CHAPTER 408: CHAPTER 39 CHARGE!_3

The first was Zheng Fan.

Watching so many elite knights rashly charge into the fray, Chief Zheng felt a heartache. How much money had it cost to arm them, and how much effort and sacrifice had it taken to train them?

"Keep soldiers for a thousand days, use them for a moment." This phrase was all too grimly illustrated in this moment.

The other command was given by Zhong Mao. This method of using cavalry to directly charge into the formation was something he found hard to bear. Moreover, these knights were truly fearless!

It was... just too terrible.

No one wanted to go to war with a bunch of lunatics who weren’t afraid of death.

The flanking cavalry wheeled around.

Some of the charging cavalry had already stormed into the formation and begun slaughtering; others, after falling from their horses, continued fighting on foot with their sabers. No one retreated; everyone charged forward to their deaths!

Meanwhile, the two cavalry units on the east and west began their assault, seamlessly continuing the pressure the flanking cavalry had put on the Zu family’s army formation.

When the flanking cavalry wheeled back, the two cavalry units on the east and west began to draw their bows and arrows, providing suppressive fire.

Everything was meticulously coordinated.

Because they were so familiar with each other, this was the fundamental reason Li Fusheng could calmly sit back and command the charging formation!

At the same time, the two cavalry units responsible for cutting off the Qian army’s retreat also began to press forward. They added pressure to the Qian army’s eastern and western formations, preventing them from supporting or responding to the main Zu family army formation at the front.

Zheng Fan suddenly felt as if he were watching a pack of wolves herding a flock of sheep.

The most elite and solid formation at the front had begun to be compressed under the assault of the two waves of harassing cavalry, and numerous areas of chaos emerged.

This chaos was so evident that even a military novice like Zheng Fan could notice it.

Firstly, this was thanks to the outstanding archery skills of the Northern Army’s cavalry. Even on horseback, their arrows were just as lethal as those of the Qian army’s crossbowmen on the ground. To some extent, they were even superior!

Liang Cheng had once discussed cavalry charges against formations with Zheng Fan. He said that even in modern times, with the introduction of firearms and cannons, infantry facing large-scale cavalry charges would struggle to disperse the horsemen if their own formation wasn’t solid, as the firepower from their guns and artillery would be insufficient.

This was especially true in the current era, an age of cold weapons. The scene of arrows loosed in a volley, felling cavalrymen as if they were facing a firing squad, was almost impossible.

Secondly, the knights actively charging the formation were like two large boulders smashing into the Qian people’s defensive shell. This severely hampered the operation of their formation.

These knights were not only proficient in mounted combat but also skilled in coordinating dismounted infantry tactics after being unhorsed. They often formed groups of three to five and could completely suppress even the strongest axemen and swordsmen of the Zu family’s army in equal numbers. The Zu forces could only counter by massing troops, which naturally weakened other areas of their line.

Additionally, with the consecutive attacks from the east and west, the Zu family’s army formation was like a piece of taffy, repeatedly torn and stretched until cracks and gaps quickly appeared.

Zu Dongcheng could never have imagined that his proud Zu family army, the elite formation he prided himself on, would prove as fragile as paper lanterns sold on the streets of the imperial capital during the Shangyuan Festival when facing this Northern Army.

The gap... was surprisingly large.

In fact, regardless of how much they verbally belittled the Yan people, even claiming that the Northern Army’s iron cavalry was all bluster, neither local generals nor court officials truly dared to underestimate the Yan people’s combat prowess.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been a situation where various armies rushed north, nor would Grand Commandant Yang have kept his position as commander-in-chief of the three border commands after proposing a strategy of avoiding direct confrontation.

Everyone, in fact, was merely saying one thing while believing another.

Zu Dongcheng and Zhong Mao had often heard their elders discuss the Yan people. Whenever the Yan people were mentioned, the conversation would naturally turn to their Northern Army.

The elders had, in fact, given this Northern Army considerable thought, believing that facing this alleged three-hundred-thousand-strong Northern cavalry on the battlefield would indeed be a real headache.

But the current situation... was it merely a headache?

Only at this moment did the two young men from the Zu and Zhong Families truly realize how terrifying this Northern Army cavalry was.

This army had fought against the Barbarians in the desert for a century. Their previous opponents were the Barbarians, a fearsome people whose every adult male was an excellent cavalryman!

Yet, even these Barbarians had been gradually broken by the Northern Army, beaten into submission.

The Qian people... how did they compare to the Barbarians?

Zu Dongcheng waved his long saber and spurred his horse straight ahead. Zhong Mao immediately shouted,

"Brother Dongcheng, you need to stay and command!"

"If the front formation breaks, we’re all finished!"

In the triangular defensive formation, everyone knew the front line was the strongest. This wasn’t simply because its collapse would leave the two rear formations exposed.

Once the front formation was broken, two things would happen: first, its routed soldiers would flee, disordering their own comrades behind them. Second, the two rear formations, seeing even the strongest point breached, would suffer an instant collapse in morale.

Then, a rout... would begin just like that.

In this world, many things are unfair.

The battle between cavalry and infantry was one such thing. If the cavalry found a particular infantry unit a tough nut to crack, they could easily make a probing attack and then withdraw; after all, infantry couldn’t catch them.

But once infantry was defeated and tried to flee, could they outrun four-legged horses?

In other words, if the front line broke, it meant the entire army of thirty thousand could be annihilated here in an instant!

Zhong Mao raised his horse-lance, declaring,

"Brother Dongcheng, I’ll go with you!"

Meanwhile, the two cavalry wings that had previously maneuvered wide began to charge again, while the cavalry units on the flanks, having completed their assault, wheeled back.

It felt as if four iron hammers were repeatedly striking the Qian army formation.

At the same time, Han Laowu’s cavalry was pinned down between the army formations to the east and west of the main Qian army. This was especially true for the Imperial Guard square formation. Even after revealing its hidden heavy crossbows and war chariots, it showed signs of crumbling under the fierce charge of the Northern Army knights.

At this moment, even if Han Laowu wanted to turn his horse around to support the front, he couldn’t. Firstly, his own three thousand cavalry were surprisingly bogged down by just a few hundred enemy riders, unable to disengage. Secondly, if his cavalry unit withdrew, the Imperial Guard formation here would undoubtedly collapse completely!

Direct Thief! How are these Yan people so damn fierce!

......

「At the head of the army formation」

The shock cavalry, which had formed up early but remained inactive, began to pick up speed, following their commander, Li Fusheng, as he rode forward.

This true shock cavalry, these one thousand horse-lances, this true elite of elites, was finally about to join the battle!

War costs lives. Li Fusheng understood this well.

During the preceding period, the harassing attacks by the various cavalry units had already resulted in considerable casualties.

But these were necessary and inevitable.

However, such casualties wouldn’t be too great, because this phase wouldn’t last long.

As long as the front line of this Qian army is broken... the tens of thousands of Qian soldiers remaining on the battlefield will scatter like frightened, fleeing lambs. They will lose all offensive capability and killing power, and my men will easily reap their heads as they run.

Everything before was merely laying the groundwork. Now, the time has come!

Li Fusheng raised his horse-lance.

The thousand riders behind him mirrored his action.

Then, Li Fusheng thrust his horse-lance forward.

The next moment,

a thousand horse-lances thrust forward.

Li Fusheng’s eyes were bloodshot, like those of a ravenous wolf. He could wait no longer!

"Give them the final blow!"

Li Fusheng roared,

"Our resolve: to break the formation!"

The thousand riders behind him roared in unison,

"Only death, no life!"

Immediately,

the entire regiment surged forward,

charging like a thunderclap rolling across the ground.

Finally,

the thousand knights of the shock cavalry, led by their Commander,

crashed into the already faltering Qian army infantry formation.

BOOM!

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