Chapter 56 – Urban Army Division First Battle (1) (MTL, not proofread or edited yet)
Translated by Bloodfalcon
“Motherfucker! Chen Old dickhead, you deceive me!” Liu Mang almost want to cry. On war council, Chen Gong said, your role will not have to fight, no need to slaughter, just need to confuse the enemy.
But now, there are cavalry soldiers moving toward him and trying to bust out his ass. If this is not to fight, then what is?
“All troops, engage with the enemy!” Liu Mang roared. At mountain foot, there are only his Urban Army Division and supply troops, and that’s it. But from the peak, there are cavalry soldier moving downward from the forest above. Their numbers should be no less than 2,000! At Kaiyang, Liu Mang saw by himself the power of Ferocious Cavalry and if compared now, their power should be quite similar.
At that time only 2,000 troops of Ferocious Cavalry deadlocked Boss Lu’s 10,000 troops in Kaiyang, letting them to be in despair.
But now, it is fucked up completely. In Liu Mang’s hand, there are only 1,000 troops of Urban Army. While supply troops have 5,000, but he cannot rely on these old supply troops. Therefore his potential only 1,000 troops.
“Kill all Lu Bu Army division in front of us. Kill them and we live!” Lei Bo roar again. His fortune today is extremely bad. That is quite understandable for Lei Bo to act like that. His den lost, his possession lost, his family lost. In conclusion, everything lost.
So, now Lei Bo vented all his anger at Liu Mang.
“Destroy Them!” Screamed Lei Bo. Now, we see at the geography first, Huainan is in southern area. This region is full with lakes and mountains, basically not ideal to raise horses with good quality. Therefore, to obtain a good horse, one must “import” them from north and their price is very expensive and only having warhorse can one warlord create a cavalry unit. Due to this constraints, only a few warlords can have cavalry division, Old Yuan is one of those warlords.
If Liu Mang carefully observe them, he will discover that these cavalry soldiers come from same roots which is the imperial guard of Old Yuan in Shouchun. Before Old Yuan was defeated by Cao Cao, he also have 8,000 cavalry troops.
And these 2,000 troops are Chen Lan and Lei Bo’s subordinates. When Chen Lan leaves Yuan Shu, he also brought these 2,000 cavalry troops with him. After Old Yuan was defeated by Cao Cao, his Yu Province cavalry soldiers only numbered less than 1,000. And those also was added into Chen Lan and Lei Bo’s hand,
“General we withdraw first!” Fuck, the enemy in front are heavy cavalry troops led by bandit leader Lei Bo. All of Urban Army troops are fresh recruit who not yet fight a battle, they are really afraid now. Every single of them are looking at Liu Mang searching for orders, and hopefully Liu Mang will order withdraw. Once Liu Mang said withdraw, they will scatter like a wind.
“Withdraw? Where we can withdraw?!” Although Liu Mang has never directed an army, he watched many war show on TV. Infantry cannot fight cavalry. If engage, infantry will die, withdrew also die, how can two legs fight four legs? In any situation, infantry will always be oppressed by cavalry.
And you know what? The reason of Song Dynasty defeated by Jin Dynasty and finally annihilated by Yuan Dynasty is because Song Dynasty is confident with their numbers, but they are all infantry!!! Idiot, all of them. And finally, Southern Song become a sitting duck by Yuan Dynasty waiting for annihilation. Why don’t they learn from history?
TL: Song Dynasty was defeated twice, Northern Song by Jin Dynasty, Southern Song by Yuan Dynasty (please refer to Wikipedia, for more further information)
“All army, without order, nobody move!” Shout Liu Mang summoned the last of his courage.
Urban Army fresh recruit cannot wait for Liu Mang order already for they are already afraid and even more the frontline, they already do not have unified direction because these people are not veterans, just recruits who was picked among Liu Mang’s troops. So when they hear cavalry is coming, they are already scattered everywhere.
So now, the soldiers who is able to fight under Liu Mang is less than 3,000 troops.
“Sha, Sha, Sha, SHAAAAA!” Screams Zhang Kai. Zhang Kai is Chen Lan and Lei Bo’s subordinate. This Zhang Kai do not have any military training prior, and joined Chen Lan and Lei Bo as bandit. Plundering, raping, and looting are his way of life. So his bloodthirsty can be extreme. Because of this aptitude of his, Chen Lan like him more and made him lead Yu Province Cavalry.
TL: It is possible that this Zhang Kai is the one who killed Cao Cao’s father Cao Song. He was a subordinate of Tao Qian, previous Governor of Xu Province before Liu Bei took over. For further information: http://the3kingdoms.wikia.com/wiki/Zhang_Kai , if it is real, then Lu Bu Army have done a favor to Cao Cao without knowing what he has done before.
The following cavalry soldiers also have an extreme bloodthirsty aura around them.
Zhang Kai’s troops now have caught up with supply troops. Their massacre begin almost instantaneously, in not more than a flash, tens of people already fallen to their blade. Blood flower formed everywhere.
Zhang Kai licked the blood at his mouth corner, a salty and irony taste. Zhang Kai gets more excited again.
“Sha, Sha, SHAAAAA!” They want to run, but horse are more faster.
“Ha, Kill them all!” Zhang Kai and his soldiers are very ruthless in this battle, supply troops suffer great damage suddenly.
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“Rumble!” At the peak the ground also felt the vibration and sound of slaughter can be hear also from the fortress.
“From where, that slaughter sound?!” Asked Lu Bu who has just beheaded Chen Lan’s soldier. Although battle of Mt. Bagong’s fortress is still happen, but it has already reached conclusion, as long as Lu Bu army rushed into the peak, Mt. Bagong already claimed.
“SHAA!” Nearby Lu Bu Army also kill Chen Lan’s Army remnant, so how he can pay attention to his surrounding.
“From mountain foot?!” Lu Bu is a top military commander, so his hearing is very strong. If not have that, then it is impossible to be vigilant even when he is at death’s door,
“Chen Lan and Lei Bo flee to mountain feet?!” Lu Bu guessed a little. Lei Bo almost died at his hand a moment ago, but he managed to run away. Now, at mountain feet, there are sound of slaughtering which definitely from direction where they escaped.
Mt. Bagong is impossible to be defended again.
"Not good!"Lu Bu shook his head. He placed his ear on the ground to confirm his suspicion.
"Clip, Clop!"
Lu Bu’s eyes widened up “Cavalry! Where comes the cavalry!” That sound is really familiar to Lu Bu because he is the best of the best when it comes to cavalry, so the way cavalry moves, he would know immediately.
“Hanyang! This is bad!” Lu Bu suddenly realized, at the mountain feet there are only Liu Mang’s Urban Army and 5,000 supply troops.
This grandeur at the very most at least around 2,000 cavalry troops. Liu Mang Urban Army only have 1,000 troops. Bing Province Heavy Cavalry and Formation Breaker all here.
“Finish the battle quickly! Full rush!” Lu Bu has shouted his order. Destroy Chen Lan’s remnant and then support Urban Army immediately.
“Hold on, Hanyang! Lu Bu muttered to himself.
He and Chen Gong make Liu Mang guard mountain feet beside to confuse Chen Lan and Lei Bo also to keep another squad to cutoff those two’s escape route. Mt. Bagong easy to defend from attack. Vice-versa, Mt. Bagong is difficult to be attacked. So in similar fashion, if Chen Lan and Lei Bo want to attack mountain feet, is also difficult.
Therefore, they felt relieved when leaving Liu Mang with Urban Army and supply troops. If relying on these 6,000 people, they are able to suffocate Chen Lan and Lei Bo, therefore giving Liu Mang merit and promote him in Lu Bu Army.
But, who would expect that these bandits really have cavalry troops. And those 6,000 people aside from Liu Mang's Urban Army are unable to fight due to all of them mostly old, weak, sick and disabled soldiers. Even Urban Army, though consists of able fighters, mostly consist only recruits, no veterans.
Is Lu Bu do not have confidence to take on 2,000 cavalry troops with only 6,000 infantry?
That is the only reason why in Battle of Kaiyang, they only play siege battle not direct battle with Ferocious Cavalry. Because they simply cannot win using only infantry.
“Cavalry troops!” Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, Chen Gong and Zang Ba really aware of this sudden change in this battlefield, initially they think it is only a distraction, but Lu Bu shouts has reaffirm their minds.
“Finish battle quickly! Full rush!” Chen Gong is the most anxious here, because it is his strategy decision that Liu Mang was assigned down at mountain feet. If Liu Mang died here, he Chen Gong do not have a face to go on living.
“Finish battle quickly! Full rush!” A general is forever the soul of the army. Looking at Lu Bu and the other generals movements, the Bing Province Heavy Cavalry and Formation Breaker movement also burst with big speed especially those veterans who survives Xiapi and Kaiyang.
Why! Because Liu Mang brought meatbuns to them! They received a food for rich people! Also Liu Mang have saved their lives many times, how can these simple but honorable men do not show their gratitude? Now Liu Mang is in grave danger, how they cannot worry about him too.
“Sha Sha SHAAA!” In Mt. Bagong's peak, Lu Bu army suppressing Chen Lan army.
At the same time at mountain feet, Lu Bu army are being suppressed by Chen Lan army! Same place, same time, same battlefield but with two results waiting for them.