mesbooks Chapter 275 Han Dang Enters the Ambush
Chapter 275 Han Dang Enters the Ambush
Even elementary school students know that only by studying hard during the semester can they get good grades on the final exam; cramming at the last minute won't work.
Shen Yi's carefully laid trap gave him a huge advantage over Han Dang. First, he was more than 30 li away from Han Dang, and as the Han army retreated, the distance between the two sides would widen further.
Secondly, Han Dang was trapped in the trap and couldn't move fast at all. Even if he turned back into the mountains, the mountain path wouldn't be easy to walk on. Shen Yi, on the other hand, was on a flat road and could run freely. Once he reached his destination, he would have plenty of time to set up a trap for Han Dang.
Moreover, Shen Yi did not run blindly. Instead, he ordered three thousand vanguards to set off first with shovels. Once they arrived at their destination, they were to start digging traps immediately. They also had to race against Han Dang and could not afford to waste a single moment.
After seeing off the vanguard army, Shen Yi hid the stones and straw bundles he had prepared in the vicinity. At the same time, he left three thousand men to hide in the Wuyi Mountains to the south, preparing to rush out after Han Dang had passed and enter Huaiyu Mountain to block Han Dang's retreat.
The Wuyi Mountains and Huaiyu Mountains are separated only by a corridor, just across the road. There is no need for the blocking army to retreat with Shen Yi and then circle back.
After taking precautions, Shen Yi led the remaining four thousand men to retreat quickly. When they arrived at their destination, they found that the vanguard had already begun digging traps, so they did not disturb them but quickly went into the mountains to set up their own traps.
The battlefield was chosen by Li Gousheng, the scout platoon leader. Li Gousheng spent his days traversing the mountains and had long since figured out the terrain.
Shen Yi followed Li Gousheng around the mountain and quickly formulated a battle plan based on the terrain. He then rapidly divided the army into groups: some quarried stones, some felled trees, some bundled grass, and some dug pits. They worked together quickly and efficiently.
After all that trouble until midnight, instead of Han Dang, Wu Yue appeared. When Wu Yue was brought before him by the scouts, Shen Yi was completely stunned. He stared at Wu Yue for a long time before asking in shock, "Why are you here?"
Wu Yue replied, "Upon receiving the news of the fall of Yushan, General Guan ordered me to infiltrate Yushan to block Xu Sheng's retreat and try to annihilate Xu Sheng within Yushan territory. I dared not delay and led three thousand men to set off overnight. My shoes are almost worn through from running all the way."
"My troops are lying in ambush in a valley twenty miles away. When I sent out scouts to investigate, they ran into your scouts. The scouts told me that you were going to intercept Han Dang here, so I came to ask if you need any help?"
Shen Yi was stunned for a long time before he could process this bombshell news. He said excitedly, "Isn't this just a coincidence? This is heaven's will to destroy Han Dang!"
After a brief moment of reflection, he quickly explained the situation to Wu Yue, then took out a map, lit a tinderbox, and said by the firelight, "Old Wu, look, I'm still fifty li away from Yushan County. Even if Xu Sheng sets off now, it will be dawn by the time he gets here. So we don't need to worry about Xu Sheng for now. You should immediately take your men and go around to the north to block the relevant intersections to prevent Han Dang from escaping north into the Huangwu Mountains."
"I've already sent people to set up traps and build positions at that mountain pass. When you arrive, you don't need to build anything, just take over directly. After driving Han Dang into the corridor, then go and intercept Xu Sheng. Any problems?"
Shen Yi was not only the commander of the First Army but also Guan Xing's deputy, making him the second-in-command of their Han army. When Guan Xing was away, Shen Yi had the authority to command other generals.
Wu Yue dared not be negligent and solemnly bowed, saying, "Yes..."
Shen Yi continued, "Han Dang should be arriving soon. We don't have much time, so we can't afford to waste too much time on the road. To save time, I'll temporarily assign Li Gousheng to you. With him leading the way, you'll avoid taking many detours."
Wu Yue nodded and left with Li Gousheng, while Shen Yi continued to build up the position and sent out scouts to find out the movements of Wu's army, waiting for Han Dang to arrive.
Around dawn, the scout returned and said, "General, the Wu army has indeed entered the mountains as you predicted, and they are only about ten miles away. They should arrive in about an hour."
Shen Yi said excitedly, "Great! Tell the brothers to stop messing around and immediately return to their positions to await my orders."
At Shen Yi's command, all those quarrying, logging, and digging traps in the corridor stopped and went into the mountains to hide in their own positions.
Meanwhile, unaware of the danger, Han Dang was struggling through the mountains while cursing incessantly. As he cleared obstacles with his knife, he cursed, "Damn Xu Wenxiang, why did you have to do this to me at my age?"
Things in this world are easier said than done. When you're just talking, it seems very easy, just a few words are enough, but when you actually do it, you find it's much harder than you imagined.
Take the current situation for example. Han Dang and his men walked through the gaps in the traps all day long. During this time, they were very careful with every step to avoid stepping into the pits. Their minds were constantly on edge. By the end of the day, even he, let alone the ordinary soldiers, was exhausted.
After entering the mountains at nightfall, Han Dang wanted to stop and rest, but worried that Xu Sheng wouldn't be able to hold on if he delayed too long, so he had no choice but to continue on his way.
It was only then that he realized Lu Xun was right. Xu Sheng was too reckless. Going deep into enemy territory alone was like playing with fire, and if he wasn't careful, the whole army could be wiped out.
More importantly, with Lü Dai as a backup plan, they didn't need to do this at all. They could have just steadily and slowly advanced to the end. Why bother with this whole ordeal?
Han Dang grew angrier and angrier, wishing he could fly to Yushan right now, grab Xu Sheng by the collar, and demand to know why he had disobeyed the Grand Commander's orders, completely forgetting that he himself had previously been the one to disobey orders.
His son, Han Zong, said, "Father, the scouts report that the Han army has retreated, and there are no traps in this area. It seems that the Han army rushed back after receiving news of the fall of Yushan. So, should we enter the passage or stop and rest for a while until dawn?"
They had already passed through the trap area, and now they could leave the mountain and enter the corridor without any obstacles. Little did they know that this smooth passage was not unlimited; they would encounter traps again after walking twenty miles.
Han Dang pondered for a moment and shook his head, saying, "Forget it. The Han army is cunning. Who knows if they will dig a couple of shovelfuls on their way to Yushan? If someone accidentally steps into a trap and screams, it will affect morale too much."
In Han Dang's view, this so-called safe zone might not be safe at all. It could be said that the traps inside were not as dense as during the day, but that they were not non-existent. What if the Han soldiers casually dug a few and were unfortunately stepped on by the Wu soldiers? After all, digging traps doesn't take much effort.
Han Dang continued, "As for resting, let's forget about it and wait until dawn to find out the Han army's movements."
Han Dang was always impatient and hot-tempered. He couldn't sleep until he received definite news from the Han army, unaware that he was missing his only chance to escape.
Led by Han Dang, Wu Jun continued forward, heading straight for the death trap.
While Han Dang was on his way, Shen Yi was lying on the ground dozing off. Just as he was about to fall asleep, a scout ran over, nudged him, and whispered, "General, the Wu army has arrived."
Shen Yi was startled and snapped awake, pressing his ear to the ground. Soon, he heard the hurried footsteps of the Wu army. Overjoyed, Shen Yi quickly asked, "Has General Wu Yue reached the designated position yet?"
The scout replied, "Judging by the time, it will probably take another two or three quarters of an hour, but it will take even longer for the Wu army to retreat after being attacked, so General Wu Yue will definitely be able to catch up."
Shen Yi nodded and said, "That's great. Wake up the brothers and wait for my orders."
After saying that, he stabbed his thigh several times with a tree branch to force himself to stay awake and stared intently in the direction where Wu Jun had appeared.
The Han and Wu armies had been fighting for several days and were exhausted. Now it was time to test their willpower.
Shen Yi stared intently for a full quarter of an hour before finally spotting Wu Jun's figure. He lay on the ground, drew his bow, and prepared to fire. After Wu Jun had advanced a little further, he decisively ordered his personal guards to light the arrowheads and release the bowstring to launch the fire arrows.