Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 324 War

The Chu army camp was filled with jubilation. The imperial court had not only sent reinforcements but also brought rewards. Anyone who could kill either Liu Yu or Liu Daogui would be granted a title of nobility.

In this era, even a minor baron could create a significant gap between himself and those from humble backgrounds.

In addition to the generals, the soldiers also received rewards, each receiving a string of cash and a piece of cloth. They also received more than two thousand pigs and sheep as a reward for the entire army. After defeating the Northern Army, there were even greater rewards.

Huan Xuan went all out this time, eliminating Liu Yu, and Liu Daogui will surely be unable to hold out alone.

Yanzhou, sandwiched between various states, might be swallowed up by the Hu people even without Huan Xuan's intervention...

The soldiers distributed the money, slaughtered pigs and sheep, and laughed heartily.

Since the start of the war, there have been few such generous rewards. Most of the time, the soldiers have to go to the battlefield to seize them themselves. If they can't seize the enemy's rewards, they can only seize the refugees' and civilians' rewards.

Huan Chong, the Left Vice Minister of the Secretariat, said loudly, "His Majesty also said that if we win this battle, you will all be meritorious officials of the Chu Kingdom. General Fu will be appointed as the Left Guard General, General Feng as the General of Chariots and Cavalry, General Huangfu as the Governor of Ningzhou, and General of the Champion Army."

Establishing a government office means being able to build your own team, pass it down for one or two generations, and your family will enter the ranks of the gentry.

Huan Xuan gave everything he could, and everything he could give.

The more they valued Liu Yu in the past, the more they now fear him.

Currently, Liu Daogui in the north cannot be dealt with for the time being, so Liu Yu has become the key to the game. Killing him would break the morale of the Northern Army.

"I swear to serve His Majesty to the death!"

The generals and officers of the Western Army were overjoyed.

"Tonight we shall feast our soldiers, and tomorrow I shall lead my troops in a fierce attack on Xiangcheng!" Feng Gai was determined to obtain the reward of being ennobled.

Having been besieged for so long, Liu Yu must have reached a dead end.

The reason we hadn't been able to breach Xiangcheng before was simply because we hadn't put in our full strength.

"We vow to break through Xiangcheng and capture and kill Liu Yu!"

The soldiers were in high spirits.

But at that moment, the sound of war drums thundered.

As dusk settled and the evening wind blew, the drumbeats, though not rousing, blended in with the twilight, exuding a unique grandeur and desolation, deep and lingering, as if striking into the heart.

The Western Army soldiers in the camp all looked towards Xiangcheng.

The city gates were already open, and a group of armored soldiers slowly walked out, followed by several fierce generals from the Northern Army lined up in a row.

Some had only one eye, some carried broken axes, and some had disheveled hair, yet they showed no fear in the face of the thousands of troops from the Western Prefecture.

The leader's armor was stained dark red with blood, and he looked like a fierce tiger, silently gazing ahead.

"Oh no, Liu Yu is going to fight to the death!" Feng Gai had been fighting Liu Yu for a long time and had long since figured out the temperament of this fierce tiger.

As soon as he finished speaking, the drumbeats quickened, one after another, becoming increasingly lively.

A murderous aura swept across the land, and the warhorses in the camp neighed in fear.

The Western Army was still basking in the joy of the arrival of reinforcements and rewards, and their mindset had not yet adjusted, leaving them in a state of surprise and uncertainty.

"kill--"

The fierce generals of the Northern Army roared at the same time, and the Northern Army split into three, forming a triangular formation, raising their large shields and charging forward.

Their synchronized steps seemed poised to shatter the earth, their black armor blending into the twilight.

"How can the Northern Army still have such momentum?" Huan Chong's face was trembling.

Not only him, but even the soldiers of the Western Army were intimidated by this overwhelming killing intent.

Only an old general like Feng Gai remained calm and composed: "Where are the archers? Where are the spearmen? All units must not panic! Form ranks in the camp!"

However, assembling and arranging tens of thousands of troops is not an easy task.

It takes at least half an incense stick's time to convey military orders, and it also takes about half an hour for the soldiers to see the flags and assemble.

Feng Gai's military order caused even more chaos in the camp.

Fortunately, his troops had already assembled, and two thousand archers pressed forward, their arrows flying like locusts, densely raining down on the Northern Army.

But the results were minimal, and they were all pinned to the shield.

The Northern Army quickened its pace.

After two shots, the Northern Army had already reached the camp.

"Open!" Several burly men carrying large axes slashed wildly at the fence, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

"Take the spear!"

Fu Hong's thousand elite Di soldiers also assembled, wearing white sheepskin coats around their waists and carrying long spears, and charged forward.

The shields of the Northern Army suddenly flipped open, revealing powerful crossbows behind them. With a "whoosh," a thousand crossbows fired horizontally, causing screams of agony. At such close range, even iron armor could not completely withstand the attack.

More than a hundred elite Di soldiers fell instantly.

But this only fueled the ferocity of the other Di people, who charged forward fearlessly.

"fall!"

With a loud roar, Ding Wu, a fierce general from the Northern Army, cleaved through the fence.

Armored soldiers, carrying large shields, filed in and engaged in a fierce battle with the Di people.

When Beifu encountered the Di people, the sight of their armor and attire immediately ignited his jealousy, fueling both old and new grudges. It was as if a suppressed force within his bloodline was awakened, and he strode forward.

Two or three hundred men defeated a blockade of six or seven hundred men.

"Useless! Useless!" Huan Chong was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. He had come to issue an imperial edict, but unexpectedly he was drawn into a bloody battle.

Fu Hong's face turned ashen, yet he dared not refute.

At this moment, Feng led several thousand elite troops to hold the line and barely managed to stop the Northern Army's frenzied attack.

But by this time the palisade had been breached, and more and more Northern Army soldiers poured into the camp, hacking and slashing indiscriminately. Having too many troops became their weakness at this point.

Although the Western Army reacted, they could only surround the front camp and watch helplessly as the fighting raged within the camp.

"Liu Yu of the Northern Army is here! Enemy general, prepare to die!"

Amidst the flashing blades, a general, wielding a long sword in his left hand and a long-handled axe in his right, charged into the enemy ranks with six or seven Northern Army soldiers, slaying several men and sending blood and flesh flying everywhere.

Amidst the crisscrossing blades, not a single general could withstand their attack.

In the blink of an eye, they were in front of Feng Gai.

Almost everyone on the battlefield focused their attention on the two men. Feng Gai had followed the Huan family for more than 20 years, fighting in the north and south, and had made many military achievements. He had killed Emperor Aiping of the Former Qin, Fu Pi, and defeated Yang Quanqi, making great contributions to Huan Chu.

But faced with Liu Yu, who was as fierce as a mad tiger, he hesitated.

As a veteran who has fought on the battlefield for many years, he can tell at a glance who he can mess with and who he can't.

Only by living can the reward of being ennobled have meaning.

If you die, you're nothing but a handful of dust.

Of course, this cannot be entirely blamed on him. Liu Yu's reputation was too great, his prestige was renowned, and everyone in Jiangzuo knew him. In the Battle of Wu Commandery, he chased and killed a thousand men all by himself, and in the Battle of Suanshan, he was simply awe-inspiring.

"Charge!" Feng Gai roared at his men.

The troop was taken aback, but still rushed forward as usual.

More than thirty armored soldiers surrounded Liu Yu and six or seven men.

Liu Yu laughed loudly: "The four generals of the Western Army are nothing but rats!"

On the left was Meng Longfu, on the right was Ding Wu. Blood splattered everywhere. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, more than thirty armored soldiers were cut down and their bodies piled up into a small heap.

However, because of the resistance of these thirty-odd armored soldiers, more and more Xifu troops rushed in and protected Feng Gai in the formation.

Liu Yu stepped onto the pile of corpses, looking down at the Chu army that had surrounded them from all sides. "Who else is there?"

Wherever their eyes fell, the Western Army dared not advance, but they did not retreat either.

"This... could it be that the Overlord has been resurrected? With such an invincible force, what can be done?" Huan Chong was dumbfounded. Today he finally understood why Huan Xuan was so wary of Liu Yu.

If three thousand soldiers are like this, what would happen if there were thirty thousand or one hundred thousand? Wouldn't they sweep across the world?

Not only was he brave and invincible, but the other generals of the Northern Army were also incredibly fierce and valiant.

Often, a few hundred men can defeat an attack by thousands.

Huangfu Fu angrily said, "Hmph, Liu Yu is just a petty man. Now he is surrounded and killed!"

Although Liu Yu was incredibly brave and invincible, he was unable to break through the Xifu camp due to the tenacious resistance of Feng Gai and Fu Hong. The Xifu army did not collapse, but its morale was somewhat low.

Instead, the more than three thousand Northern Army soldiers were completely surrounded.

Huan Chong was overjoyed upon hearing this, "General Huangfu is absolutely right!"

"We can allow the elite troops to rest and recuperate, while using the weaker troops to wear down their strength and morale!"

The Huangfu clan originated from Anding County and was one of the martial clans of Guanzhong. During the Han Dynasty, they also produced famous generals such as Huangfu Gui and Huangfu Song. After the fall of the Di-Qin regime, Huangfu Fu led refugees out of the pass and sought refuge in the Jin Dynasty, joining the Huan family.

Huangfu Fu's martial prowess was undoubtedly formidable, as he was able to lead his clan out of the war-torn Guanzhong region.

"You are in command of the entire army!" Huan Chong ordered his men to bring the command flag and insignia.

Huangfu Fu readily accepted the order, saying, "Light the torches and beat the war drums!"

In a short while, the fire blazed brightly, turning the night into day, and the sound of war drums shook the heavens and the earth.

The morale of the Western Army was boosted when they saw the large banner bearing the character "Chu" in the distance.

However, they still could not withstand the onslaught of the Northern Army.

The three infantry formations formed a triangular shape, with Liu Yu leading elite armored soldiers in front, the Shen brothers, Tianzi and Linzi, leading spearmen on the left, and Xiang Jing and Kuai En leading swordsmen and shieldmen on the right.

They rely on each other and cooperate seamlessly.

The Western Army was caught off guard and has yet to recover.

"Left Battalion Commander, stand still with your spear in formation. Anyone who retreats even one step will be executed!" Huangfu Fu waved his command flag, pointing to the left.

The Northern Army had not yet attacked, but he had already anticipated their intentions.

Long spears were raised, but they still could not stop Liu Yu's fierce attack, and the soldiers were killed and scattered.

Undeterred, Huangfu Fu ordered, "The Di soldiers with swords and shields, block the north!"

The great banner was waved to the north, and Fu Hong, who was in the formation, immediately led the four thousand Qiang and Di swordsmen and shieldmen who had gathered to charge to the north.

"Archers, advance!"

"The four military academies of the Central Army are blocking the west..."

Inside the camp, the Northern Army was still charging left and right, still unstoppable, killing many, but it was obviously not as easy to break through the formation as before.

On the contrary, under Huangfu Fu's command, the Western Army gradually recovered its morale and, with its superior numbers, continuously wore down the Northern Army.

After an hour of fierce fighting, the Northern Army was clearly exhausted.

If it were cavalry, Huangfufu's tactics would be hard to work, but the Northern Army were all infantry, relying entirely on their two legs. After such a long battle, even if they were as brave as tigers, their strength was exhausted.

"Hahaha, the situation is settled, the tiger is now a trapped beast!" Although Huan Chong was Huan Chong's son, his appearance and physique were similar to Huan Xuan's. He was also as fat as a ball, and when he laughed, his eyes were blocked by his fat.

Huangfu Fu glanced at the battlefield, his face trembling slightly.

The Chu army camp was now a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, with at least five thousand soldiers killed and countless wounded.

Even though this battle wiped out Liu Yu, it also crippled the elite troops of the Western Army...

(End of this chapter)