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Chapter 882: The Decisive Battle Part 7
🕑 Added 2024-10-23 06:40:00 +0000 UTCWith Tian Feng's arrangements, the originally bloated rear forces were transformed into layers of defensive lines. This is likely the most solid defense line in history, even sturdier than city walls.
The densely packed twenty layers of defense could only provide defensive counterattacks, lacking any real offensive power.
At this point, if Liu Bei’s army were to turn back, the rear forces would lose their meaning instantly. If they could manage to bypass and flank, these twenty layers of defense would be quickly shattered.
Unfortunately, Liu Bei’s army could not turn back at this time. They could only face every challenge head-on, regardless of what was ahead. If they turned back, the chaos caused by the concentrated assault would be enough for Yuan Shao's army to directly crush Liu Bei’s forces. Even if they tried to retreat, they might not be able to escape.
Following the command issued after Shen Pei was slapped awake by Yuan Shao, Wang Mo led his nearly ten thousand men to successfully flank Liu Bei’s army. After all, Liu Bei’s forces always presented a significant problem.
As for Zhang He’s and Jiang Qi’s armies, which were originally meant to flank, they continued to clash with Liu Bei’s two deployed armies. Compared to Zhang He’s side, which was evenly matched, Jiang Qi’s rhythm was completely disrupted. If he could not adjust soon, he would likely be besieged to death by Sun Quan and others!
At this moment, if someone could observe from the sky, well, there actually were a few people observing from above. Nan Hua and Zi Xu, leading a group of seven or eight, stood on the white clouds, waiting for the outcome.
“The situation with Liu Bei’s army is not good!” a refined man in a black robe sighed and said. “It looks like the four hundred years of the Han Dynasty’s blessings are about to end this way.”
“Stop sighing!” Another man in azure, standing in the void, sneered. “It is already incredible that the Han Dynasty lasted four hundred years. Do you still want it to continue?”
“Stop talking nonsense. Liu Xuan De hasn’t lost yet!” Zi Xu sneered.
“Not watching anymore. This is almost identical to the final battle of Xiang Yu four hundred years ago. The final killing move of the five armies will soon appear. Tian Feng and Ju Shou are indeed remarkable!” The man in the black robe waved his sleeve and flew away.
“Pfft, clueless!” Zi Xu scoffed as he glanced at the departing man in black. Although he did not understand military strategy, he would not believe Liu Bei would lose until Liu Bei fell. This was his acknowledgment of Liu Bei!
“Nan Hua, what do you think?” Zi Xu asked, turning his head to Nan Hua after the other person disappeared.
“It’s hard to say!” Nan Hua looked at the Yuan Shao army’s soldiers, who had almost completed a full encirclement.
“I’m not so sure!” Zi Xu, flying in the sky, suddenly saw a black line emerging on the southern horizon and smiled.
“Enemy attack from the rear!” While Liu Bei’s front forces were hindered by Tian Feng’s thick defenses, an unfortunate message came from the rear.
“What? How is that possible? Didn’t Wen He arrange troops to defend against attacks from both flanks? How could they be flanked from behind? What about Zi Long and Zhong Tai?” Liu Bei was greatly shocked.
“Your Majesty need not worry. This was already anticipated by Wen He and me,” Lu Su said calmly. He and Jia Xu had long anticipated this situation with the rear forces.
“We only underestimated Tian Feng,” Lu Su sighed. “Our arrangement was meant to lure out the rear forces to weaken the five armies' most powerful move. I didn’t expect Tian Feng to counter us in this manner.”
Jia Xu glanced casually at Lu Su, saying nothing. In fact, he had long known Tian Feng would choose this strategy. With his mental prowess, he could clearly predict the next move of a single individual.
[Tian Feng, when Guan Yu, Xu Chu, and Gan Ning’s vanguard forces lose their momentum, you’ll probably only be able to penetrate ten layers of your defense. It’s a pity you are so overly cautious!] Jia Xu thought silently while looking west. Soon, the person he was waiting for would appear; this was the merit he had left for them!
At the same time, forty miles away, without informing Yuan Shao’s army, Xun Chen’s wolf cavalry from the northern part of Bingzhou finally reunited with Xun Chen.
When Yuan Shao gradually marginalized Xun Chen, he had never considered the influence of the low-key Xun Chen within his army. The person who proposed and executed the attack on Bingzhou years ago was long forgotten by Yuan Shao or deliberately ignored.
Given Xun Chen’s status, how could he not leave his chess pieces in Bingzhou, far from the high emperor? To be precise, how could Xun Chen, born into a prominent family, not leave behind protective measures for his own safety in Bingzhou?
[Decisive battle?] With the wolf cavalry from Bingzhou finally assembled, Xun Chen felt completely at ease. As for the current situation with Yuan Shao’s army, Xun Chen’s intuition told him it was definitely not good, even with a group of outstanding civil and military officials. They wouldn’t fare well against Liu Bei!
This was why Xun Chen did not hide his backup from Bingzhou. He was ready to save Yuan Shao. Even if Yuan Shao learned of his actions later and punished him, he had nothing to say. It was his way of repaying Yuan Shao’s recognition, Xun Chen thought silently.
[Private mobilization of troops is a major taboo. Mobilizing Bingzhou’s elite wolf cavalry, which is crucial for defending the border, will likely make the already cautious lord even more wary. But consider this a warning to the lord. Using the strength of prominent families is acceptable, but it must be restrained!]
As a top strategist, Xun Chen’s view on many matters was very far-sighted. He knew that for a prominent family to rise to the top, they must leverage other prominent families, but they must not let other families gain more benefits than their own.
Only by leveraging and suppressing others simultaneously is the most appropriate approach. However, Yuan Shao was too lenient with the prominent families, to the point where Xun Chen worried that they might try to communicate with Liu Bei!
Not long after Wang Mo took action, Zhang Yan’s Black Mountain Army ambushed Wang Mo’s rear forces. Having come from the Yellow Turban, Zhang Yan and his men generally held the attitude of either they would all take on one person, or one person would take them all on.
Of course, this was purely due to the Yellow Turban’s low origins, where battlefield ethics and personal honor were viewed very lightly. As long as there was food, what did face matter? Can face be eaten?
Unaware of this situation, Wang Mo, aiming to boost morale, charged forward to duel with Zhang Yan. Naturally, he was defeated on the spot. Surrounded by seven or eight Qi Condensation experts simultaneously, he had no chance to say a word before being killed. Subsequently, the Black Mountain Army surged forward and scattered Wang Mo’s entire army.
Although the current Black Mountain Army’s combat power was not as strong as Yuan Shao’s forces, the lack of battlefield ethics in the Black Mountain Army caused Wang Mo’s army, which was encircling Liu Bei’s forces, to lose all morale.
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