Thunderous cheers erupted from the top of Jinyang City, and the morale of the defenders was greatly boosted!
The coalition forces fell into panic in an instant!
The rear army was scattered by the sudden attack, and the central and front armies were also in chaos.
"Oh no! We've fallen into a trap!"
Cao Jun's face turned pale and he was terrified.
"Quick! Retreat! Retreat to Langyu Camp!" Liu Pan shouted at the top of his lungs.
However, it was too late.
The 5,000 ambush troops led by Zhao Muyun, like a cheetah that had been dormant for a long time, finally showed their sharp claws.
They rushed out of Luoyan Valley and attacked the chaotic flanks and rear of the Cao-Liu coalition forces in a strict wedge formation.
The elite cavalry at the head, both men and horses were wearing light armor, the lances and swords in their hands flashed coldly in the afternoon sun, like a red-hot sharp blade, easily cutting through the soft tail of the coalition forces.
"Aim at the central army's flag and follow me into battle!"
Zhao Muyun took the lead, his voice piercing through the clamor of the battlefield.
He knew very well that to capture the enemy, one must first capture the leader. As long as the enemy's command center was destroyed, these tens of thousands of troops would collapse without a fight.
The rear troops of the coalition forces are mostly auxiliary troops and troops with weaker combat capabilities. How can they withstand such a fierce attack?
In an instant, people were killed and horses were thrown to the ground, and there was crying and screaming everywhere.
The soldiers in the front army who were attacking the city heard shouts and cries of killing and the wails of their own defeated soldiers coming from behind them.
Looking back, they saw a large flag with the word "Zhao" fluttering in their own formation, and the morale of the army was immediately thrown into chaos.
"Hold on! The rear team becomes the front team, and we'll form a formation to defend against the enemy!"
Cao Jun tried to hold his ground with all his might, but his defeat was crushing and panic spread like a plague in the army.
Liu Pan looked even more pale. Under the protection of his personal guards, he kept looking back, looking for a way to escape.
On the top of Jinyang City, Li Mao keenly captured the opportunity to fight.
"Your Highness, Sir, Brother Xiao, please guard the tower! My men, General Zhao has cut off the enemy's retreat. Follow me out of the city. Today is the day to kill the enemy and achieve victory!"
Li Mao roared, picked up his spear, and personally led the 10,000 elite infantry and cavalry that had already assembled behind the city gate. He slammed the city gate open and rushed towards the chaotic enemy army like a flood breaking through a dam.
The morale of the defenders in the city reached its peak, and the resentment that had been pent up for a long time finally broke out.
They followed Li Mao, like a tiger descending from the mountain, and crashed into the vanguard of the allied forces, which was panicked by the attack from the rear.
An army of ten thousand with high morale charged forward with great momentum.
They were facing the panicked coalition forces of Cao and Liu.
For a time, the Cao-Liu coalition forces fell into an unprecedented predicament.
With the strong city and powerful soldiers attacking in the front and Zhao Muyun's cavalry galloping on the sides and back, the formation was completely broken up, and the front and rear could not take care of each other.
The cavalry of Tuoba Xiong's army who were watching the battle from a distance also became agitated.
The deputy general said anxiously, "General, they really have an ambush! Generals Cao and Liu are almost overwhelmed. Should we attack and provide support?"
Tuoba Xiong's face was gloomy and his eyes swept across the battlefield sharply.
He saw that although Zhao Muyun's ambush troops were elite, their number was indeed small, and their main advantage was the surprise attack.
He also saw that after the Jinyang defenders attacked, the city defenses seemed to be somewhat vulnerable.
In an instant, the idea of taking advantage of the chaos to attack Jinyang flashed through his mind.
But when he saw the faintly visible dragon flag of Yinji on the top of the city wall, and the three silent but intimidating divine machine cannons, he gave up the risky idea.
"Support? How to respond?"
Tuoba Xiong said coldly, "Zhao Muyun dared to go out of the city to fight in the open field, there must be other ambushes!"
"The terrain here is complex and the roads are narrow, which is not conducive to large-scale cavalry attacks. If our army gets involved in a melee, it will definitely get stuck in the quagmire!"
"Orders are sent out. Dispatch three thousand cavalry, divided into two teams, to patrol and fire arrows, harassing Zhao Muyun's flanks and supporting the retreat of Cao and Liu's defeated forces! Do not linger in the battle!"
He chose the safest approach that was most in line with his own interests - limited intervention to preserve his strength.
The 3,000 cavalrymen he sent out began to gallop around the edge of the battlefield, shooting arrows at the flanks of Zhao Muyun's troops, trying to delay their offensive and open a way of escape for the defeated coalition troops.
However, Zhao Muyun's killing move was not over yet.
Just as the remnants of the coalition forces, under the weak cover of Tuoba Xiong's cavalry, barely retreated towards the Langyu camp, when they passed near the Eagle's Beak Cliff, suddenly war drums thundered and flags were raised on the cliffs on both sides!
Xi Sheng, who had been waiting here for a long time, led his Modao soldiers who were familiar with the terrain and rushed out from the hillside like ghosts.
Rolling logs and rocks poured down the steep slope, and arrows flew like locusts into the chaotic ranks of the defeated soldiers.
The "Xi" flag fluttered in the wind, completely cutting off the last hope of the coalition forces.
"It's over! We're all finished!"
When Cao Jun saw this scene, he almost fell off his horse and his face turned pale.
Liu Pan had long lost his prestige as a commander-in-chief. Despite the desperate protection of his personal soldiers, he threw away his armor and weapons and fled for his life.
The three-sided encirclement is complete!
The area from the foot of Jinyang City to Yingzui Cliff became a battlefield for the allied forces of Cao and Liu.
Zhao Muyun's elite troops chased from behind, Li Mao's infantry squeezed from the front, and Xi Sheng's ambush troops firmly blocked the escape route from the side.
The battle turned into a one-sided massacre and pursuit.
Allied soldiers knelt on the ground in large numbers to surrender, and discarded weapons and armor piled up like mountains.
Only a few fleeing soldiers who were swift or located in marginal areas managed to escape back to the Langyu camp with the help of Tuoba Xiong's cavalry.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Tuoba Xiong immediately gathered his troops, cautiously retreated to the camp, closed the camp gates, and took a defensive stance.
The setting sun illuminated the battlefield littered with corpses.
The smoke had not yet cleared, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.
Zhao Muyun immediately stood on the devastated battlefield, watching the dejected prisoners being escorted away and the officers running back and forth to count the results of the battle.
Li Mao and Xi Sheng had also arrived to join the forces. The three of them looked at each other, and although they were tired, they could not hide their excitement.
"General, this battle is a great victory!"
Li Maohong announced, "According to a preliminary count, we've killed over 3,000 enemy soldiers and captured 5,000! Countless weapons and fodder have been seized! Although Cao Jun and Liu Pan managed to escape, their main force has been severely damaged!"
Xi Sheng also added: "Seeing the strength of our army, Tuoba Xiong retreated to the Wolf Valley camp. I have sent scouts to closely monitor his movements."
Zhao Muyun nodded, looked towards Langyu, and said in a deep voice:
"Clean up the battlefield, take prisoners, and treat the wounded. Everyone return to the city to rest!"
"Xi Sheng, your men will continue to stay at Eagle's Beak Cliff and use the terrain to form a pincer attack with Jinyang City."
He paused, his voice tinged with coldness, "Send the order down to closely monitor Tuoba Xiong's movements. We'll return to the city and discuss how to warmly entertain this guest who has come all the way from Youzhou!"
On the top of Jinyang City, Yin Ji and Mr. Zhou looked at the triumphant army outside the city. Their clenched fists finally loosened slowly, and smiles of relief and pride appeared on their faces.
Zhao Muyun actually used such a simple strategy to win the first battle!
This round of fierce fighting not only crushed the first round of attack by the 50,000-strong coalition forces of Cao and Liu, but more importantly, the strategic initiative had changed hands!
......
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