Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 115 Unauthorized Provocation (The sun came out, so an extra 4k words were added)

"Scouts were dispatched to reconnoiter the roads, mountain passes, and waterways along the way."

"Find traces of the Qiang people as soon as possible."

"All units are on high alert, and soldiers are never out of their hands!"

"Leader!"

"promise!"

They set up camp, with tents scattered about, and the eight hundred riders forming a defensive perimeter.

Zhao Yun led a light cavalry force out to act as scouts, ensuring a safe passage over a distance of fifty li.

The cooks set up their pots and prepared meals.

night.

The entire army rested and ate and drank their fill.

Midnight.

Zhao Yun turned back on light horseback and entered the main tent.

"My lord, all intelligence has been gathered. The majority of the tribes in Xihe are Hu people, with a population of three hundred and fourteen."

"The mountains, forests, and waterways along the way have all been explored; once we cross this area, the land is flat and open."

"Have the Qiang people arrived?"

There was no trace of the Qiang people.

"Yes, go and rest. Thank you for your hard work, Brother Yun."

"I take my leave!"

Inside the main tent, Zhang Xian was sharpening the blade of his halberd, the sound of sharpening echoing loudly.

The next day

The light cavalry set out again in the morning.

Eight hundred riders stood motionless like a mountain.

How much food and fodder does the unit still have?

Zhang Xian asked a question.

A cook reported: "The supplies we've collected from the local strongmen along the way are enough to feed eight hundred men for seven days."

"Hansheng!"

"exist,"

"Send cavalry back to inform all the powerful clans that the army is short of money and food!"

"promise!"

noon,

The Qiang people have not been found.

For two consecutive days, the eight hundred cavalrymen rested in their tents while scouts and sentries explored the surrounding area.

Day three.

"Report——!"

"A thousand Qiang cavalrymen have come from the northwest!"

"Organize the army!"

The curtain of the main tent was pried open with an iron halberd.

Zhang Xian, already clad in heavy armor, stepped out.

"promise!"

"All troops assemble!"

"gather!"

"All units prepare armor!"

"quick!"

Eight hundred riders responded quickly. Although many of them looked somewhat bewildered, their bodies reacted faster than their minds.

call out--

Zhang Xian blew the short whistle under his neck.

A warhorse clad in thick armor strode in, its hooves clattering on the frozen earth.

Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun also came out fully armored, one with brown-yellow armor and the other with silver-white armor.

The armor plates are arranged like fish scales, with soft armor protecting the neck beneath the helmet, and cherry blossoms fluttering on top.

Soon, all eight hundred riders were fully armored and mounted.

Zhang Xian mounted his horse: "Huang Zhong!"

"exist!"

"Archers, spearmen, swordsmen and shieldmen!"

"promise!"

"Zhao Yun!"

"exist!"

"The cavalry leader is right behind me!"

"promise!"

"Generals, obey the order!"

"exist!"

"Cleanse the land of foreign invaders! Protect the borders and ensure the safety of the people!"

"promise!"

"set off!"

Zhang Xian rode out on his horse.

Then eight hundred riders followed closely!
The sentries on both sides rushed out and led the way forward.

In winter, the snow covers the land and vegetation is sparse. From the air, one can see a long black snake lying on a silver plate.

The long snake stopped after crossing a mountain ridge.

Below the ridge, the land stretches out flat.

"My lord, the Xihe tribe's camp is ten miles ahead." Zhao Yun pointed his iron spear at the distant felt tents dotting the landscape, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys.

Zhang Xian squinted. Faint sounds of Qiang flutes drifted from the direction of the camp, mixed with the bleating of cattle and sheep.

"Pass on the order." He tapped lightly on the saddle: "Brother Yun, lead your cavalry to block the eastern valley; Hansheng, lead three hundred to block the western pass."

"promise!"

The sound of iron hooves crushing the frosty grass was like tearing silk. Zhang Xian stroked the newly worn captain's seal at his waist. The bronze beast-shaped knob was already warm from being warmed. This small seal would soon be replaced by the tiger tally.

The north wind whipped snowflakes against the armor, making a fine rustling sound. Zhang Xian reined in his horse on the high slope, looking at the Hu people's camp eight or nine miles away—sheepskin tents were scattered like chess pieces in the river bend, and several Hu children were chasing and playing, completely unaware of the cold metallic glint on the mountain ridge.

"My lord, the Qiang cavalry are still twenty li away." Icicles hanging from Huang Zhong's iron spear rustled as they fell. "Based on their pace, we can just block their way back to reinforce us."

Zhang Xian noticed that many soldiers were trembling slightly. Among these county soldiers, apart from the Taoyuan soldiers who had seen bloodshed before, the others were all new recruits going into battle for the first time.

Some fear is normal.

"Pass on the order." A red flag was raised from the tip of a halberd: "Proceed according to Plan C."

"Prepare,"

"promise!"
-
As the first arrow left the bowstring, the old Hu man herding his livestock was still bending down to pick up his whip. The moment the arrow pierced his back, a dozen or so blood-red plum blossoms exploded on the snow.

The camp erupted in chaos. Women screamed as they grabbed their children and ran behind their tents, while the men drew their scimitars as a second volley of arrows rained down.

"Raise your shields! Raise your shields!" Zhang Xian roared! He led two hundred sword-wielding soldiers down the mountain ridge on horseback, dismounted in front of the battle formation, and charged towards the camp.

But the swordsmen and shieldmen at the front row were indeed in disarray. In their nervousness at first battle, the three county soldiers' leather-covered wooden shields collided, causing their comrades to trip over each other.

Fortunately, the Peach Blossom soldiers on the right had spontaneously formed a wedge formation, and began to approach the outer perimeter of the camp like a red-hot knife cutting into butter.

"Forward! Forward! Do not stand in the way of your comrades!"

Zhang Xian did not charge into battle, but instead commanded the two hundred swordsmen and shieldmen from horseback.

The other side.

Zhao Yun's cavalry sped eastward into the valley, overturning a cart. Suddenly, a young Hu man darted out from behind the cart, and a bone arrow pierced Zhao Yun's breastplate with a "clang," but fortunately, it bounced off.

The silver spear thrust out instinctively, but at the last inch it abruptly deflected.

"Riding the Capital!"

A soldier on horseback stepped forward to finish him off, the tip of his spear piercing the boy's chest.

Blood spurts out!

"Qi Du! Are you alright?!"

The cavalryman shouted anxiously. Zhao Yun was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses. He looked at the boy lying in a pool of blood on the ground and shook his head: "It's alright! Quickly head to the eastern valley, in case the Hu cavalry escape!"

"promise!"

In the center of the battle, Zhang Xian's warhorse slowly followed the outer edge of the sword and shield formation.

In the camp, some Hu men mounted their horses and charged forward. Zhang Xian raised his hand and slashed the neck of one of the Hu chieftains with his halberd blade.

Hot blood sprayed onto the snow, creating a faint white mist. Suddenly, he heard a vomiting sound behind him. It was a county soldier who was seeing blood for the first time, gagging against a blood-stained hitching post, his hand still tightly gripping his weapon.

Zhang Xian nodded secretly. The training was effective. Although some people could not avoid physical discomfort, their bodies were still persevering.

"Continue! Think about the reason for your daily grueling training!"

"Think about it, if these barbarians were to enter Luqi, and your families were still alive, would they spare your families?"

"If you are afraid! Sing 'No Clothes!' We are all brothers-in-arms, what is there to fear!" "How can you say we have no clothes? We share the same robes with you!"

"How can you say we have no clothes? We share the same robes with you!"

The king has raised an army; let us prepare our spears and shields, and fight together against this common enemy!

How can you say we have no clothes? We will share the same garments with you.

The king is raising an army; let us repair our spears and halberds, and fight together!

How can you say we have no clothes? We will share our garments with you.

The king is raising an army; let us prepare our armor and weapons, and march together with you!

Huang Zhong set up his ambush at the bend in the river.

When four or five hundred Qiang cavalrymen arrived at the designated location after crossing the frozen river, suddenly more than a hundred arrows flew out from behind the snowdrifts.

The first volley felled over seventy riders; the frightened horses slipped and spun on the ice.

"Don't linger in battle!" Huang Zhong shot an arrow through the throat of the Qiang chieftain: "Drive them back to the main camp!"

Short whistles sounded in succession, and another hundred or so riders circled around from one side, driving the panicked Qiang people toward the Hu people's camp.

The routed Qiang cavalry became the best vanguard.

They rushed frantically towards the Hu people's camp, attacking from the opposite direction from Zhang Xian and his group, leaving the camp in disarray.

A Qiang man with a face covered in blood knocked over the sacrificial altar, and the burning animal oil ignited three connected tents.

The flames suddenly soared into the sky.

Seeing that the situation was almost the same on all sides, Zhang Xian immediately waved his command flag and roared...

"Charge! Charge!"

Each flag bearer waved their flag and wandered around.

Before long, apart from Zhao Yun and other cavalrymen who were guarding the retreating direction of the Hu people, all the other soldiers under Zhang Xian's command charged towards the Hu people's camp.

Zhang Xian stopped commanding the swordsmen and shieldmen, and instead rode out on horseback, his Overlord Halberd flying as he charged into the Hu camp!
"Follow our lord closely! Quickly!"

In Taoyuan, officers Zhao Gou, Zhao Hu, Zhao Niu, and others shouted orders!
Several hundred veterans from Peach Blossom Village then surrounded and attacked them.

Blood,

fire,

Crying and screaming

From initial helplessness to numbly wielding their swords, the soldiers of Lüqi County grew at a pace that sometimes even they couldn't comprehend.

The county soldier who had been watching Zhang Xian vomit turned into a butcher after a period of fighting.

The shield strike made the Hu and Qiang man stagger, and then the blade decisively stabbed into the Hu and Qiang man's chest, spraying blood all over his face, but he showed no sign of discomfort.

"Be careful."

The wind whistled past his side, and the soldier's comrade beside him raised his shield to block the barbarian's slash.

Thanks.

He thanked him, then thrust his sword forward again, stabbing the barbarian who had ambushed him to the ground.

"Where is our lord?"

With nothing around him, he looked around blankly. The earth was already stained red, and countless barbarian men lay dead.

"We've already fought our way to the innermost part. Alas, we're still lacking. No wonder our lord always musters those soldiers for every battle."

The soldier who had just blocked the attack for him sighed, looked towards the deepest part of the Hu people's camp, and a few glints of longing flashed in his eyes.

"Don't just stand there! Head to the other side and rush to the aid of Qidu! Block their retreat!"

A corporal gave the order, and the two men responded in unison!

In the end, Zhang Xian's eight hundred cavalrymen had completely surrounded the more than a thousand Hu and Qiang cavalrymen, as if they were dumplings.

Time passed slowly, and the shouts and cries gradually subsided.

As sunset approached, Zhang Xian stood in front of a relatively intact felt tent, panting.

His body was covered in layers of blood, making him look like a blood-soaked person.

"My lord!" Zhao Yun, his face covered in blood, led his soldiers back, escorting many Hu people who had retreated but had been stopped by him. More than a hundred women and children cried out.

He asked, somewhat at a loss, "What should we do with these?"

Zhang Xian glanced at the Hu women and children shouting in a language he couldn't understand at all, and beckoned a county soldier in charge of household registration to ask, "Can you understand Hu language?"

The county soldier listened for a while, then whispered in Zhang Xian's ear, "Those women are telling their children to remember this day and to seek revenge later!"

Zhang Xian nodded and looked at Zhao Yun: "Brother Yun, you lead the brothers and herd the cattle, sheep, and horses back to the camp."

"promise!"

"Hansheng, once you've tallied the casualties, come help me pack up these barbarian supplies."

"okay!"

The snow started falling again, gradually covering the bloodstains and severed limbs on the ground.

Zhao Yun led over three hundred soldiers and herds of cattle, sheep, and horses back ahead of them.

After everything in the Hu people's camp had been packed up, Huang Zhong found Zhang Xian.

"What are the casualties?"

Zhang Xian asked.

"The armor is complete, there are some wounded, and only two people died." Huang Zhong smiled bitterly: "These two were too nervous. They were knocked down by the Hu people's horses and trampled to death by their hooves."

"It's alright." Zhang Xian nodded.

He brought more than 500 suits of iron armor with him on this expedition, almost all of which he had brought from Taoyuan. All the soldiers at the front of the battle formation wore iron armor.

Meanwhile, the highly mobile cavalrymen, wearing two layers of leather armor, roamed around, harassing the Hu people's retreat routes.

Although injuries were inevitable, fortunately there were few fatalities.

The two sides were evenly matched in numbers. The Hu people numbered five or six hundred, including the elderly and weak, while the Qiang cavalry, though numerous, were caught off guard by Huang Zhong's attack and rushed towards the center.

If this situation still cannot achieve a crushing victory, then these soldiers are truly hopeless.

"Please collect the bodies of those two brothers and bring them back to Luchi. They should be laid to rest in peace."

Zhang Xian sighed.

Huang Zhong nodded: "It's all packed up."

Then he looked at the group of women and children who had stopped crying and the captured Hu and Qiang people and asked.

"What should be done with these people?"

Zhang Xian also looked over. The men among the Hu and Qiang people had their heads down, while the women were looking at him with resentment.

"According to the rules of the grasslands, anything taller than a cartwheel shall be killed!"

He patted Huang Zhong on the shoulder and pressed down hard: "With the scale of Lüqi, bringing these people back will only cause trouble, Hansheng."

"Go all out!"

"promise!"

Huang Zhong was decisive, but as he stepped forward, he heard another voice: "Lay the wheels flat."

".promise!"

The implication is quite clear.

Even the young are not spared.

When the soldiers from Lüqi County set off again from the Hu camp, Zhang Xian and his men did not bring back a single prisoner.

A pile of greaseproof felt was burning fiercely.

It illuminated half the sky.

Hundreds of soldiers returned to camp in silence, each with several severed heads of Hu and Qiang men hanging on their horses.

County soldiers' camp.

The sounds of cattle and sheep were incessant.

The number of cattle, sheep and horses seized this time was several thousand.

As soon as the battle ended, Zhang Xian ordered sheep to be slaughtered and cooked so that the county soldiers could have a good meal and soothe their post-war silence.

The atmosphere in the camp gradually became more lively.

Zhang Xian was finally satisfied and replaced his blood armor.

As dawn broke through the clouds, Zhao Niu was leading his men to tally the seized items, their ink stains vividly recording the details on the greyish-white paper.

There are a total of 1,200 horses.

More than 700 warhorses.

There are a total of 4,700 cattle and sheep.

Eighty cartloads of leather goods

Three boxes of gold and silver artifacts

In the main tent, he reported everything.

Zhang Xian nodded and stopped writing: "Let the brothers pack up, it's time for us to head back."

"promise!"

Under the sunlight, one could see the following written on the wooden tablet in front of Zhang Xian: "In the twelfth month of the year, Zhang Xian, the Colonel of Lüchi, defeated the combined forces of the Hu and Qiang at Xihe, beheading a thousand and capturing countless horses and supplies. The heads of the Qiang and Hu chieftains have been salted and are presented with this document."

After a short while, he added: "This battle was won thanks to the prefect's skillful command and the soldiers' valiant efforts."

"It's better if you take the blame for starting a border conflict without authorization. After all, it was you who sent me to wipe out the Hu cavalry, and you even spread the word yourself."

Zhang Xian drew a line at the corner of his mouth.

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(End of this chapter)