Chapter 558: Enlisting

Bai Lang, after retreating, was still seething, "I almost took that Cao's dog head." Yet Bai Lang is the kind of man whose mood brightens in a moment; after all, he isn't truly a person of the late Han, and CaoCao's not dying is destiny. He has done enough to uphold the Han dynasty, so a minor regret matters little. He has seen Emperor Xian, so naturally he thinks this man looks like a bullied fellow…

"If we didn't slay him this time, then we didn't, and Emperor Wei Wu shouldn't have died in such a disgraceful way." Bai Lang returned to camp, realizing the situation was helpless, and therefore led his troops in a retreat. The night raid left him short of supplies, and CaoCao habitually blocks enemy supply routes; although that matters little for cavalry, Bai Lang still prepared to withdraw near Jinyang to forage. Victory or defeat has never been on Bai Lang's mind; he simply enjoys the thrill of battle.

CaoCao, rescued, gathered the defeated troops and restructured them, then laughed to the heavens, "White Yuzhu is in a desperate state. If this man were to lead another assault, our army would be doomed. Since he does not come now, our victory is assured; everyone, press on, and we shall secure the area beneath Jinyang City." As CaoCao predicted, Bai Lang never launched another attack, and he calmly rallied his troops and crossed the river. From then on CaoCao grew more cautious, once again mobilizing a rear force of one hundred thousand troops to aid, bringing the total to nearly four hundred thousand troops pressing into Bingzhou.

Four hundred thousand troops split into four routes; CaoCao personally led two hundred thousand troops slowly pressing toward Jinyang, while the other three routes moved north and south to encircle, intending to trap Bai Lang beneath Jinyang City. Inside Jinyang, Bai Lang conferred with his generals; Gao Shun said nothing, merely pledging to obey any of Bai Lang's orders, and after sketching on the map, Gao Gan sighed, "If we rely on Jinyang's walls alone and have no outside aid, we'll probably not hold it."

Bai Lang chuckled, "Exactly, I knew it all along. So we won't defend this city; I'll lead the cavalry to harass, you all divide the city's money and grain, disperse the bulk of the troops, and we'll head south to seek Liu Biao's protection." Bai Lang had long known that Bingzhou's manpower was exhausted, and even if he seized tens of thousands of Hu, they would be useless; conscripting them would require changing their customs, a task likely to fail, and it would take at least two or three generations before they could be turned from Hu into Han.

Bai Lang led his forces to strike, using the cavalry's speed and inner‑line advantage to quickly hit CaoCao's troops from three directions; each time he smashed their camps, slaying thousands and breaking the enemy's forward encampment, forcing CaoCao to either fortify his defense or retreat outright. Yet he could not halt CaoCao's advance nor bypass to cut off their logistics. CaoCao moved supplies by water, and cavalry cannot leap into a river to intercept the supply route.

Ten days later, Bai Lang simply ordered a retreat; upon returning to Jinyang he sealed the remaining treasury, organized the staff of each office, then grabbed the pre‑stocked provisions and left. The cavalry's southward march was extremely swift, easily breaking out of the encirclement before the net was completed. If CaoCao tried to take Jinyang first and then give chase, it would be utterly impossible; even if he skipped Jinyang and pursued directly, he would still be at least three days behind.

If CaoCao truly dared to send the Tiger‑and‑Leopard Light Cavalry to chase, Bai Lang didn't mind showing him what heart‑piercing pain feels like. After streamlining his forces, Bai Lang still retained ten thousand infantry, and his cavalry numbered just over six thousand. Gao Shun and Gao Gan guarded Bai Lang's family as they rode south; while CaoCao finally entered Jinyang City proclaiming he had taken all of Bingzhou, Bai Lang also set foot on Jingzhou's soil.

It is said that after Xuande arrived in Jingzhou, Liu Biao held him in high regard, and Xuande pacified the defectors Zhang Wu and Chen Sun who had been raiding the people of Jiangxia and plotting rebellion. Liu Biao stationed him at Xinye, where Xuande, his second brother, and various generals led an army to garrison Xinye County. During this time Liu Biao spoke of appointing senior and junior officials, and Madam Cai, who deeply resented Xuande's words, heard Xuande say a few careless remarks while drinking… Consequently, the Cai family resolved to kill LiuBei.

When Bai Lang arrived, the ambush against LiuBei had just ended, and LiuBei escaped on his Lu horse. Bai Lang led his troops into Jingzhou; none of Liu Biao's generals dared to advance, only a messenger was sent to ask, "Why does the White Bingzhou come here?" Everyone knew Bai Lang had lost Bingzhou and feared he would take Jingzhou. "Who still dares to call themselves White Bingzhou?" Bai Lang laughed, "Having lost Bingzhou, I can only be called Bai Lang; now I have come to submit to Uncle Liu."

Jingzhou was shaken many times a day, even the great general Wen Ping dared not challenge Bai Lang's might. Fortunately Bai Lang's march was swift, and within a few days he reached Xinye. LiuBei, upon learning of Bai Lang's arrival, rode out a hundred li to greet him. Bai Lang also did not take the reins; after seeing LiuBei together with GuanYu, ZhangFei, ZhaoYun, and Jian Yong, he dismounted, raised both hands in a clasped‑fist salute and said, "Xuande, I come to submit to you." Xuande and his men all wore smiles.

Bai Lang is a man of the road; as a wandering knight his nature is to be friendly with Xuande and his men, and even the proud GuanYu and fierce ZhangFei get along well with him. Moreover, Bai Lang's reputation for bravery is known throughout the world, making him the era's foremost fierce general. Now he even brings elite Bingzhou cavalry and Bingzhou infantry to submit, instantly swelling Liu Xuande's forces by thirty percent. Bai Lang took residence in Xinye City and earnestly bowed low to affirm his status.

Bai Lang would never usurp LiuBei's position; rather, he now feels at ease because those damned troubles no longer concern him. In Xuande's camp there is one person who catches Bai Lang's attention, a man named Shanfu. "Who doesn't know you're called XuShu!" Bai Lang mutters privately, though he doesn't tell LiuBei. The issue that immediately springs to Bai Lang's mind is XuShu's mother—later CaoCao used the mother matter to lure XuShu away. However, Bai Lang's covert inquiries yielded nothing; it seems XuShu's mother is in the lands ruled by CaoCao…

CaoCao learned that Bai Lang had slipped away with his army, but he never expected him to defect to LiuBei. Upon hearing the news, CaoCao almost lost his composure, exclaiming, "LiuBei is now uncontrollable!" He immediately ordered a massive campaign against Jingzhou. He specifically dispatched CaoRen, LiDian, and the surrendered generals Lu Kuang and Lu Xiang, each leading thirty thousand troops, to garrison FanCheng, eyeing Jingxiang and probing the situation. At that moment Lu Kuang and Lu Xiang reported to CaoRen, "LiuBei is now stationed at Xinye, recruiting soldiers, buying horses, stockpiling straw and grain; his ambition is great, we must act early. Since we surrendered to the Chancellor, we have achieved no merit; we request five thousand elite troops to behead LiuBei and present his head to the Chancellor." CaoRen was delighted, took the two Lu's five thousand men, and marched to Xinye for a fierce clash.

CaoCao, upon hearing this, scolded CaoRen for his lack of wisdom, "You lost my fifty thousand elite troops! Zixiao, you still don't know that White Yuzhu is over there!"

Yet there was no need for Bai Lang to intervene...

A scouting horse reported to Xuande. Xuande asked Shanfu for counsel. Shanfu said, "Since enemy troops are present, we must not let them enter the realm. Have GuanYu lead a force out of the left flank to meet the enemy in the middle; have ZhangFei lead a force out of the right flank to attack the enemy's rear; you yourself should lead ZhaoYun forward to meet them head‑on; the enemy will be broken." Xuande took his words, dispatched Guan and Zhang accordingly; then, together with Shanfu, ZhaoYun, and others, led two thousand men and horses out of the pass to meet them. Bai Lang led three thousand elite cavalry, serving only as central support.