Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3697 The Tiger Army Survives the Wounds in the Icy Rain, Fighting for the Ghost Gate on the Muddy Road
Where there is war, there will be casualties.

"Quartermaster! Physician!" Sima Yi's voice cut through the rain.

Two military academy students, equally soaked and pale-faced, immediately stepped forward: "Your subordinates are here!"

"Distribute dry rations immediately! Prioritize the rearguard and scouts! Make sure everyone gets some!" Sima Yi's gaze swept over the soldiers shivering during their brief respite. "Medics, immediately go out and patrol the camp! For any wounded, regardless of severity, clean off the mud before bandaging and applying medicine! Logistics, find a place to cook hot soup immediately and distribute ginger soup and herbal powder to prevent catching a cold! Act quickly!"

In Fei Qian's military manual, battlefield medical treatment is divided into two parts.

One is emergency battlefield response.

Use boiled and dried cloth strips, or even better ones soaked in herbal decoction, to apply emergency bandages to the wound. Then, apply Jin Chuang San (金创散), a hemostatic and tissue-regenerating medicine containing lime and Sanguisorba officinalis, to the wound to reduce infection.

If the bleeding continues, the patient will be transferred to the second stage, which is camp treatment.

Camp treatment is generally for larger wounds, mostly severed fingers or limbs.

For wounds on the cut surface, cauterization is usually used to stop the bleeding, followed by application of antibacterial herbs such as Scutellaria baicalensis and Coptis chinensis for bandaging, and then transport to the rear for the third stage of treatment.

The third stage is no longer considered battlefield medical treatment.

Therefore, after Sima Yi ordered a place to treat the wounded soldiers, the soldiers and officers immediately began to act according to the regulations.

The enormous advantages accumulated by the Flying Cavalry through years of management, rigorous training, and relatively ample logistical support translated into a high survival rate for the soldiers in this harsh environment.

Under the command and urging of officers and medics, the soldiers of the Flying Cavalry displayed astonishing discipline and skill. They quickly sought relatively sheltered spots in rocky hollows, under large trees, or simply shared a large tarpaulin to build makeshift shelters. They removed their heavy, cold armor, soaked with mud and water, cleaned off the mud, replaced damaged armor plates, and dried their equally damp but relatively cleaner inner lining robes.

Wearing dry clothes overnight will reduce the risk of catching a cold...

At the same time, every cavalryman, from the lowest-ranking infantryman to the military academy officer, carefully took out a neatly folded, thick piece of linen, also coated with tung oil, from a specially made, tung-oil-coated cowhide pouch in their backpack. This material was relatively waterproof and tough enough to serve multiple purposes, making it a valuable piece of personal protective equipment on the battlefield.

It can be used not only for moisture protection, but also to collect relatively clean rainwater for cooking, washing, and other purposes.

Wounded soldiers were given priority care.

The medics and their comrades used relatively clean strips of cloth, dipped in relatively clean rainwater scraped from the tarpaulin, to carefully and repeatedly clean the mud and scabs adhering to the wound.

Although the movements were rough, the aim was to remove the dirt before applying the wound powder. The powder was evenly sprinkled on the cleaned wound, bringing a stinging sensation, but also a touch of coolness and hope.

For wounds that may become infected or severely contaminated, clean them with alcohol or vinegar, then apply Coptis chinensis ointment...

Finally, some tarpaulins were cut off and carefully used to cover and wrap the wound, then tightly bound with strips of cloth to isolate it from the mud and dirt of the outside world as much as possible.

Meanwhile, in a makeshift cooking vessel set up on a few stones, boiling rainwater mixed with chopped ginger, a few herbs, and damp dry rations was being cooked together.

These items included integrated helmets, pure copper round shields, and some copper pots and earthenware jars carried by the army.

If it's a helmet, it's usually enough for a squad of soldiers to take turns drinking that big gulp...

The taste was probably not very good, but a bowl of hot soup, which might have a slightly pungent smell, could, to some extent, boost the soldiers' ability to withstand the cold and replenish their strength.

Using a wooden bowl or spoon, or even one's own helmet, one can sip scalding hot ginger soup, ignoring the heat, blowing on it a couple of times before gulping it down. A spicy, hot rush travels from the throat straight to the stomach, then spreads throughout the body, dispelling the body heat lost due to the rain and allowing the numb body to recover.

Besides the ginger and herbal soup that most soldiers drank, there were several small pots simmering medicinal soup. These were two kinds of soup, both brewed directly from medicine packets prepared by the Hundred Doctors' Hall; one was for reducing fever, and the other for those weakened by excessive blood loss…

The distributed rations were hard cakes made from roasted millet mixed with beans and other grains, cold and hard, difficult to swallow. But in the face of replenishing strength and sustaining life, this was an unparalleled delicacy.

The soldiers nibbled on the food with gusto, swallowing it with difficulty as the rain soaked into their mouths.

The officers were no exception, and Sima Yi finally accepted the cake offered to him by his personal guards again, chewing it expressionlessly.

His mind was still on the battlefield...

However, Sima Yi soon saw the cavalrymen resting and receiving treatment in an orderly manner, and his previously uncertain plan gradually became more firm.

……

……

On the other hand, Cao Cao's pursuing forces paid a price far exceeding the apparent casualty figures every time they encountered traps and interceptions set by the rearguard of the Flying Cavalry.

The icy rain and filthy mud, like invisible demons, relentlessly eroded their strength and health.

During the pursuit, a Cao army soldier slipped and fell, his calf cut open by a sharp rock, blood gushing out and mixing with the mud. He instinctively tried to find a piece of cloth to bandage it, but found that he had nothing on him except his soaked coarse linen uniform and simple leather armor.

A comrade who came forward to help could only tear off a piece of his own equally soaked and filthy clothes and haphazardly tie it to the wounded soldier's wound. There was no medicine, no oilcloth, and even cleaning the wound was a luxury.

The cold, muddy water quickly soaked through the meager 'bandage,' and the wound soon began to sting and swell, before gradually becoming numb...

Another veteran of Cao Cao's army was hit on the shoulder by a rolling rock while climbing a steep slope to ambush the rear guard of the cavalry.

The excruciating pain made it difficult for him to lift his arm.

The cold, damp leather clung tightly to the wound, each friction bringing excruciating pain.

But he still didn't have time to take off his armor to check his wounds; he still had to keep chasing after them while wearing his wet armor and battle robes...

Such scenes were commonplace in Cao Cao's army.

In the chaos of battle, wounds, large or small, became deadly curses in the endless rain and mud.

The wound was exposed to a dirty environment, and after a day and a night, it became red, swollen, oozing pus, and ulcerated at an alarming rate.

Especially in the wild, where dampness is unavoidable and effective medicine cannot be provided, violent coughs, thick phlegm, and lips turning blue from the cold became a persistent background noise in the group.

The rank and file officers of Cao's army were ashen-faced, their eyes filled with anxiety and helplessness.

They watched their soldiers fall one by one, not from the enemy's swords, but from the damned weather and their incurable wounds. They pleaded for reinforcements, only to receive a cold, urgent reply: "Keep up! Don't let the cavalry escape! Anyone who delays will be executed!"

Despair, like cold vines, coiled around the hearts of every pursuer.

……

……

After a day and a night of back-and-forth between retreat and pursuit, a cold, hard decision finally came.

In a narrow, slippery, and rocky valley, Cao Cao's vanguard once again encountered fierce resistance from the rearguard of the Flying Cavalry. After a fierce close-quarters battle, the Flying Cavalry once again used the familiar terrain to escape, leaving behind several corpses and many more wounded Cao Cao soldiers lying on the ground groaning in pain in the valley.

"Village Chief Zhang! Liu Er's intestines... his intestines are spilling out! He's dying!"

"Wang Wu's ankle is broken! He can't stand up at all!"

"Zhao Mazi is burning up with fever and talking nonsense! What should we do, village chief?!"

Sorrowful cries rose and fell.

The rain gradually stopped, but the troubles only multiplied. Zhang, the garrison commander, a middle-aged man with a scarred face and weary eyes, looked at his several critically wounded and dying men on the ground, then at the muddy, treacherous road ahead, the pressing need for pursuit, and at the equally exhausted soldiers beside him, their eyes filled with fear and numbness. He felt a suffocating pain. He knelt down, wanting to help Liu Er, who was severely wounded in the abdomen with his intestines protruding, but his hands trembled, unable to touch the horrific wound.

"Village Chief...save...save me..." Liu Er's eyes were unfocused, and he groaned weakly, his hands limply gripping the cold leather armor of Village Chief Zhang.

Just then, a military officer, soaked to the bone and with a livid face, trudged over with two personal guards, his feet sinking deep into the mud. He glanced at the carnage on the ground, his brow furrowed, but his eyes were unusually cold.

"Zhang Tun! What are you dawdling for?! Military Advisor Xun has given a strict order! You must keep a close watch on Sima Yi! If you miss the opportunity, even ten of our heads won't be enough to pay off!" The military commander's voice was hoarse and stern, carrying an undeniable sense of oppression.

He didn't give a direct order to "abandon the wounded," but his cold gaze and emphasis on "military orders are absolute" and "missing the opportunity" clearly conveyed his intentions...

We must travel light and not be burdened by cumbersome things!

If something goes wrong, the responsibility lies with you, the ones who carried it out!
Zhang, the garrison commander, stiffened and closed his eyes in pain. He knew that the military commander was merely a transmitter of pressure; there were higher-ranking officers above him, and the ultimate pressure came from Xun Yun in the central army, and even Xun Yu, who was plotting far away.

This is the system that is common in Shandong, where the upper echelons set grand strategic goals and issue unquestionable military orders. Middle-ranking officers are responsible for relaying and supervising these orders, often only accountable for the orders themselves, ignoring the specific difficulties of how to carry them out, or simply passing the pressure onto the lower ranks. The lower-ranking officers and soldiers, on the other hand, become the direct implementers and victims of these cold orders.

For the sake of the greater good, individual sacrifices are seen as necessary costs, and no one cares whether these costs are reasonable or whether the process is painful.

There was no explanation, no compensation.

Every instance of being late is a celebration, but each time, no one mentions how many others are still on their way to being late.

"I'm sorry...brother..."

Village Chief Zhang suddenly opened his eyes, which were bloodshot and swollen. His voice was choked with a desperate ruthlessness, "Carry them...to...to behind those rocks over there!"

He avoided Liu Er's desperate gaze and the pleading eyes of the other wounded soldiers. He didn't even dare to say "abandon" outright, but could only use self-deceiving words like "carry them behind the rocks" to cover it up.

Several uninjured Cao soldiers silently and almost roughly lifted the wounded soldiers who were unable to move, dragging them along the edge of the mountain path behind a rock.

The movements inevitably aggravated the wounds, causing even more piercing screams.

No one stayed to take care of them; all that was left for them were one or two grain cakes, swollen and frozen by the rain, and leather bags filled with murky rainwater.

"Walk!"

Zhang, the village chief, practically roared as he led the way forward, not daring to look back.

The soldiers behind him followed in silence, the atmosphere oppressive and suffocating.

Some of the wounded soldiers abandoned behind the cold rocks let out weak sobs, while others just stared blankly at the gray sky...

Their fate was sealed; they would slowly die in the cold, infection, hunger, and despair, becoming insignificant, cold numbers in this grand game of chess.

……

……

After a day and a night, both sides were losing their strength.

The rain came on and off, but it gradually stopped.

The cavalry relied on rotational rest, oilcloth wrapping, ginger soup and medicine, and relatively sufficient dry rations. Although the soldiers were still exhausted, their eyes were bloodshot, and they seemed like they could fall asleep at any moment, and some soldiers were also injured by the cold, the overall organization was intact, and although the morale was low, it had not collapsed, and the core combat power was still intact.

They were like a pack of wolves who had rolled in the mud; though their fur was disheveled and their legs were covered in mud, their fangs were still intact.

However, the scenario of Cao Cao's army collapsing and retreating, which Sima Yi had envisioned, did not occur!

This surprised Sima Yi quite a bit.

Normally, Cao Cao's army would not have been in high spirits to begin with, and it would have been impossible for them to persist in such a harsh environment. However, Cao Cao's army refused to retreat, held onto several key points on the mountain roads, and continued to pursue them relentlessly.

Sima Yi risked climbing a steep slope with a slightly better view once again. Through the misty mountain fog, he discovered that Cao Cao's army had indeed become much sparser, and their pace was as slow as a snail's. The soldiers were supporting each other, and every step was extremely difficult.

The subsequent tactical changes of Cao's troops also made Sima Yi realize that something was amiss.

These Cao soldiers were almost like pawns deliberately sent to their deaths, their sole purpose being to "block" these key mountain passes. They no longer sought to kill as many cavalry as possible, or even to completely block the roads.

Cao Jun has also become "bad," using every available piece of terrain to create obstacles.

On a steep slope so slippery that it was almost impossible to stand, they piled up obstacles with felled trees and collected rocks, and set up tripwires, just to make the cavalrymen fall over and delay them.

A swift-flowing stream. They destroyed the original simple wooden bridge and even deliberately piled up debris in the shallows to create small-scale "barricades," making it even more difficult to cross.

However, there was a significant gap in equipment and logistics between the Flying Cavalry and Cao Cao's army.

The oilcloth, medicinal powder, and ginger soup provided by the Flying Cavalry were part of their excellent logistical military system, ensuring individual protection and improving their survival rate.

In contrast, Cao Cao's army could only solve its casualty problem by abandoning wounded soldiers...

Within the Flying Cavalry system, the value of ordinary soldiers was protected by a relatively well-established system.

In Cao Jun's system, the individual value of ordinary soldiers is ruthlessly compressed or even erased in the face of grand goals.

Previously, Cao Cao's army had a large number of soldiers who could be "sacrificed" at will. However, now the number of Cao Cao's soldiers is constantly decreasing, and the negative effects of "sacrificing" soldiers are gradually becoming unsustainable for Cao Cao's army.

Sima Yi discovered this problem.

If that's the case, then why doesn't Cao Cao's army retreat now that they've reached this point?

What are these Cao soldiers persisting in?
Or rather, what is the reason that Cao Jun is persisting?
Suddenly, Sima Yi realized a crucial point that he had previously overlooked...

He is not Cao Jun's primary target!
Not right either!
Strictly speaking, Xun Yu shifted the focus of the battle after he jumped out of the encirclement of the abandoned military fortress and Flying Fox Fortress!

The previous show of relentlessly pursuing and surrounding Sima Yi's main force to devour them was actually a bluff!
If we can catch up and eat them, that would be ideal; if we can't, we'll block the mountain path!
The mountain path leading to Ghost Cry Pass!

This thought was like the coldest ice in the underworld, instantly freezing Sima Yi's blood!
The abandonment of wounded soldiers and the failure to retreat after suffering casualties were not because Cao's army could not hold on, but because Xun Yu was using the lives and flesh of these Cao soldiers to buy crucial seconds for the main attack on the Guiku Pass in the mud and cold rain!

Every moment Cao Jun held off Sima Yi here, the risk of Guiku Pass falling and the entire Songshan defense line collapsing increased exponentially!

"We've fallen for their trap!"

Sima Yi's eyes widened suddenly. All his previous calculations and "successful schemes" were perhaps within his opponent's expectations!
He was being manipulated by Xun Yu, and his precious time was slipping away rapidly in the cold rain!
A sense of humiliation at being utterly fooled and a tremendous fear of the out-of-control situation made Sima Yi feel suffocated.

Ghost Cry Pass is dangerous!

Sima Yi's previous tactical judgment was based on the fact that Cao Cao's army had a very high level of hatred towards him. After all, the number of Cao and Xiahou generals who had been killed by Sima Yi was enough to support this. Therefore, once Sima Yi was exposed, he would inevitably attract Cao Cao's army to pursue him relentlessly. Thus, Sima Yi used himself as bait to lure Cao Cao's army to kill him, attempting to use non-combat casualties to kill and wear down Cao Cao's army.

The tactic itself is fine, but the problem now is that Cao Cao's commander is surnamed "Xun"!
Unless Sima Yi kills Xun Yun now, Xun Yu doesn't necessarily harbor any deep-seated hatred for Sima Yi...

Even now, Sima Yi's scheme to kill Xun Yun is still useless.

"Guards!" Sima Yi immediately ordered, "Summon Commander Wang to see me!"

Sima Yi decided that he would have Wang Junhou pretend to be him and continue to lure and distract Cao Cao's pursuing troops. Then he would lead the mountain troops to bypass Cao Cao's blockade and head to Guiku Pass!