Faced with Huang Zhong and his men charging towards them, Liu Kui and his rebel army were terrified and utterly despondent.
In the blink of an eye, Huang Zhong charged into the ranks of the rebels.
"Traitor, prepare to die!!"
Huang Zhong let out a fierce shout and slashed down at a rebel soldier with his broadsword, his speed as fast as lightning.
Before the rebel could react, his head, along with half a shoulder, was severed from his body and flew high into the air, splattering blood onto several rebel soldiers around him.
Immediately afterward, Huang Zhong swept his broadsword horizontally, and three more heads flew off.
"Haha~, you traitor Liu Kui, how dare you defy the Emperor! Surrender now!"
After killing four enemy soldiers in succession, Huang Zhong burst into laughter and then spurred his horse straight towards Liu Kui.
Wherever Huang Zhong went, no one could withstand him. Wherever his broadsword pointed, limbs and bodies were severed, and everyone was terrified.
"This man is invincible!!"
Seeing Huang Zhong heading straight for him, Liu Kui was terrified and immediately turned and ran towards the army. As he ran, he took off his armor and tried to escape in the chaos.
At the same time, Ma Teng and Gongsun Du led three battalions of cavalry into the rebel army's ranks.
The three battalions of nine thousand cavalrymen, like a sharp dagger, pierced fiercely into the rebel ranks.
In an instant, warhorses neighed and battle cries shook the heavens. Countless rebel soldiers were knocked away by warhorses, pierced and impaled by cavalrymen's spears, and then trampled into mincemeat by the horses' hooves.
Huang Zhong charged into the enemy ranks and cut down Liu Kui's banner with a single blow. He then saw that Liu Kui had already blended into the chaotic army and felt a sudden urgency.
"Liu Kui is there! Come with me immediately!!"
Huang Zhong roared and pointed his broadsword at Liu Kui's figure amidst the chaos of the army.
Ma Teng, Gongsun Du, and the soldiers of the three battalions immediately rode forward and slaughtered all the rebel soldiers blocking their way.
At this moment, Huang Zhong's armor and the warhorse he rode were stained red with the blood of the rebel soldiers. Seeing Huang Zhong charging towards them like a god of death, the rebel soldiers all dodged to the side.
"Thief, where do you think you're going?!"
Seeing that no one was stopping him, Huang Zhong shouted and spurred his horse forward, charging towards the fleeing Liu Kui.
Upon hearing the shout, Liu Kui turned his head and saw that Huang Zhong had already spurred his horse and charged towards him.
Huang Zhong, who was on horseback, immediately leaned forward, reached out and grabbed Liu Kui by the collar, then pulled him onto his horse and knocked him unconscious with a swift chop.
"The bandit leader Liu Kui has been captured alive. Why don't you all lay down your weapons and surrender immediately?"
Huang Zhong's voice was like a booming bell, its sound waves rolling and spreading in all directions, causing the surrounding rebel soldiers to tremble involuntarily.
"We are willing to surrender!!"
Seeing that the banner had fallen and Liu Kui had been captured alive, the rebel soldiers threw down their weapons and knelt down to surrender.
Thus, the Battle of Xindu ended with Liu Kui being captured alive and the Han army achieving a great victory.
"Haha~, Hansheng truly lives up to his reputation as His Majesty's trusted and beloved general. He captured the bandit leader alive amidst ten thousand troops, demonstrating unparalleled bravery! This battle deserves the greatest credit!"
When the two armies met, Lu Zhi couldn't help but admire Liu Kui, who was being held tightly under Huang Zhong's arm.
"General Lu, you flatter me. This victory was due to your strategic planning and command. I only managed to win by clever tactics and do not deserve the credit!"
Although Huang Zhong spoke very modestly, his face betrayed his excitement.
Lu Zhi then ordered Liu Kui to be imprisoned and commanded the army to clean up the battlefield and tally the results of the battle.
Soon, the army marched into Xindu. The people of the city cheered and lined the streets to welcome the royal army when they learned of its arrival.
Looking at the cheering crowds on both sides of the road, Lu Zhi turned to Huang Zhong beside him and said with a smile, "The will of Heaven and the hearts of the people are all in Your Majesty's hands and in the hands of the Great Han. How can the rebels not be defeated?"
Huang Zhong said, "General, you are right. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, the people have been at peace and the world is at peace. These rebels are ungrateful for the grace of the Emperor and have rebelled. This is an outrage to both the Emperor and the people!"
Once everyone entered the government office, Lu Zhi ordered the posting of notices to reassure the people, and also ordered the purge of officials in Xindu City who had surrendered to the rebels.
Soon, dozens of officials from Xindu City were brought before Lu Zhi.
Looking at these officials who came from scholarly backgrounds, Lu Zhi, a renowned Confucian scholar, revealed a hint of murderous intent in his eyes.
If this group were merely plotting a rebellion, Lu Zhi might not have been so quick to kill them. But what they shouldn't have done was try to ally with foreign tribes to attack the Han Dynasty.
Knowing the dangers of foreign tribes and the suffering of border peoples, Lu Zhi had come to hate a group of people who betrayed their ancestors.
"His entire family, including nine generations, shall be beheaded and their heads displayed to the public!!"
Lu Zhi glared at the officials before him with hatred, then waved his hand and ordered his men to drag them out.
Seeing Lu Zhi's murderous expression, Huang Zhong, Ma Teng, Gongsun Du, and the generals of Youzhou Army were also startled.
No one would have guessed that this great Confucian scholar was also a ruthless character who would readily execute nine generations of a person's family.
Before long, screams of agony rang out from the square in front of the government office.
The dozens of officials who surrendered to Liu Kui, along with their more than two thousand relatives, were all slaughtered.
The onlookers applauded and cheered. This group of people had oppressed the local people to the extreme in the past, and now that their entire clan had been killed, it was a great relief to the people.
As the sun set, the military officer in charge of tallying battle losses and spoils arrived at the government office.
"Reporting to both armies, in this battle, our army, together with the Jizhou army and the three battalions of soldiers, suffered a total of 1,700 dead, 3,800 lightly wounded, and 530 seriously wounded."
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
