Chapter 137: When Paths Cross, the Valiant Prevails

In the distance, dust billowed into the air. Huang Ping asked his guard with some surprise, "How many men are coming? A thousand or two?"
The guard replied with the confident tone of a seasoned expert, "Four to five thousand."
"Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"Only fewer, not more."
A groan tinged with fear squeezed out of Huang Ping's throat. "Who can win?"
Veins bulged on the back of the guard's hand as he gripped the hilt of his saber, his voice softening somewhat, "Let's hope it's us."
So there's no hope?
Huang Ping's legs trembled slightly.
"Peace, this really is peace indeed!"
His gaze shifted, and he saw a minor official standing to his right, looking so composed that one would think he was just admiring the scenery.
Yet, were his legs shaking?
Huang Ping felt he had found a comrade, but in the blink of an eye, he noticed the official's legs had stopped shaking.
"Zhenwen, catch."
The official caught a long spear thrown by someone else, weighed it a few times, and said, "Today, we shall let it drink its fill of the enemy's warm blood!"
What a fierce and heroic man!
"Why isn't he moving?" Prince Wei said coldly. "Right now is the time to spur the horses and charge the enemy's formation, crushing their vanguard's sharpness."
Yang Xuan had not moved; he was looking into the distance.
The dust continued to approach.
Someone near Nan He was estimating the distance.
"Three hundred paces... a little over three hundred, perhaps."
A middle-aged soldier was sweating profusely, evidently somewhat nervous and lacking in confidence.
Nan He let out a light hum, "How much?"
The middle-aged soldier took a deep breath, "Seems like over three hundred..."
This man is unreliable!
The old veteran muttered softly, "That man is called Shi Tan, also a tomb raider. In our line of work, ranging is supposed to be dead-on. It's just that the little fellow has trouble seeing things at a distance... so he had Shi Tan do the ranging."
Damn it all.
A grave robber after all!
Yet the effective range of a crossbow was a hundred and fifty paces.
If the ranging was inaccurate and too early, the crossbow bolts would fall short, boosting the enemy's morale while plunging their own into the abyss.
If too late, the bolts would land far behind the enemy, which would be utterly laughable!
Fury surged on Nan He's face; he felt like killing someone.
Seeing Shi Tan covered in sweat, the old veteran sighed, "Not enough experience, still needs practice."
He tried his best to lift his head and squint from horseback, but damn it, the sunlight ahead was a bit blinding, and his aged eyes couldn't see clearly!
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Yang Xuan extending his right arm forward, holding his thumb up vertically, and squinting...
Then, he alternately opened and closed his left and right eyes.
He spoke.
"Two hundred paces!"
Nan He and the grave robber Shi Tan were startled, turning in unison to look at Yang Xuan.
"My Lord!"
Warhorses galloped past.
Yang Xuan crossed and blinked his eyes once more.
"One hundred and eighty paces!"
Nan He stood dumbfounded.
"One hundred and sixty paces!"
Yang Xuan raised his hand.
And swung it down fiercely!
Atop the city wall, Prince Wei looked at the murderer of his brother-in-law and said coldly, "I didn't see anything else, but I saw him sticking his hand into every little detail."
The guard beside him hurriedly offered flattery, "The range-finders in the army are all veterans of many years who do nothing else but study the art of distance estimation. This Prefect Yang's approach... is somewhat reckless."
Heh!
The guard smiled silently.
"Release arrows!"
Yang Xuan's shout echoed.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
The dense sound of crossbow triggers snapping echoed back-to-back.
A black cloud rose into the air.
And plunged straight ahead.
The eyes of those on the city wall tracked it...
The eyes of Nan He and the others tracked it as well.
If this volley missed, morale would vanish entirely.
The black cloud drifted across.
And plummeted downward.
It was like a flower blooming amidst the dense formation.
A bloody flower!
And it bloomed right in the center.
The warhorses pierced by arrows tumbled over violently, the riders on their backs screaming, immediately followed by the dense sound of various bones snapping.
Everyone looked at Yang Xuan in unison.
How could the Prefect's range-finding be this precise?
Shi Tan felt a mix of shame and admiration, the two emotions intertwining to alter the expression on his face. Then he shouted, "This humble servant is willing to take the Prefect as my master!"
Nan He kicked him and cursed, "In your dreams!" Yet he himself was dumbfounded, thinking to himself that his many years in the military were wasted, as he actually fell short of the lord.
"Screech!"
The crossbows were drawn once more.
This time, without waiting for Yang Xuan's command, Zhao Youcai shouted, "Release arrows!"
The second wave of crossbow bolts flew forth.
"Archers!"
Long-range had crossbows; close-range relied on longbows.
The enemy's morale plummeted under the dual wave of crossbow strikes.
On the city wall, seeing the enemy dismounting to form a battle array, the chill in Prince Wei's eyes dissipated somewhat.
Huang Ping glanced at the guard and said, "Your Highness, the slaughter is about to begin."
Although Prince Wei possessed remarkable cultivation, he had never participated in actual combat. At this moment, his breath came heavily, and he wished he could spur his horse into the charge.
"They're coming." Prince Wei narrowed his eyes at the enemy forces preparing to charge ahead. "It's time for the long spears."
He stared fixedly at the two opposing sides.
The guard beside him offered instruction, "At a time like this, what's needed is courage. Whichever side has more courage can remain more composed. Composure allows one to execute... Here they come!"
Crash!
Following countless sounds of impact, screams erupted.
Those enemy soldiers impaled by the long spears did not die instantly, wailing miserably where they lay.
"Well done!" Prince Wei slapped the top of the city wall and turned to head down.
Two guards hurriedly grabbed him, "Your Highness, you cannot!"
Prince Wang glared, "Get lost!"
"It's starting, Your Highness!" Huang Ping found another way out, shouting, "The enemy is preparing to retreat."

After just a single engagement, the enemy commander decisively pulled his men back.
Several enemy generals were in discussion.
"The Khan said to capture Taiping, but for now, it seems very difficult."
"There are still hundreds of Taiping soldiers on the city wall."
"The Khan said that if the city cannot be taken, we must ruin their spring plowing."
Huozhuo's flexible strategy allowed several generals to relax inwardly, followed by praises, "The Khan is wise."
"The Khan is wise," the final general concluded in a summary praise, speaking the loudest and wearing the most pious expression.
The commanding general cast a wary glance at this man, deeming him a formidable rival in his official career, and then asked:
"What do you all think we should do?"
"Trample the seedlings with our horses!"
On the side of the Taiping army, everyone was also in discussion.
"My lord, the enemy lacks the heart to fight," Nan He said.
"I can see that."
Yang Xuan replied, "Huozhuo's raid this time does not appear to be aimed at conquering Taiping."
"Your Highness." The guard on the city wall echoed the exact same sentiment. "The enemy lacks the heart to fight, which shows they do not intend to capture Taiping County."
Prince Wei frowned, feeling that this battle was not so simple. "Then where else could they attack?"
The guard racked his brain in vain.
A thought suddenly popped into Huang Ping's head, "Spring plowing!"
Prince Wei let out a soft hum, "What spring plowing?"
As an imperial prince, Prince Wei could be described as extravagantly wealthy beyond compare. Furthermore, imperial princes were forbidden from participating in state affairs, so he had no concept whatsoever of spring plowing.
"Your Highness, spring plowing means sowing crops in the spring so that there will be a harvest later."
During the reign of Emperor Wu, imperial princes still followed him to till the fields every year. By the time of Emperor Li Yuan and his son, their minds were entirely consumed by power and pleasure, and sons had turned into adversaries... farming simply did not exist.
Spring plowing!
What spring plowing?
No farming means no food!
The imperial court gives this prince countless money and grain every year; I don't lack food.
The commoners have no food!
The commoners...
Who are they?
Are they delicious?
Prince Wei nodded, "On the way here, I saw those farmers busy in the fields; this must be the farming. Huozhuo seems intent on ruining this year's spring plowing. With the commoners having no food, the Ministry of Revenue will have a headache again."
The guard glanced at Prince Wei.
Everyone who heard these words glanced at Prince Wei.
At the very least, this fellow wasn't the kind of foolish lord who asked why people didn't eat meat.
That was fortunate!
Under such gazes, Prince Wei felt somewhat irritated and pointed below the city wall, "Go ask! I want to sally forth!"
Huang Ping shrank his neck under that fierce gaze, "Your Highness, this is wartime. Without military orders, we cannot move, otherwise..."
"Can he kill me?" A hint of gloom flickered in Prince Wei's eyes.
That brother-in-law of his!
Letters had already been dispatched to Qianzhou.
He could guess somewhat how the Princess consort would react.
"The enemy is starting to retreat."
The enemy soldiers mounted their horses and formed ranks. Someone shouted across the distance, "We'll make you eat shit next year!"
"They're going to destroy our crops!"
The city wall erupted in uproar.
As a place of exile, compounded by numerous surrounding enemies, Taiping primarily relied on relief from the Ministry of Revenue. Yet the meager grain provided by the Ministry each year was pathetically small, just barely enough to keep everyone from starving to death.
Only through farming could they fill their bellies.
In past years, the detestable horse bandits wreaked havoc, making farming impossible in Taiping.
Yet after two battles last year and this year, which wiped out two major bands of horse bandits, the unprecedentedly favorable environment filled everyone with beautiful dreams of granaries overflowing by autumn.
The horse bandits didn't come.
The Vashe tribe came.
There's just no living this way!
In the ranks, the eyes of the soldiers turned bloodshot.
"Someone wants to smash our rice bowls. What should we do?" Yang Xuan asked.
"Smash them to death!"
"Smash them to death!"
"Smash them to death!"
Prince Wei and the others atop the city wall were startled by the roaring shouts, only to see Yang Xuan raise his hand, "Pursue them, hack them to death!"
"Somewhat like an arrogant young master," Huang Ping stroked his beard.
The guard's expression turned grave, "Your Highness, infantry pursuing cavalry—once the cavalry turns around to charge and kill, the infantry could collapse at any moment."
Prince Wei said in a deep voice, "Keep watch. If things go wrong, prepare the horses; I will kill the enemy!"
"Charge!"
The formation began to trot.
Ranks of soldiers struggled to maintain formation as they gave chase.
The enemy general was overjoyed, "They actually dared to take the initiative and sally forth?"
"Let's attack."
Someone suggested.
"Wait, let them run a bit," the enemy general said shrewdly. "After running for two miles, their feet will surely be sore and numb. That's the time to strike."
Run!
The two sides ran, one ahead of the other.
The enemy had horses, but they didn't run fast, acting much like walking a dog, maintaining a distance neither too far nor too close.
A distance of two miles was neither distant nor near.
"Tell the brothers to spread out a bit," Yang Xuan instructed. "Just like when we first drilled, the more disheveled, the better."
Thus, the Taiping army's formation began to scatter, and the soldiers ran in a stumbling manner.
"The opportunity has come."
The enemy general had been observing the Taiping army's situation; seeing this, he was overjoyed and shouted, "Attack!"
Several thousand enemy cavalry began to circle around.
"Prepare!"
The Taiping army halted.
"Quick, damn it, prepare the crossbows!"
"Archers!"
"Long spears!"
Nan He cursed loudly.
The enemy completed their formation and began to accelerate.
"Scatter the front ranks a bit more," Yang Xuan cursed. "Damn it, walking with chests puffed out like you're courting death! Spread out, let the long spears tilt haphazardly—yes, damn it, looking just like a routed army is right."
Nan He praised, "The lord is planning to catch the enemy off guard."
"Stealing a chicken!" Zhu Que called out cheerfully.
Yang Xuan narrowed his eyes as he watched the oncoming enemy, and said indifferently, "Seeing our chaotic formation, the enemy general naturally wants to use his cavalry to trample and shatter us. Well then, come on."
"Crush them."
The enemy general shouted.
Several thousand cavalry surged forward in a disheveled wave.
"Only one volley for the crossbows," Yang Xuan instructed calmly. "A quick volley for the archers, then... counterattack. Today, I am going to tell Huozhuo that if he wants a hard clash, he better be ready to suffer!"
"Release arrows!" Not until the enemy entered within a hundred paces did the crossbows fire.
The enemy general believed this was simply the reaction of a Taiping army that had fallen apart during the run.
"Quick!"
He led his thousands of cavalry charging straight forward.
A single volley of arrows.
The enemy drew closer.
From within the lethargic Taiping ranks, a sudden, explosive roar erupted.
"Pierce them to death!"
Yang Xuan raised his hand.
"Kidney strike!" Zhu Que yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Charge!"
Ranks of formations suddenly raised their long spears.
The sharp spearheads caused the warhorses to instinctively slow down and halt.
Whinny!
The warhorses let out continuous cries.
"Kill the enemy!"
Yang Xuan waved his hand.
Ranks of soldiers trotted forward with lowered spears.
The enemies, who were currently wrestling with their own panicked mounts, were dumbfounded.
The enemy general shouted, "Quick, charge through!"
His only option was to grit his teeth and push forward, or else face certain death.
The distance between the two sides was far too close!
"Kill!"
Ranks of long spears thrust outward, knocking those enemies right off their saddles.
Upon being pierced by the long spears, the warhorses leaped about frantically or crashed to the ground.
And were immediately stabbed to death.
"Kill!"
The formations advanced steadily in neat rows.
The enemy general screamed, "Dismount, smash them to death!"
At this point, only close-quarters melee could resolve the issue.
The enemy soldiers dismounted in chaos and lunged forward.
Atop the city wall, Huang Ping cried out in alarm, "Hand-to-hand combat is starting. Can the Taiping army hold?"
Prince Wei pressed both hands heavily onto the city wall, his fingers digging into the rammed earth.
Beside him, Zhenwen said indifferently, "My Taiping army is ever-victorious!"
For this man to speak with such confidence and composure, he must surely be a ferocious and valiant warrior.
Prince Wei's men cast sideways glances at him.
Cao Ying said calmly, "The lord directs with absolute composure, and today he will surely strike terror into the enemy's heart!"
Prince Wei looked coldly at these men and gripped the hilt of his saber.
Then he looked ahead.
He was searching for Yang Xuan!
The enemy was charging forward frantically.
In those pairs of eyes filled with wildness and brutality, at this moment, only bloodlust gleamed.
"Kill all the Tang people and seize everything we lay our eyes on!"
The steppe nomads came and went as they pleased. Whenever they lacked goods, they raided the Central Plains; whenever they lacked women, they raided the Central Plains; whenever they... felt like it, they raided the Central Plains...
Yang Xuan raised his hand from the rear, "Today, let the enemy witness the sharpness of us Tang men! Pass down the order: Full army, assault!"
The flagbearer behind him waved the great banner frantically.
Someone shouted hoarsely, "The Prefect has given an order!"
Everyone strained their ears to listen!
"Full army, assault!"
The soldiers turned their heads back to look.
Their Prefect raised his horizontal saber high, his bright eyes staring intently at the enemy, and then pointed the saber forward.
"Assault!"
Amidst cheers, the Taiping army began to run.
Those enemy soldiers were stunned.
Immediately, long spears thrust outward in dense ranks.
"This is a battle of courage!" Yang Xuan said indifferently. "Courage lies with the men of our Tang. Sound the signal!"
Three soldiers behind him blew their horns.
Woo-woo-woo...
Woo-woo-woo...
Woo-woo-woo...
Ahead, the enemy was thoroughly dazed by this sudden assault.
The enemy general was desperately trying to boost morale, but a single thought kept lingering in his mind.
He had jogged the Taiping army for two miles at a decent speed, so how on earth did these beasts still have the stamina to sprint?!
This was impossible!
He hadn't witnessed the daily training routines of the Taiping army.
He hadn't seen the scenes of those soldiers running until they vomited, only to be beaten with clubs and forced to run again.
"Oh no, they're collapsing."
This kind of close-quarters combat relied entirely on courage.
As the saying goes: when narrow roads meet, the courageous win!
The courage of the Taiping army was indomitable!
While the enemy's morale, shattered by two waves of attacks, was already on the verge of collapse.
"We're defeated!"
Swept along by the rout, the enemy general turned tail and fled.
Everyone mounted their horses and ran.
Ranks of routed soldiers behind them were stabbed down from their horses.
Someone looked up and shrieked in terror.
"It's the Tang army!"
Right ahead, three hundred Taiping cavalry, led by a general dual-wielding broadaxes, were charging at full speed.
Prince Wei descended from the city wall and galloped over with dozens of cavalrymen.
He saw Yang Xuan leading dozens of horsemen charging forward.
Those Taiping soldiers were clearing a path on either side.
While cheering and waving their arms at Yang Xuan.
"Ten thousand victories!"