Crouching Dragon: The Journey of Zhuge Liang sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne
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“The deception begins,” Kongming noted.
As Zhao Yun retreated, Liu Bei’s battle lines started to disintegrate: Xiahou Dun bellowed in triumph, and ordered a pursuit as Liu Bei and his followers disappeared into the dense forest of Bowang.
“Come on…!” Xu Shu said expectantly.
Xiahou Dun charged, and the front line of his infantry followed: Li Dian was conspicuously hesitant, and only rode forward after a minute or so, gesturing wildly for Xiahou Dun to stop as the battle gongs sounded.
“Damn it,” Xu Shu lamented. “They’re not going for it.”
“…Be patient,” Kongming suggested.
Xiahou Dun and Li Dian were visibly bickering, while their troops wavered, unsure of who to obey. Suddenly, Liu Bei’s infantry reappeared and launched a rushed, disorganised attack on the Wei vanguard.
“No, no, don’t do that…!” Xu Shu exclaimed as Xiahou’s troops countered, and dozens of Liu Bei’s men fell to spears and swords, with few reciprocal kills.
“Collateral damage,” Kongming sighed. “Cruel, but necessary to lure the enemy: Xiahou’s arrogance is at its peak… so they will retreat… now.”
Liu Bei’s battered forces broke up and retreated into the forest; Xiahou Dun shrugged off the despondent Li Dian and took the bulk of his forces into the forest.
“…It worked,” Xu Shu whispered with relief.
Li Dian threw his spear to the ground and screamed in frustration as three quarters of the army pursued Xiahou Dun. Li Dian rode toward those that remained and rallied them for unknown purposes.
“Will he pursue, I wonder…?” Kongming mused.
Below the hill, Liu Bei was visible as he brought his troops deep into Bowang and beyond the line of the ambush; cries of the victorious soldiers serving Cao Cao got louder and louder as they reached the centre of the forest.
“…Fool,” Kongming muttered as Li Dian led his own battalions into the forest after Xiahou Dun, anxious to catch up and assist his co-commander.
“Almost… almost…!” Xu Shu urged as Liu Bei and his soldiers left the danger zone, and their enemies reached a point of no return.
“…Now…!” Xu Shu whispered; from all about Xiahou’s soldiers, flaming arrows whistled, igniting undergrowth and deliberately placed piles of disguised timber, and setting Bowang ablaze. The screams of thousands of terrified, pain-wracked men filled the air as the intense fires encircled the soldiers and burned many of them alive. Kongming waved his fan casually and watched the carnage unfold.
“…Horrible… and yet…” Kongming whispered as he watched soldiers flailing about maniacally, trying to put out the flames that were enveloping their bodies. Others were already dead, and lay in heaps, slowly turning to charcoal.
“No! They escaped!” Xu Shu exclaimed; Kongming followed Xu Shu’s gaze, and saw a wildly meandering group of singed, battered soldiers staggering out of the forest and back onto the open plain, with several horseback generals - Xiahou Dun and Li Dian amongst them - retreating ahead of them, carrying scorched standards. From the outskirts of the forest - where hilly regions could hide an elephant - two small contingents of Liu Bei’s soldiers appeared, and set about the desperate Cao forces with their spears and swords. At the head of one group was a tall, muscular man who wore a long green robe, had a ruddy complexion, and had a long, well-kept beard; he rode into the enemy forces on a magnificent brown steed, hacking at the soldiers with his pole-sword.