xymnovel Chapter 63: Stalemate Reached, Dragon Knights Appear
Chapter 63: Stalemate Reached, Dragon Knights Appear
The tent was completely silent. The leaders, who had been so arrogant when they were vying for credit, all lowered their heads now, not daring to provoke them.
The experienced and prudent Jin Taishi frowned and stood up to advise: "General, the Xia army is well prepared and has a tenacious fighting force, far exceeding expectations. Qin Lin is a shrewd strategist and his defense is impeccable."
Such a forceful attack will only increase casualties. It would be better to temporarily withdraw and devise another strategy, or wait until they are exhausted before looking for an opening...
"Withdraw the troops?!" Helan Cangfeng interrupted sharply, his voice trembling with anger.
"With 300,000 troops stranded here, if we can't even capture the riverbank held by 50,000 remnants, how can I face His Majesty in court? How will those old fogies in the court laugh at me?! Today we must break through! We must!"
He was panting, his sharp gaze sweeping across the tent before finally settling on Nurhaci, who had remained silent and seemingly detached from the situation.
Last night... Hmph.
A complex and unfathomable light flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a resolute determination.
"Nurhaci!" Helan Cangfeng shouted sternly.
"I hereby command you to immediately lead your troops and I will also allocate you two more 10,000-man squads, for a total of 50,000 soldiers, to cross the river and provide reinforcements at full speed!"
"At all costs, tear open the Xia army's defenses for me! If you still can't break through... you know the consequences!" The last sentence carried a blatant threat.
Nurhaci slowly rose to his feet.
He was still wearing that inconspicuous black leather armor, his face expressionless, except for two dark flames burning quietly in his deep-set eyes.
The unbearable humiliation and suffering of last night, intertwined with Helan Cangfeng's imperious commands, corroded his heart like poison.
But even deeper was his deep-seated hatred for the boy named Tian Heng on the other side of the river! The defeat of Bayan and Timur, on the contrary, gave rise to a twisted sense of pleasure in his heart. Look, these arrogant fools!
But this sense of satisfaction was quickly overwhelmed by an even stronger desire for revenge.
Tian Heng is right on the other side! This is an opportunity!
He clasped his hands and bowed, his voice hoarse and calm, yet revealing a cold resolve:
"This humble general obeys the order. I will certainly live up to the commander's trust, break through the southern bank, and avenge the fallen Eastern Barbarian warriors."
He spoke the last four words with exceptional slowness, as if each word carried the scent of blood.
He stopped looking at the people in the tent, turned around and strode out. Outside the tent, his troops and two other assigned, low-morale 10,000-strong units had already assembled.
Nurhaci mounted his horse, drew the scimitar that had been with him for many years and whose blade was chipped, and pointed the blade at the smoke-filled, deafening battle cries on the south bank. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every soldier:
"My comrades! The brothers ahead are bleeding! The Xia dogs are rampant, slaughtering my people! Follow me across the river! Let the blood of the Xia dogs be a sacrifice for our people! In this battle, I am invincible! Kill!"
"Kill—!!" Fifty thousand Dongyi soldiers roared in a disordered but fierce manner, following Nurhaci like another wave of murky red water, surging towards the rickety pontoon bridge.
Nurhaci took the lead and rushed onto the pontoon bridge. The turbid river water churned beneath his feet, and the view on the opposite bank became clearer and clearer.
The mudflats littered with corpses, the unyielding steel defense line, and the large "Qin" flag flying high behind the line.
His gaze seemed to pierce through the battlefield, searching for something.
Tian Heng...you wait. I've come. Today, the Onon River will be your grave, and also the starting point for me to wash away my shame!
He gripped the knife hilt tightly, his knuckles turning white, his eyes burning with a frenzied hatred and a desire for destruction.
Nurhaci's 50,000 iron cavalry swept across the land like a black cloud, and in an instant they reached the front of the ferry.
Unlike Bayan and Timur, he did not recklessly charge into battle based on mere bravado. Instead, he abruptly reined in his warhorse, his sharp gaze sweeping across the entire battlefield like that of a hawk.
The Great Xia Imperial Guards were arrayed in a formidable formation, with massive shields stacked like an iron wall and long spears densely packed like a cold forest. Despite the fierce battle, their ranks still exuded an aura of unwavering solidity.
His pupils contracted slightly, and a deep sense of apprehension flashed across his eyes. If they attacked recklessly, even 100,000 iron cavalry would find it difficult to break through.
"Send the order!" Nurhaci's deep, cold voice pierced through the clamor of war drums.
"Two thousand light cavalrymen on the left wing stealthily moved along the reeds on the riverbank to outflank and attack their left flank, while two thousand cavalrymen on the right wing also went out to attack their right flank from the shallows on the west side."
The central army was divided into five teams, which took turns charging forward to attack the enemy's central army. Each team charged for only one incense stick's time, regardless of casualties, and rotated immediately.
We must ensure that they are unable to defend themselves from both ends, exhaust their strength, and their defenses collapse on their own!
The bugle sounded sternly, and the command flags fluttered. Fifty thousand elite Dongyi soldiers moved at the command, as if guided by their own limbs.
Two light cavalry units split off from the left and right flanks, their horses' hooves wrapped in thick cloth. With their flags lowered and drums silent, they took advantage of the lingering morning mist and the cover of the continuous reeds to form two sinister arcs and quietly attack the flanks of the Imperial Guards.
The main force of the central army quickly changed formation, forming five surging waves.
The first group of over a thousand riders roared wildly, their blades flashing against the blood-red morning glow, crashing into the Imperial Guard's main force like waves crashing against the shore!
The sudden entry of fresh troops dramatically changed the course of the battle.
The pressure on the Imperial Guards increased dramatically. The relentless, unending attacks caused the front shield wall to recoil slightly, and the arm bones of the shield-wielding warriors felt like they were about to crack.
But the real danger suddenly appeared on the flanks. From the depths of the reeds on both sides, shouts of killing erupted. The Eastern Barbarian cavalry emerged like venomous snakes from their holes, their sharp arrows aimed directly at the vulnerable ribs of the square formation!
The left flank bore the brunt of the attack. Several Imperial Guard soldiers were still focused on the enemy cavalry in front, and the shield formation on the flank failed to close in time, allowing several elite Dongyi cavalry to break through the gaps!
The scimitar flew, blood splattered, and screams echoed from the gap.
Upon seeing this, the barbarian soldiers, like jackals smelling blood, swarmed frantically toward this opening.
"Left flank reserve, fill the gap! Central army, respond to the left, pikemen, charge forward!" Qin Lin, his beard and hair bristling, roared like thunder as he supervised the battle from the center of the formation.
A troop of heavily armored reserve warriors, their eyes blazing with fury, charged through the breach with their long-handled battle axes, engaging the invading enemy cavalry in a fierce melee.
The battle was extremely fierce. A young shield bearer had his sternum crushed by a warhorse, but he clung tightly to the left leg of an enemy rider, letting the horse trample him to death. Three or four wounded soldiers fell to the ground, biting and slashing the enemy rider with their teeth and broken blades, dragging him away in a desperate struggle.
Wang Zhong's squad was ordered to reinforce the left flank.
The veteran remained calm, having swiftly defeated two riders, when suddenly he felt a fierce gust of wind strike from behind.
A centurion from the Eastern Barbarian tribes charged in from a blind spot, his thick-backed saber slashing fiercely at the man's back with the momentum of his charge!
With a "crack," the armor plate shattered, and Wang Zhong staggered forward, spitting out blood. But in the instant he fell, he twisted his body and swung his spear in the backhand. The spear tip pierced through the enemy rider's armor seam under his ribs, all the way to the hilt! The two men fell to the ground in pools of blood almost simultaneously.
"Brother Wang—!" Li Jianyuan, who was not far away, had bloodshot eyes. He thrust his spear through the centurion's throat and knelt down to help Wang Zhong up.
The old soldier's face was ashen, his breath faint, his blood-stained hands gripping Li Jianyuan's wrist guard tightly, each word dripping with blood:
"Kid...survive..." The words stopped abruptly, his arm drooped, his eyes widened, and his soul returned to the battlefield.
Li Jianyuan trembled violently, gently closed Wang Zhong's eyes, and tore off half of the tattered battle flag to cover his remains.
When he rose again, the grief in his eyes transformed into a blazing fire, and a beast-like growl rolled from his throat as he charged into the enemy ranks with his spear.
Wherever his spear passed, no one could withstand him. He took down seven men in a row, and even when an arrow struck his left shoulder, he seemed oblivious. He broke the arrow and continued fighting, appearing like a madman.
The entire Imperial Guard formation now resembled a lone reef swaying in a storm.
Qin Lin's golden mace had already dented several places. He charged left and right through the formation, killing more than ten enemies who broke in, before he could barely stabilize a gap.
Looking around, one sees corpses strewn everywhere, and blood soaking the fertile soil.
He gritted his teeth and roared, "Fight to the death! We will not retreat!"
Just at the critical moment—
On the eastern hilltop, three blasts of a horn shook the heavens and the earth, like the roar of a primordial beast awakening!
The morning mist that had been covering the hill dispersed in response, and the golden rays of the rising sun poured down, illuminating the eight hundred armored figures that resembled gods and demons.