Chapter 17: Risking Little For Great Gains
Between Haihun County and Mount Lu, there was also Liling County. Liling County was at the foot of Mount Lu and was a small county town. Zhang Ying had just arrived at Liling County when he happened to encounter Li Dai, who had come to report the news.
“What? Haihun County was sneak attacked?”
Zhang Ying was greatly shocked. What he was most worried about was Haihun County being sneak attacked by someone, and it had really happened.
Zhang Ying urgently asked, “Who sneak attacked Haihun County?”
“Reporting to my lord, this subordinate is not too clear either. I don’t know if it was Sun Ce’s army. They came killing from the south!”
“How many troops?”
“It’s said there are over a thousand men. This subordinate is unclear.”
“Did they breach the county town?” Zhang Ying pursued.
“When this subordinate left this morning, the enemy had just begun the attack. I don’t know the situation now.”
Zhang Ying was immediately anxious as if his heart were on fire. He didn’t care about resting in Liling County. He ordered Li Dai to arrange for the wounded soldiers to receive treatment in Liling County, left behind all the logistics and supplies, and personally led two thousand troops lightly southbound, rushing at full speed to rescue Haihun County.
………..
After occupying Haihun County, Gan Ning realized the importance of Zhang Ying’s army to himself.
He was surrounded by the three major forces of Sun Ce, Liu Biao, and Huang Zu. To survive, there was only one way: to quickly absorb blood and grow stronger, but there wasn’t much blood around for him to absorb.
Wasn’t Zhang Ying arranged by heaven for him?
Heaven bestows and one does not take, one will suffer the consequences.
But Gan Ning lacked troop strength. To defeat the enemy army, he could only rack his brains to think of various methods.
Since ancient times, there have been many examples of victory with few against many: either an elite army defeating a motley crowd, or killing the enemy commander to cause the enemy army to collapse, or utilizing terrain advantages.
The last time Gan Ning accepted the surrender of Hu Xian’s army, he succeeded by utilizing terrain advantages and unexpectedly killing the enemy commander.
This time, Gan Ning only planned to use two hundred troops to defeat Zhang Ying’s army. After repeated consideration, he decided to use the strategy from last time again.
Last time it was a gamble, but this time his confidence was much greater.
First, the timing was favorable. With the old nest in crisis, Zhang Ying was rushing back urgently. His mindset meant he would inevitably be panicked and unobservant of the road. If they could ambush the enemy at night, it would be even more a blessing from heaven.
Second, the terrain was favorable. North of Haihun County were all hilly mountainous areas with fragmented terrain and numerous gorges, very suitable for ambushes.
Third was harmony among people. He knew himself and knew the enemy, while the opponent knew neither himself nor the enemy. Zhang Ying didn’t know the situation in Haihun County, nor did he know Gan Ning’s situation.
Gan Ning left fifty men to guard the prisoners of war, with Zhang Xi in charge.
Gan Ning smiled and asked Zhang Xi, “Have you followed me for three years?”
Zhang Xi nodded, “Up to the day before yesterday, exactly three years!”
Gan Ning nodded in approval. He then looked into Zhang Xi’s eyes and said, “Back then, your father was killed by the Wushan Boat Gang. You were only fifteen, yet you went alone to the Wushan Boat Gang to demand back your father’s head, buried your father, arranged for your mother and younger siblings, then came to join me. I said I couldn’t avenge you for the time being. Do you still remember how you answered me then?”
“I can wait. Thirty years is not too late!”
Gan Ning laughed, “I knew you were a capable man, just lacking opportunity. This time I’m giving you the opportunity. Watch the prisoners of war for me well, and afterward I’ll promote you to battalion commander!”
Zhang Xi said with resolute gaze, “I certainly won’t disappoint my lord!”
Fifty men guarding a thousand men was under great pressure, but Gan Ning believed Zhang Xi could handle it. The key here was that the surrendered generals must be pulled out and held separately. There could be no battalion commanders or higher among the surrendered soldiers.
Just like without the lead sheep, the remaining flock is easy to control.
Gan Ning gave him a few instructions, lightly patted his arm, and then led the army away.
Zhang Xi stood on the city wall watching the army depart into the distance, then turned back to look toward the barracks holding the prisoners of war. A bold idea surged in his heart.
…………
An hour later, Gan Ning led two hundred and fifty subordinates to ambush in a valley about twenty li from Haihun County. The valley wasn’t long, only one li, with red soil slopes dozens of feet high on both sides, and dense forest above.
Wang Ping led fifty subordinates to ambush in the forest on the right mountain. Each held archery and a torch, with a large drum in front of every soldier. This was to create momentum; fifty men could create the aura of thousands of troops.
Gan Ning and Ding Feng each led a hundred ironclad soldiers to ambush at both ends of the gorge. Everything was ready; they only awaited the east wind.
Time passed bit by bit. Nightfall gradually descended, and Gan Ning secretly rejoiced in his heart. It was actually a nighttime ambush against the enemy.
At the first watch, a shrill night owl cry suddenly came from the forest.
‘Gek gek gek——’
This was the signal—the enemy was coming! Gan Ning drew two arrows: one held in his mouth, one nocked on the bow.
Of course Gan Ning had to use arrows to take down Zhang Ying; single combat would absolutely be a mistake.
What kind of person was Zhang Ying? From the first year of Xingping, he had followed Liu Yao until now—five or six years had passed, and he was still alive and well. What he relied on was not superior martial arts, but skill at escaping.
Such a person would never single out against an opponent stronger than himself or an enemy general of unknown ferocity. He would definitely hide in the army ranks, driving the soldiers to fight desperately for him.
So Gan Ning’s opportunity was only once. The enemy didn’t know of his existence, and with Zhang Ying anxious as if his heart were on fire, he would certainly rush at the very front.
At this moment, rhythmic footsteps of running came from the distance, mixed with hoofbeats.
Gan Ning closed his eyes and listened intently. The hoofbeats were at the forefront. He suddenly opened his eyes, his sharp gaze fixed on the valley.
He saw an army holding torches approaching from afar. Leading was a great general, also clad in iron helmet and iron armor, holding an iron spear horizontally on horseback. Behind were several mounted men, but they wore leather armor. The leader must be Zhang Ying.
Now less than a hundred paces apart, Gan Ning suddenly drew his bow like a full moon, aiming an arrow between the opponent’s eyes and shooting. The arrow flashed like lightning, incomparably fast.
Night vision was poor; only when the arrow reached his eyes did Zhang Ying suddenly notice. By then it was too late to dodge. “Pfft!” The arrow struck right between the eyebrows. Zhang Ying let out a miserable cry and fell from his horse.
Zhang Ying falling from his horse was the signal. Arrows rained down from the hillside, all aimed at the mounted generals. Three cavalry generals were all hit by arrows and fell from their horses.
Shouts of killing arose everywhere. Drum sounds thundered from the hillside, making it unknown how many troops were ambushed.
Gan Ning led a hundred ironclad soldiers charging straight ahead, while Ding Feng led a hundred ironclad soldiers charging up from behind.
Zhang Ying’s army fell into great chaos. Soldiers all around shouted, “We are the Jiangdong Army. Those who surrender will not be killed!”
Gan Ning bellowed, his voice like thunder, “Sun Ce is here. Those who don’t want to live, come forward to meet your death!”
The soldiers saw ironclad soldiers both front and rear, unknown in number. Hearing it was the Jiangdong Army, with the leading mounted great general at the front majestic like a heavenly god and claiming to be Sun Ce, the soldiers were terrified out of their wits and knelt down one after another, shouting loudly, “We surrender! We surrender!”
Firelight rose everywhere in the mountain forest, with shadowy figures stretching a full li. Wang Ping and his subordinates lit the prepared torches, binding them to branches and sticking them in the soil.
From afar, it looked as if there were thousands of soldiers on the mountain.
Gan Ning bellowed, “Drop all weapons and walk forward with hands raised!”
Gan Ning held a steel spear. This was found in the Haihun County armory. Though its quality was much better than Hu Xian’s spear, Gan Ning still didn’t like it. For one, the spearhead was relatively short; more importantly, the spear lacked a chopping function, which Gan Ning, accustomed to the hand halberd, found very unadaptable.
At this moment, a military officer of the enemy army noticed the flaw: the enemy troop strength was small, only two or three hundred men, and moreover, the enemy great general wasn’t Sun Ce—the weapon didn’t match, nor did the accent. They were imposters.
The military officer grew bold and whispered to soldiers on both sides, “They’re not the Jiangdong Army. Everyone, fight with me!”
The military officer seized the chance, picked up a blade, and shouted, “They’re not the Jiangdong Army, nor Sun Ce. Brothers, grab your weapons and fight them!”
Gan Ning was furious. He spurred his horse forward and thrust the spear at the opponent with speed like a thunderclap that could not be covered by the ear. The military officer couldn’t dodge. “Pfft!” His chest was pierced by the steel spear. The intense pain made him cry out miserably and die on the spot.
Gan Ning hoisted his corpse high in the air and bellowed fiercely at the two thousand surrendered soldiers, “Who else? Come forward to meet your death!”
The opponent was so fierce that it awed everyone. The dozen or so soldiers nearby were so frightened they hurriedly threw down their blades, raised their hands, and dared not act rashly again.
All the soldiers didn’t dare have any more stray thoughts and obediently raised their hands to leave the valley.
The enemy army had two thousand men, too many in number. If they collected weapons, it would take time on one hand, and on the other, it would let the enemy officers and soldiers discover they only had just over two hundred men, easily leading to another incident.
At this time, they must quickly separate the soldiers from their weapons. Without weapons in hand, the soldiers would lack the courage to resist.
Gan Ning and Ding Feng led their subordinates to escort the two thousand soldiers quickly out of the valley. Soon, the group arrived at a piece of open space.
“Sit on the spot and rest. Wait until dawn to move!”
The soldiers sat down one after another on the open ground, surrounded by ironclad soldiers guarding them.
The two thousand soldiers had been running all day and were utterly exhausted. Now that they could finally sit, everyone was too tired to move.
At this moment, Gan Ning suddenly noticed a force approaching from the south distance, holding torches stretching nearly a li—fully seven or eight hundred men.
Gan Ning was startled. Whose army was this?
