The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 183 Night Attack
That night, Liu Renzhan finally got the opportunity he had been waiting for.

He was clad in scale armor, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his entire body hidden in the shadows of the battlements, only his hawk-like eyes fixed on the Zhou army camp stretching for miles outside the city.

The area was sparsely lit, and the figures of soldiers on night duty could be vaguely seen on several wooden watchtowers.

The night was as dark as ink, and a biting wind swept across the city walls. The torches flickered in the wind, casting the iron armor of the Shouzhou garrison on and off, making them appear like ghosts moving among the battlements.

“Zhou Jun has been attacking the city day and night for months, and his men and horses are already exhausted.” Liu Renzhan suddenly spoke, his voice low and firm. “In addition, the weather is getting colder, and the officers and soldiers must be suffering terribly, and it is inevitable that they will become lax… The fact that the offensive has weakened greatly in the past few days is clear evidence of this.”

"Li Chongjin, seeing that our army has been holding firm and waiting for reinforcements, must not have expected that we would take the initiative to attack tonight."

He spoke as if to Liu Yanzhen standing behind him, but also as if to convince himself—to raid the camp under cover of night was a high-stakes gamble, and if it could be carried out successfully, it would be a great achievement.

That might severely damage the morale of Zhou's army, thus buying more time for the defenders of Shouzhou.

Liu Renzhan did not expect to inflict heavy casualties on Zhou's army, because it was unrealistic with the troops he had. Even if he were to put all his resources on the line and launch a full-scale attack, it would be difficult to achieve.

But as long as it disrupts Zhou's siege plan and causes them some trouble, that will be enough.

Of course, the premise is that they cannot fail. Otherwise, not only will they suffer heavy losses, but if the Zhou army takes the opportunity to counterattack, they may very well chase the defeated troops into the city, and the consequences will be unimaginable.

However, as a veteran general, Liu Renzhan was well aware that on this battlefield where the odds were stacked against him, the only way to break the deadlock and survive was to take risky moves; otherwise, it would be impossible.

"Commander Liu's plan is excellent; he will surely defeat Zhou's army tonight," Liu Yanzhen said reluctantly, offering a flattering remark.

In terms of family background and status, Liu Renzhan was inferior to Liu Yanzhen.

Liu Yanzhen was the commander of the Shenwu Army, one of the six armies of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and served as the military governor. His father, Liu Xin, was even more powerful, holding the positions of military governor of the Zhennan Army and general in charge of the Southern Expedition.

However, Liu Yanzhen dared not offend Liu Renzhan at the moment. Firstly, his previous defeat in Zhengyang had left him without the confidence to be tough.

Secondly, he still needs to rely on Liu Renzhan to survive, and he also wants to see if he can get a chance to redeem himself.

Otherwise, if he were to flee back to Jiangning Prefecture in such a disgraceful manner, even if Emperor Li Jing of Southern Tang spared him out of consideration for their past relationship, those in the court who had long disliked him might not let him off easily.

"The time is almost up," Liu Renzhan suddenly muttered to himself, tapping his fingers lightly on the cold city bricks.

After saying that, he turned and walked down the city wall. Liu Yanzhen saw this and quickly followed.

At this moment, beneath the city wall, more than a thousand elite Tang soldiers had been waiting for a long time, standing still like statues, their iron armor gleaming faintly in the torchlight.

“Father.” A young figure strode out and knelt on one knee before Liu Renzhan, the nail plates clattering together with a crisp sound. It was his eldest son, Liu Chongzan.

Liu Renzhan frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Since ancient times, there have been no fathers and sons in the army. Does Commander Liu not understand this principle?"

"Yes, Commander!" Liu Chongzan replied immediately.

When he stood up and looked up, the heroic air between his brows was quite similar to that of Liu Renzhan. The firelight danced on his angular face, reflecting a pair of piercing eyes.

Liu Renzhan nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the side and slowly scanned the faces of the soldiers present.

Tonight, he has chosen the elite troops from each unit to launch a surprise attack on Zhou's camp. Many of them are his comrades who have followed him for many years, and their eyes burn with fierce fighting spirit.

When the soldiers saw Liu Renzhan's gaze sweep over them, they all instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons.

A complex expression flashed across Liu Renzhan's face, but he quickly regained his composure.

He suppressed his emotions and raised his voice: "Do you all know? The more than three thousand brothers of our army who were captured in Zhengyang were all killed by the Zhou army a few days ago."

"Zhou Jun is so brutal and cruel that even if we surrender, we will have no chance of survival. Therefore, we cannot sit and wait for death. Only by fighting to the death can we have a glimmer of hope."

Liu Renzhan drew his sword with a "whoosh," the blade flashing a cold light in the moonlight.

"Tonight, we will show Zhou Jun the spirit of the men of Jiangnan!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers were filled with righteous indignation, raised their weapons, and roared in fury.

After the commotion subsided, Liu Renzhan looked at his eldest son and said in a deep voice, "Remember, after your troops leave Dinghu Gate, you must make a big show of it and do everything you can to attract the Zhou army's attention. If you can take the opportunity to burn the siege equipment in the Zhou army's camp, that would be even better."

"Your humble servant obeys!" Liu Chongzan replied, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Liu Renzhan turned around and shouted, "Where is Zhang Quanyue?"

A bearded general stepped forward, his iron armor clanging: "Your humble servant is here!"

This man was Zhang Quanyue, the governor of Chizhou in the Southern Tang Dynasty. When Li Gu, the prime minister of the Later Zhou Dynasty, led his army to besiege Shouzhou, he was ordered to lead troops from Chizhou to support Liu Yanzhen's troops who were rescuing Shouzhou.

But to everyone's surprise, Liu Yanzhen led his troops in a reckless advance, attempting to intercept Zhou's army that was returning to defend the Zhengyang pontoon bridge. At that time, Zhang Quanyue and Liu Renzhan sent people to dissuade him.

However, Liu Yanzhen did not listen, and Zhang Quanyue had no choice but to speed up the march to Zhengyang.

Unfortunately, by the time he arrived, Liu Yanzhen had already been defeated by Li Chongjin, and Zhang Quanyue could only gather the remaining troops and retreat to Shouzhou City with more than 2,000 men.

Liu Renzhan said, "You will lead five hundred infantrymen out of the city through the northern water gate, then through the water fortress, and sneak to the banks of the Fei River. While the Zhou army's camp outside the city is in chaos, burn the grain and supplies that the Zhou army has stored near the shallow rocky beach."

"This is crucial for tonight's battle. Once the Zhou army's supplies outside the city are destroyed, even if Li Chongjin has great abilities, he can't expect his soldiers to attack the city on an empty stomach!"

"I humbly obey my orders!"

Zhang Quanyue clasped his hands in agreement, but he did not step down. Instead, his expression showed slight hesitation, and his Adam's apple bobbed as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

Upon seeing this, Liu Renzhan's gaze sharpened: "Prefect Zhang, do you perhaps find something wrong with my arrangement?"

"This subordinate dares not," Zhang Quanyue hurriedly shook his head and said, "However... it would be better if this subordinate led men to launch a night raid on Zhou's camp, and Commander Liu was in charge of burning Zhou's supplies..."

Liu Renzhan was taken aback upon hearing this, but then he understood what the other party meant.

The true objective of this night raid was to burn the Zhou army's supplies. Therefore, Liu Chongzan's attack was merely a feint, intended to confuse and divert the Zhou army's attention, thus achieving the effect of a diversionary tactic.

However, this feigned attack would involve a direct confrontation with Zhou's army, which could potentially lead to being trapped in enemy territory.

Zhang Quanyue suggested switching tasks with Liu Chongzan, naturally out of concern for Liu Renzhan's eldest son's safety. Unexpectedly, Liu Renzhan glared and said, "How many brothers have died in the past few months? Is my son's life more valuable than theirs?"

"If I were such a biased person, I could have chosen someone else tonight... Enough with this nonsense!"

A cold wind swept across the city walls, carrying away the resounding words into the darkness of the night. But the soldiers present were all deeply moved.

Liu Renzhan said earnestly, "I know Governor Zhang's intentions, but we are paid by the emperor and are obligated to serve him. At this critical moment for the country, we should put our lives on the line. How can we talk about personal feelings?"

Zhang Quanyue bowed deeply, and when he looked up again, his eyes were filled with determination. He clasped his hands tightly and said, "This humble servant will never fail Lord Liu's trust. Tonight, even if it costs me my life, I will definitely burn the Zhou army's provisions!"

Liu Renshan grasped Zhang Quanyue's arm, patted his shoulder hard, and said in a low voice, "You must come back alive!"

……

At midnight, the Dinghu Gate in the east of Shouzhou City quietly opened. The heavy gate slid open silently as the winch turned, revealing a sliver of a gap.

Two hundred elite cavalrymen were the first to leave the city. Their horses were gagged and their hooves were wrapped in cloth, making almost no sound as they trod on the ground. Only the occasional glint of their weapons revealed their murderous aura.

Liu Chongzan, clad in light armor and with a long sword at his waist, led the charge. Behind him followed a select group of elite soldiers, each with a cold expression and eyes filled with murderous intent.

The city of Shouzhou had only about 8,000 soldiers capable of fighting, and less than 1,000 cavalry, including 2,000 remnants brought by Zhang Quanyue.

As for the able-bodied men who assisted in defending the city, it was clearly unrealistic to expect them to fight against Zhou's army. They would likely collapse at the first sign of trouble and would only become a hindrance.

The more than one thousand men who launched the attack tonight were the elite troops carefully selected by Liu Renzhan, and belonged to the core fighting force of the Shouzhou garrison.

If these troops are lost outside the city, it would be tantamount to cutting off Liu Renzhan's arm, and the already low morale in the city would likely collapse completely.

But only such elite troops could achieve the goal of a night raid—so Liu Renzhan’s move was a gamble, and in the end, it all depended on which side God favored!
……

Zhou Jun's siege camp was stationed on the banks of the Fei River, surrounded only by wooden palisades, and filled with siege equipment such as ladders, battering rams, and catapults.

The Zhou army soldiers were exhausted from the siege over the past few days, and most of them were fast asleep. Only a few torches and the sound of patrolling footsteps could be heard in the camp.

Liu Chongzan waved his hand, and the cavalry scattered like ghosts, quickly approaching Zhou's camp under the cover of night.

Before the soldiers on the watchtower could even react, a stray arrow had already pierced the air and arrived.

Immediately afterwards, dozens of rockets streaked across the night sky, falling into the camp like meteors. The dry wood and hay were instantly ignited, flames shooting into the air and illuminating half the night sky.

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”

The Zhou army's camp instantly erupted in chaos, with countless soldiers stumbling out of their tents, only to see the Tang army's iron cavalry breaking through the gate like ghosts.

Suddenly, spears and halberds flashed coldly, and iron hooves trampled over them, causing the Zhou soldiers, who had not yet assembled their ranks, to flee in disarray.

Liu Chongzan took the lead, sweeping his spear across the ground. Before a junior officer from Zhou's army could react, he fell to the ground with a hole pierced through his eye socket.

At the same time, Tang infantry followed closely behind the cavalry, carrying torches, and headed straight for the siege equipment.

Oil was poured on, torches were thrown, and several siege ladders and battering rams were instantly engulfed in flames, illuminating half of the camp as if it were daytime. In the thick smoke, Zhou's soldiers scattered like headless flies, and the entire camp was thrown into chaos.

Some tried to put out the fire but were shot dead by Tang archers; others tried to rally for a counterattack but were scattered by cavalry.

The Zhou army responsible for attacking the city consisted mostly of miscellaneous troops from local warlords and conscripted laborers. Caught in a sudden night attack, they were unable to organize an effective resistance in time.

Fortunately, the camp where the Later Zhou imperial guards were stationed in the distance quickly learned of the enemy attack. As the elite troops personally led by Li Chongjin, their reaction speed was far superior to that of the common soldiers.

Just as the Tang army was setting fire to and killing people in their camp, a muffled tremor suddenly came from the ground. In the darkness in the distance, hundreds of iron cavalry surged in like a black tide, the sound of their hooves causing sparks to fly from the fires.

The Imperial Guard's support soon came into view, with a group of several hundred Later Zhou cavalrymen bearing the brunt of the attack.

"Retreat!" Seeing that the fire had spread and Zhou's troops had been mobilized, Liu Chongzan remembered his father's instructions and did not linger in battle. He immediately ordered a retreat.

The Tang cavalry instantly turned their horses around and retreated like a tide, while the infantry soldiers also fled in panic, leaving behind only a sea of ​​fire.

However, it was not so easy for the Tang army to escape unscathed. The pursuing Zhou cavalry immediately split into two wings, flanking them like iron pincers.

With the whistling sound of arrows piercing the air, the last Tang infantrymen fell one after another, and were then overwhelmed by the Zhou army's pursuers.

Liu Chongzan looked back and saw this scene, his heart filled with grief, but he could only grit his teeth and desperately flee. He hadn't expected Zhou Jun's reaction to be even faster than anticipated.

Suddenly, a cavalry force appeared from the side like a ghost, and the Tang cavalry instantly crashed into the group.

"Young master, be careful!" The guard's shout rang in my ears.

Before Liu Chongzan could react, he felt a gust of wind rush towards him. He instinctively raised his spear to block, and with a loud clang, Liu Chongzan's spear was sent flying.

His hand was split open, and blood dripped down his wrist guard. But just then, he heard his horse whinny, and an arrow was driven deep into its neck.

The moment his warhorse's forelegs buckled to the ground, Liu Chongzan was flung away. The world spun before his eyes; he saw burning camps, chaotic hoofbeats, and splattered blood, all the images distorted into blurry patches of color in the air.

The moment his back slammed heavily onto the ground, he heard the cracking sound of his ribs breaking. The dust that rose up made him cough violently, and his mouth was filled with the metallic taste of blood.

"Cough cough cough," Liu Chongzan tried to prop himself up, but found that his limbs were as heavy as lead, and he could not exert any strength in his left arm.

Each breath was accompanied by a sharp pain in his chest, and warm liquid kept overflowing from the corners of his mouth, spreading a dark red stain in the dust.

Through his blurred vision, a pair of combat boots trod closer and closer, their footsteps echoing through the blood-soaked mud. Liu Chongzan struggled to look up and saw a dark-faced general looking down at him, his face particularly terrifying in the firelight.

Amidst the excruciating pain, Liu Chongzan managed a bitter smile—"Father, I have done my best."

...I only hope that Zhang Quanyue will not disappoint his father's expectations.

Don't let him die!

Li Chongjin's tone was filled with suppressed anger, and his already dark face became even more gloomy.

(End of this chapter)