Chapter 155: The Trap

The next day, Carpenter Lu and Blacksmith Wang had already produced samples based on the blueprints Zhang Chi had given them. Zhang Chi retrieved the items and presented them to everyone.

Santong was the first to speak up, asking, "What are these things supposed to be used for?"

"Didn't you say that while we have plenty of warhorses, we lack a sufficient number of skilled riders?" Zhang Chi replied with a smile. "Equipping our cavalry with these will allow the newly recruited soldiers to adapt to mounted combat much faster."

"Really or not?" Santong clearly remained skeptical. In this era, enabling a raw recruit to engage in proficient mounted combat in just a few months was widely considered impossible.

When it came to understanding horses, Santong believed Zhang Chi was far inferior to him. However, Santong did not know that Zhang Chi possessed thousands of years of accumulated experience beyond this era. Any random invention or two from future generations would be more than enough to astonish the people of this time.

Zhang Chi picked up an artifact and explained, "For instance, this is called a stirrup."

"A stirrup?" Santong said, puzzled. "I know more about raising horses than anyone, so why have I never seen such a stirrup before?"

Santong's confusion was entirely justified, because at this time, stirrups consisted only of a single strap, and the leather loop hanging from the saddle was very short. Once a cavalryman mounted the horse, the stirrup served no practical purpose. However, the stirrup Zhang Chi had crafted was unlike anything Santong had ever seen.

"This kind of stirrup is called a pair of stirrups. It ensures that the rider is securely seated and less likely to fall, while also allowing for much greater control over the warhorse," Zhang Chi explained.

Previously, without paired stirrups, cavalrymen had to grip the horse's flanks tightly with their legs, and beginners had to hold desperately onto the reins. But with these stirrups, even a novice soldier could completely free up their hands while riding, immensely boosting their combat effectiveness.

Santong picked up another item and asked, "And what is this used for?"

"This is called a horseshoe," Zhang Chi explained. "By nailing this to the horse's hooves, the warhorse can undertake long-distance journeys and dash thousands of li without its hooves cracking."

This was rather interesting. Santong remarked, "Isn't this basically putting shoes on the horse? Brilliant, simply brilliant!"

These two items alone were already enough to amaze Santong, but Zhang Chi was not finished yet. He picked up a small gadget and continued, "This is called a spur. It is fastened to the riding boots so that while the cavalrymen are fighting with both hands, they can also use the stirrups and spurs to better control the warhorse, making its movements much more agile. Only with equipment like stirrups, spurs, and horseshoes can cavalry truly become invincible in the true sense of the word."

Santong was well-versed in horsemanship, and after hearing Zhang Chi's explanation, he became even more captivated by the three items. He looked at Zhang Chi in wonder and said, "Brother Zhang, you truly seem like a divine being born among men. You've never raised horses before, so how do you come to know so much about them?"

Zhang Chi did not know how to respond. He certainly could not tell Santong that he was a person from several thousand years in the future who had traveled across time into this world. He could only chuckle awkwardly and answer vaguely, "Actually, it's just about thinking things through more often when you encounter a problem. If you put your mind to thinking more in daily life, you'll surely become just as clever as I am."

The issue of equipment for the warhorses was resolved, but Zhang Chi had also specially formed an anti-cavalry unit.

Since this unit was specifically designed to counter cavalry, preparations were naturally made for all the common methods of dealing with horsemen, which boiled down to setting up tripwires, digging caltrop pits, and similar tactics. In addition to these, Zhang Chi had devised another brilliant stratagem.

Among the items he had made, there was one whose purpose Santong could not fathom, prompting him to ask, "What use is this section of bamboo?"

Zhang Chi smiled and said, "Don't let its appearance as a mere section of bamboo fool you; it has tremendous utility."

With that, Zhang Chi explained the construction of the device to Santong.

This contraption consisted of only two parts in total: a thick section of bamboo cut at the node, containing a narrower bamboo tube inside it. A small hole was drilled into the outer bamboo tube, effectively creating a structure equivalent to a modern sprayer.

Zhang Chi pumped the primitive version of the sprayer and said, "This is my latest invention."

"What is its use?" Santong asked curiously.

Zhang Chi used it to draw in some water, then sprayed it out in a fine mist, smiling as he said, "The Hu tribesmen all ride horses. If we boil water with fried or crushed caltrops and beans, and use this device beforehand to spray that toxic water onto the grass where the Hu troops plan to encamp, the horses that eat that grass will inevitably suffer from severe diarrhea and collapse. Then, when we launch our attack, won't our victory be absolute?"

"Brilliant, truly brilliant!" Santong clapped and laughed.

Zhang Chi said, "These are only samples. They were designed by me and then manufactured by Blacksmith Wang and Carpenter Lu in the city. If the army is to adopt them on a large scale, we will need to mobilize the skilled artisans in the city to work day and night. At the same time, we must train the cavalry. Once the cavalry is ready for mounted combat, we will immediately dispatch our troops for a northern expedition against Qinzhou."

...

There was naturally a reason why Zhang Chi was in such a hurry to launch the northern expedition against Qinzhou.

Hanzhong leaned against the Qinling Mountains to the north and Bashan to the south, but its northwest bordered only Qinzhou. If Qinzhou were occupied by the Hu tribes, they could easily bypass the natural barrier of the Qinling Mountains and directly threaten Hanzhong.

Therefore, Zhang Chi was so eager to capture Qinzhou and drive the Hu tribes back across the other side of the Qinling Mountains, ensuring the strategic security of Hanzhong.

This time, the Hu forces had suffered a fresh defeat, with their thirty-thousand-strong army routed and shattered by Zhang Chi. Without a doubt, this was the prime moment to press the attack. As the saying goes, "strike while the iron is hot" or "take advantage of their illness to end them." If the Hu tribes were given time to catch their breath, conquering Qinzhou later would become infinitely more difficult.

The route for the northern expedition had already been agreed upon: Qinzhou comprised six commanderies, and Zhang Chi intended to first march out of the Liangzhou Pass and proceed directly to Lueyang.

However, even before the northern expeditionary force had set out, a significant problem arose—provisions and grain.

Although Zhang Chi had captured surplus grain previously stockpiled by the Hu forces in Hanzhong, the ordinary people in the various commanderies around Hanzhong had suffered through prolonged warfare and were starving. Ultimately, Zhang Chi decided to open the granaries and distribute grain to the populace.

Yet, once the grain was distributed, the supply for the main army immediately became a severe issue.

Zhang Chi had already ordered the majority of the new recruits not to participate in this northern expedition, but instead to engage in military agricultural colonies while training. However, agricultural production was not something that could yield results overnight.

Consequently, Zhang Chi still sent messengers to urge Luo An in Shuchuan to dispatch grain swiftly.

Luo An held the official post of Chief Commandant of the Diancao Bureau, which specifically managed grain allocation and logistics. In fact, Zhang Chi's previous provisions had all been supplied by him. After sending messengers to expedite the grain, Zhang Chi immediately led his army on the northern expedition.

Zhang Chi was hardly a rash man. He had previously consulted with Du Shiming, Qin Bo, and others, concluding that while Hanzhong's grain stores were somewhat limited, they were sufficient for their own use for a period of time. Moreover, this northern expedition could "feed the war by means of war," and with the Chief Commandant of the Diancao Bureau supplying grain from the rear, there should be no major obstacles.

With all preparations properly made, the northern expeditionary army marched out of the Liangzhou Pass.

Yet, this northern expedition proved to be far easier than Zhang Chi had imagined.

Although the thirty-thousand-strong Hu army had been defeated by Zhang Chi previously, and Yao Shuode had fled in panic to the north—deliberately allowed to pass Bashan by the Northern Prefecture Army—Qinzhou was nevertheless Yao Shuode's foundational base, and their military strength should not have been so utterly pathetic.

As soon as Zhang Chi's northern expeditionary force emerged from the Liangzhou Pass, the opposing Hu garrisons scattered and fled. They advanced all the way to the walls of Lueyang without encountering any significant resistance. Theoretically, this marked the perfect and successful opening battle of the northern expedition, yet Zhang Chi could not shake a persistent feeling of unease.

Furthermore, the very gates of Lueyang city lay wide open before them. Zhang Chi's army easily marched through the gates, but the scene that greeted them inside was one of utter desolation and ruin. Moreover, only ordinary commoners remained within the city, with not a single Hu soldier in sight.

The Hu garrison had actually abandoned the city and fled long beforehand!

After a thorough search of the entire city, a soldier came forward to report: "Reporting! The Hu troops in the city did not leave behind a single grain of provisions!"

Du Shiming said with concern, "Young Master Zhang, the grain from Shuchuan is terribly overdue, and the provisions in Lueyang have already been completely hauled away by the Hu forces. If this continues, the grain we currently hold will not last many more days."

Zhang Chi was also bewildered. Why had messengers been sent repeatedly to urge the grain delivery, yet there was still no response whatsoever?

"Send out fast couriers immediately to gallop to Chengdu and hasten the grain!" Zhang Chi ordered.

In truth, a vague premonition was beginning to form in Zhang Chi's mind that the situation was turning ominous.

Sure enough, no sooner had this thought crossed his mind than a loud shout rang out from afar: "Report! There are signs of a massive army moving north of the city, with dust billowing into the sky."

Before the voice had even faded, another person cried out loudly: "There are the same signs east of the city!"

Hearing this, Zhang Chi's expression changed drastically. He hurried up to the city watchtower along with the others to survey the surroundings. A single glance confirmed his worst fears: in the distance, in every single direction, there were unmistakable signs of massive troop movements, with dust obscuring the sun.

Ding Yizhi cried out in dismay, "This is terrible! We've fallen into a trap."

"What's going on?" Santong asked, looking bewildered and still failing to grasp the situation.

Ding Yizhi explained, "From the beginning, when we advanced all the way to Lueyang without resistance, I had a vague sense that something was wrong. Moreover, even when we reached Lueyang, the Hu forces could easily have relied on the city walls to put up a stubborn defense. Why on earth did they abandon the city and flee instead?"

Qin Bo thought for a moment and asked, "But that still doesn't make sense. As the saying goes, favorable timing is not as advantageous as favorable terrain. Having a walled city to defend is equivalent to holding the terrain advantage. If the Hu forces did this intentionally, wouldn't they be handing the geographical advantage right over to us? To surrender the city to us first, and then come back with a massive army to besiege it—what kind of logic is that?"

Qin Bo's reasoning was sound. In the age of cold weapons, the losses suffered by an attacking force were bound to be far greater than those of a defending force. If the Hu troops had been prepared all along, why would they hand over a fortified city? They could easily have used their main army to defend it; why bother with such a convoluted gesture?

"Perhaps the Hu forces never intended to besiege the city at all," Ding Yizhi murmured thoughtfully.

Everyone was deeply puzzled by Ding Yizhi's remark, but he fell silent and refused to elaborate further. Qin Bo declared, "When soldiers come, we block them with generals; when water comes, we channel it with earthworks. Besides, we have a city wall to defend. Whatever their strategy may be, let's set up our city defenses first!"

Zhang Chi raised no objections, and the various generals quickly dispersed to carry out their respective assignments, guarding against a sudden attack by the Hu forces.

Seeing that everyone else had retired to busy themselves with their duties, leaving only Ding Yizhi standing there in silent contemplation, Zhang Chi—being a sharp-witted person who had sensed earlier that Ding Yizhi seemed to have something on his mind that he swallowed back—spoke up. With no one else left around except the two of them, he asked, "Does my cousin have something he wishes to tell me?"

Sure enough, Ding Yizhi glanced around, brooded for another moment, and then uttered a statement that shook Zhang Chi to his core. He lowered his voice and said, "Within our own army, there is definitely a spy!"

Hearing this, Zhang Chi was utterly shocked and hastily demanded, "What makes you say that?"