Chapter 90: Decisive Battle
“Where is Tuoteboluo’s army now?”
Before the horn sounded, Xiao Simo asked in a deep voice.
“They are already twenty li away, heading toward the battlefield.” The scout said loudly.
Xiao Simo nodded. According to the plan, they were to wait until the Liao State army launched an attack on the Naiman army.
Buyiru Khan’s army would then launch a surprise assault on Sun Khan.
The plan was fine, but Xiao Simo did not absolutely trust Buyiru Khan.
He had similarly arranged a force to guard against that guy.
“Sound the horn, attack.”
Xiao Simo wore majestic armor, rode on a war horse, held a war saber in his hand, and shouted loudly.
Accompanied by the low horn sound, the vanguard Khitan army began the attack, almost all clad in armor soldiers.
“Bad lads, charge with me.”
“Crush those reckless Naiman people.” Xiao Tula Duo drew his war saber and shouted loudly.
Xiao Tula Duo led the charge, with the Khitan soldiers behind him following closely. The chaotic sound of hooves was like dense drumbeats, causing the land to tremble slightly.
First came a volley of arrows, and soon after, both sides clashed together.
Shouts of killing and the clash of weapons intertwined, deafening.
The army led by Xiao Lintta also launched an attack on the Naiman people from the other side.
The decisive battle erupted.
Xiao Simo stood in the central army, his eyes fixed on the battlefield. When he saw the timing was right, he ordered: “Pass the order to Ali Da to launch an attack on the Naiman right wing.”
“Understood.”
Ali Da was a young Khitan general.
After Xiao Lintta and the others went to serve as governors, Xiao Simo planned to have him take over their positions.
Therefore, in this war, he definitely needed to be trained diligently.
Soon after, the cavalry led by Ali Da struck out, charging toward the weak point on the Naiman people’s right wing.
Although they achieved some battle results, when Sun Khan’s central army arrived to support, the Naiman formation quickly stabilized again.
Xiao Simo was not disappointed by this.
Because a large-scale war definitely could not be decided simply, and lasting several days was very normal.
Xiao Simo and Sun Khan both used their tactics, attacking each other’s weak points.
Soon after, a scout came to report that Buyiru Khan’s army had arrived.
“This guy came pretty fast.” Xiao Simo sneered.
His gaze turned to the distance, where a faint black shadow appeared on the land.
Northern Naiman’s ten thousand army was charging toward this place.
“Go tell Bobo Boluo to attack the Naiman people’s left wing.”
“Understood.” The personal guard acknowledged and left.
At this time, the battlefield had fallen into a stalemate. Although Sun Khan’s army was gradually falling into disadvantage, it was still resisting stubbornly.
Once Buyiru Khan’s ten thousand fresh troops joined the battlefield, the scales of victory would quickly tilt toward the Liao State.
The Naiman people’s army would soon collapse.
However, slowly, the personal guard captain beside Xiao Simo noticed something wrong.
“Great King, the direction of Buyiru Khan’s army’s advance is off.”
Hearing this, Xiao Simo turned his gaze and saw that the Northern Naiman army was indeed veering off course.
It did not look like they were preparing to attack the Naiman people’s left wing; instead, it seemed they were charging toward Xiao Simo’s army.
Seeing this, how could Xiao Simo not understand the situation.
Buyiru Khan had rebelled.
Or rather, this guy had been deceiving him from the start; he and Sun Khan were in cahoots.
Playing a reverse spy trick!
“Indeed a vicious dog, daring to bite its master.” Xiao Simo said in a deep voice, a sinister expression instantly appearing on his face.
However, he was not too angry, as if he had been mentally prepared for this situation.
After all, as a hero-like figure, he did not even fully trust his own subordinate generals, so how could he trust a Naiman person.
Thus, Xiao Simo said in a deep voice: “Pass the order to Wu Huaitu Bulü to lead the North Sea cavalry and scatter the Northern Naiman army.”
“Understood.”
Wu Huaitu Bulü, North Sea Governor.
He was a veteran general who had followed Xiao Wulila in battling on the battlefield.
Before Xiao Simo became Eastern Capital Governor, he had been governor of the North Sea for many years.
Xiao Simo was able to stand firm in the Northern Frontier also thanks to his strong support.
However, because of his advanced age, Xiao Simo had not let him participate in the main frontal assault, instead assigning him the task of guarding against Buyiru Khan.
Regardless of whether Wu Huaitu Bulü achieved merit in this battle.
After the battle, Xiao Simo would support him, grant him honor and wealth, and hand the position of North Sea Governor to someone else.
The Northern Frontier Army needed fresh blood.
However, shortly after Xiao Simo’s order was issued, a personal guard came running hurriedly.
With a face full of terror, he said: “Great King, something terrible has happened.”
“Lord Wu Huaitu Bulü is dead.”
Hearing this, Xiao Simo was instantly stunned, his face changing drastically.
“What?”
“How is that possible?”
At this moment, Xiao Simo’s voice changed. He jumped directly down from his war horse, rushed to the cavalryman, and asked urgently.
He even became somewhat panicked unconsciously.
Wu Huaitu Bulü was his trump card against Buyiru Khan; how could he die at this time?
“It’s true.”
The personal guard said in a trembling voice: “Lord Wu Huaitu Bulü’s personal guard just came to report.”
“Not long ago, the war horse Lord Wu Huaitu Bulü was riding suddenly panicked for some unknown reason, went berserk, and threw Lord Wu Huaitu Bulü off.”
An old man who had followed Xiao Simo’s grandfather fell from a horse; the result was predictable—he was unconscious on the spot.
After hearing this, Xiao Simo was so angry that his eyes turned red, his face contorted ferociously.
He roared angrily: “Si Gele!”
How could he not know what was going on?
It was that viper hiding in the darkness again.
It was he who had acted.
And this time, he had directly struck Xiao Simo’s vital point.
With one blow, he instantly put Xiao Simo in an extremely passive position.
With Wu Huaitu Bulü dead, the North Sea tribes’ cavalry would become scattered.
Their combat strength could not be brought into play at all.
The Northern Frontier Army’s situation had become precarious.
“Damn it, no matter who you are, I will cut you into a thousand pieces.” Xiao Simo roared ferociously in anger.
Since becoming Eastern Capital Governor, this was the first time he had been so angry and lost composure.
The development of events had far exceeded his expectations.
“Pass the order to all units to assemble toward the left wing and block the Northern Naiman rebel army.” Xiao Simo ordered loudly.
This order was mainly given to Li Xiao and the others, the second-line troops that had not yet participated in the attack.
However, the troops Xiao Simo had reserved were not many; Li Xiao’s three thousand was already the largest force.
The other Liao State armies had all joined the battle against Sun Khan.
Therefore, to face Buyiru Khan’s attack, Xiao Simo could only bring his own central army forward.
Moreover, with Wu Huaitu Bulü dead, the North Sea units were leaderless, and only Xiao Simo had the prestige to make them obey; no one else would do.
Soon, the news reached Li Xiao, shocking Xiao Yanyan greatly.
“Rebelled, rebelled~”
“This is really a conspiracy. Buyiru Khan has not submitted to the Great Liao; he was deceiving us.”
Xiao Yanyan was completely stunned, her dazed gaze turning to Li Xiao as she said in disbelief.
Li Xiao had really been right.
Buyiru Khan had faked surrender and deceived everyone.
It was also because Buyiru Khan had acted too convincingly.
He even dared to risk it and come personally to the Liao army camp.
This candid and bold behavior subconsciously made people think Buyiru Khan was sincerely submitting.
It seemed they had gradually let down their guard against him, giving him an opportunity.
“This is really troublesome.” Li Xiao shook his head lightly, his face also turning grim.
He had not expected things to develop exactly as he had anticipated.
But from the bottom of his heart, he really did not want the Northern Frontier Army to suffer too great a defeat.
“Li Xiao~”
Xiao Yanyan’s anxious gaze turned to him, her beautiful eyes full of panic.
“Don’t worry, things have not reached the worst point yet.” Li Xiao comforted her.
In his mind, he was thinking quickly.
Although he had the idea of staying out of trouble, now was not the time.
Xiao Simo was leading the army in a charge; if he led his men to flee, he would be a deserter.
He would not be able to mix in Western Liao afterward.
So, he still had to exert some effort.
If it really reached an irretrievable point, withdrawing then would still be in time.
Thus, Li Xiao led his army quickly forward, closely following behind Xiao Simo’s central army.
But soon after, a group of scattered nomadic cavalry came running terrified from the front.
They were still shouting loudly.
“What are they shouting?” Li Xiao asked Hutu.
Hutu said uncertainly: “It seems they are saying the Liao army is defeated, Lord Xiao is dead?”
Hearing this, Xiao Yanyan beside him instantly flared up.
She said angrily: “Bastards.”
“Bewitching morale, shoot them all down.”
Hearing this, Li Xiao nodded lightly to the messenger.
These scattered cavalry were clearly from the North Sea nomadic tribes.
With Wu Huaitu Bulü dead, the North Sea units directly became scattered. Even if Xiao Simo wanted to rally them, it would take time.
So in this process, the North Sea units collapsed at the first touch against the Northern Naiman army.
Soldiers had begun fleeing one after another; if not stopped, the situation would only worsen.
So Xiao Yanyan was right to act decisively and shoot these deserters to steady morale.
In this way, the cavalry under Li Xiao acted as the discipline team while advancing.
It did effectively curb the North Sea tribes’ flight.
However, immediately after, a new crisis arose: a Northern Naiman cavalry force came around from the rear, preparing to attack Xiao Simo’s central army from behind.
And their first target of attack was precisely the troops under Li Xiao.
Facing the surging Northern Naiman cavalry, Li Xiao in heavy armor was already prepared for a counter-charge.
But before that, he still needed to give the Naiman people a big one.
“Chen Lao Jiu.” Li Xiao shouted loudly.
“Take your men and meet them.”
“Understood.”
A middle-aged man shouted loudly from the ranks.
Not long ago, Li Xiao had gathered all soldiers who could use the Divine Arm Crossbow, as well as those who could simply learn to operate it, into one group.
He had formed a separate centurion unit.
And Chen Lao Jiu, who was most proficient in operating the Divine Arm Crossbow, was the centurion of this unit.
After receiving the order, he led his men to the front of the formation.
The hundred Divine Arm Crossbowmen did not line up in a single row, but according to Li Xiao’s order, formed three lateral ranks.
“Shoot~”
When the Naiman people’s cavalry charged to a distance of over four hundred meters, Chen Lao Jiu directly ordered the first rank of soldiers to begin shooting.
