Tiger Owl

Chapter 300 Ambush of the Rear Army
Xiao Qiao took Gan Ning's hand and they intertwined their fingers. They walked quickly and lightly. Although she had matured a lot, her lively and outgoing personality remained the same.

"Husband, I really hope I can get pregnant after we go back."

Gan Ning listened to his footsteps and glanced back out of the corner of his eye. Two personal maids were just three steps away from them. The two maids obviously realized something and immediately slowed down and moved further away from them.

Gan Ning glared at her, and Xiao Qiao then noticed the maid was right behind her. Embarrassed, she stuck out her tongue, leaned closer to Gan Ning, and whispered in his ear, "Please!"

Gan Ning smiled and said, "You want to work me to death?"

"No way!"

Xiao Qiao nestled against his shoulder again and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I asked my elder sister, and she said that getting pregnant is not about firing a thousand arrows at once, but about finding the right moment to make a name for yourself. These few days are the best time for me."

At this moment, Gan Ning suddenly realized that his wife's true intention in sending Xiao Qiao to Nanchang with him was to get Xiao Qiao pregnant as well.

Xu Wei's pregnancy put a lot of pressure on Xiao Qiao. As her older sister, Da Qiao naturally hoped that her younger sister could also get pregnant and have her own child.

"Let's eat first! We can discuss what you're looking forward to tonight."

Xiao Qiao laughed with great joy, her smile as bright as the winter sun, so bright that Gan Ning's eyes were dazzled.

Sun Ben's 40,000-strong army was marching along the south bank of the Yu River. It was about 100 li away from Yu County. On both sides were tall and steep mountains, which were still lush and verdant despite it being winter.

Between the mountains is a narrow valley, through which the Yu River flows. The entire valley is about three hundred paces wide, which is considered quite spacious.

Zhao Yun led 10,000 troops to ambush on the north side of the valley, while the main enemy force moved to the south side of the valley. Because they were far apart, the enemy had difficulty discovering the ambush.

Pang Tong's plan was for Taishi Ci and Ding Feng to lead 40,000 troops to the north along the Zhe River to deal with Xiahou Yuan's army, while Zhao Yun and Wang Ping would also lead 40,000 troops to deal with Sun Ben's army.

However, at the current pace, Xiahou Yuan is far behind Sun Ben. Sun Ben's army has already entered Yuzhang County, while Xiahou Yuan's army is still in She County and has not yet set out.

Cao Cao's original intention was merely to use someone else to do his dirty work, so Xiahou Yuan had no reason to rush into battle.

Beside a large rock halfway up the mountain, Zhao Yun raised a pair of telescopes, keeping a close watch on Sun Ben's army marching through the valley.

Zhao Yun's army's target was not Sun Ben's main force, but rather the rear guard that Sun Ben was transporting.

With his clairvoyant vision magnifying the soldiers, Zhao Yun could clearly see each soldier's equipment: spears, swords, blankets, water hyacinths, and food bags.

Zhao Yun stared at the soldiers' ration bags. From the capacity of the bags, he could tell how much rations each soldier had left. Each soldier had about three jin (1.5 kg) of rations left, enough for one and a half days.

The distance to Yu County is about 100 li, and the amount of dry food is about the same.

As the army marched past in waves, Zhao Yun patiently waited for the enemy's rear guard.

A full half hour passed, and as dusk approached, the ambushing Western Chu army finally spotted the approaching rear guard of Sun Ben's army.

The rear guard of Sun Ben's army was He Qi's army. He led 10,000 troops to escort grain and supplies, while another 10,000 troops were transferred to the central army directly under Sun Ben's command.

He Qi knew, of course, that Sun Ben was indirectly reducing his military power, so he volunteered to be in charge of the rear army. He knew Gan Ning well; how could Gan Ning possibly allow Sun Ben to seize the southern part of Yuzhang Commandery and Luling Commandery? He Qi was filled with contempt for Sun Ben's unrealistic ambitions.

He also looked down on the strategist Wei Jing. Although Wei Jing had some ability, which He Qi acknowledged, Wei Jing was a closed-minded person who didn't understand Gan Ning at all, and many of his long-term plans were just wishful thinking. "Slow down, army! Be careful of an enemy ambush!" He Qi shouted.

The logistics force consisted of thousands of mules and donkeys, as well as hundreds of rafts, all laden with grain.

Halfway up the mountain, Zhao Yun ordered the entire army to prepare. Ten thousand Western Chu soldiers quickly pulled back the crossbows, put a sharp crossbow bolt into the slot, and knelt on the ground with their crossbows in hand, waiting for the exciting moment to arrive.

Zhao Yun, holding a strong bow, stood on a large rock and looked out into the distance. He could see more clearly that nearly a hundred huge sheepskin rafts were drifting toward them.

How could there be a raft?

Zhao Yun frowned deeply. This shouldn't be happening! He had ordered his men to check the hydrology. Although the area doesn't freeze, the water level is very low in winter, making it impossible for boats or rafts to pass upstream. How did they manage to transport all this grain?
Zhao Yun was unaware that He Qi was a cunning man with multiple burrows. He had left half of the mules and donkeys along the way and sent people to guard them. In case they were ambushed, they could escape back and have both mules and donkeys for transportation and food.

But Zhao Yun was already reconsidering. He immediately shouted, "Order the entire army to prepare to fire!"

Ten thousand crossbowmen from the Western Chu army formed two ranks, stretching for three miles, the same length as the river crossing rafts. When the order to fire came, the ten thousand crossbowmen simultaneously assumed firing positions, half-kneeling on the ground, holding the crossbow frames with both hands, squinting, and adjusting their accuracy by looking at the mountain.

"Launch!" Zhao Yun finally gave the order.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

With a series of rapid clapper sounds, the order to fire was given. Immediately, a barrage of arrows was unleashed from the north bank. Powerful crossbow bolts formed a dense rain of arrows on the river, raining down on the rafts within range and the enemy troops on the opposite bank.

The sudden firing caught Sun Ben's army off guard. Screams and wails rose and fell. Shields were no match for the crossbow bolts of the Western Chu army. In just a moment, the Western Chu army fired three rounds of crossbow bolts in succession.

More than 30% of Sun Ben's 10,000 troops were killed or wounded. The mules and donkeys could not bear the pain of being shot by arrows. They reared up, neighed, broke the reins in the soldiers' hands, and plunged into the river.

Caught off guard, Sun Ben's army was thrown into chaos with cries of pain.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The war drums sounded across the land, and ten thousand Western Chu soldiers surged down, each soldier filled with the desire and expectation of merit. Zhao Yun's army had undergone years of continuous training, and they were all highly motivated and arrogant. In their eyes, both Sun Ben's army and Cao Cao's army were as vulnerable as ants.
"Kill!"

Hundreds of giant wooden rafts were intercepted by Zhao Yun's army. Countless soldiers rushed into the shallow river, which was icy cold, but the Western Chu army roared with deafening shouts.

On the opposite bank, dozens of drummers from the Western Chu army, their bare arms and dark, strong muscles pounding the drums, were working hard. In the river, tens of thousands of soldiers were running hard. As they drew closer, they began to look murderous, their eyes showing the excitement and ferocity of wild beasts hunting antelopes.

He Qi ordered his soldiers to fire arrows in retaliation, but it was to no avail. Enemy soldiers kept falling into the river, but the army continued to surge forward.

In the eyes of the Western Chu soldiers, Sun Ben on the opposite bank was a flock of sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

Zhao Yun took the lead and led his army across the river. He killed anyone he saw with his extraordinary bravery. Sun Ben's soldiers could not organize their formation at all and were scattered. They were slaughtered by the powerful Western Chu army and fled in all directions.

He Qi suddenly recognized Zhao Yun, and a chill ran down his spine. Without further hesitation, he turned and fled.

One of Cao Cao's original tasks for him was to use the Western Chu army to eliminate Sun Ben. Now that the Prime Minister's task was about to be completed, when else would he not flee?
He Qi led two thousand soldiers and fled, abandoning the rest of the army.

He Qi led his army to flee for dozens of miles in one go, where they encountered the thousands of mules and donkeys he had left behind. He ordered his exhausted soldiers to ride the mules and, with the donkeys in tow, hurriedly fled towards Damu County.

(End of this chapter)