Chapter 833 Go Forward!
Chapter 833 Go Forward!
The high platform had been erected, and King Liang's great banner stood on it, fluttering in the wind.
Xu Meng turned his head and saw generals and attendants gathered on the stage. King Liang was bathed in the golden sunlight, almost like a god.
"Defense of Yingqiao, first line of attack!" The messenger rode up and shouted the order.
"Step forward and form a formation!" Xu Meng shouted and gave the order.
Amid the clanging sounds, three hundred soldiers from Xiangcheng marched forward.
During the march, the shield bearers in the first row took off the large shields tied to their backs. Seeing how they lifted the heavy shields with ease, I wonder how much delicious food they must have eaten on a daily basis to develop such great arm strength.
The crossbowmen on both sides carried heavy crossbows. They looked a bit old, but they were well maintained. They had practiced the movements of stringing, inserting arrows, and shooting countless times. Some soldiers even spent their own money to repair their equipment because they practiced too often.
The heavy sword was taken down, and when it was held in both hands, the skills honed over countless days and nights suddenly returned.
Wearing iron armor, holding a heavy sword, rushing forward with great force, this is the romance of men, which most people cannot understand.
"Shiqiao Defense, Lijia Defense, Ruyang Defense, the second formation!" Another messenger holding a command flag came like the wind.
There was another clanging sound of armor leaves.
Nine hundred iron men stepped forward quickly, formed up, and leisurely checked their equipment one last time.
"Yongxing Defense, Lushan Defense, Princess Defense... The third formation!"
Orders were passed down one after another, and the 3,000 Luonan soldiers had all assembled and lined up in the south of Guangwu City.
"King Liang has issued a special order. There are many enemy cavalry in this battle, so go into battle!" Several more messengers came running, circled the formation, and shouted in unison.
Violent cheers rose to the sky.
The military commander Xu Meng grinned widely, looked at the excited soldiers around him, and laughed.
At this moment, the last bit of tension disappeared.
To go into battle, even if it was just a retreat, the minimum skill level was rank three. This was a glory that belonged exclusively to the Luonan soldiers.
The drums kept beating.
Teams of soldiers filed out of the camp and lined up in the wilderness.
Especially the soldiers from the Silver Spear Battalion, many of them could not remember how many times they had been in the battlefield.
The enemies that had been fought against were of all kinds, including Han, Xianbei, Xiongnu, Wuhuan, Jie, Di, Qiang and even various kinds of Hu, which could almost be called a racial museum.
In terms of status, there are the Jin imperial guards, hereditary soldiers, refugee soldiers, and fortress people; there are the Xiongnu imperial guards, tribal soldiers, and the young men of the noble families...
I've fought against all kinds of people and seen all kinds of battles.
A total of twelve thousand people were stationed in the center, forming four square formations in front, back, left and right, forming the central army formation.
Outside the square, a number of sidecars and baggage carts were pulled over.
Crossbow carts were interspersed among them, deer antlers were placed outside, and more than 2,000 yellow-headed soldiers were lined up behind them, ready for battle.
At the rear of the formation, the baggage troops formed a camp around the carts, with two thousand cavalry deployed inside, supporting the cavalry who were ready to attack at any time behind the moat gate of the camp not far to the rear.
Roughly speaking, this means that 25,000 auxiliary troops were dispatched.
It was not a full-scale attack for Shao Xun, but it was already very terrifying for Yu Ju.
With so many elite armored warriors who appear to be well-trained, a head-on charge would incur heavy losses and might not even be effective.
But things have come to this point, we have to fight even if we don’t want to.
If they flee to avoid fighting, Guangwu will surely fall.
Guangwu fell without a fight, what about other cities? There is no end to concessions.
"Kill!" An overwhelming roar came from the front, interrupting Yu Ju's thoughts.
"Kill!" The shouts came one after another, making the men on the top of Guangwu city wall feel numb and making the Xianbei herdsmen restless.
"Kill!" The third shout came with the wind.
The sound of rustling footsteps was heard, and the Jin army formation slowly began to move.
The front row soldier held the shield in his left hand and the sword in his right hand, across his forehead.
Their movements were powerful and their steps were firm.
Wherever the military boots stepped, smoke and dust rose, and the momentum was awe-inspiring.
Xu Meng rode his horse through the gap between the Lijia and Yongxing defenses, followed by twenty soldiers and several messengers with flags of recognition on their backs.
Being on the battlefield, accompanied by countless heroic men, you will be completely focused and only have fame and blood in your eyes.
A brave man can make thousands of soldiers retreat in fear, a cowardly man will volunteer to fight, one man fights his life and ten thousand men will be helpless, when ten thousand men fight fiercely the sky will collapse and the earth will split.
The enemy cavalry set out.
More than a thousand cavalrymen rushed out on horseback, passing diagonally in front of them. They did not engage in a fight with the palace soldiers who were acting as the spearhead, but instead rushed straight to the right.
As the flags were waving, the formation stopped moving.
The sergeant in the front row placed his shield upright on the ground.
The second and third rows extended their long lances forward to guard against the few roving enemy cavalry.
On the right wing of the battle formation, there was a slight commotion among the 2,500 infantrymen of the Yellow Head Army's first battalion.
Zeng Yi walked forward with a serious face, the recognition flag on his back rustling in the wind.
Seeing him, Zhou Da and more than ten other soldiers calmed down.
"The archers have a side carriage!"
"Shieldmen and gunners, step forward in groups of four to protect the crossbow carts."
After the order was issued, the morale of the army stabilized slightly.
Zeng Yi held the big shield in his hand and got on a baggage cart.
The crossbowman was looking forward with a pale face, when he felt the light dim. He looked up and saw that it was the team leader's large shield protecting him diagonally above him. He immediately felt relieved.
Zhou Da also followed.
He squatted behind Zeng Yi, gripping the gun barrel tightly.
His eyes moved from the tip of the gun to the front, finally stopping on the shiny tip of the gun.
He thought of his son.
He was a naive boy who loved to hold a small wooden stick, imitate his grandfather, and fight with his friends with spears.
Perhaps, at this moment he is in the bushes behind the house, playing and having fun with his playmates.
There was some soreness in the corners of Zhou Da's eyes.
s
Your father and I are really going to fight for our lives with Suotou. I hope that when you grow up, you will never have to go through such a life-and-death test again.
The sound of horse hooves became more and more urgent, and in the smoke and dust, more than a hundred riders arrived first.
They were arranged in a very loose formation, holding horn bows in their hands and shouting loudly.
Getting closer and closer.
"Swoosh!" Someone accidentally shot the first arrow.
As if it was an infectious disease, more than ten people shot arrows one after another until the officer shouted loudly.
The flying arrow naturally did not hit the enemy. After flying for a while, it slanted into the ground.
When the Sou-tou cavalry saw this, they immediately sped up their horses, got closer and closer, then moved sideways and shot out deadly arrows.
"Whoosh!" An arrow flew over my head and went nowhere.
Zeng Yi did not move and continued to squat there steadily.
He even had the leisure to admire the enemy's heroic archery skills.
As he rode his horse past the front of the formation, he leaned forward, pulled the bow almost to full length, and placed the bowstring against his fleshy face. Then he loosened his hand, and as his malicious and ferocious eyes watched, the arrow flew out.
Muffled groans were heard one after another. Even with the protection of the large shield, people continued to fall.
Zeng Yi didn't care how many people were hit by arrows, he was only focused on his mission.
"Woo!" The horn sounded, and the crossbow arrows that had been prepared for a long time suddenly flew out and shot at the enemy cavalry. Most of the crossbow arrows missed, but continuous screams were still heard in the wind.
After firing, the two crossbowmen frantically began to reload.
It's too late! This is what Zeng Yi thought in his heart.
Good shot! Zhou breathed a sigh of relief and his morale was greatly boosted.
Compared to the powerful crossbow, the foot bow is a more practical long-range strike force with a fast shooting speed, accurate shooting, and the ability to projectile.
More importantly, the number of archers far exceeds that of crossbow carts.
After the horn sounded, the archers of the Yellow Head Army pulled the bowstrings with all their might. At first they obeyed orders and shot, but they became chaotic as they shot.
Everyone looked excited. After drawing their bows and arrows, they started shooting, one after another, until the quiver was empty or their arms were exhausted, and then they stopped panting.
"Get out!" The officers rushed forward, smashed their scabbards on their heads, and shouted angrily, "You're like a madman, you can't hear the orders, right? You can't hear the horn sounding so loud? Get out of here, and make room for us!"
The first group of archers retreated in a mess, and the second group of archers quickly entered the side carriage.
From their perspective, although the previous wave of random shooting was disorganized, it was not without results.
Dense arrows were shot out. Even if the accuracy was not good, the number was enough to make some unlucky guys fall off their horses.
Moreover, the horse bows were weak, so if they wanted to achieve results, they had to get closer, which greatly improved the accuracy of the infantry archers and achieved greater results. You know, quite a few of them were protected by side carriages, which gave them a great advantage in shooting.
The first wave of enemy cavalry fled in panic, leaving behind more than twenty corpses.
The second wave of enemy cavalry followed. They rushed forward despite being shot by archers and crossbow carts, and fired continuously with horn bows, causing some casualties in the Yellow Head Army.
And behind the smoke and dust they created, hundreds of riders came galloping.
They were moving very fast. After the first group of people dismounted, they took out large shields on the spot and walked forward quickly.
Another group of people held up axes and tried their best to chop off the deer's antlers.
"Shoot! Shoot them to death! Shoot quickly!" Zhou Dagan swallowed his saliva.
The crossbowman turned pale and didn't want to explain.
After shooting the last arrow, they drew their daggers and prepared for close combat.
Zeng Yi was still squatting, staring intently at the enemy soldier who was charging forward with a large shield in his hand.
A crossbow arrow shot from nowhere, piercing the shield with such force that it impaled the shield bearer and the unlucky guy who was removing the antlers. The blood was so gushing that it made people sick.
The archers seized the opportunity and shot arrows into the gaps in the enemy's shield formation, immediately causing a cry of pain.
More enemy troops came forward.
The shields surrounded them, the swordsmen and axemen chopped hard, and the herdsmen followed at the back to remove the obstacles.
Suddenly, a burst of warm cheers broke out.
Zeng Yi stood up slightly and half-knelt to defend against the enemy.
The gang rushed in through the opened gap, holding all kinds of messy instruments in their hands and shouting loudly.
"Bang!" A huge force pierced the shield.
Zeng Yi responded calmly, tilting his shield slightly and deflecting the enemy's spear.
"Ah!" Zhou Da screamed hysterically, thrust out the spear with force, and then pulled it out again.
The leader on the opposite side had his eyes wide open, his hands tightly covering his chest, and fell down unwillingly.
"Bang! Bang!" Continuous heavy blows hit the shield, and more and more enemy troops rushed over.
Perhaps they were reluctant before they set out, or perhaps they were forced to do so by the threats and inducements of their superiors, but now that they were at the battlefront, it was too late to retreat. They could only charge forward with their heads held high, with no way to retreat and no way to survive.
Zeng Yi raised his shield and slashed with his ring-handled sword. Blood gushed out from the enemy's neck, splashing all over his head and face.
Zhou Da shed tears and shouted to encourage himself.
He used to be very cowardly and timid, but at this moment, listening to the clamor of war in his ears, seeing only the swords and guns slashing and stabbing, his comrades and enemies constantly screaming, and lives disappearing every moment...
He has no right to retreat.
Tears flowed to his chest, his voice became hoarse, and the spear stabbed out mechanically.
There were enemies dismounting in the distance, and the front of the carriage was crowded with people, so any shot could result in a hit.
"Kill!" The voice was so hoarse that it was almost silent. The long spear that Zhou Da stabbed out was tightly grasped by the enemy. Another enemy soldier holding a thick and long lance directly picked him up.
"Swoosh!" An arrow flew out, avoiding the armor on the chest of the enemy soldier holding a horse lance, and shot into his neck, passing through his neck and out.
Another Yellow-Head Army spearman jumped onto the baggage cart, but before he could stand firmly, an arrow flew at him. He fell on his back to the ground with almost no sound, and died with his eyes open.
"Bang!" A huge shattering sound was heard.
Under repeated blows, the thick wooden shield could not bear the weight and shattered.
The enemy soldier took advantage and attacked with his sword.
Zeng Yi stepped back subconsciously, but unexpectedly a spear came from the front and attacked him. Almost at the same moment, his shoulder and lower abdomen were hit at the same time.
The leather armor was cut like rotten leather, blood suddenly seeped out, and Zeng Yi fell directly under the car.
Comrades kept rising up beside him, and some kept falling down.
Zeng Yi wanted to get up, but his body was in severe pain.
He gasped and looked at the sky quietly.
Yanmen is not scorching hot in early summer. When the wind blows, it is even a little cool. It is really good weather for fighting.
Blood rain fell from the sky from time to time, and stars fell on Zeng Yi's face.
Arrows flew back and forth, continuously taking lives from afar.
It was unknown how many times the people on the baggage cart had been replaced. The number of people lying together with Zeng Yi continued to increase, and most of them were his comrades-in-arms who had been with him day and night.
Zeng Yi, who was always cold, shed a few tears, but quickly stopped.
There is no need for weakness or mercy on the battlefield.
After a while, the pain in his shoulders and abdomen was no longer so severe. He forced himself to sit up and fumbled to pick up a spear.
An arrow flew past his scalp.
He was too numb to dodge and stumbled towards the baggage cart...
At the main camp, the trench bridge had been lowered and the camp gate was wide open.
A total of three thousand cavalrymen emerged from the gates of each camp.
The soldiers mounted their horses and, with the sound of desolate trumpets, rushed straight towards the Xianbei cavalry that were attacking the Yellow-headed Army on the flank.
The Xianbei people noticed the movement here, and some of them mounted their horses and went to meet them.
Without any nonsense, the two sides started a face-to-face confrontation between men.
The thin blocking line of the Xianbei cavalry was broken by the charge, and the Yicong knights rushed to the side of Suo Tou who was dismounting and fighting on foot like lightning.
With a thrust of the horse lance, the corpse flew out with a bang, spilling a large amount of blood in the air.
With a slash of the saber, the man fell to the ground. The enemy soldier who was not dead for a while seemed to see the hot steam coming out of his chest.
The iron mace hit him, and his head split open like a rotten watermelon. The enemy soldier took a few steps by inertia and fell to the ground with a bang.
The Xianbei people who were besieging the chariot formation were dispersed almost in an instant.
They rolled and crawled, rushing towards the horses behind, trying to escape.
The Yicong knights rolled through the crowd, easily harvesting lives, until they encountered the second group of Xianbei cavalry who came to support them...
Zeng Yi got off the baggage cart with great effort and searched among the piles of corpses.
After a moment, he squatted down, looked at each other for a long time, and then gently closed Zhou Dayuan's open eyes.
"Boom boom boom..." The sound of drums came from the high platform.
Without any pause, without any sorrow, the army received the signal to continue its advance.
Guangwu is determined to win, and no one can stop them.
(I will update after I finish coding. It's too late for the chapter at 12 o'clock, so I'll change it to 2 o'clock tomorrow morning. Please vote. I still owe chapters.)
(End of this chapter)