Chapter 1527
Both Sides Suffer Losses
Chapter 1527 Both Sides Suffer Losses
"The Imperial Guards will break through the center with me. Also, send a signal for the Jingse Army to charge the Kheshig Army head-on, while the Night Sha Iron Cavalry will flank and wipe out the remaining enemy forces!"
Upon seeing this, Qin Qiong was overjoyed and immediately adjusted his commands.
The white armor of the Imperial Guards cavalry and the wolfskin armor of the Night Fiend cavalry clashed in the wind and snow. The heavy armor of the Jingse Army was like a mobile fortress. The three armies, like three fierce tigers, fought in unison and charged toward the core position of the Mongol army.
Qin Qiong's command skills were on full display at this moment. He was not only able to command his own elite cavalry, but also to quickly coordinate with friendly forces, adjust tactics in real time according to the battlefield situation, and unite three armies with different structures and styles into one force, unleashing a combat power far exceeding the sum of its parts.
Ögedei stood on a high slope in the distance, watching the dramatic reversal of the battlefield situation, his face ashen.
He never expected that Qin Qiong, who was trapped, would not only not be annihilated, but would hold out until reinforcements arrived. He also never expected that, despite the fierce siege battle, Zhao Kuangyin, that scoundrel, would have hidden away three hundred elite heavy cavalrymen, the Jingse Army.
The once tight encirclement has now been broken into pieces. The left flank has collapsed, the right flank has been cut off, and the Kheshig army in the middle, although putting up a stubborn resistance, is gradually losing ground. Those Mongol cavalrymen who were usually extremely brave are now like stray dogs, fleeing in disarray under the attack of three elite forces.
"Withdraw! Quickly withdraw!"
Ögedei gritted his teeth and gave the order: if they continued to hold out, his 10,000 cavalry would likely be scattered. These were his direct subordinates.
But by this time the Mongol army was already in chaos and could not organize an effective retreat. The arrows of the Imperial Guards accurately shot down the Mongol soldiers who tried to escape, the horse spears of the Jingse Army chased after the formation of the Kheshig Army, and the Night Sha Iron Cavalry pursued the scattered cavalry like falcons.
Qin Qiong took the lead, wielding his tiger-headed golden spear and taking down several Mongol centurions in succession. His eyes remained fixed on the direction of Ögedei Khan. If he could capture or severely wound this Mongol general, the battle would be a complete victory.
Yinglong, who had been repeatedly charging through the main Mongol cavalry force, also saw Ögedei. His exotic dragon horse sped up and instantly caught up with Ögedei's personal guards who were trying to escape.
With a sweeping motion, the Dragon Spear swept across the sea, its golden-blue aura instantly cutting down several guards. Ögedei was terrified and quickly dismounted, roaring at the Kheshig commander beside him.
"Stop him! Stop him now!"
The Kheshig commander was also fierce and brave. After ordering the remaining Kheshig soldiers to cover Ögedei's retreat, he took up his scimitar and led a few Kheshig soldiers to charge towards Yinglong. However, the gap between him and Yinglong was like an insurmountable chasm. Yinglong did not even turn around. He simply pierced his chest with a backhand spear and sent him flying.
Just as Yinglong was preparing to continue pursuing the Mongol camp and completely kill Ögedei, a series of urgent horn sounds suddenly came from afar, and several black plumes of smoke rose from the direction of the Mongol camp—a signal that the main Mongol force was approaching.
Yinglong frowned, glanced at Qin Qiong, and saw that Qin Qiong was directing the army to gather the spoils of war and mop up the remaining enemies, so he knew that it was not advisable to pursue them at this moment.
He snorted coldly, and with a flick of his Overturning Sea and Sky-Supporting Dragon Spear, he snapped Ögedei's command flag in two. The flag fell to the ground and was trampled to pieces by the warhorses.
On the other side, Qin Qiong reined in his yellow horse. Warm blood dripped from the tip of his tiger-headed golden spear, winding down the cold shaft and leaving dark spots on the snow.
He raised his hand to wipe the sweat and blood from his forehead, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield. The pristine white Imperial Guard cavalry formation was no longer intact, with scattered warhorse carcasses intertwined with the corpses of soldiers.
"Take a headcount, gather the wounded, and collect the remains of our fallen comrades!"
Qin Qiong's voice was slightly hoarse, and his several lieutenants immediately split up and took action. Shouts, the neighing of warhorses, and the groans of the wounded mingled together.
"General, the count is complete. Of the 5,000 elite Imperial Guards we brought in, 2,873 were killed in battle, over 300 were seriously wounded, and countless others were lightly wounded... Including the 5,000 elite cavalry waiting in the rear, we still have over 6,900 men capable of fighting." Half an hour later, the deputy general rushed over to report.
Upon hearing this, Qin Qiong's throat tightened, and he could not speak. These 2,873 men were all elites he had personally selected, each one a skilled warrior. They had rushed all the way from Suoyang Pass and had not even had time to rest properly in Fengzhou City before they perished on this desolate plain.
"The remains of our fallen brothers must be carefully collected, their names and hometowns recorded, and they must be brought back to the Central Plains in the future so that their souls may return to their homeland."
He slowly closed his eyes, the images of soldiers charging through the air flashing through his mind, now transformed into cold numbers, weighing heavily on his heart.
"Arrange for special care for the seriously wounded brothers and transfer them into the city for treatment as soon as possible; those with minor injuries should follow me to form a team, so that the blood of our brothers will not be shed in vain."
Qin Qiong opened his eyes, which were bloodshot.
On the other side, the tragic scene of the Mongol cavalry was even more shocking. Ten thousand Mongol cavalrymen were attacked from three sides by the Imperial Guards, the Jingse Army, and the Night Fiends, and their bodies were torn to shreds like tattered cloth, with corpses strewn all over the field.
Some corpses were pierced by lances, some were cleaved in two by scimitars, and others were trampled by heavily armored warhorses until they were mangled and unrecognizable. The Mongol soldiers who were lucky enough to survive had long lost their former ferocity and fled towards the Mongol camp like stray dogs, not even bothering to pick up their abandoned weapons and warhorses.
According to the count, the Mongol cavalry suffered nearly 5,000 casualties in this battle, of which more than 3,000 were killed on the spot, more than 1,000 were seriously wounded and captured, and the remaining more than 4,000 scattered and fled.
The 500-strong Kheshig army, which the Mongols regarded as their trump card, was relentlessly pursued by the elite Imperial Guards and the Jingse Army. In the end, more than 280 Kheshig soldiers fell on the way to break out, and only more than 200 men were left to fight their way out.
"These Kheshig soldiers are truly fearless and undaunted."
A captain of the Imperial Guards looked at the corpses of the Kheshig soldiers on the ground and couldn't help but sigh.
Even when these Mongol elites died in battle, they still gripped their scimitars tightly, and their eyes retained the ferocity they displayed before death, inspiring awe in all who beheld them.
"They fought for the Mongols, while we fought for the Central Plains. Our positions were different, and we fought to the death. It's a pity that these skilled fighters became tools for foreign invasion."
Upon hearing this, Qin Qiong gently shook his head.
When Qin Qiong led his remaining troops to the original rear guard position, the deputy general in charge of the defense had already led five thousand elite Imperial Guards cavalry in formation. They maintained a tight formation, with shield bearers in front and archers behind, vigilantly observing their surroundings. Clearly, they had not been negligent in the slightest during their defense.
"The main Mongol force has arrived. We should not linger here. Reorganize your troops immediately and follow me into Fengzhou City to meet up with General Zhao."
Qin Qiong glanced at them and said in a deep voice.
"As ordered!"
The lieutenants responded in unison, and the two elite cavalry units quickly joined forces. Although they had experienced a fierce battle and lost nearly three thousand men, the remaining seven thousand elite cavalrymen were still in high spirits.
(End of this chapter)