Jinting Han people

Lu Ji finally realized a reality: a decisive battle is essentially the final stage of a war, a final strike where both sides unleash their full strength. At such a moment, unless victory is assured from the outset, adopting a defensive strategy is not a wise choice. The reason is simple: if the enemy does not act as expected, Lu Ji will be at their mercy.

Therefore, Lu Ji made a decision: rather than continuing to let the Imperial Guards pressure the central army, getting stuck in a cycle of constantly adding troops but unable to achieve a decisive battle, it would be better to have the Northern Army's strong right flank take the initiative to attack the Imperial Guards' weak left flank.

The reason for this decision is that, given the current situation, Liu Xian has already committed tens of thousands of cavalry to attack the central army, leaving their main cavalry forces weakened, with some also needed to protect the right flank where the Emperor and Empress are located. This will inevitably lead to a chaotic melee between infantry on the northern battlefield, allowing the northern army's numerical advantage to become apparent.

To ensure that the Imperial Guard knights who had broken through could not harass the Northern army's right flank attack, Lu Ji ordered the right flank to advance while simultaneously ordering the central army to move north to become the right flank's follow-up force. This was undoubtedly a brilliant move, but at the cost of completely isolating the Northern army's left flank, which gave the Imperial Guard an opportunity to concentrate their attack on the Northern army's left flank.

In this way, the conditions for victory for both sides become extremely clear. For the Northern Army to win, it must first break through the left flank of the Imperial Guards; for the Imperial Guards to win, they must also break through the left flank of the Northern Army. Whoever breaks through the enemy's left flank first can withdraw their troops to launch a counterattack against the exhausted opponent. This means that by pursuing the fleeing enemy, victory is almost guaranteed.

Faced with such a situation, Sima Yi readily agreed. He first said to Liu Xian, "Lord, go and attack the enemy's left wing. With your reputation, who can stand against you?" Then he sent an envoy to the left wing to encourage Ji Shao, saying, "Lord Ji is a renowned scholar, beloved by the entire army. The outcome of this battle depends entirely on Lord Ji!"

When Ji Shao received the news, drums had already begun to beat in the right flank of the Northern Army. The black cowhide war drums resounded like rolling thunder along the mountaintop. The military flags of each unit were raised one after another, and the soldiers lifted their long spears, which were propped against the ground, and slowly moved forward.

At the forefront of the Northern Army were the troops of Li Yi, the governor of Ji Province, and Lu Dan, the commander of the Pingbei Army. Most of them were veterans of the Zhengbei Army Command who had participated in the campaign against Zhao, and their equipment was much better.

Although their armor designs weren't entirely uniform, they all wore iron helmets with iron collars around their necks, and were clad in either gleaming or double-layered iron armor, with shoulder guards extending to the backs of their hands. The armor covered their knees, and they wore leather boots. Most of the men in front carried long spears and had two swords at their waists—a ring-pommel sword and a short sword. This was the best equipment available to infantrymen at the time; even the iron-clad knights, once dismounted, were no different.

However, such armored soldiers were not numerous. The armor of Wang Chan and Shao Xu's troops behind Li Yi appeared even more varied. Most wore double-layered armor, with few wearing bright iron armor, and leather armor was also quite common. They could not be equipped with long spears, so they held swords in one hand and shields in the other, switching between various formations at any time according to the officers' orders.

At the rear of the army were almost entirely infantrymen, each carrying a shield in one hand and a spear in the other. It was clear that these spears were of poor quality, only suitable for thrusting, not slashing or sweeping. They wore military uniforms, but only adorned with a few plates of armor to protect their vital joints. Beyond that, their attire was rather rudimentary. Some used ropes as belts to hang small knives, and their boots were worn and tattered. Expecting them to engage in close combat was obviously unrealistic; therefore, they mostly carried bows and arrows, with leather pouches filled with arrows hanging at their waists, ready to provide ranged support during the main battle.

In contrast, Ji Shao's Jin army soldiers were clearly better equipped. Most of them were equipped like Li Yi's elite troops, with their armor painted dark and their long spears, shields, cleavers, bows and arrows all in place. The only problem was that their numbers were less than 20,000. Compared to the opposing army, they were like a dilapidated building under dark clouds; no one knew how long they could hold out.

Ji Shao saw his friend Shan Jian standing in the army formation, putting on his iron helmet, and went up to greet him. Shan Jian was wearing a dark gray, brightly colored armor, with a chainmail underneath his waist armor, reaching to his knees. Under such heavy armor, Shan Jian inevitably felt heavy, and he tried to move his arms and wrists. When he saw Ji Shao approaching, an embarrassed expression appeared on his face.

Ji Shao smiled at him and said, "What, are you going to join the battle too?"

Ji Shao was Shan Tao's adopted son and a sworn brother of Shan Jian. When Shan Jian saw that he was only dressed in military uniform and not wearing any armor, he was quite surprised and asked, "What? Aren't you afraid that the enemy will rush over and kill you dressed like that?"

Ji Shao shook his head, saying nonchalantly, "If the enemy comes to our side, our army will have already been defeated. What use are these armors? We can't fight anyway. We might as well give them to the soldiers at the front. Maybe they can kill a few more people." After saying that, he tugged at his sworn brother's sleeve and continued to inspect the other units on the left flank.

Jointly commanding the left wing with Ji Shao was Liu Tun, the Imperial Censor and Duke of Zhuxu, who had previously served as the Prefect of Taiyuan and was considered a veteran general. His two sons, Liu You and Liu Bai, went to battle with him, and he instructed them: "Now is a chaotic world. Do not prepare to live a life of leisure. Now you must fight on the battlefield. If you die, you must die. Do not retreat! If you cannot learn to face death without fear, living will be torture!" Liu You and Liu Bai both drew their swords and swore an oath to fight to the death.

Bringing up the rear was the Crown Prince's tutor, Man Fen. He was obese and couldn't fit into chainmail or gleaming armor; even his horse was panting heavily. Feeling uneasy, he dismounted, took out the two bags of jewels he had brought with him, and said to his soldiers, "Gentlemen, do not worry. Whether you live or die, as long as you protect me and achieve victory, I will reward you handsomely. I will not break my promise!" With that, he grabbed a handful of pearls and distributed them to the soldiers at the front, who shouted "Long live the Crown Prince!"

At this moment, the soldiers of both armies could see each other. Because both sides were advancing, they closed the distance very quickly. The Northern army's vanguard soldiers, carrying gleaming long spears and ring-pommel swords, their full-body iron armor gleaming with a dazzling, chilling light, were awe-inspiring. Soon, the two armies were no more than an arrow's length apart. The shouts of the Northern army's commander could be clearly heard, seemingly proclaiming, "Our Northern Expeditionary Army is invincible! The brave will surely prevail!" This drew a resounding response from the Northern army's soldiers, and the clanging of metal armor filled the air.

Li Gui, a general of the Northern Army, with a quiver of arrows at his waist, a longbow on his back, and a long spear and a chopping knife in his hand, shouted, "The Great General has treated us with kindness as heavy as a mountain! We must seize the world, even if we die, we will have no regrets! Kill the traitors! Kill the traitors!" The other officers also shouted to kill the traitors and led their soldiers to charge towards the Imperial Guards.

The Imperial Guards suddenly accelerated and charged towards the advancing Northern Army. Compared to the frantically shouting enemies opposite them, the Imperial Guards reacted much more calmly. This was not their first time in battle; they were veterans of countless battles. While the others were still shouting to dispel their trembling and fear, they knew better than anyone else to conserve their energy.

Of course, the presence of the commander-in-chief might also have played a role. Ji Shao, simply dressed in military attire and wearing a turban, stood on horseback atop a small hill on the North Peak, conspicuously standing out in the crowd. Despite facing an onslaught of thousands, his expression remained calm, as if listening to the wind. His striking appearance, with his flowing robes among the soldiers, made him seem like a celestial being. Some said, "With Ji Gong standing there, he stands as steadfast as Mount Song; how can we embarrass him?"

At the same moment, the Northern Army and the Imperial Guards, armed with long spears, clashed amidst a deafening roar of battle cries. The clash was almost instantaneous, with no pause or slowing down what followed. In fact, once the fighting began, no one could afford to stop, not even themselves.

Within the vast metal forests on either side, countless armored warriors, their blood boiling, seemed to burn within them. Whether old or young, tall or short, noble or poor, whether roaring or silent, glaring or squinting, drawing their bows or brandishing their spears, they had forgotten all other desires. Faced with the torment of life and death, they clashed. Then, for a fleeting moment, silence fell over the scene, broken only by the clanging of metal echoing through the air. At the same instant the battle raged on the North Peak, the battle on the South Peak was about to begin.

After bidding farewell to the Emperor and the King of Changsha, Liu Xian returned alone to the central army. By this time, the central army had already dispatched four cavalry units, leaving 18,000 riders. The remaining elite cavalry of the entire army were basically all here. Li Sheng, Zhuge Yan, Guo Mo, Mao Bao, and others were all waiting for him here. Most importantly, the 3,000-strong Songzi Battalion, which had been reorganized from the Shanggu Battalion, was also here.

Zhuge Yan was getting impatient. When he saw Liu Xian return, he immediately asked, "Ha, is it finally our turn?"

Liu Xian nodded and said, "Let's get started as soon as possible!"

He immediately began assigning tasks to everyone. At this time, he had five divisions under his command, which he ordered to be arranged in order: Liu Kun's division, Song Hong's division, Linghu Sheng's division, Li Sheng's division, and Wang Cui's division. He himself took command of the Songzi Camp.

Liu Xianxian addressed his generals, saying, "In this charge, I will lead the way, and you will follow behind me. Do not rush to engage the enemy. Once our army reaches the summit and joins up with the other units, who can stop our charge from our high vantage point?"

He then said to Gongsun Gong, "General, do you still remember five years ago when Marshal Meng led the Shanggu camp to break through Qi Wannian's troops?"

Gongsun Gong smiled and said, "Of course I remember."

"The scene of that day is truly unforgettable! I still can't forget it to this day." Liu Xian stroked Fan Yu's neck and slowly said to Gongsun Gong, "General, can you recreate the glory of those days today?"

"How dare you disobey your orders!"

"Good!" Liu Xian ordered Zhuge Yan, "Raise my Anle Banner! This morning, I want everyone to see it!"

Liu Xian took off his hood and instead wrapped his hair in a yellow headscarf, then put on a black iron helmet. To make himself easily recognizable to his soldiers, he put on black iron armor and tied a red cloth around his arm. Two swords hung from his belt: the Everlasting Victory Sword and the Zhangwu Sword.

In the Songzi camp, several hundred men were armored cavalrymen personally trained by Meng Guan, while the rest were elite troops recruited in recent years, each equipped with two chariot horses. They surrounded Liu Xian, and with a breathtaking long horn blast, they finally spurred their horses and charged into battle.

Wave after wave of knights charged toward the Northern army on the South Peak. Each wave consisted of only a few dozen riders. Since they did not intend to charge head-on, they did not start fast. Instead, they searched for a wide and not too steep mountain path in the forest and climbed upwards. Although the ground was uneven and there were potholes to avoid, they still maintained a strict formation and remained in a straight line.

At the forefront of the Northern Army's left flank was General Qian Xiu, the Champion General. Seeing cavalry charging towards him, carrying the legendary Eight-Character Peace and Joy Banner, he exclaimed with delight, "Is it Liu Xian coming? He's courting death by bringing his heavy cavalry up the mountain!"

He immediately ordered his soldiers to form a front line, spears in hand. The soldiers huddled together, several ranks extending their long spears forward. The gleaming spear tips rose in layers, like iron thorns sprouting from the earth, their cold light sending chills down one's spine. Strangely, the foremost imperial guards seemed oblivious, not even bothering to rein in their horses. Instead, they raised their spears and suddenly hurled them forward. Dozens of halberds flew like an iron curtain, striking through the enemy ranks with a series of cracking sounds, instantly creating a terrifying breach.

The Northern archers at the rear were stunned. Only after the armored cavalry charged forward another dozen paces did they belatedly begin to fire. But the rain of arrows whizzed past the heavy cavalry, striking their armor only leaving small dents, utterly unable to halt their advance. The heavy cavalry carved upwards through the gaps they had just created, then pulled out the long spears they had just thrown, clamping them tightly between their thumbs and forearms. Their wedge formation weaved through the soldiers like mowing grass; their speed wasn't fast, but no one could stop them.

Qianxiu watched in stunned silence. He had originally wanted to lead his team forward to fight, but seeing the resolute yet unstoppable momentum of the enemy, a sense of fear gradually arose in his heart. He stopped in the middle of the line at some point and watched them go up the mountain and into the distance.

"What kind of army is this? Where did they come from?" As this question lingered in their minds, Liu Kun's cavalry caught up from behind, tearing their way forward along the road cleared by the Songzi camp. Some of them saw the banner of Qian Xiu's troops, which read "Bravest of the Three Armies." Thinking that capturing the banner would also earn them merit, they simply broke away from the main force and suddenly rushed towards Qian Xiu's position.

The man swiftly drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and fired at the armored soldier holding the flag, simultaneously spurring his horse forward. By the time the flag bearer fell to the ground, the man had already caught up, casually tossing aside his longbow, snatching the flagpole, turning his horse around with his right hand, and galloping away, flag in hand.

Because the Imperial Guards moved so quickly, and with knights constantly charging forward, the scene was extremely chaotic and tense. As a result, the Champion Battalion led by Qianxiu offered no effective resistance whatsoever during the entire flag-capturing process. It took Qianxiu a long time to react, and he cried out in great frustration, "To have our flag taken by others! What a disgrace! Kill! If we cannot reclaim it, we will only avenge this shame with our lives!"

Liu Xian paid no attention to this minor incident during the cavalry's advance; he led his troops to continue climbing, his eyes fixed only on the summit of the South Peak. (End of Chapter)