Iron Kites, just like its name, the men and horses are covered in armor, the dark background reflects the cold light, and releases a dangerous aura. The heavy cavalry of three thousand Liao troops was divided into ten squads. They gathered together like arrows and struck straight towards the front stronghold of the Han army.
Because the distance is not enough and he is carrying heavy armor, it is not easy to increase his speed, and it is difficult to gather his momentum to a high point, but even so, the momentum brought by the attack is still shocking.
The Qianzhai Zhazhai that was holding on had been destroyed by the Liao army's continuous attacks and was out of shape. It was difficult to provide reliable support. Taking advantage of the gap when the attacking Liao soldiers dispersed, Han Lingkun seized the time to replenish his soldiers, adjust his formation, and prepare for the next wave of attacks.
Looking at the heavy cavalry attack of the Liao army, his face changed drastically, and hot sweat broke out on his forehead. In an emergency, he issued several orders: "The crossbowmen retreated, thousands of shield soldiers, and the spearmen stood in formation, and the remaining Pull up all the frames for me!"
Under Han Lingkun's order, the Han army's response was not slow, and could even be described as positive. However, after a long period of fighting in the former camp, the casualties of the soldiers in the former village were not small. More than 2,000 soldiers were killed directly. In addition, their mental strength has declined. In such a state, it is inevitable to make adjustments. omission.
In fact, Han Lingkun once tried to withdraw the sergeants on the front line of defense and replace them with a group of fresh troops, but he failed to implement it. First, the battle was fierce and anxious. The Liao army did not hesitate to take casualties and launched fierce attacks without stopping, without giving them much chance to adjust.
The second is that a hasty retreat is likely to cause the entire defense line to loosen and even cause a collapse. As a result, Han Lingkun could only constantly dispatch officers and soldiers to supplement the troops, creating a situation of adding fuel to the fire and fighting.
Behind, the stone bullets and kerosene bombs from the Han army were still flying, flying high over the Han village, circling, and hitting the Liao army outside with strong force. This kind of attack with difficult to clearly target can cause only a small amount of damage. As for the blow to morale, it has to be said that the Liao army came well prepared and was on the offensive, so the effect was not good.
The Liao army rode heavily, galloping with strong hooves and feet, and the dull sound of hoofbeats, one after another, seemed to be stepping on the heart of the Han army in the front camp. Many soldiers' faces turned pale and their lips trembled because of this, which was not only a serious consumption of energy, but also a sign of fear. The Han army was also human and made of flesh and blood, and would be afraid in such a battlefield situation.
Before Han Lingkun's defense was fully in place, the Iron Kites army suddenly approached. A wave of crossbows hit him intensively, causing some damage, but in the end they were only a few. In terms of heavy cavalry assault, this Liao army was obviously well-trained and experienced. The former fell, and the latter followed. .
Facing the Han army's chariot, shield and gun formation, they did not rush in and attack fiercely. Instead, they focused on the weak points and joints to attack, and one strike was effective. Without any entanglement, a strong and unstoppable attack soon penetrated the Han army's formation and directly broke into a distance of one mile.
Under such an offensive rhythm, although the Han soldiers in the front camp tried their best to resist, they had fought hard for a long time. No matter how capable they were, they finally failed and fell into a collapse situation. The Liao army used heavy cavalry to successfully achieve the desired effect of breaking the formation.
In the rear, seeing the effectiveness of the heavy cavalry assault, more than 10,000 cavalry took advantage of the situation, then retreated to reorganize the infantry. Their morale was also boosted, and then they attacked with cavalry.
As a result, the Liao army directly devoted its offensive force to the front stronghold, broke through 20,000 infantry and cavalry, and successfully broke through the stronghold. As for the Han army, it looked like a rout in chaos.
The front camp was also divided into three camps. The northernmost front camp fell directly. The soldiers were divided and had their own warriors. Most of them retreated in embarrassment and spread to the middle and rear camps. As the commander-in-chief, Han Lingkun, seeing that the situation was irreversible, chose to retreat, wanting to abandon the front camp and occupy the middle and rear camps to re-solidify his position.
Such a choice cannot be completely denied, but the consequences are almost fatal. With his retreat, the entire front village felt like it was crumbling under the Liao army's rapid attack.
On the tower of the Chinese army's stronghold, An Shenqi had been climbing high to watch the battle since the fierce battle began, and issued urgent orders to adjust his dispatches and sharpen his troops to defend against the enemy. Looking at the performance of both the offensive and defensive sides, the fierce offensive of the Liao army made his old face tense and serious. When he saw the critical situation in the front camp, he finally couldn't help it and cursed: "This Han Lingkun, what is he doing? !Twenty thousand troops cannot hold a strong fortress!"
As he spoke, he quickly went downstairs with hurried steps. Luo Yanxuan, who was in charge of the Chinese army's defense, followed closely and said in a serious tone: "The Liao army's offensive is fierce and continuous. Our army hastily joined the battle to respond to the enemy, which is unsatisfactory. Now that the front stronghold is in chaos, we should immediately deploy troops to support and bring order to the chaos, so as to contain the Liao army's offensive. Otherwise, once the front stronghold is completely destroyed, the situation will be irreversible and our army will be in danger!"
"You and Han Chongyun guard the central stronghold!" An Shenqi ordered in a cold voice, and immediately led the already assembled 3,000 Chinese soldiers and horses and 500 heavy armor to the forward stronghold.
At this critical moment, as the commander-in-chief of the army, An Shenqi showed great ability to take responsibility. The front camp and the back camp were already in turmoil, with people running around and animals running around, and it was noisy. After urgently beheading hundreds of people who were running around, the attack was restrained. In the back camp, An Shenqi personally made arrangements to stabilize people's hearts and strengthen a line of defense on the original basis.
Han Lingkun led his men to retreat directly to the rear camp, which had not yet been completely dispersed. He was followed by hundreds of soldiers. Seeing An Shenqi personally bringing people to support him, he looked happy and hurried forward.
His steps were fast, and An Shenqi's movements were even more agile. He didn't look like a sixty-year-old man at all. He swung the whip and struck Han Lingkun three times in a row. The whip hit Han Lingkun's face, knocking him unconscious.
An Shenqi stared at him fiercely, pointed to the north, spitted and said angrily: "The soldiers are still fighting bloody battles and killing the enemy tenaciously. As the commander in chief, how dare you abandon the camp and retreat behind the army! "
Facing the furious An Shenqi, Han Lingkun opened his mouth to explain something, but the severe pain on his face prevented him from speaking for a while, and his tear ducts were a little out of control.
Looking back to the north, the sound of killing was still going on, and the Liao army's offensive was still strong. However, although the Han army was defeated, it was not able to take advantage of the situation and penetrate the Han stronghold in one fell swoop. From the front camp to the rear camp, Han soldiers and civilians were scattered, but there were still some sergeants who reorganized on the spot and resisted desperately, pulling the Liao army into positional fighting again.
Among them, two generals played a key role. One of them was Liu Tinghan, a general under An Shenqi. He also belonged to the Hebei frontier army. He was promoted by him in Chai Rong in his early years. This time he and Han Lingkun resisted in Qianzhai.
During the collapse of the army, he was also affected, but during the attack of the Liao cavalry, he actively rallied his soldiers and shouted, "Don't be in chaos, don't be scattered. If you mess up, you will die, if you disperse, you will die." He personally picked up the sword and led his men to kill the Liao army that was advancing south.
In such a chaotic situation, there was no backbone. With Liu Tinghan taking the lead, many Han troops immediately gathered around him to regroup and fight against the Liao army.
The other Han soldiers were also infected and gathered together to fight against the Liao army. These people are all well-trained people who have experienced the hardships of the battlefield. They know that if they completely collapse, they will only fall into a situation where they will be chased and slaughtered by the Liao army. Therefore, even if they are at the end of their strength, they still muster the courage to fight hard. Resistance is not for the sake of the overall situation, but for survival.
The other person is veteran Wang Yin. During this Northern Expedition, Emperor Liu Chengyou finally gave him a chance to join the army. Based on his qualifications, he assigned 3,000 Hebei Prefecture soldiers to his command.
When the defeat was overwhelming, Wang Yin's approach was similar to Liu Tinghan's. He gathered his soldiers and resisted on the spot. Instead of being in danger step by step and being slaughtered by others, it was better to fight hard and fight for his life.
Wang Yin's determination was particularly resolute. His participation in the Northern Expedition was his last and best opportunity to clear his name and earn blessings for his descendants. If he loses this battle, the responsibility will certainly not lie with him. Even if he saves his life in the end, he will spend his later years in misery. Rather than this, if Mo Ruo fights to the death, even if he dies in battle, he will still be treated like a martyr and protect his descendants.
Therefore, when Wang Yin held on to a desperate determination, the energy that burst out was astonishing. The veteran general, who was nearly sixty years old, held a dropped sword in his hand and took the lead in killing the Liao army. He was wounded and seemed unconscious, but his fighting spirit was still high. It seems that he has returned to eleven years ago, when he followed the army to attack Du Chongwei, an arrow hit his head, and Zhe Chu's mouth was full of grace.
The heroic and fearless performance of Wang Yin, a veteran general, was very morale-boosting. The soldiers around him were all deeply affected and resisted with courage.
In this way, under the leadership of Liu Tinghan, Wang Yin and other generals and officers, although the Han army in Qianzhai was defeated, they showed great resilience. Of course, they were also driven by the desire to survive.
The officers and soldiers of the Han army, regardless of their organization, assembled individually and resisted on the spot, forming small formations with thousands of soldiers and hundreds or even dozens of soldiers to fight against the Liao army.
The situation on the battlefield, amid this desperate struggle, fell into a state of complete chaos. Not only the Han army, but also the intruding Liao army. The cavalry's assault capability, which the Liao army relied on, had been greatly weakened and contained, and it could not charge forward at all. As for the Liao cavalry, the Han army focused on cutting the horses' legs, gradually drawing the Liao army into a chaotic battle. . Many Liao troops simply dismounted and fought, fighting indiscriminately and turning into a pot of porridge.
Han Lingkun was beaten and scolded by An Shenqi. The pain on his face was not as good as the shame in his heart. He didn't say anything more. He saluted An Shenqi and said: "King Chenliu is here. I have no worries!”
After saying that, he took his hundreds of Xiong'an soldiers and turned around and rushed back to the north, gathering the defeated soldiers along the way and killing those who had completely lost their ambition without looking back.
An Shenqi also sent 500 heavy-armored infantry troops. These people are a new force. Gods can kill gods when they stand in the way, and Buddhas can be killed when they stand in the way of Buddha. They are extremely sharp.
He himself sat in the rear camp personally and stopped moving. Mobilizing manpower, he continued to set up fortifications in front of the camp, set up formations and dig holes, without relaxing at all. He did not dare to waste the soldiers in the front camp and fought bloody battles to buy him time.
At the same time, troops and horses were mobilized from the Chinese Army and Youzhai to support. An Shenqi knew very well that although a chaotic battle interrupted the Liao army's offensive rhythm, with its superior strength, it could kill the Han army in the front village.
Xingjie Army Shi Shouxin also received the order to retreat, and with his men, he retreated towards Zuozhai. The restrained Liao Cavalry refused to let go easily, but after several rounds of bow and crossbow strikes, they successfully got rid of it. However, the thousands of Hebei frontier riders continued to stay outside the stronghold, fighting with the Liao cavalry.
Later, on the basis of ensuring defense, Shi Shouxin also sent troops to support Qianzhai. In this way, the Han army showed a posture of outflanking the Liao army in Qianzhai.
After learning about the battle situation in the stronghold, Yelu Cong, the Liao army's central army, couldn't help but sigh: "I knew the Han army was strong, but I didn't expect it to be so tenacious. It is actually a powerful enemy of the Liao!"
However, it is a sigh of relief. Faced with such a situation, there is no reason to be timid. The power in hand is still very strong and the troops are abundant. Then he mobilized troops into the camp to participate in the battle, and ordered the Liao troops in the village to regroup and attack, so as to get rid of the chaos as soon as possible.
They also divided their troops into 20,000 troops each to attack the left and right Han strongholds without attacking, to contain the other Han armies, and sent an additional 10,000 cavalry to encircle and suppress the annoying Hebei frontier cavalry.
Afterwards, Yelvcong ordered to move his central army command forward to motivate the Liao army officers and soldiers. Instead of weakening, the Liao army's offensive continued to strengthen.
The melee in the front camp of the Han army lasted for another full hour and a half. With the continuous input of troops from the Liao army, the Han army took the initiative to retreat. The front camp and the middle camp were all abandoned and retreated to the rear camp. In the middle camp, An Shenqi ordered firewood and grease to be piled up, and a large fire was set to stop his pursuit.
There were originally about 20,000 Han soldiers and civilian husbands, but less than 8,000 were alive, and almost everyone was injured. The Liao army reorganized their formation and continued their attack, hoping to defeat the Han army in one fell swoop and invade the Chinese army.
However, in front of the rear camp, An Shenqi personally took command and lined up his troops to wait. The Liao army that got the upper hand rushed forward suddenly, fired their bows and crossbows, and shot down a large area.
The heavy cavalry, which had been gathered together, wanted to follow the example and attack again, but in front of the Han army's formation, there were horse pits and hook locks, and they had to face a neat formation of guns, shields, chariots, and a row of crossbows. Even men and horses can be shot through.
After losing more than two hundred horses, Yelvcong no longer dared to charge like that with the Iron Kites. The Liao army's offensive was truly contained after they broke through the Han army's front stronghold.
Faced with this situation, Yelucong did not back down. He once again gathered his infantry, carried shields and carts, and attacked. He approached the Han formation, and under the cover of bows and arrows, he attempted to engage in close combat. Because of the lack of troops, some Liao soldiers were even ordered to dismount, pick up the Han army's shields and other defensive weapons, and continue the attack.
When the cavalry had to fight on foot to attack the formation, it can be seen what the Liao army was forced to do. Facing the Liao army's style of fighting, which completely ignored casualties, the pressure on the Han army was also huge. Even An Shenqi could not help but be shocked. He had no other choice and led his soldiers to resist tenaciously.
The battlefield was a millstone of flesh and blood, continuing to devour the lives of soldiers on both sides. From the dawn of the battle until noon, the shouts of killing at Nankou did not stop. Although the Liao army's offensive was fierce, the Han army's effective command and tenacious fighting blocked its attack.
The Liao army directly committed 50,000 soldiers to attack the stronghold. While causing heavy damage to the Han army, it also suffered heavy casualties of its own. However, being placed in the front camp and the back camp, it was difficult to advance, and it was impossible to break through the Han army's defense and attack its army.
Under such circumstances, Yelvcong had no intention of slowing down the offensive. He gave all the troops dead orders, neither giving the Han army a chance to breathe, nor giving himself a chance to relax.
Until, another huge Liao army declared victory. In fact, the victory entrance is not far from the south entrance, and the Liao army has already been in place and ready to attack.
However, Yelvwuzhi was not in a hurry to attack. He only sent people to pay attention to the battle situation. It was not until noon that he ordered the attack. At a distance of more than ten miles, the cavalry arrived in an instant. When Yelu Wuzhi led 70,000 Liao cavalry to attack from the side and rear to the south entrance, everyone from the commander to the soldiers of the Han army was frightened.
Only then did An Shenqi understand why the Liao army coming out of Juyongguan was so crazy. The real killing move lay at the door of victory. After learning about the size of his troops, An Shenqi had to admit that he was still careless.
If the Liao army's proactive attack was expected, then it was unexpected for them to mobilize such a powerful force to eat themselves.
With Yelu Wuzhi's attack, the Han army in Nankou also entered the most dangerous moment.
