Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 158 Iron Hoof Sweep
Wu Hengyu looked at Wu Gao, who was standing still and waiting for him to attack.

Thanks to the scout system established by Wu Fei, when Wu Hengyu led his troops to pursue Wu Gao's forces, scouts were constantly sent back as vanguards to relay information.

Regarding the troops that Wu Gao was waiting for, Wu Hengyu already knew halfway there that Yuwen Li had gone to steal chickens in Shenglong City. Due to the suppression by scouts, Wu Gao's side was waiting in a daze.

It's not surprising that Wu Gao's scouts were so easily frightened; Wu Gao himself was terrified of the enemy, so it's no wonder that after a couple of scouting trips, the scouts returned with the flimsy report of "stone mountains and stone caves." This illustrates the saying, "A cowardly soldier is a coward, but a cowardly general leads to a cowardly army."

Wu Hengyu was not worried about the situation in Shenglong City. His assessment of Wu Fei's military tactics was "a poisonous snake in the grass," meaning that the grass seemed calm, but somehow, he would get bitten.

…A tiger hunting a bear…

Looking at Wu Gao's current defensive formation, Wu Hengyu determined that there were four thousand soldiers gathered together in camp. The camp was very stable, and they were in a state of "waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out." It would be bad to launch a frontal assault.

After fighting Hao Jun for several months, Wu Hengyu also gained his own experience.

The optimal time for a surprise attack is during the enemy's march.

Wu Gao has now established a stable camp, with crossbowmen and musketeers providing cover.

At this moment, Wu Hengyu summoned the celestial chariots and ordered a troop of archers to advance and fire several rounds. This was a gamble, to see if the Hao army's formation would become chaotic when it shifted.

As expected, when the ghost chariots were flying through the sky, the musketeers in Wu Gao's formation, disregarding their aim at the cavalry in front, began firing into the air. Meanwhile, Wu Hengyu's two hundred archer cavalrymen were divided into four groups and fired arrows from the air, throwing Wu Gao's entire army's position into chaos.

Wu Hengyu glanced around and saw that the Hao Kingdom's army was in a state of flux as his light cavalry moved back and forth.

Wu Hengyu determined the distribution of the demoralized peasants within the Hao army in the battle formation.

Wu Hengyu summoned his officers and drew an attack map on the ground, depicting a series of meandering, surging lines, like a knife and fork cutting a steak.

In a straightforward manner, Wu Hengyu made his battle plan, and the flag signalmen called out to the entire army.

"You guys go around," "The ghost car is poised to swoop down from the sky," "I'm charging this way," "Look at my flag!" Wu Hengyu didn't hesitate to make himself the protagonist and then assigned tasks to the supporting characters.

Before the charge, all the cavalrymen fed their horses large amounts of soybeans and growth stimulants. Wu Fei was in charge of logistics for this battle. After Wu Hengyu dismounted, each cavalry squad orderly received their armor packs from the wagons.

"This is vehicle number A. Line up, first group, twenty sets in total. Sign here!"

"Second group, prepare!"

"Car B, fifth, sixth, seventh, this way, this way, line up! Hurry up, don't dawdle!"

……

The knights of the Yao Army lined up in an orderly fashion and ran to the various wagons loaded with armor. Then, under the leadership of their commander, they quickly organized the unloading of the armor and then assisted each other in putting it on in their respective areas.

When designing the cavalry armor, Wu Fei considered quick donning. Specifically, all the armor plates were attached to a single overcoat, similar to how firefighters don and remove their protective gear during emergency training.

This design allows heavily armored cavalry to quickly don their armor before charging.

Putting on traditional heavy armor is not as easy as a normal person putting on clothes; after each assembly kit is put on, dozens of straps need to be tied, otherwise it simply cannot withstand the bumps.

Wu Fei's armor design resembled a modern suit, being a single, integrated piece. There was an opening on the back of the armor, through which the wearer would crawl and then tie themselves together with ropes similar to shoelaces.

Xuanchong's conclusion after trying it: Zippers are currently difficult to manufacture, expensive, and prone to breakage, so they are unreliable.

This armor design greatly increased the time knights could wear it.

Meanwhile, Wu Fei had his officers practice repeatedly and also found a way to put armor on the warhorses.

Now, as Wu Hengyu prepared for battle, the entire team helped all the cavalrymen put on their armor in just forty minutes.

While the knights were changing their uniforms, Wu Hengyu's infantry phalanxes began to advance to the front lines. The first rank of these infantry phalanxes consisted of wooden oxen and flowing horses, which, with their shields, rendered the Hao army's numerous musket shots ineffective.

The Hao army could only achieve an effect with projectile fire; most of the musketeers' bullets hit the front shields of the shield wagons.

Just as the shield wagons drew closer, the soldiers of the Wu family army also stood still and entered a firing exchange. Wu Gao's entire army was on edge, watching their comrades fall to the ground after being hit by arrows, and trying to adapt to this state of balance.

But this balance quickly collapsed, and a rumbling tremor came from the earth as the Wu Hengyu Knights began their charge.

Wu Hengyu's cavalry was divided into four groups, communicating with each other using flags. Wu Hengyu's cavalry passed through the gaps left in his own infantry formation, and according to the pre-battle plan of cutting steak with a knife and fork, they inserted themselves into the place where the Hao army was most shaken, as they had just tested with mounted archery.

Wu Gao's archer column was on the march. The archers trembled with fear as they saw the dark mass of men pressing in from the wall ahead.

These Hao soldiers had hoped that the farmers at the front could hold them off, but as the cavalry charged and penetrated their ranks from both sides, the first rank of Hao soldiers' farmers were knocked four or five meters away and immediately collapsed. They put down their bows and arrows and began to push and shove.

As for the center of Wu Hengyu's charge, the Jade Warriors, with Wu Hengyu as their reference point, saw a giant hammer phantom, comparable to the sun and moon, forming above the Yao Army cavalry formation.

In the eyes of every soldier in the Hao army, this hammer was aimed at them (as if the moon were following them), and it was getting bigger and bigger. The Hao soldiers' legs trembled, and as if they had gone numb from using the toilet, they went limp.

Wu Hengyu's cavalry charged into the enemy ranks like a haircut. The halberdiers were instantly pierced by the heavy cavalry's spears, falling like dominoes. The hot blades plunged into butter, not only decimating the first rank of halberdiers but also sending a large number of crossbowmen flying. Meanwhile, the Yao Army's light cavalry, filing in through the gap, wielded ring-pommel swords heavier than the crossbowmen's waist knives, hacking down from above.

From the air, the cavalry column charging the Hao army wasn't particularly thick, consisting of only one rank. However, the terrifying impact rendered the first rank of Hao soldiers incapable of resistance. Before they could even stand up, the infantry squadron commanders of the Wu family army seized the opportunity, collectively sounding their horns and pressing forward in formation. The hundred-step distance was covered in twenty breaths. Within those twenty breaths, the Hao army's formation, which had resembled a festering sore from a mouth ulcer during the first wave of attack, was now being thoroughly penetrated.

First, the Hao army archers fled, causing chaos on Wu Gao's left flank, and Wu Gao, who was originally preparing to attack the city, panicked.

Although the battle cries at the front were deafening, Wu Gaoneng could clearly sense the barely suppressed whispers behind his ranks. This hushed conversation among the soldiers was a harbinger of a mutiny within the entire army. He quickly ordered his personal guards to quell the chaos on the left flank.

Wu Gao wanted to send the reserve force to the front, and then reorganize the routed soldiers under the banners held by his personal guards, but this would require valuable reserve forces.

However, Wu Hengyu was experienced in this kind of charge: the first wave of his attack must break through the enemy lines, and then it must continue during the retreat without being interrupted by any force.

Therefore, when the Hao army's reserves ran to the left to support the routed archer group, Wu Hengyu gave them no chance. Under the banners of officers who had come from the original Wu family's northern army, the Hao army's right rear flank was also attacked by the Yao army's cavalry. The Hao army's swordsmen and shield bearers guarding the supplies there were now also being knocked away by the Yao army's cavalry.

When these swordsmen and shield bearers faced the heavy hammer-like charge of the cavalry, the front ranks were trampled into a bloody pulp, their shields crushed into their chests by the horses' hooves, and then one after another, they became "fish scales" on the ground. The shields, ironically, became clean stepping stones in this bloody mess.

Amidst the chaos, Hao Jun's firefighting team discovered that they, entrusted with the mission of "turning the tide," were caught in a dilemma, unable to find a solution. It was like trying to plug a leak on one side of a ship, only to find that before they could do so, the other side was also leaking.

Hao Jun's five jade lions charged to the front line to try and save the day, but as they entered the group of farmers, they were directly rammed and blocked by Yao Jun's wooden oxen and flowing horses that were rolling at full speed.

After the Hao Army's jade lion fell to the ground, it began to tear at the chariot, and the other Hao Army soldiers surrounded it upon seeing this.

But the shadow in the sky made the Hao Army look up, and they saw that the ghost chariot began to inhale, and then suddenly exhale, spraying out dozens of feet of black evil energy at the jade lions. The black energy hit the jade lions and spread outward in waves. The Hao Army gathered around the jade lions felt that everything went black and they could not see anything.

Meanwhile, the outer skin of the jade lion fell off with a clatter and went out of control, jumping wildly among the troops, causing even greater chaos.

The "evil aura" emitted by the ghost chariot has the effect of disturbing souls. In the vicinity of wild ghost chariots, villagers often say that this ferocious beast likes to devour the souls of children.

The reason why war puppets like the Jade Lion can move is that their core is a sealed soul. Wu Fei adjusted the attributes of the Ghost Chariot, thus completely countering the Hao Army.

Further away, a ghost chariot, which was left behind by Yao Jun, was aimed at the "Immortal Soul Army" pouring out from the Youlong Teleportation Gate.

These ghost soldiers, summoned from the underworld by Hao Jun to work, all disintegrated into dust and rusted armor under the fierce aura spewed by the ghost chariot, returning to the ground.

Half an hour into the battle, Wu Gao's Hao army was like prey injected with spider venom, its tissues melting away. Wu Hengyu's cavalry, like venomous fangs, created chaos as they broke through the enemy lines—the very venom melting away the enemy's tissues.

As Wu Hengyu swung his spear like a god of death, the original formation of the Hao army along the way was no longer there. They were all trying to avoid this "domineering" skill. The Hao army formation spread out like water, with only a few remaining "tendons" holding it together.

These "tendons" were Wu Gao's first wave of personal guards, who struggled to gather the scattered soldiers.

If time permits, they will gather the fleeing soldiers around them and rebuild a defensive formation of thousands.

However—as a general with experience in shock operations, Wu Hengyu keenly discovered this "tendon" and decided to cut off this last bit of resilience.

……

Wu Hengyu's black horse spread its wings and transformed at a height of two zhang above the ground, with him as its sharp tip, followed by dragon-horse cavalry following his banner.

In the chaos, the Hao soldiers along the way lowered their heads and made way. The thirty-two riders behind Wu Hengyu were riding golden dragon horses.

The mounts of Wu Hengyu's personal guards were magnificent steeds, their hooves swift as swallows in flight. The routed soldiers felt an oppressive sense of impending doom, as if a locomotive were approaching, and they hastily took cover.

These terrified Hao soldiers waited until Wu Hengyu's troops had passed overhead before getting up, watching the direction of the elite cavalry's charge.

And so, under the watchful eyes of everyone, the place where Wu Gao's personal guards were organizing their defenses was torn apart like tofu. The large banner that had been raised to gather the fleeing soldiers was also swept away and cut in two by the horse spears.

Thus, the last thread of Wu Gao's army was severed, and there was no need for anyone to shout "Our army has been defeated".

The Hao army soldiers who had been on the outskirts and were about to flee when they sensed the danger were now running away even more resolutely.

Amidst the chaos of battle, Wu Gao stared at the collapsing army, his mind reeling. Just hours earlier, he had been waiting for his teammates to arrive for a team fight. Instead, he was caught in the top lane and taken down by Wu Hengyu's combo. Angry? He didn't have time to rage.

"General, let's go! We need to retreat to Chunyan City and fight again!" Before Wu Gao could react, he was dragged away by his personal guards.

During the operation, Wu Gao's armor was torn off because it was in the way. He grabbed a donkey cart from the rear guard's logistics team, threw all the boxes off it, and fled north in a panic.

…The donkey runs as fast as a mad dog…

Thus, after the fall of Shenglong Pass, the two armies of Hao Army that came to fight the final battle were scattered by Wu Hengyu's "prestige" and Wu Xiaoque's treachery.

It's worth noting that although the two armies that engaged in battle numbered 6,000 and 5,000 respectively, each was accompanied by a large number of laborers to maintain the transport of supplies and provisions. This brought the total size of the army to nearly 20,000. Now that the front lines have fallen, will the majority of the laborers who were rushing to the rear be spared?
The laborers who were still transporting supplies for the Hao army along the way saw soldiers fleeing in panic ahead, and noticed that some people who were clearly high-ranking officials were even taking their donkey carts with them after they retreated. The laborers sensed that the earth was about to collapse, so they also scattered and ran as far as they could.

The problem is, Wu Gao himself has escaped back to the city, but what about the food and supplies?
After the Battle of the River, Wu Fei dispatched a large number of people to collect supplies along the way and gather them all in Sheng Long City. At the same time, he called for Wu Hengyu to come over.

In front of a large group of sergeants, Wu Fei and Wu Hengyu had a strategic discussion. Wu Fei reviewed his ideas with Wu Hengyu, so that Wu Hengyu made the important decisions.

Regarding Wu Hengyu's own military command ability, Wu Fei confirmed: He has no problem with offensive and defensive operations at the campaign level, but he lacks strategic consideration of gains and losses.

Wu Hengyu himself believes that Wu Fei is extremely skilled at using his wits and cunning.

…between brothers…

During their private conversation, Wu Hengyu planned to take over "Spring Swallow City" in one fell swoop.

After all, Wu Hengyu had already obtained the city defense map of "Spring Swallow City". He judged that those who had fled back now were just frightened birds, and with a little more effort, he could rush down directly. In this way, he could finish the job after achieving his goal.

Clearly, Wu Hengyu is the kind of person who dislikes "trouble." He would rather just knock it down and then lie down and drink.

Wu Fei felt somewhat helpless about this. This personality trait often leads to impatience and a desire to solve problems quickly, which in turn makes the problems even more complicated.

Wu Fei used to have this kind of personality, but during his student life, he discovered that if you don't do things step by step, you can't get by in the end, and all your previous efforts will be in vain.

Wu Fei pondered: "Now we can indeed take over 'Spring Swallow City,' but after that, we still need to arrange production and relocate households. These troublesome things still need to be done by someone. Rather than that, we should withdraw our troops and now clarify the future irrigation canal planning and agricultural conditions in the river area."

Wu Fei's side planned the layout of earthen fortresses across the vast plain and prepared the titles and fiefs for the soldiers going on the expedition. He used rewards to motivate the generals.

As for Chunyan City, after losing a large amount of food, the people who escaped back were in a state of panic and had to divide the food among themselves. As time went by, their morale declined. With one side gaining and the other losing, it would be easier to fight after a while.

Of course, it's not accurate to say that Wu Fei stroked Wu Hengyu's fur in a flattering way.

Wu Fei: "Brother, you are now renowned and the people of Chunyan City are like frightened birds. But if you delay and attack them for a year, and then take over the city after Hao Kingdom has struggled to no avail, wouldn't the entire Hao Kingdom be terrified at the mere mention of your name?"

Wu Hengyu looked at Wu Fei and said, "I know you're just trying to coax me." Then she added, "I'll do whatever you want."

Wu Fei bowed like a subordinate: "Yes, sir!" — Although it wasn't a formal occasion, the tent lights cast their shadows on the tent flap. One of Wu Hengyu's strategists waited quietly outside the tent, intending to offer some advice after Wu Fei left. Seeing the tent shadows and hearing Wu Hengyu's light laughter, he frowned and withdrew.

(End of this chapter)