Chapter 314
Chapter 314 Surprise Attack
Seeing the path before them blocked, and the elite cavalry ambushed, the infantry battalion behind the cavalry fell into immediate panic. With all their might, they frantically surged forward. They were well aware that only by joining with the cavalry ahead could they possibly turn the tide of their impending defeat.
Before Li Tai's army had set out, they had been rigorously training in this field. The food and fodder in the center were ample enough to feed tens of thousands of warhorses for several days. Such abundant resources were picked up as an easy gain by General Lin, who lit it ablaze with a single cannon shot. The fire grew fiercer, trapping thousands of infantrymen outside the blazing circle. Extinguishing it wasn't as simple as it might have seemed.
"Now this is how you wage war," Hu Bugui said, his ferocity ignited. He didn't care that his opponents were also the elite of Great Hua. With a lift of his long saber, he cried out, "Brothers, charge!"
His five hundred cavalrymen, like a whirlwind, rushed forward. They were the handpicked warriors of Hu Bugui, having been tested in numerous battles. Their fierceness was beyond question, and the saying 'one against three' wasn't an exaggeration in their case.
Su Mubai's cavalry was also Great Hua's finest, but they had taken a heavy blow today. Almost half their numbers had fallen without even engaging in combat, they were a weary and dispirited group, their fighting strength significantly diminished. Despite the desperate resistance under the leadership of their commanding officer, they were no match for Hu Bugui's men. Fresh and high-spirited, Hu Bugui's five hundred cavalrymen charged, felling the opposing cavalry like a gust of wind sweeping away fallen leaves. Even though they hadn't exposed their spears or unsheathed their swords, in cavalry combat, to be knocked off one's horse meant defeat.
Though young, Li Wuling, the direct grandson of Li Tai, stubbornly followed Hu Bugui and Xu Zhen into battle, rushing as the third in line. He plunged into the enemy lines, spear stabbing and sweeping aside foes, quickly toppling two men. His formidable prowess was a testament to his reputation as the young tiger of his family.
As the combat on Hu Bugui's side was nearing its end, Du Xiuyuan shifted his gaze to the infantry on the opposite side, and exclaimed in surprise, "General Lin, the enemy troops are about to cross the burning field."
The burning fodder spread incredibly quickly, leaving the three thousand infantrymen no time to extinguish it. They merely managed to block the fire on both ends, creating a narrow passage in the middle. Thousands of troops passed through this passage to assist their cavalry.