I practiced magic in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 79 Are You Here to Show Off Your Wealth? [Edit]

"Not good, the government troops are equipped with powerful crossbows!"

"Oh, help me! I've got an arrow in my knee!"

Before the two armies engaged in battle, the front line of the Baibo Army was hit by a dense rain of arrows. The rebel soldiers, lacking armor, were inevitably panicked and screamed.

Most of the rebel soldiers were only wearing cloth clothes, which could not even keep them warm. Not to mention they had no power to resist the crossbow arrows with extremely strong penetrating power. Those who were hit by the arrows were either killed or disabled.

Even if they survived, they would be penetrated by crossbow arrows and if they were not strong enough, they would die of tetanus due to infection of the wounds after the war.

The Han Dynasty inherited the Qin system, and what it inherited was not only the civil governance of the Immortal Qin, but also the military achievements of the imperial dynasty!

Therefore, the Han army was equipped with a large number of powerful crossbows, which made the Xiongnu, who were good at riding and shooting, suffer a lot on the battlefield, not to mention the rebels whose organization was several levels inferior.

Guo Da stood at the center of the formation, his eyelids twitching as he sat on horseback, but he had no other options. He could only order the front row soldiers armed with Wood Release Techniques to continue charging forward: "No retreat! Move forward, anyone who disobeys my order will be executed!"

Hu Cai also had an expression of exasperation at this time. He wielded a broadsword with a ferocious look on his face and hacked at the deserters wantonly, cursing wildly: "You bunch of cowards, charge forward! As long as we engage in battle, our army will be victorious!"

The two men personally led their troops to the battle line and finally managed to suppress the situation of their own army's defeat. They had fought with the government soldiers before and therefore had a lot of combat experience. They knew that only by rushing into close combat would they have a chance of winning, and shooting at the government troops would be seeking death.

After all, crossbows and armor were things that were strictly controlled by the imperial court. Catching anyone with them would be guilty of a serious crime, with property confiscated and the entire clan exterminated. Therefore, even aristocratic families and wealthy clans found it difficult to stock up in large quantities in advance, let alone a makeshift team like the Baibo Army.

Not to mention that making a good bow takes one to three years and is very expensive. It requires resources such as ox horns and tendons, which are strategic reserves and difficult to buy even if you have money.

As for the training of an archer, three years can only be considered as barely qualified, and more than five years can be considered elite, and you even have to have a talent and ability in shooting.

In this way, archers are definitely high-level soldiers and are absolutely elite in the battle sequence of the official army. The Baibo Army is said to have 100,000 troops, but there are less than 200 qualified archers who can shoot a stone bow, making it impossible for them to shoot against the Northern Army.

You should know that the Shesheng Camp under Wang Jing has recruited thousands of elite archers who can shoot three-stone bows. Each of them is extremely powerful and can shoot and kill tigers.

Wang Jing and Xun You sat in the center of the army together, leading the reserve troops, standing still like a mountain, overlooking the battle situation leisurely, waiting for the opportunity to strike the decisive blow.

Xun You looked at the sparse archers of the Baibo Army and said with emotion: "There are indeed many people in Hedong who are good at archery. A mere group of rebels can actually recruit hundreds of hunters who can shoot a crossbow."

Wang Jing said: "It's a pity that the gap between the rebels and our army in long-range strike capability is too big to make up, so when facing the rain of arrows, they can only withstand it head-on, which is very demoralizing."

It must be said that China's military development was very early, and it is the only classical civilization in the world that has produced a large number of military works. And China's military commanders have also reached a superb level in the use of weapons such as bows and crossbows.

In this time and space, since ancient times, there have been many martial arts techniques that are specifically designed to enhance long-range attacks.

Xun You smiled and said, "The soldiers of our Shesheng Battalion have all learned the Feiyu Arrow Classic, so they are naturally not comparable to ordinary hunters."

The "Fei Yu Jian Jing" is said to be created by Li Guang, a flying general during the reign of Emperor Wu. When he observed the Donghu people's national magic "Fei Gong Shen She", he realized the method of controlling wind and thunder, and the arrows he shot were extremely powerful. Later, in order to fight against the Xiongnu's horse archery, Emperor Wu promoted this method in the Han army and used it specifically to train archers.

According to the description in the Archery Manual, those who can draw a crossbow are qualified.

Those who can draw a three-stone bow can be called elite.

Anyone who can draw a six-stone bow can be called an archer.

Those who can draw a nine-stone bow can be called fierce generals.

Unless they are gifted, ordinary mountain hunters can only shoot a stone bow to the best of their ability after training for a lifetime, and are no match for the elite archers of the government army.

In addition to the one thousand elite archers of the Shesheng Camp, Wang Jing will also equip the entire army with a large number of powerful crossbows collected from the arsenal. When the front line engages the enemy, the rear line can use bows and crossbows to strike the enemy's rear row. The multi-level attacks from front, back, left and right are enough to form a powerful cross-fire.

At present, the Baibo Army is suffering a lot from this.

They managed to survive the first three rounds of arrow rain, but when they rushed to the front of the Northern Army, they found that they were facing an iron hedgehog.

Yan Xing roared angrily: "Ji Lin!"

Then the battle tactics were launched, and the aura of military evil spread. The spearmen in the front row began to form a battle array, with spears like a forest pointing obliquely to the sky. Unlike the enemy's clamor, there was an almost dead silence on the Northern Army's position.

Only the sound of drums stirred the blood and bravery in the hearts of the soldiers.

"kill!"

The hideous faces of the rebels filled the field of vision.

However, the Northern Army remained unmoved until...

Boom! At the moment when the two armies collided, the sky and the earth darkened.

The sparks created by the collision of weapons were so bright that they illuminated the sky.

The sounds of killing and roaring gradually gathered into a passionate melody, echoing on the battlefield.

"Iron wall!"

Yan Xing was not only good at commanding cavalry in battle, but he had also learned the Qiang people's spear tactics after fighting against them in Xiliang for a long time. At this moment, he led two thousand infantrymen in front of the formation. They were wearing cold iron armor and holding spears that were at least 18 feet long. Facing the enemy's surging offensive, they stood still like a mountain.

No matter how big the waves are, I will remain unmoved.

The metal spears easily pierced the enemy's flesh and blood, and even skewered the enemy into candied haws.

However, the enemy had gone crazy, pushing and charging without regard for anything. The enemies in the front row had even been squeezed into a bloody state.

Although they were well fed and well fed during their training and the training was rigorous, the soldiers at the front still showed a brief panic when faced with such a crazy enemy.

"Hold the line and don't panic!"

Yan Xingmo used his profound skills and let out a tiger roar that shocked the three armies. The sound turned into a gust of air that swept across the entire battlefield, finally boosting morale.

Yan Xing himself set an example by wielding the Benhucuojin Spear and charging into the front line. Leading by example can naturally inspire the morale of the troops and convince the soldiers.

Yan Xing was seen using the Tianlong Halberd Technique with his spear. Each strike was so powerful that it swept across the wilderness. He could often easily knock an enemy away with just one strike.

Sometimes he killed, sometimes he swept across, Yan Xing's brave and heroic appearance was like a magic needle that stabilized the sea, and he successfully stabilized the morale of the Northern Army's front line.

This is the role of a brave general on the battlefield!

As the commander of an army, he naturally needs to suppress the morale of the entire army at critical moments.

Spears were like forests and arrows were like rain. Although the Baibo Army was large in numbers, they could not break through the defense line of the Northern Army's front infantry. Instead, they had to withstand the arrows of the Shesheng Camp and suffered huge casualties every minute and every second.

What is more terrifying than the casualties is the invasion of cold!
The colder the weather, the faster people's physical fitness declines. Especially since the Baibo Army lacks cold-resistant supplies, the loss of physical strength is even more alarming.

Huang Tian's Taoism had its limits. The remaining courage boosted by the secret art of vocal music was soon exhausted by the double attack of hunger and cold. The morale of the Baibo Army began to decline rapidly like melting spring snow.

Guo Da and Hu Cai's original plan was to use cannon fodder to continuously wear down the Northern Army's physical strength, and then lead the main force in a decisive battle.

Even though they were born as bandits, they still have thousands of elite soldiers under their command.

These soldiers are not only tall, but also wear armor. The weapons in their hands are also standard weapons of the Han army, so their combat effectiveness is not weak.

However, they had miscalculated. Wang Jing was willing to invest a lot in training soldiers. The soldiers of the eight battalions of the Northern Army were all elite imperial guards who had been selected through layers of selection and the weak were eliminated while the strong were retained. They were not only physically strong but also had iron wills. They were definitely not the kind of rubbish that the rebels could take down in one fell swoop.

Three quarters of an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and many of the Baibo soldiers who were waiting outside were already shivering with cold. Their physical strength was rapidly drained away in the cold temperature, and even if they did not move, they could not maintain their physical strength and morale.

It was simply because the weather was too cold, and they were tired and hungry. Even though the Huang Tian Dao Fa had squeezed out the last bit of potential in their bodies, they were gradually unable to hold on.

After all, these poor people don't have the woolen coats that every Northern Army soldier has, and it is impossible for them to have a full meal every day. Both their mental and physical strength have reached their limits at this moment.

Wang Jing was in charge of the central army, so he naturally saw the enemy's situation and said, "It seems that our army will win this battle."

"It's all thanks to the master's planning!"

Although Zhang Liao's words might seem like flattery, they were also his true thoughts.

After the wool coats were distributed, the Northern Army had the ability to resist the cold, at least much better than the rebels, so they could now take advantage of the weather. The original cold temperature weakened everyone equally.

But the Northern Army had warm clothing, while the rebels did not, so the cold weather became a unilateral weakening of the rebels.

It was as if God was on Wang Jing's side!
What's even more interesting is that Wang Jing had been constantly squeezing the Baibo Army's living space before, and he also made an example of them by cutting off their food and grass supplies, forcing them to go into battle at the time chosen by the Northern Army.

Being able to make good use of the weather in this way, Wang Jing has already mastered the essence of the art of war, and the secret of his application lies in his heart.

The enemy was in a miserable state. After a long period of attack, they were unable to defeat the enemy and their strength was gradually depleted.

Although the Northern Army was not in a hurry to counterattack, Guo Da and Hu Cai's pale faces were filled with despair at this moment.

They knew that they were doomed to fail and there was no way they could win!

However, at this moment, a cavalry suddenly appeared on the distant horizon and began to join the battlefield.

A desolate horn sounded, and a wild breath that seemed to come from outside the territory came along with the north wind. The murderous aura made it clear that the visitor had ill intentions.

"It's the Huns!"

At the Northern Army's position, Zhang Liao and Xu Huang recognized the identity of the newcomers at a glance. They had been fighting against foreign races in the northern border for many years, so they naturally knew how to distinguish the attire of the Hu people.

Wang Jing and Xun You, who had long guessed that it was the Huns who were behind the scenes, were not surprised by their arrival. The reason they kept the reserve troops and delayed their arrival was that they were waiting for the mastermind to show up.

"Our reinforcements have arrived!"

On the Baibo Army's position, Guo Da and Hu Cai's faces showed ecstasy at having survived a calamity. Seeing with their own eyes the two brothers Yufuluo and Huochequan coming with their 20,000 Xiongnu cavalry made them feel grateful for having survived a calamity.

The Baibo Army is finally saved!

On the earth, horse hooves thundered and snow and wind were blowing.

The Southern Xiongnu cavalry, who had been quietly wandering around the battlefield, finally couldn't help but show up and officially intervene in the battle when they saw that the Baibo army was about to be defeated.

As soon as the two of them attacked, they used extremely brutal killing moves.

Twenty thousand Hu cavalrymen came with great force, and the Northern Army’s retreat was cut off, and they were immediately plunged into an unprecedented crisis.

"My lord, it's the Huns!"

Zhang Liao clenched the crescent halberd in his hand, his eyes flashing with endless anger.

The Baibo Army was almost exhausted and was about to successfully suppress the Hedong rebellion, but the Huns chose this moment to arrive and disrupt the situation.

Is such a good situation going to fall apart at the last moment?
Wang Jing drew his sword and pointed it at the sky, shouting loudly: "Soldiers, these barbarians from outside the Great Wall dared to invade our territory. What should we do?"

Many people recalled the records in history books about how the Huns invaded the border every year before Emperor Wu and how they burned, killed and looted the Han people. They killed the elderly and children, abducted young men and women, and enslaved the Han people like livestock.

If there is no one in the country, the Han Dynasty will prosper!
Especially the thousands of surrendered soldiers who were born and raised in Hedong. They were the most persecuted by the Southern Xiongnu, so they shouted angrily: "Kill!"

After receiving the response from the whole army, Wang Jing stared at the front and asked again: "The Southern Xiongnu are ungrateful. They were able to gain a foothold in Hetao with the help of our Han Dynasty and avoid being destroyed by the Xianbei. However, they are ambitious and not only do they not think of repaying our kindness, but they also raise troops to attack us year after year. What should we do?"

"Kill! Kill!"

The soldiers raised their weapons high, roared angrily, and their will to fight became even stronger.

Wang Jing, who had successfully boosted morale, took the opportunity to ride out on his horse, riding his famous horse Jueying at full speed, wielding his famous sword Chunjun and pointing it at the enemy: "Our homeland is behind us, and the jackals are in front of us. The Xiongnu want to kill our compatriots, humiliate our wives and daughters, and regard the Han people as lambs to be slaughtered. What should we do?"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The hoarse roars gathered into a storm of anger, which was the boiling of boundless murderous intent.

The hatred between the Han Dynasty and the Huns has long been as deep as the sea. They have been fighting each other for hundreds of years. The hatred can only end when one side is completely defeated.

"kill!"

At Wang Jing's command, the Northern Army immediately switched from defense to offense.

Yan Xing, the captain of the cavalry, handed over the command of the infantry to his cousin Yan Hu, and then personally led the cavalry of the cavalry camp, rushed out from the rear formation, and bravely charged into the enemy formation. With only more than a thousand people, he defeated the tens of thousands of troops of Guo Da and Hu Cai, and retreated back to the Baibo Valley.

The Hu cavalry captain Zhang Liao also urgently mobilized the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry of the Hu cavalry camp to launch a surprise attack from the rear, delaying the advance of the Xiongnu cavalry.

The soldiers of the Hu Cavalry Camp were all recruited from Bingzhou, among whom were quite a few Hu people. Most of them came from Xianbei and Wuhuan and admired the imperial dynasty. It seemed that because of their fanatical converts, they often fought bravely in order to gain recognition from the imperial dynasty, and cooperated well with the war wolves under their crotch. For a time, the action of the Southern Xiongnu cavalry to block the retreat of the Northern Army was blocked.

While Zhang Liao was holding back the main force of the Southern Xiongnu cavalry, Xu Huang also mobilized two thousand infantrymen, lined up on the official road, with their backs to the grain transport convoys, and lined up with spears, cheap shields, and powerful crossbows. They soon succeeded in erecting a ferocious iron wall to block the Xiongnu.

After finally withstanding Zhang Liao's surprise attack, Yu Furuo and Hu Huchuquan, who were preparing to encircle Wang Jing's troops, had to rein in their horses and turn around, stopping their charge.

This was because the Xiongnu cavalry were all light cavalry, and when they encountered the Han army that was ready for battle, even tens of thousands of cavalry could not defeat a few thousand infantry.

Li Ling, the captain of the Hu cavalry during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, once led 5,000 elite soldiers to inflict heavy casualties on 80,000 Xiongnu cavalry, but he was still helpless. In the end, he had to rely on siege to force the Xiongnu to run out of ammunition and food and surrender.

Therefore, facing the so-called Hun cavalry, the Han army had a great psychological advantage!

"Array up!"

Xu Huang went to the front line in person and raised the spear in his hand.

Spears stood up, emitting a cold edge. The Southern Xiongnu cavalry did not dare to get close. Faced with such a dense formation of elite heavy infantry, rushing in would be tantamount to death.

Huochequan was filled with hatred. The Han army in front of him changed its formation too quickly, causing him to miss a good opportunity.

Seeing that a sneak attack is hopeless, the only option is to use delaying tactics; a strong attack is impossible.

Huochuquan took out his hunting bow and said, "Release the arrows and shoot them to death!"

The Xiongnu cavalry circled the formation, drew their bows and drew their arrows on horseback, hoping to break the formation by archery from horseback.

Arrows rained down from the sky, landing on Xu Huang's thousands of Hedong soldiers.

However, the hunting bow had a short range and insufficient power, and was unable to penetrate the iron armor on Xu Huang and others, causing minimal casualties.

Xu Huang allowed dozens of arrows to pierce his body, but they were only minor injuries that could not even affect his combat effectiveness. With iron armor protecting him and wool cushioning him, the arrows could not penetrate him at all, but only pierced through his clothes and hung on his body.

"Everyone in the back row should get their wooden crossbows. We need to teach those Xiongnu wolves a lesson!"

"Yes!"

Another thousand infantrymen arrived to reinforce. Not only were they armed with spears, they were also equipped with the Han army's unique wooden lacquer crossbows as weapons. Their long-range strike capability far exceeded the so-called grassland cavalry archery of the Huns.

If you want to shoot arrows while riding on horseback, you can only use a short hunting bow. Unless it is a well-made recurve bow, ordinary hunting bows are not enough to compare with the Han army's wooden lacquer crossbows in terms of range or power. They will have to be hit by a wave of arrows before they reach their own shooting range.

If this is done, how many outputs can survive?

As expected, when Xu Huang ordered his Hedong soldiers to replace their wooden lacquer crossbows, thousands of crossbows were fired at the same time, and hundreds of Huns fell immediately.

Yu Fuluo was surprised and angry when he saw this: "How come this Han army is equipped with so many powerful crossbows?"

Huochuquan was also confused: "The whole army is equipped with iron armor? Every soldier has a wooden crossbow? Are they the imperial guards of the Han emperor?"

Both of them were a little furious. They had caused so much trouble just to rob some women and property, but they ended up encountering the Northern Army who were fully equipped with luxurious equipment. They were immediately filled with resentment and felt that Wang Jing was bullying them.

You have to know that the productivity of the Southern Xiongnu was extremely low. In their military system, even a centurion could not get a set of iron armor. How could you, the Han army, have one for each soldier?
Are you here to fight or to show off your wealth?

You should have said earlier that you had such ability!
The brothers Yu Furuo and Huochequan understood very well that they had hit a wall this time. The losses in just the initial battle made them grimace in pain.

(End of this chapter)