Chapter 355

Gongsun Xun accepted Wei Ji's suggestion and suddenly halted his advance, stopping instead at Gaoliangting and encamping his troops to wait.

Now, Wei Ji was a scholar through and through — his talents lay in the deep study of regulations and institutions, and in speaking out frankly and daring to remonstrate; this man, the same age as Cao Cao, was even a recognized literary figure and calligrapher. In any case, his understanding of military matters was only superficial... However, what happened later proved that whether it is military tactics or strategy, both must be built upon a deep understanding of the opponent and the surrounding environment.

Indeed, although no one could guarantee that the Bobo Army would definitely not come out for a decisive battle if the fighting continued, returning to the present, after waiting several days, the scouts came in one after another to report that the Bobo Army had suddenly abandoned their principle of dispersed garrisoning and were massing on a large scale at Jiangyi (the later Houma City)... In other words, Wei Ji's suggestion had produced a miraculous effect.

The lands on both banks of the Fen River in Hedong are flat and open; once a massing begins, military movements become extremely rapid.

On the thirteenth day of the second month, Gongsun Xun began to halt at Gaoliangting; on the twentieth of the second month, the Bobo Army only then suddenly began to show signs of massing, yet by the twenty-second the massing was already complete; by the twenty-fourth, their vanguard had already advanced to Xiangling (the later Linfen) south of Gaoliangting; and by the twenty-fifth, the scouting cavalry of the two armies were already engaging in small-scale combat on the open, unobstructed wilderness.

By this time, it was said that the number of troops facing them at Xiangling was already beyond the ability of the scouts' naked eyes to judge. Considering the population on both banks of the Fen River in the Hedong region and the Bobo Army's widespread reputation, calling it a hundred thousand might be somewhat inflated, but saying it had eighty or ninety thousand would not be far off.

In other words, even including the auxiliary troops, the numerical ratio between the two armies was over two to one. In reality, facing such an enormous number of enemy troops, Gongsun Xun dared not be negligent and had in fact already begun dispatching some military clerks and officers into the auxiliary troops, in order to throw the auxiliaries into battle if necessary.

Of course, the advantages of the Youzhou Army were also very obvious. Although the Hedong cavalry had a reputation far and wide, and both sides could be said to possess both horse and foot, the Youzhou Army's cavalry far surpassed the opponent's in both quantity and quality.

On terrain like that of Hedong, the advantage of large-scale, organized cavalry units was simply too great.

Therefore, the margin between victory and defeat in this battle was extremely wide for both sides... In other words, this was a contest that would pit the quality of the two sides' commanders against each other.

By this point, some cavalry officers in the army had already seen the situation clearly and repeatedly requested battle. Their idea was to use the cavalry advantage to press forward aggressively to the walls of Xiangling, block the enemy troops, and prevent the Bobo Army from deploying their formations at all. But at this moment, Gongsun Xun adopted Lou Gui's suggestion and still had no intention of proactively pressing forward to force a battle, instead continuing to hold his troops in place.

There were two reasons for this:

First, during the ten-plus days at Gaoliangting, Gongsun Xun had, on the Fen River plain where not even a slope could be seen, piled earth to build high platforms, felled trees to erect palisades, and also dug deep trenches and arrayed abatis to serve as his base camp... In large-scale army operations on a plain with an unobstructed view, these very basic field fortifications could very likely require thousands upon thousands of lives to trade for; abandoning them would be too great a pity.

Second, although the Bobo Army was fighting on interior lines, the logistical pressure of gathering such a massive number of soldiers was not trivial. More importantly, although the Bobo Army's soldiers were of rather excellent quality, they lacked an effective military structure. With a huge army piled together, chaos was bound to erupt before long... Therefore, the Bobo Army was the side less able to hold out.

Sure enough, by the twenty-seventh of the second month, whether it was due to logistical pressure or a decision made by the high command, in short, the Bobo Army could endure no longer and took the initiative to leave Xiangling and advance forward!

Although they lacked the necessary gongs, drums, and banners, on the plain the vast military formation was fully visible, almost filling everyone's field of vision. Having marched only a few li from the city, this army's morale began to soar because of the sheer number of their own comrades!

What Lady Gongsun called hormones... or what Lou Gui called "the heart daring to fight" and "rampant arrogance," for a time surged through every officer and soldier of the Bobo Army.

Cavalry and infantry alike all spontaneously quickened their pace, and since the cavalry was naturally faster, they very soon became disconnected from the main body.

At the same time, after receiving the scouts' report, General of the Guard Gongsun Xun, twenty li away at Gaoliangting, no longer hesitated and immediately issued military orders according to plan, commanding the entire army's cavalry to take the initiative and go out to meet the enemy!

From a unit of a thousand shock cavalry that had been incorporated not long before at Yanmen, to the five thousand Xiongnu cavalry just recently brought into the ranks; from the seven thousand Youzhou shock cavalry to the four thousand Wuhuan light cavalry; from a mere eight hundred Liaodong cavalry to the thousand-odd Xianbei cavalry of the three garrisons of Liaoxi; and even including the twelve hundred-strong White Horse Volunteers... A cumulative total of twenty thousand cavalry was almost entirely unleashed, and under the leadership of a whole roster of northern cavalry commanders — Han Dang, Wei Yue, Cheng Lian, Tian Chou, Zhao Yun, Taishi Ci, Tian Yu, Wen Ze, Zhang Fan, Yuwen Heita, and others — they rode forth to meet them head-on!

The two armies were a mere twenty li apart. The cavalry of both sides rode toward each other, and in barely half a shichen they collided head-on, immediately unfolding a massive cavalry battle of annihilation on the southern Fen plain, where there was nowhere to hide.

By all logic, when cavalry fights cavalry, it is like flesh and blood colliding with earthenware jars — the speed is extreme, and death and injury come just as swiftly... In the end, the strong prevail and survive; the weak collapse and then die! That is all there is to it!

But in reality, when one side surpasses the other in every respect, it is actually possible to achieve an astonishing exchange ratio.

The thing is, the Bobo Army's cavalry was originally scattered among various divisions, with no unified command, and their total number was only a bit over ten thousand. From numbers to military structure, they were at a complete disadvantage, so when they suddenly encountered twenty thousand of the world-renowned cavalry, disciplined and well-ordered, they were almost instantly plunged into dire peril!

As for the Youzhou cavalry, they basically operated with units of around a thousand riders as their basic element. Relying on their numerical advantage and superior organization, and under the command of outstanding cavalry officers, they calmly divided and outflanked the Bobo Army cavalry that had thrust forward ahead of the rest, seeking to annihilate the enemy cavalry in an organized and efficient manner. Moreover, the moment they detected large-scale infantry arriving behind, they would disengage without the slightest hesitation, immediately withdrawing and turning to pursue the encirclement and destruction of other Bobo Army cavalry units.

In fact, as the Bobo Army's main infantry force arrived on the battlefield, the clearly superior Youzhou cavalry adopted the strange posture of fighting while retreating, seemingly trying to inflict maximum damage on the cavalry while doing their utmost to keep the Bobo Army's main infantry force hooked.

Of course, on a plain where a host of a hundred thousand had gathered, the Youzhou Army's cavalry alone consisted of nearly twenty units, and the opposing Bobo Army was also divided into several dozen units, each fighting on its own. Add to that the movement of routed soldiers and the differences between junior commanders, the battle situation was not a simple matter of your victory and my defeat. One can only say that overall, the Youzhou cavalry held the initiative, but when it came to the details of local battlefields, each had its own story, and in some places, it was even the Youzhou cavalry that collapsed.

"Go tell Yuwen Heita and Wei Yue!" Han Dang, having personally witnessed a unit of Xiongnu cavalry collapse in full view, was furious but forcefully suppressed his rage. Gripping his horsewhip, he swiftly issued orders. "Have the two of them personally lead their own cavalry and cut that cavalry unit out for me! Also, have Zhao Yun take the White Horse Volunteers over there, round up this Xiongnu unit for me, and hang the head of that so-and-so Marquis who can't even control his own troops as a public warning!"

When the order arrived, Wei Yue and Yuwen Heita dared not be negligent. Each adjusted his subordinates, and then each drove a unit of a thousand cavalry, attempting to drive this cavalry force, which was only five or six hundred strong, away from the front of the Bobo Army's main infantry force, and then encircle and annihilate it.

And Zhao Yun, upon receiving the verbal message from the orderly wearing the red plume, also immediately led four hundred White Horse Volunteers to rally and deal with that unit of routed Xiongnu cavalry.

With a raise and fall of the blade, after the White Horse Volunteers, who inherently had the duty of supervising battle, rounded up their own routing troops head-on, Zhao Yun could not be bothered to say much. He directly executed several Xiongnu cavalrymen on the spot, right there on the battlefield, who were clearly fleeing without authorization, thus halting the rout. But when he tried to find the person responsible for this unit, that is, the Xiongnu nobleman, he was shocked to learn from the routed soldiers that their so-and-so Marquis had actually been killed in front of the battle lines, cut down from his horse by a hand-axe wielded by a commander in the Bobo Army!

And the rout of this Xiongnu cavalry unit stemmed entirely from this!

Zhao Zilong could not help but be so astonished.

It must be understood that, never mind how previously Lu Bu, in a single battle, had slain Fang Yue in formation and stabbed Yan Liang to death before the lines... making it seem as if killing an enemy commander in battle were such a simple matter. But in reality, Fang Yue was already in a position of certain defeat, and Lu Bu merely gave him an honorable release; Yan Liang's case was a surprise assassination strike when the man was off guard; even Chunyu Qiong and Han Juzi were killed by thrown weapons in the chaos of melee.

Of course, even so, it still demonstrated Lu Bu's unparalleled ferocity.

On the current battlefield, however, although there was some chaos, it was broad daylight with no cover, making a surprise attack impossible. Moreover, the Youzhou Army was fully organized and well-equipped... The Battalion Commander-man cavalry unit would have at least several dozen personal guards around him, and he himself would inevitably be clad in iron armor and highly skilled in archery and horsemanship. To be slain openly in front of the battle lines could not simply be attributed to luck!

With this thought, Zhao Yun, while temporarily assigning some of the Volunteers to serve as officers for this unit of routed troops and ordering them to rally the fleeing soldiers and withdraw to the rear, also hurriedly moved toward Han Dang's position to explain the situation here.

When Han Dang heard this, he did not find it particularly astonishing... As it turned out, just as Zhao Yun was going to rally the routed troops, Wei Yue and Yuwen Heita over there had unexpectedly run into trouble as well!

This trouble was not that the two commanders, leading two thousand cavalry in a pincer attack, were no match for this enemy cavalry unit of a mere five or six hundred men — that would be far too absurd. In reality, this unit was gradually collapsing and suffering continuous losses under the pincer attack... But the problem was that the commander of this unit had a very strong sense of the bigger picture. He must have realized the Youzhou Army's tactical intent very early on, and no matter how the Youzhou forces galloped left and right, he kept his own small unit firmly locked in front of the main infantry force behind him, stubbornly defending the junction between cavalry and infantry, giving the Youzhou Army no chance to penetrate and divide them.

Wei Yue and Yuwen Heita joined forces to assault several times, but each time the opponent led his personal guards in a desperate defense, and they suffered considerable casualties!

After all, with this kind of charge, if it could not succeed, they could only retreat hastily. Otherwise, being right next to the Bobo Army's main infantry force, even though friend and foe were intermingled and they need not fear bows and crossbows, if the infantry's long spears and great shields pressed forward, it would be extremely dangerous.

Several charges, over a hundred casualties — all of them were bitten off by the great infantry formation.

"Have Wei Yue and Yuwen Heita pull back and go tear into other places!" Han Dang, after all, was a veteran of many battles and especially skilled in cavalry warfare. Seeing that this spot was tough to crack, he made a prompt decision and abandoned this position. "A mere five or six hundred cavalry are not worth it!"

Zhao Yun also immediately nodded in agreement... In cavalry warfare, nothing is more taboo than clinging to a fight and refusing to leave, thus falling into a heavy encirclement! Moreover, Gongsun Xun's operational intent for this battle was already very clear: to first seek to shear away the opponent's cavalry, maximizing his own side's cavalry advantage. Therefore, at this moment, the Youzhou Army's cavalry mission was obvious — to reduce the enemy's cavalry strength as much as possible in the shortest time and at the smallest cost. This made it all the more inappropriate to waste time over victory or defeat on this small corner of the battlefield.

However, just as the distinctly marked messenger cavalry swiftly turned back, and Wei Yue and Yuwen Heita each led their troops to turn away, and even Han Dang and Zhao Yun each led their men, reining in their horses to pull back and prepare to launch a new round of hunting against the enemy cavalry... suddenly, another force of Youzhou cavalry galloped swiftly through the gap left by Wei Yue's withdrawing unit, once again skirting the Bobo Army's main infantry formation and charging toward that tough Hedong cavalry unit!

Han Dang looked from afar and immediately understood which unit this was. Without summoning the messenger, he directly issued an order to Zhao Yun: "Grand Clerk Taishi is no ordinary officer — he belongs directly to the General of the Right... He absolutely must not come to harm. Zilong, personally lead your men to support him. First follow him in one charge and see if you can succeed. If not, have him withdraw immediately!"

Zhao Yun naturally had nothing to say and led several hundred White Horse Volunteers galloping away. As he approached, this man, even on the battlefield, still possessed a meticulous attention to detail. He did not lead his troops to the cavalry-infantry junction to find Taishi Ci; instead, he temporarily turned his horse's head and first made a feint charge toward the Yang-character banner of that great infantry formation! Then he wheeled around again and charged straight for the very center of that cavalry unit!

From a tactical perspective, this was wrong!

Because when cavalry collides directly with cavalry, even if one side wins quickly, the other side will still suffer extremely heavy casualties... Truly outstanding cavalry tactics should use the cavalry's mobility advantage and mass advantage on the battlefield to intimidate, harass, divide, encircle, and pursue! And when cavalry faces cavalry, it should be even more so, just as the Youzhou Army had been constantly doing earlier in this battle — continuously penetrating, dividing, and encircling!

However, the unit Zhao Zilong was leading at this moment was no ordinary one. This was the White Horse Volunteers. This small elite force had long since become renowned across the land over the past ten-plus years, as Gongsun Xun rampaged across the realm. Among the scholars and commoners of the empire, not everyone might know who the General of the Guard was, or who the General of Chariots and Cavalry was, but the White Horse General's name was like thunder in their ears! And the White Horse Volunteers had gradually become a symbol, representing more and more things with each passing day!

Therefore, when several hundred White Horse cavalry, their armor in perfect order, made threatening maneuvers in front of this infantry formation — which flew the great Yang banner and numbered a full five or six thousand foot soldiers — the unit, which normally should not have wavered, could not help but falter for a moment!

And by the time Zhao Zilong turned back around to directly face that cavalry unit, those five or six hundred cavalry, who had already been subjected to repeated assaults and were long since tottering on the brink, and who had just now been penetrated at the cavalry-infantry junction by Taishi Ci leading eight hundred Liaodong cavalry, simply could hold on no longer and instantly burst apart!

Once this unit scattered, it exposed its commander — a general of about thirty-six or thirty-seven years of age, with a square face and heavy jowls, and a powerfully built frame! The man was clad in iron armor, straddled a large date-red horse, wore a white silk headband, and held a long spear, unflustered even in defeat.

Zhao Yun, seeing this clearly, let the White Horse Volunteers go hunt down those fleeing cavalrymen, while he himself rode out ahead, leading only a dozen or so riders straight for this man.

And this man, though he also had only a dozen or so riders at his side, showed not the slightest fear and likewise leveled his spear to meet them!

Now, of these two commanders, one was caught in a losing battle and, in the rush, was fighting for his life; the other, having sensed that this man was no ordinary figure, was determined to eliminate him first for the sake of the overall battle. Add to that the fact that the personal guards and attendants on both sides clearly had considerable confidence in their own generals' martial skills and had no intention of interfering, and so it actually came to pass that the two commanders formed a pattern of single combat, each seeking the other's life, right in front of the battle lines.

The two men clamped their horses' bellies and wheeled around each other ceaselessly on the battlefield, each wielding a long spear, trading blows back and forth for several bouts without end... and both were secretly shocked at the other's skill!

However, there was not much time left for either side. Over on Taishi Ziyi's side, he likewise had his own cavalry first go pursue and hunt down that cavalry unit which had burst apart, and then he too came riding lightly over with a dozen or so riders. At the same time, the main infantry force of the Bobo Army, which had been startled earlier, also immediately adjusted its formation and advanced in great numbers to support this commander!

After a few breaths, Zhao Yun and this general crossed horses once more, clashing with full force, and then took the opportunity to break apart... At this moment, Zhao Yun was to the south, while that square-faced, heavy-jowled cavalry commander of the Bobo Army was to the north, each offset from their respective battle lines.

Both commanders understood in their hearts that there would still have to be one final clash before they could each return to their lines and cease fighting — or else decide victory and defeat right here.

Without a second thought, the two men spurred forward together, then thrust their spears out together. The spearheads clashed in midair, striking sparks… Then the two horses parted, but each man abandoned his long spear and clutched his left arm, turning back in shock!

It turned out that as that general thrust his spear with his right hand, he suddenly drew a hand-axe from the back of his neck and swung it at Zhao Yun’s waist. But how could a man of Zhao Zilong’s caliber fall for such a trick? He too drew the sword from his waist just in time to parry… In other words, in that single exchange as the horses crossed, before they met, their long spears had struck sparks above the horses’ heads; as they crossed, they clashed hard again between the horses’ bodies, so that both men’s left arms went numb at the same time — which was why they both cast aside their spears and clutched their arms!

Both men had been forced by the other to drop their weapons. Each reined in his horse, and they faced each other across several dozen paces, clearly astonished by the other’s martial skill.

At last, Zhao Yun raised his sword and called out, “You, that man from Hedong — though you are a bandit, your martial skill is outstanding. You may leave your name!”

Hearing these words, that general’s expression actually darkened. He made to rein his horse around and return to his formation.

But just at that moment, an arrow suddenly came flying from afar. While the general stared dumbfounded, it struck his warhorse squarely in the eye socket. With a thud, the warhorse toppled over dead, and the general himself was thrown sprawling to the ground in a sorry state.

Yet in that split second, Zhao Yun, clearly cherishing the man’s martial skill, actually hesitated for a moment and did not press forward to seize the advantage.

“With such martial skill, why be a bandit?!” Another man shouted the question — it was none other than Taishi Ci of Donglai, who had ridden up with his great bow in hand.

Seeing the bow and arrow in the other man’s hand, and seeing that his own mount had been struck precisely in the eye socket, how could this general not understand that this man, like the one he had just fought, had shown him mercy? And to be questioned a second time on the battlefield about being a bandit — the man was both embarrassed and pale. What was more, with his own army’s main formation pressing close behind him, he simply turned and fled on foot.

Zhao Yun and Taishi Ci both shook their heads. With no time to think further, each returned to his own unit to hunt down the White Wave cavalry.

Let us set aside those two for now and speak only of that square-jawed general — who, in another timeline, was one of the two famous late-Han generals native to Hedong, and the “old friend and elder brother” of the other famous general, Guan Yu, Guan Yunchang: Xu Huang, Xu Gongming. He fled back to his formation in a sorry state and went to see his superior, Yang Feng. He reported the truth, detailing the ferocity of the Youzhou cavalrymen, and put forward his own view.

“General Wei’s intent is already very clear,” Xu Huang said, sitting astride a fresh horse. He cupped his hands and spoke with a grave expression. “He means to exploit the gap between our infantry and cavalry on the march, to shear away our cavalry as much as possible… And looking at the current situation, he has already more than half succeeded… If our cavalry is completely lost, then when the infantry cannot take Gaoliang Pavilion in one assault, there will be no cover on the open plain. I fear we will be harried all along the way by their cavalry and routed without end! I implore you, General, to make a swift decision!”

“What decision is there to make?” Yang Feng shook his head. “Gongming, do you mean to suggest I persuade Commander Guo to take advantage of the clear daylight and turn back to Xiangling?”

“Exactly!” Xu Huang answered solemnly at once.

Now, there was a reason Xu Huang gave Yang Feng this advice.

After all, Xu Huang’s family was at best a minor powerful household in Yang County. It was only because his martial skill was outstanding and he served as a minor clerk in the commandery that he gained the trust of the local knights-errant and became known throughout the commandery, and was thus valued by Yang Feng and made a cavalry commander. But Yang Feng himself was one of the greatest magnates between Yang County and Xiangling. With thousands of servants and thousands of tenant households, his own clan alone could field several thousand troops. Later, after he joined the White Wave Army and effectively carved out Xiangling as his own domain, adding the large and small magnates and sons of good families who swore allegiance to him, he was a power-holder with five or six thousand soldiers!

In other words, he was one of the foremost figures in the White Wave Army, the very representative of those whom Wei Ji called “men whose strength dictates their standing,” and the leader of those who had compelled Guo Tai to come and give battle this time… In short, he was someone who could negotiate directly with Guo Tai and influence the army’s decisions.

Yet when Yang Feng heard Xu Huang’s advice, he sighed from horseback as they marched: “Gongming, I also think what you say is very true. But in the current situation, we have long been unable to stop…”

Xu Huang was taken aback for a moment, but then immediately understood: “General, do you mean that this is also the first time we have gathered so many troops, and we simply cannot command them smoothly? That we cannot even stop if we want to?”

“Exactly,” Yang Feng nodded helplessly. “Do you think that with the cavalry defeated like this ahead, I did not go to find Commander Guo? That the others did not go to find Commander Guo? But with seventy or eighty thousand men divided among several dozen divisions, the front is already in chaotic defeat, yet the rear is still advancing without pause. There is simply no way to turn, and no time to turn. And even if we turned successfully, once we retreat, chaos is inevitable. What then, when General Wei comes pressing from behind?”

Xu Huang fell silent at this.

“In truth, our army still has a chance of victory — that is to drive the great infantry formation forward and be sure to break through Gaoliang Pavilion within the day!” Yang Feng continued to speak frankly. “Commander Guo, I, and the other minor commanders were just exchanging mounted scouts, and that is what we resolved. You yourself just said the same… Presumably, General Wei’s move this time can be considered an open scheme. By scattering his cavalry to shear away our cavalry first, he cannot avoid leaving his center wide open. He is simply betting that we cannot take his Gaoliang Pavilion in one afternoon! And for us, we are simply betting that we can take it in one afternoon. That is all there is to it!”

Xu Huang remained silent, though no one knew what he was thinking.

“Gongming, your face is flushed red. No doubt you are exhausted from the recent fighting, and even more, you find defeat hard to bear… Truly, do not dwell on the collapse of the cavalry. I have seen clearly in today’s battle that none of our cavalry divisions are a match for those Youzhou shock cavalry. You need not take it to heart. Stay here with the infantry and continue as a Major in command of troops, directing the forces for me.” Yang Feng knew Xu Huang’s ability, and what was more, he still needed to rely on this man’s talents for the coming battle. Seeing him in such a state, he assumed it was due to the defeat in battle and could not help but offer a few words of comfort. “I refuse to believe that while the Youzhou shock cavalry are justly famed throughout the realm, the Youzhou infantry can be so formidable as well? We shall see!”

Yet when Xu Huang heard these words, his face grew even more flushed with shame. He took the opportunity to excuse himself and went to reorganize the troops.

The great army rumbled on; once set in motion, it could not easily be stopped. By noon, as the seventy or eighty thousand White Wave troops, enduring the helpless attrition of their cavalry, surged before Gaoliang Pavilion, the Youzhou cavalry ceased their skirmishing. They turned as one and massed on the White Wave Army’s eastern flank to regroup and rest… Correspondingly, the utterly exhausted White Wave Regional Commander, Guo Tai, was at last able to steady his formations. He summoned all the army’s leaders — men like Yang Feng, Han Xian, Li Le, Hu Cai, Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin, and Li Kan — to discuss how to assault the Gaoliang Pavilion camp where General Wei himself was stationed.

And when these great magnates and rebels of Hedong, shielded by crossbows and great shields, clustered around Guo Tai — the only man among them with a yellow turban wrapped around his head — and personally advanced to observe the deployment at Gaoliang Pavilion, their worried looks all vanished, and they even turned from worry to joy.

It turned out that in the distant Youzhou Army camp, where the White Horse Banner hung, there were only a few thousand infantry holding the camp. Judging by the banners, they were commanded by some general surnamed Gao, a man they had never even heard of.

“Take it in one charge!” Guo Tai, his head wrapped in a yellow turban, was forty or fifty years old. His expression was weary and his face lined with wrinkles, but seeing the situation, he could not help but relax. “Have the flanks use long spears, bows, and crossbows to guard against cavalry charges. Then select our elite troops and drive straight forward. Once we seize Gaoliang Pavilion, we can discuss the rest! In truth, if I can win even one battle against this man, I will have been worthy of the General of Heaven!”

“How is this any kind of Yellow Turban Army?” On the high platform within the Youzhou Army camp, Gongsun Xun looked down from his vantage point at the dense enemy formations across the way and likewise sighed with emotion. “This doesn’t even count as borrowing a corpse to resurrect the soul, does it?”

And just at that moment, the enemy formation across the way suddenly stirred. One contingent, a full four or five thousand strong, surged to the very front.

“Whose troops are those?” Gongsun Xun turned his head casually and asked.

“A great banner with the character ‘Li.’ It should be the forces of Li Kan, the great magnate of Jiangyi,” Wei Ji said, identifying the man’s background with a single distant glance.

“Let us observe,” Gongsun Xun said. He tilted his head back to look at the sun, already slanting westward, and then stood utterly still.

———————I am the dividing line without a warhorse———————

“In wisdom, stratagem, courage, and strategy he already surpassed others; how much more so when he possessed the shock cavalry of Youzhou.

His achievements, as easy as snapping rotten wood, crowned the age — yet he allowed plunder to tarnish his mighty name.” — “Ode to Wu Han”

PS: I hope everyone will enthusiastically participate in the book review and chapter discussion activities… It’s an official Qidian event, and there seem to be Qidian coins involved…

(End of Chapter)