Liang Shanbo: The Poor Scholar-Emperor

Chapter 144 Liang Shanbo's Victory, Liu Lao's Defeat

At this moment, Liu Laozhi was only thirty paces away from the battle formation.

He slung the hard bow to the side of the saddle, then gripped a wooden spear, squeezed his legs tightly around the horse's belly, and prepared to charge into the battle formation with his horse, using his own fierce courage to break through the ranks of Liang Shanbo's camp, kill Liang Shanbo dozens of paces behind the ranks, and thus seize the central banner of Liang Shanbo's camp.

He gritted his teeth, his face turned purple, and his eyes were filled with a resolute determination to burn his bridges.

Just then, an arrow flew in.

This was an arrow shot by Liang Shanbo from a distance of more than eighty paces, with multiple layers of soft cloth covering the tip of the shaft and no arrowhead.

The arrow shaft drew a low, sharp arc through the air, passing through layers of figures in the battle formation and through the billowing dust, like a venomous snake that had been lurking for a long time, arriving in an instant.

Liu Laozhi had no time to react. He was focused on the battle formation that was about to be charged into, and the arrow was already right in front of his face when he caught a glimpse of the flying arrow out of the corner of his eye.

The arrow struck him squarely in the face.

It was neither a helmet nor a pair of armor, but a face shield.

The face is a blind spot protected by the helmet and the two-piece armor; it is only a small area that is exposed.

Moreover, Liu Laozhi was galloping on horseback.

Liang Shanbo was more than eighty paces away from him, and he was using an arrow without an arrowhead, which had a shifted center of gravity, increased wind resistance, and was difficult to aim accurately.

At such a distance and under such conditions, he managed to hit the enemy commander in the face with a single, precise arrow.

This is no ordinary archery skill; it is divine technique.

Despite the strict constraints of the exercise rules, Liang Shanbo was able to use imperfect arrows without arrowheads, and with his calm and steady eyes and firm hands, he seized that fleeting moment, traversing layers of battle formations and billowing dust, and struck the target with a single blow.

This skill, even more so than his ability to hit a bullseye from a hundred paces in actual combat, proves that he is indeed a rare and exceptional archer.

Liu Laozhi felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, followed by a sharp pain that seemed to explode between his nose and forehead, as if he had been punched in the face.

A wave of dizziness washed over him, tears welled up uncontrollably, and his vision blurred. In that instant, he almost lost his grip on the wooden spear.

If that arrow had been a real arrow, the arrowhead would have pierced his brain, and Liu Daojian would be a dead man lying on the ground beneath his horse right now.

He snapped back to his senses, reached out a hand to cover his face, which was throbbing with pain, and felt a burning sensation on the dough. When he opened his palm, he saw that it was covered with glaring white ash.

He felt a chill run down his spine, realizing something was wrong.

Sure enough, an officer in charge of monitoring the battle rushed to his side, waved a command flag in front of him, and shouted, "Military Advisor Liu, out!"

The pronouncement was like a thunderclap, adding another layer of disbelief, horror, and bewilderment to Liu Laozhi's face, which was already contorted with pain.

At this moment, Chen An was only a dozen steps away from Liu Laozhi. He had noticed Liu Laozhi's situation and was taken aback when he heard the supervisor's verdict.

Liu Laozhi, a fierce general renowned in the Jianghuai Army, was "killed" by an arrow.

He immediately realized what was happening, and a surge of excitement welled up inside him.

He took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Liu Canjun is dead and out of the game! Liu Canjun is dead and out of the game!"

Immediately afterwards, the soldiers in Liang Shanbo's camp shouted loudly, "Liu Canjun has been killed in action and is out of the game! Liu Canjun has been killed in action and is out of the game!"

The sounds rose and fell, sweeping across the drill ground.

In an instant, the morale of Liang Shanbo's side soared, and the soldiers were all invigorated. The fatigue and tension on their faces were swept away, replaced by excitement and heroism.

Liu Laozhi's camp was already in disarray due to being surrounded on three sides. When they suddenly heard that their commander had been killed in action, their morale collapsed immediately.

Some of the burly men who had been charging around recklessly and with extraordinary ferocity just moments before have now lost their backbone. As if their spines had been removed, they look around blankly, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

Their commander, Sun Wuzhong, was still desperately holding on in the ranks, but the defeat was already inevitable and no one could turn the tide.

Under the fierce attack from three sides by Liang Shanbo's camp, the remaining soldiers of Liu Laozhi were quickly defeated, and many of his fierce soldiers also retreated, and the formation completely fell apart.

Liang Shanbo, positioned at the rear, rode his Red Wind Horse, overlooking the entire battle from his elevated position.

Seeing that the time was ripe to seize the flag, he turned to Luo Ning, who had been riding alongside him, and gave him a brief military order.

Luo Ning accepted the order, cracked his whip, and led five cavalrymen at galloping towards the battle formation ahead.

Liang Shanbo, along with Yinsheng and the remaining five cavalrymen, stayed behind to guard the central banner, remaining steadfast and unmoving.

Luo Ning spurred his horse to the battle formation and shouted loudly to Xiao Hu, who was still leading his troops in the fight, "Commander Xiao, Military Advisor Liang has ordered you to lead us to seize the flag!"

Upon hearing the order, Xiao Hu's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

One of the cavalrymen was Xiao Hu's personal guard. Following prior rehearsals, the guard dismounted and handed Xiao Hu the horse's reins and the wooden spear in his hand.

Xiao Hu took the reins and wooden spear, flipped himself onto the horse's back, and his muscular body sank slightly in the saddle as the warhorse pawed the ground with its front hooves.

surface.

He held his spear horizontally and roared in a gruff voice, "Follow me!"

He led five cavalrymen, including Luo Ning, and charged out of the battle formation like a whirlwind, heading straight for the enemy cavalrymen guarding the flags on the parade ground.

During this time, several enemy infantrymen tried to stop him, but Xiao Hu would not allow them to get close.

Xiao Hu wielded the wooden spear with great skill, the spearhead sweeping away like autumn leaves, successively "killing" three enemies blocking his way. Each strike landed precisely on the opponent's vital points, leaving conspicuous and glaring white and gray marks.

Luo Ning followed closely beside Xiao Hu and also used his sharp spear technique to kill three enemy soldiers in succession.

The six riders moved as if they were in an empty field, and in the blink of an eye they had approached the enemy's banner.

At the heart of the battle formation, Sun Wuzhong is still fighting to the death, refusing to retreat.

He rode on his horse and looked around. His own formation had completely collapsed, the remnants of his troops were scattered, and defeat was inevitable.

But he was unwilling to accept defeat; even if he lost, he wanted to lose spectacularly.

He suddenly spotted a fleeting opening in the chaos of battle, let out a fierce shout, and charged forward with his horse like a trapped beast.

He charged out of the breach single-handedly, running wildly towards the Liangshanbo camp's central banner fluttering high a few dozen paces away.

go with.

He had only one thought in his mind: kill Liang Shanbo, seize that banner, and he could turn defeat into victory.

Liang Shanbo caught sight of Sun Wuzhong's figure, which resembled a mad tiger.

He remained expressionless, simply turning to take his wooden spear from Yinsheng's hand, lightly squeezing the horse's flanks with his legs, and the Crimson Wind Horse charged forward like a streak of crimson lightning.

A horse, a spear, and a person.

He doesn't need any fancy tricks or unnecessary setup.

The first strike, a powerful horizontal sweep of the spear shaft, deflected Sun Wuzhong's thrusting wooden spear several feet away, causing Sun Wuzhong's hands to go numb.

The second spear thrust, taking advantage of the opening, swiftly and accurately struck Sun Wuzhong's vital points.

Two moves, clean and efficient, without any hesitation.

Sun Wuzhong felt a tightness in his body, and when he looked down, he saw a conspicuous white and gray mark on his body.

One of the supervising officers immediately waved the judgment flag and shouted, "Commander Sun, out of the game!"

On the other side of the drill ground, Xiao Hu had led Luo Ning and five other riders to charge up to the enemy's banner.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the enemy cavalrymen guarding the flag either put up a stubborn resistance but were "killed" one by one by Xiao Hu and his men, or they turned their horses and retreated in despair.

Xiao Hu spurred his horse forward, thrusting his spear with one hand. The spearhead struck the last flag-bearing cavalryman in the chest. The cavalryman groaned, and the flag slipped from his hand, falling to the ground at an angle, the flagpole tilting and the flag landing in the dust.

Xiao Hu dismounted, bent down and picked up the large flag, raising it high above his head.

The enemy's black flag unfurled in his hand in the wind.

Capture the flag.

The dust has settled.

A supervising officer raised the command flag high, mustered his strength, and announced loudly: "Military Advisor Liang has captured the flag and wins!"

Immediately afterwards, the supervising officers on the parade ground raised their command flags in various locations, announcing the final result in unison: "Military Advisor Liang has captured the flag and wins!"

The sound echoed endlessly over the training ground, like a resounding bell, announcing the end of this contest.

The soldiers in Liang Shanbo's camp immediately cheered and shouted.

They raised their wooden spears high, tossed their helmets into the air, patted each other on the shoulder and embraced, their faces filled with the joy and pride of surviving a disaster.

These new recruits, who were just scattered and disorganized half a month ago, are now involuntarily expressing a feeling they have never experienced before.

This feeling is called overcoming the strong with the weak, it is called discipline and unity overcoming brute force and ferocity, it is called "following Military Advisor Liang will not be wrong and will not lose!"

The remaining soldiers of Liu Laozhi's camp either hung their heads silently, their faces filled with resentment, or looked around blankly, their spirits broken, while some showed a hint of unease and fear on their faces.

Some worry that, given the temperaments of Liu Laozhi and Sun Wuzhong, today's defeat will inevitably lead to another fierce and severe punishment afterward.

The entire battle formation, though seemingly complex and chaotic, actually took very little time, from the first drumbeat to the final capture of the flag, lasting only a quarter of an hour.

However, within those short two quarters of an hour, the offensive and defensive positions shifted several times, and the suspense of victory and defeat rose and fell dramatically. Its thrilling nature was no less than that of a real battlefield battle.

Xie Xuan stood on the reviewing platform from beginning to end, with He Qian, Gao Heng, Zhuge Kan, He Meng and other officials standing on both sides. No one moved an inch from the platform, and no one sat down on it.

When Xie Xuan saw Liang Shanbo shoot an arrow from over eighty paces away, hitting Liu Laozhi, who was galloping on horseback, squarely in the face, a look of surprise appeared on his usually calm face.

He knew Liang Shanbo was skilled in archery, but he was still amazed by the incredible skill he had achieved.

At this moment, the announcements of the supervising officer and the cheers of the soldiers in Liangshanbo's camp rose and fell in the air on the parade ground.

Xie Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, a slight smile appearing on his lips. A weight that had been hanging over his heart for a long time finally settled down at this moment.

Firstly, Liang Shanbo's battle formation was well-organized and methodical from beginning to end, and he responded to situations with composure. Moreover, his divine archery that decided the outcome of the battle demonstrated his wisdom and courage, which was enough to silence all doubts.

This definitively proved Xie Xuan's judgment: the young man from a humble background whom Xie Xuan valued truly possessed the ability to lead elite vanguard troops and was by no means a mere theorist.

Secondly, if Liang Shanbo were to be defeated today, and Xie Xuanruo still insisted on having Liang Shanbo lead the elite troops as the vanguard, and then prioritize selecting elite troops from the newly recruited soldiers, given the temperaments of Liu Laozhi, Sun Wuzhong, and others, they would certainly not be convinced. In that case, Xie Xuanruo, as the commander-in-chief, would inevitably find himself in a difficult predicament.

Now, all concerns have been put to rest with the victory of Liang Shanbo's camp.

Xie Xuan turned to look at Zhuge Kan beside him, his tone calm but meaningful: "Zishu, what were your impressions of the drill ground today?"

Zhuge Kan pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "General, from what I observed of today's battle, Military Advisor Liu's tactics were like a tiger unleashed from its cage, unstoppable. His fierce and courageous spirit was truly awe-inspiring."

However, although their momentum was strong, their foundation was not solid. Their formation lacked discipline, and their advances and retreats were unpredictable. They relied entirely on the individual courage of their soldiers. Their initial momentum would wane, and their strength would be exhausted. Once their offensive faltered, their formation would fall into disarray, their morale would collapse, and they would eventually be routed.

Liang Canjun's tactics were like a deep, still river, accumulating strength within. His formations were well-organized, and his offense and defense were measured. What was even more remarkable was that the new recruits under his command were able to maintain their formation and not scatter under such a fierce attack, putting up a tenacious resistance. Only a general with the virtue and ability to command troops could do this.

Furthermore, Liang, the military advisor, possesses both the wisdom to train troops and the courage of a fierce general. Today, his arrow that killed Liu, the military advisor, was a divine shot. Even from more than eighty paces away, using an arrow without an arrowhead that was off-center, he was able to accurately hit the vital point of the face of a person moving at high speed.

Such archery skills, if I may be so bold, are unmatched in the entire Guangling camp. Moreover, Military Advisor Liang also killed Governor Sun with two spear thrusts.

Such a combination of wisdom and courage is truly rare.

The general's discerning eye for talent is truly a blessing for our army!

Xie Xuan nodded, stroking his beard without saying a word.

Zhuge Kan spoke in a loud voice, and not only Xie Xuan heard him clearly, but He Qian, Gao Heng, and He Meng also heard him clearly.

He Qian maintained his usual expressionless face, but in his heart, he was beginning to appreciate Zhuge Kan's insightful comments.

Gao Heng, like Liu Laozhi, previously looked down on Liang Shanbo.

Like Liu Laozhi, he was an arrogant man who believed that Liang Shanbo, a poor scholar from Shanyin in Kuaiji, had only gotten lucky by chance, gaining entry into Xie Xuan's staff and becoming a military advisor through connections with the Xie family of Chen Commandery. He felt that Liang Shanbo was not qualified at all.

Leading the elite as the vanguard.

However, Liu Laozhi was arrogant and fierce, while Gao Heng was arrogant and gloomy. Liu Laozhi openly displayed his contempt for Liang Shanbo and even engaged him in a battle of wits, while Gao Heng merely sneered at Liang Shanbo on several occasions.

At this moment, Gao Heng could no longer sneer; his expression was solemn and somber.

He had thought that Liang Shanbo would surely lose and Liu Laozhi would surely win in today's battle, but the result was far beyond his expectations.

He Meng and Liang Shanbo were old acquaintances and friends. He was quite pleased with Liang Shanbo's performance today and not very surprised, because he knew Liang Shanbo's abilities.

Xie Xuan turned his gaze back to the training ground, to the young figure riding the Crimson Wind Horse, and made up his mind.

This Liang Shanbo is indeed very useful!

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