gnovel Chapter 48: Capture Zhang Fei Alive?
Chapter 48: Capture Zhang Fei Alive?
Upon witnessing such ingenious cavalry tactics, Yuan Tan was filled with pride.
Taking over Lou Ban was definitely the right choice.
Lou Ban was deeply moved to see that Yuan Tan not only did not punish him, but also valued his horse-training skills so highly. He nodded emphatically.
"This is a closely guarded secret of my tribe, the art of training trusted warhorses. If my lord does not mind, Louban is willing to impart all his knowledge to you! However... it must begin with foals, training them together with the rider to achieve mastery. With warhorses at hand, it will likely take some time."
"No problem! From this day forward, establish a special battalion, select the best riders and finest steeds, and train them exclusively in this art! What I want is a ghostly iron cavalry that can hide in the depths of the earth and move across the heavens!"
Yuan Tan immediately made the decision, then his face turned cold.
"As for that audacious band of mountain bandits... Yan Liang and Zhang He!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"You two, each lead your elite troops, guided by Lou Ban's forces, and search every inch of the land to find these bandits! Capture their leader alive and retrieve their horses! I want to see who dares to defy me!"
A cold glint flashed in Yuan Tan's eyes.
Whether it was Liu Bei's probing or Lü Bu's conspiracy, he was determined to expose them and make an example of them!
"promise!"
Yan Liang and Zhang He readily accepted the order and immediately led their men down to search.
Less than half a day later, a sentry brought back a message:
"General, we've found them! There are about several dozen riders hiding near Wild Wolf Valley. The leader is indeed a burly man with a dark face, wielding a serpent spear, and his voice is like muffled thunder."
Could it really be Zhang Fei?
He actually came to my territory to steal my horse?
The problem is, they've already stolen the horse but they won't leave. Are they planning to steal another one?!
A cold glint flashed in Yuan Tan's eyes.
Why don't we take advantage of their small number of soldiers and kill them?
On his path to conquering the world, he would inevitably clash with Liu Bei.
Zhang Fei was his number one threat.
If we don't seize this opportunity to kill him now, are we going to wait until Liu Bei has become powerful enough?
However, Zhang Fei was known as a warrior capable of defeating ten thousand men.
Their combat prowess is certainly not to be underestimated.
Even if the enemy only has a few dozen riders, I must be extremely careful to avoid being caught off guard and losing my way.
Yuan Tan immediately summoned Yan Liang, Zhang He, and Lou Ban to a meeting.
Yuan Tan pointed to the rudimentary map drawn by the scouts:
"Wild Wolf Valley is located here. It is shaped like a pocket with only two exits, one in the front and one in the back. The valley floor is flat, but the slopes on both sides are steep, which is conducive to setting up an ambush. Zhang Fei is brave and invincible. Even if we can win by force, our army will suffer heavy losses. I think we should not fight by force, but take the initiative by strategy."
He looked at Lou Ban, his gaze intense:
"General Louban, your skill of 'making the horse lie down' is the key to the outcome of this battle. I intend to have you lead several dozen cavalrymen with some horses to make a patrol at dawn tomorrow, passing through the entrance of Wild Wolf Valley. Make sure Zhang Fei sees you."
Lou Ban understood immediately:
"Understood! This will surely provoke that dark-skinned man to come out and chase me."
Indeed, this child is teachable.
Yuan Tan cast an approving glance and continued to give the order:
"General Yan Liang!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
Yan Liang stepped forward.
"You will lead five hundred swordsmen and shieldmen, and three hundred archers, to ambush them in the dense forest outside the valley entrance. Once Zhang Fei's entire army has pursued them into the valley, you will immediately move out, block the valley entrance, and set up numerous barricades and chevaux-de-frise, ensuring that not a single person escapes!"
"promise!"
"General Zhang He!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
Zhang He cupped his hands in greeting.
"You will lead five hundred spearmen and two hundred crossbowmen to ambush at the other end of the valley. Upon hearing the cannon fire from within the valley, you will break out to block the path and join forces with General Yan Liang to attack from both sides!"
"Yes, sir!"
Yuan Tan finally looked at Peng An beside him:
"You are positioned above the valley; you must deploy astute soldiers carrying a sturdy net to wait. The decision to cast the net is yours, but the goal is to ensure a perfect strike!"
Peng An immediately bowed and said:
"Rest assured, my lord. I will wait until Zhang Fei is bewildered by General Lou Ban's extraordinary skills, losing his footing and becoming disoriented. At that moment, the net will be cast."
"very good!"
Yuan Tan nodded heavily.
He surveyed his generals and said in a deep voice:
"Remember, everyone, Zhang Fei is fierce and cannot be defeated head-on. A psychological approach is the best strategy!"
"Your humble servants obey!"
The generals responded with a resounding roar.
……
Just as dawn was breaking, a troop of about fifty light cavalrymen, driving twenty or thirty unclaimed warhorses, slowly made their way from the eastern entrance of Wild Wolf Valley.
The sound of horses' hooves echoed through the silent valley, and the leader was none other than Lou Ban.
He and his men were listless and lethargic.
To be honest, even if it's meant to lure the enemy, this kind of act is just too conspicuous.
It's as if you're telling the enemy,
You yourself are the bait.
However, he was too nervous, and since it was his first time using such a tactic to lure the enemy, he was inevitably a bit clumsy.
Yuan Tan stood on the mountain and looked at Lou Ban and the others from afar, and frowned secretly.
It's really asking too much of the Wuhuan people to carry out this kind of luring-the-enemy-enemy-strategy.
Look at Lou Ban's straightforward manner.
Most people wouldn't fall for it.
Fortunately, Zhang Fei at this time was far less shrewd and calculating than he was later when he cleverly captured Wa Pass.
This attempt to lure the enemy is clumsy, but it shouldn't be a problem, right?
Almost the instant the team from Louban came into complete view of the valley entrance, a dark figure suddenly stood up in the forest at the top of the valley.
"General! Look! It's that Wuhuan brat from yesterday! And lots of horses too!"
A sentry lowered his voice and excitedly shouted to Zhang Fei beside him.
Zhang Fei suddenly opened his eyes, all sleepiness gone.
He took a few steps to the edge of the cliff, pushed aside the thorns, and looked down.
Below, in the valley, the cavalrymen were leisurely making their way along, their horses relaxed and their riders carefree, completely unaware that they had entered a dangerous place.
Especially the dozens of stray horses in the procession, with their bright coats,
If we can acquire these fine horses, then we will have fulfilled the task of buying horses assigned by our elder brother.
"Hahaha!"
Zhang Fei grinned widely and chuckled in a low voice.
"That little brat really doesn't learn his lesson! He escaped yesterday by sheer luck, and now he dares to come here again to ride his horses? These horses should be mine!"
"General, wait!"
An older guard beside him quickly grabbed his arm and whispered,
"This is suspicious! They were robbed yesterday, and today they're brazenly returning, specifically choosing this treacherous valley... There might be an ambush!"
"ambush?"
Zhang Fei glared, shook off the guard's hand, and looked at him with disdain.
"What a joke! These bastards, relying on their fast horses to escape, have run into my hands today. I'll make sure they're all dead! Look at how relaxed they are, they don't look prepared at all."
He clearly thinks yesterday's attack was an accident, and is now trying to take advantage of the situation! What is there to fear from such a coward, even if there is an ambush? With my eighteen-foot spear and my black horse, what is there to fear?
"Men, follow me down the river, reclaim the horses, and steal the damn stuff!"
He was hot-tempered by nature, and he was already furious that he failed to complete the task in one trip yesterday. Now that he saw the fat meat in his mouth again, he was not going to listen to any advice.
He immediately mounted his horse and swung his eighteen-foot spear:
"Follow me! Let's slaughter them all!"
The soldiers thought to themselves, "If there really is an ambush, with your excellent martial arts skills, you could easily escape."
But we only have two legs, how can we possibly run away?
However, it's one thing to keep these thoughts to oneself, but it's impossible to say them to the Third General's face, otherwise, a beating would leave him half-crippled, if not dead.
So the group of veterans had no choice but to follow Zhang Fei and charge toward Lou Ban.
(Thanks to SGboy, Call Me King of Memes, Book Friend 2024070839499, and Collapse for the recommendation votes. Thank you all for your continued support, I'm truly touched. Also, I'm begging for a monthly ticket from a godfather! I'm begging you!)