Chapter 402: Floating Crossing

"Today's routes: the three squads of the Roving Cavalry Banner under the division will head northwest to Baishazhou, scouting water depths at every point along the Baishazhou riverbank and the number of Western Camp boats, then reach Eryi Weir in Guanghua County tonight to overnight. The First and Second Company scout cavalry squads will go due north past Huangqupu, enter Xinye County fifty li in, and overnight. The Third and Fourth Company scout cavalry squads will head northeast into Zaoyang County seventy li in and overnight."

At Wulipu outside the north gate of Xiangyang, within the encampment of the Anqing Cavalry Camp, several dozen cavalrymen had finished arranging their gear and were gathering in front of the tents, leading their horses. The Banner Commander of the Roving Cavalry Banner was giving instructions to several squad leaders, while the other cavalrymen listened in.

"For this mission, the scouts are to mark mountains, rivers, roads, bridges, and market towns along the route, and scout the movements of Western Camp grain-raiding parties. If you encounter a small enemy force, hold and pin them. If you encounter a large force, trail them, forcing the enemy to draw in their men and horses and shrink their grain-raiding range. One squad is responsible for one official road. The mapmaker will travel with the squad leader. Whether to split into squads of five is up to each squad leader based on the terrain. Squad leaders will determine their own rally points. Draw in and overnight before nightfall, and assign Ambush Army numbers according to the terrain."

The Banner Commander finished in a few sentences. The squad leaders had no extra questions. The Banner Commander waved his hand, and each squad leader returned to his own unit. After brief instructions to their men, they prepared to leave camp. Among the ranks, Yang Guangdi moved to stand beside his horse.

The grain trade at Mianyang Port was still ongoing, but the Western Camp's purchasing volume kept declining, and they were sending out more and more grain-raiding parties. Since late April, Western Camp men and horses had begun moving out frequently.

The Government Troops currently at Xiangyang were still Xiong Wencan's three main forces: Pang Yu, Zuo Liangyu, and Chen Hongfan, all stationed within Xiangyang County. So the Western Camp generally avoided Xiangyang County. Since government soldiers guarded the bridges to the east, they mostly crossed directly by boat from Baishazhou or forded the river via the Fenshui south of the county seat. Their grain-raiding range extended west to Yun County, north to Xinye, east to Suizhou, and south into the borders of Jingmen — roughly two hundred li in every direction. Requests for aid from the surrounding prefectures and counties poured in without end. Xiong Wencan's response was to send down documents reprimanding Zhang Xianzhong, which of course had no actual effect.

Pang Yu and Zuo Liangyu dispatched cavalry to disrupt the Western Camp's grain raids. When the two sides encountered each other in Guanghua County and Xinye County, they often fell into standoffs, and small-scale clashes broke out from time to time.

Because the common people in the vicinity had all scattered and fled, the Western Camp had to travel long distances to gather grain beyond Gucheng, bringing carriages and servants along, so their marching speed was not fast. The Anqing Battalion, on the other hand, sent out only cavalry, giving them the advantage in mobility. During the pursuit campaign at the end of last year, the Anqing Battalion's march speed initially held at sixty li per day, then dropped steadily day after day. Men and horses dwindled as they went, until in the end only a hundred or so men could still pursue. Now, with Xiangyang as a base and after more training, operating in company-sized units they could reach one hundred li per day and sustain it for three days. When the entire Thousand-Leader Headquarters moved out, they could still only manage around seventy li.

The most frequently deployed among them were still the scouts. Today's mission was to scout Western Camp activity in the region north of Xiangyang, curb their plundering, and worsen the Western Camp's shortage of rations and pay.

The squad leader looked back, then waved his hand. "Mount up."

Yang Guangdi swung up with practiced ease, again the first to be seated. This feeling was far better than in the Relay Horse Team. The Relay Horse Team trained according to standard cavalry regulations: mounting was broken into five movements, one motion per command, and everyone had to sit in the saddle in perfect unison. Now that he was in the Scout Cavalry Banner, things were much more relaxed in this regard, and Yang Guangdi found it more comfortable.

The Banner Commander led the unit at the front. Along the way, other cavalrymen were also assembling, but they were only doing routine drills and had not mounted up. They watched the scouts go first. Sitting on his horse, Yang Guangdi could not help but straighten his back.

At the camp gate, the Banner Commander took out his identity badge to register. A clerk at the gate kept the record. The unit stopped again to wait. The ground at the gate was not wide, so the formation was very dense. The horse beside him turned its head his way. Yang Guangdi immediately pulled his own horse's head slightly to the left to avoid it. The horse beside him took another step, its head still bumping toward him.

His mount was clearly somewhat frightened and stepped back, trying to leave the formation, causing some restlessness among the horses behind. Yang Guangdi hurriedly reined it in and called to the teammate beside him, "Yu Er Ge, pull your horse in a bit."

Yu Er Ge did not turn his head to look, nor did he even pull his reins. He said, "A little brat who hasn't even earned his scout badge yet — mind your own horse."

"Who's talking! Scout Cavalry Second Squad, move out."

A horn sounded, and the camp gate opened. The figures ahead began to move. Yang Guangdi gently squeezed his horse's belly, and his mount obediently moved forward. Yang Guangdi controlled his speed, not letting his horse's head pass the one beside him. Yu Er Ge's mount caused no more trouble.

He reined in and slowed at the camp gate. The camp gate was the most important part of the encampment. If entering or exiting the gate caused disorder, the squad leader would be punished first regardless of the reason, then the soldiers. So ordinary cavalrymen were not permitted to ride inside the camp and were required to lead their horses on foot when entering or exiting. But relay horses and scout horses were exceptions. Because the regulations were strict, everyone was still very cautious. Beside him, Yu Er Ge also gripped his reins tightly to prevent his mount from causing trouble again.

The clerk at the gate counted heads. Yang Guangdi passed through carefully. Once outside the main gate, he breathed a sigh of relief. These army horses were also very clever, knowing they could run once out of the camp gate. The squad quickened its pace at the same time.

After the main force left camp, two squads headed east toward the official road leading to Zaoyang. One li later, another two squads split off toward Xinye County due north. The Scout Cavalry Banner that Yang Guangdi belonged to turned northwest to scout the Baishazhou direction, where they were most likely to encounter Western Camp men and horses.

The area around Baishazhou was where the Han River curved. The river channel was broad and gentle. This year, Gucheng suffered a severe drought. After the new year, it had rained only once, and water flow in every river channel had dropped sharply. The Adviser Division had obtained some intelligence suggesting that there might be places along this stretch of the river channel where one could ford. They needed the scout cavalry to confirm the locations. Today, their main task was to investigate the water depth of the river channel near Baishazhou.

The Scout Cavalry Banner Commander rode past him, glancing at Yang Guangdi's waist. The badge was still the wood-colored one, not the green-and-yellow badge of a scout cavalryman. He said to him, "Once you pass this floating crossing hurdle, you can collect your scout badge."

Yang Guangdi hurriedly acknowledged. He had originally been a relay rider. Because he knew how to assess and care for horses, this Banner Commander had transferred him into the scouts. His monthly pay was one tael higher — not a small sum for him. Scouts held high status in the army, nearly comparable to the artillery. More importantly, Yang Guangdi especially loved being a scout.

He stroked his mount's neck and said to the Banner Commander, "It's just that the moment it enters the water, it stops obeying orders and always tries to swim back."

The Banner Commander swept his eyes over the horse's head. "This is a good horse. Train with it a few more times and it'll be fine. What name did you give it?"

"Big Fire."

"Rustic. But rustic works too — one big fire to burn up all those Roving Thieves." The Banner Commander chuckled twice, then spurred his horse forward. Yang Guangdi still acknowledged and lowered his head to stroke his mount's mane. He had received this horse after joining the Scout Cavalry Squad. It was a genuine warhorse, far more vigorous than the relay horse he had ridden before. It could cover two hundred li in a single day's march, and its short-distance acceleration was also very fast. The only flaw was that it refused to obey once in the water.

Carrying a horse across a floating crossing was the final assessment item for scout cavalrymen. He had taken the test twice and failed both times. Knowing how to care for horses alone was not enough to stay in the Scout Cavalry Squad. But because he learned to read quickly, he had also been assigned to correct maps, which was how he could remain in the Scout Cavalry Squad for now. So he had to do this assignment seriously. Along the way, Yang Guangdi kept meticulous records. He not only had to verify distances and examine the terrain, but even had to check whether the wells at various places had water.

According to scout cavalry regulations, on terrain like that of the Xiangyang region, they were to march thirty-five to forty li per two-hour period, then rest for half a quarter-hour. The Banner Commander led the unit, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, constantly checking the distance with Yang Guangdi. Just before the third rest stop, the scout cavalry unit approached Gucheng.

The point scouts spotted Western Camp horse soldiers on the official road. The Banner Commander rode to the front to observe. In the past, the Western Camp had never blocked them on the east bank of the Han River, but today they were intercepting them directly on the official road, forbidding the government soldiers from approaching the river channel.

The Banner Commander estimated the enemy's numbers. There were nearly a hundred Roving Bandits blocking the road. He turned to the three squad leaders and said, "They won't let us pass, which means the river channel has dried up badly and they don't want us to see those places. That makes it all the more necessary to go. First Squad on the left, Second Squad in the center, Third Squad on the right. The three squads will disperse. Every squad of five must maintain visual contact. Once you find a fordable point, mark down the location. Move out!"

The three squad leaders each shouted an order. Over thirty scouts left the official road, their formation gradually dispersing. The Roving Bandits' horse soldiers reacted immediately, the bulk of them intercepting the Anqing scouts who had descended the official road to the west, because that side was closer to the river channel.

The Third Squad, which had descended the official road on the east side, immediately accelerated, trying to bypass the blocking position. The Roving Bandit horse soldiers split off another group and left the official road to block them. The two sides began a chase across the open fields.

Yang Guangdi's Second Squad stayed with the Banner Commander, searching for gaps in the Roving Bandits' interception. At the Banner Commander's order, the First Squad scattered and galloped wildly westward. The Roving Bandits' formation was immediately stretched apart.

The Banner Commander seized the moment and led the Second Squad in a swift dash, smoothly piercing through the enemy's blocking line. The Western Camp horse soldiers scrambled to stop them. Since both sides were nominally government troops, they had to exercise some restraint. An unspoken rule had formed: no blades or firearms were used. The Western Camp mostly used their horses' bodies to block, and when they got close, they would grab, pull, and strike with their hands. From time to time, riders grappled and tumbled to the ground together in pairs.

Yang Guangdi was momentarily nervous. He had not even put his map into his satchel. He had not been riding Big Fire for long, and the coordination between man and horse was far from skilled. He fell to the very rear of the Second Squad. Behind him, the sound of hooves from the First Squad was dense. Ahead of him, the struggle was fierce. The Western Camp horse soldiers were all drawn away and, for the moment, no one paid attention to this straggler.

At that moment, the river channel appeared in the field of vision to his left. While galloping, Yang Guangdi stole a glance. On the opposite bank, there were endless rows of makeshift huts, interspersed with some large tile-roofed houses. That was Baishazhou, where the Western Camp was stationed.

Vast stretches of the Han River's bed lay exposed, but the river's flow had not been cut off entirely. From this distance, one could not tell whether it was fordable. They needed to get closer.

The Banner Commander clearly thought the same. His riding skill was superb. Constantly changing speed and direction, he led a few men closer and closer to the riverbank, drawing more and more Roving Bandits to pursue and intercept them.

A stretch of narrow river channel appeared ahead. The Western Camp horse soldiers were visibly agitated, lashing their horses desperately with no regard for their mounts' stamina. The scouts had been marching all day, and their horses' stamina was no match for these horse soldiers who had been resting and waiting. Blocked by the enemy ahead, they could only veer slightly eastward to evade, unable to confirm the water depth of that stretch of river channel.

Yang Guangdi's horse was slow, and he was still holding papers in his hand. For a moment, no one noticed him. Seeing that the scouts had all been blocked and pushed far from the riverbank, he suddenly came to his senses, stuffed the map into his cloth bag, and shouted, "Banner Commander, I'll go scout it!"

He immediately spurred his horse and charged toward the fordable point. Big Fire surged forward at a gallop. Only then did the horse soldiers chasing ahead notice there was still one more government soldier behind them. They frantically turned around to give chase, but Yang Guangdi had already run down onto the riverbed. The horse's iron shoes pounded against the crushed gravel of the riverbed with muffled thuds.

At that moment, over a dozen more horse soldiers appeared on the opposite bank, racing toward this stretch of the river channel. Yang Guangdi had already seen them. Ahead of him and behind him were all Western Camp horse soldiers. If he kept advancing, he would be surrounded by these men.

He hesitated for only an instant. Then Yang Guangdi lashed his horse's rump fiercely. Big Fire's hooves splashed noisily as it charged sideways into that narrow stretch of water. Water sprayed everywhere at once. The horse's speed gradually dropped. Continuing forward, the water depth reached the horse's belly. Big Fire kept going. Yang Guangdi's feet dipped into the water.

Western Camp horse soldiers were closing in from both front and back, and he was in the middle of the river channel. Yang Guangdi's heart was tense to the extreme. Then the horse's body began to rise. The water level dropped again. In a moment, he had crossed the water. Yang Guangdi turned his head and shouted, "You can cross here!"

This was the first confirmed fordable point at Baishazhou. Those Western Camp horse soldiers were furious. Before today, no government soldier had ever crossed the river channel so brazenly. With this fordable point confirmed by government troops, the Western Camp had lost a concealed withdrawal route and would now have to set up defenses here.

The Post Commander leading them was burning with shame and rage. Shouting curses, he led his men in pursuit from behind and, together with the horse soldiers on the opposite bank, closed in to trap Yang Guangdi.

Although the two sides normally did not use blades or firearms, he would certainly be captured after being surrounded like this. Given the Western Camp's consistent conduct, his chances of survival were slim. They might even go and lodge a complaint with Xiong Wencan. The best outcome would be that the Central Army negotiated with the Western Camp and retrieved him, but the warhorse would not be returned. Losing both man and horse would also damage military prestige.

This place was close to Baishazhou. The Western Camp's strength on the opposite bank far exceeded that of the Anqing Battalion. The Banner Commander did not dare send men across the river to support him; if the Western Camp blocked them, the losses would be even heavier. He waited anxiously on the east bank, watching the situation on the other side.

Yang Guangdi knew his retreat was cut off. After crossing the river, before he could be intercepted, he wrenched his horse's head around and fled south along the river channel. A pack of Western Camp horse soldiers chased madly behind him.

After running two li, Big Fire, which had been marching all day, began to slow. The distance between the two sides shrank closer and closer. Ahead of Yang Guangdi, several more Western Camp horse soldiers appeared, spurring their horses to encircle him.

Yang Guangdi turned his head and glanced at the opposite bank. The Anqing scouts were running along the opposite bank, but they could not help. Gritting his teeth, he suddenly yanked his horse's head to the left. Man and horse headed straight for the Han River.

The water surface of this stretch of river channel was much wider than the previous one, but Yang Guangdi could not stop. The water level gradually rose past the horse's belly. The water ahead was still wide. Yang Guangdi slipped into the water from the side, held onto the saddle, and paddled forward. The further he went, the deeper the water became. Big Fire could no longer keep its footing and began to paddle as well. And just as in the previous two assessments, it turned its head and tried to swim back.

The Banner Commander's voice came from ahead. "Yang Guangdi, don't panic! Stroke its neck, talk to it!"

Yang Guangdi was not yet a strong swimmer. If Big Fire swam back, he himself might not be able to swim to the opposite bank. The water pressed against his chest. Yang Guangdi's heart was panicked, but hearing the Banner Commander's shout eased it somewhat.

He patted his mount's neck and said, as calmly as he could, "Forward is the only way to live."

Big Fire was still turning its head, trying to swim back. This was exactly how he had failed the two assessments. Despair filled Yang Guangdi's heart. But just then, Big Fire suddenly turned back around and swam with all its might toward the east bank. Yang Guangdi clung to the saddle with one hand and paddled along, exhilarated.

At last, the horse's hooves struck the riverbed. Only then did Yang Guangdi's suspended heart settle again. The scouts on the east bank all jumped off their horses and cheered loudly, including that Yu Er Ge.

The Banner Commander came over, patted Yang Guangdi on the head, and laughed heartily. "Mark that fordable point down accurately! When we get back, I'll bear witness for you — your floating crossing assessment is passed!"

Yang Guangdi grinned foolishly. When he turned his head to look at the west bank, a group of Western Camp horse soldiers stood frozen on the riverbank, staring blankly.

……

"According to Military Commander Yu's plan, this joint encirclement is divided into four routes." Xie Zhaofa used a tree branch to point at the map on the wall. "On the first day, after noon, my unit will move one Company of the Land Combat Division into Mianyang Port under the pretext of a defense rotation, drawing the bandits at Mianyang Port to alert and preventing them from sending scouts far out. Before noon, the Land Battalion's two Thousand-Leader Headquarters and the cavalry will depart from the Xiangyang camp ground and march west. On the second day, they will encamp according to routine to mislead the Western Camp. On the third day, after the Western Camp's scout cavalry withdraw their teams, they will turn north. After nightfall, they will forced-march to south of Gucheng County. The Land Combat Division's Point Scout Banner Team has already scouted the fording points. All units must cross the Fenshui before daybreak and cut off the official road leading to Fang County. At daybreak on the fourth day, Zuo Liangyu's Household Retainers will seize the bridge and cross the river, striking straight to Baishazhou to pin down the Eight Bandits so they cannot flee quickly. Yang Shien's unit will advance north from Jingmen, following behind our camp to Gucheng. Chen Hongfan's unit will pass through Guanghua County to Junzhou and cross the river, cutting off the Eight Bandits' escape route to the northwest."

Pang Yu looked at the map. On the surface, Yu Yinggui's plan seemed well-balanced, with deception and luring the enemy both accounted for. The main objective was to bypass the Western Camp's reconnaissance from the south, cut off the Western Camp's path into the mountains, and rely on the Han River to trap the Eight Bandits at Baishazhou and annihilate them.

He raised his head to look at Xie Zhaofa. "This is Military Commander Yu's final decided plan? It spans four days, covers three prefectures, and involves four camp heads in total. Aside from Yang Shien, none of them are his direct subordinates. In an encirclement operation like this, if any one side slips up, the Eight Bandits will escape."

"The Eight Bandits Camp is full of old bandits of ten years' standing. Even if just one side is slightly delayed in arriving, he will exploit the chaos to break free." Xie Zhaofa paused briefly. "Today, our unit's roving cavalry scouts probed Baishazhou and confirmed there are two places that can be forded, and two more that seem fordable. Yet Military Commander Yu does not even know that the river channel at Baishazhou may have fording points. Even if every unit reaches position smoothly according to his plan, the east bank of Baishazhou will have no one defending it. The Eight Bandits will simply swagger away, and can head straight into Henan to join up with Cao Cao and the other bandit chiefs. Then, instead of annihilating the Eight Bandits, we would end up charged with forcing surrendered men back into rebellion."

"So this plan is completely unworkable. If we want to kill the Eight Bandits, we still have to do it ourselves. Reply to Military Commander Yu, tell him the Anqing Battalion is unacclimated to the climate and cannot yet deploy troops, and ask him to perfect his plan before we discuss further." Pang Yu turned his head to look at Ruan Jin beside him. "What is the internal situation of the Western Camp?"

"This month, the Western Camp's grain purchases at Mianyang Port are twenty percent lower than last month. According to spy reports, the Western Camp abandoned most of its silver and coin during the battle at Nanyang. At present, each Long Family has very little ready silver left and has begun cutting the rations of their servants. About thirty percent of the Roving Bandits coming to Mianyang Port to buy grain have started using jewelry and ornaments. It can be inferred that the Eight Bandits are growing increasingly hard-pressed in rations and pay."

"Give me an intelligence analysis conclusion. Will the Eight Bandits rebel again before the seventh month because they exhaust their rations and pay?"

Ruan Jin froze for a moment, glanced at Xie Zhaofa, then said, "No. He will at the very least wait until after the autumn harvest, plunder all the nearby grain in one sweep, and that can sustain him for a few more months. But he definitely will not make it to this time next year."

Pang Yu rubbed his forehead. "But the Tartars will invade this year for certain. If the Eight Bandits hold out too long, we won't be able to hold out. Have Mianyang Port raise the grain price to five taels per shi, and intercept all other grain transport boats on the river channel."

At that moment, there were several knocks on the door. Pang Ding hurriedly pushed the door open and came in, drawing close to Pang Yu. "Military Commander Yu has been impeached and dismissed from office."

Ruan Jin and Xie Zhaofa both looked astonished. Pang Yu's expression shifted slightly. "How was he dismissed?"

"Impeached by Xiong. The charge was undermining the Pacification Company."

Pang Yu furrowed his brow. "An impeachment means it has already made a round trip to the Capital. Yu Yinggui didn't accomplish a shred of this matter, yet word of it leaked out long ago. I just wonder if it will implicate us."

Pang Ding raised his eyes to look at Pang Yu. "Someone from the Chief Manager's Office has come, saying that Xiong requests your presence at the office to discuss matters."