Chapter Fifty-Six: A Minor Victory

Chen Keyan sat astride his warhorse, gazing coldly ahead. Yang Lian had taken the initiative to lead his troops on a surprise attack, while Chen Keyan remained behind, waiting for Yang Lian to succeed so he could charge forward with his cavalry. Yet, how likely was Yang Lian to succeed? Chen Keyan did not know.

One thing, however, was certain: since meeting Yang Lian, his fortunes had begun to turn. From the commander of Henglin Town, he had risen to the position of Changzhou's garrison commander. Though the advancement was not dramatic, it was something to be grateful for; after all, for a scion of a collateral branch, climbing upward was no easy feat.

Chen Keyan hoped for Yang Lian's success, for that would allow him to accumulate military merit, step by step ascending the ranks. He imagined himself, in days to come, becoming a general, commanding thousands of troops, sweeping across the battlefield, winning victory after victory, receiving titles and honors, bringing glory to his family.

While Chen Keyan was lost in fantasy, a soldier suddenly pointed ahead and called out, "General, look!"

Chen Keyan raised his head. He saw the Wu-Yue army camp, where spots of fire had begun to spread, and joy surged in his heart—Yang Lian had succeeded! He immediately waved his hand and shouted, "Brothers, attack!"

He did not forget to add, "Anyone with white cloth tied to their arm is one of ours—don't mistake them for the enemy!"

"Yes!" the soldiers replied.

Two hundred cavalry charging forward made for an impressive sight, all the more startling and terrifying in the dead of night. The ground trembled violently. The distance of over two hundred paces was but a moment for cavalry. The fences were either burned or pulled aside, and the cavalry poured in, hacking and slashing through the Wu-Yue camp.

The chaos roused more Wu-Yue soldiers from their sleep; many had barely risen, not understanding what was happening, and met their end in confusion.

The killing of the commander surnamed Gu left the Wu-Yue army leaderless, unable to mount an effective counterattack. Casualties mounted, and the Wu-Yue troops began to collapse.

Yang Lian held aloft the head of the commander, shouting, "Gu Quanwu is dead! Surrender now!" He did not know the man's name, so he called him Gu Quanwu.

The blood-soaked head was horrifying, but the name Gu Quanwu puzzled many; Gu Quanwu had been dead for over twenty years, and could not possibly return. Yet many Wu-Yue soldiers recognized the face—it was their commander Gu. Several captains and officers were stunned for a moment—what had happened? How had Commander Gu been killed?

Before they could think further, Yang Lian, wielding the bloody head in one hand and a long blade in the other, slashed through the crowd. Lin Renzhao and Chen Tie closed in on Yang Lian, and the three, like fierce tigers, killed seven or eight Wu-Yue soldiers in an instant.

"He killed Commander Gu! Kill him and avenge Commander Gu!" a captain shouted in frenzy.

"Courting death!" Yang Lian barked coldly, his fierce eyes fixed on the man. He swung his blade again and charged. Lin Renzhao and Chen Tie followed closely, guarding Yang Lian's flanks.

A Wu-Yue soldier tried to resist, but Yang Lian summoned his strength and brought his blade down. With a clang, the soldier's short sword snapped in two, and he staggered back several steps, staring in disbelief at Yang Lian's blade—how could it be so sharp?

Before he could react, Yang Lian slashed again. On the battlefield, there was no need for intricate techniques; as long as one had enough strength, a sturdy weapon, and strong armor, survival was possible. Yang Lian's moves were simple: raise the blade, strike down. After half a year of training, and with his exceptional talent and great strength, few could withstand his blows.

Under the soldier's shocked gaze, the long blade fell. As he finally reacted, one shoulder had already hit the ground. Before he could cry out in pain, Yang Lian struck again, hitting his head. The man's eyes widened, a deep gash splitting his face, and he collapsed heavily.

Yang Lian sneered and charged forward, his blade continuing to cut down foes. Many fell with agonized screams.

Chen Keyan's cavalry was equally ruthless, blood spraying, heads flying, flesh strewn across the ground, and soon the air was thick with the suffocating scent of blood. The neighing of warhorses echoed from afar.

Gao Shensi awoke in agony, feeling both hungry and thirsty, convinced his life was about to end here. Suddenly, sensing something, he called a personal guard over, "Help me up."

The guard, roused by Gao Shensi, hurried to assist him. Gao Shensi struggled to the edge of the sand hill, peering out. In the darkness, the flames were striking, and shouts of battle could be faintly heard.

"Is it reinforcements?" Gao Shensi wondered. Who could have received news so quickly? Could it be the Changzhou garrison? But even at their fastest, they would take at least two days to arrive.

"Hurry, go find out what's happening," Gao Shensi ordered.

At that moment, Li Zhenggu and Zhu Kuangye also heard the commotion and woke. Li Zhenggu strode to Gao Shensi's side and looked out.

Zhu Kuangye watched for a while, then exclaimed in surprise, "The Wu-Yue camp is in chaos!"

"What is going on?" Li Zhenggu asked, puzzled.

"Deputy Commander Li, whatever the cause, this is our best chance," Gao Shensi said.

Li Zhenggu nodded, understanding Gao Shensi's meaning. Whether it was Wu-Yue's trick or not, the Southern Tang army was tightly besieged; only by breaking out could they hope to survive. If it was an enemy ruse, he would accept his fate; but if not, this was a chance to live. The odds were fifty-fifty, which was better than waiting here for death.

In that instant, Li Zhenggu made his decision: "Pass the order—have the troops break out at once!"

Zhu Kuangye spoke loudly, "I'll take the lead!" With that, he withdrew to fetch his weapon.

The fewer-than-three-hundred Tang soldiers moved quickly. Led by Zhu Kuangye, the young and able-bodied or lightly wounded took the vanguard, the rest followed behind, and Li Zhenggu assigned a few to protect Gao Shensi as they descended the sand hill.

Zhu Kuangye, grasping a long spear, led the charge. Along the way, many Wu-Yue soldiers fled, few willing to fight. After Zhu Kuangye had stabbed several, he became certain reinforcements had arrived; only, he did not know who commanded them.

The battlefield was chaotic; Commander Gu's death left the Wu-Yue troops leaderless, and several captains who tried to resist were slain by Yang Lian. Just as the Tang army had collapsed the night before, the Wu-Yue force now began to fall apart. After several charges by Chen Keyan and his cavalry, the last of the resisting Wu-Yue soldiers chose to flee.

"General Chen, pursue them!" Yang Lian shouted.

In truth, Chen Keyan needed no urging; he had already chosen to pursue. The two hundred cavalry still had plenty of strength, their mounts having run for only about half an hour. Wu-Yue soldiers with horses escaped more quickly; those without could only curse their luck. No matter how desperately they ran, they could not outrun the cavalry.

Spears and long blades continued to cut down Wu-Yue soldiers, and Lin Renzhao and Chen Tie shouted in exhilaration. Yang Lian had killed more than a dozen, his whole body bathed in blood, making him unrecognizable. The horse's tail was festooned with grim heads. This pursuit lasted over thirty miles before Yang Lian finally ordered a return; to go further would risk running into more Wu-Yue forces, which would not be worth the risk.

Back at the sand hill, the battlefield quieted. The bodies of the fallen were gathered. A quick count showed over two hundred Wu-Yue soldiers dead, with more than a hundred surrendered and tied up by the Tang guards.

The Wu-Yue camp had ample provisions, including three sheep. Famished, Li Zhenggu and his men slaughtered the sheep, cut them into large pieces, washed them at the river, sliced them smaller, and roasted them on their weapons without any seasonings. Despite the lack of salt and condiments, the men ate with relish.

Li Zhenggu paid no mind to the lingering stench of blood or the bits of flesh scattered about. He grabbed a roasted leg from a guard and tore into it, grease covering his mouth.

With everyone safe, Yang Lian felt at ease. He leapt off his horse and quickly walked to Li Zhenggu's side, saying, "Your subordinate Yang Lian greets Deputy Commander Li, Commander Gao, and Commander Zhu." Though there had been conflict with Zhu Kuangye, Yang Lian knew his duty.

Li Zhenggu was startled, seeing Yang Lian covered in blood—"Are you Yang Lian?" he exclaimed.

Yang Lian nodded, "I am indeed Yang Lian."

Gao Shensi, his voice trembling, could hardly believe it was Yang Lian. "Yang Lian, how did you appear here?"

Yang Lian took the water flask from his waist, along with Lin Renzhao's and Chen Tie's, and handed them to Li Zhenggu, Gao Shensi, and Zhu Kuangye, saying, "It’s a long story." He recounted how he had led the retreat, met Chen Keyan, and decided to come to their aid, though he credited the rescue plan to Chen Keyan.

Chen Keyan, listening, rolled his eyes inwardly—why did Yang Lian always attribute good deeds to others? Yet now was not the time to object.

Li Zhenggu glanced at Chen Keyan, noting he too was covered in blood, and praised him repeatedly.

Gao Shensi's wounds had been treated with herbal poultices, and after eating some mutton, his complexion grew rosy. Listening to Yang Lian, he felt a strange familiarity with the name Chen Keyan, though he could not recall where he had heard it.

"Deputy Commander Li, though we have pushed back, the situation remains dire. It would be wise to return to Changzhou," Yang Lian advised.

Gao Shensi agreed wholeheartedly, "Deputy Commander Li, the army has just suffered defeat, morale is shaken. We should return to Changzhou, regroup the survivors, and if Qian Wenfeng advances north, assist the garrison in resisting the Wu-Yue army."

Li Zhenggu nodded, "Pass the order—eat quickly. We depart for Changzhou in half an hour!"