Three Kingdoms: Ten Times Speed, Diao Chan Says I'm Too Fast

After Gongsun Zan ordered Yan Gang and Shan Jing to attempt to break through the Liangzhou army's blockade, he did not rush to order the entire army to charge.

The seven thousand cavalrymen stretched out like a long dragon through the mountain valleys, making it impossible for them to launch a full-scale attack.

It can only be one wave after another.

But Gongsun Zan was not worried.

Although the valley road was not conducive to cavalry charges, the Liangzhou soldiers were only infantry, and their speed in catching up and engaging him was equally slow.

The principle is that both sides are on the same path; if I can't deploy my formation, neither can you.

If you block the road, at worst no one can get through.

The order to charge was merely an experiment; if they could break through, they would charge.

Even if we can't break through, we can just retreat; the enemy can't catch up anyway.

However, just as Gongsun Zan was waiting to hear the battle situation of Yan Gang and Shan Jing, a messenger suddenly exclaimed from the rear.

"General, General, something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened! The valley behind us is on fire! It's on fire!"

Upon hearing the sound, Gongsun Zan and the cavalrymen beside him looked towards the valley behind them.

Several plumes of thick smoke rose into the sky from the trees in the distance behind them.

Oops!

Gongsun Zan was greatly alarmed.

It wasn't summer yet; the trees were withered and yellow. If a fire were set on the mountain...

"Quickly, give the order: the rear guard will immediately become the vanguard..."

Before Gongsun Zan could finish speaking, the cavalry behind him began to riot, clearly indicating that the fires were not confined to one location.

Judging from the thick smoke rising, it was clear that the fire was started from multiple locations.

"damn it!"

Gongsun Zan gritted his teeth, gripped his spear tightly, and turned his gaze toward the valley ahead.

The fire has blocked our escape route, and it's too late to turn back now.

Thousands of troops stretched out in an endless line, and no one knew what was happening behind them.

There's only one way now.

Charge ahead of time.

This place is only a few miles from the foot of the mountain.

As long as we break through, everything will be fine.

"White Horse Cavalry, charge with me!"

Gongsun Zan pointed his lance forward, and hundreds of white horses behind him sped up and charged forward with him.

On the other side, Qu Yi, who was blocking and sniping Yan Gang and Shan Jing, saw the thick smoke rising from the valley behind him, and a smile gradually appeared on his face.

"Gongsun Zan, even if you ride a white horse and light cavalry to slay the Xianbei, you will still be utterly defeated here at Qu Yi's hands!"

A fire broke out in the valley behind them, cutting Gongsun Zan's thousands of cavalry into several pieces.

At this point, Gongsun Zan was unable to attend to both ends.

If you want to go back, you have to risk being burned to death in the wildfire.

Qu Yi deliberately chose the location of this ambush several miles away from where Gongsun Zan was leaving the mountain, in order to give Gongsun Zan a glimmer of hope that he could break through and not retreat.

Only in this way can Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry be kept at bay.

The cavalry was too fast.

Advance and retreat freely.

If this method had not been used, Gongsun Zan would most likely have escaped.

but now......

come on.

"Let's see if my Qu Yi's crossbowmen and halberdiers are stronger, or your White Horse Cavalry."

"Halberd warriors, move closer to both sides of the valley and protect the crossbow and shield formations," Qu Yiyi ordered.

..............

The silence of the valley was muffled by the corpses, which made it seem as if they were making faint groans.

The wind carried the smell of rust as it swept through the cracks in the rocks; it was so sticky that it could almost be pulled into strands.

The broken lance was stuck in the scorched earth.

Broken pieces of leather armor and severed intestines were tangled among the rubble.

A dense barrage of crossbow bolts and arrows were embedded in the ground among the layers of corpses.

The white warhorse was now stained red with blood.

Gongsun Zan sat amidst the pile of corpses, holding a broken sword with a chipped blade in one hand.

Around him were a dozen or so halberd warriors wielding halberds and wearing heavy armor.

Three broken arrowheads were stuck in the gaps in the armor plates of the upper body, and the fallen warhorse below had a huge gash in its belly, its intestines spread all over the ground like faded red silk.

Gongsun Zan weakly raised his head, looking at the corpses and white horses scattered around him.

"White horse...my white horse..."

Thick blood flowed from between Gongsun Zan's teeth as he opened his mouth.

Qu Yi, dressed in black armor and tall in stature, walked towards Gongsun Zan.

The knights surrounding Gongsun Zan automatically made way for Qu Yi.

The blood-stained white robes of Gongsun Zan and the black armor of Qu Yi formed a stark contrast.

"So you are General Gongsun Zan of the White Horse?" Qu Yi looked down at Gongsun Zan.

Gongsun Zan looked up and saw Qu Yi's cold face and the victorious smile on his lips.

The sudden cough brought up bile mixed with blood clots.

The crossbow bolt that pierced Gongsun Zan's breastplate had already penetrated his liver and gallbladder.

But the pain was nothing compared to seeing the white horses all around him fall down.

Failure was inevitable.

No amount of regret can cover up the arrogance I had when I first stepped into the Taihang Mountains.

Gongsun Zan knew he had lost.

"You...what's your name?!"

Gongsun Zan, holding his head high with pride, looked at Qu Yi.

"General Xian Deng is Qu Yi. Remember my name."

As Qu Yi spoke, he drew his longsword from his waist and raised it high.

The afterglow of the setting sun pierced through the bare branches of the forest, gilding the longsword in Qu Yi's hand with a golden light.

The long sword fell, and Gongsun Zan's head rolled off.

As Gongsun Zan's head rolled down the mountainside, cheers of victory erupted.

"Collect his head and send it to Chang'an." Qu Yi sheathed his longsword.

The wildfire in the distance grew stronger, and the burning dry branches and pine resin smoke, along with the acrid smell, filled the air and filled the nostrils.

Although they won this battle.

However, the road leading to Tianjing Pass is definitely impassable.

At least for a long time, this road will be impassable until the wildfires are completely extinguished.

It can only be said that this victory merely resulted in the complete annihilation of the White Horse Cavalry.

However, they could no longer launch an attack from this only route from Shangdang County to Hanoi County.

Before the wildfire was extinguished, the army had no choice but to retreat back to Gaodu County.

After ordering the cleanup of the battlefield, Qu Yi turned back towards Gaodu County.

..............

Two days later, in Hanoi County, Hoai County.

Sima Fang, who had barely slept since Gongsun Zan left with his troops, finally received the battle report.

But when he saw the battle report, Sima Fang almost vomited blood.

lost.

Gongsun Zan was defeated.

Of the seven thousand cavalrymen, less than two thousand escaped, and those two thousand were all Wuhuan cavalrymen who were brought back to the rear.

Gongsun Zan and his White Horse Cavalry were almost completely wiped out.

Even if there are still survivors, they are still trapped in the Taihang Mountains.

But now, with the wildfires raging in the mountains, thick smoke can already be seen billowing into the sky in Hanoi County.

Those who did not escape the Taihang Mountains were also destined for misfortune.

"Gongsun Zan has no self!"

The furious Sima Fang showed no regret whatsoever for the complete annihilation of Gongsun Zan and his White Horse Cavalry.

I felt a wave of despair.

"Father, please take care of yourself."

Sima Fang's eldest son, Sima Lang, advised from the side: "Although Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry has been completely wiped out, the road from Taihang Mountain to Henan County has been blocked by a great fire, and the Liangzhou army will not be able to attack in a short time."

"Father, you should immediately mobilize the army, repair Tianjing Pass, and heavily defend it."

Sima Fang took a deep breath.

Now, this is a stroke of good luck amidst misfortune.

Gongsun Zan not only had his White Horse Cavalry wiped out, but he also lost a thousand soldiers guarding Tianjing Pass.

If the Liangzhou army hadn't lit the fire to ambush Gongsun Zan, Tianjing Pass would probably have already fallen by now.

Sima Fang then ordered his troops to assemble and head towards Tianjing Pass, while simultaneously sending the message to Luoyang.

...............

In mid-April, spring was in full bloom in Luoyang.

The sounds of insects and birds echoed continuously from the weeping willows along the banks of the Luo River.

Scholars and noble ladies took advantage of the early spring when all things were reviving to go on outings and enjoy the spring scenery in groups.

The horses, fed three meals of hay and two meals of beans a day, were so worn out that their coats gleamed, and they pulled gilded carriages, proclaiming the owner's luxury and wealth.

The ladies of noble families, dressed in colorful silks and satins, had gold, silver and jade ornaments adorning their black hair, which jingled softly.

This scene is like a magnificent painting of a prosperous era.

The stench of burning pine resin and acrid corpses wafting from Tianjing Pass in the Taihang Mountains did nothing to diminish the vibrant beauty of Luoyang, both inside and outside the city.

"Uncle Liu, Cai Shi's daughter is not far ahead."

On the north bank of the Luo River, Yang Dao, son of Yang Xu, the Minister of Ceremonies, pointed to a spot not far away surrounded by a crowd.

Beside Yang Dao was Liu Bei, who had been granted the title of Left General and the title of Marquis of Linxiang.

Besides being the Left General and the Marquis of Linxiang, according to the family genealogy, Liu Bei has now officially entered the imperial clan and become the imperial uncle of the current emperor in Luoyang.

It can be said that Liu Bei's current position is almost on par with that of the former Grand General He Jin.

In some aspects, he was even stronger than the great general He Jin.

Because Liu Bei had troops under his command, and a force of 300,000.

Liu Bei's two sworn brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, had already been ennobled for their military achievements.

Even the Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, who is currently in the imperial court, treats Liu Bei with great respect.

At this moment, Liu Bei was dressed in fine clothes, and behind him was his personal guard commander Chen Dao, who was leading two white horses.

A dozen or so guards stood at a distance, their eyes alert.

Apart from the leather earmuffs that looked a bit out of place.

Liu Bei felt as if he were bathed in a spring breeze.

He is a completely different person compared to when he first came out of Youzhou.

"I've heard that Cai Gong's daughter is a true master of the zither, and is also known as a talented woman... but alas... her life is so hard." Yang Dao said, shaking his head.

last year.

Cai Yong's daughter, Cai Yan, was already engaged to Wei Xun, also known as Wei Zhongdao, of the Wei clan of Hedong, and the wedding date had been set.

All that's left is for the Wei family to come and fetch them.

However, because of Yuan Shu, Duan Yu massacred all the gentry in Hedong Commandery in one fell swoop.

This includes Fan Xian's Fan clan and Wei Xun of the Hedong Wei clan.

As a result, Cai Yan became a widow who never married.

Cai Yong valued his reputation and his promises above all else. Since his daughter had already been betrothed, even though Wei Xun was dead, Cai Yan was already Wei's daughter-in-law.

This incident sparked a heated discussion in Luoyang at the time.

Cai Yan was a famous beauty, with unparalleled talent and looks.

There are naturally many people who are thinking about it.

However, all those who went to propose marriage were driven away by the stubborn Cai Yong.

“Uncle, nowadays, it’s probably only someone of your status who can persuade Master Cai, so that such a talented woman won’t be overlooked,” Yang Dao said.

Liu Bei's eyes gleamed with anticipation, and then he nodded slightly and walked toward the crowd.