I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 986 Bloodshed, Prince's Demise (6K)
Could it be that General Ma was feigning defeat?
Upon seeing Su Yao's expression, this was Zhou Yu's immediate reaction.

But he quickly dismissed the idea; it was impossible.

There's no need to deliberately conceal our own battle reports, and the sacrifice of six hundred knights was the greatest loss of this battle.

Given the general's nature of loving his soldiers like his own children, this could not possibly have been a deliberate arrangement by him.

Then
"If they're looking for death, then let's send them to their deaths."

A cold smile played on Su Yao's lips:
"Does Gongjin also believe that their small victory can change the overall situation?"

Zhou Yu was speechless for a moment.

Indeed, there was no trickery in this battle; Ma Chao simply suffered a loss in silence.

To be honest, Su Yao had some expectation that the two princes leading troops in the field might rebel.

After all, he had used a blitzkrieg to behead the general, and it wasn't easy to get a powerful general to surrender with just a letter of surrender, let alone a prince with a legitimate right to the throne.

Therefore, Su Yao specifically instructed Ma Chao and Yan Xing before setting off to act cautiously.

But obviously, there will never be a shortage of surprises in this world. As a commander, since he cannot create clones to micromanage every squad, he must be prepared to accept the mistakes of his subordinates.

This is inevitable given his growing military strength and the increasing number of troops he can divide into smaller units; the key is how to prevent and remedy this situation.

"These provocateurs must pay the price."

"It just so happens that the capital is short of manpower due to its expansion. I was worried that they surrendered too quickly and that it would be difficult to deal with them easily. Now that they have taken the initiative to jump out, let's turn them all into experience and hard laborers!"

As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in Su Yao's eyes. He abruptly stood up and said to Zhou Yu:

"Gongjin, immediately draft a proclamation to announce to all the tribes of Wusun—"

"Anyone who follows the rebels will have their entire noble family exterminated, and all commoners will be enslaved. Those who kill the rebels will be richly rewarded, and those who capture the rebel leader will be rewarded with gold and ennobled!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu immediately began writing. Before long, dozens of messengers on horseback galloped out with the proclamation, spreading this menacing military order throughout the entire territory of Wusun.

However, they were all well aware that the Wusun people were in a wait-and-see mood, and this proclamation was more of a statement than a practical help.

"The most urgent task is to strengthen the city's defenses, crack down on spies, and keep the Wusun King and others under control within the city."

Zhou Yu suggested:
"As long as we can hold out until the southern army arrives, the outcome will be decided."

The southern army naturally refers to the allied forces of Cao Cao and the Western Regions that Yan Xing and others joined.

Even without considering the more than 50,000 men of the Second Prince's tribe who had just surrendered, the Southern Route Army still numbered more than 20,000. Their arrival would surely rewrite the balance of victory.

Everyone knows this.

This is why the Crown Prince's tribe hastily marched south, without waiting for the northern tribes to continue mobilizing reinforcements.

At present, Chigu City is the weakest point for the Han army. If they want to take back the capital, they only have less than ten days left.

This became the key to the battle between the two sides.

Zhou Yu offered several suggestions for strengthening the defense.

"But the most crucial issue is to be vigilant against the surrender of Wusun generals."

“These people were forced to surrender. We have too few troops in the city. If they collude with outsiders and take the opportunity to cause trouble, or even secretly open the city gates, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

"So why defend the city?"

"what???"

Zhou Yu was stunned. He looked up at Su Yao and saw a dangerous glint in the general's eyes.

"Gongjin, have you forgotten what we are best at?"

Su Yao patted the long sword at his waist and let out a cold laugh:
"What kind of class does that Wusun person have? Does he even dare to tell me, Su Yao, to cower and defend?"

If he remembered correctly, aside from the time he played the plot at Yique Pass and fought a counterattack against Dong Zhuo's Xiliang army, the last time he had to retreat and defend was during Emperor Ling's reign, when they were besieged by Zhang Chun and the Wuhuan's army of 100,000 during their northern tour.

At that time, Zhang Chun relied on the captured artisans from Youji to build hundreds of catapults to besiege the enemy day and night, with countless flints raining down from the sky.

Do you really think a mere 60,000 Wusun rabble can make Su Yao repeat history and be trapped in a lonely city?

Zhou Yu gasped: "Does the General mean to launch a preemptive strike?"

"Excellent!" Su Yao slammed his fist on the table. "The best defense is a good offense!"

"Since the Wusun people in the city are unreliable, let's fight our way out and prevent them from colluding. We'll annihilate these enemies outside the city in one fell swoop."

"But we only have a thousand people!"

Zhou Yu was stunned.

He knew Su Yao was strong, but the numerical disadvantage was something that couldn't be overcome by force.

Why would they deliberately abandon their advantageous city defenses and engage in a decisive battle outside the city?
Su Yao's lips curled into a slight smile: "Who said we only have a thousand people?"

"Does Your Highness intend to use the Wusun imperial guards again?"

"No and no."

Su Yao pointed to the map and said:

"Although Meng Qi was defeated, Zilong is still in the north. He will not be defeated so easily."

"General Zhao's army is still here? Is Your Highness truly certain?" Zhou Yu was shocked.

"It's natural."

Su Yao said confidently:
"Although communication is currently cut off, as long as we can create an opportunity and give him a signal, he will be able to join the battle soon."

"When the time comes, I will attack him from both sides, and the eldest prince will surely be defeated!"

Zhao Yun's army is still intact; this is information that only Su Yao currently knows in Chigu City.

And he relied on the power of the system, of course.

Although communication was disrupted, Su Yao could clearly see a green dot representing friendly forces following the approaching enemy troops from the north on the strategic map, at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

Seeing this, even though Su Yao didn't know what had happened to Zhao Yun's troops, he believed that Zhao Yun was still carrying out his orders.

This force behind enemy lines will undoubtedly become a sharp weapon in the battles to come, proving extremely useful.

But Su Yao was unaware that Zhao Yun was facing immense pressure at that moment.

However, this did not come from the enemy, but from friendly forces.

"General Zilong, we cannot go any further!"

The next day, on the march, several of Zhao Yun's lieutenants came forward, their expressions solemn.

"The enemy has more than 60,000 troops and is hastily heading south. Our army has only 10,000 cavalry. If we penetrate so deeply into enemy territory, we may meet with disaster!"

Everyone urged Zhao Yun to stop the pursuit.

Because Su Yao adopted a strategy of spreading outwards from the center, Zhao Yun's troops on the northern border had no intelligence about Chigu City. They not only did not know that Su Yao had captured Chigu, but also did not know why the 60,000 troops in front of them were rushing south. They were afraid that they had fallen into a trap to lure the enemy deep into their territory and would perish on the grassland.

This is understandable, as this tactic is arguably the most effective tactic of nomadic herders on the grasslands.

They led the Central Plains army, unfamiliar with the terrain, to the vast grasslands, then seized the opportunity to cut off their retreat and supply lines, wear down their morale, and then launched a surprise attack.

In this kind of battle, once it starts, losing means total annihilation, with no chance whatsoever.

Back then, whether it was Li Guangli's 70,000-strong army that marched out of the pass to fight the Xiongnu during the Former Han Dynasty, or the three armies led by Xia Yu, Tian Yan, and Zang Min that marched out of the pass to attack the Xianbei more than a decade ago, they all fell into this trap and were completely wiped out. The commanders were either killed or captured, or barely escaped with their lives.

Now, as they watched their troops gradually penetrate deeper into the grasslands, their supply lines grew longer and longer, and they were surrounded by unfamiliar scenery, their fear grew day by day.

Zhao Yun was naturally aware of this as well.

However, based on his understanding of Su Yao...
"The enemy's hasty southward advance must be due to the success of the General's central army, and a change has occurred in their capital!"

Zhao Yun gripped his spear tightly and said directly:
"If we retreat now, wouldn't we be failing the General's trust?"

Everyone looked at each other in shock when they heard this.

It's not impossible, but it's still a gamble.

Last time, when they saw that there seemed to be some unrest behind enemy lines, they wondered if the general had already succeeded and sent men to attack from both sides.

As a result, thanks to General Zhao's vigilance, they were almost ambushed.

Thanks to their superior numbers, ten thousand elite cavalry, led by Zhao Yun, broke through the encirclement with all their might. The Wusun riders were unable to stop them for a while, and they hastily retreated after one night.

Given this precedent, the generals found it hard to imagine that these Wusun people would disregard them and focus all their efforts on defending themselves, waiting for them to attack from the rear.

Even if the general does succeed, their hasty return to defend will likely involve a bloody battle as they try to force them to retreat.

If they are defeated this time, they will truly lose their ability to contain the enemy behind enemy lines.

This is truly a dilemma.

After a discussion among the generals, each had their own reasons, but in the end, Zhao Yun made the final decision: trust Su Yao and continue the pursuit.

"Military orders remain unchanged!"

Zhao Yun said loudly:
"Our mission is to tie down the enemy forces and create opportunities for the main army to fight."

"The enemy is now rushing south in panic and may engage our main force at any moment. How can we stand idly by? Order the entire army to continue the pursuit, maintain distance, and await the signal!"

Seeing that Zhao Yun had made up his mind, the generals had no choice but to clasp their hands and accept the order: "Yes, sir!"

Thus, Zhao Yun led 10,000 Han cavalry, following closely behind the Wusun army like a shadow, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far, neither attacking rashly nor giving up easily.

But what they didn't know was that a large net had been quietly cast against them.

"Hmph, that's enough. It's time to take care of these tagalongs behind us."

Two days later, in the Wusun army camp, the eldest prince An Zhenli stood outside the tent, looking at the Han army flags that could be vaguely seen in the distance, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"General Zuo, are you ready on your end?" he asked without turning his head.

Kuntu emerged from the shadows and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, everything is ready. We only need to wait for the Han army to enter the ambush zone before we can annihilate them in one fell swoop."

"Good good!"

The eldest prince placed his hands on the left general's shoulders and praised him:

"With General Zuo's assistance, who in this world can rival me?" The eldest prince's words came from the bottom of his heart. In the past, the two of them always hindered each other, making his battles feel like marching in shackles. Now that they were working together, he felt a sense of pride that he had the world under his control.

The same applies to General Kuntu on the left.

He had long acknowledged the Crown Prince's abilities, and now, in order to deal with the Han Chinese general in Chigu City, they had to first eliminate the lackeys following behind him.

This army of ten thousand is much more difficult to deal with than the one thousand men in Chigu City. We must not let them cause trouble in the rear.

What's ingenious is that Chigu City is located on the south bank of the Rehu Lake Valley. From the northern Ili River basin to the capital, one has to cross the valley, making it an excellent location for an ambush.

Those Han Chinese either obediently entered and fell into the ambush, or they could only watch helplessly as the ambush was carried away, cowering outside and giving up the opportunity to intervene.

In any case, these tagalongs will no longer be able to influence them.

The Han army's defeat is inevitable!

"Pass down the order: the entire army must accelerate and feign a hasty retreat!" An Zhenli's eyes gleamed with cunning. "I want to see if these Han Chinese dare to pursue us into the valley!"

As the horns sounded, the Wusun army suddenly changed formation, abandoned some of their supplies, and began to flee at an accelerated pace.

Upon seeing this, the Han scouts who had been following from a distance immediately reported back to the main army, and both armies accelerated, galloping across the grassland.

The afternoon passed in the blink of an eye, and as the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the valley blood red, the Wusun army finally arrived at the entrance of Rehu Valley.

"Report! The enemy troops have all entered the valley!"

A scout rode up to report, and Zhao Yun frowned. The valley was strategically important, with steep mountains on both sides and a narrow path through it, making it an ideal location for an ambush.

"General, we can't pursue them any further!" Lieutenant Zhao Yang said urgently, "The enemy is clearly trying to lure us into the valley!"

Zhao Yun gazed at the deep valley ahead, then looked up at the sky. The sun was setting, and dusk was deepening. If they entered the valley now and were ambushed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“But if we don’t enter the valley, and the enemy advances south at will, then there’s no point in us following them all this way!” Another deputy general, Li Ji, said through gritted teeth in anger.

Which way to go is a difficult choice.

Just then, Zhao Yun, who was silently gazing into the valley, suddenly felt a bright light flash before his eyes. He looked up sharply, squinted slightly, and saw that the ridge on the east side of the valley was emitting a series of reflections in a regular pattern.

"Iriya!"

A glint flashed in Zhao Yun's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "All troops, listen to my command! Enter the valley immediately!"

"General, this is outrageous!" Zhao Yang exclaimed in alarm. "This is clearly a trap set by the enemy to lure us in!"

Zhao Yun had already mounted his horse, his silver spear gleaming coldly in the setting sun: "I have my own plan. Order the entire army to charge into the valley in a wedge formation, and do not linger in battle!"

As the bugle sounded, ten thousand Han cavalry charged into the valley like arrows released from a bow. The valley roads were narrow, and the cliffs on both sides were steep, making it even more eerie and terrifying in the twilight.

"Hahaha, the Han people have indeed fallen for the trap!"

On the cliff, the Wusun ambush general burst into laughter:
"Fire arrows!"

In an instant, arrows rained down from both sides of the valley, and countless Wusun soldiers emerged from behind the rocks. Even more terrifying, a huge boulder suddenly fell at the valley entrance, blocking their retreat.

"We've fallen into their trap!" the Han soldiers exclaimed.

Zhao Yun remained calm in the face of danger, wielding his silver spear like a dragon to deflect the incoming arrows: "Form a circular formation! Shield bearers on the outside!"

The well-trained Han army quickly formed a defensive formation, but casualties continued to fall. To make matters worse, the troops waiting outside the valley attempted to provide reinforcements after hearing the signal cannon, but were blocked by the well-prepared Wusun ambush troops.

"Hahaha! Zhao Zilong, is that right? I've remembered your name. Today is your death day!" An Zhenli stood on the high place, laughing triumphantly.

However, he didn't know that he was the one who was about to die.

Ashley, do you think your older brother can win?

At the same time, in the royal palace of Chigu City, the King of Wusun stared northward, his heart clenching with each passing moment.

Three days ago, after receiving the battle report from the front, Su Yao immediately led three hundred knights northward.

This surprised the tribal leaders who came to the capital to pay homage, who exclaimed that the Han prince had lost his mind. How could three hundred men dare to face an army of sixty thousand? Or should he take the initiative to leave the city and head north?

However, only those who witnessed his carnage in the bloody battle that day knew the truth, and were filled with dread, fearing that this god of death might actually be able to create a miracle.

Faced with her father's question, Princess Ashley clenched her small hands into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, and remained silent.

Soon, the eldest prince in the valley personally experienced Su Yao's abilities.

boom--

A deafening roar echoed through the valley, causing the entire cliff to shake violently.

An Zhenli's laughter stopped abruptly as he looked in horror toward the source of the sound—a huge fireball rose from the western cliff, and rubble flew like raindrops.

"What's going on?!" An Zhenli shouted sternly.

"Report, Your Highness!" A soldier with a bloodied face stumbled in, "The western cliff suddenly exploded, and our ambush troops suffered heavy casualties!"

"An explosion?" An Zhenli's expression changed drastically. "Why would this happen? Do the Han people possess sorcery?!"

Just then, a loud horn blared through the valley. A cavalry of crimson robes charged into the valley like divine warriors descending from the heavens, led by none other than the red-robed general who struck fear into the hearts of countless Wusun imperial guards!

"Oh my god—it's Su Yao?!"

"Why is he here?!"

"Run! Run! Run!"

The first to collapse was the royal guard, which had followed Ma Chao on his expedition and was later incorporated into An Zhenli's army.

These imperial guards in Chigu City were all witnesses to Su Yao's bloody battle at Chigu that day.

They witnessed firsthand how Su Yao single-handedly stirred up a bloodbath, then leaped up and captured their king.

Previously, their surrender to An Zhenli was mostly for survival. Now, facing Su Yao's surprise attack again, the shadows of the past reappeared, and countless people threw down their weapons and fled in all directions.

"Don't panic! Hold the line!" An Zhenli roared, but fear spread as quickly as a plague.

Su Yao led the charge, his long-handled saber reaping lives like the Grim Reaper's scythe. The three hundred iron cavalry behind him were even more ferocious, leaving a trail of blood and gore in their wake.

"Prince, run!" Kuntu rushed over with his guards and grabbed An Zhenli's reins. "The Han army has laid an ambush; we've fallen into their trap!"

"Leave?! I'm not leaving!"

An Zhenli's bloodshot shout:

"I have an army of 60,000! Even if those two are combined, how many men do they have? Why should we be afraid of them?"

An Zhenli's roar echoed through the valley, but was quickly drowned out by another earth-shattering explosion.

Boom——

Another cliff was blasted open, and countless rubble tumbled down, dividing the battlefield.

An Zhenli wanted to ambush Zhao Yun in this valley, but he never expected that Su Yao, with only a thousand men, would take the initiative to attack, think the same way as him, and even arrive in the valley a day earlier to secretly lay gunpowder in the weak points of the mountain.

At this moment, the battle began, and the mantis stalked the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. The soldiers who were originally ambushed on the cliff were knocked off their feet by the explosion and were unable to organize an effective counterattack. Meanwhile, Su Yao and Zhao Yun's pincer attack from the north and south made the battle even more fierce in this narrow mountain valley, causing the Wusun people to let out a series of ghostly howls.

"Your Highness!" Kuntu's eyes widened in horror. "If we don't retreat now, it will be too late!"

An Zhenli stared intently at the crimson figure in the valley, his teeth grinding together: "No, impossible. My Wusun has 60,000 warriors, 60,000 warriors!"

However, reality was cruel. Under the pincer attack of Su Yao and Zhao Yun, the Wusun army quickly fell into chaos, and the number of soldiers became meaningless.

Rather, having too many people became a disadvantage at this point. The rear guard, unable to deploy, was infected by the panicked front guard, and their morale collapsed like an avalanche. They fled for their lives, and the casualties caused by friendly forces trampling each other were several times greater than those caused by the Han army killing the enemy.

Failure was inevitable.

"Protect the eldest prince!" Kuntu made a decisive decision, leading his personal guards to set up the Anzhen plow and break out of the valley. Along the way, they stepped over the corpses of their comrades, their ears filled with shrill screams.

In the valley, Su Yao's longsword was stained dark red. He looked up at the fleeing Wusun king's banner and sneered, "Trying to run?"

He suddenly spurred his horse, and it shot off like an arrow, heading straight for An Zhenli. The Wusun soldiers who tried to stop it fell like stalks of wheat; none could withstand its onslaught.

"Stop him! Stop him now!" An Zhenli turned around and saw the approaching red figure, and was terrified.

Kuntu gritted his teeth and turned his horse around: "The eldest prince goes first, and I will cover the rear!"

The renowned Wusun general brandished his twin swords as he charged towards Su Yao, the blades flashing like snow, his aura astonishing. However, the instant their horses clashed, a sharp clang rang out, and Kuntu's twin swords snapped in two, his entire body cleaved in two by the long-handled sword!

"General Kuntu!" An Zhenli cried out in anguish, but his survival instinct drove him to continue galloping at full speed.

Just as Su Yao was about to give chase, he suddenly heard Zhao Yun's voice behind him: "General, there are still ambushes on the east side of the valley!"

Su Yao made a decisive decision: "Zilong, go and deal with the remaining enemies. I'll take care of this traitor!"

Having said that, he spurred his warhorse once more, chasing after An Zhenli like a red lightning bolt. The Wusun soldiers along the way were already terrified and gave way, with no one daring to stop him.

An Zhenli whipped his warhorse desperately, but the distance continued to shrink. Just as he was about to be overtaken, he suddenly pulled a copper whistle from his pocket and blew it loudly.

The piercing whistle echoed through the valley, and suddenly a group of elite cavalrymen charged out from around the corner ahead—An Zhenli's last personal guard.

"Protect His Highness!" the captain of the personal guard shouted, leading dozens of riders towards Su Yao.

Su Yao snorted coldly, his broadsword sweeping across, cutting the three guards at the forefront and their horses in two. But this delay allowed An Zhenli to escape some distance.

"Where do you think you're going, you little bastard!"

As he spoke, Su Yao took the longbow from the saddle, nocked an arrow, and drew the string in one fluid motion.

In an instant, the arrow flew like a meteor, striking precisely the hind leg of An Zhenli's horse.

The warhorse let out a mournful cry and collapsed to the ground, slamming An Zhenli heavily onto the ground.

When Su Yao rode up to him, the Wusun prince was already dazed and confused, his head bleeding profusely.

"You think you can cause trouble with such meager skills?"

Su Yao's longsword was pressed against An Zhenli's throat:
"Surrender or die, the choice is yours."

An Zhenli looked up at the Han general, who resembled a demon, and the anger in his eyes gradually gave way to fear. Trembling, he raised his hands: "Spare me, spare my life, I surrender."

"You're smart enough to know what's good for you." Su Yao kicked the eldest prince aside. "Men, tie him up."

With An Zhenli captured, the battle in the valley was quickly coming to an end.

The Wusun army was either killed or surrendered; 60,000 soldiers were wiped out, and the valleys were littered with corpses and rivers of blood.

(End of this chapter)