(Happy Valentine's Day to brothers and sisters, be careful not to kill anyone)

The biggest advantage of the cavalry is that its mobility far exceeds that of the foot soldiers, the tactics are flexible, the roundabout outflanking, and the ability to impact the infantry formation in a scattered formation, but the infantry is waiting for the formation, and there are many bows and crossbows in the formation.

Yuan Zhou's general Cao Teng led 2,000 guards and soldiers, and in the shallow valley ten miles away from the remnants of Xinyu, he used a large shield with a foot bow to defend the formation like a turtle shell, and it was not easy for light cavalry to gnaw on it.

Between Xiaozhu Mountain in the north of Xinyu City and a Yumai mountain range at the eastern foot of Mengshan Mountain, the shallow valley has been inclined to the Yuan River in the south, the terrain is not complicated, the ridges and peaks on both sides, also said to be thirty or fifty zhang, from the lower Yuan, the post road located on the north bank of the Yuan River is also the south of this shallow valley through.

This kind of terrain is advantageous for both foot and horse, when the enemy soldiers are in a shallow valley like a turtle shell, Zhao Bao and Chen Daozi have several tentative impacts, but they can't make their formations scattered, and naturally they can't force their tight arrays to impact, so they can only stay on the periphery to attack and harass, so that they can stop outside Xinyu City and can't easily move, and it also happens to block the way for the main force of the Chinese army to enter Xinyu City.

Zhang Xiongshan led more than 2,000 cavalry to further strengthen the front of the Yuanzhou army in the west of Xinyu City, and also tried to completely expel this Huaidong cavalry, and began to fight for the low ridge on the north side of the shallow valley.

Zhang Xiongshan also realized that Yuanzhou's cavalry was far from being able to compete with the elite cavalry of Huaidong in the field, but the elite cavalry of Huaidong did not go, and the infantry could only form a thick array to prevent the flanks from being impacted, which directly caused the speed of the infantry to stagnate in the open area.

The only way was to use the steep valleys, stone cliffs, and stream banks that were so steep that horses could not pass quickly that they could not be driven through quickly that the Huaidong cavalry drove the Huaidong cavalry northward, and protected the flanks of the post road on the north bank from attack.

At the western foot of Xiaozhu Mountain, the terrain is high and low, but it is not complicated and steep, its streams are also shallow, and the terrain of its hills and valleys are conducive to the roundabout entry and exit of small cavalry, and it is also more conducive to the cavalry to give full play to its mobility advantages. Zhang Xiongshan almost used all the soldiers and horses of his more than 4,000 guards and horses to seize several ridges on the north side of the shallow valley, and only then did he expel the more than 600 Huaidong cavalry, which had been entangled since last night, to the northwest foot of Xiaozhushan, and protect the flank of the main force of the Chinese army entering Xinyu inside.

Seeing that the Huaidong cavalry had the intention of shrinking to the north, Zhang Xiongshan was relieved that the Huaidong cavalry had given up entanglement outside Xinyu City.

The main force of the Chinese army led by Chen Zishou had just reached the north bank of the Yuan River at the western foot of Xiaozhu Mountain, and more than 20,000 soldiers and horses marched quickly along the road in four columns, and the queue was nearly ten miles long before and after.

If it weren't for Zhang Xiongshan leading the troops and horses to protect the flanks, such a marching team would have given the Huaidong cavalry a stab.

The main force of soldiers and horses continued to march to the remnant city of Xinyu, and Chen Zishou transferred another 2,000 soldiers and horses to the north - although the remnant city of Xinyu was his destination this time, but it was not just to enter the remnant city of Xinyu, Huaidong's soldiers and horses in Yuzhang could come up along the Yuan River from Qingjiang County, or from the north through Yangle, from the valley road between Moshan and Mengshan to the south, in addition, although Huaidong's soldiers and horses in Ganzhou were far away, they could also go north from the avenue of the eastern foot of the Ganjiang River and Wugong Mountain, and approach the north bank of the Yuan River.

Ganzhou is far away from Xinyu, with nearly 600 miles of land, but Yuzhang is close, only more than 300 miles. Chen Zishou first had to guard against Huaidong's troops and horses in Yuzhang, in addition to occupying Xinyu City, he also had to build a fortress at the western foot of Xiaozhu Mountain in the Yumai of the Moshan Mountain, blocking the passage of Huaidong's army approaching Xinyu from the north.

Mobilize 2,000 more soldiers and horses to join Zhang Xiongshan, and there will be more than 6,000 troops in the north.

Although it is not an opportunity to fight with the elite combat forces of Huaidong at the moment, as long as the main force of the Huaidong Army's infantry and cavalry arrives, it will not be a problem to set up camps and build fortifications and dig trenches to block the main force of the Huaidong Army's infantry and cavalry in the north.

Chen Zishou sat on a tall horse, looking at the two thousand soldiers and horses along the terracotta hill, heading north, and farther north, covered by the rolling mountains, full of soldiers, but Chen Zishou was a little worried.

"The Huaidong soldiers who entered Xinyu yesterday, although there are only six or seven hundred people, but they have only shrunk slightly to the north until now, and there is no sign of retreat, is it that Huaidong reinforcements are galloping to Xinyu on the way?" Chen Zishou asked Deng Fu, the deputy general next to him.

Although Deng Fu was dissatisfied with Huang Binghao and Chen Zishou's decision to enter Xinyu without authorization, and restrained the main force of Huaidong's soldiers and horses from crossing the river to the north to participate in the war, the fate of Yuan Zhou's army could not be changed by one of his deputy generals, so he could only silently follow the decision of Huang Binghao, Chen Zishou and others.

At this time, hearing that Chen Zishou was worried, for the sake of his own life and future, Deng Fu could only do his best to make suggestions, and said: "Zhang Xiongshan should continue to the north and drive this Huaidong cavalry out of Xiatanggou, if Huaidong's main infantry cavalry in Yuzhang comes from the north, we don't want to let it approach Xinyu, we should use the terrain of Xiatanggou and Xiaozhushan to establish a defense in the north!" ”

Huaidong's troops in Yuzhang were mainly based on Zhang Jiheng's division, the first town division of the Changshan Army, and the Lin Tie Suihu Guard Battalion.

Zhang Jiheng is the Huaidong general who followed Lin Tie in Chongzhou when he rose, he was able to fight well, and in the Huaidong Army, in addition to the generals of the command and envoy level of the armies, Zhang Jiheng and Chen Yan, Zhang Gou, Tang Fuguan, Liu Zhenzhi and others are equally famous, and their troops are also the most elite under the Changshan Army. In comparison, in the new Yu Wencheng Department in Jiangzhou, the elite level is not as high; But seeing that Lin Tie is in Yuzhang, he only asks Zhang Jiheng to lead his troops to garrison Yuzhang, and you can know Lin Tie's trust in Zhang Jiheng and his subordinates.

In addition, Lin Bin's Guards Battalion is also the first brigade of the Huaidong Cavalry Battalion. Although Huaidong took Sun Zhuang and Li Liang as generals in Luzhou and Xuzhou, and then increased the establishment of cavalry battalions, and divided them into the second and third brigades of the cavalry battalion, the cavalry battalion led by Zhou Pu was the cavalry of the forbidden camp and the accompanying guard battalion of Lin Bin, and it was always the most elite cavalry in Huaidong.

Although the total strength of Huaidong in Yuzhang is only more than 16,000 people, as long as Lin Jian transfers 10,000 elite cavalry from Yuzhang to the west, even if Chen Zishou has 30,000 soldiers available, he will not dare to easily fight with him outside Xinyu City, especially at this time, the army in Yuanzhou is unstable, and it is difficult to have the morale of a battle in the face of the elite of the Huaidong army.

Of course, it is not possible for 30,000 soldiers and horses to defend Xinyu City alone. The terrain around Xinyu is more open than that of Xia Yuan, and there is a passage between Mengshan and Moshan that can be directly inserted behind Xinyu to cut off the contact between Xinyu and Xia Yuan.

If the 30,000 Yuanzhou army does not defend Mongolia and the end, it is possible that the 30,000 Yuanzhou troops will be trapped in Xinyu City.

Chen Zishou is also very familiar with the terrain around Xinyu, Shoumeng, the end, and only the small bamboo mountain at the southwest foot of the end of the mountain is the most suitable, and the lower pond ditch is also the largest stream west of the end of the mountain, the middle reaches go down, all the way to the Yuan River, the water surface has twenty or thirty zhang, as long as the shallow stream in the upper reaches is guarded, it can only block the Huaidong soldiers and horses from approaching from the north.

Chen Zishou summoned the herald soldiers, and wanted to order Zhang Xiongshan to lead his troops to continue north to the south bank of Xiatanggou. "Surrounded by hundreds of soldiers, he galloped north, intending to join Zhang Xiongshan, who was supervising the battle on the ridge at the western foot of Xiaozhu Mountain, and personally deploy the defense in the north.

Chen Zishou had only more than 200 cavalry members, plus the light soldiers who ran with him, more than 600 people scattered to the north, and instantly filled the canyon east of the terracotta gang.

At this moment, a number of horsemen greeted from the north with their hooves raised, and they dismounted as if they were rolling, and said: "In addition to yesterday's enemy, there are signs of enemy soldiers approaching below Xiaozhu Mountain......

"How many people are coming?" Chen Zishou asked, Huaidong had a few soldiers and horses in Yangle, and thought that Xu was the garrison on Yangle's side, and after getting the news, they would come to help first.

"The number of people is unknown, all of them are cavalry, and they are all smoke and dust at the northern foot of Xiaozhu Mountain." Come and go.

Zhang Zishou felt a chill rise in his heart.

Huaidong's garrison in Yangle was only six or seven hundred people, and they were still recruited from the resistance forces, and they were used as local garrisons, and their combat power was not strong, and there was no large-scale cavalry establishment - if the enemy was cavalry, it could only be the second Huaidong elite who came from Yuzhang to reinforce Xinyu.

It's coming so fast!

Chen Zishou expected that Huaidong's elite infantry cavalry in Yuzhang would come to increase Xinyu after receiving the letter, at least not earlier than tomorrow before dark, six or seven hundred cavalry appeared in Xinyu yesterday, Chen Zishou thought that Huaidong sent people and horses to Yuanzhou to negotiate surrender, but he didn't expect Huaidong to transfer the second cavalry into Xinyu so soon......

What's going on? Is it a coincidence, or did the East China Sea Fox in Yuzhang have long expected that they will choose to enter Xinyu at this time? Or are those main factions in the Yuanzhou army reporting to Huaidong? Or when they secretly gathered troops in Yuancheng, they saw the clues in Huaidong's eyeline and warned Yuzhang in advance?

Chen Zishou had many thoughts in his mind in an instant.

Under the nest, there are no eggs.

Although Deng Fu did not approve of Huang Binghao and Chen Zishou sending troops to Xinyu, the situation was already like this, and he could only survive this section first.

"I have no scouts in the north of Xiatanggou, and the lookout post deployed by the captain of the guard battalion on the ridge of the southern section of Xiaozhushan can detect the enemy, and I am afraid that it will be too late to enter the south bank of Xiatanggou to defend against the enemy at this time," Deng Fu said anxiously, "The number of enemies coming is unknown, but if the news of our army's advance into Xinyu leaks in advance, the vanguard transferred by Huaidong from Yuzhang must be the elite of its cavalry battalion." We only relied on a few thousand soldiers of the guard camp to hastily deploy between the hills and valleys west of Xiaozhu Mountain, and we were afraid that we would not be able to block the impact from crossing the pond ditch......"

What Deng Fu said was true, the lookout posts on the ridge could see the traces of the incoming enemy with the naked eye, and the incoming enemy must have approached Xiatanggou, and Huaidong had six or seven hundred horsemen riding south of Xiatanggou to protect the outer side of its crossing stream.

Although they had 7,000 soldiers and horses north of the Yuan River and at the western foot of Xiaozhu Mountain, they were all scattered between the mountains and hills at the western foot of Xiaozhu Mountain, spreading out for more than 20 miles in depth.

Each team of people scattered was about six or seven hundred or more than a thousand. The purpose of this scattered deployment was to expel the six or seven hundred Huaidong cavalry that entered Xinyu yesterday and to guard against their roundabouts and intersperses, so as to protect the flank of the main force of the Chinese army advancing along the north bank of the Yuan River from interference.

Before this, this kind of deployment was very effective, after all, they faced only six or seven hundred Huaidong cavalry, using the terrain of hills, forest valleys, and rivers to advance or retreat, they could attack and defend, and they could be entangled and attacked, but in the face of a larger wave of Huaidong cavalry, this scattered deployment was very deadly.

It is very likely that a group of men and horses will not be able to wait for other soldiers and horses to come close to each other, and a large force of Huaidong cavalry will surround them to defeat and annihilate them, and give the other party a chance to divide and annihilate them.

Normally, in this situation, the men and horses scattered at the western foot of Xiaozhu Mountain should be withdrawn immediately.

After all, there is still a buffer margin of twenty or thirty miles, and when you retreat, you can gather while retreating, and withdraw to the north bank of the Yuan River, and nearly 7,000 infantry can also be encircled. Huaidong is dominated by cavalry, but it is still difficult to suddenly overcome the infantry guards who gather in formation and have a large number of people.

However, at this time, the 7,000 men and horses scattered at the western foot of Xiaozhu Mountain, not only could not retreat and gather, but also had to prevent the Huaidong cavalry from approaching the north bank of the Yuan River - because on the post road on the north bank of the Yuan River, the main force of the Yuanzhou soldiers and horses was nearly 20,000 people, and it was spreading out in a long line of marching arrays.

At the front of the marching array, there were still thirteen or fourteen miles away from Xinyu, and the tail was even more thirteen or four miles away, and the array dispersed extremely quickly.

While predicting the number of Huaidong cavalry galloping from the north, Chen Zishou looked back at the Chinese army on the north bank of the Yuan River, and his heart was burning.

Chen Zishou is also a veteran general who has been fighting for many years, although cold sweat broke out on his forehead and he was panicked, but his brain was still thinking, and he knew that it would definitely be too late for the main force of the Chinese army to completely avoid Xinyu City before the Huaidong cavalry was killed.

It was discovered that the timing of the Huaidong cavalry was too late, and it was necessary to force it into the city at this time, which would only cause great chaos, and the speed would be delayed, not fast. The retreat was also unsuccessful, so the Huaidong cavalry could bite them before it got dark after twenty or thirty miles. At this time, fleeing westward, before dark, there is no precipitous terrain to use to break the rear, and the morale of the whole army is already weak, and if you flee, it is likely to cause a great rout of the whole army.

Chen Zishou sent people to order Zhang Xiongshan to delay the speed of the Huaidong cavalry's attack at the western foot of Xiaozhu Mountain as much as possible, and at the same time divided the main force of the Chinese army on the march into three sections, the front section immediately accelerated the march to avoid Xinyu City, and the middle section immediately left the avenue on the north bank of the Yuan River to march north, filled the southwest foot of Xiaozhu Mountain to form a formation to defend, and met the impact of the Huaidong cavalry that was likely to follow, and the rear section was contracted on the spot.

Chen Zishou did not go to meet Zhang Xiongshan, but went directly to the west, joined the soldiers and horses in the rear section, and found the steep terrain at the southwest foot of the terracotta gang to deploy a defensive formation on the spot. Even if Zhang Xiongshan was defeated at the western foot of Xiaozhu Mountain, and when all the soldiers and horses behind him arrived, in addition to the soldiers and horses who had avoided the defense of Xinyu City in the previous section, Chen Zishou could still gather 16,700 foot soldiers in the terracotta gang.