novelSusiti Chapter 55 Li Jue VS Li Chongjin
Chapter 55 Li Jue VS Li Chongjin
The reason it is called Xiangshuitan is because the water here is relatively rapid and the riverbed is full of sand and gravel. The water hitting the sand and gravel will make a loud and clear sound, hence the name Xiangshuitan.
However, in November of the first year of Xiande, Xiangshuitan ushered in a moment that will be recorded in history—Xiangshuitan became silent.
The endless, rousing drumbeats pierced the desolation of late autumn and early winter, drowning out the turbulent Xiangshuitan River that had flowed for millennia. Two unfamiliar armies, one white and one red, from the north and south, engaged in a battle that surprised both sides.
Clad in paper armor and white helmets, the Yu Kingdom's training troops, wielding spears over five meters long, pointed in unison at the surging tide of the red Zhou army opposite them. From a distance, the Yu Kingdom's square formations resembled hedgehogs. Under the sunlight, the sharp tips of their spears reflected a blinding, cold light, inspiring awe and fear.
The two armies faced each other seven hundred paces apart. Under the cold light, the simple, resolute, and even strangely calm faces of the soldiers were fixed on the Zhou cavalry running ahead. The soldiers' breathing became more rapid and intense as the enemy approached, and the water vapor exhaled from their nostrils seemed to freeze in the air like rows of white ribbons that lingered for a long time.
In chaotic times, it's a zero-sum game where you kill me and I kill you. Even ordinary civilians who have survived to this day have witnessed the devastation of war and the horror of exposed corpses in their lifetime. When they are organized and told that they are bound together for life and death with no way out, their psychological resilience is naturally incomparable to that of civilian soldiers in peacetime.
Under the cover of these spears and lances, two rows of crossbowmen stood at the forefront of the battle formation. Their eyes were bloodshot and their palms were sweating slightly. They gripped their heavy crossbows firmly. If they hit the target at a distance of eighty paces, no armor in the world could withstand the attack of such a heavy crossbow.
The first wave of Zhou's cavalry arrived as expected. They marched in neat formations, like rows of red bricks, charging head-on without flinching. Those in front held spears, while those behind drew their bows, waiting for their chance to fire. The thousand iron cavalrymen coordinated perfectly, forming a unified whole. The thunderous sound of thousands of hooves struck the chests of every soldier.
If the Yu army lacked training and willpower, it would surely have scattered in the face of such a terrifying cavalry offensive. But this time was different.
"Eighty paces, fire a volley!"
Two thousand crossbow bolts, carrying the fury of the Desheng army and its people, swarmed into the Zhou army's formation like wasps amidst the ripples of the suspended blades.
The brick formation of Zhou Jun's vanguard seemed to have suddenly lost a piece, causing some chaos. However, Zhou Jun's soldiers were highly skilled and had excellent horse control; the chaos was fleeting, and their sprinting speed did not even decrease.
The cavalry charge is divided into three stages. First, they trot to build momentum. After getting used to the trot, they increase their speed to medium to create an overwhelming force. Once the medium-speed formation is stable, they launch the final full-speed charge.
However, Zhou Jun's cavalry felt something was wrong today. They were fine when jogging, but their speed increase was not as responsive as before. It used to only take ten breaths to go from eighty paces to fifty paces, but today they couldn't finish the march for some reason, and they couldn't even maintain their formation.
"Could it be that the horses haven't rested well and can't charge at all?" In the blink of an eye, before the cavalrymen realized the problem, the two thousand crossbowmen opposite them had already cocked their bows and launched another volley at the cavalrymen who were forty to fifty paces away.
This time the distance was closer and the hit rate was higher. Hundreds of cavalrymen were hit by arrows and fell from their horses. Hundreds more warhorses were hit by arrows, either seriously wounded and fell to the ground or went berserk and fled for their lives, seriously disrupting the rhythm of the attack.
Seeing this from the makeshift platform built from riverbed stones in the middle of the formation, Li Jue laughed heartily: "Good, the riverbed is indeed soft, the Northern army's horses can't run. What use are there if they can't run? This time our crossbowmen can eat to their hearts' content!"
While Li Jue was celebrating, Zhou Jun's second troop of a thousand cavalrymen had already spurred their horses into the battlefield at a trot, following tactical rules. Behind the second troop was the third troop, with a cavalry formation attacking in a horizontal line every hundred paces.
As Li Chongjin watched the orderly ranks of cavalry charge into the battlefield, he said to his personal guards, "The battle is over. The Southern army will be lucky to hold out for seven battles."
The experienced guard observed for a moment and said, "In my opinion, two formations are enough to break through the front spear formation, and five formations are enough to penetrate deep into the Southern army's territory. The brothers in the tenth formation will be lucky to get any scraps."
Li Chongjin feigned displeasure and said, "You brat, you always like to go against your father."
The personal guards flattered him, saying, "A strong general has no weak soldiers. This Southern Army general has tried his best, but unfortunately, he's unlucky. Who told him to run into a famous general like the commander-in-chief?"
Li Chongjin stroked his beard happily and said, "Hey, don't say that. It's all thanks to the Emperor's wisdom and the soldiers' bravery. I just happened to be there. Hahahaha."
Laughing and laughing, the sixth formation has already charged out, and the seventh formation is preparing.
Li Chongjin's smile froze on his face; he was genuinely furious: "What's going on? Why didn't the soldiers in the first wave withdraw from the flanks? If they can't break through, they can't break through! The first wave was meant to wear down the enemy; was it necessary to fight to the death? If they don't leave now, the second wave will run into them! What is this Commander Gou doing?! Is he crazy for credit?"
As they were talking, the seventh formation also assembled and launched an attack under orders. Li Chongjin summoned his personal guards and ordered them to go forward to check and stop the attack of the eighth, ninth, and tenth formations.
Several guards were ordered to charge on horseback at full speed, quickly passing the trotting seventh formation and arriving at the battlefield. As the distance closed, they finally saw the true scene ahead when they were a hundred paces away from the Yu army.
The Zhou cavalry's horses were stuck deep in the soft, muddy pit, almost unable to move. The November winter winds had already hardened the river mud. The Yu army had passed through it without any problems. But the Yu army consisted of infantry, whose soldiers and equipment weighed only about 200 jin (approximately 100 kg). They could withstand the hardened river mud without any obvious sinking. Now, they were standing in a gravel area, with sand and gravel underneath, so they were completely unharmed.
The Zhou state had cavalry. Their warhorses alone weighed seven or eight hundred jin (approximately 350-400 kg), and with the riders and equipment, each rider weighed close to a thousand jin (approximately 500 kg). The frozen river mud on the surface was completely unable to support the weight of a thousand jin. As a result, the six cavalry formations that charged in were all stuck in the mud and were subjected to a barrage of arrows from the opposite side.
The Zhou army's archers became increasingly daring; they even took the initiative to attack, closing in to within twenty paces and unleashing a barrage of fire at the Zhou cavalry.
The Zhou cavalry drew their bows from horseback and retaliated. The Yu army's crossbowmen, struck by arrows, fell silently or gritted their teeth and retreated, not daring to affect their comrades in the slightest. The bows were weak, and with the protection of paper armor, they could not penetrate the armor to seriously injure the Yu army most of the time.
So, after several rounds of casualties, Zhou's precious cavalry had lost several times more than Yu's crossbowmen. Li Chongjin's personal guards, seeing the situation clearly, were horrified. They knew things were going badly and hurriedly pulled their horses out of the exposed muddy swamp. They rushed back to the central command to report.
"Commander-in-Chief, something terrible has happened! Our cavalry could only advance to within thirty paces of the Yu army before they were unable to go any further. The ground is inexplicably extremely soft, and all our warhorses are stuck in the mud and unable to continue. The brothers can't get out, and many have already dismounted and are fighting the Southern army on foot."
Li Chongjin was shocked: "Oh no, we've fallen into their trap. These southerners are cunning; they've resorted to such despicable tactics."
This was indeed the first time Li Chongjin had encountered this situation. In the past, when fighting in the north, the ground was very dry and hard, and the northern army was not very familiar with naval warfare, let alone utilizing the terrain of riverbanks.
The guards suggested, "Why don't we sound the retreat and wait until we come up with a solution before fighting again?"
Li Chongjin shook his head in denial:
"No. The horses can't get out, and even men in heavy armor can't go very far. Besides, we are cavalry, and the enemy is infantry. Without a few thousand horses, we will have no foothold in Huainan. We have no choice but to retreat to Shouzhou."
These Southern troops, on the contrary, could launch a counterattack on Shouzhou under the cover of the navy. All the credit would then go to Zhao Quanzhong, who was besieging Shouzhou. Hmph, do the Southern army think our cavalry are only capable of mounted warfare?
The 80th and 90th ranks were ordered to dismount and enter the battlefield on foot, one hundred paces from the Yu army. They were nothing more than a local militia, who had only managed to gain temporary advantage due to the terrain. Now that our main force remained, we could simply dismount, form ranks, and advance on foot with our heavy armor and long spears, easily defeating them.
Military orders are absolute. In peacetime, Li Chongjin could tolerate their burning, killing, and looting, but in wartime, only Li Chongjin's orders and will could prevail. Upon receiving the order, the Zhou cavalry moved out without hesitation, dismounting a hundred paces away and forming a line of infantry, their spears like a forest, marching in orderly steps into the chaotic battlefield.
Sure enough, once they became infantry, the muddy riverbanks didn't restrict them as much. However, the further they went, the finer the mud was broken up by the horses' hooves, and the deep mud was turned up, causing considerable trouble for the cavalry who were fighting in formation.
Upon seeing their reinforcements enter on foot, the Zhou cavalry, who were still fighting in the mud, abandoned their horses and began to seek a foot-based fighting formation.
Upon seeing this, Li Jue, who was in command of the Yu army, ordered: "The enemy is helpless. Order the Northern army to advance to within twenty paces, then the crossbowmen will retreat back to their camp. After the crossbowmen retreat, the spearmen will press forward to disrupt their formation. The guerrillas will conduct guerrilla warfare in their respective units. Wherever the Northern army's formation is disrupted, the guerrillas will charge in."
Soon, Zhou Junzhen closed in to within twenty paces despite the crossbowmen's fire. From eighty paces to twenty paces, they had already suffered nearly three thousand casualties. If they could not avenge their defeat today, the name of the Great Zhou Iron Cavalry would be disgraced in the Imperial Guards, and they would never be able to hold their heads high again. They had no way to retreat.
Following orders, the Yu army's crossbowmen swiftly retreated through the passages left by the spear and musket formation. They would continue to draw their bows behind the lines, awaiting the next opportunity to attack. With two thousand crossbowmen, six volleys of fire killed or wounded over two thousand Northern soldiers and damaged two to three thousand horses. Their performance was outstanding, making a significant contribution to boosting the morale of the entire army.
Now it was the other brothers' turn to perform. The Yu army's spearmen finally moved, marching in unison, shouting three times, "Kill, kill, kill!" They leveled their spears and charged straight at the approaching Zhou army infantry.
Both armies used spears or lances that were two zhang long (approximately 6.6 meters). The sharp blades pierced each other fiercely amidst the warriors' screams. At this moment, both paper armor and iron armor were equal; neither could withstand such direct and violent thrusts. In an instant, a number of men from both armies collapsed simultaneously in the front ranks.
The soldiers behind them, expressionless, stepped forward to fill the gaps and continued the thrusting. Compared to the heavy casualties of the first thrust, the second thrust, after the formation was established, resulted in far fewer casualties, because the second and third ranks of spearmen steadily disrupted and intercepted the first rank's thrusts, thus protecting their own first-rank comrades. In battle, individual bravery was almost worthless; only skillful teamwork could ensure survival.
The spearmen established their basic positions, and the vanguard of both armies began to infiltrate into every gap, searching for weaknesses in the enemy's formation and disrupting their gunfire. They also clashed with each other, resulting in fierce close-quarters combat.
Compared to the various standard weapons wielded by Zhou's cavalry, the weapons used by Yu's elite troops for training were a motley crew. Yu used all sorts of steel forks and spears to relentlessly thrust at Zhou's elite troops. Whenever a stalemate occurred, two Yu soldiers would swing flails used by farmers to thresh grain and smash them down on the Zhou soldiers' heads.
The flail was so powerful that even iron armor could not protect against it. Its immense force, penetrating the armor, often caused severe internal injuries to the wearer. Zhou soldiers suffered heavy casualties, with some having their bones broken or their brains splattered, when struck by the flail.
At this point, both sides had almost run out of cards to play. Zhou Jun's tactical skills were indeed formidable; even after suffering heavy blows, he was still able to reorganize and launch a powerful offensive.
The Yu State militia had done their best in training their troops. Using simple weapons and even farm tools, and with the help of the terrain, they confronted the elite and fierce enemy forces head-on. For a time, they did not fall into a disadvantageous position. Their belief in defending their homeland and driving out the Northern Army overcame their inner fears, and they even forgot that they were just militia soldiers. They wanted to live up to the help they had received from their fellow villagers.
Looking at the blood-soaked battlefield, Li Jue felt a surge of bloodlust carried by the wind, his stomach churning. Suppressing his discomfort, he ordered, "Order two thousand crossbowmen, fifty men per squad, to follow the vanguard. If the vanguard encounters any obstacles, they will advance and fire to break through the enemy lines, clearing a path for the vanguard. Ten men per wave, five waves in rotation, the Northern army will surely be overwhelmed."
At this point, Li Jue had only a little over a hundred personal guards by his side, a large portion of whom were young soldiers recruited from the army before the campaign. If fate did not favor him and the campaign failed, Li Jue would commit suicide here, and arrange for these young soldiers to jump into the river and swim to the fleet of ships not far behind him.
Although the river water was icy cold, and jumping in meant certain death, the rescue fleet offered a glimmer of hope. It was better for some to survive than for the entire army to perish.
Li Jue also had a suicide note on her person, which she could give to the children to take with them. It would be both a reason for the stubborn children to run away and a final message to her wife and parents at home.
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To Zhou Jun's side and rear was a river branch, where there was a vast expanse of reeds. In autumn and winter, the reeds withered, and what came into view was a withered yellow color.
Under the cover of the withered, endless reeds, Zhou's scout cavalry remained completely unaware of the mysterious army lurking deep within them.
Following Li Jue's orders, they boarded approximately three hundred fishing boats before the battle, taking advantage of their small size and shallow waters to firmly anchor themselves inside. They quietly awaited the start of the great war.
The one-eyed old officer assigned by Li Jue to command this unit was a veteran who had been in the army for over thirty years. When he was thirteen, he was herding cattle when a passing army conscripted him. He traveled hundreds of miles and could no longer remember where his hometown was.
Fortunately, he encountered Li Jue's military settlement program in Luzhou, which allowed him to retire from active service and, at the advanced age of forty, acquire land, marry, and start a family.
In his heart, Li Jue was like a second parent. Although he was already fifty years old and Li Jue was just over twenty, it was truly a blessing to meet such a kind official in this day and age and to recognize him as one's father or mother.
Now that Li Shijun, the reborn parent, is about to go to war, his soldiers are probably unable to defeat the elite Zhou army head-on, which is exactly when they need his help.
He appeared calm, but inside he was extremely anxious. However, being anxious was useless. While the reeds could indeed provide cover for the army, there was a problem: they didn't leave a path for the army to land.
The reed beds were filled with water, muddy ponds, swamps, and even frozen areas. Only by risking lives to scout a path could the entire army set off.
Finally, a soldier braved the cold water and waded back. His face was pale, and he climbed onto the boat. Everyone quickly poured him some still slightly warm wine. After taking a sip, the soldier smiled with relief: "We have fulfilled our mission. Of the ten brothers, only I have returned."
He was the only one who returned; the others either drowned in the swamp or lost body heat to the floodwaters. Only he found a safe path leading to the relatively dry and hard riverbank.
The one-eyed officer silently patted the soldier's body: "Well done, you've all done well. Tell everyone, this road was forged with nine lives. The magistrate was risking his life, the brothers at Xiangshuitan were risking their lives. Now it's our turn to risk our lives."
The officers' words were relayed one after another. These men, who had only been in the army for ten days, felt a heavy sense of mission, their eyes reddening. It seemed that at this moment, these ordinary people had shouldered the fate of the nation.
Without hesitation, the officer disembarked first under everyone's watchful eyes, wading through thigh-deep icy water, following the markings forward, and forward still.
Under the captain's command, fishing boats silently unloaded groups of soldiers. In the cold wind, the soldiers took off their shoes and socks, rolled up their trousers, and disembarked one after another without hesitation. Carrying crossbows and arrows on their backs and using broadswords as walking sticks, they followed along, stumbling along the shore.
Three thousand people is a lot, but three thousand people is also a little. In the vast reed marshes, three thousand people blend in without making a ripple.
The deafening war drums thundered over Xiangshui Beach, and also resonated in the hearts of the three thousand Zhou army crossbowmen who were lying in ambush in the reeds not far away. Their bodies were cold, but their hearts were burning with passion; everyone awaited the order to attack.
The one-eyed officer rubbed his frozen calves in vain, patiently peering out from the top of a large tree in the reeds to observe the battlefield situation.
In the eyes of the one-eyed officer, Zhou Jun's offensive was extremely fierce. They formed ranks, rotating and replacing each other in an orderly manner. The scattered soldiers were always covered by their comrades on the left and right and retreated to the rear to regroup. New reinforcements marched in with neat steps. Clearly, this was an elite force proficient in both cavalry and infantry warfare.
Based on the veteran officer's more than 30 years of military experience, among the various armies in the south, perhaps only the former Black Cloud Longsword Army could rival it. The one-eyed officer wasn't sure if the current Yu Kingdom army possessed any elite troops capable of matching it; at the very least, the Desheng Army garrison was far inferior.
Fortunately, their own deployment was equally effective. Although the militia were not elite troops, their fighting spirit was extremely tenacious, and their officers were all veteran officers retired from the regular army, with a wealth of experience. Under the command and coordination of these veteran officers, the militia gritted their teeth and withstood Zhou's army's repeated attacks.
With the two armies locked in a stalemate, the magistrate entrusted the decision of attack to himself. Unfortunately, his crossbowmen were all new recruits, having only been in the army for about ten days. These newcomers possessed high morale but lacked martial skills, and unlike the militia, they hadn't undergone any formal military training. All they could rely on were their powerful crossbows.
Therefore, he only has one chance: to find that vital point and strike decisively. Otherwise, if he gets bogged down in a prolonged battle, no matter how high his morale is, he won't be able to withstand the enemy's onslaught. Five hundred iron cavalry could probably slaughter these inexperienced crossbowmen within a quarter of an hour.
Suddenly, Li Chongjin moved, closing the distance between himself and Yu Jun from seven hundred paces to two hundred paces in one breath.
Li Chongjin was very dissatisfied with the stalemate on the battlefield. He wanted to supervise the battle closely, and his personal guards had even drawn their swords. If the troops could not fight desperately, he would enforce military discipline.
Li Chongjin's advance of the central command banner greatly boosted the previously demoralized morale of the Zhou army, and also instilled greater fear in them. This was the powerful aura that an invincible commander had cultivated in his army over many years.
His appearance signifies victory, and each time his military flag moves forward, it means the battle is about to enter its final stage—every single time! As long as we exert ourselves a little more and fight a little harder, victory, merit, honor, and wealth will all be obtained under the leadership of Commander Li Chongjin!
"Brothers, the commander is coming! It's time to fight to the death! Follow me! Military law is no joke; anyone who retreats will be executed!" The officers of the Iron Cavalry Army howled like wolves. Their voices were already hoarse, and at this moment, all their voices seemed to be squeezed out from their lungs, filled with the smell of blood and a sense of violence.
The Yu army at the forefront immediately felt the pressure. Their heavy formation was gradually compressed and deformed, and several formations shattered under the Zhou army's desperate charge. The elite elite soldiers around them, supported by crossbowmen, desperately reinforced and covered the enemy, but they couldn't repel the Zhou army. The Zhou army seemed truly fearless of death and sacrifice; now, their eyes and hearts were filled only with victory!