Pengze, this is the essential route from Shangliao City to Lujiang.
It is an official road winding for seven or eight li, alongside countless rugged paths.
Just as Duke Gongjin said…
Here, "Pengze" is difficult to attack and easy to defend. As long as an ambush is set here, Liu Xun's main force of "fifty thousand troops" will be unable to reinforce. Once Lujiang falls, the mission will be accomplished, and everything will be over.
The task is assigned to Jiangdong generals Sun Ben and Sun Fu.
Sun Ben and Sun Fu are the sons of Sun Qiang, Sun Jian's elder brother, and are Sun Ce's cousins. They hold esteemed positions in the Jiangdong army.
This time, the ambush at Pengze is of utmost importance.
Besides these "tiger-hunting brothers," Sun Ce and Zhou Yu truly do not trust anyone else.
However, past battle records have shown that these two cousins are indeed trustworthy.
"It's so quiet!"
"Don't think too much. No one is here, so it's naturally quiet."
As the fleet disembarked, Sun Ben and Sun Fu gazed at the winding official roads of Pengze before them and began to converse.
It was indeed too quiet; not even the chirping of insects could be heard, a stillness where a pin drop would be audible.
"As expected, just as Young Master Zhou said, this place is indeed a good spot for an ambush," Sun Ben said with a smile. "With such rugged terrain, one man guarding the pass can hold off ten thousand. Even if Liu Xun were to reinforce with an additional fifty thousand troops, he wouldn't be able to break through this defense."
"Haha…" Sun Fu also chuckled. "The people of Jiangdong say it was Young Master Zhou's brilliant strategy that secured Jiangdong. Haha, in my opinion, Gongjin will next have a brilliant strategy to pacify the realm? Hahaha…"
Hearty laughter echoed.
The two brothers had already begun commanding the eight thousand Jiangdong soldiers to advance and occupy key positions, setting up ambushes along the route.
Who would have thought that at this moment…
"Hahahahaha…"
A burst of rampant laughter erupted.
Following closely were torches from all directions… The torches formed a crescent shape, completely enveloping the eight thousand Jiangdong soldiers.
This…
An ambush?
Sun Ben and Sun Fu's brows furrowed instantly.
Did someone set up an ambush in Pengze beforehand?
That's not right… Wasn't Liu Xun leading his army to attack Shangliao City? How could he… be setting up an ambush in Pengze?
Before they could react.
A voice boomed out…
"You Sun family brats, I bet you didn't expect this! Grandpa has been waiting for you here! Do you know who Grandpa is?"
This laugh!
This voice!
Sun Ben and Sun Fu were all too familiar with it.
It was… Huang Zu of Jiangxia – the enemy who had shot and killed the old general Sun Jian, the one with an irreconcilable hatred for their Sun family.
Even ordinarily, upon hearing his name, not a single Sun family disciple wouldn't want to devour his flesh and drink his blood.
However…
At this critical juncture, that was no longer important…
What was important was… where was this scoundrel Huang Zu from Jiangxia? How did he… how did he come to Pengze?
Before Sun Ben and Sun Fu could figure it out.
That rampant laughter sounded again.
"Hahahaha, Grandpa is Huang Zu. Your conspiracy to take Lujiang was merely to use it as a springboard to attack my Jiangxia city? To avenge that scoundrel Sun Jian?"
"Hahaha, what a shame, what a shame. Such a plan was long ago discovered by Chancellor Cao."
"Now, your main forces at Lujiang are already surrounded and trapped like fish in a jug! Hahahaha, I won't lie to you, Grandpa has been waiting for you for a long time!"
That's right, this person was indeed Huang Zu of Jiangxia.
And the fifty thousand troops who feigned an attack on Shangliao City but were actually ambushing at Pengze were never Liu Xun's forces; they were Huang Zu's Jiangxia soldiers.
They were merely operating under Liu Xun's banner.
This was a meticulously woven net by Lu Yu, with each thread connected, each link interlocked, all pointing directly at Jiangdong's Little Hegemon Sun Bofu, trapping him so deeply he could not extricate himself!
—The most skilled hunter often appears as the prey!
Speaking of which…
When Sun Ce plotted to take Lujiang, the person he worried about the most was never Zhang Xun of Lujiang, but Huang Zu of Jiangxia.
He understood the principle of "lips and teeth" (mutual dependence).
Moreover, due to his past act of shooting Sun Jian, Huang Zu and the Sun family had already forged an irreconcilable enmity.
Sun Ce's attack on Lujiang was a case of "the drunkard's purpose is not wine"; what about Huang Zu's dog head?
Because of this…
Huang Zu found no peace day or night!
And coincidentally… in the brocade pouch that Lu Yu gave to Cheng Yu, it mentioned a line—the enemy of my enemy is my friend!
Thus, Cheng Yu, Liu Xun, and Huang Zu… three individuals with the same objective and the same enemy struck a deal, forming a temporary alliance and tacit understanding.
Liu Xun's fifty thousand troops merely feigned leaving the city; they remained ambushed within Lujiang, waiting for the fish to bite.
As for…
The fifty thousand troops in Shangliao City, they were Huang Zu's diversionary force.
By increasing the number of cooking stoves and having spies deliver incorrect intelligence to Sun Ce, the real fifty thousand Jiangxia soldiers were already ambushing at Pengze, waiting for the "clever" Sun family soldiers for a long time.
"Draw the bows, loose the arrows, loose the arrows!"
Huang Zu was most skilled in archery formations.
He spread his arms, drawing a three-foot longbow, his bowstring taut like a crescent moon. The long arrow split the air!
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…"
In an instant, countless arrows, countless fire arrows, like locusts, like a cascading waterfall… shot from all directions towards the Jiangdong soldiers.
Just as Duke Gongjin said, Pengze was indeed extremely easy to ambush, difficult to attack, and easy to defend.
In such terrain, those caught in an ambush could only be targets, slaughtered at will.
But…
Zhou Yu would never have dreamed that the ambushers on the Pengze battlefield would not be their Sun family warriors, but… but the Jiangxia archery formation of their enemy Huang Zu.
The situation was now unavoidable!
"Ah… ah…"
"Ugh…"
Groans and screams were incessant.
Panic, confusion, fear, despair – all sorts of emotions filled the hearts of every Jiangdong soldier.
With no cover, without the rousing presence of the Little Hegemon Sun Bofu, facing several times their number of Jiangxia soldiers, facing arrows that rained down like pear blossoms, the Jiangdong army fell in rows and columns.
The Jiangxia archery formation that could kill the fierce tiger Sun Jian was never just a name; moreover, they now held the advantage of terrain…
Killing enemies was as easy as their usual training.
"Retreat, second brother… hurry and retreat…" Sun Ben was still trying to command, attempting to salvage the unfavorable situation.
However…
"Eldest brother, we can't escape. The ships… the ships are gone!"
Sun Fu looked despaireingly towards the ships on the riverbank. Fire arrows had already been shot towards them; the entire river surface was a sea of flames, all the ships had been burned to ashes, and they… had no retreat.
It's over…
Is everything truly over!
Sun Ben's face was extremely grim, but even that "grimness" did not last long.
Because…
The sky-filling arrows struck again.
"Ah, ah…"
Sun Ben felt his pupils constrict, his heart tighten.
Then… countless arrows covered his body, piercing through him.
Sun Fu was not faring any better.
An arrow struck his knee; he knelt, barely supporting himself. The round shields of Jiangdong were simply unable to block the arrows shot from all directions!
What's more, it was the archery formation that Jiangxia's Huang Zu was famous for!
"Bofu, Bofu…"
He uttered this last "bloody" word, and an arrow pierced Sun Fu's chest!
It's over, it's truly over!
Are they at peace?
No, they are not!
Sun Ben and Sun Fu died with their eyes open!
They had clearly… clearly been the ambushers, they were the hunters, but in the end… in the end, why? They were trapped in an ambush and became the prey?
Where in Duke Gongjin's strategy did it go wrong?
"Thump, thump…"
The crisp sounds, in the moonlight, were exceptionally desolate.
Sun Ben and Sun Fu fell, their eyes still wide open, unblinking – they died with their eyes open!
This night, two more debts of hatred were added between the Sun family and Huang Zu!
And after several volleys of arrows.
"Brothers, kill!" Huang Zu seized the opportunity and immediately gave the order; it was time to reap the battlefield.
Instantly, tens of thousands of Jiangxia soldiers discarded their longbows, drew their sabers, and transformed into strands of black smoke under the moonlight, charging towards the leaderless, swaying Jiangdong soldiers.
*Whoosh…*
At this moment, no one felt more contemplative than Huang Zu.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "This guy, his calculations are truly precise…"
"Pengze, how could he have calculated that the Jiangdong troops would disembark at Pengze? Heh, it's thanks to him that it was calculated correctly. Fortunately… I, Huang Zu, set up the ambush first. If I had been even a step slower, the situation would have been different."
Even though the situation was now a sure victory.
Huang Zu was still deeply shaken.
As for the guy he spoke of, who else could it be but Lu Yu?
Initially, when Huang Zu received Lu Yu's letter, he was a hundred and twenty percent disbelieving.
How could it be possible?
How could Lu Yu, before Jiangdong's Sun Ce had even made a move, have detailed all of the Jiangdong army's plans so thoroughly?
Even with flawless foresight, it shouldn't be calculated like this, right?
But… precisely.
Every piece of intelligence returned by Jiangdong spies corroborated the contents of the letter.
At that time, Huang Zu had already believed Lu Yu eighty percent… and even agreed to join forces with the Long Xiao Camp and Liu Xun to thoroughly trick this Little Hegemon of Jiangdong.
Ancient battles were like this.
A precise prediction was enough to change the situation on the battlefield!
"Heh, this guy is truly as the legends say—his intelligence is demonic!"
With this thought, Huang Zu raised his eyes and looked south, towards Lujiang!
Over there, Liu Xun and the Long Xiao Camp would likely also achieve a beautiful complete annihilation.
In this way…
The Jiangdong Sun clan would be severely weakened, and he, Huang Zu, could finally sleep soundly. The days of constant worry, of feeling like thorns in his side, like sitting on pins and needles, were about to end.
…
…
Under Lujiang City, blood stained the ground, and the will to fight was strong.
A cavalry of fifty Black Armored Cavalry charged towards the most elite hundred-plus cavalry of the Jiangdong army.
The situation was clear…
The reason the Jiangdong soldiers could still resist was due to the charge of these hundred-plus cavalry, and the valor of the Little Hegemon Sun Bofu among them!
—"I am the Little Hegemon Sun Bofu!"
—"Jiangdong disciples, why fear the world?"
—"Where the sword points, the enemy dare not resist!"
Every roar and shout from Sun Ce, coupled with the fall of several enemy generals and Sun Ce's unique "passionate" voice, infused the Jiangdong disciples with immense morale, making them fight more fiercely!
It seemed as though the entire battle situation was about to turn around!
To be frank, the fighting capabilities of Liu Xun's soldiers and Sun Ce's soldiers were not on the same level.
However…
This was not just Liu Xun's forces; there was also an invincible Royal Army!
"Dada-da…"
The hoofbeats of the Long Xiao Cavalry were particularly resonant. They were like a dagger piercing straight into Sun Ce's personal cavalry contingent.
Of course, Sun Ce also noticed this strangely clad army.
"Uncle, please go and meet them!" Sun Ce immediately ordered.
"A piece of cake." A knight beside Sun Ce turned his horse.
This general, whom Sun Ce called uncle, was named Sun Jing, the younger brother of Sun Jian, and Sun Ce's uncle.
Sun Jing was skilled in both civil and military affairs, having achieved many remarkable feats in pacifying the six commanderies of Jiangdong!
Coupled with his identity, it was no exaggeration to say that his position in the Jiangdong army was second only to Sun Ce, even higher than Zhou Yu.
Now that Sun Ce was unable to extricate himself, his most trusted person was none other than his uncle, Sun Jing.
And Sun Jing was a proud man; he commanded the rarest of Jiangdong cavalry!
After all, although Jiangdong primarily focused on infantry combat, any who became cavalry were the cream of the crop among the soldiers. He did not take ordinary enemy cavalry seriously.
"Heh heh…"
With a light chuckle, Sun Jing led the more than a hundred riders beside him and swaggered forward.
In order to quickly defeat the opponent and rush to support his nephew Sun Ce.
Therefore, he didn't even bother to organize his formation, nor did he take the fifty riders before him seriously.
At this moment, the Long Xiao Cavalry were already roaring.
Come on, the more the merrier. These heads are fields, they are grain, they are merits, they are "wives" to warm the bed!
Whoever comes, we'll take them!
It was only Cao Xiu whose calm eyes slightly narrowed, as if his eyes were filled with ten thousand years of ice. He coldly watched the hundred-plus riders charging at them…
"Neigh!"
The warhorses whinnied to the sky. Cao Xiu charged forward first, followed closely by the others.
"Dada-da…"
The familiar hoofbeats of the Long Xiao Camp sounded again!
The fifty-strong horse team, with each falling hoofbeat, seemed to strike the same point, producing sounds like thunder, shocking everyone.
A mere fifty cavalry, yet their hoofbeats projected the momentum of thousands of cavalry. Just this alone made some people gasp.
"How… how is this possible?"
Sun Jing, who had been full of disdain and mockery, suddenly froze.
As a cavalry commander, he knew best how incredible the hoofbeats of these enemy riders were!
What does cavalry charge rely on!
It relies on an unstoppable momentum and an overwhelming oppressive force, but to achieve both, it depends on the tacit understanding among the soldiers.
This…
Is almost impossible!
The tacit understanding displayed by the hoofbeats of these fifty riders was something that even Sun Jing, who had commanded cavalry for many years, admitted he couldn't achieve. Even ten years later, Jiangdong cavalry wouldn't be able to achieve this.
Closer…
Even closer.
The two sides' cavalry clashed.
"You ignorant fool, die!" Sun Jing raised his long spear… and thrust it directly at Cao Xiu's chest.
"Clang!"
Sun Jing had been on the battlefield for over thirty years; his experience was extremely rich, and his spear technique was exceptionally swift. Even Cao Xiu didn't react immediately, watching the long spear thrust towards him!
But…
Did this matter, not at all.
Because Cao Xiu had no intention of dodging!
"Clang clang clang…"
The sound of metal colliding echoed. Sun Jing's long spear fiercely struck Cao Xiu's armor, sparks flying. Then, to everyone's astonishment, the long spear was repelled by the armor.
That's right, the long spear did not pierce the armor, but was instead knocked away by the armor's force…
This sudden scene made Sun Jing's pupils widen.
In all his years, this was the first time on the battlefield that he was unable to pierce an opponent's armor with his spear! What… what armor was this? Was it made of gold?
"What a shame!"
Before Sun Jing could react, Cao Xiu's refined steel halberd had already descended.
"Crack…"
Sun Jing's armor was instantly split open…
"No…"
His eyes widened, and before he could even cry out, he and his horse were cleaved in two and sent flying a considerable distance.
His body was in pieces!
Blood splattered, staining the surrounding land. Such simple and direct slaughter shocked everyone present, including Liu Xun's troops and Jiangdong's disciples!
This…
These fifty riders? This Long Xiao Cavalry? Are they impervious to blades and spears?
This was everyone's instinctive first reaction…
After all, what had just happened was happening right before their eyes: General Sun Jing's long spear couldn't pierce the enemy's armor, while the enemy's halberd struck down, cleaving man and horse in two.
Terrifying…
Such terrifying strength!
Pressure!
Such frightening pressure!
And this pressure had just begun, because… the hundred riders charging at them were being mercilessly harvested by the Long Xiao Cavalry!
As they reaped lives, one could also hear the contemplative laughter from these Long Xiao Cavalry.
Along with strange slogans.
—"One mu of land, two mu of land!"
—"One wife, two wives!"
Refined steel halberds, refined steel armor…
The overwhelming equipment turned this cavalry clash into a one-sided slaughter!
The hundred-plus Jiangdong riders, from the moment Sun Jing died, had already lost their morale, still facing Cao Xiu's icy eyes.
Or, more terrifyingly…
When they met the greedy gazes of the Long Xiao Cavalry, everyone felt a chill to their bones!
They only wanted to escape these…
Fearsome figures!
"Run…"
"Quick, run…"
"Take me with you!"
Immediately, many Jiangdong soldiers were scared out of their wits, wailing and crying to leave this place of misfortune.
More Jiangdong soldiers wore grim expressions. The morale that had been ignited by Sun Ce's valor had instantly plummeted back to rock bottom!
Enemy cavalry impervious to blades and spears.
Enemy cavalry that could cleave stone and sever metal.
The fear that the Long Xiao Cavalry brought them was too great, a trembling from the depths of their souls.
This trembling would be passed down through the annals of history, imprinted in their very bones.
Similarly…
A line appeared above the forehead of every Jiangdong disciple—
—Never provoke these gods of slaughter!
At this moment…
Sun Ce's brow also furrowed. Uncle Sun Jing… was gone? Just like that… easily gone!
The key was, his uncle's cavalry couldn't even withstand a single move from these Black Armored Knights?
This…
Perhaps in a moment, this fear would engulf the entire army?
"My men, destroy them!"
Hesitation could lead to changes…
Sun Ce dared not delay any longer. He led his personal cavalry towards this Black Armored Cavalry.
Must…
Must eliminate these fifty riders immediately. Only then could the situation… the situation possibly… possibly turn around again!
…
Conversely, Cao Xiu raised his refined steel halberd.
"Brothers? What are you waiting for? Let's beat a drowning dog!"
With these words…
Countless armored soldiers shouted "Fight, fight, fight…"
With an overwhelming momentum…
Liu Xun's troops were once again filled with soaring fighting spirit, and under the leadership of the Long Xiao Camp, launched their final slaughter!
Those refined steel halberds fiercely pierced into the enemy formation.
Just like—a tiger entering a flock of sheep!
The Long Xiao Cavalry… wherever their hooves passed, the refined steel halberds, already stained with blood, continued to mercilessly harvest lives!
This is the Long Xiao Camp…
The Long Xiao Camp that once shook the world, and today… makes the children of Jiangdong cry themselves to sleep!
…
…
ps:
(Some viewers have asked, after waiting so long, where is Xiao Qiao's waist? Uh… if Lujiang isn't taken, how will Lu Yu save his mother-in-law! If he doesn't save his mother-in-law, let alone Xiao Qiao's waist, even Da Qiao's legs won't appear! Let's look at waists rationally… and legs rationally. Of course, the waist will appear in the next chapter.)