Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 688 Brilliant Meteor

Since ancient times, there have been many major battles at the foot of Mount Mang, and there were even more and more exciting ones in the late Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Li Huaiguang was riding on his horse, looking at the fluttering flags and strict formation of the opposite side, and he couldn't help but admit in his heart: An Shouzhong is indeed a good general, much stronger than Li Tingwang.

They had easily defeated Li Tingwang before, but that doesn’t mean they can easily defeat An Shouzhong.

It was the same feeling as before, the unyielding young man facing the cunning old wall lamp, and it was the opponent's home court.

How to break the situation?

Li Huaiguang held the sword tightly in his hand.

How to break the deadlock when you are confused, depressed, hesitant or even desperate?

Only the sword in your hand can break it! If there is no way out, then kill your way out!
At this time, Han Yougui led several scouts and rode into the battle formation. He dismounted and reported to Li Huaiguang, "General, An Shouzhong has set up a fence in the front, and the sword and shield soldiers are behind the fence. I think there may be barricades. The two wings are open and there is no obstacle. He probably wants to trick us into choosing his way to break through."

Han Yougui was promoted from an old scout and was a first-class scout with excellent skills in exploring terrain. He also analyzed the distribution of the enemy forces in front of him to Li Huaiguang.

Of course, that was just within his sight.

Who among the truly capable generals does not have a trick up his sleeve when facing the enemy?

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Li Huaiguang suddenly laughed out loud towards the sky.

He laughed so hard that tears came out. After a long while, he sighed with emotion: "Since Marshal Fang retired, many people in the world have dared to come out and call themselves famous generals."

Hearing Li Huaiguang say this, it was obvious that he had it all planned out.

Han Yougui approached and whispered, "General, how do we defeat the enemy?"

"You lead the infantry to engage the enemy in the middle, and break them if you can. It will be a great achievement if you can keep the battle line intact.

I will bring my own troops to break through the enemy's formation!"

Han Yougui breathed a sigh of relief. It was similar to the previous arrangement, the only difference was that Li Huaiguang decided to defeat the enemy himself this time.

In fact, there are not so many fancy tricks in grand strategy. If you really want to play it, it is impossible for soldiers to hear complicated military orders and not know how to execute them.

When morale is similar and tactics are executed correctly, it is more often a competition similar to rock-paper-scissors.

If you can restrain your opponent, you will win; if you are restrained by your opponent, you will fail.

After all, there is no way to escape this circle.

However, if Li Huaiguang could think of a way to defeat the enemy in a roundabout way, how could An Shouzhong not think of it?
Everyone understands it, it just depends on who knows how to play better.

Han Yougui was a little worried. He thought about it again and again, and finally said nothing. He clasped his fists and saluted to Li Huaiguang.

It’s already this time, don’t think about anything, just do it!

He did not ride a horse either. He ordered the flag-bearing officer to raise the commander's flag, then drew his sword and followed the sword and shield soldiers. The main force of the infantry slowly moved forward.

Slowly approach the fence.

The Luoyang army had already formed up their battle array here. The defeated soldiers who were caught in the rolled-back pearl curtain had long been taken in by them and hid behind the battle line, without causing any disturbance.

The two sides got closer and closer, and finally the battle lines touched, and a brutal fight began.

Li Huaiguang, who was watching the battle in the middle army, narrowed his eyes. This kind of battle could be said to have restrained the characteristics of the Crane Control Army, which was good at charging. Through the fence, even if the opponent was killed repeatedly, it was difficult to form a "combo critical hit".

Someone will take over soon.

This is a purely physical style of play.

Of course, the Konghe Army will definitely not survive to the end, but An Shouzhong will not end up well either, as this is a pyrrhic victory.

However, the first ones to lose their patience will definitely be the Crane Control Army, as they can't afford to waste time any more.

The wind blowing from the bank of the Yellow River was a bit strong, blowing the hair on the horse's head. For some reason, Li Huaiguang suddenly remembered a question Fang Youde had asked him in the past.

At that time, Fang Youde asked: If you draw the bow, you draw the bow. If you shoot the arrow, you shoot the arrow. Why is there a saying of "shooting with both hands"? Isn't archery always shooting in the same direction? Why is there a distinction between shooting with the left hand and shooting with the right hand?

Li Huaiguang didn't know, after all, he could shoot with both hands, and he was used to it. This was what he had been taught since he was a child.

He can switch between them freely and know when to use them, but if you want him to explain them in detail, Li Huaiguang cannot express them.

But Fang Youde said that small idioms contain great wisdom. Otherwise, wisdom cannot be passed down to future generations.

Fang Youde said: When cavalry broke through the enemy's formation, they rarely charged directly into the enemy's formation. Armored cavalry had long been a thing of the past. Generally speaking, it was the cavalry archers who made a circuitous move in the opposite direction (counterclockwise), pulling the enemy's formation with cavalry archers, looking for flaws to kill with one strike.

If the enemy's formation is sparse and ordinary, then the light cavalry will charge directly into their formation.

Right shooting is a common method used by ordinary shooters, and they can only outflanke from the right wing. When they outflank from the left wing (clockwise), they cannot shoot from the left, so their combat effectiveness is greatly reduced. Only those who are good at left shooting can outflank from the left wing.

Only by attacking from both sides can you achieve victory by surprise.

After that, Fang Youde selected those who were capable of using both arms and legs from the Konghe Army, forming a battalion of 500 people, and Li Huaiguang was the first commander.

This camp was named: Zuoshe Camp. All the soldiers in this camp were good at shooting with bows on both sides.

This special force had never been used as the main force to defend the front line, nor was it necessary to use them. But today was the time for the Left Shooting Battalion to make achievements.

"Raise the flag of the Zuoshe Camp and follow me to encircle the enemy from the left wing."

Half an hour later, seeing that An Shouzhong still did not make a move, Li Huaiguang gave instructions to the messenger.

"Marshal, is there only the Left Shooting Battalion?"

The messenger asked in confusion, there are only 500 people in the Zuosheying Camp, what formation can they charge into with such a small number of people?

“It’s not just the Left Shooting Battalion, but the Left Shooting Battalion is the vanguard, and the others follow behind.

If there are any enemy troops blocking our way, then cover the Zuoshe Battalion's advance!"

Li Huaiguang shouted impatiently!
"Order!"

The messenger took the order and left.

Soon, the flag-bearing officer came to Li Huaiguang and raised the flag of the Zuosheying.

"rush!"

Li Huaiguang roared and rushed out of the army first.

Since he was in the rear army formation, he could naturally think about how to break the impasse, but people like Li Tingwang who were defending the fence had no time to think about these things.

At this moment, a fierce battle was raging on the front line between the two armies.

Across the wooden fence, on both sides of the fence which was less than a mile wide, the soldiers of the Luoyang Army and the soldiers of the Konghe Army were stabbing each other with spears.

The battle line between the two armies is not limited to this width, nor is the venue limited to this width, but the width of the wooden fence is limited to this width!
As the battle line stretched, both sides wanted to outflank. As this side expanded to both sides, the other side would naturally follow. Therefore, the thickness of the battle line on both sides became thinner and thinner, but the width expanded rapidly. The Konghe Army was good at fighting, and often one soldier could hold the line for a long time. But the Luoyang Army had more people, and if one died, someone would immediately take over. For a while, the battle situation was extremely tense.

Just as the commanders of both sides predicted, this place is important, but not the key to determining the outcome of the battle.

Li Tingwang was supervising the battle behind the front line, and all the soldiers around him were supervising the battle. As long as any soldier on his side dared to turn around, the supervising team would immediately come forward and chop the deserter to death!

Although he did not directly join the battle, the cold sweat on his forehead dripped down as if he was not willing to die. The fierceness of the Crane Control Army was far beyond expectations.

Originally according to his estimation, the number of troops on his side in the middle was at least three times that of the opposite side.

Three against one, it should be as stable as a rock, right?

Then he saw that the fence closest to him was knocked over by the soldiers of the Konghe Army, and a gap was created in his own front line!
"The guards, push forward! Push forward!"

Li Tingwang drew his sword and yelled hysterically. He rushed forward hastily, and under his leadership, the guards filled the gap in the battle line.

Suddenly, Li Ting looked out of the corner of his eye and saw a group of cavalry suddenly flash by on his right.

Ok?
The Crane Control Army attacks the right wing?
What are you doing?
Li Tingwang was so scared that he almost died!
Didn't An Shouzhong swear that the Konghe Army would break through from the left wing? He also ambushed a large number of troops on the left wing!
"Divide the troops! Stop them quickly!"

Li Tingwang screamed. He knew that An Shouzhong's reserve troops were too far away and could not be relied on now.

He didn't care what was happening on the front line and asked the flag-bearing officer to follow him. He quickly left the front line and headed towards the cavalry of the Konghe Army that was attacking from the right wing.

Woo! Woo! Woo!
A strange whistle sounded, unusually sharp and piercing, as if it was some "non-mainstream" way of transmitting messages on the battlefield.

At this moment, Li Tingwang saw an arrow coming directly towards his face. By the time he reacted, he was already feeling a sharp pain.

The arrow pierced through the helmet and entered his forehead, but it did not penetrate deep into the flesh, and he only felt a piercing pain.

Blood flowed from his forehead and his vision turned red. Immediately, two sword and shield soldiers came forward to protect Li Tingwang.

He pulled out the arrow in one go, dropped his helmet to the ground, and was supported by his personal soldiers.

Damn it, it’s a good thing that I riveted an extra piece of iron on the forehead of the helmet when the armor was made, otherwise I would have been shot in the head by an arrow today.

Li Tingwang felt lucky in his heart.

In fact, there was another reason why he was not shot in the head, that is, the horse archery is a horse bow, it is hard to say how accurate it is, and the penetrating power is far less than that of the foot bow. If he was hit by an arrow from the foot bow, he would have to die here today.

Li Tingwang looked around and found that the enemy cavalry had gone far away and seemed to have no intention of entangled with him. But the archery skills of this unit were amazing. None of the flag officers around him survived, and all the people holding the flags were shot dead!

Oh my god! This is the end!
"Retreat! An Shouzhong is finished, let's go back to Luoyang!"

Li Tingwang, who had a very keen sense of smell, immediately realized that An Shouzhong would definitely lose this battle. The balance of the war had begun to reverse.

If you don't leave now, you won't be able to escape.

"General Li, are you confused?"

The guards looked horrified.

Although they were Li Tingwang's confidants, deserting the battlefield was a serious crime. Once An Shouzhong investigated the matter later, Li Tingwang would definitely die, and these personal soldiers would not have a good ending either.

"Shut up, you are the ones who are confused. If the elite cavalry just now had broken through the right wing and then rushed to the left wing with the defeated soldiers, how could An Shouzhong have stopped them?
After all, Li has seen pigs run, so why is he not as knowledgeable as you?"

Li Tingwang shouted loudly.

The surrounding soldiers were all terrified.

If you think about it carefully, what Li Tingwang said makes a lot of sense.

Just by looking at this wave of cavalry charging forward, all the flag-bearing officers were killed. They could tell that this cavalry was by no means mediocre.

In ancient wars, even an army of 100,000 people was actually put together as a phalanx. Otherwise, it would be impossible to command so many people.

The best-equipped soldiers were in the front row of each small square formation, and the commander of the small unit, including the flag bearer, was in this row, responsible for command and dispatch.

It was definitely not surrounded and protected by a group of people.

Therefore, there are guys who have no moral principles, sniper units that are specially trained in horse archery, and commanders of these small square formations who specialize in shooting arrows on the battlefield.

There are masters who can organize these sharpshooters, train them into an army and act in a unified manner, which can not only improve their own survival rate, but also ensure the success rate of sniping.

Li Tingwang had only heard of such people and such things before, but he didn't expect to encounter them himself today.

If something is not going well, smooth it out first.

When he left, the soldiers in the middle saw that the flags had fallen, and their morale was in chaos! The wooden fence was not an iron wall, and it was ultimately a battle of skills, tactics and physical strength.

The Luoyang army's front line began to show signs of collapse.

But at this moment, An Shouzhong had no time to focus on the front.

His army formation was originally to fight the front line and set up the left wing. However, the Konghe Army did not follow his plan and directly attacked the right wing.

Those fancy things that look bright on the surface are like a painted skin. When not touched, it is a stunning beauty, but once touched, it becomes a scary monster.

Under the attack of Zuosheying, the right wing of Luoyang Army didn't even last for an incense stick of time before it collapsed and suffered a crushing defeat!

"Marshal, the right flank has collapsed, and the enemy cavalry is heading towards the left flank. Please make the decision, Marshal!"

A messenger came running over and reported to An Shouzhong with a fist salute.

"Follow me to kill the enemy!"

An Shouzhong rode his horse towards the right, rushing towards the chaotic crowd.

He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw that most of the soldiers behind him were heading towards Luoyang City, getting farther and farther away from him, and they were not going to charge with him at all!
"Come back! I didn't order a retreat!"

An Shouzhong pulled the reins and shouted in the direction of the deserter.

No one paid any attention to him. He wanted to run away, his heart was as cold as iron, and his head was even harder, so why would he care about An Shouzhong?

At this moment, An Shouzhong suddenly understood the highest level of the essence of military strategy: momentum!
On the battlefield, as long as the momentum is formed, even 30,000 people can beat 600,000 people! At this time, even if the losing side is given another 600,000 people, they will still lose!
At the moment when the right wing collapsed, the soldiers in the army who were not defeated also saw the fate of their colleagues.

From that time on, no matter how many soldiers and horses there were, after losing their "momentum", they became nothing more than chickens and dogs. Then, it would depend on whether the generals behaved well and accumulated virtues and did good deeds.

If there is, there may be soldiers willing to stay and repay their gratitude. If not... then it will probably be like An Shouzhong's current situation.

In a moment, Li Huaiguang led the elite cavalry of the Zuosheying Camp and attacked An Shouzhong.

Although the two men did not know each other, they could tell from their armor that they were important generals on the opposite side.

Li Huaiguang held the bow in his right hand, pulled the string with his left hand, and the arrow flew out like a meteor.

Directly shot and blinded the eyes of An Shouzhong's mount!
Marshal An was thrown to the ground by his mad warhorse, and the horses ridden by countless followers behind him inevitably trampled on him all over with their hooves.

An Shouzhong was like a person who fell into the sea while sailing. Even the reincarnation of the Golden Immortal could not save him.

(End of this chapter)