Jinting Han people

When the cavalry of the Western Expeditionary Army came from the north, Liu Xian had just gotten into bed and had not yet fallen asleep.

Only at this time of day, when no one else was around, did he find a moment of peace. Then he would clear his mind of thoughts about the war and begin to worry about his fellow villagers who were migrating far north. He wondered how they were doing, whether they harbored any resentment towards him, and whether they had enough warm clothes for winter, given that the weather was getting cold.

He had actually thought about these things before, but he couldn't help but go through them in his mind again.

The ancients said that reviewing the old helps one understand the new; this applies not only to books but also to experiences and lessons learned in doing things. After experiencing different things, Liu Xian, from the perspective of someone who has been through it all, discovered that there are always ways to do things better. It's just that time was too rushed for him to realize it at the time, but this kind of post-event reflection is essential. Only in this way can he save time for thinking and instinctively meet unknown challenges.

This was undoubtedly useful. When Liu Xian heard the Western Army cavalry roaring and suddenly appearing like ghosts, sweeping towards the Western Army camp like a flood, he immediately recalled a similar large-scale battle: Wasn't this the scene when Hao San led his army in a night raid on Gumu Plain? At that time, Sun Xiu directly abandoned his army and fled. It was Liu Xian, Zhang Guang, and others who temporarily gathered a group of soldiers and led the charge to resist, thus stabilizing the situation and ultimately turning defeat into victory.

Therefore, Liu Xian did not wear armor, but put on a robe to keep warm, and quickly ordered the guards around him: "Don't panic, raise the flag first."

At this time, the Hao Jin Camp, which was under the command of Zhuge Yan, was responsible for protecting him. Upon hearing this, they raised the Eight Characters of Peace and Joy and formed a battle formation around him. Liu Xian, without hesitation, walked through the crowd and quickly climbed to the high platform, where he beat the drum in front of everyone.

Liu Xian had always emphasized night patrols and discipline. Although the Western Army had caught him off guard, the basic defenses north of the Wei River were still in place. The main problem was that, apart from the few thousand soldiers on night watch, most of the rest were resting, and he needed time to get them back into formation. To do this, Liu Xian had to use the public beating of drums to attract the enemy's attention as much as possible, while simultaneously boosting his own morale.

As expected, upon seeing this, the Western Army cavalry immediately changed targets and concentrated their attack on Liu Xian's high platform. This was exactly what Liu Xian wanted. Amidst the forest of spears and halberds, and in the clear autumn night wind, dozens of men stood on the high platform, shirtless, and beat all the surrounding war drums, the Shang tone clear and crisp, the horn tone long and drawn out. At first, it was one drum every ten steps; as the Western Army drew closer, it became one drum every step.

The attacking Western knights, seeing the small number of people below the platform, cheered with delight and, led by their vanguard, roared, "Kill the traitors!"

Liu Xian's troops responded in kind, shouting, "Form ranks!"

Without further ado, Zhuge Yan's troops immediately formed a circular formation, like an iron wall blocking the advancing Western Army cavalry. A cavalry charge within a fortified camp is no match for a charge on the plains, so the Western Army cavalry who first charged only slightly shook the circular formation before their attack was quickly neutralized, forcing them to dismount and fight at close range.

Meanwhile, the soldiers of Liu Xian's army around them were also awakened by the sound of drums. Upon learning that the enemy was launching a night attack on Weibei, they were initially somewhat flustered, but seeing their commander-in-chief below the high platform, they quickly calmed down and began to assemble and counterattack under the command of officers at all levels.

However, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst, and the second wave of the Western Army's knights' offensive is already imminent.

After the first wave of attacks was thwarted, the Western Army immediately dispatched a hundred elite soldiers to break through the formation. Clad in heavy armor, they formed three wedge-shaped arrowheads and forcefully drove into the circular formation, undeterred by the presence of spears or blades.

As swords and spears rained down, several people died instantly, but true warriors carved a path through. Liu Xian, beating the drum, heard a commotion below the stage. Looking down, he saw a knight wielding a large axe, wielding it like a torrent through the crowd, cutting down any long spears or swords that came near with a single stroke.

The visitor was none other than Liu Cong's son, Liu Can.

He was appointed as the vanguard commander by Sima Yong, vowing to take Liu Xian's life. Even facing two long spears thrusting at him, like dark clouds pressing down, he deflected them with a single stroke of his sword, then swung his axe down with his right hand, instantly severing another man's neck. Seeing that he couldn't kill him head-on, the others tried their best to stab his horse. One of his swords struck the horse's hoof, causing Liu Can's mount to lose its balance. He immediately jumped off the horse, landing amidst the chaos, and without even panting, swung his giant axe again, severing a man's wrist.

Such astonishing destructive power even terrified the elite troops of the Hao Jin Camp, who dared not fight him head-on any longer. Liu Can managed to rush forward more than ten steps, but was eventually stopped by Zhuge Yan. Seeing that Liu Can was about to reach the high platform, Zhuge Yan suddenly tripped Liu Can from the side, and before he could regain his footing, he pounced on him and knocked him to the ground.

Zhuge Yan attempted to seize the opportunity to stab, but Liu Can seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, instantly dropping his weapon and grabbing Zhuge Yan's hands from behind. Zhuge Yan felt that Liu Can's hands were like refined steel, impossible to shake. Liu Can then simply opened his mouth and bit down on Liu Can's neck. Liu Can, caught off guard, cried out in pain and loosened his grip, allowing Zhuge Yan to escape.

Having lost both his weapon and his mount, Liu Can could only charge back. Despite the soldiers blocking his way, none could withstand a single blow. Liu Can fought his way through, seizing two ring-pommel swords, and miraculously broke free, a feat that left everyone in awe.

But this was not the end; another charge by Western knights began from the southwest.

Leading the group was Cavalry Commandant Zhao Ran. He drew his bow and shot with incredible speed and accuracy, as if his arrows had eyes, hitting their mark almost every time. Often, an arrow would first strike the eye of someone a hundred paces away, then change direction and hit another person's gaping mouth in a roar. Those who witnessed this were almost universally filled with fear, whispering, "This man is formidable; we must avoid him!"

Just then, the first wave of reinforcements had finished regrouping and launched an ambush on their location. Liu Xian recognized their waving white horse banners as belonging to Yang Nandi's troops. Yang Nandi's Qiang people, having rested and recuperated, were now participating in battle for the first time, letting out bloodthirsty howls like wild beasts, and then, like a surging torrent, directly cut off Zhao Ran's cavalry.

Instead of retreating, Zhao Ran advanced. Eager to make a name for himself, he told those around him, "Guard me two hundred paces ahead, and I will surely kill Liu Xian! With such a great achievement, what is there to worry about in achieving great things?" His confidence infected his personal guards, who then slashed their arms with knives and smeared their faces with blood, saying, "We will definitely protect the general and help him achieve his goal!" Thus, Zhao Ran's two hundred-plus men, disregarding the attack coming from their flanks, first feigned a retreat, then suddenly turned around and continued to advance against the current.

The soldiers guarding the front, relieved to see reinforcements arrive, were caught off guard and allowed Zhao Ran's troops to advance another hundred paces. At the same time, a second wave of reinforcements led by Liu Shen arrived, joining the circular formation around Liu Xian and making the wall virtually impassable.

Zhao Ran looked up at the high platform, secretly estimating that he was currently about 250 paces away from Liu Xian. If he could move another 50 paces, he would be certain of hitting the target. But it seemed that this was no longer feasible; he could only take a gamble within this range.

Thinking this, he made a swift decision, immediately drawing a specially made white-feathered armor-piercing arrow from his quiver, squinting as he aimed at the high platform. As he aimed, Liu Xian suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, his hair standing on end. He looked around below the platform, still not seeing Zhao Ran, when his cousin Liu Ke pulled him aside, saying, "Huai Chong, reinforcements are here, we'd better hurry..."

Before the words were finished, a whistle sounded in their ears, and both of them instinctively flinched. Then Liu Ke's head slumped, and his body slumped against Liu Xian. Liu Xian was shocked to see that Liu Ke had been struck in the back of the neck by an arrow, the arrowhead piercing his brain, and he was already dead.

Just then, Zhao Ran realized he had missed. He sighed and saw that the number of enemies around him was increasing while the Western Army behind him was not catching up. He couldn't help but feel resentful: "These useless fools, if they had protected me, I would have succeeded. Why did things have to come to this?" But he knew that he had no chance to shoot a second arrow. Survival was the priority, so he immediately spurred his horse back and did not linger.

Liu Xian placed his cousin's body on the platform, then surveyed the situation, discovering that the enemy's offensive had subsided, turning into a stalemate. Although Western Army cavalry continued to advance towards Liu Xian's high ground, the arrival of reinforcements from all sides had created a significant numerical advantage on either side of the platform. Furthermore, the Western Army cavalry's advantage within the camp was being stifled, and they were being gradually squeezed out by Liu Xian's forces.

During this process, Liu Xian was also able to judge that the enemy commander had not given up the attack. His frontal offensive had weakened, but it seemed that he was continuing a new offensive at both ends.

"We can't continue fighting the enemy," Liu Xian thought. Although the situation north of the Wei River was still manageable, the situation south of the Wei River was what worried him. If the battle in the north of the Wei River dragged on, the soldiers of the three battalions in the south of the Wei River would be affected and forced to retreat, losing the Wei Bridge. Even if they could eventually defeat the enemy, they would still have lost the overall battle.

Furthermore, it must be considered that most of their own soldiers lack sufficient training, and in a prolonged battle, they might not be a match for the Western Army. After carefully observing the enemy formation, Liu Xian issued an order for the commander's flag on the high platform to be waved in unison with Liu Shen's and Zhuge Yan's troops in front of it, in a desperate attempt to survive. Liu Xian planned to employ a bold tactic to resolve this battle as quickly as possible.

He ordered, "Order Liu Shen's troops to retreat eighty paces on both flanks and forty paces in the center, to encourage the Western rebels to advance and prepare for battle." The "surprise troops" were actually troops that had not yet participated in the battle. Liu Xian happened to see that Huangfu Dan's troops had also caught up. He waved his flag, signaling Huangfu Dan's troops to flank and encircle the entire Western army from the rear.

Liu Shen's Fenwu Army slowly split to the left and right. During the retreat of the left and right flanks, there was a slight disorder. Liu Xian couldn't help but be a little worried about this. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that order was restored.

"Order Meng Tao's troops to use the Hundred Birds Formation to meet the enemy. Twenty men per team, linked end to end, supporting each other from left to right, disperse and blend into the enemy's formation. The goal is not to kill the enemy, but to create chaos with elite troops."

The so-called "Hundred Birds Formation," as the name suggests, is a skirmish formation where elite troops infiltrate enemy lines like a hundred birds entering a forest. This formation is generally unusable, as small squads penetrating enemy lines one by one and persisting for too long will inevitably be annihilated by the enemy's superior forces. However, with support, the situation changes. If successful, it can disrupt enemy deployment and confuse their command, greatly aiding reinforcements in encircling the enemy.

The Western Army commander may or may not have understood Liu Xian's intentions. In any case, they were outnumbered and had no other options besides a decapitation strike. Now that Liu Xian had cleared a path for them, their only option was to charge forward and try to break through Liu Xian's defenses before being surrounded.

At this time, Liu Xian's army was in high spirits, although this spirit was somewhat blind, and it was difficult to dispel it in a short time. When everyone around him was risking their lives, death was not so frightening, or rather, all worries vanished, like a drop of water returning to the ocean.

The only thing Liu Xian was uncertain about at this moment was whether Huangfu Dan's troops could complete the encirclement mission. Huangfu Dan was a scholar-official and probably not very patient in battle, so Liu Xian sent a personal guard to encourage Huangfu Dan's troops, saying: "Go and tell General Huangfu that our army's opportunity to win has arrived. If he can force the enemy to collapse, he will deserve the greatest credit in this battle!"

Having said this, Liu Xian personally beat the drum again, to boost the morale of his soldiers and as a provocation to the Western Army. The Western Army cavalry saw Liu Xian only two hundred paces away, but the Hundred Birds Formation greatly slowed their speed and neutralized their momentum. This made the remaining distance seem like an insurmountable chasm, making further progress nearly impossible.

After a brief stalemate, Huangfu Dan led over three thousand men in a flanking maneuver, successfully engaging the rear of the Western Army. The Western Army officers, seemingly realizing their defeat was impossible, fired two long horns, and the Western cavalry immediately retreated, like falling leaves, towards the breach in the Weibei camp. The defenders, however, were not about to let them go so easily; they swarmed forward, flanking and pushing, trying to capture as many enemies as possible.

The battle then proceeded as expected. With the entire army united, the cavalry inevitably became disorganized in their rout. Huangfu Dan's cavalry, small in number, could not withstand the onslaught of the rest, managing to capture only a little over a thousand men. However, Yang Nandi, driven by greed, led his cavalry in a second flanking maneuver, capturing another two thousand. Finally, Liu Shen dispatched a contingent of light cavalry to relentlessly pursue the western army, killing over a thousand more.

The night raid lasted from midnight until dawn. When the sun rose, this attack, which Liu Xian had not anticipated, officially came to an end.

While ordering his men to repair the camp on the spot, Liu Xian also sent men to clear the battlefield and settle the wounded. This time, both sides were truly bloodthirsty. Although Liu Xian tried his best to restrain his subordinates, the soldiers did not take many prisoners. Apart from those who appeared to be rich and noble, they basically killed any wounded Western Army soldiers who were not yet dead, and cutting off their heads was considered a merit.

During breakfast, the results of the battle were calculated: the enemy suffered nearly 5,000 cavalry casualties, while their own forces suffered over 4,000. Meanwhile, the Western Army's offensive in Weinan once again came to a halt. (End of Chapter)