pappabearbooks Chapter 63 Great Victory
Chapter 63 Great Victory
On the eighth day of the ninth lunar month, in the hills of Wanqu.
The autumn sunlight filters through the sparse trees, casting dappled shadows on the damp ground.
Zhou Yafu lay prone behind a shrub-covered slope, his body covered in dead leaves and mud. Only his eyes, sharp as an eagle's, peered intently through the gaps in the branches and leaves, fixed on the valley below.
This place is about 30 li away from Wanqu City, and it is a typical "pocket" terrain.
The valley runs east to west, about two li wide and several li long, with rolling low hills on both sides, covered with dense vegetation. At the bottom of the valley is a dirt road that is barely passable by carriages and horses. It is one of many small roads connecting Changyi and Xingyang. It is not the main official road, but it is closer and more hidden.
Three days ago, Zhou Yafu's cavalry intercepted a small group of stragglers who had slipped out of the Wu army camp and were heading to nearby villages to collect grain on the south bank of the Ji River.
Under interrogation, a terrified squad leader confessed that Liu Bi had apparently led his elite troops westward to a place with water, leaving General Liu Ju to play with the Crown Prince.
More importantly, Zhou Yafu's multiple groups of skilled scouts reported that several villages within dozens of miles of Wanqu had been frequently visited by unfamiliar caravans and refugees. News of these activities was being blocked, and strangers were being questioned. Meanwhile, the woodcutters and hunters who should have been present during this season were much less frequent.
As the various signs came together, a dangerous outline gradually became clear. Zhou Yafu was almost certain that Liu Bi, this wounded tiger, was lurking in some corner of these hills, his jaws wide open, and the prey he was waiting for was most likely Dou Ying's army, which was heading from the direction of Changyi!
"General, look over there." The most trusted scout commander lowered his voice and pointed almost imperceptibly to a seemingly ordinary clump of trees on the opposite hillside.
Zhou Yafu stared intently, and after a moment, his pupils contracted slightly. There, he saw the reflection of a bronze shield, which was instantly pulled into shadow. It was a sentry.
"More than one." Zhou Yafu silently counted in his mind. With the eyesight honed by years of military service, he had discovered at least seven cleverly disguised sentry posts on the high points and passes on both sides of this valley. This was definitely not an unconventional military deployment, but a meticulously planned ambush!
"General Dou's vanguard may pass through this area as early as tomorrow afternoon," the scout captain said worriedly. "Should we send someone to warn them immediately?"
Zhou Yafu did not answer immediately. He slowly retreated until he reached the back of the ridge, making sure he would not be discovered, before straightening up and brushing the dirt off his body. His five thousand cavalrymen were now hidden further behind in a sheltered river bend woodland, men gagged and horses unbellied, moving silently.
"Sending a warning would be too late, and the messenger might not be able to penetrate Liu Bi's outer defenses." Zhou Yafu's voice was frighteningly calm. "Liu Bi's ambush is aimed at catching his troops off guard and achieving complete victory in one battle. He will undoubtedly exert all his strength to achieve a swift victory. At this moment, his army's morale is wavering due to food shortages, making them both their most ferocious and most vulnerable."
"What does the general mean?"
"Let's turn the tables on him, help him catch this big fish, and then..." Zhou Yafu's eyes flashed with a cold light, "break the fishing rod and drag the fisherman into the water!"
He quickly issued the order: "You, take three men, set off immediately, bypass this mountainous area, head west to find General Dou's scouts or vanguard, inform them of the ambush here, and ask the General to play along, slow down, make a big show of force, appearing to be in a hurry and less vigilant, and precisely enter the ambush zone around noon tomorrow. Remember, enter, not avoid!"
The scout commander was taken aback for a moment, then realized what was happening and took the order to leave.
"Order the entire army to immediately conceal their movements. Feed them well, inspect their bows, crossbows, and swords, and ensure the horses are well-fed with beans. After nightfall, divide into three teams. One team, led by myself, will outflank the enemy's ambush area to the northeast rear; another team, led by Lieutenant Li, will outflank to the southwest rear; the third team, led by Colonel Wang, will remain in place, equipped with plenty of bows, crossbows, and fire arrows. Watch for our flags, and once a fire breaks out in the valley, launch a fierce attack from the frontal pass to create chaos, but do not penetrate too far!"
"General, our army has only five thousand cavalry, while the main force of the rebels ambushing us is probably no less than one hundred thousand. This..." Lieutenant Li hesitated.
"Precisely because the enemy outnumbers us, we cannot engage in a direct confrontation," Zhou Yafu said. "Liu Bi's target is Dou Ying's tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry. All his attention and all his elite troops will inevitably be focused on how to swallow Dou Ying whole. His ambush formation will certainly be heavy in the front and light in the rear, with weak flanks. We two knives will strike his weakest points! Remember, our goal is not to annihilate the enemy, but to disrupt them! To set fires! To create panic!"
The generals suddenly realized what was happening, and their eyes ignited with fighting spirit.
Zhou Yafu said, "If there is a southerly wind tomorrow, it will be heaven's help!"
On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, at noon, in the Wanqu Valley.
The autumn air is crisp and the sun is shining brightly.
In the valley, a large Han army was marching. The vanguard consisted of about three thousand cavalrymen, their armor gleaming, but their formation was somewhat loose. The scouts were only conducting routine reconnaissance a few miles ahead of the column.
The central army consisted of infantry and supply wagons stretching for miles, with flags flying everywhere. Among them, the commander's flag with the character "Dou" and the large flag with the Chinese character "Han" were particularly eye-catching. The army was moving at a good speed, and the soldiers seemed to be a little tired from the continuous march. Laughter and complaints could be faintly heard.
Everything about it suggested a reinforcement army that was eager to rush to the battlefield and whose vigilance had waned.
Behind a particularly densely wooded hillside on the eastern side of the valley, King Liu Bi of Wu lay prone in the grass, fully armored, his heart pounding like a drum.
He stared intently at the approaching Dou-character banner in the valley, his eyes bloodshot and filled with longing. Beside him were Ying Gao and the most elite daredevils of the Wu army.
"Your Majesty, judging from the banners and the central guard, it is undoubtedly Dou Ying!" a sharp-eyed general whispered.
"Closer... let them get closer..." Liu Bi murmured, as if he could already see Dou Ying beheaded, the Han army collapse, and him leading his troops westward straight into Chang'an.
When most of the Han army's central force entered the narrowest part of the valley, Liu Bi suddenly stood up, drew his sword, and roared with all his might, "Beat the drums! Fire the arrows! Kill them all!"
"Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The deep, rumbling sound of war drums suddenly erupted from the mountains on both sides! In an instant, countless black dots rose from the forests—tens of thousands of arrows, whistling mournfully, raining down on the Han army ranks at the bottom of the valley!
Almost simultaneously, countless rebel soldiers dressed in Wu-Chu armor emerged from the hillsides, forests, and behind rocks on both sides, shouting deafeningly, like a flood bursting its banks, sweeping down the mountain!
The Han army in the valley seemed stunned by this sudden attack. Their formation was thrown into chaos, and the soldiers panicked, with men and horses falling to the ground. A huge mess and screams erupted in the central command area.
"We've hit the target!" Liu Bi exclaimed with elation, brandishing his sword and pointing it forward. "All troops, charge! Leave no one alive! Whoever takes Dou Ying's head will be ennobled as a marquis of ten thousand households!"
The rebels' morale soared, and they charged down even more frantically. However, just as Liu Bi's excitement reached its peak, a sudden change occurred!
In the valley, the Han army, which had been in a state of panic and disarray, suddenly seemed to be controlled by an invisible hand, and the chaos quickly subsided!
The fallen vehicles were quickly pushed aside, and the scattered soldiers regrouped. What was even more chilling was that many of the Han soldiers who had fallen to the ground, wounded by arrows and screaming in agony, suddenly got up, tore off their outer robes, and revealed the fine armor underneath.
"Oh no! We've fallen into their trap!" Ying Gao's face turned ashen.
Liu Bi reacted instantly, a chill running from his feet to the top of his head. But before he could give the next instruction, something even more terrifying happened.
Almost simultaneously, sharp bugle calls and the muffled sound of horses' hooves rang out from the northeast and southwest! On the horizon, dust billowed as two fierce Han cavalry units, like two red-hot iron cones, plunged with astonishing speed into the rear of the rebel ambush formation!
It's Zhou Yafu!
The Han cavalry, heading northeast, each carried a lit torch. During their charge, they hurled the torches at the dry bushes and grass along the way, as well as at the hastily erected rear camps and supply depots of the rebels! It was autumn, and the air was dry. With the help of the kerosene and saltpeter that Zhou Yafu had prepared beforehand, the fire spread rapidly with the help of the wind, billowing thick smoke that shot straight into the sky!
The Han cavalry in the southwest specifically targeted areas where the rebels' banners were clearly visible and their generals were gathered.
Zhou Yafu took the lead, his long spear like a dragon. Wherever he went, rebel soldiers fell and horses collapsed. He did not engage in close combat with the enemy, but instead desperately cut through, slash, and create greater chaos.
"Han reinforcements! We're surrounded!"
"There's a fire behind us! Our supplies! Our supplies!"
"Run!"
The ambush turned into a counter-ambush; the hunters instantly became the hunted. The rebels, already demoralized due to food shortages, were now caught in this dramatic turn of events. Blinded by the fire and smoke, and hearing the shouts of battle coming from all directions, they couldn't discern the size of the Han army. Their morale collapsed instantly. Someone shouted "Defeat!" and the entire rebel army, like an avalanche, began to crumble irrevocably from their flanks and rear.
"Hold on! Hold on for me!" Liu Bi's eyes were bloodshot as he swung his sword, cutting down two fleeing soldiers, but the retreating tide was unstoppable. He was held back by his personal guards and forced to retreat.
In the valley, Dou Ying's command flag flew high once more. The veteran general, his beard and hair bristling, pointed his long sword forward: "The rebels are in disarray! Counterattack! Kill!"
The Han army's infantry and cavalry, having rested and recuperated for a long time, roared and charged out of their solid circular formation, rushing towards the chaotic and fleeing rebel army. With Dou Ying's main force counterattacking from the front and Zhou Yafu's cavalry rampaging and setting fires from the flanks and rear, the rebel army was completely trapped in a desperate situation.
The Battle of Wanqi turned into a one-sided massacre. Liu Bi's meticulously laid trap ultimately buried his own most elite troops.
As the sun set, the battle was essentially over.
In the narrow valley, corpses lay strewn everywhere, blood flowed like rivers, and captured weapons, flags, and supplies were piled up like mountains. The routed rebels fled across the mountains and fields, and the Han army was pursuing and capturing them in batches.
Under the protection of his personal guards, Zhou Yafu found Dou Ying, who was cleaning up the battlefield. His armor was covered in blood and dust, but he was in high spirits. He clasped his hands in a salute to Dou Ying and said, "This humble general Zhou Yafu greets the Great General. I have not failed in my mission."
Dou Ying strode forward, grabbed Zhou Yafu's arm, and looked him up and down, his eyes full of admiration: "Excellent! Excellent, Zhou Yafu! Decisive in the moment, bold yet meticulous, defeating the many with the few, turning the tide of battle! You deserve the greatest credit for this battle! I will certainly report the truth to His Majesty and the Crown Prince!"
"The General's strategy was brilliant, turning the tables on us. I merely happened to be there," Zhou Yafu said humbly.
"No need for such modesty." Dou Ying looked at the composed general before him, inwardly marveling that this young man's future achievements might not be inferior to his father, Marquis Jiang. "And that old scoundrel Liu Bi? Has he been captured?"
Zhou Yafu shook his head: "He escaped in the chaos of battle. However, his main force has been routed, and his trusted followers have been almost entirely killed or wounded. He is now a defeated fugitive and no longer a threat. The most urgent task is to join forces with His Highness the Crown Prince to clear out the enemy surrounding Xingyang, and then pursue the victory to strike directly at Guangling!"
"Just what I wanted!" Dou Ying nodded emphatically.
On September 15, the good news reached Xingyang and was immediately sent to Chang'an by express courier.
"A great victory at Wanqu! The allied forces of Dou Ying and Zhou Yafu defeated the main force of Wu and Chu at Wanqu, killing tens of thousands and capturing countless prisoners. Liu Bi barely escaped with his life and fled eastward in panic! The siege of Xingyang is now lifted!"
When the news arrived, the entire city of Xingyang rejoiced. In his commander's residence, Crown Prince Liu Qi held the victory report, his hand trembling slightly. After a long while, he finally let out a long sigh and said to Zhang Keran, who also wore a joyful expression, "Keran, we won."
"Your Highness is blessed, the soldiers fought bravely, and Generals Zhou and Dou are unparalleled in loyalty and courage," Zhang Keran said sincerely. He knew that this victory not only shattered the rebels' military plot but also completely extinguished the wishful thinking of those who advocated compromise in the Chang'an court. Chao Cuo was safe, and no one could stop the policy of weakening the power of the princes.
"Issue the order to reward the three armies! Lord Han, reorganize the troops, agree on a date with General Dou, and together we will advance eastward to pursue the fleeing enemy!"
"promise!"