Chapter 886: Get Me Down Now!
Henan. East of Luoyang. Fuxi Mountain!
Within the mountains, a river carved a path, known as Luanma Ravine.
At this very moment, Luanma Ravine teemed with a frantic crush of men and horses. Swords, spears, and halberds flashed; human shouts mingled with the whinnying of steeds; blood sprayed everywhere.
The Ming relief army's vanguard, led by Commander Liu Honglie, along with Deputy Commanders Ai Wannian and Liu Guozhen, found themselves encircled by over a hundred thousand rebel troops in Luanma Ravine. Their defeat was already sealed.
This crushing defeat for the government forces was, in truth, well-deserved.
These generals had underestimated the rebels, still viewing them as the easily intimidated rabble of old. With a mere three thousand troops, they dared to advance towards Xingyang.
What they failed to realize was that these rebels were no longer the green recruits of yesteryear.
Years of relentless battle had transformed the rebel core into seasoned veterans, rich in combat experience. They had evolved, no longer scattering at the mere mention of police, but rather a terrifying armed force willing to unleash machine-gun fire against regular troops.
For the government troops to still imagine they could pursue and defeat three hundred thousand with just three thousand was an act of sheer recklessness, inviting disaster.
Ten miles away, deep within the mountain forest, Cao Wenzhao's Guanning Iron Cavalry rested. Suddenly, a fast horse burst into the clearing, its rider tumbling off before Cao Wenzhao, crying out, "General Cao, save them! I serve Deputy Commander Ai Wannian. General Ai and General Liu Guozhen went to Luanma Ravine to rescue Liu Honglie, but now they are surrounded! I beg the General to swiftly dispatch troops for aid!"
Cao Wenzhao's brow subtly arched. "Very well," he declared. "I will go at once to their rescue."
The messenger was overcome with joy.
But Cao Bianjiao interjected, "Uncle! The terrain of Fuxi Mountain is treacherous and ever-changing, riddled with gorges and rivers. We must proceed with caution. If we rush into the ravine to rescue them, we might well find ourselves surrounded as well."
Cao Wenzhao's face darkened.
He was no greenhorn, but a renowned general, deeply versed in military strategy. In this situation, he absolutely should not recklessly charge into Fuxi Mountain.
Yet, to stand by and merely watch as his comrades were encircled, with the situation growing dire, was something he couldn't bring himself to do.
To witness allied forces besieged and offer no assistance—what was that but abandoning one's comrades?
He still remembered the Battle of Hun River, which took place in the first year of Tianqi (1621).
Back then, the White Pole Soldiers and Qi family army had fought a bloody battle against the Manchu, but the Guanning Iron Cavalry, under Governor Yuan Yingtai, had flinched from combat, refusing to march to their aid, merely watching as the White Pole Soldiers and Qi family army were annihilated... It had been a monumental disgrace for the Guanning Iron Cavalry.
Cao Wenzhao's face remained stern as he commanded, "Deploy at once for rescue!"
Cao Bianjiao protested, "Uncle, the rebel army outnumbers us a hundredfold!"
"Even a hundredfold, we must go," Cao Wenzhao stated gravely. "I will not let the Battle of Hun River repeat itself through my inaction."
Cao Bianjiao countered, "Then we should at least scout the rebel dispositions. We mustn't fall into their trap."
This gave Cao Wenzhao a jolt of realization. "Right!" he thought. "I borrowed those Reconnaissance Hot Air Balloons from Sir Bai. I haven't even used them yet. If not now, then when?"
"Launch the Reconnaissance Hot Air Balloon!"
At Cao Wenzhao's command, his soldiers swiftly set to work.
Following the method taught by Bai Yuan, they assembled the various components. A brazier was lit, and hot air began to inflate the balloon.
Before long, the hot air balloon gently ascended.
A literate scout climbed into the large wicker basket, both nervous and brave, as he floated skyward.
Higher and higher it soared...
A long, thick rope trailed from the hot air balloon, with a thinner rope attached to it.
The soldiers tied the thick rope to a tree, anchoring the balloon against the wind.
Cao Wenzhao remained expressionless, but Cao Bianjiao stared intently at the hot air balloon, shouting, "Scout, what do you see? Speak quickly! What do you see?"
"Stop shouting, they won't hear you up there," Cao Wenzhao interjected. "The higher it flies, the further it sees, but at that height, direct communication is impossible. Bring out the prepared bamboo tube."
Cao Bianjiao suddenly understood. He quickly produced a pre-prepared bamboo tube, inserted a small note, and then attached the tube to the thinner rope connected to the main tether.
He tugged rhythmically on the thinner rope.
The scout in the balloon felt the rhythmic vibration of the rope and quickly began pulling it up. The thin rope, carrying the bamboo tube, ascended into the sky.
After a while, the bamboo tube was lowered again.
Cao Bianjiao opened the tube and, scrutinizing the note, his face instantly fell. "Liu Honglie, Ai Wannian, and Liu Guozhen's forces are finished... The rebels have also dug a trap for us. Tens of thousands of ambushers are hidden in the mountain gullies beside Luanma Ravine. If we charge in, those tens of thousands of hidden troops will erupt from all directions to surround us!"
Cao Wenzhao's expression was grim. "The rebels are now capable of such advanced strategies?"
Cao Bianjiao murmured, "More and more border troops and garrison soldiers are joining the rebels, enriching their strategies and tactics. And recently, they've mysteriously acquired a great number of high-quality weapons. It seems merchants are secretly aiding them..."
Cao Wenzhao's expression grew even more severe. After a few seconds of deliberation, he asked, "Do we have any reinforcements?"
Cao Bianjiao replied, "Yes! Governor Fan Shangzheng of Henan, leading the Henan garrison troops, along with Sir Bai's militia, are about five *li* behind us. They've also launched a large hot air balloon, look."
Cao Wenzhao glanced over his shoulder towards the northwest. Sure enough, a tiny black speck was visible in the distant sky—so small that it would be missed without a careful look.
That was the Reconnaissance Hot Air Balloon deployed by Sir Bai!
Cao Wenzhao lowered his head and spoke each word distinctly: "We will enter the ravine. Reinforce the vanguard. Rescue as many as we can."
Cao Bianjiao pressed, "Uncle, did you not hear me? The rebel army has tens of thousands in ambush. We will be surrounded if we go in!"
Cao Wenzhao simply stated, "We have reinforcements coming up behind us."
Cao Bianjiao argued, "But the reinforcements aren't strong! You know full well what kind of weaklings Governor Fan Shangzheng's Henan garrison troops are. As for those militia volunteers, they're even more useless."
Cao Wenzhao explained, "They don't need to be strong or formidable fighters. They only need to *appear* to cause chaos among the rebels. While the rebels are busy encircling us, the arrival of our reinforcements from behind will make them believe they've fallen into *my* trap. Panic will surely ensue, and with our backs to the wall, we can turn the tables and utterly route the rebel army."
Cao Bianjiao hissed, "That's far too dangerous!"
Cao Wenzhao’s gaze hardened. "If you fear danger, why be a soldier? Convey my order: the entire army will immediately attack and reinforce Luanma Ravine!"
"Understood!"
Cao Wenzhao's three thousand Guanning Iron Cavalry immediately surged towards Luanma Ravine...
Wait!
Had something been forgotten?
The scout, wide-eyed and diligently surveying from the hot air balloon, suddenly looked down and realized his own army had left him, stranded and alone in the sky.
"General, you forgot me!"
The scout hastily extinguished the fire in the brazier, lowering the temperature and stopping the flow of hot air. "Oh, my balloon, my dear balloon! Get me down now, now, now!"
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