The Yong army's various garrison stations crossed the river by boat one after another, and after reaching the shore, they formed formations and entered into battle.
The imperial troops on the other side were all organized for combat after nearly an hour of "adaptation."
The more than 45,000 Yong soldiers who crossed the river and the 130,000 troops assembled by the imperial court fought fiercely within a wide area of 15 miles east of the Han River.
Although the Yong army crossing the river had a small number of troops, they were all top-notch elites, so they could still withstand the pressure and continue to advance.
Originally, the imperial court's front line protruded to the west, but now it has been beaten to the east and sunk in.
Yong's army attacked with great intensity, which made the Forbidden Army soldiers on the front line miserable. They have now suffered heavy casualties.
He wielded his sword and beheaded several fleeing soldiers with his own hands. The commander of Hu Ben's right guard shouted: "Whoever dares to retreat again will be killed without mercy!"
Like him, officers at the command level are supervising the battle with their own soldiers at the moment.
Of course, being at the rear of the military formation can ensure their safety to the greatest extent and make it easier for them to command the army.
When the battle reaches this point, there is actually nothing to command. The two sides are fighting head-on on the battlefield.
That is to say, the imperial court had a large number of troops and mobilized its organization very quickly, so that it could last for such a long time.
There is a hillside five miles behind the imperial military administration, and dozens of horsemen are stationed here at the moment.
Zhang An, the commander of the Western Front Army, looked forward with a solemn expression at this moment.
The terrain here is higher, the view is wider, and the sky is brighter at this time, so he can have a clear grasp of the situation on the front line.
The battle had reached this stage and Zhang An was extremely anxious when he saw that the army was in decline.
He had only been in the position of general for about ten days, and he had not had enough of commanding the army when he encountered this kind of thing.
Once the army was defeated, he, Mr. Zhang An, could not commit suicide to apologize, so as to reduce the emperor's anger and provide a way for his family to survive.
At this time, Zhang An was very envious of Lu Liqing, who was dismissed from office. At least he did not have to bear the responsibility for the defeat.
Yes, Zhang An also believed in his heart that even if Lu Liqing was still the commander-in-chief, it would not change the outcome of the imperial court's defeat.
Now that the defeat has appeared, it is time to consider what to do after the defeat. Zhang An must do his best to minimize the court's losses.
At this moment, a horse came quickly. It was the exploration horse sent by Zhang An.
"General, the Anyun Guards at the north end are under heavy attack and are currently being defeated!"
Hearing this, Zhang An glanced towards the north end, and sure enough he saw the military formation there collapsed, with the flags lying flat and the soldiers fleeing in all directions.
A collapse at one point may lead to a collapse across the board if the situation cannot be quickly controlled.
At this moment, Zhang An hadn't figured out what to do next, so he didn't know how to make a decision.
After a few breaths, his instinct made him feel that he should stabilize the situation first.
"Send orders to the Xiaowu Guards to vigorously harass the Yong army in pursuit, and send people to block the defeated troops and drive them all back!"
"yes!"
Anyunwei originally had only 2,000 troops, but Lu Liqing later added 3,000 civilians to make it a full force with 1,000 households.
However, this operation did not increase the combat effectiveness of Anyun Guard, but made the management of the guard more difficult.
It's okay to fight a smooth battle and maintain a defensive position, but once a tough battle like this begins, there is a possibility of collapse.
The reason why they have survived until now is because they are on the edge and have the support of the Imperial Guards.
There is a saying that a defeat is like a mountain falling. On the battlefield, a single move can affect the whole body.
Zhang An could ask Xiaowuwei to respond to Anyunwei, but who of the Tiger Guards Shenwuwei and Wu Xiangwei at the front could be asked to respond?
Before Zhang An could figure out how to go next, more than a dozen riders came quickly down the hillside.
The person coming was Duan Jingzhen, the commander of Huben's right guard. There were blood stains on his armor at the moment, which added to his evil aura.
Duan Jingzhen came to Zhang An on horseback, and Duan Jingzhen said immediately: "General... our army has declined. Our brothers are struggling to hold on. I hope the general will make a decision soon!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang An said with a gloomy face: "What decision should I have made earlier?"
Duan Jingzhen didn't care about Zhang An's attitude. He just listened to him calmly: "General, Yong's army is unparalleled in combat power. If we continue to fight like this... our army will inevitably be defeated. It's better to retreat while we are still undefeated!"
"With the Xiaowu Guards and Xiaoqi Guards cutting off the rear, the Yong Army's advance will be slowed down. If the Guards' troops are allowed to push forward, our Forbidden Army will be able to separate from the Yong Army and withdraw!"
Duan Jingzhen's idea is "perfect". Not only can he withdraw from the battle, but he can also preserve his own strength to the greatest extent.
But Zhang An did not give him face, but said with a gloomy face: "Commander Duan, withdraw... Where should we withdraw to?"
This question actually stopped Duan Jingzhen.
He just wanted to retreat quickly, and no matter where he retreated to, the farther away the better.
If possible, Duan Jingzhen would like to return to the capital.
Then Zhang An said: "Do you know the consequences of retreating without permission and losing the city and the land?"
Even though he was speaking righteously, he actually wanted to evacuate quickly. After all, if he continued to fight, the consequences might get out of control.
Therefore, Zhang An needs someone to convince him and give him sufficient reasons to convince him to retreat.
"Sir, if our army is defeated, what will be the consequences?"
When saying this, Duan Jingzhen turned back and looked at the battlefield.
But he was not observing the war situation, but waiting for the other two commanders to arrive. He had sent someone to inform those two before coming to see Zhang An.
Just when Zhang An was in a dilemma, two other commanders of the Forbidden Army also rushed over with their personal guards.
"General, the enemy's 2,000 men are pressing down on our 5,000 men. Our army retreats again and again... If this continues, our army will be defeated!"
"General, Gaotang Wei was defeated just now, and we can't hold on any longer!"
Seeing that these two people had expressed their attitude, Duan Jingzhen continued: "General, please make a decision quickly!"
The other two people also said: "General, please make a decision quickly!"
Taken together, this scene can be called a "mutiny" in a serious sense. The three main guard commanders are intimidating the general.
Of course, this also proves from the side that Zhang An, the new official, has not yet established enough authority.
"That's enough!" Zhang An roared, his voice covering Duan Jingzhen and the others.
"Instruct the Hexi Dusi and Guangyang Dusi to organize a counterattack with all their strength and hold Yong's army for half an hour regardless of life or death!"
"Tell Shao Xingchang and Gu Yuanzhong that as long as they can withstand it for half an hour, they will win this battle!"
"If he disobeys the order, his entire clan will be killed!"
Shao Xingchang and Gu Yuanzhong were the principals of Hexi Dusi and Guangyang Dusi, and their families were all resettled in the capital.
When the messengers left, a smile appeared on Duan Jingzhen's face, and Zhang An fully accepted his opinion.
But then, Zhang An said with a gloomy face: "Hu Ben Guards, Shenwu Guards, and Wu Xiang Guards, withdraw from the battlefield in the order I want, and all rush to Donghe Fucheng to set up defenses!"
Donghe Fucheng is only thirty miles behind, so the retreat distance is too close.
Duan Jingzhen immediately said: "General, since you are retreating, why don't you retreat further to create a distance? Why are you still trapped in Donghe Mansion?"
Zhang An said with a gloomy face: "Retreating is already a defeat. If we lose Donghe Mansion again, even if we escape the Yong Army's butcher knife, I'm afraid it will be intolerable under the national law!"
"Your and my family are all in the capital now!"
This last sentence awakened the three people who only wanted to escape, and forced them to calmly think about the consequences of escaping.
Then Zhang An said: "By holding on to Donghe, we can contain Yong's army and buy time for the court, but we can offset the merits!"
"Everyone, this is about the life of your whole family, you should think twice!"
