“Black sail white python banner! It’s the black sail white python banner! Quick, come to the right side!” The Liang soldiers let out ghostly wails.
“Report…” A soldier, drenched by the torrential rain and unable to open his eyes, rushed to the front of the commander’s tent, clasping his fists and shouting: “Reporting to the commander! The Jin army is attacking from three sides. Jin army commander Liu Hong and Lin Kangle are personally leading troops, with the black sail white python banner and the Fu character banner on both flanks!”
The general kneeling outside the commander’s tent turned back to look: “Commander, please immediately evacuate the camp to prevent any mishaps!”
If they delayed any longer, it would be too late!
Commander Liu Hong, Lin Kangle, Fu Ruoxi, and one more… the one Xun Tianzhang most feared, Bai Qingyan. All of Jin’s most capable generals were here!
Xun Tianzhang suddenly grasped the flash of inspiration he had been unable to catch, his face instantly turning pale: “Not good! We’ve fallen into their trap! Quick! Send someone to urgently pursue General Xun, who went to Pingming Road, to have him immediately turn around and rush back for reinforcement. The Jin army’s main force is attacking our camp! Quick!”
The moment he heard about the black sail, white python banner, Xun Tianzhang knew what that elusive flash of inspiration had been. He had been too careless and fallen into their trap!
He had thought he understood the battle situation, believing that Bai Qingyan had detected his people watching the supply routes and learned of his intention to divide and devour the Jin army intercepting the grain routes. That’s why she had destroyed the other supply routes leaving only one, with the main purpose being to cut off the Liang army’s grain supplies and make them defeat themselves without fighting.
Especially upon hearing that Bai Qingyan and Fu Ruoxi were leading troops to Pingming Road, Xun Tianzhang became even more certain of his thinking. That’s why he sent his son with heavy troops to Pingming Road, intending to defeat the Jin army’s main force in one battle. He never expected that the Jin army would use the strategy of luring the tiger away from the mountain, turning instead to attack the Liang camp!
Xun Tianzhang thought he was the mantis stalking the cicada, never expecting that a python would emerge from behind!
Xun Tianzhang’s spine went cold, his bloodshot pupils trembling, terrified that his son wouldn’t be able to bring troops back in time, and this battle would result in the loss of part of the Liang army’s forces here.
Even more terrifying… Great Liang had been intimidated by the Bai Family Army for decades, not daring to act rashly. Now that the granddaughter of Bai Family Army commander Bai Weiting, the Bai Family Army’s Little Commander, had arrived and defeated their enemy with three moves, capturing their fierce general Zhao Tong alive, the Liang soldiers were already terrified! If this battle were won again, the Liang army’s morale would plummet greatly. How could they win in the future if they became fearful upon seeing the black sail, white python banner?!
“Commander, please evacuate the camp first and rendezvous with General Xun!” The Liang army general outside the tent was still pleading.
Having thought everything through clearly, Xun Tianzhang instead calmed down. He gritted his teeth, put on his helmet, walked to the sword rack, picked up his treasured sword, and strode boldly toward the tent exit.
He was the army’s commander. How could he flee when enemy forces were raiding the camp?!
If he fled, it would be admitting defeat! The Liang soldiers’ morale would inevitably plummet, and they wouldn’t even have a chance of victory!
Seeing Xun Tianzhang preparing to fight, the Liang army general outside the tent hurriedly blocked him: “Commander, you must not!”
Ignoring the obstruction, Xun Tianzhang emerged from the commander’s tent in the rain, shouting: “Summon all generals in camp to come immediately!”
Having steadied his mind, Xun Tianzhang immediately assembled the generals and quickly made adjustments and arrangements. The Liang camp, which had been in chaos due to being caught off guard, gradually became orderly.
“General Liu, General Li, take troops to defend the right side! General Shi, General Sima, position yourselves on the left side! Heavy cavalry immediately don armor and assemble in the camp, awaiting orders! General Qian led the infantry to surround the heavy cavalry. Wait for my command, then charge out of camp with the heavy cavalry and slaughter the Jin army, leaving not a single piece of armor! We must let the Jin army know that we Liang soldiers are wolves! Not sheep! We must make the Jin army afraid! Make them so frightened upon seeing our Great Liang banners that they cower in their city, not daring to fight!”
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
The Liang army’s momentum surged greatly, with each general rapidly preparing in an orderly fashion according to Xun Tianzhang’s arrangements.
Liu Hong sat high on his horse at the very rear of the army. The rain made visibility extremely low, so military banner signals clearly wouldn’t work. This battle could only rely on messengers.
Before departing, Bai Qingyan had specifically told Liu Hong that in this battle… if they wanted a veteran general like Xun Tianzhang, who had fought battles his entire life, to believe that the Jin army was truly using the strategy of luring the tiger away from the mountain to attack the Liang camp, they needed to fight with the determination of not returning until the Liang army was destroyed. They shouldn’t harbor any illusions that this battle was merely to lure the Liang army into Longyang City, as the slightest mistake would ruin all their previous efforts.
Liu Hong understood this principle, but if Bai Qingyan hadn’t reminded him before departure, Liu Hong definitely wouldn’t have been willing to pay such a heavy price in fighting.
At Commander Liu Hong’s command, the messenger received orders and rode through the fierce wind and rain, scattering in all directions to rush to the front lines, shouting orders: “Heavy shield formation, prepare!”
“Heavy shield formation, prepare!”
“Heavy shield formation, prepare!”
When Xun Tianzhang climbed the watchtower, he could hear the Jin army messenger shouting orders as he galloped wildly along the Jin army’s front lines.
The Jin army’s archer formation, which had been shooting arrows at the Liang army camp, quickly retreated. The heavy shield formation raised their shields and advanced with heavy, orderly steps. The heavy shields fell to the ground one after another, splashing up countless blood-red mud.
The heavy rain washed over the fallen bodies of soldiers, creating what could truly be called rivers of blood flowing like channels.
The Jin army’s heavy shield formation soldiers let out “roaring shouts,” steadily advancing step by step toward the Liang camp. All the Liang army’s arrows were blocked by the heavy shields.
The heavy shield formation leading the advance was not a good omen. Xun Tianzhang turned his head: “Heavy cavalry, prepare!”
In the Liang army camp, the heavy cavalry had already assembled according to Xun Tianzhang’s instructions, awaiting only his command.
The warhorses of the heavy cavalry formation were equipped with chain mail, leaving only their eyes exposed. The heavy cavalry was even more thoroughly encased in thick armor.
The war drums and horn sounds from the opposing Jin forces urged with great urgency.
Xun Tianzhang gritted his teeth and seized the time to boost morale: “Heavy cavalry formation soldiers! You are Great Liang’s sharpest blade! You must break through the Jin army’s heavy shields for the Liang elite soldiers behind you! Like an arrow piercing through Jin’s heart! Once Jin loses their heavy shields! Our Great Liang elite soldiers can slaughter all those Jin soldiers like butchering pigs and sheep! This commander… will beat the drums for you right here! In this battle, whoever kills the most enemy leaders wins! This commander will record the first merit! Kill!”
“Brothers of the heavy cavalry formation! Charge!”
Led by their general, the Liang army’s heavy cavalry formation charged out of the camp with horses neighing and men roaring, countless hooves trampling into the blood-red muddy water, splashing mud everywhere.
“Liang’s army’s heavy cavalry is incoming! Prepare! Prepare!” The messenger rode his horse, shouting.
Xun Tianzhang gritted his teeth and grabbed an archer on the watchtower, shouting: “Shoot down the Jin army’s messenger for me!”
“Yes!”
The archer aimed at the messenger, steadied his breathing, and released the arrow!
With one arrow, he shot the Jin army messenger galloping wildly through the heavy rain right off his horse.
“Well done!” Xun Tianzhang vigorously patted the archer’s shoulder. “After this battle, if you’re still alive! Go find General Xun!”
“Yes!” The archer’s eyes lit up, immediately filled with fighting spirit, working even harder.
But before the archer could nock another arrow, suddenly an arrow pierced through the archer’s throat, embedding itself in the round wood of the watchtower. The blood-stained arrow feathers trembled violently.