After the several thousand elite Liang cavalry had passed through and raced south in a cloud of dust toward Yingzhou, at the suggestion of the veteran general Ma Rong, Ma Xun dispatched three groups of reconnaissance cavalry from Zaoyang.
One group followed closely behind the several thousand Liang cavalry to see if this Liang force would directly assault Yingzhou city, guarding against them suddenly turning back to attack Zaoyang city while their guard was down.
One group headed northeast to the southwestern foothills of Tongbai Mountain to see if there were signs of Liang army passage there.
If the Liang army wanted to set an ambush between Zaoyang and Suizhou, their northern forces should pass through the southwestern foothills of Tongbai Mountain, entering the valleys and hills between Tongbai Mountain and Dahong Mountain.
Even if they hadn’t noticed this before, if several thousand or even tens of thousands of troops had already passed through, it was impossible they wouldn’t leave traces.
Though according to Wen Ruilin’s assessment this possibility was minimal, for caution’s sake Ma Rong still suggested the Crown Prince dispatch over a hundred reconnaissance cavalry in this direction.
Another group of reconnaissance cavalry scouted along the Tang-Bai River to the northwest—this was the key reconnaissance area for determining where Tanzhou forces would withdraw.
The Tang River and Bai River were the two most important water systems within the Nanyang Basin. Originating from the eastern foothills of Funiu Mountain in Fangcheng County territory, they ultimately merged northeast of Fancheng before flowing into the Han River, together called the Tang-Bai River.
Besides irrigating millions of mu of grain fields north of the Han River, they had once been the most important waterway within the Nanyang Basin. But with frequent warfare over the past hundred-plus years, people had abandoned their lands and fled into the deep mountains. The dikes along the Tang and Bai Rivers went unrepaired, river water flooded and overflowed, everything collapsed, and the two river channels split into dozens of large and small streams flowing into the Han River.
The water transport of the Tang-Bai River was completely ruined, while simultaneously forming a narrow belt of lakes and marshes cutting across the southern Nanyang Basin.
If the Liang army wanted to set ambushes on the route of Zaoyang forces fleeing toward Xiangzhou city, their troops should exit Tang River county and advance directly south along the eastern flank of this lake-marsh belt.
Facts proved Wen Ruilin’s judgment was correct.
When Tanzhou reconnaissance left Zaoyang city and rode over sixty li to the northwest, they encountered large Liang forces advancing south along the eastern flank of this lake-marsh belt.
In other words, if Tanzhou forces retreated west from Zaoyang, they might have just reached the Han River without having organized boats for the crossing when they would be caught by this Liang force advancing south from Tang River.
Though at this time Du Chongtao had already dispatched a military messenger from Xiangzhou city, ordering Ma Xun and the other generals that if they couldn’t hold Zaoyang city, they should promptly lead their troops to retreat west, cross the Han River to Xiangzhou city and join with the Xiangzhou army’s main force—how could Ma Xun possibly heed Du Chongtao’s orders at this point?
Ma Xun worried that if they hesitated even slightly, the Liang army advancing south from Tang River county could at any moment change direction and charge directly at Zaoyang.
Not wanting to be trapped in Zaoyang city, and heedless of the hardship and chaos of a night march, he mustered his troops before dark and led them out of Zaoyang city, retreating through the valley passage between Tongbai Mountain and Dahong Mountain into Suizhou territory.
With Tanzhou forces determined to retreat east, the reinforcements from other prefectures—over four thousand troops in total, plus seven or eight thousand laborers—most wanted to distance themselves from this troubled place. Seeing they wouldn’t have to bear responsibility for unauthorized retreat, they all played deaf and dumb, following Ma Xun’s retreat into Suizhou territory.
Only Zhong Yanhu, Army Registrar of Jiangzhou, parted ways with Ma Xun at Zaoyang city, independently leading his troops west toward the Han River, preparing to cross to Xiangzhou city.
Taking all the grain and supplies that could be transported by pack animals and burning what couldn’t, fourteen or fifteen thousand men plus two or three thousand mules and horses formed a chaotic, winding column heading east.
Ma Xun had neither the will nor the ability to maintain order, thinking only to reorganize once they retreated into Suizhou city.
Leaving Zaoyang city heading east, taking the valley passage between Tongbai Mountain and Dahong Mountain, a hundred li east lay Guangshui County under Suizhou’s jurisdiction, and fifty li further southeast was Suizhou’s prefectural city.
The Liang army advancing south along the eastern bank of the Tang-Bai River was also a mixed formation of cavalry and infantry, falling fifty or sixty li behind. Even if they pursued closely, Tanzhou forces would have sufficient time to retreat into Guangshui County city located at the southern foothills of Tongbai Mountain.
Still uneasy, Ma Xun marched through the night, deploying almost all reconnaissance cavalry to their rear, fearing the Liang army might organize cavalry to pursue from behind at any moment.
Heaven and earth gradually brightened under the morning twilight. The distant hills and dense forests shrouded in morning mist also gradually became clearer.
Rear reconnaissance cavalry reported that aside from a Liang force of about a thousand cavalry occupying Zaoyang city, no other troops were pursuing closely. Only then did Ma Xun breathe a slight sigh of relief.
They were now less than forty li from Guangshui city.
Ma Xun forded a shallow stream and reined in his horse before a low hill, looking back at the column stretching seven or eight li. His brow furrowed deeply, though fortunately the Tanzhou troops in the front half of the column maintained relatively better formation, not disgracing him.
Ma Xun sent someone to summon Ma Rong, Wen Ruilin, and others. He wanted to pass through the valley in the middle of Fenghuang Ridge from the southeast and head directly to Suizhou city.
Guangshui city was a subordinate county of Suizhou. Though it had been repaired these past few years, after all its walls were low and the city small. Compared to Suizhou city, built backed against the precipitous terrain of Dahong Mountain’s northeastern foothills, it was far inferior—moreover, as the prefectural seat, Suizhou city had more abundant grain storage and local military preparations surpassing those of subordinate counties.
If their ten-thousand-plus troops entered Suizhou city and joined with Suizhou city’s local garrison, at least in the short term they needn’t fear the Liang army having the capability to forcibly take Suizhou city.
Afterward, regardless of how the Jing-Xiang battle situation developed, they would gain the initiative to advance or retreat as they pleased: if the Liang army proved to be a paper tiger, they could coordinate with the Chu army’s main force to kick them while down and compete for military merit; if the Liang army proved strong, controlling Jing-Xiang with a momentum the Chu army couldn’t reverse, then it would be an excellent opportunity for Tanzhou to make peace with them and break free from Great Chu’s control.
“Good, we’ll go to Suizhou city!” Wen Ruilin, Ma Rong, and the others all felt their anxious hearts could relax somewhat only after reaching Suizhou city.
Ma Xun ordered the entire army to dig cooking pits and prepare meals, resting for a full hour before continuing the march. He and Wen Ruilin dismounted, thinking that being able to calm their minds and appreciate the scenery amid military affairs would be an elegant matter to spread word of.
Ma Rong shook his head with a bitter smile. Just as he was about to send someone to contact the auxiliary generals from other prefectures to organize their troops, he suddenly saw over ten Tanzhou reconnaissance cavalry madly galloping toward them from the southeast.
“Enemy attack, enemy attack!”
The dozen or so scouts they had sent ahead to search the road were shouting frantically as they raced back.
However, with wind whistling through mountain forests, by the time Ma Xun, Wen Ruilin, and the others clearly heard what these scouts were shouting, several hundred black-armored cavalry had already surged like a black mountain flood from a valley four or five li away to the southeast.
Seeing this scene, the faces of Ma Xun, Ma Rong, Wen Ruilin, and the others instantly turned deathly pale, their hands and feet trembling involuntarily.
How was this possible?
How could there be such an elite Liang cavalry force in the valley to the southeast?
Before they departed yesterday, they had clearly sent over a hundred cavalry to search the hills in the southwestern foothills of Tongbai Mountain. Had this Liang cavalry grown wings and flown here, leaving not a single trace?
“This is the cavalry that raided Yingzhou yesterday. They must have crossed through Dahong Mountain south of Zaoyang last night to circle around and intercept us!” Wen Ruilin moaned painfully. “We’ve fallen into the Liang army’s calculations!”
Ma Xun felt his vision repeatedly darkening, his heart panicking and breath tight.
Ma Rong was slightly more composed. Just as Wen Ruilin said, this Liang force couldn’t have grown wings and flown over the mountains of the southwestern Tongbai foothills, nor could they have been lying in ambush in the valleys at Dahong Mountain’s northern foothills for months. They must be the several thousand cavalry that had advanced south through Zaoyang yesterday—feinting once, then crossing through Dahong Mountain overnight and penetrating here, waiting for them to fall into the trap.
They had fallen for it!
Though yesterday they had dispatched one group of reconnaissance cavalry to watch the movements of these several thousand Liang cavalry, the passage from Dahong Mountain’s western foothills to the Han River banks was relatively narrow, and with Liang cavalry all over the mountains and fields, their scouts could only follow distantly from behind, with no way to circle ahead.
In fact, the Liang army only needed to leave one or two thousand cavalry to block the rear passage, and they had no way to scout the movements of Liang cavalry further south.
More critically, they had completely failed to realize this elite Liang cavalry force might feint once before crossing through Dahong Mountain to ambush them!
Dahong Mountain, located on the eastern bank of the Han River, stretched three to four hundred li in all directions, also crisscrossed with ravines and countless overlapping peaks—but its highest peak was after all only three to four hundred zhang tall.
The Dahong Mountain range on the Han River’s eastern bank was mainly divided into three large regions. Between these three mountainous blocks existed numerous valleys, rift valleys, and flatlands where people living in Ying-Sui and other areas over a thousand years ago had built roads.
Without fortified passes and strongholds standing guard, several thousand elite cavalry could silently and swiftly pass through Dahong Mountain from the Han River’s eastern bank and appear in the valleys between Dahong Mountain and Tongbai Mountain.
They had been too trusting that the Liang army wouldn’t be willing to waste elite troops fighting them in a war of attrition. They had also been too presumptuous, thinking that with Tanzhou having intentions to break away from Great Chu, the Liang army should view them as potential partners, assuming the eastern retreat to Suizhou would be smooth sailing.
Perhaps this very mentality had already completely fallen into the Liang army’s calculations.
It could even be said that the Liang army’s several thousand elite cavalry yesterday had directly bypassed Zaoyang city precisely to make them fearful, prompting them to hastily abandon Zaoyang city and flee.
Ma Xun and Wen Ruilin deeply regretted not following Du Chongtao’s orders and retreating to the Han River with the Jiangzhou troops led by Zhong Yanhu.
If they had done so, even if they reached the Han River edge and might have been entangled by several thousand Liang army cavalry and infantry rapidly advancing south from the north, at least forming up with their backs to the Han River, with Xiangzhou army elites potentially coming to their aid from behind, would absolutely be far more comfortable than now, unprepared and receiving the charge of several thousand Liang cavalry midway.
“Crown Prince, quickly leave!”
Ma Rong now had no time for regrets. He ordered over a hundred bodyguards to escort Crown Prince Ma Xun in retreat to the rear. He himself fell back behind the shallow stream on the western side of the hill, shouting loudly, ordering nearby troops to rally to him and prepare formations to receive the Liang cavalry charge.
However, the fifteen or sixteen thousand men belonged to six different prefectural jurisdictions. Military and civilian personnel mixed together in eastern retreat, stumbling and crawling through valley passages in the dark all night, were naturally exhausted, and the column was naturally scattered in chaos. Only the Tanzhou troops in the front half were slightly more presentable.
Just as the fifteen or sixteen thousand men had relaxed and were preparing to dig cooking pits and make meals, seeing black-armored cavalry surging like a flood from the valley, all stood in alarm and panic.
Though the terrain where they were positioned was relatively open, the column was a chaotic mess, stretching several li front to back with no formation whatsoever. They hadn’t anticipated a cavalry force would charge directly at them from such close distance.
Ma Xun, Wen Ruilin, and the others retreated to the rear. Ma Rong hastily assembled only several hundred infantry with shields and halberds behind the shallow stream, forming two ranks of horizontal formation.
The three to four hundred black-armored cavalry charging at the front showed no fear of the sharp long spears extending from between the solid shields. Horse hooves trampled through the shallow stream with splashing waves, charging straight at the Chu army’s front formation.
Immediately flesh and blood flew. Warhorses pierced through by long spears and great halberds maintained their charging momentum, crashing and crushing forward, breaking open gap after gap in the defensive formation.
Ferocious Liang generals and warriors who lost their warhorses, as long as they weren’t killed on the spot by spears, all dismounted to fight on foot. Even pierced by several arrows, even by a dozen arrows, their sabers and halberds still swung with swift and powerful strikes.
More cavalry charged through the breached gaps, firmly and swiftly penetrating deep into the Chu army. Flashing blades and spear shadows brought sprays of blood, limbs and flesh flying, stirring the Chu army’s scattered formation into even greater chaos.
And at this moment, one squad after another of black-armored cavalry, like black dragons, continuously galloped forth from the valley, wading through the filthy, turbid, icy stream, and killed their way into the Chu army’s chaotic ranks…