Chapter 497 Zhang He VS Zhang Liao! The duel of five good generals!
"General, Yuan Shao is missing."
The scout Pegasus came over and reported hurriedly.
"snort!"
Zhang Liao snorted lightly and didn't take it seriously: "With their foot strength, they will definitely not be able to outrun us. The other side will definitely send people to stop them, so as to buy time for the army to escape."
"Shi Xun."
Having said this, Zhang Liao turned to glance at Gao Shun and asked tentatively: "Can you still persist?"
The strength of the trapped camp has expanded to 3,000 people, but everyone wears armor to fight. The long-distance attack is a cruel test for physical strength.
but......
Endurance was originally one of the compulsory subjects for the trapped camp, so for Gao Shun, even if he was running in armor, there would not be much difference in speed compared to ordinary troops.
The most important thing is that when he attacked Shangdang, he clearly felt that the team was running on the mountain road and the gap was relatively large. Therefore, during these three or four months, he conducted special training for the mountain road attack.
Although running on mountain roads and running on plains are two completely different concepts, it is obvious that the difficulty factor of running on mountain roads is much greater than running on plains.
Now, let Gao Shun lead the team to attack the plains. The strength is definitely much higher than last year, so Gao Shun is not afraid of these distances at all.
"Do not worry."
Gao Shun was certain and affirmative: "There is no problem in being trapped in the camp, and we can continue to fight. However, we are fighting over long distances, which consumes a lot of physical strength. The opponent is waiting for work, and we should focus on defensive counterattacks."
Zhang Liao had already planned this. He patted his chest and promised, "Well, I have already told you in advance that once you encounter an ambush, you will immediately set up a circular formation that is good at defense. You can relax your physical strength during the defense and wait for an opportunity to counterattack."
Gao Shun felt relieved: "The general is indeed well versed in the art of war. I will feel at ease in the end."
Zhang Liao nodded: "In that case, let's go."
"Brothers, follow up."
"Come on—!"
The loud shouts of killing rang out.
The vast army of soldiers and horses rushed forward like a tidal wave.
After a while, they saw troops and horses already in formation in front, waiting for them.
Above the flag fluttering in the wind, the word "Zhang" in black letters on a yellow background is particularly eye-catching.
"It's Zhang He."
Zhang Liao judged it all at once and frowned: "This man is known as the Four Court Pillars of Hebei. He is the most talented general under Yuan Shao's command second only to Yan Liang, and we must not underestimate him."
"This man formed a camp, blatantly, and he is an arrogant person."
Gao Shunshen nodded in agreement, without any intention of underestimating the enemy, and said bluntly: "The opponent has more troops than us, and let me be in the camp to lead the attack. The general will lead his troops to outflank them, and try to solve them in one battle."
"good."
Zhang Liao nodded and said without any nonsense: "It's exactly what I want."
Gao Shun didn't care at all. He moved his hand and gave a sonorous order: "Brothers, follow me and charge!"
Although the long journey has left many people behind, those who can persist until now and keep up with Gaoshun's rhythm are all elites in the army and have extremely strong combat effectiveness.
Therefore, even though the number of people trapped in the camp was very small, only a few hundred people, facing Yuan's army with thousands of troops in front, Gao Shun did not show any fear, but seemed faintly excited.
The vanguard trapped in the camp shouted in unison: "The momentum of charging means advancing but not retreating; the ambition of being trapped means death but not life!"
Gao Shuncang screamed and pulled out the Huanshou sword: "Kill with me—!"
With such a fierce momentum, even Zhang He, who was confronting him, couldn't help but be stunned. He even couldn't help but sigh: "What a trap, he really deserves his reputation."
"pity......"
Zhang He held an iron spear in his hand, looked up at his opponent, and said proudly: "You have traveled a long distance to attack, which consumes a lot of physical strength, but our army is waiting for work and has full physical strength."
"I, Zhang He, will never lose in this battle!"
"brothers!"
At this point, Zhang He's eyes flashed with ferocity, he pointed the iron gun in his hand forward angrily, roared at the top of his lungs, and completely vented the fierce fighting spirit in his heart:
"The Nanyang bastards have won many battles, and every one of them is extremely arrogant. Today, we will let the Nanyang bastards know what it means that there are people outside the world, and there is a sky outside the world."
"It's all about carrying a head on two shoulders, and stabbing it with a knife will still make a bloody hole in it. If you are afraid of an egg, you will reveal what you are doing, rush forward, and fight hand to hand to fight quickly."
All the soldiers shouted in unison:
"kill-!"
The two teams collided like a tide.
Zhang He originally thought that his soldiers could overwhelm and capture the camp given their physical superiority.
But I never thought...
The opponent's armor is very tight, and he also holds a shield in his hand, which can protect the only weak point on his face. In terms of defense, he is watertight.
If that's all, it's okay. What's more important is that while the trapped camp defends in the front row, the back row wields the Shen Yuan Crossbow and launches a mid-range burst attack on the attacking enemy.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Continuous crossbow arrows roared out, and Yuan Jun soldiers fell to the ground one after another.
The soldiers trapped in the camp will do nothing if they don't take action. Once they take action, it will be a killing move.
These arrows are missing, either in the face, in the heart, or in the throat. In short, they are all critical points. One arrow can kill you, which is very scary.
In the brief period of contact between the two sides, hundreds of soldiers under Zhang He's tent fell to the ground. Although it was not an instant collapse, the blow to morale was huge.
"Objection."
Even Zhang He himself couldn't help but be stunned: "I actually forgot about the sacred kite crossbow trapped in the camp!"
Even so, Zhang He knew that he could not retreat easily, otherwise once the opponent came up, he would definitely crush them all the way. If this continued, there would be no chance of winning.
"No retreat!"
"All of you, rush forward!"
Zhang He shouted loudly, and immediately rushed in with a rattan shield in one hand and an iron spear in the other.
Facing the shields of the trapped camp in the front row, he suddenly kicked the ground, and his whole body ejected like a cannonball. With a loud bang, he directly collided with the trapped soldiers.
But see...
The soldiers trapped in the camp were caught off guard. They fell upside down and fell to the ground on their backs.
At the same time, Zhang He's iron gun sprang out like a snake, whizzed in towards the gap in the defensive formation, followed by a strange force coming from the iron gun, which immediately caused the gun head to swing left and right, creating a fierce force.
Peng! Peng!
The strong and powerful gun barrels hit the aluminum alloy armor of the soldiers on both sides, making two dull loud noises. The hole where there was only one person was immediately opened, and at the same time, he turned sideways and forced his way into the formation.
"ah?"
Not far away, Hao Zhao's eyes were as wide as bells and he shouted loudly: "Quick, get on top of me."
Afterwards, the trapped soldiers inside immediately put away their Shen Yuan crossbows, took off their shields, and tried to make up for the gap while trying to force Zhang He out.
This kind of tactics has no problem facing ordinary soldiers or even ordinary generals. After all, the opponent's reaction ability and individual combat capabilities are relatively poor.
Unfortunately......
The one who came in now was none other than Zhang He.
As one of the four powerful generals in Hebei Province, Zhang He was not only extremely capable as an individual soldier, but also had extremely high attainments in the art of war. Because of this, he dared to face the trapped camp.
Moreover, he can take the lead and forcefully break through the defenses of the trapped camp, buy enough time for the army's attack, and create the most favorable situation.
This is Zhang He!
!
"Anyone who stands in my way will die!"
A violent roar sounded.
But see...
The cold iron spear sprang out from Zhang He's hand, and the spear head like a spiritual snake sprang out from the armored soldier's neck, and it was immediately withdrawn. The whole process was as smooth and comfortable as a dragonfly touching water.
Puff puff!
With the iron gun in hand, Zhang He started killing from left and right, falling like raindrops, hitting the heads of the soldiers trapped in the camp. This was their only fatal weakness.
Fortunately, the soldiers trapped in the camp were all elite. After three or five soldiers died tragically, they began to switch from offense to defense, holding up shields to protect their vital points and restore the defense line as quickly as possible.
but......
Although Zhang He's iron spear could not kill the soldiers trapped in the camp, he had the upper hand after all. Every shot fired had hundreds of kilograms of force, and he was stunned to kill the soldiers trapped in the camp.
Under the leadership of Zhang He, our soldiers took advantage of the situation and swarmed in. They were full of physical strength and wielded their weapons widely. They were able to suppress the attack of the soldiers in the trapped camp in a short period of time and forced them to go on the defensive.
On the surface, it seemed that Zhang He's team had the upper hand, but in fact, even Zhang He himself could feel that without the dual advantages of physical strength and quantity of his own soldiers, it would have been impossible to suppress the trapped camp.
And now!
The opponent can enter the defensive position as quickly as possible. With three layers of defensive soldiers, even he himself cannot continue to tear apart the opponent's defense formation and cause an effective attack, let alone the soldiers under his command.
If it is delayed for a long time, the situation is very likely to be reversed. After all, the enemy's soldiers are coming in a steady stream. If they turn sideways, they can be completely surrounded.
"General, look here."
Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind Zhang He.
He stabbed the gun out and hit it on the breastplate of the soldier in front. It made a crisp clang, but only left a dent the size of a pinhole and did not cause any real damage.
Take this opportunity.
Zhang He suddenly turned his head and looked back, scanning the battlefield behind him as quickly as possible. He suddenly discovered that even though he had entered the formation, he was still several feet away.
but......
The soldiers behind him failed to follow up in time. Instead, they were trapped in the camp, and there was a faint possibility of being isolated again. If this happened, then he and the personal guards around him would inevitably be trapped deep in it, and eventually be exhausted.
And die.
"Damn it!"
Zhang He finally understood.
Why has the opponent not stopped the strong counterattack? The real purpose is probably to lure the king into a urn, and then encircle and kill him, so as to achieve the effect of capturing the thief first.
as expected!
At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded: "Close the formation!"
Zhang He turned his head and looked again.
But I saw a young general commanding the battle calmly.
It’s Hao Zhao!
Zhang He recognized him at a glance.
After all, he had a detailed understanding of Nanyang's army.
Hao Zhao is the second best general in the trapped camp, second only to Gao Shun. Although he is young, he already has the air of a general. No matter what situation he faces or what kind of opponent he faces, he can be calm and command decisively.
but......
Now Zhang He couldn't care about that much anymore. He just said to himself, "It's really powerful to be trapped in the camp." Then he immediately turned around and resumed the battle, rushing towards the soldiers and horses in the rear:
"Step aside."
Zhang He shouted loudly and waved his iron spear fiercely, forcing the soldiers trapped in the camp to retreat.
Then, he took advantage of this opportunity and rushed forward with all his strength, heading straight towards the surrounding area that was about to be closed. He simply hadn't penetrated too far yet, but after a few lunges, he rushed forward.
Buzz—!
The buzz of iron guns resounded in the air.
Zhang He's casual thrust seemed to break the constraints of time and space. He accurately hit the shields of the soldiers who were about to surround him from a distance of ten feet.
The impact of this shot was so great that the soldier holding the shield flew backwards and took several steps back until he bumped into his comrade behind him, and then he stopped and steadied himself.
But......
Before the soldiers in the trapped camp could resume their formation, Zhang He's second shot came one after another. He rushed straight through the opened hole, his spear roaring like a dragon's roar.
Just when Zhang He's spear was about to pierce the faces of the soldiers trapped in the camp, suddenly, a cold sword light whizzed out from the slant, blocking their path with great accuracy.
The next second.
clang!
Where swords and guns meet, sparks burst out.
There was a deafening golden roar and a loud explosion.
Zhang He was stunned. He never thought that someone could stop his attack. He looked up and saw the man in front of him with a resolute face and a burly figure:
"Gao Shun?"
"You're actually here?"
Zhang He couldn't believe his eyes.
He originally thought that Gao Shun should be in a command position at all times, but he never thought that the other party would dare to lead his troops to charge, and he did not give any orders during a normal battle.
"snort."
Gao Shun snorted coldly and said loudly: "Isn't this just to surround and kill you?"
Nowadays, the soldiers trapped in the camp are severely exhausted. Some key parts can only be done by Gao Shun himself. For example, he is personally responsible for sealing the seal.
Unfortunately......
Although he was as careful as possible to prevent Zhang He from noticing anything unusual in advance, Zhang He's soldiers and horses were more powerful than he imagined. No matter how careful he was, he still showed his flaws.
Zhang He naturally knew that this plan was insidious, so he immediately drew his gun and returned, forcing back the trapped soldiers who rushed up beside him, and launched another fierce attack on the gap:
"Want to stop me? It depends on whether you have the ability!"
"Then try it!"
Both of them are powerful generals. Now that they have met, how can they not fight with real swords and guns? Besides, Gao Shun didn't bother to understand that if he couldn't stop Zhang He, let alone surround him and kill him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Zhang He didn't take any action, but when he did, the lightning flashed in his hand, and the iron spear in his palm was like cold lightning, and kept firing towards Gao Shun, as fast as thunder.
"So strong!"
Gao Shun sighed with emotion as he gritted his teeth.
Although he can be regarded as a powerful general, unfortunately, he is better at hedging in military formations and is slightly weaker against fighting generals. Faced with Zhang He's vigorous charge, he was unable to slack off.
After all, the continuous attacks had seriously exhausted his physical strength, and the strength he could exert now was estimated to be only about 50 to 60% of the normal level.
"Damn it!"
Gao Shun tried his best to hold the opponent's iron gun. The sweat all over his body had already soaked his armor. What was even worse was that his body was trembling slightly.
If this continues, it is estimated that he will be killed first before dragging Zhang He to death. Especially the opponent's personal guards have good combat effectiveness and it will be difficult to complete the encirclement in a short time.
what to do?
Gao Shun's mind was like lightning and he kept thinking about countermeasures.
However, Zhang He didn't give him a chance to react, so he ordered: "Brothers, break it for me!"
The personal guard beside him launched another wave of counterattack: "Kill—!"
And he himself worked even harder, suppressing Gao Shun until he could only parry and was unable to fight back: "Only you, you still want to stop me? Practice for another hundred years!"
clang-!
There was a loud noise.
Zhang He knocked Gao Shun's weapon away, and took advantage of the situation to charge forward. The rotating spear head was like a poisonous dragon, piercing directly into the faces of the soldiers behind him.
The trapped soldier reacted quickly and swung sideways, narrowly avoiding Zhang He's attack. But before he could recover, the gun tip swung again and hit the side of his helmet, causing him to faint on the spot.
"kill-!"
Zhang He roared angrily and led his troops past Gao Shun and rushed towards the gap.
Gao Shun chewed it secretly and said: "Damn it, he is indeed one of the Four Court Pillars of Hebei. He is really powerful. We failed to surround him this time. Next, we can only look at Wenyuan."
"Hao Zhao!"
Gao Shun shouted loudly: "Send a message to General Zhang quickly, we have fallen."
Hao Zhao nodded: "Here."
Next great thing.
The red and green flags flashed, sending a signal to Zhang Liao.
Zhang Liao, who was making a sideways detour, couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "What a Zhang He, with some ability, he was able to break out from the siege of the trapped camp. It is indeed a feat."
"General."
Zhang Zhen turned his head and said: "We were not even able to surround him and kill him. In such a wilderness and plain, we may not be able to stop Zhang He."
"As long as I can't kill him."
Zhang Liao did not take Zhang He seriously at all, and went straight to the point: "Remember, our goal is to hunt down Yuan Shao, not to surround Zhang He. Even if he is good at fighting, he is definitely not our target."
Zhang Zhen didn't quite understand: "General, what do you mean?"
Zhang Liao said softly: "It's good to be surrounded and killed. If you can't be surrounded and killed, just get over the block and attack Yuan Shao in the rear. They have only walked a short time, so they shouldn't be too far away."
Zhang Zhen's lips raised slightly: "I understand."
Immediately.
He turned to look.
However, it was a bit disappointing to see that Zhang He's troops had retreated and seemed not to be too entangled with Zhang Liao. They did not have the will to fight to the death.
"General."
Zhang Zhen turned to look at Zhang Liao and mocked: "It seems that Zhang He has no intention of fighting to the death for Yuan Shao."
However, Zhang Liao had a different opinion. He frowned and felt the strangeness: "If Zhang He had no intention of fighting to the death for Yuan Shao, he would not have attacked the camp by force in the first place, but would have taken a defensive position."
"But......"
At this point, Zhang Liao subconsciously felt bad: "Since Zhang He is already fighting with the trapped camp, he should fight to the end to buy enough time for Yuan Shao to retreat. It is obviously not normal for him to be defeated now."
Zhang Zhen naturally knew what Zhang Liao meant: "General, maybe Zhang He is just a rat who doesn't live up to his name."
Zhang Liao shook his head: "If you are a rat, how can you break out from the siege of the trapped camp?"
"Ah this..."
Zhang Zhen was speechless and said in a long voice: "The general's words are reasonable. Could it be that Zhang He had some other motives for doing this?"
Zhang Liao frowned. He never denied this situation: "Remember to be careful and never be careless."
Zhang Zhen nodded: "Understood."
If he follows the normal pace, Zhang Liao will definitely put all his troops forward, take advantage of the situation, encroach step by step, and wipe out at least half of Zhang He's troops, leaving him no longer able to stop the attack.
but......
Zhang He's retreat was obviously not normal.
He hasn't reached the point where he has to retreat, and something is not quite right due to emotions and reasons.
In this case, Zhang Liao could only adopt a cautious pursuit posture, while maintaining his own advantage without overly pursuing battle losses and attacking madly.
When Zhang He led his troops and ran out for about a mile, he naturally felt the caution of Zhang Liao's troops. The opponent only adopted a strategy of encroaching step by step, which can be said to be both offensive and defensive.
"General, what should we do?"
Lieutenant General Xi Yun watched this scene, frowned and asked: "Zhang Liao seems not to have been fooled. Their team still maintained a cautious fighting formation and did not pursue them wantonly."
Zhang He glanced at the cautious enemy troops in all directions and nodded: "This boy is worthy of being the commander-in-chief of Nanyang. He is very sensitive to danger and is a talented general."
"Then what should we do?"
call-
Zhang He let out a breath and thought for a moment: "The matter has come to this, there is no other way but to act according to the original plan. I believe he just feels something different, but he has not thought of our strategy yet."
"We just need to lead it to the predetermined place, and then launch a wave of counterattack. Who will win or lose is still unknown. Don't make too many changes now, just keep it going."
Li Yun took a deep breath and nodded: "Well, I will finally understand."
Zhang He added: "At that time, follow my orders, avoid the soldiers and horses trapped in the camp, and attack Zhang Liao's soldiers by force."
Ren Yun was stunned: "Attack Zhang Liao? But..."
"Nothing but."
Zhang He didn't give the other party any chance to question, and said directly: "Although the soldiers trapped in the camp are good at fighting, they have been running continuously, and they have long been at the end of their strength and have no fighting power."
"The opponent's current powerful force is just an aluminum alloy armor. It's very difficult for us to kill them, but it's not that difficult to kill Zhang Liao's troops."
"Our troops are limited, so we must make good use of this counterattack. We must destroy the opponent's momentum of victory in the shortest possible time before we can possibly repel them. Do you understand?"
indeed.
The trapped camp is severely exhausted due to the armor they wear, but as long as they have the aluminum alloy armor, their defensive capabilities are still amazing. Using their troops to deal with the trapped camp will definitely achieve twice the result with twice the result.
However, if Zhang Liao's troops can be defeated, the same effect can still be achieved, and even better because Zhang Liao is the commander-in-chief. This will achieve twice the result with half the effort.