[Wuxia] The Duan Family Women Generals (Complete) - 32

Chapter 168 – Xu Family Generals, Ordered to Attack Jinling, Destroy Armored Horses by Digging

Mounds: It was reported that Xu Youliang clashed with the three princesses of the Western Rong at Longfeng Ridge. The three princesses suffered a setback and, taking advantage of Fengling and her men's pursuit, released their armored cavalry.
Xu Youliang, seeing the danger, hastily ordered a retreat. The dozen or so generals pursuing them, seeing this, turned and fled without waiting for orders.
Hearing the order, the armored cavalry charged out, unleashing a hail of arrows. Xu Youliang and his men were no match for them and scattered in all directions, wishing they had more legs.
Jinling, seeing this, was overjoyed and immediately ordered her soldiers to follow the armored cavalry and launch a counterattack.
Xu Youliang and his generals, along with their cavalry, fled quickly, escaping for over twenty li before the armored cavalry, exhausted, finally broke free. They were then pursued relentlessly by Jinling's cavalry. The infantry were not so fortunate; those unable to dodge were either shot by horse arrows, crushed by the armored cavalry, or hacked to death by the pursuers. By the time Xu Youliang regrouped and assessed his forces, he had lost two-tenths of his troops, including five officers. Fortunately, the senior generals were still alive, which was considered a stroke of luck.
The next day, Jinling returned with renewed force. The armored cavalry once again displayed their might, disregarding the abatis outside the camp. The armored cavalry cleared a path, smashing through the abatis and charging forward. Xu Youliang's battalion suffered a setback, and the remaining battalions, terrified, fled eastward.
Within three days, Xu Youliang suffered repeated defeats, retreating only after crossing the Xiaotang River.
Xu Youliang deployed defenses along the riverbank. The armored cavalry were ill-suited for naval warfare, and the two sides temporarily faced each other along the river. Xu Youliang summoned his generals to his tent for a meeting, but everyone shook their heads in disapproval.
Cao Yunlong said, "The four Xu sisters are descendants of Xu Ning. They have studied the Ironclad Chain Horse for a long time and may have a solution."
Youliang said, "That's exactly what I was thinking. I've heard about the Ironclad Horse before, so on the day of the expedition, I sent someone to summon Xu Xiaoyao and Xu Xiaojing to the two armies. I just didn't expect Jinling to use that weapon so soon. Now I only hope that the Xu sisters can solve my problem."
A day later, the Yao sisters indeed arrived. Xu Youliang was overjoyed and hurriedly called them into his tent to ask for their advice.
The two sisters said, "We sisters have also heard that the Crown Prince of the Western Rong has mastered this divine weapon, but we don't know what it looks like. We'll see it tomorrow."
The next day, the Xu sisters each led a thousand cavalrymen, waded across the river, and challenged Jinling.
It turned out that the Xiaotang River was a seasonal river. Since it wasn't the rainy season yet, the water wasn't deep, and people and horses could walk on it, except for armored horses. Therefore, neither side dared to cross the river to provoke a conflict.
The Xu sisters were deliberately trying to lure the armored horses out, so they risked crossing the river.
Soon after, Jinling sent Yinling and Yuling out of the camp, leading two thousand cavalry and a dozen armored horses. The two sides agreed on a location and lined up to fight.
Yinling glanced at the two female generals opposite her, who were about the same age as her and both wielded hook-and-sickle spears. She knew they were the Xu sisters: "Could you two be descendants of Xu Ning, the Xu sisters of Qinglong Pass?"
"Indeed, I am Xu Xiaoyao, and she is Xu Xiaojing. We heard you've trained some kind of ridiculous armored cavalry, so we've come to see for ourselves."
"You two must be here to break through armored cavalry. I know your ancestors were skilled at breaking through linked armored cavalry, but my armored cavalry is quite different from those linked cavalry. Even if your ancestors came in person, they would be helpless."
"Stop talking big. Why don't you let the sisters see them?"
"Since you two want to see them, then we'll let you have a look. Be careful."
With that, Yinling waved her hand, and the two thousand cavalry split up, revealing a dozen or so armored cavalry. With a thunderous roar, they charged forward all at once. Xu Xiaoyao saw that they were indeed formidable. Realizing she had no way to break through, she hurriedly spurred her horse and fled, looking quite disheveled. Yinling and Yuling laughed heartily, "You surnamed Xu, hurry back and tell your Lord Xu to retreat as soon as possible and write a letter of surrender to Da Xiong, then we'll spare his life."
The Xu sisters returned to their camp and, upon seeing Xu Youliang, said, "Indeed, this design is specifically aimed at the 'Hooked Soldiers'; the hook-and-sickle spears are probably useless."
"What should we do then?" Youliang frowned.
Xu Xiaoyao added, "My lord, there's no need for this. Since ancient times, for every spear, there must be a shield. Even though the armored cavalry is formidable, there must be a way to counter it. We've already considered some ideas at home; let my sister and I devise a plan."
Hearing this, Youliang's worries dissipated.
Two days later, the two Xu sisters came to see Xu Youliang, saying they had a solution. Overjoyed, they eagerly asked for his plan.
The sisters explained their idea, and Youliang repeatedly praised it as brilliant, then ordered the sisters to train the new recruits.
Only five or six days later, the two sisters reported that training was complete and they could break through the enemy's formation.
Xu Youliang was overjoyed and ordered someone to cross the river and relay a message, instructing Jinling to retreat twenty li, saying he would break through the enemy's formation.
Jinling was secretly alarmed, wondering what plan Xu Xiaoyao could possibly have to break the armored cavalry. Yinling and Yuling said in unison, "Elder sister, don't worry. This is merely Xu Youliang's delaying tactic. He probably wants to retreat, fearing we'll pursue him. We should agree to his retreat, but send a detachment across the river at night to ambush him on the way."
Jinling, who also harbored doubts about Xu Youliang's ability to defeat the armored cavalry, was reassured by this. She replied that she would fight as agreed, but secretly sent Yuling across the river without mentioning it.
Seeing that Jinling had indeed fallen for the trap, Xu Youliang sent the Xu sisters that night with men to secretly cross the river and provide support on the beach, preventing Jinling from launching a sneak attack.
The next morning, Xu Youliang's entire army crossed the river.
Yu Ling crossed the river, but by the fourth watch, Xu Youliang's troops had not retreated. Suspicious, she sent someone to scout, only to be told that Youliang had already dispatched men to cross the river westward. Realizing they had fallen into a trap, she hurriedly rode back. Upon reaching the camp gate, Jin Ling was mustering her troops. Hearing this, everyone felt uneasy.
After breakfast, they led their men out and set up their formation in an open area, the armored cavalry still hidden behind the lines.
Looking at Xu's troops, they too had formed their ranks, but this time the formation was different from usual. Several layers of rattan shield bearers were densely arrayed at the front, forming a square with the infantry, while the cavalry were positioned on both flanks.
Jinling said, "He's putting his infantry in front, but when the armored cavalry arrives, they won't be able to run fast. I wonder what trick Xu Youliang is up to?"
Yuling said, "Never mind him. He's courting death; what does it have to do with us? We'll chase him down into the river in one go, and at least seven-tenths of his men will be lost."
"Exactly."
Just then, Xu Youliang sent out Fengling and a dozen other generals to challenge them. Jinling
didn't fight back, but ordered the armored cavalry to be released.
As soon as Fengling and the others saw this, they turned their horses and rode away, circling around the two sides of the square formation.
When Jinling looked, the infantry in the formation remained motionless.
The armored cavalry charged forward, unleashing a hail of arrows, which the opposing side only blocked with rattan shields. Jinling hurriedly led her troops to follow.
Just as the horses arrived, the rattan shield bearers suddenly ran backward. Jinling and the others were puzzled when Yuling exclaimed, "Oh no!"
When Jinling looked again, she couldn't help but cry out in distress.
Under the cover of the shield bearers, the soldiers had dug trenches about a foot deep and two or three zhang long, spaced half a foot apart along the direction of the armored cavalry's charge. As the soldiers retreated, the trenches would appear.
At this moment, the armored cavalry, charging with all their might, couldn't stop. Their wheels fell into the trenches, and the front deck rested on the ridge between the two trenches. Iron rods had been secretly buried in the ridge, catching the armored cavalry and rendering them immobile.
It turned out that the Xu sisters had specially selected and trained a troop of soldiers from farming families. The front used rattan shields to block arrows, while the rest, armed with iron hoes, secretly dug the ridges. These men, all from farming backgrounds, were experts in this art, and the trenches to block the armored cavalry didn't need to be high; they could be completed in a short time, thus easily trapping the armored cavalry.
Jinling realized the situation was dire and it was too late to retreat. Eight or nine out of ten of her armored cavalry were captured. Meanwhile, the enemy cavalry suddenly attacked from both flanks, cutting into Jinling's formation like sharp blades. At this point, the arrows were useless, and chaos ensued.
Behind the shield bearers, countless soldiers appeared, wielding hammers and axes, smashing the armored horses with a clang. They then charged forward, some seizing the horses and converting infantry into mounted warriors, further increasing their momentum.
This time, Jinling suffered a crushing defeat. Xu Youliang led from the front, ordering his men to press on relentlessly, capturing over 70,000 heads and pursuing them past Longfeng Ridge before finally ordering them to set up camp.
Having lost the narrow pass of Longfeng Ridge, Jinling was forced to retreat to Wanhua Prefecture. He then ordered Yinling to lead 20,000 troops to garrison Liuhua County in the northeast, and Yuling to lead 20,000 troops to garrison Fan County in the southeast, forming a pincer movement.
Xu Youliang, exhausted from this victory, rested at the foot of Longfeng Ridge, awaiting an opportunity to advance.
What will happen next? Stay tuned for the next chapter. Chapter 169 of
the Lower Part of the Empire —Jinling Girl Sets Up the Bullfighting Formation, Two Sisters Perish at Shili Slope . More than ten days later, the Iron Pagodas arrived, and Xu Youliang left Longfeng Ridge, leading his army forward and setting up the Iron Pagodas to attack Wanhua Prefecture. The prefectures and counties west of Pingling were all newly built, hastily constructed, with inferior materials and crude engineering; how could they withstand repeated bombardments? Jinling had no choice but to join her two sisters in a battle outside the city, then ordered local officials to gather militia to delay Youliang's army, while she herself retreated westward to the second narrow pass, Shili Slope. Shili Slope was a gentle, earthen hill, more than ten li long from north to south, connected to the mountains on each side. At Jinling's garrison, deep trenches were dug across the eastern slope, and palisades were planted to repel Xu's army. There were no gates on the east and north sides, but one each on the south and west. The west gate was for supplies, and the south gate was the main gate, facing the mountain. Only a narrow road, about two zhang wide, ran along the foot of the mountain for the civilians on both sides to pass through; this would also be Jinling's future route for eastward campaigns. Numerous roadblocks were set up, with strict checks. When Liang arrived, he sent the Xu sisters with two thousand men to challenge the garrison. Jinling sent out two of her sisters to meet them. The two pairs of female warriors fought fiercely, a beautiful spectacle. The four women moved like butterflies, each one stunningly beautiful. The soldiers on both sides were so captivated by the beauties that they forgot to beat their drums for encouragement. The fighting lasted all day without a clear victor, and both sides eventually withdrew. The next morning, the Xu sisters went to challenge the enemy again, but a sign of truce was hung inside, refusing to engage. The Xu sisters ordered their soldiers to hurl insults at them from outside, but to no avail. Enraged, they charged towards the camp, only to be driven back by a hail of arrows. That evening, scouts reported that Yinling and Yuling had contracted a type of illness and were recuperating in the camp. Left with no other option, Liang led the entire camp out for a fierce attack on the hill. Unfortunately, the Iron Pagoda's attack was too difficult to execute. The moat on the hill was quite deep, filled with sharp stakes and straw. The soldiers painstakingly built ladders to cross the moat and climb the hillside, only to be ignited by rockets fired from the hillside, setting the straw in the moat ablaze. Half the hill was ablaze, and of the more than 20,000 soldiers who had reached the top, seven out of ten were burned beyond recognition. Then, from the high ground above, rolling logs and stones were dropped down, crushing and trampling the survivors. It was truly a near-death experience. Helpless, Xu Youliang could only send men to challenge them to battle at the southern crossroads every day. A dozen days later, the Xu sisters again challenged them, hurling insults until they were exhausted. They sat down on the ground. Around noon, Xu Xiaoyao ordered his men to return to camp for lunch. Suddenly, a cannon boomed from the opposite camp, and a force charged out. Xu Xiaoyao looked and saw it was the sisters Yinling and Yuling. The two emerged from the crossroads, forming a battle formation. Yinling said, "General Xu, wait a moment before returning to camp! Let's fight another three hundred rounds!" Xu Xiaoyao, hearing this, withdrew his troops, reformed the formation, and led his men out, saying, "Stop your boasting! Quickly wash your necks clean and straighten them so this general can cut off your heads with his hook-and-sickle spear!" Yinling drew her curved sword and laughed loudly, "Don't talk big! Let's fight first!" Xu Xiaoyao thrust his spear forward, but Yinling calmly parried and returned the attack. Seeing this, Xu Xiaojing also spurred her horse into battle and engaged Yuling in combat. They fought for forty or fifty rounds before Yinling gave a whistle, and she and Yuling leaped out of the circle. Two thousand soldiers fled towards the main road, with the two princesses close behind. Xu Xiaoyao said, "Why did you stop fighting? Are you afraid because you can't defeat us?" Yinling said, "General Xu, do you dare to chase me?" "What do I have to fear?" Xu Xiaoyao then gave chase. Xiaojing caught up with her sister and said, "They haven't shown any signs of defeat, so why are they retreating? Is there some kind of trick?" Yinling, hearing this from ahead, laughed loudly, "Exactly a trick! If you're afraid, don't come back!" Seeing that the camp gate was only a mile from the road, Xu Xiaoyao, using his armored cavalry, knew that with his and his sister's martial arts skills, a safe retreat would be no problem. He said, "Are you afraid of my ambush?" and led his troops straight towards them. Upon reaching the camp gate, Yinling and the others retreated into the camp. Xu Xiaoyao missed her by a step, and the drawbridge was raised. Behind the camp fence, countless archers rose and began firing. Xu Xiaoyao, helpless, used her hook-and-sickle spear to deflect the arrows while ordering her soldiers to retreat from the main road. Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from the west, like the sound of horses' hooves. Xiaoyao said, "The armored cavalry has arrived! Quickly dig trenches!" The soldiers heard this and hurriedly grabbed their hoes to dig trenches. Just as they finished, the sound approached. Turning the corner, Xu Xiaoyao and the others were terrified. Hundreds of bulls appeared on the road. Xu Xiaoyao, being Chinese, had never seen bulls like these before. The bulls were enormous, each weighing over a thousand pounds, and unlike the water buffalo of the Central Plains, their horns pointed forward like two sharp knives. These were bulls the Xu sisters had bought from the west, specifically for bullfighting. Before being released, these bulls had been blindfolded and kept in captivity for a day and a night. Now released, they were wildly aggressive, butting at anyone they saw. Seeing this, no one dared to face their might, and they fled eastward. The Xu sisters, Xiaoyao and Xiaoqing, were also terrified and spurred their horses to escape, but their own soldiers blocked their path, preventing them from running fast. Just as the bulls were closing in, some of the more nimble soldiers grabbed tree branches and dangled in mid-air, narrowly escaping. The Xiaoyao sisters, however, were not good at climbing and could only watch helplessly as the bulls charged towards them. Seeing this, Xu Xiaoqing quickly leaped from her horse onto a roadside deer fence. Xu Xiaoyao, seeing this, tried to imitate her sister, but instead of shaking off the stirrups, she was thrown from her horse, dragged a few steps, and struck her head on the ground, losing consciousness. The horse was also immediately knocked to the ground by the bulls. The bulls surged out of the road, driving the scattered soldiers in disarray for a while before finally stopping. Those who managed to escape rushed back to camp to report the news. Meanwhile, Yinling and Yuling, seeing the herd of cattle pass by, ordered their servants to ride a group of cows to the roadside and lead the bulls back to their pens. Only then did they lead their men out of camp to clean up the battlefield. On the main road, Xu family soldiers lay mangled, gored and trampled by bulls. After walking half a mile east, they finally saw Xu Xiaoyao. She lay by the roadside, forty or fifty paces away from the corpse of her warhorse. One of her boots had been pulled off by the stirrup, revealing a beautiful, curved foot. Her armor was torn to shreds by the bulls, her chest and buttocks exposed, her abdomen ravaged by several bulls, her intestines spilling out—a pitiful sight. They searched all the way to the roadside and found Yao Xiaojing's horse carcass, but not Yao Xiaojing herself. Yinling hurried back to where the dead horse had been. After a long search, she finally found Yao Xiaojing lying in the deer enclosure, struggling frantically. Yinling hurriedly ordered the soldiers to drag Yao Xiaojing out. When they arrived, her legs were soaked in blood; though not dead, she was beyond saving. It turned out that Yao Xiaojing, seeing no escape, had abandoned her horse and tried to jump onto a nearby deer embankment to lie down. However, there was nowhere to put her feet on the embankment, and she lost her footing and fell. Yao Xiaojing quickly grabbed a branch from the embankment, dragging her body outside, trying to climb back onto the embankment. Just then, a bull charged from behind, lowered its head, and gored her. Yao Xiaojing screamed in agony. The bull's horn had entered her anus. The bull swung its head, throwing her into the air, where she tumbled several times before landing on the ground over the embankment. Imagine, the bull's horn was a foot and a half long; this gore had pierced Yao Xiaojing's abdomen, tearing her intestines apart. Blood gushed out like a fountain; there was no hope of saving her. She lay there groaning in pain, awaiting her death.

Being women, the sisters Yinling and Yuling couldn't bear to see her like this.
They immediately ordered their soldiers, "Give her a final blow, don't let her suffer." But the soldiers, encountering such a beautiful female general, were not about to let her go easily. They stripped her of her armor, laid her limbs out on the roadside, her small breasts still intact, which they then fondled. Grabbing her feet, they lifted her genitals to examine them, finding her perineum torn open by a bull's horn, merging her anus and rectum into one.
At this moment, Yao Xiaoqing, though ashamed, was helpless and only wished for a quick death.
The soldiers, obeying Yinling's orders, dared not delay. After a while, they had no choice but to end her life with a spear to the throat.
Xu Youliang was in his tent when he heard the report from his soldiers. He hurriedly led a detachment out of the camp to rescue the Yao sisters at the pass. Before he even reached them, he saw two naked female corpses hanging from the watchtower atop Shili Slope. He also saw, inside the fence of the Feng family camp, heads and the naked corpses of several female soldiers hanging from the flagpoles. Knowing the Xu sisters were dead, he could only return dejectedly.
It was pitiful that the two sisters, Xu Xiaoyao and Xu Xiaojing, died at such a young age, under the Dou Niu formation.
Xu Youliang returned to camp and discussed with his generals how to attack Shili Slope and break the Dou Niu formation.
Meanwhile, Feng Qing, seeing Xu Youliang's two armies attacking fiercely, knew that Xu Youliang's power was overwhelming and that Da Xiong would inevitably fall if this continued. He urged his generals to defend to the death while sending someone to Qinglong Pass to request Hua Rong's assistance.
Would Hua Rong be able to send troops? Let's find out in the next chapter.

Chapter 170 – Zheng Mingde fights desperately on the Great Wall, Kan Meiying battles elephants and bulls

. Feng Qing is said to have difficulty defending Da Xiong because Xu Youliang's strength already surpasses Feng Qing's, and the battlefield situation further widens this gap.
Jin Ling of the Southern Route used the Bull Formation to kill the Xu sisters, but still failed to reverse the overall passive situation, while Xu Youliang's army on the Northern Route finally achieved a breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Shi Wenlong led the attack on Baihu Pass, and both sides set up a battlefield before the pass, neither achieving anything.
On this day, Zheng Mingde, having received orders, went to the pass to challenge the enemy. Wang Dadao, inside, rode out to meet him. The two had already fought countless battles below the pass, each ending in a draw. Upon meeting again, Zheng Mingde said, "General Wang, how about we make a pact today? It's either you or me who dies. We'll fight without eating or sleeping, until a victor is decided."
Wang Dadao replied, "Indeed, as the saying goes, 'A worthy opponent makes for a worthy general.' We've fought many times, without a clear winner. If we don't settle this today, the battle will never end." "
In that case, let's each issue orders. We'll fight one-on-one, without any help."
"Well said."
The two returned to their respective camps, issued their orders, then remounted and returned to the battle lines.
This battle was different from their previous encounters. Both were prepared to die, giving their all, hoping to settle the score quickly.
The soldiers on both sides hurriedly returned to their camps to relay the message. Hu Yue, worried about her husband, and Shi Yunqing, thinking of his sworn brother, both came out to observe the enemy's formation and personally took up drumsticks to cheer on their own side.
The battle raged fiercely, until the sky darkened.
The two fought without eating or sleeping all day. Their horses were exhausted and could no longer fight, so they changed horses several times, but the battle remained evenly matched. They fought by lamplight until sunrise.
Zheng Mingde, his bloodlust flaring, said, "Even the best horses can't sustain this kind of fighting. Why don't we just abandon our horses and fight on foot?"
"As you wish, General."
The two dismounted and began to fight on the ground. They
fought from morning until noon, both showing signs of fatigue, yet refusing to stop.
After another half day of fighting, both generals were exhausted, their steps faltering, unable to wield their original weapons, and each drew their swords and sabers to fight.
Zheng Mingde thought, "I'm exhausted. If I lose, the enemy will gain the upper hand. How can I repay the Emperor's kindness? I'd rather risk my life and fight him to the death."
Unexpectedly, Wang Dadao shared the same thought.
The two men, thinking this, didn't attack, each standing still, silently watching the other, preparing for a thunderous strike.
The surrounding silence was eerie; everyone knew that if they fought again, the outcome would be decided.
Suddenly, a strong wind rose from the mountain. The sound of the wind triggered the taut bowstrings of both men, and with a shout, they leaped forward.
A clang of weapons rang out as Zheng Mingde and Wang Dadao clashed head-on, locked in a fierce battle for a long time.
The soldiers on both sides watched, unsure who had won. Only after a short while did Hu Yue and Shi Yunqing realize the danger and rush forward together.
Upon reaching them, they saw that both men's weapons were piercing each other's hearts.
The two commanders, feeling dejected, each retrieved their general's body for burial and then continued the challenge.
As for Hua Feng, his attack on Panshan Pass was merely a diversionary tactic to contain He Luming, so he didn't launch a full-scale assault. It seemed fate was conspiring against He Luming; less than ten days after Zheng Mingde and Wang Dadao perished together, several thunderclaps suddenly struck, igniting the granaries in Guanzhong. A strong wind followed, burning all the military supplies to the ground.
Although He Luming and the Guanzhong army and civilians resisted with all their might, they were powerless to continue once their supplies were cut off. Left
with no other choice, He Luming had to withdraw his troops from Guanzhong under cover of darkness, heading towards Baihu Pass.
The next day, as Hua Feng was preparing to attack the pass, the gates suddenly swung open. People from Guanzhong sent messengers to inform him of the army's departure and welcomed Hua Feng in.
Hua Feng immediately began arranging defenses at the pass while leading a large force out of the city in pursuit northwards.
Upon reaching Baihu Pass, He Luming's army was already intercepted by Shi Wenlong.
Shi Yunqing, seeing this from the gate, hurriedly led his troops out of the city to provide support, but was blocked by Hu Yue. At this time, Pang Qi was deploying defenses at Tiger Head Ridge and could not come to the rescue, watching helplessly as He Luming was surrounded and annihilated.
He Luming was also helpless at this time, and could only fight desperately with his rake, but his martial arts were inferior to Shi Wenlong and Hua Feng. He was attacked by the two of them and could not resist. He was hit on the head by Hua Feng with a chicken claw wood, and instantly, thousands of peach blossoms bloomed. He died on the ground.
With He Luming dead, White Tiger Pass lost its support. Shi Yunqing had no choice but to go into seclusion and send someone to ask Da Xiong for help.
Because of this, Feng Qing had to place all his hopes on Hua Rong.
Leaving aside Feng Qing sending someone to Qinglong Pass to find Hua Rong, let's talk about Xu Youliang.
After the death of Xu Xiaoyao and her sister, Xu Youliang racked his brains, thinking about how to break the Bull Formation and how to take Shili Slope.
That day, as Xu Youliang was deep in thought in his tent, a report came that Kan Meiying, the grain transport officer from Nanling, had arrived and was requesting an audience outside the camp gate.
Upon hearing it was Kan Meiying, Xu Youliang's heart stirred, and he exclaimed, "Shili Slope has fallen!"
The next day, Xu Youliang ordered Feng Ling and Cao Yunlong to lead two thousand men to challenge the enemy at the crossroads, while he himself led his men to set up the Iron Pagoda and stone cannons five li away from the crossroads.
Jinling, upon hearing this, ordered Yinling and Yuling to lead two thousand men to lead the charge, while he himself climbed the high tower atop the hill to observe the battle.
Meanwhile, Yinling and Yuling, having received their orders, charged out of the camp gate, first instructing the cattle keeper to prepare to release the cattle, before proceeding eastward along the main road.
Upon reaching the crossroads, Yinling said, "Princess Feng, don't you know the power of my Bullfighting Formation?"
Fengling replied, "As the saying goes, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.' Back then, my General Xu and her sister didn't know you had the Bullfighting Formation, which is why they lost their lives. Now that your Bullfighting Formation is out in the open, it's useless."
"In that case, are you willing to cross this road?"
"Of course I am."
"Then please." Before Yinling and her sister could finish speaking, they suddenly heard a loud roar and thunderous footsteps. Looking up, they knew something was wrong.
Suddenly, forty elephants emerged from behind the southern mountain. Each elephant was ten feet tall and weighed over ten thousand catties. They were all clad in rattan armor, and on their backs were bamboo seats containing four armored female soldiers, each wielding a crossbow and firing wildly.
This was the war elephant corps led by Kan Meiying, the female general of Nanling. Kan Meiying had been ordered to escort supplies. Xu Youliang, unsure how to deal with the bullfighting bulls, saw the war elephants and immediately devised a plan. He ordered Meiying to drive the elephants behind the mountain under cover of night and then lure the Yinling sisters out.
Upon seeing the war elephants, Yinling knew something was wrong and hurriedly fled with Yuling into the enemy ranks. Kan Meiying, riding on the head elephant, drove it in hot pursuit.
Countless Yinling's women were trampled to death by the elephants or shot by the female soldiers on their backs, before finally fleeing into the camp.
Soldiers in the camp shot arrows through the fence, but the elephants, with their thick hides and rattan armor, were completely unfazed. Upon reaching the camp gate, seeing the Silver Bell sisters lower the drawbridge, they didn't give chase, continuing their charge forward, with Phoenix Feather and Cao Yunlong close behind.
Silver Bell entered the camp and hurriedly ordered the cattle released. The stable boys, seeing the signal flag, released all the bulls.
The bulls hadn't gone far when they encountered forty war elephants charging towards them.
Although the fighting bulls were fierce, they were still beasts, knowing to bully the weak and fear the strong. Seeing the imposing size of the war elephants, they dared not butt them, turning tail and running, knocking over the stable boys in their stalls.
The war elephants then charged into the cattle pen, destroying it with their trunks and hooves. The bulls, thinking the war elephants had come to liberate them, charged together towards the main road to the west.
Seeing his success, Xu Youliang hurriedly ordered the iron cavalry and stone cannons to be pushed onto the main road and set up, bombarding Jinling's camp. The explosions sent blood and flesh flying, and the soldiers dared not approach. Seeing this, the female general Zhang Ping spurred her horse forward, cleared the palisade, crossed the moat, and rushed to the camp's edge. She smashed the palisade with a single spear thrust, and the soldiers behind her surged forward, charging into the camp. Jinling,
seeing this from the mountaintop, quickly descended the tower, mounted her horse, and charged south. She encountered the defeated Yinling and Yuling, and the three sisters again charged south to meet them. Xu Youliang, Fengling, and Zhang Ping arrived together, and a fierce battle ensued.
After fighting for a long time, the roar of war elephants came from the west. It turned out that Cao Yunlong and Fengling had been following closely behind the war elephants. Seeing that the war elephants had indeed broken the "Bullfighting Formation," Fengling ordered Cao Yunlong to follow the war elephants westward to outflank Jinling, while she herself turned back to assist Youliang in attacking Jinling's linked camp.
The war elephants and bulls charged forward with incredible speed, and the Feng family soldiers dared not stop them, allowing them to sweep across the main southern road. Upon reaching the plains, the bulls scattered. Cao Yunlong, having passed the elephants from behind, came to the front and said to Kan Meiying, "Let's quickly break through their west gate."
Meiying nodded in agreement, and the group charged towards Jinling's west gate.
The west gate, originally a supply gate, faced their own side and thus lacked many palisades, making it vulnerable to the elephants' charge. Seeing the enemy troops converging towards the southeast, Cao Yunlong knew a major battle was taking place there. He ordered Kan Meiying to guard the west gate while he himself charged southeast.
The three Jinling sisters were locked in combat with Xu Youliang and his two companions, the fight unresolved, with Xu Youliang slightly weaker and Jinling holding a slight advantage. However, seeing their retreat cut off, they dared not linger and fled westward together.
Upon seeing this, Xu Youliang hurriedly said, "Quickly, chase after them! Don't let them escape!"
The three sisters, disregarding everything else, joined forces to confront Cao Yunlong. Swords and blades clashed, and Cao Yunlong, fighting three against one, was overwhelmed and unable to retaliate. The three sisters broke through Cao Yunlong's blockade and fled towards the west gate.
Xu Youliang and the others arrived and joined forces with Cao Yunlong to pursue the Jinling sisters.
When the Jinling sisters reached the west gate, they saw forty war elephants lined up in four neat rows, blocking the entrance. Not daring to force their way in, and with the pursuers closing in, they quickly ran to the south side of the gate and began hacking at the fence with their swords.
Kan Meiying, seeing this, quickly drove her war elephants to block them.
However, the war elephants were large and heavy, and by the time they arrived, the three sisters had already broken through the fence and rushed out of the camp.
Cao Yunlong, seeing this from afar, shouted, "General Kan, hurry and chase after her! Don't let her escape!"
Jinling and the other two, panicked like stray dogs, rushed out of the fence like fish that had slipped through a net; ahead lay the deer enclosure. The three sisters rushed forward and ordered the soldiers to move the deer enclosure. A slight delay was all it took; Kan Meiying's war elephant arrived. Caught off guard, Jinling was caught by the elephant's trunk, which wrapped around her waist, dragging her from her horse and leaving her suspended in mid-air.
Yinling and Yuling dared not come to her rescue
and headed west. Cao Yunlong caught up and, seeing Jinling's magnificent Akhal-Teke horse, was very pleased and quickly switched places with it. Seeing Jinling still wrapped in the elephant's trunk, he hurriedly said to Kan Meiying, "General Kan, capturing Jinling is a great achievement! Put her down now, lest the elephant kill her. I'll catch her here."
Kan Meiying gave the order, and the war elephant gently released Jinling. Cao Yunlong grabbed her under the armpits and dragged her onto the horse's back.
Seeing that all was lost, Jinling didn't struggle, letting Cao Yunlong lay her across the horse's back, untie the silk sash around her waist, and tie her hands behind her back.
Cao Yunlong said, "General Kan, you take her back to report your merit. I'm going to chase after Yinling and Yuling." With that, he grabbed her arm with one hand and her skirt with the other, lifted her up, and tossed her onto the elephant's back. Kan Meiying caught her and returned to camp.
Cao Yunlong chased westward for a while, but seeing that Yinling and Yuling were already far away, he couldn't catch up and had to return.
Upon arriving at camp, he gave orders, and Xu Youliang instructed all the soldiers to record their merits. Kan Meiying captured Jinling and was credited with the first merit.
Then he ordered Jinling to be brought into the tent.
Jinling entered the tent, standing with her head held high, but Xu Youliang didn't seem to care.
Upon closer inspection, Jinling was indeed different from women of the Central Plains. While she hadn't seemed unusual when riding, she was now taller than most men of the Central Plains, though her slender figure was more graceful and elegant than that of women from the Central Plains.
Youliang said, "Princess, I admire your martial prowess. If you surrender, you will surely enjoy wealth and honor."
Jinling replied, "As a princess, what need do I have for wealth and honor? As a general, since I've been captured, death is the only outcome. Stop arguing."
Youliang didn't take offense and ordered her to be imprisoned in the rear camp and well cared for.
Cao Yunlong had long coveted Jinling's beauty and only wanted to spend a night with her. Seeing Youliang imprison her, he assumed Youliang was keeping her for himself. Though he didn't say anything, he harbored resentment.
It turned out that Xu Youliang didn't intend to enjoy Jinling's body for himself, but rather sent a secret envoy to the Western Rong to persuade Wudehai to release Jinling if Wudehai severed ties with Feng Qing.
However, the secret was not kept, and Feng Qing learned of it. Feng Qing hurriedly sent an envoy to see Wu Dehai. At this time, Wu Dehai had already sent out his three most capable princesses, leaving him with no means of self-defense. How could he dare offend Feng Qing? Furthermore, the three princesses were not his biological daughters, so he had no choice but to execute Xu Youliang's envoy and send his head to Youliang. Youliang
was furious upon seeing his envoy's head.
How will Xu Youliang deal with Princess Jinling? Find out in the next chapter. (
Empire Part II

, Chapters 171 and 172) Chapter 171 – Cao Yunlong Insults the Princess in His Camp, Jinling Girl Takes Flight with a Stone Cannon.

It is said that Feng Qing, having forced Wu Dehai to kill Xu Youliang's envoy, naturally abandoned Jinling.
Xu Youliang ordered Jinling to be brought to the main tent and told him about Wudehai's killing of the envoy. Then he said, "Princess, you are not Wudehai's biological daughter, so he doesn't want you anymore. Why should you protect him? You might as well come with me, and I will restore your title of princess."
Jinling said, "Jinling is just a woman. I deserve to be punished for the defeat of my army and the disgrace of my troops. How could my lord ruin the great cause of the country because of Jinling? Lord Xu, there's no need to sow discord. Jinling would never become a traitor."
Youliang said, "Since that's the case, don't blame me for being ruthless."
He turned around and saw Cao Yunlong staring at Jinling expectantly. Knowing what he was thinking, he said, "Lord Cao, since Princess Jinling is unwilling to submit, I cannot keep her. Please do it for me."
Cao Yunlong was overjoyed upon hearing this. He agreed, walked over, put his arm around Jinling's waist, hoisted her onto his shoulder, and headed back to his camp.
Back in camp, he went into his tent and tossed Jinling onto his bed.
Jinling lay there with her hands tied behind her back, staring at Cao Yunlong without moving.
It turned out that the customs of the Western Rong were vastly different from those of the Central Plains. The Western Rong originally consisted of many tribes, constantly at war. The purpose of these wars was twofold: to seize territory and to take women. The victorious side would kill all the men of the defeated side, sparing no infants, and take all the women back with them.
Those women who were wives here today would continue to bear children there. Losing a woman was considered the men's incompetence, not the woman's fault for losing her virginity. Therefore, Western Rong women, once captured, would never resist for refusing to lose their virginity. Wu Dehai unified the various tribes of the Western Rong, and Jin Ling and others, being of royal lineage, were granted the title of princess. However, this did not change their ancestors' understanding of chastity. Therefore, for Jin Ling, being raped by the victors was a matter of course, and there was absolutely no need for resistance.
Cao Yunlong approached and examined Jin Ling closely. He saw that she was wearing a long, golden silk jumpsuit with gold trim, over which she wore a black silk velvet vest with gold flowers. This was her usual attire; she did not wear armor in battle, only a silk sash around her waist to hang her weapons. Cao Yunlong had already untied the sash and used it as a binding rope, leaving her only in the long dress.
Now, Jin Ling's two jade-like wrists were still bound by a silk rope as she lay on her side on the couch. Western Rong women valued large breasts as beauty, unlike Central Plains women who liked to bind their chests. Now, with Jin Ling's arms folded behind her back, her full breasts were even more prominent.
Looking at her slender waist, lying on her side, her waist curved to the side, making her legs and hips appear even more curvaceous.
Cao Yunlong, looking at Jinling's body, was filled with lust. He reached out and grabbed her golden hair, turning her face towards him. Then, he hooked his fingers up her neckline and looked inside. He saw two round and smooth breasts, which made his mouth water. He released her hair and turned to touch her legs.
Jinling remained silent, letting Cao Yunlong admire her at his leisure.
Cao Yunlong lifted her skirt and saw a pair of unbound feet, wearing a pair of soft cowhide boots. He hugged both her feet at the same time, peeled off the boots, and tore off the white cloth covering her feet, revealing her feet.
Those feet were much longer than the bound feet of women from the Central Plains, even longer than the feet of the Phoenix Woman that Cao Yunlong had played with, but they did not look clumsy. They were slender and thin, not as plump as the bound feet of women from the Central Plains. They were delicate and beautiful in his hands.
Cao Yunlong fondled Jinling's jade-like feet for a moment, then lifted her up, pulling her upside down. Her long skirt slipped down naturally, revealing silk trousers underneath and the flesh around her slender waist.
Cao Yunlong, feeling he could no longer control himself, put Jinling down, unbuttoned her vest, and then grabbed her legs again, lifting her upside down until her long dress reached her armpits. He covered her head, leaving only her snow-white body.
Jinling's breasts were large, too big for Cao Yunlong's large hands to fully grasp, with two pale nipples on top. Between her slender waist was a deep navel.
Cao Yunlong couldn't resist, tearing off her belt and pulling down her trousers.
Jinling's abdomen was flat, her legs long and slender, with soft golden hair growing below her abdomen.
Spreading her legs, he revealed two labia, not as plump as those of women from the Central Plains, their color very light, indistinguishable from the surrounding skin. Even the area between her buttocks and anus was a pale color.
Cao Yunlong, seeing this, found it incredibly novel. He slid two fingers into her labia and forcefully inserted them into her vulva. He felt a warm, moist sensation, and when he withdrew his fingers, he found bloodstains—she was a virgin.
He couldn't resist getting off the bed, undressing, and pulling Jinling down by her knees. He then inserted a penis between her labia, thrusting it in and out while watching.
Cao Yunlong thrust hundreds of times before finally satisfying himself.
He dressed and summoned his deputy.
Soon, the deputy arrived, carried Jinling to the front tent, and summoned several officers. They untied Jinling's hands, removed all her clothes, and re-bound her. Then, they loudly proclaimed their pleasure and took turns using her. Afterward, they ordered soldiers to help Jinling up, leaving her completely naked, and displayed her naked throughout the camp.
A few days later, Xu Youliang ordered the entire army to break camp and advance westward. After marching over fifty li, they reached Changzhou. The city walls were sturdy, and Yinling and Yuling were temporarily stationed inside.
Xu Youliang called Cao Yunlong over and asked, "Lord Cao, have you killed Jinling yet?"
Cao Yunlong replied, "She's been enjoying herself with the soldiers in the camp these past few days; I haven't killed her yet."
Xu Youliang said, "In that case, bring her to the city walls and explain to Yinling and Yuling the truth about Wudehai abandoning Jinling. If they are willing to surrender, spare Jinling's life; otherwise, kill her at the city walls to demoralize Feng's army."
Cao Yunlong praised the plan, returned, and mustered five thousand men to march out of the camp. He ordered Jinling to be tied to a cart and carried with the troops. Upon reaching the city walls, Cao Yunlong challenged them to battle. When Yinling and Yuling looked down from the city walls, Cao Yunlong ordered Jinling to be brought up. The two princesses, seeing their sister naked and surrounded by a whole county of soldiers, knew she was about to be humiliated, and their hearts ached.
Cao Yunlong then recounted how Wudehai had shown no mercy and killed the messenger. He then persuaded the two princesses to surrender.
Upon hearing this, Jinling cried out from below the city walls, "My two sisters, when the sovereign commands, the subject must die; to disobey is disloyalty. The Prince is our uncle; how can we not consider kinship? However, the Prince's fate is tied to the honor of the nation; he cannot let personal feelings jeopardize state affairs. My two sisters, do not listen to Cao Yunlong's words; simply defend the city and await reinforcements."
Cao Yunlong tried to persuade them for half a day, but Jinling and Yinling refused to surrender. Cao
Yunlong had no choice but to order Jinling killed.
Soon after, a stone cannon arrived. Cao Yunlong ordered his soldiers to tie Jinling's ankles with ropes, hang her upside down on the stone
cannon, and then roll up a letter of surrender and insert it into Jinling's vagina. Jinling screamed in terror but refused to surrender.
Cao Yunlong, helpless, shouted, "Fire!"
The so-called stone cannon is similar to the trebuchet used by Westerners, using the weight of a large stone to launch lighter stones for siege warfare.
Although Jinling was tall, her weight was far less than that of a piece of gravel. Thrown by the immense counterweight, she screamed as she flew dozens of feet into the air, over the city wall, and into the city, landing squarely on a grain silo. With a deafening roar, like a landmine, the silo exploded.
Yinling and the other princess rushed over on horseback. They found Jinling face down, half-buried in the rice, motionless. Reaching out to pull her up, they found her bones shattered, her body limp as mud. Turning her over, they discovered her stomach had burst open, her intestines broken into dozens of pieces.
The two princesses were furious. They immediately ordered their soldiers to fire cannons and march out. When they reached the city walls, Cao Yunlong was already gone.
Their hatred remained undiminished, and they vowed to make Xu Youliang and Cao Yunlong pay for their blood debt.
How will the two princesses exact their revenge? Find out in the next chapter.

Chapter 172 – Tao Xiuying Secretly Investigates Spy, Feng Xiaoyu Burns War Elephants.

In the previous chapter, we learned that Jinling was shot into the city by Cao Yunlong's stone cannon and shattered. Yinling and Jinling vowed revenge, but their forces were insufficient, and Kan Meiying's war elephants were extremely powerful. They had to temporarily abandon their plan and send someone to request reinforcements from Daxiong Pass.
A few days later, Feng Qing sent his niece, Feng Xiaoyu, as the second-route marshal, leading 100,000 troops to provide support.
Meanwhile, Xu Youliang, seeing that Changzhou was well-defended and difficult to capture quickly, decided that his long march should be swift and decisive, not protracted. Therefore, he sent someone to Qinglong Pass to summon the Xu sisters, Xu Xiaoyang and Xu Xiaoyue.
Ladies and gentlemen, how dare Xu Youliang summon the Xu sisters? Wasn't he afraid that Hua Rong would take the opportunity to launch an attack?
It turned out that Xu Youliang had already received information about the spies hidden among Feng Qing's men.
Feng Qing sent someone to Qinglong, ordering Hua Rong to send troops. Hua Rong, preoccupied with her own troubles, tried to refuse. Later, she sent an envoy to Daxiong, claiming that the areas outside Qinglong Pass were leaderless and requesting Feng Qing to appoint her as the Queen of Qinglong to subdue the various factions. Feng Qing was furious, berated the envoy, and sent him back to Qinglong.
Xu Youliang was delighted and sent a secret envoy to Qinglong, handing over Cao Yunlong's original Qinglong King's seal to Hua Rong.
Hua Rong was overjoyed and asked the envoy to return to Nanling to express his gratitude.
Xu Youliang then confidently transferred the Xu sisters out.
In truth, he was no longer afraid of Hua Rong's troops, as Daxiong was very close, and with the Xu sisters' forces, they could easily capture Daxiong Pass in a short time. As the saying goes, to catch the thief, catch the king; even if Hua Rong sent troops, there were still several passes—Dafangshan, Pingling, and Dongjie Pass—that prevented them from reaching this point quickly. Once Feng Qing was captured, Hua Rong would be no longer a threat.
Xu Youliang's plan was excellent, but fate had other plans, especially since Feng Qing and Hua Rong were no fools.
They thoroughly deceived him.
In their battles against Feng Qing, Xu Youliang always gained the upper hand, leading Feng Qing to suspect a spy within his ranks. He secretly sent Tao Xiuying to investigate, eventually uncovering a messenger. Tao Xiuying used this as bait, uncovering over a dozen spies. The person closest to Feng Qing was someone even he couldn't believe – his most beloved concubine, Consort Hui.
It turns out that every general has a personal guard. When Hua Rong was recruited as a general, dozens of female guards were also recruited for her, and Consort Hui was one of them. While Consort Hui's martial arts skills weren't the best among the guards, she was gentle and exceptionally beautiful. Feng Qing saw her once and sent someone to request her from Hua Rong to become his concubine.
Among Feng Qing's concubines, there were not many who knew martial arts. Consort Hui had followed Hua Rong into battle, so she was naturally different from the other concubines. Therefore, Feng Qing always kept her by his side. Firstly, she had someone to serve her at night, and secondly, she had an extra female bodyguard. As a result, Feng Qing promoted Consort Hui to Imperial Concubine Hui. Apart from his own Princess Qi, Imperial Concubine Hui had become the de facto Empress of the Western Palace.
Tao Xiuying investigated the matter thoroughly and reported it to Feng Qing. Feng Qing was astonished to discover that Consort Hui was actually a spy planted by Xu Youliang. Enraged, he exclaimed, "That vile woman! I treated her like an empress, yet she dared to betray me! I'll capture her and slice her to pieces to use as a whistle, only then will my hatred be appeased!"
Hearing this, Xiuying quickly stopped him, saying, "My lord, please don't do this. Now that we know she's a spy, what difference does it make whether we kill her sooner or later? Why not use her as a pawn to lure Xu Youliang into a trap?"
That day, Hua Rong's messenger arrived. Feng Qing read Hua Rong's memorial and was about to agree when Tao Xiuying entered from behind, saying, "Your Majesty, you must..." "Whom shall be made king?"
Feng Qing handed the memorial to Xiuying, who asked, "Does Your Majesty remember the story of the King of the Three Qi?"
It turned out that during the Chu-Han Contention, before a crucial battle, Liu Bang ordered Han Xin to lead troops. Han Xin requested that Liu Bang make him the King of the Three Qi. Empress Lü said to Liu Bang, "If you make him the King of the Three Qi now, and he later achieves further merit and defeats Xiang Yu, what should you bestow upon him?"
Liu Bang casually replied, "I can only make him emperor." At this point, Liu Bang suddenly realized that he hadn't originally intended to make him a king, but under Zhang Liang's persuasion, for the sake of the greater good, Liu Bang still made Han Xin the King of the Three Qi. However, because of this, Liu Bang always harbored resentment, and finally had Empress Lü kill Han Xin.
Upon hearing Xiuying's words, Feng Qing immediately understood and asked, "What should I do, strategist?"
Tao Xiuying said, "Come closer."
Feng Qing's face flushed red and then turned pale.
After Tao Xiuying withdrew, Feng Qing went to Consort Hui's residence, putting his arm around her waist while summoning Hua Rong's messenger.
In front of Consort Hui, Feng Qing berated the messenger and drove him out. Secretly, he instructed Tao Xiuying to hand the messenger a personally written letter of appointment and gave him further instructions. The messenger accepted the order and left.
This was the reason Xu Youliang had mobilized the Xu sisters to aid in the battle.
Since hearing of the deaths of Xu Xiaoyao and Xu Xiaojing, the Xu sisters had been eager to avenge them in Lingxi. Now, having received Xu Youliang's order, they hurriedly arranged for a deputy general to remain and mobilized 200,000 troops from Dafangshan and Qinglong Pass to advance towards the enemy.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's easy for me, Shi Yan, to say this, but the journey from Dafangshan and Qinglong Pass to the west of Pingling is long. Even traveling light on horseback, it would take ten days. Moreover, with the mobilization of troops and the arrangement of provisions, they could only travel fifty li a day. Without a month, how could they possibly arrive? And in just that month, the battlefield situation changed drastically.
Xu Youliang, seeing the war elephants' previous achievements, placed his hopes on them. He ordered Kan Meiying to lead forty war elephants to challenge the pass every day. Yinling and Yuling, knowing the power of the war elephants, dared not send out troops and instead held their ground, awaiting reinforcements. When Feng Xiaoyu arrived, the three discussed how to break the war elephant formation.
Feng Xiaoyu said, "In my opinion, although the war elephant is fierce, it is still flesh and blood, and not invincible."
Yinling said, "The war elephant has thick hide and is covered in rattan armor. Arrows cannot penetrate it, and it is not as heavy as our armored horses. How can we break through it?"
Xiaoyu said, "Although its hide is thick, it cannot withstand fire. It is covered in rattan armor. Does it not know that Zhuge Liang burned the rattan armor soldiers? We should use fire to break through it."
"That won't work either. The war elephant is kept in Xu Youliang's central camp, heavily guarded every day. There is no opportunity to burn it."
"If the war elephant does not fight, what use is it? Let's not burn it. As long as it comes to fight, we can take the opportunity to set it on fire." "
I'm afraid that's not a good idea. This is a plain, not a valley. Once the fire starts, it will run away across the land. If it is not burned to death, Xu Youliang will become more vigilant."
"That is a problem. We must make sure it has nowhere to escape. Or we can dig a deep trench to lure it in?"
"I fear he won't fall for it."
"Enough! You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a child. We might as well surrender Changzhou City."
"Surrender Changzhou?"
"Yes, lure him into Changzhou, then plant landmines throughout the city. We'll surely succeed!"
A few days later, Feng Xiaoyu and the Yinling sisters finished their preparations. Under cover of night, they withdrew their army from the city, leaving only a few soldiers to ambush within. They then secretly spread rumors that Feng Xiaoyu and her men were running out of supplies and had retreated to Daxiong Pass.
Xu Youliang, unaware of the trap, sent men to investigate. Soon, the city's inhabitants opened the city gates to welcome the army.
Xu Youliang then realized it was true and led his troops into the city.
Xu Youliang led 100,000 men into the city and established his central army in what was formerly Yinling's headquarters.
Just as they were about to gather their generals to discuss the important matter of advancing, a loud explosion was heard, dust flew everywhere, and the main hall of the headquarters collapsed.
Youliang was in the hall when the roof collapsed. The main beam was resting on the commander's desk, narrowly missing Youliang's head. All the officers and guards in the hall were killed.
People dug Youliang out of the rubble. The commander's mansion was reduced to ruins. Explosions echoed through the streets. When Youliang reached the street, he heard deafening shouts of battle from the west. Everyone said Feng Xiaoyu had returned to the city. Realizing he had been tricked, he hurriedly ordered the entire army to withdraw from Changzhou.
Outside the city, a headcount revealed 20,000 dead and wounded. The city's stables and the commander's mansion had the densest concentration of landmines. Of the 5,000 cavalrymen who had entered the city with Youliang, 3,000, along with their horses, were killed. All 40 war elephants perished. Fortunately, Kan Meiying had just left the elephant stables to receive orders at the commander's mansion and survived. Of the remaining 160 female elephant riders, only about 40 escaped.
Xu Youliang was furious, but the Feng family soldiers were shouting and yelling on the city wall. Thousands of heads were hung like lanterns on flagpoles. The bodies of the hundred or so female soldiers and elephant riders were stripped naked, their feet tied intact, and hung upside down on the wall. The mangled remains were also hung on the wall with iron hooks. The tusks of the forty war elephants were also displayed on the city wall.
Xu Youliang was enraged, but there was nothing he could do.
A few days later, the Xu sisters arrived, and the gunpowder and cannons for the Iron Pagoda were also delivered, turning
Xu Youliang's worries into joy. How Xu Youliang will advance his troops remains to be seen; stay tuned for the next chapter.
(Empire Part II,

Chapters 173 and 174) Chapter 173 – Xu Youliang Conquers Changzhou City, the Camel Girl Displays Her Power.

It is said that Xu Youliang, caught off guard, mistakenly entered Changzhou City and was nearly killed by landmines planted by Feng Xiaoyu. The soldiers he brought into the city suffered losses exceeding ten thousand, and Xu Youliang himself almost lost his life.
Fortunately, Xu Youliang did not bring his entire army into the city, so the generals did not suffer major losses. However, more than forty war elephants were instantly wiped out, leaving Xu Youliang without a powerful weapon.
However, the arrival of the Xu sisters, Xu Xiaoyang and Xu Xiaoyue, brought Xu Youliang renewed hope.
These two sisters not only brought three hundred thousand troops, but also the ammunition needed for the Iron Pagoda.
At a gathering of generals, Xu Youliang discussed military matters. His forces now outnumbered Feng Qing's by two to one, and he commanded generals including Feng Ling, Cao Yunlong, Zhang Ping, Xu Xiaoyang, and Xu Xiaoyue.
Cao Yunlong said, "Although Changzhou City is fortified, we now have a large army and many generals. We can avoid fighting for even an inch of land. In my opinion, we should leave one army to besiege Changzhou City, while the rest of the troops bypass the city and head west to attack Daxiong Pass. If the troops in Changzhou City do not move, we can capture Feng Qing, and she will surrender without a fight. If she leaves the city to return, she will lose her defenses, and we can then gather in the countryside and annihilate her."
Everyone agreed.
The next day, Xu Youliang sent the Xu sisters' troops to besiege the city, while he personally led the main army around the city, heading straight for Daxiong Pass.
The area west of the mountains was mostly plains with no natural barriers. Building fortifications would be too costly for Feng Qing, so she only defended the city. If the two sides were evenly matched, Xu Youliang, to ensure the safety of his supply lines, would not dare to bypass the city. Now, with his forces outnumbering the enemy by several times, he could deploy his troops in two separate routes.
The Yinling sisters and Feng Xiaoyu, on the city walls, had already seen Xu Youliang's troop movements. Although they knew they were outnumbered, they could not sit idly by and wait for death. Therefore, taking advantage of the fact that Xu Xiaoyang and her sister had not yet completed their encirclement, they gathered their entire army, rushed out of the pass, and retreated rapidly westward.
Seeing her breakout, Xu Xiaoyang first captured the city and then pursued westward.
Xu Youliang, halfway through his journey, learned of Feng's breakout and hurriedly had his soldiers form a battle formation to block the enemy.
At this moment, the three female generals, including Yinling, disregarded everything else, shouted, and led their entire army to charge.
A chaotic battle ensued. Xu Youliang, standing on higher ground, ordered his soldiers to use flags to direct the entire army. Wherever the enemy general went, they would wave their flags in that direction. At this time, the Xu sisters also arrived and surrounded the three women.
Yinling and her two companions were surrounded by five enemy generals. They charged left and right but could not break through. They fought for three days and three nights. Seventy percent of Yinling's troops had been lost, and Xu Youliang's army of over 600,000 had also suffered heavy casualties.
Seeing that they could not break through, Feng Xiaoyu said to Yinling and Linghe, "Princess, at this point, there is no way to survive. We are both female generals. If we fall into the hands of the enemy, we will lose our chastity. Why
don't we commit suicide?" As mentioned before, Western Rong women did not value chastity very much, so she said, "General Feng, don't think like that. Even if we are about to die, we don't need to commit suicide. Let them fight us with their weapons, and that will be the end of it. What's there to be afraid of?"
Just then, a volley of cannon fire came from the west, and a force broke into the encirclement.
As everyone looked, they saw over ten thousand Western Rong cavalry charging forward with a deafening roar. The leader, a general nine feet tall, with blue eyes, a hawk-like nose, and a thick, yellow beard, wielded two short-handled axes and rode a magnificent Akhal-Teke horse. He moved with the vigor of a dragon and a tiger; the Xu family soldiers, upon encountering him, fell like eggs hitting gravel. Reaching the front, he shouted, "Where is the princess? Your humble servant has come to her rescue!"
Yinling, recognizing her own retainer, Ulisaman, was overjoyed and exclaimed, "General, you've come at the perfect time! Let us fight our way out of this encirclement!" Xu Youliang
, seeing this, hurriedly ordered his soldiers to block the gap, but by then both sides were exhausted from fighting. Ulisaman, though outnumbered, was a fresh force, and the Xu family could not withstand him. He broke through the encirclement and headed west. Xu
Youliang, helpless, ordered the battlefield cleaned up and camp to be set up on the spot.
A review of the troops revealed over 80,000 dead, 50,000 wounded, and nearly 200,000 lightly or seriously wounded, rendering them temporarily unable to launch an attack. However, they had beheaded nearly 90,000 of Feng's troops, taken 40,000 surrendered soldiers, and beheaded five deputy generals and 23 lower-ranking officers, still a great victory.
After resting for half a month, they prepared to advance westward. Urgent military intelligence arrived from behind, reporting that Hua Rong had launched a surprise attack on Qinglong Pass and Dafang Mountain. You
Liang was startled, not expecting Hua Rong to take advantage of his transfer of the Xu sisters to launch such an attack. However, he then realized that Hua Rong was likely just feinting to avoid arousing Feng Qing's suspicion, and might not be truly committed to the attack. Furthermore, even if she were to launch a genuine attack, Huang Yunxiang, Hong Wei, Shi Wenlong, Guan Yuqing, and others were still there, blocking their advance. They wouldn't reach Pingling for a while, and by then, he feared he would have already captured Feng Qing. Therefore, he still ordered the entire army to break camp and advance westward.
After traveling fifty li, they encountered Yinling and her group. It turned out that the Western Rong King Wudehai had sent his third prince, Wuligu, as commander, leading 50,000 troops to aid Yinling. Wulisaman, who had come earlier, was the vanguard. Xu Youliang, relying on his superior numbers, disregarded the consequences and charged forward, disrupting Yinling's formation and causing them to retreat westward.
Xu Youliang fought three battles in succession, and Yinling and her group also suffered three defeats in succession, retreating more than a hundred li to the west. After each defeat, they encountered reinforcements. Although each group was small in number and led by no famous generals, they gradually stabilized their formation. By the time they reached Xinlizhou, although the two sides were still more than 100,000 strong, Feng's army was well-rested and ready to fight, making them virtually invincible. Youliang had no choice but to temporarily cease hostilities, conserve his strength, and await the arrival of supplies and provisions.
That day, a messenger from Nanling brought a battle report, saying that Hua Rong had gathered a million troops and launched a full-scale attack, already breaching Dafang Mountain.
Xu Youliang was greatly alarmed, but Cao Yunlong said, "My lord, there's no need to panic. Hua Rong's army has ventured deep into enemy territory alone, and their supplies must be running low. My lord can send Huang Yunxiang across the Beisha River to seize the rice-producing region outside Qinglong Pass, and also send Hong Wei south out of Nanling Pass to recapture Dafang Mountain, driving her west of Dafang Mountain
. Then send Hua Feng into Zhuque Pass and Guan Yuqing into Nanyang Pass to surround Hua Rong outside Zhuque Pass and inside Zhennan Pass. At that time, she will be trapped in a desperate situation, and we might be able to capture her." Xu Youliang agreed wholeheartedly and issued the orders accordingly.
Meanwhile, Xu Youliang had finished resting and was advancing westward again.
The next day, the two sides clashed east of Xinli Prefecture. Relying on his superior numbers, Xu Youliang launched another fierce attack. The thunderous roar of the Iron Pagoda Cavalry disrupted the Feng family army's formation. Xu Youliang led his troops in a massive charge, plunging into the enemy ranks. A fierce battle ensued, initially evenly matched, but after half a day, Xu Youliang deployed his 20,000 elite troops, gradually gaining a clear advantage.
Suddenly, a cannon boomed, followed by shouts and battle cries from the south. Xu Youliang hurriedly climbed onto a watchtower to investigate and saw a cavalry force of about 5,000 men, led by hundreds of camels, hurtling towards the left flank of his army.
Having already committed all his forces to the attack, Xu Youliang had to divert some from his existing forces. He quickly ordered Zhang Ping to extract 5,000 cavalrymen from his ranks to meet the enemy on the left.
Zhang Ping obeyed, but could find no 5,000 men. He had to scramble to gather about 3,000 from several cavalry units, and they marched south.
When the two armies clashed, Zhang Ping couldn't help but lament his predicament. He saw five hundred camels leading Feng's army, each carrying a female soldier from the Western Regions, carrying a strong bow and wielding a long sword. Behind them, cavalrymen also rode tall horses, each wielding a long sword.
The Western Regions warhorses were exceptionally large, and the camels were much taller and faster than the Central Plains warriors. The female soldiers, positioned high above, put Zhang Ping's cavalry at a disadvantage.
In this chaotic battle, the Western Regions cavalry held a decisive advantage. The female soldiers, skilled in swordsmanship, relied on the camels' height and speed, and their superior position to cut down Zhang Ping's men as easily as chopping vegetables.
Only Zhang Ping's superior martial arts allowed him to defeat a few camel soldiers; the rest of his cavalry were completely defeated.
Kan Meiying, the grain transport officer from Nanling, was originally the leader of the war elephant corps. Now, without the elephants, she had no choice but to lead her remaining forty-odd Nanling female soldiers into battle. Kan Meiying reacted swiftly, dodging a spear, grabbing the shaft with one hand, and with the other, wielding her curved sword, decapitating the camel. The female soldier on the camel leaned down, and with another swift stroke, she slit her throat, fell to the ground, and thrashed about, dead.
Turning around, she saw that all forty-odd Nanling female soldiers were dead. They had ridden Nanling ponies, much shorter than camels, and couldn't reach their opponents. In a single exchange, they were impaled by the camel soldiers' spears, suspended in mid-air. Unlike the Central Plains women, the Nanling women wore knee-length skirts; their bodies, suspended in mid-air, were immediately exposed.
Kan Meiying was heartbroken, cried out, and swept down another female soldier, only to be surrounded by four or five camels. Although Kan Meiying was brave, her mount was unsuitable. She grabbed a long spear with her left hand and leaped, attempting to use the momentum to seize a camel to ride. The female soldiers, however, were no ordinary women and knew her intentions. Seeing the spear seized, the female soldier didn't try to grab it, but instead flicked it upwards and then pressed it down. Seeing this opportunity, the surrounding female soldiers raised their spears. Kan Meiying, in mid-air, had no leverage and couldn't maneuver. She was pierced by the spears, thrown into the air, screamed, and died a violent death.
Zhang Ping fought valiantly but was ultimately no match and retreated. The Feng army charged into the formation, killing indiscriminately.
Xu Youliang's flank was attacked, throwing his formation into disarray. The Feng army seized the opportunity to counterattack. Seeing the situation was dire, Xu Youliang hurriedly ordered the retreat, but the Feng army pursued him for a while, forcing him to retreat thirty li. A headcount revealed over ten thousand casualties. The Feng family army stripped Kan Meiying and the bodies of her forty female soldiers from Nanling naked and displayed them outside the Feng army camp.
Xu Youliang rallied his troops, re-established camp, and the next day, sent Zhang Ping with two thousand cavalry to challenge the Feng family, specifically requesting that they send their camel soldiers.
These female camel soldiers were actually the guards of the Western Rong King, numbering five hundred. They had been personally recruited and trained by Princess Yuling at home; not only were they young and beautiful, but each one was capable of taking on ten men, and were extremely brave. In battle against Zhang Ping, relying on the size of their camels, they routed Zhang Ping's cavalry, beheading over three hundred. Zhang Ping managed to kill only one female soldier, but it was to no avail.
Zhang Ping returned to his camp in defeat and requested punishment. Xu Youliang said, "This is not the general's fault. Her camels are formidable, and I have no war elephants. What can we do?"
Among them was a junior officer from Jizhou who volunteered at the main tent, claiming he could defeat the camel troops.
Xu Youliang was overjoyed, wondering what brilliant strategy the junior officer had proposed. Let's find out in the next chapter.

Chapter 174—Xu Youliang cleverly uses the thorn formation, and the two prefects want to relocate their cavalry

. It is said that the junior officer had proposed a strategy to Xu Youliang to defeat the enemy. Xu Youliang was delighted and immediately sent men to make arrangements.
Two days later, Xu Youliang sent Cao Yunlong into battle, instructing him to act in this manner.
Cao Yunlong was overjoyed and hurriedly sent men to the enemy camp to issue a challenge, declaring that he had brought 500 cavalry and 500 infantrymen, inviting the enemy's 500 camel soldiers to a duel to the death in a wide open area ten miles away.
The leader of the five hundred female camel soldiers was Valya, the deputy chief of the Western Rong king's guards. Upon receiving the declaration of war, she wrote on the back of the letter, "I will not break the agreement!" and handed it to the messenger to take back.
Upon hearing this, Yinling hurriedly summoned Valya to the main tent and said, "Cao Yunlong is always cunning; this time he may be plotting something. We must be on guard."
Valya replied, "We'll meet force with force, and we'll deal with water with earth. The battlefield is very flat, and there are no trees or anything like that within five miles. Are we afraid he'll ambush us?"
Yinling said, "We must not be careless. I'll send men there tonight to see what tricks he's up to."
Valya said, "That will ensure we're safe."
The next day, Valya led her troops out. Yinling said at the camp gate, "I've sent men to monitor the area overnight, but I haven't seen anything unusual from Xu Youliang. It's quite strange."
Valya said, "Princess, don't be afraid. Cao Yunlong is just acting recklessly because he stole Princess Jinling's precious horse. Watch me capture him and avenge Princess Jinling."
"It's still best to be careful."
"No need to worry, I'm going."
Valya mounted her camel, leading five hundred female soldiers and five hundred infantrymen, and headed towards the battlefield.
Yinling remained uneasy and ordered the entire camp to prepare horses and armor, ready to attack immediately if any unusual movement was observed in Xu Youliang's camp.
Meanwhile, Valya arrived at the front lines and saw Cao Yunlong had positioned five hundred cavalry in five columns in the center, with five hundred infantry standing on either side. Both infantry and cavalry carried grappling hooks and large, bulging cloth bags on their backs, the contents of which were unknown. These grappling hooks were intended for capturing generals, not for actual combat. "Could he be certain I'll be captured alive?" Valya couldn't help but wonder.
Seeing Valya arrive, Cao Yunlong lifted his Ferghana horse and approached, saying, "State your name, general." "
I am Valya, the Deputy Chief of the Western Rong King's Guard. Cao Yunlong, you summoned me here to fight to the death, or do you intend to use some trick?"
Cao Yunlong asked, "If I use a trick, aren't you afraid?"
"If I were afraid, I wouldn't have come." Valya, hearing of the impending trick, became somewhat skeptical.
Cao Yunlong said, "Since you're not afraid, let's fight three hundred rounds."
Valya replied, "Am I afraid of you?" and spurred her camel forward.
Cao Yunlong spurred his horse and brandished his steel fork to fight.
Valya, unlike the other camel soldiers, didn't use spears, but rather a long, hilted sword, which she used to fight Cao Yunlong.
After more than thirty rounds of fierce fighting, Cao Yunlong, caught off guard, had his helmet plume sliced off by a long sword. Startled, he turned and fled, shouting, "So powerful! Do you dare chase me?"
Valya laughed, "I thought Cao Yunlong had three heads and six arms, but it seems he's nothing special. Sisters, hurry up and catch him! Don't let him escape!"
Hearing this, the female soldiers behind him charged towards the opposing formation.
Upon contact, the opposing cavalry turned and fled, but Valya refused to let them go and pursued relentlessly.
Seeing that all five hundred female soldiers had chased into the enemy formation, leaving her infantry half an arrow's length behind, suddenly the sound of binding rang out
. The Xu family infantry suddenly surrounded them from behind, opening their shoulder bags and scattering the contents on the ground. Cao Yunlong, running ahead, heard the binding sound, spurred his horse, and shouted, "Go back!" He turned and charged.
Valya, seeing the cavalry returning, was bewildered when she saw the cavalry in front of her open their bags and scatter their contents as well.
Valya saw the object on the ground was extremely small and difficult to see clearly. Seeing Cao Yunlong approaching, she was about to brandish her sword to fight when her camel suddenly lost its footing, no matter how much she urged it on. She inwardly groaned. Watching Cao Yunlong's horse arrive, he swept his steel fork across her face. Valya instinctively raised her sword to meet him, but with a clang, the fork sent her flying through the air. It turned out that Cao Yunlong's martial arts were superior to Valya's; he had merely feigned defeat to lure her into a trap.
Seeing her weapon gone, Valya knew something was wrong. In a moment of surprise, Cao Yunlong was already upon her, reaching out to grab her chest. Valya, frightened, leaned back, but Cao Yunlong grabbed her by the silk sash at her waist, pulled her onto the horse, and slung her across the saddle. He then spurred his horse out of the formation, called for several infantrymen, and had Valya thrown to the ground, ordering them to "tie her up." Then they rode through the formation to ambush and kill the Feng family's infantry. Meanwhile,
the camels stood motionless, no matter how they were called.
It turned out that the junior officer who had offered Xu Youliang the plan was originally from the borderlands, and his family had always owned camel caravans; he was very familiar with the nature of camels.
Camels are the ships of the desert, skilled runners with great endurance, but they have only one weakness: their four fleshy hooves are extremely vulnerable to thorns. Even a small thorn can hold them captive, preventing them from moving an inch. Upon hearing this, Xu Youliang ordered his men to search the mountains and fields for thorny plants, brambles, roses, and other thorny species. They gathered these and placed them in cloth bags, which his soldiers carried with them. When the female soldiers pursued them into the enemy lines, their retreat was blocked by the infantry, who scattered thorns on the ground. The camels, their feet pierced by the thorns, dared not move. The infantry then used grappling hooks to capture the women. Although the wooden spikes were sharp, they were ineffective against boots and horses' hooves, allowing the infantry to run freely through the ranks. The female soldiers, though they had camels, were unable to use them, helplessly watching the enemy infantry run before them, unable to reach them. Seeing countless grappling hooks thrust forward, they tried to resist, but their hands could only wield a long spear. The hooks caught them, the barbs tearing at their flesh, causing excruciating pain. Unable to move, they had no choice but to discard their weapons and surrender.
The Feng family infantry, seeing their female soldiers easily pulled from their camels, dragged and bound, tried to rescue them, but Cao Yunlong's cavalry had already charged in from the ranks, scattering in terror.
In no time, all five hundred female soldiers were captured alive, their arms bound behind their backs, and laid across the backs of their horses.
Cao Yunlong originally intended to lead the camels back to camp, but removing the splinters from their hooves was no easy task, and fearing the arrival of Feng's reinforcements, he ordered his infantry to use grappling hooks to snap the camels' necks and kill them.
The female soldiers, lying on their horses, had their bodies pressed down and their buttocks touched, feeling utterly humiliated. Seeing their mounts killed, they all wept bitterly.
Yinling was waiting for news in the camp when a scout rushed in with the report that all five hundred female camel soldiers had been captured, without exception. She was so shocked that she remained silent for a long time.
Thinking that these camel soldiers were originally favored by the Western Rong King and were well-trained, but unexpectedly they had fallen into a trap and been wiped out in one battle, she felt a deep sadness. Who could stop Xu Youliang's army now?
Yu Ling, standing to the side, said, "Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to ask Your Highness to send the Unloading Horse Battalion to the front lines."
The Unloading Horse Battalion was also the Western Rong King's personal guard, led by the chief guard, Wu Ha, and consisted of 1,500 men. They rode the finest Ferghana horses of Western Liang and had repeatedly distinguished themselves in battle; now it would be good to rely on them to achieve merit.
While the two princesses were discussing borrowing the Western Rong King's Unloading Horse Battalion, Xu Youliang, upon hearing of Cao Yunlong's victory on the battlefield—capturing the entire Western Rong King's female guard alive—hurriedly went out of the camp to greet him.
Seeing Cao Yunlong and his entourage carrying 500 bound and gagged Western Region beauties, Youliang said
, "Your Highness Cao has achieved a great victory, a truly meritorious deed." Cao Yunlong beamed and said, "This is all thanks to the Lord's brilliant plan."
Youliang pointed to the junior officer and said, "The credit should go to him." He immediately promoted the junior officer to lieutenant general and rewarded him with gold and silver.
Looking at the female soldiers, their hair and eyes varied in color, quite peculiar, Youliang remarked, "I never imagined the Western Rong King possessed such treasures. It's a pity they were captured so easily, their beautiful souls gone with the wind."
Cao Yunlong said, "These beauties are all peerless beauties. Now that they're no longer armed with camel weapons, they're safe. Why kill them? Why not keep them in the army as camp prostitutes?" He then placed Valya on the ground, stroking her plump buttocks, saying, "This beauty was originally the Western Rong King's deputy chief guard. I will present her to my lord."
Since the deaths of several of his concubines, Youliang had become disillusioned with the world and his heart was less filled with malice. He said, "I have the Phoenix Queen Consort; what use is she? Your Highness should keep her for yourself." Then he turned and headed towards the Phoenix Feather Camp. What
became of those female camel soldiers? We'll find out in the next chapter.

URL 1:http://localhost:909/htmlBlog/6847.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=6847&aspx=1

Previous Page : [Wuxia] The Duan Family Women Generals (Complete) - 33

Next Page : [Wuxia] The Duan Family Women Generals (Complete) - 34

增加

comment Open a new window to view comments

Contact Information

[Wuxia] The Duan Family Women Generals (Complete) - 32

comment Open a new window to view comments