Listening to the echoing drums in his ears, Liang Feng felt like a string had been pulled from his body, almost unable to stand steady.
They had held the city wall for a full three days. Two thousand young men had fallen, six hundred had perished, and the wounded were countless. Even the governor’s mansion had conscripted more people within the city, bringing them to the wall, all just to resist the relentless tide of attacks.
When would the reinforcements arrive? Liang Feng had no idea. In the chaos of the city wall, he couldn’t accurately grasp the opportunities, let alone predict Yiyan’s tactics. But he never gave up, not for a single moment. Because Liang Feng believed that Yiyan would, at the most opportune moment, bring him the hope of victory.
Just like now.
“Release the arrows! Release the arrows!” Ge Hong shouted loudly, his bowstring drawn to the limit. The enemies who clumsily fell from the ladders, turning to flee, were like moving targets, allowing them to be easily slaughtered.
On the city wall, anyone capable of moving, regardless of archery skills, was stringing their bows and releasing arrows. Below the city wall, Zhang He’s elite troops also began their free-for-all combat. The spear formation was no longer the most powerful weapon. In the dispersing enemy ranks, as long as they charged forward, lifting their knives and spears, lives could be reaped effortlessly.
There were also cavalrymen surrounding the enemy’s large tent, more terrifying by several times than the fiercest Xianbei warriors. Countless warhorses galloped through the enemy ranks, and every slash, every arrow, could take a life. That exceptionally majestic Wusun horse was covered from head to toe in blood as if wearing a crimson battle robe.
A cold light flashed, and a cavalryman shouted loudly, “Enemy leader’s head is taken!”
The shout was like thunder breaking through the sky, drowning out the booming drum sound. On the city wall and below the wall, everyone cheered. Three days of fierce battle, hundreds wounded and killed, finally exchanged for victory. A significant triumph!
Liang Feng held onto the battlement, steadying his nearly falling figure. Everything around him dissipated, and in his eyes, there was only that figure. One hand held a blood-stained and blurry human head, the other grasped a knife blade shimmering with silver light, riding on that horse dyed red with blood.
Despite the distance, it seemed as if he could see the expression on that person’s face. Cold, fierce, full of hostility, and an anxious, almost thirsty, anger.
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With the enemy leader’s head taken, the two camps began pursuit. Facing the defeated enemy, it was no longer a battle but a one-sided massacre. Liang Feng stood in the city, leaning against the cold wall, watching the bloody battlefield below. In the depths of his soul, he galloped across the wilderness with the rhythm of hoofbeats.
After an unknown amount of time, the drumbeat stopped, and the pursuers slowly returned. At this point, he should give the order to open the city gates and welcome back the group that had relieved Jinyang, defeating eight thousand enemy soldiers with less than four thousand troops, including the heroes of the two thousand Xianbei cavalry. However, Liang Feng didn’t. Instead, he slowly raised his hand, pointing to the southwest.
“Bring the army back to Jinyang!”
He spoke, but the volume was far from enough to reach the city below. Even this gesture might be overlooked. On top of the city wall, there were so many figures. How could one distinguish them from such a distance?
However, the cavalry heading towards the city stopped. The leader in the middle tossed something into the air, and a head rolled into the blood-soaked soil. It was Liu Hu’s head. Using the free hand, he made a gesture resembling the salute of the Liang military. Without looking back, he headed towards the direction of Lishi.
Behind him, Zhang He also began to withdraw his troops, but instead of following the cavalry, he headed towards the city.
He understood his own intentions.
The last bit of tension in Liang Feng’s heart disappeared, and his figure swayed, almost falling. At some point, Ge Hong had already come up behind him, holding onto his shoulder. “Lord!”
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Liang Feng steadied his steps, squeezed his palms hard, and finally recovered. He whispered, “It’s okay. Remove the sandbags inside the city gate, and welcome General Zhang and the others back to the city. Clean up the city walls, reassure the people; the army will return soon.”
“Lord, we’ve won!” Ge Hong’s voice also carried a hint of uncontrollable joy.
However, there was no such excitement in Liang Feng’s voice. He nodded gently, “Yes, we’ve won.”
A great victory in a life-or-death situation.
※
In just two days, half of Linghu Sheng’s hair turned white. Maintaining the military’s morale was good, but retreating in front of the enemy’s eyes was still not an easy task. They had to guard against cavalry attacks, be vigilant against nighttime raids, and worry about their own troops suddenly collapsing or mutinying. It was like a group of lambs shivering and stopping while walking, guarding against the wolves behind them.
The Xiongnu had sent light cavalry this time, indicating that their provisions were not abundant. Lishi had been barren for so long; they probably couldn’t supply the large army. At most, it would be two or three days, and the enemy would surely launch another attack, perhaps even dispatching Liu Hu’s forces from the siege of Jinyang to deliver a fatal blow.
However, no matter how worried he was, he had no solution. The army couldn’t move too fast, and they couldn’t return to Jinyang without proper precautions. Did the troops from Shangdang really save the city? If the siege was not broken, how would they deal with it?
However, after two anxious days, fast horses brought news from Jinyang.
“Jinyang is relieved, and Liu Hu’s head is taken?!” Linghu Sheng abruptly stood up, “Is what you said true?!”
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“Absolutely true!” The messenger, exhausted, had a pale face but an excited voice. “General Yi has led the cavalry and arrived! And the three cities of Jingling, Zhongdu, and Wuxian have also been recaptured!”
“Good! Good!” Linghu Sheng exclaimed twice, feeling a lightness in his shoulders. Yiyan is indeed a talented general! How many troops could Shangdang have? To defeat Liu Hu’s ten thousand enemy soldiers and even take their heads, it’s remarkable!
As long as the cavalry arrives, the pressure brought by the Xiongnu army on the opposite side will crumble on its own. They can smoothly return to Jinyang!
Thanks to Lord Liang!
“Spread this news to the three armies! Camp here today and await General Yi’s arrival!”
With the news received on one side, on the other, Liu Cong was somewhat anxious. The orders had already been sent out, so why haven’t those Xianbei soldiers launched an attack yet? Could it be that Liu Hu doesn’t want to waste his own forces and is preparing to focus on attacking Jinyang? Is Jinyang on the verge of being breached?
The thought of this possibility made him extremely anxious. Conquering these Jin troops was nothing; capturing the city was the greatest achievement. Could it be that he would come to Bing County this time and return empty-handed?
However, on the second day, unexpected news lay before him.
“Reinforcements from the Jin army have arrived? Cavalry?” Incredulously questioning, Liu Cong suddenly shivered.
Cavalry, indeed, existed in Bing County. Wasn’t it the same one he encountered in Shangdang initially? If the Xianbei encountered that cavalry, would they win or lose?
Soon, he got the answer.
The army under Jinyang suffered a major defeat, Liu Hu was killed, and the Xianbei cavalry was completely wiped out. Looking at the battle report in front of him, Liu Cong was so furious that he couldn’t find words. How many troops did Jinyang actually have? How could the situation turn out like this?! Even if the Bai Xianbei were just a branch, they shouldn’t be so feeble!
As if that wasn’t enough, when he saw the last sentence, Liu Cong’s back hairs stood on end: “The three cities of Jingling, Zhongdu, and Wuxian have been captured… This is bad!”
When were these three cities taken? It couldn’t have been after the siege of Jinyang. So, it meant that while the Jin army marched towards Lishi, another force had gone to Jingling, engaging in a battle to capture the city. What was the purpose of dispatching this large army? And what kind of existence was the now-vacant Jinyang City?
Perhaps both sides were bait, just waiting for them to take the hook!
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“Withdraw!” Liu Cong didn’t hesitate, giving the order to retreat.
“General! The Jin army is already at the end of its strength. Why not launch another attack…” advised one of his subordinates.
“The end of its strength?” Liu Cong sneered, “I’m afraid that person surnamed Liang has calculated everything early on. Show weakness to lure the enemy, then annihilate them in one fell swoop. What a clever strategy! If we continue this battle, it will only waste our forces, and conquering Jinyang will have no hope. Withdraw immediately!”
He had personally fought against Liang Zixi’s forces and knew well the unpredictable tactics that person employed. Now that three cities had been lost, Jinyang had been relieved, and cavalry reinforcements had arrived. If they weren’t careful, they might fall into the enemy’s trap and unnecessarily lose soldiers. They had already held Lishi, so why take unnecessary risks?
However, these minor achievements seemed unworthy of this campaign.
With a dark expression, Liu Cong tightened his grip on the reins. Liang Zixi was indeed his destined opponent. But next time, he wouldn’t let him off so easily.
“The Xiongnu are retreating!” Standing in front of the tent, Linghu Sheng’s eyes sparkled, and he couldn’t contain his excitement.
It was unexpected that just adding this cavalry force would force the Xiongnu to retreat. It seemed that the news of Jinyang being relieved had also spread. If not for Lord Liang’s early preparations, how could they have achieved such a great victory?
“This time, thanks to General Yi’s relief! If not for this, we might not have survived.” Turning around, Linghu Sheng said to the young officers standing beside him.
This cavalry, which had bathed in blood, had probably killed countless enemies. However, the arrival of such a formidable cavalry had a significant impact on stabilizing the military morale. After learning the news of Jinyang’s relief, the entire army was revitalized. If the enemy hadn’t retreated early, they could have fought another battle!
“General Linghu prevented the army from collapsing; it’s a great achievement. When we return to Jinyang, Lord Liang will surely be pleased.” Yiyan’s voice was calm, but his words warmed Linghu Sheng’s heart.
Yes, without him and his nephew desperately holding the soldiers, things might not have turned out like this. After all, they had lost more than three thousand men, and a little more, they would have been on the brink of defeat. Even for seasoned troops, losing a fifth of their strength would make it difficult to maintain formation. Not to mention their central army being broken, the general’s banner falling, and even the main commander being cleanly killed. They had persisted through sheer effort.
Letting out a long sigh, Linghu Sheng said, “I only hope that next time, I can fight side by side with General Yi.”
This statement was not just a compliment; it was also a form of surrender. Yiyan also felt a sense of relief. Winning was secondary; what the Lord needed most was the return of the Bing County troops. As for that son of Pei Dun, placed among the logistics camp subordinates, at least it hadn’t been in vain. A glint of hostility flashed in Yiyan’s eyes as he composed himself. “Please give the order, General Linghu, to return.”
With no enemy trailing behind, the remaining more than ten thousand soldiers, carrying the exhaustion from the fierce battle and the relief of surviving, packed up their camp and returned to Jinyang!
Listening to the echoing drums in his ears, Liang Feng felt like a string had been pulled from his body, almost unable to stand steady.
They had held the city wall for a full three days. Two thousand young men had fallen, six hundred had perished, and the wounded were countless. Even the governor’s mansion had conscripted more people within the city, bringing them to the wall, all just to resist the relentless tide of attacks.
When would the reinforcements arrive? Liang Feng had no idea. In the chaos of the city wall, he couldn’t accurately grasp the opportunities, let alone predict Yiyan’s tactics. But he never gave up, not for a single moment. Because Liang Feng believed that Yiyan would, at the most opportune moment, bring him the hope of victory.
Just like now.
“Release the arrows! Release the arrows!” Ge Hong shouted loudly, his bowstring drawn to the limit. The enemies who clumsily fell from the ladders, turning to flee, were like moving targets, allowing them to be easily slaughtered.
On the city wall, anyone capable of moving, regardless of archery skills, was stringing their bows and releasing arrows. Below the city wall, Zhang He’s elite troops also began their free-for-all combat. The spear formation was no longer the most powerful weapon. In the dispersing enemy ranks, as long as they charged forward, lifting their knives and spears, lives could be reaped effortlessly.
There were also cavalrymen surrounding the enemy’s large tent, more terrifying by several times than the fiercest Xianbei warriors. Countless warhorses galloped through the enemy ranks, and every slash, every arrow, could take a life. That exceptionally majestic Wusun horse was covered from head to toe in blood as if wearing a crimson battle robe.
A cold light flashed, and a cavalryman shouted loudly, “Enemy leader’s head is taken!”
The shout was like thunder breaking through the sky, drowning out the booming drum sound. On the city wall and below the wall, everyone cheered. Three days of fierce battle, hundreds wounded and killed, finally exchanged for victory. A significant triumph!
Liang Feng held onto the battlement, steadying his nearly falling figure. Everything around him dissipated, and in his eyes, there was only that figure. One hand held a blood-stained and blurry human head, the other grasped a knife blade shimmering with silver light, riding on that horse dyed red with blood.
Despite the distance, it seemed as if he could see the expression on that person’s face. Cold, fierce, full of hostility, and an anxious, almost thirsty, anger.
Advertisement
With the enemy leader’s head taken, the two camps began pursuit. Facing the defeated enemy, it was no longer a battle but a one-sided massacre. Liang Feng stood in the city, leaning against the cold wall, watching the bloody battlefield below. In the depths of his soul, he galloped across the wilderness with the rhythm of hoofbeats.
After an unknown amount of time, the drumbeat stopped, and the pursuers slowly returned. At this point, he should give the order to open the city gates and welcome back the group that had relieved Jinyang, defeating eight thousand enemy soldiers with less than four thousand troops, including the heroes of the two thousand Xianbei cavalry. However, Liang Feng didn’t. Instead, he slowly raised his hand, pointing to the southwest.
“Bring the army back to Jinyang!”
He spoke, but the volume was far from enough to reach the city below. Even this gesture might be overlooked. On top of the city wall, there were so many figures. How could one distinguish them from such a distance?
However, the cavalry heading towards the city stopped. The leader in the middle tossed something into the air, and a head rolled into the blood-soaked soil. It was Liu Hu’s head. Using the free hand, he made a gesture resembling the salute of the Liang military. Without looking back, he headed towards the direction of Lishi.
Behind him, Zhang He also began to withdraw his troops, but instead of following the cavalry, he headed towards the city.
He understood his own intentions.
The last bit of tension in Liang Feng’s heart disappeared, and his figure swayed, almost falling. At some point, Ge Hong had already come up behind him, holding onto his shoulder. “Lord!”
Advertisement
Liang Feng steadied his steps, squeezed his palms hard, and finally recovered. He whispered, “It’s okay. Remove the sandbags inside the city gate, and welcome General Zhang and the others back to the city. Clean up the city walls, reassure the people; the army will return soon.”
“Lord, we’ve won!” Ge Hong’s voice also carried a hint of uncontrollable joy.
However, there was no such excitement in Liang Feng’s voice. He nodded gently, “Yes, we’ve won.”
A great victory in a life-or-death situation.
※
In just two days, half of Linghu Sheng’s hair turned white. Maintaining the military’s morale was good, but retreating in front of the enemy’s eyes was still not an easy task. They had to guard against cavalry attacks, be vigilant against nighttime raids, and worry about their own troops suddenly collapsing or mutinying. It was like a group of lambs shivering and stopping while walking, guarding against the wolves behind them.
The Xiongnu had sent light cavalry this time, indicating that their provisions were not abundant. Lishi had been barren for so long; they probably couldn’t supply the large army. At most, it would be two or three days, and the enemy would surely launch another attack, perhaps even dispatching Liu Hu’s forces from the siege of Jinyang to deliver a fatal blow.
However, no matter how worried he was, he had no solution. The army couldn’t move too fast, and they couldn’t return to Jinyang without proper precautions. Did the troops from Shangdang really save the city? If the siege was not broken, how would they deal with it?
However, after two anxious days, fast horses brought news from Jinyang.
“Jinyang is relieved, and Liu Hu’s head is taken?!” Linghu Sheng abruptly stood up, “Is what you said true?!”
Advertisement
“Absolutely true!” The messenger, exhausted, had a pale face but an excited voice. “General Yi has led the cavalry and arrived! And the three cities of Jingling, Zhongdu, and Wuxian have also been recaptured!”
“Good! Good!” Linghu Sheng exclaimed twice, feeling a lightness in his shoulders. Yiyan is indeed a talented general! How many troops could Shangdang have? To defeat Liu Hu’s ten thousand enemy soldiers and even take their heads, it’s remarkable!
As long as the cavalry arrives, the pressure brought by the Xiongnu army on the opposite side will crumble on its own. They can smoothly return to Jinyang!
Thanks to Lord Liang!
“Spread this news to the three armies! Camp here today and await General Yi’s arrival!”
With the news received on one side, on the other, Liu Cong was somewhat anxious. The orders had already been sent out, so why haven’t those Xianbei soldiers launched an attack yet? Could it be that Liu Hu doesn’t want to waste his own forces and is preparing to focus on attacking Jinyang? Is Jinyang on the verge of being breached?
The thought of this possibility made him extremely anxious. Conquering these Jin troops was nothing; capturing the city was the greatest achievement. Could it be that he would come to Bing County this time and return empty-handed?
However, on the second day, unexpected news lay before him.
“Reinforcements from the Jin army have arrived? Cavalry?” Incredulously questioning, Liu Cong suddenly shivered.
Cavalry, indeed, existed in Bing County. Wasn’t it the same one he encountered in Shangdang initially? If the Xianbei encountered that cavalry, would they win or lose?
Soon, he got the answer.
The army under Jinyang suffered a major defeat, Liu Hu was killed, and the Xianbei cavalry was completely wiped out. Looking at the battle report in front of him, Liu Cong was so furious that he couldn’t find words. How many troops did Jinyang actually have? How could the situation turn out like this?! Even if the Bai Xianbei were just a branch, they shouldn’t be so feeble!
As if that wasn’t enough, when he saw the last sentence, Liu Cong’s back hairs stood on end: “The three cities of Jingling, Zhongdu, and Wuxian have been captured… This is bad!”
When were these three cities taken? It couldn’t have been after the siege of Jinyang. So, it meant that while the Jin army marched towards Lishi, another force had gone to Jingling, engaging in a battle to capture the city. What was the purpose of dispatching this large army? And what kind of existence was the now-vacant Jinyang City?
Perhaps both sides were bait, just waiting for them to take the hook!
Advertisement
“Withdraw!” Liu Cong didn’t hesitate, giving the order to retreat.
“General! The Jin army is already at the end of its strength. Why not launch another attack…” advised one of his subordinates.
“The end of its strength?” Liu Cong sneered, “I’m afraid that person surnamed Liang has calculated everything early on. Show weakness to lure the enemy, then annihilate them in one fell swoop. What a clever strategy! If we continue this battle, it will only waste our forces, and conquering Jinyang will have no hope. Withdraw immediately!”
He had personally fought against Liang Zixi’s forces and knew well the unpredictable tactics that person employed. Now that three cities had been lost, Jinyang had been relieved, and cavalry reinforcements had arrived. If they weren’t careful, they might fall into the enemy’s trap and unnecessarily lose soldiers. They had already held Lishi, so why take unnecessary risks?
However, these minor achievements seemed unworthy of this campaign.
With a dark expression, Liu Cong tightened his grip on the reins. Liang Zixi was indeed his destined opponent. But next time, he wouldn’t let him off so easily.
“The Xiongnu are retreating!” Standing in front of the tent, Linghu Sheng’s eyes sparkled, and he couldn’t contain his excitement.
It was unexpected that just adding this cavalry force would force the Xiongnu to retreat. It seemed that the news of Jinyang being relieved had also spread. If not for Lord Liang’s early preparations, how could they have achieved such a great victory?
“This time, thanks to General Yi’s relief! If not for this, we might not have survived.” Turning around, Linghu Sheng said to the young officers standing beside him.
This cavalry, which had bathed in blood, had probably killed countless enemies. However, the arrival of such a formidable cavalry had a significant impact on stabilizing the military morale. After learning the news of Jinyang’s relief, the entire army was revitalized. If the enemy hadn’t retreated early, they could have fought another battle!
“General Linghu prevented the army from collapsing; it’s a great achievement. When we return to Jinyang, Lord Liang will surely be pleased.” Yiyan’s voice was calm, but his words warmed Linghu Sheng’s heart.
Yes, without him and his nephew desperately holding the soldiers, things might not have turned out like this. After all, they had lost more than three thousand men, and a little more, they would have been on the brink of defeat. Even for seasoned troops, losing a fifth of their strength would make it difficult to maintain formation. Not to mention their central army being broken, the general’s banner falling, and even the main commander being cleanly killed. They had persisted through sheer effort.
Letting out a long sigh, Linghu Sheng said, “I only hope that next time, I can fight side by side with General Yi.”
This statement was not just a compliment; it was also a form of surrender. Yiyan also felt a sense of relief. Winning was secondary; what the Lord needed most was the return of the Bing County troops. As for that son of Pei Dun, placed among the logistics camp subordinates, at least it hadn’t been in vain. A glint of hostility flashed in Yiyan’s eyes as he composed himself. “Please give the order, General Linghu, to return.”
With no enemy trailing behind, the remaining more than ten thousand soldiers, carrying the exhaustion from the fierce battle and the relief of surviving, packed up their camp and returned to Jinyang!
