Chapter 205: Battle of Luoyang 6
by AfuhfuihgsBattle of Luoyang 6
The support for the left wing immediately showed its effectiveness.
“General! The left wing has started pushing back the enemy’s right wing!”
Ma Su shouted, his face full of delight.
Jiang Wei and Ma Dai, along with Guo Yi and Bu Zhan who went to support with them. It was support with virtually most of the Luanling Army deployed. Both officers and soldiers were the cream of the crop. The enemy’s right wing had no choice but to be pushed back.
‘It’s personnel mobilized on the premise that Xiahou Dun’s valor remains the same. Even if Xiahou Dun is in good shape, it would be difficult for him to handle all those people.’
Though older than Guan Yu, Xiahou Dun was still a threatening presence. While Liu Bei, who was the same age, was visibly suffering the ups and downs of aging as his energy was running low, these great generals seemed to defy the years.
But we also have seeds of great generals on our side.
Guan Yu’s son Guan Ping. Though not as much as his father, he’s not unworthy of being called a brave general.
Following his portrayal as a fierce general in the Romance, Bu Zhan too has become a great general to lead the next generation through the teachings of his father and me, and various real battles.
Though his talent has not yet fully blossomed, Guo Yi is also material for an excellent general, befitting the son of the famous general Guo Jun.
‘Among them, the most reliable is undoubtedly Jiang Wei.’
This is Jiang Wei who, in the original history, did not bend his will to resist until the very end, personally killing five or six enemy soldiers even at over sixty years old. Though his duel with Zhao Yun ending in a narrow victory is a creation of the Romance, Luo Guanzhong didn’t bestow such an anecdote for nothing.
Guan Ping, Jiang Wei, Bu Zhan, Guo Yi. With these four, they should be able to push back the enemy army easily even in the face of Xiahou Dun’s valor. And they proved their abilities with actual results.
“Tell Bai Yue. Go support the center immediately. It’s enough to have pushed back the enemy’s right wing once.”
It was an order I had already instructed before sending support, but I send a messenger once more.
Sometimes people forget their assigned duties when swept up in the flow of battle. Apart from trusting Jiang Wei, I need to be more meticulous for the success of the operation.
“Understood!”
“And keep a close eye on the movement of Cao Pi’s reserve force. Which direction they move, report to me first as soon as you confirm it.”
“I’ll keep it in mind!”
Taking advantage of the weakened gap as Wei sent reinforcements to Sun Quan, Liu Bei and Pang Tong’s center attacks the hills to secure a foothold.
After pushing back Xiahou Dun’s right wing, Jiang Wei’s Luanling Army strikes the enemy center. The operation is completed by crushing the enemy’s center like that.
The allied army is divided into the right wing north of the hills and the left wing to the south.
‘If the enemy numbers are greater than ours, just split the enemy.’
Afterwards, we launch encirclement and annihilation together with Father, our right wing, while holding off the enemy right wing using the defensive advantage of high ground.
‘Everything has flowed according to plan so far. Drawing out the enemy’s left wing through Father, Wei sending additional reinforcements, pushing back Xiahou Dun. Now there’s only one button left…’
Cao Pi’s personal guard hiding in the enemy’s rear. If we succeed in neutralizing even the reserve force, their last hidden card, this war is confirmed as our victory.
“You have no choice but to come out, Cao Pi.”
Riding the tiger’s back.
Wei, Wu, and Han.
All have mounted the tiger’s back. Getting off now is impossible.
All Cao Pi has left is to squeeze out his last strength to strike us. Then drawing back Xiahou Dun’s forces to stop our attack is the only possibility of victory left for Cao Pi.
Therefore, Cao Pi released the last bowstring he was holding.
“General of the Guards! Cao Pi’s personal guard has marched out! The enemy general is Cao Zhen! It’s cavalry! They’re attacking our center and Jiang Bai Yue’s support unit!”
At last.
“Luanling Army!”
I called the last 5,000 Luanling cavalry remaining by my side.
The might of the Luanling Army responding in one voice was like a tiger crouching, ready to pounce on its prey.
“Finally, our turn has come! I wish to be with you all in this most glorious place to end this war! Are you prepared to see the end of this battle following me?!”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of soldiers who hadn’t mounted horses stomping their feet strikes the ground,
“Of course!”
“We will be with you, General!”
“We will surely offer you the glory of victory, General!”
The voices of Luanling Army soldiers showing their determination with various shouts and cries pierce the sky.
“Good! Let’s go! To carve the name of our Luanling in the world and history!”
The soldiers mounted their horses while letting out a thunderous roar.
The standard-bearers to bring down the curtain on the war have departed.
§
The clash of the center, where there was virtually no numerical advantage, was gradually tilting towards Han.
Zhang He and Xiahou Shang were certainly excellent generals, and Wen Xun and Yu Qian who stood as vanguard commanders under them were also men who could be trusted to lead the front even among the many talented people in Wei.
However, the enemy was even better than that.
Unlike Cao Pi, Liu Bei’s presence on the front lines was special among the three emperors gathered here.
Cao Pi and Sun Quan also boost the morale of soldiers just by being there as emperors.
But the weight given by Liu Bei’s decades more of accumulated years, the perception as a reliable superior ingrained in soldiers through countless battles, was something that differentiated him from the other two emperors.
Regardless of the scale of the country or troops, Liu Bei’s special quality draws out even greater fighting spirit from the soldiers.
Liu Bei didn’t only have advantages. If the years gave him advantages, conversely, the years also gave him weaknesses. The deterioration of momentary judgment and lowered stamina due to aging greatly reduced Liu Bei’s command ability.
However, Pang Tong compensates for Liu Bei’s weaknesses.
Not yet fifty years old, Pang Tong boasted vigorous stamina and dominated the flow of battle by giving orders with all his might. As if to show it wasn’t for nothing that Liu Bei had handed over command authority to Pang Tong, there was not a single waste in Pang Tong’s military operations.
The generals who became Pang Tong’s hands and feet, leading the soldiers and carrying out battles, were also considerable. Bu Rong, Bu Zhan’s father; Shang Cong, who had grown through several real battles; Zhao Rong, participating as a Separate Commander; Zhao Lu, who had worked under Guan Yu.
Though lacking the weight to be responsible for an entire battle line, they were talents with no shortcomings in leading each unit and fighting battles.
With little difference in troop numbers, the Han army was rather superior in quality. Trying to take advantage of the hills wasn’t very suitable either.
The advantage of longer crossbow range from being on high ground was offset by the effect of Han’s even more improved crossbows. There was some benefit in that defense was easier befitting high ground, but since the hills weren’t very high, that too wasn’t enough to greatly impact the battlefield.
In such a situation, as Xiahou Dun was pushed back and Jiang Wei attacked Xiahou Shang’s flank, Wei’s center fell into great confusion.
“We can’t hold out like this!”
Lieutenant Yun Lu ran to Zhang He and said desperately.
“Hold your position! His Majesty will soon send reinforcements!”
Zhang He sent Yun Lu back and shifted his gaze to where Xiahou Shang was.
Xiahou Shang’s camp, under attack from both sides with Jiang Wei’s joining, looked precarious as if about to collapse at any moment. Though Xiahou Shang was responding calmly, the result was obvious if things continued like this.
Just before Xiahou Shang’s camp collapsed, cavalry rushed into the fierce melee where it was difficult to predict even a moment ahead.
“General Cao Zhen has come!”
Cao Pi’s personal guard led by Cao Zhen had finally arrived.
Befitting the personal guard attending the emperor, their charge was fiercely relentless. Especially the momentum of Cao Zhen, who was rushing forward while breaking through the Han army at the forefront, was even more ominous.
Cao Zhen, who had suffered repeated defeats against Han until now, was fully armed with the determination to take revenge this time and raise the prestige of the Cao clan of Wei.
As a result of focusing on training while restraining even his favorite meals after losing Hongnong, Cao Zhen’s large frame was now filled with muscle instead of fat.
The strength emanating from his massive body was not something that even Luanling Army soldiers, as individuals, could block.
Relying on Cao Zhen’s exploits, the Wei army begins to push back the Han army little by little. Xiahou Shang and Zhang He encouraged the soldiers even more fiercely with the mindset of not missing this opportunity, and even shot arrows themselves to ignite fighting spirit.
It was the first counterattack showing superiority from Wei since the battle began.
To break that, some new turning point was needed.
‘I should step forward.’
Seeing that even the Luanling Army could not easily stop Cao Zhen, Jiang Wei stepped forward to become that turning point himself.
At that moment. From the opposite direction of where Cao Zhen had appeared, a new sound shaking the earth emerged.
Just as Wei had placed their final reserve force in the rear in case of emergency, Han also had those who had not entered the battlefield until the very end.
“The General of the Guards has come!!”
Zhang Ran and the Luanling heavy cavalry following her.
They were charging towards the personal cavalry unit led by Cao Zhen.
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