The fleeing soldiers of the Peace Army threw down their weapons and quickly disappeared into the hills less than two miles from the West Gate. Even Tu Long Ziyun seemed to be in a hurry to escape, throwing his Dragon-Slaying Saber and Dragon-Subduing Shield onto a pile of rocks.
"Follow them! Don't let the enemy close the city gates!" Seeing his objective about to be achieved, Lü Jianzhong was excited and rushed to the front of the column. However, his warhorse suddenly neighed and stumbled, almost throwing him off. Lü Jianzhong assumed the horse had twisted its leg and tried to dismount with his spear, but a powerful force made it almost impossible for him to even hold it.
"Ah?" he exclaimed, looking around but seeing nothing. He gripped his gun tightly, dismounted, and examined the horse's legs. He noticed that several pieces of gravel had somehow gotten stuck to the horseshoes, which must have injured the horse's hooves.
Lu Jianzhong was greatly puzzled, sensing something strange about the place. He took a few steps forward, spear in hand, only to feel his whole body grow heavy, and the spear in his hand becoming heavier and heavier. Ha turned around to look around, and the other soldiers did the same, looking around in all directions. Many of them dismounted.
"This is strange!" Lu Jianzhong looked at the Peace Army, who had lost their weapons and had fled to only scattered shadows. Victory was so close to him, how could he sit idly by and watch it slip away?
He changed horses and chased after them for several hundred paces, but the warhorse was panting heavily as if it had been running for a long time, and refused to move forward no matter how much he urged it. Lü Jianzhong dismounted again, only to find that his armor seemed several times heavier than usual, making every movement unusually difficult. A thought struck him, and he cried out in alarm, "Oh no, a magnet!"
By the time they realized it, it was too late. The area was rich in lodestone, and the Peace Army soldiers were all naval troops wearing leather armor. After abandoning their iron weapons, they moved about as usual. However, the Lan Kingdom cavalry wore iron armor to varying degrees, with nearly 10,000 men even completely covered in thick iron armor. The iron armor that used to protect them had now become the source of their deaths.
"Kill!" Shouts of battle echoed from all directions from the Peace Army. Tu Longziyun reappeared in Lü Jianzhong's sight, a sword in his hand. It was likely a bronze sword, while the Peace Army soldiers returning to the battlefield probably carried only wooden clubs and bamboo spears. For some reason, a bitter smile crept into Lü Jianzhong's heart. This elite cavalry of the Lan Kingdom, the once invincible iron cavalry, had been utterly defeated by wooden clubs and bamboo spears. He struggled to remove his armor, turning to flee, but his heavy body made each step difficult.
"The enemy general does have some tricks up his sleeve. Although we were prepared, we never expected that our feigned defeat would turn into a real one." As the sounds of battle subsided and the Peace Army began to clean up the battlefield, Tu Longziyun said to Ren Qian, panting heavily.
Ren Qian closed his eyes slightly. He was also astonished by the fighting strength of the Lan Kingdom's army and the command ability of the enemy general. Hearing Tu Longziyun recount the ambush, he realized that the Peace Army, which had been feigning a rout to lure the enemy, had actually suffered a crushing defeat under the charge of the enemy cavalry. Although they ultimately won, they lost more than 10,000 Peace Army soldiers along the way, which could not be denied as a mistake by the person who devised the plan.
When Ren Qian opened his eyes, he discovered that the scattered rain falling from the sky was no longer freezing rain, but snowflakes. The snowflakes gradually covered the ground, which was stained red with blood. The temperature had dropped considerably, but the snow did not melt; instead, it piled up.
"Today the snow covers the blood, will the snow be stained with blood tomorrow?" Ren Qian felt somewhat tired, completely devoid of the joy that comes with a great victory.
“This Liu Guang always picks his time.” Li Jun shook his head as he handed the secret report to Wei Zhan.
Wei Zhan glanced at it quickly, a bitter smile appearing on his face: "Our army seized Liu Ning by launching a pincer attack, and captured Li Gou by leaping attacks from the navy. Liu Guang's methods for destroying Hong Kingdom are exactly the same as mine."
"The Su Kingdom has been destroyed, and the Hong Kingdom has also been destroyed." After reading the secret report, Shi Quan's face turned solemn. "Who will be next?"
“Liu Guang is massively deploying troops to the border between Hong and Su, presumably to take advantage of our army’s ongoing struggle with the remnants of Su and seize a share of the spoils. If an opportunity arises, he might just wipe out our army in one fell swoop.” Li Jun frowned. “To the north, there is Wu Wei’s 300,000-strong army from Lan, and to the west, there are Liu Guang’s 200,000 elite troops. What do you two think we should do?”
"Should we temporarily abandon the original plan?" After a long silence, Shi Quan slowly asked, "Although the plan was unexpected, isn't stabilizing the situation for now the best long-term strategy?"
Wei Zhan remained silent, while Li Jun turned to look at the map of Su Guo's mountains and rivers. Although Shi Quan's suggestion was a prudent one, Li Jun could not make a decision immediately, remembering the hard work he had put into the preparations.
Ji Su stood beside Li Jun, silently studying the map. She also disagreed with Shi Quan's assessment. If Li Jun's previous plan had succeeded, the Rong people would have waged their most daring war since the time of the Four Seas Khan. After a long while, Ji Su suddenly said, "That old scoundrel Liu Guang wants to take advantage of us. Why don't we give him a taste of his own medicine?"
Li Jun's eyes lit up, and he said, "That's right. That old scoundrel Liu Guang has stationed his troops on the border of Su, so we should station our troops on the border of Chen as well. He has only seized some remote mountains and forests in western Su. If he loses Chen, his foundation will be shaken. We didn't even think of such a simple idea. Sister Ji Su, it seems you are the smartest, hahaha..."
Ji Su blushed. Li Jun's words were half true and half false, but most of them were just joking with him. How could Li Jun and the other two not have thought of this plan? It was just that they dared not say it because they were worried about losing it.
"Let Feng Jiutian gather troops at Huichang, and let Meng Yuan head south from Fenglin Ferry. If that old scoundrel Liu Guang dares to attack, they can then attack Chen State without restraint," Wei Zhan said. "But this alone is probably not enough. With Liu Guang's northern expedition, how could Chen State be unprepared? Moreover, if Liu Guang invades Su State and joins forces with Wu Wei of Lan State to attack our army, our army will likely face dire consequences."
“Hmm…” Li Jun nodded slightly, but it would be a real pity to give up the original plan. If this opportunity was lost, it would be as difficult as climbing to the sky to implement this plan again in the future.
"In that case, Brother Dong Cheng, you lead 50,000 men westward. If Liu Guang really attacks, you must defend Ruyang City to the death."
After pacing back and forth a few times, Li Jun realized that he had to make a choice. He pointed to a city in the northwest of Su Kingdom, which was still hundreds of miles from the border of Hong Kingdom, and said, "This city is still in the hands of the remnants of Su Kingdom. Brother Dong should take it as soon as possible. As for the territory of Su Kingdom west of Ruyang, let Liu Guang take it for now. It is not too late to take it back later when we have time!"
"But what about the 300,000 troops of the Lan Kingdom?" Shi Quan and Wei Zhan asked simultaneously. At this moment, Li Jun could only quickly mobilize 50,000 Heping troops, 50,000 Qinggui troops, and the 50,000 naval forces still holding out in Lujiabao. The reason Li Jun hadn't immediately sent troops north in the past few days was to replenish the troops lost in the previous battles. A mere 150,000 troops were already stretched thin against the 300,000-strong army of the Lan Kingdom. If Dong Cheng were to transfer the Qinggui troops away as well, the battle against Wu Wei would become even more difficult.
“Compared to Liu Guang, Wu Wei is easier to deal with.” Li Jun smiled slightly. “As long as we hold out through this winter, we have no worries about our army not winning.”
"And what should be done with Li Gou and Wu Shu?" Shi Quan asked again. Tu Longziyun had already sent men to escort Li Gou and Wu Shu back, but Li Jun had not yet gone to see them.
"What is Mr. Wei's intention?" Li Jun did not answer, a cold expression appearing on his face.
“These two are truly difficult to deal with.” Wei Zhan smiled bitterly. “When Wu Shu saw that things were not going well, he actually sent his servants to capture Li Gou and surrender. I don’t know how Li Gou could trust him. He escaped with only a few guards. If we kill Wu Shu now, those who come to surrender in the future will be disheartened. If we don’t kill Wu Shu, the soldiers and civilians in the army will probably be dissatisfied.”
“If that’s the case, then I will make the decision.” Li Jun glanced at Wei Zhan. Wei Zhan wasn’t an irresponsible person, but this matter truly made it difficult for him to offer advice. In any case, Li Jun was nominally Li Gou’s subject, and even had some kinship with him. He paused, then said, “Wu Shu’s crimes are heinous. Even if the waters of the four oceans and seven rivers were poured out, they could not whitewash his black heart. Rewarding the loyal and punishing the wicked is an ancient practice. His capture of Li Gou is merely a minor achievement, but his actions are a major transgression. His merits do not outweigh his transgressions. He should be bound and taken to the marketplace and executed by slow slicing. Wu Shu’s wife, Xiong, was unable to persuade her husband to do good. Her greed, jealousy, and cruelty were no less than Wu Shu’s. She should be hanged in prison. Li Gou is muddle-headed and stubborn. He cannot tolerate meritorious officials and famous generals outside, and he favors treacherous ministers and sycophants inside. Therefore, he has suffered the calamity of losing the country. The bloody wars of recent years all stem from this. Considering that he was a monarch and had some achievements for the people in his early years, I will spare his life but imprison him for life.”
Shi Quan and Wei Zhan exchanged a glance. Li Jun's decision not to exterminate Wu Shu's entire family or immediately kill Li Gou demonstrated a political acumen that impressed them greatly. Little did they know that Li Jun had spared even his mortal enemy, Zhong Biao; what fear was there in sparing the families of one or two more enemies?
three,
"With such a military formation, it's no wonder that Lü Jianzhong died in battle."
Gazing at the Peace Army's ranks before him, Wu Wei sighed with emotion. When he learned of the death of his trusted general, who had fallen into a trap, and the complete annihilation of his 30,000 cavalry, his first reaction was not shock or heartache, but a surge of excitement. Li Jun's decision not to defend Lujia Fort but to advance to Luye for open battle was entirely within his expectations. Now that Li Jun had newly occupied most of Su's territory, the morale of the people and the army was still unstable. Since Wu Wei had come with a large army to attack, Li Jun needed to win a battle against him first to stabilize the morale of his troops and the people, thus gaining an opportunity for a protracted war.
For Wu Wei, orchestrating Lu Xiang's death was both a source of pride and regret. He was proud to have brought this renowned general to the forefront of history, but regretful that he hadn't defeated him on the battlefield. Over the years, Li Jun's growing fame inevitably reminded Wu Wei of the events of that night in Ice City, but it wasn't until he learned of Lü Jianzhong's defeat that Wu Wei was certain Li Jun had surpassed Lu Xiang in skill.
As a renowned general, one not only needs extraordinary insight and composure even in the face of a collapsing mountain, but also a group of capable and skilled subordinates.
Now, Li Jun's main force lay before him. Standing on high ground and looking into the distance, the Peace Army's camps were ablaze with banners, their defenses impenetrable, and the sounds of bugles and horns occasionally echoed. Before the camps lay the Peace Army's battle formation, approximately ten thousand infantry and cavalry arranged in square formations. The formation wasn't particularly tight, but it exuded an imposing, mountain-like aura. This arrangement provided ample space for a counterattack, even in the event of a cavalry raid. The confidence and courage radiating from the soldiers' raised faces proved that this was a seasoned and victorious elite force. In the snowy winter, aside from the battle flags fluttering in the wind and the cloaks worn by the soldiers, both men and horses stood solemnly, demonstrating a disciplined and well-disciplined army. Wu Wei secretly admired them, but his gaze immediately settled on the Peace Army's central army. The Peace Army's central army was the most densely populated, and its soldiers were indeed formidable. However, even a renowned general like Wu Wei could see that compared to the other units, the Peace Army soldiers here were slightly weaker.
"They must be newly recruited soldiers from the Soviet Union," Wu Wei thought to himself. Li Jun underestimated his judgment by placing such a weak force in the center of the army. Could it be that Li Jun had some other arrangements behind them?
Looking back at his men, Wu Wei smiled slightly. The enemy was indeed powerful, but he was no weaker. Whatever tricks Li Jun might have up his sleeve, his arrangements were enough to guarantee a resounding victory today. The tens of thousands of soldiers who had followed him for years were certainly no less capable than their opponents. His smile slowly turned into sarcasm: "Your troops are not weak, but they are too few. Li Jun, Li Jun, now let's see if you are truly as cunning as Lu Xiang."
Wu Wei’s attention was once again focused on the enemy’s formation. The vast majority of the cavalry were deployed by Li Jun on the two flanks of the formation. What puzzled Wu Wei was that Li Jun did not distribute the armored cavalry and light cavalry equally, but instead placed the armored cavalry on the left and the light cavalry on the right.
"Why are they deploying like this? Could they be planning to use these two cavalry units to outflank and attack my flanks?" Wu Wei wondered to himself, but then dismissed the idea. Judging from the military formation, the Peace Army was two to three thousand fewer troops than him, making it unlikely that they would split their forces for a flanking maneuver. Moreover, even if they did, his soldiers should be able to break through the enemy lines before then. Just then, the Peace Army's formation suddenly began to shift.
Both sides beat their drums almost simultaneously. The two armies slowly approached each other, without charging, shouting, or even the neighing of warhorses. Apart from the rhythmic footsteps and the heavy drumbeats, there was almost no other sound on the battlefield.
Like two ferocious beasts closing in on each other, both armies halted before reaching each other's attack range, and the drumbeats subsided. Both sides were gathering strength for the impending bloody battle; the boulders on the catapults were already in place, and the sharp crossbows on the ballistae gleamed coldly against the snow-covered ground. Both sides' longbowmen had their arrows nocked, aiming high into the air—archers of their range didn't need to aim; all they had to do was fire arrows at the dense mass of enemies.
The snow began to fall heavier, turning from fluffy snowflakes into pear blossoms. Wu Wei took a breath and gazed at the vast sky. The sky was almost transparently gray, while the wind, swirling with snowflakes, roared and churned above the battlefield, seemingly urging the impending bloody battle to begin quickly.
"Kill them!"
It was unclear whether the angry shout originated from one side or from both sides simultaneously, but in that instant, Wu Wei's ears were ringing from the simultaneous roar of tens of thousands of people. He turned his gaze to the battlefield, and what appeared before him was a mass of dark gray specks.
It was as if millions of sparrows took flight at the same time, or as if billions of stars were falling head-on. The originally gray sky was instantly obscured by arrows and stones, and the battlefield seemed to be shrouded in darkness. Under this shadow of death, however, were soldiers from two armies charging at each other.
Catapults and ballistae, used for ranged attacks, were only effective before the two sides engaged in combat. Once the two armies clashed, they could no longer attack to avoid friendly fire. Therefore, the soldiers on both sides responsible for the catapults and ballistae put in their best effort, hoping to launch as many stones and crossbow bolts as possible in the shortest amount of time to inflict maximum damage on the enemy. However, when the two armies began their charge, they were already quite close. In just a few moments, the flying stones and crossbow bolts disappeared, and the battlefield suddenly opened up. But the soldiers on both sides had no time to observe this; they had already charged together amidst roars and cries of agony.
"They're using the Crescent Moon Formation!" As the two armies clashed, Wu Wei frowned. Amidst the seemingly chaotic charge, the Peace Army's formation had clearly undergone an unexpected change. The central army surged forward, while the left and right wings lagged behind, transforming the entire Peace Army's front line into a protruding crescent moon. Wu Wei immediately dismissed his earlier assumption that the Peace Army would attempt a flanking maneuver. Using the Crescent Moon Formation for a flanking maneuver would cover a distance more than twice that of the Wild Goose Formation. It seemed that Li Jun's placement of cavalry on the flanks was actually a cover for his intention to defend and counterattack with the Crescent Moon Formation.