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Chapter 60



Our rapid advance was unstoppable. It took only a few days to reach Chuyang County in the south without any hindrance.

Wang Ping retreated further north to Yin County. His cavalry was relatively weak, making it difficult to keep up with the marching speed, and he also intended to cut off the connection with Wancheng.

As we approached Yancheng, scouts who had been scouting extensively brought information that Xu Huang had left Wan and was heading south.

“Xinya Fortress?”

The report said Xu Huang was passing through Xinya Fortress.

It was an ironic tale. Xinya was where Liu Bei had been stationed by Liu Biao as a barrier against Cao Cao when Liu Bei was under Liu Biao’s protection.

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang made a spectacular debut near Boma Slope in Xinya, but in reality, Boma Slope didn’t exist, and it was Liu Bei himself who fought Xiahou Dun, not Zhuge Liang.

Even so, as someone who enjoyed both the official history and the Romance, Xinya Fortress was inevitably an impressive place to me.

“If it’s Xinya Fortress, we’ll have to go through Zhaoyang County to reach Yangfan.”

“Zhaoyang County…”

In terms of distance, Xinya Fortress is closer to Zhaoyang County, but unlike us, who have elite troops and many cavalry, Xu Huang’s forces are mostly new recruits.

If we increase our speed, we might arrive around the same time.

“Tell General Wang Ping. While the main force attacks Xu Huang, he should block Zhen Ye’s follow-up troops. And if Zhen Ye doesn’t come out of Wancheng, he can act autonomously based on the situation.”

Wang Ping has a sense of the battlefield’s flow. Although the possibility is very low, if Zhen Ye just holds his position, Wang Ping will choose the best option, whether it’s capturing Xinya Fortress or attacking Xu Huang’s rear.

Our troops passed Yancheng and headed straight for Zhaoyang County. Between Xu Huang and me, Xu Huang was the first to set foot in Zhaoyang County.

Even though they are new recruits and their military discipline is not fully established, with Xu Huang as their commander and the distance being much closer, it’s a natural result.

However, we arrived not long after, and Xu Huang, knowing we were approaching, couldn’t properly set up defensive lines like palisades or deer antlers.

“Still, their military discipline is better than expected.”

As Gu Bu evaluated, Xu Huang was forming a camp with soldiers who weren’t even elite troops. Although the structure was a bit loose, the fact that it had a form showed Xu Huang’s ability.

“Still, they’re just rabble. If we sweep them with cavalry, they’ll be in chaos.”

Ma Dai, whose confidence was proportional to the number of cavalry, sneered as he spoke.

Being from Xiliang, Ma Dai had a subtle cavalry supremacist personality.

“The numbers seem similar to ours. They might have more stamina reserved, but they’re no match for the Lanling Army.”

It wasn’t just Ma Dai who showed confidence. Yu En also displayed pride in the Lanling Army, predicting victory and saying they wouldn’t lose to anyone in equal numbers.

I didn’t think we would lose either. After all, I had trained the Lanling Army well. Even if they were a bit tired from the march, they wouldn’t lose to new recruits.

But I still warned them to stay vigilant.

“Don’t be careless. The enemy general is Xu Huang. He will attack.”

From Xu Huang’s perspective, with his troops’ overall quality being lower, the only chance is now. He wouldn’t miss the opportunity when we’re even slightly more tired.

“Xiao Xing will take the center, and Bai Qian will command the left wing.”

Ma Chong is responsible for the right wing.

As the generals moved to their positions, Xu Huang made his move right then.

“They’re coming. All troops, prepare for battle.”

Xu Huang is both a strategist and a warrior. Truly one of Cao Wei’s top generals, combining wisdom and bravery.

Even if Guan Yu’s troops were tired, breaking through ten layers of defense lines is no small feat.

But this time, I’m certain Xu Huang is wrong. He must have thought there was a chance of victory to launch this attack, but in my view, it’s a reckless move.

No, the premise itself is wrong.

“He shouldn’t have come out in the first place.”

Even if he faced Cao Cao’s reprimand, even if he lost Yangfan, he should have waited for an opportunity.

Of course, Xu Huang probably didn’t intend to engage in a full-scale battle like this. He likely wanted to probe and then retreat to look for an opening.

His mistake was not expecting me to arrive so quickly.

Now that we’re here, retreating is out of the question. Facing the enemy and then retreating is not only difficult but also results in significant losses if it fails.

Therefore, Xu Huang chose to advance instead of retreating. If he could push the enemy back even once, he could retreat more safely.

And we will show him the result.

How reckless his gamble was.

§

Xu Huang looked at Liu Bei’s army before him and steeled his resolve. Perhaps this place would become his grave.

‘I knew the stirrups were dangerous, but I didn’t expect them to come this fast… Were they already planning for the flood?’

Otherwise, they couldn’t have come so quickly and accurately. Cao Wei also knew that Liu Bei had given Zhang Ran the axe.

Even so, entering the rainy season and rushing out from Shangyong as the Han River flooded meant they had prepared for this moment in advance. Or perhaps heaven had truly blessed them with fortune.

Either way, it was a bleak reality for Xu Huang.

But when had he ever fought by weighing the pros and cons of the situation? If it’s unfavorable, he just finds a way to victory. Xu Huang believed that the only way to victory was to advance.

Sometimes, you have to jump into a death trap to find a way out. And Xu Huang judged that now was the time.

‘The enemy arrived faster than expected. They must be tired. Now is the only opportunity.’

Xu Huang was clear-headed. The new recruits he led had little real combat experience, while the enemy was seasoned. To make matters worse, the enemy had many cavalry.

Orderly retreat is difficult even for elite troops. If he ordered a retreat for new recruits, their discipline would completely collapse, and they would become easy prey for the enemy cavalry. It’s better to fight desperately, push the enemy back once, and then join up with reinforcements.

Having made this judgment, Xu Huang boldly ordered an advance.

But once the battle began, Wei’s forces focused solely on defense, to the point where it seemed like Liu Bei’s army had initiated the fight.

This was exactly what Xu Huang had intended.

“Maintain formation! Anyone who disrupts the defense line will be beheaded by me!!”

Xu Huang believed this battle was worth fighting.

The quality of the soldiers was indeed a serious weakness, but the quality of the officers was the complete opposite.

Led by Zhao Yan, who would later rise to the position of Minister of Works, and including Zhu Ling, who joined Xu Huang after Xiahou Yuan’s death and was comparable to Xu Huang himself, along with veteran officers like Su Zhang and Feng Hai.

Xu Huang had personally experienced the prowess of Zhang Ran and her Eight Generals during the Hanzhong campaign, but the Wei generals accompanying him were no less capable.

The commanding and leadership abilities of these capable officers more than made up for the soldiers’ shortcomings.

After the initial clash between the soldiers, Wei’s camp shook once but quickly recovered under the officers’ command, maintaining the defense line against the enemy.

‘If this continues, we can win.’

Xu Huang thought as he rushed to block any dangerous spots.

Wei’s forces clearly had the advantage in numbers. Xu Huang’s strategy was to maximize this advantage.

By forming a defense line, Liu Bei’s army, surrounding them, would have more troops exposed on the front. While Liu Bei’s army attacked freely, Wei’s forces conserved stamina by rotating troops within the defense line, aiming for a prolonged battle.

This would reveal weaknesses in Liu Bei’s army, which had already expended stamina before the battle.

Then, by unleashing all their reserved strength for a breakthrough…

‘There’s a chance of victory.’

But Xu Huang’s plan soon went awry.

§

“Is he aiming for a prolonged battle?”

Observing the battle’s flow, I roughly guessed Xu Huang’s intentions.

Advancing first but focusing only on defense. It’s like crouching to leap. Did he underestimate us because we’re new recruits? Wei’s forces were holding up quite solidly.

“The enemy officers are no pushovers.”

Despite the relentless attacks from Ma Dai, Yu En, Ma Chong, and Zhang E, Wei’s forces, centered around Xu Huang, were barely holding the defense line, thanks to the efforts of their officers.

Indeed, there was a reason they achieved victory against Guan Yu in the original history. If they were elite troops instead of new recruits, the outcome might have been even or even unfavorable for us.

But turning the current situation around, they were barely holding on thanks to their officers’ efforts. Wei’s forces were a house of cards relying on their officers’ abilities.

“If the officers can’t concentrate, the defense line will collapse.”

I lightly tapped my horse’s side and moved forward. The feel of the spear’s shaft in my palm. The pounding of my heart just before charging into battle. The excitement numbing the fear stained my brain.

“Xiao Xing, take command of the center.”

After entrusting the center’s command to Gu Bu, whom I appointed as a deputy, I raised my spear.

Like a batter signaling a home run, I pointed the spear’s tip to our right wing, where Ma Chong and Zhang E were positioned.

“We’ll break them from the right.”

It was the turning point of the battle.


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Rather Than Zhang Ran, Zhang Bao’s Eldest Daughter

Rather Than Zhang Ran, Zhang Bao’s Eldest Daughter

장비의 장녀인 장란이 아니라
Score 9
Status: Completed Type: Author: Released: 2021 Native Language: Korean
A Bonapartist history scholar who had dreamed of becoming Jean Lannes, instead finds himself reincarnated as Zhang Ran and dropped into the world of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

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