The scorching sunshine in summer and May adds a touch of heat to the raging battlefield.
On the high chariot behind the Wei army, Cao Zhen stood on the railing and watched the battle.
Having been in a high position for a long time and pampered, his huge body made him even more intolerant to the hot sun. Sweat kept coming out of his silver hair on his temples, which stuck to the dust on the battlefield and smeared his face. The sweat inside his armor
The inner lining was also completely soaked, and it stuck to the skin stickyly, like many ants crawling, and it was extremely uncomfortable.
But his hand on the railing was still steady, and his eyes were still as bright as ever.
Although Xiahou Ba's offensive on the right was unable to advance even an inch, and Fei Yao's troops on the left were strangled after entering the enemy's position for more than twenty steps, this result was not unacceptable to Cao Zhen.
The war has continued to this day, and the Han army has no support for its chariot formation, and the battle losses on both sides have begun to change one life for another.
It’s time to put in the effort.
Whoever fails to hold on first will lose.
Cao Zhen would not withdraw his troops first, although his own cavalry could respond, making it impossible for the Han army to cover up the enemy.
Both sides would suffer losses. Wei could afford it, but the Han army could not afford it.
It doesn't matter even if Wei's soldiers suffer more casualties.
Now that the Han army has lost all its war heritage, it will be easier to send troops to regain Longyou at the end of the year.
With the support of strong national power, the Wei State is in an invincible position, and there is no need to stick to the immediate victory or defeat. It is also a good choice to use an evenly matched battle to establish the next victory.
.
In any case, the main force led by Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, was not so easy to win in one battle.
At least Cao Zhen didn't have such illusions.
A dull knife is also good for cutting meat.
"Send the order for the rear troops to press the left wing."
"Blow the drum to urge the battle."
He gently wiped the sweat from his face and gave orders to the messengers beside him.
"promise!"
The messenger quickly agreed, took out a small flag and waved it at the generals below the chariot, making the sound of war drums sound like thunder, the footsteps of the soldiers advancing and the clang of the armor, swords and spears rubbing against each other.
Another person in the Chao car couldn't help but open his mouth to say something, but closed it again.
He is Zhao Yan.
Boran, together with Chen Qun, Du Xi and Xin Pi, are known as the "Four Famous Scholars of Yingchuan".
He was well versed in military affairs and was rich in strategies. During Cao Cao's reign in the Wei Dynasty, he often led the military governor to protect the army. Now he is the chief military advisor.
What he just wanted to say was, "Don't throw everything in the towel."
Because Cao Zhen's order was very decisive, it meant that all the infantry were pressed forward.
Although there were more than 5,000 cavalry in the formation to protect the Ya Banner from being attacked by the Han army, if the infantry failed, the whole army would be defeated.
Furthermore, Anding County was handed over.
This kind of scheduling is a bit reckless and too risky.
It is not in line with the practice of soldiers being cautious.
At least not what he had in mind.
In his mind, it was enough to block Ni Shu's offensive this time without causing too much damage to the soldiers.
First, he felt that the main force of Ni Shu was here, and it was impossible for Ni Shu to defeat the northern general with more than 10,000 soldiers and horses, and attack the Yanyin Fortress, the gateway to the Hexi Corridor.
Since Hexi has nothing to worry about, why lose too many soldiers in the battle?
Now that the war situation is at a stalemate, Ni Shu's morale is still high, and the balance of victory and defeat has not yet tilted, why bother to take the lead in pressing all the troops at once? Even if both sides are hurt, they can't take advantage of the situation to seize Xiaoguan or attack Longyou in a detour, right?
On the other hand, he was worried about the war in Liaodong.
Liaodong is located in a remote area, and General Sima Yi has not experienced many wars. With an army of 40,000, he attacked thousands of miles away, and there were too many uncontrollable factors.
It would be fine if they won, but no matter how many soldiers were lost in the battle here, nothing could be done.
But if Sima Yi is defeated, Wei will have more troops in the northern frontier, which will inevitably affect the defense of Guanzhong - many troops and horses in Guanzhong are now guarding Jizhou and Bingzhou!
With the outcome of Liaodong still unclear, it would be unwise to spend everything here.
However, the words Zhao Yan wanted to remonstrate were swallowed back as soon as they reached his lips.
He also knew the fundamental differences between Han and Wei.
In particular, Cao Zhen stated to Luoyang Temple more than once: The destruction of Shu was a battle that consumed national power.
Now that the general's order has been issued, it's really hard for him to give advice.
A deeper consideration was that he knew Cao Zhen's physical condition.
I have constant ailments and lack of energy, so the time I have to support my sick body is getting shorter and shorter.
Perhaps, after a year or two, I will have to put down my work and rest for a while.
In a situation where time is running out, there is nothing wrong with Cao Zhen's tactics being more radical.
That’s all, I still don’t want to persuade you.
Anyway, when it comes to emergency preparedness, no one in Wei is better than Cao Zhen.
Putting aside his thoughts, Zhao Yan also leaned forward slightly, blocking the sun with his hands and looking into the distance.
Then, he discovered Cao Zhen's intention for this arrangement.
When he saw the rear army rushing towards the left wing, the governor Fei Yao began to ask the soldiers in front to slow down their offensive, and instead formed a formation to confront the Han army, continuing to occupy the advantage of breaking into the enemy's formation for more than 20 steps.
This allowed the rear army rushing for reinforcements to successfully avoid the Han army's crossbows, spread horizontally, and insert diagonally left and right into the chariot formations of the central army and the rear army against Shu.
It turns out that Great Sima Cao’s true intention was to use his steps to cover up his cavalry and to use his cavalry to win the battle.
I want to give full play to my own advantages, use infantry to destroy Nishu's chariot formation, clear obstacles for the cavalry to charge into the formation, and create a chance for victory!
I just don’t know how Zhuge Liang, the prime minister who rebelled against Shu, responded?
Zhao Yan, who was well aware of this, couldn't help but cast his gaze on the Han army's central formation in the distance.
At this moment, Prime Minister Zhuge Liang sighed in his heart.
He also saw the Wei army's change of formation and knew Cao Zhen's plan to make such arrangements.
It's not that there are no countermeasures, but under this situation, he has to show his trump card first.
Of course!
He had been indifferent to the Wei army's attack on the left wing for more than 20 steps. He just wanted to use the shaky battle line to induce Cao Zhen to cover up and kill all the cavalry.
In other words, he changed his original intention of restraining and went out to fight against Wei Wei, just to ambush Ni Wei's cavalry!
The Han Dynasty, which had only recaptured Longyou a few years ago, still had too few cavalry.
It is impossible to take care of the Wushui Basin and the battlefield here at the same time.
However, Anding County has a vast territory and sparsely populated areas, and the counties are too far apart. If the more than 5,000 cavalrymen of the Wei army are not destroyed, the Han army will not be able to ensure the safety of the grain roads and concentrate on fighting in the city.
That's all, since he didn't fall into the trap, he no longer wanted to capture Anding County.
After sighing, the Prime Minister waved his hand and asked Fu Qian beside him to raise two flags.
Wei Yan's troops, who gave way to the central army, and Gao Xiang's troops in the rear army all moved to the left wing to support them. The strength of the counter-Wei Dai Ling's troops had soared to more than 30,000. If it was not contained, the outer car array would be destroyed.
This arrangement left the Han army with only three schools of heavy infantry to guard the flag.
Cao Zhen, who was sitting in the Gao Gaochao chariot of the Wei army, suddenly had his eyes gleaming with light. His hands holding the railing were clenched instantly, and his fingers turned white from the exertion.
There is a chance to kill Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, the pillar of Shu Shu!
There is a chance to cut off the Chinese army's banner against Shu!
This kind of opportunity, this kind of temptation, even Cao Zhen, who has experienced hundreds of battles, can't help but breathe heavily.
He automatically ignored the three schools of heavy infantry.
They are just foot soldiers from the Three Schools!
He also has more than a thousand heavy infantrymen under the command of Xu Gai in the middle army. With these more than a thousand heavy infantrymen as the vanguard and five thousand cavalrymen at the rear, they can definitely break through the heavy infantrymen of the three schools of Nishu!
The price is just more casualties.
In other words, as long as we can capture or kill Zhuge Liang, the prime minister who rebelled against Shu, chopped off the great banner of rebelling against Shu, and killed and wounded all the more than a thousand heavy infantrymen and more than 5,000 cavalrymen led by Xu Gai, it would all be worth it!
Zhao Yan also saw it.
His breathing suddenly became heavy, and his face turned red, as if he was drunk.
He lowered his hands and twisted his thigh hard, letting the pain stimulate his head to wake up, and then he tried to breathe calmly and said to Cao Zhen, "Da Sima, Ni Shu is not cheating, is he?"
Indeed, things are too weird.
Before the Han army was completely exhausted, Zhuge Liang, the prime minister who rebelled against Shu, suddenly endangered his own safety and exposed himself to the eyes of the five thousand cavalry of the Wei state. This approach was too weird.
He did not think that the Han Prime Minister Zhuge Liang was a reckless person.
"Heh~~~"
Cao Zhen, who secretly took several deep breaths, calmed down and chuckled softly, "If there is a scam or not, you will know if you try it. Since he dares to take risks, why shouldn't I dare to attack him?"
After saying this, he personally fetched the flag and waved it, allowing Xu Gai's heavy infantry and cavalry to attack.
Zhao Yan had no intention of refuting this time.
As Cao Zhen said, if Ni Shu is a fraud, you will know if you try it.
With the mobility of the cavalry, the heavy infantry of the three schools of Nishu could not ambush.
Moreover, fighter planes are fleeting on the battlefield.
Being hesitant and indecisive is a taboo in battle.
"kill!"
Xu Gai, who had obtained the general, slowly pushed forward with more than a thousand heavy infantry.
The five thousand cavalry also reined in their horses and retreated slowly, leaving enough distance for the charge to complete the acceleration of the horses, and lined up to wait. When Xu Gai successfully approached the Chinese army against Shu, and the heavy infantry of both sides successfully fought, they
He will rush into battle on horseback.
At this moment, Cao Zhen and Zhao Yan's eyes were extremely deep.
The little buzzing sounds of the commanders in the heavy infantry formation miraculously resonated in sync with their heartbeats.
"Bang"
"Bang bang."
The voice was slow and urging, exciting their blood.
When Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of the Han Army's Central Army, saw the heavy infantry of the Wei Army's Central Army approaching and the cavalry retreating, he shook his head and said in a lonely voice to Fu Qian beside him, "Gongyuan, take the items.
Clean up. The war is over."
The war is over?
Hearing this, Fu Qian was shocked.
He had just seen the Wei army begin to attack the Chinese army, and he wanted to advise the prime minister to bring back some soldiers and horses from the Wu squad on the right wing to protect the Chinese army!
"Haha~~~"
Seeing Fu Qian in a daze, the Prime Minister couldn't help but laugh out loud, "That's all, I'm not in a hurry to deal with it. You can continue to watch the battle."
"Oh, No."
After reacting, Fu Qian quickly saluted and set his sights on the heavy infantry formation of the three schools not far away.
These two thousand and four hundred heavy infantrymen were pieced together from the soldiers and horses of various departments before the battle. Today, they were temporarily returned to the Prime Minister's Mansion to join the army and be under the command of Zong Preliminary.
This is where Fu Qian is confused.
The three schools of heavy infantry were improvised together, and Zong Yu, who had never personally directed a war, why did the prime minister assert that they could repel Ni Wei's infantry several times more?
And it’s still said that the war is over?
Soon, he understood.
When Xu Gai led more than a thousand heavy infantry to approach the half-arrow place, and the five thousand cavalrymen of Ni Wei began to slowly release their horses at a trot, preparing to speed up the attack, Zong Xu gave a loud shout.
"point!"
"Divide! Divide!"
The uncles of the heavy infantrymen of the three schools also shouted loudly.
Let the soldiers in the ring formation quickly separate on both sides, leaving a big gap in the middle.
More than fifty huge crossbow arrows were exposed on the ground. The arms of the crossbows were more than two meters long. On the bow strings that had been rounded, there was a one-foot-long crossbow tip, which was shining with the sun's colorful colors.
The smile of death.
Fu Qian has seen these bed crossbows.
It was originally installed on Xiaoguan Pass, but at some point, the Prime Minister actually had someone remove it and bring it here.
It's too late to say it, but it's soon.
Fifty soldiers held small wooden hammers and knocked on the machine with a "clang" sound.
"Boom!"
The heartbreaking sound of bowstrings rang out, and fifty crossbow arrows as thick as an arm were heard, with a sharp sound of breaking through the air, and as fast as lightning, roaring towards the original Wei soldiers.
"Lie!"
"Lie!"
Xu Gai, who was running in the front row, fell to the ground with quick eyes and hands, shouting loudly.
Before he finished speaking, he felt a strong wind rushing past his head and back. Even through his armor, he still felt a burning pain.
The soldiers behind were not so lucky.
The arm was broken when it was hit by a foot-long crossbow tip; when it hit the chest and abdomen, a big hole was penetrated directly; when it hit the waist, half of the stomach was exploded, and the intestines and liver were spilled all over the floor.
The worst thing was the one that hit the head. The bright red blood, white brain matter, and black liquid suddenly burst into pieces in the air like a courgette squeezed by a huge force, splashing four to five meters away.
It is often said in the army that the range of a bed crossbow is as far as a thousand steps.
Although it is a bit exaggerated, it is still a breeze in four or five steps.
When a crossbow is fired at close range in a half-arrowed area, even the thick armor of a heavy infantryman cannot prevent the crossbow arrow from piercing a person and still remain intact.
Almost every crossbow arrow penetrated the Wei army's array.
The front of the Han army's center was instantly deserted. The ground was filled with twitching corpses and lucky ones with missing arms and legs.
Yes, he is the lucky one.
It is a kind of luck to be able to survive under the crossbow in bed.
The Wei cavalry, which had begun to speed up and howl like thunder, was also suffocated by this turn of events, as if it were a duck being strangled by the neck.
However, they still instinctively reined in the horses.
In front of the bed crossbow, a war horse weighing a thousand catties (Han) is like paper, and it is bound to perish.
If they had charged regardless and killed more than 5,000 cavalrymen, they would not have hurt the Prime Minister of Han even a hair.
Although the Han army only had fifty crossbows, the dead horses would become an obstacle, tripping up the following soldiers and disrupting the formation, making it impossible for the cavalry to penetrate the Han army's three schools of heavy infantry.
Cao Zhen, who was in Gao Gao Chao's chariot, saw that Xu Gai's more than a thousand heavy infantrymen were instantly destroyed by twenty-three out of ten, and when the rest were fleeing back in a hurry, he couldn't help but raise his head, close his eyes, and sigh loudly.
After a while, I opened my eyes.
Seeing that both Fei Yao and Xia Houba, the left and right armies, could no longer break through the Han army, they said in despair, "Boran, let's call the money and stop the troops. There is no point in fighting anymore."