Chapter 819
Raid on the Supply Route
"what!"
"Bartel is dead?"
Upon hearing the news from the outer pass of Daoma Pass, Subutai's face trembled violently, while his other subordinate, Boriged, stared in shock.
Batel was one of the three great warriors who were on par with him, yet he died in battle outside Daoma Pass today!
Thinking of this, Boriged asked, "Who are the ones attacking the city today?"
Upon hearing this, one of my subordinates immediately replied, "It is Fu Youde, formerly a general under Zhu Chongba, who later defected to Chen Jiusi and is now Zhang Dingbian's deputy general."
"Fu Youde!"
Boriged looked at Subutai with a serious expression and said, "General, I will meet him tomorrow!"
Subutai looked at the map and said, "The death of Batel is a very troublesome matter for us. However, the decisive moment of today is not over yet. Is Agula ready?"
“Agula is ready. He has led his cavalry on a 300-mile detour and should be able to get behind the Han army tonight to burn their supplies.”
Subutai said, "Yes, as long as the Han army's supplies are cut off, the loss of Batel in this battle is acceptable, Boriged."
"Your subordinate is here!"
"The defense of the inner city of Daoma Pass is now in your hands. Let them see what the might of the Golden Horde's number one warrior is all about!"
"promise!"
……
At this moment, in the Han army camp, Zhang Dingbian and Ni Wenjun found Fu Youde. Fu Youde had fought a bloody battle that day and was seriously injured, but this battle had shown his prowess.
"Zhang Shuai".
"Commander Ni!"
Fu Youde had bandages wrapped around his head, his face was ashen, and he looked terrible.
"Sit down quickly, sit down quickly."
Zhang Dingbian and Ni Wenjun each held one of Fu Youde's hands and pressed him down. Zhang Dingbian said, "Youde, this battle was fought brilliantly. It was a great victory in the first battle. I have already written to the Prince of Han with Commander Ni to commend your achievements."
Upon hearing this, Ni Wenjun said, "Yes, Youde, you fought bravely in this battle and have set a good example for us brothers!"
Upon hearing this, Fu Youde said, "General, General Ni, you flatter me. If I, a surrendered general, do not fight with all my might, how can I live up to the kindness of my colleagues and the tolerance of the Prince of Han?"
Upon hearing this, Ni Wenjun said, "Well done. By the way, this is for you."
Ni Wenjun took out a sandalwood box, and Fu Youde asked, "What is this?"
Ni Wenjun said, "Open it and you'll see." Fu Youde opened the box and immediately saw a green pill inside that emitted a strong medicinal fragrance.
"This is?"
Fu Youde looked at Ni Wenjun in surprise upon seeing this, while Zhang Dingbian said from the side, "This is a life-saving pill bestowed by the King of Han. This pill is based on the Spring Character Formula in the King of Han's Four Seasons Celestial Phenomena Formula. It infuses the pill with the power of life. If you take it, all injuries below the Fusion God Realm can be immediately healed, and injuries above the Fusion God Realm can also be greatly alleviated."
"This treasure is rare. The fact that Commander Ni is willing to take it out shows how much he values you."
"Commander Ni!"
Upon hearing this, Fu Youde became excited and looked at Ni Wenjun. Ni Wenjun patted Fu Youde on the shoulder and said, "Stop being so hesitant. I acknowledge you as a man. Although the gift from the King of Han is precious, it is not as precious as a great general like you. Take it. There is a fierce battle waiting for us tomorrow!"
Fu Youde was deeply moved. Looking at the pill in his hand, he quickly said, "Thank you, Commander Ni!"
Ni Wenjun said, "The elixir belongs to the King of Han. I am merely offering it as a token of my gratitude. If anyone should thank me, it is the King of Han!"
Upon hearing this, Fu Youde replied, "Yes, I know, thank you, Prince Han! I won't say any more, from now on I will serve you with all my heart."
After saying this, Ni Wenjun smiled and said, "That's exactly what I've been waiting for. Take it now."
Upon hearing this, Fu Youde took the pill, which immediately emitted a powerful life force that quickly healed his injuries. At this moment, Fu Youde felt completely relaxed, and even his old injuries were much better.
At this moment, Fu Youde exclaimed excitedly, "This, this elixir is too miraculous! My injuries have been completely healed, and many of the hidden injuries I had from martial arts training have also healed."
Ni Wenjun and Zhang Dingbian smiled when they saw this scene. They had witnessed their lord's prowess many times before, so they were not so surprised.
At this moment, Fu Youde said, "General, I just looked at the map and discovered a fatal weakness in our army!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Dingbian glanced at Fu Youde and said, "Your injury has just healed, and you're already throwing yourself into battle?"
Fu Youde said, "With a major battle imminent, we dare not be careless in the slightest."
As he spoke, Fu Youde led Zhang Dingbian and Ni Wenjun to the map and said, “Look, my two commanders, our front line is here, our main force is here, but our grain supplies are stored in Shexian County.”
"Now that our army is advancing, the area around Shexian is vulnerable. If we're not careful, the enemy could launch a night attack on Shexian, and we'll be at a disadvantage!"
Upon hearing this, Ni Wenjun looked at Shexian and asked, "Do you think Subutai would send someone to launch a sneak attack on Shexian?"
Fu Youde said, "If it were me, I would send troops to raid Shexian tonight and burn the grain supplies. Then our army would fall into chaos. So, Commander, we should think of a way to protect Shexian now."
Zhang Dingbian and Ni Wenjun both smiled upon hearing this. Fu Youde looked at the two of them and asked, "Generals, what's going on here?"
Ni Wenjun chuckled and said, "Youde, you and our Commander Zhang are thinking the same thing. So didn't you notice that one of us is missing?"
"One person is missing?"
Fu Youde looked around and then asked, "You mean Golden Swallow and Golden Marshal?"
Ni Wenjun and Zhang Dingbian chuckled and said, "Marshal Jin will arrive in Shexian this afternoon. We can't be careless about the food supply."
"It won't do if Subutai treats us like Yuan Shao."
Ni Wenjun said, "Even if we were Yuan Shao, he wouldn't be Cao Cao. Would we leave Wuchao for him?"
The three of them couldn't help but burst into laughter.
The wind on the plains whipped up sand and gravel, lashing against the cavalrymen's leather armor and making a fine rustling sound.
Agula lay prone on his horse, his hawk-like eyes narrowed to slits as he stared intently at the faint outline of the mountains ahead.
Behind him were three thousand of the Golden Horde's most elite light cavalry, each with three horses, who had been galloping for a day and had finally arrived here after taking a detour of three hundred li.
"General, Shexian County is just thirty li ahead!" The guide spurred his horse back from the front of the column, his voice hoarse from the long march.
Agula did not respond immediately. He raised his right hand, and the entire cavalry came to a slow stop as if guided by his own arm.
Aside from the horses' heavy breathing and the occasional snort, none of the three thousand riders made any extra noise.
This was the elite cavalry trained by Agula, one of Subutai's three great generals, known as "The Blue Wolf."
Unlike Batel, known for his bravery, and Boriged, renowned for his wisdom, Agula excelled at long-distance raids and decisive strikes. His cavalry could travel 300 li a day, carrying three days' worth of rations, penetrating deep into enemy territory to burn supplies and cut off their advance. Like a poisoned dagger, they could always strike the most vulnerable spot of their opponents.
The battle at Daomaguan was critical. Han general Zhang Dingbian personally led the main force in a fierce attack. Although the defending general Batel was brave, he still could not withstand the advance of the Han army.
To achieve a swift victory, the only option is to send a surprise force deep into the rear of the Han army to burn their supplies and thus lift the siege of Daoma Pass.
This task naturally fell to Agula's shoulders.
“Shexian…” Agula repeated the name of the place in a low voice, and took out a rough sheepskin map from his pocket. On the map, Shexian was marked with a red circle, and next to it was written in Mulan script, “Han Army’s main camp for provisions, with about two thousand soldiers.”
This is intelligence brought back by scouts three days ago. The main force of the Han army is at Daoma Pass, leaving the rear vulnerable. Although Shexian is a crucial area for grain and supplies, the garrison consists of only old and weak auxiliary soldiers.
Agula's three thousand elite cavalry would suddenly appear and easily break through the city like a hot knife through oil, then set fire to the grain and flee thousands of miles away before the Han army could return to reinforce.
That's how it was supposed to be.
For some reason, the closer Agula got to Shexian County, the stronger the inexplicable unease in his heart became. It was an intuition honed in the midst of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, which had saved his life several times.
"Send out scouts, five men per group, to search the area within thirty li of Shexian County," Agula ordered, his voice deep and rumbling like thunder. "The rest of you, rest here for half an hour, feed the horses, have them eat, and check the bows, arrows, and oil."
“General, our army’s movements are secretive, and the Han army has no chance of detecting us. Why not launch a surprise attack?” Vice General Borchu rode forward. He was Agula’s cousin and the deputy commander of this cavalry.
Agula glanced at him: "Bater was facing a formidable pass at Daoma Pass, which was 'absolutely impossible' to breach. But now? The Han army has already broken through the outer city."
The news of the Battle of Daomaguan, reported by Haidongqing, has arrived today. Batel's death at Daomaguan has truly shocked them.
"It's always better to be cautious." Agula took out a piece of dried meat from his saddlebag and started to bite into it, but his eyes were always fixed on the direction of Shexian County, and his heart was beating even faster.
Half an hour later, the first group of scouts returned.
"General, the gates of Shexian are wide open, and merchants are coming and going as usual. The guards on the city walls are sparse, and there is nothing unusual."
There were no signs of ambushes within ten miles west of the city.
"The river in the east of the city is gentle and can be waded across."
Each report seemed to confirm the original intelligence—Shexian County was completely unprepared.
But Agula's brow furrowed even more. It was all too normal, abnormally normal. With a bloody battle raging at Daomaguan, how could Shexian, a crucial supply depot, be so lax?
"Investigate again." He uttered only two words. "Focus on investigating the mountains, forests, and valleys outside the city, especially places suitable for hiding troops. Also, find out when the grain transport convoys enter and leave, and where they are going."
The scout accepted the order and left.
Bo'erchu couldn't help but say, "General, aren't we being too cautious? Our army has marched a thousand miles, and speed is of utmost importance. If we delay too long, the Han army will notice and send troops back to defend, and all our previous efforts will be in vain!"
Agula was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Borshu, do you know how wolf packs hunt large prey?"
"Of course I know. First, probe, then harass, and when the prey is tired and shows a weakness, swarm in."
“That’s right.” Agula nodded. “But there’s another situation—when the wolf pack finds its prey too quiet, or even actively exposing its weaknesses, experienced wolves will retreat immediately. Because that often means a trap is right in front of them.”
He looked toward Shexian County, a cold glint in his eyes: "Shexian is now as quiet as a trap."
Another hour passed, and the last group of scouts returned, bringing back crucial intelligence.
“General, we found a large number of birds startled and not returning to the forest for a long time at Lao Jun Mountain, fifteen miles north of the city. There also seemed to be smoke in the mountain, but it was not cooking smoke. It looked more like... traces of cooking, but they deliberately used wet firewood, so the smoke was very faint.”
A glint of light flashed in Agula's eyes: "Quantity?"
"Judging from the range of the startled birds, there are at least three thousand people."
Bo'erchu gasped in shock: "Three thousand? The Han army has three thousand men lying in ambush near Shexian? How is that possible? Isn't their main force at Daomaguan?"
“Not the main force, but another unit.” Agula sneered. “Zhang Dingbian truly lives up to his reputation as a renowned general of the Han army; his military tactics are indeed shrewd. He anticipated that our army might launch a surprise attack on the supply lines and laid an ambush here long ago. The emptiness of the city was an illusion; the real killing move was these three thousand hidden soldiers.”
"Then... shall we retreat?" Borshu asked unwillingly. After traveling thousands of miles, with their target right in front of them, no one would be willing to return empty-handed.
Agula did not answer immediately. He closed his eyes, his mind racing:
The Han army ambushed at Laojun Mountain, a position that was precisely between Shexian County and Daomaguan Pass.
If I rashly attack the city, the ambush troops can arrive in half a day and attack from both inside and outside the city with the defending army. Although my three thousand cavalry are elite, they are exhausted from the long march and have no siege equipment. Once surrounded by infantry, they will surely be defeated.
But if we retreat now, how will we report back to the commander-in-chief? And since the outer city of Daoma Pass has already fallen, how long can the inner city hold out?
After a long while, Agula opened his eyes, his gaze resolute: "No, we will not retreat, but we will not attack the city either."
"That……"
“We’ll bypass Shexian and head straight here.” Agula pointed to a valley about 30 miles behind Shexian on the map. “The Han army’s supplies will be transported from the rear and will inevitably pass through this place. We’ll ambush and kill the supply convoy here. It’s the same way of cutting off their supply route, but the risk is much lower.”
Bo'erchu's eyes lit up: "General, what a brilliant plan! We'll seize the grain carts, take what we can, and burn what we can't. By the time the Han army's ambush is discovered, we'll have already fled far away."
“Exactly.” Agula put away the map. “Order the entire army to mount their horses, detour around the western mountains, and avoid the line of sight of Lao Jun Mountain. Remember, the horses’ hooves must be wrapped in cloth, and the men must be gagged, so that there is not the slightest sound.”
"As ordered!"
Three thousand cavalrymen moved silently, like a gray undercurrent, meandering westward toward the foothills.
However, what they didn't know was that on the very hill where they had just stopped, a falcon took flight and sped off toward Shexian County.
Shexian County, city gate tower.
Golden Swallow untied the small tube from the falcon's leg and poured out a roll of thin silk. Unfolding it, she saw a few simple symbols, but after only a glance, a slight smile appeared on her lips.
"It did turn around," she said softly.
The adjutant beside him leaned closer: "General, have the barbarians really fallen for our trap?"
“Agula isn’t stupid. He’ll see the feint at Laojun Mountain and won’t force his way into Shexian.” Jin Yanzi lit the thin silk on the candle and watched it turn to ashes. “But he won’t leave empty-handed either. Send the order to withdraw the feint at Laojun Mountain. Make it a complete show, and act like you’re rushing back to defend the county town.”
"Then Agula will..."
“He’ll think we’ve fallen into a trap, that our ambush troops have returned to the city, leaving our rear vulnerable. Then he’ll go and raid our supply lines.” Jin Yanzi walked to the railing of the city tower and looked westward. “But my real ambush troops are already waiting for him in Luoyan Valley.”
The lieutenant suddenly realized and exclaimed in admiration, "General, your strategy is brilliant! That Agula, known as 'The Gray Wolf,' is extremely cunning, yet he still fell into your trap."
Jin Yanzi shook her head: "Don't underestimate the enemy. Agula is one of the three great warriors under Subutai, and his reputation is well-deserved. If the commander hadn't foreseen this and ordered me to secretly lead the 'Azure Dragon Army' to Shexian County in advance to set up defenses, the county's grain supplies would probably have been reduced to ashes by now."
She paused, then continued, "Send the order down to the ambush troops in Luoyan Valley to remain calm and wait until all the barbarians have entered the valley and cut off their retreat before making their move. What I want is to annihilate these three thousand elite cavalry and cripple Subutai!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
The lieutenant hurried downstairs to relay the order. Jin Yanzi stood alone on the city wall, her crimson battle robe fluttering in the wind.
As the sun set, it dyed the clouds on the horizon a blood-red hue. Golden Swallow knew that the battle in Falling Goose Valley should be starting soon, and their prey should be in the trap! (End of Chapter)