Jinting Han people

After the reunion, Zhang Gui and Liu Xian led the army to advance at full speed, hurrying up and hurrying up, for fear of missing the opportunity for battle and causing their commander to be killed.

But when they really rushed to the battlefield, no one expected to see such a scene:
On a vast, flat battlefield, the dust kicked up by horses' hooves gradually rose and dissipated. Marshal Meng Guan's 3,000 cavalrymen, now covered in blood, advanced at an ever-increasing pace. Clearly, after two unparalleled charges, the heavily laden warhorses, burdened with armor and armor, had been unable to sustain them. But no one from the distant rebels pursued them. Numerous banners tossed and turned in the dust, while an equally vast number of barbarians stood still, bewildered.

Amidst this sea of barbarians, a sharp gap could be seen, slicing the massive formation in two. Like an unhealable wound, it completely severed the entire rebel army.

In the end what happened?
Not only the victims, the Hu people, could not believe it, but even the Jin soldiers who were on the same side as Meng Guan could not believe it.

But here’s the thing:
No one had ever witnessed a heavy cavalry charge on this scale, nor had anyone anticipated Meng Guan's use of such a brutal and daring tactic, let alone his choice of a battlefield so ideal for a heavy cavalry charge. The rebels had no experience in countering this, and were certainly unprepared for a breach. If reinforcements had arrived later, the rebels would have had more time to prepare, digging trenches and chevaux de frise beforehand. Their defense would have been more effective, and while the Shanggu camp wouldn't have been completely annihilated, at least they wouldn't have been completely breached.

But there are no ifs. Various factors combined together made this astonishing charge possible and also made Shanggu Camp famous.

When Meng Guan led the Shanggu Camp back to the main army, he casually removed his helmet, revealing a tough, sweat-drenched face and a pair of cheerful eyes. He led Zhang Lin and his men to the center of a sea of Jin army flags. Among them were the White Tiger Banner, representing the Western Expedition Army, and various auspicious flags symbolizing victory, such as the Pixiu Banner, the Xiezhi Banner, the Chongming Banner, and even Liu Xian's Eight-Character Peaceful Banner, all arranged in parallel like a cloud.

After Meng Guan returned to the command center, the Yellow Dragon Banner was proudly raised above the other flags, like an emperor surveying the surrounding fields. Meng Guan asked the generals, "You've all been traveling for so long. Are you planning a major battle?"

Meng Guan spoke with such awe-inspiring aura that the other generals dared not raise their heads. Amidst their awe, they were also filled with excitement. With their commander so formidable, how could they possibly retreat?
All the generals volunteered to fight, saying, "The Marshal has sacrificed his life in the front, how dare we fall behind? We must capture the Qi bandits under our tent!" Their words swept away the gloom of the previous series of defeats.

Meng Guan laughed heartily upon hearing this, and looking around at everyone, he slowly said, "But I've been charging and fighting for a while, and I'm already tired. Can I rest here for a while and wait for good news from you all about defeating the enemy?"

Everyone chorused again, "How dare we betray the Marshal's trust! We will go and kill the thieves ourselves!"

Meng Guan immediately took over the command of the army and ordered the entire army to form a battle line. Liu Xian led Zhang Guang, Suo Jing, Huangfu Shang, and Li Han, a total of 20,000 cavalry, to attack the rebels from the right wing. Zhang Gui led Jie Xi, Hu Yuan, Huangfu Chong, Lu Bo, Jia Kan and other five troops, a total of 30,000 infantry, to squeeze the rebels on the left wing. He led the remaining 10,000 infantry and cavalry as follow-up and acted according to the situation.

This was a classic hammer-and-anvil tactic, with the cavalry on the right wing acting as the hammer, the infantry on the left as the chopping block, and the Qi Wannian rebels trapped in the middle. Successful, this strategy inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy, but it also carried significant risks, as it left the center of the army vulnerable and a key link in the path of a breakthrough.

Meng Guan made such arrangements now, obviously knowing that the rebels had been frightened by their own forces and could not launch a normal counterattack.

While the Jin army was forming its battle array, the rebels led by Qi Wannian were also reorganizing their formation. Seeing the enemy's mobilization, Qi Wannian knew exactly what they were going to do. He sent his soldiers everywhere shouting, trying to boost morale:
"Assemble! Form your ranks! The outcome is yet to be decided! How can a true man fear the enemy in battle? Do not forget your fallen kinsmen; you must avenge them! Do not forget the humiliation of the past; you must defend your dignity! His Majesty will be with you all, fighting until victory is achieved!"

These words roused the courage of some, who restored their formation as Qi Wannian had instructed, turning to face the impending attack of the Jin army. But others, having witnessed their comrades' tragic deaths at the hands of the Jin cavalry, could not forget their tragic scenes. They could not help but wonder if they would be the next to be reduced to a pulp. This filled them with fear, but in reality, the Shanggu knights were already overworked and had no intention of returning to battle.

The Jin army was naturally the first to complete its battle formation.

This was Meng Ping's first time participating in a battle. He looked at the army formation stretching for miles all the way to the Wei River, feeling both excited and apprehensive. He asked Liu Xian, who was checking his armor, "What are you doing?"

"Lord Liu, the rebels are so numerous, can we win?"

Liu Xian tightened the rope around his leggings, and after confirming that everything was ready, he turned to Meng Ping and said with a smile, "Ziheng, the size of the army is just an appearance. Even though there are so many people on the other side, look at how the marshal charged and attacked, and they couldn't stop him at all. This shows that their morale has dissipated!"

A gentle autumn breeze blew in from the south of the Wei River, and the flags of both armies fluttered in the wind. Liu Xian couldn't help but cast his gaze across. He saw that Qi Wannian's troops, in formation, remained unmoved, while the Red Crow Army was already deployed to the north. Did he still intend to fight to the death?
Liu Xian smiled at Li Sheng standing beside him and said, "Binshuo, did you see those red crow flags? They're our old rivals!"

Li Sheng also pulled the reins and said with a smile, "Red Crow Army, after the Battle of Niyang, how much of their strength is left? I'm really curious!"

Liu Xian laughed twice, then said solemnly, "Don't be careless. This battle is a good opportunity to wash away the shame our army has suffered over the past two years. We must not allow it to become a disgrace again!"

He added, "Raise my banner high for the whole army to see!"

After that, the drums of the central army sounded.

Instantly, the cavalry on the right wing launched an attack westward like the surging waves of the ocean, wave after wave. A moment later, led by the Anle Eight-Character Flag, the entire army's White Tiger Flags began to flutter in the wind, as if a sea of clouds had descended upon the earth.

Illuminated by the rising sun and the rosy clouds, the raging clouds were rimmed with a golden hue. The clatter of horse hooves roared like thunder. As the twenty thousand cavalrymen galloped across the plain, rising and falling, the soldiers felt a sense of ecstasy in the gusts of wind. The thud of hooves, the clatter of armor and weapons, the shouts of the surrounding people, the neighing of their horses—all these sounds merged together, bringing an incomparable tranquility to those involved. But to the Hu people facing the Jin army, this was a massive wave that shook the mountains and rivers, and moved the very fabric of the world. A blanket of dust and smoke enveloped them, like a monster about to devour the world!

After just a brief encounter, most of the Hu troops on the front lines collapsed. They lost the courage to advance and, instinctively, shoved their comrades around them, trying to avoid the Jin army's attack. Fear, like a contagious plague, spread quickly. Seeing the vanguard's formation loose and collapsing, the troops in the rear immediately considered deserting the battlefield, and then acted on it. Deserters appeared in groups of two or three behind the front lines, making it easier for the Jin army to penetrate.

Liu Xian, the commander of the right wing, calmly observed the situation ahead. The rebels' positions had been deeply entrenched by the Shanggu Knights, and the tortured soldiers were unlikely to regain their morale quickly. Their defeat was understandable, but there were still enemies within reach that could not be underestimated.

Despite such a disadvantage, the rest of the enemy was practically routed, but the Red Crows still fought with all their might, worthy of being Qi Wannian's personal trainee. Unfortunately, they were doomed to fight alone, without support from the other armies. Seeing Zhang Guang's troops already engaged and locked in a stalemate, Liu Xian immediately waved his banner, commanding Huangfu Shang's troops to encircle them from the other flank, attacking the Red Crows from both sides simultaneously. He then personally led his own troops, supervising the battle from the front.

In this way, the Jin army actually surrounded the Red Crow Army in the rebel formation and formed a several-fold advantage in the local area.

Leading the Red Crow Army at this time was none other than the old Tiefu man, Dolancha. Facing the numerous enemy troops and the Eight-Character Peaceful Banner not far away, he spat and couldn't help but scoff at himself, "Hehe, Liu Xian really thinks highly of me."

He then said to his attendants, "Get ready! When you see that big flag over there, follow me! I'm going to take Liu Xian's head and present it to Your Majesty!"

The attendants all felt that the situation was extremely difficult, but unexpectedly, the commander was still determined to charge into the battle. They were all very impressed and echoed, "How dare we disobey your order!" Their voices were loud and reluctant.

But in reality, Dolanthar knew that this would likely be his last battle. He didn't want to consider any tactics anymore, but wanted to wash away the humiliation of defeat with a heroic death, just as he longed for.

So he launched a charge, and all the Red Crow soldiers followed closely beside him, watching Dolanthar's figure galloping forward intently. They watched as Dolanthar raised his lance high, sweeping left and right, sending the enemies approaching one by one flying.

These movements were somewhat strenuous at first, as the space around him was too narrow and the enemies were too numerous. But he did not stop, continuing to immerse himself in the desperate battle. Blood splattered from nowhere and instantly dyed his eyes red, making it difficult for him to see.

But he was still swinging his lance, and before he knew it, he felt his movements were getting faster and faster, the lance in his hand was getting lighter and lighter, the enemies around him were getting fewer and fewer, and even the sounds around him were getting closer and farther away, floating faintly and ethereally into the sky, as if everything had gone away with him.

Suddenly, a sharp pain came from his lower abdomen, and Dolansha woke up with shock. He wiped his eyes with his hands, opened his eyes and looked around, and found that the long spear in his hand had broken, leaving only half of the long handle, and a feather arrow was stuck in his lower abdomen, blood was gushing out of it, and all the strength in his body was drained away like a reservoir being opened.

With a thud, the broken lance fell to the ground. His body went limp and he fell off the horse, his mouth full of mud.

Behind Doransha, of the thousands of knights who had followed him in the charge, only one in ten remained. It seemed their charge was not leading to victory, but to death. The Red Crow Army ultimately transformed into a crimson wave amidst the raging clouds, blooming before quietly sinking.

At this point, Qi Wannian's last army that was still resisting disappeared, and defeat was inevitable.

Qi Wannian surveyed the battlefield, watching helplessly as the Jin cavalry pierced his army's left flank once again and pressed relentlessly towards the right, forcing many of the Hu soldiers to the edge of the Wei River. The Jin charged relentlessly, showing no mercy. Those who had participated in the Battles of Meiyang and Fufeng were especially enraged by the memory of their past defeats. Desperate to redeem themselves from their past defeats, they worked tirelessly, driving the rebels down the river.

Seeing the Hu people land at the water's edge, the infantry on the left wing were also extremely excited. They continuously drew their bows and shot arrows at the Hu people on the riverbank, or rushed forward with swords to kill them. Countless people crowded into the vast autumn water, some struggling to be swept into the deep current by the jostling, while others sank and floated due to arrows. In short, the Wei River was dyed red, but this red gradually faded to a light pink under the flow, as subtle as the autumn mist, telling of the value of human life.

Qi Wannian watched all this unfold with a utterly disheartened heart. Although he had long anticipated that the defeat at Niyang would lead to a resurgence of the Jin army, he had not anticipated such a crushing defeat in a single battle. Not only would his great cause be shattered, but even his own people would be in tatters. How could he not be disheartened?

Many tribes in the rear had already begun to flee, and Juqu Mokang beside him also anxiously advised Qi Wannian:
"Your Majesty, leave quickly! Only by surviving can we have a chance to make a comeback!"

Qi Wannian remained dazed and motionless. Juqu Mokang, furious, simply pulled Qi Wannian's horse's reins, kicked his horse in the belly, and forcibly led Qi Wannian westward. Hundreds of people surrounded him, tightly protecting him and driving away the chaotic crowd to clear a path for him.

The last red crow banner fell, and the Jin army, upon seeing this, shouted "Long live the enemy!" Their cheers shook the heavens. They relentlessly pursued the enemy, killing everyone they encountered along the way. Even those who had thrown away their armor and knelt on the ground, begging for mercy, were mercilessly hacked down. The hacking eventually turned into a massacre. By evening, the warmth of the sun had faded, and the damp, bloody air permeated the ground, leaving a warm glow even on the corpse-strewn Chenma Plain.

At the Battle of Chenmayuan, the Jin army captured and killed nearly 30,000 rebels at the cost of fewer than 4,000 casualties, with countless more drowning in the Wei River. This was an unprecedented and glorious victory. Even the most optimistic could not have predicted that the rebels, who had been wreaking havoc in Guanzhong for over two years, would be broken by Meng Guan in a single battle.

At this time, only one month had passed since Meng Guan entered the customs. (End of this chapter)