Jinting Han people

Chapter 201: Bloody Battle at Gumuyuan (4k)

When the drums sounded, five quarters of an hour had passed since the Xiongnu launched their night attack on the Jin army. No one could say how many Jin troops were left in the Fenyin camp at this time, because whether they were killed or had escaped, the number was by no means small.

However, a considerable number of Jin troops still remained in the camp. The reason was that shortly after the night attack, the various Huns lost order and communication.

After their great victory, they discovered silk and valuables in the tents of some Jin army officers. In particular, they found countless gold, silver, jade, silks, fine goods, fine wine, and fine horses in the tents of Sun Xiu's main camp, which was located in the center of the camp. There were even dozens of maids that Sun Xiu had not had time to take away.

Reaching out to touch the oxtail carpets painted with fish and dragons, smelling the camphor incense still burning in the tents, and seeing the dazzling array of pearls, gold, and silver ornaments, and the beauty of the maids shivering in the corners like minks, it all far exceeded the Xiongnu's imagination. They were all poor people, and could not imagine such a luxurious and beautiful life. They could not help but linger here.

Then they began to fight, divide and enjoy. There was nothing to hesitate about. After all, hearing the wailing outside the tent and glimpsing the fire outside the door showed that this was already a great victory. Why couldn't they enjoy it further?

As a result, a considerable number of Xiongnu did not join in the pursuit of the remaining Jin troops, but were instead busy filling their pockets with treasures. This gave Liu Xian extremely valuable time and opportunity. Finally, he successfully played the drums on Gumuyuan.

For the Huns, the drumbeats were thunder in the sky, but for the Jin army, the drumbeats were the rain that extinguished the fire.

The most bewildered and desperate moment for a soldier isn't when they're fighting to the death, but when they have no orders. Now that there's someone commanding, it means they have a backbone, and the soldiers feel reassured. Quite a few stopped their flight, looking around at each other, and saw people gathering in the direction of the drums.

Liu Xian was currently fighting in the northwest of the Fenyin camp, while Gu Sang was in the southeast. He was being besieged by an increasing number of Xiongnu, and even with his exceptional swordsmanship, he was inevitably somewhat overwhelmed.

But soon after the drums sounded, horn sounds rang out from behind the Xiongnu. Liu Xian had heard this horn sound in Jishan before, and now it competed with the drums, neither giving in. Upon hearing this, the Xiongnu who were surrounding them gradually eased their attack, carefully disengaged a distance, and immediately broke the siege.

Xue Xing made a move to give chase, but was stopped by Liu Xian, who then explained, "The outcome now doesn't depend on this small group of Xiongnu. No need to chase them. Let's go and reunite with Bin Shuo and the others immediately!"

The Xiongnu's trumpet call just now had only one meaning: it was a rallying of the entire army. Their next move after the rally was self-evident: the drums and flags under the ancient mulberry trees were reviving the morale of the Jin army, and the Xiongnu had to attack fiercely to thwart any possible counterattack from the Jin army.

This was exactly what Liu Xian wanted. The enemy's assembly would inevitably take time, giving all the Jin soldiers a chance to catch their breath. He wanted to use this opportunity to hold on to the flags and drums as long as possible. As long as the flags and drums were still there, the longer he could hold on, the more Jin soldiers would react and join his army. As long as he could hold on, not only would repelling the Xiongnu, but even pursuing them and crushing the rebels would not be a foolish dream.

After taking a short breath, Liu Xian led his men and quickly rushed towards the flag and drum.

The entire Fenyin camp was quite large, stretching approximately seven miles from south to north. Liu Xian galloped through it, and the distance from his position to the flag and drums was only a little over two miles. However, unlike the initial night attack, the roads were no longer filled with the panicked soldiers. Whether they were gathering at the flag and drums, observing the situation from the road, or still determined to escape, at least there was no sense of panic. They looked back with each step, hoping for something to happen.

When Liu Xian ran to the foot of the ancient mulberry tree, he could see some officers gathered in front of the flags and drums. When they saw Liu Xian coming, they immediately came forward and said,
"County Lord (Huai Chong)!"

Liu Xian got off his horse and took a closer look. He found that Li Ju and Zhang Guang were there. He couldn't help but feel very happy. The appearance of these two people indicated that at least two thousand troops had gathered here. This gave them the capital to fight a decisive battle with the Huns.

He first said to Zhang Guang: "Brother Jingwu, last time we retreated together, but unexpectedly, this time we are fighting together and we are in trouble together again!"

Zhang Guang angrily replied, "Losing once is already a shame, how can we do it again and again? Huai Chong, I will fight you to the end in this battle. If I don't win, I will die on the battlefield!"

"Why is it so?" Liu Xian smiled and then said to Li Ju, "Shihui, this is the first time we brothers have fought together! Let the Xiongnu see what you are capable of. Our army will surely win!"

Li Ju also replied in a deep voice: "Brother, don't worry. As the commander of the Yamen, I only have 200 men under my command, but they are all carefully selected warriors. I will make these Xiongnu return empty-handed!"

Liu Xian felt greatly relieved upon hearing this. Besides these, there were some other mid-level Jin army officers whom Liu Xian was not particularly familiar with. However, at this moment, Liu Xian also shook hands with them one by one and said to them:
"The safety of millions of people in Guanzhong now depends on us. If you win this battle, you will all be heroes! The imperial court will not treat you badly! Keep your guard up!"

There was no time to say more. Time was pressing, so Liu Xian immediately stood on the highest point of the loess plateau and looked at the movements of the Huns.

He could see the Xiongnu gathering three miles away. In the darkness, their army was as imposing as a giant python. Though not yet fully deployed, he could vaguely see its three sections, head, body, and tail, facing him, poised for attack. Separating them were only two slightly undulating valleys. Only the flat land where the ancient mulberry trees stood was a natural platform, about three feet high.

Liu Xian thought about it in his mind, pointed to the first valley, and said to Zhang Guang: "Brother Jingwu, please go there and buy me some time. You can just entangle them. If you can't stop them, there is no need to force it."

Zhang Guang was an excellent officer. Without asking any questions, he immediately led 800 soldiers over.

Liu Xian then called out to Xue Xing and said to him, "Ji Da, I will give you a thousand men. Immediately move all the fences and deer antlers that can be removed around here!" This refers to the second col.

Finally, he said to Li Ju, "Shihui, the rebels will definitely attack this place with all their might. You and I will stay here and must defeat the enemy's strongest offensive wave!"

In addition, Liu Xian sent someone to find Lu Quyang and asked him and Cai Fang to rush to Gusangxia. No matter how many people they had brought before, now that the decisive battle was imminent, every extra person would mean more strength.

Facing the three waves of attacks that the Huns were about to launch, Liu Xian also set up three lines of defense accordingly, but who would win the war next would only be decided by swords.

The war drums continued to beat. I didn't know if it was an illusion, but under this vast starry sky, the drumbeats felt even lonelier than during the day, echoing cleanly under the sky. And in the distance, the Huns gradually stopped their clamour.

Liu Xian's mood darkened. He knew this was the final silence before the enemy launched their offensive. Sure enough, the horn blew again!
The rebels began to move. At first, they moved slowly, as if they were taking a leisurely stroll. But soon, as they approached the first col, the first wave of rebels began to accelerate. The sound of the hooves of two thousand knights soon stirred up a gust of wind on the ground, as if they were about to crush Zhang Guang's troops.

Zhang Guang led only infantry, who stood behind the mountain valley. They were outnumbered and outnumbered, yet they showed no fear. Facing the powerful cavalry, they displayed incredible courage. They stood motionless, watching the Xiongnu approach on horseback.

After entering the arrow's range, Zhang Guang decisively ordered: "Release!"

Eight hundred soldiers unleashed their arrows simultaneously, and in the darkness, a swarm of arrows swarmed out like locusts. The arrows they used were all whistling arrows, which made a sharp sound in the air. But in the darkness, these arrows were faint and difficult to see with the naked eye.

Although the first wave of Xiongnu cavalry charging the Jin army was prepared, their horses were startled by the situation and immediately slowed down. In the moment when the horses paused, dozens of Xiongnu fell.

But this only caused the Hun knights to pause for a moment, and those behind them bypassed those who fell in front, and in no time they had already reached the col. The col was only about six feet high, and a single leap from the horses was enough to jump straight over it.

Zhang Guang saw that the enemy was approaching and immediately shouted, "Hold the spear!"

Before this, the infantrymen all carried a 13-foot-long spear on their backs. After the order was given, they immediately put down their bows and arrows, half-crouched, leaned the spear handles on the ground, and raised the spear tips at an angle. It seemed as if a field of steel thorns had grown out of the valley in an instant, which made the Huns who were facing the Jin infantry panic, but it was too late to retreat. The comrades behind them crowded over, forcing them to continue forward, and they crashed into them.

In an instant, the spear tip had pierced countless holes.

But this was not the end. Zhang Guang shouted again: "Stand up your spears, draw your swords!"

Without hesitation, the infantrymen thrust their long spears into the ground, forming an iron wall. Then, following Zhang Guang's personal demonstration, they drew their ring-handled swords from their waists, ducked their heads and backs, and slipped through the gaps between the spears, slipping under the Xiongnu horses like mice. Then, recklessly, they gripped their swords tightly and hacked at the horses' legs.

While the cavalry was skilled at charging, this type of combat wasn't really a charge at all. Bewildered, many Xiongnu soldiers found their horses being hacked to pieces, and then fell to the ground, their heads chopped off by the Jin soldiers. Those who realized it only too late, unable to find the enemy, wanted to kill them, and would be vulnerable if they dismounted. They had no choice but to tug at their horses' reins to evade them while aimlessly flailing their weapons downwards.

In this way, Zhang Guang successfully held back two thousand Xiongnu cavalrymen using this strange tactic. For a while, they were in chaos and could hardly move forward.

Liu Xianyuan was overjoyed to see this scene. He hadn't had high hopes for Zhang Guang, but he hadn't expected this veteran general from Jingzhou to live up to his reputation, possessing such superb tactics. Even at such a disadvantage, he could actually defeat cavalry with infantry! While the Xiongnu's inexperience was a factor, their achievement was truly remarkable!
The Huns on the opposite side obviously did not expect this, but just a moment later, they decisively sent out a second wave of cavalry, bypassing where Zhang Guang was fighting, easily crossed the first col, and rushed directly to the second col.

This is the most correct choice. For the Jin army, the most precious thing is time, so the Huns must use a raging offensive to destroy the Jin army in the shortest time possible.

At the second col, Zhang Gu and Xue Xing had erected a simple fence, and then set up the 400 crossbows they had behind the fence, ready to face the Xiongnu knights rushing towards them.

This wave of Xiongnu was more elite than the previous one. They wore the armor of the Jin army captured in the previous battle, and they were also taller. Armed with weapons, they shouted and clung to the fence, their horses galloping at full speed. Thousands of hooves pounded the dry earth, kicking up a cloud of dust visible even in the darkness, making their figures even hazier.

The Xiongnu, shouting wildly, charged towards the fence, only to be met with the first hail of arrows the Jin army had long prepared. These crossbow bolts were extraordinary, far more powerful than those fired by ordinary soldiers. A volley of arrows sent the Xiongnu tumbling to the ground like gourds, a volley that even iron armor couldn't stop.

Yet, faced with this situation, the Xiongnu refused to retreat. Crossbows were too slow to fire, and after the powerful first volley, they took considerable time to reload and unload. The Jin army was then forced to use ordinary bows. During this time, the Xiongnu braved the hail of arrows, even with several arrows piercing their bodies, and bravely advanced, sprinting towards the fence like hedgehogs.

Liu Xian watched from his horse, his heart heavy. He gripped the reins, his palms clenched as he watched the Huns approach the fence, his hands clenched until they bled. He stared at the distance between the Huns and the fence, closer and closer. Finally, the first Hun knight reached the fence. It was like a dot, followed by more dots, and the dots began to connect.

This is the beginning of the bloody battle.

After all, the fence was a makeshift structure, constructed from scraps of other land, and was not very reliable. The Xiongnu, leveraging their numerical superiority, successfully opened three gaps in about three-quarters of an hour. The Xiongnu knights behind them pressed forward, managing to break through one of the gaps. They then began to push back the Jin troops, attempting to widen the gaps.

The scene was extremely bloody. Both sides ignored casualties and slashed at each other through the fence. Countless swords and knives flew back and forth in the gaps between the crowd. Those stabbed in the head, neck, chest, abdomen, and other vital parts fell immediately, while many more were hacked in the arms, legs, and feet. The ground was soon littered with various body parts, with bones visible. Even those with healthy limbs had bloody scratches on their arms.

In the dim light of the fire, one could see that the tips of the spears and swords on both sides were dyed bright red.

At this time, Lu Quyang and Cai Fang rushed back. They brought back about 700 people, who could serve as fresh forces for the Jin army.

Seeing that his side seemed to be at a disadvantage, Cai Fang immediately asked Liu Xian for orders, "Lord, let me lead the troops to fight!"

Without waiting for Liu Xian to reply, Li Ju spoke first, "Trust your brother's judgment! Don't act on your own without his orders!"

Hearing this, Liu Xian nodded slightly to Li Ju and turned his gaze back to the front line. In this extremely brutal battle, he couldn't move first, because the other side hadn't yet given its all.

The third wave of Hun cavalry has now marched between the first and second cols, and seems to be looking at the situation on the battlefield.

Liu Xian knew that these must be the most elite cavalry of the Huns. Once he chose to advance, it would determine the fate of this battle.

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(End of this chapter)