Indeed, it was heavy cavalry. Horses clad in armor, riders in full armor, long spears shining like silver, and the thunderous sound of hooves! In the dark night, the two thousand heavy cavalry appeared like demons from hell, charging towards the main formation!
It turned out to be cavalry in full armor! Shi Le’s heart skipped a beat, sensing danger. During a night assault, heavy armored cavalry was rarely used. The difficulty of seeing combined with the weighty armor made it challenging for both the horse and rider to maneuver. Heavy cavalry would find it challenging to avoid potential traps or defenses. But now? The volley of fireballs from the city exposed his large army to the enemy.
Besides the vehicle formation, there was nothing to stop the heavy cavalry. Especially given the surprise attack, the foot soldiers who had just left the camp were completely unprepared.
Like tearing silk, the black torrent rushed into the military formation. Blades and spears couldn’t pierce their armor, arrows couldn’t harm them. Apart from being trampled and torn apart, the foot soldiers were defenseless! And this was not the end – following the heavy cavalry were light cavalry armed with bows and crossbows, followed by infantry wielding long spears in formation. Breaking the formation, causing chaos, and clearing the path – all done in one breath!
Listening to the earth-shattering cries around him, Shi Le ground his teeth. How could he not understand? Everything was a trap set by the enemy to lure him in!
The western gate opened, and it seemed that an ambush had long been hidden. The three thousand light cavalry he sent had no chance to defend and was completely wiped out. Subsequently, the enemy, using the western gate as their base, launched a frontal assault during the night. They tore apart his military formation and disrupted his organization. Night assaults were different from daytime battles. Once ambushed, even if the central army could maintain order, the soldiers below would explode the camp. While he had many well-trained soldiers, their coordination was not perfect, especially with unreliable characters like the deserters and bandits. Once the formation was disrupted, a complete rout was inevitable!
What to do? Should he personally lead a cavalry charge, bypass the heavy cavalry, and rush towards the western gate? As long as he could capture the western gate and breach into Ye City, he could break the enemy’s layout and gain the upper hand. However, the thought only flashed for a moment before Shi Le dismissed it. What he could think of, the enemy would have thought of as well. Perhaps the imagined vulnerability of the western gate was also bait to lure him in.
“Have the central army raise the flag to lure the enemy, and we retreat!” Shi Le made a quick decision and gave the order.
The central army flag, symbolizing the commander’s presence, was usually crucial. Once the flag fell, the entire army would collapse. But today, the situation was different. The heavy cavalry of the enemy had already torn through the military formation, and defeat was only a matter of time. Once the soldiers collapsed, even if heavenly beings came, there would be no way to regroup. The only way was to preserve the elite troops around him, retreat first, and slowly regroup the remaining forces after daybreak.
Therefore, the central army flag was no longer important to him. Instead, it could be used to delay the enemy, buying him some time.
Following the command, thousands of cavalry turned their horses, charging outward under the cover of the chaotic foot soldiers.
Sweeping his spear horizontally, with blades glinting, blood blossomed in all directions within ten paces. Yet, Yiyan did not linger, continuing to charge forward. Beside him were five hundred elites, each wielding long spears and clad in shining armor. Behind them, soldiers wore plate armor and carried machetes. While not as invincible, they were more than sufficient against the enemy in front of them.
However, for the enemy in front of them, it was already more than enough.
Two thousand armored cavalry, equipped with armor forged from hammer-wrought plates, made it possible for them to deploy. Even so, it consumed an unknown amount of resources. Such elite troops naturally had to be used where they could make the most impact – the battlefield.
Ambushing the enemy’s light cavalry, they charged into the enemy’s formation. Even if only a small portion of the forces attacked the western gate, it was still a massive camp. Trying to break this scale of enemy encampment with just two thousand heavy cavalry was not a simple task.
However, not a single soldier under Yiyan’s command flinched. Blood splattered their faces, and frost formed on their armor, like released sharp arrows, they charged straight toward the enemy’s central command! The previous fireballs had extinguished, and the enemy’s command flag, amidst the black sea, swayed like a solitary lamp in the waves, flickering unpredictably. How could they approach the central command and slay the enemy leader?
Gripping his long spear, Yiyan squeezed his horse’s belly, abruptly halting his beloved steed. “Shi Le is no longer in the central command.”
One of his attendants exclaimed, “Did he flee? Should we still pursue the command flag?”
“No need. Pierce through the enemy formation!” Yiyan coldly declared.
The idea of using the command flag to lure the enemy, making them spend time chasing and potentially deviating from their course, was not bad. But the heavy cavalry entering the fray was not meant to target just one commander; their goal was to completely break the enemy’s camp!
Therefore, Yiyan made a decisive move and changed direction. The two thousand heavy cavalry continued to charge recklessly, breaking through the densest lines of the enemy camp from end to end, creating a through-and-through path.
Clearing a bloody path, the following light cavalry caught up, widening the torn military formation. Meanwhile, the infantry behind efficiently dispersed the scattered soldiers, slaying those who had lost the ability to resist. In the blink of an eye, the encampment was torn into several pieces, a chaotic mess. Peasants had long fled in panic, and the attacking enemy soldiers had completely dispersed.
However, leaving Ye City for these people wouldn’t be so easy. There were still twenty thousand elite soldiers hidden in the nearby three forts. As soon as the soldiers broke through, they would surround and annihilate them. Nothing was easier than besieging and killing routed soldiers. Even if Shi Le managed to break out of the encirclement, he probably wouldn’t be able to recover many remnants!
From the third watch until dawn, when the first rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon, a troop of soldiers and horses entered the city.
“General Yi, did you capture Shi Le?” Ge Hong, who hadn’t slept all night, also had bloodshot eyes, but his expression was extremely excited.
This battle was too exhilarating! With just over thirty thousand soldiers, they defeated an enemy force of a hundred thousand! Moreover, most of the victory came from capturing fleeing soldiers, so the actual casualties were minimal. Even the great battle for Shangdang in the past might not have been fought so satisfyingly.
After this battle, the bandits might not be able to advance north for months. Both Si County and Ji County now had ample buffer zones. If they could kill Shi Le, it would be a major relief!
However, Yiyan shook his head at Ge Hong’s question. “Shi Le escaped. It’s late at night, and I’m afraid the soldiers sent by the forts won’t be able to intercept him.”
Hearing this, Ge Hong expressed some disappointment. “In that case, it seems we have to let the tiger return to the mountains.”
Shi Le’s old camp was in Yan County. He might directly return with his troops. With the severe drought unresolved, the most important task was to settle and support the people. There was no spare capacity to pursue, let alone conquer Yan County. If this dangerous figure escaped, in a few months, they would have to face a strong army again.
“No harm. If he escapes back to Yan County, even better.” Sharpness flashed in Yiyan’s gray-blue eyes.
Ge Hong was momentarily stunned. Did the staff department have other plans?
Yiyan didn’t say much either. He reached up and removed the helmet from his head. After a night of fierce battle, the soiled blood had already soaked through the red tassel and spotted blood dripped down the dark iron armor onto the ground.
To decisively determine victory or defeat in a battle requires favorable timing, location, people, and plenty of luck. Both Zhang Jun and he never placed their bets on elusive luck. Using cunning tactics, this time it was the bandit’s turn. Let’s see what methods Xinling employs.
※
Shi Le’s reaction was indeed swift. Before the enemy heavy cavalry broke through the formation, he had already led his trusted aides out of the battlefield. Unexpectedly, there were still ambushes in several forts near Ye City. As a result, retreating once was not enough; they had to retreat thirty miles, bypassing the encirclement twice before this force could escape the net.
When the daylight brightened, looking at the less than ten thousand troops beside him, Shi Le’s face was as calm as water.
“General, the enemy set up so many ambushes. It may not be easy to regroup the remaining forces…” one of his trusted aides lamented with a gloomy face.
How could Shi Le not understand? This night raid completely shattered the morale of the army, and after abandoning the command tent himself, it was easy to imagine the chaotic scene of the routed soldiers. What’s worse, there were still ambushes around Ye City. Without organization and courage, those routed soldiers might not resist, and perhaps, in their desperation to escape, they might even abandon their weapons. Trying to block them would be effortless.
Now, the large group of soldiers and horses would undoubtedly be intercepted. As for those scattered infantry and officers fleeing alone, they were like headless flies; one couldn’t expect them to return to the ranks. After this battle, nearly ninety percent of the soldiers and horses were eliminated, and even Shi Le had never experienced such a massive defeat!
No, that’s not right. He had indeed experienced such a scale of defeat, also under the command of the Bing County army.
Feeling a stifling discomfort in his chest, Shi Le tightened the reins of his horse. “No need to wait. Let’s go back to the old camp!”
Now, the most important thing was to preserve this elite force. Once back in Yan County, they could again recruit miscellaneous tribes and refugees, train for a few months, and rebuild the army. However, relying on this cycle wasn’t a solution.
How could he preserve his strength and avoid easily falling to others? On the way back, Shi Le pondered. Since raising his army two years ago, he has encountered countless soldiers and horses. There were the brutal ones like Wang Mi, the brave ones like Liu Cong, and the powerful armies like the Bing County forces. But regardless of the type, to truly establish a foothold, it wasn’t the soldiers they relied on but the territory. Just like Liu Yuan establishing his capital in Pingyang in the past, or the current Liang Feng occupying Bing County.
Without territory, it was like a waterborne floating duckweed, never able to stand firm. Even if you could recruit soldiers, a major defeat would disperse them completely. It seemed that the most urgent task was to properly manage Yan County.
To cultivate fields, grow crops, nurture the populace, and gain their trust through persuasion rather than plundering. It also required intellectuals… Shi Le’s brow slightly furrowed. He didn’t like the high and mighty aristocrats, especially harboring deep resentment toward the Sima clan. But what about commoners? Were there usable individuals among them? What about refugees and ordinary people? Countless times of opening granaries, distributing food, killing officials, and breaking into cities had already made him aware of what those destitute people who lacked clothing and food truly desired.
If he could use commoners to govern the people under his rule, it might be feasible! The scattered miscellaneous tribes in Yu County and Yan County also needed to be entirely brought under his command. The Jin people could manage agriculture and governance, but for the military, he still needed the nomads; it was the only way to solidify his own foundation.
Countless thoughts raced through Shi Le’s mind. The major defeat did not make him lose courage; on the contrary, it cleared his overheated mind. Stockpiling food was an important means to resist drought, but long-term planning was also necessary. This major defeat had reduced the pressure on food and forage by losing some soldiers and horses. If he sought help from the Han state, Liu Yao might provide some provisions, considering Shi Le’s influence in Bing County.
As long as they survived this year of disaster, there would be a chance for a turnaround.
Without the burden of a large army, the return journey was several times faster. Rushing back to Yan County with only the remaining soldiers and the unharmed rear supply, Shi Le hastily returned.
Just as he dismounted, a servant came running towards him, shouting, “General, great news! Someone has found the old madam!”
Shi Le’s entire body shook. Ignoring his entourage behind him, he rushed towards the tent in three quick steps!
