Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 218 Spring Thunder is Coming
North of Xihe County, on the grasslands, seven thousand guerrilla troops dispersed like mercury spilling onto the ground.

They lacked the ferocity of Lu Bu's wolf cavalry and the overwhelming force of the armored infantry.

Like a group of the most astute hunters, or like an all-pervasive cold wind, they divided into dozens of elite squads of about a hundred men each, relying on their superior mobility compared to the Hu cavalry, to weave an invisible net across the vast snowfield.

Zhao Yun, clad in silver armor and a white robe, stood on a high slope with a wide view.

He also held a telescope in his hand, his gaze behind the lens clear and sharp, scanning the frozen valley below.

"General, the third squad reports that a troop of Hu cavalry, about three hundred riders, has been spotted forty li to the northeast. They are driving several hundred Han slaves and are migrating northwest along the river valley! Judging from their direction, they are probably heading to join a large tribe."

Zhao Yong, who was promoted to deputy general for being the first to capture the flag during the siege of Lishi, rode up on horseback, speaking rapidly.

Zhao Yun put down his telescope, and a layer of frost covered his handsome face.

He suddenly spurred the horse, and the white warhorse charged down the hillside like a white lightning bolt.

"Order! Squads 1, 3, 5, and 7 in the vicinity, immediately move towards the target valley! Squads 4 and 6, flank them and block their northwest retreat! The remaining squads, continue to clear out the scattered cavalry along the original route!"

"Understood!" Zhao Yong's spirits lifted, and several messengers immediately sped off in different directions like arrows released from a bow.

In the frozen river valley, a cavalry force of several hundred men was advancing rapidly.

They shouted and brandished whips, driving away a group of ragged Han Chinese who were shivering in the cold wind.

These hidden households nestled among the mountains and valleys are inhabited by men, women, and children of all ages. They are emaciated, with numb and desperate eyes. Their tattered straw sandals are soaked through with ice and snow, and every step they take leaves bloody footprints.

Several barbarian cavalrymen would occasionally charge into the crowd, arbitrarily lassoing a woman or child and dragging them onto their horses amidst cries and screams, eliciting lewd laughter from their companions.

The leading centurion of the Hu people, riding a tall horse, was smugly counting the goods and calculating how much salt, iron, and cloth he could exchange for.

suddenly!

On the high slopes on both sides of the valley, dozens of knights appeared without warning! They were dressed in white robes that would provide cover in the snow, and silently drew their bows and nocked arrows!

"Enemy attack!" The Hu centurion was terrified, and his shrill warning had barely left his lips!
hum!
A dense, suffocating rain of arrows descended upon them! The composite bows equipped by the nomadic army had a long range and strong penetration; the arrows seemed to have eyes, accurately piercing the throats, eye sockets, and hearts of the barbarian cavalry! In an instant, more than twenty barbarian cavalrymen screamed and fell from their horses!

"Form ranks! Form ranks! Protect the cargo!" The centurion was both alarmed and furious, and tried to organize a resistance.

However, the attackers gave them no chance at all!
The first volley of arrows had barely stopped when a second, even more cunning volley came from the flanks and blind spots!

At the same time, dozens of white-robed knights swept down the high slope like an avalanche! They did not charge directly into the chaotic Hu cavalry formation, but instead used their superb horsemanship to move at high speed around the Hu cavalry like butterflies flitting among flowers, their horse bows never stopping, accurately shooting at any Hu leaders who tried to organize a counterattack.

This is precisely the tactic that the Wandering Army excels at: using precise, dense, and continuous long-range strikes to demoralize the enemy, cut through their formation, and finally launch a fatal blow with lightning speed!
The Hu cavalry were completely bewildered by this elusive and unerring fighting style.

No, are you the steppe people, or are we? You're using all our tactics! And it seems you're using them even better.
The Hu cavalry on the outer perimeter were constantly being shot off their horses, their formation became increasingly chaotic, and fear spread like a plague.

"Run!"

It's unclear who started it, but the surviving Hu cavalry completely collapsed. They no longer cared about driving away the slaves and turned their horses around, fleeing for their lives in what they considered a safe northwest direction!
"Want to run?"

On the high slope, a cold smile appeared on Zhao Yun's lips.

He had already seen the wisps of dust rising from the northwest; that was the signal from the fourth and sixth teams that had circled around!

Sure enough, the fleeing Hu cavalry hadn't gone far when they were met with a dense rain of arrows! The two guerrilla squads that had been lying in ambush acted like two iron gates, blocking their path!
There were blockades ahead, pursuers behind, and cold arrows like maggots clinging to bones on the flanks!
The remaining Hu cavalry were utterly desperate, running around the valley like headless flies, until they were eventually divided and surrounded, and shot or captured one by one.

The battle ended cleanly.

Of the hundreds of Hu cavalrymen, only a few managed to escape by sneaking into the mountains and forests amidst the chaos; the rest were all executed.

When the Youyi Army soldiers removed their gray cloaks, revealing their Han army armor, the captured Han civilians finally awoke from their daze.

After a brief silence, there came deafening cries and the excitement of surviving a catastrophe.

"It's the Han army! It's the imperial army!"

"."

The people knelt on the cold snow, kowtowing repeatedly in the direction of You Yijun, their cries heart-wrenching.

Zhao Yun had already dismounted and quickly walked to the front of the crowd, personally helping up an elderly man with white hair.

Seeing the people's tattered clothes, frostbitten limbs, and eyes that had regained hope after being numb, his anger rose and his killing intent towards the barbarians intensified, but his tone remained extremely gentle.

"Old man, please rise! My fellow villagers have suffered greatly! I am Zhao Yun, a chess captain under the command of the former general of the Han Dynasty! I have come here on General Zhang's orders to sweep away the barbarians and rescue the people! You are safe now!"

He turned around, his voice clear and resonant, echoing throughout the valley.

"Zhao Yong! Immediately dispatch a team to escort the villagers to the nearest Anbei military fortress! Order the garrison inside the fortress to make sure they are properly cared for, provided with hot food, clothing, and medicine! Treat the wounded immediately!"

"Yes, sir!" Zhao Yong responded loudly and immediately arranged for manpower.

Watching the Youyi Army soldiers carefully help the weak civilians up, take off their spare fur coats to wrap the children, and give the captured Hu horses to the elderly and women to ride, and organize the evacuation in an orderly manner, Zhao Yun's clenched fists loosened slightly.

He mounted his horse and turned his gaze once more to the depths of the grassland, where there were still many compatriots waiting to be rescued and enemies waiting to be killed.

"Order all teams! Continue the mopping-up operation! Kill any barbarian cavalry that abduct Han Chinese civilians without mercy! Properly resettle any rescued civilians without fail!"

"promise!"

It’s half a month again.

The scouts of the Hu people appeared more and more frequently, and the three armies of Bingzhou each made victories and achieved numerous feats.

After forty-seven days, the wolf cavalry, fighting, releasing, and tracking, finally located the gathering place of the various Hu tribes. It was six hundred li north of Shicheng, in Meiji County, Wuyuan Prefecture!

Having located the position, Lü Bu immediately dispatched wolf cavalry to report back to Jinyang.

Ten days later, Youyi Army advanced towards Wuyuan.

Two days after Youyi Army advanced, Jiaqi Army turned westward.

Lu Bu's wolf cavalry retreated more than a hundred miles and occupied several high points and passes. Although Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were slightly tired, their eyes were sharp and their fighting spirit had not diminished.

The first to arrive were Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao's guerrilla army. Like a flock of birds returning to the forest, they silently converged from all directions. The ranks were filled with many captured horses and pack animals, as well as some Han Chinese who had been rescued and temporarily settled with the army.

Despite days of continuous mopping-up operations, the troops remained disciplined and their morale was high.

After Youyi Army arrived at Jiutian, Huang Zhong's main force of the Jiazi Army also rushed to the battlefield.

The heavy footsteps shattered the silence, and a torrent of steel, carrying a chilling aura, converged upon them.

The soldiers' faces bore the weariness of a long march and continuous combat, but even more so, they exuded fierceness.

Three armies, each with a distinct style yet equally formidable, converged in Wuyuan like three surging torrents of iron.

The central command tent was quickly erected.

Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, Lü Bu, Zhang Liao, Liu Bei and other core generals gathered in the tent.

A huge sheepskin map was laid out in the center, densely marked with the routes the various tribes had taken in recent days, the number of Hu cavalry killed, the locations of destroyed camps, and the Han people rescued.

"General Fengxian, have the scouts been dispatched?" Huang Zhong asked Lü Bu.

Lu Bu crossed his arms and treated Huang Zhong with great respect, even though Huang Zhong had been beaten up by him before.

"Within a radius of a hundred miles, three hundred eyes have been deployed! Not even a fly can escape!"

He pointed to several key passes on the map: "If the Hu dogs are still gathering, they will not escape my notice!"

Zhao Yun stepped forward and pointed to several areas highlighted on the map.

"Based on the confessions of the rescued civilians and the scattered confessions of the prisoners, combined with the intelligence of the wolf riders, to the north of this place, across a Gobi Desert, should be the wintering ground of several large tribes, and also the main source of this southward raid. Their fighting force is probably no less than 30,000 cavalry, and they have the advantage of terrain."

He paused, then added, "We have been fighting for days and have achieved brilliant results, but our soldiers are exhausted and we have consumed a lot of arrows. In particular, some important weapons have also suffered considerable wear and tear from continuous use. I think we should consolidate our camp here, take a short rest, replenish our supplies, and at the same time lure the main force of the barbarians to attack us, so that we can wait for them to tire themselves out."

Huang Zhong pondered for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly. After continuous fighting, the troops definitely needed a breather. He was about to speak.

Just then, hurried footsteps were heard outside the tent.

"Report! Urgent dispatch! Military report from Jinyang!"

A travel-worn messenger with a red feather tucked into his back rushed into the tent, knelt on one knee, and presented a sealed letter sealed with wax with both hands.

The atmosphere inside the tent suddenly froze, and everyone's eyes were instantly focused on the letter.

Huang Zhong took the secret letter, checked the sealing wax and found it to be correct, and quickly opened it.

His gaze swept quickly across the letter, and a hint of surprise flashed across his usually calm face, which then turned into excitement!
He suddenly looked up, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over the generals in the tent, his voice slightly deep with suppressed excitement.

"It's a personal note from our lord! He has led 800 soldiers from Jinyang and 5,000 laborers to escort the supplies and is heading north at breakneck speed! He will arrive here within twenty days!"

"Order us to set up camp and wait!"

The tent was instantly filled with such a silence that you could hear a pin drop, followed by a burst of suppressed gasps and intense fighting spirit!
Lu Bu's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he licked his slightly chapped lips: "Ha! The general is going to personally deal with these chickens and dogs? Good! Excellent! Finally, I have the chance to fight alongside the general!"

Zhao Yun's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he instantly understood the meaning of the secret message.

"Does my lord intend to consolidate our camp here, replenish our supplies, and at the same time closely monitor the movements of the barbarians? Once my lord arrives, it will be time for our three armies to join forces and strike at the heart of the enemy!"

"Exactly!" Huang Zhong nodded emphatically, his finger pressing heavily on the location of the Hu people's camp on the map.

"Order all units! Rely on the terrain, deep trenches, and high walls to fortify the camps! The craftsmen accompanying the army shall do their utmost to repair equipment and replenish arrows! The guerrilla cavalry shall disperse to expand the vigilance range! The wolf cavalry shall advance and keep a close watch on Hu Ting! The armored troops shall take turns to rest and recuperate!"

He looked around at the crowd: "Twenty days! Just twenty days! Wherever our lord's banners point, that will be the time for us to sweep away his enemies and bring ten years of peace to Bingzhou!"

"promise!"

The generals responded with a thunderous roar, their voices echoing across the tent! A fierce battle blazed in the eyes of every single one of them.

Lu Bu laughed wildly as he gripped his halberd tightly. Zhao Yun wiped the shaft of his gleaming silver spear. Zhang Liao straightened his back. Even the usually composed Liu Bei had a glint of burning desire in his eyes.

The orders from the central command tent spread swiftly throughout the entire military camp like invisible ripples.

The exhausted soldiers, upon learning that their lord was about to arrive and that a great battle was imminent, showed no fear but instead burst forth with astonishing enthusiasm and strength.

The shouts of soldiers reinforcing the camp, the clanging of weapons being sharpened, and the excited neighing of warhorses never ceased, day and night.

The bitter cold of winter seems to be quietly receding amidst this convergence of iron and blood.

Deep in the Gobi Desert, the Han army camp resembled a ferocious beast sharpening its claws, poised to pounce.

In the distance, a muffled rumble of thunder could be heard rolling across the sky.

Spring thunder is coming!
(End of this chapter)