Chapter 303: Wei Qing's Undefeated Record Was Aided by Heaven's Fortune

Liu Jingsheng rode alone into Huangfu Song's main camp, and it caused barely a ripple — because Huangfu Song was Huangfu Song. This was a man who, five years ago, held over half the realm's finest troops and did not rebel; four years ago, stripped of everything, he still did not rebel. So how could he now truly defy Gongsun Xun, who represented Luoyang's authority?

In fact, after Liu Biao entered the camp and met with Huangfu Song, there were no tricks at all. Openly and directly, he delivered the order, demanding that the other party have his nephew Huangfu Li lead the cavalry and place them under the General of the Guard's command, and also detach five thousand troops to be divided into a separate camp under Bao Xin.

The entire process was unhurried, matter-of-fact, as if conveying some kind of reward.

At this, Huangfu Song's subordinates were naturally all indignant. Huangfu Song himself, in a moment of anger, left his seat and withdrew, leaving only the utterly composed Liu Biao and Bao Xin to sit stiffly together in the tent. But as Dong Zhuo's main camp began deploying troops that very evening — cavalry moving out, infantry dividing into separate camps — this General of the Left found he could not avoid the issue. Finally, he raised his head to the sky with a long sigh and then complied with Liu Biao's military order.

After all, how could he, Huangfu Song, possibly show less respect for the central authority than someone like Dong Zhuo?

To put it plainly, it truly was not that these men could not resist. Rather, although the situation in Luoyang was tottering at this moment, the central authority still held. Not only Huangfu Song, but even on Dong Zhuo's side, with all the killing and banqueting, the reason he could smoothly seize military power — was it not also because he ultimately dared not defy universal condemnation?

At this very moment, everyone's hearts were growing wild with ambition, yet no one dared to be the first to stick out their neck. The Son of Heaven lay on his sickbed in the Northern Palace, still lucid; Grand General He was gradually taking control of the situation. Although the man was somewhat lacking in talent, he was after all the legitimate Imperial Brother-in-Law, and had long ago gained the approval of the scholar-officials and the noble houses of Luoyang.

The two combined gave their authority just enough weight to barely suppress the people's ambitions.

And so, borrowing the name of righteous duty and a few stratagems, Gongsun Xun suddenly unified military command in a single day. Three days later, he further maneuvered the entire army in a unified movement, crossing the still-frozen Qian River and pressing close to set up camp below Chencang... When the rebels received word, they were thrown into a flurry, yet only hastily adjusted their battle lines, altered their main camp deployment, left a small force to besiege Chencang, and then concentrated fifty thousand main-force troops to set up camps facing east to meet the enemy from that direction. In other words, they forfeited the chance to strike when the government troops first arrived and were not yet firmly established, and allowed the Han army to set up camp at its leisure... Once both sides had steadied themselves and stood facing off again, the closest distance between the two main camps was a mere seven or eight li.

Just by looking at this distance between the camps, everyone knew that a great battle was imminent.

And indeed, once firmly established, Gongsun Xun, as Regional Commander, immediately ordered the entire army to conserve strength and sharpen their edge, while at the same time personally leading his guards to observe the rebel fortifications — clearly brimming with fighting intent.

"What do you think?" That evening, after observing the rebel camp for an entire day and about to return to camp, Gongsun Xun finally formally asked the opinion of the officers beside him.

"Reporting to the General of the Guard, I believe we can fight!" Gai Xun, who had just been given command of a five-thousand-man camp, immediately spurred his horse forward and responded.

"What is your reasoning?" Gongsun Xun pressed without pause from horseback.

"Our army and the rebel army are equal in the number of combat soldiers, and both are divided horizontally into five camps. However, our camp line stretches for ten li, while their camp line is actually fifteen li wide... It is not that they deliberately linked their camps, but that the gaps between their camps are too large." Gai Xun cupped his hands solemnly and advised, "General of the Guard, this shows the rebels are indeed harboring ulterior motives and do not trust one another. Moreover, these gaps between camps are a huge weakness. If we fight, we can use cavalry to thrust into these gaps and swiftly divide them, so that their left and right flanks cannot support each other. Then we can achieve a great victory."

"My thoughts are the same!" Lou Gui also did not yield to others. "And the rebels' weakness is not just the gaps between camps. Because our army suddenly advanced in force, they turned and set up camp in haste. I observe that these camps are hastily constructed and lack supplies, clearly not sturdy... We can send the cavalry out first to divide the various camps, then press forward with the entire army's infantry. We will surely win in one battle."

"I also support an immediate decisive battle." Xi Zhong, too, rarely interjected on military matters. "Because they are truly not of one mind... My lord, think about it. Today we inspected all the enemy camps, but their various patrol riders only screened their own camps, showing no intention of linking up for mutual support. This clearly shows they have already grown suspicious of one another."

Gongsun Xun nodded slowly, but then looked toward Jia Xu, who had remained silent at the side.

"What everyone has said is absolutely correct." Jia Wenhe, seeing this, had no choice but to echo, "Xu has no objection."

Gongsun Xun sighed slightly at these words, but only reined in his horse and remained silent, facing west toward the setting sun... Over there, the rebel camp stretched fifteen li wide, forming a perpendicular intersection with the Wei River, which glittered with the light of the setting sun. It seemed quite imposing, but anyone who understood warfare knew this was a case of being outwardly strong but inwardly weak.

"The Wei River... the ice on the surface has not yet melted." Gai Xun, seeing this, had a sudden thought and misinterpreted Gongsun Xun's meaning. "But when I set out to come here, the Great River had already thawed. And earlier, when we crossed the Qian River, the Qian was shallow and still frozen several chi thick... The Wei River is neither large nor small; one must indeed be careful of the ice conditions."

Gongsun Xun did not confirm or deny this, but simply turned his head back and asked Gai Xun: "Brother Yuangu, you have been in Liang Province for a long time and enjoy widespread esteem. Do you have any channels among the rebels for exchanging words?"

"It is not just me." Gai Xun replied without concern. "Lord Huangfu, Lord Dong, and even any thousand-dan Liang Province officer in the army likely all have channels... But forgive my bluntness, in such haste, I fear there is no time to establish communication. Instead, it would reveal a weakness for them to exploit."

Gongsun Xun immediately shook his head: "I am not talking about recruiting an internal collaborator. I want to meet the officers in the opposing rebel army, to see with my own eyes what attitude they hold... Everyone believes we can win, and I also believe we can win. But this is mainly based on the judgment that they have long been suspicious of one another. To see them face to face and gauge their true state would at least add thirty percent certainty... Can you arrange a meeting for me with the opposing commander? Tell them that tomorrow, I, Lord Huangfu, and Lord Dong wish to meet face to face with old acquaintances from the past."

"That is easily done!" Gai Xun immediately agreed wholeheartedly. "I will send someone tonight... But my lord, is this necessary?"

Gongsun Xun smiled slightly and did not answer. Instead, he directly instructed the accompanying clerk Wang Xiang behind him: "Xibo, I have few old acquaintances on the opposing side. Write a letter for me to Han Sui, and have Brother Yuangu forward it. Invite him to meet before the battle lines tomorrow. Say it is only to discuss personal friendship, nothing else."

With that, he turned directly and headed back to camp.

However, what was interesting was that Wang Xiang was an honest and sincere man. Upon hearing the order, he hastily took out paper and brush while on horseback, dipped them in ink that had been pre-ground and stored in a leather pouch, and, borrowing the light of the setting sun behind him, wrote while bent over his horse's back as they traveled. Before the group had even reached the main camp, this Wang Xibo had already finished writing and directly handed the letter over to Gai Xun, the messenger, from horseback.

Now, although Gai Xun came from a renowned family line and was said to be from a Liang Province house of poetry and letters, when had he ever witnessed a true literary talent like this? He took the letter, the ink still wet, read it hastily, and was utterly dumbstruck. Then this Intendant of the Capital actually dismounted and performed a grand ceremonial bow to Wang Xiang, who was merely a subordinate clerk of the General of the Guard. This flustered the latter so much that he scrambled off his horse in a panic to return the courtesy.

Everyone looked on in astonishment, clearly not understanding the meaning. But just a moment later, Lou Zibo and the others also sighed in admiration, and then one after another bowed to Wang Xiang in praise.

It turned out that the invitation letter he had hastily composed on horseback was simply too well written!

"Truly, to add a single character would be too much, to remove a single character would be too little..." In the end, even Gongsun Xun could not help but loudly praise it in the fading twilight. "Xibo will surely achieve great accomplishments in literature in the future!"

Wang Xiang was an honest man and grew even more humbly deferential.

Yet as Gongsun Xun watched this letter, to which not a word could be added or removed, circulate among the people's hands, and finally be handed back to Gai Xun by Jia Xu, his heart stirred, and a certain "classical allusion" suddenly came to mind.

And so, Gai Xun returned to his own camp. After entering his camp, Gongsun Xun also sent word to inform Huangfu Song and Dong Zhuo on his left and right, telling them to prepare to meet the rebel leaders before the battle lines the next day and to gauge their true state.

Just as everyone else was preparing to take their leave and return to their respective camps, Gongsun Xun suddenly called out to one person: "Wenhe, stay a moment."

Jia Xu did not understand why, but ultimately stayed behind alone amid the silence of Lou and Xi: "General, please speak."

"Does Wenhe possess literary talent?" Gongsun Xun asked solemnly.

"Liang Province is a remote frontier; I am truly not skilled in this path." Jia Xu bowed in reply.

"That is truly a pity." Gongsun Xun pointed to the paper and brush on the table and chuckled. "But I still want you to write a private letter for me!"

Jia Xu said not a word. He simply stepped forward, spread the paper, took up the brush, then raised his head and waited quietly for instructions.

"Write whatever you like, make it somewhat long... The only meaning is this: tell Han Wenyue that if he can kill Wang Guo, his crimes can be pardoned, and I will take full responsibility to offer him amnesty and recruitment." Gongsun Xun stared at Jia Xu and spoke calmly.

Jia Xu said nothing, lowered his head and wrote a few lines, but finally raised his head helplessly: "General, such a letter is destined to be useless. Han Wenyue is the man who used a puppet to kill Li Wenhou and Beigong Boyu, and is known as the 'Nine Bends of the Yellow River'... With General's fighting spirit so high, how could you make him fall for this ruse?"

"Just write it." Gongsun Xun shook his head with a laugh.

PS: Thanks to new Alliance Master, Lady Bamboo Shaking... this time a new book friend...

(End of Chapter)