first minister

Winter in the grassland is colder than in the Southern Dynasties.

The chilling wind blew on my face without hindrance, like a very thin whip that made my cheeks cold and painful, but it also made the burning fire in my heart grow stronger.

Because they were about to set off to kill those annoying Southern Dynasty ants.

It is the darkest time of night, when everything in the world seems to have fallen into a deep sleep, and only the wind is still blowing tirelessly.

The howling wind just covered their movements.

The camp, dotted with sparks, gradually came closer, and there was peace, just like an unnoticed prey.

But they all know that the Wudang Army will not be so easy to deal with.

Therefore, they had no hope of rushing into the camp to kill the sleeping enemy. When they were three miles away from the camp, they suddenly increased their speed and rushed over.

And this formation instantly awakened the sergeant who was not on duty.

The sound of running and shouting suddenly became louder, and the military camp without troops was noisy. Many cavalry soldiers mounted their horses in panic and fled.

Xue Hengshan led the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, with excitement on his face. The surprise attack was done!
He raised the spear in his hand and shouted: "Kill!"

The people behind them also screamed, speeding up and rushing into the Wudang Army's camp that they had coveted for many years but had never set foot in.

They skillfully divided into two teams, one team dismounted, and rushed into the camp as a team to kill all the unprepared troops!
The other team was responsible for patrolling the camp, preparing to harvest those broken soldiers who had fled.

A tiger-leopard sergeant jumped off his horse, raised his sword and rushed into the camp. Then he and his companions behind him were stunned for an instant!
In the camp, there were no panicked Wudang troops, only neat piles of hay!
He only felt his scalp numb, and a chill suddenly rose up on his back.

"It's been tricked! Withdraw quickly!"

The same scene and the same shouts sounded at the same time, but they could not stop the comrades pouring into the camp like a dam bursting.

Bang bang bang!
A dense sound of bowstrings was barely audible amid the noise and panic.

The sergeants in the camp looked up and seemed to see the sky full of stars.

They were rockets falling from the sky, piercing the sky and setting up everywhere in the camp, instantly bursting into flames.

Accompanying the rocket was the wanton mocking laughter of the Wudang Army.

The people in front are already retreating, while the people behind are still rushing in.

Fires were everywhere, and they were trampling and pushing each other, accompanied by howls that filled their ears.

Xue Hengshan was shocked and quickly ordered to maintain order.

But before they could organize their troops, in the darkness, two armies of about two to three thousand men each, which had been ambushed for a long time, rushed back from the upwind direction, following the wind, like tigers that had been watching for a long time. in their camp.

The blade reflected the pale moonlight, which was as blinding as the night wind.

It's good not to be able to open your eyes, because it can reduce the inevitable panic and lose your life quickly and neatly.

They came at night. This was supposed to be their script, but at this moment they were the ones being ruthlessly killed.

If it were any other army, it is likely that they would panic under such a counterattack, which would then lead to a huge rout of the entire army.

But they didn't.

Because they are the elite frontier troops of Beiliang where the cavalry is already prominent;

Because they are the most elite tiger and leopard cavalry under King Nan of Beiliang Town.

After a moment of panic and stampede, after being beheaded by a sudden charge by the Wudang Army, the remaining people immediately organized a defensive formation amidst the orders of officers at the level one level, preparing to kill the two A total of only 5000 cavalrymen were left behind.

However, the deputy general of the Wudang Army who led the two teams also showed strong battlefield judgment. Seeing the chaos behind the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry disappearing, he immediately turned his horse's head in unison, broke out horizontally, and then swung forward. go.

There is no hint of arrogance, and he is as calm as a machine.

After Xue Hengshan reorganized his team and made some rough statistics, he found that his side had paid the price of more than [-] casualties in just that one charge.

He didn't know whether he should be grateful that the Wudang Army did not send a large army to ambush here, or whether he should be grateful that his subordinates who were defeated but not defeated were tough enough.

At this point, he didn't understand that the Wudang Army had long been prepared for their night attack and had dug a hole in advance for him to jump into.

But this also happened to prove that Jiang Yuhu was really not in the camp.

If Jiang Yuhu was in the camp, he would never use such a cowardly method.

Thinking of this, Xue Hengshan, who was actually considered an outstanding figure among the Xue family royal family, gradually adjusted his mind.

Although he was ambushed, no matter what, the disaster was over.

As long as we don't fall into such an ambush again, what can we do if we don't have real swords and guns?

He immediately shouted in a deep voice, "Without further delay, let's move forward quickly. We must capture the wild geese and return to the pass tonight!"

Everyone immediately mounted their horses and formed a team, chasing the direction in which Wudang's army had just left.

The horses' hooves stepped on the yellow grassland, stirring up bursts of smoke and dust. The sound was like thunder from the nine heavens, rushing between the clouds.

The running thunder sounded on the grassland, and was suddenly interrupted by the sudden sound of the neighing of war horses and the miserable howls of people.

I saw that on the grassland that I had just run across, a horse trap about a foot wide was suddenly stepped on by the war horses ridden by tigers and leopards!

The horse stumbled, fell into a pit, and was trampled and squeezed by the horses that kept coming from behind.

The wailing soldiers, wailing horses, and twisted stumps made the scene miserable, and the screams could be heard far away in the night.

Xue Hengshan, who had fallen behind because he had to arrange for the wounded and dead soldiers earlier, was dumbfounded when he saw the scene in front of him.

He was naturally familiar with this scene as he had followed the King of Zhennan in many battles. He dug a tunnel below in advance and then used wooden planks to pad it. After his family passed quickly, the people in ambush below quickly took away the wooden planks and left. The pursuers behind will fall into it.

However, what he couldn't figure out was why Wudangjun knew and made so many preparations!
I only found out the specific battle plan today. Who leaked the news?

Fortunately, although this time it looked tragic, the actual battle damage was not too great.

After suffering hundreds more casualties, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, which had failed twice tonight, regrouped and set out again.

This time, they also learned the lesson and did not try to chase the Wudang Army in front. Instead, they sent out sentries to explore the road first.

Sure enough, we found another horse trap not far ahead.

Perhaps Wudangjun himself felt that it was unlikely that Hubaoqi would be fooled again. This pit was only half as wide as the previous one.

In this way, although the speed was much slower, about [-] of the total [-] tiger and leopard riders arrived safely and completely outside Yanhui Pass.

Xue Hengshan waved his hand, and his troops immediately surrounded Yan Huiguan.

But there is no need to think about it. Since the Wudang Army's camp is empty, the original Wudang Army has naturally retreated to the two passes.

Including the two Wudang troops who had been left to kill, they also withdrew into the nearest Yanhui Pass.

When the geese return to the pass, not only will it not be empty, but on the contrary, a large number of sergeants will definitely gather there.Sure enough, countless torches lit up on the wall, lighting up the city.

A man appeared at the top of the city and said with a smile: "Xue Hengshan, how did you know that I also want to be granted the title of Marquis? Why did you come so late at night to give me military merit?"

Following his words, the Wudang Army sergeants on the city wall burst into disdainful laughter.

Xue Hengshan held the reins and looked at the familiar figure on the city wall, "Jin Jiancheng, where is your master? He calls himself a little military god, can he just sleep in the room and let you men blow the cold wind?"

Jin Jiancheng sneered, "You don't need a knife to kill a chicken. With your skills, you can kill and injure thousands of people in one encounter. Do you still need my son? I can kill you with one hand, the general!"

Roaring laughter sounded again at the top of the city. The sergeants of the Wudang Army were all leaning on the top of the city, looking at the old rival of Hubaoqi with mocking expressions on their faces.

But the tiger and leopard cavalry below all had serious faces. They knew how terrifying this group of men who looked like stragglers could be when they were serious. They also knew that to capture this city under the guard of such people, it would take a long time. It’s terrifying to think about how much you have to pay.

If it were a hundred years ago, the grassland tribes who gathered for profit and dispersed would never have chewed such a hard nut. However, the three emperors before and after Daliang made many improvements in military and political affairs and greatly centralized power. On the grassland, there began to be an army that was restrained by military law, unified in action, and enforced orders and prohibitions like the Southern Dynasty.

Their Tiger and Leopard Cavalry are outstanding representatives among them.

Although the ace Wudang Army of the Southern Dynasties had almost no defeats before them, and although the pass in front of them was extremely dangerous, after a military order, they could only be brave and fearless of death.

Xue Hengshan snorted coldly, "Two passes sandwiched one camp. Now, at the cost of only five thousand soldiers and horses, my general has broken through your camp and cut off one of your arms. But you are still here feeling complacent, When my general captures your Yanhui Pass and Qingchuan Pass is a single tree, I will have to see if you can still smile at that time!"

Jin Jiancheng sneered disapprovingly, "With your skills? When did the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry have the ability to attack the city? You are going to give me military merit, and I will be very happy!"

Xue Hengshan laughed and his voice suddenly rose, "Military achievements? There are many! It depends on whether you have the ability to eat them!"

Jin Jiancheng frowned, and the sergeant on the side suddenly looked stern, "General, look."

Jin Jiancheng turned his head and looked around, only to see in the distance, the sky was dawning, and soldiers all over the mountains and plains were coming from the sky.

Walking in front were large groups of infantry pushing various siege equipment, and behind them were white-helmeted cavalry that almost filled the entire field of vision.

On the large banner in the middle of the team, there is a huge Xue character embroidered on it.

Jin Jiancheng's expression suddenly became extremely solemn, and he gritted his teeth and uttered a few words.

"King of Zhennan, Snow Dragon Rider."

The Wudang soldiers around also stood up quietly, looking solemnly at the Snow Dragon Rider who glanced at no less than thirty or fifty thousand people.

Thirty thousand tigers and leopards were not something they looked down upon.

But if you add the Snow Dragon Cavalry, which is even more powerful than them, even if they defend the city, it will be enough to put a heavy weight on people's hearts.

More importantly, the arrival of King Zhennan, the commander-in-chief of the southern frontier army of Beiliang, clearly demonstrated that the people of Beiliang were bound to win this battle.

The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry below also saw the overwhelming reinforcements behind them, and immediately burst into cheers.

And this burst of cheers almost instantly dissipated the haze caused by Wu Dangjun.

There were infantry to attack the city, equipment to attack the city, and cavalry to support. With the arrival of King Zhennan, the determination to win was also there. The morale of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry reached its peak at this moment.

Among the reinforcements in the distance, King Zhennan said in a deep voice: "Send the order, slow down the march!"

The messenger immediately went forward, and the team's forward speed slowed down quietly.

Snow Dragon Cavalry Commander Xue Jinqiang rode beside him and asked doubtfully: "Uncle Wang, why is this?"

King Zhennan said slowly: "I want to create a good opportunity for those brave people in the Wudang Army."

Xue Jinqiang suddenly realized that such a momentum must have been known to both Yanhui Pass and the further Qingchuan Pass.

When such a large army comes, those who are bold and confident in their bravery may think of taking the initiative to attack.

Whether the defenders at Yanhui Pass come out to attack the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, or the defenders at Qingchuan Pass want to catch the reinforcements off guard, they will all fall into their own trap.

And on top of Yanhui Pass, a sergeant said, "General, the reinforcements have arrived. The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry are completely unprepared at the moment. Why don't you lead your troops out to kill for a while, then break through to Qingchuan Pass and bring back some reinforcements?" .”

Jin Jiancheng saw that the attention below was focused on the reinforcements. The extremely relaxed Hubaoqi resisted the huge temptation and shook his head, "Defending the city is the most important thing. Once a battle goes out, the defense force will be weakened. The camp can be rebuilt at any time." , but these two passes must not be lost."

At Qingchuan Pass, more than ten miles away from Yanhui Pass, Ying Rulong, the deputy general of the Wudang Army who was guarding the city, listened to the scout's urgent report. After hesitating for a long time, he made the same judgment as Jin Jiancheng.

After waiting for a long time and still not seeing Wudang's attack, King Zhennan sighed, "Send the order, go all out and attack the city immediately!"

The dull footsteps were getting closer and closer, and the Wudang Army on the city wall was also ready.

After operating this pass for many years, there is naturally no shortage of food, grass, ordnance in the city, but facing a situation where it is difficult for even a fly to fly in when the city wall is surrounded, even a veteran of countless battles, Wu Dangjun, feels heavy-hearted.

Not to mention nervousness or fear, he was prepared to die to serve the country on the first day he became a soldier.

However, they were worried that when the people from Beiliang came in such an overwhelming force, and the imperial court was almost certainly unable to send reinforcements, if they lost this pass, they would not only lose their prestige as an incompetent army, but they would also be defended to the death by those behind them. Homeland was lost under the iron hoof and scimitar of Beiliang barbarians.

"Damn it, these Beiliang dogs are really crazy!"

A sergeant of the Wudang Army tightened his grip on the gun in his hand and took a puff towards the city.

Jin Jiancheng stood on the city wall and watched silently.

The young master had expected this and was fully prepared for this, but when this moment really came and saw the opponent's formation, he was afraid of living up to the young master's high expectations.

"kill!"

The people of Beiliang didn't give them much time to prepare. When the infantry was in position, they immediately pushed all kinds of equipment towards the city wall of Guancheng.

The killing that had been preparing for a long time suddenly broke out at this moment.

The rain of arrows in the sky, the ear-splitting fighting, the miserable howls falling from the ladders and city walls, and the excited roars from the bloody severed limbs filled every inch of space at the head of the city and below.

King Zhennan was personally in charge. Seeing that Jiang Yuhu still didn't show up, King Zhennan felt much calmer and more anxious.

We must capture Yanhui Pass and Qingchuan Pass before Jiang Yuhu comes back!

He issued the general order calmly but firmly.

"Don't stop for a moment, win this level at all costs!"

Jin Jiancheng stood on the tower, his expression still calm, but his heart was filled with gloom.

There are infantry and auxiliary troops in the two gates. They are also the main force defending the city at this moment, but they are also the main casualties.

In just one hour, nearly a thousand people had lost their combat effectiveness.

According to such tragic progress, Yan Huiguan will not really be lost, right?
Even if they are not lost, when the infantry and auxiliary troops are all finished and the cavalry goes into battle, how much consumption can they withstand?
How long will it take to re-train so many qualified unworthy cavalry?
The sky was already bright, but Jin Jiancheng's heart was filled with endless haze.
-
At the same time, in the mountains a hundred miles away to the west of Qingchuan Pass, there was heavy wind and snow, and a cavalry team of 3000 people was trudging hard with their horses.

We were lost in the wind and snow, but everyone moved forward silently and firmly on the untravelled trail.

Eat a mouthful of dry food, drink a mouthful of wind and snow, and under the leadership of the leader they absolutely trust, they slowly walk towards the victory ahead. (End of chapter)