Chapter 55: The Scarlet Huai River
The Qin army's foot soldiers couldn't catch up with the Jiangdong iron cavalry who was like the wind, and more than 500 Jiangdong iron cavalry in the huge camp set fire everywhere.
Soon, the huge Beida camp was completely shrouded in a sea of fire.
The raging fire seemed to ignite the entire dark night sky, and the rolling heat wave surged, and all the soldiers of the Qin army who were still desperately fighting the flames had to dodge one after another.
Watching the big tents full of grain, grass, and heavy ordnance turn to ashes in the raging fire, the captain who spoke earlier and the two thousand soldiers guarding the camp fixed their hateful eyes on the Jiangdong Iron Cavalry who were gathering beside Xiang Yu after setting fire in the distance.
The grain and grass of the big battalion were burned to the ground, and with the strictness of the military discipline of the Great Qin, I am afraid that no one will be able to please them.
Being stared at by nearly two thousand pairs of eyes full of hatred and murderous intent, although they were far away, they couldn't help but make Xiang Yu's back stand on end, and there was a feeling of being suddenly targeted by a flood beast.
If it weren't for the raging fire in the middle, Xiang Yu was sure that these Qin soldiers would definitely leave themselves and others for the burial of the entire camp regardless of life and death, or to bury these Qin soldiers who guarded the grain and grass.
The heat wave was blowing, and the war horses under the Jiangdong Iron Cavalry were snorting and constantly neighing and turning in circles.
Seeing that the Jiangdong iron cavalry that set fire everywhere had all gathered, Xiang Yu knew that he could no longer stay in this big camp, and if he stayed any longer and was not burned to death, he would be left behind by the angry Qin soldiers.
"Hahahaha! Drive! ”
Xiang Yu laughed and swept away a passage with the spear of 10,000 enemies in his hand, and led more than 500 Jiangdong iron horsemen who were covered with swords and scars from the fire to rush out of the fire and break into the western camp.
More than 2,000 Qin troops watched Xiang Yu lead the remaining 500 or so Jiangdong Iron Cavalry to rush into the western camp, but there was nothing they could do! Pursue? How can a two-legged foot soldier catch up with a four-legged cavalry?
There is a distance of at least seven or eight miles between Yang Xiong from the southern camp to the Chinese army camp to the north camp, but the four thousand foot soldiers are always a few beats slower, and Yang Xiong can already see the raging flames above the northern camp in the back mountain as if the night sky is about to ignite!
"It's over!" Yang Xiong looked at the red night sky above Beidaying with blank eyes and muttered.
Xiang Yu led five hundred Jiangdong iron cavalry to quickly burn the western camp again, and naturally there were Qin army foot soldiers defending the western camp to intercept and extinguish the fire. However, Xiang Yu became more and more proficient in the use of guerrilla tactics.
If there are many people, run away, and if there are few people, kill!
Soon, the Qin army's foot soldiers, who were still defending the outer dragon of the western camp and the 3,000 Jiangdong iron cavalry, attracted at least half of them to come over.
Long Ji didn't attack the Western Battalion with all his strength at all, he, like Yan Shihe and Gan Ke in front, was just a suspicious soldier that Xiang Yu used to disperse the forces of the Great Qin soldiers who were guarding the camp.
The fire that broke out in the Qin army's camp was more than ten miles away, and I am afraid that it could be seen clearly, and Long He was so close that of course he understood that Xiang Yu had succeeded in succeeding. Then the task now is to cooperate with Xiang Yu to lead the army out of the Qin army camp!
More than 3,000 horsemen rushed forward sharply, and all the people approached the camp for the first time.
More than 3,000 feathered arrows rose into the air and went straight to the Qin army, which was in chaos due to the fire in the western camp. As the feather arrows took off, Long Ji's three thousand Jiangdong iron horsemen quickly approached the fence of the West Daying!
After the continuous screams, a large area of wheat stalks suddenly grew on the empty surface of Xidaying!
The Qin army's foot soldiers, who were still divided into two waves before and after, guarded against Xiang Yu and Long Ji, suddenly vacated a large area, and the blood suddenly soaked the loess!
Xiang Yu naturally would not let go of this opportunity, taking advantage of the Qin army's foot soldiers who were suddenly attacked by the Jiangdong Iron Cavalry to rush over, easily penetrate the Qin army's array, and rush to the front of the camp fence!
Long and Jiangdong's iron cavalry feathered arrows flew one after another, completely ignoring the fact that the arm muscles had already been torn and strained, and the feather arrows were flying endlessly.
Dozens of horsemen quickly used ropes to tear a gap of more than 50 zhang in the fence of the Xidaying camp, and Xiang Yu and more than 500 Jiangdong iron horsemen quickly rushed out along this gap.
"Blow the trumpet!"
Long He saw the only five hundred or so Jiangdong Iron Riders behind Xiang Yu, who were almost all injured, and a trace of gloom flashed in his eyes. Xiang Yu patted him on the shoulder and ordered loudly.
"Woo woo"
Three short, high-pitched horns suddenly sounded from the Jiangdong Iron Cavalry Formation, instantly overpowering the noise in the chaotic Qin army camp.
Yan Shi and Gan Ke, who were still entangled with the Qin army in front of the Qin army's camp, heard the sound of the horn, and immediately overjoyed, and led the remaining more than 1,000 Jiangdong iron horsemen to quickly evacuate from the Qin army's camp and follow the sound to meet Xiang Yu.
……
When Yang Xiong's personal guard reported to Wang Li, Xiang Yu had already set fire to the entire Beida camp, in fact, without his report, Wang Li could guess that there was something wrong with the camp from the sky-high flames.
Wang Li didn't expect that what he was most worried about had happened, and now he could only pray that Yang Xiong could keep the grain, grass, baggage, and ordnance of the 100,000 army stored in the camp.
As long as the grain and grass are there, it doesn't matter if the entire camp is burned, anyway, now that the weather is in summer, there are no tents and bedding, and the army can resist even if it camps in the wild, Wang Li is also confident that these rabble will be strangled on the north bank of the Huai River!
"Zhao Ben!" Wang Li was still not at ease, and ordered loudly, "Immediately lead the 10,000 elite cavalry in the general's army formation to gallop to the aid of the battalion, and we must keep the grain and grass from being burned by the rebels!" ”
"Whoa!"
Zhao Ben bowed down on his war horse and answered, and then took the 10,000 elite horsemen of Wang Li's Chinese army to the dust.
"Wang An! Lead the remaining 10,000 troops to rush to Cen Liang's aid immediately, and will definitely kill all the rebels who attack in the future! ”
"General, the last general only needs 5,000 elite soldiers!" Wang An bowed when he heard Wang Li's words.
Wang Li knew what he meant, at this moment Wang Li only had these 10,000 elite foot soldiers by his side, if Wang An took it away to help Cen Liang, who was fighting with Xiang Liang, then Wang Li would become the commander of the light pole, once there was a change, then Wang Li would be extremely dangerous!
"Go ahead!" Wang Li waved his hand.
"Whoa!" Seeing that Wang Li agreed, Wang An hurriedly replied loudly. Immediately, he led the 5,000 kings to quickly rush to the aid of Cen Liang, who was fighting with Xiang Liang's 70,000 army, and the 20,000 Qin army foot soldiers!
A trace of worry flashed in Wang Li's eyes, the battle situation was gradually out of his control, he didn't expect that the rebels would have so many soldiers and horses, and he didn't even know that there was an army of nearly 100,000 that had already touched his nose.
And through the banner, he also saw that it was the Xiangliang rebels who were fighting with Cen Liang who had not been able to find before, so it was the rebels who attacked the camp again, and since the flames on the side of the camp could be seen ten miles away, it was obvious that Yang Xiong's 20,000 foot soldiers did not resist the rebels' attack on the camp.
What army could so easily defeat the Qin army, which had 20,000 troops and was based on the camp?
The addition of Wang An's 5,000 elite infantry soldiers became the last straw that overwhelmed Xiang Liang's 70,000 army!
Xiang Liang's army, which had been coming from a long distance and didn't get much rest time at all, rushed to the battlefield and immediately entered the battle, and began to be demoralized because of the superiority in numbers and the fact that it was a sneak attack!
However, in the face of the phalanx composed of 20,000 foot soldiers of the Qin army, Xiang Liang's army, which was nearly four times the size of the Qin army, not only did not quickly tear apart the Qin army's foot soldier phalanx, but was instantly killed and injured by the Qin army's strong crossbow, at least more than 10,000 soldiers.
Immediately, the two counties began to be entangled, and the battle situation was suddenly scorched!
One side is physically exhausted and untrained after a long run; One side waits for leisure, recuperates and recuperates, and the training is rigorous. In a short period of time, Xiang Liang's army was able to fight to a draw with the Qin army by virtue of its numerical advantage and high morale, but after a long time, Xiang Liang's army gradually began to be unable to resist in the face of the offensive like a mountain of Great Qin foot soldiers, and gradually began to retreat slowly under the advance of the Qin army's infantry phalanx.
Xiang Liang, who was based on the battlefield, saw it in his eyes and was anxious in his heart, he knew the shortcomings of his army, and he faced the Qin army that had been in battle for a long time and was not equipped at the same level at all, even if there were tens of thousands of people, I am afraid that he might not be able to withstand the counterattack of the Qin army.
The only thing Xiang Liang can hope for now is that Wu Rui's 100,000 fierce Baiyue barbarians can cross the river and land as soon as possible, and that Xiang Yu's Xiang clan's most elite 8,000 Jiangdong iron cavalry can attack the camp and disturb the morale of Wang Li's army.
But obviously, from the arrangement of the Qin army, it can be seen that the one who was fighting fiercely with him was the one who was waiting for one of Wu Rui's three-way river crossing army before. Since Wang Li has laid an ambush on this road, there is definitely no reason why the other two roads will not be arranged.
Therefore, compared with Wu Rui's tens of thousands of hundreds of barbarian troops who crossed the river, Xiang Liang's expectations for Xiang Yu were a little higher.
The addition of Wang An's 5,000 fresh troops suddenly made the defense line of Xiang Liang's army, which was already on the defensive, suddenly precarious, and Xiang Liang's army retreated in a panic with the Qin army's foot soldiers, and the collapse was probably in the next second.
Wu Rui's 30,000 Baiyue barbarian army crossed the river on a small boat, raft, hand and foot, and paddled the water quickly, and at this time it had already crossed the middle of the Huai River, and it was only less than 800 steps offshore.
The armies ambushed by the Qin army on the two upper roads suddenly sounded, and thousands of huge crossbow arrows with the thickness of three zhang long arms crossed a distance of hundreds of paces with a sharp whistling sound, and rushed straight into the middle of the Huai River, which was rapidly approaching the north bank of the Huai River, and the 20,000 Baiyue barbarian army left.
The Baiyue barbarians who crossed the river were all holding torches, and the Qin army on the north bank could clearly see where their target was.
Hearing this whistling, the raft and the fast-reacting Baiyue barbarians on the boat shouted loudly and jumped into the river one after another, dodging the impending Grim Reaper arrows! But there are still a lot of Baiyue barbarians who haven't figured out the situation.
Thousands of crossbow arrows carrying the summons of death descended on them at this moment when they were stunned!
The huge crossbow arrows easily tore apart the thin-skinned wooden boats like a withered and decaying body, passing through the body of the Baiyue Barbarian, bringing up blood flowers, and then skewering a string of Baiyue Barbarians and falling into the water.
The clear Huai River water suddenly bloomed countless blood flowers, and the blood flowers spread rapidly in the river water, and the green Huai River water turned red in an instant!
(To be continued)