Chapter 8: The Battle of Longyou: Divine Weapons Descend from Heaven

For the coming major battle, Liu Xiu had actually wanted Gu Xiao to bring more generals and troops.

But Gu Yi refused.

He brought only Lai Xi and two thousand troops.

Historically, it was Lai Xi who led two thousand troops in a surprise attack to accomplish this very feat.

But now things were different.

After all, according to all records, Gu Xiao was Liu Xiu's favorite general for launching surprise attacks.

This matter belonged to Gu Xiao alone!

The army swiftly set out.

Because the goal was a surprise attack, the army's exact route was known to very few.

But Gu Yi did not grow careless.

Fortunately, there were only two thousand troops.

Although Gu Xiao's command ability was average, two thousand soldiers were still within his capacity to lead.

Besides, there was Lai Xi, a famed general, with him.

The army marched forward, heading straight for Longyou.

Liu Xiu's preparations for this battle were not limited to these.

There was also Ma Yuan.

This man, who had once come to observe Liu Xiu on behalf of Wei Xiao, had been farming in the Three Auxiliaries; now he voluntarily submitted a memorial requesting permission to persuade Wei Xiao's generals.

Liu Xiu immediately agreed and granted him five thousand troops.

Longyou lay within Xizhou, also known as Liangzhou.

It was a critical region connecting the Central Plains to the Hexi Corridor and the Western Regions.

Liangzhou's terrain sloped from high in the southwest to low in the northeast, while Longshan sat at the southeastern border of Liangzhou, making the overall terrain easy to defend but hard to attack.

Gu Xiao's objective was to take a detour and launch a stealth attack.

Although Longyou was not as treacherous as the Shu roads, achieving this mission perfectly remained exceptionally difficult.

Not only did they need to carve paths through mountains, but they also had to avoid enemy scouts.

It was a matter of life and death.

Gu Yi had been watching all of this closely, trying to minimize the risks.

But there was nothing he could do about it.

Danger was inevitable.

Once the Gu family took a different path and began to rise, this was what they had to face.

Everything has its price; once you gain something, you must pay its corresponding cost.

The Gu family was no exception.

The army marched on, and soon they had passed the easiest stretch of road; the terrain grew increasingly harsh.

As commander, Gu Xiao naturally did not need to lead the path-clearing.

But as commander, he bore other responsibilities.

That was to hold the troops' morale.

In an army enduring long marches through mountainous terrain with no clear path ahead, morale was the hardest to maintain.

Often, Gu Xiao had to risk his own life.

He led by example, as commander, to sustain the soldiers' confidence.

Fortunately, Gu Yi had applied modern training methods, and the troops following Gu Xiao were almost all his old subordinates.

Their combat effectiveness could be called the most elite in the Han today.

Every one of them was a veteran.

Battle-hardened.

Many had followed Gu Xiao all the way through countless battles.

And under Gu Yi's deliberate training, they now surpassed all other armies in discipline.

Naturally, their morale was far more stable.

Days passed one after another.

When the army entered Dashan, their marching speed slowed further.

It must be said that Lai Xi was truly one of the generals worthy of eternal fame.

Although he had not made it into the Twenty-Eight Generals of the Cloud Terrace in history, his abilities were certainly not low.

Had Gu Yi not interfered.

His abilities far surpassed Gu Xiao's.

As the army's situation grew more difficult, he gradually took over the burden of command without even realizing it.

Gu Yi naturally had no complaints about this.

Who was Lai Xi?

A man who had entered the annals of history.

And what about him?

Though he had a modern perspective, could you realistically expect Gu Yi, a graduate with zero military experience, to directly command two thousand troops through thorny wilderness?

That was too unrealistic.

Gu Yi brought Lai Xi along precisely because he expected him to shoulder the burden.

Of course, Lai Xi's attitude toward Gu Xiao had never changed.

In today's Han, no one would be so foolish as to provoke this general whom Liu Xiu holds dear.

He merely offered timely suggestions.

And the army advanced slowly under these circumstances.

Zhiyi.

Inside the encampment.

At this moment, Feng Yi's heart felt an inexplicable weight of name.

He had been locked in stalemate with Wei Xiao for a long time, and though he always gained some advantage.

But against Longshan's terrain—easy to defend, hard to attack—he could not break through no matter what he tried; during this period, Feng Yi had exhausted every possible method.

Even a man of his intellect could not help but feel despair.

If he felt this way, how much more so the other generals?

"Hmph!"

"If I ever storm the city, I'll exterminate Wei Xiao's entire clan!"

Wu Han gritted his teeth, face flushed with rage.

His mood was clearly worse than Feng Yi's.

This prolonged stalemate was no trivial matter for generals like them.

The pressure in their hearts was not the only issue.

The most critical was that they could never lower their guard.

Because Wei Xiao would sometimes launch sudden raids.

They had to remain vigilant at all times, yet could never break through.

This made Wu Han feel utterly stifled.

The other generals felt the same—this campaign had been unbearably frustrating.

If this drags on like this.

Eventually, the Han army will lose all its momentum.

"General, do you have a good strategy?" Wu Han asked Feng Yi again.

"Sigh."

Feng Yi sighed helplessly, about to speak—

At that moment, an armored soldier burst into the tent.

"Report!!"

"General, a letter from Your Majesty!"

These words instantly drew everyone's attention.

The generals rose instinctively, rushing toward the tent's entrance to take the letter from the messenger.

Since it was not an imperial edict, no elaborate etiquette was required.

They opened the letter.

Feng Yi's expression changed instantly.

"General—"

Wu Han and the others stared intently at Feng Yi, urgently asking: "What did Your Majesty instruct?"

Regarding who was the Han's supreme commander today,

these proud generals had no argument whatsoever—they all held one unified answer.

That was Liu Xiu.

Leaving aside other achievements, just the Battle of Kunyang alone was enough to earn their respect.

"Your Majesty orders us not to let the enemy relax!"

Feng Yi spoke without delay, passing the letter to the others: "Await the Grand Commandant's message!"

"The Grand Commandant?"

Reading the letter, the generals were utterly baffled.

They instinctively assumed Gu Xiao would come to the front.

But if he were coming, why this instruction?

Not letting the enemy relax?

At this moment, not letting them relax meant attacking, didn't it?

As for Gu Xiao's abilities, these men respected him too—at least, many of his surprise raids they themselves could never have pulled off.

But to compare Gu Xiao with Liu Xiu—

it was simply incomparable.

Under the current situation, what could Gu Xiao accomplish by coming to the front?

"General… can the Grand Commandant devise a way to break the enemy?"

Wu Han asked the question instinctively.

Gu Xiao's personality was intensely martial, and given his status, all of them got along well with him.

But if asked who had the closest relationship with him—

naturally, it was Feng Yi, who had previously interacted with Gu Xiao.

Yet even Feng Yi was filled with confusion; he took the letter back from the others and studied it carefully.

After a long silence, he began to guess.

Then he spoke: "Your Majesty likely left something unsaid."

"The Grand Marshal excels at surprise attacks."

"He must already have a strategy to break the enemy, one too sensitive to write in a letter."

His analysis was reasonable.

In this era, delivering messages carried risk, especially to the front lines—important matters were never stated outright.

Hearing this, the officers and soldiers were instantly startled.

A strategy to break the enemy?

Could there really be a strategy to break the enemy in such terrain?

"No need to speculate—the Grand Marshal's surprise attacks surpass ordinary men. Our abilities are too limited to guess them."

Feng Yi's expression turned serious as he spoke again: "We need only follow orders!"

Saying this,

he said no more, rose at once, "Issue my commander's order: from tomorrow,"

"All officers shall lead their units to assault the city!"

"Do not let the enemy rest for a moment!"

At these words, the officers and soldiers immediately rose and bowed to Feng Yi:

"Yes!"

Ji County.

"Report!!!"

"Your Highness!"

"The Han army has launched a sudden attack—they are already at the city gates!"

Seeing the armored soldier burst in, Wei Xiao first froze, then his face immediately broke into a smile.

"Hahaha!"

"Good! Good!"

He laughed freely, "Do these people truly believe Long Mountain is so easily breached?"

"Issue my royal order!"

"The entire army must not leave the city—hold the Han forces!"

"As the Han army's momentum fades,"

"we can engage them in decisive battle and surely defeat them!"

"Then, our army can advance into Guanzhong—our great cause shall succeed!"

Wei Xiao's reasoning was clear.

Hearing this, his officers were greatly encouraged, each brimming with battle lust.

This would inevitably be a bloody great battle.

Long Mountain's terrain was Wei Xiao's greatest current advantage.

From this high ground, facing the Han army advancing uphill, they held absolute superiority!

Arrows rained down like a deluge.

Rolling logs and boulders were mixed among them!

Under such conditions, the Han army had virtually no chance of victory.

Yet even so,

the Han army still charged upward, fearless of death.

One day;

Two days;

Three days;

Gradually, even Wei Xiao grew numb.

He sensed something was wrong.

Liu Xiu was not on the front lines, but given Feng Yi's reputation, he certainly would not fight like this!

Yet no matter how puzzled he became,

faced with the Han army's daily assaults, he could never imagine anyone could scale Long Mountain and strike directly at his rear!

In this era, an army crossing mountains was simply unthinkable.

Not to mention how treacherous the mountain was—just the wild beasts within and the diseases spread by the crowd alone would have killed countless men.

But just as Liu Shan never expected Deng Ai to reach Chengdu directly,

finally, after half a month,

news from Lueyang arrived.

This military stronghold behind him,

was lost!

Upon hearing this, Wei Xiao was stunned.

His earlier doubts dissolved in an instant.

I get it! I get it!

The Han army drew his elite's attention, then secretly seized Lueyang!

Gu Yi!

That name, which he had muttered countless times before, escaped his lips once more.

Yet unlike before;

In the past, he mocked Gu Xiao, who never fought on the front lines, for becoming Grand Marshal of Han.

But this time, it was because of Gu Xiao's previous battlefield achievements!

He instantly knew who led this surprise attack.

Fear followed immediately.

Lueyang was always a critical stronghold, capable of directly threatening Jixian.

Now, Han's elite troops stood before them.

If enemies also struck from behind, then Jixian—

They must retake Lueyang!

This thought surged through Wei Xiao's mind instantly.

A surprise attack could not involve many troops; if he swiftly reclaimed Lueyang, all risks would vanish!

If he could capture Gu Xiao, Grand Marshal of Han,

it would surely terrify the current Han army!

Without hesitation, Wei Xiao—never one to dither—immediately split forces to garrison Jixian, while he personally led his elite straight toward Lueyang.

"Report!!!"

At the Zhiyi camp, an armored soldier rushed in: "My General."

"Scouts from Jixian have sent word."

"Wei Xiao personally led his army back to reinforce Lueyang; scouts confirm Grand Marshal Gu Xiao appears to have seized Lueyang!"

Though Feng Yi had already suspected something like this,

when Feng Yi, Wu Han, and other generals heard the news, their first reaction was disbelief.

Seized Lueyang?

They knew perfectly well what Lueyang was.

But could such a place be taken by surprise?

The generals were stunned.

Yet they could not miss this opportunity.

Wu Han and others immediately wanted to launch a decisive battle.

But Feng Yi still urged caution—his army had been fighting nonstop and was exhausted.

Though Jixian's defenders fought daily too, their position gave them superior rest and condition compared to the Han troops.

To launch a decisive battle under these conditions—

if they lost, it would be total defeat.

Feng Yi immediately calmed down and said to the generals: "The army is worn out. Rest for several days."

"General!"

Wu Han looked astonished. "How can we let such an opportunity slip?"

"Our troops are tired, but the enemy is attacking from both front and rear!"

"And Grand Marshal is now in Lueyang."

"If it's a surprise attack, he couldn't have brought many troops—if Wei Xiao breaks Lueyang, Grand Marshal—"

"Grand Marshal will hold it!"

Before Wu Han finished, Feng Yi cut him off sharply.

"Hm?"

Wu Han froze.

"Grand Marshal will hold it!"

Feng Yi repeated it again, looking earnestly at the officers: "I have never seen Grand Marshal make a mistake in battle. Jixian is not easily taken—even under these conditions."

"Grand Marshal understands this perfectly. If he did this, he can hold it."

"I will write to Your Majesty."

"If anything goes wrong, I accept full punishment!!!"

Feng Yi forcefully silenced the generals and sent word to Luoyang by swift courier.

No one expected Liu Xiu to come to the front himself.

Nor did he rebuke Feng Yi as the generals feared; instead, as Feng Yi had said, he publicly declared with firm certainty:

"Grand Marshal is my Han's greatest warrior."

"How could he fail to hold a mere Lueyang?"

Liu Xiu's confidence in Gu Xiao surpassed all expectations and settled the matter once and for all.

Of course, Liu Xiu would not wait indefinitely.

Once the army's morale fully recovered, he personally led his forces to break Jixian and march toward Lueyang.

By then, four months had passed since Gu Xiao seized Lueyang.

And Gu Xiao did not disappoint.

He held Lueyang. Under the double assault, Wei Xiao's army was crushed; Wei Xiao, overcome with rage and despair, died on the battlefield.

——————

"The Longyou Campaign: Wei Xiao held fast behind natural defenses, blocking the mountain passes to blunt the Han army's advance, resulting in a prolonged stalemate with no clear victor.

The Han army, having marched far, struggled with supply lines; provisions dwindled, and anxiety spread through the ranks.

The Emperor sought to pacify Longyou and stabilize the realm, so he summoned his ministers for counsel.

At the time, Grand Marshal Gu Xiao, bold and strategic, stepped forward and said: 'Your Majesty, observing Longyou's terrain, if we lead our main force through Fanxu and Huizhong, we can launch a surprise strike directly at Lueyang. Once taken, it hangs like a blade above Jixian—Wei Xiao must rush to reinforce it, and the opening for victory will appear.'"

The Emperor heard this and deeply agreed, so he followed his plan.

Gu Xiao received the order, led his troops in stealthy advance, and indeed descended like divine soldiers, capturing Lüeyang in a single strike.

Wei Xiao was greatly alarmed, fearing being attacked from both front and rear, and urgently recalled troops from all directions to reinforce Lüeyang; thus the Han army gained an opportunity to strike. Yet after prolonged warfare, the soldiers were exhausted; though the generals were resolved to fight to the death and wished to press the advantage.

Feng Yi said: "Grand Commandant Gu Xiao has always possessed strategic talent; now that he holds Lüeyang, he will surely defend it."

The Emperor also said: "Grand Commandant is my Great Han's foremost fierce general—how could Lüeyang possibly fall?"

Thus, Gu Xiao, with only two thousand men, held off Wei Xiao's tens of thousands; arrows and stones rained down, smoke blotted out the sun. Gu Xiao supervised his troops, defending the city; over four months, though repeatedly engaged in brutal battles, Lüeyang remained firmly in his grasp, as solid as a boulder, and Wei Xiao ultimately failed to break it.

His fame then resounded throughout Longyou, laying the foundation for the Han army's subsequent advances; all contemporaries praised Gu Xiao's Merit, and it became a celebrated tale in military circles.

——Records of the Later Han. Biography of Gu Xiao

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(End of Chapter)