Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 190 Blockade
A biting mountain wind swept across the rugged peaks of the western foothills of the Lüliang Mountains.

Lu Bu reined in the fiery red warhorse that Zhang Xian had given him.

The dark, heavy armor of the foot soldiers gleamed with a cold, hard luster in the thin sunlight.

His sharp gaze, like that of a hawk, slowly swept across a seemingly ordinary sunny slope in front of him.

Gao Shun, Wei Xu, Song Xian, and several elite personal guards stood solemnly on either side, with two hundred wolf riders vigilantly scanning the surroundings behind them.

"General?" Gao Shun asked in a low voice, his face resolute and his eyes focused.

Lü Bu did not answer, and dismounted.

He walked to the edge of the slope, squatted down, and stretched out his hand covered with iron finger guards to gently part a few clumps of half-withered weeds.

Below, several grass stalks lay unnaturally bent over, their edges trampled and mangled, a stark contrast to the wind marks around them.

He picked up a small clump of soil, rubbed it between his fingertips, and brought it close to his nose. A very faint odor, a mixture of mutton and sweat, had not yet completely dissipated.

“Seven or more people passing through within half a day, there are sheep.” Lü Bu’s voice was icy.

He looked up and gazed at a dense oak forest across the slope: "The wind is coming from over there, and there's a smell of smoke, from burning damp wood that just went out."

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Wei Xu's eyes. He licked his slightly chapped lips, like a fox that had caught the scent of blood: "Heh, you've been hiding it well!"

"Song Xian!" Lü Bu shouted in a low voice.

"Your subordinate is here!" Song Xian responded and stepped forward. He was as imposing as Lü Bu.

"Take a team and follow these tracks to find the edge of the forest, without alerting the enemy."

"Gao Shun, you lead your men to spread out to both sides, occupy the high ground, and prepare the crossbows."

"Yes, sir!" The two men obeyed and left swiftly and silently.

Gao Shun led a group of veteran soldiers and immediately dispersed into the rocks and bushes on both sides of the mountain. The crossbows were nocked, and the arrowheads gleamed in the shadows.

Before long, a scout from the Youyi Army cavalry slid down the mountainside like a nimble ape and reported in a low voice: "General, there is movement in the woods, about twenty tattered felt tents, against the mountain wall, with simple roadblocks and three sentries. We have located them."

A cold glint flashed in Lü Bu's eyes as he mounted his horse, the double-fanged halberd already in his hand: "Wei Xu, take your men and take care of the sentries, keep it low-key."

"Just watch!" Wei Xu grinned maliciously, selected a dozen of his most agile and cunning soldiers, who disappeared like ghosts into the shadows of the forest.

A moment later, several extremely faint, short, muffled sounds, like owls being choked, came from the forest.

Immediately, Wei Xu's figure flashed at the edge of the woods, and he made a gesture.

"Kill!" Lu Bu roared, his voice booming like thunder! His warhorse reared up, transforming into a streak of crimson lightning, and crashed into the forest!
The fiery red warhorse ignored the mountains and charged left and right, carrying Lü Bu into the camp.

The double-fanged halberd swept out with a piercing shriek that tore through the air! The makeshift chevaux-de-frise shattered like paper, and two bandits who had just rushed out of their tents upon hearing the sound were cut in half at the waist by an overwhelming force before they could even scream! Blood and entrails splattered all over the ground!
Lu Bu did not stop, his warhorse charging left and right in the cramped camp, each swing of his double-fanged halberds bringing up a spray of blood.

All the moves he learned were those taught to him by Zhang Xian, which were simple and brutal.

Slashing, sweeping, smashing, and stabbing are all the most practical and deadly moves on the battlefield. Combined with the warhorse's amazing speed and explosive power, wherever it goes, men and horses fall, and severed limbs fly everywhere!
The core of the grassland people's camp was instantly turned upside down!

"Wolf Riders! Kill!" Gao Shun's steady roar rang out.

Unlike Lü Bu, he did not charge forward, but instead led the main cavalry force to fight on foot, crashing into the chaotic enemy ranks!
The flashing blades mercilessly crushed the bandits who tried to gather or escape.

Song Xian led a group of men, like raging wild bulls, specifically targeting the tents and corners where resistance was still being waged, thrusting with spears and slashing with short swords, ensuring no blind spots were left.

The battle broke out suddenly and ended extremely quickly.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, this small bandit hideout had been reduced to ruins.

Apart from the two pale-faced, limp survivors whom Lü Bu had specifically ordered to be left alive, the remaining twenty-odd bandits were all executed.

Lu Bu reined in his raging warhorse, his double-toothed halberds pointing diagonally at the ground, blood dripping down the blades.

He didn't even glance at the corpses scattered on the ground; his gaze fell on the prisoners being brought over by Gao Shun's men.

"Ask!" Lu Bu's voice was devoid of any warmth.

A scout fluent in the Hu language stepped forward and began to question them sternly.

At first, the two prisoners stood stiffly with their necks outstretched and their eyes filled with hatred.

Lu Bu waved his hand impatiently.

Two veteran soldiers under Wei Xu immediately stepped forward, their movements skilled and ruthless, accompanied by a sickening sound of bones cracking and a scream so shrill it was inhuman.

One of the prisoners quickly lost consciousness.

Seeing his companion's miserable state, the other one completely broke down, tears streaming down his face, and howled in a distorted Hu language: "I'll talk! I'll talk! Go thirty miles northwest, cross the pass, and there's another Eagle's Nest Village!"

The leader is Xi Fenglie's distant nephew! And...and the salt and hides they stole are hidden in the Wild Boar Valley in the southwest! I know the path! Spare me! Spare me!

Lu Bu listened to the scout's report without expression, then said to Wei Xu, "Take two men, escort him, and go to Wild Boar Valley to retrieve the stolen goods. If there's a trap, you know what to do."

Wei Xu chuckled, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "Don't worry, General, I'll make him regret ever being born!"

He grabbed the limp prisoner and dragged him away like a dead dog.

"Song Xian, take men and clean up this place. Pile up the corpses and burn them. Take away anything useful," Lü Bu ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Song Xian responded loudly, immediately directing his men to take action with swift and efficient movements.

Lu Bu walked to the edge of the cliff and looked at the direction of the pass that the scouts had pointed out based on the prisoners' confessions.

The pass is located between two steep mountain peaks, only wide enough for two horses to pass side by side, and the terrain is treacherous.

"Boping, how is that land?"

Gao Shun had already been observing the terrain. Upon hearing this, he said in a deep voice, "General, that pass is strategically important, with the advantage of being able to hold it off by one man. A direct assault would result in heavy casualties."

Although the cliffs on both sides are steep, they are not insurmountable. Our troops are willing to die for their cause, using ropes to climb up under cover of night, and launch a surprise attack from above to open the pass.

A hint of approval flashed in Lü Bu's eyes: "Good! I'll leave this to you. Lead fifty of your most elite veteran soldiers and make your move tonight."

After capturing the pass, light a fire as a signal, and I will personally lead my troops in a surprise attack!

"The last general takes command!"

Gao Shun clasped his hands in a fist salute, his eyes filled with determination.

In the days that followed, a series of precise and skillful hunts unfolded in the mountains on the western slopes of the Lüliang Mountains.

That day, Wild Boar Valley.

Wei Xu, leading the prisoners, indeed found an extremely hidden animal trail.

The animal path leads directly into the valley, where a dozen or so bandits guard piles of salt sacks and furs.

Instead of launching a direct assault, Wei Xu had the prisoners come forward and feign surrender. While the guards opened the gate to check, the elite troops lying in ambush launched a surprise attack, instantly ending the battle and capturing a large amount of spoils.

That night, at Eagle's Nest Village.

Gao Shun lived up to expectations, leading fifty elite soldiers who, like geckos, scaled the cliff in the darkness, silently eliminating the few sentries above the pass and opening the gate.

After lighting the fire as a signal, Lü Bu personally led his elite troops in like a flood, catching the sleeping bandits of Eagle's Nest completely off guard. Lü Bu's iron halberd was invincible; the bandit leader Xi Fenglie's nephew was impaled on a tent pole by Song Xian's spear.

This stronghold was quite large, with nearly a hundred bandits. Except for a few who jumped off a cliff to escape, the rest were all wiped out.

The next day, Lü Bu and his men, while on a patrol, discovered a stronghold built using a natural cave. The cave entrance was narrow, and there was a winding waterway inside.

Lu Bu ordered his men to block the other small exits, leaving only the main entrance open.

Wei Xu suggested collecting a large amount of damp firewood and dry grass, mixing it with sulfur and other flammable materials, lighting it at the cave entrance, and using a leather bag to blow air into the cave to fill it with thick smoke.

The bandits inside the cave were driven to tears and howl by the stench. Unable to bear it any longer, they rushed out of the cave, only to be slaughtered by Gao Shun's archers and Song Xian's swordsmen who were guarding the perimeter.

On the fourth day, a relatively large tribe located on a small plain in the mountains, though not purely bandits, repeatedly attacked smaller tribes that had submitted to the Han court, plundered caravans, and remained stubborn.

Lü Bu led his army in a surprise attack, and without attempting to persuade them to surrender, launched a direct assault.

He personally led a hundred arrows to pierce through the tribe's simple wooden fence and the panicked assemblies of its riders.

Gao Shun commanded the remaining men to advance as infantry, while crossbowmen fired in rapid succession to suppress them.

Wei Xu and Song Xian each led a troop of elite cavalry to flank and intercept the fleeing soldiers.

The battlefield was almost a one-sided massacre; the tribe's able-bodied men were nearly wiped out, while the women, children, and elderly were captured and taken back as forced laborers.

On the ninth day, at the nameless pass.

Lu Bu stopped his horse at the exit of a newly discovered, secluded mountain path.

The path winds its way through a narrow gap between two steep peaks, allowing only one person and one horse to pass carefully. Beyond the exit lies a relatively flat valley leading towards Taiyuan.

"This is it. Mark it on the map and then block it up." Lu Bu's voice carried a hint of weariness, but even more so, a chilling aura of killing intent.

In nine days, six or seven strongholds of varying sizes were wiped out, and several secret paths were discovered. His efficiency was remarkable. After serving as a civil official in Yanmen for almost half a year, these nine days allowed him to rediscover the comfort he once had.

Kill the enemy, kill the enemy, and kill the enemy again!
Gao Shun bowed and accepted the order, then directed his soldiers to cut down huge pine trees and lay them across the narrowest part of the pass, layer upon layer, to form a sturdy wooden wall.

The gaps in the wooden wall were filled with rubble, and behind the wooden wall, a simple beacon tower was built with stones. Two sharp-eyed old soldiers were temporarily stationed on it with crossbows and beacon fuel.

During those nine days, they discovered several routes and handled them in the same way: they recorded them on maps, used local materials to block them, and then built beacon towers.

These paths were of little practical use to large armies; they were too small, too narrow, and too difficult to traverse. People could pass through, but large-scale transport of provisions was impossible. Only the nomadic peoples, who did not need much food and would start looting once they entered Han territory, were suited to these routes.

Unless it's used as a surprise attack, sending the Han army along such a route wouldn't be very useful.

The main difference lies in the settlement patterns of the nomadic people and the Han people. The Han people settled in one place for a long time with cities as their center, while the nomadic people followed the water and grass pastures.

Therefore, when the steppe people come in, they will definitely be able to find where the Han people are, but when the Han army goes out, they may not necessarily be able to find the steppe people.

This is why, no matter how many years have passed, the grasslands have always been a major threat to Han Chinese territory.

Because there's simply no way to completely eradicate it.

After Gao Shun led his men to block the entrance to the valley.

Wei Xu also led his men to set up traps inside and outside the pass.

Simple horse traps, pitfall traps, and rockfall traps come in all shapes and sizes.

After checking the blockade one last time, Wei Xu brushed the dirt off his hands and walked to Lü Bu's horse: "General, it's blocked! Not to mention a horse, even a rabbit would have a hard time getting through!"

Lu Bu looked at the sealed-off secret path before him, then turned back to gaze at the vast, desolate mountains on the western slopes of the Lüliang Mountains behind him.

There seemed to be a faint smell of blood and burnt food still lingering in the air.

He nodded slightly, a few smiles appearing on his lips: "Let's go, I'll wait to return to camp. We've all been tired these past few days. Once we get back to Daling, I'll ask Zhonglang for credit and treat everyone to a feast! We'll come again after that!"

"Oh!"

A burst of shouts and laughter echoed through the mountains and forests.

Upon returning to his camp in Daling County, Lü Bu immediately submitted a memorial to the emperor regarding Zhao Gou.

Zhao Gou didn't hesitate either, and immediately sent the results of the battle back to Jinyang that same day.

In just nine days, not only did the Lüliang Mountains change, but the three counties of Daling also underwent many changes.

The defensive fortifications became increasingly sophisticated, and the number of people gradually increased significantly.

With the Fen River, Wen River, and Yuan Gong River as its three water systems, and its proximity to Zhaoyuze, Daling, and Pingtao counties, it was the most suitable place for garrisoning and farming in Xihe County. Therefore, Jinyang was gradually arranging for refugees to come here.

There are now two thousand people in Daling County. However, since it is a place where wars frequently break out, the settlement allowance for them is one hundred mu of land, two years of tax exemption, a set of farming tools, two chickens and five ducks, three catties of salt, and five feet of cloth.

Even so, only a very small number of refugees dared to come to the three counties of Daling. They were already fleeing from the war, so naturally they did not want to step into the war again.

The report of merits was sent on a fast journey along the post station, arriving in Jinyang from Daling in less than half a day.

Inside the county government office, Zhang Xianzheng, Xun Yu, and Guo Jia, who had just returned from Qiangyin to report on his duties, were discussing the autumn harvest and subsequent resettlement of displaced people and the repair of water conservancy projects.

A county yamen bailiff strode in, presenting with both hands a leather tube sealed with sealing wax and slightly dusty: "My lord, battle report from Daling! Presented by General Zhao!"

Zhang Xian stopped talking, took the leather tube, deftly removed the seal, and pulled out the paper inside.

He glanced quickly.

"Bu led his troops deep into the foothills of the Lüliang Mountains, followed the trail to find the enemy, and eliminated seven bandit strongholds of varying sizes..."

More than 370 able-bodied men from tribes that refused to submit to the surrender were beheaded, 150 women, children and laborers were captured, and 300 catties of salt, 800 hides, more than 100 horses, and a number of cattle and sheep were seized.

Several secret paths were explored and blocked, and five beacon towers and sentry posts were built in strategic locations...

The operation lasted nine days, with minimal casualties among the troops, and only a dozen or so people sustaining minor injuries.

Lü Bu bowed deeply and then prostrated himself.

After reading it, Zhang Xian's face showed an undisguised smile of approval.

He handed the paper to Xun Yu.

Then he said loudly, "Indeed, Fengxian lives up to his name as a fierce tiger! However, the nine days of battle have yielded fruitful results."

Xun Yu and Guo Jia also quickly browsed the military report.

Xun Yu stroked his beard and nodded: "General Lü is decisive in his actions and ruthless in his use of troops. He is indeed a rare talent."

Guo Jia smiled knowingly: "They swept through the seven strongholds in nine days. Lü Bu must be itching to get back to work. He's treating the western foothills like a hunting ground to run wild."

However, such swift and decisive measures are perfectly suited to the current situation in Xihe; the more ruthlessly they are killed, the more fear will be felt by those remaining.

"Haha, Fengxiao is absolutely right!"

Zhang Xian was in high spirits and instructed a yamen runner: "Go to the agricultural and pastoral area and tell the steward to prepare 100 catties of wine and 1,000 catties of meat to send to Daling. This is my reward for Fengxian!"

"promise!"

(End of this chapter)