xymnovel Chapter 67 The Matter Remains Unresolved
Chapter 67 The Matter Remains Unresolved
Liu Bei led several thousand Han cavalrymen in a charge down from the high ground, their twin swords aimed directly at the Xianbei central army.
Behind them, Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry broke through the enemy lines like lightning, while Han Dang and Cheng Pu led the two flanks, instantly crushing the Xianbei rear guard's supply train.
The commotion in the rear guard quickly spread to the front ranks. The Xianbei knights who had been fiercely attacking Zang Minhan's army formation couldn't help but turn around to look, and their momentum suddenly came to a halt.
However, Tan Shihuai, sitting calmly on his warhorse on the high platform in the center of the army, showed no signs of panic.
Instead, he gripped the gilded scimitar and sneered, his eyes revealing a cold, all-encompassing understanding.
"That old scoundrel Zang Min, holding out for half a day, was actually plotting a pincer attack. Did he think I, Tan Shihuai, couldn't see through it?"
He had anticipated that the Han army would have a backup plan, and issued three military orders in an instant, each word as firm as iron and as steady as Mount Tai.
"Order Yu Yan to hold the line!"
"Defend and do not attack. Keep Zang Min's main Han army pinned down!"
Yu Yan was the most valiant general under the Xianbei, leading the most valiant archers in his unit. Upon receiving the order, he reacted instantly, switching from offense to defense.
They formed three lines of mounted archers in front of the battle formation, with shields in front and mounted archers behind, completely locking down Zang Min's Han army formation so that not a single arrow could be fired.
"Order Ke Zui! Lead your 6,000 cavalry to turn around and engage the Han army behind them!"
"They must be pinned down two miles from the central command post. Anyone who dares to advance a single step will be brought back with their head!"
Ke Zui was also a renowned general of the Xianbei people. Holding a long-handled battle axe, he immediately led his iron cavalry, like a black iron wall, to crash into Liu Bei's charging ranks after receiving the order.
"Murong! Lead three thousand cavalry to patrol the outer perimeter!"
"If any Han reinforcements arrive, intercept them immediately. Lock down both flanks and absolutely do not allow the third Han army to approach the battlefield!"
With the three orders issued, the previously chaotic Xianbei army instantly calmed down.
The royal banner embroidered with a grey wolf remained firmly anchored on the central command platform from beginning to end, without budging an inch.
Seeing that the royal banner had not fallen and the king was giving orders with composure, the ordinary Xianbei knights instantly regained their composure and each performed their duties.
The battle, which was on the verge of spiraling out of control, was instantly pulled back under Tan Shihuai's control.
Upon encountering Ke Zui's iron cavalry head-on, Liu Bei's charge was abruptly halted.
Ke Zui was originally the most ferocious and ruthless general in the Xianbei border region, and his knights were all veterans who had fought against the Han army for many years.
The Han army first unleashed a barrage of arrows that blotted out the sky, then raised their shields and spears, managing to withstand the first wave of attack from the militia.
"You Han dogs! How dare you storm the King's central army!"
With a roar, Ke Zui spurred his horse and charged straight to the front of the battle. With a single axe stroke, he cleaved Liu Bei's military commander and his horse in two. Blood droplets from the battle axe splattered onto the yellow sand, and the ferocious aura intimidated the entire scene.
"Barbarians, cease your arrogance! Han Dang is here!"
Han Dang roared and charged out on horseback, brandishing his ring-pommel broadsword. The blade clashed violently with the battle axe, sparks flying everywhere.
The two men fought fiercely for more than ten rounds, exchanging blows with axes and swords, each move a desperate killing blow, making it difficult to determine a winner for the time being.
Seeing that Han Dang was unable to gain the upper hand after a long battle, Gongsun Zan's eyes flashed with fierce intent. He raised his lance, spurred his horse forward, and shouted sharply.
"I'll help you!"
Two riders charged out together, launching a two-on-one attack on Ke Zui.
Koko showed no fear, wielding his battle axe with impenetrable skill. He fought against two opponents without being at a disadvantage, and after more than ten rounds, he still defended flawlessly, without revealing even the slightest weakness.
Liu Bei reined in his horse and saw how fierce and brave Ke was. He knew that if he didn't eliminate this man, there would be no way to advance another step.
He immediately spurred his steed, and with both swords drawn, he charged into the battle like two cold stars.
With his left hand, he blocked Ke Zui's change of attack with his sword, while with his right hand, he thrust his sword straight at the opening in Ke Zui's ribs. The three riders surrounded him, forming a pincer movement that blocked all of Ke Zui's escape routes.
Ke was caught in a dilemma, first blocking Han Dang's broadsword, then parrying Gongsun Zan's horse spear, and then being forced into a frantic state by Liu Bei's double swords.
In a moment of carelessness, his shoulder blade was pierced by Gongsun Zan's spear, and he was in excruciating pain, which caused him to freeze in mid-air.
Han Dang seized the opportunity, swung his broadsword horizontally, and with a flash of cold light, he actually beheaded Ke Zui and fell from his horse!
"General Ke is dead!"
When the Xianbei knights saw their commander beheaded, their morale collapsed instantly, and their once well-organized defensive line crumbled.
Liu Bei led his army straight ahead, and in an instant, they arrived at a place less than a mile from the central command tent.
At the same time, a deafening battle cry suddenly erupted from the eastern side of the battlefield.
A cavalry force of several hundred men from the Han army also charged straight at Tan Shihuai's central command tent from the flank.
The leader was a rugged-looking middle-aged military officer, Ding Yuan, the Commandant of Yanmen Commandery.
Ding Yuan personally led eight hundred elite cavalrymen in a surprise attack from the valley behind them.
At the very front of the group, a red figure burst through the formation like lightning.
The general was only twenty years old, wearing a purple-gold crown with three forks, a beast-faced chainmail armor, holding a halberd, and riding a neighing horse.
It was none other than Lü Bu, Lü Fengxian, a military commander under Ding Yuan.
"Lü Bu is here! You barbarians, prepare to die!"
A long roar echoed across the battlefield as Lü Bu swept out with his halberd, sending three Xianbei knights and their horses flying with a single blow, their bones broken and their tendons snapped, killing them instantly.
Murong's deputy general charged forward with his spear, but he couldn't even last one exchange before being killed by Lü Bu with a single halberd thrust.
Lü Bu charged into the enemy formation alone, as if entering an empty field, and forcefully tore a huge gap in Murong's formation. The Yanmen soldiers behind him swarmed in through the gap.
When Murong encountered an unparalleled warrior like Lü Bu, he couldn't even last three rounds before being knocked off his horse by Lü Bu's halberd, and his three thousand cavalrymen crumbled in an instant.
Tan Shihua, atop the central military platform, received two urgent reports in quick succession.
Ke Zui was killed in battle, and his main force collapsed; Murong was defeated, and Ding Yuan's three thousand Yanmen soldiers had already reached the left flank.
Two unexpected events in succession finally caused his previously calm expression to darken.
The tribal leaders around him were already in chaos, shouting for their king to withdraw his troops immediately.
"What's the panic!"
With a sharp shout, Tan Shihuai silenced all the noise. His gaze swept across the entire scene, yet he remained completely calm.
"Send the order! Yu Yan, immediately tighten the frontal defenses, form a circular formation to cover the rear, and hold off Zang Min and Liu Bei's pincer attack!"
"The central army units, following tribal order, with supply trains advancing first and the main force bringing up the rear, shall slowly retreat towards Tanhan Mountain!"
"The royal banner stands still, the central army stands still; anyone who dares to desert without permission will be executed without mercy!"
Despite the order being given, the Xianbei army did not collapse.
Yu Yan led 10,000 royal guards and held off the Han army's two-pronged attack by Liu Bei and Ding Yuan.
Even the main force of the Han army, which Zang Min had mobilized in full force, was blocked by him and could not advance an inch.
Meanwhile, Tan Shihuai's main force, with Wang Qi at its core, steadily and slowly retreated.
The great banner of the blue wolf did not move slowly and steadily backwards, following the rearguard Yu Yan tribe, until all the central army tribes had withdrawn from the battlefield.
The formation remained perfectly intact throughout, showing no signs of disarray whatsoever.
Liu Bei repeatedly led his troops to try to break the Xianbei's rear guard formation, but Yu Yan's royal guards were exceptionally brave and remained orderly in retreat, always blocking all routes of advance.
Han Dang, Cheng Pu, Gongsun Zan, and others made several attempts to break through, but they did not gain any advantage.
This made Liu Bei sigh. If either of his second or third brothers were here, they could lead the vanguard to break through the enemy lines and surely take the enemy general's head.
Zang Min, not knowing what he was thinking, saw that the Han army had the upper hand, so he recalled Ding Yuan's troops and did not continue the fierce attack.
They could only watch helplessly as Tan Shihuai led his main force, right under the noses of the Han army, and slowly withdrew from the battlefield, retreating back into the depths of the grassland.
As the sun set, the shouts of battle gradually subsided.