Sweep Yuan

Chapter 92 Crossing the Hui River: Bloodstained Riverbanks

On the north bank of the Hui River, Shi Shan looked towards the government troops on the south bank and sighed to the generals behind him:

"The garrison of Wuhe is quite bold. They dare to patrol along the river even though they are nearly ten miles away from the city. They really want to keep us on the north bank."

“Governor, the government troops number only about a hundred. I am somewhat skilled in swimming and am willing to build rafts to cross the river, kill all the government troops, and then help the main army cross the river.”

The speaker was Han Cheng. As soon as Han Cheng joined the "Red Heart Battalion", he was appointed as the commander of the Third Infantry Battalion. There were voices of opposition in the army, and he wanted to prove himself by making meritorious contributions.

Shi Shan didn't doubt Han Cheng's determination, but still shook his head and said:
"The nearby boats have been gathered up by the government troops, so even if we manage to seize the riverbank, it will be difficult to cross the river quickly. Once the government troops along the river receive the warning, they will come to reinforce us. Attempting to cross the river on this section of the river will result in too many casualties."

"Don't worry, the vanguard already searched for a crossing point upstream yesterday. We just need to wait patiently."

That being said, it is still unknown when the vanguard will be able to cross the river, and preparations still need to be made here.

After Shishan finished speaking, he gave the following order:
"Order the entire army to rest on the spot. There's fish!"

Tan Youyu stepped forward and replied:

"The end will be here."

"Prepare prefabricated components for the pontoon bridge. Once the vanguard has captured the opposite riverbank, immediately erect the pontoon bridge."

"The last general takes orders."

After the supply battalion was formed, it conducted training such as building pontoon bridges, but it never "showed its face" in actual combat. Tan Youyu's "I accept the order" was extremely loud.

At Tan Youyu's command, the soldiers of the supply battalion directed the accompanying civilians to unload the timber they had collected in advance from the carts, transport it to the riverbank, tie it into rafts, and then connect them with ropes to form prefabricated pontoon bridge components in groups of three to five.

Once the battle camp seizes the riverbank, they can connect these prefabricated components together to form a pontoon bridge that can accommodate both people and horses.

In spring and summer, when the river flow is high, these simple pontoon bridges are completely useless and will collapse when the floodwaters rush in.

However, it was the dry season in winter, and the river was less than half the width of the river during the high-water season. In some places, it was only knee-deep. By simply driving some wooden piles into the riverbed to reinforce the bridge surface, people, horses, and supplies could pass through.

The government troops on the opposite bank quickly discovered the "Red Heart Battalion's" intentions and also acted swiftly.

As the smoke signals were lit and messengers rushed off, the government troops stationed along the south bank of the Hui River quickly converged on this section of the riverbank. In less than half an hour, more than four hundred men had gathered.

Several officers gathered together, debating whether to let the rebel army cross the river and then launch a counterattack, or to send boats to the other side before the rebel army's pontoon bridge was completed and burn the rafts that the rebel army had painstakingly tied together.

Ultimately, the second opinion prevailed.

Time passed quickly as they waited. When the "Red Heart Camp" on the north bank had finished setting up most of the rafts, Shishan ordered most of the laborers to withdraw and ordered the soldiers of the Seventh Battalion to wait on the riverbank to prevent government troops from landing and sabotaging them.

On the south bank, the defending troops also brought more than twenty small boats, loaded with sulfur, kerosene and other flammable materials, waiting for the wind direction and force to be right before rushing ashore to destroy the enemy's rafts.

Both sides guessed each other's intentions and were waiting for the right opportunity.

At three quarters past noon, the north wind subsided slightly, and the highest-ranking officer present issued the battle order.

"A reward of ten strings of cash will be given for boarding the ship and burning one of the enemy's rafts; a reward of twenty strings of cash will be given for each enemy head taken."

The promise of a great reward always attracts brave men. The previously tense garrison was suddenly energized and, after boarding the small boat, rowed desperately toward the north bank.

On the north bank, Shishan discovered that government troops had boarded the ships, so he decisively mobilized archers from various battalions to form ranks on the riverbank, while ordering laborers to drag the rafts floating on the water ashore.

Just as the battle on the water was about to break out, a cloud of dust suddenly rose from the west side of the south bank of the Hui River.

"It's a thief rider! Run!"

Almost the instant the "Red Heart Battalion" cavalry was spotted, some officers and soldiers were driven by fear to turn and run, but some officers were quick-witted and made the right response in time.

"Don't panic, come to the riverbank." "Form ranks! If you want to live, don't run away, form ranks now!"

The battle of Wudu Village further improved Li Wu's cavalry command skills.

When he found a small boat to cross the river upstream, he noticed that the mud and sand on the riverbank were soft and could easily trap horses' legs. So he made an agreement with Sun Xun, who was crossing the river later: all the government troops who formed a battle formation on the riverbank would be dealt with by the Fourth Battalion, and the cavalry would only be responsible for attacking the government troops on the shore.

The cavalry charged and arrived in no time.

A small number of government troops, driven by fear, turned and fled, only to be met with relentless pursuit and slaughter; the majority, under the command of their officers, jumped onto the relatively soft riverbed, forming dense ranks in an attempt to resist the cavalry charge.

The government troops on the boat had already crossed most of the river. Seeing that the enemy was ready for battle, they realized that it would be extremely dangerous to land and burn the rafts. Moreover, the vanguard of the enemy had already crossed the river. Even if they risked their lives to burn a few rafts, it would only slightly delay the enemy's movement. They decided to abandon the mission.

Most of the boats returned to the south bank, preparing for the unfavorable situation and to help some personnel evacuate. Three small boats rowed downstream with all their might, planning to rush back to the city to request reinforcements to help the soldiers guarding the river retreat.

The threat on the water has passed; if not now, when?

"Han Cheng!"

"The general is here!"

"I order your troops to select elite soldiers to cross the river by raft and assist the supply battalion in building a pontoon bridge!"

"Order!"

The supply battalion had reserved eight large wooden rafts that were not yet tied together, in preparation for using them to cross the river by rope and seize the beach. After Han Cheng selected the suicide squad, the laborers had already dragged the large wooden rafts to a position fifty feet upstream and tied the ropes.

At the same time, on the south bank, the 4th Infantry Battalion's formation also came into view of the government troops.

On the riverbank, the government troops who were holding out for reinforcements were suddenly caught in a situation where they were attacked from both sides.

Seeing the situation was not good, an officer quickly called for the small boats on the river to come ashore to provide assistance. However, as soon as the officer boarded the boat, the already tense officers and soldiers rushed on and nearly capsized the boat.

"The boat is capsizing! Get out of the way and wait for the next one!"

"Why should you leave first? Grandpa's not human!"

The government troops were already riddled with internal conflicts due to long-term oppression, and on the battlefield, everyone was risking their lives and under immense tension. Once the chaos of seizing boats and fleeing began, it could only end in bloodshed.

It started with insults, which escalated into verbal abuse, which then turned into a fight. In the chaos, someone drew a knife first, and it quickly spiraled out of control into mutual slaughter.

The small boat had limited space and was stuck in the mud, making it difficult to stand and fight. Soon, two people were knocked over, and the rest, seeing the situation was bad, jumped into the cold river.

On the riverbank, Li Wu was leading his cavalry to collect the heads of the fleeing soldiers, while Sun Xun commanded the soldiers of the four battalions to stand in formation with shields, draw their bows and crossbows, and exchange fire with the government troops on the riverbank who still had fighting spirit.

The government troops near the water were in complete chaos. Some were seizing boats, some were jumping into the water, some were fighting, and some were trapped in the mud and calling for help. The chaos quickly spread to the rearguard that was still struggling to hold on.

In the tense and chaotic battle, only a very few people can remain calm. Even though they know that holding the line is the only way to wait for reinforcements, the chaos among their comrades makes such a defense meaningless.

On the water, Han Cheng had already led his men to quickly approach the upstream of the south bank in a raft. Several small boats of the government troops had not yet reached the shore, but they had no intention of risking their lives to stop the enemy.

On the river embankment, Li Wu had already gathered his cavalry, leaving only thirty men to cooperate with the four battalions and prevent the government troops from climbing up the embankment and escaping. He then led the main force straight to Wuhe County.

With bandit cavalry harassing the city, even if reinforcements are sent, they won't arrive for a while.

The government troops on the riverbank finally lost the will to hold out. They abandoned their armor and turned to flee. Some joined the scramble for small boats, while others jumped into the water, trying to climb onto the boats on the river using their superior swimming skills.

Sun Xun was struck in the shoulder by a stray arrow during the battle, but fortunately, his armor protected him, and the arrow did not penetrate deeply. He gritted his teeth and endured until this moment, finally letting out a sigh of relief and immediately shouting:
"Surrender without killing!"

(End of this chapter)