readytorunbook Chapter 208 Zhang Fei Attacks, Hao Zhao Defends
Chapter 208 Zhang Fei Attacks, Hao Zhao Defends
it's dark.
Zhang Fei, however, did not remain idle. Instead, he divided the army into two groups to take turns on duty and rest. Before going to sleep, he specifically instructed the night watchmen to remember to add firewood to the still-burning Wei army deer antlers so that the fire would not go out.
After a night of burning, the Wei army's deer antlers were reduced to less than half, but that damned Hao Zhao took out spare deer antlers and added five more rows in front of the formation.
As dawn broke, Zhang Fei got up and stared into thought at the newly added antlers.
Half a day and a night should be enough time for Fan Jiang to reach the designated location. It seems it's time to attack. If we continue to slack off like yesterday, Hao Zhao will become suspicious.
If Hao Zhao were to leave some troops to hold off the enemy while leading the rest to attack Fan Jiang, Fan Jiang, exhausted from a night's journey, might not be able to withstand the attack.
Moreover, Fan Jiang's forces were too small, and even if he intercepted Hao Zhao, he wouldn't be able to hold out for long. Therefore, he had to attack immediately when Hao Zhao retreated, not giving Hao Zhao any chance to break free and defeat Fan Jiang.
With this in mind, Zhang Fei ordered his army to set fires and cook at the same time. After a quick meal, they immediately launched a general attack on Hao Zhao's camp.
During the final assault, they naturally couldn't set fires anymore, as it would easily burn themselves. Zhang Fei first ordered the sword and shield soldiers to throw away the firewood, covering the shovel soldiers as they rushed to the vicinity of the deer antlers to lay traps and pave the road leading to the Wei army camp.
As for where the shovel came from, it was naturally something he carried with him.
The army doesn't just fight battles. More than fighting, they spend their time on the road to battle, crossing mountains and rivers and setting up camps. Can they manage without some tools?
Under Zhang Fei's command, the various branches of the Han army cooperated with each other and launched an orderly attack on the Wei army camp.
Hao Zhao naturally wouldn't passively take the beating. Seeing the Shu army charging in, he immediately ordered a counterattack. Arrows rained down on the Shu army, and the catapults, operated skillfully by the Wei army, continuously hurled huge stones, causing the Shu soldiers to fall and their horses to crash down.
While the Shu army's shields could block arrows, they could not stop heavy weapons like stones. Whether the stones hit the shields or the heads, they could cause heavy casualties to the Shu army.
But there's nothing we can do about it. Siege warfare has no tricks, it's all about strength. Every victory is built on the blood of our soldiers. If you want to win without shedding blood, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
The Wei army's counterattack was very powerful. Zhang Fei withstood the pressure and was beaten for nearly an hour before clearing away all the deer antlers on the ground and the underground traps, and finally reached the Wei army camp.
The antlers in front of the camp are different from the antlers that blocked the way before. They are taller and thicker, and their bases are buried in the ground. There are also arrow towers behind the antlers. Taking them will definitely come at a great cost.
Fortunately, the Wei army did not have ballistae. The manufacturing conditions for ballistae are far more demanding than those for catapults. Hao Zhao had only been there for a few days and could not have made one in a short time.
Faced with the Wei army's fierce counterattack, Zhang Fei also became ruthless, ordering his archers to hide behind the swordsmen and shieldmen, and even to stand on the mountains on both sides of the road to exchange fire with the Wei army.
The Han army had more troops and more powerful crossbows. Under Zhang Fei's command, arrows rained down on the Wei army like a storm. Although many arrows hit shields or open ground, they still caused Wei soldiers to fall and scream in agony. After all, it really hurt when arrows hit the body.
Despite this, Zhang Fei was still not satisfied. After suppressing the Wei army with arrows, he ordered his men to carry over a dozen tree trunks, each several meters long and as thick as a water bucket, which had been cut down the night before. They rushed to the front of the battle and placed them on the Wei army's deer antlers. Then, naturally, some soldiers who wanted to make a name for themselves stepped on the tree trunks, rushed to the top of the deer antlers, and jumped into the Wei army's camp.
The Han soldiers who were standing on the tree trunks naturally received special attention from the Wei army's spearmen; the first few who charged forward were all stabbed or killed.
However, the Han soldiers in the front ranks quickly learned from their experience. One of them, a very clever man, found an iron shield and held it in front of him as he charged toward the tree trunk, while his comrades stood behind him and pushed him forward.
As expected, several spears pierced the shield as soon as it climbed the tree trunk, but unfortunately, they didn't penetrate it.
Then something interesting happened: the Han soldiers automatically stood behind the shield-bearing soldiers and pushed him forcefully, trying to force him into the enemy camp.
The Wei soldiers continued to thrust with their spears, desperately resisting to prevent him from entering the camp. The bloody battle quickly turned into a shoving contest, resulting in the Wei spearmen's failure due to the difficulty of exerting force with their spears, and the Han soldiers with shields were successfully pushed into the camp.
The first soldier to charge into the enemy camp was almost certain to die. The shield-wielding soldier was pushed into the Wei camp, so he lost his balance and stumbled and fell to the ground. Before he could stand up, several spears were thrust at him.
At the critical moment, the shield-wielding soldier decisively lay down, using the shield as a blanket to cover his head and upper body, successfully avoiding a fatal blow.
Meanwhile, the Wei spearmen, having focused their attention on the Han soldiers wielding shields, created a slight opening in their defensive line. Seeing that the Wei spearmen had temporarily abandoned the tree trunk, the Han soldiers who had been shoving the shield-bearers decisively used it as a stepping stone to charge into the enemy camp and attack the Wei troops, then a second, a third…
The most important role of the soldier who first charges into the enemy camp is not to kill the enemy, but to provide cover. With him blocking the enemy's attack, his teammates behind him can quickly rush into the enemy camp and seize the position.
Therefore, more and more Han soldiers jumped over the deer antlers and charged into the Wei camp...
Upon seeing this, Zhang Fei immediately mobilized his army to make that area the main direction of attack, preparing to tear open a gap there and break into the enemy camp.
Hao Zhao then commanded his army to launch a powerful counterattack, attempting to kill all the Han soldiers who had entered the camp and retake the position, but would that allow you to take it back?
Zhang Fei's art of command, like his martial arts, was bold, powerful, and domineering. Once he gained the upper hand, he would relentlessly press the enemy, even at the cost of exhaustion, rather than give the enemy a chance to retaliate. After all, many times, victory or defeat hinges on that one crucial moment.
Under Zhang Fei's command, the Han army quickly formed a battle formation and advanced their position several meters. As a result, the deer antlers behind the Han army became an undefended area. The Han army exerted their strength and managed to push down the deer antlers buried in the ground a little. Then, like a flock of sheep leaving their pen, they rushed into the enemy camp.
After all, the antlers were not buried very deep or very high. Although they were supported by a base and could not be completely pushed over, they could still be pushed at an angle. Naturally, the angled antlers could not stop the Han army.
As time went on, more and more Han troops stormed into the Wei camp, and Hao Zhao gradually could not hold out any longer, so he had no choice but to order a retreat.
At this point, retreating was not a matter of ability but of mindset. In Hao Zhao's view, there was no need to fight Zhang Fei to the death. If this line of defense could not be held, they could retreat to the second line of defense and continue to defend.
Hao Zhao withdrew, and Zhang Fei, carrying his eighteen-foot spear, rushed to the front of the battle and roared, "Who was the first one to charge into the enemy camp just now?"
Everyone pointed to the wounded soldier who had fainted with his shield covering him and said, "His name is Geng Feng, and he is our captain."
A team is formed by three squads, with the team leader in charge of thirty people.
Zhang Fei continued to roar, "From now on he is a captain. Take him to the army doctor. If he can be saved, he will be promoted to captain immediately. If he cannot be saved, he will be given a proper burial with the honors due to a captain."
"Now listen to my orders: the wounded will stay where they are and wait for the medics to treat them. Those who can move, follow me and keep charging. We must hold Hao Zhao at all costs and not give him a chance to establish a defensive line again."
After saying that, he rode off first and gave chase, while nearby soldiers retreated to the sides to make way for the cavalry.
Zhang Fei led his cavalry in full pursuit, ready to catch up with the Wei army and slaughter them. However, after running a short distance, his expression changed drastically. There was a rope about a foot off the ground on the road ahead. Zhang Fei, with his sharp eyes, quickly swung his spear and cut the rope, avoiding the fate of being tripped by it and falling off his horse.
After running only a few steps, they encountered ropes again, along with many huge rocks, tree branches, and entire trees. The massive canopies were even taller than the city walls. If they crashed into them, they would be injured or killed. If they were even more unlucky and bumped into a branch, they might get impaled in the back.
The warhorse was too fast; crashing into a hard object at that speed would be no joke.
Zhang Fei reined in his horse and looked up, only to find the road littered with random, unpredictable obstacles. These were clearly there to hinder the cavalry, and if they continued their charge, they would waste a lot of time just turning around.
Zhang Fei steeled his resolve and roared in his hoarse voice, "Dismount and pursue them on foot!"
After saying this, he jumped off his horse and led his army in pursuit of Hao Zhao.
At the same time, Hao Zhao, standing on high ground, saw that the Shu army's cavalry had been defeated. He returned to his formation and led his army to Fenshuiyi, thirty miles away, at top speed.
He had already sent people there to set up a defensive line. Once he entered Fenshuiyi, he could hold it again and delay Zhang Fei for another day or two.