Lu Junyi Divides His Forces on the Xuanzhou Road; Song Gongming Fights a Great Battle at Piling Commandery

A poem says: The Gang stars of Heaven bear their killing aura toward Jiangdong; Wherever they go, demonic rebels are swept away. A flick of the whip points at Piling, and the city is broken like rotten wood; The banners drift toward Ningguo, and the enemy is scattered like tumbleweed. All hearts support the Great Song court; With one mind they refuse to bow their heads to the rebels. The merit and fame won today are written into the histories; The heroes’ names will be passed down through a thousand ages. Now Marshal Xing Zheng fought with Guan Sheng, and before they had exchanged even fourteen or fifteen bouts, Guan Sheng cut him from his horse with one blow of his blade. Pitiful was this great general of Jiangnan—his fine dream ended there. When Huyan Zhuo saw Xing Zheng killed, he directed the great army to charge. The remaining six commandants fled south. When Privy Councillor Lü saw his troops utterly defeated, he abandoned Dantu County and fled with his remnant soldiers toward Changzhou. The ten great generals of the Song army took Dantu County and sent men to......