Zhang Bing gazed upon the battlefield from atop his horse. Around him, his soldiers cheered in triumph. The banners of the imperial army lay scattered on the ground, mingled with the bodies of their defeated men. The earth had turned red, and the stench of blood and death filled the air. But for Zhang Bing, this was not enough.
In the distance, chaos spread like an uncontrollable wildfire. Yan Kai's troops, disorganized and defeated, fled in all directions. The rebel victory had been decisive, and the imperial forces, once a looming threat, were now in full retreat, leaving behind thousands of dead and wounded. But Zhang Bing wasn't about to let them escape so easily. The victory would not be complete until he annihilated the imperial army entirely.
"This is only the beginning," Zhang Bing thought with a smile. Wasting no time, he turned to his personal guard, a contingent of elite soldiers who always accompanied him in battle. Their gleaming armor, stained with the blood of recent combat, and their spears and swords ready, they awaited his command without hesitation.
"Prepare for the charge!" he ordered, raising his sword to the sky. "Today, we won't just defeat them, we'll utterly destroy the imperial army. We won't let a single one of them return to threaten us again."
With a roar of approval, his soldiers rushed to carry out the order. Zhang Bing spurred his horse forward, heading toward the open plain where thousands of fleeing imperial soldiers were trying to escape the nightmare they had just experienced. He knew that his most trusted subordinate, Chang Wei, had already begun the pursuit with the heavy cavalry, but Zhang Bing wanted to be there personally to seal the enemy's fate.
As Zhang Bing descended the hill, his eyes followed the trail of destruction left by Chang Wei's heavy cavalry. The pursuit was already in full swing, and the imperial soldiers, cornered and demoralized, were falling one by one under the relentless charge of the rebel horsemen.
Zhang Bing gritted his teeth. He knew this chase wasn't just an opportunity to eliminate his enemy, but also a message to the other kingdoms: the rebels were unstoppable, and those who dared to ally with the Empire would face total destruction.
When he reached the front line of the pursuit, his men greeted him with cheers of admiration and respect. Chang Wei, at the head of his cavalry, saluted with a slight bow, his face covered in dust and sweat, but with a fierce and determined look in his eyes.
"My lord," Chang Wei said, pulling the reins of his horse to approach Zhang Bing, "we've completely broken their lines. Many are trying to flee to the hills, but they have no direction. They won't find refuge there. Their officers have fallen, and those still alive can't control the troops."
Zhang Bing nodded. The situation was perfect for a crushing victory, one that would give them not just a military advantage but also an enormous morale boost.
"Continue the pursuit without mercy," Zhang Bing ordered firmly. "Don't let them escape. We'll hunt every one of them until there's no one left capable of wielding a sword against us."
Chang Wei smiled, a glint in his eye. With a gesture, he turned his horse and charged back into the fray with his cavalry. Meanwhile, Zhang Bing galloped forward, leading his own personal guard. His armor clanked with the motion, and the sound of horses' hooves pounding the earth reverberated in his ears like war drums.
The battlefield stretched out before them like a vast, disordered tangle of bodies and debris. Here and there, groups of imperial soldiers tried to regroup, but their morale was completely shattered. The screams of panic and despair filled the air, and many simply dropped their weapons and ran, heedless of the consequences.
"Death to the enemy!" Zhang Bing shouted as he led his personal guard toward the stragglers. The first line of imperial soldiers barely had time to react before the overwhelming force of the charge was upon them. The riders' spears pierced their bodies with ease, and the sound of swords cutting through flesh echoed across the field.
The rebel cavalry was an unstoppable force. The heavy horses trampled over soldiers who tried to flee, and the riders showed no mercy. No one was spared. Each strike, each thrust, was a death sentence. The bodies of the imperials fell in waves, like leaves swept away by the wind, unable to withstand the rebels' fury.
In the distance, Zhang Bing spotted a considerable group of imperial soldiers attempting to form a last defense around a low hill. His expression hardened. They would not allow the rebel cavalry to massacre them without a fight.
"Charge them!" Zhang Bing roared, pointing his sword toward the formation.
His men needed no further command. The cavalry surged forward with renewed strength, and Zhang Bing led the attack from the front. The imperials, desperate, raised their shields and spears to try to resist, but it was futile. The impact of the cavalry was brutal, breaking through the defensive lines in seconds.
Zhang Bing cut through the battlefield, striking down soldiers who stood in his way. His sword moved as an extension of his own body, and with each blow, another imperial fell. Around him, his personal guard crushed any resistance, carving their way through the enemy.
Chaos reigned on the field. The remaining imperials tried to surrender, some raising their hands in desperation, while others fell to their knees, begging for their lives. But Zhang Bing showed no mercy. He couldn't afford to leave alive those who might raise arms against him in the future. To him, this wasn't just a battle, but a lesson for the entire Empire.
As the afternoon wore on, the death toll mounted. Chang Wei's soldiers, along with Zhang Bing's guard, spread out across the field, chasing down the stragglers and catching those who tried to flee into the forests or hills. It was a relentless hunt.
Finally, as the sun began to set and the long shadows stretched across the battlefield, Zhang Bing halted his horse at the top of a hill. From there, he surveyed the aftermath of the carnage. The bodies of imperial soldiers were scattered everywhere, and the sound of the last cries and moans of the wounded was slowly fading.
Chang Wei approached his lord, his armor stained with blood and his face serious. Despite the victory, the cost had been high. They had lost 18,000 men, a heavy toll, though the scale of the imperial defeat far overshadowed any rebel losses.
"My lord," said Chang Wei, bowing his head slightly, "we've counted roughly 30,000 dead among the imperial ranks, and we've captured another 25,000. Only a small group, about 5,000, managed to escape, but they're disorganized and directionless."
Zhang Bing nodded. His objective had been achieved. Although he had suffered considerable losses, the imperial army had been dismantled. And most importantly, he had captured a large number of prisoners. Those 25,000 soldiers would be a valuable asset for future political and military moves. He could use them for negotiation or, failing that, integrate them into his own ranks after indoctrinating them.
"It's been a glorious day, Chang Wei," Zhang Bing said, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. "But there's still much to do. We won't rest until the Empire falls completely."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Zhang Bing's shadow stretched across the battlefield. The victory was his, but the war was far from over.