Chapter 349: Reinforcements

"The right side is open — Skirmisher Team, you can't leave a gap, stay in three ranks!" Wu Dacai shouted as he ran, yelling at the First Squad's squad leader. "All other squads form single-file columns, keep to the left side of the road, and stretch the column out!"

Clear cannon fire sounded ahead, meaning both sides were still engaged and he hadn't arrived too late. Wu Dacai let out a breath of relief, then tensed up again — because it meant battle was about to begin.

When his Company had left the position, the Roving Bandits' scout horses had just departed and left no one behind to keep watch. Wu Dacai had essentially followed right behind the bandits' scout horses.

By Wu Dacai's estimate, the bandit scout horses had set out from Chema River Market Town in the morning to scout south. This kind of battlefield reconnaissance was naturally arranged by the bandit chief, but merely seeing was useless — they would have to report back to the bandit chief. The bandit chief's most pressing concern today was engaging the Garrison Commander's main force at Chema River; scouting the Pedestrian Road toward Susong was to prevent a Government Troops ambush. The scout horses needed to report back around noon; otherwise, it would be of no use to the bandit chief.

There was only one road coming from Chema River. Wu Dacai figured the bandit chief wouldn't send multiple waves of scout horses to check repeatedly — the most likely scenario was just that one wave in the morning. If sent too late, the battle would mostly be over by the time they reported, and the intelligence would be meaningless to the bandit chief. These scout horses had traveled twenty li out, and after completing their reconnaissance, they'd have to travel another twenty li back. They probably wouldn't rest midway, and they certainly wouldn't suddenly turn back.

Wu Dacai decided to gamble. He would conduct no reconnaissance at all and take the entire Company straight to Chema River, to avoid alerting the Roving Bandits ahead of time.

Along the way, they indeed encountered no more scout horses. They did run into plenty of Roving Bandits, but all were of the servant type — some likely out foraging for grain, others fleeing. They had to avoid both the bandits' Horse Soldiers and the government troops. The moment they spotted Wu Dacai's group, they immediately scattered and fled.

Wu Dacai wasn't worried about these servants carrying word. They were on foot too and wouldn't be much faster than his own men. And from Wu Dacai's observation, these servants were extremely emaciated — they couldn't even outwalk his men on foot. Sure enough, most of the Roving Bandits fled off the Pedestrian Road, taking shelter in the countryside.

The journey was unexpectedly smooth — no interceptions at all. The bandit Horse Soldiers that usually haunted them like lingering spirits were almost entirely absent, and Chema River was already ahead.

Once the cannon fire became audible, Wu Dacai finished adjusting the formation. According to the Garrison Commander's march regulations, on a relatively narrow Pedestrian Road like this, with no threat from the rear, the entire Company should form a three-rank column organized by Banner Team, with the Skirmisher Squad at the head and the Fire Soldier Squad at the tail.

But Wu Dacai did not follow regulations. He reformed the entire Company into a single-file column, stretching it to three times its usual length. Only the Skirmisher Squad at the head filled out its ranks. The single-file column kept to the left side of the road, so that from a distance on the opposite bank, his one Company would look like an entire Division.

The closer they got to Chema River, the clearer the cannon fire became, and the Roving Bandits on the road gradually increased. On this stretch of the Pedestrian Road, the river channel lay to the left and vast paddy fields to the right — there was no place to mass troops. The bandits had no way to block them. The servants on the road were utterly panicked; the moment they saw government troops, they turned and ran.

The Skirmisher Squad picked up speed slightly, taking on the role of Vanguard. Wu Dacai ran back and forth, urging on his hundred-plus men. The stretched-out column multiplied his physical exertion.

On his way back from the tail of the column, Wu Dacai stole a glance at the opposite bank. There were scattered Roving Bandits by the river, fleeing in panic toward the market town. Chema River Market Town was already faintly visible. Wu Dacai even saw white smoke rising in columns — ordinary cannon fire didn't produce smoke pillars like that. Wu Dacai had no idea what was happening over there.

Quickening his pace, he ran back to the head of the column, nearly out of breath. The road ahead was full of Roving Bandits fleeing in utter disarray, yet no one attacked. Wu Dacai hurriedly stopped and took a drink of water. Turning his head, he saw the Flag Bearer, who was just as exhausted. Wu Dacai gulped the water down and beckoned to the Flag Bearer.

"Hoist that Left Character Banner!"

At the market town on the west end of the Chema River wooden bridge, the Roving Bandits crowding the road scrambled aside, barely clearing a passage. Liu Guoneng reined in his horse at the riverbank and stopped. Without the market town buildings blocking his view, his field of vision suddenly opened wide.

On the opposite bank to the southeast, there was a Pedestrian Road running along the river. This stretch of the Chema River flowed almost directly toward Susong County Town, then curved southwest to merge into the Erlang River. The Pedestrian Road to Susong lay on the river's east bank.

A body of troops was advancing along the road, their column appearing very long. Under the sunlight, metallic reflections flickered continuously — the common sight of armor at a distance. Normally, that would mean mounted Household Retainers, but judging by the size he could now make out, he basically determined they were infantry. Liu Guoneng's face went pale. He had no idea how government troops had gotten this close before being discovered.

Because they had large numbers of mules and horses, the Roving Bandits' ability to gather surrounding intelligence far surpassed that of the Government Troops. But this time, events had broken suddenly. The government troops had landed from Dragon Lake, completely evading all the camps' land-based reconnaissance. After landing, their movements had been extremely swift, giving the various camps no adequate time to deploy scouts. Even with several camps of Giant Bandits in a Combined Camp, they had failed to fully grasp the intelligence around the battlefield.

The intelligence sent back from the Susong direction yesterday had been extremely chaotic — every camp's account differed. Liu Guoneng had not ignored this direction. In the morning, he had again dispatched a group of Horse Soldiers to scout. They reported back after noon, saying there were two hundred government troops on the road digging trenches and holding position, all of them infantry.

Liu Guoneng judged by his common sense that digging in and holding position meant they would not attack. Out of his habitual contempt for government infantry, and since the old camp was nearby, Liu Guoneng had left only two hundred foot soldiers on this Pedestrian Road, without even cutting the road. Instead, he had prepared over a hundred Horse Soldiers on the post road toward Fengjiadian, to guard against a sudden strike by the government troops there.

Though Liu Guoneng was a battle-hardened veteran, he still felt his scalp prickle. He was now beginning to suspect that the whole Susong affair was a trap laid by the government troops. How else could so many bizarre things happen — government troops arriving by boat, Household Retainers wearing armor but marching on foot, small cannons firing at incredible speed, Erlang Town ambushed, and now Chema River ambushed, at the most critical moment of all.

The government troops' column on the Pedestrian Road was very long. Judging by his years of experience, there were roughly three to five hundred men. Observing the positions reflecting sunlight, virtually the entire column was armored. Those two hundred foot soldiers wouldn't hold for a single round.

This force of government troops was coming from the east bank. If they seized the market town on the river's east side, the only bridge of escape would be cut off.

"Master, look — these are probably not just the Vanguard. Who knows how many more Household Retainers are behind them... all Household Retainers." A longtime High Shine beside him said in a low voice. "All our horses are over on that side."

"Then what's there to say? We absolutely cannot let those dog officials block the bridge." Liu Guoneng's mouth twisted. "Take all the men here and go. I'll bring the old brothers up right after."

That High Shine froze for a moment but said nothing more. He called over his Post Commander, gave a few orders, and the various families began shifting manpower. With their own line of retreat at stake, the headmen at every level worked with extreme efficiency.

The market town's streets were narrow. To attack the Garrison Commander's Right Wing in waves, Liu Guoneng had prepared a large number of foot soldiers. At this moment, the old camp's assault had seized the post road, and these follow-up foot soldiers were all waiting in the streets, preparing to attack westward. Now they had to turn around and head east, and the streets instantly descended into chaos.

Liu Guoneng grew frantic, shouting urgent orders without pause. The government infantry was advancing quickly. The foot soldiers guarding that stretch of road were collapsing and fleeing in succession. The east bank of the Chema River was packed with servants — the old, weak, women, and children who couldn't fight. Liu Guoneng could already see the crowd over there beginning to flee north, and the chaos was spreading into the market town.

A Horse Soldier came galloping swiftly across the bridge. He stopped before Liu Guoneng and said in a low voice, "Reporting for the master's awareness: those government troops have a banner — it's Zuo Liangyu's men."

Liu Guoneng's face twitched. He turned his head and bellowed at that High Shine, "Cross the river now! Use your swords to drive them forward — cut down anyone who doesn't move."

On the small slope west of the battlefield, a group of guards surrounded Pang Yu, still holding their shields up warily.

"Have the Artillery cease fire." Pang Yu wiped his forehead, then shook the sweat from his hands. "The weather's a bit hot."

Xie Zhaofa, standing beside him, tilted his head and glanced at Pang Yu. "It truly is rather hot."

Pang Yu grunted in acknowledgment and began patting himself all over. "Where's my telescope?"

"My lord, it fell to the ground just now." Xie Zhaofa lunged forward in a swift stride, quickly picked up the telescope, and handed it over.

Pang Yu showed no embarrassment whatsoever. He took it, steadied his breathing for a moment, then raised the telescope to survey the scene. Just moments ago, the Roving Bandits had broken through the battle line. The Land Combat Division had dissolved its formation and sealed the breach from the right. After a brief melee, a group of bandits had attacked the small slope from the left — roughly a hundred men.

Pang Yu was not carrying his Recognition Banner. The bandits' target was the cannon position, but Pang Yu could not flee. Several dozen guards and Garrison Inspector soldiers were locked in chaotic combat with the bandits at the foot of the slope, leaving only five or six men to protect Pang Yu. Then a second wave of fifty or sixty bandits attacked the small slope again.

The guards might not hold against this wave. Just as they were about to arrive, Pang Yu had already begun weighing the gains and losses of fleeing. Fortunately, at the critical moment, the Personal Guard Division arrived in time and, like a heavy hammer, slammed the Roving Bandits right back.

Cao Cao's Recognition Banner was still there, but the Central Army was practically nonexistent. The Left Wing had been shattered by cannon fire. The Right Wing, where the old camp was, had just suffered devastating losses in that last charge and had lost all formation. The Personal Guard Division, however, had taken only light losses. As long as they broke through the gap and kept pressing the Right Wing, Cao Cao would soon collapse. The Personal Guard Division had already surged past the battle line; the First Division and Land Combat Division were also counterattacking. Pang Yu once again saw the hope of victory.

"Go tell Zhuang Chaozheng — smash through Cao Cao's Central Army, then push east and crush the Eight Bandits' line. Drive them all..." Pang Yu raised one hand, preparing to end the order with a forceful gesture.

A voice interrupted from behind: "My lord, Chuang Tatian is fiercely attacking the Right Wing and the Central Army. Multiple points have already been breached. Wang Zenglu says he can barely hold on. Yang Xueshi requests that my lord send him the remaining Cavalry Division."

Pang Yu turned his head. It was a Relay Horse, his face drenched in sweat, staring at Pang Yu in terror.

"Can't even hold a single post road, and he wants me to send him the Cavalry Division too — then I'd have no troops left in my hands at all." Pang Yu finally couldn't hold back and roared. Victory was in sight, and now a crisis erupted on the Right Wing — a crisis that could change the outcome. If Chuang Tatian broke through the Right Wing first, he could attack the main force of the Garrison Commander's Left Wing from behind. Then not even Sun Wu reborn could save them.

After venting, Pang Yu took a few panting breaths. Once his anger subsided, he said to Xie Zhaofa, "Where is Chen Rulie?"

Xie Zhaofa said in a low voice, "He just reported back. A group of Horse Soldiers has come out from the Roving Bandits at Ink Smoke Shop — about a hundred men — heading along the post road straight for Chema River. Chen Company Commander has already dispatched the Second Cavalry Company to intercept, with the First Company as support. Also, the scouts say the cannon fire at Erlang Town hasn't sounded for a long time."

Pang Yu was drenched in sweat. The remaining Cavalry Division now had to deal with the bandit Horse Soldiers coming from the west. His last reserve force was gone too. All his chips were already on the table.

What mattered most to him now was time. If he pulled the Personal Guard Division back now to rescue the Right Wing, he'd give the Roving Bandits on the west side time to steady their lines. Though they couldn't possibly recover much fighting strength, time would drag on. Once Old Huihui took Erlang Town and nearly ten thousand bandits attacked from the post road, the Garrison Commander would lose the opportunity for victory — and he himself would become the turtle in the jar.

Looking out from the small slope, the surrounding hills, paddy fields, and roads were strewn with corpses and shattered weapons. Countless figures still fought and killed. Farther away, there were still innumerable Roving Bandits. If they couldn't win here, the entire Garrison Commander's force would be annihilated — there wouldn't even be a place to flee.

"If we're gambling, let's gamble big." Pang Yu strode over to the nearby cannon position. Three cannons remained. He pointed at a few Cannoneers. "You three cannons, all of you follow me."

Without waiting for their reply, Pang Yu strode back.

"Jiang Guoyong, take your Garrison Inspector Dui and enforce discipline here. All units on the Left Wing continue the attack — no one is permitted to retreat. Drive every last Roving Bandit into the Chema River." Pang Yu drew his Waist Saber in one motion and turned to stare at the Relay Horse. "I and my guards are the final reinforcements. Follow me to reinforce Wang Zenglu!"