The Battle of Sai

Jingzhou has a lot of water.

Based on the Yangtze River connecting Xiagu and Lukou, to the west lies the vast Yunmeng Marsh, and to the east are numerous large and small lakes scattered about.

Although the ground was firmer compared to Yunmeng Marsh, allowing large armies to move without difficulty, the routes were limited due to the lakes located here and there.

It was already a multiple-choice situation where they had to choose from the few available paths, and with the condition of the shortest distance to Xiagu added? Then their route was obvious.

And those bastards walked on their own feet to where the tiger had its mouth open.

“Enemy army, sir.”

Ma Su, who took Jiang Wei’s place on my right, reported.

I spoke, erasing my emotions before battle:

“Switch from straight advance to curved advance. We’ll surround and annihilate them. We’ll kill them all here.”

The orders were transmitted to the entire army through flags and drum sounds. With swift order delivery that didn’t even take a moment, the formation that had been drawing a 三 shape changed to a 八 shape.

The Seven Armies of the Liuhua Formation. Due to Jiang Wei and his soldiers being dispatched to take charge of one of them, this Liuhua Formation was literally divided into six units.

Two armies in the center, two armies on the left wing, two armies on the right wing.

By now, the system of left and right rear armies was properly established. Accordingly, 6,500 each were placed on both wings, and 7,000 in the center.

The number in the center army, which should hold the core, seemed meager, but we increased the defense by concentrating sword chariots and ballistas in the center.

And above all, I am in the center army. There was no need to deny it out of embarrassment anymore. As the General Who Upholds Virtue, I was a walking morale boosting totem and a tactical weapon in itself.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

The matchless valor succeeding those two.

That was the path I was walking.

If I could overturn even numerical inferiority, 7,000 is more than enough, even excessive, to surround just 10,000.

As we deployed the curved formation with clear intent to surround the enemy, there was a reaction from the other side as well.

Rather than choosing to retreat, they chose to break through. The Wu army, which had been moving in a long snake formation suitable for marching, began to form a different shape.

‘They sharpen the front vanguard acutely, and the remaining three sides – left, right, and rear – form a square formation. It’s the Sharp Formation. Are they going to break through?’

It’s an offensive-defensive integrated formation that defends against encirclement by having defense power in the square formation while piercing the enemy lines at one point with the vanguard’s sharp edge.

However, conversely, it was a formation that was ambiguous in both attack and defense.

For this formation to function as intended, the role of the vanguard was crucial.

The key is whether they can break through the enemy lines even with somewhat lacking breakthrough power.

‘The one standing at that vanguard is most likely Xu Sheng.’

It’s remarkable confidence. Or perhaps their will to save Sun Deng is that strong.

Or maybe they realized that their only way out is a frontal breakthrough.

‘If they retreat, it’s certain annihilation.’

Because Jiang Wei’s suicide squad will be occupying their rear.

Although small in number, the suicide squad has ballistas. They probably recognize to some extent the existence of the suicide squad closing in from behind. The fact that they’re caught between us front and back too.

This path where we and the Wu army are facing each other is a path between the Yangtze River and lakes on both sides.

Anyway, they had no choice but breakthrough.

If they try to retreat clumsily, they’ll be blocked by Jiang Wei’s army and get annihilated by our rear attack.

Some who escape from Jiang Wei’s army might survive, but that would be nothing more than dying like a dog.

Rather than that, they break through. If successful, they can somehow promise a future. They must have judged so.

It’s possible to block the path after breaking through, or place a suicide squad at the chokepoint and have the rest rush to Xiagu Castle to cooperate with the forces inside the castle and enter.

It’s the right judgment. That is, if they succeed.

“Tell the left and right wings. When the enemy attacks the center army, surround them as is.”

They built a square formation worried about our cavalry force, but a square formation not combined with wagon fortresses has its limits.

If they had properly prepared for land battle, they should have dismantled their ships and used that timber to make even temporary battle wagons like ballistas.

With such half-hearted preparation, they can’t handle my Nanling Army.

“The enemy is attacking!”

“Wait. When the enemy narrows the distance to 50 paces in front of the center army, deploy both wings.”

They start to become visible.

The faces of the approaching enemy soldiers in the distance.

At the front, that person was there.

A stern, hardened expression and a sturdy build similar in size to Wei Yan.

The tiger minister skilled in both civil and military affairs who deceived Cao Pi with the Fake Sima Yi strategy and surprised Cao Cao with matchless valor.

Xu Sheng.

Befitting his strong heart that fought thousands of enemies coming out of the castle with just a few hundred troops, no trace of fear could be read on his face.

The moment our eyes met, Ma Su’s voice hit my eardrums.

“50 paces!”

I shouted, raising my spear high:

“Both wings, advance!”

Along with my shout, soldiers rushed out from both sides.

Ma Dai in charge of the left wing, Bu Zhan in charge of the right wing.

Under their command, each controlling the left and right rear armies, 4 units begin to encircle the Wu army.

Although Jiang Wei’s figure wasn’t visible yet in the far back, he must be steadily narrowing the distance. The iron chains that seemed to cut off the Yangtze were in fact closer to being for crossing the river to go back and forth to the mid-river island rather than blocking ships.

In fact, the scouts reported that Jiang Wei was tracking the enemy’s rear.

Time is on our side.

“The enemy is surrounded by our army! Soon the separate force led by Assistant Jiang will join as well! Victory is before our eyes!”

And.

Collision.

Kwagagak!

The sword chariot with blades attached ground up enemy soldiers,

Teoeoeng!

Armored enemy soldiers pushed back the ballista with all their bodies and weapons,

Peoeoek!

An arrow pierced the neck of the one who had been pushing back the ballista.

A melee broke out. Those trying to block somehow and those trying to cross somehow contend with their lives at stake.

Although it was the Liuhua Formation specialized for facing cavalry, it was demonstrating its might against infantry as well.

However, unlike cavalry, it was more difficult to distinguish between friendly and enemy forces in infantry melee, and as the distance was much closer, the archers behind the wagons couldn’t perform properly.

Xu Sheng’s subordinates also displayed considerable bravery, as if following their master. But the Nanling Army’s defense is not so easily broken by just that much.

Nevertheless, it was hard to be confident of victory because of Xu Sheng’s presence opening up gaps at the enemy’s vanguard.

Which is faster? Our left and right wings breaking down their square formation?

Or the enemy vanguard breaking through our center army?

If it were an orthodox clash between encirclement and breakthrough, that would be the scale of victory and defeat.

But there’s another way to determine victory and defeat.

Breaking and crushing the spearhead of the side trying to break through.

“General Ma, you take command of the center army. It won’t be difficult if you cooperate with Xiaoxian.”

“What? General of the Guards, you… No! General of the Guards, you are our army’s commander-in-chief! If by chance something happens to your precious body…”

Perhaps because it was the first time Ma Su called me ‘precious body’, I laughed inappropriately for the situation.

Unless I’ve gone crazy, there’s no way I could laugh in a place like this.

Is this also because of staying on the battlefield for too long?

But right after, seeing my soldier fall before my eyes by Xu Sheng, the laughter vanished in an instant and an icy expression was overlaid.

“Look over there. My soldiers are dying at that man’s hands right now.”

Xu Sheng’s valor was dazzling. If that man were on our side, I would have sent admiration for his performance.

But that man was the enemy. That brilliance was despair for our army, and soon became sorrow for me.

“There is no virtue in war. But if I had to pick one if forced.”

That man is a harmful general.

To our current army, and for the future as well.

Reading the change in my emotions, Jinjeonghwang scratched the ground as if about to rush out at any moment.

Yes. You wouldn’t want to wait either.

“I would pick a quick end to the war.”

The moment I pulled the reins, Jinjeonghwang sprinted like an arrow.

“Nanling Army! Open the way!!”

The Nanling Army, priding itself as the most elite unit in the world, swiftly moved their ranks to open a path as soon as they heard my shout.

Ignoring Ma Su’s call from behind, just forward. I run along the path the soldiers have made.

And at the end of it is the enemy general, Xu Sheng.

Seeing me charging, Xu Sheng stared at me with wide eyes.

“Oh! So you’re Zhang Ran!”

Just as I want to kill Xu Sheng to end the battle quickly.

Xu Sheng too must want to kill me to open a way out.

With our interests aligned, Xu Sheng and I rushed at each other.

Xu Sheng’s confidence in facing me on horseback while he wasn’t mounted was indeed worthy of being called a tiger minister.

Jinjeonghwang passed by Xu Sheng leaving a golden trajectory.

At the moment of crossing with Xu Sheng, a sharp metallic sound rang out as if tearing the air.

There was no feeling of cutting at all. Xu Sheng had blocked my attack as I rode Jinjeonghwang.

Amazing dynamic vision. Or a combat-specialized sixth sense.

As I stroked its neck, Jinjeonghwang immediately reduced speed and turned around.

At the boundary line created by the Wu army and Nanling Army clashing, only Xu Sheng and I were on opposite sides of each other.

“Not bad.”

At my casually thrown words, veins popped up on Xu Sheng’s forehead.

“You wench…”