Hot flashes

The firelight atop Hengshui city walls, in the deepest darkness before dawn, was like a ghostly single eye that suddenly opened, only to be quickly swallowed up by more thick smoke and chaos.

Wang Ben succeeded.

Almost the instant the flames lit up, the drumbeats of the attack in front of Xiao Jue's central camp exploded like thunder!

The infantry phalanx, which had been poised for battle, carrying ladders and pushing battering rams, surged like a black tide towards the seemingly weak western and southern walls of Hengshui City under the cover of shield bearers.

Arrows rained down from the city walls like locusts, striking the shields with a resounding thud, occasionally punctuated by screams of agony. But the surging army only paused slightly before advancing at an even faster pace.

Xiao Jue did not personally lead the charge on the front lines. He sat atop the central command platform, clad in black armor and robes, his gaze calmly surveying the entire battlefield. Messengers moved incessantly, swiftly reporting the battle situation from various locations.

"Report! The third echelon on the west side has approached the city wall and is setting up siege ladders!"

"Report! The battering ram at the south gate is encountering rolling stones and logs; progress is slow!"

"Report! General Wang Ben has sent word that the granary is on fire, the rear camp of the defending troops is in chaos, and they are diverting troops to fight the fire!"

Everything seemed to be going according to plan. The Hengshui garrison was drawn away by a feint attack from the east, and their rear was thrown into chaos by Wang Ben's elite cavalry. The pressure on their front lines increased dramatically, and the defenses on the city walls were visibly in disarray.

Zhou Heng was ordered to remain in the commander's tent, far from the front lines, guarded by a squad of elite personal guards. Outside the tent, the sounds of battle were deafening, and the ground seemed to tremble slightly.

He was restless, his heart pounding in his chest. He could only force himself to sort through the non-confidential documents left by Xiao Jue in an attempt to distract himself.

Time passed slowly amidst the fierce battle. As the sun rose higher, corpses littered the grounds beneath Hengshui City, but Xiao Jue's army's offensive surged wave after wave, creating numerous dangerous situations on the city walls, leaving the defenders exhausted.

"Report—!" A scout, covered in dust, rushed to the foot of the platform, his voice filled with disbelief and panic. "My lord! To the northeast! About thirty miles away, a large cloud of dust has been spotted, and a large number of cavalry flags have been discovered! Judging from the flags... they are 'Li' flags! The force... is probably no less than ten thousand cavalry!"

A flag bearing the character "Li"? Reinforcements?!

On the high platform, Xiao Jue's pupils suddenly contracted. The garrison commander of Hengshui was surnamed Chen, so where did the "Li" banner of reinforcements come from? He instantly thought of one person—Li Chong.

A veteran general of the Southern Capital, known for his steadiness and prudence, but somewhat conservative in his military tactics, he had been stationed in the heart of the Central Plains for many years. How could he suddenly appear here? And so quickly?!

"Scout again! Confirm troop strength, troop type, and speed of movement!" Xiao Jue's voice remained calm, but those familiar with him could hear the chilling intent beneath the calm.

Soon, more detailed intelligence arrived: it was indeed Li Chong's elite cavalry, about 12,000 riders, each with two horses, lightly armed and advancing swiftly. They had clearly received strict orders and were coming to the rescue of Hengshui at all costs! The vanguard was less than 20 miles from the battlefield!

The generals inside the tent who received the news all changed their expressions. Although the garrison at Hengshui was being suppressed, it had not yet collapsed due to its reliance on the fortified city.

If more than 10,000 fresh cavalry suddenly attack from behind at this moment, the main force that is attacking the city with all its might will be instantly caught in a desperate situation of being attacked from both sides!

The dense formation of the siege infantry, if confronted by a large-scale cavalry charge on the plains, would have unimaginable consequences!

"My lord! Should we postpone the siege, consolidate our forces, and engage Li Chong's cavalry first?" Zhao Ting asked urgently.

"It's too late!" another general exclaimed. "The attacking forces are already locked in combat with the defenders. A hasty retreat will only lead to a rout! Then Li Chong's cavalry will charge again..."

"General Wang Ben's cavalry is still behind enemy lines. Can they be recalled to intercept them?"

"The distance is too far, and they are separated from the enemy's rear camp by chaos; it will be difficult to send reinforcements in a short time!"

The tent was filled with chaos; a chilling sense of crisis instantly enveloped everyone. Just when Hengshui was on the verge of falling, this deadly reinforcement suddenly appeared!

Xiao Jue raised his hand, silencing all the arguments. He turned his gaze back to the battlefield, then to the faint smoke and dust visible in the northeast, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, his brain working at an unprecedented speed.

Li Chong... steady and composed... cavalry advancing swiftly... anxious to provide relief...

In a flash, the outline of an extremely bold, even crazy, plan suddenly took shape in his mind!

"Pass on the order!" Xiao Jue's voice was firm and decisive, drowning out all the noise. "Attack troops, maintain your offensive!"

Zhao Ting was ordered to immediately draw all the spearmen and heavy infantry, about three thousand men, from the reserve force and quickly deploy them at "Wo Niu Po," three miles northeast of the main camp!

The formation must be solid and compact, with plenty of chevaux-de-frise and tripwires, and archers positioned at the rear!

Woniu Slope? It was a gentle, slightly undulating slope, not a dangerous place. How could it withstand the charge of more than 10,000 cavalry? Everyone was astonished.

Before they could ask any questions, Xiao Jue continued to issue orders: "Tell Wang Ben to stop entangled behind enemy lines. After setting fire to the camp, immediately move northeast. Do not engage Li Chong's vanguard. Simply make a show of force, feigning an attack on their flank and rear, to mislead the enemy! Be quick!"

"All banners of the central army, move towards 'Sleeping Ox Slope'! Beat the drums to boost morale, the louder the better!" Xiao Jue's eyes flashed with cold light. "I want Li Chong to believe that my main force has turned around and is waiting in full battle array at 'Sleeping Ox Slope' for his cavalry!"

"My lord, is this... a bluff? To lure them into attacking 'Sleeping Ox Slope'?" Shen Yu reacted the fastest, instantly understanding Xiao Jue's intention. "But Li Chong is cautious in his military tactics. If he sees through our ruse, he won't attack 'Sleeping Ox Slope' but will instead rush straight to the flank of our attacking forces..."

"He won't." Xiao Jue said with certainty, pointing to the map. "Li Chong is steady, but he lacks decisiveness and places great importance on 'being upright and honorable'."

Seeing our army's flags moving and drums beating loudly as we deployed our troops at "Wo Niu Po," he must have thought that we had figured out the intentions of our reinforcements and wanted to use our infantry to directly confront their cavalry from our advantageous terrain. This is a common tactic in warfare.

With superior numbers and being cavalry, he would be unwilling to risk bypassing "Wo Niu Po" to attack the already chaotic siege battlefield. Doing so would easily disrupt his cavalry formation, and his flanks might be exposed to our forces at "Wo Niu Po".

His most likely course of action is to seize the opportunity to attack "Wo Niu Po," first crippling my main force, and then calmly cleaning up the remaining siege damage.

This is a huge psychological game! It's a gamble on Li Chong's character and military habits, and on whether his judgment of the battlefield situation will fall into Xiao Jue's trap!

"But 'Wo Niu Po' only has three thousand infantrymen. How can they withstand the charge of more than ten thousand cavalry? Even if they can temporarily stop them, they will suffer heavy casualties and it will be difficult to sustain the attack!" Zhao Ting said worriedly.

"No need for a prolonged campaign." Xiao Jue looked at Hengshui City, his voice icy. "Just half an hour. Order all units attacking the city to launch a fierce assault, regardless of the cost!"

Tell all the captains and lieutenants that within half an hour, they must create a breach in the city wall and break in!

He was taking a desperate gamble! He was using the flesh and blood of three thousand infantrymen and a feint to buy the attacking forces the last bit of time to breach the city!

Once the city falls and the defending army collapses, the battle situation will change drastically. At that time, even if Li Chong's cavalry defeats the resistance at "Wo Niu Po", they will have little chance of success against a lost city and Xiao Jue's main force, which has emerged from the city with high morale. They may even be caught in a pincer attack!

The tent was deathly silent; everyone was stunned by this audacious, do-or-die plan.

This is practically placing all the bets on whether the siege force can breach the city within the absolute time limit!

"Execute the military order!" Xiao Jue said sternly, leaving no room for argument.

"Yes!" The generals bowed respectfully, clasped their hands in acceptance, and rushed out of the tent.

The order was relayed as quickly as possible. The central army's banner began to move towards "Wo Niu Po," and the war drums beat deafeningly, creating the imposing momentum of a large-scale troop movement.

With red eyes, Zhao Ting mustered three thousand of his most elite and valiant spear-wielding heavy infantry, who, carrying heavy barricades and weapons, rushed toward the gentle slope that was destined to become a bloodbath.

Wang Ben received the order from the swift cavalry behind enemy lines. Although he did not understand why, he carried it out without hesitation. He led his cavalry in a show of force, raising clouds of dust as they moved toward the flank and rear of Li Chong's army.

Meanwhile, the attacking force received a death order: breach the city in half an hour! The generals at all levels acted like mad tigers, personally overseeing the battle, and the soldiers, knowing they were facing a life-or-death situation, unleashed astonishing fighting power, braving a hail of arrows and rolling stones, frantically climbing the city walls.

Although Zhou Heng was in the main tent and didn't know what had happened, he could feel that the atmosphere had suddenly become more tense.

The guards gripped their sword hilts tightly, their faces grim. The deafening drumbeats and faint bugle calls coming from the direction of "Wo Niu Po" in the distance made their hearts pound.

He walked to the edge of the tent and looked through the gaps. He could only see the central army flag moving and the dust billowing around it.

Time flowed slowly and cruelly with every drop of blood that splattered and every heavy thud of the battering ram.

From the northeast, the dust grew ever closer, like a yellow cloud sweeping across the ground—a terrifying force of tens of thousands of cavalry charging forward.

On "Wo Niu Po", three thousand infantrymen had hastily formed a battle formation, their spears pointing like a forest, aimed at the direction from which the cavalry would attack.

Zhao stood at the front of the formation, his armor gleaming, facing the ever-clearing torrent of cavalry that surged forward like a tsunami.

Beneath the walls of Hengshui, the fighting had reached a fever pitch. The city gates groaned under the repeated pounding of the battering rams, splinters of wood flying from the hinges.

At several sections of the city wall, soldiers from both sides engaged in the most primitive combat with swords, spears, fists, and teeth at the narrow crenellations on the city wall, with people constantly screaming and falling.

Xiao Jue remained standing on the central platform, but most of his central army had now moved forward.

His eyes were like torches, fixed on the city wall of Hengshui, seemingly ignoring the thunderous sound of horses' hooves approaching from the northeast.

Li Chong's cavalry vanguard was now clearly visible. On "Wo Niu Po," crossbows fired in unison, arrows falling into the torrent of cavalry, splashing up a few waves, but unable to stop their momentum.

The cavalry began to accelerate, preparing to charge, like mammoths raising their giant hooves to trample ants.

A close call!

Just moments before Li Chong's cavalry was about to collide with the thin infantry formation at "Sleeping Ox Slope"—

"BOOM—!!!"

A deafening roar, far more muffled and resounding than the sound of horses' hooves, came from the direction of Hengshui City!

The south gate of Hengshui City, the iron-clad wooden gate that had been struck countless times and was already on the verge of collapse, along with the crossbeams and rubble behind it, finally collapsed inward with a roar due to the combined force from inside and outside! Smoke and dust shot into the sky!

The city gate has been breached!

Immediately afterwards, a section of the western city wall also collapsed under the fierce attack, creating a gap several meters wide!

"The city has fallen! Charge in!" A deafening cheer and roar erupted from the attacking troops, flooding into Hengshui City like a burst dam!

Almost simultaneously, in the northeast direction, in front of "Wo Niu Po", the momentum of Li Chong's cavalry charge showed a visible but extremely brief pause.

Clearly, the deafening roar of Hengshui's fall and the ensuing battle cries reached their ears. Commander Li Chong, in the central army, must have seen and heard it all.

The battlefield situation was fundamentally reversed the moment the city gate collapsed!

Xiao Jue's body, which had been taut like a bowstring, relaxed almost imperceptibly for a moment, a cold, sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He took a deep breath and shouted sharply:

"Order! All troops to charge! Annihilate the remaining enemy forces within the city!"

"Order Zhao Ting's troops to defend 'Wo Niu Po' to the death, and not to retreat a single step!"

"Order Wang Ben to harass Li Chong's flanks and rear, thus containing his army!"

The orders were given swiftly. Xiao Jue's army, having stormed into the city, was greatly encouraged, while the defending forces collapsed instantly.

On "Wo Niu Po", the three thousand infantrymen who were originally prepared to die saw their own side break through the city and their morale soared. They showed amazing resilience and withstood the first wave of the fiercest charge of Li Chong's cavalry!

Li Chong reined in his horse at the foot of the slope, his face turning extremely grim as he gazed at the rapidly changing flags atop Hengshui city walls and the faint signs of chaos within the city.

His target for rescue had already fallen, and the "main enemy force" before him was more tenacious than he had imagined, while cavalrymen continued to harass him from the flanks and rear...

"General! Hengshui has fallen, should our army...?" the deputy general asked anxiously.

Li Chong gazed at the tight formation on "Wo Niu Po" and the banners of Xiao Jue's central army still fluttering behind them, and then looked at Xiao Jue's main force, which had already entered the city and was mopping up the remaining enemies.

At this point, it would be pointless to force an attack on "Wo Niu Po". If they were to get entangled in a prolonged battle and be attacked from both sides by enemy troops inside the city, the consequences would be unimaginable.

He gritted his teeth and spat out two words with extreme reluctance:

"Withdraw the troops!"

The mournful sound of retreating bugles rang out, and more than 10,000 cavalrymen, just as they had come, kicked up clouds of dust and slowly retreated back the way they had come, eventually disappearing on the northeastern horizon.

On "Wo Niu Po," Zhao Ting, covered in blood and almost exhausted, watched the cavalry retreat like a receding tide. His legs went weak, and he had to use his sword to support himself so that he could barely stand.

He turned to look at the huge "Xiao" banner slowly rising atop Hengshui city wall, and exhaled a long, long breath of foul air tinged with the smell of blood.

On the high platform in the center, Xiao Jue slowly sat down, his back, which had been straight all along, now showing a hint of fatigue.

Sunlight pierced through the smoke and dust of the battlefield, falling on his black armor, which was stained with dust and blood of unknown origin, reflecting a cold luster.