My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Liyang Ferry, north bank of the Yellow River.

Le Jin and Chang Diao had led 13,000 infantry and cavalry to the ferry.

Le Jin, a seasoned general with extensive experience in battle, did not immediately deploy his troops on the beach to display his strength.

The two men temporarily stationed their troops at the ferry crossing, and led only a dozen or so riders to the shore to observe the strength and weakness of the Chu army.

Looking into the distance, nearly a hundred boats and rafts on the south bank have already set sail from the ferry dock, forming an attack formation and roaring toward the north bank.

After a rough estimate, Chang Diao exclaimed excitedly:

"General Right, the Chu army should number no more than ten thousand. Our army outnumbers the enemy, and we also have three thousand iron cavalry. Defeating them will be as easy as turning one's hand!"

"Let's bring all our troops over here. As soon as the Chu army lands, we'll rout them!"

Le Jin's expression was equally excited, but he was clearly much more experienced. He snorted coldly and said:

“With your tactics, we can easily repel the Chu army, but at most we can only kill a thousand or so enemy soldiers.”

"I don't want a small victory; I want to annihilate all 10,000 Chu soldiers, capture that traitor Hao Zhao alive, and present him to the General of Chariots and Cavalry so that he can vent his anger!"

Chang Diao was taken aback at first, but then he understood Yue Jin's deeper meaning.

This veteran general from Wei is planning to let the Chu army land on the river to fight them, and then annihilate the enemy who have crossed the river in one fell swoop.

"General Right, tell me how we should fight, and I will follow your orders!"

Chang Diao clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, his eyes filled with admiration for Yue Jin.

After a moment's thought, Yue Jin pointed and said:
"Our advantage lies in your three thousand cavalry, which is the key weapon for us to defeat the enemy."

"Later, I led my infantry to form ranks on the beach, pretending to resist the enemy. After a brief engagement, I pretended to be outmatched and retreated, luring Hao Zhao to bring all the Chu troops ashore."

"When the enemy troops have all landed and are still not firmly established, you lead light cavalry along the north bank from the east and launch a surprise attack on their right flank."

"If we attack from both sides, with infantry and cavalry coordinating, we will surely annihilate the Chu invaders!"

Chang Diao understood and bowed respectfully.

"As expected, experience counts! With this fighting style, General Right, we are sure to crush that traitor!"

"This humble general has the honor of following the Right General into battle, and this great achievement is well-deserved."

After being flattered by his junior, Le Jin couldn't help but smile with a hint of smugness.

Just as Chang Diao was about to accept the order and leave, he suddenly remembered something and reminded him:
"Back then, Xiao and that sorcerer created a Crescent Moon Formation that utterly defeated our army of five thousand iron cavalry. We must be wary of it."

"We must act according to the situation. If the Chu invaders show any signs of landing chariots, we will attack immediately. We must not let them set up the Crescent Moon Formation!"

Chang Diao suddenly realized his mistake, praised Yue Jin for his thorough consideration, and then accepted the order and left.

Thus, the two armies, one infantry and one cavalry, parted ways.

Chang Diao led three thousand Wei cavalry to ambush downstream.

Le Jin then personally led 10,000 infantrymen to the beachhead and lined up in battle formation.

On the Yellow River, the Chu army's boats and rafts had already passed the center of the river and were approaching the north bank.

Hao Zhao stood at the bow of the ship, sword in hand, surveying the Wei army's situation at Liyang Ferry from afar.

The Wei army's massive formation was clearly visible, with the banner bearing the character "乐" (le, meaning joy/happiness).

"As expected, Cao Ren did not personally lead the army out of the city. Grand Commandant Xiao is truly a divine man..."

Hao Zhao clicked his tongue in admiration.

When they parted ways at Baima that day, Xiao He had already determined that Cao Ren, fearing a surprise attack on Liyang, would not dare to send out his entire force. He would most likely remain in Liyang and order Yue Jin to lead half of his troops to intercept them.

The current situation of the Wei army and Cao Ren's troop deployment are almost identical to Xiao He's deductions.

Hao Zhao felt a surge of confidence, and immediately drew his sword, shouting:
"Beat the drums! All boats, charge onto the north bank!"

Tom-tom-tom——

On the flagship, the sound of war drums suddenly rang out, drowning out the roar of the waves.

More than a hundred Chu army ships and rafts, with full sails and oars, sped towards the north bank.

In an instant, the warships had closed to within an arrow's reach.

On the beach, at Le Jin's command, the Wei archers began to fire arrows.

Thousands of arrows soared into the air and rained down on the Chu army's warships.

Deng Ai grabbed his round shield and held it in front of him, shouting:
"All troops, take cover from arrows! Archers and crossbowmen, counterattack the Wei invaders!"

As the command flag waved, the infantry soldiers immediately raised their round shields to block the incoming arrows.

The Chu archers on each ship quickly drew their bows and unleashed a rain of arrows at the Wei army on the shore.

A net of light immediately appeared in the sky near the north shore.

On the ship and on the shore, screams rang out from time to time as soldiers from both sides were shot down one after another, blood gushing into the air...

The Chu army's soldiers were incredibly brave and fierce, each one determined to gain merit and change their fate. Braving the rain of arrows, they urged the boats to continue their rapid journey.

Finally, the first raft reached the shore.

The Chu army, like wild beasts released from their cages, leaped off their warships and pounced on the Wei army arrayed on the shore.

The sounds of weapons clashing, flesh being pierced, and soldiers' cries of agony filled the air on the shore in an instant.

"Order all units to form ranks and advance!"

Anyone who dares to retreat will be executed!

Hao Zhao leaped off the warship, brandishing his long sword and shouting fiercely.

One after another, boats and rafts rushed ashore, and thousands of Chu soldiers swarmed onto the riverbank, quickly forming ranks and charging towards the Wei army.

The two armies engaged in fierce fighting along the riverbank.

Le Jin was shocked.

The fighting strength of the Chu army far exceeded his expectations.

They charged forward wave after wave, fearless and reckless, as fierce as tigers and wolves, sacrificing themselves without hesitation...

Looking at the Chu army, which was like a mad dog, his mind was filled with these shocking words.

"Fortunately, General of the Flying Cavalry gave me three thousand cavalrymen; otherwise, I'm afraid I really might not have been able to stop these Chu invaders with just over ten thousand infantrymen!"

"Is the power of this equal-field system truly so unbelievable that it could turn the entire Chu army into a bunch of fearless beasts?"

Le Jin gasped, his mind racing.

After taking several deep breaths, he finally managed to suppress his shock, and a proud smile returned to his lips.

"So what if you are as fierce and valiant as beasts? Later, when the iron cavalry descends, let's see how you, with your flesh and blood, resist..."

Le Jin gave a cold laugh, brandished his sword, and shouted:

"Pass on my order: all units shall feign retreat and allow all the Chu invaders to come ashore on the north bank."

"Light the signal fire again, and order Changdiao's ambush troops to move out!"

The command flag waved, and the sound of metal rang out.

More than 10,000 Wei soldiers, like Meng Dahe, began to retreat step by step, all the way back to the heart of the ferry.

The Wei army vacated the open beachhead, allowing the Chu army, who had been trapped on their ships, to disembark and go ashore.

In a short time, nearly 10,000 Chu soldiers had landed.

The Chu army's morale soared, and they began to form ranks and advance into the heart of the ferry crossing.

Hao Zhao breathed a slight sigh of relief, while ordering the Chu army to form ranks and looking up to assess the enemy's situation.

A plume of smoke quickly came into view.

"The Wei army is greedy and wants to annihilate your ten thousand troops. They will feign a retreat with their infantry to lure your entire army ashore, then use beacon fires as a signal to send their cavalry to launch a surprise attack from the flank. You must be very careful..."

As Bai Ma parted, Xiao He's other words of advice immediately echoed in his ears.

Now the Wei army has retreated, and the beacon fires have been lit; the first two steps have already been predicted by Xiao He.

Just one step left.

Hao Zhao's heart pounded, and his gaze swept towards the east.

Suddenly his eyes narrowed.

From the east, a cloud of dust, obscuring the sky, was sweeping along the north bank of the Yellow River, heading towards his flank.

A flag bearing the character "常" (Chang) fluttered in the dust and mist.

Countless cavalry figures appeared and disappeared in the dust and mist.

"Wei cavalry? Is it really Wei cavalry?"

"Cao Ren's every move has been predicted by Grand Commandant Xiao. The Grand Commandant is truly a divine being!"

Hao Zhao gasped, letting out a horrified exclamation.

The iron cavalry galloped like the wind, and in the blink of an eye, they were upon them.

Hao Zhao suddenly came to his senses, and instead of fear, his face was filled with even more confidence.

Every move the Wei army made was within Xiao He's expectations, so what was there to worry about?

The sage-like Grand Commandant Xiao must have a solution!
All he had to do was follow Xiao He's instructions and fight to the death. Hao Zhao laughed loudly and said boldly:
"Soldiers of Great Chu, do not panic, follow me to form a battle formation and repel the enemy!"

At the command, more than two thousand Chu soldiers rushed to the right wing and hastily began to form ranks.

The iron cavalry galloped like the wind, and in the blink of an eye, they had already charged close to the Chu army.

Seeing that the Chu army had not yet changed its formation, Chang Diao couldn't help but click his tongue in admiration:
"It must be said that General Yue is truly a seasoned veteran who has been on the battlefield for many years. He easily captured the traitor Hao Zhao by simply ambushing his troops along the way."

"I, Chang Diao, accept credit for today's achievement!"

With a burst of wild laughter, Chang Diao spurred his three thousand iron cavalry to gallop at full speed.

"Slay all the Chu invaders—"

With a roar, Changdiao charged into the Chu army.

Three thousand iron cavalry, like a huge sharp blade, followed closely behind and pierced into the Chu army.

The sounds of breaking, hissing, and wailing rose into the sky once more.

Hundreds of Chu soldiers were knocked to the ground like paper in an instant.

Although the Chu army was brave, they were still flesh and blood, and not brave enough to withstand a cavalry charge.

In addition, the Wei cavalry arrived too quickly, and the Chu army had not yet formed a proper formation before the enemy cavalry had already crashed into them.

In an instant, several gaps were breached in the Chu formation, and the formation fell into chaos.

The right flank of the Chu army has been breached!

Front view.

Seeing Chang Diao arrive as promised, Yue Jin's lips curled into a sinister smile. He raised his sword and shouted:
"Great Wei soldiers, listen to my command! My cavalry has arrived! Push them back and drag the Chu invaders into the river!"

The morale of the 10,000 Wei soldiers soared, and like wild beasts injected with chicken blood, they roared and howled as they charged at the Chu army once again.

The Chu army, which had initially held the upper hand, was immediately pushed back by the Wei army and began to retreat towards the shore.

Caught between two attacks, the Chu army's situation quickly deteriorated into a perilous predicament.

Hao Zhao showed no fear, but instead wielded his sword to kill Wei soldiers, inspiring the Chu army to fight to the death.

Fortunately, the Chu army was fierce and elite, and even in such a dire situation, their morale remained intact.

In addition, Hao Zhao was good at defense, and with his excellent command ability, he filled in the gaps in front and back, managing to keep the Chu army from collapsing completely.

However, it was barely managing to stay afloat.

Under the pressure of the Wei infantry on the front and the constant attacks of the enemy cavalry on the flanks, the Wei army retreated step by step, constantly shrinking its position, and was soon driven to a narrow beach.

Behind us is the Yellow River.

If they retreated any further, these 10,000-plus Chu soldiers would truly be driven into the Yellow River to be eaten by turtles.

"Grand Commandant, this is the limit of Hao Zhao's abilities. Isn't your strategy of defeating the enemy sufficient?"

Hao Zhao wiped the blood from his face and looked back at the rolling Yellow River. His once unwavering conviction seemed to be beginning to waver.

Front view.

A sneer of certainty appeared on Yue Jin's face as he raised his sword and shouted:

"Pass on my order: slaughter all the Chu bandits, leave no one alive, except for Hao Zhao, who must be captured alive—"

Before the word "capture" could be uttered, Yue Jin heard what sounded like a bugle call.

It came from behind.

His military instincts told him something was wrong, and he subconsciously turned around to look.

From the northwest direction behind them, a cloud of dust was sweeping in.

Amidst the dust and mist, countless cavalrymen appeared and disappeared, like ghostly soldiers emerging from hell.

The flags bearing the characters "Chu" and "Deng" fluttered majestically under the rising sun.

The iron cavalry of Chu!

It was the Chu cavalry, who descended from the sky like divine soldiers, attacking from behind them.

"Where did these Chu cavalrymen come from?"

"This this…"

Le Jin's face changed drastically in horror, as if he had seen a ghost.

The Wei army, which was originally in high spirits and ready to drive the Chu army into the river, was thrown into chaos when they saw the Chu cavalry descending from the sky behind them.

"Fortunately, I arrived just in time; everything was within Grand Commandant Xiao's calculations..."

To the northwest, Deng Ai, galloping on his horse, breathed a sigh of relief, inwardly sighing with admiration.

This was Xiao He's plan.

Taking advantage of Cao Ren's hatred for Hao Zhao, Cao Ren used Hao Zhao's 10,000 Chu troops as bait to lure him out of the city, and then attacked Hao Zhao's forces from both sides with infantry and cavalry.

Deng Ai led 3,000 light cavalry ahead of time, landing on the north bank of the river upstream of Liyang by boat. He launched a fatal attack on the Wei army from behind when Hao Zhao was in danger.

In this way, the Wei army can be severely damaged.

Having suffered a crushing defeat, Cao Ren's forces were greatly weakened, and he naturally dared not fight again. He could only retreat into Liyang City, waiting for Hao Zhao to set up camp at the ferry, so that their main force could gain a foothold, and waiting for Liu Bei to personally lead an army of 300,000 to arrive.

With a sigh of admiration, Deng Ai pointed his silver spear and roared:
"The Great Chu cavalry, ready to slaughter the Wei invaders—"

Three thousand iron cavalrymen, like a raging storm, crashed into the rear of the Wei army in an instant.

People and horses were thrown into chaos, and there was a cacophony of wails and howls...

In an instant, the Wei army was thrown into chaos by the Chu cavalry.

Hao Zhao, who was fighting a fierce battle, was overjoyed when he saw Deng Ai arrive.

"So Grand Commandant Xiao had actually deployed such a surprise force; this is truly a stroke of genius..."

Hao Zhao clicked his tongue in admiration, then brandished his knife and roared:

"Brothers, do you see that? Our cavalry is coming!"

"What are you waiting for? Follow me and fight back!"

The morale of the Chu army instantly soared.

They had been retreating step by step, but suddenly they seemed to have been injected with a stimulant, and they brandished their swords and spears and launched a frenzied counterattack against the Wei army.

Caught in a pincer attack, the Wei army was thrown into complete chaos.

The situation has reversed again!

Seeing the promising situation suddenly turn sour, Le Jin was so angry that he gritted his teeth.

However, the outcome was already decided, and he was filled with resentment but had no choice but to shout angrily:
"Sound the retreat! The entire army must retreat to Liyang immediately!"

Le Jin turned his horse and rode away.

The sound of gold rang out.

The morale of the 10,000 Wei soldiers completely collapsed, and like ants fleeing from their nest, they swarmed and fled towards Liyang City.

While Yue Jin led the infantry ahead, Chang Diao was still leading the Wei cavalry, charging forward fiercely.

Suddenly looking up, Chang Diao was shocked to see that the infantry to the north had collapsed, and thousands of Chu cavalry were rushing towards him like a flood.

"The Chu army still has a cavalry force?"

Chang Diao's expression changed drastically, and he inwardly cried out in alarm. He quickly reined in his horse and shouted:

"Retreat! The entire army retreats!"

It's too late.

Before the Wei cavalry could stop or turn around, the Chu cavalry charged head-on into them.

Men and horses fell, blood mist flew everywhere...

In the blink of an eye, the once invincible Wei cavalry was routed by the Chu cavalry.

Deng Ai charged ahead, his silver spear relentlessly reaping the lives of Wei soldiers, treading a bloody path as he charged straight towards Changdiao.

"Wei dog, Deng Ai is here! Prepare to die!"

With a thunderous roar, Deng Ai thrust his silver spear, swirling with blood mist, straight at Chang Diao.

"You little brat, how dare you be so arrogant!"

Chang Diao, who was originally flustered, was immediately enraged when he saw a young man charging towards him, and slashed at him with his sword.

He underestimated Deng Ai.

Deng Ai's martial arts skills were learned from Zhao Yun, and with his extraordinary talent, he now possesses at least 70% of Zhao Yun's strength.

With 70% of Zhao Yun's strength, dealing with a mere Chang Diao would be a piece of cake.

His spear flashed like a dragon, and before the opponent could even raise his sword, a cold glint had already arrived.

"boom!"

A muffled cracking sound.

Chang Diao's head was pierced and blown apart by the spear, his body gushing blood as he crashed to the ground from his horse. (End of Chapter)