Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 130 Guanghan
The sudden appearance of the "water ghost" and the sudden execution of Wei general Zhou Dang

This left the Wei soldiers who had crossed the Feng River with him to carry out the ambush mission completely bewildered and in a state of extreme panic.

The vast majority of people began to panic and run aimlessly to the west, away from the water ghosts.

Having received the emperor's order early on, they gathered at Xiliu from Jimen and Gaoling, and then secretly crossed the river to Weinan under the cover of night. After Guan Xing, Zhao Tong, Wei Xing, and a few junior officers who had infiltrated the Feng River to play the role of water ghosts emerged from the water, they saw that the Wei army had been completely routed. They did not even form a battle formation and instead carried their swords and spears to pursue and kill them all the way west.

Two or three miles to the west, Zong Qian, Cuan Xiong, Yang Qianwan, Fu Jian, Yao Kehui and others led two thousand elite warriors and four thousand light cavalry brought by Wu Gong to the east to encircle and annihilate the Wei army's routed soldiers.

The routed Wei soldiers were caught in a pincer movement, with nowhere to escape.

They had no choice but to cry and scream as they fled north and south. Many of the defeated soldiers, who were not good swimmers, did not care about anything else and rushed north into the Wei River. After a few struggles, they sank to the bottom and were fed to the Eighth Prince.

"Lend me your head!" Wei Xing, who hadn't killed anyone for over a month, excitedly captured a fleeing Wei soldier and slit his throat with a single blow.

The man had just emerged from the water, his body soaking wet, his hair plastered to his forehead.

Combined with its ferocious appearance and the stench of river mud and blood emanating from its body, it truly resembled a terrifying water monkey.

Seeing this, the surrounding fleeing soldiers were so frightened that they lost all will to resist. They knelt on the ground, begging for mercy from the water ghost and the water monkey.

However, the battle situation was perilous at the moment, so it was not the right time to take in prisoners.

If things go wrong, it's possible for friendly fire to occur.

Before Wei Xing could even make a move, several Han soldiers, equally hungry and thirsty, had already killed several Wei soldiers who were begging for mercy on the ground.

Although most of the fleeing Wei soldiers did not directly confront Guan Xing and Wei Xing, these water ghosts, the Tiger Warriors and Hu cavalry to the west were now as fierce as wolves and tigers, even more terrifying than the water ghosts.

In less than a quarter of an hour, after witnessing the bloody terror of the Tiger Warriors and the Hu cavalry, a few of the routed soldiers finally turned around and fled towards Chang'an under the cover of night and weeds and trees.

Before long, many of the routed soldiers used their serpentine movements to hide and escape the pursuit of the encircling Han army, fleeing in panic to the east of the Feng River.

Wei Xing, who had just been promoted by the emperor to the position of Longxiang Sima, quickly dealt with the few defeated soldiers on the banks of the Feng River. Then, he led the five hundred "water ghost" brothers assigned to him by the emperor eastward across the Feng River to pursue the defeated soldiers.

Before long, people began shouting in the darkness, "The water ghosts are coming, run!", "Hundreds of thousands of Shu bandits are coming!", "The Great Wei has been defeated! The Great Wei has been defeated!", and some even went so far as to shout, "The General of the Cavalry is dead! The General of the Cavalry is dead!"

Wei Ping, Jia Xu, and Guanqiu Jian were originally positioned at the rear of the formation and had not yet reacted at first, as they were focused on besieging the camp in the northwest corner of Chang'an.

By the time they finally heard these voices, the rumors were already rampant, and the Wei soldiers closest to the Feng River were in a state of panic and began to flee in disarray.

"What are they shouting?" Guanqiu Jian, who was furthest from the Feng River, only realized something was wrong at this moment and his expression suddenly froze.

"It seems to be saying... the General of the Cavalry is dead?"

Guanqiu Jian's bodyguards gave a confused reply.

Looking around, I couldn't tell where these chaotic noises were coming from.

Guanqiu Jian knew this was impossible, of course. After looking around blankly, he suddenly thought of something and then looked westward with an incredulous expression.

However, their view was completely blocked by the Han army's camp, and they couldn't see anything at all.

Without saying a word, he snatched the reins from his guard, mounted his horse, and headed towards the Feng River to the west of the camp.

Only after climbing a small slope with a good view did they realize, to their horror,

On both sides of the Feng River, thousands or tens of thousands of flames formed a long dragon and a sea of ​​fire, sweeping eastward with great momentum.

"Dang Dang Dang——"

"Dang Dang Dang——"

Just as Guanqiu Jian was shocked, a series of clear, continuous clanging sounds came from the direction of Sima Yi's central army.

"Retreat immediately!" Guanqiu Jian hurriedly gave the order upon hearing the sound of the retreat signal.

Several guards carrying golden drums then struck the bronze gongs hanging on the saddles.

The clear and melodious sound of the gong resounded through the night sky.

When the drums sound, advance; when the gongs sound, retreat.

The troops led by Guanqiu Jian, Wei Ping, and Jia Xu retreated instinctively, following the sound of the gong.

The sound of the bronze gong is crisp and penetrating.

Inside Chang'an, generals Zhou Tai, Sun Li, and Wang Guan clearly heard the Wei's exclusive retreat signal, so they hurriedly led the city's 6,000 garrison troops out of the city to set up camp and prepare for reinforcements.

"Send twenty fast riders to inform Wang Chang and Niu Jin to guard Gaoling and not come over. Under no circumstances should they fall into the Shu bandits' ambush!" Sima Yi's calm demeanor vanished as he issued orders in quick succession.

His original intention for tonight's battle was to cut off the Shu army's reinforcements and calmly eliminate the two camps in the northwest and northeast corners of Chang'an.

However, as the Shu army swarmed in from Fengshui, the Wei army's flank was exposed to the Han army, and continuing the encirclement was pointless, especially since he had already spotted the light cavalry.

All sieges have been lifted.

The generals and officers of the Wei army led their troops to retreat to the vicinity of Sima Yi's central army, maintaining a somewhat disorderly formation as they slowly retreated towards Chang'an.

The Han army did not pursue them.

Or they may have formed ranks and assembled near the Feng River.

Or they could simply enter the village and hold it.

After all, the procession of nearly 10,000 men had stretched for three or four miles after crossing the Feng River.

With Sima Yi in command, the Wei army finally displayed the demeanor befitting an elite force.

Despite their flanks being exposed and their army suffering a rout, they maintained considerable order and did not scatter or collapse.

Given this situation, if we continue to pursue and entangle ourselves in this matter, there is a possibility that all our efforts will be in vain.

Han army, Shiqiao Village.

Generals Zhao Yun and Wang Ping,
Junior officers Guan Xing, Zhao Tong, and Wei Xing,

Along with Yang Qianwan, Yao Kehui, Fu Jian, Lei Ding, Li Yong, Shangguan Yong, and other powerful Han and Qiang figures, they gathered in the central command tent.

Captain Cuan Xiong spoke first:

"I never expected that Sima Yi would leave nearly 20,000 men in Chang'an. If His Majesty had not been cautious and realized that Sima Yi might not easily abandon them, the Wei invaders would have succeeded tonight."

Vice Minister Li Feng sighed with some regret:
"It's a pity that Sima Yi only sent one school of two thousand men to intercept them west of the Feng River, which is a bit of a waste of His Majesty's brilliant strategy of setting up an ambush by diving."

Colonel Yang Ji disagreed, but was instead somewhat excited: "Your Majesty previously devised a brilliant strategy to kill Cao Zhen and thwart Zhang He's fire attack."

"This time, he set up a surprise attack and defeated the Wei army in one battle. He beheaded more than a thousand people with almost no cost, thus thwarting Sima Yi's conspiracy."

"Once these deeds are spread, His Majesty's divine might will surely spread throughout the world, and the territory of the pseudo-Wei will inevitably be in an uproar."

"If we can use this ingenious strategy to kill Sima Yi, I'm afraid the Wei bandits will start to tremble with fear whenever they hear that Your Majesty is personally leading an expedition?"

Upon hearing this, all the officers and soldiers in the tent burst into laughter.

Throughout history, grand gestures like loving soldiers like sons or sucking their sores are meaningless to a general. A good general is one who can lead his troops to victory.

Similarly, for an emperor, grand gestures like personally leading troops into battle or winning over the hearts of the people are mostly empty rhetoric.

A truly good emperor is one who, without military expertise, avoids making foolish decisions or interfering in military affairs, allowing generals to fully utilize their talents and abilities without interference. Furthermore, an emperor who can strategize for war and lead his generals to several victories is more than just a good emperor; he embodies the qualities of a founding emperor and a restorer of a dynasty.

The Emperor's recent series of decisions, as well as the victory in this battle, have undoubtedly further enhanced his prestige within the army.

The newly surrendered Han and Qiang chieftains were unaware of this ambush strategy and were startled when they suddenly saw a large group of people emerge from the water.

Upon hearing that it was a strategy devised by the Han emperor, everyone was both shocked and surprised, and kept asking questions.

Sitting at the head of the table, Zhao Yun first acknowledged the strong support from the Hu and Han heroes present, and then looked towards Guan Xing and Wei Xing, asking:
"Anguo, Guanghan, is diving dangerous? Are you two feeling unwell?"

Zhao Tong, the Protector of the Qiang, who was soaked to the bone, sat between Guan Xing and Wei Xing, but was completely ignored by Zhao Yun.

Guan Xing, who had also become a water ghost like Zhao Tong, was also soaking wet, and his blue robe with civil and military sleeves was still dripping water.

Upon hearing Zhao Yun's question, the man instinctively wiped his forehead with his hand, only to find river water, sweat, and blood mixed together, emitting a pungent stench. He then solemnly replied:

"Thank you for your kindness, General Xie Zhendong!"

"The boy is not seriously injured."

"In fact, most of the time we are floating on the water, hiding among the reeds on the water's edge."

"When the Wei invaders were really close to the Feng River, they dived into the water. The whole process took only a couple hundred breaths."

"Even without His Majesty's method of breathing through reeds, I can manage."

The waterways of Jingzhou and Bashu are crisscrossed. Guan Yu, Guan Xing's father, trained the Jingzhou navy, which was the best in the world. As Guan Yu's son, Guan Xing was an excellent swimmer, as evidenced by his previous leap into the raging torrent to retrieve Cao Zhen's body.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun nodded slightly in affirmation, then looked at Wei Xing with considerable concern.

"Thank you, General Xie Zhendong... for your concern. I am not seriously injured. Your Majesty's method is brilliant."

"Let alone a hundred breaths, even if I soak for another quarter of an hour or two, no, an hour or two, I don't think there will be any problem!"

Wei Xing, who had been bestowed the courtesy name "Guanghan" by the emperor, answered with a loud and carefree tone.

He's incredibly arrogant these days. When he was delivering a message for the emperor earlier, he thought he was going to die, so he no longer had any respect for high-ranking officials like Wei Yan.

After he had the good fortune to capture Liu Bao, the Left Wise King of the Xiongnu, through his own strength, and was subsequently bestowed with the two words "Guang Han" by the emperor, which contained supreme meaning,
Everyone who knew him, including himself, understood that as long as he lived well and served His Majesty well, his future was limitless.

Just as no one would joke about Wei Yan's name by calling him Wei Buyan, no one jokes about Wei Xing's name by calling him Wei Buxing anymore.

Although he didn't really care about it at first, and even secretly thought that he should change his name to Wei Buxing or Wei Mie or something.

However, now that the emperor has bestowed the name "Guanghan," the character "Xing" must not be changed carelessly.

The group continued their discussion, each taking turns to speak.

For a time, words such as Anguo, Hunyi, Pijiang, Guanghan, and Guosheng, which contained beautiful visions, were repeatedly mentioned by the people discussing the matter in this large tent.

Yang Qianwan, Yao Kehui, Fu Jian, Lei Ding and other Qiang, Di and Hu chieftains were stunned by what they heard.

Li Yong, a descendant of the Flying General Li Guang, Shangguan Yong, a descendant of Shangguan Jie, and Liang Xi, Fu Ding, and other powerful Han people from Guanzhong, all felt a surge of emotion upon hearing these words that contained their hopes for the future of the Han Dynasty.

The spirit and vitality of the Shu Han dynasty can be glimpsed from the words of these young people.

After all the newly surrendered Han and Qiang chieftains had left the table, the core Han generals, officers, and officials finally began to discuss important matters.

"General Zhen Dong, according to the prisoners' confessions, Sima Yi himself was just commanding the troops in the camp." Wang Ping, who was in charge of guarding Shiqiao Village, spoke calmly before Zhao Yun led the reinforcements to arrive.

After speaking, he recounted the prisoners' confessions about how Sima Yi disguised himself and left Chang'an, how he left behind more than 10,000 troops in Chang'an, how he organized troops to defend the city, and how he organized troops to launch a night attack.

Everyone was somewhat surprised after hearing this.

Sima Yi's performance in recent months has actually made many Han army officers underestimate him.

However, this person personally led his troops to attack tonight, and even after being ambushed and defeated, he was still able to maintain the army's formation and prevent it from falling apart, which prevented the emperor's ingenious plan from achieving greater results.

This also shows that he has some courage and strategy, and the Jingyu army under his command is not comparable to the defeated and routed soldiers from before.

Guan Xing looked at Zhao Yun:

"General Zhen Dong, will Sima Yi make a comeback?"

"How many men should we leave here to guard this place?"

"Does Your Majesty have any other plans?"

Guan Xing's concerns were not unfounded.

Deciding on how many men to leave to garrison this place is a very important matter. If Sima Yi is certain that the Han army will not hold out and launches a counterattack, then a defeat is inevitable.

Zhao Yun shook his head: "Tonight's battle should be Sima Yi's last attempt. Xinfeng City cannot hold out for long, and time does not allow him to continue to linger here."

After speaking, he looked at Wang Ping and said, "Zijun, you lead four thousand men to guard the stone bridge over the Wei River, and leave the other two villages vacant there."

"If Sima Yi still launches a large-scale attack, you should retreat directly to Xiliu and not get entangled with Sima Yi in this camp."

Wang Ping nodded in acceptance: "Yes, sir!"

Chang'an City.

Sima Yi and his generals gathered on the city wall.

"What exactly is this so-called water ghost?" Wei Ping asked indignantly.

"What water ghosts? It's just that the Shu bandits used some tricks to hide in the water." Sima Yi's voice was a little dry.

Unable to grasp the crucial points, the Wei generals and officers were initially stunned, and then all were taken aback.

I've only ever heard of ambushes hidden in dense forests, swamps, valleys, ravines, or fortified villages.

Have you ever heard of something hidden in the water?

Did they actually run into us today?

For a moment, all the generals were speechless.

Many people began to feel uneasy about the fate of the Great Wei and their own fate.

"General of the Cavalry, what should we do next?" Guanqiu Jian's expression was also somewhat gloomy.

Sima Yi gazed at the Wei River for a long while before saying:
"Since the attempt has failed, there's no need to linger here any longer. Let's rest for half the night and leave at dawn."

He then looked at Guanqiu Jian and said, "Zhonggong, I will give you another three thousand men to guard Chang'an."

"If the Shu bandits raid in small groups, you should defend if you can, but you cannot leave."

"If you launch a full-scale attack, then abandon the army in the city, abandon Chang'an, and head towards Yaoguan."

"Once my army wins the decisive battle, Chang'an will sooner or later return to the hands of my Great Wei."

Guanqiu Jian was already mentally prepared: "Yes!"

(End of this chapter)