Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

The news of the defeat at Longweipo, which resulted in the rout of 50,000 troops, spread like wildfire throughout Guanzhong in just a few days.

Those defeated soldiers hiding in Qishan, as well as the remnants of the defeated army scattered in the countryside west of Beijing, ran out of food and supplies and lost their commanders, and fled eastward in groups of three or five.

They were eagerly hoping to get back to Wugong County.

That was the western gateway to Chang'an, where the Qi army and its provisions were stationed.

Once they reach a certain level of martial arts proficiency, they can obtain supplies, regroup, and make further plans.

But when they stumbled and fell to the foot of Wugong City, they looked up and were all dumbfounded.

The flags on the city walls have been changed.

The "Da Qi" banner that had been flying for months has disappeared, replaced by three large banners fluttering in the wind.

One side of the inscription reads "Zhenzhou," the left side is embroidered with "Boye Army," and the right side features a large "Song" character.

The routed soldiers looked at each other in disbelief, and before they could react, the city gates burst open with a roar.

A troop of soldiers charged out of the city, led by a general who rode a chestnut horse, holding a long spear. The words "Commander Song" on the banner behind him were particularly eye-catching in the sunlight.

The general spurred his horse straight into the fleeing soldiers, his spear flashing, and instantly felled several men.

Hundreds of infantry and cavalry behind them shouted in unison:

"Song Wentong, commander under the Chengde military governor, is here! Surrender and you will be spared!"

Those routed soldiers were already terrified. They had fled all the way from Longweipi to here, starving and freezing, and had long lost their will to live.

Seeing that Wugong had been captured by the Tang army, Huang Wang thought that even Chang'an had been lost. After being charged and shouted, he had no intention of resisting.

They threw down their weapons, knelt on the ground, and cried out, "We are willing to surrender!"

A few quick-footed men turned to flee, but Song Wentong's cavalry caught up with them and cut down two of them. The rest obediently knelt down.

Song Wentong reined in his horse and ordered his men to escort the prisoners back into the city. He himself remained standing outside the city gate, watching the fleeing soldiers being led away one after another, a smile appearing on his lips.

This was the third wave of defeated soldiers he had gathered that day.

He seized the martial arts skills under cover of night yesterday, and today, from morning to night, three waves of defeated soldiers came one after another, mostly groups of two or three hundred people. He used the same method to kill a few to establish his authority, and then took in the rest.

With the majority of the original three thousand garrison troops in Wugong County captured, the number of prisoners in his hands is now several times that of his own troops.

Who is this Song Wentong?

He was originally a commander of the Boye Army under the Chengde Jiedushi, with more than a thousand soldiers under his command. Last year, when Huang Chao attacked Tongguan, the Boye Army and the Zhenzhou Army were ordered to come to the aid of the emperor.

However, Huang Chao's army was extremely fierce, and in one fell swoop they broke through Tongguan and occupied Chang'an. The roads west of the capital were in a state of panic, and the Boye Army and Zhenzhou Army were also scattered. He had no choice but to lead his troops westward and eventually set up camp in Fengtian.

(Find out where Fengtian is. If you find it, type "1". If you don't, gouge your eyes out. Also, a reader mentioned earlier that the protagonist wasn't injured or bandaged... Actually, I got carried away writing Wushuang and forgot. I've revised it now. The medic treated the protagonist while he was asleep, and the bloodstains were wiped clean. He just hadn't showered and smelled sweaty when he went to see Zheng Tian. Yes, this chapter is from a draft. When that reader commented, I was already writing the chapter three days later.)

Later, the situation changed too quickly. Huang Chao occupied almost the entire capital region, leaving Song Wentong with his isolated army in Fengtian, surrounded by the forces of the puppet Qi regime. He had no choice but to retreat into the city.

This man was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He had a long face, high cheekbones, prominent brow bones, and small but bright eyes.

He came from humble beginnings; his ancestors were just ordinary farmers in the countryside of Zhenzhou. He rose to his current position as commander entirely through his own hard work and dedication.

But the ranks above commander are Grand Commander, Military Commander, and Military Governor...

That level is beyond what military ability alone can achieve; it requires connections in the court, the appreciation of a military commander, and opportunity.

He has nothing.

Therefore, when news came that Huang Chao's army was advancing westward and that various regions in western Beijing had risen up to defend the emperor, Song Wentong knew that his opportunity had arrived.

Shang Rang was Huang Chao's top general. If he were to sweep through Fengtian on his way west, his thousand-odd soldiers wouldn't be enough to fill Huang Chao's teeth.

Therefore, he ordered scouts to keep searching for Shang Rang's army's movements day and night, while also ordering his soldiers to strengthen the city's defenses, knowing that a bloody battle was inevitable.

As long as he can hold out in Fengtian and stalemate with Shang Rang for a while, and make a name for himself as Song Wentong, even if he escapes when the city falls, he will still leave a name in the eyes of the military governors of Jingxi.

Even if he led his remaining troops to the Allied forces, his reputation for being a skilled warrior would attract the attention of military commanders who would want to recruit him.

To everyone's surprise, Shang Rang completely disregarded such a small county. His army marched out of Chang'an, passed through Wugong, and headed straight for Fengxiang, leading the main force to seek out Zheng Tian for a decisive battle.

While Song Wentong was disappointed, he also breathed a sigh of relief, but he still dared not be careless.

He continued to send scouts westward along the route of Shang Rang's army, reporting back everything they saw and heard.

A few days later, scouts reported that Shang Rang had captured Mei County without bloodshed, and the Tang army fled at the mere sight of him.

The next day, it was reported that Shang Rang's army had engaged in a fierce battle with Tang scouts in the Longweibei area.

Then, the result of the final battle came.

The news was not that Shang Rang had captured Fengxiang, but rather that he had been defeated and killed.

When Song Wentong heard the news, his first reaction was disbelief.

He was having a meal with his close associates in the Fengtian County government office when he heard this. His bowl and chopsticks clattered to the ground. He stared at the scout kneeling before him and said in a deep voice:

Say it again.

The scout, his face covered in dust, lips chapped, and voice hoarse, repeated himself:

"Shang Rang fell into Zheng Xiangong's ambush at Longwei Slope, and his 50,000-strong army was routed."

Song Wentong remained silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up and paced back and forth in the hall several times.

His face remained expressionless, but his mind was in turmoil.

Shang Rang lost?

Huang Chao's top general, leading 50,000 veteran soldiers, was defeated just like that?

Song Wentong's first reaction was disbelief.

He was trapped in Fengtian for several months and had a thorough understanding of the situation of the various circuits in western Beijing:

Although Zheng Tian was a prime minister with high position and power, the military governors under his command had their own selfish motives, and the troops were a motley crew. How could they possibly compete with Shang Rang's veteran soldiers?

The scout swore that the news was absolutely true, that the routed soldiers had scattered all over the mountains and fields, and that corpses lay piled up on Longwei Slope. He dared not delay, and seeing that the Tang army's cavalry was chasing after the routed soldiers, he hurriedly returned to report.

Song Wentong took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly gleaming.

He asked no more questions, turned and strode to the desk, grabbed his sword and hung it at his waist, and said sternly:

"Pass down the order: Leave two hundred men to guard the city, and leave all flags on the city walls. Do not move them. The remaining eight hundred men, remove your armor, travel light, and follow me south!"

Both sides were stunned.

One person blurted out:

"Commander, remove your armor? What's going on?"

"What are you doing?"

A smile appeared on Song Wentong's lips, a smile full of excitement.

"With Shang Rang defeated, the rebel army no longer has a main force in western Beijing. Wugong County is the westward gateway for the rebels, and the defeated soldiers will inevitably pass through here on their way back to Chang'an. Let's sneak up to the city at night, pretend to be defeated soldiers, and call for the city gates to be opened. Wugong will then be ours."

He spoke these words quickly and urgently, like a gambler who had bet everything.

Upon hearing this, the two constables looked at each other, and then their eyes lit up.

Someone hesitated and said:

"But we only have eight hundred men, while there are at least three thousand garrison troops in Wugong City..."

"So what if there are three thousand defenders?"

Song Wentong patted his sword at his waist.

"Shang Rang's 50,000-strong army has been defeated; the city's defenders will surely be terrified upon hearing the news. We can seize the city amidst the chaos, take control of the city gates, and launch a coordinated attack from within and without. Our 3,000 men are nothing but a disorganized mob. This opportunity is fleeting; time waits for no one. Any further hesitation will be too late!"

The eight hundred men, lightly armed and unarmored, carrying only weapons, headed south under the cover of dusk.

Upon arriving near Wugong, they indeed encountered several groups of truly routed soldiers.

Song Wentong's men did not accompany them, but instead sent these defeated soldiers ahead to Wugong to retrieve the garrison commander of Xincheng.

It was already late at night when they arrived at the foot of Wugong City.

The soldiers guarding the city wall saw a dark mass of people surging towards the city below. They couldn't see clearly in the firelight and assumed they were defeated soldiers retreating from the front lines. So, as usual, they questioned them.

Song Wentong had already made arrangements. Immediately, several loud-voiced soldiers cried out from below the city, saying that Grand Commandant Shang had been defeated, the Tang army was in pursuit, and they begged the city gates to open and let their brothers live.

The soldiers on the city wall were terrified upon hearing this, and seeing that the men below were indeed disheveled and in a sorry state, they began to believe it.

While he was still hesitating, Song Wentong had already personally led dozens of elite troops to sneak into the city gate. As soon as the city gate opened, he took the lead and charged in.

Caught off guard, the defenders on the city wall were killed, with more than ten men falling to the ground.

The Tang army then surged up the city walls like tigers released from their cages, shouting things like "The Heavenly Army of the Great Tang has arrived!" and "Those who surrender will be spared death!" They drove the defending troops into a series of defeats.

The three thousand defenders in the city were already demoralized, and they did not know how many enemies were attacking. After being charged and killed, they were routed. Some abandoned the city and fled, while others knelt down and surrendered.

By daybreak, the banners on Wugong City had been replaced with three large banners bearing the names "Zhenzhou," "Boye Army," and "Song."

This is how Song Wentong acquired his martial arts skills.

With 800 men, he tricked the city gates open and captured this important gateway town west of Chang'an with minimal effort, taking more than 2,000 guards prisoner and seizing countless supplies and provisions.

What's even more amazing is that the defeated soldiers were unaware that the martial arts had changed hands, and wave after wave of them delivered themselves to the enemy's doorstep.

Song Wentong sat on the city tower, listening to the numbers reported from the prisoner-of-war camp, feeling smug and self-satisfied.

He ordered people to lay out paper and grind ink, and personally dictated a letter to Zheng Tian, ​​which was then written down by a military officer.

The letter detailed how he stole the martial arts skills, and his words subtly revealed a sense of pride.

Song Wentong read it himself and found nothing wrong with it; even the military officers thought it was normal.

He captured the city with 800 men and took prisoner an enemy force several times his own size within a few days. Such achievements are remarkable even in the course of suppressing rebellions over the past few years.

Although Zheng Tian was the prime minister, he was sent to serve as a military governor in a remote area. He was in dire need of capable men to subdue the arrogant and unruly soldiers under his command. Upon seeing this letter, he should take the initiative to recruit him.

After writing the letter and affixing his seal, he handed it to his personal guards to be delivered to Mei County by galloping horse.

Song Wentong then continued to oversee Wugong, waiting for the next wave of defeated soldiers to come to him.

In less than an hour, another group of thirty to fifty defeated soldiers came to his door. He used the same trick again and personally went out of the city to capture them.

These routed soldiers were initially too exhausted to notice the flags on the city walls. When they saw armored soldiers charging out of the city, they immediately shouted, "We are the commander of the central army under the Grand Commandant, and the military commander is the nephew of the King of Huang. How dare the garrison commander of Wugong be so disrespectful?" to identify themselves.

When the cavalry behind Song Wentong also identified themselves, the defeated soldiers who had fled all the way from Longweipi realized that they had walked into a trap and hurriedly knelt down to surrender.

Upon hearing that these men were Shang Rang's central army troops, Song Wentong became interested and wanted to personally ask Shang Rang how he had been defeated.

When the defeated soldiers were brought to the city wall, they were all pale as death.

Song Wentong didn't make things difficult for them; he simply asked a few questions about the situation at that time in a friendly manner.

The defeated soldiers looked at each other, their vision limited to the battle before them, and they had no idea how they had been defeated.

They had no choice but to push one of the bolder men forward. The man nervously recalled the events and finally attributed everything to the cavalry that had charged down from Longwei Slope and the Tang general who led over a hundred cavalrymen.

So he recounted his memory of that time:

How did a young Tang general from Fengxiang lead a hundred cavalrymen into the rear of the enemy lines, how did he charge into the enemy lines three times, how did he pierce through Shang Rang with a single spear, and how did he scatter the army of thousands?

Song Wentong's expression changed slightly, but he remained silent. He simply ordered his men to take the prisoners away and then summoned a second wave.

This one is Shang Rang's personal guard, his arm still bandaged. When questioned, he gave the same answer:

"If the Grand Commandant hadn't been killed by a Tang general, how could we have been defeated? That Tang general charged into the enemy lines three times. He failed to kill the Grand Commandant the first two times, but after charging out, he returned and happened to run into the Grand Commandant reorganizing his troops. He then thrust his spear into the Grand Commandant's chest."

Song Wentong's expression had already turned somewhat grim.

He summoned a third and a fourth prisoner, and received the same story:

The army was defeated because Shang Rang died, and Shang Rang was killed in battle by a Tang general with a hundred or so cavalrymen amidst a vast army.

Another prisoner confidently stated that the Tang general had two human heads hanging from the side of his saddle, one belonging to the deputy commander and military advisor Wang Fan, and the other to the lieutenant general Pang Min. When he charged into battle, he looked like a demon pulled from a pool of blood.

Some even say that Lin Yan, the commander of the central army and Huang Chao's nephew, and Xu Jian, the commander of the vanguard army, were also killed by this Tang general.

That Tang general charged straight down from Longwei Slope like a wild horse, his eyes red with rage as he charged at the banner; he was a madman.

Song Wentong remained silent for a long time.

He never expected that Shang Rang, the dignified commander-in-chief of the western expedition, would actually be killed by a Tang general single-handedly amidst a vast army.

A hundred horsemen charged into the enemy lines, breaking through three times, taking the general's head and scattering the army...

Such skill is something that, not only in this era, but even if you search through all the historical records, only a handful of people could accomplish.

Song Wentong dismissed the prisoners and sat in the hall in silence for a long time.

He suddenly remembered the letter he had written, his expression changed drastically, and he abruptly stood up, saying:

"Quickly! Go and bring the messenger back!"

Those on either side were confused and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Yi Du was taken aback and said:

"Commander, which letter?"

"The letter I wrote to Minister Zheng praising my achievements!"

Song Wentong's voice carried a rare hint of urgency.

"It was just sent out this morning, on the main road; a fast horse can catch up in time!"