Chapter 1992: Chapter 1787: Using Intimidation
Very quickly, Cao Ang gathered the troops skilled in Qi Refining to Gang and those with formidable innate strength among the twenty thousand soldiers. Sima Yi observed that the number was not many, only over thirty in total, fewer than a corps under Guan Yu.
However, counting the soldiers with fierce innate strength, there were about five to six hundred. Sima Yi decided to hand them over to Dian Mann, who was Dian Wei’s son.
Though it was hard to determine the strength due to the opponent’s advanced cultivation, the opponent assured he was below Cloud Qi, so with someone skilled in Qi Refining to Gang assisting him, he should withstand an ordinary Inner Qi Manifestation. Therefore, charging and breaking ranks was his task.
After all, when it comes to charging and breaking ranks, while a strong commander can lead, it’s truly effective when a powerful military general leads with excellent command.
"Little General Dian, remember to use whichever moves are vicious at the time," Sima Yi patted Dian Mann’s shoulder. Perhaps due to mutual rejection among smart people, he preferred these robust, brainless folks who act decisively.
"Whoa." Dian Mann responded, touching his head. Although he wasn’t as brawny as Dian Wei, standing beside Sima Yi, Sima Yi clearly felt a robust aura.
"What’s your usual weapon?" Sima Yi asked.
Dian Mann pulled out a hand halberd from the armor at his waist, scratched his head, and said to Sima Yi, "My weapons often break. My father told me to start with a hand halberd."
"Can you use heavy weapons?" Sima Yi looked at Dian Mann’s butcher-like tool, which didn’t seem fierce enough for killing enemies.
"Able to use heavy weapons." Dian Mann nodded, replying in a muffled voice.
"Help find a mace, or a wolf fang club." Sima Yi gestured to the nearby people. Very soon, a group carried over a pile of heavy weapons.
"Come, try it." Sima Yi said to Dian Mann. Dian Mann tried them one by one and finally chose a thick iron birchwood stick about the width of a bowl. In fact, this stick wasn’t originally a weapon. It was taken from a temple in Chang’an for use as a bell-striker during a northward journey some time ago.
However, the quality of this stick was undeniably good. Without nurturing, it had the quality comparable to high-strength alloy of later times, and it was equally not ordinary heavy.
"This is the one." Dian Mann swung it twice, feeling its weight, but none of the other weapons felt quite right, and using a stick was straightforward and forceful, "What material is this made of? It feels somewhat like wood, yet distinctly has the texture of refined iron."
"The material doesn’t matter; what matters is that you’ll charge and break ranks tonight." Sima Yi didn’t care what the weapon was made of. He needed Dian Mann to fight now.
"Just call me when it’s time!" Dian Mann waved the stick around, getting used to it, increasingly satisfied with it, as previous weapons broke after only a few uses.
After choosing the troops and selecting their strengths, Sima Yi sent word to the Southern Hun Chanyu to get ready for tonight, when the time arrived, to send others on their way.
Actually, these days hadn’t been stable for the Southern Huns. Since Huchuquan announced the Han Dynasty Imperial Edict, the Southern Huns had somewhat begun to split, though both sides tried hard to suppress their differences, avoiding total division. But this also resulted in mutual constraints, wasting much time.
These matters naturally weren’t known to Sima Yi, but he had already prepared. Even without these matters increasing the success rate, Sima Yi would keep executing his strategy.
Therefore, Sima Yi now acted like Fa Zheng, ensuring all soldiers were well-fed and rested, waking everyone after the Xu Hour, then steadily composing the troops, with Cao Zhen as vanguard commander, Dian Mann as vanguard general, leading the elite forward.
As for other soldiers, they moved in orderly ranks toward the Southern Hun camp as previously trained.
Such a large movement naturally caught Mao Jie’s attention through scouts. Woken up, Mao Jie observed the Han army’s actions from afar, consistently admiring Sima Yi’s decisions, and the half crescent moonlight was already ample for battle.
[It seems that Zhongda will probably act from the late second watch to just before the third watch, and when the third watch is about to end, the moon would set, making retreat possible even if defeated. Certainly a good timing, and Southern Huns, enduring for several days, were reaching their limit, initial striking could prevent passiveness.]
Mao Jie watched from afar as Cao Ang and others led the army in neat rows, soothing him, as the orderly advance alone was sufficient.
Just as Sima Yi led the army to steadily advance toward the Southern Hun camp, about ten miles behind the Southern Hun camp, Zhao Yun and Fa Zheng were rushing along.
"Xiaoo Zhi, are you sure our army’s momentum alone is enough to scare the Southern Huns into collapse?" Zhao Yun asked, advancing on horseback with doubt.
"For us, turning the hoof beats of six thousand warhorses into vibrations as fierce as sixty thousand elite cavalry is actually a breeze. Southern Huns, situated north of Bingzhou, clearly understand our strength displayed in Han and Huns’ battle, thus our approach from the north amplifies their inherent fear exponentially!" Fa Zheng chuckled.
"Moreover, because Southern Hun camp must defend against the front of Cao Zixiu and others, the rear must be empty, which our scout cavalry has already verified. Utilizing White Horse’s strength in the chaos can easily smash their rear camp." Fa Zheng explained seeing Zhao Yun’s continued hesitation.
"Disrupt chaos with chaos?" Zhao Yun frowned and said, White Horse Soldiers, being pure light cavalry, despite exceptional melee damage, were crucially doomed if speed was restrained. But similarly, if facing a collapsing rebel army, White Horse’s damage would peak.
"Yes, with White Horse’s speed, and my judgement of their rear camp, if we swiftly defeat the rear camp showing our combat power akin to sixty thousand elite cavalry, the rear camp mingling with the central camp can lead to a rout." Fa Zheng explained confidently.
"Xiaoo Zhi, how confident are you?" Zhao Yun hesitated for a while before deciding to accept Fa Zheng’s suggestion, as regardless of Fa Zheng’s age, he was indeed one of the undisputed top strategists of the time.
"Over seventy percent, given my insights along the route, and my assessment of the Hu people’s mentality from Four Directions, Southern Huns facing such an assault are highly likely to rout, and should a rout occur, the entire camp falls into chaos, White Horse’s greatest advantage will soar." Upon hearing Zhao Yun’s query, Fa Zheng knew Zhao Yun had agreed and shared his judgement right away.
"In fact, the Southern Huns not leaving any ambush or counteracting measures in their rear already reveals a lot. Evidently, Southern Huns believe they’re incapable of resisting the Han army coming from behind." Fa Zheng continued to educate Zhao Yun.
"So that’s how it is? No wonder; I felt something odd along the way." Zhao Yun understood.
"Indeed, it is so." Fa Zheng answered with a chuckle. In fact, Fa Zheng knew Zhao Yun’s bewilderment wasn’t the aspect just explained, but it was fine that he diverted Zhao Yun.
"To what extent should we release the sound of hoof beats?" Zhao Yun accelerated, frequently rejoined by scout cavalry from up ahead into the army, with Zhao Yun’s White Horse Soldiers already suppressing the sound of hoof beats nearly entirely with Wind Rider.
Fa Zheng looked at the partially westward crescent moon, surveyed the surroundings, and estimated his visual range limit.
"Three hundred steps. At three hundred steps, release control over hoof beats and reverse amplify the sound. At that point, General Zhao, apply any tactics you possess, at three hundred steps full-speed, how many breaths does White Horse need?" Fa Zheng estimated the distance and promptly turned to instruct Zhao Yun.
