Chapter 76: Who Wins, Who Loses

Both sides submitted their life-or-death contracts. Li Jingsui inspected them one by one; the contracts were valid, and the battle was about to begin.

Empress Zhong was terrified that something might happen to Li Hongji, her heart pounding with anxiety. After all, he was her own flesh and blood; how could she not worry? Li Jing was less nervous. The Black Armored Cavalry had already demonstrated formidable combat power, defeating many veteran generals. He suspected Yang Lian would likely fail, even though he held some regard for him.

The drums began to beat. This final battle was staged with great solemnity, and the sound of horns echoed through the training grounds, mournful yet stirring.

Bian Hao sat on his warhorse, gazing from afar at the position held by the Shenwu Army. He had only recently taken command of the unit, and for Yang Lian to achieve such a performance—even with a significant element of luck—was a positive sign. Bian Hao did not know the true identity of the Black Armored Cavalry; he only hoped Yang Lian would win to bring honor to the Shenwu Army.

The drums sounded three times, stirring the soldiers' morale. Every man stood with his chest puffed out.

Li Hongji, unable to restrain himself any longer, led his troops into the arena first. The armor of the Black Armored Cavalry glinted in the sun. The soldiers marched out with a murderous aura, carrying long spears stripped of their heads and wrapped in white cloth. The sound of horse hooves was overwhelming, vibrating painfully against the eardrums. This pure cavalry force was a truly daunting sight.

Yang Lian’s expression remained unchanged. He slowly raised a heavy wooden saber and carved an arc in the air. "Brothers, are you afraid?"

Chen Tie replied in a clear voice, "No!"

"These are our enemies. In the future, we will face many more, perhaps with better equipment and greater numbers. But as warriors, no matter how powerful the foe, we cannot retreat."

"Brothers, take up your weapons and let them see who the strongest truly are!" Yang Lian commanded.

Although the morale of the Shenwu Army was high, compared to the Black Armored Cavalry, the infantry’s presence seemed lacking. To Li Hongji, Yang Lian’s subordinates—a mix of archers, shield-bearers, spearmen, and a handful of cavalry—looked like a ragtag mob.

Even if the archers could suppress the cavalry to some extent, Li Hongji believed he could reach them with at most twenty or thirty casualties. Once cavalry and infantry faced off at close quarters, the cavalry could slaughter the infantry with ease. With Yang Lian’s troops relying heavily on archers, this disadvantage was even more pronounced.

The warhorses snorted, exhaling clouds of steam, their hooves pawing the earth. The Black Armored Cavalry maintained the formation they had used in previous days: several heavily armored, high-defense cavalrymen in the front, followed by a large number of light cavalry equipped with bows and spears. The heavy cavalry carried exceptionally heavy weapons, intended to use their massive momentum to shatter the enemy lines and clear a path for the light cavalry behind them.

Seeing the murderous display of the Black Armored Cavalry, no one favored Yang Lian, not even Bian Hao.

Prince of Qi, Li Jingsui, sensed something amiss, but the contracts were signed, and there was no going back. Moreover, he knew Yang Lian’s character; he would never give up, even if his chances were slim, even if he had only one breath left.

"Surrender, and be spared!" Li Hongji raised his arm, brandishing his horse lance high in the air, his voice booming like a bell across the arena.

Yang Lian also raised his saber. The Shenwu soldiers stepped forward, carrying objects wrapped in white cloth—cylindrical items about four feet long and the width of a palm. Many onlookers were baffled. What was Yang Lian doing in the midst of a battle?

Both sides arrayed themselves about three hundred paces apart. With the strike of a gong, the battle officially began.

"Charge!" Following Li Hongji’s order, the Black Armored Cavalry shot forward like an arrow from a bow.

"Archers, ready!" Yang Lian ordered. The archers drew their arrows, which had been stripped of their heads and wrapped in cloth, and stood by.

The horses neighed and the iron hooves thundered, shaking the ground. Prince of Qi, Li Jingsui, frowned. Li Hongji was truly going all out. How could infantry withstand such a charge? If they weren't killed by the soldiers, they would be trampled to death by the horses.

The crowd gasped. The Black Armored Cavalry had shown their true power; it seemed the battle would be over as soon as it began. In the pavilion, Zhou Ye narrowed his eyes, studying the field. Yang Lian remained calm, his raised saber not wavering; the charging cavalry did not seem to affect him at all.

Zhou Ehuang and Princess Huairou could not help but cover their mouths. The physical body could not withstand such a charge.

The cavalry grew faster and closer. When the distance closed to one hundred paces, Yang Lian shouted, "Draw!"

The archers pulled their bowstrings taut. Yang Lian did not fire immediately. One hundred paces was not short; while within range, the arrows would have diminished power. He had to wait. The horses galloped on until they reached fifty paces. Yang Lian’s arm slashed down. "Fire!"

The archers released their shafts. The arrows traced graceful arcs before falling. The cavalry raised their wooden shields, blocking them. It was unfair to Yang Lian, as the lack of arrowheads significantly reduced the impact, and the Black Armored Cavalry suffered few losses.

Yang Lian paid no mind. The archers continued to fire as the cavalry charged. The distance closed to thirty paces.

"Shield-bearers, spearmen, forward!" Yang Lian barked.

The soldiers rushed forward, unwrapping the white cloth to reveal the true nature of their burdens: thick, smooth wooden stakes, rounded and tapered at one end. They looked strange.

Li Hongji sneered. So, they intended to use logs to impede the horses? He believed the infantry would have no defense against the momentum of his charge. The Shenwu soldiers moved quickly, fitting the thick ends of the logs into the thin ends to form barriers over ten feet long.

They held the stakes firmly, pointing the tapered ends forward, while others stood beside them holding shields to protect them. The Shenwu soldiers moved with incredible speed, completing the complex maneuvers in an instant. Just as the shields were raised, the cavalry’s arrows arrived.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!" The arrows struck the shields to no effect; mounted archery was far less powerful than infantry archery. Meanwhile, the Shenwu archers loosed another volley, though it did little damage.

The distance closed further. Yang Lian narrowed his eyes. Li Hongji stared, grinning, but his smile vanished in the next moment.

The impact of the Black Armored Cavalry was immense, but the Shenwu soldiers held the logs fast. The lead horses crashed into the stakes, letting out piteous cries as their legs snapped and they collapsed. The horses behind could not stop; they collided with the logs and broke their own legs. The few that managed to scramble past were slashed in the legs by the Shenwu soldiers. The horses, maddened by pain, nearly threw their riders.

Then, the spearmen stepped forward and impaled the riders.

The battle froze at that moment. At least fifty horses lay on the ground, their front legs broken, wailing. The once-menacing Black Armored Cavalry lost their spirit. Seeing the horses in front down, the middle rank tried to stop, but those in the rear could not, colliding with the riders in front and knocking them to the ground. The cavalry trampled one another, suffering heavy casualties.

At a glance, fewer than fifty soldiers remained in their saddles.

"Fire!" Yang Lian shouted again. Taking advantage of the chaos, he ordered another volley. The arrows rained down, and the caught-off-guard riders were "hit," their bodies marked with countless white spots.

Seeing this, Li Hongji was filled with fury. He could never have imagined that his invincible Black Armored Cavalry would be thwarted in such a manner.

Zhou Ye narrowed his eyes. The outcome of this battle was utterly unexpected. This Yang Lian was interesting.

Li Jingda could not help but remark, "The Queyue Formation?"

During Liu Yu’s northern expedition, he had used two thousand infantry to break thirty thousand enemy cavalry, becoming a classic example of infantry defeating cavalry. While Yang Lian’s method differed from the complete Queyue formation, it shared the same principle.

Prompted by Li Jingda, Li Jingsui regained his composure. "This battle was truly brilliant. This tactic could be used against the Northern Dynasty in the future."

Empress Zhong felt a complex mix of emotions. She was pained by her son’s defeat, yet relieved he was unharmed.

Li Jing nodded. Regardless of who won, his goal was achieved: he had gained an understanding of the Imperial Guard's capabilities. From the past few days, the advantage of cavalry was clear; to contend with the North, a strong cavalry force was essential. However, the Jiangnan region did not produce quality warhorses. It seemed they might need to purchase them from the Khitan.

Princess Huairou felt a surge of joy. Yang Lian had won, and that was enough; she cared little for the arrogant Duke of Dongping.

Zhou Ehuang breathed a sigh of relief. The jade pendant had been effective after all. As she thought this, she suddenly covered her mouth. On the field, an enraged Li Hongji suddenly produced a three-stone hard bow, nocked a real arrow, and fired it toward Yang Lian.

In the setting sun, it was clear that the arrow had not been stripped of its head. It was a lethal shot; a hit to a vital spot would be fatal! Many saw this. Li Jingsui cried out, "Look out!" But no matter how loud he shouted, how could Yang Lian, two hundred paces away, hear him? Especially amidst the cries of the wounded and the wailing of the horses.

Princess Huairou’s heart, which had just settled, leaped into her throat. She stared intently at the arrow flying through the air, wishing she could intercept it. In that instant, she only prayed that Li Hongji’s aim was off.