bookrandom Chapter 2042 Fierce Attack!
Chapter 2042 Fierce Attack!
Li Jing's order, which carried a sense of desperation, was delivered swiftly by messengers to Wang Zhongsi, the frontline commander on the left flank of the battlefield, like a red-hot branding iron.
When the order, "The Chu army has no reinforcements. His Majesty and the commander-in-chief place high hopes on it and spare no expense to launch a fierce attack on the Vermilion Bird Legion and capture Feng Mulan alive," clearly reached his ears.
Wang Zhongsi's hand holding the command arrow trembled slightly.
He wasn't driven by fear, but by the overwhelming sense of responsibility and the almost desperate urgency that pressed down on him.
He looked up at the red army formation opposite him.
The Vermilion Bird Legion has abandoned its offensive and instead formed an extremely tight defensive circular formation.
Heavy shields formed a wall, long spears a forest, and archers were hidden within the formation. The entire army formation resembled a curled-up iron hedgehog covered in sharp thorns, exuding a chilling killing intent and an indomitable will.
Feng Mulan's central army banner fluttered high in the center of the formation, stabilizing the morale of the entire army.
Wang Zhongsi took a deep breath of the air thick with the smell of blood. The last trace of hesitation in his eyes was completely dispelled, replaced by a resolute determination to burn his bridges.
He knew there was no way out; only by crushing the enemy army in front of him could he fight for a glimmer of hope for the Tang Dynasty!
"Send the order!"
Wang Zhongsi's voice was hoarse but unusually firm: "The main infantry force will launch three waves of attacks in succession on the enemy's frontal defenses!"
"The first wave, wielding massive shields and heavy axes, will break through their shield formation! The second wave, spearmen will follow closely behind, thrusting through gaps in their formation! The third wave, swordsmen and shieldmen will advance for close-quarters combat!"
"Tell the soldiers that there is no way to retreat, only to advance! For every enemy soldier killed, a reward of ten taels of silver will be given! The first to break through the enemy lines will be promoted three ranks!"
"Understood!" The messenger rushed off.
Immediately, Wang Zhongsi's gaze fell upon Huyan Ying, who was already unable to contain himself, his eyes gleaming with vengeance and bloodlust:
"Chief Huyan!"
"exist!"
Huyan Ying responded in a low voice. Although his Blood Eagle Cavalry had suffered considerable losses in the mounted archery duels the night before and at dawn, they still maintained a considerable fighting force.
"Your cavalry no longer need to engage in hit-and-run tactics with the enemy!"
Wang Zhongsi pointed to the flank of the Vermilion Bird Legion's defensive circular formation: "Concentrate all forces and attack the junction of their right flank! That's where their defenses are relatively weak!"
"I want you to be like a pack of wolves on the grasslands, constantly tearing, harassing, and restraining, creating chaos, dispersing their forces, and creating opportunities for the main frontal attack!"
"Once a breach is created on the front, your cavalry must charge in immediately and strike straight at their center!"
"Don't worry, General Wang! I will make sure these Chu dogs never have a moment's peace, and use their blood to pay tribute to the souls of my warriors!"
Huyan Ying grinned maliciously, brandished his scimitar, and turned to gather his vulture-like cavalry.
Commands were quickly translated into action.
The Tang army's massive infantry formation began to operate with the precision and ruthlessness of a machine.
The first wave of attack arrived quickly!
Accompanied by muffled war drums and hoarse shouts, thousands of Tang heavy infantrymen, wielding shields almost as tall as a person and heavy axes, charged forward.
Like a moving steel fortress, they marched in orderly and heavy steps, launching the first wave of attack on the front shield formation of the Vermilion Bird Legion!
"Hold your ground! Prepare your spears!" The junior officers of the Vermilion Bird Legion shouted hoarsely.
"Bang! Bang! Boom—!"
The giant shields collided violently, producing a deafening roar!
Immediately afterwards, a heavy giant axe swung out from the gaps in the shields and slammed into the shields of the Vermilion Bird Legion!
Wood chips flew everywhere, and the armor cracked!
Some Chu soldiers, shields and all, were knocked to the ground by the violent force and instantly trampled into mincemeat by the Tang soldiers who followed up!
The Vermilion Bird Legion's defensive line, like a dam being pounded by giant waves, emitted a groan that made one's teeth ache.
However, the Chu army was equally well-trained, and the spearmen in the rear row immediately thrust out fiercely from the gaps in the shields, piercing through the Tang heavy infantry who were trying to widen the gap further!
The two sides engaged in the most primitive and bloody close-quarters combat at the very front of the battle line!
Every inch of land fought for was accompanied by splattered blood and broken limbs.
Almost simultaneously with the direct confrontation, the Blood Eagle Cavalry led by Huyan Ying let out strange howls, like a pack of wolves that had smelled blood.
They split into several groups and began a frenzied assault on the right flank of the Vermilion Bird Legion's circular formation.
Instead of launching a desperate charge, they used the mobility of their cavalry to weave back and forth at the edge of the crossbow's range, constantly hurling dense arrows into the Chu army's formation.
Although most of the arrows were blocked by shields and armor, this constant harassment greatly distracted the right-wing defenders.
This also forced Feng Mulan to transfer some archers from other directions to provide support, weakening the frontal ranged firepower.
Occasionally, the Blood Eagle cavalry would seize an opportunity, suddenly accelerate, and thrust like daggers at seemingly loose parts of the formation, attempting to force open a breach.
Each such raid triggers fierce local skirmishes.
The Chu army unleashed a volley of crossbow bolts, and the cavalry counter-charge clashed fiercely with the Blood Eagle tribe's scimitars. After leaving behind a field of corpses, the attackers quickly retreated, waiting for their next opportunity.
This tactic, insidious yet effective, kept the right flank of the Vermilion Bird Legion constantly under high tension.
Feng Mulan, positioned in the center of the army, had eyes as calm as ice behind her veil.
She had a clear grasp of the entire battlefield situation through flags and verbal reports from her personal guards.
"Order the front to abandon some forward positions, lure the enemy deeper, and then use crossbows and spears from both flanks to encircle and kill any enemy that dares to advance!"
"Order the right flank to strengthen mobile defense, set up reserves, and focus on counter-attacks to blunt the enemy cavalry's momentum!"
"Archers, concentrate your firepower to cover the enemy's follow-up echelons and slow down their offensive!"
"Wounded soldiers evacuated, reserves moved forward, maintaining the depth of the formation!"
Her commands were clear and decisive, without the slightest hint of panic.
Under her command, the Vermilion Bird Legion, a battle-hardened elite force, demonstrated astonishing resilience and discipline.
They were like an extremely resilient reef, enduring wave after wave of attacks from the Tang infantry and bites from the flanks like venomous snakes. Although the entire defensive system suffered continuous losses and dents, it was never completely breached.
The formation was adjusted dynamically, and the troops were replenished in shifts, dragging Wang Zhongsi's determined attack into a brutal war of attrition.
The battlefield reached a stalemate.
From dawn to afternoon, and then as the sun began to set, the battle surrounding the Vermilion Bird Legion had lasted a full day.
On the battlefield, corpses littered the ground and blood flowed like rivers.
The path leading to the Tang army's main attack was piled high with the corpses of the fallen, and broken weapons and flags were scattered everywhere.