Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 187 Crush
"Zhao Gou of Changshan is here!"

"Zhao Zilong of Changshan is here!"

"Zhang Wenyuan of Yanmen! He has been waiting for the enemy for a long time!"

Three clear, powerful shouts, brimming with murderous intent, were like three thunderclaps.

The Xifeng cavalry had just been badly attacked by the powerful bows and crossbows deployed by Zhao Gou. Due to the chaos caused by the casualties of the vanguard, they were forced to slow down and adjust, attempting to reorganize their mounted archery formation.

They were convinced that the Han army was merely relying on the terrain and the advantage of their bows and crossbows. They believed that as long as they withstood this attack, the bravery and speed of the grassland warriors would allow them to break through the obstacles and head straight for the wealthy heartland of Jinyang.

However, those three shouts, and the three iron cavalry that followed, completely shattered their illusions!
The Han army has entered the fray!
one side

Although Zhao Yun led a small force of elite cavalry from Zishi County, numbering only a little over a hundred, they were all veteran soldiers from the original cavalry battalion, well-equipped and experienced.

They followed the white horse without the slightest fluctuation in their hearts.

Zhao Yun took the lead, his white warhorse leaping into the air, transforming into a dazzling white lightning bolt.

The gleaming silver spear in his hand danced like a dragon in the twilight! His spear technique was exquisite, swift as lightning! Pointing, thrusting, parrying, sweeping!
Each flash of the spear tip was accompanied by a piercing scream!

He specifically targeted seemingly stable points in the Hu cavalry formation, his spear flashing like a dragon, aimed directly at the centurions, deputies, and other lower-ranking leaders! Wherever his silver spear passed, men and horses fell, and not a single general could withstand a single blow!
"Thud!" A centurion who was brandishing his scimitar and shouting orders had his throat pierced instantly, and blood spurted out like an arrow!

"Ouch!" A quartermaster who was about to shoot was swept away by the gun barrel, his sternum shattered, and he flew backward!

Zhao Yun's spear was accurate, efficient, and ruthless!
He was like the sharpest scalpel, precisely cutting through the command nerves of the steppe cavalry.

Wherever he went, the core of the Hu cavalry's formation instantly collapsed, and the grassroots command system was paralyzed!

More than a hundred cavalrymen followed closely behind, each one fierce and brave. With the help of their horses' speed, the iron lances in their hands easily pierced through the simple leather armor of the barbarian cavalrymen and through their flesh!
They surged forward like a torrent, fiercely carving into the enemy's flank, instantly tearing a huge gap in it, and continuing to advance deeper into the enemy lines!
the other side.

Almost at the same time as Zhao Yun launched his attack, Zhang Liao's elite cavalry also charged down like a pack of bloodthirsty tigers unleashed from their cages!

Zhang Liao's target was none other than the most conspicuous wolf-head banner of the Xifeng tribe, fluttering wildly in the wind, in the middle of the steppe cavalry!

"Kill—!" Zhang Liao's eyes were bloodshot, his fighting spirit boiling! The horse-slaying saber in his hand was thick and heavy, its blade gleaming with a cold, chilling light. He wielded it like a windmill!
He doesn't use any fancy moves; he relies solely on an overwhelming and unstoppable force and momentum!
Where the blade flashed, whether it was a curved sword attempting to block, flesh and blood, or even a horse's head, everything was severed in two! Shattered blades, severed limbs, broken saddles, splattered blood...

"Those who stand in my way shall die!" Zhang Liao roared like thunder!

Scalding blood splattered all over his head and face, but he was completely unaware, his eyes fixed only on the wolf-head banner that was getting closer and closer!

The cavalry behind him were also incredibly brave. They cooperated with Zhang Liao, forming a wedge formation that fiercely drove into the middle of the Hu cavalry, and were invincible!
The Hu cavalry that tried to stop them were like waves crashing against rocks, instantly shattered into pieces!

Seeing his comrades charging out from both sides, Zhao Gou smiled.

He brushed his palm across his forehead, lowered his armor, and steadily thrust his spear forward.

"Kill the enemy!"

"kill!"

The largest cavalry force entered the arena.

They attacked from the flank of the steppe cavalry.

The attack spread out from three sides in an instant, leaving the steppe cavalry completely bewildered and their formation almost nonexistent.

The military commanders and strategists on the main battle line naturally wouldn't let this golden opportunity slip by. They waved their command flags and directed their units to advance!
"All troops—! Charge!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The dull and shocking sound of war drums suddenly rang out, like a death knell tolling in the hearts of every barbarian cavalryman!

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The three thousand infantrymen of the Ranger Army, who had been poised to attack, roared with deafening fury!

"Longbowmen! Covering fire! Target: Wolf Banner!"

The crossbowmen and longbowmen, who had already adjusted their angles from a high vantage point, once again demonstrated the absolute superiority of Taiyuan's weaponry!
The improved war bow has a range far exceeding that of the Hu cavalry's horse bow!
With the command flag waved, another round of deadly arrows rained down, like a torrential downpour, with a piercing sound as they precisely covered the core area of ​​the Hu cavalry, which was in chaos due to the charge of the three cavalry groups!

"Thud thud thud thud...!" The rapid sounds of flesh being pierced were enough to send chills down your spine!
The arrow pierced through the leather robe and embedded itself deep in flesh! The warhorse neighed and rolled in agony, and the knight screamed as he fell to the ground!

This volley of arrows was even more deadly than before, because the targets were more concentrated and the Hu cavalry were more confused! The core fighting force of the Xifeng tribe fell like harvested wheat under the terrifying long-range firepower of the Youyi Army!

"Swordsmen and shieldmen! Spearmen! Charge!" The military commander drew his sword and led the charge!
"Hold on! Hold on!" a Hu cavalry commander shouted hoarsely, trying to organize a defensive line.

However, what awaited him was the orderly array of the roving soldiers, their spear tips gleaming with cold light! The swordsmen and shieldmen fiercely protected the flanks of the spearmen, using their sturdy iron-clad shields to withstand the sporadic attacks from the barbarian cavalry, while their sharp longswords pierced fiercely from the gaps in the shields!

puff!puff!
The spear pierced through the leather armor and into the bodies of the warhorse and the knight!
The blade flashed, severing a horse's hoof and splitting open its chest!

The infantry of the guerrilla army formed a tight formation, like a moving steel fortress, and advanced with unstoppable momentum!

Any scattered Hu cavalry that attempted to put up a fight were instantly crushed by this steel jungle!
"Hold on! Break through to the northwest! Sound the horn! Towards the northwest!" Xi Feng's eyes were bloodshot, and for the first time, panic appeared on his aged face!

The Han army is completely different now, utterly different. In the past, as long as they didn't harass the counties and prefectures, the Han army rarely confronted them head-on.

but now
He originally thought that the situation in the northern grasslands was a strategy of the Han army to divide and nibble away at the grassland people. Such a strategy also indicated that the Han army would not be too tough and would loosen its grip where necessary.

But now he seems to understand that this is not a conciliatory policy of the Han army, but more like a compromise that the Han army cannot spare the time for the time being!
He roared, trying to rally the remaining troops and break through to the relatively weak northwest direction.

However, it's too late!

Chaos, like a plague, has engulfed the entire team.

Fear overwhelmed greed, and the instinct for survival replaced the will to fight.

When they saw the elite cavalry on the east and west flanks slaughtering their comrades like cutting melons and vegetables, when they saw the Han infantry advancing like a moving city wall, and when they felt the precise and deadly rain of arrows falling from above at any moment, most of the Hu cavalry completely collapsed!
"Escape!"

"Gods, save me!"

"Get out of the way! Don't block the road!"

Cries, screams, and desperate curses replaced the battle cries.

The Hu cavalry no longer cared about formations or orders; they only wanted to escape!

They pushed and shoved each other, and even drew their knives against each other to fight for a way to escape!

Under the fierce protection of his personal guards, Xi Feng desperately rushed towards the northwest.

He witnessed a centurion who tried to stop the fleeing soldiers being hacked down by his own men.

He saw that the most valiant warriors of the tribe were now looking dazed, only concerned with galloping their horses.

Behind them, the wolf-head banner, a symbol of glory for the Xifeng tribe, fell.

He then heard a sound.

"The one who seized the flag! Zhang Wenyuan of Yanmen! Surrender and you will be spared!"

"Those who surrender will be spared!" A shout rang out from all around. "It's over...it's all over..." Xi Feng felt a chill in his heart; he knew the Xihe Grassland was finished.

It's not that the destruction of the Xihe Grassland was caused by the fall of his tribal warriors there, but rather that the Han army possessed both a policy of appeasement and the thunderous might of its iron cavalry.

Xihe Commandery was destined to remain Xihe Commandery under the Han army.

escape,

Run away!
We can't stay in Xihe any longer. Let's go to Shangjun or beyond the Great Wall!
That was the only thought left in his mind.

Just as Xi Feng was about to break through the encirclement, a cold gaze locked onto him!

It's Zhao Yun!
He had already noticed this group of relatively well-equipped Hu cavalry attempting to break through the encirclement.

Based on its location and previous intelligence, he immediately concluded that this was most likely Xi Feng himself!
"Generals! Follow me! Intercept that Hu chieftain's group!" Without hesitation, Zhao Yun spurred his horse and charged out like an arrow, precisely blocking the path of Xifeng's breakout!

"Old dog! Where do you think you're going!" Zhao Yun's lance moved like a venomous dragon emerging from its lair, swift as lightning!
One of the guards blocking the way had his throat pierced instantly! Dozens of cavalrymen behind him charged down like tigers descending a mountain, crashing into the remaining guards of Xi Feng!
The last few dozen loyal guards around Xi Feng were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, and were instantly overwhelmed in front of the Han army's well-rested and fresh troops!
Swords flashed and blood flew everywhere!
"Protect the leader!" A blood-soaked captain of the personal guards roared desperately as he lunged at Zhao Yun, trying to buy Xi Feng a chance to survive.

Zhao Yun's eyes were icy cold. With a flick of his wrist, the tip of his spear drew a strange arc, easily deflecting the opponent's curved blade. Then, he thrust forward, accurately piercing the opponent's heart!

The movements were clean and crisp, with a cold precision.

As Xi Feng watched the last barrier collapse and saw the young general's icy gaze, a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head!

He lashed his whip across his mount's rump, and the horse, in pain, charged forward with all its might!
Meanwhile, his two remaining personal guards, with a death wish, roared and charged toward Zhao Yun, trying to buy their leader a chance to survive with their own lives.

Zhao Yun wielded his spear with a flurry of left and right movements, like a butterfly flitting among flowers. Two valiant guards almost simultaneously clutched their throats and fell from their horses!

But this momentary obstruction allowed Xifeng's warhorse to charge forward a few steps!

Zhao Yun did not pursue, but instead swiftly drew his powerful bow from beside his saddle, nocked an arrow, and executed the movement in one fluid motion! The bow was fully drawn, and the arrow flew like a shooting star!
"Go!" came a cold shout.

"Thud!" The sharp, armor-piercing arrow, accompanied by a shrill whistle, pierced deeply into Xi Feng's back!

The immense force nearly sent him flying!
"Ugh—!" Xi Feng let out a shrill scream as excruciating pain overwhelmed him, and everything went black before his eyes.

"My lord's territory is not a place you can come and go as you please!"

Zhao Yun put away his bow and returned it to his saddle, his spear reappearing and pointing directly at the spot where Xi Feng had fallen from his horse.

"The one who slays the general! Zhao Zilong of Changshan!"

"color!"

The last rays of the setting sun sank completely into the vast shadow of the Lüliang Mountains, and darkness began to envelop the earth.

On the battlefield, countless burning torches were lit, illuminating this carnage as if it were daytime.

The clamor of battle gradually subsided, replaced by the cries of the wounded, the shouts of the victors, and the restless neighing of warhorses.

The air was thick with the pungent stench of blood and the putrid smell of ruptured entrails.

Everywhere you look, there are corpses strewn across the fields.

Broken flags, broken weapons, dead warhorses, and mutilated corpses... covered the fields outside Daling City.

Of the two thousand elite cavalrymen of Xifeng, almost the entire army was wiped out, except for a very few who managed to escape!
The Youyi Army also suffered casualties, but compared to the brilliant results achieved, the cost was negligible.

With their well-organized formations, superior equipment, and high morale, they fought a near-perfect annihilation battle!
Zhang Liao, carrying a blunted sword and a rolled-up banner, rode up to Zhao Yun's side.

He spat fiercely at the head hanging beside Zhao Yun's saddle.

"Bah! We haven't even thought about going to Xihe County to find you, and you dare to come looking for us first! You're courting death!"

Zhao Yun chuckled as he directed his cavalry to gather the captives from the grasslands.

"He thought that the old guys from the Wang family were in charge, and that everything would be fine as long as they didn't raid the county town."

Zhao Gou also rode over from a distance and happened to hear those words.

"If it weren't for our lord's unwillingness to let the people of Taiyuan bear more burdens, how could he have even been allowed to enter the country!"

"Hahaha." Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao laughed.

"That's the truth."

"Dog, you really deserve the credit this time! If it weren't for your decisive interception outside the city, it would have taken us a lot of effort to catch up with them. You have to treat us to some drinks!"

Zhang Liao bumped Zhao Gou with his shoulder.

The latter patted his chest and said, "No problem! Once the defenses of the three counties are complete, I'll personally come to have a drink with you!"

"Alright, I'll be waiting."

Zhang Liao chuckled.

Zhao Yun was also having a good time.

They both gained a lot: one killed a general, and the other captured a flag. Although such achievements were not considered great after becoming generals, such experiences were what generals pursued.

The three looked at each other, and their tired faces broke into cheerful and confident smiles.

This battle not only defeated an invading enemy, but also proved the success of our lord's military training!

"Clean up the battlefield! Treat the wounded! Take stock of the spoils! Collect the remains of our fallen comrades!" Zhao Gou's voice rang out again, regaining the composure of a general.

"Strengthen vigilance and guard against routed troops or subsequent enemy forces! The flames of war continue. Send another urgent report to Jinyang: More than two thousand enemy troops from Xifeng County who were raiding the border have been defeated by our three divisions of the Youyi Army outside Daling City. Countless have been beheaded or captured. The defense line of the three counties is as solid as a rock!"

The order was passed down quickly.

The joy of victory spread among the soldiers, but no one slackened.

The firelight illuminated the tired yet resolute faces of the young soldiers as they quickly threw themselves into post-battle work.

After recording the spoils of war at the military court in Daling County, Zhang Liao and Zhao Yun led their men back to their respective garrison towns.

The destruction of the Xifeng tribe does not mean the recovery of Xihe County. Within the vast Xihe County, there are still countless uncivilized nomadic tribes from the grasslands!

Let them wait!

　I've had injections for three days, so my updates might be a bit slower these next few days.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)