reinforcements had arrived, the morale of the Tang army soared.

While their morale was high, Yang Fugong led his troops out of the county government with great difficulty. More than 30% of the more than 2,000 Binning soldiers were killed or wounded, while more than 2,000 Han soldiers blocked their way.

"Enemy troops are approaching from the rear!!"

"Beep--"

In an instant, the Han army that had been surrounding the Tang army at the west gate suddenly became the target of a pincer attack.

Faced with this situation, Wang Chongrong, who was in command of the troops, remained calm, and the Han army was equally composed.

Without the need for command, the rear guard is arranged in a straight line as the front guard, and the garrison is transformed into a triple force consisting of the vanguard, the leaping troops, and the garrison.

Seeing the swiftness of the Han army's movements, Yang Fugong couldn't help but feel despair.

But seeing that their own side was still holding the city gate, their confidence was immediately rekindled.

"Charge! Charge through and you'll live!!"

Faced with a Han army that far outnumbered them, the Binning army was initially intimidated, but Yang Fugong's reminder brought them back to their senses.

"Damn it, if we can't get past you, we'll only be waiting to die."

"Kill it!"

"Forget about formation, just charge forward and we'll survive!!"

The Binning army, already a depleted force, was now filled with fighting spirit as they looked at the reinforcements that were so close at hand.

Upon seeing this, Li Changyan, who was commanding the Tang army to defend the city gate, was immediately filled with confidence and raised his arms to shout:

"Our reinforcements have arrived. Now is the time to launch a pincer attack. Whoever breaks through the rebel army's formation will be promoted three ranks and rewarded with one hundred strings of cash!!"

The Tang army, which was originally in a slump, couldn't help but feel its confidence renewed when it saw reinforcements coming from both the front and the rear.

Faced with their fierce fighting spirit, the Han army, caught in the crossfire, remained unmoved, while the Han soldiers on the horse path began to form ranks and descend from the horse path, launching a pincer attack on the Tang army.

At this moment, the two armies are locked in a fierce battle, and whoever loses will be the one caught in the crossfire.

"kill!!"

Shouts of battle rang out, the swords clashed, and warriors leaped, drew their bows, and unleashed a hail of arrows.

Upon learning that Zheng Tian had led his army to arrive, Liu Jilong, who was in the rear, also rode his horse to the city wall of Lingtai County to overlook the situation inside and outside the city.

With the city walls captured by the Han army, Zheng Tian's plan to besiege Longyou by relying on the western city walls and the surrounding neighborhoods had failed.

His expression was not good, but he still ordered the army to launch a strong attack on the city.

In an instant, the roles of offense and defense reversed, with the Han army becoming the defenders and the Tang army the attackers.

The Han army calmly drew their bows and arrows on the horse path, while the Tang army continuously resisted.

Of the 43,000 Tang soldiers, only 30,000 remain, while the Han army, though also suffering heavy casualties, still had over 10,000 fighting on the battlefield.

Liu Jilong dismounted, drew his bow and arrow, and measured the distance between himself and Zheng Tian. Finding that the distance was more than three hundred paces, he frowned and turned around.

The general in bright armor below the city was directing the Tang army at the city gate to join forces with the Tang army led by Yang Fugong, but Wang Chongrong and his troops were blocking their way, and they could not break through at all.

Seeing this, Liu Jilong slowly released the bowstring and handed an arrow to the person next to him: "Change to armor-piercing arrows!"

"Yes!" The captain replaced the armor-piercing arrow for him, and then Liu Jilong drew his bow and nocked an arrow. The two-stone strong bow was five feet tall, with thick bow arms and bowstrings, but Liu Jilong drew it to its full length in an instant.

"boom--"

In an instant, the arrow left the bowstring and flew away. Li Changyan, who was giving orders, felt a sharp pain at the back of his head and subconsciously turned around.

Before he could react, a thick, armor-piercing arrow pierced through his bright armor and penetrated deep into his chest, causing Li Changyan to fall from his horse.

"Commander of the Army!!"

Those around them, seeing this, broke out in a cold sweat and looked back, but couldn't see anyone shooting arrows at them.

They all dismounted and, seeing that Li Changyan was still breathing, quickly woke him up.

Upon waking, Li Changyan's first words, uttered in pain, were: "Don't move!"

"Remove my armor..." Li Changyan said in pain. Seeing this, his men quickly removed his bright armor. They saw that he was wearing a breastplate underneath. The armor-piercing arrow had not pierced through the breastplate, but the armor plates were badly dented.

"Commander, you are unharmed, only slightly injured."

After catching his breath, Li Changyan cried out in pain, "My bones... my bones are broken..."

When everyone heard this, their expressions suddenly changed.

"Get me out of here..."

After saying this, Li Changyan immediately fainted and passed away. His men could only command the troops to escort him out of the city.

At the same time, the captain standing behind Liu Jilong couldn't help but speak up: "The King of Han is a master archer! This place is at least sixty paces away from that government general. The King of Han is a master archer!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jilong frowned, then put away his bow and arrows: "The distance is too far; I'm afraid we couldn't kill him."

Seeing him do this, the left and right captains looked at each other in bewilderment. Most of them used nine-dou foot archers and seven-dou horse archers.

Even the valiant soldiers like An Pohu and Husi Guang could only shoot one stone on horseback and one stone and two or three stones on foot.

Only our own King of Han could wield a two-stone bow with such ease.

"Their commander has been shot by an arrow. Take advantage of their weakness and defeat them in one fell swoop!"

"Yes!!"

Liu Jilong gave the order in a deep voice, and then the flag soldiers waved the command flag, and Liu Jilong's banner was also raised.

"The King of Han has arrived!"

"The King of Han commands the three armies to break through the enemy lines!!"

When Liu Jilong's banner was raised on the city wall, the Han army was in high spirits and their morale soared, while the Tang army was like a wilted eggplant, suddenly powerless.

Yang Fugong was unable to break through the Han army's defenses and could only watch helplessly as the number of Binning soldiers beside him dwindled.

As the Han army pressed forward, the Tang army, which had been able to hold the city gates, was forced to retreat even after reinforcements arrived.

Yang Fugong's Binning army had dwindled to less than a few hundred men. Upon seeing this, Wang Jian, who was besieging them, immediately shouted, "Those who surrender will not be killed!!"

"Those who surrender will not be killed! Those who surrender will not be killed!!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers of Binning Army wavered. Seeing this, Yang Fugong quickly rebuked them: "You all receive salaries from the imperial court, and I consider you all my brothers. Are you going to abandon your loyalty and righteousness?!"

Yang Fugong thought his words would calm the soldiers of the Binning Army, but before he could finish speaking, the generals and officers of the Binning Army rushed at him and pinned him to the ground.

"You bastard! I am Yang of the Shence Army..."

Before he could finish speaking, a colonel punched him three times in the face.

"Yang Yang Yang! Dog-footed Yang!"

Yang Fugong's nose was bleeding profusely, and he was immediately unable to utter a single word.

Upon seeing this, Wang Jian immediately led his troops forward, disarmed the surrendered Binning soldiers, and at the same time bound Yang Fugong tightly.

The Tang army was driven out of the city. Seeing that the Binning army had surrendered, Liu Jilong immediately ordered his three armies to go out of the city to attack.

The Han army is in high spirits, and now is the time to pursue them relentlessly!

"Order the 3,000 garrison troops to become the vanguard and pursue the government troops!"

He gave the order to those behind him, and the captain behind him immediately agreed and sent out a fast horse to gather three thousand cavalry and infantry from the rear army to pursue them.

Outside the city, Zheng Tian watched as his troops stormed into the city, only to be defeated and forced to retreat in less than a quarter of an hour. His expression changed drastically.

"withdraw……"

"No!"

Zheng Tian was preparing to withdraw his troops when Wang Shi quickly interrupted him, explaining, "The rebel cavalry is numerous; you saw what Tai Wen said before."

"We must not retreat now. Instead, we should regroup and reorganize our troops before slowly retreating towards Baili City."

"Good!" Zheng Tian calmed down after hearing Wang Shi's words. Once he was sure that Wang Shi was right, he began to reorganize his troops and set up a battle formation to confront the Han army on the north bank of the Daxi River.

More than 6,000 Han soldiers formed a battle formation to confront the more than 20,000 government troops. They not only overwhelmed the government troops in terms of morale, but also seemed eager to attack, treating them as prey.

Zheng Tian felt a tightness in his chest and couldn't help but question the general beside him, "Where is Military Commander Li?!"

"Commander Li was shot in a vital spot by a sharpshooter among the rebels and is currently recuperating in the rear."

"A sharpshooter?" Upon hearing this, Zheng Tian felt a chill run down his spine. He couldn't help but look around to make sure he was safe before turning to Wang Shi.

"Brother Xiaonian, what should we do now?" Zheng Tian asked.

"This place is only about 30 li away from Baili City, and our elite cavalry should be withdrawing soon."

"Now send a fast horse to Baili City to ask Vice Envoy Yang for help. After the elite cavalry withdraws, use them to cover the rear while the three armies retreat to Baili City."

Wang Shi knew that Liu Jilong's cavalry was formidable, but the terrain here was long and narrow, and two thousand elite cavalry would be enough to hold off the Han army.

However, no mistakes must be made during this period.

Thinking of this, Wang Shi looked around and saw that there were no banners of the Shence Army in the formation, so he nodded in satisfaction.

The Shence Army's soldiers are fine, but the generals from the Northern Division are too incompetent, which will surely lead to the retreat of the entire army.

Currently, our forces number over 20,000, all of whom are new and old soldiers from Fengxiang, Jingyuan, Yicheng, and other places. Even if we retreat in the wrong direction, it will be easy to adjust.

Thinking of this, he also saw Zheng Tian send out a fast horse, and then looked at the Han army facing them.

The Han army still looked menacing, which made Wang Shi frown. Then he remembered that Liu Jilong seemed to have left some troops stationed there, and his expression changed slightly.

"We must not falter; Liu Muzhi is surely waiting for an opportunity!"

“Okay!” Zheng Tian replied without hesitation, and the two of them were not wrong.

While they were facing off against the Han army, three thousand cavalry and infantrymen, carrying Liu Jilong's great banner, bypassed Lingtai County and appeared in the southeast corner of the battlefield.

Liu Jilong rode his horse out of the city and joined forces with three thousand cavalry and infantry. He narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance at Zheng Tian's central army banner.

"This Zheng Tian is indeed a calm and composed person."

He was generous with his praise, but his mind was already racing with ideas on how to defeat the government troops.

The government troops had traveled ten or twenty miles, but were driven out of the city within half an hour of entering. Their morale was bound to be low, and they were only managing to hold their ground for the time being.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong raised his hand and said, "Send an order to Dou Jingchong to lead his troops back into the city."

"Yes!"

The captain bowed in response, and then the command flag was waved. Dou Jingchong, who was directing more than 6,000 Han soldiers to dismount and form a battle formation to confront the government troops, also saw the flag signal.

Although he did not know why they had to retreat, he dared not disobey the King of Han's orders.

"withdraw!"

He refused to comply and subsequently ordered the three armies to begin their retreat.

Seeing the Han army retreat, the government troops, who had been on high alert, suddenly relaxed, and Zheng Tian and Wang Shi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Just as they were relaxing their guard, Liu Jilong's three thousand cavalry and infantry suddenly sounded the bugle.

"Uuuuuu——"

"Oh no! Form ranks immediately!!"

In an instant, three thousand cavalry and infantry launched a charge, and the Han army, which had been retreating, suddenly stopped and all looked toward the central army.

Dou Jingchong looked in surprise toward the cavalry and infantry, only to see that the cavalry and infantry had already launched their charge, while the flag bearers remained behind, waving their command flags.

Dou Jingchong was momentarily confused, but after understanding the flag signals, he was overjoyed: "All troops halt! Form a six-flower straight formation and charge!!"

The Han infantry, who were about to retreat back into the city, quickly formed ranks and charged towards the government troops.

The government troops had no time to spare for them at this moment. Instead, under Zheng Tian's command, they tried to adjust their direction and face the Han army's cavalry and infantry charge with a straight-line battle formation.

The distance between the two sides was getting closer and closer, from fifty paces to twenty paces, when the Tang army suddenly opened fire with their crossbows.

Arrows rained down like locusts. Liu Jilong personally led his cavalry and infantry to outflank the Tang army's front. Even though many cavalry and infantrymen fell and died in the process, he did not stop but circled back again.

"The three armies must not act rashly!!"

Seeing the Han infantry charging forward, the Tang army was unable to adjust its formation. Wang Shi could only seize the command flag from Zheng Tian and wave it to command the flanks to become battle vanguards and leap to block the Han army's attack.

"Bam—"

"kill!!"

Amidst the shouts of battle, six thousand Han infantrymen charged into the flank of the Tang army. Even with Wang Shi's command and reminders, the Tang army's flank was still shattered and their formation began to falter.

Upon seeing this, Wang Shi immediately waved his command flag, because he had already figured out what Liu Jilong was planning to do.

"Uuuuuu——"

As expected, after Liu Jilong turned his troops around, he took advantage of the Tang army's attention being focused on the flanks and their formation wavering, and decisively launched a real attack.

Even if the Tang army's formation falters, it is not easy to break through the Tang army's lines with cavalry and infantry.

But Liu Jilong created this opportunity by using both conventional and unconventional forces, so how could he not be confident?
In an instant, the Tang army's previously unstable formation was breached by three thousand cavalry and infantry, while the Han army's cavalry and infantry also suffered heavy casualties.

Wang Shi was about to retaliate when he saw that the morale of his troops was low and some were even deserting.

"Be resolute in command of the battle; anyone who deserts in the face of battle shall be executed!!"

Wang Shi waved his command flag, but it was too late. The new recruits in Fengxiang, Jingyuan and other towns simply could not withstand such pressure.

Seeing that their flanks had been broken, they could only retreat, a move that other soldiers saw as a sign of defeat for the vanguard.

For a time, the Tang army's orders were in disarray, while the Han troops on both the left and right flanks began to exert their strength and fight fiercely in the battle.

Wang Shi and Zheng Tian turned pale, already knowing their fate...

(End of this chapter)