Jinting Han people

Chapter 753 The Disruption Formation in the Battle of Jianye

Based on the results of the first half hour of fighting, Wang Mi realized that if the battle line was confined to the Qingliang Mountain line, the Qi army would indeed be unable to break through the Han army's defenses.

The reason is simple: the terrain of Stone Mountain is a protruding peninsula. The Han army seized the entrance to this peninsula, shortening the battle line to less than five li. Under these circumstances, the Qi army's numerical advantage could not be utilized, and they could only engage in one-on-one hand-to-hand combat, putting them at a disadvantage. If the fighting continued in this manner, the battle would last for three days and three nights without any result.

Therefore, Wang Mi concluded that the terrain of Stone Mountain was long and narrow, and if the Han army concentrated its forces on the east side of Qingliang Mountain, their forces on the west side would inevitably be insufficient. The Qi people, who controlled the navy of Xuanwu Lake, could deploy some of their forces to the northwest side of Qingliang Mountain and attack the Han army's rear from there. No matter how the Han army reacted, they would no longer be able to maintain their current composure.

The order was quite complex and couldn't be conveyed using flag signals, so Wang Mi sent a messenger on horseback to inform Ran Long's troops. Ran Long was currently at the easternmost edge of Qingliang Mountain. Although he was part of the vanguard of the first wave of attacks, the narrow battle line meant his front was being squeezed by Xu Miao's forces, and he hadn't yet been able to join the battle. Ran Long had been drinking, and the alcohol was making him feel hot and agitated. Hearing that Wang Mi had sent him to flank the Han army from the rear, he immediately perked up, gripping his long spear and boasting, "Excellent! My blood and energy have been burning with nowhere to go!"

So he immediately led the peasant army to the lake shore and boarded the boats. Thousands of soldiers entered dozens of boats, and then, seizing the time, rowed without stopping towards Ma'anshan. Such a large-scale mobilization could not possibly be kept secret from the Han army on the battlefield. However, firstly, the Han army had to face the overwhelming Qi army's offensive from the front, and secondly, it took time to relay messages. Traveling through the mountains was not as fast as rowing, so they could not send an army to follow Ran Long. They could only watch helplessly as Ran Long bypassed the main force of the Jiangzhou army and gradually penetrated deep into the rear of Shitou Mountain.

After bypassing Qingliang Mountain, what lay before Ran Long's troops was a wide-open, rocky beach. Just as Wang Mi had predicted, the river beach north of the rocky mountain stretched for over ten miles; since the Han army had chosen to blockade Qingliang Mountain, they couldn't possibly blockade the river beach as well. This allowed Ran Long's troops to easily establish a foothold at the foot of Ma'anshan Mountain. However, they didn't rush to attack, but waited in place for about three-quarters of an hour until reinforcements arrived, bringing Ran Long's force to over four thousand men, before launching their assault on Qingliang Mountain.

It was at this time that the first batch of Han troops to resist the Qi people arrived, led by Du Hong's troops. Since the siege of Stone City had turned into a major battle against the Qi army, the task of Du Tao's troops naturally changed from attacking the city to guarding against the Qi army inside Stone City and covering the flank of the Jiangzhou army at Qingliang Mountain.

Upon learning that Qi people had sailed to the west side of Qingliang Mountain, Du Tao immediately dispatched Du Hong to provide support. Before Du Hong departed, Du Tao instructed him, "Since the Qi people have divided their forces here, they must be elite troops. You must be very careful."

Du Hong readily agreed, nodding repeatedly, but in his heart he thought, "Brother is too cautious. No matter how elite the Qi troops are, can they be stronger than Cao Yi? They look intimidating, but it's just some easy credit." He had spent much longer in Huainan than Du Tao and had also participated in the Battle of Huainan. He knew that the Qi people's fighting style was always about using wits rather than brute force. In addition, last time Liu Lang led more than a thousand elite cavalrymen to gallop back and forth in Jianye, so he still had some contempt for them. This was not something that could be changed in a short time by a few words.

Du Hong had set off later, and by the time he reached the mountainside of Ma'anshan, Ran Long's troops had already occupied the summit. Anyone with combat experience knows that whoever controls the summit holds a decisive advantage. Seeing this, Du Hong immediately thought: Should we just give up the summit like this? Absolutely not! Otherwise, if the Qi army charges down from the summit, we won't be able to deploy our forces in time. What will we do then? The most urgent task is to drive the Qi army off the summit before they can establish a firm foothold!

Upon realizing this, he not only refrained from ordering his troops to halt and form ranks, but instead accelerated his advance, continuing his charge upwards. Thousands of men surged forward in a dense mass, like ants swarming towards the hilltop occupied by the Qi forces. The army's attack was not as noisy and chaotic as that of the Jiangzhou army; only the sound of leather boots treading over the rocks and the clash of armor and weapons could be heard.

The vanguard of Du Hong's troops was led by Liu Fang, the county magistrate of Yinling. He rode ahead and shouted tauntingly at the Qi people on the mountaintop: "How dare you, slave, come here to die?!"

The Qi soldiers, positioned atop a small hill, watched as the Han army surged down like a tidal wave. The clang of metal on the ground was deafening, and the hilltop beneath their feet began to tremble slightly. Many wore solemn expressions, but none showed the fear of battle Du Hong had anticipated. Ran Long, slightly intoxicated, squinted down, seemingly oblivious to the wind. Hearing Liu Fang's provocative words, he immediately flew into a rage, retorting, "I think you're the one courting death!"

At this moment, Ran Long completely disregarded the disordered formation and the fact that his soldiers were not yet complete. He immediately grabbed his spear and spurred his horse down the mountain. Only a dozen or so riders could keep up with him. When they saw their commander charge down after saying just one sentence, they were inevitably shocked. However, there was no time for hesitation in battle, so they quickly followed. The peasant soldiers behind them, seeing this, also raised their broadswords and charged down the mountain without saying a word.

The Qi army charged without even forming ranks, something the Han army hadn't anticipated. Liu Fang, mounted on his horse, was about to exchange another few insults when a rider came hurtling towards him. The rider was as tall as an iron tower, riding a large horse and wielding a long spear. The spear tip gleamed coldly, growing larger as if a boulder were rolling down on him. As the rider drew nearer, Liu Fang realized this man's strength far surpassed his own, but it was too late to escape. Ran Long was already close, thrusting his spear at Liu Fang. Before Liu Fang could even raise his spear to defend, he felt his body lighten, as if propelled off his saddle. A sharp pain shot through his chest. Before his consciousness faded, he finally realized: his opponent, using the momentum of the descending horse, had pierced him and impaled him on the spear!

Ran Long didn't even glance at the dead man on his spear. He tossed Liu Fang aside, the body crashing into the Han army ranks, causing a stir. Such martial prowess was extremely rare even among the Han army, making him comparable to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei in bravery. In fact, as things unfolded, Ran Long, fueled by alcohol, swept through the Han army, none of them able to withstand a single blow. The Han soldiers behind him fired arrows at Ran Long, quickly riddling him with arrows like a hedgehog, but Ran Long seemed unaffected. In a short time, he had killed more than a dozen men in the Han army ranks, clearing a path several dozen feet long.

Du Hong's troops, based in Xiangzhou, had never participated in the bloody battles between Guanzhong and Bashu. They had never encountered such a situation on the battlefield and were momentarily stunned and at a loss. The Qi people swarmed down behind them, engaging in close combat. These Qi people wore talismans on their weapons and chanted incantations, displaying a fearless attitude that further surprised the Han army. After a period of fierce fighting, the Han army increasingly realized that this Qi force was no ordinary opponent. The Qi people possessed astonishing willpower; they were not only fearless but could withstand multiple blows without retreating. Even with a severed hand, they would still muster their strength to pounce on their opponents, even biting them with their teeth. Such formidable opponents caused the Han army's morale to waver. Led by Ran Long, more Qi people joined the battle, launching attacks on the Han army. Even without a tight formation, they forced the Han army to retreat repeatedly.

Going uphill was inherently a disadvantage. Under constant attacks, the Han troops in front and behind were huddled together, making it difficult for them to maneuver effectively. This was especially true for Du Hong's main force. After seeing Liu Fang killed, Du Hong wanted to personally lead the Han army in a counterattack to stop Ran Long's downward momentum. However, it was too late when he tried to act. As the Han troops in front retreated step by step, they formed a human wall, blocking him from Ran Long. This made it impossible for Du Hong to do anything, and he could only watch helplessly as his soldiers retreated step by step.

If this continues, the retreat will likely turn into defeat, and defeat into a rout! Du Hong was extremely anxious. Fortunately, he wasn't one to be overly concerned with saving face. Faced with this situation, he knew that retreat was necessary. Losses were unavoidable, but the most important thing was not to affect the entire army. So Du Hong immediately sent a messenger to Du Tao to report the matter and instruct him to prepare to form ranks to meet the Qi army charging down from the mountain.

Du Tao was observing the movements of the Qi people within the city from the watchtower on the west side of Stone City. Since Qi troops had already appeared on the mountain, a move from within the city would risk him being attacked from both sides. Unexpectedly, he received a messenger's report that Du Hong's troops were suffering a series of defeats, which he found hard to believe. Du Hong was his sworn brother, known for his aggressive fighting style, yet in a single encounter, he was being overwhelmed by the Qi people. While Du Hong's underestimation of the enemy and the disadvantageous terrain certainly contributed to this, it also demonstrated the formidable strength of the enemy.

Now was not the time for lamentation. Du Tao quickly devised a solution in his mind. In this situation, simply ordering Du Hong to withdraw would likely lead to immediate chaos and a rout that would engulf the entire army. How could this be stopped? Du Tao quickly realized that the Qi army's attacking force was small and their defenses couldn't be so comprehensive. He should send another army to harass the Qi offensive from the flank. If the Qi were on guard, Du Tao's troops could use this opportunity to withdraw and regroup. If the Qi were not on guard and continued to pursue, they would be cut in two. Du Tao's troops could hold off this small portion of the Qi forces while still managing to withdraw the majority.

He immediately ordered Wang Zhen's troops to lead a thousand cavalrymen to flank the Qi army from the west. This was one of the few remaining cavalrymen in the Huainan army, and it was just the right time to use them in this emergency. After receiving the order, Wang Zhen did not dare to delay and immediately began his operation. At the same time, Du Tao also urgently ordered the remaining troops under Gao Bao to form ranks at the foot of the mountain. Without knowing the enemy's situation, he had to make this plan to avoid the worst-case scenario.

Just as the Han army at the foot of the mountain was hastily forming ranks, Wang Zhen did not deliberately conceal his presence. He chose a relatively conspicuous and flat mountain path, and ordered his men to unfurl many flags and shout loudly, making it appear as if a large number of reinforcements were arriving. The Qi people could not possibly fail to notice their movements. Not long after the charge began, they saw a cavalry force flanking them from the southwest, their banners stretching to the sky like a long red dragon.

Ran Long had been fighting for about half an hour, and the effects of the alcohol had somewhat worn off. He was quite satisfied with his progress, but seeing a group of troops threatening his flank, he became wary again. Although brave, he wasn't a fool who charged blindly. He quickly guessed the enemy general's intention: to intercept him as he descended the mountain. His forces were currently at a disadvantage, and a forced charge would indeed be quite risky. However, giving up now and allowing the enemy to recover was something Ran Long was extremely unwilling to do.

But he was an incredibly audacious man, and whether it was the excitement of the battle or the intoxication of the wine, a bizarre idea suddenly popped into his head. Ran Long snapped to attention, reined in his horse, and waited for the soldiers behind him to advance slightly. He then found his deputy, the military advisor Song Zhou, and instructed him: "The enemy wants to block our path. Most of our army probably won't be able to get down the mountain in time, but how can we let them succeed so easily? You form ranks here and advance slowly. I'll go to the city walls to find the Prince of Wei and have him coordinate with our army from within. What do you think?"

Ran Long said one thing, but in reality, he didn't consult Song Zhou's opinion. He quickly gathered the knights who came up later, about twenty in total, and then ran down the mountain in another direction without looking back.

Du Hong's troops felt the pressure at the front lessen considerably. After observing the situation briefly and seeing that Wang Zhen's troops had begun fighting the Qi people, and knowing they had no immediate worries about their rear, they immediately began to accelerate their escape from the battlefield. At first, they maintained their formation, but due to the previous overcrowding, they quickly lost order, like a downstream torrent. If the Qi people were to continue their downward charge, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In fact, Song Zhou did have similar thoughts, but with Wang Zhen watching him closely, constantly harassing him with arrows, threatening his command center, he felt like he had a thorn in his side and dared not make any rash moves. Furthermore, without his commander Ran Long leading the charge, he lacked confidence in victory and could only order his troops to continue to shrink and form a circular formation, confronting Wang Zhen's forces halfway down the mountain. He could only watch helplessly as the Han army descended to the bottom and began to reorganize their formation under the command of their generals.

Of course, in this chaotic situation, no one could notice the movements of Ran Long's troops. These twenty-odd riders moved like ghosts, appearing and disappearing on the hillside. The Han soldiers they encountered along the way couldn't catch up, and could only watch as Ran Long and his party disappeared into the distance, finally appearing beneath the walls of Stone City. (End of Chapter)