Chapter 252: Raid

South of Wuyi Town in Chuzhou, the Garrison Battalion halted on the official road, with more and more Roving Bandits appearing to the west and north.

Wuyi Town lies on the west bank of the Pure Stream River, a major town south of Chuzhou, also a market town that sprang up around a key transportation route. A river originating in Langya Mountain flows through the town, spanned by three bridges; the water passes beneath them, flowing from west to east into the Pure Stream River.

West of the official road is Langya Mountain, its slopes gradually easing eastward from gentle hills into a riverside plain. The official road cuts north across the plain, with the Pure Stream River on its eastern side.

"Sir, not far ahead is White Armor Bridge, only eight li from Chuzhou. In Langya Mountain stands Old Drunkard Pavilion, where Ouyang Xiu wrote the Old Drunkard Pavilion Record. The waters from the pavilion flow downstream and pass right under White Armor Bridge."

Pang Yu turned his head for a look. This was one of the two guides he had hired in Jiangpu. The other guide was already too terrified to speak coherently. The one speaking now was a merchant from Nanjing who had long traded along the route between Pukou and Fengyang and knew the roads well. What surprised Pang Yu a little was that this man showed no great fear at the sight of the bandits, could describe the terrain concisely, and even introduced the towns, scenic spots, and local products along the way — more like a tour guide.

But Pang Yu had no interest in Old Drunkard Pavilion at the moment. After leaving Wuyi Town, the Mounted Bandits operating in the vicinity had grown more and more numerous. Even with Chen Yuwang's cavalry added, the Garrison Battalion could not extend its scouting line.

In particular, over two hundred horse soldiers appearing on the western side forced the Garrison Battalion to advance at a crawl, covering only five li the entire day. Pang Yu no longer needed to find excuses to delay; Chen Yuwang could testify to Zhang Guowei on his behalf.

The Garrison Commander had just led his men back from the northwest, having driven off a small squad of Mounted Bandits so the Vanguard could continue forward. Pang Yu suspected Zhang Guowei had sent him not just to strengthen the cavalry, but primarily to serve as an Army Supervisor, to prevent Pang Yu from dragging his feet.

The battalion's objective today had been to seize White Armor Bridge. After passing Dongge Post Station, the surrounding terrain grew increasingly flat, with no tactical chokepoints like passes — the most important features were the bridges. Around such official-road bridges, spontaneous marketplaces usually formed. Though the bandits had burned the houses, some walls remained for shelter against the cold and could provide defensive strongpoints.

"Have the First Division advance one hundred paces."

Guo Fengyou dispatched a Relay Horse behind him to deliver the order. The rider galloped forward along the official road, nearly colliding with a cavalryman returning to the Central Army and almost tumbling off the road.

Pang Yu rubbed his forehead. The army had been under threat from the bandit cavalry for days, and today had been harassed by enemy horsemen all day long. Both physically and mentally, they were utterly exhausted. Mistakes were multiplying. The Head of Livestock merchants hired along the way were especially unstable, and a negative mood was spreading through the ranks. The morale boosted by the Pukou Great Victory was nearly spent. What Pang Yu needed to consider most now was no longer how many bandits to destroy, but how to hold the army together under the pressure of the Mounted Bandits.

The closer they got to Chuzhou, the stronger the bandits' interdiction became. Today's objective looked hard to achieve; they needed to prepare to camp on the spot.

Pang Yu scanned the vicinity. There was no particularly good location. Water was plentiful here; only shelter from cold and defense mattered. The area near the Pure Stream River was very flat, the river providing a barrier on one side. Searching through his Telescope, Pang Yu spotted a riverside village roughly less than two li to the northeast — likely a fishing village — the most suitable campsite for today. The Garrison Battalion would need to push about another li and a half along the official road.

As the First Division began to advance, Pang Yu's heart tightened again. He could sense his Personal Soldiers around him felt the same. He had five infantry units in total, deployed in four directions. Fifty Marine Corps soldiers were mixed in with the logistics. When stationary, they were fairly solid, but the moment they started moving, gaps appeared everywhere.

The First Division moved by Company. The First Company deployed after reaching its position, followed by the other two. Seeing the Garrison Battalion begin to move, the horse soldiers closed in again from the northwest.

The horse soldiers visible in the field of view numbered around five hundred, circling a li away from the battalion. Some had already moved to the official road to the south. The Garrison Battalion was already surrounded.

Pang Yu's throat felt dry. He took down his Coconut Ladle and shook it — nearly empty. Every well they had passed today had been fouled with rotting matter. The entire army had drawn no water. There was plenty of surface water along the way, but the battalion dared not take any. If this dragged on, the troops would be parched and famished, their combat strength critically weakened.

Beside him, Guo Fengyou offered his canteen. Pang Yu shook his head and poured the last drops from his own ladle into his mouth.

"Second Division and logistics, advance."

The Five-Direction Banners at the Central Army swayed. The Second Division and the Marine Corps acknowledged the signal and advanced. Chen Yuwang's cavalry moved south to provide support. Pang Yu focused intently. Infantry on the march was vulnerable, but the logistics were even more so — especially the amateur Logistics Team recruited this time. These Head of Livestock traders normally fled at the mere sight of bandits. Lured by Pang Yu's high hiring pay, they had risked coming out to run transport. Back at Pukou, seeing the battalion's martial prowess, they had assumed the Roving Bandits would flee at the mere rumor of their approach. But once they crossed the hills beyond Jiangpu, the situation reversed. The battalion was constantly surrounded by bandits. These men could not count cavalry, but with bandits swarming the countryside everywhere, they were surely more numerous than the battalion. Under the repeated harassment of the horse soldiers, those men were already on the verge of collapse.

The Second Division, on the outer side of the official road, circled around two Fish Ponds ahead. The Mounted Bandits surged forward again, closing in with eerie howls and loosing arrows from a distance. The Second Division advanced through the rain of arrows. Chen Yuwang's cavalry engaged some of the bandits in a melee — everything was chaos.

Amid this chaos, the Second Division had no attention to spare for the Logistics Team they were supposed to shield. No one noticed the supply Carriages slowing down, opening a gap with their covering force.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the Logistics Team. Two mule carts inexplicably crashed into each other. The mules pulling them went berserk, ramming in all directions. The rest of the Logistics Team ground to a halt.

Pang Yu finally spotted the situation with the logistics and immediately said to Guo Fengyou, "Order the Second Division to halt."

Before the order could be sent, a conch horn sounded from the west.

Hoofbeats suddenly thundered. The skirmishing riders harassing the front scattered aside, and two dense formations of cavalry charged straight at the Second Division and the Third Division behind it — over three hundred in total.

These two cavalry forces had been hiding behind the hills to the west, screened by the skirmishers out front. Pang Yu had never detected them; otherwise, he would rather have camped right then. The bandits' Headman was clearly experienced. Spotting the gap in the battalion's defense, he had immediately committed this hidden force.

Pang Yu had seen Bandit Cavalry several times before, but those had been more like Horse Bandits. The force before him now looked like real cavalry. The massed charge of these animals, each weighing six or seven hundred jin, was terrifying in its momentum.

Chen Yuwang had only forty-some cavalrymen — utterly unable to resist. He immediately pulled back toward the First Division.

Because the Second Division had advanced, a gap had opened between it and the Third Division. Now each division had to defend itself.

Pang Yu could think of no solution. His Personal Guard Division was on the eastern side, guarding against an attack from the river channel. The Artillery was in marching order. He had no mobile reserve at hand. He could only hope the two infantry units could hold their formations steady.

Amid the drumming of hooves dense as raindrops, the surging mass of horses shook the earth. They were only a hundred paces from the infantry. Pang Yu felt his heartbeat nearly stop. His infantry stood in lines only three ranks deep, to stretch their defensive width. He was not sure they could stop those horsemen.

Seventy paces. Pang Yu's palms were sweating. Suddenly, he heard another horn blast. Before he could grasp what was happening, the two separated cavalry forces abruptly changed direction, both charging simultaneously toward the Logistics Team in the middle.

Because of the earlier chaos, the Second Division had pulled away from the logistics while circling the fish ponds. The flank of the Logistics Team on the official road was completely exposed. The bandits' target was still the supplies.

The tactical advantage of cavalry was fully exploited. They needed no formation to fight. The two cavalry units left the infantry's front, using their speed to shift their target to the Logistics Team.

"Have the Third Company come to me. Guo Fengyou, you take command of the personal infantry."

Pang Yu had just finished giving the order and turned his head back when the Mounted Bandits slammed into the Logistics Team.

……

"Sin, what sin!"

Tang Ershuan muttered in panic. All around, mules and horses screamed in terror, carts crashed into each other with dreadful clattering sounds.

His Marine Corps unit, serving as Light Infantry, had been shifted around repeatedly by Pang Yu. This time they were mainly assigned to guard the Logistics Team. Originally it had been uneventful — they could even lie down in the emptied carts. Who knew that after passing Dongge Post Station they would become the bandits' main target. Joining this Water Camp Land Combat Unit, he reflected, was nothing like being in the Water Camp.

Countless cavalry appeared from the outer flank, brandishing Waist Sabers and Line Spears to slaughter the animals. Some panicked beasts fled toward the east side of the official road, dragging their carts until they toppled over the road shoulder.

The horse soldiers then gained the official road, hacking at every person and animal in sight. Against hundreds of cavalry, the few dozen scattered Marine Corps soldiers following the carts were nearly useless.

Beside him, the rear of a cart pitched high into the air, shuddering violently. The Packhorse harnessed in front had collapsed to the ground, its four hooves still flailing.

Tang Ershuan hid behind a cart wheel. Several Mounted Bandits charged past right in front of him, chasing down two Grooms fleeing ahead. Some of the horse soldiers surged onto the east side of the official road; others galloped straight down the road toward the battalion's command banner ahead.

The wooden handle of the Throwing Axe in his hand was slick with sweat. Tang Ershuan steeled himself to hurl it at the back of the nearest horse soldier, but in the end, he ducked back behind the cart wheel.

A scream sounded behind him, along with the rumble of approaching cart wheels. Tang Ershuan turned to look — a mule, dragging a cart, was barreling straight at him at terrifying speed. He feared these mules the most. The Logistics Team had lost many carts, mostly mule carts. These animals were dim-witted; at the slightest disturbance from the bandits, they panicked and bolted. The three men who had died at the front of the Logistics Team had all been mule drivers. Abandoning all thought of hiding, he leapt up and ran toward the front of the cart.

With a crash behind him, the mule plowed straight into the upended cart. The mule cart's left wheel shattered, and it collapsed to the left, spilling Rice and Beans across the ground with a loud clatter. The mule, now askew, could run no further but still struggled and brayed where it stood.

Drenched in sweat, Tang Ershuan stood dazed and lost. The moment he straightened up, a horse's head suddenly loomed before him, and then the rider above it appeared — a Mounted Bandit had just leapt onto the official road.

"Your granny!" Tang Ershuan howled with desperate fury and hurled the Throwing Axe in his hand straight at the horse soldier.