I am not Yuan Shu

Chapter 379 Fengxian, do you want to make a move?
After hearing Gao Jian's words, Tan Shihua hesitated again, but after thinking it over, he shook his head and did not accept Gao Jian's opinion.

"If our army continues to retreat, the Han army may not continue to advance, and when will a turning point appear? What would that turning point be? Is it impossible for our army to defeat the Han army head-on?"

Gao Jian hesitated for a moment, clearly lacking confidence.

"It's hard to say, but even if we win a direct attack, we'll suffer heavy losses. Is that what the Chanyu wants to see?"

Tan Shihuai pondered for a moment, then slowly raised his eyes.

"Then let those who are not very loyal to me rush up first to wear down the Han army's strength, and arrange the main force to come last. That's not bad."

Gao Jian was speechless.

Tan Shihuai was certainly not a benevolent figure, and the Xianbei were not a monolithic entity where everyone was loyal. The central Xianbei were considered the core of Tan Shihuai's rule, the eastern Xianbei were relatively close, while the western Xianbei were relatively distant.

Previously, his prestige was shaken, and the Western Xianbei were the ones who caused the most trouble, so Tan Shihuai was most dissatisfied with the Western Xianbei.

More than a third of the Xianbei troops who accompanied him on this expedition were from the western Xianbei tribes. Letting them lead the vanguard would not only achieve results but also strike at internal forces that were not loyal enough. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?
Win! Win-win!

Without hesitation, Tan Shihuai immediately issued orders, dividing the 12,000 Xianbei men of the west into four teams to attack the four formations of the Han army. The teams were to first use classic mounted archery tactics, and then charge tactics, in an attempt to break through the Han army's formations.

As for the cavalry within the army formation...

You are already seasoned soldiers; you should know how to adapt to changing circumstances. If the Han army stubbornly clings to their turtle shell and refuses to fight back, then shatter them, and then completely tear their turtle bodies apart! Leave not a single piece behind!

That's true, but according to Tan Shihuai's prediction, the Han army would definitely not stand idly by and watch the infantry fight to the death while the cavalry did nothing. They would definitely send the cavalry out to fight as the battle progressed. At that time, he would send his trusted main force to fight the Han army to the death.

In the end, it all comes down to courage and boldness, and he believed his soldiers were far superior to the Han army in this respect.

Yuan Shu had just set up his new army formation and was slowly advancing when the Xianbei cavalry charged over.

Yuan Shu glanced over and saw the Xianbei cavalry split into four groups, charging towards the four large formations of the Han army. They then quickly entered the classic mounted archery phase, circling around the various formations before displaying their strength—mounted archery—and firing at the Han army with their horse bows.

But the Han army wasn't easy targets either.

As soon as the Xianbei cavalry charged, the crossbowmen and crossbowmen in the formation had already adjusted their angles and unleashed a volley of arrows at them. The rain of arrows swept across the sky, taking many lives in an instant.

Then the archers began to fire their arrows, killing quite a few before the Xianbei cavalry arrived.

However, the Xianbei cavalry were too numerous and fast, and the arrows could not be fired many times before they rushed up to the front, and then they surrounded and shot at the enemy on horseback.

Arrows rained down, and the Han soldiers with shields raised their shields to protect the archers. The archers then returned fire, and the cavalry in the ranks also raised their bows and crossbows to fight back, and the two sides entered into a shooting exchange.

In this phase, the Han army undoubtedly had the upper hand, because the Han army had more men and more arrows. Although the Xianbei people had mobility, they could not withstand the dense arrows of the Han army, and people were frequently shot and killed or fell off their horses.

As with people, horses were also affected. Some warhorses were also unfortunately hit by arrows, either seriously injured or frightened, and then both horse and rider would roll to the ground. If they broke their necks and died from the fall, they were considered lucky.

If someone rolled on the ground but didn't die, they could only watch helplessly as they were trampled to death by the cavalry behind them, with almost no chance of survival.

During the exchange of arrows, the Han army suffered losses, with many soldiers being hit by arrows. However, due to their complete armor, the number of soldiers actually killed was not large, so the losses were well within acceptable limits. The Xianbei people, on the other hand, were in a different situation.

They didn't have much armor; once they died, they were dead, with no chance of recovery.

Seeing their soldiers fall from their horses and die one after another, these western Xianbei military leaders were worried and angry. Those who died were all young men, and young men were precious assets. Every one of them who died was one less. If they all died, how could they maintain their status?

They were not unaware of Tan Shihuai's intentions, but given his imposing presence, they dared not disobey him. Otherwise, if the Han army failed to kill them but instead had to be killed by Tan Shihuai, it would be a terrible waste.

However, such heavy casualties were not a solution, so a clever military commander simply ordered his men to stop riding and shooting, dismount, and charge the Han army formation as infantry.

If the warhorses dare not charge, you men will charge. As you charge, fire arrows as you go. If all else fails, stab the horse in the rump with a knife, forcing the warhorse to panic and go mad, charging into the Han army's formation!

This wise man issued the military order, and his subordinates, who were all practically illiterate in prenatal education, actually obeyed. They dismounted, raised their bows and arrows, and charged forward. Many of them also stabbed their horses in the rump, startling the warhorses and causing them to charge and stumble wildly.

To be fair, some warhorses did get startled and charged wildly towards the Han army's formation. The Han army's shield wall, lined with spears, couldn't stop them, and a gap was immediately created.

The Xianbei soldiers who charged forward also swarmed forward, engaging in fierce combat with the Han soldiers' swordsmen and shieldmen.

However, this was a minority. More often, these warhorses, startled, would turn on their own Xianbei comrades, causing chaos and heavy casualties, resulting in far greater losses for themselves than for the Han army. Moreover, if it came to infantry combat, the Han army was not afraid at all. The Han infantry's only concern was not being able to win battles, so now that the Han army was willing to engage in infantry combat, they were naturally happy, brandishing their spears and launching a series of thrusts, causing the Xianbei to bleed profusely.

With inferior armor and weapons, the Han infantry quickly gained the upper hand, and the Xianbei were soon at a disadvantage, with their various formations being relentlessly beaten by the Han army.

Upon realizing the situation was dire, Gao Jian immediately advised Tan Shihuai to withdraw his troops and retreat, suggesting that it was best to stop fighting.

"This Han army is clearly elite and very strong. Our forces are outmatched, so it's better to retreat. As long as we move fast enough, the Han army won't be able to catch up!"

But things have come to this point, and even if Tan Shihuai is using the Han army to get rid of those who are not loyal to him, he is already in a difficult situation.

He cannot retreat even a step. If he does, his subordinates will think he has been defeated, and his position and power as the Great Chanyu will truly be in jeopardy!
No!

Gritting his teeth, Tan Shihuai made up his mind.

Army attack!

He ordered his trusted generals to lead their cavalry to continue charging the Han army's formation, adding fuel to the fire and forcing the Han army to leave their "turtle shell" formation, thus compelling the Han cavalry to come out for a decisive battle.

However, the Han army's formation remained solid, with layers of shields and a forest of spears. It was not a tortoise, but a hedgehog; a graze would injure, a touch would kill, and its power was immense.

Thus, the infantry and cavalry inside the formation continued to fire outwards, posing a great threat to the Xianbei cavalry outside, and the Xianbei army suffered heavy casualties.

After Tan Shihuai's trusted troops joined the battle, the pressure on the Han army from the Xianbei army did increase, but their own casualties also began to rise.

Under Tan Shihuai's strict orders, many Xianbei cavalrymen chose to dismount and fight the Han army. Some even carried the corpses of their comrades and threw them at the Han army's shields to create some impact on the Han army.

Some people actually managed to break through the gap and swarm in, managing to tear a small opening in the Han army's battle formation. The Xianbei cavalry behind them immediately rushed in to fight, thinking they had successfully broken through the formation, but instead they were met with an even fiercer counterattack.

The spears, gleaming with a cold light, came hurtling towards him. Many Xianbei cavalrymen, even those who charged into the enemy ranks, were quickly impaled by the spears or had their horses' legs cut off by Han soldiers, falling to the ground and then hacked to death.

As time went on, the battle intensified, the sun gradually moved westward, and the fighting between the two sides had lasted for more than an hour.

Even in the chaos of the battlefield, the well-trained Han soldiers were able to maintain rotational combat. When one team fought to its limit, it would retreat, and another team would naturally take its place. The cooperation between front-line officers and soldiers was very skillful, and they had memorized all kinds of tactics and orders.

Therefore, Han soldiers were always able to fight the Xianbei with relatively abundant physical strength.

The Xianbei people, however, were different. As time went on, many Xianbei people ran out of energy and could no longer hold on. Some cavalrymen could still run on their horses, but they could no longer sit still. They were panting heavily, seeing stars, and were very hungry.

Their fighting movements slowed down, they had little strength left, and they became limp.

Unfortunately, the treatment they received was simply not on the same level.

Under Yuan Shu's special care, Tianxiong Army ate their fill at every meal, conserving their energy. Before the formal battle, they ate a lot of flatbread and mutton, so they were full of strength.

The Xianbei people could only avoid hunger during wartime, and could only eat enough meat before a battle, which was only for one or two meals. For their long-term depleted bodies, it was like a drop in the ocean.

On one side is a well-rested, rosy-cheeked fitness expert, and on the other side is a pale, thin, and short goblin warrior. It is obvious who will last until the end.

Tan Shihuai clearly failed to notice this significant change, which led to a serious misjudgment on his part.

He thought his classic mounted archery tactics, charge tactics, and many other reckless tactics would force the Han army to fight with all their might, but he failed to notice that from the beginning until now, it was still the Han infantry fighting, not the cavalry.

The Han cavalry remained within the infantry formation, conserving their strength and awaiting orders. At most, they would fire arrows to assist the infantry in resisting the enemy, while the Xianbei cavalry were unable to break through the infantry formation and threaten the cavalry.

Therefore, Tan Shihuai's nearly 30,000 cavalrymen were constantly fighting against 20,000 Han infantrymen. The Han infantrymen used their skilled tactics and strong stamina to hold them back, then pressed them to the ground and rubbed them against the ground, beating them until their faces were covered in blood.

So much so that they had almost no strength left, yet they still couldn't break through the infantry formation.

Seeing this, Yuan Shu glanced at the sky and realized that his opportunity had arrived.

So he called Lü Bu, who had been eager to fight and was extremely eager to go into battle, to his side.

"Fengxian, do you want to launch an attack?"

(End of this chapter)