"Liang Xiao has fallen into the trap!"
Upon receiving the news, the Left Virtuous King cried out in ecstasy and immediately ordered: "The entire army is to advance and return to our main camp, catching Yan Zhou completely off guard!!"
The barbarian cavalrymen, unable to hide their excitement and bloodlust, erupted in cheers and roars throughout the camp.
The Left Virtuous King left only the supply troops to slowly withdraw from the camp. The twelve thousand strong barbarian cavalry marched out in full force, splitting into two columns. One column headed east to support the defenders, while the other advanced southeast, aiming to cut off the Great Qian cavalry's retreat.
In the barbarian garrison camp, the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow made its debut, catching the barbarians by surprise!
This crossbow was replicated by Liang Xiao based on historical records and modern principles before his descent into Jiangnan. Although its range was short, its volume of fire was immense. Ten crossbow bolts fired simultaneously could inflict several times the threat of ordinary crossbows at close range! 138 Reading Network
Three thousand white-robed soldiers fired their repeating crossbows first, unleashing nearly thirty thousand arrows in a dense barrage from all directions, akin to thirty thousand men firing arrows simultaneously!
In an instant, the vanguard of the barbarian cavalry, caught completely unprepared, was riddled with arrows and fell, screaming.
After suffering heavy casualties, the barbarians finally understood: the Great Qian cavalry they now faced was far superior to before, both in fighting spirit and military equipment!
Even if a small number of Great Qian cavalry were unfortunate enough to be hit and fall, they would still endure the pain, and before their lives ended, they would grin menacingly and shoot their crossbow bolts at the barbarians. Seeing an enemy killed, they would close their eyes in satisfaction, as if their wish was fulfilled, and fall into eternal sleep.
This was a Great Qian cavalry that absolutely could not be defeated in a one-on-one battle!
The barbarians' realization came too late.
After firing their repeating crossbows, the three thousand white-robed soldiers quickly retracted them, drew their swords and spears, and charged into the enemy's main formation.
The white-robed soldiers arriving from the rear followed suit, pulling the triggers of the Zhuge Repeating Crossbows and concentrating their fire on the densely packed enemy positions, coordinating with the organized arrow volleys from the rear friendly forces.
In an instant, the barbarians suffered thousands of casualties, their formation thrown into chaos!
Lu Changhe and Zhuo Ying were responsible for leading the charge. Nan Jiyun, Nie Yuan, and Yue Qingtian each rode their fine steeds, aiming directly for the enemy generals.
Within three rounds, two barbarian generals were respectively impaled and killed by Nan Jiyun and Nie Yuan, their horses falling beneath them. Yue Qingtian, with a single saber strike, decapitated a white-armored barbarian general!
The generals' bravery and their leading from the front greatly inspired the Great Qian cavalry, their war cries shaking the heavens.
Amidst the clash and exchange, the barbarians suffered countless casualties!
When cavalry fought cavalry, the barbarians finally discovered how robust the armor of the Great Qian soldiers and their horses were, far superior to their own leather armor. Their weapons were also incredibly powerful "bin tie" (a type of steel) weapons!
Moreover, as they were defending the city, the barbarian cavalry, who were typically faster than ordinary Great Qian cavalry, lost their mobility advantage. Under the steel sabers and spears of the thirty thousand cavalry, they appeared as fragile as paper.
Faced with the surprise attack of six thousand Zhuge Repeating Crossbows, the encirclement by thirty thousand cavalry, and the path cleared by the white-robed soldiers, the barbarians finally broke and fled in disarray, their cries of despair echoing through the air like startled birds.
The Great Qian cavalry were unwilling to let them escape easily and pursued them relentlessly.
For ten miles across the yellow sand, the ground was stained with blood, and the desolate wind carried the mournful cries of the barbarians!
"General! The barbarian main force is approaching!"
Upon receiving the news, Lu Changhe made a decisive call and rallied his generals: "Retrieve the warhorses, burn the camp, and return to Yan Zhou!"
...
At some point, the moon in the sky had hidden itself behind the clouds, as if lamenting the dimming of the light.
North of Yan Zhou city, ninety thousand infantry soldiers had already formed their ranks.
The cold wind carried the clang of metal, and cold light glinted on their armor!
The colder the weather, the fiercer the soldiers' fighting spirit became. They gripped their weapons tightly, gritted their teeth, and warmed up in place.
Liang Xiao sat on the city wall, resting his eyes and calculating the time.
"They should be returning. Mu Hong, Liang Zhan, Liu Fan, lead the generals to wait. It's time for the decisive battle."
Mu Hong and the others by Liang Xiao's side received the order and went to lead their troops.
Mu Hong was particularly excited.
Liang Xiao had made promises to him and Gu Shaoyan half a year ago, and he had not broken his word, creating an environment for him to earn merits!
Concurrently, in the northern stable of the camp, only a hundred shadow guards were on duty.
In the stable, there were only Hong Xiu and Bai Ye Feiying, one man and one horse.
"Feiying, oh Feiying, destiny has returned..."
Hong Xiu simply stroked Bai Ye Feiying's neck, speaking softly.
Bai Ye Feiying raised its head, and a thunderous neigh echoed through the stable.
The Left Virtuous King's barbarian cavalry, after an urgent march, had reached seven miles west of the camp. Suddenly, they saw distant flames, far more intense than before!
"Report! Our reserve troops have been routed, the camp has fallen, and losses are heavy!!"
On his horse, the Left Virtuous King was enraged and cried out: "How is this possible?! Did I not order them to hold their ground and not engage in battle??"
The advisor beside him also angrily said: "The enemy had at most thirty thousand cavalry. Even if they engaged, they couldn't have been routed so quickly!"
"Even if the defenders were thirty thousand pigs, it wouldn't have taken this long to kill them all!" the Left Virtuous King said hatefully.
The messenger, with a grim expression, replied: "This subordinate does not know, but they have indeed been routed..."
The Left Virtuous King, overwhelmed by rage and anxiety, immediately ordered: "We will investigate responsibility later. All three armies, listen to my command, march at full speed and pursue the Great Qian army immediately! Thirty thousand men cannot possibly enter the city in time!"
The generals were furious, and they all quickened their pace, disregarding the fatigue of their horses.
The fall of the camp was completely unexpected, but now they had to seize the opportunity to pursue the exhausted Great Qian cavalry, and perhaps even use this chance to capture Yan Zhou city. The loss of their thirty thousand troops would be insignificant!
The Great Qian cavalry saw the dense mass of barbarian cavalry approaching from afar. After setting fires, led by Lu Changhe and others, they took the captured warhorses, loaded the bodies of their fallen comrades, and quickly retreated towards Yan Zhou.
The two sides began a life-or-death chase.
The Great Qian cavalry retreated at full speed, while the most elite vanguard of the barbarian cavalry pursued relentlessly.
As the Great Qian cavalry retreated, the sound of hooves and battle cries also came from the west.
Lu Changhe and the others tensed, but they were prepared. They selected over a thousand horses from the captured mounts and, with great effort, stabbed them in the hindquarters.
The horses, in pain, let out mournful neighs and charged towards the west.
The Great Qian soldiers did not look back. Having completed their task, they fled.
A thousand warhorses could not break through the encircling barbarian cavalry, but their dispersed state somewhat hindered the enemy's advance.
The barbarian cavalry, after killing these frightened horses, were filled with rage and roared as they charged towards Yan Zhou city.
Fifteen minutes later, two barbarian cavalry vanguard units met north of Yan Zhou, forming a legion and thundering south!
"Take Yan Zhou, and bloodwash the millions of soldiers and civilians of Yan Zhou!!"
At this moment, the Left Virtuous King personally led the troops. Unable to catch the Great Qian cavalry, the barbarians were consumed by rage and only wished to storm Yan Zhou to vent their anger!
"Our cavalry is returning!!"
The defenders of Yan Zhou city finally received reports from the front-line scouts and organized their defenses in place.
The sound of hooves approached from afar, and the soldiers outside Yan Zhou city saw a large expanse of fire in the distance, filled with both surprise and joy.
"It's our cavalry!!"
The Great Qian cavalry returned to Yan Zhou, circling the city to avoid disrupting the main formation.
After the cavalry circled the city, they took a fire-lit Dragon Tooth Arrow, drew the Setting Sun Bow to its full extent, and shot it towards the crescent moon that had been obscured by clouds.
Upon receiving the signal, the defending forces outside Yan Zhou city immediately set up more than ten rows of barricades on both sides, blocking the barbarian cavalry from circling the city to pursue their own cavalry. Then, battle flags waved, and formations were set.
"Face the enemy!!"