Chapter 233: Surging Undercurrents

Meng Zhang, having won a great victory, pursued the enemy, leading the Yellow Turban Army north without pause, their momentum like a rainbow.

Nearly three hundred thousand strong, the Yellow Turban Army marched mightily, cavalry like clouds, banners blotting out the sun, chasing the Great Qian forces led by Yin Yuanxun and others all the way, displaying an unstoppable martial might.

Wherever the Yellow Turban Army passed, the Great Qian's abandoned garrison troops all surrendered at the first sign, and many city garrisons openly offered their cities, daring not to resist the Yellow Turban Army.

But unlike the high spirits of Meng Zhang and the Yellow Turban Army,

Yin Yuanxun, Qiu Longteng, and other Great Qian commanders, under the Yellow Turban Army's pursuit, were like bereaved dogs, in utter disarray.

Their once-proud elite forces collapsed under the Yellow Turban Army's fierce assault, unable to mount any effective resistance.

Most soldiers scattered in rout, and the commanders could only flee in panic with the remnants of their troops.

The Yellow Turban Army, meanwhile, advanced triumphantly, recovering many cities and towns.

Moreover, Meng Zhang enforced strict discipline, harming nothing wherever he went.

Wherever they went, they were warmly welcomed and supported by the locals, living in harmony with the populace and winning broad popular support.

In the recovered cities, the Yellow Turban Army undertook a brief rest and resupply.

They repaired the walls, pacified the populace, tightened military discipline, and made ample preparations for the coming battles.

Meng Zhang used this time to communicate with local gentry and populace, gauge public sentiment, and devise a detailed plan for the Yellow Turban Army's next move.

As the Yellow Turban Army continued northward, their might grew ever greater.

Meng Zhang led the Yellow Turban Army like an unstoppable flood, sweeping across most of Lu Prefecture.

Only a small area bordering Qian Prefecture, where the Great Qian heartland lay, remained under the control of Yin Yuanxun and his allies.

The two sides again faced off here.

Unfortunately, unlike before, the Yellow Turban Army now had Yin Yuanxun and his allies half-surrounded.

After suffering a massive defeat,

the twenty thousand Great Qian regular troops under Yin Yuanxun's command suffered heavy losses.

many were killed, wounded, captured, or surrendered.

Additionally, many troops were lost during the retreat.

Now the Great Qian regular forces under Yin Yuanxun's control have dwindled to less than a tenth of their former strength.

Although, when facing Meng Zhang's Yellow Turban Army, Yin Yuanxun's forces had recovered to nearly a hundred thousand, most of these were scattered remnants, mainly garrison troops who had fled from defeated cities.

Truly combat-effective soldiers were few and far between, and the morale of these units had been utterly shattered by Meng Zhang and the Yellow Turban Army's repeated blows.

When faced with the Yellow Turban Army's advance, these soldiers often showed extreme panic and anxiety.

Having witnessed the Yellow Turban Army's bravery and cruelty in earlier battles, they fully understood the gap in strength between themselves and the enemy.

Consequently, when confronted by the Yellow Turban Army's charge, they often lost the will to fight and even collapsed without combat.

Yin Yuanxun and his colleagues knew well the true state of these soldiers, yet they had no alternative.

In their present predicament, they could only rely on these troops to resist the Yellow Turban Army's offensive.

To boost morale, they constantly conducted rallies and encouragement, hoping to restore the soldiers' confidence and fighting spirit.

Yet these efforts often yielded little effect.

The soldiers' fear and unease were hard to dispel, and in battle they remained markedly passive and negative.

This left Yin Yuanxun and his allies at a severe disadvantage in their standoff with the Yellow Turban Army.

Thus, the Yellow Turban Army now facing Yin Yuanxun and his group far outnumbered them and vastly surpassed them in morale.

They could only rely on sturdy fortifications and limited forces, desperately holding onto this land.

And at this dim moment when the Great Qian Empire's Lu Prefecture front had completely collapsed,

within Qian Prefecture's borders, in Lingyang Commandery, the vast rear territory of the Yan King of Western Yan Province, too, was shrouded in intrigue, with undercurrents surging.

At this time, the prominent clans of Lingyang Commandery, who usually vied openly and secretly, unexpectedly chose to gather secretly in light of the nation's survival.

The streets were sparsely populated, only the night watchmen's echoes resounding in the empty lanes.

Yet within a concealed manor in the city, lights blazed, shadows moved, and the atmosphere was unusually tense.

Here gathered several prominent clans from the western territories of the Great Qian Dynasty.

"Duke Pei, is this plan really feasible?"

The speaker was the head of the Li clan, who held the post of Lingyang Commandery governor; his brow was furrowed, clearly uneasy about the impending changes.

"Lord Li, the Great Qian front in Lu Prefecture has totally collapsed, and the Yan King's army advances like a bamboo splitter. If we do not make plans now, we fear that the day the Yan King breaches Qian Prefecture will be the day our families are destroyed."

Duke Pei, chief of the Pei clan, who for generations had enjoyed imperial favor and stood in for the Great Qian Imperial House to guard Qian Prefecture's western flank,

at this moment a flicker of cunning crossed his eyes.

"What Duke Pei says is absolutely correct."

"Our Shen clan has long served the imperial house, but now the imperial house wanes and Great Qian faces a life‑or‑death crisis; we must think of our clan's future."

The head of the Shen clan, who commanded tens of thousands of Lingyang Commandery troops, likewise spoke in a low voice.

"Although Zheng Mou does not wish to be a traitorous minister, the Yan King's power is great; he who knows the times is a true hero."

"I only wonder whether, after the barrier is opened, the Yan King will, as we wish, harm nothing."

The head of the Zheng clan, who controlled most of Lingyang Commandery's commerce, stroked his beard and sighed.

"Hmph, if the Yan King dares to betray us, the silver, gold, treasures, and beauties as fine as jade within Qian Prefecture will not be easily taken by him."

To one side, the head of the Xu clan, who represented most of Lingyang Commandery's underworld forces, gave a cold snort, his tone revealing ruthlessness.

"Rest assured, Pei Mou has been in secret communication with the Yan King for days; his promises to us will surely be kept."

"Once the barrier is opened, the Yan King's army will march straight to the Yellow Dragon, and then we shall share in the glory and wealth."

Duke Pei gave a faint smile, yet his eyes held no mirth.

Upon hearing this, everyone fell into a silence.

They all knew that taking this step would plunge them into an abyss with no way back.

But the present situation allows them no further choice; the Flame King's great army hangs over their heads like a sharp sword, ready to fall at any moment.

Duke Pei's words are not false.

But opening the city to meet the enemy is, after all, a grave offense against the world.

If the Flame King enters the city and later settles scores, would we not be digging our own graves?

The Zheng clan chief frowned, picking up the talk.

Hmph, the Flame King has always been famed for benevolence and righteousness—far superior to that tyrant, the Heaven Emperor, by a hundredfold!

The Xu family head slammed the table, speaking angrily: "In my view, we should seize this opportunity to forge good ties with the Flame King; perhaps we can still preserve our family's glory."

(End of chapter)