The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 79 Formation (Thanks to "aa小舞小舞" for the generous donation)

November 17th, Liuzibei.

The terrain in this area is open with gentle slopes, which is conducive to the deployment of a large army, but snow holes and snow-covered tree branches can also easily trip horses.

Before dawn, the vanguard had arrived, familiarized themselves with the terrain, and set up the battlefield. The 20th Battalion was among them, including more than 200 men brought by Chen Guanghui.

Guo Chongwei's "Vanguard Commander" banner was erected on a small mound, while Chen Guanghui and Xiao Yi's two command flags were erected together on the gentle slope to the west of the mound.

Xiao Yi stopped his horse and urged the soldiers to use rams to drive sharpened wooden stakes into the frozen ground and tie trip ropes between the stakes.

"The permafrost is hard, so everyone needs to put in extra effort!"

"Make sure the tripwires are secure and don't fail. Bury two more on the west side..."

As the sunlight shone on the battlefield, the Southern cavalry spotted them, whistling as they rushed over to harass them.

Xiao Yi led his cavalry to drive them away with arrows.

The two sides fired several volleys of arrows from a great distance, hurling insults at each other. After a brief exchange, footsteps came from the north, the ground trembled slightly, and they both withdrew.

Looking back, the eight hundred crossbowmen who were to cooperate with the vanguard had arrived and formed two ranks. Each rank had one hundred crossbows, operated by three people: one to hold the crossbow, one to load the arrow, and one to aim. After the first rank finished firing, the second rank would retreat to load the arrow, and the third rank would fill in. Another two hundred men, armed with longbows, stood upright behind them to provide support.

Tensions.

In this way, the vanguard can establish a foothold, and if the Southern army attacks, the cavalry and crossbowmen can support each other.

They were somewhat passive, but their strategy was to avoid launching the first attack.

Guo Wei has issued an order: "This battle is solely for purging the court of treacherous officials and eliminating corrupt ministers. How dare we defy the Emperor? All troops must hold their positions and not engage in battle without orders!"

This order, tactically, avoided the real issue and politically deflected the accusation of provoking the emperor.

Xiao Yi knew there was another sentence that followed—"Wait until they disperse and launch a multi-pronged attack, then we can defeat them!"

Next, we just wait.

He dismounted and stood with his horse in his hand.

The soldiers behind them did the same, with ten riders in each row, five steps apart, forming a long square formation of forty-six riders.

To their left were two rows of barricades and archers; to their right, Chen Guanghui’s two hundred cavalrymen were about ten paces away, positioned on the outer edge of the battlefield.

"Commander Chen, you're going a bit too far."

Chen Guanghui remained silent, his hand on his sword, while several of his unruly soldiers sneered.

"A mere cowardly soldier from a prefecture, don't delay our chance to make a name for ourselves."

"Only half the city's population, huddled next to the archers, it's hilarious..."

The cold wind stung my face like needles, and the warhorses snorted, their breath turning into white mist.

As the earth trembled, he looked back and saw Guo Wei's banner appear on the highest ridge in the north of Liuzibei, about two or three miles away.

The main banner points diagonally forward, signaling the entire army to advance; raising it straight up to the sky signifies establishing the center of the formation; gently swaying it three times to the left and right commands the flanks to adjust their spacing.

The Northern Army's formation resembled a colossal beast awakening, slowly stretching out. The four directional flags—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—swayed, and troops moved accordingly.

Xiao Yi stared intently, comparing the map with the one he had seen in the main tent the previous night.

He could only see the nearby square formations: shield bearers clad in iron armor, holding six-foot-high, three-foot-wide shields to form a shield wall, behind which were crossbowmen; spearmen with spears as white as snow; assault infantry clad in heavy armor, wielding broadswords and large shields; and thousands of longbowmen, their bows pointing straight to the sky.

The right flank consisted of five thousand cavalry and infantry mixed together, arranged in a goose-wing formation, with swordsmen and shield bearers in front and cavalry behind, ten riders per unit, spaced five paces apart, spread out like goose wings; the left flank was too far away for him to see.

This is a formation with a solid core and flexible wings.

It took more than an hour for the formation of tens of thousands of people to stretch out, with no end in sight in the east and north directions.

Looking back, Hua Nong kept rubbing her hands while holding the command flag, Lao Pan was wrapped in a sheepskin blanket to conserve his energy, Guo Xin looked around excitedly, Tang Jin stood to the side seemingly protecting Guo Xin, Zhang Mantun was asleep standing up, Lü You looked at the Southern army with a worried expression, Fan Si was adjusting his bowstring, and Wei Liang secretly took a sip from his wine flask...

Seeing that the new recruit Jin Sanshui was trembling with nervousness, Xiao Yi went over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Relax."

"Commander, I'm freezing. If I make it back alive, I'll definitely drink three big bowls of hot mutton soup."

"Okay, I'll buy you a drink."

The combined breaths of tens of thousands of people created a heavy, oppressive atmosphere that extinguished any desire to speak.

The warhorses pawed restlessly, their breath forming a continuous white cloud, and their armor plates clattered together in a continuous sound.

The wind blowing from the north carried the scents of leather, rust, body odor, and the lingering stench of blood from weapons.

The wind direction suddenly changed.

The snowflakes finally stopped falling in my face.

Turning our gaze back to the front, we saw that the drums in the Qilidian camp had been beating for a while.

Murong Yanchao's banner leaned forward, and his troops rolled in like a flowing river, pressing all the way to the foot of the mountain ridge, forming a wedge formation, with the banner standing upright at the tip of the formation.

Xiao Yi counted ten command flags, each corresponding to five hundred men, all cavalry. The most elite among them were the Shatuo light cavalry, dressed in dark leather armor. Even from a distance, their arrogance could be felt.

To its southeast, on the red hill, a few black dots first appeared, and soon they merged into a whole.

The large square formation of the Southern Army slowly approached.

As they drew nearer, it became clear that they were divided into many large formations, each with twelve command flags and six thousand men, arranged in three groups: spearmen, swordsmen and shieldmen, and archers and crossbowmen. Passages were left between the formations, allowing a messenger to ride through on horseback.

Murong Yanchao deployed a very sharp offensive formation, like an arrow ready to be shot at any moment, or a falcon; Hou Yi and his generals deployed a general formation that "emphasizes defense and neglects mobility".

Even Xiao Yi could see a clear sense of disconnect.

He personally scouted the enemy camp and learned that the Imperial Guards were arrogant and the local garrison troops lacked fighting spirit.

Thus, after careful observation, he noticed that although the Southern Army's formation was vast and its armor was gleaming, its banners were numerous and its commands were inconsistent. The transmission of signals between different armies and garrisons was slow. In particular, compared with the Northern Army, which had been tempered by long-term battles with the Khitan, it was obviously loose.

Therefore, the key to this battle lies in breaking the already fragile coordination of the Southern army.

This means luring Murong Yanchao out of battle, separating him from the rear guard, and then defeating him piecemeal.

After a long period of troop deployment, the two sides finally drew closer.

Separated, facing each other.

A prolonged standoff ensued.

The sun slowly moved westward, but there was no warmth whatsoever.

Xiao Yi could see the crossbowmen in the adjacent formation removing the teeth used to cock their crossbows and warming them with their breath.

He also checked his equipment. The bowstring was wrapped in oilcloth, the saddle was frozen like a wooden board, and the red tassel of the spear was stiff. When tapped, ice crystals fell off.

At noon, the cooks came over with hot soup and flatbread.

Xiao Yi and his comrades ate hastily, but felt that their mouths were not very flavorful. They thought it would be better to have a proper meal after the battle.

But he couldn't help worrying that this bowl of hot soup might be the last for his soldiers.

"Jin Sanshui, do you still want some?"

"Commander, don't let him drink anymore, or he'll pee if a fight breaks out..."

Suddenly, cheers erupted from the Southern army in the distance.

"Long live! Long live!"

Xiao Yi looked up and gazed across the vast array of the Southern Army. The Taichang Banner pierced through the gray mist, and on its surface, the gilded sun, moon and stars seemed to reflect the faint sunlight.

It's the Emperor's entourage; Liu Chengyou has come to reward the troops.

The morale of the Southern Army soared, and Murong Yanchao's vanguard became noticeably restless.

A deafening chorus of curses erupted from thousands of people.

"You traitors from the Northern Army! Once the rebellion is quelled, your heads will be hung on the walls of Kaifeng!"

"..." On the Northern Army's side, the atmosphere was noticeably more subdued.

Only then did the little monkey realize what had happened and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, we're rebels after all!"

"Haha, you just realized that?"

"It doesn't matter, as long as the salary is real."

"Look how happy those dogs are, they're probably about to come and kill us."

"Hurry up and come; it's better to die in battle than to freeze to death."

Xiao Yi stuffed the last bite of the flatbread into his mouth, finished the hot soup, and prepared for battle.

Unfortunately, the atmosphere remained oppressive, and no bugle calls or war drums of the Southern army could be heard. The emperor's encouragement of the troops did not inspire Hou Yi and other generals to charge into battle.

Xiao Yi thought to himself, the scales of victory are beginning to tip north.

The standoff continued.

Time seemed to freeze.

Only the sun was still slowly setting in the west.

The glare from the snow obstructed visibility, so both sides adjusted their formations slightly to avoid blind spots, but did not engage in battle.

"Let's sing," Hua Nong suggested.

"Sing it."

"The cold armor is soaked by the frosty moon, and the smoke of war rolls across the snow-covered homeland..."

The forty-odd people in the 20th Battalion gradually started singing. At first, the voices were very soft, but gradually the singing became louder and louder.

Laughter came from the side, but everyone's spirits were lifted.

Xiao Yi suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves behind him. He turned around and saw a messenger galloping towards him, holding the central command flag.

"Pass on the order—"

"Order the 20th commander of the left wing of the cavalry to immediately move the entire army to Qinglinggang on the west side and occupy the head of the ridge."

"Understood!" Chen Guanghui shouted immediately, "Brothers, mount your horses and follow me!"

"Here!"

The soldiers responded in unison.

Guo Xin was overjoyed and shouted, "After waiting all day, the war has finally begun!"

Xiao Yi mounted his horse and looked back, only to find that the vanguard's flag was not waving.

According to convention, troop movements should be relayed from the central command to the vanguard commander Guo Chongwei, and then passed down through the ranks to the main command. Furthermore, flag signals should be used first, followed by verbal communication from messengers; this situation should not occur.

He then asked the messenger, "Who gave the order?"

"Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Central Army."

“Commander,” Hua Nong suddenly pointed and said, “There are flag signals.”

Xiao Yi turned around and saw Guo Chongwei signaling with flags. A yellow command flag was placed over a black directional flag and moved horizontally, indicating that the twentieth commander should hold the main position.

The team immediately stirred, wondering why there were two completely different orders.

Xiao Yi had assumed that the Southern Army's command was in disarray, but he never expected that the Northern Army would be the first to experience this situation.

"what happened?"

The messenger then clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "This is a secret order from the central army. The vanguard commander is unaware of it. A small group of enemy troops has bypassed the west side of Qinglinggang and is trying to launch a surprise attack on our rear. You cavalry must immediately go and intercept them."

Xiao Yi felt something was amiss. If cavalry needed to be deployed to defend Qinglinggang, troops could have been transferred from the central army or the right flank. Why was Wang Jun secretly withdrawing troops without Guo Chongwei's knowledge?
He then asked, "We are under General Guo's orders to provide support and protection for the archers. How can we leave without permission? We are right in front of the battle lines. Won't we be discovered by the enemy?"

The messenger rode forward and whispered, "I have military orders for the two commanders. Please take a look."

Xiao Yi and Chen Guanghui went over and saw that the military order only had four words: "Protect Sanlang". The two looked at each other and understood.

Xiao Yi could understand that Wang Jun wanted to protect Guo Xin, but he thought it was inappropriate to bypass the vanguard and give orders directly, as it would cause trouble. He looked again in the direction of the vanguard's banner.

He was vaguely worried about Guo Chongwei, and therefore did not want to leave with Chen Guanghui.

Guo Chongwei was a man of few words, but he was strict in disciplining his troops and capable of fighting tough battles, which was admirable. Guo Chongwei also remembered Guo Chongwei's kindness and support.

Knowing his intentions, Chen Guanghui said, "I cannot disobey the Deputy Commander's orders, so let's split the troops into two groups."

"it is good."

"Brothers who wish to follow me in my deeds, come with me!"

Naturally, the 20th Battalion split up again.

"Sanlang, this standoff is getting boring. How about we fight the enemy together?"

“I don’t want to listen to Wang Jun’s orders or bother him.”

Xiao Yi knew Guo Xin too well, so he deliberately said, "You can stay here; it's safer here."

Chen Guanghui said, "I think you're afraid that I'll get close to Sanlang."

As he spoke, he gestured to his two men, who then took Guo Xin's reins and led him away.

Guo Xin shouted, "Stop trying to curry favor with your grandfather! I won't even give you a second thought if you're fighting alongside me."

Tang Jin rode up and followed.

The soldiers shouted, "Let's go and make a name for ourselves!"

More than two hundred riders quickly galloped westward.

Xiao Yi immediately ordered, "Hua Nong, signal with flags to General Guo."

At this moment, Liu Tingrang had already galloped over on horseback and asked, "What is it?! Why did the 20th Battalion leave the battle formation without permission?!"

"They were ordered by the central army to go to Qinglinggang to block the enemy."

"Wang Chenghui's troops are already at Qinglinggang; why would we need reinforcements?"

"The order was given by Wang Jun bypassing General Guo. You should inform General Guo of this matter as soon as possible..."

Sudden.

"Woo——"

The sound of bugles shattered the oppressive atmosphere of the battlefield standoff.

The rapid drumming made the earth tremble.

Xiao Yi looked back and saw that Murong Yanchao's banner was moving and tilting to the north.

He suddenly realized that Wang Jun not only wanted to protect Guo Xin, but also wanted to deliberately create a loophole to lure Murong Yanchao into taking the initiative.

And this weakness is Guo Chongwei, with whom he clashed with yesterday, who is at the forefront.

What are Guo Wei's intentions? He has pacified the three towns without committing any offenses, and since setting up the battle formation last night, why has he allowed Wang Jun to arrange everything?

Regardless, the eight hundred archers beside him had become bait; he and the remaining forty-three men were also pawns who could be sacrificed at any time.

The anger burned fiercely, yet the wind and snow seemed even colder.

Xiao Yi gripped the spear tightly in his hand.

At this moment, only a battle, only a resounding victory, will give us the right to talk about anything else.

His anger turned into murderous intent.

(End of this chapter)