Chapter 305: Falling into a Trap

"Luo luo luo..."

The Xiliang Cavalry galloped back and forth around the city of Hengshan County.

They kept shouting provocations from their mouths.

Some Xiliang Cavalry even stood on their horses, urinating toward Hengshan County, performing highly insulting gestures.

"Damn it." On the city wall, Zhong Li watched the Xiliang Cavalry being so arrogant, his eyes burning with anger.

Only three days after Hengshan County was captured, these Xiliang Cavalry arrived.

After scouting around the county seat to no avail, they came to the foot of Hengshan County.

"Your Highness, let this general go out and meet them, to see who the real cavalry is." Zhong Li cupped his fists and requested the order.

Zhao Xu shook his head and said, "If you go out, you will fall for their provocation tactics."

In his view, this unit of Xiliang Light Cavalry was relying on their superb horsemanship to lure his cavalry into battle, thereby defeating them.

They wanted to get back at him for the loss of Hengshan County.

However, he was thick-skinned enough not to pay them any mind.

After all, the Wangfu Army's cavalry was very precious and had to be used at critical moments, not sacrificed at will.

"Why do you need to go out? Let the Artillery blast them to hell." Chang Wei and Zhao Xu looked at each other, both revealing sinister smiles.

After occupying the county seat, the Artillerymen dismantled the large-caliber Artillery and transported them onto the city walls.

The purpose was to guard against the Xiliang forces getting angry from embarrassment and sending troops to attack Hengshan County.

Now, these Xiliang Cavalry were just three hundred meters outside the city.

They were simply asking for a beating.

Chang Wei then called the Artillerymen commanders and gave them the order.

A moment later, following the sound of "Boom, boom, boom," cannon fire erupted from all four sides of the city walls.

Cannonballs flew like meteors toward the ranks of the Xiliang Cavalry.

A Xiliang Cavalry Warhorse's leg was hit, and it immediately knelt on the ground, throwing the Xiliang Cavalry soldier above it off.

Other Xiliang Cavalry were sent flying directly by the cannonballs,

colliding with five or six people in a row before falling to the ground.

After falling, they were a bloody mess, and the Armor at the spots hit by the cannonballs was deeply dented.

The sudden shelling left the Xiliang Cavalry in shock.

They no longer cared about provocation and whipped their horses to flee into the distance.

And within 1,500 meters was the effective lethal range of the Wangfu Army's Artillery.

The Artillerymen pursued the Xiliang Cavalry with continuous shelling.

Corpses of Xiliang Cavalry were left behind along the path of their flight.

When the figures of the Xiliang Cavalry disappeared, Zhao Xu said to Zhong Li, "Leave the rest to you. Keep the good Warhorses for use; drag the injured or dead ones back to be slaughtered for the soldiers to eat."

"Yes, Your Highness." Zhong Li responded excitedly.

At this time, there were Xiliang soldiers who had fallen to the ground and were not yet dead, as well as Xiliang soldiers whose horses had been hit and were running wildly on their own two legs.

Zhong Li's cavalry went out from the city gate and quickly cleared out these Xiliang Cavalry.

At the same time, they dragged the fallen Warhorses back into the city.

The generals watched the excitement, followed behind Zhao Xu, and climbed down from the city wall with smiles on their faces.

They could eat horse meat again.

During the Northern Di Autumn Hunt and the Battle of Yanzhou, there were many injured enemy horses.

These horses were eventually slaughtered as a reward and fed to the soldiers as meat.

If there was still more, it would be air-dried to supplement the soldiers during their daily training.

Otherwise, the soldiers would never be able to maintain their high-intensity daily training.

Evening.

The scent of meat wafted through Hengshan County, and dozens of large pots were set up in the camp.

The meat soup in the pots rolled, emitting billowing heat.

However, because there were many soldiers, the hundred or so dead and injured horses dragged back were still not enough to eat.

Zhao Xu could only let most of the soldiers drink the meat soup.

And he left the meat for the soldiers led by Liu Tan.

"This time, for this feint to the east and attack to the west, the task is heaviest for you and your soldiers. Huaicheng is three hundred li away; I give you a day and a half of marching time to arrive," Zhao Xu said.

In the battle to capture Luding Bridge, the Red Army made a forced march of two hundred and forty kilometers in one day and one night; this was the pinnacle of Light Infantry.

But the Wangfu Army soldiers needed to march while wearing Armor and carrying weight, which naturally could not be done, because they had to wear Scale Armor.

After all, if they encountered the Xiliang Army, they would suffer heavy casualties without Armor.

Therefore, he gave Liu Tan a day and a half.

Arrive at Huaicheng, set up camp, feign an attack on the city, and trigger the mobilization of the Xiliang main force.

Liu Tan nodded heavily; since he had accepted this mission, he would complete it even if it meant risking his life.

Zhao Xu patted him on the shoulder and said, "Give all the horse meat to Liu Tan's subordinates. Once they are full, set off tonight."

The other generals had no objections to this at all.

They would stay in Hengshan County to wait for the commotion Liu Tan created and act when the opportunity arose.

Upon receiving the order, they led their subordinates to scoop out the horse meat and personally delivered it to Liu Tan's soldiers.

An hour later, the sky gradually turned dark.

A well-fed Liu Tan and his subordinates gathered at the North Gate.

This time, in order to achieve a forced march, the soldiers heading to Huaicheng carried only enough Roasted Flour for ten days.

Aside from Armor and Weapons, they carried no Baggage Train, traveling light and fast.

After arriving at Huaicheng, they would do their best to drag out the Xiliang reinforcements near Huaicheng.

This was to win time for the main force in Hengshan County to attack Xin City.

The night grew heavier, and after Liu Tan bowed to Zhao Xu, he turned and left.

Very quickly, their figures disappeared into the night.

At this moment, Zhao Xu said to Chang Wei, "You should also prepare to march to Xin City by night at any time."

"Yes, Your Highness," Chang Wei replied.

The next day.

After a night of marching, Liu Tan's army appeared near Ying County.

In this one night, they had traveled over one hundred li.

When the sky grew bright, he ordered the soldiers to spread out, intentionally kicking up dust from the imperial road as they walked.

Under the cover of the dust, the force of ten thousand men looked as if seventy or eighty thousand were marching.

Their appearance was quickly discovered by the Xiliang soldiers in Ying County.

However, they noticed that this army had no intention of attacking Ying County.

Instead, they bypassed Ying County and continued toward the northwest.

The garrison commander of Ying County suddenly realized that they seemed to be going to attack Huaicheng.

He immediately sent men to Jincheng to report to Tuoba Wuji.

While marching, Liu Tan continuously sent out Cavalry to scout.

When they encountered woods, they let the soldiers enter the forest to rest, eat Roasted Flour, and sleep for a while, before continuing the march.

A day and a half later, they arrived near Huaicheng.

Twenty li outside of Huaicheng, they cut down trees, built Scaling Ladders, and set up camp.

The Yan Prince Army suddenly appeared in the northwest of Jinzhou.

This caught the Xiliang generals in the various northwestern cities off guard.

The Yan Prince Army had come too quickly, giving them no time to react at all.

They hurriedly sent men to Jincheng to request reinforcements.

Two days after Liu Tan arrived at Huaicheng, the Cavalry from Ying County finally arrived.

Upon learning that the Yan Prince Army had appeared at Huaicheng.

Tuoba Wuji was greatly alarmed; to the north of Huaicheng lay Tongguan.

If Tongguan were lost, the Xiliang soldiers would have to cross the Jin River to reach Jinzhou, rather than heading south directly from the imperial road at Tongguan.

"This Yan Wang is too cunning! Immediately dispatch the main army to Huaicheng; Tongguan must absolutely not be taken by the Yan Wang!" Tuoba Wuji roared in anger!