Chapter 33 Chapter Seven: The Battle of Feishui

Boom!Boom!Boom! The war drums were beating one after another, slowly but steadily and powerfully.Before dawn, the army of Beifu, who was waiting for orders in the dark, drove out of Xiashi City, galloped down Bagong Mountain, and poured into the plain area on the east bank of Feishui in orderly formation, forming an array on the beach. The high-morale Beifu soldiers have a total strength of more than 75,000 people, 8,000 of them are light cavalry, and the rest are infantry, forming a long square formation across the shore.The 8,000 sudden cavalry were divided into three groups, two groups of 2,000 cavalry each, the wing army was around, and the 4,000 main force cavalry was in the middle. In the front, middle and back three formations, the front formation is dominated by shield archers, and the latter two formations are all swordsmen who are good for close combat, equipped with long weapons, which can resist close attacks from a distance.Regardless of the knight swordsman, one type of light armor goes into battle, forming a pattern that is convenient for bloody battles across the river.

Twelve large flags were placed along the bank, fluttering in the wind, majestic and majestic, and the Beifu soldiers knew that six of the red and white flags embroidered with the name of Beifu were marking the fast and shortcut way to cross the river. The sound of Hujiao on the opposite bank rose and fell, and Diqin's army also began to mobilize, marching out from Shouyang and the surrounding camps, and assembled in the vast plains on the west bank of Feishui River. Fu Jian also came out in full force, with 180,000 cavalry and 60,000 infantry. The total strength of the army was more than three times that of the Beifu army. The momentum was huge and the army was at its peak. The front line was dominated by 30,000 infantry. , two wings equipped with five thousand light cavalry each to assist in the battle, shields lined up, coupled with powerful crossbow arrows, refusing hooks and long strikes, it is indeed powerful enough to smash any river crossing action by Beifu soldiers.

Due to the large number of people, except for the infantry and cavalry who are mainly defensive in the front, they are arranged in a horizontal and long formation, and the cavalry in the rear is a crescent-shaped formation formed by 16 groups. The defense line shrinks, forming an organic defense system, which can exert explosive power when counterattacking. The remaining 30,000 infantry stayed behind in Shouyang, and of course they could go out of the city to help in the battle at any time according to orders. When Liu Yu followed Xie Xuan, Xie Shi, and Xie Yan down the mountain city, while the two sides were still forming formations, Liu Laozhi, He Qian and other generals had already gone to the front to direct the army to advance and retreat.

Liu Yu rode his horse among Xie Xuan's soldiers, and his excitement was beyond words.To this day, it was the first time he participated in such a large-scale battle, but he didn't feel any anxiety or fear in his heart, not because he was not afraid of death, but because he never thought that he would lose this decisive battle. Among the soldiers of the Beifu, apart from Xie Xuan, he is probably the only one who is most aware of the difficulty of the situation in front of him, but it was created by Xie Xuan's painstaking efforts, ingenious tricks and tricks. Looking at the majestic back of Xie Xuan standing in front of him, wearing a white Confucian uniform without any armor, Liu Yu couldn't help but feel like crying, with strong feelings.

Looking around the south, only Xie Xuan's broad shoulders can bear the heavy responsibility of the Jin Dynasty's safety and survival, and only he can make the soldiers return to their hearts and be willing to die. Liu Yu believes that every Beifu soldier on the battlefield now has the same belief as him, that is, Xie Xuan will only lead them on the road to victory.And Xie Xuan was the incarnation of Xie An on the battlefield that everyone admired. Even if Fu Jian came with all his strength, he could not defeat Xie Xuan. From the very beginning, Xie Xuan saw through Fu Jian's big mistake in marching. He stretched the battle line too long, and underestimated the enemy. The army of one million has only 30% of its troops to compete with the Beifu soldiers.

At this moment, Liu Yu felt that he had fully mastered Xie Xuan's tricks as a commander. Whether he could do it was another matter, at least he knew the method. A cluster of banners on the opposite bank moved slowly in the cavalry formation like a vast ocean, showing that Fu Jian and his personal soldiers and generals were advancing to the front line to see the situation on the east bank clearly. Xie Xuan finally rode his horse to the river plain on the east bank, and the Beifu soldiers who formed formation along the river burst into shouts and applause. Everyone shouted the name of Commander Xie Xuan, and their morale immediately climbed to the peak.For them, Xie Xuan is not just a leader, but a god who can only bring victory.

Xie Xuan still had that calm and magnanimous demeanor, he kept waving to the soldiers from all directions, and suddenly he clenched his fists to the sky. Every time he made this movement, it would provoke even more intense shouts, and everyone was mesmerized and confused. Forget the dangers on the battlefield. The coach Xie Shi, who was between Xie Xuan and Xie Yan, did not show displeasure at all, but was delighted that his nephew was supported.Liu Yu couldn't help admiring Xie An even more in his heart. He appointed relatives without avoiding suspicion, just to give Xie Xuan the freedom and opportunity to let go and command with full authority.Whether it was Xie Shi or Xie Yan, Xie Xuan was not without scruples, to the point of being in the way, unable to bring out the fighting power and spirit of the Beifu soldiers to the fullest.

The cavalry team in the center separated to the two sides, letting Xie Xuan's team pour into the cavalry formation like a long snake in a row of three. The handsome flag was raised high, and they advanced towards Feishui. The cavalry on both sides drew their swords and shouted salute. Xie Xuan felt so honored, and his whole body was full of enthusiasm. For every Beifu soldier on this side of the river, there is no doubt that this battle is a just battle to protect the country and protect the country. The goal is clear and upright, which gives birth to the determination and courage to move forward.

On the other hand, although the troops on the other side are far superior, they are exhausted, especially the fighters of other tribes other than the Di tribe. They don't know why they are there?Why fight? The Feishui, which was thirty feet wide, glistened under the rays of the rising sun, separating the opposing sides clearly. The river flowed silently, ignoring the upcoming battle. Suddenly there was a sudden and powerful drum sound, it turned out that Xie Xuan and his group had arrived at the shore, watching the enemy's formation from a distance. Sitting on a horse, Fu Jian, surrounded by generals such as Fu Rong, Qi Fu Guoren, and Lu Guang, came to the rear of the arrow-shield infantry formation, looked towards the opposite bank, and his eyes fell on Xie Xuan, who was dressed in white like snow, as if he could not see anything else. Like anyone, his eyes were full of murderous intent, and he said in a deep voice: Is the person in white that ignorant kid?

Fu Rong nodded and said: It is Xie Xuan. The long wind blew across the ground, and several large flags behind Fu Jian and the others fluttered with the wind. Fu Jian's heart was full of pride, and he completely put the defeat of Liang Chengyi's army behind him, and said with a sneer: I thought he had three heads and six arms, but it turned out that he was just a young man who still pretended to be a celebrity when he went to the battlefield. Well, just because he is a mere Beifu soldier now, he dares to speak so boldly, I want to teach him how to bury his body in Feishui. Fu Rong saw that Xie Xuan on the other side looked like a general, and the morale of the Beifu soldiers was like a rainbow. He really wanted to remind Fu Jian not to underestimate the enemy. Static braking, this battle will undoubtedly win.

Qi Fu Guoren and others heard the string song and understood the elegant meaning, and nodded in agreement. The enemy cannot attack me, and it is even more inappropriate for me to attack the enemy. Thinking of the depth of the river, Lu Guang grinned and said: If Xie Xuan dares to cross the river with his army, we can catch him by surprise while crossing the river, and then attack the other bank with his tail tight, so as to ensure that no one will be left behind. Qi Fu Guoren frowned and said: Xie Xuanruo is so stupid, no one can help him through this calamity. All the generals laughed in unison. Xie Xuanzheng on the other side of the bank was paying full attention to the expressions of Fu Jian and the generals, and when he saw this, he laughed dumbfoundedly and said to Xie Shi and Xie Yan: "Fu Jian is in the middle of it!"I thought it was cheap to check, gave up the main attack, and launched a counterattack when our army crossed the river to attack, which is extremely ridiculous. Xie Shi frowned and said: "If Fu Jian really stays put, even if we can quickly cross the river, it will still be difficult to break through its solid formation. Once the opponent's overwhelming force forces us to retreat to the south bank, we may lose the battle." Xie Yan next to Xie Shi and Liu Yu behind him also agreed in their hearts. Liu Yu knew that Xie Xuan must have other strategies and would not recklessly cross the river to die. Xie Xuan replied calmly: That depends on whether Fu Jian's hatred for me overwhelms his reason?Are you eager to win? Suddenly shouted: Drumming three links! Hearing this, the drummers stationed on the bank immediately started beating thunderously, and after the sound of the three-way drum, they suddenly fell silent. There is no sound on both sides of the bank, only the sound of the river flowing and the neighing of war horses rising and falling one after another. Liu Yu's heart moved, and he guessed that Xie Xuan was using aggressive methods against Fu Jian who were overjoyed, determined to go his own way, unwilling to be humiliated, and underestimated the opponent, and the key point was more about Zhu Xu who was commanding the frontline infantry at the moment, but he still didn't know what Xie Xuan had in mind. At the moment when the drum beat stopped, Xie Xuan yelled over and said: Fu Jian, do you dare to fight me to the death! Coupled with the sound of the drum that just stopped, his words are not only majestic, but also full of domineering. Sure enough, Fu Jian on the other side was furious, but instead of being angry, he laughed and said with a big smile: "Children from the south, don't be ashamed of your big words. If I, the King of Qin, had the guts, I wouldn't fight you today. Kneel down and surrender immediately if you know the opportunity. I will not only I can spare your life, and I can reward you with an official position, otherwise I will regret it later. The Beifu army burst into laughter spontaneously, taunting Fu Jian for daring to say such words even though another vanguard army suffered a terrible defeat. Xie Xuan shook his head and laughed, and shouted: "Stop talking nonsense, Fu Jian, you still haven't answered my question just now, that is, do you dare to fight me to the death?" Fu Jian was so angry that his eyes shot fiercely. Xie Xuan said to Fu Jian to the left and Fu Jian to the right in public. He showed no respect for him, and even put on an air and tone that did not put him in his eyes. : Whoever is talking nonsense, if you are brave enough, let the horse come here, I want you to fill the corpse with water. Xie Xuan took his time and said: Fu Jian, you are now setting up the battle to force the water, only for a long-term strategy, not for a confrontation.If you are determined to fight to the death, why not retreat a hundred steps and let us cross the river to compete to decide the outcome.If you lack the guts, Fu Jian, you might as well go back to Chang'an and enjoy yourself! Hearing what he said was interesting, the Beifu soldiers burst out laughing for the second time. The laughter passed into Fu Jian's ears and turned into ridicule. Fu Jian looked around, everyone's faces were filled with anger. Xie Xuan's voice came again and said: "If you retreat from the division a little bit, let the soldiers circle around, and the servants and the public will hold the bridle and watch it, what a joy!" The last few sentences are full of poetic flavor, the tone is polite, and they are the true qualities of celebrities from aristocratic families. I don't know how to hear them in the ears of Fu Jian and the generals, but they are harsh on the outside. Fu Jian stared at Xie Xuan on the other side, and said in a deep voice: Does this kid know how to live or die? Qi Fu Guoren was surprised and said: According to the logic, Xie Xuan should not be such a brave and foolish person. Fu Rong also said: "There may be fraud in it, please think twice." Zuqu Mengxun snorted coldly and said: "There is Feishui blocking it. It will take at least half an hour for his whole army to wade through the water. At that time, we don't need to do it. We are soaked and the northwest cold wind is blowing. If we don't bother us to wait, we will send them away." Cold as hell. The bald-haired Wugu also spoke: Will Xie Xuan still stand still when we step back to make way for the open space, and then laugh at him to fool us? Lu Guang said harshly: "It was them who lost face at that time. My minister thought that Xie Xuan really wanted to cross the river and fight. Because he deceived us to march long distances, our vitality has not recovered, and he is afraid that our follow-up troops will come in a steady stream, so he thinks that now we can take advantage of it." opportunity. Fu Jian took a deep breath, made up his mind secretly, and said: What kind of tricks can Xie Xuan do in my palm?Now that the two armies are facing each other, it is clear and clear. When he is halfway across the river, we will attack him with all our strength. First, we will use shield archers to shoot at a long distance from the bank. Total victory. Qi Fu Guoren said: "What General Lu Guang said is reasonable, as long as we avoid confrontation and make Xie Xuan lose the chance to put all his eggs in one basket, the final victory will belong to us." Fu Rong also said: "Guoren's words are worthy of consideration by the king of heaven, and the army should advance rather than retreat." Fu Jian exhaled a long breath, and asserted: If we dare not fight this time, the people below will think that I am afraid of him, and if he retreats to the gorge, it will be difficult to attack, if according to my plan, wait for him to cross the river Head on the head, the mountains and rivers of the Southern Jin Dynasty will be in my pocket. After finishing speaking, he yelled and said, "Listen, children in the south, we will step back a hundred steps. You must cross the river immediately and fight to the death. Don't go back on your word." Then he issued an order to retreat a hundred steps. Xie Xuansong on the other side breathed a sigh of relief and sighed to the left and right: Fu Jian really lived up to my expectations. Liu Yu, who was behind, watched the enemy's messenger soldiers riding gallops, notifying the leading generals, his scalp was numb with excitement, and he finally grasped Xie Xuan's winning strategy. Success is also Feishui, and failure is also Feishui. Xie Xuanken put all his eggs in one basket and devoted all his efforts to win the first battle because there was a secret arrangement to cross the river quickly; Fu Jian was willing to retreat from the army because he wanted to take advantage of his army's haste to cross the river and return to fight hard. For example, Fu Jian's army of more than 200,000 people, waiting for a huge monster with a bloated head and difficulty in directing its limbs, not to mention a hundred steps back, any step back will involve more than 200,000 people, and there will be no movement , the chaos can be imagined. In addition, the enemy's formation adopts a crescent-style intensive defense. The defense is impeccable, and the offense can be orderly. However, if you turn around and go backwards, not only will it be difficult to coordinate, but it will also loosen and destroy the original tight formation system. Of course Fu Jian didn't think so, he would think that Xie Xuan waited for them to re-establish their position before crossing the river for a decisive battle. Now that the initiative is absolutely in Xie Xuan's hands, Liu Yu is confident that he will give the order to cross the river and attack at the most appropriate moment. Xie Xuan stared at the enemy's formation, the horns blared, and the cavalry in the enemy's rear began to retreat. Due to the large number of the enemy, the three farthest troops were half a mile away from the front line, crossing the north of Shouchun City.Because the distance was too far, I couldn't hear the conversation between him and Fu Jian clearly. When I received the order to retreat a hundred steps, I must have been confused and confused. Fu Rong on the other side left Fu Jian where the imperial flag was at this time, and led more than a dozen personal soldiers to the front line, galloping back and forth, and loudly ordered the 30,000 shield archers commanded by Zhu Xu to stay where they were until he shot down. order to retreat. Zhu Xu looked solemn and silent, and one can imagine his nervousness. Xie Xuan kept in mind how he lost the game of chess with Xie An that day, kept his mind calm, and said with a smile: Fu Rong is indeed a man who knows how to fight, and understands the key to sticking to the front line. At this time, the enemy's entire rear began to turn their horses and retreat, and the momentum spread to the central army. The originally impenetrable formation disappeared. Xie Shi was so nervous that he couldn't breathe, he took a few breaths and said, "When will we attack?" Xie Xuan said without hesitation: When Fu Jian's main flag moved, it was the moment when we swung our troops across the river and defeated the enemy. Xie Yan watched Fu Rong gallop back from the other side of the front line. He was at the forefront of the enemy line with his own soldiers, only ten steps away from Zhu Xu. On the front line, we may not be able to break through their defense line. Even if we succeed in crossing the river, we will hate the hundred paces between the enemy's formation and Feishui. Xie Xuan said lightly: Before the enemy regrouped, the morale of the army was already in disarray, and our horses were fast, and we arrived at a hundred paces in no time. Since the shield and archer lacked support from the rear, they could break through with one charge, and the defeat would be 100%. There is no way to recover.Although Fu Rong was thoughtful and wanted to wait for the cavalry to regroup before retreating the frontline infantry, it was a pity that he did not transfer Zhu Xu away, which would cost Fu Jian his country. Xie Shi said: "Fu Jian is moving!" Xie Xuan also saw Fu Jian's imperial flag moving, and the cavalry on both sides flanked him, turned around and retreated. The entire front line also moved, including the cavalry on the left and right flanks. Since the horses were not suitable for retreating in the stock, they had to turn their heads, so they turned into the stock of Manyuan, and continued to go far, which was a spectacle.It is dare to say that such a scene has never been seen since ancient times. The 30,000 shield archers, Fu Rong, and Zhu Xu still stayed at the front line, and they were willing to retreat after making it clear that everything was in order.Under such circumstances, infantry is of course more flexible than cavalry. Xie Xuan shouted loudly: "Beat the drums!" When the bannerman heard the order, he immediately played the banner, and the twelve big drums placed in front, and the drums and hammers of the twelve wrestlers beat the drums in unison. Most people in the enemy team, including Fu Jian, were startled by the sound of the drum and turned their heads one after another. Hundreds of horses even jumped in surprise, and the situation became chaotic. Zheng! Xie Xuan pulled out the Jiushao Dingyin sword that shocked the world, and saw nine small holes on one side of the sword edge, shining brightly in the sun, and shouted: "My lords, follow me to kill the enemy and win." Take the lead, rushing down the Feishui, stepping on the gravel road in Hanoi, and heading to the other side to kill. Xie Shi, Xie Yan, Liu Yu and other generals shouted in unison and followed him into the river. Liu Laozhi and He Qian led the two teams of cavalry on the left and right flanks, and they rushed down Feishui without hesitation, wading away like two angry dragons. The enemy's retreating cavalry lost an inch for a while, and did not know whether to turn around to meet the enemy or continue to retreat. Fu Jian also suddenly lost command, because the sound of the horns was completely covered by the sound of the enemy's drums. At that moment, the sound of hooves was loud and loud, and the river splashed violently. Although Fu Rong shouted loudly for the archers to bend their bows and set arrows to meet the enemy, his shouts became only a faint cry among the drums. The minds of the Great Qin soldiers are in disarray.