Chapter 149: Corpses Strewn Across the Field (Dedicated to 'Rain Sister who beats Sir Dybala' - Extra 3)

The camps of the hundred-thousand-strong army were divided into several sectors, stretching endlessly beyond the horizon.

Courier cavalry galloped back and forth between the camps; they had to move swiftly, or they would delay crucial military orders.

At the central command tent.

Lin Ya sat down, reached behind to pat his slightly aching back from long hours in the saddle, and raised his head to ask, "How is the enemy situation?"

A general replied, "Over the past few days, the scouts on both sides have clashed, resulting in casualties on both."

"What is the morale of the Tang army?"

"Eager for battle."

Lin Ya fell silent.

The interior of the tent was somewhat dim. Outside, the sound of chaotic footsteps and various noises could be heard.

Lin Ya narrowed his eyes, unsure whether he was dozing or deep in thought.

The others were also weary, most of them distracted, while some pondered the impending battle.

Lin Ya opened his eyes. "With the decisive battle imminent, we have no word on when the reinforcements from Ningxing will arrive."

These were all his trusted confidants. One of them spoke up, "The Right Chancellor, I fear he may not send reinforcements at all."

Lin Ya said, "He should. Go back and tell the soldiers: in this battle, we have one hundred thousand against eighty thousand, and we still have reinforcements. We are bound to win!"

"Understood!"

"Go."

The men saluted and withdrew.

In an instant, only Xiao Yingshan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, remained in the tent.

Xiao Yingshan walked over to the door curtain, peeked outside, and seeing no one, turned back.

He lowered his voice and said, "Right Chancellor, Helian Feng is a man of profound and hidden depths. Whether he will send reinforcements, whom he will send, and whether he will stand by or provide support—your subordinate believes it is hard to say."

Lin Ya looked at him with an appreciative gaze. "Helian Feng cares about the state, about his imperial throne. At the end of last year, someone attempted a rebellion, and heads rolled in the streets of Ningxing. Though it seemed to have been quelled, everyone knows those people are merely bowing their heads for the moment, waiting for a chance to stab him in the back.

"Ever since the founding of the Great Liao, imperial succession has never been peaceful. The founding emperor appointed a crown prince, yet made his second son the Grand Marshal of the Realm's Armies, which sowed the seeds of disaster. Ever since, the imperial princes have all been eyeing that position, and some even euphemistically call it 'tempering.'" Xiao Yingshan sneered.

"Whether it's tempering or not is debatable, but the fatal part is that during every imperial succession, the factions of those princes fight each other, each serving their own master. Afterward, these people hide within the court and across the provinces, yet the hatred has been sown. In the long run, this is tearing the Great Liao apart."

"Indeed, the Right Chancellor is profoundly wise."

"It is not profound wisdom; this was the view of the late emperor. That is why he suppressed the other princes and allowed Helian Feng's power and authority to swell, so that he could keep the Great Liao under control."

"Right Chancellor, with countless individuals of malicious intent hidden within Ningxing, would Helian Feng dare to send a large army to reinforce us?"

"Earlier, I said he would, but that was merely to steady the men's hearts. In truth, I have no certainty of it either. However, with one hundred thousand against eighty thousand, even without reinforcements, could I possibly lose to Huang Chunhui?"

"The Right Chancellor is a master of military strategy, naturally you will not."

Lin Ya's spirit suddenly rose. "Huang Chunhui is an old fox—cunning. His strategy of refusing to engage in battle over the past few years has been quite clever. Yet cleverness has its flaws. An army needs to taste blood, needs to kill, needs to drive the morale of the soldiers... But the Tang army has holed up in the city for years; how can they compare to the brave warriors of our Great Liao? This battle, we shall surely win!"

***

Deep in the night, Yang Xuan lay in his tent, unable to sleep.

In his mind, thoughts shifted constantly: speculations about the grand battle, the great cause of restoring the dynasty, and various faces of people he knew.

With so much racing through his mind, his whole body grew restless.

Yang Xuan quietly got up and stood outside the tent to catch the breeze.

"Lord."

Nan He was not asleep either.

"Can't sleep?"

"Yes."

The two stood together while the cold night wind blew past, speaking in low voices.

"Is the lord worried about the battle?"

"Not really worried. More like looking forward to it."

"Rest assured, Lord, Commander Huang is a seasoned general, steady and capable in command."

The two chatted for a long time until their emotions settled, and only then did they return to their respective beds to sleep.

Young people always felt they hadn't slept enough. In the past, if Yang Xuan didn't get enough sleep, he would be displeased, but when he was woken up the next morning, it felt as though he had never slept at all, and his energy surged instantly.

Lao Ze looked somewhat listless, likely having slept poorly through the night.

Only Wang Laoer remained full of vigor; no grand battle could ever affect his sleep.

Eat when it's time to eat, drink when it's time to drink—that was the way to live.

Breakfast was very lavish.

Everyone even received a piece of meat.

The piece of meat in Yang Xuan's bowl was quite fatty; with a single bite, the oil oozed out. He quickly took a bite of flatbread to catch the grease, then washed it down with a sip of vegetable soup.

Having finished breakfast amidst the morning glow, Liu Qing sent someone over.

"Form up!"

The Taiping Army formed up.

The Chenzhou Army formed up.

The entire Northern Frontier Army was forming up.

The boundless army completed its formation, neat and orderly.

Huang Chunhui appeared.

He mounted his horse and slowly rode along the passageway to the front of the formation.

A streak of purple appeared on the horizon, casting a purple hue over the array.

Every single soldier wore a solemn expression.

Everyone knew one thing.

The Commander did not intend to give the enemy a moment to breathe; they would launch the decisive battle today.

Huang Chunhui's voice rang out.

"Advance!"

Someone galloped over, shouting at the top of their lungs, "Advance!"

The Left Yuwei Army marched out of the camp first, followed by the Right Yuwei Army...

Squadron after squadron of soldiers marched out of the camp.

The morning wind was biting, snapping the great banners loudly.

"The Tang army has left the camp."

Lin Ya had just finished breakfast when a scout hurried over to deliver the report.

Xiao Yingshan smiled and said, "Is Huang Chunhui refusing to give our army even a moment to breathe?"

"Our army can avoid battle and let them hurl insults to their hearts' content."

The officers spoke all at once, each offering their own opinion.

Lin Ya took a sip of hot water and said, "Order the soldiers to prepare. We will meet them in battle!"

"Right Chancellor!"

The men looked at Lin Ya, thoroughly bewildered.

Lin Ya stood up, and an attendant handed him a long saber. As he hooked the saber to his waist, he said, "The Tang army has not fought a major battle in years. If our army avoids combat, the morale of the Tang army will soar."

He took the lead and walked out of the command tent.

"Huang Chunhui is an old fox. You all underestimated him."

The blare of buffalo-horn horns echoed across the camp, driving the otherwise idle soldiers out of their quarters.

Lin Ya rode to the front, followed by a throng of generals.

"A battle like this requires meticulous preparation. The slightest flaw could lead to defeat."

"I want to drive Helian Feng from power, but I have no desire to inherit a ruined Great Liao. Therefore, today's battle must be won!"

The army set out.

Scouts continually sallied forth and constantly brought back reports.

"The enemy has moved out."

Huang Chunhui nodded. "Before a battle, morale must be accumulated. If Lin Ya avoids fighting, morale will shift in favor of the Great Tang. The fact that he has sallied forth shows he understands my intentions completely."

Liao Jin stayed close by his side, watching the black dots appearing in the distance, knowing them to be enemy scouts.

At this moment, both sides were fully aware of each other's situation, yet the scouts fought so desperately—all for a single purpose...

Morale!

To seize the initiative!

"Commander, the Left Yuwei Army has sent men to provide support."

A hundred-odd cavalrymen from the Left Yuwei Army charged out of their main array, heading straight for those scouts.

Everyone assumed this was a reinforcement action.

Yet those hundred-odd cavalrymen charged forward with unstoppable momentum directly toward the enemy scouts.

After routing one group of scouts, they would dismount and rummage for something.

After routing another group, they did the exact same thing.

They charged forward tirelessly.

Until the earth trembled.

"Fall back!"

The main enemy force had arrived.

Huang Chunhui praised, "Whose subordinates are those?"

"Go and ask."

Before a battle, morale needed to be boosted, and that group was the textbook example.

Someone went to inquire.

"Commander, it is the Chenzhou Taiping Army."

"The Taiping Army... That young man, I presume."

"The Commander has a sharp memory."

"Quite interesting."

They found it interesting, but Liu Qing felt like dying.

"Pay up."

Wang Laoer returned with a pile of severed heads, holding out his hand and looking expectantly at Liu Qing.

"We'll settle accounts together later."

Liu Qing felt that offering bounties had been a grave mistake.

The enemy had arrived.

The central army halted its advance while the two wings deployed.

Scouts constantly swept toward the flanks to check whether the enemy had dispatched troops to outflank them.

"Right Chancellor, the enemy has no flanking force."

The frontal force is the orthodox formation; all else is the unorthodox.

Combining the orthodox and the unorthodox is the mark of a great general.

Yet today, neither commander had arranged any flanking forces.

"This is going to be a head-on, honorable clash."

Huang Chunhui reined in his horse beneath the great banner. As the morning wind blew, his throat tickled, and he could not help but cough.

"The enemy is moving."

On the enemy's left wing, over ten thousand cavalrymen sortied.

"Charge!"

The enemy gradually picked up speed.

"Hold the line!"

Someone shouted within the arrays on both flanks.

"Loose arrows!"

A few crossbow bolts flew out, landing ahead of the ranks.

Archers also drew their bows, launching arrows into the ground before them.

This was how they judged the range.

The enemy's speed steadily increased.

"Crossbows!"

The general stared at those few crossbow bolts. As the first Northern Liao cavalryman galloped past, he raised his hand and roared, "Loose!"

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

The dense sound of crossbow mechanisms being triggered was dull, followed by a dark cloud rising into the sky.

"Bloody hell!"

Lao Ze looked up at the dark cloud soaring into the sky from the right wing, sighing enviously, "If only we had a crossbow array like that?"

The dark cloud descended, and a massive gap instantly appeared amidst the enemy cavalry, who had already reached full gallop.

The gap was immediately filled.

"These are not the Three Great Tribes," Nan He said in a deep voice. "These are the Northern Liao Iron Cavalry!"

In the right-wing array, another dark cloud of arrows took flight.

"Archers!"

Squadron after squadron of archers moved along the passageways to the front.

They drew their bows and nocked their arrows.

As the enemy cavalry charged past those reference arrows—

"Loose!"

A wave of arrow rain blanketed the area, and the archers withdrew along the passageways.

Up ahead.

A general screamed at the top of his lungs, "Brothers!"

Armored pikemen slammed their feet heavily onto the ground in unison.

Boom!

Heaven and earth seemed to tremble in response.

The general raised his saber.

"Fight to the death!"

"Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"

Pikes were leveled, their butt-ends braced against the earth. The pikemen leaned their bodies backward, staring unflinchingly at the oncoming enemy cavalry.

Yang Xuan watched unflinchingly as well.

This was his first experience of a major battle.

His first time witnessing cavalry bravely charging into a dense wall of pikes.

"They've collided!"

Men and horses flew through the air.

Amidst agonizing shrieks, the Tang pikemen were knocked flying.

Yet the succeeding pikemen filled the gaps without the slightest hesitation.

"Kill!"

This was a contest of human lives against cavalry.

Yet they held firm.

The enemy cavalry slowed down, and the two sides descended into a brutal melee. Huang Chunhui shifted his gaze to the center.

Lin Ya was also watching the center.

"Huang Chunhui's main camp is formidable, filled with elite troops he has accumulated over the years. The right wing is attacked, yet the center remains motionless. Is he waiting for me to hit him in the center?"

Lin Ya likewise ignored the melee on the left wing.

Xiao Yingshan was observing closely.

"Right Chancellor, the Tang army's strength is not to be underestimated."

"Indeed. It seems Huang Chunhui's years holed up in the city weren't spent in retirement; he, too, has been training troops and waiting for his moment."

Lin Ya pointed his riding crop toward his own left wing. "Since he remains immovable as a mountain, I shall test his nerve. Reinforce the left wing."

Over ten thousand cavalrymen sortied from the left wing.

Horns blew long and mournful notes.

Hearing the signal, the Northern Liao cavalry currently locked in melee began to withdraw.

Just as the Tang army felt the pressure ease, the general roared, "Be on guard!"

The second wave was coming.

"Loose arrows!"

Crossbow bolts took to the air, but it was too hasty—only a single volley.

"Prepare..."

The general shouted.

The impact struck once more.

Corpses littered the field ahead.

A detachment of enemy troops broke through the formation, but just as they began to cheer, they were driven back out.

The soldiers of both sides continued to hack and slaughter one another.

"Still not moving?"

Lin Ya observed intently.

Huang Chunhui still did not move.

On the right wing, a Tang general led a dozen men to drive the enemy out of the main array, only to be subjected to wave after wave of charges by a dozen enemy horsemen.

A horse-lance flashed swiftly, unseating enemy riders one by one.

More than a dozen men actually proved no match for a single warrior, and the Tang soldiers burst into cheers.

Suddenly, a storm of arrows poured down from behind.

The general took three arrows to the body, and the enemy charged once more.

As this wave of charges ended—

The general stood leaning on his horse-lance, gazing straight ahead.

Someone behind him shouted, "Deputy Commander Wang, get back!"

The general didn't budge an inch!

Until he was struck and knocked flying by an enemy horseman.

"Commander, Deputy Commander Wang has fallen for the country."

Huang Chunhui's expression remained calm.

In the Northern Liao center, Lin Ya smiled. "He still won't move? To the left wing!"

He would reinforce the left wing once again.

Until Huang Chunhui's main central force was forced to move.

The moment the Tang army's center stirred, the entire strategic situation would spring to life.

"The Tang army is moving!"

Someone shouted.

Lin Ya raised his gaze and saw the great banner of the Tang central army fluttering.

"Order the left wing to charge!"

The Chenzhou Army was also on the left wing. Liu Qing roared, "Orders received!"

The great banners of the various units on the left wing fluttered in response.

This was the acknowledgment of the command.

Liu Qing shouted at the top of his lungs, "Charge!"

Ten thousand men on the left wing surged forward.

Over three thousand cavalrymen led the charge—these were the cavalry of the Northern Frontier Army.

The Chenzhou Army followed closely behind, the Taiping Army flanked to the side, and most eye-catching of all were three hundred cavalrymen who had dismounted to lead their horses by the reins, their saddles laden with various bundles.

The three thousand cavalrymen charged straight in, braving the enemy's arrow storm.

The Chenzhou Army followed right behind them.

Liu Qing felt their strength was somewhat thin and asked, "Where is the Taiping Army?"

"In the back!" Zhang Lichen cursed, "That dog-eat-dog Yang Xuan is pulling a sneak attack!"

Liu Qing looked back and saw that Yang Xuan had halted the Taiping Army right behind the Chenzhou Army, three hundred crossbowmen gleefully raising their crossbows.

"Loose!"

The enemy formation took the hit, feeling as though it were nothing much.

"Loose!"

The second wave of crossbow bolts arrived.

It felt like a flea bite; knowing it wouldn't cause severe damage, it was profoundly irritating nonetheless.

"Hold steady!"

The enemy general shouted.

"Loose!"

At this moment, both sides were locked in fierce combat, yet those three hundred crossbows just kept relentlessly harassing them.

The enemy general finally snapped. "Kill those bastards!"

A squad of cavalry tried to charge out, but their path was blocked.

As the melee raged, enemy soldiers broke through the fray one after another, only to be riddled with arrows and slain by dense volleys right before the Taiping Army's formation.

This was known as death by a thousand cuts.

It didn't hurt much instantly, but it drove you mad with frustration.

A thousand enemy troops finally smashed through the blockade and lunged forward viciously.

Yang Xuan shouted, "Commissioner, the opportunity has come!"

Liu Qing looked back and saw the Taiping Army turning tail and fleeing, making him want to commit murder.

"What? Commissioner, what are they doing?"

While running, the Taiping Army was scattering something across the ground.

Having run barely dozens of paces, the Taiping Army halted and spun around.

"Crossbows..."

The enemy pursued frantically.

Suddenly, a horse stumbled, its rider shrieking as he was pitched out of the saddle.

Then more horses let out shrill whinnies and collapsed.

What was this?

Before the enemy could figure it out, the rain of arrows descended.

The opportunity had arrived!

Liu Qing was ecstatic and roared, "Charge!"

Enemy horses continued to collapse one after another. Some riders who survived the fall picked up the culprits behind it, crying out in grief and indignation, "It's iron spikes!"

No.

It was iron caltrops!

With a pincer movement from the Chenzhou and Taiping armies, the remaining five hundred men of that enemy detachment fled back in disarray.

"Well fought!"

Huang Chunhui saw the fruits of victory on the left wing.

"You play your game, and I'll play mine?"

Lin Ya saw it too.

He sneered, "Reinforce the left wing. I'm going to make Huang Chunhui hurt!"