Chapter 48: Chapter Forty-Eight: Defeat and Flight from Pingling City

Yan Liang's elder brother's three subordinate officers received orders and departed; subsequently, each led their own troops to prepare to assault the main city gate.

But when thousands massed in the narrow Wengcheng to attack the main city gate, they overlooked the Yasha Lei and the rolling thunder stones—these defensive implements.

Zhang Liao gazed at the bustling crowd below, then turned to Zhang Tou, whose face was smeared with blood, and said.

"Yan Liang is doomed to defeat! General Zhang Tou, in a moment you lead the heavy cavalry to charge; I will lead the soldiers to retake Wengcheng—Yan Liang's forces are nearly exhausted."

When the Jizhou army again pushed the Cloud Ladders toward the towering Pingling City, several Yasha Lei bristling with spikes and countless rolling thunder stones came crashing down together.

Even the Cloud Ladder Cart just pushed to the city wall was shoved off the battlements by the Liu Bei army using Long Hooks, and the Jizhou soldiers who fell were smashed to death by falling rocks.

Six Yasha Lei rolled from the battlements into the dense crowd, and the foremost hundred instantly turned into a pool of blood.

The remaining soldiers screamed and fled backward, but the arrow storm pouring down from both side walls blocked their retreat.

Yan Liang, watching this scene from the Wengcheng battlements, was somewhat dumbfounded—this shouldn't be happening!

Logically, after taking Wengcheng, the opposition shouldn't have such fierce firepower; this little defender on the other side isn't playing by the rules!

Complaints aside, as a veteran commander, Yan Liang's assessment of the situation is fairly accurate; but right now these few Yasha Lei are truly terrifying—even he would be afraid.

"Charge straight out, don't linger; the brothers on Wengcheng will stay behind to provide cover!"

The tiny Wengcheng was packed with so many people that over ten thousand soldiers could not all escape at once; just then the main gate suddenly swung open, and Yan Liang inwardly thought 'not good,' but it was already too late.

Zhang Tou, clad head to toe in black armor and wielding an iron spear, led a group of heavy cavalry whose faces were also covered in iron armor, charging out.

These Molin army heavy cavalry wore two layers of armor, and their towering warhorses were draped with a layer of fitted armor, advancing with an unstoppable momentum.

Seeing this, the Yuan Shao army had lost any will to resist; everyone surged outward, completely exposing their backs.

Meanwhile, the Molin army surged forward with sabers in hand; the impact of these heavy cavalry on the Yuan Shao army was like a tank charging into a flock of sheep—they didn't even need to deliberately swing their blades, the horses' momentum alone harvested many heads.

Zhang Tou led the charge, casually tossing aside a few defiant junior officers; this entirely black-armored heavy cavalry shattered the over ten thousand Jizhou troops into disarray in an instant, then charged straight out of Wengcheng.

This charge alone cost the Jizhou army over four thousand casualties; the heavy cavalry that burst out of the city slowed after two hundred meters, and then, under the command of the heavy cavalry's deputy commander, each five riders linked their horses' fitted armor with iron chains bearing iron caltrops.

Over three thousand Molin army cavalry on horseback waited in silence for the imminent sortie of the Jizhou rabble, their eyes gleaming with calm through the visors of their armor.

Indeed, since their formation, this is their first battle!

In the past, many have doubted their combat prowess and complained that their treatment is too generous; today is the moment for them to prove themselves.

Yan Liang again shouted from the city wall for the soldiers in Wengcheng to hold their positions, but who could hear him now? The panicked Yuan Shao army desperately fled Wengcheng, and this herd panic made them themselves ring the death knell.

When thousands of remnant troops slipped out the city gate, secretly relieved, some also spotted not far off a troop of iron cavalry halted there, reaping lives like the grim reaper's scythe.

A Yuan Shao army junior officer tugged at his deputy beside him, eyes wide and pointing ahead, while the deputy, impatient, turned his head—only to see the heavy cavalry bearing iron chains coming again in crisscross fashion.

"Run!"

That Jizhou army deputy commander bellowed, and just as the panicked Yuan Shao army was about to scatter and flee, unexpectedly the iron cavalry a hundred meters away surged forward instantly; the warhorses' tremendous momentum yanked the iron chains, lifting men into the air, and some were even impaled directly by the iron caltrops.

Even the few cavalry in Yan Liang's vanguard were no match; when they slashed with their blades, they found they could inflict no effective harm.

Wielding sabers and armor-piercing polearms, the Molin army became the grim reaper's scythe, swiftly harvesting lives on the battlefield; soon, beneath the city, the Yuan Shao army—aside from a few horsemen who escaped—was cut down to the last man.

The soldiers on the wall urged Yan Liang to withdraw quickly; his heart felt as if torn by a knife, but having steadied himself, he planned to lead the remaining three thousand troops in a breakout.

At this moment, Zhang Liao, brandishing a Spring and Autumn broadsword, led men to surround him; from a few dozen paces away, Zhang Liao's face was grim, and he spoke coldly.

"You must be Yan Liang, chief of the Hebei Four Court Pillars? Indeed you are extraordinarily brave, but now it seems your Jizhou army's combat ability is not much."

"Stay, defect to my lord Liu Xuan De, or die!"

Yan Liang suppressed the anger in his chest and shouted at Zhang Liao.

"Kid, don't get too full of yourself; every lad of my Jizhou is brave—it's I, Yan Liang, who led them astray. If you've got the guts, come fight me to the death!"

A few of his personal guards grabbed Yan Liang, and a deputy said.

"General, you are our Hebei First Fierce General; you absolutely cannot stay here—we'll cover you, hurry."

Yan Liang flew into a rage, about to curse, when the other junior officers nearby also began to urge him.

"Yes, General, hurry!"

"Later, General, just avenge us!"

…….

Under the leadership of several junior officers, the three thousand Yuan Shao army on Wengcheng launched a final charge at Zhang Liao and his men……

Yan Liang pondered for a moment, let out a heavy sigh, and then, under the cover of his personal guards, left the Cloud Ladder on Wengcheng, departing from this Pingling City that had broken his heart.