"Boom! Boom boom boom!"
Fifty Thunder Cannons fired simultaneously.
Flames several feet long shot from the cannon muzzle, and the iron bullet whistled through the sky, crashing into the hills on Li Bao's left flank.
In the first salvo, three iron balls hit the defensive fortifications on the hill.
The log fence, as thick as a bowl, was smashed to pieces, sending rubble and dirt flying into the sky.
Even more terrifying were the incendiary bombs mixed in with them—the clay pots shattered, and the burning oil splattered everywhere, igniting instantly and turning the hillside into a sea of fire.
"What the hell is that?" Li Bao stared in disbelief from the hilltop.
He had never seen such a powerful weapon.
A catapult can throw a stone weighing up to 100 jin (50 kg) and has a range of 10
But this Thunder Cannon, with a single shot covering three hundred paces, shatters men and horses wherever its iron bullets pass!
"General! The three battalions on the left flank are under heavy artillery fire, suffering heavy casualties!" The military advisor rushed over, his face covered in soot.
Li Bao gritted his teeth: "Order the entire army to descend the mountain! Form ranks on the plain and avoid artillery fire!"
"But the commander-in-chief has ordered us to hold our ground by relying on the hills..."
"Hold on my ass!" Li Bao roared. "Are we just going to wait on the mountain to get bombarded to death? Get down the mountain! Rejoin the central army!"
The 30,000 troops on the left wing began to hastily descend the mountain.
However, the hilly terrain is complex, and mobilizing a large army is no easy task.
The ranks stretched out and the formation became scattered.
This was exactly the effect Zhao Muyun wanted.
"Report!" the lookout sentry urgently reported, "Enemy activity in the western hills is evident; they are moving towards the plains!"
Ma Zongliang's expression changed: "Li Bao deserted his post? Nonsense!"
He immediately realized that things were not going well—if the left wing left the hilly terrain, it would be exposed on the plains and become easy targets for the Yin army's cavalry!
"Order Li Bao to retreat to the hills immediately! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"
But by the time the order arrived, it was too late.
Murong Chunhua's cavalry had been waiting for a long time at the shallows of the upper reaches of the Yi River.
Seeing Li Bao's men descending the mountain, he raised his spear high and shouted, "Brothers, kill!"
"kill--!"
Ten thousand riders galloped forward, like a black torrent surging across shallow waters.
Horse hooves pounded the river water, splashing water high into the air.
Within a quarter of an hour, all the cavalry had crossed the river and were heading straight for the flank of Li Bao's troops.
"Cavalry! Yin Army cavalry!" The left flank of the Feng Army was thrown into chaos.
Li Bao hurriedly ordered the troops to form a battle formation, but the troops who had just come down from the hills could not arrive in time.
With spearmen in front and archers behind, before the formation could even take shape, Murong Chunhua's cavalry was already within a hundred paces.
"Fire arrows! Fire arrows now!" Li Bao roared.
Scattered arrows were fired, but they were like tickles to the charging cavalry.
Murong Chunhua took the lead, spearing three Fengtian soldiers in succession, and charged straight into the central army's flag formation.
"Protect the general!" The guards fought desperately to protect him.
But the Yin army cavalry were like wolves among sheep, leaving carnage wherever they went.
The left wing of the Fengtian Army collapsed instantly, and the soldiers scattered and fled.
Ma Zongliang, watching from the observation tower, was furious: "The left wing is finished... Zhao Muyun, you're so cunning!"
He forced himself to calm down and immediately gave the order:
"Order the troops lying in ambush on the south bank to attack immediately! Target—the rear guard of the Yin Army's river-crossing force! Cut off their retreat!"
"yes!"
Thirty thousand soldiers emerged from the woods on the south bank of the Yi River.
Commander Zhao Kui was a confidant of Ma Zongliang and was skilled at fighting tough battles.
He was overjoyed to see that most of Yin's army had already crossed the river, leaving only archers and engineers on the riverbank:
"Heaven is on our side! Brothers, kill all these archers and cut off the Yin army's retreat!"
Thirty thousand ambushing soldiers surged toward the riverbank like a tidal wave.
Wu Shangzhi could see clearly from the river, but he remained completely calm.
He raised the red command flag and drew three circles in the air.
This is a signal.
Almost simultaneously, a large cloud of smoke and dust rose from the downstream direction of the Yi River.
Mei Zang E Pang led three thousand Tangut light cavalry to attack, one man on two horses, moving as fast as the wind.
"Eagles of the grasslands!" Mezang Epang raised his scimitar high, "Let these people from the Central Plains see what true cavalry is!"
The three thousand Tangut cavalry were divided into six groups of five hundred each. Instead of charging in formation, they scattered like a pack of wolves, harassing Zhao Kui's ambush from all directions.
They were skilled horsemen, able to shoot arrows while galloping, never missing their mark.
What's even more terrifying is the tactic—a swift strike and immediate retreat, never lingering, making it impossible for the Fengtian Army to catch up.
Zhao Kui's 30,000 ambushing troops were instantly thrown into chaos.
They originally intended to launch a surprise attack on the rear of the Yin army, but now they are entangled by the Dangxiang cavalry and are unable to defend both ends.
"Don't panic! Form a circular formation!" Zhao Kui shouted hoarsely.
But the Tangut cavalry didn't give him any time to form ranks.
As soon as one group retreated, another arrived, arrows raining down and sabers flashing like snow.
The Fengtian Army suffered heavy casualties in the ambush, and morale plummeted.
Ma Zongliang felt a chill run down his spine as he watched from the observation platform.
He then realized that he had completely fallen into Zhao Muyun's trap.
The feigned attack across the river was bait, luring them to unleash their full force.
Thunderous artillery bombarded the left flank, forcing Li Bao to descend the mountain.
The cavalry charged the left flank, disrupting its formation.
The Tangut light cavalry harassed the ambush troops, preventing them from cutting off the Yin army's retreat route.
One step after another, proceeding cautiously and methodically.
"General, what do we do now?" the soldier asked, his voice trembling.
Ma Zongliang stared intently at the battlefield and suddenly noticed a detail—although the Yin army's river-crossing troops advanced slowly, their formation remained intact.
And... they haven't even reached the middle of the river yet.
"What are they waiting for?" Ma Zongliang murmured.
He was waiting for the Yin army to cross halfway across the river so that he could launch a surprise attack while they were halfway across.
What is Zhao Muyun waiting for?
......
On the south bank of the Yi River, in the central command tent of the Yin Army.
Zhao Muyun stood in front of the sand table, listening to the continuous battle reports:
"General Wu has crossed 40% of the river, but has been suppressed by a hail of arrows from the Fengtian Army, suffering about 500 casualties."
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