Chapter 231: Iron Cavalry Ranges a Hundred Miles (Part One)

The Han army's iron chains linked their boats, vast and mighty, over ten thousand troops preparing to cross the Yellow River for the third time.

Moreover, this time the Han army's crossing point was chosen right under the noses of the Puyang Yellow Turban main force — on the great Yellow River embankment directly north of Puyang, where thousands of cavalry and infantry in gleaming armor, with banners unfurled, horses neighing and men shouting, plus canopies and ceremonial insignia stretching for miles, had already begun crossing without pause... a truly imposing display.

The sky was clear, cloudless for ten thousand miles, and from a high vantage point one could see very far; thus, on the walls of Puyang, from common soldiers to the various Yellow Turban leaders in the city, all gathered around to watch the Han army's movements from afar.

And now, seeing such might from the Han army, the Yellow Turban leaders on the walls could not help but each wear expressions of worry:

"The Han army's numbers are even greater than before!"

"That's only natural — every city they take, nearby heroes and brave men lead their followers to join them. Wasn't it the same when we were storming cities and seizing territory?"

"Numbers aside, we've all fought battles by now — don't we know that armor and horses are what truly matter? The Han army's sheer quantity of iron armor and cavalry is what's most terrifying."

"Indeed, the Han army is so sharp. This time they bypass our Puyang and come south of the river again. If Xiancheng, Zhencheng, and Fan County also fall in a muddled mess like Baima and Dunqiu, what then? Won't our place here become an isolated city?"

Past fifty years of age, dressed in plain cotton clothes, the Yanzhou Yellow Turban Canal Commander Bu Ji listened to his subordinate leaders' discussions, but could only furrow his brow tightly and remain silent.

"Canal Commander, why not strike them mid-crossing!" At that moment, someone on the city wall suddenly stepped forward boldly to request battle.

The leaders turned to look at the speaker, but upon seeing who it was, each fell silent, clearly in awe of this man.

This man, it must be said, was surnamed Liang, given name Yuan, courtesy name Zhongning — one of Bu Ji's two most trusted deputies, around thirty years old, his bearing and manner quite imposing.

In truth, one need not even look at his manner — just hearing his name told you he came from a notable background. The Liang clan was indeed a long-established prominent family in Puyang, and Liang Zhongning himself had once traveled to study and read the classics... it was only because his family's branch was of low birth that he had wasted many years without official appointment, which was why he had brought his whole household to join the Yellow Turbans.

"Deputy Commander Liang, is that not ill-advised?" After a long pause, Bu Ji's other assistant — a man dressed like a simple old farmer, without even a proper name, usually just called Uncle Zhang, a master of the Way of Great Peace — slowly spoke up in rebuttal. "I see that although the Han army is crossing right under our noses, they've deliberately come ashore east of the Pu River. If we want to strike them, we'd have to cross the pontoon bridge over the Pu to our east, and then who strikes whom mid-crossing would be anyone's guess."

At these words, most of those present, including Bu Ji, nodded in agreement, none willing to sortie rashly... In this era, Puyang lay at the triangular junction of the Pu River and the Yellow River — an excellent location for trade, transport, and defense, which was why it had become one of the great cities of the Central Plains connecting north and south. But if the waterways were controlled by the enemy, it instead filled one with misgivings.

Liang Yuan, Liang Zhongning, seeing this, heaved a long sigh but could only restrain his impatience and explain to Bu Ji:

"Commander Bu, how could I not know that the Han army coming ashore east of the Pu River is deliberate — seemingly arrogant but in fact cautious? How could I not know that a sortie now would have little real effect? It's just that the Han army has won victory after victory, and now they cross the river right before our eyes. If we cannot blunt their momentum, I fear the hearts of our soldiers in the city will waver again..."

Bu Ji, Uncle Zhang, and even the other leaders instantly understood... It must be known that the Han army had come with overwhelming force this time, seizing four counties and five cities in succession, all swift and clean. And crossing the river repeatedly, now up, now down, left the Yellow Turbans utterly unable to respond, forced only to take blows passively. Moreover, with defeated troops repeatedly retreating into Puyang, morale in the city had already grown somewhat low.

Truly, as Liang Zhongning said, if they made no move at all, disaster was sure to follow!

"But if we force a sortie and lose, what then?" Bu Ji asked gravely after some thought.

"If we lose, we lose," Liang Yuan replied helplessly. "We've already lost so many battles, lost so many cities — what harm is one more defeat? But if a surprise raid succeeds, the situation changes entirely... I intend to personally lead a small force of cavalry from the city, cross the Pu River swiftly to strike, and withdraw immediately regardless of victory or defeat. At the very least, we must show the tens of thousands in the city that we are not men who fear battle."

"No," Bu Ji shook his head at once. "The army in the city still relies on Zhongning's talent and wisdom. Send a brave minor commander instead..."

Hearing this, Liang Yuan could not help but feel somewhat moved... This Yanzhou Yellow Turban Canal Commander Bu Ji was, first, generous and kind; second, good at listening to advice; and third, truly sincere in relying on those like them from outside the Way of Great Peace. It was not in vain that he, Liang Yuan, had steeled his heart that day to join this man.

Of course, generosity aside, being too generous as an army commander would not do. So Liang Zhongning turned and gave orders, sending Wang Du — the defender of Wei Township who had retreated in defeat a few days earlier — to personally lead troops out of the city, cross the Pu River, and attempt a strike... This move carried the flavor of punishing him on Bu Ji's behalf.

However... the Han army's vanguard, first to cross the river, was the Yan man Zhang Fei, Zhang Yide.

The Yellow Turban commanders in the city, watching from on high, saw it all clearly: Wang Du, following orders, led a hastily assembled force of three hundred cavalry from Puyang, swiftly crossing the Pu River and charging straight at the Han troops who had just come ashore. At that time, the Han army had only fifty or sixty men ashore — one could not say the moment had been missed.

Yet as soon as battle was joined, those fifty or sixty riders, led by a single Han commander, scattered their own three hundred cavalry like driving ducks, sending them fleeing in utter disarray!

Wang Du could not rally them at all and was swept back across the Pu River by his own routed troops... In the end, it was the Han side that took the initiative to sound the withdrawal, calling back that force of fifty or sixty Han cavalry. Otherwise, they might well have pursued across the Pu River right to the city walls.

On the walls of Puyang, the Yellow Turban leaders, like the common soldiers around them, nearly all turned pale, at a loss for words... For many among them, this was likely the first time witnessing the field-battle might of the Han regular army.

"Uncle Zhang," after a moment, Bu Ji was the first to recover, and he quickly gave solemn orders from the city wall, "Take men out of the city to the Pu River bank to receive Wang Du, and comfort him. Tell him I saw clearly this time — it was truly not his fault. Let him ease his mind and return to the city to rest."

Uncle Zhang cupped his hands and departed.

"Zhongning," Bu Ji continued, "the Han army is so powerful, we..."

"Commander Bu!" Liang Yuan, his face shifting between pale and flushed, suddenly bowed deeply and said, "I underestimated the Han army. I beg Commander Bu to permit me to leave the city!"

"Why leave the city at a time like this?" Bu Ji was utterly astonished.

"Commander Bu!" Liang Zhongning did not answer directly, but instead pointed at the endless Han army columns on the Yellow River and said, "Tell me, with such military force advancing on Xiancheng, Zhencheng, Fan County, and the other cities — which of them can hold?"

Bu Ji fell silent at once.

"Since they cannot hold, we must not leave them isolated outside any longer!" Liang Yuan urgently and earnestly said. "Commander Bu, give the order at once — let me go to the cities south of the river, and Uncle Zhang to the cities north of the river, to swiftly gather and concentrate our forces! Only by concentrating our forces can we possibly stop the Han army!"

"You are right!" Bu Ji suddenly saw the light. "That is what must be done... But after we gather the forces, what then? We still have thirteen or fourteen cities. If we concentrate them all, that's likely another twenty thousand troops. Puyang, though large, can hold no more."

"Strike Baima," Liang Yuan had clearly already thought it through. "First gather the troops, then attack Baima and Wei Township... Take them, station ten thousand troops at each, and together with Puyang, form a mutually supporting triangular formation west of the Pu River and south of the Yellow River. Whatever happens, we cannot let the Han army seize cities at will — otherwise, we will truly be left with only Puyang and twenty thousand men!"

"Well said, truly well said." Bu Ji leaned on the battlements, nodding repeatedly. "Right now, if we do not move, the Han army will surely destroy us one by one, and in the end, even Puyang will likely fall when the Han army gathers the full strength of the entire Dong Commandery against it!"

"Then I beg Commander Bu to give the order and act on this at once!" Liang Yuan continued to urge.

"Still not right," Bu Ji suddenly realized another issue. "The cities north of the river are easy to handle, but what about south of the river? The Han army has already crossed — how will you gather the troops?"

"Abandon Xiancheng," Liang Yuan said helplessly after a moment of silence. "Once the Han army finishes crossing and heads straight for Xiancheng downstream on the Pu River, I will secretly circle around behind them and go to Zhencheng and Fan County to gather the forces there."

Bu Ji's expression darkened for a moment, but he had no words to offer.

"After I gather the forces of the two counties, I will not return directly to Puyang, lest we run headlong into the Han army," Liang Yuan continued. "Instead, I will join with the troops from the easternmost cities of this commandery, strike Dong'e from both flanks, take it, then cross the river from Cangting north of Dong'e to find Uncle Zhang north of the river. At that time, our combined forces will return to Puyang from the north..."

Bu Ji nodded slowly and added a timely instruction: "Wang Du attacked Dong'e several times and never took it... If the Han army pursues too fiercely, do not attack it — just cross directly from Cangting!"

Liang Yuan immediately assented, then turned to descend the wall and prepare.

However, after walking only a few steps, he remembered something else and turned back to bow once more to Bu Ji: "One more word — I beg Commander Bu to remember it well!"

Bu Ji hurried forward to raise him up: "Zhongning, speak freely."

"I know Commander Bu is loyal, generous, and kind. But if Uncle Zhang and I are cut off by the Han army," Liang Yuan said earnestly, "I beg Commander Bu, by all means, do not try to rescue us. Treat the two of us as dead... Guard the great city of Puyang carefully, and quietly await the Celestial General in the north and Commander Bo Cai in the south."

With these words, Liang Yuan gripped his sword and strode away.

Bu Ji opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end, he had no words to offer.

Sure enough, after crossing the Yellow River, the Han army did exactly as Liang Zhongning had anticipated — they chose to follow the Pu River straight south, baring fangs and brandishing claws, utterly unrestrained, clearly aiming their blade directly at Xiancheng downstream on the Pu River.

By dusk, as Puyang watched the main Han force move far off, and the boats and laborers on the water likewise chose to temporarily turn back to Dunqiu and Weiguo on the north bank of the Yellow River to moor and rest, Uncle Zhang and Liang Zhongning each led their men, taking advantage of the twilight, out of Puyang to begin gathering the troops from the cities held by the Yellow Turbans south and north of the river.

Bu Ji stood on the city wall, personally watching them go from afar, his gaze lingering.

But just after the two forces had vanished hurriedly into the twilight, and as Bu Ji prepared to descend the wall and rest, a minor commander could not help but kneel before this Yanzhou Yellow Turban Canal Commander on the city wall, in full view of all, and plead.

"What is the meaning of this?" Bu Ji asked, puzzled.

"Canal Commander!" the minor commander said through gritted teeth. "When Deputy Commander Liang was here earlier, I dared not speak much. Only now that he is gone do I dare beg you, old sir... Could you let me go and bring in the brothers from Xiancheng? Even just delivering a message would do! My own younger brother is there — I truly cannot bear it!"

Bu Ji was at once put in a difficult position.

“I know Commander Bu has his difficulties.” The junior commander hastily kowtowed again without pause. “I listened clearly from the side just now, and I understand that the greater cause must come first. I also know that Vice Commander Liang himself disregarded life and death, clearly acting for official duty… Therefore, your subordinate only begs Commander Bu to permit me to deliver the message one day after the Han army besieges the city, so that the brothers in Xiancheng have a chance to scatter and break out in all directions, rather than holding out bitterly until every last man perishes!”

Bu Ji thought it over carefully. It seemed this move would not truly delay the greater plan, and with his naturally soft heart, he could not help but nod in agreement.

The junior commander immediately kowtowed without ceasing, overwhelmed with gratitude.

Two days later, in the Han army camp outside Xiancheng in Dongjun, Gongsun Xun was being led by Cao Mengde to see an unfinished object.

“Is this meant to be a trebuchet?” Gongsun Xun frowned deeply.

“Indeed!” Cao Cao replied with head held high. “Earlier, when we were at Weixiang, Wenqi told me to build siege equipment. That very day I thought of constructing trebuchets based on the designs from Luoyang. However, first it suddenly rained, and then as soon as you returned, you pressed the attack without pause, so it was unavoidably delayed… My thought is, if there proves to be no good method for Xiancheng this time, we might as well build trebuchets to break the city!”

Gongsun Xun first slowly nodded.

The trebuchet was probably the most natural conventional siege weapon after humanity entered the age of castles — a simple lever principle to hurl stones… In China, it was already in widespread use during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and neither ancient Greece nor ancient Persia of the same era lagged behind. Ancient Rome even developed a somewhat more advanced torsion catapult.

Of course, Gongsun Xun and Cao Cao certainly knew nothing of torsion or counterweights. Their clearest understanding of trebuchets probably came from the historical records of Qin’s failed campaign to destroy Chu… The circumstances of that time were recorded with exceptional clarity: the Chu army had prepared a large number of trebuchets in advance by the riverbank. When the Qin army was crossing the river, they suddenly concentrated their fire. Boats and pontoon bridges on the river were all smashed and destroyed, so much so that it affected the course of the battle on the spot.

However…

“Dismantle it!” After nodding, Gongsun Xun pondered briefly, then slowly shook his head and spoke bluntly.

“Why is that?” Cao Cao was rather displeased. “Such a fine weapon…”

“It’s not much of a weapon.” Gongsun Xun sneered. “It takes dozens of men just to operate it properly. Yet in the time it takes those dozens of men to launch one shot, the arrows they could have fired would likely be far more effective…”

Cao Cao wanted to speak but hesitated.

“And it’s also difficult to move,” Gongsun Xun continued. “If we were forced into a situation like besieging Puyang, then at that time, Brother Mengde, you might as well build a dozen or more in one go and bombard a single spot. If you truly managed to smash a breach, that might be of great use… But now, what use is building it? Can we carry it along with us? Most crucially, how long would it take to finish building?”

With that, Gongsun Xun said no more and simply walked away with his hands clasped behind his back.

Hearing this, Cao Cao also waved his hand decisively, signaling the laborers to stop working on the object, and then hurriedly caught up to speak as they walked: “Wenqi, by saying this, do you still wish to swarm the walls and take the city as quickly as possible? Still using Li Jin?”

“What else?” Gongsun Xun said, facing the direction of Xiancheng. “What did we bring them here for? Besides, the Huang Jin bandits everywhere in Dongjun are clearly in low spirits right now. There may not necessarily be many casualties. Why should Brother Mengde feel pity for them?”

“I do not pity them.” Cao Cao shook his head beside him. “I only fear depleting our forces, so that when we face a decisive battle beneath the walls of Puyang or elsewhere, they will be exhausted… Their battle strength is indeed excellent.”

“But if we can take the city swiftly, the other bandit forces elsewhere will instead be thrown into disarray because of it, and the next battle will be easier to fight,” Gongsun Xun explained helplessly. “We can’t just expect the bandits to surrender their city on their own, can we?”

Cao Cao was once again left with no retort.

Yet, as if to slap him in the face, that very evening, someone came from within the city, offering to surrender of their own accord. Moreover, the terms were utterly straightforward — they sought only to preserve their lives, and would then leave the city, abandon their weapons, and hand over the city without the slightest hesitation.

“Did Puyang abandon you?”

Amid the crowd of commanders who had rushed over upon hearing the news, Gongsun Xun was watching the messenger from the city kneeling in his tent with keen interest.

“Indeed!” The man kowtowed repeatedly, his indignation overflowing in his words. “I dare not deceive you, Generals. Although we had long known the government troops were fierce and powerful, moved by our Qu Commander Bu Ji’s customary leniency and kindness, we originally still wished to defend the city to the death to repay Commander Bu’s benevolence. Yet who could have expected that after the government troops surrounded three sides of the city walls yesterday, Puyang only sent a messenger this afternoon? Only then did we learn that Vice Commander Liang Yuan intends to use us as bait to tie the government troops down here, while he himself goes to gather the forces from Juancheng, Fanxian, and the various cities in Henan east of Dong’e, preparing to return to Puyang and hold it firmly. To think that we disregarded life and death, yet he…”

“Hold.” Gongsun Xun was stunned for a moment, then suddenly interrupted the man. He turned his head to look at his guards: “Bring the map!”

The man suing for surrender dared not speak further, and the others dared not delay. They quickly unfurled the map on the screen behind the desk and gathered around. Gongsun Xun, standing before the map, gave it a brief glance and immediately fixed his gaze on one critical location — Dong’e!

It must be said, the Huang Jin Army in Henan currently held not just Puyang, Xiancheng, Juancheng, and Fanxian — to be precise, the Huang Jin Army in Henan still held a total of seven or eight cities. It was just that, right in the middle, the peculiar Dong’e County had been forcibly retaken by Cheng Li and firmly held, which had effectively split the Dongjun Huang Jin Army’s cities south of the Yellow River into two separate blocks!

That was why, when Gongsun Xun and Cao Cao had previously discussed this phase of the military plan, they had only treated the three cities of Xiancheng, Juancheng, and Fanxian between Puyang and Dong’e as a single unified theater, without considering those cities cut off by Dong’e.

But regardless, a glance at the map now made it clear: if this man wanted to gather the Huang Jin soldiers from all of Henan, he could not possibly bypass Dong’e, which lay squarely between the two Huang Jin occupation zones.

“Calculating the time,” Lou Gui cupped his hands and frowned as he spoke, “that Vice Commander Liang probably set out just as we finished crossing the river. And if he did not go city by city to collect them, but merely sent messengers ordering the forces from each city to assemble at one location, then I fear the Huang Jin bandits in the various cities have all received the message by now…” At this point, Lou Zibo’s brow suddenly relaxed, and he was overjoyed. “My lord, for us to learn of this now is truly heaven-sent! The Huang Jin bandits’ cities in Henan can likely be taken in a single campaign!”

“Indeed.” Cao Mengde, who had been staring at the map in deep thought, also reacted immediately. “They do not know that Xiancheng would actually surrender the entire city. In this way, they have lost the initiative in timing… Our army can perhaps advance at leisure and directly crush the bandits beneath the walls of Dong’e.”

The various commanders in the tent now reacted one after another, each with delight spreading across their brows.

However, no matter how excited the others were, Gongsun Xun, as the Regional Commander, merely stared at the map before him in silence. Only after a long while did he suddenly turn around: “Truly, as you all say, this is a heaven-sent opportunity. But at this moment, I do not wish to directly swallow up this band of rebels.”

The commanders in the tent were all puzzled.

“Order Li Jin to lead the infantry into the city immediately and take it over.” Gongsun Xun had no time to explain and immediately gave orders with his hands behind his back. “The cavalry is to move out tonight and follow me. We must reach Dong’e before the Huang Jin bandits, so that the rebels dare not even look upon the city!”

“Dong’e is a hundred li from here.” The local man Dong Zhao could not help but speak. “And on the road, Juancheng and Fanxian are still in enemy hands after all. Marching at night — is that not inadvisable?”

“With iron cavalry sweeping across, what does a hundred li matter?” Gongsun Xun dismissed the concern. “The opportunity for battle in Dongjun has appeared. It may be decided in a single campaign. We absolutely must not lose this chance!”

Lou Zibo and Cao Cao, staring at the map, understood simultaneously.

————— I am a dividing line one hundred li long —————

“When the Grand Ancestor campaigned against the Dongjun Huang Jin, he took Xiancheng and heard that the bandit Liang Zhongning was gathering forces to seize Dong’e. Cao Mengde, serving as Cavalry Commandant at his side as deputy, dismissed those around him and offered a strategy, saying: ‘The army has just taken Xiancheng; the soldiers are weary and exhausted. Perhaps we could temporarily station at Xiancheng and proceed slowly to Dong’e. By then, the bandits will surely have lost their edge beneath the city walls, and all the Henan bandits can be swept away in one stroke!’ The Grand Ancestor replied: ‘The common people of Dong’e are all still there. The soldiers may indeed be weary, but the people will have no chance to live. How can we speak of proceeding slowly?’ That night, he mustered all the cavalry in the army and raced a hundred li to their aid. The bandits thereupon avoided Dong’e and fled.” — Old Book of Yan, Volume 27, Hereditary House, Second

PS: Liang Zhongning and Zhang Bo were indeed leaders of the Dongjun Huang Jin; this is not a fabrication.

Also, there is a book friend group: 684558115. Feel free to join if interested.

(End of Chapter)