On official roads, there is a relay station every 60 li. The relay stations on the western Guangnan Road are called Pu.

  Guirenpu is the second post station between Kunlun Pass and Yongzhou City.

  Di Qing had been working hard to get here for the final battle. The Song army, arrayed in a strict formation, was leaning against Kunlun Pass, with the terrain getting higher and more advantageous for defense as one went back; facing Yongzhou City, the terrain got lower and more advantageous for offense as one went forward.

  The enemy army on the opposite side, if advancing, needs to attack uphill, and if retreating, will flee for a thousand miles.

  It is indeed the best place for a decisive battle.

  Chen Ke stood beside Di Qing, standing on the high slope behind the array, overlooking the two armies facing each other. In front of them were the dark-clad Western Army of the Great Song, arranged in an arc shape like a crescent moon, waiting in strict formation.

  Less than two miles away, the Nong army was also arrayed in formation. They wore crimson tunics, one hand holding a large shield and the other holding a banner spear. From afar, it looked as if flames had engulfed the entire mountain and field. When they raised their banner spears, it transformed into a dense forest of blackness.

  Looking at the 80,000 people in front of him, with their red and black colors clearly distinguishable, listening to the thunderous roar that echoed through the mountains and seas, Chen Ke felt his blood surging, his scalp exploding with excitement, and his breathing becoming heavy.

  Song Duanping was exactly the same, Wu Lang was even more exaggerated, his fists were tightly clenched, his eyes were wide open, and he made unconscious "heh" sounds, as if he also wanted to jump down and fight.

  Only Xuan Yu and Shang sat cross-legged to one side, their rosary beads sliding quickly through their fingers, their lips moving rapidly as well, but when you drew near, you couldn't hear what they were chanting at all.

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  The troops were arrayed in good order, and then, amidst the sound of bugles echoing through the mountains, they formed into three columns to launch a preemptive attack on the government army. Outside their red turbans, they wore leather or half-body iron armor, and some leaders even wore expensive Mingguang armor.

  They beat their shields with spears, making a sound like hailstones and muffled thunder, stunning the ears and shaking the heart.

  Although laughable in other aspects, victory is the best stimulant, and no mobilization is needed. The entire army will fight bravely and be unwilling to fall behind. In the era of cold weapons, this momentum alone was enough to make a strong army.

  When the two armies were within 200 steps of each other, the Song army's bows and crossbows arrived on schedule, and a dense cluster of arrows shot out. But the Tangut army was already familiar with the Song army's routine and knew that this was the only threat.

  The shields in the soldiers' hands were prepared for this, and it was also a subject they practiced every day. With the sudden sound of the horn, they raised their shields high, like a cluster of tiles connected together, protecting themselves underneath. The sharp arrowheads hit the top with a loud noise, but could not penetrate the fine large shield made by the Song Dynasty people... At this moment, it became the enemy's most reliable shelter.

  But who can blame?

  Many arrows pierced through the gaps in the shields, penetrating the cowhide armor on the soldiers' bodies, and those who were hit fell to the ground. However, this did not shake the pace of the advancing Lihuo Army at all.

  Enduring the hail of arrows, the army pressed on. Many shields now had over a dozen arrows stuck in them, and casualties were mounting, but they were getting closer. One hundred fifty paces, one hundred paces, eighty paces...

  The crossbow arrow flies over with a force that can now pierce a single-faced shield.

  But the front row of soldiers, strong and powerful, wore double-layered iron armor, using their shoulders to support double-layered shields! The vigorous and fierce crossbow arrows shot up, could only make them stumble, and then they were pushed forward by their companions behind. Pressing forward, pressing forward, and pressing forward again!

  This is the true face of Nong Zhigao. Although Guangyuan Prefecture was a poor and barren land, in his father's generation, they discovered gold mines, which allowed the Zhuang people to escape from labor. However, the existence of the Jiaozhi people made it impossible for them to enjoy their wealth peacefully. With the help of two Han traitor generals, Nong Zhigao learned the infantry tactics of the Song army and trained his tribesmen day and night.

  There wouldn't be such a powerful enemy army if various Song armies hadn't turned into tofu dregs.

  At last, the red and black armies clashed, their lines interlocking like the teeth of dogs, as they began hand-to-hand combat.

  The battle, in an instant, became extremely cruel. Every long spear that stabbed out had a perfectly intact body pierced through it, and every knife that chopped down had fresh blood splashing out. At this moment, human life was as worthless as straw, and death arrived in batches. "Updated quickly, no ads, 81 Chinese z."

  Chen Ke and his men stood at a high place, they clearly saw that in almost the blink of an eye, the Song army could no longer hold on! The two wings were still okay, with a solid formation holding on, not shaking for the time being. But this crescent-shaped formation had its weak point in the center, facing the strongest native troops of the You army - the central army began to split, one part stubbornly resisting on the open ground of Guirenpu, and another part retreating to the high slopes on both sides, which was equivalent to withdrawing from the battlefield.

  A soldier rushed to report to Di Qing: "The vanguard general Sun Jie has been killed in battle! The front army is wavering!"

  Chen Ke's expression changed greatly, how could they not hold up as soon as they came up? Even Chen Xiliang began to despair, although the Song Dynasty still had many troops, but the Western Army was already the most elite. Moreover, it was Di Qing who commanded the army! If this was still not enough to defeat them, then perhaps not only Lingnan, but even the entire area south of the Yangtze River would be lost?

  But on Di Qing's handsome face, there was only a tightly pursed mouth and cold indifference, as if the impending collapse of the battlefield before him had nothing to do with him.

  "General......" Chen Ke and the others were about to burst with anxiety, finally unable to bear it any longer, they shouted: "Make your move already!" If you have one, that is.

  "It's not time yet." Di Qing continued to gaze indifferently at the battle scene in front of him.

  As they spoke, the Chinese military officers who insisted on resisting were drowned in a sea of red. Accompanied by the sound of drums echoing across the battlefield, the remaining Chinese troops began to retreat in large strides... The geographical advantage allowed them to do so.

  Under the urgent horn, the Youjun army tightly bit the Song army, not giving them another chance to shoot. All the Youjun soldiers understood a truth - the Song army was just an archery team, and except for shooting, they didn't even practice swords and spears in daily life.

  In this manner of advancing and retreating, the central army unexpectedly retreated nearly two miles, while both wings remained in the front to fight with the enemy, which is a great taboo for military strategists!

  Seeing that red flag almost reaching his own feet, Di Qing finally said to the flag officer: "That's enough."

  The flag officer raised a striking red flag and waved it vigorously towards the rear.

  In the rear army, Yang Wenguang, who was fully armored, had been waiting impatiently. Seeing the red flag being raised, he threw away the branch in his hand and mounted his armored warhorse with the help of two auxiliary soldiers. Behind him, there were 800 iron-armored cavalrymen making the same move.

  The war horses under their croups are not the southwestern small horses that excel at walking on mountain roads, but rather the grassland steeds from the northwestern border who have clashed with the Tangut Iron Hawk. The Great Song has no land for raising horses, and each fine horse comes at a great cost; naturally, knights must be strictly selected, strictly trained, and equipped with the finest armor and weapons.

  Before the expedition, Zeng Gongliang, who was ordered to compile "Wujing Zongyao", asked Di Qing: 'The strong point of the Khitan army is that their spears and shields complement each other, and in battle they are unstoppable. What method do you have to break them?' Di Qing replied: 'This is not a difficult matter. Spears and shields are infantry, they cannot withstand the impact of cavalry.'

  This is also the ultimate reason why he chose to fight a decisive battle in Guirenpu, where the terrain is flat and open, which is conducive to the play of such trump cards!

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  "Kids!" A commander flag embroidered with the word "Yang" was raised, Yang Wenguang took a deep look at the flag and burst out laughing: "It's time for the protagonist to take the stage!"

  The cavalry began to urge their war horses into a slow trot, and then charged. Because it was downhill, they came more swiftly than usual. Although there were less than a thousand riders, they had an earth-shaking momentum.

  They came down from behind the array in a swoop, ignoring the rebel troops who were entangled with the central army, and instead divided into two teams to insert directly into Nong Zhigao's rear array.

  With the speed of a whirlwind, and the impact of a fierce storm, it crushed anyone who dared to stand in its way, without mercy, into dust. In an instant, it broke through the enemy's rear ranks, the left army shifted to the right, the right army shifted to the left, exchanging positions throughout the entire battlefield, as if entering a territory with no one in sight.

  Later, Niu Zhigao, wearing a dragon robe, stared with wide eyes, incredulous at his own invincible and proud array of contradictions, which had turned into tofu dregs under the impact of the Song army's cavalry. This must be a dream...

  Not only him, but also his traitorous military strategist and all the Youjun were intimidated by the iron-clad cavalry that was as mighty as heavenly soldiers. They learned for the first time that such a terrifying troop existed.

  No wonder, these barbarians who grew up in the southwest, have never been to the north all their lives, and have not seen the true face of the king of war - cavalry!

  They won't wait for them to catch their breath. Yang Wenguang's heavy cavalry has begun its second charge, coming and going in a crisscross pattern, repeatedly killing and routing the enemy army, suppressing their morale to the extreme, and throwing their formation into great disorder.

  The Song army's infantry, as if receiving a stimulus, suddenly had a new look and their combat strength increased sharply.

  The elite northwest army of the Great Song Dynasty, are they a bunch that collapses at the slightest touch? In terms of bravery, they are the big Han men from northern Shaanxi who can't live past thirty; in terms of martial prowess, they fight every day with the most ferocious enemies of the Great Song; in terms of morale, they're holding their breath to give General Di and the military a boost!

  What's wrong with you being more intelligent and stronger than him?

  As the flag officer kept changing flags, the two wings of the Song army began to close in on the central army. The crane wing formation turned into a pocket formation. The previous inability to defeat the enemy was just to lure the enemy in and tie up the pocket.

  Di Qing looked at Chen Ke who had finally relaxed and smiled: "Third Brother, are you willing to flee with me?"

  "Really as I wished! I dare not ask for more!" Chen Xiao exclaimed with great joy.

  Division line

  I can still write another chapter, but don't wait any longer, you'll see it tomorrow morning.