Ge Liang dodged two arrows, but he was a little too slow to dodge the third one, which pierced his left ear, causing blood to flow immediately.
He felt warmth, and when he wiped his hand, it was covered in blood. He roared in anger, "Chop that bitch to pieces and reward her with a thousand taels of silver!"
Shen Xi did not join the battle. It wasn't that she didn't want to fight, but her guards kept her tightly protected in the middle, making it impossible for her to go out and fight.
She looked down and asked Qi Xiuwen, "Xiuwen, how far is it from here to Qiaozhen?"
Qi Xiuwen held his sword across his chest, protecting Shen Xi's horse: "Thirty li to go."
Qiaozhen is the town under Zheng Hongfang's jurisdiction. It is thirty li away. Even if the enemy marches at a fast pace, it will take them nearly an hour to get there.
If you can hold out for two hours, you'll be fine.
If more people from the other side come, it will be dangerous.
Qi Xiuwen continued, "Commander, let me escort you first."
This means that some people were left to confront Ge Liang, while the rest escorted Chenxi away.
Qi Xiuwen also had a horse, but seeing that Qi Xiuwu's warhorse was injured during training, he gave his own horse to Qi Xiuwu.
At this moment, all he could do was stand and protect Chenxi.
Shenxi looked up at Ge Liang. Based on Ge Santian's testimony, she guessed that Ge Liang had personal influence, which was why he was in such a hurry to leave.
Even Ge Santian and the others were unaware that Ge Liang possessed such a large force, commanding over a hundred cavalry militiamen who were also quite skilled in martial arts.
They were tied up and placed aside, looking at each other with surprise and astonishment in their eyes.
Shen Xi shook her head. It wasn't that she didn't want to leave, but it wasn't the right time to leave. If she left, the cohesion would be lost, and sooner or later Ge Liang would catch up with her, putting her in an even more passive position.
Shenxi looked toward the battleground. Their side was at a disadvantage because of their infantry, while the enemy was a cavalry force. Although some of her guards had shields, they would still be injured if the enemy charged.
Chenxi dismounted with a swift movement and ordered, "Those who use long weapons, follow me."
There were fifteen people armed with long weapons such as long swords, long spears, long halberds, and long clubs.
Shen Xi held a long spear and led fifteen men to the battleground. Qi Xiuwen wanted to stop them, but seeing his leader's determination, he grabbed a longsword and followed.
People who use long weapons are usually quite strong. Chenxi demonstrated this by leaping to the side of a horseman and thrusting his spear directly at the horse's side.
The rider was fighting a guard when the horse was suddenly attacked and stabbed, causing it to neigh in pain and nearly throwing the rider off.
Taking advantage of the opening, the guard jumped up and attacked the man on horseback, striking him dead on the spot.
The demonstration by Chenxi had worked; these guards, who used long weapons, specialized in piercing the enemy's warhorses, and then the opposing guards killed the riders on horseback.
Although the enemy outnumbered them, the battle zone was small. This was also Chenxi's idea. By occupying advantageous terrain, the battle zone was reduced, and the enemy's hundred-plus men could not charge in all at once.
Only thirty-odd people can come up at a time, and this kind of battle is most conducive to the performance of Chenxi's team.
After two attacks, the enemy lost more than a dozen men and hesitated. But Ge Liang shouted, "Shoot the arrows!"
A hail of arrows came flying from the enemy.
When Shenxi saw the enemy drawing their bows and shooting arrows, he immediately ordered his own skilled archers to shoot arrows as well, while the rest of the men formed a defensive formation to protect them.
This is also part of the regular training; in the event of battle, multiple people need to cooperate. Only ten shields remained among the guards.
The other shields had already been damaged in the cavalry charge.
With ten shields and the interception arrows from skilled fighters, Shenxi's side suffered injuries but no deaths in this arrow standoff.
Several more men from Ge Liang's group fell off their horses.
Although Chenxi's people had temporarily gained the upper hand in this standoff, the situation was still fraught with danger.
If infantrymen follow behind, wouldn't we have no chance of survival?
Ge Liang rolled his eyes; judging by the speed, his infantry should have arrived by now.
With several hundred infantrymen and militiamen, plus several hundred villagers, Shenxi and his men certainly couldn't escape.
If we don't kill Chenxi then, when will we ever get our hands on her achievements?
Shenxi also guessed this, and looked at the other party again. From the confrontation just now, she guessed the identities of the other party.
Judging from their fighting style and the condition of their warhorses, these people have not received formal military training and are not regular soldiers. Given their martial arts skills, which are quite varied, they should be a group of outlaws.
Ge Liang had gathered a group of roughnecks, which was definitely not something that happened overnight. Judging from their level of acquaintance, they must have known each other for a long time, or even been in cahoots.
She remembered that the county records mentioned that there were bandits in Lingtou Township, but they were wiped out by the township head, Ge Liang.
In retrospect, Ge Liang's plan to quell the rebellion was a ruse; his true intention was to collude with the enemy.
Records show that various towns and villages adjacent to Lingtou Township have been harassed by bandits, who killed countless people, robbed a lot of money, and even kidnapped, raped and murdered many women. However, every time the government tried to arrest them, these bandits would disappear without a trace.
Over the years, more and more towns and villages were affected, until a natural disaster struck, people fled, and the records were interrupted.
Shenxi thought to himself: If his guess is correct, Ge Liang is truly guilty of heinous crimes.
It's not enough to say he was merely fostering bandits for personal gain or enriching himself; he was directly colluding with bandits and harming his neighbors.
Just then, several hundred militiamen and several hundred residents caught up with them.
They didn't know that Ge Liang's men were bandits, but because Ge Liang often gave them benefits, they naturally listened to him on a daily basis.
When Ge Liang saw that everyone had arrived, he shouted, "This man is impersonating a leader. Folks, seize them and take them to the leader to claim credit and rewards."
Someone who had seen Chen Xi hesitated and said, "Village head, that person looks a lot like the leader. That must be the leader!"
Some questioned it, while others chimed in: "Yes, isn't that Lord Qi Xiuwen next to the commander?"
Ge Liang shouted, "This person is not the commander, but someone who looks like him. And that person is not Lord Qi Xiuwen either, just someone who looks similar. Think about it, why would the commander and Lord Qi Xiuwen come here?"
The group was somewhat unsure, since they were under Ge Liang's management and would naturally listen to him.
"They actually dared to impersonate a leader. Arrest them!"
At this moment, Shen Xi raised his voice and said, "Fellow villagers, don't doubt whether I am the leader or not. Now, I ask you, who exactly are all those cavalry and militiamen around Ge Liang?"
The group looked at these militiamen who were different from them, then at Chenxi, and asked in confusion, "Aren't they militiamen?"
"They are not real militia, they are bandits who have been entrenched here for many years!"
Shen Xi used a loudspeaker, speaking quite loudly: "Among you, have you ever been harmed by bandits? Have any of your family members been hurt by bandits?"
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