When the raging flames filled the not too wide river surface of Yongji Canal, everything was a foregone conclusion, but it was difficult to see clearly from within.
Cheng Mingzhen drove his horse down the hill and headed south. Qi Shanxing shouted and commanded. The Tang army began to attack the ferry and bridge, and there were straight wolf smoke rising into the sky.
Li Daoxuan and Liu Jun, who had not yet arrived at the battlefield, saw the fire in the distance and began to speed up, vowing to avenge the humiliation of the battle.
But Liu Heitai was stunned for a moment and became furious. Cao Zhan, a loser, couldn't handle such a trivial matter, but he actually allowed the Tang army to succeed in a sneak attack!
At the edge of the battlefield, a majestic young man frowned tightly, suddenly jumped on his horse, and looked at the fire on Yongji Canal from a distance.
"Zhou Erlang, what's going on?"
"Second brother, there was talk earlier that the grain ship was burned?"
Dozens of people below were all asking questions. After looking at it for a while, Zhou Erlang got off his horse and sneered: "The grain boat... these days, Chen Daozi's group is eating a little better, and the rest... who Aren’t the rations only half of the original half?”
A middle-aged man next to him nodded and said, "Chen Daozi and his gang robbed the granary of a large family in Yuancheng."
"But there are grain ships going south every day. Maybe it's not enough?"
The people around him whispered and gradually became quiet, waiting for this young man's decision.
Zhou Erlang is a meticulous person, and he pondered it over and over in his mind. He remembered that before the Turkic soldiers left, he had already started to feel hungry. After that, Po Yuancheng only had one or two full meals, let alone a hug now. There is not even enough fodder for the war horses.
There are dozens of grain ships every day, and the news spreads chaotically, but no one has confirmed that they have eaten.
In the chaos of the army, if you want to save your life, you must act cautiously, but you must also be able to seize fleeting opportunities.
Zhou Erlang gritted his teeth. He was originally from Dingzhou. His family had a house and fields. He had parents, elder brother, younger brothers, sisters, wives and children.
Last year, Liu Heitai invaded Dingzhou, and the Zhou family was destroyed. Brothers, sisters, parents, wives and children were all scattered, and they didn’t know whether they were dead or alive. Zhou Lang was kidnapped by the rebels and had no choice but to survive in the army. Because he was good at riding and shooting, he Proficient in writing and writing, he also gathered hundreds of subordinates.
To be fair, Zhou Erlang deeply hated Liu Heitai, but he also knew that once he was hunted down by the Tang army, he would definitely die.
But today, when a fire broke out in the Yongji Canal, Zhou Erlang found a way to escape safely with his life.
"Watch those horses..."
Zhou Erlang's deep voice sounded among the gathered crowd, "Further north is fodder..."
"Lao Qi, I remember you got some tung oil in Yuancheng..."
"Second brother, do you want to..."
"Listen to me!"
At this moment, Liu Heitai, who was standing on the hill, was already livid. Looking down, although the tens of thousands of troops were far from disintegrating, the riots were spreading everywhere at a speed that was almost visible to the naked eye.
Liu Heita was filled with hatred. Whoever set up the poisonous plan obviously didn't see through the deception of the grain ship, but he immediately set the whole thing on fire, and made such a big noise in front of thousands of people.
If there is sufficient food and grass in the army, this fire will have almost no effect, but the problem is that after the army's rations are replenished in Poyuan City, it can only support a quarter or even less. The morale of the army depends on the food ships. .
Although he could not hang up for a few days... Liu Heitai hoped to make a surprise attack on Liyangcang, but this fire burned down the morale of the few soldiers.
Looking to the north, Liu Heitai had no other choice. The Tang army attacking south from Guantao could only rely on Wang Xiaohu's more than two thousand cavalry to deal with it. What he needed most now was to resist the attack of the Tang army on the other side of the river.
In the Tang army on the other side of the river, flags were flying and swords were shining. A large number of soldiers carried shields, huge trees, and even wore iron armor and rushed forward. Blood splattered on the bridge, screams continued, and soldiers from both sides kept falling from the bridge. .
Liu Heitai knew very well that once the Tang army crossed the river calmly, the infantry guarding the river bank would be difficult to resist, and his own cavalry was on the periphery, making it difficult to mobilize for a while.
Attacked from two sides, the grain ships were burned, morale was greatly reduced, and the infantry was in chaos. The Tang army's cavalry had a place to use, driving the infantry to rebel against their own formation. By then, it would be useless for the gods to come down to earth.
On the hill, Liu Heitai kept giving orders, moving a group of direct troops from all directions to the crossing point of the ferry and bridge.
On the other side of the river, Ma Zhou clicked his tongue and said, "Liu Heita is really talented. His army stormed the bridge crossing, but he was defeated without breaking out or disrupting his formation."
Qi Shanxing nodded after hearing this and said: "Use small forces on the left and right to flank, delay our army's attack speed, and stabilize the position at the rear... After all, the advantage in strength is too great."
Ma Zhou sighed. The attacking Tang army had no more than a thousand infantry. Although they were elite, there were too many enemy troops on the other side. If they did not break up, they would be piled up to death.
It has to be said that in the late Sui and early Tang dynasties, a great era when powerful heroes emerged in the world, Liu Heitai was from a humble background. He served under Wagangzhai, Wang Shichong, and Dou Jiande successively, and then formed his own faction. Regarding the threat to Li Tang, In fact, he is more dangerous than the top three.
This is a general who can go into battle personally and has extremely high military talent. Liu Heitai's failure lies not in his lack of ability, but in the fact that he does not have enough confidence and can only take risks.
Once you fail, it's hard to get back on your feet.
"Not here yet?"
"It will take at least a quarter of an hour." Qi Shanxing shook his head slightly, "Brother Mingzhen insists on leading the troops in person. Now that the war has begun, even if the other side's scouts find out, Liu Heitai will not be able to mobilize his troops to deal with it."
Ma Zhou pointed with his right hand in the air and said with a smile: "General Manager Tian is leading his troops south. Liu Heitai will respond with his own men and horses. Just now he saw at least a thousand and five cavalry heading north.
If General Manager Cheng successfully crosses the river and leads 500 cavalry to attack... it happens to be covered by the Wei County city wall. Even if Liu Heitai knew about it, it would be difficult to mobilize the cavalry to stop him. "
After communicating with the Guantao Tang Army via messenger, Cheng Mingzhen thought repeatedly before deciding on the strategy of forcibly crossing the river and attacking on the side.
Under normal circumstances, it would take quite a while to build a simple bridge that could pass through, and the enemy scouts were not blind... The two armies were facing each other across the bank, and the most wary thing was for the other side to sneak across the river from upstream and downstream.
Once the pontoon bridge is built in advance, it will be detected by the opponent's scouts, which loses the significance of the cavalry raid.
But Cheng Mingzhen was really a ruthless man. He had the determination and reasons to kill Liu Heita. He also loved his soldiers like his own son, and he was willing to fight for his soldiers to death.
Cheng Mingzhen was a local who had served in Weizhou and Xiangzhou for a long time. He was very familiar with the Yongji Canal. He found a shallow water area that was not too deep, and simply built a bridge with long giant trees and bamboos. He took off his armor and led his horse into the water to cross the river.
It is already the end of October, not the twelfth lunar month, but the coldest winter. Although the water has not yet turned into ice, it is still cold enough... In such weather, crossing the river in the water will be a tough werewolf.
Qi Shanxing looked at the battle situation on the other side. The Tang army had captured the bridge crossing, but it was difficult to expand the victory. Enemy soldiers armed with spears attacked on both wings. The soldiers in the front used huge shields to block the attack. The Tang soldiers fought hard, but it was difficult to break the formation.
Moreover, the Tang army only had 2,000 infantrymen in total, and only 1,560 could directly participate in the battle. It would be difficult to break the formation even if they were all thrown in.
Of course, Qi Shanxing and Cheng Mingzhen also had other considerations. Ma Zhou clenched his hands nervously, "Manager Qi, is that okay?"
"No rush, no rush."
Qi Shanxing felt that he could still hold on, but Liu Heitai on the other side of the river couldn't hold on anymore and was already preparing to pick up the knife and go into battle with his own hands... The burning of the grain ship on the Yongji Canal was a huge blow to the morale of the army. At the ferry, other places were already in chaos, with people screaming, horses neighing, and all kinds of noises.
In other words, now Liu Heitai can no longer control the tens of thousands of men under his command except blocking the ferry bridge.
Liu Heitai took a deep breath, got on his horse, and stared intently at the battle situation at the ferry. There were hundreds of cavalry mobilized from the flanks under the hill. He tried to defeat the Tang army at the ferry and drive them across the river, and even Spread the battle to the other side of the river.
But now there was a problem. Liu Heita couldn't help but turn his head and look to the north.
At the same time, Qi Shanxing on the other side of the river and Cheng Mingzhen, who was insisting on moving forward in the river, were both looking north.
The fire on the Yongji Canal had a more serious impact on the morale of the army than Liu Heitai imagined... These two thousand cavalry were all direct descendants of Liu Heitai.
Although the truth has not been announced, and although they do not know that the grain transport ship is a cover, no one is stupid... At least it is the truth that the army's grain and grass have been halved and then halved again, and it is also true that they cannot feed the war horses in the middle of the night.
Unknowingly, the formation of the two thousand cavalry has become loose. The generals have no generals and the soldiers have no fighting spirit... On the contrary, among the Tang cavalry who gathered in the formation, the horses in Li Daoxuan's hands slowly flattened, and the surging fighting spirit surged in his chest. He was rolling around, and there was a coldness in his eyes.
"Your Highness, Your Highness!"
"hold on……"
Li Daoxuan snorted coldly and urged his horse to speed up. Wang Junkuo should have led his cavalry to join him half an hour ago, but there has been no sign of him yet.
Li Daoxuan didn't know why, but he knew that today's battle was a coordinated battle with Cheng Mingzhen and Qi Shanxing on the west bank of the Yongji Canal. If they retreat at this moment, the battle will be lost.
First there was a hail of arrows. Li Daoxuan, Su Dingfang and other generals lowered their heads slightly and resisted with only the armor on their bodies.
With a loud shout, Su Dingfang's long sword swept across, and several enemy soldiers were already the first to break the formation.
Li Dao
Li Dao
"Wang Xiaohu!"
"Wang Xiaohu!"
Li Daoxuan stared at Wang Xiaohu, who was wearing Mingguang armor. The two horses only met each other and were quickly blocked by the guards and cavalry of both sides.
At this time, Liu Jun and other hundreds of cavalrymen who rushed into the formation shouted loudly, "After burning fifty grain ships, the Liu thieves will have no food. Anyone who abandons his weapons and flees will forget the past!"
These words may not be effective to the infantry. Firstly, they may not be willing to believe them. Secondly, they may not be able to escape even if they want to.
But for these cavalry, the lack of food in the army is most likely true. The fire on the Yongji Canal also proves this. Moreover, if they want to escape, they can escape... The Tang army will not chase them. The soldiers dispersed, Liu Heitai was still there after all.
Wang Xiaohu didn't want to escape. He shouted to gather his troops and tried to stand up and fight again. However, the cavalry formation was quite chaotic. Before he could sort it out, Li Daoxuan, who was eager for revenge, had already entered the formation.
The enemy army has not yet been broken up, and its strength is several times that of our own. The cavalry rushes into battle. It is supposed that the whole team should rush into battle again... But Li Daoxuan is usually gentle and elegant, and after going into battle, he does not care about life and death, not to mention the Mingguang armor on Wang Xiaohu's body. It was ripped off from Li Daoxuan.
With only more than a hundred cavalry, Li Daoxuan dared to charge into the formation... Su Dingfang, who followed behind, was calm but couldn't help but feel a little headache. No wonder Li Shan was worried about letting him protect him.
But this time, the timing of the charge was perfect. The two thousand cavalry did not suffer much loss. After all, the formation was scattered and the Tang army easily penetrated the formation.
But after a charge, the formation of the two thousand cavalry was even more disorganized, especially after hearing the Tang army loudly preaching, "Liu thieves have no food, and those who abandon their weapons and flee will forget the past."
Wang Xiaohu was no longer able to control the cavalry under his command, and he only had more than a hundred personal guards around him.
When Li Daoxuan took the lead and shouted Wang Xiaohu's name to fight all the way, the enemy troops in front of him actually dispersed...
Wang Xiaohu was so angry that he almost vomited blood. His name was yelled and cursed loudly. The subordinates around him opened a passage and let Li Daoxuan go straight to the Chinese army.
Li Dao
Su Dingfang slowed down his horse and took off the big bow on his back with his backhand. The first arrow hit the general who was gathering his bodyguards to fight the enemy in front of Wang Xiaohu.
The second arrow hit the personal guard holding a big flag not far from Wang Xiaohu.
To what extent can personal force be used on ancient battlefields, and how profoundly can it affect the outcome of the battle?
The first arrow made the guards around Wang Xiaohu stunned, and the first arrow made Wang Xiaohu's flag fall to the ground.
The first arrow made Li Daoxuan, who kept accelerating, break through the formation, and the second arrow made Wang Xiaohu lose all courage and try to retreat.
The next moment, amid loud shouts, Li Daoxuan tightened his grip on the reins with his left hand, and the tip of the horse's right hand had already sunk under Wang Xiaohu's shoulder.
Li Daoxuan didn't seem to feel the pain of the sword, and didn't seem to notice the opponent's personal guards rushing towards him. Li Daoxuan held the spear in both hands and lifted Wang Xiaohu high in the air.
There seemed to be a moment of silence, and then a huge roar filled the battlefield.
Amidst the loud shouts of "Wang Xiaohu is the leader", the enemy army could hardly organize any formation and allowed hundreds of Tang cavalry to drive them away.
At this time, hundreds of cavalry appeared on the east side. A middle-aged man with a square appearance but a cunning look in his eyes said twice, "He actually broke through the formation, King Huaiyang." I’m not afraid that Tian Liu’an will be the second former Duke!”
The guards on the left and right didn't say anything, and one of the generals asked in a low voice: "General, do you want to defeat the enemy with a side attack?"
This middle-aged man is Wang Junkuo, the minister of the Ministry of War in Daxingtai, Shaanxi Province. He has always been known for taking advantage and never losing. Today, he joined forces and went south, specifically to imitate the flying general... No one can find this reason wrong, and he is not from Shandong. .
Wang Junkuo also didn't expect that Li Daoxuan could break the enemy's front line so easily. A big victory was almost in his hands. Without the Turkic cavalry... he knew what kind of weight the two thousand cavalry had in Liu Heitai's army.
Just when Wang Junkuo was about to lead his army to march westward, a huge noise suddenly sounded outside Wei County.
There were huge pillars of smoke flying in the air, blazing flames spreading in the enemy camp, and the city of Wei County fell into uncontrollable chaos.
Liu Heitai, who was personally mounting his horse and leading his troops to defeat the Tang army at the ferry, couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.
But Wang Junkuo's eyes were bright, he waved his horse and shouted: "Follow me!"
I didn't expect that I would have the opportunity to directly capture the Chinese army, and maybe capture and kill Liu Heitai!
