"What's going on?" Standing on the city gate tower, Xu Zhiqing, who was watching the drill with Xu Wei and Li Tai, couldn't help but frown slightly when she saw the situation before her. She quietly asked, "Didn't they say that each side would have a thousand people? Why did General Su suddenly have so many more people?"
Xu Wei was also puzzled and glanced at Li Tai. The old general's weather-beaten face did not have the slightest expression. He said in a low voice, "Everything is close to actual combat. Any accidents are normal. War does not talk about conditions. On this point, Su Mubai has done very well. I'm afraid Lin San is going to suffer. "
Xu Zhiqing gritted her teeth. Just now, she had personally told Lin San that each side would have a thousand people participating in the battle. Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, Su Mubai would have five times the number of people? Come to think of it, although it was unintentional, she had given the wrong information and put Lin San in danger. She was a bit absent-minded. Would Lin San be able to endure this?
The Emperor heard their conversation and immediately said with great interest, "Oh? Beloved Xu, beloved Li, according to what you're saying, this change in troops was actually done by Su Mubai at the last minute? You didn't know about it? "
Li Tai cupped his fists and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, soldiers are crafty. Su Mubai's actions are in line with the principles of using troops and have exceeded everyone's expectations. I'm afraid this actual battle will be very lively."
A faint smile appeared on the Emperor's face. He nodded and said, "Those who achieve great things do not bother with trifles. For this Su Mubai to have such a strange move, it was not in vain that I placed him at the old general's side to learn. Very good, very good. Beloved Xu, between Su Mubai and the strange person you recommended, who do you think is superior? "
Xu Wei thought for a moment and cupped his fists. He said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, Su Mubai's tactics are miraculous and indeed outstanding. However, the person this humble subject recommended is not someone who can be easily defeated. I'm afraid this battle will not be easy to fight. "
"If you want to fight, then fight properly." The Emperor laughed, his eyes revealing a hint of a mysterious smile. "My dear ministers, today's military exercise has turned out to be an unexpected turn of events, allowing us to witness with our own eyes the real battle of the Great Hua Nation's lions. This is a rare sight. Let us wait and see." Seeing that the Emperor was in high spirits, the ministers responded loudly and turned their attention back to the drill ground.
Xu Wei anxiously looked into the distance, only to see Su Mubai's five thousand troops in a stable formation, densely packed, like a tide attacking the opposite side. Although Lin San was at a disadvantage, his army was disciplined and did not move blindly. A glimmer of hope rose in his heart. Little Brother Lin, don't disappoint me.
Li Tai saw Xu Zhiqing's worried face and said, "Zhiqing lass, do you think Su Mubai will win this battle, or Lin San?"
Xu Zhiqing was silent for a long time before she said, "Who will win and who will lose, Zhiqing does not dare to judge. I only know one thing, even if Su Mubai wins, it will be a pyrrhic victory."
Xu Wei looked at Xu Zhiqing, then nodded his head and smiled, "Zhi 'er, you have seen through Lin San. This person does things in a way that is unpredictable. "Then, he turned to Li Tai and said," General Li, let's make a bet. Today, if Lin San wins, I will invite you to my house to drink for three days. "
Li Tai hasn't spoken yet, but the Emperor was listening with great interest. He smiled and said, "Dear Minister Xu, listening to you, are you not confident in the person you recommended, so you are optimistic about Su Mubai? Otherwise, why would you be willing to pay for this wine? "
Xu Wei shook his head and said, "No, no. This old subject can't wait to sell this wine. If Lin San wins, even if I have to pay for it, I am willing to invite my colleagues to drink for ten days and ten nights. "
The Emperor smiled and said, "This is really interesting. Dear Minister Xu, count me in as a host. I also want to go to your house and taste the dusty Nu 'er Hong. "
His words made everyone laugh, but Xu Zhiqing's face blushed. Xu Wei's Nu 'er Hong was specially used to marry off his daughter. Unfortunately, Xu Zhiqing's life was short. She hasn't married yet, but her husband died in the battlefield. So, this Nu' er Hong could no longer be opened.
The Emperor's words were deliberately teasing the female Military Advisor. Everyone listened happily, only Li Tai shook his head and sighed. Ruining Xu Zhiqing's marriage was the Li family's fault. He looked at Xu Zhiqing and sighed, "Zhi 'er, if you have someone you like, then mention it to uncle. Uncle will be your matchmaker. You are Old Xu's daughter, and also my, Li Tai's daughter. We will definitely marry you off in a grand manner. "
Xu Zhiqing's face was slightly red, then she smiled generously and said, "Thank you, Huangshang and Uncle Li, for your love. Zhiqing is obsessed with all things, she has no reluctance to marry her daughter. My Xu Family's fine wine, please enjoy to your heart's content. "
"Look –" Xu Wei was concentrating on the battlefield in the distance, when he suddenly screamed, attracting everyone's attention. Everyone's eyes turned and looked at the military field. They saw Lin San's army's flag fluttering, and figures swaying. Lin San began to move.
… …
Hearing Lin Wanrong's voice, Hu Bugui and Du Xiuyuan looked up, only to see dust and sand swirling on the drill ground, a dense mass of human heads. Amidst the neighing of tens of thousands of horses, countless human heads were like a surging tide, rapidly rushing towards them.
"Grandma, at least 5000 people." Hu Buhui grinned, and his eyes flashed with excitement, "This time, we can fight. That top scholar can play this trick, he is not an idiot."
It was the first time Li Wuling had seen such a big scene. Although he was young, he came from a military family. Seeing the situation in front of him, he waved the long sword in his hand, and the horse neighed excitedly, "Fight, fight to your heart's content."
These two were war maniacs. Du Xiuyuan gave a wry smile. He was good at strategy, and was calm in the face of trouble. Seeing that the opponent in front of him was five times their own, and they were menacing and imposing, he looked worriedly at Lin Wanrong and said softly, "General, what should we do?"
Grandma, this man surnamed Su looked gentle, he did not expect him to be an expert in secret fighting. Lin Wanrong swallowed a mouthful of saliva, moistened his dry throat, and asked, "Big brother Du, if we fight them head on, what are our chances of winning?"
Du Xiuyuan and Hu Bugui had been training together with the other side so they had a deep understanding of their combat power. Du Xiuyuan pondered and said, "One against two, my brothers will definitely win. One against three, I'm afraid it's not enough. "
"One against three is not a problem." Hu Buhui said unyieldingly, "General Lin, there is no coward among my men who are afraid of death."
Lin Wanrong naturally did not dare to listen to Hu Buhui's words, but Du Xiuyuan's words were more reliable. The elimination system introduced by Lin Wanrong had been faithfully carried out by Hu Bugui and Du Xiuyuan. This almost cruel and inhumane method was extremely effective in improving the combat strength of the soldiers. It was not empty talk to say that they could fight two enemies at once. But the opposite soldiers were also the elites of China, and they must not be careless.
Taking advantage of the gap between their thoughts, Lin Wanrong looked over, only to see Su Mubai's five thousand men and horses, at least one thousand and five hundred cavalrymen, whinnying and waving their long swords, charging at the front. The formation was condensed and did not scatter, and the cohesion was strong. It was evident that they had been training for a long time and were familiar with the formation. Behind them were countless spear battalions, following behind the cavalrymen. The formation was strict, the soldiers were mighty, and it was evident that they were not easy to deal with. There was a distance of dozens of feet between the cavalry and infantry battalions, which was also a standard offensive formation of cavalry and infantry.
Lin Wanrong gritted his teeth when he saw the thousands of cavalrymen charging in front of him. 'Damn it! Fortunately, I'm also a master at playing tricks. I've already told Sage Li to prepare something. Otherwise, I wouldn't even know that I've been trampled flat by that Su brat.'
"Saint Li — —" Lin Wanrong shouted.
"I'm here — —" Saint Li rushed over, panting, his face full of excitement and agitation. Behind him were hundreds of men and horses, pulling dozens of large carts, which were filled with thick hay, which was actually food prepared for the war horses.
"Brother Li, I won't say too much. The honor and life of my thousands of brothers are in your hands, "Lin Wanrong said in a low voice. Hu Buhui and Du Xiuyuan looked at each other. What did General Lin mean? Was he going to let the Divine Arms Battalion charge?
Saint Li bowed and said, "General's plans are flawless, and you're prepared for a rainy day. I'm sincerely convinced."
Lin Wanrong chuckled and did not explain. He straightened his face and shouted, "Where's the Divine Arms Battalion?"
Hundreds of archers stepped out in unison, forming a battle formation. They held strong bows and stood in front of the formation, their eyes shining brightly as they faced the thousands of cavalrymen charging at them.
Hu Buhui and Du Xiuyuan's countenance changed drastically. How could these hundreds of archers withstand the charge of thousands of enemy cavalrymen? Had General Lin gone mad?
"General Lin — —" The anxious Hu Buhui was about to say something when Lin Wanrong waved his hand and said, "Obey orders and obey orders. Archers, get ready."
Hundreds of archers nocked their arrows. Seeing the cavalrymen galloping like the wind and entering the shooting range of their arrows in the blink of an eye, Lin Wanrong roared, "Release the arrows."
Hundreds of arrows shot toward the charging cavalrymen like a rain of locusts. This was an arrow used in actual combat. The tip of the arrow was blunt and not sharp, so its lethality was extremely limited. The Divine Arms Battalion soldiers in Saint Li's army were excellent archers, so the accuracy of the rain of arrows was extremely high. Half of the arrows hit the eyes of the horses. Hundreds of warhorses neighed in pain. Their front hooves went limp and they fell to the ground. Dozens of riders fell from their horses, wailing in pain.
"Well done," Li Wuling shouted excitedly. It was his first time seeing such a battle scene, and he had the habits of a child, so he was naturally very happy. Du Xiuyuan, Hu Buhui, and the others were still deeply worried. Hu Buhui had learned this method of shooting the eyes of the horses from the Hu people. Coupled with the Divine Arms Battalion's excellent archers, although the effect was good, the other side had at least one thousand and five hundred cavalrymen. Losing hundreds of men would not hurt them, but would instead stimulate their killing intent.
As expected, the other side's cavalrymen seemed to have become ferocious after losing for a while. They charged even more quickly, but their formation changed from horizontal to vertical, causing the archers to lose their target. The arrows of the Divine Arms Battalion immediately lost their power. When the first round of arrows was over, the other side's cavalry had suffered limited losses.
"Charge!" The oncoming cavalrymen shouted majestically. Their horses moved as if they were flying, changing from vertical to horizontal, surging forward like a rising tide.
"Divine Arms Battalion, retreat, Saint Li!" Lin Wanrong roared and ordered.
"Roger." Saint Li, who had been ready for action, had already led his soldiers to prepare. Hearing General Lin's order, hundreds of cavalry soldiers spurred on their horses, pulling the carriages that delivered the provisions. In the blink of an eye, they had already set up a haystack barrier in front of the other side's cavalry.
Just as the provisions were laid out, the other side's cavalry had already charged over. Saint Li panicked and shouted, "Retreat, retreat quickly!"
The hundreds of cavalrymen in Lin San's army really obeyed his orders. As soon as they heard the general's order to retreat, they leaped onto their horses and galloped away. Although their movements were practiced, it was a pity that they had to use it to escape.
On the city walls, the Emperor and his ministers could clearly see the situation in front of them. Lin San was too weak. After a volley of arrows, he hurriedly retreated. Could he block Su Mubai's irresistible cavalry with just these rations and carriages blocking the way? That was too childish.
Everyone's gazes fell on Xu Wei. Grand Scholar Xu was extremely knowledgeable and had a unique vision. However, he had misjudged today and tried his best to recommend such a useless person to the Emperor. It was really disappointing.
"Beloved Li, how did Su Mubai use his troops this time? Did he miss anything? "The Emperor's gaze fell on the two sides fighting in the distance, but he asked Li Tai, who was beside him.
Li Tai shook his head and said, "Su Mubai used the typical military tactics this time. The cavalry charged forward and the infantry followed. He applied it well. The cavalry's formation changed quickly, and their charge was powerful. The infantry's speed was also not bad, but … "
On the city wall, there were not many who understood the art of war. Li Tai was the number one general in China. He had experienced thousands of battles and had a wealth of experience. What he said could not be wrong.
Hearing him praise Su Mubai, the Emperor nodded slightly. Hearing the change in tone, he smiled and said, "Old general, why are you so polite when giving advice to a junior? Just say it. "
Li Tai gazed for a while and said, "The only thing lacking is the distance between the cavalry and infantry. It was maintained a little too far. According to military tactics, this distance is not wrong. But according to my battle experience, this is not appropriate. In this kind of battle on flat ground, the infantry and cavalry should be more closely linked to prevent the cavalry from being intercepted by the enemy and being completely wiped out. Xu girl, what do you think? "
The Emperor smiled and looked at Xu Zhiqing. Miss Xu bowed and said, "Zhiqing agrees with Uncle Li's opinion. I'm afraid today's battle will be full of twists and turns."
The Emperor nodded and said, "After talking about Su Mubai, let's talk about the strange person that Beloved Xu recommended. Beloved Li, what do you think of his performance? "
Li Tai looked from afar at the haystack that was blocking the cavalry on the field. He shook his head and said, "This old official can't understand Lin San's conduct. This haystack blocking the soldiers is not from any military book, but from the situation on the field, there is one thing that can be confirmed — — "
"What can be confirmed?" The Emperor listened with interest to the old general's analysis of the battle and hurriedly asked.
Li Tai smiled and said, "Xu girl, you speak." The gazes of the officials and the Emperor all landed on Xu Zhiqing. Even Cheng Wang, who had been silent all this time, perked up his ears to listen to Xu Zhiqing's words.
Miss Xu smiled slightly and said, "In the midst of battle, this Lin San used the haystack to block the soldiers and left before the battle started. There are only two possibilities."
The Emperor grimaced and said, "Xu girl, don't keep zhen in suspense. As for your family's Nu 'er Hong, we should keep it for you. "
Everyone laughed. Xu Zhiqing's face reddened and she said lightly, "If it isn't that this Lin San is useless, then he is pretending to be weak and plotting something."
Plotting something? Everyone was bewildered. How powerful could these rations be? Also, Lin San's entire army had retreated. Could it be that there were living people hidden in the rations?
"Boom — —" "Boom — —" Among the two earth-shaking explosions, the earth shook and the mountains shook. The ground under the city walls trembled. The Emperor's tent also swayed slightly.
"Who fired the cannons? Protect the Emperor, quickly protect the Emperor — — "The officials huddled together in shock and shouted loudly. Several guards and attendants rushed to the Emperor's side and protected him.
Xu Wei, Li Tai, and the others who had led troops did not move. The Emperor smiled and said, "Protect what Emperor? This is a real battle, isn't it normal to fire a few cannons? " His gaze looked into the distance and saw a patch of fire. He could no longer see where Lin San's troops were.
… …
Su Mubai's cavalry was extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, they had arrived in front of the rations. Seeing Lin San's soldiers abandon the carriages, the cavalry soldiers' eyes flashed with a trace of contempt. They did not stop and directly charged through the rations blocking their way. Thousands of men and horses rushed past, and the hay on the carriages was scattered everywhere, forming a long line of grass. It was a spectacular sight. In the blink of an eye, the cavalry had broken through this line of defense and charged straight at Lin San's army.
"Boom —" A shrill scream suddenly rang out. The huge cannonball seemed to have grown eyes and landed on the pile of hay behind the cavalry, instantly setting it on fire.
Su Mubai's cavalry camp immediately broke out in a cold sweat. This was a drill, not a real battle. Lin San actually dared to fire like this? Was he crazy?
Before he could finish his thoughts, there was another earth-shattering explosion. It was the haystack exploding rapidly, one after another, like a continuous barrage of cannons. Waves of heat surged towards them, and in an instant, the haystack exploded violently, forming a long sea of fire that instantly separated the cavalry and infantry battalions into two.
Explosives! Qian Hu instantly understood the reason behind it. There were layers of explosives hidden within the haystack. In order to show weakness to the enemy, Lin San had purposely abandoned the haystack. It was to make them lower their guard and then ignite the explosives with cannon fire. Damn, was this still a drill? Lin San was killing people!
The scorching heat wave spread out and the charging warhorses felt the surging fire behind their butts. They immediately let out a long neigh and ran forward with all their might. These were warhorses that had been trained well. Normally, they could rein in and out as they pleased. But now, facing the sea of fire behind them, even if the cavalry broke the reins, they would not be able to stop the horses. Thousands of horses charged forward crazily.
The dozens of warhorses leading the charge were at the forefront. They leaped forward a few steps, suddenly their hooves tripped, their forelegs bent, the horses' heads dropped down, unexpectedly they fell straight forward. Dozens of cavalrymen were flung away and fell heavily to the ground.
"Horse tripping ropes!" The cavalry camp's heart jumped. It was really what he was afraid of. He raised his long blade and pulled on the reins with all his might. He roared: "Stop moving forward, stop moving forward! Horse tripping ropes in front!"
The thousands of cavalry naturally knew the power of horse tripping ropes. But facing the increasing fire behind them, the usually docile warhorses had already gone crazy. Hundreds of warhorses charged forward together and fell in front of the ropes. The horses behind them could not stop their momentum and leaped high into the air. Then, they stepped on their companions in front of them and fell to the ground one after another. The horses that were barely able to rein in their reins became fierce. They neighed in unison and raised their front legs high up, almost perpendicular to the ground. The cavalrymen that were usually dependent on each other were heavily flung out. For a moment, people were thrown off their horses and wails could be heard everywhere. The scene was extremely tragic.
… …
Du Xiuyuan looked at the scene in front of him and felt a burst of pity in his heart. After all, these were all his brothers. Although they would not lose their lives, this kind of serious injury would not be able to recover without a few months of rest.
Lin Wanrong also understood his feelings. How could he bear to do such a thing? However, this was a real battle. Today, he had already shown mercy. Otherwise, the cavalry in the field would have become live targets for the godly archers with ropes in front of them and raging flames behind them. It would be as easy as flipping one's hand to kill them.
He patted Du Xiuyuan's shoulder and bitterly smiled: "Big Brother Du, just treat us as the barbarians. This way, you will feel better. These brothers are injured now, but they have learned a lesson. In the future, when they really meet the barbarians, they will bleed less. Don't you think so? "
Du Xiuyuan laughed heartily: "General Lin is right. Just treat us as the bad guys and teach them a lesson. I admit that I am familiar with military books, but when it comes to strategy, I am not your opponent. Only you, General Lin, would dare to hide explosives in the hay. But today, we lit the firecrackers in front of His Majesty. This is a great disrespect. Will it cause any trouble? "
Lin Wanrong shook his head: "I can't say for sure. In any case, I will fight like this. Don't tell me you want me to be surrounded by dumplings and annihilated?"
Du Xiuyuan's thoughts were meticulous. Some of his questions were out of concern. He helplessly nodded and said: "It's fine to light the firecrackers, but this general still has one thing to worry about."
Lin Wanrong smiled: "Could it be that you want to ask if Su Mubai will also fire a few firecrackers at us if I light the firecrackers?"
"That's right." Du Xiuyuan nodded: "Since we took the lead, he will not be lenient."
Lin Wanrong laughed mischievously: "I am gambling. I am gambling that he will not dare to fire the firecrackers. We lit the firecrackers, but we only burned the hay. Up until now, I have not fought them with real swords and spears. He is a scholar and wants to become an official. He is not like us who have no scruples. If he really dares to fire the firecrackers, then we will be finished along with his 1500 cavalrymen. It is true that he won the battle, but he indiscriminately slaughtered the innocent and treated the soldiers like grass. If this reputation spreads, how can he lead the troops and become an official? If you were him, would you dare to do it? "
This is human nature. Du Xiuyuan helplessly sighed. When General Lin looks at people, he knows where it hurts. Just based on this point, who can compare to him in the court?
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