Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 217 Offensive and defensive changes
"Hansheng, Zilong, Wenyuan!"

"The general is here!"

From within the county hall, three more generals strode out.

"I hereby order the three of you to each command your troops. Once the Anbei army has completed its defenses, the armored warriors will emerge from Qiangyin, and the guerrillas will advance from Xihe. This time, the roles of offense and defense will be reversed!"

"promise!"
-
The somber atmosphere of the Zishi County government office had not yet dissipated.

The 1,600 wolf riders had already shot down like arrows, disappearing into the vast snowfield.

Lu Bu took the lead, his exceptionally fine chestnut horse galloping across the ice, as if it belonged to this boundless wilderness.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei followed closely behind. Although they were newly recruited, their fierce spirit honed on the battlefield was a perfect match for this elite force from Bingzhou.

Guan Yu's face was ashen, his phoenix eyes narrowed as he scanned the snowfield for any suspicious traces. Zhang Fei's leopard eyes were wide open, his heavy breathing condensing into white mist in the cold air. He gripped the eighteen-foot spear forged by the Bingzhou workshop tightly, eager to use it. Liu Bei, on the other hand, appeared much more composed, his gaze deep as he carefully absorbed every instruction from Lü Bu and the details of how to deal with the unfamiliar battlefield.

"Stop!" Lü Bu suddenly pulled on the reins, and the chestnut horse reared up, letting out a loud neigh.

He deftly took out a brass mirror tube from the leather pouch on the side of the saddle; this was the latest telescope made by the Bingzhou workshop.

The cold touch of the lens barrel pressed against his eye sockets. Lu Bu slowly turned the lens, instantly bringing his field of vision closer.

In the distance, in a sheltered mountain hollow, a few wisps of barely perceptible gray smoke rose, which would have been extremely difficult to spot in this snow-shrouded wilderness without the telescope.

"Wei Xu!" Lü Bu shouted in a low voice.

"General!" Vice General Wei Xu rode closer.

"Southeast, about twenty miles away, on a leeward slope, there's smoke! There should be at least ten riders. Follow them and find the camp!"

"Take two clever lads and sneak up close to see the camp's layout and whether there are any hidden sentries! Remember, you're only allowed to look, not move! If you alert them, I'll skin you alive!"

"Yes, sir!" Wei Xu's eyes flashed, and he selected two scouts who were most skilled at stealth in the snow. The three of them slid off their horses silently like snow foxes, and their figures quickly disappeared behind the undulating snow hills.

Lu Bu lowered his telescope, a cruel smile curving his lips as he looked at Liu Bei and the other two: "Xuande, Yunchang, Yide, you've been holding back, haven't you? Calm down, tonight, you'll have plenty of heads to chop off!"

Night fell like a giant, dark velvet cloth, slowly covering the snow-covered wilderness.

The cold wind howled, swirling up the snow on the ground and emitting a mournful wail, which perfectly masked the subtle sounds.

Lu Bu's wolf cavalry, like ghosts, silently completed the encirclement of the mountain camp under the cover of wind and snow.

In the center of the camp, several bonfires burned. Weary Hu scouts, wrapped in fur robes, huddled around the fires for warmth, conversing in hushed tones. Their packhorses paced restlessly within the makeshift enclosure.

"Release!" Lu Bu's voice was as cold as iron, piercing through the wind.

There were no earth-shattering shouts, only the chilling twang of bowstrings! The composite hard bows equipped by the wolf riders unleashed terrifying penetrating power at close range! Specially crafted triangular armor-piercing arrows, with piercing whistles, precisely covered the entire camp!
puff!puff!puff!

The dull thud of a blade piercing flesh instantly replaced the crackling of the campfire! By the campfire, at the tent entrance, and even among the Hu cavalry who had just been awakened and peeked out, they all fell like wheat being cut down.

Fresh blood was splattered on the pristine snow, and the pungent smell of blood instantly filled the air.

"Kill!" Zhang Fei's long-suppressed fighting spirit erupted like a thunderclap from a clear sky! He spurred his horse, and his black warhorse, which he named Wuzhui, charged out like a black lightning bolt!
The eighteen-foot spear transformed into a streak of black light, instantly piercing through a Hu centurion who had just rushed out of his tent, his body and leather armor intact! The immense force sent his corpse flying high before slamming it heavily onto the snow!
Guan Yu followed closely behind, his long saber drawing a chilling arc in the firelight, shattering men and horses wherever it passed! His warhorse galloped through the air, unstoppable!
Liu Bei wielded two straight swords, their blades gleaming like snow. Though not as domineering as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's, they were precise and ruthless. After being instructed by Zhang Xian last time, he was now striking with sharp and decisive movements, targeting vital points. In coordination with the wolf cavalry's charge, he continuously reaped the lives of the Hu cavalry in the chaos.

Lu Bu did not charge; he reined in his horse and stood on the slope, coldly observing the one-sided massacre.

The wolf riders were like precise killing machines, charging in groups of three, splitting and encircling the enemy.

The heavy chopping sound of the saber, the dying screams of the barbarian cavalry, and the clanging of weapons clashing were mixed with the howling of the wind and snow.

The battle ended unusually quickly.

In less than a quarter of an hour, apart from the heavy breathing of the wolf riders and the snorting of the warhorses, there was no other sound of life in the camp.

The Hu cavalry, numbering only two hundred men and their packhorses, were all executed, except for a few who were deliberately spared.

The snow was trampled into a mess, soaked with dark red blood and mud.

Lu Bu rode his horse slowly into the camp, the horse's hooves crunching on the frozen blood ice.

He scanned the corpses strewn across the ground, his gaze finally settling on the few who had been deliberately left alive.

"Song Xian! Ask him!"

"promise!"

Before long, Song Xian extracted the information the wolf riders wanted from several survivors.

Lu Bu watched coldly, then suddenly chuckled and waved his hand.

"Spare their lives."

Then he rode closer and looked down at them.

"Get back! Tell your chieftain that Lu Bu, the Flying General, is here under the command of the Han general! Tell him to wash his neck and wait! Get out!"

Those barbarian soldiers, as if granted a pardon, disregarded their excruciating pain and used their remaining strength to crawl and disappear into the vast night.

Lu Bu gave him a wink, and Wei Xu immediately understood. He then led two or three scouts and followed at a distance.

"That was exhilarating! That was fucking exhilarating!" Zhang Fei shook the blood off his spear and laughed loudly.

Guan Yu stroked his beard and nodded, his phoenix eyes gleaming with a sharp light, clearly having also fought to his heart's content.

Liu Bei silently dismounted and inspected the captured leather armor, scimitars, and several bags of dried meat—all useful military supplies.

Lu Bu gazed in the direction where the barbarians had disappeared, a bloodthirsty smile spreading across his face: "This was just an appetizer. Send the order! Clean up the battlefield and replenish the arrows and jerky! The meat will be even more succulent later!"

"promise!"

The wolf riders moved swiftly, and the cold wind swept by, quickly covering up the new bloodstains and hoofprints, as if nothing had happened.
-
Half a month later, with the Anbei army's deployment and defenses completed, the heavy iron gates of Qiangyin City slowly opened amidst the creaking of winches. A chilling torrent of steel, like an ancient behemoth awakening, silently surged out of the pass.

The clanging of armor, the heavy footsteps, the labored breathing of packhorses, and the muffled thud of wheels rolling over frozen ground all combined into a thunderous roar.

Huang Zhong reined in his horse and stood beneath the large banner bearing the character "Zhang," his back straight as a pine tree.

He was clad in heavy, dark iron armor, the plates of which gleamed in the morning light. In his hand was a heavy long spear, and a precious bow was slung diagonally beside the saddle.

His gaze was calm as he stared at the vast, boundless grasslands to the north, which were not yet fully under the control of the Han army.

The lieutenant rode closer, his young face bearing a steady sharpness: "General, all units have assembled and, according to the lord's strategy, are ready to set off at any time."

Huang Zhong nodded slightly: "My lord commands! The armored army will march north to Qiangyin to search for the enemy! Crush all those who defy the grasslands! This battle is not for defense, but for annihilating the enemy's stronghold!"

"Plow the court and sweep away the enemy's lair!" More than 10,000 elite armored soldiers roared in unison, the sound shaking the snow on the city walls and causing it to fall in a flurry.

This First Army under Zhang Xian's command was now displaying its full power and its killing intent soaring to the sky!
The army set off, its iron torrent flowing north.

Heavy footsteps shattered the glacier and crushed the wasteland.

The wind and snow, like a stubborn enemy, relentlessly battered this silent army.

On the evening of the fifth day, the wind and snow suddenly intensified, and the world became a chaotic mess with visibility less than ten steps.

"Report!!" A scout braved the wind and snow to rush to the central army.

"Reporting to the General! According to intelligence from the Wolf Cavalry, there is a large wintering camp fifty miles away, with a scale of no less than five thousand tents! The outer perimeter is densely populated with scouts and is heavily guarded!"

"Five thousand tents?!" A hint of seriousness flashed in the lieutenant's eyes.

"This is no ordinary tribe; it's likely the wintering court of a large clan! Snowstorms block our path, and our army has marched a long way. Should we temporarily avoid a direct confrontation and wait for the snowstorm to subside..."

"Take a break?" Huang Zhong interrupted his deputy, his eyebrows frosty but his eyes still sharp.

"Our lord's goal is to wipe out the enemy completely! Now that the enemy has appeared, how can we avoid it? The snowstorm is difficult for us, but it will also confuse the barbarians! In this kind of snowstorm, their scouts will be more cautious, which is an opportunity!"

He waved his hand sharply, his voice resolute: "Order! All units to rest on the spot and march again once the snow subsides! Target! The Hu King's Court! In this battle, take no prisoners except women and children! Eradicate this threat to Bingzhou forever!"

An hour and a half later, the wind and snow subsided considerably.

Huang Zhonghe, the deputy general, personally inspected the various units.

The soldiers wrapped themselves tightly in their fur coats, munching on tough jerky and compressed rations, and silently polished their knives and guns.

On their faces, blue with cold, there was no fear, only tension about the long march and excitement about the impending battle.

After the rest and reorganization, the central command issued another order, and the entire steel torrent was launched again. However, this time, the supplies were far behind, and the soldiers carried only their personal rations and strong liquor. Braving the wind and snow, they resolutely advanced in the direction indicated by the scouts.

Early next morning.

The outline of a large Hu (non-Han) camp, nestled against a low hill, faintly emerged in the bleak dawn.

The densely packed yurts resembled a giant mushroom cluster. The stockade walls, constructed of rough timber and frozen earth, were sturdy enough for the grasslands, though crude. Shadows moved about on the walls, and faint flames flickered on the watchtowers.

"Stop!" Huang Zhong reined in his horse and raised his hand to signal.

The army, as solid as a rock, came to an instant halt.

He glanced back at the army that had been marching for almost a night.

He mentally assessed his own strong army, which had been training for nearly two years.

He looked towards Huzhai, where the defenses were not particularly strong due to the wind and snow.

Having made up his mind, he waved his hand: "All troops! Drink strong liquor! Prepare for the attack!"

It would seem unwise to launch a strong attack after a forced march, but Huang Zhong was considering turning his disadvantage into an advantage by relying on the vast difference in equipment between himself and the enemy and by launching a surprise attack.

A moment later, the faces, still flushed with the smell of alcohol, became rosy, but Huang Zhong knew this was an illusion and that he had to finish the battle quickly!

"Armored Army!" Huang Zhong drew his sword, pointing it directly at Hu Village, his calm voice bursting with astonishing power!

"kill!"

"kill!"

The soldiers, who were already prepared, roared with deafening fury! The Mountain Battalion's heavy infantry led the way, the Wind Battalion raised their long spears like a forest, and the Forest Battalion's swords and shields rippled outwards like a torrent.

The Fire Battalion began to fire arrows densely at the Hu village, the arrows igniting the felt cloth and making the Hu village even more chaotic in the rush.

Huang Zhong took the lead, leading his elite troops down from behind the low hill. The assault battalion charged straight into the center of the camp, their target the largest golden tent decorated with wolf head totems!
The Hu warriors who tried to block their way were instantly crushed to pieces like waves crashing against rocks, under the superior weaponry and armor of the Han army and their surprise attack formations!
Massacre! This was a premeditated massacre, carried out by a vast disparity in strength!

The Hu people, caught off guard, quickly collapsed under the Han army's superior equipment, disciplined formation, and high morale.

The firelight illuminated the cold iron armor and indifferent faces of the Han army, as well as the terrified faces of the barbarians and the splattered blood.

Huang Zhong's precious bow emitted a clear and melodious sound from time to time, and with each arrow he shot, a Hu chieftain who was trying to organize a counterattack was killed instantly.

His gaze swept across the engulfed camp ablaze, across the battlefield strewn with corpses, and finally settled on the Hu women and children who were crying and fleeing in the chaos.

"Issue the order: kill all who resist! Gather women and children and detain them! Clear the battlefield, burn down the camps, and build a mound of skulls!"

The flames engulfed the vast Hu people's royal court, also heralding the demise of a powerful tribe in the northern border of Bingzhou.

Once everything was settled, the soldiers of the armored army finally went to sleep in batches.

(End of this chapter)