Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 218 Breaking the Formation
Numerous landing craft dotted the waters of Baigou.

Wang Yuanxiao, clad in iron armor, squatted on the sampan, a short axe in his hand, urging the oarsman to hurry:

"Faster, we need to be the first to charge in."

After joining the Baoyi Army in Rongzhou with a few companions who were unwilling to die in the mountains, Wang Yuanxiao had not participated in many battles.

Although he had shown his abilities to the magistrate, in the Baoyi Army, only military merit mattered.

His skill in scaling walls was originally best suited for attacking cities, but unfortunately, after the Baoyi Army left Xichuan, they never fought any more siege battles, so his excellent skills could not be put to use.

Fortunately, they all played a role in the Dabie Mountains. As warriors who also lived among the mountains, the Qiang people were more agile and better at walking. Especially after being equipped with a lot of armor and weapons, they became the main force in searching the mountains.

However, Wang Yuanxiao was not very lucky. He only managed to become a squad leader after the mountain search battle was over. Then, because the mountain search battle was ineffective, the higher-ups changed the tactics.

Although the Baoyi Army eventually succeeded in pacifying most of the Dabie Mountains, by then they had already retreated to their rear strongholds and were unable to participate in the subsequent battles.

Therefore, when Wang Yuanxiao went on a military expedition to the Central Plains, this descendant of Wang Ping, a hero of the Qiang people who felt he had to make a difference, was still just a squad leader.

After that, the Baoyi Army marched north, enjoying a comfortable journey, but still arrived in Bianzhou without fighting a single battle.

Finally, a great battle broke out in Yuanju City, and Wang Yuanxiao followed Huo Yanwei to guard the three southwestern strongholds.

So when Bashan and Jindao were fighting a great battle there, Wang Yuanxiao was so hungry that he felt hot all over. Finally, under the command of the general, they rode mules to join the battle, but the grass army collapsed.

Wang Yuanxiao was unwilling to kill those peasant refugees as a military achievement, so in the final battle, he did not achieve any merit.

Because he had been suppressing his feelings for too long, when the magistrate ordered "Wudangdu" to take the lead in crossing the river, he immediately led his men to find the most experienced rower to row for him, for which he gave the man two hundred coins.

People fight for money; this is the first time I've ever seen someone beg someone to go to war for money!

There was no other way; Wang Yuanxiao, who was still a corporal, really wanted to make a name for himself and get ahead!

He also wanted to stand below the magistrate and shout "Loyalty!" to him!
Although he shouted from within the formation, it was too far away for the lord to hear him!
……

The oarsman was indeed skilled, and he carried Wang Yuanxiao and his group to the forefront.

Wang Yuanxiao, full of vigor, squatted in front of the sampan, cutting through the waves.

Behind him were four Qiang warriors, who, like him, had already donned their iron armor, with various long and short weapons placed on the boat, and were intently watching the shore ahead.

The massive city of Caozhou stretched across the water like a giant beast, with countless bandits running about on its high walls, their gongs and bells echoing across the wilderness.

On the riverbank, thick black smoke billowed from the burning bonfires. That was the result of the Cao Army's scorched earth policy before retreating into Caozhou City. They burned all the firewood and pastures that had been pushed aside outside the city, leaving nothing for the Baoyi Army.

The group that was vying for the riverbank was not mainly fighting for the riverbank south of Caozhou City, because that area was too dangerous.

The riverbank was covered with walls, and once you went up there, you would become easy targets for the rebel army on the city walls. Therefore, the order was given to the "Wudang" to seize the western section of the riverbank and establish positions there.

The oars pounded the lake surface violently as Wang Yuanxiao's five-man team sped forward. Crouching on the sampan, Wang Yuanxiao was ready to jump ashore at any moment.

However, he was too afraid to look down because he was afraid of water.

Although Rongzhou, where Wang Yuanxiao lived, had a large river, he had never been in the water in his entire life and was a complete landlubber.

Swallowing hard, Wang Yuanxiao could feel the small boat trembling. He wanted to call out to the rowers behind to slow down, but when he saw that the soldiers of another team had already rushed ahead of them, he swallowed his words.

But at that moment, a sudden situation arose.

Whether it was going too fast, hitting something, or the soldiers on the boat moved, the small boat carrying five soldiers capsized, its bottom flipping out and covering the lake.

The incident happened so fast that the soldiers on several nearby small boats were stunned when they saw it, and it took them a while to let the oarsmen move closer.

Actually, we're already very close to the shore. The water is probably only a little over a meter deep. If those armored soldiers could stand up, the water would only reach their chests.

But it was at this depth that the five armored soldiers on board perished.

The oarsman of the small boat swam out from underwater and was then caught in a net by a nearby boat and pulled ashore.

The oarsman was immediately tied up. He was required to explain what had just happened. If his mistake had resulted in the deaths of five precious armored soldiers, he would be punished according to military law.

The oarsman realized he had caused trouble and immediately burst into tears:
"It wasn't me, it was Corporal Sun who moved around recklessly, trying to go faster, and then the boat was hit by the underwater wooden fence, and then the boat capsized."

But it's no use saying that now. He will eventually be sent to the rear and interrogated in detail by Cao Li's men to see if he is a spy for the army.

Not far away, watching the five armored soldiers tumble down without even making a splash, Wang Yuanxiao felt a chill run down his spine. He couldn't help but whisper to the oarsmen behind him:
"Slow down, slow down, there's no need to go that fast."

But there was no need for him to say anything more. Even though the oarsman had stopped rowing, the boat's own inertia had already carried them to the shore.

Then the oarsman pulled out his bamboo pole and pushed off into the water, bringing the boat steadily to the shore. At this moment, the oarsman said softly:
"arrive!"

At this moment, Wang Yuanxiao, dragging his sore and numb legs, carefully stepped onto the riverbank, bracing himself against the gunwale. His four comrades-in-arms jumped up behind him and formed a small wedge formation with him.

At this time, along the section of the moat westward, stretching for four or five miles, five hundred "Wudang" officers and soldiers were swarming on the riverbank like ants.

Behind them, apart from a few small boats left to retrieve the drowned soldiers, nearly a hundred other small boats had begun to return, intending to send the second batch of Baoyi Army ashore.

Before these "Wudang" (a type of enemy force), the drawbridge at the west gate of Caozhou City slowly lowered, and a cavalry unit dressed in yellow rushed straight in from inside the city.

……

Under the banner that read "Hu Baoyi," Zhao Huai'an gazed out at the scene of hundreds of boats racing on the beach, and then looked at the city of Caozhou next to him.

This city is quite interesting. Its city walls are some distance from the Baigou River, so the south side of Caozhou City is land, but its three sides are directly adjacent to the moat. There are three stone bridges on the outer perimeter for easy passage.

However, the stone bridge was only half-built, and the rest should have been connected by a drawbridge. But now the drawbridge has been completely removed, leaving the stone bridges standing alone outside the city.

Therefore, in Zhao Huai'an's eyes, Caozhou City was not like a city on land, but rather like an isolated island on the water.

Furthermore, the city's towers and pavilions are magnificent, and the flags fluttering atop them make this isolated island resemble a monster with its jaws wide open, seemingly ready to devour all flesh and blood.

This city is really tough to conquer!
The Qiongzhou City he attacked before is no match for the Caozhou City before him. The width of the moat in Caozhou City is beyond what you can fill with soil.

In fact, this was also a characteristic he discovered after arriving in the Central Plains: the Central Plains, especially the prefectures located at key points of the Grand Canal, were almost all fortified cities and strongholds.

The city of Caozhou before him was not the most terrifying thing; he was truly shocked when he led his fleet through Chenzhou.

No matter what Caozhou City is like, it is still just a single city, but Chenzhou is a rare city in a lake, which means that the city is divided into inner and outer cities. There is a lake inside the outer city, and there is an inner city on the lake.

The inner city alone had a circumference of eight li, and the outer city had a circumference of thirty li. Moreover, it was about the same height as the city wall of Caozhou, and the city wall of Chenzhou was also over ten meters high.

It can be said that as long as the garrison of Chenzhou is united and has sufficient food and fodder, even if hundreds of thousands of troops come to attack Chenzhou, it will not be able to take it for one or two years.

So Zhao Huai'an could comfort himself and be thankful that he wasn't actually attacking Chenzhou City, otherwise he would have been crying.

But spiritual winning strategies, aside from self-deception, cannot change reality.

Zhao Huai'an still had to face Caozhou, the magnificent city on the banks of the Grand Canal.

The good news is that he no longer needs to perform.

Even if Zhao Huai'an didn't slack off, he still wouldn't be able to take Caozhou City with his current forces.

In such a crucial hub in the Central Plains, the political future of a region is determined by a single city or place. Without fully mobilizing the manpower in the rear, Zhao Huai'an's forces were basically unable to even fill the moat, let alone attack the city.

It was only after seeing Caozhou City that Zhao Huai'an understood why sieges in ancient times often lasted for several years.

Now that Caozhou is in such a state, Yizhou, as the key to entering Xuzhou from central and southern Shandong, must also be in a similar state of defense. No wonder the Cao army, with so many troops, is still stuck outside.

Therefore, Zhao Huai'an abandoned his idea and only allowed the "Wudang" to occupy a place on the beach to set up camp.

This time, the Baoyi Army sailed south by boat. In principle, they could have gone ashore without doing so. However, in order to seize the initiative on the battlefield, they had to establish a water fortress on the beach.

In this way, the Baoyi Army could have strongholds both on the water and on the land, making them capable of both offense and defense.

This was also Zhao Huai'an's insurance policy. If he needed to retreat from the shore back to the ship, this water fortress could hold back the pursuing bandits and prevent him from being chased into the water.

This is what he learned from Gao Pian when he was in Xichuan. Old Gao fought in the same way when he was fighting in Yazhou. He was quite cautious, or rather, quite steady.

However, Zhao Huai'an was not so confident in Wudangdu's fighting strength, because Wudangdu was not the old leader of his Baoyi Army. Its core came from the Qiang and Han people who moved south along the Yangtze River. These people were indeed high-quality soldiers and had withstood the test in the process of conquering the Dabie Mountains.

But these people had never participated in large-scale battles. He should have switched the positions of "Wudangdu" and "Bashandu" in the previous battle, so that they could experience the difference between a large-scale battle and a small-scale mountain search battle.

Although he was not entirely sure about the strength of "Wudangdu", Zhao Huai'an still firmly believed that "Wudangdu" would be able to complete the task he had been given.

Half of their confidence came from Huo Yanwei, the commander of the capital. This fake monk, who had only joined the Baoyi Army from Jidong Pass, became one of the five tiger generals of the Baoyi Army in just one year, relying on his bravery and intelligence.

So Zhao Huai'an was also looking forward to the performance of "Wudangdu". But suddenly, his eyes narrowed, because it seemed that there was a cheer on the city wall. Then, with a loud noise, a drawbridge that was ten meters long was suddenly lowered from the city wall and stopped on a river island in the moat.

This river island was specially left by the people who dug the moat. Its front section is connected to the opposite bank by a stone bridge, and its rear section is connected to Caozhou City by a suspension bridge.

In this way, when ships need to pass, the drawbridge can be lowered on the city wall, allowing ships to pass through the rear section; and when merchants are passing by on the road, the drawbridge can be lowered, forming a thoroughfare together with the stone bridge at the front.

Suddenly the drawbridge was lowered, and a troop of cavalry rushed out from the city gate. They were all dressed in yellow robes, hats, and cloaks, and crossed the drawbridge to the other side.

Seeing the cavalry rushing straight towards his beachhead, Zhao Huai'an's expression changed, and he gave the order:

"Order the large ships to advance and use crossbows to protect the 'Wudang' army on the shore! Also, beat the drums to encourage them and tell my brothers on the shore to fight to the death!"

Upon receiving the order, Niu Li immediately signaled with flags to the row of large ships moored on the water behind him. Subsequently, ten large ships, having received the order, lowered their anchors and carefully approached the shore.

At the cost of one large ship running aground, ten large ships finally found suitable water levels and lined up to protect the "Wudang Army" on the shore.

At this moment, the herd of cavalry had already charged forward.

……

Gazing at the chaotic, unformed Baoyi Army, Huo Cun, leading the cavalry, smiled cruelly. He raised his golden-topped Zhaoyang spear with one arm, pointing it at the Baoyi Army forming ranks ahead, and roared at the cavalry behind him.

"Kill the Tang dogs! Unify the world!"

At this moment, the cavalrymen were already roaring. These knights from Pu, Cao, Yan, and Yun were all former local bandits, skilled in horsemanship, cunning and cruel.

Seeing the Tang army in disarray before him, he felt an overwhelming urge to slaughter them.

Amidst the continuous horns from both sides, the two hundred elite cavalrymen who charged out of the city split into three groups, each forming a wedge formation, and charged toward the Baoyi Army that stretched for several miles along the shore.

The sound of massive hooves grew closer, and the pressure on "Wudangdu," which was swarming along the north bank, increased.

However, they held on, mainly because there was only the Baigou River behind them. The armored "Wudangdu" warriors had no way to escape, because falling into the water meant certain death.

Thus, they resisted their instinct to flee and, amidst the shouts of their respective officers, managed to organize a thin military formation.

Outer on the perimeter were infantrymen carrying spears, behind them were stilt walkers carrying shields, short axes, and broadswords, and at the very back were archers hurriedly nocking their bows.

The moment the outermost infantrymen lowered their spears, the cavalrymen on tall horses swarmed forward.

Instantly, the cries of men and the neighing of horses filled the air, and blood and flesh surged as a bloody battle erupted across the entire front, in the front, middle, and rear sections!
……

This is the easternmost section of the riverbank front.

Almost instinctively, the moment the infantry spears in front of him were deflected, Wang Yuanxiao swung his short axe.

The enemy cavalryman had just used his lance to knock down the infantryman in front of him when he suddenly saw an armored soldier wielding an axe charging from his left, aiming to strike him.

In shock, Cao Jun's mind went blank, and he instinctively raised his left arm. But the next moment, a piercing pain shot through his left thigh, almost causing him to go into shock.

When he was pulled off from the other side, his left leg was only half connected. He hugged his leg and howled loudly, then a Wudang warrior next to him smashed his skull with an axe.

Meanwhile, Wang Yuanxiao, who was covered in blood, saw a dense crowd of people in front of him. The Grass Army and the people of Wudangdu were completely locked in a fierce battle.

After killing the bandit knight, Wang Yuanxiao said to the other squad leader who had just cooperated with him:
"Lead the warhorses back and give them to the brothers in the army who can ride. We must go around to their backs. If we fight like this, the enemy will be able to push us off the battlefield."

The sergeant nodded and was about to lead the horse when a bandit knight galloped from the side, holding a short iron-clad club, and suddenly swept it across the man's helmet.

In a flash, the corporal's helmet was swept away, revealing the crimson turban covering his hair. The corporal, his eyes bloodshot, walked over and then collapsed to the ground after only a few steps.

Seeing this, Wang Yuanxiao roared and, with the help of his two companions from the same mountain, swung his axe, hitting the grass army knight squarely on the forehead.

The flying axe nearly sliced ​​the man's skull open, resulting in a gruesome death.

After swinging his axe, Wang Yuanxiao pulled another axe from his attendant's waist and ran to the squad leader's side.

He pulled his comrade up and saw that fresh blood was seeping from the side of the crimson turban. He checked the man's breath and roared:
"Quickly, drag Old Wang away! He's angry!"

After he finished speaking, two officers from their squad ran over, each supporting one of the squad leader surnamed Wang as they retreated.

At that moment, someone shouted from behind:

"Make way! Make way!"

Wang Yuanxiao quickly turned around and saw a newly formed team of Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) soldiers lined up behind him. The forest of swords, gleaming with cold light, was menacing and imposing.

Wang Yuanxiao laughed heartily, then he and the group of dancers moved aside and chanted in unison.

Amid cheers from their comrades, a fifty-man team of Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) formed five rows, then marched forward like a wall, chanting slogans.

The cavalrymen who were also caught in the fighting saw this, and their hair stood on end. Without thinking, they wanted to run away, but in their haste, the road behind them had already been blocked by their own men.

So, as this fifty-man squad of Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) pressed forward, the platoon leader of the first rank roared:
"cut!"

Then, a row of cold light flashed, and the already sharp Mo Dao (陌刀) was fiercely cleaved down by these tall Mo Dao warriors. Not to mention people, even iron ingots would be cleaved in two.

One of the soldiers was riding in the very center of the sword formation, and he alone was slashed three times.

The left slash severed the horse's head, the middle slash struck his head and cut through his neck, while the right slash cut his right hand holding the sword.

Hot blood, carrying the soldier's right hand, fell onto the riverbank.

After the first strike, the second row of warriors wielding long-handled swords emerged from behind, stepped to the front, and, at the shouts of their respective long-handled sword generals, unanimously delivered another strike.

This strike cut eight more grass army knights into pieces. The battlefield had become a slaughterhouse, with a strong stench of blood and excrement, along with the heat, assaulting the senses.

Some of the cavalrymen who had fallen behind could no longer hold back and bent over to vomit violently.

They used to be bandits, killing and robbing, never caring about other people's lives. But when they saw their own people being torn to pieces like pigs and dogs, they couldn't even bear to smell the stench anymore.

At this moment, even these soldiers were no longer needed. Their warhorses were so frightened by the murderous aura ahead that they hurriedly turned around and returned the way they came.

The grass army was in complete chaos, and the more chaotic it became, the less likely anyone could escape. At this moment, the third rank of Mo Dao soldiers had already come up. Facing the grass army who had only their backs exposed, these Mo Dao soldiers showed no mercy. Another wave of blades ignited panic.

Hearing the sounds of terror and the separation of flesh and blood behind them, the bandit cavalry could no longer contain themselves. They raised their swords and slashed at their allies in front of them, trying to carve a bloody path through the middle.

People kill each other, people crammed together, people trampled on each other, there was no mercy or affection, everyone just wanted to escape the hell of knives behind them.

Thus, this band of about sixty or seventy riders collapsed before the Mo Dao warriors. At this moment, the Mo Dao warriors of Wudangdu had only advanced three ranks and taken five or six steps forward.

These Mo Dao (a type of long-handled swordsman) did not pursue, but maintained their formation. They remained in place as a base, covering their scattered comrades as they continued to regroup, keeping a close watch on this riverbank.

On the west side of the riverbank, the same scene was playing out.

Also consisting of fifty well-formed Mo Dao (陌刀) soldiers, under the cover of longbowmen in the rear, advanced in formation once more, and in just one round, they shattered the fighting spirit of these herdsmen cavalry.

Because they were separated and there weren't many of them, after leaving behind about ten corpses, the rest withdrew.

The real test was in the middle of the riverbank, because the Wudang Army only had a hundred Mo Dao soldiers, and they were all assigned to the east and west sides. So the Wudang warriors in the middle section could only use their spears and crossbows to block the surging grass army cavalry.

This cavalry force numbered a hundred, and they came in a cloud of dust, their leader being none other than the brave and valiant Huo Cun.

While both flanks recklessly charged into Wudangdu's armored formation and subsequently engaged in fierce battles, this natural-born cavalry general unexpectedly dispersed, revealing a caravan of mules and horses being driven behind him.

All the mules and horses were blindfolded and wrapped in coarse cloth soaked in oil. As the soldiers behind them set the mules and horses on fire with torches, the mules and horses immediately rioted.

They were engulfed in flames, wailing in agony, their instincts telling them that there was water ahead and they could survive if they jumped in.

Thus, more than ten mules and horses charged forward madly, crashing through the central section of the Wudangdu battle line with their flames and immense force.

The infantrymen at the forefront of the battle line were knocked to the side, coughing up blood. The frenzied mules trampled over their bodies and charged into the formation, only to be cut down by the sword-wielding and axe-wielding soldiers. They tried to pick up their spears and regroup.

But it was too late. Huo Cun had already led a hundred cavalrymen and charged straight in, taking the lead and breaking through.

But he didn't notice that Huang Qin, the commander of Caozhou City who had been observing the battle from the southwest corner tower of the city wall, showed no joy at seeing Huo Cun break through the enemy lines. Instead, he roared in panic:

"Quickly, send another team out of the city. We must rescue Huo Erlang!"

In his field of vision, ten giant ships, each weighing a thousand stones, had slowly approached. Then, to Huang Qin's horror, they lifted the tarpaulin on the deck, revealing rows of ballistae.

These terrifying weapons were now aimed directly at the rear of the grass army's cavalry!
　I'll post the second one a little later; I'm a bit exhausted, so I'm going to bed early.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)