Chapter 119: Initial Victory
The troops breaking out from behind the Hu forces were Zhang Chi's reinforcements. Leading the charge was Qin Bo, commanding his contingent of eight thousand elite soldiers, who pierced through the enemy's rear like a sharp dagger.
Unlike modern times, ancient soldiers and even low-ranking generals lacked any real military training; battles were fought solely under the command of the commanding general. Without telephones or telescopes, orders had to be relayed from the leader to subordinates, layer by layer, making the role of generals crucial in ancient warfare.
The greatest taboo in military campaigns was issuing contradictory orders, as this would cause confusion among the troops. This was precisely why ancient armies were notoriously poor at adapting to sudden changes. The defeat of Fu Jian's 800,000-strong army at the Battle of Fei River by a mere 80,000 Northern forces was a classic example of this.
Take the current Hu army, for instance. They had planned a coordinated assault on Pingwu, advancing en masse. Suddenly, a force charged from behind, catching them off guard. Even though the commanders quickly realized the threat, by the time they ordered the entire army to halt the siege and turn around, it was too late.
Qin Bo’s eight thousand elite soldiers had already thrown the Hu formations into disarray. When the enemy forces turned to look, they saw Zhang Chi’s massive army surging over the mountain like a dark tide, and morale collapsed instantly.
Qin Bo’s initial disruption was followed by Zhang Chi’s main force, which pounced like a tiger on a rabbit. Ding Yizhi was right—Zhang Chi’s commanders were drawn from various provinces, each faction rife with internal disputes due to political struggles. Such a mixed army might collapse in the face of a formidable foe, but against a weaker enemy, they would compete fiercely for glory.
Now, with the advantage in numbers and Qin Bo having already thrown the Hu formation into chaos, this was a golden opportunity for merit. These commanders hesitated no longer, each rushing into the fray eager to claim honor before others could.
The Hu forces, initially intent on capturing Pingwu for rest and resupply, were caught completely unprepared for an attack from the rear. Their vanguard continued to push toward Pingwu, unaware of the disaster unfolding behind them. By the time they realized and tried to regroup, their formation was shattered.
In the era of cold weapons, battles depended on formation, momentum, and clear commands—all of which were now absent.
At this moment, Lü Hao ordered the army to turn around and face the enemy, but the signs of defeat were already evident; there was no easy way to reverse the tide.
On the walls of Pingwu, the defenders had prepared for a desperate last stand. Suddenly, reinforcements descended like a godsend, sparking wild joy among the troops.
“Strike while they’re down!” Sun Rubai stood atop the city walls, exclaiming excitedly, “Our reinforcements have arrived. Now is the time to sally forth and help the reinforcements to slaughter the Hu!”
The entire garrison hated the Hu invaders with a passion and had waited anxiously for this day. Upon hearing Sun Rubai’s order, they raised their swords, their spirits soaring and fatigue melting away. Even the thirst in their mouths seemed to vanish as their fighting spirit reignited.
Sun Rubai selected a squad and flung open the gates, rushing out to join the battle. Being attacked from both front and rear accelerated the Hu army’s collapse.
The formation was in shambles. Even if Lü Hao had a clever plan, he could no longer communicate it amid the chaos. Retreat was the only option left.
Among ancient military commands, retreat was the easiest to convey—no need for layered orders; the commander simply turned his horse and fled.
One man fleeing was seen by ten, ten by a hundred, and a hundred by all. The entire army discarded their armor and fled in panic, afraid that a moment’s delay would mean death.
This was the crushing collapse of an army.
Most Hu soldiers were highly mobile cavalry; escape was not difficult for them. But those unmounted infantry who had planned to assault the city were slaughtered without mercy. On the battlefield, there are no fathers and sons, let alone comrades. In mere moments, those who could flee vanished beyond sight, while those who couldn’t were strewn lifeless across the ground.
Though the cavalry escaped, the Hu suffered tens of thousands of casualties, with countless bodies littering the fields before Pingwu.
Such was the brutal reality of war.
Zhang Chi, a man who had traveled through time, felt a twinge of melancholy witnessing this carnage, but the people of this era saw nothing amiss. Since the Han dynasty’s decline, peace had been fleeting; war was as common as breathing. For ordinary folk, dying of illness or old age was a blessing; most perished on the battlefield.
For centuries, countless bones had been buried in these lands—who could ever count them all?
The first battle was a victory, a boon for morale. Yet Zhang Chi knew this was only the beginning.
The Hu army numbered three hundred thousand strong; only a fraction had been scattered. The remaining forces would surely regroup and rejoin the main army. When the full might of thirty thousand troops faced him, how could his current forces stand?
What worried Zhang Chi most, however, was Du Ximing, whose task was to tie down the Hu main force at Jianjiang.
Zhang Chi and his comrades had devised this trap at Yulei Pass, but it was uncertain who would take responsibility for engaging the Hu main army. Du Ximing volunteered.
Zhang Chi’s own men—the provincial commanders—were ill-equipped for such a task. Although Qin Bo commanded eight thousand elite troops and was the only one familiar with the local terrain, Zhang Chi also had ten thousand followers from the Five Pecks of Rice Taoism under Hanxiang’s command. Yet none had formal training, making them ill-suited to face the Hu main force. Only Du Ximing was capable.
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