Chapter 375 The two armies clashed, resulting in heavy losses.
Border area, Dingzhou.
The main tent of the Great Zhou army camp outside Dingzhou City was brightly lit with candles. The generals or deputy generals had just returned from the battlefield, their armor still stained with blood and mud, and their precious swords still stained with blood. Before they could even eat or catch their breath, they gathered in the main tent to discuss matters.
Yesterday, Marshal Ye led 150,000 troops against Wanyan Zonglie's 200,000-strong army, with the main forces of the two armies clashing in Dingzhou.
The Great Zhou had only 2,000 cavalry, while the opposing side had 20,000 cavalry, consisting of 5,000 heavily armored cavalry and 15,000 light cavalry.
The fighting lasted from day to night, lasting four hours. Both men and horses were exhausted, and the Great Zhou suffered heavy losses, with more than 38,000 men killed.
Marshal Ye was shot in the chest by a stray arrow, and the army doctor is trying to save him; his fate is unknown.
Everyone looked serious as they discussed how to win the next round.
Countless strategies were devised on the sand table, but all resulted in heavy losses. Infantry was outnumbered by cavalry, and the enemy soldiers were mostly trained in martial arts from childhood, making them brave and skilled in battle. Unless divine intervention occurred, victory was impossible.
Unfortunately, the soldiers of the Great Zhou were not only not divine soldiers, but they were not even ordinary soldiers. Many of them were forced to join the army to make a living because they had to wander the streets, or they were bandits who were wiped out by the government and then recruited into the army. Their combat effectiveness was too poor.
Once on the battlefield, they were utterly routed when facing the enemy's iron cavalry.
"We're going to lose no matter what. We can't win. There's a huge gap in equipment between the two sides, and we can't outnumber them either. Plus, Marshal Ye is seriously injured. How can we fight this battle?"
Today, our 150,000-strong army was nearly wiped out.
Because Wanyan Zonglie trained an unprecedentedly powerful cavalry.
When their flanks were surrounded, Xiao Xuance led three hundred light cavalry on a night raid to provide support.
He led three hundred light cavalry to attack from behind the enemy's left-hand side, then turned to the right flank of the enemy's cavalry and launched a surprise attack from behind.
To relieve the pressure on the Zhou infantry in the frontal engagement, the Zhou infantry then launched a frontal attack on the enemy's left and right flank light cavalry.
They repelled the enemy's light cavalry on the left and right flanks, and then surrounded the enemy's Xuanjia Iron Cavalry who were engaged in frontal combat from the left and right sides. Although they were not able to annihilate them all, they still caused them heavy losses.
Without Xiao Xuance, they would have lost 60-70% of their troops. With their commander injured, they would have already lost and had no chance of turning the tide.
The Xuanjia Heavy Cavalry was a heavily armored cavalry force trained by Wanyan Zonglie. The soldiers and their warhorses were all clad in heavy armor and connected by tough leather ropes. They were arranged in groups of three, and when they charged, they were like a moving iron wall, specifically responsible for frontal assaults.
When the heavily armored cavalry charged, the ground shook and the infantry were crushed like ants in front of them.
"Hooked cavalry" refers to a high-speed flanking maneuver to cut off, harass, or attack from the flank or rear.
Suddenly someone spoke up: "Why don't we go and invite Young Master Xiao?"
Someone chimed in, "That's what I think too."
Some objected, saying, "No."
"Why not? If we can't come up with a plan to break through their iron cavalry, we'll be completely annihilated the next time we fight."
The person who objected said, "Marshal Ye is our marshal. If someone else is invited to command his troops without his consent, what will Marshal Ye think when he wakes up?"
"Shall we go and ask the marshal for instructions now?"
"The marshal hasn't woken up yet, how can we bother him with something like this?"
At this moment, the tent flap was lifted, revealing Vice General Gao, who was beside Marshal Ye, and a tall man beside him, Xiao Xuance.
They just came from Marshal Ye's side.
Marshal Ye was old and had been seriously injured, almost losing his life. It was only by giving him the holy water that Yun Zhaoxue had given him to save his life that he was saved.
Deputy General Gao held Marshal Ye's order, which read, "Marshal Ye has ordered that during his recovery period, the Hebei Army shall be temporarily under the command of Marshal Xiao, and all officers and soldiers shall obey his orders."
The soldiers inside the tent bowed and said, "Your subordinate obeys!"
"Vice General Gao, has the Marshal woken up?"
It's a miracle that he woke up so quickly after suffering such severe injuries.
"Yes, the marshal is awake. Is he alright?"
Deputy General Gao said, "There is no immediate danger to his life; he needs to recuperate in the coming days."
"That's good, that's good." Upon hearing this good news, the generals present managed to force a smile.
At this critical moment of life and death, they simply couldn't bring themselves to smile.
Xiao Xuance's gaze swept over their tired faces. "Go and eat something first. If you don't eat your fill, you'll collapse before the enemy even arrives."
He hasn't eaten yet either.
Deputy General Gao turned around and followed. After finishing their meal, everyone returned to the main tent. Xiao Xuance first asked them what methods they could use to suppress the enemy's Xuanjia Iron Cavalry and Guai Zi Cavalry.
After they presented their plan, they rejected it themselves, arguing that their method would result in a Pyrrhic victory, and they couldn't afford to lose; they had to win!
"Our methods have all failed. I wonder if Marshal Xiao has any brilliant ideas?"
"I have no brilliant ideas, but I do have one humble suggestion." Xiao Xuance deduced a fighting strategy on the sand table, which surprised everyone.
They clapped and cheered, "Great! Great! We only thought about what kind of formation to use, we never thought we could use this method."
"Brilliant! That move was absolutely brilliant! Marshal Xiao truly lives up to his family name."
Xiao Xuance raised his hand and waved it down, signaling them to quiet down. "Please don't get excited, everyone. We don't have much time left. We need to make the most of these next few days to train our troops."
He still had reservations, worried that there might be enemy spies in the military camp who could leak their battle plans, jeopardizing everything they had worked for.
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