There were only one thousand of the seven thousand Xiliang Cavalry. The remaining six thousand were still with Hu Che Er on top of the hills which they noticed while they were leaving. From atop the hill, they would be able to see everything that happens below. Hu Che Er was most afraid of an ambush as he had been traumatized. He had almost been killed the last time and was now extremely prudent.
From atop the hill, Hu Che Er could clearly see the battle below. He could see that Liu Mang was using the Tortoise Formation. It sounded amazing but it was simply a bunch of people gathering up and forming a tortoise like shell. Unless they charged at full force, this formation would not be broken.
Liu Mang learnt this formation from Gao Shun’s Formation Breaker. Last time, several hundred of the Formation Breaker used this formation to fight against Chen Deng’s fifteen thousand Guangling Army. If it was not because this had been a misdirection tactic, Chen Deng would have needed to waste lives to break the shell.
“General! Let us charge forward! There is nothing to look at. The Fake King is simply courting death. There is no ambush here. He even gave us such a favourable location.” From their location, they would be able to charge downwards, maximizing their strength as they needed to rely on momentum to fight. With a stronger force of impact, they would be able to break through an enemy’s defensive line. This would turn the battle into a massacre. “Since he thinks that way, we should have him to accomplish this!” Another Han 1000-man commander added. This man had been good friends with the one that was just killed by Huang Zhong. Watching his friend die in front of him was not only sorrowful but also shameful. So, he looked at the Urban Army with killing intent. He wanted to lead his troops down and kill all of Liu Mang’s men.
“Hm?” Hu Che Er furrowed his brows. The reason why he had managed to survive this long in the past was because he was cautious.
The Tortoise Formation was powerful. If Liu Mang did this with his five thousand Urban Army or Black Flag Army, Hu Che Er would not have any way to deal with this even if he attacked with his eight thousand Xiliang Cavalry. At the end, both sides would suffer heavy casualties. However, the current situation was different. Liu Mang only had two thousand five hundred men using the Tortoise Formation. Hu Che Er may have left one thousand troops behind at Guangzhou but he still had seven thousand men. Liu Mang’s troops were heavily outnumbered. In such a situation, Liu Mang’s Army could only be completely routed.
Hu Che Er did not believe that the King of Shu did not know this. If Liu Mang had been such an idiot, Lu Bu would not have let him manage Yangzhou. On top of that, Liu Mang was also the person that had defeated the Little Conqueror Sun Ce.
The Han 1000-man commander could see Hu Che Er’s worries and knew that his general was being cautious. This had helped them to avoid death many times. Liao Hua and Liu Pi’s ambush had not been Hu Che Er’s fault as he had already ordered them to look out for an ambush. Hu Che Er was not incapable but Liao Hua had been too good and was also lucky. During Liao Hua’s time with the Yellow Turbans, he had already suffered from the Xiliang Cavalry, making him even calmer.
“General. This boy, Liu Mang, may have defeated the Sun Ce. However, you must not forget that he was only defending the city and was not attacking. He had to rely on the defences of his walls. But now, he has no walls and he is going against us, the Xiliang Cavalry! This is the plains! Those grass are only half a feet tall. There is nowhere to hide anyone!” The entire place had been uninhabited after Yuan Shu proclaim himself Emperor. However, the grass also did not grow taller. This could all be seen from the hills.
“Is this truly the case?” Hu Che Er truly hoped that the words of his men was true. In that case, there was no need for him to be so distressed.
“General! Let us attack! If you still do not act, it would not only be the matter of our feelings but the morale of the troops may also fall!” The other 1000-man commanders began to persuade Hu Che Er. It was a fact that these people on the hills all hated Liu Mang’s Army. Not only were they insulted but even one of their own had been killed. If Hu Che Er still refused to act, the Xiliang Cavalry would fall apart as the men would not want to follow a person that just receives such insult. They were soldiers meant to fight and die on the battlefield, drinking wine and eating meat. If they do not fight, they might as well commit suicide.
People kill when they get angry. They aim for vengeance and would not think of advancing their career. The ruthless ones would not even be finished after ten years.
“Hm?” Hu Che Er was still unable to make a decision. He did not believe that Liu Mang would want to fight a decisive battle against him. If this was the case, the target would have been Liu Bei at Shouchun. They may have ambushed the Wolf Cavalry but Liu Bei had also participated in that. On top of that, the entire strategy had been made by Liu Bei’s Army. They should be hated more.
“General. If you do not act, you would need to explain this to Milord!” One man finally said. This was Hu Che Er’s weakness. The reason why he could be promoted to the Deputy General of the Xiliang Cavalry was not only because he was strong and knew military tactics. Zhang Xiu may not have many of such people but Hu Che Er was also not the only one. The reason he was chosen was because he implemented Zhang Xiu’s commands regardless of what it was. This was why Zhang Xiu trusted in him. If Hu Che Er violates Zhang Xiu’s commands, he would be set aside. He would not be called to trial but he would definitely be dismissed from his position as the Deputy General of the Xiliang Cavalry. At most, he would become a 10,000-man commander.
“I don’t care anymore!” Hu Che Er gritted his teeth. During his time at Qiang, he did not need to think at all. However, the cunning Hans had plotted too much forcing him to be cautious. Now, Hu Che Er still had not obtained any information from the one thousand troops he left at Guangzhou. This meant that the troops inside Guangzhou had not move at all. In that case, there was nothing to be afraid of. Hu Che Er was also a fierce person. He was simply a cautious man.
“General is wise!” The 1000-man commanders gave their support and cheered. “Kill them! Kill them all! I want to decorate my horse with their heads!”
“I want to tear off their armor and wear it!” The Xiliang Cavalry felt very jealous and wanted the heavy armors as they gave good protection and were also very light. It was better than their weapons. The armors also glistened in the light. The Hans may not care about women but they cared about their appearances. Nobody does not like being even a little bit more handsome.
“Brothers! Follow me to attack our enemies! Cut off their heads! Take their armors!” Hu Che Er took the lead and suddenly charged down the hill. His eyes sparkled. His killing intent released unrestrained. He clearly remembered the Liu Mang’s insult towards him and also the death of his subordinate. Although he did not have a very good impression of this Han 1000-man commander, killing his subordinates right in front of him was like a slap to his face. On top of that, his own mother had been insulted. He was angry enough to have charged in front had he not restrain himself. Now, he no longer cared and let everything out.
“Haha. They are coming!” Liu Mang finally sensed the strength of the approaching cavalry. He had fought against heavy cavalries before but they were the Tiger Cavalry and the Yuzhou Cavalry. Those had not even reached two thousand in number. On the other hand, the Xiliang Cavalry had seven thousand men and was descending the hill like a powerful current. It was like a flood threatening to drown you and prevent your bones from being found.
“Urban Army!” Liu Mang roared loudly as he wielded his bloodied sword.
“We die together! We die together!” The Urban Army roared.
“First row shields!” Liu Mang ordered. The soldiers then slowly but rhythmically raise their shields. This was the Liu Mang’s Army’s first wall that would stop the Xiliang Cavalry.
“Kill! Kill that Fake King!” One of Hu Che Er’s ferocious generals rushed forward like a fierce tiger. “Kill!” The Xiliang Cavalry behind him was also not inferior to him in any aspect and followed. They may not be as good as the Wolf Cavalry but they were still amongst the best in the world.
It was to be expected. Dong Zhuo had been the one that used the Xiliang Cavalry to subdue the entire Xiliang. It caused the Xiliang Cavalry to become like dogs amongst Dong Zhuo’s Army. Even the Qiangs call Dong Zhuo a demon. Dong Zhuo may have caused turmoil in the Han dynasty but he still had to be credited for turning Xiliang into a paradise.
Had the Han dynasty been managed well, it would have been a heroic generation because of people like Lu Bu, Gongsun Zan, Sun Ce and others. With their presence, the peace and security of the Han dynasty would be secure. These people would not have become infamous many years later. Lu Bu becoming the Slave of Three Surnames, Gongsun Zan being known as an ignorant person, Dong Zhuo being known as a crafty person. All of these could not be blamed on them but to bad luck