The morning mist dissipated, and the war drums sounded.
The Xijing army launched the first attack, and a barrage of arrows and stones rained down on the Jinyang army's positions.
The Jin Yang soldiers held their shields high, stubbornly withstanding the long-range attacks. Although the line of defense wavered occasionally, it was never torn apart.
When the Xijing army's infantry formations entered within a hundred paces, a fierce battle began.
Spears stood like a forest, thrusting and stabbing at each other; swords and shields clashed, producing a deafening roar.
The soldiers roared and fought fiercely, their blood instantly staining the sand beneath their feet.
Seeing the stalemate in the battle ahead, Xi Sheng was so anxious that his eyes were blazing with anger. He asked Lin Feng to send troops into battle several times, but Lin Feng rejected him each time, saying that the time was not right.
Yang Fan calmly directed operations from the rear, constantly shifting his troops in an attempt to find weaknesses in the Jinyang army's defenses.
The battle lasted from dawn until afternoon, with both sides suffering heavy casualties, but the battle lines remained deadlocked.
Just then, a cold glint flashed in Yang Fan's eyes. He noticed that the right flank of the Jinyang Army had shown a slight weakening due to heavy casualties.
"Now! Central army, increase pressure! Left flank cavalry, charge the right flank of the Jinyang army!" Yang Fan decisively ordered.
The five thousand elite cavalry on the left flank of the Xijing army, like tigers released from their cages, pounced on the slightly weaker right flank of the Jinyang army!
The sound of horses' hooves thundered, shaking the earth.
Li Mao, who was in charge of the right flank defense, changed his expression and immediately ordered the spearmen to form a battle formation and the shield bearers to reinforce the defensive line.
But faced with such a fierce cavalry charge, the right flank began to shake violently and was about to be breached!
"Xi Sheng!" Lin Feng finally issued the order, his voice as cold as ice and snow.
"Your subordinate is here!" Li Mao had been waiting impatiently for a long time.
"Lead the Mo Dao Battalion, push forward! Crush the momentum of the Xijing cavalry!"
"Mo Dao Battalion! Follow me and kill!"
Xi Sheng let out a deafening roar, brandishing his Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword), and charged towards the right flank like a war god!
The heavy longsword once again demonstrated its terrifying power!
Like chopping melons and vegetables, he cleaved the charging Xijing cavalrymen and their horses to the ground!
The addition of the Mo Dao Battalion instantly stabilized the right flank and even initiated a counter-offensive!
Yang Fan's eyes twitched when he saw this scene; he knew this was the Jinyang Army's last trump card.
He gritted his teeth and ordered, "Right-wing cavalry, push forward! All troops, charge! Rout them at all costs!"
All of the Xijing army's reserves were committed to the battlefield, launching a full-scale general offensive!
The battle entered its most intense phase, with every inch of land being fought over repeatedly.
Lin Feng looked at the Xijing army surging in like a tide and knew that the moment to decide the outcome had arrived.
He looked at Du Wei: "General Du, it's up to you! Target: Yang Fan's command flag!"
Dewey nodded emphatically, mounted his horse, and raised his saber: "Brothers! Our fate rests on this moment! Charge with me!"
More than two thousand Jinyang light cavalry, like the last sharp arrow, bypassed the fierce main battlefield and launched a desperate charge toward the rear banner of the Xijing army!
"Stop them!" Yang Fan shouted sternly, mobilizing his personal guard cavalry to meet the enemy.
The two cavalry units clashed violently once again!
Dewey led the charge, his saber flashing like the wind, unstoppable, carving a bloody path through the enemy lines and charging straight towards the center!
Just as Dewey was about to break through the last line of defense, a stray arrow shot out from nowhere and struck Dewey's horse!
The warhorse let out a mournful neigh and crashed to the ground, throwing Dewey off!
"General Du!" the Jinyang cavalry behind him exclaimed.
Upon seeing this, the soldiers of Xijing swarmed forward.
Dewey swung his knife, cutting down several men, but ultimately he was outnumbered and stabbed multiple times, his battle robe stained with blood...
With their commander fallen from his horse, the Jinyang cavalry's offensive stalled.
at the same time.
On the main battlefield, the Mo Dao Battalion was incredibly brave.
However, the Jinyang army was outnumbered and under Yang Fan's relentless attack with all his reserves, their defenses were breached in many places and they began to falter.
Lin Feng saw Du Wei fall from his horse from the high platform, and saw the front line teetering on the brink of collapse, and knew that things were hopeless.
A flicker of pain crossed his face, and he reluctantly ordered, "Sound the retreat! Provide cover for each other and withdraw to the main camp!"
With the clanging of gongs, the Jinyang army retreated like a receding tide.
Although the Xijing army gained the initiative on the battlefield, it also suffered heavy casualties and was unable to carry out a large-scale pursuit.
The Battle of Chisha Plain ended in a Pyrrhic victory for the Xijing army.
The Jinyang army suffered more than 5,000 casualties. The vanguard Du Wei was killed in battle, and the elite Mo Dao Battalion and other elite troops also lost nearly half of their strength, forcing them to retreat to their camp and hold their ground.
The Xijing army also suffered more than 8,000 casualties and was also unable to launch another large-scale offensive.
The battle in Xiazhou has once again reached a stalemate, but the initiative has quietly shifted towards Yang Fan.
......
The capital city, the imperial palace.
Although Emperor Li Jingang of the Great Feng Dynasty favored Right Chancellor Feng Liang, he was not entirely ignorant of the general situation of the world.
Zhao Muyun inflicted successive defeats on the Northern Di in Longyou; Yang Yan of Xijing launched simultaneous battles in Longyou and Xiazhou; all of this converged on his desk through different channels.
He finally realized the meaning of Yang Yan's earlier warning.
Zhao Muyun's support for Prince Yinji of the Lesser Jin Dynasty and the establishment of the Hedong regime in the name of Yinzhao, the last emperor of the Great Yin Dynasty, has seriously threatened his rule in the north.
Now that Jinghu Road, Henan Road, Jianghuai Road, Jiangdong Road, Jiangnan Road, and Lingnan Road have been gradually pacified by Niu Desheng and Ma Zongliang, it is time to march north.
He pondered for a moment and then summoned his eunuchs and close advisors:
"Issue my decree! Order Li Bao and Li Biao, who are stationed in Hejian Prefecture, to lead their troops to Luzhou in Hedong and make a show of threatening the rear of Jinyang!"
"Furthermore," Li Jingang paused, raising his voice slightly, "appoint General Niu Desheng, who has just returned to the capital after pacifying Jinghu Road, as the Grand Marshal of the Western Expedition, leading 50,000 elite troops from the capital region and surrounding areas to set off immediately from the direction of Zezhou to attack Hedong!"
The imperial decree surprised several close advisors.
The movements of Li Bao and Li Biao in Hejian Prefecture can be interpreted as a way to contain Jinyang.
But directly sending Niu Desheng with 50,000 troops to attack Hedong is practically an open declaration of war against Jinyang and Zhao Muyun's forces!
"Your Majesty, think twice!"
An old minister advised, "The south has just been pacified, and the years of war have cost us a great deal. If the court were to go to war with Zhao Muyun and Yinji again, the national treasury would be empty and the people's hearts would be scattered!"
Li Jingang sneered: "I want the whole world to know that this land belongs to the Great Feng!"
"The Left Prime Minister is currently fighting on two fronts. If we don't provide support, wouldn't we be discouraging the soldiers of Xijing?"
"If we don't send troops to help the Left Chancellor now, when will we?"
"Immediately issue the imperial decree! Instruct General Niu to demonstrate the might of the Great Feng Dynasty!"
The intervention of the Great Feng Dynasty was like a boulder thrown into an already turbulent lake, instantly creating an even larger whirlpool.
Zhao Muyun is no longer facing Yang Yan of Xijing and the Northern Di, but also the enormous pressure from behind, representing the Great Feng Dynasty.
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