Chapter 104

Before Guo Huai could finish his words, iron arrows rained down upon the heads of the men and horses.

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!!

“Ugh!”

“Ahhh!!”

“My arm, my arm!”

“Ugh!”

Some were merely grazed by the arrows, but many more screamed as the arrows pierced their limbs. Some even met their end as the arrows struck vital points.

If even the smaller humans suffered so, how could the much larger horses escape unscathed? The cries of the Wei army were drowned out by the wails of the horses, echoing across the battlefield.

In the face of this iron rain, armor proved useless. The iron arrows shot by the Yuan Rong pierced through armor and tore into flesh.

Horses struck by arrows fell, tripping those that followed, causing chaos as they collided and tangled. It was pure pandemonium.

“Calm down! Stay calm and reform the ranks! If they’re firing multiple arrows at once, they can’t sustain rapid fire! It will take time before their next attack!”

As Guo Huai had analyzed, the Yuan Rong, capable of firing ten arrows at once, required a reloading time several times longer than that of a regular bow.

How to use this time? Guo Huai once again stood at a crossroads of decision.

Both options were burdensome. Emotionally, he wanted to continue the attack. Retreating after taking such losses felt unbearable.

But rationally, the situation was far from favorable.

Breaking through the infantry’s formation with light cavalry was difficult, and if they failed to breach the formation, they risked being caught between the O Yi army that had crossed the Wei River.

Emotion urged attack, but reason demanded retreat.

‘What should I do…’

However, since neither side held a clear absolute advantage, Guo Huai, unlike before, was plunged into deep thought.

But his contemplation didn’t last long. It couldn’t. It wasn’t possible.

“The Rear General has beheaded the enemy commander Yu Piao!!”

With that shout, a thunderous cheer erupted from the Lanling Army.

Hearing this, Guo Huai also let out a frustrated cry.

“Yu Piao, that fool! How could he not hold out for even a moment and give up his head?!”

He felt like vomiting blood. Now, the comparative advantage between attack and retreat had vanished. Only the absolute necessity of retreat remained.

Though they hadn’t yet lost numerical superiority, losing the 10,000 Xiongnu troops made even that uncertain. Continuing the fight would only lead to a crushing defeat as Chang-ran’s cavalry and the infantry across the Wei River closed in.

Retreat was certain. The next step was to decide the retreat path.

This decision was relatively easy.

Hao Suo, whom Guo Huai had left in Chang’an, was a reliable talent. It wasn’t for nothing that Guo Huai had deliberately stationed him there.

No matter how formidable Chang-ran was, siege warfare was a straightforward contest of strength. Against Chang’an’s towering walls, even Chang-ran would find it difficult to make headway.

Hao Suo would surely hold firm against Chang-ran’s fierce assaults.

‘With Hao Suo in Chang’an, he will protect the city.’

But Zhao Chang, fighting in Xiliang, would be in dire straits if the situation worsened.

If Guo Huai couldn’t stop Chang-ran here, the only hope was for Zhao Chang to return from Yongzhou and for reinforcements from Luoyang to arrive while Hao Suo held Chang’an.

Abandoning Zhao Chang to defend Chang’an would leave them vulnerable if Chang-ran, joined by Ma Chao, took control of the Guanzhong region and strangled them.

The best scenario would be for Zhao Chang to defeat Ma Chao and return, but that was unlikely. It was more reasonable to leave a suicide squad at Jieting to block their advance into Guanzhong while Zhao Chang’s forces retreated.

In that case, Yongliangzhou would fall into Shu Han’s hands, but there was no other choice. If they could hold Chang’an and Guanzhong, the opportunity to reclaim Yongliangzhou would surely come.

“Retreat! Inform General Zhao as well! Retreat to Beiyuan!”

§

I stood silently, holding Yu Piao’s freshly severed head, watching as Guo Huai’s Wei army fled westward.

The deserters had all escaped, and after dealing with the remnants of the Xiongnu who had fallen from their horses or been blocked by our cavalry, Jiang Yu approached me.

“Shall we pursue?”

“No need. Judging by their speed, we won’t catch them. Focus on cleanup. And make sure to properly account for the casualties. Send a few messengers to the Left General. They’ll be faster if they go down the Wei River.”

After issuing the post-battle orders, I closed my eyes as I saw the bodies of our comrades scattered across the blood-soaked battlefield.

It was a great victory.

A victory that might have decided the course of this northern expedition.

The 10,000 Xiongnu cavalry under Yu Piao were nearly annihilated, and the Wei cavalry also suffered significant losses.

In contrast, our casualties were minimal. The infantry, aside from a few losses during the river crossing, were largely unscathed, and the light cavalry under me and Ma Dai also suffered little.

However, the heavy cavalry, who had acted as bait and later as the anvil and hammer, were in a different state.

Despite their heavy armor, their exposure to the enemy had been too great. Even at a glance, their numbers had clearly diminished.

The joy of victory couldn’t be fully savored, knowing their sacrifice. I knew what it meant to willingly charge into certain death.

“There’s not much space left now…”

The taste in my mouth was bitter. The sight of places I hoped would remain unfilled turning black was a feeling I couldn’t get used to.

No matter how strong I became, no matter how perfect my tactics, casualties were inevitable in battle.

All I could do was remember their sacrifice for the rest of my life.

“Once the northern expedition is over, I will erect a Martial Arts Monument.”

A vow whispered to the wind, hoping it would reach the ears of those still in the heavens.

“General, the cleanup is complete. Our casualties are estimated at around 2,000, while the enemy’s are over 10,000.”

Bi Yi, having finished the post-battle report, delivered the numbers.

A 1:5 exchange ratio. While it didn’t match the exchange ratio of the Battle of Yiling, compared to the Battle of the Sir Darya, which inspired this battle’s tactics, it was an absurd level of success.

Of course, the enemy casualties were mostly Xiongnu. The actual Wei army losses were less than half of that.

But appearances matter.

We lost 2,000, while the enemy lost over 10,000? And we were outnumbered? Morale would shift from that point on.

Moreover, the value of this battle wasn’t just in the numbers.

It was a clash between Guo Huai, the Wei commander defending Guanzhong, and Chang-ran, the Shu Han commander leading the Guanzhong expedition.

Guo Huai, leading tens of thousands, was defeated and retreated to Jieting with his remnants, which would greatly weaken the resistance in Guanzhong.

After securing the spoils, I moved a short distance from the battlefield to rest the troops. Marching while exhausted from battle was too much. The fatigue from fighting at a numerical disadvantage during the river crossing was already heavy.

But some were still in good condition.

“Commander O, take Yu Piao’s head to Martial Arts Village. If they don’t surrender, attack and capture it.”

I handed Yu Piao’s head to O Yi and gave the order.

The Martial Arts Village I mentioned was located midway to Chang’an. Situated in a mountainous region, blocking this path would effectively cut off access to Chang’an from the west.

While facing the enemy, the path to Martial Arts Village via Yang Su was crucial, but with no enemies left to block us, the way to Martial Arts Village was now unguarded.

Perhaps feeling guilty for not participating in the Wei River battle, O Yi gladly accepted Yu Piao’s head.

“I won’t disappoint you.”

“I’ll see you at Martial Arts Village.”

“I’ll go ahead and wait inside the city.”

O Yi made up for the military merits he couldn’t earn in the Wei River battle at Martial Arts Village.

When the main force, having rested, arrived at Martial Arts Village, the city gates were wide open. O Yi himself came out to greet the army.

“I’ve completed the mission.”

“Excellent. But didn’t you say you’d wait inside the city?”

“Hahaha, dinner is waiting inside. Let’s go together.”

It wasn’t a grand feast, but I gathered the officers to share in the delayed joy of victory.

And the very next day.

“Commander O, stay here at Martial Arts Village and block Guo Huai’s return.”

It was unlikely, but in human affairs, one never knew. Who could guarantee that Guo Huai wouldn’t go mad and attack our rear, or that Ma Chao and Pang Tong hadn’t already defeated Zhao Chang?

“Won’t the troops attacking Chang’an be too few?”

Responding to O Yi’s concerned question, I feigned nonchalance.

“Don’t worry. Reinforcements will come.”

Immediately after speaking, I realized the need to correct myself.

“No. Perhaps we’ll be the reinforcements.”

Before we reached Chang’an.

The area around Chang’an might already have turned into a battlefield.