pdf-ebookys Chapter 195: Battle of Waterdam Village
Chapter 195: Battle of Waterdam Village
The armies of both sides were once again ready for battle, with flags fluttering and shouts of killing shaking the sky. Ban Chao's army was in high spirits, with 3,000 elite soldiers arrayed in the center, Zhang He led 2,000 warriors to guard the right wing, and the Sharen army had 3,000 warriors deployed on the left wing.
In contrast, the coalition forces were slightly weaker in strength because their total strength was only half of Ban Chao's army, so they chose to defend the village of Waterdan and divided their troops into two armies, front and rear.
The front army, with melee warriors as its main force, built a solid defense line to resist the enemy's attack with all its might; while the rear army was composed of many magicians and archers who were good at long-range attacks. They relied on the roofs of the village houses to look down from a high position, and with their excellent range advantage, they carried out long-range attacks on the invading enemies.
The war drums beat, shaking the earth. Ban Chao led the three armies and rushed towards the Sand People coalition like a tiger descending from the mountain.
However, the battle situation was unpredictable. Ban Chao's central army, which had originally had the upper hand, came under concentrated fire from the Sand People's coalition forces and was caught in a tough battle.
At the same time, Zhang He originally planned to lead his troops to bypass the enemy and break into the village to surprise the coalition's long-range troops, but the right-wing army suddenly collapsed at the critical moment, resulting in the failure of this strategic intention to be realized.
Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, Ban Chao's troops were forced to retreat. Zhang He was worried that he would be surrounded by the enemy, so he had no choice but to retreat with the main force.
In this fierce battle, Ban Chao's side, which originally had the advantage in military strength, was defeated, which was unexpected.
Fortunately, Ban Chao's central army and Zhang He's right army did not collapse during the retreat and were able to maintain a relatively intact formation, which prevented the Sharen coalition forces from pursuing them easily and preventing them from expanding their victory.
After Ban Chao gathered the remaining troops, he immediately convened an emergency combat meeting. The meeting room was filled with a tense atmosphere, and most of the Sharen officers seemed trembling with fear, fearing that they would become victims of Ban Chao's anger and have their heads chopped off.
In stark contrast, the few officers who had surrendered were filled with indignation. They had no intention of retreating, but were forced to retreat by other soldiers in the chaos of the defeated army. At this moment, they expressed their dissatisfaction in the meeting without hiding it, and even blamed the failure on those cowardly fellow soldiers. They firmly believed that if it weren't for these people's desertion, the battle situation might have been completely different.
However, facing this accusation, the accused officers of the Sand People were not willing to give in. Seeing that Ban Chao and Zhang He remained silent, in order to save their lives, they had to fight back and defend themselves. For a while, the conference room was full of arguments, and both sides insisted on their own opinions and refused to give in.
Ban Chao and Zhang He sat quietly aside, watching the group of Sha Ren officers accusing each other. They were not in a hurry to interrupt or express their opinions, but just silently observed the development of the situation. When the two sides were arguing until their faces were red and their necks were thick and their mouths were dry, Ban Chao suddenly clapped his hands lightly. As the applause rang out, a group of Sha Ren mid-level officers were brought into the venue.
Seeing this, the Sandman officers who had already surrendered showed a playful smile on their faces, and their eyes all fell on the Sandman officers who were still confused, as if they were expecting a good show to be staged.
Ban Chao did not immediately ask the middle-level officers of the Sand People who were brought here at a loss to show their loyalty by killing their superiors. Instead, he slowly stood up and took the lead in starting self-reflection and criticism.
After Ban Chao finished his self-examination, Zhang He followed suit and expressed his willingness to take responsibility and take responsibility for his mistakes.
The two men's unexpected actions stunned all the Sandman officers present, with confused expressions on their faces.
However, the very few Sandmen officers who had handed in their "letters of allegiance" quickly understood the deep meaning of it, and followed the pace without hesitation, and began to reflect on themselves.
As more and more officers of the Sand People realized the change in the situation, they also joined the ranks of self-examination. However, there are still four officers of the Sand People trying to find various excuses to avoid admitting their mistakes, as if this is the only way to save their lives.
Ban Chao looked at all this, shook his head helplessly, and then waved his hand lightly. The swordsmen who had been waiting on the side immediately took action, rushing towards the four stubborn Sand People officers like tigers and capturing them firmly.
Then, Ban Chao turned to look at the subordinates of the four men and ordered them to hand in their "letters of surrender". These mid-level officers did not hesitate too much. After all, at this critical moment, whether to choose to save their own lives and have the opportunity to replace their superiors, or to be willing to sacrifice and become a stepping stone for others' promotion, the answer is obvious.
After the four mid-level officers killed their superiors and pledged their allegiance, Ban Chao looked at everyone with a serious expression and spoke again: "It is my fault for employing the wrong people this time. I will report the matter to the lord and ask for punishment. At the same time, I also hope that the commanders can fulfill their duties in the next battle and do not disappoint the lord's high expectations of you!"
At this moment, the officers of the Sand People present knew very well that what Ban Chao said was not just a simple self-examination, but a disguised death threat. So, they all swore loudly, expressing their absolute loyalty and sincerity. They tried to prove their worth in this way, so as not to become the next person to be killed and replaced by their subordinates.
Then, following the familiar procedure, Ban Chao sent someone to escort the four mid-level officers back to the camp so that they could take over the military power smoothly. However, unlike the last time, this time there was no large-scale killing of those who held opposing opinions. The reason was that the defeated soldiers who failed to attend the meeting knew clearly that Ban Chao's move was nothing more than killing a chicken to scare the monkeys and establish prestige.
Overall, compared to the previous fierce and bloody power transfer, this one seems much milder. But what are the specific results? I'm afraid we have to observe the actual performance of the Sandman soldiers and officers in the next battle to know the answer.
Three days later, the sun was shining brightly and the breeze was blowing. The armies of both sides were once again neatly arranged on the battlefield, and the atmosphere was tense and solemn. After the victory in the last battle, the morale of the Sand People's coalition was greatly boosted, and everyone was in high spirits and full of vigor.
On the other hand, Ban Chao's army, especially the army composed of the Sand People, was eager to fight. They were eager to avenge their previous defeat through this battle, because if they failed again this time, they might not be able to save their heads. These Sand People commanders subconsciously touched their necks and thought to themselves: "After today's battle, I wonder if our heads will still be safe?"
At this critical moment, everyone is fully aware of the cruelty and ruthlessness of war. However, whether it is out of the pursuit of honor or the desire to survive, they have no choice but to go all out to win. The battlefield is filled with a resolute and tragic atmosphere, as if foreshadowing that this fierce battle will be extremely tragic.