Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 409 Formation

The wind is blowing and the clouds are flying.

The situation on both sides of the river changed dramatically.

Knowing his elder brother Liu Yu's intentions, Liu Daogui used himself as bait to lure the Wei army into battle. In the Battle of Canhebei, the Wei state had already tasted the sweetness of victory by annexing the then-powerful Later Yan. Having tasted the sweetness, they wanted to do it again.

The Wei army, numbering over 100,000, remained suspended on the north bank of the Yellow River, holding back their attack, which put increasing pressure on Liu Daogui.

If we're going to fight, we should fight when we have the most momentum.

Liu Yu did this because he had absolute confidence in his own strength and was willing to risk his life to gamble.

"Report! The enemy's Daxi Jin's 10,000 cavalry are heading straight for Fangtou from Bohai!"

"Report! Gongsun Biao's 20,000 infantry and cavalry have left Ji City and are heading towards Fangtou!"

"Report! Changsun Fei's 30,000 elite cavalry have marched out of Zhongshan and are heading south towards Fangtou—"

Scouts came and went, bringing back all sorts of news.

After the Battle of Ba Shang in the west, Yao Xing retreated to Chang'an and held firm, and his generals Mao Dezhu, Zhu Lingshi, and Shen Tianzi could not defeat him for a short time.

Clearly, Yao Qin placed his hopes on the State of Wei.

With the Three Kingdoms in a tripartite balance of power, one strong and two weak, the State of Wei naturally did not want to see the Jin Dynasty destroy the Qin Dynasty and recover Guanzhong.

Therefore, this battle was inevitable.

The hall was quiet, and the generals' eyes all turned to Liu Daogui.

"Send the order: the Tiger Guard Cavalry will follow me north to defeat the enemy!" Liu Daogui made a decisive decision.

Feng Kai quickly dissuaded him: "Song Gong has already gone north. The General should be stationed in Huatai, making plans and overseeing the four directions. He should not emulate Yu Ben's bravery."

Liu Daogui resolutely refused, saying, "Don't forget, I also rose from the ranks of soldiers, and I am by no means a weakling."

This battle is not only a battle for the fate of China, but also a battle for the fate of Liu Daogui personally.

Who can secure their rule is not determined by intrigue and trickery, but by who is the most capable fighter.

Xie Hui flattered, "General, you are wise. In the current situation, there is no way to retreat; we can only face the challenge head-on!"

"Indeed, as the general, I should lead from the front." If Liu Daogui did not head north, Daxi Jin, Changsun Song, Gongsun Biao, Changsun Fei and others would encircle Liu Yu.

No matter how skilled he is, he can't handle so many Wei soldiers.

Moreover, those who came were all elite troops from the Wei Kingdom.

On the other hand, the enemy forces are currently scattered. If Liu Daogui is quick, he can use speed to defeat the slow forces, break through one by one, and severely damage the main force of Wei.

This is a fighter jet.

In Liu Daogui's understanding, cavalry were born for long-distance raids.

Feng Kai said meaningfully, "With the Prime Minister in Hebei, the General-in-Chief can simply send a top general to lead the troops. Why risk your life personally? If something goes wrong, the country will fall into the hands of others, and the nation will be left without anyone to support it..."

These words are quite strong, and they also carry many unspoken implications.

If Liu Yu wins, Liu Daogui can benefit from the victory.

If Liu Yu were to lose, the empire would belong to Liu Daogui. From the day Liu Yu insisted on heading north, Liu Daogui was already guaranteed to profit and had no need to go north at all.

There is no room for two tigers in one mountain.

The great victory in the Northern Expedition could not mask the fierce internal struggles. Liu Yu had become bound together with the powerful clans and noble families, forming a unified group. With Liu Yu's defeat, his reputation of more than a decade vanished, and he himself might not be able to return.

As a strategist, Feng Kai was quite dedicated and conscientious.

But he was ultimately just a strategist with limited vision.

This Northern Expedition is no small matter; it will determine the future of the world.

If the Northern Army could not defeat the Wei Kingdom at its peak, then it would be even less likely to conquer the Central Plains and expel the barbarians...

Xie Yu and his nephew Xie Hui stared intently at Liu Daogui.

The generals in the hall also looked at Liu Daogui.

No one is a fool; Liu Daogui's every move is being watched by others.

It can be said that the Northern Expedition has now reached its most critical moment. Whether to consider the interests of the nation or the interests of the world depends on Liu Daogui's decision.

"This battle concerns the fate of China. There's no need to say more. Destiny lies between swords and spears. How can I retreat to the background?" Liu Daogui scanned the crowd.

The world has always been won on horseback; I've never heard of conquering the world through intrigue and trickery.

The Sima family gained control of the empire based on Sima Yi's invincible conquests in the south and north.

Especially in this era, the hilt of the sword is the hilt of power. To reach the pinnacle of power, one must be the most capable fighter!
"The general is wise!"

The generals were delighted.

Liu Daogui's choice of this path also meant his choice of them...

North of the Yellow River, Fangtou.

The sky was clear and the wind was strong, making the flag flutter loudly. The bright red "Liu" character embroidered on it seemed to come alive, swaying incessantly.

On the wooden platform beneath the banner, Liu Yu lay reclining on a soft couch, calmly gazing at the surging black tide from the north. Beside him, Liu Juanzi, her face full of worry, remained steadfastly by his side.

Three thousand Jin soldiers formed a crescent moon shape, with the river at both ends, using the riverbanks as the crescent's bow and one hundred and eight crossbow carts as the crescent's crossbow.

Each ballista was manned by seven armored soldiers armed with spears, totaling 756 men. Twenty shield bearers were stationed on each side of the ballista.

Within the formation, two thousand armored soldiers wielded powerful bows and crossbows.

Behind the formation, on the river, three tower ships and more than a hundred cargo ships were moored. The able-bodied men on the cargo ships continuously transported military supplies such as arrows, spears, swords and shields, dry rations, and water bags to the Crescent Moon Formation.

At this moment, the earth began to shake.

The black tide to the north accelerated, countless hooves trampling the ground. Under the autumn sun, the first thousand or so riders were all clad in iron armor, faintly gleaming with a cold light.

When the number of people exceeds ten thousand, there is no end in sight.

Now, a full 30,000 cavalrymen have arrived, and even the worst cavalrymen are wearing leather armor.

In the season of autumn when the horses are fat and strong, the cavalry of the Hu people are even more frightening, like wings hanging from the sky, boundless and limitless.

The Northern Army had gained considerable momentum in Guanzhong and was at its strongest, but the Wei cavalry was no less formidable. Having rested for months on the north bank, they were equally well-equipped. Amidst the earth-shaking tremors, Liu Yu calmly asked, "Who goes there?"

Ding Wu said, "It is Changsun Song, the Duke of Nanping Commandery of the Northern Wei Dynasty."

"I've never heard of this person before. How does he compare to Sun En, Huangfu Fu, and Huan Xuan?" Liu Yu said dismissively.

The guards around him burst into laughter, and the tension on the soldiers' faces instantly vanished.

Meng Longfu said, "How can he be compared to Lord Song?"

Liu Yu laughed and said, "In this battle, we must take this man's head!"

"Leader!"

As they spoke, the Wei army had already charged within a hundred paces.

thump—

A deep, resounding war drumbeat rang out, followed by a thousand crossbow bolts firing simultaneously into the Wei cavalry, immediately followed by the mournful cries of warhorses.

The first few dozen riders immediately fell.

However, the area north of Fangtou was vast, and the Wei army was extremely dispersed, with each rider spaced seven or eight paces apart, so the Beifu army's arrows had limited killing power.

However, the arrows continued to rain down on the Wei cavalry in a dense, relentless barrage.

Once within eighty paces, the crossbows began to unleash their power, sending long, spear-like arrows whistling as they pierced the enemy ranks, raising waves of blood.

Anyone struck by such a heavy arrow would be pinned to the ground along with their horse, dying a gruesome death.

Even so, the Wei cavalry surged forward like waves, determined to tear this Northern Army to pieces.

Eighty steps, fifty steps, thirty steps!

Just as they were about to collide with the ballista, with a "whoosh," more than a thousand spears shot out, dense as teeth, their cold light chilling.

The charging cavalrymen crashed into him, and both man and horse were caught on their spears.

"Shoot!" Meng Longfu and Ding Wu, who were at the front, roared in unison.

Arrows rained down again, and there was no need to aim; a single arrow could easily take down a Wei cavalryman.

The shape of the crescent formation maximized the exposure of the Wei cavalry to crossbow fire.

The corpses of men and horses quickly piled up into a wall of corpses, but the Wei army continued its frenzied assault.

"Whoever captures or kills Liu Yu will be granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households!"

"Kill one Northern Army soldier, and you'll receive one gold ingot and three female slaves!"

The Wei army shouted in various languages, including Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Han.

Changsun Song was also a veteran general who knew best what the soldiers wanted and the importance of this battle.

During the Yongjia Rebellion, the Tuoba tribe fought against Shi Le in Daibei for many years.

Under the leadership of Tuoba Gui, they became the overlords of the north, possessing many fearless warriors. Through the diligent governance of Tuoba Si, the Xianbei people were also experiencing a period of national prosperity.
The promise of a great reward will surely inspire brave men. Even with heavy casualties, some will still rush forward one after another, charging headlong into the spears and arrows of the Northern Army, letting the soldiers tear their bodies apart, all so that their comrades behind them can take another step forward.

Those who retreated were riddled with arrows by the supervising team.

"kill--"

The eyes of both the Wei and Beifu armies were bloodshot, making them look like ferocious beasts fighting for their lives.

But the Northern Army's Crescent Moon Formation was like an insurmountable chasm, and no amount of lives could fill it.

Arrows kept pouring into the formation.

Even if they rushed to the ballista, they would be knocked to the ground by the spears of the armored soldiers.

"Alas, with Murong Chui and Tuoba Gui dead, the Northern Kingdom is left without anyone. Changsun Song is nothing but a stupid slave." Liu Yu lazily closed his eyes, a hint of melancholy appearing on his face.

More than a decade ago, before Murong Chui died, he made a bold statement that he would go north to compete with Murong Chui.

But times have changed. Liu Yu has arrived, Murong Chui has been dead for many years, and even Tuoba Gui died young...

The war continues, but the outcome is no longer in doubt.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Li Ling led 5,000 infantrymen from Jingchu into the Junji Mountains in the northern desert. They were surrounded by 80,000 Xiongnu cavalry. Relying on bows, crossbows and chariots, they fought and retreated, killing more than 10,000 enemies. They were defeated only when they ran out of arrows and were betrayed by a traitor.

Another similar example is Ma Long during the Zhongchao period, who recruited 3,500 local militiamen, built a chariot based on the Eight Trigrams Formation, killed Tuoba Shujineng, and quelled the Qin-Liang Rebellion that had plagued the region for more than ten years.

From the Spring and Autumn Period to the Wei and Jin Dynasties, even when China was at its lowest point, the men of Han were never short of exceptionally talented individuals.

The Crescent Moon Formation, with its back to the river, seems to be a death trap, but because of the support of the navy, it can survive indefinitely.

As long as there are still crossbows and the chariot formation remains, they can keep pressing the Wei cavalry.

The soldiers were also quite adept at handling the situation. When the Wei army charged in large numbers, they fought together to defend against them. When they came in scattered, some of them sat down to rest while others continued to fire.

After more than two hours of fierce fighting, the Wei army suffered nearly 5,000 casualties, while the Beifu army suffered just over 100 casualties.

"Do you still want to fight? You really haven't given up." Liu Yu was half asleep.

The battlefield was littered with corpses, so many that even the Qi River was stained red.

Liu Juanzi glanced at him sideways. "Isn't this exactly what you wanted? With the world-renowned Lord Song here, how could the three thousand or so Hu people, who are inherently greedy, let such an opportunity slip by?"

"You understand me best, Uncle!" Liu Yu laughed, then suddenly closed his eyes and tilted his neck to the side.

"Ji Nu! Ji Nu!" Liu Juanzi exclaimed in alarm.

Only he knew that Liu Yu was already on his last legs and could pass away at any moment.

"Stop shaking me, I'm not dead yet, let me sleep for a while." Liu Yu pushed his hand away.

Wuwuwu——

After a brief rest, the Wei cavalry launched another attack.

But it's still the same old trick, just a different name, charging fiercely towards the Crescent Moon Formation.

Just as Liu Juanzi said, Changsun Song was unwilling to let this opportunity slip by. Liu Yu was too much of a bait, so much so that the Hu people were willing to pay any price and disregard casualties...

(End of this chapter)