Chapter 219: Dying Amidst Shouts and Curses

Cheng Yuanzhi and the Yellow Turban Army got one thing wrong from the very start.

The Han army’s sortie from the city this time was never meant to counter a sudden raid — they had long prepared for it, intending from the outset to pour out in full force early this morning and launch a massive surprise assault on the Yellow Turban main camp. By sheer coincidence, Deputy Commander Zhang, driven mad by the death of his son, had also picked the early morning hours as the perfect time for a raid, and so the two sides simply collided head-on.

On the battlefield, anything can happen, and such an occurrence can only be called ordinary. What followed was the true test for both armies… the combat strength of the frontline troops, as well as the judgment and adaptability of the commanders on both sides, all became critically important at this moment!

For the Yellow Turbans, this sudden encounter at the very least allowed them to detect the Han army early and avoid being caught completely off guard. And if Commander Cheng Yuanzhi had realized this possibility from the start and made preparations in the forward camp accordingly, perhaps the Yellow Turbans might even have held their ground!

But he did not think of it, nor did he make the correct response… the matter is as simple and clear as that.

In contrast, when Gongsun Xun saw reinforcements pouring out of the Yellow Turban forward camp, he seized the moment decisively, personally riding out of the city at the most opportune time — with the full dignity of his two-thousand-dan rank — to boost morale and spur the entire army forward.

One right move, one wrong move — the balance of victory and defeat became clear at once.

Deputy Commander Zhang’s raiding force was the first to collapse, and in their panic they swept directly back toward the Yellow Turban forward camp. The reinforcements who had come out to meet them had no time to react before they were muddle-headedly stripped of their fighting capacity, carried along in the retreat, and turned into part of the rout themselves. As for the victorious Han army at the front, they drove the defeated troops before them like herding cattle and sheep, pursuing close behind straight into the enemy camp!

The forward camp fell immediately!

And the matter did not end there! Gongsun Xun, who had already resolved to fight a decisive battle today, would never allow the momentum of victory to stop here.

First, all cavalry, disregarding all else, split into two groups and struck left and right outside the main camp, completely screening both flanks of the battlefield. Next, a great mass of lightly armored infantry in plain clothes, carrying only long spears and wooden shields, surged out of the city with all their might, pressing forward behind the leading Han troops. Then countless more soldiers, looking no different from common laborers, followed close behind bearing only bows and arrows…

All told, they numbered no fewer than ten thousand men!

This battle was probably the largest-scale Han army counteroffensive the Yellow Turbans had faced since their uprising began.

The Han assault came like a surging tide, like crashing waves. Cheng Yuanzhi, who had grown up in the coastal Guangyang Commandery, felt from the very beginning as if he were facing the open sea. And when he tried to maneuver the troops beyond the rear camp but received no response whatsoever, this Yellow Turban Regional Commander fell completely into panic… He simply could not understand how an army of nearly thirty thousand, which just five days ago had been storming cities and seizing territory with irresistible momentum, could be reduced to the scene before his eyes.

Yet what Cheng Yuanzhi surely did not realize was that, as the commander of an army, standing helpless in a battle of this scale was itself an act of extreme irresponsibility. Even shouting a few orders and personally rallying the troops in the rear camp to fight would have been better — far better than standing there with cold, numb hands and feet!

The collapse of morale from successive defeats, a military commander who did nothing, subordinate officers acting on their own, and most critically — the so-called “grand army” itself had no real experience in large-scale combat whatsoever!

And so, under the layered, planned, and organized Han counteroffensive, the Yellow Turban Army virtually collapsed in a landslide rout from the very beginning.

Of course, fighting across a battlefield dense with encampments, with the Yellow Turbans still at such a scale and the Han troops ultimately a mixed bag of quality — even though the situation became one-sided from the start, the fighting still dragged on from early morning until around noon before it truly came to an end.

A few minor commanders of Way of Great Peace follower origin forcibly bundled Cheng Yuanzhi up and fled the battlefield… Though an entirely natural act, it allowed the utterly exhausted Han troops to capture the Yellow Turban rear camp almost completely intact without further fighting.

Not long after, the white-horse banner replaced the earth-yellow great banner bearing the black characters “Yellow Heaven,” and was raised atop the rear-camp platform where Cheng Yuanzhi had previously stood.

Gongsun Xun, clad in full armor and still draped in that black brocade cloak, rode a white horse directly up to the platform beneath the banner and gazed thoughtfully in the direction the Yellow Turbans had fled.

“My lord!”

“Please give your orders, my lord!”

“Please instruct us clearly, my lord.”

The various officers, still brimming with excitement, could not help but come forward one after another to seek instructions.

Seeking instructions was inevitable… the Han army’s next move could only be decided by Gongsun Xun, and it was indeed a difficult decision. Judging by the situation before them, probably because the Han forces were limited in number and further obstructed by the sprawling encampment, over ten thousand Yellow Turbans had actually managed to escape!

So what next — should they press the advantage and pursue the fleeing foe relentlessly, spurring the entire army to chase without pause in hopes of annihilating the Yellow Turbans completely? Or should they stop here, rest and reorganize first, take over the vast stores of arms and supplies left behind by the Yellow Turbans, and recruit able-bodied men from the prisoners on the spot?

The benefits of the former were beyond doubt, but the latter was by no means penny-wise and pound-foolish… One must understand that although this battle was won, from the perspective of the entire campaign, they still needed to dispatch troops immediately to relieve the siege of Fanyang!

Thinking along these lines, the former option might be satisfying and would spare them the trouble of these ten-thousand-plus men fleeing back to Guangyang Commandery or linking up with the enemy at Fanyang to cause future problems. Yet the latter approach seemed to be the optimal solution for dealing with the siege of Guangyang!

The Yellow Turbans over there — even if their rank-and-file soldiers and mid-level officers were of equally worrying quality as those here — still had Zhang Bao among them! As Zhang Jiao’s own younger brother, he had been a core figure of this treasonous clique for many years. With preparations so thorough, the military competence of him and his trusted subordinates had to be considerably stronger than that of someone like Cheng Yuanzhi here, no matter what!

Not to mention, there were a full fifty thousand men there!

The numerical disparity was right before their eyes, and they would have to march dozens of li to relieve Fanyang without the protection of city walls. That being the case, putting together a well-equipped army of decent numbers even one day earlier seemed more important than anything else!

Here one must clearly distinguish between tactical objectives and strategic goals.

Gongsun Xun withdrew his distant gaze and looked back at the other camps, which were somewhat chaotic… The soldiers there, having secured the prisoners, were taking the chance to do some small-scale looting… But neither Gongsun Xun nor the officers at any level wanted to stop them. If these men — originally mere commandery troops, or even commoners, retainers, and convict laborers — were not allowed to gain some benefit, they would likely find it very hard to muster any desire for battle again in the short term.

Indeed, after watching for a moment, Gongsun Xun turned back with a faint smile and, still mounted, posed a question to the officers: “What do you all think? Should we mobilize the entire army to pursue, or abandon that and instead focus on absorbing prisoners of war and arming the troops right here?”

Many among the officers were clever men and could roughly guess that he already had a plan and was merely testing them, so they freely spoke their minds.

The steadier ones, those who thought further ahead — men like Gongsun Yue and Yang Kai — all said they should stay and take over the camp. The more bellicose ones, like Wei Yue and Zhang Fei, still proposed pursuing as quickly as possible, striving to use the advantage of the two thousand cavalry to completely encircle and swallow the enemy before nightfall, lest delays bring unforeseen trouble.

As for the many other mid- and low-ranking officers who had hastily gathered around the white-horse banner by this time, most echoed the suggestions of one side or the other.

However, a few individuals offered more interesting opinions… When the debate grew heated, Guan Yu, always known for his talent and intellect, actually stepped forward on his own initiative to recommend pursuit — and his words were not without merit.

“My lord.” Guan Yu saluted with clasped hands and spoke with a serious expression. “Our army broke the enemy in five days — it can be called a swift victory. As for Fanyang, it is after all a rare great city, and with Shen Zhengnan at North New City forming a mutual horn-and-antler posture with it, though the situation there is pressing, it is unlikely to be critical. Therefore, rather than ignoring the fleeing bandits and reorganizing new troops here, it would be better to first swallow up this fleeing force, seize their able-bodied men, and rest for a few days. When the army’s strength is even greater, going to the rescue would achieve twice the result with half the effort, would it not?”

This was essentially the idea that sharpening the axe does not delay the woodcutting. It had some logic to it, and moreover, Guan Yu’s performance over these days could be called divinely valiant, earning him much praise in the army… So as soon as he spoke, among the growing crowd of officers around the white-horse banner, quite a few nodded or voiced their approval.

Gongsun Xun smiled without speaking, then turned his gaze to Liu Bei, who was slumped on the ground to one side: “Xuande, why have you been silent all this time?”

Liu Bei gave a bitter smile at these words and pointed to his right calf: “In reply to my lord, I truly do not know how to speak. If I follow my own heart, we should pursue swiftly right now. But I was somewhat careless in the fighting earlier and an old man stabbed me in the leg. Though it’s no serious injury, I fear I cannot immediately set out to join the pursuit. So, selfishly, I also wish to urge my lord to wait a couple of days before fighting again…”

The crowd burst into laughter, and even Gongsun Xun shook his head helplessly.

In truth, Gongsun Xun had already perceived that the officers in the army generally still wanted to continue the pursuit. Even those who, for the sake of the bigger picture — or perhaps guessing at their lord’s thoughts — said to ignore the fleeing troops and first take over the camp to prepare for the relief of Fanyang, in their hearts, they too probably wanted to give chase!

The reason was simple: just as the soldiers behind them were impatiently seizing the chance to loot, these officers likewise had things they sought… However, they looked down on the few feet of cloth or handful of coins the soldiers were plundering; what they sought was merit! So, they were generally unwilling to let these ten thousand or so defeated troops slip away!

This was an instinctive pursuit, having little to do with character, intelligence, or temperament.

And in reality, when a Regional Commander makes a decision, he must simultaneously consider the needs of the soldiers, the desires of the officers, and the attitude of his superiors… Sometimes, of course, there are even more factors to weigh… But in any case, when making military deployments, the commander must make trade-offs and must pay attention to whether his decision fundamentally goes against the hearts of the people!

Going against superiors gets you dismissed; going against officers leads to mutiny; going against soldiers results in desertion… In any case, once a certain line is crossed, defeat without battle is no empty phrase.

Of course, returning to the matter at hand, these red lines were still far too distant for Gongsun Xun. As the governor of a commandery — akin to a local sovereign — who had just won such a victory, with core officers mostly nurtured by years of favor, and even a personal guard and volunteer corps so elite on this battlefield as to be almost absurd, he could make any decision without risk!

These men would certainly bow their heads and obey.

“Pass on my orders.” Sure enough, once the laughter died down, Gongsun Xun narrowed his eyes, looked toward the southeast where the Yellow Turbans had fled, and gave his commands crisply. “Zijing (Qian Zhao) and Zizhang (Yang Kai), each take eight hundred cavalry and pursue the fleeing troops in two columns. Do not seek to kill or wound — only to delay and slow them… Most importantly, cut off their path back toward Guangyang. Do not permit them to flee back to Guangyang; force them to go only toward Fanyang, and make sure they slow their pace!”

This requirement was very simple: interdiction and delay. Sixteen hundred cavalry performing such a tactical maneuver against ten thousand defeated troops who had lost most of their weapons and all their provisions — it was practically effortless.

Still, it was somewhat puzzling, and the choice of personnel was rather subtle… Qian Zhao was measured and restrained in his actions; Yang Kai was steady and loyal. Sending these two to carry out this task clearly meant they truly sought no kills or wounds, only to avoid any mishaps.

Of course, regardless, Qian Zhao and Yang Kai immediately stepped forward, saluted, and acknowledged the order.

“The rest of you officers, select prisoners on the spot. Pick three thousand able-bodied and usable men to incorporate into the army. The remaining idlers, wounded, old, and weak… even if there are still some truly strong and capable men among them, release them all and drive them off to seek out their Regional Commander!”

The crowd grew even more bewildered… They had clearly captured seven or eight thousand men, yet they were to keep only three thousand and release all the rest?!

“After selecting the prisoners, Clerk Wang and the others will naturally come out of the city to take over the camp. Go find them yourselves to replenish arms and supplies.” At this point, Gongsun Xun’s expression turned stern. “The Governor is still at Fanyang, his fate unknown. Shen Zhengnan, entrusted by me to hold North New City, also faces uncertain fortune… Carry out these orders swiftly, with no excuses. By tomorrow, I want to see those three thousand able-bodied men divided and organized, and fully equipped with arms!”

With that, Gongsun Xun dismounted and walked alone toward the command tent where Cheng Yuanzhi had originally resided. The officers, watching Qian Zhao and Yang Kai each hurriedly set off, were all somewhat at a loss.

But a moment later, before the officers could react, Lou Zibo, who had not shown himself all this while, suddenly emerged from the command tent and issued a new order on Gongsun Xun’s behalf.

It was not a military order, but a simple and hasty assignment of duties — apart from Gongsun Yue, who was already acting as Army Major to command the various generals, the remaining generals such as Guan Yu, Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and Wei Yue were each granted the provisional rank of Acting Company Commander, and ordered to separately take charge of the newly recruited troops!

The officers below them were also promoted in large numbers.

This served both as a kind of reward and reassurance, and as a necessary measure after the hasty expansion of the army... The only pity was that the war had come too suddenly, and no one knew what the imperial court was doing; a mere commandery governor had no authority to issue formal commissions. The company commander ranks of these men were mostly "acting," and furthermore could only be "acting" up to the level of Company Commander — even an acting Major was difficult to grant.

For example, Liu Bei, who had taken a slash to the leg, currently held his most valuable post as the commandery's Bandit Officer; only then came this so-called "Acting" Company Commander.

Of course, the intent behind issuing this order at this moment was probably also to urge everyone to hurry up, get lost, and get to work — a painstakingly thoughtful gesture.

And so, although the various generals still harbored many doubts, they nonetheless hurriedly bowed in thanks for their appointed ranks and then dispersed one after another.

"Brother Zibo." However, while the others might let it go, Guan Yu feared neither heaven nor earth. He immediately stepped forward and blocked Lou Gui's path. "You serve as military advisor to our lord. Can you resolve my confusion? What exactly is the purpose behind our lord's arrangement this time?"

"No harm in explaining." Lou Gui had probably guessed this would happen before he arrived, so he was neither angry nor annoyed. "This stratagem was devised by our lord and myself while you generals were fighting fiercely earlier..."

After this explanation, not only Guan Yunchang, but even the other generals who had been walking slowly and watching the scene mostly understood at once.

However, Guan Yu was Guan Yu after all. Even after understanding, he still stood there gently stroking his beard, his expression solemn as he looked toward the command tent ahead: "In that case, why did our lord not speak plainly to us earlier? Did he think us unworthy of his guidance?"

Lou Zibo immediately shook his head: "Yunchang, you overthink it. In my view, whether it was refusing to rise from his bed yesterday or offering no explanation today, our lord probably simply finds the enemy before us too disappointing, and lacks the spirit to bother..."

"Disappointing?"

"Indeed." Lou Gui spoke frankly. "Yunchang, you were also at Yecheng that day and witnessed the hundred thousand refugees alongside our lord. You should know that because of this, our lord has taken the Taiping Dao with the utmost seriousness. For years he exhausted himself in Zhongshan, and then meticulously prepared here in Zhuo Commandery..."

"That is the truth." Guan Yu stroked his beard.

"But then what?" Lou Gui shook his head helplessly and laughed. "After the war began, the Yellow Turban rebels surged with immense momentum, as if they would shake the whole realm. Yet when the so-called Yellow Turban Grand Army finally arrived at our doorstep and we clashed with them, we found them so utterly incapable of withstanding a single blow... Tell me, how could our lord not feel disappointed?"

Guan Yu fell silent for a moment, speechless.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Grand Commander Cheng Yuanzhi led his ten thousand or so routed troops. He first attempted to flee eastward back to Guangyang, but that very night, at the Shengshui River on the border between Zhuo and Guangyang Commanderies, they encountered fierce resistance from Han cavalry and could not cross at all. Thus, after a night of constant fear, he had no choice but to lead his remnant defeated troops southward toward Fanyang early the next morning, attempting to link up with the Earth General Zhang Bao's fifty-thousand-strong army.

And this time, although the Han army did not use natural barriers to block them on a large scale as they had at the Shengshui River, they still exploited their cavalry superiority to constantly harass and obstruct them from the front. Moreover, at this time, large numbers of released Yellow Turban prisoners, wounded soldiers, the old and weak, and of course some who still had fighting strength, all caught up from behind one after another... All these circumstances forced Cheng Yuanzhi, this Canal Commander, to gradually close in on Fanyang, which was only forty or fifty li from Zhuo County, at an exceptionally slow pace.

The routed troops were both exhausted and hungry, and suffered cavalry harassment all along the way.

One could only say that, fortunately, the routed Yellow Turban troops were numerous, and the rear camp had brought out some weapons and equipment, so they still had some fighting capacity after all. Moreover, Cheng Yuanzhi himself still possessed a fair amount of prestige, and his actions under duress were quite appropriate — he actually gave all the livestock and such to the wounded soldiers, then personally walked on foot to encourage the men. In this way, he was still barely able to maintain the army's cohesion and urge the remnant troops to march south.

By this point, Cheng Yuanzhi actually had no other thoughts; he only sought to bring as much of his force as possible to link up with Zhang Bao.

But what Grand Commander Cheng never imagined was that this very situation was precisely what the Han army's commander, Gongsun Xun, wanted him to maintain. From the very beginning, he had been toyed with in the palm of the latter's hand — a latter who was somewhat disappointed.

Another day passed, and they were only a little over ten li from Fanyang. Cheng Yuanzhi even encountered Zhang Bao's scouting riders, and he urged them to immediately ride back and bring reinforcements.

On the other side, Gongsun Xun, having learned that Fanyang and Beixincheng were still relatively secure, no longer hesitated. He first ordered his cavalry to spare no effort and completely screen both flanks of the battlefield. Then, he personally led the Han army's main force — which had caught up the previous evening and had been tailing the routed troops from seven or eight li behind since this morning — to suddenly surge forward with full force, preparing to use this wave of Yellow Turban routed troops to break the siege of Fanyang this very day!

The Han cavalry galloped desperately in all directions, once again delaying the Yellow Turban routed troops. For this purpose, they had even already engaged a few bewildered scouting riders from Zhang Bao's army. And when Gongsun Xun and his Han main force finally surged into view, these utterly exhausted cavalrymen then dispersed to the two flanks, screening the battlefield on one hand, and on the other, using this method to force the Yellow Turbans to flee only in the direction of Zhang Bao.

At this stage, the battle situation seemed to be a foregone conclusion once again.

When Cheng Yuanzhi saw the large-scale pursuing force suddenly appear behind him, he was nearly scared out of his wits! His first reaction, exactly as Gongsun Xun had designed, was to prepare to flee south as quickly as possible to join Zhang Bao's grand army!

However, just at this moment, a defeated Yellow Turban soldier with graying hair, leaning on a wooden staff, appeared before Grand Commander Cheng... This man was none other than Deputy Commander Zhang, who had been captured at the very beginning and later released because he was "old and weak."

"How does Deputy Commander Zhang still have the face to see me?" Cheng Yuanzhi fumed with rage and frustration. "This entire situation is all your doing!"

"I originally did not wish to come see Commander Cheng." Panting heavily and utterly bedraggled, Deputy Commander Zhang seemed to have aged over a decade in just a few days; his whole frame had collapsed. "But I have a word of invaluable advice that I must speak to Commander Cheng, so I had no choice but to come... If Commander Cheng is loyal to your Great Virtuous Teacher, then at this moment you should no longer flee. You should turn around and fight the Han army to the death!"

Before Cheng Yuanzhi could react, several minor commanders of Taiping Dao origin around him, some sneering, some filled with grief and indignation, all drew their blades:

"This old man is harming people for his own selfish ends again!"

"In such a situation, how can we possibly fight?"

"Are you telling Commander Cheng to go to his death?"

"This old man's words are indeed harming people for selfish ends." Deputy Commander Zhang's face was sorrowful, yet he could not help but laugh at himself. "Because, as you gentlemen say, in such a situation, although we routed troops are numerous, we are indeed in no condition to fight. And I do indeed wish for Commander Cheng to go to his death... But Commander Cheng, for the sake of my advanced age, allow me to say one more thing!"

"Master Cheng!" A minor commander who was clearly a disciple of Cheng Yuanzhi urgently advised. "The Han army is right behind us! Don't fall for this old man's trick. Kill him, and let us quickly flee south!"

Cheng Yuanzhi turned his head to look back, then looked again toward Fanyang City faintly visible directly to the south and the somewhat blurred encampment below its walls. A nameless sense of crisis suddenly surged in his heart... By some strange compulsion, he actually stopped his subordinates and instead looked expectantly at this old man who had almost single-handedly ruined the entire grand plan of the Youzhou Yellow Turbans.

"Commander Cheng." Deputy Commander Zhang wore a strange smile on his face, unhurried and calm. "I have only one thing to say... Think about it: the Han army is now driving us, these ten thousand or so men, toward the Earth General. Is this not exactly the same as that day in front of our main camp, when they drove my subordinate troops toward our main camp?!"

Cheng Yuanzhi's heart jolted violently, and then he saw the light!

No wonder the Han army did not immediately pursue and finish them after the defeat the day before yesterday!

No wonder when he tried to cross the Shengshui River to return to Guangyang the night before last, the Han cavalry fought with all their might to stop him!

No wonder after he turned toward Fanyang, the Han army only tried to delay him but never struck a killing blow!

No wonder the Han army released so many prisoners of uneven fighting capability!

No wonder now that the Han main force had fully appeared, they still tailed two li behind without rushing to launch a general assault!

This Han commander actually intended to repeat his old trick, rolling the momentum of the great Yellow Turban defeat at Zhuo County the day before yesterday across dozens of li to the walls of Fanyang City!

"What should I do?" Grand Commander Cheng, utterly at a loss, urgently grasped Deputy Commander Zhang's hand and asked earnestly.

"I already said it before." Deputy Commander Zhang gripped his wooden staff, stared into the other's eyes, and spoke calmly. "If Commander Cheng is loyal to your Great Virtuous Teacher, and takes the Yellow Heaven as your great cause, then you should immediately turn around, fight to the death, and spill your blood on this very ground!" At this point, Deputy Commander Zhang laughed bitterly at himself. "This old man knows neither the Yellow Heaven nor the Azure Heaven, but having rebelled and lost my son, I was already destined to die without a burial place this time... What I hate is that the day before yesterday, I was momentarily confused and did not die in battle, instead dragging down Commander Cheng. Today, I am willing to follow Commander Cheng and believe in the Yellow Heaven for half a day — half to repay Commander Cheng's virtue, and half to beg that the Earth General behind us will avenge my son in the future. What say you?!"

"That is exactly how it should be!"

At this moment, Cheng Yuanzhi's mind was exceptionally clear. He first personally lifted a wounded man lying on a donkey and placed him onto a sturdy horse that was already carrying another wounded man. Then he snatched a Yellow Heaven banner from a man beside him and raised it aloft. Thereupon, this Grand Canal Commander of the Guangyang Taiping Dao leaped onto the donkey, and holding the banner high, rode back and forth through the defeated army's ranks, shouting along the way, enumerating the crimes of the "Azure Heaven," and calling upon the Taiping faithful among the routed troops to follow him and fight for the "Yellow Heaven"!

Deputy Commander Zhang, disregarding his advanced age and exhausted strength, leaned on his staff and shouted "Yellow Heaven" without cease, the first to run and yell behind the other. In a moment, those minor commanders who were Cheng Yuanzhi's own disciples and followers also raised their blades and spears, waved their banners, and paraded about, urging the defeated soldiers under them to turn around and die fighting for the Yellow Heaven!

Several li away, beneath the White Horse Banner, Gongsun Xun sat on his horse, pressing forward with the Han main force — troops who had been formed barely a day and could only fight winning battles — forcing the Yellow Turban defeated troops toward the walls of Fanyang... It must be said that he, who should have been somewhat tense, was instead feeling an indescribable sense of disappointment, and had actually grown rather bored.

Yet suddenly, a disturbance arose up ahead. Gongsun Xun was momentarily bewildered. Only when he raised his head did he realize that the Yellow Turban defeated troops ahead showed signs of halting, and immediately after became increasingly agitated. After a short while, the Han army could clearly see what was happening: there was actually a man, bearing a yellow banner, riding a donkey, dashing left and right among the rebel army, shouting to rally the ranks — an exceptionally conspicuous sight.

Gongsun Xun, puzzled, continued to urge his army forward, only to hear a gradual stirring within the Yellow Turban routed troops ahead. The din grew louder and louder, until finally it coalesced into a slogan that, though exceedingly familiar, had actually been heard very rarely since the Yellow Turban uprising began:

"The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall be established. In the jiazi year, great fortune for all under heaven!"

The sound grew louder and louder, and this slogan was shouted with increasing intensity. The Yellow Turbans, long since utterly exhausted from their journey south, now halted their steps one after another. Meanwhile, the Han main force, which had been pressing forward with high morale, increasingly showed signs of hesitation.

Gongsun Xun knew in his heart that something was amiss, but he still made a decision: to engage in battle prematurely right here and rout the Yellow Turbans once more. Thus, he immediately ordered the entire army to halt, and then proceeded toward a slightly raised knoll, preparing to occupy the vantage point to direct the battle.

Seeing this, the other generals in the army also converged toward this spot one after another.

And just as Gongsun Xun arrived atop the knoll, suddenly, within the somewhat disordered ranks of the Han army on the slope, a Han soldier holding a spear — no one knew whether he was a surrendered recruit or a local who had just enlisted in Zhuo Commandery — could not help but quietly mimic a line:

"The Azure Heaven is dead..."

The voice was very soft; he swallowed the words halfway through, but it was exceptionally clear.

This caused Gongsun Xun, who was riding past on horseback, to suddenly rein in his horse, momentarily transfixed as he stared at this "Han soldier"!

Han Dang, following beside him, did not dare hesitate. He immediately spurred his horse forward, drew his blade before this Han army soldier, and severed the man's head with one stroke, then sternly reprimanded the surrounding troops, who were instantly terrified!

Gongsun Xun paid no heed to Han Dang's actually very correct handling of the matter. Instead, he shifted his gaze from the corpse of this "subordinate" and once more looked expressionlessly toward the Huang Jin army formation over a li ahead.

Over there, the situation had shifted once again.

That Huang Jin leader, riding a donkey with a yellow cloth band tied around his forehead, held the Yellow Heaven banner aloft in one hand and a ring-headed saber without its scabbard in the other, and actually strode forth boldly, prepared to strike a stone with an egg!

"The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall be established!"

With no admonitions, no rousing words, after shouting these eight characters, this man actually took the lead on his donkey, bearing the banner and raising his saber, charging straight toward the Han army formation without hesitation!

Immediately, no fewer than two thousand defeated Huang Jin soldiers followed him, swarming down and shouting incessantly!

The eight-character cry resounded across the wilds — or rather, it echoed through the heavens!

"Truly..." Wei Yue, standing to the fore and side of Gongsun Xun, could not help but mock. "Can shouting loudly bring victory? Those men have no grain, no proper weapons, are exhausted and famished. With over half a li between us, we need not even counterattack. Just steady our formation and let them charge — they will collapse at the first touch... Isn't that leader Cheng Yuanzhi? And he's actually riding a donkey... haha..."

Wei Yue spoke while laughing, but halfway through, his laughter died. Because Gongsun Xun, up on the slope, was staring at that donkey-rider and this overreaching counterattack, his expression growing more and more severe... To laugh now would be rather out of place.

Of course, Wei Yue still did not understand why Gongsun Xun was so grave.

"The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall be established..." And just at that moment, Gongsun Xun suddenly repeated this slogan ringing in his ears in a low, lingering tone, then threw his head back and laughed, laughed without restraint. "Hahahaha..."

The assembled officers all changed color at the sound. Some, like Wei Yue, still did not know why their lord was laughing and merely felt uneasy; but others, like Lou Gui, felt as if something beside their ears had cracked open; and still others, like Guan Yu, seemed to hear a blade being drawn from its sheath beside them.

"Gentlemen!" After Gongsun Xun finished laughing, he suddenly urged his horse forward past the officers, the smile still on his face, and raised a hand to point south toward the shouting, steadily approaching Huang Jin army formation. His voice was exceptionally resonant. "Since the Huang Jin rebels rose in treason, the realm has been thrown into turmoil, with dozens of provinces and commanderies losing their heads. Yet when I led you all into battle against them, I found them only dim-witted and incompetent, muddled and laughable — defeating them was easier than children playing among well-tiles!"

The officers, one after another, straightened their chests proudly on horseback.

"I did not expect," Gongsun Xun's expression suddenly changed, "that at this point, I would see a Huang Jin Canal Commander who knows shame and summons his courage, and over a thousand followers of the Way of Great Peace who do not fear death, giving their lives for their Yellow Heaven. Though still laughable, it is not without a certain heroic ferocity. Gentlemen, I wish first to borrow this donkey-rider's head and hang it beneath the gates of Fanyang to strike terror, and then to retrieve it and give it a proper burial to honor that heroic ferocity... Who can fetch it back for me?!"

Except for the lead rider Han Dang, virtually all the officers stirred and responded in unison, then one after another passed Gongsun Xun, each returning to their own formation to call for their close cavalry, preparing to take up lances and cleave through the enemy lines.

Gongsun Xun paid this no mind. He simply turned around, drew his blade, and then actually personally spurred the main army forward to press the attack head-on.

When the two armies were still several dozen paces apart, Guan Yunchang, who had not returned to the formation but had ridden out alone at the very front, had already reached Cheng Yuanzhi. This peerless warrior, destined to be remembered through the ages as a match for ten thousand, merely raised his hand and thrust lightly, and slew this man — exhausted, famished, yet clear of heart and still shouting "Yellow Heaven" without cease — right before the two armies.

Effortless, without the slightest difficulty.

Immediately, over ten thousand Han soldiers rolled forward in a crushing wave, and the thousand-odd Huang Jin troops who had resolved to fight to the death were instantly ground to dust.

The battle did not stop. Zhang Bao's army, which had surrounded Fanyang on all four sides, had received word earlier, and the commander of the northern camp personally led his troops forth. Gongsun Xun directed the battle with calm assurance, blade in hand, supervising the army as it pressed forward. Sure enough, he succeeded once more in emulating the previous day's battle, sending the defeated Huang Jin soldiers crashing back into their own camp!

Guo Xun was overjoyed upon receiving the news. Since all four main gates had been sealed from the inside with piled earth, he hurriedly had many brave warriors lowered from the city walls... The Han army attacked from both sides, and the great Huang Jin camp north of Fanyang was immediately broken!

Though Zhang Bao was both shocked and furious upon hearing the news, he still refused to show weakness and instead directed his army in an attempt to retake the camp. But ultimately, he had lost the initiative, and a large Han force now occupied what had been the Huang Jin army's northern encampment, fighting from within the camp's defenses. Thus, despite fierce fighting for an entire day, he made no progress whatsoever.

That evening, the Huang Jin army was forced to withdraw. Lou Zibo, however, received an order to deliver Cheng Yuanzhi's head to Guo Xun inside the city, so that the latter could hang it at the south gate to intimidate Zhang Bao.

While the city of Fanyang hurriedly cleared and reopened the north gate, Lou Zibo curiously opened the wooden box before him. He saw that Cheng Yuanzhi's severed head had both eyes wide open, mouth and nostrils agape, as if still shouting "Yellow Heaven" without cease... Of course, Lou Gui was a seasoned veteran of many battles and would not be frightened by a mere severed head.

And so, he merely shook his head slightly, then silently closed the wooden box again, only thinking to himself: "The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall be established... This sentence you staked your life on shouting — you only got half of it right!"

The sky gradually darkened. After a full day of fierce battle, all was silent both inside and outside Fanyang.

——————I am the dividing line of having done my best———————

"When the Huang Jin arrived, they deployed from Beixincheng to serve as Fanyang's horn support. Zhang Bao had fifty thousand troops, proclaimed as one hundred thousand, and surrounded all four gates, cutting off all communication... The Grand Ancestor first crushed the enemy before him, then wished to march south swiftly to lift the siege of Fanyang. His attendants advised: 'Fanyang is a great city, and Governor Guo is within it — it will not fall quickly. You may rest the troops for several days, then attack again.' The Grand Ancestor replied: 'The fate of Fanyang rests with Heaven's will, but with Shen Zhengnan at my side, how can I not go to his rescue?' And so he swiftly dispatched the troops." — New Book of Yan, Scroll 68, Biographies, Chapter 18

PS: 9.2k, to be honest, I've done my best... Please don't flame me. Also, reader group: 684558115, feel free to join if interested.

(End of Chapter)