Li Jun mounted his warhorse. He already knew that Tong Chang would order the shield soldiers, this iron wall, to respond to his arrows. Against these guys who were wielding large shields, arrows were not very useful.
"Zhou Jie!" he gestured to his subordinates.
"Yes!" Zhou Jie's short reply put his mind at ease. With a wave of the purple dragon flag in his hand, the Peace Army soldiers formed small formations as usual, ready to meet the enemy's attack. This was the first time Li Jun's new formation had truly been put to the test.
The Tong family soldiers' shield wall successfully blocked the arrows, and the archers behind them were not to be outdone and retaliated with arrows. However, the three men at the front of Li Junbu's small formation all carried shields, with the rest following behind. Before close combat, these three men used their shields to block a section of the enemy's arrows and spears. The Tong family's archers were also unable to break through this defensive line, and a melee was inevitable.
Leading the small formation were mostly incredibly strong Qiang men, wielding massive shields in one hand and heavy axes in the other. With unstoppable momentum, they broke through the wall of shield-bearers formed by the Tong family. The two sides clashed and mingled together. The Tong family soldiers then discovered that the enemy always attacked one person at a time, with seven attacking and five defending. Although the two sides were evenly matched, and Tong family soldiers continued to rush down the hillside to join the melee, the Peace Army had a numerical advantage in every part of the battlefield. The leading Qiang men used their heavy axes to force the enemy to dodge, while the two shield bearers used their shields to protect their comrades without attacking. The two following behind attacked, one with a spiked club to the head and the other with a club to the feet. As the Tong family soldiers struggled to defend themselves, they were suddenly struck in a vital spot by an enemy soldier wielding a spear and died instantly.
These hundreds of squads, like hundreds of iron nails driven into the ranks of the Tong family army, gnawed bloody holes in the enemy ranks like silkworms devouring leaves. These bloody holes then spread outwards, and Tong family soldiers rushing to replenish their fallen comrades became easy prey. Moreover, due to the extremely dense attacks, a Tong family soldier often died from multiple severe wounds simultaneously, resulting in almost no casualties among the Tong family soldiers; they all died on the spot, and their corpses appeared exceptionally gruesome.
Tong Chang himself was a master strategist, but he always suffered losses against Li Jun. This wasn't due to his incompetence, but rather because Li Jun's tactics were utterly unconventional, almost completely overturning the military strategies Tong Chang had learned. For example, in this battle, Li Jun should have seized the strategic advantage, but instead, he relinquished control of the mountaintop, leaving Tong Chang utterly baffled. At this moment, he stared in disbelief as the Peace Army's small formations, like dragons, stirred up a sea of blood within his own ranks.
"Retreat! Sound the retreat!" He realized that until he found a way to break Li Jun's formation, charging downhill would only be a futile suicide. What comforted him was that, with the advantage of the terrain, he was confident that he could hold the cliff. If the Peace Army dared to launch a strong attack, even if they were deployed in this small formation, they would inevitably suffer heavy losses and be forced to retreat.
The sound of the gong gave the Tong family soldiers, who were negotiating with death, a glimmer of hope. They retreated up the mountain, archers providing cover and hindering the Peace Army's pursuit. Sure enough, the Peace Army also sounded the retreat before reaching the foot of the mountain. Tong Chang looked down at the open ground; it was littered with corpses. Two rounds of attacks had left at least two thousand bodies on the ground. The Tong family soldiers' losses far exceeded their capacity to withstand them. In contrast, the Peace Army, although still somewhat unfamiliar with their formations and suffering several hundred casualties, were mostly lightly wounded and still capable of fighting. Compared to the Tong family's losses, their cost was extremely low. This battle made Li Jun's small formation famous. From then on, whenever enemy troops faced Li Jun, they trembled at the sight of the purple dragon flag behind him. The fame of the Purple Dragon Flag and the Crimson Dragon Formation spread across the battlefields of Shenzhou amidst countless corpses and blood.
"That strange formation is like a poisonous dragon that devours lives!" Tong family soldiers whispered among themselves, spreading their fear of the formation. Tong Chang then ordered them to immediately build a stone wall, preparing to defend the position from their stronghold.
"Why isn't the enemy charging?" a lieutenant asked. They couldn't understand the Peace Army's movements and could only ask their commander for advice.
“They want to surround us and force us to surrender!” Tong Chang sneered. “Li Jun knows that I am eager to return to rescue Yinhu City and did not bring much food, so he wants to surround us on the mountain. If this drags on, our army will starve to death.”
"These bandits should have been in front of Silver Tiger City, so why did they suddenly appear here in such large numbers?" the lieutenant asked again.
"The force in front of Silver Tiger City is a feint. If I'm not mistaken, Li Jun will surely have his most valiant and resourceful generals make a show of force there, and then rush here as soon as he learns that our army has come to our aid, while he himself will lead his men to ambush us. My hasty return to reinforce this time was indeed a mistake."
"What should we do? Our army is indeed short of food supplies."
Tong Chang smiled and said, "No need to worry. Even the wisest can make a mistake. Li Jun seems to have forgotten that this place is only a day and a half away from Yinhu City. As soon as we receive the news, the governor will definitely send reinforcements. When we charge down then, Li Jun will be attacked from both sides and will only have one way to go: defeat and escape!"
His words slightly calmed the wavering morale of the surrounding soldiers. They hastily gathered stones, preparing for any possible charge by Li Jun. Their hopes rested entirely on reinforcements from Yinhu City. To Tong Chang's embarrassment, he had come to rescue Yinhu City, but now they were the ones needing Yinhu City's support. Fortunately, spring water gushed from the crevices of the rocks on the mountain, and with the soldiers' rations, they were temporarily free from hunger and thirst.
At this moment, Tong Sheng was watching the reinforcements leave from beneath the city gate. If Li Jun could not eliminate Tong Chang within a day, it seemed that he would either be attacked from both sides or have to lift the siege voluntarily.
Section 3
Watching the reinforcements depart swiftly, Tong Sheng gazed at the city wall for a long time the next day. By this time, Yinhu City was shrouded in an atmosphere of peace. Although people were very worried about their sons who had gone to war, the people resumed their normal lives, and people came and went in and out of the city in twos and threes.
Tong Sheng fell into deep thought. Since he ascended the throne, he and his brother Tong Chang had worked together to conquer the chaotic Yu Prefecture, fighting nearly a hundred battles, large and small. They had encountered powerful and ruthless opponents, but he had never felt so controlled as he did today.
That Li Jun was just one of Lu Xiang's personal generals, yet he was so powerful. If it were Lu Xiang himself, what kind of person would he be? I have fought on the battlefield for many years. If I could meet such a hero, my life would not have been in vain.
He felt a deep sense of gratitude, which quickly turned into a quiet sense of relief. Fortunately, he had never encountered such a person, otherwise, how could he still be alive?
After secretly mocking his own thoughts for a while, Tong Sheng turned and went down the city wall. He tried hard not to focus his thoughts on the ominous premonition in his heart and returned to the palace.
This palace was built according to the specifications of a prince. According to the laws of Chen State, this is considered usurpation. However, in Yinhu City of Yuzhou, it is considered to be a matter of course. In fact, the Tong family has ruled over a region for generations, and they are no different from a prince. Their power is even greater than that of a prince.
After dismissing his attendants and civil and military officials, he was left alone in the dark hall. At that moment, he suddenly thought of his old rival, Hua Fenglai, who had died of illness in Thunder City. That old scoundrel had painstakingly managed to keep the Hua family afloat for many years, and the feeling of exhaustion he must have felt now was probably the same as his own.
With Hua Feng's death, his three grandsons fought amongst themselves for power, resulting in fratricide, and two have already joined him in the afterlife. His own sons are all mediocre, while his cousin Tong Rong is an ambitious fellow. If he so desires, he might very well seize the position of family head after his death and then succeed as governor of Yuzhou. However, as long as Tong Chang is alive, he cannot succeed under any circumstances. Over the years, Tong Chang has personally supervised military campaigns and suffered greatly. Now that he has returned, he should rest for a while, and the two brothers must also plan for the future. If they cannot properly arrange their affairs after death, before the rising power of Li Jun arrives, the Tong family will follow in the footsteps of the Hua family, weakening in fratricide. How many forces once rose in Yuzhou, and how many have already turned to dust in history? Even the once-powerful achievements and military exploits of the Four Seas Khan in the great city of Shenzhou are now just memories.
"Ah..." Tong Sheng gasped softly, shuddering at his own thoughts. He seemed unusually depressed today. Could it be that he was really getting old?
"Report! Report!" The soldier rushed in in a panic. Tong Sheng jumped up from his seat. The ominous premonition in his heart instantly turned into a clear conclusion. He roared, "I understand!"
Li Jun strolled leisurely around the camp, a cup of hot tea in hand. If he had any hobbies or pleasures, drinking tea would be one of the most important. No matter the circumstances, he would always find a way to get himself hot water and brew a cup of tea of just the right strength. Flower tea was naturally the best, but even coarsely made ordinary tea leaves were enjoyable to him. For this, Lu Xiang, who also loved tea, once mocked him for having no taste.
If Tong Sheng and Tong Chang saw the current state of this boy who had made them so uneasy, they would first be shocked and then furious. They would be shocked because, apart from his general's uniform, Li Jun looked no different from a regular soldier in the Peace Army. They would be furious because while they were restless, their opponent was calm and collected, completely disregarding them.
"Greetings, Commander!" The Peace Army soldiers, accustomed to his appearance, were neither surprised nor angry. To them, while their commander's current demeanor was endearing, the terrifying killing intent emanating from him when someone violated military discipline was enough to freeze their blood. In the soldiers' eyes, Li Jun had almost become a monster with the ability to transform, rather than an ordinary person.
"Relax a bit, the battle is over." Li Jun confidently greeted his soldiers, completely disregarding the Tong family army that was on guard up the mountain, as if victory was already firmly in his grasp.
The soldiers were not as relaxed as he was. The enemy was watching them intently from the mountain. Although they did not seem to be about to charge yet, who knew when they would come down? Although the Peace Army had set up camp at the foot of the mountain under Li Jun's supervision and had built fortifications around the camp in preparation for an attack, the soldiers were still somewhat uneasy.
“It seems inappropriate for us to trap the enemy here.” Li Jun carried his tea and walked towards the rear camp. A group of soldiers who had taken a break were sitting there arguing about something. Li Jun could hear a loud voice from afar.
“What’s wrong with that? The enemy is returning from a long distance to reinforce, exhausted and lacking sufficient supplies. If we besiege them without attacking, and wait for them to run out of supplies and starve them, we will surely achieve a great victory,” another soldier countered.
"But this is in enemy territory. How do we know that the enemy forces nearby won't come to our aid? If the enemy attacks from both sides, we will be attacked from both sides. How can we hold out?" the voice continued.
Li Jun nodded secretly. In other military units across Shenzhou, soldiers were strictly forbidden from discussing their commander's tactical arrangements. However, Lu Xiang was different. He believed that even the most brilliant genius couldn't match the combined wisdom of three ordinary people. If soldiers could discuss tactical arrangements together, they could not only brainstorm and identify shortcomings in the commander's plans, but also flexibly execute the commander's tactical intentions on the battlefield and more effectively carry out his orders. Li Jun resolutely inherited this principle. It was precisely for this reason that even in his absence, the Peace Army was able to defend Tonghai City with only a small force. The ingenious plan of using cooked beans to lure the horses was devised by the Peace Army's grooms.
"Do you think our commander didn't think of this? I thought the commander must have made arrangements in advance to make it difficult for reinforcements to come." Another voice said, this voice was full of admiration when talking about Li Jun, and seemed to admire Li Jun very much.
"Ah, greetings, Commander!" Upon noticing Li Jun approaching, the soldiers stood up and saluted. Li Jun waved his hand to indicate that it was not necessary, smiled slightly, and left them, letting them continue their debate.
"The commander must have made arrangements in advance to make it difficult for reinforcements to arrive..." The soldier's voice rang in his ears, but Li Jun sighed inwardly.
"Actually, I have no plans on how to stop the reinforcements. If I told them, I don't know if they would believe me. My plan is for them to build a fortification and hold it until the reinforcements arrive," he thought.
Time flew by, and a day and a half passed quickly. Although both the Peace Army and the Tong family soldiers kept making noise, trying to provoke the other side into attacking, the two sides ultimately failed to fight during this day and a half.
Standing on the mountaintop, Tong Chang looked down and saw several riders galloping in from the north one after another, stopping in front of the camp. The spies on horseback quickly entered the camp and disappeared among the flags. There seemed to be tension in the Peace Army, and the number of soldiers in the temporary fortifications had obviously increased.
"It seems something has changed. Our reinforcements must be arriving soon. Judging by the timing, it should be about time. Pass down my order: prepare for battle!"
Tong Chang's order also roused the Tong family army. About half an hour later, a cloud of dust came from the north, and Tong Yan led his cavalry to arrive first! The Peace Army was prepared for this and blocked the enemy with a volley of arrows, preventing the two thousand light cavalry from breaking through.
Because Tong Sheng had repeatedly instructed him, Tong Yan did not make the same mistake as his brother, who was greedy for merit and acted rashly. He did not launch a full-scale attack. After his tentative attack was thwarted by a hail of arrows, he held his ground and waited for the arrival of the follow-up troops.
More than an hour later, Tong Rong led his central and rear armies to arrive and joined forces with Tong Yan, creating a strange situation on the battlefield. Tong Chang's several thousand troops occupied the high ground, while Li Jun's Peace Army built fortifications along the only way down the mountain. Tong Rong and his nearly ten thousand troops then surrounded the Peace Army from the outside, and none of the three sides dared to attack easily.
On the mountaintop, Tong Chang cursed the incompetence of the reinforcement commander. If they had taken advantage of their initial momentum to launch a surprise attack on the Peace Army's camp, allowing him to seize the opportunity to storm down the mountain, the Peace Army would have been thrown into chaos and likely disintegrated. Now that the enemy was prepared, another charge would likely come at a higher cost. He finally understood why the Peace Army hadn't attacked the mountain but instead built fortifications on the spot—they had long been prepared for reinforcements to arrive.
Li Jun has always avoided wars of attrition, so why is he willing to risk everything to trap himself on the mountaintop this time? What is his true intention? Tong Chang looked down at his own reinforcements below and recognized the banners of Tong Yan and Tong Rong. He turned to Ge Shun and asked, "Why did you send Tong Rong with troops to rescue me, brother?"