Chapter 556: Ambush on the Plain

The morning sun has risen to mid‑sky, dispersing the morning mist and lighting the plain south of Xianzhou in bright clarity.

The withered yellow grass bows in the wind, revealing a firm earthen road trampled by hooves,

Twenty thousand Qi troops march north along the road in a massive formation, their ranks as orderly as iron, armor reflecting a cold, sharp gleam in the sunlight.

These soldiers are all elite Xianbei, clad in uniform dark‑colored lamellar armor, plates stacked layer upon layer, edges inlaid with copper nails.

Daggers at their waists, long spears or long halberds gripped in hand, their steps steady; no clamor is heard in the march, only the clank of armor and the thunderous pounding of hooves.

Lou Xu rides a magnificent Wuzhui Horse, wearing bright silver chainmail, draped with a scarlet cloak that flutters in the wind.

In hand he grips a Tiger‑head Golden Spear, its shaft gilt with carved patterns, the spear tip shining with a fierce chill, reflecting a defiant and ruthless glint in his eyes.

He turns his head toward the deputy commander Lou Ping at his side and asks, "How far is this place from Stone City?"

Lou Ping pulls the horse rein, lifts his eyes to the northern horizon, estimates for a moment, then bows and replies, "Lord, after another twenty‑plus li we will reach Stone City."

"Good!" a flash of urgency passes through Lou Xu's eyes as he loudly commands, "Send the order down, the whole army march at full speed!"

"We must reach Stone City today!"

The first battle struck Xianzhou, dealing a heavy blow to the rioters' fervor.....

The rest will be easy; we can subdue the enemy without fighting, sending proclamations to the other rebellious provinces.

"At your command!" Lou Ping replies loudly, then turns his horse and shouts to the troops behind him, "Lord has ordered, full‑speed march! We must reach Stone City today!"

The command thunders; the twenty‑thousand Qi troops instantly quicken their stride, the ranks remain orderly, only the marching speed surges, hooves pounding ever denser like thunder rolling across the plain.

Lou Xu grips his Tiger‑head Golden Spear tightly, eyes fixed toward Stone City in the north, a flash of ruthless malice in his gaze, his tone full of unmasked killing intent: "A bunch of lowly peasants who know not the heavens or the earth dare covet the provincial seat!"

"When this lord retakes Stone City, I will cut down these rebels to the last, making them regret ever coming into this world!"

The words fall, and a sudden anomaly erupts!

"Charge!"

"Kill all the Xianbei brigands, restore our Han lands!"

The earth‑shaking battle cries erupt suddenly from the withered grass and earthen slopes on both sides of the road.

Like thunder splitting the sky, it rattles people's eardrums.

Immediately, thousands of civilians wearing assorted old armor pour out from hiding places, brandishing knives, axes, hoes and spears, surging toward the Qi army like a tide.

Their faces bear resolute fury, their mouths shouting loudly.

Their cries are filled with long‑suppressed hatred and resentment; though their weapons are crude, they fight bravely without fear of death.

Lou Xu's expression freezes, and he mutters subconsciously, "An ambush?"

Then, seeing that the rush is only poorly‑armed civilians, a disdainful snort curls at his mouth: "Ha!"

He thrusts the Tiger‑head Golden Spear forward, murderous intent surging, and roars, "Come on!"

"Follow this lord in exterminating these treacherous rebels!"

Before the words finish, his legs clamp the horse's belly, the Wuzhui Horse neighs and bolts like an arrow from a bow.

Lou Xu leads the charge, spear tip pointing at the civilian at the front.

The civilian wields a rusted iron knife, and, seeing this, does not flinch, swinging the knife at Lou Xu.

A contemptuous flash passes Lou Xu's eyes; with a twist of the wrist, the Tiger‑head Golden Spear deftly parries the iron knife, then the spear tip thrusts forward.

"Pssht"—the spear pierces the civilian's chest.

Fresh blood gushes out, splashing onto Lou Xu's bright silver armor like a blooming red plum.

Lou Xu draws his long spear, the blood dripping from the tip staining the ground red, and shouts fiercely, "Traitors of Great Qi, die!"

Immediately, he spurs his horse into the midst of the rebels.

The bright silver armor flashes through the rebels like lightning, the Tiger‑head Golden Spear whirling up and down, each swing scattering a spray of blood.

Those civilians, though fierce, are nowhere near a battle‑hardened Lou Xu.

Often, as soon as they close in, they are pierced by his spear.....

Or, after he sidesteps them, he cuts them down with a reverse slash.

Lou Xu kills his way through the rebels, seven steps in, seven steps out, as if entering an empty realm.

His Wuzhui Horse tramples several civilians, their flesh and blood a muddled mess under the hooves.

Yet his armor, though soaked in blood, remains intact, and the Tiger‑head Golden Spear in his hand grows even sharper.

From the outset, the situation has been overwhelmingly one‑sided.

The Qi army, though initially caught off guard in the surprise attack and briefly disordered, quickly steadied under the command of officers at all levels.

These Jinyang Xianbei elites are well‑trained, their individual combat ability far surpassing the rebels, and they swiftly form a Formation.

The long spears stand like a forest, thrusting outward.

They flip the charging civilians batch after batch onto the ground.

The dark‑colored Qi army line is like a copper wall of iron, while the civilians in assorted old armor surge at it like a tide crashing into a copper wall.

They are repeatedly smashed, heads broken, blood flowing.

Their crude weapons cannot pierce the Qi army's heavy armor.

They may hack with all their might at the Qi army's lamellar armor, leaving only a pale scar.

Yet the Qi army's long spears and swords easily tear through their flesh.

"Pssht!"

"Ah!"

The wails rise and fall, blood staining the withered yellow grass, corpses piling up like mountains on both sides of the road.

A civilian swings an iron hoe toward a Qi soldier, but the soldier sidesteps.

The soldier then cuts off his arm, blood gushing, the civilian shrieking as he falls.

He is quickly finished off by a follow‑up Qi soldier's blade, dying instantly.

Another civilian tried to ambush a Qi army commander, but was pierced in the throat by a spear from the commander's bodyguard behind him and died on the spot.

Li Yunye was drenched in blood, the old Leather Armor on his body was slashed with several cuts, and blood seeped from the wounds, staining his clothes red.

He still gripped tightly the long‑handed simple sword in his hand, its blade already bent, and swung it forcefully at a Qi army soldier.

But the Qi army soldier reacted extremely quickly, blocked the sword with a Long Spear, and then kicked him to the ground.

Li Yunye struggled to rise, his chest heaving violently as he gasped, and watched the Qi army slaughter his comrades as if cutting watermelons and vegetables; disbelief and horror filled his eyes, and he shouted hoarsely, "How… how can these Qi soldiers be so ferocious?!"

They also wore armor and bore weapons, yet they were not even in the same tier.

The gap in combat quality is far too great.....

The sounds of slaughter on the plain rang through heaven and earth, and the heavy stench of blood choked people to the point of almost suffocating.

Zhu Wu leaned against a broken earthen slope, barely supporting his body, and the wound on his left arm was already a mess of blood and flesh.

Fresh blood soaked the tattered armor, dripping from his fingertips onto the ground, spreading on the Huangtu as dark‑red blossoms.

His dagger was long lost, and his right hand clenched a sharp piece of broken stone; his knuckles were cut and bleeding, yet he would not let go.

"Brother Yunye!" Zhu Wu's voice was hoarse like a broken gong, heavy with panting, "Brothers… brothers probably won't hold out much longer!"

"The Qi army is truly too fierce; we simply can't stand it!"

"What should we do now?"

The surrounding civilians were already at the end of their strength; some lay on the ground barely breathing, others leaned on companions to stand feebly.

The weapons in their hands had long lost any form, and they swung them only instinctively.

The Qi army's Formation moved forward like a meat grinder, constantly advancing, and each thrust of a Long Spear could take a life.

Li Yunye suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, the froth splashing onto his chest armor, yet he seemed unfazed, staring intently at the advancing Qi army before him.

A flash of despair crossed his eyes, then was replaced by an even stronger resolve.

He hardened his heart and said through clenched teeth, "Those Xianbei bandit dogs are brutal by nature; even if we surrender, we'll never have a good end!"

"Better to fight them than be captured alive and tortured to death!"

"Today, killing one counts as one; killing two is profit!"

"Even if we die, we'll pull a few to serve as a shield!"

"Brother Yunye is right!" a nearby civilian with a broken right leg roared, supporting his body with a rusted sword, and leapt up, "We rebel to no longer be oppressed; even if we die, we must not die in disgrace!"

"Even in death, we must drag a few Xianbei bandits to be buried with us!"

With that said, dragging his broken leg, he limped toward the Qi army Formation, shouting loudly, "Xianbei scoundrels, bring your lives!"

But after only a few steps, he was spotted by two Qi army soldiers.

Two Long Spears thrust out simultaneously, piercing his chest with precision.

The civilian let out a muffled groan, and the light in his eyes dimmed instantly.

His body fell limp to the ground, and the rusted sword in his hand clanged as it fell.

"All out!"

"Fight them to the end!"

More and more civilians were ignited with bloodlust; even though they were riddled with wounds, even knowing death awaited, they still roared and launched a charge.

Some clutched the legs of Qi soldiers, trying to trip them.

Some rammed their heads into Qi armor, even if it shattered their skulls and caused blood to gush.

Others picked up stones and broken swords from the ground, desperately hurling them at the Qi army.

"Since we can't stay alive, we must break their two teeth!" a young civilian, eyes full of resolve, clenched a rusted short sword, "Let these Xianbei scoundrels see the blood of us Han boys! Charge!"

Yet such a charge, before the well‑equipped, well‑trained Qi army, was ultimately futile.

The Qi army's Long Spears were like a forest, their side‑swords like lightning; each swing could spray a spray of blood.

The charging civilians were like moths to flame, falling in wave after wave; bodies piled up on the plain like mountains, blood flowing down the terrain, forming dark‑red streams.

Zhu Wu watched his comrades fall one by one, and a heart‑wrenching pain surged within him.

He let out a fierce roar, seized a piece of broken stone, and rushed toward a Qi soldier, slamming the stone with all his might at the opponent's helmet.

The Qi soldier was startled, instinctively sidestepped, and then swung a knife back, cutting Zhu Wu's shoulder.

"Ah!" Zhu Wu let out a harrowing scream, his body collapsing heavily to the ground, fresh blood gushing from his shoulder.

He struggled to get up, but found his body no longer obeyed him.

He could only watch helplessly as the Qi soldiers advanced step by step, his eyes full of despair.

Li Yunye saw Zhu Wu fall, his heart tightened, and he tried to rush over to rescue, but was entangled by two Qi soldiers.

He swung a half‑shaft of a sword handle, fighting hard, but was ultimately outnumbered, and a Qi soldier kicked him to the ground.

A cold Long Spear pressed against his neck, its sharp Spear Tip pierced the skin, delivering a stabbing pain.

Half Hour Rest later, the resistance on the plain gradually subsided, only a few scattered civilians still made a final struggle, soon cut down one by one by Qi soldiers.

The once deafening shouts and cries of death gradually faded.

Only the footsteps of Qi soldiers tidying the battlefield and the wind's wail over the sea of corpses and blood remained.

Lou Xu rode a Wuzhui Horse, his bright silver armor already stained dark red by blood, and the tiger‑head golden spear in his hand still dripped blood beads.

He scanned the carnage before him with a cold, indifferent expression, his face showing no ripple, as if the recent slaughter were merely a trivial game.

At that moment, Lou Ping hurried to his side and reported, "Lord Hou, the rebels have been largely eradicated, and we have captured the rebel leader alive!"

"Press them down!" Lou Xu's voice was icy, without a hint of feeling.

"Yes!" Lou Ping shouted, then turned and barked, "Bring that rebel leader up!"

Two Qi soldiers clad in dark‑colored lamellar armor immediately escorted Li Yunye over.

Li Yunye had his hands bound behind him, his wounds still bleeding, and each step left a bloodied footprint.

His face and body were covered in blood and dust, yet he still held his head high, refusing any sign of surrender.

Two Qi army soldiers seized Li Yunye, pressed him in front of Lou Xu's horse, forced him to kneel, but Li Yunye struggled fiercely, refusing to bend his knee, still holding his head high.

Lou Xu, looking down from his height, measured him, his gaze as sharp as a blade, sweeping over his scarred body, slowly asked, "You are the leader?"

Li Yunye, his whole body wounded, drenched in blood, chest heaving violently, panting heavily, still glared at Lou Xu, eyes full of hatred and contempt, loudly replied, "Indeed!"

"What is your name?" Lou Xu's tone remained cold, with a hint of scrutiny.

Li Yunye suddenly raised his head, stared fixedly at Lou Xu, shouting, "Your grandfather is Li Yunye!"

"Scoundrel!" Deputy General Lou Ping saw this, instantly enraged, shouted harshly, "Audacious traitor, daring to insult the Lord!"

"Truly a nauseating sight!"

Having said that, without waiting for Lou Xu's order, he stepped forward quickly, raised his fist, and hammered several heavy blows to Li Yunye's chest and abdomen.

The fists, accompanied by a whoosh, struck Li Yunye's body heavily, producing a dull sound.

Li Yunye, already severely wounded, could not endure such blows, immediately spurted a mouthful of fresh blood.

His body fell to the ground like a kite with its string cut, heavily collapsing.

He struggled to rise, but felt his bones as if scattered, excruciating pain unbearable, could only lie on the ground, gasping heavily.

Lou Xu looked down at Li Yunye, who was still struggling on the ground, a deeply contemptuous smile curling at the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of unabashed mockery.

The tiger‑head golden spear in his hand lightly tapped the ground; the Spear Tip pierced the Huangtu, kicking up fine dust, his tone laced with a hint of jest, "Do you really think that wielding a weapon and putting on armor makes you a soldier?"

"Without even weighing your own worth, you dare to imitate others' ambushes?"

He paused, sneered, his tone growing more disdainful, "The art of war is profound and vast; is it something you lowly peasants can comprehend?"

"Thinking that bursting out from the grass can defeat my elite Qi troops?"

"Simply a fanciful dream!"

"Set an ambush on the plain?"

"Never seen these brain‑dead…"

"Lord Lou Xu is absolutely right!" Deputy General Lou Ping immediately echoed, stepped forward, and delivered another heavy kick to Li Yunye's lower back.

Li Yunye, already heavily wounded, was kicked and staggered forward.

Another gush of fresh blood erupted, yet he clenched his teeth, refusing to utter a plea for mercy.

Lou Ping, looking down from his height, his face full of sarcasm, "And you, fool, abandoning a perfectly good city to run out and fight us in the field!"

"Do you really think my elite Qi troops are vegetarians?"

"An utterly foolish idiot!"

"Defending the city might still hold a faint chance…"

"I truly don't know who gave them such confidence!"

"Kill or dismember, do as you please!"

Li Yunye struggled to prop up his upper body, his chest heaving violently, each breath tearing with pain.

He lifted his head, his blood‑stained face, eyes still glaring at Lou Xu and the others, gritting his teeth, "It's only death, why such humiliation!"

"You Xianbei dog thieves, brutal and unkind, oppressing the people, one day you will be slaughtered by my Han boys, blood debt repaid!"

"Ha, your tone is indeed grand."

Lou Xu shook his head, his smile growing colder, murderous intent evident in his eyes, "What a pity, that day, you Li Yunye are destined to never see it!"

Then, waving his hand, his tone decisive, "Drag him down, hack him to death with random blades, as a warning!"

"As you command!" Two Qi army soldiers immediately stepped forward, lifted the badly wounded Li Yunye, and prepared to drag him aside.

"Xianbei scoundrels, wait!"

Li Yunye, with his arms lifted, feet off the ground, still thrust his neck forward, using his last ounce of strength to roar, "Lord Chen Yan will sooner or later lead a great army here, and finish you dogs!"

"My Han rivers and mountains will never allow you to trample them!"

"Chen Yan?" Lou Xu heard the name, his eyebrows slightly lifted, then a more contemptuous cold smile curled, as if hearing a huge joke, "Are you talking about that infantile brat from Zhou State?"

"He even qualifies?"

In Lou Xu's view, Chen Yan of Zhou State was just a greenhorn, a name without substance, not worth fearing.

At that moment, a sudden urgent horse‑troop sound came from afar; a cavalryman clad in armor rode swiftly forward.

His face full of panic, even his helmet tilted to one side.

He galloped to Lou Xu's side, seized the Horse Rein; due to the rush he almost fell off the Horse.

"Lord! Something terrible has happened!" the cavalryman gasped rapidly, shouting loudly, his voice betraying unmistakable terror.

Lou Xu's brows instantly knit, his smile vanished, replaced by a hint of displeasure.

He had just won a great battle, feeling triumphant, and upon hearing it said gravely, "I have just achieved my first great victory since setting out, a decisive triumph, the troops' morale soaring; what could possibly be bad?"

"Flustered and chaotic, what a disgrace!"

The cavalryman, sweating profusely, complexion as pale as paper, lips trembling, voice with obvious quaver, "North… north direction… about five li away, suddenly a massive cavalry appeared!"

"Seeing the banners… the banners look like Turkic People, over ten thousand riders… rushing straight toward us!"