"Oh...just follow the general's arrangements." Xia Houjie rushed away first.

Zhang He secretly retreated to the east, and Zhang Fei gathered several ambushes to cover up the attack. Not only did he defeat the opponent's main force, but he also captured 300 horses.

Zhang Fei asked Liu Yong to clear the battlefield and collect supplies and prisoners, while he led his troops to continue chasing the fleeing Zhang He eastward.

The infantry under Zhang He's command surrendered without dying in the battle just now. Only ten of them were able to escape and ascend to heaven. The fastest ones only had 200 fine cavalry left.

When retreating, Zhang He sent multiple scouts to go all the way around the small stone bridge that they had just crossed the river. If Huo Jun's defenders were to withdraw, it would be safest for them to return to Xiangyang via the original route, and the rest would follow the Yi River downstream to find the bridge.

When he finally fled to the south bank of Yishui River, he received news that Huo Jun was still stationed at the bridge. His plan to return from the original route was shattered, and Zhang He had no choice but to continue heading east.

After escaping for twenty miles, we passed through the twists and turns of Yi River. Because the distance between the two banks of the bend was relatively narrow, the river was very fast and there was no bridge across the river.

After passing the bend, the river water becomes gentle and the river surface is very spacious.

At this time, the scouts who went east to search for the bridge returned.

Scout: "General...there is also an ambush in the east..."

Zhang He was startled when he heard this. Isn't this flying soldier too scary? I've even thought of my retreat route?

"General, isn't that Zhang Fei a reckless man in front of the battle? Why did he create this ambush situation..." Xia Houjie swallowed hard.

Zhang He saw the rolling Yi water beside him, and then looked at the remaining two hundred elite cavalry behind him, and thought that although it was not as embarrassed as Xiang Yu's original situation, the situation was not much different.

"General Xiahou, are we still going to Dangyang to pay homage to Xiahou En?" Zhang He suddenly asked teasingly.

"I won't go... I can offer sacrifices in the distance... I can offer sacrifices in the distance..." Xia Houjie quickly replied. He didn't think of a way to run away yet, and would soon follow in his footsteps.

It was already dusk at this time. After several hours of frightening fighting and fleeing for their lives, they were now trapped and exhausted.

The scout's information was correct. After the sky gradually darkened, flickering firelights could already be seen in the east. They were the last two groups of troops led by Yuan Wei and Fu Wei.

Fire also appeared in the southwest. The infantry who had followed Zhang He to escape were probably all exhausted by now. The only ones of that magnitude could be Zhang Fei's pursuers.

"General Junyi, think of a way quickly." Xia Houjie was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot. Although he looked very anxious, he was only in his twenties. He still had many good years to live and didn't want to die. here.

"The only solution for now is to forcefully cross the river. The nearest bridge here is thirty miles away. As long as we reach the other side of the river, we will be safe. Fortunately, the water flow here is relatively gentle." After Zhang He finished speaking, he took the lead to dismount.

"What about us good horses..." Xia Houjie asked.

Zhang He: "How can you care so much now? Leave quickly, or Zhang Fei will catch up."

Zhang He took the lead in abandoning his horse and taking off his armor. The cavalrymen jumped into the water like fish and shrimps, regardless of whether they knew how to swim. Xia Houjie, who knew how to swim a little, also jumped into the water.

Although spring has begun, the sun has set and the river is still freezing cold.

To cross the Yi River, which is dozens of meters wide, the shallow water is not enough. Everyone feels a rush as soon as they enter the water, and many people who can't stand the cold turn into fish and shrimp.

Zhang Fei and Pang Tong led their pursuers to the river. Zhang He and others had already swam to the middle of the river, and half of the two hundred cavalry had sunk to the bottom of the water.

"Commander, these are all good horses, thanks to your strategy." Zhang Fei said with a smile.

"It's nothing to worry about. It's just a pity that the other general is gone..." Pang Tong shook his head.

Zhang Fei smiled and said: "If I had known that Gan Xingba would be borrowed and caught these guys as fish and shrimps, I would have asked the archers to give them a ride."

Zhang Fei called for a skilled archer to shoot at random on the river. Due to the lack of strength and the influence of the wind, there was little effect, but a few unlucky ones were hit.

Xia Houjie was originally struggling desperately, using different swings of his arms to generate heat to resist the cold, but when he discovered that a soldier next to him had been shot, he suddenly felt a chill in his heart, and then he found that he could not move his legs.

"General Junyi...my feet..." Xia Houjie kept slapping the water.

"Stop talking and swim forward as hard as you can. We're not far away." Zhang He ignored him after he finished speaking.

Gulu gulu...

Xia Houjie slowly sank...

"General, my leg was caught by something. Could it be a water ghost? Help...save me..." A soldier was shocked.

"Hu Dui, you have the best water quality, don't scare us..." the struggling cavalryman next to him reminded.

"Don't talk anymore. If you have the strength, swim over there as soon as possible..." Hu Dui was about to explain, but Zhang He gave the order directly.

After a while, most of the soldiers swam to the other side, leaving only a few who were still plowing the water.

Zhang He looked around and asked doubtfully: "Where is Xiahou's supervisor? Weren't you still talking just now? Where did the people swim to?"

The soldiers who swam ashore huddled together, their teeth chattering with the cold. No one answered Zhang He's questions.

The last one to swim to the shore was Zhang Dui, the best swimmer among the cavalry. He grabbed the shore with both hands and said helplessly: "Please give me a lift, I really can't swim anymore..."

At Zhang He's nod, the soldiers ran over in small steps, and several of them pulled and pulled Zhang Dui to the shore. When his legs were exposed out of the water, there were really two hands firmly holding Zhang Dui's right calf.

"Ah...General Zhang...there is really a ghost..." One of the soldiers was so shocked that he let go.

It was almost dark at this time, and the water in the river could not be seen clearly. Zhang Dui was innocently thrown on the shore, and his right leg was stretched into the river water.

Zhang He strode over, grabbed Zhang Dui's hand and lifted it to the shore. He saw a swollen man who was also pulled out of the water.

This mention separated Zhang Dui from the man. The soldiers nearby were so frightened that they backed away, and Zhang Dui did not dare to say a word.

Zhang He walked over and turned it over and saw that it was Xia Houjie who had a bloated stomach after drinking. He had already lost his vitality and had sunk due to leg cramps due to fright.

In order to survive, Xia Houjie grabbed Zhang Dui who was passing by. If Zhang Dui hadn't been so good at water, he would have been dragged to the bottom of the river by him.

Zhang Hezheng said that Xia Houjie could not be found, but he did not expect that he had been drowned by the water. The disciples of the clan were drowned like this. He would definitely be punished when he returned to Xudu.

Zhang He mentioned that Xia Houjie's body was thrown into the river, and said coldly: "I remember that Zheng Zhi has good water properties. We have to flee now, so we won't take his body on the road..."

While there was still a glimmer of light, Zhang He counted only sixty-four people.

"Let's go, it's too late and Zhang Fei is chasing me again." Zhang He led the remaining soldiers into the darkness.

Zhang Fei didn't bother to chase them. After half a day of fighting, Zhang He was almost wiped out. Not only did he get a lot of food and baggage, but most importantly, he got five to six hundred war horses, which was a big help to Liu Bei's army who was short of horses.

After the victory, Zhang Fei camped on the south bank of Yishui River, preparing to clear the battlefield tomorrow before retreating to Xiangyang.

At night, there was a bonfire in the camp to keep warm, and Zhang He's army rations were provided to satisfy his hunger. Zhang Fei and other generals sat around to celebrate the victory.

Zhang Fei picked up the wine bowl and toasted Pang Tong: "Commander, I think you have some skills. Please go out with me to fight more battles in the future."

Pang Tong drank the wine from the bowl: "Yide withstood Zhang He's attack of 4,000 men with only 1,500 soldiers. This also impressed Tong."

"It's a pity that Zhang He's son didn't fall into the trap. If I had poked a few holes in front of the formation, his rabble would have been defeated long ago." Zhang Fei didn't care.

"Now I finally got some benefits, Yide's time cost was not in vain." Pang Tong laughed.

"If Cao Cao sends more war horses, I will be able to form an elite cavalry force. My second brother, Zilong, and I were all cavalry commanders when we were in Hebei. Unfortunately, after we came to Jingzhou, we were forced to use infantry because of the strain on the horses."

Die." Zhang Fei sighed.

"Our infantry are not bad either. We were not afraid at all when we surrounded Zhang He's cavalry just now." Pang Tong boasted.

Zhang Fei shook his head: "In terms of infantry, it must be Gao Boping's trap..."

Pang Tong had seen the Feng camp in Jiangling. The uniformity and cold momentum were different from ordinary armies. For this reason, he also discussed with Huang Zhong. Huang Zhong not only admired Gao Shun and the Feng camp, but also admired the former commander-in-chief Lan Tian.

Although it is enough to have high shun in the trapped camp, Lan Tian can enhance the cohesion of the soldiers. This power can greatly increase the combat effectiveness.

"I don't know what happened to my lord in Jiangling..." Pang Tong looked to the south.

Zhang Fei muttered: "Before leaving, Gan Xingba came to Jiangling. Ziyu seemed to have something important to do. He asked his eldest brother to go to Quanling and pick up Adou and his sister-in-law. Now they should be eating in the sea.

Drink, if the military advisor hadn’t ordered my general, I would have given this opportunity to Zilong..."

"General Zilong also has important things to do, and he doesn't know what important things will happen in the south." Pang Tong said to himself.

Lantian hosted a banquet for Liu Bei, Kong Ming and his entourage in Quanling. The hall was filled with many delicious foods, including the Fushouquan dish with rich ingredients.
Chapter completed!