Chapter 365: Grain Grows in the Fields, East and West Indistinct

Gongsun Xun personally went to strike Tongguan. From a military perspective, this was undoubtedly an absolutely foolish move. This is because, before this era, there had never been a single clear recorded example in Chinese military history of a force trapped in a two-front pincer attack managing to achieve victory — let alone deliberately walking into one.

Of course, the first clear recorded example was not far off. Historically, it happened right at the end of the Han and during the Three Kingdoms period, when Zhuge Liang at Lucheng, facing Sima Yi, Zhang He, Guo Huai, and others, carried out just such an operation with absolutely inferior forces. From that point on, it thoroughly cemented his own military standing and forever placed the military stature of those latter three beneath his own.

However, at this moment, neither Gongsun Xun nor any of the strategists and generals under his command knew of this historical example. Lady Gongsun did not know it either... Yet Gongsun Xun still chose to cross the river and strike Tongguan, and not one of his subordinates opposed it.

Why?

Because there truly was no other way.

Tongguan and Pujin — those were the only two approaches. To enter Guanzhong, to break Dong Zhuo, to seize back the Son of Heaven and the central authority, you could only choose to attempt an attack on these two points.

And given Gongsun Xun's current political situation, could he afford not to take Guanzhong, not to break Dong Zhuo, and not to control the Son of Heaven?

Theoretically, of course he could. After all, he had territory, troops, and a mother who understood the forward direction of history, guiding him in everything from institutional construction and technological development to economic livelihood. Given enough time and a large enough territory, quantitative change would trigger qualitative change, and perhaps it would not hinder him from chastising all under Heaven and declaring himself a solitary sovereign.

But the problem was, what was the price of simply turning around and leaving?

It was the vast number of talents within the Guanzhong court who were still bewildered and without support; it was the strategically advantageous land of Guanzhong with its thousand-li fertile fields; it was the disappointment, and even disaffection and disloyalty, of the four commanderies of Shanxi that had just pledged allegiance to him, Gongsun Xun; and even more so, it was the risk of a potentially prolonged standoff when he turned back and inevitably faced Yuan Shao!

Yuan Benchu bore the surname Yuan, the second surname under Heaven. He did not need the moral authority of this court. Once the man came to his senses and raised his banner high, he could occupy any territory in Guandong at will. Dong Zhuo bore the surname Dong, a frontier rustic from Xiliang. Without the central authority in his hands, he was nothing and could do nothing. Even with the central authority in his hands, he was destined to fail. Gongsun Xun bore the compound surname Gongsun and had also cultivated considerable renown — he was neither high nor low. He could accept a situation without the central authority in his hands, but he had to worry about the political points he would lose if the Son of Heaven and the central authority fell into another's hands!

Some things are not something you can choose not to contest just because you don't want to — others will simply take them... This was precisely the mistake Yuan Shao made historically. Gongsun Xun could not possibly repeat such a blunder on a matter of this strategic level.

Besides, Gongsun Xun had made promises to Jia Wenhe, to Zhong Yuanchang, to the people of Hedong and Taiyuan. He had even made promises to himself and to Liu Kuan at Mengjin — he absolutely had to return!

Given his character, how could he possibly give up so easily?

Not to mention, a million soldiers and civilians had migrated into Guanzhong. Perhaps they could still survive for now, but if he, Gongsun Xun, turned and left, the overall situation under Heaven would be turbulent and unstable. By the time he freed his hands to return, how many would still be left?

"Punish Dong Zhuo" is the great moral cause... This phrase was a slogan at first, but now it is a fact!

On the tenth day of the fourth month, in the early summer season, General of the Guards Gongsun Xun left General of the Household Who Guards the Army Wang Xiu to garrison Anyi, overseeing the overall situation in Hedong. He ordered Lou Gui, Tian Feng, and Han Dang to lead troops and advance into Pujin. Then, fifteen li east of Fengling Crossing, at Hebei County in Hedong Commandery, he concentrated his boats and immediately began crossing the river.

Over the course of several days, ten thousand cavalry, five thousand infantry, plus over ten thousand auxiliary troops, all crossed the Yellow River. By the fifteenth day of the fourth month, Gongsun Xun's own White Horse Banner also entered the county seat of Hu County, belonging to Hongnong Commandery on the opposite bank, and encamped there.

This place was fifteen li from Tongguan to the west, twenty li from the commandery seat of Hongnong to the east, sixty li from Shan County and Mao Crossing further east, and over a hundred li from Hangu Pass at the border between Luoyang and Hongnong... In other words, not only the five thousand troops of Lu Bu and Jia Xu at Tongguan, but also the over ten thousand main-force troops of Niu Fu and Li Ru at Shan County — Dong Zhuo's army could completely reach Hu County within one or two days and launch a pincer attack. Even if they wished, the other twenty to thirty thousand Dong Zhuo troops east of Hangu Pass in the Henan direction could also reach Hu County within three or four days.

After all, they had made a makeshift landing at a rather irregular ferry crossing.

Yet throughout the entire river-crossing process, the Youzhou army proceeded with extreme caution over five full days, but did not suffer any harassment whatsoever, let alone a military strike.

This was not entirely incomprehensible. Clearly, Dong Zhuo's army obviously wanted Gongsun Xun to smash his head bloody against Tongguan, or to wait until the Youzhou army was completely exhausted before launching a pincer attack — the effect would be even better then.

This was, of course, entirely correct.

On the seventeenth day of the fourth month, just the third day after arriving in Hongnong, after a brief rest and reorganization, and after handing Hu County over to Gao Shun and Jiao Chu for defense, Gongsun Xun personally led his forces to appear beneath Tongguan. Facing such a formidable pass, many who arrived there for the first time could not help but lose their composure.

"So this is Tongguan?" Young men like Tian Yu could not help but ask curiously. "It is indeed majestic, and the terrain is superb, but why is there no sign bearing the name Tongguan, and why does it seem somewhat dilapidated?"

"The official government name for this place is Taolin Fortress. Although our dynasty has stationed troops here, there is no dedicated Commandant," Xi Zhong explained casually from the side, his arms folded, appearing rather composed. "It derives its name from this area beneath our feet called Taolin, said to be the place where King Wu of Zhou pastured his cattle... However, the name Taolin has long been abandoned, and the common folk instead call it Chongguan or Tongguan because the great river beside it rushes against Mount Hua for a thousand li without success and then turns eastward."

"In other words, this place is not a permanently established checkpoint, but is only called Tongguan because it naturally forms a pass?" Tian Yu suddenly understood.

"It is precisely because it naturally forms a pass that it is so terrifying!" Xi Zhong shook his head and sighed even more. "The pass sits atop a yuan (elevated plateau), with a deep trench before it, occupying the commanding heights. To the south it leans on Mount Hua, to the north it pulls in the Yellow River. In truth, Hulao Pass, Hangu Pass, and Tongguan all share the same posture... For example, Hulao Pass leans on Mount Song and pulls in the Yellow River, with the Sishui River in front of the pass; Hangu Pass leans on the Qinling Mountains and pulls in the Yellow River, and is situated within a valley, naturally possessing a sheer torrent; and Tongguan is exactly as it appears before us now!"

"Though I have not seen them in person, I imagine Tongguan must be even more perilous than the other two passes," Tian Chou beside them said, his expression somewhat stern. "For instance, when Hulao Pass was breached before, it was because Liu Xuande followed the waterway and leaped behind the pass. And Hangu Pass, I imagine, also does not completely sever the water route. Only Tongguan — here the Yellow River to the north turns, the current is turbulent, the banks are steep and sheer. To leap behind the pass..."

"To leap behind the pass, wouldn't that mean precisely landing from Pujin?" Wei Yue sneered from the side. "Are the two military strategists in Hedong, leading so many men at Pujin, just for show?"

Tian Chou was mocked by this remark, yet found himself unable to refute it.

"It's difficult!" Cheng Lian also quickly sighed with emotion, effectively changing the subject. "A checkpoint like this, I fear, can only be taken by piling up lives, right? I don't know about anything else, but even if we captured the city wall on that small stretch of flatland below the yuan, as long as there are three thousand cavalry on the yuan above, charging down first, they could retake it in an instant, couldn't they?"

"What else did you expect?" Xi Zhong sneered in response. "Gentlemen, this place is the very Pass of a Hundred and Two Qin Warriors, where twenty thousand can hold off a million mighty soldiers! By that calculation, with five thousand men inside the pass, we would need an army of two hundred fifty thousand to break through!"

With that, the man turned and left, departing the front line and walking toward the canopy where Gongsun Xun was, causing the assembled generals to shake their heads one after another, yet they also followed one after another.

"Well then, gentlemen, do any of you have a plan to break the pass?" Seeing the generals returning from afar, Gongsun Xun was the first to laugh and speak. It turned out that sending the generals ahead to observe the terrain had been his military order.

"In reply to my lord," Xi Zhong, not yielding to others, merely cupped his hands slightly and frankly reported, "There is none."

"Do all of you say the same?" Gongsun Xun did not mind, merely continuing to smile and inquire from horseback.

The remaining generals looked at each other. From Tian Chou to Wei Yue, from the taciturn Zhao Yun to the surrendered Yang Feng, nearly everyone shook their heads.

Gongsun Xun also nodded slightly: "To be honest with you all, facing such a formidable pass, I too have not the slightest will to fight..."

"Why not try persuading them to surrender?" Just then, Cheng Lian suddenly spoke up amidst the slightly astonished gazes of the crowd. "The defending general inside the pass, Lu Fengxian, is a former general of my lord, and also an old acquaintance of Wei Yue and myself from Bingzhou. Your subordinate is willing to enter the pass and make an inquiry, to persuade Lu Bu on my lord's behalf to surrender the checkpoint."

"Juzheng (Cheng Lian's courtesy name), have you become addicted to being a persuader?" Gongsun Xun could not help but laugh. "Very well... If you can persuade Lu Bu to surrender, I will certainly reward you handsomely. It's just that his noble rank has already reached its peak, so I can only promise him a post-facto position among the Nine Ministers, plus some wealth and goods... I suppose that's all I can offer, right?"

The generals looked at each other. It was still Xi Zhong, who had already mounted his horse, who responded bluntly: "What else can be done? Promise him he can keep independent command of his own troops? Even if my lord said that, Lu Fengxian wouldn't dare believe it!"

Cheng Lian, however, was already overjoyed: "Thinking about it this way, it should be enough... I will enter the pass immediately!"

Gongsun Xun paid it no mind, merely waving his hand slightly to let him proceed.

In truth, at that very moment, Lu Bu, Jia Xu, Wei Xu, Huang Yuan, and the other generals were likewise on the pass, discussing the troops outside. It was just that the terrain of Tongguan was truly too extreme. At this moment, they were atop the gate tower on the yuan, looking down from a commanding height. The movements below were perfectly clear, while the Youzhou army outside the pass could hardly make out their figures.

"Logically speaking, the General of the Guards originally showed us the kindness of recognition and patronage. We should not be enemies with him," Lu Bu, fully armored, gazed at the White Horse Banner faintly visible below the pass and could not help but sigh. "But the circumstances of the times are what they are. What can be done? Has Duke Dong not also shown kindness to you and me?"

Jia Xu remained silent.

"It's not just the kindness of recognition and patronage from my lord and Colonel Jia," Huang Yuan beside them could not help but interject. "My lord may not know, but when I came from Bingzhou, a group of us discussed it. We said that at the time, Colonel Gao in Yanmen was the closest, and also a fellow Bingzhou native. Joining him would be the same as joining the General of the Guards... We never imagined that later Colonel Gao would suddenly follow Commandant Cheng to Youzhou. It was only then that we made the decision to come to Luoyang to seek out my lord."

"Indeed," even Lu Bu's brother-in-law Wei Xu sighed. "The General of the Guards has such great renown in Bingzhou. Of the brothers who left Jiuyuan together back then, didn't Cheng Lian and my distant clan brother Wei Yue both follow the General of the Guards?"

Lu Bu seemed thoughtful and glanced slightly at Jia Xu, but the latter remained silent, merely staring blankly at the White Horse Banner outside the pass.

Just as the generals on the yuan were chatting idly, suddenly, a military clerk came to report that a messenger outside the pass claimed to be a fellow villager and old friend of Lu Bu, and had come specifically to request a meeting. Lu Bu and the others did not even need to think to know it was either Cheng Lian or Wei Yue... Upon asking, it was indeed so... But this Tiger of the Age's reaction was completely unexpected by everyone!

"Ask Cheng Lian to go back!" Lu Bu directly answered with emotion from atop the gate tower. "Tell him that when two armies are at war, one should not normally bar messengers. But the bond of our native place is truly deep, and moreover, we have repeatedly received the kindness of the General of the Guards. If I truly saw him, I fear I truly could not help but hesitate, to the point of doing something untoward. When that time comes, if I, Lu Fengxian, am regarded as a man who betrays his master, so be it. But I alone do not wish to implicate the families of the officers and soldiers in the army who are in Guanzhong! Tell him further that my esteemed teacher Cai Bojie's entire family is also in Chang'an, and that my little junior sister is still in her infancy this year. May I ask, how could my heart bear it?"

Huang Yuan and Wei Xu looked at each other, speechless. The military clerk, having received the order, nodded repeatedly.

"Colonel Jia," Lu Bu turned back again to look at the person beside him, "What do you think?"

"Add a few more lines," Jia Xu said casually from the side, his hands tucked into his sleeves. "Ask the Marquis of Wen's fellow villager to convey on our behalf to the General of the Guards: say that although we stand on opposite sides, it is driven by the circumstances of the times, and we truly harbor no disrespect... It is simply that the kindness of the Chancellor here is weightier and thicker!"

Lu Bu nodded repeatedly. The commandery clerk, memorizing these words, also hurriedly turned to carry out the order.

"There is one more thing," Jia Xu suddenly called out to stop the man again. "A small matter. Mention it in passing to the General of the Guards as well... Previously, the Chancellor had once prepared to burn down Luoyang to cut off the resolve of the Guandong coalition army. But mindful that it was a hundred-year ancient capital, he ultimately did not do it. Only the relocation was truly too hasty. When the Marquis of Wen and I finally rushed over, we ended up discarding quite a few books from the Lantai along the road. If he has the inclination, he might as well go east and collect them."

"There was such a matter," Lu Bu nodded in sudden realization, though inwardly he did not think much of it.

"In that case," seeing the military clerk take his leave and depart, Jia Xu simply turned and left as well, "We shall just keep the pass shut and not come out... Rest at ease and quietly await the Chancellor's military orders."

Lu Bu nodded again, yet also shook his head slightly.

"Is that so?" Outside the walled pass, Gongsun Xun could not help but laugh aloud at these words.

"It is so." Cheng Lian's face had long flushed red with unbearable shame. "I truly never expected the other side would not even be willing to grant a meeting."

"No matter." Gongsun Xun dismissed it casually. "Prime Minister Dong made Lu Fengxian a county marquis and a general. The most I could offer him was a mere empty title among the Nine Ministers, and even that carried the hidden risk of stripping him of military authority... It is only natural he places greater trust in Dong Zhongying... Still, it was within expectations... Leave one company of cavalry here as forward scouts; the rest of the army will turn back."

With these words, the man directly reined in his horse and turned around, actually intending to withdraw his troops.

The commanders looked at one another in dismay, but could only hurriedly lead their forces away. Xi Zhong, however, spurred his horse to the front and pursued relentlessly.

"If you wish to ask, then ask," Gongsun Xun said dismissively.

"Who exactly is my lord's inside source within the pass?" Xi Zhong asked with grave seriousness. "Was it not Lu Bu? From the look of things now, he has actually betrayed my lord!"

"Zhicai, you've fallen into a lesser understanding." Gongsun Xun disagreed. "Who has betrayed whom? And what inside or outside sources are there? When we parted ways with them before, could anyone have foreseen today's situation? Inside the pass and outside the pass, the fate of the realm hangs on the gain or loss of a single pass. The intentions of two generals can decide the course of the world — would they dare make such a decision lightly themselves? Moreover, he is now the Marquis of Wen, the General of Tiger Might. Even Jia Wenhe is now a proper official of the two-thousand-bushel rank. Once men reach that level, they are no longer called inside sources or turncoats; they can righteously and boldly assess the situation under heaven and make their own judgments... To put it bluntly, are their grievances and risks false? Are their families and those of their subordinates in Chang'an false? Is Dong Zhuo's grace and favor toward them false? Is the imperial edict from Chang'an false? To ask a man to entrust life and death to a single word — I ask myself, I do not have that qualification."

"Then what circumstances must arise to force them to make a decision?" Xi Zhong fell silent for a moment. "Listening to Jia Wenhe's words, it seems he can guarantee they will not send troops to harass our rear, allowing us to turn east with confidence. But what use is that? So long as those two strongholds in Guanzhong remain unbroken for a single day, we cannot shake the greater situation for a single day, nor can we shake the resolve of those two men on the pass..."

"I do not know." Gongsun Xun also grew stern. "But you have seen the terrain of Tongguan with your own eyes. The abilities of Lu Bu and Jia Xu, I think you also know. So long as those two wish to hold, how could we possibly break through easily? As for turning east to deal with Hongnong or even Henan — though it may not necessarily shake the greater situation in Guanzhong, if we simply wait here idly until army morale and fighting spirit dissipate, until we are driven back or suffer defeat and retreat, would that look any better? We must always be doing something!"

Having spoken to this point, Gongsun Xun urged his horse to greater speed and actually began galloping directly along the Hongnong highway.

"Turning east is difficult too!" Xi Zhong shook his head ceaselessly behind him. "In this campaign, attacking the heart must take precedence!"

"Then let us see how the hearts of men in the east fare!" Gongsun Xun answered as he rode, but by the time his words faded, he was already several dozen paces away.

"Bozheng (Niu Fu's courtesy name), why were no mounted scouts sent out today to probe for intelligence?"

In the afternoon, just as Gongsun Xun was reluctantly withdrawing his army, atop the walls of Shanxian, Li Ru was questioning his own brother-in-law, Niu Fu, the commander here who held the tiger tally and the imperial staff. "Even if we do not go out to fight, should we not ensure intelligence at all times?"

"Oh..." Niu Fu, who had been gazing out at the Yellow River from the top of the wall, turned back and answered with a serious expression. "To be frank with you, Wenyou, I intended to use this to lull the White Horse Bandit into complacency, to make him think I fear him, and thus inflate his arrogance!"

Li Ru frowned helplessly: "A long narrow corridor, with a perilous pass on one side and heavy troops on the other — in such a situation, how could Gongsun Xun possibly grow arrogant and complacent? On the contrary, if you send no mounted scouts, what if they launch a sudden raid upon us?"

Niu Fu's expression gradually changed as well: "Do you also know that they have fallen into a pincer attack from both sides? That being the case, what harm is there in my not sending scouts? Here we have over ten thousand men and a strong city to defend — even if he launches a sudden raid, what of it? Sit still and wait until he is worn down, then recall the various armies from Henan for an all-out battle, and pin him dead against the banks of the Yellow River. These were your own words just a few days ago!"

"That may be so, but..." Li Ru was about to speak further.

"Say no more!" Niu Fu suddenly erupted in fury, actually bellowing loudly right there atop the gate tower. "Here, I am the commander holding the staff and tally! When is it your turn to speak? With this time on your hands, would it not be better to go into your quarters, write a few characters, and read a few chapters of scripture?!"

"Do you think I do not wish to read scripture in peace?" Li Ru was momentarily choked with rage, his beard practically bristling. "It was our father-in-law who sent me to assist you!"

"Assist me, so what?" Niu Fu was utterly unafraid. "Have I not heeded the general military strategy you proposed before? Over a trivial matter of scouts, you seek to provoke me — do you think that by invoking our father-in-law, I will fear you?"

With these words, the man directly shook his sleeves and stalked off in full view of everyone. Li Ru was left even more speechless and could only return to his quarters in stifled frustration.

However, when he entered his quarters and took out a copy of Xun Shuang's "Commentary on the Book of Changes" to read, he had not yet turned more than a few pages when he heard a great clamor outside his quarters. He went out to look and saw several thousand soldiers in chaotic disarray, hurriedly assembling outside the city on an impromptu basis... He stopped a man to ask, and it turned out they had received Niu Fu's orders to go out east toward Mianchi to "reconnoiter"!

Though called reconnaissance, it was clearly an intent to go plundering... But plundering aside, why go out to plunder only now? Moreover, Mianchi also had a garrison. After Hulao Pass and Chenggao were breached, Dong Zhuo's forces had contracted, and Dong Zhuo had appointed a General of the Household, Dong Yue, to go to Mianchi specifically to receive the defeated troops from Hulao and Chenggao, also to accumulate strength in Hongnong so as to support Shanxian at any time.

So this was clearly cross-border pillaging!

And Li Ru, after all, was a man of intellect. He sat dazed for a long while, then sat in desolation for half a day. As dusk approached, he suddenly recalled an old matter and hurriedly sent his subordinate military clerks to investigate... Sure enough, just as he suspected, Niu Fu had heeded the words of the sorcerers under his command!

It turned out that Niu Fu was from a powerful family in the borderlands. The local custom was deeply superstitious, and Niu Fu himself was especially so. His army had always maintained a group of sorceresses and sorcerers, and he placed absolute trust in these people. Today, it was these people who, early in the morning, had cast a divination with a tortoise shell in the county office, declaring that Niu Fu's fortune today was clear: unfavorable to the west, favorable to the east, and furthermore, troops could only be dispatched after noon!

And so, Niu Fu, General of the Household, who held the imperial staff and commanded all the generals in Henan, concurrently leading over ten thousand troops stationed locally at Shanxian, actually went and did exactly that!

After hearing the report, Li Ru was utterly horrified... He finally understood how this brother-in-law of his had suffered such a great defeat in Hedong. As for today's matter, he also saw it with perfect clarity.

It must be said that among the various Generals of the Household, Dong Yue most despised Niu Fu's sorcerers and sorceresses, so much so that whenever he encountered them, he would invariably give them a few lashes to vent his spleen. And although Dong Yue was not a clansman of Dong Zhuo, he was still a trusted confidant of the Prime Minister, so Niu Fu ordinarily could not do much about it.

Now that Dong Yue had come to serve under Niu Fu, this move by the sorceresses and sorcerers was clearly aimed at picking a fight with Dong Yue! As for the so-called inability to go west, it was merely an excuse to send troops east to "reconnoiter"... Knowing Dong Yue's temper, if someone crossed the boundary to pillage his territory late at night, he would likely take it upon himself to teach them a lesson, perhaps even leading to armed infighting. And the consequence of such an action would only make Niu Fu even angrier in the end!

Yet, even though Li Ru now clearly understood the origin of this matter, he was utterly powerless... He was, after all, merely a scholar. Otherwise, why would a waste like Niu Fu be put in command of troops?

After much thought, Li Wenyou could only personally write a letter, then summon a trusted subordinate and have him take several guards to hurry out of the city, skirt south through the peach forest to bypass Huxian where Gongsun Xun was stationed, and go to Tongguan to seek out Jia Xu, so that he might relay word to Chang'an. And after this military clerk had departed, upon a moment's reflection, Li Ru suddenly had another realization and hurriedly wrote a second letter of accusation, summoning a second trusted military clerk and having him exit through the east gate, circle around the city, and take a detour to deliver the message to Tongguan.

——————I am a dividing line that resembles a ring-pommel dao——————

"Niu Fu and Li Ru were both sons-in-law of Dong Zhuo. In the first year of Chuping, the two led troops garrisoned at Shan, jointly commanding the various generals in Henan. At that time, Fu was the superior, holding the imperial staff; Ru was the deputy, assisting him. The two sons-in-law were at odds and schemed against each other without cease. One day, Ru obtained evidence of Fu's transgressions and wrote a letter to Dong Zhuo. Fu, however, used his imperial staff to seal the west gate, intercepted the letter, and immediately killed the messenger. Hearing of this, Ru sighed deeply: 'Only now do I understand — when a scholar encounters soldiers, even with reason on his side, it is difficult to set it down in writing!'" — "A New Account of the Tales of the World", Chapter on Wrath and Obstinacy

PS: Thanks to book friend 20170429221000411 for the red-ticket reward — this is a book friend who has become a full subscriber!

(End of Chapter)