Sweep Yuan

Chapter 197 The Defense Line is Breached and Xuzhou is in Sight

Upon learning that the elite cavalry had crossed the river and that the main force of the rebel army was about to arrive, the Yuan army's formation, which was engaged in fierce fighting, immediately became unstable.

"Hold the formation! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

Commander Zeng's hair and beard bristled, his eyes bulging with fury, and he brandished his sword, attempting to quell the unrest. He knew all too well that once morale was thrown into disarray, it would be like a burst dam, impossible to control.

But he was not willing to give up. He hadn't lost this battle yet, and he still had some trump cards up his sleeve!
"Form a circular formation! Retreat into the warehouse fortress!"

Although his troops could not defeat the ever-growing rebel army, as long as they retreated into the earthen and stone fortified camps, relied on the strong city to fight the rebel army, and waited for the elite troops besieging Xuzhou to arrive, there was still hope of annihilating the rebel army.

The order was relayed down the ranks. Zeng Wanhu still held considerable prestige, and his several thousand elite troops could barely maintain their formation under the reprimands and whips of their officers, but they could not control the two thousand local militia who were harassing the Red Turban rebels' flank.

These people are more enthusiastic than anyone else when they are winning battles and plundering for credit, even more so than ordinary government troops. But once they encounter adversity, their true nature as a rabble is exposed.

"The government troops, the main force of the government troops has begun to withdraw!"

"We are not government troops! We want to go home!"

Retreat is always harder to organize than attack, especially when interlocked with the enemy. The local militia could initially maintain a basic formation during the retreat, but as the enemy cavalry drew closer, they quickly turned into a rout.

More than two thousand men, like hornets whose nest had been disturbed, disregarded formation and cover and charged toward their own fortified village.

"You son of a bitch! Weren't you so cocky just now?!"

The bloodstains on Xue Xian's face made him look even more ferocious. He suddenly pulled on the reins, turned his horse around, and pointed his spear at the fleeing villagers.

"Brothers! Follow Grandpa—"

"Master Steward! No!"

Mao Gui grabbed the reins of Xue Xian's warhorse and pointed it southeast—there, the elite cavalry was already approaching amidst billowing dust.

"The elite cavalry has arrived; these local militia won't escape. We must hold off the main Yuan army force and not let them retreat into the fortified village!"

The arrival of the elite cavalrymen invigorated Xue Xian, but as his gaze swept over his men, the muscles on his face twitched violently. After repeated bloody battles, less than half of his men were still standing, and most of them were wounded and exhausted.

Xue Xian spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, jerked the reins sharply, pointed his spear at the retreating main force of the Yuan army, and roared:

"Hold onto the main force of the Yuan Dog! You've injured so many of my brothers, and you still want to escape?!"

Inside Zhoupo Village.

Li Xixi, leaning on a chipped-edge saber, watched as the Yuan army retreated like a tide, moving away from the fortress in an organized manner, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Yuan Gou... is trying to escape, our main force has arrived! The blood of our brothers cannot be shed in vain, follow me and chase after him!"

As Li Wu galloped on his horse, his eyes quickly scanned the chaotic battlefield: the fleeing local militia had scattered and were rushing towards the fortified village; the remnants of Xue Xian and Li Xixi's troops were holding the rear and flanks of the Yuan army, preventing them from retreating quickly.

The Yuan army barely managed to maintain a constantly weakening circular formation, and struggled to move towards Cangdui Fort.

The cavalry, with their thousands of horses galloping, created an immense spectacle. Commands could only be relayed via flag signals, and Li Wu's instructions to the flag bearers were remarkably concise:
"Second Battalion, Fourth Battalion, pursue and annihilate the fleeing soldiers!"

With the order flags changing, the Second and Fourth Battalions quickly separated from the torrent of cavalry and rushed straight at the scattered local militia.

The remaining troops quickly approached the center of the battlefield and finally saw the main force of the Yuan army's defense line: their circular formation was already very irregular, and they were still retreating while being entangled by Xue Xian and Li Xixi's troops. Their movements were slow, but their formation was still intact, and their retreat was quite orderly.

At the heart of the Yuan army's circular formation, Commander Zeng discovered that the enemy cavalry was rapidly approaching and that his army's formation was showing signs of collapse. He hurriedly gave the order:

"Stop! Form a line immediately!"

The command is correct, but it takes time to transmit the command, and it requires morale to execute it.

When the main force of the Yuan army's defense line left the camp, it numbered as many as 7,000. After the previous bloody battles with the Red Turban armies of Li and Xue, only more than 5,000 men remained. At this moment, less than 4,000 men were still able to carry out their orders.

The remaining troops were either entangled by Xue Xian and Li Xixi's forces and unable to escape, or they pretended not to have received orders and deserted their units.

But their fates are essentially the same.

"Third Battalion, Fifth Battalion, Sixth Battalion, harass!"

Li Wu led his most elite battalion to garrison on the outskirts of the Yuan army, conserving their strength and preparing to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy if they broke through their formation.

The third, fifth, and sixth battalions began to run around the outer perimeter of the Yuan army's barely held circular formation. They did not charge blindly, but precisely attacked and killed the fleeing soldiers who had broken away from the main force. They also approached the Yuan army's lines from time to time, hurling volleys of arrows into the formation.

Most of these arrows were blocked by the Yuan army's shields, but some always managed to slip through the gaps, causing new disturbances and screams.

In this way, they harassed, delayed, and searched for weaknesses in the formation, while luring the Yuan army to counterattack, thus depleting their already limited strength and arrows.

The Yuan army was forced to further shrink its formation, which strengthened its local defenses but also gradually reduced its mobility.

Xue Xian and Li Xixi's forces successfully slowed down the Yuan army's retreat. They were also exhausted at this point, so they tacitly stopped their futile attacks and began to gather the wounded, reorganize their formation, and rest their strength.

Zeng Wanhu, mounted on his horse, looked ashen-faced as he watched helplessly as his troops, who had broken away from their ranks and attempted to escape, were easily dispersed and slaughtered by the enemy cavalry. Their desperate cries and shrill screams clearly reached the ranks, like whips lashing the hearts of the remaining Yuan soldiers.

Inside the circular formation, the Yuan soldiers' faces were ashen, and their hands gripping their weapons trembled uncontrollably. They were in the middle of the formation and had temporarily escaped the enemy cavalry's charge, but what would happen next?

"Wanhu, should we... should we withdraw?" a trusted commander asked, his voice trembling, his eyes filled with despair.

Zeng Wanhu took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Cangdui Fort in the northwest seemed so close, yet so far away. He knew that with the enemy cavalry harassing him at this snail's pace, it was virtually impossible to retreat to Cangdui Fort, but as the commander-in-chief, he couldn't say this outright, lest it damage morale.

"Let the men adjust their formation. Once the formation is stable and their strength has recovered, we'll find an opportunity to retreat!" Zeng Bocheng tried his best to remain calm, but the exhaustion, helplessness, and self-deception in his voice were hard to hide.

Li Wu, like a patient hunter, was not in a hurry to attack.

As long as the Yuan army's formation remained intact, they could indeed use their longer-range archers to force back the Red Banner cavalry and slowly advance. However, this advance was so slow that it was despairing. After retreating less than half a mile, they witnessed a scene that made them even more desperate.

To the southeast, another plume of dust, even larger and more orderly than the Swift Cavalry, suddenly appeared with an overwhelming momentum.

The Sun Guard has arrived!
The expanded Qingri Guard had more than a dozen battalions totaling six thousand men, so it was impossible for them to all rush in at once. Chang Yuchun personally led three of the most elite Class A battalions, took a shortcut to block the Yuan army's retreat, and then immediately formed ranks.

"Shields up! Spears ready! Archers—nock your arrows!" Chang Yuchun stood at the front of the battle, his voice booming like a bell.

The shield bearers knelt on the ground, slamming their large, leather-covered shields into the earth; the spearmen extended their spears, each over ten feet long, from the gaps in their shields, instantly forming a steel jungle gleaming with the chilling light of death; the archers drew their bows, ready to fire, the whole process flowing smoothly, swift and deadly.

Zeng Wanhu's heart sank into an ice cave, and he was forced to order the entire army to stop once again.

Looking at the bandit army half a mile ahead, panting heavily yet able to quickly form ranks, and then at his equally exhausted subordinates whose morale was on the verge of collapse, as well as the elite cavalry and Xue Li's remnants lurking on his flanks and rear, a sense of powerlessness overwhelmed him.

Although his remaining troops of less than four thousand men had a slight numerical advantage over Chang Yuchun's three infantry battalions, would he dare to charge? If his army's formation were to break apart during the charge, the enemy cavalry's iron hooves would quickly trample them into mincemeat.

"Halt! Form ranks! Defend in place!"

Zeng Wanhu craned his neck, anxiously looking north. At this moment, the only option was to defend to the death. He hoped that if they could stall, they could still wait for reinforcements sent by Daermashili.

However, time was not on his side.

During this period, the various battalions of the Xiaojiwei basically completed the task of mopping up the scattered Yuan troops and local militia, and regrouped.

Xue Xian and Li Xixi's troops also hastily treated the wounded. Although their numbers were greatly reduced, with the Xiaojiwei and Qingriwei by their side, their courage was even stronger. They reorganized their troops and approached the Yuan army's circular formation again.

What made Zeng Wanhu even more desperate was that reinforcements from the Qingri Guard continued to arrive from the rear. The arriving battalions, centered around the three first-class battalions personally commanded by Chang Yuchun, spread out in an orderly manner to both flanks, forming a huge arc-shaped encirclement that sank into the Yuan army's circular formation.

The layman looks at the excitement and the insider looks at the doorway.

Even before the battle began, the mere sight of the Qingri Guard rushing in, quickly deploying, forming ranks, and creating an encirclement sent chills down Zeng Wanhu's spine—the organization, discipline, and training level displayed by this army were far superior to those of the Xue and Li troops who fought solely on brute force.

Even more tragically, Zeng Wanhu realized that even if his own troops were in good condition, he could not guarantee a victory in a one-on-one confrontation with the troops in front of him, let alone the fact that the enemy's forces far outnumbered his own and had elite cavalry in the wings!

Behind the Sun Guard, an even larger and more chaotic sound wave could be faintly heard.

Those were the troops from Suzhou led by Peng Erlang and Zhao Junyong. After crossing the river, the two forces immediately attacked the camp. The shouts of men and the neighing of horses, along with the booming of war drums, echoed for miles, as if a vast army was sweeping in.

The desperate situation that Zeng Wanhu could see was also visible to many of his generals.

Seeing that the Qingri Guard troops had all arrived and were making final adjustments to their formation, about to sound the war drums, the Yuan generals became anxious.

"Commander! We can't win this battle! Surrender, surrender!" A commander's voice, choked with sobs, broke the suffocating silence.

"Yes, Commander Wan! Brothers, you fought a bloody battle today and did justice to the court! The main force of the Red Flag bandits appeared here, but Daermashili remained inactive, watching us be annihilated! How can we, with our remaining troops, possibly resist?"

Another general echoed him hoarsely, his tone filled with resentment and despair towards the Mongol commander in the rear.

"Wanhu! Surrender! Leave a way out for our brothers!" More generals surrounded them, their eyes filled with pleading.

Although they feared the court's subsequent repercussions and worried about their relatives far away being implicated, only a very small number could remain rational in a life-or-death situation.

Zeng Wanhu still wanted to send out his few hundred remaining cavalrymen to break through the encirclement at all costs and send a message to Xuzhou.

But when his gaze swept over the cavalry, he saw that their eyes were unfocused and they had no fighting spirit. Looking at the bandit cavalry patrolling the perimeter, he realized that sending these men out would only add a few more heads to the bandits' credit.

All paths are blocked. The defeat is irreversible.

“Alas…” A sigh filled with sorrow and humiliation escaped from Zeng Wanhu’s lips.

The Sun Guards stood at the front lines.

On the other side, Chang Yuchun was also on high alert.

The enemy force before him was the most tightly packed and the most tenacious in its resistance of all the enemy forces he had encountered since joining the army. Even with his superior position and the presence of the elite cavalry, annihilating this trapped beast would require at least several hundred elite soldiers to be killed or wounded.

He was not afraid of casualties; on the contrary, his eyes showed excitement at defeating a powerful enemy. He was already fully armed and ready to personally lead his elite troops to launch a thunderous attack on the enemy, hoping to end the battle as quickly as possible and at the lowest cost.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out in the Yuan army's formation. A rider galloped out from the middle of the formation. The rider had no weapon in his hand, only a white cloth strip representing negotiations tied to the flag on his back.

"what the hell?!"

Chang Yuchun had already guessed the Yuan army's intentions, but he couldn't shoot the envoy in full view of everyone. He could only wait for him to approach and call out:

"Zeng Bocheng, the commander of the Suishui defense line of the Jining Road of the Great Yuan Dynasty, admires the general's military might, knows he is no match for him, and cannot bear to see his brave soldiers perish here. He wishes to lead his troops to cease hostilities and hopes the general will accept his offer!"

Chang Yuchun narrowed his eyes, looking at the lone knight, then at the deathly silent Yuan army formation opposite him, a cold, stern smile slowly curving his lips. He waved his hand, signaling the archers at the front to remain calm.

Suishui Ferry Crossing.

"Report—Marshal! A great victory at the front! Zeng Bocheng, the main commander of the Yuan army's Suishui defense line, has surrendered to Commander Chang with his remaining troops of about four thousand men!"

Shi Shan, surrounded by the elite of the Moon-Holding Guard, had just set foot on the soft soil of the north bank when he heard the good news.

The messenger reporting the victory was still Wu Guoxing, who had been promoted to squad leader after the Battle of Liuan. At this moment, his face was filled with excitement. He nimbly dismounted, knelt on one knee, and reported the victory in a fast but clear manner.

"According to the confession of the surrendered general Zeng Bocheng, there were still 2,000 garrison troops in his camp who could be persuaded to surrender. In addition, there were more than 4,000 local militia in various camps. The total number of prisoners captured by our army in this battle is estimated to be close to 10,000."

Upon hearing this, Shi Shan did not show much surprise. The situation on the battlefield could change in an instant, and even the most perfect plan required improvisation. He had already prepared for this.

The Yuan army surrendered voluntarily, taking the core of the most difficult defensive line without bloodshed and greatly reducing their own casualties, which was certainly a good thing.

However, with a decisive battle against the Yuan army besieging Xuzhou imminent, the sudden influx of nearly ten thousand surrendered soldiers posed a significant threat. How to settle them? How to reorganize them? How to prevent potential setbacks? These were all pressing and thorny issues.

"Where are Li Wu and Chang Yuchun right now?" Shi Shan's voice was calm and unwavering.

"Commander Li has taken Zeng Bocheng's token and led his elite cavalry to the Wu Kiln camp to persuade him to surrender! General Li and General Xue are also persuading the remaining camps and gathering the local militia. Commander Chang is leading his troops to guard Zeng Bocheng and his four thousand surrendered Yuan soldiers, awaiting the Marshal's personal arrival to decide their fate!"

Shi Shan nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

Chang Yuchun handled the matter very thoroughly, controlling the key defensive line (Wuyao Camp), immediately persuading the local militia to surrender to prevent a relapse, and at the same time keeping a close eye on Zeng Bocheng's troops, who were the most combat-effective and potentially threatening, thus grasping the main contradiction.

"Bo Ren handled it well! Go and reply immediately, I'll be there shortly!"

In front of the warehouse, a temporary surrender point.

Zeng Bocheng had removed the ornate armor that symbolized his status as a commander of ten thousand households, and was now wearing only a simple blue battle robe, standing at the edge of the hastily drawn surrender area. He had handed over his pledge of allegiance to the Wu Kiln camp, but the tension in his heart remained ever-present.

He knew all too well that in chaotic times, the fate of surrendered generals was often like duckweed in the wind. Although Chang Yuchun did not make things difficult for him, Zeng Bocheng dared not leave his troops even for a moment before receiving a personal promise from Shishan himself.

These four thousand people are his last bargaining chip, and possibly his only protection.

Time passed swiftly, each breath feeling like torture. Zeng Bocheng tried to remain calm, but his gaze kept anxiously drifting towards the southeast.

Finally, on the horizon, a large banner with the character "石" (stone) on a red background and gold trim slowly approached.

One of the men, clad in black armor and a crimson battle robe, stood tall and straight as a pine tree, riding towards them. Though still some distance away, his face was obscured, but the imposing aura emanating from him, along with the elite guards surrounding him, clearly identified him.

Zeng Bocheng's heart skipped a beat. He straightened his robes, strode out of the surrender area, and, a few dozen steps away from the ceremonial guard at Shishan, knelt down as if pushing down a mountain of gold and a jade pillar.

"This humble general, Zeng Bocheng, pays his respects to Marshal Shi! Your mighty presence fills me with awe and trepidation!"

Shi Shan reined in his warhorse and scrutinized Zeng Bocheng, who was kneeling on the ground. The man was of medium height, and although he had a thick beard, his demeanor was still refined and scholarly.

"Get up." Shi Shan's voice was flat and emotionless, revealing no emotion.

Zeng Bocheng stood up as instructed, his hands clasped at his sides, not daring to look directly at the stone mountain.

"Have you read the book?"

Zeng Bocheng was slightly taken aback, not expecting Marshal Shi's first question to be this, and cautiously replied:
"Reporting to the Marshal, this humble general... once studied at the Lu Xue Academy in his early years and read books for a few years."

"Hmm," Shishan responded noncommittally.

He was wary of both surrendered generals and Confucian scholars who served the Yuan Dynasty, and Zeng Bocheng combined the identities of both. Such people are often more calculating, better at assessing situations, and more prone to fickleness. Their surrender is often a pragmatic expedient forced by circumstances.

However, Shi Shan's face remained completely expressionless, as if it were truly just a casual question. His gaze shifted to the large formation of surrendered soldiers in the distance, which was being closely guarded by the Qingri Guards, and his voice remained calm.

"What business do you have that you insist on seeing me, General?"

Zeng Bocheng dared not delay and hurriedly said:
"This humble general knows the true strength of the Yuan army under the city of Xuzhou and must report this to the marshal in person!"

……

P.S.: Only one chapter today, I have a terrible headache, please forgive me!
(End of this chapter)