Late Ming Dynasty: Starting with the overthrow of the county magistrate, a rebellion was launched to

After the order to attack was given, the soldiers on both sides clashed immediately. The battle was fierce and evenly matched. Every inch of land or position was fought over repeatedly. Corpses gradually piled up like mountains, and blood flowed like rivers, staining the yellow soil of Changbanpo red.

Seeing the two sides locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle, Zhang Xianzhong held back no longer. His eyes flashed with a ruthless glint, and he brandished his machete, personally leading seven thousand elite veterans to meet the Ming army head-on.

He took the lead, wielding his machete. With each strike, a Ming soldier would be decapitated, blood gushing forth.

At this moment, Zhang Xianzhong was like a god of war descending to earth, invincible, and for a time, none of the Ming soldiers could withstand his onslaught.

"Zhang Xianzhong, you traitor! Cease your arrogance!"

When Zuo Liangyu saw that Zhang Xianzhong was so arrogant and didn't take the Ming army seriously, he was furious. He immediately took up his sword and charged at Zhang Xianzhong on horseback.

After all, it was a well-known fact in the army that Zuo Liangyu was a fierce general of the Ming Dynasty and was highly skilled in martial arts. It would not make sense for him to pretend to be dead at this time. So he immediately engaged Zhang Xianzhong in battle.

At this moment, swords clashed and metal clanged.

Zhang Xianzhong had fought his way up to the leadership of the rebel army, and while not necessarily the best in martial arts, he was certainly incredibly brave and fierce. Therefore, he held his own against the valiant Zuo Liangyu, and the two fought for dozens of rounds without a clear victor. By this time, their horses were drenched in sweat, and the two men were panting heavily.

At this moment, Meng Ruhu, the left wing commander of the Ming army, led his troops to outflank the Da west army and suddenly launched a fierce attack.

Meanwhile, the flanks of the Great Western Army were made up of refugee troops, whose fighting strength was weak and who had never experienced such a fierce battle. When the elite Ming army charged, they were instantly routed and their formation was thrown into chaos.

"Father! Our flank has been breached!"

Seeing this, Sun Kewang led his troops in a desperate resistance. However, even though he was hit by several arrows and fought valiantly, he still could not stop the Ming army's offensive. Helpless, he could only shout in desperation.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xianzhong, who was engaged in fierce fighting, felt a chill in his heart and exclaimed that things were going badly. He thought that once the flank was lost, the entire army would be surrounded by the Ming army!

Just as he was extremely anxious, a series of urgent battle cries suddenly came from afar—it turned out that Liu Jinzhong, who had been arranged earlier, was leading 5,000 elite cavalrymen to attack from behind the Ming army and head straight for the Ming army's supply lines!

What a fine man!

"Oh no! The supply line has been attacked!"

Unlike Zhang Xianzhong's praise, the Ming army was in a state of panic. After all, the supply lines were the lifeblood of the army, and once they were cut off, the army would naturally collapse without a fight.

Yang Sichang, who had a clear view from the high ground, cursed angrily, then his expression changed, and he sternly gave orders to the general beside him.

"He Renlong! Quickly lead the reserve force back to reinforce the supply lines! Make sure the grain and provisions are secured!"

He Renlong, who was standing beside him, immediately accepted the order and led 10,000 troops away to reinforce the supply route.

Of course, this incident also caused the Ming army's offensive to slow down, its forces to disperse, and its offensive momentum to decrease sharply.

Zhang Xianzhong was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

However, Liu Jinzhong's cavalry continued to rampage through the Ming army's ranks, burning supplies, killing sentries, and destroying baggage. The Ming army remained in chaos, and eventually their offensive stalled.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhang Xianzhong commanded his army to counterattack, stabilize the situation, and engage in a fierce tug-of-war with the Ming army.

The situation on the battlefield instantly became deadlocked.

The fierce battle raged from dawn until noon. At this time, the sun was high in the sky, but the chill on the battlefield was getting worse. Both sides were bloodthirsty and had long since lost their formation, fighting each other to the extreme.

Shouts of battle, screams of agony, the clash of weapons, the neighing of warhorses, and the roar of cannons once again echoed across this ancient battlefield and resounded throughout the Jingxiang region.

As Ming soldiers fell in waves, another wave charged forward.

For every soldier killed in battle, another was brought in to replace them.

At this moment, the ground at the foot of Changban Slope was littered with corpses and severed limbs, all testifying to the brutality of the battle.

Zuo Liangyu and Zhang Xianzhong continued their relentless battle. During this time, they did almost only two things: charge into battle, get wounded and exhausted, then retreat to rest, and then charge back into battle again. By this time, both of them were wounded and covered in blood. They had changed horses one after another, but they still refused to give in.

"Zhang Xianzhong! You will not escape today!" Zuo Liangyu roared as he finished speaking these harsh words, then casually slashed at Zhang Xianzhong's shoulder with his sword.

Zhang Xianzhong dodged to the side, then swung his sword backhand, striking Zuo Liangyu's left arm, causing the latter to gush blood.

"Zuo Liangyu, you treacherous dog! Today I will slay you, this lackey of the imperial court!"

The two fought fiercely until the afternoon. At this time, Liu Jinzhong returned from harassing the supply route and led his cavalry straight into the Ming army's center. The Ming army's formation finally showed a flaw.

As a result, the left-wing army of Meng Ruhu was tied down by Sun Kewang and unable to return to provide reinforcements;

Zhang Yingyuan's right-wing army was bogged down by the Daxi army's defensive line at Duodaoshi, unable to advance an inch;

He Renlong was far away on the supply route and couldn't return in time. The Ming army of 50,000 was divided into four parts, each fighting its own battle, and gradually fell into a passive position.

But Yang Sichang was a seasoned commander who remained calm in the face of danger. He waved his command flag atop the high slope, adjusted his deployment, and ordered the entire army to fight to the death and not to retreat. He knew that retreating at this moment would mean a complete rout, and the annihilation of his 50,000-strong army.

"Soldiers! Today is the day to serve the court! Kill the rebels and you will be promoted and ennobled!"

Yang Sichang's shouts echoed across the battlefield, greatly boosting the morale of the Ming soldiers, who launched a desperate counterattack. The tide of battle turned once again, and the two sides plunged into an even fiercer struggle.

Time passed slowly, the battle raging from morning until noon and then from noon into the afternoon. As the sun set, its rays turning blood-red, the bloody battle having lasted a full eight hours.

The Ming army, with 50,000 elite troops, suffered more than 23,000 casualties. Zuo Liangyu was also seriously wounded in the battle with Zhang Xianzhong. His elite cavalry was almost wiped out, 21 of his 30 cannons were destroyed, and his muskets, bows and arrows, and other weapons were all used up. The soldiers were exhausted and demoralized, and no longer had the strength to launch an attack.

As for the Great Western Army, their casualties were even more severe. Of the 25,000 main force soldiers, more than 18,000 were killed or wounded. Almost all of the 7,000 veteran soldiers were wiped out, all 15 cannons were destroyed, and the refugee army scattered and fled. Only 7,000 remnants remained. Their weapons and supplies were exhausted, and the soldiers were covered in wounds and exhausted, no longer able to fight.

At this moment, Zhang Xianzhong was covered in blood, wounded in multiple places, his left arm pierced by an arrow, and his right-hand machete was already dulled. He was panting heavily and unsteady on his feet.

Zuo Liangyu was severely wounded in the left arm and his warhorse had died in battle. He could only fight on foot, his face pale, and his former arrogance long gone. He could only wearily marvel inwardly.

Yang Sichang did not directly participate in this level of hand-to-hand combat, so he was still standing unharmed on the high slope, looking at the extremely tragic battlefield. His face was ashen, but his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

He should have won this battle, but even if he did, it was a Pyrrhic victory. Now, with nearly half of his 50,000 elite troops gone, he was no longer able to besiege Zhang Xianzhong, let alone deal with Li Zicheng and other forces.

At this moment, Zhang Xianzhong looked at the corpses of his soldiers strewn across the field, and his heart was bleeding.

Although they lost momentum, they preserved their foundation; although they suffered heavy casualties, they still occupied the outskirts of Jingzhou and were not completely annihilated.

"Sound the retreat!"

"Sound the retreat!"

At almost the same time, Zhang Xianzhong and Yang Sichang simultaneously issued the order to withdraw their troops.

Clang—clang—clang—

The final gong of liberation sounded, clear yet desolate.

Upon hearing this, the soldiers on both sides felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They immediately stopped fighting and retreated with difficulty, supporting each other and dragging their broken bodies back to their respective camps.

All that remained was a battlefield littered with corpses...