Battle of Luoyanpo
Zongzheng Zhaoran abruptly stood up, the color draining from his face instantly, replaced by an extremely complex flush. Amidst shock and astonishment, and a subconscious moment of panic, an uncontrollable glimmer of opportunity surged within him!
Ninth Brother is surrounded!
At this moment, only he can save him!
As long as he leads his troops to the rescue and successfully lifts the siege, then this merit of saving the marshal will be enough to offset or even surpass all of Heng Wang's previous merits of killing generals and capturing flags!
In the Emperor's heart and in the eyes of the court officials, Zongzheng Zhaoran will be a hero who can turn the tide, take the overall situation into account, and save the commander-in-chief!
As for the risks... Luoyanpo is a strategically important location, and since Huyan Shuo has set up an ambush, he must have a large force there.
But that's precisely why his achievement will be even greater if he successfully breaks through the ambush!
Moreover, he has 15,000 fresh troops at his disposal, so he is not without a chance of winning!
Countless thoughts flashed through Zongzheng Zhaoran's mind, eventually transforming into a resolute and fervent light in his eyes.
He slammed his hand on the table, his voice slightly shrill with excitement, but he tried his best to remain calm and anxious.
"What?! The Marshal has fallen into an ambush?! This is outrageous! Huyan Shuo is so treacherous!"
He surveyed the generals in the tent, their expressions varied, especially those who clearly favored Prince Heng. His tone became impassioned: "Gentlemen! The Marshal is in imminent danger! The outcome of the battle at Lin'an, and even the prestige of the Great Shang, rests on his shoulders! How can we stand idly by?!"
He took a deep breath, as if he had made an incredibly difficult yet absolutely correct decision, and announced loudly, "Pass on the order!"
“General Zhou, Commander of the Left Army!” He pointed to a trusted general.
"Your subordinate is here!"
"I hereby grant you five thousand elite infantrymen and allocate all crossbows to rush to the aid of General Li Zan at the North Gate! You must defeat the enemy engaged in fierce fighting, support General Li's troops, and then join forces with General Li to threaten the enemy army at Luoyan Slope from the flank and disperse their forces!"
"Understood!" General Zhou clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, then immediately turned and mustered his troops.
"The rest of the generals, follow me and lead ten thousand elite cavalry!"
Zongzheng Zhaoran suddenly drew his sword from his waist, the blade pointing westward, his voice rising abruptly, filled with an unquestionable determination.
"Target: Luoyan Slope! Break through the enemy lines at all costs and rescue the Marshal!"
"Rescue the Marshal!" Regardless of their own thoughts, the generals in the tent all agreed that rescuing their commander was the right thing to do at this moment.
Zongzheng Zhaoran mounted his horse, and the ten thousand cavalrymen, like a flood bursting its banks, roared off and galloped toward Luoyanpo in the west of the city!
The thunderous sound of hooves filled the air as Zongzheng Zhaoran rode on his horse, his heart pounding with excitement. He could almost see himself breaking through the enemy lines, rescuing the disheveled Prince Heng, and receiving the admiration of the masses.
At this moment, Luoyanpo has truly become a slaughterhouse.
The terrain was indeed treacherous, with two gentle slopes flanking a narrow valley. Zongzheng Hengyu pursued Huyan Shuo's "defeated army" to this point, when suddenly a barrage of arrows rained down from the high slopes on both sides, and rolling logs and rocks fell like rain, instantly crushing his vanguard troops and sending them sprawling!
Immediately afterwards, more than 8,000 elite Northern Di cavalrymen who had been lying in ambush emerged from behind the slopes on both sides like ghosts, cutting off Zongzheng Hengyu's troops in half and encircling them!
Huyan Shuo never truly suffered a defeat; it was all a vicious scheme to lure the enemy deep into his territory!
Despite being surrounded, Zongzheng Hengyu remained calm in the face of danger. He quickly rallied his remaining troops, forming a circular formation. With his spears like dragons, he charged left and right, desperately resisting the overwhelming onslaught of the Di soldiers.
His armor was completely soaked in blood, indistinguishable between enemy and personal wounds. His personal guards fell one after another, and his warhorses were shot down. He decided to fight on foot, wielding his long spear with impenetrable skill, causing Di soldiers to fall wherever he went.
However, the enemy's numbers far exceeded expectations, and they held the advantage of terrain, launching wave after wave of attacks.
The circular formation was shrinking rapidly, and casualties were increasing dramatically. Zongzheng Hengyu frowned deeply; he knew that if no reinforcements arrived, they would likely perish here today.
"Marshal! Hold on! His Highness Prince Zhao... His Highness Prince Zhao will definitely come to save us!" a wounded lieutenant roared, but his tone was tinged with uncertainty.
Zongzheng Hengyu deflected a stray arrow with his spear, his eyes as cold as iron, offering no reply. Would he come? He dared not think further; at this moment, only a fight to the death remained!
Just as the circular formation was about to be compressed to its limit and the defensive line was on the verge of collapse, a deafening battle cry and the thunderous sound of horses' hooves suddenly rang out!
A royal banner with the character "昭" and countless Great Entropy battle flags appeared at the edge of the slope!
"Reinforcements! It's reinforcements! Prince Zhao has arrived!" The Heng King's troops, trapped in a desperate situation, erupted in thunderous cheers, their morale soaring!
Zongzheng Zhaoran took the lead, and seeing the tragic scene in the valley and the "Heng" banner that was still struggling to hold on, his ambition to achieve great things reached its peak.
He pointed his longsword forward, his voice piercing the battlefield: "Soldiers of Great Entropy! Follow me into battle! Rescue the Marshal! Slay the Di Ko!"
"kill!"
Ten thousand fresh cavalrymen, like tigers descending the mountain, crashed into the outer perimeter of the Northern Di ambush with overwhelming force!
Di Bing clearly did not expect such a large number of reinforcements to suddenly appear from the rear, and his formation was thrown into chaos.
King Zhao's army, having rested and prepared for the attack, and determined to save the enemy, launched an extremely fierce offensive, tearing a gap in the enemy's defenses in an instant!
Zongzheng Hengyu saw it clearly from within the formation, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes, but it was instantly replaced by a cold killing intent.
He raised his spear and shouted sternly, "Reinforcements have arrived! All troops, listen to my command! Counterattack from within! Coordinate with your forces from the inside and out to crush the enemy!"
"Work together from within and without! Rout the enemy!" The circular formation, which was on the verge of collapse, suddenly erupted with astonishing fighting power and charged outwards!
The pressure from both inside and outside was simultaneously mounting on the Northern Di ambush troops. Huyan Shuo, watching from the high slope, was both shocked and furious.
He had planned everything, but he never expected that this seemingly inexperienced King Zhao would actually dare to personally lead the main force to the rescue, and arrive so quickly and so fiercely!
The battlefield situation reversed in an instant!
King Zhao's cavalry continued to advance inwards, while King Heng's remaining troops fought desperately outwards.
The two armies were like two giant iron pincers, constantly squeezing the Di army's living space.
In the midst of the chaos, Zongzheng Zhaoran finally saw Zongzheng Hengyu fighting a bloody battle.
He immediately shouted, "Ninth Brother! Hold on!" His voice was full of concern and courage.
Zongzheng Hengyu swiftly dispatched a Di centurion with a single spear thrust. Looking up, he saw King Zhao, surrounded by his guards, hacking and slashing at the enemy. Although he was brave, he clearly lacked experience in battle and relied more on sheer courage.
His eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't respond to King Zhao's shouts, but calmly observed the battlefield. Suddenly, he shouted sharply to the messenger beside him, "Tell King Zhao! Don't just charge in! Have him divide his forces to seize the high ground on the left! Suppress the enemy archers! Otherwise, we'll all be sitting ducks!"
The order was quickly relayed to King Zhao. King Zhao was caught up in the excitement of the battle when he heard King Heng's almost commanding tone. A hint of displeasure flashed through his mind, but when he looked up, he saw that the Di archers on the high slope to his left were indeed still firing arrows, causing continuous casualties to both the inner and outer armies.
He gritted his teeth, feeling annoyed at being ordered around, but knowing it was the right tactic.
"Send a squad to occupy that slope on the left! Slaughter those Northern Di dogs who are shooting arrows!" he shouted the order.
One cavalry unit immediately broke away and charged towards the high slope on the left, quickly engaging in battle with the Di soldiers on the slope, greatly reducing the threat of arrows.
With the pressure eased slightly, Zongzheng Hengyu reorganized his forces and formed a more effective alliance with Zhaowang's troops, gradually clearing out and dividing the besieged Di soldiers.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless and the ambush troops were surrounded, Hu Yanshuo knew that if the fighting continued, the entire army would be wiped out. He could only glare hatefully at the two princes fighting side by side in the valley, then ordered the retreat and led his remaining troops in a westward rout.
The Battle of Luoyanpo ended in a Pyrrhic victory for Great Entropy.
The setting sun, like blood, illuminated the battlefield strewn with corpses. The smoke of battle had not yet dissipated, and the stench of blood was nauseating.
Zongzheng Hengyu leaned on his spear, standing amidst a mountain of corpses, breathing slightly heavily. His black armor was torn in many places, and his face was splattered with blood. Only his eyes remained sharp as an eagle's, scanning the battlefield and taking stock of the casualties.
Zongzheng Zhaoran walked over surrounded by his guards. His battle robe was stained with a lot of blood, but it was obviously much cleaner than that of Hengwang.
His face was filled with concern and the joy of victory as he strode forward: "Ninth Brother! Are you alright? Are you injured? What a relief! Luckily, I arrived in time!"
Zongzheng Hengyu slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on the face of Prince Zhao, a mixture of sincerity and excitement. He remained silent for a moment before speaking, his voice hoarse from exhaustion and battle: "Thank you, Brother Prince Zhao, for coming to our aid in time. You have made an indispensable contribution to this battle."
His tone was calm, revealing little emotion, as if he were simply stating a fact.
Zongzheng Zhaoran was secretly pleased, but waved his hand dismissively, as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "Hey, we're brothers, why thank me? Eliminating traitors and protecting the country is our duty! I'm just glad that Ninth Brother is alright!"
He looked around at the devastation and sighed, "It's just a pity that that old scoundrel Huyan Shuo got away!"
Zongzheng Hengyu did not respond, but looked intently in the direction where Huyan Shuo had fled, then slowly looked away and landed on the soldiers who were cleaning up the battlefield.
The Battle of Luoyanpo severely damaged the main force of Huyan Shuo, the Left Wise King of the Northern Barbarians. His remaining troops retreated for a hundred miles and could not organize a threat to Lin'an City for a short period of time.
As the smoke of war gradually dissipated, the devastated city of Lin'an began its arduous recovery. The ruins needed clearing, the displaced people needed resettlement, and the burned granaries needed replenishment—a myriad of tasks and a dire need for reconstruction.
However, Zongzheng Hengyu gradually calmed down after his brief victory.
He knew that the root cause of the chaos in Lin'an, besides the external threat of the Northern Barbarians, was also a deep internal threat: the Night Hawk Pavilion.
If this malignant tumor is not eradicated completely and its ultimate purpose is not investigated, the tragedy that happened in Lin'an today will surely be repeated elsewhere in the future.
…………
Inside the tent, next to the huge map of Lin'an's city defenses, hangs a densely packed map showing the known strongholds of Night Hawk Pavilion and the connections between its personnel.
Zongzheng Hengyu pointed his finger at the three characters "Night Hawk Pavilion" on the map, his voice cold and clear: "Although Huyan Shuo has retreated, the main force of Night Hawk Pavilion seems to have planned to break into smaller units and disappear without a trace before and after the city fell. They have been operating in Lin'an City for many years, and their roots must be very deep."
Zongzheng Zhaoran also suppressed his post-battle smugness and frowned: "Ninth Brother is absolutely right. Colluding with the Northern Barbarians and causing chaos on the border is a serious crime, but it seems... there is a lack of 'motivation' that can make these Jianghu forces so crazy, even willing to risk everything."
He pondered for a moment, then looked at Zongzheng Hengyu, "I remember Ninth Brother mentioned before that Night Hawk Pavilion... seems to have some unclear and ambiguous connection with the previous dynasty?"
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