Chapter 234: Battle Left, Then Battle Right

It was not only Shen Pei who cast sidelong glances at Cheng Pu, Gao Shun, Cheng Lian, and their two-thousand-odd Bing Province troops. In truth, scrutinizing gazes were common throughout the army, from top to bottom.

There was, of course, a reason for this.

One must understand that whether it was the Regional Commander Gongsun Xun, or the central army officers Lu Fan, Lou Gui, and Han Dang, as well as those of higher status among the White Horse Volunteers — and naturally including Wei Yue, who had already been detached to lead troops independently — they all generally regarded this army with an attitude of "our own people." Moreover, the commander of this army, Cheng Pu, was no simple character himself. Although he was outstanding in appearance, conducted himself with propriety, and won widespread praise from above and below, the moment he arrived, this fellow had bluntly and directly positioned himself and his army as the cornerstone of the central force under Gongsun Xun's command, which also left people speechless.

And Gongsun Xun, against all expectation, actually accepted it!

In other words, whether it was the various You Province officers and men or the Northern Army's Henei cavalry, they all felt somewhat disgruntled.

However, this might have been intentional on Gongsun Xun's part. With a great battle approaching, he was happy to see this kind of proactive competitive spirit arise within the army.

"Gentlemen." That evening, Gongsun Xun assembled his commanders and came straight to the point. "Shen Zhengzheng has come in person from the Yellow River to report today. Bu Ji is leading twenty thousand troops, advancing in a vast and mighty force, and has already reached Cangting. Barring the unexpected, they will begin crossing the river early tomorrow morning. Regarding the strategic disposition, do any of you gentlemen still have anything to say?"

An unexpected silence fell over the military tent for a moment. Even Cao Mengde and Lou Zibo, usually the most outspoken, pursed their lips and said nothing.

Cao Mengde was somewhat nervous; this was his first time experiencing a battle of such scale. As for Lou Gui, there was no need to say anything further, because the battlefield arrangements had long been decided, even assigned and delegated, and they were extremely simple!

Just as Liang Yuan, Liang Zhongning, had thought within the walls of Dongwuyang City, the Han army planned to leave the infantry, relying on the fortified camp to obstruct the Yellow Turban forces inside the city, then send out all the cavalry, wait at ease for the weary enemy, and on the open plain, smash Bu Ji's army in one blow just as they crossed the river from Cangting. Then they would turn back and break the enemy forces directly in front of Dongwuyang!

As for the possibility that the Dongwuyang forces might bypass the Han army camp and ignore it, that was even easier to handle. The cavalry would first turn back and, together with the infantry in the camp, strike them from front and rear, then go to the riverbank to meet the battle.

And after the arrival of the two-thousand-odd Bing Province troops, who were primarily cavalry, this battle seemed even more beyond dispute... One could imagine that, unless a meteor fell from the sky, the mere existence of these eight or nine thousand Han cavalry was enough to lock in the so-called "absolute certainty" that Gongsun Xun had spoken of that day!

In that case, was there any need to say anything more? In fact, Gongsun Xun was already prepared to dismiss the meeting.

However...

"My Lord!"

At that moment, a figure suddenly emerged from within the tent. Everyone raised their eyes to look, and then one by one grew wary. It turned out that this man was none other than the commander of the Bing Province reinforcements, the Detached Division Major Cheng Pu, Cheng Demou.

"What profound insight does Demou have?" Gongsun Xun was also momentarily curious.

"Nothing of the sort." Cheng Pu, wearing a brown-feathered helmet and clad in armor, spoke with a resounding, forceful tone, his head held high. "I merely request to fight."

"Since you've come, could I possibly make you guard the main camp alongside the infantry?" Beneath the candlelight, Gongsun Xun, seated behind his low table, immediately laughed. "Tomorrow, I'll have Wenchao and Yigong lead the White Horse Volunteers as battle supervisors. Your division will serve as my central army. Let us observe the heroic bearing of Demou and Suqing as they defeat the enemy. What do you say?"

"My Lord's kind intentions are deeply appreciated by all the officers and men of Bing Province," Cheng Pu still replied with his head held high. "However, my division has just arrived and has not yet achieved the slightest merit. With such an assignment, I fear the army will not be convinced!"

Gongsun Xun raised his eyes to look. Sure enough, apart from Guan Yu, who was never convinced by anyone, Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, Qian Zhao, Yang Kai, the officers of the Northern Army, and even Xiahou Dun and Yue Jin, standing behind Cao Cao, all had strange expressions... It was clear that Cheng Pu's words were not false.

Seeing this situation, Gongsun Xun first sighed, then immediately spoke words of reassurance: "What does it matter? If they do not know your merits, do I not know them? In the battle of Mount Danhan, I was trapped in a perilous place together with you gentlemen of Bing Province. It was you who fought forward with reckless abandon, set Mount Danhan ablaze, and then carried me, wounded and unconscious, traveling in concealment for days to return to Han territory... When I speak of sharing life and death with you gentlemen, is that merely empty words?"

Hearing the words "sharing life and death," the commanders in the tent, recalling their previous oath of alliance, saw their expressions soften slightly. But Cheng Pu still stood tall in the center of the tent, refusing to withdraw: "My Lord, between us and Your Lordship, no further words are needed. But if we are slighted by others and cannot demonstrate our worth, I fear that even the gentlemen in this tent will be outwardly compliant but inwardly unconvinced. If this continues, as the campaigns stretch on, estrangement will inevitably arise."

"Then what does Demou propose?" Gongsun Xun grew curious instead.

"I have discussed it with the several Company Commanders under my command," Cheng Pu stated frankly. "We wish to divide our force in two. One thousand newly recruited cavalry, led by Cheng Lian, will accompany Your Lordship to meet the enemy at the Yellow River. The remaining one thousand elite veterans will dismount and fight on foot. I, together with Gao Suqing, will personally lead them and stay behind to block the bandit rebels within the city!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Captain Cui of the Northern Army, who had previously achieved exceptional merit, could not help but sneer: "A thousand elite troops, over a hundred armored men, relying on a fully prepared fortified camp — even I could hold them off. My Lord, please assign me any Yan region cavalry company to make up a thousand men, and I too will request to fight, dismounting to block the bandit rebels in the city! Your Lordship can go to the riverbank and destroy the enemy yourself!"

Without waiting for Gongsun Xun to speak, Cheng Pu, not even glancing at this man, continued: "The blocking I speak of is in open field battle! I intend to array a thousand men with large shields and short blades, long spears and powerful crossbows, outside the fortified camp, blocking the twenty thousand rebels in the city directly on the main road!"

At these words, starting with that Captain Cui, nearly every commander in the tent changed color. Even Gongsun Xun was startled, and then he lowered his head and fell silent.

One must understand, open field battle and defending from a camp are not the same thing at all!

And while others might let it pass, Lou Gui, seeing Lu Fan signal him with a glance, prepared to speak up and mediate, hoping to stop this matter.

But before he could open his mouth, Gongsun Xun suddenly looked up and laughed: "With Demou and Suqing so valiant and bold, how could I possibly dampen your fighting spirit?!"

Lou Gui immediately grew frantic and, disregarding decorum, actually cried out: "My Lord, do not treat military matters as child's play!"

Even Cao Cao could not help but offer his counsel: "Wenqi, why must it be so? This is a battle already certain of victory. Why gamble the lives of a thousand elite soldiers on a point of pride? A thousand men arrayed in formation on the main road might indeed hold, but if they fail to hold, these thousand lives will be thrown away directly!"

"I am not treating this as child's play." Gongsun Xun rose even as he waved his hand to stop them. "My intention... is to have Li Tuizhi and Yue Wenqian lead their respective personal troops and remain in the camp as a reserve. If Demou and Suqing can achieve this great merit, naturally no more need be said. If the situation becomes perilous, then let Li and Yue come out of the camp to rescue them... In this way, is it not absolutely foolproof?"

The crowd immediately fell silent.

Gongsun Xun's meaning was very clear: the original plan would not change. They would simply use the surplus manpower of the reinforcements to specifically set aside a patch of ground for this group from Bing Province, allowing them to display their valor!

With such an arrangement, it was unclear whether this General of the Household Gongsun had full confidence in this Bing Province reinforcement army and was preparing to use them to suppress the arrogance of the other units in the army, or whether he was preparing to let this Bing Province army recognize reality and settle down peacefully thereafter?

However, the two possibilities did not seem contradictory. Either way, wouldn't it suit Gongsun Xun's wishes?

And besides, such an arrangement ultimately did not affect the overall situation... If they succeeded, the Han army's morale would surely soar. If they failed, it would inevitably be overshadowed by the overall great victory.

Why not do it then?

Seeing that everyone was silent, Gongsun Xun finalized the plan, reiterated it once, and then waved for the commanders to withdraw, to conserve their energy and build up their strength for the next day's battle.

Early the next morning, the Han army prepared their meals early, ate their fill in camp, and then sorted their armor, distributed weapons and equipment, and tended to the warhorses, preparing for battle.

And atop the walls of Dongwuyang City, Liang Yuan, who had rushed over upon receiving the news, naturally guessed what was happening. So he too had cattle slaughtered and wine distributed in the city, bestowing rewards and comforts, preparing to go out of the city and, together with Bu Ji's relief army, "strike from front and rear and utterly defeat the Han army!"

As for Bu Ji's side, there was even less need to elaborate. Since early morning, they too had eaten their fill, then encouraged the entire army and prepared to cross the river. And Wang Du, knowing shame and then summoning courage, had even made preparations in imitation of the Han army, linking the boats brought from Puyang with iron chains in advance to construct a pontoon bridge that, though not as broad as the Han army's, was still practical, which drew repeated praise from Bu Ji.

For a time, the Han army and the Yellow Turban army on both banks of the Yellow River each had their own realizations, knowing that the decisive battle was at hand, and all were brimming with confidence!

In the late morning, as the dozens of scout cavalry deployed the previous night signaled by continuously waving flags that the Yellow Turbans on the southern bank had begun crossing the river, Gongsun Xun no longer hesitated. He immediately appointed Lu Fan to remain and garrison the main camp, taking overall command of the situation there, and then prepared to lead his troops out of camp together with Cheng Pu.

However, just as the two forces were about to part ways, one heading south and the other north, at the camp gate, Gongsun Xun suddenly reined in his horse and dismounted.

The commanders, not understanding his intent, could only dismount one after another as well.

"Ziheng." Gongsun Xun unbuckled his personal saber and handed it to Lu Fan, who was remaining to guard the main camp. "I give this blade to you. While I command at the riverbank, if anyone here at Dongwuyang disobeys orders, you may deal with them as you see fit!"

The commanders understood. Having been together for so long, everyone knew that Lu Fan was the person Gongsun Xun trusted most, his chief household retainer. So none had anything to say, and Lu Fan, rarely clad in armor, also stepped forward composedly to receive the blade... Having been together for so long, even more words were unnecessary between them.

However, just as everyone thought that was all, Gongsun Xun then unfastened his own black silk cloak and, in full view of everyone, tied it onto Cheng Pu, causing everyone to look on in astonishment.

After lowering his head to receive the cloak, Cheng Pu quickly prepared to bow down and give thanks for this act of grace and honor, but unexpectedly, the other man directly grasped his shoulders and stopped him.

"Demou!" Grasping the other's shoulders, Gongsun Xun spoke with a serious expression. "I know you have long been stationed at Yanmen, unwavering for years, and that you have the heart to make a name for yourself and your own division. That is why I did not stop you. But you must understand, my expectation of you is not merely that of a commander valiant in the heat of battle. It is that I hope you can establish yourself in this world with the bearing of a steady, prudent great general... Do you understand my meaning?!"

Cheng Pu was deeply ashamed and could only bow with clasped hands in response.

Gongsun Xun walked past Cheng Pu and unexpectedly came to the side of the taciturn Gao Shun. He then began to unbuckle the fine iron armor he wore over his own body... Seeing this, Lou Gui quickly exchanged glances with Han Dang and Yang Kai. The latter two immediately led men forward, one helping Gongsun Xun, the other helping Gao Shun, and they efficiently swapped the sets of armor.

"Suqing is not good with words, so no one knows your reputation," Gongsun Xun, after changing armor, also sighed sincerely as he grasped his shoulder. "But I understand that you are a man of integrity, strict and orderly in governing troops, and also a first-rate talent fit for a great general... Very well, on the verge of battle, no further words are needed. In this battle, let us watch you make your name!"

Having said this, Gongsun Xun made no further gestures. He turned, mounted his horse, and headed straight for the riverbank. As for the two commanders Cheng and Gao, they directly bowed down in prostration. Only after the White Horse banner and the staff of authority and canopy following Gongsun Xun had gone over a hundred paces did they each turn around and head towards the main road south of Dongwuyang City.

It was the fifth month of the year, and the weather was growing hot, which was only natural. But on this narrow stretch of land, some twenty-odd li between the banks of the Yellow River and south of Dongwuyang, the temperature was climbing exceptionally fast!

Before the sun had even risen three poles high, everywhere had already become sweltering!

"Commander Bu has already reached the main dyke!" On the battlements of Dongwuyang City, Zhang Bo pointed tremblingly towards the river dyke in the distance. "They are forming ranks now."

"Gong, do not cross the river; Gong, yet you crossed the river! Crossing the river... crossing the river..." Liang Zhongning watched from afar, his heart heavy with sorrow, and suddenly recalled a famous yuefu poem, but halfway through silently reciting it, he dared not continue.

"Vice Commander Liang," Zhang Bo forced himself to ask, "You said the Han army sent their cavalry to the riverbank early... if that cavalry is as formidable as you say... could it be that Commander Bu won't wait for us?"

"Let's not speak of that for now." Liang Yuan steadied himself with one hand on the battlement, while the other suddenly pointed toward a Han army unit on the main road five or six li before the south gate, and said with a cold laugh, "Vice Commander Zhang, what do you think the Han army means by this? I originally thought this unit was screening the cavalry's departure from camp, yet here they still are? Over four thousand infantry—more than three thousand waiting quietly in camp, and one thousand standing right in the road... Do they look down on us, thinking a single thousand Han soldiers can block our twenty thousand men in open ground?!"

"Vice Commander Liang, you're not even willing to bother with Commander Bu's side, so why worry about an extra thousand men here?" Zhang Bo, beside him, gritted his teeth and urged with effort, "If you ask me, we should do just as you said earlier when you saw the Han army reinforcing—ignore them, march the whole army out of the city, and fight with all our strength."

"Vice Commander Zhang speaks truly." Liang Yuan suddenly grinned savagely. "We march out and fight with all our strength—who knows, in this battle we might even tear a chunk of flesh from them!"

With these words, Liang Zhongning gripped his long sword and descended the city wall with an imposing air. Before the gathered minor commanders below, he rallied them with fervent encouragement. These minor commanders had already seen the Han main force leave the great camp, with only a few thousand infantry remaining, so naturally their confidence swelled, and they all shouted in response.

On the city wall, Zhang Bo gave a bitter laugh, but after glancing up at the great Yellow Heaven banner overhead, his expression suddenly changed. He drew his blade, and looking down from his high vantage point, he bellowed with all his might to the commanders below that long-unspoken slogan:

"The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise!"

From Liang Zhongning down, the crowd below the wall froze for a moment, then abruptly came to their senses. Led by Liang Zhongning, they roared in unison: "The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise!"

Immediately, the city gates swung wide open. The twenty thousand Yellow Turban troops poured out from all four gates like a nest unleashed, rolling south of the city to assemble and form ranks.

……………………

"The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise!" Almost at the same moment, seeing that the greater part had already crossed the river and the formation was barely spread out along the tall, broad Yellow River embankment, Bu Ji—the Yellow Turban Yanzhou Commander, his head wrapped in yellow cloth—drew his sword and raised it high, shouting from atop the embankment this slogan that had shaken the entire realm over the past two months.

What prestige did Bu Ji hold in Dongjun? North and south of the commandery, on both banks of the Yellow River, how many followers of the Way of Great Peace, how many common folk of Dongjun, had risen with hoes and sickles because of his authority, slaying officials and driving out clerks, answering the call of the Yellow Heaven?

Thus, when Bu Ji let out his cry from the golden embankment of the Yellow River, all those nearby immediately echoed it. In moments, those on the pontoon bridge in the river, those at Cangting south of the river yet to cross, and the main Yellow Turban force already attempting to form ranks on the embankment—all shouted as one, their voices shaking both banks of the Yellow River!

Three li south of the embankment, Cao Mengde, facing such a spectacle for the first time, was so frightened that his face turned white, and he kept looking back repeatedly... Yet behind him, for a dozen or even twenty li, dust clouds were also rolling, clearly where the Yellow Turban grand army was likewise racing to assemble and form ranks.

For a moment, it was not just Cao Cao—even the entire cavalry formation, already arrayed and dismounted to conserve horse strength, stirred with some agitation. The mounted officers could not immediately quell it all.

Beneath the central army canopy, Gongsun Xun, who naturally had no need to dismount, glanced back at the "Wei Wu" beside him, then abruptly extended a hand: "Brother Mengde, I gave my saber to Ziheng. Lend me yours."

Cao Cao dared not delay. He immediately untied his saber and presented it with both hands from horseback.

Gongsun Xun did not take the saber directly. Instead, he grasped the hilt and drew the blade straight from Cao Cao's hands, then brandished it toward the nearby Army Protector Major Gongsun Yue: "Major Gongsun, relay my military order: except for the White Horse Volunteers on supervisory duty, after the order has been relayed ten times, from the Cavalry Commandant downward—any who speak without leave and disrupt the army's morale, behead; any who move without leave and disrupt the formation, behead; any who retreat without leave and defy military orders, behead!"

Gongsun Yue dared not delay. He first acknowledged the order from horseback, then personally commanded a company of over a hundred White Horse Volunteers to mount and leave the formation. They then galloped back and forth behind the army lines, shouting and relaying the order!

Indeed, as the relayed orders were shouted out time and again, the agitation in the ranks gradually subsided. After a few cavalrymen who defied the order were beheaded, only the faint, intermittent snorting of horses could be heard.

Cao Cao, seeing this, was immensely impressed and was about to voice his praise. Yet the words caught in his throat as a sudden, horrified realization struck him—"from the Cavalry Commandant downward"... did that include the Cavalry Commandant himself?

At this thought, Cavalry Commandant Cao Mengde, though he roughly reckoned that as a two-thousand-dan official and a close friend of this Staff-Bearing General of the Household, he would not lose his head over a single remark, ultimately did not dare to speak.

The Yellow Turban army was vast in number and lax in discipline, so their formation was extremely slow. When Bu Ji earlier shouted the slogan, he seemed to think the formation was already complete, but in truth, it was a full quarter-hour later before the entire army had crossed the river and formed orderly ranks on the embankment.

Bu Ji, mounted on a horse, looked down from his high vantage point at the silent Han cavalry formation three li away. Though he found it somewhat chilling, he glanced again at the dust clouds far off beneath Dongwuyang's walls and rallied his confidence. He immediately brandished his sword and urged the great army forward.

In an instant, dust clouds also rolled from the Yellow River embankment. The main Yellow Turban force, heads wrapped in yellow cloth and dense yellow banners swirling, surged toward the Han army formation before them.

Cao Cao was extremely nervous, but Gongsun Xun remained utterly silent, like a wooden statue, not even issuing the order for the entire army to mount.

……………………

In the stockade five li from Dongwuyang, Li Jin clung to the tall hardwood palisade, watching the rolling dust clouds not far away come to a halt several hundred paces before that thousand-strong Bingzhou force. He too was like a wooden statue.

In all honesty, Li Tuizhi's feelings at this moment were very complicated.

First, he very much wanted to see this army fail.

Because he knew this army was the old core force of the army's commanding general, Gongsun Xun. If this army were annihilated or suffered catastrophic losses, Gongsun Xun would surely be heartbroken. If that happened, why wouldn't he be pleased?

Second, he was deeply envious of this army before him.

After all, since joining the army, Li Jin had discovered that his own clan troops were actually quite formidable in combat—at the very least, they handled those Yellow Turban rebels with great efficiency. Compared to the so-called Henei cavalry and the elite government troops, the only difference was a horse and some good equipment. And as for the quality of commanders, Li Jin himself believed he was not inferior to those Youyan commanders whom Gongsun Xun trusted so heavily, and he was even more confident when compared to those officers from the so-called Northern Army's Five Colonels. Yet those government troops enjoyed such fine treatment, and their officers were showered with ranks—this one a thousand-dan, that one six hundred-dan—as if they cost nothing. Meanwhile, he, Li Jin, leading three thousand clan soldiers in valiant battle, was merely a Platoon Chief, and had to supply his own provisions and equipment... So, facing an elite imperial force so heavily relied upon by Gongsun Xun, how could he not feel resentment?

But if this army failed, it would mean his own clan soldiers would have to fight, and it would mean losses among the Li clan's sons. And if the rescue was not timely, the Li clan might also suffer Gongsun Xun's retaliation... How could Li Jin accept that?

Thus, when anticipation, envy, worry, resentment, contempt... and other complex emotions were concentrated in one man's heart, it was no wonder he could only remain expressionless, like a wooden statue!

"The entire army, hear my command!" Before the dense ranks of the Yellow Turban army, Liang Yuan, mounted on a horse, brandished his long sword and shouted loudly. "First, smash the thousand Han troops before us. If the Han army breaks, they will surely flee toward the Han main camp. We shall pursue them closely and fight our way into the camp... If the main camp is also broken, we can then advance valiantly to the river embankment to link up with Commander Bu. Once the two armies unite, this battle is surely won! Who will be the vanguard?!"

"I'll be the vanguard!" As soon as the words fell, Zhang Bo beside him immediately raised his blade and shouted fiercely. "The men from Fagan and Liaocheng must recognize me, Zhang Bo—all of you, follow me... The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise!"

The entire Yellow Turban army immediately roared in support!

With that, two divisions, three to four thousand strong, indeed surged forth like a swarm, their battle cries unceasing, and clustered around Zhang Bo as they charged toward the silent, imposing Han army formation.

Like Li Jin and Yue Jin on the palisade, Liang Yuan also straightened up on his horse, eyes wide, watching the great Yellow Heaven banner that Zhang Bo carried sweep southward, hurtling straight toward the Han shield wall that had just raised its shields.

Yet, just as the waves of the Yellow River nearby had failed for over a hundred years to shatter the embankment built by Wang Jing, these three to four thousand Yellow Turbans, shouting themselves hoarse, likewise shattered abruptly before the Han shield wall!

Cheng Pu, positioned at the rear, shouted commands, directing the archers and crossbowmen in ceaseless volleys. Gao Shun, at the front, had the great shields braced against the ground and thrust forward, with long spears stabbing out over the shields... Both men could be described as directing operations with perfect composure.

As for the officers, squad leaders, and even a considerable portion of the ordinary soldiers in this thousand-man force, they were veterans who had experienced the Battle of Mount Danhan. The remainder were battle-hardened young men recruited from the border commanderies... In other words, in terms of combined experience, equipment, and tactical proficiency, this thousand men were likely among the finest in the Han army of this era.

And considering the glory and majesty of the Great Han dynasty on this planet at this time, one could even say they were the most elite army on this planet at this moment!

Strictly disciplined, with orderly formations, and having received the best equipment after this conscription and deployment—with such military strength, what did three or four thousand Yellow Turbans, who could not even properly form ranks, have to break through them?

Their heads?

After about a quarter-hour of fighting, the Yellow Turbans had left over a hundred corpses on the front line, and many more had been struck by arrows in the middle ranks... If the formation had been loose and those behind could see clearly, they might have long since lost heart. However, the weather was sweltering, the dust hung thick, and with Zhang Bo urging them on at the front, those behind simply could not see the situation ahead and merely continued shouting and pressing forward.

But suddenly, from behind the shield wall, a standard Han army ring-pommel saber was thrust violently yet with controlled force through a gap in the shield wall by its owner, then swiftly withdrawn... A banner representing the Liaocheng minor commander immediately fell to the ground!

Although that Liaocheng minor commander himself was still perfectly fine, the surrounding Yellow Turbans were each stricken with terror and retreated one after another, pulling many others back with them.

Seeing this, Cheng Pu immediately ordered the archers and crossbowmen to cease fire, and Gao Shun, with seamless coordination, promptly ordered the shields withdrawn for a counterattack. The great wooden shields braced against the ground in the front row were pressed down on the spot. Many Yellow Turbans who had stumbled in were slaughtered by the swordsmen. Then, three hundred spearmen, in orderly formation, immediately pushed forward. The Yellow Turbans facing them were instantly thrown into panic and fled in disarray.

In mere moments, offense and defense had reversed.

However, the Han army showed no intention of pursuit. After advancing several dozen paces, the spearmen quickly withdrew, and the archers and crossbowmen behind them once again concentrated their volleys to inflict casualties... In the chaos, even Zhang Bo was carried backward by the sudden rout.

Though he had long anticipated this, Liang Zhongning, watching this scene, was still utterly disappointed.

Of course, that being said, even utterly disappointed, Liang Zhongning would not be shaken by a single, anticipated failure. He immediately steadied the ranks and rallied the routed troops. Then, while once again ordering Zhang Bo to organize a frontal assault, he also summoned the minor commanders from Gucheng and Linyi, instructing them to ready their own troops. The plan was that once Zhang Bo was again locked in fierce combat with the enemy line, they would calmly strike, enveloping from both flanks.

……………………

Turning to the front of the river embankment, Gongsun Xun waited until the Yellow Turbans had surged down from the majestic Yellow River embankment and advanced a full li before ordering the entire Han army to mount.

In truth, for this maneuver alone, Cao Cao was already thoroughly convinced... because the Yellow Turban army, which had earlier formed orderly ranks relying on the embankment, had after a one-li forward charge not only had their battle cries weaken somewhat, but more critically, their grand formation had clearly become somewhat disordered due to the varying stamina of different units.

And after the Han army had finished mounting, the Yellow Turbans had only advanced a little over a hundred paces more—hardly a significant problem.

"The entire army, hear my command! Frontal charge into their formation!" Gongsun Xun, having precisely gauged the distance, gave the loud order without the slightest hesitation. "After the charge, as per the earlier council of war, unless you see my banner signals or hear the gongs and drums, each commander shall use his own unit to charge and strike repeatedly, driving the rebel army back toward the embankment!"

With these words, Gongsun Xun immediately raised his blade to signal the start of battle.

Upon hearing the order, the first to move were the White Horse Volunteers, who also split into two groups — some staying with Han Dang to guard Gongsun Xun and the White Horse banner in place, while others followed Gongsun Yue, bearing the imperial staff and spreading out to the flanks, patrolling to oversee the battle.

Immediately after, Lou Gui gave the order to beat the two great drums brought by the army... In an instant, every unit's banners surged forward, the entire formation advanced as one, and battle cries erupted. A moment later, the warhorses had built up speed, their hooves thundering like rolling thunder, charging straight ahead — clearly intent on a head-on clash with the Huang Jin army, each side rushing directly at the other!

At this sight, even the previously somewhat timid Cao Mengde could no longer restrain himself. He personally donned armor, took up a halberd, rode out from the central army, and led Xiahou Dun and several dozen personal guards charging forward with the main force, shouting fiercely as he went!

Gongsun Xun paid him no attention whatsoever, merely glancing back over his shoulder toward the north before turning back, his face still like a statue, calmly observing the battle.

Over seven thousand cavalry against twenty thousand light infantry — both sides surged with momentum, each seemingly confident in their own strength. Yet before the lines even met, the Huang Jin troops, who had been relying on their superior numbers, turned deathly pale and lost all will to fight... A cavalry formation of this scale — when had these Huang Jin followers, mostly peasants from along the Yellow River who rose with the sun and rested at dusk, ever seen such a thing?

Earlier on the embankment, looking down from their elevated position with the Han army still dismounted, they had thought their own numbers were overwhelming and victory was certain. But now, with the cavalry rolling toward them, they felt the Han army was not merely seven or eight thousand — it must be tens of thousands at least.

Even Bu Si, mounted on his horse, thought the same.

When the two armies collided, there were no elaborate stratagems or schemes to speak of — just one straightforward, valiant charge. The Huang Jin front line shattered at the first contact!

The main Han cavalry force did not pause, cutting straight through the formation, stabbing and slashing, pursuing without cease. Most of their own casualties came at the moment of initial impact, when riders lost control of their mounts and were thrown to the ground, or crashed onto Huang Jin soldiers... And in such circumstances, most of those falls meant immediate death.

The Huang Jin formation was quite deep, so after the momentum of a single charge was spent, though their formation had completely collapsed, the actual killing was not yet significant. Thus, the Han cavalry commanders of each unit, following the earlier battle council, recalled their own troops, wheeled around, and either organized fresh charges against the densest clusters of men or directly cut down the scattered parts of the formation.

Lou Gui, Han Dang, even the White Horse Volunteers left in reserve, and even Gongsun Yue and the battle overseers watched with unbearable excitement — yet Gongsun Xun's face remained expressionless. But when he saw that the Huang Jin forces everywhere had been completely routed, he gave a curt gesture with his lips, ordering Han Dang and Gongsun Yue to commit all their forces... Not for the sake of kills or merit, but to inflict casualties as quickly as possible, to utterly break the spirit of the Huang Jin army before him, so that he could turn to face what lay behind.

In truth, once Han Dang and Gongsun Yue had both moved out, Gongsun Xun could not help but look behind him once more. But separated by over a dozen li, what could he possibly see?

————I am the dividing line added after RNG lost————

"In the beginning, Cheng Pu, relying on his fierce valor, often acted with extreme boldness. One day, as they were about to campaign, the Grand Ancestor removed his own cloak and draped it over Cheng Pu's back, then said to him: 'Your fierce valor I have always known. In the old days when we campaigned against the Xianbei, had you not thrown yourself forward to seize the enemy's blade and saved me from mortal danger, I would scarcely have escaped. But times have changed. Now that you wish to be a great general, you cannot rely on fierce valor alone — you must also conduct yourself with gravity!' Cheng Pu, deeply moved, prostrated himself in gratitude, and from then on gradually developed the talent of a great general." — Old Book of Yan, Volume 69, Biography 19

PS: Also, I stayed up tonight to write fifteen thousand characters and finish this battle. Correspondingly, there really won't be a chapter on Monday — please forgive me. After RNG, it's not just you who are holding your breath.

(End of Chapter)