Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 455: Bloody Battle of Yellow Flowers
On the curved and undulating hills, Che Guangqian was carrying Fang Zhongyong's flag and leading five hundred silver-spear filial soldiers in a desperate rush southward.

The horses galloped through the snow, splashing up white powder. The ground trembled slightly, shaking off the snow on the treetops.

As for the birds and animals hiding in the bushes, they had already fled in fear.

Behind Che Guangqian and the others were the Huihe cavalrymen who were chasing them relentlessly. There were so many of them that they could not be counted. They were like a long black snake chasing its prey.

"General Che! Why are even the Huihe people who are attacking the city coming to chase us?

There are too many people here!"

A personal soldier beside him rode a horse and yelled at Che Guangqian.

There was a look of crazy excitement on his face!

With General Fang Jie backing them up, they were just luring the enemy. It couldn't be easier!
The soldiers of the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army had an almost blind confidence in Fang Zhongyong! As long as General Jie was on the scene, everything would be fine!
While luring the enemy this time, Che Guangqian and others learned two pieces of bad news.

The first bad news was that the Huihe people were dumber than expected. They were so focused on attacking Yunzhong City that they didn't even have any warning.

Che Guangqian and his companions went deep into the heart of Yunzhou, and only discovered traces of the Uighurs when they were almost at Yunzhong City.

This means that if Fang Chongyong chooses to lead the entire army to assault and rescue Yunzhong City, the city will most likely be decided in one battle!

There's no need for any fancy ambush.

The second bad news was that when the Huihe people saw the silver spear and flag of the Xiaojie Army carried by Che Guangqian, they rushed towards them like chicken blood. Even the Huihe soldiers who were attacking the city immediately stopped, returned to the ground, and rode their horses to chase Che Guangqian and his men!
It seems that in the eyes of the Huihe people, this general flag is much more important than Yunzhou! They would rather not attack the city, but also desperately want to get this general flag!

"How would I know! It's the Huihe people who are crazy!"

Che Guangqian yelled in annoyance, and the noisy sounds around him made his eardrums hurt.

boom! boom! boom!
At this moment, three fireworks exploded in the air!

Che Guangqian's anxiety was instantly swept away! The ambush finally arrived, and the Huihe people were finally lured into the ambush circle!

The undulating hills of yellow flowers made him feel uneasy. The base of the mountain could easily block his view, so it was not uncommon for him to be unable to be spotted even though he was close at hand.

Che Guangqian saw the signal smoke rising in front of her left side, and without saying a word, she ran towards that direction.

With the commander's flag as guidance, the five hundred cavalrymen acted as one and adjusted their marching angle in an instant.

This was a strategy agreed upon in advance. The fireworks represented that the ambush was ready, and the wolf smoke was used to lure the enemy troops to withdraw from the battlefield.

However, the Uighur cavalry behind Che Guangqian and his men seemed not to notice the smoke signals and continued to pursue them closely!
Not long after running, Che Guangqian suddenly saw Tang army soldiers carrying Mo Dao.

They had lined up on both sides of a small hill, leaving a path in the middle.

So that Che Guangqian and his men can withdraw from the battle!
This time it’s finally stable!

Che Guangqian's heart finally settled down, and she rushed into the gap between the left and right military formations, which was only more than ten feet wide.

Wow! Wow!
When the last Silver Spear Filial Piety Army cavalryman who was responsible for luring the enemy entered the rear of the army formation, accompanied by the sound of armor rubbing, the gap was filled by the people in the rear of the infantry phalanx.

At this time, the Uighur cavalry was less than an arrow's distance away from them, and had no intention of slowing down at all.

In fact, at such a close distance, it was too late to slow down, so it was better to use the speed of the cavalry to break through the Tang army's formation.

"kill!"

The first row of Tang army soldiers carrying Mo Dao took a step forward, while the last row retreated instead, keeping a distance between each other.

The team was also constantly expanding horizontally, with the distance between each other being several steps (the normal step distance for an adult man is two steps for one step), and it was not a dense formation that was closely packed together.

This is the special fighting style of the Modao Team. If they are too close to each other, the Modao cannot be swung and it is easy to hurt their own people.

When fighting, the Mo Dao was not the same as the shield wall of the sword and shield soldiers. They adopted a sparse formation to increase the thickness of the line, and did not seek to block the enemy's cavalry outside the army formation.

Instead, it was like a sieve sifting fine sand, with each layer they would cut off some of the rushing cavalry, making the density of the enemy cavalry sparse.

Layer upon layer of screening, layer upon layer of killing.

Occasionally, a lucky cavalryman would rush to the end of the rear line and find that he had no companions around him.

Being slaughtered is just a matter of moments.

The Tang army did not defend itself blindly against cavalry in infantry combat. The basic military tactics also included standard procedures for fighting against cavalry.

puff!

The huge saber cut a Uighur cavalry horse into two pieces with one blow, and blood splattered everywhere.

The unfortunate cavalryman had his lower body cut off and fell to the ground groaning.

Blood was all over the floor! Just like a bright red plum blossom appeared on the snow-white drawing paper!
The Tang army's Modao warrior who killed him nimbly dodged the subsequent attack of the Uighur light cavalry and left those enemies to the Modao warriors behind him.

Woo! Woo! Woo!
Just as the fierce battle was going on at the foot of the hill, a desolate horn sounded in the distance.

A team of Tang heavy cavalry, about 500 people, holding a "Fang"-shaped general flag, neatly dressed and with complete horse armor, rushed down from the distant hills!

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The deafening shouts of killing, accompanied by the falling of men and horses, were like a steel knife cutting through the thick fat of a pig, cutting the Uighur army in half.

This cavalry attacked from the side, catching the Uighur cavalry, whose march had been blocked and stagnant, by surprise.

He Changqi took the lead, wielding a sword, and wherever he passed, there were ghosts crying and wolves howling.

The Uighur light cavalry blocking the road were no match for them and were knocked off their horses like scarecrows.

As soon as this elite Tang army appeared, the Uighur army was thrown into chaos.

The Uighurs who were stopped outside ran away without a second thought, turned their horses around, and ignored their comrades who were fighting a bloody battle with the Tang infantry in front of them.

Those who were caught in the middle were like headless flies, looking for a way to establish themselves.

At this critical moment, several teams of Tang cavalry came rushing in from different directions, each team had only 500 people.

These Tang cavalrymen were not wearing heavy armor, but they were extremely brave. Like hunters in a circle, they led their troops to move among the huge number of Huihe cavalrymen, killing as they went.

Played very methodically.

The Huihe people, who were extremely familiar with this style of fighting, seemed to recall some unbearable memories. Although they were numerous, they had completely lost their command at this moment and could not see where their general flag was.

The original team also lost its structure in the impact and fighting, and could not find the familiar comrades.

But some Uighurs still tried to organize resistance, holding sabers and shouting, but they were soon discovered and hacked to death by Tang cavalry.

The Uighur cavalry, which had fled far away, rushed back into the chaotic battlefield under the organization of some generals, trying to save the situation.

However, after rushing into the chaotic battlefield, they would go around in circles and finally encounter the Modao soldiers who could deal with the cavalry as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, just like a huge wave hitting a reef and then being smashed to pieces.

Finally, they fled in all directions again.

Just like this, they were pulled out, rushed in, and tortured to death, over and over again. Wave after wave of fierce battles, blood washed like a stream, leaving marks on the snow.

After two hours of fighting, the sky had turned from light to dark.

On the undulating hills of Huanghuadui, there were corpses of Huihe people and horses running around everywhere. These horses had lost their riders and were idling around on the battlefield, seemingly not panicking at all.

After suffering heavy losses, the Huihe cavalry chasing Che Guangqian finally gave up their plan and fled without a trace. The Tang army also did not pursue them.

Fang Zhongyong ordered the troops to deploy defenses on the spot, gather the soldiers, and count the losses and results. After the Huihe people retreated, everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

This time it was indeed a bit unexpected.

I prepared a table of dishes, but two tables of people came, and I almost couldn’t handle it!
"grass!"

He Changqi jumped off his horse and threw his helmet directly to the ground.

At this moment, he looked like he had fallen into a pool of blood and taken a bath. The original color of the silver armor could no longer be seen. His face was covered with dried blood, and his hands were still shaking slightly unconsciously because of excessive force.

"Che Guangqian, how many Huihe people did you lead here?

I have broken five knives!

You almost killed us! If the Huihe people didn't retreat, I was going to run away with the commander!"

He Changqi was breathing heavily, pointing at Che Guangqian and cursing loudly with an angry look on his face.

This was the most dangerous battle he had ever fought since he joined the army.

At the beginning, it was as easy as cutting melons and vegetables.

But later in the battle, the Tang army's original advantage was constantly wiped out by the Uighurs who were pulling back and forth.

Fang Chongyong no longer had any reserve troops, so he rode his horse into battle himself!
If the Huihe people hold out for another hour, it is hard to say who will escape! The Tang cavalry, which is several times smaller than the Huihe people, will lose their physical strength and their casualties will increase rapidly. In the end, they will be unable to bear it and will have to retreat.

Many times, although the difference in casualties between the two sides is large from the battle results, it may not be the case from the battle process. The losing side may really be just a little bit behind.

“Well, it’s not my fault, it’s just that Marshal Jie’s flag is too attractive.

When the Uighurs saw the general's flag, they would rather not attack Yunzhong City than chase us, wanting to kill the general and seize the flag.

What else can I do? I can't just throw the general's flag to them, right?"

Che Guangqian sighed helplessly and defended herself, taking off her helmet and holding it in her hand.

He held on to the horse with one hand, he was so tired that he could hardly stand.

"He Lao Hu, this time it was General Che who made great contributions in luring the enemy, and fighting hard to kill the enemy is our duty.

As for the Uighurs' cruelty, that cannot be blamed on him.

It is not uncommon for any accidents to happen on the battlefield."

Fang Zhongyong walked up, patted Che Guangqian on the shoulder and said. He rubbed his sore shoulders and felt a little scared.

In this charge, he, the commander, also followed the team to kill the enemies, and he couldn't even remember how many Uighurs he had killed.

It is no exaggeration to say that his hands were stained with blood.

Of course, he was not in the vanguard army, so he would not break five swords like He Changqi did.

"Hehe, I'm afraid that the commander-in-chief has become a thorn in the side of the Huihe people. No wonder those grandsons went crazy when they saw the commander-in-chief's flag."

He Changqi couldn't help but flatter him.

The advantages and disadvantages of the Uighur cavalry are obvious.

The advantage is that the horses are excellent and can move as fast as the wind. The cavalry is so numerous that it is difficult to defend against them.

But the disadvantage is also obvious, that is, the organization is relatively poor. It is okay when the wind is favorable, but once it falls into an unfavorable situation, it will be defeated.

Especially if they were ambushed by other cavalry and their organization was disrupted, the Uighurs would quickly collapse.

They can only gather together again after they have fled far away from the battlefield. They are not capable of fighting a tough battle.

This is a huge difference from Tubo.

In this battle, Fang Chongyong used the Modao team as a fulcrum and deployed them at the foot of a small hill. He designated this place as the main ambush ground and slowed down the speed of the Uighur cavalry.

Then cavalry were continuously sent in from other directions to divide the large number of Uighur cavalry and disrupt their organization.

This move was tried in the previous battle of Feng'an City, and it worked very well. In such a short time, the Huihe people really did not come up with a tactic to break it, and suffered losses again.

Fang Chongyong recalled Napoleon's comments on the French cavalry and the Mamluks, and couldn't help but feel that there was some truth in them.

One hundred Tang cavalrymen faced off against one hundred Uighur cavalrymen, but the advantage was not great.

But as long as this order of magnitude reaches several thousand, the exchange ratio between the two sides in actual combat will be very different.

The three thousand Tang cavalrymen were able to overwhelm the three thousand Uighur cavalrymen, just like an adult beating a child, without even taking a breath.

This is the power of military organization. War is never a simple competition of numbers. Morale, dispatch and command, organization and training are all very important factors in determining victory.

"We just won a great victory, and the soldiers are exhausted and can't fight again.

Let's set up camp here tonight and head to Yunzhong City tomorrow. There's no need to rush.

Let the Huihe people experience the panic of a crushing defeat first, and the effect will be better."

Fang Zhongyong waved his hand calmly and said.

The Huihe people who escaped back would exaggerate and tell the Huihe people who did not pursue them how brave and skilled the Tang army was. Even if they could capture Yunzhong City, they would not be able to hold it, and the only way out was to retreat.

This would cause panic among the Huihe army. If they were to chase them hastily, it would make the Huihe people think of dying in a desperate situation, stimulating them to fight to the death.

"General, thanks to your wise command, we were able to win this battle against the Huihe.

This kind of battle is beyond my reach. I am convinced by you!"

At this moment, Tian Chengsi stepped forward and saluted Fang Chongyong with his fists clasped, while flattering him all the time.

Obviously, Tian Chengsi, who is nearly 50 years old, is not a fool who is completely ignorant of the ways of the world. After winning the battle, his mouth became as sweet as honey.

He Changqi, Che Guangqian and others around Fang Chongyong secretly cast contemptuous glances at him.

However, Tian Chengsi did not seem to care about this, and lowered his voice to suggest to Fang Zhongyong:
"The fact that the Huihe people were able to reach Yunzhou this time was closely related to Xue Song, the governor of Weizhou and the military commander of the Hengye Army.

This man is a great threat to the commander-in-chief, and Weizhou also controls an important passage from Hebei to Hedong. After the commander-in-chief arrives at Yunzhong City tomorrow, he will still have to send troops to Anbian City (the capital of Weizhou) to capture Xue Song! "

Tian Chengsi did not give Xue Song any face at all and directly reported him.

Of course, this situation is also a characteristic of the Tang Dynasty border army. Border generals not only like to report their colleagues to the bosses in their own defense zone, but also like to report to the Jiedushi to the court.

"Xue Song, this guy is indeed a bit problematic."

Fang Zhongyong narrowed his eyes and said thoughtfully.

Tian Chengsi used this battle to prove that he was "usable" and at least he was not on Huangfu Weiming's side.

But in Fang Chongyong's opinion, Xue Song's position was indeed very suspicious. Regardless of whether Tian Chengsi's move was out of selfish motives, Xue Song could no longer stay in Hedong.

The scale of the Uighurs' intrusion into his defense zone was so large that it was obviously not something that could be explained away by "dereliction of duty."

Fang Chongyong intends to use extraordinary measures to kill the chicken to scare the monkey.

(End of this chapter)