Chapter 28: How Could He Possibly Be a Match for Me, Wei Wenchang?
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He had not been captured or killed. He had simply mounted a horse and fled.
“He’s gone?”
Zhao Shaojie pondered for a while, but still could not guess where Ma Su had gone. Ma Su was fairly important at present; after all, he was a member of the Ma family of Jingzhou. After a moment’s thought, Zhao asked, “Whom did Ma Su go to fight? How could he fail even against a band of petty bandits?”
Shi Ren answered anxiously, “I don’t know. The locals do not recognize them either. That band of outlaws appeared several years ago and has remained entrenched here ever since. They are quite formidable.”
Zhao Shaojie frowned. “It shouldn’t be possible. Ma Su may not be able to defeat a renowned general of the realm like Zhang He, but surely he can’t lose to a pack of bandits...”
Shi Ren was baffled. When had Ma Su gone to fight Zhang He?
“Never mind. We’ll continue searching for him while reorganizing the army. Tomorrow, we’ll go over and wipe out those bandits. Perhaps they captured Ma Su and are deliberately trying to deceive us!”
Zhao Shaojie had no better idea, so they could only go to the bandits’ stronghold and investigate.
...
The next day, the army set out.
Of the thousand soldiers, a full hundred were cavalry.
By now, Zhao Shaojie understood the whole situation, and he was furious. Ma Su really was arrogant. He had led a hundred men into battle without even investigating the circumstances—and, just as in history, he had refused to heed anyone’s advice.
To be safe, Zhao Shaojie placed Wei Yan in command of the hundred cavalrymen. Wei Yan was young and full of spirit, and history had already proven him to be a promising general. Surely he could handle a band of bandits.
Besides, though Shi Ren had accumulated plenty of experience in defeat, he was still a veteran soldier of many years. When it came to battle formations, he was certainly more capable than Ma Su, who was still a complete novice.
“Excellent! Truly excellent!”
Wei Yan was in high spirits. He had long disliked Ma Su, who knew nothing but the military theories he recited with his mouth. Wei Yan had borrowed a company of troops from Mi Fang, enlisted in Liu Bei’s army, spent several years drilling and studying the art of war, and only then been entrusted with command of a company.
If he succeeded in wiping out the enemy, would that not make him more capable than Ma Su?
Then again, being more capable than Ma Su was hardly something to boast about.
Shi Ren, however, was deeply worried. Ma Su had gone missing, and Liu Bei would certainly summon him. After all, no matter what happened, he had to give the Ma family an explanation.
“I can only pray that Ma Su is in the bandits’ stronghold. Otherwise, I’m finished!”
Shi Ren gazed down the road and silently prayed.
Although Zhao Shaojie was somewhat anxious as well, the pressure weighing on him was not nearly as great.
As they marched, Zhao Shaojie still found time to inquire about the soldiers’ meals. Again and again, he warned everyone not to pick wild fruits at random.
“Although the enemy numbers only a few hundred, we must treat them as though they number two thousand. Be cautious and meticulous in every matter. We must not grow careless!”
“Watch yourselves. Do not become arrogant. Remain calm and composed, and we will win this battle!”
...
Zhao Shaojie repeated these words over and over.
This was, after all, their first battle since entering Jiaozhou.
Zhao Shaojie had never fought in a war before. Though he felt a certain excitement, what he felt more strongly was the weight of it. War, in the end, meant death.
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Wei Yan and Shi Ren watched Zhao Shaojie and were both astonished. This man was not a spoiled young master like Ma Su.
Along the way, Zhao Shaojie had displayed just as many irritating habits as Ma Su. He complained that this was unpleasant and that was filthy, and they had seen it all.
That afternoon, after resting for a while, they set out once more.
When they reached the foot of the mountain, Shi Ren said, “The bandits have a dozen or so cavalrymen, with spearmen in front and archers behind. That formation should prevent them from charging through our ranks.”
Zhao Shaojie nodded and was just about to agree when Wei Yan waved his hand and declared loudly, “Why bother with such precautions? I’ll take the cavalry and meet them head-on. I refuse to believe that a bunch of mountain bandits and barbarian outlaws understand the subtleties of cavalry warfare!”
Shi Ren frowned. “The mountain road is narrow, which is already unfavorable to cavalry. The defeated troops reported that one of the bandits is exceptionally brave—a single cavalryman whose charge is unstoppable. You are young, Wenchang, and your courage is admirable, but to be safe, we should still place the spearmen in front and the archers behind. Why risk matching your ferocity against such a bandit?”
Wei Yan was about to argue, but Zhao Shaojie quickly said, “He is right. I agree with Shi Ren.”
Wei Yan could only let the matter drop.
The army entered the mountain pass.
The spearmen and archers each kept watch.
Scouts rode ahead to reconnoiter.
The troops advanced slowly.
When the mouth of the pass was nearly within sight, the mounted scouts suddenly returned with a report.
“Commandant Shi, the bandits have already formed ranks in the valley!”
Shi Ren froze for a moment, then looked toward Zhao Shaojie. “The bandits know how to arrange themselves in battle?”
“They are probably deserters,” Zhao Shaojie replied.
Wei Yan, however, was visibly excited. He shouted, “I’ll break their formation! I’ll do it! No one is to stop me this time!”
...
In the open ground of a mountain hollow, there was indeed a burly man in battered armor, mounted on horseback, with his men drawn up behind him.
“I never expected this lot to be so cautious. Alas, I was enjoying my freedom here—why must they come and disturb me again?”
The big man sighed softly, a complicated expression flickering through his eyes.
Suddenly, one of his men came to report, “General, the enemy has entered!”
The big man immediately said, “Tell the lads to ready their blades. It’s time to start killing!”
His subordinate hurried off to rouse the men’s spirits.
The big man led a dozen or more cavalrymen forward, then reined in his horse and stopped. His keen gaze swept across the scene ahead.
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Their formation was not disordered, but there was a noticeable stiffness to it. At a glance, it was clear that most of them were new recruits.
He was still observing them when—
Suddenly, several hundred horses surged from the enemy formation like the wind and charged toward him.
“Wenchang, have you gone mad?”
“Wenchang, wait!”
The moment Wei Yan saw the enemy approaching, he could no longer restrain himself. He immediately rallied the hundred cavalrymen under his command and charged to meet them.
He paid no attention whatsoever to the shouts of Zhao Shaojie and Shi Ren.
“Oh? So arrogant, are you? You dare meet me head-on?”
A flash of excitement crossed the big man’s eyes. He immediately roared, “Charge!”
The cavalry on both sides streaked across the ground like lightning, rapidly closing the distance between them.
Wei Yan fixed his brilliant gaze on the burly rider opposite him. Holding the reins in one hand, he tightened his grip on his spear with the other. At precisely the right moment, he thrust forward with all his strength.
At the same time, the big man’s spear shot toward him.
In the blink of an eye, Wei Yan twisted aside, while the big man likewise leaned away. Both attacks missed.
Wei Yan wheeled his horse around, only to see that the big man had turned as well.
The two exchanged a glance, then urged their mounts into another headlong charge.
This time, Wei Yan was even more cautious. He carefully watched his opponent’s movements. In Liu Bei’s army, he had studied and sparred with renowned cavalry commanders such as Zhao Yun. He refused to believe that some rough mountain outlaw could possibly surpass Zhao Yun.
The two drew near.
Wei Yan did not attack at once. He waited until the instant his opponent thrust forward, then suddenly exerted both hands and sent his spear stabbing out a heartbeat later.
With a wet thud, Wei Yan slipped past the other man’s spear, while the bandit failed to evade his. Wei Yan’s spear lifted him clean off his horse.
“Hahaha! You’re nothing but a common outlaw. How could you possibly be a match for me, Wei Wenchang?”
After the intense concentration and tension of the duel, Wei Yan burst into laughter, relieved and triumphant.
“Wei Yan, just look at what you’ve done!”
Zhao Shaojie’s furious voice reached him just as Wei Yan was celebrating.
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