Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 393 Liao encounters Tadun, a sudden attack is possible!
September 23rd, dawn.

As the sun peeked over the plains, a few rays of light gradually appeared under the pitch-black night sky.

Outside Jixian City, the Wuhuan army camp, having learned military tactics from the Han people, was set up in a very orderly manner. From a distance, the camp appeared to be of a large scale, as it included not only the Wuhuan main force but also Han people who had been plundered by the Wuhuan.

Outside the camp, a rider whipped his horse and galloped towards the camp gate.

"who?"

The Wuhuan language was heard, which made the Hu cavalry stop their horses. Seeing that they were patrolling cavalry on the outskirts, they said, "There is military intelligence at Dafang Ridge. There are traces of a large Han army. The situation is urgent and we need to report to the King."

The leader of the patrolling cavalry, a Hu man, said, “Your Majesty is worried about this Han army. Now I will lead the way so that we can see Your Majesty quickly.”

"it is good!"

With the help of the patrolling cavalry, the Hu cavalry quickly entered the camp and went to the main tent, where they met Tadun, who had been awakened.

"Meet the king!"

Tadun, wearing a cloak, sat on the edge of the bed and asked, "What troops do you command? What urgent military situation exists at Dafangling?"

Hu Qi knelt on one knee, composed himself, and said, "I was originally a centurion under the command of Nanlou Chanyu, and two days ago I was ordered to garrison Dafangling."

"Last night at dusk, I saw the Han army scouts advance ahead, and I ordered my men to plunder them. However, the Han cavalry were brave, and most of my men were defeated and fled. I secretly went through the mountains to investigate the number of enemy troops. When the enemy set up camp, judging from the firelight, their vanguard numbered three thousand, and their follow-up cavalry and infantry were slightly more, probably no less than five thousand."

"How is the armor?" Tadun asked.

Hu Qi said, "It is too dark for me to see how many Han soldiers are wearing armor, but according to the scouts who have fought with us, all of them are wearing armor."

"The reinforcements sent by Zhang Yu are probably elite troops!"

Tadun seemed to have gained some insight, and said, "Infantrymen carrying horses are something only an elite army can possess!"

As he spoke, Tadun suddenly burst into laughter, which puzzled those around him.

"Why is Your Majesty laughing?" asked Su Puyan, the Chanyu of the Liaodong vassal state.

Tadun's smile faded as he said, "Zhang Yu's reinforcements are all elite troops, numbering around ten thousand. If we can defeat them this time, Zhang Yu will be severely weakened, and he will find it difficult to act recklessly in the future!"

"Furthermore, if our army were to march stealthily through the mountains and block the strategic passes and mountain passes, the enemy would be unable to advance or retreat and would be captured. Ten thousand soldiers, armor, and livestock could all be obtained by our Wuhuan. Our Wuhuan would be able to greatly increase our military strength, and Youyan would become our hunting ground."

"Great King, your divine might is boundless!"

Upon hearing this, Su Puyan laughed and said, "Then shall we mobilize our troops and form a battle formation to go to Dafangling Pass and intercept Zhang Liao's forces?"

"Ok!"

Tadun nodded and said with a sinister smile, "Order Wu Yan, Nan Lou, and Neng Chendi to lead their troops to Dafangling to meet Zhang Liao in battle. This time, I will avenge our past grievances and make Zhang Yu restless day and night."

"As ordered!"

As soon as Tadun gave the order, smoke rose from the camp's cooking fires, as the various Wuhuan tribes intended to eat before launching their attack. However, in order to observe the movements of Zhang Liao's troops, Tadun dispatched a vanguard of a thousand elite cavalry to see if they could seize strategic locations ahead of Zhang Liao.

As dawn approaches, the sun gradually dispels the darkness, and the sky gradually brightens.

While Tadun was arranging his troops for battle, Zhang Liao was personally leading his army to the mountain pass to prevent the strategic location from being seized by the Wuhuan.

In the mountain stream, Zhang Liao and Ma Chao led three thousand elite troops on a whirlwind journey, only to see scouts approaching from afar.

"Report!"

Before they could even rein in their horses, the scouts reported to Zhang Liao, shouting, "General, a thousand Wuhuan cavalry are heading towards the mountain pass. Judging from their momentum, they are no rabble."

Zhang Liao's expression turned slightly grim. He said to Ma Chao beside him, "Last night, some Wuhuan scouts must have escaped. Now, a thousand cavalrymen are the enemy's vanguard. If we cannot drive them away and seize the mountain pass, our army will be in grave danger when the Wuhuan army arrives!"

Ma Chao gripped the reins and said in a deep voice, "General, you await the arrival of Man Jun's infantry. I am willing to lead the vanguard cavalry and break through the thousand cavalry first."

"good!"

Zhang Liao pointed forward with his whip and said, "Meng Qi will lead a thousand cavalry to attack first. I will make some arrangements and then lead my troops to attack from the mountainside."

"promise!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ma Chao ordered his men to raise their flags and call upon the nearby cavalry to charge ahead with him.

After Ma Chao left, Zhang Liao instructed his personal cavalry, saying, "Quickly inform Man Jun that the Wuhuan army will arrive shortly, and have him lead his troops to the mountain pass to prepare for battle."

"As ordered!"

The general personally led his cavalry back along the original route, intending to deliver the report to Man Chong. After galloping for about ten li, the general's banner appeared in the crowd ahead of him.

"General Man, General Zhang has sent an urgent report!" After searching for a while, he personally rode to Man Chong and said, "A thousand Wuhuan cavalry have arrived at the mountain pass first, intending to seize the strategic location. General Zhang has now ordered Ma Chao to lead his cavalry to engage them first, while he will lead his cavalry to flank them. Fearing that the Wuhuan army is behind, General Zhang has ordered you to lead your troops to the strategic location to prepare for battle."

Man Chong turned and glanced at the accompanying infantrymen, then said in a deep voice, "Report to General Zhang that I am aware of the urgency of the situation. Tell him to wait a moment, and I will lead my troops to the scene."

"promise!"

Having received Man Chong's reply, the imperial cavalry dared not delay the military intelligence and turned back.

After his personal cavalry had left, Man Chong turned to his trusted men and said loudly, "Order the infantrymen in the army to go up the mountain, each of them to cut down a tree and hold it in their hands, and then assemble here."

“General, the Wuhuan army is approaching, and General Zhang has urgently ordered our troops to rush there. Why did you order the soldiers to cut down trees? Such actions may delay our chance to win the battle,” Captain Liu Yi asked, puzzled.

Liu Yi was from Zhongshan Commandery. He was appreciated by Zhang Liao and recommended to Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu enlisted him as an officer in the elite infantry. As Liu Yi repeatedly distinguished himself in battle, the Shanxi army continued to expand its forces. As a result, Liu Yi was promoted to colonel and served under Man Chong.

Now, troops are being dispatched to rescue Youzhou. Liu Yi is from Zhongshan County. Because he is familiar with the geography and local customs, he was selected by Man Chong to join the army.

Man Chong had no intention of explaining, but seeing that many people were puzzled, he said, “The Wuhuan tribes are all skilled cavalry. Now the enemy has many cavalry and our army has few infantry. If we want to defeat the Wuhuan, we must use our infantry to take the lead and meet the enemy. Therefore, if we want to stop the Hu cavalry from charging into the formation, how can we stop them with just spears? If we can use deer antlers as a barrier, then the enemy will not dare to come into battle.”

"By felling trees and holding branches, if our army encounters a strong enemy, we can halt and form a camp, and gather branches to create deer antlers. We can first use deer antlers to engage the enemy, then set up long spears, and prepare strong bows inside. How can the barbarian cavalry defeat us?"

Liu Yi pondered for a moment and asked in return, "Then how do we defeat the Wuhuan?"

Upon hearing this, Man Chong's usually serious face broke into a rare smile as he said, "Defeating the Wuhuan is beyond our current ability to predict, and besides, defeating the Wuhuan relies on cavalry, not foot soldiers."

Although Man Chong did not say how to defeat the Wuhuan, Liu Yi could sense the confidence in Man Chong's tone. It was clear that Man Chong had already discussed with Zhang Liao how to deal with the Wuhuan, and even said that the two had already devised a plan to defeat the enemy, but could not reveal it to everyone for the sake of secrecy.

With Man Chong's explanation, the foot soldiers understood the reason for cutting down trees, and immediately went up the mountain to cut down trees, working with great enthusiasm.

While Man Chong ordered his infantry to cut down trees, Zhang Liao and Ma Chao fought a bloody battle and finally drove back a thousand Wuhuan cavalry. Ma Chao was particularly fierce, leading more than a hundred Long cavalrymen into the vanguard. He then personally led the charge, spear in hand, charging into the enemy ranks three times, killing a Wuhuan tribal leader, and working with Zhang Liao to defeat the Wuhuan cavalry.

At the mountain pass, after a brief battle, Zhang Liao and Ma Chao led their cavalry up the mountain to dismount and rest.

"enemy!"

Ma Chao had just taken a sip of water when he saw smoke and dust rising in the distance, almost obscuring the sky. He nearly spat out the water, quickly swallowed it, and then shouted to Zhang Liao.

Although Zhang Liao had only recently dismounted to rest, looking out from his vantage point, he saw a large army steadily advancing in the direction the Wuhuan cavalry had retreated, and his expression turned grave.

"General, the enemy cavalry retreated slightly, and the enemy army arrived in no time. How swift they are!"

Ma Chao approached Zhang Liao's side and asked with concern, "The enemy is strong. Man Chong's infantry is behind us, and Yan Rou's supply train has not yet arrived. Should we retreat now and wait for Yan and Man's armies to arrive before engaging the enemy cavalry?"

As soon as Ma Chao finished speaking, a sharp-eyed confidant spotted Tadun's banner and exclaimed in shock, "General, Wuhuan Chanyu Tadun has personally led a large army here. Our troops have not yet arrived. We should wait for the two reinforcements to arrive before engaging Tadun in battle."

Zhang Liao's solemn expression gradually turned serious. He had only recently repelled the Wuhuan cavalry and his troops had barely rested when they encountered the Wuhuan army personally led by Tadun, which was truly unexpected. He had originally intended to defeat the Wuhuan cavalry and then engage the approaching Wuhuan army in a decisive battle once his main force had assembled.

Looking around, Zhang Liao saw that everyone looked fearful. Even someone as brave as Ma Chao was deeply moved. This made Zhang Liao's heart sink.

After some consideration, Zhang Liao raised his voice and said in a deep voice, "Although the enemy has many troops, their formation is disorganized. Our army may be smaller, but our infantry is coming soon. The mountain pass is a strategic high ground and a must-contest location for military strategists. Our army should seize it first. If we abandon it now because the enemy has many troops, wouldn't that be a waste of our soldiers' lives?"

As he spoke, Zhang Liao brandished his whip and pointed at the army's formation, saying, "The Wuhuan cavalry are numerous. If we encounter them on the plains, our army will be unable to gain a foothold and will be defeated. However, our army is positioned on high ground and has the advantage of overlooking the enemy. The enemy cavalry has just been defeated, so how dare we hastily launch an attack?"

"Our army holds the mountain and does not retreat. The enemy does not know the troops in the ravine and must be suspicious. Therefore, we can wait for General Man to lead his infantry to arrive."

With Zhang Liao's words, the morale of the men was somewhat restored, and the cavalrymen who had been resting hurriedly prepared for battle.

Perhaps fearing the swift arrival of the Wuhuan army, Man Chong led his infantry on foot, and by the time the Wuhuan cavalry had advanced, the infantry had already reached the mountain pass. Under Man Chong's command, the infantry dismounted, each carrying a large wooden branch, and slowly advanced forward.

Leaving someone to command the infantry, Man Chong rode up the mountain to meet Zhang Liao. Upon reaching the mountain, Man Chong also saw the vast, dark army of Wuhuan in the distance.

“Lord Man, Tadun has personally led the Wuhuan here, and they wish to await the arrival of Yan’s army. I wish to lead my troops to fight them. What do you think?” Zhang Liao asked, seeking his opinion.

Without hesitation, Man Chong said in a deep voice, "General, your insight is clear. Why should you have any doubts?"

"Now that Tadun's troops have just arrived, they do not yet know the size of our army, and the enemy cavalry's formation is not yet stable. If we wait for Yan Jun's troops to arrive and order the Wuhuan cavalry to form a disciplined formation, Tadun will know the strength of our army, and then our army will have a hard time winning!"

With that, Man Chong cupped his hands to Zhang Liao and said, "To attack the unprepared with the prepared, and to defeat the many with the few, is the perfect opportunity to strike a surprise attack and win!"

“I am unworthy, but I am willing to follow the previous military orders and lead the infantry to clear the way, while the general leads the cavalry to cover the rear.”

"good!"

Zhang Liao gripped Man Chong's hand tightly and said excitedly, "This battle concerns Youzhou, and even more so, Your Majesty's great cause. In this critical moment, you are truly trustworthy!"

ps: There will be another chapter tonight

(End of this chapter)