My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 140 Ziyi fights against Bo Fu

At the same time, Sun Ce also sent a messenger to Jiangdu, ordering Sun Ben to quickly dispatch follow-up troops to provide support, and also to order Qiao Rui, who was stationed in Liyang, to move quickly and go down the river to Guangling to join the attack.

Suddenly, Sun Ce heard a noise outside, and Song Qian walked in.

"My lord, the Xuzhou reinforcements have arrived."

"What!?"

Sun Ce suddenly stood up, his face full of astonishment: "How could it be so fast?"

He thought his group had arrived like divine intervention. According to Sun Ce's intelligence, the vanguard of the Xuzhou army would only reach Gaoyou at the earliest, and would not arrive in Guangling until the day after tomorrow at the earliest. How could it be so fast?

"go!"

Sun Ce had his attendants put his armor back on, and then led Song Qian and the others out.

Where is the vanguard of the Xuzhou army?

After mounting his horse, Sun Ce asked Song Qian.

As Song Qian took Sun Ce's black iron spear and handed it to him, he replied, "It's right at the east gate, but we can't see clearly through the fire barrier. However, the morale on the other side is very high, with cheers coming from all directions, so it shouldn't be fake."

Sun Ce nodded, then rode away.

Song Qian quickly mounted his horse and followed.

By the time Sun Ce arrived at the front line, the fire barrier had just begun to shrink.

Through the flames, Sun Ce saw a tall, imposing man on horseback on the opposite side, gazing in their direction.

Upon seeing Sun Ce, the general seemed to smile, casually pulled out a powerful bow, raised it, paused slightly, and then shot out like a shooting star, arriving in front of Sun Ce in an instant.

Sun Ce was immediately alarmed. He dodged to the side, but then heard a scream behind him. It turned out that the personal guard following behind Sun Ce had not been able to dodge and was hit squarely in the forehead, the arrow piercing through his helmet.

The guard immediately fell from his horse, his fate unknown.

Sun Ce was greatly alarmed and immediately flew into a rage: "You treacherous villain, how dare you plot against me!"

The person opposite him was none other than Taishi Ci.

Upon hearing this, he burst into laughter: "To shoot in battle, how can it be considered an ambush? You mere child, spouting nonsense. Fine, I'll let you off the hook for fear of your tears."

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce was even more enraged. He completely ignored the fire barrier in front of him, which had already shrunk considerably, and spurred his horse straight at Taishi Ci.

Song Qian and the others were shocked and hurriedly followed.

Taishi Ci raised his arm to stop the cavalrymen behind him: "I don't need your help. I will capture him myself. You can all stand by and watch me capture the thief."

Taishi Ci's actions stemmed from two factors: firstly, the confidence and dignity of a top-tier military general, and secondly, the ability to act opportunistically.

At this moment, time was on Sun Ce's side, but Sun Ce had clearly forgotten this.

As long as I can hold off Sun Ce, it's the same as holding off the entire Sun family army, which undoubtedly buys a lot of time for the subsequent reinforcements from Xuzhou.

If we can capture them in one battle, we can immediately turn defeat into victory, and even take Guangling City directly.

At that time, he would simultaneously claim the greatest merit of this southward campaign and the extraordinary achievement of capturing the enemy general.

Based on these three points alone, Taishi Ci felt it didn't matter if he lost an arrow to the enemy.

Sun Ce raised his black iron spear high and aimed straight at Taishi Ci's face.

Taishi Ci remained calm and composed, drawing an arc with his spear at the far corner, the end of which struck the tip of the opponent's spear precisely.

Both men thrust their spears through each other's length, exchanging a single blow, and were simultaneously astonished by the other's strength.

"This guy is incredibly strong."

"How can this brat, who hasn't even grown up yet, have such strange strength?"

Sun Ce was certainly surprised that this despicable coward who used a sneak attack had such strength, and Taishi Ci was also surprised that this young boy, Sun Ce, was so strong.

Both sides tacitly put away their contempt.

Taishi Ci unleashed his full power, employing sweeping and powerful attacks. His spear, like a venomous snake, concealed deadly intent, waiting for its chance to strike.

Sun Ce, however, remained unfazed, responding to attacks with his own. His black iron spear transformed into a dragon, churning the seas and overturning rivers.

The two exchanged blows for less than ten rounds, yet their spear tips had already clashed several times, demonstrating that their spear skills were evenly matched and that they were seeking similar opportunities.

This scene left the hundreds of warriors surrounding them dazzled and terrified. They felt that even with their own abilities, they probably wouldn't last more than a few rounds against these two.

As the fight progressed, the younger Sun Ce took the initiative to move closer, wanting to engage in close combat, clearly more confident in his strength and stamina.

Taishi Ci's face flashed with surprise, then he sneered, deliberately letting his opponent get close, and at the most crucial distance, he thrust his spear into the opponent's vital point in the heart.

In an instant, cheers erupted from the Xuzhou army, while Sun Ce's army remained silent, everyone watching Sun Ce's reaction with bated breath.

Unexpectedly, Sun Ce had anticipated this and deliberately created a flaw.

When Taishi Ci's spear shot out like a dragon, he was both skilled and daring. He simply dodged to the side, letting the spear pierce his armpit. Then, he clamped his arm and actually trapped the spear.

This set of movements was so fluid and seamless that if there had been even the slightest mistake, Sun Ce would either be shot dead or seriously wounded.

But now, Sun Ce has gained the upper hand through his strength, trapping the opponent's spear.

"it is good!"

Now it was Sun Ce's turn to cheer loudly, and some busybodies even mocked the Xuzhou army formation.

However, forced by Taishi Ci's forceful thrust of his spear, Sun Ce could only hold the spear with his right hand and thrust it towards Taishi Ci's throat in mid-air.

Taishi Ci was incredibly audacious; seeing Sun Ce's sharp spear tip heading straight for his throat, he neither dodged nor yielded.

The Xuzhou army fell silent, everyone tense. In their eyes, Taishi Ci was just waiting to die.

Unexpectedly, when Sun Ce's spear was delivered to Taishi Ci, he suddenly tilted his head back, reached out with his right hand, and with extreme precision, grabbed the spear shaft behind the tip, then pulled it to his side.

"General's Divine Might!"

The Xuzhou army erupted in a thunderous shout, their morale soaring instantly. They felt that Taishi Ci was exceptionally brave and skilled, and with such a divine general leading them, what was there to fear?

As a result, both sides' weapons fell into the other's control, and the two men ended up locked in a stalemate on horseback, competing in strength.

The more Taishi Ci and Sun Ce competed, the more astonished they became by each other's strength.

Sun Ce was no longer angry or contemptuous when he was shot by the arrow. He was completely overwhelmed by Taishi Ci's martial arts and strength and felt admiration for him.

Taishi Ci no longer regarded Sun Ce as a mere child. This kid's strength was almost as great as his own, and he would be defeated if he was careless. How could he dare to underestimate his opponent?

Unconsciously, the two had changed their perception of each other and developed a sense of mutual appreciation.

"Young man surnamed Sun, do you dare to let go?"

“Old man Taishi, if you dare, I might let you off this time. You can let go first.”

The two not only engaged in a physical fight, but also started arguing verbally.

Taishi Ci and Sun Ce's faces turned red, but they still couldn't do anything about the other.

The two men's mounts kept pausing in place, clearly struggling to keep up with their masters' fighting strength.

Suddenly, both of their mounts overturned and fell over at the same time, causing a stir of panic among those around them.

"Don't even move!"

"No one is allowed to come up!"

Taishi Ci and Sun Ce shouted at the same time, and simultaneously rolled up to their feet. The two of them even managed to restrain each other's weapons, refusing to let go.

After shouting, the two men simultaneously threw away their weapons, drew their short blades from their waists, and charged straight at each other.

The two were actually thinking the same thing: they both wanted to engage in close combat and take the other hostage.

If even one person loses their spear, they will immediately be at a disadvantage.

The two clashed with their short blades several times, but neither could break through the other's defense.

At this moment, both Sun Ce's army and Xuzhou's army were dumbfounded and dazzled, feeling as if this battle was a divine intervention.

The two sides traded blows, and the battle raged on intensely.

Despite being clad in iron armor, Taishi Ci and Sun Ce moved with the agility of normal people, dodging, parrying, and blocking with swift, precise, and powerful movements, leaving those around them feeling as if they were in a dream.

How could I believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes?

However, Taishi Ci and Sun Ce were also aware that their strength was rapidly decreasing.

Both sides noticed that the other's movements were slowing down, with more defense and less offense, as they conserved their energy, hoping to strike back later.

What a cunning lad! What a shrewd old man!

Both of them could tell from each other's eyes that the other was secretly criticizing them, but neither of them had the energy to argue with the other.

This fierce battle lasted for almost half an hour.

Both Taishi Ci and Sun Ce were already drenched in sweat and panting heavily.

Just as the two were preparing to muster their remaining strength and fight to the death, shouts came from afar.

"Bo Fu!"

Just then, an old man came galloping from afar, calling out Sun Ce's name with concern in his voice.

At the same time, a large number of hoofbeats sounded from the east gate, and a caravan of carriages rushed in. On the lead carriage, a burly man dressed in black iron armor held the shaft.

He jumped off the carriage as soon as it stopped.

The heavy weight shook the ground, sending dust flying.

The burly man, however, paid no attention and shouted to the crowd at the door, "Where is Taishi Ziyi? Where is Liu Ziyang?"

The arrogant visitor was none other than Pan Zhang, a trusted general of Liu Feng, the eldest son of Liu Shijun, the current governor of Xuzhou.

The vanguard position was given to Taishi Ziyi, which was unavoidable, since he was a captain and commanded cavalry.

But his own Rushan Camp was the true elite force, the decisive factor in the battle.

Now that I've arrived, of course I should take over the main battlefield.

"Wen Gui, please wait."

Liu Ye was extremely busy, organizing his soldiers to establish a defensive line while also keeping an eye on Taishi Ci's battle situation ahead.

Upon hearing Pan Zhang's shout, they hurriedly turned back to the city gate.

"You've come at the right time. Quickly lead your men to retake the prefectural government."

Upon seeing Liu Ye in person, Pan Zhang became somewhat polite, patting his chest and assuring him, "Mr. Ziyang, rest assured, this matter is easy! You can wait with peace of mind."

In any case, the other party was a scholar highly regarded by Liu Bei and his son, and he was also resourceful. Offending such a person might lead to a trap being set for you at any time, which would be a huge loss.

Liu Ye was delighted and then asked, "Wen Gui, when will the others arrive?"

Pan Zhang naturally answered truthfully: "My troops were escorted by horse-drawn carriages, so we arrived relatively quickly. However, the other troops had to travel on foot, and there were only a few dozen carriages in total, all transported by large ships, which were originally used to transport supplies."

"After hearing that you had captured Guangling, the young master ordered the Grand Historian to lead the cavalry as the first formation, and I to lead the Rushan Camp in carriages as the second formation. The third formation after that should be the troops of Colonel Zilong."

Liu Ye nodded and first said to Pan Zhang, "This man is called Li Nong. He is a member of the Li family. You can let him lead the way."

After saying that, he instructed Li Nong: "Li Nong, take Pan Sima and take a detour to attack the prefectural government."

Li Nong naturally agreed, but Pan Zhang asked, "Why take a detour? Mr. Ziyang looks down on people because of his location. I will only take the main road. Mr. Ziyang, please sit down and watch me defeat the enemy."

Liu Ye shook his head: "I never intended to underestimate Sima. It's just that the Grand Historian is currently engaged in battle with the enemy's commander at the main road, so I ordered Sima to take a detour and launch a surprise attack to break the stalemate in one fell swoop."

Pan Zhang suddenly realized what was happening and wanted to step forward, but ultimately decided against it.

Regardless, Taishi Ci was the true vanguard, and Liu Ye also assigned himself a task.

If one does not listen, then that would be disobeying military orders.

While Pan Zhang and Liu Ye were talking, the soldiers of Rushan Camp had disembarked from their carriages, drunk some water, and put on their armor, displaying their elite nature.

Pan Zhang, however, was impatient and began to put on his armor as soon as he saw the city walls outside the city, which is why he got off the carriage fully armored.

"Men, follow me!"

Pan Zhang drew his weapons, one long and one short, from the carriage. He hung the short one at his waist, held the long sword in his hand, shouted at the soldiers behind him, and then turned to follow Li Nong forward.

The armored soldiers lined up in four rows and followed slowly. As they moved, it was as if mountains were shifting, raising dust high into the air.

The two Li brothers, watching from the side, trembled. They were nouveau riche and had never seen such a sight before.

The two couldn't help but whisper, "The mountain... the mountain moved."

The veteran general who arrived was Huang Gai. He was stopped by Song Qian as he rushed forward: "Bo Fu will not let us get close. Moreover, if we go forward now and cause a melee, it may not be advantageous for Bo Fu."

Huang Gai initially wanted to reprimand Song Qian for stopping him, but after hearing what the other party said, his anger dissipated.

Indeed, as the other side said, if he were allowed to rush into the arena at this moment, regardless of the outcome, Sun Ce's army's reputation would be ruined.

"What should we do? The two flanks are ready and waiting for Bo Fu to give the order to besiege the east gate."

Huang Gai was getting anxious. He and Cheng Pu were in charge of the two flanks respectively, but they hadn't received the signal for a general attack from the center. So he came to the center to check on things.

Unexpectedly, Sun Ce and Taishi Ci were locked in a fierce battle, which brought the entire war to a standstill.

"It's alright, you two wings can do whatever you want. I'll keep an eye on things here, so you can rest assured."

Song Qian shook his head, then summoned a rider to go to Cheng Pu and give him the order to attack freely.

Huang Gai glanced at the field again. Sun Ce and Taishi Ci's offense and defense had slowed down, but their level of skill had not dropped at all. Every strike was deadly, and if they made a mistake, they could be defeated by the opponent.

“Alright, then I’ll leave this place and Bo Fu to Jingxun.”

Song Qian, courtesy name Jingxun, had followed Sun Ce for a long time and was a trusted general. At this time, he was able to make decisions on the central route in place of Sun Ce.

Huang Gai then turned and left, returning to his own battlefront.

But just as he and his personal guards were halfway there, he was surprised to bump into the soldiers who had come to find him.

Seeing the other party sweating profusely and looking panicked, Huang Gai had a very bad feeling.

"What happened?"

Upon hearing Huang Gai's voice, the soldier was overjoyed: "Colonel Huang, please return to the lines quickly! A troop of armored soldiers is coming from the other side. They are incredibly brave and fierce, and no one can stop them in their charge. Our lines are about to collapse."

"what?"

Huang Gai felt as if he were listening to someone talking in their sleep.

Just now, they were still waiting for the order to attack, and I only went to the middle lane, and my subordinates are about to collapse?
"nonsense!"

Huang Gai couldn't help but shout a curse, then spurred his horse and galloped back to his own position.

After turning two corners, you can see a group of burly men in black armor slaughtering enemies in the enemy's position ahead.

Meanwhile, the Li family troops and the soldiers from Xuzhou in Guangling County, who had previously been routed by Sun's army, were in high spirits and followed the black-armored warriors on a fierce attack.

"This...this is an armored warrior?"

Huang Gai gasped.

Before them stood hundreds of burly men clad in iron armor, lined up in several rows, marching in formation like a mountain wall, pressing down on them.

Sun Ce's soldiers, clad only in leather armor and wielding wooden shields, were clearly struggling to withstand the enemy and were forced to retreat step by step.

The troops that accompanied Sun Ce to Guangling this time totaled more than 4,000 men, plus the county soldiers of Guangling, making a total of more than 6,000. Originally, they thought it was a sure thing, but now they felt something was wrong.

Of Sun Ce's 4,000 troops, 200 were assigned to key locations such as the prefectural government, the treasury, and the granary. In addition, there were dozens of wounded soldiers, which reduced the number of troops by nearly 700.

Sun Ce led 1,300 men in the central route, 1,000 men on each of the two flanks, and more than 3,000 vassal troops from powerful local families were also divided among the three routes.

Logically speaking, Huang Gai's group had a full two thousand men, while the opposing side only had one thousand. It was a two-on-one fight, and Huang Gai's side was superior in quality. No matter what, the battle shouldn't have ended like this.

Although his anger was surging, Huang Gai forced himself to calm down and observe the situation on the battlefield.

The entire battle line was not long, only about twenty paces in total.

Precisely because of this, the enemy's armored soldiers had a significant advantage in terrain.

Thirty men per row were enough to completely fill the line.

Sun Ce's army wanted to use long-range firepower to focus fire on the armored soldiers, but found that it was ineffective at a distance as the bullets could not penetrate the armor, and at close range, the enemy archers would strike first.

Sun Ce's unit was always the apple of Sun Jian and Yuan Shu's eye, so its equipment was naturally very good.

Equipped with full leather armor and a powerful bow, it can't engage in a firefight with an enemy armored unit unless it's made of iron.

Huang Gai's troops were doing relatively well; although they were forced into a series of defeats, their morale remained high. However, the powerful local tribesmen and soldiers from Guangling County who had been assigned to them were showing clear signs of wavering.

Huang Gai made a decision immediately, gathering his armored officers and providing cover with warriors armed with powerful bows and crossbows. At the same time, he personally led his cavalry to prepare for a counter-charge.

The attached powerful families and soldiers of Guangling County were driven aside, while Sun's army skillfully retreated, clearing a path for them.

Huang Gai's twenty riders launched a swift counterattack against Pan Zhang's Rushan Camp, advancing in a wall-like formation.

(End of this chapter)