Chapter 68

Chapter 702: How Can One Fight Without Eating! (2)

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Yingzhao urged the fleeing soldiers. Those who fell behind were quickly turned into arrow fodder. However, he did not push them to the point of exhaustion.

The pursuit force made it impossible for the fleeing soldiers to think of anything but running.

When he felt he had pushed them too hard, he would momentarily ease the pressure. As soon as the enemy caught their breath, he would push them again to prevent any other thoughts.

This unexpected outcome greeted Yingzhao.

'They say that those from the same clan have strong bonds, but in such a situation, it’s utterly useless.'

Yingzhao felt a bitter taste in his mouth as he watched the enemy soldiers abandon their wounded and flee.

But this is instinct. If a deer with an injured leg is caught and eaten by a pack of wolves, the other deer survive, don’t they? The fleeing soldiers of Jiang Yidan probably felt the same way.

The unexpected harvest was not just this. The longer the fleeing time, the more armor and weapons were left behind on the retreat route.

They discarded everything that was unnecessary and cumbersome to make their bodies lighter and run faster.

* * *

The army that recaptured Dongguan began to advance east again.

Yuefu rode alongside Guo Jia, slowly moving forward, and asked:

“Master, are we now planning to attack Huang Bosong’s rear?”

“Indeed, we must attack Hangu Pass to strike at Huang Bosong’s rear. Although the strategy has changed significantly from what Jia Master originally planned, the overall direction hasn’t changed much.”

“Could you explain that in more detail? What was Jia Master’s original plan?”

“His plan was to trap the Guanxi army between Dongguan and Hangu Pass and starve them out.”

Guo Jia’s words left a bitter taste in Yuefu’s mouth. If Lao Shikun had held off the Guanxi army at Hangu Pass, it would have been ideal, but now even Hanguan was in a precarious situation.

“So, Master Guo, you intend to trap the Guanxi army between Hangu Pass and Hanguan and starve them out?”

“It could be said that way, but it could also be said otherwise.”

“What kind of answer is that?”

“Jia Master’s miscalculation was due to two reasons.”

Guo Jia held up his thumb and index finger. He then wiggled his thumb and continued:

“The first is that he didn’t accurately gauge the strength of Huang Bosong’s forces.”

Yuefu nodded. The army of Guanzhong Shizhang was only a part of Huang Bosong’s power. Because he didn’t know about the Red Silk Army and Jiang Yidan, Jia Hou’s predictions were off.

If they hadn’t existed, the armies of Ma Teng and Han Sui, which had already suffered heavy losses at Dongguan, would not have been able to cross Hangu Pass.

According to Jia Hou’s calculations, the Guanxi army would be trapped and starved to death between Dongguan and Hangu Pass.

Guo Jia then raised his index finger.

“The second is that he didn’t expect General Lao’s forces to be so meager.”

Guo Jia’s words made Yuefu sigh.

“Master, I am greatly disappointed in Chancellor Dong. What’s the point of thirty thousand, thirty thousand!”

The “thirty thousand” Yuefu mentioned likely referred to the thirty thousand Xiliang soldiers sent by Dong Zhuo under the command of Duan Wei.

No matter how strong Hanguan was, the enemy was Huang Bosong’s hundreds of thousands of troops.

Guo Jia defended Dong Zhuo.

“The situation must have been difficult. With the Guandong army attacking Shoushu Pass, there wouldn’t have been enough troops or generals to send to Hanguan.”

“Even so! I didn’t expect Chancellor Dong to be so timid. Shoushu Pass is an impregnable fortress that even the feudal lords couldn’t breach. He should have sent at least seventy to eighty thousand troops.”

Yuefu suspected that Dong Zhuo had other thoughts.

However, he couldn’t press the issue immediately. His only thought was to continue marching to Hangu Pass and hope that Hanguan could withstand the Guanxi army’s assault.

“Perhaps Chancellor Dong made this decision because he deeply trusted you. In simpler terms, he might have thought, ‘With General here, it will somehow work out.’”

“Too complacent. If Hanguan is breached, it will be a straight shot to Luoyang. If the Guanxi army’s hundreds of thousands of troops are lined up before Luoyang, it will be too late.”

Yuefu had already felt the strength of the Red Silk Army in the canyon battle. Although he could have annihilated them, it came at a great cost.

He lost many Xiahedubing, but it was not as painful as losing hundreds of Dangyebing.

The Dangyebing were the strongest unit in Yuefu’s army, all from Bingzhou. Although Zhang Yang sent reinforcements from Beidaying, maintaining a force of two thousand was already a tight squeeze.

Even with the strategy, the battle against the ten thousand Red Silk Army resulted in significant losses.

If it were a battle on flat ground, the losses would have been unimaginable. Fortunately, the Jiang Yidan at Dongguan was easily suppressed by Guo Jia’s strategy, but the journey was far from over.

“Master, how do you plan to attack Hangu Pass? As you know, a siege is impossible. We don’t even have a single ladder.”

“We won’t be besieging, General. Don’t worry.”

“Without a siege, how can we cross Hangu Pass? Surely you’re not planning to use the same tactic?”

Yuefu’s army had easily captured Dongguan by using Hilchao to put the generals to sleep and then causing chaos inside the pass with disguised supply troops.

However, whether the same method would succeed or fail was uncertain.

The commander of Dongguan, Sizhong, had a bad drinking habit, and many more generals fell asleep faster than Guo Jia had expected. But it was questionable whether the commander of Hangu Pass would do the same.

“I am also considering using the same method we used at Dongguan.”

“Does that mean there’s another method?”

Guo Jia’s lips curved into a smile.

* * *

“What do you have? What is it? Tell me more.”

“The defeated soldiers from Dongguan are heading east.”

“Yes, they are likely heading to Hangu Pass. It’s about a hundred and fifty li from Dongguan to Hangu Pass, right?”

As Yuefu said, it’s about a hundred and fifty li from Dongguan to Hangu Pass. A regular army can march about thirty li a day, which is a pace that doesn’t consider weather conditions or stragglers.

By this calculation, it would take five days to travel from Dongguan to Hangu Pass.

However, the defeated soldiers from Dongguan are being pursued and are fleeing in panic.

Moreover, Jiang Yidan cannot be considered a regular army. They are known as one of the strongest units in the Guanxi army, on par with the Red Silk Army. Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume they can travel sixty to a hundred li a day.

“Perhaps they will reach Hangu Pass in two days. But except for a few who fled on horseback, none of them will be able to enter Hangu Pass.”

Among the defeated soldiers from Dongguan, a few quick-witted ones fled on horseback, but their number was only a few dozen.

Guo Jia had not overlooked this possibility. He had anticipated that some would flee on horseback and had a strategy to use them to attack Hangu Pass.

Guo Jia’s confidence piqued Yuefu’s interest.

“You only gave Yingzhao a few hundred archers. Can he capture all the defeated soldiers in just two days?”

“General Ying will only need to herd them. The rest will be handled by General Zhang and King Gaozhu.”

“Oh! Zhang Yide is there!”

“General Zhang Yide and Master Sun Wenya, who retreated to Taohuashan, are leading over two thousand troops. Moreover, half of the Gaozhu soldiers are there.”

Hearing Guo Jia’s words, Yuefu looked around.

“Now that you mention it, I don’t see King Gaozhu.”

“Yes, General. Since it’s difficult to send messages, King Gaozhu went to Taohuashan to deliver the news in person.”

“News? What news are you talking about?”

“Don’t you need a net to catch fish? By now, they are likely waiting for the defeated soldiers of Jiang Yidan on the road to Hangu Pass.”

* * *

Zhang Fei’s army was lying in ambush at a vantage point overlooking the road from Dongguan to Hangu Pass.

Zhang Fei, watching the dozens of fleeing horsemen, complained to Sun Xu.

“So, we’re not supposed to touch those guys, right?”

“Yes, General Zhang. We must let them reach Hangu Pass.”

“Master, I don’t understand. If they reach Hangu Pass, won’t they know that Dongguan has fallen? Information is better when fewer people know about it.”

Zhang Fei grumbled, knowing that these horsemen were fleeing from Dongguan. If they were to launch a surprise attack, they should strike when the enemy was off guard.

Zhang Fei didn’t know how skilled Yuefu’s army was at sieges. He was only worried that the army was not large enough and that Hangu Pass would be a tough obstacle.

If they were planning to attack Hangu Pass, there would be no reason to announce that Dongguan had fallen and increase the enemy’s vigilance.

However, Sun Xu thought differently.

“I don’t think Yuefu’s army would deliberately make the same mistake as Tachaojing.”

“Then what is it? It’s no different from shouting the news of capturing Dongguan to everyone.”

“The answer lies in the task assigned to us. After we slaughter the defeated soldiers, our men and General Yu’s men will put on the clothes of the dead.”

Only then did Zhang Fei slap his knee.

“Oh! I see! Master Wenya’s strategy is truly remarkable. He must have seen through Yuefu’s army’s tactics, right?”

Sun Xu waved his hand.

“No, don’t flatter me. If my predictions are wrong, how can I show my face? Moreover, we are...”

Zhang Fei, understanding Sun Xu’s concern, waved his hand to cut him off.

“I know. I’m no different from a guest, and you are in a similar position. I will avoid any actions that might offend the military strategist.”

“Good to hear.”

“I’ve been eating carefully for years. This is basic.”

As the horsemen disappeared from sight, the massive figure of King Gaozhu approached Zhang Fei.

“Wow! You scared me! Can’t you do something about that helmet?”

Zhang Fei, feeling someone’s gaze, turned his head without thinking and was startled.

‘Oh! I can’t get used to this.’

Sun Xu also couldn’t help but turn his head when he saw the fangxiangshi mask worn by Mutei. It was a truly hideous and repulsive mask.

“The Han people are so timid. To be scared by just a mask... Tsk, tsk, tsk! Ask Master Pi to prepare some tonics for you.”

Mutei’s words made Zhang Fei’s eyebrows twitch. But he had no time to argue with Mutei.

“What are you going to do?”

“I will help if you ask. The defeated soldiers number in the thousands. Can you handle them alone?”

“General Zhang Yide, what do you take me for...! Watch as this old man sweeps away the stragglers.”

Since he was dealing with King Gaozhu, not just King Gaozhu, Zhang Fei spoke freely. Mutei, being distant from Han etiquette, also mingled with Zhang Fei without reservation.

Zhang Fei’s loud words made Sun Xu look at him worriedly. Zhang Fei then realized what Sun Xu was concerned about.

“Master, don’t worry too much. Can’t I handle a bunch of defeated soldiers?”

Feng Ping then interjected.

“Uncle Zhang, let our Feng family troops take the lead. Don’t you want to see how much this disciple has improved?”

“Oh! I must see. I must see how much our disciple has improved.”

Zhang Fei patted Feng Ping’s shoulder and ordered his subordinates.

“Move out immediately and form a battle line to block the road! The Feng family troops will take the lead!”