Tiger Owl

Chapter 17: Use small things to make big things happen
Between Haihun County and Lushan Mountain lies Liling County, a small county located at the foot of Lushan Mountain. Zhang Yinggang arrived in Liling County just in time to meet Li Dai, who had come to deliver a message.

"What? Haihun County was attacked?"

Zhang Ying was terrified. His biggest fear was that Haihun County would be attacked, and it actually happened.

Zhang Ying asked urgently, "Who launched the sneak attack on Haihun County?"

"Reporting to my lord, I am not quite sure either. I don't know if it is Sun Ce's army. They are attacking from the south!"

How many troops are there?

"It is said that there are over a thousand people, but I do not know the exact number."

"Did they capture the county town?" Zhang Ying pressed.

"When I left this morning, the enemy had just started their attack, so I don't know what's going on now."

Zhang Ying was immediately anxious. He didn't have time to rest in Liling County. He ordered Li Dai to arrange for the wounded soldiers to be treated in Liling County. He also abandoned the logistics and supplies and led two thousand light troops south to rush to the rescue of Haihun County.

...........
After capturing Haihun County, Gan Ning realized the importance of Zhang Ying's army to him.

Surrounded by the three major forces of Sun Ce, Liu Biao, and Huang Zu, there was only one way for him to survive: to quickly bleed others dry and grow stronger, but there wasn't much blood left for him to bleed from those around him.

Wasn't Zhang Ying someone Heaven had arranged for him?

What God does not take, is to be blamed.

However, Gan Ning's forces were insufficient, and in order to defeat the enemy, he had to rack his brains to come up with various methods.

Throughout history, there have been numerous examples of battles where the few defeated the many. These included elite troops defeating a rabble, killing the enemy's commander and causing the enemy army to collapse, or taking advantage of the terrain.

The last time Gan Ning accepted Hu Xian's army's surrender, he did so by taking advantage of the terrain and unexpectedly killing the enemy's commander.

This time, Gan Ning only planned to use two hundred troops to defeat Zhang Ying's army. After careful consideration, he decided to use the same strategy as before.

Last time he took a risk, but this time he's much more confident.

Firstly, the timing was favorable. With his stronghold in crisis, Zhang Ying was eager to return. His mindset dictated that he would be flustered and careless about the route. If he could attack the enemy at night, it would be an even greater blessing from heaven.

Secondly, the terrain is advantageous. The northern part of Haihun County is hilly and mountainous, with fragmented terrain and numerous canyons, making it very suitable for ambush.

The third is the relationship between people. You know yourself and your enemy, but the other party does not know either. Zhang Ying did not know the situation in Haihun County, let alone his own situation.

Gan Ning left fifty men to guard the prisoners of war, with Zhang Xi in charge.

Gan Ning smiled and asked Zhang Xi, "You've been following me for three years, haven't you?"

Zhang Xi nodded. "It's been exactly three years since the day before yesterday!"

Gan Ning praised him, then looked into Zhang Xi's eyes and said, "Back then, your father was killed by the Wushan Ship Gang. You were only fifteen years old. You went to the Wushan Ship Gang alone to get your father's head back, buried him, and took care of your mother and younger siblings. Then you came to me for help. I told you that I couldn't avenge you for the time being. Do you remember how you answered me back then?"

"I can wait, even thirty years isn't too late!"

Gan Ning laughed, "I knew you were a capable person, you just hadn't had the opportunity. This time I'm giving you a chance. Keep a good eye on the prisoners of war, and I'll promote you to platoon leader!"

Zhang Xi said with a resolute look in his eyes, "I will definitely not let my lord down!"

Fifty men were tasked with guarding a thousand men. Although the pressure was immense, Gan Ning believed Zhang Xi was capable of the job. The key was that the surrendered generals had to be taken out and imprisoned separately, and no generals above the rank of platoon leader could be among the surrendered troops.

Just like without a lead sheep, the rest of the flock is easier to control.

Gan Ning gave him a few instructions, patted his arm gently, and then led the army away.

Standing atop the city wall, Zhang Xi watched the army depart into the distance, then turned back to look at the prisoner-of-war camp. A bold idea welled up in his mind.

…………

An hour later, Gan Ning led 250 men to ambush in a valley about 20 miles from Haihun County. The valley was not long, only about a mile long, with red clay slopes on both sides that were more than ten feet high, and dense forests above.

Wang Ping led fifty men to ambush in the woods on the right side of the mountain. Each man was armed with a bow and arrow and a torch. In front of each soldier was a large drum. This was to create a show of force, so that fifty men could create the momentum of a thousand troops.

Gan Ning and Ding Feng each led one hundred armored soldiers to ambush at both ends of the canyon. Everything was ready, and they were just waiting for the east wind.

Time passed slowly, and night gradually fell. Gan Ning was secretly delighted; they had actually planned to ambush the enemy at night.
Around midnight, the mournful cries of owls suddenly echoed from the woods.

'Giggle—' This is a signal, the enemy is coming! Gan Ning drew two arrows, put one in his mouth and nocked the other on his bow.

Zhang Ying should definitely be killed with an arrow; a one-on-one duel would be a mistake.

Who is Zhang Ying? He has been following Liu Yao since the first year of Xingping, and five or six years have passed. He is still alive and well. His strength is not in martial arts, but in escaping.

Such a person would never engage in a one-on-one duel with an opponent stronger than himself or an enemy general of unknown origin. He would always hide in the army and drive his soldiers to fight him to the death.

Therefore, Gan Ning only has one chance. Since the other party is unaware of his existence, Zhang Ying is extremely anxious and will definitely be the first to run ahead.

Just then, the sound of rhythmic footsteps and horses' hooves came from afar.

Gan Ning closed his eyes and listened intently. The sound of horses' hooves came from the front. He suddenly opened his eyes and stared sharply into the valley.

An army carrying torches was approaching from afar, led by a general who was also clad in iron armor and rode a spear across his horse. Behind him were several mounted men, all wearing leather armor. The leader of the army must have been Zhang Ying.

When they were less than a hundred paces apart, Gan Ning suddenly drew his bow to its fullest extent, aimed at the space between his opponent's eyes, and shot an arrow with lightning speed.

With poor eyesight at night, Zhang Ying only noticed the arrow when it was right in front of him. By then, it was too late to dodge. "Thud!" The arrow struck him right between the eyebrows. Zhang Ying screamed and fell off his horse.

Zhang Ying's fall from his horse was the signal; arrows rained down from the hillside, all aimed at the mounted generals, and three cavalry generals were hit by arrows and fell from their horses.

Shouts of battle rose from all sides, and the drums on the hillside thundered like lightning, indicating that an unknown number of troops were lying in ambush.

Gan Ning led a hundred armored soldiers and charged forward, while Ding Feng also led a hundred armored soldiers and charged up from behind.

Zhang Ying's army was thrown into chaos, with soldiers shouting, "We are the Jiangdong Army! Those who surrender will not be killed!"

Gan Ning roared, his voice like thunder, "Sun Ce is here! Anyone who doesn't want to live, come up and face your death!"

The soldiers were terrified when they saw a vast array of armored soldiers, numbering unknown. They learned they were from the Jiangdong army, led by a majestic cavalry general who looked like a god and called himself Sun Ce. The soldiers were so frightened that they knelt down and shouted, "We surrender! We surrender!"

Fires blazed throughout the forest, and shadowy figures could be seen stretching for a mile. Wang Ping and his men lit the torches they had prepared beforehand, which were tied to tree branches and stuck into the ground.

From a distance, it looked as if there were thousands of soldiers on the mountain.

Gan Ning shouted, "Put down all weapons, raise your hands and move forward!"

Gan Ning held a steel spear, which was found in the armory of Haihun County. Although it was of much better quality than Hu Xian's spear, Gan Ning still didn't like it. On the one hand, the spearhead was relatively short, and more importantly, the spear had no chopping function, which made Gan Ning, who was used to using a hand halberd, very uncomfortable.

At this moment, an enemy scout noticed something amiss. The enemy force was small, numbering only two or three hundred men, and their general was not Sun Ce. Their weapons and accents were also incorrect; they were imposters.

The military commander, filled with malice, whispered to the soldiers on both sides, "They are not the Jiangdong army. Everyone, follow me and fight them!"

Seeing his chance, the military commander picked up his knife and shouted, "They are not the Jiangdong army, nor are they Sun Ce! Brothers, grab your weapons and fight them!"

Enraged, Gan Ning spurred his horse forward and thrust his spear at the enemy with lightning speed. The officer was unable to dodge in time, and with a 'thud!', the steel spear pierced his chest. The intense pain caused him to scream and die on the spot.

Gan Ning hoisted his corpse high into the air and roared at the two thousand surrendered soldiers, "Who else? Come forward and face your death!"

The opponent's strength intimidated everyone. The dozen or so soldiers nearby were so frightened that they immediately threw down their knives and raised their hands, no longer daring to make any rash moves.

None of the soldiers dared to have any other thoughts, and they obediently raised their hands and left the valley.

The enemy has two thousand men, which is too many. If we confiscate their weapons, it will take a long time, and their soldiers will find out that they only have two hundred men, which could easily lead to another accident.

At this point, it is essential to separate the soldiers from their weapons as quickly as possible. Without weapons, the soldiers will lack the courage to resist.

Gan Ning and Ding Feng led their men to escort two thousand soldiers and quickly left the valley. Before long, the group arrived at an open space.

"Sit down and rest where you are, and wait until dawn before continuing!"

The soldiers sat down in the open space, surrounded by armored soldiers who guarded them.

The two thousand soldiers had been running all day and were exhausted. When they finally sat down, they were too tired to move.

Just then, Gan Ning suddenly noticed a group of people approaching from the south, carrying torches and stretching for nearly a mile, numbering seven or eight hundred.

Gan Ning was startled. Whose army was this?

(End of this chapter)