On the white official road.
Lu Xuan was slowly heading south with a group of troops.
Beside Lu Xuan, there were more than a hundred imperial guards led by Xu Chu, and more than a thousand soldiers armed with shields and spears followed. In addition, war horses dragged the carriage carrying the coffin.
Lu Xuan was riding a carriage this time, not riding a horse.
Leaving Yizhou from Hanzhong and heading north from Jingzhou to Yanzhou, all in order to treat Zhou Yu, he had to seize the time, so Lu Xuan rode on horseback the whole way. Even if it was snowy and freezing, Lu Xuan still accepted it.
This time going south, there was no need to rush, and there was no need to rush south. Lu Xuan sat in the carriage and drove on.
In the carriage, Lu Xuan relied on closing his eyes to rest.
The war was on his mind.
This time Zhou Yu faked his death and lured Xiahou Dun out, and he would definitely be able to capture Dongjun. In recent months, the fighting has been temporarily suspended due to weather and the need to digest the Yanzhou area.
After spring farming begins, he can prepare for another war. Taking advantage of this gap, he can move the capital to Nanjing.
The relocation of the capital in the south is conducive to the integration of the south.
While Lu Xuan was thinking, a sound of horse hooves was heard. A sentry came to Lu Xuan's carriage and reported: "Your Majesty, General Taishi Ci reported urgently that the sentry has discovered Xiahou Dun's army. Xiahou Dun's army is currently , has entered Suanzao County and is rapidly heading south."
"knew."
Lu Xuan replied.
There was a smile in his eyes, Xiahou Dun couldn't hold himself steady after all. No matter what Xiahou Dun thought about and what preparations he made, the current situation forced Xiahou Dun to fight, otherwise Xiahou Dun would definitely lose.
This is Zhou Yu's judgment.
Lu Xuan continued on his way in the carriage, the speed getting slower and slower. After walking for another hour, the sentinel came running on horseback again and reported: "Reporting to your Majesty, General Taishi said that the troops led by Xiahou Dun and Ma Chao went straight to the county seat after arriving at the county seat. Heading south. The cavalry led by Xiahou Dun has already arrived in the direction of the king."
Lu Xuan nodded and ordered again: "I know, let's explore again."
The sentry left, and Lu Xuan was full of fighting spirit.
When he and Zhou Yu made the plan, they took many situations into consideration and determined that Xiahou Dun would not attack the county seat, but would definitely attack Lu Xuan, who was supporting Ling south. So beside Lu Xuan, there was a group of one thousand infantrymen wearing armor, holding shields, and holding spears.
These soldiers can form defensive formations.
Even if the cavalry rushes into the formation, it is impossible to quickly break through the defense of the spear formation.
If Xiahou Dun had enough time and troops, he could wear down Lu Xuan's elite force step by step. The problem is that Xiahou Dun's time is very tight. Xiahou Dun came to attack Lu Xuan, and Taishi Ci would follow closely to stop Xiahou Dun's elite troops.
Lu Xuan gave the order to slow down the march south again, and the team crawled like a snail. As Lu Xuan's army slowly moved south, the soldiers and horses under Xiahou Dun were getting closer and closer.
News from sentry detectives also kept coming.
When the distance between the two sides was less than six miles, Lu Xuan ordered to stop advancing and formed an array with Lu Xuan's carriage and the horses pulling the coffin as the center. Surrounding Lu Xuan were more than a hundred guards led by Xu Chu to protect Lu Xuan's safety.
Surrounding these personal guards were spearmen in formation.
Prepare spears and shields separately.
On the vast white ground, Lu Xuan's elite team stood on the official road, like a pillar in the wind, unmoving.
When Lu Xuan set up his formation and stood ready, the vanguard cavalry led by Ma Chao and Xiahou Dun discovered through sentries that Lu Xuan had stopped and was no longer on his way.
Ma Chao looked sternly, looked at Xiahou Dun who was traveling together, and said loudly: "Father-in-law, Lu Xuan discovered our pursuit in advance and stopped to form an array. It seems that Taishi Ci sent someone to notify us."
Xiahou Dun said coldly: "This is normal. We have not hidden our whereabouts. Taishi Ci must know. However, no matter how Lu Xuan responds, our three thousand elite cavalry will definitely win in one battle."
"Killing Lu Xuan, plus Zhou Yu's death, the state of Wu will definitely be in turmoil."
"The elite troops led by Taishi Ci have come from behind and are ready to cut off our retreat. However, if we kill Lu Xuan first, Taishi Ci's army will not be afraid, but will collapse accordingly."
Xiahou Dun's eyes were bright and he said: "On the one hand, Yu Jin is resisting from behind and is responsible for holding back Tai Shi Ci. On the other hand, after we kill Lu Xuan, we will go back to join Yu Jin and kill Tai Shi Ci."
Ma Chao nodded and said, "My father-in-law is wise."
Xiahou Dun charged forward with his gun in hand, his eyes shining brightly, and he said loudly: "In this battle, we can only win, not lose."
Weng and his son-in-law rode on their horses,
The cavalry continued to accelerate and headed south in the wind and snow.
The distance between Cao Jun's cavalry and Lu Xuan quickly narrowed. When the two sides were less than two miles away, Lu Xuan's formation position could already see a large number of Cao Jun's cavalry coming from the north.
Boom! !
The horses' hooves trampled on the ground, sending snow slag flying all over the ground.
More than three thousand cavalry came charging forward.
This cavalry was a group of three thousand cavalry formed by Xiahou Dun and Yu Jin's army after countless battles. Originally, Xiahou Dun was stationed in Yanzhou, with strong troops and sufficient supplies.
Just the continuous fighting, Xiahou Dun's soldiers and horses were depleted little by little, and the consumption was huge.
As of now, there are only so many cavalry.
In addition, Xiahou Dun's army also suffered from epidemics, and a large number of cavalrymen died of the diseases. Although the disease is under control, the number of cavalry has decreased. Transforming ordinary soldiers into cavalry with superb riding skills cannot be accomplished overnight and requires enough time.
When Lu Xuan saw a large number of Cao's cavalry, he looked calm and without any panic, and ordered: "The army defends!"
The spear array assumed a defensive posture.
Lu Xuan's spear formation assumed a defensive posture, and Xiahou Dun's cavalry was already close to Lu Xuan's formation, less than a hundred feet away. Under the fierce charge of the cavalry, the distance quickly closed.
Eighty feet!
Fifty feet!
The two sides were less than thirty feet apart, and Xiahou Dun became even more excited. He raised his spear and said loudly: "Kill Lu Xuan, charge."
One by one, the cavalry roared and charged.
The war horses rushed forward like lightning, but the cavalry at the front rode their horses until they were less than twenty-five feet away from Lu Xuan. Suddenly, a war horse neighed regularly, ran two steps forward, and suddenly fell to the ground.
boom! boom! ! !
One after another, the war horses fell forward and fell to the ground. In the northern area of Lu Xuan's spear formation, a large number of war horses fell.
"It's caltrops. There are caltrops scattered on the ground."
Cao Jun's cavalry who fell on the ground shouted loudly and looked even more painful.
Xiahou Dun frowned when he heard the situation.
He glanced around and saw the fallen cavalry with angry eyes. Lu Xuan is really cunning, and he actually has the intention to arrange iron caltrops to stop him. Could it be that Lu Xuan had predicted that he would come to pursue him?
So, caltrops were prepared.
Lu Xuan was not suitable to carry horses, deer antlers and the like.
Caltrops, a weapon specifically aimed at war horses, could be carried around and sprinkled directly on official roads. Such weapons can only be prepared if you have a plan. But Lu Xuan was specifically supporting the spirit to go south, so how could he prepare the caltrops?
Xiahou Dun had a bad premonition in his heart.
However, this premonition was suppressed by Xiahou Dun in the blink of an eye. Although there are caltrops in the surrounding snow, the presence of caltrops can at best delay the cavalry and cannot block a large-scale attack.
"Go over and kill Lu Xuan."
"Whoever kills Lu Xuan will be rewarded with a thousand pieces of gold, and will be granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households. If you kill Lu Xuan, kill him."
Xiahou Dun ordered loudly.
Large groups of cavalry braved the danger of iron caltrops and charged forward. Moreover, many cavalrymen dispersed around, attacking Lu Xuan's spear formation from all around.
