Farmers of Shu Han

Chapter 1426 Fraud

Because they were ambushed and forced into battle, most people were in such a hurry that they did not have time to put on their armor and had no adequate protection.

At this time, what is being tested is the comprehensive individual qualities of the Han army.

Fortunately, the elite Han army never disappoints people too much on this point.

After suffering considerable casualties, the heavy shields were stuck diagonally into the mud, and the spearmen half-knelt behind them, with the spear shafts placed on the edges of the shields to form a forest of spears.

The first wave that rushed up were actually heavily armored soldiers with halberds. The crisp sound of the spear tips piercing into the gaps in the iron armor mixed with the sound of bones breaking, and the sound of waves from the Zhangshui flood front passing behind them.

A Han soldier had just cut off a piece of the halberd handle when he was pulled out of the formation by a hook that suddenly appeared from the side. Then the Wei army smashed his head with an iron halberd while grinning.

The squad leader of the same team roared, summoning all his strength, and blocked the halberd that was thrusting at him again, with the tip of the spear piercing straight into the opponent's throat.

At the same time, a gun tip came stabbing from the side.

The captain didn't think twice and shrank his head. At the same time, a broken shield next to him blocked his attack.

"Kick!"

Such an inconspicuous cooperation is the tacit understanding that can only be achieved after going through countless training and life and death together.

"squat!"

"hook!"

The shieldmen in the front row suddenly dropped their shields and ducked their bodies, while the hookmen in the back row rolled out, hooked the halberd shafts with their curved blades and pulled violently.

The moment a dozen Wei army halberd soldiers lost their balance and rushed forward, swordsmen rushed out from the gaps in the shield formation and started slashing with their swords.

A wave of blood exploded on the beach, and broken limbs and armor fragments flew everywhere, staining the mud into a maroon color.

Although there was no protection from armor, the Hanyang 3.0 weapons were still far ahead of the Wei army.

The beach of Zhangshui River was soon soaked with blood. The first wave of close combat between the two sides was like a huge wave hitting a reef, stirring up countless blood flowers.

……

"General, the Han army is quite brave, it is very likely that they are elite troops led by the enemy general himself!"

The messenger informed Guo Huai of the battle situation ahead as quickly as possible.

Hearing this, Guo Huai looked at the bank of the Zhang River where the brutal killing was still going on, and asked solemnly:
"Elite troops led by the thief general himself?"

The reason why they caused chaos unexpectedly was that after gaining an advantage, they did not maximize the advantage and slowly wear down the opponent.

Instead, he immediately sent out armored soldiers with spears in order to win a quick victory and wipe out the Han army on the south bank as quickly as possible.

Only in this way can we shock the other party, make them feel cautious, and retreat when they see difficulties.

I didn’t expect that the first people sent by the opponent’s commander would be the elite troops?
"Exactly."

"You can see the flag of the Han army's commander."

"I saw it. It's a big banner with the characters Zhang."

"Wow!" Guo Huai raised his eyebrows, with some surprise in his eyes:

“I didn’t expect there would be an unexpected gain!”

After saying this, Guo Huai seemed to have thought of something and couldn't help laughing out loud:

"In the past, Zhang Fei was violent and impatient, and died because of it. Today, Zhang Fei's son has a lot of his father's style."

"As the commander of an army, you actually abandoned the main force and led the vanguard yourself, putting yourself in danger. Good! Good! Good!"

"Pass the order, archers, press forward!"

A wave of short-arm attacks, followed by a wave of bows and crossbows, the attacks are like waves, endless, and the opponent must not be given a chance to breathe.

The time before sunset is destined to be long and cruel.

……

As the Wei army continued to attack, the Han army's circular formation was squeezed and deformed.

The shore had become muddy due to the blood.

Finally, the last squad leader of a team in the circle stabbed his ring-handled knife into the gap between his opponent's armpit armor.

Before he could draw his sword, someone from the larger and more powerful Wei army swung his chain hammer with a grim smile, and the caltrops on the hammer head directly smashed his head.

The entire squad was wiped out, and there was no replacement from the rear. The Han army, unable to withstand the pressure, finally broke through.

The Wei army rushed in like a broken dam, and the wounded soldiers under their feet wailed in despair.

The Han army, which was at a disadvantage in terms of military strength, was simply unable to fill this gap.

Seeing the gap getting bigger and bigger, suddenly a loud shout was heard, and a long spear split the Wei army soldier who was rushing in the front, and then the warhorse stood up and knocked away two halberd soldiers.

Before his horse hit the ground, Zhang Bao had already swept the spear with one hand, and the tip of the snake spear was splashed with red and white substances.

When the Wei soldiers in the rear saw this, they quickly raised their iron shields, and several hooks and sickles protruded from the gaps between the shields.

Zhang Bao tore off the bloody red cap and covered the horse's eyes with it, then squeezed the horse's belly hard. The warhorse immediately leaped into the air and charged forward.

When the sound of the warhorse's chest bones breaking and wailing were heard at the same time, Zhang Bao's spear had already turned into a silver dragon and sailed out to the sea.

The tip of the spear pierced the first man's face, and the helmet flew off with a violent shock from his wrist. The second spear pierced his throat and swept across, splitting the double-layer armor of the three people next to him in half.

"Fill the formation!"

As Zhang Bao roared, the spear shaft suddenly bent into a bow - it turned out that he actually lifted up a Wei soldier.

The Wei soldier screamed and was thrown backwards, knocking over the entire hook-and-sickle formation behind him.

Zhang Bao raised the snatched heavy shield with one hand and threw it out, knocking the Wei soldier who was trying to get up to the ground again.

Then, the personal guards following Zhang Bao, who were also the last reserve troops, shouted and rushed forward, stabbing the fallen Wei soldiers to death with random shots.

The Wei army's closest offensive was finally repelled.

The last ray of setting sun passed over the battlefield.

Zhang Bao half-knelt on the pile of corpses, leaning on his spear, and the blood under his feet formed a stream that seeped into the Zhang River.

His body was covered with pieces of flesh, seven broken arrows were stuck in the gaps of his armor, and the wound on his face was so deep that the bone was visible.

"Han! Han! Han!"

A deafening roar suddenly sounded from the north bank, like a blood tide crashing against the shore.

It turned out that during the fierce battle, the man-made flood front of the Zhangshui River had finally passed completely.

The Han army on the north bank seized the opportunity and once again sent out a suicide squad to pull the floating rope to the south bank.

This also means that Guo Huai's plan to swallow up the Han army on the south bank has come to nothing.

When the last ray of afterglow disappeared from the bloody waves of the Zhang River, the sky was getting dark, and the sound of the bugles of the Wei army trembled.

Zhang Bao stood in the pile of corpses, leaning on his spear, looking at the corpses of the Han and Wei soldiers piled up layer by layer like a blood-red relief, his face grim.

A surviving warhorse wailed among the corpses and bowed its head to the ground.

He took a few steps forward and stretched out his hand to touch it, but saw three broken arrows stuck in the horse's belly, its intestines dragged on the ground leaving a trail of blood, and finally it fell beside the broken flag with the word "Han" where its owner had been stationed.

"General..."

"How's the situation in the north?"

"It's not a big problem. A small group of enemy cavalry thought we were a suspicious force and harassed us, trying to stop us from supporting the general, but they were discovered."

"That's good."

Zhang Bao nodded, then looked at the corpses on the ground. Finally, he could no longer support himself, so he knelt down, lowered his head and said in pain:
"Such heavy casualties among the soldiers are all due to my greed for merit and reckless advance, and my underestimation of the enemy. If I could send more scouts to explore the way..."

He picked up a handful of sand mixed with broken teeth and let it fall between his fingers.

The whimpering sound of the Zhang River is like a man who doesn't shed tears easily.

I remember my mother repeatedly telling me after my father died: Don’t be like your father, a reckless man…

He was conceited that he had inherited his father's bravery, but he forgot his mother's teachings. He was greedy for the great achievement of cutting off Sima Yi's army's retreat, and was ultimately blinded by his own will.

"The two thousand men killed in this battle should have been the sharp blades that attacked Yecheng... but now, because of my greed for merit, they have become bait for the fish and shrimp in Zhangshui!"

"General, this is not..."

The captain of the guards handed over a water bag, Zhang Bao snatched it, and poured water into the blood mud instead of wine:
"My fellow men in the underworld, please watch - if Zhang Bao continues to show off his bravery, he will be trampled into mud by thousands of cavalrymen!"

"General..."

He wanted to persuade Zhang Bao's personal guards, but when he saw Zhang Bao swearing such a vicious oath, he didn't know how to start for a moment.

Zhang Bao looked forward again, but saw faint sparks.

It was obvious that the Wei army did not retreat.

"Send the order. After building the pontoon bridge, retreat to the north bank overnight."

Hearing this, the guards were a little surprised:

"General, we won't cross the river?"

In the eyes of the royal guards, they were simply caught off guard this time, and even so, the thieves did not gain much advantage.

As long as we build a floating bridge and dig a ditch, why should we be afraid of the thieves coming again?

Zhang Bao shook his head:

"This ambush shows that the enemy has made preparations. The Southern Army is a cavalry. Asking the cavalry to dismount and fight the enemy is no different from throwing away the sword and facing the enemy with an empty sheath. This is not what a general should do."

The advantage of cavalry is that it uses mobility to wear down the enemy rather than standing still and fighting the enemy head-on.

I have already made a mistake once, and I cannot make another mistake just for the sake of pride.

On the second day, Guo Huai learned that Zhang Bao had led his troops back to the north bank and even took the initiative to cut off the pontoon bridge. He could not help but feel a little regretful:

"Huh? How could the Zhang family kid endure this?"

In yesterday's battle, it would be a lie to say that we did not gain any advantage.

However, when the Han army was ambushed, not only did they fight to the death, they were also able to counterattack in an organized manner, causing certain casualties on their own side. They are indeed worthy of the title of elite troops.

According to common people's thinking and the Han army's usual style, since they were able to fight back and forth in that situation, if they were prepared, how could they be afraid of themselves?

Therefore, if it were someone else, they might have stepped up efforts to send troops to the south bank to avenge the defeat.

I didn't expect that the young man from the Zhang family, who was just mentioned yesterday as being as impatient as his father, would actually take the initiative to withdraw his troops today.

It's really a bit surprising.

"General, what should we do now?"

Guo Huai looked towards the other side of the river. Although the Han army had suffered a defeat and retreated to the north bank, they did not leave immediately and seemed to be still lingering.

Obviously, the other party also knew the importance of Liang Qijin.

It is even possible that he wanted to threaten the Taifu's retreat by controlling the ferry.

Otherwise, they would not have been so reckless yesterday and wanted to set up camp on the south bank overnight, which resulted in a loss.

Guo Huai smiled faintly: "It doesn't matter. If he wants to stay, it depends on whether he has the ability to do so."

Yecheng, Sanhu Ferry and Liangqi Ferry are all places where one can cross the river.

From east to west, it is sixty miles.

The Han army came from afar and was fighting away from home, so they were unfamiliar with the area.

If Zhang Bao really dared to give up the advantage of cavalry and defend Liangqijin, Guo Huai would not mind fighting with him again.

Guo Huai, who once served as the governor of Yongzhou, was well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of cavalry.

The infantry dug deep trenches, advanced step by step, formed a formation and moved forward. With the support of the city, they were not afraid of the cavalry.

On the contrary, if the cavalry voluntarily gave up their advantages and stubbornly defended one place, they would be seeking their own death.
-
"General, there seems to be a trace of enemy troops in Sanhu Tsu!"

After suffering a loss, Zhang Bao sent out his scouts as much as possible and received the scouts' report the next day.

"East-side Sanhutsu?"

As soon as Zhang Bao heard the word Sanhujin, he suddenly felt a little uneasy.

"What about Yecheng?"

"It's not clear yet."

"Send someone to investigate immediately!"

If bandit troops really appeared in Sanhu Tsu, together with the defenders of Yecheng, it would mean that two groups of bandit troops would appear behind his back.

And now he was blocked at Liang Qijin and could not cross the river to the south...

Zhang Bao stared at the Zhang River. At this moment, his mind was probably racing at the fastest pace in his life:
"Looking at the ambush of the bandits on the south bank yesterday, they must have been prepared long ago. Now bandits have appeared in the east and south. If we go further west, we will reach the Taihang Fukou Pass, where there must be a large number of bandits..."

In other words, it has been confirmed that there is enemy presence on the east, west and south sides.

The only direction where the enemy has not yet been discovered is the north.

"North, north..."

Zhang Bao muttered to himself, and cold sweat began to seep out of his forehead.

What's to the north?
To the north is Guangping County, and to the north of Guangbei County is Zhao State. What’s further north of Zhao State?

Changshan!

Jingxing is located in Changshan County!

"Sima Yi!"

Zhang Bao couldn't help but scream out.

Since Guo Huai would ambush on the south bank in advance, it means that Sima Yi must have received the news in advance.

Thinking of the reminder given to him by General Zhendong before he left, Zhang Bao finally came to his senses:
It is very likely that Sima Yi has already led his army out of Jingxing and rushed to Yecheng - although it is unknown how he got rid of his far-sighted brother-in-law...

Of course, it is also possible that they did not escape, but after yesterday's battle, Zhang Bao no longer dared to gamble with the lives of his soldiers.

After all, if the enemy used the Zhang River as a ditch, they would confine their cavalry to the banks of the Zhang River.

Then, the Southern Army, which had lost its mobility and was surrounded by the enemy's superior forces, would probably become food for the fish and shrimp in Zhangshui.

He doesn't think he can compare to the King of Western Chu.

"Somebody come!"

"General?"

"Immediately send more people to investigate in the north! Remember, once you discover a large army of bandits, you must report back as quickly as possible!"

"Here!"

After strengthening the vigilance in the north, Zhang Bao did not hesitate at all and immediately led the main force back.

It’s a distance of about twenty miles, and the cavalry can arrive there in less than half a day.

When Zhang Bao arrived at Sanhu Jin, he saw the outline of a boat looming in the reed marsh on the opposite bank.

But a telescope is not a magnifying glass after all. With the cover of the reeds, Zhang Bao could not see how many ships were hidden on the opposite side.

Seeing the appearance of a floating bridge on the shallows on the other side, Zhang Bao's face turned pale. He put down the telescope and ordered:
"Search the nearby beaches to see if there are any hidden stakes."

"Here!"

The soldiers who spread out to search soon discovered something unusual.

Not far from the ferry, there were indeed hidden stakes that had been set up in advance, and even the ropes had been tied and sunk in the water.

When needed, just pull it up and you can use it immediately.

When Zhang Bao found out, his face became even uglier.

If my guess is correct, the rope was tied no earlier than last night.

Because yesterday Guo Huai had released water upstream in order to ambush him.

If he couldn't swallow the humiliation of yesterday and didn't retreat to the north bank, but insisted on competing with Guo Huai on the south bank, once he was entangled, his retreat would become extremely dangerous.

Sanhu Ferry is just a small ferry. The one that can really allow a large army to cross the water is Yecheng Ferry.

And Yecheng was a place heavily guarded by Wei army.

"Let's go! Retreat back to Yecheng Ferry!"

Since Sima Yi had already made preparations in advance, his plan to cut off Sima Yi's retreat had failed.

Rather than taking risks alone, it is better to retreat and wait for General Zhendong to arrive.