Chapter 191: Is It Him or Not Him

Let us set aside for now how the two core civil and military officials of Great Qi were each harboring their own schemes while putting on a show.

For the moment, since Li Cheng had resolved to take another gamble, he rode forward bare-handed, leading his personal guard of long-sabre cavalry. Then, several thousand troops from his Qingzhou central army, who had rested well the night before, surged up from the rear. Even the previously routed Mizhou army, under pressure from their commander, the supervisory troops, and the central army in the rear, regrouped and advanced.

The battlefield situation shifted once again.

"This Li Cheng does have some skill."

Yang Yizhong said as he instinctively glanced at the lamellar armor on his own arm, where a clear patch of fresh bloodstain remained on the armor plates. Clearly, the enemy had moved swiftly, and the blood from killing Du Yan earlier had not yet been washed away by the rain. "He moves fast!"

"And that blade is fast, too."

Zhai Biao, who was somewhat out of breath beside him, couldn't help taking a few deep breaths in the rain before responding with a sigh.

The surrounding Ban Zhi officers naturally understood what Zhai Biao meant... because right before their eyes, those long-sabre cavalrymen had already dismounted and were forming ranks, preparing to advance on foot, and those gleaming long sabers were truly terrifying.

Of course they were terrifying!

One had to understand that a long-handled saber was a basic weapon form, but a blade two feet long meant the blade's length and the counterweight at the pommel were equally astonishing. Anyone who could wield such a saber on horseback was undoubtedly possessed of extraordinary strength.

However, Yang Yizhong immediately shook his head: "This kind of weapon is inherently unsustainable; it's only formidable for the first three strikes. Pass the order down: if necessary, abandon some of the camp stockades. Let the enemy penetrate deeper, their momentum will inevitably slow, and then we counterattack!"

The surrounding officers each nodded, accepting the order and agreeing with it, not thinking their commander was merely offering forced reassurance.

To put it another way, weapons and armor were different. Armor could be repaired and cleaned; if well-maintained, it could last a long time, and even with some damage, it could still be used, just with reduced defensive capability... But weapons in wartime were, to some extent, more like consumables.

A good long saber, swung with speed, accuracy, and force, might cut a man in two with one blow, but if it struck a hard bone at a slight angle, it could get stuck, and the next swing might chip the blade.

Therefore, it was entirely imaginable that using such a long saber, let alone for a long time, would be difficult even in a protracted battle.

In fact, everyone in the Imperial Guard knew that when they returned to Dongjing, some ministers had submitted memorials suggesting that His Majesty restore specific Imperial Guard units like the Gold-Lance Guard and the Archery Guard. But His Majesty Zhao deemed them impractical and rejected them all. So to this day, the entire Imperial Guard was organized just like ordinary infantry and cavalry, only with a full complement of armor and actual personnel.

And today, the Imperial Guard encountered the guard of a local warlord from the puppet Qi. The imperial personal troops, honestly armored and armed, were the royal guard, while the flashy unit, which should only be good for three opening strikes, was the warlord's guard.

It was truly a curious sight.

Of course, returning to the present, whether in shock or admiration, the battle, like the rain overhead, could not be stopped.

In a moment, as Li Cheng unhesitatingly gave the formal order, several hundred armored long-saber bearers raised their sabers like a forest and advanced slowly. Behind these armored men were not the Qingzhou central army, but the reorganized remnants of the Mizhou army.

The Great Qi Chancellor, Hong Ya, watching from afar, sneered inwardly... After all, Li Cheng, this scoundrel, seemed heroic and was indeed prepared to take another gamble, but in the end, he was still unwilling to commit his full force, showing a hint of opportunism.

Of course, this wasn't to say Li Cheng was petty, but amidst the larger Song-Jin situation, this scoundrel needed to preserve his own strength to maneuver.

If it were him, Hong Ya, he would do the same.

But regardless, as both sides harbored different thoughts, at the foot of Wushan, in the rain, on the edge of the Song army camp standing on the official road, the battle had already erupted anew.

And as both commanders had anticipated, the long-saber armored men were unstoppable from the start. Hundreds advanced like a forest, their formation strict, their slashing and killing unhurried. At the first encounter, they inflicted dozens of casualties on the Song army... and these casualties were almost directly equivalent to deaths, because wounds from those long sabers, in the current state, were nearly impossible to save.

Thus, after witnessing a familiar Ban Zhi soldier have his arm hacked off, only to be finished off by enemy blades in the mud, Yang Yizhong hesitated no longer and immediately issued the order to retreat.

The prepared Ban Zhi officers each led their units in an orderly retreat, ceding the already battered edge of the camp to the enemy.

Then, the battle unfolded exactly as Yang Yizhong had predicted. Amidst the chaotic palisades, tents, corpses, and muddy ground, as the Song army actively withdrew, the long-saber armored men quickly became separated, struggling to maintain formation. Once they lost formation, the armored men wielding long sabers saw their killing power greatly reduced, allowing the Ban Zhi soldiers, who primarily fought with short weapons, to regain some initiative.

It was foreseeable that if this continued, these long-saber armored men, while not immediately in dire straits, would gradually lose their initial edge in the complex and chaotic terrain. And if they lost that edge, how could they drive away these highly resilient Imperial Guards?

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Li Cheng, the Great Qi Grand Viceroy and master of three prefectures, instead of ordering the Mizhou troops to press forward, spurred his horse forward as the commander, personally pushing into the Song army camp.

Li Cheng's personal advance, though wordless, had an excellent effect. The long-saber personal guards, whose momentum had slightly waned, were instantly revitalized. Every man fought bravely, and many who had fallen behind recklessly overcame obstacles. Their officers, amidst the shouting, called out questions and commands, trying to re-form ranks... For a moment, these long-saber armored men seemed to seize the opportunity of the Song army's active retreat, threatening to push the line completely forward.

Yang Yizhong was both shocked and angry, but without any hesitation, he immediately shouted orders for the entire army to turn and counterattack! From yesterday until now, the Imperial Guard's casualties had reached a dangerous level, but with the commander's order, these soldiers still turned back to counterattack... It wasn't just the awareness of being the Emperor's personal troops, nor was it solely because His Majesty Zhao had provided ample support. It was also the ingrained mentality of the Imperial Guard, who generally came from clean backgrounds and dared not disobey orders, as well as the desperation of having their backs to the river and no easy escape.

Of course, there was also the fact that Yang Yizhong himself had always displayed authority and composure before his subordinates, having built up a long-standing prestige.

Thus, as Li Cheng silently reined in his horse and entered the camp, and with Yang Yizhong's single command, the battle immediately resumed in an extremely brutal fashion. Both sides were elite armored men. One side wielded long sabers but was restricted by the camp terrain; the other was familiar with the camp and fought flexibly but could not ignore the enemy's reach advantage.

Often, a long-saber armored man would swing his blade and directly cause a casualty, but to land that decisive blow, he first had to endure a flexible encirclement by multiple short-weapon armored men, then lose his combat effectiveness in the process.

Overall, this was, after all, the Ban Zhi camp. With Yang Yizhong's order, the number of Ban Zhi soldiers directly engaged far exceeded that of the long-saber armored men, so the battle's balance was once again tipping.

But this did not mean the danger from the advance and retreat had ended. Quite the opposite, because Li Cheng had more than just these troops! As soon as Li Cheng committed his core combat power again, the Song army would still be in trouble.

Yang Yizhong also realized this problem. After hesitating for a moment, he again gripped the treasured saber at his waist and softly called out to his most trusted Captain: "Zhai Biao!"

"Commander!"

Zhai Biao had been waiting nearby and responded immediately.

"Do it again." Yang Yizhong took a deep breath.

Zhai Biao naturally knew what "do it again" meant, but upon hearing the order, he first looked at the distant, clearly visible figure on horseback, then hesitated noticeably... Because as the rain lessened and noon approached, the light behind the thin clouds had grown stronger. Zhai Biao had excellent eyesight and could see clearly that the enemy commander, holding the reins casually with both hands, sat imposingly on his horse behind the somewhat sparse battle group, which seemed somewhat inappropriate.

But inappropriate or not, after a brief discussion in low voices, they decided to try again—although they didn't know if this man was Li Cheng, it was clearly his entry into the camp on horseback that had revitalized those long-saber armored men. So, regardless, killing this man or driving him away would allow them to hold out through noon, or even the entire day.

However, Yang Yizhong was not a martial freak like Han Shizhong or Yue Fei, and in the rain, he couldn't find a particularly stable bow, let alone amidst the chaotic camp battle. So he could only concentrate on deploying some elite armored men for a surprise decapitation strike.

The opportunity was fleeting. Once the decision was made, there could be no delay.

Thus, soon, an action that was more of a forceful assault than a decapitation strike was launched.

Nearly a hundred Ban Zhi soldiers who had not yet been engaged, at least half of them wearing the era's most representative lamellar armor, suddenly emerged from behind the tents and almost immediately formed a relatively tight arrowhead formation.

"That man is Li Cheng! Follow me to kill this beast and repay His Majesty's grace!" As the formation was set, at the tip of the arrowhead, a general in silver helmet and lamellar armor suddenly drew his saber, pointed it at Li Cheng, and turned to shout loudly.

After the shout, a hundred voices answered in unison, their battle cries instantly drowning out all other sounds on the battlefield.

With the response given, the silver-helmeted general lowered the silver faceguard attached to his helmet, leaving only his eyes exposed. Then, holding a saber reversed, he charged forward bravely in a fierce assault.

For the Song army, they couldn't be sure that man was Li Cheng, but for the long-saber armored men, there was no doubt. They abandoned their current fights recklessly, even turning their backs to the Song soldiers behind them, and swarmed back in an attempt to protect their Grand Viceroy.

However, since the Song army had decided on this forceful assault, how could they easily let them go?

Not only did the Song soldiers already engaged try their best to entangle the enemy, but most of the armored men in the assault arrowhead formation were also meant to block and cut off these troops... One side charged straight north, directly at Li Cheng, while the other side converged from both flanks to pincer them. Both sides, almost recklessly, collided with each other.

In the brief clash, flesh and blood flew, and screams rose in a concentrated burst, yet they could not drown out the battle cries of either side.

Only the Song army's charge was immense. This hundred-man unit was the elite of the elite, and the leading silver-helmeted general, along with several nearby warriors, were exceptionally brave, killing and cutting continuously. So, although the long-saber armored men did their best, they still saw this assault wave gradually approaching their Grand Viceroy's position.

However, the Great Qi Grand Viceroy Li Cheng, the focal point of the battlefield, watched this scene with a blank expression and made no move... Whether it was extreme composure or momentary shock was unclear.

Unbeknownst to all, the distance between the silver-helmeted general and Li Cheng had shrunk to just twenty paces, with only three to five men in between.

In the blink of an eye, the last few Song soldiers with momentum surged forward. The leading silver-helmeted general and a guard beside him each swung their sabers, cleanly dispatching a long-saber armored man blocking the way. The remaining men also blocked the nearest Qi reinforcements.

At that moment, the silver-helmeted general lunged forward but suddenly stopped and hurled his saber directly at the man on horseback.

But Li Cheng, sitting upright on his horse, merely twisted his body sharply, easily dodging the sudden strike, his hands still holding the reins.

The general in silver armor and silver mask was not flustered either. He smoothly snatched a single-bladed saber from the hands of one of the lamellar-armored Personal Guards beside him, then charged forward bravely, heading straight for his opponent... Clearly, that throw had only been meant to distract Li Cheng.

But unexpectedly, Li Cheng still reacted calmly and responded astonishingly. Watching the silver-armored general dash to within a few paces of him during the interval of throwing the long-handled saber, he suddenly let go of his horse's reins, crossed his hands left and right, and drew a single-bladed saber from each side of his horse's back behind him.

Two single-bladed sabers naturally meant dual sabers! These were precisely the two blades Li Cheng had relied upon to dominate the realm during the Jingkeng chaos of years past!

Once the dual sabers were drawn, they were as fast as lightning. As his right hand pulled the saber, he borrowed the momentum to swing it fiercely, clashing head-on with the silver-armored general charging before him!

With just one clash, Li Cheng's expression did not change, but his warhorse beneath him neighed. The silver-armored general also came to an abrupt halt before the horse, then his posture seemed slightly out of control.

Li Cheng's expression still did not change. Under the sunlight that had appeared at some unknown moment, he calmly swung the saber in his left hand in a follow-up strike. The saber's momentum was still like lightning, forming a continuous sequence with the previous strike, and it landed squarely on the shoulder of the silver-armored general, whose posture was now out of control!

The lamellar armor shoulder guard performed excellently. Under the saber strike, sparks flew everywhere. Although the silver-armored Song general was not instantly cut off an arm, he showed signs of difficulty in moving... Judging by his appearance, that arm was either dislocated or exhausted of strength.

Therefore, there was no doubt. In this head-on clash between the two sides, the gap was obvious, and the outcome was clear—Li Cheng was the superior.

In fact, Li Cheng had been on alert ever since Du Yan's death. Unwilling to commit large-scale troops to a grinding, costly battle, he had conceived another plan—his earlier single-horse entry into the camp was not only to urge his Personal Guards to fight hard but also partly to lure the enemy.

After all, in the years of chaos following the war, he had roamed north and south. Except for that one time in Dingtao City when he was slightly outmatched by Yue Fei, his overwhelming martial prowess was beyond doubt.

And this was precisely the initial foundation of his ambition as a low-ranking soldier in this chaotic age!

With the outcome decided, Li Cheng finally stopped putting on airs. He let out a sinister grin on the spot, then re-gripped his saber with his right hand and swung it fiercely down at the exhausted silver-armored, silver-masked Song general before him, clearly intending to repay the favor in kind and end this battle once and for all.

But just then, under the bright sun after the rain, a white light suddenly swept horizontally toward his vital abdominal area. Li Cheng, for once caught off guard, abandoned his dual sabers on the spot and hastily rolled off his horse from the other side. When he raised his head again, he saw that his warhorse's ears had been neatly sliced off, and it was neighing and fleeing with a pair of bald ears. The white light, having swept swiftly and horizontally across the horse, was steadily reined in. It was precisely a long-handled broadsword of the type carried by his own Personal Guards.

Such a stunning strike, so freely controlled, was naturally no ordinary martial skill. Li Cheng realized almost instantly that the master of this strike was even more skilled than the silver-armored general, having reached a level of true mastery... At this point, it didn't necessarily mean he was definitely stronger than Li Cheng himself, but it was certainly not a match that could be decided quickly. Yet in this situation, aside from the main Song commander Yang Yizhong, how could there be such a figure among the Song army?

When Li Cheng looked again in astonishment, he found that it was the "ordinary lamellar-armored Personal Guard" who had been following beside the silver-armored general and had his weapon taken away earlier!

This was Yang Yizhong! This man, a dignified Commander of the Imperial Personal Guards, actually resorted to trickery?!

A flash of insight struck Grand Commander Li, and he shouted loudly in his heart.

At the same time, he did not hesitate for a moment. He immediately scrambled up from the muddy ground, turned around, and fled toward the official road north of the camp... There was no help for it. It wasn't that his martial arts were inferior to Yang Yizhong's, but since he had fallen for the other's scheme and lost his dual sabers and warhorse, staying here against such a skilled opponent would truly put his life in danger. And Li Cheng was a man who intended to accomplish great things in this chaotic age!

How could he die here for the sake of some Jin, some Song, or some Qi?

"The one fleeing is Li Cheng!" At that moment, from behind him on the ground, the silver-armored general suddenly shouted with effort, just as Zhai Biao had shouted earlier that morning. "The one who defeated Li Cheng is the Imperial Commander, Yang Yizhong, who oversees the Imperial City Bureau!"