Chapter 368
Chapter 351
"Kill! Save General Yang Wu!" An army rushed towards the Wolf Cavalry and the Xiliang Cavalry. This sudden attack caused the Wolf Cavalry to become startled. On the other hand the Xiliang Cavalry regained their will to live and broke out with unprecedented strength.
"Reinforcements! The Left General has brought reinforcements!" Hu Che Er shouted loudly. Hu Che Er originally wore the armor of a general and should have been fighting the Wolf Cavalry but he knew that he was in a terrible condition thanks to Wei Yan and avoided a direct confrontation. The Wolf Cavalry also chose to fight against the stronger soldiers which was why a crippled like him was overlooked. This allowed Hu Che Er to survive.
They had seen the battle between Zhang Xiu and Lu Bu. Zhang Xiu's defeat had caused the Xiliang Cavalry to collapse. Hu Che Er also believed that he would have died there because he was a Qiang and also a crippled.
However, the situation has changed. Reinforcements have arrived. This made Hu Che Er's will to live spark again. He was a heroic general serving as the Deputy General of the Xiliang Cavalry under Zhang Xiu. He may have been demoted after losing seven thousand troops but he still had his prestige. He issued a call for action, causing the Xiliang Cavalry to fight back for survival. Their strength had increased by three times. The Wolf Cavalry was unable to react in time, allowing the Xiliang Cavalry to rush out of a gap.
"Stop them! Stop them! Wipe them out!" The Wolf Cavalry generals and their soldiers struggled hard but the battlefield was already too chaotic for them to chase the enemy.
"Kill!" With Hu Che Er as a gathering point, the number of Xiliang Cavalry soldiers around him grew as time pa.s.sed. About a thousand resentful troops followed him while the rest became difficult to help. A cavalry is more powerful when they grouped up. This was the only way they could show their strength.
"White Eared Soldiers! Kill!" The army carrying the name Liu had been so brave because they were the White Eared Soldiers. Their quality was on par with the Wolf Cavalry. With their presence, Liu Bei could continue to rise up again. The reason why Liu Bei brought the common people with him when running from city to city is because he wanted them to stop his enemy from chasing them while preserving the strength of his White Eared Soldiers.
Even amongst the White Eared Soldiers there are a few groups. There were also those that haven't encountered a real battle before and then there were the veterans that knew that if they could not kill the enemy, they would be the ones dead. After killing plenty, they would finally become true elites. These true elites were all skilled warriors.
If the Wolf Cavalry was the King of Cavalries, the White Eared Soldiers would be the King of Infantries. The battle turned chaotic once the White Eared Soldiers joined the battle. The surrounded Xiliang Cavalry were now able to fight back again. The Wolf Cavalry used to be more powerful but after being ambushed, they now had less than two thousand five hundred men. That was half the number of the White Eared Soldiers. On top of that, they had already been fighting against the Xiliang Cavalry and had lost their momentum. This caused to them to be caught unprepared.
"Where is the Formation Breaker?" The Wolf Cavalry had suffered losses from the Xiliang Cavalry. Now, Lu Bu had encountered misfortune just as he was about to wipe out the Xiliang Cavalry. This made Lu Bu angry. Also, the Wolf Cavalry would not be able to hold out for long if they continue to be attacked from two sides.
"Gao Shun is here!" Gao Shun appeared from behind. Lu Bu had brought three thousand Wolf Cavalry to fight against three thousand of the Xiliang Cavalry. The remaining Xiliang Cavalry that belonged to Zhang Xiu were held back and then slowly wiped out by the Formation Breaker and the Taishan army. The Taishan Army was still clearing up the mess behind them but Gao Shun went over to Lu Bu's side as he was worried. As they had worked together for a very long time, Lu Bu understood the operation methods of the Formation Breaker. Likewise, Gao Shun knew not to interrupt Lu Bu's battle against Zhang Xiu. Now that Lu Bu called out for him, he quickly appeared.
"Formation Breaker! We fight to the death!" The Formation Breaker had ambushed seven thousand Xiliang Cavalry with five thousand men but only lost two hundred men. They did not suffer much losses and immediately joined the battle.
The Formation Breaker were also amongst the top of heavy infantries. They have also gone through more battles than the White Eared Soldiers. The things they have experienced was so much more compared to the White Eared Soldiers. Although not all of the five thousand soldiers in the Formation Breaker went through those experiences, they were trained by Gao Shun.
The two heavy infantries fought each other. This was not the first time they clashed against each other. The first time happened at Xuzhou but the ones that fought was only a small part of the White Eared Soldiers. At that time, Liu Bei's main army had gone to fight against Yuan Shu. Although Liu Bei wanted to take revenge when he attacked Xuzhou, he did not want to become Cao Cao's bullet and did not dispatch his troops. Cao Cao also did not mind as Liu Bei was his ally and had given him a good fighting situation.
It was finally time for the inevitable battle between the two heavy infantries. Both sides fought at their very best, knowing that death would await them the moment they drop their guards.
Gao Shun and Chen Dao commanded their men to fight. In comparison, Gao Shun was less pa.s.sionate than Chen Dao but he was also calmer. His calmness allowed the army to move like a rabbit. They would be motionless but the moment they moved, the enemy would be dead.
"Kill!" The battle between the two heavy infantries was fiercer compared to the other battles. This is because both sides wore heavy armor, protecting them from the blades. In the end, the soldiers could only die if their head gets cut off or their chest caves in.
"Slave of Three Surnames! Let General Yangwu go! Come and fight your grandfather Zhang for three hundred rounds!" The White Eared
"Renegade Zhang Fei! Your grandfather Zang Ba is here!" Just as Zhang Fei rushed towards Lu Bu, Zang Ba also arrived. Zang Ba had five thousand men. Three thousand joined the battle while two thousand were made to guard their provisions.
However, Zang Ba's troops was unable to stop the Qingzhou Army as he had been intercepted before this. A soldier carrying a sword charged towards the Taishan Army.
"Move aside!" Zang Ba step forward to eliminate this person. The man that stopped them was not someone that Zang Ba recognized. He could recognize Liu Bei's generals and knew that Liu Bei had four powerful generals. The first one was Guan Yu who became famous after slaying Hua Xiong at Hu Lao Gate. The second one was Zhang Fei. Zhang Fei was uncouth but he was as powerful as Guan Yu. It would be difficult for Lu Bu to deal with Zhang Fei. The third was Chen Dao, the general of the White Eared Soldiers. He could also be considered as the leader of Liu Bei's bodyguards as Liu Bei would not put the White Eared Soldiers far from him. He was to Liu Bei what Zhang Liao was to Lu Bu. Although Chen Dao was not famous, he was also not any worse compared to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. The last one was Zhao Yun who had helped Liu Bei at Xuzhou but Zhao Yun now served the same side Lord as him.
Thinking that this man was none of the four generals, Zang Ba decided to quickly finish him off but he ended up surprised because the man was very skilled.
"Who are you?" Zang Ba asked in interest.
"The Left General's subordinate, General of the Yuzhou Army, Liao Hua Liao Yuanjian!" The general replied. Liao Hua's Army had also suffered heavy losses in Yangzhou and only had five thousand men commited to battle. The entire battlefield turned chaotic. Liu Bei brought all of his troops over to show his benevolence.
"Circle Eye Thief! I will let you go this time and deal with you in the future!" The Xiliang Cavalry now had the advantage as the Wolf Cavalry had to fight against the Xiliang Cavalry the White Eared Soldiers and also Zhang Fei's men. Even if Lu Bu was powerful, he could not deal with all of these enemies and also Zhang Fei himself so, he chose to retreat.
"Hm?" The only one confused was Zhang Xiu. He had experienced a crus.h.i.+ng defeat and even confirmed the truth about his skills. While in despair, reinforcements arrived from Liu Bei, a man he was cautious of. This is because Liu Bei was being too kind to Zhang Xiu to the extent that Zhang Xiu became afraid. Initially it could be about getting Zhang Xiu to deal with Lu Bu but that would not justify the good treatment he received after that. He received provisions and did not even need to fight. If Hu Che Er had not gotten ambushed along with the ambush he just walked in, he would not have lost a single man. Although Liu Pi had attacked the Xiliang Cavalry, Liu Bei had shown his sincerity by giving gold, horses and even Liu Pi's head. Such an ally would definitely be conspiring something.
Zhang Xiu believed that Liu Bei would not come to save him. The man he dispatched was just for psychological comfort. He never expected Liu Bei to come with his entire army. Another confusing thing for Zhang Xiu was that Lu Bu refused to kill him. Even if Zhang Fei and the rest of the Liu Bei's Army was charging over, all Lu Bu needed to do was swing down his weapon. After all, Zhang Xiu was no longer able to resist.
Instead, Lu Bu waited for Zhang Fei to approach. This was simply Lu Bu giving him a chance to live. Either way, Zhang Xiu did not want to die. He had just made a breakthrough. With some time, he would be able to improve. This prompted Zhang Xiu to take a spear from one of Zhang Fei's men. Although he could not win against Lu Bu, he would still be able to defend himself.
Zhang Xiu took a deep breath and advanced towards Zhang Fei.
Chapter 352
"Hm?" Zhang Fei never expected Lu Bu to withdraw so easily but immediately a.s.sumed that Lu Bu was afraid of him.
"Men. Send Zhang Xiu to my brother!" Zhang Fei's mission was to save Zhang Xiu. Zhang Fei let most of his Qingzhou Army protect Zhang Xiu to ensure the man's safety. In case they encountered an emergency, Pang Tong and Liu Bei were at the camp set up several miles away waiting for Zhang Fei and Chen Dao.
"Third General. What about you?" The deputy general asked. Their mission was to save Zhang Xiu. Everything else was not important.
"I am already here, how could I return empty handed? I must definitely kill some people!" Zhang Fei replied directly.
"But, Third General. Milord ordered us to immediately withdraw after saving General Yang Wu!" The deputy general tried to dissuade Zhang Fei.
"Annoying. Do you think I would not understand my brother's words? I am going to greet Shuzhi and will withdraw together with him later!" Zhang Fei replied. He also knew how to tell lies and claimed that he would go and help Chen Dao without even batting an eye.
"But…"
"Scram!" Zhang Fei was too lazy to deal with his deputy general.
The deputy general sighed helplessly and could only escort Zhang Xiu to Liu Bei safely. Other matters could be discussed later.
"Lord Xuande. I cannot thank you enough for rescuing me and I will repay this debt in the future." Zhang Xiu greeted. Without Liu Bei's a.s.sistance, he would already be dead. This was why he felt grat.i.tude towards Liu Bei.
"There is no need for words, my little brother. You are still injured, it is best to quickly go and take a rest. We shall talk once my whole army arrives here!" Liu Bei first mentioned about Zhang Xiu's injury while being extremely polite. He did not even give such treatment to his own parents.
"Thank you Lord Xuande." Zhang Xiu was still bleeding and needed to bandage his body. He did not know why Liu Bei who was supposed to attack the city was here but it was not time to think about that. It was the time to rest and recover from his wounds.
"Haha." Liu Bei laughed as he looked at Zhang Xiu's retreating figure. His cautious decision was good as Zhang Xiu still had his uses. Although Zhang Xiu's current army was in a mess, he still has his soldiers at Nanyang. This was what Liu Bei wanted. Once Zhang Xiu surrenders to him, all of those would be his. Rescuing Zhang Xiu would make Zhang Xiu feel grat.i.tude. Obtaining Zhang Xiu's army would allow Liu Bei to once again fight for the Central Plains.
"Milord?" Pang Tong interrupted Liu Bei's daydream. "Milord. Isn't something too strange?"
"Strange?" Liu Bei was stunned. He did not understand Pang Tong's words. "Milord. Don't you think that the rescue effort has gone too smoothly?"
"Smooth? Isn't that a good thing?" Liu Bei was confused. Wasn't this better than having the whole army potentially defeated?
"I feel uneasy because it has gone too smoothly!" Pang Tong was not being paranoid. The Qingzhou Army had experienced too little losses for rescuing Zhang Xiu.
"s.h.i.+yuan. There is no need to be worried. We can ask Third Brother's deputy general." Liu Bei then called in Zhang Fei's deputy general and asked the man for an explanation. Pang Tong frowned when he heard the explanation. The rescue had truly gone too smoothly.
"What? Third Brother had brought his bodyguards with him to fight?" Liu Bei was dissatisfied. They came to rescue Zhang Xiu, not to fight Lu Bu. Liu Bei did not want to experience losses just to save Zhang Xiu. He had thought that Zhang Fei was leading the rear only to find out that Zhang Fei had advanced towards the enemy. Help Chen Dao? Why would the White Eared Soldiers need his help?
"Not good!" Pang Tong suddenly screamed. "Milord. Lu Bu purposefully let Zhang Xiu go!"
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Pang Tong and Zhang Xiu had guessed correctly. Lu Bu had purposefully let Zhang Xiu escape. The entire ambush was meant to take revenge for his Wolf Cavalry. Naturally, Lu BU also wished to kill Zhang Xiu but he was stopped by Chen Gong.
Zhang Xiu could be dealt with easily but Zhang Xiu also has a poisonous helper Jia Xu with him. Jia Xu was a self preserving character. As long as n.o.body else harms his interests, Jia Xu would not help Zhang Xiu to plot against them. Even when Zhang Xiu had troops, he was incompetent and did not know how to administer them. To deal with Zhang Xiu, they simply needed to cut off his supplies. Zhang Xiu's Nanyang was not meant for growing crops and Zhang Xiu could not do business. He was only a guard dog for Liu Biao. As Zhang Xiu had a huge army, running out of provisions would be a huge problem.
Initially, Zhang Xiu should be fine with Liu Biao as his boss but Zhang Xiu decided to defect to Cao Cao's side at one point in time. Liu Biao was enraged and decreased Zhang Xiu's pay. Zhang Xiu could not go to Cao Cao at the end due to a falling out. Now, Zhang Xiu and Cao Cao were enemies and as long as their interests do not align, Zhang Xiu would not be able to receive help from Cao Cao. The remaining two neighbours he could pledge allegiance to were Liu Bei and Zhang Lu. Unfortunately, Zhang Lu was too far away.
The real problem was Liu Bei. This person was even able to make Chen Gong feel afraid. Although Chen Gong had only been watching from Lujiang, he already saw this coming. Lu Bu would not be able to hide his appearance at Yangzhou from Liu Bei so Chen Gong had Lu Bu bring the Wolf Cavalry to Yangzhou brazenly while having the Formation Breaker and Taishan Army march at night to conceal their movements. Chen Gong also knew that the only one that could intercept the Wolf Cavalry was the Xiliang Cavalry as Liu Bei only had infantries.
Chen Gong planned for the Xiliang Cavalry to be ambushed but he said that Zhang Xiu had to be spared. This is because Zhang Xiu's two children and little brother would definitely be tricked by Liu Bei while Liu Bei annex Zhang Xiu's Army for vengeance.
Zhang Xiu brought twenty thousand of the Xiliang Cavalry out for this expedition but he still has ten thousand heavy cavalries and twenty thousand troops back at his city. It was a huge force that was useless in Zhang Xiu's hands but it would be terrifying if they were under Liu Bei and Pang Tong's command. If they manage to obtain these soldiers, peace would not come to Yangzhou.
In other words, Zhang Xiu's men could not be given to Liu Bei. Zhang Xiu must not die until Liu Bei is defeated. At first, Lu Bu did not expect Liu Bei to come and rescue Zhang Xiu. He was trying to find out how to let Zhang Xiu escape. However, since Liu Bei appeared, Lu Bu quickly stepped back.
Lu Bu sneered as he looked at the battlefield. Zhang Xiu had to live and the remaining Xiliang Cavalry could also be spared. However, the same could not be said to the White Eared Soldiers that were a big threat to the Lu Bu's Army.
Their continued existence allowed Liu Bei to keep coming back from defeat. As long as they were around, Liu Bei was a force to be reckoned with regardless where he went. The White Eared Soldiers had to go. Lu Bu letting go of Zhang Xiu also meant freeing up more of his own soldiers to deal with the White Eared Soldiers.