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Chapter 634: Jiang Qi's Trump Card
🕑 Added 2024-09-28 06:43:20 +0000 UTCGuan Yu did not hesitate to follow Chen Xi's orders. Ever since the Battle of Hulao Pass, Guan Yu had acknowledged Chen Xi's abilities. Although Chen Xi sometimes appeared overly lazy, which Guan Yu found puzzling, he absolutely recognized Chen Xi's competence. ⊙
In Guan Yu's view, Chen Xi's strategy of defeating millions of Yellow Turbans by merging their bravery with his own cunning was enough to prove his capabilities. Guan Yu naturally held Chen Xi in high regard.
After Xu Chu returned to prepare, the messenger arrived at Zhao Yun's position. With the White Horse Volunteers' extraordinary mobility, they had perfectly fulfilled their mission of blocking Yuan Shao's left and right flanks. Upon receiving his orders, Zhao Yun turned his horse without hesitation, ready to break through the enemy's central army in one decisive strike.
Meanwhile, Yan Liang, after a ferocious bout of slaughter, rejoined Yuan Shao's forces and found Jiang Qi, who was dressed in the armor of an ordinary soldier. "Yihan, can you hold out?" he asked.
"It's not a problem," Jiang Qi replied, glancing at Yan Liang. "But keep your distance from me. I don't have your strength. If someone like Zhao Yun sees us together, he'll surely shoot an arrow our way. You might be fine, but I'd be dead for sure."
"Nonsense! With my protection and two thousand elite soldiers, Zhao Zilong could never kill you," Yan Liang declared confidently.
"That's just a saying. It means you shouldn't stand near the commander during a battle. Not everyone can wear such conspicuous armor and still avoid being killed," Jiang Qi said, all the while calculating the degree of entanglement between Liu Bei’s and Yuan Shao’s forces.
After a fierce exchange, Chen Xi's formations were no longer as stable, and several positions had been breached. As a result, Liu Bei's soldiers adapted to the situation and engaged Yuan Shao's troops in close combat.
"What's there to be afraid of?" Yan Liang said with a smile. "I underestimated Guan Yu a bit. His strength is on par with mine. My brothers are slightly behind him, but the gap isn’t too large. However, his horse gives him a significant advantage. My Qingcong was a gift from the lord, one of the finest in the world, but against Guan Yu, it’s important to be cautious. His horse is fast, and his blade is heavy. If we're careless, we might lose in a single strike!"
"I understand. Go to the rear camp and equip the gear I prepared to deal with Bingzhou's wolf cavalry. We've tested the enemy's strength enough," Jiang Qi waved, signaling Yan Liang to hurry. If Yuan Shao's troops continued fighting like this, the losses would be severe.
"Are you sure you can handle Bingzhou's wolf cavalry? You know, Zheng Li was nearly destroyed by their elite troops last time and still hasn’t recovered," Yan Liang said, surprised by Jiang Qi's confidence. Jiang Qi had never mentioned having any secret weapons, but now he boldly claimed to have a countermeasure for the wolf cavalry.
"You’ll see soon enough. This Yanzhou is indeed the heartland of the Central Plains—quite a valuable place. I've heard that one of Liu Bei's trusted generals is here. Taking down one of Liu Bei’s mainstays would be a good outcome," Jiang Qi said with a cold smile. "I'm not skilled in charging into battle, but in commanding troops—thanks to Ju Gong's recommendation—I won’t disappoint him."
At the moment Jiang Qi smiled, Yan Liang felt a chilling sensation in his heart and nodded without further questioning. He didn't even think to ask what equipment Jiang Qi had prepared.
After Yan Liang left, Jiang Qi issued his final order: a do-or-die counterattack. Success or death.
"Why does this situation feel increasingly strange? We should be the ones attacking, but now we’re on the defensive. Yuan Shao’s troops, who should be holding back, are now attacking with everything they've got. Do they think they can overwhelm us with a temporary surge in morale?" Chen Xi asked, perplexed.
Chen Xi regretted his initial assumption that this battle would be easy. He had planned to use it as an opportunity to train new commanders, letting Chen Chi lead the central army while Guan Yu and Zhao Yun filled in the gaps. However, they had encountered unexpected difficulties.
"Something isn’t right. Have you noticed that Yuan Shao's troop numbers seem off?" Guo Jia said, frowning.
At this moment, Xu Chu had already led the Tiger Guard into Yuan Shao's forces, creating a sharp breach in their lines. Guan Yu, leading the Sword and Shield Troops, furiously expanded the breach, and within a quarter of an hour, they would likely split Yuan Shao's army in two.
"It seems like they’re missing three to five thousand soldiers," Chen Xi said, furrowing his brow. "If they were a reserve force, they should have appeared by now. Once Xu Chu and Guan Yu split Yuan Shao's army, Zilong will undoubtedly unleash a devastating attack with his cloud energy," Chen Xi said, puzzled.
"If it comes to that, with the White Horse Volunteers charging in, even if the enemy has reserves, they won’t be able to turn the tide. The only outcome for their entire army would be collapse. Even if they're launching a desperate counterattack now, their morale can only last for one wave of the drums," Guo Jia analyzed quickly.
"You mean they’re confident they can eliminate Zilong and the White Horse Volunteers within that wave of drums?" Chen Xi asked, frowning. "Zilong is no rash general like Gongsun Bogui, and this is open terrain, not like Jieqiao."
"Jieqiao?" Guo Jia froze, then suddenly realized, "Zichuan, quickly order Zilong to retreat! Don’t let him charge in—there’s a chance they’re recreating the special terrain of Jieqiao. They might actually pull it off!"
"Damn, it’s too late! Quickly, send a message to Gongxi!" Chen Xi’s face changed as he realized what was happening. The enemy might indeed be creating a situation similar to the one at Jieqiao. Although it would only last a few breaths, Chen Xi dared not gamble on it. A few breaths might be enough to turn the tide.
The White Horse Volunteers were indeed fast, but after Xu Chu breached the enemy lines and Guan Yu expanded the advantage, Zhao Yun would be the one to shatter their formation. However, in reality, once the enemy’s formation broke, Yuan Shao's troops would be surrounded on both sides, even if they were on the verge of collapse.
If the enemy really could turn the tide within one wave of the drums, the collapsing Yuan Shao troops on both sides would become like the walls of Jieqiao. A single squeeze would be enough to trap the White Horse Volunteers inside. Without their speed, the White Horse Volunteers would be no better than regular infantry—that’s a lesson learned in blood!
"Liangyu, climb up and see if Tian Feng's camp has any fortifications other than the outer fence," Guo Jia suddenly asked, scanning the area.
"Reporting to Advisor Guo, Tian Feng's camp has only the outer fence. After the earlier battles, even the outer camp has been destroyed. The front of the camp is flat and clear," Ruan Liangyu replied after climbing up to survey the situation.
"As I thought," Guo Jia sighed bitterly. "Zichuan, we may be facing the greatest defeat we’ve ever encountered since following our lord."
"Defeat?" Chen Xi raised an eyebrow. "I don’t believe we will lose!"
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