Mythical Three Kingdoms

Xin Pi’s army at Cen Bi and Yin Kai were directly slain by Wei Yan and Guan Ping, taking advantage of the situation. If not for Zhu Ling worrying that Xin Pi was no match for Xu Shu and rushing to assist with reinforcements, Xin Pi might have gone to see his older brother that day, leaving Xin Xianying fatherless. Speaking of, Xin Xianying is already five years old now...

In short, the current situation is that Xu Shu seems to be on an unstoppable streak, relentlessly hammering his senior Xin Pi. Adding insult to injury, he used a smaller, weaker force to mockingly besiege the heavily fortified city that Xin Pi commanded, leaving Xin Pi absolutely livid. Yet, despite his fury, no matter how angry he got, he simply couldn’t win!

The coordinated actions of Wei Yan and Xu Shu are becoming increasingly seamless, and Wei Yan’s acceptance of Xu Shu’s unconventional orders is growing. As Xin Pi put it: ”Xu Shu is an utterly sinister character!”

With less than ten thousand soldiers, Xu Shu surrounded Ganling, the governance center of Qinghe. Yet, Xu Shu had no effective means to capture this robust city. For one, he had only five thousand regular soldiers; for another, he was unwilling to deplete his already-limited elite troops on a siege campaign.

In this stalemate, Xu Shu was left helpless—not because he lacked ability but because he faced a fortified defense where the enemy had both skilled leadership and ample forces and provisions. Anyone in his shoes would find it head-splittingly frustrating.

However, two days later, Xu Shu shifted his thinking and began forging connections with the Qinghe aristocratic families. Although Liu Bei had imposed considerable restrictions on aristocratic families under his control, he ensured they lived comfortably as long as they performed their assigned duties. This policy earned widespread respect from the families.

Thus, further discussions became meaningful. Xu Shu decisively approached the Cui Clan of Qinghe, one of the top aristocratic families in Hebei. Clarification: this Cui Clan was not the Cui Family of Boling to which Cui Zhouping belonged but the Qinghe Cui Clan.

To be precise, the Qinghe Cui Clan had recently been dealt some harsh blows by Cui Zhouping. Recognizing this, Xu Shu saw an opportunity. It’s worth mentioning that Xu Shu had his theories about Cui Zhouping’s behavior—in fact, it wasn’t mere speculation but rather an accurate assessment.

Under the current circumstances, Xu Shu was already formulating strategies to sever Qinghe from Ji Province. The inherent self-interest of aristocratic families served as a point of entry, especially with a talent as capable as Cui Yan in the Qinghe Cui Clan. Ability fosters foresight, after all.

Of course, a significant part of the Qinghe Cui Clan’s current predicament was due to Cui Zhouping’s machinations. Suffice it to say that Cui Zhouping’s abilities were no joke, and there’s a chance that the Qinghe Cui Clan’s recent foresight and choices had also been factored into Cui Zhouping’s calculations.

Meanwhile, Yu Jin led two thousand Heavy Crossbowmen toward the opposite side of the Yellow River. However, before they even reached the other shore, a barrage of Bed Crossbow Arrows rained down on their ships. In response, under Xu Sheng’s command, a fleet of ships swiftly began drifting downstream, rendering the Bed Crossbows ineffective due to the increasing distance.

”Where are we heading now?” Xu Sheng asked as he turned to Yu Jin.

”Continue to bait them,” Yu Jin replied calmly. Xu Sheng grinned and steered his ship back toward the opposing shore, only for another dense volley of arrows to rain down. Again, the navy retreated slowly, suffering almost no losses.

After several back-and-forth maneuvers like this, the forces on the other side finally realized, no matter how clueless they might be, that Yu Jin and his troops were toying with them. As long as Yu Jin didn’t get too close, the Yuan Shao troops stationed at the riverbank made no drastic moves.

”I bet they really think we don’t have Heavy Crossbows or Bed Crossbows. Such ignorance!” Mi Fang remarked with a laugh. ”Do they honestly believe these massive warships are just transport vessels? Wen Xiang, in a bit, let’s get in close and show what we’re really packing. Have the navy ready to demonstrate our power.”

”Crossbowmen, torches, and fire pots are all prepared. In a moment, we’ll make sure to show them something unforgettable,” Xu Sheng remarked as he steadily maneuvered his ship to about a hundred paces from the opposite shore. Although the Yuan Shao troops appeared vigilant, they didn’t launch an attack. Having wasted a significant amount of arrows before, they weren’t inclined to make the same mistake.

The ships drifted even closer, closing to fifty paces. Although a few Yuan Shao soldiers seemed to pay attention, most still watched with a nonchalant attitude as the large ships slowly approached, carried by the current. Their previous attempt to sink the ships using Bed Crossbows had failed miserably, decreasing their confidence.

The Yuan Shao troops, unfamiliar with naval battles, had few alternative tactics in mind. Being accustomed to ground battles, they lacked the concept that enemies could approach so closely without immediate retaliation. In their mindset, if they could be attacked, they could fight back, but soon, a volley of arrows proved them wrong.

A dense rain of arrows descended, knocking down numerous Yuan Shao soldiers. The spear-wielding Sword and Shield Soldiers, who were meant to protect against melee attacks, quickly realized they couldn’t even engage the enemy, while many of their archers were already downed by the concentrated arrow fire from the opposing side.

As the arrow storm struck, Liu Bei’s navy abruptly accelerated, docking swiftly. Before the Yuan Shao troops could react, a large number of naval soldiers disembarked, exploiting the confusion to eliminate even more of their forces.

The two thousand Heavy Crossbowmen, along with over five hundred navy soldiers, swiftly secured the two Yuan Shao camps across the Yellow River that Xun Shen had been guarding to prevent Liu Ye from constructing a pontoon bridge.

It’s likely Xun Shen never imagined that after Liu Ye deployed the navy, they would choose to cross the river at the most dangerous point instead of the unguarded areas. Even more astonishing to Xun Shen would have been how the two camps—designed to prioritize defensive Bed Crossbows supported by Crossbows and Sword and Shield Spearmen—would lose so disgracefully.

Truth be told, Xun Shen’s deployment wasn’t flawed. To prevent Liu Ye from building a pontoon bridge, his current setup was the most effective. Moreover, it constantly kept Liu Bei’s army cautious and on edge as they attempted construction.

If Liu Bei’s troops had crossed the river elsewhere, their first priority would undoubtedly be eliminating these two camps along the river.

Xun Shen had stationed numerous small Beacon Towers on the opposing shore, ready to signal with fire and smoke if Liu Ye attempted to eliminate the camps. This way, the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry could potentially annihilate the crossing army—not necessarily to kill but to crush their morale.

This rationale also explains why the camps focused heavily on Crossbow armaments. Xun Shen had personally witnessed Hua Xiong receiving several thousand Xiliang Iron Cavalry troops from Li Jue and was eager to frustrate Liu Ye whenever possible.

After clearing the Yuan Shao troops, Mi Fang slowly disembarked from the ship. However, after walking no more than two hundred steps, an unexpected mishap occurred.

”Oh, come on!” Mi Fang exclaimed as he stumbled into a large hole, nearly falling flat on his face. Looking at the bowl-sized, half-foot-deep pit, he froze for a moment. Glancing ahead, he spotted a vast expanse of horse pits cleverly camouflaged with weeds. If Mi Fang didn’t realize what was going on now, he’d have to be a fool. (To be continued. If you enjoy this story, please visit Qidian.com to vote with recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)