“Can a strategist not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 130: Battle Across the River
The moon and stars were dim.
Even the campfires at the Mengjin Fording Point were barely visible.
After over a month of guarding, the cavalry from Xiliang—masters of quick getaways—were at the end of their patience.
The troops stationed at the top of the city wall were equally exhausted, almost mechanically gazing at the boats across the river. Seeing nothing happening, they leaned on their pikes and started dozing off.
But just then, as the waters swelled and slowed, soldiers from Bingzhou, their sheepskin bags on their backs, were washed ashore by the river and quickly formed ranks.
Some of these soldiers still struggled with their river paddling skills, but they had already trained in pairs a while back.
Those who swam faster led small teams to shore, completing their rallying tasks early.
Others, swept further downstream, scrambled back to land with the current’s curve.
Amidst these limitations and connections, this operation, which hadn’t been fully drilled in peacetime, unfolded without any unexpected hitches beyond Qiao Yan’s predictions.
Replaced was the image of “the flowing waves taking the moon away” with the very waves bringing people!
The dark line seen by Qiao Yan from her sheepskin raft, after connecting with the opposite shore, transformed into a neat formation.
For these soldiers clad in leather armor, standing on shore after adapting to the water was not particularly tiring; the summer night breeze wasn’t chilly either.
They only listened to the sounds of the night, catching the noise of the sheepskin raft slicing through the river.
Next, over two thousand soldiers led by Zhang Liao charged towards Mengjin Pass without caring about those still on the shore.
They had to strike first before the soldiers on the walls noticed the commotion!
This indeed was a startling surprise attack!
Enemy troops, who had been separated by a river, suddenly descended upon the camp like divine reinforcements.
The guards at Mengjin Pass were jolted awake by the commotion, only to be shot in the throat by an arrow.
Following that, several climbing hooks emerged atop the city walls.
The main function of Mengjin Pass was to control the Yellow River crossing, which was not like an ordinary city. In fact, this fortification was supposed to stop enemies from crossing successfully, so it lacked high walls.
With the aid of climbing gear, the Bingzhou troops advanced towards the city wall.
A few guards still stationed near the edges managed to shout “Enemy attack!” once they regained their wits, but—
Earlier in the day, Niu Fu had bought a lot of good wine from Luoyang to calm down his subordinates who were itching for a raid; now, he was deep in slumber, completely unresponsive to any wake-up calls.
He thought that the Yellow River outside was a natural fortress, and with the guards in the camp below, he was in a secure position.
Who would have guessed that the Bingzhou Governor, whom he thought lacked the guts to attack, would launch an assault across the river tonight?
If only Qiao Yan had a few more boats on the river, it might have been clearer, but the initial soldiers coming ashore, blending nearly with the river’s current, formed a landing attack team unstoppable by anyone.
The disembarked soldiers split into two streams, and had anyone looked down from above at the guards and camp, they would see only a hundred of them climbing the walls.
For troops seasoned in the mountain terrain of Bingzhou, the low city walls had countless footholds, even in the dark.
They quickly scaled the walls, slaughtering the startled guards before opening the gates of Mengjin.
Eight hundred soldiers waiting outside immediately stormed in alongside the hundred. The remaining two thousand rushed directly into the outer camp.
The guards within the city numbered only a bit over a thousand. Even fully armed and alert, they wouldn’t have stood a chance against the Bingzhou troops, let alone in their current state.
The Bingzhou army surged into the fortifications, turning the rammed earth walls into nothing, while the Liangzhou troops remained either drunken or asleep amidst the chaos.
Niu Fu was finally dragged off his bed by his subordinates, knocking his head on the floor, snapping him back to some semblance of reality.
Hearing the sounds of battle outside, his face turned pale, and he realized what was happening.
Without considering what happened outside, he immediately shouted, “Sound the alarm… And light the signal fires!”
The two camps, nearly thirty miles from Luoyang, were only about eight miles apart between Mengjin and Xiaopingjin. Coupled with the lookout posts on Mangshan, it would be quick to relay any news of an attack from one to the other.
If the enemy force was not too large and had not yet secured a foothold on this side of the river, having support from the other side would be enough to push them back.
Niu Fu had great ideas, but he didn’t realize Qiao Yan was equally prepared.
She looked at the battle scene on the walls and the distant fires in the mountains, then glanced toward Xiaopingjin, shrouded in darkness, a dangerous smile crossing her face.
“Qu Yi!”
In the brief moment after disembarking, the four hundred heavy infantry on two large sheepskin rafts had already formed ranks, shields and spears in hand.
Hearing her call, Qu Yi, who hadn’t fully belonged to the Bingzhou army yet, stepped forward.
Since being assigned to this battle-ready front, three hundred of the heavy infantry had been under his command, training with rapid low-profile movements.
He hadn’t known what this would be used for, but with the chaos erupting in the enemy camp, he had an inkling.
Sure enough, the next moment, he heard Qiao Yan ordering, “Take your troops and ambush on the road. If Xiaopingjin gets wind and comes to help, make sure to leave their infantry behind!”
Three hundred soldiers wasn’t too many, but the guards in Xiaopingjin wouldn’t risk pouring out for a fight, and given the muddy conditions on the riverbank, this number would suffice.
Moreover, the rain had made the riverbank a muddy mess, providing these armored troops an opportunity to create even more chaos after their surprise attack.
As Qu Yi received his orders, Qiao Yan raised her hand.
The other hundred heavy infantry alongside Dian Wei charged into the battle at the camp.
There was no question about the advantage of heavy infantry in open-field combat.
In such clashes, the larger and heavier side clearly held the upper hand, especially with Dian Wei leading this hundred.
The numerous fires lit in the camp allowed Qiao Yan to see clearly as Dian Wei’s forces pushed forward, tearing apart the hapless soldiers who had gathered.
Dian Wei, wielding his heavy halberd, took the lead.
Since the sheepskin rafts could bear his massive frame, he donned two sets of heavy armor. Were it not for the fact that bespoke larger armor wasn’t available, Qiao Yan was sure he could have fitted into a third set.
But thanks to Bingzhou’s ability to produce chain mail at a stronghold, the combination of the two sets was enough to make him nearly invulnerable in close combat.
With heavy infantry clearing the way, the previously underwhelming forces gained an overwhelmingly advantageous position.
But that still wasn’t enough!
To ensure that Niu Fu’s troops could sufficiently suppress the Bingzhou army, even with a half-bridge offensive strategy, there were still four to five thousand troops stationed here.
After recovering from the first wave of surprise attacks, the still fierce Liangzhou army was trying to launch a counter-defensive.
If it weren’t for the cramped, waterlogged military camp that was blocked by Dian Wei’s elite soldiers, they would have probably already chosen to mount up and charge.
But with Qiao Yan personally stationed here, how could they be given such an opportunity to counterattack?
While the Mengjin Pass signaled for help through fire, Qiao Yan also lit a fire of her own.
As five torches lit up along the banks, it was clearly not an accident during combat, but a genuine signal from Qiao Yan to the opposite shore, prompting Zhao Yun and Lü Bu to board their ships.
The initial 3,400 men were merely there to provide an opportunity for the rear troops to disembark.
Since those ships had already been built, they might as well be used.
With Ma Jun’s assistance, these ships were designed to resemble dragon boats rather than ferries, so once they hit the water, they shot across to the opposite shore like arrows.
Even if Niu Fu weren’t currently engaged in battle with the Bingzhou army at the city gates, but could somehow reach the city wall now, he still wouldn’t have a chance to stop them.
In the intense tug-of-war between the early disembarking Bingzhou army and the Mengjin garrison, Niu Fu couldn’t spare a well-equipped soldier to effectively intercept those crossing the river.
And these ships were fast.
Fast enough that just when the Xiliang army had managed to reclaim a slight advantage with their numbers, the reinforcements from Bingzhou had already reached the opposite shore.
The various boats crafted over the past month were enough to transport the vast majority of their troops over here, including the cavalry!
The forces led by Zhao Yun and Lü Bu quickly reached this side of the river.
In an unimpeded environment, even though they wasted a fair bit of time boarding and disembarking, it didn’t affect their successful landing at all.
Qiao Yan was right by the shore with shields ready to guard against cold arrows, immediately making arrangements for the troops under these two leaders.
Lü Bu led a couple dozen men who had previously delivered a letter to deal with the rogues, and along with a hundred cavalrymen, they rushed towards Luoyang, determined to intercept any messengers dispatched from Xiaopingjin. If they failed, upon seeing the defensive situation of the north city wall of Luoyang strengthened, they would immediately return to report.
Qiao Yan had countermeasures for both scenarios.
With uncertainty about whether there were any other signal fires within thirty miles of Mangshan, she could only do her best to intercept messages about the battle at the riverbank.
This was the most advantageous situation for her.
If successful, she could guard the southern exit of Mangshan to prevent any soldiers who might have escaped from reaching Luoyang.
Logically, such a critical operation should be left to Zhao Yun, but Lü Bu was more familiar with this mountainous terrain than Zhao Yun.
This slight advantage was especially crucial during nighttime operations.
The cavalry led by Zhao Yun then quickly reorganized and cut straight into the great camp below Mengjin Pass!
Notably, a good number of foot soldiers who arrived later followed her commands and charged inside the pass, determined to quickly capture Niu Fu, who was still putting up a fight like a cornered beast.
Niu Fu was nearly in despair.
He had drunkenly fallen asleep in his armor, so he had neither removed it nor found it inconvenient, and it happen to block a few arrows coming his way, saving his life for the moment.
But the flickering firelight inside Mengjin Pass made him feel like he hadn’t woken up at all, surrounded by a dizzying confusion of dark and red lights, and he could only hear reports from his guards about someone getting slaughtered while trying to break through the defenses.
At this point, he could be sure that the city walls that should be a sanctuary for him had become a prison instead.
On top of that, he heard more enemy troops being funneled into the city.
He had no choice but to hunker down behind the walls with his remaining loyal guards, waiting for reinforcements coming from Xiaopingjin.
He couldn’t help but be concerned: How come the Bingzhou army got across the river so smoothly? Could it be—
Could it be that Xu Rong had already surrendered to the Han army!
If not, how did he suddenly fall into such a dire situation?
If Xu Rong had known what this guy was thinking about right now, he might regret sending out soldiers to prepare for reinforcements as soon as he received the message.
He absolutely could not ignore the distress signal from Mengjin Pass.
This wasn’t just because Niu Fu had been put under his command by Dong Zhuo.
But it was crucial for Mengjin and Xiaopingjin to help each other out; otherwise, why would there be two garrisons set up within such a short distance?
However, as he suited up and made his way to the top of Xiaopingjin, the dark waters ahead made it impossible for him to gauge the situation downstream, and all he could see were distant flickering lights in the mountains.
How many troops had the enemy brought over?
Though the signals from Mengjin were still flickering, they couldn’t directly inform him of the battle situation.
All he could do was send someone to relay messages to Luoyang and then prepare his troops to set out.
But even if he sent a messenger, he couldn’t guarantee that the message would be received in time in Luoyang.
The soldiers sent on horseback to deliver the message didn’t know they’d run into a fierce roadblock like Lü Bu on the mountain path.
Of course, the other side, sending out reinforcements, wasn’t exactly having a carefree time either.
The 3,000 reinforcements led by Xu Rong had 500 cavalrymen at the front, with foot soldiers quickly following behind.
This was supposed to be a prudent two-batch reinforcement.
But who would have thought that Qu Yi led 300 heavily armored soldiers—some crouching with shields by the riverbank, some leaning against the mountain wall—suddenly charging out, cutting the middle of the advancing troops almost in half!
If this ambush had occurred in broad daylight, it would have had no chance of success, but on this dark night, the devastating power of this troop was undeniable.
In extreme circumstances, a thousand heavily armored soldiers could take on Gongsun Zan’s White Horse Yitong, and now these 300 heavily armored troops could honestly be said to drive back a section of those foot soldiers among the reinforcements without breaking a sweat.
Upon hearing the commotion behind him, Xu Rong felt a tightness in his heart and realized he had to make a choice.
Should he turn around to support the team in the back or should he keep moving forward to aid Mengjin? He could only choose one.
But since Qu Yi had deliberately timed the ambush, it became a situation where he couldn’t quickly grasp the situation in front and behind.
Qu Yi was under Han Fu’s command, and even after coming to Bingzhou, he hadn’t had many chances for battle, so he was bursting with the desire to prove himself.
Though these heavily armored soldiers hadn’t been under his command for long, they were outstanding among the soldiers who could wear heavy armor. They were incredible weapons in his hands, and he charged straight into the fray ahead of the foot soldiers, not giving them a chance to reach Xu Rong.
The imposing shout of “Kill!” from these 300 men created an atmosphere that forced a misleading judgment about how many enemies were really behind them.
Xu Rong took a deep breath and ultimately decided to press forward.
There was still a narrow pass into Mangshan ahead. Even though the situation below Mengjin Pass had exceeded what he could assist with, he could quickly turn back to Luoyang and join the defensive forces.
However, when he dashed forward close enough to see the camp, what he saw was the Bingzhou army already having landed on the hills!
The battle within Mengjin Pass had reached its conclusion once the advantage of numbers was no longer in their favor.
He had no idea where Niu Fu was.
All he could see was Qiao Yan, confident and poised on her red sandalwood horse, holding a spear, standing behind a row of armored soldiers, looking mighty amidst the surrounding flames, and she was staring right at him.
Seeing the commander of Xiaopingjin come to aid personally, Qiao Yan laughed and said, “General Xu, you’ve walked right into my trap. It seems you’re delivering Xiaopingjin right into my hands!”
