The two armies competed for the brave to win, and before nightfall, the Zhao battalion troops attacked from the south, and Zhang Zuokai, the deputy general of Sichuan, was suddenly at a loss.

Zhang Zuokai's promotion to deputy general in Sichuan was largely due to his exploits in chasing down Yuan Tao. Yuan Tao is known as the first thief of the Huang family in Sichuan, if he gets his head, it is not impossible to replace Hou Liangzhu as the new Sichuan commander-in-chief. Therefore, Zhang Zuokai stayed in northern Sichuan for a long time, and he was dedicated to chasing and killing Yuan Tao. His army was stationed in a town south of Yilong, closely watching the movements of Yuan Tao's army, which had fled into Yingshan County. Previously, he got the news that Yingshan County was a merger, and the protagonists were still the famous Yuan Tao and Zhao Dangshi in Sichuan, and he felt that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He has investigated Yuan Tao's three major battalions many times, and the terrain is steep, and it is by no means rushed. Although Zhao Ying said that he was known for being able to fight, he was tired from afar, and he was not familiar with geography, so he rashly fought with Yuan Tao, and the outcome was unpredictable. The so-called "snipe and clam compete for the benefit of the fisherman", Zhao and Yuan fought each other, it was the best opportunity for him to take advantage of the void, if he could take this opportunity to get rid of the big Kou Zhao Dangshi, how could his future future be touched by a mere Sichuan general soldier?

He ordered 2,000 soldiers in the battalion and rushed to the north of Yingshan County to watch the situation, and at the same time notified Xia Shiheng in Langzhong to lead troops to support. The sky was getting dark, and the news reported from the front was that Zhao and Yuan were fighting fiercely and were at a standoff. He thought that it was not appropriate to attack at this time, and Xia Shiheng's reinforcements did not come, so he began to arrange for the soldiers to set up a simple gun camp, preparing to wait for the next day to make plans. Unexpectedly, at the time of the alternation of white and black, it was suddenly reported that an army was coming, but the person who came was not Xia Shiheng but a thief.

Not long ago, the outcome was still undecided, how could there be a result in an instant? And the bloody battle was over, and he continued to attack non-stop, which was crazy and ferocious, which greatly surprised Zhang Zuokai.

It was dark and dark, and I couldn't figure out the specific situation of the enemy, but whether it was Yuan Tao or Zhao Dangshi, it was not the most important thing for Zhang Zuokai.

The thieves are in a hurry, but it's not that they don't have the slightest chance to prepare. After panicking, Zhang Zuokai immediately made a decision, canceled the plan to continue camping, and instead mobilized the whole army into battle. It is reported that the thieves have deployed at least 3,000 troops in front of them, and they are rapidly advancing towards them one after another, apparently trying to break their own deployment in one fell swoop by surprise attack.

Zhang Zuokai quickly gathered nearly 1,000 soldiers and horses to fight first. According to the scout's report, he further learned about the situation of the thieves who attacked this time: although they attacked in a big way, the formation was scattered and disorderly, and the two sides were still half a mile apart, and the enemy formation was already sparse, and the front and rear were far apart.

Such a performance shows the low combat quality of the thieves. Zhang Zuokai secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and methodically arranged nearly 1,000 people to fight. Even if the thief is cunning and takes the lead, he is still confident that he can reverse the decline with his strength.

Sitting in the Chinese military camp, Zhang Zuokai heard the earth-shaking drums and trumpets outside the camp, and it seemed that the thieves had already launched a charge.

Sure enough, the battalion officer who was directing the battle at the front sent someone to report: "The more rapid the thieves' drums, the advance has reached 300 paces!" ”

"Go two hundred steps and let the arrows test the enemy, and if the enemy is weak, take one hundred steps to collect the arrows and fight hand-to-hand." Zhang Zuokai commanded. He already had a rough plan in mind, and the thieves were coming, and it was likely that the idea of fighting was to make a profit. Once they find that their army has stabilized their position and start to counterattack, there is a good chance that they will retreat to avoid the battle, which is also the combat strategy of the thieves all along. However, he could not let the thieves calmly withdraw, and the thieves in Yingshan County were difficult to attack, and only by killing and wounding a large number of thieves and robbers in the field battle could there be hope of breaking the deadlock. Therefore, he preferred to abandon the safe practice of attacking the thieves from a distance with bows and ballistas, and instead resorted to hand-to-hand combat, in order to stick the thieves to the death. When all of your own troops are thrown into the battlefield and Xia Shiheng's troops arrive, it is entirely possible to annihilate the main force of the thieves at once.

Outside the camp, arrows roared one after another, and from time to time there was a crisp trumpet sound with familiar rhythms and melodies, and a general like Zhang Xiangkai, who was extremely experienced in combat, did not need to go to the front line in person, but only had to listen attentively, and he could estimate the situation of the battle.

"Adjutant general, put two rounds of arrows, put one round of guns, and the corpses of thieves will pile up!"

The battle situation was completely under Zhang Zuokai's grasp, he nodded, his face did not change, and ordered: "Put another round of arrows, rattan players, wolf millers, rakeers, pikemen, etc., each in their own positions, march in a small formation of three talents, and clamp the thieves on three sides, and never allow them to escape!" "Let's go, and then order the others," the remaining thousand people are divided into two parts, first five hundred support, each line and its own army, and must hold high the banner to echo the main flag. Those who shake the main flag three times and do not respond will be held accountable after the war. "In a melee, the flag is an important means of distinguishing friend from foe. Zhang Zuokai was extremely strict in governing the army, requiring soldiers to always pay attention to the banner of their superiors no matter what the situation. In his battalion, there were several cases of the general flag and the small flag being beheaded together because they lost their back flags during the inspection.

"Adjutant General, it's time to eat." Combat is war, food still has to be eaten, Zhang Zuokai has everything in order, there is no psychological pressure, nods, and takes the dishes and chopsticks. There was only hot white rice and some pickles and bean sauce in the bowl, which was very shabby, but Zhang Zuokai, who had been in detention for many years, was only used to eating such meals. If you really want him to eat a lot of fish and meat, you will get tired of two or three meals.

Halfway through the meal, he came to the military report again: "The thieves are fighting with our army, and they are powerless to resist and want to retreat." ”

Zhang Zuokai patiently chewed the rice in his mouth, swallowed it and said, "Hold it with all your might, don't let him run away." Speaking of which, I would like to ask, "What are the casualties of our army?"

"There have been no casualties so far."

"No casualties?" Zhang Zhuokai frowned, "Why is this so?" ”

"The thieves seem to have few blades in their hands, let alone bows and crossbows."

"This ......" something went wrong, Zhang Zuokai frowned, and put his rice bowl aside, "Thousands of people, no weapons, dare to come and beat me, is it a fraud?" ”

Seeing that he was suspicious, he said: "But according to the military report at the front, the thieves have been killed in large numbers, and this matter cannot be faked." ”

Zhang Zuokai nodded and said, "That's right, from this point of view, my previous judgment was wrong." ”

"Mistaken?"

"I originally thought that the thieves here were the winners of Zhao and Yuanzhong, but now the combat power of Guan is so inferior that it doesn't match it at all. Moreover, if you kill one thousand enemies and lose eight hundred, if Zhao and Yuan win alone, your vitality will also be damaged. It is common sense that we should also rest and recover, and we should never behave again. It can be seen that this attacking thief is a defeated army in a panic. ”

"Defeated?"

"Well, its people are unarmed, chaotic and flagless, and they are all in a state of being armed, isn't it just the embarrassment after losing their armor? And fled north, I am afraid that the rout of the Yuan thief wants to return to Bazhou. Don't want to bump into me, it's also a fate. Zhang Zuokai shook his head and said, his expression looked slightly disappointed, "I thought I could wipe out the two thieves in one fell swoop, but I didn't expect it to kill chickens with a knife." ”

There are people on the left and right: "If the Yuan thief is defeated, it will be a good thing for me." I heard that the Zhao thief was determined to leave Sichuan, so he must not stay here for too long. As long as we annihilate the remnants of the Yuan thief, and wait for the Zhao thief to leave and regain the lost territory, it will not be a great achievement. ”

Zhang Zuokai nodded in agreement: "It makes sense, but it's just the remnants of the Yuan thief, our army will win, and there is no need to bother to ask Lord Xia to help in the battle." A few of you immediately send someone to Boryeong Mansion to inform Lord Xia. ”

Hearing the words and receiving the order, Zhang Zuokai sighed, and then took the rice bowl next to him and continued to eat.

On the battlefield outside the camp, there was already a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

Seeing the helpless cannon fodder like chickens and dolphins waiting to be slaughtered under the knives and axes of the officers and soldiers who were pressing step by step, Qin Jinxiao smiled.

Peng Guang, who was standing on the side, raised his whip and instructed: "Shaojun, you see, the officers and soldiers are already tired. "He was born in Zhonglu and grew up in the Qin family, for him, there can be no emperor in this world, but he can't do without Qin Jinxiao. Even if he has accepted the identity of Zhao Yingjun, when he is alone with Qin Jinxiao, Peng Guang will still consciously call Qin Jinxiao according to his previous habit.

Qin Jinxiao's smile was fleeting: "How many officers and troops are there on the battlefield at present?" ”

Peng Guang replied: "The officers and troops continue to increase their troops, and so far they have exceeded 1,500 people. ”

Qin Jinxiao's face was as cold as a knife, revealing a little chill: "It's true that the soldiers are tired, but the total number of officers and soldiers is only 2,000, and now Tai Ban is here, this is where I originally intended." These 3,000 captives are of great use. said, and added, "Borrowing the hands of the officers and soldiers to unload the burdens of so many people is really a double win." ”

Peng Guang felt a chill in his heart, and his mouth kept echoing, and he heard Qin Jinxiao say coldly: "The one surnamed Yang is a little ignorant. If Lao Tzu is not righteous, what will he do if he leaves 500 people? He still has some eyesight, which really provokes Lao Tzu to get angry, and he and the remaining 500 soldiers are sent here to be stabbed! ”

"That's what Shaojun said." Peng Guang nodded repeatedly.

"The captives have been almost killed, you are ready to prepare, immediately lead the troops down, don't let the 1,500 officers and soldiers turn back." Qin Jinxiao said. He still has 700 people here, and in addition to 200 people who remain in place, 500 more will be taken by Peng Guang to fight 1,500 officers and soldiers.

With 500 against 1,500, there is no chance of winning just from the books. However, Qin Jinxiao's task to Peng Guang was not to defeat the 1,500 officers and soldiers in a whimsical way, but only to contain these officers and soldiers. The battlefield space is not large, and the officers and soldiers are flanked on three sides, which was originally to prevent the Zhao battalion from breaking away, but now, in turn, it is being used by Qin Jinxiao. Through observation, Qin Jinxiao believed that only relying on Peng Guang's brave and agile 500 Zhonglu veterans was enough to support the confrontation with the triple official army for a short time.

As for how to win, it all depends on the remaining 1,300 or so people in the left battalion.

Just as Peng Guang and 500 soldiers were attacking the officers and soldiers, at the other end, Wei Yiqu, who had secretly outflanked the officers and soldiers, also launched a fierce attack at the same time.

Wei Yiqu's goal was directed at Zhang Zuokai.

Zhang Zuokai is expected to end the operation within two days, so there is not much logistics to prepare. At the moment, even the simplest gun camp has not been set up, and the so-called "camp" has little defensive effect on Wei Yiqu's attack.

The simplest strategy, as long as it is used properly, can usually have the effect of deciding the outcome of the battle.

Qin Jinxiao used the captives of Yuan Tao's army collected from the third battalion to launch a frontal attack, attracting Zhang Zuokai's attention. And Zhang Zuokai's lack of understanding of the battle in the south and his misjudgment also directly caused Wei Yiqu to be completely unprepared for the roundabout outflanking.

Wei Yiqu is very old-fashioned, and the first thing he did when he entered the official army camp was not to rush to find Zhang Zuokai, but to divide some soldiers and horses to intercept the backs of the 1,500 officers and soldiers on the front line. The so-called closing the door and beating the dogs, there are first and then the second, first block the door of the main force of the official army to come back, and then deal with Zhang Zuokai, there will be no worries.

Zhang Zuokai, who had just finished eating, heard the earth-shaking shouts of killing, and asked left and right in shock. left and right did not speak, and three or five people had rushed in from outside the tent. Zhang Zuokai pulled out his legs to walk, but he was full of food, and the sudden movement caused a violent spasm in his abdomen, so that he had to bend down and stop. The person who entered the account was Wei Yiqu, who flew over and kicked Zhang Zuokai, who was still covering his stomach, to the ground, and at the same time saw the empty bowl on the board that he hadn't had time to clean up, and sneered twice.

Zhang Zuokai pulled out the short knife on his waist and violently wiped it at Wei Yiqu's neck, Wei Yiqu's waist knife was raised, the original intention was to knock off his short knife, who knew that the length was not estimated, the blade was impartial, and it hit Zhang Zuokai's jaw. only heard Zhang Zuokai scream, and before the blood in his neck flowed out, he fell to the ground.

Wei Yiqu rushed forward, took a sniff, and found that he was no longer breathing, and he was quite remorseful. It was supposed to be a good time to get a live adjutant general of the officer and army, and it should be the icing on the cake for this battle, but the matter has come to this point, and there is nothing to be done.

"Be a full, full ghost, no, don't lose." Wei Yiqu muttered and shook his head.

Zhang Zuokai died, and the officers and soldiers in the battalion either died or fled, and Russia was gone. Wei Yiqu cut off Zhang Zuokai's head, turned the head of the gun, and together with Peng Guang, flanked the remaining main force of the official army, and when night fell, everything was settled, most of Zhang Zuokai's 2,000 officers and soldiers were killed in battle, some of them suddenly escaped, and the remaining surrenderers were also detained.

During the fierce battle, Qin Jinxiao once heard a report from the scouts that there was a movement of troops and horses marching from the north. At that time, all the soldiers and horses of the left battalion had been put into the battlefield, and it was difficult to recover from the water, and if the people who came were reinforcements from the officers and soldiers, it would be very bad. Fortunately, the officers and soldiers quickly lost their fighting spirit under the surprise tactics of the left battalion, and the battle did not drag on for long. After collecting the soldiers and horses, Qin Jinxiao learned that the soldiers and horses in the north had returned after watching for a while, and his tense heart relaxed. He didn't know that the troops and horses were the people of Xia Shiheng in the northern Sichuan Army, and they received Zhang Zuokai's request for help and set off from Langzhong, but halfway through they received the news that Zhang Zuokai asked to withdraw from the army. They didn't know where they were, so they had to return to the army, but after walking for a while, Zhang Zuokai's side was chased by defeated soldiers for help. In this way, they were even more confused, and while watching and watching, they moved back south.

But because of this back and forth, Xia Shiheng's soldiers and horses failed to arrive at the battlefield in time, and when the news of Zhang Zuokai's complete defeat came, they saw that the war was no longer possible to overturn and the sky was dark, so they had to retreat.