Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 242 Devastated

Outside the city of Nanling, smoke billowed and war drums beat. The armies of Jin and Zhou launched a grand decisive battle here. The battlefield stretched for dozens of miles, like a boiling ocean, with surging waves and deafening cries of killing.

In the center of the battlefield, the heavy armored army led by Gao Yi demonstrated unparalleled power. This elite force of only 3,000 people, equipped with heavy iron armor, surged forward like a forest.

Faced with an enemy force several times their size, Gao Yi's heavy armored troops showed no fear. They formed a tight array and roared in low voices, leaving behind piles of corpses wherever they went. The enemy's swords and spears hit the armor of the heavy armored troops, making clanging sounds.

Gao Yi led the charge and stood at the forefront of the heavy armored army. The enemy was in disarray and their morale quickly collapsed under the brutal attack of the heavy armored army. Their weapons seemed so powerless in front of the heavy armored army's iron armor.

Finally, under the continuous attack of the heavy armored army, the Jin army soldiers no longer obeyed orders and turned around and fled, trying to escape this place of death. On the battlefield, the heavy armored army was like a storm, sweeping everything away. At this time on the battlefield, the heavy armored army was the king of war on the battlefield.

Meng Jun, who was at the rear, saw that Jin Shengheng's troops were already in disarray, and the central army was even routed by Gao Yi's heavily armored troops. He made a prompt decision, waved his hand fiercely, and ordered: "Cavalry, charge the enemy's central formation!"

The military order was passed to Huang Cheng. Huang Cheng gritted his teeth and took the order. As soon as he jumped onto his horse, he groaned in pain. Liu Kun saw this and hurriedly said, "General, you are injured. I am willing to charge for you!"

"No, how can I be absent from this decisive battle!" Huang Cheng shook his head and said.

"General..." Liu Kun wanted to persuade him again, but Huang Cheng waved his hand and said, "Don't say any more. All soldiers, mount your horses and follow me to charge!"

After saying this, Huang Cheng endured the pain and rode forward. Seeing this, all the soldiers were excited and followed him on horseback. Although Huang Cheng was injured, he was brave and fearless and his determination was firm.

At this time, Wu Yuanzhong shouted anxiously: "Quick, quick! Reorganize the formation!"

The officers below shouted urgently, trying to restore order to the collapsed army. The panicked Jin soldiers gathered again at the orders. At this moment, on the flank of the heavy armored army, a large group of cavalry had already run at full speed. The sound of horse hooves was a charge that shook the earth.

The battlefield was filled with billowing dust and smoke. Under the charge of the cavalry, the Jin army's formation was like autumn leaves encountering a strong wind. The cavalry came in like a tide, and the sound of horse hooves was like thunder, shaking the earth with great momentum.

As Huang Cheng roared, the cavalry waved their spears and sharp blades, killing the Jin army. The momentum of their attack was like a landslide. The Jin army formation was unable to withstand it. The soldiers fled in all directions, some knelt on the ground to surrender, and some abandoned their armor and ran away, looking very embarrassed.

Huang Cheng's cavalry did not give Wu Yuanzhong the chance to gather the defeated soldiers. Under the huge impact of the war horses, the Jin army, which was already on edge, could no longer hold on and completely collapsed. The cavalry was like a torrential rain, sweeping through the army. The Jin army's formation collapsed, the soldiers fled, and the battlefield was littered with corpses and rivers of blood.

Looking at the defeated soldiers fleeing madly, Wu Yuanzhong felt despair in his heart. As a veteran on the battlefield, Wu Yuanzhong had realized that the Jin army was about to be defeated.

"Hahaha, the power of cavalry is unmatched!" Under the big banner, Meng Jun saw that the center of the Jin army was torn to pieces by the cavalry, and he couldn't help but laugh towards the sky.

He was already certain that victory in this battle belonged to the Great Zhou! As long as they defeated the Jin army in front of them, the rest would be easy.

Meng Jun immediately drew out his sword without hesitation, waved it forward, and shouted, "Move forward with your flags, and chase the enemy army with all your strength! We must capture the Jin thieves alive!"

The cavalry broke through the Jin army, and the infantry followed closely behind. They understood what it meant to be overwhelming and invincible, and what it meant to pursue the enemy to the north. The screams, pleas for mercy, and cries of the countless Jin soldiers in front of them were the perfect interpretation of all of this.

The army of more than 200,000 strong was defeated by Meng Jun before Jin Shengheng's elite troops could even deploy their battle formation. Jin Shengheng stared in amazement at the Jin army that was surging backwards and was pushing against the Jin army that was about to move forward.

Jin Shengheng was filled with shame and indignation, feeling deeply humiliated. "General! Let's go quickly, the situation has collapsed! Retreat to Jing County first! Then try to take revenge!" Several Jin army generals gathered around Jin Shengheng and urged him urgently.

The Zhou army rushed forward shouting. Yu An raised the king's flag and shouted, "The Jin thieves are finished. Everyone, go ahead and capture Jin Shengheng alive!"

"Capture Jin Shengheng alive! Capture Jin Shengheng alive! Capture Jin Shengheng alive!" The guards around Meng Jun raised their arms and shouted, their morale high.

When the Zhou army all over the mountains and plains saw the king's flag, they all knew that the king was personally present on the battlefield, and they all roared in excitement. For a time, on the vast battlefield, wherever the king's flag went, the morale of the Zhou army was high and the Jin army collapsed.

The defeat was so severe that the Jin army, which was still rushing to the battlefield from the rear, was swept back in confusion before they could figure out what was going on. Some of the Jin soldiers at the rear were still unwilling to accept the defeat and pushed and called the fleeing soldiers cowards. However, following these fleeing soldiers were a large number of Zhou cavalry, who were coming in groups to kill them.

Jin Shengheng looked at the battlefield and the completely collapsed Jin army, but he was unwilling to leave. He knew what this defeat meant to him.

Jin Shengheng murmured, "I still have the best troops in our headquarters. Yes, what about Zhang Yingwei? Order him to gather our troops and stop the enemy army. Yes, stop the enemy army. What about Zhang Yingwei?" As he spoke, Jin Shengheng's voice unconsciously became louder.

"Marshal, General Zhang has been caught in the chaos. Marshal, retreat first. The defeat is overwhelming. The Zhou army is attacking on all fronts!" Under the banner of the Jin army, many generals were completely panicked and tried to persuade him.

"…………" Jin Shengheng opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out of his mouth. Seeing this, several generals looked at each other, and without saying anything, they pulled Jin Shengheng and surrounded him, and fled backwards.

To kill an enemy in a surprise attack is what all generals dream of. It means that one side will completely collapse, and it also means that the other side can ruthlessly harvest those defeated soldiers who have no power to resist.

At this time, the distance of sixty or seventy miles from the south of Nanling City to the north of Jing County will become Jin Shengheng's lingering nightmare. The plain outside Jing County is like a trumpet mouth. As a result, the fleeing soldiers felt more and more crowded as they ran. At the back, they could hardly run anymore. Some of the fleeing soldiers even had their feet off the ground. They had been squeezed by the others for who knows how long.

How could a runner on two legs outrun the cavalry on four legs? Faced with the fleeing Jin soldiers, the Zhou army was chasing them madly. Many people were staring at Jin Shengheng's big flag and chasing him, wanting to catch this big fish alive.

The words "Capture Jin Shengheng alive" were shouted crazily on the battlefield, and the subordinates beside Jin Shengheng were terrified. One of the generals saw that the flag guard was still holding the flag tightly and following Jin Shengheng closely, and he cursed angrily: "Why don't you throw down the flag!"

After saying that, he snatched the big flag, threw it to the ground, then ran away without looking back, leaving behind only the beautiful big flag, which was completely unrecognizable under the feet of countless people!