Chapter 505 – Attack on Fengyi County (13)
“Honestly, I really don’t get the ancient mindset. Why do they notify you before the battle—‘Hey, pay attention! This little baby is coming over to beat you up, so get ready and send someone out to settle this!’…”
Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow at the comment in the live stream, secretly agreeing.
Why call them out at the city walls?
They could just order a direct assault! They have enough siege equipment—breaking down the walls of An Cheng County would be a piece of cake.
If Wei Ci knew what she was thinking, he’d probably just sigh again.
“To be honest, I don’t understand either, but what’s there is reasonable, right? It must align with the political climate of the time? Like our Western knights here, where two sides of the same unit challenge each other—infantry against infantry, cavalry against cavalry, artillery against artillery. There wouldn’t be artillery bombarding cavalry or cavalry rushing through infantry. They even politely greet each other before the battle…”
“Poor thing,” said another commenter. “What you described sounds like a duel between generals, like in those tales where both sides send out their champions for a showdown, but this is a challenge! They seem quite different. Honestly, calling someone out feels a bit more normal to me, duel challenges are just too cringy.”
While Jiang Pengji was busy on the battlefield, she raised an eyebrow at this comment.
Her opinion was completely opposite; challenging someone was just plain foolishness, while duels sounded rather fun!
If they were dueling, at least she could stretch her limbs instead of just sitting idly at headquarters—how delightful.
“Oh, I think duel challenges are super intense!” another viewer chimed in. “Back when I watched the old version of the Three Kingdoms, every time I saw a military general charge out to face off against the enemy in a battle of life and death, it was so thrilling! Like when the Three Heroes fought Lu Bu or when Guan Yu killed Hua Xiong, all that jazz.”
“In ancient times, there were duel challenges, also known as ‘Zhi Shi’,” one knowledgeable viewer added. “‘Zhi Shi’ means to challenge. I agree with the previous comment; existence is reasonable. In an era with scarce population, tough living conditions, and short lifespans, overly brutal methods of warfare just resulted in more casualties… Generally speaking, the outcome of a duel could significantly affect morale, potentially being the key to victory.”
What’s morale?
In Jiang Pengji’s era, the biggest factors in war were technology and tactical arrangements, with weaponry being the decisive element. Personal heroism played a negligible role in determining the outcome.
Yet in this under-informed age, equipment was still important, but morale seemed to be even more vital.
If morale is too low, soldiers lose the will to fight and might even flee at the sight of the enemy.
The enemy wouldn’t even need to engage in a fight—they could just round up the prisoners!
For a side with a weaker force, if their dueling champion wins, it could boost their troops’ morale, allowing them to overcome stronger opponents.
One person could chase ten folks without even breaking a sweat!
Beside her, Xu Ke was at a loss whether to laugh or feel sorry for Wei Ci—how did he end up with such a tricky leader?
“The rules of the battlefield have always been this way,” Xu Ke chuckled, helping Wei Ci out. “Everyone knows that when calling someone out, you won’t say anything nice. Even if you curse them in dialect they can’t understand, it still doesn’t matter… as long as they know it’s a provocation.”
Jiang Pengji felt a bit guilty under Wei Ci’s gaze, as if she had done something to this little lordling.
Now that Xu Ke was extending a helping hand, she followed along, awkwardly shifting the topic, pretending to care about the battle situation.
Looking up at the city walls, she asked, “What if no one comes out?”
Wei Ci replied, “Just keep calling!”
If the challenged side doesn’t engage for a long time, it’s considered cowardly, which also influences morale.
Wei Ci simply wanted to raise their own morale while pressing down on the enemy’s. Whether they came out to fight or not was irrelevant.
If they remain inactive, they would keep shouting until the moment was right, then launch a full-scale attack.
If they come out, that would be even better! Their military generals were not just for show, and the enemy’s morale would collapse even faster.
“Hey, you cowards up there, if you’ve got any guts, come down and face me!”
“…Could it be that you’re all naked, turning into turtle heads without any birds…”
“…You better come down and kneel to greet us, or we’ll make it quick and painful for you to die…”
Despite being on the brink of a massive battle, the scene of the standoff was too absurd, filling the live stream with an incredibly relaxed atmosphere.
The soldiers below reveled in the mockery, eager to let their voices echo throughout Cheng’an County, while the Green Garment Army on the city walls looked shocked, unable to muster a single retort. The more this happened, the wider the gap in morale became.
At that moment—
Jiang Pengji squinted her eyes and suddenly declared, “Here they come.”
Before long, a remarkably stout figure emerged from the city walls, bare-chested and resembling a Maitreya Buddha.
As soon as he showed up, he furiously shouted, “You brats down there, your grandpa is here!”
Li Yun narrowed his eyes, spun his spear, and rode forward.
“Lord, please allow me to take on the enemy and claim their head!”
Jiang Pengji shot a resentful glance at Li Yun, thinking—if he was volunteering, how could she snatch the credit from her subordinates?
Was she that kind of leader?
“Go ahead, I wish you a victorious return,” she responded with feigned generosity, though her eyes betrayed a hint of reluctance.
Li Yun, this earnest child, was oblivious to the underlying tension.
While he didn’t notice, Wei Ci certainly did; Li Yun would definitely get put in a tight spot later.
Creak—
The city gate of Cheng’an County opened a crack, revealing three mounted leaders and behind them, a hundred or so Green Garment soldiers.
As the crowd got a good look at the lead man, they nearly burst out laughing.
“Hey, did you see that poor horse… Its hooves are trembling, right?”
“Best in the house—history’s saddest horse!”
From a distance, the leading Green Garment commander held a massive axe in his right hand, and although his clothes were put together, they looked like they were straining against his corpulent body… His width was equivalent to three normal men.
He sat half off his horse, with fat spilling down on either side.
And the horse he rode was also overweight, lacking the grace of a steed, its limbs shaking erratically.
This was hardly an army arriving for battle; it was more like a comedy act, right?
“I must say, impressive horse! It can carry such a hefty load!”
“Looks like he’s about two hundred and eighty pounds? Add that axe in his hand, and he’s nearing four hundred… Poor horse does all the heavy lifting…”
The fat Green Garment general raised his big axe and shouted at the mounted Li Yun.
“Brat, your grandpa is here!”
Li Yun snorted coldly, and his mount seemed to catch the vibe, letting out a loud neigh.
At that moment, the Green Garment army on the walls suddenly boomed—
“General Cang Tian is mighty! General Cang Tian will surely win!”
Li Yun’s sharp ears caught the words, and he nearly couldn’t keep a straight face. Were these Green Garment soldiers a bunch of clowns?
Jiang Pengji stifled a smile, cleared her throat, and waved her hand, “Beat the drums!”
“Little brat, come and die!”
The stout General Cang Tian bellowed, and his hefty mount suddenly burst forth with surprising speed, completely at odds with its size.
Li Yun’s gaze darkened as he urged his horse forward, spear in hand!
