The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 172 A great victory
On the other side, Cao Wenzhao had already joined forces with Zuo Guangxian and Ai Wannian's troops, and they were marching in a mighty force towards Maojindu.

However, as the army marched along the road, they encountered several groups of messengers in succession:
"Report! The bandit leader, Shangshan Hujin, has raised a large army and crossed the Yellow River yesterday!"

"Report! Shanzhou is in dire need of help! Thousands of enemy soldiers are launching a fierce attack on the city with heavy artillery. Prefect Shi, please return to our aid immediately!"

"Report! General Zuo is entangled with the main force of the enemy army and is fighting and retreating. He is specifically requesting your assistance!"

One bad news after another came, and Cao Wenzhao felt his head buzzing.

Finished!

Cao Wenzhao was extremely anxious. He yanked the reins hard and roared at Zuo Guangxian, Ai Wannian, Bai Guang'en, and the others:
"You lead the infantry on a rapid march and follow, I will lead the cavalry to provide support first!"

He could no longer care about Zuo Guangxian's slow-moving infantry, let alone the hundreds of wounded soldiers of Ai Wannian mixed in with them.

Upon hearing this, Zuo Guangxian and Ai Wannian exchanged a glance, both feeling helpless.

Damn it, why didn't you do this sooner?
If we had stopped the enemy soldiers on the other side earlier, we wouldn't have had to deal with all this trouble and blindly believe the rumors about an inside agent.

It's only forty or fifty li away from the ferry crossing now, and the infantry can march there in half a day.

Are you, surnamed Cao, so impatient that you insist on going ahead alone?
If we fall into an ambush, don't blame us Qin soldiers for being slow.

Although the two had their own complaints, they tacitly refrained from uttering any rebuttal.

They had long disliked Cao Wenzhao and his Guan Ning soldiers; their arrogant and domineering behavior was something even a dog would despise.

Zuo Guangxian and Ai Wannian secretly hoped that these people would suffer a setback.

Cao Wenzhao, of course, had no idea what the two men were thinking. As soon as he finished speaking, he spurred his horse and led his more than a thousand Guan Ning cavalrymen on a wild gallop towards Maojin Ferry.

Meanwhile, Jiang Han had already hidden himself on a hilltop near the ferry, quietly waiting for his prey to come to him.

They waited for less than half a day when dust billowed up on the distant official road, and a dark mass of cavalry surged toward them.

Judging from those banners, they belong to Cao Wenzhao's Guan Ning Iron Cavalry.

Cao Wenzhao hurriedly arrived near Maojin Ferry, but he did not rush over immediately. Instead, he reined in his horse and sent out a team of scouts to investigate the situation at the ferry.

The scout rushed over and quickly brought back news:

The pontoon bridge has collapsed.

From the direction of Shanzhou City on the opposite bank, cannon fire roared and shouts of battle could be faintly heard, as if the city was under fierce attack by enemy troops.

broken!

Upon hearing the report, Cao Wenzhao was greatly alarmed and immediately led his men to investigate.

On the wide river, the pontoon bridge had been completely dismantled, leaving only a few lonely ferries tethered to the middle of the river by ropes, swaying constantly with the turbulent current.

This was naturally Jiang Han's doing; if you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way.

Anyway, he had people hide all the dismantled door panels and wood, so they could be nailed back in exactly the same way later.

Cao Wenzhao was so angry at the scene before him that he felt like his lungs were about to explode.

His men were all cavalry, and he didn't even have a single craftsman. If he wanted to repair the pontoon bridge, he would have to wait for Zuo Guang to arrive first, which would take at least several hours.

On the opposite bank, in Shanzhou City, the sound of cannons was intensifying, making it seem like the city was in imminent danger.

Just then, Sun Shoufa, who was standing nearby, suggested:

"General, there's no time to lose. Why don't we abandon our horses and use the ferries in the middle of the river to swim a group of elite troops across to provide support!"

Discard the horse?

Upon hearing these two words, Cao Wenzhao's heart tightened, and the memory of his disastrous defeat at Lüliang Mountain resurfaced in his mind.

He shook his head in reflex, refusing almost instinctively:
"No! Our warhorses are our lifeblood; we absolutely cannot abandon them!"

Sun Shoufa's eyes widened:
"What should we do then? We can't just stand by and watch the enemy soldiers break into the city, can we?"

Cao Wenzhao gritted his teeth and came up with a compromise:

“Send two hundred men to immediately go and cut down trees in the vicinity, bundle the felled trunks together, place them on the ferry, and build a simple pontoon bridge.”

"The rest of you, remain on high alert and do not dismount!"

Despite the continuous artillery fire from the opposite bank of the river, Cao Wenzhao maintained basic vigilance and dared not send out all his men.

Sun Shoufa accepted the order without a word, dismounted with a group of men, drew his short axe from his waist, and walked straight into the nearby woods.

Li Laowai and Shao Yong, who were hiding on a hilltop not far away, saw everything clearly.

Li Laowai scratched his head in confusion and looked at Jiang Han:
"General, why did Cao Wenzhao only send out one or two hundred men?"

"The fighting in Shanzhou City across the river is fierce. Isn't he worried?"

Jiang Han glared at Li Laowai and lowered his voice:
"Hurry? What good will being anxious do?"

"No matter how anxious Cao Wenzhao is, he has to build the pontoon bridge first."

"Furthermore, the most taboo thing for a general is to be hasty."

"When you're in a rush, you're more likely to make mistakes and expose your weaknesses."

He glanced at the generals around him and said in a deep voice,

"Listen up, all of you. From now on, when you lead troops into battle, no matter how urgent the situation, you must maintain the necessary vigilance and composure!"

The group nodded thoughtfully, and then Shao Yong asked:

"General, when do we break out?"

Jiang Han squinted, like a patient hunter staring at his prey in the distance:
"No rush. We'll charge out after he's built the pontoon bridge and led his troops across the river."

Li Laowai was taken aback upon hearing this:
"Wait until they've built the pontoon bridge? Won't that be too late?"

"The cavalry will just slip across the pontoon bridge in a flash, how can we stop them?"

Jiang Han rolled his eyes at him and said in a deep voice:
"Can't you use your brain? A pontoon bridge hastily built from a few tree trunks, how can it withstand the speed of warhorses?"

"If Cao Wenzhao dares to ride across on horseback, the pontoon bridge will fall apart on its own!"

"At that time, we won't even need to lift a finger. We can just wait for these cavalrymen to fall into the river and become fish food."

Li Laowai suddenly realized:

"I understand!"

"So, they have to dismount, then lead their horses and walk slowly over?"

Jiang Han nodded:

"That's right! We'll wait until the government troops dismount and cross the river before charging in and sealing the deal!"

After saying that, Jiang Han turned to look at Shao Yong:
"You will lead the cavalry to the front lines."

"Forget everything else, charge out and make a big splash, completely disrupt the government troops' formation!"

"Li Laowai and I will arrive shortly after with our infantry!"

A glint flashed in Shao Yong's eyes, and he nodded heavily. Then, he led his cavalry and quietly made their way to the designated location.

Before long, Sun Shoufa led his men back to the riverbank carrying dozens of bare tree trunks.

A group of Guan Ning soldiers hurriedly tied the tree trunks together with ropes, arranged them in a row, and then carefully carried them across the ferry section by section to the other side.

The hastily felled tree trunks were of varying lengths and could not reach the other side of the river at all. They had to be pieced together into three sections to barely reach the other side.

The stability of a pontoon bridge built in this way is questionable. Cao Wenzhao frowned deeply as he looked at the crudely constructed pontoon bridge before him.

If it weren't for an urgent military situation, he would never have allowed his men to cross the river on such a pontoon bridge.

Cao Wenzhao gave a wink to one of his personal guards:

"Go and see if you can get across."

The guard nodded and was about to ride his horse onto the pontoon bridge when Sun Shoufa grabbed him:
"What are you doing? Are you out of your mind?"

"Dismount and lead your horse over!"

"If everyone crosses the river on horseback, this bridge will surely collapse!"

The guard suddenly realized what was happening, quickly dismounted, and led his warhorse across the river, swaying and trembling under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Seeing this, Cao Wenzhao breathed a slight sigh of relief and immediately gave the order:

"Alright, let's leave it at that!"

"Cross the river in batches. First, send two outposts with four hundred men across to establish a beachhead on the opposite bank to support the following troops!"

Upon receiving the order, the Guan Ning soldiers dismounted one by one, preparing to cross the river in batches.

On a hilltop not far away, Jiang Han saw this situation and decisively raised the command flag to the rear.

charge!

Seeing this, Shao Yong, who had been waiting in ambush, suddenly pulled his mask down and let out a deep, angry roar:

"Brothers, charge with me!"

Having said that, he took the lead, leading his two squads of more than 500 cavalrymen, charging towards the Guan Ning soldiers on the riverbank like tigers descending a mountain!
On Cao Wenzhao's side, most people's attention was focused on the opposite bank, fearing that when they were halfway across the river, the bandits on the other side would suddenly attack from some corner.

But to their utter surprise, the danger didn't come from the front, but from behind!
The first to spot the bandits was a scout on the outer perimeter. He saw the bandit cavalry not far away and immediately sounded the alarm.

woo-

"Enemy attack! Behind us! There's a large cavalry force behind us!"

Cao Wenzhao suddenly turned around and saw hundreds of cavalrymen kicking up clouds of dust and sweeping towards the riverbank from the hilltop not far behind!

Cao Wenzhao's eyes were bloodshot:
"Oh no! An ambush! Prepare to engage!"

His instinct was to turn his horse around, lead his troops in a counterattack, and crush the invading band of cavalry.

At this moment, many of his cavalrymen had dismounted and were preparing to cross the river, and the entire formation was in disarray.

There was simply no time to regroup, let alone organize an effective counterattack.

Meanwhile, Shao Yong and his men, who had charged down the hillside, had already pushed their horses to their limits. The five hundred iron cavalrymen charged forward with overwhelming force.

Seeing the bandit cavalry charging menacingly in the distance, like tigers descending from the mountain, Cao Wenzhao's ranks instantly erupted into chaos.

The soldiers who had already stepped onto the pontoon bridge were now in a dilemma, extremely panicked.

Some people desperately tried to rush to the other side, while others wanted to retreat to support headquarters. The narrow pontoon bridge instantly descended into chaos, and many people were pushed directly into the river.

"Run!"

Within the ranks of soldiers, someone shouted out first.

This sentence instantly became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Many Guan Ning cavalrymen turned and ran without saying a word.

They were a pure cavalry unit, and it was impossible for them to form a defensive formation like infantry.

Now, they have lost their speed advantage. If they choose to stay and face the enemy cavalry charging at full speed, it would be tantamount to waiting for death!

As more and more soldiers deserted, Cao Wenzhao could no longer maintain the battle line.

Left with no other choice, he could only turn his horse around, glance at the rickety pontoon bridge and his men still struggling on the riverbank, and sigh deeply:
"withdraw!"

Immediately, Cao Wenzhao cracked his whip and, surrounded by his personal guards, sped away from the riverbank, completely abandoning the hundreds of soldiers on the shore and using them as bait to slow down the enemy cavalry.

Shao Yong was naturally not going to fall for it. He completely ignored the group of soldiers who were no longer a threat and chased after Cao Wenzhao directly.

His only goal was to take advantage of the government troops' rout and pursue them relentlessly, eliminating as many of Cao Wenzhao's remaining forces as possible!
He spread out his five hundred cavalrymen like a large net, constantly flanking and driving them away from both sides, targeting those cavalrymen who had fallen behind.

Pursuing the fleeing enemy is the most exhilarating moment in cavalry warfare.

The fleeing government troops had no way to turn back and could only expose their backs to the blades of their pursuers.

A Guan Ning cavalryman frantically whipped his horse, while a sneering bandit rider, his saber gleaming coldly, closed in on him from his side and behind.

The Guan Ning soldier was terrified. He tried to change direction, but as the bandit swung his saber forcefully, he felt a chill on his neck, and the scene before him gradually went dark.

Such scenes are constantly playing out on the battlefield.

The pursuers continued to fire arrows as they raced, aiming them at the backs of the government troops.

Soldiers kept screaming as they fell from their horses, only to be trampled into mincemeat by the galloping warhorses behind them.

Within a few miles, the official road was littered with corpses and rivers of blood.

Cao Wenzhao led his team in a frantic escape, fleeing for more than twenty miles, when they happened to run into Zuo Guangxian, Ai Wannian, Bai Guang'en and others who were marching to provide support.

Cao Wenzhao was overjoyed to see the reinforcements and immediately reined in his horse, preparing to gather his forces and launch a surprise attack on the enemy soldiers.

"General Zuo, General Ai, General Bai!"

"The enemy soldiers are in hot pursuit! Quickly form ranks and join me in counterattacking!"

He still had several hundred elite cavalry under his command, plus more than three thousand Qin soldiers led by Zuo Guangxian and others, which should be more than enough to kill several hundred pursuers.

Cao Wenzhao's idea was excellent, but his soldiers, who were already terrified, didn't think so.

The veterans of this Guan Ning army still vividly remember the bloody battle in the Lüliang Mountains.

In that battle, they were routed, and even their commander was seriously wounded.

Now, facing this group of ferocious bandits, it would be a lie to say they weren't afraid.

Even Cao Wenzhao was traumatized and dared not venture into the mountains again, let alone the ordinary soldiers.

Coupled with the sudden ambush, many people were already panicked and desperate, only caring about escaping for their lives, cracking their whips and wishing their warhorses were fast enough.

Despite the best efforts of Cao Wenzhao, Sun Shoufa, Cao Bianjiao, and others to suppress the rout and try to stabilize the situation, the rout was already underway and there was no way to reverse it.

Many people ignored orders and rushed into Ai Wannian and Zuo Guangxian's ranks.

Ai Wannian and Zuo Guangxian were stunned on the spot.

The two men led their troops on a rapid march and were about to reach Maojin Ferry.

Suddenly, a group of friendly cavalrymen fleeing for their lives rushed out like a burst dam, instantly shattering their marching column.

But that wasn't the end of it; after the routed soldiers came the pursuers!

Shao Yong led several hundred cavalrymen, carrying the defeated Guan Ning soldiers, and crashed into the Qin army's formation like a giant wave.

"what happened?!"

Upon seeing this, Ai Wannian and Zuo Guangxian in the formation were greatly alarmed.

The two were about to find Cao Wenzhao to get some answers when they turned around and discovered that Cao Wenzhao, along with his confidants including Cao Bianjiao, had already disappeared without a trace!
"Cao Wenzhao, I'll fuck your grandma!"

(End of this chapter)