When the order reached the river, Wu Shangzhi was raising his shield to deflect a stray arrow.
Upon hearing the military order, a resolute glint flashed in his eyes: "Frontline, listen to my command! Spread out your formation and advance at full speed!"
The three swordsmen and shieldmen at the front suddenly broke apart, no longer maintaining a tight formation, and instead waded through the water in skirmish lines.
This increases the speed of advance but greatly reduces defensive capabilities.
Upon seeing this, Li Biao on the north bank was overjoyed: "The Yin army's formation is in disarray! Archers, concentrate your fire! Pikemen, prepare to charge as soon as the enemy gets close to the shore!"
"General, the commander-in-chief has ordered us to hold our ground..." the lieutenant reminded him.
"The opportunity is fleeting!" Li Biao glared. "Didn't you see? The Yin army is in a hurry to cross the river, and their formation is already in disarray! If we don't attack now, when will we?"
He drew his sword: "Give the order: 10,000 spearmen at the front, charge with me! Drive the Yin army back into the river!"
"kill--!"
Ten thousand Imperial Guards with long spears charged out of their positions and rushed toward the riverbank.
They were all seasoned veterans, their armor gleaming, their spears like a forest, and their charge was awe-inspiring.
Wu Shangzhi could see clearly from the river, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.
The fish has taken the bait.
He raised his command flag: "Frontline troops, retreat! Middle line archers, fire upwards!"
The swordsmen and shieldmen who were crossing the river suddenly turned around and retreated, clearing the river for them.
Behind them, the archer phalanx fired three thousand powerful bows simultaneously into the sky.
The arrows flew over the retreating front lines and landed in the charging Fengtian army.
"Raise your shields!" Li Biao ordered urgently.
But how could the charging troops possibly have time to catch up?
Arrows rained down, and a whole group of people fell instantly.
Even more critically, at this moment, Wu Shangzhi's rear guard—the engineering corps that had remained stationary—propelled out twenty specially made crossbow carts.
This is no ordinary crossbow, but the "Formation-Breaking Crossbow" designed with Zhao Muyun's personal involvement.
The crossbow arm is ten feet long and requires ten people to operate. It can fire a three-foot-long giant arrow with an arrowhead made of fine steel, specifically designed to pierce heavy armor.
"put!"
Twenty giant arrows whistled out, like twenty poisonous dragons, heading straight for the Fengtian Army's charging troops.
"Puff puff puff—"
Wherever the giant arrow passed, shields shattered, armor was pierced, and men and horses were torn apart.
An arrow pierced through three people in succession, and with its momentum undiminished, it pierced the chest of a fourth.
The Fengtian Army's charge suddenly stalled.
Meanwhile, Wu Shangzhi's vanguard had retreated back into the river and regrouped.
The spearmen in the center stepped forward, their spear tips like a forest, pointing towards the shore.
Li Biao's 10,000-strong assault force was blocked between the riverbank and the Yin army's lines, caught in a dilemma.
"This is bad..." Li Biao's expression changed drastically.
He fell for the trap!
The Yin army's formation wasn't actually in disarray; they deliberately scattered to lure him into attacking!
"Retreat! Retreat immediately!" Li Biao ordered urgently.
But it was too late.
Downstream of the Yi River, Shi Yong's 10,000 cavalry finally set out.
They crossed the river at a secluded shallow shoal ten miles downstream, and by this time they had all crossed and were heading straight for Zhang Yu's right flank from the east.
What made Ma Zongliang even more desperate was that the 40,000 troops he had deployed in the northern canyon were being attacked by another Yin army force.
That was a reserve force of 20,000 men that Zhao Muyun had secretly transferred from the Dengzhou camp. It was led by Zhang Tao and had circled around to the north entrance of the canyon overnight, blocking the retreat of the ambush troops.
"General! Urgent report from the ambush in the northern canyon! They've been attacked by the Yin army and can't proceed as planned!"
"What?!" Ma Zongliang's vision went black, and he almost fell off the observation platform.
The elaborate trap he had painstakingly laid was torn to shreds by Zhao Muyun, layer by layer!
The left flank collapsed, the ambush on the south bank was entangled, the ambush on the north was blocked, and the central army was plunged into a bitter battle...
“Zhao Muyun…” Ma Zongliang gritted his teeth, “Just how many tricks have you been hiding?”
By this time, the sun had fully risen, and its rays illuminated the Yishui River.
The river water was as red as blood, and corpses littered the fields.
But the great battle has only just begun.
The sun was high in the sky, and the battle at Yishuichuan had reached a stalemate.
Li Biao's 10,000-strong assault force was pinned down on the riverbank by the Yin army's crossbows and crossbows, finding themselves in a dilemma.
Each attempt to retreat resulted in an even denser rain of arrows; advancing, on the other hand, meant facing a forest of spears and a constant barrage of crossbow bolts.
In less than half an hour, 30% of these 10,000 elite troops had been lost.
"General, this can't go on!" The lieutenant, his face covered in blood, cried out. "The brothers can't hold on any longer!"
Li Biao's eyes were bloodshot.
He had never fought such a frustrating battle.
Despite having superior troop strength, they were overwhelmed by Yin Jun using all sorts of unheard-of weapons and tactics.
"Order the front lines to form a circular formation and hold their ground with shields! Send another five thousand archers from the central army to suppress the opposite bank!" Li Biao gritted his teeth. "I refuse to believe that Zhao Muyun can win this battle with these strange and ingenious tricks!"
The order was relayed back to the central command, and Ma Zongliang could see it clearly from the observation tower.
He was anxious, but forced himself to think calmly.
The left flank has collapsed, the ambush on the south bank is entangled, and the ambush on the north is blocked...
However, Zhang Yu's 50,000 Imperial Guards on the right wing remained intact, and the central army still had 40,000 reserves available.
“Zhao Muyun’s main force is all on the river…” Ma Zongliang stared at the sand table, then suddenly his eyes flashed with a sharp light, “Zhang Yu!”
"Your subordinate is here!" Zhang Yu, the commander of the Imperial Guards, stepped forward.
"You will lead 30,000 troops on the right flank to cross the river downstream and outflank the Yin army's crossing force from the rear!"
Ma Zongliang pointed heavily on the sand table, "Remember, do not attempt a forced crossing. Find shallow areas and disperse to cross the river. Once across, immediately form ranks. The goal is not to annihilate the enemy, but simply to hold them off! As long as we can delay the Yin army on the river, Li Biao will be able to escape!"
Zhang Yu's eyes lit up: "The commander is wise! This subordinate obeys!"
He hastily stepped down from the platform, mounted his horse, and led 30,000 imperial guards eastward.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com