knife

Chapter 588 Veterans will not die
When the truth was revealed, everyone suddenly realized what had happened.

Recalling all the details of this period, I can think of one unreasonable thing after another, and I regret that I was so careless as to fall into such a trap.

Unfortunately, these are all hindsight biases and advice after the fact.

When you're caught up in something, it's as if your vision is shrouded in a fog, and you can't see the crisis hidden behind the temptation.

The flaw has always been there.
It's just that various incentives make it easy for the parties involved to find seemingly reasonable explanations to cover up such flaws.

Ultimately, it all comes down to greed, or you could say, excessive self-confidence.

Just like Feng Kuan and Yang Lixin, they were not unaware that Kang Zhen's 30,000 Tiger Warriors were extremely powerful. Facing this Tiger Warriors alone, it would be very difficult for them to win.

However, because of the Danyang Incident and Jiang Qian's resignation, they believed that the morale of this elite Tiger Army would inevitably collapse.

In addition, the opponent did indeed release various smokescreens.
They walked right into the trap.

Ambition is the driving force behind this operation.

When their abilities and ambitions are mismatched, they will pay the price for their impulsiveness.

Feng Kuan was blocked by the small city of Yangcheng.

After several days of relentless attacks, when they hadn't even reached the edge of Yangcheng's city walls, Feng Kuan finally realized something was wrong.

If the army of a small county in the State of Chu had such formidable fighting power, then Chu would have unified the world long ago.

When Feng Kuan realized that what was in front of him was definitely the main force of the Tiger Army, he did not hesitate for a moment and immediately ordered a retreat.

He wanted to meet with Yang Lixin and the others first before making any further plans.

No matter how strong the Tiger Legion was, its numbers were ultimately limited.

Moreover, now that they have lost the powerful logistical support source of the State of Chu, it is impossible for them to sustain a prolonged war.

Heavy infantry like the Tiger Legion were undoubtedly formidable in combat, but their attrition rate was equally staggering.

It's a pity that they realized it too late.

Yang Lixin's more than 20,000 troops were completely wiped out in Meishan.

He Yiming's troops had long been colluding with the enemy.

The Yangcheng garrison finally revealed their sharp fangs, with thousands of heavily armored infantrymen scrambling out of the city in pursuit. And the leader of the force was none other than Kang Zhen, the commander of the Tiger Legion.

Feng Kuan's troops were in dire straits.

Enemies were attacking from three sides.

The combined forces of He Yiming, Li Xiu, and Kang Zhen, totaling nearly 50,000 men, were gradually squeezing the living space of Feng Kuan's troops.

Behind them, the Han River surged and roared.

Feng Kuan knew there was no need to put in too much effort on the water.
Perhaps the enemy is hoping he'll do just that!
The time and effort spent finding ships or building pontoon bridges are nothing but a joke in the eyes of the enemy navy, and all your hard work can be destroyed in the blink of an eye.

Since the morale of Kang Zhen's troops was low and the desertion of soldiers was a fabrication, the so-called internal strife within the Chu navy was obviously unfounded.

The only thing left is to fight!

Unlike Yang Lixin's troops, which were either bandits or newly recruited soldiers in Nanyang, Feng Kuan's troops were built on the foundation of the eight towns of Jiangnan from the old Qin army, and the main force of his army was basically composed of the sons of the eight towns.

For hundreds of years, the Qin and Chu armies fought against each other, and the eight towns in Jiangnan have always been the front line.

After hundreds of years of conflict, which family hasn't died at the hands of the Chu army?

Not to mention distant events, just the Battle of Xiangcheng a few years ago, almost every family in the eight towns of Jiangnan was in mourning and every household had a funeral procession.

The hatred between the two sides had long been solidified in their blood.

Therefore, surrender is impossible.

Desperate measures, like burning one's boats and fighting with one's back to the river.

Having failed to persuade them to surrender, Kang Zhen gave up on his efforts and immediately issued an order for a full-scale attack.

Without any probing, both sides committed their strongest forces from the outset. Kang Zhen's heavy infantry, personally led by Li Xiu, pressed forward like a mountain, wielding large shields and spears, while Feng Kuan personally led his personal guard of heavy cavalry in a straight charge.

Armored cavalry is an extremely expensive unit. Even back then, Li Dachui only armed one Tianzi Battalion, a total of three hundred men.

Feng Kuan's troops numbered only about three hundred men.

The heavily armored cavalry charged into the enemy lines, breaking through their defenses, while the light infantry rushed in through the gaps.

Heavy infantry is not without its weaknesses; its lack of mobility is its most fatal flaw. Experienced light infantry can easily find targets such as the ribs, groin, and neck, and can cut them off with a single blow.

When the two sides collided with a thunderous roar, a bloody battle began on the banks of the Han River.

The governor's mansion in Huai'an Prefecture was deathly silent.

News was pouring in from all over the country at breakneck speed.

Although the earliest news was from the day before yesterday, the general situation has already become clear.

The eight towns in Jiangnan under He Bu's control have once again unfortunately fallen into their opponent's trap.

Yang Lixin's troops have been wiped out, and although there is still no final news about Feng Kuan's troops, it is clear that their fate is also grim.

Let alone taking Yong'an County, even strategic locations like Xiangfan are now in jeopardy.

At this moment, no one dared to speak. Ever since the news of Yang Lixin's defeat and death came three days ago, General He's temper had suddenly become extremely fierce. A personal guard who had followed him for many years had made a small mistake, and right here in the hall where everyone was, he had been slapped away by He Zudao with a single palm strike.

It wasn't just smashed to death, it was truly smashed to pieces.

At that moment, everyone realized that General He was not a Xuan Yuan Ninth Grader at all; he had somehow advanced to the Xiantian level.

"General, I'm afraid the Danyang coup is all a hoax! It's just Jiang Qian's scheme to seize control of the eight towns of Jiangnan!" Chen Jianren said in a trembling voice, "If that's the case, I'm afraid we'll soon face an invasion from the Chu army!"

Chen Jianren's guess was not without reason. If Jiang Qian and Xiang Ying had not completely fallen out and been forced to flee to Yong'an County in a coup, why would He Zudao have thought of taking over Yong'an and advancing on Jianghan?

"The coup is definitely real, and Jiang Qian's resignation is definitely real!" He Zudao's face was ashen. There were some things that Chen Jianren might not understand, but he did.

Even if Jiang Qian wanted the Eight Towns of Jiangnan, she couldn't possibly do it this way. Stepping down is easy, but getting back on top is difficult. How foolish must she be to try to seize the Eight Towns of Jiangnan by killing a hundred enemies while losing ten thousand of her own?

Therefore, Jiang Qian's downfall is real, and the one who joined forces with Jiang Qian to deal with him should be Li Dachui from outside the pass.

In the end, he was deceived by that old scoundrel Ke Wuji, or rather, he never made up his mind to eliminate Ke Wuji's forces, which finally brought about his own destruction.

"General, are we really not going to send troops to rescue Feng Kuan?" Chen Jianren asked in a trembling voice.

"The enemy has the advantage in the navy. If we rashly send troops, we will easily fall into their trap again. Right now, we have no choice but to take drastic measures. It would be best if Feng Kuan could break out on his own. If not, this is the only option."

“Brother Feng Kuan is not one to surrender. Once defeated and unable to break out, I’m afraid he will…” Chen Jianren lowered his head.

He Zudao was silent for a moment before saying, "If that's the case, Jianren, then find a way to get Brother Feng Kuan's remains back!"

"Yes!"

"Next, you will be in charge of the overall situation in Huai'an. Be careful that the other side doesn't take advantage of this momentum to launch an attack!" He Zudao said to Chen Jianren.

"Where is the General going?"

“I’m going to see Xiang Ying.” He Zudao sighed. “If it weren’t for Li Dachui, it wouldn’t matter if I joined forces with Jiang Qian, but now, I have no other way out but to go to Xiang Ying!”

On the banks of the Han River, the last rays of sunlight fell upon the river's surface, illuminating it with a golden glow, and the war was drawing to a close.

With only a dozen or so riders remaining by his side, Feng Kuan, covered in wounds, raised his spear high and roared, "Brothers, charge with me!"

"Kill the enemy!" Although only a dozen or so people remained, their morale did not wane.

They charged forward once again without hesitation into the dense forest of guns and shields.

Countless spears flew out from behind the great shield, engulfing the charging warriors.

Old soldiers never die, they just go to another world.

(End of this chapter)