Chapter 9

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A deafening roar came from behind Chen Dexing, the sound of two formations of heavily armored infantry colliding! Along with the collision came heavy casualties! The silver knives of the Red Robe soldiers slashed down, and the long spears of the Song soldiers thrust forward. The silver knives brought up splashes of blood, and the spears pierced through strong bodies. Dying screams and frenzied shouts rose simultaneously!

"Kill the barbarians!"

"Kill the invaders!"

But those being killed were neither barbarians nor invaders; they were all fine Han men... The strongest military force of the Chinese nation was fighting each other, while their mortal enemies were laughing wildly. Chen Dexing was just running, running numbly, only thinking of escaping this hellish battlefield as quickly as possible, with no grand ideals of turning the tide or saving the world.

To live, to survive, even to live in humiliation and disgrace was better than death! Chen Dexing, who had already died once, now only wanted to live. He was very clear that the battle was already lost. No matter how hard Lu Zhaolin and the Wu Rui Army soldiers fought, they could not resist the several times larger Red Robe Army, and... the enemy only needed one charge to crush the already exhausted Wu Rui Army soldiers, followed by pursuit and slaughter!

The position of the Wu Rui Army was right in the center of the entire Song Army line. Once they were crushed, the 40,000 Song soldiers on the battlefield would be cut in half! Tens of thousands of Mongol cavalry could break through the gap and attack the flanks and rear of the entire Song Army line! This could very likely lead to a total collapse, and Yangzhou City would likely fall, and that great traitor Jia Sidao would also... No, wait! Jia Sidao is currently just a Two Huai Anfu Commissioner with the title of Chancellor, not yet the powerful minister who controlled the Song Dynasty!

Chen Dexing suddenly shouted loudly, "Monk, what year is it? What year is it really?"

This question was crucial, it concerned Chen Dexing's life!

"Second Brother, how can you be so confused..." Liu Heshang, panting heavily, was about to answer Chen Dexing's question when a mountainous roar came from behind.

"Victory, victory, the Red Robe Army has won..."

Chen Dexing turned back and saw that the Song Army had indeed collapsed! Even with the Wu Rui Army commander Lu Zhaolin leading his personal troops to fight hard, and even with the Wu Rui Army soldiers fighting to the death, they still could not resist the enemy who had both numerical and physical advantages... This was an era of sword and spear combat, and the Southern Song soldiers who had fought several battles since dawn without a moment's rest were already exhausted.

Of course, Chen Dexing was an exception; he still had the strength to fight a few more battles because he was a psychopathic killer! But on the Southern Song side today, there were only a few such psychopaths—had the traitor Jia Sidao had 40,000 soldiers like Chen Dexing, the Jia Sidao in history would not have been a traitor but a national hero who restored the Central Plains and swept away the enemy! Unfortunately, Jia Sidao was ultimately a traitor.

"What are you panicking for!"

On the high platform, the traitor was not panicking. Jia Sidao was very calm, stroking his beard and softly shouting, which dispelled the panic on the faces of the surrounding staff and officers.

"Minister, I request to lead the charge." Li Tingzhi stepped forward and bowed.

Jia Sidao said, "With Xiangfu leading the charge, I can sit here in peace."

Li Tingzhi bowed and turned to leave the platform. Unlike the Song Dynasty's "military-savvy" civil officials, he had real military experience, having fought the Mongols for many years under the famous Southern Song general Meng Gong. He had commanded in battle more than once. After leaving the platform, he put on his armor and took command of the 5,000 elite troops.

"Minister, please move to Yangzhou City to await good news." Liao Yingzhong hurriedly advised.

Jia Sidao laughed, "What is there to fear? I will watch the battle from here!"

"Minister, a wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall..."

Jia Sidao smiled and waved his hand, interrupting Liao Yingzhong, "Qunyu, do not worry, I have my own plans."

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The mournful sound of the bugle echoed across the battlefield, drowning out the desperate shouts, announcing that the Jia family's soldiers from Yidu had broken through the Wu Rui Army's formation! Not only did the Wu Rui central army collapse, but the left and right flanks also disintegrated under the influence of the central army's collapse...

Outside Yangzhou City, the center of the Song Army line was in chaos, with discarded weapons and armor everywhere, and soldiers fleeing in panic, panting heavily, like headless flies. The worst thing for soldiers on the battlefield was to lose command and organization. An army without command and organization was not defeated but routed! It was an easy target for the enemy to slaughter!

At this moment, Chen Dexing was also fleeing... one hand holding a large knife, the other supporting the already exhausted Liu Heshang, running towards the moat. In his mind, he was trying hard to recall the Southern Song history he knew from his previous life—Emperor Lizong was definitely not the last emperor of the Song Dynasty; there were still Emperor Duzong and his three sons. The Mongol emperor who destroyed the Song Dynasty and overthrew China was not Mongke but his fourth brother, Kublai. Mongke's fate was to die in the battle of Diaoyu City!

In other words, in this round of the Song-Mongol war, the one who died was not Jia Sidao but Mongke! This battle today still had a chance to be fought! It might not be lost...

"Let me go, let me go... Second Brother, I can't run anymore! I can't hold you back!" Liu Heshang, a man over five feet tall, was crying and shouting, too exhausted to breathe, his legs trembling.

"Monk, don't talk, save your strength! We still have a chance!" Chen Dexing shouted, he could not abandon his only companion to save himself, whether in his previous life or this one, he was a man of honor.

"Finished, finished... We can't cross the Baozhang River! There's a thirty-zhang-wide moat ahead! There's a supervision team on the other side of the Baozhang River!" After running for a while, Liu Heshang shouted again.

Chen Dexing looked up and saw that it was indeed so. On the other side of the Baozhang River, a row of executioners with large knives had appeared, and a large flag was raised, with the words "Supervision" in large characters!

"Kill the barbarians!"

"Kill the barbarians!"

Behind them was the deafening shouts of the Red Robe Army, and in front of them was the thirty-zhang-wide Baozhang River, and on the other side of the river were the executioners of the Song Army's supervision team!

Trapped on both sides!

The retreating Song soldiers stopped at the Baozhang River, panting heavily, all with the same thought—there was no way out! Behind them were enemy soldiers, in front of them was a thirty-zhang-wide moat, and on the other side of the river was the supervision team... in this vast world, where was there a way out for these thousands of fighting men?

Was there really no way out? Chen Dexing stood firmly by the Baozhang River, looking at the wide river, a surge of indescribable anger and frustration rose in his heart. Why did this damned heaven make him reincarnate? Was it to make him die again?

No! I can't die like this! I want to live, and live brilliantly! The Song Army won't lose this battle, they definitely won't. As long as they can hold on for a while, there will be a way out! At this moment, Chen Dexing suddenly felt his blood boiling!

"Damn it, let's fight the Tartars!" Chen Dexing roared, his eyes red with anger, looking around, "I am Chen Dexing, the training officer of the Wu Rui Army's central army, a Chengxin Lang! Will you all fight with me?"

"Will you all fight for survival?"

"Will you all follow me to kill the invaders?"

"Fight!"

Such a towering man, over six feet tall, roared in this desperate situation where everyone was panicked and at a loss. He shouted out the thoughts of everyone!

There was no way out! Only a desperate fight! Even if they died, they would take one of the northern invaders with them!

"I will fight to the death with Chengxin!" Liu Heshang was the first to roar in agreement.

"I will fight to the death with Chengxin!" A rough, middle-aged man followed Chen Dexing. He was wearing heavy infantry armor, a helmet on his head, a bow in his hand, and a large knife on his back, dressed like a Song Army officer, and he also roared.

"I will fight to the death with Chengxin!"

"Let's fight the dog Tartars!"

"Kill one to make it worth it!"

More people roared, and all the soldiers who still had some strength seemed to see a glimmer of hope. It is said that a drowning person will not let go of even a straw, let alone these fully armed soldiers?

Now, Chen Dexing was their lifeline! And they were Chen Dexing's lifeline!

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