Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 41 Shi Pu
Zhao Huaian, who had long admired the warrior, heard the cheers from the other side and quickly asked Zhou Dexing in front:
"Old Zhou, who is that Red Cloak Cavalry General from the Yanhai Army?"

Zhou Dexing had a complicated expression on his face. He looked at the Yanhai cavalry generals charging forward like fireworks and shouted to Zhao Huaian behind him:
"That was Shi Pu, a member of the Xuzhou Ganhua Army. He was nicknamed 'The Life-Crushing Man' by the soldiers because he charged into battle without fear of death."

Zhao Huaian understood, because his subordinate Zhou Dexing was from the Yanhai Army, so Zhao Huaian was quite familiar with this vassal state.

Knowing that their main jurisdiction was in the Yanzhou and Haizhou areas, and that they had always been closely connected with the nearby Xuzhou Ganhua Army, when they arrived in Xichuan, the two armies were always merged into one.

Hearing that Pu was a hero of the Xuzhou Reform Army at that time, he could not help but admire him:

"Qingxu has been full of heroes since ancient times, and it is indeed so."

Now, Zhou Dexing felt even more embarrassed, but he had nothing to say as he looked at Shi Pu charging into battle.

But Zhao Huaian's sigh seemed to be raising a flag. When he looked up at Na Pu again, the situation on the battlefield had changed again.

……

More than ten elite cavalrymen, led by Shi Pu, were as fast as dragons, preparing to charge into the enemy formation on the riverbank along the original route.

They chose a very good time, as the Nanzhao army's Wangjuzi hit the Tutuan defense line and was disconnected from the rear.

They entered from the left and quickly disappeared from Zhao Huaian's sight.

Hearing the deafening shouts from the front, Zhao Huaian couldn't help but draw his sword to cheer for Shi Pu.

He found that he kind of liked this adrenaline rush.

But suddenly, the neighing of war horses came from the battle group in front, and then Zhao Huaian saw Shi Pu rushing to the right alone in a panic.

At this moment, Shi Pu no longer had the same high spirits as before. Listening to the wailing in the battle formation, he wrapped himself in a cloak and fled to his main camp.

Behind them, a group of Nanzhao Wangzhuzi rushed up. They looked at Shi Pu who was fleeing in a panic, raising their swords and spears and cheering.

Before Zhao Huaian could react, he saw the Nanzhao soldiers on the front line holding the heads of the Ganhua Army knights, slapping their swords and shouting.

This, this, this?
Did Pu fail like this at that time?

Zhao Huaian watched Shi Pu, who escaped alone, disappear into the battle formation of the Yanhai Army next door, and all his previous respect for him disappeared!
……

Since the two armies waved their flags and sounded their drums and went out to fight, the battle line along the twelve-mile-wide Baizhu River became a massacre.

I saw countless guns and swords coming over, and neither side had any tricks, they just kept stabbing and stabbing forward.

Some warriors rushed out of a small gap with shields in hand, but the next second, countless spears and halberds came at them and stabbed them into pieces.

Both sides were shouting and cursing on the front line, using the most unpleasant words to vent their fear and murderous intent.

People kept falling down, and kept jumping up again by stepping on the riverbed.

Some were simply pushed down by those behind them, only to be followed by several pairs of large feet stepping on them, spears and swords stabbing them, causing them to wail incessantly. Some were even still standing, their urine still dripping down their thighs.

There was blood and wailing everywhere, and the smell of feces and urine mixed with blood filled the entire front line.

This was the front line of the battlefield in front of Zhao Huaian, where the Tang army's militiamen were stabbing the Nanzhao army on the opposite side like crazy. It was at this time that Shi Pu, with more than ten knights of the Ganhua Army, came to attack again.

Behind him, hundreds of people shouted "It's Tokisaburo, the man who brought us our destiny!", "It's Tokisaburo, the man who brought us our destiny!"

The local rioters, whose spirits were already on the verge of collapse, burst into tears upon hearing this cry:
"Sanlang save me!"

"Sanlang save me!"

Witnessed by countless people, Shi Pu in a red cloak penetrated into the formation of Wang Zhuzi of Nanzhao, and cut off heads with the lance in his hand.

Because Shi Pu chose a very good time, they were able to walk freely on the riverbank with their lances.

Seeing that the so-called elite Nanzhao "Wangzhuzi" was about to be defeated on the shore, suddenly there was a golden sound, and the archers who had been hiding in the battle group rushed out.

In an instant, the Reform Army Cavalry suffered a devastating blow, and seven or eight knights fell off their horses.

But they did not die at that time. The iron armor on their bodies provided them with good protection, but the horses under their crotch fell under the rain of arrows.

Because Shi Pu rushed forward quickly, he was not covered by the rain of arrows. He turned around and saw a group of people lying behind him. Those fallen knights of the Reformation Army were shouting his name.

But the next moment, Shi Pu leaned tightly against his warhorse, and ran forward without looking back, then rushed out of the river beach before the Nanzhao army closed its front line.

Then, the thirteen knights of the Reformation Army who were trapped on the riverbank had their heads cut off, their clothes and armor stripped off, and they were thrown into the river.

When the militiamen who had fought to the edge saw that all the friendly knights who rushed in had their heads chopped off, their morale collapsed immediately.

The local militias fled to the rear crying. Even though the Yanhai Army sent a group of law enforcement officers to supervise the battle, the defeat was difficult to reverse.

Zhao Huaian was on the fourth front. At this time, the first line of defense of the river had collapsed, and the chaos quickly spread to the second front.

Logically speaking, the militia's battle line is neat, with bows, crossbows, shields, infantry and spears in hand, so the battle line should be stable.

But those Nanzhao "Wangzhuzi" who were charging in armor, wrapped in the defeated local soldiers, rushed into the battle line and were killed before they could even use their bows and crossbows.

At this moment, Zhao Huaian was deeply impressed by the ferocity of Nanzhao's "Wangzhuzi".

The Tutuan front collapsed so badly that the 500 Yanhai troops, who were only supervising the battle, finally couldn't sit still anymore. If they didn't attack, the chaos would soon spread to their main camp. So, with the sound of horns, the Yanhai troops in khaki uniforms rushed forward.

As a well-versed and combat-ready vassal army, the 500 Yanhai troops were organized into ten battle groups.

When the defeated Tuan and Nanzhao soldiers approached within 150 steps, 500 Yanhai troops raised their bows and crossbows and fired densely into the air at an angle.

But the majority of those who were shot dead were local militiamen. Under the cover of these human targets, the Nanzhao soldiers quickly ran to a position fifty steps away.

At this time, the Yanhai Army waved its flags again. The Yanhai Army soldiers who had previously held bows and crossbows dropped their bows and crossbows, took out longbows from behind, and loaded them with armor-piercing arrows.

Five hundred arrows were shot out in an instant, and Nanzhao's "Wangzhuzi" fell to the ground one after another at the fifty steps away.

The rhinoceros leather armor on their bodies could not stop the sharp armor-piercing arrows. The armored soldiers in front fell one after another, and the corpses soon piled up.

At this time, the Nanzhao archers who fell behind also rushed up, and while running, they shot out the arrows in their hands.

But among the 500 Yanhai troops, 60% were wearing iron armor. They stood at the front of their respective regiments, carrying arrows on their bodies.

Even though their comrades kept falling around them, the remaining Yanhai Army still calmly shot their bows and arrows.

After two rounds of arrows, Nanzhao's "Wangzhuzi" finally reached a position of twenty steps.

At this time, the armored soldiers at the forefront of the Yanhai Army were the jumping teams of their respective teams. After the archers in the rear threw away their bows and arrows, raised their swords and sticks and joined the battle, they began to fight forward.

The Yanhai Army marched in neat steps and collided with the Nanzhao Army in front. The two sides fought for their lives directly on the third front.

Zhao Huaian was dazzled watching from behind. This was the first time he saw a tactical battle with military formations.

Facing the fierce Nanzhao soldiers, the Yanhai army was too calm. Everything was done according to the manual. They were calm and composed, and had rich tactical experience.

Is this the Tang Dynasty’s vassal army?

It is said that the Yanhai Army is not the strongest. The Zhongwu Army where Lao Li and his men are has always been the best among all the armies. Now that the Yanhai Army is so powerful, then the Zhongwu Army must be so powerful, right?

No wonder Lao Li and his friends look so proud.

……

With the addition of 500 Yanhai troops, the situation on the western battlefield quickly stabilized. At the same time, the Baoyi Army and Muyi Army on the eastern front also gained a firm foothold on the opposite bank.

They formed large formations on the riverbank on the south bank and were fiercely resisting the counterattack of the Nanzhao army.

The situation seems to be developing in favor of the Tang army.

Zhao Huaian couldn't see that much. He only saw that the Nanzhao army on the opposite side was increasing in number. Because there were no more local militia guarding the river channel on the west side, the Nanzhao army on the opposite bank was continuously sending troops.

In just a short while, Zhao Huaian had seen four or five flags with different military numbers appear on the opposite side. Even though he had no experience in major battles, he could guess that the situation was not good.

He turned around and asked Chen Fahai, but saw that this former general of the Shen Ce Army was frowning and looking at the west side of the battlefield.

Zhao Huaian looked in that direction, but found nothing, so he asked:

"Old Chen, what are you looking at?"

Chen Fahai was holding a flagpole at this time, and a flag guard next to him was carrying a red flag. He was standing under the red flag with a frown on his face.

Hearing that the following questions would be asked, Chen Fahai quickly turned around and replied:

"All commanders, we are worried about the enemy appearing in the west."

Zhao Huaian bit his lip and thought for a moment, then shook his head:

"Don't think too much about it. Do you think the Yanhai Army can still hold on?"

Before Chen Fahai could speak, Lu Zhongyuan, standing under the black wolf-shaped banner, spoke. The first thing he said was:
"It will all be, we need to make plans early!"

Zhao Huaian was stunned for a moment, then realized that Lu Zhongyuan was trying to hint to him to run away.

This is fucking stupid! Before the leader even said he wanted to run away, this soldier wanted to slip away.

Ignoring Lu Zhongyuan, Zhao Huaian asked Zhou Dexing who was standing under the green bear flag. He was from the old Yanhai Army, so what he said was of reference value.

Zhou Dexing glanced at the Yanhai Army in front of him and saw that the third echelon that had been kept as a reserve had already made up for it. His face was also not good. He looked at Zhao Haian and clasped his fists:

"The Yanhai Army is about to be overwhelmed. Although they are powerful, they are too few in number. The real key to this battle lies in the Dongchuan Army. They have as many as 8,000 troops, deployed on the left side of the Yanhai Army. If they send troops to support them, this battle can still be won."

But when Zhao Huaian heard this, he knew that he was doomed.

If we can rely on Master Yan, it would be better to rely on a sow to climb a tree.

At this moment, a knight suddenly ran out from behind the Yanhai Army and rushed towards the fourth formation where Zhao Huaian and his men were.

Over here, Guo Congyun, who was also riding a horse, squinted his eyes and saw it, and said:
"The Yanhai Army wants us to take over!"

Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, the knight didn't go to other formations at all, but ran straight towards Zhao Huaian.

(End of this chapter)