Chapter 346: Chaotic Battle

"Cao Cao is attacking along the entire line. His left wing has around a thousand Red Jacket Bandits…"

The lookout's voice continued to come through. The situation was growing simpler and simpler for Pang Yu. The only terrain where the two sides could engage was the western side where Cao Cao held his ground. The garrison battalion's right wing had the advantage of terrain. Chuang Tatian could only attack along the post road, but he still posed some threat. The most useless was the Western Camp.

Although intelligence indicated that Cao Cao's fighting strength might be the strongest, the Eight Great Kings had originally been Pang Yu's greatest worry. Two years ago, the perilous situation of the Western Camp's attack and defense at Tongcheng was something Pang Yu had personally experienced. Psychologically, he paid the most attention to the Eight Bandits. But in this Battle of Chemah, the Eight Bandits had played almost no role. Their Central Army, numbering in the thousands, was packed between Tufeng Fort and City River Stockade. Almost everything in front of them was paddy fields. As soon as the infantry in the paddy fields advanced even a little, they lost their formation. They posed no threat whatsoever to Pang Yu.

As long as the garrison battalion crushed Cao Cao, the Eight Bandits' flank in this formation would be completely exposed. The garrison battalion would only need two Divisions to drive them all into the river.

The operational opportunity he had been waiting for since last year, for over half a year, the risky raid on Erlang Town — it had now condensed down to that one section of Cao Cao's line. The entire campaign hinged on whether the garrison battalion's left wing could crush Cao Cao. And Old Huihui, attacking Erlang Town from the west, made Pang Yu feel even more urgency. Cao Cao was attacking along the entire line. As long as they could hold against this wave of assault, it seemed the moment had arrived to commit the Personal Guard Division to the decisive battle.

Pang Yu turned his head and said to Yang Xueshi, "This official will go to the left wing to command in person. Clerk Yang, you remain here. The Dismounted Cavalry of the two Cavalry Division Companies are under your command. You must hold the right wing and the center line."

Yang Xueshi hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Excellency's Recognition Banner and the Five-Direction Banners are here. They are where the army's morale rests. It would be better not to move them…"

"That is why I am having you hold the position. Jiang Guoyong, bring your Garrison Inspector soldiers and follow this official."

Having said this, Pang Yu dismounted. The guard unit and the Garrison Inspector Dui followed behind. They walked all the way across the rear of the left wing and climbed onto the earthen slope where Yao Dongshan had initially been positioned. Yao Dongshan's banner had already moved forward. The four small cannons had just finished a round of firing. Thick gunpowder smoke hung heavy over the small slope.

Xie Zhaofa was also here. He was holding up his own telescope. Hearing movement, he turned his head to look and hurriedly moved to salute. Pang Yu waved his hand and began observing the battlefield on his own.

The field of view here was far broader than at the Central Army position. After the cannon smoke gradually dispersed, the battlefield appeared clearly before his eyes. In the center was the First Division. In front of their long spear formation, corpses lay strewn across the field. The commoners and Roving Bandits who had just charged had suffered horrific casualties. The remaining infantry were in chaotic ranks, people scattering wildly in all directions. There were still archers attacking the First Division.

The Land Combat Division's two Companies were deployed on the northwest side, facing Cao Cao's force of over a thousand Copy Troops. Within this Copy Troop force, there were still over twenty mounted Red Jacket Bandits. Those who could ride horses in this kind of terrain were surely old bandits with superb riding skills. It was precisely this Copy Troop force that had pinned down Yao Dongshan's left wing, preventing the First Division from directly attacking Cao Cao's line.

Cao Cao was now launching an all-out assault. A tide of people surged toward the First Division. That group of Red Jacket Bandits he had been most concerned about, however, had already been torn to shreds by the artillery. They had advanced only about fifty paces before falling into chaos, unable to push forward, and were even blocking the Western Camp troops following behind them. Cao Cao's Central Army had long since had its fighting strength completely destroyed by several hundred cannonballs. The only remaining threat was Cao Cao's right wing. They looked to be dressed in all sorts of ragged clothing, generally infantry made up of Servants.

Pang Yu was now brimming with confidence. He turned his head and said to Xie Zhaofa, "Notify the Personal Guard Division to prepare."

At that moment, the cannon fire ceased. Pang Yu glanced over. The artillery crews were busy cooling the barrels. There was not much ammunition left in the stockpile behind them. For the next round of bombardment, Pang Yu intended to direct it personally. He would wait until the moment the Personal Guard Division began its assault, then concentrate fire on the Western Camp in the center, routing the entire Roving Bandit army in one surge.

Xie Zhaofa's voice came through. "Your Excellency, something is not right with Cao Cao's right wing."

Pang Yu raised his telescope and looked. Here, they were very close to the battlefield. Through the lens, he could see that although the Roving Bandits in the front ranks of Cao Cao's right wing were dressed in tattered clothes, almost all of them were brawny and large-framed. They showed none of the malnutrition common among ordinary Servants. Moreover, their movements were extremely resolute. The direction of their advance seemed to be aimed at the far left flank of the First Division.

The two Companies of the Land Combat Division were advancing. According to the orders Pang Yu had just given Xie Zhaofa, they were to go and crush that Copy Troop force. As they pushed forward, the distance between them and the left flank of the First Division gradually widened. The remaining two Companies of the Land Combat Division were arrayed behind the First Division, serving as the left wing's reserve force, but their position was somewhat off to the right. A gap had appeared in the battle line here, caused by a breakdown in the garrison battalion's command coordination. Although the gap was not large, it was situated at the decisive point of the entire battle line.

"Send a runner to give the order to Blacksmith. Have the Land Combat Division's Third Company shift left. The Land Combat First and Second Companies are to halt their advance. Go, quickly!"

Pang Yu watched as several heralds ran down the slope. Only then did he feel that his command system was somewhat obstructed. The Central Army's Five-Direction Banners could only direct down to the Division level, and moreover, he had left them with Yang Xueshi. The left wing currently had two Divisions. Although Yao Dongshan had been designated as the commander, Yao Dongshan had no banner with which to communicate with the Land Combat Division. If the Personal Guard Division and the Cavalry Division were also committed to the battlefield, the chain of command would become even more chaotic. For Pang Yu to directly command the Land Combat troops at the Company level, he could only rely on heralds running to deliver orders. Efficiency and response speed were both very low.

The heralds ran very fast, but the Roving Bandits' attack was also very fast. Cao Cao's right wing moved swiftly. The target of their attack had accurately selected that gap. Pang Yu held his telescope motionless. Only from this small slope could one see the entire situation so clearly. Neither of the two frontline Company Commander could see it.

Cao Cao's right wing surged with over a thousand heads, charging toward that gap like a turbid wave. Though their formation was ragged, their numbers were huge. Before the Land Combat Third Company could shift, Cao Cao's right wing had already arrived first, pouring in through the gap in a swarm.

The crowd that burst through was completely different from Servants. They moved swiftly, attacking through the gap between the First Division and the Land Combat Division. They immediately circled around to the rear of the First Division. The First Division infantry on the outermost flank instantly came under attack from three sides. Arrows, throwing axes, throwing swords, and the like flew at them in dense swarms. The garrison battalion soldiers on the outer edge immediately collapsed in a swath, their formation instantly crumbling. The Roving Bandits then closed in, turning the fight into the chaotic melee they excelled at. The left flank of the First Division crumbled step by step. The Roving Bandits then began attacking the two Companies of the Land Combat Division on the left.

"So this is the Old Camp!" Xie Zhaofa suddenly shouted. "The Red Jacket Bandits were a decoy! Cao Cao's Old Camp is here! But how can there be so many!"

Pang Yu still stood frozen on the spot. He had never imagined the Roving Thieves still had a move like this up their sleeve. For a moment, he did not know how to respond. This Old Camp force was mixed in among the infantry. Even now, it was hard to estimate their numbers. But judging by the speed at which they were pouring in, there were at least six or seven hundred of them. If they fought their way along the flank, they would very quickly rout the entire First Division. Pang Yu's left wing would cease to exist.

Over ten mounted Roving Bandits appeared at the gap. They too wore tattered gray clothing. They swiftly galloped through the gap between the First Division and the Land Combat Division, but instead of attacking the frontline troops, they charged straight toward the small slope.

Pang Yu's lower body tightened. The words almost escaped his lips. "Quick…"

Before the word "run" could come out, Pang Yu suddenly realized he was not on horseback. Moreover, with so many of his men around him, at a critical moment like this, he could not turn and flee.

With this moment's delay, the surrounding guard unit swarmed around him with a clatter. Pang Yu at least felt a bit safer. He swallowed the word "run" back down with a gulp. He roared at Xie Zhaofa, "Quick, send someone to notify Blacksmith! Have the two Companies in the rear row…"

Before his words had even finished, the two Companies of Land Combat troops arrayed in the second line had already acted on their own. They broke their formation and charged at the pouring-in Roving Bandits at top speed.

Pang Yu's raised heart settled back down a little. The Land Combat Division had reacted swiftly, immediately moving to seal that gap. This would protect the First Division's flank. But the Land Combat troops had also lost their formation. That section of the battle line would inevitably turn into a chaotic melee next. This was advantageous to the Roving Bandits, who had the numerical superiority.

Pang Yu looked around in all directions, then strode over to the dazed cannoneers. "Bombard the left-wing gap immediately!"

The artillery Banner Commander on the far left shouted back, "Too hot, the barrels will burst!"

"Jiang Guoyong, take your men and enforce discipline! Before I give the order, anyone who dares stop firing will be beheaded on the spot!"

Before Jiang Guoyong could even go over, those bare-chested artillerymen immediately began loading. In the time it took Pang Yu to turn back around, the dozen or so Mounted Bandits had already charged to the foot of the slope. They loosed a volley of arrows toward the top of the slope. The surrounding guard unit raised their shields one after another. The guard soldiers who knew archery drew their bows and returned fire. Two men immediately fell from their horses. The remaining ones, seeing no opening to exploit, immediately wheeled and galloped toward the cannon position by the edge of the paddy field.

Pang Yu grabbed Xie Zhaofa with one hand. "Order the Personal Guard Division to attack toward the left wing! You go in person to arrange it with Zhuang Chaozheng! I'm going to crush Cao Cao into the river!"

…

"Don't crowd! All of you, line up in order for me!"

Beside a well not far behind the Central Army, a water bucket that had just been hauled up was immediately mobbed by five or six water ladles squeezing in. The water in the bucket splashed out noisily, spilling quite a bit.

The only places nearby where drinking water could be drawn were a few wells in the village. Sweeping King had retreated too hastily and had not had time to throw corpses into them. The garrison battalion relied on these few wells to replenish their drinking water. The people sent from each Division to fetch water included both Fire Soldiers and assigned civilian laborers. Because too many people were waiting, every bucket that came up sparked a scramble. The Garrison Inspector Dui had been forced to dispatch three Garrison Inspector soldiers to make people line up at the well, but there was still some chaos.

With a thud, the water bucket tipped over onto the ground, the well water spilling everywhere. A Garrison Inspector soldier was kicking and hitting people nearby. He raised his scabbard and struck hard at the head of a person on the ground who had been scrambling for water.

A burst of pain shot through Yang Guangdi's head. He hurriedly protected his head with his hands and lay on the ground, sucking in a few breaths with a huff. Besides the taste of water, there was also the taste of mud. Seeing that he could not suck up any water, Yang Guangdi scrambled to his feet in a flash and ran toward the Personal Guard Division, carrying five water ladles.

Behind him, a boom erupted. Yang Guangdi hurriedly turned his head to look. He saw a plume of dust rise up from within the crowd of the Eight Bandits' battle line opposite them. The surrounding Roving Bandits were knocked sprawling left and right. The people around all scattered, as if a cannonball had blasted out a large empty patch of ground.

"The Eight Bandits got blown up again!"

Yang Guangdi shouted happily. The flagstones of the post road, baking under the scorching sun, were a bit hot underfoot. But Yang Guangdi was not afraid. His bare feet slapped against the stone slabs. The people coming and going on the road were all civilian laborers like him, mostly fetching water. There were paddy fields right beside them. Inside the paddy fields were a large number of carriages, some damaged and some intact. Yang Guangdi did not know who had pushed them in. There were also many dead human and animal corpses in the water, so the officers would not let the soldiers drink from it.

The road surface ahead was covered with seated soldiers. All of them were clad in heavy armor, a field of dazzling reflections under the sunlight. On the post road to the west, wounded soldiers were being transported back, shouting loudly there.

Yang Guangdi remembered the spot. He accurately found Xu Squad Leader. Several soldiers, unable to stand up in their armor, waved at him one after another. Yang Guangdi plopped his rear down onto the ground. The soldiers reached out for their own water ladles.

Xu Squad Leader, the biggest of them, had the largest build. His main problem was that his waist was too thick, so he could not sit directly on the road surface. He had therefore padded his seat with a Roving Bandit corpse fished out of the field. Busy drinking water, he rose slightly. Once he received his ladle, he plopped his rear back down. A cracking sound came from underneath him. A stream of bloody water actually sprayed out of the corpse's mouth.

Xu Squad Leader paid no mind to any of this. He hastily took off his iron mask and tossed it aside, revealing a greasy, fat-slicked face. The moment he grabbed the ladle, he gulped the water down noisily. In a moment, the ladle was empty.

"Master Soldier Xu, I'll give you my jug too." Yang Guangdi took the ladle from the belt at his back and handed it to Xu Lengzi.

Xu Lengzi said nothing. He took it and gulped down another fierce round. Yang Guangdi crouched nearby, watching. This Xu Squad Leader had an astonishing physique. Even among this group of burly men in the Personal Guard Division, he was astonishing. The iron armor he wore must have weighed sixty catties. Even his auxiliary armor was larger than other people's. The battle skirt that reached his knees could serve as someone else's long skirt. Because the weather was sweltering, this Xu Squad Leader had pulled his battle skirt to the sides and had also secretly removed the armguards from both sides, sitting on them right under his rear end. This way, he could at least cool off a little.

Xu Squad Leader repeated the process from just before. While he tilted his head back to drink, the artillery on the left wing began bombarding again. The cannon fire was very dense.

Yang Guangdi listened for a moment and said, "How come it only stopped for that little while."

Xu Squad Leader ignored him and continued drinking on his own. This time, after finishing, he paused and let out a comfortable water belch.

"Master Soldier Xu, I'm going to fetch water again."

Xu Squad Leader belched again, rubbed his belly, and said, "You're a diligent kid, and your build's not bad either. After the battle, come join the Personal Guard Division as a soldier."

Yang Guangdi shook his head. "I want to be a cavalryman."

Xu Squad Leader's eyes widened. "What use is cavalry? For hacking people, it's gotta be the Personal Guard Division."

"Xu Squad Leader, how many people have you killed?"

Xu Squad Leader was stunned for a long while. Then he buried his head and began opening his fingers one by one. When he reached four, he froze again. He then closed his hand and started opening his fingers all over again.

"Seven…"

A soldier beside him said, "Squad Leader, last time you counted eight."

"Eight?" Xu Squad Leader's eyes blinked ceaselessly, sweat streaming down his fat face.

"Eight is still fewer than our Chief of Ten killed — he killed eleven!" Yang Guangdi thought for a moment, then added, "Eleven in Hezhou alone."

Xu Squad Leader glared and slapped his thigh. "With a stout fellow like that, why wasn't he called to the Personal Guard Division?"

"Lord Pang assigned him to manage the Women's Camp. Said he's the only one who can handle it."

Xu Squad Leader waved his hand. "How can that be? I know Lord Pang — I'll make sure Lord Pang transfers this stout fellow over to hack men down with me."

Yang Guangdi was about to speak again when suddenly — boom — the signal cannon fired.

From the right flank came a thunderous shout: "Personal Guard Division, ready!"

Several heralds sprinted about. The Centurion was deploying with a few Banner Commanders, pointing and gesturing ceaselessly toward the north. Each squad leader kept urging the soldiers on. The Heavy Armor Soldiers on the ground straightened their armor and weapons one after another. Those who had quietly taken auxiliary armor hurriedly had others help them put it on.

Xu Lengzi was clearly flustered; his face armor failed to hook on properly several times. Yang Guangdi hurried to help. The face armor had six hooks in total, all attaching to the helmet, and finally had to be secured tight with straps.

Just as it was fastened, an anthem sound rang out. A thunderous boom echoed from the post road — hundreds of Heavy Armor Soldiers stood up as one. Yang Guangdi stepped back a few paces. When he stopped and looked over, Xu Lengzi's towering frame nearly blocked out the sunlight.

There was almost no time to dress ranks. The drums sounded at once, and four hundred Heavy Armor Soldiers advanced north with rumbling, earth-shaking steps.

Yang Guangdi rubbed his hands in excitement, watching the Personal Guard Division's formation slowly push forward over the rolling terrain. Swaths of long spears rose into the air. The soldiers' tall, broad backs swayed, their battle skirts shielding their thighs swinging back and forth, a chorus of clinking scales ringing out.

In a blur, he suddenly caught sight of Xu Lengzi's shoulders. Yang Guangdi's head snapped down — the two armguards were still lying on that corpse. He snatched them up and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Officer Xu! Your armguards!"

Yang Guangdi waved the padded armor. Ahead, cannons rumbled, and orders rang out ceaselessly within the Heavy Armor Soldiers' ranks — who could possibly hear him? He watched the formation depart northward. Yang Guangdi glanced around. The Chief of Ten was busy directing men to carry the wounded. Everyone else was occupied with their own tasks. Yang Guangdi let out a strange cry, picked up a waist saber beside the paddy field, and, gripping the two heavy armguards, chased north.