In the midst of the heavy snowstorm, the Jin soldiers, familiar with the grassland terrain, hesitated to proceed recklessly. Little did they expect that the Wei soldiers, led by King Yan, would persist in pursuing and attacking throughout the night.
As the war horses charged through the wind and snow, most Jin soldiers, snugly wrapped in blankets within their tents, slept comfortably. Their unloaded swords stood as high as tents, horses gathered around, a bonfire flickered inside, and the wind and snow roared outside. Even when the Wei soldiers initiated the attack, some Jin soldiers remained oblivious to the unfolding chaos.
Wei Luo, Feng Su, Feng Teng, and Cui Yu were divided into four groups. The forces led by Wei Luo and Feng Su were tasked with the killing. Prior to that, under the cover of wind and snow, scouts had meticulously surveyed the Jin camp’s grain, grass, and horses positions.
The Kingdom of Jin had dispatched a total of 100,000 cavalry for the attack on Wei, but they had already suffered a loss of 20,000 in previous battles. Despite having 80,000 troops remaining, they were caught off guard by the unanticipated Wei onslaught. Witnessing the destruction of their food, burning grass, and chaotic horses, the Jin soldiers lost the will to fight. Most opted to resist stubbornly.
Feng Teng rushed to Wei Luo’s side, saying, “Third Master, the Khan has fled. Shall I pursue him?”
Wei Luo replied, “No, first deal with the Jin soldiers here.”
Engaging in scattered pursuit might rejuvenate the remaining Jin soldiers. In one-on-one combat, a Jin soldier cavalry equaled five or six Central Plains infantry, and vice versa. Those Jin soldiers who lost their horses were left vulnerable to the cavalry led by Wei Luo, who engaged in relentless pursuit and execution.
The splattered blood stained the falling snow, scattering with the wind, and a few pieces of snow with a fishy smell hit Wei Luo’s face.
Wei Luo seemed oblivious to it.
A few months ago, during his first battle, Wei Luo’s hands would tremble faintly due to the act of killing, and he would wake up at night haunted by the other party’s eyes. However, as time passed, regardless of how bloody the scene was, his expression remained unchanged. When facing the Jin soldiers, he displayed unwavering bravery and fearlessness.
The white-hoofed crow, attuned to its master’s intentions, dodged the Jin soldier’s scimitar, carrying Wei Luo forward without hesitation.
The sight of the Emperor’s grandsons’ courage inspired the other soldiers of Wei State to fight even more bravely.
Feng Teng, uninterested in killing ordinary soldiers, casually dispatched them while scanning the battlefield. He swiftly moved towards the troublesome Jin generals.
After eliminating four enemies in succession, Feng Teng encountered a formidable general, who severed one leg of Feng Teng’s horse with a single blow.
The horse lurched forward, and Feng Teng, quick-witted, rolled to the side before hitting the ground. However, the Jin soldier’s scimitar pursued him, and Feng Teng continued rolling. As the opponent’s weapon was about to strike, Feng Teng, with a wry smile, closed his eyes, envisioning a pair of clear almond eyes.
Yet, the expected blow never came. Instead, a gust of hot blood sprayed onto his face.
Feng Teng opened his eyes and observed that the Jin general still stood upright in front of him, albeit without his head.
At that moment, a large hand crudely shoved the body aside, revealing a face blurred by the wind and snow. Upon closer inspection, it was Liao Shisan.
“Father!” Feng Teng leaped up like a carp, rushing over to embrace Liao Shisan tightly.
Liao Shisan, thinking that Feng Teng mistook him for Feng Su, didn’t have time to explain. In the chaos of the Jin soldiers surrounding them, he pushed Feng Teng away and resumed fighting.
Surviving the ordeal, Feng Teng was overwhelmed with excitement, and his blood boiled with adrenaline. Seeing Liao Shisan wielding his weapon, Feng Teng seized a large sword from the ground and joined the fight alongside Liao Shisan.
The battle raged on for a total of two hours, and the Jin soldiers either fled for their lives or surrendered. The Northwest Guard, led by Wei luo and Feng Su under King Yan, had a total of 16,000 soldiers and horses, with over 3,000 casualties.
The wind and snow continued unabated, and the weather grew colder. So the soldiers used the tent left behind by the enemies.
Inside one of the tents, generals such as Wei Luo and Feng Su were so exhilarated from the victorious battle that sleep eluded them.
Feng Teng poured two large bowls of wine, carried them over to Liao Shisan, drank one himself, and handed the other to Liao Shisan, saying, “Uncle Liao, you saved my life today, and from now on, you will be my other father!”
Wei Luo, curious about the unfolding scene, looked back with a puzzled expression.
Feng Su’s emotions were complex. He had a son as naive as Feng Teng. His wife had been pressuring their son to get married for years, but the young man insisted that no one liked him. The previous year, his son visited Liao Shisan, drank together, and later confessed that he had taken a liking to Liao Qiuniang, Liao Shisan’s daughter.
His wife personally visited Liao Qiuniang’s store to assess the situation. While the girl was indeed pretty, she ran a business. His wife disapproved, and he wasn’t entirely satisfied either.
However, Liao Shisan had saved his son’s life, and now his son was addressing him as “father”. Feng Su considered it, thinking perhaps it was destiny, and his son should naturally call Liao Shisan that way.
Reflecting on this, Feng Su poured a bowl of wine and offered a toast to Liao Shisan. He was grateful for Liao Shisan saving his son but didn’t push Liao Shisan to respond to his son’s words.
The next day, the wind and snow subsided, leaving a vast expanse of whiteness. Snow covered the blood on the ground, and only the faint outlines of numerous Jin soldiers’ corpses were visible.
Wei Luo first dispatched scouts to investigate the positions of the deserters from the Kingdom of Jin and the dynasty’s army. Subsequently, he instructed others to tally the number of Jin soldiers’ corpses.
The final count revealed that in the battle the previous night, over 40,000 Jin soldiers had been killed.