Zhang Liao's Cavalry Charge - 4
Zhang Liao's cavalry charged straight into the heart of the enemy lines.
The thunder of hooves shook the ground.
“If you value your lives, get out of the way!!!”
The defense line wavered.
The tips of the cavalry spears cleaved the air.
“Follow the general!!!”
Zhao Yun eyed Zhang Liao as he bulldozed through the front.
“Let's go! Zhao Zilong of Changshan! We'll smash into the enemy's flank!”
Zhao Yun bellowed toward the hellish battlefield.
“Whole army!!! Stick together!!! We'll wipe out the enemy's left flank!!!”
Zhao Yun went with a frontal assault. While Zhang Liao stubbornly pushed toward the enemy headquarters, they needed an escape route too.
Like black and white stones playing go for each other, sacrificing themselves in the process. The enemies caught in between were having the worst time of their lives.
Clashes erupted back and forth. Soldiers thrust out spear shafts in resistance. The cavalry didn't blindly charge into the spear walls. Their goal was breakthrough, after all.
“Where do we even defend!!!”
“Left side! No, spears up on the right!!!”
The enemies' circular formation could defend but not attack.
The horsemen didn't bother trying to pierce them—they just leisurely galloped straight ahead.
The two forces swept past the headquarters.
“Did they... pass?”
Shadows flickered gradually through the dust.
“I'm the vanguard! Where's the enemy commander!”
While Zhang Liao and Zhao Yun leisurely slipped out of the battlefield, one man charged in alone.
It was Chen Soyoung's father, Cheonma.
“Hey! Come get a taste! Show yourself!!!”
Cheonma's goal wasn't to rampage through the enemy camp.
He was gunning for the commander who had to be there—the one directing the whole show.
Cheonma's eyes locked with Han Ho's as he approached the commander's tent.
Han Ho's eyes bulged wide.
“Wh-who are you!!!”
Just moments ago, two monsters had split their formation in half.
And now a massive brute was glaring at him right in front of his face, all alone.
Han Ho freaked out and yelled.
“Where are my guards!!!”
“I can tell you're some big shot just by lookin' at ya.”
Cheonma's lip curled up in a smirk.
“They're all sliced up—yer the last one left, kid!!!”
Bam!—!
Cheonma smacked the horse's belly, and it shot forward at ridiculous speed.
Before Han Ho could even raise his sword, Cheonma's massive hand grabbed his collar and armor whole.
“Guhhh...!!!”
“You the head honcho here? All scrawny but got lungs on ya. Think I'll take yer noggin?”
Cheonma hoisted the flailing Han Ho up like a lightweight sack with one hand and burst into booming laughter.
“Haha... what to do with ya, punk.”
“Kuh! Guh...!”
Cavalry were rushing up behind Cheonma late.
“Here ya go.”
Cheonma slammed Han Ho down like trash.
Han Ho hit the dirt so hard his mind went blank. It hurt too much even to scream.
“We're takin' him!!!”
“Understood!”
“Victory! A great victory... a great victory!!!”
Ma Liang was yelling excitedly.
“Later for that. Did the cavalry get out okay?”
“Yes! General Zhang Liao raided the enemy HQ, and in the chaos, Lord Cheonma captured the enemy commander Han Ho alive!”
“Right? So they got out fine, yeah?”
The retreat point was the slow-flowing western riverbank.
We'd already moored boats here, ready to receive the cavalry.
“They're coming! It's our guys!”
With the shout from the watchtower soldier, the lead cavalry poured in.
They reeked of manure, but damn, they were a sight for sore eyes.
“Hey! Get the boats ready!”
Thud!—!
The man was unceremoniously dumped.
Dad had captured the enemy commander.
This must be Han Ho.
Han Ho was in real pain—he let out a bloodcurdling “Aaaagh!”
“So yer the enemy boss, huh.”
He looked like a total ragdoll from how Dad handled him. Pathetic, rolling in the dirt and foaming at the mouth.
“You okay?”
No energy to speak—he just groaned.
“Urgent report! The enemy is regrouping and advancing on our front toward Gangneung! The commander is Wei Yan! Still looks like around 10,000 strong!”
...?
“So the vanguard wasn't the commander, huh?”
As expected. I figured it'd be Wei Yan or Huang Zhong.
What about Han Ho, though?
Just as I wondered if we'd grabbed the wrong guy and tortured him for nothing, Han Ho groaned.
“The people... the common folk. They're not even proper soldiers...”
Whoa. Sounds like something straight out of Liu Bei's mouth.
“Our guys are common folk too, if you wanna split hairs like that?”
Han Ho dropped his head without a fight.
“End it with my head. I'll talk directly to General Wei Yan...”
“But who are you? On speaking terms with General Wei Yan? Some bigwig?”
“I'm Han Ho. I was commanding the vanguard.”
Oh, right—Han Ho?
Doesn't ring a bell.
This guy's supposed to serve Cao Cao, though...
“Ma Liang?”
“Yes! You called, Secretary?”
Back to his friendly self.
“Who's this old dude? Famous in Jiangxia or something?”
Too direct—Ma Liang looked flustered.
He cleared his throat with a ahem and whispered carefully.
“Seems to be Han Ho, brother of Jiangxia Prefect Han Xuan.”
...Han Xuan has no brothers, though?
Hold up.
In Romance, Han Ho and Han Xuan are brothers.
Both history and Romance have Han Ho as Cao Cao's guy, but here he's under Han Xuan.
Ugh... another one of these.
No helping it now.
Time to test what kind of guy he is.
“Mind if I ask a few things? We don't wanna be total jerks either.”
“Pardon? What do you want to know...”
Cao Cao once told me—even parents and kids scheme against each other. So between brothers... he'd spill the real deal, right? Especially with his life on the line.
“What's Han Xuan like? Be honest—all for the people, yeah?”
Han Ho pondered a bit, then started talking softly.
“My brother... he's the prefect of Jianzhou, but he's sly and cruel. Shame on me for saying it, but didn't he squeeze the people's blood to raise this army? He's always stuffing his own pockets, and he lops off heads at the slightest annoyance—not fit to be prefect.”
Whoa.
Cao Cao's on a winning streak today.
“I've always advised him to rule the people with benevolence, but he wouldn't even listen!”
Then Han Ho launched into full drama mode.
I tossed in a line as he vented about their broken brotherhood.
“That's rough.”
At least I got some useful info.
Jiangxia Prefect Han Xuan's rep was already in the gutter.
“One more thing. They say General Wei Yan's advancing now? You close with him? Wei Yan tight with Han Xuan too?”
Han Ho's pupils darted side to side.
“General Wei Yan has a fiery temper, but not with my brother. Seems like he hides a blade inside. This campaign was basically forced on him by my brother—general's resentment must be at its peak... but just my guess.”
Hmm...
I know this story.
Wei Yan opening Jiangxia's gates and defecting to Liu Bei—super famous.
Definitely heading that way.
I ran the numbers in my head quick.
“So holding you hostage is worthless, huh?”
“Pardon? N-no! How can you say that! I'm still the prefect's brother...!!!”
Han Ho gave me major puppy eyes.
“Well, yeah, but look at you?”
But where's Huang Zhong in all this? Gotta ask.
“Where's General Huang Zhong? Why's only Wei Yan advancing?”
I wondered if there was some scheme, but Han Ho pleaded like please believe me.
“General Huang Zhong was supposed to take my role!!! But brother forced me into vanguard! Please believe me!”
Yeah, figures.
Doesn't sound like a lie.
Guy was in full drama mode earlier.
“Sounds legit.”
I'm not big on physiognomy, but this dude looks honest—kinda folksy, not the lying type.
“I'll trust you. So General Huang Zhong skipped vanguard—where is he?”
“He's defending the main base on brother's orders...”
Got it.
I nodded and turned to go when far off, I spotted white flags on approaching cavalry.
A man rode up boldly, surrounded by our soldiers, and shouted.
“Hear me! Jiangxia Prefect Han Xuan ain't worth serving!”
“G-General Wei!”
“You're alive!”
The vibe was weird.
The two were signaling with their faces.
Suddenly Wei Yan slammed his massive sword into the ground with a thud!
“I, Wei Yan, ain't dying like a dog under that trash anymore!!!”
“...Pardon?”
“Jiangxia Prefect Han Xuan is a traitorous bloodsucker! I've got 10,000 under me, but I'll surrender to you! Take me in!”
...Huh?
Me and Ma Liang locked eyes.
“Truly... truly wondrous.”
????
Ma Liang said,
“Did you already know of the discord in their camp? That's why you proposed this plan. It was all pre-arranged. But the cavalry deployment?”
Xu Shu answered. “This cavalry was for contingencies. What if Han Xuan led personally—what then?”
Ma Liang went ohhh. “Backup plans too, huh.”
???
“Nope.”
“But the situation suggests... targeting their vanguard meant this all along...”
“Seriously not.”
“Then? You weren't planning to fight their main force head-on? Don't joke, Secretary.”
Xu Shu and Liu Feng were nodding.
Why?
“It ain't over yet. Save the chit-chat.”
Zhang Liao was suddenly behind me—didn't hear him approach.
Buoyed by Zhang Liao's straight talk, I chimed in confidently.
“So... march on Jiangxia...?”
Wei Yan cheered.
“You must! I'll convince General Huang Zhong, so release me and Han Ho. I won't let you down!”
Xu Shu and Ma Liang whispered. “Some other scheme? Up to you, Secretary.”“How do you convince him? Sounds fishy, Secretary.”
I waved off Xu Shu and Ma Liang. “I've made up my mind.”
Wei Yan shines brightest when you accept his full defection.
Don't half-ass it like with Lady Zhuge—mumbling about his rebellious face or whatever, or he'll bite you later. So I grinned bright.
“Hahaha... sure, why not? Feels like gaining a heavenly army!”
Let him do his thing.
I'm not into that physiognomy crap anyway. For real.