Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 119 Crisis
After Fan Yan led his troops to Shishan, Xu Sheng took a short rest and then immediately led the cavalry back to Shanyin Pavilion.

Not long after, Chen Gan also led his troops to leave Jiming Mountain and march towards Qiyun Mountain.

Qiyun Mountain is a strategic location on the western foot of Lion Mountain. The terrain is steep and easy to defend but difficult to attack. It is also the only way for Zhu Zhijun to return to Qiantang via the western foot of Lion Mountain.

As long as he controlled the main road to Qiyun Mountain, Zhu Zhi could only take a detour through the complex terrain of the mausoleum area. At that time, the mountain mausoleum area was not as well-traveled as in later generations, and many places were deserted and uninhabited wild mountains.

Chen Gan's troops were stationed at Qiyun Mountain. Although they could not completely cut off Zhu Zhi's retreat, they could effectively delay his march. Yan Yi's army was able to march quickly through Qiyun Mountain, arrive later but arrive first, and completely block Zhu Zhi's army at the western foot of Shishan Mountain.

Zhu Zhi's current situation is extremely precarious. If he withdraws his troops immediately, there is still a glimmer of hope for escape.

But this was obviously impossible. Zhu Zhi was in the middle of a fierce fight with Yan Baihu. He had even taken off his pants and was pressing Yan Baihu to the ground, rubbing him like crazy. How could he suppress his inner desire and walk away without Yan Baihu knowing about it?
As the crisis approached, bad news began to reach Zhu Zhi's ears like a warning before the storm.

"When I arrived, all five hundred soldiers had been killed. The ground was littered with corpses, including Sima Tao."

A scout stood in front of Zhu Zhi with a sad look on his face, holding a wooden box in his hand.

Zhu Zhi's face was as gloomy as water. He used his whip to pry open the lid of the box, and a familiar head suddenly came into his sight. It was Tao Qian.

He was silent for a moment, a trace of hidden pain flashed across his brow, and he asked in a low voice: "Have you brought back Tao Qian's body?"

Tao Qian had fought with him for many years, working hard and being loyal. He even blocked an arrow for him during the Battle of Xiangyang. He never expected that they would be separated forever today. How could he not feel pain in his heart?

The generals standing beside him all had expressions of grief and anger on their faces, and some of them still had an expression of disbelief and surprise in their eyes.

The scout said quickly, "It has been buried."

"When we return to Qiantang, we'll bury him with all the honors accorded to the three armies! I'll personally carry Lord Tao's coffin." Zhu Zhi slowly leaned forward, bowing deeply toward the wooden box. Then he stood up and spoke slowly, emphasizing each word: "Where are Xu Sheng's troops now?"

"Judging from the horseshoe prints, it must have gone east."

Upon hearing this, the generals were shocked. Xu Sheng's army headed eastward, and its purpose was self-evident.

Chen Xian’s previous speculation actually came true.

Dong Yue said cautiously: "Sun Yu is General Sun's cousin. If something unexpected happens, I'm afraid..."

Zhu Zhi was upset and his hatred for Xu Sheng reached its peak. He never expected that Xu Sheng would actually disregard the lives of Yan Baihu and Yan Yu. How dare he do such a thing!

He had never expected that Xu Sheng's attack would be so ruthless that one of his troops was destroyed in an instant, and the other was also in danger.

Zhu Zhi's face was as cold as iron. Various thoughts flashed through his mind, finally turning into a strong murderous intent. He shouted sternly, "Beat the drum! Within half an hour, I want to sacrifice the heads of Yan Baihu and Yan Yu!"

Since you have abandoned Yan Yu's army, I will defeat his army and kill his generals. Let's see who suffers greater losses!
The generals responded loudly. The death of Tao Qian and the danger of Sun Yu aroused their anger and bloodiness. They wanted to chop off Yan Baihu and Yan Yu's heads immediately to vent their hatred.

Zhu Zhijun's offensive became more intense.

Amid the deafening sound of war drums, one by one, the infantry ants, blood-thirsty, approached and used their gun arrays to continuously compress the enemy's space for movement.

If the offensive was blocked, a military marquis or garrison commander would immediately step forward, leading dozens or hundreds of sword and shield soldiers in a melee charge. The coordinated advance of spearmen and swordmen was the most common combat method at the time. Spears formed a forest, advancing step by step; swords and shields formed a wall, crushing everything in their path. The two combined provided both offensive and defensive capabilities!

Yan Baihu felt a sudden surge of pressure. Looking around, he saw his own soldiers falling down in droves like weeds, and all he could hear were the miserable cries of his former brothers.

Fine beads of sweat could not help but seep out of his forehead. The difficulty of this battle was beyond his imagination.

In terms of military advancement alone, the Zhu Zhijun army in front of him was the strongest enemy he had ever encountered in his life.

The seemingly simple coordinated advancement of the spear and sword actually revealed a force that could crush everything in its path. Even if he had deployed the most secure circular defense, he was still unable to stop it.

Yan Yu ran over breathlessly and said, "Brother, the enemy's attack is too fierce. Can you send two hundred cavalrymen to the battle to ease the enemy's attack? I can't hold them back any longer!"

Human power is limited. Although he was extremely brave, he was just a flesh and blood body after all. As his strength was gradually depleted and the enemy's advantage in formation became more and more obvious, he felt more and more powerless.

The enemy cavalry, in particular, posed a huge threat, and every charge would put their troops on the verge of collapse.

Yan Baihu hesitated for a moment, then said coldly, "I have great use for the cavalry, so don't move them lightly! Order all the generals to lead their personal guards into battle to resist. Anyone who retreats a step will be killed immediately!"

Yan Yu nodded heavily, his lips trembling slightly as he spoke in a hoarse voice, "The situation could collapse at any moment. Brother is responsible for the safety of the entire clan. It's better for you to evacuate first, and I'll cover your retreat!"

Yan Baihu shook his head and said, "It's not time to give up yet. I know my limits. Just hold the enemy back."

He knew very well that although the entire army was in danger at the moment, it could still hold on because he was in charge of the central army and boosted morale. If he retreated, the entire army would collapse!
"Take care, brother!"

Yan Yu gritted his teeth, turned around and rushed towards the most critical battlefield. He made up his mind that even if he died here today, he would protect his brother.

"Within a quarter of an hour, the enemy formation will be broken!"

Zhu Zhi withdrew his gaze from the enemy's crumbling formation and smiled slightly at the generals beside him.

He was in great pain, but he couldn't show it, so he could only force a smile to calm the troops.

Although the battle was won, it was a tragic victory. The bandit army with poor discipline reported in yesterday's military report actually burst out with astonishing fighting will and combat power under the personal presence of Yan Baihu, causing him losses far beyond his expectations.

"Go and call Chen Xian!" Zhu Zhi suddenly said.

The generals were slightly surprised. Chen Xian played a vital role on the front line. It was puzzling why Zhu Zhi called him back at such a critical moment.

Chen Xian, covered in blood, galloped over on his horse and clasped his fists towards Zhu Zhi. "Captain, what are your orders?"

Zhu Zhi looked at him solemnly and warned, "Yan Baihu still has a cavalryman standing by his side. He must be relying on him to escape. Leave a group of men outside to ambush him. Remember, if you can capture him, capture him. If you can't, kill him. Don't let him get away!"

Chen Xian was slightly startled, then responded loudly, quickly turned his horse around and returned to the front line.

The generals finally came to their senses, and a thought came to their minds at the same time: Yan Baihu, your death is approaching!
(End of this chapter)