Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Just as Zhang Han's soldiers were about to reach the valley entrance, less than ten steps away from their target, suddenly, a large number of soldiers holding spears appeared at the valley entrance like divine soldiers descending from the sky. The spears in their hands flashed with icy cold light under the sunlight, and they were all pointed at the imperial soldiers who were charging.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" Deafening shouts of killing erupted from the southern army, as if they were about to break through the sky. At the same time, extremely sharp spears stabbed at the imperial soldiers who were trying to launch a sneak attack like lightning. In an instant, blood splattered and screams rang out. These imperial soldiers who originally had ill intentions encountered a head-on blow and instantly fell into chaos.

They were panicked and had no time to make effective responses and adjustments. Facing the neat and orderly spear formations of the Southern Border Army, the imperial soldiers were horrified to find that they could not break through this solid defense line. Just as they tried to retreat, suddenly, a dense rain of arrows whistled from the Southern Border Army camp. These arrows, with the sound of sharp wind, accurately shot at the retreating imperial soldiers. In an instant, many people were shot and fell to the ground, and their wails resounded throughout the battlefield.

Zhang Han, who was standing in the rear watching the battle, saw the tragic scene in front of him, his brows knitted tightly, and his face became very gloomy. Although he had expected this to happen, when he saw his army suffer such a heavy blow, Zhang Han still felt depressed. Because it clearly showed that the southern border army had always maintained a high level of vigilance and did not leave him any chance to take advantage of.

Zhang Han, the commander of the army, did not retreat or panic. After a brief silence, he suddenly drew the sword from his waist, swung it forward, and shouted loudly: "All troops, attack! All shield soldiers, charge forward! Those who are afraid of fighting, those who are cowardly, will be executed!"

Following his order, the originally hesitant imperial army rushed towards the southern border army like a flood that broke through a dam.

A large number of shield soldiers rushed to the front line of the battlefield like a surging tide. However, Zhang Han did not order these shield soldiers to charge forward at lightning speed. The reason was that the sharp barbs covering the road were like ferocious fangs. Even if the brave and fearless soldiers launched a charge, their speed would never be fast enough.

Therefore, Zhang Han skillfully commanded a large number of shield soldiers to quickly form an indestructible defense line, which stood firmly in front like a copper wall. At the same time, he decisively sent a part of elite soldiers to follow closely behind the shield soldiers. These soldiers held tools and concentrated on clearing the dense and daunting barbs on the ground. Because these barbs posed a great obstacle and threat to the upcoming breakout, if they were not cleared away as soon as possible, the consequences would be disastrous.

While the imperial army was busy and orderly, Han Xin, who was in the southern border army, had already been alarmed by the sudden movement. He climbed to a high place with a solemn look, looked far away, and paid close attention to the actions of the imperial army at the valley entrance. At first, Han Xin stared at the enemy's deployment in the distance, and a trace of doubt arose in his heart: What exactly did the other side want to do?

As time went by, after carefully observing the opponent's advancing speed and tactical deployment, Han Xin's sharp eyes suddenly flashed with a hint of enlightenment. Han Xin had seen through the purpose of the imperial army, which was to use the solid protection of the shield soldiers to resist the dense arrows shot by their own side, and then take this opportunity to send follow-up troops to clear out the various traps carefully set up by the Southern Border Army! Not only that, there were also a large number of well-trained archers following closely behind, constantly pouring sharp arrows like rain at the Southern Border Army camp.

Although this offensive strategy would likely slow down the advance and incur huge casualties and losses, Zhang Han had clearly considered the pros and cons and had made up his mind to carry out the plan to the end. Zhang Han knew that the losses suffered by the frontline troops would be extremely important for the subsequent successful breakout of the army. After all, if the numbers were the only factor, even if the imperial army lost three people and the southern border army only lost one person, the southern border army would probably not be able to hold on to the end and would not be able to compete with the powerful imperial army.

At this time, Han Xin had already seen through the enemy's plan. With his extraordinary intelligence and military talent, how could he not have a countermeasure? Han Xin decisively gave the order: "Light the fire!"

In an instant, many soldiers quickly took action, holding hay, branches and other flammable objects, and rushed to the valley entrance like a tide. Then, they skillfully ignited these objects, and a raging fire instantly burned, illuminating the entire valley entrance.

At the same time, some other soldiers used several thick and sturdy branches and large pieces of cloth to skillfully make temporary large fans. Then, they firmly fixed these fans on the pre-set wooden stakes on the ground. After everything was ready, the soldiers began to take turns to fight, waving the fans in their hands vigorously, and fanning the billowing smoke into the valley continuously.

The billowing smoke was like a ferocious beast, rushing forward with its fangs and claws bared, instantly engulfing the shield soldiers in front of it. These brave and fearless warriors, who had been holding their shields as solid as a rock, were now choked by the thick and pungent smoke and were crying and coughing. Their eyes were red, swollen and stinging, and it was almost difficult to open them, and breathing became extremely difficult, as if every breath of air was burning and spicy.

Due to the invasion of thick smoke, many shield soldiers could not even hold the heavy shields in their hands, and they began to shake, and the originally tight and orderly defense line suddenly appeared flawed. The speed of the imperial army's advance was thus unprecedentedly hindered, just like a carriage that suddenly lost its wheels and could only stop helplessly.

You know, although shields can resist the attack of bows and arrows, they are helpless in the face of the pervasive smoke. Moreover, in such a dense smoke, it is simply impossible to break through the enemy's blockade. Those soldiers who rushed to the front and endured the torture of the smoke, despite their tenacious will and tough physique, could not endure it for a long time. After all, the human body has limited endurance. Inhaling a large amount of carbon dioxide in a short period of time will cause brain hypoxia, making people very likely to fall into a coma.