Just as Zhao Muyun crossed the swamp and successfully arrived in Liangzhou, another front in Hedong—Xiazhou—had entered the most difficult moment of the fierce battle.
Lin Feng, the commander of the vanguard of the Hedong Army, was ordered to lead 10,000 troops to reinforce Xiazhou and meet the 30,000 elite troops led by Yang Fan, the general of the Xijing Army.
Yang Fan was the nephew of Yang Yan, the Left Chancellor of the Great Feng Dynasty. He inherited Yang Yan's true skills and was a calm and experienced strategist in military affairs.
The two sides fought two tough battles outside Xiazhou City.
The first battle ended in a draw. In the second battle, Du Wei, the military commander of Yanzhou, led two thousand cavalrymen in a charge, but unfortunately, he was killed in action.
Tian Zun, the former military governor of Guannei Circuit who fled from Linzhou, arrived in Xiazhou with four thousand defeated soldiers. However, his subordinates were turned against him by Yang Fan, and only Tian Zun escaped into Xiazhou City with a few hundred men.
Lin Feng, who was already short of troops, was now facing an even worse situation.
After two major battles, he had less than 10,000 troops left.
After a stalemate of half a month, the arrows and logs in Xiazhou City were almost exhausted, and food supplies were also running low, making the situation increasingly unfavorable for Lin Feng.
Lin Feng knew he could no longer afford to play defensively.
He carefully observed Yang Fan's camp deployment and attack patterns, and found that although Yang Fan's military tactics were steady, his camps were set up quite sparsely because he had a superior number of troops.
In particular, a detachment responsible for monitoring the flanks and rear was ten miles away from the main camp.
A bold plan took shape in Lin Feng's mind.
That night, Lin Feng summoned his generals.
His face was haggard, but his eyes were unusually sharp: "Yang Fan is taking advantage of our small number of soldiers and lack of food, intending to starve us to death. However, his decision to divide his troops and set up camps is a sure way to bring disaster upon himself! My mind is made up; at dawn tomorrow, we will launch a surprise attack and defeat the enemy!"
The generals were all shocked, thinking that the commander-in-chief was about to make a desperate gamble.
Lin Feng said in a deep voice, "The grudge against General Du Wei must be avenged! Tomorrow, I will personally lead three thousand elite troops to launch a feigned attack on Yang Fan's main force, making him believe that I am determined to fight to the death."
"Xi Sheng led two thousand infantrymen, carrying many banners, to circle around to the mountains and forests behind the enemy's detachment camp, where they deployed a large number of feints to create the illusion that our main force had arrived as reinforcements."
"Li Mao led three thousand daredevils, carrying all the remaining thunderbolts, to ambush the enemy's detachment on the only route between their main force and their main camp."
"When their detachment is intimidated by the feint and hastily returns to reinforce or rejoins the main force, attack them halfway, set fire to their camp, and create chaos!"
"When Yang Fan sees that our main force has been mobilized and that our flanks are in chaos and on fire, he will surely adjust his deployment, either by sending troops to rescue them or by launching a full-scale attack on us."
"At that time, our feigned attack force will fight and retreat as planned, luring their vanguard deep into our territory. Once their formation shifts and reveals a weakness, that will be our time to counterattack!"
Upon hearing this, although everyone felt it was risky, they also saw an opportunity for victory and readily accepted the order.
After all, the battle has reached this point, and it's time to fight with all our might.
Only by forging ahead can we find a glimmer of hope.
At dawn the next day, Lin Feng led three thousand soldiers out of the camp with great fanfare and charged straight at Yang Fan's main camp. The attack was fierce, and it seemed like they were fighting to the death.
Inside Xiazhou City, Tong Gu also dispatched a thousand soldiers to bolster his forces.
As expected, Yang Fan fell into the trap, believing that Lin Feng was running out of supplies and should prepare for a desperate battle. Therefore, he ordered the vanguard to meet the enemy and make every effort to annihilate him.
At the same time, the Hedong army's feint troops appeared behind the flank camp, shouting and making a ruckus, with banners waving and dust billowing.
Upon seeing this, the detachment assumed that reinforcements from Hedong had arrived in force and panicked, hastily retreating towards the main camp.
Halfway there, the three thousand Hedong daredevils, who had been lying in ambush, suddenly attacked. Thunder roared and fire arrows rained down, instantly disorienting the retreating flanking force, and the camp was engulfed in flames.
Chaos spread rapidly.
Yang Fan was focused on the battle ahead when he suddenly saw fires breaking out on his flank and the deafening shouts of battle. He also received a report that his detachment had been attacked and that reinforcements from Hedong had arrived. He was greatly alarmed.
Fearing being attacked from both inside and outside, he hurriedly ordered 10,000 troops from the central army to go to the rescue and stabilize the flank, while ordering the vanguard to intensify the attack and try to defeat the Hedong army in front of him as soon as possible.
However, his central movement inevitably caused the formation to loosen and become chaotic.
Lin Feng, who had been observing the battle, saw the enemy flags moving and their formations becoming scattered, and knew that the time had come!
He immediately ordered the planned signal flags to be raised.
The three thousand feinting troops, who had been fighting and retreating, suddenly stopped their retreat upon seeing the signal and turned to launch a fierce counterattack against the enemy.
The gates of Xiazhou City were opened again, and the last three thousand reserve troops, who had been resting and recuperating for many days, were like tigers released from their cages. Led by Tong Gu, they directly attacked the flank of Yang Fan's central army, which was weakened by the division of troops!
Caught off guard, Yang Fanjun's vanguard was counterattacked by the "retreating" enemy, and his formation was thrown into chaos.
The central army's flank was fiercely penetrated, and the command system was instantly paralyzed.
The troops sent to reinforce the flank were blocked by the chaotic defeated soldiers and the Hedong suicide squad, and were unable to return to provide support for the time being.
The Hedong Army and the Xiazhou Army fought fiercely and advanced relentlessly.
Even though the Xijing army was elite, it was still stunned by such chaotic command and sudden attack.
Of the more than 10,000 Xijing soldiers who participated in the battle, more than half were killed or wounded.
Those who had just surrendered to the Linzhou army became cannon fodder and were almost completely wiped out.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Yang Fan had no choice but to order a retreat.
This battle allowed Lin Feng to catch his breath a little.
At this moment, even more exciting news arrived: from Yinzhou, Murong Chunhua led a thousand Murong cavalrymen to assist in the battle, under the orders of Han Zhong.
Lin Feng was overjoyed.
Dewey's death left him without a mobile cavalry force, but the arrival of Murong Chunhua immediately filled this gap.
To his delight, Murong Chunhua not only brought provisions and supplies, but also two thousand warhorses.
He knew that Hedong was also facing enormous pressure. The Fengchao army had appeared in the south and southwest, while Hedong had to defend against the Loufan King in Mobei and the unwilling Han Yanshou in the east.
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