Chapter 685
Zishan Garrison
Du Zeng's pursuit was not without reason, because an army's greatest weakness always lies in its retreat.
It's human nature, as the saying goes. No matter what kind of army it is, once it's out of battle and the soldiers lose their will to fight, they are in their most relaxed state, and their formation will loosen. Even if the commander repeatedly orders them to stay in formation, it's difficult to change that. Cao Cao, the Emperor Wu of Wei, encountered this problem when he campaigned against Zhang Xiu in the south. When he first withdrew his troops, he personally covered the rear and repelled the pursuing troops sent by Zhang Xiu. But as soon as he left, the soldiers relaxed, and Zhang Xiu pursued them a second time, resulting in a major defeat for Cao Cao.
Du Zeng was a seasoned veteran in this field. During the rebellion of Li Chen and Liu Ni, he accompanied Tao Kan on his expedition and often used pursuit tactics. Now, he was adept at it. He led a light cavalry to take a shortcut and quickly caught up with the enemy. However, Du Zeng was not in a hurry to engage in battle because the Qi army was still quite vigilant and their weaknesses were not significant.
Therefore, he simply led his troops alongside the Qi army, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far, occasionally advancing to harass them with arrows. The Qi army was overwhelmed by the harassment, and whenever they tried to close the distance to retaliate, Du Zeng would lead his troops to move slightly away. And when the Qi army returned to their normal formation, he would approach again to harass them. This mosquito-like strategy was most effective in wearing down the Qi army's patience and also best utilized the advantages of light cavalry.
As expected, after the two sides marched side by side for over twenty li, the Qi army began to show obvious signs of fatigue. Although they had completely withdrawn from the Han army camp, they had fought a fierce battle and now had to expend energy defending themselves against the enemy. As a result, their units began to become disjointed, and their formations became loose and sparse. Consequently, when Du Zeng led his army to approach and harass them again, it was clear that the Qi army's counterattack was much weaker.
It was at this time that Ju Tan came to contact Du Zeng, informing him that Liu Lang had led his army and was following Du Zeng three miles behind. He asked Du Zeng how he planned to fight and when he would fight.
Du Zeng knew Liu Lang would follow. He laughed and said, "Report back to the Duke of Longxi and see what I do. When I go after him, have him flank me like he did before."
He added, “I knew the Duke of Longxi was no ordinary man. Please rest assured, I have the best experience in how to pursue defeated soldiers. The bandits won’t last much longer.”
Upon receiving the reply, Liu Lang knew that Du Zeng's mind was made up, so he continued to follow. News of another cavalry force pursuing them quickly reached the Qi army, adding another stone to an already tense situation. The Qi people reacted swiftly. After several messengers exchanged messages, the Qi soldiers quickened their pace, but the different units carried different loads and had varying speeds, causing their formation to further deteriorate.
Du Zeng then led his troops to close the distance and fire again. This time, instead of retaliating, it seemed to startle a flock of gulls and egrets. The Qi people probably realized that if this continued, those who lagged behind would become expendable pawns. Finally, unable to bear their fear, some began to desert. Once someone took the lead, the entire rear of the Qi army seemed to boil over. Neither cavalry nor infantry wanted to be the ones to be killed at the rear, so they all fled eastward, and the formation began to scatter completely.
This was the opportunity Du Zeng had been waiting for. He whistled and laughed to those around him, "Since Su Jun is as cunning as a devil, I'll send him to the Yellow Springs. That way, everyone will get what they deserve."
The Han army's offensive finally began.
Du Zeng was very patient, and he chose an even better time. He rode his horse lightly and without stopping, cutting into the dividing line between the infantry and cavalry. It was as clean as a sharp blade cutting through thin paper. When many Qi soldiers saw this, they ran around like headless flies. All the camps and units were in chaos. The military flags were down and the armor and weapons were discarded. The rout quickly spread like a tide and could not be stopped.
Seeing Du Zeng launch an attack, Liu Lang also ordered his soldiers to exert their strength and pursue the Qi army, while continuously firing arrows. The arrows pierced the disorderly ranks of the soldiers, and many fell like weeds, leaving a pile of corpses in the blink of an eye. Of course, there were some Qi soldiers who tried to fight back, but under the tide of defeat, they were simply unable to mount an effective counterattack; it was a miracle they could even hold their ground.
Among them was a burly man, seven feet six inches tall, dressed in bright red armor, clearly no ordinary person. He tried to rally his soldiers to form a counterattack, but instead ran right into Liu Lang. Liu Lang led his men in a charge, instantly scattering the man to pieces. His remaining followers fled in the blink of an eye, leaving him alone, facing the heavy encirclement of the Han cavalry.
This man was Hong Hui, a trusted advisor of Su Jun. He was a renowned warrior in the Qi army, slightly inferior to Liu Xia but superior to Yu Yao. Two years ago, he accompanied Wang Mi to Hebei to fight against the Duan Xianbei. When the Duan Xianbei charged, Wang Mi was unable to withstand them and was on the verge of defeat. Hong Hui then led several hundred men to stand by the roadside and feign surrender. Taking advantage of the chaos, they incited fighting behind the Duan Xianbei, causing great confusion and allowing Wang Mi to preserve the strength of the Qi army and avoid heavy losses.
Seeing that he was about to be captured by the Han army, and upon seeing Liu Lang, Hong Hui quickly recognized him. Knowing that he was doomed, he reasoned that it would be better to trick Liu Lang into killing the Duke of Longxi, thus gaining posthumous honor and ensuring favorable treatment for his descendants. Therefore, he feigned surrender, concealing a short knife in his sleeve, and raised his hands, saying, "Don't kill me! I have an urgent secret report to inform the Duke of Longxi!"
But the situation was chaotic, and nobody really cared about him. Liu Lang's henchman, Ju Tan, thought that since Hong Hui was tall and strong, it would be better to kill him. So he swiftly cleaved Hong Hui in two at the shoulder, and hot blood spurted out like a fountain, splattering onto the faces of those around him, but no one stopped to watch. After cutting off his head, Ju Tan quickly returned to Liu Lang's side and continued the pursuit.
As time passed, the Qi army's rout clearly split into two parts, one in front and one behind. The infantry at the rear were exhausted, and after running for a while, realizing they could not escape, they simply gave up resistance, kneeling one after another, signaling their surrender to the passing Han army or begging for death. The Qi soldiers at the front, mostly cavalry, relied on their fast horses and charged forward, their speed no slower than the advancing Han army, and soon they had distanced themselves from the infantry behind.
The Han army that came to pursue them was not large to begin with. They had to cut off the remaining infantry units and take in the prisoners along the way, so their speed gradually slowed down. In the end, they managed to intercept the infantry, while allowing most of the cavalry to escape the battlefield.
Even so, the Han army's gains were considerable. Liu Lang roughly estimated that in just two quarters of an hour, they had surrounded approximately three thousand Qi infantrymen, who were huddled together like sheep, densely packed like dough balls in the darkness. If the Han army could escort them back, it would be a significant victory.
Liu Lang was somewhat pleased and went forward to join Du Zeng's troops, congratulating Du Zeng on his victory. Unexpectedly, Du Zeng still felt something was amiss. He excitedly laughed at Liu Lang, "Your Highness, these few prisoners are hardly a great achievement. We must continue the pursuit to truly accomplish a great feat!"
"What does General Du mean?" Liu Lang was somewhat confused. The enemy cavalry had already fled. Given the current situation, was it even possible to catch up? Du Zeng certainly didn't expect to catch up with the cavalry, but a good idea came to his mind. He decisively said, "Your Highness, our army can attack Zishan Garrison! The enemy's only foothold in Huainan is Zishan Garrison. Now that the enemy is in chaos, our army can take advantage of the situation to seize Zishan Garrison. We will surely succeed!"
"Otherwise, if we go back tonight, the Qi bandits will catch their breath in a few days and continue to launch surprise attacks on our army. When will this war end? If we take Zishan Garrison, the bandits will not dare to cross the Huai River in a blatant manner, and they will not be able to affect Shouchun. The first credit for taking Huainan will be Your Highness."
Upon hearing Du Zeng's words, Liu Lang was naturally intrigued. The merit was secondary; the main reason was that this was indeed a rare opportunity. Initially, Liu Lang had some hesitation, suspecting a trap, but the Qi army's complete rout was undeniable. Wouldn't it be a waste not to seize Zishan Garrison while the opportunity was at hand?
Moreover, he has already sent people to inform He Pan and Fu Chang that reinforcements should be advancing soon. Thinking about it carefully, even if there are ambushes ahead, it should be considered foolproof. What is there to worry about?
After a brief moment of consideration, Liu Lang finally agreed to Du Zeng's request, saying, "General Du is absolutely right, then let's go to Zishan Garrison!"
After saying this, he left several hundred cavalrymen to guard the prisoners, with Ma Jun in charge. He also sent a second group of messengers to inform the main camp of the news and explicitly requested He Pan to send reinforcements.
At this time, the Han army was very close to Zishan Garrison, only four or five li away. Liu Lang had been to Zishan Garrison before and knew the way well. Even though it was dark, there were no obstacles. More than three thousand Han soldiers rode forward and arrived at the Qi army camp at the foot of the mountain in a quarter of an hour.
Meanwhile, the Qi cavalry had only recently arrived at the camp, and most of them remained outside, seemingly conducting a headcount under the command of their officers, their movements chaotic and without actually entering the camp. Unexpectedly, the Han army sent troops in pursuit, causing them to panic again. By then, it was too late to enter the camp; their formation was scattered, making them completely incapable of fighting. So, without waiting for the Han army to approach, they fled in a chaotic swarm.
With the Qi army's earlier rout, the camp's defenses were instantly wiped out. The Han army barely had time to trample the remaining thousand or so soldiers before they knelt and begged for mercy. Meanwhile, a hundred cooks were cooking inside the camp. Hearing the commotion outside, they assumed it was a mutiny by the Qi army, only to find that it was the Han army that had stormed into the camp.
When Liu Lang and Du Zeng entered the camp, the food in the fire camp had just been prepared and was still piping hot. Presumably because it was intended to reward the soldiers, the rice used was the finest white rice, and the dishes were freshly slaughtered roasted mutton. Perhaps because the Qi people lived near the sea, they used plenty of salt and spices, and it was said that they also used some secret recipe, probably sea cucumber powder, which gave the mutton an indescribable fresh and fragrant aroma, making the Han army knights who entered the camp drool and eager to eat.
However, tempted by this, Liu Lang disregarded military discipline and chose to lead his troops up the mountain to spy on Zishan Garrison. Several hundred Qi soldiers were also stationed at Zishan Garrison. They initially attempted to resist, but Du Zeng, fully armored, personally led a charge, killing over a dozen men and throwing their corpses down into the valley. This terrified the soldiers, who then laid down their weapons and surrendered to Liu Lang and his men.
Thus, Zishan Garrison successfully fell into the hands of the Han army. Liu Lang was in high spirits and ordered his soldiers to rest, eat, and wait for reinforcements in front of the camp, while he and Du Zeng inspected the supplies in the Qi army camp. The result was quite fruitful: the camp had 20,000 shi of grain, 100,000 arrows, and even a certain amount of gold and silver that Xu Kan and Su Jun had intended to bestow as rewards, all neatly arranged in the storeroom for the two men to inspect.
This victory naturally pleased Liu Lang greatly. The original number of prisoners could already be considered a minor victory, but this was now a major success. He praised Du Zeng, saying, "General Du is indeed adept at seizing opportunities. This opportunity was fleeting, and I dared not make the decision myself."
Du Zeng said regretfully, "It's a pity we didn't capture any high-ranking officials from Qi, which is a bit of a shame."
These were Du Zeng's unintentional words. After all, his pursuit was mainly driven by his anger at Su Jun, and he wanted to kill him to vent his frustration. In the end, after chasing for dozens of miles, Su Jun still managed to escape, so of course he felt somewhat disappointed.
However, these words alerted Liu Lang. At first, he didn't notice anything amiss, but after a moment's thought, he quickly grasped a different meaning. Yes! Although the Qi people had been in disarray, logically, there should have been important figures in charge of the camp. How could they have escaped so cleanly? It shouldn't be like this! Moreover, this is a valley terrain, and there's only one mountain path connecting Zishan Garrison and the camp. Unless they were outside the camp from the beginning, it would be difficult for any to escape.
Could it be an ambush? He was startled at first, but then he realized something was amiss. If the Qi people were planning an ambush, they could have attacked as soon as the Han army entered the camp. Why leave so many supplies inside? It was completely unnecessary. Once the Han army entered the camp, they could easily defend themselves. Wouldn't this be aiding the enemy? Or could it just be a simple coincidence?
As he pondered, he heard a strange sound in the wind, as if coming from the distant west, faint and indistinct. The sound seemed very familiar, but because it was so far away, it sounded slightly different, and Liu Lang couldn't distinguish it at first. But the next sound was all too familiar to Liu Lang; it was the sound of battle cries, however faint it was, as faint as the sound of a flame burning quietly, but it was definitely the sound of battle cries.
Liu Lang immediately became alert and ordered the generals to distribute arrows from the camp. The soldiers went to the wooden palisade to prepare for defense and to hold the camp. At the same time, he sent several light cavalrymen to spy on the situation from where the battle was taking place.
The scouts returned quickly, reporting anxiously to their commander, Liu Lang, that a battle had broken out on their way. About ten miles from here, Guo Song's reinforcements encountered the cavalry guarding the prisoners. Just as he was preparing to receive the prisoners, tens of thousands of Qi people suddenly emerged from Mount Bagong and launched a surprise attack on the Han army. Caught off guard, the Han army was now engaged in a fierce battle.
Upon hearing this, Liu Lang was greatly alarmed and immediately prepared to lead his troops to provide assistance. However, before he could even set off, a deep and resonant sound of ox horns rang out from the east, accompanied by a rapid clatter of hooves. The Qi cavalry that had been driven out of the camp reappeared in front of the camp.
After Su Jun spurred his horse to a stop, he turned to his subordinates and admonished them: "We have made a grave mistake by hastily abandoning our camp, but fortunately it is not a major issue. The enemy army is unwise, and the Marshal's plan has succeeded! Right now, the Marshal is fighting the enemy to the west, and we must not let them advance westward!" (End of Chapter)