Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 251 Mud Horse Victory, Pan Jun Shocked

"General!"

"Right wing!"

"The right wing is about to fall!"

"Those Shu soldiers who carry...bamboo poles, their formations and tactics are all very strange!"

"Our Wu soldiers can't even get close!"

Sun Shao looked around, his chest heaving violently, and finally pushed away the personal guard who was about to bandage his wounds:
"fart!
"A few broken bamboo poles can break through my Great Wu's defense line?!"
"Deng Xuanzhi!"

"If you dare to disrupt morale again! I—"

He didn't finish his sentence.

Because another military officer, covered in blood, staggered over and almost fell to the ground:
"General! The right flank, section C, has fallen! Lieutenant Li has been killed in action! Brothers... brothers, we couldn't stop those bamboo!"

Sun Shao's angry expression froze instantly.

In an instant, it turned into unbelievable astonishment.

He shoved aside the crowd in front of him and rushed to a slightly higher mound, looking towards the right flank of the position.

This look.

This immediately made him gasp.

On the right flank, the dozens of seemingly useless and vulnerable bamboo pole formations of the Shu army were slowly grinding forward like a millstone.

The bamboo stalks swirled and swayed, constantly sweeping down and entangled the Wu soldiers who tried to counterattack. Then, long spears from the ranks thrust forward, precise and deadly.

The Wu soldiers were completely helpless against the strange formations and weapons, and were now in retreat, their lines teetering on the brink of collapse.

Meanwhile, the Han army's ranks were filled with deafening battle cries.

The wolf-tooth spear, which Sun Shao had scorned as a "bamboo pole," had now become a persistent nightmare for the Wu army on the front lines.

Dozens, nearly a hundred, small formations of mandarin ducks stood like rocks, firmly anchored at the forefront of the passage that the Han army had just widened.

The wolf-brush warriors wielded their long, branching poles with all their might, not seeking to kill, but simply to parry, stir, and entangle the spears and halberds thrust at them by the Wu army.

The spears thrust out by Wu soldiers were often caught by bamboo branches, which reduced their force by more than half. Even worse, their vision was obstructed by the layers of bamboo branches, making it difficult to see the movements of the Han army behind the formation.

In that brief moment of hesitation and chaos, long spears, like venomous snakes, suddenly emerged from the gaps in the shields, and rattan shield-wielding swordsmen rolled out from the rear ranks, suddenly appearing before them!

Sun Shao frowned more and more, feeling inexplicably alarmed.

These Shu soldiers, who used strange formations and weapons, seemed to have mediocre individual martial arts skills, and their movements were even somewhat clumsy and stiff.

However, they cooperated extremely well.

Advancing, retreating, parrying, and thrusting—each formation functioned as a unified whole, completely disrupting the familiar rhythm of individual combat for the Wu soldiers.

This unprecedented formation and tactical method is designed to catch opponents off guard.

Wu Jun had absolutely no time to stop and catch his breath or think of a solution.

If you don't know how to deal with it, then you can only fight haphazardly based on your instincts.

The Han army, however, was different.

Over the past few months, during the training of the Mandarin Duck Formation, there were all sorts of enemies opposite the formation, wielding various weapons and employing a variety of tactics to engage in real combat exercises with the soldiers practicing the formation.

In fact, due to the lack of standardized training and the failure to take necessary protective measures, Han soldiers were injured from time to time at the beginning.

Even worse, many of the fierce and reckless men in the Mandarin Duck Formation forgot that they were just practicing martial arts. When they got carried away with the fighting, they even stabbed and killed several of the imaginary enemies opposite the Mandarin Duck Formation.

Liu Shan did not focus all his attention on the Mandarin Duck Formation, and he did not expect such a thing to happen at first. When he learned of this news from Zheng Pu, more than ten soldiers had already been seriously injured or killed as a result.

Only then did he issue an order that no one should be killed during martial arts exercises.

Causing death or serious injury will be dealt with according to military law.

But to his surprise, many people in the army actually enjoyed this kind of live-fire drill.

They say you can't get the feel for a weapon if you can't wield it properly, and if you unfortunately die, you can only blame your ancestral graves for being in bad feng shui.

When Liu Shan heard this sound, he immediately ordered the person who made it to be the imaginary enemy. However, to his surprise once again, the person who made the sound was truly fearless. They went to be the imaginary enemy and actually engaged in a real battle with the opposing Mandarin Duck Formation.

Liu Shan then realized once again that this was not the 21st century, and that many people did not even care about their own lives, let alone care about the lives of others.

In response to these reckless and desperate individuals, Liu Shan directly ordered Wang Chong and Zheng Pu to remove them from the Mandarin Duck Formation.

The Mandarin Duck Formation is suitable for weaker troops and new recruits.

This group of desperate men is suited to tactics that are riskier but also more rewarding.

In this campaign against Wu, they mostly became the vanguard of the Han Dynasty, willing to risk their lives.

"Pfft!"

The sound of sharp blades cutting into flesh was endless.

One after another, Wu Jun's soldiers in the front ranks fell down.

Intestines, brains, blood, and filth soaked the mud, sand, and straw laid by the Han army, mixing with the swampy mud, making it an extremely muddy mess.

"Hold it! Hold it!"

On the right flank of Wu Jun's Dingduan defensive line, a captain surnamed Lu shouted hoarsely.

The heavy troops, as thick as bamboo poles, thrust forward, forcing the Wu soldiers to retreat repeatedly.

Not only did they dare not advance further, they were not even afraid to stay in place and face the enemy, fearing that they would be killed by the spearmen and shieldmen who followed closely behind.

The captain was immediately enraged. He pushed aside all the soldiers in front of him and personally took up his sword to try to cut open the annoying bamboo thicket.

However, just as he deflected the wolf-tooth rake sweeping from the left, a long spear silently pierced through him from the right. If his personal guards hadn't risked their lives to knock it away with their shields, he would have been stabbed right through.

In that instant, the captain surnamed Lu was terrified and broke out in a cold sweat. He dared not be careless anymore and retreated in a sorry state under the protection of his personal guards.

This is no laughing matter what kind of bamboo pole it is!
This is clearly a moving steel thorn bush!
The Han army's battle line advanced inch by inch in this seemingly slow but actually firm rhythm.

This section of Wu's defensive line, which had previously only been partially dented, was now showing signs of collapse.

Sun Shao stood on the mound of earth, feeling a chill run from his feet to the top of his head. The smugness he had felt earlier from repelling the Han army's vanguard had vanished in an instant.

"Quick! Go find Pan Chengming!"

"Make him send reinforcements to my aid immediately, no matter what!"

He suddenly grabbed Deng Xuanzhi's arm, his fingers turning white from the force.

Deng Xuanzhi was in pain from being gripped so tightly, but he couldn't care less and just said urgently:
"But General."

"Pan Taichang was just about to use himself as bait to lure Chen Dao's ship into striking the cone..."

"I can't worry about anything else!" Sun Shao practically roared, his eyes bloodshot.

"The water conditions at Yanyu Beach are complex, and the Chendaolou ship has a deep draft; it's not so easy to cross!!"

"There won't be any results from Pan Chengming's side anytime soon!"
"But if this place is breached, the entire Yanyu Pass will be finished! Hurry!"

Seeing Sun Shao's ferocious expression, Deng Xuanzhi dared not say anything more and quickly nodded.

He turned and, with a few personal guards, quickly ran along the path inside the battle line towards the direction where Pan Jun was located downstream.

Sun Shao watched Deng Xuanzhi's departing figure, then glanced back at the ever-widening gap in the left flank. He stomped his foot angrily and drew his sword: "Personnel Battalion, follow me! Block those gaps on the right flank!"

Downstream riverbank.

Pan Jun was staring intently at the surface of the river.

His character "潘" (Pan) stands prominently on a high point on a beach.

However, along the riverbank defense line, which was only a little over a mile long, six or seven thousand Wu soldiers stood ready in battle.

Right in the middle of the river.

The Han army warship, flying the large banner bearing the character "Chen," was now only a few dozen paces from the giant reef in the middle of the river. It seemed to be hesitating about whether to go downstream, or perhaps it was subtly adjusting its course in the current.

Pan Jun's subordinate whispered from behind, "That Shu general Chen Dao, or perhaps the Shu ruler... is probably hesitating whether to risk charging across the beach!"

Although he spoke in a low voice, his excitement was palpable.

If the Shu ruler is truly on that warship, what an immense feat awaits them!
Even if the ruler of Shu is not here, Chen Dao alone is enough!
Once the warship strikes a cone and sinks, Chen Dao's weight will be enough to terrify the entire Shu army!
"Taichang! Taichang!"

Deng Xuanzhi, panting heavily, rushed to Pan Jun's side and, disregarding etiquette, hurriedly spoke:

"Sun Zhenxi has sent me here urgently to report!"
"The right flank positions upstream of Yanyu Pass are in critical condition!"

"What?!" Pan Jun looked astonished.

The adjutant was also speechless with astonishment, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Deng Xuan, breathless, clutched his chest and spoke urgently:

"The Shu army used a heavy weapon shaped like a bamboo pole, combined with a strange battle formation, which made it extremely powerful!"

"Sun Zhenxi...Sun Zhenxi is unstoppable!"

"Request that the Grand Commandant immediately divide his troops and return to reinforce!"
"Otherwise, the front line may collapse!"

"Bamboo poles?! The front line has collapsed?!" Pan Jun frowned, his tone filled with obvious displeasure, doubt, and unease.

"Several thousand elite troops there were forced to call for reinforcements by a mere strange formation? Military Advisor Deng, are you exaggerating?!" Pan Jun's subordinate general questioned Deng Xuanzhi with dissatisfaction.

Whether it was from the heat or the rush, Deng Xuanzhi was covered in sweat.

Stretching out his arms, he pointed upstream:
"Tai Chang can see this clearly from the high ground! This is no ordinary battle formation. Our soldiers' spears and lances can hardly get close, and they have already broken through several lines of defense! Sun Zhenxi has been forced to lead his personal guards up to plug the gap!"

Military matters are urgent and cannot be taken lightly. Pan Jun knew that what Deng Xuanzhi said must be true, but doubts still arose in his heart.

He quickly stepped onto the higher slope beside him.

Looking up, one can see the main position at Yanyu Pass.

The afternoon sun was shining brightly in spring, and the visibility was excellent.

Although they were several miles apart and the details were hard to discern, Pan Jun could vaguely see that the Wu army's defense line, which was intact when he left, was now clearly in disarray.

Especially on the right flank, a large, dark mass of Han troops was steadily advancing, completely encroaching within the trenches and antler-shaped earthen walls.

Meanwhile, Wu Jun, dressed in yellow armor, kept retreating in that area.

"How could this be?!" Pan Jun's heart sank.

He was no ignorant scholar; he could tell at a glance that it was no feint or small-scale breakthrough, but rather a sign that the main battle line had been torn apart!
"Sun Shao, that good-for-nothing!" Pan Jun, who was always mature and composed, couldn't help but curse loudly, his face extremely ugly.

He never expected that his meticulously constructed quagmire defense line, which he thought could at least hold off the Shu army for several days, or even more than ten days, would be breached so quickly in this way!

"Reinforcements? How many reinforcements does he need?!" Pan Jun's face turned ashen.

He used himself as bait, betting on the hatred that high-ranking Shu generals such as Chen Dao, Guan Xing, and even Liu Shan felt towards him, offering them the enormous temptation of defeating the Wuguan command center in one fell swoop.

The ship was already moving.

How could I possibly divide my forces at this moment?!
Just then, the Han army began to beat drums intensively along the defensive line that stretched for more than a mile in front of Pan Jun, and nearly a thousand armored soldiers began to press forward.

Pan Jun's thoughts gradually cleared.

Luring the enemy is important, but if the main position is breached by the Shu people, everything will be over.

Even if Chen Dao's warships were to sink after hitting a cone, it would likely be unable to reverse the defeat at Yanyu Pass.

Weighing the pros and cons can happen in an instant.

Pan Jun turned around abruptly, his expression solemn, and spoke sternly to Deng Xuanzhi:
"I'll give you another two thousand men!"

"Take this and hand it over to Sun Shao immediately!"
"Tell him to hold this position at all costs!"
"If we lose this position, I will report it to the Emperor and have it dealt with according to military law!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Deng Xuanzhi felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He immediately mustered two thousand soldiers and hurriedly ran upstream.

Pan Jun watched Deng Xuanzhi lead his men away, then turned back to look at Jiang Xin.

The multi-storied ship bearing the banner with the character "Chen" on it seemed to be still hesitating about whether to sail downstream.

A strange unease flashed through Pan Jun's mind.

He forced himself to calm down and focused his attention back on the line in front of him, where fierce fighting had already begun along the more than one-mile-long front.

...

at the same time.

On the Han army's warship Fubo.

Seeing that Wu Jun was exhausted from running around, Guan Xing remained calm, but he was secretly pleased.

He leaned against the gunwale and looked down.

The rushing river crashed against a huge reef that rose abruptly three or four zhang in the middle of the river, creating several enormous whirlpools.

Dry firewood, straw, or other objects drifting downstream from upstream are instantly swept up and disappear.

After a moment's thought, he first removed his green armor robe, then his heavy armor, and finally, wearing only a close-fitting water jacket, he leaped into the icy river like a nimble fish.

The river is swift and turbulent, with hidden currents.

Guan Xing held his breath and struggled to dive downwards.

The light dimmed rapidly, the water pressure increased, and all that could be heard was the muffled roar of the flowing water.

He opened his eyes wide and carefully searched the bottom of the river.

Sure enough, before long, huge black shadows gradually came into view.

That was the iron spike that Pan Jun ordered his men to sink!
Each one is as thick as an adult's thigh, its base firmly fixed to a huge stone base, pointing diagonally upstream into the river.

The menacing spikes gleamed with a cold, hard light in the dim water.

Guan Xing carefully approached to observe and estimate the distance between these iron cones and the water surface.

It is about 15 or 16 feet long.

But... it will never exceed two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters).

The draft of the large Han dynasty warships was exactly between two and three zhang (approximately 6.6-6.6 meters). Medium-sized warships and linked ships also had a draft of about one and a half to two zhang (approximately 6.6-6.6 meters).

If one goes downstream without understanding the situation, and the boat is moving at a slightly higher speed, the consequences would be unimaginable if the bottom of the boat were to collide with these huge iron spikes that are slanting upwards.

Just then, a whirlpool and undercurrent surged in, threatening to drag Guan Xing to the bottom of the river.

Guan Xing felt a chill run down his spine and quickly floated to the surface.

Even though he was an excellent swimmer, he dared not linger in such a place.

If you were accidentally swept to the bottom of the river or slammed onto the iron spikes on the reefs, you'd be finished.

With a "splash," it broke out of the water.

Wiping the water off his face, Guan Xing, with the help of the soldiers who were there to meet him, nimbly climbed back onto a nearby fast dinghy.

Soon, he boarded the flagship ship where Chen Dao was.

Without even changing out of his wet clothes, he reported in detail to Governor Chen the iron spikes he had just seen at the bottom of the river, as well as the exact locations of the iron spikes around the giant reef in the middle of the river.

Chen Dao's son, General Chen Hu, who commanded the warships, had been wondering how an iron spike could pierce the bottom of a ship. Now, upon hearing this, he finally understood:
"The iron cone is placed at an angle, with the tip only about 15 or 16 feet above the water surface... As a result, all of our medium-sized warships are at risk of hitting the cone."

Upon hearing this, Chen Dao exchanged glances with Guan Xing and Chen Hu, all three of them looking solemn.

Guan Xing seemed to have made up his mind and continued speaking to Chen Dao:
"Grand Commander, I believe the best course of action now is to keep Pan Jun in suspense and keep his attention focused on our warships."

"Only in this way can we create an opportunity for 'Mud Horse' to seize the beachhead and break into the upstream area."

"Once the 'Mud Horse' breaks into Wu's formation, the battle on the riverbank will be won!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Dao and Chen Hu both looked upstream and fell into deep thought.

Guan Xing hesitated for a moment, then a resolute glint flashed in his eyes once more:
"Grand Commander, Ru Hui, Xing thought that it might be possible to take a slightly risky approach."

"Please have the Grand Marshal stay on the flagship and continue to make the appearance of wanting to sail downstream to attract the attention and forces of Pan Jun!"

"I have more than fifty personal guards around me, all of whom are excellent swimmers!"

"They can be ordered to dive into the downstream river waters first to guide the Grand Admiral's ship to a safe waterway and help it avoid the dangerous Iron Spike Shoals!"

"Once everything is ready, the Grand Commander will signal by sinking empty ships, while I will lead the last thousand elite soldiers on mud horses to break through the enemy lines upstream!"

Chen Dao stroked his beard and pondered, his gaze sweeping over Pan Jun's conspicuous general's flag on the river, then looking towards the fierce battle on the beach upstream.

“Good!” Chen Dao slammed his hand on the side of the ship.

"Then we shall follow Anguo's plan!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Guan Xing clasped his hands in a fist salute, his eyes sharp.

He turned around again and left behind all fifty-six of his personal guards who were skilled in swimming.

Afterwards, they boarded a nimble red horse-drawn boat and rowed upstream back.

Guan Xing's personal guards entered the water to guide Chen Dao.

On the warship, Chen Dao ordered the war drums to be sounded.

The banner with the character "陈" moved downstream again.

The Han army's naval forces made a determined stance to storm the beach.

Downstream on the high ground, Pan Jun saw the Han army flagship finally begin to move. His unease subsided, replaced by a cold, expectant anticipation, as if his prey was about to step into a trap.

...

Upstream.

The river wind, carrying the stench of blood, swept across the devastated battlefield before Yanyu Pass.

Guan Xing stood behind a muddy riverbank.

This area was not the main direction of the Han army's attack, and there were no roads paved with mud bags, sandbags, dry firewood, or straw, so the Wu army's defenses were extremely sparse.

He gazed downstream.

Seeing that the boat had arrived, he took a deep breath and brought an old-fashioned horn to his lips.

"Waaaaaah!"

The deep and desolate sound of the bugle pierced through the clamor of the battlefield, carrying a strange, muffled rhythm like an undercurrent in a river, as it traveled downstream to Chendao.

Downstream in the middle of the river, large ships lie submerged on the waves.

Governor Chen Dao, who had been listening intently, caught the unique sound of the horn.

A barely perceptible tremor crossed his tense face, and he immediately raised his right hand without hesitation, giving the order in a deep voice:

"Lower the sails! Drop anchor! Halt!"

The massive warships gradually slowed down as ordered, eventually stabilizing themselves in the river and maintaining a suffocating stalemate with Pan Jun's army formation downstream.

Instead, two medium-sized warships sailed out from the sides of the tower ship.

They had a shallow draft and were faster. The hundreds of Han soldiers on board were all unarmored and were all carefully selected for their excellent swimming skills.

Without hesitation, the two warships billowed their sails and charged straight into the known deadly waters filled with iron spikes, following the turbulent river current!

On the high ground, Pan Jun's brows furrowed instantly.

As the massive ship came to a stop again, the anxiety he felt—a feeling of constant agitation followed by repeated disappointment—reached its peak.

"What tricks are these Shu traitors playing?!"

Just as his doubts began to grow, a strange change occurred on the river!
One of the warships shuddered violently, as if it had been struck by a giant underwater beast!
In the middle of the river, beneath the boat, a sickeningly loud sound of wood snapping echoed for miles.

The river water surged in wildly.

The warship tilted at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Another warship seemed to try to evade, but it was not spared either, and crashed heavily into the underwater iron spike.

Then, to everyone's surprise, it was swept up onto the rocks by the turbulent current.

"--boom!"

The ship struck the reef with a loud bang, and its hull tilted abruptly.

The soldiers on the ship fell into the water one after another and jumped in.

The Han soldiers who had fallen into the water struggled in the whirlpool.

The cries for help were completely swallowed up by the roar of the river.

Downstream, hundreds of Han army boats quickly positioned themselves across the river to begin rescuing people.

This sudden tragedy caught the Han soldiers, who were engaged in fierce battles with the Wu army upstream and downstream, off guard, and their offensive noticeably slowed down.

Panic began to creep into the Han army.

The commander's flagship hesitated to advance.

The vanguard warship struck a reef and sank.

This is definitely not a good omen!
"It's done! Taichang! The Shu ship has struck a cone!"

Pan Jun's adjutant shouted excitedly.

Pan Jun, however, stared intently at the still intact flagship, his face devoid of any joy.

Sinking two warships was far from his goal!
However, at that moment, a voice, like a thunderclap, rang out on the riverbank, almost drowning out the noise of the river and the battlefield:
"Soldiers, do not panic!"

"Sinking the ships is Your Majesty's strategy to mislead the enemy!"

"That old traitor Pan Jun has fallen into my trap! Follow me and kill him!"

Pan Jun and the other Wu people were taken aback, not understanding why.

The Han soldiers saw that General Chen Hu, who commanded the warships, had somehow led a troop of personal guards in small boats to a rocky high ground on the south bank!
He was soaking wet and stood holding a knife.

"That old traitor Pan Jun has fallen into our trap! Follow me and kill the traitor!" Chen Hu shouted again, his voice booming like a bell, to bolster the morale of his troops.

"Your Majesty's plan?" Pan Jun heard it clearly and his heart skipped a beat!
Who else could the "Your Majesty" Chen Hu was referring to be besides the one in Chengdu?!
Could it be that Liu Shan truly secretly arrived at the front lines, aboard that warship?!
Although he knew these were most likely words from the Shu general to appease the troops, the thought, like a venomous snake, instantly seized Pan Jun's heart.

If we can truly keep the ruler of Shu...

While Pan Jun hesitated, the Wu army around him was stunned by Chen Hu's earth-shattering roar.

Seeing that the Han army's offensive was slow but not collapsing, they couldn't help but feel somewhat doubtful, and a brief pause occurred on the battlefield.

At this very moment, when everyone's attention was drawn to the shipwreck downstream.

The deserted riverbank in front of Guan Xing.

The echoes of the bugle call had not yet completely faded.

Guan Xing suddenly drew his sword and swung it forward!
"Brothers, let's slay the enemy generals and seize their banners today! Follow me to break through their stronghold and kill the bandits!"

Behind him, the last thousand or so elite Tiger Warriors roared in unison.

Instead of wading through the mud, each of them mounted a strangely shaped "mud horse".

—It was a wooden tool similar to a sled with handrails, with a wide and flat bottom, making it easy to glide through mud. It was said to have been made by Ma Jun, a skilled craftsman from the Ma family of Fufeng.

With a thousand people working together, the mud horses glided silently and swiftly across the seemingly impassable vast mudflats, like arrows released from a bow!
They bypassed the main defensive line of Wu's army and rushed straight in from a weak spot on the flank that was almost unnoticed!
The mud horse galloped at a speed almost like a foot soldier running on hard ground!

In a short while, this surprise force had already crossed the long stretch of mudflats and appeared directly behind the main Wu army position, like a divine army descending from the sky!
"kill!"

Guan Xing took the lead.

Amidst roars, the Tiger Warriors abandoned their horses and formed a battle formation.

Like a red-hot dagger cutting into butter, it viciously wedged into Wu Jun's ribs, which were completely distracted by the downstream changes!

"Behind us! There are Shu troops in the rear!"

"Where did they come from?!"

Screams and cries of alarm instantly erupted within Wu's army formation!
The Wu army, which was already struggling to cope with the frontal Mandarin Duck Formation, was suddenly attacked from the flank and rear, and their formation was thrown into chaos!
Sun Shao, who was personally overseeing the battle on the right flank and anxiously awaiting news from downstream, was startled by the sudden shouts of battle behind him and turned around abruptly.

When he saw the familiar banner with the character "Guan" and the fierce Han soldiers, the color drained from his face instantly, leaving only shock and disbelief!
"How is this possible?! They... how could they have attacked from here?!" Sun Shao's voice was shrill and distorted with extreme shock.

Not long after, Pan Jun, who was on the high ground downstream, finally received a hurried report from his subordinate general:
"Tai Chang! Something terrible has happened! The Shu army has broken through the flank and rear of the Shangyou army! Guan Xing... Guan Xing has led the Tiger Warriors in!"

"What did you say?!" Pan Jun felt a wave of dizziness upon hearing this, unable to believe it.

I quickly climbed the small hill I had been on before.

When he saw that the upstream line had completely collapsed and the soldiers were fleeing back into the camp, he swayed and almost fell over.

He instinctively braced himself with his sword to steady himself.

Just then, Deng Xuanzhi, who had rushed over, quickly recounted what had happened upstream.

Pan Jun's mouth was dry and his face was ashen.

Despite all the calculations, including naval and land battles, and the use of feints to lure the enemy, the Shu army was thrown into chaos and its formation became unstable due to the sinking of ships in the middle of the river!

However, they never expected that the Shu army would have strange equipment that could traverse the mud.

What I didn't expect was that Guan Xing would launch a surprise attack right when I was focused on the ships downstream!

Yanyu Pass... cannot be defended.

Wuxian County... Wuxian County is in danger too!
This thought was like ice water poured over his head, instantly sobering Pan Jun up.

He abruptly looked up, a resolute pain flashing across his face, and shouted at Deng Xuanzhi:

"Quickly! Tell Sun Shao to gather all the troops he can immediately and return to Wu County to strengthen the city's defenses! Let's go!"

Deng Xuanzhi was taken aback: "Then, Grand Master of Ceremonies..."

"I will stay here to cover the rear!" Pan Jun gritted his teeth.

"I will cover the rear and hold off the enemy for ten days!"

"If reinforcements do not arrive in ten days... I will retreat to Wuxian to join you! Go quickly!"

Deng Xuanzhi dared not say another word and hurriedly accepted the order to head upstream.

Pan Jun took a deep breath, gripped the sword hilt tightly again, and gave the order in a hoarse voice:

"Central Army, listen to my command! Form ranks! Slowly retreat towards the fortress! Archers and crossbowmen, cover the pursuing troops!"

Not long after, Sun Shao led his army to flee from the mountain path behind the village towards Jiangguan in Wuxian County.

On the battlefield, Wu's army finally collapsed completely.

Without unified command, the various units fought independently. Under the dual blows of the Han army's frontal assault and flanking attacks, they abandoned their positions and fled in disarray towards Yanyu Pass.

The Han army's morale soared, and they pressed forward relentlessly, finally driving the Wu army completely into that lonely riverside fortress.

The setting sun is like blood.

The broken planks of boats bobbing up and down beside the reefs in the middle of the river are reflected in the muddy grass paths on the mudflats, and the battlefield strewn with corpses.

The corpses of the Wu people were piled up like mountains.

Guan Xing stood on the earthen ramparts at the front of the Wu army's newly captured position, leaning on his long, chipped sword, panting heavily.

The outer defenses of Yanyu Pass, the toughest nut to crack on the eastern expedition route, were finally smashed open by the mighty Han!

The most difficult hurdle of this eastern expedition has been overcome.

What follows will be swift and unstoppable, a direct assault on Yiling.

He looked at the tightly closed gates of Yanyu Pass, and then at the river further east.

That's the direction of Yiling.

Sweat, blood, and mud mingled together, blurring his vision.

He raised his hand and wiped it away forcefully, his gaze seemingly piercing through space, and saw the dog named Pan Zhang, who was confronting General Zhao.

"Pan Zhang... wait!"

(End of this chapter)