Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3741 The archers are united, so offer your merits. Shoot what they have, and pray for your rank.

Chenggao, Sishui, and Hulaoguan are all counted together.

However, when referred to as Chenggao, it usually refers to the city of Chenggao.

Hulao Pass mostly refers to the pass built on the riverbank of a large river, blocking the westward route from Shandong to Luoyang, much like a fierce tiger blocking the way.

The reason why Sishui Pass is famous is that it is located on the other side of Chenggao City, facing Luoyang, and relies on the Sishui River.

Chenggao City is situated on a loess plateau, bordered by a major river to the north and rugged loess gullies and mountains to the south. More than half of the southern part of the plateau is surrounded by the Sishui River, making Chenggao City a natural defensive stronghold and a crucial strategic pass. The city and its fortress are mutually dependent.

In fact, the three are a unified whole.

Hulao Pass is the same as Sishui Pass. However, after the Tang Dynasty, due to the taboo of using the same name, Hulao Pass was completely replaced by the name Sishui Pass.

Of course, Mr. Luo doesn't acknowledge this...

Just like Tongguan Pass, when the Yellow River occasionally throws a tantrum and comes back to its mother's house, smashing pots and throwing chairs, it inevitably damages some things. After the Tang Dynasty, this pass was gradually submerged by the Yellow River...

However, in the present Han Dynasty, this place is bordered by a major river on one side and tributaries that converge with the mountains on the other. Therefore, if the eighteen warlords of Shandong wanted to travel directly from east to west into the Heluo region, this route would be the most direct and convenient.

The reverse is also true.

From a distance, Sishui Pass resembles a giant beast coiled at the throat of western Henan.

The gray-brown walls gleamed with a cold, hard sheen in the sunlight, the darker shades resembling congealed, dried blood from years past.

The area in front of the pass was a slightly more open alluvial plain, but it had been completely cleared away, making it appear empty and desolate.

Beyond the wall lies a series of mountains, forming a natural barrier.

The great river roared past on one side, its sound never ceasing day or night, adding to the somber atmosphere.

The main camp of the Flying Cavalry was set up on a high slope five miles outside the pass, with a heavily fortified camp facing Sishui Pass from afar.

At dawn, wisps of smoke were already rising from the cooking fires in the cavalry camp.

Leather, rust, sweat, horse manure, mixed with the smell of food, plus the hormonal scent emanating from the human body, are enough to make any wild animal retreat.

In nature, a lone person is weak; even a groundhog dares to bark at a lone individual. But once a group of people is spotted, things change...

Humans are a unique social animal system in nature.

It was like inside the camp of the Flying Cavalry.

This place is a gathering place for people from Bingliang, Sanfu, and even Qiang and Hu tribes. They speak different accents, have different faces, but wear the same red and black battle robes, and together they face the last fig leaf of Shandong that is blocking their way.

Of course, this 'cloth' is also quite thick...

The dawn of early autumn was still a bit chilly.

The scout team leader, Zhang Dalu'er, was named for his large and sensitive ears. He was pressed against the shady side of a steep cliff, blending into the cold rock. He had a piece of hard, jerky meat in his mouth, but his eyes were fixed on the precious monocular telescope in his hand, staring at the city wall of Sishui Pass.

His dozen or so scout brothers were scattered like ghosts among the surrounding rocks and ravines, each holding their breath and blending into the darkness.

Even without Fei Qian, these night scouts could be considered the "special forces" of the early feudal dynasties; ordinary soldiers simply couldn't fulfill that role. A qualified scout, besides being bold and meticulous, must also be proficient in various fields, not just weapons, armor, long and short blades, bows and crossbows, but also capable of identifying traces and analyzing flags, being fluent in arithmetic, and even possessing elite skills such as free climbing and rope rappelling…

Fei Qian simply added some special equipment to this foundation and taught him some skills in concealment, disguise, infiltration, and stealth.

"Brother Donkey, there seems to be some movement over at the water gate..." A young scout named Ah Tu, whose face was covered in mud and ash, said in a low voice while lying next to him, gesturing slightly to a shadowy spot in the bend of the water flow under the gate wall.

Zhang Luer immediately adjusted the scope.

Sure enough, by the faint light of the flickering torches on the gate wall, he saw a huge rock near the water gate that appeared to be perfectly fitted, but seemed to have been moved very slightly...

Immediately afterwards, a blurry figure, like a water ghost, swiftly emerged from the crevice, clinging to the slippery cliff face, and quickly climbed several feet upwards, seemingly observing the movements of the cavalry camp outside the pass.

After pausing for a moment, it silently retreated, returning to its original position as if nothing had happened.

"Damn it... this stone... is fake... the water gate's hidden sentry... is so slippery!"

Zhang Luer mumbled a curse under his breath.

He retreated behind the rock, then took out a large piece of wood that he carried with him and carved a mark on it with a knife.

The wooden tablet already outlines the main contours of the Sishui Pass wall.

Furthermore, there are numerous markings on the outline of the gate wall.

It could be an X, a triangle, or two horizontal lines...

These markings indicate the pass's terrain, fortifications, patrol routes, changing of the guard times, etc.

Zhang Luer swallowed the tasteless bits of meat he had chewed, then whispered to A Tu beside him, "Keep an eye on this area, note the intervals between their appearances... report back to the military headquarters. Those bastards, trying to play dirty tricks... humph..."

Zhang Luer patted A Tu on the shoulder, then took out a strip of dried meat from his pocket and stuffed it into A Tu's hand. It then slid down like a large snake, moving to another spot.

Atu took over Zhang Luer's original observation position, staring at the shadows of the water gate, his eyes revealing the excitement of a hunter discovering his prey.

He was originally a hunter outside Yanmen Pass, and tracking prey was his instinct.

Joining the cavalry scout battalion was nothing more than replacing the wild animals he was tracking with more cunning enemies.

A-Tu stuffed the meat strips into his mouth, and the salty and meaty flavors slowly filled his mouth.

Originally, this intelligence was something that had to be obtained at the cost of one's life!
After all, it's a covert sentry post...

What exactly constitutes a covert sentry?

Even the most experienced scouts can make careless mistakes, and once they do, it's often their death.

Now things are much better. The company has been able to see things from afar, and information that used to require getting close and risking one's life to gather has become much easier!

This gave Atu even more hope for the future.

His greatest expectation?

After the war, the land allocated to the family based on military merits would provide a stable income. With this skill, opening a carriage and horse trading company in the hometown, specializing in the Bingliang trade route, would definitely be better than hunting!

He pondered, having heard that the General was planning some kind of "postal relay system," that he might be able to get a government-run job with a guaranteed income regardless of drought or flood.

As he pondered this, Atu couldn't help but smile, then quickly suppressed the smile and focused intently on the shadowy spot on the riverbed...

……

……

Just after noon, the deep sound of war drums rang out outside Sishui Pass.

The attack by the cavalry began.

It was not a real all-out attack, but another probing attack aimed at wearing down the defenders, testing their weaknesses, and covering scout operations.

Zhao Tiezhu of the heavy infantry battalion took a deep breath and slammed the bottom of the heavy tower shield into the hard loess ground with a loud thud, kicking up a lot of dust.

He and his squad, ten equally burly men, formed a tight shield formation, like a moving iron wall, slowly advancing forward.

Behind them were a row of comrades wielding spears, and further back were crossbowmen responsible for suppressing the archers on the city wall, and several engineers carrying large, heavy crossbows.

"Hold your ground! Stick close to me! Eyes on the battlements! If Cao Cao's arrows come down, treat it like rain or hail! Don't embarrass me!"

Zhao Tiezhu's voice came through the mask, deep and resonant, yet carrying a reassuring calmness.

This wasn't the first time he had led new recruits in combat training. The heavily armored soldiers wore the thickest armor, but they also took the heaviest hits.

After each layer of armor was stacked, it was the other side's turn to pummel and beat them down...

He was the son of miners from Wenxi, Hedong. He was strong and, after joining the cavalry, quickly rose to the rank of squad leader thanks to his bravery and ruthlessness. This heavy armor and shield weighed seventy or eighty pounds, but for him, who was used to the heavy labor underground, it didn't feel heavy. Instead, it gave him a sense of security.

"Don't worry, Brother Tiezhu! With our heavy armor, a few broken arrows from Cao Cao's army won't be a problem!"

A soldier next to him grinned, his voice echoing from inside his helmet.

Arrows rained down on the wall like locusts, their clanging sounds echoing across the tower shield like a sudden downpour pounding on a tin roof.

Occasionally, arrows would nimbly pierce through the gaps in the shield, striking the breastplate or arm armor with a teeth-grinding scraping sound, but they were all deflected by the fine armor plates.

Zhao Tiezhu could feel the impact from the shield, but his feet remained firmly planted on the ground, as if nailed to the ground.

The crossbowmen behind them began to fight back, positioned behind the shield wall of the heavily armored soldiers.

Arrows and crossbow bolts from both sides clashed and whistled.

"Big yellow crossbow!" superior! 』

A furious roar came from behind.

Several engineers carrying large yellow crossbows, under the cover of shields and crossbow bolts, mounted the assembled crossbows on the shield wall, then quickly lit the fuses and pulled the triggers.

Seeing the gunpowder strapped to the crossbow whistling through the air, Zhao Tiezhu immediately ordered, "Retreat! Hold the line! Retreat! Hold the line!"

The entire shield formation immediately shifted from stillness to movement, maintaining a tight formation, taking one step at a time, covering the engineers and spearmen, and quickly moving backward.

"boom!"

A muffled, loud bang exploded beneath the gate, sending dirt, rubble, and smoke billowing into the sky!

"It's a winner! It's a winner!"

"Quick, write it down! Today's dosage is enough!"

Several engineers followed behind, carrying large crossbows and making a racket.

After stepping down, the first thing Zhao Tiezhu did was still to tidy up his armor and shield.

Some arrows and crossbow bolts stuck in the body and head need to be removed, damaged armor plates need to be replaced, and dented shields also need to be repaired.

Including Zhao Tiezhu, almost all the heavily armored soldiers, after retreating, removed their helmets, each time a puff of white steam rising from their faces and heads covered in sweat. For cavalrymen, their comrade is their warhorse; for heavily armored soldiers like Zhao Tiezhu, their comrade is this very armor.

"Brother Tiezhu, how long do you think this war will last...?"

As the heavily armored soldier beside him helped Zhao Tiezhu remove his armor, he spoke.

Heavy armor is usually too heavy for a single person to put on and take off; it requires the cooperation of others.

Zhao Tiezhu turned his head slightly. "See that pass? I've heard that once you pass this pass, you'll reach Shandong and the Central Plains... Once this road is open, nothing can stop our cavalry... By then, we should be almost done! What's wrong, homesick?"

The heavily armored soldier shook his head. "No, no... it's just... sigh, last time in Gongxian, Brother Wang's leg was broken by a rolling log... I'm afraid..."

Zhao Tiezhu removed his armor, stretched his arms a couple of times, then slammed his hand on the heavy armor of the soldier helping him remove it, turning him halfway around before turning him around to help him remove the armor. "On the battlefield, who can be afraid of injury or death? If you ask me, Wang Er's broken leg was worth it! Once his leg is healed at the Hundred Medical Clinic, he can go back to his hometown and become a patrol inspector! At the very least, he can exchange it for farmland and support a whole family! What's a broken leg! As long as the bird in the middle is alright, that's all that matters!"

"What if... ah, no..." The younger, heavily armored soldier glanced instinctively at his crotch, then quickly denied it, "I mean... are there really that many positions for us under the General of the Cavalry? Even the General can't just conjure up official titles out of thin air! Aren't they, aren't they reserved for scholars?"

"A scholar? Ha!" Zhao Tiezhu chuckled, his hands moving swiftly as he unfastened the clasps and ribbons from the heavily armored soldier's body. "All done!"

Zhao Tiezhu patted the young soldier on the shoulder. "The General said before… oh, you weren't here yet… It's alright, I'll tell you, the General said, 'Official positions throughout the land should first be awarded to those who have rendered meritorious service!' What does 'meritorious service' mean? Military merit! The General said that if soldiers who shed blood and sweat on the battlefield and received awards are not properly settled, but instead allowed to be insulted and beaten like pigs and dogs by local tyrants and bullies in their hometowns, then who will protect the country and its people when the nation faces peril?! Hmm?!"

"Really?" the young soldier asked excitedly.

Zhao Tiezhu laughed heartily, "Of course it's true, unless... unless you're like him and don't want to be an official anymore..."

Amuzha, who happened to be passing by, asked with some confusion, "What's wrong?"

Zhao Tiezhu laughed and said, "Amuza, once you've rendered meritorious service, will you go home and become an official?"

"Become an official? What kind of official? No, I don't want to be an official! Being an official means managing people, it's so annoying!" Amuza shook his head repeatedly. "I don't want any fields either, I just want grassland! The kind where grass grows! And cattle and sheep! Then I'll find a wife as healthy as a mare, and we'll have a bunch of foals... Ahahaha..."

Amuza came from the Qiang region of Liangzhou, accustomed to living a life of hardship and riding horses. Joining the Flying Cavalry meant finding a place where he could fully display his riding and archery skills and gain glory and wealth. Unlike the Han gentry of Longyou who had previously discriminated against them, General Fei Qian was fair in rewarding and punishing, and those with ability could rise to the top!

He, Amuza, is now a centurion, or rather, a cavalry commander, leading nearly a hundred fierce Qiang cavalrymen!

He didn't care about dividing up land, after all, the grasslands were his home, and he didn't really want to be a high-ranking official, as he thought managing people was too troublesome...

He loved this free and unrestrained life, living on the edge!
His greatest hope was to fight alongside the general!

Fight to the ends of the earth!
Let all our enemies know the might of the Qiang warriors!
When he's truly too old to fight anymore, he'll take his accumulated wealth and his many stories back to the Qiang lands, become a respected old warrior, marry a wife, have foals, and roam freely across the grasslands...

……

……

The day's probing and harassment came to an end.

As night fell, bonfires were lit in the cavalry camp to dispel the chill.

The soldiers sat around the fire, cooking hot soup, sharing rations and salted meat, and talking in hushed tones.

At this time of year, the Qiang and Hu people are always the most lively and energetic.

Amuza and his Qiang brothers were singing ancient war songs in the Qiang language. The songs were desolate and powerful, drifting through the night sky.

Some people took out their Qiang flutes and played them, while others tapped their sword sheaths to the rhythm.

Amuzha patted the shoulder of a young Qiang soldier next to him and spoke loudly in broken Mandarin mixed with Qiang, which drew laughter from the crowd.

For them, war was a part of life, a way to gain glory, and fighting alongside General Fei Qian was even more exhilarating!

As for what future?
They didn't have many ideas.

After this battle is over, there will naturally be another one!
Horseback riding, bows and arrows, and swords—perhaps that's their destiny for life!
Further away, some soldiers from farming families in Guanzhong were talking in hushed tones about the wheat growing in their hometowns and worrying about whether they could keep up with the farm work.

Some people were dreaming about what crops they could grow on the military merit land they were allocated, while others were quietly complaining that although the military pay was higher than that of the government troops in the past, the housing and land prices in Chang'an had also risen sharply...

The flickering firelight illuminated every face, young or weathered.

They come from all over the country, with different backgrounds, languages, dreams, and worries.

Some fight for land, some for official positions, some for glory, and some simply follow the leader who brings them a new life.

They have beautiful dreams for the future, but also anxieties about reality and confusion about the unknown.

However, when their gaze occasionally fell upon Sishui Pass, which lurked in the darkness like a colossal beast, their eyes held the same unwavering resolve.

Because they knew that, regardless of their individual desires, breaching this pass was their shared goal, the prerequisite for protecting the 'future' they each held in their hearts...

The strength of the Flying Cavalry Army stems from this!
It is not maintained by a strict hierarchy and blind loyalty, but by uniting millions of ordinary people like Zhang Luer, Zhao Tiezhu, and Amuza, each with their own hopes and anxieties, through the promise of "land distribution," the fairness of "rewarding meritorious service," the respect of "ethnic equality," and the shared aspiration for "a better life."

Fei Qian is like a skilled craftsman who uses "fairness" as a glue to outline a blueprint for the "future" from pieces of wood or stone of different shapes and textures, and then forges them into an indestructible sword!

The sword is now aimed at that last stubborn stronghold that stands before the new era...

Sishui Pass!