Chapter 436: The Sharp Edge of the Old General

The latest website: "Move all of your troops to the south to resist the Xiliang soldiers; leave the Northern Di to the Imperial Guards!"

In the middle of the military formation, Yang Feng said to Dou Xiao and Han Yun.

For this formation, he had placed the Shizu Army on the outer perimeter and the Imperial Guards in the center.

This time, the massive Northern Di army had come like a blanket covering the sky.

According to the scouts, there were at least three hundred thousand of them.

Plus the one hundred thousand Northern Di troops that had emerged from Xiao Pass.

The Northern Di had committed four royal tents to the Northwest battlefield, bringing their strength to an unprecedented four hundred thousand.

Back then, when the Northern Di attacked the Ningjin Dusi, the number was no more than this.

However, this was only the Northern Di's strength.

Inside Yongcheng, Xiliang had also stockpiled quite a few troops.

Adding the troops of Ma Jin who had fled from Xian City and the Xiliang soldiers, there were another two hundred thousand.

Thus, the enemy forces gathered on the Yongcheng battlefield alone numbered five hundred thousand.

The Xiao Family troops had been repelled by the Northern Di army coming out of Xiao Pass.

The Ma Family troops were blocked by Xiliang at Xiangcheng, unable to move a single step.

After successive battles, the Northern Expeditionary Army, which had penetrated deep into enemy territory alone, was now down to fewer than four hundred thousand.

They were already at a disadvantage in numbers; how could they resist the fierce Northern Di and Xiliang armies of five hundred thousand?

It was precisely for this reason that he had ordered Zhao Heng to retreat to Xian City.

Otherwise, once defeated, it would be impossible for this emperor to escape under the siege of the Northern Di Iron Cavalry.

"Yang Feng, you are ruthless!" Dou Xiao said.

This time, the Shizu Army had completely become meat shields for the Imperial Guards.

After a round of slaughter, it was feared that the Shizu Army had already lost thirty percent of its men.

Han Yun's heart was also bleeding, "From now on, my Han Family and you, Yang Feng, will not coexist."

"Hahaha..." Yang Feng laughed loudly,

completely unconcerned.

Whether he could survive this battle was still an unknown.

Seeing that Yang Feng did not take their threats seriously at all, Dou Xiao and Han Yun snorted in anger and each went to mobilize their troops, ordering them to gather the scattered soldiers.

To curb further collapse, the two sent out a Supervision Team.

The Shizu soldiers, who were frantically fleeing south, stopped immediately upon seeing the Supervision Team brandishing their gleaming Long Blades.

The generals of the Shizu Army took the opportunity to reorganize the soldiers while conveying new orders.

Upon learning that they were to go south to resist Xiliang, the Shizu soldiers breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, they had defeated Xiliang all along the way, so in their eyes, Xiliang was far less terrifying than the Northern Di.

Especially when facing the charging Northern Di Iron Cavalry, they were simply powerless to resist.

"Eh?"

On a small hill, Mule Hongzhen, who was observing the battle, let out an exclamation.

The originally scattered Da Song army was gradually becoming orderly again.

While withstanding the charge of the Northern Di Iron Cavalry, they were gathering from both sides toward the south to throw themselves into the slaughter with Xiliang.

And on the battlefield, only soldiers wearing Silver Armor remained.

In front of these soldiers in Silver Armor was a row of objects covered with black cloth.

At this moment, the soldiers in Silver Armor lifted the black cloth.

Although the distance was far, just by the shape, he immediately judged what it was and could not help but be shocked.

"Yang Feng!" Mule Hongzhen gritted his teeth; now he finally understood the tactics of this old Da Song general.

Just like the Servant Soldiers the Northern Di had sent out first, Yang Feng had first used the Shizu Army as meat shields to consume the Northern Di soldiers and ammunition.

Once the Shizu Army scattered, he sent them to the south of the formation to resist Xiliang, preventing an attack from the rear.

While he was pondering, he saw a burst of white smoke and firelight rise on the battlefield.

The Da Song Imperial Guards had made their move.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

On the battlefield, the Northern Di soldiers were pursuing the scattered Da Song soldiers.

At this moment, the scattered soldiers were seen gathering toward the two wings.

And in the middle, the Silver Armor soldiers were left standing in battle array.

In the instant they were stunned, they saw the Artillery emerge, and a loud noise followed.

Immediately, large swaths of soldiers in the charging Northern Di army fell, and bursts of screams rang out.

Even more Northern Di soldiers had their heads struck, turning into headless corpses.

Seeing this, the Northern Di soldiers slowed their charge.

Just as they were filled with suspicion and uncertainty, the loud noise rang out again.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

Countless black dots fell into the Northern Di army like raindrops, and again, large swaths of Northern Di soldiers died miserably.

In the middle of the Imperial Guard formation, Yang Feng stood atop the Command Platform.

This Command Platform had four wheels underneath, with two wooden levels on top, and a ladder leading up.

Before entering Qinzhou, this Command Platform had already been prepared.

Having fought all the way to Yongcheng, this Command Platform had also been pushed here.

From the Command Platform, he could observe the entire battlefield.

Seeing the charging Servant Soldiers of the Northern Di slow their pace, Yang Feng nodded slightly.

This time, the Imperial Guards had brought one hundred and eighty pieces of Artillery.

Among them, seventy-two pieces of Artillery had retreated with Zhao Heng, leaving behind one hundred and eight pieces of Artillery.

After the battle began, he had deployed these pieces of Artillery on the east, west, and north sides of the Imperial Guard formation.

The north side had the most Artillery, with sixty-eight pieces.

Now, these sixty-eight pieces of Artillery were pouring Grape Shot onto the Northern Di army.

Sheets of lead rain flew across, and the Northern Di soldiers fell in rows like grass in a storm.

Next, he looked toward the two flanks.

He had deployed Long Spear soldiers on the two flanks; at this moment, facing the harassment of the Northern Di Cavalry on the flanks, the Long Spear soldiers formed a forest-like spear array, continuously fighting with the Northern Di Cavalry.

Right now, the charge of the Northern Di Heavy Cavalry had already been halted.

And although casualties continued to appear as Northern Di Arrow fire fell into the Imperial Guard formation, the losses were clearly much smaller than those suffered by the aristocratic clan soldiers.

"The Armor and Weapon forged by Yan Wang are indeed excellent," Yang Feng exclaimed in admiration.

But his face immediately became very serious again.

Even so, he knew very clearly that this could only allow him to hold on for a little longer.

More and more Northern Di Cavalry circled around from the north to the two flanks, surrounding them completely.

"Seize back the aristocratic clans' Artillery!" Yang Feng ordered.

The aristocratic clan troops had scattered, but the Artillery remained in front of the Imperial Guard formation.

Upon receiving his order, the commanders took advantage of the moment the Northern Di soldiers were routed to immediately have the front-row Imperial Guard soldiers charge out.

Soldiers wearing Scale Armor rushed out, pulled the Artillery back into the military formation, and re-aligned the Artillery.

At the same time, the Artillerymen originally kept in reserve stepped forward to take over these abandoned pieces of Artillery.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

Just as the Imperial Guard soldiers took over the Artillery, they suddenly heard a burst of cannon fire.

This time it was not the Imperial Guards' Artillery, but the Northern Di's Artillery; they had counterattacked.

Solid Shot landed around the Artillery, and some Artillerymen were struck, dying on the spot.

"Switch to Solid Shot!" the Imperial Guard Artillery commander shouted.

In the first round of engagement, the aristocratic clan Artillery had taken the initiative while the Northern Di soldiers were hauling their Artillery into formation, destroying dozens of Northern Di pieces of Artillery.

But the number of Northern Di Artillery was vast; after the counterattack, the aristocratic clans had likewise lost dozens of pieces of Artillery.

Now, by seizing these pieces of Artillery back and adding them to the Imperial Guards' Artillery, he believed they were basically on par with the Artillery the Northern Di had brought this time.

"Call over your aristocratic clans' reserve Artillerymen to stand by at any time; what follows will be a truly fierce battle," Yang Feng said coldly.

Dou Xiao and Han Yun sighed heavily upon hearing this.