sjar Chapter 686: Huang Zu Falls into a Trap and Sun Ce Defeats the Enemy
Chapter 686: Huang Zu Falls into a Trap and Sun Ce Defeats the Enemy
Less than three days after dividing his forces, they had already captured Jiancheng County. Huang Zu was ecstatic at the prospect. Having conquered two counties in a mere fortnight, having begun the internal strife and rebellion within Sun Ce's army, Huang Zu was completely elated, wantonly indulging his arrogance, oblivious to the approaching danger. His face flushed with fervor, he commanded his soldiers to count the spoils. Then, with a powerful wave of his hand, he shouted, "Men, seize this moment to rest and march immediately to the next county! Conquer these places in one swift blow! Upon our triumphant return, we will be handsomely rewarded!" The exhausted soldiers, listlessly packing their gear, heard a cacophony of discussion echoing through the city. Some anticipated the rewards after the next victory, while others secretly worried about the coming battle.
Just as Huang Zu's army had assembled and was preparing to march with a chaotic tread, a cloud of dust suddenly billowed in the distance, as if a storm had swept across the sky. Then, the clatter of horse hooves, like rolling thunder, echoed from far and near, shaking the earth slightly. Sun Ce, atop a white steed as white as snow, was seen, his steed agile and his hooves whirring like the wind. He wielded a silver spear, its tip gleaming coldly, dazzling in the sunlight. He led the charge, charging like a flash of silver lightning. Upon learning of Huang Zu's successful capture of Jiancheng County, Sun Ce, with his exceptional military insight and keen battlefield intuition, anticipated that Huang Zu would be eager to advance to his next objective, presumably easing his forces' tension and presenting the perfect opportunity for a surprise attack. He decisively launched his attack, giving Huang Zu no chance to breathe.
Huang Zu was horrified, his smug smile frozen in time, like a frozen image. But he was a battle-hardened veteran, and after a brief moment of panic, he quickly regained his composure, his eyes rekindled with a resolute gleam. He took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently, and then shouted at the top of his lungs, "Men, do not panic! Follow my command, form your ranks and meet the enemy!" As he spoke, he quickly and methodically adjusted his troops' formation. He positioned his shieldmen and spearmen closely in the front row, their shields interlaced, forming an impenetrable steel line. Spears gleamed like a forest, their icy gleams gleaming. Archers quickly took up their positions in the rear, their bows drawn, their strings fully drawn, their arrows aimed at the oncoming enemy, their arrows poised, ready to be released.
Sun Ce, riding a white horse, charged into the enemy lines like a whirlwind, unstoppable. His silver spear danced, its spray flying like a dancing silver snake, its icy light flashing. Wherever he passed, the enemy soldiers screamed and fell, their blood splattering the ground. His voice, like a bell, roared, "Brothers, follow me and kill! Show Huang Zu how powerful we are! Today will be his day of defeat! For our homes, for our fallen brothers, kill!" His encouragement lifted the soldiers' morale, their eyes ablaze with fighting spirit. They shouted in unison, as fearless and fearless as beasts descending from the mountains, launching wave after wave of fierce attacks upon the enemy.
Following his pre-battle deployment, Lü Meng led 3,000 elite infantrymen in a swift, outflanking attack from the left flank. Their footsteps were light and nimble, like a pack of cheetahs lurking in the darkness, as they silently closed in on the enemy's flank. When the moment was right, Lü Meng shouted, "Kill!" Like a sharp dagger, he plunged swiftly into the enemy ranks. Lü Meng wielded his broadsword, slashing left and right, each blow carrying immense force. Flesh and blood flew everywhere. He roared, "Kill! Spare no one! Avenge our fallen brothers! Today, Huang Zu will pay with blood!" Huang Zu's flank was instantly thrown into chaos. Panicked soldiers fled in all directions, their screams echoing incessantly, their once-ordered formation shattered.
Huang Zu, seeing this, was terribly anxious, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He immediately dispatched a number of elite troops to reinforce the flanks, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Hold the flanks! Don't panic! Drive the enemy out! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!" Led by their general, the supporting soldiers bravely charged towards Lü Meng's troops. A fierce battle ensued, the clash of shouts and weapons mingling in a deafening cacophony.
Xue Zong led two thousand light cavalrymen around the enemy's rear, successfully cutting off their retreat. The cavalrymen, riding swift horses, charged through the enemy's rear with lightning speed, their long swords wielding a cold gleam, and wherever they passed, flames shot up into the sky. Xue Zong shouted, "The enemy is surrounded! Surrender and you will be spared! Those who resist will die!" This cry struck like a hammer, hammering down on the hearts of Huang Zu's troops. Many soldiers turned pale from the sudden encirclement, and fear spread instantly, instantly disrupting the army. The weaker-willed ones dropped their weapons and knelt in surrender.
Quan Cong led two thousand spearmen as the main force of the central army to meet Huang Zu head-on. Standing steady at the front, spear in hand, his posture erect as a pine tree, he commanded his men loudly: "Hold your ground, listen to my command! Spears ready, thrust!" The spearmen shouted in unison, thrusting their spears in unison, like an impenetrable wall of steel, blocking the enemy's advance. The spear tips flashed with a cold light as they stabbed the enemy again and again, blood streaming down their shafts. Huang Zu personally supervised the battle, wielding a broadsword, pacing back and forth in front of the formation, shouting encouragement: "Don't retreat! Hit them hard, and push them back! Today's battle is a matter of life and death. Only by fighting to the death can we survive!" Fierce hand-to-hand combat ensued, with the soldiers engaging in close combat, each fighting to the death. The battlefield was a scene of blood and flesh flying, the ferocity of the battle reaching its peak. Some of the soldiers were pierced through the chest by spears, their bodies falling backwards with blood gushing out; some had their arms chopped off by swords, screaming in pain as their severed arms fell to the ground; others were trampled under the feet of the enemy, struggling but unable to resist, their blood gushing out, dyeing the ground dark red, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.
Lü Dai and Sun Ce's reserve forces quickly reinforced the battlefields, rushing to wherever the situation was most critical. Lü Dai brandished his sword, its blade gleaming with a cold light, each swing carrying a sharp edge as he bravely cut down the enemy. He shouted, "Brothers, for victory, charge! Repel the enemy, now! Don't give them a moment to breathe!" Wei Yan, leading the patrol troops, roamed the battlefield, his eyes sharp as an eagle, constantly monitoring the situation. Whenever he spotted an enemy weakness or a critical point on his own side, he would immediately lead his troops to support, acting like a shot in the arm, stabilizing the situation. Seeing Quan Cong's troops struggling under Huang Zu's fierce attacks, he immediately led his soldiers, shouting and charging the enemy, attacking from the side, relieving the pressure on Quan Cong's troops.
Despite being crippled, Huang Zu resisted stubbornly, refusing to surrender. He dashed across the battlefield, his clothes stained with blood, his blood so thick he couldn't tell whether it was his own or the enemy's. Through a hoarse voice, he commanded his troops, attempting to reverse the defeat. He constantly adjusted his troop deployment, deploying reserves to the most crucial battlefronts, and personally led elite troops in the charge, attempting to break through Sun Ce's encirclement. However, Sun Ce's army surged forward, wave after wave, like a surging ocean, unstoppable. Huang Zu's army gradually gave way, suffering heavy casualties. The bodies of his soldiers piled like a mountain, and the wounded groaned in agony on the ground. Defeat was inevitable, with soldiers falling every moment. The shadow of defeat quickly and heavily enveloped Huang Zu's army.
The battlefield was deafening with shouts and cries of battle, thick with smoke. Huang Zu's army was steadily retreating under Sun Ce's relentless onslaught. Kuai Liang, flanked by his lieutenant and Huang Zu's personal guards, struggled to reach Huang Zu. His face was filled with anxiety, his clothes splattered with blood, his hair disheveled. He cried out, "General Huang, make a decision quickly! We can't hold this battle! Sun Ce is too cunning and too powerful. Our forces are already scattered after our division, and now we can't resist him!"
Huang Zu gritted his teeth, his face turned ashen, and his heart was filled with unwillingness. He spat fiercely and cursed: "This Sun Ce kid is really cunning! I fell into his trap!" At this time, soldiers around him kept falling down with screams, and blood splattered on his face. The warm touch made him more irritated.
Kuai Liang panted and continued, "General, we can't hesitate any longer. If we don't retreat, it will be too late!" Huang Zu clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the exertion. He looked around at the shambles on the battlefield and the countless casualties among his own soldiers. Finally, he nodded fiercely and said, "Retreat! We can't fight any longer!"
Huang Zu then eagerly asked, "Where should we retreat?" Kuai Liang thought quickly for a moment and said, "Let's catch up with Su Fei first! He's not far from Anding State and is also relatively close to Liu Yao's army, so his forces are relatively concentrated. We can reunite with him and then make our next plan!" Huang Zu immediately agreed, "Okay, let's do it!"
Huang Zu then turned to his personal guards and shouted, "Urgent order! Assemble immediately! Move quickly! Anyone who delays will be subject to military action!" The personal guards immediately dispersed, shouting orders across the chaotic battlefield. The soldiers, seized upon by the order to retreat, rushed towards their designated location as if grasping at straws. They discarded their armor and weapons, stumbled, their eyes filled with fear and exhaustion.
The situation on the battlefield shifted rapidly, the cries of battle and the clashing of weapons blending into a brutal war song. Xue Zong, leading his cavalry in a fierce battle behind the enemy lines, keenly detected Huang Zu's signs of flight. Flanked by his personal guards, Huang Zu frantically fled to the rear, his soldiers frantically gathering around him.
Xue Zong's eyes widened upon seeing this, and he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Huang Zu is trying to escape! Brothers, don't let him!" His cry cut through the clamor of the battlefield like a thunderclap, instantly drawing the attention of the surrounding soldiers. His cavalrymen, inspired by the sound, intensified their attack, attempting to cut off Huang Zu's retreat.
This news spread like a whirlwind across the battlefield. Soon, it reached Sun Ce, who was fighting bravely in the center of the army. Upon hearing this, Sun Ce's eyes flashed with excitement and determination. Without hesitation, he brandished his silver spear and shouted, "All troops, listen! If Huang Zu attempts to escape, attack him immediately. Don't let a single one escape! We must capture them all today!"
At Sun Ce's command, the already fiercely attacking army surged forward like a surging tide, sweeping towards Huang Zu's fleeing direction. Lü Meng's infantry quickened their pace, flanking him. Quan Cong's spearmen held their spears erect, shouting and charging forward. Lü Dai and Wei Yan also led their respective units, coordinating closely to deny Huang Zu any respite or opportunity to escape.