In the afternoon of the 30th of June in the second year of Jingping, in Dong Zhiyuan, Qing Province, northwest.
The sky was high and the clouds were thin.
The main force of Western Xia's 100,000 soldiers was extending from the edge of Dong Zhiyuan to the northeast.
The mighty army of a hundred thousand people stretched for more than ten li on the border between the plains and the mountains. The range of the army was oval. Because of the different types of soldiers and their advancement, the whole battlefield was divided into several layers.
Extending in front of the army were the scattered scouts. The 10,000 foot soldiers were divided into two groups and followed closely behind. Then, the captors, commanding officers, strong crossbows, and the rest of the foot soldiers were divided into five groups, guarding the center of the army. The 4,000 light cavalrymen were drifting between the center and the front. At this time, they were at the end of the army, guarding against surprise attacks from the plains behind. Around Li Qianshun's flag, the most elite Western Xia soldiers and garrison troops were the main force. Together with the strong crossbows and the remaining 500 Iron Sparrow Eagles, more than 25,000 people were slowly advancing.
In the military system of Western Xia, the soldiers were always divided into the main force and the auxiliary force. Usually, it was one to one. Among the elite troops, such as the Iron Sparrow Eagles, it was sometimes expanded to one to three. Generally speaking, the main force was good at fighting, while the auxiliary force was much worse. But this time, the south had occupied many places, which was a kind of filter. The auxiliary force that was not good at fighting was assigned to different places, responsible for harvesting and guarding the grain. The real elites were used to advance at the front. This time, Li Qianshun's army was pressing forward. The ratio of the main army and the secondary army was also about one to one. While this army was advancing, the rest of the Western Xia army in the surrounding lands of Qing Province was quickly finishing up the work of harvesting the grains. Moreover, they were also waiting for the end of the war.
The army advanced, raising waves. When the tens of thousands of soldiers slowly advanced, the banners stretched out. This was the center formation. The Western Xia's royal flag was advancing on this field. From time to time, scouts would come over to report the situation in front, behind, and around. Li Qianshun was in military uniform, sitting on a warhorse. How could he not pay attention to these reports with General Ah Sha?
The probing scuffles and exchanges of blows had already begun since yesterday.
At the edge of Dong Zhiyuan, when the Western Xia army advanced, the enemy with the black flag they faced had abandoned camp. Yesterday afternoon, it sounded like a good thing, but the information that came later was filled with deep malice.
Faced with the hundred-thousand-strong army of the Western Xia Country, this troop of seven or eight thousand soldiers divided into two groups and broke camp. One group headed to the north, while the other group, along with the majority of the warhorses, headed to the south and returned to Dong Zhiyuan's camp. If the whole troop retreated, it might still be possible that they were fleeing. But by dividing into two groups, it was obvious that they were giving the Western Xia Country a choice. Regardless of whether their purpose was to harass the Western Xia Country or to fight the Western Xia Country, what they had revealed was a deep malice.
Moreover, in the face of the difference between 100,000 and 7,000 people, the side with 7,000 people chose to split up. Whether this action was arrogant or ignorant, what Li Qianshun and the others felt was disdain that seeped deep into their bones.
But the Xixia army did not split up. The middle formation was still advancing slowly, but the front formation had begun to advance in the direction of the infantry in the northeast. The scouts and tens of thousands of foot soldiers directly pounced on the troop of more than three thousand soldiers, the light cavalry kept a close watch on the rear, and the scouts followed the cavalry in the south. They wanted to stretch the battle line to more than ten miles, so that the two troops could not face each other.
Now, every Western Xia troop that was distributed on this battlefield could overwhelm the other side with the advantage of numbers. Once they faced the enemy, they could fight generously. When one troop fought, the other troop would immediately respond. This was not a defensive force. Even if the other side was really an invincible army like the Female Enlightened Master, the Western Xia Country could exhaust the enemy to death by adding fuel to the oil before the enemy rushed to the middle formation!
Li Qianshun had suppressed the anger in his heart. Facing this black flag troop that had suddenly appeared, his only thought now was to defeat them, wipe them out, and grind their bones to ashes. As the absolute victor and conqueror of this southern expedition for most of the time, the humiliation and contempt he had felt in the past few days was more than the sum of the previous year. If it wasn't for Iron Sparrow Hawk's destruction being too quick, he wouldn't have to face this embarrassing situation before his eyes. Using an army of one hundred thousand soldiers to deal with a troop of seven thousand soldiers so timidly.
At a quarter to three in the evening, which was two thirty in the afternoon in the future, the news from the front was that the Black Flag Army was still moving north along the mountainous area at the edge of Dong Zhiyuan. They hadn't made any big movements …
*****
More than ten miles away, at the edge of the battlefield, ravines and mountain ridges were connected to the plains not far away. As a part of the loess high slope, the trees and vegetation here were not dense. A stream flowed down from the hillside and into the valley.
Not long after noon, the sun hung warmly in the sky, and the surroundings were quiet. On the hillside, there was a thin sheep grazing. Not far away, there was a barren vegetable field, and there was a small house that was roughly built. A man dressed in rags was drawing water from the stream.
The mountainous region was barren, and this was the only family in the vicinity. If one wanted to find a name, this place was called Yellowstone Ravine by some people, an unknown name. In reality, in the entire northwest, there might be quite a few places called Yellowstone Ravine. This afternoon, there was suddenly a noise that sounded.
The man who was drawing water gave the north a look. The sound came from that direction, but he couldn't see anything. Then, from the south, faint sounds of horse hooves could be heard.
The man carried his broken bucket and stood there, looking at a place not far away. There were two knights on horseback running over from below. They wore rough military uniforms with fluff on them, the hair on their heads basically bare, only two bundles of hair hanging down from their temples. This was clearly the attire of a foreign race. The man stared blankly for a moment. The two foreign race knights also narrowed their eyes as they looked at him. Then, one of them pointed at the thin sheep on the mountain. The two sped up and rushed forward, one of them drawing his bow and nocking an arrow.
The man reacted, put down the bucket and suddenly began to run. The direction he chose was not the sheep, but the house not far away. At the door of the house, an ugly little girl with dirty clothes was walking out, babbling.
The two knights ran faster and faster, and the man also ran faster and faster. Only, one was running towards the house, and the other was running from below. The distance between them was getting shorter and shorter.
The knight who drew the bow released an arrow, and with a whoosh, the arrow hit the butt of the sheep. The sheep fell to the ground with a thud, then got up and ran away. The two non-human knights said something, and one of them laughed loudly. The knight who had drawn the bow drew his sword and rushed towards Sheep, while the other one saw the man running in front of him, making a slight turn, drawing his sword and slashing down.
Sensing that the warhorse was approaching, the man cried out and leaped with all his might. His body rolled on the rocks with a few thuds, and he screamed in pain. His back had been slashed, but the wound wasn't deep, and it wasn't life-threatening. The little girl from the house tried to run over. On the other side, the knight who had rushed over had already cut the sheep with his sword, and was harvesting the spoils of war. The knight wielding the sword rushed out for a distance, then turned his horse around and ran back with a smile.
The man who had been cut rolled a few times, and he crawled up from the ground, running towards his daughter. Behind him, the foreign race knight was getting closer and closer. When it reached his back, the man gritted his teeth and leaped out. This time, his body crashed into the ground with a thud, and his head was ringing. He did not know what was going on around him, but a figure flew past him, and in his ears, he could hear shouts in the foreign language.
Thinking about his daughter, he tried his best to open his eyes and focus. To the side of his vision, he saw the warhorse rolling down the broken stones. The knight who was originally charging towards him had already lost his life after rolling a few times. There was an arrow in his chest.
In his shaky vision, he saw the figure of a warhorse galloping down at high speed, passing by the knight who was killing the sheep. The sound of metal clashing rang out, and a figure flew out, blood splattering everywhere. As he struggled to get up, he saw that it was two Han knights who were charging towards him.
As a country bumpkin and used to living alone, he did not know how to speak. Bearing with the pain, he walked over and hugged his babbling daughter. The two Han knights glanced at him, and one of them looked into the distance with a strange cylinder, while the other walked over to search the body of the dead knight. Frowning, he took out a packet of medicine and a bandage, and pointed to the wound on his back, "Wash it and wrap it up."
Another bang sounded in the northern sky. It sounded like a firecracker had been set off, followed by another bang. The knight who was handing the medicine to the man said, "Go, leave quickly if you can, it's not safe here."
The other person seemed to have said, "Where can he go, he's on his own …" Following which, the two of them got on their horses and headed in the same direction. They had their own missions, and could not stay for a commoner in the mountains.
The man's back was in pain, and he tried his best to apply some medicine on himself, trying to bandage his back. Then, at the side of his field of view, a black flag suddenly appeared between the mountains. It was first one or two soldiers, and then groups of soldiers crossed over the mountain ridges, continuously heading northwest. The man stared blankly at the troops passing through the mountain ridges. Not far away, the sound of firecrackers became louder and more frequent, as if they were constantly warning and reporting something. Soon, the flood of troops passed through the mountain ridges!
*****
The Western Summer scouts' warning fireworks and signal arrows continuously sounded in the air. The concentrated sounds accompanied the advance of the Black Flag Army, almost forming a clear line. They did not care about being discovered by the Black Flag Army, nor did they care about the small scale pursuits and killings around them. This was originally their mission: keep a close eye on the Black Flag Army, and also give them pressure. However, previously, the scouts' warning had not become this frequent. Now that it suddenly became so concentrated, it could only mean one thing.
The Black Flag Army had made a move!
Two li out, on a slope with relatively gentle terrain, Bu Ba's figure was like a tide, charging northwest. This infantry troop numbered over five thousand. The one leading them was Dang Xiang Clan's young high ranking officer Wei Mingshu who was deeply appreciated by Li Qianshun. Right now, he was running high above the slope, shouting loudly, ordering the infantry to advance, prepare for battle, and block the Black Flag Army's path.
Around five li from here, the high ranking officer Du Luo Wei was leading another five thousand infantry troop, advancing in a triangular formation with Wei Mingshu's troop. Their objective was to bite down on this Black Flag Army.
Bu Ba sprinted quickly between the mountains. Their individual fighting strength was extremely great. On a frontal battlefield, they might have some flaws, but as long as they could keep this Black Flag Army here for a moment, the following situation would be ten thousand people surrounding and killing the three thousand Black Flag Army.
Moreover, Wei Mingshu did not believe that the five thousand people under his command couldn't bite this three thousand arrogant troop to death. This time, the advance of a hundred thousand troops was steady and cautious. But while the higher-ups had their own considerations, as the leading officer, he would not look down on himself because of Iron Sparrow Hawk's fall. He still had his drive.
Taking a step back, under the premise of the advance of a hundred thousand troops, if five thousand people didn't dare fight against three thousand, then no one knew how to fight in the future. Raising vigilance, using proper tactics, and not underestimating the enemy, this was something a high ranking officer could and should do.
Wei Mingshu did not underestimate the enemy.
Two li to the northeast, the Black Flag Army had already appeared in their field of view, currently extending towards the west.
*****
The warning fireworks of the Western Xia scouts sounded in the air. Between the mountain ridges, the galloping light cavalry used bows and arrows to drive away the Western Xia scouts in the surroundings. There were not many cavalry in the north, and the battle could not be considered long. The arrows were merciless, and both sides suffered casualties.
"So annoying!"
Someone grumbled from the advancing infantry. Mao Yishan heard the sound of firecrackers and also grimaced, shouting with a frown. Then someone shouted, "Look over there!"
"Western Xia Bu Ba!"
This voice came from Mao Yishan's side. It was Hou Wu who turned his head and said, "Western Xia Bu Ba, pay attention …"
"It's the one that has been following us …"
"Damn, I can finally vent my anger!"
More orders came through. Mao Yishan pulled out his saber, and many people beside him also suddenly pulled out their sabers. They quickly wrapped the red cloth on the saber hilt around their hands and tightened it. Unknowingly, the troops had already begun to increase their speed, and the Bu Ba on the other side also increased their speed. More than five thousand people, similarly covered the mountains and plains.
The warning fireworks no longer sounded. In the distance, there were scouts watching this side in the mountains. The running speed of both sides was not slow. As they gradually approached the distance of an arrow's throw, the Bu Ba slowed down a little amidst the shouts from all over the mountains and plains, and drew their bows and arrows. On the opposite side, someone shouted, "Thunder — —" This was the military order after facing the archery formation.
The saber and shield bearers in the front suddenly raised their shields while running, and the speed of their feet suddenly increased to the limit. When one person shouted, thousands of people shouted, "Follow me … Charge — —"
The arrows in front flew into the sky! The saber and shield moved like thunder!
"Ah — —"
Mao Yishan raised his shield, bent his body, and shouted as he ran forward at a high speed. Then, there was a crackling sound. Some arrows stuck into the ground and flew up. He kept running! The arrows did not make him fall. The dense footsteps around him almost brought along a rumbling sound as they began to close in.
The formation of more than three thousand people was divided into two groups. On this slope, the terrain was not very steep, and they rushed toward the five thousand Bu Ba at a high speed.
In his field of vision, the figures and appearances of the Western Xia people were rapidly getting closer. At the moment of contact, Mao Yishan exhaled a breath of air. Then, on the frontline, a thunder-like shout was heard along with the saber light, "… Kill!!!" The shield bearers crashed into the crowd, and the long sabers in their hands slashed at the heads in front of them as if they were using all their strength!
Waves of blood surged out from the frontline!
"Kill — —" Wei Mingshu was also shouting, and then said, "Stop them for me — —"
"Kill — —" Mao Yishan's saber slashed down. He felt that he should have hit the skull, and then the second slash hit the flesh. His ears were filled with fanatical shouts. On his side, there were also fanatical shouts from the opposite side. He was still pushing forward. At the position where he felt that he was fighting at the frontline, he shouted crazily and pushed forward two steps. Beside him was a surging blood pool from hell …
*****
"… Based on the current situation, the entire frontline has been stretched nearly fifteen miles. There are only more than three thousand people in this army. How are we going to fight them? "
"… According to the previous encounter with Iron Sparrow Hawk, the enemy's firearms are powerful, and we have to guard against them. But after all, manpower is limited, and it is not possible for thousands of people to kill them. I think the main event is probably the nearly two thousand cavalrymen at the rear. They have defeated Iron Sparrow Hawk, and have gained a lot. "
"… The Great General's considerations are reasonable. Using the ten miles of frontline to trap more than three thousand people, so that the front and rear of the seven thousand soldiers can't respond. But I think they are being too cautious. Even the self-proclaimed invincible Female Zhenren might not dare to come in such a situation. Even if they win this battle, it will be somewhat embarrassing. "
On the wilderness, there was a Western Xia army of twelve thousand people. The general Ye Lifeng and Ye Beima were riding forward while discussing the battle situation in a low voice. The stretch of an army of one hundred thousand in the vast wilderness, against two small troops of three thousand in front and three behind, always gave people the feeling that they were beating up mosquitoes. Although the bizarre destruction of Iron Sparrow Hawk had shocked people for a while, when they really arrived at the scene and thought about it carefully, it made people doubt whether it was really making a fuss over a minor issue.
"Female Zhenren, it sounds powerful, but in fact, there is a reason why they are guarding the frontline. The reason is on the side of the Liao people. Since ancient times, the problem lies in the side of the defeated." Speaking of war, Ye Beima had a deep understanding of it.
"Then, what do you think will happen this time?"
"Splitting the troops into two, hoping for a fluke. If I was the enemy general, seeing that this side did not underestimate the enemy, I'm afraid I can only retreat and find another opportunity … "
At this point, there was movement in front of them. Looking from afar, there were cavalry scouts galloping in this direction. But the speed of their galloping was not right! One of the riders came over and passed on the news.
— The front was engaged in battle!
Three minutes later, the three thousand Black Flag Army at the front suddenly began to turn west. Around five in the afternoon, they met with Wei Mingshu's army. Du Luo's tail was chasing to the west, trying to surround the enemy!
According to the plan, at this time, the army led by Ye Lifeng and Ye Beima would rush to the north to ensure their safety. The two also had the same plan, but it was really a bit unexpected.
The other side had actually started fighting?
What were they thinking …
*****
On the west side of Huangshi Slope, battle cries were boiling. After the two armies came into contact, they collided, killed, and scattered …
Even though Wei Mingshu shouted with all his strength to organize the troops, the five thousand Bu Ba were still scattered like seawater smashed by a boulder. When the Black Flag Army crushed their way to the center of the formation, he led his trusted aides and charged forward. Soon after, they also collided with a boulder. He and a group of trusted aides were scattered in all directions. He had been stabbed in the face and lost half his ear. Dripping with blood, he was dragged out by his trusted aides as they fled.
Bu Ba was an elite of the Xixia army, but he was good at fighting on the mountains and not good at fighting in formations. This was the evaluation of many people, but this was only an analysis of his strengths and weaknesses. If it was really a battle of formations, it was not that Bu Ba could not fight. Bullying one or two ordinary troops was not a problem. But the formation of this army that was crushing their way was too strong.
Perhaps they would unconsciously separate while running, but in the moment of battle, their formations were densely packed, with almost no gaps. The resoluteness of the collision and the killing made people tremble. The Bu Ba, who were used to being flexible, were also very fierce. But in the face of such a collision, the front line collapsed, and the back line was pushed back like an avalanche.
Not long after, Tuo Luo Wei led the Tribe of Buba and rushed towards the west at high speed. As they approached the Yellow Rock Slope, they encountered the scattered Tribe of Buba. When they stepped into the wilderness, they saw the scene of the battlefield. The Tribe of Buba were scattered all over the mountain, and the corpses on the slope stretched far into the distance, forming a long trail.
After killing Wei Mingshu's troops, the other side only used a very short time to treat the wounded, and then moved to the west. In fact, there were not many wounded. Half of the wounded were shot by arrows at the moment of the charge. After fighting for a while, the entire Bu Ba troops were stunned by the fierce fighting of the other side.
Tuo Luo Wei stood on the hillside and watched all of this. The five thousand subordinates around him were also watching all of this. Some were puzzled, and some were mocking. Tuo Luo Wei swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said, "Chase after them!"
He knew in his heart that things were troublesome.
*****
June 30th, afternoon, Qing Province. The first battle between the Black Flag Army and the 100,000 soldiers of Western Xia suddenly broke out after nearly a day of stalemate.
Near Huangshi Slope, the Second and Third Regiments of the Black Flag Army, led by Pang Liu 'an and Li Yi, were fighting with Wei Mingshu's five thousand Bu Ba troops. Not long after, they broke through Wei Mingshu's troops, and once again set foot on Dong Zhiyuan's Plain to the west.
At the same time, in the southwest of the Plain, Lin Jingwei and a group of people were looking at the sky.
He frowned and said, "There's not much time left. This wind is not easy to deal with …"
Not far away, the group of horses was moving forward and was about to part ways with this side. Qin Shaoqian came over and asked a few questions. He frowned slightly.
"It's good that these things can be used, but if they can't be used, we shouldn't place too much hope on them. Mister Lin is in charge of this side. Do as you see fit. We will go first. "
Lin Jingwei nodded. The group of horses beside him were carrying boxes on their backs.
The sun was shining brightly, and the wind in the sky was not strong. At this time, the news of the battle at the frontline had already spread from the north to the main force of Western Xia's army.
The news of the five thousand Bu Ba troops fighting and the five thousand Bu Ba troops losing in the blink of an eye spread to the entire army in the blink of an eye.
Everyone who received the news suddenly felt their scalp go numb.
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