Chapter 94: Hook-Shaped Arrow
The pressure of competition is truly amazing, especially when the battalion cavalry is also intended to prove national self-esteem.
And with morale, the rest will be easy.
Although the military order was as strong as a mountain, Qiao Yan ordered his soldiers not to tell anyone about Bao Hong's visit today, but this did not prevent everyone from forgetting it temporarily -
This Marquis Qiao was not actually a candidate for the position of General Du Liao, but was holding his breath and trying to prove that they had to win the battle ten days later!
And you have to achieve more outstanding results than your companions!
Of course, this doesn't mean that Qiao Yan can feel relaxed.
Even if it is just a battle of 500 men, because sound is not easy to transmit on the battlefield, the most basic training is to let the soldiers understand signals, distinguish flags, and examine drums and gongs.
If Qiao Yan was given more time, she could make these soldiers adapt to her rules.
However, with only ten days left, her own combat mode still needed to be adjusted with the guards, and the offensive and defensive teams of the army also needed to be differentiated. It was not appropriate for her to forcibly change the habits of these Northern Army soldiers.
So she found the Northern Army's command mode records and adapted herself to the other side.
Fortunately, she is not the only one who needs to study this thing. As Qiao Yan said, her advantage over others is that there are two brains in this battle formation.
In this environment where the weapons used cannot hurt people and safety can be ensured to a great extent, she does not have to stay in the command position when necessary but can take the initiative to attack and temporarily hand over the command to Guo Jia.
This was a rare training environment for Guo Jia, who had not yet experienced a few formal battles.
He is not lacking in the ability to use his brain in a combat situation; what he lacks is the accumulation of experience.
Guo Jia increasingly felt that working under Qiao Yan was a good decision.
He wanted to add another advantage to his side -
This kind of well-organized preparation that maximized the ten-day time, and this kind of undercurrent of competition hidden beneath the seemingly normal training camp, could not be seen by other independent teams.
So much so that when the first battle was about to begin and Wang Kuang saw the opposing cavalry and archers marching in formation, he almost thought that the soldiers led by Qiao Yan and him were not from the same camp.
Even though she had rewarded her subordinates with wine and meat yesterday, Qiao Yan was not the only one who would do such a thing to boost their fighting spirit!
When Wang Kuang sent people to buy goods, he inquired and found that almost every camp had similar actions.
At that time, everyone knew that they had to feed the soldiers so that they would work hard for them.
But from what Wang Kuang saw, when they were confronting each other in front of the high platform, the five hundred people lined up opposite him clearly felt like beasts out of a cage.
When allocating personnel, in order to prevent any unfair treatment, they clearly observed the opponent's troops.
What were the five hundred people under Qiao Yan like at that time?
Due to the busy training in the past ten days, Wang Kuang was unable to remember it immediately. The situation was almost the same as when he first took over the team, and he even seemed to be more slack.
It was also because of this that after the draw to determine the opponent came out, he felt a little relieved to learn that his opponent was Qiao Yan.
This does not mean that Wang Kuang looks down on Qiao Yan.
Wang Kuang, who was able to become an official in the General's Mansion, was famous for his chivalrous character and indifference to money when he was young. He and Qiao Yan were both from Yanzhou, so he knew very well how difficult it was for her to achieve this during the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
What he looked down upon were only the soldiers under Qiao Yan's command.
But now it seems that this perception is undoubtedly problematic.
The Marquis of Leping, who was supervising the battle in the central army, waved his whip and pointed. The soldiers lined up around him as the vanguard, and at the front were the Hu cavalry from Changshui Camp who were trying to prove that they were worthy of being the champion of cavalry. The Tunqi and Yueqi on both wings were ready to go, as if they were holding iron spears instead of wooden sticks in their hands!
From the position of Liu Hong at the top, the aura of these fierce soldiers, like a long rainbow, was more clearly presented in front of him.
Although the outcome of the initial clash between the two armies was unclear, within just ten days, the soldiers of the same level had shown such a clear gap that it was enough for him to applaud.
His eyes were looking obscurely towards the small platform built by the other side.
In order to show the importance of this review of the battle between generals and soldiers, the emperor came in person and built a large altar on a high platform with a twelve-layer five-colored canopy. General He Jin built a small altar on a low platform with a nine-layer canopy as a ceremonial guard.
But the look Liu Hong gave He Jin clearly showed no sign of affection for the emperor, but rather an intention to warn him.
Just like at this moment, when Qiao Yan showed his overwhelming advantage over Wang Kuang, the expression on his face became more relaxed.
It should be so!
He Jin already enjoyed the power of commanding the military as a relative of the emperor, but he still insisted on placing personnel in the place where he selected officials and promoted talented generals and lieutenants. His ambition was truly growing, and he did not take the imperial power seriously.
Having been sick for many years, Liu Hong did not dare to have too high expectations for his fate. If he were to pass away within two years, with the manpower and military power gathered in He Jin's hands by then, could any of his princes really be able to suppress him?
There was a flash of sinisterness in his eyes, but fortunately when he looked down at the audience, he saw a scene that seemed particularly pleasing to him.
When cavalry fights against cavalry, the side that dares to fight with a sharp arrow formation must be confident enough to break through the opponent's formation, and she was indeed not wrong in her estimation.
Looking from the high platform, one could not see the passionate expressions on the faces of the soldiers who were trying to prove themselves. All one could see was the figure riding a horse in the central army, advancing with the soldiers of the Shesheng Camp, like a rock standing still in the raging waves.
But these cavalrymen riding out at high speed are undoubtedly her other arm.
Others will not see the "open and secret struggles" between these two parties!
Driven by the flags of the five schools of the Northern Army, the cavalry led by Qiao Yan had only the choice of moving forward or stopping at the predetermined position. The only thing they could do was to do their best.
How to prove it? Only by defeating the opponent!
This rising offensive aura was best utilized in the spearhead formation that was trying to defeat the enemy in one battle.
Liu Hong could not understand the flag signals during the battle, but he could see that Wang Kuang's retreat was not a feigned retreat to lure the enemy in and then encircle and suppress them, but it was obvious that he was caught off guard by Qiao Yan's extremely fierce offensive.
Qiao Yan's brains and courage alone cannot change the strength of the entire team.
But Wang Kuang also couldn't make this team from the five schools of the Northern Army completely synchronize their ideas with his!
So in this adverse situation, unlike the situation on an actual battlefield, if you lose, you just lose and you will not die. This kind of thing of surrendering to prevent yourself from falling off your horse will keep happening under his nose.
As a result, the Changshui cavalry advanced further and further, almost reaching the central army.
He suddenly woke up as if from a dream and ordered the Shesheng Camp to draw their bows.
This is indeed the most suitable attack distance for the Shesheng Camp. In order to ensure that the mutual shooting in this competition does not cause excessive casualties, the wooden arrows used are specially made and their quantity is limited, which greatly reduces the achievable range.
However, in the blink of an eye, the coordinated advance of the Yue cavalry and the Tun cavalry allowed them to shift from an auxiliary role that required protection and charging to a frontal attack. When the Hu cavalry became the number one target of the attack by the opposing Shesheng Battalion, they took on the responsibility of further tearing apart the formation.
The Hu horses gathered like clouds, and the Yue cavalry also formed a star-like formation.
These are the lines from a poem written by Lu Ji, a famous scholar in the Western Jin Dynasty, in his poem "Marching to the Army".
In his previous instigation, Qiao Yan had certainly mentioned the agility of the Tun cavalry, but the Yue cavalry, who had grown up in an environment of climbing up and down mountains and entering and exiting streams, were by no means inferior.
When they are not the primary target of the incoming wooden arrows, they can better demonstrate their ability of "running and shooting while walking on a dangerous and narrow road".
Especially the centurion of the Yue Cavalry Battalion, who had been holding his breath and wanted to prove that their Yue Cavalry Battalion was not inferior to the other two battalions as soon as the Hu cavalry broke through the formation.
The special arrows equipped to the Changshui Camp were also distributed in equal quantities on them, but at this moment, he drew his bow and drew his arrow while riding, his purpose was not to resist the counterattack from the opposite side, but to silently aim at the commander on the opposite side, Wang Kuang!
This was exactly the idea that the deputy commander brought by Leping Hou gave him when he was chatting with him last night.
How can the achievement of breaking the enemy's formation compare to the achievement of eliminating the opposing coach!
While dodging the arrow, he held his breath, concentrated, and shot an arrow.
The soft arrow marked with paint hit Wang Kuang's neck!
Even though there was not much of the force left by the time it reached him, that trace of paint still remained on his body.
This is——
The coach is eliminated!
Although this does not mean that the two sides will end the fight immediately, think about it, in the face of such an advantage, why bother to make any desperate efforts.
"Good!" Liu Hong immediately clapped his hands and praised, "Go show the reward to the Yue cavalry centurion."
The internal fighting among the five schools of the Northern Army did not damage his royal dignity. After all, the winners among these people were still an important force in defending the capital.
But the fact that his arrow eliminated Wang Kuang was something Liu Hong was really happy to see.
OK!
He eliminated the candidates recommended by the general with legitimate reasons, and used only the unfavorable fighting method as an excuse. Who could think that he was targeting them?
By the way, who was the next opponent he prepared for Qiao Yan?
Guo Jia rubbed his hands which were almost frozen, turned around and saw Qiao Yan still looking relaxed in the cold wind, and couldn't help but sigh that Lord Qiao had a good physique.
"Taishan Wang Gongjie has no strong generals under his command, and the number of people fighting is not large. It is not difficult for Qiao Hou to win this battle with a strong offensive formation, but the next one..." Guo Jia looked in one direction, "The ability of that person is just so-so, but it seems that the generals under his command are not simple."
The fact that Guo Jia directly addressed him as general was itself an extremely special gesture.
Qiao Yan looked in the direction of the sound and saw his next opponent Dong Min.
He has also reached a state where he is about to win, so there will be no second possibility for Qiao Yan's opponent.
As Guo Jia said, Dong Min's own strength is just so-so, but he is not the core of the team, which leads to this local disconnection. Compared with the whole team, it is just a minor problem that is harmless.
The general who conveyed the order at this time and took advantage of the situation to advance in my favor is the leader of this entire team.
Dong Min borrowed a general from his brother, and indeed he borrowed a deadly general.
This is Xu Rong!
When Dong Zhuo controlled the government and faced the joint attack of the alliance of princes, Xu Rong stationed his troops in Xingyang. He defeated Cao Cao and Bao Xin in the Battle of Bian River and defeated Sun Jian in the Battle of Liangdong. He was a real general.
As for whether asking Xu Rong to come was cheating—
Didn’t Qiao Yan bring Dian Wei and Guo Jia with him?
In short, there is no need for anyone to condemn each other.
But the presence of Xu Rong in the army undoubtedly greatly boosted Dong Min's momentum.
"Feng Xiao," Qiao Yan looked at the other side's calm and peaceful retreat, thinking that Liang Province was indeed a good battlefield for training generals. Xu Rong's victory over Cao Cao and Sun Jian was definitely not just because they were not in a good position at that time. "The next battle is up to you."
Although Dong Min, who won the battle, was somewhat surprised that Wang Kuang actually lost to Qiao Yan, he did not care and cast a provocative look at Qiao Yan at this time.
This is a winning performance...
Qiao Yan flexed his wrists twice and calmly said "hello" to the other party.
Liu Hong, who was on the high platform, could not see the undercurrents below the platform. He was very happy to hear the news that Qiao Yan defeated Wang Kuang, Jian Shuo successfully entered the next round, and Cao Cao, who he also favored to entrust with responsibilities, defeated Zhang Zhang. After returning to the palace, he had a rare good night's sleep.
In the second round of competition held after two days of rest, his attention was first focused on the confrontation with Qiao Yan.
Of the sixteen candidates, the remaining nine after two rounds of fighting were actually the candidates he had chosen for himself as the captain of the Eight Schools of Xiyuan and the general of Du Liao.
If Qiao Yan could defeat Dong Min, he would undoubtedly have gotten rid of a big trouble for him. If not, at most it would just allow He Jin to occupy a position in it.
But looking at Dong Zhuo's situation, it is still unknown whether Dong Min can really obey He Jin's orders.
So it would be fine if we put it in.
However, Liu Hong still had some expectations for Qiao Yan for no reason.
It was somewhat unexpected how quickly she took over military affairs.
if……
Liu Hong lowered his eyes, thinking deeply about a more special situation, when he suddenly heard the sound of golden drums announcing the start of the competition.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw that the soldiers led by Dong Min, no, it should be said that they were led by Xu Rong and launched the first attack.
Under the leadership of a brave general like Xu Rong, the Changshui Battalion, which was already extremely brave, displayed amazing momentum at this time.
No, it’s not just Changshuiying.
Although Xu Rong was a general under Dong Zhuo, he came from Liaodong, so he knew clearly why the Tunqiying became the feared Youzhou Tuqi under the hands of Emperor Guangwu of Han.
The two forces attacked together under his command, and their aura was not weaker than the cavalry that Qiao Yan had deployed the day before.
If a fight like this were to take place, the outcome would depend on whether he was the main general or not.
However, there was still some distance between the two sides, and changes had occurred in Qiao Yan's camp.
The infantry, led by Dian Wei, marched with shields in hand, shooting sound waves, and throwing crossbows to disrupt the attack, forming a square formation in front of the central army as they moved forward quickly.
Before Xu Rong could take advantage of the cavalry's flank attack to bypass the enemy, the enemy's Yueqi Battalion and Changshui Battalion had already become the defensive forces on both sides of this hook-shaped formation.
The flag signals in the enemy's formation changed in a very orderly manner, which was obviously the work of the commander-in-chief of the central army.
He looked at the other person, but could only see the other person's face which was difficult to distinguish under the helmet.
However, the leader of the square formation held the shield as if it were a sword, with amazing physical strength, and forced him to draw his attention back.
Xu Rong hurriedly reined in his horse, avoiding Dian Wei's long shield attack on the horse's legs. He hurriedly swung the long stick, but the guy held it in his hand with enough strength.
He couldn't help but be shocked.
Judging from Dian Wei's performance, he is truly a brave warrior who is capable of fighting tigers!
No wonder Qiao Yan dared to lead the infantry in the upper formation in a battle with such a large number of people.
However, at this moment, something strange happened!
During the fight between Xu Rong and Dian Wei, a gap suddenly opened up from the hook on the left wing of Qiao Yan's side.
The cavalry battalion, which had no responsibility for guarding the flank, rode out directly under her leadership.
Despite the biting winter wind, the red tan horse she was riding was like a blaze, leading the group at a gallop, with no intention of engaging Xu Rong at all.
And her target was Dong Min!
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