The next morning, the war drums suddenly sounded.
As arranged the night before, Li Chengyan led the troops from each camp to battle. However, the rebel army advanced ferociously, holding an overwhelming numerical advantage.
After glancing around and failing to spot Ye Tinglan anywhere, several deputy generals instantly felt a chill.
"General Li, in a battle between two armies, why is the Prince not present?"
With such a disparity in troops, Ye Tinglan was their backbone. Without him, they naturally lacked confidence.
Li Chengyan shot them a look, tightening the reins in his hand. "You are soldiers. You need only obey orders. When has the Commander's business been for you to question?"
Upon hearing this, the few men became sheepish.
"General Li misunderstood. Your subordinates are merely concerned for the Prince, not intending to overstep their bounds..."
"Enough. All of you keep up with me properly. Do not forget you are still men with a debt to repay. Whether you can atone for your crimes depends entirely on your performance."
With that, he spurred his horse forward, and the men, gritting their teeth, had no choice but to follow swiftly.
Because the soldiers from several camps had been issued with unified uniforms, while the number of troops sent out remained the same, the opposing rebel army did not notice anything amiss when the formations were lined up. Instead, they began to taunt Li Chengyan defiantly.
"Where is Ye Tinglan? Tell him to get out here! He dared to kill my father and Yu'er, I will never let him go!"
The speaker was Ning Fengzhi's second son, Ning Shunhe.
After the news of Ning Fengzhi and Ye Tingyu's deaths reached them, the Ning clan's rebel army had been led by him and his elder brother, Ning Shunyi.
The two brothers, who usually fought side-by-side, were not together today.
Li Chengyan's gaze swept past Ning Shunhe, and he let out a sneer.
"Ning the Second, stop shouting. With your meager forces, do you think my cousin would personally take action? As for your brother, where is he? Why didn't he come to clean up your mess today?"
Among the Ning brothers, Ning Shunyi had always been the leading figure. Ning Shunhe, though appearing robust, was actually rather simple-minded and rarely led troops alone.
These words struck a nerve. Ning Shunhe immediately retorted in anger.
"Li Chengyan, don't spout nonsense here! I think Ye Tinglan knows he can't win and is too scared to come out!"
"Hurry up and tell him to get out here. I, Second Master, might consider sparing your dog lives. Otherwise..."
He let out a cold snort, but before he could finish his threat, he was interrupted by a burst of unbridled laughter.
Noticing the source of the voice, Ning Shunhe's brow furrowed, and he became even more enraged. "What are you laughing at!"
Li Chengyan glanced at him and replied without courtesy, "What am I laughing at? You can't even hold a spear steady, yet you dare to boast like this. On the battlefield, aren't you afraid of being laughed to death?"
A slight smile played on his lips as he continued, "Have you heard the saying, 'Why use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken'? Fighting you is like cutting vegetables; even I would find it beneath me."
"You're seeking death!"
His casual words turned Ning Shunhe's face green. Back in Yuzhou, he had been immensely proud, and no one had ever dared to speak to him like this! This was the first person who dared to mock him so openly and so vehemently!
Unable to bear it, he drew his spear and was about to charge forward, but a deputy general quickly stepped in to stop him.
"Second Master, our goal today is to win steadily. Be careful not to fall into their trickery."
Li Chengyan's words were pointed and unpleasant, as if deliberately provoking him.
Ning Shunhe frowned. "What are you afraid of! With just these few people, if they can devise a trick, I'll be impressed!"
Although he said this, upon recalling Ning Shunyi's instructions for the day, he managed to suppress his temper.
Seeing this, Li Chengyan narrowed his eyes and continued to provoke him. "I thought you were something special, but you've already backed down?"
"If I were you, if you can't fight, you should just go back to Yuzhou. It would be less embarrassing to be embroidering at home than making a fool of yourself here, wouldn't it?"
His words were sharp and had already boosted their morale. The soldiers immediately began to echo his sentiments.
Laughter erupted and grew louder, reigniting the fury that Ning Shunhe had barely managed to quell.
Seeing the situation worsen, the deputy general quickly tried to intercede, but Ning Shunhe completely ignored him, swung the butt of his spear, and charged straight ahead.
His eyes blazed with fury, and the tip of his spear aimed directly at Li Chengyan's forehead. Li Chengyan licked his lips and also spurred his horse forward.
The two magnificent horses charged out of formation and met swiftly on the battlefield. Ning Shunhe swung his spear, only to discover that Li Chengyan held no weapon in his hand. His sword remained sheathed, not yet drawn!
"Damn it!"
With a curse, in the moment of his distraction, Li Chengyan leaned in to dodge the attack, quickly adjusted his stance, and then turned his horse back. As he rode forward, he sneered at Ning Shunhe, "Ning the Second, your skills are lacking. Did I tell you to go embroider, and you actually started doing it?"
These words, designed to strike at his heart, were more unbearable than killing him. Ning Shunhe was enraged, almost wanting to leap off his horse.
"Shut up!"
He wielded his spear, pursuing Li Chengyan and slashing at him, but somehow, he missed every time. The accumulated rage grew stronger and stronger, driving him into a berserk frenzy. When he finally came to his senses, he heard the anxious shouts of his deputy general.
"Second Master, stop quickly!"
Ning Shunhe was jolted awake and instinctively turned his head to look. However, before he could even assess his situation, a chain suddenly sprang up before him, instantly toppling his horse.
Man and horse tumbled to the ground. The horse arched its front legs and fell, while Ning Shunhe was thrown from its back, directly into the enemy's encirclement. The moment he landed, several long spears were pointed at his neck, pinning him to the ground.
Li Chengyan rode up behind him, a triumphant curve on his lips. "Someone, help our Second Master Ning up and escort him to the rear. Treat him well!"
Before the battle had even begun, the enemy commander had been captured. The opposing ranks were stunned into confusion, milling about like headless flies. The deputy general was at a loss and could only shout at them, "Release Second Master immediately! Otherwise, when the fighting starts, you will all die!"
This was an empty threat. With Ning Shunhe in their hands, they naturally dared not act rashly.
Li Chengyan ignored them. He glanced at Ning Shunhe, who was already being escorted away, and then turned his attention to the surrounding deputy generals.
"For what comes next, you all know what to do, don't you?"
He had captured the enemy commander, making them hesitate. Now was the time for them to demonstrate their loyalty.
Understanding his intent, they immediately clasped their fists.
"Please rest assured, General Li!"
The entire formation, following the prior deployment, quickly broke into several small units, weaving through the enemy ranks and heading straight for their formation. The enemy, though numerous, had no commander and had not formed any proper battle lines. They were quickly unable to resist and their formation was soon scattered.
The situation was overwhelmingly favorable. Li Chengyan smiled and was about to order the next wave of the attack when a messenger soldier hurried forward from the rear.
"General, enemy activity has been detected five li to the rear. They are likely attempting a pincer attack."