novelSusiti Chapter 38 A Tremendous Achievement
Chapter 38 A Tremendous Achievement
With Liu Bei's command, horns blared and war drums thundered along the banks of the Zhang River.
More than two thousand elite infantry and cavalry raised their flags at the same time and formed ranks in an instant. From the Yellow Turbans' perspective, they saw the Han army's black armor shining in the sun and their red flags against the crimson sky.
Zhang Fei took the lead and was finally able to lead his three hundred elite Wuhuan cavalrymen in a charge!
Therefore, he mounted his horse and held his spear, leading the charge with fierce and heroic spirit, charging straight into the chaotic Yellow Turban army. Even against an enemy force of 100,000, he was invincible.
Following closely behind, Guan Yu led the Jing Sai Iron Cavalry and Zhao Yun led the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry, launching a simultaneous charge.
This was the elite of the Han army, all heavily armored, carrying bows and spears, their momentum like a collapsing mountain, their arrival like a falling sky, directly charging into the Yellow Turban rebel army.
The Yellow Turbans, who were crossing the river, were caught off guard and everyone was terrified.
They had been fleeing day and night for the past few days, and were exhausted and their formation was no longer intact.
At this moment, being attacked while the enemy was crossing the river, their souls were scattered and their spirits were shattered.
Countless bandits had no will to fight to the death and collapsed at the mere sight of the enemy. The Han cavalry marched for miles without encountering any resistance.
The bandits trampled each other, their cries of agony echoing across the fields. They plunged into the water, and thousands drowned!
Zhang Liang was walking along the carriage when he suddenly saw red flags obscuring the sun and iron cavalry like a tide in front of him. He was shocked and enraged.
He never expected that the Han army would dare to penetrate so deeply into this area!
This is the heart of Julu, over a hundred li from Quliang. While the main Han army is still besieging Quliang, how dare the enemy detour a hundred li and ambush them on their retreat route?
After the initial shock, Zhang Liang was enraged. If he couldn't defeat the five Northern Army Schools, which were the main force of the Han army, how could he be defeated by a mere detachment of the Han army?
He immediately roared, "Yellow Turban Warriors, go and repel the enemy!"
With a roar from Zhang Liang, over a thousand Yellow Turban warriors quickly gathered around him and subtly formed a hook formation.
The so-called hook formation is the most classic defensive method mentioned in the "Tiger Formation" of the Six Secret Teachings. Unlike the square formation, its shape is like a hook with its two wings spread out, which can resist the fierce attacks of enemy troops from all directions.
This is the best time to defend against a surprise attack by the Han army.
The fact that these warriors could quickly form a battle formation shows that they were no rabble.
In fact, these strongmen were all brave and fierce warriors carefully selected by Zhang Liang from his more than 100,000 followers. Li Damu, the Yellow Turban leader of Youzhou, also had strongmen, but they were just butchers in the marketplace, relying on their strength and ferocity.
Zhang Liang's warriors were quite different. Most of them were loyal followers of Zhang Jiao for many years, who had protected the Great Teacher of Virtue as he traveled to eight states to spread his teachings. They firmly believed that "the Yellow Heaven shall rise" and were willing to die for their cause.
The army originally had 5,000 elite troops, but in the days of defeat, some were killed in battle or lost. Now, only these 1,000 or so people have followed Zhang Liang out of Quliang.
But it was these thousand-odd men who, while covering the rear at Quliang, managed to withstand three charges by the Northern Army's Yueqi Colonel, covering Zhang Jiao's retreat from the besieged city.
At this moment, they once again formed ranks, facing the charge of the Han army's iron cavalry head-on, still ready to die for their cause.
"The Blue Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise! I will die for the Great Teacher of Virtue!"
Someone shouted first, and more than a thousand people responded in unison, their voices like thunder, even drowning out the war drums of the Han army.
The sound seemed to give Zhang Jiao a boost of energy. He struggled to sit up from the oxcart, his withered hands gripping Zhang Liang's arm tightly.
"Third brother, do not linger in battle! The Han traitors do not know where we are. Leave these elite troops to defend against the enemy. You must quickly escort me and blend into the chaos of battle to escape north."
"The Han rebels are lying in ambush; their numbers must be limited. If they can't find our carriages, they won't be able to pursue us. As long as we cross the river safely and travel several dozen miles away, we'll be safe and sound, and we can regroup!"
Zhang Liang, still unwilling to accept defeat, gripped his sword hilt tightly, his tiger-like eyes filled with tears: "The Han traitors have gone too far! A mere detachment dared to ambush my 100,000 troops—Brother, give me half an hour, and I will surely slay that Han general and present his head before the Emperor!"
"Damn it!" Zhang Jiao was so angry that he felt a surge of turbid air and began to cough violently, so much so that he bent over and almost vomited out his heart and lungs.
He gripped Zhang Liang's wrist tightly, his nails digging into his flesh, and gasped, "Is this the time for reckless bravery? Our most urgent task is to cross the river! As long as we cross safely, the Han traitors will be powerless."
"Return to Guangzong, and all will be well. If we linger here and get surrounded, it will all be over! You...you don't want me to die with my eyes open in disgrace, do you?"
Seeing his elder brother in such a state, Zhang Liang dared not argue any longer. Gritting his teeth, he tearfully steadied the oxcart, saying, "I'll listen to you, brother. I'll protect you and help you escape amidst the chaos!"
The moment the two brothers left in tears was also the time when Liu Bei and his ministers were at their most spirited.
Liu Bei and his three hundred Xuanjia Iron Cavalry swept through the enemy ranks and soon encountered the Yellow Turban warriors who were defending the formation.
Before this, Liu Bei's army was invincible, and the enemy army collapsed at the mere sight of them.
However, when the army rushed to this place, they realized something was wrong. The bandits numbered over 100,000, and their formation was too thick and dense. By the time the iron cavalry penetrated deep into the area, the enemy had already completed their formation.
Therefore, what greeted the Han banners was not a collapsing band of rebels, but a dense rain of arrows.
"put!"
A commander in full iron lamellar armor roared from the ranks of warriors, and instantly more than three hundred arrows pierced the air.
Several Han cavalrymen at the forefront were covered by a rain of arrows, men and horses fell to the ground. A warhorse hit by an arrow neighed and knelt down. Before the soldiers on the horse could get up, they were chopped down by strongmen who rushed in from behind.
"The Yellow Heaven shall rise—" Someone actually went against the tide of the iron cavalry's charge, wielding a giant axe with both hands, and with one blow, he cleaved the hoof of a Han cavalryman's horse.
A burly strongman wearing lamellar armor and a yellow turban was pierced through the chest by a spear from the Han army's iron cavalry. He desperately clung to the spear shaft, and several of his comrades rushed forward, dragged the Han cavalryman off his horse, and hacked him to death with axes.
What's even more alarming is that even when Guan Yu led his Jing Sai cavalry in a fierce charge, they were not invincible.
As a cavalryman from the Jingsai region killed several people, his iron hooves crushed the chest of a Yellow Turban warrior, and his spear pinned another Yellow Turban warrior to the ground, a bandit, after spitting out blood, struggled to his feet, rolled under the horse's hooves, picked up the broken spear, and thrust it fiercely into the horse's neck.
The fine steed from Youzhou, worth tens of thousands of coins, neighed and fell to the ground. The rider on horseback was thrown to the ground and, before he could struggle to his feet, was hacked to death by the swarming warriors.
This is the first time since the Jingse Iron Cavalry was formed that it has suffered losses in a charge!
You should know that the Jingse Iron Cavalry was the most elite iron cavalry that Liu Bei selected from all the bravest warriors and spent a lot of money to build. Every single one of them was a warrior who could take on a hundred men!
Throughout the course of war, even in the face of hardship and danger, and in the face of overwhelming odds, not a single person has ever been lost.
Now, in the pursuit of the fleeing soldiers, they have suffered repeated losses.
Liu Bei was deeply shocked by what he saw.
The bravery, fanaticism, and fearlessness of this Yellow Turban warrior group completely exceeded his expectations.
They were truly armed to the extreme by religious fanaticism. All of them firmly believed that Heaven would rule, so when faced with the trampling of iron cavalry and the thrusting of spears, not one of them retreated.
The enemy was incredibly skilled and brave. He immediately understood why, in history, Huangfu Song, leading the elite Northern Army, had failed to defeat Zhang Liang's formidable forces.
But that's the end of it!
This Yellow Turban warriors were indeed brave, fierce, fearless, and extremely fanatical, but they still could not hide their decline.
After running continuously for hundreds of miles day and night, their physical strength had long since reached its limit.
The Han army, however, was ruthless and determined to fight to the death. They were tenacious and persistent, with their iron cavalry advancing and retreating in shifts, sometimes retreating and sometimes returning.
The Xuanjia Iron Cavalry failed to break through the enemy's defenses and retreated slightly.
Before the Yellow Turbans could catch their breath, a roar came from their flank. The tiger was fierce and majestic, its power unmatched.
"Zhang Yide of Yan is here! You traitor, why don't you die!"
Even as the words were still ringing out, a thunderous roar echoed as three hundred elite Wuhuan cavalrymen arrived on horseback.
The Wuhuan cavalry were renowned cavalrymen, their attacks swift as the wind and rain, rapidly advancing from the west of the Zhang River with arrows raining down upon them.
Before the Yellow Turbans could regroup, Zhang Fei took the lead and charged into the enemy ranks with his iron cavalry.
His leopard eyes were wide open, his killing intent was chilling, and he fought fiercely in all directions in the formation, invincible, and killed more than ten bandits.
The bandits were furious, and more than a hundred Yellow Turban warriors died in the surprise attack by the cavalry, but they could not stop them at all.
Hundreds of Yellow Turban rebels spontaneously assembled without waiting for their leader's order, vowing to fight to the death.
Zhang Fei was also extremely fierce. The two sides fought bravely, and more than a hundred bandits died, while the elite cavalry also lost more than thirty riders. Only then did Zhang Fei have no choice but to order his troops to retreat.
By this time, the Yellow Turban warriors had been fighting for more than an hour.
My body, already exhausted, was completely drained of its last bit of strength.
It was May, and they were exhausted and thirsty, barely able to stand.
Meanwhile, the Jingse Iron Cavalry had completed their rest and reorganization, and Guan Yu personally led a valiant attack.
Liu Bei personally led eight hundred cavalry to follow up, and the Yellow Turbans were routed and could no longer be reorganized.
Therefore, Zhang Jiao and Zhang Liang fled for just over an hour before the Han cavalry attacked them again!
Zhang Fei's eyes were wide and glaring, making him look like a god or demon. His long spear was unstoppable, and no one could withstand him.
It was less than a hundred paces away from Zhang Jiao's oxcart!
Zhang Jiao rose upon hearing the shouts of alarm from the army, and saw a Han general kill three elite warriors in succession, one of whom was a local chieftain who was heading straight for him.
Beside the oxcart, everyone was horrified and wept.
Zhang Liang's eyes were bloodshot, almost weeping blood, as he said, "Our Yellow Turban warriors have also been defeated and killed so swiftly? Could it be that Heaven intends to destroy us?"
Zhang Jiao gave a bitter laugh, his face already showing signs of death.
They, the Yellow Turban talisman masters, had all used talismanic water to deceive the masses and had seen the most signs of death from illness. At this moment, the Great Virtuous Teacher was no different from that dying person; he was exhausted and on the verge of death.
He finally coughed up a pool of blood and said to Zhang Liang, "This is the will of Heaven. Third brother, retreat quickly. I will use the name of the Great Teacher of Virtue to lure them to pursue me. You and second brother should carry on the will of Heaven and overthrow this corrupt Han Dynasty!"
Zhang Liang rushed to the oxcart in terror, supporting Zhang Jiao's back, and asked, "Brother, brother! What's wrong?! Hold on, don't give up!"
"The world can do without Liang, the great physician, but it cannot do without my elder brother, this great and virtuous teacher!"
He anxiously looked at the crowd around him and said, "Don't go to Guangzong anymore. Since the rebel army has already laid an ambush here, they will definitely go to Guangzong to pursue and kill us. Send my elder brother directly to Quyang!"
"Second Brother is the Yellow Turban Heavenly Physician; he can surely cure Eldest Brother's minor ailment! With Eldest Brother cured, we can also escape our pursuers!"
Having said that, he drew his sword and shouted, "My men, follow me and turn back to kill the traitors!"
"Foolish!" Zhang Jiao pounded his chest in anger, tears streaming down his face, and cried out urgently, "Third brother, come back! I'm about to die! You should leave now!"
Zhang Liang paused, but did not turn around. He only wept and said, "Heaven can do without Liang, but it cannot do without a great and virtuous teacher!"
Having said this, he mounted a warhorse led by his personal guards and roared, "General Zhang Liang is here! Lords of the Yellow Heaven, follow me to fight to the death and defeat the enemy! Crush the Han traitors!"
Zhang Liang was mingling among the hundreds of thousands of bandits shrouded in yellow turbans, making him impossible for Zhang Fei to find. But now that he has stepped forward and unfurled his banner, Zhang Fei can locate him instantly.
"Zhang Liang!" Zhang Feibao's eyes widened, his bushy beard bristled, and his voice boomed like thunder, "General Zhang Liang is here! Men, capture this leader, and the victory will be greater than the entire army's!"
This roar even silenced the battlefield. All the Han soldiers looked over and saw Zhang Liang raising a yellow banner and leading dozens of riders a hundred paces ahead.
The Han soldiers went berserk the next moment, rushing towards the tattered Yellow Turban banner.
This is one of the three traitors of the Yellow Turban Rebellion!
Whoever can capture General Ren Gong alive will be the greatest contributor to this battle! A reward of being ennobled as a marquis is within reach!
Although Zhang Liang's personal guards fought desperately, how could they stop the fierce and ruthless elite Han army?
Zhang Liang had no choice but to lead his men away, fleeing all the way.
Zhang Fei, his eyes bloodshot with rage, rode his horse at breakneck speed, pursuing Zhang Liang alone. Several Yellow Turban warriors tried to stop him along the way, but he swept them away with his eighteen-foot-long spear, sending them flying along with their armor.
Several fleeing bandits escorted Zhang Liang northward, and Zhang Fei spurred his horse in hot pursuit. He carved a bloody path through the chaos of the army on the west bank of the Zhang River, stabbing down several of Zhang Liang's guards before finally catching up with Zhang Liang himself.
At this point, Zhang Liang was at his wit's end. He stopped alone on the side of the turbulent Zhang River. The river was almost completely still with corpses floating downstream.
Even drowning himself was impossible for him; he could only grip his sword, stare at Zhang Fei, and hoarsely proclaim, "I've heard the Han offer a thousand pieces of gold for my head! Come, and I'll grant you land and a title!"
Zhang Fei spurred his horse forward, roaring, "I, Zhang Fei, will take fame and fortune for myself! Why should I need your help? You traitor, prepare to die!"
Zhang Liang dropped his sword, opened his arms, and faced death with equanimity.
Unexpectedly, as the two riders approached, a glint of cunning flashed in Zhang Feibao's eyes, and he suddenly burst into laughter, saying, "I, Old Zhang, was just kidding you! You want to die? Not so easy!"
Before Zhang Liang could react, Zhang Fei reached out, grabbed his belt, and with a roar, lifted the burly body off the horse and slammed it across his saddle.
"General Ren Gong has been captured alive by Zhang Yide!" A thunderous cheer erupted from the Han army ranks.
This scene greatly shocked the enemy army, and the Yellow Turbans completely lost any courage to resist.
The routed soldiers fled like a tidal wave across the mountains and fields, while tens of thousands of bandits knelt down to beg for surrender, and countless others drowned while trying to cross the Zhang River.
An hour later, Liu Bei, who was pursuing eastward, heard the news of the victory and quickly rode back to Zhang Fei's army.
Zhang Fei puffed out his chest, his leopard-like eyes wide with pride. Upon seeing Liu Bei, he eagerly declared, as if seeking credit, "Brother! I've already had the surrendered soldiers identify him; this is General Zhang Liang!"
Liu Bei glanced down and saw that this once spirited general was now bound by hemp ropes and lying in the mud, as if he was about to be humbled to the dust.
Liu Bei exclaimed in amazement, "Third brother, you are truly my lucky general! How did you find this general among more than 100,000 bandits? I never expected such a remarkable achievement before the battle."
Zhang Fei immediately burst into laughter and recounted the whole story in detail, then said, "If I, Old Zhang, still cannot capture him after he has made his move, how can I face my elder brother!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei took a deep breath, looked at Zhang Fei, and after a long pause asked, "Third brother, you said the Yellow Turban rebels number over 100,000, and we can't find them at all. Why did they suddenly decide to raise their banners and reveal their identities...?"
"Then why else..." Zhang Fei said, then suddenly paused.
Even with his usual carefree attitude, he finally realized what was happening and his eyes widened in disbelief. He anxiously asked, "Ah! Brother, have I missed a real big fish? Zhang Jiao is nearby!"