Chapter 906: Exchanging One for Five Hundred

The Western Regions were dotted with basins of various sizes, making it easy for armies to maneuver and difficult to establish defenses. Historically, central dynasties could only "reach far into the west" during their peak. The concept of the Northern Liang Protectorate, for instance, originated during the revival of the Great Feng Dynasty. Today, the three garrisons of Qingcang, Linyao, and Fengxiang exist to connect the Western Regions with the Central Plains. In the vast area west of the Linyao garrison, Miyun Pass is a vital choke point, and Mount Lantuo, located on the mountain range to the left of this pass, is naturally suited for stationing troops and storing supplies.

Two cavalry units slowly advanced eastward along this wide, transverse pass. The latter unit was typical Northern Mang light cavalry. Apart from their centurions and chiliarchs, who wore iron armor similar to Central Plains cavalry commanders, most troopers were clad in light, durable leather armor. Their equipment was diverse, including sabers, long spears, and cavalry bows, with many also carrying maces and lassoes attached to their spare horses. The vanguard cavalry, however, was clearly "heavier." To conserve their warhorses' stamina, they also had two spare horses per man, with one carrying "weapons and armor"—that is, their arms and iron armor—and the other, the "armor horse," conspicuously loaded with an armor bag. The nearly cumbersome armor featured a leather lining beneath an outer layer of scale or chain mail. Their weapons were more uniform: long spears, cavalry bows, and sabers, all carried on their combat horses. The approximately three thousand cavalrymen themselves rode warhorses that were also covered in leather armor. Just by observing this "one man, three horses" scale, it was evident that regardless of their combat effectiveness, these three thousand cavalrymen were undoubtedly an elite "Old Man Army" within the Northern Mang border forces.

According to the Northern Liang border army, the Northern Mang's sworn enemy, Northern Mang border troops were roughly categorized into three types. The "Son Army" cavalry, part of the Southern Dynasty elite, had one man and two horses, considered the favored sons of the Southern Dynasty's court nobles. They lacked nothing, with excellent warhorses and superior weapons and armor; the cavalry at important garrisons like Wazhu Gentleman's Hall belonged to this group. The "Grandson Army," however, was much inferior, seen by Northern Liang, especially the Iron Cavalry outside Liangzhou Pass, as little more than battlefield fodder, easily defeated. Then there was the powerful "Old Man Army," not to be underestimated, with three, four, or even five spare horses per man. Examples included Dong Zhuo's private cavalry, Hong Jingyan's Rouran Iron Cavalry, and the old elite personal armies of Northern Mang grand generals like Liu Gui and Yang Yuanzan. These units were small in number but incredibly powerful. They would never shy away from a fight due to numerical disadvantage; they would shatter the enemy in victory and fight to the last man in defeat, often dictating the flow of a battle.

This large Northern Mang cavalry force, totaling ten thousand men, was the "Edict Delivery Army" that successfully brought Chong Tan to Mount Lantuo. It represented the "nest egg" contributions of several powerful Southern Dynasty noble families. After the first war between Liang and Mang, the Southern Dynasty's high-ranking families, who had staked their fortunes on the battlefields of Liuzhou and Youzhou, suffered heavy losses. Since long-established Southern Dynasty border army veterans like Liu Gui and Yang Yuanzan proved unreliable, these six or seven interconnected Southern Dynasty noble families learned their lesson. This time, they placed their bets on the rising star, Xia Nabao Chong Tan. Of course, Chong Tan, benefiting from such strong backing, also contributed a significant portion of his family's assets. The three thousand elite cavalrymen were from the Chong family's Iron Cavalry, with half of them assigned to Chong Tan at once. Even Grand General Chong Shentong commanded only three thousand personal cavalry, demonstrating the Chong family's high regard for this eldest legitimate son. This was not surprising, as Chong Tan was an up-and-coming talent personally praised by even Her Imperial Majesty in court. In two decades of Northern Mang officialdom, only a handful of senior court figures, perhaps Liu Gui and Dong Zhuo, had received such an honor.

Chong Tan rode "Beauty," a prized Ferghana horse. The young general, who should have been proud and content, had a somber look in his eyes as he gazed into the distance of the pass. A trusted chiliarch beside him asked curiously, "Young Master, more than eighty scouts have been sent out, and they are all our own men, so there won't be any mistakes. I estimate there won't be any fighting before we reach the Fengxiang garrison in Liuzhou. What are you worried about, Young Master?"

Chong Tan listened to the familiar sounds of hoofbeats and the faint jingle of camel bells from his army. He frowned and replied, "It's too quiet."

The chiliarch, a member of the Chong family, scratched his bald head and grinned, "Young Master, your trip to Mount Lantuo was unexpected from the start, so it's normal for the Northern Liang border army not to have had time to react. The pitifully small cavalry force in Liuzhou already has its hands full dealing with Huang Songpu's troops; how could they possibly concern themselves with us?"

Chong Tan sighed, his worry evident. "In the last war, Dong Zhuo had already taken Huxing City in Liangzhou, and a stalemate was maintained in Liuzhou, yet we ultimately lost the entire campaign because Youzhou suffered such a terrible defeat. This current battle is north of Jubei City, but the key to victory lies in Liuzhou. My greatest fear is that in both wars, the place where I, Chong Tan, am present will be the place of defeat..."

The chiliarch quickly interrupted Chong Tan's inauspicious words, saying sullenly, "Young Master, don't jinx us!"

Chong Tan gave a self-deprecating smile, then his eyes hardened, and he said gravely, "Constantly monitor the movements of the scouts ahead. If there's any unusual delay in their reports, our three thousand vanguard cavalry will immediately enter battle readiness and charge out of Miyun Pass at maximum speed. We must ensure the six thousand cavalry behind us can deploy their formation on open ground."

The reason this Xia Nabao personally led the three thousand Chong family Iron Cavalry as the vanguard was his fear of being trapped inside Miyun Pass. The six thousand cavalry behind him, with their varied origins, might not be able to successfully withstand a sudden charge from a large Northern Liang cavalry force. Indeed, they could very likely be forced into a retreat, leading to a one-sided slaughter inside Miyun Pass. Even with the Lantuo Mountain monk-soldiers nearby, their presence would be of little significance in a cavalry battle, where opportunities for victory are fleeting. Having experienced the brutal fighting at Gourd Pass from beginning to end, Chong Tan knew well that numerical superiority on paper was meaningless. Not only did Gourd Pass on the Liang-Mang battlefield prove this, but the Western Chu restoration in Guangling Dao in the Central Plains was also testament to this, as Xie Xichui and Kou Jianghuai, those two young men, had proven through a series of incredible victories.

Although Chong Tan had discussed the matter with his father, Chong Shentong, and his uncle, Chong Liang, beforehand—they believed that Liuzhou's treacherous terrain would not allow Northern Liang to dispatch twenty thousand cavalry to intercept them, and that if the enemy force was fewer than twenty thousand, Chong Tan's ten thousand cavalry and the nearly ten thousand Lantuo Mountain monk-soldiers soon to join the battlefield would be invincible in any engagement west of Liuzhou—Chong Tan never believed in any certainties on the battlefield. During that court audience in Xijing, Her Imperial Majesty had praised the young man before the entire court of high officials. Chong Tan, speaking little, had described himself as "not exceptional, merely cautious in tactics." This was not just to save face for "defeated generals" like Liu Gui and Dong Zhuo, but a true reflection of Chong Tan's actual approach to military command.

Chong Tan muttered to himself, "As long as I get out of this Miyun Pass, whatever power Xu Fengnian wields to turn the tide in Liuzhou won't matter to the overall situation. But even if you have the audacity to come and intercept me, can you truly stop me?"

Although there was still some distance to the exit and the most recent intelligence from the scouts ahead showed no anomalies, Chong Tan suddenly narrowed his eyes and issued an inexplicable order: "Three thousand vanguard cavalry, change horses! Armor up!"

Chong Tan led the charge, storming forward.

If there were no Northern Liang cavalry waiting outside the pass, then it would simply be a training exercise.Military strategy has always included the principle of "striking mid-crossing," varying with time and place.

A young, refined cavalry general raised his arm, and the six thousand cavalry from the two garrisons behind him halted abruptly.He looked up, gazing at Miyun Pass about three *li* away. The six thousand men and their horses behind him were covered in dust and looked exhausted; both men and mounts were fatigued. Under normal circumstances, a cavalry unit in such a condition would not recover to peak combat effectiveness without at least half an hour of rest and reorganization. The best warhorse in the world could perhaps cover three hundred *li* in a day. The so-called 600-li express or even 800-li express dispatches were achieved at the enormous cost of frequently changing horses at relay stations and allowing couriers to ride down people without penalty. In reality, the true determinant of a cavalry unit's speed was the stamina of its lowest-grade horses. Those long-distance cavalry raids that earned their place in history were all based on the heavy toll taken on horses—simply put, by continuously riding to death the weak pack horses to preserve the combat horses' stamina and charge power on the battlefield. Otherwise, how could a cavalry unit that became exhausted after just two or three charges inflict damage on the enemy?

For this swift campaign into the Western Regions, the established strategy of the Northern Liang Protectorate and Liuzhou Prefecture was for him and another cavalry unit to jointly intercept Chong Tan's ten thousand cavalry, thereby delaying the Mount Lantuo monk-soldiers from entering the main Qingcang battlefield in Liuzhou. Ultimately, this interception battle did not aim for a large victory, but merely to buy time for Yu Luandao's isolated cavalry unit and the main Dragon Elephant Army to advance deep into enemy territory. It seemed easy to fight, but also very difficult. The conservative approach would be to ignore the Lantuo Mountain monk-infantry and merely engage Chong Tan's vanguard cavalry in an endless skirmish; that way, the mission would be accomplished. However, while the two cavalry units rode side by side, he proposed an extremely risky idea, an aggressive plan that would make the battle very difficult for both cavalry units. He had expected the young man nicknamed "Short Winter Melon" (Cao Wei) to flatly refuse, to invoke the phrase "prioritize the overall situation." But this young Northern Liang cavalry general, fighting alongside him for the first time, agreed without hesitation. Not only that, but he also voluntarily took on the more "suicidal" task, reasoning that he, Grand General Cao, had more men under his command and was better at leading troops in battle. This left him torn between laughter and tears, with an indescribable feeling. Back in Guangling Dao, he was used to single-handedly bearing all burdens, the heavy responsibility of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of lives resting solely on him.

This battle, even before it began, felt profoundly unfamiliar to him.

Xie Xichui turned his head to look at the cavalry belonging to the Linyao and Fengxiang garrisons. Subconsciously, he gripped the combat saber he had recently acquired—a sixth-generation Xu Dao.Many things, many details, he only began to understand after truly arriving in the Northwest and joining the border army. For instance, the combat saber in his hand: a Northern Liang saber traditionally underwent two sharpenings—one at the workshop to hone the blade, and another on the battlefield, killing and drawing blood. Without that second sharpening, a saber could not truly be called a Northern Liang saber.

Xie Xichui smiled.

Northern Liang was harsh and impoverished, yet it had so many peculiar traditions.But he liked it, he liked it very much.

The six thousand cavalry behind him had "mixed origins": some were powerful former horse bandits who had carved out their own territories in the two garrisons, some were young Liuzhou refugees who fought for household registration, and others were Western Regions nomadic cavalry recruited by a woman named Chai Dongdie.To be precise, like Xie Xichui himself, they were all "greenhorns" compared to the battle-hardened Northern Mang barbarians of the Northern Liang border army. This applied to the men, and even more so to the newly issued Northern Liang sabers at their waists.

Cutting off a Northern Mang barbarian's head to blood a saber's edge was no less satisfying than initiating young women from the pleasure quarters of Yanzhi Commandery!This saying was crude and vulgar, and no one knew who first uttered it.However, Xie Xichui, though a disciple of Cao Changqing of Western Chu, hailed from the common streets and naturally found it quite appealing.

Xie Xichui's orders were relayed with precision, dividing the six thousand cavalry into three units based on their origin. The two thousand five hundred regular cavalry from the two garrisons, being the most reliable, would serve as the vanguard, charging the Chong Tan cavalry unit appearing outside Miyun Pass. If they gained an advantage, the entire army would advance; if not, they were to hold their ground to prevent the Northern Mang cavalry from successfully deploying their formation outside the pass, then retreat after a brief skirmish. The second unit, one thousand refugee cavalry, would then replace them and charge, followed by Chai Dongdie's two thousand cavalry, alternating retreat and advance. He personally led five hundred elite Dragon Elephant Army troops as a reserve. Should the Northern Mang cavalry show any signs of breaking through, Xie Xichui would order those five hundred death-squad elites to block the exit of Miyun Pass with their bodies, even if it meant dying.After separating from Cao Wei's ten thousand cavalry, the latter had transferred most of his Northern Liang crossbows and cavalry bows to Xie Xichui's unit.

The best-case scenario, of course, would be for Chong Tan's elite cavalry to remain at the rear, with ordinary cavalry charging out of Miyun Pass first. However, Xie Xichui believed that the young man who had risen to Xia Nabao on the piled bodies of Northern Liang border soldiers from Gourd Pass, Luanghe, and Wogong cities, would absolutely not be so careless.Even if Chong Tan truly failed to live up to his reputation, Xie Xichui was confident he could still reclaim the missed battle merits from their initial strategic error on the real battlefield.Xie Xichui gave his order almost simultaneously with Chong Tan inside the pass, uttering the identical words: "Change horses! Armor up!"

After separating from Xie Xichui, Cao Wei's ten thousand cavalry began a lightning-fast, long-distance raid, disregarding the physical toll on their horses.They completely bypassed Miyun Pass!His plan was to break in through an entrance near the western end of Miyun Pass, placing himself in a perilous position, then rapidly ride eastward along the pass, ultimately positioning himself between Chong Tan's cavalry and the Lantuo Mountain monk-soldiers. Success hinged on Xie Xichui's six thousand cavalry being able to hold the eastern entrance! And for them to hold long enough for him to deliver a decisive blow to Chong Tan's rear!So, when Cao Wei parted ways with Xie Xichui, he half-jokingly said, "Xie, I, Grand General Cao, am absolutely destined to become a man like the Old King of Liang, Xu Xiao. But this time, it's like my head is tied to your waistband, Xie Xichui. Don't let me die young!"Xie Xichui offered no grand words at the time, simply nodding.Xie Xichui saw the stocky general ride off rapidly, his back to him, raising his arm and giving a thumbs-up.He wondered what special meaning it held for Cao Wei, or if it was some peculiar custom of the Northern Liang border army.

The charge of ten thousand cavalry was like an avalanche, a surging tide.Cao Wei's lips were cracked and bleeding, yet his face was wreathed in smiles. He roared, "I will make the Battle of Miyun Pass as glorious a cavalry engagement as Lu Shengxiang's snow-night assault on Luzhou, or Chu Lushuang's thousand cavalry opening up Shu! Cao Wei can die, but he must not die unknown!"

Although Miyun Pass narrowed like a woman's slender waist, it was still wide enough for more than twenty cavalrymen to charge out abreast.Earlier, Xie Xichui had spotted several Northern Mang scouts racing back to the pass to deliver intelligence.Battle was imminent.But Chong Tan's cavalry charged out faster and more fiercely than expected.So much so that the first fifty cavalrymen from the Fengxiang and Linyao garrisons were instantly overwhelmed and scattered.Although the Northern Liang light crossbows and cavalry bows had already unleashed a volley, raining arrows onto the exit and quickly felling two or three dozen Northern Mang barbarians, the overall momentum of the Northern Mang cavalry remained unbroken.

Xie Xichui immediately changed his strategy, promptly ordering five hundred elite Dragon Elephant Army death-squad cavalry to charge forward.There weren't enough bodies, neither friend nor foe, to form a natural barricade against the horses!Xie Xichui halted his horse half a *li* outside the pass, accompanied only by a few dozen personal guards and six messenger cavalrymen.He was not the kind of fierce general who personally led charges. Even when he was present on the battlefield that led to the complete annihilation of the veteran Liyang Spring and Autumn general Yan Zhenchun, Xie Xichui had not personally engaged in combat.It wasn't that Xie Xichui lacked the brute courage to kill in anger; rather, being mediocre in martial skill, he knew perfectly well that only a living commander, one capable of accurately issuing orders, could lead an army to fill the fields with enemy dead.Not only did Xie Xichui send those five hundred elite cavalry to their deaths, but he also issued another order: if, after the fighting, they were dismounted but not dead, they were to kill their own horses on the battlefield to serve as obstacles!Xie Xichui recalled the faces, once resolute, now filled with anguish upon hearing this command. In the end, they silently spurred their horses forward.

After the five hundred elite Dragon Elephant cavalry rushed into the fiery battlefield,Xie Xichui expressionlessly ordered the two garrisons' cavalry, who had slightly pulled back, to form a semi-circular formation. If the five hundred cavalry showed signs of collapse, or if only fifty of them remained on the battlefield, they were to indiscriminately unleash a concentrated volley into Miyun Pass, without distinguishing between friend and foe.The deputy generals of the Linyao and Fengxiang garrisons hesitated, then gritted their teeth and accepted the order.Then, Xie Xichui had the Linyao and Fengxiang cavalry create a passage at the apex of their semi-circular formation, wide enough for twenty cavalrymen to charge forward abreast. He positioned one thousand strong refugee cavalry there, armed with all available spears from the army.Additionally, six hundred skilled archers, proficient in both mounted and foot archery, were temporarily selected to form a separate unit, positioned in front of the two garrisons' cavalry formation.

Xie Xichui sat on his horse, looking at the battlefield, which was as narrow as could be, a strange battlefield where both men and horses would perish.Although he could not clearly see the scene inside Miyun Pass, he could perfectly imagine the dense, armored mass constantly squeezing and pressing together, like a swarm of locusts, like an ant colony.What if the intelligence from Fushui Manor was flawed, and the Lantuo Mountain monk-soldiers had already converged with Chong Tan's cavalry without needing to reorganize?What if Cao Wei's cavalry advance was not swift enough, or if they arrived on the battlefield already spent?What if he, Xie Xichui, failed to hold this pass?If even one of these "what ifs" came true, then the war in Liuzhou would have already devolved into an irredeemable disaster before it even properly began.

In that moment, for some reason, Xie Xichui thought of that young man who always seemed to speak with a gentle smile, the young man who had personally advised him to travel and see more beyond Liangzhou Pass.Xie Xichui took a deep breath, and in a voice only he could hear, he murmured to himself, "You left five hundred scholar-seeds for my Great Chu. How can Xie Xichui begrudge repaying that with his own death?"From this day forward, there would be no more General Xie Xichui of Great Chu, only Xie Xichui of the Northern Liang Border Army.