On the north bank of the Huai River, thick pillars of smoke billowed into the sky. Beneath the smoke, countless Ming Army soldiers were locked in a desperate melee with the Shun Army.
Liu Zongmin’s troops had quickly charged toward the rear of Gao Jie’s central command. Seeing the enemy in the midst of crossing the river, they launched an assault without hesitation. With Gao Jie’s vanguard blocked and his central command ambushed, his force of thirty thousand fell into immediate disarray.
"Hold! Steady the formation!" Gao Jie, mounted on horseback, galloped through the ranks with his standard-bearers. "Vanguard, stop crossing! Central command, hold your ground and repel them!"
Chapter 441