Chapter 1593: Chapter 1593: Lu Lin Ferry
Ye Shikai urged his horse to dash out of Mi Wen’s camp, followed closely by Man Cang and the guards. As his confidant, he could see that Ye Shikai was exceedingly anxious at this moment, filled with anger, but Man Cang also understood his temperament well. With such a major incident occurring, Ye Shikai would never act rashly. His hurried return to the camp was undoubtedly to seize time for deployment, attempting to salvage the situation.
"General has returned to the camp, open the gate quickly."
"Yes."
Ye Shikai barely paused and headed straight for his tent, dismounting and striding in quickly.
"Old Ye, what’s going on?" Shangguan Jian asked curiously, signaling the guard to pour a cup of hot wine.
"Come, have some wine to calm your nerves."
"Man Cang, you explain." Shangguan Jian turned to ask.
"General Shangguan, the lord ordered General Huo Ziqing to lead his cavalry to attack Zheng Lang’s central camp. General Ye argued with them unsuccessfully, got angered..."
"Nonsense, sending Huo Ziqing means sending him to his death, how can I not be anxious." Ye Shikai angrily smashed the wine cup to the ground, shouting loudly.
"Old Ye, are you really sure this is Zheng Lang’s plot? Many generals approve of this plan." Shangguan Jian tentatively asked. To be honest, he also supported this plan, but seeing Ye Shikai so opposed to it, he began to have doubts.
"Which military general doesn’t want to achieve meritorious service, but that doesn’t mean they can act impulsively. Do those generals, and those few strategists, understand Zheng Lang’s troop deployment? Do they even know Zheng Lang himself? Analyzing just from common knowledge might lead to underestimating him." Ye Shikai shouted excitedly.
"General," at that moment, Xue San just arrived at the tent entrance, seeing the behavior inside, he thought people were arguing.
"What’s the matter, speak directly."
"I just got intelligence; the lord dispatched an additional five thousand cavalry to General Huo. Just now, they set out for Zheng Lang’s camp."
"The central five camps?"
"Indeed."
"Damn it." Ye Shikai pounded on the wooden table, forcefully "smashing" out a hole.
"Old Ye, what should we do now?" Shangguan Jian inquired. "If you think this is a fatal mistake, do we have a chance to recover?"
"The cavalry’s speed is five times that of infantry, and Huo Ziqing has already set off. If we want to mobilize the army, it’s impossible to depart immediately. I foresee that a bloody battle is inevitable." Ye Shikai’s expression was grave; if casualties couldn’t be avoided, his task was to minimize them.
Among the hundreds of thousands of rebel troops, aside from the five thousand cavalry under Ye Shikai, most of the remaining cavalry was in Huo Ziqing’s hands. If the entire army was destroyed, it would be a devastating blow to the rebel forces. If the entire force was a knife, then the cavalry was the blade; if even the blade became dull, the force would lose its strategic edge.
Ye Shikai came from the Central Plains, and he was very clear about the cost of training tens of thousands of elite cavalry in the south. He absolutely couldn’t just stand by and watch.
"Quick, bring the map."
"Old Ye, what idea do you have now?" Shangguan Jian asked curiously.
"We only have five thousand cavalry, the rest are Iron Armor Army and light infantry. We must save Huo Ziqing, but if twenty thousand people stupidly charge over, not only might we not save anyone, but we might also get ourselves into trouble," Ye Shikai said, pointing at the map. Huo Ziqing’s camp was a hundred and twenty leagues from Zheng Lang’s central camp, which a cavalry assault could reach in four hours, while Ye Shikai’s camp was a little closer, only sixty leagues away. This was a golden opportunity.
"Man Cang, gather the troops, we set out immediately, to the west." Ye Shikai ordered.
"What, General, but Zheng Lang’s central camp is to our north, and General Huo Ziqing is to our east. If we want to intercept, we should head east."
"Interception is impossible now, our only option is an unexpected move."
"What do you mean?"
"Thirty leagues west of our camp is a ferry named Lu Lin Ferry, where most of the Qin Army’s ferries are docked. We can move the entire army there, and within an incense stick’s time, we can seize it."
"Then, we’ll use the boats at the ferry to launch a surprise attack from the river on Zheng Lang’s camp from the rear. Although Zheng Lang must have heavily fortified the five camps to ambush General Huo, I bet he won’t expect us to attack from behind. Break through the camp, and we can cover Huo Ziqing’s retreat."
"A brilliant strategy, Old Ye, no matter how smart Zheng Lang is, he wouldn’t expect an attack from the rear," Shangguan Jian agreed.
...........................
"Wan Qi Yuan."
"Here, sir."
"We’re pressed for time. Lead your subordinate five thousand cavalry immediately to Lu Lin Ferry, I’m giving you an incense stick’s time, seize it, and ensure the ferries remain undamaged," Ye Shikai commanded.
"Rest assured, General, I will fulfill the mission." Wan Qi Yuan nodded in agreement, immediately leading five thousand cavalry to gallop away. With only two thousand Qin soldiers at Lu Lin Ferry, thirty leagues was a blink of an eye for cavalry, and the Qin Army certainly wasn’t prepared.
"All troops, listen up, target: Lu Lin Ferry, advance at full speed."
"Yes."
"Yes."
Meanwhile.
"General Huo, look, Zheng Lang’s central camp is right here, with five in total."
"Very good. Our army’s long-distance raid will catch the Qin Army off guard. Capture this place, and the hundreds of miles of Qin Army to the east and west will be disoriented. These fifty thousand Qin troops will become headless flies." Huo Ziqing, spear in hand, pointed to the central camp in front.
"Brothers, up ahead is the camp of the Qin Army’s scoundrel general. Charge in, establish your merits. Now’s the time, follow me and kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
Tens of thousands of iron cavalry charged in close proximity, like a black tide in the moonless night.
"It’s... it’s the rebel army. Quickly, sound the alarm."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
The front cavalry drew bows and nocked arrows; within an instant, over a hundred arrows were launched. The Qin soldiers atop the fort were caught completely off guard, falling one after another. The Qin soldiers at the camp entrance had no time to react as Huo Ziqing, already leading the cavalry, charged at them, thrusting with his spear and tossing them aside.
"Quick, rush in, kill the scoundrel general, five thousand taels reward!"
"Kill!"
Huo Ziqing’s cavalry came too swiftly; the Qin soldiers inside had no time to resist and were all slaughtered.
"Quick, look, where is the scoundrel general’s tent?"
"Report to the General, the tents inside... are all empty."
