Victory
The elite cavalry, Liangzhou soldiers, and Youzhou reinforcements assembled to prepare for an attack on the barbarians.
Taking advantage of your weakness, the Wei army is currently in high spirits and will definitely try to regain the face lost in the previous defeat.
Inside the tent, Luo Zhenhai, along with his strategist and several generals, were arranging their troops. Pointing to the area on the sand table occupied by the barbarian coalition, he emphasized, "In this battle, victory is the only option; defeat is not an option!"
While small, uncivilized countries were not a threat, the allied forces of the barbarians did indeed cause the Great Wei to suffer a setback.
The elite cavalry has always had a good track record, but this time they were criticized for losing to the barbarian alliance. They are determined to regain their honor and kill the enemy without leaving a single survivor.
Luo Zhenhai was injured and could only issue orders from the rear. Therefore, he appointed Xie Zhuo as the vanguard general for this attack, with Du Zhiyun and Zhan Yingjie as flank support.
Du Zhiyun had just suffered a defeat, and now was the time for him to keep a low profile, so he dared not have the slightest objection to Luo Zhenhai's decision.
After formulating the battle plan, Luo Zhenhai also gave each captain a special communication flag to facilitate unified command on the battlefield.
Early the next morning, Xie Zhuo gathered all his soldiers and continued northward.
The war has lasted for nearly a month now. If it weren't for the vast territory and strong military of the Great Wei, it probably wouldn't have been able to hold out for long.
Yanling Pass is located within the territory of the Great Wei Dynasty and is its border. It was occupied by the barbarian coalition forces as early as the beginning of the war. Xie Zhuo's purpose in this trip is to recapture Yanling Pass and completely drive the barbarian coalition forces out of the Great Wei Dynasty.
The barbarian coalition had also received news that the main force of the Wei army was heading towards Yanling Pass. Based on their speed and distance, they would arrive in less than two days.
The two armies faced each other, less than ten miles apart.
A burst of intense war drumming sounded, and Xie Zhuo raised his hand and waved it. Shield bearers from the elite cavalry cleared the way, and the cavalry followed closely behind, quickly charging into the barbarian army.
After probing each other for so long, the two sides have finally clashed head-on.
According to Luo Zhenhai's plan, Xie Zhuo, as the vanguard, broke through the enemy's defensive formation, Du Zhiyun led the swordsmen and axemen on the left to kill the enemy, and Zhan Yingjie led the archers and crossbowmen to finish off the enemy from the rear.
The continuous attacks from the three forces overwhelmed the barbarian coalition, forcing them to retreat repeatedly.
Xie Zhuo charged ahead, confidently entrusting his back to Wang Qianxin. With no worries about his rear, his fighting prowess was off the charts.
Holding a red-tasseled spear, he moved with lightning speed, clearing out the area in front of him in no time.
The enemy was terrified and rushed forward. Seeing Xie Zhuo's bravery, the morale of the Wei soldiers was greatly boosted. They roared with fanaticism in their eyes and fought fiercely.
To capture the enemy, you must first capture their leader. Without a general to command, the barbarian army instantly fell into disarray. Faced with the powerful attack from the Great Wei, they retreated one after another. Seeing Xie Zhuo's imposing manner, the morale of the other cavalry soldiers was stimulated and surged again. They rushed forward and swung their swords to strike.
You slash me with your sword, I'll shoot you with an arrow.
The clash of weapons, the spray of blood, the sound of swords slicing through flesh and the screams of soldiers mingled together, making it no exaggeration to call it a living hell.
Luo Zhenhai sat on the chariot, directing his personal guards to wave a signal flag. Upon seeing the flag waving, Du Zhiyun shouted, "Kill!"
"Kill!" The soldiers responded with overwhelming force, forming a battle formation. From above, the Wei army's formation resembled a concave shape. This was a tactic specifically devised by Luo Zhenhai, where the soldiers created a large net to directly surround the barbarian coalition.
"Release the arrows!" Zhan Yingjie shouted, and tens of thousands of arrows shot towards the barbarian army.
"Defend!" Kelabi shouted, and the barbarian army stopped in place and quickly erected iron shields, which blocked most of the arrows.
However, in that very pause, Xie Zhuo's tens of thousands of cavalrymen had already reached Kerabi's presence.
Soldiers fight soldiers, and generals naturally fight generals.
Xie Zhuo's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, fixed on Kerabi ahead. He spurred his horse and launched the first attack.
Seeing the long spear coming, Kelabi hurriedly raised his longsword to block it. Xie Zhuo used all his strength in this attack. Although Kelabi blocked the spear, he was still knocked back a few steps.
Kerabi's pupils contracted slightly; he knew that the person before him was probably no less powerful than himself.
Kerabi was unwilling to confront Xie Zhuo directly. Now was not the time to act rashly. What he needed to do was win this battle. With his command, the barbarian soldiers scattered and attacked the hooves of the Wei cavalry with their hooked spears and swords.
The attack on the horses' hooves was very effective, and several Wei cavalrymen were immediately thrown off their horses.
Seeing this, Xie Zhuo ordered all the cavalry to increase their speed again. He charged at the forefront, like an invincible sword, causing the barbarian coalition to fall and making it impossible for them to find an opening to attack, thus preventing them from launching a long and powerful counterattack.
Cavalry is highly agile in combat, and with the support of their horses, cavalry can far surpass the speed of infantry. They can not only launch direct charges to crush the enemy, but also act as agile archers, skillfully maneuvering and shooting down enemies on the battlefield.
Upon seeing this, Luo Zhenhai's face lit up with joy. He ordered his personal guards to continue waving the battle flag and issued the order for a full-scale attack.
The Wei army on the battlefield was in high spirits and quickly gained the upper hand. The previous battle had caused the Wei army to lose a lot of troops, and they had to win a victory to stabilize their morale. Moreover, now that reinforcements had arrived, they had even less reason to fail.
"General, they are too fast, we can't resist them at all!" the lieutenant on the rear flank shouted to Kerabi.
Kelabi found it hard to believe. The Western Kingdom was famous for its skilled archery, but the cavalry in front of him was no less skilled than them. The cavalry's continuous charges put the barbarian alliance on the defensive.
He realized something was wrong and immediately ordered his deputy to change formation: "Set up a defensive formation!"
As the bugle sounded, the barbarian coalition began to change formation. The vanguard soldiers who had charged ahead retreated from both sides, while the soldiers who had been behind came out from the middle with iron shields, eventually forming a circle to protect the coalition behind them.
Kerabi was indeed quite skilled. As soon as the defensive formation was deployed, the offensive momentum of the elite cavalry was immediately slowed down. However, this momentum did not last long, and the allied forces were soon exploited by the elite cavalry to create an opening.
Khrabi's idea was good, but he didn't take into account practical factors.
The allied forces were indeed very fierce, but they were fighting for resources and interests, and their forces were composed of many small countries. Therefore, it was difficult for them to unite as one from top to bottom, and they did not have the same determination as the Wei army to defend their territory to the death.
When combat strength is roughly equal, it all comes down to willpower.
The pristine snow on the ground had been trampled beyond recognition. The elite cavalry arrived swiftly, with a hail of arrows raining down as cover. Caught off guard, the barbarian coalition suffered heavy casualties, with large numbers of soldiers behind Kelabi falling.
Before the barbarian coalition could recover from the barrage of arrows, Xie Zhuo led over a thousand cavalrymen in a direct charge.
Kerabi stared intently at the golden figure at the front. Xie Zhuo's golden chainmail was already stained red with blood, and the bloodstains on his face gave him a ghostly aura.
Xie Zhuo led his elite cavalry in a fierce charge, and wherever their hooves trampled, the allied troops fell to the ground.
Kelabi dared not be careless. He wielded his long sword and slaughtered the Wei soldiers surrounding him. Suddenly, his deputy general's expression changed drastically, and he shouted, "General!"
Khrabi realized something and quickly looked to the other side.
In a few breaths, Xie Zhuo was already in front of him. After killing dozens of allied soldiers, he raised his spear and struck Kerabi in the vital area.
The spear came whistling through the air.
Kerabi raised his longsword and fought back fiercely. Xie Zhuo's repeated attacks made him both angry and anxious. The spear flashed like lightning, and Kerabi was unable to dodge in time and was stabbed. He clutched his abdomen in pain, warm blood gushing from between his fingers. The stab was too deep, and he was in so much pain that he could hardly speak.
He fainted from the intense pain.
The incident happened in the blink of an eye; the commander was knocked off his horse, which greatly alarmed the barbarian allied forces who were fighting desperately to break through the encirclement.
The warhorse neighed loudly, and Xie Zhuo sat on its back like a god, the red-tasseled spear in his hand gleaming coldly: "Those who surrender will be spared!"
The elite cavalry behind him roared with thunderous force, their eyes growing increasingly fanatical, and they shouted in unison, "Those who surrender will be spared! Those who surrender will be spared!"
Ural, the commander of the allied forces, gritted his teeth and his face immediately turned ugly. The Western Kingdom was one of the more powerful countries in the allied forces, and Ural, as the leader of the country, served as the commander of the allied forces.
Although he was the commander-in-chief, the one who led the battle was Kelabi, the strongest warrior among their nations, yet he was now being easily defeated by a minor general of the Wei army…
The other barbarian soldiers all stopped in their tracks, their faces turning deathly pale, a sense of unprecedented terror rising within them.
This person is too strong!
Accompanied by his personal guards, Luo Zhenhai observed the battlefield. "In a few more moments, the allied forces will be unable to hold out. Pass down the order: once the enemy is routed, our army must do everything in its power to kill them!"
"Yes!" The guard accepted the order and left.
Luo Zhenhai remained where he was, stroking his beard and laughing heartily. Watching Xie Zhuo's figure, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction and exclaimed, "The world has gained another young hero!"
Having lost a key general, the barbarian coalition was no match for the Wei army, whose morale had soared.
The Wei army immediately formed ranks and attacked the barbarian coalition. Within moments, the barbarian coalition collapsed. After a brief weighing of the pros and cons, some coalition soldiers chose to abandon their weapons and flee in panic to the outer perimeter. Winning the battle and seizing resources was no longer possible; survival was the priority at this point!
The battlefield was a scene of carnage, with everyone struggling to survive. The allied forces were doomed and had no chance of turning the tide.
In the Battle of Yanling Pass, the Wei army achieved a great victory.
The elite cavalry then fought with increasing ferocity, winning battle after battle and successfully recovering several lost border territories, driving the allied forces out of the Great Wei borders.
Xie Zhuo wiped the sweat from his face.
Of course, a victory must be celebrated. Luo Zhenhai waved his hand and said that the army should be rewarded. A bonfire was lit in the camp, pigs and sheep were slaughtered, and a victory banquet was held for all the soldiers.
The soldiers were in high spirits, and the frustration from their previous defeat had vanished. How could they not be happy after winning a battle? When they returned to the capital, the court would reward each soldier for their merits!
After the barbarian coalition was defeated, the townspeople gradually returned to Anfeng Town. They spontaneously took to the streets to cheer and celebrate, and Anfeng Town gradually returned to its former liveliness, with no more atmosphere of death.
"After this battle, the northern border will be peaceful for at least several decades to come," Luo Zhenhai said confidently.
The report of the great victory at the border was sent to the capital by express courier, and the Chengde Emperor was overjoyed upon receiving the news.
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