Chapter 11: Lure The Snake From Its Hole
Liu Kuangyi bid farewell and left. Lu Su smiled and said, “Having asked so many questions, the general must already have a plan in mind!”
Gan Ning appointed Lu Su as Chief Clerk rather than Strategist for a reason.
The reason was that Gan Ning himself could lead troops into battle. He possessed cognition and knowledge surpassing Three Kingdoms figures by over two thousand years. He could effortlessly recall all sorts of strategies from history, so Gan Ning believed he did not need a Strategist.
But Gan Ning needed someone capable to manage Finance for him, handle tedious Military Affairs and Government Affairs, and this was precisely Lu Su’s strength.
Meticulous, patient, serious about work, and meticulous in every detail—these were all Lu Su’s strengths. Moreover, Lu Su was magnanimous and treated Citizens kindly, which was also what Gan Ning needed. As an outsider in Jingxiang and Jiangdong, he needed Reputation and Reputation, and Lu Su could help him with that.
Gan Ning nodded and said, “Our greatest advantage now is that the enemy does not know of our existence. By exploiting Huang Zu’s fondness for boasting and seeking glory—where the superiors indulge, the subordinates will follow—we create an opportunity for Hu Xian to earn Merit. He will surely take the bait!”
Lu Su stroked his beard and praised, “The general sees through it clearly!”
………..
This morning, Hu Xian sat in the Military Yamen drinking wine, racking his brains on how to flatter Huang Zu to get himself appointed as Magistrate of Chaisang sooner.
Hu Xian had no Military Merit, no Seniority, and no ability. He had only obtained the position of Commander of a Detached Unit in Chaisang City by fawning and flattering Huang Zu.
Hu Xian knew full well that if he did not quickly earn some Merit, the opportunity for Magistrate of Chaisang would go to Su Fei, after all, Huang She supported Su Fei.
As he was thinking, a Soldier suddenly came to report, “General, an old farmer has come seeking aid, saying that the Mount Lu bandit Zhang Li has come down the mountain to plunder their Village.”
Hu Xian’s eyes lit up. It was like wanting to sleep and having a Pillow delivered. He hurriedly said, “Bring the messenger up!”
Soon, an old farmer in short clothes was brought up. He knelt and pleaded, “General, save us quickly!”
“Don’t be anxious. First tell me, where is your Village?”
“In response to the general, this humble man is from Dongan Village in Taiping Township!”
Hu Xian checked the map. It was about thirty li from Chaisang City, not at the foot of Mount Lu.
“Your Village is not at the foot of Mount Lu?”
“General, even rabbits do not eat grass near their burrows. Zhang Li never plunders Villages at the foot of Mount Lu; he always targets Villages farther away.”
This made some sense. Hu Xian asked again, “How many of them are there?”
“About over a hundred men. They have already plundered several Villages, taking large amounts of money and dozens of young women. General, hurry! Otherwise, they will escape.”
Hu Xian was overjoyed inside. Every word from the old farmer struck at his heart. Just over a hundred men, large amounts of money, dozens of young women—it was simply wealth and Merit sent from heaven.
He immediately ordered, “Order the Army Assembly!”
At this time, subordinate young General Ding Feng advised, “General, why not first send Soldiers to scout.”
Hu Xian had never liked this Ding Feng. Of humble origin, he thought a bit of Martial Arts meant he did not respect him and opposed him at every turn—a real troublemaker.
Hu Xian angrily rebuked, “In warfare, speed is paramount. By the time scouting is done, the mountain bandits will have fled. You stay behind to Defend the City; you are not going!”
Ding Feng was only a Military Officer, of low status and young at just seventeen. Though he felt it was somewhat improper, with Hu Xian single-mindedly wanting to kill the mountain bandits for Merit, he had no way to stop it.
A quarter of an hour later, Hu Xian led four hundred Soldiers along the Official Road, grandly heading south.
………..
At this time, Gan Ning led his three hundred subordinates in ambush by the Official Road. They held the high ground, patiently waiting for Hu Xian to take the bait.
Gan Ning currently had a very real Weakness: though his three hundred subordinates were fierce, they had no Armor, no long Weapons, no Archery, and no horses—each with only a single Battle Saber.
Huang Zu’s Army had Armor, Spears, and Battle Sabers. If the two armies clashed, even if Gan Ning’s subordinates had high Military Morale and were fearless, they would pay a heavy price to defeat Huang Zu’s Army.
At such a time, Gan Ning needed to win by stratagem rather than hard fighting.
“General, they are coming!” Wang Ping said in a low voice.
Gan Ning nodded; he saw them too. In the distance, dust billowed as an Army of over four hundred advanced along the Official Road toward them.
The position he chose was perfect: a Valley with low Hillsides on both sides and the Official Road running through the middle. The entire Valley was less than one li long—not quite a full Valley, more like a slope Valley.
Gan Ning took up his Archery. He had only one chance: to shoot and kill Hu Xian.
Zhang Xi stepped forward and whispered, “General, the one on Horseback is Hu Xian!”
Gan Ning nodded, drew an Arrow, and nocked it on the bowstring.
The troops drew nearer. Gan Ning narrowed his Eyes, staring at the man on Horseback. He was tall and sturdy, but his Horse Riding posture revealed weak waist and leg strength—mediocre Martial Arts.
Though Warhorses of the late Han Three Kingdoms Period had stirrups, they used cylindrical saddles rather than high-pommel ones, demanding great strength from Horse Riding Generals and Cavalry, especially waist and crotch power.
The reason Lu Bu could be a formidable rival to Cao Cao was chiefly his five thousand elite Cavalry.
Though this Hu Xian lacked Martial Arts, his equipment was excellent: he held a coiling dragon spear, wore fish-scale Iron Armor, a phoenix-wing Iron Helmet, chain mail guarding his neck tightly, and a bronze face mask covering his face, exposing only his Eyes.
This was a cowardly man, protected thoroughly. To kill him by shooting, there was only one spot: the Eyes and space between eyebrows!
Behind him was a General leading the troops, likely a Company Commander, running on foot with an Iron Spear, appearing thirty or forty years old—not Ding Feng.
Gan Ning saw no one with superior Martial Arts among the Enemy Army troops. Ding Feng must not have come, left to Defend the City.
The four hundred Enemy Army troops had entered the Valley. The moment arrived. Gan Ning said in a low voice, “Pass the order: brothers, prepare!”
He drew the bow like a full moon and loosed an Arrow. It flashed like lightning; Hu Xian had no time to react. “Pfft!” The Arrow pierced his space between eyebrows, straight through the back of his head, the bloodied Arrowhead even penetrating the helmet.
Hu Xian tumbled headfirst from his horse. Shouts of killing erupted on both sides. Gan Ning tossed aside the Archery, drew his Twin Halberds, and leaped down the Hillside, charging straight at the Company Commander.
Chaos erupted among the Soldiers on the Official Road. The Company Commander shouted, “Everyone, do not panic! Follow my command!”
Before the words finished, Gan Ning was upon him. The Twin Halberds parted, and in an instant, a head the size of a dou flew into the air, Blood spurting.
Gan Ning stomped the headless corpse underfoot and roared, his voice like a tiger’s roar.
“Who else dares come to die?”
The Soldiers were terrified by the scene. This Great General was like a heavenly deity; all lost courage and turned to flee. Three hundred Soldiers charged down the Hillside, each raising a Battle Saber and shouting loudly, cutting off the Enemy Army Soldiers’ retreat.
With no choice, the Soldiers turned back, in total disarray. Gan Ning seized Hu Xian’s horse and single-handedly blocked the path, raising his Halberds and shouting, “I am Colonel of the Chongsai Army Gan Ning, appointed by the Imperial Court, here on orders to seize Chaisang. You are all Citizens of the Great Han. If you do not wish to die, surrender to the Imperial Court at once!”
The Soldiers were all awed by Gan Ning. Hearing he was a General dispatched by the Imperial Court, with no leader left, someone shouted, “We are willing to surrender to the Imperial Court!”
The four hundred Soldiers threw down their Weapons and knelt in surrender. Wang Ping and the others led their subordinates to collect the Soldiers’ Spears.
This was a risky move. Had any enemy General survived, there would have been trouble. It required not only superb Archery but superhuman Martial Arts, and ruthless decisiveness to intimidate the Enemy Army Soldiers. Among Jiangdong’s Great Generals, aside from Little Conqueror Sun Ce, only tiger General Gan Ning could achieve it.
