Chapter 158: Iron Hooves Sweep
Wu Hengyu looked ahead at Wu Gao, who was waiting in place for him to launch a surprise attack.
Thanks to the scout system established by Wu Fei, when Wu Hengyu led troops to catch up and pursue Wu Gao’s troops, scouts continuously served as vanguards, relaying information back.
Regarding Yuwen Li’s troops that Wu Gao was waiting for. Wu Hengyu knew clearly on the halfway road that he had gone to Ascending Dragon City to try stealing chickens. Due to the scouts’ suppression, Wu Gao’s side was waiting in a muddled state.
It wasn’t the scouts’ fault either; Wu Gao himself feared the enemy like a tiger, so it wasn’t surprising that after the scouts casually circled around twice, they came back with intelligence like “stone mountains, stone caves” to fool him. This was a case of one soldier being a bear, and the whole nest being bears.
Wu Hengyu was not worried about the situation in Ascending Dragon City; his evaluation of Wu Fei’s use of troops was “venomous snake in the grass,” meaning it seemed peaceful in the grass, but somehow one would get bitten.
…fierce tiger hunts dog bear…
Wu Hengyu looked at the formation where Wu Gao was currently gathered and holding position, confirming that the battle soldiers numbered four thousand, camped together; the camp was very stable, in a state of “waiting at ease for the exhausted enemy,” so a strong frontal charge would be bad.
After fighting the Hao Army for several months, Wu Hengyu had also gained his own share of experience.
The optimal time for a surprise attack is to initiate it during the enemy’s march.
Now Wu Gao had formed a stable camp, with crossbowmen and crane gunners all under cover.
At this time, Wu Hengyu summoned the Guiche from the sky and had a team of mounted archers advance to shoot a few volleys. This was to test, whether there was fruit or not, to see if the Hao Army’s formation would produce chaos when shifting.
Sure enough, while the Guiche was flying in the sky, the firearm soldiers in Wu Gao’s ranks couldn’t aim at the cavalry ahead and instead fired at the sky, while the two hundred mounted archers under Wu Hengyu divided into four groups for hanging shots with arrows, causing chaos in the corners of the entire Wu Gao corps position.
Wu Hengyu glanced over; as his light cavalry weaved back and forth, the Hao State corps was in a state of wavering.
Wu Hengyu confirmed the distribution of the demoralized laborers within the Hao Army’s formation.
Wu Hengyu had the officers come to him, and he drew an attack map on the ground, with curving impact arcs one after another, like knife and fork cutting a steak.
Simply and clearly, Wu Hengyu made the combat deployment, and the flag signalers signaled the whole army.
“You go around” “Guiche feints a dive from the sky” “I’ll charge here” “You watch my flag” Wu Hengyu unhesitatingly made himself the protagonist, then assigned the tasks to the supporting roles.
Before the charge, all the cavalry fed their horses large handfuls of soybeans and fattening pills; for this campaign, Wu Fei was responsible for logistics, and after Wu Hengyu dismounted, knight squads orderly received their armor packages from the large carts one by one.
“This is Cart A, line up, first group come up, twenty sets total, sign here!”
“Second group prepare!”
“Cart B, fifth sixth seventh, this way, this way, line up, hurry, don’t dawdle!”
……
Yao Army knights orderly ran to the various armor-loading cart groups. Then under the squad leaders’ leadership, they quickly organized to move the armor, then to their respective areas to quickly assist each other in donning it.
When Wu Fei designed the cavalry armor, he considered quick donning. Specifically, all armor plates were attached to a suit, which could reference firefighters quickly putting on and taking off gear in emergency training.
This design allowed heavy cavalry to quickly don armor before charging.
Traditional heavy armor wasn’t as easy to fully don as normal clothes; after assembling and putting on the pieces one by one, dozens of straps still needed to be tied, otherwise it couldn’t withstand the jolting.
The armor designed by Wu Fei was like later-era leather suits, integrated. The armor back had an opening; the wearer crawled in after, mutually tied tight with rope like shoelaces.
Xuan Chong’s conclusion after trying: zippers currently have high processing difficulty, are expensive, and prone to breaking, unreliable.
Such armor donning design greatly improved the time for knights to wear armor.
At the same time, Wu Fei had non-commissioned officers go through multiple drills and also found methods to fit armor on war horses.
Now, when Wu Hengyu was preparing for battle, the whole team helped all cavalry don armor in just forty minutes.
While the knights were changing, the infantry battle formations under Wu Hengyu began advancing to the frontline; the first row of these infantry battle formations was wooden ox and flowing horse war chariots, using shields to make the Hao Army’s massive firearm shooting ineffective.
The Hao Army could only use lobbing shots to have effect; most of the crane gunners’ bullets hit the front shields of the shield chariots.
Just as the shield chariots pressed closer, the Wu Family Army warriors also stood firm, entering a state of mutual shooting; Wu Gao’s army’s nerves were stretched to the extreme, watching teammates nearby get hit by arrows and fall, struggling to adapt to this balance state.
But this balance state soon collapsed; rumbling tremors came from the ground, and Wu Hengyu’s knight corps began charging.
Wu Hengyu’s cavalry troops divided into four groups, communicating between each other with flags; Wu Hengyu’s cavalry passed through the gaps pre-left in his own infantry formations, following the pre-war plan like knife and fork stabbing a steak, inserting into the area where the Hao Army’s wavering was most severe as probed earlier by mounted archery.
Wu Gao’s bow and arrow hand ranks were in marching process. The bow and arrow hands saw the dense wall of riders pressing forward ahead and trembled in fear.
These Hao Army troops hoped the laborers ahead could hold, but as cavalry impact clusters inserted from both left and right flanks of the ranks, the Hao Army’s first row of laborers were directly knocked flying four or five meters away, immediately collapsing. They all dropped bows and arrows and started shoving.
As for the direct center of Wu Hengyu’s charge direction, that team of Jade Brave halberdiers, taking facing Wu Hengyu as benchmark, saw a massive hammer phantom form above the Yao Army cavalry formation, comparable to sun and moon.
In every Hao Army soldier’s eyes, this hammer was coming straight at them (like the moon seeming to follow one), and growing larger; the Hao Army troops’ legs trembled, like numb in the toilet, directly going limp.
Wu Hengyu’s main cavalry team killed into the enemy formation like shaving hair. The halberdiers were directly picked flying by the heavy riders’ lance thrusts in the impact, then fell like dominoes in a long string; like a hot knife through butter, not only smashing the first row of halberdiers, but also picking flying a large swath of crossbowmen behind. The subsequent Yao Army light cavalry streaming in through the gap held ring-head cleavers heavier than the crossbowmen’s side knives and chopped down from above.
Actually, from high altitude view, this cavalry queue impacting the Hao Army wasn’t thick, only one rank, but the terrifying impact force made the Hao Army’s first rank lose resistance capability; before they could stand, the squad leaders in the Wu Family Army infantry formation midsection seized the timing, collectively blew horns, maintained formation and directly pressed up; this hundred-step distance was covered in twenty breaths. And in those twenty breaths, the original Hao Army formation, like “oral ulcer” sores wrinkled up from the first impact, was now specifically penetrated.
First, the Hao Army bowmen routed, causing major chaos on Wu Gao’s left flank; Wu Gao, originally preparing for siege, panicked.
Although the killing shouts ahead shook the sky, Wu Gao could clearly feel behind his own formation uncontrollable whispers; this phenomenon of soldiers whispering was a precursor to mutiny across the entire army formation. He hurriedly ordered his personal soldiers to stabilize the left flank chaos.
Wu Gao wanted to send reserves forward, then divert the routed soldiers to reorganize under the flags held by his personal soldiers, but this required precious reserve forces.
However, Wu Hengyu was experienced in such charge formations: the impact he initiated must produce rout in the first wave, then must continue during the retreat process, not interrupted by any force midway.
Thus, when the Hao Army reserves ran toward the left to support the routed bow and arrow group, Wu Hengyu gave no opportunity. Under the flag signals from non-commissioned officers originally from the Wu Family Northern Army, the Hao Army’s right rear two directions also suffered Yao Army cavalry impacts. There were the Hao Army’s shield soldiers guarding military supplies, now also knocked flying by Yao Army cavalry.
These shield soldiers, after facing cavalry trampling like heavy hammers, the front row was trampled into meat paste, shields directly pressed into chests by hooves, then one after another became “fish scales” on the ground; the shields instead became clean stepping stones in this bloody mud.
The Hao Army’s firefighting teams in this chaos discovered that they, tasked with “turning the tide,” now couldn’t go left or right.
Just like trying to plug leaks on one side of a ship, only to find before plugging, the other side also leaked.
Hao Army’s five Jade Lions charged to the frontline wanting to save the day, but entering the laborer group, they were directly rammed and blocked by Yao Army full-speed wooden ox and flowing horse.
After the Hao Army Jade Lions fell to the ground, they began biting the war chariots; the other Hao Army soldiers seeing this also surrounded.
But the shadow in the sky made the Hao Army look up, only seeing that one Guiche inhale, then suddenly exhale, spraying dozens of zhang of black malign qi at those Jade Lions; the black qi hit the Jade Lions, spreading outward in waves, the Hao Army gathered beside the Jade Lions felt darkness before their eyes and saw nothing.
And the outer skin on the Jade Lions fell off in sheets, and losing control, they wildly jumped amid the troops, causing greater chaos.
The Guiche’s sprayed “malign qi” has soul-interfering effects; in wild Guiche activity ranges, villagers often legend such ferocious beasts like sucking children’s souls.
War puppets like Jade Lions could move because their core sealed souls. And Wu Fei adjusted the Guiche’s attributes, so the Hao Army was thoroughly countered.
And further away, another Guiche reserved behind the Yao Army spat a breath aimed at the “Immortal Soul Army” surging out from the Swimming Dragon teleportation gate.
These ghost soldiers called by the Hao Army from the Underworld to work, under the Guiche’s malign qi spray, all scattered into dust and rusted armored soldiers, returning to the ground.
After half a shichen of combat. The Hao Army led by Wu Gao at this time was like prey injected with spider venom, with body tissues melting; Wu Hengyu’s cavalry like venomous fangs, the chaos created after penetrating the formation was the “poison melting the enemy troops’ organization.”
As Wu Hengyu like a killing god flung his spear, along the way the Hao Army’s original rank system no longer existed, all fleeing this “domineering” skill rampage; the Hao Army ranks diffused like flowing water, with some remaining “tendons” still supporting.
These “tendons” were Wu Gao’s earliest invested wave of personal soldiers; these guards strained to gather the scattered troops.
If time allowed, they would solidify the routed soldiers around them, reforming a thousand-man anti-impact battle formation.
But—as a general with charge combat experience, Wu Hengyu keenly spotted this “t tendon” and decided to directly sever this last toughness.
……
The Wuzhui under Wu Hengyu spread wings, shapeshifting at two zhang above ground height, with him as the sharp tip, behind him the Dragon Horse Cavalry following his flag.
In this chaos, Hao Army along the way all lowered heads to avoid; the thirty-two riders behind Wu Hengyu rode golden Dragon Horses.
These mounts of Wu Hengyu’s guard soldiers were divine steeds treading flying swallows. The routed soldiers along the way felt oppression like a train head oncoming, thus also hurriedly dodging.
These Hao Army with broken courage waited until Wu Hengyu’s team passed overhead before rising, gazing toward the impact direction of these elite cavalry.
Thus, under pairs of eyes watching, the place where Wu Gao’s central army personal soldiers were organizing defense was broken open like tofu. The large flag hung high to gather routed soldiers was also swept off by a lance.
Thus Wu Gao’s army’s last tendon was cut; no need for anyone to shout “our army is defeated.”
The Hao Army laborers on the periphery who had “sensed danger” and wanted to leave originally now ran even more determinedly.
In the chaotic army, Wu Gao looking at the collapsing great army, his mind buzzed; a few shichen ago, he still wanted to wait for teammates to group up for a teamfight. Result was getting ganked on top lane, taken out by Wu Hengyu’s combo; angry? But no time to stomp.
“General, quick retreat, we’ll fall back to Spring Swallow City and fight again!” Before Wu Gao could react, he was dragged away by his personal soldiers.
During the action, Wu Gao’s armor got in the way and was torn off; in the rear army logistics team, he seized a donkey cart, threw off all the boxes on top, and frantically fled north.
…the donkey ran as fast as a mad dog…
Thus, after Sheng Long Pass fell, the two Hao Army roads coming for decisive battle were respectively smashed in Wu Hengyu’s “reputation” and Wu Xiao Que’s treachery.
Worth mentioning, though these two roads’ engaging troops were respectively six thousand and five thousand, each was equipped with large numbers of civilian laborers following behind to maintain food and grass and military supplies transport. This one road army’s scale thus became nearly twenty thousand. Now the frontline defeated, could most of the laborers hurrying behind escape unscathed?
Laborers along the way still transporting supplies for the Hao Army saw ahead soldiers fleeing in panic, and some clearly high officials after retreating not sparing even donkey carts. The laborer teams felt ahead was earth-shattering collapse, thus also scattered in panic, running as far as possible.
The problem was, Wu Gao himself ran back inside the city, but what about the food and grass supplies?
After the River Campaign ended, Wu Fei dispatched large numbers of personnel to gather supplies along the way, all converged to Ascending Dragon City, while calling Wu Hengyu over.
Before numerous non-commissioned officers, Wu Fei and Wu Hengyu conducted strategic discussion; regarding strategic patterns, Wu Fei replayed his opinions to Wu Hengyu, such that key important decisions were all set by him.
Regarding Wu Hengyu’s own military command ability, Wu Fei confirmed: campaign-level attack and defense no problem, but strategic gain-loss considerations lacking.
Wu Hengyu himself thought: in the domain of mind games and schemes, Wu Fei was too good.
…between brothers…
In private talk between the two brothers, Wu Hengyu planned to take Spring Swallow City in one go.
After all, Spring Swallow City’s defense map was already obtained; Wu Hengyu judged now those fleeing back were like startled birds, one more push could directly take it down, thus completing the merit.
Clearly, Wu Hengyu was the type disliking “trouble”; he wished to take it directly, then lie down drinking.
Wu Fei was somewhat helpless about this. Because this personality often sought quick success, eager to resolve trouble yet making trouble more complex.
Wu Fei once had such personality too, but in student life, discovered some things not done bit by bit, trying to muddle through ultimately couldn’t pass; instead prior efforts became wasted.
Wu Fei pondered in mind: “Now Spring Swallow City can indeed be taken; after taking? Still need to arrange production and gather population. These troublesome things still need someone to do. Rather than that, better pull back troops now, clarify future canal planning and farming conditions in the River area.”
Wu Fei on this great plain planned directions for earth forts one by one, prepared ranks and fief allocations for this expedition’s officers and soldiers. Used rewards to incentivize expedition generals’ enthusiasm.
As for Spring Swallow City side, after large grain loss, returnees internally panicked and blaming each other; with time morale declining, this wane that wax, dragging a period to attack would be easier.
Of course Wu Fei coaxing Wu Hengyu couldn’t say it that way.
Wu Fei: “Big brother, your reputation now shakes, making Spring Swallow City people like startled birds. But if you drag a year then hit them, after Hao State struggles futilely, you take that city, wouldn’t that make whole Hao State hear your great name like startled birds?”
Wu Hengyu eyed Wu Fei: “I know you’re coaxing me.” Then added: “Everything as you do.”
Wu Fei like a subordinate bowed: Yes!—Though not formal occasion, the military tent’s lamplight cast their shadows on the tent curtain. A certain advisor of Wu Hengyu waited quietly outside, intending to advise after Wu Fei left; seeing the tent shadows and Wu Hengyu’s light laugh voice, he frowned, withdrew.
