NOVPUBCao Bao, carrying the command banner, started to retreat, and in an instant, the formation of the elite Danyang troops fell into great chaos. Fortunately, the Danyang troops were not only well-trained but also had a numerical advantage this time. Although Cao Cao seized the opportunity to slaughter them fiercely, he was unable to completely destroy the enemy forces, merely managing to suppress the morale of the Danyang troops.
"These elite Danyang troops are truly worthy of being second only to the Xiliang Iron Cavalry and Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry as large-scale elite units," Xun You exclaimed as he stood on high ground watching the elites of Danyang struggling to hold their formation after the chaos of their commanding officer.
Cheng Yu also showed a hint of concern on his face. Although he had been prepared for the strength of the elite Danyang troops, witnessing them in a field battle with his own eyes still felt unbelievable. Perhaps the people of Danyang were truly born for combat.
[If the Danyang troops are already so difficult to deal with, then wouldn’t the Xiliang Iron Cavalry be even more troublesome? Not only do they have large numbers, but they are also cavalry. This is a huge obstacle to the strategic plans of Uncle Yu], Xun You thought with a rigid expression.
Xun You had truly witnessed the Xiliang Iron Cavalry when he was serving as a Yellow Gate Attendant in Chang’an, and that unit was completely different from what he had imagined.
Regular armies were always equipped with auxiliary soldiers, with roughly two to three auxiliary soldiers for every regular infantryman. The so-called hundred-thousand-strong army at most times referred to thirty thousand regular soldiers and seventy to eighty thousand auxiliary soldiers, who generally did not engage in combat.
However, there are always exceptions. For example, the Danyang troops did not have auxiliary soldiers, and the auxiliary forces of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry were directly the Qiang Cavalry. In fact, Xun You also knew that initially, the Xiliang Iron Cavalry did not have auxiliary soldiers, but later on, after Li Ru came to power, he established the auxiliary soldier system.
The Xiliang might not have much else, but Qiang Cavalry was excessively abundant. Regardless of whether the Qiang Cavalry could stand out in terms of combat power compared to the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, they were still cavalry after all, capable of easily dealing with infantry.
When Dong Zhuo dealt with Xiliang, he needed to weaken the influence of the Qiang and Hu while not letting the Qiang people feel that he was betraying them. Finding a middle ground, he followed Li Ru’s suggestion and established what could be called the most neurotic auxiliary soldier system in the Great Han Dynasty. 𝓃𝓸𝓿𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝓬ℴ𝓶
While the auxiliary soldiers of other armies were mostly laborers, the auxiliary forces of the Xiliang Soldiers were directly based on the Qiang Cavalry. According to Dong Zhuo, the Qiang people were all brave men who followed the strong. "If you follow me, I will ensure you will not lack food," he would say.
Regardless of whether Dong Zhuo’s words were mere bluster, the Qiang people mostly followed the Xiliang Iron Cavalry for food when Dong Zhuo was alive. Over time, this eventually led to the establishment of a pyramid-like system, with the Xiliang Iron Cavalry at the top, each of whom was assigned three Qiang Cavalry as auxiliary soldiers, who in turn would capture some people to serve as miscellaneous soldiers following them.
This led to an amusing situation; when the Xiliang Iron Cavalry mobilized a ten-thousand-strong unit, it became a massive army numbering a hundred thousand. Unlike other armies whose auxiliary soldiers did not fight, the Qiang Cavalry serving as the Xiliang Iron Cavalry’s auxiliary soldiers could easily handle an average regular army if led by the Xiliang Iron Cavalry; of course, without the Xiliang Iron Cavalry’s leadership, the Qiang Cavalry were just a second-rate force.
The ridiculous part was that the Qiang Cavalry were indeed so accustomed to following the strong that whenever the Xiliang Iron Cavalry passed by, Qiang tribes would automatically replenish the auxiliary forces of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry - how convenient, no need for conscription.
Having truly experienced the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, Xun You clearly knew the cost involved – maintaining ten thousand Xiliang Iron Cavalry with auxiliary forces was equivalent to sustaining two hundred thousand infantry, although their combat power justified the expense.
This is also why figures like Li Que, Guo Si, Zhang Ji, and Fan Chou could claim to have an army of 300,000 Xiliang Iron Cavalry when in fact their forces numbered no more than 50,000—because everyone believed it. Similarly, this is why even after Zhang Ji initiated agricultural development, he still had to scour the lands to support his men. To support one Xiliang Iron Cavalry, one must sustain several times that number in auxiliary troops.
That being said, after the demise of Li Que and Guo Si, the leaderless Xiliang Iron Cavalry should have vanished into the annals of history at that moment, lacking supplies. Unexpectedly, Ma Chao, relying on his martial prowess, rebuilt this pyramid structure of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry. Though there were more Qiang Cavalry, the foundation remained the Xiliang Iron Cavalry. This was the reason Ma Chao was able to bitterly contest Cao Cao later on.
Otherwise, relying solely on the second-rate Qiang Cavalry to smoothly defeat Cao Cao would be nothing short of a fantasy.
[The situation doesn’t look very good. If we judge by the current combat power displayed by the elite troops of Danyang, those Xiliang Iron Cavalry who followed Dong Zhuo through countless campaigns in Chang’an are assuredly no less formidable. To implement the plan, we can only rely on ingenious strategy now, but regrettably, ingenious strategy is not the King’s Way. Should it fail...] Xun You frowned slightly, not very optimistic about his uncle Xun Yu’s strategic approach.
[Forget it, let’s focus on the matters at hand for now. My uncle’s intelligence and strategies are not so simple. We can talk about the issue of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry later.]
Xun You looked ahead at the jumbled battlefield. Without Cao Bao’s chaotic commands, the Danyang Troops, relying on years of combat experience and lacking high-level command, managed to stabilize their formation under the control of the lower-ranking officers like Centurions, Military Marquises, and Simas. Moreover, they began to turn the tide.
"Zhongde, it seems we underestimated the elite of Danyang. Our infantry is quite a bit behind their strength. Issue orders for Xiahou Yuanrang and others to proceed with the plan. To defeat the Danyang Troops with minimal losses, we can only rely on Cao Bao’s chaotic orders to disrupt their ranks," Xun You turned and said to Cheng Yu.
Cheng Yu nodded, turning to a few messengers who were waiting beside the chariot and issuing commands. The messengers quickly mounted their horses and sped towards the south.
In the time it took to finish a meal, the fleet-footed Xiahou Yuan had already led his forces to strike directly at Cao Bao’s command banner from behind. Instantly, the rear of the Danyang Troops was plunged into chaos. This was followed by a period of disordered movement, causing the previously stabilized vanguard to be disrupted by the rear army once more, turning into a confused mess. The formation’s sudden collapse scattered the Cloud Qi and made the Danyang Troops’ already precarious position even worse.
"Rear army, quickly form up into a Round Formation," yelled Xu Sheng, but as a Military Marquis, even knowing the correct course of action, he was powerless to convey it. The only option was to rely on Cao Bao’s chaotic leadership, making the situation in the rear even worse.
Cao Bao’s topsy-turvy command led to the loss of three Military Marquises in the rear army, who were facing Xiahou Yuan’s fierce assault. This only made the already bad situation worse. Before Cao Bao could make any adjustments, Xiahou Dun, leading another detachment of infantry under a barrage of arrows, forcefully penetrated with a Spear Formation. Subsequently, Xiahou Dun unleashed a tremendous display of martial prowess, furiously slaying the elite troops of Danyang in the rear.
As the second wave of reinforcements arrived on the battlefield, the previously dominant Cao Army’s momentum surged even more. Fueled by a burst of Blood Qi, they managed to suppress the elite troops of Danyang. Soon after, a third detachment led by Mao Jie broke through the ranks of the Danyang Troops amid Cao Bao’s piercing screams.
With Xiahou Yuan’s arrow severing the command banner from afar, Cao Bao, already restless with fear, could no longer endure the terror in his heart. With a scream, he fled aimlessly towards the direction of the Yi River, abandoning command over the Danyang Troops. He could not bear the atmosphere of the battlefield where death was always a possibility. He was a noted scholar, not a Death Soldier! (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation vote, monthly pass. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
