Chapter 94

Chapter 94

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 3: Galloping Through Bingzhou, Troops Depart Hedong Chapter 94: The Arrowhead and Hook Formation

The pressure generated by competition is indeed astonishing, especially when the camp cavalry still intends to prove national pride.

With morale, the rest becomes easier.

Although military orders are as firm as mountains, Qiao Yan ordered her soldiers not to disclose Bao Hong’s visit today, but this does not prevent everyone from temporarily forgetting—

This Marquis Qiao is not actually a competitor for the position of General of Liao, but is holding her breath trying to prove that in the battle ten days later, they must win!

And achieve more outstanding results than their companions!

Of course, this does not mean that Qiao Yan can feel much more relaxed.

Even if it’s just a battle of five hundred people, because sound is not easily transmitted on the battlefield, the most basic training is to make the soldiers understand signals, distinguish flags, and recognize drums.

If Qiao Yan had more time, she could completely let these soldiers adapt to her rules.

But with only ten days, her own combat mode still needs to be honed with her guards, and the army’s offensive and defensive teams also need to be differentiated, so she is not suitable to forcibly change the habits of these Northern Army soldiers.

So she found the command mode records of the Northern Army and adapted herself to them.

Fortunately, it’s not just her who needs to study this, as Qiao Yan said, her advantage over others is that there are two brains in this battle formation.

In an environment where the weapons used cannot harm people and safety can be ensured to a great extent, she can, when necessary, not stay in the command position but take the initiative to attack, temporarily handing over command to Guo Jia.

For Guo Jia, who has not yet officially experienced several battles, this is also a rare training environment.

He is not lacking in the ability to think in a combat state, but only in the accumulation of experience.

Guo Jia increasingly feels that working under Qiao Yan is a good decision.

He wanted to add another advantage for his side—

This well-organized and maximum utilization of ten days of preparation, this undercurrent of competition hidden under seemingly normal training, cannot be seen by other independently set up teams.

So much so that when the first battle came, Wang Kuang saw the opposing cavalry, infantry, and archers lining up, he almost thought that Qiao Yan and he did not receive soldiers from the same camp.

Even though she rewarded her subordinates with wine and meat yesterday, such actions to boost morale are not something only Qiao Yan would do!

When Wang Kuang sent people to buy, he found out that almost every camp had similar actions—

Who wouldn’t know at this time that soldiers must be fed to make them exert their strength for you.

But as Wang Kuang saw, when facing off in front of the high platform, the five hundred people lined up opposite him clearly had a feeling of wild beasts breaking out of their cages.

When assigning personnel, to prevent any unfair treatment, they clearly observed the opponent’s troops.

What were Qiao Yan’s five hundred subordinates like at that time?

Because of the busy training over the past ten days, Wang Kuang couldn’t immediately recall, it was probably similar to when he first received his troops, or even more lax.

Because of this, when the result of the draw decided the opponent, knowing that his opponent was Qiao Yan, he breathed a sigh of relief.

This does not mean that Wang Kuang looked down on Qiao Yan.

Wang Kuang, who could serve as the Grand General’s Mansion’s clerk, was known for his chivalry and generosity in his youth, and being from Yanzhou like Qiao Yan, he knew how difficult it was for her to achieve this during the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

What he looked down on was only Qiao Yan’s soldiers.

But now, this perception is undoubtedly problematic.

The Marquis of Leping, who was supervising the battle in the central army, pointed with his whip, and at the forefront of the soldiers lined up in an arrowhead formation were the Hu cavalry from the Changshui camp, proving they deserved the title of cavalry, with the Tunqi and Yueqi cavalry on the flanks ready to go, as if they were holding iron spears instead of wooden sticks!

From the perspective of Liu Hong above, this fierce soldier aura, like a rainbow, was clearly presented before him.

Although the two armies had just clashed and the outcome was undecided, in just ten days, soldiers of the same level had shown such a significant difference, enough to make him cheer.

His gaze subtly turned to the small platform built on the other side.

To show the importance of reviewing the battle, the Son of Heaven personally attended, setting up a high platform and a grand altar, with a twelve-layered colorful canopy, while Grand General He Jin set up a low platform and a small altar, with a nine-layered canopy as a ceremonial guard.

But Liu Hong’s gaze towards He Jin was not one of royal favor, but rather a warning.

Like now, when Qiao Yan clearly showed an overwhelming advantage over Wang Kuang, his expression became more relaxed.

It should be so!

He Jin already holds the power of the imperial relatives commanding troops, yet he insists on placing people in this selection of officials and secret promotion of talented officers, truly showing an increasing ambition, not putting the royal power in his eyes.

Having been ill for many years, Liu Hong dared not have high expectations for his fate. If he were to pass away within two years, with the manpower and military power He Jin has gathered, could any of his princes really suppress him?

A hint of gloom flashed in his eyes, but fortunately, when he looked down at the platform, he also saw a particularly satisfying scene.

With cavalry against cavalry, the side daring to fight in an arrowhead formation must have enough confidence to break through the opponent’s formation, and she indeed did not estimate wrong.

From the perspective of the high platform, one cannot see the fervor on the faces of the soldiers trying to prove themselves, only the figure in the central army riding a horse, advancing with the archers, standing firm like a rock in the raging waves.

But these fast-moving cavalry are undoubtedly her other arm.

Others will not see the “hidden struggles” between these sides!

Under the banner of the Northern Army Five Divisions, the cavalry led by Qiao Yan only had the choice to move forward or stop at predetermined positions, their only option was to do their best.

How to prove it? Only by defeating the opponent!

This escalating offensive aura, in the arrowhead formation aiming to break the enemy in one battle, found the most suitable way to be exerted.

Liu Hong could not understand the flag signals in the battle, but he could see that Wang Kuang’s front line’s retreat was not a feigned retreat to lure the enemy in for an encirclement, but clearly being caught off guard by Qiao Yan’s exceptionally fierce attack.

With only Qiao Yan’s mind and courage, it is indeed impossible to change the strength of the entire team.

But Wang Kuang also cannot make this team from the Northern Army Five Divisions completely synchronized with his thoughts!

So in this adverse situation, because it’s different from an actual battlefield, losing is just losing and not losing one’s life, such things as surrendering to prevent falling off the horse can only keep happening under his watch.

So much so that the Changshui cavalry advanced further, almost directly towards the central army.

He then woke up as if from a dream and ordered the archers to shoot.

This is indeed the most suitable distance for the archers to attack, to ensure that the mutual shooting in this contest does not cause excessive casualties, the wooden arrows used are specially made, and the number is limited, greatly reducing the range.

However, in the midst of this responsive shooting, the coordinated advance of the Yueqi and Tunqi cavalry transformed them from needing to protect the charge to taking on the role of frontal assault, especially when the Hu cavalry became the primary target of the opposing archers, taking on the task of further tearing apart the formation.








The barbarian horses gathered like clouds, and the Yue cavalry also scattered like stars.

This is a verse left by the famous Western Jin scholar Lu Ji in his poem “Marching with the Army.”

Although Qiao Yan had previously emphasized the agility of the Tuntian cavalry, the Yue cavalry, who grew up navigating mountains, slopes, and streams, were no less impressive.

When the incoming wooden arrows were not aimed at them, they could better showcase their skills of “riding and shooting on treacherous paths.”

Especially the centurion of the Yue cavalry camp, who had been holding his breath since the barbarian cavalry broke through the formation, eager to prove that their Yue cavalry camp was not inferior to the other two camps.

The specially crafted arrows assigned to the Changshui camp were also equally distributed to them. However, as he rode and drew his bow, his goal was not to fend off the enemy’s counterattack but to silently aim at the enemy commander, Wang Kuang!

This was the idea given to him last night by the deputy commander brought by the Marquis of Leping during their casual chat.

What is the merit of breaking the formation compared to eliminating the enemy’s commander?

While dodging arrows, he held his breath and fired an arrow.

The soft-tipped arrow marked with dye hit Wang Kuang’s neck!

Even though the force was minimal by the time it reached him, the mark of paint remained on his body.

This was—

The commander is out!

Although this did not mean the battle had to end immediately, with such an advantage, there was no need for further resistance.

“Good!” Liu Hong immediately clapped in praise. “Reward that Yue cavalry centurion.”

The internal conflict within the Northern Army Five Divisions did not harm the imperial dignity, as the winners were still crucial forces guarding the capital.

But this arrow that eliminated Wang Kuang was something Liu Hong was genuinely pleased to see.

Great!

Legitimately eliminating the candidate recommended by the Grand General under the pretext of poor performance in battle—who could say this was targeted?

Speaking of which, who was Qiao Yan’s next opponent?

Guo Jia rubbed his nearly frozen hands and turned to see Qiao Yan still standing calmly in the cold wind, prompting him to admire her robust physique.

“With the weak generals under Duke Wang Jie of Taishan and the small number of troops, it won’t be difficult for Marquis Qiao to win this battle with a strong offensive formation. But the next one…” Guo Jia glanced in a direction, “That man’s own skills are mediocre, but it seems his general is no ordinary figure.”

Guo Jia directly referring to him as “General” was already a special indication.

Qiao Yan followed his gaze and saw her next opponent, Dong Min.

He had also secured a victory, so Qiao Yan’s opponent could only be him.

As Guo Jia said, Dong Min’s own abilities were unremarkable, but he was not the core of his team, which made the minor disconnection within the unit insignificant compared to the whole.

The one issuing commands and leading the charge under favorable conditions was the true leader of the entire force.

Dong Min had borrowed a deadly general from his brother.

This was Xu Rong!

When Dong Zhuo controlled the court and faced the coalition of warlords, Xu Rong stationed troops in Xingyang, defeated Cao Cao and Bao Xin at the Battle of Bian River, and later defeated Sun Jian at the Battle of Liangdong—a true top-tier general.

As for whether bringing Xu Rong was cheating—

Qiao Yan had Dian Wei and Guo Jia with her.

In any case, no one needed to blame the other.

But having Xu Rong in the army undoubtedly boosted Dong Min’s momentum.

“Fengxiao,” Qiao Yan watched the orderly retreat of the enemy and couldn’t help but think that Liangzhou was indeed a great battlefield for forging generals. Xu Rong’s victories over Cao Cao and Sun Jian were not just due to their poor military conditions at the time. “The next battle is up to you.”

Dong Min, who had won this battle, was somewhat surprised that Wang Kuang had lost to Qiao Yan but didn’t care and instead shot her a provocative look.

What a confident display…

Qiao Yan flexed her wrists and calmly returned the “greeting.”

From the high platform, Liu Hong couldn’t see the undercurrents below. He was pleased with today’s events: Qiao Yan defeating Wang Kuang, Jian Shuo advancing to the next round, and Cao Cao, whom he also favored, defeating Zhang Zhang. He even slept soundly that night.

Two days later, during the second round of the competition, his attention was immediately drawn to Qiao Yan’s battlefield.

Out of the sixteen candidates, the nine remaining after two rounds of elimination were essentially his chosen candidates for the Eight Commandants of the Western Garden and the General Who Crosses the Liao River.

If Qiao Yan could defeat Dong Min, it would eliminate a major problem for him. If not, at most, He Jin would secure a position.

But considering Dong Zhuo’s situation, it was still uncertain whether Dong Min would truly obey He Jin’s orders.

So letting him in wouldn’t be a big deal.

However, Liu Hong couldn’t help but feel some extra expectations for Qiao Yan.

Her rapid mastery of military affairs was somewhat unexpected.

If only…

As Liu Hong pondered a more special scenario, he suddenly heard the golden drums signaling the start of the battle.

He opened his eyes to see Dong Min—or rather, Xu Rong—leading his troops in an aggressive charge.

Under the leadership of a fierce general like Xu Rong, the already valiant Changshui camp displayed astonishing momentum.

No, it wasn’t just the Changshui camp.

Although Xu Rong was a subordinate of Dong Zhuo, he hailed from Liaodong and thus knew how the Tuntian cavalry had become the feared Youzhou cavalry under Emperor Guangwu of Han.

With both units under his command, their combined force was no less imposing than the cavalry Qiao Yan had led the previous day.

In such a confrontation, the presence of a commanding general could determine victory or defeat.

However, while the two sides were still some distance apart, Qiao Yan’s formation had already shifted.

Infantry led by Dian Wei advanced with shields, while archers and crossbowmen provided covering fire, quickly forming a square formation in front of the central army.

Before Xu Rong could exploit the advantage of cavalry flanking, the Yue and Changshui cavalry under Qiao Yan had already formed the protective wings of this hook-shaped formation.

The orderly flag signals from the enemy formation were clearly the work of their central commander.

As Xu Rong looked across, he could only see the obscured face beneath the helmet.

Yet, the central general holding a shield as if it were a blade, with astonishing strength, forced his attention back.

Xu Rong hastily reined in his horse, avoiding Dian Wei’s horizontal shield strike aimed at the horse’s legs. He swung his long staff, but Dian Wei effortlessly caught it.

Xu Rong was shocked.

Judging by Dian Wei’s performance, this was truly a fierce general capable of wrestling tigers!

No wonder Qiao Yan dared to deploy infantry in such a battle.

But then, another unexpected turn of events!

As Xu Rong tangled with Dian Wei, a gap suddenly opened on the left flank of Qiao Yan’s formation.

The Tuntian cavalry, not tasked with guarding the flanks, charged out under her command.

Despite the biting winter wind, her red sandalwood steed galloped like a blazing fire, leading the charge without any intention of engaging Xu Rong.

Her target was none other than Dong Min!