Chapter 960: Western Chu's Twin Jewels (Part 1)

Autumn is crisp, horses are stout, and the grass is abundant.

But traveling further south from Beimang's Guzai Province, the scenery becomes somewhat desolate and monotonous.

Only yellow sand stretches out.

It is indeed Beiliang, so bitter, cold, and barren that even the wild horses, considered the closest to camels, struggle to adapt.

It is said, however, that the pastures in the Liangzhou Pass, particularly the Lianglong region, are auspicious grounds for breeding the world's finest horses. Because they share the character 'Long' (陇) in their names, both civil and military officials in Beimang's Southern Dynasty have set their sights on them, regarding them as personal treasures ripe for the taking. Several influential figures, who could speak with authority in the Xijing court, had already declared their eagerness before the campaign, offering the valuable heads of Yang Guangdou, Chen Xiliang, Kou Jianghuai, and others—heads as precious as those of princes—in exchange for the ownership of those pastures, including the renowned Qianli and Tianjing Pastures.

This southern campaign, however, has indeed been fraught with ill fortune. Xijing had only recently received good news: the Zhong family's eldest grandson, elevated to Xianaiba through military merit, had successfully persuaded the monks of Lamalanda Mountain to submit to Beimang. But as soon as the army's hooves trod upon Liuzhou's desolate border, grim tidings immediately followed. First, a mysterious Beiliang light cavalry unit appeared out of nowhere, penetrating deep from the Liuzhou frontier, bypassing heavily guarded military towns like Junziguan Wazu, and making a direct dash for Xijing, sending shockwaves through the court and public. Then, ten thousand elite cavalry under Zhong Tan were unexpectedly trapped and annihilated in Miyun Pass, with Zhong Tan's fate still unknown. General Zhong Shentong, commanding the second line of the central route, quickly submitted a petition for punishment to the Beiting Royal Tent. His Majesty the Emperor showed no courtesy to the Zhong family, directly issuing a transfer order to the central route. It commanded Zhong Shentong's younger brother, Zhong Liang—the Xianaiba's uncle—to lead eight thousand elite cavalry from their station to Guzai Province and intercept the Beiliang cavalry that had pushed deep into their territory. Nominally, they were under the command of Commander Huang Songpu. The implicit message was clear: since the promising situation in Liuzhou had been spoiled by the Zhong family's descendants, the lives of eight thousand of their kinsmen would serve as repayment. If they succeeded in stopping the enemy, all past transgressions would be forgiven. If not, more of the Zhong family would be sacrificed. Should Zhong Liang still prove inadequate, then Zhong Shentong himself would be sent, relieved of duties on the Liangzhou Pass front, to clean up the mess within Guzai Province.

After Hong Jingyan's inexplicable death on Longyan'er Plain, tens of thousands of Rouran iron cavalry were left leaderless and were swiftly divided among the various major forces on the front line.

The Great Siddiqs of the northern steppes, each of whom had suffered losses in the first Liang-Mang War, had almost all begun to calculate how many of the Zhong family's battle-hardened veterans they could acquire after General Zhong Shentong's downfall.

On the steppe, discussing abstract theories like the romantic literati of the Southern Dynasty made everyone uncomfortable, but when it came to dividing spoils on the spot, everyone was well-versed.

Beimang's western front army was steadily advancing south at a slow pace. Ten days prior, this force was abruptly met with fierce resistance from ten thousand Beiliang Dragon Elephant cavalry. In just half an hour, six thousand vanguard cavalry under Huang Songpu lay dead on the battlefield. From the close-quarters combat to the battle's conclusion and the hasty collection of bodies, many Longguan nobles who had set their sights on Liangzhou felt they hadn't even had time to grasp what had happened.

In truth, it was not entirely without warning. After the main army crossed from the Southern Dynasty's Guzai Province into the bordering Liuzhou territory, their cavalry scouts fiercely clashed with Beiliang scouts. Upon learning the truth, Beimang's commanding generals quickly erupted in curses. Incredibly, it was the White Horse Mounted Archers from beyond Liangzhou Pass who had come here to cause trouble! Although they had broken camp and moved south, far from the court, both Commander Huang Songpu and the Longguan-affiliated military generals commanding the Southern Dynasty's elite cavalry had no choice but to pay attention to any disturbances in their own 'backyard'. The Emperor's personal decree from the Xijing court was that not a single Beiliang mounted archer should be seen near Hutou City. Yet, what was the outcome? Dong Fatty's Crow Scouts were utterly wiped out, General Liu Gui's Black Fox Scouts were also annihilated, and it was even rumored that Dong Zhuo's brother-in-law lost his life on Longyan'er Plain. Ultimately, that young Beiliang cavalry officer named Li gained renown across the steppe overnight for seemingly no effort, and now he was brazenly parading his power in northern Liuzhou!

Huang Songpu was a seasoned veteran of countless battles. Thus, as intelligence reports of casualties among his cavalry scouts continuously flowed into the command tent, he began to contract his lines and slow his southern advance, clearly aiming for no errors rather than great achievements. The backbone of this large army was the former Southern Palace Grand King, Huang Songpu, but even more so, it comprised the Longguan noble clans, who were accustomed to acting with impunity in Beimang's Southern Dynasty. The simple truth was that the main force of the army consisted of the direct descendants of the major ‘Jia’ and ‘Yi’ ranked surnames of Longguan. Although Huang Songpu still held the title of one of Beimang's thirteen great generals, his title of Southern Palace Grand King had long been removed. He was also an old man who had once retired. Ultimately, the troops that could truly be considered Huang Songpu's direct lineage numbered just over thirty thousand cavalry, even fewer than those of Liu Gui, who had been demoted to the Youzhou battlefield.

To be honest, in the first Liang-Mang War, the central front, personally commanded by Dong Fatty, was an undeniable victory. Even Hutou City was captured, and the body of Beiliang General Liu Jinu was sent back to the Southern Dynasty in a coffin; the situation was excellent. As for the Liuzhou battlefield, where Liu Gui commanded, it was at least a stalemate; though casualties were significant, even Dragon Elephant Army Deputy General Wang Lingbao had died in battle. It was only a pity that Youzhou dragged them down too much; Yang Yuanzan was likely truly too old, ending up in a situation where his entire army was annihilated, trapped like dumplings in a gourd-shaped pass. Only one Rouran iron cavalry unit managed to escape, which led to Beimang's complete defeat. Therefore, deep down, the Longguan noble families, large and small, did not truly find Beiliang's border army terrifying, especially the Liuzhou forces, which were inherently inferior to Liangzhou's cavalry and Youzhou's infantry. Aside from the Dragon Elephant Army, which was severely battered in the first war, were there any other first-rate elite forces worth mentioning? No matter how hard one looked, there were none. Consequently, almost all of these individuals harbored deep resentment, and the persistent Liangzhou mounted archers were particularly irritating.

At dawn, an old man who had stayed up all night slowly emerged from the heavily guarded leather tent, accompanied by several strong retainers. He made his way to a small hillock to gaze south. Among his retinue, a middle-aged man dressed in robes and sashes like a Central Plains scholar was particularly striking. Facing the elder, whose imposing presence remained despite his age, the man showed no trace of restraint. The old man was tall, with white hair and beard, clad in armor and carrying a saber, showing no signs of decay. Roughly speaking, despite being a generation apart in age, their auras were comparable. The elder was indeed Huang Songpu, one of the few great generals of the Southern Dynasty. The scholarly-looking man was Zhong Liang, whose name was not prominent in Beimang's army. This man was a top-tier influential figure in the Beimang underworld, yet he had no known military command experience. This time, he was supposed to lead eight thousand elite family cavalry directly to Guzai Province to respond to the crisis. For some unknown reason, he had detoured alone to this location, allowing eight thousand of the Zhong family's elites to directly penetrate the heartland of the Southern Dynasty. With this expedition concerning the family's rise or fall, Zhong Liang seemed to be treating it too lightly.

Zhong Liang happened to arrive just in time to personally witness the demise of those six thousand Beimang vanguard cavalry. He then decided not to move, remaining with the army on its southern advance for many days. During this time, this Beimang martial arts grandmaster, who could almost be described as "one of the few remaining," even leisurely took action twice, slaying forty to fifty Liangzhou mounted archers who had already disengaged from the battlefield. The cavalry scouts personally trained by Huang Songpu back then had a considerable reputation among the Southern Dynasty's border army. However, they were still considerably inferior to the Crow Scouts of the younger Dong Zhuo or the Black Fox Scouts of his peer Liu Gui. This isn't to say that Huang Songpu's military governance and tactics were inferior to those two. Given that the old man had managed Xijing's military and political affairs for so many years, and could share the North and South with Grand King Xu Huainan of the Northern Palace, he was certainly no ordinary person. It was just that Huang Songpu's identity as Southern Palace Grand King over the past twenty years far outweighed his role as a great general, and his focus had to lean towards the court. As the head of the Southern Dynasty, he naturally had to secure benefits for the entire Xijing, and fight for status for the Longguan surnames and his colleagues and subordinates in both officialdom and on the battlefield. Over time, it became difficult for him to personally oversee affairs in the border armies. Therefore, leading the army south this time, Huang Songpu was filled with mixed emotions. Having been away from the battlefield for a long time, even if his military strategies had not deteriorated significantly, many details could no longer be managed with the same ease as in his younger days.

If it were himself from more than a decade ago, those six thousand vanguard cavalry would never have dared to rashly charge forward and independently engage ten thousand Dragon Elephant Army troops. But this was not what truly wearied the old man; rather, it was some less known internal matters. On the surface, the Longguan disciples were unruly and ambitiously sought glory, leading to an unfavorable start. The truth was, Huang Songpu's original intention was to use that vanguard cavalry, whose combat strength was unsatisfactory, as bait to lure the Liuzhou cavalry deep into a quagmire. The old man had already prepared ten thousand elite personal cavalry, ready to strike. He only waited for the battle to reach a slight stalemate to reinforce the battlefield at a critical moment, thereby decisively crushing and completely annihilating those ten thousand Dragon Elephant Army troops. Even if it meant trading twenty thousand troops for ten thousand Dragon Elephant cavalry, Huang Songpu would consider it a great victory, both in terms of superficial momentum and practical strategic advantage.

But compared to those thrilling open-field cavalry clashes between main forces, Huang Songpu found himself somewhat inadequate in this fleeting, small-scale engagement. First, he had overestimated the combat power of the Longguan vanguard cavalry and underestimated the Dragon Elephant Army's breakthrough momentum. As a result, when his ten thousand personal troops were committed to the battle, their role transformed from the original "mantis stalking the cicada" into pure rescue. More fatally, in his subsequent battle predictions, Huang Songpu believed that the Liuzhou cavalry general who launched this surprise attack also harbored thoughts of luring them deeper. Therefore, the cautious Huang Songpu, after a slight hesitation, although he ordered his ten thousand elite personal troops to launch a decisive pursuit, strictly forbade the cavalry generals from venturing more than fifty li from the main force. This meant that the extent of their military achievements would be limited to a fifty-li radius. Finally, that cavalry general presented the old man with a truth that left him both amused and exasperated: after pursuing for fifty li and halting their horses as ordered, the remaining three thousand enemy cavalry simply rode away. Aside from dozens of White Horse Mounted Archers hovering far beyond the battlefield, this Dragon Elephant Army, bold as a bear and leopard, had absolutely no reinforcements!

Who wages war like this?

The Beiliang border generals who had dealt with Huang Songpu—whether Liu Jinu of Hutou City, the former Grand General Huaihua Zhong Hongwu, or others like He Zhonghu—none of them were this mad!

Huang Songpu was filled with worry, gazing into the distance, frowning in silence.

Zhong Liang, the great devil of Beimang in scholarly robes, glanced at the old general's expression and chuckled: "Old General Huang, if we disregard the vast Western Regions where the military towns of Linyao and Fengxiang are located, Liuzhou is actually just a small place. No matter how unconventional Beiliang's tactics, they are like performing rituals in a snail's shell—they cannot stir up great waves. Even if the battle at Miyun Pass adds another twenty thousand Lamalanda Mountain monk soldiers to Beiliang, it will still be merely a drop in the bucket."

Huang Songpu shook his head and said, "Liuzhou's Qingcang City has several elite Xu family border army units from Qingyuan military town responding from afar, and with Yu Luandao's Youzhou light cavalry helping to tear apart the battle lines, neither our strategic depth nor the force comparison is as disadvantageous as we imagine. Furthermore..."

Zhong Liang picked up the conversation, his smile deepening. "What, is the old general also worried about the Twin Jade of Western Chu, Xie Xichui and Kou Jianghuai, truly strategizing for Beiliang on the Liuzhou battlefield?"

The old man said frankly, "I believe no military general in this era can afford to underestimate these two working together, can they?"

Zhong Liang, whose demeanor was like a mountain hermit from a painting, smiled and said: "As long as Liuzhou's forces do not converge, I believe none of them will be a match for the old general. The current thirty thousand Dragon Elephant Army troops, though undiminished in number compared to the first great battle and composed of elite cavalry transferred from Liangzhou's left and right armies, still lack somewhat in combat power. As for the Liuzhou youth under Kou Jianghuai, they are a motley collection, ill-suited for tough battles. Xie Xichui's remnants are even less worth mentioning; otherwise, Qingliang Mountain and the Protectorate General's Office would not have entrusted twenty thousand Lamalanda Mountain monk soldiers to him. All things considered, Liuzhou's indigenous forces number only seventy thousand, while the old general commands a formidable one hundred and fifty thousand, and can receive reinforcements from the Southern Dynasty border at any time, as long as it's not a complete rout in one battle..."

At this point, Zhong Liang gave a self-deprecating smile and did not continue.

Firstly, such talk was somewhat inauspicious. Secondly, this viewpoint was too absurd.

Liuzhou was not Youzhou's unusual gourd-shaped pass battlefield, and Huang Songpu was not Yang Yuanzan. Furthermore, the Liangzhou border army, already stretched thin, could no longer spare so many special forces for the Liuzhou battlefield.

The old man dismissed it with a smile, saying, "Just two young men, Xie Xichui and Kou Jianghuai, caused great losses to seasoned Spring and Autumn generals like Yan Zhenchun and Yang Shenxing. Now that Liuzhou has even more young people, how can an old man like me bear it?"

Recalling that secret matter, Zhong Liang genuinely sighed, "Old ginger is spicier."

Zhong Liang shifted his gaze westward, towards the area west of Qingcang City.

Beimang's Southern Dynasty's top-tier elite infantry, the Bubazhu, totaling over thirty thousand, were temporarily drawn from various military towns and rushed directly to the Western Regions.

By now, they had probably already attacked the two towns of Fengxiang and Linyao.

Beiliang's two cavalry forces under Cao Wei and Yu Luandao would then have no retreat route.

Not to mention Beimang's Southern Dynasty court and this western front army, in fact, even Qingliang Mountain and Huaiyangguan Protectorate General's Office had not anticipated that Xie Xichui, the newly appointed Liuzhou Deputy General who was supposed to lead twenty thousand monk soldiers to Qingcang City, would divide his forces into two routes, quietly garrisoning the two towns of Fengxiang and Linyao, preparing to await the fatigued enemy.

Meanwhile, Liuzhou General Kou Jianghuai was currently leading his ten thousand assorted light cavalry, advancing north with the speed of thunder. Then, just beyond the maximum possible range of Huang Songpu's cavalry scouts, he suddenly halted his advance.

The cavalry force that, after a brief rest, continued to charge forward powerfully was precisely the thirty thousand elite cavalry under Xu Longxiang.

The main field force of the Liuzhou border army had launched a full-scale assault!