Chapter 258

In late July, the weather gradually turned cooler, yet across the Hebei lands the two main battlefields remained — one below Guangzong City in the south, the other below Xiaquyang City in the north.

However, the situations at these two places, which had been locked in stalemate for months before, were now entirely different.

At Xiaquyang, after the river-crossing battle, from the central command down to the local level, from the army to the civilian laborers transporting grain, nearly everyone knew that once the siege encirclement was completed, the city could be taken in a single stroke. But at Guangzong, for the government troops who had left and returned, it was undeniably somewhat disheartening.

"Meng De!"

At dusk, watching Cavalry Commandant Cao Cao riding back from the central army command tent, Xiahou Dun, who had been waiting at the camp gate, could bear it no longer. The moment he went to meet him, he asked right there on the path, "I've already followed your orders and rebuilt the palisades and set up camp. Some Huang Jin thieves who came to spy were driven off... What did the council of war decide?"

"What can be decided?" Cao Cao dismounted, rolled his neck, and then broke into a rueful laugh, leading his horse into the camp. "Now that the encampment has been stabilized, naturally we must redeploy the siege! The equipment destroyed by the Huang Jin thieves must be rebuilt, the siege ramparts that were leveled must be raised again, and the surrounding strongpoints, earthen mounds, and trenches that were seized must be retaken..."

"Isn't this all our previous efforts going to waste?" Xiahou Dun, who had followed him, looked somewhat embarrassed. "How can you still laugh?"

"In the current situation, as a two-thousand-bushel officer in the army, if I don't laugh, am I supposed to cry instead?" Cao Cao said dismissively. "Even Lord Dong, just now in the tent, was all smiles and pleasantries, not losing a shred of his resolve."

Xiahou Dun let out a long sigh. "I know you must consider the army's morale and cannot lose face, but the men in our camp are all veterans who have fought across many regions. Do you really think you can keep this from them?"

"It's not about keeping it from them, but that a commander should, from himself outward, boost morale." Cao Mengde glanced at the soldiers in his own camp, still dismissive. "Our army's situation is such that, admittedly, our offensive has been temporarily thwarted, but it is only the offensive that has been thwarted. In the grand scheme, the Huang Jin thieves are growing weaker by the day — will that change just because we left and came back? We still hold the advantage."

"Who doesn't know that?" Xiahou Dun grew more anxious. "The key is progress! Back when we followed the General of the Gentlemen of the Household for All Purposes campaigning across multiple regions, routing the enemy and achieving merit was as easy as eating and drinking. Why is it so arduous at Guangzong?"

"In my view, Lord Dong and Lord Lu are not incompetent men." Cao Cao arrived before his own tent in the camp, casually tossed his horse's reins to a personal guard, and went straight inside. "It's just that here at Guangzong, the rebel army is numerous, generally skilled in battle, and mostly devout believers in the Way of Great Peace. The Zhang Liang leading them also happens to be steady and cautious... That's why it has dragged on this long."

"Didn't they also say before that Xiaquyang had elite troops and many generals, high walls and wide rivers?" This time it was Xiahou Dun's turn to be dismissive. He followed into the tent, avoiding those around them, and took the chance to speak more directly. "How did the General of the Gentlemen of the Household for All Purposes fight one battle and kill Zhang Bao, leaving him with only twenty thousand troops? In my opinion, whether it's Lord Lu before or Lord Dong now, I won't say they're incompetent, but they both have somewhat unearned reputations."

Unexpectedly, this time Cao Cao did not directly deny it. He stopped in his tracks inside the tent and sighed with emotion. "A commander as divinely skilled in warfare as Wenqi — is there more than one such man under heaven? You can't lump everyone together. If we really must compare, aren't you and I older than him, yet our situation is even worse than Lord Lu's and Lord Dong's!"

This time it was Xiahou Dun's turn to laugh. "I won't speak for myself, but Meng De, you had not studied military affairs before, so naturally you were not the General of the Gentlemen of the Household for All Purposes' equal. Yet now, barely half a year since you joined the army, you are already thoroughly versed in all the army's administrative affairs, high and low. I imagine in the future you too can become a famous general of the state, living up to your lifelong aspirations and the trust placed in you by your elders."

Cao Cao's expression changed abruptly.

Xiahou Dun, realizing he had misspoken, hastily changed the subject. "The fifteenth of the seventh month was the time for the Mengqiu ancestral sacrifice. We happened to be shifting camp then and missed the occasion. Would Meng De like to seek out incense and candles now to perform a sacrifice for Lord Qiao?"

That was right — Qiao Xuan was dead.

He had died in the fifth month, but things were chaotic at the time, and the road from Luoyang to Qiao Xuan's hometown in Liang State was not very safe, so the funeral was delayed. It was not until Huangfu Song led troops to Runan, winning battle after battle and stabilizing the surrounding region, that Qiao Xuan's family could finally bring his coffin home. Of course, by this time, both the court and the Qiao clan's disciples and former officials throughout the realm had the mind to mourn him. Even Cai Yong had made a special trip to Liang State to help compose an inscription and biography. And it was only now, at Guangzong, that Cao Cao learned of his death.

"No need." After pondering a moment, Cao Cao slowly shook his head. "With my achievements still unfulfilled, what face do I have to sacrifice to the departed? Let everyone from platoon commander and above come to the tent to discuss the siege and battle plans." At this point, Cao Mengde added a small piece of intelligence. "I see Lord Dong's intent is to openly and honorably fight a round with the rebels tomorrow, to restore morale, and then resume the siege... When you summon them, tell these things to Yue Wenqian, Li Tuizhi, and the others, so they can each prepare. It might be a chance to distinguish themselves."

Xiahou Dun, knowing he had stirred up the other man's private grief, dared not say more. He hastily saluted and withdrew, going off to organize a small-scale council of war within the camp.

The night passed without a word.

Early the next morning, just as expected, the Han army's commander, General of the Gentlemen of the Household of the East Dong Zhuo, immediately mobilized nearly all senior officers and concentrated the elite troops of every division to march out together. After arriving below Guangzong City, they raised their banners in unison, a vast and mighty host, advancing slowly and directly toward an earthen mound below the city that had previously been seized by the Huang Jin army.

This earthen mound was located outside the main western gate of Guangzong City, with a temporary rampart built atop it. It had been constructed earlier by men sent by Lu Zhi to monitor the enemy troops at the western gate opposite. When Dong Zhuo chose to shift his position, Zhang Liang had personally led troops out of the city and captured it... Strategically, it did hold some significance.

But this mound was not too high, unable to absolutely dominate the gate tower opposite, nor was its area very large — it could not be called anything decisive. Thus, this time, as Dong Zhuo led his forces with banners raised and advanced slowly... the intent to issue a challenge was clearly greater than the intent to seize it.

Zhang Jiao inside the city opposite and Zhang Liang, who had set camp outside the city, also immediately understood the other side's intention. Moreover, they too needed to boost morale. So very quickly, the two armies, by unspoken mutual understanding, each concentrated over ten thousand elite troops and faced off against each other in the open ground outside Guangzong's western gate.

Among them, Zhang Jiao personally came to the gate tower on the west side of Guangzong City to observe the battle, while Zhang Liang personally led troops up onto this earthen mound, and Dong Zhuo even personally drove his forces to the front of the formation to watch from a distance.

It must be said, compared to a few years prior, Dong Zhongying at this time was actually somewhat fuller in figure and showed a few more signs of age... There were reasons for this. For instance, after his official career reached the post of Governor of Hedong, for a man of humble frontier commandery origins, it seemed he had reached the end of the road, leaving no future prospects in sight. Another reason was that his eldest son by his principal wife had suddenly died of illness the previous year, leaving behind only one granddaughter by his principal line. Although he still had nephews, sons-in-law, and even concubines who could continue bearing him children, the blow was undeniably severe.

Of course, it must also be said, the man Xiliang Dong Zhuo was, after all, Xiliang Dong Zhuo, possessing a certain heroic spirit of his own. Although the blow of his son's death left him despondent for a time, to the point that his physique became somewhat misshapen, he quickly adjusted and returned, attempting to focus all his mind on personal achievements and glory.

This time, he had actually heard some rumors and then volunteered for the campaign... and finally got his wish, being appointed with imperial authority as General of the Gentlemen of the Household of the East.

However, that his very first military action after receiving that authority plunged him into a deep pit — that was another matter entirely.

"Send someone to go ask them if they know about Zhang Bao's disastrous defeat at Xiaquyang. If they know, ask them what they think of it. If they don't know, then recount it to them anew!" Dong Zhuo did not ride a horse, but stood in a tall war chariot convenient for command. Once both sides had finished forming ranks, he gave a cold laugh and waved over a personal guard to give these instructions.

It must be said, at this moment, this General of the Gentlemen of the Household of the East's expression actually showed no sense of dejection, as if it were not his own future that hung in the balance. In truth, not only the Xiliang troops and Hedong troops that Dong Zhuo had brought this time, but even Cao Cao and the troops originally under Lu Zhi now greatly admired his bearing and composure.

Returning to the matter at hand, that personal guard of Dong Zhuo's, of Xiliang origin, upon receiving the order, immediately took it and galloped swiftly toward the enemy formation. Who would have thought that just as he reached the foot of the earthen mound, before he could even open his mouth, he was met head-on by a volley of arrows and died instantly beneath the random shafts.

At this, the entire Han army was enraged.

Dong Zhuo was even more furious. "Clownish buffoons, killing my beloved general! If I capture Zhang Liang, I will surely have him torn apart by five horses... Who will take this mound for me?!"

Although it was likewise an assault on an earthen mound, unlike the river-crossing attack at Xiaquyang, here the Han army's troop strength was not inferior, and the Han army's combat power was, after all, several notches stronger than the opponent's. So it was purely a matter of storming a strongpoint.

Thus, with Dong Zhongying's single shouted demand, the entire army, high and low, momentarily rubbed their fists and wiped their palms, and actually vied to volunteer for the assault.

"Rong is willing to slay the rebels for the state!" Amid the clamor of volunteers, Xu Rong, a two-thousand-bushel Captain, also actively asked to be sent.

"Captain Xu's ability I have long known." Seeing this, Dong Zhuo hastily turned his head in the chariot to placate him. "But a mere earthen mound requires at most a few hundred troops. Why should a two-thousand-bushel officer personally take the field?"

Xu Rong was about to speak again when Dong Zhuo seized the moment to point at someone beside him. "Fan Chou, the one who just died was your fellow townsman. Can you fight?"

That Xiliang warrior called Fan Chou immediately dismounted and knelt. "Please, General, dispatch crossbowmen and archers to cover me, and send another unit as my rear support. I will go myself to avenge my fellow townsman!"

Dong Zhuo nodded with satisfaction for a moment, then repeatedly encouraged him while ordering the army to concentrate its armor for Fan Chou's unit to use. Those around naturally had nothing to say.

War drums rumbled, and Fan Chou led two or three hundred Xiliang warriors, each donning armor and bearing shields, with swords at their waists and spears held horizontally, heading straight for the earthen mound — a truly imposing sight.

However, Cao Mengde had seen plenty of such fierce, charging formations and thought nothing of it.

In fact, like many others, his gaze had long since been involuntarily drawn to another group on the battlefield... It was a cavalry force of over a thousand men that surged out from the central army behind them, led by a Major called Li Jue. Their purpose in coming out this time was to provide crossbow and bow suppression and rear support for Fan Chou's unit.

As for why this thousand-man unit drew people's gaze, it was because over half of them were actually Qiang people... with disheveled hair, wearing sheepskin garments fastened on the left, and making strange, unending cries as they rode out into formation. Although Cao Cao and the others had long known that Dong Zhuo's Xiliang troops this time included many Qiang, and had seen them once or twice in the central army, this was the first time they saw them assembled for formal battle, and they could not help but be curious.

After all, before the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Qiang insurrections had been the Great Han dynasty's most routine wars. They had long heard great things of these people.

"The Hebei interior is undefended. Letting these Qiang come into the heartland — might there be some problem?" Xiahou Dun immediately frowned and said in a low voice. "Looking at their manner, one can tell they have no military discipline whatsoever. Might they leave camp without permission to plunder and cause trouble?"

"Who says otherwise?" Cao Cao, watching those Qiang cavalrymen shouting and howling as they galloped left and right, ceaselessly drawing their bows, also frowned unceasingly. "But military discipline is a minor matter. I fear that among these Qiang there are some with ambition, who, having followed this campaign and learned that the Great Han's heartland has suffered such chaos, will return to Xiliang with treacherous thoughts... The state cannot endure another great rebellion."

Xiahou Dun was slightly taken aback, then grew even more solemn.

And just at that moment, the battle situation had already changed. That Fan Chou was indeed worthy of being Dong Zhuo's trusted favorite general. The man was quite fierce and valiant, and under the covering support of the Qiang troops behind him, he pressed the attack in one breath, directly leading his troops to charge halfway up the earthen mound, his momentum unstoppable. At the same time, Zhang Liang himself, under the protection of his attendants, actually hastily retreated down the side of the earthen mound.

The battle proceeded with unbelievable smoothness. Cao Cao, almost instinctively amid the cheers around him, sensed a hint of danger. And Dong Zhuo, facing the Guangzong Yellow Turbans for the first time, also momentarily showed hesitation on his face... Could the Huang Jin thieves be this feeble? This was under Zhang Jiao's personal supervision!

Just as expected, at that very moment, a sudden shift occurred on the battlefield — just as Fan Chou reached the hilltop, suddenly, a force of troops with yellow scarves wrapped around their heads, clad in armor, and of universally exceptionally brawny physique surged out from behind and to the sides of the earthen mound. They actually forced Li Jue's unit to retreat directly and trapped Fan Chou on top of the mound.

And simultaneously, the western gate of Guangzong City swung wide open, and a contingent of fully equipped cavalry charged out with the momentum. The two men at their head — one stocky in build with a thick, dense beard, the other tall and slender, wielding a lance of unbelievable length.

"It's those two thieves, Left Whiskers and Eight Spans!" Seeing these two, Gongsun Zan, who was not far from Cao Cao and positioned beside Xu Rong, felt his eyelid twitch uncontrollably, his handsome face instantly contorting. "And the Yellow Turban Warriors who were hidden behind the mound earlier... The scoundrels actually dared to use a ruse?!"

And before anyone could explain to Dong Zhuo the origins of these two elite Huang Jin units, that Left Whiskers and Eight Spans, leading the Huang Jin cavalry, heedless of all else, charged straight for the face of the Han army's main formation. The Yellow Turban Warriors, meanwhile, completely ignored the cut-off Li Jue's unit and headed straight up the earthen mound, which lacked ranged weapons, to encircle and attack.

Fan Chou on the hill was trapped in a heavy encirclement, and the various commanders before the Han army's formation, seeing enemy cavalry charging straight at their own front, were almost instantly struck with great alarm, their faces draining of color. The battle situation reversed in an instant.

———— I am the dividing line of instant reversal ————

"Chun, having already crossed the Hutuo in mourning white, took the left flank to face them, while Julu Governor Guo Dian took the right flank. Both personally braved arrows and bolts, their valor unmatched, seizing rampart after rampart. The rebels having slightly wavered, the Grand Ancestor saw the opportunity and immediately dispatched a thousand men from Hejian to lead the ascent, then personally led his volunteer retinue, bearing the imperial tally, across the river straight for the rebel commander. The central army fell into great chaos, and the rebels on the left and right alike panicked, retreating swiftly, hoping to rejoin the central army. Chun, seeing this, led a small force himself to cut off the rebels' return path. Those around him gently remonstrated, but Chun said: 'In the camp are many armchair strategists, all unfit for the task. Only the General of the Gentlemen of the Household for All Purposes, with his heaven-sent brilliance and outstanding talent and virtue, is the one who will restore peace to the realm. Moreover, he regarded me as a scholar of the state and promised to be my rearguard. Though I am but a coarse man, I also know I must repay him with my life, and even in death I shall have no regrets.' Thus he fought, suffered seven wounds, and fell in the formation. The Grand Ancestor was victorious, and hearing of this, sighed deeply, then ranked Chun's merit first, and had a stele carved to commemorate him, which still stands today." — Miscellaneous Records of the Scholarly Grove, by an Anonymous Author of Yan.

PS: Thanks to the new Alliance Master, Tian Guo De Jie Cao Jun — ten thousand thanks.

Was arguing with someone in a debate today... delayed things, sorry... also, the book-friend group is 684558115, feel free to join if interested.

(End of Chapter)