xymnovel Chapter 51 It's Done
Chapter 51 It's Done
"Tiger-Swift Army, form ranks!"
At Zhao Kuangyin's command, the flag bearer beside him immediately raised the yellow banner, and the military order was transmitted to the entire army like lightning amidst the fluttering banner.
Almost at the same instant, enemy cavalry, like dark clouds pressing down on the city, rushed straight towards the central Tiger Swift Army.
At the same time, the Tiger Swift Army soldiers at the forefront of the central army shouted in unison, their legs slightly apart as if nails, their hands holding up the shields that were nearly ten feet high, and suddenly squatting down!
The shields interlocked, forming an impenetrable barrier that quickly erected a steel screen stretching for dozens of feet.
The spearmen in the back row crouched down, hiding behind their shields, gripping their spears tightly like snakes gathering power, the tips gleaming coldly, ready to deliver a fatal blow.
This is the infantry formation that has been renowned for five generations!
In the era of cold weapons, although cavalry was fierce, they were most afraid of tight spear and shield formations, especially when combined with powerful bows and crossbows, which made them the nemesis of cavalry.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!"
Countless arrows rained down, tracing sharp arcs through the air as they hurtled towards the Zhaoyi Army's cavalry.
Caught off guard, the Zhaoyi knights at the forefront were all struck by arrows and fell from their horses, their screams echoing one after another.
But the cavalrymen who followed were still fearless and continued to charge over the corpses of their comrades. In an instant, they crashed into the front of the Song army and smashed into the shields and turrets!
boom--!
The shields and oars were struck by the cavalry, and the dull thud sounded like the booming of war drums, making people's eardrums vibrate.
The Song soldiers behind the shields gritted their teeth and bent their backs, holding the shields firmly against the ground. No matter how wildly the warhorses charged, their formation remained unmoved.
This shield is nearly four feet tall, with a skeleton made of driftwood and armor made of iron. It is extremely hard and rare. Even the elite Imperial Guards can only equip the front-line soldiers with it.
Its sole purpose was to forcefully block the charging momentum of light cavalry.
It wasn't until Li Yuanhao's Iron Falcon appeared that this former nemesis of cavalry became significantly less effective.
"Kill them!!"
At the same time, the soldiers holding spears in the rear of the shield formation shouted in unison, thrusting their spears diagonally out from the gaps in the shields. The spear tips gleamed coldly, like an upside-down thicket of thorns.
Puff-!
Clumps of fresh blood burst open and splattered onto the shield.
The Zhaoyi cavalry attempted to break through the Song army's infantry formation, but the Song army's infantry formation was extremely tight. Shield bearers held their ground firmly, while spearmen kept thrusting forward. For a time, the Zhaoyi cavalry found it difficult to advance an inch.
At the same time, real mass casualties began to occur.
At the point where the two armies clashed, countless severed limbs flew everywhere, and blood stained the earth almost instantly, accompanied by continuous cries of agony.
Such a horrific scene was quite unsettling for Zhao Dezhao, who was on the battlefield for the first time. His stomach churned, and he felt like vomiting.
But he gritted his teeth, enduring the discomfort, and forced himself to face it all.
This is war!
This was the era of cold weapons!
It will be a success!
If you want to fight on the battlefield, how can you be afraid of blood and death?
Thinking of this, Zhao Dezhao took a deep breath, and the panic in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by an increasingly intense hardness and iron will.
Zhao Kuangyin, who was standing to the side, took in his son's change and nodded slightly, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.
"Zhao'er has always been kind and timid, but hopefully this battle will change that."
He thought to himself, but his expression remained calm. His sharp eyes swept across both sides of the battlefield, closely monitoring the changing situation.
The left and right flanks of the Zhaoyi Army, like two giant arms, slowly moved towards the center. The soldiers quickened their pace, trying to break through the Song army's flank defenses.
Just then, a deafening shout suddenly rang out from the east side of Luoma Slope. Shi Shouxin's left army descended like divine soldiers, charging fiercely towards the left flank of Zhaoyi Army from the side and rear.
Fan Shoutu, the left-wing general of the Zhaoyi Army, paled instantly, realizing the gravity of the situation. He never expected the Song army to have laid an ambush on the east side. In his haste, he quickly shouted an order:
"All troops, turn! Form ranks to meet the enemy!"
Almost simultaneously, a thunderous shout rang out from the right.
Gao Huaide's right wing, like a tiger descending a mountain, pounced on the right flank of Zhaoyi's army.
The cavalry and infantry advanced in coordination, launching a fierce offensive that instantly disrupted the advance of the Zhaoyi Army's right flank.
Zhao Dezhao stared intently at the battlefield, afraid of missing a single moment.
To hold a high-ranking position in this chaotic world is no empty boast; those mediocre people have long been buried among countless bones.
As expected, the soldiers on the left and right flanks of the Zhaoyi Army did not panic despite being attacked.
Under the command of their respective generals, they quickly adjusted their formation, raised their shields and gripped their weapons, and engaged in a fierce battle with the troops of Shi Shouxin and Gao Huaide.
Swords flashed and blood and flesh flew everywhere.
The Song army's offensive was fierce, and the Zhaoyi army's resistance was equally tenacious, and the two armies quickly became locked in a stalemate.
Arrows whizzed through the ranks, screams filled the air, and casualties on both sides continued to rise, with neither side able to gain a decisive advantage in the short term.
Zhao Dezhao frowned slightly and looked at Zhao Kuangyin: "Father, with the flanks locked in a stalemate, won't the pressure on the central army increase as a result?"
Zhao Kuangyin, however, remained calm, gently shook his head, and asked in return, "Anxious? Where am I anxious?"
"what……"
Zhao Dezhao was stunned. He looked at the battlefield, then at his father, his eyes clearly saying:
Your son isn't blind. Although the Song army has the upper hand, the Zhaoyi army's defenses are solid, and the battle lines are clearly in a stalemate.
Zhao Kuangyin shook his head, not explaining further, but simply raised his hand to the hilt of his sword at his waist and looked up at the stalemate in front of the central army.
In just a moment, Zhao Kuangyin's demeanor changed.
The imperial majesty he once possessed had completely vanished, replaced by the bloodthirsty and domineering aura unique to a battle-hardened general. His eyes gleamed with a cold light, piercing straight into the front lines.
"Zhao'er, just watch and see."
No sooner had he finished speaking than he drew his imperial sword and shouted at the waiting cavalry guards behind him, "Where are all the guards of the Palace Guard?!"
"Your subject is here!"
The five hundred imperial guards responded in unison, like thunder rolling across the wilderness.
"Follow me into battle!" Zhao Kuangyin laughed loudly.
"promise!"
The five hundred personal guard cavalrymen could no longer contain themselves. Upon hearing this, they gripped their spears tightly, the tips pointing diagonally forward. Their warhorses pawed restlessly, snorting, their eyes filled with bloodthirsty excitement.
These personal guards of the Zhubanzhi were all warriors carefully selected from the Song Dynasty's Imperial Guard. Each of them was a veteran of countless battles, skilled in horsemanship, and their weapons and armor were of the highest standard in the Song Dynasty. They were armed to the teeth.
"kill!"
Zhao Kuangyin spurred his horse's flanks, and the steed neighed, its hooves flying as it charged like a black lightning bolt towards the front lines of the central army.
Five hundred imperial guard cavalry followed closely behind, and wherever they went, the Song soldiers in the formation retreated to the sides, making way for an unobstructed path for the charge.
Their movements were so practiced that they had clearly rehearsed them countless times.
"kill!"
With a roar, Zhao Kuangyin charged ahead, heading straight for the densest concentration of Zhaoyi Army cavalry.
That was the core area where the Zhaoyi Army was trying to break through the infantry formation. Dozens of cavalrymen frantically rammed around the shield towers, but they could not advance an inch.
However, at that very moment, the previously tightly sealed shield and turret formation suddenly parted rapidly to both sides, revealing a gap several meters wide!
"The Song army is in short supply! Charge in!!"
Upon seeing the gap in the Song army's formation, the Zhaoyi cavalrymen were overjoyed, instantly seeing an opportunity to break through the enemy lines. They roared and surged toward the gap, eager to break through the defenses in one fell swoop.
But in the next instant, a torrent of steel, radiating murderous intent, was drawn like a sharp sword and crashed head-on into them.
The leader was none other than Zhao Kuangyin!
"Whoosh—!"
A flash of cold light, and the Zhaoyi cavalry at the forefront were decapitated before they could even see the face of the newcomer.
Blood spurted out, staining Zhao Kuangyin's armor red, but adding to his ferocity.
"Anyone who dares to wield weapons shall be executed!"
He raised the Emperor's sword high, and the five hundred personal guards cavalry following closely behind him were like a sharp dagger, forming a wedge formation and thrusting into the Zhaoyi Army's formation.
These elite guard cavalrymen were far more powerful than ordinary cavalrymen.
Their coordination was extremely seamless. Wherever their wedge formation passed, the originally solid formation of the Zhaoyi Army's central army was instantly torn open.
Horses trampled through the enemy lines, armor clashed, and the shouts of the guards mingled with the screams of the Zhaoyi Army, completely shattering the previously stalemate!
Under Zhao Kuangyin's leadership, these five hundred cavalrymen moved as if they were in an empty field, actually carving a bloody path through the enemy's battle formation!
Zhao Dezhao stood there, completely dumbfounded.
"Whose general is this, so brave and fierce..."
He had never seen such a fierce charge, nor had he ever seen anyone tear apart the enemy's defenses single-handedly like his father.
"This is His Majesty! This is His Majesty!"
Li Chuyun, standing to the side, looked at Zhao Kuangyin, who was like a god of war amidst the chaos of the army, with a fanatical expression on his face and muttered incessantly, regretting that he could not follow His Majesty.
In chaotic times, who doesn't admire heroes?!
Only those who followed Zhao Kuangyin for many years knew that during every major battle, Zhao Kuangyin never stayed in the rear!
He's always the one at the forefront!
In the Battle of Gaoping, Zhao Kuangyin was the one who risked his life to charge into the enemy lines with fifty cavalrymen alongside Emperor Shizong of Zhou!
In the battle of Chuzhou against the Southern Tang, Zhao Kuangyin led three hundred elite soldiers to be the first to scale Qingliu Pass and capture the Southern Tang general Huangfu Hui alive!
In the Battle of Liuhe, Zhao Kuangyin fought to the death, shouting "Those who retreat in battle will be beheaded!" He led only two thousand soldiers to defeat a hundred thousand Southern Tang troops.
In the Battle of Shouzhou against the Southern Tang, Zhao Kuangyin personally steered a boat into the moat, braved a hail of arrows to be the first to scale the city walls, and forced the Southern Tang to cede territory and submit to the Tang!
When Emperor Shizong launched his northern expedition with the intention of recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, a vanguard general personally led his troops to capture Waqiao Pass, Yijin Pass, and Yukou Pass. After taking these three passes, he also recovered the three prefectures of Mo, Ying, and Yi, and his army marched straight towards Youzhou!
If Guo Rong hadn't fallen ill, Yan and Yun would have already been recovered that time!
And that vanguard general was none other than Zhao Kuangyin!
Zhao Kuangyin was thirty-three years old this year.
This is the peak period of a man's life!
Whether it's energy, knowledge, judgment, or even combat power, he has reached his peak!
The young emperor, sword and seal in his dragon claws, reigns supreme over the Central Plains, looking down upon all the heroes of the land!
Without a doubt, Zhao Kuangyin was the strongest being of this era!
The king acknowledged, the king permitted, the king imposed sanctions...
The king will conquer all that he sees!
……
"Your Majesty is mighty!"
It's unclear who shouted first, but soon after, the soldiers of the Tiger Swift Army and Crane Control Army in the central army all shouted loudly.
The sound was deafening, drowning out all the sounds of fighting.
The next moment, the dense and rapid sound of war drums roared again, echoing across the battlefield like thunder, urging the Song army, whose morale had soared, to launch a general offensive!
"Charge! Charge!"
"Kill them all!!!"
The infantry soldiers who had previously held their ground were now filled with fervor. Countless Song imperial guards roared and charged forward like a flood breaking through a dam, following the blood-soaked path carved out by Zhao Kuangyin!
As Wei Liaozi said: "The reason why a general fights is because of the people; the reason why the people fight is because of their morale!"
Zhao Kuangyin's charge, leading from the front, was like a raging fire, instantly igniting the fighting spirit of all the Song soldiers!
Hearing the thunderous shouts of the central army and seeing Zhao Kuangyin personally leading the cavalry charge, Shi Shouxin on the east side immediately bristled and shouted the order:
"All troops, launch a full-scale attack! Charge with His Majesty!!"
He personally brandished his spear and led the charge into the left flank of the Zhaoyi Army.
The previously stalemate was instantly broken, and the Song army's left flank was given wings, launching an even more ferocious offensive, relentlessly crushing the Zhaoyi army's left flank.
Not to be outdone, Gao Huaide's side immediately ordered the entire right wing to attack when they saw the central army gaining the upper hand.
Longjie's cavalry surged towards the right flank of Zhaoyi Army like a tidal wave, coordinating with the infantry. The right flank of Zhaoyi Army's defenses quickly crumbled and began to retreat in disarray.
"kill!"
At the same time, Zhao Kuangyin, covered in blood, burst into loud laughter. His laughter was arrogant and domineering. He brandished his imperial sword and, together with his five hundred personal guards, charged straight towards the command flag of Li Jun, the commander of the Zhaoyi Army, like a black lightning bolt!
Wherever he went, severed limbs and broken blades flew everywhere, and no one could withstand even a single blow from Zhao Kuangyin!
Li Jun, who was overseeing the battle in front of the central command tent, watched helplessly as the black gale rushed straight towards him. His expression changed drastically in an instant, and his previous arrogance and confidence collapsed.
How could anyone be so ferocious?!
"Stop him! Stop him now!"
Li Jun roared hoarsely, trying to rally the remaining troops to resist.
But at this moment, the morale of the Zhaoyi army had already collapsed. Seeing the Song army's high morale, and especially seeing Zhao Kuangyin's bloodshot eyes, they were terrified and dared not resist in the slightest.
Upon seeing this, Dan Gui immediately led his personal guards to rush towards Zhao Kuangyin, attempting to stop his charge.
"You think you can stop me?"
Zhao Kuangyin snorted coldly, exerted force with his arm, and with a sudden flick of his sword, knocked Dan Gui's iron spear away. Then, he swung his sword horizontally, aiming for Dan Gui's waist.
"puff!"
Dan Gui was unable to dodge in time and was struck squarely by the sword. He coughed up blood and flew backward off his horse.
He had just struggled to get up when the Song soldiers who rushed up next thrust out their spears, aiming straight for his vitals.
"Well……"
With a muffled groan, Dan Gui died on the spot.
Having witnessed the death of his most trusted general, Li Jun was utterly terrified and could no longer muster the will to resist. He immediately spoke in a trembling voice:
"Sound the retreat! Sound the retreat immediately!!"
Zhao Kuangyin led his personal guard cavalry in a fierce charge, directly attacking the central camp of the Zhaoyi Army.
When the soldiers in the camp saw that their commander Li Jun had fled, their morale plummeted, and they scattered and fled like stray dogs.
"This defeat was not due to a lack of skill! It was truly due to the unparalleled bravery of the traitor Zhao!"
"Run! Run now!"
"Run back to the city quickly!!"
The rout will trigger a chain reaction!
As Zhao Kuangyin's elite cavalry penetrated deeper into the camp, the rout of the Zhaoyi army continued to grow like a snowball!
The first major battle between the two sides ended with Li Jun leading his remaining troops back to Zezhou City.
"Cease the pursuit!"
Zhao Kuangyin reined in his restless warhorse, his sharp gaze sweeping across the mountains of corpses and seas of blood on the open field, then glancing at the hastily closed city gates of Zezhou, before loudly issuing his order:
"Clean up the battlefield, take stock of casualties, and immediately besiege Zezhou City!"
At the same time, Zhao Dezhao rode up to Zhao Kuangyin's side.
He stared at the horrific scene before him, a landscape strewn with corpses and rivers of blood, and then at his father, who, though covered in blood, still exuded an imposing aura. His mouth dropped open, his eyes wide with shock.
"Zhao'er, now you know why I didn't make many arrangements?"
Zhao Kuangyin turned to look at his son, a slightly arrogant smile playing on his lips.
Zhao Dezhao nodded blankly.
understood.
So, my father's previous calmness was all due to his confidence.
But I have to say,
Dad actually managed to fool me...