Chapter 31 Suppression
As soon as the cicada's bait team was out of sight, the oriole team, who was ready to eat the mantis in one bite, also moved towards the predetermined location. The former left the official road and entered the forest, and the latter arrived at the designated location four or five miles away from them.
In order to save horsepower, the knights led their horses on foot. At this time, Gu Baihua's armored riders took off their armor bundles from their horses, helped each other put them on, and then waited patiently for the signal. The infantry were busy unloading their equipment from the carriage. After putting on their armor, they sat down on the ground to conserve their strength under Gaofengdou's order. Takatozu was still on the horse - he was responsible for commanding the troops and had a better view. Since there is no need to charge with the cavalry, there is no need to worry about horsepower.
The plan was perfect: after the signal was sent, the cavalry, acting as hammers, would rush over first to hold off the enemy. As long as the escape route to the north was blocked and the dog officers and soldiers were driven to the south, the troops would be able to hold the enemy tightly like an anvil. Keep the bottom of your pocket.
There are armored cavalry in the north and elite soldiers in the south. To the west is the surging water of the confluence of the three rivers. To the east, there are dense forests. Normal walking will quickly consume a lot of energy. The panicked soldiers plunge into it. It is only a matter of time before they are found.
Seeing the signal from the boat, Gu Baihua nodded slightly to Gao Tengdou, clamped his legs on the horse's belly, and the horse started to trot. The cavalry soldiers did not need to go into the forest to pursue. They rushed over and blocked the north road to guard the official road. The battle was won. During the march, Gu Baihua controlled the reins with his left hand, reached out with his right hand, and pulled out the Ma Shuo hanging on the saddle bridge. He danced with a spear and then put it under his ribs. The whole set of movements was completed in one go. Gao Tengdou couldn't help but secretly cheer in his heart. This barbarian really deserves to be a horse thief. In a foot battle, few people can stop his barbarian sword that he regards as life. When it comes to his skills on horseback, the whole army is really No one can compare to this guy. This guy seems to be more knowledgeable about horses than the Mongolian Tatars. No matter how powerful the horse is, within an hour it will become as well-behaved as if it has been raised for several years. It is more like a person growing up on the horse's back. Following Gu Baihua's movements, the armored cavalry behind him also assumed the standard cavalry charge posture: charging into the formation with their guns drawn.
After the last armored cavalry galloped a few feet away, Gao Tengdou quickly directed the soldiers to form a battle formation: the spearmen were on the outside, responsible for blocking the enemy cavalry from rushing into the formation, and the sword and shield soldiers were the main force in the search and suppression, forming a tight battle formation. Formation - Because of the absolute strength advantage, Gao Tengdou would order the small formation to disperse after removing the threat of the enemy cavalry and catching up with the enemy, and the soldiers would form small groups into the forest to search and suppress.
There was an order: "Enter!" The team began to press forward unhurriedly. These soldiers are all carefully selected elite soldiers with rich experience in battle. In order to maintain their physical strength, everyone does not walk very fast.
When Li Shaobing saw the rapidly approaching cloud of smoke from the south, he immediately made a judgment: there were fifty or sixty thieves, and they were definitely not something that his few horsemen could handle. Moreover, the horses gradually accelerate when running. Even if you immediately line up for hedging, at this distance, the opponent's horse has already run out of temper and reached full speed. You will definitely not be able to increase your speed, and you will be dead! Immediately shouted: "Run north, run north!", greeted a few subordinates who had just emerged from the forest, beat their mounts desperately and galloped towards Ansai County in the north.
There were only four riders running with Li Shaobing.
The lush vegetation greatly weakened the transmission distance and effect of sound waves in the forest. Even though all the cavalry soldiers who heard Li Shaobing's warning were shouting in succession, the few who went deep first turned around a step too late and did not have time to get out of the woods. Bai Hua's armored cavalry rumbled past the forest. The enemy cavalry nearby just smiled ferociously, pointed their lances and other weapons at them threateningly, and galloped past them. No one stopped to fight.
The smoke and dust raised by the cavalry formation obscured their sight, and the rumbling hoofbeats also swallowed up Li Shaobing's scream. The confused people looked at each other and instinctively rode south, which was the opposite direction to the large group of cavalry. The horses had just picked up a little speed, and through the thinning smoke and dust, they were horrified to find a dazzling light shining in the distance: it was the tip of the gun, the blade of the knife, and the sunlight reflected by the armor!
Li Shaobing, who was running at the front, looked back. Behind him were four panicked brothers. Behind them, there was a dark mass of enemy cavalry, running straight towards them along the official road.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to run away!" The fear quickly spread throughout his body. The enemy's cavalry has already reached full speed, and he has just trotted. Can the mounts with a distance of 60 to 70 feet between the two sides reach full speed? The official road leads directly to Ansai County, which is also occupied by thieves. What should I do when I get to the city? Should I rush over? Li Shaobing hadn't thought about it for a moment, but suddenly realized that he didn't need to think hard anymore: several ropes had been pulled up on the official road in the direction of Ansai County, and behind the ropes were dozens of people holding guns and knives. Thief!
"Go down to the river! Go down to the river!" Li Shaobing shouted again.
Entering the forest is a dead end.
It was indeed through the forest when it came. But at that time, there were auxiliary soldiers who used hatchets to clear the way and led the horses to move over step by step. No matter whether the bandit cavalry is followed by troops or not, as long as half of them dismount and enter the forest, they will definitely not be able to escape - the only way to survive is to jump into Yanshui!
Li Shaobing simply threw away his weapon, stopped urging his mount, and began to remove his armor at the same time. Damn, it's too tight! Li Shaobing pulled out his dagger and with great difficulty cut through the cowhide rope connecting the armor plates.
The sound of galloping horse hooves was getting closer and closer, and a scream came from behind. Li Shaobing did not look back. He knew that the guy who was running at the end was caught up!
"Boss Li, get down to the river quickly!", followed by several splashing sounds of water. Armor is a treasure, and it is impossible for everyone to get one. Some cavalry soldiers do not have armor, but it is more convenient for them at this moment. Li Shaobing finally got rid of the shackles of Zha Jia and jumped into Yanshui when the pursuers were only three horse lengths away.
The moment he entered the water, Li Shaobing saw his hands struggling in vain as he gradually sank.
It was a man wearing a vest. He jumped into the river before he could take off his armor, and he didn't hug the horse's neck tightly. As soon as it entered the water, the momentum of the horse came to an abrupt end, and the person on the horse was thrown far away under the influence of huge kinetic energy and inertia - no matter how good the swimming skills were, it could not resist the pull of the heavy iron armor, and the horse, which had lost the control of its owner, fell into the water. Swimming aimlessly and instinctively.
Li Shaobing, who was hugging the horse's neck tightly, looked downstream as the waves floated and sank. The other two unarmored horsemen did not sink after entering the water. However, what was waiting for them was still death: what he had seen from a distance Three or so harmless-looking boats rushed down the river like arrows, and an archer and two spearmen emerged from the canopy of each boat!
A small boat rowed towards the horse that had lost its owner. A spear stretched out from the boat and picked up the reins that were soaked in the water. The people on the boat reached out to grab it, and then the boat pulled the horse and rowed back to the shore. The boatmen on several other boats rocked their oars and struggled with the rapids, stopping their boats less than a foot away from the two of them. The archers were taking aim leisurely, seemingly very close. The boat was rising and falling in the waves, and the first two arrows missed. However, the archers still looked unhurried - obviously, the thieves were Afraid of hurting the horse!
Fortunately, the boat rushed downstream too fast, and Li Shaobing ran further north. The boat was now facing the south. To catch up with him, one had to go upstream. The other two companions attracted most of the attention. In particular, the thieves were more interested in the horses! After pondering this truth, Li Shaobing let go of his hand without hesitation, letting the horse go down the river, and then he plunged towards the other side...
Gu Baihua reined in his horse on the bank and looked into the river for a while.
Some regrets.
He had always looked down on small riding bows, so he didn't bring one with him. Otherwise, the guy who abandoned his horse wouldn't be able to run away: he didn't need to hit a vital point, he could just stick an arrow or two anywhere and he would be able to swim anywhere! However, I can't blame Gu Guerrilla - the cavalry bow is only half the size of the foot bow, and the power is even pitiful. The Mongolian Tatars rushed forward in a row, reined in their horses, stretched their bows, shot an arrow and ran away, bullying and intimidating Wu Jia. Just to scare the new recruits. Moreover, when it comes to archery, both accuracy and strength are indispensable—it’s not just about dismounting and shooting! Shooting on the back of a bumpy galloping horse? Haha, it is certain that the arrow will not fly far, let alone where it will land.
After the whole team turned around, Gu Baihua was not in a hurry to lead his troops back to the south. Instead, he trotted towards the dozens of ambush soldiers and ropes to the north. Luo Shifan, Guan Jianlin and other knights were watching boredly as the soldiers untied the snagging ropes. Gu Baihua raised his thumb and praised sincerely: "Young master is really amazing! If it weren't for the young master's skill in arranging the blocking troops and ships, a few thieves would have almost escaped!"
Luo Shifan chuckled: "Brother Gu, you're welcome. My father wants me to practice more with Brother Gu. I also want to see the fun, can I do that?"
Gu Baihua laughed loudly: "Of course. Junior Master, please! You will be in the second row later. It will be refreshing and safe. You must not get too close. If Junior Master has a short hair, Gu I can’t afford to pay for it even if a dog’s head is cut off, hahaha.”
Everyone returned to the team laughing and joking. Gu Baihua and Guan Jianlin guarded Luo Shifan in the center. With a shout, he urged the cavalry formation and trotted back towards the south.
The few horsemen who were running south against Li Shaobing saw the thick troops (thick enough for their cavalry). They didn't even risk the idea of charging into the battle. They settled their mounts and ran north again. go.
Further away, another plume of smoke and dust rose up: the cavalry that had just galloped past was pressing back again!
Several people looked at each other desperately, dismounted in unison, threw away the reins, and ran towards the forest while disarming themselves.
On the side of the army, Takato Dou, who was riding a horse, had a wider view than the soldiers. Seeing this, he drew his long sword to the northeast: "Enter the forest to pursue!"
The infantry soldiers had already understood the combat mission, and according to the pre-planned plan, they quickly divided into teams of ten people and one soldier. Each soldier kept a distance of more than ten battles from each other and dispersed into the forest beside the road with shouts. There were two or three spearmen mixed into each fruit. Under the close protection of the sword and shield soldiers, they would stab every suspicious bush in the dense forest where people could hide.
Knowledge points in this article:
1. Those who ride horses are not necessarily cavalry. They may be genuine cavalry or mounted infantry. The difference is that the cavalry generally uses long soldiers as their main weapons. They ride on horseback during combat, while the mounted infantry only uses horses as transportation. After engaging the enemy, they dismount and fight on foot. Most of them use short soldiers (similar to modern infantry chariots. The main function of chariots is to function is more focused on placing soldiers in the appropriate locations). Many of the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty in later generations were mounted infantry.
2. There are also differences between cavalry and cavalry without armor. Especially cavalry auxiliaries, which do not even have leather armor, but when the battle goes well, they will pursue them with knives in order to grab the spoils of war.
3. Due to restrictions on horse types in ancient China, Hetao horses and Mongolian horses generally weighed no more than four to five hundred kilograms and had weak carrying capacity, so light cavalry was the main force. There are very few armored cavalry, that is, heavy cavalry, who can also put armor on their war horses. Jin Wushu's Iron Plateau is somewhat like Zheng Chenggong's Iron Man Army - Zheng Damu bought and cheated a lot of canned armor from the Dutch. However, European plate armor is mainly equipped for knights. Even tall Europeans, most people wear it. It is also difficult to move even an inch. Only 500 people were selected from the hundreds of thousands of Fujian and Zhejiang troops. They seemed invincible, but once they were lost, it was difficult to regain their strength.
4. When cavalry marches, they will only ride when necessary or special circumstances. Most of the time, they lead the horses on foot in order to save horse power - unless they reach the top configuration of two people and four horses: one war horse for fighting, and another There are pack horses carrying heavy bedding, one riding horse for marching, and one cavalry auxiliary cutting grass, feeding horses, and serving people. This kind of luxurious lineup requires money: apart from training, the comprehensive cost of raising a regular cavalry is more than 10 ordinary soldiers - if you were a general, would you choose to raise two or three top-level armored cavalry or one? A troop of hundreds of soldiers?
