Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 153 The Swordsman of Huainan
"The cavalry is the hammer, and the infantry is the anvil. Without an anvil, the strength cannot last."

Yang Xingmi made the following assessment of the pursuing Changwu cavalry.

The head of Wenyuan Pavilion once commented: "Lei Shuai is good at footwork, Yan Shuai is good at archery, Feng Shuai is good at riding, and Xue Shuai is good at building fortifications."

With unwavering resilience and unyielding spirit, the elite infantry phalanx, capable of traversing mountains and plains without hindrance, was the key to General Lei and General Gao Pian's invincible prowess.

Having infantry without cavalry is insufficient to annihilate the enemy. That's why Commander Lei trained a long-armed cavalry force skilled in charging and breaking through enemy lines, just as Sun Tzu's Art of War says—"Use the orthodox to engage, and the unorthodox to win."

"How could I not know this principle?" Zhu Wen said with a wry smile, "The hero of the early dynasty, the Duke of Han Dong, trained an elite heavy armored cavalry that repeatedly thwarted the advance of the imperial army. If our army had such a heavy infantry force that could withstand the charge of the Xuanjia elite cavalry, what would Gao Pian's Changwu cavalry be?"

The Duke of Handong, originally from Wagang, joined Dou Jiande after Li Mi's defeat. After Dou Jiande's death, he raised an army in Hebei under Liu Heita. He once swept through the Tang Dynasty like a whirlwind, defeating a number of famous generals, including the Duke of Ying, Xu Shiji, and was regarded as the strongest opponent of Emperor Taizong Li Shimin in his life.

"Soldiers should be well-trained; it's not necessary to be heavily armed to subdue cavalry with infantry." With a command from Yang Xingmi, the five hundred Huainan swordsmen who had come with him formed several small formations to support each other.

Although they are called swordsmen, a considerable number of them are actually spear and shield soldiers. They hold a spear in their right hand and a shield in their left hand. The shields are connected like a city wall, and the spearheads pierce out from the gaps in the shields.

The swordsmen of Cangjian Manor, wielding swords in both hands, were hidden within the shield formation. When the Changwu cavalry charged forward with their 15-foot lances, they were first stopped by the dense, iron-forest-like spear formation. Then, taking advantage of the brief moment when the cavalry reined in their horses, the swordsmen darted out from the formation like lightning and slashed at the horses' legs with their greatswords.

The Long-Wu Cavalry were not heavily armored cavalrymen. They were skilled with long spears and fast horses, adept at charging and pursuing, but not particularly skilled with bows and arrows, nor were they well-suited for mounted combat.

However, their agility and speed made these knights, who were specialized in charging, particularly fierce and swift when attacking enemy lines from the flanks or rear, or when facing enemies lacking heavy infantry.

Yang Xingmi's swordsmen's armor was not heavy, and sometimes the desperate charges of the Changwu cavalry would blast a hole in it. But they would then scatter like swift cats to reduce casualties, and then regroup with extreme discipline.

They can scatter and regroup, and rise again after defeat. Only such elite infantry can stand shoulder to shoulder with the swift and unstoppable cavalry!

Zhu Wen waved his flag and gave the order, and the soldiers of the Grass Army quickly regrouped and fought together with the fresh troops of Yang Xingmi who had come to their aid.

The three brothers Zhang Guiba, Zhang Guihou, and Zhang Guibian led their troops, drew their bows, and unleashed a hail of arrows at the enemy cavalry.

After joining the rebel army, they formed a battalion of 500 men, mainly archers. In actual combat, they often cooperated with Zhu Wen's elite archers.

On the surface, the three brothers no longer had to serve under their former retainers. But in reality, their troops had become vassals of Zhu Wen.

Because Yang Xingmi's elite swordsmen could effectively repel the charges of the long-armed cavalry, the rain of arrows could inflict far greater casualties on the enemy cavalry once their horses came to a stop. The clatter of bows being drawn and the whooshing of arrows being released accompanied the sound of government soldiers' knights falling from their horses one after another.

On Lei Shuai's side, the pursuing infantry consisted mainly of lightly armed swordsmen and shieldmen, which was insufficient to provide strong support for the Changwu cavalry. Zhu Zhen, Ge Congzhou, and Dong Hou led two hundred cavalrymen in relentless harassment, effectively containing the enemy infantry.

Yang Xingmi concealed his armor under a black robe, yet his swordplay was as sharp as lightning. Sometimes he swept across and cleaved a horse's leg, sometimes he slashed upwards and split the horse's belly, and sometimes he even swept to the blind spot of the enemy cavalry's spear and cut off the enemy soldier's thigh with a single sword stroke, causing the enemy to cry out in pain and fall off his horse.

"General, since Young Master Yang is so valiant, why don't we go out and fight as well? How can we fall behind others?" Huo Cun said to Zhu Wen.

Huo Cun thought that the responsibility of commanding from the center should be handed over to Zhu Cun. Zhu Wen didn't really manage the camp's general affairs much anyway.

"The situation is already decided. They've come to rescue us, so why not let them show off?" Zhu Wen glanced at Huo Cun. "Besides, Yang Xingmi was able to charge through the enemy cavalry with ease because of his close cooperation with those Huainan swordsmen. If we go out, are we not taking our lives seriously?"

Being brave and fearless on the battlefield does not mean taking unnecessary risks.

Huo Cun was startled and hurriedly said, "Your subordinate is foolish!"

During the Battle of Muling Pass, Huo Cun abandoned Lan Suting and returned to join the battle, leaving Lan Suting unprotected and briefly falling into the hands of Chen Liqing. This incident allowed Zhu Wen to discover Huo Cun's weakness of being ambitious but lacking in strategy.

Therefore, Zhu Wen brought Huo Cun under his command to oversee his personal guards, keeping a close eye on him. The cavalry was entrusted to Zhu Zhen and Dong Hou, a member of the Ming Cult, for training and command. As for when Huo Cun's cavalry skills would be put to use, that would wait until Zhu Wen had more cavalry under his command.

When the pursuing enemy forces finally succumbed to their casualties and began to retreat, Yang Xingmi's swordsmen quickly dispersed and launched a fierce counterattack. Once some enemy cavalry regrouped and charged again, the Huainan swordsmen could swiftly form ranks to defend, leaving the enemy no opening to exploit.

Zhu Wen led his army straight ahead, coordinating closely with Yang Xingmi, and slaughtered the enemy soldiers, who fled in disarray, abandoning their armor and weapons.

Zhu Wen's troops, who were covering the rear, thus escaped the pursuit, rolled up their armor, and rushed to join Huang Chao's main force.

After the battle, when the casualties were tallied, Yang Xingmi's 500 elite swordsmen from Cangjian Villa had only lost three men, with five others wounded.

Keep in mind that their opponents were General Lei and General Gao Pian's troops.

Zhu Wen was truly envious of such a group of swordsmen who fought like gods.

They are undoubtedly the foundation of Cangjian Manor as one of the six major sects, but they are also inseparable from the training and supervision of Yang Xingmi, a contemporary hero.

Judging from their battlefield performance, they are not lacking in practical experience. They may have previously served as recruits, infiltrated government troops, and honed their skills by defending the frontier against enemies.

The master of Cangjian Manor has clearly placed the fate of his sect on his most outstanding disciple. When Yang Xingmi truly steps into the vortex of chaos and embarks on his path to supremacy, these five hundred elite swordsmen from Huainan will undoubtedly become the core reliance for Yang Xingmi to dominate the world.

A few days later, Zhu Wen hosted a farewell banquet for Yang Xingmi.

Yang Xingmi wasn't a big drinker, but Tian Jun dragged him into a drinking contest. The two were old acquaintances, so Yang Xingmi couldn't refuse and had no choice but to drink with her.

Tian Jun, this female drunkard, actually didn't have a very high alcohol tolerance, but she drank heavily. After a few rounds of drinks, she became drunk and passed out, and was helped back to the camp by Lan Suting to take care of her.

Yang Xingmi's skin, which was as clear and bright as ice and snow, now faintly showed a blush.

Seeing that Yang Xingmi was already half-drunk, Zhu Wen finally asked the question that had been on his mind for a long time: "Brother Yang, what is your opinion on the court?"

Yang Xingmi certainly had no goodwill towards the imperial court, but his specific answer was very important.

Lei Shuai Gao Pian may not have much affection for the imperial court, but that doesn't stop him from fighting for the court in the north and south, and just a few days ago he slaughtered the rebel army in a bloodbath.

"I plotted to kill Kang Chuangui's entire family. Not long after, Kang Chengxun also offended the court, was demoted, and died. It seems that my grandfather's revenge has been achieved," Yang Xingmi said calmly.

Yang Xingmi had previously stated in Mount Tai that his father was framed for mutiny and killed after the old marshal Kang Chengxun stole his military achievements.

The expressions of those present changed slightly, but Zhu Wen knew that Yang Xingmi had not finished speaking.

Yang Xingmi suddenly slammed his wine cup on the table, the remaining wine swirling and dripping onto the table: "Even if our enemies receive their due punishment, my grandfather, who fought for the country his whole life, is still considered a rebellious soldier who was executed for his insubordination! No one will exonerate such a nobody. In the eyes of those in power, innocent insects who are crushed and killed are not even worth a second glance."

Zhu Wen could faintly see the undulating blue veins beneath the wine-red hue on Yang Xingmi's face.

The other person, like himself, is a born rebel.

But Yang Xingmi had his own ambitions and path.

(End of this chapter)