Chapter 150: Black-Armored Cavalry

The continuous offensive of the Left Wing Tang army raged on, and the Chenzhou army launched their assault as the third wave.
"Second!"
Yang Xuan shouted, "Old Second and Old Thief, follow me, Nan He will command."
He prepared to charge into battle himself.
Nan He’s face turned ashen. "My Lord, let me lead the charge."
"If I do not charge, where will the men find their morale?" Yang Xuan drew his horizontal saber.
Ahead, blood flowed like a river.
Liu Qing shouted, "Attack!"
His hair and beard were completely white. He had wanted to charge himself, but was held back by two soldiers. Zhang Lichun said, "Excellency can simply watch the brave lads slaughter the enemy."
"I am not yet old! I can still kill the enemy!"
Liu Qing roared.
His gaze shifted, and he saw Yang Xuan rushing forward.
"The little brat! Someone called him cowardly earlier—what utter nonsense! Look, isn't he going right up? Ah! Be careful!"
Yang Xuan led his men charging forward.
Ahead, the enemy forces had just concluded a wave of defense. Seeing the Chenzhou army approaching, their commander bellowed,
"Counterattack!"
Northern Liao lacked the stern and orderly formations of Tang; they were far more accustomed to attacking than defending.
Thus, even when defending, they preferred to employ counter-assaults.
Yang Xuan slammed straight into them.
Charging at the vanguard, with Wang Old Second on his left and Old Thief on his right, the three of them churned up a bloody storm within the enemy ranks.
Lin Da followed behind. This was his first time charging against such a formidable enemy.
His hands remained steady, but the battlefield was far too chaotic.
His ears were filled entirely with battle cries—some from his own side, some from the enemy.
The ceaseless sounds of agonizing screams and the piercing whinnies of warhorses were enough to shatter one's nerves.
Lin Da raised his head, looking blankly ahead.
"Kill!"
Diao She swung his axe, continually pushing forward on the left flank.
Yet more and more enemy soldiers surged over.
Terrifying!
The ferocity of the enemy was far beyond anything the Washe tribe could compare to.
Panic fluttered in Lin Da's heart.
Comrades continually surged up from behind.
Ahead, Zhao Youcai turned and shouted, "Form ranks!"
Several comrades rushed over and stood in a single line.
Fighting alone was a dead end.
Only cooperation!
These were Yang Xuan’s words.
Obey orders!
Obey orders!
Just obey the damn orders!
Lin Da instinctively walked over and stood alongside them.
Zhao Youcai shouted, "Shoulder to shoulder!"
"Shoulder to shoulder!"
The men roared.
Ahead, the enemy massed and charged in a dense swarm.
"Kill!"
Lances thrust forward repeatedly.
Lin Da gradually grew numb.
An enemy soldier lunged fiercely toward him. Just as Lin Da raised his spear to thrust, his shaft was cleanly severed.
Instantly, he lost all ability to react, standing frozen as he waited for the descending blade.
"Get out of the way!"
A comrade on his right shouted, slamming his shoulder into Lin Da to knock him aside while shielding his front.
A flash of sword light—blood sprayed from the comrade's chest. The man screamed in agony, yet refused to step back.
Lin Da stared blankly. Suddenly, goodness knows why, a surge of burning blood welled up in his chest. He lunged forward, grabbed a dropped lance, and roared, "Get out of the way!"
He thrust forward with all his might, driving the spear into the enemy's lower abdomen, then twisted hard and pulled it back.
"Shoulder to shoulder!"
Zhao Youcai was shouting!
By now, the frontlines had morphed into a chaotic melee.
Yet here, this single formation remained unbroken.
Ahead, Yang Xuan raised his voice.
"For peace!"
The Peaceful Army roared back.
"For peace!"
"For Chenzhou!"
The Chenzhou army shouted:
"For Chenzhou!"
"For the Northern Frontier!"
The Left Wing army roared:
"For the Northern Frontier!"
"For the Great Tang!"
The enemy surged forward madly.
The Left Wing army shouted:
"For the Great Tang!"
Lin Da shouted at the top of his lungs, feeling his courage flood back into his body.
With a single thrust, he ran an enemy through. Pulling the lance free, he resolutely took a step forward.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
He thrust and killed repeatedly. When the space in front of him cleared for a moment, he raised his eyes.
Two Northern Liao soldiers were staring right at him.
Their gazes carried a trace of dread.
Am I... truly this valiant?
Courage poured into his body like a gushing spring.
"Grand Administrator, the left wing has stabilized."
Liao Jin watched the slaughter on the left flank and said with relief, "It seems our military tempering over the past few years has not been in vain."
Huang Chunhui said, "At the very beginning, our troops were somewhat unaccustomed to it—the result of avoiding battle for years. That is why fighting this battle from small-scale to large-scale was the best approach."
"Grand Administrator..." Liao Jin looked at him in surprise.
Indeed.
In this battle, Huang Chunhui had steadily built momentum step-by-step: first skirmishing with enemy scouts and outposts, then attacking a small walled town, followed by clashes with the enemy vanguard...
The soldiers of the Northern Frontier army, who had not experienced a major war in years, had thus adapted to large-scale warfare bit by bit.
If they had thrown the entire army into a full-scale assault from the very start, the Northern Frontier army, long unaccustomed to major battles, would have stood a high chance of collapsing.
Huang Chunhui coughed a few times. "Lin Ya wanted to seize the initiative; he wanted to see me commit the center army first. But how could I grant him his wish? He fights his battle, we fight ours. Since he attacks our right wing, why shouldn't we retaliate?"
Within the enemy formation, Lin Ya witnessed the bitter carnage on his right flank.
"Huang Chunhui refuses to fight reactively, so he has taken the initiative to attack. This old fox commands quite well."
The left-wing Tang army was launching frantic assaults, wave after wave crashing relentlessly against the enemy.
Xiao Yingshan said, "Right Chancellor, if the Tang army manages to endure today, their courage and morale will soar."
"I am well aware," Lin Ya said in a deep voice. "It now appears that Huang Chunhui has spent these past years forging an entirely new Northern Frontier army. However, this army has not been tempered by a true major war, and he wishes to use us as a whetstone. Once the two armies lock into a protracted stalemate, the Northern Frontier army will grow stronger with every battle."
"Indeed." Xiao Yingshan breathed a sigh of relief, figuring that since Lin Ya had seen through Huang Chunhui's clever plot, he naturally had a countermeasure in mind.
"If Ningxing could dispatch reinforcements, I would gladly maintain a stalemate and eventually crush Huang Chunhui in a decisive battle alongside those reinforcements—that would give us a much higher chance of success. But I cannot pin my hopes on Helian Feng."
"That dog of an emperor probably prays that we suffer heavy casualties," Xiao Yingshan sneered.
"What use is discussing this now?" Lin Ya narrowed his eyes as he looked toward the left wing. "We cannot wait. In that case... the right wing! I want the Tang army's right wing!"
"Order received!"
A brilliant light flashed in Lin Ya's eyes. "We possess more cavalry, making troop movements much easier, whereas the Tang army relies mostly on infantry. Even if he smashes through my right wing, so what? My center army can reinforce at any moment. But once the Tang army's right wing collapses, will Huang Chunhui's trump card—the Black-Armored Cavalry—deploy or not?"
"Do not deploy!"
Enemy reinforcements had arrived, placing the right wing in extreme peril. When a general suggested sending reinforcements to the right wing, Huang Chunhui refused.
Both armies were launching fierce assaults against each other's right wings, and the fighting was harrowing.
Yet their respective center armies remained completely motionless.
This was a test of willpower—a contest to see whose nerves were tougher.
"Reinforce the left wing with more troops," Huang Chunhui made his decision.
"Chenzhou army, fall back!"
Reinforcements arrived and initiated a fresh round of attacks, while the Chenzhou army withdrew to regroup.
Yang Xuan cast a glance toward the center army. In his mind, the military treatises he had once diligently studied slowly surfaced.
What should one do when faced with such a deadlock?
Persist in a battle of wills, or make the first move to change the dynamic?
He observed closely.
The enemy made a move.
"The center army reinforces the left wing."
Instead of rescuing the right wing, they decisively threw reinforcements into the left wing.
This damn scenario felt like two gamblers placing high stakes, betting on whose hand was stronger, whose nerve was greater, and who could keep their composure the longest!
Lin Ya smiled as he looked across the field. "I have made the first move; how will Huang Chunhui respond? His right wing is fragile and cannot withstand repeated assaults. Either he pulls troops back from the left wing to end his offensive, or he deploys the central reserves to rescue them."
Beneath the great banner, Huang Chunhui coughed heavily, gasping for breath. "Reinforce the right wing."
The Tang center army moved.
"Hahahahaha!"
Lin Ya burst into loud laughter.
"Huang Chunhui was waiting for this exact moment all along, wasn't he?"
Xiao Yingshan said, "Huang Chunhui has eighty thousand men, while we command a hundred thousand. He didn't dare make the first move. Right Chancellor, the time has come."
Lin Ya shook his head. "Huang Chunhui's Black-Armored Cavalry is still holding back. Order the left wing to press the attack regardless of casualties—I want the Tang army's right wing broken! Execute anyone who retreats on the spot!"
Following this order, the Tang army's right wing grew increasingly perilous.
The Prince of Wei had been watching this grand battle the entire time; only now did he speak up. "Grand Administrator Huang, the right wing is in imminent danger. This Prince is willing to lead troops to reinforce it."
Huang Chunhui glanced at him. "Your Highness possesses admirable courage, but... wait a little longer."
The Prince of Wei had thought his request would be denied, and upon hearing this, joy surged in his heart.
The emperor had ordered him to keep the Northern Frontier in check and under surveillance, but what would come after that check and surveillance?
Abandonment!
He had to master his own destiny. Securing military achievements and prestige was an absolute path he had to walk, followed closely by winning over the generals and officials of the Northern Frontier.
With this thought, the Prince of Wei gripped the hilt of his saber. Channeling his inner energy, his giant saber seemed to quiver impatiently within its scabbard.
Liao Jin said in a low voice, "Grand Administrator, if something goes wrong, we won't be able to contain the fallout."
If the Prince of Wei were to die in battle in the Northern Frontier, it would practically trigger an earthquake across the region.
Huang Chunhui said indifferently, "This is a war for the nation. I, too, can die in battle!"
A brilliant spark flashed within his eyes.
The right wing was breached.
Those soldiers were fighting back with desperate frenzy.
"Your Highness!"
"Here!"
Huang Chunhui glanced at the royal banner. "I ask Your Highness to go and reinforce them. Take care."
"Order received!"
The Prince of Wei led two thousand cavalry through a corridor toward the right wing.
Liao Jin wore a worried expression.
"The Prince of Wei possesses profound martial arts, and his personal guards are all elite fighters," Huang Chunhui calmly watched as the royal banner triggered a commotion among the enemy.
"Right Chancellor, it is the imperial family of the Great Tang entering the fray! Even that old dog Huang Chunhui can no longer hold on!" Xiao Yingshan was so excited his face flushed red.
"To think there is a royal banner; it went unnoticed previously. We shall hold people accountable after the battle," Lin Ya's short beard twitched slightly.
"Rumor had it that the Prince of Wei, Li Yan, had arrived in the Northern Frontier; it must be him," Xiao Yingshan said.
"It is him!" Lin Ya observed. "Do not be hasty."
"Even an imperial prince has been deployed, which shows Huang Chunhui has completely lost his composure."
"Right Chancellor, let us launch the full assault."
Lin Ya shook his head.
"Huang Chunhui still holds his Black-Armored Cavalry in reserve without moving them. The Tang right wing looks perilous, but he can use the Black-Armored Cavalry at any moment to turn the tide of battle."
"Since he refuses to deploy the BlackArmored Cavalry, he is pinning his final hopes on this. The outcome of this battle depends entirely on the defense of the Tang right wing!"
Lin Ya's expression remained composed. "Order the left wing to charge regardless of life or death—crush them for me."
The Black-Armored Cavalry was the Northern Frontier's traditional elite force. Five thousand horsemen clad in heavy black armor, with even their warhorses draped in steel, were unstoppable once they charged a formation.
This was also the force Lin Ya feared the most.
Under the enemy's reckless and frantic onslaughts, the Tang army's right wing grew increasingly precarious.
Just at that moment, the Prince of Wei arrived with reinforcements. Brandishing his giant saber, he charged straight into the enemy ranks, sending severed limbs and bodies flying through the air.
Amidst the agonizing screams, someone shouted, "That's the Tang imperial prince! Kill him!"
The temptation to take down an imperial prince was simply too great.
Enemy soldiers swarmed toward him from all directions.
The Prince of Wei led his men in a continuous, desperate charge. Upon seeing this from the center, someone suggested, "Grand Administrator, perhaps we should swap commanders."
Huang Chunhui acted as if he hadn't heard.
"Grand Administrator, the Prince of Wei is trapped."
Huang Chunhui kept his eyes fixed on the left wing.
The left wing was locked in slaughter, relentlessly pounding the enemy's right wing without a shred of fatigue.
Yet the enemy's center army remained still.
"Lin Ya wants to gamble with me to see whose right wing collapses first," Huang Chunhui coughed a few times, his expression calm.
Liao Jin said, "Grand Administrator, it is time to make a move."
"Lin Ya's tens of thousands of main forces are still intact."
"Wait!"
Huang Chunhui covered his mouth in a fit of violent coughing.
On the right wing, the Prince of Wei fought his way out of the encirclement, standing covered in blood before vomiting a mouthful right then and there.
Yet no one looked down upon him; instead, they cast gazes filled with admiration.
For an imperial prince who had never experienced such warfare to lead a charge took genuine courage.
How many people had ever witnessed such bloodshed?
Not kneeling to vomit one's gall out in terror already made him a brave man.
The Prince of Wei turned around and, seeing enemy forces breaking through on the right, shouted, "Follow me!"
The royal standard moved once more in tow.
This time, the enemy concentrated even greater force to crush the Prince of Wei.
The Prince of Wei was wounded, and the grand standard swayed precariously.
"Grand Administrator!"
Someone cried out, "This subordinate is willing to go and replace the Prince of Wei!"
The imperial banner had already been surrounded.
Lin Ya couldn't help but stand up in his stirrups and take a look.
"Huang Chunhui, do you truly dare to sit idly by while an imperial prince dies in battle?"
Xiao Yingshan said, "Li Bi is not Emperor Wu of the old days. If his son dies here, Huang Chunhui will not escape a reckoning after the autumn harvest."
Someone shouted, "The enemy's Black-Armored Cavalry is moving!"
Lin Ya's spirit was instantly galvanized.
At the Tang center, the five thousand Black-Armored Cavalry finally deployed.
They pulled down their faceplates, enveloping themselves entirely in steel armor, their warhorses similarly protected.
Lin Zhi, commander of the Black-Armored Cavalry, bowed toward Huang Chunhui. "Grand Administrator, this subordinate goes."
Huang Chunhui nodded. "Shatter the enemy."
"Order received!"
Lin Zhi led the Black-Armored Cavalry charging toward the right wing, spearheading the assault himself as he drove like a wedge straight into the enemy's formation.
Observing this from the Liao side, Lin Ya said without hesitation, "Prepare the center army."
Clang!
Amidst the countless sounds of blades being drawn, Lin Ya said, "Huang Chunhui's restraint exceeded my expectations, but the Tang army's weakness in numbers remains unchanged, and their lack of cavalry is a fatal flaw. He has been forced to deploy the Black-Armored Cavalry. Thus... the moment for the decisive battle has arrived."
He raised his saber high and shouted, "For Great Liao!"
Countless sabers rose into the air.
"Victory!"
Tens of thousands of cavalry launched their charge.
Lin Ya said indifferently, "The grand momentum is set. What does Huang Chunhui have left to stop this?!"
The sound of hooves was deafening. Yang Xuan tilted his head to watch.
On the enemy's right wing, both sides paused momentarily, turning their gazes simultaneously toward the Northern Liao cavalry launching their assault from the center.
"Victory!"
The Liao army roared.
The impact of tens of thousands of cavalry was breathtaking.
At the center, everyone watched Huang Chunhui.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Huang Chunhui hunched his body, coughing violently.
Liao Jin patted his back while shifting his gaze back to the right wing.
Lin Zhi and the Black-Armored Cavalry had already plunged deep into the enemy ranks.
Every single rider of the Black-Armored Cavalry was essentially fighting for his life, using a reckless, death-defying momentum to shatter the lines.
Huang Chunhui raised his head, breathing heavily. "Zhang Du."
"Here!"
Zhang Du stepped forward from behind, gripping a heavy spear.
Only then did the others realize he was actually clad in black armor.
Huang Chunhui said, "Prepare!"
"Order received!"
Zhang Du spurred his horse toward the rear.
Right at the very back of the Tang formation, five thousand soldiers who had stood waiting the entire time mounted their horses.
The sun shone brightly.
The glare reflecting off their armor was blindingly sharp.
Zhang Du rode up, nodded, and turned his horse around.
The five thousand cavalry arrayed themselves in formation.
Beneath the great banner, Huang Chunhui raised his saber.
"Full army, charge!"
The grand standard shook violently.
"The Grand Administrator orders a full army charge!"
The decisive battle.
Had begun.
The Tang cavalry sortied in full force.
Lin Ya smiled. "His cavalry is insufficient."
His gaze shifted to the Tang right wing, and he frowned. "The Black-Armored Cavalry looks formidable, but they rely mostly on raw fury and bloodshed, their tactics lacking sophistication... Oh!"
He threw his gaze back toward the center.
The two forces made contact.
Then, both sides decelerated.
The Tang grand standard shook.
Beneath the banner.
Huang Chunhui opened his drooping eyelids.
His gaze was like lightning.
The Tang forces in the center parted, opening a corridor.
The enemy rejoiced, surging directly into this pathway.
"We've broken through!" someone roared maniacally. The rear enemy troops were ecstatic and swarmed forward blindly.
Someone looked up and, following the corridor, caught sight of a single horseman galloping toward them.
A armored horse!
A black-armored man!
Zhang Du raised his head.
He smiled grimly.
Then, he pulled down his faceplate.
Behind him, five thousand Black-Armored Cavalry—appearing as if they had clawed their way straight out from the underworld—raised their long spears in unison.
"Ten thousand victories!"