Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Li Cenji did not linger in the fight. Seeing that the battle was under control, he put away his double hammers, wiped the blood off his face, and retreated back to Zheng Tian's side on the hilltop.

He casually placed the pair of golden maces at his feet, thick blood still dripping from their heads, leaving two small dark red stains on the yellow earth.

Zheng Tian sat upright on his horse, his hand on the hilt of his sword, gazing at the sea of ​​people below the hill, his expression remaining calm.

Li Cenji clasped his hands and said:

"General, I have successfully completed my mission."

Zheng Tian nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the man's blood-splattered gleaming armor, then at the pair of golden maces on the ground. A hint of approval flashed in his eyes, but he only said indifferently:

"Let's take a break; there are still tough battles to fight."

Li Cenji responded, stepped aside, took a water bag from a soldier and drank a few mouthfuls, but kept his eyes fixed on the movements of the rebels below the hill.

……

Meanwhile, Shang Rang, stationed on a mound in his own camp, gazed into the distance at the high ground of Longwei Pond.

Just now, under Shi Meng's leadership, Lao Ying charged up the hill in one go and was about to tear a gap in the Tang army's line. He was very pleased with himself.

But after waiting for a long time, instead of receiving news of the Tang army's defeat and the fall of the commander's banner, they saw that the old camp's formation was actually retreating.

The thousands of elite troops on that high hill were driven down by less than two thousand remnants of the Tang army.

Shang Rang's dark face instantly flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead. He slammed his riding whip to the ground and shouted angrily:

"Useless! All of you are useless! Five thousand against two thousand, and you still got driven back! Where's Shi Meng? Where the hell has Shi Meng gone?!"

The officers on either side looked at each other, none of them daring to answer.

Shang Rang grabbed the reins and prepared to ride into battle himself.

A young general in his early thirties beside him reacted quickly and grabbed his horse's reins; it was none other than Lin Yan, the commander of the central army.

Lin Yan was Huang Chao's nephew. He had a dark face and a short beard, but among the many rough and tough generals in the camp, he was considered a steady and reliable person.

He clasped his hands in greeting and said:

"Grand Commandant, please calm your anger! You are the commander-in-chief of the three armies; how can you risk your life so lightly? If something were to happen to you, how would the army be commanded? This humble general is willing to take your place in battle and capture that old scoundrel Zheng Tian!"

Shang Rang stared at him, his chest heaving a few times, but he didn't answer immediately.

Lin Yan then said:

"While I am not as strong as Shi Meng, my martial arts skills are not bad. Moreover, I am the nephew of the King of Huang. If the brothers in the old camp see even the King of Huang's nephew personally taking to the battlefield, how can they possibly back down? Grand Commandant, please stay here and oversee things. I will bring you Zheng Tian's head!"

After listening, Shang Rang pondered for a moment and realized that Lin Yan's words made sense.

He is the commander-in-chief of the three armies. If anything happens to him, the battle will be completely lost.

Moreover, Lin Yan was Huang Chao's nephew, a position that carried considerable weight in the army. When he said he would personally lead the charge, those retired veterans, if they still had a shred of shame, dared not retreat any further.

Shang Rang nodded and said in a deep voice:

"Very well! You will go in my place. Take another five thousand troops from your own forces and send them all up. Tell the brothers at the front that I am here watching them. If you don't take Longwei Slope today, don't come back to see me!"

Lin Yan clasped his hands in response:

"Understood!" He mounted his horse and went to muster the troops.

Before long, the rebels' rear ranks sounded their horns.

Lin Yan personally led 5,000 troops out of the central army camp, bypassed the vanguard, and surged toward the high ground of Longweipo in a dark mass.

The arrival of this new force immediately stabilized the old soldiers who were retreating from the front lines.

Shouts came from the rebel ranks, driving the retreating soldiers back into battle.

The rebels' offensive intensified once again, like another giant wave crashing down on the Tang army's positions.

From the top of the hill, Li Cenji saw all of this clearly.

Another large banner appeared in the rebel ranks, bearing the character "Lin". The men surrounding the banner were clearly armed and in well-organized formation, undoubtedly a fresh force.

He felt a chill run down his spine and whispered to Zheng Tian:

"General, the enemy army has been reinforced."

Zheng Tian squinted, stared for a moment, and slowly nodded.

The rebel reinforcements, along with the old camp and vanguard that had been forced to retreat, covered the entire mountainside with a dense mass of heads, like ants, covering the eastern slope of Longweipi.

After the Tang army's lines contracted, the area in front of this hill was much more spacious than before. However, there were still too many rebel soldiers, and they were still packed together, foot to foot, so densely packed that it was difficult to even turn around.

The steep slopes on both sides were very difficult to climb, but with their numerical advantage, the rebel soldiers climbed up one by one using their hands and feet. For every one who fell, two others would take their place, and they managed to form a crooked human ladder on the steep slope.

Looking around, the hillsides were covered with rebel flags and flashing swords, and the shouts of battle made the earthen mounds beneath our feet tremble slightly.

Zheng Tian withdrew his gaze, his expression calm and composed.

He looked up at the sky; the sun had already moved slightly westward from its zenith, casting a long shadow over Longwei Weir.

He silently calculated the time in his mind; nearly half an hour had passed since the rebels launched their attack.

That's enough, the troops on both flanks should be in position by now.

He raised his hand to summon the messenger, his voice low but steady:

"Pass down the order: beat the drums."

The messenger was taken aback, but quickly realized what was happening. An barely suppressed excitement welled up on his face, and he clasped his hands in a fist salute, shouting loudly:

"Yes, sir!"

He mounted his horse and galloped towards the rear of the formation like the wind.

However, a moment later, a deep, muffled drumbeat suddenly sounded from behind the hill.

Thirty to fifty large drums sounded simultaneously.

The thumping sounds, like muffled thunder, rolled out from behind the hill, layer upon layer, making the ground tremble and causing the blood in one's chest to surge.

The drumbeats pierced through the shouts of battle, the clash of swords and spears, and all other noises, pouring directly into the ears of everyone on the battlefield.

This is the order for the Tang army's ambush.

As the drumbeats subsided, deafening battle cries suddenly erupted from both the east and west sides of Longwei Weir.

Limited by the terrain, the rebel army was arrayed along the official road, like a snake in Changshan. The old camp that was fiercely attacking the hill on the east side of Longweipo was the snake's head, while Shang Rang, who was watching from below the hill, was at the snake's neck.

In the dense forest just over a mile north of the rebel army's main camp, the elite troops of the two garrisons, led by Cheng Zongchu, the military governor of Jingyuan, and Qiu Gongyu, the military commissioner of Qinzhou, who had quietly made their way there, pounced on the rebel army's main camp like tigers released from their cages.

Between the reeds and shallow ditches to the south, the ambushes of Li Xiaochang, the military governor of Fuyan, and Tuoba Sigong, the military governor of Xiazhou, launched a simultaneous attack, heading straight for the front lines of the rebel army.

Two ambushes, one in the north and one in the south.

One was cut in the waist, the other was severed in the neck.

Like two giant iron pincers, clamping down hard forward.

-----------------

Shang Rang stopped his horse on the mound, intently watching the battle on the high ridge of Longweipo, when suddenly he heard a rumbling drumbeat coming from the ridge.

The drumbeats were faint at first, but soon rolled in like muffled thunder, making the ground beneath our feet tremble slightly.

Shang Rang frowned and listened carefully. He felt that the drum sound was exceptionally loud, and it was definitely not the cheering drum of an ordinary battle. It seemed as if dozens of large drums were beating at the same time.

"What trick is that old scoundrel Zheng Tian up to now?"

Shang Rang muttered something to himself and was about to send someone to investigate when he heard shouts of battle coming from the direction of the lake to the south. As the reeds swayed, four large banners were erected. The two banners on the left were inscribed with "Fuyan Jiedushi" and "Li", while the two banners on the right were inscribed with "Xiazhou Jiedushi" and "Tuoba".

Shang Rang's heart sank. Just as he was ordering his officers and dispatching the vanguard to defend, he saw a scout galloping up from behind. The rider's forehead was bleeding, and his voice was distorted.

"Grand Commandant! Tang troops have ambushed us in the dense forest to the north, heading straight for our central army. In the ensuing chaos, their numbers are countless, and they have already engaged our central force!"

Shang Rang's mind went blank for a moment.

He suddenly turned his head and looked at the two banners that were still fluttering in the wind on the high hill of Longweipi. In that instant, he understood everything.

They fell for the trap.

The smug look on his face had vanished, replaced by a grimace, veins throbbing on his forehead, and his knuckles white as he gripped the whip.

The officers on either side changed their expressions upon hearing the news, all looking at him and waiting for him to make a decision.

Shang Rang, being a veteran general with ten years of experience in warfare, remained calm despite his initial shock.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his eyes had regained some clarity.

At this moment, he was faced with only two paths.

One option is to hold off the Tang army's ambush at all costs, allowing the old camp and Lin Yan's five thousand central army troops to launch a full-scale attack on Longweibei High Ground.

If Zheng Tian's head can be cut off before the front and middle lines are completely broken, the Tang army's ambush will collapse without a fight. At that time, our side will occupy the high ground and be in a commanding position. How can those two ambushes possibly attack us?

The other option is to retreat quickly before the escape route is completely cut off.

The rear guard turned into the front guard, and the front guard turned into the rear guard. The old camp's remnants and Lin Yan's five thousand fresh troops covered the rear, fighting and retreating, trying to save as many as they could.

Shang Rang looked up at the high hill of Longweipi.

Although the mound is not very high, it stretches across the official road, making the terrain tricky.

Several thousand elite troops attacked for half an hour, changing three groups of men, and even the old camp was wiped out inside, but they still couldn't cut down the commander's banner.

Now that the ambushes on both flanks have been deployed, the morale of the Tang army is high, and the defenders on the high ground are becoming increasingly secure... Can we take it down if we attack again?

Shang Rang gritted his teeth, swallowed his resentment, and gave the order in a hoarse voice.

"withdraw."

That single word seemed to have exhausted all his strength.

He turned abruptly and shouted at the messenger:

"Pass down the order: the rear guard will become the vanguard, and the vanguard will become the rear guard. Fight and retreat simultaneously, do not linger in battle. Lin Yan is ordered to lead his troops and the remnants of the old camp to cover the rear, and must hold off the pursuing Tang army to cover the main force's retreat!"

The messenger responded loudly, mounted his horse, and galloped away.

Shang Rang then summoned one of his bodyguards and lowered his voice, saying:

"Go and deliver another message to Commander Lin—say that it is what I said: if things are not going to work out, take your personal guards and leave first, and don't worry about the rearguard and the troops."

The soldier was taken aback and looked up at Shang Rang.

Shang Rang's face was ashen, a hint of shame flashing in his eyes that was barely perceptible to others, and he said in a deep voice:

"My failure to take Zheng Tian's head this time was due to my underestimation of the enemy and reckless advance; the defeat is also my fault. Losses in the army can be regrouped, but if Lin Yan falls here… he is the Yellow King's nephew, how can I face the Yellow King in return? Go now!"

The soldier dared not ask any more questions, mounted his horse, and galloped off towards the front lines like the wind.

On the eastern slope of Longweipi, the rebel front, which was fighting fiercely in front of the mountain, was thrown into chaos once again.

The veteran soldiers had just been driven back up the hill, and their morale was already low. Now, hearing the deafening battle cries from both flanks and the news that Tang ambushes had cut off their retreat, they had no will to fight.

They looked at each other in bewilderment, and their steps involuntarily began to retreat.

When Lin Yan heard that there were ambushes coming from behind, he was also startled. However, as Huang Chao's nephew, he had been trained in the army for many years and knew that if he lost his composure at this moment, he would be doomed.

He shouted sternly at the front-line swordsmen and shieldmen to hold their ground and retreat while fighting.

Just then, Shang Rang's messenger arrived on horseback and delivered the order to retreat.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yan felt unwilling, but he also understood that he would not be able to take Longweibei today.

He immediately ordered the vanguard to provide alternating cover and retreat in stages.

However, as he was giving instructions, he suddenly caught a glimpse of something strange out of the corner of his eye.

The Tang infantry, who had originally huddled together, slowly began to push outwards to both flanks.

The swordsmen and shieldmen in the front row put away their shield wall, and the spearmen in the back row also withdrew their spear formation, and the entire line of troops slowly opened up to the north and south like two large gates.

The main road leading straight to the top of the hill was surprisingly cleared out.

Lin Yan was stunned for a moment, then his expression changed drastically, and he blurted out:

"Oh no! It's..."

Before he could finish speaking, he heard a heavy hoofbeat coming from behind Gao Gang.

The sound of hooves was faint at first, but in an instant it rolled in like muffled thunder, making the ground tremble.

On the hilltop, beneath the large banner bearing the character "郑" (Zheng), troop after troop of cavalry emerged from the gaps cleared by the infantry, their armor gleaming in the sun, their swords and spears like a forest, charging down the mountain along the official road.

It really was Ma Jun.

The Tang army had hidden their cavalry behind the high ground, waiting for this very moment.

-----------------

As soon as the drums began to sound, Li Cenji stepped back from Zheng Tian and strode towards the rear.

He mounted his horse, took the lance given to him by Zheng Tian from the soldier, and hung the pair of golden maces on either side of the saddle.

The spearhead gleamed with a faint bluish light in the setting sun, and the yellow horse pawed at the ground and snorted, as if it too could smell the approaching charge.

Under command, the infantrymen at the front retreated in an orderly manner to the flanks, clearing the central road.

At the same time, the cavalry had bypassed Zheng Tian's rear guard and the thirty or fifty large drums, and surged onto the official road through the gap left by the infantry.

Li Cenji spurred his horse and joined the cavalry, riding alongside Li Changyan, the commander of the Fengxiang Left Wing Army, who was at the forefront.

Li Changyan glanced at him sideways. Li Cenji's bright armor was splattered with blood and mud, and his face was covered in bloodstains, making him almost unrecognizable.

Li Changyan's gaze lingered on him for a moment, then swept over the infantry behind him, and finally couldn't help but ask:

"Jingzhi, have you seen my second brother?"

Li Cenji shook his head and said truthfully:

"The scene was too chaotic, and I didn't know where he was."

Li Changyan remained silent for a moment, a complex expression flashing across his face.

A rare hint of tenderness appeared on his face, but he quickly suppressed it again.

He exhaled a long breath and said in a low voice:

"So be it. It was his own choice. A clay pot is bound to break when it leaves the well, and a general is bound to die on the battlefield."

Li Cenji didn't reply, but simply gripped the lance in his hand even tighter.

Although he had only known Li Changfu for a few months, in those two months, the man had never complained or succumbed to hardship. He had transformed from an arrogant younger brother of a town general into a man who could stand shoulder to shoulder with defeated soldiers and fight to the death without retreating.

He didn't say it aloud, but in his heart he didn't want Li Changfu to really live up to Li Changyan's words, "Generals are bound to die on the battlefield."

But now is not the time to think about these things.