Volume Two: The Lord and His Grandson Chapter 59: The Mightiest Warrior of Hedong
Shilou Mountain. The Fufeng Army quietly advanced along the undulating ridges.
Wei Fufeng dispatched scouts to keep a close watch on several hundred cavalry from Hedong. He led his troops atop Shilou Mountain, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Wei Fufeng spoke plainly to his subordinates: if there was a chance to engage, so be it; if not, it was better to refrain from deploying. Infantry should not pit their disadvantage against cavalry.
The scouts reported that several hundred Hedong cavalry were stationed near Shilou Mountain, with no signs of moving elsewhere.
Wei Fufeng found this odd. The Hedong cavalry lingered at Shilou Mountain, so certain that the imperial reinforcements would pass through this region?
"Could there be traitors within the imperial ranks, deliberately guiding the army into a Hedong ambush?" Wei Fufeng speculated, thinking in reverse.
"Traitors? Perhaps Yang Fuke is meddling, commanding his faction within the army to betray the imperial forces’ movements at any moment," he mused darkly.
...
Another day dawned, the sun rising high. The imperial reinforcements marched into the Shilou mountain region, their winding formation resembling a centipede slowly advancing.
Though the march was not under the scorching midday sun, the soldiers trudged listlessly, their steps weary.
Deputy Commander Sun Kui sat inside a carriage, his expression tinged with anxiety as he gazed out. He worried about the fate of Shizhou; if the Fufeng Army could seize it, it would be momentous for the imperial campaign against Hedong.
First, it would lift troop morale, providing a much-needed victory to boost spirits.
Second, Shizhou lay west of Taiyuan Prefecture, a strategic gateway against invasions from the west.
Third, it would give the imperial court an initial accomplishment to report.
Sun Kui was anxious but helpless. No matter how he urged his men, their march was sluggish.
Their retort was simple: how could they march quickly on just a bowl of porridge?
Sun Kui could only glare, afraid that pushing too hard might spark a mutiny.
A scholar by background, Sun Kui had always served as a civil official. He had never led troops to battle, nor did he have any seasoned military officers at his side, relying entirely on the officers of the Divine Strategy Army.
At the vanguard marched five hundred soldiers, serving as guides to Shizhou, led by Captain Song Hu.
Upon entering the Shilou mountainous region, Song Hu, riding at the front, showed visible tension, scanning the distance anxiously, fearing disaster might strike.
...
Meanwhile, hidden in a wooded slope nearby, several hundred armored cavalry watched the winding army from above.
Their leader, clad in heavy armor, with deep-set blue eyes, unruly curly hair, and wielding a massive iron spear, was Li Cunxiao—a Shatuo, adopted son of Hedong Governor Li Keyong, ranked thirteenth, known as the Thirteenth Guardian, famed as Hedong's bravest warrior. His cavalry were called the Flying Tiger Army.
Hedong’s multi-front warfare left Li Keyong short-handed, forcing him to allocate forces selectively.
Most of Hedong's troops faced the northern Youzhou army; a smaller contingent opposed the southern Xuanwu and imperial forces.
Li Keyong regarded the southwestern imperial troops with disdain, assigning only minor forces mainly to counter the southern Xuanwu Army.
Zhu Wen’s Xuanwu Army was formidable, but, being situated in the four-warring lands of central China, it dared not send too many troops against Hedong.
A small portion of Hedong’s forces, commanded by Li Cunxiao and General Kang Junli, focused on the southern Xuanwu Army, temporarily ignoring the imperial troops.
---
It could be said that Hedong’s army was keenly aware of the imperial forces’ situation and movements.
Yet an unexpected event occurred at Shizhou—a contingent of imperial troops seized it.
Upon learning this, Li Cunxiao and Kang Junli were shocked. Li Cunxiao immediately led his cavalry to Shizhou, leaving Kang Junli to command the main force against Xuanwu.
En route, Li Cunxiao received news that five thousand imperial troops were heading to Shizhou. He sent a messenger to contact Yang Fuke’s confidant, arranging an ambush at Shilou Mountain.
In truth, Yang Fuke and Hedong Governor Li Keyong had a longstanding rapport.
During the suppression of the Yellow Turban uprising, Yang Fuke, then a military overseer, had collaborated with Li Keyong. They were old friends; thus, when the imperial court discussed campaigning against Hedong, Yang Fuke strongly opposed it.
...
In the forest, Li Cunxiao signaled. Several hundred subordinates silently mounted and prepared for battle.
Li Cunxiao too mounted, his blue eyes cold and murderous. Though the enemy numbered five thousand, he was confident in defeating ten times their strength.
Five hundred meters away, atop another hill, six hundred Fufeng soldiers lay prone, their heads camouflaged with grass rings, having just moved from a mile-deep forest.
Wei Fufeng, also wearing a grass ring, crouched among the foliage, gripping a long spear, a military crossbow slung across his back. From his vantage, he could see the imperial troops winding below.
To his left, he could barely make out armored figures and horses in the distant woods. Wei Fufeng turned and ordered, "Pass it down—when we strike, aim for the horses first."
A guard bowed low to relay the command. Amber's father, beside him, whispered, "Horses are rare."
Wei Fufeng smiled, "Indeed, but I cannot claim them. The imperial troops may not fight well, but they excel at looting."
Amber's father fell silent. Wei Fufeng added, "Besides, this is the battlefield. Killing the enemy and surviving comes first. Cavalry deprived of horses are burdened by their armor. If these horsemen escape, they could haunt us. We cannot linger in the mountains forever."
Amber's father nodded. Suddenly, the sound of hooves echoed; he looked up to see Hedong cavalry charging from the woods, brandishing spears and blades, shouting as they attacked the imperial army's center.
"Attack!" Wei Fufeng gave the order.
The Fufeng Army responded, rising and running to the other side of the mountain, then sliding and sprinting downhill.
Wei Fufeng and a hundred shield-bearers brought up the rear, but descending was hard to slow; many shield-bearers, seemingly forgetting the governor's orders, closely followed the archers.
Wei Fufeng noticed and grumbled inwardly, unable to lag behind, forced to quicken his pace.
Fortunately, a dozen guards kept pace with him, ensuring he wasn’t the last.
...
The imperial troops trudged on, suddenly startled by the rumbling earth, stopping and looking back in alarm.
Soon, they saw countless cavalry bursting from the woods, clouds of dust rising.
"Hedong cavalry!" a soldier cried in terror. The winding formation immediately broke, waves surging sideways; facing the oncoming cavalry, panic and flight ensued.
"Stand firm! Deserters will be executed!" Sun Kui dismounted, roaring angrily. The hundreds around him, though frightened, did not flee, but stood out in stark relief.
Li Cunxiao led the charge, spear raised, heading straight for Sun Kui. The collapse of the imperial troops was expected—partly due to their rabble status, partly because of sabotage by hidden officers.
As the Hedong cavalry neared Sun Kui, less than a hundred meters away, suddenly, a volley of arrows shot from the right hills, like a swarm of locusts, striking the cavalry's flank.
The Fufeng Army had raced down the mountain, intercepting the charging Hedong cavalry.
---
Arrows rained down, immediately causing casualties; dozens of cavalry were hit, their cries muffled, nearly a hundred horses struck.
The fierce Hedong cavalry were thrown into confusion, their charge disrupted.
Sun Kui stood tall, glaring at the attackers, showing no fear. He was first to notice the locust-like arrow storm hitting the cavalry’s right wing, witnessing their casualties and chaos.
"Hedong forces have fallen into our ambush! Forward!" Sun Kui reacted swiftly, raising his hand with a fierce shout.
The surrounding soldiers paused, then someone echoed his cry, panic swiftly turning to fighting spirit.
Nearly a hundred men around Sun Kui surged forward, meeting the charging Hedong cavalry head-on.
"Hedong force is trapped, only about two hundred—attack!" Seeing the true numbers, imperial soldiers shouted, rallying the fleeing troops to turn back.
They turned, counterattacking with anger and renewed vigor, their momentum overwhelming as they assaulted the Hedong cavalry.
Li Cunxiao was both furious and alarmed. Cavalry could crush infantry, but numbers and morale mattered.
Seeing the once fleeing imperial troops turn and counterattack, Li Cunxiao knew the situation was dire. He immediately wheeled his horse and fled.
The so-called "enemy of ten thousand" was mere exaggeration; if one could terrify thousands into flight, then one was indeed such a foe.
Seeing the tide turn, Li Cunxiao fled, some subordinates following, but dozens who lost their horses could only escape into the hills. Thus, the Fufeng Army faced formidable adversaries.
Those dismounted Hedong soldiers, full of hatred, charged at the Fufeng Army on the mountain.
Seeing dozens of armored Hedong soldiers approaching, Wei Fufeng hastily ordered the shield-bearers to engage. If the archers weren’t rescued, they would be slaughtered.
Fortunately, Wei Fufeng had previously drilled the troops; the archers, rather than panicking, withdrew in order, allowing the shield-bearers to deploy in time. Nearly a hundred bright-armor shield-bearers blocked the oncoming Hedong soldiers.
The Hedong cavalry wielded mostly long spears, launching ferocious attacks.
Outnumbered two to one, the shield-bearers were used to cooperating in drills—two against one, shields blocking spears, long knives counterattacking, the clamor echoing.
Wei Fufeng had ordered all shield-bearers to fight, keeping only Amber’s father by his side.
Amber’s father, clad in chainmail, gripped his long sword, face grim and fierce, eyes flashing with murderous intent.
Wei Fufeng had no time to notice him. Instinctively, he did not want Amber’s father to risk his life. As the shield-bearers engaged, he planted his spear, drew his crossbow, and aimed.
Twang! The bolt shot from the crossbow, whizzing past the retreating archers, piercing an enemy’s face with deadly precision.
The enemy soldier howled and fell back. The shield-bearers seized the moment, kicking the wounded foe aside.
"Scoundrel!" a burly enemy officer in heavy armor roared, sweeping aside the shield-bearers with his spear and charging straight for Wei Fufeng.
Four shield-bearers around Wei Fufeng shouted and counterattacked, their blades flashing to block the officer.
The officer pressed forward regardless, like a raging rhinoceros, taking sword blows on his armor.
A dozen retreating archers suddenly stopped, recklessly rushing to obstruct the officer’s advance.
He swung his spear, knocking aside several archers, and pressed even faster toward Wei Fufeng.