Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

With a loud roar, Qu Yi took the lead, spearheading the Xian Deng shock troops in a counter-charge against the White Horse Cavalry, who were thrown into disarray on the Jie Bridge.

At that moment, images involuntarily surfaced in Qu Yi's mind of the scene when he was summoned to the main tent by his lord the previous night, a scene that made his blood boil.

"Shao has been trapped in Bohai, and you have contributed greatly to our alliance with Qinghe and Wei commanderies."

"Without Qu Yi, I would not be where I am today…"

"The outcome of the battle at Jie Bridge hinges on you alone…"

These words echoed continuously, causing the blood in Qu Yi's body to surge wildly towards his head.

As is often the case, the more outwardly ascetic a person appears, the more secretly passionate they are.

Qu Yi usually appeared expressionless, stern, and resolute, but in reality, he desperately craved someone who would appreciate, acknowledge, and value him.

Like Jiang Taigong and King Wen of Zhou, who discovered him by the "Wei River."

Now, in Qu Yi's eyes, Yuan Shao, who treated him with such courtesy, was the enlightened lord he yearned to serve with his life.

'White Horse Cavalry? I will present their heads to my lord!'

Qu Yi, leading the Xian Deng shock troops, rapidly closed in on the White Horse Cavalry.

With Yan Gang gone and the conflicting orders, obstructed vision, narrow terrain, and other factors, the White Horse Cavalry were thrown into chaos.

However, the White Horse Cavalry at the front displayed considerable combat power as they saw Qu Yi approaching, instinctively drawing their bows and firing arrows at the Xian Deng shock troops he led.

The narrow Jie Bridge, only a few dozen steps across, was enough for the White Horse Cavalry's archery skills to ensure that nine out of ten arrows hit their mark.

However, as the foremost White Horse Cavalry drew their bows, another burst of rapid crossbow fire erupted.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Devastating crossbow bolts swept in from Qu Yi's rear flanks, instantly piercing through the White Horse Cavalry in front.

Qu Yi then led the Xian Deng shock troops, stepping over the still-warm bodies of the White Horse Cavalry, to pounce on those further back who had yet to react.

Deprived of their speed, the White Horse Cavalry were like stationary targets.

Facing the Xian Deng shock troops at close range, they clearly had no time to draw their bows and fire, and instead thrust their spears at the approaching enemy.

However, Qu Yi, hailing from Liang Province, was familiar with various cavalry tactics from a young age and knew how to counter them.

He rolled on the ground, slashing at the horses' legs.

As the cavalrymen fell, the Xian Deng shock troops behind him swarmed forward to behead them.

Meanwhile, the Xian Deng shock troops in the rear, unable to engage in direct combat due to the narrow terrain, raised their crossbows and fired at the White Horse Cavalry.

One side was infantry, the other cavalry; they only needed to raise their powerful crossbows without worrying about accidentally injuring their comrades.

Conversely, the White Horse Cavalry in the rear were blocked by their comrades in front, and even if they saw the enemy approaching through the gaps, they had no space to fire their arrows.

The Xian Deng shock troops were few in number, but they coordinated seamlessly, combining close and ranged attacks.

The White Horse Cavalry were numerous, but constrained by the terrain, only a dozen or so at the front could engage the Xian Deng shock troops.

The White Horse Cavalry, renowned beyond the Great Wall and a deterrent to various barbarian tribes… were being slaughtered!

Realizing something was wrong, Gongsun Zan rode his horse to the side of the Jie Bridge entrance and, seeing the miserable state of the White Horse Cavalry crowded on the bridge, his eyes turned red on the spot.

Looking at the number of White Horse Cavalry on the Jie Bridge, of the original five thousand, perhaps around two thousand had already been lost in this short time.

Such a loss caused Gongsun Zan's heart to bleed.

The White Horse Cavalry, undefeated beyond the Great Wall, had stumbled so badly on this small Jie Bridge.

"You dare?!"

At that moment, the furious Gongsun Zan, disregarding the fact that the Qinghe River had not completely subsided, immediately ordered the entire army to cross the riverbed.

The Qinghe River could still submerge the horses' hooves, and the riverbed was muddy, making it difficult for infantry to cross, with only the cavalry able to barely manage it.

Even so, the cavalry's crossing speed was extremely slow.

However, Gongsun Zan strongly ordered the entire army to cross, and that dark mass was enough to create a great deterrent.

Upon seeing this, the Xian Deng shock troops who had been relentlessly advancing on the Jie Bridge immediately chose to retreat back to the bridgehead.

This gave the remnants of the White Horse Cavalry trapped on the Jie Bridge a chance to retreat.

When this remnant of the White Horse Cavalry retreated, Gongsun Zan, who had been furious and about to drag Yan Gang down for military justice, turned to deep sorrow upon learning that Yan Gang had already died in battle.

At this moment, Gongsun Zan looked at that small black dot still guarding the opposite bank of the Jie Bridge and forced out a sentence through his teeth.

"I will grind you to ashes to relieve the hatred in my heart!"

Immediately, Gongsun Zan reorganized the retreated White Horse Cavalry and personally led them onto the Jie Bridge.

However, Gongsun Zan learned from Yan Gang's lesson and did not order a strong charge across the Jie Bridge, but instead maintained a pace almost identical to that of the cavalry in the Qinghe Riverbed, slowly approaching the opposite bank.

Seeing that the vast majority of the cavalry had begun to slowly wade across the river, Zhao Yun was also preparing to order his troops to enter from the riverbed.

"Zilong, wait."

Guo Jia frowned and spoke.

Zhao Yun turned his head and looked at Guo Jia with some confusion.

"Didn't General Gongsun previously allow Zilong to act according to the circumstances?" Guo Jia asked.

"Indeed, he said so," Zhao Yun nodded.

Ultimately, Zhao Yun was not Gongsun Zan's subordinate, and Gongsun Zan had not really considered putting Zhao Yun's unit into the battlefield.

Therefore, Gongsun Zan gave Zhao Yun the authority to act according to the circumstances, intending for Zhao Yun to go through the motions on the battlefield and gain some experience.

"If that's the case, then Zilong should not rush to cross the river. There… I fear there is a trap."

At this moment, the ominous premonition in Guo Jia's heart had grown even stronger.

"Fengxiao's meaning is… could it be that there is a trap on the opposite bank?"

As Zhao Yun asked, he raised his eyes and used his astonishing eyesight to observe the movements on the opposite bank.

Although the opposite bank of the Qinghe River was also a plain, it had some undulations.

Due to the terrain difference, Zhao Yun could not see the specific situation of Yuan's army, but he could still see Yuan's army's great banner and a large number of flags disappearing into the distance.

… …

At the same time.

About half a mile behind the Xian Deng shock troops guarding the Jie Bridge bridgehead, there was a deep pit.

In this deep pit, densely packed soldiers were huddled together, not daring to make any noise.

Yuan Shao!

This famous noble lord, clad in golden armor, also disregarded his status and squeezed into the pit, his expression seemingly calm, but in reality, his mind was extremely tense, his ears constantly listening to the movements ahead.

Come quickly!

Gongsun Bogui, come quickly!!!

Yuan Shao had one hand behind his back and the other gripping the hilt of the sword at his waist, but if one looked closely, one would find that the knuckles of Yuan Shao's hand gripping the hilt were faintly white.

This was a high-stakes gamble!

It was also the best strategy obtained from the counsel of many wise men, a brilliant move that could allow Yuan Shao to overcome the strong with the weak and reverse the situation.