My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 620 Breakthrough Across All Fronts
"My lord, please observe,"

Sima Yi pointed to the gap in the enemy lines ahead and explained, "The Left Army is heavily fortified and has an orderly formation. They have fought for a long time without any gaps. Our army knows nothing about what's behind their lines."

By mid-March, the wild grass in the fields outside Chengdu had grown to 50 to 70 centimeters, almost half a person's height.

Once someone is sitting inside, they can't see anything clearly in the distance.

Moreover, there were several groves of trees surrounding the battlefield, where the enemy had no idea what was hidden. Cao Ang himself knew that Cao's army had hidden a considerable number of cavalry in the woods, and he guessed that the enemy had done the same.

Even putting that aside, the earthen platform where Cao Ang and Sima Yi were standing was a temporary construction, only four or five meters above the ground, and the visibility was not very good. It was indeed very risky to rashly send cavalry into the gaps in the formation.

If the enemy is unprepared, they can indeed gain a significant advantage. However, if the enemy sets a trap, this cavalry unit will inevitably suffer heavy losses, or even be completely wiped out.

Cao Ang came to his senses, frowned and pondered for a moment, then adopted Sima Yi's suggestion: "Let the second-in-command step forward to take his place."

The bugle call of the central army sounded, and Zhang Wei, who was in the second vanguard, received the news and was ordered to advance and replace Shi Huan's troops.

Zhang Wei was shocked when he received the order. The battle had only been going on for a little over half an hour, and now his unit was to be replaced?

Originally, Zhang Wei was somewhat grateful to Cao Ang for not being assigned to the front line, feeling that the other party had not treated him and the Hanzhong army as cannon fodder. But this replacement was too fast, wasn't it?
Despite his doubts, military orders were absolute, and disobedience would result in immediate execution.

Zhang Wei ordered his generals to return to their respective units, reorganize their formations, and then slowly advance under the command of the general's flag.

It wasn't that Zhang Wei was being cunning or lazy, but rather that the training quality of the Hanzhong army was just that low. If they moved too fast, their formation would break down on the spot, and it would be pointless for them to advance.

Cao Ang and Sima Yi were well aware of this, so they did not urge Zhang Wei. After all, even if it was slow, a quarter of an hour would be enough for them to reach Shi Huan. They would just pretend that they made the decision a quarter of an hour later.

Just as Cao Ang and Sima Yi had predicted, it took Zhang Wei's troops a full quarter of an hour to reach the rear of Shi Huan's troops, and another incense stick's time to reorganize their ranks, put on their armor, and then step forward to take their place.

With Zhang Wei taking over, Shi Huan breathed a sigh of relief and carefully withdrew. He even ordered his two hundred armored soldiers and swordsmen to put on their armor again and stand by, fearing that something might go wrong.

Fortunately, Zhang Wei himself was aware of the gap in strength between the Hanzhong Army and the Left Army, which stemmed from the difference in training, experience, and coordination, and could not be bridged by the valiant bravery of the Dao soldiers.

Therefore, Zhang Wei deployed a dense formation. The formation of over five thousand men was only about the same width as the Left Army's, but its thickness was much greater.

After the two sides made contact, nothing happened that Shi Huan had worried about. The Hanzhong army actually held off the Zuo Mu army, and their lines only retreated by more than thirty meters.

Shi Huan breathed a sigh of relief and ordered his troops to retreat, replenish their water and food supplies, and take the time to rest.

Meanwhile, a cavalry unit under Cao Chun, led by a military commander, moved to the flank between Shi Huan and Zhang Wei's forces, clearly preparing to provide support for the enemy.

Just as Cao Ang and Sima Yi, down to Shi Huan and Zhang Wei, were all quietly breathing a sigh of relief, the situation on the battlefield suddenly changed dramatically.

What changed was the right flank of the battlefield, namely the battle between Wen Ping and Liu Gui, the vanguard of the Shu army.

Meanwhile, Wen Ping led two thousand elite soldiers to form a battle line on the right flank, and saw that the Shu general Liu Gui was also extending his formation, trying to take advantage of his numerical superiority.

However, Liu Gui's command ability was not as good as Shi Huan's, and the Shu army's training and experience were not as good as Cao Cao's army. As a result of this maneuver, the formation was somewhat deformed.

Furthermore, the officers on both flanks, eager to make a name for themselves, actually attacked the rear of the left flank army under the cover of archers. As a result, they suffered heavy casualties under three volleys of fire, which directly affected the stability of both flanks.

Left with no other choice, Liu Gui actually transferred two hundred soldiers from the central line to reinforce both flanks, hoping to buy time to regroup the scattered troops of the two tribes.

But at that moment, Wen Ping keenly noticed that the thread was as thin as paper, and couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh, saying to those around him, "Does Liu Gui really regard me as nothing?"

He immediately summoned his personal guards and secretly ordered the mobilization of two hundred armored elite soldiers, one hundred large crossbows, and fifty elite archers.

Soon, the soldiers assembled.

Wen Ping positioned the large crossbows behind the center line, arranged in three rows, with the last ten men under his personal command. Two hundred armored elite soldiers were positioned on the flanks of the crossbows, ready to follow up and expand the gains.

"retreat!"

At Wen Ping's command, the long spearmen in the center retreated to the flanks in a flurry. Before this, Wen Ping had already quietly withdrawn the last two columns, leaving only the two frontmost columns.

This sudden withdrawal caught the Shu army completely off guard.

For a moment, the Shu army was unsure whether to press their advantage or maintain their lines.

Before Liu Gui could react, Wen Ping gave the order, and three rows of heated crossbows fired in three waves. The crossbow bolts rained down on the Shu army's spear formation, instantly melting it like hot soup poured on snow.

Due to troop redeployment, only about 1,600 men remained in the central spear formation.

Wen Ping concentrated his attack on the very center, which consisted of only four or five rows thick, roughly six hundred men. Three volleys of crossbow bolts felled over a hundred of them, shattering the entire formation.

Immediately afterward, Wen Ping shouted again, "Rapid fire! Target the center!"

The remaining crossbowmen and archers unleashed another barrage of arrows, especially the archers, who fired five heavy iron-tipped arrows in just ten seconds, and screams and cries of agony echoed through the remaining Shu army ranks once again.

"Follow me!"

Wen Ping donned his helmet, raised his sword high, and roared, "Victory is imminent!"

"Victory is imminent!"

The armored soldiers shouted in response and followed Wen Ping as they charged toward the breach.

These two hundred-odd men were almost all clad in iron armor, and were supported by archers and crossbowmen. With just one wave of attack, they shattered the already precarious spear formation.

In just one encounter, Wen Ping led his troops to break through the Shu army's lines.

Wen Ping raised his left hand, clenching it into a fist: "Wen Shi, Yao Gang, sweep through the left and right according to plan!"

"Here!"

Two Xiong warriors from Chu responded loudly and led their armored soldiers to sweep off to the left and right respectively.

Wen Ping then led fifty personal guards and one hundred and fifty newly loaded crossbowmen and archers towards Liu Gui's main force.

The two sides were only thirty meters apart, and Liu Gui's face was already full of panic.

It wasn't that Liu Gui was truly cowardly; within the Shu army, Liu Gui was considered a renowned general, not so incompetent. It was simply that Wen Ping seized the perfect opportunity, launching his attack just as Liu Gui was fully engaged in reorganizing the chaotic troops on both flanks. In a mere moment, he had broken through the front lines and reached Liu Gui's side.

At this moment, Liu Gui was not worried about his own safety, but realized that the vanguard troops were in imminent danger.

If Wen Ping's two hundred armored soldiers were to sweep across the battlefield, the vanguard would suffer a complete rout.

Liu Gui hurriedly called upon his personal guards, along with the troops he was organizing, to launch a counterattack.

Facing a Shu army that outnumbered him tenfold, Wen Ping showed no fear and led his personal guards straight in.

Upon first engagement, the Shu army suffered more than ten casualties, while Wen Ping's troops suffered no losses and instead launched an even fiercer offensive, breaking the Shu army's formation into a crescent shape, with only a thin layer remaining between it and the break in the middle.

At this moment, Wen Ping's crossbowmen and archers circled around to both flanks, and arrows rained down on the Shu army like a storm. The soldiers on this flank had already suffered from arrow rain before, and now, after being bombarded again, they could no longer hold on and retreated in disarray.

The routed soldiers crashed into Liu Gui behind them. Before he could reorganize his ranks, Wen Ping had already charged out from the chaos. Upon seeing Liu Gui, a look of joy flashed in his eyes, and he rushed straight towards him.

"How brave!"

Liu Gui roared, certain that Wen Ping was the enemy's commander, and immediately led his personal guards to meet him. Wen Ping aimed to kill the enemy general and seize the flag, while Liu Gui hoped to turn the tide by killing the enemy on the battlefield. The two clashed, and the flash of swords erupted instantly.

The two exchanged blows for no more than five rounds before Liu Gui, being slightly inferior in both martial arts and strength, was slashed in the arm by Wen Ping, causing blood to gush out.

The guards rushed forward to block, but Wen Ping roared repeatedly, his sword flashing left and right, and under the cold light, not a single person survived.

In just a dozen or so breaths, the four or five guards blocking Wen Ping's way were all killed.

Fortunately, at this time, Liu Gui's other personal guards had already rescued the seriously injured Liu Gui and were retreating.

The vanguard of the Shu army had already been cut off in the middle by Wen Ping, and now seeing their commander wounded and fleeing, their morale collapsed and they scattered like a tide.

At the critical moment, Huang Quan brought reinforcements in time, stabilized the rout, and finally stopped Wen Ping's offensive, preventing him from further expanding his gains.

Even so, the defeat on the right flank not only affected the morale of the Shu army, but also impacted the central flank.

Lu Meng seized the opportunity and broke through from the middle. Zhang Wei tried his best to block him, and with his formation being quite solid, he managed to prevent Lu Meng from succeeding.

Even so, the Hanzhong army still suffered considerable casualties.

Lu Xun then deployed the second vanguard, while Wei Yan, Huang Zhong, and Ling Tong continued their attack through the gap opened by the vanguard.

Wei Yan led two thousand elite troops to break in from the left flank and take over from Lü Dai's troops to continue the advance.

Wei Yan personally led two hundred elite armored soldiers, all armed with heavy armor-piercing weapons such as longswords, battle axes, and iron maces, and they were invincible.

The vanguard of Cao Cao's army, led by Chang Diao, had long been exhausted by Lü Dai's pressure. If it weren't for the support of the second-line Niu Jin's troops, Chang Diao's troops would have been forced back to the second-line position without even waiting for Wei Yan to make a move. They would not have been able to withstand Wei Yan's fierce attacks.

The battle lines, riddled with cracks, split open like waves, and many soldiers began to turn and flee.

Just then, Niu Jin personally led his troops to arrive. While helping Chang Diao's troops retreat and regroup, he also killed the first dozen or so soldiers who fled and hung their heads high to warn the other soldiers under Chang Diao's command.

Niu Jin did not do anything particularly wrong, but unfortunately he encountered an opponent with the skill of a famous general, Wei Yan.

Wei Yan keenly noticed that Niu Jin's originally solid line of defense had become unstable due to his accelerated arrival and the gathering of defeated soldiers, with many defeated soldiers still remaining in front of the lines without being dispersed.

Wei Yan immediately left his deputy to command the follow-up troops, and led his personal guards and armored elite soldiers to charge towards the area with the most fleeing soldiers nearby.

The charge of the Left Guard Army caused the fleeing soldiers in front of the lines to retreat again. What made Niu Jin even more furious was that these fleeing soldiers were actually driven by Wei Yan to rush towards Cao Cao's lines.

"Disperse them and let them escape from the flanks. Anyone who disobeys orders will be executed!"

Niu Jin shouted loudly, but before the order could reach the front, the routed soldiers had already crashed into Cao Cao's army lines.

Some of Cao Cao's soldiers drew their swords directly, showing no regard for these friendly troops, while others were too soft-hearted to kill them.

It was this difference that caused the Cao army's lines in this area to be wrecked and deformed.

Before Cao Cao's army could recover, Wei Yan's elite armored soldiers charged forward, sweeping through like wolves and tigers. In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Wei Yan had already penetrated twenty paces into Niu Jin's battle line.

After Wei Yan successively beheaded three mid- to low-ranking officers who still had the courage to retaliate, the pressure on the Left Guard Army immediately eased. Without the command of officers, Niu Jin's troops became increasingly chaotic.

Seeing the situation was not good, Wang Shuang hurriedly led his armored soldiers to attack from the side, trying to force Wei Yan back. However, they were shot back by Wei Yan and Lü Dai's archers who were prepared. Amid the roars and screams of the soldiers, Wang Shuang was hit by several arrows in his armor and was pulled back by his personal guards.

Niu Jin personally led his personal guards, along with the remnants of Chang Diao's troops, to desperately hold the breach. They used a sword and shield formation to fight against Wei Yan's armored elite soldiers. The two sides clashed hand-to-hand, and the corpses piled up like hills, but they were unable to break through the formation.

Cao Ren urgently ordered Jiang Ren to lead his troops to the rescue, coordinating with Wang Shuang on both sides, to cut off Wei Yan's retreat in the hope of forcing the enemy to retreat.

The battle on the left flank was fierce, and the fight in the center was equally intense.

Huang Zhong was in his prime, full of vigor and ambition. He drew his bow like a crescent moon and fired seven arrows in succession, each one piercing through armor and killing the enemy.

Although Zhang Wei's soldiers were fierce and fearless, they were repeatedly defeated by the armored soldiers led by Huang Zhong.

Shi Huan tried to reorganize the formation, but Huang Zhong shot off his helmet with an arrow, startling him so much that he fled from his saddle.

Cao Xiu urgently dispatched elite troops from the central army to fill the gap, using dense gun formations to force Huang Zhong to retreat. The two sides repeatedly engaged in a tug-of-war on the battlefield strewn with corpses, and Huang Zhong eventually had to temporarily retreat due to insufficient troops.

On the right flank, Ling Tong charged like a tiger unleashed from its cage, directly attacking the routed Shu army.

Wu Yi and Wu Ban, brothers, led their personal guards in a desperate battle. Amidst the clash of swords and shields, Ling Tong personally beheaded two of Wu Ban's military commanders, but was then met with a barrage of arrows from Leng Bao's archers, the iron armor clanging and clattering.

Seeing the opportunity, Pang Xi ordered a counterattack. However, Wen Ping and Ling Tong only had four thousand men under their command, and their momentum suddenly slowed down.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Huang Quan rallied the defeated troops and pushed the logistics wagons to the front line, setting up a wagon formation to hold the line, finally stabilizing the crumbling right flank.

On Sima Yi's advice, Cao Ang began to plan a withdrawal. The allied forces were already at a disadvantage in today's battle; a direct retreat would minimize casualties.

(End of this chapter)