Chapter seven hundred and sixty when the victory is pursued
The rumble of drums sounded in the rebel array, urging the soldiers to step forward to serve as cannon fodder. The infantry array marched forward with shields in hand to defeat this seemingly weak hollow phalanx.
Ma Phosphorus commanded the front row of the phalanx to retract and stood at the forefront of the artillery array. Yan Xiaosi quickly ordered the artillerymen to clean the barrels, charge powder, load high-fire bombs, and start adjusting the shooting height. He estimated the rate of fire and delay caused to him
This caused great trouble, as part of the artillery shells fell behind the charging infantry formation. Although waves of fire were set off, the damage was indeed limited.
Li Siye took the opportunity to order Zang Xiye to lead his cavalry to attack the enemy's infantry formation, leaving Ba Khan's cavalry to protect the flanks of the Chinese army.
Although this move was a bit risky, it could end the battle early and eliminate the variables in the entire battle. Zang Xiye also spotted the flaw in the enemy's infantry array, which was on the left side that was scattered by artillery shells.
The sound of the drums was like thunder before a storm, and Li Siye even ordered his men to blow the bronze trumpet. A low sense of oppression was already coming. Zang Xiye led the cavalry to attack the enemy's infantry formation from the left, and An Shouzhong was also obviously
Sensing the fatal flaw on the left side, he immediately ordered the Yiluohe Cavalry to rush to the left side as a fire brigade and engage in hand-to-hand combat with the Xiliang Flying Tiger Cavalry.
As An Lushan's most elite trump card, Yiluohe's only shortcoming was his lack of numbers. Five thousand Yiluohe blocked 20,000 Flying Tiger Cavalry, and the two sides had a short and fierce confrontation.
These Yiluohe are slightly better than Feihuqi in terms of riding and shooting skills and fighting will. They can use tricky skills to roll to the left side of their horses to avoid arrows, but when they get up to fight back, they are as fast as vultures.
Lift the horned bow, take aim, and shoot. If the enemy doesn't dodge, the arrow will most likely penetrate his throat.
Naturally, An Shouzhong couldn't let Yiluohe and Feihu Cavalry fight with each other. As long as he could hold back the Xiliang Cavalry a little, he immediately reorganized the military formation on the side and killed several rioters who were dumbfounded by cannonballs.
Make the formation stable again.
"Keep your eyes open, don't be scared! Resist the enemy's attack!"
Yiluohe quickly broke away from the battle and evacuated, and Feihuqi was able to approach the rebel infantry formation, but their opponents were already well prepared and had placed the few Modao formations on the side.
Zang Xieye also quickly ordered his soldiers to withdraw and only fired arrows from a distance to harass. At this moment of stalemate, in the hollow formation formed by the Hexi Army on the opposite side, white smoke spewed out from the muzzle again.
Yan Xiaosi had plenty of time this time. He ordered the hundreds of cannons in the seven phalanxes to aim at the two rebel infantry formations. No matter how deep they were deployed, the phalanxes would still be in front of the artillery fire.
Like wheat waiting to be harvested.
The churning fireball accompanied by thick smoke rose in the rebel infantry formation. The infantrymen and jumpers in the front row were blown up and down, and the solid armor was also broken by the fragments of the artillery shell. Most of the soldiers lay on the ground and covered their ears.
.
Zang Xie once again found an opportunity and rushed towards the front where the enemy's chaos was most serious. An Shouzhong repeated his old trick and still sent Yiluohe to put out the fire. But this time the two enemy infantry formations covered by artillery fire collapsed.
"Take them all forward! Some will attack Yiluohe, and some will attack the enemy's right formation!"
The Yiluohe cavalry fought bravely, but their numerical disadvantage showed up and they were unable to protect the two phalanxes of the enemy troops that collapsed. One of the Flying Tiger Cavalry transformed into three arrows and inserted into the infantry formation on the right.
He opened the way and stabbed in the front, and slashed with his sword in the rear. In the blink of an eye, the rebels' right infantry formation was defeated and began to retreat backwards.
Seeing victory in sight, Li Yu's excited joy overflowed from his face. He tightly grasped the reins in his hands and shouted loudly: "We are going to win!"
There was no expression on Li Siye's face, and his eyes were staring at every corner of the battlefield, except where he couldn't see. The terrain of Xiliuyuan is not completely flat. There are raised hills in the west. If someone deliberately goes around,
A semicircle penetrates Guo Ziyi's Shuofang army formation from behind Qiulong. Can Guo Ziyi hold on and wait for the cavalry to come for reinforcements?
He suddenly asked: "The number of rebel Tongluo cavalry seems to be much smaller, and where are Li Guiren's flags?"
Li Siye immediately turned around and pointed behind him and said: "Give Guo Ziyi's rear army a flag order to be on guard against enemy cavalry!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Guiren suddenly led the Tongluo cavalry to appear behind the Tang army in a roundabout way. The target was Guo Ziyi's Shuofang army. Li Yu suddenly turned pale with shock and hurriedly said: "Doctor Li, if the rear army is defeated
, our army is in danger!"
"King Guangping doesn't have to worry." He immediately ordered the flag bearers on his left and right who were responsible for waving the five-element flag: "Immediately give orders to Han Haijun and Geluolu cavalry to attack the Tongluo cavalry! Bukhan's army continues to stabilize the left wing!"
Duan Xiushi, who was waiting on the right wing, finally found an opportunity to come forward and immediately charged towards the Tongluo cavalry. Ge Luolu's five thousand cavalry also charged from the other side, jointly attacking the Tongluo cavalry.
Guo Ziyi also quickly ordered people to mobilize the few Modao troops to the front of the formation to kill the Tongluo cavalry who had slowed down their speed. The battle entered a fierce fighting stage.
Li Siye's expression gradually relaxed, and Li Yu could not discern the pros and cons of the situation at this moment, so he had to raise his head to look at Doctor Li's face. When he saw that it was indeed sunny and cloudy, he breathed a sigh of relief and asked: "Doctor Li
, how is the battle situation now."
He smiled and said: "There is no need to worry about Guo Ziyi, Duan Xiushi, and the Tongluo cavalry in the rear. In the front, Yiluohe cannot save the two infantry formations from being completely defeated. If there is another cup of tea, the enemy army will be completely defeated."
"
Doctor Li's premonition was indeed accurate. The rebel army's front and rear formations retreated towards Chang'an at the same time. Perhaps he had grasped the objective law of defeat with a death rate of more than 20%, or perhaps he smelled the taste of victory and defeat in the chaotic battle formation, which made him
Li Yu also cast an admiring look. If Li Jing and Li Ji were reborn, it would probably be like this.
Li Siye turned to Li Yu and said: "Please order King Guangping to pursue the whole army!"
"Didn't you say that poor criminals should not be pursued?"
"On this flat eight hundred miles of Qinchuan, there are no poor bandits. Moreover, the greatest casualties of an army occur not during the battle, but on the way back after defeat."
"Okay," Li Yu realized that he had become a tool man and ordered decisively: "beat the drum and advance, the whole army will pursue in an orderly manner."
The Tang army's array was divided into several groups to pursue the rebels. Xiliuyuan seemed to have turned into a racing track. First, Zang Xiye pursued at the front, but the rebel An Shouzhong ordered Yiluohe to cover the rear, forcing them to slow down.
Duan Xiushi followed the Tongluo Cavalry and overtook Zang Xile from the side.
Li Guiren and An Shouzhong met up and fled, but they discussed that they could not escape like this, otherwise they would not be able to spare time to notify Zhang Tongru and Sun Xiaozhe in Chang'an City to retreat. The two organized their teams to fight again, and sent people to rush back.
Go to Chang'an to report the news of the defeat.
Their hastily organized team had no fighting spirit. Although there were 4,000 Yiluohe pressing the formation, they quickly retreated and fled again. The team lost nearly 60,000 people.
The Tang army pursued all the way to the vicinity of Chang'an City before stopping. The next step was to enter the city. They might encounter resistance, but it was insignificant.
Li Siye once again borrowed the order from Guangping King Li Yu to summon the generals together. Several flags were fluttering in the north wind, and the horses of the generals formed a semicircle. Behind them, the horse team with thousands of flags stopped and looked at the city wall of Chang'an.
The billowing black smoke rises like the smoke from a beacon tower.
He crossed his hands and said to Li Yu: "Your Highness, the rebels have retreated and the remaining enemies in the city have also fled. They will definitely flee towards Tongguan. Please order me to divide our forces and pursue them."
Li Yu said hesitantly: "The three armies have gone through a great battle, and the soldiers are already exhausted. Why don't we go into the city to rest first?"
He further said: "The army is huge and it is not suitable to bring them all into the city. Your Majesty can order General Ma Phosphorus to lead a team of 10,000 people into the city with you. To be honest, Tongguan has been sent by the last general to Chang Qing to lead 8,000 troops.
If it is captured and blocked, the rebels who enter Guanzhong will have no way to escape. In order to prevent them from escaping elsewhere, I would like to ask His Highness to order me to take command on your behalf."
Li Yu was shocked. Only at this moment did he fully understand Li Siye's plan. He refused to go to war because he was waiting for the opportunity to annihilate all the more than 100,000 rebels in Guanzhong.
At the same time, he was a little worried. If the enemy troops were trapped and Li Siye and the others were unable to contain them any longer, and they returned to Chang'an, wouldn't the people in Guanzhong also face a disaster?
"Doctor Li," he said, facing the other party and holding up his hands: "Why didn't the doctor tell me in advance about sending Feng Changqing to attack Tongguan? What if the other party had the fighting spirit in the desperate situation and broke through the siege and fled to the pass to kill the people?
How should you and I explain to His Majesty?"
Li Siye turned over and dismounted, knelt down on one knee and crossed his hands and said: "Siye's plan is to prevent the rebels from fleeing, and they must be wiped out in Guanzhong. An Shouzhong, Li Guiren, Zhang Tongru, and Sun Xiaozhe have committed many crimes.
, if they are allowed to return to the Central Plains to regain their momentum, it will be a disaster for the people of the Central Plains. If the enemy army can be completely wiped out, it will be easy to regain Luoyang. If the containment fails, Li Siye is willing to bear the consequences."
Li Yu also quickly dismounted and helped him up: "I am the marshal of the world's soldiers and horses. How can I let Doctor Li bear the responsibility alone? The generals will obey orders. Doctor Li can execute military orders on my behalf to pursue and intercept the rebels."