I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 450 The Battle of Mangdang Mountain (Part 3)
The dust kicked up by the enormous sound wave was so thick that even Liu Miao, who was on the mountaintop, could not escape it.

The dragon banner blew backward, and the wine cups on the table also moved back a few feet.

Liu Miao's cloak was lifted, and his eyes were slightly closed, his narrow eyes exuding an air of authority.

With his gaze fixed on the center of the battlefield, Liu Miao witnessed countless men and horses fall, yet he couldn't seem to focus. Just when he could make out a person's face, a wave might come crashing down and obliterate them completely.

Like Liu Miao, the other soldiers and officials watching from the mountaintop initially held their ground, hoping the enemy would advance with unstoppable momentum and capture the king single-handedly! But now that the two sides were locked in combat, where was the initial fervor?

Liu Miao placed his palms on his knees and leaned forward slightly.

"A person with a great reputation is indeed not without merit."

"Ju Shou seems to be making a complete gamble on this battle."

Just as Zhou Yu arranged heavily armed soldiers in the front line.

Ju Shou also arranged the Hebei halberdiers in the front line, clearly indicating that neither side was holding back for the subsequent battle.

Although the battle is fierce, one side has the advantage of terrain and the other has the advantage of popular support. It is obviously not that important to fight to a conclusion in this battle.

The real battle will be won by the cavalrymen who have not yet stepped onto the battlefield!
Ju Shou believed in Yuan's cavalry.

Liu Miao and Zhou Yu both had faith in the Han army's cavalry!

Therefore, neither side showed any humility or concealed their strengths in footwork.

Heavy infantry? Hebei halberdiers?
Even though such an army could effectively restrain cavalry, both sides tacitly deployed it to the infantry battlefield, hoping to perhaps open a breakthrough from the front.

But as it stands now, it's clear that neither side succeeded in stealing the chicken.

"Report——"

The scout rushed over to Liu Miao in two strides.

"News has come from Xiao County! They say a large force of Yuan's cavalry has been discovered!"

coming!

Liu Miao's expression changed drastically!
It really is to the east!
The west side of Mangdang Mountain is a sheer cliff, and the south side is a marshy, uneven lake. Yuan's cavalry had only one way to enter the battlefield: to ram into them from the eastern flank!

"Go and inform Gongjin!"

"Here!"

Now that Yuan's cavalry has appeared near Xiao County, it is natural to have Zhang Liao lead his cavalry to defend against them!
But when the scout returned, he delivered a military order that left Liu Miao somewhat bewildered.

"Gongjin said to wait?"

"Yes!"

The other party's resolute answer left Liu Miao somewhat bewildered.

Now that we have found traces of Yuan's cavalry, why not charge straight at them?

If we don't stop them, once Yuan's cavalry crashes into the eastern flank, all these Han soldiers will be doomed!

Zhou Tai frowned as well: "Why is Gongjin like this? Your Majesty! Should I go and ask him why?"

Liu Miao shook his head decisively.

"Since I have said that I will entrust all the battles at the front to Gongjin, I will not ask him any further questions."

Liu Miao turned towards the mountainside.

There was a high platform there, which was where Zhou Yu's command tent was located.

"But……"

Seeing that Zhou Tai was about to press further, Liu Miao stood up and kicked him without hesitation: "But what?! Go to the back and get a pot of wine!"

Zhou Tai's eyes widened: "What time is it! How can you still be drinking?"

Liu Miao kicked Zhou Tai in the butt again: "Damn it! You drank the most just now! And is this even your script? Get back to it!"

Zhou Tai went to get the wine, looking dejected, while Liu Miao sat down again.

"The entire war is now in your hands!"

"I have lost, I am dead, I accept it all!"

------

On the mountainside.

Zhou Yu looked back long after the scouts had left.

Seeing that Liu Miao was still sitting in the same spot and had not sent anyone to inquire, he felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

In fact, Zhou Yu had already figured out how to explain his orders in order to gain Liu Miao's trust.

But now it seems I was worrying too much!
At the same time, Zhou Yu also knew—

Liu Miao, he has truly entrusted his life to me!

"Whoo~~~"

Zhou Yu exhaled a long breath, trying to relax.

Zhou Yu instinctively wanted to rub his eyes to relieve his fatigue, but when his hand touched the coldness of his face, he realized that he was still wearing that hideous demon mask.

Put your hands down.

Zhou Yu's gaze hardened once more.

Now, it's not in that house in Shuxian County! Nor is it in that palace in Jinling!

Now, we are on the battlefield where the two sides are clashing!
Any wavering, any distraction, will lead to defeat in this battle!
Since Liu Miao has entrusted his life to me, how can I not concentrate on stopping him?
The face beneath the mask tightened again, and the previously chaotic thoughts were instantly cleared away, leaving it clear and bright.

"What I have behind me now is not the emperor, but the nation!"

Zhou Yu immediately summoned his scouts: "Go to the east! See when Yuan's cavalry will stop!"

Stop?
How could the cavalry, who had charged into the battlefield, stop?

Although the scout looked bewildered, military orders were paramount, so he mounted his horse and set off immediately. To the east were Taishi Ci's troops.

When Taishi Ci heard that Yuan's cavalry was charging from the east, his heart tightened!
"So, has the Commander-in-Chief already mobilized the cavalry?"

"no!"

"What do you mean by 'nothing'?"

Taishi Ci's two thick eyebrows furrowed together: "Does His Majesty know?"

"I know! But His Majesty did not inquire of the Commander!"

These words made Taishi Ci's brows relax again.

"Since it is His Majesty's decision, then I have nothing more to say!"

Taishi Ci was no longer anxious, and did not even send extra troops to protect the flanks, but continued to engage in the battle on the main battlefield.

Half an hour passed.

Fighting has become the norm.

The initial shock has turned into numbness.

In that short half-hour, cowardly men who feared death suddenly became brave and fearless warriors; and brave and fearless warriors suddenly became cowardly men who feared death. Loyal men who swore to die for their country suddenly became surrendering prisoners of war; and surrendering prisoners of war suddenly became loyal men of their country who swore to die for their country.

No matter how grand the scene, under constant scrutiny, it will become so commonplace that people will even actively ignore it.

Yuan Jun is like that.

The same applies to the Han army!

Most people were completely confused at this point, not knowing what they were doing or what they were looking at.

But some people remain clear-headed.

Ju Shou.

Zhou Yu.

And then there's Taishi Ci, who was suddenly awakened by the unusual tremor in the ground!

He climbed to a high place and looked eastward.

Dust filled the sky!

Yuan's cavalry are here!
The cavalry and their warhorses trampled the ground together, raising dust clouds higher than mountains!
Especially as the tremor gradually intensified, intensified, and intensified until the echo could no longer keep up with the echo, the expressions of the Han soldiers on the east side all changed!
wrong!

This is not the five thousand cavalrymen that were mentioned before the battle!

The earth-shaking force clearly exceeded ten thousand!
Taishi Ci gripped the bow tightly and bit his lip hard.

He once wandered in Liaodong and witnessed the Wuhuan and Xianbei peoples, whose entire populations were soldiers.

Taishi Ci knew cavalry better than anyone.

This isn't just 10,000 people! It's more than that!
Could it be that Ju Shou transferred all of Yuan's cavalry to this size?

Taishi Ci anxiously looked towards the mountaintop.

Will a cavalry force of that size really stop?

Did Zhou Yu ever make a mistake in judgment?
Your Majesty... has there ever been a time when you made a mistake in judgment?
At this time, more and more disturbances were emerging in Taishi Ci's army.

Now, only two paths remain for Taishi Ci—

Alternatively, they could abandon their army, confront Zhou Yu in front of his troops, and cause their morale to completely collapse, leading to their crushing defeat by Yuan Shao's cavalry.

Either appease the army, and then, as Zhou Yu instructed, wait obediently here until Yuan's cavalry charges in front of you and crushes you alive!
"General!"

At this moment, a deputy general who had followed Taishi Ci all the way from Qingzhou rode up on horseback to urge him on.

"Withdraw!"

"If the enemy cavalry charges at us, we're all doomed either way!"

The deputy general looked anxious and shouted at Taishi Ci! The sound was heard by all the Han soldiers around him, and they all turned to look at Taishi Ci.

"This battle was mostly due to Zhou Yu's poor command! It has nothing to do with you, General! You should take advantage of the current opportunity to escape and quickly go to protect the Emperor and retreat to the south!"

You want me to leave?

"Now, what reason is there not to withdraw?"

The deputy general remained anxious yet concerned, while Taishi Ci merely glanced at him.

His eyes were extremely complex, containing disgust, guilt, regret, reluctance, helplessness, and above all, determination!

"Do you still have a wife and children at home?"

The lieutenant was clearly taken aback: "Yes! Why are you talking about this now, General? Why aren't we leaving?"

Taishi Ci took the short halberd and sighed softly.

"I will take care of your wife and children! From now on, I will treat your son as my own!"

The deputy general did not understand Taishi Ci's intention.

However, a crescent-shaped flash of cold light immediately appeared before him, and all that remained in his ears was Taishi Ci's loud shout—

Anyone who dares to speak of retreat again will be executed on the spot!

That deputy general had followed Taishi Ci for a very long time and was also from the same hometown as Taishi Ci, so he had a very high reputation!

The Han soldiers, who had been focused on this area, shuddered and dared not harbor any more illusions. Their previously chaotic and even somewhat broken formation became stable again.

Many soldiers steeled themselves and decided to pretend they were blind and deaf, ignoring the approaching thunder from the east!

Only Taishi Ci kept his eyes fixed on the Yuan army cavalry in the distance!
"Gongjin, His Majesty and I have staked our lives on you!"

"If these Yuan army cavalry really break into our formation, then we will truly only meet again in the Yellow Springs!"

(End of this chapter)