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

Chapter 729 Capturing the Flag and Slaying the General: The Great Blue Rhinoceros

Liu E was directing his troops at the front line to continue fighting the Taiping Army. Hearing the horns and drums beating behind him, he not only did not feel relieved, but the feeling of being on pins and needles grew stronger.

The reason why the Jin army dared to engage in a decisive battle with the Han army, whose numbers were roughly equal, was because the senior officers had a plan in mind.

That is: the infantry fighting strength of the Jin army was about the same as that of the Han army, but the cavalry was much more elite.

When the time comes, we can use 30,000 infantrymen to hold off 50,000 Han infantrymen, and then the 30,000 Jin cavalrymen can defeat the 10,000 Han cavalrymen. Then we can encircle the Han army and everything will be fine.

However, just like Liu Huai's strategic planning, which was very well done, the actual battle turned out to be a completely different story.

Liu Huai's initial plan was to use elite armored cavalry to entangle the Jin cavalry, and then use infantry formations to attack and annihilate them, thus replicating the Battle of Yancheng.

But no one expected that the Liao cavalry would be so fierce. These assimilated Jurchens fought the Khitans without regard for their lives, so much so that the Jin army's more than 6,000 Khitan soldiers were easily defeated by more than 3,000 Han light cavalry, and they have not yet been able to regroup.

If the Khitans' defeat was somewhat understandable, then Liu E's actions were arguably unforgivable.

The Taiping army's vanguard of over nine thousand troops was divided into four small formations by four thousand Jin Dynasty armored cavalry. Liu E led over fourteen thousand Han infantrymen in the attack, and after nearly two hours of fighting, with the cooperation of the armored cavalry, they finally managed to dismantle one of the Taiping army's rightmost small formations.

Even so, they had not yet achieved their goal. Not only had they failed to wipe out the two thousand collapsed Han soldiers, but they had also failed to stop Luo Shenyan's troops from filling in.

Frankly speaking, based on such a victory, if it weren't for the fact that Liu E's lineage spanned several generations in Youyan, He Shilie Zhining would have suspected that this fellow was a traitor.

The Han army's front was almost unassailable, and its flanks were equally difficult to attack. Troops attempting to flank were all intercepted halfway through the attack, and the battle was raging fiercely.

With the battle situation so far out of sync with the strategic planning, and now with the Han army's artillery making its appearance, it was only natural that the Jin army's senior officers felt a sense of crisis and wanted to take the initiative to counterattack in order to reverse the country's decline.

Wuyan Chala's thoughts were similar to those of Heshilie Zhining, but he remained somewhat clear-headed and did not go alone. Instead, he used flag signals and horns to inform the central army of his next move. Only when Heshilie Zhining's central army raised the red flag did he lead his armored cavalry in neat formation and set off one after another.

Nearly five thousand armored cavalrymen surged out, creating an extremely impressive spectacle. Even more impressive was the collective advance of the Jin army's rear and central forces.

At this time, the Jin army's central force still had more than 6,000 infantrymen and more than 4,000 armored cavalrymen, while the rear force consisted of 10,000 infantrymen.

The simultaneous advance of over 20,000 infantry and cavalry troops immediately put Xin Qiji, who was commanding on the front line, on high alert.

To be honest, although the Han infantry were far superior to the Jin infantry, and had defeated the Jin army in several battles, even killing two Han commanders and one Jurchen marching warrior, the Taiping army was also somewhat exhausted.

No one is made of iron. After two hours of fighting, even with rotations within the formation and remaining combat strength, ordinary soldiers inevitably experience sore limbs and hunger.

With the Jin army committing all its forces, it's uncertain whether the Taiping Army can hold out.

Xin Qiji stood on a raised carriage, holding a telescope. After observing the situation for a moment, he said, "Pass on my order: have the Dongping army abandon their chariot formation and advance in formation. Shi Qilang and Li Xiu's forces will attack from both flanks, while the Dongping army will attack from the center. We will defeat the Jin infantry before the Jin invaders!"

The telescopes for the Han army have been made, but because they are made of natural crystal and the craftsmen's skills are still being refined, the yield rate is not high.

In addition, due to the short time available, only three relatively perfect ones were made, which were then in the hands of Wei Sheng, Liu Huai, and Xin Qiji respectively.

Of course, on the plains battlefield, tens of thousands of cavalrymen galloped endlessly, raising clouds of dust. Even the most advanced telescopes could not penetrate the dust to see people and were of little use. Therefore, Xin Qiji only used it for a short while before carefully putting it back into the wooden box.

Xin Yuanying accepted the order and left. He had just found the military envoy when a great commotion arose behind the Tianping army, with drums and horns sounding. The military envoy traversed the chaotic battlefield and approached Xin Yuanying, loudly proclaiming, "Commander Xin! The Grand Commander has ordered that the Vanguard Army and the Dongping Army join forces to confront the enemy head-on. The Tianping Army will rest briefly before advancing westward with the main force!"

Xin Yuanying hurriedly led the military envoy to the cart where Xin Qiji was standing. After the envoy repeated Liu Huai's military order, Xin Qiji stared silently at the truly broken cart formation behind him for a moment before looking at Xin Yuanying.

“Ah Ying, the Jin army’s central force just made a move, and the Commander-in-Chief’s order arrived. It certainly wasn’t issued on short notice. Do you think it’s because the Commander-in-Chief is worried that something might go wrong here and we won’t be able to defeat the Jin army?”

Xin Yuanying's forehead was already drenched in sweat, and upon hearing this, he was stunned, and then he broke out in a cold sweat.

This was practically a matter of life and death, but since it was a military matter, he naturally had to answer the chief steward's question: "The eldest son and the chief steward have become close friends through thick and thin, how could he not trust you? However, war is dangerous and brutal. It is only natural that the eldest son is worried about the chief steward's safety."

Xin Qiji nodded, his hand on the heavy sword at his waist, to acknowledge the statement, but continued to speak: "But I am, after all, the former commander-in-chief personally appointed by the eldest son. If I have only hard work but no merit this time, how can I convince the masses, and how can I be expected to serve as a marshal in the future?"

Xin Yuanying felt somewhat helpless, yet also inexplicably fearful. After swallowing hard, he said to his general and elder brother, "The general can give orders directly. Although I am not talented, I am not a coward."

Xin Qiji, supporting his heavy sword, nodded slowly, then drew his sword and pointed forward: "My intention is to take down that big flag before the rest of the troops arrive. This will both pave the way for the troops and demonstrate the might of our army, a perfect solution."

Xin Yuanying looked in the direction of the sword's edge.

Xin Qiji was referring to Liu E's banner with the character "Liu".

Xin Yuanying was somewhat taken aback, not understanding why Xin Qiji would suddenly be so radical, but recalling what he had said before, he immediately realized what was going on.

His elder brother might be worried that the central government doubted his abilities because of the General's order, so he wanted to do something to show Liu Dalang.

Has... have these two started to drift apart at this point?

Just as Xin Yuanying was momentarily lost in thought and panic, several more military envoys arrived from the rear, each carrying the flag of their own command headquarters.

"General Xin, the Vanguard Army requests orders!"

"Order to break through the enemy lines!"

"The vanguard requests orders!"

"Left Army requests permission!"

"The Dongping Army requests your orders!"

To Xin Yuanying's astonishment, facing the military envoys sent by several commanders to express their stance, Xin Qiji simply issued the order as a matter of course: "I will personally lead the Tianping Army to launch the first attack, buying time for the follow-up troops to form ranks. The follow-up troops will form a large horizontal formation, with the Vanguard Army in the center, to sweep away the Jin invaders!"

"Go back and tell all the commanders that the Commander-in-Chief, disregarding his own safety, personally drew away the Jin cavalry. As subjects, you should all do your utmost. At this moment, the vanguard has already gathered nearly 30,000 troops, and I, as the commander-in-chief on the battlefield, will also risk my life. This battle will surely be won!"

The various military advisors and deputy generals who had served as military envoys bowed and immediately turned to leave. Xin Yuanying, however, was somewhat embarrassed.

This is hardly a case of Liu Huai and Xin Qiji growing estranged and suspicious of each other.
It was clear that Xin Qiji had long anticipated that Liu Huai would give him command of 30,000 infantrymen at the front line, and Xin Qiji was determined to fight to the death to repay this kindness!
"Ah Ying! There are still five hundred soldiers resting and recuperating in the ranks. I will give you three hundred to be my rear guard." Xin Qiji jumped off the cart, mounted his warhorse, and declared, "I will personally lead two hundred armored soldiers as the first wave!"

"Here!"

While Xin Qiji was still organizing his troops, Shi Qilang's vanguard and the Dongping army made their move first.

Several hundred Jin cavalrymen were trapped between the chariot formations of the Tianping and Dongping armies, and they were the first to suffer.

Having rested and recuperated for a long time, the Dongping army split up their chariot formation and swarmed forward, attacking in a square formation. After forcing the Jin cavalry into a corner, they cut down the riders and horses, quickly eliminating the hundreds of armored cavalry.

Meanwhile, Shi Qilang's more than two thousand elite infantrymen, who had circled around from the left flank, slowly advanced and stood shoulder to shoulder with Li Tieqiang, further widening the battle line.

Liu E was worried that if the Han army widened its battle line, it would surround his infantry from the flank, so he had to order more than a thousand reserve troops to support his right flank.

At this point, the Jin army's infantry formation had been continuously split into smaller units, forming a dumbbell structure with heavy forces on both sides and a lighter force in the middle. Liu E had only about two thousand men beside him.

However, in Liu E's view, He Shi Lie Zhi Ning behind him had already gathered his troops and launched a general offensive. At most, reinforcements would arrive in a quarter of an hour. At this time, the weakness of his forces was not a big deal.

However, shortly after the thousand-plus soldiers left, Liu E suddenly discovered that the Six Flower Formation of the Tianping Army, which was facing him, had suddenly split into smaller formations. Hundreds of armored soldiers, led by a large blue rhinoceros banner, were shouting and attacking him.

Upon seeing this, Liu E felt a sense of unreality and illusion.

This...this looks like Xin Qiji's banner.

Wasn't he the vanguard commander of the Han army? Why did he suddenly charge out?
These questions flashed through Liu E's mind for a moment before he flew into a rage.

This guy was originally a pampered nobleman who had never suffered any hardship since childhood. In addition, he was reasonably capable, which made him extremely arrogant.

Today, Liu E was not only being suppressed by the Han army, but also being mocked and rebuked by his own generals, which had long been making him furious. When he saw that Xin Qiji dared to lead several hundred soldiers to attack his own central army, Liu E was so angry that he laughed.

"This great blue rhinoceros looks down on me. Who among you can share my burden?!" Liu E shouted to his trusted nephews and nieces beside him, "Who dares to cut off the great blue rhinoceros's head and make a name for themselves in Youyan?!"

An arrogant general naturally has arrogant subordinates, and soon several men responded loudly: "This humble general is willing to go!"

The Taiping Army's infantry square formation was indeed exceptionally strong and very difficult to deal with, but since Xin Qiji had emerged from the square formation and was in an offensive posture, wouldn't it be a piece of cake for him to launch an attack with his infantry in coordination with his cavalry?

Liu E nodded in satisfaction and pointed to one of them: "Liu Bomou, you lead your troops to meet the enemy. Zhang Henwan and Li Zihe, you two are Liu Bomou's successors. A total of one thousand soldiers, twice the number of the Great Blue Rhinoceros. If you still cannot defeat him, you will be punished according to military law!"

The three men immediately nodded in agreement, and then led their troops, treading on the summer yellow earth, kicking up clouds of yellow dust, as they charged toward Xin Qiji.

Liu E sat upright on his horse, grabbed the wine flask, and gulped down a large mouthful of wine. Then he let out a cold laugh, his discerning eyes seeming to have pierced through the dust and smoke, as if he could see Xin Qiji's head lying right in front of him.

A prudent general approached and said, "Commander, perhaps we should make some preparations."

Liu E glanced at this fellow: "What are you preparing? The Great Blue Rhinoceros has brought several hundred exhausted soldiers, while I have used a thousand fresh troops to meet him. There are also troops supporting us from all sides, and the marshal's army is right behind me. Do you think the Great Blue Rhinoceros can kill me? Zhao San, you are just too cautious."

Helpless, the general named Zhao San could only secretly give a look to his personal guard leader, signaling him to make some preparations.

Liu E keenly noticed Zhao San's movements and was about to reprimand him when he saw a military envoy rushing towards him through the rolling dust.

Seeing this, Liu E pointed forward and sneered, "Look, this must be good news. Liu Bomou truly lives up to his reputation as my family's prodigy..."

"Report!" Before Liu E finished speaking, the military envoy had already arrived. Although his face was covered in dust and sweat, making it impossible for others to see his expression, the anxiety in his tone was undeniable.

"The Great Blue Rhinoceros of the Taiping bandits has gone into battle. Deputy Commander Liu was defeated and killed. The three hundred armored soldiers at the front have already scattered!"

After speaking, the military envoy ignored Liu E's reaction and turned back to the battlefield, seemingly in a state of extreme panic.

The wine flask in Liu E's hand fell to the ground with a clatter, and he was completely stunned.

"Commander..." Zhao San spurred his horse forward again, seemingly wanting to say something, but Liu E wiped the wine stains from his beard, his eyes fixed on the smoke and dust curtain in front of him, looking at the indistinct shadows through it, and said with a smile, "This must be due to Liu Bomou's carelessness and being caught off guard. It's alright, there are reinforcements to follow..."

Zhao San immediately turned his horse away and quickly instructed his guards to put on their armor and mount their horses.

However, the guards had just donned their armor and had not yet draped their horses with armor when another military envoy arrived on horseback.

The military envoy who arrived this time was even more hurried and disheveled, with an arrow still stuck in his body. Upon seeing Liu E, he fell off his horse: "Commander Li is dead in battle. Commander Zhang sent me to report to the governor. The Great Blue Rhinoceros is formidable; prepare early..."

After speaking hastily, the military envoy seemed to have exhausted his last bit of strength and fainted on the ground.

Liu E was completely stunned this time. Although Zhao San was surprised, he was still able to remain calm and loudly ordered: "Infantrymen, form ranks and advance!"

Spurred on by the drumbeats, the Jin army immediately formed ranks, with hundreds of light and heavy infantrymen blocking Liu E's path.

Zhao San went even further and pulled off Liu E's red cloak, then tied it around his own body.

Amidst the thunderous drumbeats, people finally emerged from the dust and smoke. Leading the way were the Jin Han soldiers, their faces filled with panic. These routed soldiers were clearly utterly terrified, forgetting even to retreat from the flanks, and plunged headlong into the Jin army's formation, causing chaos.

Next appeared the banners of the three Jin army generals who had just gone into battle. However, unlike the others, all three banners were now hanging upside down, with a severed head embedded in the spearhead of each bannerpost.
Following closely behind these three large banners was a flag depicting a simple rhinoceros. Beneath the blue rhinoceros banner, rows of armored soldiers, holding long weapons and gags in their mouths, slowly pressed forward like a silent, high wall.

Unable to withstand the pressure any longer, Liu E turned and fled.

Zhao San watched Liu E leave with a sigh, then put down his helmet, tied his red cloak around his waist, and under the banner bearing the character "Liu," loudly commanded: "All obey my orders, advance!"

Seeing that the Jin army still dared to take the initiative to attack, Xin Qiji laughed, then sheathed his two heavy swords, took the spear from the Victory Hook, and led more than twenty personal guards and armored cavalrymen to bravely charge out, heading straight for the banner with the character "Liu".

(End of this chapter)