Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1178 Fierce Battle at Hulao Pass: Attack and Defense Against Aliens

The next day, the sun was high in the sky, but the wilderness in front of Hulao Pass remained silent. At this time of day, Lü Bu's iron cavalry would have been challenging the enemy at the pass, but today there was not a single person in sight. Only the corpses left from last night's battle were gilded with a pale light by the morning sun, and the dust stirred up by the wind still carried the lingering stench of blood.

Zhang Liao, carrying his helmet plume, climbed the city wall and gazed at the quiet enemy camp beyond the pass, his brows furrowed. He turned to Ma Chao beside him and said, "My lord, there's no movement in Lü Bu's camp. He's probably truly terrified after last night's attack. In my humble opinion, we should take advantage of his weakened state and lead our iron cavalry to charge into his camp. We're sure to break through his formation in one fell swoop!"

Ma Chao gripped the crenellations, his gaze sweeping across the endless rows of camps beyond the pass, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the cold city bricks. "Wen Yuan is getting anxious." A faint smile played on his lips, but he didn't reply immediately.

At this moment, Jia Xu slowly walked up the city wall, his blue robe sleeves fluttering gently in the wind. After listening to Zhang Liao's words, he shook his head and said, "General Wen Yuan is brave, but he has forgotten the principle of 'never pursuing a desperate enemy.' Although we won last night, Lü Bu still has more than 30,000 troops under his command, most of whom are veterans of Bingzhou who have survived countless battles. If we push him too far, he will only fight back desperately."

He paused, then pointed to the camp outside the pass and added, "You see, although their camp is in disarray, they have left a way out. It is clear that Chen Gong has secretly made preparations. Our cavalry is good at charging, but they may not be able to gain an advantage in the chaos. If they get caught up in a protracted battle, they will only lose more strength."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao's face showed a hint of resentment, but he also knew that Jia Xu was right. He could only clasp his hands and say, "The strategist is absolutely right. It was my rashness."

Ma Chao turned his head, his gaze falling on the soldiers moving back and forth inside the pass—some were repairing the city walls scorched by fire, others were carrying newly arrived arrowheads, many with sunken eyes, clearly worn down by more than two months of arduous defense. "Wenhe is right," he said, his tone turning serious. "Our brothers have endured more than two months at Hulao Pass, never daring to remove their armor night after night. They've finally caught their breath; why make them fight that pointless battle again?"

He pointed inwards: "Look at those wounded soldiers at the corner of the city. They were all injured in the battle last night and are still getting their wounds bandaged and dressing today. And the veterans in the kitchen, they started cooking before dawn so that we could have hot meals. They followed me, Ma Chao, not to fight a battle they couldn't win, but to defend Hulao Pass and the land behind us."

"My lord is right." Jia Xu stroked his beard and nodded. "Why don't we rest for a few days today, let the soldiers recuperate, and at the same time send out scouts to find out the enemy's movements? Lü Bu's supplies are running low, and he will retreat soon. We can then pursue him and achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Ma Chao nodded and patted Zhang Liao on the shoulder: "Wen Yuan, calm down. Fighting a war isn't just about brute force. We need to make sure the brothers are well-rested so we can crush the enemy with one punch. Pass down the order that the whole army rests today. Slaughter pigs and sheep and let everyone have a good meal."

Zhang Liao's impatience gradually subsided, and he cupped his hands in response, "This subordinate obeys!"

Sunlight streamed over the city walls, illuminating the soldiers' weary yet gradually relaxing faces. The wind at Hulao Pass remained biting, but it no longer carried the tension of the past—having experienced the great victory of the previous night and received orders to rest, the soldiers' eyes shone with renewed light, as if even the bricks of the pass had gained a touch of warmth.

On the morning of the third day, a scout rushed in to report that Lü Bu's camp had retreated ten miles.

Ma Chao, who was standing on the city wall observing the movements outside the pass, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. Zhang Liao, standing beside him, immediately said, "My lord, is Lü Bu afraid? Was he scared after being defeated by us last night and wants to run away?"

Ma Chao, however, was not so optimistic. He frowned slightly and said, "Lu Bu has been a veteran of many battles and is very arrogant. How could he retreat so easily?" He looked at the outline of the moving camp in the distance. In the morning light, the flags were still fluttering, but their positions had indeed been moved back quite a bit. "This is strange."

Zhang Xiu also came over and scratched his head: "Could it be that the food supplies have really run out? Did that old fox Chen Gong see that the situation was not good and advise him to retreat?"

Jia Xu stood aside, stroking his beard and pondering, "Not necessarily. Although Lü Bu has been defeated, he is not yet at his wit's end. With his competitive nature, how could he be willing to retreat so easily?" He looked sharply towards the direction where Lü Bu had set up his new camp, "In my opinion, this is probably Chen Gong's plan."

"A strategy?" Ma Chao looked at Jia Xu. "Wenhe's meaning is..."

"It's a tactic to intimidate our troops," Jia Xu said slowly. "They deliberately retreat, making us think they're cowardly and retreating, thus luring our army into pursuit. Once we've caught up and escaped the natural barrier of Hulao Pass, they might have already set up an ambush along the way."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao suddenly realized: "No wonder! No wonder Lü Bu was so cowardly! He was trying to lure us out to ambush us!"

Ma Chao nodded, a sudden realization dawning on him. He recalled his battle with Lü Bu the previous night; Lü Bu's ferocity remained, though he had ultimately shown signs of exhaustion. But to say that Lü Bu had become cowardly and retreated was not necessarily true. Given Lü Bu's arrogance, he probably felt that his defeat the previous night was largely due to the hasty night attack, rather than a genuine lack of skill, and might even be harboring a burning desire to win fair and square.

“Chen Gong’s move is ruthless.” Ma Chao sneered. “Knowing that we have just won a battle and our morale is high, some people may be unable to resist the urge to pursue us. Once we chase after them, without the support of the passes, his Bingzhou wolf cavalry charging across the open fields will indeed be difficult to deal with.”

Zhang Xiu also said, "Fortunately, the strategist saw through it all, otherwise we might have really fallen into a trap."

Ma Chao gazed at the distant camp, a knowing glint in his eyes: "Lu Bu is unwilling to give up, and Chen Gong is trying to achieve a surprise victory. This retreat of ten miles is both a test and a bait." He turned to the others and said, "Pass down the order to strengthen defenses. No one is allowed to leave the pass to pursue them without authorization. Let's hold our positions and see how long they can keep up this act."

"Our lord is wise!" everyone responded in unison.

Hulao Pass remained as solid as a mountain, the soldiers on the city walls standing ready, seemingly oblivious to the retreat of Lü Bu's camp. Meanwhile, ten miles away in Lü Bu's camp, Chen Gong stood outside his tent, gazing in the direction of Hulao Pass, his brow furrowed.

"Strategist, there's been no movement from Ma Chao's side," a scout reported.

Chen Gong sighed and looked at Lü Bu beside him: "My lord, it seems that Ma Chao has seen through our plan."

Lu Bu's face was grim, and he tightened his grip on his halberd: "That fellow isn't stupid!" He was reluctant to use this retreat strategy in the first place, always feeling as if he was afraid of Ma Chao. Now that he saw that the other party had no reaction, he was even more furious.

“Ma Chao is very composed, and with Jia Xu by his side, it will be difficult to lure him out of the pass,” Chen Gong said. “Our supplies are running low, and we can’t afford to waste any more time. If they insist on not coming out, we may really have to retreat.”

Lu Bu remained silent, gazing in the direction of Hulao Pass, his eyes filled with resentment. In all his years of conquering battlefields, he had never felt so frustrated, unable to advance or retreat, forced to watch helplessly as Hulao Pass lay before him.

As the sun gradually set in the west, the open field before Hulao Pass became a silent battlefield for the two armies. Ma Chao was not in a hurry to attack, but every day at dawn he would muster three thousand Xiliang cavalry and array them in the open area in front of the pass. The iron armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and the horses' hooves moved back and forth in a fixed rhythm, raising dust like a moving wall—it was less a test of skill and more a display of the cavalry's elite strength before Lü Bu.

He knew in his heart that the Xiliang cavalry was his strength, and he couldn't afford to lose them in an ambush for the sake of momentary pleasure. But watching Lü Bu retreat without withdrawing, he was unwilling to let this sure thing slip away. So every day he formed ranks to demonstrate his strength, both to stabilize morale and to tell Lü Bu: You want to leave? Not so easy.

Ten miles below the pass, Lü Bu watched the iron-clad phalanx moving back and forth, his knuckles white from gripping the guard of his halberd. How could he not know Ma Chao's intentions? That Xiliang brat wanted to wear him down in this way, until his supplies ran out, until his army's morale collapsed. But he refused to let the enemy have his way—the Bingzhou wolf cavalry had roamed the land for decades; when had they ever been so restrained?

"My lord, Ma Chao did this on purpose!" Cheng Lian stomped his foot angrily, clutching his still-healing arm. "Why don't we charge over there and fight him to the death!"

Lu Bu remained silent, his gaze sweeping over the Bingzhou wolf cavalry before the tent. Most of these brothers had followed him from Wuyuan County, serving him faithfully for over a decade. Last night, when the casualties were tallied, over three hundred wolf cavalry corpses alone were brought back. He gripped his halberd tightly, his fingertips rubbing against the cold metal—he couldn't bear to, he truly couldn't bear to throw this meager collection into the ambush in the wilderness.

Chen Gong stood to the side, watching the iron cavalry roaming before the pass, his brow furrowed in worry. He had originally planned to retreat and lure the enemy, but Ma Chao wouldn't fall for it; he wanted to launch a direct attack, but the spear formations and crossbow bolts of Hulao Pass were still fresh in his mind; he wanted to retreat quietly, but the enemy kept watch every day, clearly intending to drag the war out until his supplies ran out. The balance of power had been completely reversed in just a few days.

Just days ago, they were planning to starve Hulao Pass with their supplies; now, their supply lines have been cut off by a night raid, and the remaining provisions are only enough to last five days. The cook outside the tent just reported that half of today's porridge has been reduced, and if this continues, the brothers will likely starve before the enemy attacks.

"Strategist, should we... really retreat?" Hao Meng's voice was hoarse, and the hole in his helmet was particularly conspicuous in the sunlight. "If we keep dragging this out, the brothers might not be able to hold on."

Lü Bu whirled around, slamming his halberd to the ground, the tip sinking half an inch into the earth: "Retreat? Where to retreat to!" He roared until his voice was hoarse, "Just to slink back to Bingzhou like this? To let the world laugh at me, Lü Bu, for being defeated by a mere brat?"

Chen Gong looked at his red eyes and sighed inwardly. He understood his lord's resentment all too well. But given the current situation, continuing the fight would only lead to total annihilation. "My lord," he whispered, "as long as we're alive, we can always fight again. Ma Chao wants to wear us down, but we won't let him have his way. Tonight at midnight, we'll quietly break camp, head southeast, bypass the spies at Hulao Pass, and return to Puyang to rest..."

Before he could finish speaking, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from beyond the pass. Everyone looked up and saw Ma Chao's iron cavalry arrayed in a neat horizontal formation. Ma Chao stood at the front of the formation, his silver spear pointing directly in their direction, as if urging them on, or perhaps mocking them.

Lu Bu's chest heaved violently, and his Red Hare pawed restlessly beneath him. He knew that Ma Chao was waiting, waiting for the moment when he couldn't hold on any longer. This battle was truly fascinating. Just days ago, he was swaggering around Hulao Pass, but now he was a caged beast, firmly restrained by the enemy's silent iron cavalry.

"Pass down the order," Lü Bu suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse but resolute, "The Wolf Riders are to be dispatched!"