Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

The rebels in the camp were only now fully awakened from their sleep.

Chaos erupted inside the tent as soldiers frantically reached for their weapons, some even rushing out shirtless without having time to put on their armor.

The officers shouted orders, but they couldn't quell the panic that was spreading throughout the camp.

"The Tang army has broken in!"

"Quickly! Form ranks!"

"Where's my knife? Who took my knife?"

The camp was in chaos.

Li Cenji had already circled back from the side and ran into Xu Tai opening the gate of the stockade.

He turned his horse around, and the yellow horse neighed loudly and rushed through the gate of the stockade.

His lance flew left and right, and he sent the two rebel soldiers charging at him flying one by one, screaming as they crashed into the tents behind them.

The cavalry surged in from behind like a tide, their swords flashing and their hooves flying, trampling the tents in the camp and causing them to fall over.

The rebel soldiers, who had just been awakened from their sleep, were cut down with a single blow before they even opened their eyes.

Some had barely run out of their tents when they were knocked away by warhorses.

Some knelt down and begged for mercy, only to be trampled into mincemeat by the cavalry that surged forward from behind.

Ignoring the scattered soldiers fleeing in all directions, Li Cenji's gaze was fixed on the large yellow banner fluttering in the morning breeze.

Beneath the great banner was Huang Chao's central command tent.

"Come with me!"

He shouted and spurred his horse toward the banner.

Xu Tai, Zhou Ping, and Song Wentong each led a cavalry unit, following closely behind.

Nearly two thousand cavalrymen rampaged through the camp, setting fires everywhere as if they were in an empty field.

The rebel soldiers were stunned by the sudden attack. The generals could not find their soldiers, and the soldiers could not find their generals. Moreover, fires broke out on all sides of the camp, and chaos ensued.

Li Cenji's cavalry charged left and right through the camp as if it were empty land, and wherever they passed, the rebel army collapsed.

Suddenly, a fairly well-organized group of rebel soldiers, about three or four hundred strong, charged out from the front. They were fully armored and armed with swords and spears; they were likely the personal guards of a certain general. The leader at the forefront, sword drawn, stood at attention and shouted sharply:

"Halt! Who goes there, daring to trespass into my camp!"

Li Cenji didn't even bother to reply and spurred his horse to gallop straight ahead.

Seeing his fierce approach, the general hurriedly raised his sword to block, but Li Cenji used his spear to send him flying, tumbling twice in mid-air before crashing heavily to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth. It was clear he was going to die.

The three or four hundred rebel soldiers were terrified when they saw their commander killed in one move. They let out a shout and scattered in all directions.

Li Cenji didn't give chase, but instead charged towards the central army banner.

After passing through two more camps, a relatively open area appeared ahead.

In the center of the open space stood a huge tent, with several large flags erected in front of it, the central one being the banner embroidered with the character "Huang".

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Huang Chao was thoroughly tormented that night.

Every one or two hours, there would be a commotion in the Tang army camp. Each time, he thought the Tang army was about to break out, so he put on his armor, went out of his tent, and mobilized his troops. But after a long while, nothing happened.

After this happened three or four times, even someone with an iron body couldn't withstand it.

Just as he closed his eyes at the last minute of the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), he heard deafening shouts of battle and the thunderous sound of horses' hooves coming from the east.

"What happened now?"

Huang Chao suddenly got up and grabbed the sword from beside his pillow.

The tent flap was suddenly flung open, and a lieutenant stumbled in, his voice trembling:

"Your Majesty! The Tang cavalry have stormed the camp!"

Huang Chao's expression changed drastically, and he said sternly:

"How many people? Who is in command?"

"I can't see clearly, but I can see that the Tang army's vanguard has already reached the east gate of the camp, while the rear guard has not yet left the Tang army camp. There are at least two or three thousand cavalry! The general in the lead, holding a horse spear and wearing bright armor, is none other than Li Cenji!"

When Huang Chao heard the name "Li Cenji," his pupils suddenly contracted.

It's him again.

He was the one who killed Shang Rang at Longwei Weir, and he was also the one who led the men to plug the breach and drive the rebels off the stockade wall time and time again these past few days.

Now, he has led his troops into his own camp once again.

Huang Chao gritted his teeth, about to speak, when another group of people surged into the tent.

Zhao Zhang, Meng Kai, Gai Hong, Huang Ye, Zhu Wen, and a host of civil and military officials all looked anxious and disheveled, some even without their boots properly on.

"Your Majesty! The Tang army has broken in! The eastern camp is in chaos! Please move to the northern camp immediately!"

Zhao Zhang spoke first, his voice urgent.

"Your Majesty, the Northern Camp's forces are still intact. We can reorganize our troops once we reach the Northern Camp and then launch a counterattack!"

Meng Kai also clasped his hands in greeting.

Huang Chao's face was ashen, and the veins on his hand gripping the horizontal sword bulged.

He looked out of the tent and saw that the sky was already glowing red from the firelight. Shouts of battle, the sound of horses' hooves, and screams of agony blended into a huge wave of sound, rapidly approaching the central army.

He was unwilling to accept it.

He was the emperor of the Great Qi, the chosen one who fought his way from Caozhou to Chang'an.

How could he be so frightened into fleeing in a sorry state by a mere brat?

"I'm not leaving!"

Huang Chao shouted sternly.

"Order all battalions to resist on the spot! I want to see how many heads that Li Cenji has!"

"His Majesty!"

Zhao Zhang was so anxious that he stamped his feet.

"Fire breaks out on all sides, the eastern camp has collapsed, and countless Tang soldiers are charging in; morale is low. Even if Your Majesty stays here, it will be difficult to organize an effective resistance. It would be better to temporarily avoid the enemy's advance and regroup at the northern camp!"

Before Huang Chao could say anything more, a sudden, violent commotion erupted outside the tent.

A soldier stumbled in, his face blackened by smoke, and hissed:

"Your Majesty! The Tang cavalry have broken through the outer perimeter of the central army and are less than a hundred paces from the main tent!"

An uproar erupted inside the tent.

Zhao Zhang acted decisively, shouting at the soldiers:

"What are you all standing there for? Quickly, protect His Majesty and get him out of here!"

Several soldiers stepped forward and, without saying a word, began to lift Huang Chao up.

Huang Chao suddenly swung his arm, shoving the man in the lead until he stumbled, and shouted sternly:

"I said, I—"

Before he could finish speaking, another loud crash came from outside the tent, as if something heavy had been overturned.

Immediately afterwards, the firelight shone through the gaps in the tent curtains, casting a crimson glow that made everyone's face inside the tent appear deathly pale.

"Your Majesty! If we don't leave now, it will be too late!" the generals pleaded in unison.

Meng Kai also stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty! I am willing to lead the imperial guards to cover the rear and buy Your Majesty a moment! Please, Your Majesty, depart quickly!"

Huang Chao looked down at the generals and officers kneeling before him and Meng Kai, and seeing the resolute look on his face, his Adam's apple bobbed.

"Meng Qing."

His voice was hoarse.

"Take care."

Meng Kai kowtowed heavily, his forehead hitting the muddy ground with a dull thud.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, even if it costs me my life, I will definitely hold off Li Cenji!"

Without further hesitation, Huang Chao strode toward the back of the tent.

Zhao Zhang, Gai Hong, and others followed closely behind, and a group of civil and military officials scrambled to catch up.

The curtain was lifted, and the morning light was blinding. The eastern half of the sky was tinged with dark red by the firelight, and thick smoke billowed, obscuring the sun.

The shouts of battle were already close at hand, and the sounds of clashing swords could be clearly heard.

Huang Chao mounted his horse and was about to urge it toward the northern camp when he looked up and saw a bright yellow figure emerge from the flames.

The man was clad in gleaming armor, rode a yellow horse, and held a ten-foot-long lance, with a fallen rebel flag hanging from its tip.

He was covered in blood, his armor splattered with dark red blood, and his face was covered in cigarette ash and bloodstains. Only his eyes shone with a terrifying light, like two burning flames.

Li Cenji.

Their eyes met, though they were several dozen paces apart.

Huang Chao shuddered, a chill running down his spine.

He had seen countless fierce generals on the battlefield, including Shang Rang, Zhu Wen, Meng Kai, and Gai Hong, all of whom were ruthless men who had risked their lives for their lives.

But those people never gave him that feeling.

"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!"

Zhao Zhang screamed.

Huang Chao's soldiers drew their swords and rushed towards Li Cenji.

But before they could take more than a few steps, they were knocked to the ground by the cavalry that surged up behind Li Cenji.

The lance swept across, the blade flashed, and blood and flesh flew everywhere.

Meng Kai stepped forward, sword in hand, and stood between Huang Chao and Li Cenji.

He held a thick-backed, broad-bladed sword in his hand and shouted sharply:

"Li Cenji! Cease your arrogance! Meng Kai is here!"

Li Cenji didn't even glance at him, but simply flicked his lance, pointing the tip directly at Huang Chao.

Meng Kai was furious and led his soldiers to charge forward, brandishing their swords.

The two horses clashed, their swords and spears clashing.

Li Cenji was already strong, and with the help of the horse, how could Meng Kai possibly stop him?

With a loud clang, Meng Kai's broadsword was jolted out of his hand, tumbling through the air before landing far away on the ground.

His tiger's mouth was split open, blood was flowing freely, and his entire right arm was numb.

Before the soldiers could rush forward to rescue their commander, they were intercepted by the swarming Tang cavalry. At that moment, Li Cenji's lance was already in front of Meng Kai, and the spearhead pierced through his chest.

Meng Kai stared wide-eyed down at the spear that had pierced his chest, blood gushing from his mouth and a muffled gurgling sound escaping his throat.

He tried to grab the spear, but couldn't lift his hand; he wanted to say something, but couldn't open his mouth.

Li Cenji twisted his wrist, pulling the spearhead out of Meng Kai's body. Meng Kai swayed twice, then fell off his horse, crashing heavily into the dust, splattering blood and mud.

From the start of the fight to his death, it only took two rounds.

Huang Chao's face turned deathly pale.

His civil and military officials were terrified; some screamed, while others nearly slipped off their horses.

"Go! Go quickly!" Zhao Zhang urged in a shrill voice.

Huang Chao suddenly turned his horse around and galloped off towards the northern camp.

Zhao Zhang, Gai Hong, and others followed closely behind, with a group of civil and military officials and the remaining guards protecting them on both sides, looking utterly disheveled.

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Meanwhile, in the Tang army camp, Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu were watching the battle from the observation platform.

As dawn broke, flames soared into the sky from the rebel camp to the east, and the shouts of battle were deafening.

They saw the large yellow banner swaying in the firelight, saw the fleeing soldiers surging northward like a tide, and saw Li Cenji's cavalry charge left and right through the rebel camp as if it were empty.

"good!"

Cheng Zongchu slapped the stockade wall, his face flushed with excitement.

"That kid really charged in! Huang Chao's banner is heading north!"

Qiu Gongyu also showed a hint of joy, but still maintained a degree of composure:

"Commander Cheng, it's time for us to make our move. The rebels from the North and South camps will inevitably go to support the East camp. At this time, their forces are weak, which is the perfect opportunity to strike."

Cheng Zongchu laughed loudly, grabbed his long sword, and said sternly:

"Brothers! Follow me and fight your way out! Today is the day Huang Chao will be beheaded!"

The camp gates swung open, and soldiers from all the garrisons shouted in unison as they charged out of the camp.

Cheng Zongchu led the Jingyuan troops straight to the northern camp, while Qiu Gongyu led the Qinzhou troops straight to the southern camp. The two armies, like two sharp knives, simultaneously pierced the flanks of the rebel army.

The rebel army in the northern camp was mobilizing its troops to support the eastern camp when suddenly Tang troops charged out of the camp, causing immediate chaos.

Cheng Zongchu took the lead, brandishing his long sword and hacking away at the rebel soldiers blocking his way.

Behind him, thousands of Jingyuan soldiers shouted in unison, brandishing their swords and spears, and forced the rebel army to retreat step by step.

The same situation applies to Nanying.

Although Qiu Gongyu was injured, he still gritted his teeth and charged to the front. Seeing their commander so brave, the Qinzhou soldiers were all red-eyed and charged into the rebel army's ranks without regard for their lives.

When the rebel generals of the North and South camps saw that their own camps were under attack, they could not spare the time to support the East camp and hurriedly mobilized their troops back to defend.

Although Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu were repelled, they successfully tied down these two rebel armies, preventing them from diverting their forces to rescue Huang Chao.

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

Behind Huang Chao, Li Cenji had already led his troops to catch up, the sound of hooves like muffled thunder, getting closer and closer.

Huang Chao lay prone on his horse, whipping it frantically, the wind whistling in his ears and the sounds of battle shouts echoing behind him.

He dared not look back, for he feared that if he did, he would be unable to run any further.

He had only one thought in his mind:

Once we reach the North Camp, there are still nearly ten thousand soldiers there who can organize resistance and fight their way back.

The gate of the North Camp is in sight.

The soldiers on the stockade wall had just led their troops to defeat Cheng Zongchu and were about to close the gate when they saw Huang Chao's banner fleeing in their direction. They immediately stopped their men from closing the gate and formed ranks to prepare to receive him.

Huang Chao was overjoyed and urged his horse on with even more force.

"Your Majesty, flee quickly! We will cover your retreat!"

Gai Hong shouted and led dozens of his soldiers to turn their horses around and meet the pursuers.

He was a veteran general under Huang Chao, and was as famous as Meng Kai. He was known for his bravery and strength.

At this moment, he held a long spear in both hands, positioned it horizontally in the middle of the road, and shouted sharply:

"Li Cenji! Gai Hong is here, don't even think about getting past!"

Li Cenji charged forward without stopping, his spear held level.

Gai Hong gritted his teeth, raised his spear, and swung it in a wide arc, bringing a whooshing sound as he slashed at Li Cenji.

Li Cenji dodged to the side, thrusting his spear forward. The spearhead pierced through the underside of the shaft, striking Gai Hong squarely in the throat.

Gai Hong's eyes were wide open, his hands still gripping the gun handle, but he was thrown backward from his horse and crashed heavily to the ground. He twitched a couple of times and then lay still.

Another general was killed in one round.

Those soldiers who followed Gai Hong to cover the rear saw their commander killed in a single encounter, so how could they dare to resist?

At the sound of a shout, they would scatter and flee.

But they couldn't outrun the warhorses. The cavalry behind Li Cenji charged in like tigers among sheep. Wherever the blades flashed, heads rolled. In no time, they had wiped them all out.

Li Cenji killed two generals, Meng Kai and Gai Hong, without stopping, and continued to pursue them towards the northern camp.

"Your Majesty, flee quickly! We will cover your retreat!"

Several lieutenants left behind in the northern camp led their soldiers to meet Huang Chao, but they passed by and encountered Li Cenji's pursuing troops.

Li Cenji led his cavalry to the scene, his spear flashing as he unhorsed a lieutenant general. He then charged straight past, showing no intention of turning back to fight the lieutenants.

Behind him, hundreds of cavalrymen galloped past, instantly scattering and fleeing the generals and their soldiers.

But this delay allowed Huang Chao to escape even further.

Huang Chao stormed into the gate of the northern camp.