Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Meanwhile, Shang Rang abandoned the vanguard and, with his personal guards and officers, rode his horse toward the central army.

The official road was filled with fleeing soldiers and baggage wagons, a scene of chaos with shouts and neighing horses.

Shang Rang's soldiers led the way, whipping and beating the fleeing soldiers who blocked their path, making them stagger and fall. It was only with great difficulty that they managed to squeeze a path through the chaotic army.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the banners of the central army gradually came into view ahead.

But the flags were crooked and some had fallen to the ground.

Shang Rang's heart sank. He spurred his horse to gallop, and when he got closer, he saw that the central army camp was in complete chaos.

It turned out that in the dense forest on the north side of Longweibei, Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu, the two towns' ambush troops, suddenly emerged and cut into the middle and rear of the rebel army like a sharp blade.

This strike was precise and ruthless. Taking advantage of the fact that Lin Yan, the commander of the central army, led 5,000 elite troops to reinforce the front line and attack Longweibei, leaving the central army forces vulnerable, the rebel army's long snake formation was cut in two in one fell swoop.

The troops left behind in the central army were already weak, and without their commander in charge, how could they withstand the fierce attack from the elite troops of Jingyuan and Qinzhou?

In a matter of moments, they were slaughtered and scattered, their tents were set on fire, their supplies were looted, flames soared into the sky, and thick smoke billowed.

The connection between the central army and the rear army had been completely severed. The rear army had not suffered heavy losses. Although they tried their best to attack the Tang army and open a way to rescue the central army, they still could not advance an inch after attacking for so long and were blocked several miles away.

When Shang Rang saw this, his heart sank and his face became even more pale than before.

He had thought that he could stabilize his position by retreating to the central army and then withdraw calmly, but he never expected that the central army would be so badly damaged that even his retreat route had been cut off.

Now, with the high hill of Longweipo blocking their way, ambushing troops from the north and south, and their central army cut in half, the 50,000-strong army has been divided into three or four parts, each fighting its own battle, unable to support each other.

Where is the orderly retreat in this?

It's obvious that I've been tricked.

"Grand Commandant!"

Some of the surviving officers of the central army, upon seeing Shang Rang's banner arrive, were overjoyed and hurriedly led their remaining troops to meet him.

"Our central force has been cut off, and our rear guard can't get through! We're surrounded!"

"What's the panic!"

Shang Rang shouted sternly, slamming his riding whip to the ground, the tip of the whip cracking with a sharp sound.

Although he was also shocked, he knew that he must not show the slightest panic at this moment, otherwise the morale of the army would collapse and there would be no hope of recovery.

He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and looked around, quickly scanning the surrounding terrain and the distribution of his own troops.

Although the central army was cut off, there were still several thousand soldiers in the camp, but their formation was broken up and they were fighting on their own.

If these scattered soldiers can be regrouped, it might be possible to break through and rejoin the rear guard.

Thinking of this, Shang Rang suddenly drew his sword from his waist, raised it high, and shouted sharply:

"All troops, heed my command! I am here! All battalions and units, immediately move towards the command banner! Anyone who retreats will be executed!"

His shout, delivered with great force, drowned out the surrounding shouts of battle.

The soldiers behind him echoed the order in unison, carrying it far and wide.

Shang Rang then spurred his horse forward and personally rushed to the most chaotic camp.

A group of routed soldiers were fleeing in all directions. Shang Rang stood with his sword drawn, on horseback, and shouted sternly:

"Halt! Where do you think you're going? Tang troops are in front of you and behind you. Running away is suicide! Follow me and fight your way out, or you'll have a chance to survive!"

The fleeing soldiers, startled by his shout, looked at each other and involuntarily stopped in their tracks.

Shang Rang's soldiers seized the opportunity to step forward, reorganize the routed soldiers, and drive them under the commander's banner.

Shang Rang then divided the remaining troops into two teams.

One team of two thousand men, led by Wang Fan, the military commander, went west to gather and intercept the fleeing soldiers, organize a defensive line to hold off the Tang army's attack from the direction of Longweipo, not seeking victory, but only to delay the Tang army's momentum.

The other team was led by himself, who would personally lead his elite troops and the remnants of the central army to launch a fierce attack to the east, attempting to break through the communication with the rear army.

With the arrangements complete, Shang Rang raised his spear and shouted:

"Brothers! The imperial soldiers are nothing but two arms and one head, what's there to be afraid of? Follow me and charge! Charging out means survival, failing to do so means death! Kill!"

After shouting the last word, he slammed his knees against the horse's flanks, and his black steed neighed loudly, charging eastward like a black lightning bolt.

The soldiers behind them shouted in unison, brandishing their swords and spears, and followed closely behind.

The routed soldiers, who had been regrouped, gradually calmed down when they saw their commander-in-chief personally leading the charge, and followed behind, surging eastward.

The Tang army to the east consisted of troops from Jingyuan and Qinzhou.

Qiu Gongyu, the military commissioner of Qin Prefecture, led his troops to resist the rear of the rebel army, while Cheng Zongchu led the Jingyuan troops to charge left and right in the rebel army's central position.

Just as the latter were getting carried away with the killing, they suddenly saw Shang Rang's banner raised in the rebel army ahead, and then they saw a troop of soldiers charging towards them against the tide of the fleeing soldiers, with a general leading the charge on horseback with his spear in hand.

Cheng Zongchu did not recognize Shang Rang, but he could guess the general's origins from the enemy's armor and the flag on his back.

He immediately burst into laughter, pointed his long sword forward, and shouted:

"Shang Rang has come in person! Brothers, follow me, capture this bandit chieftain, and send him to Fengxiang to present our victory!"

The two armies clashed on the narrow official road and the gentle slopes on both sides.

Shang Rang's soldiers were all veterans of countless battles, and now, with their backs to the wall, they fought with fearless courage.

Cheng Zongchu's Jingyuan troops were also seasoned veterans, skilled in swordsmanship and horsemanship, and their morale was high.

The two sides clashed, the sound of swords and spears clashing was deafening, and screams, shouts of battle, and neighing of horses were mixed together.

In a matter of moments, dozens of people fell to the ground, their blood staining the soil a dark red.

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

On the official road and the gentle slopes on both sides, weapons, armor, flags, and grain carts left behind by the rebels were scattered haphazardly.

Many corpses lay on their backs by the roadside, some trampled to death by horses, some hacked to death by knives, their deaths varied, and the blood had turned the soil black.

Occasionally, a few defeated soldiers would squat by the roadside, panting. Upon hearing the sound of horses' hooves, they would jump up like startled birds. Some would run away, while others would kneel down, raise their hands, and shout incoherently, "We are willing to surrender."

Li Cenji ignored them and urged his horse forward. The horse's hooves pounded over the scattered shields and spear shafts, making a cracking sound.

After traveling about two miles, the banners of another Tang army gradually appeared ahead.

Li Cenji slowed his horse down and looked up. He saw a group of infantrymen leading strings of prisoners down a gentle slope on the south side of the official road.

The infantrymen's uniforms were quite different from those of the Fengxiang soldiers. Some wore gray-brown leather armor, while others wore felt hats, a style unique to the northwestern border regions. Their dark faces and high cheekbones were visible under the brim of their hats, clearly indicating that they were Dangxiang people from Xia Prefecture.

Another group of Han soldiers, bearing the banner of "Fuyan," were forming ranks at the foot of the slope to gather prisoners.

A Fuyan infantryman was squatting by the roadside, drinking water from his water bag.

He had a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his shoulder, clearly indicating that he had just been injured and was now catching his breath after finally getting a break.

Li Cenji rode up to him, reined in his horse, and asked:

"Brother, which way did the rebels flee? How long have the cavalry been chasing them?"

The foot soldier was suddenly asked a question. He looked up and saw a young general covered in blood sitting on a tall horse.

Although the color of the armor was no longer discernible, the design of the bright armor collar was unmistakable, and the corner of the garment peeking out from the shoulder was also the crimson color of the Tang army.

He quickly stood up, hung the water bag around his waist, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said:

"Reporting to the general! The rebels have all fled eastward, and some, in their panic, have fled north into the Qishan Mountains. Our cavalry has only been pursuing them for a short while, no more than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Just now, news came back from the front that a large group of rebels, at least two or three thousand strong, has been trapped in a mountain pass ahead. The cavalry has already attacked, and they are ordering our infantry to follow quickly and clean up the mess."

Li Cenji looked in the direction he was pointing.

Sure enough, about a mile north of the official road, there was a low earthen hill. The flags of Tang cavalry could be seen moving on the hill, and at the foot of the hill, a dark mass of infantrymen were advancing up the hill in formation.

The sounds of battle shouts could be faintly heard, mixed with sporadic clashes of weapons and screams, but they were not as intense as before, as if the hunt was coming to an end.

Thank you.

Li Cenji nodded to the foot soldier, said nothing more, and continued to ride forward.

As you get closer to the earthen hill, the scenery becomes increasingly clear.

The mountain was not very steep, and the slope was covered with half-person-high withered grass and low shrubs, which were now trampled and bent over by the horses' hooves.

The hillside was littered with the corpses of rebel soldiers, some killed by arrows, some by swords, and some by horses, each with a different manner of death.

The Tang infantry at the foot of the slope were advancing uphill in formation, stopping every few steps to examine the rebel corpses on the ground.

Those who were alive were bound hand and foot and held aside; those who were wounded were given a quick, decisive blow; and those who saw their own wounded soldiers were called out loudly for medics.

On the hillside, Tang cavalry continued to charge back and forth, constantly breaking through the rebel formations.

Zhou Ping shaded his eyes with his hand and looked around for a while, then turned to Li Cenji and said:

"Commander, General Li is up there. Should we go up and lend a hand?"

Li Cenji shook his head, his gaze sweeping across the hillside before looking at the ranks of prisoners being led down the mountain, and said:

"No need. A hundred or so more of us won't make a difference, and a hundred or so less won't make a difference either. Besides, the rebels trapped here number at most two or three thousand, and they don't even have a commander's flag left, so there probably aren't any important figures left. The infantry will be enough to clean up this mess. Let's continue eastward in pursuit."

Little did he know that the banner and flag of the rebel vanguard had already been cut down by Li Changyan and his cavalry, and were now being used as military merits along with the head of Xu Jian, the commander of the vanguard.

The crowd responded in unison, and the hundred or so riders circled around the foot of the earthen hill and continued eastward along the official road.

They chased after him for five or six miles in one go, and the scenery on both sides of the official road gradually changed.

Longweibei Hill had completely disappeared below the horizon behind us. Ahead lay a vast, gently undulating wilderness, with the official road stretching straight eastward, disappearing into the hazy mountain shadows on the horizon.

The roadside weeds grew taller and taller, interspersed with a few sparse poplar groves, their new buds gleaming green in the slanting sunlight.

The stream flowed gently beside the road, its waters gurgling, creating a tranquil spring scene... provided one didn't have to look at the horrific sights of defeated soldiers and corpses strewn along the roadside.

The further east they went, the fewer Tang soldiers pursued them.

At first, you could see groups of Fuyan and Xiazhou soldiers gathering prisoners ahead, but later only a few scattered wounded rebel soldiers sat by the roadside panting.

Li Cenji knew that the Tang army's pursuit was now at its last gasp.

Nearly 20,000 to 30,000 troops set up a three-sided encirclement at Longweibei. The various troops pursued from different directions and distances. Those who were able to chase after them this far were mostly elites, while the rest were still in the rear to gather the remnants.

Further ahead, they would be outside the effective control of the Tang army and could encounter the rearguard of the rebels at any time.

At this moment, it is clear that the number of defeated soldiers along the way is gradually increasing.

These defeated soldiers had long lost their courage. They staggered eastward along the official road in twos and threes. Some had even lost their weapons, and some had lost one of their boots. They walked barefoot and limped along.

Hearing the thunderous sound of horses' hooves behind them, these men knelt down by the roadside like startled birds, raising their weapons high above their heads and shouting things like "We surrender!" and "General, spare our lives!"

At first, the number of defeated soldiers was small, and Li Cenji did not linger. He rode straight past them without paying them any attention.

The routed soldiers, as if granted a pardon, fled to both sides, intending to get as far away from the main road as possible.

But after traveling only a mile or so, the situation ahead changed drastically.

A large, dark mass of surrendered soldiers, numbering at least six or seven hundred, blocked the entire road.

Hearing the sound of horses' hooves approaching from behind, and turning around to see that it was the Tang army, how could these people dare to make any other moves?

They knelt down in a dense, overwhelming crowd, stretching from the center of the official road all the way into the tall grass on either side, so dense that even a horse's hoof couldn't squeeze through.

Li Cenji reined in his yellow horse, his brows furrowing.

He only had a hundred or so cavalrymen under his command. If he stopped to accept the surrender, not to mention guarding the six or seven hundred prisoners, it would take most of the day just to count their heads.

By then, the rebels would have long since fled to who-knows-where.

But if they charged straight through, trampling these kneeling people with their hooves, it wouldn't be a good idea.

He glanced back at Zhou Ping, Xu Tai, and Wu Kang.

The three of them also looked troubled, clearly having the same thought as him.

Li Cenji's mind raced, and he suddenly took a deep breath, gathered his strength, and shouted loudly forward:

"I have no time to capture you! Lay down your weapons, remove your armor, and make way! Wait for the Tang army to arrive and accept your surrender!"

His shout was extremely loud, echoing across the official road.

Some of the surrendered soldiers were stunned by his shout, while others hurriedly moved to the sides, but many remained kneeling in place, at a loss.

Li Cenji called out twice more.

Zhou Ping, Xu Tai, Wu Kang, and the hundred or so soldiers behind them all understood and shouted in unison:

"Lay down your weapons! Take off your armor! Make way! Wait for the Tang army to surrender!"

The shouts of over a hundred people echoed across the fields, creating an astonishing atmosphere.

The surrendered soldiers were already terrified, so how could they dare to be negligent in the slightest?

They hurriedly removed their lamellar armor and threw away their weapons.