Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 446 The situation is over
On the Hanbei Plain, the two armies were locked in battle. The infantry surged and rolled like waves, their figures a constant display of fighting; the cavalry bloomed like peach blossoms across the plain, each wave a crisscrossing display of hooves.

According to Sun Ce's plan, he knew that his cavalry was not as strong as the Northern Army. Therefore, Sun Ce's request for the Shu cavalry was very simple: to do his best to delay the time of defeat so that the infantry could defeat the enemy with superior numbers.

Zu Mao, who commanded the cavalry, lived up to Sun Ce's expectations. Under his command, his thousand cavalrymen fought fiercely against the northern cavalry.

The two cavalry forces first entangled and then separated. Each time the cavalry crossed paths, the northern cavalry would use their superior archery skills to kill many Shu cavalrymen. In order to keep the northern cavalry occupied, the Shu cavalry would catch up with the northern cavalry and wield their swords and spears to slash forward. A fierce melee broke out suddenly. In just a few exchanges, more than a hundred riders fell from their horses, and dust billowed up everywhere.

Zu Mao led his troops in a charge against the northern cavalry, leading from the front and launching a relentless, life-or-death attack that inflicted heavy casualties on the northern cavalry. Seeing the Shu general's bravery, the northern cavalry on both sides tried to surround and kill Zu Mao, but Zu Mao, with his own courage, broke through wave after wave of northern cavalry.

On the other hand, the Northern Army infantry stretched their lines into a long and narrow formation to facilitate engagement with the Shu Army infantry. Compared to the solid 9,000-strong Shu Army infantry square formation, the Northern Army's 4,000-strong square formation was much thinner.

Within the battle formation, the Northern infantry, seasoned by years of combat, used spears to thrust and arrows to stab, striving to maintain their formation while simultaneously attempting to cut through the enemy ranks. After a fierce battle, scalding blood flowed across the plains, and the pitiful cries of agony were drowned out by the shouts of battle.

Sun Ce rode his horse under the banner, looked at the chaotic army formation, and said to his men, "The Northern army relies on its cavalry. If Zu Darong can hold off the Northern cavalry, our infantry can defeat Xu Huang!"

Everyone around was optimistic about the development of the battle.

Fa Zheng said loudly, "My lord, if we can defeat Xu Huang this time, we will not only have a chance to occupy Hanzhong, but also capture the northern army's infantry and cavalry. The south is rich in horses, and if you return to pacify the south, you will be able to build an elite cavalry and use it to send troops to Longyou."

Sun Ce nodded silently.

Although Yizhou doesn't have as many horses as the northern frontier, it is still much richer in horses than Jing and Yang. The main reason affecting the number of Yizhou cavalry is the scarcity of skilled horsemen. Therefore, according to Fazheng's advice, defeating the enemy army in front of him, and then incorporating the prisoners and the northern soldiers in Baocheng, will greatly enhance the fighting strength of his troops.

So far, the battle has progressed too smoothly, and the expected scenario of Zu Mao being forced into a tough fight and defeated has not materialized.

Just then, another cloud of dust rose outside the formation, and a troop of northern cavalry broke through the dust and charged out, their target Zu Mao.

Seeing this, Sun Ce's expression changed slightly, and the northern cavalry charged towards the flank of Zu Mao's forces. As a general skilled in using cavalry, Sun Ce knew Zu Mao's current predicament well. Cavalry is most vulnerable to being charged from the waist, as the side that is charged often suffers defeat.

Compared to Sun Ce's nervousness, Zu Mao looked pale.

The northern cavalry, clad in armor and wielding spears, charged forward like a tidal wave, a sight to behold and inspire fear. And leading them was none other than Kirby.

To defeat the Shu cavalry, Kirby deliberately left his elite troops behind. He let the rest of the northern cavalry fight them first, and while the enemy generals were in disarray, Kirby would seize the opportunity to lead his cavalry in a flanking attack, with the aim of crushing the fighting Shu cavalry in one fell swoop.

"kill!"

Kirby, spear in hand, plunged the spear straight into the chest of an armored Shu cavalryman. The immense impact sent the cavalryman flying through the air. Only when Kirby deliberately discarded the spear did the man fall to the ground.

After discarding his spear, Kirby drew his ring-pommel sword and slashed at the surrounding Shu cavalry. First, he precisely sliced ​​through the neck of the Shu cavalryman in front of him, and blood gushed from his neck. The Shu cavalryman swayed and then fell to the ground.

At the same time, the two hundred cavalrymen following Kirby charged in unison at the flank of the Shu cavalry, using the momentum to scatter the Shu cavalry into disarray, with stragglers visible everywhere. Then, the northern cavalry that had previously fought them charged in, plunging the already scattered Shu cavalry into complete chaos.

Zu Mao, who had repeatedly charged into the Northern cavalry, was now under heavy attack, forcing him to fight and flee to avoid being surrounded and killed by the Northern cavalry. Without their commander, the Shu cavalry quickly scattered and fled under the Northern cavalry's onslaught.

After defeating the left flank held by Zu Mao, Ke Bi led his cavalry to the right flank, where they joined forces with his main cavalry to encircle and kill the Shu cavalry, causing them to flee in defeat. At this point, Ke Bi had defeated the Shu cavalry and seized the initiative on the battlefield.

Seeing the Shu cavalry routed as expected, Sun Ce's face darkened slightly, and he ordered, "Send orders to the flanks, instructing them to hold their formations and not allow the enemy cavalry to break through. Once the enemy cavalry is exhausted, our infantry will break through, and that will be the time to win."

Zu Mao's sudden defeat did not discourage Sun Ce. As mentioned earlier, Sun Ce did not expect Zu Mao to win before the battle, and now the key to his plan was for the flanking infantry to block the northern cavalry.

However, to Sun Ce's surprise, the Northern Cavalry, which controlled the two flanks of the battlefield, did not launch a large-scale surprise attack. Instead, after some harassment, seeing the Shu army's square formations in solemn formation, arrows raining down, and spears like a forest, they withdrew their troops.

"Send orders to Generals Sun Yu and Zhang Ren, telling them to be careful of enemy cavalry dismounting and engaging in foot combat!"

Concerned about the situation on his flanks, Sun Ce couldn't help but offer some words of advice.

"promise!"

The two generals knew that this battle was crucial to the success or failure of Hanzhong, so even without Sun Ce's instructions, they dared not relax and sent their personal guards to patrol the battlefield.

"General, why did the enemy cavalry dismount?"

The troop leader pointed to the northern cavalry outside the formation, and seeing them dismount in unison, asked a question that seemed to make no sense.

Having never seen such a scene before, Sun Yu casually remarked, "They must be tired from fighting and are dismounting to rest."

The comrade said, "Our flank troops have been holding out for a long time. Why not let our troops rest on the spot while the enemy cavalry dismounts?"

Sun Yu squinted and looked around. He saw that the northern cavalry had not only dismounted but also removed their saddles. He said, "The soldiers are allowed to rest in place, but they are not allowed to leave the formation at will. If the enemy cavalry mounts their horses or dismounts to fight on foot, the soldiers of all units must form ranks in advance."

"promise!"

As Sun Yu gave the order, the infantry on the left flank relaxed, some resting against the wagons, others sitting on the ground, with only a few lookouts watching the cavalry formation outside the lines.

Suddenly, for some unknown reason, thousands of the stray horses galloped toward the left flank of the Shu army!

The sound of horses' hooves thundered, and dust billowed into the air.

Upon seeing this, the Shu soldiers on the left wing were stunned. It wasn't that they had never seen a thousand horses galloping before, but rather that there was no one on the horses, which left them at a loss for what to do!

"Nock your spears, fire! Do not let the horses charge!"

The experienced soldiers were the first to react, scrambling to their feet and shouting to the crowd.

The resting Shu soldiers reacted one after another and hurriedly formed ranks according to their previous arrangements, hoping to block the charging horses.

Sun Yu quickly noticed the strange scene and his expression changed to one of horror. He knew the tactics of cavalry charging into battle, but he had never heard of the tactics of a herd of horses charging into battle.

"Hold on!"

The hastily arrayed infantrymen, watching the surging herd of horses like a raging torrent, were filled with panic. They knew their limits when it came to outfighting cavalry, but to outfight beasts filled them with an inexplicable, unknown fear.

"shoot!"

"Whizzing!"

At the command, arrows rained down from the ranks, but the barrage of arrows did not seriously injure the horses. Instead, the wounded horses became even more ferocious and charged at the Shu army's formation.

Except for Nanzhong, Yizhou as a whole lacks horses. Therefore, most Shu soldiers had never actually seen a large-scale charge of warhorses. Their previous training was just for training, but now that they were actually facing a large number of horses charging, they were inevitably terrified. If it weren't for the presence of vehicles, many would probably have fled.

Soon, driven by the horses and braving the arrows, the horses crashed into the chariots. The massive impact caused the chariots on the flanks to veer off course, creating gaps between them. The infantry, disoriented and disoriented, used their weapons to swarm and kill the bruised and rage-ridden horses.

"kill!"

While the Shu infantry were distracted by the horses, the Northern infantry dismounted and ran to the front of the battle line. Taking advantage of the chaos, they destroyed as many chariots as possible so that the cavalry could break through the lines.

The charging warhorses, hindered by the chariots, gradually lost speed and, under the encirclement and slaughter of the Shu soldiers, eventually died from exhaustion.

For a time, the Shu army was thrown into chaos by the charge of the warhorses, with many soldiers in the front ranks being greatly disturbed by the horses' frenzied movements.

Seeing this, Kirby pointed his sword at the Shu formation and led his cavalry to charge. Following the path cleared by the infantry, the northern cavalry quickly took advantage of the chaos to enter the formation. With no Shu archers or spears to obstruct them, they moved as if they were in an empty field.

The northern cavalry brandished their swords and spears, hacking down the Shu soldiers in the front ranks. The Shu soldiers' formation was disrupted, and they could not stop the aggressive northern cavalry. Unable to withstand the pressure, they ignored the desperate cries of their officers and fled in all directions.

The sudden collapse of the army's formation caught Sun Yu off guard, leaving him reeling from the chaos. He couldn't understand how his painstakingly constructed formation had crumbled so quickly under the onslaught of the northern cavalry. "Enemy cavalry have broken through! General, retreat quickly!"

Seeing that Sun Yu could not accept the defeat of his troops, his men escorted him on horseback and fled, leaving behind the chaotic infantry formation to be trampled and slaughtered by the northern cavalry.

Soon, news of the defeat of the left wing reached the central army, causing confusion and astonishment among the Sun family members. In addition to their astonishment, they also felt a sense of fear.

Compared to the complex emotions of the others, Sun Ce directly asked angrily.

"How did Sun Yu suffer a defeat?"

"The enemy troops charged into our formation on horseback, throwing our ranks into chaos. Their cavalry are trapped and we cannot stop them!" a subordinate reported.

During the conversation, several riders suddenly charged to the outside of Sun Ce's central army, while the soldiers on the flanks spontaneously took up their bows and crossbows and fired a barrage of arrows at the outside. A northern rider screamed and fell to the ground after being hit by an arrow.

Seeing that the central army was not moving, the northern cavalry, skilled in charging into battle, drove the routed soldiers to the central army.

Amidst the chaos of the fleeing soldiers, several northern cavalrymen managed to create an opening using mounted archery. Elite central infantrymen spontaneously rushed to the scene with their spears, attempting to close the gap.

However, the majority of the northern cavalry had already arrived, and a rain of arrows fell, causing the dozen or so Shu soldiers who had just arrived to scream in agony.

"kill!"

A burly, armored northern cavalryman charged forward, thrusting out his spear and then whipping it with his iron whip before bursting into the enemy ranks through the gap.

With the brave warriors leading the way, hundreds of cavalrymen drove away the fleeing soldiers and then charged into the enemy lines. The cavalrymen following behind shot from the outside, taking advantage of the chaos to kill the stubborn Shu army's elite troops.

Sun Ce's central army suffered a rout and desertion.

Unable to accept defeat, Sun Ce brandished his spear and shouted to his guards to fight alongside him.

Fa Zheng stepped forward and used his body to block Sun Ce's horse.

“My lord, the enemy cavalry is far more valiant than we anticipated, and the current defeat is difficult to reverse. I urge you to be cautious!” Fa Zheng said in a deep voice.

Sun Ce said indignantly, "Everyone says that the northerners are hard to resist, so I will lead my troops to test them."

"Step aside!"

Seeing that Sun Ce was still angry, Fa Zheng drew his sword and said, "Since that's the case, I'm willing to follow you into battle!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce hurriedly said, "Xiaozhi is not skilled in martial arts, how can he follow me into battle? We should avoid him!"

Fa Zheng solemnly said, "If even a lord like myself has to face arrows and stones, how much more so a lowly person like myself!"

Seeing Fazheng's resolute will, Sun Ce sighed and said, "Xiaozhi, I will retire with you!"

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Excellency!"

Looking at the crumbling central army and the disorganized left wing, Sun Ce sighed deeply.

"Hanzhong is difficult to capture; the tide has turned!"

With his left flank breached and his central army in dire straits, Sun Ce, who had initially intended to fight to the death, was forced to retreat after being "persuaded" by Fa Zheng.

Sun Ce sounded the retreat, triggering a chain reaction. Xu Huang, Ke Bi, and Guo Huai led their troops in pursuit of the Shu army for more than ten miles until dusk, when they finally returned victorious.
-
The setting sun was like blood, and the autumn wind was bleak.

A defeated army marched against the current along the Han River, many of its flags lost due to the defeat. The infantry and cavalry were short of armor and manpower, and morale was low.

Sun Ce rode slowly along the side of the army, looking at the dejected soldiers, feeling a mix of emotions.

He had been paying close attention to Zhang Yu and even had a contingency plan to send troops to rescue him, but he still lost to Zhang Yu. Could it be that he underestimated his enemy?
Now that he has been defeated by Xu Huang, he probably has no chance of taking Hanzhong!

"Woo!"

"Brother, Ah Cai is dead!"

Suddenly, Sun Yu rode up to Sun Ce and said in a tearful voice.

Sun Cai, the son of Sun Jian's cousin, followed Sun Jian from the time he raised his army. He had a close relationship with his brothers Sun Ce and Sun Yu, but now he died under the swords of the northern cavalry.

Seeing Sun Yu crying in distress, Sun Ce scolded him in annoyance, "If you hadn't failed to hold the left flank, how could our army have been defeated?"

Sun Yu dared not utter a sound, feeling both ashamed and indignant.

"That's it!"

Sun Ce couldn't bear it, so he reached out and patted Sun Yu's shoulder, saying, "The Northern Army has been through many battles, and Xu Huang and Ke Bi are famous generals from Guanzhong. Our army has little experience fighting the Northerners, and unfortunately we fell into their trap of driving horses into the enemy lines. So although it is a pity that we have been defeated, we still have Ba and Shu in our hands, and we will be able to make a comeback in the future!"

"Thank you, brother. I will be ashamed of today's defeat!"

When Sun Ce learned the cause and effect of the defeat, he was filled with mixed feelings. He had thought the battle would be a tough one, but he was unexpectedly defeated by a herd of livestock. It was truly ironic.

If Sun Ce had been defeated by Xu Huang in a direct confrontation, he might not have felt so aggrieved. However, being defeated by Xu Huang through cunning tactics truly made Sun Ce resentful. But upon closer reflection, if Xu Huang had such a tactic, wouldn't he have used it?
Driving his horses into battle, advancing on foot and cavalry together, they were truly unstoppable. Was this Zhang Yu's secret to military victory?
Sun Ce rode his horse along, seemingly lost in thought.

Sun Ce beckoned to Fa Zheng and asked, "Xiaozhi, our army was defeated by Xu Huang, and now it seems difficult to take Hanzhong. I wonder what your opinion is?"

Fa Zheng pondered for a moment and said, "Shi Yi is in Baocheng, Zhang Lu is guarding Nanzheng, and Xu Huang is in Tanggu. None of the three can defeat him, and Zhang Yu's reinforcements are behind. Therefore, as you say, it will be difficult for our army to take Hanzhong. However, our army is large, and most of Hanzhong is still under our control. Therefore, in my opinion, it would be better to take advantage of the withdrawal to relocate the people of Hanzhong to Shu to enrich the population of Bashu."

"Move the people of Hanzhong to Shu?"

Sun Ce asked in confusion, "Does Xiaozhi perhaps intend to weaken the people of Hanzhong in order to prepare for a subsequent northern expedition?"

"Of course!"

Fa Zheng said, "Hanzhong is the gateway to Yizhou. If Zhang Yu holds it, he can look towards Bashu. If our army gets it, we can look towards Qin and Long. Now that Zhang Yu has sent troops into Hanzhong, Zhang Lu will have to rely on Zhang Yu in the future. Therefore, weakening the power of Hanzhong will not only strengthen our army, but also make it difficult for the enemy to amass a large force in Hanzhong."

Sun Ce nodded and said, "Xiaozhi's opinion is very much in line with my thoughts. Our army has traveled a thousand miles, and if we retreat without achieving anything, I'm afraid the people of Shu will laugh at us and our soldiers will be heartbroken. If we can relocate the people of Hanchuan to the south, even if we don't gain land, we can still gain their people, which is a small military achievement."

Fa Zheng said, "The population of Hanchuan is 80,000 households. If tens of thousands of households can be moved south, the population gained will be comparable to that of an entire prefecture."

After a pause, Sun Ce asked, "After the people were relocated back to Shu, did Xiaozhi have any different opinions?"

Fa Zheng stroked his beard and pondered, then said, “To contend with Zhang Yu, Your Excellency needs elite cavalry. The southern regions are rich in military horses, and the powerful local magnates and barbarians are rampant. Why don’t Your Excellency take some time to launch a southern expedition, subdue the southern regions, recruit the barbarians into the army, and train cavalry? When the Central Plains are in turmoil, Your Excellency can lead your troops north and then plot against Hanzhong.”

Sun Ce frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "After this battle, Zhang Lu will be allied with Zhang Yu, making it difficult to launch a sudden attack on Hanzhong. Therefore, it is feasible to recover Nanzhong. However, we need to think carefully about how to launch the attack."

Sun Ce had long considered conquering Nanzhong, given that the four commanderies there covered a vast area and were rich in resources, though not as important as Hanzhong. Since Hanzhong was unconquerable, the only option was to conquer Nanzhong to establish merit, thereby intimidating the gentry of Ba and Shu, and acquiring Nanzhong's people and resources to strengthen his army.

P.S.: Be careful when buying concert tickets on Xianyu (a second-hand marketplace platform). I was scammed out of over 1,000 yuan! I reported it to the police today and gave a statement, so I won't be able to update twice tonight.

(End of this chapter)