According to the agreed rules, both sides can use 200 soldiers per round and then add an equal number of soldiers to the formation. After three rounds, no more new soldiers can be added, only encircle and kill in the formation.
With the sound of drums, the black armored soldiers entered the formation first, forming a long formation resembling a snake walking with lightning speed. From a distance, they looked like a black python crawling between the huge chessboard, waiting for the opportunity, hibernating, and moving.
“It’s a one-line-long snake formation!”
“But it’s not exactly the same as an ordinary long snake formation. Look at the position of that formation’s eyes!”
The famous scholars and officials, as well as the Guozhu, have started to discuss.
The one-line-long snake formation is one of the most commonly used formations in marching battles. It may seem simple, but in reality, it is constantly changing. It is the most suitable formation for encirclement and strangulation of enemies and is also closely related to chess skills. It is perfectly suitable for use in chess formation battles.
Jiang Yun looked at the opposite platform through the city tower and naturally saw Sui Heng’s movement. After a slight moment of shock, he turned around and took the drumsticks handed by Yun Huai. He also struck the huge war drum erected on the Muyun Pass.
The war drums thundered and resounded.
The young Crown Prince’s green robe and jade belt fluttered, standing on the towering city wall, beating drum with a strong contrast to his elegant demeanor.
The white-armored soldiers moved upon hearing the sound, their robes resembling snow, and they forcefully inserted themselves into the formation, quickly forming a long snake-like formation. Two hundred white-armored soldiers were lined up in a row, instantly transforming into a snow-white python.
Two giant pythons, one white and one black, hovered at both ends of the chessboard, their heads facing each other across the air, as if they were about to soar into the air in the next moment. They tore and bit each other, just like the two Crown Princes of Jiangnan and Jiangbei, fiercely competing and dominating the world with this majestic pass as their formation.
“Wonderful! Wonderful!”
“Two dragons fighting, two one-word snakes, how is the next duel going to go?”
When the drum fell, Sui Heng smiled and ignored the military physician rushing over with a medicine box beside him. He waved his drumsticks again, beating the war drum. His eyebrows and eyes were deep and sharp, like the stars in the sky.
Two hundred soldiers in black armor entered the battle with silver shields, creating two wings on the body of the black python. Due to the special silver coating on the shields held by these soldiers, under the sunlight, the silver wings reflected a dazzling light, making the python instantly transform into the legendary dragon fighting beast.
As soon as the drums sound fell, even the air seemed to boil and stir, and his sweat-stained hair tangled with the red smudge, dancing and flying in the bright winter sun. His youthful vigor is unmatched in the world.
“Your Highness.”
The military physician looked at the black iron arrow and bloodstained clothes on his arm, and he was scared as white as paper.
Sui Heng said, “Retreat.”
Sui Heng had always been a man of his words in the Qinglang Battalion, and the military physician naturally dared not disobey his wishes. He could only stand back and respectfully stand aside, questioning Xu Qiao with his eyes.
Everyone knows that Xu Qiao is an old man from the Qinglang Battalion, and is the only one who dares to speak at a critical moment. The other Generals were also anxiously looking at Xu Qiao, urging him to quickly go up and persuade him.
Even if His Highness is frank and open and wants a fair and just match, it doesn’t have to be so fair and just! How painful is it to beat such a heavy drum when injured?
Sui Heng turned his eyes and looked across to the green figure fluttering and beating the drum.
The hands that were beating the drum were fair and slender, and the falling drum beats were dull and powerful, without any hint of weakness.
Accompanied by intense drum beats, 200 white-armored soldiers entered the formation but did not form wings like the black python on the opposite side, or transform the snake into a dragon. Instead, they quickly formed another long snake and diagonally cut into the back of the black python.
Looking down from above, on the huge chessboard, two white pythons formed a hand and wrapped around a black dragon that wanted to rise up to the sky. The battle has not yet officially begun, and the chessboard was already filled with a sense of soaring killing.
The final round of layouts!
The remaining black-armored and white-armored soldiers, respectively, chose a semi-enclosed approach, guarding the left and right ends of the chessboard, forming a huge square chessboard shape around the entire open space in front of Muyun Pass, and designating the confrontation area.
The drums on both sides of the high platform sounded and fell at the same time, with no difference in beat frequency, rhythm, or even landing point.
Both generals and soldiers were shocked.
The battle watchers and nobles couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement.
“To work together so tacitly, I’m afraid that only the ancient Bo Ya and Zi Qi can do it.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. How dare you compare the two Crown Princes of Jiangbei and Jiangnan to Bo Ya and Zi Qi? Who knows, the Crown Prince of Jiangbei hates the Crown Prince of Jiangnan to the bone. Even if they have children, they cannot have a tacit understanding!”
“However, the Crown Prince of Jiang, Jiang Rongyu’s demeanor is truly admirable, completely different from the rumored ugliness. Also, why do I feel that this Crown Prince of the Jiang Empire’s face is somewhat familiar? As if I’ve seen him somewhere before.” A famous scholar from Jiangbei pondered in confusion.
The sound of discussion filled the crowd.
However, in the aftermath of the earth-shattering war drums, even the highest and most enthusiastic voices would be silenced by the thick sound of them.
The formation is over, and the real fight has just begun.
Sui Heng’s eyes regained a sharp color, and he grabbed the drumstick. The black python, which was crawling on the ground, suddenly launched into the sky with its silver wings on both sides and collided with the head of the white python on the left side. The overpowering momentum actually seemed to swallow the head of the white python in one gulp. Jiang Yun followed closely with the sound of war drums, and the white armored soldiers brushed and held shields to block. However, the moment the black python rushed to the front door, it suddenly dispersed like a tide, allowing the black python to cut off its head and the long dragon-like white armored soldiers into two pieces.
The black python’s silver wings, like a steel sword, are inserted into the abdomen of the white snake formation.
“This-this makes no sense!”
“Why not just return fire with a shield block, and even if you can’t ultimately block it, the formation is only slightly disorganized, without the entire snake capital being cut off, it is a big taboo in military strategy!”
“Yeah, in a one-long line snake formation, the snake’s head and tail are connected by the same air. Once the snake’s head was hit, the snake’s tail will be in chaos!”
Everyone looked up and saw that the tail end of the white serpentine formation had also been cut off along with the head, and the formation was greatly disorganized, becoming a piece of scattered sand.
Emperor Jiang, accompanied by Liu Gong, slowly climbed up the city tower, followed by a group of guards with trembling fear behind him.
This is the first time since the outbreak of the Jiangnan and Jiangbei wars that the monarch has personally rushed to Muyun Pass. How could the generals not be shocked and frightened?
Upon hearing the news, Yun Huai paled, and he hurried over. He kneeled down on both knees and saluted Emperor Jiang.
Emperor Jiang glanced at him, the Emperor was majestic and thunderous. With just one glance, Yun Huai felt a rare sense of heavy pressure.
“General Yun Huai.”
Emperor Jiang called out his name.
Yun Huai, who was kneeling down on the ground and respectfully said, “Yes, it’s the general.”
“Get up, during this period of time, you and the Crown Prince have suffered together to guard the Pass.”
Emperor Jiang said a second sentence.
“It’s all the general’s duty, the general dare not speak of suffering.”
Yun Huai stood up and respectfully stood aside, but his heart stirred up a thousand waves. He didn’t know the purpose of Emperor Jiang’s appearance at Muyun Pass.
Could it be that he blames His Highness for taking the liberty of fighting the Sui Empire in such a manner?
According to the distance, even before the news of today’s decisive battle spread, Emperor Jiang should have set off from the Jiang capital already.
The emperor’s mind has always been as deep as the sea, let alone the fact that Emperor Jiang is not an ordinary, mediocre emperor. The strength, toughness, and dominance of his strength are well-known in the court of the Jiang Empire.
It is precisely because of his authoritarian power and His Highness’s gentle and calm demeanor that he has gained the favor from the court officials and advisors.
Emperor Jiang looked down at the chess formation in the city and then looked up. His gaze fell directly on the huge war drum erected on the city wall, and the green sleeves fluttered, focusing on his young son playing the drum.
Emperor Jiang’s gaze fixed for a moment before asking, “The Crown Prince has a wound on his arm. How could you all let him personally go to battle?”
Yun Huai cautiously replied, “Today is the battle of the Commander, and the opposite side will also have the Crown Prince of Sui personally going up to the battlefield to beat the drums and fight against His Highness.”
“Sui Jichu?”
Emperor Jiang shifted his gaze and landed on the opposite high platform, his red clothes flamboyant and wild, emanating a youthful figure full of vitality.
He said, “Zhen just came to take a look, there’s no need to disturb the Crown Prince.”
In this blink of an eye, the city’s chess formation underwent another stunning transformation.
The black python flew into the sky. After cutting off the head of the white python, 200 black-clad soldiers displayed outside entered the array again and quickly merged into the black snake array. In the blink of an eye, the huge black python split and turned into two identical long snakes. One was still tearing the white python on the left, and the other directly fought with another white python lurking behind.
The long snake formation formed by the white-armored soldiers once again dispersed like a tide, and the originally densely intertwined long dragons instantly dispersed into a star system. And the two hundred white armored soldiers displayed on the periphery also began to move, just like the scattered snake formation, without any rules, like threading needles and wires inserted into various parts of the chessboard.
“Not considering the beginning and the end, not connecting the pieces, this is also a useless dead move in the game of chess.”
“According to this posture, it’s only a matter of time before the black swallows the white.”
The famous scholars once again raised doubts and questions.
One person said, “I don’t think so. This white seems to be a scattered sand without any rules, but aren’t all the things in the world derived from the word ‘nothing’? The Dao begets one, one begets two, two begets three, and three begets all things. The more inconspicuous the sand, the more astonishing the power of transformation and fission.”
“Brother is right. The Crown Prince of Jiang has a delicate mind and exceptional talent, it is difficult to deal with him.”
The famous scholars from Jiangbei all looked at the two people speaking and saw that they were both wearing ordinary scholar robes. They asked, “I wonder what the two brothers are called?”
The younger one smiled and said, “I’m Lu Anmin, this is my older brother, Lu Jishi. Nice to meet you.”
“So it’s the Lu brothers!”
Lu Anmin said, “If you have any good ideas or suggestions about the strategy to break through the formation, you can tell us, and we will help you convey them to His Highness.”
The two of them walked up the high platform and happened to meet Chen Qi, who was carrying a sword.
After the three of them met, Lu Jishi said, “I heard that Brother Chen has been feeling unwell these past two days. How are you doing now?”
Chen Qi nodded and said, “Today is a crucial moment in the decisive battle between the north and south. Chen thinks that no matter what, I should still come and help His Highness.”
“Yeah, this game of chess is related to the future trend of the world. Let’s go up together.”
Chen Qi politely asked the two of them to go first, but as he walked, his eyes fell straight onto the high wall opposite him. The green figure was flapping his sleeves and drumming, his fists hidden in his sleeves clenched.
On the high platform, Sui Heng was also looking down, focusing on observing the trend in the formation.
He folded his arms, leaned against the railing, and raised his eyebrows lightly, saying, “I know you’ve started playing tricks with Gu again.”
“This time, Gu really won’t let you down.”
The Generals on both sides were confused, but Sui Heng already held the drumsticks with a deep frown and beat the war drum again. This time, the drum beats was as rapid as rain, completely different from the previous rounds, as if there were really thousands of soldiers and horses breaking through and rushing in the formation. They smashed down tightly, almost making it breathless. The black python in the formation split again and again and finally split into eight long snakes, rushing forward from different directions and starting to devour the white ones in the formation.
On the opposite city tower, the advisors, Fan Zhou and others, paled slightly.
“Eight snakes walking together, like the Eight-Trigrams-Long snake formation. It is said that the Crown Prince of Sui invented a new long snake formation during his military training on Mount Li. Is it this formation?”
“That’s right, the Eight-Trigrams-Long Snake.”
A warm, quiet voice came.
Jiang Yun smiled and also once again turned around and raised his sleeves, picking up the drumsticks and striking them on the drum surface.
The white-armored soldiers that scattered in the formation quickly moved with the drumbeat, connected nearby, and, in an instant, connected into slender, worm-like long worms. Looking from afar, they swam like countless mayflies within the huge Eight-Trigram formation.
The snake’s head was too large, and for a moment, it was unable to catch these rapidly swimming mayflies.
The drumbeats on both sides of the high platform rushed like rain, and the eight-tailed long snake and countless small mayflies swarmed and fought at the same time, stirring up the entire chessboard.
Although there are no swords, spears, or knives, this silent killing is even more thrilling than the real thing.
After several rounds of fighting, everyone looked down at the huge chessboard again and suddenly realized that the black and white pieces were tightly intertwined and blended together, like vines clinging to giant trees. There was black in white and white in black, just like the unbreakable Linglong chessboard still displayed on the top of the Linglong Pagoda in the Sui capital to this day.
The huge Eight-Trigram formation swirls countless mayflies, yet those mayflies can use their sensitive bodies to bite and attack the head and tail of long snakes.
No one can completely trap anyone.
However, it is necessary to determine a winner or loser in this game.
From the sunrise until dusk, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse. As the moon and stars dimmed, the Muyun Pass was lit up with fires next to each other, and the soldiers continued to move in formation with their fire sticks in hand.
More and more famous figures from the south and north of the Yangtze River are coming from farther places to watch the battle.
The figures of famous scholars shuttle through the crowd on the high platform and between the city towers, and everyone gathers in groups of three or two to discuss the stagnant situation.
The drumbeat temporarily ceased.
Jiang Yun also stretched out his sleeves and sat under the drum, contemplating the chessboard below.
Emperor Jiang was still accompanied by Liu Gong, standing on the city tower with his sleeves up to observe the battle, while Yun Huai and other defending generals stood respectfully on the side.
Emperor Sui was also accompanied by Jimo Qingyu and has been watching the battle for a day.
Emperor Sui heard about Sui Heng’s injury and specifically asked someone to call Xu Qiao over. He frowned and asked, “What’s wrong with the Crown Prince? Why did he hurt his arm?”
Xu Qiao was almost sweating nervously.
“His Highness said, ‘We must have a fair and just competition and never take any advantage of the Crown Prince of Jiang’.” He said with a firm face.
Emperor Sui was speechless.
As soon as he stepped onto the observation platform, Emperor Sui recognized Jiang Yun, who was drumming on the opposite side.
Emperor Sui was shocked, and when he got the actual authentication from Jimo Qingyu, he became more and more incredulous.
How could Emperor Sui not know that bit of his son’s mind?
Emperor Sui coldly grunted.
“Immediately have the military physician go and treat the Crown Prince’s injuries.”
“And he still doesn’t take advantage of him at all, though he’s been taken advantage of a lot.”
Xu Qiao dared not say anything, so he had to step down under orders.
But Xu Qiao was too familiar with Sui Heng’s dog-like temper. Even if the Emperor Sui spoke, His Highness might not listen. Xu Qiao had a clever idea and summoned a soldier, instructing him to go to the opposite side.
