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Ancient and modern military systems both had identification systems for their non-commissioned officers and senior enlisted personnel.
For later eras, identifying a soldier's rank involved looking at shoulder and collar insignia, which could roughly determine hierarchy.
It was relatively clear-cut, with little room for dispute.
In the Han Dynasty, although there was no rank insignia system or sleeve patches, there was still a method of identification: through armor worn.
Lowest-level miscellaneous troops couldn't dream of armor. Therefore, those with armor naturally outranked those without—no question.
Then there were combat soldiers. They generally wore a bib-like armor (dang jia), exposing arms, legs, back, neck, and head, tied with leather cords, only protecting the chest and abdomen.
Higher officers, at the level of company commanders (quzhang) and battalion commanders (junhou), mostly wore two-piece armor (liang dang jia): front and back plates, worn like an enlarged, thickened vest, sometimes longer, protecting the lower abdomen.
Battalion commanders were the highest-ranking frontline command officers. Levels above that usually commanded from the rear. As an ordinary soldier, one rarely saw them, but they could still be distinguished.
Above battalion commander, even up to generals and commanders, sometimes also wore two-piece armor, but the plates on the chest and abdomen were laced together with red threads.
If the armor plates had variations, patterns woven in different shades—that was treatment only the highest commanders, at least at the level of General of the Household, could enjoy.
Unfortunately, the White Wave army didn't have armor issued according to state regulations like commandery troops. Many armors were claimed by whoever seized them. Those who seized armor were few, so unarmored men still formed the majority. Therefore, when chaos erupted now, it was impossible to tell who was in command, let alone spontaneously gather around any NCO…
By the time Fei Qian's group galloped to the rear camp, the entire White Wave rear camp was in complete disarray. Though sentries on watchtowers sounded alarms, the White Wave inside the camp all thought the current alarms were like the earlier fire alarms. No one expected a sudden attack now.
In an environment where friend and foe couldn't be distinguished, the slightest relaxation could mean being cut down by someone before you. This immense insecurity made the entire White Wave rear camp turn on itself, morale plummeting to freezing point.
Zhang Lie, with a few men, reached the rear camp gate, killed several White Wave defenders there, then opened the camp gates…
Fei Qian, Huang Cheng, and others shouted, spurred their horses in!
"Shuye! Drive them forward!" Fei Qian shouted loudly.
Using a few hundred men to slaughter tens of thousands of White Wave was nearly impossible. But they could, like a snowball, use the White Wave's own chaos, continuously drive them, spreading the disorder like a virus until it infected the entire White Wave camp…
If this state continued, Fei Qian's group would keep driving forward. If the White Wave, under command, calmed down and gathered for counterattack, Fei Qian would withdraw.
Anyway, they'd already burned the rear camp's provisions, achieving the original goal. This was extra; better to have, but fine without.
Huang Cheng responded loudly, ordered twenty personal guards to protect Fei Qian, then led the other hundred-plus cavalry to wreak havoc in the White Wave rear camp like a whirlwind.
Compared to Fei Qian, Huang Cheng clearly had more experience in selecting targets in localized combat. He directly led troops towards the rear camp's flag!
A flag was a unit's soul, not to be lost lightly. Therefore, the White Wave had stationed some soldiers here, but before Huang Cheng, they were as good as none. In a flash, a ten-man White Wave squad was wiped out.
Huang Cheng clamped his legs, the warhorse neighed, reared up.
Using the horse's power, Huang Cheng's long blade swept down fiercely, crack! It cut halfway through the flagpole as thick as a bowl's mouth!
Huang Cheng roared, strained to pull the blade free, twisted his body, swung again. The long blade traced an arc, carrying wind, struck the flagpole again!
Even a bowl-thick flagpole couldn't withstand two consecutive blows. The massive flag trembled, crack! The break split, the flag crashed down with a clatter…
"Kill!"
Huang Cheng roared!
White Wave soldiers nearby, seeing the flagpole guards killed, had intended to help. Seeing Huang Cheng's ferocity, their hearts trembled, hesitating to advance…
"Kill!!"
The surrounding cavalry raised blades, shouted together!
Huang Cheng's valor inspired his cavalry. They followed Huang Cheng, shouting loudly. Though only a hundred-plus, their momentum seemed like thousands, tens of thousands.
"KILL!!!"
Huang Cheng roared again, turned his horse, charged forward!
The razor-sharp long blade swept left and right like a fan. Blood, heads, severed arms, limbs—accompanied Huang Cheng's blade, soaring high, falling again.
Huang Cheng advanced ahead, a hundred-plus cavalry closely followed. Gleaming blades were like lightning bolts, hacking away the White Wave's last shreds of resistance. With the rear camp flag fallen, many White Wave only knew they were attacked but didn't know how many. It seemed everywhere was blazing fire, everywhere their own being slaughtered, screaming. They looked at each other blankly, at a loss…
The White Wave rout began to spread uncontrollably.
Many White Wave soldiers originally thought only the rear camp was chaotic; going forward where there were units and commanders would be safer. But within the long camp, many not yet affected, not involved in fighting, unaware White Wave soldiers, seeing those fleeing from the rear camp, instinctively started running too…
When some minor leaders began consciously gathering soldiers, issuing orders, Huang Cheng with his hundred cavalry descended like Death's scythe!
Under his long blade, none could withstand a single bout!
One after another, White Wave soldiers joined the fleeing ranks. As for resistance—leave that to those running behind! Preserving their own lives came first!
These routed soldiers from the camp's rear quickly passed through disordered tents, continuously pulling batches of White Wave soldiers forward.
Huang Cheng with his hundred-plus cavalry constantly weaved through open spaces between tents, crushing any White Wave attempting resistance, driving them forward.
A White Wave soldier in the camp's middle section, just emerging from a tent, was nearly knocked over by onrushing soldiers. Before he could steady himself, he was bumped several times by others running headlong, not watching their path. He tumbled to the ground. Countless feet—bare or straw-sandaled—directly trampled over him…
Struggling, straining, in this deadly pushing and trampling, he scrambled to one side, luckily avoiding this wave of panicked humanity. Sitting by a tent, catching his breath, barely settled, he heard thunderous hoofbeats suddenly rise. Turning sharply, he saw a bowl-sized hoof coming right at him…