Chapter 597: Le Yi, commander of the coalition forces!

Shangguan Lie never took them seriously from the beginning.

Even at the beginning when the previous King Jing had just passed away and Jingzhou's strength was severely damaged.

In order to stabilize the situation, Shangguan Lie had to join the alliance of princes. However, the army of Prince Jing, which he relied on to fight, suffered heavy losses and was now less than 30% of its peak strength.

They are all enough to occupy the top seats in the vassal alliance.

It is conceivable how incompetent these princes in the Prince Alliance are.

Therefore, Shangguan Lie, whose self-confidence was overflowing, charged forward without hesitation with King Jing's army behind him!
then
He was directly beaten back by a group of small fry in his eyes.

Shangguan Lie, who led the light cavalry into battle and had no capable commander by his side, was chased by the enemy and fled in panic.

The commander of the coalition forces on the opposite side was named Le Yi!

The name Le Yi is unfamiliar to Shangguan Lie.

He did not know how amazing his military talent and strategic vision were as the commander-in-chief of the five-nation coalition during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

However, his appearance undoubtedly added huge variables to Shangguan Lie's pursuit.

When he waved the command flag without hesitation, the Jingzhou army launched a fierce charge towards the coalition forces like a torrent.

The opposing coalition forces did not collapse as easily as imagined.

What he didn't expect was that this battle would be so difficult.

Under the command of Yue Yi, the coalition forces of the vassal kings demonstrated amazing combat effectiveness.

Although their equipment is not as sophisticated as the Jingzhou army that had just occupied the capital of Dayong and upgraded its rifles to cannons, their numbers are actually not at an advantage. The main force of the vassal kings' coalition is still in Wenzhou competing for territory with the Jiuxiao army. The coalition in front of them was temporarily assembled from the rear of the coalition.

But even in such a situation, this coalition force seemed to be endowed with infinite power under Le Yi's ingenious layout.

They took advantage of the terrain to set up their battle formation, and their iron spears were like a forest, indestructible, and they repelled the attacks of the Jingzhou army time and time again.

Shangguan Lie led his army to charge left and right on the battlefield, but found that he could not break through the coalition forces' defense line.

Instead, the soldiers around him fell one by one, and their blood dyed the land red.

He roared angrily, but was unable to change the unfavorable situation of the battle.

In this brutal battle, Shangguan Lie finally realized his underestimation of the enemy and his arrogance.

He originally thought that with the elite troops under his command and the morale from consecutive victories, he would be able to crush the coalition forces of the vassal kings.

However, reality gave him a loud slap in the face.

Shangguan Lie, who had just achieved an unprecedented victory, was slapped hard by Le Yi the next moment and was pinned down and taught a lesson by him and a group of ragtag coalition forces.

In the end, Shangguan Lie had to retreat in a panic under the pursuit of Yue Yi.

The army that had originally come with great momentum suffered heavy casualties and low morale, and could no longer continue to pursue Cao Cao.

This battle was undoubtedly a heavy blow to Shangguan Lie. He originally thought that he was on the verge of victory, and that he could kill his enemies with his own hands and take control of the three states in the north of Dayong.

After a period of internal reorganization, he can move southward, swallow up the entire Dayong Dynasty, and then dominate the world and become the true overlord in this chaotic world.

However, he didn't expect that at the last moment, he would be defeated by a group of trash in his eyes.

It was also thanks to Ning Piaomiao's quick response as he was in the capital of Dayong to sort out military affairs.

After spending some time together, he knew that although Shangguan Lie could be considered a heroic leader, he was still too young, and his temperament was not without arrogance and impatience. This defeat was actually due to underestimating the enemy.

Therefore, when Ning Piaomiao heard the news of defeat at the front line, he was not surprised at all. Instead, he spread out the map and analyzed the battle situation carefully.

His eyes moved across the map and finally stopped at Honghao County, the southernmost part of Yongzhou, where Cao Cao and the Yong Dynasty court were now entrenched. It was adjacent to Lu and Wen states next to Yongzhou, and had an important geographical location, making it a vital point to curb the enemy's advance northward.

Zirui County and Kaiming County are like two pearls inlaid on Honghao County. If we can hold on to them, we will not only be able to keep the enemy out of the country, but also gain precious time and space for future counterattacks.

The decision was made, and Ning Piaomiao immediately gave the order to select 5,000 cavalrymen from the elite troops in the capital, all of whom were experienced warriors with superb riding skills. They would be led by a brave general selected by him personally, and would travel day and night to the south to provide assistance.

At the same time, although Shangguan Lie was defeated, he was an emperor after all and did not lose his fighting spirit. Instead, he adjusted his mentality instantly.

Before the reinforcements sent by Ning Piaomiao arrived, he quickly reorganized the remaining troops, contracted the defense line, and used the terrain advantage to build a temporary defense line.

Although the soldiers were exhausted, their morale gradually recovered under Shangguan Lie's various tactics, and they confronted the coalition forces of the vassal kings led by Yue Yi.

When the elite cavalry sent by Ning Piaomiao arrived quickly and appeared in Shangguan Lie's sight, the entire Jingzhou army was excited.

The arrival of this cavalry not only brought personnel replenishment, but more importantly, it also brought many Mohist instruments and weapons and equipment from the capital of Dayong.

The two armies joined together and their morale was high. Shangguan Lie and the general sent by Ning Piaomiao quickly formulated a new battle plan. They decided to use Zirui County and Kaiming County as strongholds to build a solid defense line and confront the coalition forces.

Zirui County, with beautiful mountains and rivers and abundant resources, was originally a peaceful place, but now it is riven by war.

The Jingzhou Army and the coalition forces of the vassal kings launched a fierce battle here, with both sides showing their strengths and fighting with wits and courage.

Shangguan Lie took advantage of the mobility of the cavalry and launched frequent attacks to harass the coalition forces' logistics lines.

Under the command of Yue Yi, the coalition forces built a series of ingenious defensive fortifications based on the terrain, making every attack by the Jingzhou army come at a heavy price.

Kaiming County became another focus of contention between the two sides.

The terrain here is open, which is convenient for the army to deploy. The two sides fought several large-scale battles here.

Swords flashed, arrows rained down, and soldiers on both sides fought for their lives. The brutality of the battle was shocking.

However, in this brutal battle, Shangguan Lie and the generals sent by Ning Piaomiao gradually developed an effective way of coordinated combat. The two cooperated with each other, advanced and retreated according to their circumstances, and gradually enabled the Jingzhou army to gain a firm foothold in the face of disadvantage.

As time went on, the two sides fell into a stalemate, with the battle line shifting back and forth between Zirui County and Kaiming County, and neither side could defeat the other in one fell swoop.

Shangguan Lie, whose mentality had stabilized from his previous great victory, began to re-examine Le Yi.

This seemingly unknown commander, with his military talent and strategic vision, is truly an unrivaled enemy in his life, except for Ning Piaomiao who is by his side.

(End of this chapter)