For example:
yīgēng first of the five night watch periods 19:00-21:00 (old)
èrgēng second of the five night watch periods 21:00-23:00 (old)
sìgēng fourth of the five night watch periods 01:00-03:00 (old)
The armies into action, Lu Bu leads 3000 Bing Province Heavy Cavalry as the vanguard. The Rear guard was the Formation Breaker, after that supply transport troops. Finally it was Liu Mang's Urban Army. His division was responsible for shielding all of armed forces.
Yuan Shu also sent guide to inform whereabouts Chen Lan and Lei Bo's hideout.
An enormous army march of 20,000 troops will be naturally be known to Chen Lan and Lei Bo in Bagongshan.
So Chen Lan and Lei Bo knew about Lu Bu's army direction.
“Big bro, what is the best course of action?!” At the peak of Bagongshan, Lei Bo started to panic. Other people may did not know about Lu Bu's great strength, but how can these two not know? When Yuan Shu want to attack Liu Bei at Xu Province, Lu Bu acted as a mediator. He himself shot his own Sky Piercer tip at an impossibly large distance. At that time, Chen Lan and Lei Bo witnessed it with General Ji Ling, how can they not know his prowess?
TL: Ji Ling, another general of Yuan Shu. Dispatched by Zhang Fei when Shouchun besieged by Cao Cao and Liu Bei
Earlier this year, they just bullied Yuan Shu's remnant, but now Old Yuan did not know from where he got Lu Bu's army help.
Looking at Lei Bo panicking, Chen Lan also feels a bit edgy “Calm down, second brother. Sit down first, and you can tell me what is bothering you! Do you really fear Lu Bu?!”
“Big bro, this is the Lu Bu. When Yuan Gonglu was still very powerful, he was not his match, now he wants to eliminate us! You got some kind of plan, bro?!”Although Lei Bo was very agitated, he still obeyed Chen Lan's order to sit down.
Actually not only did Lei Bo feared Lu Bu, Chen Lan himself was also very afraid! Lu Bu's army’s might was famous throughout the entire land. Lu Bu's Bing Province Heavy Cavalry was a big trump card that was feared by every warlord. How can these two kings of the mountain not be afraid too?
“Calm down! Calm the hell down!” Chen Lan took a deep breath and said “Second brother, although Lu Bu is strong and we're both are not his match, but this Bagongshan actually is unfamiliar lands for Lu Bu. This place also has strong natural defenses, what is there to fear? Even if Lu Bu has the ability to crush this place, we just maintain a stubborn defense, surely we will have the advantage to destroy Lu Bu ‘s army in one fell swoop. And also at that time, we brothers will be famous in this entire nation as “The brothers who defeated Lu Bu”
“Bagongshan has a natural defense?!” Lei Bo then started to calm down. Bagongshan territory size is 200 square-kilometers. It is located in Central Plains. Forming barrier on the south side is Yellow River, which connecting Huainan and Shouchun. One can say, that if someone occupied this place,it can be used as an impregnable mountain fortress. Say if someone tried to force entry from either Jiang Nan or Huainan, they will simply just retreat back to Bagongshan
Since ancient times, a place like this was a very strategic location. You know, when Old Yuan was still prosperous, there were several thousands of elite troops in Bagongshan. But a pity, they were not used now, because Old Yuan was frightened by Old Cao's attack and was unable to escape to this strategic location. Therefore, now, Chen Lan and Lei Bo occupied it.
“Right, we have the natural defenses of Bagongshan! Also elite troops numbered of 10,000, even if Lu Bu is god of war, he will also gave up the idea on conquering my Bagongshan. When his grain and provisions are exhausted, even he cannot repulse enemy! “Said Lei Bo as if he had see a hope.
“Transmit my military orders; tell them to prepare for battle. This time after repelling Lu Fengxian, I definitely must plunder Shouchun, I will never let that old fart Yuan Shu be in peace!” Chen Lan was not a long-perspective person, as Yuan Shu had calculated. When they treated like this, there will be a big retaliation from Chen Lan.
TL: Lao er and Xiao er, later in the story, it will show up a lot. It is actually an insult to the enemy. If the enemy is older than he is, he will call him or her Lao er = old fart. If younger, then he will call him or her Xiao er = brat.
He did not think about the whole cause, if he didn't betray Yuan Shu and robbed his rations. How could Yuan Shu possibly ask Lu Bu for help?
“Hm, this is Bagongshan?!” Lu Bu arrived early as he is now a vanguard. The entire are of Bagongshan can be seen upfront. This place is filled with forests, very dense and overgrown with weeds. Wherever he looks, Lu Bu cannot get a clear picture of the mountain.
Along mountain, it is very easy to hide 100,000 troops for ambush! This information can be obtained through his intuition as military commander, and also from the geographical information. This place is located in intersection between Huainan and Shouchun and can be considered the only mountain road that is connecting between both of them. If this road is blocked, then both of locations is finished.
This place is really easy to defend.
At the peak, one can see shadow of people moving. Chen Lan and Lei Bo have started to deploy troops for defense.
“This place is difficult for offensive act!” Gao Shun who is usually very silent, suddenly voiced his opinion.
“If we attack, then the casualty to our army would at least be 3000 troops while enemy will only lose about 800 troops!” Zhang Liao also has given his opinion. Attacking a fortified position is not the cavalry’s job. Therefore Bing Province Heavy Cavalry would be useless in this battle, but this does not hinder Zhang Liao's analysis.
”Even though it is difficult, we must still attack!” Said Lu Bu coldly while observing the whole mountain “Is my Lu Bu army having cold feet already?!”
Lu Bu, from his debut at Ding Yuan's office until now, had already waged war far and wide. He is the only one who moves against the wind flow, against all odds. Lu Bu usually faced enemies with either a big number of troops or with a very strong strategy.
Therefore the Lu Bu army cannot throw in the towel no matter what the odds were. Bagongshan! Information on it’s topography is vital. This place was very easy to defend, but you also must observe, who’s the one attacking and the one defending!
“Is this really worth it?!” Chen Gong inquired.
“There is nothing in this world that has no value! Can this mere natural defense stop I, Lu Bu? It is a joke!” Lu Bu wanted to kill Chen Lan and Lei Bo not only coming from Yuan Shu's requests, but because these two have committed the same crime, which is makes them renegade traitors!