My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 665 Greed for Merit and Rashness
Liao Hua and Xi Zhen's counterattack was quite successful.

The two men, each leading several hundred armored soldiers and under the cover of powerful crossbowmen, charged directly into Cao Cao's army.

These elite Left Guard troops, relying on their iron armor, were not afraid of being attacked by swords.

Liao Hua charged ahead, his iron armor gleaming coldly in the spring sun. His ring-pommel sword sliced ​​through the air with a sharp whistling sound as he was the first to crash into Cao Cao's army.

"Break the formation!"

Liao Hua roared and slashed down with his blade. A Cao army sergeant raised his shield to meet the attack, but his arm and shield were severed by the blade. Blood splattered onto Liao Hua's visor.

The next moment, a Cao soldier roared and thrust his spear at Liao Hua.

Liao Hua didn't dodge at all, letting the spear tip leave a scratch on his iron armor. Instead, he slashed the throat of another Cao soldier with his backhand.

The armored soldiers surged forward like a tide, forming small battle formations of three. Long spears thrust forward, swords and shields provided flank cover, and archers fired in pinpoint bursts from behind.

Cao Jun's originally well-prepared flank line has begun to show cracks under the impact of this elite force.

"Hold them off!"

One of Cao's army leaders shouted at the top of his lungs, organizing more than ten men around him in an attempt to form a defensive formation.

Xi Zhen, who had a clear view from the other side, pointed her steel sword and ordered the archers around her, "Fire to the right!"

Four or five arrows shot out in response, accurately hitting the Cao army.

The squad leader was the first to be hit. Two crossbow bolts pierced his leather armor, and he staggered backward. He was supported by his personal guards to prevent him from falling, but he was no longer able to continue commanding.

Xi Zhen laughed loudly, waved her hand, and charged forward first, leading her personal guards forward once again.

On the other side, Liao Hua had already driven deep into the formation.

He held his sword in both hands, the cold light flashing, and one Cao soldier after another was cut down by him. Gradually, the Cao soldiers around him began to hesitate and were no longer as resolute as before.

"The general is mighty!"

The morale of the soldiers of the Left Wing Army soared, and their offensive became even more ferocious.

Xi Zhen's side was not to be outdone. During the battle, they discovered a weak point in Cao's army formation and personally led twenty armored soldiers to penetrate it, tearing a gap in the enemy's formation.

He held a shield in his left hand and a knife in his right, parrying and slashing with both hands, splattering blood wherever he went.

A fierce soldier from Cao's army thrust his spear forward, but Xi Zhen dodged to the side, smashing the spear down with his shield in his left hand while simultaneously slashing his sword straight at the soldier's face. The soldier screamed as half his head was severed from his body.

The armored soldiers followed closely behind, advancing like a forest of spears.

The leather armor of Cao Cao's soldiers was no match for the thrusting of the iron spearheads. On the contrary, the iron armor of the Left Army could ignore the swords and slashes of Cao Cao's soldiers. No matter whether Cao Cao's soldiers tried to slash with their swords or thrust with their spearheads, they could only leave shallow marks on the iron armor and instead expose their own weaknesses, thus being killed by the force of the blows.

The battle was extremely fierce. In just half an hour, Cao Cao's army formation was dented and bent deeply to the south.

Liao Hua charged forward, having already changed his ring-pommel sword three times, and his iron armor was riddled with more than a dozen arrows, yet he remained completely oblivious.

Given Liao Hua's finely crafted, cold-forged iron armor, only a direct, close-range crossbow shot at a perfect angle could penetrate his defenses. Any angle beyond that would significantly increase the probability of him being thrown back.

One of Cao's army commanders recognized him as the leader and quietly drew his bow to aim.

An arrow came hurtling through the air. Liao Hua heard the sound of the wind and suddenly turned his head. The arrow grazed his ear and struck a Cao soldier behind him.

"court death!"

Liao Hua's eyes widened in fury as he strode up to the barbarian. The barbarian raised his sword to meet his attack, but Liao Hua feinted and then kicked him hard in the back of the knee. The barbarian cried out in pain and fell to his knees. Liao Hua's blade had already sliced ​​across his neck, and Liao Hua himself was splattered with blood from his armor.

At this moment, Xi Zhen's side had also broken through the enemy lines. He and Liao Hua looked at each other from a distance and exchanged glances.

The two simultaneously gave the order: "Turn around and attack from both sides!"

Upon receiving the order, the armored soldiers changed formation, closing inward like an iron clamp. Cao Cao's army, which was still fighting a bitter battle, was suddenly attacked from both sides, making their situation even more difficult.

A Cao army garrison commander, attempting to reorganize his troops, shouted, "Don't panic! Rise up to me!"

Liao Hua sneered, took a short spear from his personal guard, and hurled it with all his might. The spear arced through the air, striking the centurion squarely in the chest and pinning him to the ground.

With their general dead, Cao Cao's army's morale plummeted. The few dozen soldiers who had just gathered were bewildered, not knowing what to do.

Liao Hua and Xi Zhen broke through the enemy lines and began to attack from behind enemy lines, clearly intending to directly crush the Cao army forces under Jia Xin and Yin Shu in front of them.

Liu Feng watched the battle from the earthen platform and was quite pleased to see Generals Liao Hua and Xi Zhen unleash their power like tigers from their cages, causing Cao Cao's army to retreat in defeat.

When the two generals broke through the enemy lines and instead of turning back to attack the enemy in front of them, they risked encircling the enemy's rear, his expression changed drastically.

Liu Feng was not the only one to discover the emergency. Xu Shu rushed to the emperor's side and reminded him, "My lord, although Generals Liao and Xi are brave, they are outnumbered and have ventured too far into enemy territory. They may be taken advantage of by the enemy. We should recall them immediately to avoid any unforeseen circumstances."

“Yuanzhi’s words are very good.”

Sun Quan also advised, "Issuing the order now too late? It would be better to send General Gan to divide his troops and provide support, protecting their flanks so that they have no worries about their rear. Even if the situation changes suddenly, we can still ensure their retreat."

Liu Feng stroked his beard and pondered for a moment, pacing on the earthen platform. He then made up his mind and called out, "Where are Shubi and Yanghao?"

Sun Yi and Zhou Jun stepped forward in response, their armor clanging loudly.

The two men's voices rang out like clear springs: "Your humble servants are here, awaiting your orders, lord!"

Liu Feng, holding the command arrow, gave the order: "I order you two to each lead five hundred elite troops to provide immediate support. Shu Bi will reinforce Yuan Jian from the left flank, and Yang Hao from the right flank will reinforce Bo Bao. If you encounter enemy interception, do not engage them; prioritize rescuing Yuan Jian and Bo Bao to return to their lines. If the enemy reinforces again, I will send troops to their aid."

The two generals received their orders and were about to depart when Liu Feng added, "Remember: the way of war is to act when it is advantageous and to stop when it is not. I am sending you to escort Yuanjian and Bobao back to their lines. Do not be greedy for merit and act rashly, showing only the courage of a fool."

"We will keep our lord's teachings firmly in mind and never forget them."

Sun Yi and Zhou Jun hurriedly bowed and accepted the order, repeatedly assuring each other, "Yes, sir."

Liu Feng immediately selected one hundred armored guards to serve as personal soldiers for the two men, and sent them down to muster the troops.

As predicted by Liu Feng, Xu Shu, and Sun Quan, Liao Hua and Xi Zhen encountered increasing resistance as they attempted to encircle and launch a pincer attack on the enemy. Not only did a large number of fresh troops appear, but many of them were elite armored soldiers.

Although the armor of these elite ironclad warriors was not as good as that of the Left Guard Army, often consisting of only one iron armor piece with leather armor protecting the rest of their bodies, their advantage lay in their large numbers and the support of several times more leather-armored warriors.

In this way, even though the Left Army still had a slight advantage in equipment, this advantage was actually wiped out when facing a force several times larger, and they even fell into a disadvantageous position.

Not to mention that the weapons in the hands of these armored warriors have all been changed. The original swords, shields and spears have been replaced with armor-piercing cones, iron maces and iron axes, which undoubtedly makes the situation of Liao Hua and Xi Zhen's armored warriors even more difficult.

Liao Hua and Xi Zhen clearly realized this as well. After hesitating for a moment, they both began to retreat.

Neither of them were fools; they realized they had likely fallen into Cao Cao's trap.

If the enemy has so many armored elite soldiers, why didn't they send them out earlier?
If those armored elite soldiers had been in formation just now, it would have been extremely difficult for them to break through Cao Cao's flank, let alone achieve such a swift and unstoppable advance.

Cao Jun did not make a move earlier, allowing himself to break through the flanks and remain unmoved. It was only when Liao Hua and Xi Zhen were greedy for merit and wanted to encircle Cao Jun from both flanks and destroy the support of Cao Jun's vanguard that they released these armored elite soldiers. Clearly, their goal was not merely to repel the Left Curtain Army's offensive.

The Left Army's vanguard also sensed the danger. They not only moved all the remaining hundreds of armored soldiers to the flanks to secure the retreat route for their counterattack troops, but they even considered withdrawing troops from the front.

Even so, the initial battle situation gradually began to tilt in favor of Cao Cao's army.

Although Liao Hua and Xi Zhen realized the problem and began to retreat, they faced immense pressure from Cao Cao's army on their way back.

Not only did Jia Xin and Yin Shu send all their troops, leaving them with only about a hundred personal guards, but even Niu Jin and Chang Diao, who were in the second wave, received the news and began selecting their elite troops to reinforce the front.

It can be said that as time goes by, the pressure on Liao Hua and others' rear will increase until it is completely cut off and they are surrounded by Cao Cao's army.

The two sides were competing in speed. Generals Liao Hua and Xi Zhen were carrying out the pursuit of Cao Cao's army while retreating with difficulty.

At this moment, Liao Hua and Xi Zhen were being pursued from behind by the main forces of Jia Xin and Yin Shu, while the Ironclad Warriors were cutting in from their flanks. In addition, the Cao army, which had collapsed on the way here, began to regain its organization and, led by its officers, turned around and attacked from almost three sides.

Under these circumstances, Liao Hua and his companion were only hoping to break through before Cao Cao's army could completely encircle them and retreat to the flank.

Even if they get what they want, the situation will still be very bad, but at least it won't completely collapse.

However, if Liao Hua and Xi Zhen successfully cut off and surround Cao Cao's army, the main force and generals of the Left Army's vanguard will be separated. At that time, not only will the vanguard be likely to collapse directly, but the fleeing soldiers may even affect Gan Ning in the secondary formation.

"Don't stop, don't stop! Charge out, everyone keep up!"

Liao Hua realized he had fallen into a trap. He roared and ordered his men to follow him while he led his personal guards in a charge, trying to break through Cao Cao's army's blockade.

At this time, Cao's army had not yet formed a solid encirclement. The soldiers of both sides were intertwined. On one side, Cao's army was blocking Liao Hua's troops, while on the other side, Cao's army was attacking the defenses of the Left Guard Army, trying to repel the Left Guard Army that was coming to Liao Hua's aid.

After the weapons were changed, the fighting strength between Cao Cao's army and the Left Guard began to shrink dramatically.

Many heavy weapons, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, hurtled towards the Left Army. A Left Army sergeant in armor raised his shield to block them.

With a loud "crack," the iron-clad wooden shield was smashed to pieces by an iron mace. The soldier's arm was broken, and he screamed as he retreated, only to be overwhelmed by several weapons.

Liao Hua's eyes were bloodshot, and he wielded his ring-pommel sword like a snowflake, parrying the iron axe that was smashing towards his face. The blade slid down, severing the Cao soldier's wrist, and then beheaded him with a single stroke.

However, his personal guards are dwindling, and now only a few dozen remain. Even with the addition of other armored soldiers and archers, there are only a little over two hundred left, a third of whom have already been lost.

Liao Hua personally led the way with his sword. He had already used up all his spare swords, and his armor was stained brown. The blood on it had dried layer by layer and congealed into blood clots, sticking to the gaps in the armor.

Liao Hua's personal guards risked their lives to follow him, forming a wedge formation and charging desperately westward.

Every step forward came at a heavy price. Blades dulled, they disarmed the enemy; armor twisted, they withstood damage; blood stained every inch of the land. The last soldiers fought and retreated, shielding their comrades with their lives.

At almost the same time, Xi Zhen encountered the same situation.

Yin Shu personally led his elite personal guards to press forward, including a large number of archers, who were specifically tasked with shooting at the faces, necks, and leg armor seams of the Left Guard's armored soldiers.

While these arrows rarely caused fatal damage, they did cause considerable trouble for the armored soldiers of the Left Guard Army.

"Raise your shields! Protect your head and face!"

Xi Zhen shouted as she used her steel knife to deflect a crossbow bolt aimed at her face.

But the crossbow bolt was powerful. With a "thud," the arrow was not completely knocked away, but instead struck the faceplate, only an inch away from his face.

A soldier who had followed him for many years shielded his master from a stray arrow with his body, but was shot through the femoral artery by another crossbow bolt. Blood gushed out like a fountain, and he lost the ability to move in an instant, kneeling on one knee.

"General, leave quickly!"

The tribal soldier roared at Xi Zhen, then turned to try to...

Cao's army employed a method of close combat, with groups of three to five men targeting a single individual. They would either strike with iron hammers or pull with iron hooks. Once a soldier from the Left Guard fell to the ground, several weapons would immediately fall.

If they were to form a battle formation, the Left Guard Army would naturally be unafraid of the enemy. However, the Left Guard Army is currently eager to break through the encirclement and has no intention of engaging in a prolonged battle with Cao Cao's army.

On the earthen platform, Liu Feng, Xu Shu, Sun Quan, and others had a clear view of the battle situation.

Smoke and dust billowed from Liao Hua's left flank, and the sounds of battle shook the heavens. The formation that had been thrusting forward was now struggling to retreat westward, but at an extremely slow pace, as if it were stuck in a quagmire.

The right wing of Xi Zhen's troops was in even greater danger. They attempted to move north, but it was like a small boat sailing on a stormy sea, and they could be swallowed up by Cao Cao's army at any moment.

Between the two armies was the thick main force of Cao Cao's army, making it impossible for them to communicate or support each other.

By this point in the battle, Liao Hua and Xi Zhen were still moving extremely slowly, but they had effectively been cut off from their rear and were practically isolated. The reinforcements Liu Feng had sent in advance were only halfway there, and it would take them at least the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to reach the front lines.

Fortunately, Gan Ning's reinforcements arrived at that moment.

(End of this chapter)