"Which army is ahead? Tell us their number and the name of their general!" A deep voice broke through the biting cold wind and pierced the eardrums.
During the fight, Chu Qiao chopped down a Xia soldier with a sword. She felt the voice in the cold wind was very familiar and suddenly looked up.
The enemy had at least five thousand men, and their bravery could be seen just by looking at their formation. The Xia soldiers had to stop rushing to kill the civilians. The leading officer turned around and shouted, "We are the 21st Squadron of the 18th District of Daxia stationed in Yanbei. Who are we facing?"
Are they the Xia soldiers stationed in the inland of northern Yan?
In just a moment, Chu Qiao had figured out all the connections. The independence of Yanbei was a coup d'état that was launched in various provinces and counties overnight. In less than half a month, the former Daxia garrison officers and soldiers in Yanbei were driven out of the border, and some were killed or injured. However, because Yanbei's independence was too short and the Daxia army arrived in a flash, they had no time to clean up the internal situation, which resulted in small groups of Daxia cavalry still remaining in the inland.
These people must be the Xia army that was defeated in the incident. Now seeing that Great Xia was marching north, they gathered together, hoping to achieve the first victory with internal and external cooperation. However, they met civilians who received the conscription order of the Second Army on the way. In order to prevent the news from leaking, they started a massacre.
The origins of this team are already clear, so what are the identities of those people on the opposite side?
After Xia Jun introduced himself, the other side suddenly fell into a terrible silence. The wind was whistling, the earth was desolate, and the snow on the ground was blown up by the wind, fluttering around, as if it had snowed again.
"Kill the enemy!" A loud and orderly charge suddenly sounded. It was the charge slogan of the regular army of the Great Xia, and it was almost identical to that of this team of Xia troops. However, their shining sabers and galloping horses' hooves showed their hostility without reservation. The soldiers of the Xia army were panicked. Their generals rushed forward and shouted, "We are the imperial army of Daxia guarding Yanbei. Who are you? Are you the imperial army? Please stop! Please stop!"
With a whoosh, a powerful arrow suddenly flew towards him and pierced through the chest of the Xia soldier. A line of blood shot up into the sky, and the officer fell down with a bang, hitting the ground hard.
"Prepare to meet the enemy! Prepare to meet the enemy!"
The Xia army brandished swords and guns and hastily changed their formation, but it was too late. With such a distance, such a horse speed, and such an overwhelming advantage that was several times greater than their own, the Xia army was already at a disadvantage both in terms of momentum and numbers. The retribution came so quickly, the massacre just now happened again, but the roles were changed. The sound of blades colliding echoed throughout the venue. Although the men were dressed in a variety of clothes, they were skilled in swordsmanship, well-equipped, and had quick movements. They could hit the vital point with one blow!
The battlefield was covered with white swords as white as snow. Under such a charge, the Xia army was like fallen leaves in the autumn wind. In less than half a cup of tea, they were torn apart and completely defeated!
The strong wind was like a sharp blade, under the dark sky, the snow was flying, the blade was as sharp as silver, and the fighting power of the ragtag army was terrifying. There were sounds of fighting and hacking everywhere. On the snowy plain less than fifty miles away from Beishuo City, a fierce battle was going on.
"Report!" A report voice suddenly came.
In the hastily built small tent, the general was pacing back and forth, seemingly waiting for someone.
The messenger came in and said loudly: "Sir, there is a prisoner who surrendered voluntarily and wants to see you."
The man was still very young and very handsome, with narrow eyes and thin lips. One could tell at a glance that he was a tough and resolute man. But at this moment, he seemed a little annoyed, frowning and saying, "Are they prisoners of the Xia army? What do you want from me? Hasn't the Yanbei soldier come back yet?"
"Not yet, sir. As to the prisoner, she would not speak of him, and she insisted on seeing you, sir."
The general waved his hand casually, "Bring it in."
When Chu Qiao came in, the general was politely speaking to the several Yanbei warriors who had been captured earlier, "Is the young lady okay?"
"My health is fine, but my luck is not very good. If I am not careful, I will become someone else's prisoner."
As soon as he finished speaking, the man's body shook and he turned around suddenly. Then, the man who was nearly thirty years old was suddenly stunned. He ran forward a few steps, tongue-tied, almost unable to speak.
"He Xiao, you called me all the way here, right? You didn't just want me to stand here for a while, did you?"
"Girl! Why is it you?" He Xiao looked dusty, but he couldn't hide the joy on his face.
Chu Qiao took off her hood and said with a smile, "I was just about to ask you, what's wrong with you? You don't want to be a good soldier, but you take the soldiers to become a bandit? I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes."
"Girl, how can we dare to come back without you?"
He Xiao sighed. Chu Qiao knew that he was still upset about Yan Xun giving up the post of Southwest Town Envoy in Zhenhuang City. She didn't point it out and patted his shoulder. "Now that I'm back, you should be relieved."
"Yes, otherwise we wouldn't have gone through such a big detour to come find you, young lady. We dare not get close to Beishuo City for fear of causing misunderstanding. We can only use this method to invite you, young lady. Please don't mind." He Xiao said respectfully.
Chu Qiao smiled, "He Xiao, when did you start being so polite to me? We are comrades who have shared life and death, eaten in the same trench, and have a life-and-death friendship. Now that you come back at this time, I am really grateful to you."
He Xiao smiled from the bottom of his heart and said, "Since we have been friends for life, why should I thank you?"
Chu Qiao stretched out her hand, bumped fists with He Xiao in mid-air, and smiled knowingly.
At midnight, under the leadership of Chu Qiao, this elite army composed entirely of light cavalry set out from the snowfield, advancing at full speed towards Beishuo City, and resolutely heading towards the battlefield that was about to break out. At the second watch, a burst of rapid war drum sounds suddenly rang out from the top of Beishuo City. The conference room was silent, and none of the commanders from various legions spoke. Just now, a cavalryman came to report that the Daxia army had arrived and it was believed that they would soon launch a powerful attack on Beishuo City. A middle-aged man who had just been promoted from a farmer to a cavalry scout swore that the other side had a powerful cavalry corps with more than twenty flags, countless infantry regiments and heavily armored soldiers, and there was no end in sight. Their torches blocked out the sky and stretched for more than ten miles. The vanguard troops were already at the gates of the city, and the follow-up troops were still trudging across the fire minefield ten miles away.
If Chu Qiao were here, she would probably be able to see the flaws at a glance; if Xue Zhiyuan were here, he might also have the courage to point out the flaws in the intelligence. But unfortunately, they are not here at the moment. Cao Mengtong touched his chin, glanced at Xia An with his eyes slanted, and asked in a deep voice: "General Xia, what do you think?"
Xia An half-closed his eyes, as if he had Alzheimer's disease, and hummed and moaned: "The general is far-sighted and wise. The general's wishes are our wishes. We are willing to follow the general and obey his arrangements."
Cao Mengtong's eyes twitched slightly, and he cursed inwardly, "cunning old fox", then a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth. Is it coming? better!
Cao Mengtong is not young anymore, and it is no coincidence that he can sit in the position of general given his background. People who are familiar with Cao Mengtong know that in the past ten years of his fighting career, he is the only undefeated general on the Yanbei Plateau. He has fought in more than a hundred battles in his life and has never been defeated. In this regard, even Wu Daoya cannot compare with him. But being undefeated does not mean victory. On the contrary, his victories are pitifully few. In Miss Yu's words, the Second Army is best at reasonable strategic shifts. They have been carrying out this great battle strategy almost throughout their lives, allowing them to fight the enemy with real guns and swords? Stop joking, General Cao still has to preserve the elite strength of the Yanbei army.
If it were in the past, Cao Mengtong would have probably fled with his tail between his legs if he had to defend a city like Beishuo against millions of elite cavalry from Daxia. But now, he has more heroic strength. No one wants to carry the name of the escape king for his whole life. In the past, the Yanbei Army was a group of beggars, with no money and no people. Now, with the financial support of Yan Xun, they have their own sophisticated equipment, sharp swords and hard armor, countless war horses, and nearly one million soldiers. There was also the little girl who was always by Yan Xun's side. She had made a bunch of strange tools for defending the city. Although until now, there were many that he still couldn't use, the few that he knew how to use were extremely powerful. Moreover, under her leadership, the city had been made higher and thicker. Now the outside was covered in ice, making it very difficult for the enemy to attack.
The Xia army's attack this time is equivalent to being openly exposed on the ice field. They have come from thousands of miles away, while we are well-rested. We have a million soldiers, strong cities, sharp swords, and sufficient reserves. Aren't all these enough to win a victory?
The blood in Cao Mengtong's veins began to boil. If he won this battle, his reputation in Yanbei would soar! Those old men in the Datong Guild who were yelling and screaming would completely fall at his feet, and Yan Xun, that kid whose hair hasn't even fully grown, wouldn't be able to boss him around anymore. The Yanbei regime will become stronger, Daxia will become weaker, and even breaking out of Yanbei and entering Zhenhuang will no longer be a dream. The history of the Pero family's invasion of Hongchuan and the seizure of land to become emperor three hundred years ago once again echoed in his mind. What a beautiful picture it would be for a commoner to rise from the grass and step by step reach the pinnacle of victory and power. The Battle of Beishuo was his first battle!
Cao Mengtong was excited by his idea. His eyes were red and veins popped out on his forehead. Finally, he stood up suddenly and faced dozens of Yanbei generals. He said slowly in a low voice: "Daxia is cruel and tyrannical. The battle of Beishuo is a holy war for Yanbei's self-defense. The rise and fall of Yanbei depends on this battle. This battle is inevitable. I have made up my mind. Please help me!"
“Fight for freedom!”
A loud and neat shout rang out in the conference room. The guard at the door turned his head quietly, only to see a group of hard fists raised high above their heads!
The battle of Beishuo has begun!
The battle signal was quickly transmitted to the entire Beishuo City, and the clanging of war drums resounded throughout the camp. At this moment, Xue Zhiyuan, deputy general of the Second Army's Vanguard Battalion, rushed into the city and conveyed the news that thousands of Daxia enemy troops were lurking outside the city. For a moment, the west city gate, which was originally fully open, was suddenly closed, and pedestrians were prohibited from passing. Xue Zhiyuan had seven or eight wounds on his body. He only had time to tell the general defending the city about the general situation before he fell off his horse and fainted, losing consciousness. Following him, a large number of Yanbei civilians who had escaped from the war rushed to the city of Beishuo, shouting loudly that they were Yanbei people who responded to the conscription order and came to help in the war. However, they could no longer knock on the heavy city gate.