These Great Zhou government soldiers are really too arrogant.
Gazing at the formation ahead, the generals of the Jin Army trembled with anger at the sight of a dozen or so Zhou Soldiers charging provocatively in front of the formation.
They even dared to chase us to the border, and still have the audacity to make such bold claims.
Looking at their numbers, they're not that many, so why are they so arrogant?
Not to mention that the number of combatants on both sides is comparable, this is approaching the border. Although the Army of the Duke of Chengguo is battling fiercely to block them, our Jin Army has also assembled in great numbers.
Upon hearing the words shouted by these Zhou Soldiers, the Jin General couldn't help but scream in rage.
Although always suppressed by the Duke of Chengguo, they had never been provoked in such a manner.
"Go and kill them all," the Jin General shouted.
With this command, squad after squad of Jin Soldiers charged forward with screams, holding weapons, towards where the Zhou Soldiers were standing, while the rest of the Jin Army also began to form up and advance.
The civilians all curled up with their heads in their hands to avoid the chaos, and Third Zhuang was no exception. Cradling a child, he retreated to the back, but couldn't help but be brave enough to peek forward.
"Can we win?" a man whispered nearby, "Our people don't seem to be that many."
"That's right, the Jin have two thousand, in the past we would only engage in battle when outnumbering them by at least half," another man whispered back.
"We can definitely win," Third Zhuang said, with utter certainty, "these are all great men."
They must be great men; otherwise, they would not be here, and specifically to rescue these captured civilians.
But precisely because they are great men, their concern and anxiety grew even more.
"Have you not heard? This is the Qingshan Army," Third Zhuang said with a trembling voice.
These civilians have been captured from all places, not from the same hometown or neighbors, nor do they all have the same information.
Like these two men, for example, who didn't know about the Qingshan Army.
"Isn't it the Shun'an Army here in Bazhou?" they whispered, "What is the Qingshan Army?"
"The Qingshan Army is a very powerful force..." Third Zhuang was explaining when suddenly, a rumbling sound erupted, and the ground began to tremble.
The civilians screamed and prostrated themselves on the ground.
What happened?
As the trembling under their feet continued, and the sound of wailing filled their ears—not Zhou People's voices, most of them in a foreign language—the civilians could not help but bravely look forward, seeing the Jin Army's formation becoming disorganized and several groups of Jin Soldiers that had charged forward were now falling to the ground.
More than a dozen blood-soaked horses were neighing madly as they bolted away.
Plumes of thick smoke rose, choking and stinging.
What is this?
The civilians didn't have time to wonder as the Jin Soldiers advancing behind plunged into chaos; with sharp whistles, long spears rained down like a torrent.
Even from such a distance, the civilians could see many Jin Soldiers being struck, pinned to the ground, or impaled by spears that penetrated through several men before coming to a halt.
This is terrifying...
Many of them had also witnessed battles between the Jin and Zhou Soldiers, naturally bloody, but never this gruesome.
Crucial is that this slaughter is lopsided; not a single man or horse has been dispatched from the other side, while here a swath has already fallen.
"This Qingshan Army is indeed formidable..." the two men murmured, their eyes alight with full hope.
The sound of fierce combat continued.
Despite being shocked by these ferocious weapons, the Jurchen people roared and charged in squad after squad.
Close combat precluded the use of stone bullets and crossbows. Accompanied by the sound of war drums in the formation, the formation of Zhou Soldiers changed once again, with women in the front retreating to the rear, and long spears soldiers lined up and advanced.
Lei Zhonglian gripped the long spear tightly in his left hand.
"Kill," he shouted loud, spurring his horse to charge.
Behind him, on either side, soldiers were screaming, waving their long spears and large swords to meet the Jin Soldiers surging forward.
The troops of both sides finally collided.
The killing cries shook the heavens.
Prostrate on the ground, the civilians, even with their eyes shut, could feel the bloody scene unravelling.
Third Zhuang didn't dare to open his eyes anymore; cradling the child, he kept muttering to himself, not even knowing what he was murmuring.
No matter which deity or Buddha, please bless these valiant soldiers.
Whoever can protect them has never been the gods or Buddha, but only themselves.
With a dull "thud," Lei Zhonglian's long spear pierced through a Jin Soldier holding a horse saber.
But on the other side, several soldiers screamed as they were struck by other surging Jin Soldiers.
The Jin Soldier, holding double blades, was swinging fiercely, and the long spear soldiers in Lei Zhonglian's line were forced to retreat repeatedly.
Double blades.
To think back then he was also a wielder of double guns, surely he would be fiercer than him.
But now was not the time to lament. Distracted only for a moment, Lei Zhonglian lifted his spear and charged forward.
A Jin Soldier's blade slashed into a soldier's shoulder, seemingly cutting off his entire arm. The soldier screamed, but instead of falling, he desperately grabbed the Jin Soldier's blade with his other hand.
It was this brief gap that allowed Lei Zhonglian to fiercely thrust his long spear.
With a "thud," Lei Zhonglian's sharp spearhead pierced straight into the throat of the Jin Soldier, who screamed and fell to the ground.
Lei Zhonglian was thrown forward, thankfully stabilizing his stance in time. Just as he was about to pull out his long spear, he heard a "thud" and blood splashed over his head.
A Jin Soldier collapsed at his feet, grasping a scythe, his face still wearing a ferocious smile.
Lei Zhonglian turned to look behind him. Eighteenth Jin had already pulled back his long blade, his demeanor indifferent.
He...
Lei Zhonglian wanted to say something, but Eighteenth Jin had already turned away, rejoining another group of soldiers.
Even under such brutal conditions, all the soldiers still maintained their own formations, advancing strictly according to the formations once taught by the Qingshan Army.
Individual valor here is fully integrated into the phalanx; everyone moves forward or retreats together, each with their role. A single individual shows bravery, three exhibit ferocity, ten are unstoppable.
Lei Zhonglian watched as Eighteenth Jin wielded his long knife, toppling a Jin soldier, and inhaled deeply.
"Have to admit, you're quite a man," he muttered to himself, then, with a flick of his long spear, met an oncoming Jin soldier.
The long spear pierced through the opponent's facemask.
People continued to fall, some rolling on the ground, both Jin soldiers and Zhou soldiers.
But no Zhou soldiers retreated; when one fell, the formation immediately adjusted to fill the gap.
The Zhou formations moved like giant chariots, rolling over everything in their path.
The Jin generals in the rear were stunned, the casualties far exceeding their expectations.
"What kind of army is this? They're even more ferocious than the favored Li Jun of the Duke of Chengguo," he murmured to himself.
His subordinates gathered around him.
"It's the Qingshan Army," one said.
"I've heard about them before."
"Many of our finest warriors have fallen at their hands."
"We can't afford more casualties; Lord Badu expects us to reinforce Baigou Inn."
"Giving the commoners up is fine, we can't afford to lose our brave warriors for these sheep on two legs."
The persuasion made the Jin general even more hesitant. As he watched his soldiers fall one after another, his face twitched continuously.
The casualties are too high, far too high.
He didn't want his elite troops to be decimated just to escort a group of commoners, especially since without these elites, he would lose his status in his clan.
His eyes filled with anger and a barely concealed terror as he raised his hand.
......….
When the mournful horn sounded, Third Zhuang almost fainted.
This was not out of fear, but excitement.
This was the horn for the Jin soldiers to retreat, and he was hearing it for the second time in his life.
The first was when the county town he was in had been breached, and the sound of the Jin soldiers' retreat was one of joyous victory.
But now...
The Jin soldiers receded like a tide, their formation in disarray, heedless of their wounded comrades.
The mournful horn was like a death knell, carrying fear and despair.
"We won, we won!" Third Zhuang held his child, jumped up and shouted loudly, ignoring the Jin soldiers who had not yet retreated far.
Many more people jumped up, shouting and cheering.
Some wept and knelt on the ground, bowing repeatedly.
Others cried and ran towards the slowly advancing Zhou troops that still maintained their formation, as if children lost and finally seeing their searching kin.
......…..
The news spread like the wind.
Zhu Zan, having reached another town, twirled his thick beard with his fingers.
"The Heir's Wife, leading the troops, is invincible, regarded as a deity by the people within Bazhou," a man said beside him. "Now, nearly a hundred thousand commoners have retreated under her protection to Hejian Prefecture."
"Big brother, let's hurry over there too," another man excitedly said, his eyes glinting with curiosity.
To see who this Duchess of the Princely Heir is, and how her soldiers are so formidable.
Zhu Zan, however, shook his head.
"We're not going to Bazhou," he declared. "We're going to Shenzhou."
Shenzhou?
The men looked puzzled.
"But the Duchess..." they began.
"My mother will be safe there," Zhu Zan asserted, his eyes shining brightly. "Instead of going to Shenzhou, it's better I assist the Yongning Army in protecting the people from Baozhou as they head south."
Shenzhou was close to Baozhou. After all, the military in Hejian was accounted for and stretched thin managing just Bazhou. It would be rather difficult to also look after Xiongzhou and Baozhou.
The forces in Shenzhou were still observing, and if they were convinced to enter Baozhou for this purpose, then the Duchess would no longer have to worry or miss anything here.
The men nodded.
"Alright, we're off to Shenzhou," they said in unison.
"There's more," Zhu Zan added, ripping off his fake beard and grabbing his hair to give it a shake, scattering the gray strands to reveal lustrous black hair. "From now on, Zhu Zan is back."
The men were once again surprised.
"Even posing as a woodcutter, we could still convince the Yongning Army," one man suggested. "You don't need to expose yourself, Princely Heir."
"Yes, the Jinyiwei are already on our trail, these relentless people," another man frowned.
Zhu Zan smirked.
"That is exactly why I want them to come after me," he said. "So these fools aren't duped by that fake Heir's Wife."
After finishing, he laid his hands behind his head and strode towards the northwest.
"As a man of honor, I have no intention of letting my reputation be tarnished."
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