Chapter 237: Forced By The City Wall
When Shi Xie learned that more than 20,000 Western Chu Army troops were approaching Longbian County, he made a bold and astonishing decision: he would lead his army out of the city to meet the Western Chu Army in battle.
This was not Shi Xie losing his head, but a desperate measure.
The tallest military city in Jiaozhi Commandery is Wangmei County, with walls 2.6 zhang high, while other city walls are less than 2 zhang, Longbian County’s walls are only 1.8 zhang high, and other county towns are even as low as 1.5 zhang.
Jiaozhi Commandery had no enemies; it was isolated in a corner and had never been attacked by any army, so the city walls were very low and there was no need to build them tall.
When the Western Chu Army was about to arrive, Shi Xie suddenly realized how ridiculous and laughable these low walls were.
It was too late for regret, so Shi Xie had no choice but to deal with this unprecedented crisis in the most embarrassing and reluctant way: send out troops to meet them in battle.
The two armies finally met on the vast Red River Plain.
The Jiaozhi Army had newly recruited a batch of new soldiers, bringing their total troop strength to 38,000, using up all stockpiled weapons and armor.
Many leather armors had been stored for decades, faded and worn, looking quite comical on the new soldiers.
The number of soldiers was enormous; though lacking in killing intent and discipline, the sheer numbers still greatly outnumbered the Western Chu Army.
The Western Chu Army had 25,000 troops, including 2,000 cavalry, which were extremely rare on the Red River Plain and the most destructive unit.
The Western Chu Army’s helmets gleamed and armor shone, formations neat, spears like a forest, brimming with killing intent; the momentum from long campaigns and training far surpassed the Jiaozhi Army.
Bu Zhi looked in surprise at the opposing Jiaozhi Army; he and the great generals had run many simulations, but never imagined the enemy would deploy in formation for a decisive battle.
“Then come on!”
Bu Zhi growled, “Form heavy shield double flying formation, prepare to attack!”
The heavy shield double flying formation consisted of the heavy shield army that defeated the Yulin Army and flanking cavalry, but this time with more troops: 5,000 heavy shield soldiers and 2,000 cavalry.
“Dong! Dong! Dong!”
War drum sounds boomed, as the 7,000 infantry and cavalry of the heavy shield double flying formation slowly advanced toward the enemy army formation three li away.
Shi Xie looked grave, watching the enemy approach, and ordered, “Crossbow army, prepare!”
3,000 archers and 5,000 crossbowmen formed up, raising bows and crossbows, arrowheads coldly pointing at the increasingly close Western Chu Army.
At 200 paces, the 2,000 cavalry suddenly charged, racing toward the crossbow army.
The 5,000 heavy shield soldiers also began to run.
Shi Xie shouted, “Loose arrows!”
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The sharp clappers for loosing arrows rang out, military orders like mountains; Jiaozhi Army archers and crossbowmen loosed arrows, as 8,000 arrows formed a cloud like under moonlight, blotting out the moon and enveloping the Western Chu Army 200 paces away.
The arrows targeted the Western Chu Army cavalry charging at the front; at that moment, the 2,000 Western Chu cavalry simultaneously raised round shields, crouching behind their warhorse necks, their round shields mainly protecting the warhorses’ heads.
The tactics were different from those against the Yulin Army; Yulin Army soldiers wore leather armor and could not withstand arrow rain, so heavy shield soldiers had to charge first to break the enemy crossbow army.
But with the arrival of 2,000 sets of cavalry iron armor, the cavalry no longer feared ordinary arrows and could charge ahead first.
Only a series of ‘ka! ka!’ sounds could be heard as arrows like dense rain shot into the Western Chu Army cavalry ranks.
The cavalry iron armor proved highly effective; beyond 100 paces, the arrow rain could hardly penetrate the Western Chu Army’s light iron armor or the round shields blocking the horses’ heads, but though the iron armor was extremely sturdy, over a hundred soldiers were still hit, tumbling off horses, or warhorses struck and collapsing, throwing soldiers who were then trampled to death…
When the Jiaozhi Army archers finished the first volley, the Western Chu Army cavalry had closed to 60 paces; Shi Xie still did not realize the danger, shouting again, “Beat drums, fire again!”
“Don’t fire anymore!”
Old general Wang Kai shouted anxiously, “Archers, retreat quickly; spearmen, advance to engage!”
“No one retreats; keep firing!” Shi Xie angrily ordered.
Wang Kai ignored Shi Xie’s knife-like glare, rushed to the crossbowmen formation, and shouted to the soldiers, “Brothers, retreat quickly!”
But at that moment, the drumming for archery resumed; one order to retreat, one to fire, leaving soldiers confused.
Still, some of Wang Kai’s subordinate soldiers began retreating, while other archers, unable to hear, continued nocking arrows and shooting at the Western Chu Army; though many gave up this volley, thousands of arrows still flew.
The Western Chu Army had closed to 30 paces; the arrows’ force was strong, penetrating armor and piercing horse bodies, inflicting over a hundred casualties on men and horses.
The lead cavalry flipped men and horses; warhorses neighed in agony, soldiers screamed, blood sprayed, and the formation fell into chaos.
Shi Xie laughed triumphantly toward the sky; at that moment, a low horn sounded from afar, echoing under the moonlight—it was Western Chu Army great general Zhao Yun personally blowing the attack horn; the cavalry, just disrupted, immediately steadied, sweeping toward the crossbow soldiers like a continent-ravaging tornado, fiercely unstoppable.
30 paces might take ordinary infantry a moment to cover, but for the Western Chu Army with superior warhorses, it was a blink; the crossbow soldiers then realized the cavalry’s speed was extraordinarily fast, many crying out in terror; Shi Xie paled in fright, realizing he had made a stupidly grave error—withdrawal was now impossible.
Nearly 2,000 cavalry crashed like the fiercest storm into the 8,000 crossbow soldiers’ formation; sabers slashed, heads flew; spears thrust, piercing hearts; in an instant, corpses littered the ground, blood flowed like rivers; the Western Chu Army’s devastating slaughter terrified archers and crossbowmen into fleeing in all directions.
At this time, the Western Chu Army heavy shield soldiers also arrived; together with the cavalry, like a dagger and iron hammer, they flanked and slaughtered the archers, blood flowing like rivers.
Shi Xie stared dumbfounded, forgetting to order the spearmen forward; at that moment, 6,000 Jiaozhi Army spearmen proactively attacked without orders—Wang Kai led the way, charging 6,000 spear infantry toward the Western Chu Army cavalry.
Wang Kai’s idea was not wrong, but unfortunately, this cavalry was entirely different; the 2,000 cavalry did not charge into the spearman formation for close combat.
Instead, they hurled over a thousand burning fire oil bottles into the spearman formation.
The spearman formation erupted in chaos, everywhere blazing fires and thick smoke; soldiers panicked, fleeing in all directions.
