Emperor Zhaolie of the late Han Dynasty: Rising to power in Liaoxi

The generals were all taken aback, but then they reacted instantly, their eyes blazing with astonishing fighting spirit.

Rather than being chased and run, we should turn around and fight back, kill Queji, and the Xianbei will naturally collapse without a fight!

"Cheng Pu, the rear guard becomes the front guard, you are the vanguard, break through the enemy's formation!!"

"Yan Gang, lead three thousand cavalry in a wedge formation, charge head-on, and confront Que Ji's main force head-on!"

"Han Dang! Lead your elite cavalry as the spearhead of our attack, and charge straight for the enemy's banner!"

"Xu Rong and Gongsun Zan, each lead your troops to guard the east and west flanks, blocking the reinforcements from Su Li and Huai Tou, and buy us the time it takes for an incense stick to burn!"

"Tadun and Tianyu, lead the Wuhuan cavalry forward as an advance scout, leaving scouts along the way to provide support and guidance!"

At the command, the Han army, which had been charging forward, instantly turned around, like a coiled dragon that suddenly bared its fangs.

Cheng Pu's team began to slowly accelerate!

Yan Gang's three thousand cavalrymen began to form ranks, arranged in three wedge-shaped formations. The knights held their lances level, their armor gleaming coldly in the morning light.

Even with pursuers right behind them, their formation remained perfectly intact, as steady as a mountain.

Han Dang, leading his elite cavalry, followed closely beside Liu Bei. The knights exchanged their scimitars for long spears, and their quivers were already loaded with armor-piercing arrows.

Their eyes burned with fierce fighting spirit; they were going to kill the Xianbei chieftain Queji!

A moment later, Queji's five thousand Xianbei cavalry had already charged close.

Cheng Pu's cavalry also reached their maximum speed.

Que Ji took the lead and was stunned when he saw the Han army suddenly turn their horses around. Then he burst into wild laughter.

"Liu Bei, you little brat, aren't you going to run away anymore?"

"Perfect, saves me the trouble of chasing after them!"

"Today I'll show you the might of the Xianbei people!"

He didn't take the Han army seriously at all. In his view, the Han army was so focused on breaking out that their morale had already collapsed.

A counterattack would be nothing more than a desperate struggle, and as for stalling them for a while, that's out of the question and completely unnecessary.

Que Ji roared fiercely, "Brothers, kill!"

"Whoever slays Liu Bei will be granted a fief of a thousand households and rewarded with ten thousand head of cattle and sheep!"

Five thousand Xianbei cavalrymen responded with a thunderous roar and charged straight toward the Han army formation like a floodgate opened.

The horses' hooves shook the grassland, and arrows rained down like a black cloud upon the Han army's ranks.

"Release the arrows!"

At Cheng Pu's command, the archers of the high-speed cavalry released their bows in unison, and a rain of arrows burst forth, plunging fiercely into the enemy's charging formation.

The knights in the front ranks were hit by arrows and fell from their horses, but the cavalry in the rear did not stop for a moment. They continued to charge towards the enemy at full speed, stepping over the corpses of their comrades.

The next instant, the two torrents of steel collided with a deafening roar!

The dull thuds of impact, the thuds of weapons piercing flesh, the mournful cries of warhorses, and the roars of knights echoed across the grassland in an instant.

Cheng Pu's troops suffered heavy losses in an instant, but he had no time to grieve. After breaking through the enemy's formation, he charged to both sides, making way for Yan Gang behind him.

Yan Gang led the charge, his spear flashing, each thrust piercing the chest of a Xianbei knight.

His cavalrymen, like wedges, forcefully drove into the Xianbei cavalry's charge. Even as the front-line knights fell one after another, those in the back immediately filled the gaps, and the formation never collapsed in the slightest.

The main battlefield held back the Xianbei cavalry's charge and continued to advance, bringing the Han army ever closer to Queji.

Que Ji had long known the enemy's intentions, but he did not expect the Han army to turn around and fight back so fiercely.

However, he was a great general who had dominated the grasslands for decades. Seeing this, he showed no fear and instead led his personal guards to bravely advance.

On the other side, as Yan Gang's troops and the Xianbei cavalry clashed and their speed was slowed down, Han Dang took the lead, wielding his sword and leading his wandering knights straight towards Que Ji's central army banner.

The Xianbei cavalry surged forward like a tide, and amidst the flashing swords and raining arrows, the Han cavalrymen charged forward one after another, forcefully breaking through the Xianbei army's formation.

After a bloody battle lasting half an hour, the cavalry suffered heavy losses, with only a few dozen riders remaining, covered in blood, following Han Dang and Liu Bei, and fighting their way to within ten paces of Que Ji's horse.

Que Ji saw that Han Dangyong was unstoppable and was reaping the benefits of his Xianbei subordinates every moment.

With a furious roar, he spurred his horse and swung his hundred-pound iron mace, which, with a sharp sound as it tore through the air, came crashing down on Han Dang's face.

This strike was powerful and heavy, carrying the ferocity of decades of fighting by the fierce warriors of the grasslands.

Han Dang showed no fear, his legs gripping the horse's belly tightly, his waist twisting violently, his ring-pommel sword slashing upwards, precisely striking the side edge of the spiked club.

The clanging of metal against metal made the eardrums of the surrounding soldiers ache, and sparks flew everywhere.

Both of their mounts staggered back half a step, their hooves kicking up dust and grass.

Que Ji twisted his wrist, and the spiked club swept out horizontally, the whistling wind carrying a chill, directly hitting Han Dang's waist and abdomen.

Han Dang spurred his horse and leaped over the shadow of the staff. While still in mid-air, he swung his sword and slashed straight at the top of Queji's gate.

Que Ji hurriedly raised his stick to block.

𪠽!

With a loud bang, the staff was cleaved and sank downwards. He flipped his wrist and the end of the staff, accompanied by a whooshing sound, stabbed straight at Han Dang's heart.

Han Dang twisted his body and shifted his horse, the blade gliding swiftly past the staff, slicing off half of Que Ji's cloak, the edge of the blade only an inch from his neck.

They fought in this manner, their horses circling and their swords and clubs clashing. After ten rounds, both men were numb in the mouth, locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle.

Han Dang's swordplay became increasingly fierce, with each move aimed at vital points, blending the ruthlessness of a wandering knight with the cunning of battlefield combat.

Que Ji was also forced to unleash his full ferocity, wielding his spiked club with impenetrable force, each move a desperate attempt to take Han Dang down with him, relentlessly entangled in Han Dang's offensive.

Liu Bei brandished his sword to repel the ever-surging Xianbei guards, and looking up, he saw dust rising on both the east and west sides, and his heart was filled with anxiety.

"Lord Yi, help me!"

Upon hearing this, Han Dang's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he roared as he poured all his strength into the blade.

The ring-pommel sword unleashed a bright arc of light that stretched across the sky and earth, splitting stone and cleaving straight at the top of the gate!

This strike exhausted all his strength; there was no way to dodge or block it.

Que Ji's pupils contracted sharply. He could only grit his teeth, raise his spiked club horizontally, and use all his strength to block the blow, determined to take the fatal strike head-on.

Just as the clubs and swords clashed violently, Liu Bei spurred his horse forward.

The two swords, one male and one female, moved like dragons emerging from their shells. The left sword slashed diagonally, blocking all of Queji's paths to withdraw his staff and defend, while the right sword flashed with a cold light, thrusting straight at his vulnerable ribs.

Que Ji used all his strength to parry Han Dang's heavy strike, and had no time to defend himself. He could only watch helplessly as the sword pierced his armor and entered his body, letting out a deafening roar in pain.

Taking advantage of Que Ji's pain and loss of strength, Han Dang slid the blade down the staff, aiming straight for Que's hands that were gripping the staff.

Que Ji used the momentum to swing, pulling back his hands to avoid the blade, and his spiked club flew into the air after circling the blade.

At the same time, he leaped up and kicked out, aiming straight for Han Dang's chest.

Han Dang's old strength had faded and new strength had not yet emerged, so he was knocked off his horse by this powerful kick.

Que Ji displayed his divine power, raising his right hand high, ready to catch the falling spiked club and finish off the scoundrel.

Liu Bei had already turned his horse around, drew both swords simultaneously, and swept his left sword horizontally with lightning speed, aiming straight for the man's neck.

The right sword thrust straight at his heart.

As the blades clashed, blood shot into the sky, and Queji's head fell to the ground with a thud, rolling onto the withered grassland.

Han Dang rolled over, reached out and grabbed Que Ji's bleeding head, leaped onto his horse, and shouted, "Que Ji is dead!"

"Que Ji is dead!"

The Han cavalry on the left and right also shouted when they heard this!

The sound shook the surrounding area. The Xianbei guards, who had been putting up a stubborn resistance, collapsed instantly upon hearing that their commander had been beheaded.

The entire central army formation collapsed and fell into chaos in an instant.

"Walk!"

With a roar, Liu Bei spurred his horse and charged forward.

Han Dang responded and led the surviving cavalry like sharp knives, tearing a gap in the main battlefield before turning back.

Then, the army charged back and forth, and after scattering the chaotic Queji headquarters and dismantling its command system, it quickly headed west.

Only the Queji tribesmen were left behind, fleeing in all directions!

Suli and Huaitou's reinforcements arrived from the east and west sides.

All that could be seen was Queji's headless corpse, hanging high on the Han army's flagpole, and Xianbei corpses scattered all over the ground.