There were still some exercises before, but as time went on, everyone was a little old fritters. It's not a drill at all, but a search for the enemy. Everywhere the army went, a few quarters of an hour would be spent practicing the fake model, and a large number of cavalry would be sent out to carry out carpet reconnaissance around.

Now the morning dew has not been completely dried, the sun is still red in the sky, and the light it emits is not very dazzling. Ma Chao was lying on the grass. Today it was his turn. Ma Chao brought out 50,000 cavalry and 50,000 infantry soldiers. What kind of joint training was conducted in such a large area. Of course, there are 80,000 main cavalry soldiers standing by five kilometers away from him. In addition, hundreds of patrol teams have conducted repeated reconnaissance of the 20-kilometer training ground and its periphery.

"The troops are ready, please order the general!" The general came over to report.

"Let's start 260." Ma Chao was still lying on the ground with a piece of grass in his mouth, and Ma snorted peacefully beside him. Ma Chao felt that he was going to get tanned recently, and the vegetables in the north were scarce, so he didn't eat as well as the Central Plains. Fortunately, he was used to eating mutton and other things. Like Xiahou Yuan, he was first in the Central Plains and later transferred to Hanzhong. He was not used to eating things on the grasslands.

The sun was higher, shining brightly on his face. Ma Chao began to feel a little hot, but he still didn't get up and lay down with his eyes closed. Anyway, the sun was everywhere in this prairie, and he couldn't hide. It stands to reason that the temperature on the grassland is early, and it is now the beginning of autumn, so it should be a lot cooler. Unexpectedly, the weather in the past few days is hell. In the daytime, instead of cooling down, it is terribly hot, and it is not inferior to the south. At night, the temperature is lower, and even when the wind blows, you need to wrap a blanket, and the temperature difference between day and night is quite large.

It has been five months since the army marched north in the early spring of this year. There was no major battle in the north, but every day they searched (badi), pursued, and patrolled. I saw that the grassland gradually turned from light blue to thick, until the blue covered the sky and the white clouds flew high. Everything was so monotonous. When he first came, Ma Chao felt relaxed and happy, the boundless grassland and the vast sky, but later he felt more and more monotonous and boring. In these five months, Hebei was completely occupied by Cao Cao, and now the situation in Jingzhou is about to change. And the main force dared to get stuck here, unable to go south, only Huang Zhong's 100,000 cavalry in the south, barely protecting themselves.

Lord Luochen accepted General Ma Teng's suggestion and opened the situation from the Hexi Corridor. Although Ma Chao has no objection to this, it is not that Ma Teng's selfishness cannot be seen. Once the prime minister will take Hexi as the strategic focus and the main direction of attack. Soon the strength of the fallen army in Liangzhou will be greatly strengthened, and the Qiang people will also be crushed. At that time, as the military and political head of the Luochen Group in Liangzhou, Ma Teng will have a much better life. Ma Teng was his father, so he naturally avoided suspicion, kept his mouth shut, and only carried out the master's orders. Of course, from the point of view of Lord Luo Chen, perhaps this was a choice that had to be made. ——It's not that the lord can't see it, but this method can only be used to open the situation.

What the ministers did not understand and worried about was that the main force was getting farther and farther away from Jingzhou, and when Cao's army moved south, the fallen army would be powerless to pull back the battle situation in the south. But Lord Luochen may have his own way, which is also possible... I heard that General Xu Da and Situ Zhang Juzheng have expressed concerns, but Lord Luochen said that he has his own considerations.

"Report to the general, the first stage of the exercise is over, please rest!" The general sternly stood up to his horse and gave a military salute to the lying Ma Chao.

rest? It's only been a few minutes... I just lay on the ground thinking about things for a while, and this group of people is "over the first stage of the exercise"? Ma Chaonaturally knew in his heart that these people wanted to paddle today, but they simply practiced. "General, today the first cavalry squadron volunteered to undertake the first round of reconnaissance and patrol missions." General Ya leaned down and said.

"You have discussed it, let's take turns...and take the initiative." Ma Chao lay on the ground, his eyes closed. "The first team should set off immediately, go out to scout for ten kilometers, and rest for the rest."

"Yes!" Fang Jiang was overjoyed and left happily.

However, before the first team had time to leave, this group of trained talents lay down all over the place for a few minutes, and several groups of patrolmen in the front flew to report.

"Report to the general, a large number of Xiongnu troops have been found in the northwest, and they are rapidly approaching me!"

"Same report! It's less than ten kilometers away from me now!"

After receiving the report, Ma Chao suddenly felt a little confused. "A large number of Hun troops" and "fast approaching me"! When did the Huns become so high profile? Didn't I find it before... Ma Chao even wanted to send someone to verify the authenticity of this matter, but it was true that more than five patrols had already handed over this news.

"Everyone gathers and prepares to fight!" Ma Chao said sharply. Well... I couldn't find it before, but now I took the initiative to bring it to my door, so I'll call it. "The patrolmen should pay attention to find out the number of the enemy's troops, and also pay attention to whether there are other enemy troops coming to sneak attacks in other directions." Ma Chao said to the messenger around him. However, obviously, there are too many patrol units, and now the situation is urgent, I am afraid that only a small number of patrol soldiers can hear this order. Fortunately, as the basic literacy of patrolmen, you should understand the number of local troops and prevent other enemy troops from attacking, so even if you can't receive orders, you can maintain...

"The messenger informed the cavalry nearby and asked them to come closer and prepare for a decisive battle together! In addition, I informed Shuo Fang, and told General Xu Da and General Xiahou Yuan that a large number of enemy troops took the initiative to approach our fallen army training team."

The frontal decisive battle that has been sought for so long has come in such an unexpected way, which did make the fallen soldiers a little surprised, and even a little nervous. Ma Chao was not easy, but as the army gathered, 150,000 cavalry and 50,000 infantry, a total of 200,000 people, set up a battle on the grassland. Ma Chao looked at this giant battle, and became more and more confident. .

Chapter 154 Fight on the Prairie

The first to fight with Ma Chao was the more than 100,000 Huns cavalry led by Erlu, and the two sides fought together. Ma Chao did not rush to the front of the position like Erlu. Zhong Lang had been leading the 100,000 men and horses for several days. Ma Chao was used to commanding from behind. The patrolman's report shows that there are still more than 100,000 horses in two teams to detour, probably wanting to attack their team from the side.

The first time I saw such a grassland, it was not endless, but there were clusters of black people and horses everywhere, all the way to the horizon, as if there were a bunch of riders and horse teams in the horizon.

At the beginning, it was still a combination of infantry and cavalry. The cavalry and the Huns faced each other on horseback. The infantry was mixed in, stabbing the Xiongnu riders from below, or attacking the horses of the opposing riders. However, as the battle intensified, the Huns entered the fallen army positions in large numbers, and the fallen cavalry also rushed into the ranks of the Xiongnu army. .

The Xiongnu cavalry from the flank began to fight, and Ma Chao found that the camp of the fallen army began to shrink. Obviously, the enemy's force was far greater than his own 150,000 cavalry. Although the fallen army has excellent fighting qualities, it has to be at a disadvantage at this time.

Xu Da was even a little excited when he heard the news that the Xiongnu army took the initiative to attack in Shuofang. Finally, finally, no matter how much the loss is, it is better than the army being held back in the north and unable to go south. Of course, the biggest risk of falling troops is to be surrounded and attacked by divisions, so they should join forces immediately.

"150,000 cavalry and 100,000 infantry in the city, open the city and set off immediately!" Xu Da stood up immediately without hesitation. "The decisive battle has begun!" He even danced a little. "Xiahou Yuan, you immediately lead the cavalry first, the sooner the better!"

"Understood!" Xia Houyuan seemed to be infected by Xu Da, and his voice was a little excited.

It should be said that Zhong Ting was quite satisfied with the battle at the beginning. According to the results of the front-line reconnaissance, Ma Chao's cavalry had 50,000 cavalry and 50,000 infantry. The closest to him was 100,000 cavalry. In the cavalry battle, the infantry was at an absolute disadvantage, so basically only the combat effectiveness of the 150,000 cavalry could be considered. The Xiongnu iron cavalry used a total of 300,000 yuan, and Oru, as the striker, attacked head-on. The other army was divided into two teams to roundabout and attack, and the army fell into chaos. In the end, Ma Chaobu was defeated before Shuofang's rescue came. Then the army can retreat calmly, so that the enemy's vitality is severely damaged, and it must be unable to fight with the Xiongnu iron cavalry directly, and the crisis situation in the north can be successfully broken.

As expected by Zhong Ting in advance, the fallen army was attacked by three sides, and the always brave fallen army cavalry also began to look a little difficult. At this time, the Xiongnu army was twice as large as the fallen army, and Zhongting's three-sided roundabout attack expanded the deployment of the Xiongnu soldiers, instead of using oil-filling tactics. A large number of Xiongnu soldiers rushed to the front, and a fallen soldier often had to deal with two or three Xiongnu cavalry.

"Don't disperse our army! It's easy to be divided! Now shrink the front line and wait for reinforcements!" Ma Chao saw the situation was not good, but he was still quite confident in Shuo Fang's reinforcements. Now that the fallen army has not yet arrived, I can't afford to be so desperate to use one of my own to resist the entire Xiongnu. Now we just need to shrink the front line and stick to Xu Dalai, and then he will attack again, both inside and outside.

Sure enough, the fallen army began to gather. The strong individual quality of the fallen army began to appear, and the fallen army cavalry automatically formed a group, about ten or twenty people, and the riders cooperated with each other to form a defensive surface. And each group back to back, finally formed a circle without dead ends. The fallen army quickly built dozens of such defensive circles. The flow and transformation of each defensive circle can effectively prevent the Xiongnu soldiers from dividing and encircling them. The Xiongnu cavalry, who had advanced smoothly just now, suddenly found it difficult to attack. Often he rushes towards a fallen army by himself, and the soldiers of the fallen army face the enemy without fear. And the good things of two-on-one or three-on-one just now disappeared, and a large number of Xiongnu soldiers were waiting behind to get in, because the fallen troops were greatly gathered, and the "area of ​​enemies" was greatly reduced.

0 ask for flowers 0  

Ma Chao finally got on his horse and picked up his gun, and rushed directly to the front under the **** of the guards. Dancing guns picked several people in a row, and Ma Chao's iconic white clothes and white armor also lifted the spirits of the fallen soldiers.

This is not the first time such a large-scale bloodshed has occurred on the grasslands. In recent years, there have been wars on the grasslands almost every day. The unification war of the Qiang Canal, the coup of Zhongping, and many horrific bloodshed events occurred during this period. Zhong Ting looked at the gleaming blade of the knife, blood filled the grassland, and even felt a little numb. There was so much blood that the armies of both sides spread out on the steppe for kilometers. It seems that the entire grassland is a fierce battle between the military horses on both sides, screaming and screaming.

............

He only saw that for such a long time, the Huns did not advance a step, and the fallen army showed no sign of defeat. ——Both sides suffered heavy losses, but the fallen army could afford it, not necessarily myself.

"How far is Xu Da's army from here?" Zhong Ting asked coldly as he watched the fight in front of him.

"It's less than five kilometers. It should take a stick of incense to get there. The fallen cavalry are coming with all their strength, and the speed is very fast." Tooth General said. At the same time, a large number of messengers coming and going are confirming every message to ensure that Zhong Ting can keep abreast of the battlefield situation at any time.

Zhong Ting was silent. Now that the battle is only over an hour, he dare not think about the following situation. How to defeat Ma Chao's fallen army? These guys looked vulnerable at first, but now they are like hard stones, unable to break through at all. Ma Chao could not be defeated, and Xu Da's men and horses were coming quickly. Obviously, the Xiongnu cavalry would be attacked from behind.

"If I have another 100,000 soldiers on hand, how could the fallen army be so arrogant!" Zhong Ting said bitterly. "Evacuate!" In the current situation, an evacuation must be organized. Otherwise, Ma Chao will not be defeated, and it is very likely that Zhong Ting himself will be captured. "Pay attention to the orderly retreat of the rear army! Form a square team! The person with the highest military rank in the department will be the commander of the square team. Do not stop the attack in front, and confuse the enemy.".

Chapter 155 Wuwei County

At the beginning, the second division started from the west of Dunhuang, thinking that there were too many people, and the country on the road could not eat, so he divided into several armies, from the north to the south. Colonel Wang Shensheng, Gu Honglu Hutong, and more than a thousand people did not come to Yucheng. Yu Chengcheng guarded and refused to feed his army. Wang Shensheng went to the army for 200 li, but he took it lightly and charged Yu Cheng. Yu Chengshi refused to come out, and he saw that Shen Sheng's army was few days old. In the morning, he attacked with 3,000 people, slaughtering Shen Sheng and so on.

——"Historical Records: Biography of Dayuan"

The battle in the Hexi Corridor started almost at the same time. After the previous rounds of bottom-seeking, everyone is not a fool, and they all know that the other party is not good. The fallen army may be the main force, and the gods descended to Hexi. The Huns were probably well-trained with large numbers of coyotes.

This is a rare rainy day in the Western Regions, and the world is suddenly filled with coolness, even a feeling of autumn rain, and the temperature is suddenly very low. In the light rain, the defenders of Wuwei County saw that the "May 63" had reached the black army, and they were already approaching the city. No one unnecessarily opened the rain gear, and the fallen soldiers looked a little embarrassed, with unshaven beards and dust on their faces and bodies. The rain wet their faces and armor. They breathed in the cool air, usually hot air and hot sand.

It was dark and lined up to the distance where they could not see clearly, blocked by the sand dunes. The defenders of Wuwei had indeed never seen so many troops gathered. The uniformly black armor of the fallen troops shone in the rain, making the defenders shudder for a while.

The new governor of the four Hexi counties, Yesuo, climbed the low city wall in silence. Hu Yan followed behind. After the arrival of Yesuo, no major adjustments were made to the defenders in Hexi. The defenders in the four Hexi counties were less than 10,000, and there were 2,000 in Wuwei.

Yesuo just glanced down, and at a glance he recognized Yan Qing, the general of the guard who once went to Zhongping alone to negotiate. Then, beside him is Luo Chen, the famous young commander. His face was handsome, slightly tanned, with thick eyebrows and a calm expression. A very attractive commander, seems very candid. A treacherous and dark character may be able to achieve a small victory, but it is very strange, or it may be good luck, these people often don't have the last laugh, holding up the crown they dream of, and are willing to break through all the bottom lines for this. This calm and youthful commander looked very comfortable, as if this sinister power struggle didn't exist in his circle.

Hu Yan once asked him how to resist the fallen army. He replied: resisting steadily, guiding the coyote army to reverse the situation. Hu Yan asked again: What if the Prairie Wolf Legion is defeated? Answer again: Then Hexi has no hope and can only die. This Hu Yan seemed to have been hit, and was silent for a long time. In fact, why does Yesuo want to reverse the situation, but what power does he have now! Being transferred out of the core decision-making level, the 300,000 Xiongnu cavalry in the north no longer implemented his conservative tactics. The steppe wolf army he cultivated was turned into the command of others, and he could only sit on the sidelines. And with the constant resistance of the hodgepodge of less than 10,000 people, it is the only thing he can do, and he can only do it, otherwise what else can he do? It is difficult for a clever woman to cook without rice, and this little soldier can't make money.

In addition, there is a young general, obviously Chang Yuchun, who first arrived in Shuofang and served as the vanguard of the fallen army.

He just flashed on the top of the city, and he didn't know if the people in the city would recognize him... Maybe some soldiers could recognize him, maybe that Yan Qing could recognize him...

Ye Suo glanced at Hu Yan, he was completely frightened, his eyes were a little straight, and he stared blankly at the black army below. "Let's go!" Jesso reminded, walking down the city wall without looking back.

"Go and contact General Zhao Cheng and say that I have already arrived in Wuwei County in the enemy's army, and there are about 100,000 troops. Let's ask what's going on with him. After all, they are our hope..." Yesuo lazily replied. The messenger said in a disappointed, even pessimistic tone. After all, how could Jesso let his own destiny be in the hands of others, and he did say "people are our hope"...

Soon the attack began in silence. The fallen army did not carry large-scale siege equipment, but it seemed that some large logs were newly chopped and tied to the vehicle, or carried by several soldiers with their bare hands. However, is it not enough for such a ground-breaking city?

Wuwei has four city gates, and under each city gate are crowded with fallen soldiers. A large number of arrows did not stop for a moment, and they continued to shoot at the city wall. The Xiongnu soldiers were shot and killed almost sticking their heads out. Can only curl up next to the battlements. If you are lucky, you will have a wooden shield, and if you are unlucky, you must be lucky.

At the same time, the sound of heavy wood hitting the door "bang, bang" sounded regularly. After every banging, there was a heart-wrenching squeak of the city gate. No one stuck his head out on the city gate to stop it, and no stones or arrows fell, because there was no time to fall, and as long as the probe was probed, they were shot to death.

Honestly, it's a horrible psychological tactic. Every time the wood hit the door, the hearts of the soldiers in the city jumped violently. They knew the end very well. As long as the door was knocked open, the cavalry of the fallen army would pour in, and the white-lighted sabers of the riders were terrifying.

Finally, some who couldn't hold on, started to block with a shield, leaned over and ran down the city entrance. The chief of the city couldn't stop it, and he didn't dare to get up. Some people started, deserters were like an avalanche, and the soldiers rushed out of the city and fled into the city. ——Although there seems to be little hope of surviving like this, at least we can live a little longer, right? The soldiers guarding the city gate at the bottom of the city also began to flee in a series.