Chapter 101

The width of the Wei River we were trying to cross ranged from about 200 meters at its narrowest to 600 meters at its widest. The 200-meter width was found further upstream, and around here, the narrowest point was likely between 250 to 300 meters.

But even that width made it impossible to attack each other. Even if arrows were shot, they would barely make it halfway across the river. It was no wonder both sides just stared blankly at each other.

During this period, the long-range weapon with the longest range was the crossbow, and the type used in actual combat was the Si Shi Nu (Four Stone Crossbow). It had a draw weight of 4 stones (105.6 kg), but its range was barely under 230 meters.

However, Zhuge Liang, the versatile inventor of Shu Han, developed the Qiang Nu (Strong Crossbow), which dramatically increased the range. Although I provided some ideas as the requester, it could be considered Zhuge Liang’s sole achievement. It was a product that showcased his genius.

“Proposer: Chang-ran, Designer: Zhuge Liang, Manufacturer: Po-won. This is unstoppable.”

The Wei army archers gathered by the river to block our crossing.

It was laughable. Even with the Si Shi Nu, they were insufficient, and what did they think they could do with the short-ranged horse bows?

I let out a snicker and gestured to Yu En, who was waiting for the firing command.

“Fire away.”

A volley of arrows.

The sound of arrows tearing through the air struck the waves of the Wei River.

The Wei army, who never dreamed of being shot at from this distance, stared at the incoming arrows before collapsing in a spray of blood.

Screams of shock, not pain, erupted. Arrows flying from this distance were sheer terror.

The fear instilled by having the upper hand in an attack would be hard to endure even for well-trained soldiers. Guo Huai frantically pulled back the archers he had deployed forward.

The enemy archers, who were supposed to attack those building the floating bridge, could do nothing due to the difference in range. It was also difficult to ambush us the moment we crossed the river.

“Amazing! To have such a weapon… As expected, Military Advisor Zhuge is a heaven-sent talent.”

Bi Yi exclaimed in admiration, but the Qiang Nu had its limits. It was slow to reload, and there were too few of them to inflict significant damage.

The fear of the unknown brought by the abnormal range. They retreated simply because they were terrified of being helplessly attacked. However, since the purpose was to cover the river crossing, it served its role well.

‘Originally, it was prepared for siege warfare, but who would have thought it would be used to cover a river crossing.’

As long as the results were good, it didn’t matter.

Of course, our side wasn’t completely unscathed.

Guo Huai didn’t give up and continued to try to hinder our crossing. Each time, the Wei army suffered more losses than we did, but the gap narrowed with each attempt.

Guo Huai had figured out the Qiang Nu’s weaknesses: its slow rate of fire, limited numbers, and the slow turning speed due to requiring two people to operate. He began attacking more efficiently.

The Qiang Nu’s limitations were clear when dealing with the swarm tactics of highly mobile horse archers who would shoot and retreat.

Knowing this, I had deployed foot archers to support the crossbowmen. However, the difference in range between horse archers and foot archers could be compensated by the mobility of horses, so we had to be satisfied with inflicting more damage on them.

But it was impossible to stop the construction of the floating bridge at this rate. Watching the successful construction of the bridge, I proceeded to the next step.

“The crossing order is as previously stated. Huyan, Xiaoxian. Prepare.”

The crossing order was optimized for cover. The ranged troops, crossbowmen, and archers, were sent first, followed by the highly mobile cavalry, and finally the infantry.

I crossed the river with the cavalry. The follow-up infantry was left to O Yi.

Once our cavalry had crossed, the Wei cavalry, realizing that charging would result in more losses, stayed far outside the Qiang Nu’s range, watching us.

‘The first step was successfully taken.’

The key to this battle lay in two units. The first was the crossbowmen covering the crossing. The second was the cavalry acting as bait.

The next move was Kang Yu’s responsibility.

§

As Chang-ran pondered Kang Yu’s next move, Kang Yu himself was mentally rehearsing his assigned role.

‘Lead the heavy cavalry and strike the enemies outside the Qiang Nu’s range.’

It was a mission tantamount to suicide, charging into the heart of the enemy without any cover.

Kang Yu volunteered for it, even as he sensed Chang-ran’s reluctance.

‘I must prove that I am worthy of this position.’

But the pressure of his first real battle was unavoidable. Charging into a situation where survival was uncertain, Kang Yu couldn’t help but feel nervous. He simply had to muster his courage.

Only someone like Zhao Yun, whose entire body was said to be made of steel, could remain calm in such a situation. Kang Yu’s mouth was dry, and a slight tremor ran through his hands gripping the reins.

Then, he suddenly noticed that the Lord beside him seemed even more composed than he was.

Half unconsciously, Kang Yu asked him to ease his tension.

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“What are you talking about?”

“We’re heading into certain death.”

At Kang Yu’s words, the Lord chuckled lightly. It wasn’t a mocking laugh but more like the casual response of a senior to a junior’s question.

“Deputy, you haven’t been in the Lanling Army for long, so you might not fully understand yet.”

The Lord reflected on his past. Perhaps, aside from family, no one had been with Chang-ran longer than he had.

He had followed Chang-ran all the way from Jing Province. The ten soldiers Chang-ran had taken to stop Sun Lin from kidnapping Yu Xian. He was one of them.

“If it were new recruits, I might understand, but among those who have followed her from the beginning, there isn’t a single person who would refuse her orders. Even if she told them to jump into a fire with a bundle of sticks, many would do so with a smile.”

It wasn’t a statement filled with doubt but a confident assertion.

“Is that so…”

“Deputy, do you know my name?”

“Of course. Xing Yun, right? Your courtesy name is Feng Zhao?”

When Kang Yu became the Deputy General, the first thing he did was learn about the members of the Lanling Army.

Even while receiving the handover, he made time to meet with the commanders, lords, and others, memorizing their names, faces, and characteristics. He didn’t have time to memorize all the commanders, but he remembered all the lords.

Lord Xing Yun nodded in affirmation and continued.

“Yes, that’s correct. But originally, I had a different name. I was called Xing Er. That’s right. The second son of the Xing family. That was my name. Not just me, most of the soldiers were like that. Zhang San, Li Si, Wen Yi… But have you ever heard such names before?”

“Hmm… I don’t think so.”

“That’s because everyone changed their names.”

Xing Yun closed his eyes and recalled. The day he answered that he liked looking at the sky when asked what he liked.

“All of them were given by her. She even gave courtesy names to those who wanted them.”

The day he was named after the cloud closest to the sky.

After reminiscing about that unforgettable memory, Xing Yun returned to Kang Yu’s question.

“Are you afraid of death? Of course, I am. How many people aren’t afraid of death? But I face death believing that someone will remember me.”

Xing Yun asked.

“Have you ever seen the lining of her silk cloak?”

“The black patterned lining?”

“It’s not a pattern. The small characters make it look like one. Those characters are all the names of the fallen. Among them is the name Xing Yao.”

“Xing Yao…? From the Xing family?”

“That’s right. My younger brother. Born as Xing San, he was given the name Xing Yao by her. He served her for a very long time. Together, we crossed into Yi Province, and he joined the Wei Governor’s command.”

At that time, Chang-ran had become the marching secretary under Pang Tong, so the ten soldiers who had come with her to Yi Province had to temporarily leave her command.

“He was proud of his horsemanship and quickly became a cavalryman. Then he followed her to Hanzhong. He volunteered.”

And he never returned.

“It was the first time I resented her. But when I saw his name engraved on the lining of her silk cloak, I went to her to become a cavalryman.”

Over time, Xing Er, a mere soldier, became Lord Xing Yun, leading dozens of cavalrymen.

After hearing Xing Yun’s story, Kang Yu realized his judgment had been wrong.

‘I thought he was like Huo Qubing, but he’s more like Wu Qi.’

During the Warring States period, Wu Qi trained an elite unit called the Wu Zu (武卒). When a beloved soldier developed a boil on his back, Wu Qi personally sucked out the pus to treat him.

However, the soldier’s mother wept upon hearing this. Her husband had also been won over by Wu Qi’s charisma and had given his life, and now her son would fight disregarding death for Wu Qi.

Chang-ran, who shared meals, gave names, and remembered the fallen, resembled Wu Qi.

“I received a name to carry for a lifetime. I will follow with my life.”

“…Thank you for answering my impolite question.”

His heart felt lighter now. The confusion had vanished, leaving only clear determination. Kang Yu’s hands no longer trembled.

“Then let’s go!”

Drawing his sword, Kang Yu let out a mighty roar.

“Charge!!”

At his command, the horses kicked off the ground and began their gallop.

Toward certain death.