Five Dynasties River Mountains Fengyue

Chapter 239 Confrontation
After arriving to the west of Yijin Pass, Shi Congyun had already seen the Liao army camp in the distance.

The [-] Liao army spread out in a huge camp on the northern land, with a mighty and magnificent momentum, surrounded by fences and stretching for several miles, and the sound of horseshoes, loud shouts and horns could be heard from a long distance.

On the outskirts of the camp were soldiers of the Liao army patrolling back and forth, looking like a group of neat black ants from a distance.

The army of the Chinese army had already formed a formation a mile away. Shi Congyun personally sat in the middle army and pushed over step by step. The long front line drawn by tens of thousands of troops trampled on the large green oily wheat seedlings and wheat ears that were growing well in the southwest of Yijin Pass. Into dark green sludge.

But at this time, it was too late to take care of so much. Previously, Shi Congyun ordered that the people should not be disturbed, their things should not be robbed, their houses should not be burned, and their fields should not be trampled on. dangerous.

He ordered the Chinese army to stop one mile away from Yijin Pass, wait for the rear army, spread out their formation, and then began to advance.

Meanwhile, the Long Jie cavalry led by father Shi Yanchao was heading north along the road between the fields in the west, and arrived at the southwest side of the Liao army camp.

As he got closer, his vision became clearer and wider. He also found the front of the Liao army on the opposite side. Their army was in the north, and there were still troops attacking the city under Yijin Pass in front. There were more than 1000 troops at the city wall of Yijin Pass. The next deployment, is preparing to attack the city.

Shi Congyun immediately ordered Shao Ji to lead the crane-controlling cavalry to attack the Liao army's siege troops, while the Chinese army's formation slowly moved northeast.

After crossing the western part of the city wall of Yijin Pass, although you can see the Liao army in the distance, there are still several miles between the two armies, but because of the flat terrain, the field of vision is very wide.

The Chinese army adopts a chariot formation. Thousands of chariots are lined up in a long line of about two miles. A large number of chariots are arranged at the front of each square to guard against the impact of the Khitan cavalry. Two cavalry are placed on the two wings. Army lag.

Shi Congyun already had an idea in his mind, if there was a fight, the infantry of the Chinese army must first form a large formation to meet the enemy, and the cavalry would wait for the opportunity on the two wings.

The Liao army and the Zhou army are both infantry and cavalry, but there is a big difference in tactics for the two armies. The cavalry of the Liao army is the main force, and the infantry is only auxiliary.The infantry of the Zhou army is the main force, and the cavalry on the two wings is the backup support force, and it is also a surprise soldier.

Shi Congyun's chariot formation has also changed a lot from the one used by Wei Qing back then. First, he changed the chariot formation based on the experience of Fu Yanqing and others defeating the Khitan army. Some of these cattle were confiscated temporarily from the local people, and some came from the logistics force. Once the army stopped, the cattle were tied to the shafts of the carts.

In addition, when the large formation advances, there are eight square formations, and once it stops, it will become eight circular formations.

Behind them were spearmen in full armor, sword and shield players, and behind them were crossbowmen. In the middle of Zhou Jun's center was the rocket bed crossbow of Shenhuodu, which was pulled away by a carriage.

Shi Congyun ordered that once the formation stopped and formed a circle, the soldiers in the center of Shenhuo City immediately began to dig soil to build a high ground, and at the same time set up the bed crossbow on the middle high ground.

The circular formation is also an important tactic of Wei Qing against the cavalry. Before the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu all-out war, there were also circular formations in the Central Plains battle formation, but most of the time it was a variety of changes on the basis of the square formation. The square formation was the mainstream because most of the enemies were infantry. .

But the phalanx has an Achilles' heel against cavalry.

The cavalry is highly mobile, and can use its mobility to bypass the front of the formation and attack from all directions. The flanks and rear of the phalanx will become weak points. Even after changing the formation, the four prominent corners of the phalanx are still weak points.

When the cavalry charged, [-]% of the time it was not a frontal collision, but a "corner cut". That is, the cavalry split from the middle and turned into two long dragons to attack the four corners of the phalanx one by one. Once the soldiers at the four corners of the formation collapse, the entire phalanx will be in chaos.

Wei Qing has rich experience in combating the Huns, and the final method he concluded was to use a circular formation to deal with the cavalry, so that there are no protrusions everywhere. No matter which direction the cavalry uses their mobility to concentrate their forces to attack, they will not be able to gain local advantages. This tactic has been handed down since then, and it is still very practical after thousands of years.

Shi Congyun's formation slowly approached the army of the Liao Kingdom in the distance. At the same time, outside Yijin Pass in the east, Shao Ji led thousands of cavalry, like a long black steel dragon, quickly charging towards the siege troops of the Liao Kingdom from the side.

The siege troops were far away from the Liao army camp, and they were all infantry. Before they could react, they were crushed.

Seeing this, the generals of the Zhou army boosted their morale.

Shi Congyun sent people to stop Shao Ji's pursuit, and at the same time ordered the Zhou army to start changing formations on the southwest side of Yijin Pass, one mile away from the Liao army camp, from square formations to circular formations.

The [-] infantry of the Crane Control Army and the mixed army of Shenhuodu soldiers gradually formed eight huge round formations of military vehicles in the southwest of the Liao Army, and then arranged them into a large formation staggered forward and backward. Slowly approaching the Liao army camp.

After Shao Ji led more than 3000 cavalry controlling cranes to repel the Liao army's siege troops, they retreated to the right wing of the army. Shi Yanchao and Long Jie had a large number of elite light and heavy cavalry, more than 5000, located on the left wing of the army.

The reason why the formation changed so quickly was because the Liao army responded very quickly. In the distant Liao army camp, with the sound of the horn, a large number of Liao army cavalry was rapidly gathering. The camp was full of dust and the sound of horseshoes was endless.

Moreover, their coach is experienced, and from a distance, it is obvious that there are troops preparing for battle on the east and west sides of the camp.

The east side was the most densely packed with at least [-] troops, according to his experience. Among them, a large number of cavalry were cruising in formation by the Xiaoniuxi River, presumably to guard against the Luo Yanhuan, Si Chao, and Wang Huan troops on the other side.At this time, some of them began to move towards the front of the camp.

There are fewer on the west side. It may be the reserve force for the siege, or it may be the garrison of the camp. It looks like about 2000 people. There are more infantry, and a large number of soldiers began to gather south.

Many squadrons of cavalry who were on patrol also began to leave the camp to cruise ahead.

Looking at the flags in the camp and the movement of the dust in the sky, the Liao army should have assembled farther north of the camp.

Shi Congyun had imagined that if the Liao army hadtily responded to the battle after they crossed the Yijin Pass, or could be the first to give up forming an formation to attack and seize the camp, it would be difficult for the army to fight in the camp, but it is not impossible if the opponent rushes to fight and directly seize the camp. Yes, there are examples of such wars in history.

However, the commander of the Liao army assembled in the north of the camp, which meant that they had to abandon their formation if they wanted to attack the camp directly, and ran for two or three miles, crossed the fences and deer villages around the camp, and rushed in against the patrol troops and standing troops. Facing the counterattack of the Liao army's northern army that may be assembled at any time.

Just thinking about it is a headache, the camp of the army is not so easy to attack, and the Liao Kingdom is afraid that they will be stupid enough to attack the camp.

This was a two-to-eight gamble. Shi Congyun decisively chose to be safe, and at the same time sent messengers to convey orders to the Yijin Pass garrison and the Si Chao, Luo Yanhuan, and Wang Huan coalition forces a few miles to the east.

"Tell Wang Shenqi, Dong Zunjiao, and Xiang Xun's headquarters that the whole army obeys Wang Shenqi's command, and they can decide how to act according to the situation of the battle." Shi Congyun trusted Wang Shenqi and Xiang Xun's abilities. of.

Then they called someone over: "Tell Si Chao and them that their main task is to guard Xiaoniu Creek, and they must not let the Liao army cross the river no matter what, and then wait for the opportunity."

On this kind of battlefield that spans several miles, and there is no radio command, we can only trust the ability and experience of the generals to judge the situation on the battlefield.

Shi Congyun was located in the circular formation of the Chinese army, looking at the densely packed battlefield that stretched for several miles, the sky was full of banners and flags in the distance, and the Liao army that was gradually assembled was huge, and the long line was gradually pulled apart in the north, and the trees around the camp had long been destroyed. When all the felling was done, the whole picture of the army was fully revealed.

The soldiers around him also swallowed nervously, and surrounded him with large shields in their hands. The Zhou army pressed on step by step, and the Liao army quickly finished their formation.

The formation of the Liao army is different from that of the Zhou army. The Liao army has a longer line, with a large number of cavalry in the front and periphery, while infantry are arranged in the rear and center.After their formation unfolded, they also crossed the camp and began to slowly approach the Zhou army formation.

The front line, which was more than two miles long, began to bend and roll like waves, slowly spreading.

People have a misunderstanding about the ancient arms, that is, they think that ancient soldiers are professional and professional, but they are not at all.

Take the crossbowmen of the Zhou army as an example. Most of them are dressed in armor. They can use bows and crossbows to shoot at enemies in the distance.

The cavalry of the Liao Kingdom can only be divided into good and bad equipment. They all carry short bows, sabers, and spears when fighting. Since they can be used as light cavalry to harass, they can also be replaced with sabers and spears to charge as heavy cavalry.

The same is true for the cavalry of the Zhou army. Proficiency in bowing and horses is a must. The division of light and heavy cavalry is often assigned temporarily by the commander on the battlefield. The functions they perform are different, and there is no difference from the beginning.

For soldiers, the more versatile the better, it is best to be able to do everything. There is a clear professional distinction between crossbowmen and sword and shield hands. Those who use crossbows do not know how to use bows, and crossbowmen do not use close combat. This is a unique feature of the Song Dynasty army. In other dynasties, whether it is the Warring States, Qin, Han, Sui, Tang, Yuan, Ming, Qing, etc., the requirements for soldiers are basically the difference between infantry and cavalry.

The same is true for the soldiers of the Zhou army, and even more so for the Liao army.

After both sides line up, they both understand that this battle is inevitable. If anyone retreats first, it may lead to a large-scale rout.

Shi Congyun looked at the opponent, he was waiting for the Liao army to move first, to see the strength of the Liao army.

The southeast direction of the Liao army formation is Yijin Pass, and the southeast direction is Sichao and other troops across Xiaoniu Creek. They left a force there to confront each other.

The Zhou army's large formation unfolded from northwest to southeast, with infantry in front and cavalry on both wings behind.

Soon there was movement in the Liao army's middle army. After the long and desolate horn sounded, a large number of cavalry from the left wing of the Liao army came out and moved towards the open space between the two armies, stirring up a lot of dust.

"How many people?" Shi Congyun asked Fu Zhaoyuan beside him. In the past few days, he discovered that Fu Zhaoyuan had a skill, that is, he was very accurate in seeing the number of people. Even if other generals were experienced, they might misjudge when facing a large number of troops. In terms of performance, he is better than many veterans.

It may have something to do with the environment he lived in since he was a child, and he is used to seeing many troops under his father's command training every day.

"Marshal, around [-]." Fu Zhaoyuan replied.

Shi Congyun nodded, knowing it well, and soon the huge Khitan cavalry approached the Chinese army's formation for about fifty or sixty steps, and then they stopped approaching and moved in parallel, unleashing bows and arrows on horseback, throwing a large rain of black arrows.

The four phalanxes in front of the Chinese army were densely packed with shields, and the sound of clanging and clanging was endless, mixed with one or two screams from time to time, which meant that someone had been shot by an arrow.

The Zhou army's counterattack was also very fast. A large number of crossbow arrows buzzed and roared, even overshadowing the summer wind, and shot at the cavalry of the Liao army fifty steps away. The four circles in the front could support each other, and even hit the Liao army Received the bows and crossbows fired by the four round formations, people turned upside down instantly, screaming again and again, and in a short while, hundreds of people fell down in the sand and dust of the battlefield, life and death unknown.

And from time to time, accompanied by a huge explosion, the terrifying crossbow arrows with the thickness of arms shot at the cavalry of the Liao army from the center of each circle. When they hit a few times, they directly pierced the horses and flew out, tripping many people behind them, and the sand and stones flew up. Howling.

The Liao army used short bows for cavalry shooting, which was good for rapid fire, but its power was greatly reduced. It could exert its greatest power at a distance of twenty or thirty steps, and it was no match for Zhou Jun's strong crossbow at a distance of about fifty steps.

More and more Liao troops were shot to death and dismounted when they went out, and soon they couldn't stand it anymore, and immediately maneuvered to the left corner of the Zhou army.At the same time, change out the saber and spear, and prepare to try the classic tactic of attacking a corner of the Zhou army formation.

But soon they found that no matter how they ran, they would be shot from different angles by the crossbows of multiple Zhou army formations. More and more people fell off their horses. positive contact.

Shi Congyun's deployment worked!
This is the main reason why he split the large circular array of military vehicles into eight small circular arrays, and it is also a further improvement of the chariot formation tactics he learned from Wei Qing, Fu Yanqing and others.

It was inspired by the way the British army placed the hollow phalanx in the Battle of Waterloo. If the whole army is in a large circle formation, it will certainly help resist the cavalry, but it is not offensive enough. Passive defense.

If the number of people in the circle is reduced, multiple circles will be formed on the whole, with every 3000 to [-] people forming a circle, surrounded by soldiers and vehicles, and forming a larger circle between each circle.

Then when the cavalry of the Liao army wanted to attack any of the circular formations, they would face the bows and crossbows of the surrounding circular formations. If they dared to go deep into the formation, they would be surrounded by Zhou army bows and crossbows in all directions.

In the first wave of attack, the Liao army dispatched more than 2000 cavalry troops. As a result, two to three hundred corpses and many wounded soldiers were left in the open space between the two armies, and then fled back to the big formation in panic.

The dozens of unlucky people who fell from the horse fled north in a hurry. Shi Congyun ordered not to shoot. It was not because he was merciful, but because it was not worth wasting a lot of arrows for such a few people. The supplies carried by the soldiers were limited.

After two small victories in succession, the morale of Zhou's army soared. The soldiers shouted that the Liao army had no courage, the Khitan rats, etc., and the voices were continuous, resounding through the wilderness.

Shi Congyun was also very happy, but he did not relax. He knew in his heart that this was just a tentative attack by the Liao army.

The two sides began to confront each other. About a quarter of an hour later, there was another movement in the Liao army camp. This time the formation was very large. From a distance, a large number of people began to dispatch. The sky was full of smoke and flags, and the cavalry dragon moved in the Liao army formation. The entire Liao army formation was like a tumbling quagmire, and it came to life in an instant.

Shi Congyun immediately understood that the big one was coming.
(End of this chapter)