At the beginning of the Jigu Battle, Cao Zhen's face was filled with a smile.
Zhao Yun was certainly not an easy opponent. Layered defenses were set up in Jigu, with the main camp supported from the front and rear. However, they were ultimately composed of weak and old soldiers or peasant militia. The soldiers lacked the will to fight to the death, and their attacks lacked fierceness and courage.
Several battalions of troops were quickly broken through by Cao Zhen.
Cao Zhen had already anticipated Zhao Yun's reactions. He swiftly withdrew his camp, organizing his troops to hold the rear. These actions could only be described as the tactics of a renowned general.
However, Cao Zhen faintly smiled and said, "It's a pity that the Baoxie Road is wide and open, allowing the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to charge forward. Today, the reputation of Zhao Zilong, the invincible general, will be shattered."
Sure enough, when Cao Zhen temporarily halted the infantry's advance and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry charged forward, Zhao Yun had no choice but to retreat.
Cao Zhen pursued relentlessly, driving them north.
At this moment, Cao Zhen had a premonition that his current momentum would not only wash away the shame of the previous months but also allow him to chase down to Hanzhong, break through the fortresses of the Shu army, and make his name resound throughout the world.
With excitement in his eyes, Cao Zhen suddenly heard a piercing whistling sound in the wind.
After breaking several battalions and pursuing them for several miles, almost reaching the exit of Jigu, he finally caught up with them in the densely forested mountains on both sides.
Then, a volley of arrows was unleashed.
Zhuge's repeating crossbows released ten arrows with each shot. Given that they had already been secretly moved into the dense forest a few days earlier to defend against the Wei army, the whistling sounds were layered upon each other. It seemed as though Cao Zhen could hear the howling of malevolent spirits in the netherworld.
His elite cavalry under his command suffered heavy losses in the crossbow formation within the blink of an eye.
Zhao Yun then halted his horse, turned around, and gazed deeply at Cao Zhen amidst the myriad of soldiers.
Cao Zhen gasped for breath, but Cao Zidan, being a renowned general, could still issue a stern command in the midst of his astonishment. He ordered the formation of long spears to guard against a cavalry assault. The elite troops were only with Zhao Yun, while the rest of the soldiers were either weak or newly recruited. After being pursued for such a long time, they had lost their fighting spirit. As long as Zhao Yun's assault failed, he, as the general, could still lead them to break through Hanzhong!
Following Cao Zhen's command, the Wei army swiftly moved into position, and in an instant, the formation was complete.
Throughout this period, Cao Zhen kept his eyes fixed on Zhao Yun, but he noticed that Zhao Yun didn't charge towards him. Instead, he simply stepped aside, revealing the 800 cavalry behind him... and a slowly raised grand banner.
This grand banner was not beside Zhao Yun but next to another young man, and it didn't bear Zhao's embroidered mark but a single Chinese character.
Perplexed, Cao Zhen heard the young man on the opposite side shout angrily, "The Emperor of Han is here, Cao Zidan, why don't you surrender?"
Then, the sound of galloping hooves resounded through Baoxie Valley, stirring up the four centuries of dust. Liu Shimin drew his twin blades, his eyebrows ablaze. He seemed to be invading and plundering like fire. It was hard to say, but it seemed as though a grand song of the mighty wind sweeping out of Shu was unfurling, much like the Overlord of Western Chu rolling across Jiangdong.
He charged forward faster than anyone else, the blades in his hands reflecting the noon sunlight, nearly blinding Cao Zhen's eyes.
Who is this?
Is there still such a mighty Emperor of Han these days?
After a moment, Cao Zhen snapped back to his senses. This couldn't possibly be Liu Shan, the young child from Chengdu, right?
Who is he causing trouble with?
The wind blew past Liu Shimin's ears, stirring up his blood and stirring up his spirit. It had been so many years since he had returned to the battlefield, so many years since he had led troops and charged into battle like this.
Liu Shimin, at the age of twenty-one, couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Once again, he affirmed that he belonged to the battlefield, that he had always been the god of the battlefield.
The God of War rushed forward, and the sons of Han couldn't help but rush forward with him.
Zhao Yun was by his side, tightly gripping his long spear, as if he had returned to the Battle of Changbanpo.
These people brazenly rushed over, their laughter echoing through the mountains and forests. Cao Zhen frowned and cursed, saying that Liu Shan, the young child, was too arrogant. Did he think his troops were something special? Tiger and Leopard Cavalry? They didn't even have a single piece of horse armor, yet they dared to charge into the spear formation. Zhao Yun accompanied him in his madness. Did they really think they couldn't capture the Emperor of Shu Han?
But it wasn't just Cao Zhen. Most of the Wei generals, from Cao Zhen downwards, showed joy on their faces. Nowadays, most cavalry were light cavalry and couldn't break through infantry formations. The reason why the Iron Cavalry of the Western Liang was called the Iron Cavalry, why they roamed the world, was because of their iron armor and horse armor.
Shu Han had become so destitute that they didn't even have decent equipment. They charged headlong into battle with only their swords and shields.
In just a few words, Liu Shimin had led his troops to the front lines of the Wei army. Spears filled the air, aiming to pierce Liu Shimin's body from horseback, but in an instant, Liu Shimin drew his sword. The blade's wind blew through his long hair, and the flash of the sword disappeared, leaving the Wei army's spears broken into two pieces!
The distant Wei generals' eyelids twitched. It was difficult to control the angle of a sword strike against a spear, and it was hard to break a spear in one swing. How could this little emperor of Shu Han be so valiant, almost on par with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei?
Cao Zhen didn't react immediately. His face turned pale.
In this situation, whether it was Liu Shimin or Zhao Yun, the martial prowess of a single general couldn't turn the tide. But Cao Zhen, looking at the overall situation, realized that Shu Han's cavalry lacked martial valor, yet they were still able to break through the spear formation!
These cavalry held a short shield in one hand, warding off the long spears of the Wei soldiers, and a single saber in the other, casually stabbing and piercing. The Wei soldiers were not so wealthy that they were dripping with oil, and most of them wore armor. But these leather armors seemed like they were made of paper, easily penetrated by a single stab.
Blood splattered, and soldiers fell.
Breaking through the spear formation, the eight hundred cavalry had only a few dozen casualties. Their large banner still fluttered high. Liu Shimin and Zhao Yun charged forward side by side, their speed hardly affected. Their gaze was fixed on Cao Zidan, standing under the Cao Wei banner.
Cao Zhen's pupils contracted. It wasn't his turn to capture the Emperor of Shu Han. It was the young emperor of Shu Han who wanted to take his head amidst a sea of troops!
The Wei generals were in chaos, like a pot of porridge. Many people questioned how these cavalry could wield weapons in both hands. They wondered what kind of ghostly swords these were that could take a person's life with a single strike. How many breaches did it take to pierce through armor?
If Liu Shimin had heard these words, he might have replied, "The Ancient Iron Blade is just average, slightly inferior to the Tang Blade. It can only pierce through thirty layers of armor at best."
The Wei army was already in a panic, and some Wei generals reached out to pull Cao Zhen, saying, "General, let's retreat!"
Cao Zhen gritted his teeth and refused to retreat. He stared at Liu Shimin and Zhao Yun, saying that with only these eight hundred cavalry, no matter what sorcery they possessed, as long as they stopped these eight hundred cavalry, the rest of the weak and old soldiers would not dare to fight. Even if they couldn't win, it would still be a victory for them!
Before he finished speaking, the sounds of battle erupted in Baoxie Valley.
From the dense forest, from the front road, and even from the scattered soldiers previously feigning defeat along the way, they all charged out, attacking Cao Zhen's main army.
The sounds of battle turned Cao Zhen's face pale as paper.
Cao Zhen couldn't understand. He really wanted to ask Zhao Yun on the opposite side, "What kind of divine assistance do you have?"
In fact, whether there was or wasn't divine assistance, it didn't matter.
Translate, translate. What does it mean for the people's hearts to be with someone? What does it mean to inherit the special favor of the late emperor? What does it mean for the emperor to personally lead the troops into battle?
These buffs were stacked to the maximum. Liu Shimin broke through the first line of defense of Cao Wei, and even the suspicious soldiers were ignited with fighting spirit. Even defeated soldiers dared to fight desperately!
As Liu Shimin and Zhao Yun drew closer, no matter how many question marks filled Cao Zhen's mind, he could only grit his teeth and retreat.
Liu Shimin smiled. Since his soul transmigrated to Chengdu, he hadn't stopped for these few days. After all the turmoil, now that you want to run, it's already too late.
After sharpening his blade for so many days, when he swung it, it was time to enter his own rhythm.
That day, Liu Shimin carried the Ancient Iron Blade and traveled two hundred li in a day and night. He fought with Cao Zhen, engaging in eight battles in a single day. Either he was being pursued and slaughtered, or in a moment of haste, Cao Zhen tried to counterattack, only to be struck by an arrow from Liu Shimin, falling off his horse.
Eight battles, eight victories, and Liu Shimin continued to pursue.
Zhao Yun pulled Liu Shimin and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty has already achieved great merits. The soldiers are exhausted now. If we continue to pursue, Your Majesty's life will be in danger..."
Liu Shimin suddenly burst into laughter.
Liu Shimin patted Zhao Yun's shoulder and said, "Zhao Uncle, why are you acting like Liu Hongji? You shouldn't be like this. You have courage in every fiber of your being. Whether it's Changban Slope or the Han River, you should be more courageous than me."
Zhao Yun, his face covered in blood, hadn't had a chance to ask who Liu Hongji was when he saw Liu Shimin wiping the sweat off his face. His eyes blazed, and he pointed to the north and said to Zhao Yun, "With me holding a bow and arrow and you carrying a spear, even if there are millions, what can they do to us?"
Zhao Yun was startled, and his blood, buried deep inside him for many years, was ignited by this statement. It was as if he had first seen Liu Bei more than thirty years ago and realized that the world's people deserved to be saved, and that his martial arts were not in vain.
Liu Shimin splashed cold water on his face and said, "Zhao Uncle, let's go."
Fire ignited in Zhao Yun's eyes. Behind him, the Shu Han soldiers gazed at Liu Shimin with the eyes of believers looking at a god, their eyes filled with fire. They followed Liu Shimin and continued the pursuit.
In this battle, Liu Shimin didn't eat for two days, didn't remove his armor for three days, and marched more than four hundred li, cutting through the entire Baoxie Road, capturing tens of thousands of Wei soldiers as prisoners, and advancing straight to the foot of Xieguan Pass.
Cao Zhen left a rear guard and fled from the pass in a sorry state.
Only after Liu Shimin entered Xieguan Pass and took a short rest did the battle finally end. However, it wasn't over yet. After two days of rest, Liu Shimin dared to lead his army out of the pass and march across the plains of Guanzhong, heading straight for Meicheng.
Meicheng was only a little over two hundred li away from Chang'an, the former capital of the Great Han, and it was within reach!
Zhao Yun still had some concerns and said, "Your Majesty, we didn't bring any siege equipment."
Li Shimin smiled and said, "Why bother with siege? After Cao Zhen's major defeat, his position will surely plummet. He will definitely seek an opportunity to strike back, and I am willing to give him that chance."
Zhao Yun asked, "What opportunity?"
Li Shimin pointed to the stirrups beneath Zhao Yun's feet and said, "This thing cannot be hidden. If Cao Zhen holds on to Meicheng, we will receive news from the fleeing soldiers in a few days. So, I directly let Cao Zhen know. I guess he will attribute all the reasons for his defeat to the stirrups. I will give him two days, and he will surely equip his remaining Tiger and Leopard Cavalry with these useful tools. With such a weapon, he will dare to face me outside the city."
Zhao Yun was astonished and said, "Then, Your Majesty, do we have a chance of winning?"
Li Shimin laughed heartily and spurred his horse forward, saying, "I am the winning factor!"
That day, when Li Shimin led his army to the outskirts of Meicheng, there was not a single figure in sight.
Li Shimin: "..."
Zhao Yun looked at him and couldn't help but laugh, as if he had seen a young Liu Chan making big promises but failing to fulfill them.
Li Shimin cleared his throat and said, "This is not logical. Just wait, I will make Cao Zhen come out of the city!"
Cao Zhen was still hesitant. He had indeed prepared the stirrups and knew they were a powerful tool for cavalry, but he had a lingering worry.
The defeat he suffered didn't seem to be solely because of the stirrups.
And if Meicheng fell again, Cao Zhen would have no face to return to Chang'an.
So Cao Zhen thought it through. It was better to hold on for a few more days, to wait and see. If Zhang He opened up the situation in Longyou, it would become a dilemma for Liu Chan and Zhao Yun.
While he was contemplating, a scout knocked on the door and said there was movement outside the city.
Cao Zhen was a bit annoyed and said, "Isn't it just a call to battle? Why bother with it?"
After a brief pause, the scout nervously said, "It's not an ordinary call to battle. The Emperor of Shu Han himself has come, accompanied by only three to five riders, and he is cursing your ancestors under the city."
Cao Zhen: ???
Cao Zhen suddenly stood up, gritting his teeth, and said, "Damn it, I really gave him face."
After all, not everyone is as cunning as Sima Yi. Cao Zhen couldn't hold back and went up to the city wall, only to see Liu Shimin not far away laughing and cursing. He looked around and said that the Cao family were all cowards. Cao Mengde, the famous warlord, shrank under the protection of his general, Dian Wei, after losing the battle. Cao Pi, who spent his whole life as a grandson, finally managed to seize the throne through deceit. Today, Cao Zhen would not be inferior to anyone.
Enough is enough, who can't endure it?
Cao Zhen's military order burst out of his throat, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Leave the city, form ranks!"
Liu Shimin turned and fled.
While running, he mocked, and indeed, a dozen Tiger Leopard Cavalry chased after him. Liu Shimin finally stopped laughing, but his gaze became contemptuous. He held the bow on his back and the bowstring snapped like thunder.
On the way back to the Han camp, Liu Shimin vividly demonstrated to Cao Zhen what it means to be a skilled horse archer.
None of the dozen Tiger Leopard Cavalry who chased after him returned alive.
Cao Zhen's face turned grim. He had no interest in arguing with Liu Shimin anymore, nor did he want to engage in verbal battles, retreats, or wait for chaotic situations. He directly ordered his troops to advance.
The power of the Tiger Leopard Cavalry was indeed formidable. As the infantry of both sides fought, the newly defeated Cao soldiers and the victorious new army clashed fiercely. In the fluctuating battle, the casualties were roughly equal. However, the Cao army had a larger force, so Zhao Yun sent his cavalry to cut through the battlefield.
When Zhao Yun's cavalry moved, Cao Zhen ordered the Tiger Leopard Cavalry to take action.
When the Tiger Leopard Cavalry charged, the defenders crumbled, and the two armies clashed without the opportunity to form spear formations. If it weren't for the seventy-year-old veteran Zhao Zilong wielding his spear with great skill, able to charge alongside Zhao Yun and the Tiger Leopard Cavalry, the Han army's position would have been torn apart.
After surviving and resting for two more days, Cao Zhen finally let out a sigh of relief.
Liu Shan, a mere child, could only take advantage of these small tricks such as the stirrup.
Before he could finish his thought, Cao Zhen frowned. He couldn't trust the rumors he had heard before, but he believed in his own intuition from the past two days. Liu Shan was definitely not an honest ruler who would simply delegate power. At least, this guy was definitely not someone who would play fair on the battlefield.
So why, up until now, hasn't the enemy's banner moved?
However, the timing on the battlefield was fleeting. Now that the opportunity for victory was in hand, Cao Zhen wouldn't hesitate. He decisively led his army to launch a fierce assault, aiming to crush the Shu army in one fell swoop.
The wind was still blowing, blowing from north to south. Cao Zhen, who led the army into the battlefield, wasn't sure if he had misheard, but he could faintly hear the sound of horse hooves carried by the wind.
In the next moment, Cao Zhen suddenly turned his head and discovered that a group of cavalry had emerged from a high slope in the northwest. There weren't many of them, only a few hundred, but the young man leading them was extremely familiar.
It was none other than Liu Shimin!
Liu Shimin even laughed at Cao Zhen's banner. Cao Zhen, for some reason, suddenly understood the meaning behind Liu Shimin's smile.
The commander of the Tiger Leopard Cavalry?
Or let me teach you how to use cavalry.
In addition to aggressive pursuit, there must also be swift maneuvering. The Tiger Leopard Cavalry is undoubtedly fierce, but they lack the essence of flexible military tactics.
The infantry of both sides were exhausted and engaged in numerous stalemates on the battlefield, with multiple areas undergoing front-to-back rotations.
Liu Shimin immediately plunged into the midst of these rotations in the Wei army.
When Liu Shimin circled out of the battlefield, the Han army somehow gained the advantage. When Cao Zhen ordered the Tiger Leopard Cavalry to intercept, they were obstructed by their own troops and couldn't catch up to Liu Shimin no matter what.
Even to the point where Liu Shimin was able to break through and split the Wei army into two.
He brazenly shouted when the front and rear of the Wei army couldn't connect, saying that Cao Zhen had been captured. He proclaimed, "Those who surrender shall not be killed! Cao Zhen has been captured. Those who surrender shall not be killed!"
Cao Zhen was infuriated by his own helplessness. He knew that his front line couldn't receive his command in time, and they would definitely be unable to withstand defeat. He stared at the cavalry in the formation, issuing urgent orders, hoping to stop Liu Shan at all costs.
As long as Liu Shan died, the Shu Han would collapse without an attack!
Layers upon layers of troops surrounded them and encroached closer. When Liu Shimin realized that he had attracted a large number of Wei troops, he became even more calm. If Cao Zhen responded like this, then his front line would collapse even faster. If he could hold on for half an hour, Cao Zhen could forget about retaining Meicheng.
As for whether he could hold on or not, Liu Shimin drew out his twin swords and smiled against the wind.
In that battle, Liu Shimin charged out from behind Cao Zhen's formation, then broke through the encirclement once again. He took four arrows to the body, killed sixty to seventy men with his bare hands, both of his swords were broken, and his sleeves were soaked in blood. After fighting back and forth, Cao Zhen's army finally collapsed, and Cao Zhen fled in panic toward Meicheng.
With Zhao Yun no longer distracted by the Tiger Leopard Cavalry, he had already rushed to the vicinity of Meicheng's city gate ahead of Cao Zhen. When Cao Zhen retreated, Zhao Yun made a sudden attack on horseback, and in an instant, his spear struck Cao Zhen off his horse.
From Liu Shimin's arrival in Chengdu to the fall of Meicheng, it took just over ten days. This northern expedition, starting from the defeat at Jieting, was about to return without any achievements. However, it turned into Zhao Yun killing Cao Zhen and the Great Han Emperor taking control of Meicheng, looking toward Chang'an.
Shaking the world.