Chapter 979: The Final Battle of Liuzhou

War was imminent in Liuzhou.

Neither the Liang nor the Mang sides realized at the time that this would be a decisive and far-reaching battle, comparable to the Battle of Xileibi which ended the chaotic Spring and Autumn period.

After a great victory, Huang Songpu, the chief commander of the Northern Mang army, pressed southward with momentum, sweeping directly towards Qingcang City, the heart of Liuzhou. At the same time, the Northern Mang Emperor, determined to deliver a decisive blow, spared no expense, even depleting the military strength of Gusei Prefecture, to dispatch 40,000 elite border troops from the Southern Dynasty to reinforce Huang Songpu's main force. The two main post roads, connecting over thirty large and small garrisons and passes, were overflowing with people and horses, moving southward at full speed.

The armies of both sides gathered on the vast plains to the left of Old Woman Mountain, an area only seventy *li* from the low-walled Qingcang City. Liuzhou General Kou Jianghuai had recently handed the Northern Mang a major victory on the northern battlefield, greatly boosting the morale of both Northern Mang capitals. However, neither the Beiliang Protectorate nor the Jubei City royal residence had ever demoted Kou Jianghuai for this, so he remained the chief commander for this engagement. He commanded 10,000 elite young cavalry from Liuzhou, 20,000 Dragon-Elephant soldiers — a force superior to Liuzhou cavalry in terms of border army standards — and over 16,000 Lantuo Mountain monk soldiers under Xie Xichui. Presumably understanding that the outcome of this war would determine the fate of the entire Liuzhou territory, Qingcang City also made every effort to dispatch 3,000 cavalry originally under the direct command of the Governor's mansion. These four disparate Liuzhou forces, totaling nearly 50,000 troops within Liuzhou, were a desperate gamble, placed entirely under Kou Jianghuai's command.

Although Huang Songpu's main force had a diminishing advantage compared to the initial troop strength of both Liang and Mang sides, the morale of the grassland cavalry, who still held a numerical superiority, remained high. This was primarily due to Kou Jianghuai's previous inept troop deployment, which severely disconnected the Lantuo Mountain monk soldiers, who were reinforcing Liuzhou, from the Liuzhou border cavalry. This led to the Dragon-Elephant Army suffering its first heavy casualties since its establishment, thereby greatly boosting the confidence of this Northern Mang force. After three intercepting battles, Huang Songpu's elite direct cavalry still numbered 12,000. If the almost annihilated Green Grass Riders are included, his losses barely exceeded half. This shows that the Battle to Break Through Liuzhou was indeed a hard-fought struggle, and these over 10,000 elite cavalry, with their outstanding combat power, would undoubtedly be the linchpin of the next major battle.

Wanyan Yinjiang, from the Longguan Jiazi aristocratic clan, lost considerable face in the second major battle. Due to his mistake, the Northern Mang failed to form a tight encirclement, allowing Kou Jianghuai's main force to easily break through and escape. His elder brother, Wanyan Jinliang, the foremost powerful figure in the Southern Dynasty, sent a secret letter of reprimand that arrived at the army camp even before the Emperor of the Northern Court's royal tent. The wording was extremely harsh, implicitly telling Wanyan Yinjiang that if he could not restore the family's honor in Liuzhou, the family would shut its doors on him. Before the third battle in Liuzhou, Wanyan Yinjiang not only gathered all military generals but also summoned every centurion to an open space outside the camp. He made everyone sign a military pledge: on the battlefield, for every ten-man squad, if no one in a squad achieved kills or military merits, both the squad leader and the commanding centurion would be immediately executed! Chiliarchs would be demoted to centurions! As a result, in the third battle, Wanyan Yinjiang's cavalry fought fearlessly. Post-battle statistics indeed showed that every squad had achievements, and their military merits were so abundant that they surpassed even Huang Songpu's main force, far outstripping the cavalry accumulated by several major Yizi aristocratic families. When this victory report, personally written by old marshal Huang Songpu, reached the two capitals of the grassland, Wanyan cavalry caused a sensation in the Southern Dynasty. The old empress was delighted, bestowing eighteen Xianbei belt buckles upon the Wanyan family, which meant eighteen additional Kheshig guard positions for Wanyan descendants. More importantly, this campaign secured the Wanyan surname's position as the foremost prominent surname in the Southern Dynasty.

However, the aftermath of that brutal battle was that the Wanyan private elite cavalry had dwindled to 14,000. Additionally, with the family patriarch Wanyan Jinliang needing to oversee the second line of defense outside Liangzhou Pass, and another major battle imminent, the Wanyan descendants had already deployed all their forces. There were no Wanyan cavalry among the Southern Dynasty garrison and border armies reinforcing Old Woman Mountain. Gusei Prefecture and Longyao Prefecture, on the Southern border of Northern Mang, excluding the troops participating in the southward campaign, were garrisoned by various military commanders who, having been influenced by the refugees from Hongjia's northward flight, already understood the principle of 'holding rare goods for profit'. Gusei Prefecture, in particular, was slightly less important than Longyao Prefecture, where the Northern Mang central army was located. At this crucial moment of southward reinforcement, they brazenly inflated their prices. Almost all garrison commanders privately named a price for their stationed cavalry. After all, heading south to Old Woman Mountain was the prevailing trend, and no one could refuse the Emperor's decree. However, there were many unspoken rules and under-the-table dealings involved. For instance, fearing that Wanyan Yinjiang might encounter difficulties in the next battle due to troop shortages, the Wanyan family secretly made offers to the two major towns of Ligumaolong, whose scale was second only to the Wazhu Gentleman's Pavilion. They attempted to persuade the two cavalry forces to support Wanyan cavalry in the battle of Old Woman Mountain. Unexpectedly, the commanders of both towns firmly rejected the offers. It turned out that several Yizi aristocratic families, also on the Liuzhou front line, had already invested heavily to secure temporary alliances with them, and their offers were far more sincere than the reserved Wanyan family's. For example, a certain Yizi family that 'bought' 5,000 border cavalry from Maolong not only promised to marry their direct daughter to the cavalry commander's eldest legitimate son but also poured a staggering 400,000 *liang* of silver into Maolong military town in pure silver alone!

Logically, after three consecutive fierce battles, the Yizi cavalry, which had the weakest combat power but the largest number of troops, should have suffered the heaviest casualties. But the outcome was baffling: out of the more than 40,000 miscellaneous cavalry that majestically set out on the southern expedition, 34,000 still remained alive to advance with Chief Commander Huang Songpu to the Old Woman Mountain battlefield! Furthermore, the 40,000 Southern Dynasty cavalry, who had been resting and recuperating in the rear throughout the entire campaign and were now rapidly advancing south from Gusei Prefecture garrisons, had all been 'patronized' early with heavy sums by these Yizi aristocratic families. While 20,000 of these cavalry had long been part of former Southern Court King Huang Songpu's old guard and would naturally follow the old marshal's lead, the remaining 20,000 cavalry had been completely divided among these Yizi families, each using their unique methods. Huang Songpu, who had already lost his position as Southern Court King, was helpless in the face of this, and the old empress, sitting on her throne with her heart set on the Central Plains, turned a blind eye.

Huang Songpu, with abundant reinforcements, did not rush forward in pursuit of glory. Otherwise, this grand battle, about to unfold, would have taken place at the foot of Qingcang City, rather than at Old Woman Mountain, which stood like a solitary island offshore.

To the right of Old Woman Mountain, for dozens of *li*, the terrain was rugged, with strong winds and heavy sand, making it extremely difficult for cavalry to maneuver. During the first Liang-Mang war, Liu Gui's cavalry successfully advanced south from the plains on the left flank of Old Woman Mountain. However, at that time, the Liuzhou border army merely held the city defensively, their forces were relatively weak, and young refugees had not yet joined the army in large numbers. The Dragon-Elephant Army was isolated and unsupported, and their main field forces were insufficient to sustain a large-scale cavalry battle far from Qingcang City, so they did not choose to proactively intercept. However, times had clearly changed. After Kou Jianghuai gained full military control of the prefecture, coupled with the Beiliang Protectorate and the young feudal lord's exceptional attention to Liuzhou, Kou Jianghuai not only fought three stirring intercepting battles but also decisively chose the flat and expansive Old Woman Mountain as the final battlefield. If victorious, the Northern Mang cavalry would never see the walls of Qingcang City from beginning to end. If defeated, not only would Qingcang City inevitably fall into the hands of the Northern Mang cavalry, but Liuzhou itself would likely become a new prefecture of the Northern Mang Southern Dynasty.

Old Woman Mountain was not tall and steep; instead, it resembled a large, gently sloping mound. Its northern and southern slopes were even gentle enough for small cavalry units to ride to the summit.

Even the most incompetent and muddle-headed general would recognize that occupying Old Woman Mountain, with its commanding view, was advantageous for assessing the situation and deploying troops. Kou Jianghuai was one of the rising 'Two Jades of Great Chu,' and Huang Songpu was a distinguished military general who had once become the Southern Court King through his illustrious military achievements. Therefore, the struggle for this high ground, Old Woman Mountain, began fiercely even before the two cavalry armies formally engaged. Huang Songpu, without any selfish intent to conserve other elite units, decisively dispatched his remaining 400 Green Grass Riders to dismount and ascend the mountain, shields raised and swords drawn. In the Southern Dynasty's border garrisons, the Green Grass Riders had always been renowned alongside Dong Zhuo's Crow Riders and General Liu Gui's Black Fox Riders, collectively ranking among the top three. Although fighting dismounted, every man possessed a powerful physique and astonishing strength, excelling in close-quarters combat.

As expected, Liuzhou countered by dispatching 600 White Horse Rangers, also armed only with swords and shields, who boldly ascended the mountain almost simultaneously.

Both sides entered the Old Woman Mountain battle zone almost simultaneously and began to contend for the mountain at nearly the same moment — perhaps what one might call a coincidence of fate.

Huang Songpu naturally did not expect 400 Green Grass Riders alone to secure the summit of Old Woman Mountain. Following this group of elite horsemen were 600 suicidal fighters drawn from various units. With the Green Grass Riders certainly dying on Old Woman Mountain, Wanyan Yinjiang and the other influential generals from the Yizi aristocratic families had no hesitation. Old Marshal Huang Songpu's conduct in the three major battles had been completely opposite to Dong Zhuo's in the first Liang-Mang war. He made no attempts whatsoever to weaken the forces of other units, always fighting and facing deaths first. In three consecutive arduous campaigns, the old marshal had also shown great care when reporting military situations to His Majesty the Emperor, twice taking full blame himself and generously distributing military merits the third time. Under such circumstances, if one were to press further, constantly preserving one's own strength, even the somber Wanyan Yinjiang would feel uneasy. Among all 600 suicidal fighters, Wanyan Yinjiang dispatched 300 Wanyan descendants.

As expected, in small-scale skirmishes, without the maneuvering space provided by cavalry, deaths occurred more quickly. The 400 Green Grass Riders were swiftly annihilated. Looking up from the foot of the mountain, the summit of Old Woman Mountain was entirely covered by the remaining White Horse Rangers. The 600 Southern Dynasty suicidal fighters aggressively entered the fray. Liuzhou seemed to be using the White Horse Rangers merely to gain an initial advantage, certainly not intending for all of them to perish on Old Woman Mountain. This was reasonable: while the ownership of Old Woman Mountain was important, it was not critically decisive, nor could it determine the outcome of the battle. If the Liang and Mang sides were fighting a slower infantry battle on the Central Plains, the gain or loss of Old Woman Mountain would have greater significance. However, in cavalry warfare, especially large-scale cavalry battles where combined forces exceed 100,000, and both sides are elites skilled in mounted combat, opportunities are often fleeting. Moreover, Old Woman Mountain was not located in the center of the battlefield but on one side, offset from it. Should one side lose Old Woman Mountain, they could simply shift the main battlefield away from it, thus diminishing the mountain's strategic advantage for observing the battle. Therefore, both sides were well aware that the bloody and brutal struggle for Old Woman Mountain largely served to boost the morale of the soldiers at its base.

Liuzhou reinforcements quickly reached the summit of Old Woman Mountain, consisting of nearly 1,000 Lantuo Mountain monk soldiers. The White Horse Rangers, who had fought all the way from outside Liangzhou Pass to the Liuzhou border, also sustained significant losses compared to their mortal enemies, the Green Grass Riders, who were completely annihilated on the battlefield. Nearly 300 of them died on the mountain summit.

At the foot of the southern slope of Old Woman Mountain, off the main battlefield, Kou Jianghuai, the commanding general, was surprisingly present. He had completely handed over command of the 10,000 young Liuzhou cavalry to Qifu Longguan. As for the 20,000 Dragon-Elephant soldiers, on the battlefield confronting the Northern Mang main force, Xu Longxiang and Li Mofan naturally each commanded 10,000 cavalry. Kou Jianghuai only outlined how to win the battle and how to deploy and manage forces generally, but he absolutely would not interfere with the Dragon-Elephant Army's fighting once they entered the battlefield. The 3,000 cavalry directly under the Liuzhou Governor's mansion were also not here; instead, they followed behind Qifu Longguan's 10,000 cavalry, forming a central column, flanked by the more powerful 10,000 Dragon-Elephant cavalry units on both wings.

Huang Songpu did not leisurely proceed to the northern slope of Old Woman Mountain like Kou Jianghuai; he remained in command of his central army. When the old general vaguely saw the Lantuo Mountain monk soldiers appearing on the summit, the solemn-faced elder finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. In the previous third major battle, Xie Xichui's monk soldiers had been worse than useless, a complete burden that had allowed this Southern Dynasty grand general to win a great victory, unexpected even by the Minister of Peace. The scale of his military merits had shaken the grassland. However, deep down, Huang Songpu was even more wary of these Lantuo Mountain monk soldiers, who had only been brought under Beiliang's command after the victory at Miyun Pass. He did not share the optimistic view of many Southern Dynasty border generals who believed the root cause of Liuzhou border army's defeat was Kou Jianghuai intentionally suppressing Xie Xichui, his renowned contemporary from the Miyun Pass battle. Huang Songpu firmly believed that this was a trap set by Kou Jianghuai in collusion with Xie Xichui, and if he were not careful, the ones whose necks would be tightened would be tens of thousands of grassland sons.

Wanyan Yinjiang, armed with an iron spear and clad in heavy armor, rode up and asked loudly, "Grand General, when do we charge?"

Huang Songpu glanced towards Old Woman Mountain and calmly replied, "Wait a little longer."

Wanyan Yinjiang, who was privy to military secrets, was puzzled. Besides the 400 Green Grass Riders and 600 Southern Dynasty suicidal fighters, the old marshal had another move: a full 1,500 elite border soldiers. To use these top-tier elites to contend for Old Woman Mountain showed the importance attached to it. However, even Wanyan Yinjiang, whose military talent was inferior to his illustrious background, knew one thing: the troop strength was likely still too small. Given the Beiliang border army's consistent stubbornness—that they would rather die than lose face and retreat—at least another 1,000 men would be needed to even slightly ensure securing the high ground of Old Woman Mountain. One Old Woman Mountain was only worth this price; committing more troops and suffering more deaths on the mountain would be a losing proposition for the commanders of both Liang and Mang sides. It was clear that Old Marshal Huang Songpu had never intended to absolutely seize Old Woman Mountain from the beginning; it was more like a probe. After three major battles, Wanyan Yinjiang knew his own capabilities; his rebellious nature had long been tempered, and he was genuinely convinced by the old general's military skill. Since Huang Songpu said to wait a little longer, Wanyan Yinjiang, whose fate was inextricably linked with the old marshal's, said nothing further.

Monk soldiers appeared continuously, their figures rising like water. These exceptionally powerful Lantuo Mountain monks were particularly conspicuous on the summit of Old Woman Mountain. The 1,500 Northern Mang Southern Dynasty border soldiers bravely marched to their deaths.

Ultimately, at the peak of Old Woman Mountain, 200 Lantuo Mountain monks remained standing, their cassocks becoming increasingly crimson and dazzling. Moreover, the Liuzhou forces showed a continuously escalating trend, adopting a fierce posture that seemed to declare, "We have definitively taken Old Woman Mountain, this 'old woman.'"

Wanyan Yinjiang quietly reined in his horse beside the old marshal, his brow furrowed. With all the last reserves having fallen in battle, this also meant that Old Woman Mountain was now the exclusive domain of the Liuzhou cavalry.

Huang Songpu hesitated for a moment, then turned and asked, "General Wanyan, how many Lantuo Mountain monk soldiers do you think they deployed for Old Woman Mountain?"

Wanyan Yinjiang instinctively replied, "It looks like at least a thousand have died in battle."

Huang Songpu simply smiled, not minding the Northern Mang aristocratic scion's irrelevant answer. He looked up at the clear sky, nodded, and murmured to himself, "No matter what, the battle can begin."

Along the not-steep southern slope of Old Woman Mountain, three young men slowly walked, leading their horses: Liuzhou General Kou Jianghuai, Li Hanlin, the last remaining White Horse Ranger Captain of Beiliang, and Chen Xiliang, the Liuzhou Deputy Governor who personally brought 3,000 reinforcements for Kou Jianghuai.

Aside from the hundreds of monk soldiers standing ready on the summit, there were no other troops at the foot of the mountain behind the three men, apart from the White Horse Rangers resting in place.

Li Hanlin was the first to leave the group, helping his comrades carry the bodies of the fallen down the mountain.

Not far from Li Hanlin stood a tall man dressed in ordinary border army attire but without a saber. Even stranger, everyone seemed to ignore him.

Nearing the summit, Chen Xiliang quietly asked, "General Kou, how did you guess that Huang Songpu would only use fewer than 3,000 men to contend for Old Woman Mountain?"

Kou Jianghuai smiled. "After fighting three battles with him, I have a general understanding of Huang Songpu's temperament. He is a seasoned, cautious, and calculating commander. He knows that Old Woman Mountain cannot determine the course of the battle. Had he not been uncertain about the whereabouts of the Lantuo Mountain monk soldiers, he wouldn't even have sent out that final wave of 1,500 men to their deaths. Now that he has finally seen my determination to take Old Woman Mountain with the Lantuo Mountain monk soldiers, I estimate the old fellow can pretty much breathe a sigh of relief. Because from the beginning, I gave a death order: no Northern Mang suicidal soldier was allowed to remain on this summit alive and transmit military intelligence after seeing the situation at the southern foot of the mountain. That's why I had to trouble the master accompanying Li Hanlin to secretly assist, all to prevent Huang Songpu from guessing how many monk soldiers were actually stationed on the southern slope."

Finally reaching the summit, Chen Xiliang looked north and said bitterly, "Even if he knew there were only 1,500 monk soldiers on the south side of Old Woman Mountain, I believe Huang Songpu would absolutely never guess the whereabouts of the main monk force. Because even I, Chen Xiliang, still find it incredible."

The Liuzhou General said expressionlessly, "Life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and honor by heaven. His presence on that battlefield was Xie Xichui's own choice, and I, Kou Jianghuai... had no intention of stopping him."

With a complicated heart, Chen Xiliang could only sigh.

In the Battle of Miyun Pass, Xie Xichui defended the pass to the death.

Next, Xie Xichui would personally lead over 10,000 monk soldiers to independently resist 60,000 Southern Dynasty border reinforcements.

The purpose was to allow the Liuzhou cavalry to unite with the Qingyuan garrison forces and completely envelop Huang Songpu's main force.

Even an amateur in military affairs like Chen Xiliang understood clearly that some battlefields allow for survival against overwhelming odds, while others do not.

Chen Xiliang couldn't understand how Xie Xichui had voluntarily proposed this, even though Kou Jianghuai had not personally given the order. At that time, everyone, including Xu Longxiang, Li Mofan, and Liuzhou Governor Yang Guangdou, was hesitant.

Because everyone knew one thing: even a full 20,000 Lantuo Mountain monk soldiers combined were not as important in the young feudal lord's eyes—the one in Jubei City—as Xie Xichui, whom he had personally brought from Western Chu.

Only Kou Jianghuai dared to openly agree, allowing Xie Xichui to go to his death.

In the desolate, rugged terrain west of Old Woman Mountain, Xie Xichui halted his horse. Behind him were over 10,000 monk soldiers, each having discarded their swords in favor of large shields and holding anti-cavalry spears.

Only after the middle-aged warrior monk serving as a scout returned, reporting no Northern Mang scouts within ten *li* ahead, did the force continue to advance rapidly, following their commander Xie Xichui's forward-pointing arm.

Xie Xichui, his lips dry, grinned and quietly exhaled. He inexplicably recalled a delicate young woman from his youth, who used to quickly walk past his doorstep with her head bowed, while he sat sunbathing on the steps.

South of Beiliang, she was there.

That reason was enough!