Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 210 Why is it so urgent?

Outside the north gate of Guangde City, the rice paddies on both sides of the official road have been harvested, leaving only neat rice stubble, which gleams golden in the autumn sun.

In the distance, the mountains are ablaze with color, the red and orange hues of maple leaves intertwined like flames, while nearby, mulberry leaves flutter down, swept by the autumn wind, rustling past the armor of the marching soldiers.

Both light and heavy infantrymen were currently wearing lighter light armor. Only when the battle was imminent would heavy infantrymen put on a second layer of armor over their light armor to provide the protection of heavy armor.

The 10,000-strong army marched rapidly along the official road toward the northwest of Guangde.

In the central army formation, Yan Yi, clad in rhinoceros armor, rode with the reins in hand. Within ten paces, fierce generals stood guard; within a hundred paces, elite troops surrounded them. Such a majestic and imposing formation would likely leave ordinary people speechless with astonishment.

Among the accompanying group of fierce warriors, two figures stood out. These two not only possessed extraordinary aura, but also wore masks covering their faces, revealing only a pair of sharp, hawk-like eyes, making them appear incredibly mysterious.

"Bo Fu, Gong Fu, the battlefield is dangerous, please take care on your journey!"

When they reached a fork in the road, Yan Yi reined in his horse and stood in the middle of the road. With a solemn expression and a hint of concern, he clasped his hands in greeting to the two men whose faces were covered.

"Take care, young lord!"

Former rivals have now become those they serve, and neither Sun Ce nor Huang Gai have fully adapted to this enormous change yet.

After exchanging a glance, the two solemnly removed their helmets, clasped their hands in return, and then gently pulled on the reins, leading more than ten riders away from the army formation. They rode away and disappeared at the end of the official road in the blink of an eye.

"Order the entire army to bypass the enemy strongholds and advance towards Mingling Valley!"

Yan Yi withdrew his gaze from the distant official road, his voice cold and stern, and issued new marching orders.

The entire army moved at the order, changing its marching route and heading straight west in an attempt to bypass Yuan's army's defenses.

Although Zhang Xun dispatched 10,000 elite troops to construct a solid defensive line north of Guangde, the area was vast, and it was difficult for 10,000 troops alone to cover it completely. The further the defensive line extended to the east and west, the weaker the defensive forces became.

Since raising his army, Yan Yi had always been adept at achieving victory through surprise attacks. He certainly wouldn't use the enemy's weaknesses to attack their strengths by directly confronting the enemy's most fortified camps. Instead, he planned to bypass these camps, penetrate deep into enemy territory, pass through Mingling Valley, and directly attack Guangde Great Camp. He would then coordinate with Sun Ce's army from within and without to defeat the enemy forces one by one.

However, this battle plan also harbored great risks, because once he led his troops around the enemy's defenses, he would be caught between two enemy forces, making him vulnerable to a pincer attack from the north and south.

That's why Yan Yi chose the Mingling Valley route for his army.

It must be said that Sun Ce's ability to survey terrain was absolutely first-rate. After surveying the area dozens of miles north of Guangde, he could not find a more suitable strategic location for building a defensive line than the Mingling Basin.

Once Yan Yijun is attacked from both the north and south by the enemy, he can rely on the convenient transportation and easy-to-defend terrain of the Mingling Basin to quickly build a defensive line and minimize the risk of being surrounded.

The crucial task of seizing the Mingling Basin naturally fell to the Longxiang Battalion, which possessed the highest mobility. They had to quickly occupy the Mingling Basin before the enemy could discern their strategic intentions, in order to allow the main force to join them.

Under the watchful and envious gazes of the other soldiers, Xu Sheng led eight hundred cavalrymen of the Longxiang Battalion, spurring their horses and galloping towards the Mingling Basin.

The unusual movements of the Longxiang Camp immediately alerted the enemy's scouts, and military reports were quickly sent to Zhang Xun's central command tent.

"You brat, how dare you venture deep into our territory! Since you've come to die, I'll grant your wish. I'll make sure you never leave alive!"

Zhang Xun sat at a desk, his expression both sinister and slightly excited as he flipped through the military reports delivered by scouts, a cold smile occasionally creeping onto his lips.

When he saw the fifth military report, he finally confirmed the enemy's strategic intentions: Mingling Valley!
"This boy is indeed treacherous. He actually wants to work with Sun Ce, that traitor, to break my Guangde camp from the inside."

Zhang Xun put down the military report, the excitement between his brows turning into solemnity. He suddenly stood up, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and paced back and forth in the tent.

The military situation was urgent and could not be delayed; he had no time to convene his generals for discussion. After pondering alone for a moment, his gaze slowly fell on a piece of bamboo slips on the table, a hint of hesitation flashing across his brow.

The bamboo slips contain information about Madam Wu and her party's escape from Qu'a.

Zhang Xun was absolutely certain that Sun Shi had defected to the enemy, but he had not yet received Yuan Shu's military orders, and dared not act rashly before the matter was confirmed.

However, with the military situation at hand, any hesitation would lead to missed opportunities and disastrous consequences, so there was no time to worry about that.

In an instant, Zhang Xun made a decision. He immediately summoned the messenger captain Shi Kuang and loudly ordered, "Immediately order Li Feng and Chen Lan to hold the camp gate and not let Sun's troops escape. Once my main force arrives, we will annihilate Sun's troops!"

"Order the four thousand troops stationed at various passes and key points in Yongping to immediately proceed to the Guangde camp and join my troops!"

Shi Kuang's expression turned solemn, and he accepted the order and left.

Not long after, Lei Bo led more than ten of his generals hurriedly toward the main tent, where they happened to meet Zhang Xun as he walked out of the tent.

Lei Bo's position in Yuan Shu's army was second only to Ji Ling, Zhang Xun, and Qiao Rui. His martial prowess was even greater than that of Zhang Xun and Qiao Rui, and he was highly valued by Yuan Shu.

This person had an extremely close relationship with Chen Lan, they were inseparable, and even Zhang Xun, as the commander-in-chief, sometimes had to be wary of him.

After listening to Zhang Xun's brief account of the military situation, Lei Bo laughed loudly, his voice booming: "I deeply admire Lord Zhang's decisive action. Half of Sun's elite troops were originally under your command. As long as Lord Zhang personally arrives and gives the order, how dare they follow the rebels again? I can wipe out Sun's mere four thousand remnants in just a quarter of an hour."

Seeing Lei Bo's approval of his plan, Zhang Xun was overjoyed. He stroked his beard and laughed, "Ziting, don't forget that among Sun's troops, there are two thousand Zhou clan soldiers. The Zhou clan is allied with you, my lord. How dare their soldiers oppose you? After I wipe out Sun's troops, I will immediately mobilize two armies to attack Yan Yi from both sides. In less than three days, I can bring this boy's head to report back to you, my lord."

Lei Bo suddenly slapped his forehead, a look of realization dawning on his face. Oh right, how could he have forgotten about these two thousand people?
Of Sun's eight thousand troops, four thousand were former Yuan family soldiers, two thousand were Zhou family soldiers, and Sun's main force consisted of only two thousand men brought by Sun Ben. Meanwhile, their own army numbered twenty thousand; with ten against one, they could sweep them away with their eyes closed.

"The Sun family is foolish. For the sake of Sun Ce, they have brought annihilation upon their entire clan."

Lei Bo sighed deeply, as if he could already see the moment of the Sun family's downfall, and he and Zhang Xun looked at each other and laughed.

"The world calls Yan Yi the Tiger of Jiangdong and Sun Ce the Overlord Reborn. Today I'll see how this tiger and overlord escape my grasp!"

Zhang Xun and Lei Bo walked and talked, and soon they arrived outside the camp gate.

He suppressed his smile, his gaze sweeping across the imposing army before him like a blade. A satisfied smile appeared on his face as he mounted his horse and, together with Lei Bo, led six thousand elite troops straight towards the Guangde camp.

Wow
Just as Zhang Xun led his army on a grand expedition, two small, black-awning boats slowly glided along the clear Meijiang River north of the Guangde camp, approaching the riverbank.

Crunch!

The hull of the boat scraped against the pebbles in the shallows, making a soft, rustling sound.

"Bo Fu, please wait here for a moment while I go to the village to check the situation."

Huang Gai, holding an iron whip, jumped off the boat, his imposing body causing the small boat to tremble slightly.

Both passes of Guangde Dazhai had been occupied by Yuan Shao's army, but the two waterways were under the control of Cheng Pu and Han Dang, which was the only way for him and Sun Ce to infiltrate the camp. Sun Ce jumped off the boat, tightened his grip on his spear, and whispered to Huang Gai, "Time is of the essence, let's go together!"

After the incident at Mingling Valley, he had become much more composed, but the current situation was critical, and he had to take control of the camp before Zhang Xun's army arrived, which could not be delayed in the slightest.

Huang Gai opened his mouth, about to persuade him again, but Sun Ce had already walked past him and walked forward. Helpless, he had no choice but to follow.

The two men, leading ten soldiers, walked across the riverbank and entered a grove of trees. After walking for about a quarter of an hour, they arrived near the camp gate, crouched in the bushes, and cautiously peered into the gate.

In front of the camp gate, a military officer was talking to patrolling soldiers when suddenly there was a loud thud, and a pebble the size of half a palm rolled to his feet.

He picked up the stone with a puzzled look on his face, lazily scanning the writing on it. Suddenly, his cloudy eyes widened, and his loose face trembled violently.

Three familiar characters were clearly written on the stone: Come to the forest.

The military commander looked around rapidly, then strode into the woods. When he saw Sun Ce in the woods, he was immediately terrified and knelt down on one knee: "This humble general greets the general!"

Sun Ce knew this was not the time for reminiscing, so he quickly inquired about the situation at the camp. Upon learning that the north and east gates were under his control, he was overjoyed and ordered, "Send Cheng Gong to see me immediately!"

The military commander turned and left, and soon returned with Cheng Pu.

Upon seeing Sun Ce, Cheng Pu was so excited that his eyes welled up with tears, and he tightly grasped Sun Ce's arm with both hands: "Bo Fu... Bo Fu! We've finally waited for you to return safely!"

"I am sorry to have troubled you, Lord Cheng!" Sun Ce sighed, a hint of guilt in his eyes. "Young Master has personally led a large army to Mingling Valley, intending to take this camp first. What is the current situation in the camp?"

When Cheng Pu saw him return safely and heard him address him as "Young Lord," he knew that Sun had ultimately chosen to submit to Yan Yi. His heart sank, and he said in a deep voice, "Li Feng and Chen Lan are leading troops to guard the two passes, constantly monitoring our army. They are also using military orders to pressure us and spreading rumors throughout the camp. In just the last few days, five or six hundred people have defected. Just now, when I looked from a high place, I saw the soldiers at the passes lined up in battle formation. Judging from their posture, they are probably going to attack us."

“Zhang Xun must be arriving soon. If he does, the situation will be beyond saving.” Sun Ce paced back and forth, his boots crunching on broken branches and withered leaves. He suddenly stopped and said, “I will keep my return to camp a secret for now, so as not to alarm Li Feng. You go and gather all the troops and pretend to retreat to the river to lure Li Feng out of the pass. I have a plan.”

He knew better than anyone the fatal weakness of his army: the soldiers' backgrounds.

If the two thousand elite troops lent by Zhou knew that he had broken with Yuan Shu, even if they did not abandon him, they would never dare to confront Yuan's army head-on.

The four thousand elite troops recruited from Yuan Shu's forces mostly had relatives under Yuan Shu's command. If Zhang Xun personally threatened them on the battlefield, they might break away from his control.

He must take the initiative and control the situation before these two hidden dangers erupt.

"Lord Cheng, find me and Gongfu two loose-fitting cloaks and lead us into the camp."

Sun Ce reached out and pressed down on a branch about the thickness of a thumb. With a slight force, a crisp crack was heard, and the branch snapped in two.

Cheng Pu knew him very well and could guess his intentions from his every move, so he immediately left in a hurry.

Before long, Sun Ce and Huang Gai, each wearing a large cloak that covered their faces and bodies completely, followed Cheng Pu into the camp.

After settling the two men in, Cheng Pu and Han Dang each led a unit out of the north gate of the camp in a grand procession and retreated south along the river.

When Li Feng and Chen Lan received the news that Sun's troops had left the camp, their faces immediately darkened.

Chen Lan pondered and said, "The river is narrow and rugged, a dead end. Normally, our army would only need to block the two river mouths to trap them inside. But now that Yan Yi has personally led a large army to come and meet them, things have changed."

Li Feng nodded slightly, his brows furrowed tightly, and summoned a spy, asking, "Is there any news of Sun Ce returning to camp today?"

The spy shook his head.

Upon learning that Sun Ce had not yet returned to camp, Li Feng felt relieved, and a sinister smile appeared on his face: "Those two old bastards, Cheng Pu and Han Dang, are quite clever! It seems they've gotten wind of something and are trying to escape. Zi Ren, let's hold those two traitors back for now, and wait for Lord Zhang to arrive before taking their heads."

Chen Lan shared the same thought as him and immediately ordered his guards to bring horses. He mounted his horse and said, "There's no time to lose. I'll rush back to the South Village to gather my troops. We'll meet up there."

Li Feng nodded slightly.

The two men prepared separately and soon each led three thousand troops to the camp. After joining forces, they marched towards the northern camp without stopping.

Upon arriving at Beizhai, they found the camp deserted, the ground littered with debris, and a great deal of abandoned supplies.

Seeing this, Li Feng laughed loudly, pointing his riding whip at a collapsed military tent: "The thief is in a hurry, chase after him!" He gently squeezed his legs against the horse's belly and spurred his horse forward.

Chen Lan led his troops in close pursuit.

Li Feng led his troops out of the North Village gate and saw Han Dang leading an army towards the river. In his haste, he shouted, "Where is Lord Yi going? I have important matters to discuss with you. Please return immediately!"

He shouted out of thin air, not expecting much, but to his surprise, as soon as he finished speaking, Han Dang actually turned his horse around and led his troops back in a winding path.

Li Feng's eyes widened, his hand holding the whip froze in mid-air, wondering if Han Dang had taken the wrong medicine today? He was being unusually obedient.

Before long, Han Dang led four thousand soldiers to stand in formation two hundred and fifty paces in front of him.

Seeing that his troops were already lined up and Chen Lan's troops were about to reach the gate, Li Feng felt relieved and looked at Han Dang leisurely: "Where do you intend to go, sir?"

Han Dang looked at him with a strange expression: "I received an order from General Sun to have my troops set up camp elsewhere."

In the past, Li Feng would have argued with him, but his purpose at this moment was simply to stall Han Dang. His mindset was completely different, and he asked with a smile, "Where is Bo Fu's military order? May I take a look?"

Han said expressionlessly, "Military orders are given orally. If you want to hear them, you can have General Sun tell them to you personally."

"Oral recitation?" Li Feng was startled and looked around uneasily. He saw a large banner with the character "Cheng" rapidly approaching from the direction of the river. A bad premonition immediately welled up in his heart. He pulled hard on the reins with his left hand, intending to return to the formation.

"Li Jun has not heard of the strategy, so why is it being implemented so hastily?"

Sun Ce laughed loudly, his voice echoing across the land. He suddenly swung his arm, throwing off his cloak, and galloped out from behind Han Dang, his two-stone bow taut like a full moon.

Boom!
The moment the bowstring snapped, the arrow shot through the air like a black streak. Before the whistling sound of the arrow shaft cutting through the wind had even faded, the arrowhead, carrying the scent of death, pierced through the back of Li Feng's neck and exited through his throat, splashing up a spray of dazzling blood.

"Grandson."

Li Feng's eyes widened, a gurgling sound came from his throat, and he futilely covered his bleeding wound with his hands. Amid the exclamations of the soldiers around him, he fell heavily off his horse, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Both sides' soldiers were all horrified, and countless eyes were turned to the heroic figure riding back to the camp.
(End of this chapter)