Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 277 Gongsun Zan is a man of few ideas

The sun was high in the sky, and on the flat south bank of the Qingquan River, the sound of the horn resounded far and wide over the gradually green fields.

Under the command of Gongsun Zan, teams of cavalry galloped across the green fields, raising high clouds of dust as their horses' hooves charged towards the Bingzhou infantry behind the palace.

The baggage deliberately scattered by the Bingzhou army on the way attracted the attention of the Gongsun army's cavalry. The cavalry who led the charge saw that there were mostly baggage on the ground and was afraid that it would be picked up by others, so he dismounted immediately and loaded the supplies on the ground onto his horse.

When someone took the lead in picking up the baggage, many cavalrymen followed suit. For a time, the order of the cavalry was in chaos, and many people dismounted to grab property.

Seeing this, Gongsun Zan was furious. He whipped the cavalrymen who were trying to steal the property and said sternly, "You are not allowed to pick up the property without my order. Get on your horses and fight quickly."

"what!"

Gongsun Zan whipped the soldiers all the way, but found that few people obeyed his orders. In order to rectify the military discipline, Gongsun Zan got angry and drew his sword to kill the cavalrymen who were trying to steal the property. He said sternly: "Anyone who dares to dismount and pick up the property will be killed without mercy!"

"As ordered!"

The cavalry received the military order and immediately began to maintain order. They killed more than ten people in succession before the cavalrymen finally stopped coveting the property on the ground.

"Tian Kai!"

As the cavalry were still in the process of rectifying their discipline, Gongsun Zan was worried that the Bingzhou infantry would take the opportunity to form a battle array, so he did not think too much and immediately gave the order: "You lead the White Horse Volunteers to charge and defeat Zhang Yu's infantry first, then drive the infantry to disrupt the enemy, and I will lead the cavalry to follow."

"promise!"

Tian Kai looked at the Bingzhou infantry who were still in formation, and agreed without hesitation. He immediately led two thousand white horse volunteers to disperse and divide into several groups, and rushed towards the Bingzhou infantry from multiple directions.

Gongsun Zan once selected 3,000 elite soldiers to form the White Horse Volunteers. However, after the defeat at Jie Bridge, the White Horse Volunteers suffered heavy losses. In subsequent battles with Yuan Shao, the White Horse Volunteers suffered even more casualties.

Therefore, after Gongsun Zan took control of Youzhou, in order to expand his main force, he absorbed the elite troops from various tribes into the Baima Yicong. Although he no longer has the 3,000 cavalrymen of his peak period, he still has 2,000 cavalrymen.

Gao Shun and Xu Chu, who were at the rear, took advantage of the time when Gongsun's cavalry were collecting baggage and making preparations in advance, and now their infantry had already formed up.

The infantry of the National Defense Army formed a military formation relying on the vehicles loaded with baggage. The armored warriors on the periphery were hiding behind their shields with two-handed broadswords in their hands. The infantry in the inner circle were squatting with spears, also hiding their bodies behind their shields.

Those who were revealed were all soldiers wearing cloth armor. Because the cloth armor was made of silk on the outside and armor on the inside, the armor was almost invisible to outsiders.

As the White Horse Volunteers approached, they were only an arrow away from the infantry of the National Protection Army. Having experienced the defeat at Jieqiao, the White Horse Volunteers did not dare to charge directly into the infantry formation, but instead watched the enemy formation first before launching a charge.

"Whoosh!"

The White Horse Volunteers shot a wave of arrows while galloping, and the arrows fell into the National Defense Army's infantry formation. The National Defense Army immediately launched a counterattack, which was different from the strong bows and crossbows that the White Horse Volunteers imagined. The arrows shot from the army were soft bows and arrows.

How could a soft bow and arrow have any lethality? The Baima Yicong quickly discovered the current situation in the infantry formation and reported it to Yu Tian Kai immediately.

Tian Kai was overjoyed, broke the arrow in his hand, and said sternly: "The main force of the enemy has reached the north bank, and those who are left on the south bank are all old and weak. Order all units to launch a surprise attack."

"promise!"

The two thousand White Horse Volunteers were divided into four groups, with Tian Kai's troops as the spearhead, launching an attack on the National Protection Army formation.

"Kill!"

The Baima Yicong began to accelerate, the sound of horse hooves rumbled and dust flew all over the sky.

In an instant, a white torrent rushed in with the force of thunder, which was almost unstoppable by the mortal body and was enough to scare the old and weak infantrymen to death.

"shoot!"

A wave of arrows rose from the White Horse Army and then hit the infantry phalanx again. The infantry phalanx seemed unable to withstand the blow, and many shield soldiers retreated in a commotion, while the arrows shot from the phalanx were still soft bows and arrows.

Seeing this, Tian Kai no longer hesitated and ordered his cavalry to approach the infantry phalanx, intending to defeat the outer perimeter and then drive the horses to break the formation.

While galloping, the White Horse Volunteers were quite excited. They held their bows and continuously shot arrows, trying to pry open a gap in the phalanx so that they could charge into the formation.

However, when the White Horse Volunteers approached thirty steps, a rapid drumbeat suddenly sounded in the army formation, and this drumbeat seemed to awaken the sleeping beast. The long sword warriors and spear warriors hidden in the formation emerged from the ground, and a dense forest of spears grew out of the army formation.

Before the Baima Yicong could react, two thousand powerful bows and crossbows made a teeth-grinding bowstring sound, and arrows shot out like a rain of pear blossoms. Along with the sound of galloping horses, the arrows with great lethality rushed straight towards the Baima Yicong.

Just as Gongsun Zan valued the White Horse Volunteers, Zhang Yu valued the soldiers and generals of the National Defense Army. Gao Shun and Xu Chu both had the ability to command an army, but in order to ensure their combat effectiveness, Zhang Yu kept them under his command.

Needless to say, the soldiers' equipment was good. Almost all the infantrymen of the National Protection Army wore armor, which was the highest among all the armies. They were equipped with bows, crossbows, long swords, and spears. In order to defeat Gongsun Zan, Zhang Yu deliberately sent the National Protection Army to the rear.

As for the cavalry's charge, the National Protection Army's infantry, with their elite strength, were able to withstand such tremendous psychological pressure.

At a distance of less than thirty steps, the powerful attack of two thousand powerful bows and crossbows was something that even the armored cavalry would not be able to resist, let alone the White Horse Volunteers who were good at riding and shooting.

In an instant, the White Horse Volunteers charging in the front row were hit by several arrows, and some were hit by more than ten arrows, and died miserably. The cavalrymen behind them immediately realized that they had been tricked, so they lost their courage and dared not charge towards the arrows and spears.

"kill!"

The retreat of the White Horse Volunteers gave the National Defense Army infantry an opportunity to counterattack. Taking advantage of the reduced mobility of the war horses, the armored warriors holding broadswords and the spearmen fought back.

"Ah!" The two armies fought each other as the soldiers and horses crossed paths. Because the White Horse Volunteers were caught off guard and the horses lost their mobility, the infantry of the National Protection Army almost surrounded and strangled the cavalry. With a flash of the broadsword, the enemy cavalry on horseback was chopped to the ground; the infantry spear stabbed up, and the enemy cavalry fell down because of the spear in the abdomen.

For a moment, the Baima Yicong knew they were no match for the enemy, and they fought left and right to find a way to retreat, no longer having the arrogance to launch a charge.

At the same time, when Gongsun Zan arrived after reorganizing his cavalry, he saw the scene of his own White Horse Volunteers being slaughtered. His heart was bleeding and his face turned ashen. He knew that he had fallen into Zhang Yu's trap!

Zhang Yu had a plan for retreating, leaving his elite troops in the rear to prevent himself from pursuing!
wrong?

If Zhang Yu only left elite troops behind, why would his troops have taken a series of actions to show weakness before?
Could it be that Zhang Yu was luring him to send his White Horse Volunteers to pursue, and then he used his infantry to defeat his White Horse Volunteers, which was similar to Qu Yi's operation in the Battle of Jie Bridge.

"Zhang Yu!"

Gongsun Zan gritted his teeth, his heart filled with anger.

When Gongsun Zan was angry about the Baima Yicong's trick, he saw a large number of Bingzhou cavalry appear on the left and right wings of the infantry, led by Zhao Yun and Xu Huang respectively, who came in with great momentum and raided the chaotic Baima Yicong.

"kill!"

Zhao Yun raised his spear high and galloped in front. Eight hundred cavalrymen shouted in unison, and they went from slow walking to fast galloping. In just a few breaths, thousands of iron hooves stepped on the ground, making a deafening roar, and the Bingzhou army began the battle.

Looking down from the sky today, we can see that the White Horse Volunteers were being slaughtered by the broadswords and spearmen in the front. When they were trying to retreat from the flank as a whole, the Bingzhou cavalry suddenly cut into the White Horse Volunteers' cavalry formation and cut it into two parts.

In the cavalry formation, Zhao Yun charged forward with a spear, and with one thrust of the spear, he killed a White Horse Volunteer in front of him. Then he followed the gap and charged straight into the cavalry formation. If any enemy resisted along the way, they would either be killed or injured. No one could stop him.

The attack by the cavalrymen directly led to the defeat of the White Horse Volunteers. Under the siege of the infantry and cavalry, the White Horse Volunteers were killed and cried for their parents, and rode their horses everywhere, without any power to resist.

When the White Horse Volunteers were besieged in Bingzhou, Gongsun Zan was furious. The White Horse Volunteers were the most proud of his army. Not only did they suffer a setback at the hands of Qu Yi, but now they were also suffering at the hands of Zhang Yu.

The difference between the two is that Qu Yi only defeated his Baima Yicong, while Zhang Yu used a combined attack of infantry and cavalry, which was digging out the roots of his Baima Yicong!

"Go forward and provide support!"

In order to support the White Horse Volunteers, Gongsun Zan led 2,000 cavalrymen to fight with Zhao Yun and Xu Huang's cavalrymen. The shouting and neighing of horses and the fierce fighting are the scenes on the plain today.

Xu Huang no longer had the lance in his hand. Now he held the iron horse whip tightly, and with his strong arms, he whipped the enemy cavalry in the formation and was almost invincible.

In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, with the exchanges and conflicts between the Han and Hu peoples, not only did cavalry tactics gradually reach their peak, but cavalry weapons also began to develop. A typical example is the horse whip, which was made of bamboo or wool. However, ordinary horse whips were useless in horseback fighting, so iron horse whips gradually evolved.

The iron horse whip weighs several pounds and is like a bamboo joint. It is the predecessor of the iron mace of the Tang and Song dynasties. It can be used to whip horses and kill enemies!
Because the battle is so fierce, Xu Huang has used an iron horse whip to kill the enemy!
"Den!"

There was a dull thud, and the collision between the iron helmet and the iron whip dented a large area of the helmet. Although the cavalry commander of Gongsun's army was not killed, he was dizzy and soon fell off his horse. The cavalrymen rushed up and trampled on him, crushing him to death.

"Although Gongsun Zan is not very resourceful, his cavalry are very brave!"

Zhang Yu led more than a hundred cavalrymen to stop on the hill, looking at the battlefield where fierce cavalry fighting was taking place, and sighed.

The Liangzhou soldiers and Youzhou soldiers were not Zhang Yu's favorite opponents, not only because the warriors in the border counties were good at fighting, but also because they had a lot of cavalry. After all, the upper limit of cavalry was too high in the hands of those who knew how to use it, and the cavalry was too mobile, so even if they were defeated, it would be difficult to completely wipe them out.

Wasn’t it that Li Jue was able to run to Anding because he had a cavalry unit?

The ratio of infantry and cavalry under Gongsun Zan was really outrageous. Among the 1 soldiers, 2 were cavalry and were infantry, which was about a ratio of :. Therefore, thanks to Gongsun Zan's lack of proficiency in the art of mixing infantry and cavalry, he was first defeated by Qu Yi and then by Gao Shun.

Seeing that the White Horse Volunteers were defeated by the infantry and cavalry, Zhang Yu gave an order: "Let Xu Chu organize the infantry and cooperate with the cavalry to surround and kill the remaining cavalry."

"promise!"

In the feudal army, the infantry and cavalry are like yin and yang. It is not true that infantry can definitely defeat cavalry, but cavalry cannot necessarily defeat infantry. Sometimes infantry can defeat cavalry, and likewise cavalry can defeat infantry. How to make good use of the infantry and cavalry on the battlefield is the key to victory.

Zhang Yu now used infantry to defeat the White Horse Volunteers, and then used cavalry to defeat the White Horse Volunteers. Gongsun Zan led the cavalry to fight, and the cavalry was entangled, so the infantry could advance in formation, squeeze the enemy cavalry's space from the flank, and help the cavalry defeat the enemy cavalry.

Under Zhang Yu's command, a large number of infantrymen advanced in formation and cooperated with the cavalry in combat.

Arrows flew out from the infantry phalanx, shooting the enemy cavalry off their horses, and the cavalry took the opportunity to attack and defeat some of the enemy cavalry. Or they shouted slogans, raised their spears horizontally, and marched forward in unison, forcing the enemy cavalry to not dare to approach and squeezing their space for movement.

Gongsun Zan killed a cavalryman with his spear, and then saw that his infantrymen had not arrived yet, and Zhang Yu was surrounding and killing him with a mixture of infantry and cavalry. He was angry and powerless. He was angry at Zhang Yu's cunning, and powerless to change the situation of defeat.

After fighting for a while, seeing that the situation was becoming increasingly serious and the infantry was nowhere to be seen, Gongsun Zan decisively ordered a withdrawal in order to avoid losing more soldiers.

In an instant, the cavalry of Gongsun's army scattered like birds and beasts and retreated to the rear. However, it was not so easy for Gongsun Zan to retreat.

"Order Tuli and Qin Yilu to lead the cavalry to pursue, and all the troops on the south bank to organize their forces and pursue Gongsun Zan. Make sure to defeat his infantry!" Zhang Yu said.

"promise!"

The two cavalry units retreating from the north bank, led by Tuli and Qin Yilu, marched along the route pursued by Xu Huang and Zhao Yun. The units on the south bank, led by Gao Shun and Xu Chu, headed towards the infantry under Gongsun Zan in the distance.

Zhang Yu was not content with just defeating Gongsun Zan's cavalry, now he wanted to eat up the infantry under Gongsun Zan's command!
Looking at the battlefield situation where victory was already decided, Zhang Yu held the reins and said to Jia Xu beside him with a smile: "Wenhe is very wise. He was able to predict that Gongsun Zan would attack us halfway across the river. This battle was a great achievement of yours!"

(End of this chapter)