Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Chapter 102 No king surpasses a tyrant, no general surpasses a Li.

Li Keyong, having removed his armor and wearing only his undergarments, leaped into the Hutuo River.

Although it was summer, the river water was still icy cold.

Li Keyong had been fighting for half a day, his body steaming with heat and his clothes soaked with sweat. Now, when he suddenly encountered cold water, his muscles contracted abruptly, and his legs felt as if they were being pricked by thousands of needles, causing him unbearable pain.

He struggled to paddle twice, but then felt his legs stiffen like wood and could no longer exert any strength. He suddenly sank down and choked on water.

He only had time to scream "Help!" before half of his body was swallowed by the river. He frantically thrashed his hands at the water's surface, about to sink.

On the shore, the valiant young man, seeing this, was frantic with worry. He grabbed Li Sizhao's arm, who was about to go into the water, and shouted, "Sizhao! Father's legs are weak, and he's already sunk! You're a better swimmer than me, quickly go into the water and save him! I'll lead the soldiers here to hold off the pursuers!"

Li Sizhao's face turned pale, and he said, "Cunxiao, if I leave, how will you manage alone—"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Cunxiao shoved him hard and shouted, "Stop nagging! I'm not good at swimming. Even if I went into the river, I might not be able to get to the other side by myself, let alone carry my father!"

If you hesitate any longer, your father will drown in the Hutuo River!

Upon hearing this shout, Li Sizhao was startled and, disregarding everything else, rushed to the riverbank. With the help of several soldiers, he hurriedly removed his armor, leaving only his undergarments, and leaped into the river.

The river is swift and turbulent, with hidden currents.

After entering the water, Li Sizhao took a deep breath and plunged down. After groping around in the water for a while, he finally touched Li Keyong's arm.

Overjoyed, he quickly reached out and lifted Li Keyong out of the water, bringing his mouth and nose above the surface.

Li Keyong choked on water, his face turned pale, his eyes were closed, but he was still breathing. However, he was completely exhausted, his limbs limp and hanging on Li Sizhao, without any strength to struggle.

Li Sizhao dared not delay, and carried Li Keyong to swim to the other side.

But he was short, while Li Keyong was tall and strong. When Li Keyong was on his back, it was like a small mountain pressing down on him, making it almost impossible for him to lift his head.

He could only desperately kick his legs and paddle with all his might, inching his way toward the other side.

The river water was icy cold and the current was swift, making every step forward extremely difficult, while the shouts of battle and the sound of horses' hooves behind them grew closer and closer.

On the shore, Li Cunxiao watched the two men enter the water before turning around, mounting his horse, raising his spear, and shouting to the dozens of soldiers beside him, "Go! Draw away the pursuers!"

Having said that, he spurred his horse and led the soldiers northward.

He had only run a few dozen steps when he was met by a group of routed remnants of the Crow Army. Their faces were filled with panic, and upon seeing Li Cunxiao, they waved their hands frantically, hissing, "You can't go north! There are Tang cavalry to the north!"

Li Cunxiao reined in his horse, his face darkened, and he turned the horse around and galloped south.

But fleeing soldiers also surged in from the south, shouting, "Tang cavalry are coming from the south too!"

Li Cunxiao reined in his horse and looked around. To the east was the Hutuo River, and to the west, south, and north were billowing dust and waves of fleeing soldiers.

For a time, they couldn't find a single opening to break through.

Anxious, he turned his horse around and returned to the spot where Li Keyong had crossed the river, looking up at the water.

Li Sizhao, carrying Li Keyong, managed to swim only three or five zhang (approximately 10-15 meters) away.

The two bobbed and sank in the river, their speed slowing down to that of a tortoise struggling in the water.

Li Sizhao was short in stature and was almost completely submerged by Li Keyong. He could only desperately kick his legs to keep himself afloat, then his body gradually sank, only to rise again with difficulty, then sink again, then rise again—

It felt as if it could be swept away by the rapids at any moment.

Li Cunxiao felt a chill in his heart. He gripped his spear tightly, his tiger-like eyes wide open, and his gaze swept over the growing number of defeated soldiers on the riverbank, numbering about a thousand, each with a deathly pale face.

Some were panting heavily, some had dropped their weapons and collapsed to the ground, and some were taking off their armor, preparing to follow Li Keyong and jump into the river to escape.

Li Cunxiao shouted sternly, "My men! Form ranks with me! Hold off the pursuers! Buy the general the time to cross the river!"

But his voice was drowned out in the chaos; none of the fleeing soldiers responded to him, like a flock of startled birds scattered beyond repair.

Only the dozens of Crow Army soldiers around him still gripped their weapons tightly, surrounding him with stern eyes.

The sound of horses' hooves grew closer and closer, pressing down like muffled thunder.

With the enemy surrounded on three sides, they are now trapped like turtles in a jar.

The Tang cavalry charged forward, shouting in unison, "Those who surrender will be spared! Those who abandon their troops will not be killed!"

The shouts echoed like waves, one after another, reverberating along the riverbank.

Upon hearing this, the routed soldiers on the shore, as if granted a pardon, threw down their weapons, raised their hands above their heads, knelt down, and repeatedly shouted, "We surrender! We surrender!"

In an instant, the clanging and clattering of soldiers falling into the air filled the air. Swords, spears, bows and arrows, and shields were scattered all over the ground, and a dark mass of people knelt down on the shore.

However, among those kneeling figures, there were still more than a dozen people standing.

They surrounded a warhorse, on which sat a young general, holding a long spear, his eyes wide with anger, broad-shouldered and burly, exceptionally brave and valiant.

It was Li Cunxiao.

Although the dozen or so soldiers beside him were pale-faced, they still gripped their weapons tightly and refused to put them down.

Li Cenji rode out first from the cavalry coming from the west, reined in his horse at the front of the formation, and saw in the distance the kneeling defeated soldiers and the dozen or so figures still standing tall.

The two men faced each other from two or three hundred paces apart. Li Cunxiao took a deep breath, held his spear horizontally in front of him, and shouted sharply, "Li Cunxiao is here! Why doesn't Li Cenji surrender?!"

Having said that, he disregarded the surrendered soldiers kneeling all over the ground in front of him, spurred his horse and charged straight ahead. His horse's hooves trampled over the fleeing soldiers who were lying on the ground begging for surrender, knocking them off balance and causing screams to rise and fall.

Seeing his fierce approach, the fleeing soldiers quickly made way for him, clearing a path for him.

Seeing that he was unwilling to surrender and was so young, Li Cenji knew that he must be one of Li Keyong's adopted sons. He was about to step forward to persuade him to surrender when he suddenly saw the figure announce his name and then charge out like a tiger.

He paused for a moment, then a look of understanding appeared in his eyes.

So it was Li Cunxiao!

He had naturally heard of this name; it was one of the protagonists in the historical novel, known as "No king surpasses Ba, no general surpasses Li."

He had initially thought that this statement was merely a later addition, but now that he had seen it with his own eyes, it truly did possess the air of a valiant general.

His guards hurriedly spurred their horses forward, intending to shield him behind them, but Li Cenji raised his hand to stop them, saying loudly, "No need! Since the bandit general wants to fight, how can I refuse?"

Having said that, he spurred his horse, and the yellow horse neighed loudly as it rode towards Li Cunxiao.

The two horses galloped at full speed, and when they were only a dozen paces apart, Li Cenji's long spear shot out like a dragon emerging from its cave, aiming straight for Li Cunxiao's face.

Li Cunxiao was not to be outdone. He parried with his spear, and with a loud clang, the two weapons collided violently, sparks flying everywhere.

The two horses passed each other, each galloping for more than ten paces before reining in their horses, turning around, and charging at each other again.

They fought back and forth like this for five or six rounds.

Li Cenji felt that this person's moves were highly skilled, and the speed and precision of his attacks were unprecedented in his life. If it weren't for his own strength being far superior to his, he would probably have been defeated long ago.

But he also saw through Li Cunxiao's weakness:

With each parry, Li Cunxiao avoided the opponent's strength and used skillful techniques to deflect their force, never directly confronting the spear's edge, clearly knowing that he was no match for Li Cunxiao's strength.

Indeed, as he saw, Li Cunxiao's tiger's mouth was throbbing with pain, and his arms were trembling slightly.

With each spear strike, he felt as if he had been struck by a mountain, his chest heaving with blood and qi. If it weren't for the skillful technique and agility he had honed over a decade, he would have been knocked off his horse long ago.

He inwardly groaned:

This person's strength is simply beyond human capability.

Just as I was pondering this, the two horses passed each other again.

Li Cenji thrust his spear forward, but Li Cunxiao used the same tactic again, dodging to the side and deflecting the spear's tip with his long spear.

Seeing his spear miss its mark, Li Cenji remained calm. He simply spun the end of the spear and thrust out with a sudden "returning spear" strike. The spear's edge was as sharp as lightning, but it did not harm anyone; it was aimed directly at the hind legs of Li Cunxiao's warhorse.

Li Cunxiao was shocked. He tried to block, but it was too late. The spear tip grazed the horse's hoof with a crisp sound.

The warhorse's hind hooves broke off, and with a mournful cry, it collapsed forward.

Li Cunxiao was thrown out and crashed heavily to the ground, rolling twice. Dust choked his nose and mouth, and his whole body ached as if it were falling apart.

Li Cenji reined in his horse, hung his long spear on the saddle, dismounted, strode up to Li Cunxiao, looked down at him, and laughed, "General Li, shall we fight again?"

Li Cunxiao thought to himself, "My father hasn't reached the shore yet. If we admit defeat now, the Tang army will definitely cross the river to pursue us—I must delay a little longer."

He wiped the sand from his face and said firmly, "Fight! Why wouldn't we fight?"

As he spoke, he struggled to his feet, leaning on his spear, but did not attack. Seeing that Li Cenji was not carrying a lance, he threw his spear to the ground and pounced on Li Cenji with his bare hands.

The two then began to fight on the riverbank, throwing punches and kicks at each other.

Li Cenji's power was heavy, but his moves were not sophisticated; they were just ordinary boxing techniques used in the army. Therefore, his moves were often dodged or parried by his opponent just as they were about to hit.

Li Cunxiao was as agile as an ape.

He did not seek victory, but only to delay, so he kept dodging and weaving, and when he did attack, it was only a feint before retreating.

Li Cenji was getting annoyed by this kind of pointless competition and didn't intend to waste any more time.

He happened to spot an opening and saw an opportunity, so he pressed forward and took two punches from Li Cunxiao to the chest. Taking advantage of the moment when Li Cunxiao was exhausted and his arms could not be pulled back in time, he suddenly reached out with both hands, his ten fingers like iron hooks grabbing Li Cunxiao's arms. With a twist and pull, the two became entangled like two knotted ropes and began to struggle.

Li Cunxiao was already weaker than Li Cenji, and after just a few rounds, his arms were already weak from the shock.

He fell again, his whole body aching, and he was no match for Li Cenji's fierce fighting.

He felt an overwhelming force pressing down on him, and he stumbled as Li Cenji swept his leg and knocked him to the ground. His back slammed heavily onto the sand, making him dizzy and almost unable to catch his breath.

He tried to struggle to get up, but Li Cenji grabbed his belt and lifted him off the ground like a chick, raising him above his head.

Li Cenji held up Li Cunxiao and looked around. The defeated soldiers who had knelt down all looked up at this scene, their faces full of horror.

He looked up at Li Cunxiao, whom he was holding in his arms, and laughed, "Do you submit?"

Li Cunxiao closed his eyes and remained silent.

He knew in his heart that he had done his best.

But to ask him to say "I'm convinced" in public is something he would never say, even if he were beaten to death.

So he simply closed his eyes and pretended to be dead, without making a sound.

Seeing his appearance, Li Cenji couldn't help but laugh. He stopped pressuring him, put him down, and handed him to the guard beside him, instructing, "Keep a close watch on him and don't humiliate him."

The guards stepped forward and tied Li Cunxiao's arms behind his back with ropes.

Li Cunxiao didn't struggle. He just opened his eyes, took one last look at the opposite bank of the river, and then lowered his head.

Seeing that Li Cunxiao had been captured and there was no longer any worry for the Tang army, they swarmed forward and surrounded all the defeated soldiers kneeling and surrendering on the riverbank.

Weapons were first confiscated, then the individuals were searched to confirm that no one was hiding a sharp weapon. Only then were they driven one by one to a low-lying area for centralized guard.

The defeated soldiers were quite obedient; they all hung their heads and squatted obediently on the ground. A few of them tried to look up, but were glared at by the guards and shrank back down.

Li Cenji rode his horse slowly around the prisoners, his gaze sweeping over their ashen faces.

He reined in his horse, dismounted, and casually pointed to a few prisoners who seemed relatively docile. He called them to his side and asked, "I ask you: Where is your commander, Li Keyong? Tell me the truth, and I will not punish you."

The prisoners who were called out looked at each other, their lips moving, but none of them dared to speak first.

They were all soldiers in the Crow Army. Although they had surrendered, they still cherished some old friendships and were unwilling to betray their commander.

However, among the prisoners, a man dressed in a different uniform suddenly raised his head, gestured towards the river, and shouted, "General! I know! That scoundrel Li Keyong is swimming in the river! We saw him jump in when we retreated from the south, and he's swimming to the other side now!"

Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao, who had been feigning death with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and struggled to free his hands, which were bound behind his back.

He glared angrily and shouted, "You treacherous scoundrel! You once received a general's salary, how dare you betray your lord for personal gain!"

The man, however, showed no fear. Instead, he sneered, his voice filled with long-suppressed resentment: "Treason for personal gain? I'd like to ask, has Li Keyong ever treated us like human beings? He always feeds you crows the best food and drink, bestows money and silk upon you, while we, the garrison of Guoxian, are treated like stepchildren. We receive no rewards, and our rations are often insufficient. We were dragged into battle unwillingly this time. And let me tell you, when the Tang cavalry charged, we Guoxian soldiers were the first to collapse! But, the fact that I, your grandfather, have charged into battle for Li Keyong this time is already a fair share of his rations!"

Li Cunxiao's face turned pale and then red after hearing his words. He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself speechless.

Li Keyong indeed never treated the troops stationed in places like Guoxian and Daixian with any special favor.

Their pay and rations were often delayed, and they never received any rewards.

However, this was not because Li Keyong was deliberately mistreating them. It was simply because the treasury was really empty. If the imperial court hadn't allocated some rewards before the new year, even the Crow Army would probably be eating dirt by now.

These words, spoken by the other party, were barbed and piercing, instantly venting most of the anger in his heart, like a punctured husk.

He remained silent for a moment, lowered his head, sighed deeply, and said nothing more.

Li Cenji glanced at the man, nodded, and without saying anything more, instructed the guards beside him: "Untie him, give him some silver later, and let him return home."

The man was overjoyed and repeatedly kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, General! Thank you, General!"

Li Cenji ignored him and turned to stride toward the river.

The guards behind him hurriedly followed, and Li Cunxiao, who was bound, was also pushed and shoved by two guards, staggering behind them.

Upon reaching the riverbank, Li Cenji shaded his eyes with his hand and squinted as he gazed at the center of the river.

The Hutuo River flows swiftly, and a hundred or so meters away, there is indeed a blurry figure bobbing up and down in the water.

Upon closer inspection, there were two paths, because the person below was short and his entire head was submerged under the water, only occasionally revealing half of his face when he needed to breathe.

The person above was lying on the back of the person below, with their arms limply resting on the other's shoulders. They were clearly exhausted and didn't even have the strength to lift their arms.

Two figures were slowly moving towards the opposite bank, no more than twenty or thirty meters away from the shore.

Li Cenji stared for a moment, then suddenly turned to look at Li Cunxiao, who was bound beside him, and laughed, "Is that man carrying Li Keyong down there a man from your Daibei? How come he can't even swim across the river?"

Li Cunxiao, who had been keeping his head down and remaining silent, raised his head upon hearing this, and was taken aback: "General, what makes you say this?"

Li Cenji pointed towards the river: "Look at him: The Hutuo River is swift. If you want to cross it, you should first drift downstream for a while, then use the current to swim diagonally to the other side. This would save energy and help you avoid being pursued. But he insists on swimming straight across the current—no matter how short he is, carrying someone taller than him, even a nimble sailor wouldn't last long with that kind of swimming style. He's carrying someone on top, and he can barely breathe. It's quite remarkable that he's managed to last this long."

He shook his head. "This man is not good at swimming. It makes sense that men from the Daibei region are skilled in riding and archery but not in swimming."

Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao was taken aback. He glanced in the direction Li Cenji was pointing before realizing, "The general is right—he is from Fenzhou and can swim, but he can't be considered a good swimmer."

He paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "He risked his life to carry his father this far."

Li Cenji didn't delay any longer and shouted, "Li Keyong! Stop! I'll fire arrows if you go any further!"

A dozen or so loud-voiced soldiers behind him shouted in unison, "Li Keyong! Stop! If you don't stop, we'll fire!"

The shouts echoed through the valley, reaching as far as the heart of the river.

Li Keyong was lying on Li Sizhao's back, hearing only the sound of the wind and water. Suddenly, he heard shouts from the Tang army on the shore. He turned around and saw that Li Cenji had led his troops to form a battle formation on the shore. He immediately knew that something was wrong.

But he wouldn't stop.

He whispered to Li Sizhao, "Don't stop! Swim quickly! It'll be safe once you reach the other side!"

Li Sizhao gritted his teeth and paddled with all his might, his speed increasing rather than decreasing.

Seeing this, Li Cenji didn't say anything more, but simply waved his hand behind him: "Bring me the bow!"

A soldier handed him a sturdy bow. Li Cenji took the bow, but remembering that his archery skills weren't very good, he released it.

He then said to the soldiers beside him, "I don't need to do it myself. Summon thirty archers and fire a volley of arrows into the river. Don't aim too precisely; just shoot at the water in front of him to scare him."

Thirty archers stepped forward, drew their bows, and pointed their arrows diagonally at the center of the river.

Li Cenji waved his hand: "Release!"

Thirty arrows whistled through the twilight sky and fell into the water in front of Li Keyong, splashing up droplets like raindrops on lotus leaves.

Several of the arrows missed their mark and struck Li Keyong squarely in the back.

With two muffled "plop" sounds, Li Keyong's body trembled violently, but he gritted his teeth and didn't cry out. He buried his face in Li Sizhao's shoulder and said in a hoarse voice, "Don't stop—swim, swim faster!"

Li Sizhao naturally felt the sound of two arrows piercing his flesh in his back. His heart tightened, but he dared not turn around to look. He just paddled desperately, his legs kicking so hard they almost cramped.

What he couldn't see was that Li Keyong had two arrows stuck in his back, the arrow fletching in the water, blood seeping from the wounds, spreading dark red patches on the river surface, which were quickly washed away by the current.

Li Cenji watched from the shore, then called out again, "Shout it one more time! Make him stop!"

The soldiers shouted in unison again, "Li Keyong! Stop! Those who surrender will be spared!"

But the two figures in the river continued their journey, and were now only a dozen steps away from the opposite bank.

Li Cenji's expression darkened slightly, and he waved his hand again: "Let's fire another round!"

The archers drew their bows again and fired another volley.

This time, Li Keyong was hit in the back by another arrow. He suddenly stiffened, his hands slipped off Li Sizhao's shoulders, and he sank into the water.

Li Sizhao was startled to find the weight on his back had lightened. He quickly reached back and grabbed Li Keyong, supporting him again. With his last bit of strength, he paddled and pushed off the ground as he rushed toward the shore.

Finally, Li Sizhao's feet touched the shallow water on the opposite bank.

He staggered and dragged Li Keyong onto the reeds by the riverbank, then collapsed into the reeds himself.

Under the cover of the reeds, he was finally able to gasp for breath, his whole body soaked and his limbs aching as if they were falling apart.

Li Keyong lay beside him, three arrows embedded in his back, a horrifying sight. The arrowheads were deeply embedded in his flesh, and blood flowed down the shafts, staining the sand beneath him red.

Seeing that he could no longer see the other side from the opposite bank, Li Cenji turned to his guards and said, "Order: gather the prisoners, count the casualties, and send men to cross the river downstream to scout. If Li Keyong is still alive, tell him that I am waiting for him to come and talk."

The soldier accepted the order and left.

Li Cenji glanced at the opposite bank again before mounting his horse and turning it around.

Behind them, the Hutuo River continued its eastward flow, carrying the blood and water with it into the distance.

On the opposite bank of the river, Li Sizhao was struggling to sit up, his hands trembling as he tried to pull the arrows out of Li Keyong's back. With each arrow he pulled out, Li Keyong would groan, but he never opened his eyes.

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