Mythical Three Kingdoms-Chapter 667 - 632
After issuing his orders, Marshal Chen`s command banner immediately waved. The beat of the drums changed to a rapid frenzy, and the cavalry, which had been concealed on both flanks, charged straight out.
"Order Xuu Chu to ride and inform Guan Yu to return, readying the second wave of cavalry from the left, center, and right to steamroll Yuan Shao’s Army," Chen Xi commanded the messenger. If his estimates were correct, the previous three attacks must have nearly exhausted Xuu Chu, who must be tired by now. Continuing to order him to charge might carelessly lead to him being surrounded and trapped within the enemy’s ranks.
When the messenger found Xuu Chu on the battlefield, Xuu Chu was vigorously swinging his great sword, cutting down enemies with abandon. Though Xuu Chu had indeed drained his inner Qi, a man like him recovered quickly. Even without his inner Qi, he was still a brave warrior, wielding his great sword and leading his guards, creating a whirlwind of slaughter.
"General Xuu, Marshal Chen orders you to summon General Guan. He commands General Guan to lead the School Sabre Bearers, you to lead the Tiger Guard Cavalry, and General Zhao to prepare the White Horse Soldiers for the final attack," the messenger relayed the latest orders to Xuu Chu. "You will lead the charge into the trap formation, General Guan will expand the advantage, and General Zhao will pinpoint and kill the enemy leaders.
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"Fine, I’ll go inform General Guan," Xuu Chu glanced left and right to assess the situation and, finding no significant issues, immediately rode off.
Since the breach of the fence, Yuan Shao’s Army immediately switched from defense to offense, assaulting Marshal Chen’s forces. With the advantage of Cloud Qi, they suppressed Marshal Chen’s first wave of assault with a counter-charge. Nevertheless, Liu Bei’s Army soon regained the upper hand with their veterans’ extensive combat experience.
"Liu Bei’s Army seems to be overly elite. How is this possible? A simple soldier actually launching an attack while dodging crossbow bolts! How have they trained like this?" Jiang Qi commanded while observing Liu Bei’s Army’s capabilities and found the quality of their troops absurdly high.
"So these are truly Liu Bei’s ordinary soldiers, who regroup by themselves after being scattered and eight out of ten of them can use more than three kinds of weapons. They even know how to rebound arrows. How are these troops trained?" The more Jiang Qi watched, the more shocked he became. Liu Bei’s soldiers seemed to surpass mere veterans; they appeared to find the optimal methods for killing the enemy.
[This can’t go on, Liu Bei’s Army’s quality is almost reaching that of the Danyang Troops. How have they been trained to this level? If we keep fighting like this, we might give the enemy the chance to surround and annihilate us. Is it time to use it now?]
Jiang Qi’s expression darkened. Ju Shou had recommended him for the role of commander because he was good at analysis and seizing opportunities in battle, and his leadership was not bad either. However, under the current circumstances, all Jiang Qi could say was that if they were defeated, it wouldn’t be his fault. The opposite side wasn’t just strong in generals, but also in soldiers!
Liu Bei’s veterans, some holding long spears and others supporting great shields or carrying great swords, ensured they were armed with a full array of weapons, both long and short, fighting in groups whenever possible. If someone fell, another immediately took their place, rarely fighting alone. Even if a foolish new recruit tried to fight single-handedly, they would be knocked down by a veteran and then join a military formation to continue the fight together.
This combat readiness, which left Jiang Qi blind with rage, could only mean that over half of these troops were veterans of more than ten battles, who had seen bloodshed and survived. In the ranks of other Feudal Lords, these soldiers would be the core of their forces.
Issues like tetanus or sepsis were virtually non-existent in Liu Bei’s camp; as long as a soldier didn’t die on the battlefield, they were likely to live. The vitality of Liu Bei’s soldiers was incredibly robust; after all, they hadn’t enjoyed many good days and no one wanted to die so soon.
Veterans who had participated in about ten battles, honestly, even those who were mentally compromised understood how to fight. Walking the line between life and death ten times, these veterans, even with equal physical quality, possessed an evil Qi and mastery over strength that new recruits couldn’t compare with. It wasn’t a matter of fighting two at once; in one-on-one combat, they would face no issue at all.
"It seems like they are running out of tricks," Chen Xi said with a smile, not caring that he had used an idiom that didn’t belong to this era.
"It certainly looks that way. Yuan Shao’s Army has a decent combat quality indeed. They have almost suffered twenty percent casualties, but their morale hasn’t dropped much. Furthermore, their leaders’ grasp of the Grand Commander’s role is quite good. However, the advantage of our soldiers is too obvious," Guo Jia nodded as he spoke.
Liu Bei’s Army’s greatest strength lay in its mid and lower-level officers who all had a lot of combat experience. As long as the top brass didn’t issue any rash commands, the men on the ground could fight effectively on their own.
"Still, we need to be cautious. Are they probing us as well?" Chen Xi asked, furrowing his brows. "If they just retreated as they fought, our elite troops would have a hard time crushing them. But the way they are entangling us non-stop, dragging this on, it’s only a matter of time before Yuan Shao’s Army collapses."
"They probably want to get a clear understanding of our army’s combat power. After all, this is the first time we’ve engaged in high-intensity conflicts with the north. They must want to assess our strength," Guo Jia pondered for a moment before speaking, "But still, don’t move the three thousand men in the Rear Army lightly."
"Yes, that’s for sure. Gong Xi, you don’t seem suited for a strong offensive. I’ll leave the three thousand of the Rear Army to you. If the enemy launches a forceful counter-charge and the frontline troops start to break, you’ll take over. How does that sound?" Chen Xi turned to Chen Chi, who was standing to one side, and said.
"I won’t let Marshal Chen down," Chen Chi saluted with his hands together. The maneuverings of Chen Xi had seemed incredibly risky but had swiftly broken the deadlock and brought the rhythm of the battle under his control, a capability that he did not possess.
"Hmm, right, Gong Xi, how do you plan to deal with it if they launch a strong counter-charge?" Chen Xi thought it best to give Chen Chi a precautionary warning, as Chen Chi’s performance had not been satisfactory to him previously; he had been too conservative.
"Naturally, we’ll send in the Great Shields," Chen Chi responded.
"Alright, off you go. And remember to get the Bed Crossbows and Heavy Crossbows ready," Chen Xi warned Chen Chi, then said no more.
After Chen Chi left, Chen Xi looked at Guo Jia, "That guy is too rigid and dogmatic, isn’t he?"
"Don’t you think he’s quite good at holding down a defensive position?" Guo Jia said with a smile, "Not everyone can be like you."
"No, the way I command troops is subpar. It’s just that these soldiers have a lot of respect for me. And with Second Brother and Zilong present, that’s why they follow orders so obediently. As for breaking the stalemate, I can only say that it’s because I knew how strong my hand was. But the opposing Commander-in-chief is very impressive," Chen Xi sighed.
"Huh, what are they up to over there?" Guo Jia glanced indifferently at the enemy’s Military Formation. In just a short time, the enemy forces had split into two large Fish-Scale Formations, each launching counter-charges in waves. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)
