Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 175 Liu Bei's White Feather Army, Zhang Liao's Great Victory over Tao Qian (Seeking subscriptions and monthly votes)
To Liu Bei's right, Cao Ang, a newly recruited disciple, was both excited and apprehensive.

They followed Liu Bei from Qiao County, conquered Xiang County, and seized Pengcheng, advancing with unstoppable momentum.

Now, they must ambush Tao Qian's tens of thousands of troops returning from Xiaopei with more than two thousand infantry and cavalry.

How courageous he was!

"Zixiu has also studied military strategy. Do you know how to use an ambush tactic?" Liu Bei's voice rose slowly.

Cao Ang's expression turned slightly grim: "I believe there are two key elements to an ambush: first, the enemy's inevitable route; and second, terrain that is advantageous to oneself and disadvantageous to the enemy."

"When ambushing, the main attack should be from the side, blocking the head, cutting the waist, and severing the tail, so that the enemy cannot defend both the head and the tail."

Liu Bei nodded approvingly, then asked, "What if the enemy's general is cautious and skilled in warfare?"

Cao Ang was immediately stunned.

After much deliberation, he said, "If the enemy's commander is cautious and skilled with his troops, he may not fall into the ambush. If so, we can send troops to lure him in."

Seemingly feeling that his answer was not quite right, Cao Ang bowed to Liu Bei and asked for guidance: "This student is dull-witted, please enlighten me, my esteemed teacher."

"Those skilled in warfare prioritize both courage and strategy. They attack with valor and defeat with cunning," Liu Bei said slowly.

"Calculate the enemy's troop strength, their inevitable route, and their arrival time, and then select advantageous terrain in advance to ambush them and wait for the opportunity to annihilate them. This is strategy."

"Charging into battle, slaying generals, and seizing flags—overwhelming others with sheer force without fear of death—this is true bravery."

"Courage and strategy are both indispensable."

"Even if the enemy's general is cautious and skilled in warfare, he still needs to be able to defeat the ambush troops in a necessary passage. This is the meaning of: when two armies meet on a narrow road, the brave one will win."

"If you do not have enough martial prowess and you encounter a cautious and skilled opponent, do not use ambush tactics. The best strategy is to defend the city and wait for reinforcements."

Cao Ang said solemnly, "I will always remember my teacher's teachings."

Liu Bei then pointed to Zhang Liao, who was standing on the hilltop holding a banner: "Watch carefully how Zhang Liao commands today. Since you are my student, you must be proficient in both literature and martial arts. You must not be lazy."

Among the captains of the Lingyan Army, Zhang Liao, though not as brave as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, or Lü Bu, was by no means an ordinary person.

And this time.

What Liu Bei entrusted to Zhang Liao was not only the thousand men each led by Dian Wei and Huang Zhong, but also the most elite cavalry: the White Feather Soldiers!
Liu Bei's teachings to Cao Ang just now were not empty words.

This ambush was not a rash act by Liu Bei, but rather a result of his genuine martial prowess in defeating the rebels, rather than a result of his overconfidence in the location.

And in the front.

Although Tao Qian returned hastily from Xiaopei, his formation remained intact and his army was large and numerous.

Xuzhou is Tao Qian's home turf.

Tao Qian was very clear about where the route between Xiaopei and Pengcheng was essential and where military strategists would set up ambushes.

The ambush site chosen by Liu Bei was a narrow mountain range, about nine li long, hence its other name, Jiuli Mountain.

It serves as both the northern gateway to Pengcheng and a natural barrier.

It is bordered by the Si River and the Bian River to the south, forming a strategic triangle with each other.

If a thousand men are stationed on the mountain, and defensive structures are built to form a defense together with Pengcheng, even an enemy force of 100,000 will not be able to capture it.

Liu Bei used this place as an ambush site, which Tao Qian could easily guess.

However, to avoid affecting the morale of the army, Tao Qian did not tell Zang Ba, Zhou Gan, Yin De, Liu Kui, Ji Lian, Yuan Zhong and the others about his speculation that Liu Bei would set up an ambush at Jiuli Mountain.

Moreover, Tao Qian ordered Ji Lian and Yuan Zhong to lead the vanguard through Jiuli Mountain.

To put it nicely, it was to get Ji Lian and Yuan Zhong to Pengcheng as soon as possible to rescue their families.
To put it bluntly, the plan was to have Ji Lian and Yuan Zhong lure out Liu Bei's ambush.

To further mislead Liu Bei, Tao Qian had Ji Lian and Yuan Zhong falsely claim to be "Tao, the Governor of Xuzhou".

Moreover, Tao Qian also placed the grain and supplies ahead of the main cargo.

Normally, ambushes will prioritize attacking the general and the supplies and provisions.

Whether it is the loss of the commander or the loss of supplies and provisions, it will severely damage the morale and fighting spirit of the army.

Tao Qian wouldn't be so cautious if his opponent were someone else.

With Liu Bei as his opponent, Tao Qian had to be even more cautious.

"Report!"

"Prime Minister Ji and Prime Minister Yuan have successfully escorted the grain and supplies through Jiuli Mountain and have entered the open area in front of Pengcheng."

Upon hearing this report, Tao Qian couldn't help but feel suspicious: "That shouldn't be the case. Why didn't Liu Bei set up an ambush at Jiuli Mountain? Am I being too cautious?"
“Tao Xuzhou, perhaps Liu Bei knew he had few troops and left long ago,” Zhou Gan guessed.

“Absolutely impossible!” Tao Qian shook his head in denial: “If Liu Bei had left, news would surely have come from Pengcheng. But right now, apart from the first wave of messengers, no second wave has appeared. This shows that Liu Bei has not escaped.”

Yin De said, "Liu Bei has few soldiers. Even if he sets up an ambush, how can he defeat our tens of thousands of troops? I predict that he will defend Pengcheng to the death, and then take the families of Ji Lian and Yuan Zhong, as well as the families of their officers and generals, hostage to threaten the lord."

Although Yin De's words made sense, Tao Qian still dared not be careless, nor did he dare to linger in the place.

After all, the supplies and provisions have already passed through Jiuli Mountain. If the rear guard does not quickly pass through Jiuli Mountain, the supplies and provisions at the front are very likely to be attacked.

"Send orders to all camps to be on high alert."

It would take a considerable amount of time for tens of thousands of troops to traverse the relatively narrow Jiuli Mountain.

Looking at the rebel army at the foot of the mountain, Cao Ang, standing on the hilltop, felt puzzled and asked, "This student is dull-witted. May I ask my master, just now Tao Qian's banners and supplies were all there. Why didn't Commander Zhang order an attack?"

Liu Bei didn't even raise his head, and slowly said, "In a normal march, the provisions and supplies must be at the rear, and the general's banner must be in the center. Now the general's banner and the provisions and supplies are both at the front. This is unusual, and there must be a reason."

"This place is not far from Pengcheng. Even if the grain and supplies are burned, Tao Qian will not lack grain. Tao Qian used the grain and supplies as bait and set up a false flag to test whether there are any ambushes here."

"It won't be long before Tao Qian's true banner appears."

Cao Ang was alarmed and hurriedly went forward to look again. Sure enough, after a short while, he saw Tao Qian's banner appear again.

"Tao Qian is truly cunning. If Commander Zhang had given the order to attack just now, Tao Qian would have surely attacked from the rear." Cao Ang subconsciously clenched his fist.

"Not only that," Liu Bei added. "If our army had attacked just now, Tao Qian's vanguard would have blocked the supply lines at the crossroads, and we would have been trapped. Although our army is brave, we are outnumbered. We are better suited for a quick battle than a prolonged one."

Cao Ang suddenly understood, and his respect for Liu Bei deepened even further.

After Liu Bei recognized Cao Ang as his disciple, he consistently provided Cao Ang with serious guidance, rather than merely holding the title of master and disciple.

In Cao Ang's view: if parents love their children, then the children will protect their parents; similarly, if a teacher loves his students, then the students will protect their teacher.

Liu Bei's teaching of Cao Ang was just like the ancient saying: "A teacher for one day is a father for life."

As Zhang Liao began to wave his banner again, Cao Ang's breath hitched: "Commander Zhang is about to begin."

As Zhang Liao's banners fluttered.

The ambushing troops descended the steep slope and appeared in the valley, cutting Tao Qian's army in half.

It was Dian Wei and Huang Zhong, who had been lying in ambush for a long time. The two generals each led a thousand men, like tigers released from their cages, and charged straight at Tao Qian's army.

Although Tao Qian had ordered all the camps to be on guard in advance, being on guard did not mean that they could be stopped.

Liu Bei's Lingyan Army was originally an elite force selected after streamlining administration and reducing the size of the army. When he launched a surprise attack on Yuan Shu, he selected elite troops from the Lingyan Army again, making their combat effectiveness far superior to that of ordinary soldiers.

With the two fierce generals Dian Wei and Huang Zhong leading the charge, the force, though seemingly only a thousand strong, was no less formidable than eight thousand.

Former Governor of Yangzhou, Zhou Gan, was the first to be charged. Dian Wei charged straight to his banner, and the heavy iron halberd snapped Zhou Gan's banner in two, terrifying Zhou Gan so much that his hair stood on end. Was this the kind of power a human could possess?

Zhou Gan was utterly horrified.

Having served as the former governor of Yangzhou, Zhou Gan considered himself to be quite skilled in martial arts. Although not exceptionally skilled, he was still difficult for ordinary soldiers to get close to.

But in front of Dian Wei, Zhou Gan was like a fierce tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead, completely powerless to resist, and even forgot to run away!

Tao Qian, with his sharp eyes, glanced at the number of flags as Dian Wei and Huang Zhong charged downhill.

Seeing his own camps in disarray, and even junior officers and colonels rushing recklessly towards the rear, he was furious.

After personally killing the two men, Tao Qian shouted and ordered, "The enemy has only a little over a thousand men, while we have tens of thousands, dozens of times more than them. What is there to fear?"

"Pass on my military order: those who retreat will be executed, those who move recklessly will be executed, and those who are cowardly in battle will be executed!"

"Order Zang Ba, Sun Guan, Sun Kang, Wu Dun, Yin Li, Xu Dan, Zhang Kuang, and Lü You to quickly lead elite troops to stop the enemy!"

Tao Qian angrily selected eight generals, vowing to completely annihilate the more than one thousand Lingyan soldiers who had laid an ambush.

The reason he went straight for his own people was because Tao Qian knew very well that Yin De and Liu Kui, these two incompetent teammates, were unreliable.

Tao Qian must send his elite troops forward to block the attack in order to stabilize the situation. Otherwise, if Dian Wei and Huang Zhong lead their troops in a charge, the soldiers will not know their generals and the generals will not know their soldiers, and no matter how many people there are, it will be useless.

Seeing the Lingyan Army slowing their offensive, Tao Qian said with a grim face, "With so few men, they dare to set up an ambush? Liu Bei really underestimates me! Today, I will definitely kill Liu Bei's elite troops here!"

Tao Qian was also a border general, and his ruthlessness and decisiveness far surpassed those of ordinary people.

Slope.

Cao Ang was alarmed: "Master, Commandant Dian and Commandant Huang are being held back by the rebels!"

"A general should be neither arrogant nor impatient; even if Mount Tai collapses before him, he should remain calm and composed." Liu Bei rested his left hand on his forehead, showing no emotion whatsoever despite Dian Wei and Huang Zhong being surrounded.

"Captain Zhang hasn't reacted yet, so why are you in such a hurry?"

Cao Ang turned to Zhang Liao, only to see Zhang Liao standing on the hilltop with his banner in hand, his gaze fixed calmly on the battle in the valley, showing no sign of panic. Cao Ang felt a pang of shame.

Upon closer inspection, Cao Ang also understood the situation: although Dian Wei and Huang Zhong's offensive was blocked, the rebel army was also unable to do anything to Dian Wei and Huang Zhong.

Huang Zhong even used both hands to shoot down the rebel flag bearers.

Huang Zhong's unerring archery skills made Zang Ba and the others dare not get too close, fearing that they would be killed by Huang Zhong's arrow if they did.

"Liu Bei's army is even fiercer than the one we encountered in Xiaopei! It seems things won't end well today," Sun Guan said through gritted teeth.

Zang Ba said coldly, "After all, they are soldiers who followed Liu Bei, so they must be the most valiant warriors and should not be underestimated."

Looking up at the hillside, Zang Ba's tone became more worried: "Since Liu Bei dared to set up an ambush, he must have more than just this many troops. Be careful."

Tao Qian, watching from behind, was also alarmed.

Although the area was not spacious enough for tens of thousands of troops to maneuver, Tao Qian sent out his elite troops. Even with a large number of troops against a small number, the several thousand elite troops failed to gain the upper hand.
"If I can't severely damage Liu Bei this time, I'm afraid I won't be able to gain a foothold in Xuzhou!" Tao Qian's eyes were fierce, and he called to Cao Bao: "Take your soldiers and climb up the slope. Liu Bei must be at that top of the slope."

Tao Qian pointed to the location of Zhang Liao, who was holding a ceremonial flag.

Cao Bao was also ruthless, and disregarding the steep slope, he led his troops to climb it.

Zhang Liao, who had taken in the entire battle below, suddenly turned around and bowed to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei nodded.

Subsequently.

The three hundred White Feather soldiers, who had been resting and preparing for a long time, mounted their horses and followed Zhang Liao into the valley.

Only Chen Dao remained by Liu Bei's side to protect him.

Although the armor's defensive capabilities and coverage were not as good as those of the heavy cavalry of the Song and Yuan dynasties, the heavy cavalry also had characteristics of their time.

Whether they were clad in fish-scale armor, riding fine horses from the Western Regions, wearing horse armor, and equipped with long spears, ring-pommel swords, small round shields, light bows, or crossbows, they were all squad leaders, captains, and military commanders, as well as deputy squad leaders, deputy captains, and deputy military commanders.

They were ordinary soldiers, wearing two-piece armor, riding ordinary fine horses, wearing horse armor, and equipped with long spears, ring-pommel swords, small round shields, and light bows.

At the end of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bei's three hundred White Feather Soldiers were qualified to call themselves heavy cavalry.

As the White Feather Soldiers joined the battlefield.

The previously deadlocked battle was instantly shattered.

The White Feather Army surged into Tao Qian's army formation like a torrent, their powerful impact unstoppable by any man or horse.

Zhang Liao took the lead, and the double stirrups and saddle specially made for generals further enhanced his horsemanship.

Even with a flag in his left hand, he can still wield a crescent halberd in his right.

Tao Qian's general Lü You was the first to be hit. The immense force lifted Lü You high into the air and then slammed him down. The surrounding rebel soldiers were immediately horrified, staring incredulously at the ferocious-looking Zhang Liao.

Zhang Liao didn't even glance at Lü You.

On the slope, Zhang Liao had already taken in all the rebels' weaknesses. Now, all he needed to do was charge along the predetermined route to throw the rebels into chaos.

The sudden appearance of the white-feathered soldiers startled Tao Qian so much that his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"It is said that Liu Bei had a fully armored cavalry, whose warhorses were even clad in horse armor. In the past, he defeated Qiao Mao and his more than 10,000 men in Luoyang with only 800 cavalry."

"I never expected to meet you here!"

Tao Qian felt very aggrieved.

Every time, Liu Bei would seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, completely negating any advantage in troop strength.

At the foot of the mountain, Tao Qian's troops could only deploy a few thousand men, and those few thousand men were no match for Liu Bei's three hundred fully armored cavalrymen and more than a thousand brave soldiers.

There was no road ahead, and the road behind was difficult to travel; on one side was the Si River, and on the other side was a steep slope.

Tao Qian stared resentfully at Zang Ba and his men as they gradually retreated.

Tao Qian, too, once fought for the Han Dynasty against the Qiang people and quelled the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Now, having been appointed Governor of Xuzhou by Grand Marshal Liu Yu, he could have made great strides and added another chapter to his aging life.

But unexpectedly, before his ambitions could be fulfilled, he was defeated by this very thing!

"My lord, let's escape!" his attendants urged urgently.

Tao Qian then took out his spear and stabbed one man to death, angrily saying, "Anyone who dares to retreat again will be executed on the spot!"

Those around them were terrified.

Even so, Tao Qian was unable to stop the rout.

Tao Qian was unwilling to flee, but those around him wanted to escape for their lives.

However, the mountain path was not very wide, and the rebels, who were in a hurry to escape, either trampled each other or fell into the Sishui River. For a time, cries of agony rose and fell.

"Though I am old, I can still fight! How can I retreat!"

Seeing Zhang Liao charging towards him, Tao Qian gripped his long spear tightly, his eyes becoming even more fierce, and spurred his horse to meet him head-on.

(End of this chapter)