Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 461 Tiger and Leopard Cavalry

As we all know, eating too much salt will make you thirsty and want to drink water.

At this time, the Wei army on the mountain was most lacking in water.

Eating noodles was enjoyable, but when it came time to drink water, I was dumbfounded.

Lin Dao had previously specifically instructed that the noodles should be cooked as dry as possible with as little water as possible.

Moreover, as any man who has eaten instant noodles knows, the seasoning packet is mainly composed of salt, with added spices, MSG, and other ingredients.

For the Wei army, it was indeed a rare and highly nourishing substance.

But after eating, drinking water in a hurry can be deadly.

Some Wei soldiers, having eaten instant noodles, asked for water, but were directly refused.

"The Prime Minister said that he pitied you, as Han citizens, for being driven by the traitor Cao, so he gave you a bite to eat."

"Would you like some more water?"

"If you want water, go ahead. If you want to leave Cao Cao and support the Han Dynasty, there are buckets of water over there. You can even take a bath there."

They used instant noodles to demonstrate their integrity, and then used drinking water as leverage.

As a result, under the threat of thirst and death, some Wei soldiers gradually chose to surrender.

After they surrendered, they were immediately taken to drink water, take a bath, and change into new clothes.

He turned around and was at the foot of the mountain, holding a loudspeaker, urging the brothers on the mountain to come down and surrender quickly.

The gist of it is that Cao Wei is doomed, and the Prime Minister's Northern Expedition is about to succeed.

Hurry up and join us now, and you'll live a life of luxury, following the Prime Minister to achieve the great merit of restoring the Han Dynasty.

It's a hundred times better than starving and dying of thirst here, to be buried alive with the traitor Cao Cao.
"I have to say, it was quite an experience to watch my colleagues go down the mountain, eat and drink well, wear new clothes, and even speak with a strong voice."

"The Wei soldiers on the mountain must have felt some envy."

"But they are not a rabble; they are Wei's most powerful mobile field army."

"The generous treatment offered by Cao Wei, along with the long-term training and sense of honor, made it difficult for most of the Wei soldiers to make a decision."

This analysis was given by Yang Yi.

He's the kind of person who likes to show off and loves to be in the spotlight.

Ma Su went out to fight, and he couldn't wait to show off his abilities.

Upon hearing this, some praised it, some felt it wasn't enough, and others were indifferent.

Prime Minister Zhuge remained noncommittal.

He turned to look at Lin Dao and asked, "Zihou, what do you think?"

"Those who don't surrender now are simply not hungry or thirsty enough."

Lin Dao laughed and said, "Furthermore, Zhang He hasn't given up hope yet."

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Zhuge nodded slightly in agreement.

The general in charge of the entire army hadn't made up his mind yet, and the Wei army's hunger and thirst hadn't reached an unbearable level; at least for now, they still had urine.
Jiang Wei, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but speak up, "Judging from the time, from when Cao Zhen learned of the request for help and organized his troops to come here, they should have arrived long ago."

"But Cao Zhen still hasn't shown up. Zhang He should know that something must have happened over there."

"Since there are no reinforcements, why won't you surrender?"

"Hahaha~" Prime Minister Zhuge laughed, waving his feather fan. "You are still young."

Jiang Wei hurriedly bowed and said, "Please enlighten me, Prime Minister."

Prime Minister Zhuge glanced at Lin Dao first, and seeing that he had no intention of speaking, he then began to instruct him.

“Zhang He wasn’t unaware of this; in fact, his calculations were even more precise than ours.”

"So, he knew that something had happened on Cao Zhen's side."

"The reason why he refused to surrender even with the lack of foreign aid is because he still wanted to give it his all."

Everyone immediately started talking.

Jiang Wei then asked the question that everyone was concerned about: "May I ask the Prime Minister, now that the Wei army is in a desperate situation, how can they possibly fight back?"

"From the perspective of these tens of thousands of Wei soldiers," Lin Dao finally spoke, "it is indeed a desperate situation."

"But what if we give the surplus supplies that were originally intended for tens of thousands of people to just a few thousand?"

"What if we use the soldiers' surrender to lull the Prime Minister into a false sense of security?"

"Seize a good opportunity, around dawn, gather the last few thousand elite troops who have received supplies, and charge down the mountain at all costs, heading straight for the Prime Minister's camp."

"This is Zhang He's last gamble."

"If this gamble fails, Zhang He will either die, which will be considered as serving his country loyally, and Cao Wei will certainly not mistreat his family."

"Either be captured, remain unyielding to the death to preserve your honor, and only choose to surrender after the Northern Expedition has become a certainty."

"Of course, there is still hope of winning."

"If we can win, then we'll completely turn the tide."

Lin Dao's description suddenly awakened many people.

Although they seemed to have the upper hand, the enemy was not without the ability to fight back.

"Learn from this carefully," Prime Minister Zhuge instructed Jiang Wei. "Zihou's talent far surpasses mine."

"It is your good fortune to receive his guidance."

These words naturally have an element of flattery.

It's not that he's actually stronger than Prime Minister Zhuge.

However, Lin Dao was born in the era of the information explosion and has experienced countless trials in the myriad worlds.

His extensive experience makes him arguably the most experienced person in all the heavens and myriad realms.

With more experience and knowledge, one can naturally see things and people more clearly.

Jiang Wei bowed respectfully to Lin Dao, thanking him for his guidance.

Lin Dao didn't mince words and immediately made his judgment.

"It's either tomorrow or the day after, within the next two days, Zhang He will have to make a desperate last stand."

"If it takes more than three days, he won't have a chance to fight to the death."

The water source was concentrated and supplied to several thousand elite troops.

One or two days is the limit.

If there's too much water, there won't be enough, and the other soldiers will rebel.

Sure enough, the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the Shu army in their camp heard thunderous roars coming from the mountains.

A large number of Wei troops surged down the mountain like a tidal wave. "This is to disrupt our vision."

Prime Minister Zhuge, who had rested and gotten up early, calmly arranged his strategy: "Just block them."

Arrows flew and battle cries shook the heavens.

The two sides engaged in a brutal battle at the foot of the mountain.

Lin Dao's speculation was somewhat inaccurate.

Instead of concentrating the supplies on a select group of elite troops, Zhang He chose to have the entire army consume all the remaining supplies, and even burn the rest.

This is a do-or-die gamble, a fight to the death.

The well-prepared Shu army, after a difficult resistance, firmly held back the surging Wei army.

However, Prime Minister Zhuge and others did not lower their guard; on the contrary, they paid even more attention.

As for the reason, it's simply because Zhang He hasn't appeared yet.

"Regardless of the circumstances," Lin Dao, who had stayed behind last night to see if his deductions were correct, said bluntly, "Zhang He's target must be the Prime Minister, not himself to escape."

"After all, he abandoned tens of thousands of troops and ran away. He wouldn't have a good ending if he went back, and he would have lost all his reputation."

"He has only one chance to turn the tide, and that is to go straight for the Prime Minister."

"Just focus on this key point to deal with it."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Not long after, a loud shout suddenly came from the mountain.

Large rocks and trees tumbled down the mountain with a whooshing sound, heading straight for Prime Minister Zhuge's camp.

The Prime Minister Zhuge, who had been sitting on a four-wheeled carriage waving a feather fan, suddenly stood up.

He never expected that Zhang He would follow suit and use the Shu army's method of blocking transportation to break through the enemy's formation with these stones and trees.

The facilities outside the camp, as well as the garrisoning Shu troops, were destroyed or fled in panic.

There were even large, almost round boulders that crashed through the camp's fence.

Seeing this, Lin Dao narrowed his eyes.

"This stone doesn't look like it was formed naturally; it must have been carved by human hands."

"Zhang He is indeed exceptionally capable."

Only then did the last elite troops of the Wei army appear on the hillside.

They were a group of armored cavalry.

Leading the charge was none other than Zhang He!

Zhang He had killed horses before, but he hadn't killed them all; the warhorses of this elite cavalry were all preserved.

Only today has it been brought out for the final blow.

Upon seeing this silently charging cavalry, Prime Minister Zhuge gripped his feather fan tightly.

"Tiger Riders~ Leopard Riders~"

The Tiger Cavalry and the Leopard Cavalry were collectively known as the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.

This was an elite force selected by Cao Cao from among the best soldiers in the land, specifically tasked with protecting the Cao family.

They are known for their bravery in combat and their agility.

Its fighting strength is evident from the composition of its soldiers.

'The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry under Chun's command are all the most valiant and elite troops in the land, some of whom were promoted from the rank of centurion.'

They are either the most outstanding warriors in the world, or renowned heroes.

Or he could be a centurion in the army.

This powerful Tiger and Leopard Cavalry once made great contributions to Cao Wei.

During the campaign to destroy the Yuan clan in Nanpi, Yuan Tan was captured.

During the campaign against the Wuhuan, he killed Tadun.

The most famous battle was the Battle of Changban, where the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry defeated Liu Bei and even captured his daughter.

Furthermore, the Battle of Tongguan defeated Ma Chao's Guanzhong army.

The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry was Cao Cao's central army. After Cao Chun's death, Cao Cao even personally commanded this force, which shows its importance and elite status.

After Cao Pi came to power, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry was gradually divided up and assigned to various local armies.

Without a doubt, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry were the most numerous in Zhang He's mobile legion.

During the Battle of Changban, Prime Minister Zhuge Liang personally witnessed the formidable power of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.

They traveled 300 li in a day and night, caught up with Liu Bei, and defeated him decisively.

Now that he has encountered this powerful army on the battlefield, one can imagine the shock the Prime Minister must have felt.

Sitting on a stool, Lin Dao took out his binoculars and carefully examined this powerful army that was famous in official terms but unknown in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Even when charging down from the mountain, they were still able to maintain a relatively orderly military formation.

This formed multiple triangular attack arrows of varying sizes.

Half-lying on his horse, he skillfully steered his horse through the Shu army's blockade and charged straight towards Prime Minister Zhuge's camp.

They entered through the gap created by the boulder and engaged in fierce fighting with the Shu army inside the camp.

Even in such a chaotic situation, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry remained highly organized.

Those at the front kept pushing and squeezing to the sides, creating a path forward.

Like peeling an onion, they surged up layer by layer, breaking through the Shu army's blockade and rushing towards Prime Minister Zhuge.

"Prime Minister!"

Everyone advised Prime Minister Zhuge to avoid the limelight for the time being, but Prime Minister Zhuge simply sat down and remained silent in his four-wheeled carriage.

His confidence came from Lin Dao, who had also remained unmoved.

Beside Lin Dao, there was the musket he had used on the training ground that day!
At this moment, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, a hundred paces away, finally opened a passage after suffering heavy losses.

Zhang He personally led a troop of elite cavalry, brandishing their long spears, straight towards Prime Minister Zhuge.

"You really are something."

Lin Dao finally stood up, took two steps to the side, and blocked Prime Minister Zhuge's path.

He took out an AK and pointed it at Zhang He and his men who were rushing towards him.

"That's incredibly brave!"

(End of this chapter)