Tiger Guards

Chapter 676 Hidden Dangers in the West
As Han Shu's cavalry and chariot forces pressed in from the east, the last glimmer of hope for Han Sui's routed troops was shattered.

They began to lay down their weapons and surrender en masse.

Almost no decent military officers came to deal with Han Shu. Both Ma Chao's and Zhu Ling's troops had spontaneously disbanded their ranks and turned to pursue the fleeing soldiers.

Han Sui looked at the center of the battlefield, where prisoners were burning fires and cleaning up the battlefield. There were four or five layers of corpses, almost leveling the originally rugged ravines.

As Han Sui's chariot continued to advance, it was discovered upon closer inspection that the ditch road had been recently dug, likely part of the siege works by Han Sui's troops to besiege and isolate Zhang County.

However, Han Sui's defeat was too swift, and the rear guard he left behind was unable to further widen the trenches.

Around the time of the snowfall, Han Sui's rear army abandoned their work and retreated to their camp to avoid the snow and cold.

As a result, Ma Chao and Zhu Ling easily seized the transportation routes and deployed themselves along the ditches intended to besiege the city, setting up their own formations to intercept and kill the fleeing soldiers.

Han Shu thought he had understood the cause and effect through battlefield intelligence, but looking at the corpses and wounded soldiers filling the ditch, he couldn't help but sigh: "We have followed the Grand Tutor in raids around the city to kill the enemy time and time again, and we are fortunate that we have won every battle. If we had lost a battle, how could we have survived?"

The officers and guards riding with him did not respond. In fact, although Han Sui's strategy of abandoning Zhang County and bypassing the city to directly attack the key points was somewhat risky, it was not extremely risky.

When the Tiger Warriors and Tiger Steps first followed Zhao Ji in battle, they engaged in all sorts of risky maneuvers.

When it comes to war, everything is fine once you win.

There are a thousand sins to be found in losing a war, and no matter how detailed the post-war analysis or how clear the explanation, it is all useless.

Fearing he might follow in Han Sui's footsteps, Han Shu turned to the clerk accompanying him and said, "Write this down. Take Han Sui's downfall as a lesson. After the war, when we are resting, have all officers of the rank of deputy captain and above write me a post-war summary."

Upon hearing this, the officers in the same carriage looked distressed; they truly did not want to write it.

It's not that you can't write, but if what you write is too similar to what your colleagues write, someone will definitely be in trouble.

When Zhao Ji commanded the Tiger Warriors and Tiger Steps, he would at most have senior officers of the rank of squad leader or above give oral explanations, or arrange for senior officers to debate and explain.

Han Shu's actions were not entirely outrageous... more likely, he was making preparations in advance.

After the battle in Liangzhou ends, Zhao Ji will most likely have the participating officers give reports and summaries.

This is simply a matter of gathering ideas in advance and incorporating excellent suggestions so that we can provide feedback to Grand Tutor Zhao.

As Han Shu continued to observe the battlefield, a battalion commander from Zhu Ling's unit hurried over: "General Han, many wounded enemy soldiers have been treated..."

Han Shu stared at the other person and recognized him as his former Tiger Warrior comrade. He then suppressed his fierce expression and patiently said, "If your legs are intact and will not affect your journey, then you can be treated as well."

"Yes... Thank you, General Han."

The other party bowed deeply, also letting out a long sigh of relief. Executing wounded enemy soldiers on the battlefield and executing captured enemy soldiers are the same thing, but for the enemy prisoners cleaning up the battlefield, it is a different matter.

If we can execute wounded prisoners now, then when necessary, we will also execute ordinary prisoners.

The battalion commander was also afraid of provoking a mutiny among the prisoners, but after receiving Han Shu's verbal order, he immediately began to relay the order and began to execute the seriously wounded prisoners and those who were unable to move or relocate in batches.

The cavalry troops brought by Han Shu arrived at the battlefield of Zhang County in an endless stream. These people did not move quickly, but they seemed to be increasing and growing stronger at all times. Under their military suppression, the captured and defeated soldiers behaved well and did not cause a large-scale mutiny.

After all, on such a large battlefield, the wounded soldiers and prisoners of war who were cleared and transported by the captured and routed soldiers were not necessarily their relatives or friends.

The captured and routed soldiers didn't really react much to the sudden execution of a seriously wounded stranger.

There was never much deep camaraderie or tradition among them to begin with, and those who survived were genuinely calm when they witnessed the killing of so-called comrades and fellow villagers from the Hehuang region.

Han Shu observed the reactions of the captured soldiers and silently kept them in mind.

This was the reaction of the Hehuang rebels, not the reaction of other armies. The composition of the armies differed, as did their internal sentiments.

When Zhao Jizhong's army slowly arrived, it was already late at night.

Because of the cold weather, the corpses and blood were frozen, and the stench of blood that filled the battlefield was much less intense.

Yet it gave rise to a chilling cold that was even more indescribable than the cold air of winter.

When Zhao Ji got out of the car, he saw that the sides of the road were arranged like bricks, with various skulls in square formations, each consisting of hundreds of skulls, making it easy to count them.

Zhao Ji wasn't interested in examining the heads in detail, but he still looked around, which could be considered an acknowledgment of the current gains.

Inside the curtains erected by the roadside, the cold wind howled, causing the curtains and walls to shake violently.

Zhao Ji looked around: "Where are Meng Qi and Wen Bo?"

Ma Teng, who followed him in, looked around but did not see Ma Chao or Ma Dai.

Han Shu replied, "Reporting to the Grand Tutor, Ma Mengqi and Zhu Wenbo each led their elite cavalry in pursuit of the routed cavalry, intending to claim Han Sui's head."

"This matter of dueling generals and valiant cavalry is a serious affair for both Meng Qi and Wen Bo, who are important generals of the state. How can we be so careless?"

As Zhao Ji spoke, he took off his gloves, warmed his hands on the brazier, and continued, "Order the two generals to retreat, and have them pursue and kill them with your personal cavalry."

"Here."

Wen Hui, who had followed Zhao Ji in, responded softly and immediately arranged for cavalry to take the relevant documents and pursue Ma Chao and Zhu Ling.

Ma Teng also stood up and cupped his hands: "Grand Tutor, my son was impetuous. I thank you for your understanding and care."

“Lord Shoucheng, there’s no need for this. In my eyes, Han Sui is not worth them taking such a risk.”

Zhao Ji gestured for Ma Teng to sit down and warm himself by the fire. Ma Teng bowed repeatedly and sat down with a smile on his face.

After sitting down, Zhao Ji gazed at the charcoal fire and continued to ponder the changing situation.

His unease grew stronger, but he needed to see Ma Chao and Zhu Ling to suppress these two unstable factors.

Only after appeasing Ma Chao and Zhu Ling could they quickly escape from the Liangzhou battlefield and rush back to the Pingyang camp.

Otherwise, these two guys will either cause trouble or create trouble out of their own suspicions.

Zhao Ji really didn't care about Zhu Ling's matter.

As long as Zhu Ling can train his troops and lead them to kill bandits according to his requirements, and as long as Zhu Ling can perform consistently, Zhao Ji is too lazy to investigate Zhu Ling's little secret.

As for Ma Chao, Zhao Ji decided to keep him by his side as an embodiment of fierce power.

If someone like that stays in Liangzhou, without Ma Teng to keep him in check, who knows what kind of trouble Ma Chao will cause.

At this moment, Han Sui was still fleeing for his life.

Ma Chao and Zhu Ling each led several dozen elite cavalrymen in pursuit northward. They shot and killed any fleeing riders they caught up with, and seized their horses.

A horse that can run more than 200 or even 300 miles day and night must be a good horse.

Ma Chao and Zhu Ling couldn't find any trace of Han Sui, so they could only seize and change horses along the way, fighting their way to Didao, where they would try to rescue Han Sui.

Surely someone like Han Sui wouldn't flee south to Lintao, where Pang De, the Southern Commandant, was stationed.
(End of this chapter)