The bloody battle on the north bank of the Baigou River started from the rising sun to the zenith of the sky.
The more than 70,000 soldiers and horses who followed Zhao Tianlin across the Baigou River have lost more than 30,000 people. 5,000 infantry and a small number of cavalry are still gathered around Zhao Tianlin, but they are also surrounded by heavy siege.
In this battle, if 10,000 of the 70,000 Pingjing troops managed to escape safely, it would be a great blessing!
Zhao Tianlin seemed to have aged twenty years at this time.
Originally, although he was over eighty years old, he was in good spirits. Even if he was sixty years old, there would be no problem at all.
But now it seems that although Zhao Tianlin's figure has not changed, his temperament looks haggard.
Today's defeat is not his fault.
But a defeat is a defeat, and no amount of excuses can save the lives of the fallen soldiers, nor can they change the current situation.
"You surrender!" Zhao Tianlin tightened his grip on the Spring and Autumn Qinglong sword in his hand.
The defeat of this battle has been determined. He is already eighty-three this year. He has been fighting from the south to the north for most of his life. In his dying years, he still followed Yanyi to turn the tide, and he was greedy for God's merit. He punished Yang Qingyuan and gained the reputation of destroying the country. .
His life is already complete! But these soldiers, this child is different, most of them are in their early twenties.
As people get older, they tend to become soft-hearted.
If it had been 40 years ago, he would have counterattacked the enemy without hesitation.
Twenty years ago, he would have stood firm here and fought to the last soldier.
But now, he doesn't want these young lives to die here with him. They can still have a bright future.
Most of them were about the same age as his grandson Zhao Linian. How could their blood relatives be willing to let them die in this battle?
"What are you talking about, Marshal Zhao!?"
But a young captain stood up and said, "Shuai Zhao wants to be loyal to the country. Although we are not as good as Marshal Zhao, we are not greedy for life and fear of death. We will die for the country and swear to kill the traitors. It is our duty!"
These words aroused the bloody passion of many young soldiers!
With Yang Qingyuan's military reform, officers at the rank of lieutenant colonel began to become younger. These people are all literate and well-educated in the army. Compared with the previous army, they value their faith more!
"Yes! I'm not afraid of death, but I'm even more afraid of having to bear the reputation of being brave!"
"Die for the country, and die well!"
Just die for your country on the battlefield, why return your body wrapped in horse leather?
The courage shown by this group of young soldiers of the Pingjing Army is amazing!
Compared with these people, those generals and soldiers in their early thirties seemed to be more worried!
It's not that they don't want to be loyal to their country, but that they have too many worries in their hearts. If they have too many worries, it will be difficult for them to be as decisive as they were when they were young.
Wives, children, and parents all need to be taken into consideration. Although the imperial court provides adequate pensions to the soldiers who died for the country, it is impossible to be better off than if they were alive!
If the coach had the ambition to fight to the death, they would not have had this idea, but now that Zhao Tianlin has said so, they have to re-examine and consider it!
If the troops' morale is shaken before the battle, they can be killed!
But what if the person who shakes the morale of the army is the coach? !
Zhao Tianlin has been fighting for many years, so he will not understand this truth, but he still chose to do it!
"Ding!" A sword was thrown to the ground, and a school captain about thirty years old knelt on the ground and kowtowed nine times to Zhao Tianlin.
"Shuai Zhao! The humble child has just turned one year old, and I haven't hugged him a few times! Forgive me for being unfaithful and courageous. The kindness of the commander-in-chief cannot be preserved in this life, and he will wear a grass ring in the next life to repay Marshal Zhao's kindness. !!”
Most of those who laid down their weapons were concerned people. About seven or eight hundred people chose to lay down their weapons and stop resisting!
The young soldiers did not understand, and the disdainful looks they cast made these people ashamed!
Zhao Tianlin just sighed. He wanted to give these soldiers a way out, but they chose the name of loyalty, and it was not easy for Zhao Tianlin to interfere with them.
Just when Zhao Tianlin's central army reorganized, a path spread among the cavalry of King Zhao's army.
King Zhao rode a majestic bay-red horse and came to the front of the battle surrounded by a group of guards.
"Old General Zhao, you're welcome and safe!"
Zhao Tianlin was originally unwilling to talk to such rebellious officials and traitors, but now there are still seven or eight hundred brothers who want to surrender. For their sake, Zhao Tianlin has to say a few words to Zhu Kai.
"Old General Zhao is the pillar of the country. The one I respect most in the army is you, old general! Now that the emperor is weak, powerful ministers are in power, and the country is in ruins, I follow the instructions of the Emperor Zhou Dynasty written by Taizu Emperor Gao, and Qing Jun is sidelined, and the country is in trouble! The old general is highly virtuous and respected, so you should understand that I am the king, so why not help me, root out the traitors, and restore peace to my country, the Great Zhou Dynasty!"
The ancestral training of Emperor Zhou was left by Emperor Taizu Gao, and what King Zhao said was also the slogan and righteousness of his cavalry this time.
It is recorded in the ancestral teachings of the Emperor Zhou: If there are no honest ministers in the dynasty, and there are evildoers in the court, we must train troops to fight against them, so as to clear away the evildoers on the side of the king.
With the evidence of the ancestral teachings of Emperor Zhou, coupled with King Zhao's eloquence and appeal, many soldiers who did not understand the samadhi began to doubt and waver.
But naturally, Zhao Tianlin couldn't be deceived by such tricks. Although he is a military general, he is after all an old man who has lived through the founding era of the People's Republic of China. Naturally, he sneered at Zhu Kai's words!
"Prince Zhao, Taizu's original words should be that if there are no honest ministers in the government and there are evildoers in the government, the troops must be trained and on standby to clear away the evildoers on the emperor's side. How come it has changed when it comes to you!"
The original meaning of the ancestral training of Emperor Zhou is that the prince must manage your army well, train it well, and wait for the emperor's order before you can go to Qingjun's side.
But now, Zhu Kai changed it to "must train troops to fight against it", which means that the prince can directly lead troops to Qing Jun's side.
Although it seems that only two words have been changed, the meaning is completely different!
The latter is equivalent to giving the prince the autonomy to take the initiative to raise troops. With the wisdom of Emperor Taizu Gao, how could he leave such a big hidden danger?
After Zhu Kai was exposed by Zhao Tianlin, his expression did not change at all. After this battle, Zhao Wang Zhu Kai's character once again transformed and evolved. At this time, Zhu Kai was more powerful and terrifying than before.
"How did the old general know that my king's cavalry did not have your majesty's secret edict?! At this time in the court, the cabinet acted arbitrarily and had no regard for the emperor, which made the imperial power fall into dust. This led to today's battle. The situation in Beijing, didn't Old General Zhao is that clear?!"
Zhu Kai said these words not only to persuade Zhao Tianlin to surrender, but also to clear Zhao Wang's treason through this debate.
Now it seems that the effect is good. At least King Zhao's army has a higher degree of recognition for King Zhao's army!
Of course, this also depends on King Zhao's usual prestige.
"Old general, why don't you think about it for a while? I am willing to give the old general time to think about it!"
Zhao Tianlin was over eighty years old and his time was running out. Even if he surrendered such a general, he wouldn't be able to use him for long.
But its greatest significance is not here, but to rectify Zhu Kai's rebellion. Zhao Tianlin is a veteran from the founding period, and Zhao Tianlin's approval can convince many people.
Moreover, although Zhao Tianlin is not the commander-in-chief of the Sixth Army of the Emperor, he is also the deputy commander-in-chief of the Longwu Army. Now he serves as the commander-in-chief of the Pingjing Army, which is equivalent to the commander-in-chief of the Zhengda Military Region in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Such people's defection and surrender would be a huge blow to the morale of the Confederate Army.
It can be said that if Zhao Tianlin is willing to surrender, Zhu Kai's success rate of raising troops can be increased by half on the original basis.
It was precisely because of these benefits that Zhu Kai put down his identity and had enough patience to persuade Zhao Tianlin to surrender.
Zhao Tianlin was determined to die, but he couldn't bear to worry about these surrendering soldiers, so he said, "Prince Zhao, I am over eighty years old and have only a few years left. If I die, I will die! But these children are still young. I hope The prince can give them a way to survive."
Zhu Kai would naturally not refuse Zhao Tianlin's request. In his heart, he longed to transform this elite Pingjing soldier into his own army.
However, even though King Zhao was very happy to accept it, he still pretended to be "I am selling you face" on his face.
"Now that the old general has spoken, I will also give the old general a face. As long as I surrender now, I will accept it."
Zhao Tianlin nodded and was about to turn his horse back into the formation.
When Zhu Kai saw this, he immediately stopped him, "Does the old general really not think about the country's peace? If the old general is willing to join the Jingnan army, I am willing to worship the old general as a general. The old general originally deployed Soldiers and horses can also be reused!"
Zhu Kai wants to make a final effort, and Zhao Tianlin, a veteran of four dynasties, still plays a very important role.
Zhao Tianlin did not answer, but went straight back to the formation with the sword in hand, without giving King Zhao the slightest thought.
When King Zhao saw this, he sighed and shook his head. It was a pity that he could not recruit this veteran.
"Prepare to attack!"
At noon, the horn sounded in the air, and the majestic sound seemed to herald the bloody battle that would follow.
The final chapter of the battle on the north bank of the Baigou River began.
…
Just as Zhao Tianlin was engaged in a bloody battle with the cavalry of King Zhao's army, the cavalry led by Yu Tongyuan was charging in the direction of Zhao Tianlin.
King Zhao's soldiers and horses have intercepted the truth, and nearly 10,000 cavalry have blocked Yu Tongyuan's path to prevent him from rescuing Zhao Tianlin.
Today, Zhao Tianlin must die! This was the order issued by Zhao Wang Zhu Kai after Zhao Tianlin refused to surrender.
Facing the obstruction of King Zhao's army, Yu Tongyuan and Teng Ju no longer considered life or death.
"Crossbow! Shoot!" Yu Tongyuan roared loudly with all his strength!
Then he took the lead and shot the divine machine crossbow in his hand at the Zhao Wangjun who was already well-defended in front!
A dark cloud suddenly rose from the sky above the five thousand Jingqi, and five thousand powerful crossbow arrows shook the nearby air, making a low but soul-stirring whistle.
At a distance of two hundred steps, ordinary armor could not completely resist the thrown crossbow arrows. The armor-piercing arrows tore the armor of King Zhao's soldiers.
Under a hail of arrows, at least a thousand people in King Zhao's army were injured by arrows.
After Yu Tongyuan's five thousand elite cavalry fired the crossbow arrows, they immediately moved forward to attack the oncoming infantry and cavalry of King Zhao's army.
Yu Tongyuan took the lead. He didn't even care about the corpses scattered on the ground. He whipped the war horse and hit it directly!
Seeing the usually calm coach so determined and crazy, the cavalry behind him seemed to have guessed something.
Although they were recruited from the Royal Forest Army, everyone knows the old commander Zhao Tianlin!
As the cavalry commander, Yu Tongyuan has obviously declared the war situation to these elite cavalry through such a desperate fighting style!
These elite riders who have followed Yu Tongyuan for many years also understand what Yu Tongyuan means and know how to choose!
Will be brave!
The general will have the heart to die, and the scholar will not be greedy for life!
The more than 2,000 soldiers at the front of the 5,000 fine cavalry following Generals Yu Tongyuan and Teng Ju had a look of ferocity on their faces. They clamped their legs on the horse's belly and whipped the horse hard with the whip. They rushed out instantly and hit the horse hard. Go up to the military formation of King Zhao's army.
At least one-third of the Pingjing Army's cavalry stumbled to the ground and fell off their horses!
But even if they fell off their horses, these cavalrymen would just roll over, immediately stand up, grasp the weapons in their hands and attack again!
Such bloody and heroic tactics disrupted the formation of King Zhao's army in the shortest possible time!
The soldiers of King Zhao at the front obviously did not expect that the cavalry of the Pingjing Army would use this method of killing one thousand enemies and losing eight hundred to themselves!
They were all knocked down immediately. Most of the soldiers of King Zhao who were hit would probably not survive under the strong impact of the high-speed charging horses! !
Yu Tongyuan's deputy general Teng Ju also fell from his horse, but as soon as he got up, he drew the sword from his waist and chopped down several Zhao Wang soldiers who were bullying him.
Teng Ju looked back and saw that the remaining cavalry, including Yu Tongyuan, did not hesitate at all, and rushed forward one after another with men and horses!
Zhao Wangjun was also beaten to death by Pingjing Jun's tactics. He exchanged injuries for injuries and fought for his life.
A soldier of the King of Zhao was pierced through the chest and abdomen by a spear from the Pingjing Army. He actually held the spear and forcefully pierced the chest and abdomen with the spear, and then swung his sword to cut off an arm of the Pingjing Army's cavalry.
This scene is happening everywhere!
Soldier Pingjing fell from his horse and hundreds of people quickly gathered around Yu Tongyuan!
Although the losses were huge with such a tactics, it also defeated the defensive formation of King Zhao's army in the first time.
At this moment, Yu Tongyuan was only two hundred steps away from Zhao Tianlin's central army.
Zhao Tianlin, who was fighting hard, also discovered Yu Tongyuan's troops approaching. This was an opportunity! They also began to change the direction of their attack and moved closer to Yu Tongyuan's troops, hoping to make peace.
However, the distance of two hundred steps seemed to have turned into a chasm at this moment. Zhu Kai naturally saw the intention of the two men and began to direct his troops to intercept.
The distance between Yu Tongyuan and Zhao Tianlin was two hundred steps, and they were already facing the corpses of the soldiers of King Zhao and Ping Jing who were entangled in the battle.
But the distance of two hundred is always difficult to bridge!
The five thousand fine cavalry under Yu Tongyuan fought desperately for just a hundred breaths. More than 2,000 people have been killed, and there are less than 3,000 left!
The soldiers and horses of King Zhao's army were still coming in a steady stream.
Going to lose!
A trace of sadness flashed in Yu Tongyuan's eyes! Then it was replaced by a stern look!
"I am invincible!"
"kill!"
Yu Tongyuan shouted and charged forward with his war spear! The three thousand Pingjing troops behind him either directly collided with each other on their horses, or fell off their horses and got up to hold their swords to fight again, or even pounced with their teeth and hands, and died together...
On the battlefield of two hundred steps, blood flew everywhere and corpses were everywhere...
…
According to later historical records,
In the third year of the Great Zhou Dynasty, it was the third day of the twelfth lunar month!
The commander-in-chief of the Pingjing Army, Zhao Tianlin; the deputy commander-in-chief of the Yulin Army, Qu Neng; and Ningyuan General Yu Tongyuan, as well as their generals and soldiers totaling 50,000 people, faced the Zhao King's rebels and fought to the death without retreating. They all died in battle on the north bank of the Baigou River and martyred their country! (End of chapter)
