Chapter 52 - Assaulting The Mountain
Translated by Bloodfalcon, Edited by Krayto
In the commander's tent, Lu Bu reviewed all the information regarding that noon battle:
Bagongshan's location is easy to defend, but if it's attacked head on, the losses will be terrible. This advantage made Chen Lan and Lei Bo arrogant.
If they couldn't conquer Bagongshan, then Chen Lan and Lei Bo would humiliate Lu Bu. If that was case, how can Lu Bu relax under this circumstances?
“Fire attack on the mountain?!” Lu Bu is thinking about burning the mountain. It is the basic method to use for attacking fortified positions.
While Lu Bu was trying to think of the method to attack, someone came and destroyed all his planning.
“Bagongshan, although its forest is dense, the soil is very wet and damp. Milord, you cannot use fire attacks here” Said Chen Gong entering the tent while smiling, following him was also a mighty general suited with armor.
“Milord!” Said armored general while holding his fist towards Lu Bu.
“Xuangao has also come?! Lu Bu felt a little odd. Indeed the person who came is the general who blamed himself during siege of Kaiyang, Zang Ba, Zang Xuangao.
“If a fire attack is impossible, then I will surround the mountain” Said Lu Bu “My plan is to surround the mountain for a hundred days, I do not believe that Chen Lan and Lei Bo without descending the mountain can supply his 10,000 army !”
“Hundred days to surround the mountain, is your idea to cut off their water and provisions? Then please consider this, Chen Lan and Lei Bo's group has stolen from Yuan Gonglu's supply troops. Yuan Gonglu said only 1,000-shi was stolen right? That is a blatant lie, they must have at least robbed 10,000-shi of provisions.
If not, how can Yuan Gonglu be so furious? This Huainan weather is also not in our favor, if we want to surround them. In the Huainan region, in a week there are going to be a days where it rains. There are even times where it rains up to 3 days consecutively non-stop.
Therefore they have an endless supply of water. So, surrounding the mountain.....!” While Chen Gong wanted to elaborate further about the disadvantages, suddenly he saw a faint smile on Lu Bu's face. Chen Gong knew that Lu Bu is only acting when he talked about surrounding tactics.
"You have the stage, it's yours! I can't believe I have to scheme for you to speak frankly, until you do I can only keep guessing!"
Lu Bu faint smile told Chen Gong that he knew he couldn’t surround the mountain.
“Gongtai oh Gongtai, why don't you just state your plans, must you wait me to guess it?!” Said Lu Bu while smiling at Chen Gong.
He already knew that sieging the mountain is a very bad idea, let alone surrounding them, this time, Lu Bu cannot afford to delay any longer or his plans are going to go south.
When Lu Bu saw Chen Gong entered his tent, Lu Bu know that Chen Gong had a plan.
“Milord oh Milord!” When did Lu Bu start to use small schemes? Chen Gong shook his head helplessly and said “This time, Gong has a strategy but all of it depends heavily on General Zang Ba!”
“Xuangao?!” Lu Bu also felt a little strange. Zang Ba's Taishan Army were disbanded by Zang Ba. If Zang Ba's Taishan Army still existed, perhaps Zang Ba will still have a method to attack them. After all, Zang Ba also used to be king of the mountain. So he is familiar with mountain warfare compared to Lu Bu.
“Yes! General Zang Ba has a way!” Since Chen Gong is the one who recommend him, Lu Bu is willing to listen. “Xuangao, anything you want to share, speak frankly!” To be honest Lu Bu also very admiring of Zang Ba. From his heroism in battle, his rebellious nature which is the same as Lu Bu, and most importantly, he is a great leader and a senior general in his army.
If following logic, when Chen Deng brought replenishment troops, Zang Ba should have reformed his army, right? But he didn't, he still felt guilty from Kaiyang, due to his dismissal of his Taishan troops.
TL: Taishan or Mount Tai, located in Shandong. One of the most revered and holiest mountain in China (for Taoist)
”Milord, upon my honor I say these facts. Ba is originally a mountain bandit brigade before surrendering to government troops.
Only after surrendering, we're we able to become government troops!” Taishan bandits. At that time, Taishan can be said to be Zang Ba's territory. The bandit group was so powerful that government troops avoided them at all costs.
“Oh-kay, then what do your relationship of the past have to do with your current plans?!” Lu Bu did not care about Zang Ba's background.
Donning the identity of a hero, one does not care about background. Liu Bei was a straw sandals and mats seller, Guan Yu was a red-bean seller, even Grand General He Jin was also a butcher, so background is not important.
“Taishan and Bagongshan, although their distance is hundreds of li away, we have relations with each other!”
Zang Ba pour out his opinion. Bandits must have their own way of gathering intelligence, because government troops can destroy them anytime. One of the means of getting this intelligence is exchanging information. At that time, Zang Ba's contact at Bagongshan is Zhang Yan of Heishan, Zang Ba also recognized this person.
“You have a contact inside?!” Lu Bu's brow wrinkled. Even if there is a contact inside, what good it would do? Bagongshan only has one road. “It is very difficult to raid the fortress's front door!” Lu Bu shook his head and said “Due to only one road to access the mountain.
“No! There is another entrance to the fortress!” Zang Ba now said what Lu Bu most wanted to hear.
"Another entrance?!"Lu Bu suddenly stood up.
“Um! I have been to Bagongshan before, at that time there was no Chen Lan and Lei Bo, Yuan Shu also still occupied Shouchun city, and there was also still no government troops!” Said Zang Ba. That time when Zang Ba occupied Bagongshan, it is still at the time of Yellow Turban Rebellion, chaos was everywhere. At that time, bandit brigade of Bagongshan was still thriving.
“Another entrance of Bagongshan is located after Bagongshan's main peak!” Zang Ba said this secret entrance. He obtained this information on mountain road by coincidence.
He heard it from a Bagongshan bandit who blurted out this secret and Zang Ba instilled it in his heart.
He thought it was a joke told by that drunk, but who knew that it was real.
“After the main peak?!” Bagongshan's most dangerous place was the main peak. After the main peak, there is a slope. But this slope's degree is almost 90 degrees vertical. Let alone a road, even trees have a difficult time growing, but now Zang Ba said, there is a hidden road there?!
When Lu Bu began to have doubts, Zang Ba said “it is because too steep, that it can be made a secret entrance, as people do not know about this secret entrance!”
When one day, the bandit brigade is bound to be exterminated, these bandits can use this escape route in order to escape safely.
“Ha, Chen Lan, Lei Bo, this time I want to see how you die!” Lu Bu smiles heroically. Both Chen Lan and Lei Bo already incurred his wrath, so even if the two want to surrender, it's impossible for Lu Bu to accept it.
“Xuangao, this time, you have done a great merit!” Said Lu Bu while smiling to Zang Ba.
“As long as Milord, no longer brings up about how Ba dismissed his troops! “Zang Ba said embarrassingly.
“Xuangao, Xuangao, your still worried about what happened at Kaiyang?! All is forgiven already!” Lu Bu patted Zang Ba's shoulder.
“Presently my subordinate consists of Wenyuan's Bing Province Heavy Cavalry, Gao Shun's Formation Breaker and even Hanyang also have Urban Army, and now you.
I can't wait for your Taishan Army's contribution to the world.”
“Many thanks, Milord!” Zang Ba half-knelt in front of Lu Bu. Lu Bu forgave him, so it could be said Zang Ba already absolved his sin at Kaiyang.
“Congratulations, Milord. Zang Ba, Zang Xuangao this first tiger has regained his strength back!” Chen Gong also looked very happy. With Zang Ba's commanding ability, Lu Bu army prowess will rise significantly.
“Good! Zang Ba receive your orders!” Lu Bu said it with heroic smile.
“Yes!” Zang Ba received orders with half-kneeling.
“Tomorrow attack Bagongshan, I give you full authority to be in charge of both Bing Province Cavalry and Formation Breaker, select those who you want to assault with you!”
"Zang Ba complies with the order!"