Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 414 The Battle of Xipu (A long chapter of 10,000 words)

"Sorry..."

"Why are there horse hoof prints here?"

On the morning of the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, when the cavalry of the Western Sichuan Army discovered hoofprints near Pixian County, the entire cavalry immediately stopped.

The captain dismounted and examined the hoofprints before saying, "I heard that yesterday, Zhang Bingmashi, who was stationed in the north, led his cavalry south to pursue the elite rebel cavalry. Judging from this direction, it was most likely left by their Zhongtang cavalry."

There weren't many hoofprints on the dirt road, suggesting at most a few hundred elite cavalry, which was consistent with the number of cavalry sent out by the main force.

"Let's go, continue patrolling the surrounding area, and don't let the rebels find an opening!"

The captain mounted his horse and then continued to lead the cavalry to patrol the area.

At the same time, the aroma of meat wafted from the camps of the Xichuan Army and the Longyou Army on both sides of the Qingshui River.

Inside the camp, soldiers from both armies were eating meat and rice heartily.

Those who have finished eating are now sharpening their weapons or feeding their warhorses.

As the hour of Chen (7-9 AM) approached, Geng Ming, who was inside the military camp in Longyou, hurriedly stepped out of the camp and headed towards the front line.

At the same time, Liang Zuan and Su Xun also went to the front line.

Before long, the generals of both sides arrived at the front line, and their military orders were highly unified.

"The catapults advance one hundred paces, the winch crossbows (triple-bow crossbows) advance two hundred paces, attack on whistle!"

Under orders from both sides, some infantrymen who had just finished eating began to supervise the laborers in pushing the catapults and ballistae until they reached the distance specified in the military order.

At this time, the distance between the two sides' catapults was less than one li, and the ballistae were less than two hundred paces apart.

Therefore, after both sides had secured their ballistae and catapults, they each blew their wooden whistles.

"Beep--"

"Prepare the chisel arrows!"

"Prepare to throw stones!"

At a single command, thousands of laborers began their work.

On the Xichuan army side, seventy or eighty men worked together to operate the catapult, and more than thirty men worked together to wind the winch crossbow, but the speed was not fast.

In the Longyou army direction, forty or fifty men worked together to operate the catapult, while more than ten men cocked the three-bow crossbows.

This was not because the weapons of the Western Sichuan army were more powerful, or because they required more people.

Conversely, the weapons of the Western Sichuan army were less powerful than those of the Longyou army, but required more manpower to operate due to the lack of many parts.

"put!"

Suddenly, the Longyou army's catapults and triple-bow crossbows were the first to attack.

A whooshing sound came from the air, and the generals on the Xichuan army's positions immediately blew their whistles: "Crouch down! Crouch down!"

He hurriedly squatted down, and then saw the chisel arrow pierce through three catapults in an instant, while the catapults launched from Longyou scattered and hit the Xichuan army's position.

Several unfortunate laborers were hit by stones, their bodies almost turned to dust, flesh and broken bones mixed together, but they kept crying out for help until they died on the spot a few breaths later.

Watching their fellow villagers being killed in such a cruel way, all the laborers were horrified, and some even ran away like madmen.

"I'm not coming anymore, I want to go home! I want to go home!"

A dozen or so laborers fled to the rear, but when they reached the twenty-odd deputy captains, the captains mercilessly raised their long-handled swords and slashed down.

"Pfft..."

More than a dozen laborers were either beheaded or had half their bodies cut off. They fell down screaming in agony, struggled for a few moments, their breathing weakened, and they finally died.

Upon seeing this, the leader of the procession immediately warned all the laborers in a cold voice: "Anyone who dares to retreat will be beheaded!"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the laborers came to their senses and belatedly realized that they were facing ruthless government soldiers who would devour people without spitting out the bones, and there was no room for negotiation.

"Keep loading stones and arrows. If you don't want to die, fight back and destroy all the rebels' catapults and ballistae, and you will live!"

At the prompting of the team leader, all the laborers who had come to their senses sped up, loading stones into the catapults and arrows into the ballistae.

"put!"

"Bam—"

"Beep beep..."

"Fall back!"

In an instant, twenty-seven catapults rained down on the front lines of the Longyou army, along with chisel arrows fired from ten winch crossbows.

The two catapults were unfortunately hit by the chisel arrows, their main beams were broken, and the catapults fell to the ground in pieces.

Thanks to the simple whistle-blowing retreat training that the Longyou army had given to the laborers, many laborers retreated immediately upon hearing the whistle.

Although slower than chisel arrows and catapults, only a few unfortunate laborers were hit and killed; the rest of the thousands of laborers were unharmed.

"The names of the civilian laborers who died in battle will be copied down. After the war, they will receive a pension of fifty strings of cash and twenty mu of land!"

Geng Ming deliberately shouted loudly, and his shouting instantly attracted everyone's attention.

What is compensation for bereavement?

"They'll give you money to settle down if you die in battle, damn it! That's fifty strings of cash and twenty acres of land!"

"How much? Fifty strings of cash and twenty mu of land?!"

The laborers, who were initially panicked, were now filled with righteous indignation upon hearing the amount of compensation for those who died in battle.

In this era, most ordinary families had two, three, or even five or six children.

That is why these people choose to become laborers to reduce the burden on their families.

Fifty strings of cash and twenty mu of land, if converted into grain, would take their entire family of seven or eight more years to toil in the fields to save up.

If the government increases taxes during this period, then the process will have to continue.

Therefore, for these extremely poor laborers, exchanging their lives for fifty strings of cash and twenty acres of land was a sure-fire way to make money.

Of course, there are many people who value their lives, but there are many more who don't value their lives at all.

Without Geng Ming giving the order, most of the laborers returned to the battlefield and began to help load the crossbows and catapults.

"put!"

"Bam—"

Soon, the Longyou army launched a second offensive, which was followed by a counterattack from the Xichuan army.

The two sides attacked each other back and forth across the Qingshui River, while Gao Pian also stepped out of his tent and came to the high platform to look out over the battlefield.

After only a few glances, he could tell that the catapults and ballistae of Longyou were more powerful than his own.

"Order Su Xun and Liang Zuan to lead their troops to retreat. Our catapults and ballistae are no match for them."

"Withdraw and let them attack us first."

"Yes!" The generals beside him bowed in response and then quickly issued military orders.

Before long, when Liang Zuan and Suo Xun at the front line received their orders, the two sides had already exchanged five rounds of fire, with the Xichuan army being steadily suppressed by the Longyou army's three-bow crossbows.

Seeing that only seventeen catapults remained after being destroyed, they quickly ordered the laborers to push the equipment back.

At the same time, Geng Ming also ordered the position to be pushed forward and attacked the Xichuan army camp. He then mounted his horse and galloped towards the headquarters.

Half an incense stick later, Geng Ming came to the front of the tent and bowed: "General, the Western Sichuan army has withdrawn its ballistae and catapults."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of armor plates clattering echoed inside the tent.

Liu Jilong stepped out of the tent, followed by Wei Gongluo.

"It's almost time. Order the vanguard to prepare a trench bridge. After crossing the river, use shield carts to scout ahead. We must break through the Western Sichuan army's camp before noon!"

"Yes!"

With Liu Jilong's order, Geng Ming immediately began to conscript laborers from the rear to the front lines.

Thirty shield trucks were ready, and ten trench bridges had been erected, just waiting to be carried to the Qingshui River.

"Beep--"

The piercing whistles echoed continuously within the camp, and seven thousand Han soldiers and five thousand enemy soldiers began to emerge from the camp gates, followed by three thousand cavalry and three thousand infantrymen.

"Uuuuuu——"

Seeing the entire Longyou army mobilize, bugle calls sounded from the Xichuan army, and countless soldiers walked out of their camps and lined up in front of the camps.

Five thousand cavalry and infantry were positioned on the left and right flanks, while twenty-three thousand infantry were in the center.

Gao Pian was still standing on the high platform in the camp, with a table set up in front of him, on which five-colored command flags were stuck.

He took out a command flag and began to wave it, and twelve flag soldiers followed suit.

"All teams, prepare!"

Upon seeing this, Suo Xun raised his arms and shouted, and the 23,000 infantrymen began to obey orders in groups of 50, forming 460 groups.

When Gao Pian waved his command flag, the flag bearers of each army, battalion, regiment, and platoon immediately followed suit, conveying the general's orders to each unit.

“Each team is ten paces apart, and each team is ten paces square, so that they are evenly distributed.”

"Station your troops, move twenty paces ahead of the vanguard!"

The squad leader issued military orders based on flag signals, and the soldiers in each squad began to adjust according to the squad leader's orders.

Before long, the platoons of the Xichuan Army were spaced ten paces apart laterally, with each platoon occupying an area of ​​ten paces in radius to ensure even distribution.

The rear guard filled the gaps in the formation, twenty paces from the vanguard.

Seeing that each unit was executing the orders almost perfectly, Gao Pian began to speed up the waving of the command flags, and the Xichuan army also began to adjust accordingly.

The changes in the Western Sichuan Army were right before Liu Jilong's eyes. Liu Jilong stepped onto the hull car, with two more hull cars behind him on the left and right, each with nine flag soldiers on it.

Liu Jilong glanced down at the command flag in front of him, then looked out at the high platform in the Xichuan military camp. He squinted and took out the command flag to wave it.

"Enter!"

"Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo..."

The infantry of the Longyou vanguard began to shout battle cries, and the laborers pushed the trench bridges and shield carts to begin their advance.

Faced with the actions of the Longyou army, the Xichuan army remained unmoved and waited for flag signals to give instructions.

"Damn it, this Gao Pian is actually quite capable!"

"I am also a veteran who followed Zhang Sikong out of Suzhou. I have never seen a general other than the General and Zhang Sikong who can command the three armies so well."

"So what? He's just a dog, no match for us!"

Among the captains in Liu Jilong's ranks, several captains swallowed hard, gazing at the well-organized Xichuan army in the distance, and surprisingly began to praise them.

Even with the praise, they still believed that Longyou was the strongest.

"Build a bridge!"

"Prepare the shield vehicles!"

In the vanguard, Wei Gongluo led 5,000 barbarian soldiers and more than 3,000 laborers to begin building the trench bridge.

Three thousand laborers, filled with fear and trepidation, carried the moat bridge on their shoulders and rushed forward headfirst. Several hundred laborers first jumped into the Qingshui River, and then searched for a flat spot in the water to build the bridge frame.

After the bridge frame was erected, the laborers began to push the constructed moat bridge onto the bridge frame.

In less than half an incense stick's time, ten moat bridges, each about ten feet wide and eight feet long, were completed.

The laborers at the moat bridge withdrew, and more than 300 laborers began to push the shield carts forward, followed by 5,000 enemy soldiers.

The barbarian soldiers lined up and advanced in columns following the shield carts, a scene witnessed by the Xichuan army.

They were still a hundred paces away from the Xichuan army, and the terrain seemed flat, but as soon as they began to advance, many shield carts instantly disappeared from their original positions.

The thin wooden planks on the trench broke, and the shield carts and laborers fell into the trench, their bodies pierced by wooden spikes.

"Save me... save me..."

"It hurts! Help..."

“Mother, Mother…”

These laborers did not die immediately, but continued to cry for help in pain and despair.

However, the vanguard did not stop; they continued to advance, and almost every ten steps, shield carts and laborers fell into the trenches.

As time passed and the trenches were being probed, Gao Pian immediately waved his command flag.

“Every other team is assigned a battle team, which then advances fifty paces forward.”

"When the first horn sound ceased, all the troops immediately dispersed; when the second horn sounded, all the troops immediately put down their spears, rolled up their banners, drew their bows, and drew their swords."

"When the third drumbeat ended, all the troops raised their guns at once; when the fourth drumbeat ended, all the troops lowered their weapons, knelt down, and sat with their eyes on the central yellow flag and their ears on the drumbeats!"

With command flags waved, the leaders of each squad sang commands to their squads, and the Xichuan army stood ready for battle.

Judging from their current performance, the Western Sichuan Army far surpasses the Northern Army's elite cavalry and the troops of various towns in the Central Plains that were defeated in Longyou.

Liu Jilong also noticed the disciplined nature of the Xichuan army, but compared to Longyou, they were still far behind.

He began to wave his command flag, and the shield carts on the battlefield had already rushed to within fifty paces of the Xichuan army.

Logically, one should have used crossbows to engage the enemy at 150 paces and bows and arrows at 60 paces, but Gao Pian did not order the use of crossbows to suppress them.

Clearly, he intended to lure Liu Jilong's main force to the battlefield on the south bank, and Liu Jilong complied with his plan.

"The vanguard will lead the troops, the middle force will troop the troops, and the rear guard will hold the line. Advance!"

After waving the command flag, Liu Jilong stepped down from the chariot.

After he came down, hundreds of laborers began to pull and push the heavy chariot, while the soldiers of the central and rear armies from Longyou also began to prepare to cross the river.

Catapults and triple-bow crossbows moved forward, and firearms soldiers carrying gunpowder packs followed the catapults.

All equipment remained on the north bank, and the three armies crossed the trench bridge in an orderly manner to the south bank to set up their units.

Seeing Liu Jilong arrive at the south bank, Gao Pian stopped and immediately waved his command flag, while the bugle sounded.

"Uuuuuu——"

"Disperse!"

As the first bugle call sounded, the Xichuan army immediately began to spread out its formation.

In less than half an incense stick's time, their troops, once deployed, were almost twice the length and width of the Longyou army.

"Uuuuuu——"

Once the three armies had secured their positions, Gao Pian immediately ordered the second bugle call to be sounded. Before the bugle call ceased, more than four hundred squads of Xichuan soldiers simultaneously lowered their rifles and lowered their flags.

Apart from the leader and the flag bearer, the first and second platoons set up their crossbows, the third, fourth and fifth platoons drew their arrows and prepared to draw their bows and arrows, and the deputy leader at the rear of the platoon brandished his long-handled broadsword to supervise the battle.

"Crossbowmen fire arrows when they are 100 paces away from the enemy, and archers fire arrows when they are 60 paces away from the enemy."

"When the enemy is within twenty paces, the archers and crossbowmen will abandon their bows and crossbows, first securing their arms, then carrying their knives and clubs, and immediately join the vanguard in a fierce attack..."

In the midst of the two armies, the soldiers were all like this, using bows and crossbows to fight the enemy. The captain held the flag and was in charge of command, while the vice-captain supervised the battle.

"Beep--"

As the whistle blew, the Longyou army began to form a straight line, divided into three armies, each with three layers in front and behind, while the elite cavalry and infantry on the left and right flanks were on alert for the flanks of the Xichuan army.

The whistle stopped, and the troops advanced. As they joined the vanguard, the vanguard began to fire with their bows and crossbows.

"put!"

In an instant, arrows flew like locusts, colliding and falling between the two armies, but most of them landed in the enemy formation.

The vanguard soldiers in the front row felt countless impacts in the blink of an eye, and when they came to their senses, they found countless arrows stuck in their chests.

"You dog!"

For the seasoned veterans of Longyou, they simply cursed under their breath, then drew their swords and cut down countless arrow shafts, continuing to await the signal from the leader and the flag bearer.

Although Nishikawa's vanguard team had not experienced many battles, they were only in a state of panic for a moment before recovering.

"Enter!"

The Longyou army continued to advance, gradually closing the distance between the two sides from fifty paces. During this time, arrows rained down continuously. The veteran soldiers of the vanguard advanced with their heads down, letting themselves be shot into pincushions.

As the Longyou army drew ever closer, Gao Pian on the high platform decisively waved his command flag, and the third bugle call sounded from the Xichuan army.

"Gather!"

The soldiers of the Xichuan Vanguard Team carried bows and crossbows and changed to long spears. The various teams also quickly gathered together and lined up with their guns.

The captains of each team kept their eyes fixed on the yellow command flag in the center and listened to the drumbeats. Their reactions caught Liu Jilong's attention slightly, but that was all.

"Give the order: beat the drums, send the vanguard forward, archers and crossbowmen, lay down your bows and crossbows, put on your armbands, and take up your swords and spears to await the vanguard's attack."

"If the enemy's formation is secure and the vanguard cannot penetrate it, then the archers and crossbowmen, armed with swords and clubs, should rush in and attack, preventing them from moving freely!"

Liu Jilong waved the command flag while repeating the flag signals aloud.

Upon seeing this, the nearby flag bearer immediately waved his command flag and relayed the rest to the three armies.

Upon seeing the signal flag, Wei Gonglu, who was stationed at the front, raised his arm and shouted, "Kill!!"

"kill!!"

After entering within twenty paces, the vanguard of Longyou suddenly launched a charge, and Gao Pian, seeing this, immediately waved his command flag.

In an instant, the yellow flag of the central army pressed forward, the drums of the Western Sichuan army sounded, and the vanguard, having received orders, shouted in unison: "Alas! Alas!"

"kill!!"

Spears clashed against spears, crossbows clashed against crossbows, arrows rained down, and the forest of spears was filled with arrows.

The 8,000-strong vanguard of Xichuan clashed with the more than 5,000-strong Tibetan vanguard under the command of Longyou. After the clash, the difference in strength between the two immediately became apparent.

Although the Tibetan soldiers of Duokang were brave enough, their quality was obviously inferior to that of the Xichuan army. After the two sides clashed, the Tibetan army was clearly at a disadvantage.

Wei Gonglu roared incessantly, spittle flying everywhere: "Stabilize the formation! Stabilize the formation!"

Amidst his roar, Su Xun, a soldier in the Xichuan army, gazed into the distance at the nesting platform. He knew that Liu Jilong was standing on one of the three nesting platforms.

"Straight bitch!"

He cursed Liu Jilong under his breath, his hand resting on the lance beside him, waiting for an opportunity.

Meanwhile, Gao Pian, standing on the high platform, frowned as he watched the Longyou army being suppressed by his own forces, because he could sense that this was not the strength the Longyou army should possess.

Ever since he met Liu Jilong on the Longxi battlefield years ago, he has known about the elite troops of Longyou and strives to train his troops to be like those of Longyou.

The strength that the rebel vanguard has shown is definitely not the Longyou army that I thought I had.

"General, the vanguard is being suppressed!"

Beneath the chariot, several captains couldn't help but look up and speak, but Liu Jilong remained calm and composed, replying, "I understand!"

Despite this, he did not take any action, but continued to use his barbarian soldiers to fight against Xichuan's vanguard.

The two armies clashed several times, with the barbarian troops being pushed back by the Western Sichuan army.

"You scoundrel, how did you fight up there?!"

"How could you be suppressed so severely?"

"Damn it, when will it be our turn?!"

The veteran soldiers of the Longyou Central Army watched with growing anxiety, wishing they could transform into the vanguard, suppress the vanguard of the Xichuan Army, and break into the enemy's camp.

Everyone was anxious, especially Wei Gonglu, who was watching helplessly as his men died one after another.

He dared not give the order, and could only stare intently at the nest cart, waiting for Liu Jilong to give the order.

"kill!!"

"You bastard!"

"How dare these barbarians shout like that? Don't they know how powerful the Han people are?!" The spears of the vanguard clashed repeatedly, while the central army could only suppress the leaping troops with bows and crossbows, and the Longyou army was being pushed back continuously.

Seeing that his side had been pushed back twenty paces, Liu Jilong finally waved his command flag:

"Switch the vanguard and the central army, with the barbarian soldiers acting as the skirmishers and the Han soldiers as the vanguard, and push back!"

"Yes!"

The command flag was waved, and the flag bearers behind him responded loudly, clearly they were all holding back their excitement.

"Beep--"

"The vanguard and the central army are to be swapped. The vanguard must not move immediately and must wait for the central army to take over!"

Upon seeing Liu Jilong give the order, Wei Gongluo was overjoyed and rallied his troops, waving his command flag.

When the vanguard soldiers learned that they had been replaced, they immediately breathed a sigh of relief and regained their composure.

"Damn it! Follow me and kill them!"

"Today is the day to achieve great things!"

The central army's leaping and undulating combat vanguard charged forward in squads.

In an instant, the advance of the Xichuan army was thwarted, and the tall and strong Longyou army rushed out, knocking down and killing countless Xichuan vanguard soldiers.

Before they could react, Liu Jilong waved his command flag, and the flag bearers, with their five flags crossed, began to stabilize their positions and slowly merge with the neighboring teams.

The ten squads were merged into one large battalion, which was divided into ten battalions, totaling five thousand men. They formed a straight line and then quickly changed into a wedge formation.

Upon seeing this, Gao Pian on the high platform narrowed his eyes: "These are the elite troops of Longyou!"

"All teams are stationed and must not move without orders!!"

Gao Pian waved the flag quickly, but his speed was still a little slow.

The five thousand Longyou soldiers, forming a wedge formation, launched their attack the instant his order was given, catching the Xichuan vanguard off guard and crushing them with overwhelming force.

"Jump to the top!"

Liang Zuan, commander of the central army, raised his arms and shouted, immediately urging his 10,000 leaping troops to advance and hold the line, helping the vanguard stabilize their position.

"Haha! Come and see what your father is capable of!"

"Kill! The enemy's banner is right in front of us!"

"Whoever seizes the great banner will be promoted three ranks!!"

"kill!!"

Five thousand soldiers from Longyou not only routed the eight thousand Xichuan vanguard, but also planned to route the ten thousand central army of Xichuan.

Upon seeing this, Gao Pian quickly made adjustments, immediately ordering the vanguard to retreat and become the central army, with the central army stationed at the forefront of the battle.

Under his command, the 10,000-strong central army, full of energy, was transformed into the vanguard, while many of the original 8,000 vanguard troops were killed, and only 6,000 or 7,000 escaped.

"Hold your ground! We outnumber them, we can wear them down!"

"Stay calm and collected..."

Amidst the sounds of battle, the ten thousand newly arrived central army soldiers leaped and instantly transformed into the vanguard, clashing with the five thousand Longyou vanguard troops.

The battlefield stretched for miles east to west and a mile north to south. Everyone was fighting together, and their blood pooled together, or flowed into the Qingshui River, turning the river red.

Time passed little by little. From the third quarter of Chen hour, it has now been the fourth quarter of Si hour, a full hour and a quarter of an hour.

Even so, both sides still had plenty of energy. However, because the leaders of the teams kept changing, each platoon only went up to fight for half an incense stick's time or even less before being asked to retreat and rest for at least two incense sticks' time.

On the high platform facing each other, Liu Jilong and Gao Pian were both gazing at each other from afar, but neither of them took the lead in waving the command flag or using any new tactics.

The two sides gazed at each other from afar, waiting for time to pass.

Liu Jilong was waiting for Zhang Wu, while Gao Pian was waiting for Liu Jilong to make the first move.

He had thought that his 10,000-strong vanguard team could force the 5,000-strong Longyou vanguard team to retreat, but the situation turned out that the 5,000-strong Longyou vanguard team seemed to be stuck on the front line. Not only did they not retreat, but they were even able to launch a counterattack when their own side was weak, taking the opportunity to advance three or five steps.

Gao Pian's complexion gradually worsened, and he scanned the battlefield with his eyes, quickly realizing that something was wrong.

"Have the cavalry forces in Longyou decreased significantly?"

"Perhaps it's because many of the cavalrymen were sent out to work in other areas."

In response to Gao Pian's question, the commander beside him offered a reasonable guess.

Since Liu Jilong was fighting deep within their own territory, it was normal for him to deploy several thousand cavalrymen in the rear.

Gao Pian nodded upon hearing this, after all, Liu Jilong had what appeared to be five or six thousand cavalrymen beside him, which was not a small number.

He remained silent, unaware that Liu Jilong had not released the Tang cavalry at all, but instead brought three thousand elite cavalry and three thousand infantrymen from his camp to the front lines, all to mislead him.

"Four quarters of an hour left..."

Liu Jilong glanced at the sky, his brows furrowing as the fighting continued on the front lines.

"Bam—"

"Kill! Kill!"

Weapons clashed, spears snapped, and desperate shouts of battle mingled together as everyone fought fiercely.

The number of troops in Xichuan was decreasing, as was the number of troops in Longyou, but at a much slower pace.

Four quarters of an hour passed slowly, and Liu Jilong was ready.

At the same time, a piercing wooden whistle sounded from the south.

"Beep--"

"Beep--"

After the sharp and piercing sound of the wooden whistle rang out, Gao Pian quickly discerned the direction and his expression changed drastically.

More than ten fast horses galloped from the south of the military camp. After reaching the foot of the high platform, the captain scrambled up the platform.

"General, several thousand enemy cavalry have appeared from the south and are heading straight for us!"

As soon as the captain finished speaking, everyone around changed their expressions, and Gao Pian even laughed in anger:
"Liu Jilong, so that's what you were planning all along? Did you think you could swallow me whole?!"

In large-scale battles, if both sides are evenly matched, it is difficult to end the war in less than ten days to half a month.

Although Gao Pian's oversight in Liu Jilong's current posture was indeed the reason for the setback, Gao Pian did not believe that Liu Jilong had the strength to devour him in one fell swoop.

"Summon Zhang Lin's troops to rush to the rescue. The three armies shall be stationed, the camp gates tightly closed, and the flanks reinforced. Each unit shall select horse catchers to prepare for capturing horses!"

"Yes!"

Gao Pian issued his orders methodically, and the soldiers responded readily, immediately carrying out his military commands.

Nearly a thousand horse catchers were selected and ambushed on the left and right flanks of the infantry.

At the same time, Suo Xun, who commanded the cavalry and infantry, also received military orders. Gao Pian ordered him to lead the cavalry and infantry to harass the two flanks of the Longyou army.

Although he did not know why he had to do it, he carried out the military order, exposing his own flanks while leading his cavalry and infantry to charge at the flanks of the Longyou army.

"You figured it out? So what!"

Liu Jilong scoffed and shook his head, waving his command flag and issuing orders: "Infantry and cavalry, attack and entangle the enemy; elite cavalry, dismount and put armor on your horses."

At his command, the elite cavalry dismounted and donned armor, while the infantry charged like arrows, instantly towards the five thousand infantry and cavalry led by Su Xun.

The two sides began to clash on both sides of the main battlefield, and Gao Pian also made urgent adjustments to the formations on both flanks, waiting for the elite cavalry from Longyou to launch a flanking attack.

Time passed quickly, and two quarters of an hour later, the elite cavalry from Longyou appeared on the left side of the battlefield.

Three thousand elite cavalrymen appeared amidst a cloud of dust, their banners fluttering in the wind, their numbers surging.

"rush!"

Without hesitation, Zhang Wu immediately led three thousand elite cavalry from Longyou to launch an attack on the left flank of the Western Sichuan army.

"Warriors, horse catchers, prepare!"

When Gao Pian saw Zhang Wu arrive, a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes.

His excitement didn't last long, because Liu Jilong dismounted from the chariot, mounted his horse, and put on a 33-foot-long horse spear.

He rode up to the three thousand elite cavalrymen clad in armor, reined in his horse, and said, "All troops, listen to my command! Follow me to flank the government forces on the right wing and closely follow my banner!"

"As ordered..."

Of the three thousand people, not many could hear Liu Jilong's voice, but they could clearly see the flag signals being waved.

Everyone drew their spears and began to move in accordance with the banner behind Liu Jilong.

"General, the rebels' elite cavalry and banners have moved!"

At Dudu's prompting, Gao Pian quickly turned his attention back to the battlefield on the left, his pupils constricting.

While he was distracted, Zhang Wu led his elite cavalry to draw their bows and arrows and charged towards the left flank infantry. Under the rain of arrows fired by the Xichuan army, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..."

When the two sides were only twenty paces apart, the infantry on the left wing switched to long spears, while the elite cavalry of Longyou, led by Zhang Wu, charged forward with arrows.

In an instant, countless soldiers from Xichuan fell to the ground, struck in the face by arrows. Meanwhile, the elite cavalry from Longyou turned their horses around in time, bypassing the enemy's left flank and avoiding close combat.

Upon noticing this, Gao Pian quickly waved his command flag: "All horse catchers, assemble on the right flank and proceed!"

After he waved his command flag, nearly a thousand horse catchers in the army moved quickly, while the Xichuan army on the right flank also held their ground, preparing to engage in close combat with the three thousand armored cavalry led by Liu Jilong.

However, Liu Jilong led his troops to rein in their horses a hundred paces away and then stopped advancing, which stunned Gao Pian and the Xichuan soldiers on the right wing.

"What is this guy trying to do?!"

As Gao Pian watched Liu Jilong continuously employ his methods, he felt a surge of anger welling up inside him, which he couldn't release.

"Uuuuuu——"

Suddenly, the bugle sounded, and more than 4,000 barbarian soldiers and more than 2,000 Longyou rear troops launched an attack from the rear of the main battlefield.

"Asshole!!"

Gao Pian cursed loudly. He had already transferred the team leaders and deputy team leaders from each team to act as horse catchers. Liu Jilong's current all-out offensive would undoubtedly make the front line battlefield precarious.

"The three armies hold their positions, the central army remains stationary, and the rear guard advances!"

Gao Pian hastily gave the order, and the 6,000 infantrymen in the rear began to advance, while the less than 8,000 Xichuan troops in the front were constantly suppressed and forced to retreat by the more than 10,000 Longyou troops who launched the general offensive.

"Hold your ground! Anyone who retreats will be executed!!"

The deputy flag bearers acted as the team leader and deputy team leader, but they lacked the authority of the team leader and deputy team leader.

Despite their repeated warnings that "those who retreat will be executed," many still retreated step by step in order to survive the relentless killing by the Longyou army.

Seeing his army retreating continuously, Gao Pian could only wave his command flags repeatedly, issuing the signal that the army must not retreat.

However, the vanguard could not hold the line and could only drag the central and rear armies into a continuous retreat.

Upon seeing the central army being caught up in the retreating ranks, Gao Pian immediately ordered: "Open the camp gates! The three armies retreat back into the camp!"

"General, the rebels' elite cavalry have launched a charge!!"

The words immediately made Gao Pian look in Liu Jilong's direction, where he saw three thousand heavily armed elite cavalry charging as the central army of Xichuan was caught up in the retreat.

"kill!!"

"Buzzing, rumbling..."

The dull thud of hooves seemed to strike Gao Pian's heart with every step.

"kill!!"

When the central army was forced to retreat by the vanguard and rearguard, the battle formation shifted completely from the flanks to the front, rendering Gao Pian's deployment on the flanks futile.

Not only did Liu Jilong lead his elite cavalry in a surprise attack, but Zhang Wu, who was originally facing the enemy head-on, also hurriedly ordered his three armies to launch a flanking attack.

The ground trembled under the horses' hooves. The Western Sichuan army saw three thousand heavily armored cavalry charging towards them and could do nothing to resist except raise their spears.

"boom--"

"Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!"

"kill!!"

"bump……"

In an instant, spears broke, warhorses neighed and fell, and elite cavalry on both flanks suddenly charged into the heart of the Western Sichuan army, wielding their lances and engaging in fierce combat with blunt weapons.

The three armies were cut in half, and at this moment the camp gates opened, and the Xichuan army, which was closest to the gates, poured into the camp.

"Retreat as ordered! Hold your ground!"

"Asshole!!"

Liang Zuan continued to give commands amidst the chaos of battle, but at this point, the Xichuan army was simply unable to pass on the flag signals smoothly.

Upon seeing this, Liang Zuan immediately shook his horse's reins, attempting to retreat to his camp. Meanwhile, Su Xun, who was entangled with three thousand cavalry and infantry from Longyou, abandoned the three thousand cavalry and infantry from Longyou and led five thousand cavalry and infantry to charge into the chaotic formation.

He planned to launch a flank attack on the elite cavalry led by Zhang Wu and Liu Jilong, who were being held back.

Liu Jilong was in the middle of the formation, and at this moment he was trying to break through after joining forces with Zhang Wu.

The Xichuan soldiers blocking their way were constantly being killed. Just as the six thousand elite cavalry broke out of the Xichuan formation, they saw Suo Xun leading five thousand cavalry and infantry.

"Liu Jilong!!"

Suo Xun raised his lance with both arms and charged towards Liu Jilong's central banner.

The two armies clashed, and many elite cavalrymen fell to the ground, while the infantry and cavalry dismounted and began to fight.

They cut off horses' legs, stabbed riders, and used every means at their disposal.

"it is good!!"

On the high platform, Gao Pian saw Suo Xun's decisiveness and couldn't help but applaud. Then he looked at Liang Zuan and the thousands of defeated soldiers who had retreated back to the camp.

"Order Liang Zuan to gather the routed soldiers and send them out of the camp to provide relief!"

"Yes!"

With the command flag waving, Liang Zuan began to gather the routed troops, attempting to relieve the siege of the tens of thousands of Xichuan infantrymen outside the camp.

"Liu Jilong!"

Suo Xun brandished his lance on horseback, its blade flashing like stars, its silver light impenetrable to water and arrows, and he felled seven or eight knights in succession.

The cavalry and infantry dismounted and followed Suo Xun's lead, constantly slashing at the horse's legs. The elite cavalry suffered considerable setbacks, but to a very limited extent.

Thousands of elite cavalry successfully broke through the encirclement, and Liu Jilong glanced back as he retreated.

Although it has been many years since I last saw Suo Xun, his face is as "ugly" as ever.

He turned his horse around, and the flag bearer beside him immediately blew his whistle, prompting the elite cavalry behind him to turn their horses around as well.

"rush!"

He shook the reins and immediately led more than 5,000 elite cavalrymen in a charge towards Suo Xun and his men.

"Liu Jilong!!"

Seeing the elite cavalry turn back to attack, Suo Xun immediately planted his spear to the side and took out his saddle flag to wave.

In an instant, five thousand infantrymen halted, facing the elite cavalry of Longyou, and raised their long spears.

Upon seeing this, Liu Jilong immediately hung his lance on the Victory Hook and took out his bow and arrows.

Upon seeing this, the flag bearers who followed him understood his thoughts without saying a word, and they all waved their command flags.

In an instant, the elite cavalrymen who were not wearing armor rushed to the front, drawing their bows and arrows, while the elite cavalrymen who were wearing armor still held their lances.

"Buzzing, rumbling..."

Five thousand infantrymen lined up to fight five thousand elite cavalry. Liu Jilong didn't know what Suo Xun was thinking, but he had said before the battle that if Suo Xun did not surrender, he would only die.

"put!"

In an instant, apart from the vanguard, the rest of the cavalry and infantry fired arrows from their crossbows. Many elite cavalrymen were hit by arrows and fell to the ground, but they only fired two rounds before more than two thousand elite cavalrymen rushed into the area within thirty paces and began firing arrows from all sides.

"Uh-huh!"

"My face!!"

"Get up there! Get everyone up there!!"

Countless arrows flew toward their faces, and many were killed. The vanguard was exposed, and more than two thousand elite cavalrymen rushed out from behind and quickly retreated to the sides.

Three thousand heavily armed cavalrymen were exposed. Liu Jilong put away his bow and arrows, took out his lance, and executed the attack in one swift motion.

"kill!!"

"Whoa!"

"boom--"

Three thousand elite cavalrymen swept through the five thousand infantrymen's formation with overwhelming force, instantly cutting them in two.

When Suo Xun saw the heavily armored cavalry of Longyou, he already guessed the outcome. He turned his horse around to flee, but the next moment he heard a mournful cry, followed by a dizzying sensation.

He fell to the ground and rolled countless times.

As he scrambled to his feet, covered in dust and dirt, a skilled rider pulled a lance from the carcass of his horse and charged at him.

"Liu Jilong?!"

This time, Suo Xun saw clearly that the guy wearing armor and looking no different from an ordinary knight was actually Liu Jilong.

"I said, you will not surrender, only die!"

In the blink of an eye, Liu Jilong charged forward on horseback, his spear striking Suo Xun in the chest, sending him flying several feet before he fell to the ground.

"Cough cough... cough ooh..."

In an instant, countless pains came, and blood gushed from Suo Xun's mouth and nose. Liu Jilong turned his horse around and continued to join the ranks of those who were besieging the thousands of cavalry and infantry.

Gao Pian witnessed this scene firsthand, his fist clenching and unclenching repeatedly.

Liang Zuan had already led his troops out of the camp gates and was guiding countless fleeing soldiers back into the camp.

"Uuuuuu——"

Suddenly, a horn sounded in the distance, followed by the dull thud of horses' hooves.

Liu Jilong and Zhang Wu, who were fighting fiercely, and Gao Pian on the high platform, all looked in the direction from which the bugle call sounded.

Several thousand elite cavalrymen bearing the banner of "Xichuan" appeared on the right side of the battlefield and regrouped.

"Hahahaha, do you think you're the only one with elite cavalry?!"

Gao Pian rallied and burst into hearty laughter, while Liu Jilong on the battlefield quickly ordered his thousands of elite cavalry to abandon the routed infantry and cavalry, regroup, and face the thousands of elite cavalry led by Zhang Lin.

"Beep--"

The sound of the wooden whistle rang out, and Gao Pian's expression changed drastically as he had just regained some confidence. He saw several thousand more elite cavalry appear on the right side of the battlefield, but this time they were carrying the banners of Longyou.

"Damn it, you're not late!"

On horseback, Husi Guang lightly flicked his lance, his gaze sweeping across the frontal battlefield where victory had already been achieved, as well as the elite cavalry of Xichuan and the elite cavalry led by Liu Jilong not far away.

Seeing this scene, Husiguang grinned: "This time, the commander won't blame me for disobeying orders!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Nishikawa elite cavalry, seeing their main force being defeated, became uneasy.

In the midst of the battle, Zhang Lin cursed loudly, "You wretched dog, what are you afraid of?!"

He raised his spear and pointed it at Liu Jilong's banner: "Take off Liu Jilong's head and cut off the banner, and his army will surely collapse!"

Lin Ruzhen didn't say much. His gaze was fixed on Liu Jilong's banner in the distance, the hatred of many years right before his eyes.

In a flash, he jerked the reins and shouted, "Kill!!"

"kill--"

(End of this chapter)