Tiger Guards

Chapter 623 Covering the Rear Again
As Liu Bei took a large step back, he saw smoke and fire rising near the Honggou Canal in the distance to the east.

The entire army could only slow down and gather the officers and soldiers who had fallen behind.

As Liu Bei halted his horse on a hill near the road and observed the changing situation, Xiahou Bo beside him pointed eastward and exclaimed, "My lord!"

Most people around turned to look in the direction Xiahou Bo pointed, and saw a dozen or so riders rushing towards them in a disheveled state.

They encountered a scout patrol team on the outskirts. Two knights from the scout team led the routed cavalry straight toward the hill.

As they got closer, they recognized him as Mi Fang, who was escorting supplies in the rear guard.

Mi Fang's cheek was cut by a stray arrow, the skin and flesh were turned outwards and the blood was almost congealed, half of her face was stained red, and her beard was sticky due to the dried blood, and it was all smeared together.

Immediately, several of Liu Bei's personal guards stepped forward to help Mi Fang. These guards were all former servants who had accompanied Mi Fang as part of her dowry.

Mi Fang was helped to Liu Bei's horse and looked up to say, "My lord, Gan Ning's navy destroyed the pontoon bridge. Their crossbows are powerful. Before our army could transfer the supplies and weapons we had stored on both banks, Gan Ning seized them! I had no choice but to set fire to some of them to prevent them from falling into enemy hands."

Looking at the wound on Mi Fang's cheek, Liu Bei glanced at the knights who had come with him. They were either covered in soot or their armor was stained with blood; almost none of them had clean clothes.

Liu Bei glanced again at the burning pontoon bridge crossing and asked, "How is it, Chief Clerk?"

His chief secretary, Mi Zhu, was stationed at the main camp and did not participate in the pursuit.

Mi Fang opened his mouth as if to answer, but he was also unsure of the current situation in the camp.

Thinking of the ferocity and ruthlessness of Gan Ning's cavalry charges, Mi Fang felt despair and pessimism.

He could only hang his head helplessly, let out a long sigh, and look dejected and frustrated.

Seeing this, and glancing at the demoralized staff around him, Liu Bei was struck by Jian Yong's gesture of respect. Jian Yong stepped forward and bowed, saying, "My lord, the pontoon bridge is now broken, and Gan Ning holds the strategic pass of Honggou, blocking our path. The pursuing troops are pressing us from behind. I urge you to make a swift decision!"

At this moment, Chief Clerk Yang Xiu also stepped forward and expressed his opinion: "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Now, all sides fear the two traitors Lü and Zhao like tigers. Our lord has taken on the task of fighting alone and first captured Chenliu. Although he was not successful afterward, he has already demonstrated righteousness to the world. Although he was defeated, he is still honorable!"

Liu Bei nodded slightly and turned to look to the west, where he could still vaguely see traces of the battle left by Zhang Fei's troops who had covered the rear.

Perhaps to obscure the view, people on the west side also began setting fire to the dry reeds near and along the road, and smoke filled the air.

At this moment, a close military officer bowed and said, "My lord, I know a small road that leads directly south to Weishi, where we can abandon our baggage carts."

Liu Bei followed the sound and saw Chen Dao, who had been following him for three years.

At this moment, Xiahou Bo also spoke up: "My lord, you must not hesitate! This humble general will lead my troops to cover the rear and support General Yide."

With the most difficult candidate chosen to cover the rear, the others were even more eager to advise Liu Bei.

As long as they retreat to Weishi, they can return to Xuchang to regroup and, at the very least, join forces with General Dong Cheng, who is stationed along the Yangdi and Changshe line, to threaten and attack Xingyang again from the south.

Seeing Xiahou Bo's solemn expression, Liu Bei dismounted, took off his sword, and handed it to Xiahou Bo, saying, "Gao Cai, if Yide retreats, use this sword as a token to tell Yide to retreat immediately and not to engage in any more pointless fighting."

Liu Bei spoke seriously; he knew Zhang Fei's character all too well. Zhang Fei had excellent horses, so he was sure he could break through the encirclement.

Given the friendship between Zhang Fei and Xiahou Bo, after acquiring Xiahou Bo's more than 500 men, he might still fight against the pursuers, attempting to turn the tide and fight for a glimmer of hope.

"Here!"

Xiahou Bo responded loudly and urged again, "My lord, let's go quickly!"

Liu Bei nodded, turned around and mounted his horse. The other officers followed suit. As Chen Dao rode past, Xiahou Bo looked up at Chen Dao and said, "Uncle Zhi, I entrust the safety of our lord to you."

"Your Excellency is at ease; I, your humble servant, will fight to the death."

Chen Dao spoke calmly and respectfully, returning the greeting with a cupped hand while still on horseback.

Xiahou Bo maintained his clasped-hands greeting and, after seeing everyone off, led his subordinates down the earthen slope to rejoin his own troops. Liu Bei's central army was well-coordinated, and the veteran core troops were resilient, possessing a greater capacity to withstand the current unfavorable battle situation.

Therefore, they separated in an orderly manner. When some people led their troops to retreat, they left some dry food and arrows with Xiahou Bo's troops so that Xiahou Bo could counterattack the pursuing troops and change direction to retreat.

Xiahou Bo could not possibly set up a blocking or support position here. He had to turn west and move closer to Zhang Fei in order to conceal the enemy scouts to the west, buy time for Liu Bei's main force to retreat, and cover their tracks.

If he could break through, he would definitely change direction to confuse his pursuers.

This is the site where the Honggou pontoon bridge was destroyed.

In fact, Gan Ning did not lead his troops here. Gan Ning remained in Guandu, and he was always wary of Sun Ce's central army, which had already entered Baimajin.

Gan Ning led a large fleet of naval warships to stay at Guandu. If he could detect that Sun Ce had begun to advance upstream along the Yellow River, Gan Ning would be able to withdraw quickly and still have a chance to escape from Honggoukou and return to the Yellow River waters.

After all, Sun Ce had to travel west from Baimajin, first passing through Yingou Shuikou, and then traveling another hundred li before he could block Honggou Shuikou.

Therefore, Gan Ning dispatched this small naval detachment with Lou Fa as its commander.

Lou Fa was also in a dilemma. At this moment, his naval forces were rescuing and transporting military equipment and provisions on both sides of the river, while Lou Fa wanted to attack Liu Bei's weakened camp.

Even if we don't seek to obtain the supplies inside, burning it down would severely suppress the supply efficiency of the rebel army on the Chenliu battlefield.

However, if Sun Ce's central army were to move out and send a detachment down the Yingou River, they would surely be able to cut off Lou Fa's small detachment. At that point, they would have no choice but to sink their ships, dock, and retreat westward.

This would not only result in the loss of the already limited number of warships, but also the weapons and provisions on board. Even the military supplies, heads, and prisoners captured so far would be abandoned... It would be difficult to report the victory then, which would cause dissatisfaction among the lower and middle-ranking officers and soldiers.

The biggest drawback of a victorious army is that the veterans have closer relationships. Because of their rich combat experience and accumulated merits, the veterans can be somewhat difficult to manage.

Mid- to low-ranking military officers have little control over veteran soldiers and key personnel, who are the backbone of their advancement and promotion.

Therefore, victorious troops often have their own ideas, and if you harm or affect the fundamental interests of this troops, they will definitely retaliate.

Lou Fa was merely a subordinate general under Gan Ning. He lacked Gan Ning's decisive contingency plan to sink all ships, and he could hardly suppress the interests of veterans and key personnel like Gan Ning did.

Therefore, after a brief consideration, Lou Fa abandoned the plan to burn Liu Bei's camp and urged the ships loaded with spoils to evacuate and return to the tributary of the Honggou Canal.

This way, even if Sun Ce's naval detachment sails down another tributary, they can evacuate smoothly without having their waterway cut off.

After Lou Fa's successful attack, he did not press his advantage and instead attacked Liu Bei's already panicked camp.

The garrison in the main camp numbered less than a thousand, mostly old, weak, and sick. There were fewer than three hundred soldiers with actual combat capabilities, not even enough to fill the main camp's defensive line.

Mi Zhu, who was left to guard the main camp, stood on the arrow tower to observe. Due to the delay in military intelligence and Lou Fa's low status, Mi Zhu and the garrison troops mistakenly believed that Gan Ning was personally attacking and burning the pontoon bridge to cut off Liu Bei's retreat.

Mi Fang also made this judgment, and dared not organize his officers and soldiers to fight to the death with the navy under Lou Fa's command... Moreover, there was a lack of cover on both sides of the river, and the officers and soldiers under Mi Fang's command who were responsible for logistics and transportation lacked the motivation to fight. How could they gain an advantage in the exchange of fire?

Therefore, Mi Fang's attack and defeat were almost inevitable.

It was precisely because he collapsed so quickly that Mi Zhu, Lü Qian and others in Chenliu City misjudged the situation.

Lu Qian and other former subordinates of Cao Cao who had defected from Zhang Yang dared not defend Chenliu any longer. If they were surrounded by the Lu-Zhao rebels, only annihilation awaited them.

Just as Mi Zhu was worried, the newly defected and changed-flag armies in Chenliu City, led by Lü Qian, began to set fire to various houses and treasuries in the city, and then abandoned the city to join Mi Zhu.

Mi Zhu preferred to trust the surrendered troops, including Lü Qian, rather than the potential attack by Gan Ning, thus replenishing Liu Bei's camp.

However, Lou Fa had no intention of taking risks. After the successful surprise attack, he withdrew his troops back to the tributary of the Honggou Canal, indicating a willingness to retreat.

As dusk approached, the intensity of the first clash between the two sides rapidly decreased.

(End of this chapter)