Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 167 Gao Yan Shows Off His Power
When Gao Pian's nephew, Gao Yan, received the message from the flying horse, he knew that the overall situation on the battlefield in the Lake Xun region was beyond saving.

He had two options: one was to advance quickly with only cavalry, and the other was to advance together with infantry and cavalry along the hilly mountain paths on the southern shore of Taihu Lake. The former would ensure timely arrival at the battlefield, but relying solely on cavalry would result in a severe shortage of troops.

Gao Pian said to Gao Yan, "Regardless of victory or defeat, keep our army's casualties below ten."

This request may seem like a difficult one, but it actually has a deeper meaning.

Gao Yan infiltrated the Ming Cult's rebel army in his teens, persuaded Ming Shiyin to surrender, and made great contributions to dismantling Pang Xun's uprising. How could someone as intelligent as him not understand Gao Pian's implied meaning?
The Zhejiang East Army fled in all directions across the plains like an overflowing river. The bandit soldiers, in their pursuit, also scattered their ranks.

Even the enemy's two great generals are now prisoners of the common army. What fear could the heroes of the common army possibly have?

It was nothing more than pursuing the fleeing enemy and killing them like grass.

Those people, stirred up by righteous indignation, though armed only with farm tools like hoes, sickles, and rolling pins, would occasionally come up and beat the drum, and in the process, they could also snatch some weapons, armor, and supplies to slightly alleviate their poverty.

Gao Yan stood atop a hill, observing all of this with a cold eye.

He suddenly took an iron mask from his belt and covered his face.

The mask was as fierce as a ghost, and it was decorated with colorful paint.

Gao Yan's handsome face was instantly covered by a mask.

His gaze shot out from the eye holes of his mask, landing on the group of long-armed cavalrymen beside him.

"Today is the day to defeat the enemy and annihilate them!"

Having said that, Gao Yan took the lead, holding his spear and roaring as he charged down the hill. His spear swept across the ground, killing several starving people who blocked his way!

“Give me my head,” Gao Yan said coldly to the rider.

"These people are unarmored and unarmed, carrying only farm tools. They're probably just cannon fodder hastily instigated by the Yellow Bandits..." the rider said awkwardly.

"They came to the battlefield, so they should be prepared to be killed. Killing them doesn't count as killing innocent people to claim credit," Gao Yan said calmly.

Then, spurring his horse and brandishing his spear, he charged towards the scattered ranks of the straw army.

The infantry suddenly discovered the enemy attack and took up their shields and spears to defend themselves. However, Gao Yan's horse was fast and his spear was fierce. He came like a falling sky and went like lightning. In just a few rounds, he killed more than twenty people.

"New generals join the battle, their songs and music resonating with many, a consensus shared by merchants of Lanling. They prepare a lively dance, a joyous feast, where guests' faces flush with delight!"

Gao Yan sang loudly, and what he sang was the famous "Lanling King's Battle Song".

He wore a ghost mask and sang as he charged into battle, all to emulate his ancestor, Prince Lanling, Gao Changgong!
Gao Yan's marksmanship was not just a showy display, but a genuine skill.

After charging several times, he was quickly surrounded by a group of cavalrymen, but Gao Yan's spear flashed like lightning, and he killed four or five of them. In an instant, he broke through the encirclement and launched another charge.

The young man, wearing a ferocious and menacing mask, rode his horse with unparalleled bravery, causing even the grass army soldiers, who had just won a great victory and whose morale was soaring, to feel a sense of dread.

The cavalry, led by Gao Yan, charged forward like the wind through the grass, unstoppable in their path.

The rebel soldiers were forced to abandon their encirclement and slaughter of the fleeing Zhejiang army and gradually converged in this direction. As a result, most of the fleeing Zhejiang army was able to escape.

Seeing that he was outnumbered, Gao Yan still took advantage of the enemy's disorganized ranks, roared bravely, and charged into the enemy lines alone. In a flash, his spear pierced the throat of an enemy general, and he beheaded him with his saber. Then he turned his horse and rode away amidst the thousands of soldiers! "Brothers, we've had a good fight, let's go back!"

Gao Yan laughed loudly, completely unlike his cautious demeanor in front of his uncle Gao Pian.

He felt that as a prominent member of the Bohai Gao family, he should be so flamboyant and unrestrained.

In this raid, Gao Yan beheaded 497 people. Even excluding the poor civilians who were not very combat-effective, he killed more than 200 regular soldiers.

His men suffered only three dead and five wounded.

Gao Yan could have reported to Lei Shuai and Gao Pian that he had fulfilled his mission!
As Gao Yan charged forward for the last time, he met Zhu Wen's gaze as Zhu Wen arrived on horseback.

Even through the iron mask, Zhu Wen could still sense the burning ambition in the other person's eyes.

There's also Shi Pu's unscrupulous and unprincipled nature.

"Better to die than to die, my friend. You put on a grand show, but your actions are utterly tasteless," Zhu Wen said coldly.

Gao Yan didn't care at all: "Military merit is the only true measure of success. Zhu Wen, in the next battle, I will use your white skull as a stepping stone for me to take another step forward!"

"Keep dreaming, you whore." Zhu Wen was too lazy to argue with him in a literary style and went straight to the family greetings.

At that moment, he suddenly noticed that the other person's body trembled with anger, and the tremor was quite significant.

Could this woman's mother really have been a prostitute? It can't be such a coincidence, can it?
The grass army's formation became increasingly tight, leaving Gao Yan with no opening. He led the knights on the hill and calmly retreated, disappearing without a trace like the east wind.

Zhu Wen noticed that Gao Yan had turned back several times during this time, indicating that he really wanted to tear him to pieces.

After cleaning up the battlefield, Zhu Wen returned to his camp and told Tian Jun and Lan Suting what had happened.

“When Gao Yan charged in, he clearly only used cavalry; the infantry didn’t play a role at all,” Zhu Wen said. “But he still used both infantry and cavalry. If he had first used cavalry to charge at high speed, there would have been hope that he could have supported the two military governors in defeating our army.”

Zhu Wen added, "But Master might also be able to adapt to the situation and devise a clever plan to annihilate this light army."

Lan Suting lowered her head and pondered: "So, Gao Yan's decision also has its cautious and reasonable aspects."

"Of course there are," Zhu Wen said. "Although Gao Yan is not a top-notch strategist, he is no less troublesome than Shi Pu, and much more troublesome than the likes of Liu Xun."

"So, apart from the possibility that his mother might be a prostitute, there's no other gimmick?" Tian Jun asked.

Tian Jun's mother, Long Shuang, had been a singer and was given away multiple times. Tian Xiang, who greatly influenced Tian Jun, was also a camp prostitute. Even so, in Tian Jun's eyes, Gao Yan, as an enemy, could still find amusement in having a prostitute as his own mother.

"And another thing," Zhu Wen rubbed his temples, "Commander Lei doesn't seem to be in a hurry to annihilate us right now. Even though the two commanders suffered a crushing defeat and were captured, Commander Lei doesn't seem to care."

Lan Suting said in surprise, "But during the battle of Xuanzhou, Commander Lei was clearly fighting desperately..."

“Times have changed.” Zhu Wen shook his head and said, “From Gao Yan’s actions, we can see Lei Shuai’s current plans.”

"The Battle of Xuanzhou failed to destroy the Grass Army, and Lei Shuai Gao Pian's anger for avenging Yan Shuai has subsided considerably. I suspect that he plans to let us rampage through Lingnan, then request troops to pursue and kill us, taking the opportunity to establish influence in various towns in the southeast. If Lei Shuai annihilates our Grass Army, the southeast will probably no longer belong to the imperial court."

(End of this chapter)