Ever since Xiahou Dun lost an eye during the campaign against Lü Bu, he had been called "Blind Xiahou" in the army. It was said that even Cao Zhi, the son of his lord, and the famous scholars around him would call him that when they chatted and laughed in the West Garden of Xuchang. He could only feel angry in silence.
If he couldn't deal with Cao Zhi, killing a few others would be a good way to vent his anger.
He despised those glib-tongued scholars. While he fought on the front lines, they were useless, yet their mouths were more venomous than snakes.
He wished he could wipe them all out, or even request his lord to issue an edict that anyone who dared to utter the name "Blind Xiahou" would be executed by being cut in half at the waist.
Such a request was strange, he thought, but perhaps his lord would make an exception.
The world was ruled by the strong; his lord could issue any decree he desired.
However, without a clear understanding of the enemy's situation, a rash pursuit and an overly hasty advance were cardinal sins in military strategy!
So the general beside him had to step forward and stop this risky move.
"General Xiahou," Li Dian advised, "Although that young Pang Tong is new to the battlefield, he has Ma Chao as his general. Ma Chao is a Qin general, experienced in battle, and cunning. The enemy abandoning their supplies and armor is likely a trap…
"Moreover, the road ahead is narrow and overgrown with weeds. If there's an ambush, we'll be wiped out. It would be better to send scouts to investigate first before making a decision."
Under normal circumstances, Xiahou Dun might have agreed.
But now, seeing his own ambush fail and he killed instead, this humiliating scene, if it got back to the rear, who knows what those malicious writers would say about him!
Xiahou Dun scoffed, "General Li, are you cowardly? Liu Bei led a rabble, intending to ambush Wan County, but upon hearing of our attack, he turned and ran. What trap could there be?" "If you are cowardly, lead the infantry behind, and I will lead the cavalry in pursuit."
Li Dian shook his head, saying, "The lord sent me to assist the general because he knows the general is brave but prone to impulsiveness. Please reconsider."
Xiahou Dun laughed loudly, "Courage on the battlefield is always better than cowardice. You don't need to say anything more."
He turned and ordered his guards, "Quickly, go and give the order: follow me." "
With that, he spurred his horse, spear in hand, and galloped towards Bowang Slope. Two thousand cavalry followed him, charging into Anlin like lightning.
Anlin was utterly silent. The setting sun cast a golden glow upon Yushan Mountain and Anlin, creating an atmosphere of natural tranquility.
Xiahou Dun began to sense something was amiss. He considered ordering a retreat, but feared being ridiculed by Li Dian.
Then he thought again. The man before him wasn't Ma Chao, but merely an unknown figure named Pang De. And with only five hundred men, even if there was a trick, they might not gain much advantage.
Just as he hesitated, suddenly drums thundered, and countless banners rose from Yushan Mountain. Immediately afterwards..." Suddenly, as if by magic, a large contingent of soldiers surged up the mountain, each carrying a powerful crossbow.
Xiahou Dun could no longer console himself; his heart sank to the bottom. Before he could speak, he suddenly heard shouts of battle from all sides, accompanied by the chaotic twang of bowstrings, and a hail of arrows rained down from the mountain like flying snakes.
Fortunately, his personal guards reacted quickly, swarming forward, their shield bearers forming an impenetrable barrier around him.
Xiahou Dun suppressed his panic and roared, "You incompetent commander! It's nothing but a few tricks! Pass down the order to retreat towards the woods. Once they run out of arrows, we'll surround the mountain and starve them out." "
The trees in Anlin were straight and dense, making walking through them a constant risk of bumping into a tree, let alone running away!
Under Xiahou Dun's command, Cao Cao's soldiers stumbled and ran deeper into Anlin for cover. The infantry fared somewhat better, but the cavalry were particularly ill-suited to the forest; horses frequently tripped over branches, and soldiers tumbled from their horses.
Although the further they were from the hilltop, the greater the distance the arrows would travel, the greater the difficulty of moving through the forest made Cao Cao's army extremely disorganized.
At this time, Ma Chao's infantry crossbowmen were positioned in shifts on the hillside, taking turns firing at Xiahou Dun's cavalry.
Xiahou Dun roared, "Dismount! Shield bearers forward to block the arrows! Archers and crossbowmen, return fire from behind! Spearmen, cover the rear!" "
His words had barely faded when, suddenly, a series of large fireballs rolled in from the other side of the forest.
Instantly, flames engulfed Cao Cao's troops, thick smoke billowed into the sky, and the cries of agony from the soldiers echoed through the woods!
They tried to break free of the inferno, but crossbow bolts rained down relentlessly from the outside; clearly, they were surrounded, intending to trap them within the inferno rather than attack.
Even if they didn't burn to death, they would suffer severe burns and face the risk of suffocation!
Li Dian, seeing the flames and hearing the screams, immediately ordered his infantry to follow.
But before they could even enter, a cavalry unit charged out, led by a man in silver armor and a silver spear, exuding a menacing aura.
"I am Ma Chao of Xiliang! Prepare to die!" "
Ma Chao roared and charged his steed, the Ferghana horse, given to him by Lu Ming. At full speed, he reached Li Dian in less than five seconds.
Li Dian barely reacted, raising his spear to parry, when he felt a chill on his neck and saw a headless corpse raising a spear in defense. The figure was very familiar!
With Li Dian dead, no one could relay the message to the ranks, and the army's command instantly collapsed.
Even if a few rank leaders reacted and led a few..." Ten men fought back, but facing the cavalry charge, they were often killed with a single blow to the throat.
Then the cavalry retreated, but a second wave followed closely, their relentless charges shattering the formation!
The Cao army, now divided into small groups, was surrounded by the infantry that followed, gradually being annihilated!
Those who resisted were executed on the spot!
On the mountaintop, Pang Tong, a curved sword at his waist, coldly watched the carnage below.
"Fire attack. Although it violates the natural order, the traitors deserve to die!"
Seeing that the battle was nearing its end, Pang Tong picked up his binoculars and looked over, then said to the messenger beside him, "Pass down the order, tell General Ma to proceed according to plan!" "
The messenger hurriedly rode off to deliver the message.
Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, Ma Dai was resting with his eyes closed. Upon seeing the messenger, he took the note and then ordered his soldiers to begin their march.
He did not participate in the killing because Pang Tong's ambitions went far beyond that.
If Cao Cao's army could launch a surprise attack, then he could do the same, using the routed soldiers to trick them into opening the city gates and capture Chenliu!"