Chapter 391

Ke Yimen,

located northeast of Xingqing Prefecture in the Bai Gao Kingdom.

It is a fortress built on flat ground between two mountains.

On the open ground north of the fortress, one side is mountainous, the other the surging Yellow River; the space between the mountains and the river is over ten li wide.

Standing on the fortress walls and looking northeast to the right, one can faintly see the morning cooking smoke from the tens of thousands of troops of Marquis Marquis Yongyi in the distance.

To the left are the Bai Gao Kingdom military encampments at the foot of the mountain, forming a pincer position with the fortress walls.

The continuous mountain ranges have leaves that have changed color in the valleys, with both yellow and red hues.

The place Xu Xu Zaijing went to today was the edge of the mountainous area to the left of Ke Yimen, about ten li from the fortress gate.

With the Great Zhou infantry formation as the foundation,

although they had suffered defeats in several battles,

the cavalry still frequently provoked the Bai Gao Kingdom garrison at the encampment before Ke Yimen, hoping to lure the defenders out.

And this mountainous area where Xu Xu Zaijing and others arrived was the flank of this cavalry group; the most important task was to serve as the eyes and ears for the cavalry!

Guarding against Bai Gao Kingdom cavalry ambushes hidden in the mountain ravines that would block the rear route of this Great Zhou army going to provoke.

Xu Xu Zaijing had arrived at the main camp ten days ago,

during which time he had also carried out such duties and was quite familiar with this area, considered the very front line of the conflict, but had never encountered a situation where Great Zhou scouts were wiped out.

Just now, the flag on the mountaintop disappeared.

That was equivalent to that area falling into a 'fog of war'.

No one knew the situation near that mountaintop; whether the Bai Gao Kingdom scouts had already withdrawn or were still lying in ambush nearby.

Xu Xu Zaijing and others could not turn and run; moreover, they had to send people to investigate the situation on that mountaintop.

Several veteran scouts sent by Zhu Zhu Qinghu, perhaps having seen such situations before, showed no emotional fluctuation in their eyes; the one in charge said:

"Han Han Wulang, you and the rest of you wait here; the two of us will go take a look first."

"If the pursuing forces catch hold of us two, do not worry about us; immediately signal the main camp."

Xu Xu Zaijing nodded, pulled a powerful bow from the quiver by the saddle: "You two, just run back; leave the rest to me!"

After glancing at the powerful bow in Xu Xu Zaijing's hand, the two veteran scouts in the army nodded in unison.

Afterwards,

the two of them each left a horse beside Xu Xu Zaijing and the others, then rode horses toward that mountaintop.

When the two scouts reached the vicinity of the mountaintop,

one of them stayed in the outer area visible to Xu Xu Zaijing and the others, while the other scout turned into a nearby ravine that led up the mountain.

In the span of half a ke,

the scout visible to Xu Xu Zaijing and the others did not signal an alarm.

Another quarter of an hour passed,

and Xu Xu Zaijing and the others had already arrived at the mountaintop.

Brother Qingyun, He Guan, and several others scattered nearby to signal.

Xu Xu Zaijing saw the first scout to reach the mountaintop kneeling there, gathering the bones of his fallen comrade.

Xu Xu Zaijing looked around,

seeing quite a few deep red bloodstains on the ground, with arrows stuck nearby.

A flagpole slightly thicker than an adult's thumb had been broken into three segments and thrown aside.

There were also the scout flags, hacked into three pieces, scattered among the earth and stones.

Hearing Xu Xu Zaijing and the others approach, the scout kneeling on the ground pulled the arrows from his fallen comrade's body and said: "Han Han Wulang, do you know what happened to this flag?"

Xu Xu Zaijing bent down and picked up the three scattered pieces of the scout flag: "It seems the Bai Gao Kingdom scouts truly hate us to the bone."

The veteran scout shook his head looking at the items in Xu Xu Zaijing's hand: "It was not the Bai Gao Kingdom scouts who hacked it apart; it was him."

Saying this, the veteran scout looked at the corpse of his fallen comrade.

Xu Xu Zaijing tightened his grip on the flag in his hand and said: "This is... afraid that the Bai Gao Kingdom scouts would use this flag to set a trap for us?"

The veteran scout nodded: "Head Zhu said that when encountering such a situation, we should tell Han Han Wulang about this rule of our scouts. If something goes wrong, the flag must be destroyed."

"Hoping that Han Han Wulang will never need to use this in the future."

Xu Xu Zaijing nodded and said: "None of us will ever need to use it."

The veteran scout smiled.

"They are all elites in the army; how could such a thing have happened?"

Hearing Xu Xu Zaijing's question, the veteran scout said:

"The night watch was negligent last night, allowing someone to sneak close."

"They first noticed strange movements in a distant ravine; seeing us approach, they hurried to signal, but were felled by a volley of arrows from close range."

"If we had arrived a little later, not seeing this disappeared flag, it might not have been just them who died."

After finishing, the veteran scout sighed, sought Xu Xu Zaijing's approval, then sent someone to the main camp to request people to collect the bodies.

The mounts of the several fallen Great Zhou scouts had already been led away by the Bai Gao Kingdom scouts as spoils of war.

Xu Xu Zaijing and the others absolutely could not spare one of their own mounts to carry the corpses; it was not a matter of disgust, but because everyone's two horses were prepared for delivering messages or escaping.

More than half a shichen later,

on the mountaintop where the group was, the fallen comrade's body was carried down the mountain by a pack horse.

When the scout who went to the main camp to summon people returned to the mountaintop, he also brought a message for Xu Xu Zaijing and the others: when he returned to camp, the Great Zhou cavalry had already, according to the plan, gone to provoke the garrison before Ke Yimen fortress.

Another shichen passed.

When the sun was roughly at the Si hour (around ten in the morning),

"Han Wulang, look quickly! A rider approaches! It is our Great Zhou's cavalry."

Hearing He Guan's voice, Xu Xu Zaijing, who had been feigning sleep under the tree, suddenly opened his eyes.

Walking to He Guan's side, Xu Xu Zaijing looked toward the direction of the Great Zhou military camp at the foot of the mountain.

"What is the situation? Why send someone at this hour?"

Xu Xu Zaijing said.

After more than half a ke, a capable cavalry Wei Xiao arrived at the mountain peak.

Looking at Xu Xu Zaijing before him, that cavalry Wei Xiao dismounted and bowed with clasped hands to Xu Xu Zaijing: "Your subordinate Pang Pang Wanchun greets Han Wulang! Commander Zhu transmits orders: command your unit to continue scouting forward!"

Xu Xu Zaijing clasped his hands: "Received the order!"

After the two spoke, that cavalry Wei Xiao Pang Pang Wanchun continued: "Han Wulang, when I came, I heard the gates of the Keyi Gate fortress were wide open, and many Bai Gao cavalry chased out! Be very careful!"

Hearing these words, Xu Xu Zaijing's heart shook!

According to his understanding, previously when the Great Zhou cavalry provoked several times, it was the military encampment outside the city walls that dealt with them; the gates of the Keyi Gate fortress had never opened.

This time the gates are wide open; it is possible the Bai Gao feel their plans are in place, pretending to fall into Father's trap, then taking the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to Father Xu Minghua and this army!

Thinking of this, Xu Xu Zaijing nodded and said: "Good! Thank you for the reminder! Is there anywhere else I must go?"

Pang Pang Wanchun shook his head and said: "Han Wulang, this place is the deepest; your location is the last one to know. Thus, I shall return to report."

"Wei Xiao Pang, wait! Since you are returning directly to report, why not leave the feathered arrows on your horseback to me?"

Pang Pang Wanchun was stunned,

He looked with some confusion at the two front and four rear six-cylinder arrow quivers on the back of Xu Xu Zaijing's mount, the small black colt.

He also looked at the similar quantity of arrow quivers on the backs of the mounts of He Guan, Brother Qingyun, A Lan, and others nearby.

His eyes held a look of 'Is this not enough for you to use?'

Pang Pang Wanchun thought for a moment and asked no more; he kept one cylinder of feathered arrows for himself as a reserve and left the other three cylinders to Xu Xu Zaijing.

Xu Xu Zaijing smiled and said thanks.

Watching Pang Pang Wanchun's departing figure, Xu Xu Zaijing thought silently: 'Does Father know from where the army, which the Bai Gao treat as the oriole waiting behind the green tree, will strike?'

Afterwards,

Xu Xu Zaijing walked back to the small black colt, mounted, and gave an order.

The group then proceeded to scout deeper into the mountains.

Outside the Keyi Gate fortress,

originally the Great Zhou cavalry, relying on the infantry formation behind them, came to provoke and curse before the military encampment outside the Bai Gao city walls.

They expected, as on previous days, that the defenders inside Keyi Gate would keep the gates closed and let the defenders in the encampment deal with them.

But unexpectedly,

today, after the Bai Gao cavalry surged out from the encampment, the gates of Keyi Gate also opened with defenders, charging to kill the Great Zhou cavalry.

Although this reaction surprised the Great Zhou cavalry somewhat, they still charged and fought the enemy.

After just one charge between the two nations' cavalry,

many soldiers from both nations lay on the battlefield; some lay motionless, while others still groaned in pain.

Just like the defeats reported to Bianjing in previous instances, the Great Zhou cavalry, unable to match the Bai Gao cavalry, retreated in disarray toward both flanks of the Great Zhou infantry formation.

The Bai Gao cavalry pursued the victory, preparing, as in previous instances, to charge the Great Zhou infantry formation.

But, when they reached before the infantry formation, many were felled by the Great Zhou's powerful crossbows and sharp arrows.

Inside the Great Zhou infantry formation,

Zhang Zhang Fangyan looked up at the signal flags on the tall watchtower carriage,

and said to Marquis Marquis Yongyi Xu Minghua, who sat on a folding chair nearby: "Commander, the watch carriage has spotted the Bai Gao heavy cavalry."

Xu Minghua nodded and said: "Mm, these Iron Falcons are preparing to charge the formation."

Zhang Zhang Fangyan, the eldest son of the Duke of Ying, nodded with some excitement in his eyes.

Xu Minghua said: "Go and prepare! Using the Iron Falcons to charge the formation, this time they mean business."

"Received the order!"

Zhang Zhang Fangyan bowed with clasped hands, walked a few steps backward, mounted a tall steed, and galloped toward the cavalry waiting in the distance.

The cavalry that had just lured the enemy and then retreated numbered only over a thousand, whereas the cavalry at the rear flank of the formation where Zhang Zhang Fangyan went numbered nearly ten thousand.

Behind Xu Minghua, Xu Xu Zaiduan, the eldest son of Marquis Marquis Yongyi, Di Jing, Lu Lu Junyi, and others all looked with extreme envy at Zhang Zhang Fangyan departing.

Ostensibly, he, Marquis Marquis Yongyi Xu Minghua, had ninety thousand soldiers under his command.

Among them, seventy thousand infantry and over twenty thousand cavalry.

After capturing the region of Houqu, they left more than fifteen thousand infantry and five thousand cavalry to defend that place.

Seven thousand soldiers arrived outside the Keyi Gate fortress.

And, besides the north where Marquis Marquis Yongyi was currently attacking,

the south and north were also tied down by very many Great Zhou troops; Keyi Gate had only over sixty thousand defenders.

The troop numbers were not far apart, but the Great Zhou army held the momentum of a great victory, so the Bai Gao dared not leave the city to fight in the open field.

Subtracting those left to guard the city, the Bai Gao forces sent this time numbered only over fifty thousand infantry and cavalry combined.

Today, such a total sortie likely means they have a reserve force and intend to devour us!

Thinking of this, Xu Minghua glanced toward the northwest direction to his rear side.

Three ke later,

a huge roar of battle cries and clamor suddenly came from the front.

Xu Minghua rose from the folding chair,

looking at the constantly waving signal flags on the watchtower not far away, Xu Minghua shouted: "Transmit the order: let Zhang Zhang Fangyan attack!"

The messenger riding behind Xu Minghua promptly replied and galloped away.

Half a ke later,

over ten thousand cavalry, led by a massive banner bearing the character 'Zhang', began to slowly accelerate from the rear flank of the infantry formation.

The 'Zhang' banner was the dragon's head,

leading the 'dragon body' formed by the over ten thousand cavalry,

and after tracing a curve with a very small radius, they surged to 'tear and bite' at the Bai Gao army that had already followed the Iron Falcons and was mostly charging into the Great Zhou infantry formation.

Soon,

tens of thousands of soldiers from both nations were already locked in chaotic combat.

"Wooong~"

A desolate horn sound came from the distance!

Xu Minghua turned his head to look at the signal flags on the watchtower carriage and sighed with relief: "They've come!"

In a short while.

"Neigh!"

The rider yanked the reins hard, and the horse whinnied.

A rider dressed as a messenger leaped from his horse.

He walked quickly to Xu Minghua's side, knelt on one knee, and said:

"Commandant! A scout risked his life to report: on our flank, tens of thousands more Bai Gao troops are closing in!"

Xu Minghua frowned and asked: "Tens of thousands? How many ten thousands?"

"Replying to the Commandant, the scout could not count; he only said they were endless."

"Where is he? Let him come and tell me personally!"

"That scout was hit by an arrow in the stomach; he has already..."

Xu Minghua nodded with an unchanged expression and said: "Understood! Order the scouts to reconnoiter again!"

"Xu Xu Zaiduan!"

"This general is here!"

"Go! Lead the remaining five thousand cavalry to block them on the flank!"

"Received the order!"

Xu Xu Zaiduan, clad in armor, clasped his hands, leaped onto his horse, and galloped toward the other side.

Following Xu Xu Zaiduan was another fierce general, none other than Lu Lu Junyi, riding a fine horse and holding a long spear.

"Di Jing!"

"This general is here!"

"Your elite infantry, advance immediately! Slaughter the enemies who have entered the formation!"

"Received the order!"

After bowing with clasped hands, Di Jing rode his horse toward the south.

Arriving within his own infantry formation, Di Jing patted Luan Gu Tingyu, Wu Song, and several others beside him and said: "The Commandant's order: slaughter the enemies within the formation!"

"Yes!"

The crowd roared in agreement!

Di Jing looked at the generals before him, his eyes red, a bloodthirsty smile appearing on his lips!

'Clang!'

Di Jing fastened a bronze mask with a ghost face and fangs beneath his helmet!

Luan Gu Tingyu, Wu Song, and others performed the same action.

And those from the Old Lady's estate—Li Li Tianrun, Si Si Xingfang, Fang Ding, Fang Hua Jie, Wang Yan, Deng Deng Yuanjue, and several others—likewise fastened their masks.

"Follow this general to slaughter the enemies!"

In the sky,

the gyrfalcon sent by the Hu Yan family was circling,

and it saw clearly in the battlefield below that

with Di Jing as the arrowhead,

a host of infantry soldiers, mostly from the Tianwu Army of the Four Elite Armies of Bianjing, along with numerous incredibly fierce generals, charged to kill the Bai Gao soldiers.

Bai Gao is white,

and the soldiers' uniforms are mostly light-colored.

The Great Zhou cavalry are red, and the infantry are black,

so Di Jing and his group were like black boiling water splashed onto Bai Xue, melting upon contact!

However,

in the eyes of the gyrfalcon high above,

beside this battlefield of slaughter, in the direction of the sun, an even larger force of light-colored troops had already begun to merge with the red and black.

In the mountains before the Keyi Gate fortress,

several more 'long snakes' of light color were 'crawling' through the mountains at no slow speed!

And to the northwest of the gyrfalcon's master,

which was also the northwest of the battlefield,

an even larger mass of troops wearing red and black was surging toward this side.

"Wooong~"

The horns of Bai Gao seemed emboldened by their own reinforcements and blared even more loudly.

Amidst the sound of the horns,

in the mountains near the direction of Keyi Gate,

a cavalry unit of Bai Gao, the 'Long Snake,' wound its way out of a mountain gully, straightened its formation, and charged toward the distant Great Zhou army lines.

(End of Chapter)