Chapter 205 Today next year will be your death day for Yan Liang!
Baima and Yanjin are the two best ferries within a few hundred miles of the Yellow River.
Yuan Shao could cross the Yellow River from either of these two ferries, and Cao Cao could also reach the north bank of the Yellow River from these two ferries.
Yan Liang was shocked when he learned that Cao Cao personally led an army to Yanjin in an attempt to cross Yanjin and attack the hinterland of Jizhou.
Because Hanoi County still has Cao Ren, Shi Huan, and Xu Huang's 30,000 troops who can provide support at any time, Yan Liang did not dare to neglect at all. After sending people to send the news to Yuan Shao, he left Guo Tu, Chunyu Qiong and others behind.
He continued to besiege Baima, while he personally led 10,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry and set off towards Yanjin.
In later generations, five thousand cavalry were enough to serve as fifty thousand light soldiers. On the plains, it took basically twenty infantry to fight one cavalry!
However, this is the late Han Dynasty, there are no saddles, stirrups, and horseshoes, and the cavalry is mostly light cavalry, so it is far less domineering than the cavalry of the later dynasties.
Before dealing with Yuan Shao and Xiliang, Lu Yan did not dare to bring out the three treasures of the cavalry.
After all, these three things are too easy to imitate. If you take them out when your own cavalry is insufficient, isn't it just to support the enemy and cause trouble for yourself?
The news from the scouts said that Cao Cao went to Yanjin with about 50,000 troops, but very few cavalry.
Therefore, Yan Liang's 10,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry should be enough to cope with it.
Zhao Yun, Xia Houlan, and Zhang Liao led eight thousand cavalry and laid an ambush in advance on Yan Liang's only way to Baima.
The ambush location was chosen on a trail, which was the closest option to Yanjin, and there were dense woods on both sides of the trail.
Cao Jun did not dig a horse pit on the ground, but only set up a horse tripping rope. The tripping horse rope was gone after being used, which could avoid pitting the legs of his own horses when they charged later.
Xia Houlan led hundreds of soldiers to ambush on both sides of the woods. The traces of the stumbling ropes were covered with dust and leaves on the ground.
Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao each led three thousand cavalry and hid in the woods at the front and rear ends of the trail.
Most of the day passed, and the sky was gradually getting dark. According to reports from the scouts, Yan Liang's cavalry was already less than ten miles away from the ambush site.
Ten miles, at the cavalry's marching speed, would only take about two-quarters of an hour.
The ground gradually began to tremble, and the thunderous sound of horse hooves came from far and near!
Xia Houlan perked up and said secretly: "Here he comes."
After the dust covering the sky and sun could be seen in the distance, Xia Houlan said to the soldiers around him: "Buck up, the enemy is coming soon!"
The soldiers were silent, but their mental power was obviously more concentrated.
Yan Liang is a big fish. If anyone can catch him, he will really make a fortune!
It is now approaching evening, the sun has set, and only the last ray of light is stubbornly emitting its last remaining light.
The path ahead looks a bit eerie under the shadow of the woods on both sides.
Yan Liang's long-term battle has honed his keen sense of danger, and he felt very uncomfortable at this moment.
So, Yan Liang turned around and shouted loudly to the soldiers behind him: "Brothers, speed up and pass here. We will rest and recuperate when we reach Yanjin!"
The distance between Baima and Yanjin is not far, and can be reached in a day's march.
Due to the urgent military situation, Yan Liang spared no effort in ordering the cavalry troops to set off towards Yanjin as quickly as possible. As for the infantry following the cavalry, they were led by other generals and delayed their arrival.
The sound of horse hooves was very close, and Xia Houlan, who was watching secretly, could even see Yan Liang, who was wearing golden armor and had a majestic figure.
Getting closer, getting closer.
Just when Yan Liang was about to turn around and urge his subordinates to speed up again, he suddenly saw something abnormal on the ground in front of him!
Out of his keen intuition of the crisis, Yan Liang immediately clamped his legs together and lifted the reins of his horse. Yan Liang's horse had been following him for many years and had already become acquainted with each other.
Under Yan Liang's series of subconscious movements, the war horse's hind legs exerted force, and with the help of its forward momentum, it jumped up and crossed a distance of several feet!
The cavalry behind Yan Liang were not as alert as he was, nor did they have the quick reactions and powerful physical capabilities of his horses.
"bump!"
"Boom!"
"Oh!!"
As Xia Houlan ordered his men to pull up all the snagging ropes within more than ten meters of the ambush trail, all the cavalrymen running at the front, except Yan Liang, were immediately attacked!
The horses under Yuan Jun's cavalry stumbled one after another, and fell headfirst to the ground. At the same time, they violently threw the owners on their backs for more than ten meters, and had an intimate contact with the earth without distinction between you and me...
The path was only five or six meters wide. After the cavalry in front fell, the cavalry behind them would hardly be able to survive the high-speed advance.
Countless cavalrymen fell to the ground in front of them. Amidst the heavy objects falling to the ground and the screams of Sergeant Yuan's soldiers, the march of Yan Liang's cavalry quickly slowed down.
After Xia Houlan went out to slow down Yan Liang's cavalry, he quickly retreated into the woods. With the cover of the woods, Yan Liang's cavalry did not dare to pursue them rashly.
Whether they are light cavalry or heavy cavalry, their most valuable and deadly asset is speed.
At the moment when Yan Liang's cavalry slowed down, at the back end of the trail, where Yan Liang's cavalry came in, bursts of killing shouts that frightened Yuan Jun suddenly rang out!
"kill."
"Kill the thief!"
Along with the cry of killing, a large number of arrows appeared, but there were not many cavalry who could ride and shoot. Many of them were dismounted soldiers who were ambushing on both sides of the entrance and shooting arrows into the path.
After shooting down hundreds of Yuan's cavalry, Zhang Liao led the remaining cavalry to appear from behind and blocked their retreat!
Zhang Liao's voice came from behind, "Zhang Wenyuan of Yanmen is here, why doesn't Yan Liang surrender quickly?"
"Zhang Liao?" Yan Liang had never heard Zhang Liao's name at all. He didn't care about the ambush behind the army. Instead, he urged the cavalry who followed him, saying: "Follow me and rush out!"
Yan Liang, realizing that he was ambushed by the enemy, urged the soldiers to rush out of the trail.
The terrain here is not conducive to turning the army around, so it would be a very unwise choice to spend time with Cao's army here.
Just when Yan Liang was leading the way and was about to run out of the trail, another burst of shouting came from outside the trail.
"kill!!!"
"Changshan Zhao Zilong is here! Yan Liang, today will be your death anniversary next year!"
When Yan Liang heard that the person in front of him was Zhao Yun, Cao Cao's number one general, he was immediately shocked, and he gripped the sword tightly and worked hard!
Zhao Yun led the cavalry in a rapid charge. In the blink of an eye, Yan Liang and Zhao Yun, who was on a white horse and in silver armor, fought in a massacre!
Yan Liang's martial arts was at its peak, and when he faced the super-class Zhao Yun, he obviously felt tremendous pressure.
"kill!!!"
Xia Houlan came out of the woods and led the remaining cavalry to attack the soldiers behind Yan Liang.
After Yan Liang blocked Zhao Yun's shot, he took the opportunity to look left and right. He saw that the enemy was densely packed and there were obviously many of them!
"Cao's army actually ambushed so many people!" Yan Liang's heart began to sink uncontrollably.
When masters compete with each other, victory or defeat can often be decided in an instant.
You, Yan Liang, not only look around, but are also distracted and thinking about other things. Don't you take me, Zhao Yun, too seriously?
Yan Liang knew that Zhao Yun's martial prowess was not something he could match, so when Zhao Yunting's spear came up to stab him, Yan Liang ducked down and dodged. Then he turned his horse's head without hesitation and broke out in another direction.
The personal guards behind Yan Liang rushed up quickly and stopped Zhao Yun.
Zhao Yun couldn't get away for a while and could only watch Yan Liang running towards Xia Houlan!