Chapter 254: The Grand Administrator in Mourning Crosses the Wild Ford

Three days later, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, was the Zhongyuan Festival, which in later ages would gradually spread through the world due to the flourishing of Daoism. At this time, though the term "Zhongyuan Ghost Festival" did not yet exist, it was still the first month of autumn and had always carried a tradition of sacrifice.

Yet on this day, not to mention the Han army, even the Taiping Dao followers who controlled the passage had no desire to sacrifice to the Yellow Heaven... because since two or three days ago, they had detected unusual movements from the Han army across the river, and yesterday evening they had seen with their own eyes the unending cooking smoke from the opposite bank, clearly preparing dry rations and cooled boiled water for the next day!

Indeed, here one must give extra praise to Lady Gongsun. Thanks to her years of teaching and influence, at some unknown point, the military and even the common folk within the borders of Hebei had universally begun using boiled water to ward off disease and plague... With large numbers of Youzhou and Zhongshan troops among them, and a commander called Gongsun Xun, this Han army on the northern bank of the Hutuohe would naturally do so all the more.

In short, with that kind of overwhelming cooking smoke blanketing the area, even a fool would know a great battle was imminent! And surely the Earthly General Zhang Bao was no fool?

Thus, starting from the fourth watch today, the armies of both sides, fully prepared long ago, began to form their ranks across the river.

By the time the morning sun rose, both banks were already a forest of blades and spears, armor dazzling to the eye. Yet what was most awe-inspiring was that the battle formations of both sides had naturally formed two vast oceans, one yellow and one red... The Han army revered red, so the Han soldiers universally wore crimson straight-hemmed robes, and their great banners were naturally crimson as well; as for the Yellow Turbans, there is no need to elaborate—they were named precisely for revering the Yellow Heaven and wrapping their heads in yellow scarves!

At such a sight, the bold naturally felt their spirits surge with might, ready to win merit and establish their name this day; while the timid were likely already trembling in both legs.

On the early morning of the fifteenth day of the seventh month, banners and pennants stirred gently in the breeze, and the Hutuohe still flowed calmly. With the sudden sound of drums and horns, a stir ran through the central armies of both forces, which then split apart to the left and right, and immediately from the rear surged forth a mass of canopies, insignia, banners, pennants, gongs, and drums. Clearly, the commanders of both sides had each completed their preparations and were about to come to the front lines in person.

Among them, Gongsun Xun led his retinue directly to the bank of the Hutuohe right in front of the main camp, observing the situation across the river from a distance. Opposite him, Zhang Bao, who had set up his positions overnight, had also personally led the elite troops from Xiaquyang City, raising his Earthly General's great banner and the Yellow Heaven great banner, and arrived atop a previously constructed earthen mound, looking down from his elevated position to face him from afar.

The Hutuohe was calm and undisturbed; at its narrowest point it was no more than two or three hundred paces, and at its widest no more than a thousand-odd paces. Both sides had deployed their entire armies, their formations stretching for over ten li, yet the places where their central armies faced each other were very close, almost as if by unspoken agreement... This was no accident. In truth, the reason the Yellow Turbans on the southern bank had built an earthen mound here, and the reason the Han army had placed its main camp here, was precisely because this spot was convenient for crossing the river. The Han army had attempted to cross from here many times over the past months, but had simply failed to achieve complete success.

"It is that very spot!" Amid the solemn tension, Zhang Bao, positioned slightly higher, involuntarily snapped the horsewhip in his hand. "The full canopy and insignia, and moreover the white-horse guard and the white-horse banner—it must be that man without a doubt!"

The various large and small chieftains around him were all silent; they knew perfectly well to whom their general was referring.

The name of a man is like the shadow of a tree.

He annihilated the Guangyang Yellow Turbans beneath the walls of Zhuoxian, forced back their own Earthly General under the walls of Fanyang, drove countless followers of the Way to drown themselves in the Yellow River in a single battle, and with one fire at Changshe nearly wiped out the hundred-thousand-strong army of Yingchuan. Beyond these, there were also the lives of the three Grand Chieftains: Cheng Yuanzhi, Bo Cai, and Bu Ji... To the Yellow Turban Army, that government commander on the opposite bank, known as the White-Horse General, truly bore a mountain of blood debts! If they could capture him, only by cutting him into a thousand pieces could they vent the hatred in their hearts!

In truth, had this man not arrived, why would the Xiaquyang Yellow Turbans be so tense? A hundred thousand against seventy thousand, holding a defensive position, yet still so anxious and uneasy?

"A mountain of blood debts indeed!" Watching the yellow banners on the opposite riverbank blanket the earth, nearly merging into a single ocean, clearly treating him as a formidable foe, Gongsun Xun, riding his white horse, let out a cold laugh. "Tell me, if the Yellow Turban rebels truly took the realm, how would you and I be portrayed in the history books?"

"General of the Household of All Purposes, do not jest," Feng Xin, the Chancellor of Changshan, could not help but speak. "Those sorcerers of the heterodox way—how could they triumph over our orthodox Confucian way?"

"Indeed," Gongsun Xun replied with a faint, ambiguous smile. "How could the sorcerer's way triumph over the orthodox Confucian way? Yet, the orthodox Confucian way resides in the halls of government, while the sorcerer's way is planted among the common folk... The Anping gentleman Cui's 'Discourse on Governance' says: The common folk are like leeks, cut and they grow again; their heads are like chickens, severed and they still cry out... I fear that you and I may sever their heads, but we cannot stop their cry!"

Feng Xin was a frail scholar; hearing these words, he dared not argue further. And Zong Yuan and Cheng Pu were pure military men, while Zhang Chun had his own preoccupations—how could any of them have the mind to discuss such things?

Only Guo Dian, Guo Junye, the Grand Administrator of Julu, who had already finished donning his armor, paused slightly at these words before speaking out in rebuttal: "I roughly understand the General of the Household's meaning. That Hebei and the Central Plains, the very heartland of our Great Han, should all revolt at once shows that there are indeed improprieties in governance; otherwise, the rebels could not have gathered troops in such numbers... However, since you and I are ministers of Han, we should understand that the virtue of the Han house cannot be shaken by these sorcerers, local strongmen, and moth-bandits. At the very least, today we still have seventy thousand tiger-like warriors!"

With these words, this Guo Junye proudly reined in his horse, preparing to head toward his own division, which had already finished forming ranks.

"Guo Jun, please wait." Although he had been rebuffed, Gongsun Xun still unhurriedly called the other man to stop. "I have one more word."

"The General of the Household may speak directly," Guo Dian replied, halting his horse and turning his head.

"Although I too have long harbored the intention to cross the river, the fact that this battle is so hastily joined is still, to some extent, because your resolve to fight to the death, Guo Jun, was laid before me, and I could hardly refuse." Gongsun Xun pointed with his horsewhip toward the clearly visible Yellow Turban positions on the opposite bank. "Moreover, the crux of this battle lies in two places: one is our army's concentrated use of over ten thousand cavalry, and the other lies precisely in whether you two Grand Administrators can force a successful crossing... If you can cross the river, establish a rampart, steady your footing, and draw the rebels' attention, then when the cavalry arrives, victory will surely follow! But if..."

"I understand," Guo Dian replied calmly from horseback, his eyes impassive. "But if neither Grand Administrator Zhang nor I can gain a foothold, then the General of the Household need not send the cavalry to attack again, nor need you send men across the river to rescue me, lest you throw away soldiers' lives in vain. As for those who have already crossed the river, myself included, at that time, life and death are up to fate, success or failure up to Heaven... This I have personally agreed to; all you lords may bear witness!"

"Well said." Zhang Chun, who seemed almost as a show of defiance to be wearing a mourning garment, also gritted his teeth and put on his helmet. "In this battle, life and death are up to fate, success or failure up to Heaven... Yet I intend to wrestle with fate and struggle against Heaven!"

"Then you two, please go swiftly!" Gongsun Xun was equally curt. "Captain Cheng, Captain Zong, you two also go to the two wings and watch over the battle lines. When to support, and how to support—you may act according to the circumstances!"

This was a strategy long since decided; the four naturally had nothing more to say and each turned away... Of the Han army's sixty to seventy thousand troops, thirty to forty thousand began to move in unison for a time.

Several quarters of an hour later, on the earthen mound opposite, beneath the great banner of the Yellow Heaven, Zhang Bao, his head wrapped in yellow cloth, watched as the Han army's formations began to move, and immediately grew tense... for he realized he had still underestimated the grand spectacle of over a hundred thousand men arrayed for battle!

There were simply too many people. A host of ten thousand is boundless and shoreless, let alone over a hundred thousand?

Even on the defensive, even with specially prepared positions, even on an open plain, the battlefield stretched over ten li wide. Zhang Bao was no true immortal; how could he clearly and distinctly grasp the entire situation around him?

One could even say that the only area he could clearly observe and directly react to was this stretch right before him, where the central armies faced off.

Thus, when the Han army on the opposite bank stirred repeatedly, clearly about to cross the river, yet he could only distantly make out banners and dust clouds, this Earthly General immediately began to feel some panic:

The Han army was about to cross the river—from where would they cross?

The Han cavalry on the opposite bank was extremely few in number. Was it because they were about to cross the river and thus had not mounted at all, or had the cavalry already set out en masse, preparing for a large-scale flanking raid?

If it was a flanking raid, from where would it come? When would it come?

How many reserves should he keep? Where should he place them? Were his own preparations sufficient?

Did he need to immediately reinforce those few crossing points that were convenient for fording the river? Or should he wait a little longer, and mass his troops after the enemy came ashore?

A string of thoughts darted chaotically through Zhang Bao's mind, yet he dared not reveal a trace of them, fearing it would affect the army's morale... From the end of the second month until now, he had served as commander of this army for half a year, and he at least understood the most basic principles.

"Gentlemen, from where do you think the Han army will cross the river?" Suppressing his unease, Zhang Bao put on an air of utter nonchalance, then turned his head to inquire of the group of capable men behind him. "And how should we deal with it?"

This group of capable men could be roughly divided into three types: one type belonged to the Taiping Dao, who after the uprising naturally became chieftains, vice-chieftains, and junior commanders of the Yellow Turban Army; one type were Zhang Bao's own long-time retainers and disciples, considered his trusted confidants; and the last type were local strongmen, commandery and county clerks, veterans of the border armies, and even bandit and robber chieftains who had flocked to him after the uprising... and who had gradually distinguished themselves in battle, thus appearing at Zhang Bao's side.

And the people Zhang Bao was questioning now were precisely the latter two types. After half a year, he knew very well in his heart that only these latter two types could provide him with truly useful and effective military advice.

However, though there were many people around him, at this moment they were universally silent and at a loss for words... When it came to small-scale combat, these men might still have some experience, but faced with a battle formation of such magnitude, merely standing here they felt the oppressive atmosphere of slaughter blanketing heaven and earth—how could they dare to interject lightly?

After a long while, someone merely suggested that it might be better to detach two groups of three thousand elite troops each from the central army to patrol the two wings, both to supervise the battle and to respond to any breakthrough points in the Han army's river crossing.

To be fair, this was already a very pertinent suggestion.

Moreover, Zhang Bao's words this time were less an inquiry and more a search for self-comfort; to receive such a suggestion already satisfied him greatly.

Thereupon, two groups of Yellow Turban elite, each three thousand strong, surged out from behind the earthen mound and headed east and west respectively. At the same time, the two Grand Administrators of the Han army on the northern bank of the Hutuohe also began to make their moves... The two sides had faced off here for several months and made probing crossings several times; they had long since thoroughly grasped the river conditions and geography, and long since had experience and preparations for crossing. Thus, as Guo Dian and Zhang Chun, these two clear-minded Grand Administrators, each returned to their own divisions, the Han army immediately launched their attack. For a time, a thousand boats were launched all at once onto the calm surface of the Hutuohe, and the yellow ocean on the opposite bank rolled up wave after wave in response.

Both wings of the Han army moved simultaneously to force a crossing, and the Yellow Turbans on the opposite bank also stirred in succession to mount their defense. Immediately, the Yellow Turban commander Zhang Bao mobilized two elite detachments to reinforce the left and right. From the very start of the battle, there was a sense of meeting move with countermove... However, up to this point, Gongsun Xun, as the Han army's commander, remained utterly immobile. He paid no attention to the situation on the two wings, nor to the enemy's movements, but merely rode his horse forward to the very front of the battle formation, then narrowed his eyes and stared at the Yellow Heaven great banner on the earthen mound opposite.

Feng Xin, the Chancellor of Changshan, was probably seeing such a grand battle formation for the first time. Watching the enemy deploy their troops, he had already grown somewhat flustered, and when the shouts of battle rose from the two wings, he could bear it no longer and cautiously inquired from horseback on the spot: "Does the General of the Household believe our army can win this battle?"

At the very front, Gongsun Xun was utterly speechless, but could only turn his head and glare at the man, then kept his mouth shut.

Feng Xin probably realized he had lost face and was suspected of shaking the army's morale, so he immediately fell silent in embarrassment.

But just at that moment, Lou Zibo, who was positioned within the central army formation, after a moment's thought, suddenly stroked his beard and smiled: "Chancellor Feng, do not worry. In my view, this battle is still quite simple; the outcome is extremely clear... Chancellor Feng need only remain steadily here with our lord, calm the central army, and you may sit and await success!"

Hearing these words, Feng Xin did not feel particularly delighted.

And no wonder: even if he was ignorant of military matters, since he could rise to the position of Chancellor of a large commandery and kingdom like Changshan with a population of five to six hundred thousand, he still possessed basic competence... after all, it was impossible for all Two-Thousand-Bushel officials to be as absurd as the already-departed Xiang Xu. Thus, he immediately understood that Lou Gui wanted to seize the opportunity to speak some bold words and encourage the officers around him.

After all, it was a situation he himself had provoked, so even if he did not believe it, Chancellor Feng still put on an expression of earnest inquiry: "I am ignorant of military affairs. I must ask Zibo to explain the situation to me. Just what are our chances of victory?"

"To be frank with you, Lord Feng," Lou Gui reined in his white horse and spoke with a raised voice and a smile, "In my view, in this battle our army has five advantages, and the rebels have five disadvantages!"

Even with some mental preparation, Feng Xin was immediately stunned on the spot.

And Gongsun Xun, positioned in front of the two, was equally speechless upon hearing this and could not help but turn his head to glance at this trusted advisor of his.

"First," Lou Zibo pretended not to see his lord's strange look and spoke proudly, "Since the fighting in Dongjun and Yingchuan subsided, every man of insight in the realm has understood that these Yellow Turban rebels cannot accomplish their great undertaking and will sooner or later be destroyed... Thus, though the rebel army is numerous, their morale is gradually waning; though our army's strength is slightly insufficient, our morale is soaring... This is what is called the first advantage and the first disadvantage!"

Whether it was Feng Xin, Gongsun Xun, or the nearby Lu Fan, Dong Zhao, Xi Zhong, as well as the leaders and officers of the relief troops gathered from the various commanderies and kingdoms of Hebei further down, they all fell silent and nodded repeatedly... for Lou Zibo's words were indeed irrefutable.

"Second," seeing everyone nod in agreement, Lou Gui grew even more smug. "Our army is only slightly outnumbered, not lacking in fighting strength. Those twenty or thirty thousand extra motley troops the rebels have — can they match our ten thousand elite cavalry?! From the Hutuo River to the walls of Xiaquyang, the narrowest stretch is still six or seven li, mostly open plain — exactly the terrain where cavalry excels... And on the broad lands of Hebei, pitting cavalry against infantry, this is the second victory against their second defeat!"

The crowd kept nodding, and some even began chiming in agreement... The Yellow Turbans had fought for half a year and gained much experience — but had the government troops not done the same? After half a year in camp, such basic military common sense had long since spread. Everyone knew what ten thousand cavalry meant in a large-scale battle on the plains.

And the Han army had indeed made arrangements for this long ago.

At this moment, aside from Han Dang leading three hundred White Horse Volunteers and Gao Shun leading a thousand Bingzhou elites who stayed behind to serve as the spearhead of Cheng Pu's force, all the remaining cavalry from Youzhou, Henei, and Bingzhou — including the scattered horsemen originally attached to the various armies — had long since been gathered by Gongsun Xun, who had taken them downstream to cross the river by a detour... Nearly every capable subordinate of Gongsun Xun had also been dispatched to lead the cavalry.

In fact, to prevent Guan Yu and Shen Pei, his two most capable detached-battalion commanders, from clashing and fighting over command authority, even Gongsun Yue had been thrown out there, serving as the nominal commander of this elite cavalry force numbering over ten thousand.

Truly, there was nothing more to say — these ten thousand cavalry would decide this battle, and everything the rest of the Han army did was merely to create the best moment and posture for their strike. Even the forced crossing and fortification-building personally led by the two Grand Administrators, Guo Dian and Zhang Chun, could be understood as laying down the iron felt upon which these ten thousand cavalry would hammer.

Seeing the crowd paying ever more attention to his words, Lou Zibo's tone naturally grew more and more impassioned: "The third point lies in the city of Xiaquyang behind the rebels..."

At these words, the Han central army officers, who had just been listening with growing enthusiasm, were instantly speechless — so having a strong city at one's back was actually a disadvantage?

"Gentlemen, I know what you are thinking." Lou Gui reined in his horse and said with a sneer. "Xiaquyang's high walls and strong fortifications are known to all... However, are we laying siege this time? Put yourselves in their place and think — if we had such a strong city at our backs to fall back on, then once the battle began to waver, would we fight to the death, or would we simply turn and withdraw for the moment?"

"Well said!" Feng Xin suddenly saw the light. "That is exactly the principle... With a strong city behind them, put yourself in their shoes — once the battle wavers, they will inevitably be tempted to retreat into the city!"

"Not only that." Lou Zibo stroked his beard and smiled. "In contrast, our army's forced crossing means those who have crossed the river are truly fighting with their backs to the water and will not easily waver... And this is the third victory against their third defeat."

The crowd suddenly understood, and Feng Xin sighed repeatedly in admiration: "Zibo truly deserves to be the chief strategist of the General of the Household of All Purposes... you see the battle situation so clearly!"

Lou Gui beamed with delight for a moment, and only after everyone had finished their praise did he put away his smile and continue: "As for the fourth victory against the fourth defeat... Gentlemen, look — by now the two Grand Administrators on the wings should already be engaged, but can any of you clearly see the fighting on the flanks from here?"

At these words, everyone craned their necks and peered about, but apart from smoke and dust, boats, and a few indistinct banners, they saw nothing. And so most of them grew as uncertain and doubtful as they had been earlier.

"That is precisely the point!" Xi Zhong could no longer hold back and interjected. "Brother Zibo's insight here is extremely sharp... Think about it, gentlemen — a battlefield of over a hundred thousand men, separated by several li, we in the central army cannot see the flanks' situation, nor can we intervene in time. Can Zhang Bao on the opposite bank command effectively? Under such conditions, each unit can only fight on its own!"

"However," Lou Gui took over, "even though each must fight on its own, the rebels have countless great and small commanders, each acting as they please, their command utterly chaotic. But our army, besides the Regional Commander, still has five Two-Thousand-Bushel officials who can adapt and direct on the spot... This is the fourth victory against their fourth defeat."

The battlefield was too vast, the scale of battle too large, and having an extra layer of highly authoritative commanders in the chain of command — that did seem to be an indisputable advantage for their side, didn't it?

After a moment's thought, the Han army officers looked at Lou Gui with entirely different eyes — this man was clearly the stuff of legends, a figure like Zhang Liang or Chen Ping!

Even Gongsun Xun, after exchanging a glance with Lu Fan on his left, turned his head once more to shoot this fellow another look.

"Then may I ask, Master Zibo," Feng Xin, brimming with confidence, had by now even changed his form of address, "where does this fifth victory and fifth defeat lie?"

"Far away as the horizon, yet right before our eyes!" Lou Gui raised a hand and pointed straight at Gongsun Xun, who was looking back at him, his voice rising considerably once more. "It is precisely the two commanders-in-chief, theirs and ours! My lord was famed throughout the realm even before he came of age, and since the pacification of the Yellow Turbans he has attacked without fail and fought without defeat. Zhang Bao across the way was already my lord's defeated foe beneath the walls of Fanyang... Is the superiority of one commander over the other not the very root of victory and defeat? This is our army's fifth victory and the rebel army's fifth defeat in this battle!"

Feng Xin clenched his fist and smacked his palm, unable to stop himself from agreeing repeatedly... From the look of him, it seemed he had actually gone from merely going through the motions to genuinely believing Lou Zibo's nonsense.

As for the officers from the various commanderies and kingdoms of Hebei around them, whether they believed it or not, they naturally hastened to nod in agreement and flatter him endlessly... What else could they do? Stand right in front of the General of the Household of All Purposes and his staff of authority and say this point didn't hold?

And come to think of it carefully, it was indeed true, wasn't it?

In any case, whether true or false, Lou Zibo's grand and resounding speech had at least heated up the atmosphere at the Han army's central command.

However, at the same time, in places where the central army could not clearly see what was happening, the two wings of the Han army that had forced the crossing first were already locked in blade-to-blade combat with the Yellow Turbans on the opposite bank.

"Kill!"

Xu Zhan, clad in double-layered iron armor and wearing a helmet, slammed his large wooden shield — studded with a full seven or eight arrows — viciously into a Yellow Turban warrior on the opposite bank, then leaped from the bow of the boat, seized the momentum, and swung his blade into the Yellow Turbans' beachhead position.

Relying on the might of his iron armor and fighting like a mad tiger, he actually cut down several men in an instant, allowing the dozen or so armored soldiers on his boat who had crossed first to land safely one after another, then form ranks and push forward.

It is said that a man of honor will die for one who knows his worth — Xu Zhan fully understood that Gongsun Xun forcing his own Grand Administrator to lead the crossing was ill-intentioned... In fact, for this river crossing, Zhang Chun, right there on the boat behind him, had not even dared to use his own core Zhongshan troops, who were more closely tied to Gongsun Xun. Instead, he had publicly demanded the Yuyang soldiers who had come with Guo Xun to serve as the vanguard, precisely hoping these local men would be 'safer'... But now that battle was joined and blades had crossed, at this point, one had to first withstand the Yellow Turbans' open blades and spears before worrying about someone's hidden arrows and cold shafts. Xu Zhan asked himself — if their Grand Administrator truly perished on this beachhead, that shameless villain would probably laugh out loud in public, wouldn't he?!

Therefore, in this battle they not only had to win, but also had to display their Grand Administrator's valor and ferocity, making Gongsun Xun submit in awe to their lord's courage and daring, and thus cease his schemes, not daring to wantonly do him harm!

With this thought, Xu Zhan, who had just barely secured a small patch of the beachhead, did not wait for more Han troops to finish assembling on the shore behind him. Instead, he picked up a round shield from the ground and took the initiative to hurl himself toward the densely packed Yellow Turban battle formation...

Thanks to Xu Zhan's fierce fighting, Zhang Chun was actually able to cross the river unhurriedly and complete his battle formation on the southern bank of the Hutuo River.

And almost at the same moment, on the western side, as Guo Dian personally wielded his blade and slew the enemy, the Han army's morale soared, and the troops surged ashore shouting, seizing one of the Yellow Turbans' beachhead positions almost instantly.

From the look of it, Lou Zibo's theory of five victories and five defeats was perhaps not empty talk after all.

"Trouble!"

Yet, as the morning wore on and reports of victory from the flanking scouts came in one after another, Gongsun Xun, who had been staring fixedly at the Yellow Turban central army formation on the opposite bank, though his expression remained unchanged, could not help but sigh inwardly.

——————I am the dividing line of trouble——————

"He who would be a general must possess the clarity of insight, to judge the enemy's weakness and strength, to anticipate the enemy's moves before they are made, to understand the subtlest shades of victory and defeat in his heart, and to grasp the shifting tides of circumstance in his mind — only then can he fight a hundred battles without peril and achieve complete success!" — The Zibo Art of War

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(End of Chapter)