As the horn sounded, the main force of the rebel army began to advance towards the valley entrance.
Li Jingang personally led the central army, his steps steady and without any confusion.
When they were halfway there, they suddenly heard deafening shouts and cries of killing from the front.
Sure enough, the imperial ambush troops rushed out from both sides of Hulu Valley, cutting off the rebels' path.
"Hold the formation!" Li Jingang shouted loudly, "Spearmen, front row, crossbowmen, ready!"
The rebels quickly changed their formation and blocked the first wave of the imperial army's charge like a solid wall.
Arrows rain down!
Soldiers from both sides continued to fall, and the smell of blood soon spread.
Yang Yan stood beside Li Jingang, carefully observing the battlefield situation: "General, the enemy's main force has been pinned down by us. The western cavalry should be arriving soon."
Li Jingang nodded, his eyes sharp as a torch: "Order the vanguard to fight and retreat at the same time, and lure the enemy deeper!"
Just as the imperial army was closing in, chaos suddenly broke out in the rear.
The rebel army's western cavalry arrived as expected, forming a pincer attack with the main force.
The imperial army suddenly fell into chaos and its formation began to loosen.
Li Jingang seized the opportunity, raised his sword high and said, "Charge!"
The rebel army pressed forward like a tide, and the shouts of killing shook the earth.
The imperial army suffered defeat after defeat and the ambush plan completely failed.
By the afternoon, the imperial army had retreated in a hurry, leaving behind thousands of corpses.
The rebels won a great victory, but also paid a heavy price.
Li Jingang stood on a high slope, watching the soldiers clear the battlefield. His face showed no joy of victory, but a frown instead.
Yang Yan came over and whispered, "General, General Niu is back."
Niu Desheng, covered in blood, strode forward with a smug smile on his face: "General! We burned down the imperial granary and killed one of their generals!"
Li Jingang looked at him coldly: "Do you realize that you are disobeying military orders?"
Niu Desheng's smile froze: "I...I just saw the fighter planes and it was rare..."
"Fighter plane?"
Li Jingang suddenly flew into a rage and grabbed Niu Desheng by the collar, "You almost killed three thousand brothers! If it weren't for Brother Yang seeing through the ambush, today would be our end!"
Niu Desheng had never seen Li Jingang so angry and was speechless for a moment.
Yang Yan quickly tried to persuade him, "General, calm down. General Niu is also eager to win..."
Li Jingang released his hand and took a deep breath. "Desheng, we are no longer engaged in a small fight. The lives of three hundred thousand people depend on us. One wrong move and we will lose everything!"
Niu Desheng lowered his head and clenched his fists: "I...know I was wrong."
Li Jingang patted his shoulder and softened his tone: "Go and heal your wounds. You'll have a tough battle tomorrow."
After Niu Desheng left, Yang Yan said worriedly, "General, although the imperial court has been defeated, its main force remains. We will definitely adjust our strategy."
Li Jingang looked towards the Puyuan Highlands in the distance, where the flags of the imperial army were still flying.
"Order the entire army to rest and strengthen patrols. Send scouts to investigate in the direction of Xiazhou. I need to know Zhao Muyun's movements."
As the sun sets, Bailuyuan becomes quiet again.
But everyone knew that this was just the calm before the storm.
A bigger battle is coming.
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