Clash at Xinya (4): Crush the Enemy
'They got here faster than we did.'
My vision blurred for a moment at the sight of what had to be at least 15,000 sword infantry. I spotted right away that these weren't Yuan Shu's main force—they were scouts with a side gig of pillaging. They come light, they leave heavy. If we hadn't shown up first, these bastards would've been hauling sacks of rice on their backs, just like with Jang Je. They were here to plunder, so we'd crush them before they could.
"Mun Janggun pulls and Gan Janggun thrusts to scatter the enemy. Then our cavalry breaks through the gap."
Sima Yi barked the tactical orders swiftly, then gripped her horse's reins alongside Huang Zu.
"We'll cross paths with Zhang Su's breakthrough—vertically, like an X."
"You think that'll line up perfectly?"
"It'll have to."
Huang Zu looked terribly uneasy, but everyone else brimmed with confidence. No wonder—these Yuan Shu raiders had gotten their asses handed to them by Cao Cao once already, and their morale was in the gutter. The moment they saw us, every one of them—even the ones who looked like officers—had "we're fucked" written all over their faces. Which meant the second we laid eyes on them, we knew we'd already won.
"Looks like Zhang Su's moving first, so let's split them in half and gobble 'em up."
Waaaaah---!!
Zhang Su's cavalry charged toward the enemy lines at blinding speed.
The Yuan Shu forces, hit from both west and south by our alliance, hurriedly formed up, but the sword infantry couldn't array themselves fast enough before Zhang Su's charge slammed home.
"Heaven's mandate lies in our hands---!!"
Waaaaah!!
Thousands of cavalry thundered forward in a wedge formation. They looked set to crash straight into the enemy square... then veered sharply, slicing deep into the flanks.
"We'll loop around! Left wing, shave off the enemy from the same direction Zhang Su's cavalry took!"
"Understood!"
Mun Bing, having heard Sima Yi command once before, advanced as if she were a grand strategist of the realm.
"Halberds, pull in the stragglers the cavalry missed and finish them! Follow me!!"
Mun Bing herself led from the front with halberd in hand, stretching the left wing long. Spear infantry rushed out from the gaps left by Zhang Su's cavalry, but by then our halberdiers had already formed a crane-wing envelopment.
"Come on in!!"
With their front lines shattered by Zhang Su and pushed back by their own rear ranks, Yuan Shu's troops started falling into the left wing's grasp one by one. They charged our halberdiers in desperation, but breaking through that solid armor and front line was beyond them.
Thwack!
Swords clattered to the ground as halberd blades smashed into the backs of Yuan Shu soldiers' necks. Heads snapped back, impaled.
"Their front line's collapsing. Right wing, don't hit the flank—thrust hard from the corner. Push them back."
"O-oh!!"
Mun Bing's success under Sima Yi's orders lit a fire, and Gan Ning leaped astride his horse, the ornament on his helmet flapping wildly.
"Right wing, follow me!"
Waaaaah---!!
Gan Ning led the charge, his spear infantry thrusting forward like a wedge to press the Yuan Shu lines. It wasn't a cavalry rush, and our numbers weren't overwhelmingly superior, but 5,000 spearmen stabbing at the corner threw them into disarray—they couldn't react fast enough.
"They're brittle as rocks inside."
Sima Yi pointed at the enemy to the tense Huang Zu.
"Zhang Su's cavalry nails the center, splitting them. Mun Bing's left wing grinds off the edges, and Gan Ning stabs the halves again. What happens then?"
"The army gets torn into pieces."
"Exactly. Now we confirm the enemy commander's position."
At Sima Yi's words, I raised my hand high. Archers stepped forward, nocking arrows skyward—toward the chaotic front, not our left or right wings.
"Archers, loose! Target the front!!"
We had to account for the wind—no friendly fire. As the halberds pulled and spears pushed, slowly turning the line rightward, the archers rained arrows on Yuan Shu, calculating every shift.
"Hold!"
"Rotate!!"
After my unit fired, Seo Seo's squad rotated forward, bows at the ready.
"Wait for it!"
Seo Seo hadn't loosed her arrows yet. We watched the crumbling enemy lines, reading their moves.
"Tch…!"
Too bad. The enemy commander was beyond the split caused by Zhang Su—out of our immediate kill zone. The troops our wings were shredding died disorganized, two by two, while he reformed his lines.
Thud!
Heavy infantry that looked rock-solid took the front, spears right behind thrusting forward. Even elite cavalry wouldn't punch through that easily.
"Huang Janggun!"
"Yeah! Shake off the dust! Slaughter every last straggler!"
Finally, Huang Zu's center advanced. His cavalry surged in unison, and I clenched my fist toward the long-haired woman among them.
She smirked, lifting just the corner of her mouth before aligning with the cavalry and charging. Her spear looked heavy, but she wielded it one-handed with skill far surpassing any regular rider.
"Don't worry about Sima Yi. She's a full-fledged general already."
"It's not her age or her being a woman. It's stray arrows on the battlefield."
Sima Yi could fight better than most cavalry. Farm work had toughened her, but she'd also secretly trained under Seo Seo and Mun Bing in my absence, outshining elite riders. She was a warrior beyond even Fan Zhang.
But what truly made Sima Yi terrifying was…
"Left and right wings! Press forward and crush them from three sides at once!"
Whoosh---!!
Leading the center herself, she coordinated the other generals effortlessly, massacring the foe. If not for the dying men, I'd have found beauty in this scripted battlefield. No grand strategy—just the raw power of generals and troops executing tactics.
Waaaaah!!
Half of Yuan Shu's army teetered on annihilation under our barrage. With two officers visible in the rear, no amount of sergeants rallying could help.
"They won't shoot arrows forward even as their allies die—morale would crater."
"Plus Zhang Su's cavalry's still out there. They'd worry about another breakthrough."
The Yuan Shu commanders prioritized their own defense over aiding the front.
"At least 5,000. Haha, not even half a shichen, and 5,000 lives litter the dirt."
This was my board. To protect Xinya from plunder, I'd chosen battle with Yuan Shu.
"Master. Shall we stop?"
"No. Hands are bloody now. Stopping here would be the real filth."
Once resolved, we'd finish it. To guard what's ours.
"Archers! Follow the center's rear! Trample the corpses, advance, and prepare counter-volleys!! Down with Yuan Shu! Defend Jingzhou!"
Rooooaaar---!!
Archers clutched bows in one hand and charged over the cavalry's path.
"Master, I'll join the center. Keep shaking their banners."
Before I could stop her, Seo Seo led the archers forward. Suddenly, only I and the standard-bearers remained in the center, fluttering flags and issuing commands.
"Geum Janggun! Message from Sima Gong! After the volley, archers advance for counter-fire!"
"Seo Seo's already charging! Then what?!"
"Buy time to shatter their rear after breaking the front!"
"Buy time…? Now?"
What was Sima Yi planning? I scanned the distant field.
"Enemy's still got fight left, but buying time… ha, got it. Throw the commander into chaos."
We'd all felt it in the first clash: Yuan Shu's army was nothing. Victory was assured; minimize losses.
"Tell Jungdal: We'll rattle the commander from afar—do whatever she wants!"
"Understood!!"
The rider galloped back to the center. I pointed the remaining troops toward the corpse piles ahead.
"Humiliate the enemy commander."
I dismounted and dug from the bodies, pulling it free.
"Gather them all here—one pile!"
Grasping my intent, soldiers rushed to help collect the scattered Zhongguo flags and banners.
"Rebels, hear me! I, Huang Zu, Governor of Jiangxia, stand before you!"
Huang Zu spurred forward, bellowing. Liu Biao's forces had crushed the opening with overwhelming momentum, shattering Yuan Shu's morale.
"You scum, daring to assault the Emperor's army…!"
"Bow your heads now! Spare your miserable lives!"
Yuan Shu's commanders, Lei Bo and Chen Lan, screamed back at Huang Zu. Unlike him at the front, they yelled from the center.
"Who're you telling?! Run now, and you might live!"
"Hmph! Come at us if you dare!"
Huang Zu gnashed his teeth at Lei Bo and Chen Lan's taunt. Their square, after losing nearly half their force, looked too solid—breaching it would cost dearly.
Then.
Whoosh!
A massive blaze erupted behind Liu Biao's lines. Black smoke like a beacon turned all heads.
"Hng…"
Sima Yi smirked, spotting the smoke's source. A rider peeled back from the charging cavalry to report.
"Sima Gong! Geum Taeyang has…!"
"I know."
Sima Yi shrugged to Mun Bing and Gan Ning approaching beside her.
"The Zhong nation's banners are burning."
The burning flags formed a giant character.
"Uahaha!!"
Huang Zu's laughter shook the earth.
"Too grand for a 'great nation' with such a petty emperor—truly just a zhong nation!!"
"Y-you bastard?!"
"But now even the zhong banners burn, revealing your true level."
Huang Zu dropped his sword point.
"You're a petty state. Yeah, tough playing house against the Yuan clan!"
"Wh-what?! You—"
Then.
Waaaaah---!!
Zhang Su's detached cavalry wheeled back, charging again—this time angling to graze the Yuan Shu rear.
"...What's in their hands?"
Zhang Su's riders clutched short javelins.
"Haha, that's your petty—"
Thwip!
The lead rider hurled his, skewering a soldier's throat.