Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3887 Observing the Reasons Behind It

The official road meandered like a yellowish-gray ribbon, cutting through the open fields.

Gan Feng and Zang Ba led more than a thousand cavalrymen, who had moved silently to the back slope of the hills on the side of the official road. The men and horses were gagged and their hooves were covered with thick cloth to conceal their whereabouts as much as possible.

After waiting for about two or three hours, a thin line of smoke finally appeared in the distance.

Gan Feng peeked half his head out from behind a clump of withered grass, his sharp eyes fixed on the group that was slowly approaching from the west.

Just as the scouts had predicted, the procession was led by ceremonial banners and pennants, which, although somewhat old and even damaged, were still not something an ordinary person could use…

The procession included a dozen or so carriages, some of which were particularly ornate and spacious, covered with brocade curtains and adorned with tassels and pendants. Drawn by two horses, they appeared rather cumbersome and slow as they traveled on the dirt road.

The number of Cao army soldiers guarding the carriage was estimated to be no more than four or five hundred.

The procession also included many officials and eunuchs who followed on foot, making the journey even more cumbersome.

"Is it really this lax?" Gan Feng asked incredulously. "Is this what the emperor's procession is like?"

Zang Ba whispered from the side, "General Gan, this is an opportunity not to be missed!"

With the situation pressing, Gan Feng had no time to think. He roared, "My men! Follow me to kill the enemy and rescue the emperor! Those who surrender will be spared; those who resist will be killed without mercy! Charge!"

"Kill them—!"

The elite cavalry, having been poised for battle, leaped out from behind the hills like a pack of wolves pouncing on their prey. Their iron hooves thundered as they trampled the withered grass and frozen earth, charging straight at the slowly crawling column on the official road!

The Cao army troops on the official road seemed to be completely stunned by this bolt from the blue attack!

In an instant, shouts of alarm, the neighing of horses, the sound of weapons falling to the ground, and the crashing of vehicles filled the air!
The already disorganized procession collapsed completely, with its magnificent banners and ceremonial guards toppling over and being discarded on the ground.

The guards, who had no time to escape, symbolically raised their weapons and made only a few brief exchanges with the leading cavalrymen before letting out a shrill cry. They actually dropped their weapons and scattered in all directions, abandoning even the carriages that were right next to them!
Those officials and eunuchs on foot cried out for their parents and fled in panic towards the fields and ravines on both sides of the road.

The entire procession shattered and disintegrated instantly, like ice being struck by a boulder, leaving the dozen or so magnificent, unmanned carriages in the center of the official road all alone.

"This...this is far too easily defeated?!"

Gan Feng led his troops like a whirlwind into the routed enemy ranks. Wherever his blade passed, it was as easy as cutting melons and vegetables, and he encountered almost no decent resistance.

The victory came so easily that Gan Feng felt somewhat uneasy.

But the arrow was already released, and the target was within reach. He had no time to think, and with a swift stroke of his sword, he cut down a Cao army junior officer who was trying to escape on horseback. He roared to his left and right, "Quickly! Divide the troops and take control of all the wagons! Search each one thoroughly! Don't let a single person escape! The rest of the troops continue to disperse the routed soldiers; do not allow them to regroup!"

Several burly cavalrymen were the first to jump onto the most magnificent carriage, which had a bright yellow canopy. They roughly tore open the curtain and dragged the two or three people huddled inside out.

One of them, with his official hat askew and his hair disheveled, was none other than Wang Lang!
Among the other luxury vehicles, some officials of mid- to low-ranking positions were also identified...

But there was no emperor!

"Where is the Emperor? Is anyone else in the carriage?!" Gan Feng spurred his horse forward, pointing the tip of his spear at the limp Wang Lang, and demanded sharply, "Where is the Emperor?"

Wang Lang's lips trembled, his eyes unfocused, seemingly gripped by shock. He could only murmur, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty... This old minister knew nothing... In the carriage, only this old minister and a few colleagues were present... Your Majesty... is no longer here..."

Gan Feng slapped Wang Lang to the ground, but his heart sank, and he immediately felt something was wrong.

He suddenly looked up, his gaze sweeping rapidly over the other vehicles being searched. The soldiers shook their heads, indicating that the vehicles were either empty or contained only low- to mid-ranking officials.

"Quick! Regroup! Provide alternating cover and prepare to evacuate!"

Gan Feng turned his head left and right to look around, only to find that Zang Ba's troops, who seemed to have been following him the whole time, had disappeared!
Most people were attracted by the "Emperor's Carriage" and their attention was on the vehicles, but Zang Ba's troops had somehow bypassed the hills and disappeared into the withered grass!

Where is Zang Ba?! Quickly find traces of Zang Ba's tribe!

Gan Feng's alarm bells were ringing wildly; something was very wrong!

Before the scouts sent out to search for Zang Ba's whereabouts had gone a hundred paces, and before Gan Feng's soldiers had even finished regrouping from searching the vehicles, the deafening sound of war drums rang out from the ditch south of the official road!

Further away, behind the deserted village, a large cloud of dust rose up!

*Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump—!*

"Kill! Slay the traitors and protect the Emperor!"

With a roar like a thunderclap, dozens of Cao army flags suddenly rose from behind the ravine, and a dark mass of soldiers surged out like a flood!
The leading general, clad in golden helmet and armor, wielding a long sword, rode a magnificent white horse. His young face was flushed red with extreme excitement and exhilaration; he was none other than Cao Shuo, the son of Cao Cao!
Seeing that the Flying Cavalry had indeed fallen into the trap and been ambushed, Cao Shuo's eyes blazed with wild joy. He brandished his sword at Gan Feng and, with all his might, roared at the top of his lungs: "Traitorous Flying Cavalry! How dare you be so arrogant! How dare you, in broad daylight, ambush and kill the Emperor and his officials! Slaughter court ministers and persecute loyal ministers! Such heinous crimes are an outrage against both gods and men, and cannot be tolerated by Heaven! Today! For His Majesty! For the revenge of my fallen comrades! Kill—!"

Fortunately, Cao Shuo had good lung capacity...

Before Cao Shuo could finish his shout, the archers who had been positioned in Cao's army had already lit fire arrows and were rappelling them towards the vehicles on the official road!

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!" 』

The rocket, trailing an orange-red tail flame, drew countless deadly arcs in the air. The moment it touched the vehicle's canopy, curtains, or panels, it burst into a massive burst of flames!
*Boom!*

*Crackling sound!*

Flames, accompanied by acrid smoke, shot into the air from dozens of carriages almost instantly!

It turns out that the luxurious brocade curtains and wooden carriage surfaces of those vehicles had long been secretly coated with grease!

Moreover, the massive vehicle deck layers and the bottom of the carriages were filled with combustion-supporting materials such as sulfur and saltpeter!

The cavalrymen had been focused on searching the people inside the carriage, and with the disguises being so clever, none of them had bothered to thoroughly inspect the hood and underside of the carriage...

In an instant, the center of the official road was transformed into a terrifying sea of ​​fire, burning wildly and with flames soaring into the sky!
The blazing flames licked the air frantically, emitting a whooshing roar, and thick, choking black smoke billowed up into the sky, quickly engulfing all the vehicles!
The pungent smell of burning flesh, sulfur, and the horrible odor of unfortunate men being burned spread rapidly with the hot wind, making people want to vomit and feel dizzy!
The warhorses were startled and reared up, making the formation even more chaotic.

Gan Feng's eyes were bloodshot, his heart filled with shock, anger, and a deep sense of shame at being fooled.

He spurred his horse sharply, not retreating, but roaring with all his might, "Don't panic! Charge with me! Crush them!"

Simply put, Gan Erha got carried away.

Instead of retreating, Gan Feng charged forward, taking the lead and brandishing his long spear like a wounded and enraged tiger, madly charging towards Cao Shuo's general's flag, which was faintly visible in the smoke!

Gan Feng's cavalrymen were also inspired by his actions, roaring and charging forward, forming an unusually strong countercurrent that crashed into the encirclement that Cao Cao's army was tightening!
Cao Shuo was young, and despite his respectable appearance, his experience in actual battlefield combat was far inferior to that of veteran generals like Gan Feng.

Seeing that Gan Feng, in such a desperate situation, not only did not flee, but instead pounced on him like a mad tiger, he immediately felt a bit intimidated.

"A madman! This man is a madman!"

He dared not engage in battle personally, instinctively reining in his horse and retreating, while frantically ordering his personal guards to advance and hold them off: "Stop him! Quickly, stop that madman!"

The general's cowardice and panic immediately affected Cao's army's formation, and the morale that had just been raised was immediately dampened.

Gan Feng almost instinctively sensed the stagnation in Cao Jun's formation. Instantly, he unleashed a spectacular display of spear thrusts, stabbing and slashing left and right with unparalleled ferocity. He managed to tear a bloody gash in Cao Jun's encirclement!
Seeing this, the cavalrymen following behind were greatly encouraged and charged forward with shouts!

"A good opportunity! Men, follow me and charge through the enemy lines, kill the generals and seize the flag!" Gan Feng, caught up in the frenzy of battle, charged even more recklessly toward Cao Shuo's banner, wanting to capture and kill Cao's commander in one fell swoop. He completely forgot Wei Yan's instructions earlier!

What should we be careful about?
What should we be cautious about?
kill!

kill!

kill!

Who can stop my iron cavalry charge!
No matter what schemes or tricks they have, I will thwart them all!
Gan Feng laughed heartily, his saliva flying in the wind...

However, just when Gan Feng thought he could turn the tide of the battle with his own courage and strength, or even turn defeat into victory, a strange change occurred on the side and rear of the battlefield!

Zang Ba's troops, whose whereabouts were previously unknown, suddenly emerged from behind the hills on the flank of Gan Feng's army!
They no longer flew the banner of the Flying Cavalry, but instead boldly displayed the banner of Zang Ba's former subordinates!

The shouts of battle were filled with the ferocity and madness of the traitors!
"Kill that treacherous cavalryman!"

"The cavalry has slaughtered all the officials! Traitor, don't run!"

Amidst the chaotic roars, Zang Ba took the lead, his face contorted with rage, and swung his blade straight at Gan Fengjun's vulnerable waist!

Gan Feng's troops were charging forward with all their might to kill Cao Shuo when, unexpectedly, their former "friendly forces" suddenly appeared from their flanks and rear.
The formation was already irregular, and now the midline of the formation has been hit by this sudden and fierce blow, causing chaos!
Only then did Gan Feng remember Wei Yan's warning to be careful of Zang Ba...

But it was too late!

Screams, curses, and the clash of weapons instantly filled the air!
If Gan Feng had remembered Wei Yan's instructions earlier, and hadn't been blinded by the temporary "advantage" and the excitement of killing Cao Shuo's generals when Cao Shuo's lines were wavering, and hadn't just rushed forward to chase after Cao Shuo, but instead had promptly rallied his troops and adjusted their scattered formation, then even if Zang Ba had betrayed them now, they would still have been able to cope...

But now...

With Cao Cao's army lines still intact in front of Gan Feng, and Zang Ba's rebel army launching a fierce counterattack from the flanks and rear, surrounded by a raging inferno of flames and billowing smoke, Gan Feng's troops were forced to fight independently and fell into an extremely dangerous state of disarray.
The situation seems to have changed again.

With Gan Feng's troops suffering heavy casualties from being attacked from both sides, their formation completely collapsed, and they were on the verge of rout, seemingly facing certain defeat...

Cao Shuo also revealed a smug smile. He was standing with his hands on his hips, ready to give some more remarks and show off his majestic and heroic posture, when suddenly he heard some unsettling sounds amidst the sound of war drums.

What was that sound?

The sound was deep yet powerful, so strong that even the booming sound of war drums could not drown it out!
At first it was dull, but then it quickly amplified, sweeping in like a tsunami!

Cao Shuo looked around in a panic.

A moment later, he saw a red banner with the character "Wei" on a black border suddenly rise up from behind a mound, fluttering wildly in the wind!
Immediately afterwards, Wei Yan personally led 1,500 heavily armored cavalrymen of the Flying Cavalry Army, who appeared from the edge of the hill!
The mantis stalks the cicada, but the oriole follows behind!

"Zang Ba, you treacherous scoundrel! You betray your master for personal gain, utterly shameless! Prepare to die—!"

Looking down from his high vantage point, Wei Yan surveyed the battlefield and his hair stood on end. He roared in fury!

He had long suspected that Zang Ba harbored treacherous intentions, and now that he had witnessed Zang Ba's betrayal on the battlefield and his attack on his comrades, he was furious and filled with boundless hatred!
"Kill! Kill Zang Ba!"

Wei Yan brandished his sword with a ferocious aura that seemed to tear everything apart. Without saying a word, he led his troops forward and plunged his sword deep into the rear of Zang Ba's rebel army!

When Wei Yan arrived at the battlefield, Zang Ba was still commanding his men to besiege Gan Feng's remaining troops. He was in high spirits and was thinking about taking Gan Feng's head to claim credit. He never expected that Wei Yan would arrive so quickly and so fiercely.

Moreover, Wei Yan completely ignored Cao Shuo on the other side and went straight for him!

There was no time to retreat. In the midst of the chaos, Zang Ba had no choice but to bite the bullet and hurriedly order his men to fight Wei Yan together.

To be fair, Zang Ba himself was a formidable warrior, and his martial prowess was certainly remarkable. However, at this moment, he was filled with guilt, and his courage had already waned by a third...

Wei Yan, however, was filled with imposing momentum and attacked with fury. His swordsmanship was fierce and ruthless, each move deadly, and his strength was astonishing.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The two men clashed head-on, their blades clashing, producing a series of ear-piercing metallic clangs and dazzling sparks!

After only a few exchanges, Zang Ba felt his arms go numb and he could no longer withstand Wei Yan's fierce attacks. He became increasingly fearful, his eyes darting around as he involuntarily searched for an opportunity to escape. After exchanging a couple more blows, he feinted with his sword and prepared to turn his horse and flee...

A fierce glint flashed in Wei Yan's eyes, and he roared, ignoring Zang Ba's feint with his armor. His long sword transformed into a streak of white light, slashing down from the upper right to the lower left with the force of splitting Mount Hua!

The blade sliced ​​through the air with a sharp whistling sound!
Zang Ba was terrified and realized the danger, so he barely managed to change his move and raise his sword to parry...

*Clang—Pfft!*

After a piercingly loud bang, came the dull thud of a sharp blade piercing flesh!
Wei Yan's longsword first cleaved Zang Ba's sword handle in two, and with its momentum still strong, it then slashed heavily into the joint between Zang Ba's shoulder and neck!

The sharp blade sliced ​​through armor, muscle, and even bone!

"ah--!"

Zang Ba let out a shrill, inhuman scream as he was thrown from his horse by the immense force, crashing heavily to the ground. Blood gushed out like a fountain from the terrible wound on his neck and shoulder. His limbs twitched a few times before he fell silent and died on the spot!
When their commander was killed in battle, and in such a tragic manner, Zang Ba's men were instantly terrified. With a shout, they scattered and fled like ants in a swarm of insects.

Wei Yan beheaded Zang Ba without even glancing at him, and didn't even order anyone to cut off any more heads. He simply raised his blood-stained sword and pointed it at Cao Shuo's troops, who were engaged in fierce fighting on the other side, and shouted, "Kill! Annihilate the rebels and provide support for General Gan Feng!"

Cao Shuo, watching from afar, saw Zang Ba fall to Wei Yan's blade in less than ten rounds, and Wei Yan charged fiercely towards him. He was terrified; the smugness and courage he had felt from the ambush at Gan Feng vanished instantly. His face turned deathly pale, his voice trembled, and he screamed repeatedly, "Retreat! Retreat quickly! Retreat to the western highlands! Retreat now!"

With such a commander, Cao Cao's troops could hardly be considered particularly brave.

The morale that had been slightly boosted by Zang Ba's defection plummeted instantly. Many of Cao Shuo's infantrymen ignored Cao Shuo's orders and did not flee westward. Instead, they scattered everywhere, just like the remnants of Zang Ba's forces...

Wei Yan and Gan Feng, covered in blood and with tattered armor, finally reunited amidst the chaos.

Seeing Cao Shuo's troops retreat and Zang Ba's rebel army destroyed, it seemed that only their cavalry force remained on the battlefield.

Wei Yan and Gan Feng almost instinctively felt that they should take advantage of the situation to pursue the enemy, expand their gains, and ideally defeat or even capture Cao Shuo in one fell swoop, thus completely reversing the outcome of this ambush.

"Chase! Don't let that brat get away!" Wei Yan pointed his long sword at the retreating Cao army and gave the order.

"My lads, the time for revenge has come! Kill!" Gan Feng roared through gritted teeth, wanting to vent his pent-up frustration and losses.

Upon hearing their commander's order and witnessing the enemy's rout, the cavalrymen of the Flying Cavalry were filled with a burning desire for revenge and glory. They shouted and spurred their horses forward, chasing after the retreating Cao army like a pack of wolves pursuing a rabbit.

However, in order to pursue and kill the scattered Cao army soldiers, and to avoid the burning vehicles and thick smoke on the official road, the pursuit formation of the Flying Cavalry inevitably began to lengthen and disperse as they ran. The originally well-organized formation that Wei Yan brought was gradually torn apart, becoming difficult to manage and disconnected from the left and right.

At that very moment, a cloud of dust rose on the southern horizon. At first, it was just a yellow line, but it quickly expanded and grew taller, like a moving sandstorm rolling in!

What lies behind the oriole?
Almost at the same instant that dust rose in the south, the sound of horses' hooves, as dense and heavy as muffled thunder, also rang out in the east!
Cao Zhen and Cao Zhang, with their troops, arrived at the battlefield from two different directions!
Cao Shuo and Zang Ba were only there to hold off Wei Yan and Gan Feng, and at the same time to break up the formation of the Flying Cavalry!
Everyone knows that in the era of cold weapons, a scattered troop formation was a very serious problem...

The burning vehicles on the official road squeezed the regrouping and maneuvering space of the cavalry army in the center of the battlefield!
To achieve his predetermined goal, Cao Cao personally devised a plan, not only using Wang Lang and others as bait, but also going so far as to dispatch his last cavalry force.

At this moment, Wei Yan and Gan Feng's troops, in the process of continuous pulling, counterattacks, and pursuit, had completely lost their formation.

New destabilizing factors have emerged in the situation...

(End of this chapter)