bookrebus Chapter 185 Zhang Bao VS Jiang Wei
Chapter 185 Zhang Bao VS Jiang Wei
When suddenly attacked, Jiang Wei's first thought was that Lucheng had fallen, otherwise why would the Shu army have come here?
But the Shu army had already reached them, and they were all struggling to protect themselves, so how could they care whether Lucheng had fallen or not?
Jiang Wei quickly adjusted his emotions and prepared to set up a blocking formation, but before he could act, a foolish Shu soldier slid down the hillside and directly into his formation.
What else is there to say? Let's take them down first to boost morale.
Thinking this, Jiang Wei, his legs heavy with mud and feeling like they were filled with lead, charged toward Zhang Bao. When he got close, he raised his hand and fired a shot.
Zhang Bao had already regained his senses. Facing Jiang Wei's thrusting spear, he calmly turned to the side, dodging the spear tip. Then, he quickly turned around and, taking advantage of Jiang Wei's moment of retraction, grabbed the shaft of Jiang Wei's spear and pulled hard.
Jiang Wei stumbled as he was pulled, instinctively leaning forward before quickly adjusting and leaning back, preparing to pull his spear back.
Using the recoil from Jiang Wei leaning back, Zhang Bao quickly stood up, grinning, and said, "Jiang Boyue from Tianshui, right? Your grandpa is Zhang Xingguo from Yan. Remember that!"
After saying that, he swept his spear across the battlefield and aimed it at Jiang Wei. Jiang Wei's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly retreated to dodge. Then he raised his spear to meet Zhang Bao in battle.
Although the heavy rain has stopped, the water on the road has not dried. The two men kept moving back and forth with their guns. Although their gun skills were not very good, their legs and feet showed miracles. Every time they lifted their legs, they splashed up a lot of mud and water.
Whenever this happens, the two of them will try their best to avoid getting rainwater in their eyes.
Both were highly skilled fighters, and their battle was so intense that no one else could get close within a radius of three zhang (approximately 10 meters). They had no choice but to retreat and give up the arena to the two.
They couldn't refuse, because the Shu army on the mountain had attacked.
Guan Ping reached the bottom of the slope and immediately brandished his long sword, forcing back the Wei soldiers who were charging towards him. Then, he quickly stood up, using his sword as a support, and charged straight at Prefect Ma Zun.
He slid down the mountain, and from his high vantage point, he could clearly see the Wei army's formation. He had already spotted the conspicuous horse-shaped battle flag and Ma Zun, the most ornately armored general, standing under it when he was halfway up the mountain.
So if we don't take care of Ma Zun at a time like this, who will we take care of?
Guan Ping wielded his long sword as if entering an empty field, while the other soldiers followed closely behind, forming a formation to protect his rear and left and right flanks, ensuring that Guan Ping could perform normally.
Despite this, the attack was still not going well. The road was too muddy; one step could sink half a foot deep, and it would take a long time to pull one out. The speed of the charge was slower than that of an old lady with a cane.
Fortunately, the impact of the environment is two-way. Guan Ping's mobility was limited, and so was Wei Jun's. After being knocked to the ground, he sank into the mud and couldn't get up for a long time.
This is where the importance of force becomes apparent; as long as Guan Ping is not overthrown, he can continue to advance.
Seeing Guan Ping getting closer and closer, Ma Zun shouted anxiously, "Stop him! Stop him!"
It can't be stopped at all!
Guan Ping successfully charged within ten zhang of Ma Zun, scaring Ma Zun so much that he turned and ran away, forgetting his surroundings. He lost his footing and fell face-first into the mud.
His personal guards quickly pulled him up and helped him keep running, but unfortunately he was not in the front of the army but in the middle of it. The road was narrow and muddy, and the soldiers in front could not make way for him.
Ma Zun's escape journey was like the morning rush hour for cattle and horses in later generations—it was incredibly congested.
Guan Ping had no such concerns. He would kill gods and Buddhas if they stood in his way, and he would just charge through any obstacle he encountered. Soon he was in front of Ma Zun and was fighting with Ma Zun's personal guards.
Although the personal guards were elite, they were no match for Guan Ping. Moreover, Guan Ping had the White Feather Army, which was even more elite than Ma Zun's personal guards.
After several exchanges, Guan Ping successfully reached Ma Zun, who was struggling to pull his right leg out. Before Ma Zun could surrender, Guan Ping swept his long sword across, and Ma Zun's head flew off, easily pinning it to the tip of his blade.
Seeing this, Shangguan Zixiu, who was not far away, feared that Guan Ping would also stab him, so he hurriedly knelt in the mud, raised his hands, and shouted, "I surrender."
Guan Ping ignored him and instead ordered the White Feather Soldiers to cut down the flagpole, hold up Ma Zun's head and shout, "Ma Zun is dead, you all must surrender immediately!"
the other side……
The great battle between Zhang Bao and Jiang Wei was nearing its end. Zhang Bao knocked Jiang Wei's spear away in just over thirty rounds, then kicked him to the ground, straddled him, pulled Jiang Wei's right arm behind his back, pressed his head into the mud, and arrogantly asked, "Do you submit?"
Although Jiang Wei was skilled in martial arts, Zhang Bao was even stronger.
It should be noted that Zhang Bao was known as Little Lü Bu, and his martial arts skills were no less than his father's. Even Guan Ping was no match for him, let alone Jiang Wei.
Among the second generation of the Shu Han dynasty, Guan Ping had the highest prestige, Zhang Bao had the highest martial arts skills, and Guan Xing was just there to make up the numbers.
Jiang Wei was pressed into the mud and choked on several mouthfuls of muddy water. After raising his head, he said unwillingly, "I'm not convinced. If you have the guts, let me go and we'll fight again."
His martial arts skills were among the best in Tianshui County, and he was even confident that he could remain undefeated against Cao Wei's Five Elite Generals. However, he never expected to be defeated by this Shu general whose name he had never even heard of on his first expedition. How frustrating!
What happened next was even more frustrating. Before he could be shoved back into the mud, he saw Ma Zun's head being lifted up, and then the Wei soldiers in front of him knelt down in unison, like wheat fields swaying in the wind.
Surrender?
This scene struck Jiang Wei like a thunderbolt; his mind went blank, and only one thought remained: it's all over.
With Ma Zun killed, Jiang Wei captured, and Shangguan Zixiu surrendered, the rest was simple: collect weapons, gather the surrendered soldiers, and clean up the battlefield.
Guan Ping was very experienced in this kind of thing and didn't need Zhang Bao's help at all. Zhang Bao tied Jiang Wei up and brought him in front of Guan Ping, grinning and saying, "Brother Tanzhi, oh no, General, this kid can actually hold out against me for thirty or forty rounds. He's a talent."
Jiang Wei retorted, "Bullshit! The muddy roads affected my performance today; otherwise, who knows who would be the one who died?"
Jiang Wei's performance made Zhang Bao appreciate his talent. Hearing this, he smiled and said without getting angry, "I'll give you a chance. Let's have another match when the weather clears up. If you win, I'll let you go. If I win, you'll come with me. Do you dare?"
Jiang Wei, who had just turned eighteen, couldn't take the shock. He said, "You said it yourself, so it's a deal."
Guan Ping ignored their banter and went to count the surrendered soldiers' supplies. After finishing the count, he couldn't help but be overjoyed and ran to Zhang Bao, saying, "Xingguo has made a fortune! In this battle, we captured and surrendered more than 4,300 Wei soldiers and seized more than 20,000 shi of grain. Moreover, the grain carts were all wrapped in cowhide, so the grain was not soaked in water."
"More importantly, we captured 1,008 warhorses, and now we finally have cavalry."
Cavalry was a distant dream for the Han army, but now that dream had finally come true, Guan Ping felt as excited as an old bachelor who had been single for many years finally getting married. He was so excited that he felt a shiver of excitement, and even the mud on the ground felt particularly close to him.
Zhang Bao was equally excited and said, "That's great! A thousand warhorses are enough to form a small cavalry unit. Fortunately, there was this downpour, otherwise a thousand cavalrymen would have been really difficult to fight."
The cavalry's greatest advantage was its striking power, but the sudden downpour made the roads muddy, affecting the cavalry's performance. Otherwise, this cavalry alone might have scattered their three thousand men.
Guan Ping laughed and said, "Let's go, pack our things and head back the way we came, and prepare to attack Lu City."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Wei's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "What? You didn't capture Lu City?"
"Instead of attacking Lucheng first, they circled around to the rear and attacked the reinforcements. That's too clever! Who came up with this idea?"
Zhang Bao patted Guan Ping on the shoulder and laughed, "Of course, this is our general. Let me introduce you. This is Guan Ping, Guan Tanzhi, the Marquis of Hanshou, the eldest son of Guan Yunchang, the General of Chariots and Cavalry and the Governor of Yangzhou."
Jiang Wei: "..."