Chapter 163

The clash between Chang-ran and Sesheng spread across the battlefield in an instant.

It didn’t even take a moment for the news to reach Bozul, who was in charge of the rear.

When Bozul first received the report, he thought the messenger had made a mistake. Maybe they confused Chang-ran’s army with Chang-ran herself, or perhaps they mistook a skirmish between one of Chang-ran’s officers and Sesheng as a direct confrontation with Chang-ran.

But as the reports kept coming in, Bozul could no longer deny it. Chang-ran and Sesheng were indeed engaged in a decisive duel.

Yet, Bozul still couldn’t understand.

“Why?”

Why would Chang-ran step forward?

The current battle situation was overwhelmingly in favor of the Han Dynasty. Even if they just held their ground, victory would naturally tilt toward the Han side. Why would Chang-ran risk everything for a chance to turn the tide?

Bozul was utterly baffled.

Was it for military glory? As the supreme commander, how much difference would it make to fight personally? The outcome of the war was the ultimate measure of a commander’s merit.

Or was it for fame as a strong warrior? That seemed plausible. Chang-ran’s father, Zhang Fei, was a legendary figure. It wasn’t uncommon for children overshadowed by their parents to struggle to step out of that shadow.

But Chang-ran had already made a name for herself. When people heard the name Chang-ran, they no longer thought of Zhang Fei first. They thought of the Chang-ran of the Lanling Army.

“Then, is it just a thirst for battle? Is she that much of a warmonger?”

But she hadn’t avoided fighting Zhao Chang, who was considered her nemesis.

Looking back at Chang-ran’s actions in previous wars, even though she had a fierce nature, her foundation was always rooted in the pursuit of victory.

Why would she take such a reckless risk when victory was almost certain?

“Ah! Chang-ran is also racing against time.”

Chang-ran had her own motivation to end the war as quickly as possible.

That motivation was Sun Quan’s return from the war with Cao Wei in Huainan.

“Chang-ran must also be wary of our lord’s return.”

If Sun Quan made a truce or peace treaty with Cao Pi and returned to Jing Province, Chang-ran would be at a disadvantage.

Cao Wei would pressure Guanzhong and Yangfan, preventing reinforcements from reaching Chang-ran while the Han Dynasty swallowed Jing Province.

If Chang-ran wanted to end the war before that by capturing Sun Ding, her aggressive actions made sense.

“Then there’s truly an opportunity for us!”

If Sesheng could defeat Chang-ran—no, even just injure her enough to force her to retreat—the Lanling Army, who followed Chang-ran more than their lord Liu Bei, would gather to protect her, creating a gap in their encirclement.

But the question was, could Sesheng defeat Chang-ran?

“Sesheng is one of our strongest generals. Even if Chang-ran is formidable, Sesheng might stand a chance. However, Chang-ran is on horseback, while Sesheng is not.”

Chang-ran’s horse wasn’t just any horse—it was a legendary steed comparable to Lü Bu’s Red Hare or her father’s Shadow Moon. Bozul had glimpsed it once: a magnificent beast with a platinum sheen and muscles that could only be described as divine.

For infantry to defeat cavalry was already a feat, let alone cavalry riding such a divine steed. Just holding out against such a foe would earn one a reputation as a great warrior.

In a one-on-one fight between Chang-ran and Sesheng, it might be a toss-up, but with Chang-ran on horseback and Sesheng on foot, Bozul had to admit the former had the advantage.

“If Sesheng wins, a path opens for us. But if Sesheng loses, it’s over! Damn it, what should we do…?”

Bozul, who had some leeway as the rear commander, was lost in thought when he was interrupted.

The Lanling Army, having completed their encirclement, began their assault from all sides.

—

Ma Dai. Baekcheom.

He had been with the Lanling Army for a very long time.

No, he had been with the Lanling Army since its inception. He was practically the living history of the Lanling Army.

Yu En, who had been with him during the founding of the Lanling Army, had left, and those who joined shortly after—Ma Chong, Zhang E, Wang Ping, Wang Sha—had all found their own paths and disappeared from the Lanling Army.

Yet, Ma Dai remained.

For a full decade.

Ma Dai knew the rumors about him. His juniors had all earned merit and gone independent, while he was being overshadowed by the likes of Kang Yu and Guo Yi.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t had opportunities.

After the Hanzhong campaign, when Liu Bei became the King of Hanzhong.

After the Jing Province campaign, when the Eight Generals scattered.

After the Northern Expedition’s siege of Chang’an, after Liu Bei ascended the throne, after the victory at Hatu.

Ma Dai had countless opportunities to rise.

Even his cousin Ma Chao had repeatedly urged him to go independent like Wang Ping or Ma Chong. Liu Bei himself had acknowledged Ma Dai’s abilities and offered him the position of General of the Left.

The General of the Left was a high-ranking position. Yu En and Gu Bu, who were also part of the Eight Generals, held the titles of General of the West and General of the North, respectively.

Above the General of the Left were only the General of the Front, General of the Rear, General of the Center, and the Supreme General.

Considering that the General of the Front and General of the Rear were not duplicated across regions, there were only 12 such positions. Even the General of the Left placed one within the top 20 of the military hierarchy.

Of course, when considering the authority of regional commanders and the highest-ranking generals, the hierarchy became much more complicated, but the General of the Left still held significant power. In the original history, Ma Dai had only risen to the rank of General of the North.

Among the Eight Generals, only Wang Ping, as the General of the North, and Ma Chong, as the General of the South, had risen higher.

In that sense, Ma Dai was in the middle tier of the Eight Generals, but how many people knew these details?

Yet Ma Dai stubbornly held his ground. The Lanling Army had become his home.

Instead, he wanted to prove that his staying with the Lanling Army wasn’t due to his lack of ability, but because the Lanling Army was that valuable.

“Show them.”

They say even a dog can recite poetry after three years in a school.

For the past decade, Ma Dai had supported Chang-ran more closely than anyone else.

Now, Ma Dai was beginning to see what Chang-ran saw on the battlefield.

The criticisms he had heard about himself—Ma Dai acknowledged them to some extent. He knew his abilities fell short compared to others.

Even Liu Bei had acknowledged those like Wang Ping, Ma Chong, and Zhang E, who had exceptional qualities. And the newcomers, Kang Yu and Guo Yi, were no different. Especially Kang Yu—it was clear why Chang-ran had made him her deputy immediately.

But at this moment, even that sense of inferiority faded.

Ma Dai instinctively realized that he was shedding his old self, undergoing a transformation.

“I see it.”

Where to attack. How to break through.

After endlessly pondering what Chang-ran would do, Ma Dai had finally glimpsed the battlefield through her eyes.

Despite the Lanling Army’s coordinated cavalry and infantry assault, the Wu army was putting up an impressive defense.

Bozul, whom even Chang-ran had been wary of, and the young but talented Sun Shao were holding their ground, while Sun Sheng, though less impressive, was also managing a decent defense.

As the Lanling Army struggled to break through the unexpectedly solid defense, Ma Dai’s gaze was fixed on a particular spot.

The junction where the defenses led by Bozul, Sun Sheng, and Sun Shao met—the corner of their formation.

“That’s it.”

That was the weak point of the Wu army.

Among the Three Kingdoms, Wu was particularly known for its strong regional forces.

While the power of local aristocrats was a factor, Sun Quan had also granted high autonomy to regional commanders due to the lack of land connections in the early days of his rule.

In this system, where regional forces operated almost like private armies, their operational capabilities were strong, but coordination between different units was a problem.

The units defending one side of the formation were well-coordinated within their own regions, but the junctions between regions lacked the same level of coordination.

While Bozul and Sun Shao’s units managed well at their junction, Sun Sheng’s was different.

The moment Ma Dai spotted the weakness, he moved.

“Left and Right Rear Armies! Charge! Break their formation!”

Ma Dai was also a general from Xiliang.

Though he didn’t possess the same martial prowess as his cousin Ma Chao, he had trained relentlessly for a decade in the Lanling Army, growing stronger with each passing year.

The cavalry led by Ma Dai struck the junction between Sun Sheng’s and Bozul’s forces.

The formation trembled.

Before the duel between Chang-ran and Sesheng could be decided, the Wu army’s defense began to falter.