In the sixth month of the second year of Jingping of the Wu dynasty, the world was in a period of temporary stability and recovery.
After conquering Bianliang and plundering a large number of slaves and resources, the Jurchens were digesting and summarizing these resources. Emperor Zhang Bangchang of the "Great Chu", who had been forced to take the throne by the Jurchens, didn't dare to covet the throne. After the Jurchens left, he abandoned Bianliang with a large number of court officials and headed south, hoping to choose the remnants of the Wu dynasty as the new emperor.
The Jurchens' departure didn't calm the situation in the north. The area north of the Yellow River was already in turmoil. Sensing that the situation was not right, many of the Wu Dynasty's citizens began to move southwards with their families. The ripened wheat slowed down their departure.
As for the large families north of the Yellow River, those who could leave did so. Those who couldn't began to plan and plan for the future. Some of them colluded with the surrounding armies, while others began to support the military and create private armies to save the nation. Some did this for private and some for the public, but most did it out of helplessness. Various local forces gradually took shape in the northern land under the condition that the imperial court turned a blind eye.
Anyone could see that after the Jurchens' two trips south and even after breaking through Bianliang, the Wu dynasty no longer had any real control over the area south of Yanmen Pass and north of the Yellow River. They might be able to control the situation for a while, but with the arrival of the Jurchens, the morale of the people in this area had been shattered. It was impossible to hold on.
The wheat was about to be harvested, and the rice was almost ready. The emperor who was about to take office became the new hope of the people. After the Wu Dynasty had experienced such a great humiliation, they hoped that he would be able to select talented people, work hard, and revitalize the country. Furthermore, after Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and the other factions that had occupied the court for many years had left, there was indeed a possibility and space for the Wu Dynasty to recover. Many scholars and martial artists once again began to work, hoping that they would be able to contribute to the throne and fulfill their ambitions. Many people who had been living in seclusion, seeing that the country was in danger, also came out of seclusion, hoping to offer advice and suggestions for the revitalization of the Wu dynasty.
And during this period of time, there were about two directions that people chose to go in. One was Yingtian Prefecture, east of Bianliang. The other was Jiangning, south of the Yangtze River.
Bianliang, the capital of the Wu dynasty, was already in a mess after the Female Dao Master's rampage. The city walls were destroyed, and a large number of fortifications were destroyed. In fact, the Perfected Woman left in April because there were too many dead people in Bianliang, and an epidemic had begun to appear. This ancient city was no longer suitable to be the capital. Some officials in the north wanted to rebuild the Yingtian Manor, which was currently the secondary capital of the Wu dynasty. On the other hand, Prince Zhou Yong of the Kang Nation, who was about to ascend to the throne, originally lived in Jiangning Prefecture. Everyone was waiting to see where the core of the new imperial court would be placed.
In this vast world, the Wu Dynasty and the Jin Kingdom were the two sides at the center of the world. Ambitious people and powerful people bustled about, waiting for the next change in the situation, watching the game between the two great countries again. The common people, on the other hand, were waiting for a longer period of peace in the crack between the two countries, hoping for a longer period of peace. Meanwhile, a battle was going on at the edge of the world, where the mainstream did not pay attention to it.
Northwest, Qingzhou, Dong Zhiyuan, the oldest birthplace of China's agricultural civilization, stretched as far as the eye could see. Iron hooves flew like thunder.
On a cloudy day, the armored cavalry charged over like a huge wall!
The Iron Sparrow Hawk of Pingshan.
One of the most terrifying heavy cavalry in history, the foundation of the Xixia Dynasty. There were about three thousand heavy cavalry, all of them wearing iron armor. Ever since the King of Xixia, Li Yuanhao, established this heavy cavalry, it not only symbolized the strongest military force of Xixia, but also the noble and traditional symbol of the Dangxiang clan. Three thousand armored soldiers, passed down from father to son, son to grandson, passed down from generation to generation. They were nobles, military officers, and also the foundation of the country.
For the commander of the Iron Sparrow Hawk, Big Leader Mei Lei, this battle was not the most difficult situation Iron Sparrow Hawk had ever encountered. What was about to happen was just an ordinary confrontation. The fierce bandit army that came out of the mountains had angered Li Qianshun. The Xixia army of more than seventy thousand people had already begun to break camp and march eastward. However, they did not come for this army. Instead, after losing Yanzhou, the higher-ups of Xixia had no choice but to give up the plan to advance westward immediately. At the critical juncture of the wheat harvest, they had to stabilize the fruits of war that had already entered their stomachs and prevent the She family army, who were hiding on the side, from plucking the peaches.
Before this, Xixia had already been suppressed by the Zhong family for twenty years. Only when Li Qianshun was able to open up the situation in the northwest in one battle did Xixia vaguely show signs of resurgence. However, this momentum was only halfway through when they were stabbed in the back like this. One could imagine the rage in Li Qianshun's heart.
Over the years, because of Iron Sparrow Hawk's battle strength, Xixia had already developed more than three thousand cavalry. However, the true elites were still the noble troops that were the core of Iron Sparrow Hawk. Li Qianshun sent Mei Lei out to settle the chaos in the rear with one battle, so that the numerous thieves and thieves would not dare to cause trouble. After leaving the Xixia army camp, Mei Lei led the cavalry under her command without the slightest delay, crushing all the way in the direction of Yanzhou.
On the morning of the 23rd of June, the two armies met at the edge of Dong Zhiyuan.
Whether it was the cavalry or the oncoming Black Flag Army, neither of them slowed down. At the edge of their field of vision, the two armies could see each other stretching over like a black line. The sky was overcast, and the banners were fluttering. The scouts and light cavalry that were sent out had already experienced several battles before they even saw the main force of the other party. And after the defeat in Yanzhou, Iron Sparrow Hawk had been traveling eastward, encountering defeated soldiers coming from the east. They also knew that this ten-thousand-man army that came out from the mountains was an out-and-out fierce bandit enemy.
This kind of understanding didn't have too much of an impact on Iron Sparrow Hawk's high-ranking officer. Sensing that the other party was actually valiantly charging towards them, other than saying that they were bold, he could only say that this army had been muddle-headed from consecutive great victories — it wasn't that he didn't have doubts in his heart. In order to prevent the other party from tampering with the terrain, Mei Lei ordered the entire army to take a five li detour, change direction, and then charge towards the other party at a slow pace.
At the other end of their field of vision, the Black Flag Army's formation was strict. Their front row was lined with long spears, and the frontmost row of soldiers held huge horse-slaying blades in their hands as they walked towards Iron Sparrow Hawk step by step. Their steps were so orderly that it was as if they were stepping on a person's heartbeat.
When two armies confronted each other like this, apart from charging, as a high-ranking officer, he didn't have much choice — at least, Iron Sparrow Hawk especially didn't have a choice.
There were many things that were decided and often didn't give people too much time. Everything in these past few days had been fast paced. The Black Flag Army's descent into Yanzhou was incomparably fast. Their slaughter along the way was incomparably fast. Mei Lei's attack was incomparably fast. When the two sides met, they also fell into this kind of rhythm. The other party didn't have any hesitation in setting up a formation to meet the attack. Their morale was high. As heavy cavalry, Iron Sparrow Hawk faced mainly infantry formations on Dong Zhiyuan's terrain. If he chose to hesitate, then they wouldn't need to fight in the future.
Moreover, the Western Xia's Iron Sparrow Hawk's fighting style had never been too particular. Once they encountered an enemy, they would gather into small groups and charge towards the enemy's formation. In a situation where the terrain wasn't too harsh, there wasn't any army that could directly block the crushing of this kind of heavy cavalry.
The sound of the horn in the enemy's formation first lit the fuse. Mei Lei's gaze sharpened and he waved his hand to give the order. Soon after, the sound of the horn sounded from the Western Xia army's formation. Soon after, the iron hooves galloped faster and faster like a huge wall. Thousands of heavy cavalry swept up the dust on the ground. The sound of their hooves thundered, toppling the mountains and overturning the seas.
The frontline was about to step within an arrow's throw of distance. Mei Lei, who was at the back, could faintly see the opposing army break into a gallop. He felt that something was wrong. But at this kind of distance, if there really was a trap in front of them, Iron Sparrow Hawk didn't have the ability to change his formation or directly charge over. But when the enemy turned around, they had already lost their drive. As long as the distance was over, the other party would experience a massacre. In the past, it wasn't like he hadn't seen this kind of whimsical idea of turning the army around and then pushing out their horses. Usually, it was just that they died even faster.
Something flew up in the sky and then fell down …
*****
Less than an hour ago, Black Flag Army.
As Gao Lei moved forward, he used the stone in his hand to rub the tip of the spear. At this moment, the spear was already so sharp that it could reflect light.
In front, behind, left and right, there were running companions. He passed the stone in his hand to the companion beside him. The other party then removed the tip of the spear and waved his hand to polish it.
They all knew that soon, they would have to face the Western Xia's Iron Sparrow Hawk.
"I, your father, killed three people in Yanzhou." The bluestone that was used to sharpen the knife and the tip of the spear made a clear sound. The companion beside him brushed past it a few times and passed the stone to the person on the other side. He said to Gao Lei, "Do you think we can kill an Iron Sparrow Hawk this time?"
"After Xia Village, have we ever been afraid of anyone?" Gao Lei lowered his head and said in a dull voice. At this moment, all the blood vessels in his body were moving. He felt a "tu tu tu" sound in his head and his vision slightly trembled. Running was pure instinct. Almost everyone in front, behind, left, and right did the same. It was impossible not to run.
After killing their way through Yanzhou, what they were going to face next was not some random soldiers, but this world-famous heavy cavalry. Everyone was nervous, but there was also a sense of pride in their nervousness: We might really be able to suppress this heavy cavalry.
When they faced the Female Zhenren outside Bianliang City, their feelings were already indifferent. Moreover, at that time, they were surrounded by people who were running away. Even if they were facing the world's strongest army, they actually had no idea how strong they were. After Xia Village, everyone had some feelings of pride in their hearts. But this time, after conquering Yanzhou, everyone's emotions were a little surprised. They didn't expect that they had already become this strong.
This kind of strong confidence wasn't obtained blindly because of individual bravery. Instead, it was because they had already understood from Little Canghe's simple lessons that the strength of an army came from the strength of everyone's teamwork and trust in each other. And now, when the results of the battle in Yanzhou were displayed in front of them, they had already started to imagine how strong this group of people they were in had become.
Because of this, even though they were going to face Iron Sparrow Hawk next, everyone was still a little nervous, but they were even more fanatical and cautious as they rushed forward.
Looking at the surroundings, everyone was here!
As for the battle strategy, since three days ago, everyone had already been repeatedly deliberating it under the leadership of the officer. And the coordination on the battlefield had already been done during Little Canghe's training. In these two to three days of marching, even the lowest ranked soldiers of the Black Flag Army had pondered over the possible scenarios dozens of times in their hearts.
When that army arrived, Gao Lei rushed forward as planned. His position was one row behind the Zhanmadao. Behind him, the troops of the Special Forces quickly got off their horses, opened their chests, and began to make arrangements. Behind them, more people rushed forward and began to shrink the entire formation.
When Iron Sparrow Hawk changed the direction of his attack, Gao Lei and the others also ran and changed their direction. Even with the simulation of changing the formation, Gao Lei still tightly grasped the long spear in his hand and adopted an impeccable posture when facing a warhorse.
"... The situation on the battlefield is ever-changing. If there is a problem at the back and you can't change the formation, as the frontline, can you still retreat? If the support provided by your comrades can't defeat Iron Sparrow Hawk, do you still have the confidence to face them!? Are you relying on your comrades or yourselves!? "
This was something that the higher-ups had repeatedly emphasized during these few days of simulation. Everyone was already mentally prepared, and at the same time, they were confident that there was not a single coward in this formation. Even if they didn't change the formation, they were still confident that they could defeat Iron Sparrow Hawk, because defeating them was the only way out!
Standing in the second row, the huge formation had already taken shape. In their field of vision, the existence of an individual was indescribably small. In front of them, the armored cavalry was flying over. The thousands of armored cavalry stretched out a formation that was hundreds of zhang long. They constantly increased their speed, like a huge wall that shook the plains. The Iron Sparrow Hawk cavalry of Western Xia were not chain horses. They did not use hooks to connect with each other, but on every armored cavalry, the warhorse and the armor of the rider were connected. Under this kind of charging formation, even if the rider on the back of the horse died, the warhorse under him would still carry the corpse and charge with the main force. It was also this kind of charging formation that made it difficult for any army to face it head on.
Blood surged in his body as if it was burning. The order to retreat came. He grabbed his spear, turned around, and dashed out with the formation. Something flew high above their heads.
That thing fell forward. Before the cavalry could rush over, a huge explosion of flames rose. When the cavalry rushed over, the flames were still not completely extinguished. An Iron Sparrow Hawk rushed through the flames of the explosion unscathed. The thousands of cavalry behind shook the ground. Several packages were still flying in the sky. When Gao Lei stood still and turned around, the position beside him was already filled with long things. Among them, there were a few round iron barrels that were raised to the sky. The first thing to be shot out was the package inside the barrels.
The second package fell into the cavalry, followed by the third and fourth. The huge shock wave spread out, and at that moment, the space seemed to be deformed. Gao Lei stood there with his spear in hand and looked forward. He still couldn't see anything, but someone shouted from the back, "Go away! Go away! Go further away … "Gao Lei had just turned his head when he heard a huge explosion. His mind went blank, and his vision swayed. There was a buzzing sound. When he looked forward again, his ears could no longer hear anything.
More than a hundred elm cannons were fired at almost the same time!
On the opposite side, when the first package fell and exploded, Mei Lei, who was in the formation, suddenly felt relieved. The Iron Sparrow Hawks were not afraid of the firearms of the Wu dynasty. The armor on their bodies were not afraid of the shock wave from the explosion, and the horses that had been on the battlefield for a long time were not afraid of the sudden explosion. But in the next moment, something terrible happened.
Boom, boom, boom, boom —
Countless explosions sounded at almost the same time. On the huge wall that was hundreds of feet long, countless flowers bloomed. The shock wave from the explosion, the black smoke, the flying debris, the mixed flesh, and the armor seemed to suddenly gather into a huge wave. In the blink of an eye, it expanded, rose, rose, and rose, swallowed the entire front of the Iron Sparrow Hawks.
The first and second rows had already been swallowed, but the third, fourth, and fifth rows of cavalry were still charging in. In the blink of an eye, they had pounced into the huge wall. Based on past experience, it was nothing more than a barrier of smoke and dust.
The captain of the Iron Sparrow Hawks, Na Gu, shouted as he charged into the dusky area. The moment his vision narrowed, something smashed towards his head. With a clang, he knocked it away at high speed and flew backwards. But in the blink of an eye, it looked like a broken arm with armor. Before his brain could react, something exploded behind him. The sound was swallowed up by the shock wave, and he felt the warhorse under him fly slightly — this was something that should not have happened.
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