Dragon Boat Race Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Chapter Three: The First Battle

Epigraph: Golden spears and iron horses trample the dust, a delicate hand lightly waves, shattering the enemy’s courage. Not a veteran of countless fields, yet they make the barbarian horses tremble in fear.

At the third quarter of the Yin hour, before dawn, the north wind howled through the camp, carrying fine snow.

Qin Gong tightened the ties of his fur cloak, took a deep breath of the biting air, and climbed alone onto the highest watchtower of the camp. The continuous illness of the past few days made his steps slightly unsteady, but his eyes were unusually clear. He gazed into the distance and saw a winding line of torches moving slowly on the horizon, like a giant serpent awakening in the dark night, approaching the camp.

“Strategist, why are you up here?” Ah Sheng rushed up, holding a bowl of freshly brewed medicinal soup. “Your health hasn’t fully recovered, and the wind on this watchtower is fierce…”

“It’s fine.” Qin Gong took the bowl and drank the medicine in one gulp. The bitter taste made him frown slightly, but his gaze never left the “fire serpent” in the distance. “What is the enemy’s movement?”

“Scouts report that the Di army vanguard is about five thousand cavalry, twenty li away. The main force of thirty thousand, personally led by the Left Worthy King, is thirty li behind them,” Ah Sheng whispered. “Strategist, this battle… can we win?”

Qin Gong did not answer immediately. He stared at the approaching firelight, his mind rapidly calculating the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. Eight thousand against thirty thousand—this was inherently a confrontation with a vast disparity in strength. But…

“Send the order,” Qin Gong’s voice was exceptionally clear in the cold wind. “All battalions prepare according to the predetermined plan. Archers and crossbowmen onto the ramparts, trebuchets in position, and check the caltrops again. Tell the soldiers, in this battle, we must win.”

“Yes!” The messenger took the order and left.

Qin Gong continued to observe the enemy’s movements. This was his first personal experience of ancient warfare. His heart pounded in his chest, yet his mind was remarkably calm. In the past few days, he had rehearsed the battle countless times; every detail was ingrained in his memory.

“See anything?” A low voice sounded behind him.

Qin Gong turned and saw Wu Ge had also climbed the watchtower at some point. He wore dark iron armor covered by a scarlet battle robe, resembling a War God in the pre-dawn darkness. Frost condensed on his armor shimmered with a cold light under the faint sky.

“The Di army vanguard is moving very fast,” Qin Gong pointed into the distance. “Their formation is loose, and their horses are fatigued; clearly, they are force-marching. It seems the Left Worthy King truly intends to achieve a quick victory.”

Wu Ge looked in the direction he pointed and nodded slightly: “Your judgment is correct. Pass the order to General Zhao, proceed according to plan.”

The command was quickly relayed. The entire military camp began to operate like a precise machine. Soldiers silently moved into their designated positions, crossbows were strung, and rolling logs and boulders were put in place. A tense atmosphere permeated the air, with only the sound of armor rubbing and suppressed breathing drifting in the cold wind.

“Are you nervous?” Wu Ge suddenly asked, his gaze still fixed on the distance.

Qin Gong nodded honestly: “A little.”

This was his first battle, facing an enemy several times their size. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t nervous. But strangely, standing beside Wu Ge, that tension seemed to lessen somewhat.

“Don’t worry.” Wu Ge’s voice was calm. “I am here.”

Three simple words, yet they gave Qin Gong an inexplicable sense of security. He turned to look at Wu Ge’s resolute profile and suddenly felt that perhaps they really could win this battle.

At the beginning of the Chen hour, the Di army vanguard reached Black Wind Gorge.

General Zhao lay prone on the cliff, watching the Di army winding its way below. These Di soldiers were indeed exhausted, both men and horses. Their marching column was long and their formation loose; clearly, they hadn’t expected an ambush here.

“General, do we strike?” the deputy general asked in a low voice, his hand already on his saber hilt.

“Wait a little longer.” General Zhao narrowed his eyes. “Wait until their main column is completely inside the gorge. Tell the brothers, no one is to move without my command. We aim for a single, fatal blow.”

Time passed minute by minute, and more and more Di soldiers entered the gorge. Finally, General Zhao saw the conspicuous wolf-head banner—the standard of the Di army vanguard commander.

“Fire the arrows!” General Zhao suddenly waved his hand.

In an instant, arrows rained down from both sides of the gorge. Carefully prepared rolling logs and boulders tumbled down the steep slopes, smashing into the Di army below. Screams and horse neighs immediately echoed through the gorge.

“Ambush! Retreat quickly!” The Di commander shouted in alarm, but the narrow gorge offered no escape.

General Zhao watched the chaotic scene below, a cold smile playing on his lips: “Hit them hard! Let them know that our Northern Expedition Army is not to be trifled with!”

The ambush lasted for about half an hour. When General Zhao led his troops away, the gorge was already littered with corpses. The Di army vanguard suffered heavy losses and was forced to halt and regroup.

The news quickly reached the main camp.

“Good!” Wu Ge rarely showed a smile. “General Zhao fought a brilliant battle! We annihilated over a thousand enemies with fewer than a hundred casualties.”

All the generals looked pleased, but only Qin Gong frowned deeply.

“What worries the Strategist?” Captain Sun noticed his expression. This general, still recovering from serious injuries, insisted on participating in the military council and was now leaning against the back of his chair, his face pale as paper.

“The Di army vanguard has been repulsed; the Left Worthy King will surely be enraged,” Qin Gong walked to the sand table. “I worry he will change tactics.”

Before he finished speaking, a messenger rushed in: “Report! Urgent military intelligence! The Di army main force is accelerating its advance, expected to arrive in one hour! Also… also the Left Worthy King has split off five thousand troops, taking a detour around West Mountain, seemingly trying to cut off our retreat!”

The tent erupted in an uproar.

“Just as I thought…” Qin Gong’s finger pressed heavily on the location of West Mountain. “The Left Worthy King intends to trap us like turtles in a jar.”

“Does the Strategist have a countermeasure?” Wu Ge asked in a deep voice, his eyes fixed on the sand table.

Qin Gong stared at the sand table, his mind racing. West Mountain was ten li behind the main camp. The terrain was steep, with only one small path leading to the summit. If the Di army occupied it, not only would their retreat be cut off, but they could also attack the main camp from above.

After a moment, he looked up: “We will use their plan against them.”

He explained in detail: “Since the Left Worthy King split his forces, his main force must be weaker. We can pretend not to know about the split and lure his main force to attack. At the same time, we send an elite force to seize the high ground of West Mountain. Once those five thousand Di soldiers arrive…”

“A brilliant use of their plan against them!” Captain Sun couldn’t help but praise. “But the choice of person to seize West Mountain…”

“I’ll go,” General Zhao volunteered. “I am most familiar with the terrain of West Mountain.”

“No,” Qin Gong shook his head. “General Zhao must continue to be responsible for the main camp’s defense. West Mountain… I will go myself.”

“What?” All the generals were stunned.

“Strategist, that is too dangerous!” Captain Sun urgently said. “You have no martial skill, and West Mountain is strategically vital. If anything happens…”

“Precisely because I have no martial skill, I must go,” Qin Gong said calmly. “The Left Worthy King will never expect us to send a weak scholar-strategist to defend West Mountain. This is the element of surprise.”

Wu Ge looked deeply at Qin Gong: “How confident are you?”

“Seventy percent.” Qin Gong met his gaze. “If the Marshal grants me five hundred crossbowmen, eighty percent.”

Silence fell over the tent. Everyone understood the risk of this decision. The Strategist was the key to this battle; if he suffered any mishap on West Mountain…

“Granted.” Wu Ge finally made the decision. “I will give you five hundred crossbowmen and send my personal guard unit to escort you. Remember, if the situation is untenable, retreat immediately.”

“Understood,” Qin Gong bowed and accepted the order.

An hour later, Qin Gong, along with five hundred crossbowmen and fifty personal guards, quietly left the main camp and headed straight for West Mountain.

The mountain path was rugged, and Qin Gong’s sickly body quickly became breathless. The captain of the personal guards offered to support him, but he politely refused.

“Strategist, the main peak of West Mountain is ahead,” the captain pointed to the steep path. “This is the only way up.”

Qin Gong carefully observed the terrain. West Mountain was indeed treacherous; the path was narrow, allowing only two horses abreast, with steep cliffs on both sides. Such terrain was perfect for an ambush.

“Quickly, set up the defenses according to the map I drew.” Qin Gong ignored his exhaustion and immediately began giving commands.

The engineering knowledge he had learned in the modern world now proved useful. Under his direction, the soldiers quickly constructed three lines of defense using trees and stones from the mountain. Crossbowmen were positioned in the best firing spots, and rolling logs and boulders were made ready.

“Strategist, look!” The captain of the personal guards suddenly pointed down the mountain.

A column of Di troops was approaching along the mountain path, about five thousand strong, all cavalry. The leading general was a burly man with a scarred face, none other than Asuda, a major general under the Left Worthy King.

“Prepare to engage the enemy,” Qin Gong calmly ordered.

The Di army clearly did not expect an ambush on the mountain and swaggered into firing range.

“Fire the arrows!”

At Qin Gong’s command, a rain of arrows poured down. The Di army was caught completely off guard, resulting in men and horses falling over.

“Ambush! Retreat!” Asuda was greatly alarmed and hastily ordered a withdrawal.

But it was too late. Rolling logs and boulders tumbled down the mountain, blocking the retreat path. The Di army was trapped on the mountain road, unable to advance or retreat.

“Don’t panic!” Asuda shouted loudly. “Dismount the infantry and attack up the mountain!”

The Di army began to organize an assault. But the mountain was steep, and the defenses Qin Gong had set up were extremely cunning. Each Di attack was repulsed.

The fighting lasted from afternoon until dusk. The Di army suffered heavy casualties but could not break through the defenses.

“Strategist, we are running low on arrows,” the captain of the personal guards reported, his face etched with worry.

Qin Gong looked down the mountain. Although the Di army had suffered heavy losses, they still had over three thousand men. As for them, their arrows were nearly spent, and they had few rolling logs and boulders left.

“Hold on,” Qin Gong’s voice was hoarse. “The Marshal should be succeeding soon.”

Just then, earth-shattering battle cries suddenly erupted from below the mountain. The banner of the Northern Expedition Army appeared behind the Di troops—Wu Ge had arrived with the main force!

“The Marshal is here!” The defenders on the mountain cheered in unison.

The Di army, attacked from front and back, immediately fell into chaos. Seeing that the situation was lost, Asuda could only lead the remnants of his troops to break out and flee.

That night, news of the Northern Expedition Army’s great victory spread throughout the camp. The Left Worthy King’s main force was severely damaged and forced to retreat fifty li. The battle of West Mountain, where five hundred men held off five thousand Di troops, became the greatest highlight of the engagement.

At the victory banquet, the generals toasted Qin Gong one after another.

“The Strategist is truly a divine man!” General Zhao raised his wine bowl, his face full of admiration. “To defeat five thousand men with five hundred and achieve a great victory, Zhao is impressed!”

Qin Gong did not drink alcohol and could only substitute tea for wine. After a few bowls of tea, his face was flushed.

Wu Ge looked at his slightly tipsy appearance, a rare smile in his eyes: “For today’s achievement, the Strategist deserves the highest credit.”

“I dare not accept,” Qin Gong humbly replied. “It is all thanks to the soldiers’ dedication.”

The banquet lasted late into the night before the generals dispersed. Qin Gong returned to his tent, only to find Wu Ge waiting inside.

“Marshal?” Qin Gong was slightly surprised.

Wu Ge took a small porcelain bottle from his cloak: “This is imperial-bestowed Golden Wound Medicine; it will benefit your injuries.”

Qin Gong accepted the bottle, touched in his heart: “Thank you, Marshal.”

“It is what you deserve.” Wu Ge looked at him. “It was very dangerous on West Mountain today.”

“But it was worth it,” Qin Gong smiled. “We won.”

“Yes, we won.” Wu Ge smiled too.

The two smiled at each other, and the atmosphere in the tent was warm.

However, amidst the joy of victory, Qin Gong noticed a hint of solemnity between Wu Ge’s brows.

“What else is the Marshal worried about?” Qin Gong asked.

Wu Ge was silent for a moment, then whispered: “The Left Worthy King lost too easily today. Given his usual military tactics, it shouldn’t have been like this…”

Before he finished speaking, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the tent.

“Report! Urgent military intelligence!” The messenger’s voice was laced with panic. “Five thousand Northern Di reinforcements have arrived a hundred li away! Leading them is… the Northern Di Great Khan himself!”

This news was like a bolt from the blue, instantly freezing the warm atmosphere in the tent.

The porcelain bottle in Qin Gong’s hand clattered to the ground, the medicinal powder spilling everywhere.

Five thousand reinforcements… the Northern Di Great Khan personally leading the campaign…

The real test was only just beginning.