Jinting Han people

Chapter 747 Fighting Hard with Hardness

When Liu Lang encountered Su Jun at the bridgehead, more than an hour had passed since they landed.

In the span of a little over an hour, they broke through several enemy lines in front of Jianye City, galloping back and forth for nearly thirty miles from Fuzhou Mountain to Fenglu Pavilion, then from Fenglu Pavilion to Yanque Lake, and finally to Qingxi Bridge. They were invincible and enjoyed boundless glory.

But for those as knowledgeable about war as Dai Yuan and Qiao Deng, they understood that this was the most crucial moment. War is devoid of sentimentality and achievements; it lacks the conventional notion of victory or defeat. Strictly speaking, those victors remembered by history are not remembered for their countless honors, but for their consistent, day-to-day victories, refusing to be eliminated until the very end. The same applies to battles; no matter how brilliantly a campaign begins, a single disastrous failure can render the entire effort futile.

This is the moment. If we cannot quickly defeat Su Jun's forces and forcibly seize Qingxi Bridge, everything we have done so far will be meaningless. Even though the Qi people have not performed well so far, time is on their side. After the Qi people in the north reorganize their troops, they can send reinforcements to their aid. The Qi people in the south may also send reinforcements. Although the Han army has sent its most battle-hardened soldiers, they are still flesh and blood. If they are attacked from multiple directions, they will still face total annihilation.

As the commander of this Han army, Dai Yuan naturally did not want to see this situation occur. Therefore, when he saw Huo Biao's troops break through the Qi army's defenses, he immediately made relevant arrangements: first, he ordered the following troops to repeatedly charge to further widen the gap, and then he ordered the cavalry to dismount and form a circular formation to resist the encirclement and attack of the Qi army from various directions.

This was a choice made out of necessity. The Han army's greatest advantage lay in the mobility and striking power of its armored cavalry, capable of breaking through enemy lines and inflicting heavy casualties. However, the battlefield was now fixed; casualties were secondary. The most important thing was to establish a foothold at the bridge and create a stable environment for its capture. Therefore, the Han army had no choice but to abandon its strengths and focus on its weaknesses, dismounting and forming infantry ranks once a gap had been created.

The Qi people were also happy to see this. After the Han army made this tactical choice, Xu Hui, the military advisor of Su Jun's troops on the other side of the bridge, used flags to give way, ordering the Qi people who were arrayed on the banks of the Qingxi River to move aside. The tail ends of the left and right wings were to advance eastward in an arc at the same time, thus encircling the Han army's formation and confining them to the east bank of the Qingxi River. In this way, the Qi people, who were originally in a disadvantageous position of fighting with their backs to the river, were now facing such a predicament.

However, the Qi people's decision had a fatal flaw: the defense of the Qingxi Bridge was somewhat neglected. If the bridge fell, all their arrangements would become a laughing stock. But they had their reasons for doing so, because Su Jun himself was personally guarding the bridge. Given Su Jun's past achievements, he was arguably the bravest warrior in the Qi army. The Qi people had reason to believe that no one could break through the defenses of their commander.

The Han army shared the same confidence. Although they had only spent a few days with the King of Longxi and fought for less than half a day, Liu Lang's performance in that half day had completely won them over. It was as if Zhang Fei had been resurrected. When two armies meet on a narrow road, the brave will win, and the King of Longxi was the bravest of all.

Having witnessed Su Jun's bravery firsthand, Liu Lang knew the weighty responsibility he bore. Therefore, upon entering the fray, he fought with a desperate, all-out effort. He charged straight at Su Jun, his horse thumping and jolting, yet his long spear remained as steady as a rock. In the blink of an eye, the Crimson Dragon Steed reached Su Jun, its speed startling even the riders surrounding Su Jun.

But Su Jun was incredibly astute. Seeing Liu Lang's fierce approach, he showed no fear and, despite the short distance, spurred his horse to meet him. However, Liu Lang charged ahead while Su Jun followed behind, allowing Liu Lang to strike first, suddenly thrusting his spear lightly at Su Jun's center.

This thrust, seemingly ordinary, was actually quite remarkable. In mounted combat, because horses move with incredible speed, the greatest challenge for knights is maintaining balance; any unnecessary moves can easily cause a rider to fall. Therefore, ordinary knights typically use their elbows and wrists to grip the lance, maintaining a stable posture for the kill. For Liu Lang to execute such a steady, swift, and deadly opening move on such a fast horse is something only a first-rate master could achieve.

However, Su Jun's horsemanship was also at the master level. He used the usual grip on the lance, his thumb gripping the shaft tightly, and then he adopted the starting stance of the two-part short-hand position. He quickly moved forward a little, and the tips of their lances brushed past each other like birds in flight, producing a sharp metallic sound when they struck. Surprisingly, the force transmitted between them was evenly matched.

This put Su Jun on high alert. Fortunately, his move wasn't a real attack. The so-called "Double Inch Hand" technique involved holding back power in the first strike, quickly retracting after the initial clash, and then suddenly unleashing a second strike. This second strike was like lightning and thunder, more than twice as powerful. It was precisely with this technique that he was invincible on the battlefield, with few able to defeat him.

Unexpectedly, his seemingly sure-fire strike missed its mark. Just as Su Jun fired his second shot, Liu Lang flicked his long spear. His first move was also a feint; the spear spun into a cone shape as he intended to thrust forward again, but instead collided with Su Jun's second thrust. The two thrusts collided once more, resulting in Liu Lang's spinning thrust being forcibly stopped, while Su Jun's thrust was deflected. The two brushed past each other in that instant, then reined in their horses and turned to look at each other, resulting in a draw.

Neither of them immediately resumed fighting, as they both felt that the other was extremely difficult to deal with. Su Jun looked Liu Lang over and was deeply impressed, praising, "It's been two years since I last saw you, and your martial arts skills have improved tremendously!"

Liu Lang was equally astonished. He had trained diligently in mounted combat for the past two years, and his strength had greatly increased. He thought he was now capable of defeating his opponent, but he realized that his opponent hadn't even used his full strength last time. He disliked Su Jun's condescending attitude and, knowing time was of the essence, only made a slight adjustment before preparing to launch another attack. Before spurring his horse forward, he retorted sarcastically, "You're getting old! Why don't you step aside now, and I might spare your life!"

Having said that, he stepped forward to fight again, but Su Jun remained calm and composed, also wielding his spear to retaliate. However, compared to his previous deadly moves, he appeared extremely composed this time, no longer attempting to counterattack but focusing on defense. This wasn't because he lacked ability, but because he was not only a renowned warrior in the Qi army but also the main general besieging Taicheng. He knew that time was on his side, and since he wasn't confident of quickly capturing Liu Lang, he simply adopted a defensive strategy. The longer the battle dragged on, the more reinforcements would arrive, which would be more advantageous for him.

Moreover, he had other plans.

Seeing Liu Lang's youthful vigor, Su Jun engaged him in a fight, retreating as he went, leading him to the Qingxi Bridge. The Qingxi Bridge was several tens of feet long and four feet wide, a typical traditional wooden-piled bridge, just as Dai Yuan had described, large enough for more than ten riders to ride side-by-side. However, most of the Qi troops were stationed on the west side of the bridge, leaving only a few on the bridge itself. They dared not interfere with the duel, lest they disturb their commander and create an opening. But just as the two were exchanging blows, Su Jun suddenly whistled, and an archer suddenly emerged from beneath the bridge, drawing his bow and nocking an arrow from an angle. The arrow, swift as a shooting star, pierced the open bridge surface, its gleaming arrowhead reflecting the winter sunlight, suddenly appearing before Liu Lang's eyes.

Caught off guard, Liu Lang hadn't expected Su Jun to not only bully the weak but also have archers lying in ambush. Even before the arrow arrived, the gust of wind it created almost stung his eyes. Fortunately, Liu Lang reacted quickly and remained calm under pressure. At the last second, he turned his head to dodge the arrow and, incredibly, managed to bite it firmly in his mouth.

In the midst of his evasive maneuvering, Liu Lang inevitably lost control of his mount. Su Jun seized this opening, striking the Crimson Dragon Steed squarely in the belly with the shaft of his spear. The Crimson Dragon Steed neighed loudly, its hooves lurching, nearly throwing Liu Lang off. Fortunately, the horse was exceptionally swift; it used the force of the blow to turn and deliver a flying kick with its hind leg, striking Su Jun's white horse squarely in the leg. Su Jun's mount immediately broke its leg and fell to the ground, forcing Su Jun to tumble to the ground instead.

Before Liu Lang could even catch his breath, another gust of wind swept past him—the archer's second arrow was upon him. Liu Lang forced himself to stay alert, let out a shout, spat the first arrow from his mouth, and brandished his spear, barely managing to deflect the second arrow. But before he could even catch his breath, the enemy fired a third arrow—a rapid-fire barrage!

The rapid-fire arrow technique, simply put, involves shooting three arrows in quick succession. It sounds very simple, but very few can actually do it. Liu Lang had learned this technique under Li Ju's tutelage, but this was the first time he had encountered it on the battlefield. By this time, he was exhausted and had no way to avoid it, and was finally shot in the left shoulder.

He cried out in pain, dropping his lance to the ground. Fortunately, before Su Jun could regain his footing, the Crimson Dragon Steed had already turned Liu Lang around and returned to the Han army's formation. Su Jun's riders, seeing Liu Lang injured, made a move to give chase, but Su Jun stopped them.

Su Jun used his lance to support himself as he shakily stood up. He glanced at Liu Lang as he left for a moment, then sighed to his entourage, "Good lad, you're a force to be reckoned with. You almost caused my downfall. Be careful, even if he's injured, you can't possibly catch him."

It's no wonder Su Jun made such an assessment. In their last encounter, Liu Lang was clearly a level below Su Jun. Two years later, he had already become one of the top-tier fighters of the time. If Su Jun hadn't sent his most trusted general, Han Huang, to ambush him beforehand, he really wouldn't have been able to do anything about him. Even so, Su Jun almost suffered a loss.

Fortunately, the situation was still dominated by the Qi people. Liu Lang had been wounded by an arrow, while Su Jun was unharmed. In addition, the Qingxi Bridge was still in the hands of the Qi army, and Qi reinforcements from the east bank were arriving one after another, making the Han army's defense somewhat strained. If no one could replace Liu Lang to break through the bridge, victory would fall to the Qi side.

For Liu Lang, who had retreated back to the east bank, the situation was indeed just as dire. With the Qi army's offensive intensifying from the rear, it was difficult for Qiao Deng, Yuan Sui, and others to come to his aid. Although he and Huo Biao had retreated from the bridge, they were unable to fight again in the short term. Dai Yuan had no choice but to further consolidate his forces and forcibly mobilize Lu Rong's troops to launch another attack. However, the Han army had fought so hard for so long and was already somewhat exhausted; how could they compare to Su Jun's troops, who were well-rested and ready? Su Jun didn't even personally lead the charge again; he simply sent his son, Su Shuo, forward, and they repelled several of Lu Rong's attacks.

As time went on, the situation for the Han army became increasingly unfavorable. Liu Lang's elite force of over a thousand men had lost nearly three hundred men. The Qi army suffered three times as many casualties as the Han army, but their formation was as thick and heavy as the tide, wave after wave, with no end in sight. In comparison, the remaining elite Han army was like a small island in the waves, which could be submerged at any time.

Just then, a sudden sound arose from the previously silent Taicheng. It started faintly, then gradually grew louder. This process was very brief, but the final tremor was remarkably distinct. People looked towards the source of the sound and were astonished to see an earthen mound dug by the Qi people in front of the Taicheng tilting downwards, as if the foundation soil was sinking. Then, with a deafening roar, the earthen mound collapsed, burying the Qi soldiers guarding the Taicheng to the ground, and subsequently causing a considerable commotion.

No one expected such a sudden and drastic change at this crucial moment of decisive victory, leaving everyone on the battlefield stunned. But the next sound made Su Jun feel as if he were facing a formidable enemy, because the sound of war drums resounded within the city walls, followed by thousands of soldiers pouring out from the corresponding city gates and launching a fierce attack towards the Qingxi Bridge. The two sides were no more than two miles apart, which was only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and the vanguard of the city walls had already reached Su Jun's eyes.

It turned out that Zhou Qi had been making preparations inside the city to provide support before the main Han army arrived. Although he outwardly did not stop the Qi army from besieging the city, he had secretly hollowed out the base of three earthen mounds outside the city and propped them up with wooden pillars, intending to burn them down when reinforcements arrived, thus gaining a preemptive advantage and turning the tide of the battle. The Qi people were completely unprepared for his tactic, and it proved remarkably effective.

The Qi troops outside the city had only been monitoring the Han army within as a precaution, but this sudden turn of events left them bewildered and helpless without Su Jun's command. They could only watch as the Han army swept through, while Zhou Qi's forces, like a venomous snake lurking in the grass, swiftly cut through the enemy lines and advanced towards the Qingxi Bridge. This abruptly changed the battlefield situation, putting Su Jun's troops at risk of being surrounded.

Su Jun had only about a hundred men with him at this time. Even before the battle officially began, he already knew in his heart that he was powerless to resist Zhou Qi's attack. No matter how unwilling he was or how close he was to victory, he was unwilling to lose his life. He could only curse a few times in his heart and hurriedly led his cavalry to retreat from the bridge.

Upon seeing this, the Han army, which had been compressed to the side of the bridge, felt as if they had been granted a pardon. Dai Yuan quickly led his troops to join Zhou Qi's forces and ordered Qiao Deng to set the wooden bridge on fire while he was at the rear.

The Qi army on the east bank had fought a long and arduous battle and was now exhausted. Unexpectedly, the Qi army on the west bank was unable to stop the Han army at Taicheng. They looked at each other in dismay, watching helplessly as the two Han armies merged at the central bridge. When the two Han armies returned to Taicheng via the same route, neither Qi army attempted to pursue them. (End of Chapter)