kingnovel Chapter 2252 This is an opportunity!
Chapter 2252 This is an opportunity!
Liu Shijie took a deep breath and forced himself to clear his mind as quickly as possible.
The number of soldiers in the city who could fight was indeed small after repeated withdrawals, but it was not nonexistent.
When Feng Mulan left the city, she left behind a relatively intact reserve force of about five thousand men as a precaution.
Those five thousand reserve soldiers were mostly veterans who had experienced the previous bloody battles to defend the city; they were the last strategic reserve force for Jianghuai City.
To use or not to use?
If used, the defenses of Jianghuai City will be extremely weak, and if it falls, the consequences will be unimaginable.
No need, Feng Mulan's troops would likely be wiped out in the next moment.
In a split second, Liu Shijie made a decision—he had to use it!
And it has to be fast!
If Feng Mulan's troops are destroyed, Jianghuai City will be unable to hold on alone.
If Feng Mulan can be rescued, and even if they can cooperate with Zhang Shijie to defeat Gongsun Yi, then the threat outside the city can be eliminated, and Jianghuai City can truly be safe.
This is a risky move, but it's also the only chance of survival at this moment!
"Messenger!"
Liu Shijie turned around, his voice hoarse with urgency, yet exceptionally clear:
"Immediately order all reserve units in the city, except for those necessary to guard the city gates, to assemble inside the west gate immediately!"
"All archers, move to the city walls and reinforce the flanks. Focus on suppressing the enemy forces attempting to outflank and encircle the Empress!"
"Captain Han!"
He named a subordinate who had followed him for many years and was known for his bravery:
"You will lead a thousand elite troops, equipped with torches, gongs, drums, and horns, and quietly leave the city through the south gate. You will then circle around to the enemy's flank and rear, creating the illusion that a large number of our reinforcements have arrived, thus disrupting their morale!"
"The rest of the soldiers, follow me out of the city!"
Liu Shijie took one last look at the precarious battle situation below the city, then suddenly drew his sword:
"We have only one goal—to support the Imperial Concubine, stabilize the front line, and, together with General Zhang Shijie, launch a pincer attack to repel Gongsun Yi!"
The order was quickly relayed.
The last remaining forces in the city were mobilized, and the atmosphere was tense and tragic. Many militiamen also took up makeshift weapons, expressing their willingness to go out of the city to fight.
Liu Shijie rejected most of the militia members, selecting only a few brave and fierce individuals to join the team.
Soon, the west gate slowly opened a wider gap amidst heavy thuds.
This time, there was no slow lowering of the drawbridge; Liu Shijie took the lead, guiding over three thousand elite infantrymen.
Like a torrent of steel bursting its banks, it roared out of the city gate and charged straight toward the flank of the Scorpion Clan cavalry who were frantically besieging Feng Mulan's circular formation!
"Reinforcements! It's General Liu!"
"The brothers in the city have broken out!"
From within the desperately holding out formation of the Chu army, cries of relief and shouts erupted, as if they had just escaped a calamity.
The timing of this reinforcement's arrival was perfect.
It was a moment when Feng Mulan's defenses were about to collapse, the enemy was pressing forward with all their might, and their flanks were relatively vulnerable!
Liu Shijie knew that his forces were limited and he could not afford to get caught up in the chaos of battle.
He ordered his troops to advance in a tight, dense formation, with spears like a forest in front and crossbows providing cover, directly piercing the waist of the Scorpion Clan cavalry charge.
"Aim for the horse's leg! Thrust!"
Liu Shijie roared from the center of the formation.
The Chu army spearmen lowered their spears as ordered, focusing their attacks on the approaching warhorses.
Caught off guard, the Scorpion Clan cavalry, who were charging forward with all their might, were suddenly attacked from the flank by such a resolute thrust. Men and horses fell to the ground, the continuity of the charge was interrupted, and the formation became chaotic and sluggish.
At the same time, the archers on the city wall, having received orders, opened fire with all their might, their arrows raining down even more densely on the enemy troops in front of Feng Mulan's circular formation.
Especially those cavalrymen who tried to bypass Liu Shijie's reinforcements and continue attacking the main body of the circular formation.
Feng Mulan's pressure was immediately relieved! She keenly seized this critical opportunity.
"Soldiers! Our reinforcements have arrived! The time for a counterattack has come!"
She pointed her sword at the flank of the Scorpion Clan cavalry, which was briefly thrown into chaos by Liu Shijie's surprise attack, her voice hoarse yet full of power.
"The circular formation transforms into a wedge! Follow me—move closer to General Liu! Join the reinforcements and launch a counterattack!"
In their desperate situation, the Chu army mustered their last strength, and their tattered circular formation began to turn and extend with difficulty but determination.
Like a wounded beast, it struggled to "crawl" towards Liu Shijie's reinforcements, attempting to connect the two battlefields.
Gongsun Yi was overseeing the battle at the front lines, and was about to break through Feng Mulan's defenses when he suddenly saw another fresh force emerge from the city. Their tactics were clear and aimed directly at the weak point of his offensive. He was both surprised and furious.
"Where did this Chu dog come from again!"
He was so angry he almost vomited blood; the victory that was within his grasp had once again become uncertain.
He hurriedly divided his troops to try to stop Liu Shijie's forces, but Liu Shijie's forces were well-organized and supported by fire from the city walls, making it difficult to defeat them quickly.
On the front, the sudden counterattack from Feng Mulan's troops also prevented him from fully dealing with the flanks.
A brief stalemate and more complex melee ensued on the battlefield.
Liu Shijie's three thousand reinforcements were like a hard wedge, firmly driven into the flank of the Scorpion Clan cavalry.
Although they could not immediately defeat the enemy, they successfully delayed and hindered Gongsun Yi's decisive attack, giving Feng Mulan's troops valuable time and space to regroup and move towards reinforcements.
Beneath the walls of Jianghuai City, the Chu army's defenses, which were on the verge of collapse, miraculously held on once again thanks to Liu Shijie's decisive and risky attack.
Furthermore, it began to show the possibility of joining forces with reinforcements, relying on the city walls for a more sustained defense, or even launching localized counterattacks.
Gongsun Yi's plan to quickly seize the city amidst the chaos suffered a heavy blow.
The battle has once again descended into a fierce and unpredictable tug-of-war.
At this moment, Feng Mulan had already led her troops on horseback and arrived in front of Liu Shijie.
"I am late, Your Majesty, please forgive me!" Liu Shijie pleaded for forgiveness with a face full of shame.
Feng Mulan laughed loudly: "General Liu has arrived at just the right time. If it weren't for you, I and these brothers would probably be trapped in the enemy's formation and unable to break through."
Liu Shijie said solemnly, "Your Majesty, please enter the city as soon as possible. This humble general will lead the troops to hold off the enemy."
At this moment, Gongsun Yi had gone mad and was ordering a frenzied attack, completely disregarding the fact that Zhang Shijie's navy was behind him.
Gongsun Yi's goal was clear: to kill Feng Mulan!
As the imperial concubine of the Chu emperor and the commander of the Vermilion Bird Legion, Feng Mulan's death would be a huge blow to the morale of the Chu army.
Therefore, the best course of action now is to prevent Feng Mulan from appearing on the battlefield outside the city and instead bring her into the city immediately.
Whether it's out of loyalty as a subject or judgment of the battle situation, Feng Mulan should not be outside the city at this moment.
But upon hearing this, Feng Mulan's eyes narrowed, a ruthless glint flashing within them: "This is an opportunity!"
"Now the Scorpion Khan, the Tang Emperor, and the traitorous King Chu Xuan are all at Changting Slope. Only the Scorpion General Gongsun Yi is in command here!"
"Although this man has good command skills, the Youzhou army is not his, and they may not completely obey his commands!"
"Send a signal arrow to order Zhang Shijie to launch a fierce attack on the Youzhou army!"
"We only need to hold off the Scorpion Clan cavalry. Once the Youzhou army is routed, we can attack Gongsun Yi from both sides!"