It was the 3:45 AM on the 30th day of the 12th lunar month.
In the forest on the west side of Lushan Pass, Xiao Cheyun lay behind a boulder, his body covered in snow, blending into the mountainside.
The three thousand soldiers beside him were also hidden deep in the dense forest, their warhorses gagged and their soldiers holding their breath.
"General, they're here." The scout whispered.
Xiao Cheyun peered out and saw scattered torches at the entrance to the valley at the southern end of the pass.
The firelight flickered in the wind and snow, like will-o'-the-wisps.
In the dim light, a team could be seen making its way forward with difficulty.
The attire of this army was distinctly different from that of the ordinary Fengtian Army—most of them wore rattan armor, bamboo hats, and their weapons were mainly short spears and curved swords, which was characteristic of the Lingnan Nanyue soldiers.
It was very cold in winter, and they seemed very uncomfortable with it, wearing thick clothes and constantly grumbling.
"As expected, they are Zhao Guang's vanguard." A cold glint flashed in Xiao Cheyun's eyes. "Pass down the order: once they have all entered the pass, they shall obey my command."
"yes."
The order was passed on silently.
In the mountains and forests, three thousand pairs of eyes were fixed on the valley path.
The South Vietnamese soldiers advanced with great caution.
Although the snow covered the footprints, the commander Zhao Guang was clearly not a fool; he stopped in front of the pass.
"Halt!" Zhao Guang reined in his horse and raised his hand to signal.
This was a general in his thirties, with a dark complexion and sharp eyes.
He gazed at the deep, dark pass, his brow furrowed.
"General, what's wrong?" the lieutenant asked.
“The terrain here is treacherous. If there’s an ambush…” Zhao Guang pondered. “Send two teams of scouts up the mountain to investigate.”
"General, it's a snowy night, and the mountain roads are difficult to travel. I'm afraid the scouts might not be able to make it..." The lieutenant looked troubled.
Zhao Guang glared at him: "Do you want to die here?"
The deputy general dared not speak further and quickly ordered the servant to go up the mountain.
Xiao Cheyun could see clearly from the mountain and inwardly cried out in alarm.
If scouts are sent up the mountain, the ambush will surely be discovered.
Just then, a wolf howl suddenly rang out from the east side of the pass.
Then came the second sound, the third sound...
The sounds rose and fell, as if a pack of wolves had gathered.
The South Vietnamese soldiers immediately tensed up.
Lingnan is mountainous, and the people there are well aware of the dangers posed by wild animals.
Zhao Guang breathed a sigh of relief: "It's not a tiger, it's alright, let's keep going and get through the pass quickly!"
Southerners have never seen a wolf, nor have they ever heard a wolf howl.
The lieutenant hesitated: "General, what if..."
“There’s no chance of anything going wrong,” Zhao Guang interrupted him. “Liu Song’s main force is only thirty miles behind us. We must pass through Lushan before dawn to clear the way for the main army. Hurry!”
He was the first to enter the pass.
Immediately afterwards, five thousand Nanyue soldiers entered the pass one after another.
The procession stretched out in a long line, winding like a snake through the narrow valley.
Xiao Cheyun silently calculated the time.
As the last South Vietnamese soldier stepped into the pass, he suddenly stood up and drew his long sword from his waist:
"kill!"
"Boom!"
The boulders that had been prepared in advance rolled down from the hillsides on both sides, instantly blocking the passage in front and behind the pass.
"There's an ambush!"
The Southern Vietnamese army was thrown into chaos.
"Release the arrows!"
Arrows rained down, catching the South Vietnamese soldiers off guard, and they fell in droves.
But as expected of the elite troops of Lingnan, after a brief period of chaos, they immediately raised their rattan shields and formed a defensive formation.
The rattan shield is extremely effective at defending against arrows; arrows become firmly embedded in it and are difficult to penetrate.
Protected by his personal guards, Zhao Guang shouted, "Don't panic! Move towards the center! Rattan shields on the outside, spears on the inside!"
The South Vietnamese soldiers quickly assembled and formed a circular formation.
This circular formation was quite well-organized, with layers of vine shields stacked like a tortoise shell, making it difficult for arrows to penetrate.
Seeing this, Xiao Cheyun sneered: "Apply strong kerosene!"
Dozens of pottery jars rolled down the hillside and crashed into the South Vietnamese soldiers' ranks.
The earthenware pot shattered, and black grease splattered everywhere.
"This is..." Zhao Guang's expression changed. "Oil! Spread it quickly!"
But it was too late.
"Launch a rocket!"
Hundreds of rockets were fired and fell into the raging oil.
"boom!"
Flames shot into the sky.
Rattan armor and rattan shields are inherently flammable; once they come into contact with flammable oil, they instantly turn into burning figures.
Screams echoed through the valley.
The South Vietnamese troops' formation completely collapsed.
The soldiers scattered and fled, trampling each other.
The fire-man rolled in the snow, trying to extinguish the flames on his body, but instead spread the fire to more of his companions.
"Don't panic! Don't panic!" Zhao Guang shouted hoarsely, but to no avail.
Seeing that the time was right, Xiao Cheyun brandished his sword and ordered, "Cavalry, charge!"
A thousand elite cavalrymen charged down the hillsides on both sides, like a sharp knife, piercing into the chaotic South Vietnamese army formation.
In the snowy night, swords gleamed and blood and flesh flew everywhere.
The South Vietnamese soldiers were already in a panic, and when they were attacked by cavalry, they completely lost their will to resist.
Many people knelt down and surrendered, while even more fled to both ends of the pass, only to find that their retreat was blocked by huge rocks.
Under the desperate protection of his personal guards, Zhao Guang fought his way to the northern end of the pass and attempted to push aside the boulder blocking the road.
But the boulder is too heavy for human power to move.
"General, this way!" A guard spotted a gentle slope on the hillside that was barely climbable.
Zhao Guang gritted his teeth: "Let's go up the mountain!"
Dozens of guards escorted him as he climbed up the mountain.
Xiao Cheyun saw it clearly from a distance and sneered, "Trying to run? Xiao Dayong, get him!"
"They're here!"
On the eastern hillside, a valiant captain led his troops out to attack.
He was originally the commander of Xiao Cheyun's personal guards, and was promoted to Commander-in-Chief because of his bravery in battle.
He wielded two axes and charged at Zhao Guang like a tiger descending a mountain.
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