Chapter 35

The Jin army's central force was about three li away from the main camp of the Xiongnu, each side occupying a high terrace. Therefore, when the Xiongnu sent troops to outflank the right wing, attempting to cross the reed marsh between the two armies, the Jin people could see it clearly. This force was roughly half the size of the Xiongnu's main camp, numbering a little over five hundred. The warriors all wore the traditional felt clothing of the Xiongnu, and most were clad in leather armor. Among them, several dozen wore helmets adorned with plumes and iron armor, clearly indicating their high status as elite warriors. They held up long spears and battle-axes, marching in perfect unison. Without a doubt, these were the fundamental forces that Liu Jing relied on to establish his power, the elite troops of the Xiongnu.

This force quickly disappeared into the reed marsh, and large patches of reeds could be seen swaying and falling, showing that they were advancing through the water at a rapid pace.

"Lord! They're coming!" Xu Run involuntarily tightened his reins. "They're coming! They're coming!"

Liu Kun glanced at Xu Run, tapping his left palm with his horsewhip, making a crisp "snap" sound. "Lu Yao was right; this Liu Jing is indeed a coward at heart."

"How can you tell?"

"Zhi Quan, look. The battle has reached a critical point where one must break the pots and sink the boats to fight to the death; yet he hesitates, sending only five hundred men to attack our central force." Liu Kun sneered repeatedly. "What can five hundred men accomplish? Even if he sees our central force is weak, I have deployed one thousand five hundred troops here, with the commander personally overseeing them. How can five hundred men shake us? These five hundred are merely sending themselves to their deaths."

"Moreover..." Liu Kun raised his whip and pointed toward the reed marsh.

In the next moment, dozens of Jin army banners rose simultaneously in the reed marsh, and the cries of battle shook the heavens!

"The art of war says: Do not rely on the enemy not coming, but on being ready to meet him!" Liu Kun laughed heartily, full of spirit!

Of the one thousand five hundred troops in Liu Kun's central force, only the two hundred men in the front row holding banners were his subordinates. The thousand men behind them were all disguised as old and weak refugees.

The nearly two thousand new troops formed during the recent reorganization in Jicheng had already secretly infiltrated this vast reed marsh in batches late last night. They had been lying in wait for so long, just to deliver a heavy blow when the enemy commander thought he had found a weakness.

The equipment of the new troops was generally very poor. Only a few had looped-head knives, while most used crude weapons, and some even used wooden clubs. They had not received good military training; those who were originally defeated soldiers of Bingzhou were slightly better, but the newly recruited refugees had not yet completed basic training.

However, the reed marsh was filled with water pools and ponds of varying depths, with hidden currents and extremely complex terrain, further complicated by the dense reeds that limited visibility. Here, the Xiongnu's superior weapons and coordinated combat were ineffective, and their advantages were greatly diminished. The Jin army, with numerical superiority and the element of surprise, had the upper hand. The new troops shouted as they surged out from a short distance from the Xiongnu formation, quickly surrounding them and mixing in with the Xiongnu.

Gao Xiang wielded a long knife, charging through the water, cutting down three Xiongnu warriors in succession. A third Xiongnu, clad in iron armor and holding an iron shield, approached from his right. Gao Xiang shouted and swung his knife backward. The long knife collided violently with the sturdy iron shield and suddenly broke. Undaunted, Gao Xiang lunged forward, grabbing the Xiongnu's shield hand and twisting it, throwing the enemy into the water.

His bravery caught the attention of the enemy, and more Xiongnu emerged from the dense reeds, rushing toward him. Without a weapon, Gao Xiang could only retreat gradually, roaring in anger. At this moment, He Yun came from behind. His wounds had not yet healed, so he could not engage in close combat. He had taken a bow early on and was shooting from a distance. Seeing Gao Xiang in danger, He Yun fired several arrows in quick succession. The first arrow pierced the face of the leading Xiongnu, the second and third missed, but the fourth hit another Xiongnu in the right leg, causing him to fall to the ground.

With this respite, Gao Xiang picked up a large knife from a corpse. The iron-armored Xiongnu, who had just climbed out of the water, was wiping his face when Gao Xiang struck him in the neck with a single blow, causing blood to spurt. Gao Xiang followed up with several more strikes, finally severing the Xiongnu's neck. He raised the Xiongnu's head high, waving the large knife and roaring like a wild beast, "Kill the Xiongnu! Kill the Xiongnu!"

With his hoarse and mournful cry, more people joined in, shouting, "Kill the Xiongnu! Kill the Xiongnu! Kill the Xiongnu!"

From the first year of Yongxing to now, the soldiers of Bingzhou had been shouting this battle cry for three years! For three years, countless soldiers had shed their blood on the battlefield, only to see their homes turned to ruins and their loved ones brutally killed. One defeat after another, like a terrifying nightmare with no end, had left the soldiers of Bingzhou gasping for breath... but now, they could see the light of victory!

"Kill the Xiongnu! Kill the Xiongnu! Kill the Xiongnu!"

The remaining troops of the Bingzhou army and the displaced refugees shouted in unison. In the deafening cries, the Jin soldiers fought like madmen, launching wave after wave of attacks!

Gao Xiang did not know that the armored Xiongnu he had killed was Wu He, Liu Jing's beloved general, who was responsible for leading the five hundred men through the reed marsh. With Wu He's death, the Xiongnu gradually lost their composure. More and more people lost their fighting spirit and began to flee in panic. The Jin army, with their numerical advantage, surrounded and isolated the Xiongnu in every corner of the reed marsh, quickly killing them all.

When some scattered Xiongnu managed to escape the reed marsh, the news of their defeat spread to more of the mixed Xiongnu troops. The mixed Xiongnu soldiers, who were tightly engaged with the Jin cavalry and spear troops, also began to panic. Although a few brave men shouted loudly to try to steady the troops, the momentum was already lost.

"We've been tricked!" Liu Jing watched the changing battle situation, shouting in his heart.

It turned out that the Jin army's previous entanglements and the central force's hesitation were all bait set for him. From the beginning, the Jin's target was not the mixed Xiongnu, but the most precious elite Xiongnu troops! How hateful! How hateful!

The battle-hardened Liu Jing saw the situation clearly, knowing that the tide had already turned, and the battle was about to collapse.

"Prepare to retreat." Liu Jing said slowly, his spirit and energy seemingly drained as the elite Xiongnu troops were crushed. His voice was so low it was almost inaudible. "The Xiongnu Sibu clan has shed enough blood. Now, while those Xi and Jie people can still hold back the Jin army, we... retreat."

He turned and rode away, not looking back.

A short while later, the mixed Xiongnu warriors noticed something was amiss, and questions began to spread: "Where is the Great General?" "Why is the Great General gone?" Initially, it was like ripples caused by a small stone in the water, but soon it turned into a massive wave: "The Great General has fled!" "The Great General has abandoned us and fled!"

In battle, courage is key. On the battlefield, the decisive factor is not numbers or equipment, but the confidence and determination to win.

The Xiongnu's wavering was immediately reflected in the battle situation. The experienced Linghu Sheng, with his hair and beard bristling, led the last of the fresh troops, charging forward and shouting, cutting down several enemies, immediately forcing the front-line enemy to retreat.

When the one thousand five hundred troops of Liu Kun's central force, who had remained immobile, also charged forward with a roar, no Xiongnu soldier retained the will to fight. The soldiers quickly turned and fled, discarding their armor and banners, fleeing in groups. The scene of their defeat was reminiscent of the aftermath of the decisive battle between the Jin and Xiongnu in Daling a few months ago, except that the victors and losers were now reversed.

The road north of Banqiao was filled with smoke and dust, with Xiongnu soldiers fleeing in all directions, discarding their armor and banners. The Jin army pursued them relentlessly, like hunters on the grasslands chasing a panicked herd. Occasionally, when some Xiongnu tried to regroup, the armored cavalry led by Ding Miao and Lu Yao would charge forward without hesitation, scattering them.

******

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