Jinting Han people

In this battle, the Western Army brought more than 35,000 men. In addition to Zhang Fu, the Prefect of Fengyi, as the main commander, the accompanying officers included Cavalry Commandant Zhao Ran, Eastern Qiang Colonel Guan Xian, Prefect of Pingyang Song Zhou, Prefect of Fufeng Guo Chuan, and Pingxi Army Commander Jia Pi, among others.

They stretched out in a long formation running north-south, like a long dragon lying across the Tongren Plain. Before they arrived, Zhang Fu had already devised a battle plan. Since they had the advantage in numbers, they would deploy a goose-shaped formation, using a solid central army to block the enemy's front, then flanking the Yongzhou army from both sides, and then gradually closing in on the wings, crushing the enemy's formation like a rolling pin.

This is a very conventional deployment, its advantage being that it can be used for both offense and defense, and with a solid central army, it is difficult to suffer a devastating blow. The cost, however, is that even if victorious, the central army is difficult to move, and the flanks cannot completely encircle the enemy; at best, it will be a rout, and it's impossible to achieve a high casualty ratio. All of this stems from the defeats of the previous two battles, forcing them to adopt a more conservative strategy.

In contrast, the Yongzhou army adopted a more aggressive strategy. Knowing their forces were weaker, Liu Shen and his men concentrated their elite cavalry and armored soldiers on the right flank, intending to use the left flank to buy time and gradually retreat, waiting for the right flank to launch a diagonal attack on the enemy's left flank. Their plan was that if the right-wing infantry could break through and breach the western army's left flank, then turn around and carve a deep gap, allowing the cavalry to maneuver back and forth within that gap, they could likely defeat the enemy's offensive.

Overall, in terms of formation, there is not much difference between the two sides. The outcome of this battle will depend on the performance of the players on the field.

A slight autumn breeze stirred, swirling fallen leaves that danced in the air like butterflies. The two sides were only about three hundred paces apart; in the early morning light, the soldiers could see each other's faces. Apart from the trees on the Bronze Man Plain, the space between the two armies was empty, as if waiting for something to fill the void.

Because of the advantage of being able to win by shooting, the Western Army launched the attack first. The three armies advanced together, with soldiers wearing armor and carrying large swords and wooden shields as the vanguard. They marched several hundred paces forward and approached. At this point, the distance was extremely close. In order to avoid immediately engaging in pointless hand-to-hand combat, the Yongzhou army at the front quickly loosened the formation of the soldiers at the front and took turns using a rain of arrows to stop the enemy's offensive.

After all, the wind was blowing from the southwest, giving the Yongzhou army a tailwind and the Western army a headwind. Although the wind wasn't strong, not everyone was like Zhao Ran, and this back-and-forth still gave the Yongzhou soldiers a significant advantage. Therefore, when the Western army tried to exchange fire under the Yongzhou army's fire, they were quickly suppressed. Thus, in the initial stages of the battle, the Yongzhou army indeed held the advantage.

However, this phase did not last long. No matter how much they tried to create space, the two armies were only a few hundred paces apart. Moreover, because they were fighting separately, each person could not carry many arrows, and once they ran out, they would have to fight hand to hand. So, in the gaps between the archers' arrows, Guan Xian led the first batch of Western Army soldiers into the left flank of the Yongzhou army.

Guan Xian, as the Commandant of the Eastern Qiang, was surrounded by warriors recruited from the Qiang people. Though few in number, they numbered about a thousand, all seasoned veterans. When they charged into battle, they let out ferocious roars, like those of wild beasts, their voices utterly terrifying. The archers from Yongzhou in front had never heard such sounds before, and upon hearing them, they were stunned. Then they saw the enemy charging forward like madmen, slashing at them with broadswords. These archers in the front ranks were utterly powerless to resist, and in an instant, they were all hacked down. Crimson blood mingled with the yellowish grass, as if spring had returned, and flowers had bloomed anew among the green grass.

Huangfu Dan then stepped up. Although most of the elite troops were concentrated on the right flank, someone still needed to take charge of the left flank. Liu Shen entrusted this task to Huangfu Dan, whose army consisted mostly of knights who had returned from the Battle of Xilei, and were naturally quite capable. However, at this moment, they had given their horses to the right flank, while they themselves donned armor and lined up, long spears held high.

Although nominally these people were deserters, which didn't sound very good, they had also seen great battles and wouldn't be afraid of simple matters. Even though the Qiang people screamed like ghosts, Huangfu Dan was not afraid. He maintained a tight formation and advanced, while the armored soldiers thrust in unison, and the iron thorns pushed forward steadfastly, quickly extinguishing the Qiang people's arrogance and stabilizing the slightly chaotic formation again.

However, from a small hill in the center of the Western Army, it could be seen that the left flank of the Yongzhou Army had formed a curved semi-circle, with a very scattered and seemingly weak formation. The Western Army soldiers who charged in also became very weak, like punching into willow catkins, unable to exert their full strength.

Meanwhile, the right flank of the Yongzhou army was charging westward with all its might. The left flank of the Western Army seemed to be unable to withstand the pressure and was beginning to collapse backward and to the west. The left flank of the original formation of white flags and yellow armor was now being breached by a torrent of black armor, making it unstable and seemingly on the verge of being completely cut off, creating a breach.

Zhang Fu observed and directed the battle from this small hill, and by this time, he had basically figured out the enemy's attack intentions. If the enemy could first relieve the attack on his left flank, then the goose formation would be like a wing missing, and the so-called "two wings closing" would be meaningless. Therefore, after considering the situation, he said to the generals accompanying him, "I plan to send troops to rescue the left flank. What do you think?"

“No,” Jia Pi said. “Our central army is currently in a well-organized formation. If we change direction, it will be easy to create weaknesses. If the formation becomes unstable and the morale of the troops is shaken, then it will be bad.”

"Oh? Then, in your opinion, how should we deal with this?"

"Don't worry about the left wing. Although the enemy is fierce now, Commandant Zhao and his men are holding back. It will be difficult for the enemy to tear us apart so easily. In other words, it will be equally difficult for our army to win here. It seems that the enemy has deployed a large number of elite troops. Even if our army sends troops over, we can only break their momentum, but we will not be able to achieve a decisive victory."

At this point, Jia Pi glanced at the Bronze Man Plain to the south and said in a calm tone, "I think it's best to start from the right flank. The enemy's left flank is already weak. If we add fuel to the fire and completely destroy their left flank, it should be the easiest way to achieve results."

Zhang Fu stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, then nodded approvingly, saying, "You're right. You're a promising young man; I'm no match for you!"

Having said that, he immediately summoned his only remaining mobile force, a little over a thousand armored cavalrymen. He intended to use them as the decisive blow, and the general leading this force naturally had to be a brave and valiant commander who could lead from the front. So he called over a general who was already getting impatient and said to him, "Master Chen, the success or failure of this battle rests entirely in your hands. Can you break this deadlock?"

Chen An laughed and said, "I've wanted to make a name for myself several times, but His Highness hasn't given me the chance. I'm itching to do it. Please rest assured, Lord Zhang, I will definitely defeat the enemy and return!"

Having said this, he immediately summoned the mobile knights waiting around him. These knights, all armored, charged along the rear of the Western Army's main formation towards the Bronze Man Plain to the south at his command. The Bronze Man Plain wasn't originally called Bronze Man Plain, but Ba Plain. It was renamed Bronze Man Plain because there were two bronze figures on this plain, two of the twelve bronze figures cast by Qin Shi Huang after collecting weapons from across the land. The bronze figures were originally located in Xiangyang. Later, when Dong Zhuo moved the capital, he destroyed the bronze figures in Xianyang to issue new Wuzhu coins in order to improve the treasury. This caused the value of Wuzhu coins to plummet, rendering them unusable. When the project was finally halted, only the two bronze figures remained. Later, Emperor Cao Rui of Wei, while constructing palaces in Luoyang, saw these two bronze figures again in Guanzhong. Intrigued, he ordered them to be moved to the Luoyang palace. As a result, the bronze figure was too heavy, and when it was dragged to Ba Plain, it encountered heavy rain, causing it to sink into a deep pit and become impossible to move. From then on, the place was renamed Bronze Figure Plain.

Therefore, it can be seen that the terrain of Tongren Plain is not treacherous. Although the terrain is undulating, it is generally a relatively flat slope, extremely suitable for galloping horses. The Western knights shook the reins, and the horses galloped up as if flying, no different from flat ground. Once they reached the top of the slope and rounded a bend on the plain, Chen An could successfully break through to the left flank and rear of the Yongzhou army.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, several scouts suddenly appeared in front of him, and soon, thousands of cavalrymen seemed to appear all at once before Chen An. Among the troops, a large banner bore a huge character "Su," indicating that it was Su Qi's cavalry.

It turned out that Liu Shen and Jia Pi had the same idea. Liu Shen had originally planned to ambush them at Tongren Plain. Now that the two armies were facing each other, he felt that the left flank was vulnerable, so he thought it would be better to send cavalry to outflank and attack. If successful, it would definitely achieve a surprise effect and greatly relieve the pressure on the left flank. Therefore, Liu Shen entrusted Su Qi with this task before the battle. As a result, the two groups of cavalry have now clashed.

Both sides met on the Bronze Man Plain and were taken aback, having encountered an unexpected enemy. At this moment, whoever reacted first often prevailed. Chen An was undoubtedly the one who reacted faster. He addressed his soldiers, "We come from humble backgrounds, have long been subordinates, and have achieved little fame. To rise above our circumstances, a peaceful life is not the way. Only by fighting our way through can we ascend to the highest ranks. Do you dare to advance?"

Chen An had always shared weal and woe with his subordinates, and now that he was at the forefront of the battle, everyone was deeply grateful to him. Upon hearing this, their blood boiled, and they all hurriedly bowed and replied, "We are willing to serve you to the death!"

After speaking, he took his seven-foot-long sword from his attendant and charged into the Yongzhou army. Less than an incense stick's time had passed since the two armies met on the plain.

Seeing that they had run into the enemy, Su Qi was still pondering his countermeasures when, unexpectedly, a lone rider charged out from the enemy ranks like a hawk. The Western Army knights behind him couldn't keep up, let alone Su Qi's own knights. Su Qi only saw that the man was dressed in gleaming armor and carried a seven-foot-long sword with a blade as white as snow. He could roughly guess that this man held a high position in the Western Army, and immediately ordered his followers to fire arrows at him.

But Chen An was too fast. He crouched low on his horse, and the arrows whizzed past, missing their mark. By the time he got closer, the riders didn't even have time to aim. In the blink of an eye, Chen An, sword in hand, charged into the Yongzhou army formation. The knights in front of Su Qi saw this short figure flash past them like a whirlwind, and instinctively tried to scatter.

Su Qi hadn't expected that, despite having more than ten riders in front of him, a path would suddenly open up, allowing Chen An to rush over as if he were nothing. A flash of cold light appeared before his eyes, and he felt as if something had sliced ​​him, before Chen An vanished. When he tried to touch the so-called wound, he found it numb. To the horror of his subordinates, his head fell straight off his neck, like a fruit falling from a branch.

At this moment, Su Qi's body seemed oblivious to the fact that his head had fallen to the ground; he remained seated on his horse, swaying gently with its gait. The other knights, who had never witnessed such a scene, were utterly terrified, completely losing the will to resist, and fled back the way they had come.

This allowed Chen An's cavalry force to advance unimpeded, pursuing the cavalry down the mountain and charging all the way to the left flank of the Yongzhou army. The earth trembled like a drumbeat, the grass was quickly trampled, and the Yongzhou army's left flank, already struggling to hold on, lost all morale upon seeing enemy cavalry appear on their flank and charging towards them. They abandoned their opponents and fled north. Their collapse caused the previously advantageous right flank to crumble as well, and it too began to drift with the tide.

Especially for cavalrymen like Pei Feng, who were engaged in fierce fighting among enemy troops, the chaos caused them to flee in disarray, scrambling and jostling each other. Zhao Ran had already spotted him and, from within the crowd, shot an arrow that struck Pei Feng's horse in the leg. Pei Feng immediately fell to the ground, surrounded by fleeing enemy and friendly forces, his own men too afraid to come to his aid. In an instant, he was surrounded by a group of enemy cavalry.

Pei Feng had injured his foot and was unable to get up from the ground. Seeing the pursuers closing in, he immediately threw down his weapon and said, "I surrender! Spare my life! Take me to His Highness, and I can tell Liu Xian the truth!"

As a result, almost the entire Yongzhou army showed signs of collapse, much to Zhang Fu's delight. Just as he was preparing to order a general offensive to capitalize on the victory, a scout suddenly reported from behind that large ships were appearing on the Ba River, and it seemed that several thousand people were disembarking from the ships, preparing to launch an attack from the rear.

At this point in time, only Liu Xian was capable of sailing in Guanzhong. Upon hearing this news, Zhang Fu was furious and, half admiring and half ashamed, scolded his men: "Guanzhong has always been a place where cavalry can roam freely. Liu Xian has repeatedly used his navy to run rampant. This is outrageous!"

Despite their complaints, it was autumn flood season, the time when the Wei River was navigable. They could do nothing but wait for the floods to pass. Zhang Fu had no choice but to abandon the pursuit and order his troops to regroup, lest their triumph turn into tragedy and Liu Xian tear their formation apart from behind. They had already won a battle; if they could safely retreat back to Chang'an, they would have satisfied the King of Hejian.

Meanwhile, the Yongzhou army retreated from Bacheng, shaking off their pursuers. After a brief count, they found they had lost over three thousand men. Liu Shen and his men retreated all the way to the banks of the Wei River before finally encountering the boats sent by Liu Xian to fetch them. Wei Bo, Huangfu Dan, and the others returned to their camp in Xianyang, dejected and disheveled. After assessing their losses, they dared not face Liu Xian, feigning illness and remaining in their camp. It took Liu Shen a day of persuasion before they finally went to see Liu Xian.

Liu Xian remained polite to them, offering some words of comfort, but finally uttered only one harsh statement: "In all my years of fighting, I've only come to understand one principle: to achieve victory, everyone must be united. If one is half-hearted, not only you and I, but even if Bai Qi and Han Xin were to rise from the dead, would not escape death!"

Wei Bo and the others, having been saved by Liu Xian, felt ashamed and grateful. They solemnly kowtowed several times to Liu Xian and replied, "We are like frogs at the bottom of a well, unaware of the vastness of the world. From now on, in the event of war, we will obey your orders without hesitation!" (End of Chapter)