Late Han Zhao Tang

Gan Ning's main force of three thousand men was almost entirely composed of men from the Three Ba ​​regions. It had been previously said that the men from the Three Ba ​​regions were swift and fierce, making them among the few high-quality soldiers in Yizhou. Now, under the leadership of the valiant general Gan Ning, they launched a swift attack on the Tang army.

The Tang soldiers were suddenly attacked. Although some of the cowardly retreated, some brave ones stepped forward to fight. However, due to their lack of preparation, they were ultimately no match for the Shu army who braved the flames to climb the mountain. The Tang soldiers who were putting out the fire and resisting were defeated and forced to flee.

The commotion in front of the fortress alerted Liu Yi, who immediately led his troops to counterattack and engage in fierce fighting with the attacking Shu soldiers.

"kill!"

Liu Yi shouted loudly and took the lead, first stabbing a Shu soldier who had broken formation with his spear, and then joining forces with his left and right to meet up with a small group of dozens of Shu soldiers.

In the small formation, Liu Yi thrust his spear fiercely, relying on his extraordinary arm length and strength to wield the spear like a dragon, making a 'whooshing' sound as it cut through the air, defeating several Shu soldiers in succession.

Only with Liu Yi's main force of several thousand troops leaving the fortified camp to resist were the Shu soldiers led by Gan Ning able to be contained. Now, as the rain gradually intensified, it soaked everyone's clothes. Although the heavy rain extinguished the mountain fire, it could not extinguish the intense fighting spirit of both armies.

In an instant, black smoke billowed, rain poured down, soldiers shouted, and the battle clashed violently, becoming increasingly fierce, almost as intense as the battle at Xishan Spring.

Inside the main tent, Man Chong was once again shocked to learn that the Shu army had charged through the fire and stormed the mountain, and had managed to gain a foothold!
"I positioned myself on high ground, intending to observe the enemy's movements and thus control their troops. Unexpectedly, I was instead held back by the Shu army; this was a mistake in my military strategy!"

Man Chong confided in Yan Pu, saying, "First, we used fire to confuse the enemy and then launched a surprise attack on Xishan Spring; now we're feinting to the east while attacking the west, and then launching a fierce attack on the mountain. By using the fire and smoke, we've managed to put our army at the mercy of the enemy. If it weren't for my meticulous planning, anyone else would have been defeated by the Shu people."

As a general who had dominated the Central Plains, Man Chong believed that few in the world could surpass him in military prowess. Therefore, since his southward campaign to conquer Shu, although he had encountered setbacks at times, he remained confident of victory. However, after engaging the Shu army in deep combat, he suddenly discovered that the Shu army was not as weak as he had imagined.

Especially in today's battle, the Shu army employed numerous strategies, forcing him to remain on the defensive. Had he not preferred a cautious and methodical approach to warfare, he feared he might have been easily overwhelmed by a surprise attack from the Shu army. Although he managed to halt the Shu army's offensive at the first opportunity, he worried that if the conflict continued, the Shu army might defeat him with their numerical superiority.

"Manchu governor, do not be hasty!"

Seeing Man Chong's doubts about his own abilities, Yan Pu comforted him, saying, "The Shu people have many soldiers. Now that their army is attacking us, it is already difficult for the commander to defend the camp. Once Ke Bian's troops arrive, we can attack from both inside and outside and surely defeat the enemy."

"I fear the enemy has anticipated Kirby's return to reinforce them!" Man Chong said worriedly. "Judging by their pace, Kirby should have returned by dawn, and with his troops marching at breakneck speed, they should be arriving by now. However, there has been no movement for some time now, I fear..."

"Perhaps the rain has slowed our journey!" Yan Pu said.

"Ok!"

After calming down a bit, Man Chong said, "Regardless of whether Kirby can come back to help, the key is to defeat the Shu army now!"

As he spoke, Man Chong instructed his men, saying, "We must send Liu Yi and Wang Ling a thousand more soldiers. We must not allow the Shu people to establish a foothold in the mountains, otherwise our army will not be able to win."

"promise!"

Man Chong, a veteran of countless battles, might be troubled by the fighting, but he would never be afraid. He believed that even if Kirby could not return to help, with his outstanding abilities and the bravery of his soldiers, they could still repel or defeat the Shu troops.

While Man Chong was mobilizing troops, Sun He saw that the Tang army was locked in battle on Gan Ning Mountain, and thus conceived the idea of ​​sending more soldiers.

"Strategist, the fighting on the mountain is fierce. Our army has many troops. Why not send reinforcements to see if we can capture the camp and achieve victory?" Sun He asked.

Fa Zheng gazed south, a sense of unease creeping into his heart as no news of the ambush troops arrived. Kirby's 10,000-strong force, if they joined the battle, could change the course of events; he hoped his ambush arrangements would prove effective.

"Strategist~"

Seeing that Fa Zheng was in a daze and silent, Sun He shouted loudly and repeated what he had said earlier.

Fa Zheng regained his senses and said, "We can follow the general's wishes. If we can establish a foothold in the mountains before nightfall, we will have a chance to defeat the enemy, especially to capture Xishan Spring."

"it is good!"

Sun He deployed his troops, saying, "Yin Yu and Huo Ye, each of you lead your troops into battle. Huo Ye, climb the mountain to aid Gan Ning, while Yin Yu, take the shortcut to aid Huang Gai."

"As ordered!"

The two generals were former generals of Sun Jian in Jingchu. Since the western expedition to Bashu, they had made many meritorious contributions and were thus regarded as henchmen by three generations of the Sun family.

The two generals led their troops into battle, but now all the veteran soldiers of the Shu army have been sent out, leaving only more than 10,000 new recruits in the central army to guard the city, responsible for waving flags and shouting to boost the morale of the various units.

Several miles outside the battlefield at Xishan, Kebi, whom Man Chong and Fazheng were longing to see, urged his cavalry forward at a light pace. The faint sound of distant drums was heard by the Tang soldiers, and their pace quickened unconsciously.

In fact, the ambush arranged by Fazheng actually hindered Kirby's return to reinforce. If scouts hadn't been sent out in advance to scout and discover the Shu army's ambush, Kirby would likely have run right into it. Being ambushed, Kirby would likely not have been able to return to the main camp within a day or two.

Therefore, thanks to the discovery of the ambush, Kobi heeded the advice of the Ba people's guide, chose to detour through the mountains, abandoned his infantry and elderly and weak cavalry, and returned to the main camp with only two horses and one rider. As for why the scouts were able to discover the ambush, this was thanks to the military strategy established by Zhang Yu. Each army route required the establishment of twenty-four cavalry stations before marching, with each station spaced one li apart, widely dispersed and able to support each other. Therefore, the reconnaissance range of an army had to be at least twenty-four li.

Each cavalry unit consists of five men who report the information gathered along the way to the main force, ensuring there are no ambushes ahead. In addition, scouts at each station act as the eyes of the army, scouting all directions, such as roads, water sources, mountains, and terrain.

Kirby discovered the Shu army's ambush through reports from scouts at each station. After all, the art of war relies not only on clever strategies, but also on factors such as intelligence, supplies, and military regulations.

If Yuan Shao had been replaced by Zhuge Liang during the Battle of Guandu, given Zhuge Liang's cautious military tactics during the Northern Expeditions, it would have been very difficult for Cao Cao to capture Wuchao!
As Kirby's troops drew ever closer to the battlefield, the rain intensified, soaking and fluttering the banners.

Kirby wiped the rain off his face and ordered, "The rain is quite heavy, making bows and arrows difficult to use. Have the soldiers switch to spears."

"promise!"

As the attendant relayed the order, the younger brother Ke Ti returned with his cavalry and said, "Brother, the battle at the main camp is fierce. Our army has retreated to defend the western mountain fortress. The enemy first set fire to the mountain, then secretly sent elite troops to raid the mountain spring, and then took advantage of the rain to climb the mountain and launch a surprise attack on the main camp."

Kirby smiled with relief and said, "I was worried about the enemy's large numbers. By the time our army returned to reinforce, the main camp had already been breached by the Shu people. Right now, the main army is still fighting the enemy. If our army launches a surprise attack and strikes simultaneously with the Manchu governor's report, we will be able to turn the tide."

Ke Ti said, "The rain is getting heavier, brother. We must deploy our troops as soon as possible. If the land becomes muddy, our cavalry will have difficulty moving!"

Then, Ke Ti volunteered for battle, saying, "I observe that the enemy's formation is disorganized. I am willing to lead my elite cavalry in a surprise attack. With the cavalry divided into groups, we will repeatedly charge and kill. The Shu army will surely be defeated!"

"it is good!"

Kirby glanced back at his cavalry and said, “The roads are narrow now, unlike the vast Central Plains. We will divide our cavalry into 30 teams of 100 each, and our infantry into 3,000 teams, and then charge in formation. I will lead 20 teams, and you will lead the first 10.”

"promise!"

After some adjustments and arrangements, Ke Ti led a thousand cavalrymen out of the mountain road. They marched in groups of one hundred, stretching east and west along the road. The crowd was silent, with only the clatter of hooves from the horses.

First, they bypassed the main road, Hanchang City. When they were only four or five miles away from the Shu formation, Ke Ti pointed forward with his spear and drove the Tang cavalry to charge forward.

Accelerating, charging, spears raised, the cavalry charged straight into the Shu army's square formation of over ten thousand men.

When the Shu army noticed the tremors caused by the horses' hooves, they were all bewildered by the sudden appearance of this Tang cavalry force, and the entire army was filled with shock. However, the cavalrymen were too fast, giving them no time to react.

While Sun He and Fa Zheng were still in shock, the Tang cavalry had already charged towards them, spears in hand, and charged straight into the ranks of the Shu army.

The hundred riders led by Ke Ti were almost all wearing iron armor, and even their warhorses were covered in armor. Clearly, this Tang cavalry force was a formidable armored cavalry force that was famous throughout the world!

The onslaught of the steel torrent was simply too much for the newly recruited Shu soldiers to handle. Moreover, these soldiers, having spent a day in formation, exposed to wind and rain, were already exhausted both physically and mentally. Some Shu soldiers even huddled together to avoid the rain before the Tang cavalry charged, making it impossible for them to form a proper defensive formation!

As the iron cavalry galloped along the road, the Shu soldiers along the way scattered like mud and sand being swept away by the river, fleeing in all directions without any resistance, allowing the Tang cavalry to charge into their ranks!

Wherever the Tang cavalry went, the Shu soldiers were either killed or wounded by the swing of their large spears. Everyone cried out and ran away, jostling and pushing each other. The ten thousand-strong Shu formation was thrown into chaos.

Looking at the Tang cavalry charging from the south, Fa Zheng was somewhat dazed. He had planned this strategy for so long, and tens of thousands of soldiers had fought fiercely for most of the day, but now the Tang cavalry had just charged in and the army was utterly routed.

"What should we do with the strategist?" Sun He asked sullenly.

Fa Zheng remained silent, then sighed and said, "Kobby broke through the ambush and defeated us with his cavalry. We have no other options now!"

Any strategy requires force, but now that it has been utterly crushed, no matter how many schemes Fazheng may have, they are useless.

Soon, due to the formidable impact of their armored cavalry, the Tang cavalry nearly reached the center of the army. Although the soldiers in the center were elite, they could not withstand the onslaught of the fleeing troops, and their formation teetered on the brink of collapse, at risk of falling apart at any moment.

Wu Jing led his cavalry over and called to Sun He and Fa Zheng, saying urgently, "The Tang cavalry are coming in an endless stream, like a tidal wave. Our army cannot stop them now. We should retreat to Langzhong first and join up with you, my lord. As long as Langzhong is still there, there is hope of repelling the enemy."

"What will happen to Huang Gai, Gan Ning, Yin Yu, and the others?" Sun He asked anxiously.

"We can't worry about that now!"

Wu Jingxin's heart was bleeding as he said, "With the main army defeated, how can the other divisions not be defeated as well? We should retreat to Langzhong first, gather the defeated soldiers along the way, and see if we can reunite with the generals!"

Sun He sighed deeply, his heart filled with resentment.

The battle had progressed to this point, and capturing the Tang army's camp seemed imminent. Yet, in less than half an hour, his army had been utterly routed by the iron cavalry's charge, a fact that filled him with rage. Especially since this defeat had resulted in the loss of a large number of troops, he feared they would be powerless to prevent the Tang from seizing Ba, and it might even lead to the downfall of the Sun family. (End of Chapter)