Jinting Han people

Chapter 759 Unmoved

Liu Xian's decision to deploy his troops on the west bank of Caizhou was a do-or-die choice.

With limited time and insufficient troops, Liu Xian almost instinctively chose this location as the battlefield. The west bank was located on higher ground in Caizhou, with several prominent hills, while the left and right sides were covered with thick black silt, making it difficult for ships to dock or for soldiers to advance and attack. This meant that once he established a foothold here, he didn't have to worry about threats from the left and right flanks, and only needed to consider facing the enemy head-on.

In other words, it's a miniature version of a python's mouth.

The difference is that back then, although Liu Xian faced over 100,000 Northern troops, his men were elite Westerners who had fought countless battles. Even with only 10,000 men, they could still fearlessly fight ten against one. Now, Liu Xian only has a few hundred men and faces an enemy of just over a thousand, but his guards lack sufficient experience, while the enemy soldiers appear extremely seasoned.

The night sky was clear. Qi soldiers stood crowded on the opposite side of the sandbar, clad in full iron armor. They formed several square formations on the sandbar, but instead of launching an attack, they first raised countless torches behind them to demonstrate their superior numbers. At the same time, a warship patrolled the edge of the sandbar, attempting to assess Liu Xian's forces and find any weaknesses.

Throughout this process, apart from the blazing firelight of the fortified camp behind them, these armored soldiers stood silently like statues in the cold moonlight, awaiting orders from their superiors with utmost quietness. This was undoubtedly a characteristic of a fierce and powerful army; their ability to completely obey orders made them an ironclad force.

In contrast, the Han soldiers were also quiet, but this was because Liu Xian hadn't given many orders. Liu Xian could clearly see that many soldiers were somewhat anxious, their eyes darting around, and they would frequently look up to check their own expressions in order to boost their courage. Moreover, Liu Xian was surrounded by high-ranking officials such as Lu Yun and Huan Yi, who lacked real combat power. If the enemy were to penetrate their center, they would become a burden on the battlefield, further demoralizing the army.

This is also why Liu Xianshao gave the order; he wanted to set an example by demonstrating his composure and confidence in victory. Even if he was physically exhausted, he must not show the slightest weakness.

At this moment, on the sand dunes, Han soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a semi-circular long formation to await the enemy. The semi-circle contracted inwards, a formation known as the Crescent Moon Formation in Zhuge Liang's battle formations. It is named for its shape resembling a curved crescent moon. The Crescent Moon Formation, like a half-crescent moon, can be adjusted to different terrains, sometimes contracting inwards and sometimes bulging outwards.

On level riverbanks, the formation typically juts outwards, allowing for defense against attacks from multiple directions and creating a more compact formation. Du Tao's troops used this formation at the foot of Ma'anshan Mountain. However, in this angled terrain, the formation can be compressed inwards into an arc, so that once the enemy enters the central area, they will be attacked by arrows from the front, left, and right.

However, its flaws are also obvious. Once the formation can no longer hold, there is no way to escape, and the only outcome is the annihilation of the entire army.

After arriving, Cao Yi carefully examined the formation arranged by the Han army and found it to be very troublesome.

His original intention was to launch a surprise attack under cover of night and win in one fell swoop, but he did not expect to encounter two unexpected events that night. One was that he was discovered as soon as he landed, which gave Liu Xian time to react. The other was that Liu Xian's actions were so fast, he did not look like a sick person at all. In just 35 minutes, he abandoned the camp and chose to fight in such a deadly place. His reaction speed was exaggerated, without the slightest hesitation or wavering. This caused the Qi people to lose the advantage of surprise attack.

However, Cao Yi had no room for hesitation or delay. Every second was precious. He immediately sent a guard named Zhou Jian into the Han army's firing range without fear. Zhou Jian shouted, "Your defeat is inevitable. Why stay here and die with Liu Xian? I, the king, will give you a chance. If you leave this place, I will spare your lives. Otherwise, don't blame us for being ruthless."

At this point, Zhou Jian suddenly took a package from his waist, pulled out a bloody human head, held it high above his head, and then threw it forcefully toward the Han army.

"It's Chen Feng, the Commandant of the Ministry of Revenue!" Zhou Xie took the severed head, examined it, and reported to Liu Xian. Chen Feng was a general in the Huainan Army, specifically in charge of logistics and transportation. However, he was not with Liu Xian at this time. It seems that he panicked during the Qi army's night attack and did not know where to escape, so he was beheaded by the Qi army as a warning.

Liu Xian remained calm, clutching his chest and avoiding looking at the severed head. He addressed the crowd, saying, "Chen Duzhi sacrificed himself for the country; we must avenge him." He added, "I have fought battles far more dangerous than today's; this is nothing." Just then, he saw a contingent of Qi soldiers advancing, preparing to attack the Han army. Liu Xian took a deep breath and said to the crowd, "But today, I have no other support; I entrust my life to you all."

These words calmed the slightly restless crowd. Li Xiu, now dressed in military attire and holding a long sword, addressed the crowd in a tone that was both firm and gentle: "Gentlemen, I, your humble servant, am willing to be the vanguard in the fight against the enemy." The fact that even a woman was willing to go to the front lines to fight the enemy made the others feel even more ashamed, and they all made a show of fighting to the end.

In the blink of an eye, the Qi army had already unleashed the first volley of arrows. They split into two groups and fired arrows at the left and right flanks of the Han army. These men were indeed carefully selected brave warriors by the Qi army, and almost every one of them could fire arrows in rapid succession. Although the number of advancing men was about the same as that of the Han army, the rain of arrows flew like locusts, suppressing the Han army that was lined up and defending.

The Han army's front ranks were now clad in iron armor and wore iron helmets to protect against arrows. Facing suppression, they also retaliated with bows and arrows, but in the darkness, it was only a matter of momentum; the arrows from both sides shot into the darkness, making it difficult to judge their impact. After two volleys of arrows, the open ground on both sides was filled with a dense array of arrows, yet very few men on either side were killed.

At first glance, it seemed the Qi army intended to wear down the Han army's morale and deplete their arrows on both flanks before engaging in close combat without any worries about their rear. However, Liu Xian understood that this tactic was merely a feint. The Qi general's true intention was to force the Han army to adjust their formation and launch an attack while they still had ample arrows.

At times like these, formation becomes paramount. Therefore, no matter how many arrows the Qi army fired, Liu Xian remained unmoved, ordering his troops to fire as few arrows as possible. Since the emperor remained unmoved, the soldiers continued their defense amidst the rain of arrows. Sure enough, seeing the Han army's counterattack weaken, the Qi army not only refrained from continuing to fire arrows but also from a frontal assault. Instead, they attempted a flanking maneuver from both sides of the sandbar. The Qi army, equipped with ships, sent a small boat to try and circle around to the Han army's rear, hoping to land there. However, the area was covered in reeds, water plants, and unfrozen, wet mud. Whenever the Qi soldiers tried to set foot there, they immediately startled the gulls and egrets in the reeds. The gulls and egrets took flight but refused to leave, cawing incessantly, perhaps because there were fledglings among them. After a few steps, the Qi soldiers realized they could barely move, becoming easy targets for the Han army, and had no choice but to abandon their attempt and return.

Thus, all of the Qi people's attempts outside of direct combat failed, and they had no other options. Only now did they launch a fierce attack. The Qi people drew their swords, let out thunderous roars, and charged towards the Han army on both flanks. They did not carry many warhorses, but they acted like cavalry, ignoring the Han soldiers' lines and relentlessly charging inward. Their only target was the Southern Han emperor, who was surrounded by his men in the center of the army.

The Han army naturally understood their purpose, and thus did their utmost to stop the Qi people from advancing. A whirlpool-like reaction immediately arose within the ranks, with men entangled and writhing like snakes, creating even more whirlpools. Countless whirlpools intertwined and collided, indistinguishable from one another. One can imagine that the soldiers caught in the middle were not fighting a normal battle; tactics and composure were completely disregarded, and the carnage resembled a pack of wild beasts tearing each other apart.

This fierce fighting not only drove the soldiers on both sides of Cai Island into a frenzy, but also affected the morale of the two armies on Stone Mountain. The moment the fires broke out at the camps on Cai Island, the main force of the Han army, which had been gradually gaining control of the situation, was thrown into turmoil. They finally understood the Qi army's intention in launching a second attack, and panic spread through the Han army almost instantly. Everyone knew that Cai Island's defenses were currently weak, and the emperor was ill. The political catastrophe that would result from the emperor's assassination far exceeded the significance of the battle itself.

In this situation, the Qi people, who had been exhausted, were greatly encouraged. Both the Qi troops in front of Stone Mountain and the naval forces exchanging fire on the river launched a new, overwhelming offensive. Meanwhile, the Han army, due to wavering morale, began to show signs of disarray and collapse. Specifically, the Han troops on Qingliang Mountain began to retreat gradually, and small boats of the naval forces on the river attempted to break away from their ranks.

At this moment, Wang Dun, as the commander-in-chief, was trying his best to restore order. On the one hand, he issued military orders for a counterattack, and on the other hand, he ordered his confidants to supervise the execution of those soldiers who disobeyed orders. But at the same time, he was also very clear that the current situation was extremely bad: even if he stabilized the formation, it would be difficult to send troops to support Cai Zhou. In that case, how could Liu Xian survive?

Du Zeng, who had been silent for a long time, was now overjoyed. Throughout the battle, he had been in the navy, caught up with the various armies, and had no chance to defect. Now, if the Han army's formation showed a few more flaws, he could seize the opportunity to lead his troops to launch a surprise attack on the Han army's command center, causing the entire Han army to collapse.

But Du Zeng didn't have time to act, because the chaos didn't last long. Keen observers soon noticed that on the west bank of Caizhou, the emperor lit bonfires and re-erected his banners and flags there. Especially the banner proclaiming "Han and traitors cannot coexist," a three-zhang-long flag that looked like a grain of rice from afar, yet its meaning was clear: the emperor was showing his troops that he was not only safe but would also find ways to defend against the attacking Qi army.

This restored the confidence of the main Han army. Memories of the emperor's past deeds flooded their minds, further boosting their courage. Today, the emperor was no longer just a person, but a part of history, and history itself was enough to give people new beliefs and strength. Under the moonlight, the Han army's lines quickly stabilized, especially the navy on the river, which, despite having previously shown gaps, now formed a continuous line, like an impregnable fortress.

However, this was not enough to change the course of the battle. Even with the Han army's extraordinary performance, the disparity in troop strength remained too great. Since the Qi army had chosen a full-scale war, after a full day of fierce fighting, the Han army had only managed to even the score, bringing the two sides back to a level playing field. This meant that the main force of the Han army was sufficient for defense, but not enough to reverse the offensive. The two armies were now in a delicate balance; any new change could easily alter this balance and completely tip the tide in the other direction.

Currently, both the Han and Qi armies still have a fresh force remaining: Zhou Qi's Han army inside the palace city, and Wang Yan's Qi army guarding the palace city. Both sides have been holding back, waiting for a decisive opportunity. With repeated and significant fluctuations on the battlefield, both sides realized that it was probably time for their side to enter the fray.

Unlike the Han army on Stone Mountain, the Han troops inside the city walls couldn't monitor the entire battlefield. They could only observe the Qi forces' movements from watchtowers, vaguely judging which side the tide was in. In fact, during the battle, several Han soldiers inside the city walls requested to leave and join the fight, but Zhou Qi suppressed these requests. Zhou Qi's reasoning was simple: the time wasn't right.

He said to everyone, "Our army is located deep within the enemy's territory. We are an extraordinary force. Once we are mobilized, we must achieve great feats. We must not lose sight of the bigger picture and waste this opportunity."

Unexpectedly, this wait stretched from morning until afternoon, from day to night. Although Zhou Qi was unaware of what had transpired on Cai Zhou, he had been observing the deployment at the Zhongshan camp in the distance. He saw wave after wave of troops advancing down from there, rushing towards the battle lines at Shitou Mountain. However, the troops withdrawing from Shitou Mountain remained near Taicheng and did not return to the Zhongshan camp, which gave him a thought.

At this point, the battle in Jianye intensified, but the Zhongshan camp stopped sending out any troops. He finally made up his mind: the Zhongshan camp was completely empty and there were hardly any troops left.

He then summoned Liu Lang, the Prince of Longxi, and said to him, "Your Highness, the moment of decisive victory has finally arrived. Nine days ago, you were invincible on the battlefield, making the Qi people tremble with fear and fall silent. Now that the two armies are locked in a stalemate, it is the perfect opportunity for you to rush straight to Zhongshan and make unparalleled contributions!"

Liu Lang then understood Zhou Qi's intention. He was first taken aback, then hesitated slightly, because he was not familiar with the terrain of Zhongshan and did not know what Wang Mi looked like. It was dark today, and if he launched an attack on the mountain, he might not be able to capture or kill Wang Mi.

Zhou Qi, knowing his doubts, explained, "Whether or not you personally killed Wang Mi is not important. As long as Zhongshan is in chaos, we can make him die or live at will. At that time, the Qi army will be thrown into chaos. When you then charge down from Zhongshan, it will be like a sledgehammer breaking a tile. How can you be afraid that the Qi army will not be defeated? I will hold off the pursuers behind you!"

"Good!" Liu Lang finally understood. He mounted the Crimson Dragon Steed and swore an oath to the crowd: "They say the men of Hedong are as strong as iron, cutting down bandits and enemies as easily as mowing grass. I suffered an arrow wound at the bridge the other day, and now it's time to repay him!"

The city gates of Taicheng were opened wide, and all the Han troops poured out, leaving no defenders inside. Without the sound of bugles or horns, the Han soldiers filed out from the west and north gates, their unwavering determination for victory raising clouds of dust that swept across the land like raging waves, marking the end of the battle. (End of Chapter)