Chapter 649 Chess Game
In an instant, the two groups of people clashed together.
The Western Turkic soldiers spent half a day burrowing in the dense forest without finding a single person. It was as if they had been played for a fool. They were already holding their breath, and now they vented all their anger on the group of men who were preparing to ambush them. They spurred their horses and charged towards the enemy, directly into the enemy ranks, and then brandished their scimitars, desperately hacking and slashing through the crowd.
In an instant, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and screams filled the air.
The group seemed surprised that they would emerge from the dense forest so quickly. Although it was an ambush, they had not gained the upper hand at all. Moreover, the enemy had fewer cavalry and more infantry, and the Turkic cavalry's charge caused many casualties among these infantry.
However, the enemy was not entirely without a chance to fight back. After being cut down in large numbers, some soldiers fought back and swung their swords to slash at the cavalrymen's hooves. These horses could not withstand the blows and fell to the ground with a mournful neigh. The surrounding soldiers immediately rushed forward and hacked the fallen Turkic soldiers into pieces.
The other groups followed the same method, and in this way, the first batch of Turkic cavalry was swallowed up by the crowd.
At the pass between the two mountains, more soldiers rushed out after hearing about the battle ahead. These infantrymen were well-trained and immediately formed ranks, holding heavy shields and setting up their positions at the other end of the grassland. Long spears gleamed coldly, protruding from the gaps in the shields like spiked armor, and slowly advanced with heavy footsteps.
Seeing this, the group of Turkic cavalry behind them could no longer charge forward recklessly, and they all slowed down.
But just then, a piercing, sharp sound rang out from behind the shield formation.
Everyone was startled and hurriedly looked up, only to see countless arrows flying from the sky, raining down on them.
"careful!"
"Get out of the way!"
These Turkic soldiers had already suffered this loss on the grassland, and they never expected that the enemy would use the same tactic again when they were facing off. They charged halfway when a rain of arrows fell, and a series of shrill screams rang out from the cavalry ranks as one Turkic soldier after another was hit by arrows and fell from his horse.
As they fell to the ground, men and horses tumbled about, and the cavalry that continued to charge behind them had no time to dodge. Their hooves trampled them into a bloody mess, leaving no trace of their bodies!
Upon seeing this, the man standing next to the wolf-faced prince turned ashen-faced.
They originally came to reinforce Taiyuan, but they were ambushed on the way before they even reached Taiyuan. Although they did not know where this group of people came from, since they were wearing the same clothes as the archers who had just ambushed them and had appeared in this place, they were obviously coming for them.
Having just been ambushed and now suffering another loss, he immediately drew his scimitar and brandished it: "Damn it, heavy cavalry!"
At his command, a heavy thud of hooves immediately sounded behind him!
A formidable cavalry unit charged out from the woods behind the main forest.
Just now, these light cavalrymen were the fastest to catch up with the archers, but this time the reinforcements to Taiyuan were not only light and agile cavalrymen, the wolf-faced prince also specially brought a team of heavy cavalrymen.
These men were clad in heavy iron armor, and even their horses were armored. Because of the weight, they were the slowest to run, and they had only just emerged from the woods. However, these heavily armored cavalrymen were the best at charging, and the shield formations were nothing more than tofu in front of sharp blades to them.
Seeing the heavily armored cavalry charge out of the woods, the light cavalrymen who had suffered losses around them were extremely excited, their eyes red as they shouted, "Kill them!"
"We cannot let our brothers die in vain!"
"Today, they must all die here; not a single one can live!"
Hearing these blood-pumping roars, everyone was enraged, brandishing their swords. However, one rider remained standing quietly on the earthen slope, watching the bloody battle unfold on the grassland below.
This person is the wolf-faced prince.
His face was mostly covered, and even now, no emotion could be discerned. However, when he saw the heavily armored cavalry charge out of the woods, preparing to follow the man into battle, his thin lips pursed tightly.
Then he said, "Wait a moment."
The people around him, caught up in their fanaticism and anger, couldn't hear him, but the man beside him immediately turned around: "Prince, what did you say?"
The wolf-faced prince said, "Something's not right."
The man's eyes were red, stained by the bloody battle before him. He immediately said, "Of course something's wrong! They ambushed us here. Luckily, the prince insisted on bringing this heavy cavalry unit this time, otherwise we would have suffered a great loss today!"
"..."
"Prince, don't hesitate any longer! Many of our brothers have already died or been wounded!"
Upon hearing this, the wolf-faced prince seemed to have nothing to say. After all, the shield formation in front was still advancing towards their side. Some Turkic cavalry charged directly at it and were immediately pierced by the spears protruding from behind the shields. They were then swallowed up by the shield formation. The soldiers guarding behind the shields brandished their swords, and blood splattered, spreading into a blood mist in the air.
At the same time, the flying arrows sharpened the wind, and the incessant whistling sound scraped against their eardrums, causing them pain.
Indeed—we can't afford to fail here.
The wolf-faced prince pursed his lips and suddenly said, "Act according to the situation. If I order you to withdraw, you must retreat immediately!"
"retreat?"
The man was also stunned for a moment. The Turks had never retreated in battle. Moreover, with heavy cavalry charging against the infantry-based and light cavalry-supported army, there was no possibility of defeat. Why would they retreat?
Just as he hesitated, the wolf-faced prince said, "Promise me, and go kill the enemy!"
The man was preoccupied with killing the enemy, and besides, he couldn't disobey the prince, so he replied, "Yes!"
Then the wolf-faced prince waved his hand.
With a wave of his hand, the man obeyed and shouted, "Charge!"
At his command, the heavily armored cavalry immediately adjusted their formation and charged down the earthen slope!
Heavy cavalry differed from light cavalry primarily in their massive size. Each cavalryman was like an iron bull with a bronze skin and iron bones. When this group of heavy cavalry charged down, the ground itself trembled slightly. The shields, which had been tightly packed together, were also shaken and began to collide with each other. A strong wind immediately blew through the gaps between the shields, striking the faces of the soldiers holding the shields as if they were being hit.
Their eyes widened as they watched the heavily armored cavalry charging towards them with an awe-inspiring force.
The people panicked and hurriedly shouted, "Archers!"
"Quickly, shoot them!"
However, the volley of arrows flew out as if hitting an impenetrable wall, clanging incessantly as the arrows fell to the ground, completely ineffective!
The soldiers behind the shield formation panicked. Seeing that the enemy was about to rush up to them, some of them instinctively retreated, shouting, "Run! Ah!"
Before he could finish speaking, his words turned into a scream of agony.
The heavily armored cavalry charged violently into the already crumbling shield formation, like a heavy hammer slamming into the shields. The shield formation, which had been impenetrable in the face of the light cavalry, was instantly shattered. What followed was the terrified screams and cries of panic as the shield formation was broken.
Before the heavy blow had even stopped, the heavily armored cavalry continued forward, trampling over shattered shields and the screaming bodies of soldiers. Those soldiers who had just been perfectly protected by the shields were instantly crushed underfoot, their skin pierced and bones broken, blood splattering everywhere, turning into a pool of flesh and blood as the horses' hooves pounded forward, staining large swathes of grass red.
In an instant, the heavily armored cavalry carved a bloody path through the battlefield!
The opening of this bloody path also broadened the Wolf-Faced Prince's view as he stood on the earthen slope. He immediately saw that behind the panicked men and horses, a carriage was driving out from the pass at the foot of the two mountains!
Among the group preparing to ambush them, there was actually a horse-drawn carriage?
What's going on?
At this moment, the two sides had completely clashed and begun a bloody battle. In the midst of the fighting, the Turks were naturally determined to wipe out the enemy. However, this group of people was clearly becoming more and more fearful, because they gradually recognized the identities of their opponents from the heavy cavalry and their battle robes.
Someone in the crowd shouted, "Why are the Turks killing us?!"
"Aren't we in an alliance?"
Upon hearing this, the wolf-faced prince's hand holding the reins trembled violently.
He raised his head and looked ahead. He saw that the carriage had stopped at the pass and dared not go any further. Some guards behind the carriage, who were holding flags, also began to retreat in panic. On the flags that were fluttering in the wind, there was a huge "King" character!
That is—
The wolf-faced prince suddenly said, "Sound the retreat!"
The soldiers around him froze, some who were about to charge forward stopped abruptly, bewildered, and asked, "Prince, why? We've already—"
"Sound the retreat!"
The wolf-faced prince shouted angrily. Although the soldiers next to him could not see his expression, they could hear his shock and anger in his voice, and they hurriedly began to strike the bronze gong.
Instantly, a crisp, piercing sound echoed throughout the entire grassland.
Upon hearing this sound, the heavily armored cavalry charging forward immediately halted their formation. The man leading the charge, his face and head stained with blood from the intense fighting, frowned upon hearing the signal to retreat: "What are they doing?!"
The soldiers guarding him rushed forward in a panic: "The prince has ordered us to retreat!"
"Why retreat at this point?"
"We're almost there!"
"But this is the prince's order!"
Their hesitation only fueled the ongoing stalemate on the battlefield. The cavalry charged into the center of the battlefield and once again clashed with the infantry who were still struggling to fight. The roars and screams almost drowned out the sound of the bronze gong.
The wolf-faced prince's thin lips were pressed into a line, and the marks of his clenched teeth were clearly visible on his gaunt face. He once again commanded, "Scream again!"
The soldier striking the gong dared not be negligent and hurriedly struck it with all his might.
The piercing, sharp sound of the gong instantly echoed throughout the entire grassland.
Not only did they hear it, but even those fighting alongside them heard it. The soldiers, who had been overwhelmed by the heavy cavalry, were given a chance to catch their breath when they suddenly heard the enemy sound the retreat. They hurriedly tried to retreat as well.
Seeing this, the Turkic soldiers at the front could hardly contain their fierce nature and wanted to charge forward, but the piercing sound of gongs rang out behind them, urging them to return to their lines.
Several hesitated and said, "Shall we retreat?"
"Let's cancel it. The prince is urging us."
"Let's retreat."
The man gritted his teeth in anger, but by this time, both the other side and his own men had begun to retreat. Helpless, he could only sigh, shove the reins, turn his horse around, and prepare to go back: "Retreat!"
Just as the two sides were about to retreat, suddenly, a sound even louder than the retreat signal rang out from the woods behind the wolf-faced prince. Like muffled thunder, it shook the entire forest, and a hurricane swept across the woodland, rustling the leaves and causing the men and horses standing on the earthen slope to sway!
That sound was—
The wolf-faced prince hurriedly turned around and saw that the dense forest he had just passed through was now even more chaotic with shadows swaying. And the deafening roars were creating an invisible sound wave, which made his horse start to move restlessly.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Those three sounds were the sound of drums!
They were sounding the retreat, but behind them, someone was beating drums to send troops out!
The wolf-faced prince and his soldiers were astonished. At this moment, the rumbling noise had startled their horses, causing them to shake uncomfortably. Some of them even galloped down the slope. Just as they started to move, suddenly, countless cold stars shot out from the forest!
It's an arrow!
It was a rain of arrows that had just attacked them!
In an instant, several more soldiers fell to the ground, struck by arrows. The Wolf-Faced Prince realized something was wrong and hurriedly shouted, "Get down! Get down now!"
The group had been so startled by the drumbeats behind them that they were almost unable to control their mounts. Upon hearing his command, they hurriedly dismounted and managed to evade the arrows that had just grazed their heads and ears.
They rushed down the slope, and looked back in panic. Suddenly, a large group of people rushed out of the dense forest, crashing through the trees like a rolling wave, and pushing them down the slope as well!
These people were all wearing yellow clothes.
However, one group of people, carrying quivers and holding longbows, were shooting arrows at them as they rushed out of the woods. They were wearing the same dark blue clothes as the soldiers who had just come out from the mountain pass at the foot of the two opposite mountains!
This is--
The wolf-faced prince's lips were pressed into a tight line, but he didn't make a sound. However, a sharp gaze shot out from behind the mask, sweeping over the group of people who had suddenly attacked, and then suddenly landed on one of the riders.
The man was dressed in white, and although he wore armor, it did not conceal his elegant and refined demeanor.
As he stood before the earthen mound, looking down at the panicked crowd, a faint smile flickered in his clear eyes, as if he were watching a chess game unfold and he was satisfied with the result.
In that instant, the wolf-faced prince immediately understood—
All of this is this person's game of chess!
Just now, they were ambushed on the grassland by archers hiding in the woods. It was this man who arranged it. He had his men wear dark blue clothes, which not only made it easier for the archers to hide in the fir forest, but also deceived them. After the archers ambushed them for a while, they immediately retreated. The Turkic soldiers, of course, were unwilling to give up and followed them into the woods.
But they were never able to catch them.
If I'm not mistaken, this group should have already dug deep trenches on both sides of the river, or perhaps they were hiding in the ditches on both sides of this forest, because only in this way could they hide so many men and allow the archers who ambushed them to quickly hide as well.
In their rage after being ambushed, the Turkic soldiers didn't bother to discern anything and chased after the attackers out of the woods.
Then, by chance, they encountered another group of people coming from the other side.
Of course, it wasn't really that coincidental.
This must have been planned by the enemy beforehand. Just as they rushed out of the woods, this group emerged from the mountain pass at the foot of the two mountains, leading them to believe that the enemy was ambushing them there.
Although the wolf-faced prince sensed something was wrong and hesitated before going into battle, just then, an arrow appeared and struck the enemy's men.
The enemy emerged from between the two mountains, completely unaware of the situation ahead. Suddenly struck by an arrow, they naturally assumed it was them who had done it. Thus, the two sides were ignited into a battle and charged into one place.
When they reached this point in the battle, both sides were already severely injured, and they realized that something was wrong and were preparing to call it quits, this group of people appeared!
Brilliant plan!
What a vicious plan!
The wolf-faced prince turned to look at the ethereal figure standing atop the earthen mound, riding a horse. The man's face was serene, as if none of this could affect him, a being detached from the mortal world. But—
I don't know if it's just my imagination, but those eyes, which were originally clear and pure, seemed to be shimmering strangely, as if they were boiling, because they were reflecting this sea of blood and mountain of corpses.
Then, he gently raised his hand.
The cavalry following closely behind him had also rushed out of the woods and assembled on the earthen slope, forming a formation ready to charge!
This startled the Turkic soldiers who had just fought a bloody battle.
Someone shouted, "Prince, what should we do?!"
Fortunately, because the wolf-faced prince had just called a retreat, their troops had already regrouped and were not deeply entangled in the fierce battle ahead. However, after pursuing for more than half an hour and fighting for a while, they really had no strength left to fight.
Just as everyone was eagerly looking at the prince, he suddenly raised his hand and pointed to a path leading east from the meadow—
"withdraw!"
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