Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3433: Unexpected
“Wuwuwu…”

"Beep, beep!"

With the sound of trumpets and whistles, the cavalrymen began to move.

Is there a process?
Of course it’s good, but it doesn’t mean that process can represent everything and govern everything.

Everything needs to be based on reality. Sticking to processes and using processes to restrict people will inevitably lead to dogmatism.

And what’s interesting is that most people in Shandong know that the so-called procedures are actually used to block their own people.

Once you encounter an outsider, all the so-called procedures will automatically become invalid.

Even though ordinary people in Shandong are tightly controlled by rules and procedures, once they encounter outsiders who do not follow the rules and procedures, they have no way to deal with them. They even stop their own people who follow the rules and procedures and give way to those outsiders who do not follow the rules and procedures...

The reason is that it is a country of etiquette and humility.

In fact, if we can’t control those who don’t follow the rules and procedures, then the only thing we can do is control those who follow the rules, right?
According to the procedure, it is not yet time for dinner.

So these Cao army soldiers had to work hard with empty stomachs.

But under the urging of the officers, they took action, pointed their swords and guns at the cavalry, and prepared for battle.

Cao Hong's original wounds had recovered somewhat, but this battle caused the wounds to burst open again, and blood flowed down his legs and feet.

The guards could only apply herbal medicine to Cao Hong again and then tie him up tightly with straps.

"Xu Chu, Xu Zhongkang!"

Cao Hong uttered a few words from between his teeth.

Although Cao Hong hated Xu Chu so much, and saw his enemy right in front of him, he also had a hope of revenge, but when he saw the chaos of his own soldiers on the front line, his heart sank. The soldiers he brought were already very good, belonging to the elite ranks of Cao's army. At least when facing the hussars, they did not think of turning back immediately, but when compared with each other, there was still a big gap.

This is a problem for the entire Shandong Province, and it is not something that Cao Hong alone can change.

Yes, every Shandong person says so. Therefore, since Liu Xiu established the capital in Shandong, the Han Dynasty has not changed much. Instead, it has gone back to its old ways.

Regardless of whether Xin Mang was a time traveler or not, he did make some hasty and inappropriate reforms based on some social and national problems at the time. From this point of view, Wang Mang was indeed too hasty. If his methods were gentler or slower, the results might be different.

However, there are no ifs for the Han people.

Just like Cao Hong today, there is no if.

He took the risk to fight with injuries that had not yet healed, not for the sake of what if, but for the ultimate victory.

For the victory that Cao Hong hoped for!
From a certain perspective, this is Cao Hong's psychological sunk cost. He paid too much for Cao's success, so he would not allow and was unwilling to accept Cao's failure. Even if Cao Cao told him that this failure was not a big deal, Cao Hong still felt bad in his heart.

Therefore, when Zhang Tiansheng failed to recapture Suoyang Pass, Cao Hong proposed to Cao Cao that they could launch a "siege and attack"...

If you succeed, that's great; if you fail, that's not a big deal.

However, Cao Hong still believed that he could succeed!

When facing failure, the pain in the heart far exceeds the physical pain!

The more Cao Hong thought about it, the angrier he became. He suddenly threw the helmet on the ground and shouted, "A real man! If you want to die, then die! How can you beg for a meal? I will fight to the death with you today! Let these bandits in Guanzhong know that we have strong warriors and heroic spirit!"

How can a real man humble himself for a meal?

In addition to meals, there must also be poetry and distant places!

Isn't it?
The surrounding Cao army soldiers looked at each other and could only hold their weapons and follow Cao Hong forward.

Cao Hong's guard beside him also hurriedly bent down to pick up the helmet on the ground, wiped the dust off, then quickened his pace and caught up with Cao Hong.

……

……

Cavalry versus infantry formation.

Before the advent of thermal weapons, this was not an easy task.

Cavalry has an advantage over infantry, but it may not have an overwhelming advantage over infantry formations, especially after Cao's army has built corresponding defensive fortifications.

Life and death are undoubtedly the most powerful driving force behind the evolution of war.

After suffering losses, Cao's army quickly made improvements in the corresponding defenses.

The speed of this change far exceeds Shandong's normal process time for general affairs.

At first, Cao Jun thought that the Hussars were similar to the early Hu people's lancers, at most they were melee lancers with enhanced armor, and as long as they were not overwhelmed, they could fight. After all, when the Han Dynasty first fought against the Xiongnu, wasn't it the same way?

But when Fei Qian first arrived at Xu County, Cao's army realized that it was wrong to simply describe the Hu cavalry as "enhanced Hu cavalry". The defense method originally used to deal with the Hu cavalry, such as locking forts, tightening drawbridges, and huddling in the city, dissipated along with the smoke in the roar of gunpowder.

So Cao's army quickly developed a method of using mud, sand and stones to block the city gates, with the main goal of strengthening the defensive power of the turtle shell. However, Shandong discovered that the cavalry had evolved again, with catapults, kerosene bombs and other lethal weapons appearing. The simple turtle shell could not resist the dual damage of physical and magical...

As such.

Every time Guanzhong makes progress, Shandong must keep up, whether it is actively trying to improve or passively responding, otherwise it will be beaten badly.

The archer cavalry tactics demonstrated last time also caused Cao's army to suffer heavy losses, so now in front of Cao's army's position, even in the dim light at dawn, Xu Chu could see some large and small black spots on the ground, like pockmarks.

That's a horse trap.

Specially designed to trap horse legs.

Aren't horse archers supposed to use strong bows and shoot quickly at close range? Now all the "close range" positions have been dug with horse traps like this.

If Xu Chu really wants to let people rush forward, it is not impossible, but he definitely can't run like before.

Once the cavalry cannot keep up with the running speed, the damage they suffer will definitely be greater.

This is obviously not what Xu Chu wants, but if we continue to use the old traditional cavalry tactics...

Turning in front of the formation, feinting from the flanks, pulling the formation apart, dispersing the enemy, etc., these are all common methods used by cavalry to deal with infantry formations equipped with spears, halberds, strong shields and trenches.

However, Xu Chu was also unwilling to use these tactics because they would be slower.

Being slow means giving the opponent more time to prepare and react, which also means a decrease in the chances of survival of other hussars in Suoyang Pass.

The movement is slow before the battle because of the need to prepare, adjust the formation, and restore and reserve physical strength and horsepower. However, once the battle begins, the movement cannot be slow. It must be like thunder, quickly and effectively defeating the enemy formation. This is the only way to demonstrate the strength of the Cavalry Army to the greatest extent and make Cao's army lose the confidence and courage to resist.

Xu Chu summoned Li Li, "How can we defeat Cao's infantry formation?"

"The previous method obviously didn't work. I'm also thinking about how to fight..." Li Li squinted his eyes and looked at it. "What do you think, General?"

Xu Chu nodded and looked at the Cao army formation in the distance, "The Cao army is defending here to lure you and me into charging."

Li Li turned his head and looked in the direction of the Zhongtiaoshan camp. "Haha, that's interesting. We used the Suoyang Pass to lure out Cao's army, and the Cao army also used the same idea to lure us! It's really...haha!"

Xu Chu also smiled, and then pointed at the infantry formation of Cao's army, "Let's test its quality first. Although it seems that the formation is strict now, we still need to give it a try to see how it is!"

Li Li asked: "Or use a bow and arrow?"

"No." Xu Chu waved his hand and pointed at some Hu cavalrymen in the ranks, "Let them use slingshots."

"Throwing a sling?" Li Li thought for a moment and then understood, "Using a sling to throw a grenade?"

Xu Chu nodded, "If their formation is in disarray, we can break in. However, we still need to be careful. Since there are traps in front of the formation, there are probably traps inside the formation as well."

Li Li bowed and accepted the order, then went down to prepare.

The horn and whistle were blown again, and this time it sounded more urgent and powerful, as if foreshadowing something...

……

There is no such clear boundary between offense and defense.

Cao Hong's attack on Suoyang Pass was an attack, but in the blink of an eye it turned into a defense.

As soon as the battle started, Cao's army discovered that some new changes had taken place in the Hussar cavalry.

Although Cao Hong did not completely capture Suoyang Pass, he was suppressed in the small stone fort. The narrow doorway and stairs at the entrance of the stone fort meant that it was difficult for Cao's army to break in, and it was also difficult for him to break out, so there was no need to worry about the consequences.

But even if Cao's army focused all its attention on facing the Hussar Cavalry, it was difficult to resist the Hussar Cavalry's flexible and changeable tactical system, and they were even a little overwhelmed to deal with it!
As the dawn light appeared on the horizon, Li Li led 800 cavalrymen and rushed to the front of Cao's army.

"Hold on! Hold on!"

The military school students in Cao’s army line shouted.

Cao's archers had to wait until the enemy came within fifty steps before they could have a significant direct killing capability. Although ordinary projectiles could reach a hundred steps away, their killing power was actually very average for cavalrymen wearing armor and horse clothes.

Conversely, the same is true for cavalry. Running and shooting looks cool, but it is not very lethal to units with armor.

More importantly, neither side relied on a base camp to fight, and the number of arrows they carried was limited.

Cao's army has more arrows, while the Hussars basically only have two bags of sixty arrows.

If you just shoot rapidly, even if your hand speed is slow, you can shoot more than a dozen arrows in a minute, and then you can shoot all the arrows you carry within a few minutes.

Then it was like Zhang Tiansheng...

Therefore, in the initial stage of the battle between the two sides, sporadic arrows were not aimed at killing each other, but at confirming the distance.

Li Li led the cavalry in the front.

He and his cavalrymen all leaned forward slightly, bent down, and relied on the strength of their waists and legs to sit on the horse's back.

It is somewhat similar to horse stance.

It is not a static horse stance, but a dynamic horse stance that rises and falls with the warhorse.

This allows the upper body to remain relatively stable on horseback, facilitating the manipulation of weapons.

Every time Cao Hong saw such cavalry, he felt a pain in his heart.

Because there had been such troops in the Cao family before, and their number was not large. During the Battle of Hedong, such troops suffered some losses and damages. Now, those who can ride on horses and run without falling off can serve as cavalry.

If Cao's army could get more war horses...

Before Cao Hong could finish his recollection, the cavalry had already launched the attack.

To Cao Hong's surprise, this time the cavalry did not try to get within twenty steps of the infantry formation!

But after only fifty steps or so they began to disperse and turn!
This……

What the hell is this?!
The last time Cao's infantry formation was defeated by the Hussars in one round, it was because the Hussars demonstrated the power of the archers' armor-piercing heavy arrows at a very close distance. At a distance of about ten steps, no matter whether the infantry had spears or halberds, they could not cause any damage to the Hussars. Meanwhile, the Cao archers in the middle and rear of the infantry line had their shooting angles blocked by their own soldiers, which meant that they could not counterattack at both long and short range and could only passively take the beating!

After learning from the painful experience, Cao Hong and others worked out how to counter the tactics of the Hussar Cavalry.

The best way is of course Lancers.

It’s a pity that Cao’s army is gone.

Therefore, they could only study how to use infantry to restrain the cavalry tactics of the Hussars, which led to the Battle of Suoyang Pass.

In terms of battle deployment, Cao's army found a slightly sloping mound, which allowed the archers in the rear to gain a certain height difference and have some shooting angles.

Of course, the best way is to have the infantry line up at the intersection, and the archers on the high ground on both sides, so that they can freely and safely unleash long-range firepower. However, this kind of terrain is generally hard to come by, so most of the time, just finding a place with a height difference is already very good.

In addition, there is another condition, which is that the Hussar Cavalry must take the initiative to attack!

This is even harder than finding the right terrain.

But at Suoyang Pass, it seems that such conditions can be met with some difficulty...

Cao's army reacted quickly. Seeing that the Hussars did not seem to have any intention of moving forward, although they did not know why the Hussars did this, they instinctively knew that they could not let the Hussars complete various tactical changes so calmly. So a Cao's military school shouted loudly: "Archers! All of them! Strong wind! Strong wind!"

At the command, the archers of Cao's army got busy.

"aim!"

"Everyone, ten rounds of rapid fire!"

"Wind! Strong wind!"

Amid the sound of bowstrings, arrows and crossbow bolts whizzed out, flew over the heads of the front row of large shields and spears, and pounced towards the cavalry.

The archers of Cao's army used short bows.

To some extent, it can be roughly regarded as the entertainment bow and arrow of later generations.

The biggest advantage of this short bow is that it is cheap.

But the result is a reduction in shooting distance and power.

The arrow of a shortbow is comparable to a pistol bullet within fifty steps. The closer the distance, the greater the power. However, once it exceeds fifty steps, the kinetic energy decays greatly, so there is a saying that one cannot wear Lu silk.

Even the damage caused by projectiles cannot be compared with that of a longbow with longer arrows and heavier arrowheads because the arrows of a shortbow have less weight.

The Hussar cavalry was just at the edge of the maximum lethality of the short bows used by Cao's archers.

The reason why it could be so accurate was that the Hussars were basically all good at using bows and arrows, and naturally they were very clear about the distance control of the bows and arrows. However, the Hussars also did not expect that Cao's army not only brought ordinary marching short bows, but also longbows and powerful crossbows!
The longbow not only takes a long time to make, but is also more expensive.

The time it takes to make a longbow often exceeds a year, and materials such as isinglass and wood also require relatively high quality.

The cost of making a longbow can often make three short bows, or even four or five short bows if the cost is even lower.

Short bows also reduce the need for arrow quality.

This kind of short bow, or inferior military equipment, is the mainstream in Shandong. The reason is naturally that there are many people in Shandong...

As for powerful crossbows, they require even higher-quality materials, special craftsmanship, assembly technology, etc. Therefore, Cao's army has always been mostly equipped with short bows and fewer long bows, not to mention being equipped with large-scale powerful crossbows.

But this time, the archery troops led by Cao Hong were mixed with a lot of longbowmen and crossbowmen.

In Shandong, these things were not very useful during the Central Plains War, so naturally there was no demand for them before. However, the Han Dynasty originally had powerful crossbows, and they were well developed in the early days.

After searching through all the boxes and cabinets, I found that there were still some stocks.

In fact, the tactics used by Cao Hong at that time could not be considered as the first of Cao Hong and others. As early as the early Han Dynasty, Li Ling, who was eventually defeated and captured, used this tactic to restrain the Hu cavalry at that time. If Li Ling had not run out of arrows at the end, he might have been able to withdraw most of his troops back to the Han territory. At that time, Li Ling sighed, "I got a few dozen arrows, which is enough to escape."

Of course, this was not Li Ling's "dozens of arrows" alone, but the ammunition base of the entire army. In other words, under Li Ling's tactics at the time, if there were still two bases, that is, fifty or sixty arrows and crossbows, it would be enough to break through.

Unlike the crossbows in later movies and TV shows, which were fired by lying on the ground with the buttocks backwards, the crossbows on the real battlefield were placed on both sides of the array, closer to the front, and fired steadily in a half-kneeling position.

Facing shortbows, fifty steps is a relatively safe distance, but facing longbows and powerful crossbows, at least a hundred steps is needed to be relatively safe. Therefore, Cao's shortbows basically tickled the Hussars, but the longbows and powerful crossbows mixed in with them actually caused casualties among the Hussars!

Cao's army had not used it before, and now it was suddenly used, which naturally caused the Hussars to suffer a loss. As Cao's army poured out long-range firepower, some of the Hussars were shot and fell to the ground!
"Good!" Cao Hong was delighted when he saw this, "Good shooting! Good! Did you see that?! The cavalry soldiers are not made of iron! They will die if they are shot!"

Cao's soldiers were also inspired.

However, before Cao's soldiers could cheer for having shot many of the Hussars, the Hussars' attack arrived...