PFC Chapter 80 Defeating the Allied Forces
Chapter 80 Defeating the Allied Forces
Chapter 80 Defeating the Allied Forces
Inside the river bend, at the foot of the hillside.
Xisheluosa's helmet was nowhere to be found. His hair was disheveled, and his face and body were splattered with blood, some of it his own, but mostly from others.
He had just organized a charge, attempting to break through the Song army's defenses and head straight for the "King" banner on the hillside. If he could kill the general and seize the banner, perhaps he would still have a glimmer of hope.
The more than 500 of the most valiant assassins in the headquarters who had gathered around him were his last remaining assets.
However, the Song army's arrows and rolling logs and stones seemed endless. The charging soldiers crashed into the narrow hillside, their heads bleeding and their bodies piling up, yet they could not shake the Song army's defenses in the slightest.
Wang Shan personally stood behind the defensive line, holding a long sword, shouting orders to urge the troops to advance. Wherever there was danger, his roar and the blade would point there, managing to stabilize the situation.
The charge was repelled once again, and Xisheluosa was left with less than a hundred men, all wounded and panting heavily.
He looked back towards the entrance to the river bend, where the sounds of battle were deafening and dust obscured the sun. Clearly, the Xia army reinforcements were also engaged in a fierce battle, and might even have been ambushed.
"It's over—it's all over—" a voice screamed in his heart.
What restoration of the nation, what glory, what proving one's worth to the Xia people—all of these have become mere illusions.
Anger, resentment, and fear ultimately transformed into a deep-seated hatred for Xia Jun, especially for Ye Lijie.
"It's all because of Xia Gou! If they hadn't hesitated and forced me to be the vanguard, would I have fallen into this ambush? If they hadn't been so arrogant, thinking the Song people were easy to bully, would we have been so easily caught? They've ruined me! They've ruined all the Tibetan warriors!"
Xi Sheluo Sa's eyes were bloodshot, his face was contorted, and his hatred for Ye Lijie had reached its peak.
At that moment, the situation on his flank dealt him a fatal blow.
The soldiers from the small and medium-sized tribes who had been coerced into coming by threats and inducements had already lost their morale amidst the Song army's continuous barrage of arrows and the shouts in both Han and Tibetan languages, "Only the ringleaders will be executed; those who surrender will be spared death!"
At this moment, seeing that Xi Sheluo Sa's main force had suffered heavy casualties and that Xia's reinforcements seemed to have been blocked, their last bit of will to resist had collapsed.
It's unclear who was the first to throw down their scimitar, cover their head, and squat down on the ground.
Like a plague, hordes of tribal soldiers dropped their weapons and knelt down to surrender.
Some tribal chiefs, in an attempt to atone for their crimes or simply to save their lives, turned their attention to their close associates who were still resisting, or even tried to move closer to the Song army's positions.
"Traitors! They're all traitors!!" Xi Sheluo Sa was so angry at the sight that he trembled all over and almost vomited blood.
But then, an incredibly vicious, almost insane thought suddenly popped into his head.
Since I cannot survive, and since the Tibetan army has been defeated, then the Xia dog who caused me to this should not have an easy time either!
If we're going to die, we'll all die together! Xia Gou will be buried with me!
Xisheluosa suddenly grabbed one of his most loyal and trusted generals, his eyes flashing with resentment, and hissed.
"You, take the rest of the able-bodied men, a few dozen will do, and run towards the Xia army's entrance! As you run, shout in the Tangut language that the Xia army has been defeated! Run!" Lead the fleeing soldiers towards the Xia army's position! Disrupt them! Go now!!"
The trusted general was taken aback, but then he understood his leader's intention: to divert the trouble eastward and use the Song army to retaliate against the Xia army!
The general, who spoke the Tangut language, also showed a ruthless expression on his face and nodded emphatically.
"Yes! Take care, Chief!"
Having said that, he rallied his few dozen remaining soldiers, turned, and began a rout towards the river bend entrance, shouting with all his might as he ran: "We've lost! We've lost! The Xia army has been wiped out by the Song! Run!"
"We've lost! Escaping is the priority!"
"Get out of the way! The Song soldiers are attacking!"
Their shouts were like a spark thrown into the already terrified fleeing Tibetan soldiers.
More of the routed soldiers, who were already running around like headless flies, were guided by the shouts and instinctively rushed toward the entrance that seemed to offer a "way out".
That place was precisely the flank where the Xia army and the Zhongpu tribe were engaged in a fierce battle!
The entrance to the river bend, a narrow area.
The battle has entered its most intense phase.
Zhong Pu's two thousand elite troops were locked in a fierce battle with Ye Lijie's Xia army.
The Xia army's Iron Falcons lost their charging space and were caught in a fierce battle, while their infantry were repeatedly attacked and divided by the Song army's cavalry.
However, the Xia army was a battle-hardened elite force. Although it was attacked and its formation was thrown into chaos, it did not completely collapse. Under Ye Lijie's roaring command, the military officers of each unit were still trying their best to rally their troops, attempting to form a defensive formation and even launch a counterattack.
Yeli Jie brandished his scimitar, cutting down two Song cavalrymen who tried to approach, and shouted sharply in an attempt to regain his footing.
He was both shocked and furious. He was shocked that the Song army had laid an ambush so deep and that their fighting strength was so strong.
What angered them was that useless Xi Sheluo Sa, who not only failed to wear down the Song army, but also led the routed soldiers over!
Just as he was desperately directing his troops, preparing to fight and retreat to a more open riverbank to reorganize their ranks, a cry rang out: "The Xia army has been defeated! Run!"
"The Tibetans are all dead! The Song people are attacking!"
These terrified shouts grew louder as they approached. A dark mass of Tibetan soldiers, their armor and weapons discarded, charged headlong into the already chaotic flank of the Xia army, like a flock of frightened sheep.
They didn't care whether the enemy or their friends were in front of them; they only cared about escaping for their lives. Some even swung their swords at the Xia soldiers blocking their way in order to run faster!
"Damn it! Stop them! Don't let them charge!"
Yeli Jie's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared furiously.
But the fleeing soldiers were in such a panic that they couldn't listen to any orders, and instead broke the already crumbling formation of the Xia army into complete disarray.
Many Xia soldiers were knocked down and trampled by their own "allies," or swept away by fleeing soldiers, involuntarily retreating backward.
Zhong Pu saw it clearly, and his eyes flashed with a sharp light.
Seeing that the Xia army's formation had been completely disrupted by the fleeing soldiers and that there was an opening near the commander's flag, how could they let go of this golden opportunity?
"My comrades! Follow me to slay generals and seize flags! Kill!"
Zhong Pu spurred his horse, his silver spear flashing like a sky full of cold stars, and led over a hundred of his most elite personal guard cavalrymen in a fierce charge toward Ye Lijie's command flag!
Wherever they went, the Xia army that tried to stop them were like waves crashing through the ground, either killed or wounded.
Just as Yeli Jie was getting into a mess with the fleeing soldiers, he suddenly felt a sharp killing intent rushing towards him.
Looking up, one could see a Song general on a white horse with a silver spear, like a god descending to earth, who had broken through layers of obstacles and was right in front of them. It was Zhong Pu!
"Song dog, prepare to die!" Ye Lijie was both shocked and furious, and swung his knife to meet the attack.
He was also a famous and brave general of Western Xia, known for his fierce swordsmanship.
The two clashed with swords and spears, sparks flying everywhere, and the surrounding soldiers retreated, clearing a small open space.
Zhong Pu's spear technique was passed down from his family; it was agile and ruthless, combining strength and skill.
Ye Lijie's sword was heavy and powerful, each move a life-or-death struggle.
In the blink of an eye, they exchanged more than ten blows, yet neither could gain the upper hand.
But Yeli Jie had been fighting for a long time and his movements were slightly sluggish. Zhong Pu saw the opening, shouted loudly, and his silver spear shot out like a poisonous dragon from its cave, stabbing Yeli Jie's left shoulder!
That was precisely the weakest point where the armor was joined.
"Pfft!"
The spear tip pierced through the armor!
Yeli Jie let out a miserable cry, his scimitar almost slipped from his hand, and he staggered and fell off his horse.
"General!" Upon seeing this, the Xia army's personal guards were terrified and rushed forward desperately, with several of them using their bodies to block Zhong Pu's subsequent pursuit.
The others struggled to drag the seriously injured Yeli Jie to his feet, snatched a stray warhorse, and helped him onto its back.
"Retreat! Retreat quickly! Protect the general!" The Xia army generals knew that the situation was hopeless. Their commander was seriously injured, and the morale of the army had collapsed. If they continued to fight, the entire army would be wiped out.
The remaining three hundred or so Iron Falcons and five hundred or so infantrymen, protecting the heavily wounded Yeli Jie, ceased fighting and desperately broke through the encirclement to the northwest.
Zhong Pu led his troops in a fierce attack and achieved a great victory.
"Sound the retreat! Tell Zhong Pu that the Xia army should not be pursued when they are cornered! Withdraw the troops!"
On a distant high slope, Zhao Mingcheng kept a close eye on the battle situation.
Seeing that the remnants of Xia's army were fleeing in disarray, and that Zhong Pu's troops had pursued them for several miles, he feared that they might be lost or fall into a trap to lure the enemy, so he decisively ordered the retreat to be sounded.
The crisp sound of the gong rang out. Although Zhong Pu was unwilling, military orders were absolute. After a bloody battle, both men and horses were exhausted. So he reined in his horse and directed his soldiers to regroup and wipe out the remaining enemy forces on the battlefield.
Within the river bend, with the news of the Xia army's collapse and its commander's serious injury and escape, the remaining will to resist of the Tibetan army completely crumbled.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Wang Shan swung his sword forward and roared.
"All troops, listen to my command! General offensive! Slay Xisheluosa! Those who surrender will be spared!"
"kill--!"
Shouts of surrender, in both Han and Tibetan languages, echoed throughout the river bend.
The last few dozen loyal followers of Xi Sheluo Sa were quickly extinguished like candles in a storm under the general offensive of the Song army.
He himself was like a mad tiger, charging left and right, killing several Song soldiers, but he was also hit by several arrows and bled profusely.
"Cheersarossa! Prepare to die!" With a thunderous roar, Wang Shan finally came forward personally. He had already fixed his gaze on this culprit.
Xi Sheluo sneered, and without answering, swung his knife to meet the attack.
Both were fierce and brave men, and their swords clashed fiercely, making it difficult to determine a clear winner.
But Xisheluosa lost too much blood and was too weak, and gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.
Wang Shan spotted an opening, roared, and slashed down with his long sword with the force of Mount Tai crashing down!
"Clang!" Xi Sheluo raised his knife to block, but felt a violent jolt in his arm, and the curved knife flew out of his hand.
"puff--!"
A flash of light, and blood splattered.
Xi Sheluo Sa's burly body swayed, and he looked down at his chest, where a horrific wound ran from his shoulder to his abdomen, almost splitting him in two.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but only blood and foam came out.
The madness, resentment, and unwillingness in his eyes quickly faded, and his tall body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The surrounding battle paused for a moment with the death of Kishirossa.
"Xi She Luo Sa is dead! Those who surrender will not be killed!" Wang Shan used the tip of his knife to lift Xi She Luo Sa's head, channeling his inner strength, and his voice shook the surrounding area.
"The Great Chief is dead!"
"We surrender! We surrender!"
The remaining Tibetan soldiers, whether from Xisheluosa or the tribal soldiers who had been coerced, lost all will to resist when they saw their commander beheaded. They threw down their weapons and knelt on the ground, a large, dark mass of them kneeling down.
The deafening roar of the Black Stone Beach was gradually replaced by a deathly silence, a sense of relief after a catastrophe, and the groans and cries of the wounded.
The autumn sun was still bright, but it shone on the corpses scattered on the ground, the broken weapons, the fallen flags, and the flowing blood that had stained the Huangshui River red.
The Song soldiers began to clean up the battlefield, gather prisoners, treat their own wounded, and count their spoils.
Wang Shan, carrying the head of Xi Sheluo Sa, met up with Zhong Pu, who also obtained Ye Lijie's banner.
Both men were covered in blood, but their eyes were filled with the joy of victory and exhaustion.
On a distant high slope, Zhao Mingcheng, surrounded by his personal guards, silently watched this battlefield of carnage.
The outcome is decided. Xi Sheluo, the biggest internal threat to the Hehuang region, has been beheaded, and the outstretched claws of the Western Xia have been ruthlessly severed.
However, the cost was also heavy, with casualties in both the Unity Battalion and the Chung Pak Battalion.
Zhao Mingcheng immediately gave the order.
"Order that the remains of the fallen soldiers be properly collected and generously compensated, and that the prisoners be strictly guarded, with the ringleaders and accomplices identified. After the battlefield is cleared, hang the head of Xi Sheluosa on the top of Qing Tang City to comfort the merchants and civilians who died in battle and to deter any rebellious behavior. Send the victory report to the court with the fastest courier service, and send a copy to General Hu."
"yes!"
The Huangshui River seemed to weep, as if in mourning, or perhaps announcing the end of one era and the beginning of another.
In the Battle of Heishitan, the Song army, with fewer troops, defeated the combined forces of Xisheluosa and Western Xia with strategy and tactics, clearing the biggest obstacle to the "stabilization of the border" in the Hehuang region.
After this battle, Zhao Mingcheng, known as "Jiachagabu," enjoyed immense prestige in the Hehuang region.
The Hehuang region also ushered in true peace.