Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 128: Swords and Spears Clashing, Splitting the Copper Mace
Although the Pingshan Hu abandoned their army and fled, the Pingshan army did not collapse completely immediately.

Yes, even though the commander Pingshan Hu fled in public, causing a chain reaction of collapse in the center of the Pingshan Army, the entire Pingshan Army still held out for two quarters of an hour.

The fourth leader, who was camping near the western hillside, was a smart man. He didn't believe what Pingshan Hu said that as long as they could hold on for half an hour, help would come.

He has followed Pingshan Hu for the longest time, so he knows exactly what kind of person he is.

Therefore, after the fourth in command heard what the military messenger who came on a mule to deliver the message said, he didn't waste any words and simply drew his sword to kill the guy. Then he took a dozen of his confidants, found horses, and fled.

But the second in command, who lives near the southwest, is an honest and decent man.

This does not mean that the second in command must be loyal to Pingshan Hu, but that this person is not a complete bandit in terms of mentality.

Or to put it more simply, he was reluctant to give up the fortune he had accumulated along the way. He wanted to use it to establish a foundation and accomplish some great things.

This mentality of the second-in-command enables him to do things in a capable manner and gather some people's hearts on a daily basis, and he may really get unexpected rewards one day in the future.

But on this night, his mentality was fatal.

"Come closer to me! Those with weapons are in front, those without weapons... go find them quickly! Even a dung fork or a shoulder pole will do, quickly!"

The second in command was sweating profusely. Although he was extremely panicked at the moment, he still forced himself to remain calm. He even held a big banner and stood at the front to set an example.

He set fire to all the thatched houses along the line as a sign to gather the troops.

You know what, this move has a miraculous effect.

The reason was not because of how bright the fire was, but because Pingshan Hu and the fourth leader all fled, resulting in the Pingshan army's retreat being cut off, and the defeated army fled in all directions like headless flies.

About half of the defeated soldiers were attracted by the flames and gathered towards the second in command like moths to an oil lamp.

Just after a quarter of an hour, over a thousand men had gathered at the Second In Command's headquarters, many of them armed soldiers. Thanks to their swift defeat, the vast majority hadn't even engaged the enemy, so their morale hadn't suffered a significant blow. Even with the Second In Command's mediocre skills, he was still able to organize them and form a line in the firelight to meet the enemy.

But that’s the extent of it.

After the soldiers with the big banner with the word "He" on it cleared the road ahead, they quickly held torches and formed a square formation and pressed forward.

Before the battle began, a unit of hunter archers launched a hail of arrows. Although it only caused casualties of a dozen people to the Pingshan army, this killing method that was invisible in the dark caused great panic.

The second round of rockets wrapped in oilcloth caused less casualties, but ignited some of the food and supplies protected behind the Pingshan Army formation, causing chaos in the rear of the Pingshan Army.

Then came the approaching light cavalry of nearly 200 men, armed only with bows and arrows or short spears, and not intended to charge the enemy lines. And today, they were not needed to break through the enemy lines.

Two hundred light cavalry patrolled in front of the Pingshan army, shooting arrows and short spears indiscriminately into the formation.

The arrows were fine. The horse bows used by ordinary farmers were relatively soft, not the hard bows with ox horn and iron frames used by the regular army of the Jin Dynasty. Unless they hit the vital points, they would not be fatal.

But the short spear is different. A strong man can throw the short spear at a terrifying speed by charging on his horse. If it hits an unarmored person, he will be seriously injured if not killed.

Just two rounds of arrow rain and cavalry pressure had already made the hastily assembled Pingshan Army's formation unstable, and the infantry pressing forward from the front became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The second in command fled in panic with his men, but since they were surrounded by enemies on all sides, they could only retreat back to the weir where Pingshan Hu had been staying, using the low wall outside the weir as a defense. At this point, only two quarters of an hour had passed since the battle officially began.

But He Boqiu, who was under the big banner with the word "He", was already impatient. He asked the infantry to form a team more than 20 steps away, while he came to the front of the weir alone.

"Lu Laizi, why are you hiding? Grandpa just saw you, come out and answer me."

Second in command, Lu Laizi, steeled himself and rode out of the village. "Master He, we have no past grudges, no recent hatreds. Why are you trying to kill me?"

He Boqiu was a wealthy man in Yishui, whose fortune lay in trade, so naturally he had connections in both the black and white worlds, and he knew both officials and criminals by sight. So, although he and Lü Laizi didn't share their former friendship, they had exchanged a few words and shared a few drinks.

He Boqiu was no longer the gentle scholar he once was, but revealed his ruthless and brutal side. He sneered, "Lü Laizi, I'm not trying to embarrass you. I'm going to do something big tonight. If you stand in my way, who else should I kill but you?"

After a pause, He Boqiu continued, "For the sake of our past friendship, I'll give you a chance. According to our Shandong customs, we'll have a one-on-one duel, regardless of life or death. If you win, I'll admit defeat and leave immediately without further ado."

He Boqiu did not tell Lu Laizi what would happen if he lost, but Lu Laizi knew that he had no choice.

"kill!"

As soon as He Boqiu finished speaking, Lu Laizi picked up the long sword with his eyebrow tip, shouted loudly, and drove his horse forward to kill. His goal was to gain the upper hand.

He Boqiu also picked up the spear and stabbed it towards Lu Laizi's head.

The two men were only a dozen steps apart. At this distance, the war horses could not start at full speed. The long weapons in their hands only bumped into each other tentatively before they swung away.

The second in command, Lu Laizi, was still thinking about how to capture the opponent in the second round, but He Boqiu did not give him a second chance.

As the two horses crossed, He Boqiu held the spear in his right arm and drew a copper mace from the right front of the saddle with his left hand. He raised it high and swung it to hit Lu Laizi on the forehead.

Poor Lu Laizi, even though he was wearing a helmet, how could he block the blunt weapon coming straight at him? The iron helmet dented, and his head instantly became like a rotten watermelon. Even his neck was bent at an impossible angle, and he fell off his horse.

Lu Laizi didn't even let out a scream before being hammered to death by He Boqiu in front of the two armies.

Pingshan Jun, who witnessed the whole process, began to flee without saying a word.

He Boqiu summoned the military envoy and said, "Tell He Lai to clear the northern passage as well. I will drive the defeated troops to sweep the west bank of the Anzi River and drive these good-for-nothings back to Tai'an Prefecture!"

After saying this, the Yishui tycoon left without even taking Lu Laizi's head.

At this moment, he was moved and looked towards the other side of the Anzi River. He saw the scene of flames surging forward like a tide, and he couldn't help but sneer.

Jiagu Shou and Shuhu Ali have been feeling very frustrated these days, and so have their cavalrymen. Now that they finally have a way to vent their frustration, how can they control themselves?

Just a beast.

Thinking with such disdain, He Boqiu, who had just won a great victory, began to mourn himself in the firelight.

What was he to be mixed up with these beasts?

(End of this chapter)