Chapter 556: Battle of Donghe Village

Half an hour.

An hour.

Time kept slipping away, the sun already shifting westward, yet the cries of battle outside East River Village showed no sign of weakening, always spreading outward, echoing through the Qinling mountain wilds, and from time to time erupting in a distinctly raised roar, like a great tide surging high.

Over ten thousand Shu troops had surrounded the Han army led by Yao Yuanfu on a slope that was not tall but sufficient to hold, having already launched no fewer than ten charges, a contest of pure will, filling the gaps with their lives.

Since the northern expedition began, the Shu army, which had suffered repeated setbacks, under stern orders, had also released its last bit of fighting spirit, carrying a hint of fearless desperation, but what they faced was even tougher resistance, utterly without timidity.

There was that old general, nearly seventy, still standing on the front line directing, leading by example, greatly boosting morale. With a counterattack personally led by Yao Yuanfu, charging down from the heights with iron cavalry, the Shu army's assault was once again beaten back.

Though Yao Yuanfu had confined himself to a corner, he had likewise limited the Shu army's deployment, single-mindedly trading life for life, holding out for reinforcements. He believed Zhao Hui and Xiang Xun would surely react in time—he wanted not only to hold and survive, but to turn defense into offense and win a great victory.

East River Village belonged to Feng Prefecture's jurisdiction, commanding the key route between Sichuan and Shaanxi, nestled against mountains and water, but being borderland, it had long been abandoned. Amid the broken walls, the Shu army's commander-in-chief Li Tinggui was growing restless, pacing ceaselessly, his gleaming armor binding him so tightly he could barely breathe, sweat already soaking through his inner garments.

He kept urging attacks, but against the Han army's resolute will to resist, results were minimal—like a reef standing immovable under wave after wave of assault.

"Rotate in another wave to charge! Convey my order—anyone above or below who dares to flinch from battle will be executed!" Li Tinggui could barely contain his fury, hurling down another stern command.

Continuously pressing the attack yet never breaking through, Li Tinggui sensed something was amiss. Gazing into the distance, amid the Shu army's heavy encirclement, that great banner bearing the character "Yao" still stood unyielding.

"This Yao Yuanfu, how is he so hard to deal with? What of our generals—can't they even overcome a single white-haired old man?" Li Tinggui could not help but rage.

"What's the situation on He Chongjian's side—has he still not annihilated that Han force?" Li Tinggui asked again.

None of those around him answered, but an aide-de-camp hurried off to inquire. About a quarter-hour later, the aide returned and reported, his voice laced with caution: "General He has launched ten attacks against the Han army. The Han troops rely on the forested hills, building stockades and resisting stubbornly, so repeated assaults have failed to take them..."

"Damn it!" Li Tinggui was somewhat broken.

A staff officer accompanying the army could not help but speak up: "The pursuing Han troops are clearly elite—brave and fierce, tenacious in combat—and they rely on the natural advantages of the terrain to hold. Though our forces are numerous, we cannot fully deploy, and so we cannot take them. The Expeditionary Commander should consider changing tactics to respond!"

"How do we change tactics?" Li Tinggui calmed down somewhat.

"The Han army is ultimately few in number. Either seize the time and smash through them with all our might, or... or lift the siege!" the staff officer said.

"Having fought to this point, can we still withdraw?" Li Tinggui rebuked, a flicker of hesitation crossing his expression. He wavered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and waved his hand: "Send orders to Sun Hanxiao—have him lead the Gushui army north to reinforce and join the battle!"

The Shu army at the Chencang front numbered over thirty thousand, and to the south at the Gushui River, Shu general Sun Hanxiao still had a force of ten thousand. In issuing this order, Li Tinggui was showing his resolve, wanting to stake everything on one throw and fight the Han army to the bitter end. Of course, as he said, at this moment there was absolutely no justification for retreat—otherwise, not only would all previous efforts be wasted, but it could easily brew into a rout.

However, though Li Tinggui wanted to buy time, the Han side would not give him more of it—the speed of their reinforcements arriving greatly exceeded his expectations.

Six or seven li away, there was likewise a siege, but in terms of intensity, it was far lower than Yao Yuanfu's situation. Han army deputy general Li Yan was also an experienced commander. Though he had advanced aggressively, maintaining speed, he had not relaxed his vigilance, always keeping a counterattack-ready or even defensive formation during the march.

After Yao Yuanfu broke through the Shu army's rear guard and was surrounded, Li Yan only then led his troops, quickening their pace, intending to drive south to rescue him. He had no choice—he was neither willing nor daring to stand by and watch while his commander was trapped.

And so on the march, he fell into the encirclement of the Shu army led by He Chongjian. However, thanks to being mentally prepared, Li Yan did not panic. He responded quickly, and like Yao Yuanfu, chose to storm a forested hill and occupy it for defense.

His thinking was also the same as Yao Yuanfu's—hold fast and await reinforcements. By pinning down He Chongjian's blocking force, he was indirectly reducing the pressure on Yao Yuanfu's side. In comparison, the situation here was much better than Yao Yuanfu's.

Attacking uphill was never easy, especially against an infantry force holding favorable terrain and skilled at defense. In the Shu army's formation, He Chongjian wore a face full of exhaustion, observing the ebb and flow of the battle, his expression grave.

"General, the Expeditionary Commander has ordered us to crush the Han army within half an hour, then set up obstacles on the spot to block enemy reinforcements!"

Upon hearing the order, He Chongjian nearly cursed out loud. He had already done his utmost here. The Han army's stubbornness was somewhat beyond his expectations—they showed no awareness at all that they had fallen into a trap and were surrounded. By his estimate, unless this Han force ran out of arrows and food, forget half an hour—even if he were given two more hours, it would be difficult to break them.

"Reply to the Expeditionary Commander—tell him our army receives the order and will surely break them!" Suppressing his displeasure, He Chongjian instructed with an ugly expression.

He Chongjian had originally been the Military Governor of Jianxiong Army under the Later Jin, stationed at Qin Prefecture. After the Khitan destroyed the Jin, he led his men to defect to the Later Shu and helped them seize the four prefectures of Qin, Feng, Jie, and Cheng in one stroke. Throughout the clashes between Shu and Han, his figure had always been active.

However, after defecting to Shu, though he received generous treatment from the Shu sovereign Meng Chang—titles, high office, honors, emoluments, and Ladies of Beauty all bestowed without stint—he had been transferred away from Qin Prefecture. Being cut off from his home base had left He Chongjian feeling quite unsettled at heart these past years.

Including this second northern expedition into Guanzhong, though he had been appointed commander of the army, his inner discomfort had not diminished but grown. Seeing how the Northern Han had grown increasingly powerful in recent years, and watching the esteem enjoyed by Zhao Hui, Shi Kuangyi, Yao Yuanfu, and others, he could not help but feel envy and regret his original choice—had he observed the situation a while longer and defected to the Northern Han, what would the outcome have been...

He Chongjian could not break Li Yan's force, and besides the Han army's formidable combat power and proper response, the fact that he had not committed himself wholeheartedly was also a reason.

"General, Han reinforcements are near, rapidly closing in!" The scout cavalry's report made He Chongjian's heart sink a few degrees.

"So fast?" He Chongjian could hardly conceal his shock.

But he could not worry about much else—he immediately made urgent adjustments, dividing his forces to resist. In doing so, any hope of completely crushing Li Yan's force became even more of a fantasy.

The first to reach the battlefield was Wang Renshan, coming from Sanguan Pass, leading only the thousand troops he had prepared in advance for the assault. After Xiang Xun led his forces south, Wang Renshan had volunteered for battle, and Xiang Xun had approved.

Approaching with his troops, he took a rough survey of the battlefield situation, and without a moment's hesitation, spurred his horse to the front. Eager to distinguish himself, Wang Renshan directly led his men, charging fearlessly at the Shu army's formation, heading straight for He Chongjian's command banner. Not to break the Shu army, but only to disrupt their morale and throw their ranks into confusion.

Behind him, Xiang Xun personally led the main force of reinforcements, conserving their strength, maintaining formation, pressing forward with composure. Apart from the necessary garrison, Zhao Hui had sent every remaining soldier in Baoji city with Xiang Xun. He too was in no hurry—haste would only give the enemy opportunities.

On the East River Village side, under Li Tinggui's heavy pressure, the Shu army had rotated in two more waves, launching assaults at Yao Yuanfu, disregarding casualties in their tactics, at one point driving Yao Yuanfu to the brink of destruction. But on the edge of collapse, he barely held on.

Yao Yuanfu's heart ached. Using cavalry this way, being surrounded and slaughtered like this—he felt it was wasteful and stupid. If the final results could not offset the losses, he would not know how to face himself.

Watching the Shu army's assault weakening, Yao Yuanfu, now drenched in blood and battle fury, knew that this wave too, he had won. But how much longer he could hold would depend on the reinforcements.

"Han reinforcements have struck! Attacked from two sides, General He could not hold and has already retreated in defeat! The Han army is pursuing southward!" A battle report threw Li Tinggui's composure off balance.

"What!" Li Tinggui's face, flushed red from the heat, paled several shades, his voice even trembling slightly: "How could the Han army be so swift? Why did He Chongjian fall so quickly!"

Including the junior officer delivering the report, no one present could answer his confusion.

"The situation is dire—we must make a decisive move!" Li Tinggui was somewhat panicked, but his subordinate officers urged him.

Hearing this, Li Tinggui took several deep breaths, striving to calm himself. His mind was still somewhat chaotic. He hesitated for a long while, his face showing reluctance, and finally instructed: "Send orders to He Chongjian—have him regroup his troops, hold the road as rear guard, fighting while withdrawing. He must block the Han reinforcements for me!"

Turning back, he looked once more at Yao Yuanfu's force, still as immovable as stone in the distance, and issued the order helplessly: "Maintain formation—withdraw!"