Chapter 139 Military Orders as Immovable as Mountains and the Conclusion of the Decisive Battle

Just as Li Yi had anticipated.

An hour after Wang Zuogua withdrew, he led his massive army to begin a westward retreat.

Standing atop the city walls, Li Yi and a group of imperial soldiers watched as countless rebels shouted and holstered their packs, herding supply carts, and gradually retreated in a disorderly formation.

The battle at Longmen Town had cost the Shattered Gold Army dearly in casualties.

Even so, harboring a resolve to die, they had closely followed Li Yi, beating back a rebel force dozens of times their size, holding Longmen Town, and averting the tragedy of total annihilation.

The journey had been fraught with immense hardship and grueling trials, but fortunately, in the end, they had endured it all.

Gao Jie, visibly emotional, embraced Li Yi and roared, "The rebels have retreated! We've won! We've won!"

"We've won!"

"We've won!"

"We're victorious!"

First, a few soldiers joined in the shouting, and soon more and more members of the Shattered Gold Army began to cheer.

Atop the ramparts, everyone shouted with unrestrained emotion. Some Shattered Gold Army soldiers looked out at the retreating rebel host and wept freely, shouting at the top of their lungs to vent their pent-up feelings.

Hearing the tremendous cheers, the slowly retreating rebels instinctively halted and cast complex glances back toward the city walls.

In this battle, the fearless and heroic performance of the Shattered Gold Army had been deeply etched into their minds, especially the majestic figure atop the gate tower, which left them feeling as though these men were invincible.

Predictably, after today, the reputation of Li Yi of the Shattered Gold Army would undoubtedly spread far and wide among the rebels.

Wang Zuogua paused to observe for a long time before pointing his horsewhip toward the city walls, saying in a deep voice, "Miao Mei, remember this: in the future, those who pacify the realm and achieve great enterprises will undoubtedly be the people standing upon those walls."

With that, he flicked his whip and galloped away.

Miao Mei gazed at the cheering imperial soldiers atop the wall, a flash of hatred crossing his eyes, and with a cold snort, he hurried to follow.

With the battle at an end, the defenders of Longmen Town could finally rest easy.

Li Yi did not allow the exhausted soldiers to rest; instead, he ordered them to clear the battlefield and gather the corpses.

The weather was growing warmer, and plagues were rampant in the late Ming dynasty, leaving no room for carelessness.

By the afternoon, Li Yi led his soldiers out of the city.

In an open clearing, numerous piles of dry firewood and charcoal had already been assembled.

The soldiers stood scattered around the perimeter, resembling statues standing silently beneath the gloomy sky.

Li Yi walked up to one of the piles, staring down for a long time at the familiar face of a fallen Shattered Gold Army soldier without uttering a word.

The cruelty of war lay in how commonplace death was, until one saw the familiar features of the deceased, causing the soul to collapse from within.

Gone was any joy of victory; looking upon the corpses, they seemed to see their own faces reflected back, leaving them with only stiff bodies, accustomed to death and farewells.

Li Gouidan stepped forward, draped dried grass over the fallen comrade, and wiped away his tears as he said, "Commander, this lad is from our Li family village."

Li Yi remained silent, his expression calm as he picked up an earthenware jar filled with kerosene.

His arm trembled slightly as he poured the kerosene over the dry grass, the saber wound on his back aching fiercely, a look of pain crossing his face.

Gao Laoshi and Gao Jie hurried over, attempting to steady him.

Li Yi waved a hand, saying in a low voice, "Once the cremation is finished, place the remains into earthenware jars, label them with names and hometowns, and make sure there are no mistakes."

Uttering the final word, Li Yi lowered the jar with utter exhaustion, walked to the side, and stood silently like a statue.

Soon, a fierce fire surged up in the wind, swaying like fiery serpents before billowing into thick clouds of smoke.

Many men choked and coughed, cursing with grim humor that their comrades were still causing trouble even after death.

The previously oppressive atmosphere lightened somewhat. Li Yi smiled wryly and, before the pungent odor could disperse, returned to Longmen Town.

Although the wound on his back still ached, thanks to his robust self-healing capacity, the rest of his injuries had already begun to scab over.

First, he visited the wounded soldiers in the infirmary, then walked over to Liu Zongmin's bedside.

Liu Zongmin was in the midst of having his bandages changed; parts of the linen had adhered to the wound, causing veins to bulge on his forehead from the agonizing pain as he gritted his teeth desperately.

When the dressing was finally changed, Liu Zongmin lay on the bed drenched in sweat, breathing heavily.

"How is it?" Li Yi asked.

Liu Zongmin patted his chest and said, "I won't die. Fortunately, the iron plates sewn inside the quilted armor were thick and tight; none of the wounds are deep."

Li Yi smiled and said, "You certainly have a charmed life, holding your ground against the counterattack of a hundred rebels. If not for you, I might not have had the chance to capture Wang Zuogua."

"This subordinate lacks your ability to take enemy generals' heads amidst ten thousand men, but holding off a few rebels is something I can manage."

Li Yi chuckled dryly, told him to recuperate properly, and went to check on Flying Tiger.

Flying Tiger's injuries were more severe; he had already suffered two bouts of fever and remained delirious.

The medics had already administered allicin and kept his wounds clean; whether he could survive this ordeal would depend entirely on how resilient his constitution was.

"Commander."

Buyan hurried forward and said, "Hong Chengchou has sent someone."

Li Yi quickly returned to his quarters, where a pale-faced steward was already waiting.

This man was Hong Chengchou's steward and confidant advisor, whom Li Yi had met on several occasions.

"Apologies for keeping Mister Feng waiting."

Steward Feng smiled and said, "Congratulations to Commander Li on your extraordinary military exploits. When Governor-Censor Hong learned of it, he was overjoyed."

Li Yi smiled bitterly, "The enemy was strong while we were weak; this victory was hard-won."

"Commander Li is too modest. To hold down thousands of rebels with a mere three hundred imperial soldiers—such a great achievement is unprecedented. What is even more remarkable is that He Renlong suffered a crushing defeat and fled. At the time, Governor-Censor Hong feared all previous efforts would be wasted. Fortunately, Commander Li steadfastly held his ground and pinned down the rebels, making today's outcome possible."

Li Yi invited Steward Feng to be seated, and soon hot tea was served.

After a moment of silence, Li Yi asked, "If I may ask, Mister Feng, how has Governor-Censor Hong dealt with He Renlong?"

"He Renlong fought recklessly and suffered defeat, nearly ruining the grand strategy. Governor-Censor Hong has ordered him bound to a flagpole, given fifty strokes of the heavy staff, fined a hundred taels of silver, and commanded to redeem himself through meritorious service."

Remembering how He Renlong had betrayed him, Li Yi said with a trace of dissatisfaction, "Governor-Censor Hong previously issued an order that anyone who fled from battle or disobeyed commands would be beheaded. Why show mercy to He Renlong?"

Steward Feng coughed lightly, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I will speak frankly to Commander Li. Governor-Censor Hong's forces are insufficient, and he still needs He Renlong to pursue and mop up the rebels. Moreover, He Renlong belongs to the Yansui border troops, and the Governor-Censor is currently vying for the post of Grand Coordinator of Yansui. How could he execute He Renlong, who came to assist, and chill the hearts of the Yansui soldiers?"

"But military orders are as unyielding as mountains. We held our ground because of military law and fought to the death. If this is how it is, won't it chill the hearts of the soldiers under my command?"

Steward Feng smiled faintly and shook his head, "Commander Li, military orders are not mountains; in the army today, the Governor-Censor is the mountain. Furthermore, He Renlong brought back the heads of five hundred rebels, which can be seen as offsetting his merits and faults. As fellow military officers, you shouldn't be overly harsh."

"The heads of five hundred rebels? He Renlong fled in defeat and the rebels swarmed Longmen Town—where did he get rebel heads?" Li Yi sneered.

Steward Feng's expression became somewhat awkward, and inwardly he couldn't help but feel annoyed with Li Yi.

Whether the heads submitted by He Renlong were those of actual rebels or innocent commoners slaughtered to claim false merit—was that not something the officers of the central command were well aware of?

Yet the Governor-Censor needed He Renlong, and at the time he also needed a victory to boost morale. Everyone understood without breaking the illusion; why did Li Yi have to be so stubborn?

As for the commoners killed by He Renlong, what necessity was there to care about such trivial side matters?

"Very well, Commander Li. Governor-Censor Hong has ordered you to lead your troops in tailing Wang Zuogua and assisting the main army in surrounding them. As for Longmen Town, you need not worry about it; leave it to the soldiers from Shanxi."

Just as his voice trailed off, Steward Feng added instruction: "The money and grain in Longmen Town need to be sealed up; specialists will naturally arrive to handle them shortly."

Though called specialists, it was essentially a local division of spoils.

Fortunately, Li Yi had already transferred the vast majority of the provisions and wealth from the granaries, so he accepted the order directly.

Events proved that Steward Feng delivering the message was merely incidental; his primary objective was to misappropriate the wealth accumulated in Longmen Town.

No sooner had Li Yi gone to reorganize his troops than Steward Feng hurried with his men, without pausing to catch their breath, to inspect the storehouses.

To his disappointment, however, the storehouses contained very little money or grain.

Upon checking the ledgers, he found the accounts clear and verified that indeed no one had embezzled anything.

As for the wealth plundered by rebel leaders like Wang Zuogua, there were naturally no records to be found.

Li Yi paid no heed to these matters.

He left the wounded behind to recuperate and led the remaining hundred-odd Shattered Gold Army soldiers out of the city.

Departing Longmen Town, Li Yi cast a parting glance back at the blood-stained city walls, remaining silent for a long time before heading west.

The rebel march was not fast; burdened by a massive number of the old and weak, Li Yi was able to spot the distant lights of the rebel camp by nightfall.

Because the Yellow River was blockaded, and Tongguan and Xi'an Prefecture to the south were heavily fortified by imperial defenses, Wang Zuogua had no choice but to turn back and engage Hong Chengchou, hoping to break the encirclement and lead his army to roam toward Yaozhou.

Thus, by the morning of the second day, in a narrow mountain valley, the forces of Wang Zuogua and Hong Chengchou finally collided.

To the east was Wang Zuogua's main force; after experiencing the battle at Longmen Town, their morale was shattered, leaving them with only six thousand troops.

Opposite them stood Hong Chengchou's five thousand troops, comprising one thousand border soldiers, three thousand garrison (weisuo) troops, and one thousand Yichuan militia.

Comparing the two, Wang Zuogua seemed to hold a slight numerical advantage.

In reality, however, Wang Zuogua only had two or three thousand border and local rebels capable of fighting; the rest were coerced refugees with virtually no combat effectiveness.

Furthermore, having just suffered defeat and being cornered by imperial troops, their morale was rock-bottom, and deserters had begun appearing since the previous night.

Wang Zuogua sat gloomily in his saddle, surrounded by various jittery chieftains.

Miao Mei, Little Red Wolf, Yizhangqing, Long Delui, and Luedihua exchanged glances, seeing fear mirrored in each other's eyes.

A low, mournful blast of horns sounded as the Ming army formed its ranks and donned their armor.

Command flags fluttered, and mounted messengers darted between formations, shouting out military orders.

Wang Zuogua and the others had no choice; they ordered their lines to be drawn up, forced into a decisive battle with the Ming army.

With a force of only a little over a hundred men, Li Yi was not qualified to participate in such a grand-scale decisive battle.

He ordered his men to conceal themselves within a mountain stream, while he and his squad leaders climbed a slope to observe the massive engagement.

Facing the fierce gales atop the ridge, Li Yi leaned forward, gazing at the dense sea of troops in the distance.

The rebels clumsily and chaotically formed their lines, and no sooner had they finished preparations than the distant imperial army sounded its horns once more.

This was the signal to advance.

Banners waved, resounding shouts rang out, and the imperial troops slowly pressed forward toward the rebels.

Armor clashed, iron rang against iron, and amidst heavy breathing, the artillery pieces in the front ranks were fired first.

"Boom..."

Cannon fire roared, and the rebels cast fearful glances left and right, entirely devoid of fighting spirit.

Yet veteran rebels stationed in the rear were supervising the battle with murderous intent, preventing anyone from daring to flee.

Knowing he could wait no longer, Wang Zuogua immediately ordered the charge.

"Charge! Kill them!"

The veteran chieftains raised their weapons and shouted at the top of their lungs.

Swarms of rebels surged across the hills to assault the imperial troops.

The formation of the Ming imperial soldiers faltered momentarily before they too surged forward amidst the furious roars of their officers.

The two armies locked in close combat, filling the entire valley with chaotic roars and agonizing cries.

Gao Jie, Gao Laoshi, and the others turned pale as they watched the spectacle.

They had never witnessed a pitched battle between massive armies before.

Watching over ten thousand of their fellow countrymen fighting desperately in the valley, lives being harvested as casually as blades of grass, a profound shock wracked their souls and left their limbs ice-cold.

Fortunately, the outcome of the battle was decided quickly.

After a quarter of an hour of engagement, the rebel right flank was beaten back by the imperial forces. Left with no alternative, Wang Zuogua ordered his reserves to plug the gap.

At this moment, Hong Chengchou keenly perceived the weakness in the rebel right flank and ordered He Renlong to lead his cavalry in a charge.

Three hundred cavalrymen swept forward like a tidal wave, piercing straight through the rebel right flank and routing thousands of rebels who turned and fled in a panic, wailing and crying for mercy.

Amidst the thunderous pounding of hooves, He Renlong's cavalry drove straight into the rebel center. Miao Mei, commanding the center, swung his goose-quill saber and roared in an attempt to hold the formation together.

However, the Ming infantry following closely behind He Renlong swarmed in. Caught in the ferocious onslaught of He Renlong's broadsword, the center was encircled from both sides and collapsed instantly after holding out for only a brief moment.

Seeing the situation turn sour, Little Red Wolf and Yizhangqing on the left flank did not hesitate in the slightest, immediately withdrawing their men from the battlefield.

Following this, the entire rebel army collapsed into a rout. Rebels scattered across the hills, crying and fleeing in all directions, unwilling to look back even as the imperial troopers' sabers threatened to sever their necks.

Cries for mercy, weeping, and miserable shrieks echoed throughout the valley. Thick blood pooled into streams, and the oppressive aura of slaughter and terror turned the place into a living hell.

Li Yi closed his eyes in painful anguish.

Sharing the same roots, the same flesh and blood of compatriots—why were they slaughtering one another here?

What was the meaning of all this?