Three Kingdoms: Daily settlement helps Liu Bei revive the Shu Han dynasty.

Chapter 118 Valiant Cavalry Rush to Relieve the Siege of Shangyu; Zilong Slashes Enemy General's Flag in Battle

After receiving Lu Yong's order to rush to the aid of Shangyu, Zhao Yun immediately mustered his elite cavalry and galloped southeast.

It's only about fifty li from Shanyin to Shangyu, a journey that can be completed in half a day by fast horse.

They set off at dawn, and by noon Zhao Yun and his party had already arrived five miles outside Shangyu City.

The scouts who had gone ahead to explore turned back and rushed to Zhao Yun, bowing and reporting, "General, the troops from Yuyao and Gouzhang counties have joined forces, numbering over ten thousand, and are launching a fierce attack on Shangyu County!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun led his cavalry to increase their speed and hid in a mountain forest outside the city.

He dismounted and said to his adjutant, "Pass down the order: the entire army shall take cover and rest for half an hour."

After saying that, he quickly climbed up a high slope by the roadside, raised his right hand to his brow bone, and looked towards the direction of Shangyu City.

Under the blazing sun, the low city walls of Shangyu were already densely packed with people.

Many of the crenellations on the city wall were already dilapidated, and the defenders were desperately holding off the enemy with the remaining walls.

The attacking soldiers, carrying more than a dozen siege ladders, roared and surged up the city walls in waves.

Although people were constantly being hit by arrows or struck by stones, no one backed down.

The defenders' arrows were sparse, and the city's supplies may have been exhausted.

However, the enemy adopted a strategy of surrounding three sides while leaving one side open, which gave Zhao Yun the opportunity to pass on a message. Zhao Yun withdrew his gaze and said to the guards behind him, "Go to the west gate and tell General He Qi that in an hour, I will lead cavalry to launch a surprise attack from behind the enemy."

At that time, the city's garrison will launch a full-scale attack, and we will launch a pincer attack from both sides, wiping out this enemy force in one fell swoop!

The guards mounted their horses, bypassed the enemy lines, and galloped along the edge of the fields toward the west gate.

City wall.

He Qi was wielding his sword and slashing down an enemy soldier who had climbed onto the ramparts; he was covered in blood.

Taishi Ci blocked the gap on the other side, and two wounds also appeared on his body.

He Chong led the reserve team, running back and forth on the city wall, trying to salvage and extinguish the fires.

Just then, the garrison commander at the west gate came to report: "General! There are reinforcement scouts at the west gate!"

"Let him in!" He Qi said without turning his head.

"Yes, sir!" The guard left.

The commander ordered his men to lower ropes, and his personal guards climbed up to the top of the city wall.

Before long, he arrived in front of He Qi, clasped his hands and said, "General He, General Zhao has led a thousand cavalrymen and is hiding in the mountains and forests a mile outside the city."

General Zhao ordered me to relay a message: he will launch a surprise attack from behind enemy lines in one hour. General, please give it your all!

Upon hearing this, He Qi burst into laughter: "Good! Go back and tell General Zhao that I will certainly not break my promise!"

The guards obeyed the order, slid down the rope from the city wall, mounted their horses, and rode away.

He Qi found Taishi Ci and He Chong and said, "General Zhao has arrived. We'll break out in an hour!"

Taishi Ci gripped his spear tightly, let out a long sigh, and said, "I've waited so long, it's finally here."

He Chong licked his chapped lips and grinned, "I didn't expect Wang Lang to be so popular in Kuaiji. So many people are willing to risk their lives for him."

"They're just a bunch of aristocratic families whose interests are tied to his, trying to take advantage of the chaos to gain some benefits," He Qi said disdainfully.

One hour later.

The sun was beginning to set, and both the attacking and defending soldiers were exhausted.

The county troops attacking the city have been taking turns attacking for most of the day, suffering nearly a thousand casualties, but they still haven't been able to breach the city walls.

Their morale began to decline, and their offensive gradually slowed down.

Zhao Yun led his cavalry and secretly bypassed the enemy's rear.

Now that their backs are exposed in the open, it is the perfect time for the cavalry to charge.

Zhao Yun raised his gleaming silver spear and shouted to the thousand cavalrymen behind him, "Soldiers, follow me and charge!"

"kill!!!"

A thousand iron cavalrymen, begin to accelerate and sprint!

The horses' hooves thundered, their momentum was like a rainbow!

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves puzzled the enemy soldiers.

Many soldiers in the rear stopped advancing and looked back.

That one glance sent them shivering with fear!

Amidst the billowing dust, a well-organized cavalry force was charging towards them at full speed!

Zhao Yun took the lead, forming a wedge formation with himself as the arrowhead, and charged straight at the enemy's central banner!

The gleaming silver spear thrust rapidly to the left and right, its tip slicing through the air and producing a terrifying sonic boom!

The county soldier at the front hadn't even seen who it was when blood gushed from his throat, and he slowly collapsed, clutching his neck.

A thousand cavalrymen, like a sharp sword, plunged straight into the enemy ranks.

On the city wall, when He Qi saw Zhao Yun's cavalry appear, he drew his sword and roared to his soldiers behind him, "Open the city gates! All troops, attack!"

The east gate, which the county troops had been attacking for a long time without success, began to slowly open on its own.

He Qi, Taishi Ci, and He Chong led the remaining garrison of less than two thousand men out of the city gate and charged into the enemy ranks!

Caught in a pincer attack, the enemy forces were thrown into complete chaos.

Zhao Yun's cavalry maneuvered back and forth through the enemy lines, dividing and encircling them.

He Qi, Taishi Ci, and He Chong's infantry pressed forward relentlessly.

In less than half an hour, more than 10,000 county soldiers suffered heavy casualties, and their morale completely collapsed.

Finally, some people couldn't resist and started deserting.

Once someone takes the lead, more and more people will follow suit.

Soon after, the small-scale escape turned into a rout.

Zhao Yun also reached the vicinity of the enemy's central banner at this time.

Beneath the great banner stood an enemy general riding a green horse.

He was screaming at the top of his lungs, trying to reorganize the defense.

Zhao Yun made no sound, but silently urged his horse to speed up and thrust straight ahead!

A flash of cold light appeared first, followed by the spear thrusting out like a dragon!

The enemy general suddenly heard a sharp whooshing sound behind him, along with the panicked cries of his personal guards.

He instinctively raised his knife and turned to block.

But before he could raise his sword halfway, the spear tip pierced his neck, and he was then knocked off his horse.

He then cleaved the flagpole in two with a single shot, raised his spear, and shouted, "The enemy general is dead! Surrender now!"

With the death of their commander, the county troops completely collapsed.

They threw down their weapons and began to scatter and flee.

However, many clever ones simply threw down their weapons and knelt down to surrender.

After He Qi, Taishi Ci, and others fought their way through, they returned to their camp to gather the surrendered soldiers.

The prisoners squatted in rows under the city wall, anxiously awaiting their fate.

Taishi Ci wiped the blood from his face, walked up to Zhao Yun, clasped his hands in thanks, and said, "General Zhao, thank you!"

Zhao Yun returned the greeting and said, "General Taishi, I have long admired you."

He Qi strode over and said with a smile, "Don't stand on ceremony, you two."

The reinforcements to Yuyao and Juzhang have been defeated, and these two cities should now be quite vulnerable.

Why don't we strike while the iron is hot and take it all in one fell swoop?

A glint flashed in Zhao Yun's eyes. After a moment's consideration, he nodded and said, "I'll send a letter to the strategist to inform him of this matter. I'm sure he won't object."

"Excellent!" Taishi Ci nodded, then asked He Qi, "Which one should we attack first?"

He Qi thought for a moment: "Juzhang City is small and has few soldiers. Let's take Juzhang first, and then attack Yuyao."

General Zhao, are your cavalry still capable of fighting?

Zhao Yun smiled confidently and said, "Of my thousand cavalry, only a dozen or so have sustained minor injuries. They are certainly capable of fighting again!"

He Qi, Taishi Ci, and He Chong were all slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

Although it was a surprise attack, the fact that no cavalrymen were killed in several charges is simply too exaggerated.

But that's Zhao Yun's style of commanding troops.

When he served under Gongsun Zan, he was a centurion of the White Horse Cavalry, and he learned the style of coming and going like the wind, striking and leaving in one fell swoop, and never lingering in battle.

He was like the most cunning old wolf, patiently waiting for an opportunity, never striking rashly.

But once he finds an opening in the enemy's defenses, he will pounce like lightning and bite off a large chunk of his opponent's flesh.