Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

On the plain, a total of more than 4,100 cavalrymen were running towards them in a dense crowd. Yelu Dezhong was cautious and did not dare to rush to the front as before. His heart was beating wildly in his chest. Fortunately, he had more than a hundred personal guards in good armor to protect him, and the cavalrymen from various units were crowded outside, which made him feel relieved and he ran in the direction of advancement.

Amid the thundering sound of horse hooves, some scouts joined in halfway, but they were scouts who had come to see the column of smoke, so there were not many of them in a hurry, and after fighting with the scouts of Han Shizhong and others, there were even fewer of them.

However, the victory or defeat between scouts has nothing to do with the outcome of the battle.

After walking another mile, the teams of both sides had entered each other's sight. A black line spread across the green field and quickly closed the distance. In the end, Yelu Dezhong did not order to slow down.

His eyesight was very good. He could tell at a glance that there were no more than four or five thousand infantrymen on the opposite side. His mind was jumping back and forth between fighting and not fighting. Finally, he gritted his teeth and did not utter the word "retreat". Instead, he waved the Fang Tian Ji in his hand and issued a military order.

"Let the troops advance bravely. Don't charge blindly. Just harass them and lure them out of their shells."

The next moment, a horn sounded.

The tightly-moving formation began to disperse as it advanced. As the cavalry, composed of the Han, Bohai and other ethnic groups, advanced first. They wore simple protective cloth and took out longbows with their backhands.

As for cavalry tactics, the Liao army still followed the ones used when the country was founded. The knights in the front who were not good at riding and shooting wore poor protection or simply went into battle in cloth clothes, while the Khitans behind them were all wearing armor and also took out their bows to follow. In terms of archery, they were the main force of this cavalry.

On the opposite side of the field of vision, the soldiers of the Qi army huddled behind the chariots, with large shields protecting the gaps between the chariots. There were archers standing behind the shield chariots, with long spears and iron spears sticking out of the shields, guarding against the cavalry's desperate charge by relying on momentum.

The ground was shaking violently underfoot. Shouts of "raise your bows!" came from the mouths of the military commanders. Bows and crossbows were pointed diagonally toward the sky. Lu Zhishen stood in front holding a 23-foot-long infantry spear. His eyes were wide open, silently estimating the speed of the enemy's charge. Almost as soon as the horn sounded again from the opposing cavalry, he shouted, "Shoot!"

Arrows and locusts fell from the sky.

Yelu Dezhong, who was among the imperial guards, blinked and said, "Too slow!"

The mud flew into the air when the iron hooves were raised. The cavalry, who were originally serving as a test for the vanguard, had just turned around when dense rain of arrows fell on their heads with a "whoosh whoosh whoosh" sound. Many people screamed and fell off their horses.

The movement was a beat too slow, and without protective armor, the charging cavalrymen instantly became like rice paper wet by rain, with pieces missing here and there. Blood flowed from under the men and horses, and the stench of rust filled the air.

"Blow the horn and order the first group to retreat! The second and third groups will go around the formation on the left and right, guerrilla warfare on the left and right, and then tell the infantry behind to hurry up! Quick--"

Yelu Dezhong looked unhappy and felt a chill in his heart. He regretted rushing forward with the cavalry in a moment of impulse.

Damn it! I should have waited for the infantry to join us or retreated directly. I was just too greedy.

He cursed bitterly in his heart and quickly issued a military order to adjust the entire cavalry team.

The sound of the horn echoed in the air.

One by one, the war horses began to turn in front of the circular chariot formation, circling the sides with dust and moving along the chariot formation. The cold light in the hands of the knights and the archers in the chariot formation continued to face each other. It was the arrows reflecting the light of the sky on the bowstrings.
From time to time, there were hysterical shouts from both sides: "Shoot——"

The bowstrings vibrated, and the trembling sounds merged into one large one. Dense black shadows flew into the sky from the herds of horses and chariots. A rain of arrows crisscrossed in the air and then fell down.

bang bang bang-

Arrows hit shields, pierced into the soil, and penetrated into people's bodies. Screams rang out on both sides. The Qi army was good at both cavalry and foot combat. They shot arrows from their chariot formations and knocked down a large number of cavalrymen cruising by. Some were shot dead directly on horseback. Their bodies fell crookedly with their ankles still hanging in the stirrups as they were dragged along and continued to run forward.

"Let's go, let's go -"

Among the cavalry, several Liao army generals immediately pulled the reins and rushed desperately to get out of the range of the bows and crossbows. Pan Zhong and Lu Zhishen watched from inside the formation with trembling eyes. The Liao army would charge for a while and then run away, and the rest would take over. This repeated process left them with nothing but to wait anxiously behind the formation, and people in the formation kept getting injured and retreating.

"These bastards..." Lu Zhishen spat on the ground and wiped his face. "Han, you better catch this Yelu birdman for me later, otherwise I will not let him go."

There were footsteps behind him. Lu Zhishen turned around and saw that it was Pan Zhong coming over: "Why is General Pan here?"

"Master Lu..."

Pan Zhong shouted loudly in his ear. The old men on the mountain still liked to call the Flower Monk on the opposite side that. He shrank back behind the shield formation, and a crackling sound rang out on the shield in front of him: "If this continues, the guy in the opposite central army will not dare to come over after all."

"The dog bites the tortoise. We are the tortoise now. We can only watch those birds and dogs open their mouths. We don't know when these birds and dogs will realize that they can't bite anymore and retreat."

Lu Zhishen also squatted down, his face a little irritable, and complained, not caring whether it was a bad comparison or not. He spat to the side and turned his body. He was fat and strong, and when he squatted, his flesh pushed outwards, immediately stretching out the armor on his body. He rolled his eyes and said, "Is there a reason for what you said?"

"Here's a risky way." Pan Zhong licked his lips, looked out from the gap, and stood up only after seeing the cavalry retreating far away: "We might as well let some people in next time."

Lu Zhishen's face turned pale: "Once the hole is opened, it will be difficult to close it."

"It doesn't have to be too big, just a small opening, we can just hold it there and build another line of defense inside. We can't really let the Liao people break through us."

Lu Zhishen gritted his teeth, a rare hesitation on his rough face. He heard the sound of the cavalry running again, looked at the Liao army's central flag still motionless in the distance, and fiercely slammed the spear in his hand: "Okay, as you say, I will have people build a defense line right away."

"Wait a minute." Pan Zhong held the monk and clasped his fists, "Your Majesty ordered me to lead the army to help in the battle. We can't rely on you and the other three for everything. I am the commander of the army after all. Let me take care of the defense."

"No, no, no."

Lu Zhishen shook his head violently, and pulled Pan Zhong back behind the shield again. In the sky, arrows were flying in circles, and screams and neighs of horses could be heard. Pan Zhong on the opposite side said with a change of color: "It would be troublesome for either of us to do this alone. I will arrange it with you. We can't let anything go wrong."

Pan Zhong was overjoyed and immediately clasped his fists towards Lu Zhishen and said, "I will listen to you, Master. I will go back and send someone over right away."

Arrows rained down continuously, and some people in the chariot formation fell to the ground due to casualties. The comrades behind them hurried to take over. Soldiers holding shovels ran over with their backs bent under the cover of shields, and quickly dug several trenches on the ground. Amid the flying dust, a simple small position began to take shape.

The two generals in the rear each mobilized their troops, and soldiers holding large shields and long spears ran over. They lowered their shields and formed a battle formation along the place chosen by the two generals. The soldiers of the Xiandeng Camp left behind by Han Shizhong also lay down behind their shields under his command. Many veterans wrapped the prepared cloth strips tightly around their hands and breathed steadily and calmly.

"Order the archers to reduce the number of arrows on this side and drive the enemies on both sides to this side."

"Send a signal to our cavalry! Quickly--"

"Prepare to raise the bloody flag and let the Liao people see it clearly!"

Amid the shouting, the crouching figure turned around and ran, and the number of arrows on this side suddenly decreased.

…The sound of shouting came from the front, and Yelu Dezhong’s horse moved anxiously twice, but was calmed down by him.

In front of the sight, thousands of soldiers were charging in rotation, arrows flew over people's heads and brushed against their cheeks, and the arrows poured down like locusts. In the southeast direction, the rain of arrows suddenly stopped.

The Liao army knights seized the opportunity and rushed forward madly. The screams coming from that side attracted the soldiers on the front line and also attracted the attention of Yelu Dezhong who was stationed behind. Seven or eight hundred knights rushed forward.

"Archery—"

"Quickly shoot the arrow——"

In the black army formation, the sound of panic and roaring could be faintly heard. The generals on the battlefield were the most sensitive. Although they didn't know why the Qi army suddenly had problems here, they still seized the opportunity to charge forward. Fewer arrows than before fell from the sky and hit the ground with a puff.

Pan Zhong personally held a bow and arrow, and squatted on the ground with more than a hundred archers, watching the cavalry approaching in front, and suddenly shouted: "Now."

Beng Beng Beng——

More than a hundred bows were drawn and released, shooting straight over the top of the shields. The arrows with a sound of breaking through the air penetrated the gaps between the horses and shot to the rear, but more of them pierced into the flesh that expanded and contracted while running. The warhorse opened its mouth and let out a mournful cry, then fell to the ground with a bang. The people on the horses were thrown out and hit their heads on an upright shield with a "bang".

The shield suddenly moved backwards, and the Liao army cavalry commander in the rear was overjoyed, "Blow the horn, blow the horn! Charge through here!" He shouted and ran forward madly with his spear in hand. In his field of vision, the written shield was retreating backwards.

The sound of the horn representing gathering echoed in the air. The Liao cavalrymen who were riding and shooting around turned their horses, changed direction in the flying smoke and dust, and rushed towards the direction where the horn sounded.

"Commander-in-chief! Over there——"

A personal guard pointed forward and saw a gap in the Qi army's circular formation. The cavalry were rushing in at full speed, but from time to time, some of them were shot by arrows and fell off their horses. The sounds of people shouting and horses neighing suddenly became louder on the battlefield.

"I know!"

Yelu Dezhong replied impatiently, squinting his eyes and looking into the distance. He anxiously lifted the reins in his hand, and a hint of intention flashed across his face. He had been waiting for this opportunity, but when the time came, he hesitated.

"Commander-in-chief, there is a turning point ahead, why don't you give the order?"

A general came riding over to urge them on. Yelu Dezhong glanced at him and gritted his teeth: "Pass the order, the whole army will attack!"

The messenger blew the horn immediately, and the general was overjoyed. The entire cavalry formation behind started to run. Many cavalrymen ran forward with resentment for not having won a battle for a long time, hoping to kill some people to vent the tension and resentment in their hearts.

The roar of countless horse hooves trampling the earth drowned out the sound of trumpets and shouts. Blood-red flags were erected in the circle, and many cavalrymen screamed and roared excitedly.

The smoke was rising, but Yelu Dezhong didn't want to pay attention to him. As he charged forward, his mind seemed to be empty, and all he could see was the big flag of the Qi army. His face, which had turned the color of liver due to being soaked in alcohol for the past year or two, was glowing red.

If I win this battle, I will be the first person to defeat the Qi army, and then I will surrender...

We can also give them more official positions.

"Charge over! Charge over!"

The man, who was somewhat excited by the imaginary stimulation, stood up on his horse and pointed the Fang Tian Ji in his hand forward: "Defeat the enemy——"

“Hoo-hoo!”

Countless Khitan cavalrymen raised their weapons, and the next moment, black arrows shot out from the formation. The front cavalrymen who were fighting in the front kept falling off their horses, and some of them swarmed forward.

Some of the horses that rushed into the gap had their legs caught and broke with a snap, falling to the ground. More people wanted to kill from both sides and drive the infantrymen to escape, but the spears stabbed from both sides pierced their flesh and blood. The horses were thrown to the ground, and the people were pierced by the spears and hung in the air while screaming.

A low roar of "Shoot" came from the army formation. The soldiers who first entered the camp stood up in the back holding crossbows. For a moment, arrows crossed each other, turning the gap into a meat grinder.

Yelu Dezhong, who was among the galloping cavalry, could not see clearly and could only watch the entanglement over there. He cursed them as trash and kept issuing orders and adjusting the running team. The Qi army in front were Han and Fan troops who were used to consume the opponent's physical strength. More than half of them were wearing armor, and it was normal for them to be blocked when charging. He thought it was normal.

The heavy weapons were raised on the horse's back, and after a few breaths arrows fell from the sky. This group of Khitan cavalry protected their vital points and charged forward with iron spears and lances.

On the outer shields, there were a series of metal collision sounds and blood mist rose in the sky. The figure holding the painted halberd had just rushed into the black-armored infantry formation, and the excited look on his face suddenly changed.

In front, there were several rows of erected large shields for cover, and the protruding spears and lances made the entire line look like a hedgehog. In front, there were several shallow trenches interspersed with potholes, and dozens of war horses with broken legs were constantly swinging their hooves and wailing on the ground.

Only then did they hear the roars of "Retreat quickly!" and "There's a trap--", but they didn't know how to turn back in such a hurry. More cavalry were charging in from the rear, and the shouts, neighing of horses, and the clanging of weapons were intertwined, covering up the sporadic warnings.

Yelu Dezhong had no choice but to wave his halberd and turn his horse around, shouting, "Turn around, go back, turn around!"

The sound of fighting, louder than his own, responded to him.

……

Boom boom boom——

On the other side of the battlefield, war horses were galloping. In the dust that was raised, a knight in black armor was galloping forward. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that most of the army was intact. Then he raised his steel spear and pointed it at the front of the chaotic army: "The enemy is in front, follow me--"

In the opposite direction, the general riding a red horse and holding a Green Dragon Crescent Blade could no longer hold back. The sword was hung upside down under the horse's belly. A loud voice rang out among the cavalry: "This is the first battle of our cavalry. Let the Liao dogs see how we fight!"

The Qinglong Sword was raised the next moment, reflecting the light of the sky.

"forward--"

"kill--"

The sound of horse hooves was flying as they got closer and closer. The Liao cavalry who were running around the formation outside saw this and turned around and fled without a word. Yelu Dezhongshi, who was trapped in the front, retreated with the help of his guards. As his figure swayed, he suddenly felt something was wrong and turned to look in the direction of the smoke and dust.

"Over there... is..."

I dare not speak out the premonition in my heart. (End of this chapter)