"Report—the left-wing shield formation is in emergency! Requesting reinforcements!"
"Report - the middle road was attacked by enemy troops, and Yang Ting's and Qiao Zhennian's troops were defeated!"
"Lord Protector, Turkic cavalry has been spotted behind the archer position and is in urgent need of cover!"
Battle reports came to Cao Yongji like snow flakes one after another, making the former fierce general uncontrollably frightened.
In just one hour, six large gun and shield formations were torn to pieces by the enemy. The entire army was forced to retreat five hundred steps, relying on the second line to support them.
However, even so, the Rapid Relief Division was still being beaten back by the Turks, leaving no room left to stabilize their position and launch a counterattack.
The Karen cavalry of the Blood Wolf clan on the opposite side were galloping in the dim dusk, as if they were in a deserted land. They seemed to want to tell Cao Yongji a truth with hard facts:
Why do you think we are a second-rate force? Just because we're not as famous as the Wolf Guard? Was the throne of the Great Khan of the Turkic Empire given away for free?
However, Cao Yongji couldn't care less about reflection now. If he hesitated for a while, he might not be able to leave Yewangpo alive!
The Turks' fighting methods were both swift and cunning, and there was always a hint of treachery in their repeated attacks. After they defeated the Shengtang army in a certain place, they were often not eager to fight on the spot. Instead, they drove the defeated soldiers towards those square formations that still remained intact, like herds of sheep.
At the same time, the cavalry regiments in several directions were aiming at the position of Cao Yongji's flag intentionally or unintentionally, and they were getting closer and closer, and the encirclement became tighter!
After all, Lao Cao had been on the battlefield for a long time, so he still had this sensitivity. Seeing that the situation was not good, he knew that the Turkic ghosts were coming for him, so he quickly called for his personal guards to protect him, retreated south, and at the same time ordered four infantry cavalry The mixed reserves immediately moved forward to block the approaching Turkic cavalry.
At this time, the sky was completely dark. On the open Yewang Slope, there were fighting groups everywhere. Groups of Turkic cavalry and scattered Shengtang warriors came and went, fighting endlessly. .
Cao Yongji knew in his heart that this was definitely not the time to act impulsively. Instead of staying here and fighting to the death with the enemy, it is better to try to save some vitality for the Protectorate. As he retreated, he gathered up the soldiers and horses who had also withdrawn, and fled south along the Okura River. The soldiers of the Quick Relief Division who were still in the fierce battle could only be cruel and abandon them.
In the Battle of Yewangpo, Shengtang was defeated.
In the originally balanced situation of 30,000 vs. 30,000, the Protectorate's Mansion still had the home field advantage, but in the end it resulted in a tragic result of losing more than 12,000 people and causing the general to flee for his life in a hurry.
As for the Turks, they suffered less than 5,000 casualties, and they also bloodbathed the city of Tuzi near Yewangpo.
Such a situation, let alone the past twenty years, or even the past two hundred years, was extremely rare in the history of Shengtang.
Anxi is furious! Liangzhou is furious! The imperial capital is furious!
The imperial court issued two decrees in succession, sending special envoys directly to Western Xinjiang. First, Cao Yongji, who had fled back to Chechi, was escorted to Beijing and thrown directly into a prison. If an old friend of the Long Sword Legion had not come forward to intercede, Lao Cao would have been chopped down on the spot.
At the same time, Deputy Governor Zhang Sanpi was ordered to lead the main force of the Suppression Army westward to find the enemy for a decisive battle.
The Imperial Capital also specially sent a message: Shengtang's face in Western Xinjiang cannot be lost, and the military prestige of the Protectorate in Guimo cannot be lost. You can handle the rest by yourself!
Zhang Sanpi felt that he had a heavy responsibility, and quickly gathered his energy. While ordering the entire Pegasus Scout Battalion to dispatch to find out the enemy's movements, he also sent a message to the Zhenjiang garrison stationed in various places to be on strict alert to guard against Turkic sneak attacks .
As for himself, he led the main force of 40,000 people straight to Chechi State and joined the 17,000 remaining troops of the Quick Relief Division who had retreated there.
The combined strength of the two armies is twice that of Duke Karen. Do you still want to avenge your son? Let me take revenge on Ye Wangpo first!
However, what Zhang Sanpi never expected was that just when he arrived at the car and was gearing up to do something big, the Pegasus Scout Battalion suddenly sent the latest information:
The enemy suddenly increased its troops, and the main force of the Blood Wolf Legion has crossed the border, numbering between 30,000 and 40,000!
This news immediately shocked Zhang Sanpi: Damn it, is it such a coincidence? The wolf cubs came sooner or later, but they sent more manpower at this time. The forces of both sides suddenly returned to the same level!
However, although the number of people is similar, the real combat power of each other is not the same.
Zhang Sanpi knew clearly that although most of the people in Zhenjiang Protectorate were experienced veterans, they were really "old". Most of the soldiers had participated in the last counterinsurgency in Western Xinjiang, which was twenty years ago. The boy soldiers who were in their early teens now had beards, not to mention those who had white beards and hair and could hardly walk. The panting veteran.
These people have been on the battlefield for a long time, and their war experience is also valuable. But the problem is that when the two armies are fighting, the struggle is not to learn to sing, but to have a bloody physique. Let a group of old men go to fight against the young Turks. This is no joke. ?
Zhang Sanpi is different from Cao Yongji in that he is better at using his brain. The more people bully the smaller ones, they can try to make up for their lack of age, but if the two sides are evenly matched, then their veteran army will definitely not be of use.
Instead of recklessly looking for a fight with the enemy, losing miserably, and being sent to the imperial capital prison to keep company with Lao Cao, it would be better to be cowardly now and call for help quickly.
Having made up his mind, Zhang Sanpi quickly wrote three letters and sent someone to the imperial capital as quickly as possible.
The first letter was to the Ministry of War. The letter slightly exaggerated the situation on the front line. For example, the Turkic reinforcements were not 30,000 or 40,000, but 70,000 or 80,000. There is only one purpose: I can’t stand it anymore, hurry up and get reinforcements!
The second letter is for He Jingming. He is Zhang Sanpi's old boss and the current Protector-General, so his intention is very clear: the war situation is unfavorable, and I am asking for your guidance.
The third letter is to Xu Youchang's grandfather, the old general Xu Lie. Mr. Xu is Deputy Protector Zhang's mentor. The two of them are like father and son, so Zhang Sanpi doesn't hide anything from him: This battle is really difficult to fight. If you lose by accident, you will give it to the teacher. Shame on you.
After Xu Lie read the letter sent by the student, he immediately understood what the other party meant. He didn't say anything, just changed into his official uniform and entered the palace.
Two days later, Emperor Li Chengwu, under the advice of Xu Lie, He Jingming and other generals, ordered the Ministry of War to plan a strategy and dispatch the Xuanjia Legion to Western Xinjiang to reinforce the Protectorate to fight against the Turkic invasion.
As a result, there was the "First Battle of Western Xinjiang" recorded in later history books.
There are three main reasons why the Blazing Blade Legion in Liangzhou was left unused and the Xuanjia Legion stationed in Bianzhou in Central China was urgently mobilized:
First, He Jingming, the commander-in-chief of the Fierce Blade Army, was seriously ill at the time and could not withstand the hardships of the expedition. He chose a deputy commander to go there, and he was at the same level as Zhang Sanpi, so command and coordination was prone to problems.
Secondly, according to the military information reported by the Zhenjiang Protectorate, the Turks are coming to the west with great momentum, and there may be more reinforcements in the future. However, there is no room for loss in Western Xinjiang, so we simply send out the top legions of Shengtang to fight for a battle. Set the course.
Thirdly, Xie Guang, the commander-in-chief of the Xuanjia Army, had just led his troops to sweep Mobei and won a great victory. Among the senior generals of the dynasty, he was not only young and powerful, but also extremely prestigious. When he goes to Western Xinjiang, he will definitely be able to lead both the Xuanjia and Zhenjiang groups.
The decree was issued and the army set off.
The 150,000 black-armored army left 50,000 heavy-armored soldiers to guard Bianzhou, and the remaining 100,000 cavalry followed their commander Xie Guang. They set out from the Central Plains and traveled day and night in a dusty journey. Finally, they arrived before the Duhu Mansion almost collapsed. Arrived at the front line of Western Xinjiang.
There was once a meddlesome person in Shengtang who created a ranking list of the "lucky generals" of the dynasty. Throughout the eight hundred years of glorious history, among the top ten lucky generals, the shadow of Deputy Governor Zhang Sanpi is indispensable.
Yes, this guy is indeed a lucky general.
Zhang Sanpi was originally a scholar, and he only wanted to obtain fame and shine. Unfortunately, there were many geniuses in the Shengtang Dynasty, and the competition in the imperial examinations was extremely fierce. When he was young, he failed the exam twice in a row, which was really depressing.
However, Zhang Sanpi had a quick mind and saw that literary pursuits were difficult, so he turned to martial arts without hesitation. With several years of practicing Three-legged Cat Kung Fu and good calligraphy, this guy actually managed to sneak into the imperial capital's martial arts hall and became a martial arts soldier.
As luck would have it for him, the head of the martial arts hall at that time was concurrently held by Mr. Xu Liexu, the commander-in-chief of the Qilin Army. Zhang Sanpi was well-behaved, had keen eyesight, and had good literary talent, so he was immediately valued by Xu Lie and recruited as his student and personal attendant.
Three years later, he graduated from the martial arts hall. Xu Lie suggested that Zhang Sanpi should not always stay by his side, but should go outside and make a career. Zhang Sanpi obeyed the teacher's words and was selected to serve in the Fierce Blade Legion with his second-class martial arts results.
This time, his luck was overwhelming again and he was assigned to the command of He Jingming, who was the deputy commander at the time. General He also saw that this boy was good, and because of Xu Lie's affection, he deliberately cultivated him. In just a few years, he was promoted from a junior high school to a captain.
Then came the battle to counter the rebellion and the establishment of the Zhenjiang Protectorate. Zhang Sanpi was different from Cao Yongji. When he arrived at the Governor's Mansion, he was still at the rank of captain. He worked diligently for ten years before being promoted step by step to his current position by He Jingming.
But in general, Lao Zhang's luck is still good. He became the deputy governor in his forties, and he can be considered young and promising.
And more importantly, this guy also has a characteristic of a lucky general - his mouth is accurate.
What is accurate mouth?
That is to say, everything can be fulfilled.
For example, this time, Pegasus scouts told him that the Turks would increase their troops by 30,000 to 40,000, and he told the imperial capital that the enemy had arrived at 70,000 to 80,000. The imperial court believed it to be true and immediately decided to send 100,000 Xuanjia troops into Western Xinjiang.
The results of it? Fortunately Xie Guang is here, otherwise it would be really cool!
Not long after the second echelon of the Turks crossed the border, the third echelon suddenly followed, with a total of 80,000 troops. Together with the two groups in front, the total strength was close to 150,000!
While Zhang Sanpi secretly shouted, "I have a biological mother, fortunately I am smart," he commanded the Xinjiang troops in various places to set up their postures and defend to the death. They relied on the strong fortifications of the castle and fortress to resist the Turks' crazy attack.
The Zhenjiang Protectorate no longer chose to compete with the enemy on plains and wilderness like Yewangpo as before. Instead, it broke into pieces and held on to the fortress, using city walls and bows and arrows to consume the Turks' vigor.
This tactic, nicknamed "turtle play" by the Blood Wolf Army, although not very good-looking, plays an extremely important role in preserving strength and protecting strategic locations.
After more than two months, although the Turkic army also achieved many victories and captured more than 40 towns, they failed to completely defeat Shengtang's core force in Western Xinjiang.
The eagle flag of the Protectorate is still flying proudly in the vast ghost desert!
In response to this situation, the Turkic High Command decided to change the previous strategy of attacking in all directions and moving flexibly, and instead brought the main forces together to implement the "piercing" operation.
The primary target to penetrate was Che Chiguo.
There, there were 70,000 soldiers and horses from the Zhenjiang Protectorate, as well as their command center. Taking Chechi would be equivalent to destroying the foundation of Shengtang here, and most of Western Xinjiang would naturally fall into the hands of the Turkic Empire. .
Facing the clear-cut and aggressive Turks, Zhang Sanpi couldn't help but fall into deep contradictions.
escape? Or keep it? this is a problem.
Escape means life; but defending will most likely lead to death. In the face of life and death, who can not hesitate?
However, Zhang Sanpi did not hesitate for too long. He said calmly to his subordinates:
"As an army suppressing Xinjiang, if we lose our car, we might as well just die."
