dognovel Chapter 340 Ma Zhong is captured
Chapter 340 Ma Zhong is captured
Those who live by the water live off the water; those who live by the mountains live off the mountains.
The people living near the mountains are best at climbing mountains. More than half of the four thousand Xuanjia soldiers led by Deng Hong came from the mountains, and climbing mountains and crossing ridges was their specialty.
Around midnight, Guan Xing and Deng Hong led the Xuanjia Army to set off with the guides sent by You Chong. When they arrived at the designated location, the soldiers who were best at mountaineering carried ropes and climbed up first to lower the ropes, while the others grabbed the ropes and climbed up one after another.
During the climb, everyone moved quietly and tried not to make any noise. Wu Jun also had people on night watch, and it was fine if they heard any noise and became more vigilant, but they were afraid that Ma Zhong would realize something was wrong and run away in advance. If that happened, it would be hard to say when they could catch Ma Zhong again.
To avoid startling Ma Zhong, Guan Xing and Deng Hong traveled very slowly, dawdling for a full three hours. It wasn't until the hour of Mao (5-7 AM) that they crossed the mountains along the way. After a long journey, they finally arrived near Ma Zhong's camp around 3:45 AM. Then they began to wait for You Chong, who was opposite the camp, to launch the first attack.
Guan Xing and You Chong had agreed to meet at 4:45 AM, so there was still a quarter of an hour to go.
Finally, the appointed time arrived. You Chong, who had been sleeping on the mountain, decisively got up, brandished his knife, and shouted, "Brothers, follow me and kill these Wu dogs blocking our way!"
After saying that, he roared and charged towards Ma Zhong's camp. Before he even arrived, his voice preceded his arrival. The noisy shouts woke Ma Zhong from his deep sleep. Ma Zhong jumped out of bed like a zombie and ran to the front line, saying, "Brothers, cheer up and assess the situation first. If there aren't many enemies, we'll fight back. If there are too many enemies, we'll run."
His purpose in blocking the road was to prevent people from outside the mountain from entering, not to prevent people from inside the mountain from leaving. Therefore, there was no need to fight to the death with the other party. If things turned bad, he could just turn around and run away.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the enemy troops charged in front of him. Without saying a word, they fired arrows, but the arrows were weak and had little power. It was almost immediately obvious that the enemy was a Yue bandit army rather than a Han army.
Besides their poor archery skills, the bandits' bows were also inadequate. Their soldiers' quality and weapons were also substandard, so how strong could their combat power be?
Ma Zhong breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that the approaching bandits were from the mountains. He brandished his sword and shouted, "Brothers, fight them! Let these mountain bandits know the might of our Wu army!"
Running away from the Yue tribes was not an option; if he did, his colleagues would laugh him to death. So Ma Zhong chose to fight to the death, and then his joy turned to sorrow.
The shouts of battle quickly reached Guan Xing's ears on the other side. Guan Xing pulled Deng Hong aside and said excitedly, "You Chong has engaged Wu Jun in battle, which proves that Ma Zhong has not escaped. You take three thousand men and attack immediately. Try to capture Ma Zhong before dawn. I will lead the rest of the troops to cover the rear, prevent any escapees, and block reinforcements coming from other intersections."
He is now the commander-in-chief of the three armies. He only needs to formulate battle plans and make preparations before the battle. There is no need for him to personally charge into battle. Otherwise, wouldn't it be a huge loss if he were hacked to death or hit by a stray arrow?
For a commander-in-chief, personal safety is the most important thing.
"Look..." Deng Hong called out and charged forward first, with the army following closely behind.
They were currently only about five miles from Ma Zhong's camp, and the terrain was flat and relatively easy to walk, so they could arrive in almost an instant.
Deng Hong arrived safely in front of the enemy camp and with a wave of his hand, countless arrows shot towards the Wu army.
Wu Jun's attention is currently focused on You Chong's side, and most of the garrison here has been transferred there, leaving this side's defenses particularly weak. Deng Hong, with a shield in his left hand and a sword in his right, easily charged into the enemy camp under the cover of a hail of arrows and shouted loudly, "The Han army has arrived! Those who surrender will not be killed!"
At the same time, Ma Zhong, who was at the front line, heard the shouts of battle behind him. Startled, he turned around quickly and saw a soldier running towards him in terror.
A soldier ran up to us, his voice trembling with tears, and said, "Sir, it's terrible! The Han army is attacking from the front! There are thousands of them! We're surrounded! What do we do?"
Ma Zhong's heart sank to the bottom. He glanced around and gritted his teeth, saying, "Then let's take down the weak ones first. Brothers, follow me and charge! After we crush the Yue bandits in front of us, we'll take a detour back."
This plan is indeed feasible. The Shan Yue's fighting strength is too weak and can be easily defeated. After defeating them, they can rush into the mountains, then circle around and exit the mountains from other entrances. Now all the entrances to the mountains are in his hands, so he is not afraid of being blocked at the mountain entrances and unable to get out.
The idea is good, but...
You Chong, who was fishing at the front, saw Ma Zhong rush out of the camp and decisively ordered a retreat. After all the Yue soldiers had withdrawn, he shouted, "Han army brothers, it's your turn to take the stage."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Han soldiers who had been hiding in the bushes on both sides rushed out and quickly formed a battle formation in the middle of the road. At a glance, there were four or five hundred of them.
This was specially left by Guan Xing for You Chong to prevent Ma Zhong from defeating the Yue bandits and having them escape into the mountains; now it comes in handy.
Ma Zhong, who was running at full speed, saw the Han army suddenly appear and his expression changed drastically. He stopped abruptly and looked at the Han army. He found that the Han army was in a tight formation with shields standing in rows. His heart sank to the bottom in an instant.
The Han army in front of him was clearly elite, and their strength was about the same as his own. Even in a fair fight, he might not be a match for them, not to mention that more Han troops were coming from behind. Once the two Han armies surrounded him, even if he had extraordinary abilities, he probably wouldn't be able to escape.
Ma Zhong's head was buzzing, and he couldn't help but think to himself, "It's over, it's completely over."
Seeing Ma Zhong standing still, You Chong immediately stepped forward and said with a smile, "Ma Sima, you are surrounded by Han troops who outnumber you several times over. You can't escape. You'd better surrender quickly. General Guan Xing said that as long as you surrender, he guarantees that he will not make things difficult for you and the brothers behind you."
Upon hearing this, Ma Zhong was caught in a mental struggle, but he didn't have to struggle for long because Deng Hong arrived and led thousands of Han soldiers to block the road completely. Not even a fly could get past him, let alone Ma Zhong.
When Deng Hong arrived, he did not attack, but shouted loudly: "Ma Zhong, you are surrounded. Give me a straight answer: fight or surrender. If you do not want to surrender, we will fight you to death."
Ma Zhong was speechless. What do you mean by "beat them to death"? Can you even speak like a human being?
But what could he do now that things had come to this?
Ma Zhong said dejectedly, "I can surrender, but I want to see General Guan Xing."
Deng Hong smiled and said, "Don't worry, General Guan also wants to see you."
Upon hearing this, Ma Zhong decisively threw away his weapon, and the soldiers behind him followed suit.
The rest was simple. Following Deng Hong's instructions, Wu Jun lined up with his hands raised and left. Fifteen minutes later, Ma Zhong was brought before Guan Xing.
Guan Xing stared at Ma Zhong for a moment and then smiled, "Ma Sima, I've heard so much about you."
This is the man who captured Guan Yu alive in history. Now that he has been captured, it is like a weight has been lifted off Guan Xing's shoulders.
Ma Zhong also sized up Guan Xing, and quickly composed himself to bow and say, "This sinful general Ma Zhong greets General Guan."
There's nothing shameful about losing to Guan Xing. Even Han Dang and Xu Sheng were killed by Guan Xing, so what's a little Sima like me?
Ma Zhong not only didn't feel ashamed, but was actually quite proud. He thought, "I was also captured alive by General Guan Xing's troops, just like Zhang Cheng. So what's there to be upset about?"
Guan Xing personally helped Ma Zhong up and held his hand, laughing, "We are all subjects of the Han Dynasty. Now that Sima has surrendered to the Han, it's like he's come home. The King of Hanzhong and General Guan will surely be very pleased to hear this."
"But Commander Ma, your troops stationed at other intersections are still in dire straits. Why don't you persuade them to return to the embrace of the Han Dynasty as soon as possible?"
Ma Zhong: "..."
What do you mean by being in dire straits? It's as if they've suffered some great persecution.
Although he was reluctant to go, he knew he had no choice but to nod and say, "I am willing to follow the general's orders."