Mythical Three Kingdoms

Guan Yu cleaved off the head of a Vanguard Death Squad soldier before him with a single stroke. The fact that the enemy had charged close enough to reach him showed just how dire the situation had become!

[The situation is quite grim. Although I slew Yann Liang and Ju Shou, our army’s momentum was depleted after breaking through ten layers of Yuan Shao’s army’s defenses. The enemy has doggedly used immense casualties and the difficulty of their resistance to sap our fighting spirit!] Guan Yu worried silently after failing to press forward with his full might.

”General, things have taken a turn for the worse! Our left wing has been breached by Yuan Shao’s army! General Li Ran is currently leading his forces in battle against Lyu Kuang!” shouted a soldier who rushed towards Guan Yu, panic in his voice.

”Chen Jin, take a detachment and block Yuan Shao’s forces on the right flank for me!” Guan Yu roared angrily. If Yuan Shao’s army breached the Central Army, their retreat would be completely cut off, and Liu Bei, stationed slightly to the rear, would also be at risk.

When Chen Jin led reinforcements to the left wing, Lyu Kuang and Lyu Xiang had already slain Li Ran, and Guan Yu’s Central Army was fiercely counterattacking. However, after two grueling hours of battle, they were no longer a match for Yuan Shao’s well-rested and mixed right-wing forces.

Meanwhile, on another front, Gan Lan had perished under the blade of Wen Chou. Enraged, Wen Chou charged his forces directly into Gan Ning’s Central Army, aiming to sever Gan Ning’s retreat before turning to kill Guan Yu to avenge Yann Liang.

At this moment, Yuan Shao’s left and right wings had successfully encircled Liu Bei’s vanguard. From this point on, Liu Bei’s vanguard had little chance of breaking free on their own. They could either die in battle, carve out a bloody path to counter-push Yuan Shao’s forces, or rely on reinforcements.

”General, Military Advisor Sheni has issued an order: sever the Central Army!” said a messenger, delivering the command from Bohai, where Gao Lan’s forces had arrived within five miles of the battlefield.

”What? Why issue such an order?” Gao Lan exclaimed in shock. To him, the optimal tactic would have been to flank Liu Bei’s main body from the rear for a surprise assault.

”The order was personally given by Military Advisor Sheni. You must directly attack the Central Army and sever it!” the messenger responded, measured and composed.

”Relay my command: all troops, mount up! Prepare to charge!” Gao Lan, after confirming the authenticity of the urgent directive, bellowed furiously.

Fifteen miles east of the battlefield, Xu Shu and Wei Yan had traveled by small boats along the water route and taken a shortcut upon disembarking. Yet, despite their best efforts, they still failed to intercept Gao Lan’s Bohai Elite Cavalry!

”There’s no other way. Rest for half an hour; we won’t make it in time,” Xu Shu sighed deeply. He had already suspected the reinforcement troops were led by Gao Lan and understood their target.

But even though Xu Shu foresaw their destination, recognized Gao Lan, anticipated his tactics, and understood his troop movements, he still had no means to intervene. Even after a night of relentless pursuit and traveling through the waterways, the disparity in mobility left him helpless.

Now, the exhaustion of an organized corps left them depleted of combat power. Even though they could already hear the battle cries from the frontlines, Xu Shu ultimately chose to halt and recover.

”Yuanzhi, we are late by a quarter of an hour. Scouts report seeing Gao Lan’s banner within ten miles ahead. When the scout returned, they saw the enemy already mounting up for the charge. Are we really going to rest here?” Wei Yan asked anxiously, frustrated by the results of their overnight rush.

”We must rest. Even if the enemy attacks, we must recover. It will take no less than half an hour to restore our combat power!” Xu Shu replied firmly. Although he was deeply anxious in his heart, his expression remained calm, seeking to reassure both Wei Yan and Guan Ping.

”Besides, our Lord has General Guan, General Gan, as well as Strategist Jia and Military Advisor Guo, and Administrator Lub in his company. There is no need for concern,” Xu Shu added as if comforting Wei Yan, though he was also trying to embolden himself.

After all, summoning Gao Lan from Bohai to Yanzhou was an extraordinarily risky strategy, one requiring immense resolve. It meant leaving Bohai Commandery, the largest region in Jizhou, completely defenseless. Yuan Shao’s unyielding ambition was on full display—he was willing to abandon Bohai to annihilate Liu Bei!

”Very well, then. Rest for half an hour. Inform the troops to relax, eat something, and prepare. Half an hour later, we shall launch a counterattack!” Wei Yan ordered, doing his best to mask his unease to prevent waves of panic among his soldiers.

Wei Yan’s troops were battle-hardened veterans with experience in over ten engagements, with some even drawn from city management forces he had stubbornly retained. Liu Bei admired Wei Yan’s abilities and had turned a blind eye to this indulgence. This flexibility enabled a disciplined corps to march to Yanzhou in a single night without being completely spent, contrary to what one might expect of other military units.

Upon receiving their orders, Wei Yan’s men began stretching their limbs and consuming the dried meat distributed the previous evening by Xu Shu.

Recognizing the urgency of this battle, Xu Shu had discarded excess supplies and baggage overnight, instead issuing dried meat to the soldiers. Each was given three buns before promptly setting out. Now, they sat chewing on the rations and drinking water carried in bamboo tubes from their waterborne journey.

As Wei Yan’s corps conducted its final preparations, Liu Bei’s army faced its most perilous crisis since the battle began. Gao Lan’s six thousand elite cavalry, following Military Advisor Sheni’s instructions, drove straight through the center of the encirclement, splitting Liu Bei’s and Yuan Shao’s forces.

Relative to Yuan Shao’s overwhelming troop advantage, the division left Liu Bei’s army’s lack of manpower painfully exposed. Gao Lan’s relentless assault, heedless of casualties, left Liu Bei’s forces no time to mount a defense before being split into two segments.

This left Liu Bei’s vanguard entirely surrounded by Yuan Shao’s forces. Guan Yu, Xuu Chu, and Gan Ning were trapped within the formations, unable to break free.

Meanwhile, Gao Lan, having broken through from the east to the west, swiftly regrouped with Zhang He’s Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry. Together, they launched an assault on Zhao Yun’s Headquarters Guards, who were less than a thousand strong. If Zhao Yun fell, Liu Bei’s Central and Rear Armies would also be encircled!

Starting from the Eastern flank, Gao Lan pierced Liu Bei’s Central Army, while Wen Chou and Lyu Kuang’s vanguard surged forward to sever the connection between Liu Bei’s vanguard and Central Army altogether.

”Wuu Anguo, form the phalanx for defense only. Do not counterattack!” Seeing Lub Su about to command Wuu Anguo to rally reinforcements for the vanguard, Jia Xu spoke with an unshaken calm.

”Wen He, if we do not join forces with General Guan and the vanguard to break the encirclement, our vanguard risks total entrapment!” Lub Su exclaimed in shock. Liu Bei’s expression also turned grave at this moment. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, consider supporting it on Qidian (qidian.com) by voting with recommendation tickets and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)