Chapter 159: Raising the Banner (Repaying a Debt)

Over ten thousand troops had set up camp directly on the main road by the Xiao Liao River, but after Xu Rong returned, he suddenly seemed to see things differently… After all, if they delayed a few days until all the Goguryeo reinforcements arrived, just one glance at that Zuoyuan place would kill any desire to attack. Perhaps this farce of a campaign would simply end there.

No need to fight to the death — wasn't that just perfect?

With that thought, Xu Rong naturally relaxed completely.

However, when the camp was finished by dusk, Xu Rong suddenly received an order saying that Magistrate Gongsun requested his presence at the main tent to discuss matters. This only added to his exasperation and deepened his disdain for this young nobleman of great renown… He had backed down at the first sign of difficulty during the day, yet now he wanted to hold a discussion — who knew what they could possibly discuss? Surely they weren't planning to take the chance to drink and make merry?

When he arrived, how to put it? One couldn't say Xu Rong had guessed wrong, nor could one say he had guessed right, because the central army tent was indeed in the middle of a meal, not a "discussion." However, there was truly not a drop of wine here, and it hardly qualified as feasting and revelry — it was simply a meal.

"Commandant Xu, styled Bojin?" Gongsun Xun, seated at the head, was eating and directing a full eighty percent of his attention at Xu Rong, who sat first on the right. "Was that name given by my clan elder brother?"

"It was!" Hearing the other mention Gongsun Yu, Xu Rong could no longer maintain deliberate coldness. "The kindness the late Grand Administrator Gongsun showed my father and me back then is truly unforgettable. Before my father passed, he often told me to observe the way of a subject toward the Grand Administrator."

To observe the way of a subject toward the Grand Administrator alone, not toward the Gongsun clan — the hidden meaning in these words was already quite clear: The late Grand Administrator kept faith, so I will naturally do my duty and help you fight this battle, but don't bring up anything beyond that!

"Then do you know Gongsun Du?" Gongsun Xun asked while eating, still appearing unconcerned. "I've heard he was also serving as a clerk in my clan brother's residence at the time, which should be around the same period as you?"

"Indeed." Xu Rong, Xu Bojin, showed a bit more interest again. "Brother Shengji and I served as clerks together in our youth and got along very well!"

"In that case, Bojin, please eat quickly." Gongsun Xun nodded slightly, then smiled again.

The truth was, although Gongsun Xun had long ago largely guessed that this man was likely the Xu Rong from his mother's stories — the one who had defeated Cao Cao in a head-on battle and then helped Gongsun Du obtain the post of Liaodong Grand Administrator — this face-to-face questioning now confirmed it beyond doubt.

After all, regardless of how much real skill Cao Mengde possessed in his first command according to the stories, judging from Xu Rong himself, for a frontier officer from the Liao region to earn the regard of Dong Zhuo, a man of Xiliang, and become one of the few important generals in the Xiliang army… at the very least, this man's ability to command troops was likely genuine.

And when it came to war, who wouldn't wish for their subordinates to have a higher level of skill? It was no wonder Gongsun Xun smiled.

To Xu Rong, however, seated to the side, this smile seemed utterly baffling… So what if he had a good relationship with Gongsun Du? Could that break through the defensive line at Zuoyuan, twenty li away? This iron-pot salted pork stir-fried with mushrooms, paired with boiled noodle slices, was indeed delicious — but could it lure the Goguryeo men from Zuoyuan out here to fight a decisive battle against over ten thousand troops on open ground?

But regardless, the iron-pot salted pork stir-fried with mushrooms and boiled noodle slices was truly delicious. Not to mention Xu Rong, who was eating it for the first time, even Tadun and Duan Riyuming, who had eaten it for three or five days straight, hadn't grown tired of it. Duan Riyuming, long accustomed to hardship, had even just declared while holding his pottery bowl that if he could eat such things his whole life, he wouldn't mind being a slave — which drew repeated stares from Jian Juwei, the leader of the Fuyu reinforcements who had only joined them today. Only Mo Hutan spent the whole time pestering Lou Gui about the sales prospects for the iron pots, and today was no exception.

Seeing that Duan Riyuming, the slowest eater, had swallowed his last mouthful, Gongsun Xun set down the noodle broth he'd used to rinse his mouth and surveyed everyone in the tent with keen interest:

"Have all of you eaten your fill?"

"Many thanks for your hospitality, my lord!" From Xu Rong and Tadun on down, these men who were essentially guest commanders cupped their hands in thanks.

"Then let us move!" Gongsun Xun nodded slightly, then rose abruptly, hand on his sword. On his left, besides Lu Fan alone, Lou Gui and Han Dang, Gongsun Fan and Gongsun Yue, also rose at once, hands on their swords.

"Go where?!" Seeing this, Tadun, beside Xu Rong, was momentarily stunned and even forgot to use an honorific.

"Is… burp! Where is my lord going?" Duan Riyuming was so startled he actually burped.

"The sky is already dark!" Mo Hutan also gave a panicked, dry laugh. "Your Excellency, with a body worth a thousand pieces of gold, surely you don't intend to leave the camp?"

Jian Juwei of the Fuyu people also glanced around wildly, but being newly arrived, it was not his place to speak, nor did he dare to.

At this moment, aside from Gongsun Xun's trusted men like Han Dang and Lou Gui, Xu Rong also rose to his feet with a look of sudden understanding… This was not to say Xu Rong was smarter while Tadun and Mo Hutan were all fools, but rather that as a Han military officer, although he didn't think much of Gongsun Xun, he also knew the man would not harm him, and so he could think normally. As for those chieftains, they were all mercenaries, so even Mo Hutan's first reaction to a seemingly inexplicable order was mostly wariness.

"Commandant Xu, lead the way!" Gongsun Xun ignored these men and instead smiled boldly at Xu Rong. "Since we're here, let us take advantage of the night and make a trip to Zuoyuan to see exactly what the situation is there!"

"Aye!" Xu Rong responded with rare vigor.

Tadun and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Once outside, everyone saw a full company of Han archers standing before the main tent, each man with two horses, and men specially leading over several mounts that were not white. They naturally understood that Gongsun Xun had prepared in advance, and each settled down… In the end, except for Lu Fan and Wang Xiu, who remained to guard the main camp, every senior officer in the camp, without specially donning armor or bringing long weapons, dressed just as they had been during the meal, simply took the short weapons laid out before the main tent and set off cautiously through the twilight toward Zuoyuan.

…

Zuoyuan, in a mountain hollow on the northwest side.

"My lord, please look!"

Under the faint starlight, Xu Rong braved the winter night chill and explained with a tone utterly different from that of the daytime. A clearly visible plume of white vapor rose from his mouth as he spoke, and from Gongsun Xun on down, nearly every person crouching in this mountain hollow wore an expression of extreme gravity.

"In such a narrow mountain valley, the Goguryeo people have actually built a full eleven forts and camps… some built halfway up the slopes following the mountain contours, some guarding the water source, some blocking the passage entrance, some thrust forward as horns, some storing provisions as rear support… they practically fill the entire valley!"

"And through years of garrisoning, the originally temporary camps of wooden palisades and trenches have been steadily reinforced, and now show a trend toward brick and stone construction…"

"The largest main camp in the center can garrison roughly two thousand men, while the other smaller camps each hold anywhere from one or two hundred to three or five hundred… However, Goguryeo is a small state with a weak populace, so the permanent garrison is only half the full complement. I estimate there are currently around two thousand men in the camps."

"Commandant Xu was present for both previous attacks on Zuoyuan?" Only after the other man stopped on his own did Gongsun Xun ask, without turning his head.

"Indeed." Xu Rong answered frankly. "The first time I was merely an assistant clerk beside the late Grand Administrator Gongsun. The second time I came as a Qu Army Marquis."

"And in those two campaigns, did you see any suitable method?"

"Aside from launching a full-scale assault, I truly cannot think of many brilliant strategies." Xu Rong, who had shown some spirit moments before, could not help but feel disheartened again. "The terrain imposes too many limitations!"

"And what of a full-scale assault?" Gongsun Xun continued to ask.

"A full-scale assault would mean leveraging our army's superior numbers, mustering our spirit in one surge, having the soldiers dismount and fight on foot, fill in the trenches, topple the palisades, and then take the camps with cold steel… But the fear is precisely that there are too many camps, and they support each other effectively. If we cannot take these camps one after another within two or three days and break through Zuoyuan, then once the Goguryeo reinforcements arrive from the rear, even if only two or three camps remain, it would be enough for the Goguryeo men to use the terrain to hold this place to the death."

"At that point, it would become a futile stalemate, our army's supplies would be strained, and we could only retreat helplessly?"

"Indeed." Xu Rong gave his conclusion solemnly. "Ultimately, the dynamic between attacker and defender is set here. Once they cannot all be taken swiftly, it is all futile effort."

Silence fell over the mountain hollow for a moment.

"Young lord," at that moment, Lou Gui suddenly cupped his hands and said, "Winter is dry and cold, and there is no snow here. Perhaps we should give it a try before drawing conclusions!"

No one understood his meaning, but Gongsun Xun nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Immediately, under everyone's watchful eyes, Han Dang led that company of troops — originally thought to be there for protection — bending low and moving with extreme caution, actually slipping forward under cover of night.

The crowd grew even more bewildered… Were they really going to attempt a night raid to seize a camp with just these hundred men? This was far too absurd, wasn't it?

However, Gongsun Yue, Gongsun Fan, and the others had always revered their elder brother and were young and inexperienced; the other chieftains were mostly guest commanders and naturally found it awkward to speak up; and Lou Gui and Han Dang, who should have been the ones to offer remonstrance, were instead the very ones proposing and executing this plan… So, everyone could only watch helplessly as Han Dang led a mere hundred men to easily creep up beside a somewhat quiet camp, then split into two groups, lit torches, and hurled the fire directly into the camp and the surrounding wild fields!

"Are they attempting a fire attack?!" In the abruptly flaring firelight, Gongsun Fan suddenly understood.

"Winter grasses and trees are withered and yellow, the weather dry and cold — perhaps it will work!" Gongsun Yue was also momentarily delighted.

And then, starting from this forward camp of Goguryeo that had suffered the surprise attack, the entire valley quickly became dotted with lights… Clearly, all the camps had been alarmed, and the forward camp that had been directly set ablaze was filled with clamor, thrown into chaos for a time.

Seeing this, Han Dang did not order a follow-up assault with cold steel. Instead, he had the hundred men continue to split into two squads — one firing arrows into the camp to disrupt the situation, the other continuing to hurl torches and such without pause.

It was at this moment that Xu Rong and the others in the mountain hollow realized why each man had two horses… So the other horse was entirely laden with fire-starting materials.

But as time passed, this situation, which had initially lifted their spirits, did not develop in a favorable direction — the torches thrown into the wild fields ignited a patch of ground, but quickly died out; the torches thrown into the camp burned down a section of palisade, but likewise did not spread; what's more, the Goguryeo soldiers in that camp were already organizing under their officers and attempting to shoot arrows back out in retaliation!

"There are even hidden firebreaks inside the camp!" Gongsun Fan said bitterly.

"The surrounding grass and trees have also been cleared very cleanly!" Duan Riyuming added in a muffled voice.

"It's not those things!" Xu Rong suddenly burst out in indignation. "None of that matters. The key is that the troops in that camp, suddenly ambushed at night, showed no sign of panic whatsoever and could even counterattack! Even more unexpected is that the Goguryeo men in the other camps, when the situation was unclear, also did not rashly leave their own camps to come to their aid…"

"Commandant Xu means to say…" Lou Gui stroked his beard and asked in return, "the opposing general is no mediocre man?"

"Not so." Xu Rong exhaled deeply and said, "A petty kingdom with only a few hundred thousand people, its nobility numbering no more than a few hundred across six tribes — where would so many heroes come from? In such circumstances, it is simply that Minglin Physician's prestige was outstanding, and the rules he left behind have been followed... In truth, these things ought to be institutionalized in a fortress to begin with. When regulations exist, why must every man be a hero?"

"Well said, Adjutant Xu!" Gongsun Xun, who had been staring at the central main camp in the distance, suddenly turned his head. "Defense is about adhering to established rules. If they truly follow regulations this strictly, then we really have no choice but a direct assault... I have already formed a plan in my mind. Summon Yigong and the others — let us return!"

In the darkness of night, Xu Rong found it harder and harder to make out the other man's expression.

………………

Along the way, the group could not help but feel somewhat discouraged, but they were busy hurrying back and said little. Moreover, the company of Han army archers accompanying them had been brimming with excitement the entire time, so they were even more reluctant to speak much, lest they disturb the troops' morale... After all, from the perspective of these low-ranking soldiers, there was indeed reason to be excited. A hundred men had burned a small portion of the encampment — if ten thousand men surged forward together, taking a mere Zuoyuan would surely be effortless, would it not?

However, after returning to the camp and watching as Han Dang led this company of soldiers to the rear camp to report their merits to Wang Xiu, Tadun, as the foremost leader among the Hu cavalry and the strongest and highest in status, could not help but speak up before the central army tent.

"Lord Gongsun." Tadun cupped his hands and said with a solemn expression, "I have something to say, though I know not if it is my place."

"Speak," Gongsun Xun said, utterly unconcerned.

"My lord." Tadun clenched his teeth and said, "Tonight we have startled the snake by beating the grass. I fear the Goguryeo men have already sent for reinforcements through the night. If my lord has made his resolve, I implore you to dispatch the troops at once, without further delay."

Gongsun Xun could not help but laugh. "I thought that Chieftain Tadun, seeing the enemy's sturdy ramparts and clear chain of command, had thoughts of retreat. Yet you actually seek battle?"

I am leading a thousand-odd men within your army of ten thousand — I would have to be mad to have any 'thoughts of retreat,' and even if I did, I would not dare voice them! Tadun thought helplessly, and could only force a fervent tone:

"What words are these, my lord? We Wuhuan people have dwelt in Liaoxi for generations and have always been on good terms with the Gongsun clan. Moreover, Governor Zhao's grace and authority are both weighty, and all, high and low, submit to him without exception... Having been honored by my lord's summons for this campaign, we should rightly strive unto death! What if the encampment is sturdy? If my lord gives the order, we Wuhuan men will cast aside the advantage of our charging horsemen and fight blade-to-blade, laying down our lives for my lord!"

"What does Headman Mohu say?" Gongsun Xun suddenly turned back and asked Mohu Kou.

"What words are these, my lord?!" Mohu Kou immediately puffed out his chest. "I, Mohu Kou, regard you and the Anli Trading Company as my second parents. If you give the order, my Mohu tribe will surely fight to the death with all our strength!"

"And the Duan tribe?" Gongsun Xun nodded with satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Duanri Yuming.

"The Duan tribe has received great kindness from Governor Zhao and is entirely at my lord's command," Duanri Yuming hastily answered.

"And what does the Fuyu Jianjuwei Zhuga intend to do?" Gongsun Xun continued asking down the line... Zhuga was one of the four Dao offices of the Fuyu; the other three were Niuga, Maga, and Gouga — amusing, really!

"What words are these, General?" Jianjuwei, who had hastily bowed his head, also spoke flawless Han speech — or rather, in this era, people of every ethnicity could only communicate with one another using the Han tongue. "We Fuyu people have repeatedly suffered oppression by the Goguryeo and have repeatedly received aid from the Great Han... If we do not fight to the death when following the Great Han against the Goguryeo, then what use is there in preserving these lives of ours?"

This was reasonable enough, Xu Rong mused silently to himself. Setting aside the Fuyu, who had direct interests at stake with Goguryeo, when faced with a setback, a bunch of mixed Hu and wild men from Liaoxi, instead of shirking and cheating, actually sought only to seize the last sliver of a chance to fight and give it their all... Although there was a hint of having no other choice, this young lord of Gongsun stock indeed held an extraordinary place in the hearts of these people!

"Well said!" After questioning the various foreign chieftains, Gongsun Xun did not press further. Before the central army tent, he issued his command with head held high. "Since all of you possess the will to fight, then rest well tonight. Tomorrow, we march on Zuoyuan!"

At these words, regardless of the mixed thoughts in their minds, the assembled commanders had no further words to say and merely roared their assent!

The commanders took their leave and returned to their camps. Gongsun Xun naturally lifted the flap and entered the central army tent, though Lou Zibo followed him in as usual... No one thought much of it.

"Each one speaks so pleasingly, yet in their hearts they harbor ill intentions," Lou Gui could not help but sneer coldly the moment he entered the tent. "It is clear they saw the enemy camp was sturdy and well-ordered, and then each grew stingy with his own tribe. So they only wish to fight one desperate battle before Goguryeo reinforcements arrive, just to give you, young lord, and Governor Zhao an explanation. That way, once a stalemate sets in, they can shamelessly demand to withdraw the army."

"Why concern yourself with that?" Gongsun Xun, having seated himself back in the place of honor, removed his broken blade and held it in his hand, unconcerned. "They are mercenaries to begin with, and we only sought one battle from the start... Besides, if we win a great victory, they will naturally continue to follow. If we do not win, would we stubbornly insist on remaining here either?"

Lou Gui fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Just now, did you, young lord, see the signal clearly?"

"I saw it clearly," Gongsun Xun nodded in reply.

"I thought my eyes had deceived me," Lou Gui said with a hint of doubt. "It was actually the great camp at the very center... Could the person Yaya Kelu arranged be the very commander of Zuoyuan? If so, would that not be far too easy?!"

"Who knows?" Gongsun Xun finally grew serious. "But no matter what, tomorrow we shall know the outcome!"

Lou Zibo nodded slightly and said nothing.

………………

In the depths of winter, the twelfth month, before the sky had even brightened, a white mist could be seen drifting from the entire Han army camp — this was the army burying pots to cook, preparing the morning meal and marching rations.

And after the morning meal, everything from the warhorses to the dry provisions and water, from equipment to the various tasks of shifting camp, was already fully prepared... Lu Fan had overseen camp logistics at Yanmen and was well-trained; coupled with a conscientious and responsible Wang Xiu, the two of them, leading a host of military clerks, could be described as perfectly methodical.

The soldiers began forming ranks and marching out of camp, and Gongsun Xun also began the arduous task of assigning duties from early morning... It must be understood that an army of over ten thousand, a motley mix of Hu and Han with uneven fighting strength, was no simple matter to march twenty li and then do battle!

First of all, this camp could not be abandoned, as it served as the foundation for the advance. So Lu Fan was to take two thousand men — one thousand mixed Hu and one thousand Han, all the weakest among them — to remain here on guard and concurrently handle logistics. Then Wang Xiu was to take five hundred men to advance with the army, preparing to establish supply points along the way and build a small camp at the mouth of the Zuoyuan valley to guard against unforeseen events!

The combat troops also had to be divided by category. The first to set out were Han Dang and Mohu Kou; the two of them, leading one thousand Han troops and one thousand Hu cavalry, would serve as the vanguard and go first to the mouth of the Zuoyuan valley to secure the position. Next, Gongsun Fan would supervise some mixed Hu units unfit for the front lines, about five or six hundred men, to clear the road along the way and serve as the second echelon. Only then would Tadun, Duanri Yuming, Xu Rong, and the others, each holding their own units, guard Gongsun Xun front and rear — about four thousand men as the main force, the fourth echelon, following behind. And Gongsun Yue, together with the Fuyu Zhuga Jianjuwei, would lead that one thousand Fuyu men as the rear guard.

An army exceeding ten thousand stretches boundless and without edge. The banners of Han Dang and Mohu Kou at the front had already vanished from sight, and Gongsun Fan had also set out with all his men. Only then did Gongsun Xun's main force finish forming ranks outside the camp and begin marching toward Zuoyuan ahead!

"My lord, wait a moment!" Gongsun Xun had just started moving when Lu Fan's shout suddenly came from behind — the latter had evidently rushed out of the camp in pursuit.

The soldiers, who had just begun moving only to halt again, buzzed with discussion. The commanders, seeing this, all frowned and remained silent. Even Gongsun Xun felt a twinge of alarm... Lu Fan was not a man ignorant of propriety. For him to suddenly chase after them just as the march was beginning, he must have encountered some truly troublesome matter.

"My lord!" Lu Fan, bearing an object on his back, hurriedly rode out from the camp gate, then hastily stuffed the item into his lord's hands. "The Lady has just sent something from Xiangping. I dared not keep it!"

Receiving the object, Gongsun Xun's heart first jolted — he thought only that his own mother had come pursuing him. But immediately, he realized that the 'Lady' Lu Fan spoke of was Zhao Yun, not his mother... Only, what trouble was that girl A-Yun causing at a time like this? And why was Lu Ziheng joining in the mischief?

However, forcing himself to remain composed, he lowered his head and examined the item for a moment, then let out a sigh. "Such earnest and generous sentiment from my Lady — as her husband, I cannot but accept. Hoist it for me at once!"

As it turned out, this was an exquisitely embroidered, finely woven brocade banner — a white horse on a red field, truly imposing, and a treasure in its own right at this time... This item was by no means hastily completed. One could well imagine how much thought Zhao Yun, knowing he was about to go to war, had secretly poured into it over the past two months.

As for the great banner Gongsun Xun had previously flown, it was merely a crude Gongsun character banner hastily woven back when he was drilling troops in Xiangping.

"My lord!"

Watching the new great banner being raised, unfurling behind Gongsun Xun alongside the banner bearing the two characters of Gongsun, Lou Gui, seeing this, changed his form of address on the spot. He immediately dismounted and, together with Lu Fan, bowed low and proclaimed loudly before all:

"To receive a banner upon reaching the field of battle is an auspicious omen — this battle shall surely see our banner raised in victory!"

The other commanders, seeing this, also came to their senses one after another, each dismounting and bowing. The soldiers buzzed with discussion, marveling at the sight.

Seated on his horse, Gongsun Xun swept his gaze over his two trusted confidants, then, head held high and hand resting on the broken blade at his waist, laughed heartily as he rode on. "In that case, let the entire army follow me swiftly to Zuoyuan! Victory shall be decided this very day!"

………………

By noon, Gongsun Xun had led the main army formation to Zuoyuan. Before they could advance into the valley mouth, Han Dang, Mohu Kou, and Gongsun Fan came together to report.

"What is the situation?" Gongsun Xun asked directly, without dismounting.

"Under your protection, my lord!" Mohu Kou answered, somewhat dazed. "The two forward encampments have been taken by our army!"

"So quickly?!" The officers beside them who had been here last night were all astonished, and Xu Rong voiced the question directly.

"It is indeed so." Gongsun Fan's face was full of delight. "Elder brother, you do not know — when I arrived, Brother Yigong was attacking the two forward-protruding encampments at the valley mouth together with Headman Mohu. Brother Yigong attacked the one that caught fire yesterday, and Headman Mohu attacked the other. Who would have thought that, never mind last night when the military situation was unclear and they sent no reinforcements — today, with the sky clear and the military situation visible at a glance, the main Goguryeo camp to the rear still sent no reinforcements! They simply allowed Brother Yigong to lead his men and first break the camp that had caught fire last night, then turn and join Headman Mohu in a pincer attack on the other camp!"

The commanders still felt some shock and doubt. But Gongsun Xun, seeing Han Yigong subtly signal him with his eyes, understood at once that the inside agent must have played a role in this!

"Advance swiftly! Use those two camps as our main position and deploy the troops!" With this thought, Gongsun Xun no longer hesitated and directly urged them to form ranks and dispatch the troops.

"Young lord, I fear that inside agent is not the commander, but at least a man in charge of affairs!" A quarter of an hour later, within the military camp abandoned by the Goguryeo, Han Dang finally had the chance to report in a low voice. "After I led my troops here, the enemy actually took the initiative to come out of camp and meet us in battle. And after we engaged head-on and pursued them into the enemy camp, the fierce fighting had lasted barely a quarter of an hour when the main Goguryeo camp to the rear actually sent another order, telling the men of this camp to withdraw on their own... According to the soldiers who understood the Goguryeo tongue, what they shouted was that this camp had been burned and there was no need to hold it any longer! As for the other forward-protruding camp, with no reinforcements from the rear and its flanking camp already taken, it naturally fell in one stroke as well."

Gongsun Xun and Lou Gui exchanged a glance and were about to speak when they saw that the various units had already occupied the encampments and finished forming ranks. Xu Rong, Tadun, Duanri Yuming, and the others were also hurrying over one after another. They immediately shut their mouths and instead sat motionless, ordering men to quickly raise his White Horse army banner, along with the Gongsun character banner, to stand in distant opposition to the great Goguryeo camp across the way!

A moment later, just as Gongsun Xun was pointing and gesturing, assigning attack tasks to the various units on horseback, he suddenly raised his head and froze on the spot... As it turned out, perhaps seeing his banners raised here, atop the central high watchtower in the great Goguryeo camp opposite, a strangely shaped banner had also been raised, and the cheers of the Goguryeo soldiers could immediately be heard.

"Adjutant Xu," Gongsun Xun could not help but frown and ask, "What in the world is painted on that banner? Is it a Goguryeo banner?"

"It depicts a golden frog," Xu Rong, long stationed on the frontier, understood at a single glance. "Legend says the father of Jumong, the founding king of Goguryeo, was the Golden Frog King... A golden frog on a red field — this must be a direct-line noble of the Gwanna-bu, one of the Five Tribes of Goguryeo, present here."

"A direct-line noble of the Gwanna-bu?" Lou Gui could not help repeating.

"Precisely!"

"Young Lord!" Lou Gui suddenly prostrated himself again. "The enemy general is arrogant and incompetent — the moment for battle has revealed itself! Permit the Hu cavalry to sally forth in full force, severing the connection between the Goguryeo main camp and the other stockades. Then commit all the Han troops to Yigong and launch an immediate, all-out assault on the main camp!"

The other commanders, hearing this, were all utterly baffled, but Gongsun Xun abruptly rose to his feet. He drew the broken blade he had not brandished in so long and, with a single stroke, cleaved the armrest table that had just been set before him: "Zibo's brilliant stratagem! All commanders, act upon these words without delay! More than that — the central army shall strike camp and advance with me. Plant my battle standard and my own command directly before the enemy camp, and beat the war drums to bolster our might! This battle must be won in one surge of spirit, settled in a single stroke!"

The assembled generals were all utterly stunned. Not one dared utter another word; they could only turn and spur their troops into motion.

Yet just as Gongsun Xun urged his own banners forward, slowly pressing closer, another sudden change occurred — facing several thousand Han troops, the opposing main camp actually opened its gates directly. And then the Goguryeo men, already weak in numbers, actually abandoned their fully fortified main camp of their own accord, raising the Golden Frog banner and marching out from the stockade to meet the enemy.

The Han commanders were once again struck dumbfounded. Even Gongsun Xun beneath the White Horse Banner was momentarily dazed. And within the opposing camp, atop the high platform, an armored general clutching a bloodstained blade turned away in shame.

—————I am the dividing line of settled in a single stroke—————

"The Goguryeo entrenched themselves at Sitting Plain, linking eleven stockades. For over ten years, the Han army repeatedly failed to take them, and the border suffered bitterly. When Xun was transferred as Prefect of Xiangping, he used public security matters to command the county militia and the Hu chieftain commanders to advance. All deemed it unworkable. On the very day of departure, his wife alone sent a household servant bearing the White Horse Banner to him as encouragement. All took this as an auspicious sign, and Xun himself sighed in admiration. He then advanced swiftly and attacked... Arriving at Sitting Plain, the bandits, having gone years without battle, were all terrified and shocked, so much so that the central army had only just arrived when the vanguard had already broken through two stockades. Xun immediately ordered the troops not to halt, but to press straight forward. He personally took up the White Horse Banner, overseeing the army as it advanced to sit before the enemy camp gates. The enemy thereupon collapsed utterly, and their entire encampment was lost... Some say: Sitting Plain, unconquered for ten years, changed hands in a single day upon meeting the White Horse. Was it truly only a matter of unpreparedness?!" — *Records of Heroes at the End of Han*. Wang Can

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(End of Chapter)