Jinting Han people

Compared to the previous assault, the Western Army's offensive this time was extremely well-organized.

The first wave of attackers was light cavalry. They broke away from the main force like sharp swords, approaching the camp's palisade at top speed. They immediately dismounted and used long axes to break through at several points. This was a lesson learned from the last time: using infantry was too slow and allowed the defenders to reinforce in time. Therefore, this time they were willing to disregard casualties and quickly create a breach.

Then came the infantry phalanx following behind. They didn't rush in with the vanguard light cavalry, but instead, once they were within arrow range, they unleashed a barrage of arrows at the defenders on the left and right sides of the attack zone, one arrow after another. This storm of arrows suppressed the defenders' ability to reinforce, making it easier for the vanguard to break through the enemy lines.

Once the vanguard had created several gaps, heavy cavalry followed to reinforce them, replacing the light cavalry and then circling back and forth through the breaches. These men were few in number, but extremely difficult to deal with. The circle they formed was like a circular millstone, easily crushing anyone who approached, while the defenders struggled to inflict sufficient damage.

Liu Xian was still on the Wei Bridge at the central fortress. From his watchtower, he could vaguely see the western fortress. Looking out, he could see a vast number of Westerners surrounding the western fortress, like ants, yet their formation was not chaotic. It was as if, in the darkness, the fingers of a deity were moving invisibly, drawing lines within the crowd, and the people moved and attacked according to divine guidance, without any hesitation; everything seemed so natural.

But Liu Xian understood that this was not divine guidance, but rather the result of meticulous preparation and planning by the Western Expeditionary Army. In just one hour, the Western Army had torn a considerable gap in the camp, much faster than before.

The accompanying generals were getting impatient. Seeing this, Huan Yi couldn't help but ask, "Huai Chong, should we send troops to assist General Zhang first?"

Liu Xian glanced at him and replied, "Don't panic, General Zhang can still hold on."

This was not the first offensive and defensive battle that Liu Xian had experienced.

Having experienced countless battles, he had a profound understanding of the characteristics of offensive and defensive warfare. The biggest difference between offensive and defensive warfare and field battles lies in:
In field battles, discipline and courage are paramount. Often, one or two fierce offensives are enough to engulf the entire army and determine the outcome. In offensive and defensive battles, patience and wisdom are paramount. Every unit has its own unique and irreplaceable purpose; only meticulous calculation and careful observation can turn the tide in a large-scale attrition war and tip the tide in one's favor. Hoping for victory in one fell swoop is undoubtedly extremely unrealistic.

Although the Western Army's offensive was fierce, Liu Xian could clearly see that Zhang Guang's troops had not suffered significant losses. This was partly due to his own strategy of concentrating his armored soldiers under Zhang Fang's command, but more importantly, it was because Zhang Guang himself was deliberately avoiding direct confrontation.

An ordinary person might think Zhang Guang was conserving his strength, but Liu Xian knew Zhang Guang's character well. He was well-versed in the tactics of using infantry to defeat cavalry, and he was simply waiting for the enemy's armored cavalry to be exhausted and reveal a weakness.

As expected, the Western Army's armored cavalry wasn't numerous. A hundred or so cavalrymen poured in, widening the front line to a sufficient extent before reinforcements could be deployed. At this point, infantry inevitably poured in, attempting to further expand the battle line through sheer numbers. But it was at this moment that Zhang Guang launched a counterattack.

As the infantry tried to follow the armored cavalry's formation, a certain degree of separation was inevitable. Zhang Guang seized this opportunity, ordering Zhang Wen and Zhang Yuan to block them. Just like securing the ropes of a sack, they instantly separated the infantry from the armored cavalry entering the camp, and launched a pincer attack from the rear and front at the same time.

To frighten the armored cavalry, Zhang Guang specifically ordered the surrounding warriors to fire arrows. Arrows coated with pine resin were fired, scattering across the dry grass, instantly creating billowing smoke and a foul odor. Even the men were affected, their noses running; imagine the easily startled horses! Despite their armor, the warhorses panicked, breaking free of their riders and running wildly. The riders tried to rein them in, but to no avail.
Taking advantage of the chaos among the Western Army knights, the Zhaowu soldiers swarmed forward, raising their long spears and thrusting them at the lone knights. No matter how invincible these armored beasts were, they could not withstand attacks from all sides. Often, they would stumble and fall from their horses, only to see the bright, cold light shining into the gaps in their armor. The stinging pain caused blood to gush out, and in unbearable agony, they had no choice but to end their own lives.

Seeing this, the remaining armored cavalry knew that continuing the fight was futile, so they all spurred their horses and returned. Thus, the passage that the Western Army had painstakingly opened over an hour was driven out by Zhang Guang in just a quarter of an hour.

However, this was only a battle in one direction. Just as Zhang Guang was counterattacking the armored cavalry, two more small Western Army squads seized the opportunity and broke in through two other gaps in the defense. The fierce battle that lasted for nearly two hours was just an appetizer in the offensive and defensive war.

Liu Xian watched as blood continued to flow in the distance, secretly estimating how long Zhang Guang's troops could hold out. Then he instructed the generals beside him: "Bin Shuo, go and inform Huangfu Dan's troops to rotate to the western camp in an hour. Also, be wary of those fierce generals in the western army breaking through the camp again. Have Mao Bao prepare as well. Once the enemy generals break through the camp, give the order for his Flying Falcon Battalion to be ready to provide support at any time."

"Yes, sir." Li Sheng accepted the order and left.

"A-Tian, ​​the defense tonight is your responsibility, along with Wei Bo's unit. Get ready and go rest now. We'll be rotating shifts at 7 PM today. Also, inform the fire camp to have extra beef for dinner tonight. All soldiers who participated in the battle can eat it today."

"Yes, sir." Zhang Gu bowed and immediately withdrew from the watchtower.

"Nan Qiao, go and inform Hao Jin Camp and Tie Ma Camp. You will be in charge. Tell them to prepare to cross the river tonight and take a boat to launch a night attack on the enemy. Don't worry about killing many enemies, just make a big show of it to disturb their flanks and block the Western Army's offensive."

"Yes, sir." Zhuge Yan accepted the token without further ado and left.

"Twelfth Brother, I'm appointing you as the supervisor of the battle. Order all units to take turns on duty according to the appointed time. Anyone who deserts without my orders will be executed! Those who dare to fight bravely will be rewarded!"

"Yes, sir." Liu He was quite cautious. He repeated the military order in his mind before slowly leaving.

"..."

After a series of military orders were issued, the generals went to carry out their orders, leaving many of them with empty seats. His deployment was extremely appropriate, and the remaining generals, including Liu Shen, thought to themselves that they could have done even better in his place, and they were filled with admiration.

But Liu Xian was still not satisfied. He asked himself, after the last battle, he knew very well that breaking through the enemy's camp from the front would be extremely difficult. Even if they succeeded, the losses would be very heavy, which, given the external influence of the Northern Expeditionary Army, was undoubtedly extremely unwise.

It seems the opponent has adopted some other strategy in an attempt to gain victory.

After a few thoughts, Liu Xian looked for Zhang Shi and asked, "Where is An Xun?" As Zhang Gui's eldest son, Liu Xian rarely used Zhang Shi. Upon hearing this, Zhang Shi was somewhat surprised and quickly stepped forward, saying, "Marshal, I'm here."

"Send me over a hundred scouts to check the upper reaches of the Wei River for any unusual activity. Send more men, and make sure they go as far as possible, at least thirty li away."

There was no way Liu Xian could hide the presence of the newly built navy downstream of the Wei River from his eyes. However, due to the three bridges spanning the Wei River, boats could not easily cross it, making it difficult to easily observe the situation upstream. Liu Xian thought that if the enemy had any strategy, they would probably only be able to start from here.

After completing this final arrangement, Liu Xian did not inquire further. Seeing that all departments were operating smoothly, he then descended from the watchtower and returned to the main camp in Weibei to inspect the supplies.

Too many orders will only confuse the soldiers. If unnecessary, military orders should be minimized, allowing the frontline soldiers to handle things themselves. After all, Liu Xianren's energy is limited; he cannot handle every detail. And excellent soldiers cannot be his puppets; he must learn to trust his subordinates.

After so many days of command, Liu Xian had gained a deeper understanding of how to be a leader. For most people, the leader they needed wasn't someone who could offer advice, but rather a source of unwavering support, like a banner, giving them a sense of security and inspiring courage to face life and death. Therefore, a leader's confident demeanor was just as important as detailed military orders.

Fortunately, Liu Xian had long been capable of such things. Years of warfare had allowed him to remain calm amidst the brutal sounds of battle, but this did not mean his heart had turned to stone. Rather, Liu Xian deeply believed that he was on the right path. Although he had encountered many setbacks in the past, these setbacks had become his wealth, making his beliefs unshakable.

To lead others, you must first convince yourself. How can you expect others to agree if you don't even believe in yourself? Now, what Liu Xian needs to do is convince his people that they are going to build a country, and that they are capable of building a country.

Therefore, after listening to the sounds of battle from Weinan for several hours, Liu Xian remained at the Weibei camp. Seeing his lord's calm demeanor, the soldiers' weariness and fear of battle greatly diminished. As the battle raged from morning till night, nearly a thousand men were killed or wounded on both sides. But the outcome was exactly as Liu Xian had predicted: thanks to the soldiers' valiant efforts, the western fortress remained untouched.

When it was time for dinner, Yang Nandi came to dine with Liu Xian. As a guest soldier, Liu Xian didn't need him to fight for the time being, so he had been observing from the watchtower at the western fortress. When he returned, he marveled at the battle situation and said, "Huai Chong, you really have a lot of composure. Such a grand scene makes our battles at Qiuchi seem like small fry."

"Oh?" Following Yang Nandi's words, Liu Xian casually asked, "Has Qiu Chi also fought in battles over the years?"

"Of course we fought," Yang Nandi complained. "That old scoundrel Yan Zuan was envious of my family's control of two prefectures and sent troops to hunt us down several times, which led to several small battles."

Hearing that this battle was related to Yan Zuan, Liu Xian became interested. After all, Yan Zuan was currently on the opposite side, and from the perspective of knowing oneself and one's enemy, it was advisable to learn more about him. Therefore, he asked again, "What were the results of the battle?"

"The mountains of Qiuchi are high and the forests are deep. In spring and summer, there are many poisonous snakes and mosquitoes, and in winter, the mountains are closed and difficult to travel. Yan Zuan is already an old man in his fifties. He can't send troops out at other times. He can only fight a few battles in the autumn. What can be the result? Several times he came, but he couldn't fight me for more than a month before he had to retreat in a hurry. He only affected my grain collection and also bribed some traitors from my troops. He is really hateful!"

Yang Nandi cursed under his breath; clearly, the process wasn't as easy as he'd made it out to be. Liu Xian also thought to himself that, given the circumstances, Yan Zuan's willingness to try and annihilate the Qiu Chi Kingdom was truly commendable.

He had actually heard of Yan Zuan before; his grandfather was Yan Pu, the strategist of Zhang Lu, the governor of Hanzhong during the late Han Dynasty, who made great contributions to Zhang Lu's surrender to Cao Cao. Logically, someone with such a background should have had an excellent career, but Yan Zuan had been a follower of Yang Jun in his early years, and after the downfall of the Three Yangs, his career ended. However, he was a man of excellent character; after the execution of the Three Yangs, he risked everything to build a tomb for Yang Jun.

Therefore, after Sun Xiu purged the Hou Party, in order to enhance his prestige, he appointed him as the governor of Hanzhong, a position he holds to this day.

Liu Xian thought to himself: The Yan family has been a powerful clan in Hanzhong for generations. Now that I am about to enter Shu, they are my roadblock. If I can get rid of them here, it will undoubtedly remove a major obstacle. And if I can subdue them, my future plans will go much more smoothly...

Just as he was pondering this, a guard came to deliver a message from outside the tent, saying, "Young Master Zhang has returned. He says he has important matters to report to the Marshal."

After saying this, Zhang Shi strode into the tent, bowed to Liu Xian, and said, "Marshal, the matter you instructed has been resolved."

Liu Xian's eyelids twitched, and he put down his bowl and chopsticks, asking, "Is there anything unusual upstream?"

Zhang Shi replied in a deep voice, "The Marshal is wise. Twenty miles upstream from the Wei Bridge, our scouts saw many people piling up huge logs on the riverbank and bundling them together. If my prediction is correct, tonight they will use these logs to go downstream and destroy our Wei Bridge."

"This is a major event. Once the Wei Bridge collapses, the Weinan camp will be isolated and helpless, and will soon be defeated by the Western Army. Marshal, I'm afraid we should make preparations as soon as possible."

So that's what the King of Hejian was planning! What a brilliant scheme! Liu Xian thought to himself with delight. Just as Zhang Shi had said, destroying the Wei Bridge was the best way to break through his defenses. However, he had previously used a surprise attack to burn the ships at Tongguan, and because the navy was rampant on the Wei River, they couldn't use the most convenient fire ships. He never expected that they would come up with such an idea.

If I hadn't been prepared, they might have actually succeeded. Unfortunately, even the best scheme is useless if I knew about it beforehand.

“This is not difficult to handle, Anson. I have more than a dozen boats left on the shore. You can have them all. Push the boats upstream and have someone quickly make some long poles. Once these logs are going downstream, you can hook them all ashore.”

After giving his instructions, Liu Xian chuckled softly. He picked up his bowl and chopsticks again and said to Yang Nandi, who was listening nearby, with a smile, "The weather is getting colder, and my camp is short of firewood. I didn't expect the other side to deliver it to our doorstep." (End of Chapter)